The Wonderful World of Polly

Taking some time off

2009-04-24T20:30:00.000-07:00

Ugh, it seems like we have been busy every weekend since the beginning of March! A trip to Moses Lake here Swimming at the Aquatics Center there. Trips to Portland and Olympia. My goodness we have been busy.

There is another trip this weekend but, I'm staying home. Dh needs some care and feeding. Last week he got a call back from the "HMO". "Hey, you remember when you sprained your wrist? Well....someone read the x-ray wrong.....it was broken. Could you come in and get another x-ray?"

We are still waiting to hear back from them. I wonder if it will take another two and a half months. Sheesh, and people actually want to increase their tax dollars to pay for socialized medicine. Yeah, we'll all have equally crappy medical care.

Oh well, we are going to hide out all weekend watching movies. I have Fireproof, and Twilight to watch. This will be the third time I've seen Twilight. No I don't think it's that spectacular it's just that I saw it first with a friend then with the girls and now I will see it with dh. I haven't seen Fireproof yet. I have heard it's good though.

Meanwhile, some "people" get to go to Disneyland. Have Fun....you.

P

Spring Break

2009-03-31T09:56:00.000-07:00

The girls and I are on vacation this week. We are up north by the Canadian boarder.
The weather is the usual liquid sunshine and the girls are getting bored. Yesterday we saw Aliens vs. Monsters. Funny stuff.

We'll be heading back home tomorrow. I'll see some of you tomorrow nite.

P

Columbia River Mental Health's Idea of Helping

2009-02-26T02:17:00.000-08:00

I have a friend who with her husband adopted two children out of Oregon State Foster Care. One of the children has Fetal Alcohol Syndrome. She is 11 years old. Beautiful but very dangerous. She has threatened and abused her younger brother since before they both came to live with my friends when she was four.

Last October while her mom and I were at a class out of town she physically abused her father in a manner I will not go into here. At that time Washington States solution to the problem was to split the family up. With Dad and brother living at a different address. How is this going to help the family heal? Or there is the Catholic Community Services suggestion of building a wood box ( cage ) in the garage and putting her in it. HOW BARBARIC ! And it would take several large men to get her into it when she is in full rage anyway....sheesh! This family is at the end of the line. They have worked and tried and done everything the state told them to do with no real help in sight. The parents finally gave up and came to the conclusion that the only thing they could do was terminate parental rights and have her placed in foster care. They just had to last until Feb. 18th to have a mtg with all the "service's" to decide what the "service's" were going to recommend.

The younger brother who is now seven has not felt safe in his own home for too long. After all the phone calls, therapy, and paper work the family had a mtg with "the authorities" last week.
The two therapist's that have seen all the family members both agreed that she NEEDS residential care. But, the only person there with the authority (Columbia River Mental Health) to order it who, btw has never met any of them said that the only thing available to this family is respite. Like a few hours out of the house each week will make all things bright and beautiful. Never mind the fact that RESPITE CARE DOES NOT EXIST for children who are this big of a liability. We are talking about a family that carries a $2,000,000.00 (yes, that is 2 million) liability insurance policy. NO ONE OTHER THAN HER OWN PARENTS ARE GOING TO DO THAT. The family has been seeking respite for years to no avail.

The seven year old brother wants to kill himself to be rid of his sister. YEAH, that's healthy. Let's just keep everyone where they are. Splitting the family up is not an option. The most aggressive personality needs to be removed from the family in order for the family to heal. Why do we have to tear the whole family apart over one child who cannot live in a "normal" home situation?

And when some child somewhere murder's his/her parent or sibling we all stand by in a stupor and WONDER what went wrong? Why was the kid not getting treatment? Why didn't someone do something? How could this have happened? Duh? The answer I'm sure is that service's were provided and all parties were seeing therapists and nothing worked......oh if only little "susie/bobby" had received the help (respite) they needed this never would have happened. I'll tell you what went wrong. The service's that "some" children need just do not exist in Washington State. And precious little elsewhere.

I really do not want to read about my friend and her family on the front page of the news paper.

Please visit

http://newmemories.blogspot.com/2009/02/notice-to-world-in-event-of-something.html

Get Stimulated!

2009-02-14T10:52:00.000-08:00

Want in on the massive wealth redistribution? Need money for your study on the adverse affects of belly button lint on recycled carpet fiber? How 'bout sporting events tickets for your pets?

This web site will help you generate a Stimulus Request for FREE!

http://www.reason.com/stimulus/request.php

LOL

Are We Having Fun Yet?

