Better luck next time, Hilary!

You have to admit it. McCain's choice for VP is brilliant. I don't know much about her politics or if she will withstand the heat over the long haul. But by naming a woman as his running mate, Hilary has got to be fuming, and that makes me giggle. The "glass ceiling" just might get broken, but it ain't gonna be her. Get ready for an interest campaign, y'all. It's gonna be a bumpy ride!

On another note...those who know me personally know that I am a conservative. I've given up referring to myself as a "Republican" because I believe my party has let me down in the last 10 years. I'm not hopeful that will change any time soon.

But this is my platform to express something that totally bugs me about our general population. Too many of you are drinking the Kool-Aid. You get excited by cheesy, emotional campaign ads. Your main source of information is the mainstream media. You get all warm & fuzzy when you listen to warm fuzzy speeches. You do not do your homework on the candidates, AND you do not think for yourselves...you simply repeat what you hear.

The success or demise of this country is NOT in the hands of one individual. It's in our hands, but the sad fact is that we've handed that power over to elected officials who, for all their talk of working for us, go to Washington and carry out their own agendas.

I propose that every voter should at the very least:

1. Judge a candidate's potential by looking at his past political behavior...voting record, speeches, etc. In fact, watch things that you normally wouldn't. I, for example, did watch some of the Democratic National Convention. I don't want to get my information solely from conservative sources. I want to hear it from the horse's mouth.
2. Decide which candidate best represents your values - not just because of his/her party affiliation. (Perfect example would be politicians/candidates who are RINOs...Republicans In Name Only)
3. THINK, think, think for yourselves!! When a candidate talks of more support to other nations, more hand-outs and freebies here, etc.....he/she is talking about taking more of YOUR money. The federal government is funded by us, girls & boys.

I had a thought the other day...those who are in power now were probably coming of age in the 60s. Isn't this is the generation who told each other to not trust the government? So why, now that they are in power, are they trying to expand government at every turn??

Debbie Meyer's Green Bags...

...are TOTALLY awesome! I started using them this week, and I am very impressed, which doesn't happen often with something I see advertised on television. I bought my produce on Sunday afternoon, and usually by Wednesday or Thursday, everything looks pathetic. But today, the bananas are nearly as yellow as when I purchased them. The grapes are still firm. The peaches & nectarines look perfect. I'm in awe! Next week, I plan to test them with vegetables like celery. $10 for 20 bags...what a bargain!

Best Darn Corn-on-the-Cob....period

Ingredients:
One grill with flaming hot coals
Ears of corn still in their husks

Directions:
Place ears directly over the hot coals and cook for about 15 minutes...turning frequently. The husks will darken and may burn. That's okay! Remove the corn from the grill and let it cool for a few minutes. The husks protect the corn itself from burning and retain the moisture to help in the cooking process. When the corn is cool enough to handle, the husks peel easily and the silk can be pulled off in one "swoop" by simply tugging from the top. I've tried roasting ears in the oven, but it's not quite the same. When cooked on the grill, the ears have that great BBQ smell and taste. This is the only way I intend to cook corn-on-the-cob in the future!!

Teeny Shorts and Rancid Rice...Poor Ray

My husband was dressing Ray for church last Sunday while I got myself ready. I heard him say, "Wow, this shirt is way too small." I picked her outfit, and I thought the comment was odd. That outfit was definitely not too small last time, but the way kids grow, who knows? When I walked into the room, I saw him dressing her in one of Jordi's outfits. Sure it was too small! Jordi wears 6 month sizes, and Ray wears 3T or 4T sizes. I laughed at him as I told him to check the tag. Silly Daddy! Today, I realized that I'm not immune to such gaffs. Ray soaked her shorts before naptime, so I put her in a dry pair. I noticed they were a little snug, and she even said, "Too tight." But I thought they were okay once I got them past her diaper bottom. A few hours later during her post-nap diaper change, I glanced at the tag and read, "6 months". Nice...I made her wear a pair of her sister's shorts. In my defense, the shorts did not look like infant shorts!

