GREAT Protector

(About this picture....Honor's idea of "walking the dog" is wrapping her leash around a large teapot and telling her to stay)


This "vicious" dog that you see before you ATTACKED my husband last night... yes, I am serious. Okay, maybe "attacked" was too strong of a word... she didn't break the skin or anything, but I am pretty sure she wasn't playing around either. Here's what happened...

My husband and I were sitting on the couch flipping through tv channels when we caught sight of a funny show. We were enjoying each other's company when my husband suddenly laughed really loudly and slapped my thigh accidentally. It made a really loud slapping noise and I yelled, "Ow, that hurt!" This caused Jasmine to jump up and bark at my husband.

Well, my husband COULD have told her it was okay and she should go lie down, but he is not always sensible like that. What he ACTUALLY did was antagonize the dog.

By-the-way...I just want to set the record straight here...Jasmine is HIS dog. She was his Christmas present 5 years ago and he has spoiled her rotten ever since (despite my constant warnings to the contrary). He's the one who takes her hunting, and he's the one who lets her climb into his lap...and he's the one who calls her his firstborn furry child. I'm the one who is constantly calling her names under my breath and making her kennel up and get out of my way. Although I must admit, since DeJour died, she has calmed down a ton and we get along better than ever (which was always fairly well...I AM a dog lover after all!) But also since DeJour died, Jasmine has been struggling with separation anxiety--and the focus of her affections is NOT Daddy, but Mommy.

Back to last night... so, instead of telling Jasmine to lie down, he thought it would be funny to fake punch me in the arm. Jasmine didn't like this. Immediately she started barking at him. My husband and I have roughhoused before and Jasmine usually just wants to join in the fun. But this wasn't the "I'm playing" bark that she uses when she roughhouses, this was the "stop hurting Mommy!" bark and it was immediately followed with the "attack Daddy's arm to get him to stop" bite. Again, I want to repeat that she did not break the skin, so she was under control...however, my husband said it DID hurt...she has never hurt him before. He stopped "hitting" me and she went and lay down in the corner. My husband was actually proud of her--it made him feel like she might protect me if he was gone. I thought that was funny. My "protector" gets bossed around by 3 year olds all day!

However, we were left wondering...who's dog is she????

Proud of Connor

Okay...I'm really proud of Connor so if you haven't looked at my other blog yet, please do and read today's product review...he's so smart! :-D

http://mommyknowsbestreviews.blogspot.com

Yes....Connor Really Did Ask Me...

.

"Mommy, do you have a brain in there?"




I then asked, "in where?" just to clarify...

Connor replied, "in your head."

I answered, "yep!"

Connor thought for a moment and then stated..."oh. So you are not a robot."
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Shameless Plug

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Okay. My husband told me that I spend too much time on the computer blogging and looking at blogs. He figures that if I am going to spend all this time on here, I might as well make some money at it. Since we will lose most of the income we currently receive from the kids when we are finally able to adopt them, we are looking for ways for me to make money without taking time out of my primary job as a mom--which I feel is the most important job in the world.

Soooooo... I started a new blog with ad sense that is open for anyone to read and is actually listed on google (this one isn't). I am going to do product reviews on it and have ads on it. I have already copied several of my blogs from here on to that blog so it is "filled out" a little bit already.

So here is the shameless plug:

1. Please visit my blog and click on the ads :-D.
2. If you have a blog, please link to my "Mom Knows Best" blog on your blog: http://mommyknowsbestreviews.blogspot.com/

I am not expecting to become rich at this...in fact, I really don't think I'll make any money at it at all, but I like writing about stuff I use anyway...might as well put some ads on there and see if anything comes of it! And hopefully the reviews will be fairly entertaining too.

Still keeping this blog btw...but since I talk about my kids by name on here, I want to keep it more "private"...
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Good Morning Honor

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"Mommy! I took a good nap! I slept really well!"

"Yes, you did! Good job!"

"I found a booger!"

"That's nice."

"I picked it, but I didn't know what to do with it."

"mmmmhmmm"

"But it's okay...I ate it!"

"That's great...thanks for sharing..."

"Aw, silly Mommy! I didn't share it!"
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What Kind Of Mother Are You Quiz

Here's a quiz to find out what kind of mother you are. Although I don't think any quiz can really "nail" me down, this little bit fits me pretty well. This was kind of hard for me since I identified with both choices for most of the questions, but its an interesting quiz anyway... If you take the quiz, post your results in the comments section--I'm interested to know how your's turned out...

http://www.motherstyles.com/quiz.asp

Your type is: intj —The “Individual Integrity” Mother

“My kids are better off arguing their own point of view than telling me, ‘But everyone else is doing it.’”

• Individualistic and independent, the INTJ mother is both a role model and teacher of how to be an individual and live life with integrity. She is introspective, defining her own success from within, and generally confident in her decisions. She is unlikely to be persuaded by her children saying, “But all the other mothers are doing it.”
• The INTJ is competent in providing for her children’s basic needs, but she is likely more focused on developing their self-esteem and confidence. Observant and insightful, she puts great importance on independent thinking and self-sufficiency, yet she is comfortable providing protection and boundaries.
• Self-motivated and intense, the INTJ works hard and takes life seriously. As a mother, she lives for those moments when she can impart knowledge and offer her children perspectives on life and important issues.

Confession

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I have allowed my son to hold more than one poop-filled diaper as a distraction so I could put on a clean diaper and shorts...
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Bees

I have a great respect for our yellowish brown and black pollinating friends. In fact, I think they are kind of beautiful in their own way. Going from flower to flower, providing us with lots of honey (which make the best graham crackers), and all-in-all minding their own business. Growing up, I was taught that if you do not mess with them, they will not mess with you. I clearly remember my mom asking the local bee keeper to remove a newly formed beehive rather than spraying it down with bug spray and killing it. Yes, as a child, I understood that bees are our friends.

Then I became a mother.

I still find bees fascinating--several yards away from my children. Every time they come near my sweet, innocent babies, I imagine a giant stinger coming out like a miniature sword ready to pierce my child's tender skin with its sharp point tipped with poison.

