Sometime in my childhood it was impressed on me that accepting charity was wrong, but this got garbled over the years to include any assistance whatsoever. As an adult I pride myself that I can manage a household of now 8 people; keeping the house tidy, food served promptly, children clothed and clean, and everyone on time to Mass and activities without help from anyone. But this isn't a very good and Catholic way to live. One thing every mother of 6 needs is another pair of hands and yesterday was a good example of that.
Usually on Tuesday afternoons after I drop off the big kids at piano practice we swing by the library to restock our coffee table with picture books and my bedside table with more grown-up fare. It was our first time doing this with Julia Ellen in tow so I made sure to give her a good feed before we left the house. Nursing in public while simultaneously trying to corral 3 little ones is not something I am up for yet. I thought briefly about throwing the double stroller in the van, but decided against it. Bad move. Once I pulled into the parking lot I wondered how I was going to walk 50' carrying 2 tote bags and an infant carrier, while also holding two small hands. Somehow we made it inside with no one getting run over and filled our bag full before we emerged back outside. Timmy wanted to run right into the street and while I ran to grab him an older lady asked, "Do you need some help?"
After a pause, I said, "Yes, that would be lovely, my big helpers aren't with me today." As she held Timmy's hand she told me about her 4 year old twins. (I have always thought that moms with multiples have a much, much more difficult job than I ever could.) As I said thank you to her I realized that while I could have managed to get them all to the car by myself, it is sometimes a good thing to accept help. This week we have been the recipients of several meals from fellow homeschooling moms and it has been a real blessing. My children have learned to eat foods they wouldn't ordinarily have on their plates and I have been reminded to welcome charity when it is offered. Yes, the kids could have subsisted on ramen noodles and boxed mac and cheese, but I don't have to be supermommy all the time.
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
hard times
One of the benefits of being a military spouse is a secure job, we don't have to worry about Tim getting laid off. Even at this point in my frustration with no parking on-base, Tim working 14-15 hour days, the crummy (non-rural) places we have to live... at least we don't have the stress of trying to keep a roof over our heads and food on the table after a layoff. I feel very sorry for the thousands of Americans who have lost their jobs in the past few months. I thought it telling of the age we live in when reading a blog post describing what a fellow mom could never give up, no matter how bad the economy became. For me, these "have-tos" were frivolous; new clothes for her children (no thrift store duds for them!), multiple lessons/activities for each child, and the internet (high speed, I'm sure).
Tim has several times predicted a future Brave New World government (which we seem to be heading towards) in which the computer is the coercive mechanism that makes all US citizens acquiesce our freedoms and liberties. This already happens in the military, if you don't get your dental checkup, vaccinations, or any mandatory paperwork completed then you cannot log on to do your actual job. This could easily transfer to all Americans, requiring people to check in each morning, restrict access of political sites, and allow some faceless bureaucrat to make medical decisions for us with the simple threat of cutting off our internet access.
What are two things I couldn't do without? Food would be the first, I have quite a few food indulgences, including m&ms and Stouffers frozen dinners (for lunch) that would make me cranky if I had to go without them. The other would be homeschooling. (and I'm not alone) Internet access is a luxury, not a necessity, as my relatives who still use a dial telephone and don't have answering machines can attest.
What are 2 things you couldn't live without, no matter the circumstances?
Tim has several times predicted a future Brave New World government (which we seem to be heading towards) in which the computer is the coercive mechanism that makes all US citizens acquiesce our freedoms and liberties. This already happens in the military, if you don't get your dental checkup, vaccinations, or any mandatory paperwork completed then you cannot log on to do your actual job. This could easily transfer to all Americans, requiring people to check in each morning, restrict access of political sites, and allow some faceless bureaucrat to make medical decisions for us with the simple threat of cutting off our internet access.
What are two things I couldn't do without? Food would be the first, I have quite a few food indulgences, including m&ms and Stouffers frozen dinners (for lunch) that would make me cranky if I had to go without them. The other would be homeschooling. (and I'm not alone) Internet access is a luxury, not a necessity, as my relatives who still use a dial telephone and don't have answering machines can attest.
What are 2 things you couldn't live without, no matter the circumstances?
Monday, March 16, 2009
magazines at grocery checkout
No, this is not a rant against scantily clad cover models, sensationalist celebrity gossip, R rated teasers, constant Obama mania stories, but my own personal addition to them:
*in tiny print on page 32: must be willing to gain 35 pounds over previous 9 months. As a bonus gift for using our weight loss method you will receive a brand new adorable baby.
Lose 17 pounds in 1 week!
Eat all you want and still lose weight!
Cookies, cakes, ice cream diet!
*in tiny print on page 32: must be willing to gain 35 pounds over previous 9 months. As a bonus gift for using our weight loss method you will receive a brand new adorable baby.
Sunday, March 15, 2009
countdown: 5,4,3...
The number of times I have gotten up the past few nights to feed Julia Ellen. Last night she slept for a 4 hour stretch, giving me the best night's sleep I have had in about 10 days. My recovery has been extraordinary, but she seems to have to relearn latching on at every feed, sometimes taking up 5-10 minutes to get the milk going down her throat. Soon we will have this down pat and can venture out in public. For now I will nurse upstairs where no one can see us get so frustrated we both cry.
Saturday, March 14, 2009
Hallelujah!
The book report is finished! Completed! In the manila mailer! 
Tim took a week of paternity leave and I gave him one task: get Will's book report written. Yes, I doubted, and really started to panic when Thursday morning dawned and he hadn't started writing actual paragraphs yet, but was still working on the 9 pages of study questions. But after an 8 hour day of sitting at his desk, he finished up at 6pm. Yes, he acted like he was dying, he fell off his chair from "exhaustion and hunger" but since the child only works about 3 hours a day on a regular school day, I think he was overdoing the "poor pitiful Pearl" bit.
Tim took a week of paternity leave and I gave him one task: get Will's book report written. Yes, I doubted, and really started to panic when Thursday morning dawned and he hadn't started writing actual paragraphs yet, but was still working on the 9 pages of study questions. But after an 8 hour day of sitting at his desk, he finished up at 6pm. Yes, he acted like he was dying, he fell off his chair from "exhaustion and hunger" but since the child only works about 3 hours a day on a regular school day, I think he was overdoing the "poor pitiful Pearl" bit. "Almanzo was out there in the corn field for hours pouring water on those frozen plants so they would have enough to eat. Would you be pitching in, or lazing in bed? This is your work- do it!" (we are still reading Farmer Boy)
Yes, we have another challenge on the horizon: Mary still has to do her book report on Black Beauty, but Tim has to go back to work on Monday...
Friday, March 13, 2009
worst parenting advice
Apparently lots of people have gotten and given bad advice (100 pages worth), but the big ones include giving babies whisky on the gums to soothe teething pain and that tickling a baby causes stuttering. It amazes me when reading comments to articles such as this one how dumb and uneducated most people who look at the internet are, the spelling and grammar are just awful. A frequent comment on the pregnancy boards (that I no longer read) is how dumb so-and-so's OB doctor is. These are women who couldn't tell you how many bones a human has or answer basic pregnancy questions, but of course they know better than any physician.
My grandmother must tell me every 6 months how a friend of hers got extra sleep when her child was about 9 months old by crunching up bacon and sprinkling it all over the crib. When the baby woke up he would scoot around eating up the bits. Between the grease splotches, choking hazards, and nitrates why would any rational person think this was a good idea?
Do you every been given any completely off-the-wall parenting advice?
My grandmother must tell me every 6 months how a friend of hers got extra sleep when her child was about 9 months old by crunching up bacon and sprinkling it all over the crib. When the baby woke up he would scoot around eating up the bits. Between the grease splotches, choking hazards, and nitrates why would any rational person think this was a good idea?
Do you every been given any completely off-the-wall parenting advice?
Thursday, March 12, 2009
carnival of homeschooling
Life Nurturing Education is hosting this week's carnival with a school supplies theme.
she is a very real baby
Recently there have been several articles in the news about fake babies, a Japanese phenomenon that apparently has caught on here and in Britain, especially among older childless women.
Some women dress the dolls, wash their hair, take them for walks in strollers and take them shopping.
One woman in the BBC documentary, married and in her 40s, said she wanted a real baby, but was too busy to commit to caring for a real one. A reborn doll satisfies her maternal instincts, she said, without all the carrying on and mess. Reborns, she said, “never grow out of their clothes, never soil them. It's just fabulous. The only difference, of course, is these guys don't move.”
Of course this is very silly, grown women playing with dolls and pretending they are real children. All the wonder and joy of babies is in their being, their expressions, especially newborns- the satisfaction you can see on their faces when they poop, that coy smile when they are utterly content because they have a dry nappie and a full tummy of warm milk. Before I delivered, Mary was carrying around her doll in a car seat every day, but since Sunday, the doll baby has been abandoned in the middle of the hall, replaced with an almost constant mantra, "May I hold Julia Ellen?"
Of course she may kiss her good night and good morning, help change her itsy-bisty outfits, and help give her baths. She needs all this love and attention because she is real, so very real.
Some women dress the dolls, wash their hair, take them for walks in strollers and take them shopping.
One woman in the BBC documentary, married and in her 40s, said she wanted a real baby, but was too busy to commit to caring for a real one. A reborn doll satisfies her maternal instincts, she said, without all the carrying on and mess. Reborns, she said, “never grow out of their clothes, never soil them. It's just fabulous. The only difference, of course, is these guys don't move.”
Of course this is very silly, grown women playing with dolls and pretending they are real children. All the wonder and joy of babies is in their being, their expressions, especially newborns- the satisfaction you can see on their faces when they poop, that coy smile when they are utterly content because they have a dry nappie and a full tummy of warm milk. Before I delivered, Mary was carrying around her doll in a car seat every day, but since Sunday, the doll baby has been abandoned in the middle of the hall, replaced with an almost constant mantra, "May I hold Julia Ellen?"
Of course she may kiss her good night and good morning, help change her itsy-bisty outfits, and help give her baths. She needs all this love and attention because she is real, so very real.
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
the little red schoolhouse in our basement
I thought that over the years I had read every lovely classic children's book in existence. I read the standards of Oz, Little House, Anne of Green Gables, the Shoes trilogy, and all the Misty books as a child, even enjoying such oddities as Miss Minerva and William Green Hill, and The Gift from the Mikado. In college I took a kiddy lit course and found a few more good reads that hadn't been available in the basement of the Portsmouth Public Library. But the other day I found a undiscovered gem by Dorothy Canfield Fisher titled Understood Betsy, published in 1917.
This story is set around 1880-1890 by my best guess and is about a 9 year old orphan girl who at first lives with her emotionally smothering aunt and great aunt. When illness strikes the household, frail timid Elizabeth Ann must be sent away to stay with the Putney cousins in Vermont, whom Elizabeth Ann has always been warned about as "horrid." Instead, she finds a warm, loving home and becomes a more independent and happy child. The day she is sent off on her own to the school in town she begins to understand what learning for learning's sake is all about and the benefits of a small school with only a dozen pupils. When the teacher puts her in books that suit her aptitude, she feels dizzy,
"'Why-why,' said Elizabeth Ann, 'I don't know what I am at all. If I'm second-grade arithmetic and seventh-grade reading and third-grade spelling, what grade am I?'
The teacher laughed. 'You aren't any grade at all, no matter where you are in school. You're just yourself, aren't you? What difference does it make what grade you're in? And what's the use of your reading little baby things too easy for you just because you don't know your multiplication tables?'"
This is the beauty of homeschooling our children today, tailoring grade levels and subjects to our children's strengths and weaknesses. Our Mary is 9, the same age as Elizabeth Ann, and has the same academic talents by being a very strong reader and having an aversion to learning the times-tables. After we finish Farmer Boy this week we will certainly be reading aloud Understood Betsy, a beautiful story about expanding a child's heart and mind.