2009-02-09T13:58:00.000-08:00

Our youth group fun activity for February was ice skating. The girls had a great time, the adults on the other hand.....

Two adults got to top off this fun event with medical care. One with a broken wrist and one with a sprained wrist. As soon as I heard that the adult leader had broken her wrist I told dh to "get those skate's off now!" Alas, it was too late. The damage had already been done. Now all my honey do projects for the two weeks he has off work this month are in jeopardy. He has been complaining about his butt hurting too. I don't have any sympathy....it's not like someone held a gun to his head.

When asked before hand if I planned on skating I said "oh bleep no" I have a hard enough time just walking on flat, dry ground or even carpet. I'd probably break my neck at an ice rink.

Ice Skating will probably be taken off the fun list after this last weekend.

ABC News: Parents Consider Legal Action After Autistic Girl, 8, Arrested at School

2009-01-15T08:00:00.001-08:00

Eight year old girl is cuffed and arrested because she wouldn't take off her sweatshirt. Ok, it's a little more than that but, the whole thing could have been avoided if the teacher would have ignored the sweatshirt. I don't know what goes on in the school district where this happened but, here at our school students are molded into little tolerant robot's. With coping skills that include "talk it out" or "walk away". Instead of ignoring the girls apparel the teacher kept her against her will in a classroom and then physically restrained her when she tried to leave the room. Remember, autistic children often have over reactive sensory perceptions. This girl has been at the school since kindergarten and I would think that the teachers have had plenty of opportunity to observe the girls reactions to various situations. None of this behavior was exactly new. I hope that the parents do sue the school and get boat loads of money. With that money they will be able to care for and educate their asperger daughter better than the public school can.

Please click the link below to read the article.

ABC News: Parents Consider Legal Action After Autistic Girl, 8, Arrested at School

Posted using ShareThis

I Want To Be a Moron Too

2009-01-12T08:06:00.000-08:00

These are my kinda people. Good tune's too!

Some People Should Not Be Allowed To Own Computers (and don't even ask about the cell phone)

2009-01-09T00:00:00.001-08:00

Take my mil for instance. She called me on Monday with a request for our presence at a birthday party for fil. The date she wanted was already booked. I explained this and offered to send two of the five members of our family to the party. If mil wants to see all of us then she could schedule for the following weekend. She was reluctant to firm up that date and told me to discus with dh.

I emailed her a recap of our phone call and told her to plan on the following weekend when we could all be there. The next day she emailed and wondered again what date she should pick. To which I replied that if she would plan it for the date I gave her we would all be able to attend.

Now it's Thursday and here comes another email (I get the impression that she only knows how to send email) from her wanting to know what to do. Ya see this is her MO. She does it to everyone. Just keeps talking and harping til whoever she is talking to finally relents and gives her what she wants. It's been a test of wills between her and me for over 25 years now. Ya think she'd know by know that I will not be thwarted. LOL

Really, in the beginning this little game would turn snarky on my part. Now I just try to ignore it most of the time but, I've got stress this week and don't need the extra drain on my bandwidth.

She seems bound and determined to get me to cancel at least one major function so that we can drive six hours and eat a meal and turn around and drive six hours home. Oh, and then there's the dog to consider. What am I gonna do with the dog?..... cripes

I guess I shouldn't really worry about this at all since by the time March finally rolls around we may be asking mil/fil if we can move in with them. OH JOY

Andrew Breitbart Launch's Bighollywood

2009-01-06T08:47:00.000-08:00

This site appears to be dedicated to movie reviews and articles about celeb's with a conservative slant. It's great to see all this stuff in one place rather than having to search for it or happen on it by accident.

The articles/contributor's I read were informative, well written and thought provoking. And full of laughs as well. I hope this new site is a success for Mr. Breitbart.

http://bighollywood.breitbart.com/

2008-12-24T10:43:00.000-08:00

Dear Santa,

I've been a good mom all year. I've fed, cleaned, and
cuddled my two children on demand, visited the
doctor's office more than my doctor, sold 62 cases
of candy bars to raise money to plant a shade tree on
the school playground, and figured out how to attach
nine patches onto my daughter's Girl Scout sash with
staples and a glue gun.

I was hoping you could spread my list out over several
Christmases, since I had to write this letter with my
son's red crayon on the back of a receipt in the laundry
room between cycles, and who knows when I'll find
anymore free time in the next 18 years.

Here are my Christmas wishes:

I'd like a pair of legs that don't ache after a day of
chasing kids (in any color, except purple, which I
already have) and arms that don't flap in the breeze,
but are strong enough to carry a screaming toddler out
of the candy aisle in the grocery store. I'd also like a
waist, since I lost mine somewhere in the seventh
month of my last pregnancy.

