Power to the People

Most of you probably haven't even heard what's going on in Maryland, but I would suggest that you check this out.

In Maryland, parents are being threatened with jail if they don't vaccinate their children. Are you kidding me? Since when does the state own one's children? Apparently since so many of our fellow citizens have rolled over and let them. One thing to note: look at the picture in this link. That's a policeman with a police dog. Now think.....where have you seen armed police with dogs?...... From reading accounts of people who were there, this was not the only officer with a dog. What were they expecting? or more accurately, what were they trying to impress upon those who were there?

http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/11/17/maryland.vaccines/index.html#cnnSTCText

If you haven't figured it out by now, I'd be one of those parents on my way to jail while my children were being secreted out of the state. Reason number 999 why we homeschool our children.

If you're interested, click this link to a blog by the president of NVIC (National Vaccine Information Center) for more details about Maryland's forced vaccination incident: http://vaccineawakening.blogspot.com/2007/11/
police-with-dogs-vaccinating-kids-in.html

It's Alive!!!!!

I don't know how it happened but some- how, my dead little digital camera has resurrected! I was cleaning off my horribly somewhat cluttered kitchen window sill, when I realized I had to get rid of it. One last try - I turned the dial to "on" and it sputtered to life (no doubt draining half the energy from the battery). But, it works!!!! Yea!!!! I think it got what I've been needing....a long, long, long vacation.

I have included this picture of Little Man that I have taken with my newly healed camera. Someone, and I'm not mentioning names, Second Darling, has clued him in on the "I need a drink before bedtime" routine. He's three now, so I guess his sisters decided to break him into the "gray areas" surrounding bedtime. How can you deny your child water? It's such a basic necessity, but oh, I find the strength. In one hand I was holding the camera, in the other....the notorious spanking spoon. (One day I'll tell you more about it...it's more legendary than it is used). One drink - then off to bed, and NO MORE GETTING UP!

What do you think?

Is it a sin to make your one-year-old dance for food? Our Fourth Darling has learned that she loves bananas, and when she sees them, she gets so excited that she does the cutest little dance. Those chubby little baby feet can move! Now, I look forward to those little dances. I'm actually planning on when I can give her another banana. (Is it possible to give a kid too many bananas?). After four babies, the budget gets pretty tight - so I get my entertainment where I can. It's okay though, I know she'll have me and Darling Man dancing quite a jig by the time she's a teenager.

Back to the Dark Ages

Ugh. Our digital camera died. Actually, I think it committed suicide. One day I snapped it on and then it just said "No. I can't do this anymore." It's actually been about six weeks now. All of these cool/precious/funny/extortion-worthy photo ops keep passing me by! I have my good 'ol film camera - which I love, but for everyday stuff I need my technology fix! Maybe Santa will bring me one. Probably not though - I think I saw him trying to dig loose change out of the couch the other night.

I was told that digital cameras aren't worth fixing. It's just cheaper to buy a new and updated one. You know this is how the nerds are screwing us, right? All of those high school years of torment are coming back to haunt us...just think about it. Everything technology based "isn't worth fixing." They're exacting their revenge by making us cough up even more money for technology that we don't even know how to fully use.

So for now, my millions six readers are going to have to put up with clip art and stuff off the web until I actually get a digital camera. How dull!

Cougars, Pirates and Butterflies

Hello chickadees. One of my latest adventures is my outing ("field trip" for you homeschoolers) to our neighborhood pub. This is the equivalent of Cheers for my brothers and cousins. We've been invited many times in the past, but yea, who has the time? Well, Saturday night we got the darlings to bed and my mom came over to watch the babies.

Darling Man and I got dressed and headed out the door around 10pm. I haven't started an evening that late since I was in college! Man, do I feel old. (Wait...I'll feel older in a minute). Arriving at the pub (pub sounds classier than bar, don't you think?) we could hear the live band through the walls. Inside we peered through the smoky haze, trying not to make eye contact with people we didn't know. Finally, Darling Man found my sibs in the farthest corner. We could tell it was them because it was the only group of about fifteen people (half of whom I'm related to).

After fully enjoying my sibs' and cousins' looks of shock, and something a little less than horror, we introduced ourselves to the people we didn't know as Mike and Carol Brady. (Old moment number 2 - some of these kids thought those were our real names). I don't think they ever thought we'd come by their hangout. Just the surprise factor was worth getting out past our bedtime.

It actually was a lot of fun. I got to see a real cougar in action, trying to make the moves on my little bro, aka Captain Jack Sparrow. (For those of you, like my mom, who don't know what a cougar is, google Oprah and cougar - I think she did a show on it). You don't know how disturbing it is to watch a late 40-ish woman, dressed as a skanky butterfly, tag teaming your brother with her daughter. After I pushed past the gag reflex, I laughed....and laughed....and laughed. Who would have though he'd be able to blush through all that fake tanning stuff? I enjoyed seeing him squirm. Another upshot to the situation of watching Madame Butterfly was that I didn't feel as old as I did just a few minutes earlier. By-the-way: the above pic is my actual brother - he looks a lot different with his eyes open!

