The Runaway Lawyer

Moving Day!

2010-03-16T16:57:00.000-05:00

Hey, there - I just moved over to a new site.

Please come and visit me there!

Thanks!

Do you get it?

2010-03-15T14:22:00.003-05:00

Congrats, Coogs!

2010-03-14T21:54:00.005-05:00

I'd be amiss (and sleeping on the couch) if I didn't post a big fat congratulations to Coach Penders and the newest Conference USA Tournament Champions, the University of Houston Cougars, for their big win yesterday over UTEP! Official site here. Goooooo Coogs!

And Social Justice for All

2010-03-14T15:45:00.010-05:00

You know, I've always thought that Jesus (as a historical figure rather than a divine being) would have been a liberal. Admittedly, I've got little information on his fiscal policies, but socially, there can be no doubt that he was a staunch defender of the poor, the hungry, the outcast, the sick, the debtor, the oppressed, and the underrepresented. He would have voted for universal health care, for education reform, for truly compassionate assistance measures, and in general, he would have agreed with legislative efforts to cure the unwell, feed the hungry, house the homeless, and right the unjust.

I understand that many conservatives have hearts as well, choosing to meet many of those same goals via private foundations and groups, often religious organizations. And that's quite admirable. But those groups don't have to assist anyone - they can turn people away for not agreeing with their political ideals, for not agreeing with their religious tenets, and for not abiding by whatever (potentially arbitrary) guidelines they have. And that's their prerogative, of course. Furthermore, these organizations can't serve everyone - they may not reach all rural areas and they may not be able to handle the huge needs of urban areas.

Although I do think private organizations accomplish a lot of good deeds, I don't think they are willing or able to serve all populations and all needs. I also do not think that these organizations should have to serve all of these needs - the burden should fall on all of us to take care of those who cannot care for themselves.

Nonetheless, I was shocked to see a news article last week concerning my favorite political clown, Glenn Beck urging folks to leave their churches for attempting to help the needy and right social wrongs. "Social Justice" is a term used by many churches that provide assistance to the needy as well as those that seek to remedy the root of the wrongs they perceive in our society. They believe that the Bible mandates this activity.

I don't disagree that we have a moral obligation as human beings to try to stop suffering wherever possible, except I don't require any external source to tell me what I should think is the right thing to do. I'd like to think that most people, despite their political affiliation don't, but I've been proven wrong many times recently.

I noticed today that CNN.com has a decent short article on the matter if you are interested. Bonus quote from Jerry Falwell, if you can stomach it.

I sincerely doubt that Mr. Beck is going to make churchgoers think any differently. He apparently wants to connect the idea of "social justice" with that of "socialism." Despite the common latin root, the terms are easily distinguishable, except by those who don't want to distinguish them.

I assume Beck knows that religious individuals make up a huge percentage of his viewers (note that I am NOT saying that all religious individuals watch the show, have ever watched the show, or have any interest in the show whatsoever). I'd be interested to know how the average churchgoer in his audience feels about him - are they offended or do they agree?

Will anyone actually heed his advice or will some be offended and stop tuning in? Both? Or none of the above - his audience clearly gives him loads of leeway with regard to "facts" and silly things like that, since he is an "entertainer" (ignore the fact that his show appears on a 24hr news station, just for a moment).

My suspicion is that, like Mr. Beck does with the truth, his audience will pick and choose the parts of his show they like best and ignore the rest, in accordance with their needs, whims, and prejudices.

EDIT - Here's a follow up on this subject from a Time.com blog. Apparently the churchgoers are armed with torches and pitchforks and the beckpeddling, er...backpeddling has begun.

Nom Nom Nom

2010-03-14T13:28:00.005-05:00

I met this gorgeous little baby at a birthday party last week - I couldn't resist taking some snaps of her enjoying that cake! Isn't she adorable?

I can't not post this.

2010-03-08T19:13:00.007-06:00

My kids went nuts over this video.

Credit to Bryan Oltman from Olathe Kansas for this gem.

Dear Mr. Rabbit:

2010-03-07T23:28:00.011-06:00

The six year old wants to write to the Easter Bunny with his list of...requests? Demands? I wasn't aware that the Easter Bunny took requests. And truthfully, I'm not sure he will, though I have it on good authority that if the boy were to ask for a couple more Magic Treehouse books, he'd be happpy with the result.

So he tells me "Easter Bunny lives in California." Really, now? I did not know that. Furthermore, I do not know how he knows that.

Luckily I have a friend in California who, as it turns out, lives right next to the Easter Bunny. Quite fortuitous, really. She graciously suggested that we mail the letter to her ten year old son who will personally run it over to the rabbit hole and she'd even make sure Mr. Bunny mails a response back. How awesome is that?

At bedtime tonight I told the boys I'd look for the proper address on the computer. I can't wait to see the look on his face when I tell him I found it....you just can't buy that kind of magic.

What would you do?

2010-03-05T16:47:00.008-06:00

Texas carseat law, summarized, requires kids in carseats until they are eight years old. The law changed recently, but even last year, the cut-off age was five.

I was sitting in the carpool line today and the parent ahead of us (us being myself and the two little ones) had a two year old (I'm guessing here, but about that size) jumping all over the car - front seat, back seat, front seat, back seat, mom's lap, smacking the driving wheel, rear view mirror.....

Our elementary school is located on a busy main road, it's not in a neighborhood. And this baby had been leaping around while mom was on the main road, not just while in the car rider line. So I was thinking that not only it is against the letter of the law for the baby to have free reign of the car's interior but it really is dangerous - even a fender bender could cause a major head injury or other serious bodily damage to a child that small. I prefer not to think about what could happen if the car was hit at full speed.

So I thought about it.

And I thought about it.

And I said, screw this, I'm calling the cops. If that baby is ever hurt, I'll have it on my head.

So I did. I was routed through several departments ("no this is not an emergency," "yes, I'll hold," "yes, please transfer me.") and finally got to the right one, being dispatch for the county constable. Shoot, or was it the Sheriff? Whatever.

They said they would send a car out immediately but I told them I'm not sure that would do any good - car rider line only lasts 10 minutes at the most. I had the description of the car and the full plate number and I asked if there was some mechanism to send a letter or other notification to the family as a reminder to comply with carseat laws. I didn't want mom locked away or even fined, just told to use (or obtain) a carseat for the baby by someone of authority that she'd be likely to listen to.

I still felt petty for calling.

They called me back as I was emptying the kids and groceries out of the mommyvan and the carseatless Camry was long gone.

No - they don't have the staff to send a letter or call them. No, there is no program that can deal with that. No, there is not enough funding for that. But they'd drive out to the school where the car left ten minutes before and survey the scene.

Fantastic.

Some states have a carseat hotline, I have heard. The parent receives a letter informing them of the carseat laws and letting them know that they need to comply. It really is a simple thing and probably saves lives - certainly money (even state money in the form of uninsured ER visits for those children who are uninsured or underinsured).

I wonder what it would take to implement a program like that here?

What would you have done? Thought "ugh" and then ignored the situation like I admit I've done so many times. Considered calling and then decided it was too much trouble? Or would you have narked on them too?

Chocoholics Rejoice!

2010-03-05T09:51:00.003-06:00

In a new Harvard study, researchers found that eating a small amount of dark chocolate daily reduces the risk of some types of stroke by 52%. Per the study author cited in the article, "There are several possible mechanisms, but the effect of rich cocoa on cardiovascular health seems to be through its effect on blood pressure, and the capacity to improve the flexibility of the blood vessels." While not the most common type of stroke, and although it appeared to have no effect on overall cardiac health, I will gladly take this as a sign to continue my chocolicious ways guilt-free. Nom nom nom.

Congratulations, Jenny!

2010-03-05T00:15:00.005-06:00

A big, albeit belated, congratulations are in order for my friend Jenny on the profiling of her fabulous blog The Nourished Kitchen on CNN.com this week. Here is her latest post discussing the article.

While we do limit our processed foods, especially for the children, and have cut out entire categories of chemicals, high fructose corn syrup, partially hydrogenated oils, I don't at this moment have the time, energy, or inclination to devote myself completely to the "real food" movement as she and her husband do, but we are sloooooowly moving closer to the idea "real" diet - one baby step at a time. And chances are (and I can all but guarantee this), we'll never get there all the way, but there's merit and benefits in partially succeeding.

I find her endeavors incredibly admirable and find the research and thought she puts into her blog thoroughly considered and the science fascinating. Anyone interested in simplifying and health-ifying their eating should have a look at her blog and the recipes and resources she has throughout the site. Go have a look for yourself!

Primary School

2010-03-03T12:39:00.015-06:00

We experienced our first foray into the procedural quagmire known as the 2010 Democratic Primary election this week. Mr. Lawyer was appointed the presiding election judge of our precinct and long story shorter, let's just say here's what I've learned:

Elections start early. And by that I mean EARLY. Mr. Lawyer got up at 4:30 (and by that I mean, of course he hit the snooze until 5) to be there to set up at 6:00am. Between several clerks calling the house before 6:30, Mr. Lawyer calling the house at 6:30 to find out why he was alone, and little children who normally sleep until 7:45 on a school day creeping downstairs far earlier wondering why the phone was ringing, it wasn't exactly my dream morning. My dream morning, of course, would have included some actual dreaming.

Democrats are disorganized even on the lowest possible level. They may have some great ideas, but I don't know how they can expect to pass even the smallest of their goals when they can't even figure out where their election officials should turn their votes in to or how many clerks one is allowed to hire for each location.

Republicans (located across the gym) are, by the limited sample we saw, exclusively white, usually aging. And apparently, for some inexplicable reason, they seem to like Rick Perry. He has a great head of hair, I will concede. Other than that I don't see the appeal. Republicans, please feel free to fill me in on why he's worth keeping. Secessionists need not comment.

Highschoolers can legally miss school to serve as election clerks without being old enough to vote so long as they have their parent's and their principal's written permission, but otherwise you need to be over 18 and registered to vote in order to work the election. More people should take advantage of this, assuming your election judge can figure out how many people you are allowed to hire in the first place.

Elections do not pay well. Of course they don't - it's $8.50 an hour no matter your position (if you are in high school or college, still, it's not too shabby for some pretty darn easy work). However, if you are the head guy, you need to keep your clerks happy and most importantly on the premises - this often involves sending out for their lunch, bringing in breakfast, and keeping snacks and cold drinks on hand for your staff. Given the expense, we may have broken even at $0.00 gain/loss. We didn't do this for the money, which is definitely a good thing. And there are leftover muffins. Wait...were. Mmmm.

At least the Republican robocalls will cease...for now. I'm still not sure if they are trying to convert us or they think we already vote Republican, but I received eleventy billion of these calls in the last two weeks either directly from Republicans or "conservative" groups looking to sway us to vote in their favor. Same with the mailings - all righty propaganda. Why? Save your money and spend it on those that are likely to read it.* Exercise some fiscal conservation, eh?

Oh, and somehow Facebook decided that I'm a "real"** conservative too. Seriously, Facebook? Here's an excerpt from my FB page recently demonstrating how well their targeted marketing actually targets:

Me.
Oh, and Facebook apparently thinks I live in Austin, am a "real" conservative, and need a divorce lawyer. Um, I think their targeted marketing program needs some fine-tuning.
February 25 at 8:50pm ·
Comment ·Like · View Feedback (11)Hide Feedback (11)

Margaret M.:
I have bought some of their targeted advertising for work. Miserable failure.
February 25 at 9:01pm ·

Me.
OK, right now, Mitt Romney wants me to "join his team" and I'm being offered a cupcake coupon for Austin?
February 25 at 9:07pm ·

Sarah S.
I get stuff for Phoenix. I've never even been to Phoenix, and have no desire to go
February 25 at 9:09pm ·

Margaret M.
My ads are slightly more well targeted. Except the one about Obama wanting moms to go back to school with a woman nursing her baby. That's really not me. And does Obama care if I go to school or not?
February 25 at 9:11pm ·

Sarah S.
I've got ZooWorld, Phoenix Real Estate. and a Video Game Design school in Arizona.
February 25 at 9:13pm ·

Me.
Now they think I'm "Pregnant in Austin?" No and no. And Obama does want me to go back to school, too, but I don't think that's a political one. Phoenix, eh?
February 25 at 9:23pm ·

Margaret M.
we could do this all night.... Now i have one that says "as a military wife, I can qualify for free online classes". That would mean Mr. M is in the military (no) or I have another husband (SURPRISE, HONEY!!!)
February 25 at 9:25pm ·

Sarah S.
Get Thin in 2010 (Maybe I like being fat. Personal much?) Phoenix 1 day Coupons, Get Flirty Online Dating. (Now you want me to attempt dating after calling me fat? I have a complex now tyvm)
February 25 at 9:29pm ·

Me:
Women aren't in the military, silly. Now, support your troops!

I'm being invited to a Mandy Moore dance class in Dallas next month. That is off base on *so* many counts.
February 25 at 9:29pm ·

Margaret M.
Last one - "Puppies are awesome" with a link for an online scavenger hunt and ANOTHER stupid online college.

WTH? Are they thinking I'm dumb? Now I have a complex....jerks.

Fun stuff. Sorry about the lapse in blogging - I've got lots going on (let's all hope there's not a run off in 30 days!) and not enough time to get it all done in, but I've got loads of ideas swirling around in my head....hopefully I can get at least a few of them typed up soon.

*And by that, of course I mean "read it with a straight face."

** as opposed to imaginary?

Oh, Hey.

2010-02-26T16:29:00.002-06:00

Looks like I forgot to post for, uh, three or four months. Sorry about that....I'll get on it, ok?

Toxic Popcorn...Again?!?

2009-12-11T15:29:00.004-06:00

How hard can it be to make popcorn....seriously, folks?!?

Click for the full article, though if you are snacking on popcorn, you'd be best off finishing it first.

"Two years ago, Orville Redenbacher soared from the graveyard and announced in weeks of TV ads that his popcorn was now free of diacetyl. That's the chemical in artificial butter flavoring that has been blamed for sickening hundreds of workers, killing a handful and destroying the lungs of at least three microwave popcorn addicts.

Almost every other popcorn maker followed suit.

But now, government health investigators are reporting that the "new, safer, butter substitutes" used in popcorn and others foods are, in some cases, at least as toxic as what they replaced."

"December 7th, 1941 — a date which will live in infamy"

2009-12-07T01:26:00.004-06:00

Did it really live in infamy?

Did you have to think twice...or three times when you saw the quote? I bet most of you did.

In 68 years will Americans forget the horror that occurred on September 11, 2001...or will it too live in "infamy?"

Just something to think about.

The 12 Days of Christmas - Mommy Style

2009-12-07T00:32:00.003-06:00

The 12 Days of Christmas - Mommy Style

On the first day of Christmas,
My children sent to me
A sticky kiss planted on my cheek!

On the second day of Christmas,

My children sent to me
Two captured bugs,
And a sticky kiss planted on my cheek!

On the third day of Christmas,
My children sent to me
Three hasty mends,
Two captured bugs,
And a sticky kiss planted on my cheek!

On the fourth day of Christmas,

My children sent to me
Four a.m. feeds,
Three hasty mends,
Two captured bugs,
And a sticky kiss planted on my cheek!

On the fifth day of Christmas,

My children sent to me
Five toilet rings,
Four a.m. feeds,
Three hasty mends,
Two captured bugs,
And a sticky kiss planted on my cheek!

On the sixth day of Christmas,

My children sent to me
Six stubborn stains,
Five toilet rings,
Four a.m. feeds,
Three hasty mends,
Two captured bugs,
And a sticky kiss planted on my cheek!

On the seventh day of Christmas,
My children sent to me
Seven swiffers swiffing,
Six stubborn stains,
Five toilet rings,
Four a.m. feeds,
Three hasty mends,
Two captured bugs,
And a sticky kiss planted on my cheek!

On the eighth day of Christmas,
My children sent to me
Eight maids (I wish!),
Seven swiffers swiffing,
Six stubborn stains,
Five toilet rings,
Four a.m. feeds,
Three hasty mends,
Two captured bugs,
And a sticky kiss planted on my cheek!

