Surviving in a Male Dominated Household

Listening to your body...

2012-01-11T06:55:00.000-08:00

Originally posted over at Mommy's Recess.

I know, I know. This should be a no brainer. But for moms, it's not. We often put ourselves (and our health) on the back burner. And we shouldn't. I have to remind myself of the instructions on a airplane. "In case of a lack of cabin pressure, put on YOUR oxygen mask first, and then help others." But I failed to do that.

As you know, I'm involved in politics. And the Iowa Caucus? That's like the Superbowl for us Iowans...and it only comes once every four years. Between moving in November, hosting my six year old's birthday party and Thanksgiving, a house warming party, preparing for Christmas and the caucus, I've been busy...and been having low back pain. But I put it off. "I'll get it checked out after the caucus" I kept telling myself. And being tough, I refused to take anything for it. That was probably a good call on my behalf.

On New Years Eve, an Uncle of mine unexpectedly passed away. They scheduled the funeral for the day after the caucus. On caucus day, we had the Huffington Post follow us around and get the point of view of caucus attendees. You can watch our caucus experience here.

It was a whirlwind day. Interviews, caucus, victory party...and I was named a Washington Post Reader Favorite Top Iowa Political Tweeter (you can follow me on twitter @bowmama, and our blog is also on twitter @mommysrecess). At our caucus location I spoke on behalf of Rick Santorum...in front of about 1200 people and a slew of reporters. Did I mention I had to follow Rick Perry (himself) and Ann Romney (wife of Mitt)? Yeah, no pressure there. All the while, I had to mentally prep myself as I was doing the readings at my Uncle's funeral mass the next day.

Our boys spent the night at Grandma and Grandpas (thankfully) because we didn't get to bed until after 1AM and had to get up at 6AM in order to make it back to the funeral in time.

I made it through the readings without crying, but after I read, I saw my mom crying and, well, you know how it is when your mom cries...you cry. So I cried. At the luncheon after the cemetary, we learned that my great aunt had been in a car accident and was being life-flighted to Omaha. She had two collapsed lungs, broke her C2 and C3, compressed disks, etc etc. The remainder of the week was spent checking in with mom to see how my Great Aunt was doing, and trying to get back into a normal routine.

And then Saturday night happened. My husband worked on Saturday. When he got home, we had dinner. At dinner, I stood up to get a napkin and started bleeding. Heavy. Fast. I raced to the bathroom and even my medic husband was concerned. I called Mercy Nurse and she told me to come in. I explained the back pain and we both thought an ovarian cyst had ruptured (I have a history of cysts). My husband dressed the boys and called his parents. We rushed them over and went to the ER. The nurse took my vitals, asked for a urine sample and took blood. They hooked me up to an IV because I was dizzy from all of the blood I lost. And then it was time for an ultrasound to see where the cyst had ruptured.

But there was no cyst. There was, however, a strong heart beat. And a 7 week 5 day baby inside. Surprise.

The first thing I said? "Holy CRAP! There's a baby in there!" Not the most eloquent thing I've ever said but I was in shock!

My husband and I were both so surprised. And so was the ultrasound tech. And the nurse. And the Doctor. The amount of blood I lost, we had prepped ourselves for the possibility of a miscarriage. But like his/her mom, "Noodle" (what my oldest has nicknamed the baby) is strong.

They did find a bleed and called it a subchorianic hemorrhage. My instructions were to take it easy and monitor the bleeding. I go to the doctor today for a check up.

Long story short? Listen to your body. Had I gone to the Doctor when I had the pain weeks ago, this probably couldn't have been avoided but at least I would have known.

I've had enough drama in 2012 to write a whole Christmas letter. You hear that 2012? No more drama. And I've learned to listen to my body. Don't put your health off. And be sure to put on the oxygen mask first, and then assist others.

2011...A Look At What I've Learned and Done

2011-12-31T16:10:00.000-08:00

2011 was a crazy year.

