Deb Fixes America

This One's For You, My Sweetie....

2011-05-01T17:37:00.008-04:00

Apparently, someone has missed my blogging, and if only he were someone who could pay me, I would probably be more motivated to blog more often. However, in honor of his persistent emails, I give this blog entry about, "The Birthday of a Ballerina Princess".

Much has changed in the life of my Ballerina Princess. First of all, she has exchanged her tutus for jeans, and doesn't seem to keen on changing them back. She has, of course, found jeans with flowers and sparkles, so all is well in that area. She hasn't wanted to turn in the long hair for short, but does like to keep it braided or in pony tails, so as to facilitate such activities as breaking her arm while climbing on the couch, climbing trees, working with the electric snap kit and exploring the creek in the woods behind our home. She still loves shoes, though, and has more than anyone else in our family. Including heels. I have no idea where the girl got shoes with heels.

Anyway, Our Princess Ballerina turns 9 in just several days, so yesterday we celebrated. She is our first kid to actually draw a diagram of how she wanted the cake to look, as can be seen above. She even included a cross section. She was also able to talk her Daddy into a three layer cake: chocolate, strawberry and yellow, with both chocolate and pink frosting. Needless to say we picked Neapolitan ice cream to go with it. She wanted a big birthday party, so I graciously said, "Nope" and limited her to a few friends. I'm just boring that way.

They started the evening with cake, ice cream and kool-aid. A brief appearance was made by two "big boys" who then quickly recoiled back to the lair of bass guitars, guitars and computers. The kids then followed that with a rip through of presents and then went outside to play such games as "Whack the Bubbles with Sticks" and "Tie the Birthday Girl to the Basketball Hoop with Her New Jump Rope", all of which are games that fall under the category of "Mom Didn't Plan Party Games This Time and It Never Occurs to Dad to Plan Them".

Not long after that the party ended, and I began to get persistent emails about my need to start blogging again, as, apparently, my blog is an electronic memory of family fun for some people. And, since it's a person I love, I will start blogging again....

My Baby is an AWESOME Graphic Artist

2010-05-03T17:24:00.000-04:00

This is my shameless posting of our oldest son's work with blender. And, Dude, it's a guitar!

Awaking the Sleeping Dragon

2010-04-14T17:32:00.003-04:00

Although I have not blogged much lately, the disturbing case of Artyiem Saviliev, the 7-year-old who was recently placed on a plane, alone, to fly back to Russia where he was met by a stranger, hired on the Internet, has awakened me once again. The stranger was paid $200 by Artyiem's "mother" to return him to the Russian government.

The Mama Bear in me cannot help but lash out in this case. What, in all that makes sense in this world, was that woman, and her mother, thinking? Did she honestly think that adopting a post institutionalized 7 year old boy was going to be easy? Did she think he'd be able to express the complexities of his emotions --- of abandonment, fear, culture shock, language shock -- to her in a healthy way? Did she think attachment would come quickly and without sacrifice on her part? Does this woman understand that we become parents not because children are extra cute pets or fashion accessories, but because we are willing to love sacrificially for their sake, not our own?

What they did was unconscionable. I fully believe that both she and any family member aware of what she did should be investigated, tried and punished to the full extent of the law for child endangerment and any other charge that fits. Children need to be protected. Period. Not just Artieym, but all the subsequent children who will be denied families either because this story has scared off families, or because they are denied a family due to the Russian governments understandable reluctance to let go of children, not fully understanding the fate of those who come here.

Yes, he was a difficult child. Yes, he scared her. But, she also did nothing to really change the situation. There is a large national support group for families that adopt from Russia: FRUA (Families for Russian and Ukrainian Adoption). FRUA provides resources and services for adoptive families that face these types of difficulties. She never joined. In addition to that there are many ministries and mental health centers that will work with children with these types of issues, in both residential and out patient service. There are families willing to foster children with these types of issues! There were options available. All that I have read has indicated that she did nothing to get him said services.

And, as any adoptive parent knows: The first year is HARD. Very very hard. Children have to learn to accept love, accept the permanence of family. They have a new language to learn. They have a new culture to learn. This is not for the meek! However, the rewards far out weigh the sacrifices. As is often the case with sacrificial love.

And, what about this "difficult child"? What has he learned? Well, one thing is certain. He has learned that you can be bad enough to drive off a person who has promised to love you forever. I lament what this child has learned. This precious child, made in the image of God, is reacting to a cruel world that has shown him, literally, no love. Reject me once, shame on you. Reject me twice, shame on me. I'm sure that idea is ringing in his head. Rejection for who he is. I pray that that lesson is not inscribed in his heart and yet, I realistically, I know it is. He now has evidence that he is unlovable. I pray that the Lord sends him a family to teach him that that is a lie, but at this point it will take a family that really knows unconditional love and is willing to live it.

What caused this woman to commit so hideous an act, so hideous a crime? I wish I understood. However, I do believe that our culture relies so heavily on our independence that perhaps the thought of needing other's help never crossed her mind. And, we so often buy into the lie that quality time does not mean quantity time... that perhaps more of us should consider if we really want to make the sacrifices necessary to parent a child. BEFORE the child is conceived or adopted.

Please consider signing the following petition to be submitted to both Russian President Medvedev and President Obama. It is sponsored by the Joint Council of International Children's Services:

Petition to Continue Russian Adoption Into America and To Pursue Those Adults Who Abuse Children.

She WALKS!

2010-01-14T09:16:00.003-05:00

My Baby Stood! She Stood!

2010-01-01T09:26:00.003-05:00

After 2 complete rounds of botox and serial casting, and months of waiting on braces, my baby stood by herself with her walker!

Writing in the Snow: An Irreverent Perspective on Our Cultural Ideas About Inclusion

2009-12-19T11:26:00.007-05:00

Warning: This blog entry involves imagery that some might find offensive, while others might find quite natural.

Once upon a time there was a small town in which all the children, except one, were boys. The one lone little girl, Sally, was cherished by all, even though she was "different". At first she didn't notice the difference because, well, small children don't naturally notice those things. The other kids didn't notice either, and all was good in the world. Her parents knew that she would come to understand that difference, as would all the boys, but that if they made sure there was always a way for her to participate in the town, then she would not see that difference as something to be ashamed of. The world was full of girls and everyone knows how important they are! In fact, when she was all grown up, she would be one of the most valuable "possessions" that the town had!

So time went along and all were happy in Boyville. But as she and her friends grew, she began to notice things.

For the most part, her friends were faster and than her. True, she was faster and stronger than some of the other children, but she never placed first in a test of strength or speed. But, that was okay, because she also noticed that there were things she could do better them them -- she could sit still and pay attention longer, and was able to add her own perspective on things to conversations. She was always able to keep up, and her smaller size made her an attribute in some games (like hide-and-seek). She was different, but no one saw that as a problem. The lone girl in a town full of boys, comfortable with who she was.

One winter day, though, her friends all discovered something that they could do that she couldn't. They could write their names in the snow. Now, really, Sally thought that this was juvenile and didn't really care that she was missing out on this "fun". There were hundreds of other ways a kid could have fun! So, she contentedly found another activity to fill her afternoon, never a thought about it.

The next afternoon, the boys were all done being enamored with their unique ability to write in the snow, and so the kids all went back to playing dodge ball, snowball fights, video games and board games. Occasionally they would write in the snow, and when they did, Sally just found something else to do.

But, then, one day she heard the oddest thing. Her town was going to have an afternoon play date and the focus of that play date was -- writing in the snow.

Sally held back the tears as she read the flier on the town square:

EVERYONE IS INVITED!
AN ALL TOWN FAMILY EVENT!
COME WATCH YOUR CHILD ENJOY AN EVENING OF WRITING IN THE SNOW!

What?! The one thing I can't do? Why in the world would they pick that? She thought. There are so many fun things to do... why would they pick that one thing? And why would they make it the only thing at this party?

Up till now, there are had been moments where it felt awkward to be different, but this, the feeling of being left out, this was completely new. Her Mom and Dad understood, and tried to advocate for her, but no one was willing to really listen. They thought that inclusion meant that she was simply welcome to be there, not that she was to be included as a valuable and equal part of a celebration.

Her parents sought counsel with the Mayor. The Mayor was a nice man, but he just didn't get it, because, well he could write in the snow, too, and had done so all his life.

"We'll get her an aide." He told them. "She can have some one with her and when they write in the snow then the aide can do it for her. She can kind of wiggle her hips so it feels like she's participating."

"Well," her father replied, "Sally doesn't want to pretend she's participating. She wants to participate. And she definitely doesn't want some adult following her around all afternoon. I mean, would you have wanted that when you were 10? Something like that will only make her feel like she's standing out even more!"

"Well," the Mayor responded, "It just doesn't make sense that you wouldn't want the town to have fun...." and the case was closed.

He didn't understand that the parents weren't saying not to have the town party or that the town party couldn't contain some form of writing in the snow, but that by making that the focus it was excluding Sally, and any other little girl that happened into town. Or maybe the boys who were uncomfortable with writing in the snow, or whose parents didn't have the money to purchase them snowsuits to keep them warm while writing in the snow, that those boys would be left out as well..... with a world full of options, why is there a need to focus on this one thing?