Laugh at me all you like. Here's something that kept me laughing all night tonight.

I fed Jordi some carrots yesterday afternoon, and Ray wouldn't stop bugging me about it. She didn't understand that they were mushed carrots and kept telling me, "No, mommy, not carrots." I finally asked her if she wanted a bite, which she did. After that, she stopped arguing with me; they were indeed carrots. So tonight I fed Jordi some rice cereal, and Ray asked for a bite. She was all excited about it and was smiling until the borderline kindergarten paste hit her tongue. I swear, she gagged so hard I thought she was going to vomit. The stuff came flying back out at me!! She was a little stunned at first, but then she started giggling along with me when she realized that it was pretty funny. She tried to tell baby that her cereal was icky, but Jordi wasn't phased. I asked Ray a few minutes later if she wanted another bite to which she immediately refused. I barely got the question out before she said no.

Little sister learning the ropes

I was outside with the dog when I heard Ray scream. I frantically rushed inside only to see that Jordi had rolled over to where she was sitting and was bugging her. It's starting already....

AAAUUUGGHH!

As I'm typing this evening, I noticed that one of the diamonds in my wedding ring is missing!!!!! Thank God it's one of the little ones, but I am not looking forward to the estimate for getting it replaced. I'm also not looking forward to the trip to the jewelers, which is downtown....not a trip I'll be taking w/the girls.

Props to my peep

I try to encourage and praise my husband daily, but I don't think he always knows just how much I appreciate him. So I'm doing is publicly and hoping that he'll stumble across it. :)

Simply put, I couldn't do what I do without him...without his hard work, without his patience, without his understanding, without his big heart, without his dedication, without his commitment or without his love. He loves me unceasingly even when I do not deserve it. He loves the girls with such enthusiasm, I can't wait to watch as they grow and mature into strong young women because of him.

There was a time when I didn't think he had it in him, and I'm not saying that as a put-down. On the contrary, I want to highlight the fact that he's made many hard changes and choices in the 8 years we've been together. When we first started dating, there was so much baggage and hurt and crap that I never thought we'd get to the point where we're at now. But somehow God found both of us where we were, and He spoke to both our hearts. He planted within us a longing for the same thing...a strong marriage built on a mutual faith in and love of God Almighty. Ask anyone who's known him for awhile, and they'll tell you that he's not the same person that he used to be. He's not perfect, but I don't expect him to be.

I wouldn't classify our relationship as "perfect" because there is no such thing. A perfect relationship isn't possible between two imperfect individuals. To expect that is foolish. We love each other in action (not just emotion), and we're able to see each other as God sees us. That allows us to work through problems or disagreements. That also allows us to appreciate each other (and our contributions to this family) even more.

Our life has changed SO much since the girls came into the world. We're exhausted, and we don't have a lot of time with each other...something we intend to change. When I hear him make one of the girls giggle uncontrollably, or when he surprises me with something I've wanted or wanted done for a long time, I know he's still with me. My prayer is that we're able to sustain that commitment for a long, long time. As long as we look to God for our life's priorities, I think we just may be able to pull it off!

Love you, schmoop!

On eagles wings

This post is dedicated to my aunt's companion, Mike, who suddenly passed away last Monday of heart failure. Mike was only 48.

I didn't know Mike well because they lived in another part of the state. What I did know, I liked. He was goofy, fun and had a quiet servant's heart. He was a very important part of my aunt's life and her family. To say he will be sorely missed is an understatement.

Mike's funeral was today. I was very moved listening to the stories from his family and friends. Attending the funeral of a person his age (only a decade older than me) is emotionally draining and makes me reflect on my own life. I can only imagine what my aunt is thinking & feeling. When I put myself in her shoes, I can't help but sob deeply. She asked me to sing at the funeral, and I knew that I would take one look at her and start crying. Long story short...it just so happens that I professionally recorded the song she wanted. Thank goodness because I did cry!

We're not promised a long life. We're not promised a problem-free life. We're not promised a charmed life. We're just given life, and what we do with that life is what's important. From what I knew, Mike made the most of his. I'm sure he made lots of mistakes and blunders like all of us. But I'm also sure in his heart, he tried to find ways to make amends for those mistakes.