If you're hauling big ticket items this year, I'd like a
car with fingerprint resistant windows and a radio that
only plays adult music; a television that doesn't broad-
cast any programs containing talking animals; and a
refrigerator with a secret compartment behind the
freezer where I can hide to talk on the phone.

On the practical side, I could use a talking daughter

doll that says, "Yes, Mommy" to boost my parental
confidence, along with one potty-trained toddler,
two kids who don't fight, and three pairs of jeans
that will zip all the way up without the use of power
tools.

I could also use a recording of Tibetan monks chanting,
"Don't eat in the living room" and "Take your hands
off your brother," because my voice seems to be just
out of my children's hearing range and can only be
heard by the dog.

And please don't forget the Playdoh Travel Pack,
the stocking stuffer this year for mothers of pre-
schoolers. It comes in three fluorescent colors and
is guaranteed to crumble on any carpet making the
In-laws' house seem just like mine.

If it's too late to find any of these products, I'd settle
for enough time to brush my teeth and comb my hair
in the same morning, or the luxury of eating food
warmer than room temperature without it being
served in a Styrofoam container.

If you don't mind, I could also use a few Christmas
miracles to brighten the holiday season. Would it be
too much trouble to declare ketchup a vegetable?
It will clear my conscience immensely. It would
be helpful if you could coerce my children to help
around the house without demanding payment as if
they were the bosses of an organized crime family;
or if my toddler didn't look so cute sneaking down-
stairs to eat contraband ice cream in his pajamas at
midnight.

Well, Santa, the buzzer on the dryer is ringing and
my son saw my feet under the laundry room door.
I think he wants his crayon back. Have safe trip
and remember to leave your wet boots by the
chimney and come in and dry off by the fire so
you don't catch cold.

Help yourself to cookies on the table, but don't
eat too many or leave crumbs on the carpet.

Yours Always,

Mom

Author unknown but, it could be me or many of my friends

Merry Christmas Everyone

2008-12-19T14:41:00.000-08:00

Happy Birthday Honey

2008-12-19T14:02:00.000-08:00

This is so Cool

2008-12-18T15:41:00.000-08:00

This is the most uplifting story I've heard in a long time. It also made me cry. Bring your tissue box over to http://voiceofbragg.com/an-angel-in-the-postal-service/

Friday Funny

2008-12-05T14:22:00.000-08:00

http://bewareofthedoghouse.com/video.aspx

ROFLMAO

ABC's 20/20 November 21st

2008-11-21T09:19:00.000-08:00

If you have heard about the Nebraska Safe Harbor Act and the recent dumping of preteen and teen age children at hospitals in Nebraska, you need to see tonights show. From the outside looking in...you maybe thinking "what kind of parent could do this"?

If I hadn't been exposed to children with profound behavior problems I would just assume that the parents of these children were monster's. The truth is that these parents have tried all the psychology/therapy/pills/charts and redirection theories that social workers and state agencies have to offer. Nothing worked. They aren't millionaire's and cannot afford residential care. Even if they could afford it the intake process for residential care is so restrictive that a child would almost have to have committed murder before they would even be considered. The sad fact is that once the child has committed murder they are more likely to be tried as an adult and sent to prison where their brain damage/mental health issue's are left to fester and grow even worse.

What do you do with a child that is physically or sexually abusive to family members? Here in Washington State the only option is for the parents to terminate Parental Responsibility. From there the child is placed in foster care with all the dangers that holds. Then after a period of some months the child is placed on the open adoption lists. Of course with the new medical privacy laws in place an adoptive family may not find out the child is dangerous until after the adoption is finalized and by then the child is no longer the states problem. Which is what I believe is the states plan to begin with.

When will something be done about this problem? When will the medical community and social services get the fact that some children cannot live in a family situation?

Gift Cards or Real Gifts for Christmas?

2008-11-19T08:27:00.000-08:00

For myself I really don't care but, my Mother in law wants to give the children gift certificates for the co-op store that she works in. The store is an eclectic mix of imported artwork and clothing items. Mother in law stocks imports from Central America. While I find the store mildly entertaining there isn't anything there the kids want. Isn't it all about the kids?

When I was their age I didn't so much care what was in the box as long as there was a box to open. What can you do with a gift card/certificate on Christmas morning? Then of course, the gift cards/certificates actually mean more work for the kids mom.