I am trying my best to be careful not to teach my children to be afraid of bees while still teaching them that they are different from flies. It is a delicate balance. Honor at one point thought all flies were bees and would huddle in the corner when one came near. Since Connor would daily hear my calm reassurance that flies are okay, I now have the difficulty in keeping him from grabbing at bees because they are his "friends". Ariana is somewhere in between. And Samuel...well he is just Samuel and all things are a curiosity to him.

And so I have taught the kids that no matter what the flying insect is, we do not bat at it or try to catch it. Instead, if an insect lands on us, we gently blow it off. This was a trick that I learned while working at the Iowa State University Insect Zoo. Insects that land on you (unless they are intending to eat you or suck on you in some way) consider you as part of the landscape. When you blow on them, they don't think of it as a threat--more like wind--but if you swat at them, they will see it as a threat and will sting/bite you in self-defense.

And then came swim class.

The humidity was high. The flowers were in bloom. And pop cans were rampant around the pools edge. Prime bee territory. And so they came. Choosing their favorite hangout as the ledge directly between my innocent children. I began blowing with a frenzy. And the bees would disappear for short periods of time...always returning and feeling the need to fly circles around the kids' heads a few times before hovering above the ledge.

At one point I looked over at Connor and froze. A bee had landed on my son's ear. I had been afraid that this would happen--Connor's ears stick out like perfect little patios on the sides of his head, inviting a bee family and all their bee little friends to come over and relax for a quick bite of pollen and cool refreshing glass of nectar before taking back off for work. Unfortunately, I was not sitting close enough to Connor to remedy the situation immediately.

Slowly, so as not to alarm Connor, I inched my way over to him. It seemed to be okay. Connor hadn't noticed it was there. But, just as I was about to get within perfect blowing range, Connor reached up his hand. In slow motion I heard myself yell, "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO.....DDDOOOONNNN'TTTT TTTOOOUUUCCCHHH!" and as if I were in an old war movie with the bullets raining down, I dove at his hand, knocking it away just before the fatal touch. The bee was almost as surprised as Connor and hurriedly flew away...without stinging Connor.

Needless to say, I was VERY relieved when swim class was over.

Yes, bees are still my friends...

Does anyone know where I can find some travel-sized bug spray?

My Kids Are NOT Practice Siblings

A small pet peeve of mine is playdates with "only" children. Don't get me wrong...I LOVE hanging out with other mom friends and giving my kids a chance to play with other kids and have a change of scenery. Plus "only" kids have the best toys! However, I have found that mothers with kids that don't have siblings tend to think my kids should teach their kids how to share and play nice together. I understand the concept: kids without siblings don't have as many opportunities to practice playing with other kids. But just because my kids are around other kids all day long does not mean they are used to rudeness.

Scenario #1:

Honor is playing with a random toy in the room. Playmate comes over and takes toy away, yelling "that's MY toy!". Playmate's mom laughs it off saying, "Well, Buddy doesn't have any siblings so he doesn't know how to share yet." Taking this cue, I gently ask Honor to find another toy. Honor complies.

Scenario #2:

Playmate is playing with a toy. Samuel comes over and takes the toy. Playmate hits Samuel. Connor yells to Mommy, "Buddy just hit Samuel!" Mommy jumps in and tells Samuel "no no", redirects him elsewhere and gives the toy back. Playmate's Mom says nothing.

Scenario #3:

Ariana is playing with a toy. Playmate doesn't think she should play with that toy. Playmate hits Ariana. Playmate's mom says, "Don't hit." Playmate hits again. Mommy tells Ariana to play on the other side of the room. Playmate's mom turns to me and says, "Buddy isn't used to having to share his toys."

Scenario #4:

Playmate has 4 identical toys. Connor wants to share one of them. Playmate hoards them to his chest and refuses to give any up. Connor tells me, "Buddy isn't being kind to one another!" I tell Connor that he needs to play with something else until playmate is done with those toys. Playmate's mom reiterates that "Buddy isn't used to having to share his toys."

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I understand that there is more going on in these situations than just a lack of siblings. The mom (actual a couple of moms from playdates/play areas at the mall) is not acknowledging that her son is doing anything wrong, thus perpetuating the problem. However, I rarely run into these issues with playmates that have siblings. Their moms are quick to jump in and discipline... possibly because they are used to interacting with multiple children and know their kids are not to be trusted...

Yet, I feel the need to say something regarding sharing with siblings...THE KIDS DID NOT TEACH THEMSELVES HOW TO SHARE.

If I left them to themselves to learn how to share, it would not happen. Kids are naturally selfish. I am lucky so far that none of my kids have hit another child outside of their own family members. However, these moms are getting a false sense of security if they think their children could do those things to each other and get away with it. Things don't go as smoothly at home as they do at others' homes. If I am not right there with my kids, and one of their siblings took their toy, there would be a large fight. Generally one of the others will take sides and there will be 2 on one.

Would these moms allow their son to hit their baby and chalk it up to him not having siblings before??? NO! Yet they think it is fine for their child to hit Samuel because he must be used to it with all the other kids around all the time. He is tough (thankfully!), but I have also taught the kids to redirect Samuel and distract him with other toys or move where he can't get them instead of hitting.

I WORK with my kids everyday, all day long. Sharing does not come naturally. I start teaching them to share when they are babies. When their whole world revolves around them....they learn they need to share--with MOMMY!! **gasp**. That's right. Even without siblings, Honor learned how to share well before Connor arrived. When playing with Honor, I didn't just let her have what I was playing with. I made her ask, and I didn't always say, "yes". I made her say, "please" and "thank you". I played WITH her. We practiced taking turns by having Mommy put a block on and then Honor and then Mommy and then Honor and so on and so on...

It's not perfect. Kids will be kids. Connor taught Honor some nasty little tricks that she has now mastered and taught to Ariana. But if you never give your child the opportunity to learn how to share and then put him/her in a playgroup situation to practice sharing, don't expect it to come naturally! And even if you practice it all day long everyday, you still need to monitor the kids' interaction to make sure they are following through on what you've taught them.

Don't expect my kids to be practice siblings for your kids. Yes, they are a little more patient due to having experience with others stealing their toys, hitting, etc. But it isn't much fun for them if they are always having to be the object lesson, is it?

