Random Thoughts About Pressing Mess

Time to go Back to Work.

2013-01-02T15:39:00.001-08:00

Being a n educator doesn't pay much money, but I do at least get the opportunity to have breaks on major holidays. This last break was no exception. I enjoyed my break, and to be honest, I wish I could just stay home the rest of the week. Tomorrow is back to reality.

Happy New Year?

2013-01-01T10:01:00.000-08:00

If you noticed my punctuation on the title of this post ended in a question mark. I wonder what this year is gonna look like. Will it be happy? Sad? Full of Joy? Sorrow? Another milestone? Best year Ever? I am unsure about all of it. But I do know I am gonna cherish every moment.

I learned a lot about myself in 2012. The most interesting reflection came about 2 days ago. I am a bit selfish when it comes to my spouse. Really giving to the world at large, but selfish to the one person that actually caters to my needs. It was a very disappointing revelation because I pride myself on being a giving person. So this year I am striving to do better. I will let you guys know how that works out. Until then:

Getting Back in touch with my crafting side

2012-09-30T07:10:00.000-07:00

I love to all things crafty. I oft spend my time on crafting sites etc. But as a working mommy with three kids.. I don't get the opportunity to craft as much as I like. I am going to use the month of October to crochet scarves, and hats and afghans to sell. I hope you guys decide to partake in my wares once they are complete.

Wish me luck.

The content of my pocket is not indicative of the content of my character.

2012-03-16T08:44:00.000-07:00

One pink piece of lint.

Why Valentine's Day Means a lot to me.

2012-02-14T06:46:00.000-08:00

I love, love, love Valentines day. Candy hearts with messages, chocolates, red roses, and teddy bears. All the cheesy Valentine's tchochkies often make me giddy when I see them. I love all the cheesiness of the holiday.

The most fun I would have all school year was writing out my little Valentine cards! I continued that traditon when I got my first homeroom class. They always got a Valentine's day card. I also made sure that the kid that was most likely to not get something, always got a nicer card than the others. Quite frankly, many times my card was the only one that they recieved ( I taught middle school).

As a child after they stopped making it mandatory to get Cards for all your classmates, I didn't get one. Was I a loser? I would like to think that I wasn't, but I probably wasn't the most likeable kid. My parents were strict. I talked too much. And quite honestly the odds of me being able to actually have a boyfriend in elementary school were slim and none. I was asked a few times, but my father was stricter than God in the Old Testament. So having a boyfriend was a definite no no.

But in my heart of hearts I always secretly coveted folks roses, candy, and teddy bears. My mom knew this so she always made Valentine's day a really, big deal. She would always go all out for the holiday. My Valentine's day drought continued for many years.

Fast forward to my Senior year in High school. I received a dozen roses and ballons, From the Atrium, our local florist! You couldn't tell me anything. I was working in the office and delivering everyone's gifts, and to my surprise there was actually one for me. My husband doesn't know it, but that day kinda sealed the deal for him. I knew I loved him, but that day I knew I always would. Those roses and that balloon are pressed in the pages of my Senior memory book.

So it kinda makes me a bit sad when I see and hear men complain about not wanting to buy the gift. Valentine's is a made up holiday, etc. etc. etc. This is unacceptable. To the men that are complaining about getting Valentine's Day gifts, and how much of a chore they are, stop it. Most women just want to know they are appreciated or admired. And most of us married women, just want to know that you still like us enough to want to suprise of with something nice.

Happy Valentine's Day!

It's the New Year, (Well It's the fifth)

2012-01-05T07:33:00.001-08:00

Well since I haven't been updating my blog regularly. I figured I would start this year. Unfortunately, I am using the 5 day grace period. I feel like this year is gonna be one of tremendous growth for me.

My buzzword/ theme for this year is timely. If I can just be more timely in dealing with people, situations, Life would be so much better!

Me time is also on my agenda. I need to pamper myself more. Or at least do the bare minimum. I have 3 kids, a husband, a baby brother, and a mother that I like to think I am responsible for. But everyone on that list except for the kids will keep if I take some time . (In my brother's defense, he never asked me to be responsible for him. ) Like time to go and get my eyebrows done. Like find a hair dresser that makes housecalls. Like take time to paint my nails and my toes. Something. Just doing something for me.