Here's to you Mike - I certainly hope you are soaring on eagles wings.

Sugar, sugar, sugar

Well, friends, I hate to admit it, but I failed the sugar challenge. I'd like to blame my husband for my demise, but I can't. He gave me too many "free" days last week (my birthday week), and it went downhill from there. I accepted the challenge to prove a point, but in reality, he proved his instead. I am proud of what I accomplished, and I fully intend to do my best to lay off the sugary treats...except when absolutely necessary. He told me before I started the challenge that I didn't need to win in order to get a weekend off, so I am going to hold him to that. Looking forward to a little peace & quiet after the last 2 weeks!

Beans, beans, the magical fruit...

I am of the opinion that entertaining a child doesn't require taking out a second mortgage. Toys are great, and a lot of great ones (both expensive and inexpensive) are on the market. My oldest, Ray, has never been much of a "toy kid" though. She's kind of like a cat. We bought a bunch of toys for her at first, but she had more fun playing with my muffin tins. Playing with toys is enjoyable for her, but she always seems to have more fun with every day objects. The idea I'm supplying today is such a simple one (and definitely not original), and this activity was a huge hit with her. She even asked to play with the beans later that evening...her version of a "thumbs up".

Beans, Beans & More Beans
Supplies: Various types of dried beans, suitable play area, various household items for moving and filling
Time: Ray played for about 45 minutes...with a little bit of interaction with me
Mess Level: Nothing a broom can't handle.
Directions: Show the child how to use the various household items to move the beans from point A to point B. Ray started with a couple bowls, a small cup and a spoon. I eventually added one of her sister's bottles, some mini bread pans and a funnel. About 20 minutes into the activity, I dug out the glue, and we pasted some on paper. She then returned to just moving the beans around.

Cool beans: Not only is this fun for the child, but it also helps her develop fine motor skills and control. She followed simple instructions too.

Mushy beans: Ray played in an area where I could watch her while I did my housework. She is not the kind of kid who puts everything in her mouth, nose or ears, so I didn't have to watch her like a hawk. If your child does like shoving things into her face, this activity should probably be a team project unless you need to run to the doctor's office anyway.

It's the little things

I was looking forward to video taping Jordi tonight as she got her first veggie. When we feed her cereal, she tries to sit up in the bouncy seat and her legs are racing at lightening speeed...it's really cute how excited she gets. In my mind's eye, I could see her all jazzed tonight up to that point when she realized, "Hey, this ain't oatmeal." I thought it would make for a funny video moment. Unfortunately, my daughter wasn't phased. In fact, she didn't even flinch. I saw a flicker of confusion on her face at first, but that was it. What a bummer! She barely reacted to her first cereal too. So either her taste buds are completely non-functional, or she just likes everything we give her. I'll have to keep the video camera handy though. Something will eventually make her flinch and shudder to give us that picture-perfect baby photo.

What would you do...

What would you do...

1. If you found $100 on an empty street? If there was no way to find the rightful owner, I would probably donate the money to a good cause...it's found money, but it's not really mine.

2. If a total stranger approached you in a dressing room and asked if her dress made her look fat...and it does. I would probably fib and say it doesn't.

3. If your best friend did the same thing? I would probably gently suggest a more flattering style, but I wouldn't come right out and say she looked fat in the dress.

4. If your car was stolen? Get online and find a new one. Oh yeah, probably call the police too.

5. If you didn't have the internet? Probably get a lot more done. I'd also have to go into an office every day to do my work, which would suck.

6. If you had the ability to read minds...would you? Probably my husband's and my kids' since it would be easier to please them if I knew exactly what they were thinking. I don't think I'd read anyone else's cuz I wouldn't want to know exactly what they're thinking about me.

7. If you were at work when you realized that you forgot to put a bra on this morning? Don't think that would ever happen, but if it did, I'd probably just stay slumped over my desk all day.