Innocence

I was watching the movie, Penelope, (which I love btw) with the kids. At the end of the movie, like in most "fairy tales", the heroine gets a VERY romantic kiss from the hero. Right during the passionate embrace, Connor chooses to yell:

"Look Mom! They're best friends!"

yep...I suppose they are...

The Cry of a Mother's Heart...

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TAKE A NAP!!!!

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Squeaky Clean

In pretend car voice:

Honor's car: "Come over here...let's get squeaky clean!"

Connor's car: "No...let's get squeaky dirty!"

I'm So Small

Stare up at the vast, blue sky sometime and watch the clouds float by...it really puts things into perspective.

Batteries Not Included

I enjoy spending time with my children...which is a good thing since its my 'job'! Saturdays are my favorite day though for selfish reasons--it is tv day (otherwise known as "me" time). I turn on TBN and let the kids watch "Auto-B-Good" and "Friends and Heroes" and "God Rocks"...they love it and I feel good about it since they are shows that teach them about God and principles of good character. Plus there are no commercials!

But "Bibleman" comes on at 10 am and scares the kids so I have 30 minutes to entertain them until "Davey and Goliath" comes on. In the winter, I let the kids play outside during this time, but right now it is WAY too hot out. So to get their wiggles out, I roughhouse with them. Today this included pretending the [indoor] slide was a waterfall and they had to ride the waterfall to get off the cliff, but then they landed in a mud pit and they needed to be dragged out by their ankles, thrown up over my shoulders and spun until all the mud came off--to climb the mountain and ride the waterfall off the cliff....

After the 4th "ride", Connor did a melodramatic fall to the ground. I thought this would be a good time to incorporate what we've been learning in swim class. "What do you do if you fall into the water?" I asked. Connor dutifully replied, "I go into an airplane." Meaning he rolls over onto his back and lays like an airplane. So I excitedly yelled, "Oh no! You fell into the lake! Roll over into an airplane!!!"

Connor looked over at me like I was an idiot.

"Connor! Go into an airplane!!!"

"Moooooommm! I can't go into an airplane! My batteries are dead!"

Connor is So Observant

Connor never ceases to surprise me with what he picks up. Often I think he is not paying attention because he is usually chattering away when we're talking, but then hours later he can repeat back verbatim everything that we've said.

Back in May I wrote a post entitled:Missing My Shadow--Finding a New One? In that post I wrote:

Thankfully Connor and Ariana didn't seem to mind too much that DeJour wasn't there--they've always been more attached to Jasmine.

Fast forward to today. We were all sitting around the table playing with playdough. The kids wanted me to make playdough dogs so I did--two of them.

Connor: "See Mom...a Jasmine dog and a DeJour dog. See...she's not dead. Now you don't have to be sad anymore! DeJour isn't broken anymore--you fixed her. "

My little sweetheart is so tender-hearted and empathetic. I honestly never thought he understood what had happened to DeJour because he didn't get upset like Honor. And he still talks about her often...it's always "Jasmine and DeJour" when we talk about the four-footed members of our family. But he did understand and has been looking for a way to "help" me replace my missing "friend"--first with looking for the bouvier, and now with the playdough. I pray that we as parents are able to nourish his tender heart and he grows into a man that loves and cares for others. What a special gift God has given to this world in Connor.

Beautiful Feet

Okay...I just want to point out my new picture at the top of my blog.

The original picture was part of a group of pictures I had professionally taken of the kids by Julyssa Schenk Photography (mostly Samuel) for Samuel's 1-year photos (we have permission to reprint). Steph e-mailed me last night and asked for the picture of all the kids together and didn't tell me why she wanted it. So I dutifully sent it.

This morning I opened up my e-mail to see this beautiful re-edited picture! This was pretty much exactly what I had envisioned when I first did the shoe picture--I am just not talented enough to do it! Julyssa did a fantastic job of getting all of their feet in the picture and Steph finished the creation. I am so blessed to have such an artistic sister-in-law who is capable of creating images that I have in my mind! (FYI...I loved the original picture as well--it captured their little faces just being themselves perfectly...but it makes me nervous to have their faces on a blog that has all of their names all spelled out... and Steph knows that)

Thank you Steph!!!

Singing With Honor

I will sing of the mercies of the Lord forever
I will sing! I will sing!
I will sing of the mercies of the Lord forever
I will sing of the mercies of the Lord!

With my mouth will I make NOISE
my faithness, my faithness
With my mouth will I make NOISE
my faithness to all generations!

Ariana's First

One of the greatest moments for me as a parent has been listening to my children's first prayers...it is right up there with getting my first hug, hearing the first word, and seeing the first steps. Ariana did her first prayer tonight. We've been praying together for a long time now, and usually when it is time for her to pray, she just sits there quietly smiling until I say "Amen". Tonight she actually prayed...it went something like this:

Dear Heavenly Father,

Thank you for Mommy and Daddy. Thank you for mumble, mumble, mumble, mumble. And mumble, mumble, mumble. And mumble, mumble, mumble, mumble, mumble.

In Jesus Name, Amen!

Sweet Partings

Leaving for the store with Honor...

"Bye Daddy!" Honor shouts as we drive away. "Mommy! You need to say goodbye to Daddy!"

"Bye Daddy!" I shout.

"No Mommy! You don't say 'bye Daddy'! You say 'bye husband'!"

oh.

Dressing Dangerously

Honor yelling in a sing-song voice from beneath her bedroom door this morning:

"Mooooooom!"

"Yes Dear."

"We want ooooouuuut!"

"Okay...just a minute."

"What are you doooooing?"

"I'm putting my clothes on."

"Oh. Okay. Be careful!"

Biblical Worldview

I thought this quiz was interesting:

Do You Have a Biblical Worldview?

I got a 96%...I would have gotten 100%, but I misunderstood two of the questions...

You Know You've Assimilated To Arizona When...

...the temperature outside is 86 degrees and you feel it is too cold to turn the air conditioner on.

Honor's Bedtime Prayer

Dear Heavenly Father,

Thank you much for Mommy and Daddy.

And I pray that Mommy will give me crackers and I will eat them all up.

And I pray that Mommy will give us snacks and we will eat them all gone.

Thank you...mmmmmm...mmm...

And I pray....mmmm....mmm...

In Jesus' Name, Amen

The Dangers of Mopping (and Other Connorisms)

It doesn't surprise me that my kids don't know what a mop is...I rarely use one in front of them.