Sharpen my resume. I don't plan on leaving my job anytime soon, but since I last completed my resume, I have grown a lot. So I should put that on my resume!

Make time for my side hustle. I crochet and make blankets for babies. But I am not doing it as often as I like and free doesn't cover the expense of the yarn This year I want to make my blankets, and work out my side hustles.

Finally I want to be at peace with the decisions I make.

As you notice most of my goals are not quantitative, and that's okay. These are things that I can work on to continue to make me a better me.

Michelle Rhee Reform Express Derailed?

2011-04-16T11:00:00.000-07:00

The Michelle Rhee school reform express came through Washington DC and left much carnage behind. Many teachers and administrators retired, quit, or were fired, and all in the name of the standardized tests. Now that Rhee is gone, and there is an investigation into test irregularities and complaints about students who scored well on the test, but were by no means proficient. It can be inferred that answers were changed from incorrect to correct, thus boosting the scores of several schools and raining down bonuses and praise for then Superintendent Rhee.

As an educator, I have ridden every educational wave of the past 30 years. The first 18 years as a public school student, and the last twelve either tutoring or teaching in some capacity. So I can say with a certainty that Mrs. Rhee did not encourage teachers to cheat directly. I am sure that she is as shocked as most who read the USA today article. I am not shocked. High Stakes testing is what truly needs to be reformed. When faced with the prospect of being fired or performing.. some will crack under the pressure. Is this right? Of course it is not. But when bonuses are tied to student performance, and job security is on the line, the ethical boundaries are often compromised.

Standardized tests have set a devastating precedent. All we want to hear is how well a school scored on a test. The raw data and the numbers are all that counts. Pundits and politicians alike have expressed the reformer’s view of why public education isn’t working. Everyone from the president to the media have diagnosed the problem to be teachers, and in the case of the media, the unionized teachers. Even President Obama says we are not innovative enough, and that is no surprise either, because thinking is not encouraged when students are only assessed via bubble sheet. The rush to produce measurable data defeats the purpose of learning. Research proves that over testing students doesn’t work. One only has to walk around the local mall, or your neighborhood fast food place to see that teaching to the test is not working. Students are no longer well rounded, and many can’t think or figure out how to maneuver situations without someone telling them explicitly what to do, and that is not shocking to me at all.

The Public Schools are compared to the schools all around the world, and our teachers and students have been found lacking. But did anyone stop to think that in other countries teachers are revered? Respected? Considered as Professionals? Of course that point is often missed. Teachers are entrusted with the country’s most important resource, but they are treated as if they are overpaid glorified baby sitters.

What makes someone a “good” teacher is often intangible. I had many good teachers, and they taught me to love reading, not read a book to take a test. They taught me how to do public speaking, and didn’t leave that out because it isn’t tested. They taught me lessons that I use in my daily life. There is no one size fits all approach to education! The reform movement is missing the point. The jobs of the 21st century are not being assessed by how well you test. They are being assessed by how well you perform and deliver results. Can you problem solve? Can you go beyond what is written and apply it? Don’t tie the hands of the teacher! Allow her to teach the kids where they are and help to mold them into the productive innovative citizens they need to be.

Just buy the school supplies already!

2010-09-14T06:43:00.000-07:00

I awakened this morning to the following facebook post and responses..

Looking at my kids supply list for school..what they are asking is completely ridiculous...will they even use that many supplies this year??? Seriously smh.

Me too I was lookn at the kids list. I'm like this is truly sick....
I know right???...they should reallyhave a surplus at year end... smh

Now u know the some teachers add their kids list to the sheet hoping somebody falls for it!LOL

the list is a bit excessive. ziploc bags, 3 rolls of paper towels and 3 boxes of tissue... they can't afford tissue?

News flash parents! We are in a recession. so we understand that you have been hit hard by said recession. We get it. But consider this... last year we had a swine flu scare. Those clorox wipes and lysol the teachers requested, kept our swine flu cases down to 3. Guess what else?If you don't buy these items we buy them.