On the ninth day of Christmas,
My children sent to me
Nine babies dancing,
Eight maids (I wish!),
Seven swiffers swiffing,
Six stubborn stains,
Five toilet rings,
Four a.m. feeds,
Three hasty mends,
Two captured bugs,
And a sticky kiss planted on my cheek!

On the tenth day of Christmas,
My children sent to me
Ten lads a-leaping,
Nine babies dancing,
Eight maids (I wish!),
Seven swiffers swiffing,
Six stubborn stains,
Five toilet rings,
Four a.m. feeds,
Three hasty mends,
Two captured bugs,
And a sticky kiss planted on my cheek!

On the eleventh day of Christmas,
My children sent to me
Eleven minors whining,
Ten lads a-leaping,
Nine babies dancing,
Eight maids (I wish!),
Seven swiffers swiffing,
Six stubborn stains,
Five toilet rings,
Four a.m. feeds,
Three hasty mends,
Two captured bugs,
And a sticky kiss planted on my cheek!

On the twelfth day of Christmas,
My children sent to me
Twelve sitters running,
Eleven minors whining,
Ten lads a-leaping,
Nine babies dancing,
Eight maids (I wish!),
Seven swiffers swiffing,
Six stubborn stains,
Five toilet rings,
Four a.m. feeds,
Three hasty mends,
Two captured bugs,
And a sticky kiss planted on my cheek!

Say Thank You

2009-12-05T14:10:00.001-06:00

This only takes a few seconds and it's free - say thank you to active duty U.S. military personel this holiday season

Hey All

2009-11-19T13:49:00.003-06:00

I've been busy with the four year old in the hospital for pneumonia this week (he got out last night - yay), the baby up all night with croup, and simultaneously trying to plan a fabulous pirate bash for the now-six(!!!) year old. I'll post when I can, which is not today. Thanks for checking in, though.

If you want to comment, post me something funny - I could use funny this week.

Effect, Meet Cause

2009-11-12T13:04:00.004-06:00

McDonald's: 1,000 new restaurants in 2010: Fast food giant plans to increase sales by 5% and invest $2.4 billion to enhance its brand.

Studies suggest overweight kids are coronary time bombs

Unprofessional v. "Inappropriate"

2009-11-12T12:12:00.004-06:00

Oh, this is too much. Maybe Ms. Prejean just shouldn't be allowed to speak if she can't form her own thoughts.

In other news, Michelle Bachman is "brilliant." Who knew???

Why we are getting retakes today.

2009-11-12T09:01:00.005-06:00

Ahoy, Mateys!

2009-11-12T00:59:00.001-06:00

Almost 18 Months

2009-11-11T21:06:00.002-06:00

Attention Babies!

2009-11-11T11:52:00.003-06:00

50 Free Photocards and Free Shipping!

2009-11-11T11:26:00.004-06:00

You can't beat that!

See details HERE. The offer is good through the end of November 2009.

I'm excited about taking some holiday shots very soon...let's hope the brood cooperates!

More Park

2009-11-05T01:24:00.001-06:00

Tree full of elves. Shhh - they are sleeping!

Monkey Do

2009-11-04T23:39:00.004-06:00

This is her first real attempt at a slide - it's been so hot, then rainy, then muddy, then mosquito-ey and then back to hot and so on. I feel bad that we haven't been to the park more than a few times this fall, but the weather is nice now, so we'll definitely start going more often.

An added bonus was that the boys actually asked if they could go to be early. Seriously - you cannot get any better than that - and they were out by the time their heads hit the pillows. Brilliant.

Guess who Peed on the Coffee Table?

2009-11-04T12:33:00.006-06:00

No, not me!

It's been one of those days - Her Highness Babybeast climbed onto the coffee table (not a problem), took off her diaper (small problem), and took a massive wee on the table (bigger problem). By the looks of it, she had been saving it up for days.

I was in the kitchen organizing the cupcake sprinkles (No, not kidding, yes, I know, my life is so glam), and heard squeals of delight coming from the living room. Of course, I didn't realize it was because she was happily splashing about in the sogginess of a pee puddle. Awesome.

Here's hoping the day improves. Happy Wednesday, everyone!

The Jellyfish and The Robot

2009-11-03T14:35:00.008-06:00

I was really pleased with how these turned out - both got many many comments from other parents and even other kids - particularly the jellyfish costume. Plus, I liked that both had the lights as a built-in safety feature. The Jellyfish even stopped traffic at one point, which was when I knew the get-up was a true hit.

Jellyfish and Robot in action:

And you thought demonic candy was the worst of your worries?

2009-11-03T12:31:00.011-06:00

Now there's this:

"Consumer Reports' latest tests of canned foods, including soups, juice, tuna, and green beans, have found that almost all of the 19 name-brand foods tested contain measurable levels of Bisphenol A (BPA)....

...BPA, which has been used for years in clear plastic bottles and food-can liners, has been restricted in Canada and some U.S. states and municipalities because it has been linked to a wide array of health effects including reproductive abnormalities, heightened risk of breast and prostate cancers, diabetes, and heart disease."

The Endocrine Society, a medical group, has some additional warnings to share with us in this statement from mid-2009.

I try to avoid canned foods for this very reason, as well as nutritional reasons, but we do have canned soups in the house. I think they are nasty, but Mr. Lawyer likes them occasionally. We also stock canned organic tomatoes and red and kidney beans for quick soups and other dishes.

For those who choose to formula feed their infants, you should note that many baby formula containers are also lined with BPA which leaches into the formula. BPA-free baby bottles are now the norm, but how beneficial is that when the formula is stored in BPA for months before consumption?

So what are we to do with this information? How do we limit exposure, particularly with regard to young children and babies?

~ Heat food and beverages in ceramic or glassware rather than in plastic containers. I no longer heat in any type of plastic - I have a cabinet stocked with Pyrex that gets used daily.

~ Check all of your baby bottles, sippy cups, water bottles, and other reusable plastics and when buying food or drinks, avoid plastic containers marked #7 as a general rule:

"BPA is found in polycarbonate plastic food containers often marked on the bottom with the letters "PC" recycling label #7. Not all #7 labeled products are polycarbonate but this is a reasonable guideline for a category of plastics to avoid. Polycarbonate plastics are rigid and transparent and used for sippy cups, baby bottles, food storage, and water bottles. Some polycarbonate water bottles are marketed as 'non-leaching' for minimizing plastic taste or odor, however there is still a possibility that trace amounts of BPA will migrate from these containers, particularly if used to heat liquids...Soft or cloudy-colored plastic does not contain BPA."

~ For plastic servingware for children, look for a #5 code on the bottom - these are generally considered safe, though I personally heat in glass and then transfer to plastic bowls. Stainless steel bowls, while harder to find, are a good alternative, though obviously not microwave-friendly.

~ Choose fresh or frozen fruits, vegetables, and other foods over canned goods. Particularly acidic foods, such as diced tomatoes or pineapple will inevitably break down the BPA faster than other foods, and should be avoided proportionately. Some studies suggest that fatty foods (such as infant formula) will also break down the lining faster.

~ Breastfeed your infant. Of course there are a multitude of reasons to choose breastmilk over formula already, but since boobs aren't lined with BPA, here's just one more reason to add to the list. For those with adopted children, medical issues, or for those who choose to use formula, consider using glass bottles, avoid older or secondhand bottles unless you call the manufacturer to confirm they are BPA free, and most definitely avoid canned pre-mixed formula.

~ And lastly, if there is a product with BPA that you love, CALL the manufacturer and ask them to make their products safer before you will be able to buy them again. And urge friends and family members to do the same - Money speaks volumes.

Drink to Your Health!

2009-11-02T19:49:00.008-06:00

I keep seeing an annoying television commercial that features a sympathetic, presumably lower income, mother who tells us, in a very serious tone that, and I'm paraphrasing here, "poor people need junk food too - please don't tax our already overextended budgets." The commercial attempts to illicit sympathy for the underprivileged who will be forced to go without their soda and fake fruit-flavored drinks if a law of this nature passes. Can you imagine anything more horrifying?

For starters, we ALL need as much incentive as possible to eat healthier and if a three cent tax helps in any way, then Booyah! - I'm all for it. Secondly, for a number of reasons, lower income individuals and children tend to be more overweight than those who earn a higher income. There are educational reasons and cultural reasons at play, but the biggest reason is likely that overprocessed, minimally nutritious foods are cheaper than their fresher and more natural counterparts. And thanks to scientifically proven marketing methods and modern manufacturing, it is not only tasty and convenient, but you can easily be lulled into thinking it's not really that bad....or even fooled into believing that it's beneficial.

One five year old child I know brings ramen noodles, potato chips, and a "juice" drink (containing little, if any actual juice) to school every day. Devoid of protein and complex carbohydrates and, frankly anything of redeeming nutritive value, this is truly the lunch made in hell. He has a toddler sister and Mom is expecting a third child (heh - that part sounds familiar) - perhaps their budgets are stretched too thin? Or perhaps his parents truly don't know any better. I don't know.

Back to the commercial. It's really a complete no-brainer that the less soda and sugary artificially flavored drinks a population imbibes, the better. There is actually no real downside, despite what our friends, the drinks manufacturers would like us to think.

If a tax is ultimately in the best interest of the entire US population, if it would very effectively raise money for nutrition education and for programs to help improve the diets of our youth and if it will contribute, even in a small way, to the long term health of our children (and ourselves), how can it be a bad thing?

No one, even those of us who delight in our daily diet soda, no one, NEEDS soda. No one NEEDS high fructose filled, artificially flavored, chemically enhanced beverages. And if you must (I use that loosely) have them, then pony up that three cents, knowing that it will do some good down the line. And yes, as a non-coffee drinker, I readily admit to my diet soda habit - it's no secret.

With regard to the overall obesity problem, I realize that there is blame to spread around, but when we have a well-funded national campaign to convince voters that the underprivileged will be deprived if a soda tax passes, that is just more evidence to me that our nutritional priorities are completely fouled up in this country. Common sense doesn't come with a huge lobbying budget, but I certainly hope in this case it wins out.

Meanwhile, I'll be making a list of other things to tax.......keep an eye out.

Food for Thought

2009-11-02T18:35:00.007-06:00

"Nearly half of all U.S. children and 90 percent of black youngsters will be on food stamps at some point during childhood, and fallout from the current recession could push those numbers even higher, researchers say......

....The analysis is in line with other recent research suggesting that more than 40 percent of U.S. children will live in poverty or near-poverty by age 17......"

Full article.

__________________________

See also, The Nourished Kitchen's recent Food Stamp Challenge - Read about Jenny's attempt to eat not just healthfully, but optimally for a month on just a Food Stamp budget. Can it be done?

Too....much....sugar.....please....send....help...

2009-11-01T22:54:00.006-06:00

I'm going to have to get rid of this stuff - I keep eating it even though it makes me feel like crap. Mmmm, but it's tasty. Just one more Reese's....

I bought enough candy for approximately 4500 trick or treaters. Mr. Lawyer reports that we actually got nine, give or take. So I have something like 150 pounds of candy left - and it's going with Mr. Lawyer to work. He won't eat it. OK, he'll probably eat all the Almond Joys, but the rest he'll dump in the kitchen area of the office and it will probably be gone within a half hour - we have found people there eat anything.

Crackers that no one likes? Send them to work.

Cookies that come out not-spectacular? Send them to work.

Box of baked goods that I realize in horror contain transfats and refuse to feed to the kids? Send it to work.

It's actually kind of a joke that there is no foodstuff that someone at his office won't eat. I would never send anything stale or actually burned or anything nasty like that, but if it's perfectly good food that for whatever reason isn't welcome in my house, off to work it goes and it apparently welcomed by the overworked and underfed.

I'll admit, there have been a few items that I told him to dump anonymously. They disappeared in record time. I won't go into specifics other than to say not all my baking experiments turn out like the photo.

Of the Halloween take, I siphoned off all of the peanut candy (yum), the stuff made in China, anything made in Mexico, a bunch of Saf-T-Pops that look like they had sat in a hot car too long, all of the Tootsie Roll Products (which I adore but just noticed they contain Partially Hydrogenated oil), the jawbreakers, cheap bubblegum, super sour candies (Very acidic - those are terrible for little teeth!), and anything really difficult to chew. It's all going to work along with the stuff we bought to give out. Oh, don't worry - there is plenty left. Lots of chocolate and Junior Mints and SweetTarts and tons of other things.

Oh, and about food made in China - we don't eat it if we know about it. China is notoriously lax in their food manufacturing standards (remember the horror of the melamine in the baby formula?) and it has extended to many products. There is no guarantee that anything that comes out of that country is what it claims to be, particularly with regard to food products. Further, even if the manufacturer is an honest one, China is so horrifically polluted that the food is almost certainly contaminated from the water and other ingredients that were used in its production.

"Environmental woes that might be considered catastrophic in some countries can seem commonplace in China: industrial cities where people rarely see the sun; children killed or sickened by lead poisoning or other types of local pollution; a coastline so swamped by algal red tides that large sections of the ocean no longer sustain marine life."

So, the Halloween candy from China doesn't go to work - it goes in the trash. I have no problem pawning off mediocre snacks on Mr. Lawyer's co-workers, but I draw the line at poisoning them.

Now, will it be a snack sized Milky Way or a Snickers? Decisions, decisions.....

Hey, it's Halloween - Time to Sacrifice the Baby!

2009-10-30T23:40:00.009-05:00

I've been anticipating this moment all year, when I can get jiggy with a demon goat and sacrifice my children to the Lord of Darkness, driven by the bewitched Halloween candy I consume.

According to this eminently believable article, the author warns us:

"During this [Halloween] period demons are assigned against those who participate in the rituals and festivities. These demons are automatically drawn to the fetishes that open doors for them to come into the lives of human beings. For example, most of the candy sold during this season has been dedicated and prayed over by witches.

I do not buy candy during the Halloween season. Curses are sent through the tricks and treats of the innocent whether they get it by going door to door or by purchasing it from the local grocery store. The demons cannot tell the difference."

My friend Shannon reports that she observed a coven of witches encircling the candy display at Costco this past weekend - it all makes sense now.

I did buy several bags of Halloween candy this week. Mostly because the demons in the first bag I bought spirited me into mindlessly devouring the contents within days - obviously Twix Cookie Bars are an element of Satan.

I was smarter the second time - I opened the bags outside while reciting the Lord's Prayer and emptied the candy into a brown paper bag and the demons into the sand box. Lord help that stray cat next time he takes a dump in there. Two birds, one stone, eh?

Oh and I know you thought you were taking the kids out dressed as Spiderman and a Tinkerbell to gather a little sugary loot, make wonderful family memories, and enjoy fun annual traditions like candy apples, visiting the pumpkin patch, and making jack-o-lanterns, but whether you've realized it or not, you are actually training your children to worship Satan. Specifically, you are teaching them to engage in the following activities:

"~ Sex with demons
~ Orgies between animals and humans
~ Animal and human sacrifices
~ Sacrificing babies to shed innocent blood
~ Rape and molestation of adults, children and babies
~ Revel nights
~ Conjuring of demons and casting of spells
~ Release of "time-released" curses against the innocent and the ignorant.
~ ...necromancy, or communication with the dead. "

I know, it didn't seem so dark when you were digging through your kid's candy bags for the last Reese's Peanut Butter Cup, but I and author Kimberly Daniels can assure you otherwise.

Further, football fans, candy or no candy, you are totally out of luck. You bought a one way ticket to hell when you attended those occult Homecoming pep rallies:

"Gathering around bonfires is a common practice in pagan worship. As I remember, the bonfires that I attended during homecoming week when I was in high school were always in the fall. I am amazed at how we ignorantly participate in pagan, occult rituals."

So dear readers, enjoy your Milky Way snack bars and your Peanut M&Ms, and your mini Twizzlers while you can, oh and those pumpkin shaped Reese's are divine, aren't they? But remember the time will come to pay the piper and he wants more than your candy apples. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news. I don't think USPS forwards mail to H-E-double hockey sticks, but it doesn't hurt to ask.