I continued my work with Mommy's Recess.
I continued my work with The SoapBoxers.
I made new friends.
I made new enemies.
I started using my twitter account more.
I spoke in front of a school board (for the first time).
I continued to speak in front of the school board.
I spoke at a City Council meeting (for the first time).
I continued to speak at the City Council meetings.
I made even more friends.
I made even more enemies.
I helped save a barn.
I did the readings at my husband's Grandfather's funeral.
I read a letter from my mother in law to her dad at the funeral, and I publicly cried.
I used my writing talent to write Conservative articles and was promoted to Communications Director of a National Political Action Committee, all while working at home.
I attended my first Conservative Writers Conference (and made more new friends).
I learned more about couponing and started my stockpile.
I followed a passion of mine and joined a Ghost Hunting group.
I made even more new friends.
I went Ghost Hunting.
I had a physical paranormal experience (was scratched on a Ghost Hunt).
I didn't pee my pants after said experience.
I learned how to do audio review after a Ghost Hunt.
I went to my first Iowa State Homecoming Football game.
I learned how to fill out form upon form to get us into a home that not only saved us money but is much bigger and much nicer than what we had.
I learned how to throw things away (I had to--we had too much stuff).
I learned how to get a kid transferred from one school district to another.
I learned how good it felt to have all of our credit cards paid off.
I learned I shouldn't have closed the accounts after paying the credit cards off.
I started writing even more for Yahoo! News...and made even more enemies.
I had an anti-me tweet hastag created about me.
I was on THREE radio shows, twice about the barn, once about a Yahoo! News article (and Ghost Hunting).
I learned how to bless a home with the traditional Catholic blessing and Holy Water.
I met A LOT of Presidential Candidates.
I re-learned how to be comfortable in TV interviews.
I learned how to wrap Christmas presents---fast.
I attended my first Iowa State Basketball game....Court side.

I did a lot in 2011. But overall, I learned more about myself. What my limits are and what they are not. What I thought was something I couldn't do, I did. I surprised even myself.

Here's looking forward to an even happier 2012.

My latest Yahoo Article!

2011-12-18T14:31:00.000-08:00

Yes, I've made a decision. I'm supporting Santorum. Gasp. Read more about it here and how I met Senator Santorum here.

I'm SO not ready for REAL silverware

2011-11-28T19:35:00.000-08:00

Liam turned 6 this weekend. On Saturday. And I did okay. I was more stressed about hosting my first Thanksgiving (and cooking my first turkey) on Thursday and having a birthday party for Liam on Saturday (not to mention Black Friday shopping).

I suppose, in my own little way, I kept my mind busy. As long as I was occupied, I wasn't focused on the fact that my first baby, my little "dooder" was turning SIX on Saturday.

We filled his room with green and yellow balloons and gave him a Green Bay Packers blanket, along with surprising him with Aunts, Uncle, Ma'am, Papa and Grandma and Grandpa at his party. And yet, it never hit me. I even lit all six candles and carried the cake to him.

But tonight. At dinner. I asked him to set the table and handed him the plates and silverware and he said, "Mommy, can I have a real fork?" I realized I gave him two adult silverware and three toddler silverware.
"But can't you use the one I gave you," I asked.
"No, Mommy. I'm a big boy. I'm six. I need a real fork."

I don't know what it was, but the "I'm six. I need a real fork" really hit me. He IS six. He DOES need a real fork. And then, I started thinking (which is always dangerous). He's SIX. In ten years, he'll be driving. In eight years, he'll have a permit. In three years he'll probably be taller than me....where is my little baby?? My little dooder?

And I take a breath. Because, only once in a while now, but he still does, after his bath, he asks me to cradle him and sing "he's my baby, he's my baby" like I did when Daddy was in Iraq. He still remembers. I hope he always does. Whether he is 6 or 66.

An Update: A Move, A Conferences, A LOT

2011-11-18T16:34:00.000-08:00

Sorry it's been so long since I updated the blog...but we've been busy.