The school supply list and the wish list are just what they are called. If you can't afford the supplies on the list, trust me, we provide your child with the items they need. That wish list, is just that a wish list. We know we are not going to get everything on that list, but we ask because it is one less thing we buy out of our pockets.

Oh yeah, and that recession that you are experiencing? We are experiencing it as well. We haven't seen a raise since Buck was a calf, and sadly our class sizes have increased because teachers have been laid off. Let's just say that I am well aware of what has to be bought... If you don't buy it I will have to. Oh and think of all the years I have bought things for your kids... Mind you, at that point in time I didn't have any children.

Please be mindful of others. Especially the people that spend more time with your children than you do. That's right.. the teacher.

Okay, rant over!

Its Been a Year

2010-08-12T16:47:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow will be the one year anniversary of the last time I plan to give birth. Tomorrow is my son's birthday. My little guy.. Mr. laid back, the Last of the Mohicans. The Very Hungry Caterpillar will be one tomorrow, and I am filled with more joy than you can imagine. Last year at this time I just knew I was gonna have this baby, and he wasn't due until October, and I just knew that he was too small and it was gonna be really bad. Thank God he didn't go with what I think. God knows all and best.

I Miss You So Much Daddy: Happy Father's Day

2010-06-20T03:18:00.000-07:00

The last Father's Day I was able to spend with my father was 7 years ago. I read 25 cards until I found the right one. I can remember it like it was yesterday. That card expressed to my dad how much of a positive impact he had on my life, and it told him that the positive attributes that I have are in part due to him being such and outstanding father and an outstanding role model. He read that card over, and over, and over again. My mother said that every time someone came over to the house, he would show them that card. As I think about that day I cry because I didn't have a clue that would be my last time spending Father's Day with him. I just didn't have a clue.

I know my father can't read this, but I am gonna say it anyway. Daddy Happy Father's Day! There isn't a day that goes by that I don't miss you. You were my rock, and I miss you more than I could ever express. I still hear your voice and the lessons you taught me in my head. I am going to attempt to stop crying now, but its hard. I am a daddy's girl and no matter what I say or do.. you are still gone. Daddy you may be gone, but you will never be forgotten. I keep you close to my heart. Always. I love you. Happy Father's Day.

Thank You Daddy

2010-06-19T10:58:00.000-07:00

Its that time of year again... The obligatory Father's Day Post. I often talk about how wonderful my father was. Anyone that knows me knows that I am a bona-fide Daddy's girl. But Daddy also taught me many important lessons.

Lesson 1

Keep your cool at all times... I can count on my hand the amount of times I saw my father truly angry. Your anger means more when you don't blow your top all the time.

Lesson 2

Be a Jack/Jane of all trades. We never paid anyone to do anything. My father bought a car book and fixed the car. The roof was messed up, he repaired the roof. Dad wanted a garden.. He planted one. He was a self-sufficient man. Now I am by no means that good, but I can read a book and learn to do things, because my father modeled that behavior for me. Just think, if he had lived to see youtube, he would be dangerous.

Lesson 3

Help folks in spite of their situations. Daddy helped folks who he knew were gonna mess up again. Lent money to folks he knew were never gonna pay him back, and did it without them ever hearing about it again. He saw a need and didn't just talk about it. He met it. Its the hardest thing in the world to do.

Lesson4

Sometimes you have to be a community parent/partner. My Daddy was everyone's daddy. To some degree. He filled in where my cousins' dad's left off. If their daddy wasn't there, but they could always depend on Uncle Calvin, and they did. (Many times I hated this, but now I understand why he did it.) He was the one dependable man we had in our extended family, and he took his job way seriously. My aunts all knew that they could depend on him.

Lesson5

Its never too late to get and Education. My father had to leave school when he was young because he didn't have the money to continue to go. Once he had a family, he knew that he wanted to finish school. Did that mean he stopped working.... nope. He worked a 40 hr workweek. He also played basketball at his school and helped me with my homework every night. There is no reason why you can't do it. (He encouraged me to get my Master's Degree, and I am so glad I did. He died three months later.)