I must now go and prepare the altar.

______________________

P.S. See also Stuff Fundies Like for more on the subject. Eeek!

"I got a rock."

2009-10-30T14:13:00.001-05:00

Halloween Flower Fairy 2009

2009-10-30T12:32:00.006-05:00

I see that the slideshow tends to cut off her head...I think if you click on that "see all images" button it will show you the full photos, if anyone is interested.

WTF?

2009-10-30T09:26:00.004-05:00

If anyone knows how to fix the off and on wonky blog format, feel free to chime in - it's driving me nuts. Thanks.

OK, now it's back and I look dumb. Thanks Blogger! XOXO

Confucius Say: Are You People Serious?

2009-10-29T14:43:00.005-05:00

Interesting story:

WASHINGTON (CNN) – In a belated celebration on Wednesday, the House marked last month's 2,560th birthday of Chinese philosopher Confucius by passing a resolution recognizing "his invaluable contributions to philosophy and social and political thought."

But some members apparently prefer their Confucius confined to a fortune cookie rather than on the House floor. According to the vote tally, 47 voted against the birthday resolution and 13 voted "present," while 361 supported it.

"We love Confucius, but what a joke of a vote," Rep. Jason Chaffetz, R-Utah, told CNN.

"I can't go back to the people of Utah and say, 'Yeah, we're voting on Confucius today,'" said Chaffetz, who called the resolution "absurd." "How many more birthdays do we vote on before we start fixing the economy?"

The resolution's sponsor, Democrat Al Green of Texas, said on the House floor the resolution is meant to celebrate the "personal introspection" of the Chinese philosopher and his "respect of social relationships, personal and governmental morality."

"He preached that politicians must always present truth and morality. He taught the philosophy of reciprocity, never impose upon others what you would not choose for yourself," said Green.

When asked about the criticism aimed at his resolution, Green gave CNN a Confucius-like statement: "Although I would like 100 percent of the people to agree with me 100 percent of the time, I have learned that rarely happens."

Arizona Republican Jeff Flake, who also voted against the measure, tried conjuring the Chinese philosopher in an e-mail prediction: "He who spends time passing trivial legislation may find himself out of time to read healthcare bill."

OK, I don't really care what your politics is, this IS a joke. I'm admittedly not current on Al Green's record as a legislator, but I had a couple cases before him way back when he was a Justice of the Peace here and I do have an impression of him based on that.

First, when you were scheduled for court, even a one minute hearing, you had to sit and listen to his spiel: the rules of the courtroom, the rules of procedure as they differ between Justice of the Peace Court and Small Claims Court (a JP in this state will hear both types on the same docket), what mediation is and why your case will be sent to it, the postjudgment procedures, his personal theory of justice, and several personal anecdotes, and so on and so forth.

Don't get me wrong - many JPs have a little speech that they repeat before they begin hearing cases. However the speech is usually less than ten minutes. Justice Green spoke routinely for an hour or more.

When you are a busy attorney charging your client by the hour, this expense of time is no trivial matter. Also, it was pure torture to have to sit and listen to.

I quickly came to the conclusion that Mr. Green really likes the sound of his own voice. Like. Really. And I began turning down any case in his court or that would have to be filed there (there weren't many, but still). In retrospect, this may have been part of his plan - lower his workload by boring the attorneys into fleeing his precinct, in which case, I do have to give him credit for a job well done.

I had one case - fairly trivial, but the client was willing to pay and legally they had an interesting case. Two extremely hostile neighbors were fighting over a tree and the damage it allegedly did to a carport and garage. Note: tree cases are rarely about the actual tree - they are much more likely to be about something else altogether. Bad feelings were not new between these neighbors - they had bickered for years over this and that - as I said, the problem was not rooted in the actual tree. It was a power struggle and nothing more, but there were legal issues that the parties could not (would not) work out, so to court it went.

Trials in JP court are often only a few minutes long. Once in a while you end up before a jury and even then, it doesn't last long. I think my maximum prior to this was a couple hours, but that included taking the judge out to a property (Road trip!) to personally view the damage.

This case (part of it the judge's speech and I think we went involuntarily to mediation for a short time, which did not go over well with either side) lasted six hours. I wish I was kidding - it lasted all day long. It was insane. I have never worked so hard for such a trivial matter in my life. And we won - I don't remember the details, but I do recall the Client thanking both myself and Jesus, so I know we won.....the specifics are irrelevant now. Six hours for something like a $1,400 case. Moral victory. Financial loss.

The same case in any other court would have lasted maybe an hour - there were a few witnesses and an expert witness (yes, I'm serious) to put on, but certainly not all day. It was solely because of justice Green that the parties and I unnecessarily wasted the better part of the day in his courtroom.

I don't think he is a bad guy. But in that instance, he was inconsiderate, impractical, dismissive of the value of each parties' time (and the financial repercussions of having counsel present), and I don't know if it was caused by an unduly high valuation of his own importance or that he was just completely oblivious of other peoples' needs. Maybe both.

This vote on Confucius seems to be a waste of time too. Perhaps not the biggest waste of time, but a waste nonetheless - a waste of effort and a waste of time. And it did bring him some recognition to boost his already inflated ego. I'm inclined to think it's not out of character for him at all. I hope I'm proven wrong.

The superior man is modest in his speech, but exceeds in his actions.
-Confucius, The Confucian Analects

Our Candy-Eating Robot

2009-10-28T14:54:00.010-05:00

The costume is dotted in LED lights, which you can't really see right now, but they are truly the highlight. They look great at night. Hey - I just noticed one of the blue reflectors fell off....I'll have to fix that (yay for extras!).

For Halloween night he'll have on silver shoes and glittery silver makeup (probably just on his cheeks for the effect).

Here's a video - it's loud, so take those speakers down a notch. I'll try to get a nighttime video or at least one at dusk so you can get the full effect:

Make an on-line slide show at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Since I've been asked, the costume consists of the following:

1 - Turkey Roasting Pan ($1.00)
2 - Sets of small reflectors ($1.00)
6 - Small mirrors (unbreakable) ($2.00)
1 - Generic Tin (I used a candy tin) ($0.00)
3 - Sets of battery powered LED lights ($0.00)
1 - Multicolored battery operated LED pumpkin light. ($0.00)
1 - Solar Powered Calculator ($1.00)
7 - Reflective Stickers ($?.00)
2 - Foam-backed reflective car sunvisors ($2.00)
1 - Roll of metallic tape ($1.00)
1 - Roll of Clear Packing Tape ($1.00)
1 - Nail to make holes in pan ($0.00)
1 - Small hammer to make holes (could do by hand)
1 - Shower sprayer hose with sprayer removed ($1.00)
1 - Pair of grey sweat pants (with hole in knee) and grey shirt

I already had the items marked as $0.00, so the total price was about $12.00, primarily purchased from our local dollar store.

You can pretty much figure out the how-tos by looking at it and you might have some better ideas for materials or configuration than what I used but I'm pretty happy with the result. The base of the robot is just a piece of the sunvisor wrapped around and stapled directly to his sweatpants - it's open in the back to allow for movement. I do have another pan for the back of the costume, but I'm not sure I'm going to bother with it at this point.

Note that it is not the most resilient costume, though, so for a really boisterous child, you'd need to find something more durable than an aluminum pan. Other ideas - paint pan (still shiny, but much harder), dish drying rack pan sprayed silver, several layers of cardboard sprayed silver.

Happy Halloweening!

The Kittysuit

2009-10-28T00:24:00.002-05:00

By request, here's the babe at the neuro appointment. Full body shots with tail will have to wait - she wouldn't look up when I tried to take some outside today. Far too busy gathering acorns - you would have thought she was wearing a squirrel suit by the way she went about collecting them in her little paws.

No!

2009-10-27T22:29:00.006-05:00

Mr. Lawyer asked me, "Why does the baby keep yelling "No!" at me and whacking me in the face?" (He's not kidding - for the record, she wields a mean uppercut.)

Me: "She's showing you your nose, honey. Isn't that sweet - she has a new word? Just acknowledge it, tell her she's smart, and she'll move on to poking you in the eye instead."

Mr. Lawyer: "Why can't you just teach her about belly buttons?"

Dear Local Republican Party:

2009-10-27T20:55:00.006-05:00

Thank you so much for the multitude of recent telephone calls lately. Mr. Jared Woodfill, in particular - so nice to hear your robocall. I really do like touching base with you on a daily basis - or should I say with your grating recorded message?

I have three children ages five and under and two of them still nap. Heck, I still nap on occasion. I think it's adorable when they wake screaming and crabby to your calls. You see, I'm on the Texas no call list and the Federal Do Not Call list, so I don't get many other calls other than humans who actually wish to speak with me and care what I think instead of calling to dictate what I should believe.

However, I realize you have the First Amendment right to annoy me in my own home, so it's not actually the calls per se which concern me.

I see you have set your caller ID information to read the name of the county in which I reside rather than "Republican Robocall" or some other more honest label. I can only assume that is because when people see "Republican Robocall" on their caller ID, they ignore the call altogether, yet when they see a call from what deceptively appears to be a government entity, they snap to it and answer the phone.

I know I do - in part because family members work for that government entity and I also do occasional work for cases in the county. While I can't imagine a court would call me at home, when I see the caller ID, I answer it just in case - you never want to ignore a call from a court.

So, dear Local Republican Party, do I think you have set up the caller ID information like this intentionally? Of course - it's just naive to think otherwise. Do I think that's deceptive, even a little dirty to con people into answering their phones? It's not exactly Bernie Madoff, but yes, it's dishonest to be sure.

Strangely, I never get automated calls of any kind from the Democrats. I'm not sure if they are so disorganized that they can't put them together, they realize people hate getting automated calls so they put their money into other activities, they can mysteriously tell that they probably already have my vote, or I simply didn't make the calling list. Fine with me - keep me off. I doubt an automated political call has ever changed someone's mind, but I can tell you it certainly wouldn't change mine.

In conclusion, Local Republican Party, cut it out, for Pete's sake - this isn't endearing you to anyone, I assure you. And frankly, you really need to work on being a little more endearing because it's not looking real good right now.

Sincerely,

Me

Noggin Report II

2009-10-27T18:35:00.003-05:00

We (finally) had out consult with the pediatric neurosurgeon today about the Baby's head. The good news is that - most likely no surgery will be needed. Babybeast has a CT scan on Monday to make sure her brain has enough space, but that seemed like a formality more than anything. I'm not sure how I'm a) going to get downtown by 6:30am with a baby that normally sleeps until 9:30 and b) how I'm going to convince her not to eat or drink all night. We may seek a second opinion, as a matter of course, but I'm very pleased with the news from today.

Toxins Be Gone!

2009-10-26T23:10:00.004-05:00

Too bad it's not that simple. One website, HealthyStuff.org has tested thousands of children's products and other household items to find out what you are really buying.

They test for all sorts of toxic nastiness:

While there are a number of chemicals of concern that have been found in common consumer products, HealthyStuff.org focused on a subset of chemicals that could be detected by the XRF technology: lead, cadmium, chlorine, arsenic, bromine and mercury. HealthyStuff.org also contains information on consumer products that contain chromium, tin, and antimony. Each of these chemicals also represents potential exposure to workers or communities during the manufacture of products containing them, and potentially to communities where the products are disposed.

HealthyStuff.org selected these elements and related or associated chemical compounds because they have been identified by many regulatory agencies as problematic chemicals or they are associated with problematic compounds and/or because of their toxicity or suspected toxicity, persistence, and/or their tendency to build up in people and the environment. These chemicals have also been linked in animal and, less often, in human studies to long-term health impacts such as birth defects, impaired learning, liver toxicity, and cancer. They were also chosen because these chemicals, or their elemental building blocks, have been subject to either regulatory restrictions or voluntary limits set by industry associations or third party environmental certification organizations.

While I don't have the time to search for each and every item I own on the website, it's reasurring that someone out there is checking up on products that children and babies will be handling (and chewing on), especially since, as we've seen, it's not necessarily cheapo dollar store items that are contaminated.

The CPSC, which is charged with protecting the public "against unreasonable risks of injuries associated with consumer products" has had its fair share of controversy in recent years, but I beleive it's one of our better functioning government agencies, despite the criticism. Not that it is necessarily inept or corrupt, but simply overworked and far too small and underfunded for the job at hand. I hope that more attention will be paid to its importance in the future.

Until then sites like HealthyStuff.org exist to help fill in the cracks of missing information and help push consumers to demand safer prodeucts for their families.

Miscellaneous

2009-10-26T21:23:00.004-05:00

A bit of this and some of that in a stream of consciousness format...

~ We had Curriculum Night in kindergartenland tonight. My kid has been trying to teach the others to read - how sweet is that? I'm so proud of him - he just loves his teacher, adores school, and I know I'm really lucky that it all seems to come naturally to him thus far.

~ Babybeast has her head apointment tomorrow afternoon. I'll report back sometime after that.

~ Blogger seems to be farking up people's comments and giving a warning that they can't comment. It's done that to me several times, but if you try again it typically goes through ok. Don't give up!

~ The google hits on this blog are pretty funny. And some less so. The "rape" search that hit this political entry was a little disturbing. I was excited to see someone out there wanted to know more about veggie crunchers today - and who wouldn't, because they are the epitome of veggie awesomeness? And couple of people who I've spoken to have googled the blog by name because they keep forgetting the url - just bookmark me - or click that follow/fan button over on your right - it's easy! And some Google hits are completely random and almost certainly not what they were actually searching for, but it looks like I'm interesting for them to stick around and read a few pages anyway - how cool is that?

~ It has come to my attention that someone thinks I'm a dude. Nay nay buffalay; this writer is 100% female type human person.

~ I've got a few click-throughs from antisobriety.com to particular entry. You can't see the forum without registering but with that name, I must know what it's about - if any members are visiting, please enlighten me!

~ My afternoon was spent grocery shopping in a thunderstorm with three kids 5 and under. Grocery shopping in a thunderstorm with three kids 5 and under sucks big time - there's no sugarcoating it.

~ One of our cats pooped a big rank steaming kitty turd into the kids' Christmas ornament box last night. Seriously, cat - WTF?

Tweet Tweet

2009-10-26T15:15:00.004-05:00

I showed this to the kids. The 5yo thought the giant bird was absolutely hilarious. "Play it again!!!!"

The 4yo was perplexed by the fact that the newscaster was "talking like a girl."

Why I Would Consider Moving to the Midwest

2009-10-21T09:08:00.002-05:00

The First Step Is Admitting You Have Problem

2009-10-20T14:29:00.005-05:00

I gots one.

I just downed an unholy amount of Veggie Crunchers - they are deeeeeelish!

I'm feeling rather.......full.

They were so nice, I was going to do a review and whatnot, but for reasons unknown, the product is not featured on its manufacturer, Amport Food's website, which is annoying. And then I was going to take a photo of the bag, but, quite frankly, it's much less attractive when it's not full (read: mostly empty), so I'm linking you to someone else's blog for pics instead. She has a great review on there as well.

Veggie Crunchers are basically thinly sliced vegetables (sweet potatoes, zucchini, yellow squash, taro, and green beans) vacuum dried, rather than fried and then lightly coated in nonhydrogenated canola oil and sea salt. I admit I had to look up Taro since I can't say I'm the most adventurous eater out there.

The result is fantastic. They are just as crisp and crunchy as if they has been deep fried, but without the scary carcinogenic health risks. Each variety is sweet yet salty, but not overwhelmingly either. And the green beans, which are not my favorite vegetable, are crispy and sweet and almost unrecognizable to the palate. And yes, the taro is quite tasty as well.

There are no preservatives or artificial colors - the veggies keep their own colors quite well. Besides fresh vegetables, canola oil, and sea salt, the only other ingredient is dextrin, which makes for a short ingredients list which makes for a happy mommy. I cannot tell you how often I am excited about a product and yet horrified by the ingredients list.