We moved. To a house. With a garage. And it's AWESOME. I can't wait to get some pictures on the wall to help with the acoustics. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE the vaulted ceilings. But the toddler screams? The echos? Yeah.

The house is about 500 MORE square feet than what we had before. And TWO more bedrooms. And a two car attached garage. And a doorbell. And a vegetable sprayer. And a yard. And a closer bus stop for Liam. And no stairs to haul kids, groceries etc etc...

And it is LESS than what we were paying at the apartment.

Blessed. I feel so VERY blessed. And speaking of being blessed, we had Liam's first Parent/Teacher conference. To be honest, I felt a little weird. For the first time, I was attending a parent/teacher conference in a elementary school...and I wasn't the kid at home sweating bullets.

And here is where I turn into the mom who brags. Don't like moms who brag, stop reading. You've been warned.

Liam is in Kindergarten. We were informed he's reading at a 2nd-3rd grade level. They even removed him (and another kid) from the class during reading time for a special 2 on 1 with a specialist. Because he was "a reader" as opposed to the other kids in his class. And, as the teacher said, "he even blew me away with words that he knew. Words that didn't follow the normal rules, he got them."

Yes. This is my kid. I remember reading books in first grade and thinking "This is SO stupid. I don't care about Dick and Jane. Can I go home and continue reading my chapter book? Please?"

I even had my first grade teacher call me a "liar". No, really, a liar. We were talking about clocks with hands. I told her we had a clock at my house that had three hands when she said that "clocks only had two hands". I came home crying and the next day, my dad (and hero), came to school with the clock that was my Great Grandmother Sarah (and name sake's) clock in her one room school house. It had three hands. Minute, Hour and Day. She had never seen anything like that.

Most parents say, "My child is brilliant" and as much as I try to NOT be THAT parent, I am. Because he is. He wants to go to Harvard, Notre Dame, Iowa State (because that's where Mommy went) or The University of Texas (because that's where Woody went).

Yeah, he's a smarty pants. Just like his mom. Speaking of mom, I attended a fundraiser this week with Jeff Mullen, my new political job, and had the opportunity to meet Newt Gingrich.

Smarty Pants.

Wordless Wednesday: Halloween

2011-11-02T06:58:00.000-07:00

Wordless Wednesday: School Pictures

2011-10-12T07:02:00.000-07:00

Um....yeah.

Oh the Attitude....

2011-09-26T07:10:00.000-07:00

This morning I read FireMom's post on The 1st Time Kindergarten Made Me Feel Stupid (But Likely Not the Last) and I chuckled. Well, not so much chucked but all out laughed. Because I've had the "dumbass" tone from my kindergartener as well.

And I wonder if Ms. Z (his teacher) has to deal with it too.

The first week of school, Liam came home saying he was "SOOOO BOOOORED." I asked why and he said, "They think I don't know math and stuff."

Yes, Liam. We know you're smart. I tried to tell him that the first few weeks the teacher just needed to see where the other students are at. "Not everyone knows math, Liam."

A few days later, he came home with the same attitude as a teenager. "Ms. Z thinks she knows EVERYTHING. But she doesn't."

Oh Lord. I thought I'd have at least 8 years before this attitude started.

However, he has been bringing home "tiger paws" which I believe are like gold stars. Everytime he does something good, he gets a tiger paw. He says he has "21 tiger paws....the MOST in my class."

I've raised a smart bragger. I suppose there are worse things, right?

Wordless Wednesday: Peek A Boo

2011-09-21T06:43:00.000-07:00

So maybe it's not totally wordless...but it is cute.

Happy Anniversary!

2011-09-15T05:36:00.000-07:00

Happy 32nd Anniversary to the two best parents a kid could ever ask for!!

Wordless Wednesday: Family Ties

2011-09-14T18:16:00.000-07:00

We are tied together from birth. And we will always be.