(I mop when they go to bed...*tsk, *tsk...all you people thought I meant I don't clean!)

However, today I needed to mop in the morning because the caseworker was coming over after naptime and we had some massive milk spills this morning. So I put the kids in their highchairs for lunch and began the process. Knowing Connor's propensity to put everything in his mouth, I felt the need to turn this into a "life lesson"...

Mommy: "This is poisonous. It is dangerous. NEVER stick it in your mouth!"

Honor: "Can we get down?"

Mommy: "No, you will slip and fall and crack your heads wide open!"

I start to mop the bathroom floor. "OW!!!" I go into the dining room to see Honor lying on the floor.

Honor: "Mommy! I fell and cracked my leg wide open!"

Honor climbs back up onto her chair and Connor begins the countdown of dry spots.

Connor: "Mom! The floor is dry over there! Look! The floor is not wet there!"

and later

Connor: "Mommy, is that stuff on the floor dangerous?"

Mommy: "Yep so you can't touch it and you never stick it in your mouth."

Connor: "Yeaaahhh. I should never lick the floor."

mmmhmmm!

Fast forward to evening. I am cooking dinner, the kids are in the front room. I hear the bathroom door opening and shutting and assume it is Ariana messing around...

Mommy: "What are you doing in there?"

Connor: "I just went potty." Walking towards me... "Mommy, I saw the man with tools in the movie in the bathroom!"

Mommy: "What on earth are you talking about?"

Connor: "On the magazine in the bathroom...I saw the man with tools!"

Oh...okay...that makes much more sense!

Connor: "What are you doing?"

Mommy: "I'm making dinner."

Connor: "What is that?" no answer "What is that, Mommy...is it poisonous?"

Honorism

And now back to my regular posts...


Honor and Samuel were playing on the floor. Honor decided to teach Samuel a word (FYI...although Samuel IS walking now...he is NOT talking much :-D). From the floor I hear Honor's patient little voice enunciating for all it is worth over and over again...

Ra-zaw-nia

After about the 5th time, I finally corrected her.

"It is Lasagna dear"

"Yeah Samuel, La-zaw-nia...."

Politics...Are You Really What You Think You Are?

I keep seeing/hearing more and more people who have a misunderstanding of the basic premises behind the Republican/Democratic parties. For those of you who care, here are what the parties stand for...or are supposed to stand for. (Not saying that either party has a good representation running for president currently). And if you don't care...just skip this post altogether--it is VERY long ;-).

Republicans: (from Wikipedia)

Founded in 1854 by anti-slavery expansion activists and modernizers, the Republican Party rose to prominence with the election of Abraham Lincoln, the first Republican president. The party presided over the American Civil War and Reconstruction and was harried by internal factions and scandals toward the end of the 19th century. Today, the Republican Party supports a conservative platform (as far as American politics are concerned), with further foundations in economic liberalism, fiscal conservatism, and social conservatism.

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Democrats: (from Wikipedia)

The Democratic Party traces its origins to the Democratic-Republican Party, founded by Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, and other influential opponents of the Federalists in 1792. Since the division of the Republican Party in the election of 1912, it has consistently positioned itself to the left of the Republican Party in economic as well as social matters. The economically left-leaning activist philosophy of Franklin D. Roosevelt, which has strongly influenced [Modern] liberalism, has shaped much of the party's economic agenda since 1932. Roosevelt's New Deal coalition usually controlled the national government until the 1970s. The civil rights movement of the 1960s has continued to inspire the party's liberal principles,^[2] despite having lost the more conservative South in the process.

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Mommy's oversimplified definitions: [in general]

Republicans want less government involvement

Democrats want more government involvement

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Issues: ("Traditional" Views In General)

Abortion:
Republicans: Pro-life
Democrats: Pro-abortion
BIBLE: Psalm 139:13, Ecclesiastes 11:5, Jeremiah 1:4-5, Exodus 21: 22-23
Candidates for presidency 2008: abortion
(Had to add this article in here....)

Finances:
Republicans: Reduce taxes/reduce government programs
Democrats: Increase taxes (ideally on the wealthy)/increase government programs
BIBLE: 1 Corinthians 4:2, Romans 13:8, Luke 14:28, Proverbs 22:7, Proverbs 13:22
Candidates for presidency 2008: Budget and Spending

Corporations:
Republicans: Against regulating corporations/anti-union
Democrats: For regulating corporations/ pro-union
BIBLE: Romans 13:1-2
Candidates for presidency 2008: Corporations

Crime/Punishment:
Republicans: Less laws/stiffer punishment for law breakers
Democrats: More laws/looser punishment for law breakers
BIBLE: Genesis 9:5-6, Exodus 20:13, Romans 13:1-5, Numbers 35:15-34, Exodus 21-23, Acts 10:34-36
Candidates for presidency 2008: Crime/Punishment

Environment:
Republicans: For being good stewards of the environment, but keeping people as first--and making sure that science is factual and supported before moving forward on recommendations.
Democrats: For being good stewards of the environment, but where people and nature come into conflict, (where possible) believe people should be removed to allow nature to cure itself.
BIBLE: Genesis 1:28, Genesis 2:15, Proverbs 12:10, Romans 1:18-25
Candidates for presidency 2008: Environment
Okay...a couple of other little articles I feel I need to put here simply because it is a common misconception that Republicans don't care about the environment: Global Warming, Who's House is This?, Who's "Greener"

Gay/Lesbian/Transgendered Rights:
Republicans: Sexual orientation is a choice and/or you cannot visibly be discriminated by it, thus it should not be protected under discrimination laws--what goes on in the bedroom should stay in the bedroom/ Against gay marriage.
Democrats: Sexual orientation should be protected under discrimination laws/hate crime laws/ For gay marriage.
BIBLE: Genesis 19:1-13, Romans 1:26-27, 1 Corinthians 6:9-11, Genesis 2:21-24, Matthew 19:4-6
Candidates for presidency 2008: LGBT Rights

Gun Control
Republicans: For upholding the 2nd Amendment right to bear arms for self-defense
Democrats: For stricter gun control--including taking guns away from citizens in high crime areas
BIBLE: Exodus 22:2, Luke 22: 35-38, 1 Timothy 5:8
Candidates for presidency 2008: Gun Control