I can't help but feel like Mom in law is manipulating us as well. "I gave you gift certificates, now you have to spend time with me" as if we wouldn't spend time with her any way. 'Course her excuse is that she "just has no idea what to get the kids". That's easy, I could tell her what to get which I have done in the past.

Oh btw, Mom in law is quitting the store as of Dec 31. I can't help but think this is some hair brained scheme to unload her inventory. This is a long favored tradition with her. I remember she cleaned out her closets back when we first got married. We were stuck hauling all her cast offs to our house. I ended up disposing of it while dh was spending a year in Korea. Along with dh's size 13 Waffle Stompers. Ugh, never have missed those things.

Do you think I am being greedy?

LOL Guilty

2008-11-14T09:02:00.000-08:00

Lewis Lizzard, an Alaska defense attorney, arrived home late, after a very tough day trying to get a stay of execution for a client who was due to be hanged for murder at midnight. His last minute plea for clemency to the governor had failed and he was feeling worn out and depressed.

As soon as he walked through the door at home, his wife started on him about, "What time of night to be getting home is this? Where have you been? Dinner is cold and I'm not reheating it." And on and on and on..

Too shattered to play his usual role in this familiar ritual, he went and poured himself a shot of whiskey and headed off for a long hot soak in the bathtub, pursued by the predictable sarcastic remarks as he dragged himself up the stairs.

While he was in the bath, the phone rang. His wife answered and was told that her husband's client, James Wright, had been granted a stay of execution after all and Wright would not be hanged tonight. Finally realizing what a terrible day her husband must have had, she decided to go upstairs and give him the good news.

As she opened the bathroom door, she was greeted by the sight of her husband, bent over naked, drying his legs and feet. "They're not hanging Wright tonight," she said.

To which he whirled around and screamed, "FOR THE LOVE OF HEAVEN, WOMAN, DON'T YOU EVER STOP?"

Weekend Get-a-way

2008-11-11T14:34:00.000-08:00

On Saturday last I took two girls from our local fraternal organization on a four hour drive for an official state officer visit. Both the Grand Bethel Honored Queen and Grand Bethel Guardian/Associate Guardian and their adult officers were in attendance. Along with Miss Washington Jobs Daughters.

We started out the evening with supper of soup and salad. Our choices were salmon chowder (yuck, I like my salmon grilled or baked by itself thank you), split pea and jobie stew. The later being made out of naughty jobie's.

On to the meeting. The HQ did a great job of running the mtg and of course as with any official visit the bulk of the evening was spent on escorts, introductions and honors. Being a Past Honored Queen, I get escorted and introduced. Not tooting my horn here, just splainin' for people that do not know that part of my history.

After the mtg we piled back in the car for the drive to our accommodations for the night. I was almost there when I discovered that I had left my coat at the mtg place. Doh. out hosts had to turn around and go back for it. I felt so silly.

On the way home we stopped at an outlet mall and I bought two new formal dresses for the 10 year old. She can't wait to wear them, would wear them to school if she thought she could get out the door with one of them on.

Next weekend is the sorority ( attended by Jobs Daughters, DeMolay,Rainbow and several other fraternal groups) ball. She really wants to go to that but, she has to clean her room first and I don't see a lot of progress. We will see. If she does go I expect to her to sit on the side lines watching. She's 10 for gosh sakes. She'd be to shy to dance. She can if she wants to tho, there will be plenty of chaperone's there I won't worry.

Obamasessive

2008-11-07T07:00:00.000-08:00

Obama Win Causes Obsessive Supporters To Realize How Empty Their Lives Are

Until Further Notice

2008-11-04T23:41:00.000-08:00

I'll be waiting for my Big Rock Candy Mountain.

On a summer day in the month of May a burly bum came hiking
Down a shady lane through the sugar cane, he was looking for his liking.
As he roamed along he sang a song of the land of milk and honey
Where a bum can stay for many a day, and he won't need any money

Oh the buzzin' of the bees in the cigarette trees near the soda water fountain,
At the lemonade springs where the bluebird sings on the Big Rock Candy Mountains

There's a lake of gin we can both jump in, and the handouts grow on bushes
In the new-mown hay we can sleep all day, and the bars all have free lunches
Where the mail train stops and there ain't no cops, and the folks are tender-hearted
Where you never change your socks and you never throw rocks,
And your hair is never parted

Oh the buzzin' of the bees in the cigarette trees near the soda water fountain,
At the lemonade springs where the bluebird sings on the Big Rock Candy Mountains

Oh, a farmer and his son, they were on the run, to the hay field they were bounding
Said the bum to the son, "Why don't you come to the big rock candy mountains?"
So the very next day they hiked away, the mileposts they were counting
But they never arrived at the lemonade tide, on the Big Rock Candy Mountains

Oh the buzzin' of the bees in the cigarette trees near the soda water fountain,
At the lemonade springs where the bluebird sings on the Big Rock Candy Mountains

One evening as the sun went down and the jungle fires were burning,
Down the track came a hobo hiking, and he said "Boys, I'm not turning."
"I'm heading for a land that's far away beside the crystal fountains;"
"So come with me, we'll go and see the Big Rock Candy Mountains."

