I only published 36 public posts in 2008. I don’t even remember doing THAT many. What a year 2008 was.
Amidst all the crappy things that happened in 2008, I made some positive changes that I can’t wait to share here! But I’ll save that for later posts. Today, I’ll just do an update on where we are at the moment, and what our immediate plans are looking like. I’ll start with my favorite subject— bragging on my G!
G turned five a few weeks ago, and he is a real reader now. At some point over the fall, he just started reading. Like, for real. All on his own! It’s no surprise, since that’s how both Philip and myself learned to read—each of us also just started reading one day. Philip at 4, and me right when I turned 5. So now Gray is reading, but get this. He’s not so much interested in his kids’ books, and he has plenty of them, plus I get new ones at the library every month or so. He’ll read them, but isn’t thrilled by them. So what is he reading and loving? The Lord of the Rings books! LOL! It’s amazing. He struggles with some of the names/places words and skips some others, but he can read just about anything, and really enjoys doing it. And when it’s not The LOTR, he’s digging up our encyclopedia-style reference books and reading them, or any instruction manual he can find. Like one day recently, we were driving to town, and he got the truck manual out from the glove compartment. He spent the entire drive reading the seat belt instructions out loud to me. And HE LOVED IT!
Here he is reading a Curious George book I brought him from the library when he was sick last week:
What I would really love is to get a set of encyclopedias for him. Both Philip and I had those in our homes growing up, and we each have fond memories of the many, many hours spent sitting around reading through a random volume, about whatever caught our fancy. I’ve been scanning eBay for an affordable World Book set that’s not too out of date, and there are some decent deals. I wish we could buy them now, but he may have to wait until next Christmas or his birthday…maybe we can talk the grandparents into chipping in.
As for homeschooling, I’m not going to focus on grade levels, because he’s all over the place. The beauty of HSing is that you can do this, and it’s best for the child to work on every subject at his own level. Like with reading, he’s way ahead, obviously. But with math, he’s probably at 1st grade level. He has a good grasp of numbers and can count indefinitely. And he can tell time, y’all! He also learned to do that almost completely on his own— I have NO IDEA how he grasped it, but he did. He’s always been very interested in and attuned to time, I assume because we’re schedule people and are always looking at the clock and talking about the time.
But back to math: he doesn’t really know how to add or subtract. He’s just starting to grasp some addition concepts, and can add small numbers using his fingers. So, first grade level is where we’ll start. I haven’t fully decided on what math curriculum we’re using, but I’m almost sold on Math-U-See. I have their introduction DVD and am impressed with it.
For reading/phonics, I’m doing Alpha-Phonics. He’s technically beyond it, but since he did learn to read on his own, I want to go through the program anyway, so that he learns the basics and the “whys” of phonics. I want him to understand why letters and words sound the way they do, to give him a firm foundation in phonics and language. Props to my mom, for buying us the Alpha-Phonics book for Christmas!
That’s all we’ll be doing for HS this year, as far as dedicated curriculum. I figure we’ll spend a year getting a strong grasp of reading & phonics, and establishing a basic understanding of simple math concepts. After that, we’ll start doing formal science and social studies curricula, as well. Of course, during this year, I’ll be “assigning” him a book from the library each week, on subjects that cover science and social studies topics, so we will actually be doing some informal coverage of those things. I also want to devote a little time each week to something art- or music-related, and we’ll be doing a Biblical study each week, as well.
As for little Des, he’s 15.5 months old and is just growing and changing all the time. He’s still nursing 3x a day, but once he’s feeling better (he has his very first cold this week!), I’m going to drop another feeding, and soon after, I’ll drop yet another. My plan is to have him down to just his before-bed nursing by the time he’s 18 months, and I’ll see what I want to do then. Part of me just wants to wean him at that point, but I doubt I’ll still feel that way when I get there.