For the weeks leading up to the event, all the kids in town talked about it. Sally was silent. Her parents were silent. There was nothing for them to do, but every time a smiling boy came by and mentioned it, or a teacher at school asked if they would go, just one more tiny little part of their hearts would break.

Not because writing in the snow was really all that fun, but a certain realization would sink in even more each time they heard about it. People were willing to include Sally, as long as it cost them nothing in exchange for doing so.

They also felt sad, too, that people would never understand that the joy of having Sally, or any other little girl, included in what they were doing, far outweighed the fleeting fun of an afternoon of writing in the snow.

Letter from Jesus about Christmas

2009-12-08T15:04:00.004-05:00

This was forwarded to me by a new friend of mine, Santa Bill, who is a kind gentlemen that happens also to beSanta Claus for some beautiful Ukrainian orphans in norther western Ukraine. It was a role he took on because he loves Jesus.

I don't generally post forwarded things on my blog, but I absolutely love the perspective of this:

Letter from Jesus about Christmas~

It has come to my attention that many of you are upset that folks are taking My name out of the season.

How I personally feel about this celebration can probably be most easily understood by those of you who have been blessed with children of your own. I don't care what you call the day. If you want to celebrate My birth, just GET ALONG AND LOVE ONE ANOTHER.

Now, having said that let Me go on. If it bothers you that the town in which you live doesn't allow a scene depicting My birth, then just get rid of a couple of Santas and snowmen and put in a small Nativity scene on your own front lawn. If all My followers did that there wouldn't be any need for such a scene on the town square because there would be many of them all around town.

Stop worrying about the fact that people are calling the tree a holiday tree, instead of a Christmas tree. It was I who made all trees. You can remember Me anytime you see any tree. Decorate a grape vine if you wish: I actually spoke of that one in a teaching, explaining who I am in relation to you and what each of our tasks were. If you have forgotten that one, look up John 15: 1 - 8.

If you want to give Me a present in remembrance of My birth here is my wish list. Choose something from it:

1. Instead of writing protest letters objecting to the way My birthday is being celebrated, write letters of love and hope to soldiers away from home. They are terribly afraid and lonely this time of year. I know, they tell Me all the time.

2. Visit someone in a nursing home. You don't have to know them personally. They just need to know that someone cares about them.

3. Instead of writing the President complaining about the wording on the cards his staff sent out this year, why don't you write and tell him that you'll be praying for him and his family this year. Then follow up..... It will be nice hearing from you again.

4. Instead of giving your children a lot of gifts you can't afford and they don't need, spend time with them. Tell them the story of My birth, and why I came to live with you down here. Hold them in your arms and remind them that I love them.

5 Pick someone that has hurt you in the past and forgive him or her.

6. Did you know that someone in your town will attempt to take their own life this season because they feel so alone and hopeless? Since you don't know who that person is, try giving everyone you meet a warm smile; it could make the difference.

7. Instead of nit-picking about what the retailer in your town calls the holiday, be patient with the people who work there. Give them a warm smile and a kind word. Even if they aren't allowed to wish you a "Merry Christmas" that doesn't keep you from wishing them one. Then stop shopping there on Sunday.. If the store didn't make so much money on that day they'd close and let their employees spend the day at home with their families.

8. If you really want to make a difference, support a missionary-- especially one who takes My love and Good News to those who have never heard My name.

9. Here's a good one. There are individuals and whole families in your town who not only will have no "Christmas" tree, but neither will they have any presents to give or receive. If you don't know them, buy some food and a few gifts and give them to the Salvation Army or some other charity which believes in Me and they will make the delivery for you.

10. Finally, if you want to make a statement about your belief in and loyalty to Me, then BEHAVE like a Christian. Don't do things in secret that you wouldn't do in My presence. Let people know by your actions that you are one of mine.

Don't forget; I am God and can take care of Myself. Just love Me and do what I have told you to do. I'll take care of all the rest.

Check out the list above and get to work; time is short. I'll help you, but the ball is now in your court. And do have a most blessed Christmas with all those whom you love -- and remember:

I LOVE YOU.
JESUS

Christmas, A Long Time Ago: Twas the Night Before Christmas Part II

2009-12-05T22:44:00.007-05:00

I remember a long time ago, when Christmas was a peaceful time of year. However, it just seems that with each year, there are a group of my fellow believers who just want to make even Christmas Season a time of war with our culture. And while there many things I love to take issue with our culture, I just don't get this Christmas thing.

You take a sacred holiday which was originally celebrated by Christians (after being converted from being a pagan holiday) and was designed to celebrate the fact that God himself made him vulnerable enough to become a human being. Then somewhere along the way, St. Nick made his way in, as did other traditions.

Then Santa joined in, and within about 50, maybe 75 years, you have a holiday called "Christmas" but that really, in functional terms, has nothing to do with Christ and everything to do with stimulating the economy.

In my decision to NOT be depressed by the excessive materialism and arguments that just seem to erupt from this season, I have searched my inner poet (OH NO, NOT THAT!) and written yet and other cuplet. I channeled my inner Dr. Seuss.

It's cheesy and smarmy, but it's also in reaction to the hundreds of forwarded emails I keep getting about "Twas the night before Christmas.... yada yada yada... people don't care about keeping it Christmas, they just want to take Christ out of it."

Well, in my opinion, I don't really want them putting such a beautiful name into such a sickly excuse of a holiday. If the stores are needed for Christmas, I don't want anything to do with it. They can keep their holiday season and I can keep mine!

All I can think each time I hear the alarm sounded, is a little meek voice inside my head that says, "Didn't Christ love them enough to give them a choice?"

__________________________________________________

Twas the Night Before Christmas and all through the house

Not a creature was stirring, except for a mouse

The children were nestled all snug in their beds,

While visions of Christmas day danced in their heads.

They were thinking about what they had bought for each other

Each brother and sister, friend, father and mother

Dreaming about playing with cousins and Aunts

and Uncles and parents and sweet yummy snacks

Dreaming about cookies, family made feasts, gifts from those who love them

And celebrations so neat.

They didn’t have wish lists that went out the door

They didn’t have appetites that just wanted more.

Christmas had been shown them as a love celebration

Of the love of God, who sent his son for salvation

It wasn’t about presents, or a man who brought toys

It wasn’t about buying more games or stuff that makes noise

It wasn’t about manipulation or culture war battles

It wasn’t about catch phrases or false holiday values

It wasn’t about pining for the days way gone by

It wasn’t about yelling for the world to comply

It was about the passing of love and submitting of power

First by God , and then Christ in his first and last hours

The Word became flesh, God lowered himself

To become one of us and give of himself

God does this but once, and it just seems to be

Something to celebrate, and think of as holy

So, to turn it into a material mess,

where we yell and we fuss, as the stores have digressed

Is simply a miserable, angry response

That, really, we shouldn't want to focus there even once

When what we should do is give them the less

Let them have their shallow materialistic fest

Then, we could be like my sweet children each year

And we'd have "won" for he'd be remembered with cheer.

Twas the Night Before Christmas

2009-12-05T09:36:00.001-05:00

Twas the night before Christmas and all through the house

Not a Christian was praying – they were all tuckered out

From buying and charging and hording galore

But, only from AFA approved stores

Not wanting to offend Wildmon or Dobson

they undertook causes by hundreds and thousands

But not about Gap who has nothing to say

Of Child labor, sweathouses and low wages they pay.

Taking kids from their families, and pumping with drugs

Making cute little coats, hoodies or gloves.

“Ooops” they say, “We just didn’t know.

Obviously our employees were hiding it so.”

1 time, maybe 2, but now 3, 4?

No ‘tis obvious to all there must be something more.

Turning the cheek, in this world, as they say

no longer means forgiveness but, look the other way,

But Christians, that’s not the cause that they fight,

but instead protest a rather small slight.

For avoiding the word “Christmas” GAP was banished by men,

But now that they say it, we can shop there again,

Little Madhur will work while suffering the flu,

And depression, and starvation and homesickness too,

But we know for sure, that when under our tree,

Gap gifts will be honoring to Jesus, you see

For they were purchased from a store that made sure to say

“Merry Christmas” with their “Happy Holidays”.

The Empire Strikes Back

2009-10-17T12:38:00.003-04:00

I haven't blogged much lately because I've been too busy home schooling, attempting to promote my book and have actually started graduate school (part time). I thought about closing this blog to help focus my attention elsewhere, but decided to keep it opened for times I wanted to write about something that I thought was important. As such, that time has come.

There are few things that grieve my soul more than the twisting of the gospel of Jesus Christ. There are many things that I believe to be morally wrong, but few things that grieve me in this way: American Civic Religion. And, yesterday I saw a website that I found so disturbing that it actually gave me nightmares! As so often is the case, the perversion of truth starts with a grain of truth. In this case, the poor handling of debt and stimulus in our federal government. What is so frightening to me, is the way those who pervert the truth do it so cunningly and make it sound so "good." Unless, of course, you commune with the only One who is truly good, and so can recognize His Presence or the lack thereof.

The Prophetic Ministry of Bob and Bonnie Jones has managed to gain a fairly significant following as they pervert and twist scripture to meet the needs of their political desires. I'm not certain if their perversion is the product of years of poor Biblical teaching or if they just openly desire to manipulate people by preying on their fears in a politically tumultuous time. Either way, I would go so far as to call them blasphemous.

