See ya!

6:26 AM Edit This 0 Comments »




We're off for 3 days, going to Silverwood! See you Thursday!
Oh, and a few pics before I leave! The boys came to visit the other day :)

Goodies!

4:49 PM Edit This 0 Comments »
Be sure to look on the left-hand column of my blog to see links to my favourite blogs and favourite stores. Click the links and check them out, its worth it!

Turn down the volume please!

3:32 PM Posted In Edit This 1 Comment »
I have some issues. I have never denied that. Im not going to make a list. But one of the big things is a sound intergation issue. All the noise around me comes into my ears at the same time. The dog scratching, the tv, pages turning in a book, and the person trying to have a conversation with me. Most peoples brains automatically decipher what sound they should be focusing on (in this case, the person talking to you).
Men have an easier time of this than women. Tests have been done where they have a person put on a set of headphones and listen to one story in one ear and another story in another ear. Men are able to completely tune out one story (this wont surprise the heterosexual females out there!). Women have a much harder time doing this.
In my case, I can hear everything, every little sound. And when I try to focus on someones voice, sometimes the sound of the dog scratching overpowers it. Noises also bother me. I have never been able to touch styrofoam because of the sound it makes. At the moment I am at work and someone is putting chalk on a cue stick. Its enough to make me nauseous.
Because of this I wear my ipod a lot, and on occasion will wear ear plugs. I wore them the other night for a few hours because my ears were feeling especially sensitive.
The next morning DJ and I were sitting on the couch watching tv and she said to me "How do you think you can raise kids if you have to wear ear plugs just being around us?" I happen to think I will be just fine, thanks. For the most part children screaming and crying does not faze me a bit. And on those days where noises are bothering me, I will cope. Just like I do in everyday life.
I know she didnt mean to offend me, she was really trying to make a point and understand, and thats fair. But im not worried about it.

Comment-a-thon

9:48 AM Posted In Edit This 0 Comments »
Mary at Now Entering Momville is running a really cool Comment-a-thon with a giveaway. She is visiting 50 blogs a day and commenting on them, meeting new people and trying to drive traffic to her blog. Tying in with this she is also hosting a giveaway with 3 different prizes for 3 different people. Click the link, check it out. Its a pretty cool thing and im going to keep it in mind for the future as I try to get more blog visitors.

"Change the life of a child...forever!"

2:26 PM Posted In , Edit This 1 Comment »
This is the catch-phrase of Compassion International, the child sponsorship program. I have always loved the idea of sponsoring a child. I know many people who are sponsors and some have even visited their sponsored children in their home countries. I have been browsing different programs, seeing which seems the most reliable and honest and where the children will benefit the most. During my web-surfing today on Compassion's website, I found this:

Is there anything I cannot send to my sponsored child?
"As a sponsor, you have many opportunities to communicate with the child you sponsor and we encourage you to do so. When you communicate with him or her, however, we ask you to provide comments and materials consistent with the Christian values and philosophies we share with our partnering churches. We will not forward photographs and other mateirals depicting activities that:
  • Might be considered inappropriate in another culture.
  • Promote lifestyle choices that we view as unhealthy and inconsistent with biblically based lifestyles or otherwise inappropriate for sponsored children.
  • Might threaten the safety of the sponsored children in any way.

For example, we will not forward materials that depict or describe the use of alcoholic beverages, tobacco, unlawful drugs and materials or activities that we regard as dangerous or unsafe. We will not forward materials or communications that advocate another religious worldview. In addition, we will not forward materials depicting persons dressed in immodest clothing or engaging in activities inconsistent with our ministry values and beliefs, including the living out of a homosexual lifestyle."

People in the GLBT community face all sorts of problems when it comes to adoption and childrens rights. Evidently we also arent good enough to send money to help children in 3rd world countries. Of course, we could sponsor the child and just not mention the fact that we happen to be lesbians. But if I am going to ahve any influence in a childs life, i'd rather not start out the relationship with a lie. Sorry Compassion, we are looking elsewhere. I hope someday you really will put the children first.