He’s been slow to walk, which didn’t worry me in the least, but had his pedi concerned. However, he took his first real walking steps on New Year’s Day, and now, 5 days later, he’s “walking” all over the house. I would definitely call it “toddling”, actually! It’s adorable, and I love watching him. All too soon, he’ll be zipping around like a pro, so I cherish the shaky, goofy, toddler I have right now today. A quick video of him once he started taking off with his silly walk:
The home-building has officially started. Not much to say about that at the moment, but I can’t wait to see some real progress. I’ll be posting pics on FB as it happens.
I’m about to start my get-serious plan to lose weight. I have 25 pounds to lose. I gained most of it since this summer, with all the stress we went through, as well as the 9-month phenomenon. That’s what I call it— when a nursing babe reaches 9 months, they’re eating more solids and nursing way less. And that month was the exact month, with both my boys, that I started piling on the pounds! I had just decided to get serious about losing the weight back in October, but was so stressed about the election hoopla, and later, the subsequent “end of all things”, that I ditched that plan and took a vacation instead. LOL! (That reminds me, I’ve got lots to say about the terribly unfortunate election of The Messiah…that’s coming, too, but not just yet. I have more important things to do at the moment!) So then after the vacation (which was lovely and wonderful, thank you very much), I was way off track with eating and exercising, which led me right into the holidays, which is no time to be embarking on a weight-loss adventure. So here I am! Fat once again, and ready to change it for good. Once I put my mind to it, I’ll lose it, and I am ready now to put my mind to it. I’m ready to give it 100%. So hopefully soon, I’ll be talking about results, and on my way back to my skinny, oh-so-sexy self.
If you sign up and make a purchase through one of their hundreds of online merchants by Oct. 31, you —and me, since I’m referring you— will get an automatic $10 cash back. Yes, really.
After Nov. 1, you’ll still get an automatic $5 cash back on your first purchase. But $10 is better, so hurry!
I’ve shopped through them for over a year now, and I recommend it. Free money! Who couldn’t use some of that?
Before I start, I issue this disclaimer to any men who may be reading: This post is for girls only! You don’t want to read this, I promise. Run along now and do something manly.
So it’s probably easy to guess that I’m talking about the return of my womanly buddy, the one known to women around the world as Aunt Flo, or, simply “AF” for short.
Everyone knows that AF goes away and stays away during the 9 or 10 months during which a woman is pregnant. But I’m often surprised to realize that there are women who don’t know that AF also typically stays away during the time in which a woman is breastfeeding regularly. It’s known as “lactational amenorrhea”. Most women who exclusively breastfeed will get at least six months postpartum without a return of AF, and the majority who continue breastfeeding will stay AF-free for a year or more postpartum. Perhaps the reason this isn’t seen more often is that most American women don’t breastfeed for even six months, much less for a year (less than 20% of American babies are breastfed for the recommended one year!).
The absence of AF during nursing is related to the lack of ovulation. Once the baby is older and starts going longer stretches at night without nursing, ovulation can return, and when it does, the return of AF is usually close behind. With both of my boys, AF returned within a month or two of me going 10 hours or more without nursing at night—well, in Des’ case, it was me stopping pumping at night (he’s slept 12 hours or more at night without nursing ever since he was 3 months old! I got up and pumped once a night for months; I finally stopped doing that when he was 11 months old).
My experience with nursing Gray was that I didn’t get AF back until 8 months postpartum. So add in the months that I was pregnant, and I got a total of 17 months free from AF. Not too shabby. One of the reasons breast and ovarian cancer rates are lower amongst those who’ve breastfed for a good length of time is because of this extended period with no ovulation, and therefore with no hormonal stimulation. It also helps to keep endometriosis from returning, if you deal with that nasty condition.
But this time around, I was extra blessed. I made it to 13 months postpartum before AF returned! Add in the months I was pregnant, and it makes a total of 22 months—nearly two years(!)—that I’ve had no periods at all. It was really, really nice.
But it all ended last week, when I got the surprise visit out of the blue. She’s back.