I'm under no delusion that this product can replace vegetables on a daily basis, but it's a great choice for school lunches, on-the-go-snacks, or to replace a less healthy option.

The downside is that as far as I can tell, the product is available only at Costco where I paid six-something for a fourteen ounce bag.

The picky four year old begged me to try them and promptly spat out the carrot I offered. I don't think it was what he was expecting - carrots are his favorite veggie, but the texture was so different. He then he warily tried some of the other flavors. I may or may not have fibbed and said they were all "fancy potatoes" but he liked them enough to finish what I offered him and ask for a couple more pieces.

Babybeast ate the bits I gave her and screeched for more, so they were definitely a hit with her.

The five year old is part goat. He devours most anything in his path. I have have absolutely no doubt that he will snarf however much he is offered and then hound me for more. The child eats almost constantly - this is the one who is likely to be 6'5" or so like his uncle.

Mr. Lawyer will not get to sample them, but he'd probably like them if I had left any for him to try....

Post Script to Franken Amendment Controversy

2009-10-20T09:23:00.005-05:00

The Dept. of Defense opposed it as well. The article deserves a read - several interesting tidbits in there.

I promise, I'll post some cheerier stuff later today, ok?

I Know No One Will Read it, But....

2009-10-19T01:25:00.010-05:00

I just sent off a letter to John Cornyn. Which will be summarily deleted, I have no doubt.

Why would I do that, you ask?

Because he voted in favor of gang rape, along with 29 other fine U.S. Senators.

Surely not, you say! But unfortunately, it's true. I first read about it at appletreeblog.com, but it's been in both the news and the fake news:

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart

Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c

Rape-Nuts

www.thedailyshow.com

Daily Show
Full Episodes

Political Humor

Ron Paul Interview

There's not much that can be done at this point beyond expressing my outrage, because despite the acts of these thirty senators, the legislation did pass. Now, thankfully, federal contractors will be subject to civil lawsuits if they are found negligent in cases of sexual assault and other crimes of the person. Victims will be permitted to sue their employers instead of being subject to arbitration agreements; arbitration is not only expensive, but it is weighed heavily in favor of the employers.

Nonetheless, I felt compelled to shoot off a short note to John Cornyn anyway:

Mr. Cornyn:

I was deeply disappointed to learn of your recent vote in favor of protecting overseas federal contractors whose employees engage in rape and other forms of assault against female employees. I understand the scenario of federal contractors protecting violent employees and furthering an environment that makes sexual assaults likely is not uncommon - to see you and a number of other Republicans vote to uphold the status quo was extremely upsetting to me as a woman.

In fact, I cannot stress how much I was upset upon learning that anyone opposed this legislation. As far as I am concerned, the matter is neither Republican nor Democrat, but rather a basic human issue. I have friends who are rape survivors and the victim never completely recovers from the experience; I cannot imagine affirmatively protecting an entity that harbors a corporate atmosphere that makes such an assault possible or even likely. I cannot imagine protecting an entity that covers up systematic sexual assault.

Your vote tells me that you value corporations over women's safety and it makes me wonder why a corporation is a higher priority to you.

Please think about the real consequences of your vote in the future - it's not always "politics as usual." Sometimes you have the chance to really help and sometimes it's more important to do what's right rather than walk the party line.

Sincerely,

[Name and Address]

So he'll have that to delete first thing in the morning, but it was better than not saying anything.

Amused?

2009-10-18T01:12:00.003-05:00

Why, yes.

Amused?

2009-10-18T00:30:00.001-05:00

No. Not even a little.

The Glorious Colors of Autumn

2009-10-17T23:17:00.010-05:00

Here are some lovely trees in autumn shades of reddy brown near the house:

Except those are evergreens. Pine trees.

Evergreens, of course, don't turn colors in the fall - unless they are dead. The scene is common - large clusters of pine trees dead all over the area. We had a particularly hot summer which was particularly devoid of rain. We had a few days of rain in August, but by then the trees were stressed considerably.

The drought didn't kill them, however - a tiny little pest did. The Southern Pine Bark Beetle has been active in the area. It's a quick and lethal creature - it takes down stressed trees easily, but will destroy healthy ones just the same. We lost three or four massive pines on our property a few years back - the invoice for removing the trees was a whopper and we were pretty upset that the extra cost to purchase the heavily treed lot was wasted in a matter of months. Still mad about that, truth be told.

There are very few signs that your tree is infested with beetles - once you can see the damage, it's really too late to rehabilitate the tree. Once the tree turns noticeably brown, the beetles have left for another host and it's "Sayonara, Pine Tree." There are a few ways to control the pest, but they aren't very effective or practical.

So anyway - this is our Fall color this year. Whee. In case you are wondering, the rest of the trees (both deciduous and evergreen) are still very green. It was in the low nineties this week, so I expect it to be green around here for a while. Our seasonal color goes something like this: green, green, green, green, brownandfalloff, buds in January, green, green, green.....

Oh, we do have one tree variety that does make gorgeous colors in some years, but the Chinese Tallow is considered nastily invasive in Texas (and probably everywhere else) and we've been asked not to plant any - it reproduces quickly and edges out the native varieties. Annoying, that, but what are you going to do?

But hey, we aren't shoveling snow like some states, so I guess I shouldn't complain. For the record, there has been no need to shovel snow in this area since....well....ever. And you will never see me complaining about that.

p.s. Tomorrow, the boys and I are making Autumn Leaves as a craft - it's the best I can do for them this year. If you have any groovy Autumn kiddy crafts, feel free to link me up, ok?

NEWS ALERT: Meghan McCain Has Boobs!

2009-10-16T13:42:00.009-05:00

And all the twitterverse has gone mad.

Meghan McCain posted a photo of herself on her twitter account. It showed some boobage (OMG THE HORROR!). And then she apparently got a ton of flack from her followers, who called her nasty names and tweeted unjustified implications, et cetera, et cetera, et cetera.

I would guess that most of her followers are Republicans, but that's beside the point, really. Well, no, maybe that is some of my point, now that I think about it. Hmmm.

This is Meghan McCain, daughter of John McCain. She is literate. She is conservative. She's pretty darn cute. Oh, and she has boobs:

Come on, kids - they are just boobs. Owning does not mean that one is a "slut" or imply anything of the sort. Maybe she should have used better judgement in choosing what to post, knowing that her particular audience is significantly more conservative than average, but her photo, which is neither obscene nor in any way offensive, deserves not even one of the rude comments that it drew. And seriously, what sort of good Christian or promoter of family values goes around calling people whores, anyway?

Here is Ms. McCain's own response to the tempest in a twitterpot on The Daily Beast.

For those that don't know anything about McCain, she is a Republican blogger and columnist who is socially surprisingly moderate. She is tolerant, seems to stay away from negative politics, and I think she generally has a good head on her shoulders, particularly given a few more years under her belt.

I'd actually think if more Republicans paid heed to her practices, they would have a bigger (and happier) following, including the much sought after young adult vote. No doubt we will see more of her in the coming years, hopefully as the conservative voters back slowly away from the radical right, horrified of the kind of race-baiting, hateful politics and negativity they have promoted in recent years. That might just be my own personal fantasy, but a girl can dream, no?

And in the long run, while I doubt she will make a habit of posting photos without careful consideration, exposure like this (haha - I made a pun), will only benefit her long term in terms of publicity. Kudos to you, Meghan.

You Can.

2009-10-15T17:31:00.008-05:00

The global economic crisis has caused a spike in world hunger that has left more than a billion undernourished, United Nations agencies said in a new report.

The report says the stabilization of financial markets has meant less investment in agriculture, food distribution.

"It is unacceptable in the 21st century that almost one in six of the world's population is now going hungry," said Josette Sheeran, executive director of the World Food Programme. "At a time when there are more hungry people in the world than ever before, there is less food aid than we have seen in living memory."

Want to help? We can.

In a related note, I now feel ill after reading this, for more reasons than the obvious.

In Defense of Marriage

2009-10-14T09:15:00.005-05:00

This video gets to the point of what is really harming American marriages. Thanks to this campaign, maybe the homosexual agenda will have less of an impact on our traditional families.

And for those who are wavering, keep in mind that Pat Robertson agrees wholeheartedly.

Thanks for watching and supporting this worthwhile campaign; hopefully the momentum will spread from California to the rest of the states once the election is won.

Halloween Peanuts

2009-10-13T15:43:00.004-05:00

Halloween is a dangerous time for kids who are highly allergic to peanuts - the treats might end up being as scary as anything else out there. When you are buying your trick-or-treat candy, please consider buying peanut-free.

If you must have your Reese's (yum!), consider buying some peanut-free candy so you are prepared if one of your local children has severe allergies. Ideally, your peanut-free candy would be kept in a separate bowl to eliminate the possibility of cross-contamination.

On behalf of parents with severely allergic kids everywhere, thank you!

Trick or Treat to Make a Difference

2009-10-13T12:46:00.009-05:00

Here's a great charity that everyone can stand behind - UNICEF is holding their annual Trick or Treat for UNICEF fundraising event again this year. Please consider ordering, making, or picking up from Pier 1, Hallmark, and Baskin Robbins stores Halloween-themed Unicef boxes to take Trick-or-Treating this year to fill with change to make a change.

This is a fantastic opportunity to teach even the littlest children that they can help. And it's easy!

The first step is to explain to your children what they will be doing and why it's so important. You may also need to explain that it will not diminish their candy haul even a little. Each child should know that not everyone is as fortunate as they are but that they can make a difference. My boys were upset to learn that some children and even babies don't have enough food to eat, but they were also very excited to learn that they could do something to help.

The money they collect will benefit children all over the world by providing basic necessities like food, water, medicine, and education. UNICEF also provides aid to disaster areas such as the recent earthquake and tsunami victims which your kids may have seen on the news lately.

Every moment of every day, UNICEF is on the ground providing lifesaving help for children in need. We provide families with clean water and sanitation, we vaccinate against childhood illness, and we help protect children against malaria. We provide nourishment to fight malnutrition, and we care for children affected by AIDS. We protect children from abuse, and we give them an education. We are here to make sure that all children lead a healthy, humane, and dignified life.

UNICEF has been helping children for over 60 years and has saved more children’s lives than any other organization in the world. We have the history and the experience to overcome obstacles like politics and poverty—even war—which can stand in the way of helping a child survive. While we could never do it alone, we are often the ones who reach children in need after everyone else has given up.

On Halloween night, or your area's designated trick-or-treat night, just take your Unicef box/canister with you and ask people to contribute and have them explain where the money will go. Seriously, who can resist a tot in costume asking for pennies for charity?

And sending in your collected funds is super easy. Do you live next to a Coinstar machine? You can just dump the change in there and Unicef will receive 100% of it, no postage needed. There are also several easy ways to donate by credit card or the old fashioned way via the post office.

I'd suggest using the Coinstar machine and tossing in the money you otherwise would have paid in postage - every little bit counts!

Oh, and lastly, you can even double your take via a corporate sponsor - check out how here.

And if you don't have a child or don't plan to trick-or-treat, please consider a small donation anyway.

"Practice cancelled due to inclimate weather‏"

2009-10-09T18:59:00.004-05:00

I love it! Inclimate weather. I may have to work that into something somehow. Not sure I can do that without sounding like a moron, but still...I like the idea.

It's raining, which makes the lawn happy. And according to the boys it makes the trees happy because they are thirsty. No doubt they are right.

Soccer practice is canceled, which makes me sad because I've paid for it, but happy because I'm flat out exhausted and the idea of spending an hour chasing the baby off a muddy field is an unattractive one at best.

The rain will make my roses happy too. No, not the roses I have in the front flower bed or the roses I have in pots on my front porch, but the three rose plants I have yet to plant....that have been sitting waiting for attention for a long time. Probably the better part of two to three months. Yeah......I know. But after a near-death experience in last month's heat, they seem thrilled to be alive and are flowering madly, encouraged by the relatively cool temperatures we are experiencing and I'm hoping to get to them this weekend.

I've promised to remove the children from the house tomorrow afternoon for several hours to allow Mr. Lawyer to enjoy his game. Fair enough, since he will be taking them to their soccer game at 8:30a.m. and I don't plan to attend. He doesn't actually know this yet, but since I won't make him get up 4900 times tonight and breastfeed the teething baby, I will accept it as his major contribution to parenting for the day.

Any ideas for entertaining 5, 4, and 1.5 for three hours tomorrow? If it's raining, I am considering taking them jeans shopping with me. Doesn't that sound like fun? Jeans shopping with three small, antsy, helpers? Jealous? Oh, yes, I know - you want to come too, doncha? I thought so.

Said teething baby needs attention. NOW. Have a good night.

Kindergarten Report

2009-10-08T20:53:00.011-05:00

The following is what Mr. 5yo reported to me on the way home from Kindergarten:

"Today we had College Day and I am going to college to be a MOUNTAIN CLIMBER!"

"They sent [Tommy] out of the class and he has to go to the Naughty Boy Class every day now to learn to keep his hands to himself and I hope it works because he's really naughty and one day the police might come to take him to JAIL he's so naughty."

"They serve JUNK FOOD at lunch and those kids are not going to grow. I'm glad I bring my lunch so I can eat my vegetables."

"I'm the goodest boy in kindergarten EVERY day."

"Guess what? I didn't wipe my mouth or nose on my shirt even once!"

"Mommy Mommy Mommy - Mrs. Simmons has a wife and his name is Mr. Simmons and it's his BIRTHDAY today!"

I'm not so sure everything we learned everything we needed to know in kindergarten after all, but it's a start.

Mellowcreme Pumpkins

2009-10-08T19:44:00.003-05:00

Are my downfall. That is all.

And No Sweatpants with Ass-Words, Either

2009-10-07T21:44:00.009-05:00

Girly is ok - and has always been ok. And the little girlies like it - I get that. Babybeast is attracted to sparkly items like a darn magpie.

But I'm picky. I have standards. I have.....um.....issues.

To wit:

1) No giant bows like this.

Or this:

2) No princess wear, however cute. Princess theme is ok, I guess, but anything that affirmatively labels the child a princess (or a "brat") is a no-go.

3) No licensed characters (note the double no-no here).

4) No branded logo clothing. My children are not billboards - if they are going to advertise, I want royalties.

5) Anything ridiculous. Even kids have personal dignity - we should let them keep at least a scrap of it in public.

6) Death-themed items for infants and toddlers. It's creepy, for Pete's sake!

I understand that other people put their children in fluffy reversible branded logo licenced character death princess clothing with matching bows that reduce their field of vision to a tiny pinhole area, but that's just not how I roll.

With that in mind, I'm not responsible for dressing other people's kids, and unless your child is something grossly inappropriate, I'm not going to bat an eyelash whatever she or he wears, so there's not need to be on the defensive if you are really into fluffy reversible branded logo licenced character death princess clothing with matching bows that reduce their field of vision to a tiny pinhole area.

So yes, I'm cool with girly. But I'm perfectly at peace with my pickiness too.

Hair Doodads

2009-10-07T10:42:00.005-05:00

Oh my. The baby is obsessed with barrettes. I'm not a fan of those ridiculously big bows people sometimes buy for babies, but little bitty ones and little flower barrettes are pretty cute. And I'm a sucker for cute.

She has a not small box of them - I went a little mad buying them some time back plus we've had several packages given to us. My thinking is that they are essentially disposable products; not by design so much, but as a practical matter they don't tend to be long-lived items for picky-fingered silky-haired babies, so we have lots of them.

She got ahold of the box of them yesterday and insisted that each and every last one be affixed to her head. You may recall that Babybeast is not exactly gifted in the hair department, which presented a bit of a logistical challenge. The result was just awesome.

I didn't have enough time to grab the camera, but imagine her in a diaper, six multicolored sparkly strings of necklace beads, handbag in hand, and about 40 barrettes on her head. A few wiggles later and they had all but fallen out, but for the previous seconds, Miss Glamourpants strutted and pranced around absolutely thrilled with herself.

It was hilarious in so many ways and a little scary to see her showing such self-awareness. Now the question is how to keep that sense of pride and confidence in herself and her appearance from waning. I guess we'll tackle that one day at a time.