Illegal Immigration: (one of the places where I feel our current candidates are on the "wrong" sides for their parties...)
Republicans: Send them back/strengthen our borders
Democrats: Open borders
BIBLE: Romans 13:1-7
Candidates for presidency 2008: Immigration

Iraq War
Republicans: While not "for" war, feel that this war was necessary and that an early pull-out will cause disastrous consequences. Various opinions as to how to end the war or what is considered "early"
Democrats: Feel that diplomacy should always be used instead of war. Where war is necessary, it should end as soon as possible.
BIBLE: Ecclesiastes 3:1-3,8, Numbers 31:1-24, Luke 21:9-10, 1 Samuel 17, Romans 13:1-5, 1 Timothy 2:1-2
Candidates for presidency 2008: Iraq War

Jobs/Unemployment/Welfare
Republicans: Less government involvement
Democrats: More government programs
BIBLE: 2 Thessalonians 3:10-15, 1 Timothy 5:8, Proverbs 14:21, Matthew 5:42, Matthew 25:34-40, Proverbs 21:25, Proverbs 26:12-16, Proverbs 20:4, Proverbs 13:4, Ephesians 4:28, Acts 20:34-35
Candidates for presidency 2008: Jobs/Unemployment /Welfare


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Okay...those are basic issues that I feel people care the most about and/or I could find clear guidelines in the Bible about them. Probably no one besides me will read all of these verses, but I found it interesting looking them up. I feel everyone should know what the Bible says on a topic that they are voting on--where possible.

One more article. I get irritated when I hear people say something along the lines of: Republicans just want to make the rich richer and the poor poorer. Or that Republicans only are concerned about the welfare of the rich. That is completely biased and unfair. Here is just one really good article about that. It is so good in fact that I am just copying it and pasting it here.

Source: http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2008/03/conservatives_more_liberal_giv.html

Conservatives More Liberal Givers

By George Will

WASHINGTON -- Residents of Austin, Texas, home of the state's government and flagship university, have very refined social consciences, if they do say so themselves, and they do say so, speaking via bumper stickers. Don R. Willett, a justice of the state Supreme Court, has commuted behind bumpers proclaiming "Better a Bleeding Heart Than None at All," "Practice Random Acts of Kindness and Senseless Beauty," "The Moral High Ground Is Built on Compassion," "Arms Are For Hugging," "Will Work (When the Jobs Come Back From India)," "Jesus Is a Liberal," "God Wants Spiritual Fruits, Not Religious Nuts," "The Road to Hell Is Paved With Republicans," "Republicans Are People Too -- Mean, Selfish, Greedy People" and so on. But Willett thinks Austin subverts a stereotype: "The belief that liberals care more about the poor may scratch a partisan or ideological itch, but the facts are hostile witnesses."

Sixteen months ago, Arthur C. Brooks, a professor at Syracuse University, published "Who Really Cares: The Surprising Truth About Compassionate Conservatism." The surprise is that liberals are markedly less charitable than conservatives.

If many conservatives are liberals who have been mugged by reality, Brooks, a registered independent, is, as a reviewer of his book said, a social scientist who has been mugged by data.

They include these findings:

-- Although liberal families' incomes average 6 percent higher than those of conservative families, conservative-headed households give, on average, 30 percent more to charity than the average liberal-headed household ($1,600 per year vs. $1,227).

-- Conservatives also donate more time and give more blood.

-- Residents of the states that voted for John Kerry in 2004 gave smaller percentages of their incomes to charity than did residents of states that voted for George Bush.

-- Bush carried 24 of the 25 states where charitable giving was above average.

-- In the 10 reddest states, in which Bush got more than 60 percent majorities, the average percentage of personal income donated to charity was 3.5. Residents of the bluest states, which gave Bush less than 40 percent, donated just 1.9 percent.

-- People who reject the idea that "government has a responsibility to reduce income inequality" give an average of four times more than people who accept that proposition.

Brooks demonstrates a correlation between charitable behavior and "the values that lie beneath" liberal and conservative labels. Two influences on charitable behavior are religion and attitudes about the proper role of government.

The single biggest predictor of someone's altruism, Willett says, is religion. It increasingly correlates with conservative political affiliations because, as Brooks' book says, "the percentage of self-described Democrats who say they have 'no religion' has more than quadrupled since the early 1970s." America is largely divided between religious givers and secular nongivers, and the former are disproportionately conservative. One demonstration that religion is a strong determinant of charitable behavior is that the least charitable cohort is a relatively small one -- secular conservatives.

Reviewing Brooks' book in the Texas Review of Law & Politics, Justice Willett notes that Austin -- it voted 56 percent for Kerry while he was getting just 38 percent statewide -- is ranked by The Chronicle of Philanthropy as 48th out of America's 50 largest cities in per capita charitable giving. Brooks' data about disparities between liberals' and conservatives' charitable giving fit these facts: Democrats represent a majority of the wealthiest congressional districts, and half of America's richest households live in states where both senators are Democrats.

While conservatives tend to regard giving as a personal rather than governmental responsibility, some liberals consider private charity a retrograde phenomenon -- a poor palliative for an inadequate welfare state, and a distraction from achieving adequacy by force, by increasing taxes. Ralph Nader, running for president in 2000, said: "A society that has more justice is a society that needs less charity." Brooks, however, warns: "If support for a policy that does not exist ... substitutes for private charity, the needy are left worse off than before. It is one of the bitterest ironies of liberal politics today that political opinions are apparently taking the place of help for others."

In 2000, brows were furrowed in perplexity because Vice President Al Gore's charitable contributions, as a percentage of his income, were below the national average: He gave 0.2 percent of his family income, one-seventh of the average for donating households. But Gore "gave at the office." By using public office to give other peoples' money to government programs, he was being charitable, as liberals increasingly, and conveniently, understand that word.

Separation of Church and State...

is NOT in the constitution!!!

This seems to be a little known fact and something every American should know. The term, "Separation of Church and State", is something that the media likes to point to whenever it looks like a Christian is trying to institute prayer in school or a Bible study lead by a teacher outside of school, or a cross on a government monument. Let me help clarify some things.