Isaiah 61 in no way references the Tea Party of America. The Tea Party is a legitimate political movement that contains many faithful Christian people. It is not inclusive of the entire church. There are Christians who simply are not as conservative in their political views and are not part of the movement. There are Christians who are politically polar opposite of them. To reference a current political movement as scriptural is not only academically laughable, it shows that they a have a complete misunderstanding of scripture.

The good news being proclaimed in Isaiah 61 is the good news that we are all forgiven! The good news that Jesus is evidence of the fact that God, directly after the fall of man, sought us out in relationship despite our fallen nature. It is NOT the proclamation that "taxation without representation" is unacceptable. The Bride in the Bible is not the Tea Party of America. It is the church -- which is comprised of every tribe, every nation and EVERY POLITICAL PARTY.

We are not ancient Israel. We are not a theocracy. If we are a theocracy then we are scripturally very off base and according to the book of Acts should be pursuing socialism rather than capitalism. I, for one, am very glad we are not a theocracy.

Every Christian is called to political action, but our political action will not manifest itself in the same way. By proclaiming the Tea Party some kind of movement of God, Bob and Bonnie have totally cheapened Christ's sacrifice, furthered a political agenda that risks removing real Christianity from the public square and probably made a few bucks in wake of it all.

Christianity is about following Jesus Christ. It is about pursuing the Kingdom of Christ while living in the Empire that we were born into. Don't legitimize the empire by trying to make it the Kingdom it simply can never be. Make the empire the best it can be by living Kingdom principles in it.

An Opportunity to Help Kazkh Orphans!

2009-10-15T16:00:00.002-04:00

Here is a link to a blog written by a fellow adoptive mother and author (Adopting Alesia: My Crusade for My Russian Daughter). The blog is enjoyable and Dee is currently holding a raffle in order to raise money for the Antares Foundation -- a great non-profit in Kazakhstan that serves orphans. Great cause and great prizes!!! The raffle ends tonight so check it out today!

A Perspective On Canadian Health Care

2009-09-05T14:29:00.003-04:00

I don't normally post things on my blog that have been written by other people, however, the following email was written by my cousin, who lives in both the US and Canada. So, I feel she has a perspective on the Canadian health care that would be, by my standards, a original source. She's seen it first hand. I think that no matter how you feel about universal health care and that even though the Canadian system is different than the changes being argued in congress, it is worth reading because there is a contingent within our country who still clings to the belief that the system works well there. I also think it's an important part of the discussion because, ultimately, our world is not a just place. As a Christian I am constantly striving for social justice, however, no system in the world outside of God's kingdom -- be it public or private -- is going to
to achieve that. If we naively believe one system can solve all our problems and preclude the need for the church to care for the health and well being of humanity, then we're simply finding our own way to abdicate our responsibility.
_____________________________________________________________________
There is an awful lot of talk going around about the proposed health plan for this country. Several friends and relatives have sent me e-mails asking me about Canada's national health plan and how it functions. I have finally decided to just relate our experiences with their plan and let you all make your own decisions about whether you think we can afford or even want a government run plan.

We live in a town of 16,000 people. We have four general practitioners, one ob-gyn, and one general surgeon. There is a massive waiting list for those people who wish to have a private doctor. Meanwhile, those who do not have a doctor go to the emergency room. This includes all of the poor and minorities and much of the middle class population of the town. There simply are not enough doctors. They are coming to the US to practice. If a person in our town needs an MRI, there is a 6 month wait, and they must travel 2 1/2 hours to Winnipeg to get it. There is a 10 yr. wait for hip and knee replacements there, a 6 month wait for biopsies after positive mammograms. Colonoscopies are used as a last resort, and mammograms are only done every two years. When a new doctor comes to town, people are called and assigned an appointment time to be "interviewed" by the new doctor. Basically, the docs pic and choose whom they want to bother with. Old, preexisting condition? Forget it. Poor? Forget it. If you cannot keep the appointment, you lose your chance until the next time around. Remember, it was assigned.

There is an 18 month wait in our town for carpal tunnel syndrome surgery. It is done the old fashioned way. If you want the new surgery, as we have in the US, you must wait up to three years to have it done in Winnipeg. In short, elective surgery (even when you are in extreme pain) is wait, wait, wait.

Now, you say, is it this way all over Canada? No. Our province and Manitoba do not permit private health insurance. Many of the others do. Therefore, people in those provinces who can afford private, often come to the US for treatment. Also, there are more doctors who accept private insurance in those provinces. Are the poor and disenfranchised treated any better there? Our understanding is that they are not. In large cities, such as Vancouver, Edmonton, Calgary, Ottawa, Toronto, and Montreal, the care is better and much of it is state of the art. Great, if you live there.

Is treatment paid for? Some. A lot is not, though - eyes, ears, and teeth are another story. Do they pay high taxes? You bet! In Ontario, residents pay national income tax, provincial income tax, and 15% sales tax. That's to finance their "free" medical care.

I've painted a dreary picture of Canadian health care. I'm sorry. It's what we've seen for 19 years. It's dismal compared to what we have. The poor are still going to the ER, the wealthy are still going where the care is good. Nothing is different.

Our system is not perfect in this country, but it is still the best there is. It has some glitches that need to be fixed, but fixing them would be far better than allowing any plan run by our inefficient and costly government.
___________________________________________________________________

I welcome any dialogue about this essay, and know that my cousin reads my blog, so am sure she is willing to answer any questions as well.

My Baby is in the Enquirer!

2009-08-11T16:38:00.002-04:00

Cincinnati Enquirer | Cincinnati Photo Gallery | Cincinnati.Com

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And Finally, What I Am Doing About All This Health Care Mess

2009-08-09T14:54:00.003-04:00

So, after all my yipping, what am I doing besides blogging? Well, I'm trying to engage in realistic conversations with people who don't agree with me, for one. I've considered arranging a party for everyone I know who is on the left and claiming the only solution is single payer and people who are on the right and are claiming that single payer is what is currently being devised. My plan is to invite them all to one spot, without telling them the purpose, then I'm going to turn out the lights and whisper one word.

"Health Care"

Whichever side wins the scuffle wins the debate. If that doesn't end it, then I'm going to then retry the idea by simply whispering "War on Terror" while they are all catching their breath.

Short of the time to do that, I have expended my energies elsewhere.

I am writing all my legislators explaining to them my problems with the current health care legislation, and pointing out the growing concern over financing said reforms. I'm also pointing out that they are up for re-election, and that if such sweeping legislation does get passed and causes more economic problems, then I, and millions more, will certainly not vote for them. However, if some reforms are passed, don't work well but can be easily changed, then the likelihood of reelection for them is much greater. In my letters I am pointing out that reform is much easier to do through an existing system, and that those options have not been researched enough. I am also pointing out that if they can fix ONE thing in the system, see how that works, then fix another, there is a precise and measurable way to determine what is working and what is not.

Here is a link to a web page where you can find any US Senator and email them with your concerns.

In addition to that, I've looked at systems around the world that combine both public and private in order to ensure universal health care. I plan to continue writing to my senators and to the White House as I see systems that work well, pointing out to them what DOES appear to work and what DOESN'T work. I have also contacted Anthem about different policies I've seen that could be created to ensure coverage for people who are "at risk" for more expensive medical care.

In my daily life, I feel like I fight the health care battle as I challenge the status quo in how my daughter's disabilities are handled, turning down overpriced adaptive devices that are not necessary and using the ones that are necessary until they have outgrown them. I think critically about everything that is offered, asking myself if I would take said item if I was paying for it all out of pocket (saying I had the money), and considering if the item will actually help with something. We also routinely turn down additional government assistance that we qualify for because we believe that it's more important for our girls to grow up thinking that God will provide for their needs through their diligence and hard work, not that they get special perks for simply having joints that don't move right. Of course, I don't believe that it's always wrong to take government money when someone has a disabled child, but for us, we are choosing a different path because we believe that is where God has called us to be. So, please, don't anyone write me and tell me how judgemental I am. This is what we are doing because we are trying to follow God as we think He is leading us at this particular stage in our lives. This is not about how we think other people should or should not use the current system as it is set up. I'm not privy to the particulars of anyone else's life to make a judgement on how much state aid they need or don't need, should take or not take and I am not attempting to make that judgement.

If I had lots of money, I would look into establishing a private for-profit health insurance company that worked on the principal of equal risk pools. In other words, the higher risk people are spread equally among all the various policies, so that the cost to insure them is not any greater. I would also look at establishing wellness clinics and instruction through the company.

If I had lots of money, I would also look into establishing more private clinics and health services to promote health, early screening of diseases, and such. Right now, I think our YMCA is doing an awesome job at this -- promoting health. In addition to their workout equipment, they offer personal trainers, a diabetes management group, Autism inclusive preschool and are soon opening a family workout room with video games and other fun things. Now that's something proactive!

Since I don't have a lot of money, though, I'll just think those are good ideas.

Universal Health Care, A Thoroughly Christian Concept

2009-08-05T08:00:00.001-04:00

In light of health care reform discussion, I think it's important to remember the passage in Romans that refers to government:

Romans 13

Submission to the Authorities

¹Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. ²Consequently, he who rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves. ³For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong. Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right and he will commend you. ⁴For he is God's servant to do you good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword for nothing. He is God's servant, an agent of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer. ⁵Therefore, it is necessary to submit to the authorities, not only because of possible punishment but also because of conscience. ⁶This is also why you pay taxes, for the authorities are God's servants, who give their full time to governing. ⁷Give everyone what you owe him: If you owe taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect; if honor, then honor."

