Blog Recommendation

I have fallen in love...with a blog! The blog is called FreeRange Kids and while it is a 'parenting' blog, I think just about anyone could read it. It is run by a woman named Lenore Skenazy, who now has a book out by the same name, FreeRange Kids. Some may know her as "the worst mom in America". She was dubbed that because she wrote an article a couple years back about how she let her then 9 year old son ride the New York Subway alone from a department store to their home. There is a whole story that goes along with that that I won't get into here, but what the main point of her blog (and her book is) is that we need to trust our kids and let them experience the world according to their own abilities, not by what society lays down as what is appropriate. She goes into a lot of crime statistics and talks with a lot of experts about everything from baby toys, to the media. And while her brand of parenting may not be for everyone, I know she goes a little farther than I myself would be comfortable with, I don't think it could hurt to take a look at what she says. She is snarky, funny, and very informative. And on her blog she posts a lot of letters she gets as well as newstories. So, if you have a mind check her out!

www.freerangekids.wordpress.com Or just look for the link on the right of my page. :-)

Everyone is growing up!

It is hard to believe that I don't have any babies anymore. Not that I necessarily want anymore. But still, having 3 back to back I felt like I constantly was doing the baby thing, now my munchkins are growing up! Alex's kindergarten registration is on March 12th, and he turns 5 on the same day. I am also trying to get Collin's preschool paperwork done, which means getting a million forms filled out by his pediatrician and dentist. He will be in the same class next year that Alex is in this year. And to top it off Mackenzie is potty training!! I just bought her her first set of little girl underwear, with princesses on them (cause that is what she picked). The idea of not buying diapers again is so exciting and yet kinda sad. Now instead of screaming babies, diaper changing, and naps (why do those have to go too!!?) I have three arguing, opinionated, little kids who are too smart for their own good. You can't pull one over on them anymore. Oh well, at least I get to sleep all night. :-)

Rediscovering the Library

Ok, so I am a child of the information age. I am 26 and I think mine was the last generation to write papers in elementary school with blue or black ink, cursive, double-spaced on college ruled paper. By high school is was all typed. And today, even my four year old can use the computer. But even so, it still surprised me when low and behold, I rediscovered an old friend, the library!! Imagine it a whole building full of PAPER books, all available to borrow for FREE!! LOL I know I felt stupid that I hadn't even thought of going to the library for probably close to 10 years, but yesterday I made the leap and got myself a library card and took Alex and Collin with me. They loved it!! For our first check out we picked some kids audiobooks to listen to in the car. Last night I couldn't help going on and on about all the cool stuff they offer, and what kind of stuff I could check out. It made me realize, there really is no excuse these days not to read to your kids. I mean come on, it is the simplest thing that can give the most pleasure and really change a child forever. I know I would not be who I am today without books, reading has always been a tremendous part of my life, and even today I feel rather empty if I don't have a good book to read. So go ahead, rediscover the library, for yourself and your kids, they really are amazing places! :-)

Still Alive!

First some pictures. :-)




Yes, the boys are wearing make-up! They wanted me to put some on them, so I did. LOL


Mackenzie in her Christmas dress.


Mackenzie out in the snow storm we got.


Yes, it is true, I am still here. I did not fall off the face of the planet, just been very busy with the holidays and all. So here I am, back in a new year (and a new decade!) Things have been very good here! Alex is doing wonderfully in school, he loves his classmates and his teacher, he even has a "girlfriend" named Alyssa. Collin and Mackenzie are growing like weeds! Kenzie is already speaking in sentenses, and Collin is learning his ABCs.

Our holidays were fantastic! Christmas eve we spent with my husband's side of the family at my sister-in-law's house, then Christmas day we spent with my family at our house. Then we went down to visit my dad and step-mom in North Carolina for a week, which was a blast! We are so blessed with such a big loving family!!

So much has gone on it would take pages to write it all down here, but I will say this was probably our busiest, but most fun holidays yet!

Happy Thanksgiving!!

