You're Going to Ruin Them!

So, this Santa discussion led to a real-life talk about parents who think we're ruining our kids' lives by doing things differently than our parents did for us. If you go against the flow in any way in your parenting, what flack have you received for it?

I Gotta Know. . .

You know that I have strong opinions about homeschooling, and vaccines, and well, everything else. It's just my nature to be opinionated. But here's an area I have yet to delve into:

I want to know what you think about all these bailouts?

Ford Asks Congress for a $9 Billion Line of Credit
Ford Motor Co. is asking Congress for a $9 billion "stand-by line of credit" to stabilize its business, but says it doesn't expect to tap it.

Detroit's automakers, making a second bid for $25 billion in funding, are presenting Congress with plans Tuesday to restructure their ailing companies and provide assurances that the funding will help them survive and thrive.

General Motors Corp., Ford and Chrysler LLC said they would refinance their companies' debt, cut executive pay, seek concessions from workers and find other ways of reviving their staggering companies.

The Big Three executives also are offering a series of mostly symbolic moves to burnish their images, badly tattered after they arrived in Washington D.C. last month on three separate private jets to plead for a federal lifeline for their struggling companies.

More here.



Now I know a lot of my readers aren't even in America, but I bet you still have an opinion about our sour economy. Let's hear it!

The Cold Hard Truth

An old friend of mine posted on Facebook that he had the flu. I said: It's better than the nasty stuff in the vaccine, but that stinks. I'm so sorry! (As it turns out, not surprisingly, he had received the flu shot.)

That led to a discussion about vaccines. (I love being able to talk to people about vaccines, but I also know it's not at all fun to learn. Ignorance is definitely bliss.) I said: I don't encourage you to look into vaccine ingredients unless you're prepared to be grossed out. Apparently he was.

Incredulous, he asked: Why hasn't anybody told me this before?

If doctors really did offer informed consent, as they are ethically supposed to do, would any loving parent really sign up to inject those toxins into their kids? Does anybody who knows what vaccines are made from and how they're made still vaccinate their kids or themselves?

In my idealistic world, nobody would. Fear motivates a lot of people to do things without looking into them. Education is the enemy of fear.

Let's Talk Santa

When we were first married and I didn't know the Clarks very well, we got into a talk about Santa. (It was Thanksgiving and we were all together.) I jokingly said: We're gonna tell our kids Santa is the devil.

She didn't get it. And she also thought I was totally nuts. How in the world can you celebrate Christmas without Santa? She said something alluding to the fact that it was cruel and unusual punishment for a kid to have Christmas without Santa.

I said: But kids just want the gifts, they don't care where they come from.
She's now looking at me like I have a third eye.

So, I try to explain: I just don't want my kids to miss the real point of Christmas and think it's all about Santa.
She then calls over her 5 year old daughter. "Bobby Sue (name changed), why do we celebrate Christmas?"

For Santa Claus!

I was embarrassed for the mom at this point.

"No, Bobby Sue, what's the real reason we celebrate Christmas? Who is it about?"

Bobby Sue looks really confused now and says:

Santa Claus!

I wanted to go hide in a hole for her now! But Bobby Sue certainly proved my point. Just because you read the story of Jesus' birth every year doesn't mean your kids are going to look past all the Santa and reindeer and see the true meaning of Christmas.

What do you think?

(Oh and just fyi, I don't think that Santa is the devil. That was hyperbole. You got that right?)

Thirty-Two Snippets

Since Katie meant to tag me for this meme, and since she's such a good friend, I'll humor her.

Eight Things I'm Looking Forward To:

1. Fresh eggs from our chickens
2. my book club meeting in December
3. new cabinet doors for the guest bathroom
4. finishing the quilt I keep forgetting about
5. finding out what happens to Fanny in Mansfield Park
6. Elena's 9th birthday
7. 2nd Christmas with the triplets
8. date night swap next week

Eight Things On My Wish List:

1. Another Jane Austen book
2. refinished floors
3. a new computer, but I'll keep using the kids' (it's so much better!)
4. a healthy neice or nephew this year
5. gas prices to stay this low forever
6. Pedro to be protected and blessed
7. My triplets to know how much I love them
8. All my kids to know how very grateful I am for them

Eight TV Shows That I Watch(ed when we had TV):

1. 17 Kids and Counting (I watch this at a friend's house every week.)
2. Good Eats
3. Iron Chef America
4. Wipeout
5. I don't/didn't watch 8 shows, what can I say?

Eight Things I Did Yesterday:

1. Woke up late
2. Met an internet friend and her sweet family
3. Took the kids to hear the wind symphony
4. Ate lunch at the park
5. Bought toilet paper since we only had 1 roll in the house!!
6. IMed various Bettendorfs
7. Went to the library
8. Had a home date with Kyle

And I tag: Faith, Mariposa, Jamie, Vicki, Gretchen, and Renee.

Thanksgiving Tears

Last night, when we arrived home from the Thanksgiving festivities with the Clarks, Maya and Isaac got out of the car crying. Surprised, I asked: What's wrong?

I . . .miss. . .my. . .mom.

I think the holiday season elicited some strong emotions in my Liberians. So, we prayed for Nan, their birthmom, and all wrote her a letter. Elena wrote this super sweet note:

Dear Nan,

This is from Elena, Maya's sister. Maya and Isaac miss you. And Daniel can ride a bike with no training wheels. I know you mite note believe it. He can even ride a big bike with no training wheels. Isn't that amazing. And I wish I could see your face. Maya says your beatyful.

Love, Elena

Since I know a lot of my readers are adoptive moms, I gotta ask: What do you do when your little adoptee has these emotional moments? How do you comfort them?

A Good Cry

I'm not much of a crier really. I've always wished I could be one of those girls that cries at sappy movies and Hallmark commercials, but alas that isn't me. I don't cry at the drop of a hat to be sure.

I cry when my babies are born, and I cried when we picked up Maya, Isaac, and Daniel from the airport. I cried when Stacey left us.

And Saturday, I cried because we weren't going to be able to get a family photo done like I had hoped. You see, we haven't had a family photo taken, professional or otherwise, since the adoption. That was over a year and a half ago. A good friend offered to take a family photo for us as an adoption gift, but it never happened and then she moved out of state. We tried several times to make it work after that but never could get the timing right. We were available, but the photographer wasn't; we were all ready to go, but it rained; somebody got sick; etc etc.

So, Saturday, my best friend, Gretchen, planned to do a photo shoot for us and I was super excited. Long story short, we weren't able to get it done then either. Gretchen and I both were unhappy about it.
I cried. I mean I boo-hooed. It was pathetic. I knew I needed to pull it together and move on with my day, but I couldn't seem to do that easily. So, Kyle offered to take us all to the park so we could at least get a photo of all the kids.

Lydia was miserably cold and wouldn't smile. And Maya's eyes are closed in that shot.

Liddy's still unhappy and Maya's eyes are still closed.

Liddy's trying but still not smiling. Now Chloe's eyes are closed.

Liddy flat out refused to fake happiness. (By the way, we did take more than just 4 shots, but none of them were any good either.)

We all went home, I went to my room, and cried some more. Ever have days like that?

And by the way, Gretchen, I'm still looking forward to our next attempt. You're the bestest photographer I know. :)