Vacation

I'm taking my two kids on a road trip. I must be nuts. They drive me crazy just going to and from church.

We're going to northern Indiana for about 5 days, and then on to northern Wisconsin for 2 1/2 weeks. We'll get to see my brother and his wife and their sweet little guys. Can't wait to meet the "baby". Then back to Indiana, and then home. The return trip will actually be the worst. Ugh.

I'm fairly sure I won't have internet access very often. I may go through withdrawl. But it will be good, too.

I bought a book about writing your memoirs. I'd like to start working through it. And we'll swim, visit family members, have people come visit us at our cottage on the lake, and go to a big family reunion. That was the main reason for the trip.

The only thing about the reunion that I dread is being the fat cousin. sigh. I've had MONTHS to lose weight, and I think I've gained. Too late now.

My kids are so excited to go. We're leaving tomorrow night, and I plan to drive through the night. I hope to get most of my packing done tonight, and finish up tomorrow (I have a most excellent and thorough list!) The only other things on my to-do list tomorrow is to drop off my dresses at our pastor's wife's house for her yard sale, and to get a NAP!

So to my tiny list of readers, I will be on vacation until the middle of August. And my most "faithful" reader - I'll see you next week! Yay!

Just Another Day?

I love birthdays. Not my own, per se, but I love celebrating. I think a birth-week is even better.

But there are some people I know who when you give them attention on that day, tell us it's "just another day."

I just disagree.

I think the day you were born is special!

Pets

When you get your new pet, you don't see many years down the road having to make hard decisions. Spend hundreds of dollars on testing and treatment or let the pet die on its own.

I grew up on a farm. We had pets. Some of them just disappeared. We had a very nice cat - Ruth. She had cute kittens. She was a good mamma. And one day she just didn't come home. We had a rabbit. Bugsy. I don't know what happened to him, either. Could have been supper, I guess.

But when I was single, I got two kittens from my adopted family's new litter. Shadow and Jack. Shadow was dark gray with light gray stripes. Jack was precocious. So at 6 wks old, I put them in a box and drove home. All the way home, they tried to get out. They were so small. I could hold one in my hand - it's little fat belly filling the palm of my hand with little legs hanging down. My sweet, chubby, furry babies.

I blocked them in the kitchen for a short time using a long mirror. Soon they were able to scramble over that. And then I had to kitty-proof my house. No more plants. No rubber bands. Nothing breakable left on end tables. They really were sweet. We would play for hours with the rings from milk jugs, empty soda cartons with extra openings and foil balls. Both kitties soon learned to play fetch, although Shadow got bored sooner than Jack.

I had to lock them out of my bedroom at night. They wanted to play all night. I would lock them out of the bathroom when I was in there, too. They were quite pester-y.

Shadow died a couple years ago from liver problems. Jack is still with us, but he's not in the best health. I took him to the vet yesterday. He isn't eating normally. They did blood work. He isn't diabetic, thank God. I don't think I could handle giving Little Boy and Jack shots. His kidneys are fine. His liver is fine. His thyroid is fine. But. Sigh. That word from the vet about killed me.

His white blood cell count is up. The vet said it could be an infection since the count isn't super high. I'm taking Jack back to the vet tomorrow for another steroid shot to get him to eat better and an antibiotic shot. If it's not an infection, it's cancer. The vet said we'll figure out the best way to keep Jack comfortable if that's the case.

This is the part "they" don't tell you about. When Shadow died, the vet told me I could hold her when they gave her the shot. I should have told him no. I don't think I could do that again.

Oh, my aching head

I'm not "up" for theological or historical debates. I can't follow along with the whole conversation anymore. I think much of it is because I don't want to fully engage my brain into someone's (who I don't know) argument. And much of it is that I just am too distracted or not interested to dispel energy into it.

A friend mentioned this news story:


PASTOR YANKED FROM CAPITOL OVER “JESUS” PRAYER
by Todd Starnes
A North Carolina pastor was relieved of his duties as an honorary chaplain of the state house of representatives after he closed a prayer by invoking the name of Jesus.

“I got fired,” said Ron Baity, pastor of Berean Baptist Church in Winston-Salem. He had been invited to lead prayer for an entire week but his tenure was cut short when he refused to remove the name Jesus from his invocation.

Baity’s troubles began during the week of May 31. He said a House clerk asked to see his prayer. The invocation including prayers for our military, state lawmakers and a petition to God asking him to bless North Carolina.”

“When I handed it to the lady, I watched her eyes and they immediately went right to the bottom of the page and the word Jesus,” he told FOX News Radio. “She said ‘We would prefer that you not use the name Jesus. We have some people here that can be offended.’”