The first amendment states:

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

This clearly DOES NOT state that there cannot be religious monuments or prayer in government or anything remotely like that. As a matter of fact, it was written to PROTECT those wanting to exercise their religious views (whatever those views may be). As long as those religious acts don't violate other laws (such as animal cruelty laws or murder), everyone is entitled to their own religious views.

And that is one of the things that makes this country great. If you start telling people they are not allowed to practice what they believe, then you are telling them how to think and feel and emote. It is a basic God-given right to worship.

I believe in the Bible, and I will tell everyone I meet to believe what the Bible says is true, but if they don't...THAT'S THEIR PROBLEM. That is between God and them. I truly believe that those who do not except Jesus Christ as their personal savior will be spending eternity in hell. I am sure many people find that offensive. But I live in a great nation where I am allowed to state that to whomever I want--as long as I don't violate their personal property or cause them physical harm.

Someone else may worship Budda or Ra or some other god. That is their prerogative. I think they are wrong, but they can worship them all they want. God doesn't want to force us to follow His will...otherwise He wouldn't have given us a free-will.

But people like to say that all other "religions" are just different "cultures", but Christianity is being shut out because it is a "religion" and that just chaps my hide! ;-)

We, as Christians, are protected by the First Amendment to FREELY express our religious views, whenever and wherever we choose. The government cannot force people to go to church, but it also cannot force them to STOP going to church....or praying in public if we choose to do so. It is our GOD-GIVEN right.

And that is all I have to say about that!

This is a great article for more reading about this topic:

Myth of Separation of Church and State: http://www.christianworldviewnetwork.com/article.php/117/Kerby_Anderson

Foil Head

A good friend of ours came over to color my hair today (she is a professional hair stylist who has won awards for her coloring...and she only charged me for the materials :-D).

Here were some of the comments from Connor and Honor:

"Mommy, Aunt Andrea is going to paint your hair."

"Mmmmm...it smells like blueberries!"

"Andrea, be careful with Mommy, okay? Don't hurt her."

"You are going to look beautiful, Mommy!" "Don't I look beautiful now?" "Nope, not yet."

"Mommy you look like an elephant!" (referring to the foil hanging over my ears).

"Mommy, you look like a rainbow" (referring to the dye before it got washed out).

"Are you going to keep the pretty colors in your hair?"

"Aw, Mommy, you look beautiful!"

Coloring With Honor

Look Mom! That boy's crying!

Cheeseburgers

The kids call cheeseburgers "krabby patties". We actually encourage this because we think it is cute and a sign of their innocence.

Today, Daddy and Connor went out for some "male-bonding" time. They went to see the movie, "WALL-E" (but didn't get to see the ending because of a power outage!) and afterwards went to Wendy's for lunch. Connor had a blast. When I tucked him in for his nap, I asked him about his morning. After giving me a long speech about the good guys/bad guys in the movie, he told me about lunch--enunciating as best he could, he told me: "I had a krabb...I mean, I had a Ham-Bur-Bur." He's so cute!!

One More Article

As Americans celebrate the 232nd anniversary of the signing of The Declaration of Independence, one scholar notes the document is more a submission to God than an assertion of rights.

Dr. Larry Arnn is president of Hillsdale College in Michigan. In a recent article published on TownHall.com, Arnn calls The Declaration of Independence "a most remarkable declaration." He says that it is remarkable to remember that all who supported the document and all who signed the document were committing acts of treason punishable by death. But perhaps most remarkable was the documents four references to God.

"The posture of The Declaration of Independence is an appeal to heaven. And so it's really a beautiful thing if you put the four places that God is mentioned together in the declaration. He's mentioned as the maker of the laws of nature and of nature's God – which makes him a legislator. He's mentioned as the supreme judge of the world – which makes him a judge. He's mentioned as divine providence – which makes him an executive. And he's mentioned as the creator – which is like being a founder," Arnn explains.

Dr. Arnn says the message of the declaration is that the powers of government could only be rightly united in the hands of God. "So the posture of the document is one of humility before God, and although it is a revolutionary document – very emphatically – it begins as a document of obedience to the laws of nature and of nature's God...," Arnn contends.

Arnn concludes that the The Declaration of Independence "...is a submission [to God] at the same time as it is an assertion [to the King of England]."

Pete Chagnon - OneNewsNow - 7/4/2008 4:00:00 AM

Happy Independence Day!

All the way over to Grandma and Grandpa's house, I practiced what the kids should say to them when they first walked in. "Happy Independence Day, Grandma" they dutifully repeated back to me over and over again.

When I got Connor and Honor out of the car, we practiced one more time before I sent them to the doors ahead of me. When Ariana, Samuel and I walked in, I enthusiastically greeted my in-laws with "Happy Independence Day!" and then triumphantly asked my mother-in-law how she had been greeted by the older two.

"Happy American's Day!"

Why is America Great?

Why can I boldly sing, "I'm proud to be an American, where at least I know I'm free." Why does my heart still swill with pride when I see an American flag being raised and hear the "Star Spangled Banner" blaring through some warn out speakers on a ball field? Why is it when America is in trouble, the vast majority of Americans rise to the occasion and come together rather than falling apart. What is this American Spirit that drives us on???

Well I can't really explain it. It is not something that can be put into words. However, as I was looking on-line to see if someone more eloquent than myself was able to put it into words, I found three articles that together, sort of, sum up why America is great.

An article by a columnist named James Hitchcock, states that our religious freedom is what makes us great. "Before Americans become self-righteous, it is of course necessary to acknowledge the moral corruption of American life. Americans too are self-indulgent and hedonistic, and our list of sins is very long. But most Americans still profess belief in the idea of sin. They acknowledge a moral law higher than themselves, even if they often violate it. Thus they retain at least the possibility of repentance..."

An article by an Indian immigrant named, Dinesh D'Souza, states that is is our economic possibilities that makes America great. "America is the country where we are the architects of our own destiny. This is the place where we get to write the script of our own lives. "

An article by Michele Bachmann, states that it is our eternal optimism and spirit that makes us great. "With the words "all men are created equal," our founders set in motion a journey toward freedom that would lift up the face of the world. Today, millions live in freedom and peace — here in America and around the globe because of the rebellion they began."