8. If you won a million dollars? We'd tithe on it to our church, set aside a chunk for retirement and college, probably buy a slightly larger home and maybe a newer car, a little for some fun spending...the rest would go to charity.

9. If you inherited an ant farm and your sister inherited a house? Open the ant farm at her new house...oops! :)

10. If you dropped your cell phone in a public toilet? Probably report it as stolen.

11. If you were leaving the airport and your child told security you weren't his mom? I don't know if I really could anything right then and there. I'd have to get my "revenge" at home once we got through all the red tape to establish that I am her mother.

12. If you hit your neighbor's dog with your car? Rush her to the vet hospital.

School starts today!

Today is the first day of school for kids in our area, and I'm thrilled! The beginning of school means an end to noisy neighborhood kids. Actually, the kids around here are pretty good...no noisier than any other their age. They seem to have a knack, however, for playing noisy games at the wrong time. Every afternoon, during naptime, they play baseball or football. And several evenings this summer, they started shooting hoops at 10pm or later. I don't deny that I'm thrilled that it will be coming to an end for awhile!

I am bummed that the days are getting cooler, which means fewer trips to the pool. There are still lots of things the girls and I can do. In fact, autumn is my favorite time of year, and I'm looking forward to the new adventures we'll have. I'm armed with a list of activities (which I'll post here) that I think Rachel will really like.

PS - Our dog seems to be doing better. She eats regularly and has regained some of her spunk. The vet will redo her lab work next week, so we're anxious to know whether she's improving or in decline. We obviously hope for the former.

A "new" motto for the 21st century

I read recently that this was a popular motto during the Depression:

"Eat it up, wear it out, make it do or do without."

Wow, folks, talk about the ultimate "green" perspective. This motto ought to be our motto today. If more people lived by this idea, we might have been able to avoid some of the pitfalls of our current economy. I love it!

Fun Activities for a 2-year old (Filter Art)

I have a hard time thinking of various ways to entertain Ray with activities that we can enjoy together. I fancy myself a creative person but not at a 2-year old level. Thanks to a few websites, I have a full list of activities that we can do together or that she can do alone. I'm in the middle of collecting my arsenal of supplies, which are mostly every day items. Having the supplies handy all the time will give her the flexibility to choose which activity she'd like to do. I'm sharing these activities with anyone who, like me, needs some help.

Filter Art
Supplies: coffee filters, washable markers, spray bottle of water and/or a cup of water and paintbrush, something to cover your work surface (optional)
Time: 2 minutes or 2 hours...however long your little one is interested
Mess level: Similar to painting with water colors or finger paint
Directions: I suggest flattening the coffee filters in a book the day before, but that is not necessary. Using the markers, create your masterpiece on the coffee filter. When finished, spray the filter with water. The water will make the colors blend creating a tie-die effect. Or the child could use a cup of water and paintbrush to smoosh the colors around. Hang the filter somewhere to dry. Clean up the mess; the colors will bleed through onto your surface. When dry, hang the filters in the window. They make great sun catchers!

How do you eat an elephant?

"One bite at a time."

I remind myself of this old addage as I look around at my cluttered, messy home. I am overwhelmed to the point of inaction; I don't know where to begin! The truth is that I just need to begin. I'm tired of the disorganization. I tired of the waste. I'm tired of loosing things that are needed, necessary and/or valuable.

It's not easy maintaining a home with two young children, and in my old age, I've realized that perfection is not realistic. But I also know myself, and I know that I can do better than I have in the past.

I've heard that a cluttered house is a reflection of a cluttered soul, and I agree. But that doesn't mean that I should leave either in disarray. As Ray gets older, I've recognized how well she learns from imitation...and she is certainly imitating my habits! It was bad enough when I had to clean up after my own messy self, but now I've got her mess to deal with. Soon enough, Jordi will be messing it up with us too.

I've got to get this "elephant" trained once and for all. And it starts with one tiny little bite.