While I don't agree with the direction that our federal government is moving, it is legitimate government. The people in office were legitimately elected, reflecting the current overall majority of our nation at the time of the election. American government is not the Kingdom of Jesus, and it will not be perfectly run. However, it is legitimate authority. Therefore, as a Christian in this nation I am called to respect that authority, which I believe involves reading legislation and reacting intellectually to that legislation.

What does that mean?

Rather than reacting to what the pundits are saying, find the specific errors in the legislation and provide specific reasons those ideas will not work. For instance, it does no good to just make a blanket statement that "universal health care" doesn't work. For all intents and purposes, that's not true. Several European nations have successful systems that have a combination of private health insurance and a public option. It might not work in Canada, but that isn't going to convince lawmakers, or other citizens who can help to put pressure on lawmakers, here, when the plan on the table doesn't even compare with that system. It's like if someone was saying, "Eating an orange when you have a cold will give you enough vitamin C to stop the cold." And you respond, "It's obvious that eating that apple is not going to solve the problem."

We also need to keep in mind that as Christians, our hearts should be "broken by the things that break the heart of God".

Jesus' purpose in coming to earth was to give his life as a sacrifice for all of humanity's sins, and also to conquer death. Not a small agenda. Yet, a big part of his ministry was healing. He was moved to compassion for the people he saw suffering. While I believe that part of the reason for the inclusion of miracles in the Bible is to reveal Jesus' power, I think it also serves to show us his concern for people who were suffering or simply wanted to be healed. As someone who is trying, in a rather floundering and unsuccessful manner,to be like Jesus, I think it's important to care what happens to the health of everyone. As Christians we need to be very concerned for all of God's children, and our goal should be that every person has at least the option of accessing quality health care.

I think Christians need to reclaim the concept of Universal Health Care!

We've taken a concept that should belong to the church, abdicated our responsibility and allowed it to be delegated to the government. The church used to be salt and light in the area of providing health care to our citizens. Just a look at all the hospitals is evidence of how involved Christians were. However, when was the last time a new (new, not one that's being moved from one location to another) hospital went up in the name of Christ? Have you heard of any new clinics established in his honor? Health Insurance plans?

Universal Health Care does not need to mean socialized medicine. I think it's safe to say that no one wants to live in a society where people cannot access health care. Rather than letting those who want to socialize the system take a term and change it into what they want it to mean, I think we, as Christians, can push for true "Universal Health Care" by making sure that laws are fair and just, medical care costs are not skyrocketing, and private insurance is available as viable options for the vast majority of people who are willing to purchase it. Most importantly, launching ministries that serve the health needs of our fellow citizens, including those poor enough to not have other options, would go much further than anything the government could provide.

It also means being responsible with your own life choices. I've heard people yelling about how they don't want to be forced to purchase health care. That's fine. However, if you are not willing to pay into any system, then are you willing to be completely responsible for your medical costs? Are you willing to sign an affidavit stating you will not access emergency care at a hospital, or if you do, you will foot the entire bill? Part of what is fueling the current health care crisis is the irresponsibility of people who aren't insured showing up at hospitals needing emergency help and ultimately costing the government and the insured significantly more money. Sometimes, that's not irresponsibility -- people can't purchase health care under the current system. However, many people just want to go from job to job without a long term plan or would rather spend their money on cable TV, high speed Internet, newer cars, entertainment, convenience food, and new clothes rather than on health insurance. Paying for health care should be a part of your budget, just as the grocery bill or rent.

If you sincerely don't want to be a part of the system in any manner, then look for models of health care legislation that offer an "opt out" option and lobby your congressman and the White House to add that into the legislation. Currently, the Netherlands is one model that has an "opt out" clause. However, simply saying that you don't want to be forced to pay for health insurance isn't going to do any body any good. And, incidentally, it's now been a few days, but I remember nothing in the legislation that says you have to purchase health insurance.

Okay, I lied, this will not be a three part blog series. Tomorrow I'm going to blog about ideas I have about what Christians can DO about health care reform.

A Fool and His Money Are Soon Parted (Or Why I Believe the Current Health Care Reform Won't Work)

2009-08-04T07:18:00.007-04:00

There is one reason, first and foremost, that I believe that this health care reform will not work. We don't have the money to do it. In a way, it's even more ridiculous to believe that we have the money for this than to believe we really had the money for all the bailouts and stimulus. At least, in theory, money shovelled out for the bailouts and stimulus would be either paid back or returned back into the economy by growing the economy. While professing to make health care less expensive in the long run, this legislation is going to cost us money without earning any new. Money that our government doesn't have.

The real insanity in this is that they are planning on running this health care legislation in addition to Medicaid. So, we already have a system in place that is running throughout all 50 states. This system is funded by both state and federal money, and in many states already is contracting with private insurances to provide managed care for it's participants. Why, in the name of all that is logical and reasonable, would we not look at reforming the Medicaid system, and allow the option for people to purchase policies through that? This very thing is, in fact, done in some states already as low-income people have the option of purchasing private insurance contracted by the state. Running a "health insurance exchange" -- which is not in itself a bad idea -- through each state, with federal law protecting the right to make it portable and limit premiums, just might actually work. Not only that, but it might help to fund Medicaid.

To run this public option from Washington creates the need to pay for:

Addition Federal Staff

Office Space to House Said Staff

Travel Expenses of Said Staff

Multiple Accountability Committees (not paid a salary, but requiring travel fees etc)

Administrative Costs with surveys and research on effectiveness

Staff for handling the actual public option (accountants, doctors, customer service, etc).

Then there most certainly have to be some type of liaisons at the state level.

Which leads me to another reason I know that this health care reform won't work.

It never works to fix something from the top down, and no big national social program has ever been truly effective. If our politicians are going to put forward legislation that is costing the US billions of dollars, it is reasonable to demand that there be evidence that 1) It is the most efficient way to solve the problem 2) that the proposed legislation has a chance of working

Consider social security... this is the same government that brought you this mess. Is there any evidence to believe they will do any better with a national health care option? For significantly less money, easier accountability, and solid health care plans, then there is much more hope that something can be designed on a state level. Countries that have had successful Universal Health Care programs have been countries that are much smaller than the US. Bureaucracy feeds on itself. Our federal government, because of it's size, will do nothing but create a bureaucratic mess with this. Switzerland doesn't create that mess because it's federal government is smaller than many of our state governments. Just the accountability portions of the legislation, alone, was hundreds of pages. It's really not rational to believe that any federal plan is not going to create a bureaucratic mess.

Unfortunately, our state governments are increasingly becoming mere puppet governments for the federal. I learned, recently, that 80% of our state budget is federally mandated and cannot be changed by our state legislature. Now, there is a law that people should be rallying to change. How can we have a voice in our government, when we, the people paying the state taxes, can't influence how that money is spent?

When I consider the quality of service offered through our current social programs, I don't believe for a minute that the public option that the national government is going to offer is going to be any better than Medicaid. I believe that because there is no evidence that it will be better. Ultimately, people with resources will purchase private insurance, and only people with no option will choose the public option, and the discrepancy between the care provided to the rich and poor will either be the same (at greater cost to each taxpayer because we're paying for both programs), or, possibly, worse. And, we're going to feel really stupid since we're already paying for that with Medicaid!

Anytime the government moves a program from the state and creates it on a federal level, then it has defied the concept of "We the people" as the people no longer have a viable voice in our own government. Washington is too big and too far away. I know that the White House is holding Town Hall Meetings, sending out communications and taking suggestions. That is all well and good. However, on a practical level, your voice is simply much more likely to be heard by your local state representative, who's hearing from maybe hundreds of people, than by the White House, where one of hundreds of aides is hearing from, probably 10,000 every hour. It will never make it to the right people, even if your letter is actually read by someone who's voice has finished changing and is able to grow a beard. And, having spent a fair amount of time contacting legislators' offices this past summer, I can tell you that I almost always had to ASK to talk to a grown up. But that's a different issue.

So, these are the reasons I believe that this health care reform will not work. I don't believe the sky is falling, and am hopeful that things can be changed (in part because of the 18 month survey period, and also because there is a clause in the legislation allowing for the development of state wide health care exchanges). Stay tuned for the "Christian" response to the US health care crisis...

The Most Boring Reading in America Today: "America's Affordable Health Choices Act of 2009"

2009-08-02T10:41:00.014-04:00

After getting incredibly tired of receiving emails and Facebook postings about how my life is going to come to an end if the health care legislation currently before the House passes, I realized that I needed to look into the issue and decide if all the apocalyptic rhetoric was founded. So, yesterday I spent the day reading the 1000+ pages of the legislation. This is not as impressive as it sounds, because it's not 1000 full pages. Most of the pages have, maybe, a paragraph of information. In fact, if they submitted this legislation to a high school English teacher, they would most certainly be busted for using large margins and large fonts to increase the size. On the flip side, it was hardly compelling reading. In fact, I now have a new definition for boring reading: any book, article or essay that invokes a feeling similar to the one which one feels as he or she reads the health care legislation.

I am going to write three blog entries based upon my reading. This first one, a second one detailing the reasons why I believe this health care plan will fail, and one on what I believe to be the Christian response to this legislation (which, no does not involve nominating Sarah Palin for the next presidential election).