9/11 Ten Years Later

2011-09-11T13:27:00.000-07:00

We all remember where we were on 9/11. I was in college at Iowa State. I remember getting ready for class, sipping my coffee and watching the Today show. Katie Couric was talking about how Michael Jordan was going to be going back to the NBA. I went to brush my teeth and when I came back out the first tower was on fire. I went and woke up my roommate Nancy, and told her there was "something going on in New York" and that "it could be big news". How right I was.

I packed up and walked to campus for my Rhetoric class. When I got there, the attendance was slim and the professor had told us that a another plane had flown into the second tower. Since it was a rhetoric class, she asked us to pay attention to the language used in the media and asked us to go watch what was going on. We would talk about it on Thursday.

Campus was eerily quiet for an early fall weekday. The few people I passed, I could see concern in their eyes. I picked up the pace to my apartment and when I entered, I was surprised to see Nancy, sitting in the same place where I left her, watching the news.

Our other two roommates, who had gone to campus earlier in the morning came back. We all sat on our living room floor, watching, praying, crying. My roommate Stephanie was in a panic as her mother was in Washington D.C. on business and she couldn't get a hold of her. Kayla (another roommate) pulled out her Bible.

We cried, we prayed. I called my dad, I called my mom. I was excited for my afternoon class, Philosophy. What an appropriate day to have a philosophy class and ask, "WHY".When I got there, a sign was on the door. My professor had not made it back to Iowa State as he had been in Europe and his plane was grounded in Canada.

I went back to my apartment. A friend called me and said gas prices were skyrocketing so I left to fill up Beezer (my VW Rabbit pickup). I swung by the grocery store and grabbed milk, bread, enchilada fixins and beer, a college diet staples.

After cooking dinner for my roommates and friends, I blogged about my feelings on livejournal. It's angry. It's personal and it's still a little too much for me to share, just yet. It certainly doesn't feel like it's been 10 years, more like 10 days. I remember it all too well.

Watching the coverage brings back all of those feelings.

And the tears.

Wordless Wednesday: My Big Boy

2011-08-31T09:58:00.000-07:00

The First Day of Kindergarten...

2011-08-24T15:23:00.000-07:00

Let me start out with "I DID NOT CRY". So there.

I didn't cry because, well, I didn't have a chance to. Here's what happened:

I woke up. Realized I didn't hear Liam out in the living room. Panic! Find my glasses and squint at the alarm clock. 7 AM. Whew. Bus isn't coming until 8:21. I've got time to get everyone ready. But I don't hear Liam.

Panic! My mind is racing with thoughts. "Did Liam leave already? Is he outside?" I get up so fast I scare and wake Brendan (yes, at some point in the night, both he AND Sean climbed in our bed.)

Brendan is screaming. I check the door. Still locked. I go into Liam's room. He's asleep. In pure "Nemo" fashion, as Liam usually does to us, I say, "Get up! Get up! First day of school! First day of school!" He rolled over, "Still sleeping. Go away."

Liam is a child who has always been a morning person. He goes to bed at 8, he's up at 6. He goes to bed at 11 (if we have some event that keeps us out late) he's up at 6. Never fails. I always wondered when he'd be a "normal kid" that I had to wake up in the morning. I should have known, all it would take would be for him to be a student.

Kids get up, I get them fed, Daddy gets in the shower. I make my coffee and chug as much as I can before I clean kids up, change diapers and dress them. Thankfully I had laid all of their clothes out last night.

Daddy's still in the shower. I pack Liam's lunch. Turkey on bread (no mayo, no mustard--just plain), a Capri-Sun, Cheez-Its and a Rice Krispie bar for a snack/dessert/surprise (as I had written a cute note on it).I had to put a freezie in his lunchbox because I didn't want his drink/turkey to get warm. I tweeted the following: Sending Liam to school with a Medela breastpump freezie to keep his lunch cold. Cause that's how we roll. #breastfeeding #FirstDayOfSchool

Chug more coffee. Change a poopy diaper. Daddy's still in the shower.