*Photo above is from Nattybratty.com

What the hell kind of blog are you running here?

2009-10-07T00:33:00.002-05:00

That's a direct quote from an old friend who I gave the link to this weekend. She couldn't figure out if it was a family blog, a political blog, or a nutrition/health/green blog. Fair enough, but can it not be "e. all of the above?"

I either have too many interests or, more likely, too little attention span to focus on any one subject for long. I mean, how interesting are my kids day in and day out? I think they are adorable, but it's my job to and I'm smart enough to realize my spawn aren't as fascinating to everyone else all the time.

And I'm not crafty enough for this to be a crafty blog, though I admit I have crafty tendencies, if only in my head. Well, crafty aspirations, at least.

And I'm madly political some days, but many days am perfectly happy with my head stuck in the sand. Not happy so much as afraid, actually. But same effect. I am amused at the google hits I get on some subjects though - the last Jesus entry, for example.

And I'm quite interested in health/nutrition and try to be green and promote environmentally responsible choices, but there are so many fantastic sources for that sort of information that I don't feel the need to focus on those issues daily.

So I guess I'm a hybrid. Or a mutant? Probably a mutant. You get what you get on any given day. And if you don't like it, come back tomorrow and it will probably be something completely different.

October 2008

2009-10-07T00:21:00.003-05:00

Here's our "pumpkin patch" last year. Yes, I have three kids and only one is featured - it's not because I forgot about the other two, but rather they were so exhausted after their school Halloween parties that they refused to pose. I have a few shots, but they came out terribly, so you just get this one. But isn't she a cutie?

Last year we had a Dinosaur (purchased) and a light-up Christmas Tree at the house. By far, the Tree got the most attention - it was, if I do say so, quite magnificent. I know I got him on video....I'll have a look around for that.

I'm working on their costumes for this year. So far Mister 5yo wants to be "a door" and Mister 4yo wants to be "a fish." The baby has no preference, though she seems drawn to sparkly attire - the gaudier the better. I have ideas for each of them, but they are still in preliminary planning stages, so you'll all have to wait and see.

October 2007

2009-10-07T00:06:00.004-05:00

My two little pumpkins ages, 3 and 2 at the time. They are wearing little shirts I painted - one with a cat pumpkin and the other with a mouse pumpkin.

Jesus was a Commie

2009-10-05T18:44:00.006-05:00

We have hit a new low in US politics. Apparently twisting the text of the Bible to suit their needs isn't enough for the Conservative Wackadoodles anymore; there is a call for a version of Bible edited to comport with the Wackadoodle Agenda, which, I'm horrified to report, seems to be creeping in to extinguish mainstream conservative politics.

Creeping? Who am I kidding? Are their really any mainstream conservatives anymore? It seems anyone with the sense enough to come to their own conclusions and not blindly agree with Limbaugh and that hatemonger Beck gets labeled a "Liberal" and ridiculed by their own party. Maybe the moderate conservatives are just quieter now out of a fear of being labeled, but common sense should never take a backseat to wackadoodle.

But back to my point. I'm not naive enough to think the Bible hasn't been "interpreted" in so many different ways that the real meaning of some, even key, passages may be seriously skewed anyway. And there are undoubtedly parts missing and so on - you run that risk with such an ancient work authored by so many. But to purposefully edit it to suit your political needs? My goodness - what would Jesus say about that?

Oh, and since Jesus would probably be a huge fan of social reform, universal health care, amnesty, helping our common man, and compassion to all (even undocumented workers!) and all that other mamby pamby whiney liberal bullshit, the irony of this proposal is almost painful.

Thanks to Time.com for bringing to light the "liberal corruption of the Bible." I had no idea that King James was one of those deviant Obama followers, but you live and learn.

My Newest Timesuck

2009-10-05T16:45:00.007-05:00

Thank you to my good friend Amanda for causing me to waste even more of my time on the internet by directing me to this excellent little blog which I have added to my list of timesucks over on the right side there.

Regretsy.com is new, so I was pretty upset when I ran out of archives within minutes, but there's s much fertile crafty material out there waiting to be poked fun of, I have high hopes that it will be a favorite for a good long time.

Dear Baby Clothing Makers

2009-10-05T14:07:00.010-05:00

I'll admit it - your stuff is cute. REALLY cute. I almost died of cuteness overload during a trip to the Mall today. Gymboree - you guys are pros at cuteness. And you know it. Children's Place, Old Navy. All cute.

Here's my problem, though: now that you are getting in your adorable long-sleeved clothes in. NONE of it fits my baby. None! Why not? Because she's too darn fat to fit in the shirts with sleeve lengths that don't droop down to her knee rolls. And shirts with appropriately-length sleeves are so tight, they turn her into a little sausage. Because she is a baby - and some babies just weren't designed to be aerodynamic. Babybeast, in all fairness, is one of the least aerodynamic toddlers you are likely to see.

And since she's the only child in the universe (per the retail evidence) with these particular dimensions, she's very hard to fit into anything but summer styles. She is currently sporting all 4T shorts and capris and all but a few 4T t-shirts. She is fairly tall for her age, but not extraordinarily so.

So my choices are, apparently:

~ To clothe her in short sleeves all winter (not entirely impossible - this is a fairly tropical clime, after all);

~ To put her in ill-fitting long sleeves that are sure to get sticky/wet almost immediately;

~ Or to put her on a diet, which has been suggested by several well-meaning but idiotic passersby, but for many reasons will not be happening, not the least that it is not only preposterous, but unhealthy. Sorry, baby - no milk for you today, it's Slimfast in your sippycup from now on!

So, Baby Clothing Makers, I went to the mall today planning to shop and came home empty handed. Mr. Lawyer thanks you. However, you may need to rethink your collections somewhat to encourage me to part with my dollars.

Please consider, for example, adding more 3/4 length sleeves. They are cute, stylish, and perfect for Babybeast. More capri pants would be fantastic as well - no rolling or jacking them up to her little armpits to force them to fit. And they wear just fine through the winter - it's not cold here, but even if it were, that's what layering is for.

Until I see some changes implemented, I will be sitting here, wallet in hand, not spending money on your products, despite desperately wishing to do so. Because I'm a sucker for cute. Please take my requests under serious advisement, on behalf of fat babies everywhere.

Graham Cracking

2009-10-02T21:19:00.006-05:00

I had to make a run to Kroger yesterday for graham crackers for the little boy. We (boys and mommy) have been quite ill with the flu and his had progressed to pneumonia. To get him to eat, I promised graham crackers and so we ran (I use this loosely - thanks to the flu, I'm still in no shape for running) in to get some.

As I drove past the freezer section, the baby suddenly realized that she was restrained by the seatbelt in the cart and, displeased, let out one of her bloodcurdling "I am mightily displeased" screeches.

A second or so later, the freezer case that we were standing just a few feet from popped loudly and the entire door shattered into a million bajillion pieces.

I'm not sure what to make of that.

Noggin Report

2009-10-01T16:33:00.006-05:00

On September 18, I took Babybeast in for her 15month well baby visit and pointed out the funny ridge on her head to the pediatrician. I had consulted Dr. Google beforehand, naturally, and had an idea of the possibilities. Babies have skull plates instead of a solid skull - the spaces between the plates allow for the brain and head to grow properly. Sometimes that doesn't happen like it should and one or more areas close too soon.

Xrays were taken immediately and she was diagnosed with Metopic Synostosis, or premature fusing of the Metopic suture, which is roughly the middle top of the head down to the forehead.

Sometimes this condition just causes a ridge with no other effects, which is essentially cosmetic and requires no treatment. Sometimes it is present at birth and causes a deformation of the head called trigoncephaly (triangle head) and is very obvious. If left, it can cause pressure to build up in the fluids around the brain and surgery is typically required.

Babybeast has a much milder version, which, in my nonexpert opinion, has caused her forehead to be narrower than it should and pinching her temples, though none of this is obvious by looking at her, unless you are looking for it. My concern is that her head may become deformed as the brain pushes in other directions, in order to grow. The only treatment for this condition, if it needs treatment, is surgery.

She will be seen by a neurosurgeon and craniofacial specialist later this month - hopefully we will have more information then.

September!

2009-09-02T19:44:00.004-05:00

That means it's supposed to be getting cooler soon, right? I can't wait. Yes, I realize that in this neck of the woods, "cooler" means upper 80's rather than upper 90's, but heck, I'll take that in a heartbeat.

It's been beyond hectic around here, hence the short absence. We started school, prekindergarten and kindergarten for the boys - they both adore their teachers and I hope I will too. I'm so excited about kindergarten that I volunteered to come in one day a week to help with reading lessons (what have I gotten myself into?) Babybeast will be deposited with Grandpa for the hour and a half or so it takes every week. Since he doesn't have anything to do but "wait to die" (real nice, Dad) it should be fun for both of them.

Meanwhile, I am on the prowl for volunteer opportunities to get him out of his easy chair at least one other day a week....ideas welcome, so long as it doesn't involve animals.

When my dad comes over, he typically gets into something my mother won't allow him - potato chips if we have them in the house (which is rare), the baby's snacks (no, really - he's been known to eat an entire bag of Gerber cookies) or more typically, pretzels. Not that I mind him helping himself (OK, except for the baby snacks), but he'll then put the package back empty in the pantry so no one will know he ate the entire bag - very stealth, eh?

So anyway, my dad came over yesterday - I had some work (yes, real, legal work, not Facebook, you cynics) to do and needed some peace and quiet. The eldest beastling found a nickel in the laundry room which I let him keep for taking out the recycling without being asked. Shortly after that, I overheard him approach my dad with his hands clasped around the nickel:

Grandpa, I have a special surprise for you if you promise not to eat all our pretzels.

Called out by a five year old - Oh, snap, Grandpa!

I got my work substantially done, though, which is well worth the price of a bag of pretzels, or in this case, tortilla chips. And he did a great job of watching them, despite the telltale sounds of children leaping of the furniture and occasional whispers of "where does mummy keep the potato crisps?" and "shhh...let's not tell mummy about __________." Overall, I'd have to say that his babysitting skills are indeed all that, and yes, a bag of chips.

Things That Do Not Bode Well

2009-08-13T22:05:00.005-05:00

Two little boys in their beds at 10:00 p.m. quietly chanting together, "We're noc-tur-nal. We're noc-tur-nal. We're noc-tur-nal."

It might be time to break out the chocolate stash - looks like it's going to be a long night.

Kindergarten Registration

2009-08-13T13:54:00.006-05:00

We registered today - The five year old and I drove over to the school. All three kids are sick, so he was a bit dopey from the Benedryl and kept asking where the teacher was. He is really interested in meeting his teacher, especially since we went earlier this week to meet the four year old's pre-K teacher.

He liked the cafeteria-style tables they had set up in the gymnasium and spied some art supplies in a corner which impressed him a lot. He asked me if he couldn't just start school today, please?

I had to take in paperwork galore - proof of residence, social security card, certified birth certificate and a thousand (give or take) forms I had printed from their website. I normally am missing something of vital importance on these occasions, but miraculously, I had everything together. Of this, I am unduly proud.

When we were done, the school lady told us there was a "meet the teacher" night on the 18th next week, so he could meet his teacher before school.

Wait? What? Doesn't school start on Monday, the 17th?

No?????

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!

All this time I've been planning for both kids to begin school on the 17th and looking forward to it with glee. Well, maybe not glee. Alright, yes - pure unadulterated glee!

Fine. The 24th it is, then. Mr. PreK will start on the 17th and Mr. Kindy on the 24th. I have a feeling Mr. Kindy isn't going to be very happy with that, but what are you going to do?

I was lucky enough to land two very well behaved kids (in public anyway), so they usually impress their teachers, which makes me proud. I'm so glad both kids are looking forward to school; I know they will do well and love (almost) every minute. We all will.

Back to School Activities

2009-08-11T20:46:00.007-05:00

The boys start kindergarten and Pre-K in one week. I'm counting down anxiously, rubbing my hands together in well, maybe not exactly glee. OK, glee - I admit it. Not that I'm not happy to have them at home, I am, but given a summer of 100-degree temps and more recently everyone coming down with summer colds leaves us housebound and somewhat irritable.

The bottom line is that we are ALL ready for school to begin.

In celebration of school starting, here are some cute activities to get them ready for school:

~ Back to School Word Searches from DLTK.

~ Back to School themed coloring pages from Preschool Coloring Book. This is my favorite bus.

~ The Magic School Bus website from Scholastic.

~ Back to school crafts from Family Fun.

~ Lots of back to school ideas from Kaboose.

Ok, this isn't school themed, but these game templates from Microsoft look really cool, especially for the older child.

Feel free to add any links you've found.

In the Backyard Today

2009-08-11T19:27:00.004-05:00

"Mommy, we sawed giant ants what look like they eat little children!"

Yes, Carpenter Ants are monstrous as far as ants go, but they are more interested in that rotten fence board than eating little children.

Nonetheless, the Beastlings remain wary. Just in case.

Have You Had Your Dose of Sunshine Today?

2009-08-11T14:00:00.004-05:00

A whopping 70 percent of American kids aren't getting enough vitamin D, and such youngsters tend to have higher blood pressure and lower levels of good cholesterol than their peers, according to two new studies published this week in the journal Pediatrics. Low vitamin D levels also may increase a child's risk of developing heart disease later in life, experts say.

Wow - 70 percent? I would not have guessed that. I know that the human body, when exposed to sunlight produces its own vitamin D and of course, we all know that milk is typically fortified with both A & D, but that almost three quarters of kids are deficient in the nutrient is definitely more than I would have expected.

I suppose this is due to several factors. One is that kids today drink less milk than we did as children and overall, they are not drinking enough. Why? I'm not certain - there are more beverage choices out there in general, for starters. And there are other drinks fortified with calcium that some children drink, like orange juice that do not contain Vitamin D. And for many kids, it's just not cool to drink milk after a certain age. The main concern there is of course the need for calcium is also not being met, but that important source of vitamin D is another side effect. While I do think that a perfectly healthy diet can be achieved without milk or even animal products at all, milk is by far the most convenient way for kids to get the needed amounts of calcium and D.

The largest factor perhaps is that parents are more wary of sun overexposure. My kids stay out of midday sun entirely, unless they are coated in sunscreen. I can recall many a trip to Galveston, Texas as a child where we would be forced to put on some SPF 8 sunscreen in the morning and come back terribly burnt and blistered. Not only was decent sunscreen unavailable, but parents were unschooled in its proper use and why it is so important. While our parents may not have known the dangers back in the 1970's, experts have long known that childhood burns are particularly menacing:

Severe childhood and teen-age sunburns are more than twice as likely to lead to skin cancer as severe sunburns later in life, researchers say.

Intense, blistering sunburns have long been linked to malignant melanoma, a potentially fatal form of skin cancer. Previous studies had found that children who had been seriously sunburned were at greater risk for melanoma than children who were not. But the new study is the first to show that the dangers are much greater when intense sunburns occur in adolescence than when they occur later in life.

It's no wonder parents now keep their children from the sun as much as possible, but new studies are questioning the benefit of sheltering kids from the sun too much. Many experts now suggest limited daily sun exposure for children:

Also, parents should help their children get at least 10 to 15 minutes of sun exposure daily without sunscreen. "Set your watch and then apply sunscreen after 15 minutes," Melamed says.

Another reason for less sun exposure these days is the influence of video games, television and DVRs, and general lack of activity. This ties in to the childhood obesity problem as well, but one effect is a decreased production of the body's vitamin D and resulting from that, the effects of that deficiency:

Children with the lowest vitamin D levels were more likely to have higher blood pressure, high blood sugar levels and low blood levels of HDL ("good") cholesterol, the study found....
There was a clear association with cardiovascular risk factors. The 25 percent of youngsters with the lowest levels of vitamin D were 2.36 times more likely to have high blood pressure, 54 percent more likely to have low HDL cholesterol levels, 2.54 times more likely to have elevated blood sugar levels and 3.88 times more likely to have metabolic syndrome, a constellation of risk factors including obesity, high blood fats and high blood pressure.