I can’t complain too much. Not only did I have a good run AF-free, but her return was very merciful. No cramping, and her visit was short. So short that I didn’t even get a chance to try out my new Diva Cup, but I’ll try it out during her next visit. Something to look forward to, I guess!
I posted pictures of the newly-cleared lot on Facebook. If you aren’t my friend there, you should be, so that you can see the pics.
We got approved for the home loan last week, and once some random legal stuff is done (shouldn’t be more than a week now), they’ll bring in the fill dirt, prep the lot, and start pouring the foundation! From that point, it should be no more than 60 days till completion, which puts us closing right around Christmas.
Philip and I, along with most Christians across the country, have been fervently praying about the upcoming election. We pray about every aspect, but one in particular that I’ve been focusing on is the bitter hatred from the left toward Sarah Palin. The way I’ve been approaching it is calling on God to protect her and her family from the onslaught of attacks. I’ve prayed through several of the Psalms that speak of justice and vindication from slanderers, and have found that they apply thoroughly to the unconscionable treatment she’s received from those who hate her.
A couple of days ago, a friend directed me to Psalm 37, and how it applies to this election and how we should view things should Obama win the presidency in a few weeks. What a source of peace!
I’ve found that it’s an also an excellent resource when praying for Sarah Palin. I encourage my praying friends to pray for her (and this ticket) daily, if you aren’t doing so already. God can change what seems unchangeable, but it takes prayer and faith on our part.
I think Psalm 37 is a good place to start, should you find yourself worrying about the possible outcome of the election, or about the rampant voter fraud a’la ACORN, or if you’re dwelling on the hostility that’s aimed at Palin (and therefore, at us!) from every direction. We should do what we can to change things, but once we’ve done that, we can leave the outcome in God’s hands, and we can be at peace knowing that he will bring vindication and justice to our cause and to leaders like Sarah Palin. I just hope it comes sooner rather than later!
Psalm 37, NIV: 1[a] Do not fret because of evil men
or be envious of those who do wrong;
2 for like the grass they will soon wither,
like green plants they will soon die away.
3 Trust in the LORD and do good;
dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture.
4 Delight yourself in the LORD
and he will give you the desires of your heart.
5 Commit your way to the LORD;
trust in him and he will do this:
6 He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn,
the justice of your cause like the noonday sun.
7 Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him;
do not fret when men succeed in their ways,
when they carry out their wicked schemes.
8 Refrain from anger and turn from wrath;
do not fret—it leads only to evil.
9 For evil men will be cut off,
but those who hope in the LORD will inherit the land.
10 A little while, and the wicked will be no more;
though you look for them, they will not be found.
11 But the meek will inherit the land
and enjoy great peace.
12 The wicked plot against the righteous
and gnash their teeth at them;
13 but the Lord laughs at the wicked,
for he knows their day is coming.
14 The wicked draw the sword
and bend the bow
to bring down the poor and needy,
to slay those whose ways are upright.
15 But their swords will pierce their own hearts,
and their bows will be broken.
16 Better the little that the righteous have
than the wealth of many wicked;
17 for the power of the wicked will be broken,
but the LORD upholds the righteous.
18 The days of the blameless are known to the LORD,
and their inheritance will endure forever.
19 In times of disaster they will not wither;
in days of famine they will enjoy plenty.
20 But the wicked will perish:
The LORD’s enemies will be like the beauty of the fields,
they will vanish—vanish like smoke.
21 The wicked borrow and do not repay,
but the righteous give generously;
22 those the LORD blesses will inherit the land,
but those he curses will be cut off.
23 If the LORD delights in a man’s way,
he makes his steps firm;
24 though he stumble, he will not fall,
for the LORD upholds him with his hand.
25 I was young and now I am old,
yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken
or their children begging bread.
26 They are always generous and lend freely;
their children will be blessed.
27 Turn from evil and do good;
then you will dwell in the land forever.