The hits just keep coming

This week will just not end!! Can I call a "do over"...sans all the bad stuff? The one bright spot was visiting the Iowa State Fair w/my hubby and daughter on Monday. We all enjoyed ourselves primarily because Ray was so well-behaved. Wow, that didn't last! This is a kid who is, hands down, better than most kids her age, but the last few days have been more than difficult. Every six weeks or so, she really tests us, and we do our best to remind her who is in charge. Last night, she fought getting into the car seat, and it turned into a pseudo-WWF wrestling match. I finally snatched her out of the car, stared her dead in the eyes and said, "Hey...you...stop...it...right...now." AND THE KID TRIED TO STARE ME DOWN! I don't claim to be a child-rearing expert, but I don't think I'm that far off in my initial assessment...that it's a lot like raising a puppy. You have to teach the dog who's boss not through violence but by reminding them that they are not the leader of the pack. Dr. Phil says never to get into a confrontation with your child, but if you do, you better darn well make sure you win. I second that!! No way was I going to let that little girl stare me down; she looked away after about 20 seconds. In the dog world, that's a sign of submission. I assume that it worked cuz she immediately complied with what I demanded of her.

In addition to Ray's attitude, my in-law's situation with their adoption, and our leaky faucet....

1. The coffee pot broke.
2. We had a trying time at the portrait studio. Jordi didn't crack a smile at all, which isn't unusual. She rarely smiles for the camera at home. Ray lasted about 5 minutes before turning into "Monster Ray".
3. I didn't get in all my hours at work, which means less money in the bank account.
4. I'm behind on everything at home and work.
5. Oh yeah, my dog has cancer.

Well, the last one we don't know for sure. We can't afford to have the additional testing. But the vet suggests that her labs indicate some kind of cancer. The xrays revealed no tumors, so she thinks possibly a bone cancer or leukemia. Even if money was no object and the docs confirmed the diagnosis, we would not put her through treatment. So for now, we're treating symptoms in an effort to give her more time with us...obviously without causing her a great deal of pain. She's starting to eat better thanks to meds from the doc, so we'll just take it day by day. The thought of loosing her absolutely breaks my heart. My hubby was so upset last night that he said "no more dogs"...ever. Even though I adore my kitty, I cannot promise him "no more dogs" for the rest of my life...maybe for a few years until the girls get older. I've always had a special connection with my dogs; they are like my kids. And even though I wasn't present when they were born, I'm always there at the end. My hubby was with me when my last dog was euthanized. He was really uneasy about it at first; afterward, he was glad to be there. It's not easy to watch as your baby dies, but I could never let her die alone - only a stranger with her in the end. If it is Maya's time to go, I will be right by her side....sobbing deeply and stroking her fur, kissing her head and whispering words of love and thanks in her ear as she slowly falls asleep.

That's it....DO OVER!

Over half way done!

Yesterday marked the halfway point for my sugar challenge. I got to eat anything sugary on Monday, which was my "free" day, but hubby let me have ice cream last night on my birthday. And I needed it! (see previous post) I could be wrong, but I think I'll be able to make it until the end. Only 28 days left!!

Happy Birthday to me, I guess

Yesterday was my birthday. (I'm not revealing how old I am, so don't ask.) And the older I get, the less I feel like celebrating. Yesterday was definitely not a fun day. Our kitchen faucet started to leak from the side, so that needs to be replaced. I had to take the dog to the vet because she hadn't eaten in five days. We're still waiting to hear from the vet about the results of her blood tests. She's eaten a little bit but not much. Then we found out that my in-law's adoption may not be going through after having the baby for the last four days. We don't know much more than that, and we pray this isn't the end of the story for them.

I am very grateful though for a hubby who knows how to make me smile after a difficult day. While I was working, he & the girls gave me a birthday card and present, which was totally unexpected. He picked up one of those fancy Rachel Ray knives, which is terrific! No, I'm not homicidal after today. :) I enjoy cooking immensley, but my equipment is less than great. He knows I've been coveting one of these knives for awhile, so it was a great surprise. The card from the girls was pretty cute too. Thank God for a hubby who manages to make me smile despite the chaos that has ruled our lives the past several weeks.

Yes, Shawn Johnson is great...