I pick out my clothes and try to put them in the bathroom. Daddy's still in the shower. Door is locked. Coffee.

It's 8:00. Liam is supposed to be outside in 16 minutes. Bus will be here in 21 minutes. Daddy's still in the shower. WTH, Daddy?

FINALLY Daddy gets out of the shower. I jump in the shower. I go through all of the things over the last few months in my head. Since Liam was capped out of Jordan Creek, he gets to ride the bus for free. Bus service for Kindergarten is door-to-door. Mr T. is his driver. He is scheduled to be picked up at 8:21, but be outside 5 minutes before. Don't cry. Take pictures. Follow in the car so I can get pictures at school. Don't cry. It's an early out day so be sure to ask what time the bus will drop him off. Don't cry. I can do this.

I get out of the shower and get dressed. Record shower/dress/makeup for mom. Hair can air-dry. Dad takes Liam outside. WTH, Daddy! I don't want him to get on the bus without me seeing him!! Call Daddy and Liam back in. Daddy gets two little boys ready to go out the door as I finish up some things (checking to make sure bag is packed etc)

Time for the mandatory "at the door on the first day of school" picture.

Yes, Liam picked out his outfit. And Brendan didn't get the memo to look at the camera.

Now, we wait for the bus.

He's SO excited. Brendan still doesn't get the memo to look at the camera.

So we sit on the curb.

It's 8:30. I figured the bus would be late on the first day, with all of the pictures and what not, but I tweet: "Wondering if the @wdmcs bus is late. Was scheduled to be here 10 mins ago. #firstday"

Get a response from Elaine, the Communications Director at the West Des Moines Schools (I got to know her well during #barngate #savingthebarn #movingthebarn). She said, "Two are running a little late, rest on time. Email (insert email address here)@wdmcs.org the bus number and we can do further follow-up."

So I sent her an email (from my cell-yay technology) with Liam's bus number. She said that was a bus that was running late. No biggie. Then I tweet: "Still waiting for the @wdmcs bus. 20 minutes late?"

5 minutes later, I tweet: "Liam thinks that there should be a tumbleweed going across the road as we wait for the bus. Lol. #firstday"

5 more minutes later, I tweet: "Liam is now questioning what horseradish is. #firstday #waitingforthebus"

20 minutes later, it was time for a nap.

Yes. He napped. And a few minutes later, little brother was having no more of waiting. So he had to be placed in the car/carseat.

He was not happy.

Sean says, "Let's get this show on the road!!! Come on!!"

A few minutes later, I decide to call Elaine's cell. She said she was waiting for a call from the Transportation Department...and they called while we were on the phone. I opted to hold. She said that the bus driver was by, but we weren't there. Ummm...not so much. So she put in a call to make the bus come back and get him.

More waiting. Liam decided to inspect his lunchbox. And he found the note I wrote on his dessert.

Yes. Mommy loves Liam. Notice the #Medela breastpump freezie in his lunchbox. Awesome.

And then the jokes started. I tweeted: "Oh Lord. Now we're telling jokes that are not funny. Where's the bus? LOL. #firstday"

Finally I got word from Elaine. Turns out, if you live in an apartment complex, door to door doesn't really literally mean "door to door". More like "Front of the Apartment Complex" to school door. Hmm. If you've ever visited our home, we are tucked away just about as far as can be from the road. Good for riding bikes, bad for bussing--now, I know I've seen a school bus come by our door, but that's only for special needs kids. Whoops. Liam is not special needs. Which means I get to walk him (and little brothers) to the road every day.

But Elaine told me she'd go ahead and call the school for me to let them know that Liam would be late, to no fault of his own, and to give him a pass to his classroom.

So I walked him to the front while Daddy drove little brothers in the car as the bus was coming back just for Liam. School has already started. Actually, it started over an hour and half ago. Whoops.

But, as promised, Mr. T and Bus #5 arrived. And he was thrilled. He ran to the bus and I could hardly snap off a picture before he ran on. But I did.