This story is set around 1880-1890 by my best guess and is about a 9 year old orphan girl who at first lives with her emotionally smothering aunt and great aunt. When illness strikes the household, frail timid Elizabeth Ann must be sent away to stay with the Putney cousins in Vermont, whom Elizabeth Ann has always been warned about as "horrid." Instead, she finds a warm, loving home and becomes a more independent and happy child. The day she is sent off on her own to the school in town she begins to understand what learning for learning's sake is all about and the benefits of a small school with only a dozen pupils. When the teacher puts her in books that suit her aptitude, she feels dizzy,
"'Why-why,' said Elizabeth Ann, 'I don't know what I am at all. If I'm second-grade arithmetic and seventh-grade reading and third-grade spelling, what grade am I?'
The teacher laughed. 'You aren't any grade at all, no matter where you are in school. You're just yourself, aren't you? What difference does it make what grade you're in? And what's the use of your reading little baby things too easy for you just because you don't know your multiplication tables?'"
This is the beauty of homeschooling our children today, tailoring grade levels and subjects to our children's strengths and weaknesses. Our Mary is 9, the same age as Elizabeth Ann, and has the same academic talents by being a very strong reader and having an aversion to learning the times-tables. After we finish Farmer Boy this week we will certainly be reading aloud Understood Betsy, a beautiful story about expanding a child's heart and mind.
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
biology 101
Having a new baby is definitely a learning experience for the other kids, they have learned anatomy (how does the baby get out?), nutrition (can the baby eat chips?), development (look how much bigger Timmy's fingers are than Julia Ellen's!), and physiology (all she does is eat, sleep, and poop!). They are fascinated by every aspect of her being, constantly wanting to hold her,
show her off to their friends, and watch her eat. In fact, nursing has become a spectator sport in our household with them likening her latching on as a "jaguar pouncing on a rabbit" when she waggles her head and attacks my bosom. Good thing I'm not modest as lying on the bed I am surrounded by 4-5 children all intently staring and saying, "I can hear her gulping," and "Does she always poop while she's eating?"
show her off to their friends, and watch her eat. In fact, nursing has become a spectator sport in our household with them likening her latching on as a "jaguar pouncing on a rabbit" when she waggles her head and attacks my bosom. Good thing I'm not modest as lying on the bed I am surrounded by 4-5 children all intently staring and saying, "I can hear her gulping," and "Does she always poop while she's eating?"
Sunday, March 08, 2009
what a night!
I've been reading Hospital by Julie Salamon, a year in the life of Brooklyn's Maimonides Hospital. It is an interesting story of both the small scale local personalities and large scale American health issues at work. Apparently, Maimonides, which was started for the Orthodox Jewish community delivers the most babies of any hospital in the nation: 6230 in 2003. One interview with an ER resident just made me laugh,
"I did a month in labor and delivery," he said. "It was funny, 'cause a young girl...would come in and say, 'I'm having a baby, I'm having a baby.' You say, 'Yeah, yeah, sit down. I'll have a look.' Then you examine them. They're having a baby? They're not having a baby. They'll have a baby in about 12 hours. But when an Orthodox Jewish woman comes in and says, I'm having a baby,' the red flag goes up. You say, 'What number is this?' They say, 'Eleven.' You say, 'Let's go!' I'm not kidding... When the Orthodox women say they're having a baby, the baby is right there ready to drop out."
"I did a month in labor and delivery," he said. "It was funny, 'cause a young girl...would come in and say, 'I'm having a baby, I'm having a baby.' You say, 'Yeah, yeah, sit down. I'll have a look.' Then you examine them. They're having a baby? They're not having a baby. They'll have a baby in about 12 hours. But when an Orthodox Jewish woman comes in and says, I'm having a baby,' the red flag goes up. You say, 'What number is this?' They say, 'Eleven.' You say, 'Let's go!' I'm not kidding... When the Orthodox women say they're having a baby, the baby is right there ready to drop out."
Friday morning I had another false alarm with contractions all night, but once I got hooked up to the monitor in L&D they disappeared. We made another OB appt. for next week and went home. That night at 2 am I woke up with awful contractions, I sat through 3 of them before hopping in the shower. When I literally crawled out from more intense ones, Tim said, "Do you want to go to the hospital?"
What followed was a mad race through town, me howling in pain, Tim running 3 red lights and screeching to a halt in front of the ER doors. The closest corpsman threw me in a wheelchair and ran clattering over the tile floors and upstairs to L&D. Within 5 minutes of opening the elevator doors I was on the table and pushing. "I want someone to do this for me!" Of course no one could and within a few moments Baby Julia Ellen was born. We came home today and the children couldn't be more pleased with her. They have made her cards, taken umpteen turns holding her, read her stories in the car and on the sofa, and kissed her pretty little head.
As for me, I'm very grateful all the waiting and anxiety is over and can't wait to steal her away to nuzzle all that soft hair and those fat cheeks myself.
Stats:
7lbs 11oz
20.5"
8/9 Apgar
Friday, March 06, 2009
homeschool tip
When your 5th grader finishes his math test, make sure that it is put away in the binder before his scissor-happy brother decides to turn it into an art project.
Thursday, March 05, 2009
doing better
Thank you so much Michelle and Mary K for offering to take the children. Knowing that they will be in good hands when I go into labor (plus an Ambian) helped me sleep well last night.
The great benefits of homeschooling are the increased academic rigor, the family closeness, the ability to teach children virtues and morals that are absent from our mass culture. The downside, especially in larger families, is the difficulty in making friends for ourselves and the children. Add in the stress of back-to-back military moves to exotic locales such as North Carolina and DC and I am surprised that I didn't have an emotional cry-fest months ago. When one is stuck inside doing schoolwork and projects for most of the day and then rushing around from one activity and errand to another, it is almost impossible to find an hour to talk to other moms, much less find some you want to have a cup of coffee with.
Living near a big city makes the opportunities more difficult since traffic and parking issues turn the simplest trip into a potential disaster. Maggie's weekly ballet lesson that I thought would be so fun takes 3 hours out of the day- 45 minutes for the instruction, over 2 hours to fight the bumper-to-bumper traffic getting there and back.
While I'm not willing to put the kids on the big yellow bus at 8am so I can have a chai latte from Starbucks with the other mommies at the bus stop (I would still have 3 little ones in tow), I so wish for more opportunities to meet and make friends with other women who share this homeschooling lifestyle.
The great benefits of homeschooling are the increased academic rigor, the family closeness, the ability to teach children virtues and morals that are absent from our mass culture. The downside, especially in larger families, is the difficulty in making friends for ourselves and the children. Add in the stress of back-to-back military moves to exotic locales such as North Carolina and DC and I am surprised that I didn't have an emotional cry-fest months ago. When one is stuck inside doing schoolwork and projects for most of the day and then rushing around from one activity and errand to another, it is almost impossible to find an hour to talk to other moms, much less find some you want to have a cup of coffee with.
Living near a big city makes the opportunities more difficult since traffic and parking issues turn the simplest trip into a potential disaster. Maggie's weekly ballet lesson that I thought would be so fun takes 3 hours out of the day- 45 minutes for the instruction, over 2 hours to fight the bumper-to-bumper traffic getting there and back.
While I'm not willing to put the kids on the big yellow bus at 8am so I can have a chai latte from Starbucks with the other mommies at the bus stop (I would still have 3 little ones in tow), I so wish for more opportunities to meet and make friends with other women who share this homeschooling lifestyle.
Wednesday, March 04, 2009
carnival of homeschooling
Nerd Family is hosting this week's carnival.
My only homeschooling news for the week is that it amazes me how quickly some children can get their schoolwork accomplished when there is 6" of snow on the ground. it also amazes me how much room 5 snowsuits, sets of boots, coats, jackets, hats, and mittens take up. Maybe we should enlarge the plans for the Maine mudroom and include lots of places to hang and dry all this gear.
My only homeschooling news for the week is that it amazes me how quickly some children can get their schoolwork accomplished when there is 6" of snow on the ground. it also amazes me how much room 5 snowsuits, sets of boots, coats, jackets, hats, and mittens take up. Maybe we should enlarge the plans for the Maine mudroom and include lots of places to hang and dry all this gear.
Tuesday, March 03, 2009
"say Grace!"
Just like most Catholics, our family says Grace before meals. One tradition we have developed is also asking the Saint of the day to please pray for us and trying to read about that Saint during breakfast.
The most enthusiastic child by far in saying his prayers before eating is Baby Timmy. He usually (he didn't like getting his picture taken and kept turning around) folds his little hands so daintily and if he somehow decides that he wasn't paying strict attention he calls out, "Ay Ace!" (say Grace!) and I have to repeat it with him.
He hasn't started trying to make the Sign of the Cross, but I'm sure that soon he will begin with the same gorilla chest beating that Charlie used for so long.
The most enthusiastic child by far in saying his prayers before eating is Baby Timmy. He usually (he didn't like getting his picture taken and kept turning around) folds his little hands so daintily and if he somehow decides that he wasn't paying strict attention he calls out, "Ay Ace!" (say Grace!) and I have to repeat it with him.
He hasn't started trying to make the Sign of the Cross, but I'm sure that soon he will begin with the same gorilla chest beating that Charlie used for so long.
Monday, March 02, 2009
military wife duty
When I was 7 months pregnant with Maggie and Tim deployed that summer, I had to continue mowing the lawn. When he was still deployed the following spring I had to resume mowing the lawn. Today, when it snowed 6" and Tim is an hour's bus ride away, I propped up a ladder against the side of the van and scraped the ice and snow off most of the windshield. I would rather be uncomfortable this morning and then be able to change into dry pants and socks than be scraping and having to pause for contractions or in the worst case, be trapped at home in hard labor and have to put my study of, "What to do if you have to give birth with no one around," into effect. 
My guess is with all this preparation, one false alarm trip already to L&D on Saturday, and contingency plans posted on the fridge, I'll go to 41 weeks and have to be induced. But at least the windshield will be ice free.
Sunday, March 01, 2009
get me to the confessional!
After several weeks one of us missing Mass due to sick kids, a sick husband, and late nights of contractions, this morning our whole family were sitting in our two regular pews. It had been pressing on my heart to go to Confession before I went into labor just in case something terrible happens. Nothing will I'm sure, but I worry anyway. It must be genetic, my grandmother could win a gold medal if fretting and worrying were Olympic events.
However, there was a note on the front door when we pulled up to the church, "No Confessions today." I got all the little ones in their seats, pulled jackets off before going next door to use the facilities. When I got back into the vestibule Tim said, "They are having confession, hurry and get in line." Luckily I didn't waste any time, he only heard 4 confessions before needing to vest for Mass. While I feel bad for the 10 people behind me that didn't get to go, I feel much more prepared to bring a new child into the world with my soul free from mortal sin. I just hope the baby comes soon or I'm sure I'll have to get back in line next week!
However, there was a note on the front door when we pulled up to the church, "No Confessions today." I got all the little ones in their seats, pulled jackets off before going next door to use the facilities. When I got back into the vestibule Tim said, "They are having confession, hurry and get in line." Luckily I didn't waste any time, he only heard 4 confessions before needing to vest for Mass. While I feel bad for the 10 people behind me that didn't get to go, I feel much more prepared to bring a new child into the world with my soul free from mortal sin. I just hope the baby comes soon or I'm sure I'll have to get back in line next week!
Saturday, February 28, 2009
he's got the whole world in his hands...
This is the sort of photo you get when you allow a 9 year old access to a digital camera:
After I saw the wet spot down the front of Timmy's shirt it made me imagine he had been drinking from the Atlantic Ocean.
Downloading the pictures I found the kids had taken over 100 pictures in 2 days, mostly super-closeups of each other's faces. Mary and Will also figured out how to do video, some of which involved spinning the camera around so fast that watching made me feel like I was back on the teacup ride at the county fair.
Still waiting, but with contractions ranging from every 5 to 30 minutes since yesterday at lunchtime, it can't be long now...
After I saw the wet spot down the front of Timmy's shirt it made me imagine he had been drinking from the Atlantic Ocean.
Downloading the pictures I found the kids had taken over 100 pictures in 2 days, mostly super-closeups of each other's faces. Mary and Will also figured out how to do video, some of which involved spinning the camera around so fast that watching made me feel like I was back on the teacup ride at the county fair.