I am posting this a little early since I am going to be out of the house for like 12-14 hours tomorrow. So, I want to wish everyone a wonderful, joyful Thanksgiving with lots of yummy food and good company. I am thankful for my wonderful family, for getting more time with the hubby this last six months, for Alex doing so well in school, for all my kids' good health, for having a roof over our heads, food on our table, and hubby having a stable job. I am thankful for all the small things and all the great things. I am thankful for silly things like the Twilight novels, and for serious things like having gotten my bachelor's degree this year. I am thankful for my whole life, it is far from perfect but I love it anyway.

So, anyway, Happy Thanksgiving everyone! What are you all thankful for?? :-)

Happy Veterans Day

Today is Veterans Day. Not a day I ever really paid much attention to, but I know I should, we all should. As a teenager I was quite an outspoken protester. My Philosophy teacher in my senior year of high school called me a "pinko commie", I spent my 18th birthday at a protest down in D.C. at the Egyptian Embassy, and the first thing I did when I went away to college was join the local chapter of Amnesty International, which quickly morphed into an anti-war protest group. We had petition signings on campus and attended protests, most notably the Stop the School of the Americas protest down at Fort Benning in Georgia. I truely believed in what I was doing and was proud of my role. Then something happened that really shifted my way of thinking, I met my husband. We met online, had a whirl wind romance of about 3 months during which he proposed. The key to this? He was in the Navy stationed in Norfolk, VA. I visited his ship a few times, met his friends onboard, attended their Christmas party. And then one week after he proposed to me he suddenly came home with the news that his ship was being suddenly depolyed and was leaving in 4 days. I drove down with him and his mom to drop him off at his ship, and it still brings tears to my eyes remembering how I felt seeing him walk away from me with no idea of how long he would be gone. That was January of 2003, 3 months later in March I sat and watched the beginning of the Iraq war on tv, sick to my stomach, knowing he was over there somewhere. In the end we ended up being lucky, he was only gone 6 months, and during that time we shared many e-mails and 2 phone calls. It was November 14th 2003 that we were married (Saturday is our 6 year anniversary). In April 2004 his time was up and he decided to get out of the Navy because we wanted to start a family. But going through all that let me see into a world I had no idea about before. I saw those young men and women saying good bye to children and loved ones, going to work everyday, sometimes doing simple jobs but always in service of a greater cause. I also saw the joy and excitement the day those men and women came home, the new fathers who were let off the ship first to see their babies born while they were gone. I remember how I felt seeing him for the first time in 6 months and not knowing whether to scream or cry and probably doing both. If you ask my husband, he down plays it all, the job he did, the time he served, but he will forever be a hero in my heart, because he did a job that so few are willing to do. He stood up when others have sat down or run away. I remember feeling such pride when on our honeymoon we were having breakfast at the bed and breakfast we were staying at and a man we were eating with stoped us before we left and asked my husband if he was in the military, he said yes, and the man took his hand and said it was an honor to shake his hand and thank you for all you do.

I say all this because I think there is one lesson we all need to be sure to learn, no matter what you think about the military, where its going, who leads it, when you get down to it are the men and women who choose to serve their country. And they deserve all the honor and respect in the world. And also for those familys that give up their sons and daughters, husband and wives to this dangerous job with no certainty of their safe return. So today, take a moment and just think about those in your life who are serving or who have served and say a prayer for them and their families.

In my own life I have several Veterans, my husband who was in the Navy, my Dad who was and still is in the Navy, and my grandfather who passed away was in the Army I believe, not to mention the numerous friends we have who have served. I thank you all!!

Interesting Site

So, when I come across something interesting, I like to pass it on. I recently was surfing around the web and found a pretty cool website. It is called Underdog Laboratories. Its moto is that it "creates products and services that are better". Basically they promote some interesting business who are looking to become globally responsible, and in their blog they post about a lot of global issues (human rights and such). It is definitly something to take a look at if you are interested in that sort of thing. here is their link.

http://underdoglabs.com/about/