28 For the LORD loves the just
and will not forsake his faithful ones.
They will be protected forever,
but the offspring of the wicked will be cut off;
29 the righteous will inherit the land
and dwell in it forever.
30 The mouth of the righteous man utters wisdom,
and his tongue speaks what is just.
31 The law of his God is in his heart;
his feet do not slip.
32 The wicked lie in wait for the righteous,
seeking their very lives;
33 but the LORD will not leave them in their power
or let them be condemned when brought to trial.
34 Wait for the LORD
and keep his way.
He will exalt you to inherit the land;
when the wicked are cut off, you will see it.
35 I have seen a wicked and ruthless man
flourishing like a green tree in its native soil,
36 but he soon passed away and was no more;
though I looked for him, he could not be found.
37 Consider the blameless, observe the upright;
there is a future [b] for the man of peace.
38 But all sinners will be destroyed;
the future [c] of the wicked will be cut off.
39 The salvation of the righteous comes from the LORD;
he is their stronghold in time of trouble.
40 The LORD helps them and delivers them;
he delivers them from the wicked and saves them,
because they take refuge in him.
Bill Clinton has been making the rounds lately in the media. I’ve seen him in several interviews, all of them casual and relatively lightweight. And something strange has been happening. I’m not sure I can even write these words, but I’ll try. I sort of…kind of find myself…involuntarily…
…liking him.
Aaaaaaaaargh! Someone help me! Quick!
Of course, I know who he really is, and Philip makes sure to remind me of his corruption every time he sees my eyes glazing over and me falling under his spell. But nevertheless, for the first time ever, I can see how people like him, and I can see his charm shining through, now that he’s no longer a threat.
It’s funny, though, for as bad as Clinton was for our country, Obama actually makes him pale in comparison. If an election were held today and the candidates were Bill Clinton and Barack Obama, I would vote Clinton in a heartbeat.
No doubt, Clinton is a liberal, but next to Obama, he looks like Reagan. Socialism is very scary, and even though we’re already on our way there, Obama will get us there at mach speed with his plans for our country. He’s a dangerous man, likely the most dangerous who has ever run for president (and that’s saying a lot).
I wish Hillary would’ve won the nomination; even she would’ve been better for the country than Obama. At least her intentions were more honest. And yes, I would vote for Hillary if the choice were between her and Obama. That says a lot about Barry, doesn’t it?
Anyway, back to my point. I still don’t like Bill Clinton overall, but when he’s just talking about whatever, and not being a candidate, he is truly likeable.
We had our coveted tickets as we headed downtown to the civic center just after noon. G and I were beyond excited about getting to see Sarah Palin in person and to hear her speak. The only thing dampening the mood was the damp weather—it was raining steadily and showed no signs of letting up. But we had our hoodies and umbrella and were ready to brave the elements if that’s what it took to see her.
As I drove down the ramp off the interstate and onto the downtown streets, I saw the line. There were people everywhere! The doors had opened at 11am and would close when SP arrived, which was supposed to be around 1:30. As I rounded corners and drove around blocks looking for a spot to park, the line just kept going. I assumed these must be people without tickets, who were hoping for a chance to get in.
I found a parking spot, we got out into the blowing rain, and off we headed toward the civic center. When we came upon the line, I found out that this WAS the line into the civic center (one of two lines, actually), and it was indeed the ticketed line. Ugh. So we made our way to the end of the line, which snaked at least seven blocks from the civic center. Thousands of people. I called Philip and told him I wasn’t sure what was going on, why the line was so long, or how in the world we would make it inside before SP arrived and the doors closed.
He hung up to call the campaign headquarters, and in the meantime, G and I stood in line as the rain poured down and the wind buffetted us. We were just a couple of blocks from the bay, so the storms coming in from the Gulf were hitting us extra hard, especially the wind. It was pretty miserable. The best we (and everyone else in line) could do was stand with our backs toward the wind, with our umbrella angled sideways behind us, to block the brunt of the wind and rain. G wasn’t bothered too much by it; he was rather enjoying himself and the fact that he was getting soaked.