Still waiting, but with contractions ranging from every 5 to 30 minutes since yesterday at lunchtime, it can't be long now...
Thursday, February 26, 2009
not so patiently waiting
It certainly was easier being pregnant with Will, even though he "cooked" the longest. When I nested, things stayed clean and tidy. When I packed my suitcase, it stayed packed. When I wanted to nap, rest, snack, or shop I was free do these things anytime I wished.
I have had to repack my bag 3 times now because my hairbrush keeps ending up in the kid's bathroom (Timmy and I routinely sing "Oh, where is my hairbrush?" from Veggie Tales as a really bad comedy act). The kids ask me every morning and evening, "Is Baby Sunshine coming today/tonight?" I don't have the opportunity to lie down for more than 5 minutes before someone is calling my name. I can't even shop because I'm trying not to spend money after my $200 stocking-up trip to the Commissary and I don't want to hear, "Can I have XYZ?" from anyone under the age of 11.
I sew, but with no plan other than to stay busy making blocks.
At this rate, I'm going to have read the entire fiction department at the local library and enough blocks for a king sized quilt before I put my hand on my tummy and say, "It's time to go!"
This time around, the logistical issues are overwhelming. I clean the house and before I finish one floor, it has toys (or rosary beads) strewn across it.
I have had to repack my bag 3 times now because my hairbrush keeps ending up in the kid's bathroom (Timmy and I routinely sing "Oh, where is my hairbrush?" from Veggie Tales as a really bad comedy act). The kids ask me every morning and evening, "Is Baby Sunshine coming today/tonight?" I don't have the opportunity to lie down for more than 5 minutes before someone is calling my name. I can't even shop because I'm trying not to spend money after my $200 stocking-up trip to the Commissary and I don't want to hear, "Can I have XYZ?" from anyone under the age of 11. So here I gestate and wait, I read and then hurry to the library to stock up on more books so I don't get stuck at the hospital with nothing left in the stack.
I sew, but with no plan other than to stay busy making blocks. At this rate, I'm going to have read the entire fiction department at the local library and enough blocks for a king sized quilt before I put my hand on my tummy and say, "It's time to go!" Wednesday, February 25, 2009
fun but frightening
I found this Madame Zaritska's birth predictor. After answering the bizzare questions I found that:
The day you deliver, outside will be foggy. Your baby will arrive in the late night. After a labor lasting approximately 12 hours, your child, a girl, will be born. Your baby will weigh about 15 pounds, 2 ounces, and will be 18 inches long. This child will have dark hazel eyes and barely there brown hair.
I would rather jump off a bridge than deliver a 15 pound child. Luckily we have had a tie for biggest baby at 8lb 1oz. Wanna guess which ones?
The day you deliver, outside will be foggy. Your baby will arrive in the late night. After a labor lasting approximately 12 hours, your child, a girl, will be born. Your baby will weigh about 15 pounds, 2 ounces, and will be 18 inches long. This child will have dark hazel eyes and barely there brown hair.
I would rather jump off a bridge than deliver a 15 pound child. Luckily we have had a tie for biggest baby at 8lb 1oz. Wanna guess which ones?
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
carnival of homeschooling
Consent of the Governed is hosting the Stimulus Edition of this week's homeschool carnival.
chipping away at the 2nd Amendment
new bill HR 45 introduced into the House, the Blair Holt Firearm Licensing & Record of Sale Act of 2009, which would make it illegal to own a firearm - any rifle with a clip or ANY pistol unless:
•It is registered
•You are fingerprinted
•You supply a current Driver's License
•You supply your Social Security #
•You will submit to a physical & mental evaluation at any time of their choosing
•Each update - change or ownership through private or public sale must be reported and costs $25 - Failure to do so you automatically lose the right to own a firearm and are subject up to a year in jail.
•There is a child provision clause on page 16 section 305 stating a child-access provision. Gun must be locked and inaccessible to any child under 18. They would have the right to come and inspect that you are storing your gun safely away from accessibility to children and fine is punishable for up to 5 yrs. in prison.
So, the Congress is again (voting this week to give a seat in the House of Representatives to Washington, DC) trying to stomp all over the Constitution by tampering with the 4th Amendment (unlawful search and seizure) in their campaign to restrict as much as possible the 2nd Amendment (the right to bear arms).
Tim took a pistol safety class earlier this month and decided to fill out the paperwork to obtain a license this weekend under the current law. Soon we will be the proud owners of a small pistol for target practice.
I'm clamoring for a double-barreled shotgun that I can prop up on the front porch next to my rocking chair, so when the revenuers come to steal my house, cow, and sheep to give to the undeserving poor, I can scare them, "Out of here, you varmints!"
•It is registered
•You are fingerprinted
•You supply a current Driver's License
•You supply your Social Security #
•You will submit to a physical & mental evaluation at any time of their choosing
•Each update - change or ownership through private or public sale must be reported and costs $25 - Failure to do so you automatically lose the right to own a firearm and are subject up to a year in jail.
•There is a child provision clause on page 16 section 305 stating a child-access provision. Gun must be locked and inaccessible to any child under 18. They would have the right to come and inspect that you are storing your gun safely away from accessibility to children and fine is punishable for up to 5 yrs. in prison.
So, the Congress is again (voting this week to give a seat in the House of Representatives to Washington, DC) trying to stomp all over the Constitution by tampering with the 4th Amendment (unlawful search and seizure) in their campaign to restrict as much as possible the 2nd Amendment (the right to bear arms).
Tim took a pistol safety class earlier this month and decided to fill out the paperwork to obtain a license this weekend under the current law. Soon we will be the proud owners of a small pistol for target practice.
I'm clamoring for a double-barreled shotgun that I can prop up on the front porch next to my rocking chair, so when the revenuers come to steal my house, cow, and sheep to give to the undeserving poor, I can scare them, "Out of here, you varmints!"
Monday, February 23, 2009
it is so worth it
It is said that parenthood is a thankless job. That is true for the most part, since babies and toddlers never say, "Gee Mommy, I really appreciate you changing my nasty nappies, spooning rice mush into my mouth, teaching me the shapes and colors, taking me to the library every week, and reading to me every night for years and years.... 
But on Sunday morning, when I woke up at 9am (gasp!) after being up for 6 hours with mild contractions, I opened my eyes to this:
and inside was this:
I love and care about you too.
Saturday, February 21, 2009
I should have been a statistics major
I love making charts, graphs, and trying to analyze data to see what it means for the future. However, I don't have any interesting data or much on my mind these days except wondering when Baby Sunshine is going to put in an appearance. For my OB appointment I brought in a chart of my progression of dilation/effacement with the last several pregnancies. Since I never got checked with the first 2 babies I don't have that info, but I showed up at L&D at 4cm with Will and 7cm with Mary, so it is likely I experienced early labor with them as well. At this stage with the last 3 babies I was already 3cm dilated and 50-75% effaced so I'm guessing with all these sleepless nights make it likely I am about the same now.
The other chart I made yesterday shows what date Baby Sunshine would appear compared to the other 5 babies. Since the earliest one was born at 37 weeks 2 days that would be today. Can you guess which child was born the earliest?
The other chart I made yesterday shows what date Baby Sunshine would appear compared to the other 5 babies. Since the earliest one was born at 37 weeks 2 days that would be today. Can you guess which child was born the earliest?
Friday, February 20, 2009
bye bye classic books
One of my favorite things to do has been collecting children's books, finding them at thrift stores, used book stores, and vendors such as Keller Books at homeschool conferences. We have 9 bookshelves of various sizes chock-full, so no child could ever say, "I don't have ANYTHING to read!"
Recalled Products
Illegal to sell ANY recalled product (for adults as well as children). Before taking into inventory or selling a product, check the CPSC Web site for dangerous recalled products including cribs, play yards, strollers, high chairs, toys with magnets, toys that are choking hazards, and other products.
Books – “ordinary” children’s titles e.g. paperbacks and hardbacks
OK to sell, if printed after 1985
Cheap children’s metal jewelry
Best to test, contact the manufacturer, or not sell
Unpainted/untreated wood toys
OK to sell
Painted wooden or metal toys
Best to test, contact the manufacturer, or not sell
Toys with soft plastic that are made for infants
Should be OK to sell if made for sale after February 10, 2009. If older (or if the date of manufacture is unknown) check with manufacturer or do not sell
Dyed or undyed children’s clothing made from natural, untreated cotton, silk, wool, hemp, flax, linen, and other untreated natural materials including coral, amber, feathers, fur and leather
OK to sell
Clothes with rhinestones, metal or vinyl snaps, zippers, closures or appliqués.
Best to test, contact the manufacturer, or not sell
Surgical steel; precious metals such as gold (at least 10 karat) and sterling silver (at least 925/1000); precious and semiprecious gemstones (excluding a list of stones that are associated in nature with lead); natural or cultured pearls
OK to sell
Toys that are easily breakable into small parts including dolls and stuffed toys that have eyes, noses or other small parts that are not securely fastened
Best not to sell (for children under 3); could present a choking hazard
It seems absurd in this age when we are supposedly trying to encourage children to read and get a good education to require that the only reasonably priced books for children must be thrown away because of some infinitesimal risk of a child licking the pages. Shame on our legislators for throwing out the baby with the bathwater in their efforts to "protect the children."
I just found this fantastic Dr. Seuss style story about the CPSIA, it might just make you laugh and cry.
However, the new CPSIA law which was rushed through Congress with no thought as to consequences (boy, does that sound familiar), outlaws the reselling (and possibly checking out from the library) children's books published prior to 1986 due to the possibility of lead in the print. I can tell you that my children read books, listen to books, and look at books, but they do not eat them. This is the most up-to-date statement from the agency:
Table C: Commonly Resold Children’s Products and Materials
Recalled Products
Illegal to sell ANY recalled product (for adults as well as children). Before taking into inventory or selling a product, check the CPSC Web site for dangerous recalled products including cribs, play yards, strollers, high chairs, toys with magnets, toys that are choking hazards, and other products.
Books – “ordinary” children’s titles e.g. paperbacks and hardbacks
OK to sell, if printed after 1985
Cheap children’s metal jewelry
Best to test, contact the manufacturer, or not sell
Unpainted/untreated wood toys
OK to sell
Painted wooden or metal toys
Best to test, contact the manufacturer, or not sell
Toys with soft plastic that are made for infants
Should be OK to sell if made for sale after February 10, 2009. If older (or if the date of manufacture is unknown) check with manufacturer or do not sell
Dyed or undyed children’s clothing made from natural, untreated cotton, silk, wool, hemp, flax, linen, and other untreated natural materials including coral, amber, feathers, fur and leather
OK to sell
Clothes with rhinestones, metal or vinyl snaps, zippers, closures or appliqués.
Best to test, contact the manufacturer, or not sell
Surgical steel; precious metals such as gold (at least 10 karat) and sterling silver (at least 925/1000); precious and semiprecious gemstones (excluding a list of stones that are associated in nature with lead); natural or cultured pearls
OK to sell
Toys that are easily breakable into small parts including dolls and stuffed toys that have eyes, noses or other small parts that are not securely fastened
Best not to sell (for children under 3); could present a choking hazard
Here are some of my favorites from our vast shelves that are now illegal to purchase:
It seems absurd in this age when we are supposedly trying to encourage children to read and get a good education to require that the only reasonably priced books for children must be thrown away because of some infinitesimal risk of a child licking the pages. Shame on our legislators for throwing out the baby with the bathwater in their efforts to "protect the children."
I just found this fantastic Dr. Seuss style story about the CPSIA, it might just make you laugh and cry.
Thursday, February 19, 2009
just in time...
I've been supplanted as the chief hugger and consoler. Timmy accidentally whacked his head on the dresser in his room right after I got him dressed, and of course burst into tears. "Come here baby Timmy," and while he did hug me for a moment, he started sobbing, "Willllllll!"
"Will, Get out of the bathroom, your brother wants YOU!"
He immediately stopped crying as soon as he was safe in his big brother's arms.
"Will, Get out of the bathroom, your brother wants YOU!"
He immediately stopped crying as soon as he was safe in his big brother's arms.