But my favorite article about what makes America great is by a Canadian broadcaster named Gordon Sinclair. He felt America was great because of our spirit of generosity. Back in 1973 he said this:

"The Americans" The United States dollar took another pounding on German, French and British exchanges this morning, hitting the lowest point ever known in West Germany. It has declined there by 41% since 1971 and this Canadian thinks it is time to speak up for the Americans as the most generous and possibly the least-appreciated people in all the earth.

As long as sixty years ago, when I first started to read newspapers, I read of floods on the Yellow River and the Yangtse. Who rushed in with men and money to help?

The Americans did.

They have helped control floods on the Nile, the Amazon, the Ganges and the Niger. Today, the rich bottom land of the Mississippi is under water and no foreign land has sent a dollar to help.

Germany, Japan and, to a lesser extent, Britain and Italy, were lifted out of the debris of war by the Americans who poured in billions of dollars and forgave other billions in debts. None of those countries is today paying even the interest on its remaining debts to the United States.

When the franc was in danger of collapsing in 1956, it was the Americans who propped it up and their reward was to be insulted and swindled on the streets of Paris. I was there. I saw it.

When distant cities are hit by earthquakes, it is the United States that hurries into help... Managua Nicaragua is one of the most recent examples. So far this spring, 59 American communities have been flattened by tornadoes. Nobody has helped. The Marshall Plan .. the Truman Policy .. all pumped billions upon billions of dollars into discouraged countries. Now, newspapers in those countries are writing about the decadent war-mongering Americans. I'd like to see one of those countries that is gloating over the erosion of the United States dollar build its own airplanes. Come on... let's hear it!

Does any other country in the world have a plane to equal the Boeing Jumbo Jet, the Lockheed Tristar or the Douglas 107? If so, why don't they fly them? Why do all international lines except Russia fly American planes? Why does no other land on earth even consider putting a man or women on the moon? You talk about Japanese technocracy and you get radios. You talk about German technocracy and you get automobiles. You talk about American technocracy and you find men on the moon, not once, but several times ... and safely home again. You talk about scandals and the Americans put theirs right in the store window for everyone to look at. Even the draft dodgers are not pursued and hounded. They are here on our streets, most of them ... unless they are breaking Canadian laws..are getting American dollars from Ma and Pa at home to spend here. When the Americans get out of this bind ... as they will... who could blame them if they said 'the hell with the rest of the world'. Let someone else buy the Israel bonds, Let someone else build or repair foreign dams or design foreign buildings that won't shake apart in earthquakes.

When the railways of France, Germany and India were breaking down through age, it was the Americans who rebuilt them. When the Pennsylvania Railroad and the New York Central went broke, nobody loaned them an old caboose. Both are still broke. I can name to you 5,000 times when the Americans raced to the help of other people in trouble. Can you name me even one time when someone else raced to the Americans in trouble?

I don't think there was outside help even during the San Francisco earthquake. Our neighbours have faced it alone and I am one Canadian who is damned tired of hearing them kicked around. They will come out of this thing with their flag high. And when they do, they are entitled to thumb their nose at the lands that are gloating over their present troubles. I hope Canada is not one of these. But there are many smug, self-righteous Canadians.

And finally, the American Red Cross was told at its 48th Annual meeting in New Orleans this morning that it was broke. This year's disasters .. with the year less than half-over… has taken it all and nobody...but nobody... has helped.

ORIGINAL SCRIPT AND AUDIO COURTESY STANDARD BROADCASTING CORPORATION LTD. (c) 1973 BY GORDON SINCLAIR

Freedom of Speech

Honor told me (actually yelled at me) today that she doesn't "want to be an American!" So..............I put her in time out.

TV Shows

Have you seen this show: "The Baby Borrowers"? I just caught a couple of minutes of it during the commercial break for "So You Think You Can Dance" and I was a little (okay, horribly) disturbed. I could not imagine leaving my babies with a complete stranger for 3 days...especially when the stranger knows very little about babies! Apparently the parents are allowed to step in whenever they feel like it, but from what I saw (which I'm sure is what the producers wanted me to see), the babies were crying the whole time! My little heart skipped a beat when one of the guys kept referring to the little girl as "it"...ooooohhh...Mommy rage was edging up! I really couldn't watch that show. It was bothering me WAY too much. And that's all I have to say about that!

They're Listening

I am trying very hard to get a Bouvier des Flandres for our next dog. They are HUGE, adorable, "teddy bear" dogs that are known for their easy temperament, versatility, guard dog capabilities and for being excellent with small children. I have been searching everywhere for this dog, but, (surprise, surprise) large, hairy dogs are hard to find in AZ. (Although these dogs are fairly hard to find anywhere...) I have contacted several breeders in CA and a couple in AZ, but either they don't have a litter right now or they won't contact me back. Frustrating!!!

Although I have not talked to the kids about it specifically, they have apparently been listening into my conversations. Connor was sitting on the couch where Daddy had briefly turned on the news. I was sorting mail when Connor started shouting excitedly at a news report about dogs that are left in the CA fires.

"Mom!!! A Booyeah! A Booyeah!!! Look Mommy! There's your dog! You can go get your dog that you want now!"

Isn't he a sweetheart???

Things I've Learned...If You Care...

My children have taught me a lot in the last 4 years (almost) about...children. Well, babies-preschoolers to be exact. Here are some of the things I have learned that those of you without children may not know...or those of you with children either haven't learned YET or have forgotten:

Children Climb

ALL children climb to some extent or another. It is their way of getting to be an adult--or at least as tall as one. They climb furniture, bookcases, entertainment centers, over baby gates, on top of computer cabinets...you name it, my children have probably tried to climb it. If there is nothing to climb, they will make something. My children have taken all of the containers off of the shelves in the playroom, stacked them, climbed on top of them and one-by-one attempted to climb over the fence. Yesterday morning, my daughters pushed all of their stuffed animals into a corner making a furry mountain to climb in a futile attempt to get to the fan mounted on their wall. It is inevitable--children WILL climb. The only combatant for this climbing instinct is to remove everything from the room. Since that is usually not an option, bolting down everything will at least keep things from falling on top of them.