After a while, Philip called back and said that HQ told him the delay was due to the massive response and how the venue had been changed to the civic center…they didn’t have enough staff to handle the security checks, and there were only two entry points for over 10,000 people. She also said that SP had been delayed and her plane wouldn’t be landing until 2:30, and that she’d arrive at the civic center soon after that. D’oh! I’d planned everything with the intent of leaving to head home at 2:30! I’m still nursing and I had to be back home by 3:00. Now what?
I told G that SP had been delayed and that we might have to leave. He got upset and said, “No! Mama, I wanna see Sarah Palin!” I told him we’d stay in line and see what happens. It was only a bit after 1:00 at this point.
So, we stayed in line. For two hours total. Two. Hours. In the rain. G never once complained; he just shuffled along the sidewalks with the rest of us, a couple of feet at a time, inching our way toward the civic center. I kept checking my watch, each time warning G that it wasn’t looking good, that we proably weren’t going to make it in before she got there. He would tell me, “No Mama! Never, ever give up!” LOL He gets that from me.
This is him never, ever giving up.
We got all the way to the base of the building, still at least a block away from the entry point, when I gave up. It was 2:45, and I had to get home to nurse Des. I took his hand and we broke from the line. “Mama, no! I wanna see Sarah Palinnnn!” he cried. And yes, he really cried. As we walked back down the sidewalk away from the civic center, I tried to explain why we had to give up—that there was no way we could’ve gotten inside before she got there and the doors closed. Right then, we heard the sirens of her motorcade, as she arrived. Nope, there was definitely no way we would’ve made it in. I felt a little relieved by that, because it affirmed that I’d been right in my decision to give up and head back.
It didn’t help G, though; he cried all the way back to the car, and so did I. I cried mostly because I was sad that he was so sad about it (I had no idea he’d wanted to see her that bad!), but I also cried a little because I was sorely disappointed. I love this woman and what she stands for. She’s inspired the nation with her true conservative policies and views, and I wanted the chance to be in the same room with her, darn it! I was also a little mad about the very poor planning and handling of the event by the campaign. How could they not have known that she’d draw so many people? Especially in a city and area like ours (military, verrry conservative)?
For the last block or two back to the car, I was on the phone with Philip, letting him know we didn’t get in. One statement I made to him was, “I am so P-O’d.” G heard me and said, “I am so C-U-P. CUP.” After I hung up, I asked him what that had meant. He said, “You said you were P-O. So I’m C-U-P. (LMBO! I guess he just picked a random word.) What does P-O mean?” I told him it meant I was mad.
Sarah Palin is stopping in our city. And guess who’s going to be there? Me! The first round of tickets were given out yesterday before Philip could get there, and the second round went fast this morning—however, he got there early and scored two tickets for us. Only he can’t go, since 1) he has to work that day and 2) someone has to stay home with Des while he naps. It’ll be just me and Gray, and I’m quite excited! He is, too, even though he doesn’t quite understand why. LOL
I thought she really shined last night in the VP debate. Can’t wait to see her in person!
It’s amazing how different you (well, me anyway…probably others too) parent your second child compared to your first.
We obsessed over everything with baby Gray. Cleanliness, milestones, teaching him this and that, safety, even discipline. And about a thousand other things.
With Des, he’s lucky he gets fed and his diaper changed periodically. Everything else is optional. LOL!
Poor second child.
He’s made it so far, though. He’s alive, he’s growing, and I think he’s making milestones. I’d check the baby book, but that’s another one of those things I’ve let slide this time around.
My 2003 mommies group had a recent discussion regarding “the issues”, i.e, the hot political and social issues of the day. I was wary to answer them, mostly due to time restraints, but since I’m laid up in bed with a lovely case of mastitis, I found myself typing this out yesterday in my boredom. So, here are my answers. Be aware that, as a Libertarian, my answers are all based on a “Give me Liberty or give me death” point of view.