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
carnival of homeschooling
Topsy Technie is hosting this week's carnival with a decided technical aspect. Our household is very low-tech as I told the Verizon rep yesterday when reporting a harassing phone call, "We don't have caller ID or any of that fancy stuff."
excursion
To get an OB appointment with likely the only pro-life Catholic military doc in DC (other than my dh), I had to agree to forgo schoolwork this morning and take all 5 little munchkins with me.
I hope they don't get run over, turn the place upside down, have a temper tantrum, swing from the rafters. Things to pack in the magic bag: storybooks, Cheerios, sippy cup, extra nappies, matchbox cars, and coloring supplies.
Wish me luck!
We managed to get to my appointment on time despite the traffic, driving around looking for a parking spot (we found the last one on base), and having to walk 1/2 mile to the hospital. Now we are home again and snug and cozy doing schoolwork and drinking mugs of hot cocoa/Ovaltine. The doctor agreed that I didn't need any more appointments, just to call L&D ahead of time, "I'm coming in and this is my 6th baby," so they will have a bed prepped with my name on it.
I hope they don't get run over, turn the place upside down, have a temper tantrum, swing from the rafters. Things to pack in the magic bag: storybooks, Cheerios, sippy cup, extra nappies, matchbox cars, and coloring supplies.
Wish me luck!
We managed to get to my appointment on time despite the traffic, driving around looking for a parking spot (we found the last one on base), and having to walk 1/2 mile to the hospital. Now we are home again and snug and cozy doing schoolwork and drinking mugs of hot cocoa/Ovaltine. The doctor agreed that I didn't need any more appointments, just to call L&D ahead of time, "I'm coming in and this is my 6th baby," so they will have a bed prepped with my name on it.
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
bored and waiting
As if I didn't have enough to do between homeschooling, ferrying children to lessons, and keeping the house clean, I have made it a habit to start some complicated project toward the end of pregnancy. We moved overseas when Will was 8 weeks old, giving me the opportunity to organize and pack and then repeat it on a smaller scale again when, pregnant with Mary, we moved on-base in Italy. Tim deployed for 9 months when I was only a few weeks out from Maggie's due date so of course I had to take on preschool and a TV interview to while away the time. I don't think I did much while waiting for Charlie except prepping for our yearly trip to Maine, which we did when he was four weeks old. I take that back, packing for 2-3 months in Maine with 4 small children is a big job. While expecting Timmy I began a children's writing course, which took 2 years to complete. Each time my boredom was supplanted by endless lists of chores, but they did give me something to other than twiddle my thumbs and wait for the big contractions.
This time around I bought a new sewing machine and quilting frame so I can eventually be a talented free-motion quilter and sell my creations on etsy or ebay. Tim assembled the 15' long table a few weeks ago and over the weekend I put the cloth leaders on the roller bars and pinned on a quilt sandwich so I can begin to practice. My errors have turned into a comedy; first I couldn't figure out how the rollers unlocked, making me think they were all on backwards before rerolling them all back the exact same way, Will had to rescue me when I hollered for help after I found that I couldn't lift the sewing machine onto the frame, and finally after we pinned it all on correctly I accidentally quilted the top to the cloth leaders underneath.
This time around I bought a new sewing machine and quilting frame so I can eventually be a talented free-motion quilter and sell my creations on etsy or ebay. Tim assembled the 15' long table a few weeks ago and over the weekend I put the cloth leaders on the roller bars and pinned on a quilt sandwich so I can begin to practice. My errors have turned into a comedy; first I couldn't figure out how the rollers unlocked, making me think they were all on backwards before rerolling them all back the exact same way, Will had to rescue me when I hollered for help after I found that I couldn't lift the sewing machine onto the frame, and finally after we pinned it all on correctly I accidentally quilted the top to the cloth leaders underneath.
The book I bought with lots of great all-over quilting patterns says that it takes a year to become really proficient on a long-arm machine. I can't see me wanting to stand in my current state and practice much now, but I guess it will still be there after Baby Sunshine learns to take good naps.
Monday, February 16, 2009
liberals are trying to destroy the Church says Rabbi...
Left Wing of the Catholic Church Destroying the Faith Says Orthodox Rabbi
By Hilary White, Rome correspondentWednesday February 11, 2009
The dissident, leftist movement in the Catholic Church over the last forty years has severely undermined the teaching of the Catholic Church on the moral teachings on life and family, a prominent US Orthodox rabbi told LifeSiteNews.com.
Rabbi Yehuda Levin, the head of a group of 800 Orthodox rabbis in the US and Canada, also dismissed the accusations that the Holy See had not sufficiently distanced itself from the comments made by Bishop Richard Williamson of the Society of St. Pius X (SSPX) on the Holocaust."I support this move" to reconcile the traditionalist faction in the Church, he said, "because I understand the big picture, which is that the Catholic Church has a problem. There is a strong left wing of the Church that is doing immeasurable harm to the faith."
Rabbi Levin said that he understands "perfectly" why the reconciliation is vital to the fight against abortion and the homosexualist movement. "I understand that it is very important to fill the pews of the Catholic Church not with cultural Catholics and left-wingers who are helping to destroy the Catholic Church and corrupt the values of the Catholic Church." This corruption, he said, "has a trickle-down effect to every single religious community in the world."
During a visit to Rome at the end of January, Rabbi Levin told LifeSiteNews.com that he believes the media furore over the lifting of the excommunications of the four bishops of the Society of Saint Pius X is a red herring. ...The most important issue," he said, is the work the Church is doing "to save babies from abortion, and save children’s minds, and young people’s minds, helping them to know right and wrong on the life and family issues."
Liberals in the Church, particularly in Europe, have bitterly opposed all overtures to the SSPX and other traditionalists, particularly the Pope’s recent permission to revive the traditional Latin Mass. The Vatican announced in early January that, as part of ongoing efforts to reconcile the breakaway group, the 1988 decree of excommunication against the Society had been rescinded. Later that month, a Swedish television station aired an interview, recorded in November 2008, in which Bishop Richard Williamson, one of the four leaders of the Society, said that he did not believe that six million Jews were killed in the Nazi death camps during World War II. At that time, the media erupted with protests and accusations that the Catholic Church, and especially Pope Benedict XVI, are anti-Semitic.
"Anyone who understands and follows Vatican history knows that in the last three decades, one of the moral and intellectual underpinnings of the papacy of Pope John Paul II, was Cardinal Ratzinger."...Whoever doesn’t understand this doesn’t realise that this man, Pope Benedict XVI, has a decades-long track record of anti-Nazism and sympathy for the Jews."
By Hilary White, Rome correspondentWednesday February 11, 2009
The dissident, leftist movement in the Catholic Church over the last forty years has severely undermined the teaching of the Catholic Church on the moral teachings on life and family, a prominent US Orthodox rabbi told LifeSiteNews.com.
Rabbi Yehuda Levin, the head of a group of 800 Orthodox rabbis in the US and Canada, also dismissed the accusations that the Holy See had not sufficiently distanced itself from the comments made by Bishop Richard Williamson of the Society of St. Pius X (SSPX) on the Holocaust."I support this move" to reconcile the traditionalist faction in the Church, he said, "because I understand the big picture, which is that the Catholic Church has a problem. There is a strong left wing of the Church that is doing immeasurable harm to the faith."
Rabbi Levin said that he understands "perfectly" why the reconciliation is vital to the fight against abortion and the homosexualist movement. "I understand that it is very important to fill the pews of the Catholic Church not with cultural Catholics and left-wingers who are helping to destroy the Catholic Church and corrupt the values of the Catholic Church." This corruption, he said, "has a trickle-down effect to every single religious community in the world."
During a visit to Rome at the end of January, Rabbi Levin told LifeSiteNews.com that he believes the media furore over the lifting of the excommunications of the four bishops of the Society of Saint Pius X is a red herring. ...The most important issue," he said, is the work the Church is doing "to save babies from abortion, and save children’s minds, and young people’s minds, helping them to know right and wrong on the life and family issues."
Liberals in the Church, particularly in Europe, have bitterly opposed all overtures to the SSPX and other traditionalists, particularly the Pope’s recent permission to revive the traditional Latin Mass. The Vatican announced in early January that, as part of ongoing efforts to reconcile the breakaway group, the 1988 decree of excommunication against the Society had been rescinded. Later that month, a Swedish television station aired an interview, recorded in November 2008, in which Bishop Richard Williamson, one of the four leaders of the Society, said that he did not believe that six million Jews were killed in the Nazi death camps during World War II. At that time, the media erupted with protests and accusations that the Catholic Church, and especially Pope Benedict XVI, are anti-Semitic.
"Anyone who understands and follows Vatican history knows that in the last three decades, one of the moral and intellectual underpinnings of the papacy of Pope John Paul II, was Cardinal Ratzinger."...Whoever doesn’t understand this doesn’t realise that this man, Pope Benedict XVI, has a decades-long track record of anti-Nazism and sympathy for the Jews."
Sunday, February 15, 2009
music critics
On our way home from the Cub Scout Blue and Gold Banquet I started singing "Itsy Bitsy Spider."
"Stop! Stop!"
"Is Mommy's singing that bad?"
"Yes!"
(the complainer? Baby Timmy)
Over the past 8 years all the children have given me similar reviews, so perhaps my singing really is terrible.
"Stop! Stop!"
"Is Mommy's singing that bad?"
"Yes!"
(the complainer? Baby Timmy)
Over the past 8 years all the children have given me similar reviews, so perhaps my singing really is terrible.
Saturday, February 14, 2009
mystery solved
Did you know that if you leave your cell phone in a pocketbook and miss a call, it will beep every 15 minutes for the next 6 days? After Tim reminded me to take my phone this morning I got in the car only to hear a familiar noise, "Duh! "
Friday, February 13, 2009
military spouse deployment syndrome
Apparently the "something major goes wrong at home as soon as the spouse goes out of town syndrome" happens with all wives with traveling spouses, but it is inevitable for Navy wives, whose husbands are prone to 6 month deployments. Tim flew up to New England this week and will be arriving home in the next several hours, but as soon as he left on Monday our furnace died, complete with an odd smell and me worrying about a possible gas leak. Now it wasn't a crisis given that it hit 70F on Tuesday afternoon, but it is never good to not have heat in February. That situation was resolved within a few days. Simultaneously a mysterious beeping began, which we investigated as a bad battery in a smoke detector or something wrong with the alarm system. It has continued from some mysterious location in the finished basement every 15 minutes for 5 days now, leaving us all muttering under our breath while attempting to do school.
I didn't want to blog about the lack of heat since we had to leave the basement door unlocked and since I am already paranoid when Tim is away, staying up half the night waiting for burglars and child abductors to appear on the stairs. I certainly didn't want to put in out on the internet that 5 small children and a slow waddling mama were home alone.
The other thing I was worried about was going into labor while Tim was away, but obviously I'm still very round and now very tired. Likely I will start having contractions tonight, but if I do at least I won't have to be subjected to the walls beeping for several days!
I didn't want to blog about the lack of heat since we had to leave the basement door unlocked and since I am already paranoid when Tim is away, staying up half the night waiting for burglars and child abductors to appear on the stairs. I certainly didn't want to put in out on the internet that 5 small children and a slow waddling mama were home alone.
The other thing I was worried about was going into labor while Tim was away, but obviously I'm still very round and now very tired. Likely I will start having contractions tonight, but if I do at least I won't have to be subjected to the walls beeping for several days!
where do they all go?
I bought a 5lb bag of Red Delicious apples at the commissary on Tuesday. I bought a 5 lb bag of Red Delicious apples at Giant Thursday afternoon. This is what the fuit bowl looks like at 11am on Friday. 
If I hear one more time, "Mommy can I have an apple?" I'm going to scream. I know, I know, apples are good for you, they could be asking for cookies. Guess what is on my grocery list for this afternoon?
Thursday, February 12, 2009
trying to raise GEEKS
I have likely read every parenting book out there that expresses some common sense, you know, the ones that were actually written by parents, rather than childless "development experts." My favorite authors are John Rosemond and Ray Guardendi, but Marybeth Hicks has made some outstanding contributions to practical parenting in this wacky world in her new book, Bringing Up GEEKS (Genuine, Enthusiastic, Empowered Kids): how to protect your kid's childhood in a grow-up-too-fast world. She has accomplished with her 4 children what most homeschoolers wish to with their children; raise children who are smart, sheltered, polite, team players, true friends, family oriented, and faithful to God.