Marriage = Jail time

1:14 PM Posted In , Edit This 1 Comment »
"Same-sex couples marrying in California could face prison time in Wisconsin"
Wow. So evidently Wisconsin has a law that makes it a crime for Wisconsin residents to get married in another state if that marriage is illegal in Wisconsin. The law has been around since before women could legally vote. All states have some wacky laws on the books. But this one packs a fine up to $10,000 and nine months in prison. Ouch.
After a little research I found out that in Wisconsin:

-Butter substitutes are not allowed to be served in state prisons.
-State Law made it illegal to serve apple pie in public restaurants without cheese.
-The state definition of rape stated that it was a man having sex with a woman he knows not to be his wife.
-It is illegal to cut a woman’s hair.

So are we going to arrest all of the hair stylists along with the gay couples?

"Lesbians all look the same"

8:37 PM Posted In , Edit This 0 Comments »
So an acquaintance of mine (who happens to be a lesbian) came into my work today. I was sitting at my table running the game and she was at the pool table behind me playing pool. She played one game and then left, before I even had a chance to say hello. 5 minutes pass and a guy walked up to me and said "Hey, you know that girl that was just here? Are you two related?" and I said "No, lesbians just look alike." The guy just about died laughing and gave me a high five. Everyone else around had expressions somewhere between amusement and confusion. He went back to his group and said "That was the coolest thing ever, that totally made my day." A few minutes later he came and apologized in case he had offended me. He hadn't. I found it entertaining, lol.

PROOF of American Military Atrocities in Iraq!!!

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Are my future children doomed?

1:20 PM Posted In , Edit This 0 Comments »
AJ at Thingamababy posted today about regulating things your kids know about and have access too, from electronics to juice. (Read the post here.) I nodded my head in agreement for a lot of this post. Okay, i'd be a bit more lax im sure. About 75% of the strictness. But I like the idea. And his beautiful little girl seems like the coolest kid on the block! I would love my kids to reach kindergarten without being obsessed with whatever disturbing cartoon charectar happens to be on Cartoon Network at the moment.
Yet I have to be honest with myself. I love tv. I have attention problems, and I need to be doing two things at once. Meaning the tv needs to be on while I am online or readhing a book or cooking. I cant concentrate without having my attention going in two directions. I am always on the computer. I drink soda and eat Lucky Charms. And I love gadgets and electronic things. Im scared that my habits will set my kids up for inevitable disaster and they will end up being just another specimine of the next generation.
So lets take a look at the topics AJ covered, im going to give my input on them.


Licensed characters - I am amazed how people avoid this. I suppose not watching television helps. But even just going to the store seems like it would get things engrained in your kids head. There are billboards. The displays in the stores. I am fascinated that a child could see a 4 foot tall Polly Pocket display and not want one, even if they didnt know what it was. When it comes to licensed things I must say that I have a few things I will fall for. I love anything Pooh, and im also a fan of Care Bears. Other than that I might be able to handle not having anything in the house. Once they hit kindergarten tho, I think you're automatically a gonner.

Candy, juice, soda and other sugary treats - This is a hard one because I am a sugar addict and I dont drink milk. Ideally I would say that I will try to limit my kids to 1 juice a day, soda on special ocassions, and candy/cookies.... well thats a hard one. I like dessert. How about saying no unlimited access to sweets for now.

Talking stuffed animals — Not necessary. The only thing way you could convince me are the ones that y ou can record your own voice in.

iPod/MP3 player and Digital camera — No question. My kids will always have these things. Music is my driving force in life. We will have a rule about when the music needs to be off, and will monitor the songs, but they will always have music. Same with the camera. A great thing to learn early.

Cell phone — Cell phones will only be necessary once the kids are old enough to be away from the house by themselves.

Videos/DVD — I really want to have sucessful movie nights someday...