Happy Father's Day

What happens to Daddy's girls when Daddy is gone?

2010-04-26T16:48:00.001-07:00

I lost my father at 27 years old, and there isn't a day that goes by that I don't miss him. Some days it is too much to bear. Today is one of those days. When I was often irrational, troubled, or just needed a pep talk he was always there to issue the appropriate stimuli( a pep talk, a kick in the pants, a loan, a hug, advice often unsolicited).

If a pep talk was needed, I got one. Today I need a pep talk. Today I need a hug. Today I need my dad. I could hug my better half, but I don't want to. I don't want to feel weak. I don't want to talk about why. I just want my daddy. Its been almost seven years, and you would think the feeling would dissipate, but it doesn't.

I need to talk to the one man in the world that only wants the best for me. The one person that understands my motives, my needs, and my quirks.. Simply because many of them were his own. Someone with the benefit of experience that I don't have. I've got some pressing things on my mind, and I wish I could talk to him now. Come to think of it, I just wish I could hear his voice again, not ask one solitary question.

How do I cope? There is no one to take his place, and no one to fill his role. There isn't a close substitute. What's a girl to do? Curl up on my couch with my blanket and my memories. Cry a little and suck it up. Cause that is what daddy would want me to do.

FashionPlaytes girls custom clothing - Sponsored Post

2010-04-24T11:37:00.001-07:00

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Walmart's Deals (Momcentral Blog Tour)

2010-02-13T12:21:00.000-08:00

During this tough economy Walmart Supercenters are a life saver. Walmart is the go to place for food, electronics, arts and crafts, and online shopping. I am more inclined to shop at walmart for the following reasons:

One stop shopping: Electronics, home, crafts, and food
I can buy 2 weeks worth of grocery and diapers for 100.00
I can get games and dvd's for cheap
I can feed my craft hobby without hubby giving me the side eye
I can buy snacks for my daughters dance class and not break the bank.

In this recession it is imperative that we stretch our dollars, and Walmart helps me do that. Buying two weeks worth of grocery and diapers is how I stretch my money with Walmart.

How has Walmart helped you maintain during this recession? Leave comments Below. On February 16 I will select one reader to win a 50 dollar walmart giftcard! I am interested in the most thrifty use for your 50 dollar walmart card. (Be creative, and know that I am not looking at what you spent your card on feel free to spend it differently if you choose.)
“I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour campaign by Mom Central on behalf of Walmart. In addition, I received a Walmart gift certificate to thank me for taking the time to participate and one to offer as a giveaway."

CarrotSticks : Online Math Game - Sponsored Post

2010-02-01T15:33:00.001-08:00

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For all of you parents that have an elementary school kid who needs help in math, try this on for size!

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After the Morning After

2010-01-21T06:25:00.000-08:00

It is the day after the day that the dems lost their 60 votes, and all are in a tizzy, except for the president. He isn't in a tizzy at all. He seems strangely calm. And now that I think about it, I understand why. Monica Coakley was a horrible candidate. The President will never say this, but I am saying it because it is so true. The lady was spectacularly bad. (Stepping down off soap box and sitting on the edge of it.)

That 60 votes didn't help him a bit with his constituency in Congress. The Democrats had the supermajority, but they didn't know what to do with it. I am sure it frustrated the poor man no end to see that the folks continually looked for ways to mess things up. Now that the super majority is no longer in place, there seems to be a bit of relief! Whoosah, that monkey is off my back. Now on to doing some other things. Congress will pass something, and I am moving on.

Now what does this mean for Obama's presidency? Honestly I am unsure. All I know is those folks that are claiming that he will be a one-termer are watching closely. The real question is does he secretly want to be a one-termer after looking at the mess that he inherited.

My president looks gaunt and thin and he is aging by the minute. My heart goes out to him because being the President has lots of perks, but in some ways it is like being a teacher. Everyone expects you to be Jesus, McGuiver, and Jack Bauer all rolled into one. Sadly if the outcomes are not good for everyone you become the devil incarnate and an incompetent babysitter. Hopefully at the end of his term, Obama won't get blamed for not corralling the children properly and causing their retention.