In the Big Rock Candy Mountains, there's a land that's fair and bright,
The handouts grow on bushes and you sleep out every night
Where the boxcars all are empty and the sun shines every day
On the birds and the bees and the cigarete trees,
The lemonade springs where the bluebird sings
In the Big Rock Candy Mountains

In the Big Rock Candy Mountains, all the cops have wooden legs
And the bulldogs all have rubber teeth and the hens lay soft-boiled eggs
The farmer's trees are full of fruit and the barns are full of hay
Oh I'm bound to go where there ain't no snow
Where the rain don't fall, the wind don't blow
In the Big Rock Candy Mountains

In the Big Rock Candy Mountains, you never change your socks
And little streams of alcohol come a-trickling down the rocks
The brakemen have to tip their hats and the railroad bulls are blind
There's a lake of stew and of whiskey too
And you can paddle all around 'em in a big canoe
In the Big Rock Candy Mountains

In the Big Rock Candy Mountains the jails are made of tin,
And you can walk right out again as soon as you are in
There ain't no short-handled shovels, no axes, saws or picks,
I'm a-goin' to stay where you sleep all day
Where they hung the jerk that invented work
In the Big Rock Candy Mountains

I'll see you all this comin' fall in the Big Rock Candy Mountains!

by McClintock

Tool

2008-11-03T10:24:00.000-08:00

"wouldn't know fascism if it sat down to smoke a bowl with them"

The Lengths We Go To For Our Children

2008-11-03T09:35:00.000-08:00

You Have To Have A Really Big One To Pull This Off

2008-10-31T12:13:00.000-07:00

Happy Halloween

crack spakle

2008-10-28T20:12:00.000-07:00

The System Sucks

2008-10-27T08:05:00.000-07:00

My friend Anna has written about her journey with her two children for the last six years. The children were adopted and have many issue's that their parents have been working through with lot's of professional help for all concerned.

Last week things came to a head and now they are navigating the "system" again. The process to access mental health care and services is woefully lacking and I agree with her that a lot of people simply fall through the cracks because they have not the capacity or will to navigate the "system". Having a sister and nephew dealing with "system" now, I have heard some of the stories and nightmares caused by state workers. Sissy and nephew have been dealing with his oppositional defiance disorder/RAD/Bi-polar? since the day he was born. She is also dealing with her own mental health issues. Her case culminated in the state forcing her to terminate parental rights. This has been very traumatic for all of us and didn't need to happen. In the state of Washington, if you have a child that needs residential mental health care you better be very wealthy. The States only option (that was ever presented to my sister) was foster care placement. What she was not told was that at the end of the allotted foster care her son would be placed for adoption. Unless Grandma or his aunt (me) would take him into their homes. Well Grandma is too old to do this and I have my own special needs child to care for. It wouldn't have been good for any of us including the nephew. Since Sissy signed her rights over the nephew has had several behavioral issues and been shuttled around to different foster care homes due to his behavior. We are not allowed to see him and cannot write to him either.

Most people in this situation have done something to cause the loss of parental rights ie drugs/physical or sexual abuse. None of these things were present in the beginning. After years of dealing with her son and her own mental health issue's she did start using drugs. It was a short period of time and she did everything the state ordered her to do to qualify to get her son back but, that wasn't good enough.

The whole reason she got screwed is because she's poor and mentally ill. And she was trusting the state to "help" her. See where that got her?

The "system" is set up for neredowell's/absentee parents and drug addicts who not only can't take care of their kids but, don't want to. If you need help managing a child with sever mental health issue's and you are an active parent the state just treats you as if you are a dirt bag parent anyway...very discouraging.

"I do hope that those who believe "Free Medical" or socialized medicine is the way to go will understand one thing... only the STRONG have what it takes to get what is needed most. The Red-Tape and drag out of any reasonable expected governmental service weeds-out many unable to even navigate the system."

Anna Glendenning newmemories.blogspot.com

Please check out Anna's blog for more info

P