...now can we shut up about her?! I'm sorry, but I am soooo tired of hearing about this little girl. She is EVERYWHERE! Yes, she's worked very hard for a long time to get where she's at, but she's being elevated to goddess by our local media, which is driving me batty. What I want to know is WHY the media always has to overdo it when it comes to things like this. Thank God, the gymnastics portion of the games will be over soon, so that we can all get on with our lives. Of course, about that time, the political ads will kick into high gear. Ugh!!!

An aunt is born!

My hubby's brother & his wife are in the process of obtaining a brand-new baby girl and hopefully will be bringing her home by the end of the week. We're all excited for them, and tickled pink...literally. Up until the baby was born, we all thought she was a he! So imagine everyone's surprise when we found out otherwise. I told them, "Welcome to the girls club!" It's never a dull moment to say the least - and it won't get really interesting for either family until the girls become snooty little pre-adolescents. Ah, the sheer joy...I can't wait. But until that joyous day arrives, I'll just keep cuddling my little princesses as often as I can. That might help fend off the "snooty" part of childhood, right?! Shhh...I'm basking in my fantasy.

Color me sugary

Day 26 of the challenge, and I'm feeling it. I'm tired most of the time, and all I want is a little pick-me-up. Then I ask myself if I want the reward more...and I do!! They say it takes 21 days to replace a bad habit with a good one. Poppycock. If I had a container of ice cream in the freezer right now, it would be gone by tomorrow night. Maybe my addiction to sugary treats will diminish even more in the last 30 days of the challenge, but I can't imagine that happening at this point.

Today though, I'm giddy as a school girl. In less than 48 hours, I will be awarded my "free" day, which means I can consume sugar for the entire day. Obviously, sugar won't be the only ingredient in my diet unless I want to end up in the hospital. But for this one day, I am released from the challenge without objection from hubby. He gave me this "free" day because the state fair and my birthday land smack dab in the middle of the 60 days. On Monday, we'll be heading to the state fair, and I cannot wait to indulge in some of my favorite sugary treats!!! As luck would have it, the monthly women's group from our church will be meeting that evening at the best ice cream place around. Since I'm "free" on that day, I'll get to indulge in my favorite ice cream that night too. Happy, happy, happy, happy, happy, happy day!!!!!

Working Girl-to-be

Due to my "mom" schedule, I usually work a few nights a week, but I have the luxury of doing my job from home. We recently transitioned my office (the 3rd bedroom) into Jordi's room and moved the office downstairs, which I hate, but I have a laptop that I can take wherever. Most evenings, I'll make the announcement, "Mommy's going to go work." Then I stretch out on our bed and set the laptop on my lap.

Ray, like most 2-year olds, is a great imitator. A couple days ago, she announces, "Go to work, Mommy. Bye!" She ran off to our bedroom, and I didn't hear a peep out of her for about 5 minutes. When I checked on her, she was sitting on our bed, so I asked her what she was doing. She said, "Working, Mommy." As I moved in closer, I could see that she had her little pretend laptop, made out of cardboard, on her lap, and she was furiously typing...just like mom.

Never a dull moment at our house

We were enjoying a quiet Thursay evening when all of sudden...THUMP! We thought one of the neighbor boys hit the house with their football, but we discovered that wasn't the case at all. One of our utility lines was sagging nearly to the ground. The neighbor boys were indeed playing football and saw the whole thing go down. Apparently, an 18-wheeler traveling nearly snapped the line off our house. At first, we thought it was the electrical line, but then we realized it was just the cable line. No biggie - we have a dish. A supervisor for the local electric company stopped on his way home to make sure everything was okay and to help traffic get underneath the line without snagging it again.

Friday evening, little Jordi's stomach decided that it wanted to churn...all night. I took Ray to grandpa & grandma's (something we'd planned beforehand), and Daddy stayed with Jordi. She vomited or dry heaved every 20 minutes from about 6-11:30pm. Ray was about the same age when she got her first stomach bug, and it just rips my heart out to see them so helpless and weak at such a young age. She didn't end up settling down "for the night" until about 3am this morning. Thankfully all is well today.