Are your children Smarter than you?

2010-01-20T17:45:00.001-08:00

I look at my children and I realize one thing. These kids are smart as hell, and I better bring my A game because these children of mine are ever-evolving. They are building them bigger and smarter. My four year old needs to be Gilbert Arenas' attorney. She finds ways to talk herself out of almost anything. The logic is sound and she is very analytical. She is smart and precocious.

So how do you discipline smart and precocious? Very creatively. Case in point. She misbehaved at school and refused to do her schoolwork. She knows that the consequence for not doing work is a spanking. When asked what her punishment was she responded a spanking, but before the spanking she asked for a "reduced" sentence. I.E. less licks and make sure they aren't hard. Now mind you she did the negotiation after doing several really good things in succession (bargaining). Her dad and I still followed through with the punishment, but he was more lenient than he planned because she negotiated her own plea bargain. I am smart enough to know that traditional punishments are not gonna work.

My aunt says, you shouldn't have spanked her because she negotiated her on punishment. That is behavior to be applauded. I told her I have to keep my promises to my child because she will think she can talk her way out of anything ( see Gilbert Arenas). I don't know if I am doing the right thing, but I know I gotta mean what I say and say what I mean. To all you parents out there: Good luck. I know I am gonna need some.

It's Testing Time!!!!

2010-01-14T07:18:00.000-08:00

Today as I embark on day four of my testing adventure I am greatly saddened. I can remember a time when the only test I was required to take was the good old CAT(California Acheivement Test). Oh CAT how I miss thee. I don't know what the current incarnation of that test looks like, but I know that the old one was awesome. CAT didn't take forever and I liked scoring well on standardized tests. (So maybe the childhood me's attention was biased.)

You see my teachers did not do a lot of teaching to the test. We learned quite a bit in school, but we did fun things like activities for every holiday. We also had art class for more that a few weeks, and we had the option to learn lots of different things. I can remember planting plants, learning how to make jewelry, and I even had the option to learn cosmetology or woodshop if I so desired. College prep was indeed the highest class level I could take, and if I wanted to learn a vocation, I could do that too.

Now everyone has to be college prep or you are stuck in an occupational course of study. Sadly enough not enough vocational education is going on. I wish I had the option of learning computer networking when I was in high school 15+ years ago. It would make my job as a tech teacher much easier, but alas that wasn't happening then, and it only happens in limited places now.

Let's get serious about education reform, and ask teachers what they really want, and actually listen to what they are saying. Let us prepare our students to do professions that will earn them a decent living and help them become innovators and job creators. Pre test them and post test them and let the teacher teach the curriculum.

Testing a child every 3-4 weeks on a standardized test is not gonna get us much of anything in terms of valuable productive citizens. It's just going to get us more paper pushers. No offense to paper pushers, but you guys have the market cornered. Let's do what we need to do to get some innovation. ( Oh yeah, and they will be able to bubble in a mean answer sheet or take a mean online survey!)

When keeping it Christian goes Wrong.

2010-01-14T07:08:00.000-08:00

You see I am a Baptist, not a Southern Baptist cause they are not fond of my color, but a Baptist from the South. I had to ask myself, what would a good Christian do in the wake of this Haiti disaster? Well this is what I came up with:
1. Pray----Prayer is free, and quite honestly it is the best thing I can do in this situation because I believe that prayers are necessary.

2. Donate Money, time, or clothing—I can’t really donate money right now, but payday is next week so I will. And I will carefully choose a way to donate my time. I am sure they probably don’t want my clothes, but I may reconsider that one.

3. Be mindful of how I discuss this situation with my children, my students, and my social networking sphere.
Not one time did I ever consider blaming the Haitian people for their plight. Who does that? Oh wait, Mr. CBN himself does that. Because he knows that the Haitian people made a deal with the devil, and apparently they are getting what they deserve because they are voodoo practicers and have a demonic religion. Well, let’s just kick a man when he’s down because it is the Christian way and why don’t we just not give food or shelter to the homeless, or healthcare to the unemployed. I wish I could say that I am surprised. Le sigh. Alas I am not. I do have a suggestion for Mr. Robertson’s progeny: Please come and get your daddy. His age is showing. He is reacting like a man that is still living in a bygone era, and he has forgotten that Jesus healed the sick, raised the dead, and fed the poor.