While I think she does tend toward the simplistic side, "if you follow your own path rather than following the herd then your kids will automatically turn out great," she shows how the popular culture of childhood has turned out a generation of young adults who don't think, are not kind, don't believe in God, and are materialistic snobs. If we want better for our own children then we must be proactive and raise them differently. We must be counter-cultural.
We homeschoolers are the epitome of this theory, we are striving daily to guide our offspring to treasure those things that will bring us happiness in this world and the next. If you know of a new mom, I can't think of a more useful and generous gift than a copy of this book.
While I think she does tend toward the simplistic side, "if you follow your own path rather than following the herd then your kids will automatically turn out great," she shows how the popular culture of childhood has turned out a generation of young adults who don't think, are not kind, don't believe in God, and are materialistic snobs. If we want better for our own children then we must be proactive and raise them differently. We must be counter-cultural.
We homeschoolers are the epitome of this theory, we are striving daily to guide our offspring to treasure those things that will bring us happiness in this world and the next. If you know of a new mom, I can't think of a more useful and generous gift than a copy of this book.
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
carnival of homeschooling
Sprittibee, another pregnant homeschool mama, is hosting the carnival this week with a very appropriate theme: baby development.
red envelopes
This is floating around the internet, I wish I could credit the creative woman who came up with it. I found 50 count packages of red Christmas envelopes on clearance at Staples for $1.50.
"Dear Friends and Intercessors: This afternoon I was praying about a number of things, and my mind began to wander. I was deeply distressed at the symbolic actions that President Obama took as he began his presidency. Namely, that he signed executive orders releasing funds to pay for abortions, permission to fund human stem cell research, and federal funding for contraception. I have been involved in the pro-life movement for nearly 20 years, and it pained my heart to see a man and a political party committed to the shedding of innocent blood. This man, and this party lead our country, but they do not represent me or the 54% of Americans who believe that abortion is wrong and should no longer be legal.
As I was praying, I believe that God gave me an interesting idea. Out in the garage I have a box of red envelopes. Like the powerful image of the red LIFE tape, an empty red envelope will send a message to Barack Obama that there is moral outrage in this country over this issue. It will be quiet, but clear.
Here is what I would like you to do: Get a red envelope. You can buy them at Kinkos, or at party supply stores.
On the front, address it to:
President Barack Obama
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Ave.
Washington, D.C. 20500
On the back, write the following message: This envelope represents one child who died in abortion. It is empty because that life was unable to offer anything to the world. Responsibility begins with conception.
Put it in the mail, and send it. Then forward this email to every one of your friends who you think would send one too. I wish we could send 50 million red envelopes, one for every child who died before having a a chance to live. Maybe it will change the heart of the president. "
"Dear Friends and Intercessors: This afternoon I was praying about a number of things, and my mind began to wander. I was deeply distressed at the symbolic actions that President Obama took as he began his presidency. Namely, that he signed executive orders releasing funds to pay for abortions, permission to fund human stem cell research, and federal funding for contraception. I have been involved in the pro-life movement for nearly 20 years, and it pained my heart to see a man and a political party committed to the shedding of innocent blood. This man, and this party lead our country, but they do not represent me or the 54% of Americans who believe that abortion is wrong and should no longer be legal.
As I was praying, I believe that God gave me an interesting idea. Out in the garage I have a box of red envelopes. Like the powerful image of the red LIFE tape, an empty red envelope will send a message to Barack Obama that there is moral outrage in this country over this issue. It will be quiet, but clear.
Here is what I would like you to do: Get a red envelope. You can buy them at Kinkos, or at party supply stores.
On the front, address it to:
President Barack Obama
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Ave.
Washington, D.C. 20500
On the back, write the following message: This envelope represents one child who died in abortion. It is empty because that life was unable to offer anything to the world. Responsibility begins with conception.
Put it in the mail, and send it. Then forward this email to every one of your friends who you think would send one too. I wish we could send 50 million red envelopes, one for every child who died before having a a chance to live. Maybe it will change the heart of the president. "
Monday, February 09, 2009
hard job
I've never had to fire anyone before, but this morning I let one of the babysitters know that we would no longer need her services. I have enough emotional upheaval in my life and I don't need to get phone calls during evening storytime filled with excuses and college angst. I certainly don't need to pay someone for an hour's worth of work and only get 45-50 minutes of face time. I don't like that all Timmy wants to do is cuddle in Will's lap, resulting in Will taking twice as long to get his assignments completed. The big downside is that the little ones will be watching more Little Bear and Thomas the Tank Engine videos.
Hopefully now we will have a little more peace in our home, which ironically is the reason I decided to hire sitters in the first place.
Hopefully now we will have a little more peace in our home, which ironically is the reason I decided to hire sitters in the first place.
Sunday, February 08, 2009
Thank you St. Anthony
While finding Quickfoot (the second alligator in the header) was due to Mary spotting a funny shade of green in the bushes while visiting the little girls next door, St. Anthony should not be forgotten. Likely, he nudged her to look down.
Now if I could find a child in my house with one ounce of common sense, one smidgen of thoughtfulness, one dash of quiet introspection I would be most grateful. They have all been so awful this week that I might be tempted to drop the whole crew off at the local orphanage if I knew where it was.
Now, where did I put that phone directory?
Now if I could find a child in my house with one ounce of common sense, one smidgen of thoughtfulness, one dash of quiet introspection I would be most grateful. They have all been so awful this week that I might be tempted to drop the whole crew off at the local orphanage if I knew where it was.
Now, where did I put that phone directory?
Saturday, February 07, 2009
watch out, I'm crabby!
Maybe it is being 8 months pregnant and hormonal, or maybe I have legitimate gripes, you decide:
1. I went to the library this morning by myself (a special treat) and handed the librarian Mary's card, "I need to find out if there is anything on this card overdue or due soon."
"This isn't your card. You can't get any information about this person's account."
"It is my child's card. She is 8 years old. I am responsible for her welfare and her fines. I need to know if she has any overdue items."
"Sorry, I can't tell you."
So... this afternoon we canceled both Will and Mary's cards and I found out and received a household card on which I can check out 100 books. We have cards at 3 libraries in Maine and not one gives me grief about the kid's cards. Apparently it is state law in Maryland that privacy concerns trump common sense.
2. We stop by the grocery store this afternoon and I pull into a spot in la-la-land so I don't have anyone next to me. I get back to the van after picking up milk and light bulbs and find a huge Chevy Suburban parked 12" away from the side doors. This is not the first time that this has happened- which is WHY I park in Timbucktu. Perhaps I got a little testy, but I'm thinking of plastering a sign on the passenger side of the van: UNLESS YOU WANT BIG DENTS IN YOUR CAR, DO NOT PARK HERE. 6 KIDS MUST GET IN/OUT OF THIS VAN.
I recall one trip to the library about 2 weeks ago. We were walking back to the van to find someone pulling in the spot next to us. Will very carefully held the doors open so everyone could get inside and then he and Mary strapped in all the little kids. While I was walking around to hoist myself in, I heard a big thump, thump. Both the driver and her preteen child opened their doors right into the side of my van. I was soooo angry I wanted to pull my van out and slam it into the back of her car a few times. But I didn't. That is against the 7th commandment.
I guess in today's world a tiny bit of sense is just too much to ask for.
1. I went to the library this morning by myself (a special treat) and handed the librarian Mary's card, "I need to find out if there is anything on this card overdue or due soon."
"This isn't your card. You can't get any information about this person's account."
"It is my child's card. She is 8 years old. I am responsible for her welfare and her fines. I need to know if she has any overdue items."
"Sorry, I can't tell you."
So... this afternoon we canceled both Will and Mary's cards and I found out and received a household card on which I can check out 100 books. We have cards at 3 libraries in Maine and not one gives me grief about the kid's cards. Apparently it is state law in Maryland that privacy concerns trump common sense.
2. We stop by the grocery store this afternoon and I pull into a spot in la-la-land so I don't have anyone next to me. I get back to the van after picking up milk and light bulbs and find a huge Chevy Suburban parked 12" away from the side doors. This is not the first time that this has happened- which is WHY I park in Timbucktu. Perhaps I got a little testy, but I'm thinking of plastering a sign on the passenger side of the van: UNLESS YOU WANT BIG DENTS IN YOUR CAR, DO NOT PARK HERE. 6 KIDS MUST GET IN/OUT OF THIS VAN.
I recall one trip to the library about 2 weeks ago. We were walking back to the van to find someone pulling in the spot next to us. Will very carefully held the doors open so everyone could get inside and then he and Mary strapped in all the little kids. While I was walking around to hoist myself in, I heard a big thump, thump. Both the driver and her preteen child opened their doors right into the side of my van. I was soooo angry I wanted to pull my van out and slam it into the back of her car a few times. But I didn't. That is against the 7th commandment.
I guess in today's world a tiny bit of sense is just too much to ask for.
boys serving at the altar leads to more priests
Even though Will has been serving at the TLM for 2 years, we signed him up for a class offered through our local Catholic homeschool support group. I can't emphasize enough how much more seriously boys take Mass when they are serving at the altar. While Will is much more likely to become an engineer than a priest, it really is the best recruiting opportunity for the priesthood.
From National Catholic Register:
The altar servers at Holy Family Catholic Church in St. Louis Park, Minn., are a sight to behold. In their white surplices and black cassocks — red for special feasts like Christmas and Pentecost — six carry candles, while others process in with the cross, Sacramentary and incense thurible and boat. Between 12 and 20 altar servers assist at every Mass, every Sunday. On special feasts, the head count jumps to more than 30.And the most astonishing facet of the scene: All of the altar servers are boys.
Holy Family Church is one of a number of parishes that, after deciding to go with an all-boy corps of altar servers, have seen a notable increase in the number of boys participating in the life of the parish. At Holy Family, the decision was made 10 years ago, when only a few boys were servers. The surge was on immediately. Today, more than 60 boys stand at the ready. What’s happened is: The younger boys can’t wait to get on the altar,” says parishioner Bob Spinharney. “And the older boys, to their great credit, stay on even beyond high school age. So the younger boys always have role models to look up to.”
“And, clearly, reverent worship of God the Father through Jesus Christ in the liturgy is a calling card for vocations,” adds Father Dufner. In fact, one of the two current seminarians from this parish — from which four men have been ordained in the last 10 years — was an altar server. Both seminarians come back often to help the youngsters on Sundays, as do server alumni like Spinharney’s college-age son Jordan. The alumni become mentors.“Boys 7 and 8 are glued to the Mass, watching their friends and brothers,” says Rode. “They can’t wait.”
From National Catholic Register:
The altar servers at Holy Family Catholic Church in St. Louis Park, Minn., are a sight to behold. In their white surplices and black cassocks — red for special feasts like Christmas and Pentecost — six carry candles, while others process in with the cross, Sacramentary and incense thurible and boat. Between 12 and 20 altar servers assist at every Mass, every Sunday. On special feasts, the head count jumps to more than 30.And the most astonishing facet of the scene: All of the altar servers are boys.
Holy Family Church is one of a number of parishes that, after deciding to go with an all-boy corps of altar servers, have seen a notable increase in the number of boys participating in the life of the parish. At Holy Family, the decision was made 10 years ago, when only a few boys were servers. The surge was on immediately. Today, more than 60 boys stand at the ready. What’s happened is: The younger boys can’t wait to get on the altar,” says parishioner Bob Spinharney. “And the older boys, to their great credit, stay on even beyond high school age. So the younger boys always have role models to look up to.”
“And, clearly, reverent worship of God the Father through Jesus Christ in the liturgy is a calling card for vocations,” adds Father Dufner. In fact, one of the two current seminarians from this parish — from which four men have been ordained in the last 10 years — was an altar server. Both seminarians come back often to help the youngsters on Sundays, as do server alumni like Spinharney’s college-age son Jordan. The alumni become mentors.“Boys 7 and 8 are glued to the Mass, watching their friends and brothers,” says Rode. “They can’t wait.”