Pretty scary stuff right there. So what does this tell us?

1) Drink your milk.

2) If you don't or can't drink milk, then consider a supplement with calcium, which will help the body metabolize the D.

3) Spend a little more time in the sun as a family - mom and dad need that D just as much as Bobby and Sally.

4) If you are at risk, consider getting tested for a deficiency.

Shatner does Palin

2009-08-10T16:54:00.003-05:00

No, not like that.

Like this:

Zinc and Other Miracles

2009-08-10T00:07:00.004-05:00

Any parent who has seen Rotovirus in action knows just how serious the ailment has the potential to be, even here, where emergency medical treatment is certain. I just finished reading an article from Time.com that explained how poor children of Africa die in huge numbers, from fluid loss due to severe diarrhea.

When my eldest became ill with Rotovirus at age two, he became very dehydrated within 24 hours and extremely lethargic, refusing to eat or drink at all, yet vomiting repeatedly and suffering from almost constant diarrhea at one point. I imagine where medical treatment is all but nonexistent and living conditions are unsanitary, a small, malnourished, child wouldn't stand much of a chance against that virus or similar viruses.

But this article is actually very positive and full of hope - scientists have discovered that simple zinc stops the effects of the virus rapidly. Not some expensive modern drug, but plain old zinc. I urge you to read the article - it's quite uplifting, despite the subject.

So far, the small programs have drawn little attention. But their impact has been dramatic. Zinc pills appear to halt diarrhea in its tracks. "Before, we were terrified when children's stomachs began running, because we knew some of them would die," says Sata Djialla in the Malian village of Morola. "Now our children are not dying of diarrhea."

The story reminded me of PlumpyNut, an amazing success story. And so heartening (yet ironic) that a little legume, one that could possibly kill my highly allergic four year old, is doing so much good for so many children.

I know it's quite important for us all to know that Britney Spears is back in bikini-bod shape this week, but really, when there's so much worthless or negative "news" in the media, it's refreshing to see something positive like this - something that makes a real difference.

Simple Ways to Greener School Lunches

2009-08-09T18:04:00.005-05:00

I like to buy juice boxes now and then for convenience, but on a regular basis, I try to avoid them. One juice box isn't much in the grand scheme of things, but one juice box per day multiplied by ten months of school (180 days, on average) is quite a pile of non-recyclable trash. Multiplied by the 24 kids in your child's class is over 4300 empty juice boxes in our landfills per class. Add in the wrappers from individually wrapped snacks, yogurt cups, plastic Lunchable containers, plastic baggies, and so on and you've got a massive pile to contend with. If we could reduce that number by even half, that's a huge improvement.

So, what's a busy mom to do?

In lieu of plastic baggies and individually packed snacks such as crackers, cookies, fruit, applesauce, yogurt, and so on, I'd suggest going and buying some reusable containers that are also marked as recyclable, should they break. I like these twisty-lidded ones from Zip-Loc (Target makes a generic version) - you can put liquids in them and they don't leak. Plus, they are easier for a small child to open than the standard pop-top lids. More importantly, they are easier for the small child to put the lid back on, should he or she not finish whatever is in it, so you are less likely to end up with a lunch box full of wet stickiness.

Instead of juice boxes or disposable juice or water bottles, invest in a couple of BPA-free reusable ones.
You can freeze them 1/3 full of water at night and then fill with juice or water so they will be cool for lunch. I've even frozen them with milk inside - by lunch, the milk has thawed, but is still nice and chilly.

And what about those granola bars, and other wrapped snacks? You know, it's not important to me to produce absolutely no garbage. I do buy much less of that type of thing than I used to, but if my child has a wrapped fruit leather bar in with his reusable containers occasionally, I'm not going to lose sleep over it.

That said, if you can buy the product out of the wrapper, then I'd suggest you do so, but sometimes, there is no wrapper-free alternative. One solution, however, is to remove the item from the item, recycle the wrapper at home, and just slip it in one of the reusable lunch containers, next to Junior's sandwich.
One added bonus to going green is that it saves money. Woohoo! After the initial purchases of reusable items, it's vastly cheaper to fill your drink bottles with filtered tap water, milk from a gallon jug, or juice from a 64oz container than it is to buy little individual drinks. Similarly, you get so many more snacks for your money - the giant bottle of applesauce, the 32oz container of yogurt, and the huge bag of pretzels contain many more servings than the individual sized versions. If you have more than one child, then multiply those savings and it really adds up.

Another plus is that it's a fantastic lesson to teach your children - the earth is ours to take care of and this is how we do our part. We talk about being kind to our planet, but this is a good way to show them how we accomplish that goal - something tangible. It's a simple lesson, but an important one, regardless of your politics.

If you have any product recommendations or other ideas, please feel free to comment below.

P.S. Here's some great school lunch ideas from Family Fun.

Trying Not to Raise Material Girls (and Boys)

2009-08-02T23:24:00.005-05:00

We may be living in a material world, but that doesn't mean we can't instill values that counteract the constant advertising bombarding our children, the lure of "stuff" that they see in the store or covet over a friend's house, and even the natural tendency of most small children to be at least a little selfish by nature. When you add in the young child's lack of understanding of the real value of money and the current state of the economy, their budding materialism can be plenty frustrating to deal with, especially around birthdays, holidays, and back-to-school.

So here's some ideas aimed at the preschool and younger elementary set to help you avoid raising a Material Child.

Limit Exposure to Marketing Aimed at Kids. Whether that is via television or websites aimed at children, or attractive packaging at the store, children are big business. Huge business, actually. I rarely allow The Disney Channel or Nickelodeon due to their ad-heavy programs, but PBS or Sprout or Noggin are relatively safe in this regard. And for older kids, if you have a DVR, there's no reason not to teach them how to use it to zip through the commercials. As for the grocery store, even a 4 year old child can understand that they put junky sugary cereal low so kids will want it and the healthy stuff up high. The same goes, of course, for the candy and toys in the check-out lane. Children can actually understand marketing once it's shown to them and I think we have a duty to point out the advertiser's sneaky tricks to them.

Praise Their Efforts to Share. And praise other kids who share and assist others, even if your kid isn't feeling so generous. Seemingly small things, like letting a sibling borrow her special lovey when he hurt himself are actually huge steps. And even sharing a toy they didn't want to play with to begin with is a good first step for the younger toddler.

Suggest Borrowing. Do you really need 2 of everything if you have two children? My boys (4 and 5) ask to borrow items from the other. The borrower then states the length of time the item may be borrowed, which is usually a ridiculous amount, like "thirnteen days." And so a contract is formed. They learned this on their own, possibly from going to the library so often, but it works for them. Perhaps in your house there is a limit of items that may be borrowed - say 3 at any given time? And a standard time, such as 24 hours. Whatever works for your family. I would suggest you let the kids decide on the details, though - it does wonders for compliance.

Be a Role Model. If you spend too much time shopping for wants rather than needs, or trolling the internet for your next designer shoe purchase, try to curb that behavior, especially in front of Junior. I think we are all guilty of that at times, but the key is to minimize glorifying it around the children. How many jokes/cliches are there about "Shopping" or "retail therapy" which, when examined, paint a pretty shallow picture of our culture? I don't want that in my home - it's not good for ANY of us.

Just Say No. Does your kid need it or just want it? Does he already have something just like it? Is he pitching a fit for it? Has he gotten other treats recently? Would he accept buying it as a gift for the next birthday party he attends? Or better yet, would he like to buy it for a child who has no toys or a sick friend? Would he prefer a trip to the playground or picking what's for dinner instead of that toy? Kids don't need a new trinket each time they go to the store. They may not believe us, but it's true - and importantly, they should not expect a treat each time they go to a store, even if they are well-behaved. A compromise is to buy a treat only on some trips out and only if they do not ask for one.

Reuse, Repurpose, Reinvent, Re-do. Extol the virtues of being green and wearing those perfectly nice hand-me-downs or last year's backpack for the sake of the environment. Explain that it doesn't have to be brand new to be nice - and sometimes old things (antiques) are even more valuable than the new ones. Most children are aware of recycling and the good it does for our planet; build on that idea. Take it further and explain that it's not just plastic bottles that we need to worry about, but all consumer items. Buying from a thrift store can not only be fun, but you get more loot for your money. If she compromises and agrees to re-using last year's lunch kit (or big sister's old one), then maybe you can refurbish it and put a special ribbon on it to make it special.

Teach About Budgets and Spending. Every child past the age of eating coins should have a piggy bank. Kids now see mom whip out a plastic card and take home bags of loot - they don't understand that mom is paying with actual money. Have them earn money at home by helping out and then take them to spend it to get a better idea of how much work it takes to buy one Hotwheels Car or a pack of M&Ms.

Talk to them about Saving. Teach about saving their money money longterm. For every dollar they earn, encourage them to save a portion for something big. And take them to open a bank account or other savings device that you can make deposits in a few times a year - consider letting them add to their own college fund or investing in a mutual fund once they are old enoug to understand the concept.

Make Things. OK, no one wants to show up at a birthday with a purple PlayDoh "snake" as their offering, but there's no reason your child can't make the card. That saves between $1 and $4. Multiplied by 12 or so parties a year...well, a child can understand that's quite a sum. A sum better spent on groceries and bills or saved for an important purchase. The same goes for teacher's gifts, babysitter's gifts, Father's and Mother's Day, grandparent's gifts - your child can make the card as well as (help make) the gift - perhaps a beautiful loaf of homemade banana bread or any of a number of lovely items - a quick google search for "homemade gifts" turns up dozens of fantastic links.

Talk to them About Charitable Giving. Along with saving their money, encourage them to share with people who need it. Even toddlers can put money in the Salvation Army holiday buckets and know they are buying things for people who don't have enough money for food and other necessities. I'd encourage you to pick a charity that they can see the good being done firsthand. Giving to church, for example, may be important to your family (even if it does good works), but it's quite abstract for a child to really comprehend where the money is going. Consider something more basic, like a food bank, animal shelter, or children's hospital. And instead of giving just money, many groups have wish lists on the internet - a child who takes their own money to buy dog food for abandoned dogs and then takes it to the shelter herself, will see the fruit of her actions. Similarly, delivering a box of box to a children's hospital is really something that a child can fully process. And it's fun too, as well as a good reminder for the rest of the family to be grateful for what you do have.

Oink Oink!

2009-07-16T17:35:00.003-05:00

I came down with some sort of flu on Tuesday. By Tuesday night, I was cocooned in blankets praying for death. Shivered and sweated all night - you know, the typical flu, right? My hipbones and the other 206 bones were aching so bad, I wanted them removed STAT.

I'm recovering now and indeed I think I might live, though I still have a sore throat and incredible exhaustion. But the fever is gone and with it, that nasty shivering weakness that accompanies it.

According to the wisdom of the internet, the "regular flu" is possible in the summer months, but not altogether probable, leaving me with the following options: a) Not the flu at all and b) H1N1, better known to most of us as the "swine" flu.

As it turns out, it doesn't really matter - the cure for most people is the same as any other flu - stay home, drink fluids, and rest up. Easier said than done with 3 kids, but they've been helping out as best they can (they are all recovering from a nasty virus themselves).

Which, of course, takes me back to a previous post.

So I've been quiet here for a few days...I'm hoping to make some banana bread with those sad bananas that have lingered in the kitchen for a week while we have all been sick. If it turns out well, I'll post the recipe. In the meantime, I'm wishing everyone a healthy week and weekend.

Pee-Power!

2009-07-13T11:35:00.003-05:00

No, really. According to this article, "Urine-powered cars, homes and personal electronic devices could be available in six months with new technology developed by scientists from Ohio University."

How cool and yet totally disgusting is that? But definitely cool. I love green innovations, though I suppose this one is more of a yellowish-green.

Go, Ohio University!

16 and Pregnant

2009-07-12T15:44:00.005-05:00

First off, I'm pro-choice. Am I pro-abortion? No - that's ridiculous - no one wants to encourage abortions. But I'm pro-abortion rights. The right to choose should be available for those who are not ready or willing to give birth as well as those who, for medical reasons, deem it in their best interest. I'm not hear to debate that, however - just giving my view.

I also dislike anything that glorifies teen pregnancy or in any way makes it seem like a desirable choice. The Jamie Lynn Spears scenario comes to mind. Of course, your average teen has neither the resources nor the support to accommodate a pregnancy during her late childhood, but you seldom see that side of it in the media, with young celebrities pictured with their babies held up like trendy accessories.

So I was reading the channel channel last week - you know the guide channel? - and I saw the show "16 and Pregnant" playing on MTV. I admit I haven't watched MTV in some time, because I'm a stodgy old fuddyduddy now, but from what I recall, the quality and shall we say...moral content?...of the shows were somewhat lacking. There's a time and a place for morally dubious programming, don't get me wrong, but a show about teen pregnancy, obviously aimed at teens, probably isn't it.

Of course I was curious enough to flip over to MTV to see whether it was some crude glorification of teen pregnancy, like profiling underaged starlets' impending motherhood.

I have to say, I was not only surprised by what I found, but I was delighted.

Teens are difficult creatures - they don't want to be told what to do and they assume they know everything. Oh, and they are immortal, of course. Can't forget that. But showing them the ups and downs of teen pregnancy, which is what this program does, might actually have an effect.

And anything that has an actual effect to help reduce the number of teen pregnancies is something we need to study further. Preaching abstinence only at them, clearly doesn't work at all. I wish it did, but it simply doesn't. Perhaps showing them what actually happens to a pregnant girl might?

Each episode profiles a pregnant teenager for about six months and shows the changes the girl goes through, both physically and emotionally, but also in regard to their social life, education, family, and finances through the end of the pregnancy and for the first few months of being a new mom. And those changes are dramatic - friends are put aside for staying at home with baby, college plans are postponed, relationships are changed and in some cases destroyed.

While it also shows an optimistic view overall, the program does not spare the hardships that come in the form of swollen ankles, unattended proms, social snubbing, and staying up all night every night with a fussy newborn when her friends are out painting the town red, dating, and graduating high school. And in many cases, it shows the once-loving boyfriend continuing to enjoy his teenage years as if nothing had happened, leaving all or most of the responsibility to the mother of his child.

In short, the series is about childhoods abruptly left behind for much more difficult responsibilities. Responsibilities that can't be ignored, no matter how badly you want to go out or take a nap.

The show does not have a narrator other than the teen herself and the adults in the program are supporting characters only. The shows are in no way preachy or overbearing, but rather compelling and honest. Compelling enough for this mom of three to DRV the rest of the series - I've watched 5 so far, each profiling a girl from a different background.

If kids will listen to anything, I suspect it will be something like this, especially coming from MTV - a station most teens watch at least occasionally and which is viewed as way cooler than one's own parents.

And this is something that both those who are strongly in favor of pro-abortion rights and those who are against of abortion rights should be able to support. Reducing the need for abortions to begin with.

The show also has its own website that has links to information about how to avoid pregnancy and facts about sex and contraception as well as updates on the profiled teens and various extras, like footage that didn't make the show. You can also view full episodes. All in all, a good resource for girls who are at risk for pregnancy as well as for boys.

Thanks, MTV for such a timely and much-needed series.

Beggars

2009-07-11T23:57:00.004-05:00

I saw some today. I was driving down a main street to take the baby to the pediatrician and I saw a whole team of them. A "team?" you ask? Yes, a baseball team.

Little league, to be precise, according to their signs. The coaches and parents had their children out begging for money on a very busy road - running up and down the median and around traffic to collect spare change.

I have a problem with that. Well, two.

First, it's not safe. It is three lanes up and three lanes down plus turn lanes with a narrow median. On Saturdays the traffic backs up and can be rather unpleasant. This intersection isn't safe for adults to be running around on, let alone children. Particularly a very large group of children. But this scenario is not uncommon - I see it all the time, especially in this area, but that doesn't mean it's safe. I certainly wouldn't want my eight or ten year old out there and I most definitely wouldn't want the liability of having other people's kids with me!