Seriously please donate to Haitian relief. Below are things you can do and places you can donate! H/T Black Snob Blog posters!

Go Free Ministries (www.gofreeministries.org) - Click on 'donate' to give by Paypal or credit card - Mail: Go Free Ministries Intl. PO BOX 163108, Fort Worth, TX 76161-3108. - Email inquiries to: gmain@gfmionline.org (you can direct it to go specifically to Hurricane relief efforts)or Hope Foundation International Ministries, Inc. 2822 54th Ave. South #229, St. Petersburg, FL 33712 or
ii. Partners in Health
www.pih.org/inforesources/news/Haiti_Earthquake.html or mail Partners In Health, P.O. Box 845578, Boston, MA 02284-5578
iii. Doctors Without Borders
www.doctorswithoutborders.org, or toll-free at 1-888-392-0392 (24 hours a day, 7 days a week)USA Headquarters 333 7th Avenue, 2nd Floor, New York, NY 10001-5004.
b) Good for longer term support
i. Food for the Poor: http://www.foodforthepoor.org/
ii. The Lambi Fund: http://www.lambifund.org/
iii. World Vision: http://www.worldvision.org/
c) Unsure of time-table to get aid on the ground
i. YeleHaiti
http://www.yele.org/ (Wyclef's org)
ii. Red Cross (although unclear how to direct the funds to specifically Haiti):
http://american.redcross.org/site/PageServer?pagename=ntld_main&s_subsrc=RCO_ResponseStateSection
iii. For more complete lists of options, see:
http://content.usatoday.com/communities/kindness/post/2010/01/how-to-help-victims-of-the-haiti-earthquake/1http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/34835478/ns/world_news-haiti_earthquake/http://www.facebook.com/pages/Haitian-Earthquake-Relief/288681741232d) Clothing Donations
http://www.hopehaitifoundation.org/
e) Donate Relief Goods
http://matadorchange.com/haiti-earthquake-update-donations-list/
2) What actions can I take
a) Contact your Congresspeople (to get your Senator & Representative's number to MAKE A QUICK CALL, visit http://www.contactingthecongress.org/) to support IMMEDIATE RESCUE EFFORTS to Haiti; and
b) To request TPS for Haitians, not just "halting deportations"
The Obama administration should grant Haitians Temporary Protected Status (TPS), which is regularly granted to the people of other countries who've suffered much less disasters than Haiti; by DHS's own definition, even with the hurricanes preceding this earthquake, Haiti is overqualified. http://www.uscis.gov/portal/site/uscis/menuitem.5af9bb95919f35e66f614176543f6d1a/?vgnextoid=319c96981298d010VgnVCM10000048f3d6a1RCRD&vgnextchannel=828807b03d92b010VgnVCM10000045f3d6a1RCRD
c) If you want to help & go the extra mile, please WRITE in to media outlets like your local newspaper, and/or newstation's website.
3) VOLUNTEER
i. Plans are coming together for a trip of Matador volunteers to go to Haiti to assist in earthquake recovery and relief. http://matadorchange.com/ ; NOAH is also gearing up to head to Haiti.
ii. Hope for Haiti is looking for medical personnel & donations:http://hopeforhaiti.com/volunteering.php
iii. So is: nationalnursesunited.com

Just because a computer is on wheels does not make it a mobile computing solution

2010-01-12T08:18:00.000-08:00

I very rarely rant about work, because quite honestly my job pays the bills. But being a technology teacher on a shoestring budget is not only aggravating, it can be down right depressing.

I am currently in the middle of the Wintertestingpalooza, and my equipment is not working. Someone, not me, came up with a solution to testing large groups of children in the gym. And what am I testing on, but the shallow box from hell: the thin client.