Friday, February 06, 2009
piece of cake
When I was pregnant with Mary I was so stressed at how I was going to cope with two small children. How was I going to nurse the baby, especially in public places, while also managing a toddler who liked to run? How was I going to keep the house relatively tidy? Somehow I managed and learned how, even though at the time it seemed I was pushing a boulder uphill. Then Tim left for a long deployment when I was pregnant with Maggie and I fretted and worried how I was going to cope with 3 small children by myself. Again, I learned tricks and methods that allowed me to do just fine.
Somehow I morphed from a newbie mom to an (almost) expert handler of multiple children. Then Charlie was born and I made a novice mistake of forgetting to bring newborn clothes to the hospital, forcing me to rummage in the diaper bag and come up with an 18 month size pink onsie. (no, we didn't take any "going home from the hospital" photos that day)
Tim had his moments of newborn parenting amnesia too, forgetting to bring the car seat into the maternity ward this last go-around, causing a verbal lashing from some busy-body nurse on the way out of the hospital. Couldn't she figure out that if we already had 4 healthy, intact children, it was very likely that we already owned umpteen carseats and the poor guy had his hands full trying to dress and herd them all into the hospital to pick up his wife?
This time around I am not really fretting about how I will cope. I just will. But the insomnia of late pregnancy leads me to surf the net and lurk on the BabyCenter pregnancy boards. I laugh when I read of moms of 1-2 children asking each other, "How am I going to manage?" and rant about their clueless husbands, "Yes, the house is a wreck, but I have a 4 year old to take care of too..." I sympathize with the women who freak out every time their bellies twinge, "should I call the doctor?" I marvel at the technology that allows women to proudly show off photos of their thriving preemies, some of whom were only 2lbs when born. I am grateful that I have a supportive husband and helpful children who are anxious to hold and care for the new baby. But most of all, I am glad that I am not one of those new mothers anymore. I have the experience to roll with the punches and look forward to welcoming a new soul into the world.
Somehow I morphed from a newbie mom to an (almost) expert handler of multiple children. Then Charlie was born and I made a novice mistake of forgetting to bring newborn clothes to the hospital, forcing me to rummage in the diaper bag and come up with an 18 month size pink onsie. (no, we didn't take any "going home from the hospital" photos that day)
Tim had his moments of newborn parenting amnesia too, forgetting to bring the car seat into the maternity ward this last go-around, causing a verbal lashing from some busy-body nurse on the way out of the hospital. Couldn't she figure out that if we already had 4 healthy, intact children, it was very likely that we already owned umpteen carseats and the poor guy had his hands full trying to dress and herd them all into the hospital to pick up his wife?
This time around I am not really fretting about how I will cope. I just will. But the insomnia of late pregnancy leads me to surf the net and lurk on the BabyCenter pregnancy boards. I laugh when I read of moms of 1-2 children asking each other, "How am I going to manage?" and rant about their clueless husbands, "Yes, the house is a wreck, but I have a 4 year old to take care of too..." I sympathize with the women who freak out every time their bellies twinge, "should I call the doctor?" I marvel at the technology that allows women to proudly show off photos of their thriving preemies, some of whom were only 2lbs when born. I am grateful that I have a supportive husband and helpful children who are anxious to hold and care for the new baby. But most of all, I am glad that I am not one of those new mothers anymore. I have the experience to roll with the punches and look forward to welcoming a new soul into the world.
Thursday, February 05, 2009
let the storm winds howl...
We are currently reading aloud The Long Winter by Laura Ingalls Wilder. This book in the Little House series is not particularly adventurous or entertaining, it is composed of many long chapters describing the endless blizzards of the winter of 1880-1881. The daily struggle of life with no contact with others, little food, no coal or wood for heat, and little entertainment was daunting to even this family used to many hardships. I reminded the children that the Ingalls family was luckier than most in that they were well educated and could entertain themselves with reading, reciting, and singing. Pa's fiddle music brought them much comfort when the howling winds threatened to drive them all mad.
I certainly can't compare living in DC in 2009 to surviving a 7 month winter with few supplies, but we have our own hardships to deal with. Tim must spend 2+ hours on the bus getting to and from work each day because he hasn't yet been issued a parking permit at his new command. This means that he leaves before we wake up and doesn't get home until 6pm, leaving enough time to eat, bathe the children, and read a story or two before it is time for prayers and bed. He is exhausted each day and the burden of all the household chores, errands, and activities on me leads to a constant feeling of being overwhelmed. The blessing we experienced last year of Gwen coming over every afternoon so I could go running has not been repeated this year. One babysitter calls regularly to say she is already late, cancelling for the day, or reducing her hours. Luckily the other girl (a homeschooler) is reliable, but only comes 2 hours on Fridays. Getting anywhere in DC means listening to the traffic report and groaning when the main road is blocked by an accident or finding out that a side road is blocked by storm damage. City living is not a good fit for our family and we long for the day when we move up to Maine for good and settle into a rural, more relaxed life.
However, the children have enjoyed riding the METRO. Yesterday Will drew a very elaborate train and road system on a roll of paper and all of them were playing happily (for the most part) for over an hour.
I certainly can't compare living in DC in 2009 to surviving a 7 month winter with few supplies, but we have our own hardships to deal with. Tim must spend 2+ hours on the bus getting to and from work each day because he hasn't yet been issued a parking permit at his new command. This means that he leaves before we wake up and doesn't get home until 6pm, leaving enough time to eat, bathe the children, and read a story or two before it is time for prayers and bed. He is exhausted each day and the burden of all the household chores, errands, and activities on me leads to a constant feeling of being overwhelmed. The blessing we experienced last year of Gwen coming over every afternoon so I could go running has not been repeated this year. One babysitter calls regularly to say she is already late, cancelling for the day, or reducing her hours. Luckily the other girl (a homeschooler) is reliable, but only comes 2 hours on Fridays. Getting anywhere in DC means listening to the traffic report and groaning when the main road is blocked by an accident or finding out that a side road is blocked by storm damage. City living is not a good fit for our family and we long for the day when we move up to Maine for good and settle into a rural, more relaxed life.
However, the children have enjoyed riding the METRO. Yesterday Will drew a very elaborate train and road system on a roll of paper and all of them were playing happily (for the most part) for over an hour.
Hopefully, the years we will spend on our homestead will be filled with laughter, music, stories of our adventures in the big city, and an attitude that can triumph over the nastiest winter storm.
Wednesday, February 04, 2009
newpapers battle over # of children British should have
A bit from "no more than 2":
Couples who have more than two children are being “irresponsible” by creating an unbearable burden on the environment, the government’s green adviser has warned.
Jonathon Porritt, who chairs the government’s Sustainable Development Commission, says curbing population growth through contraception and abortion must be at the heart of policies to fight global warming. He says political leaders and green campaigners should stop dodging the issue of environmental harm caused by an expanding population.
“I am unapologetic about asking people to connect up their own responsibility for their total environmental footprint and how they decide to procreate and how many children they think are appropriate,” Porritt said. Times Online
a snippet from the "more is merrier" piece:
...it was bunkum to suggest that it costs as much as the price of a family house to raise each child. By sharing bedrooms, baths and toys, he could see that each additional child in a large family worked out cheaper to raise than a child in a small family.
Nor did he feel it was fair to calculate that each child adds an additional 750 tons of carbon dioxide to the environment. "What about economies of scale?" he thought.
"A four-person household uses half as much electricity, per capita, as a home for one. The people who are messing up the planet are the single people living alone in swanky apartments." Telegraph
Couples who have more than two children are being “irresponsible” by creating an unbearable burden on the environment, the government’s green adviser has warned.
Jonathon Porritt, who chairs the government’s Sustainable Development Commission, says curbing population growth through contraception and abortion must be at the heart of policies to fight global warming. He says political leaders and green campaigners should stop dodging the issue of environmental harm caused by an expanding population.
“I am unapologetic about asking people to connect up their own responsibility for their total environmental footprint and how they decide to procreate and how many children they think are appropriate,” Porritt said. Times Online
a snippet from the "more is merrier" piece:
...it was bunkum to suggest that it costs as much as the price of a family house to raise each child. By sharing bedrooms, baths and toys, he could see that each additional child in a large family worked out cheaper to raise than a child in a small family.
Nor did he feel it was fair to calculate that each child adds an additional 750 tons of carbon dioxide to the environment. "What about economies of scale?" he thought.
"A four-person household uses half as much electricity, per capita, as a home for one. The people who are messing up the planet are the single people living alone in swanky apartments." Telegraph
Tuesday, February 03, 2009
Don't want to pay your taxes?
I actually called Olympia Snowe's Maine office yesterday and asked if I could the same deals that nominees to Obama's Cabinet were receiving. (she voted in committee to confirm Geithner) After all, I have 5 children to feed and clothe and don't have 2 nannies or a driver. But no, that deal seems to be available only for Democrats who want average Americans to be "patriotic" and pay MORE taxes.
On the other hand, perhaps we could flush out all the tax dodgers in Washington, DC by looking closely at the rest of Obama's nominees.
WASHINGTON (AP) - Nancy Killefer, who failed for a year and a half to pay employment taxes on household help, has withdrawn her candidacy to be the first chief performance officer for the federal government, the White House said Tuesday.
When her selection was announced by Obama on Jan. 7, The Associated Press disclosed that in 2005 the District of Columbia government had filed a $946.69 tax lien on her home for failure to pay unemployment compensation tax on household help.
Obama's first choice for commerce secretary, New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson, took his name out of consideration when his confirmation appeared headed toward complications because of a grand jury investigation over how state contracts were issued to political donors.
More recently, Timothy Geithner was confirmed as Treasury secretary despite belatedly paying $34,000 in income taxes, and Tom Daschle is still waiting to see if his late payment of more than $128,000 in income taxes will harm his nomination to be health and human services secretary.
Killefer and her husband, an economics professor, had a teenage son and daughter, but she had two nannies and a personal assistant to run her life when she was on the road, she told Harvard business students back then.
On the other hand, perhaps we could flush out all the tax dodgers in Washington, DC by looking closely at the rest of Obama's nominees.
WASHINGTON (AP) - Nancy Killefer, who failed for a year and a half to pay employment taxes on household help, has withdrawn her candidacy to be the first chief performance officer for the federal government, the White House said Tuesday.
When her selection was announced by Obama on Jan. 7, The Associated Press disclosed that in 2005 the District of Columbia government had filed a $946.69 tax lien on her home for failure to pay unemployment compensation tax on household help.
Obama's first choice for commerce secretary, New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson, took his name out of consideration when his confirmation appeared headed toward complications because of a grand jury investigation over how state contracts were issued to political donors.
More recently, Timothy Geithner was confirmed as Treasury secretary despite belatedly paying $34,000 in income taxes, and Tom Daschle is still waiting to see if his late payment of more than $128,000 in income taxes will harm his nomination to be health and human services secretary.
Killefer and her husband, an economics professor, had a teenage son and daughter, but she had two nannies and a personal assistant to run her life when she was on the road, she told Harvard business students back then.
carnival of homeschooling
Dewey's Treehouse is hosting the carnival this week with a Identity theme. Do you know what kind of homeschooler you are?
It isn't just FOCA
This is the first I have heard about this bill:
By Kathleen Gilbert
WASHINGTON, D.C., January 27, 2009 (LifeSiteNews.com) - American Life League's (ALL) Judie Brown last week urged pro-lifers to actively oppose the Prevention First Act (PFA), legislation currently under review in Congress. The Act, if passed, would hand over millions to "family planning" methods, strike a blow to health providers' conscience rights, and financially pave the way for the Freedom of Choice Act (FOCA).
The Prevention First Act, which was introduced in the first day of the new Congress, is currently under review by a congressional committee.
"It's a one-two punch: FOCA to strip away all the restrictions and then PFA to pour millions, if not billions, in the abortion industry," Jim Sedlak, executive director of American Life League's (ALL) STOPP International and an expert on Planned Parenthood, told LifeSiteNews.com. "The Prevention First Act ... opens the floodgates for Planned Parenthood and all kinds of birth control, contraception, [and] family planning money."