When Baity protested, she brought the matter to the attention of House Speaker Joe Hackney.

“I told her I was highly offended when she asked me not to pray in the name of Jesus because that does constitute my faith,” Baity said. “My faith requires that I pray in His name. The Bible is very clear.”

When the clerk returned, Baity said he was told that he would be allowed to deliver the day’s prayer – but after that – his services would no longer be needed.

Hackney, a Democrat, and House Republican Leader Paul Stam released a joint statement to FOX News Radio:

“It has been our practice in the North Carolina House of Representatives for many years to request, but not require, that our guest chaplains deliver a nonsectarian prayer. This is intended as a show of respect for all the religions practiced by the members of the House and the people we represent.”

“In this instance, we allowed Pastor Baity to deliver his prayer, without interference, even though it was sectarian in nature. Nonetheless, we will review our procedures and guidelines concerning guest chaplains, and we will make sure we abide by applicable constitutional procedures. The House will adjourn within the next few days, but the results of this review will be publicly available whenever it is complete.”

Baity said he’s not happy with the way he was treated.

“When the state tells you how to pray, that you cannot use the name of Jesus – that’s mandating a state religion,” he said. “They talk about not offending other people but at the same time, if they are telling me how to pray – that’s the very thing our forefathers left England for.”

The Christian Law Association helped Baity draft a letter asking for an apology and an opportunity to return to the state capitol and finish his tenure.

“The First Amendment promises all Americans the free exercise of their religion, which includes the right to pray as their faith requires, even when they are invited to open state legislative sessions with prayer,” attorney David Gibbs told WXII-TV. “We trust that the North Carolina House of Representatives will realize its mistake and will offer Pastor Baity another opportunity to pray without requiring him to use a prayer that is mandated by government.”

Baity said he is still stunned by what happened.

“You would expect this somewhere else – Cuba, Saudi Arabia,” he told FOX News Radio. “You would never anticipate this happening in the United States of America.”

In a word – the pastor said – the decision is “anti-Christian.”

Read more: http://radio.foxnews.com/2010/07/09/pastor-banished-from-capitol-over-jesus-prayer/#ixzz0tIBtxnPE

I wrote that this was absolutely wrong. My friend's friend: As honorary chaplain, he agreed to serve by certain rules. If he did not like those rules, then perhaps he should not have agreed to serve in the position. Doesn't anyone find it ironic that a man retained to be a chaplain (a religious position, even an honorary one) for a specific purpose then claims that he is not bound by the offices of that position--a position created by a secular government?

I think that's a crock. Our founding fathers DIED to be free FROM the religious restraints of government (among other things). I quoted a prayer by Geo. Washington. He writes that that prayer is a fraud. I don't know. I need to research it more on my own. But I did list several prayers of other founding fathers who invoked the name of Jesus Christ.

I'm just walking away. This guy wants a debate, and my child-pecked, sleep-deprived, shriveling brain can't handle it.

2 Sweet Birds

I'm starting an etsy store. 2SweetBirds is my store name. There's nothing there, so please don't go searching yet. But I want to list some of the little dresses I'm sewing and see if I can sell something.

With the charges from etsy, Paypal and shipping, I'd be making a little more than if the dresses would sell at the little shop in town.

I'm getting excited!

I'm getting excited about our upcoming trip. It's sixteen days away. It seems so far away, but then I feel a little panicky feeling when I think of all the things on my list. Will they all fit in the car? Yikes. And I have to fit the kids in there, too!

I've started making a list and starting a stash of toys and activities for my two angels (HA) for in the car. My sister-in-law has been sending me links when she finds them. (Thank you!) I've been putting some things away as I buy them, and I ordered some cute things from Oriental Trading to do in the car, and as some indoor activities if/as we need them.


I bought each kid a small, magnetic dry-erase board. I'm not sure I'll let them have the markers. I did find some cute magnets to hold their papers. I got them each a new color wonder book. I found a cute memory game in a tin awhile back, and I'm going to put a small, self-adhesive magnet on the front and back of each piece. One idea that I read - and LOVE - is to make little stickers of family members' faces for the kids to put on pictures from magazines. I have to think about this and figure out a way to modify it. I want to figure out a way for them to check off our progress. Another idea is to make a checklist of items for them to look for. I am going to make a picture list since Little Boy doesn't like to read, and Baby can't read, yet. I like the idea of giving them a new activity/toy every half hour or so, but that would be a LOT of toys/activities!