I hate thin clients. I hate them with the heat of a thousand white hot suns. I hate them so much actually that I would probably skeet shoot with them, if I was into shooting things. They are cheap solutions, but they can't play videos because of their poor performance. I hate them,and someone decided that I should just put them on wheels and make them a laptop cart. And to add insult to injury I have to lie on the floor and daisy chain them together. I did that, and the darn things did not work. Well I have bad ports in the gym so they will not work. so I can't test the 60 students a class period that I need to test so that I can get my testing done. And even if I get the ports working there is always the problem of a wire going bad and the inevitable fact finding mission that ensues for me to locate said bad wire.

Arggh!

Now that I am through complaining about my thin clients, I will continue to covet that laptop cart from afar, and wish that I owned it.

Do any of you have this issue?

Happy New Year!

2010-01-01T08:27:00.000-08:00

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!
Resolution is the same as last year!
I want to be a better wife and mother in the new year!
(and a better speller)

Daddy I Miss You

2009-11-19T19:57:00.000-08:00

My daughter called my father-in-law grandaddy, and I cried. I cried and cried and cried.... on the inside. (Later, I cried at home.) I miss my daddy. He was a wonderful daddy and and he loved his grandchildren. Unfortunately, he never had the opportunity to see my kids. So when I heard her call him grandaddy it tore me up on the inside. I miss him, but never more than I do now. She will never have the opportunity to meet my dad. My wonderfully complex dad. Mr. tough as nails soft as dough on the inside.... I miss you daddy.

We Have Healthcare Reform….. No dancing in the endzone just yet.

2009-11-10T07:16:00.001-08:00

Over the weekend Nancy Pelosi and the Whitehouse celebrated the passage of healthcare reform by a vote of 220-215. Time to break out the Kool and the Gang mp.3/record right? Wrong. Unfortunately for the White House, this is one of many hoops they must jump through in order to get passage of this reform bill. But the President can pencil this one into the win column, because the big challenge is approaching. The Blue Dogs in the Senate and Joe Lie-berman stand to bite the President on the backside once again and put the public option out to pasture. ( I know President Obama is ruing the day he campaigned for Joe Lieberman.) Add a Christmas wish of a deadline, and the next few weeks will continue the high drama that is known as Capitol Hill.

Even if this thing passes I wonder what we are actually getting. Is everyone getting insurance? And if so, which plan are we getting? Are we getting Blue Cross Blue Shield lite? Will my employer opt out of the wonderful plan I currently have and pay into the "public" option? Will I be able to get birth control pills paid for under this version of legislation? Will the Democrats have the balls to bypass the Republicans and the Blue dog Democrats and just create Medicare part E, as in healthcare for everybody? Or will the President go gimmicky and offer to cover pets so that he can get everyone on board? (White House, feel free to add the pet option.) Either way, those who aren't covered will have some sort of coverage, and ultimately this is Obama's goal. Maybe he can write that win in pen.

If you are interested in reading the actual bill click here.

Getting older

2009-11-02T08:30:00.000-08:00

Today is my 33rd birthday. I never thought I would say this, but being in my thirties isn't so bad.

Infant Nutrition Center(blog tour)

2009-11-02T07:19:00.000-08:00

As a young mom, I had no clue how to do the necessary things for my baby. I had decided that I was going to breastfeed, because it was "best" for my baby. My mother attempted to nurse me, but she said it didn't "work" for her. (In other words it was difficult, she was a first time mom, and breasfeeding without a lactation consultant frustrated her.) So I had no one to consult on how to do what I needed to do. I knew that breast was best, but why? Now I am a web officiando, so almost everything I don't understand I google. It would have been awesome to have had a website like this in 2005 when I had my first baby. http://www.infantnutrtioncenter.com/ would have been a godsend.

Having a trusted medical resource when searching for infant feeding information is a good thing. The video and the articles are excellent and informative. View the webcast launch here. I am looking forward to seeing what new things they will post in the future. If the infant nutrition video is any indication, this site will become a bookmarked staple.

I wrote this review while participating in a blog campaign by momcentral on behalf of Mead Johnson. Momcentral sent me a giftcard for taking time to participate.