In addition to supplying abortion and contraception with more taxpayer funding, Sedlak pointed out coercive elements in the bill, including a title requiring all hospitals that do not provide emergency contraception for rape victims to surrender all federal funding.
"That provision would also result presumably in Catholic hospitals having to shut down if they refuse to provide contraception," said Sedlak, noting that such hospitals would lose Medicaid and Medicare reimbursements.
PFA would require Medicaid to cover contraceptives in the same format as had been proposed, then removed, in Obama's economic stimulus package. In addition, all health insurance programs that cover prescriptions would be required to cover the abortifacient morning-after pill.
By Kathleen Gilbert
WASHINGTON, D.C., January 27, 2009 (LifeSiteNews.com) - American Life League's (ALL) Judie Brown last week urged pro-lifers to actively oppose the Prevention First Act (PFA), legislation currently under review in Congress. The Act, if passed, would hand over millions to "family planning" methods, strike a blow to health providers' conscience rights, and financially pave the way for the Freedom of Choice Act (FOCA).
The Prevention First Act, which was introduced in the first day of the new Congress, is currently under review by a congressional committee.
"It's a one-two punch: FOCA to strip away all the restrictions and then PFA to pour millions, if not billions, in the abortion industry," Jim Sedlak, executive director of American Life League's (ALL) STOPP International and an expert on Planned Parenthood, told LifeSiteNews.com. "The Prevention First Act ... opens the floodgates for Planned Parenthood and all kinds of birth control, contraception, [and] family planning money."
In addition to supplying abortion and contraception with more taxpayer funding, Sedlak pointed out coercive elements in the bill, including a title requiring all hospitals that do not provide emergency contraception for rape victims to surrender all federal funding.
"That provision would also result presumably in Catholic hospitals having to shut down if they refuse to provide contraception," said Sedlak, noting that such hospitals would lose Medicaid and Medicare reimbursements.
PFA would require Medicaid to cover contraceptives in the same format as had been proposed, then removed, in Obama's economic stimulus package. In addition, all health insurance programs that cover prescriptions would be required to cover the abortifacient morning-after pill.
Monday, February 02, 2009
stay of "execution" for crafters
Washington, D.C. – The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission voted unanimously (2-0) to issue a one year stay of enforcement for certain testing and certification requirements for manufacturers and importers of regulated products, including products intended for children 12 years old and younger.
Significant to makers of children’s products, the vote by the Commission provides limited relief from the testing and certification requirements which go into effect on February 10, 2009 for new total lead content limits (600 ppm), phthalates limits for certain products (1000 ppm), and mandatory toy standards, among other things.
The stay of enforcement provides some temporary, limited relief to the crafters, children’s garment manufacturers and toy makers who had been subject to the testing and certification required under the CPSIA. However, all businesses, including, but not limited to, handmade toy and apparel makers, crafters and home-based small businesses, must still be sure that their products conform to all safety standards and similar requirements, including the lead and phthalates provisions of the CPSIA.
The stay of enforcement on testing and certification does not address thrift and second hand stores and small retailers because they are not required to test and certify products under the CPSIA.
Significant to makers of children’s products, the vote by the Commission provides limited relief from the testing and certification requirements which go into effect on February 10, 2009 for new total lead content limits (600 ppm), phthalates limits for certain products (1000 ppm), and mandatory toy standards, among other things.
The stay of enforcement provides some temporary, limited relief to the crafters, children’s garment manufacturers and toy makers who had been subject to the testing and certification required under the CPSIA. However, all businesses, including, but not limited to, handmade toy and apparel makers, crafters and home-based small businesses, must still be sure that their products conform to all safety standards and similar requirements, including the lead and phthalates provisions of the CPSIA.
The stay of enforcement on testing and certification does not address thrift and second hand stores and small retailers because they are not required to test and certify products under the CPSIA.
Sunday, February 01, 2009
Museum of American History
The National Museum of American History has been closed for 2 years and just reopened in late November. With a free Saturday appearing on the calender I decided to take the big kids after breakfast and hop back on the field trip train. It had been a month since our last outing and boy, I noticed a big difference in my stamina. I can't imagine trying to go to work while 7-8 months pregnant since 5 hours walking around and riding the METRO wore me right out.
Both Will and Mary have been studying colonial history the past few months so we concentrated on looking at the Revolutionary War and life in colonial America exhibits, though we did hit a few of the other galleries.
George Washington's surveyor's equipment that he used to survey and resurvey Mt. Vernon and the box used to hold the papers from one of the Continental Congresses
Washington's camp stool and mess kit from the Revolutionary War
Washington's sword that he gave up at the end of the war
At dinner I asked each child what they liked the best about the museum. Will chose the C3PO costume from Return of the Jedi and the steam locomotive in the huge transportation exhibit. Mary picked the computerized world map that let her pinpoint where she, her parents, and grandparents were born. Maggie of course, chose the enormous dollhouse that makes our's look like a shack.
I finally pulled the children out the door after complaining that I couldn't walk another step, but promised another trip sometime soon. I recommend going as early in the morning as possible, as the afternoon wore on there were long lines for everything from the lockers to store coats to the very informational Star Spangled Banner exhibit. I want to add on a trip to Fort McHenry for the children to better understand the War of 1812.
May God bless America and help us teach our children much more of our nation's glorious history.
Saturday, January 31, 2009
where do you want to live?
While I am proud that we are a military family, one of the big downsides is the fact that we don't get to pick where we live. Navy hospitals are always in big cities surrounded by endless suburbs, be it Portsmouth, VA, Washington, DC, or Naples, Italy. So the whole family is looking forward to the big retirement day when we can unpack our things for the very last time and sit on our front porch and see just trees, fields, and sky. To get an idea of the scale, that little dark blob in the middle of the field is a large JD tractor, we can only see 1 house from anywhere on our farm.
Apparently many of my fellow Americans feel the same way:
...Pew Research Center survey out today on where Americans would most like to live. Whether they favor cities, suburbs or the countryside, almost half wish they lived somewhere else, the report found. City dwellers are more likely to dream of living somewhere else, and men in rural areas are far happier living there than women.
• 46% would prefer to live in a different type of community from the one they now reside. Adults 50 to 64 who live in cities are the least likely to say they live in the ideal place; two-thirds of those in that age group who live in the country say they couldn't imagine living anywhere else.
When Joe Higginbotham goes to town, he never runs into traffic jams. He never has to circle to find a parking spot. And he never has to worry about safety. "I can park my car in the street, get out, leave the keys in the ignition," says Higginbotham, 57, a retired instrument engineer for a large paper company. He runs errands at the bank, store and post office and makes a stop at the local saloon and "nobody bothers anything. … I love it here." What Higginbotham calls "his little piece of heaven" is Palisade, Colo., 15 miles east of Grand Junction. Population: 2,793. Traffic light: one. USAToday
When I head up to the nearest grocery store from our farm I might see 3 cars during the 10 mile trip. When I went to the Commissary yesterday afternoon it took me 3 cycles of the stoplight to simply cross Georgia Ave.
Friday, January 30, 2009
the bad, bad Tooth Fairy
After the first few children have gone through the ritual of putting their baby teeth under their pillows and receiving cash, I admit that this time around my excitement has faded. (maybe it has something to do with knowing the cost of orthodonture for 6 children) While I should be thrilled that Maggie lost her first tooth, I was just too tired to remember to sneak into her room for the switch.
The next morning a very disappointed little girl said, "I tried to stay up all night to catch the Tooth Fairy, but she never came!" I escaped parental purgatory by pointing out that her ziplock baggie wasn't under her pillow, but on Mary's bed so how could the Tooth Fairy be expected to find it? However, during the course of the day the clear baggie disappeared (much like a certain alligator, could we have Borrowers in the house?) and Tim told her, "No tooth, no money."
But little Maggie was determined indeed, she wiggled her other bottom front tooth and dashed into my room at 9pm Wednesday night, "I lost the other tooth!" You can just guess... I forgot again!
Thursday morning we put the little pearl in a special wooden box and Maggie made a Kleenex bed for it to stay safe. We also wrote this short letter to the Tooth Fairy explaining all that had happened. 
Luckily, this poor excuse for a Mommy Extraordinaire remembered long enough to slip that $2 under Maggie's pillow and enclose my own note.
Thursday, January 29, 2009
how many babies CAN fit inside a pregnant woman?
There is the scientific answer:
...the largest reported number of fetuses in one womb was 15...The largest set of children to be born together and survive—not including this week's octuplets, who are all still alive—is seven.
How do so many babies fit in one woman? The limit isn't so much the number of babies as their volume and weight. In general, once the total weight of the babies inside reaches about 12 pounds, the uterus goes into labor. The greater the number of fetuses, the earlier the labor will occur. (The rough formula for due dates is to start at 40 weeks of gestation for one baby and subtract three weeks for each additional child: 37 for twins, 34 for triplets, etc. It's remarkable, then, that eight fetuses were able to gestate for 30 weeks, as in the California case.) ... If the uterus gets too big and the fetuses too heavy, it can be difficult for the woman to breathe. The amount of placental tissue can also cause the mother to develop pre-eclampsia, or pregnancy-related hypertension. seniors world chronicle
And the Mommy with a 34+ week baby inside her tummy answer: 1 is plenty!
...the largest reported number of fetuses in one womb was 15...The largest set of children to be born together and survive—not including this week's octuplets, who are all still alive—is seven.
How do so many babies fit in one woman? The limit isn't so much the number of babies as their volume and weight. In general, once the total weight of the babies inside reaches about 12 pounds, the uterus goes into labor. The greater the number of fetuses, the earlier the labor will occur. (The rough formula for due dates is to start at 40 weeks of gestation for one baby and subtract three weeks for each additional child: 37 for twins, 34 for triplets, etc. It's remarkable, then, that eight fetuses were able to gestate for 30 weeks, as in the California case.) ... If the uterus gets too big and the fetuses too heavy, it can be difficult for the woman to breathe. The amount of placental tissue can also cause the mother to develop pre-eclampsia, or pregnancy-related hypertension. seniors world chronicle
And the Mommy with a 34+ week baby inside her tummy answer: 1 is plenty!
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
where did Quickfoot go?
Yesterday was a zoo. Between not waking up until after 7am and then the kids clambering to get outside in the snow, I was off to a rough start. Timmy pulled the typical toddler act of wanting to go out, but taking more time getting his snowsuit and boots on than he spent outside. I must have taken off 12 pairs of boots, dried 14 pairs of gloves, and swept the kitchen floor 6 times to get rid of the snow. I was certainly dreaming of a future mudroom with vinyl floors, hooks for coats, and a place to lay out mittens and hats to dry. One day I will have these things, but in Maine where they will be needed on a daily basis, not just once or twice a year.
The other thing that threw me off was the missing header picture on the blog. It just disappeared. Well, easy enough to fix, I'll just find the photo file and put it back in. No luck, I took that picture with my non-digital camera, it is stored on the old computer in Maine, and I have apparently lost the disk.
Plan B would be to take another picture of the two alligator bath toys. But.... I could only find one, even after looking all over the house two times, stooping uncomfortably to peer under beds, in toy chests, in the basement. Then I remembered that we had spotted the exact same alligator at the thrift shop last week and the kids begged me to get it. Maybe it is still there a week later?
So, after dropping off Will and Mary at piano we searched the toy aisle but of course it was gone. We did find a close substitute. I bet Will $5 that we will find Quickfoot (one of the two baby alligators in the picture book, No Fighting, No Biting by Else Minarik) when we pack up this house in 2 years, but until then, the lizard will have to do.
For fun read Creative Minority Report's adventure of Dad trying to get 5 kids to the doctor's office in record time and finding out 1/2 way there that 1 kid forgot his shoes... I haven't laughed so hard in a long, long time!
The other thing that threw me off was the missing header picture on the blog. It just disappeared. Well, easy enough to fix, I'll just find the photo file and put it back in. No luck, I took that picture with my non-digital camera, it is stored on the old computer in Maine, and I have apparently lost the disk.