Television — I just know im going to be guilty of this. And it makes me sad. I never want to use the TV as a babsitter. I dont know how we will regulate television. Purchasing a Tivo so mommies can catch their shows would be a good start.

Movie theaters — I want to take my kids to movies as soon as they are old enough to be interested and to sit through the whole movie. I think movies are a great treat.

Console video games — Ok, video game addict talking here. When I was a kid I played Nintendo with my dad and I loved it. We played stuff like Donkey Kong. We didnt hole up in the house and never leave. He was a farmer. I was constantly on the tractor with him. But I enjoyed gaming with my dad. I want to play video games with my kids too. There will be a limit on time and on types of games played. But we will have consoles in the house.

Educational PC games — I dont think any skills should be LEARNED by using a computer or any other learning device. However I belive that in fine-tuning skills some of these things can be helpful. Plus, I love Zoombinis!

Personal computer — To be determined on a kid-by-kid basis. I want my kids to have a strong grasp on technology, it is important these days. I would be happy with having two desktop computers in our office. After 13, we can discuss a laptop that the kids can take in their room when they need to type a paper. (With remote desktop so I know what they are doing.)

Pierced ears and make-up - No makeup until at least 13. No, probably not even play makeup. Chapstick is great. Nail polish, okay. Pierced ears im cool with at any time.


Ok, so am I doing to be a horrible parent? No, probably not. I'm sure we will do okay and our kids will turn out fine. I just hope that they have a good head on their shoulders and are happy people.

Got it!

1:12 PM Posted In Edit This 0 Comments »
Ok, so I lost the cool background graphic but I kept my colors and I now have a 3-column layout! Yay!

Layout issues

11:58 AM Posted In Edit This 1 Comment »
Can I just say that I really like my layout? Because I do. But im frustrated with not having 3 columns. Its hard to link to other blogs and whatnot without lots of space. Am I being too picky? I have tried to find 3-column layouts out there, but all of them give me an error message and dont work. Ugh.

Giveaways are fun!

1:00 AM Posted In Edit This 1 Comment »
I've become addicted to Prizey and online giveaways.
Best one today?
A $50 Amazon Gift Certificate from Robyn's World. Check it out, and check out Prizey too, they give daily links to giveaways all over the internet. Most of these things are easy to enter and they not only give you a chance to get free stuff, but to learn about new products and find fun new blogs to read!

GPS Child Locator

2:22 PM Posted In , Edit This 1 Comment »

"The BrickHouse Locator with Distance Alert, powered by Duracell, lets you keep a constant eye on your child--even when you're not looking."

Wait, should'nt you be looking? Did I miss something here?
I saw a Duracell commercial today (you know the type: our batteries power the things you cant live without). This time the batteries were powering a GPS Child Locater.

Ok, I knew they had GPS on cell phones for teenagers so you'll know when they are at the mall instead of school. But how far away do you let your 3 year old wander? Almost every kid gets seperated from their parents for a few minutes early in life. But in the large majority of those instances, a GPS locater seems a bit extravagent.

Of course, these arent just for children! The BrickHouse website says you can "Locate Wandering Children, Pets, Or Elderly Family Members" Great, it has multiple uses. Im still not dropping $200 on it. Pay closer attention. Put the cell phone down and watch your kid. If your grandfather had Alzheimers, dont leave him in the pharmacy while you go look at clothing. These things should be common sense!

I am not totally throwing this product ouf the window. I can see it being useful to some people. Working at the Village I saw families with multiple special need children. While they were all very capeable parents; having 5 kids with special needs in tow can be VERY overwhelming. Some of these children have boundary problems and take off running. In this case, I can see the Child Locater being helpful.

Me? I'd probably throw the homing tag in my car and use the tracker to find it in the mall parking lot!

Its a blog eat blog world out there....

2:21 PM Edit This 0 Comments »
... and i've decided to join it! Welcome to my world:)