I've ordered a couple pieces of no-seeum netting. I'm going to put some 3M hooks on the wall above our beds at the cottage, and use little clips to make mosquito tents. It's been a long time since I've had to try to sleep with bugs buzzing around the room. I figured this could help us sleep unattacked.

I bought a new swimsuit. Woman Within (Lane Bryant) has some cute ones on clearance, and I had a pair of capris in the basket from last week while I was looking. Before I checked out, I surfed for a coupon code. Voila! I found one for 1/2 off the most expensive item AND free shipping! My suit ended up being $14.99!

Yesterday I bought the kids a small pool. It's been unbearable here, and the sprinkler only occupies them for so long. I started looking online for larger, inflatable pools. I'm surprised at how reasonable they are. So next summer we'll invest in one.

DH and kids got haircuts yesterday. DH skipped a haircut last time; he was looking quite bushy. So I let him take my appointment. We drove separately since Baby wiped out in the driveway minutes before it was time to go. I stayed here and played medic. After Baby got her hair cut, I went to the little shop where my dresses are on consignment. I brought some home to put in our pastor's wife's yard sale. When I called her, she told me she's waiting a week. ROLLING EYES But she was thrilled when I told her we'd like to give them our old TV. It's at least 20 years old, but it's a 40 inch, and it still works fine.

Baby woke up early this morning. Actually, she woke up several times last night to go to the bathroom. She went into brother's room and woke him up. She put on a church dress, her new sparkly red shoes and went outside! She decided to sit on the couch and look out the window. And DH and I tried to catch another 40 winks. Until she started pestering from the hallway. So I got up with her. Sigh. DH goes out on last shift tonight, so he needs a little more rest. But it's hard to start off the day irritated at the kids.

It's time for breakfast!

I feel a pitty party coming on

So. I was just reading some blog posts and some Facebook posts. sigh

"I'm enjoying a cup of coffee on the porch of our room before the day begins."

What is so saddening?

I wish the first thought in the morning was to make a cup of coffee Diet Coke and sit out on a porch.

Instead, my first thought is about Little Boy's blood sugar. And how I should get out of bed and fix his breakfast.

And I read a blog post this morning of someone's menu for the month. sigh Where do I start? I am now completely envious of people who can just fix a meal, and put it on the table. Not to mention that I am envious that people can put cuisines from different cultures on their table. My family balks at food that isn't American. (rolling eyes)

I have to try to make sure the nutrients are balanced, try to incorporate some type of dessert, measure ingredients, measure serving amounts, figure out carb content, cook the meal, figure insulin dosage, and then I can sit down at the table.

Until someone says, "Can I have ketchup?"

Fireworks

Last night I took the kids to our pastor's house. We sat on their sidewalk and watched the little fireworks display. The kids had a great time; Little Boy was overly excited when people were setting off small fireworks on the sidewalk. Someone who isn't a parent, and wasn't really thinking, handed my son a lighter and a firecracker. Thankfully I was paying attention and stopped it. "He's 7!" We were all laughing at what a little firebug my son is. But when he grows up, he wants to be a medic.

"Yeah. He'll blow people up, and then put them back together!"

Know what's worse?

Know what's worse than going to bed feeling sick?

Waking up to hear Baby barfing before 6 am.

Poor thing. She threw up for almost 3 hours.

It all started yesterday. I fixed some scrambled eggs for the kids for breakfast. I added crumbled bacon and shredded cheese. It was yummy. But Baby decided she didn't like scrambled eggs. She's so finicky. One day she loves something and can't eat enough, and the next day, she won't touch it.

So I put saran wrap on her bowl and put it in the fridge. I pulled it out at lunch and reheated it. I added more cheese, too. She had to eat it before she could have a turkey burger and mac and cheese. (She loves this lunch.) She threw a fit. A fit that lasted an hour and a half. I had to put her back on her bed at least a couple dozen times. She tore all the bedding off. She pushed her bed away from the wall. She spit. She said she wanted all her hair cut off. Right now. (?) But she finally fell asleep. And she slept for 4 hours.

At supper, I reheated the eggs and added more cheese. So at this point, it was a bowl of cheese with some eggs and bacon. But she refused to eat it. And I'm sure she went to bed hungry.

I planned to throw out the eggs, and rescramble a new one in the morning. She nixed that plan, now didn't she.

Kidorable

Kidorable is a site that sell super cute outerwear for kids. Raincoats, umbrellas, rain boots, hats, scarves, etc. that are just for kids.

Frugal Mom Knows Best is having a give-away for winner's choice of umbrella. If I win, Little Boy is getting a fire fighter umbrella!

Kidorable also has a birthday club for kids that I'm going to check out.