I fully admit that I did not understand everything in the bill, as they, being politicians, used as much legalise as possible. However, I was able to understand the bulk of what I read. I also fully admit that I am not an expert at politics, civics, or predicting the future. I am, however, a fairly intelligent person who is able to read and comprehend. I have a solid faith in God's promise to meet my needs, and a belief that our country has made stupid decisions in the past and survived, so at this point don't believe that this here legislation marks the end of it all. Even if it does, I'm not very nonplussed by all this because my citizenship is actually elsewhere, and I'm just serving here until I can get there. I'm aware that He's coming back for me, and it will all be very good then.

I decided to read the legislation because I simply will not base my thinking on reading articles that are written by people who profit from creating panic and fear in the American public. The reality of the press is that the more sensational they make things, the higher the ratings and money. This is especially true of cable television media. I believe that each person is able to think on their own and does not need someone to filter and spin the legislation. And, if we don't, as engaged citizens, actually understand and discuss the legislation, but instead just make blanket statements about all universal health care plans, then we are failing to not only be salt and light, but we are forgoing our opportunity to shape society. There is going to be change in health care. The national push for it in our democracy is too great for nothing to happen. All the polls I've read had indicated that over 85% of all Americans believe something needs to change. If all we do is dig in our heals and refuse to dialogue about the change, then we will end up with no say in the matter. Like it or not, conservatives are the minority right now, and currently have a most disagreeable reputation (thanks to the likes of people such as Sarah Palin, Dick Cheney and Glen Beck). The more we react rather than engage, the less likely we are to have an effect. If however, we behave intelligently, find good candidates and stop ranting, then we have a chance to positively effect our country.

First and foremost, what is the general plan? New health care regulations are the start, and I will only detail a few. I'll say from the start, that this section of the bill, in my opinion, is good. The insurance industry needs regulation and over sight. I don't see how it can happen unless it's does on a federal level. Some of the regulations are as follows: Private Insurance companies will not be able to refuse to renew coverage on a person who has been diagnosed with a medical issue. Insurance companies will not be able to charge exorbitant amounts to people in higher risk pools. They will, however, be allowed to charge higher premiums. Also, people will have the option to "carry" their policies with them when they leave a job by paying into a pool that is not just based within their own company. When a person is denied a claim, the appeal process through the company will be the same appeal process that is used at every other insurance company.

As things stand right now, if someone loses their job, they lose their insurance. I know for our family, that is the most difficult issue we face if my husband is laid off in November. We both have chronic conditions, and if something doesn't change, I'm certain that I will NOT be able to get any decent health care coverage. This is a common problem. I know a family where the husband left his job as he was called to serve in Iraq. They lost their private insurance, and went onto the military's plan. When his service ended, they lost the insurance. In the meantime, their son was diagnosed with a condition that Anthem illogically considered a very high risk. Because of that diagnosis, they were unable to get insurance for their family without paying over $800 a month, in conjunction with what the employer was paying. This is the type of situation that not only punishes a family for doing something they had to do, but holds people back from leaving a larger company to start their own business.

Another fallacy about the legislation that I cannot understand is how people keep referring to this as a "single payer system". What I read was not a single payer system. Forced to somewhat change its structure, private insurance would continue. Instead, there would be options from which a person can choose to purchase, either individually or in conjunction with their employer, into a plan. The difference would be that there would be a public option -- a government run health insurance plan-- that people could also chose to purchase. There is about 200 pages of legislation limiting the scope of the plan, providing oversight and accountability to keep it competitive, if not quite as comprehensive, with private insurance. Considering the overwhelming success of such government systems as say, Social Security, I don't see much concern for the popularity of this plan causing the private insurances to be pushed out of business. And, that hasn't been the case in other nations where both a public and private insurance exist. I'm not saying I agree with this plan, but, again, if there is to be dialogue, people need to understand and speak realistically about what the legislation is.

Another point that has been misrepresented is end of life issues. I have read in multiple articles and listened to multiple talk-show people (who do greatly entertain me when I'm at the Y), that this plan will be coercive to people at the end of life. The myth is that there will be mandatory counseling sessions every 5 years after a certain age, and every couple years if one is in certain risk categories. Again, this simply not true. What is true is that the public option will pay for a patient to see their doctor to discuss end-of-life care (like: Do I want to go to hospice? Should I have a living will? What are my nursing home options?). Under the public option a person may visit their primary care physician up to 1 time every 5 years, unless a patient is at higher risk for needing those services, in which case they may consult every 2 years. There is no wording that makes that mandatory. Anyone who thinks this concept is new, is just simply wrong. Patients have been consulting with doctors for years on these issues, and all this legislation does is guarantee that the public option will pay for one of those consultations. My current insurance pays for a pap smear once a year. The gynecological police do not show up at my house and force me to and have a pelvic exam if I miss. That's a good thing, because gynecological police would be very scary. If I choose not to go, then I, unwisely, choose not to go. Patients across America are routinely discussing end-of-life-issues with their physicians even as I write (okay, maybe not right now because of the time of day I'm writing....), whether someone is coerced into hospice or any other situation will completely depend upon the integrity of the doctor.

Abortion is another thing that has been grossly misrepresented as well, both for sides of the abortion debate. Some people are saying it will limit funding for abortion. Not True. Some are saying it will increase funding. Again, not really true, although maybe a tiny bit true. The legislation does not mandate coverage of abortion. In fact, the writing specifically covers the right of private insurance NOT to cover abortion. In the case of the public option, it offers that abortion will only be covered in cases of rape and incest or life endangerment, which is how it is currently funded under Medicaid.

One final point that people have overlooked as well is this: There is an 18 month research period before any changes become final. Thus, if people will engage in dialogue (again, not rant: engage), then there is the opportunity to make changes in this system to come up with something that will actually work. Keeping in mind that if people behave themselves, congress could look very different in 18 months.

She's Taken Over the Living Room!

2009-07-25T06:37:00.004-04:00

We've now entered what we hope to be our last round of serial casting with our youngest daughter, Nappy. Born with a muscle/joint disorder called arthrogryposis, Nappy came to us with legs that were locked at 90-100 degree angles. They are now locked at about 40-degree angles and we're hoping after this round that they will have nearly normal flexibility. Previously, we've casted one leg at a time, however, time is marching on and she's getting older. We decided to do both legs at once. This means 5-7 weeks of her wearing two full-leg casts. Very limited mobility to say the least.

I decided right off the bat that our house would have to go. However, somehow that didn't happen. I decided that, too, when Swim Girl was in a body cast after hip surgery. Even when glorified by additions and basement finishing, a cape cod is anything but friendly to the mobility impaired. Somehow the economy has not agreed with me, so here we are, once again, with a child in too much cast, and a house with 4 staircases. In light of that, we moved Nappy's bed down to the living room, as well as her clothing, her special drawer full of treasures, and to cap it all off, her toothbrush and tooth-brushing cup.

How has she dealt with this all?

"You got me a new bedroom!"

"No, Nappy. This is just the living room with your bed against the wall. It's only your bedroom at night."

"Right. Okay, everyone out of the living room because it's my bedroom and I need time to myself."

Sigh. That went on the first day. Then there was the desk controversy. She decided that our piano bench was actually perfect to be her "desk" when sitting on her bed.

"You can do that when no one needs it for the piano." I told her. That was a mistake.

The following afternoon Green Bottle Boy wanted to play the piano. First he stood as he played, which, of course, didn't work. Let me take a moment here to interject that as a parent who has 5 kids studying piano, I was so glad that he finally realized that it doesn't work to play the piano standing up. For years I've had to specify to my children that you have to sit in order to play the piano. They have never believed me. So, this was a great victory for me, but then Nappy interrupted it all.

"You don't need the bench," She told GBB, "Just stand. This is my desk."

"Nappy," I said, "He needs the bench."

"Mom! He's just playing the piano. He doesn't NEEEEEED the bench. He just wants the bench. I need it to be my desk."

She lost and I won. However, then she was on to her next thing. Entertainment. Her current schedule is "Cinderella" in the morning, and then "Elmo" in the afternoon. I told her we would relax our television rules while she was in her casts, and some friends nicely lent us a little DVD player she can watch from her bed. That takes several hours out of the day. She's also been playing with her toys, sometimes on the floor, sometimes on her bed and sometimes at the kitchen table. Apparently, though it's getting old.

"Mom," she told me yesterday, "I just don't have a lot of toys that I love."

"You have plenty of toys." I responded.

"Not that I love...." she looked pained. "I think there's a solution. I saw a store when we were in the car. It said "Toys R Us". It's a store that sells toys. If you take me there then I will find lots of toys that I can love."

There are advantages and disadvantages to a child teaching themselves how to read when they are 5 years old! Lawyer/Social Advocate Boy did this, too, when he was 3. It was when he was 5 that we were driving through Gary, Indiana and he innocently asked us, "What's a showgirl?" Their world just gets much bigger once they can read.

So I explained to her that just because she read it, we weren't going there. The last thing I need is more toys in this house!

All in all, she's handling it well. I'm tired, and I'm not looking forward to all the appointments. I am, however looking forward to her walking!

Homeless in Cincinnati

2009-07-17T09:22:00.005-04:00

The number of homeless in Cincinnati has been on the rise, as it has nationwide, and council members and county commissions are, apparently, quite put-out by it all.