Plan B would be to take another picture of the two alligator bath toys. But.... I could only find one, even after looking all over the house two times, stooping uncomfortably to peer under beds, in toy chests, in the basement. Then I remembered that we had spotted the exact same alligator at the thrift shop last week and the kids begged me to get it. Maybe it is still there a week later?
So, after dropping off Will and Mary at piano we searched the toy aisle but of course it was gone. We did find a close substitute. I bet Will $5 that we will find Quickfoot (one of the two baby alligators in the picture book, No Fighting, No Biting by Else Minarik) when we pack up this house in 2 years, but until then, the lizard will have to do.
For fun read Creative Minority Report's adventure of Dad trying to get 5 kids to the doctor's office in record time and finding out 1/2 way there that 1 kid forgot his shoes... I haven't laughed so hard in a long, long time!
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
incentive
This is the first morning in 2 years that the children have woken up to snow dusting the ground. I stumbled downstairs at 7:15 to notice and issue a proclamation, "No going outside until everyone finishes their schoolwork!" 
30 minutes later Will is working on his 3rd subject, a speed record for my pokiest child.
Monday, January 26, 2009
say what?
Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi boldly defended a move to add birth control funding to the new economic "stimulus" package, claiming "contraception will reduce costs to the states and to the federal government."
Pelosi, the mother of 5 children and 6 grandchildren, who once said, "Nothing in my life will ever, ever compare to being a mom," seemed to imply babies are somehow a burden on the treasury.
The revelation came during an exchange Sunday morning on ABC's THIS WEEK.
STEPHANOPOULOS: Hundreds of millions of dollars to expand family planning services. How is that stimulus?
PELOSI: Well, the family planning services reduce cost. The states are in terrible fiscal budget crises now and part of what we do for children's health, education and some of those elements are to help the states meet their financial needs. One of those - one of the initiatives you mentioned, the contraception, will reduce costs to the states and to the federal government.
It is all about the power over the people. These are the folks who want to give you "universal health care" and have the power to dictate medical treatments for every American: if 85 year old ladies get cancer treatment, if babies with genetic disorders are quietly "put to sleep", if mamas of 6 kids are sterilized without their knowledge, if teen girls are injected with birth control, if doctors and nurses and Catholic hospitals will be required to participate in abortion...
To say this is scary is putting it mildly.
Pelosi, the mother of 5 children and 6 grandchildren, who once said, "Nothing in my life will ever, ever compare to being a mom," seemed to imply babies are somehow a burden on the treasury.
The revelation came during an exchange Sunday morning on ABC's THIS WEEK.
STEPHANOPOULOS: Hundreds of millions of dollars to expand family planning services. How is that stimulus?
PELOSI: Well, the family planning services reduce cost. The states are in terrible fiscal budget crises now and part of what we do for children's health, education and some of those elements are to help the states meet their financial needs. One of those - one of the initiatives you mentioned, the contraception, will reduce costs to the states and to the federal government.
It is all about the power over the people. These are the folks who want to give you "universal health care" and have the power to dictate medical treatments for every American: if 85 year old ladies get cancer treatment, if babies with genetic disorders are quietly "put to sleep", if mamas of 6 kids are sterilized without their knowledge, if teen girls are injected with birth control, if doctors and nurses and Catholic hospitals will be required to participate in abortion...
To say this is scary is putting it mildly.
Sunday, January 25, 2009
winter scene
The builder up in Maine just sent us updated photos of our barn/machine shed that he is working on. The kids saw and immediately lamented the lack of snow we have here in DC. "There will be plenty of snow, even for you, once we move up there, I promise."
I was impressed that Timmy recognized the garage, "Our farm!"
Saturday, January 24, 2009
a blessing for all of us
Millions of rosaries have been offered for the reconciliation of SSPX and the Vatican, including one every day for the past 4 years by my dear husband Tim.
This just came out this morning:
Press release
of the Superior General of the Priestly Society of Saint Pius X
The excommunication of the bishops consecrated by His Grace Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre, on June 30, 1988, which had been declared by the Congregation for Bishops in a decree dated July 1, 1988, and which we had always contested, has been withdrawn by another decree mandated by Benedict XVI and issued by the same Congregation on January 21, 2009.
We express our filial gratitude to the Holy Father for this gesture which, beyond the Priestly Society of Saint Pius X, will benefit the whole Church. Our Society wishes to be always more able to help the pope to remedy the unprecedented crisis which presently shakes the Catholic world, and which Pope John Paul II had designated as a state of “silent apostasy.”
Besides our gratitude towards the Holy Father and towards all those who helped him to make this courageous act, we are pleased that the decree of January 21 considers as necessary “talks” with the Holy See, talks which will enable the Priestly Society of Saint Pius X to explain the fundamental doctrinal reasons which it believes to be at the origin of the present difficulties of the Church.
In this new atmosphere, we have the firm hope to obtain soon the recognition of the rights of Catholic Tradition
Menzingen, January 24, 2009
+Bernard Fellay
This just came out this morning:
Press release
of the Superior General of the Priestly Society of Saint Pius X
The excommunication of the bishops consecrated by His Grace Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre, on June 30, 1988, which had been declared by the Congregation for Bishops in a decree dated July 1, 1988, and which we had always contested, has been withdrawn by another decree mandated by Benedict XVI and issued by the same Congregation on January 21, 2009.
We express our filial gratitude to the Holy Father for this gesture which, beyond the Priestly Society of Saint Pius X, will benefit the whole Church. Our Society wishes to be always more able to help the pope to remedy the unprecedented crisis which presently shakes the Catholic world, and which Pope John Paul II had designated as a state of “silent apostasy.”
Besides our gratitude towards the Holy Father and towards all those who helped him to make this courageous act, we are pleased that the decree of January 21 considers as necessary “talks” with the Holy See, talks which will enable the Priestly Society of Saint Pius X to explain the fundamental doctrinal reasons which it believes to be at the origin of the present difficulties of the Church.
In this new atmosphere, we have the firm hope to obtain soon the recognition of the rights of Catholic Tradition
Menzingen, January 24, 2009
+Bernard Fellay
Friday, January 23, 2009
ditto what she says...
As Kathryn Jean Lopez said about the March for Life in this article from National Review Online, "This is what feminism looks like." (the text was imposed over a picture of Pope Benedict XVI)
homeschooled boys learn...
how to use reference materials by first asking, "Mommy where is that book that shows all the synonyms of words?" then shuffling through the pages before proclaiming, "Mary is malodorous!"
Not my preferred method of learning new vocabulary words, but it was good for a chuckle. After all, he doesn't really believe she smells, she simply has girl cooties.
Not my preferred method of learning new vocabulary words, but it was good for a chuckle. After all, he doesn't really believe she smells, she simply has girl cooties.
Thursday, January 22, 2009
why we are not going to the March for Life today
I just don't think I can handle being 7 months pregnant with no bathroom access, trying to keep track of 5 children in freezing weather, no means of parking my enormous van at a METRO station, and hauling enough food and supplies for all of us. We will say a Rosary for those who are traveling to DC today to take part in the March for Life. I wonder if all the trash that was left all over the Mall has been picked up yet. I don't recall seeing a single piece of litter after the March I attended a few years ago. Who are the environmentalists again? Can someone say, Leave no trace?"
This is going to be a very difficult time for those of us who love life, President Obama has already reversed the Mexico City policy of the US not paying for foreign abortions and rescinded President Bush's executive order that gave physicians and medical personnel freedom not to be forced to participate in abortion.
Here is a statement by Archbishop Burke for today:
Today is the 36th Anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court’s infamous decision in the cases Roe v. Wade and Doe v. Bolton, by which the highest court of our nation took away the safeguard of the most fundamental of all rights, the right to life, from the most vulnerable members of the human family, the unborn. Rightly, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops has, for some time, designated this day as a Day of Penance for Violations to the Dignity of the Human Person, and of Prayer for the Full Restoration of the Legal Guarantee of the Right to Life.
January 22nd is to be observed “as a particular day of penance for violations to the dignity of the human person committed through acts of abortion, and of prayer for the full restoration of the legal guarantee of the right to life” (General Instruction of the Roman Missal, no. 373). The legacy of the just-mentioned decisions has been an unconscionable decline in the respect for all human life.
By now, you are familiar with the latest and most heinous anti-life legislation the people of the United States of America are facing: the Freedom of Choice Act (FOCA). The passage of FOCA would lift all restrictions on procured abortion, force taxpayers to participate in the funding of procured abortions; revoke all informed consent, parental notification and conscience protection laws; and force even Catholic hospitals to perform abortions, which clearly would necessitate the closing of Catholic hospitals. I ask you to pray for the defeat of FOCA and to do all you can to work against its passage, while also working to protect existing pro-life legislation. For more information on how to become involved, please visit the USCCB website at http://www.usccb.org.prolife/.
In a special way, I address you, the members of the Marian Catechist Apostolate, on this Day of Penance. Reflecting on the circumstances in society which give rise to the necessity of a Day of Penance for Violations to the Dignity of the Human Person, I am deeply conscious of the much needed service of the Marian Catechist Apostolate in the renewal of society. I take the occasion of this most sad anniversary for our nation, to encourage you to redouble your efforts to grow in personal holiness and knowledge of the Catholic Faith, that you may always be equipped to share generously and courageously the richness of the Faith with others, for the transformation of society.
...Please join me today and always in calling upon the intercession of Our Lady of Guadalupe for the transformation of the culture death into a civilization of divine love and life. Invoking God’s blessing upon you and your home, I am Yours devotedly in Christ,
(Most Rev.) Raymond L BurkeArchbishop Emeritus of Saint LouisPrefect, Apostolic Signatura of the Supreme Tribunal
This is going to be a very difficult time for those of us who love life, President Obama has already reversed the Mexico City policy of the US not paying for foreign abortions and rescinded President Bush's executive order that gave physicians and medical personnel freedom not to be forced to participate in abortion.
Here is a statement by Archbishop Burke for today:
Today is the 36th Anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court’s infamous decision in the cases Roe v. Wade and Doe v. Bolton, by which the highest court of our nation took away the safeguard of the most fundamental of all rights, the right to life, from the most vulnerable members of the human family, the unborn. Rightly, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops has, for some time, designated this day as a Day of Penance for Violations to the Dignity of the Human Person, and of Prayer for the Full Restoration of the Legal Guarantee of the Right to Life.
January 22nd is to be observed “as a particular day of penance for violations to the dignity of the human person committed through acts of abortion, and of prayer for the full restoration of the legal guarantee of the right to life” (General Instruction of the Roman Missal, no. 373). The legacy of the just-mentioned decisions has been an unconscionable decline in the respect for all human life.
By now, you are familiar with the latest and most heinous anti-life legislation the people of the United States of America are facing: the Freedom of Choice Act (FOCA). The passage of FOCA would lift all restrictions on procured abortion, force taxpayers to participate in the funding of procured abortions; revoke all informed consent, parental notification and conscience protection laws; and force even Catholic hospitals to perform abortions, which clearly would necessitate the closing of Catholic hospitals. I ask you to pray for the defeat of FOCA and to do all you can to work against its passage, while also working to protect existing pro-life legislation. For more information on how to become involved, please visit the USCCB website at http://www.usccb.org.prolife/.
In a special way, I address you, the members of the Marian Catechist Apostolate, on this Day of Penance. Reflecting on the circumstances in society which give rise to the necessity of a Day of Penance for Violations to the Dignity of the Human Person, I am deeply conscious of the much needed service of the Marian Catechist Apostolate in the renewal of society. I take the occasion of this most sad anniversary for our nation, to encourage you to redouble your efforts to grow in personal holiness and knowledge of the Catholic Faith, that you may always be equipped to share generously and courageously the richness of the Faith with others, for the transformation of society.
...Please join me today and always in calling upon the intercession of Our Lady of Guadalupe for the transformation of the culture death into a civilization of divine love and life. Invoking God’s blessing upon you and your home, I am Yours devotedly in Christ,
(Most Rev.) Raymond L BurkeArchbishop Emeritus of Saint LouisPrefect, Apostolic Signatura of the Supreme Tribunal
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