I didn't see him get to his seat before Mr. T took off. I couldn't see where he was sitting as we followed the bus. But he told me the bus was "cool". "It has red seats and I sat in one seat, seat number five, just like my age and the bus. But one other window was open, so I moved to that seat. And I stuck my hand out the window."

And then we got to the school. I asked Mr. T what time to expect Liam to be dropped off at the front, since it is an early out for Kindergartners today. He said that it wasn't and radioed back to base. They said that Phenix (Liam's school) and Hillside were normal out today. Hmmm...that's not what I was told by the Principal. And, being the "Question Authority" person I was raised to be (thanks, Dad) I smiled, nodded and headed to get more pictures.

I got another picture even though I knew he was missing "first day" stuff on the inside.

And then he and I went inside and went right to "the office". I talked to Susan (yes, the Principal's secretary and I are on a first name basis already). She handed me a "Pass" for Liam and told me that they wouldn't count this against him. Wow. My first kid's first hall pass. I inquired about the early out and bus ride home and she said she thought that the kindergartners WOULD get a ride home. I told her what the bus driver told me. She asked the Principal and the Principal said she was told that they would get a ride home as well. Time to call back to Transportation.

I walked Liam to his room and his teacher said, "There's my little Paleontologist," so I knew he was in good hands. They were lining up for something, and I said, "Have a good day, buddy!" and went back into the Principal's office. This is where I tweeted: "Already talking to the Principal. Awesome."

I inquired about the bus bringing him home. The Principal said that she has "kindergartners who are expected to ride the bus home" and I informed her that the bus driver said no. She called Transportation and I waited (for a bit) to hear back. I gave my cell number to Susan and told her to give me a call when she heard, either way.

Turns out, we did need to pick him up. It's a good thing I did question, because there were some parents who weren't expecting to pick up their kids.

They're doing construction at school which means it is chaos to pick them up. Turns out, according to a West Des Moines Police Officer that I was "talked to", we're only to stay on Locust street and wait to pick them up. Good to know.

So after two hours of Kindergarten, including lunch, Liam had a good day. When he was holding open a door for the boys to go into the bathroom, "some kid wearing a blue shirt punched me in the stomach" and "the lunchlady threw away my Capri-Sun and made me have Strawberry milk" but other than that, a good two hours.

And I didn't cry. You can see how busy I was. Tomorrow is also a half day but now I know where he needs to be for the bus to pick him up and how to pick him up at the end of the half day.

And this is why Communications is so important. I know I'm not the only parent of a Kindergartner to expect that door to door LITERALLY means "door to door". Maybe they should clarify in roundup/handbook that "if you reside in an apartment complex, the bus will stop at the nearest entrance to the apartment units"...or something along those lines.

I sincerely want to thank Elaine for the great job she did with keeping me in the know with what was going on, getting a bus ride for Liam and being so prompt with her tweets and emails. I also want to thank Robin, the head of Transportation for calling me this afternoon and apologizing for the mix-up and our patience.

Now? Mommy needs a beer.

Wordless Wednesday: Music

2011-08-03T18:09:00.000-07:00

So maybe there are some words...but they're super cute.

Wordless Wednesday: Cousins!!

2011-07-20T09:09:00.001-07:00

Really Bob Vander Plaats? Really?

2011-07-14T08:05:00.000-07:00

On Sunday over at Mommy's Recess I went out on a limb and wrote Marriage is Between a Man and a Woman...and Bob VanderPlaats. Writing this was scary and refreshing for me. I risked making friends and family angry at me. But I needed to say it. I needed to be honest with myself and my fellow Conservatives.

After I posted it, GOP candidates started refusing to sign it. Now I'm not saying that it was MY blog that made them not sign it....just that I was relieved others had the same opinion as me. When the vow debuted, The Family Leader, led by Bob Vander Plaats of Sioux City, has said it won’t endorse any candidate who doesn’t sign the vow.