Children Make Messes

Lots of them. Everyday. All day long. It doesn't end as they get older...they just learn to clean up after themselves--sometimes. The culmination of this is at mealtimes. They will get food all over themselves. A baby will spit food all over his chin. Don't bother wiping it off--it will happen the next spoonful and the next and the next. A toddler will wipe food in her hair or make a hat out of her plates, bowls, cups, tablecloths. A preschooler knows HOW to use a spoon and fork, but hands usually tend to be quicker. And a child given a cup without a lid on it will spill it 9 times out of 10...food will often be found floating in it in the 10th time.

Children Are Selfish

I'm sorry. I know that goes against everyone's wonderful dream of children being sweet and innocent...THEY'RE NOT! Okay...sure they do really cute things and I'll give you that they are naive...but they are amongst the most selfish creatures I know. Toys are "MINE!". They want to choose all the movies. "I want to do it!", "Don't look at ME!", "He's touching ME!" are phrases that are commonly heard throughout the home. It starts at birth. Babies believe the world revolves around them. After all, when they cry, we come running! As they move towards toddlerhood, they begin grabbing things--everything MUST belong to them since the world revolves around them. Towards the end of toddlerhood, they are taught to share, but that is not their preference. Experts call this "side-by-side play", HA! As preschoolers, they will share their toys, but only if their playmate wants to play with it their way. Yes children are selfish.

Children Are Liars

Again, I know this goes against the whole sweet, innocent picture that people have about small children, but it is true! Children lie for many reasons...most of which being that they think they won't get in trouble. They lie because they think they know what you want to hear. All of the kids (except Samuel) have told me they went potty when they didn't simply so they could go back to playing with their toys. Honor is often heard saying, "Ariana did it" even when I am sure Honor did it (or even when Ariana is in the other room with me!). Ariana is starting to catch on, but she doesn't blame someone else, she just runs to the other end of the house as if nothing happened. Connor...oh my sweet Connor. Let's just put it this way...Honor is much more believable. Connor lies for attention. He used to say he was sick when he wasn't so I would cuddle him. I caught on to that one and started making him go to bed every time he said he was sick. Soon he stopped being sick. But now the reverse is a problem. Last week he had a head cold. I thought he was sick by the way he was acting, but he refused to tell me he was sick. I kept asking him if he was sick and begging him to tell me he was sick so I could give him medicine. He eventually went down for his nap without eating more than a couple of bites of cheese--still maintaining he was "just fine". So much for my good idea!

Children Thrive On Routine

I'm not talking about a strict time schedule: 6 am wake up, 7 am breakfast, 8 am potty, etc. But kids like to know what is coming next. A routine is calming for them. For example, my kids know that when they wake up, breakfast is ready and when they are done with breakfast they get to play and when Barney is on lunch is ready and after lunch they get to play and then it is naptime and when they wake up they get a snack and then they get to play and then it is dinner and then they get to play and then it is bedtime. They get a little flustered when, for example, lunch is pushed back to 2 pm. Yeah...flustered isn't exactly the right word...hmmm...in my house it is more like a pack of hungry wolves descending on an innocent lamb if lunch isn't served during Barney.

Children Are Mimics

Everything you do as an adult is under scrutiny. They enjoy taking the things that you wish you'd never said and repeating them over and over again just as you said them. "Stupid dog! Arrggg!" And they like to take things you said and use them out of context. "Daddy, Mommy is going to spank your bottom when we get home!" Or say things really loudly at inappropriate times. "Look Mommy! He is a stranger! He is a bad guy!" But for the most part, they are just plain "mini me's". For example, I often find Honor telling me that it is time to get "the kids" up. Ariana enjoys telling the other kids "don't touch that!" and I have caught Connor kicking a cabinet in an exact imitation of Daddy after he's stubbed his toe--as if it was the poor cabinet's fault! So watch what you say and do...the children are watching!



And just for the fun of it...some helpful tips for siblings that save my sanity:

Color coordinate everything!!!
The kids are much easier to find when you are out and about if they are all wearing the same color. Sippy cups/bowls/plates have less chance of being stolen if the child knows which one is their's by the color.

There's a place for everything...
If there is a place for everything, then the kids can easily put everything in its place. To stop fights, assign one child one group of objects to put away...then when that is done, they can do something else. For example, I have Honor pick up the kitchen stuff, Connor picks up the cars/bricks/balls, and Ariana picks up the blocks/stuffed animals. Samuel helps by knocking down everything the other kids have just picked up.

Children hate to share...
....so don't make them. Keep a group of toys separated that each child knows is "his or her" toys. Everything else is first come/first serve, but their "special" toys are always their's first. Instead of harping on them all the time to share their toys, I walk around and look for opportunities to catch them in the act. They love it when I praise them for doing what is right.

Children get bored...
...and that's okay. Luckily for siblings, there is someone to entertain them when Mommy is busy. However, too much boredom causes them to think of "fun" games themselves...such as "let's dump all our toys out of their boxes into the middle of the room and go swimming" or "let's all dog pile on Connor" or "Let's see who can climb the highest on the bookcase" or "Let's lock Ariana in the dog kennel and let her cry until Mommy comes over on a rampage wondering who locked her in there and why she climbed in there in the first place..." and yes, the "let's see if we can get Mommy to throw a fit" game is always their favorite. So to side step these little games, it is a good idea to have a few activities held back from common play to side track them when they are getting restless. Some favorites are play dough, puzzles and kids board games. These are used sparingly so as not to lose their "charm".

Toddlers love to help...
...so look for as many opportunities as possible. I enjoy filling a container full of DAWN dish soap and letting them "play" with the bubbles...and if they feel like it, letting them wipe down whatever strikes their fancy. They also help me put clothes in the washer/dryer, pick up clothes/toys off the floor, and they LOVE to "help" me cook dinner by putting in the measured seasonings/butter/water, etc.

Kids are unpredictable
When all else fails...ignore everything that was written here. Just when you think you finally understand your children, they make up new "rules to live by".

Pretend Play

Overheard while Honor and Connor were playing with figurines in the corner:

Honor: "Hi Paul! Did you sleep well?"

Connor: "Hi Tara! I slept fine and you?"

Honor: "I'm fine. Paul, can I get you any breakfast?"

Connor: "Thank you, Tara. May I have some oatmeal please?"

Honor: "chp, chp, chp...Okay, here you go Paul. I'm going to check on the kids now."