“It’s clearly unacceptable for it to be used this way,” Pepper (Hamilton County Commissioner) told The Enquirer [in reference to the homeless sleeping at the courthouse] . “The building needs to be clean and safe and perceived that way.”

Wow.

Not: "It's clearly unacceptable for it to be this way. These are people, fellow human beings, and need to be shown a better way to live."

Not: "It's clearly unacceptable for it to be this way. These are my fellow human beings and are, obviously, the ones suffering in the most challenging ways due to the current economic conditions."

Not: "It's clearly unacceptable for it to be this way. Obviously we need to be seeking new ways to help these people live in a healthy manner."

Nope. He just doesn't want to trip over them.

However, he's a step behind Council member Jeff Berding. While I'm far from an expert on homelessness, I had to laugh at the obvious stupidity of a recent motion initiated by this amusing council member.

According to the Cincinnati Enquirer, "Cincinnati panhandlers would have to pay a fee to register, pay earnings tax on their collections and toss their hand-written “Please Help” signs under a plan to be proposed next month.

Saying panhandling is as much of a business as, say, selling hot dogs, Councilman Jeff Berding is working on a plan he says will help make the city more appealing to residents and tourists. The plan also would require panhandlers, including those who walk up to people and those who sit holding their signs, to carry a standard sign issued by the city. That sign would say how much money the city has approved for agencies that help homeless people – more than $11 million this year, Berding said."

Now, I could use this opportunity to point out that it must be true that Democrats always think taxes solve problems. But I won't make that joke.

Berding, who has probably offended hot dog and water vendors around the city, claims that this will force the homeless to access the legitimate services that the city offers, however, I think we all know what it will do. It will push the homeless out of the city and then Pepper and Berding will no longer need to deal with them.

I'm not advocating a pitying attitude toward the homeless that enables them to continue to live in an unhealthy manner and place other citizens at various risks. However, how in the world are you going to get a 60+ year old mentally ill substance abuser to actually register with the county, obtain a license.... what, are they supposed to file self-employment tax too? Where do they keep their paperwork? I'm sure the police and courts are going to love all the additional work, as will the social workers who have to try to walk them through the process of getting a license. The 2% tax won't even pay for the costs of trying to administer this idea.

Recently a list was created that listed the 10 worst cities in which to be homeless. These cities are known for having the cruelest policies towards homelessness (which, to be noted, doesn't decrease homelessness). Cincinnati didn't make that list. Give it time, though.

Flies, Flies Everywhere, and Nary a Bite of Chicken to Eat

2009-07-11T16:27:00.002-04:00

Our Suburban farm is growing. Our sunflowers are now towering over our heads, we've become zucchini and cucumber gluttons, and our corn is germinating even as I type. Our ducks and chickens now have free range of our backyard, meaning the garage door is always closed so they don't poop in there, and I am awakened each dawn to the sound of maniacal duck laughter. Ahhh. Farm life. There is a catch, though.

Flies! Agh! They are just terrible. I think that there is a colony of about 20,00 flies that has set up in our yard and that perhaps their collective intelligence is evolving. At first, I just sent Green Bottle Boy out there with a fly swatter. That entertained him for hours and killed hundreds of flies. Then he went to camp and all hell broke lose. Or should I say the flies began to multiple like rabbits? They were everywhere, especially in our duck pen. I cleaned out our duck pen, sprayed the entire area and hung fly strips around it like garlic hung to ward off vampires. So, did the flies die? No. They moved. I swear, they just up and moved their operation to my garden. Well, I can't spray there, so I hung up fly strips. They moved again. This time to my neighbor's garage. In response, we bought them a house warming gift: fly spray. I think they were appreciative. I'm trying to force the flies back to the woods, but haven't had much luck. They love poop, and, well, with 6 chickens, 7 ducks and 2 dogs, we have a lot of that around here.

Our dogs, though, have been an interesting problem. Last week we let them out, accidentally, while the ducks were out. Hydro ran down the steps and immediately began barking. My dog translator tells me he was saying, "Hey! Mom, Dad, the ducks are out! Hey! Mom! Dad! The ducks are out!" Sammy, our Border Collie, went into full sprint when she saw them out, and then stopped, only to bark at Hydro. I swear, she was barking, "Stupid! Shut your mouth and chase! Stupid! Shut your mouth and chase!" We brought the dogs inside and disaster was averted. Sammy looked at Hydro with great annoyance and disgust for the rest of the day. In dog world, Hydro became the equivalent of the child who raises their hand in class and says, "Teacher! You forgot to assign us homework!"

Earlier this week I decided that all the animals needed to live at peace with each other and the dogs would just have to learn to share the yard with the birds as the birds are simply too big to keep in a coop. We brought the dogs out on lead, so we could catch them and control them if need be.

Hydro's reaction was to pee on the duck pool. Of course.

Sammy, however, saw all the birds, whimpered and ran back up the deck to the door. She refused to come down.

"She knows she wants to eat them," My insightful husband noted, "So she won't come out."

Wow. Preemptive guilt. I wish I had that.

I dragged her down into the grass, and told her to 'hurry'. That works with Hydro as he was trained to pee on command. It doesn't work with Sammy. She just looks at you with a look that usually only a home schooled child could give. That look that says, "I just don't pee on command. I'm not like a school kid. There are no communal bathroom breaks in my day."

So we stood there, Sammy and I, in the grass, as Sammy cried. I dragged her deeper into the yard. She began to drool. I undid the leash and slowly she slunk back to the deck.

The next day, she was out and someone let out the chickens. Before we could stop her she chased them into the corner of the yard. Then a funny thing happened. She didn't take a bite. She simply chased them and jumped around, in a sort of primal chicken dance. It was at this point I realized that she didn't want to eat the chickens, she simply wanted to mess with their brains.

I love my dog.

Happy (Sort of) 4Th of July

2009-07-04T11:01:00.003-04:00

Usually, I like the 4th of July. Our family has a slew of holidays and birthdays running from October through the end of May, and I get incredibly bogged down in celebrations. Then there's a break, and we have the 4th of July. There's not a set of expectations with this holiday unless you count hot dogs and sparklers, and the possibility of a fireworks display, so there's little planning on my part. We simply get a day off to celebrate our incredible freedom. Increasingly, though, I have a harder time celebrating something that is so precious, and treated in a manner so disrespectfully.

I'm thankful for the people who have protected my freedom, but at the same time, I'm angered by the unncessary use of our military around the world, as political leaders deem imperialistic dalliances as the defense of freedom. I'm angered by the loss of life by our soliders and innocent civilians as we fight a war that we cannot even agree as to what would define the end, and that could very well produce a government just as evil as the one overthrown.

I'm thankful for my comfortable home, nice paved streets and the ease in which I can live out my life. Yet I'm totally embarassed by our national trash output, greedy use of resources, and, especially people's defense of our gluttonous lifestyles. I'm even more embarassed when I hear people speak of those things as "God's blessings" on us, without even questioning if it's truly God's blessing or just a national movement to take advantage of those less fortunate.

I'm thankful for my freedom of speech, and yet embarassed that my fellow citizens use that speech to promote pornography, stupidity and cirular thinking. I'm also embarassed when my fellow believers choose to use that freedom to spread hate or American Civic Religion rather than the love of Christ.

I'm thankful that even during a recession my fellow citizens still have access to food, shelter and education. I'm embarassed and frustrated that many of them still don't understand the need for solid local government and services and the need to take care of each other.

I'm thankful for the freedom of religion that allows me to write and read the writings of Christians from around the world. I am completely embarrassed to be a part of a movement, though, that abuses that freedom by profiting from it by marketing cheap romance novels, knock-off fiction, and bumper stickers as ridiculous as Christian Pirate Bumper Stickers.

I'm thankful for the Americans that have come before and fought against the injustices of their day and worked to make this nation more Godly. I'm embarrassed by the people who have glossed over the tremendous sins of our history and tried to manipulate us into a theocracy that fits their needs.

Perhaps there will once again come a time when I can fully enjoy the 4Th of July. Until then, I'll remind myself of the good that can come from our country, and the ways that God has redeemed the sins of our past. May He continue to heal our land.

You Know Your State Is In Trouble When.....

2009-06-24T07:24:00.004-04:00

Ohio, like many other states, is currently facing a budget crisis. I sincerely hope that other states have leadership that can handle their budget crisis in a just and thoughtful manner. Ohio doesn't, and it's very sad. I love my state. We have several nice cities, two large amusement parks, beautiful farm land (and I'm not referring to my back yard) , historic sites that include the underground railroad and Native American landmarks as well as European settlers history. I think that the Hocking Hills section of the state must be one of the most beautiful parts of the United States!

Which is part of why I am so sad that Ted Strickland, our Governor, obviously looks upon his role as Governor as stepping stone to greater things rather than looking at his role as Governor as a chance to serve the people who elected him. Even while this budget is causing panic and distress around the state, he has the audacity to post on his facebook page about his lovely morning spent "with Joe Biden, touring a solar factory and talking about how we can work together to revive manufacturing in Ohio."

So, the state is in a complete mess and Strickland's priority is to schmooze with the Vice President, for no other apparent reason than to schmooze. Anyone knows if you actually want to get something done, then you don't bother with the Vice President. He's just the trophy wife to the real thing. I'm sure they had a lovely morning talking about all the things they could "get done", somehow, someway.