And that's just lame. Withholding an endorsement because they won't sign your pledge? Come on. Bob, I was impressed that you and your campaign ousted the State Supreme Court judges. But I'm afraid that gave you too big of a head. Sorry, Bob, but you are not the end-all-be-all spokesperson for Conservative Republicans in Iowa. Believe it or not, we CAN think for ourselves. I still respect you, I do. But you're starting to lose some rank in my book. Bring it down a notch, Bob.

This morning I read VanderPlaats say, “I never have given much weight to endorsements,” Vander Plaats, CEO of the conservative non-profit The Family Leader, said Friday. Now, he was saying that in response to an article calling him a influential supporter. Maybe he's eating some humble pie? I don't know. Threatening you won't endorse people and then saying you don't put weight in endorsements? You can't have it both ways, Bob.

Keep Trying

2011-07-07T12:43:00.000-07:00

We got some bad news today about the house. Turns out totally paying off credit cards (and having them closed at the most inopportune time) screwed with our credit. Again. *Sigh*

They don't want to use my credit because I'm a freelancer. And I don't have 2 years of 1099's. So it's all based on Hubby's credit. Which would be fine, except Sallie Mae totally screwed us over when he was in Iraq. And yes, we've had TWO kids since he's been back...but we're still fighting them. And yes, Sallie Mae IS a Government agency so you'd think that THEY'D know the rules when dealing with other Government agencies (re: Department of Defense; Army). But no...whatever.

I'm going to take some responsibility for our issues. But not all. I've been working my tail off to get things in order, playing by the rules, filling out the forms and faxing, emailing and phone calls. And it's just really, really frustrating.

But just when I was almost in tears about it all and the bad news we got this morning, I hear Wyatt from SuperWhy say, "Today's lesson is KEEP TRYING!" Granted it was about learning to twirl, but I can apply it to myself. Keep trying.

Thank you, Wyatt. I will keep trying.

I've always been amused (and motivated) when someone tells me that I can't do something. Tell me I can't? I'll show you just how much I CAN. I hear that is the Bolton in me. Or the Gormally. At any rate, my mom claims it comes from my dad's side. But I don't think it is a bad trait to have.

Tell me I can't, and I will. I will keep trying.

Wordless Wednesday: One Year

2011-07-06T14:15:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday Baby B! How are you one year old already?!?

Happy Independence Day!!

2011-07-04T10:09:00.000-07:00

Here are 17 fun facts about the Fourth of July to share with your children, your friends and family…Adapted from Fun Facts About the Fourth of July.

1. A Truly Young Nation
The average age of the Signers of the Declaration of Independence was 45.

The youngest was Thomas Lynch, Jr (27) of South Carolina. The oldest delegate was Benjamin Franklin (70) of Pennsylvania.

The lead author of The Declaration, Thomas Jefferson, was 33.

2. Men of Harvard

1 out of 8 signers of the signers were educated at Harvard (7 total).

Four each at William & Mary, Yale, and Princeton.

George Wythe was a professor at William & Mary and one of his students was Thomas Jefferson.

3. An Act of Treason

After signing the Declaration, John Hancock remarked that Congress must now “all hang together”.

Benjamin Franklin replied,

“Yes, we must indeed all hang together, or most assuredly we shall all hang separately.”

4. Happy July 2nd

The initial date the resolution of independence was approved in a closed session of Congress was July 2, 1776.

The next day, John Adams remarked in a letter to his wife Abigail (who happens to be my 8th Great Aunt) :) :

“The second day of July, 1776, will be the most memorable epoch in the history of America.

I am apt to believe that it will be celebrated by succeeding generations as the great anniversary festival.

It ought to be commemorated as the day of deliverance, by solemn acts of devotion to God Almighty.”

5. Date for History

Congress revised the Declaration for final approval on July 4, 1776.

The only two signers of the Declaration of Independence who later served as President of the United States were John Adams and Thomas Jefferson.