Second, it's a terrible lesson to teach kids. You want a load of money for some project you have planned (to travel to a big game, in this case)? Then you need to put some effort into earning it. What happened to earning the cash - or at least a good chunk of it? There's already such a culture of entitlement - among both big and little people and this only feeds into that further. What happened to bake sales, car washes, or even selling a product like candy bars or popcorn?

When I was 15 I wanted to go on a trip to Spain with the school Spanish Club. I think the basic cost was $1500 and then incidentals on top of that. My parents told me that if I earned $1000 they would chip in the rest. And I did - by babysitting kids at $2.50-$3.00/hour every day after school. I didn't even question it, but was instead incredibly grateful that they offered to chip in at all.

I'm not only not inclined to give to a little beggar child, but I would be horrified if my child was asked to participate in such an activity and would absolutely refuse such a request.

It's one thing to hold a carwash and accept a $20 instead of the $5 charged - that's a donation, unsolicited at that. When the Girl Scouts sell cookies outside my local Kroger, I usually ask what their favorite flavors are and then buy a couple boxes FOR the kids selling - they get the money and the cookies. The look on their faces is priceless.

Or even to ask a company for a special favor, like a donation of a product that it makes. In fact I recall my own mother going around on behalf of our Scout Troop to McDonalds asking for pickle buckets for camp to store out food in (raccoon-proof).

But outright begging on the street? Oh, no - not my child.

However, this is far from the first time I've seen children out at this intersection. Sometimes they are groups that claim to be church youth groups or other small groups which would be hard to verify, but they are often well-recognized groups like this. Is this acceptable now? Do most people see this as a legitimate fundraising source? Mr. Lawyer, when polled, was as deadset against it as I, but I'd be interested to know how other people view this form of fundraising.

Molars: The Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Teeth

2009-07-10T19:52:00.003-05:00

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Houston Children's Museum

2009-07-10T16:02:00.006-05:00

We spent the morning at the Children's Museum of Houston today. We actually have an annual pass - the one that gets 6 people in, so I went with a friend who had a five year old and a baby and it covered them too. Phew, am I tired!

Here's a cool interactive map for prospective visitors.

If you haven't been lately they have completely renovated and grown in size - the expansion that was opened in mid-March doubled the size of the museum to 900,000 square feet, which was much needed. There are seven new exhibits which range from the baby-friendly Tot Spot to the all-new outdoor water feature, FlowWorks, and the energy burning Power Play which features a 3-story climbing PowerTower.

My kids, at 5.5 and just-turned 4 adore the FlowWorks (that sounds like something to do with toilets to me, but I digress...) water feature and next to that, the native red-eared sliders (turtles) outside, which are part of the ecology exhibit. The ecology area is actually very easy to miss on your way to flashier destinations, but it has a lovely butterfly garden, turtle pond, and a nice quiet air conditioned lodge with information about our Texan-grown wildlife.

The Beastlings also enjoyed the Kidtropolis area, though they find the concept of ATM cards which are used throughout, a little confusing still. I think that area is probably better for age six and up to reap the full benefit of the concepts.

Another hit was the How People Make Things exhibit, which shows how toys and other items are made - it includes a robot that assembles a toy - the kids could barely tear themselves away from watching it!

Misses include The Matter Factory which would be better for older (say 6-10) kids but is also positioned in an awkward area with people traipsing through constantly to get to somewhere else which detracts from the purpose. We also didn't bother with Invention Convention, though it looks fantastic for the older set - I'm sure ages 8-12 would have a great time in it.

Unfortunately, we decided to go on a day that apparently every single stay at home mom, vacation Bible school, daycare, preschool, and day camp decided to attend. For the first time ever that I have seen, there was a line out the door to the sidewalk ten minutes past opening, which did not bode well. And as feared, it was very crowded, really to the point of unpleasantness in many areas. I have no doubt that we would have enjoyed it much more on a less crowded day, though I have yet to figure out what day that might be. We might try going on a Sunday when daycares and preschools and such are closed and many families are at their place of worship - certainly it can't be more crowded than today.

They recently changed the rules to charge for any baby over 12 months. My 13 month old was in her sling or stroller 99% of the time - she wasn't feeling well due to molars and with the crowd, I couldn't let her out anyway. As a result, I would have been unhappy had I actually had to pay for her to come in. The old rule was that under-24 months were eligible for free admission and older toddlers do enjoy it. I think 18 months would have been a fairer cut-off point, personally.

Another new rule is that no outside food is allowed. Previously outside food was welcomed, but now they would prefer you purchase their overpriced, but not otherwise terrible Kid Cafe offerings. There are signs on all the tables reminding you that outside food is not permitted, however many families obviously did bring their own lunches and no one seemed to be enforcing the rule, which is good, because honestly, enforcing the rule would take the museum out of many families' reach financially. As we all know, little kids cannot wait to eat (trust me, I've tried and it's not pretty), so waiting until you leave just isn't practical. With our allergies I prefer to bring our own food and until I get booted out of the building, will continue to do so.

Positives are that the staff is fantastic and always willing to help out. There is always someone at each exhibit to help if you have any questions about how it works or something more basic, like where is the nearest changing table. I give the staff high marks for being so personable when they are dealing with such a constant crowd and probably a few brats (adult AND child) as well.

I also love that the exhibits in the main (old) building rotate regularly, so there is always something new to see there. We'll probably go back in a month - our pass expires in August, so I need to feel like I've gotten my money's worth out of it, which is ridiculous, but hey, whatever.

If you go, look us up - we'll meet you there.

I'm Surprised This Hasn't Happened to Us

2009-07-09T13:43:00.017-05:00

Police are 'it,' assist in Pa. hide-and-seek game

GREENVILLE, Pa. – A Pennsylvania toddler did such a remarkable job of hiding during a game of hide-and-seek that the family had to call police and firefighters to help find her.

Two-year-old Natalie Jasmer was playing the game with her siblings Tuesday in their Pymatuning Township home. When the family couldn't find her, parents Dennis and Michelle Jasmer called authorities.

Emergency crews and friends frantically searched the neighborhood about 70 miles northwest of Pittsburgh for about an hour.

The family's dog, Copper, finally sniffed her out. She had fallen asleep in a drawer underneath the family's washing machine.

The little girl told her family she was sorry. Hide-and-seek is now banned in the Jasmer household.

_________________________________________

I keep the doors deadbolted when we are home, otherwise I have no doubt that the above scenario would have already happened.

Well, actually, there was this one time in college that I went missing and people started to worry, but they eventually found me passed out in a pile of laundry in the back of the closet. But I digress....

Other than the terrible feelings of panic the family must have felt before she was located, it's a pretty amusing story. I'm sure the little girl will be hearing about it throughout her childhood and beyond.

_________________________________________

OK - I just saw this and had to add it. Click the title for the rest of the article:

Turtles crawl on runway, delay flights at JFK

NEW YORK – A runway at John F. Kennedy International Airport was shut down briefly Wednesday morning after at least 78 turtles emerged from a nearby bay and crawled onto the tarmac......

"Apparently, this is something the tower has experienced before," said Federal Aviation Administration spokesman Jim Peters. "I guess it's the season for spawning."

...The FAA halted flights for about 12 minutes shortly before 9 a.m. while some of the turtles were cleared away, then quit using the runway entirely after getting new reports of "massive numbers" of turtles on the tarmac....

_________________________________________

So that's awesome and I had to post it...I keep replaying an image of a herd of turtles crossing a runway (hertle?) en masse. Even better, no turtles were apparently harmed during the mini-migration.

Happy Belated Birthday, America!

2009-07-07T22:29:00.004-05:00

At the last minute, we decided to go out of town to Brenham, home of Blue Bell Ice Cream, arguably the best ice cream in the state, maybe the universe. And by last minute, I mean about noon on the 4th of July.

The plan was to go to the Washington on the Brazos state park:

This picturesque park is located on the Brazos River, Washington was the site of the 1836 General Convention which would decide the fate of Texas. Washington-on-the-Brazos State Historic Site is revered as the site of the signing of the Texas Declaration of Independence on March 2, 1836. Washington remained a town of some prominence in early Texas until the eve of the Civil War. The park encompasses the site of the historic town (1836).

The park hosts an annual day-long celebration culminating in fireworks in the evening. It features free soda and ice cream, free activities such as climbing walls and bouncy castles for the kids, typical and not so typical foods for purchase, pretty scenery, and generally a good time for people with kids or without.

Oh, and about a thousand degree heat.

Still, given our drought conditions, the mosquitoes were minimal, which was fabulous and there was a slight breeze which helped us deal with the heat. We had quite a (hot and somewhat miserable) hike once we parked, to where the fireworks would be shown. We asked around and were told where to look for fireworks and we planned our base camp accordingly - it was very exciting to get a good spot and we were told to expect the area to fill up considerably once nightfall was upon us.

The boys had fun; Mr Lawyer took them around the park and they did all sorts of fun things. I stayed at our spot with Babybeast who had a fantastic time prancing about in the grass after a soccer ball. She didn't even try to eat the grass even once.

Once it got dark, we sat and waited for the fireworks.

And then we waited some more.

I brought out a couple sets of those glow necklaces that you crack and shake - they went over really well with all three kids.

Finally, well after 10:00, the fireworks began. We (along with several hundred people behind us) quickly realized with horror that we could not and would not be able from our vantage point to see any of them! There was a huge cluster of trees in the way and while not tall, the fireworks were particularly low - and in a completely different direction than we had been advised to expect.

I quickly told Mr. lawyer to hustle the boys over to the parking lot to try to catch what he could, but because we had "stuff" with us that couldn't be left unattended, Babybeast and I remained behind and missed 100% of the show. It was very disappointing since I had the camera ready to try to capture the fireworks and was excited about the potential images, but the boys were able to catch the bulk of the show.

So, the kids had fun - and that's what is really important of course. I am still upset that no one from the park bothered to tell us that we wouldn't be able to see (to the contrary, actually), but what are you going to do?

I'll try to load up some photos tomorrow...stay tuned.

On Palin

2009-07-07T12:45:00.003-05:00

I try not to get too political here, but since the actual media can't seem to shut up about her, I guess I'll chime in too.

I just read this article from CNN.com about Sarah Palin's resignation. You're going to have to read it now if the rest of this is to make any sense at all. The quotes below, unless otherwise linked, are from this article.

Go ahead, read it. I'll wait.....

There are so many problems with this situation that it frustrates me to no end, so I'll just list them out here in no particular order.

She resigned because of the tremendous pressure, time and financial burden of a litany of ethics complaints in the past several months, she said.

If one quits a task before finishing it, by definition, one is a quitter. So she probably needs to stop complaining that she's not a quitter when she just quit her job. Sorry if you don't like the word, but according to, well, the English Language, one who quits is a quitter. I don't necessarily hold quitting against the quitter, though - it's often for the best for all parties.

Sometimes there is honor in not completing something if you are not being as effective as you wanted to or are unable to put the time and effort into it that you intended and by quitting, the job will be better performed by someone else. For whatever reason. And on the face of it, legal troubles, overwhelming pressure from the political realm and media, and family responsibility are perfectly legitimate reasons. Sometimes you need to take time to pull back and regroup personally and professionally and there's nothing wrong with that if you come out of it a better person.

Sometimes it is also better to "quit" than to force significant hardship on innocent bystanders, like one's minor children, if quitting would benefit them by allowing you to be a better parent in general. Some family situations and some children require more of a time investment than others by virtue of their individual needs. It's not so much quitting as admitting that your other "job" is actually more important. Maybe that's not the issue here, but it would be a perfectly legitimate reason, even so.

But why? And why now? Do we care? Is it really any of our business? Maybe not. Maybe.

Speculation has run rampant that Palin, the Republican vice presidential candidate in 2008, will seek the presidency in 2012. When pressed about her future, Palin would say only that she would work in public service. She did not rule out a run for the White House or any other political office.

The thought of Palin as president of this country horrifies and dumbfounds me. Luckily, I'm not alone and not just among liberals. Most conservatives I know (in general, smart, young-ish professionals and parents) are similarly frightened by the idea and would prefer someone with not just more experience (as of this month she's unemployed, technically), but more knowledge, more composure, more intelligence, more common sense, more reliability, more diplomacy, more....just more.

I can name so many other intelligent Republicans that would fit the bill better. Even if I don't agree with their political platforms, I can respect their intellect and decision making process. Much of Palin's "campaigning" seems to revolve around divisiveness, distrust, and negativity, to put it lightly, and I have a hard time respecting someone who won't even try to pull the country together for the greater good and attack issues that face us ALL. A good politician can do that no matter his or her political platform.

While my political views fall to the left on most issues, I have faith that the thinking conservatives will feel similarly and choose a candidate based on more than polarizing rhetoric; one who truly understands the issues we are facing rather than one who seems to understand very little of the complexity of problems we are facing, but appeals greatly to the far right, the oft-referred to "Base." That is to say, one who can make rational decisions, is clear headed, and can identify and verbalize the precise reasoning that led them to the choices they made.

The feedback I have heard from my (many - this is Texas, after all) conservative friends, most of whom would tell you outright that Palin does not represent them or their ideals, reinforces this. I have heard the word, "moron" bandied about more than once by my Republican friends. I don't think she is a moron, but I think she would serve this nation as a whole very poorly. And after her recent resignation, I also think the office of President would serve her very poorly.

The days since her resignation had been exhilarating and she loved being in Dillingham, a town of only a few thousand people and no cell phone service, Palin said.

From Wikipedia (and the U.S. Census):

Downtown Juneau is nestled at the base of Mount Juneau.... As of the 2000 Census, the City and Borough had a population of 30,711. The U.S. Census Bureau's 2007 population estimate for the City and Borough was 30,690.

We all need an occasional break from the digital age, but even urban Alaska is a far cry from the lights, noise, and sheer number of people in Washington D.C. To put it another way, Juneau is to Dillingham as Washington is to Juneau. To be fair, Wasilla, Palin's home base is actually quite close to Anchorage, a city with, as of the 2000 census, 260,283 people residing in the municipality. Large, but hardly overwhelming when compared to D.C. with over 5.3 million people in the greater metro area. Can she adapt? Probably. I guess. Fish out of water? Maybe.

....off-color jokes by talk-show host David Letterman contributed to her decision to step down, Thomas Van Flein said....The governor needed a break after being "on duty now for two and a half years solid," he said.

A presidential term lasts 4 years (plus the year or more of full-on campaigning beforehand). It's no 4 year pleasure cruise, even during the boom times. A common estimate is that a President ages two years for every year in office. You can see for yourself here. My point is this - it's not an easy task for anyone who takes it on. And that's without the constant media critique and ribbing one will encounter. It's part of the job and part of our culture to analyze and to demand more and frankly, to poke fun where there is fun to be poked. Being president can't be easy, even if you do a stupendous job of it all and I'd venture to suggest that it's vastly more difficult than being the Governor of the the least densely populated state in the union.

I'm not saying one cannot be President as a mother with children, don't get me wrong. Not at all. I want to put that out there right now. Will it take significant time away from your children? Will aspects of it be trying? Sure, but like any mother who works full time, there are huge benefits to be had and those benefits may be more right for your family than staying at home or even working a "normal" job in cases such as this. After all, Barrack Obama has children - perhaps not the same as having an infant, but still, they are young and impressionable girls. And given the right caregiver, children will thrive - I would presume that a First Dude's efforts combined with a loving nanny (Presidential spouses have significant duties as well) could, if done right, certainly make up for the very significant time away a mommy POTUS would entail.

Friday was "deliberately chosen" for the announcement because of its proximity to the July Fourth holiday, Van Flein said: "She declared her independence from politics as usual."

That's an interesting way of putting it. Maybe she wants to get away from all of it for a while. And honestly, if that's the best thing for her family and her children, then good for her for putting her foot down.

Does it please me to think of her permanently out of national politics? Of course it does.

On the other hand, I think Palin's run in 2012 would all but guarantee Obama a second term and as things stand right now, that would be perfectly OK too.