My other bro was a vampire, sans creepy make-up. He only dressed up because his girlfriend "made" him do it. I guess he drew the line at face paint. They were a cute un-dead couple. I have to give her credit for keeping him safely away from the single girls trolling for a Halloween hook-up. Vampire brother had a nice little collection of give-aways from the alcohol companies and distributors, who apparently give stuff away at pubs. He slid the mound of flashing necklaces, key chains and Halloween goodies to me, "for the kids." The kids at homeschooling park day will love the Bud Lite Halloween bat necklace! (Hey, if the Halloween theme of the necklace doesn't get us excommunicated from the group, the Bud Lite insignia probably will). It was sweet that he was thinking of the darlings. Both bros are really good uncles.

Darling Man and I, wearing jeans and pullovers our mom and dad costumes, hang out for about an hour as we slam back the diet cokes. I can feel my eyes getting droopy and I'm ready to lay my head on the table - not from alcohol, mind you, but rather because it's almost midnight and I've got four kids who are going to be up and running in just a few short hours. We say our good-byes and leave before the costume judging contest. My brother, the pirate, won first place and $150. I think he spent that much on the fake beard and spray-on-tan.

Darling Man and I are not on the club/bar scene, and we never have been. But just having a place to "hang out" and visit was nice. Hmmmm.....how could we modify that scene for people in our homeschooling-yuppie-semi-granola-prohibition-crowd? Play dates and park days aren't it because our husbands aren't with us (and the kids are). Hey! I think I've got it.....wait, I think I've just invented Starbucks!

Wow! It Worked!

Well, who would have thunk it. I actually loaded Mozilla Firefox and it now allows me to reach my blog...all from the comforts of my nest! Yea technology!

So, how are you? I am sure, (and I'm sure Darling Man would agree), that I have sooooo many other things I should could be doing, but this is a great stress reliever for me. It's way better than compulsive shopping, counting the cracks in the foundation, and trying to figure out what I'm fixing for dinner tomorrow night. Ahhh...those were the days.

I digress...what have I been up to? Hmmmm. Where to start, where to start? Let's see. The nursery staff at our church basically insinuated that our Fourth Darling was being abused. They weren't so blunt or politically incorrect, but they were "concerned that she had so many bruises"...and..."were we doing 'okay'?" and" did I feel safe?" First and foremost, (because so many people aren't smart enough to recognize sarcasm) I understand the horrible realities of child abuse and 'objectively' I understand the nursery's concern - so don't send me any self-righteous comments about me not taking it seriously. What really pissed me off was that so many things were not taken into consideration before throwing such a loaded "insinuation" out there. First, my daughter is just slightly more tan than Casper the ghost. Secondly, she's one year old and a rookie at walking (although she has just about mastered climbing up on top of the dinning room table). Lastly, I had been asked once before, in a non-threatening aside, about her bruises. I explained then, without thinking twice, that all my children bruised at that age: they're white, (super white)- and very active. We don't keep them in a padded room (although right about now, I wouldn't mind one with a diet coke and some magazines). The first questioning didn't really phase me. I guess at the core of it, what just "got my goat" was that I felt that despite my assurances, they were questioning my love and mothering of my daughter, let alone the veiled implication that my husband was up to no good. I'm still pretty steamed...obviously.

Well darlings. Enough rage for one night. God is good. We are all fine...even the pale bruised one. Just so you'll rest easy...we had the Fourth Darling checked out at the pediatrician's office the very next day. (I was playing beat the clock with speed dial when I knew his office should be opening in the morning). He was incensed that we were questioned because, according to him, "these are very typical bruises for a toddler." She is not anemic nor a hemophiliac. I did let the nursery know the doctor's opinion, and thanked them for their concern, (of course my jaw hurt afterwards - it's very difficult to speak through clenched teeth).

On to next week. Monday morning the big green van will be bouncing down the loop towards the dentist's office. Poor thing, she has no idea what's about to burst into her office.

Sweet dreams!

AAAAAgggggggggghhhhhhhhhhhhh!

I know, I know. I'm a slacker. Actually, I have a legitimate reason for not posting in almost a month. My computer has decided to NOT go to the website for writing new posts. So, here I sit - surrounded by used up cigarette butts, clothes scattered and an unmade bed....nope, not my house - although it could be except for the cigarettes. I'm at my brother's bachelor pad.

I can't believe my kids are being quiet. Now that I've actually got the chance, I don't know what to write about. Oh, I've got lots to say, but I can't get it together at this moment.

So, don't give up. Hopefully I'll be posting soon about such things as my night out with my brothers (yikes!), the drama-drama-drama with people who make me realize why the world hates Christians and more.

I've got to get Little Bro 2 to fix my computer. I can't think without piles of laundry around me, the dishwasher running full and the dog sleeping on a pile of groceries that still need to be put away.