But bright & early Saturday morning, hubby had to head out for work. He doesn't normally work weekends, so this wasn't a welcome situation in my eyes...especially not after the night before. I was told that the job would have him home before noon, but I knew better. He didn't get home until about 5pm. I'm running on nothing but caffeine right now, and as soon as I stop typing, I'm sure to pass out.

This weekend was supposed to be a lazy, do-as-you-please kind of weekend. The kind of weekend we haven't seen in awhile. When I do return to full-time work, I can say without reservation that one of my primary strengths is the ability to adapt. You have to be flexible when you have kids!

My budding star

While I was cooking dinner, Ray played with an unopened box of vacuum seal bags. (She's always selected every day items to play with instead of actual toys.) I'm not quite sure what she was doing, but all of a sudden, she raises the box over her head and shouts, "TA DA!" Too cute! But she had me in stitches when she followed it up with "Thank you, thank you, thank you", and she bowed to acknowledge her imanginary audience. What a card. :)

This is me...take it or leave it

After my last soapbox entry, it occurred to me that many will still be offended even though that wasn't my intent. I can be a little more frank than people like, which is okay. This is just me; take it or leave it. I am very opinionated, which I don't apologize for. "You gotta stand for something or you'll fall for anything." That's my motto. I don't always follow conventional (aka popular) thinking. I hold opinions based on my experiences, my faith, my own brand of wisdom and my own form of logic. If you don't agree with me, terrific! I don't expect everyone to conform to the way I think.

I try to be as authentic as possible. You know where you stand with me, in other words. I don't try to be someone I'm not. I don't try to elevate myself above others. I don't try to make people think my life is perfect. I don't assume that I know everything (although sometimes it sounds like I do - ha), and I don't try to pretend that I have all the answers. Don't get me wrong, I don't air my dirty laundry to just anyone; there is something to be said about discretion. My life is far from perfect, and it is not quite where I would like it to be. But I'm not going to waste time making people think that it is. And I'm not going to keep my true feelings hidden beneath an exterior that is what I think other people really want to see. And with regard to staying at home or working after children, I think everyone should consider the former.

One of my biggest pet peeves is not meaning what you say to others. When I prepared to quit full-time work, I heard a lot of lip service paid to being a SAHM. Many told me, "I'd love to be at home, but we just can't afford it." I always assumed they were telling the truth, so every time, I would respond, "Why not look into making the switch?" Then the truth came out, and the real reasons for not staying at home were revealed. That irked me. If you have a list of excuses a mile long for not staying at home, then don't say that you would love to be at home...cuz that's not true. Just be honest! I especially appreciated the honesty of a few women who said, "I couldn't stand to be around my kid all day long." Or, "I can't let my degree go to wasted." Or, "I want my kid to have all the extras that I didn't have." Even though I didn't agree with their reason, I appreciated their honesty. It took guts to be that honest!

So if you responded with anger from reading my last post, why not try to respond with honesty about why you don't want to be at home w/your children. As I mentioned before, the decision work or not is personal for every family. We came to our decision because of values, experiences and expectations. What fits for our family may not fit for any other. If you're not willing to sacrifice your career or lifestyle to be at home with your kids, then please just be honest about it! Don't apologize for it. This life is too short to impress, please or cow-tow to other people's opinion of you.

My persuasive argument is this. If you would truly rather be at home with your children, then you do whatever it takes to make that happen. Whatever it takes.

Tickle-Me-Jordi

I don't blog much about Jordi (our 6 month old) for the obvious reasons. She makes smile every day, but she's just not as active as Ray...yet! I often wonder, though, what goes through her mind during certain activites. Specifically, does she wonder, "Why does everyone always tickle me?!" She obviously enjoys this passtime, but she's gotta be wondering why we do it so often. It's particularly fun to tickle Jordi though because she can't quite giggle yet. Her laugh is a rapid series of happy grunts and sighs. It's just the cutest sound on Earth, and after nearly 3 months of constant crying (when she was first born), I can't get enough of her little laugh!