Added Some Links

2009-07-06T19:09:00.004-05:00

I just added a few over there to the right to spice up the place. See over there, to the right and then down. No...further, yeah, there. Check them out while your kids are working on the printables I posted below.

I literally just snorted my drink while catching up on my photo bomb posts. Fantastic site.

Feel free to suggest more.

Summer Survival: Activities for the Wee Beasts

2009-07-06T18:05:00.007-05:00

Summer heat got you housebound and crabby? Try these:

Make your own sidewalk chalk. We'll have to try that - we go through the stuff like water.

National Geographic-sponsored Geography site for kids: My Wonderful World.

Make your own Word Search. I made one with all the kids' names and pets names and such - you could make one with all of your child's interests or local place names, too.

Simple Recipes for Kids including special diets (gluten free, vegetarian, etc.)

DLTK's Chore Chart Generator. Ok, this one is fun for moms, maybe not so much for kids. I told the Beastlings that I would give them a penny per check mark at the end of the week and that was enough to motivate them...for at least the first week. That site has a ton of other activities as well - definitely worth checking out.

Summer activities from Activity Village.

Mazes from All Kids Network.

First School: Preschool activities and crafts. A wealth of ideas for the parent and homeschooler.

Kids-R-Crafty: This site offers activity sheets, coloring pages, dot-to-dots, mazes, vocabulary and worksheets in both English and French.

Making Learning Fun: Preschool and early childhood activities and printables to make learning enjoyable for parents and child.

The Crafty Crow, for you advanced as well as beginner crafters.

Enchanted Learning for complete early learning curriculum - absolutely brilliant and HUGE site - if you have small children, you must check it out.

That's my offering for the day - hope it helps. I know with the incredible heat and drought conditions we are currently experiencing, outside play just isn't an option for most of the day and it makes me rather testy and the kids antsy. If only we could install a giant........

WHOA!

THIS is exactly what I need! Who knew someone else had thought of it first?

Garbage Service

2009-07-04T00:57:00.006-05:00

I'm pretty big into recycling - it's important to me and it should be important to all of us since we all get to share this big blue and green ball we live on. I take it pretty seriously. I rinse and sort everything that can possibly be recycled and then either put it out for pick up (which we pay for) or find someone to take it by driving it to a recycling facility.

Our neighborhood pick-up takes plastic, non-cardboard paper, and aluminum. So I sort, rinse, and put it out in due course. It does take more effort than simply tossing it, but no big deal - it's all worth it. Hazardous waste, glass, batteries, weird types of plastic, cardboard - all that goes to other facilities.

We had missed the last two weekly pick-ups, so we were really backed up this morning. We have two blue bins, plus we have three extra blue "garbage" bins that we use for recycling that the recycle guys never fail to pick up with the recycling. We also fill up paper grocery bags with our newspaper and other paper, so that is sorted and put neatly behind the official recycling bins. All in all, you'd have to be a moron to think our recycling pile was intended to be garbage. And today, Mr. Lawyer spent a good long time getting it all put out on time before he left for work. I was excited to get it all out at once because it was starting to encroach on the rest of the garage.

Except the recycling guys didn't take it. The regular garbage truck did. And not only that, but they picked up everyone else's recycling (Yes, I followed them down the street, shocked and horrified, barefoot, and carrying a half-naked child) and chucked it in with the garbage. And that was that....into the landfill it went.

I tried to call the customer service number, but they weren't open, it being July 3. Strangely, this has happened a few times before, usually on a holiday. It didn't dawn on me, but my buddy Bill pointed out today that no doubt they had to pay the workers time and a half holiday pay today. And they just didn't want to bother. So they were screwing the customer who pays for this service, screwing the workers out of their holiday pay, and worst of all, screwing the environment. Nice.

I've called to complain before. Previously, the woman who I spoke with told me that they sort out the garbage and pull the recycling when they are done with the route. Apparently I sound like I was born yesterday, because obviously that was a blatant falsehood. They also told me that they would "let the route supervisors know." It's my opinion that if a truck isn't running its route on any given day, it's because the supervisors told them not to. Again - just a hunch here.

I'll call on Monday and report back with whatever response they have to offer. I'll be interested to see what they have to say. In the interim, I will remain incredibly pissed off.

UPDATE: I called today (Monday July 7) about 10:00a.m. The customer care woman told me that they did not pick up recycling on Friday since it was prior to a holiday. I told her yes, they did and they threw it out(!!!). She wasn't sure what to say and offered to have a supervisor call me back. I have not gotten a call yet.

ETA - Hey, I already used that graphic. Oops!

What a difference a year makes.

2009-07-04T00:12:00.004-05:00

Here's Babybeast a year ago in her July 4th outfit at about 1.5 months old:

And here she was earlier today, July 3:

Up and At 'Em

2009-07-04T00:06:00.004-05:00

You guys may have noticed that The Blog was down for the count over the last month. Well, so was I - taking some time to be not on the computer and getting some stuff (The Decrapping Project is well underway) taken care of. We're back.

I reorganized a lot of my photos that were hosted on Photobucket and haven't fixed them all, so if you notice any aren't showing up, that's why - I haven't finished fixing that mess. My PB account had eleventy billion images in it in no particular order, and it had to be done - hopefully it won't need to be revamped for a while.

Welcome back - please drop me a note if you like. I hope to do a little redecorating shortly - change it up a bit.

Oh, and I just submitted a fond family memory to Awkwardfamilyphotos.com, which is a fantastic site if you haven't already checked it out. I'll let you know if it shows up. It's a good one.

Done

2009-05-26T20:07:00.002-05:00

Fish Tank Cleaned. Not exactly part of the decrapping project, but it needed doing and now Mavis and Ben, the tetras, are super frisky. All two of them.

Meds Organized. I sorted the kids' medicines and things like instant ice packs, slings, all that good stuff. It's now in one of these things, which will be a lot neater than the one box it was all tossed into before. My middle one has asthma and so we always have boxes and boxes of albuterol and his other meds plus loads of Benedryl in different forms and now it's all tidy. Exciting enough, though, since it's taken me the better part of 6 years to organize it all.

Nursery Decluttered. I put away all her 2T clothes that had been laying around since I switched her into 3T a few months ago. I had it all in neat piles and then someone decided it was great fun to chuck clothes around the room and it pretty well deteriorated from there. Anyway, when I started there wasn't a whole lot of carpet showing. And now there is.

On deck next: Children's school artwork needs sorting and storing. Perhaps tomorrow when they are in school, since they cannot be here to witness me recycling any of their work - that surely would not go well.

I sent a trunk full o' junk home with my mom today for her to drop off at NAM. If I can't use it, maybe someone else can. It's starting to look pretty good in here!

On another note, I signed us all up at the Y, so that should be fun. I hope it's something we actually use. Goodness knows, we need to use it!

Off to burn and label 150 CDs for Mister Lawyers seminar speech this week.....

I hesitate to post this....

2009-05-24T17:06:00.005-05:00

WARNING:
IF YOU HAVE EVEN A TOUCH OF
OCD/CLUTTERPHOBIA, YOU SHOULD PROBABLY
NOT READ THIS POST!

Here's the (somewhat horrifying) before and after shots of the much-ignored upstairs linen closet:

BEFORE (Eeeeek!!!):

AFTER (Ahhhh!):

A shot of the stuff going out to charity. And, yes, it is fun to chuck things off the catwalk.

Oh, that wire is from my floor steamer....I also have freshly steamed floors. I don't normally leave wires around for little people to trip/pull/chew on. I have one of these little gadgets and it's been worth every cent so far. I highly recommend it.

2009 Decrapping Project

2009-05-24T00:25:00.007-05:00

We've lived here for ten years come August. And in that ten years, we've accumulated a lot. I'm attempting to decrap the house - purge the junk and useless stuff we don't need and probably never will need. I should be systematically going room by room, but it's more of a random process so far.

When Mr. Lawyer and I talk about "my stuff" and "his stuff," "his stuff" is literally his personal stuff. His clothes, his sports collectibles, his tools, his actual stuff.

"My stuff" is everything else in the house. Everything for the house, family photo albums, holiday stuff. Everything on the walls, everything in the kitchen, everything decorative, all of it. Oh, and all three kids' stuff - that's my stuff. Yep - all "my" stuff. The only stuff that he would admit joint ownership to are the electronics and the vehicles. Oh, and the house itself, I suppose. He's not keen on it, so maybe not even that.

So when we are decluttering our stuff he's not very useful, the excuse is that in comparison, he has so little stuff compared to mine and why don't I get rid of mine?

To his credit, he got rid of boxes and boxes of papers and...stuff....from the downstairs office several months ago. It was very times consuming, and he attacked it like a champ - it was awesome.

However, he has a full closet full of his college attire that he will never fit back into. He thinks the boys will wear it one day...hell, at the rate they are growing, they probably will. But it's a LOT of clothes. And some if it, not so attractive..... Skinny ties anyone? I'm not sure it's worth taking up an entire closet for, but maybe I'll be proven wrong.

Oh, lord - and his books, CDs and DVDs...I'm talking thousands of each. Stuff far too nice to throw out or give away, but it does take up a massive amount of room, you know? I'm not sure there really is a remedy, though some of the books need to go. Do we really need that vintage C+ programming guide? And by vintage, I mean of course, completely obsolete.

I admittedly have a ton of holiday junk. I've been trying to prune as we go through the year, but then I hit the after holiday sale and we're back to square one. And honestly, I think now is the time to enjoy holiday crap - when the kids are young. I can always chuck it when they are older, right? I do make a point of getting rid of the really junky stuff, though. Hooray for Freecycle.com! So part of the decrapping project will attempt to reorganize the stuff, so it will all fit back int he rear of the Master closet, instead of infringing on the rest of the room.

On the project list (I'm documenting this as much for me as anything else):

~The Linen Closet - reorganize and purge...TODAY!
~The Nursery Closet - reorganize and purge. This is more work than you'd think since the disarray has spilled out onto the the floor and threatens to swallow the baby as she sleeps.
~The Master Closet - reorganize and purge. Probably 2 full days worth of effort needed here...it's a BIG closet.
~The large box of unread magazines that I haven't gotten to yet.
~The other large box of unread magazines that I haven't gotten to yet....maybe donate to the hospital?
~The coupon box - organize.
~The kids' art supplies - reorganize into super cute bins I bought.
~Boxes and bozes and boxes of legal books (anyone need a full set of reporters or Texas Jurisprudence? No?) - this alone will free up about 18 file boxes worth of space and I've been given the OK to find it a new home (!!!!)

With 3 kids 5 and under, the progress is slower than you might think...for every minute I spend cleaning, they spend that same minute cluttering, spilling, spreading, dumping, destroying, or pooing in or on some other part of the house. One step forward, two steps back. But it's better than just two steps back, right?

I think we'll be in better shape once I can get rid of all the baby toys and clothes. We want another kid, in theory, but I don't think we're going to have one. Age, finances, blah blah blah. It just makes sense to stop now. That said, I'm not really ready to purge the infant stuff she's outgrown or won't use yet....that and the fear that once I do we'll have a little surprise in the oven. You guys know how much space that all takes up though...two full closets and pretty much the whole spare room full of pack and play, exersaucer, highchairs, etc. A ton of stuff. It will be really cathartic to get rid of it when I'm ready.....both mentally and for the physical space it will free up.

We know we are going to move at some point...don't know how far, could be across town, could be to another state. I keep thinking "would I take this with us?" As it turns out, there's not a lot of stuff here I'd actually take with us, especially to another state.

Off I go....hitting the linen closet first. Everything that isn't donation-worthy will got to the local cat shelter - they can always use linens of all types. Here we go!

How Clean is Your House?

2009-05-23T16:11:00.005-05:00

The kids and I watched two episodes of How Clean is Your House? today on BBC America. I didn't even know we had BBC America, but that's another tangent.

The answer to the question, is not clean enough, but a heck of a lot cleaner than the homes that were featured. Oh dear lord was it disgusting. My 5 year old actually said, "Mommy, it's too gross. I'm scared - turn it off, turn it off!" So I did. We missed the end of the episode featuring the dogwalker's flat. I'll trust that it came out nice and shiny, but went to work here to avoid the fate of the homes featured.

How is it that you can clean and clean and clean and yet the house looks just as bad as when you started? Or worse! It seems that if you want to do a really thorough job, you end up taking things out of cabinets and drawers and boxes and throwing some of it on the bed to organize later, and some into the laundry basket to fold or sort through for charity and before long you have an entire room full of mess when before you only had a bit of clutter and a floor that needed vacuuming. Or is it just me? Perhaps I'm going about this the wrong way.

My goal lately is to reduce the amount of Stuff in the house. Stuff takes up a lot of space and it seems to breed when you aren't looking. I have a theory that, unless you are Aaron Spelling, no matter how large a house you own, most people will accumulate enough Stuff to make it seem too small. We certainly have.

So I'm on a Stuff Purging Mission, which is why, in part, when I clean, it gets seemingly messier - the Stuff comes out of the woodwork. Apparently I have all this stuff in a some sort of a real life zip file, and uncompressing it makes it take up an entire room, whereas before it was all bunged into a cabinet. How is that possible? I would think it defies the laws of physics, but I'm no expert there.

Yesterday, in addition to a master bathroom scrub down, dishwashing all and recycling or tossing some of the bath toys, I bundled up all the sippy cups we don't use, the ones missing part, and the ones that I'm 90 but not 100% sure they don't contain BPA and send them to recycling or charity, as appropriate. Three plastic grocery bags full and yet the cabinet is still full. Decluttered, but still full - how is that possible? If only Newton were alive to explain.

One cabinet down, a bajillion to go. Next stop, the master bedroom armoire... [cue Psycho theme music]

One

2009-05-22T13:32:00.002-05:00

Last night before her Birthday:

Smiling pretty for the official Birthday photo:

"What? I got an ear infection for my birthday?"

The Runaway Lawyer

Moving Day!

Do you get it?

Congrats, Coogs!

And Social Justice for All

Nom Nom Nom

I can't not post this.

Blogroll, Please!

Dear Mr. Rabbit:

What would you do?

Chocoholics Rejoice!

Congratulations, Jenny!

Primary School

Oh, Hey.

Toxic Popcorn...Again?!?

"December 7th, 1941 — a date which will live in infamy"

The 12 Days of Christmas - Mommy Style

Say Thank You

Hey All

Effect, Meet Cause

Unprofessional v. "Inappropriate"

Why we are getting retakes today.

Ahoy, Mateys!

Almost 18 Months

Attention Babies!

50 Free Photocards and Free Shipping!

More Park

Monkey Do

Guess who Peed on the Coffee Table?

The Jellyfish and The Robot

And you thought demonic candy was the worst of your worries?

Drink to Your Health!

Food for Thought

Too....much....sugar.....please....send....help...

Hey, it's Halloween - Time to Sacrifice the Baby!

"I got a rock."

Halloween Flower Fairy 2009

WTF?

Confucius Say: Are You People Serious?

Our Candy-Eating Robot

The Kittysuit

No!

Dear Local Republican Party:

Noggin Report II

Toxins Be Gone!

Miscellaneous

Tweet Tweet

Why I Would Consider Moving to the Midwest

The First Step Is Admitting You Have Problem

Post Script to Franken Amendment Controversy

I Know No One Will Read it, But....

Amused?

Amused?

The Glorious Colors of Autumn

NEWS ALERT: Meghan McCain Has Boobs!

You Can.

In Defense of Marriage

Halloween Peanuts

Trick or Treat to Make a Difference

"Practice cancelled due to inclimate weather‏"

Kindergarten Report

Mellowcreme Pumpkins

And No Sweatpants with Ass-Words, Either

Hair Doodads

What the hell kind of blog are you running here?

October 2008

October 2007

Jesus was a Commie

My Newest Timesuck

Dear Baby Clothing Makers

Graham Cracking

Noggin Report

September!

Things That Do Not Bode Well

Kindergarten Registration

Back to School Activities

In the Backyard Today

Have You Had Your Dose of Sunshine Today?

Shatner does Palin

Zinc and Other Miracles