Some of the questions (and/or their wording) were rather slanted at times, but I tried to answer them as well as I could.
Abortion
Should it be criminalized?
Ideally, I believe that it should be illegal, but sadly, that isn’t ever going to happen. I firmly believe it should be out of the federal gov’t’s hands, though. Each state should be allowed to make their own decision regarding the legality or illegality of abortion, as well as the regulations attached to it (and IMO, where it is legal, it should be carefully regulated & very limited).
(My actual beliefs about abortion are complicated, and I may venture one day to explain them. But here I’m only answering in a “what should government’s role be?” type way.)
Birth Control
Should it be legal?
Yes, of course
Health Insurance
Should the government step in to regulate/ provide health insurance for all Americans?
Absolutely not.
Taxes
Should taxes be lowered for the middle class? Should those making over $500,000 have their taxes raised?
Yes, definitely, and no, definitely not, respectively. EVERYONE should have their taxes lowered, and permanently. And people (esp those with dependents) making less than a certain amount–say 20 or 25k– shouldn’t pay taxes at all. My real belief is that there should be NO income tax at all. Taxes choke the economy and lower everyone’s standard of living.
Diplomacy/ Security
Is a strong President one who is both willing to use military might, but only after all forms of diplomacy? In other words, should our next president be concerned about our reputation in the world?
Yes to the first question, in most cases. The second question is a bit loaded. Concerned about our reputation? Not overly. Perhaps “relations” would be a better word. I think s/he should strive to have good relations with other countries, but never to the detriment of our freedom, safety, or prosperity.
Budget
Should the budget be balanced?
Absolutely. Drastically cutting spending would achieve this easily.
Environment
Should the next President be committed to reducing our dependence on oil?
Yes. Especially foreign oil, but domestic as well.
Should they have a high rating with environmental groups?
Nooooo—anyone who does is likely someone I would run far, far away from.
Do you agree with Al Gore about the status of global warming and the effect of fossil fuels?
Not at all.
Education
What do you think of No Child Left Behind? Do you think that it should be overhauled and funded?
Complete disaster. The fed gov’t should get completely out of the education system.
Do you think that it is the Federal Gov’s job to provide an equal education to all students?
NO.
Are you in favor of vouchers?
Yes, at state level
Are you in favor of GI’s and individuals giving significant contributions to their communities being able to get a college education?
For GI’s, yes, as an incentive to serve in the military.
Should college education be affordable for all students at some level?
Not at taxpayer expense. There are plenty of ways for anyone to get private grants and/or loans, not to mention simply choosing a low-cost college. Some people (like my brother, along with help from the GI bill) also choose to work their way through.
The Bush/ Cheney Legacy
What is your general opinion of their work in office?
I have no real opinion on Cheney.
Bush: I really like him on a personal level. I think he has a good heart and genuinely cares for everyone, even those who hate him just for being alive. I like that he attempted (and somewhat accomplished) cutting taxes and managed to do some deregulation.
His biggest failures have been no child left behind, as well as his tendency to grow the government (which I am 100% against)…he was a huge disappointment to me in these ways. Would I vote for him again? Yes, based on who he ran against…he was the better choice as far as Liberty is concerned, and I always vote for Liberty and freedom (or, for who will protect it most/damage it least). As for the war, I find it too complicated to go into, and since I’m not educated in military matters, my opinion is rather moot—in other words, I feel that I have no place to spout off about complicated issues that I don’t fully understand, despite what my personal feelings about it may be.
Edited to say: I want to add Bush’s support and pushing of the horrendous, socialist, state-takeover “bailout” bill to his list of dismal failures as President. I’m almost as angry at him for pushing this as I am at the rest of the socialists who came up with it. Thank God (literally), it failed.
2009. Where we are right now.