In Honor of my beloved State of Ohio, I comprised a list to equip every citizen with red flags that they can use to know when it is time to SPEAK UP:

You know your state is in trouble when....

You know your state is in trouble when your Governor gives speeches on modernizing education then releases a proposed budget that slashes all funding to state libraries at 50%, only days before it is to be approved.

You know your state is in trouble when your Governor gives speeches on how our students should be performing better than students in countries such as Finland, and that education is the key to economic growth but doesn't bother to see that a big part of Finland's success is a strong library system.

You know your state is in trouble when you can't fully access the Governor's proposed budget until he deems it's necessary.

You know your state is in trouble when you phone all your legislators and Governor and can't find a grown up to talk to. (yes, this is true. They are all 'aides' and 'interns').

You know your state is in trouble when Your Governor has no problem posing for a "READ" poster for displays at your library to encourage reading, and then turns around and slashes funding for libraries 50%, after systematically decreasing (with help from his predecessor) the funding over 40% in the past 5 years.

You know your state is in trouble when the same "READ" poster reveals that your Governor gets his intellectual stimulation from reading James Michener novels.

You know your state is in trouble when your Governor does not see that free access to information is a foundation of a successful democracy and that slashing funding in such a irresponsible way is an attack on the civil rights of EVERY Ohioan.

Stop and think. Exactly why is he so blase about Ohioans having free access to information? Either he is really really ignorant, or he is very very devious. Either way, we are in trouble.

Call Governor Strickland and Voice your Concern over the proposed budget slashes! 614-466-3555

Don't forget to remind him that his re-election is coming up! It's what he really cares about anyway.

Call these members of the Ohio legislature as they are members of the Conference Committee that is currently going over the proposed budget:

Vernon Sykes

Phone: 614- 466-3100
Fax: 614-719-6944
district44@ohr.state.oh.us

Jay Goyal

Phone: 614-466-5802
Fax: 614-719-3973
district73@ohr.state.oh.us

Ron Amstutz

Phone: 614-466-1474
Fax: 614-719-0003
district03@ohr.state.oh.us

FREE PUBLIC LIBRARIES = FREE LIFETIME LEARNING = FREETHINKING CITIZENS

The Library: The Great Equalizer (Until a Misguided Governor Kills It)

2009-06-23T15:58:00.006-04:00

If I live to be 100 years old, I'll never have the time to gain wisdom enough to figure out how politicians can so consistently lose sight of the big picture. Ted Strickland, Governor of Ohio, has proposed a budget (merely several days before the fiscal year ends) where he slashed library funding by over 50% in an obvious attempt to do away with Public Libraries.

I say this is an obvious attempt because certainly Mr. Strickland knows that libraries are depending upon that funding, that for some libraries that is the sole funding available to them. In addition to that, Mr. Strickland purposely proposed this slash days before it would be enacted knowing full well that the libraries would then have no time to recover or develop any plan of action.

Apparently Mr. Strickland, who likes to believe himself a champion of education reform, believes that only people with money should have access to books. Without a local library then anyone without a car is not able to obtain books, magazines, newspapers, or have access to a computer. Without money to purchase said items, then a person's only option is the library. Libraries need to exist and they need to be LOCAL. Therefore, there needs to be many of them in order for them to provide the access to information necessary to preserving our democracy!

I have to ask, why would Ted Strickland want to restrict access to information?

Mr. Strickland is not a reformer of education, and he is certainly not modernizing anything. He's trying to revert Ohio back to an old-school form of education that is contained within classroom walls and centers around biased textbooks. Just months ago, he pointed out that we were lagging behind other nations in our test results, and that the nations testing better than us had economies that were growing at a faster rate than ours. Guess what they have that Governor Strickland thinks we don't need? FULLY FUNDED LIBRARIES!

Mr. Strickland has not thought about the fact that libraries serve as community centers for teens and pre-teens after school. When the libraries close, thousands of kids around the state will have no safe place to go. Mr. Strickland has not thought about the fact that most baby boomers looking for jobs go to the library for help with online applications, even to apply for unemployment benefits. He hasn't thought about the literacy support that the library gives to schools.

Mr. Strickland has not thought about the costs of making such dramatic cuts. He has not thought about the price tag that will come when teens and pre-teens have no place to go after school, when teachers need to start purchasing materials no longer available for free from the library, when businesses are not able to develop solid business plans because they can't research them through the library, when people can't access unemployment benefits, tax papers, or social service applications. Mr. Strickland has not thought about the cost to the state when THOUSANDS of library workers across the state are laid off and begin to access unemployment, food stamps and medicaid.

Mr. Strickland has not thought about the long term costs in terms of lost literacy. He has not thought about the writing that will never happen because research will become too expensive. The children who will never become fluent readers because neither their parents nor their school can possibly purchase nearly enough books for them to practice their reading. The students who will not be able to take the GRE because they don't even know where to get help since their library is closed. Students who will not be able to research colleges. Investigative reporters who won't -- oh wait. I'm sure Strickland doesn't want any investigative reporters checking on anything.

How do I know that he has not thought about these things? Because after days of calling him and people in his administration, I finally was able to talk to a living breathing grown up, not a 20 year-old intern. I asked these specific questions, and he could provide no specific answers.

This has not been thought out and researched. Strickland has determined that he doesn't need libraries, so neither does the state of Ohio.

Several summers ago, as I was dropping Lawyer/Social Advocate Boy off at a class downtown, my other children saw a man standing on a street corner. He was holding a sign that said: PL 426 ENEMY OF THE POOR.

It caused quite a stir in the backseat because my children were very offended by the sign.

"No one should be an enemy of the poor!"

"Ya, I'm mean, they could be poor too one day!"

I listened to them banter back and forth in righteous indignation, and it wasn't long before I realized that they misunderstood the sign. Rather than thinking that the man was protesting a public law, they thought that he was standing there identifying himself as "The Enemy of the Poor."

Ohh... they were so wrong. That man wasn't the enemy of the poor. Ted Strickland is.

Ted Strickland, Knight in Shinging Armor Fighting for Educated Ohioans! -- or not.

2009-06-22T21:21:00.003-04:00

Governor Ted Strickland, who has proclaimed himself a "champion of education" has decided that being a literate society does not mean we need libraries. I can only assume that by that he means only the very rich should be literate. Anyone who doesn't have the money to purchase books can just sit and wish they could read. He has proposed slashing 50% of the money budgeted towards libraries in Ohio, because he wants to reduce the debt in Ohio's government-- aggressively. Yes, he is actually doing this during a recession. Need I say more?

Attack of the Killer Computers!

2009-06-10T07:25:00.008-04:00

Just when you thought it was safe to be in your own home, you learn that a silent new killer has entered. Not carbon dioxide. Not carcinogens. Not your feisty little dog.

Your computer!

Studies are now showing that your computer is currently 7 times more likely to attack you than it was 13 years ago. I know that it looks innocent, but, really, it's just trying to look that way. Certainly, you've felt as though someone, something, was standing behind you just waiting for the right moment? Now you know!

And with the increase of laptops, the danger can only grow.

Since we don't have enough studies in America, new studies are being done daily on this new menace. The latest notes that between 1994 and 2006 some 78,000 people were treated in hospitals for computer related injuries. What's even more shocking is that computers are attacking now at an increased rate of 732% .

Obviously, the intent to harm is growing daily, and something must be done about this.

Enter Dr. Laura Mackenzie, of Nationwide Children's Hospital. She states, "Future research on acute computer-related injuries is needed as this ubiquitous product becomes more intertwined in our everyday lives."

She's a doctor, so can't possibly be wrong about this. And, she's a doctor who works for an insurance company, so she doesn't have a vested interest in seeing less people attacked by their computers.

I agree. I mean the increase could have nothing to do with 1) the increase in the number of personal computers and 2) the vast amounts of cords that hang out the back of a computer causing people to trip or pull the computer onto their heads or 3) the nature of humans to set their laptops on precarious ledges believing that they would never fall off.

We need to study this issue. Maybe there is stimulus money available.

In an effort to protect our nation's children from this hideous monster (and to help Dr. MacKenzie keep Nationwide's premiums down on their homeowner's insurance), I would like to propose this plan to keep our children safe:

1) Have your child wear a helmet at all times. All times. Even in the bath. Don't forget bed at night. You never know when a computer can fall on you.

2) Teach your child how to approach your computer. Many people fail at this one. They think that you should approach from the side and stick out your hand for your computer to smell. This is simply a fallacy. That is likely to tell your computer that you have aggressive intent. Instead, let your computer come to you. And never, never make eye contact with your computer. If that happens teach your child to continue staring until the computer looks away.

3) If you leave your children alone at home, make sure that they understand to never open the door when a strange computer is knocking. Explain to them that all computers look similar and that one at the door is not related to the one on your desk, even if he claims he is.

4) Consider purchasing a locking device for your computer.

5) Consider purchasing a locking device for your child.

6) Remember: Computers and Guns Don't Mix. At best your child might kill your computer with his gun and then you've got a homicide on your hands. At worst, your computer might.... unthinkable.

7) Keep all alcoholic beverages away from your computer. Saucy computers are even more dangerous than sober ones. However, you might want to consider offering it a cup of wine in the evening, as a sort of peace offering.