Both John Adams and Thomas Jefferson (bitter rivals) died on the same day, July 4, 1826, the 50th anniversary of the Declaration.

6. Our National Turkey

Benjamin Franklin wrote in a letter to his daughter Sarah Bache in 1784:

“For my own part I wish the Bald Eagle had not been chosen the Representative of our Country.

He is a Bird of bad moral character. He does not get his Living honestly.

You may have seen him perched on some dead Tree near the River, where, too lazy to fish for himself, he watches the Labour of the Fishing Hawk;

And when that diligent Bird has at length taken a Fish, and is bearing it to his Nest for the Support of his Mate and young Ones, the Bald Eagle pursues him and takes it from him.

I am on this account not displeased that the Figure is not known as a Bald Eagle, but looks more like a Turkey. For in Truth the Turkey is in Comparison a much more respectable Bird, and withal a true original Native of America.

He is besides, though a little vain & silly, a Bird of Courage, and would not hesitate to attack a Grenadier of the British Guards who should presume to invade his Farm Yard with a red Coat on.“

7. Enjoy Your Day Off Without Pay

Congress made Independence Day an official unpaid holiday for federal employees in 1870.

(In 1938, Congress changed Independence Day to a paid federal holiday)

8. Our Nation Has Grown

There were an estimated 2.5 million people living in the newly independent nation in 1776.

Total U.S. population in 2011 is 311.7 million.

9. A Salute to the Union

A salute of one gun for each state in the United States, called a “salute to the union,” is fired on Independence Day at noon by any capable military base.

10. Thank China for Old Glory

87.5% ($2.8 million) of imported U.S. flags are from China.

11. And for Fireworks

97% ($190.7 million) of imported fireworks are from China.

12. Hawkeye Hot Dogs

One of out every four pork hot dog consumed in the U.S. originates from Iowa.

If not Iowa, then likely North Carolina or Minnesota.

An estimated 150 million hot dogs will be consumed on July 4th.

13. Lone Star Beef

One-sixth of all beef production comes from Texas.

If your beef hot dog, steak, or burger didn’t come from Texas, there’s a good chance it originated in Nebraska or Kansas.

14. Sunshine Lettuce or Tomato

75% of all lettuce head production comes from California while 71% of all fresh tomatoes come from California or Florida.
15.Pass the Potato Salad and Chips

You guessed it.. approximately half of the nation’s spuds are produced in Idaho or Washington.

16. Some Baked Beans Please

36% of the nation’s dry, edible beans are produced in North Dakota (the most in any state).

17. The Liberty Bell Tap

Every 4th of July the Liberty Bell in Philadelphia is tapped (not actually rung) thirteen times in honor of the original thirteen colonies.

Make the 4th a learning opportunity. I know I am the 8th Great Grand-Niece of Abigail Adams and the 3rd Cousin, 7 times removed from Roger Sherman.

Who is Roger Sherman? He was the only person to sign all four great state papers of the U.S.: the Continental Association, the Declaration of Independence, the Articles of Confederation and the Constitution.

I believe it's fair to say I have a lot of patriotic spirit in my blood line. Have a Happy and SAFE Fourth of July!!

Interview With Andy

2011-06-30T05:51:00.000-07:00

Note the kid running across the field at the beginning of the story? Yeah, that's Liam.

Wordless Wednesday: Saved Yet Broken

2011-06-29T14:45:00.000-07:00

Wordless Wednesday: Stop

2011-06-22T16:07:00.000-07:00

The Earth says "Stop." Do you see it?

It was pointed out to me after I uploaded it to facebook. At the time I took the picture, I did not notice it.

Do you see it?

Wordless Wednesday: This Is Why We Can't Have Nice Things

2011-06-15T18:25:00.000-07:00

The toddler pulled the front clean off of the silverware drawer. It is a mess because I had to clean up as much as quickly as I could before Baby B got to it. Clean. Off.

Wordless Wednesday: Remember

2011-06-01T07:21:00.001-07:00