8) Know and be willing to recognize the signs of drug usage in your computer. Is it slow? Does it get jammed up easily? If you don't happen to have Windows XP and this is happening consider random drug testing.

9) Know your computer. The best way to fight computer aggression is to have a good healthy relationship. Have you ever stopped to ask yourself just what sites the computer really wants to visit? And, how does your computer feel about "Net Nanny"? Would you want someone monitoring you all the time? And, all those boring emails -- your computer has to read those too! Consider a date night, or include it in family game night. Computers have feelings too, you know.

10) Don't ever give your computer the keys to the car. This only empowers them and gives them a sense of control that they can't handle. Plus, they probably aren't covered by your insurance.

By following these simple steps, I believe that you can protect yourself and your family from this ever increasing threat.

Now, maybe someone will give me some stimulus money for solving this problem for America!

To Move or Not To Move, That is Always the Question

2009-06-02T15:11:00.008-04:00

Lately I've been thinking about the concept of downward mobility, mostly because our family is currently praying about this concept as something God is calling us to. As John Perkins, founder of the Christian Community Development Association, pointed out: Jesus didn't commute from heaven to earth, he made his home here and became one of us. We need to live where we minister, and as a christian can I justify turning my back on the poorer parts of my city? If I really want to live out a life that is increasingly like Jesus, then I have to seriously ponder why I would want to move out further into the suburbs into houses that are disconnected and sheltered from people's suffering, actually from dealing with the reality of people in general. In my journey to be like Christ, shouldn't I rather stay where I am or move to a neighborhood where suffering and daily relationship challenges my reality everyday? I have to question why I would even consider a larger mortgage that would tie up more of our income rather than a smaller one that would free more money for giving.

People ask us how we can all live in such a "small" house and tell us that it's size justifies a move to a larger house. Yet, somehow, we are thriving in a three bedroom house with a "small yard". My kids have to learn to get along as they share bedrooms. We often find ourselves together as we work on different projects -- is that so bad in the long run? There's only one TV viewing place, one computer station. So, we have to agree and work together. Again, is that so terrible? And, our small yard is big enough to house 6 chickens, 6 ducks, 2 dogs, an enormous garden and still have space to play a game of soccer. If this is too small, then at what point do we say enough is enough?

If my identity is really in Christ, then it shouldn't matter how comfortable I am, how nice my neighborhood is, or even, really, how safe I perceive myself to be. In reality I'm only as stable and safe as God provides.

In addition to all my introspective thinking, I have to wonder why Christians in our country allow themselves, on the whole, to be so disconnected from suffering. Where along the way did we begin to align ourselves with comfort? Was it when political tides turned and the Religious Right became a voice of power? While it might have brought about some positive changes, at what cost did it come? And, in light of recent years, were they really positive changes? It strikes me that so much of the church has sold out to the Religious Right that we missed the boat (and really still are missing the boat) on the environment, inclusion, care for the poor, racial reconciliation and class reconciliation. We've been willing to look past those as moral issues because it is "safer" to cling to one political ideology that wants, more than anything, to protect a way of life that is very dear. It is a far scarier thought to admit that in reality there are no "good guys" and "bad guys" (okay, there are the Blagojevichs but they aren't all in one party!) in politics here, only "judgmentally broken guys" and "enabling broken guys", because if we focus on the real moral issues then we can't polarize politically and things might change in ways that we aren't comfortable with.

It's a much "safer" proposition to believe that we all have rights to our own home, our own space, our own stuff and our own money, and much riskier to admit that if you've really given everything over to Christ, then that includes, our home, space, stuff, money and even our safety. It's a much safer version of reality to believe that we are merely a Christian Nation with just a blemish or two in our history, especially if we're a part of the majority people group that isn't directly hurt by those injuries. It's much safer for us to think, "America = Christian" than it is to question what exactly that means in regards to being a Christian. There's an underlying tension between being American and being a Christian: being an American is about protecting our rights, being a Christian is about being willing to lay down our rights.

Yet, if our adoptions have taught me anything it's that God blesses us in suffering. If all we had done was donate to a program for orphans or took a mission trip to visit disabled orphans, I know that I wouldn't have the relationship with Jesus that I now have. Taking on their suffering and making it my own has been fundamental to me learning to depend upon God, and given me an intimacy with Him where He is willing to show me the things that truly break His heart. You trust your acquaintances with things that bring you joy. You trust your cherished friends with your pain. In joining with Him as He suffers over the broken parts of his creation, I've seen parts of his heart and glory I never knew existed. Just visiting or just donating would have been much safer, physically, financially and emotionally. However, going across the line and throwing my lot in with them, taking their suffering, making it part of my life and making it my suffering, that produced beautiful fruit. Fruit that makes everything else so utterly boring and flavorless in comparison.

So wouldn't the same be implied with downward mobility?

And, instead of fearing the truth, isn't it better to come to peace with the fact that America is just another Babylon? Albeit a beautiful one, certainly my favorite one, and one that is always (hopefully) moving towards true political freedom and justice for all. However, if it's Babylon, no matter how beautiful, it can't even begin to compare with the true Kingdom. If we can see that it is not part of the Kingdom of Jesus, then we can work as salt and light to spread his Kingdom here, not afraid of any changes to our country or our status here. We don't need to assume that every citizen is going to agree with our morality or try to force them to agree with us. We can be free to love with no strings attached and free to seek the common good of all our citizens without trying to make them fit into what we think they should be. We can really labor as workers in the Kingdom, lending our educations, stable families, and health to communities that are struggling to stay afloat. As we work in that way, we can do what Jesus wants us to do which is to love people into the Kingdom.

However, if we simply look to our own desires, our own comfort, then how can we really be sold out to Christ? And, if we are the Body of Christ on earth, then how can God heal our country when we're not willing to live where we are not comfortable?

She Can't Walk (yet!), but She Can Ride!

2009-06-01T20:29:00.004-04:00

About a year and a half ago, my Princess Ballerina outgrew her tricycle, and, with her birthday money, bought a big two-wheeler. As we watched her ride, Nappy quickly piped up, "Now her bike is my bike since she doesn't need it any more, right Mom?"

Of course, in my limited thinking, I thought, There is no way you're going to ride that bike!

But, of course, I never SAID that. I learned a long time ago that I just simply should not tell my girls that they can't do something. If they try and fail, that's just a part of life. Everybody fails at some things, and succeeds at other things.

So, instead I said, "Sure, you get the bike!"

And I resigned myself to sitting on the front porch, watching Nappy sit on a bike.

I was so incredibly wrong!

I love it when I'm wrong!

Presidents, Actors and Super Duper Poopers

2009-05-21T08:41:00.003-04:00

All this talk of Chia Pets has really got me thinking. Actually, it was the Chia Pet Website that really got me thinking. When you go to the website, there is a man, presumably the president of the Chia Corporation, and he is standing at a podium talking up the grand benefits of the Chia Obama. Of course I could be wrong, the man could just be an actor. But, if he's not and he's the president of Chia Land it gave me cause for deep thought.

First of all, did he grow up wanting to be a Chia President? When he was really young, did he have an innate interest in small herb gardens, animals and historical figures? More importantly, did his mom dream of him growing up to one day be the president of a great corporation? Did she say things to him like, "Sonny, I just know that God has big plans for your life.... he'll use you for great things... perhaps even to bring small, green fuzzy animals and presidents' heads into people's homes!".

Did she see his greatness and try to harness it by making sure he had every advantage? Did she, like I do for my kids, fortify his cream of wheat with dry non-fat milk to make sure he got enough calcium and protein in his diet? Did she insist on a daily multivitamin? Demand that he memorize all his math facts equally well? Teach him that television rots your brain? Insist he be active in the arts? Did she read him stories of the lives of people who changed the world, somehow knowing that greatness could take the form of mass marketing chia pets to the world?

But then I wonder.... was that the Chia President or just another actor?

If it was just an actor, then there are an entirely different set of questions and thoughts raised in my mind. First of all, of course, would be : Just how desperate for work was this guy that he was willing to do an Internet Chia commercial for the Chia Obama?

This is not the first time I've wondered this about actors. There are certainly different ways that actors can sink to the bottom of the pool without being smutty. I realized this when my oldest, Lawyer/Social Advocate Boy was about 3 years old and we were trying to convince him that it was much better to put his pee and poop in the toilet than it was to continue putting it in his pants. We weren't having much success, so that's when Rob brought home the "Potty Video".

Before you laugh, though, I'd like to point out that THIS potty video was produced by the Early Childhood Department of Duke University, so it's a potty video for smart people. It included songs such as, "I use my potty when I have to pee!" and "This is the way we wash our hands!". It also included one of my personal favorites, "On top of the Potty" (sung to On Top of Old Smokey):

On top of the potty

You're sitting to poop

Oh life is much better

When your diapers don't droop

Such simple wisdom, yet it took so long for Lawyer/Social Advocate Boy to catch on! I would watch the video with him and realize that they had paid actors and actresses playing the roles of the Moms and Dads.

How would that work? I realize that it's difficult to get a job as an actor, so anything, whether it's being the Chia President or "Carley's Dad" on the potty video, is an accomplishment. However, how would you list that on your resume?

1992 Duke University "The Potty Video"

dialogue and participation in the song "She is a Super Duper Pooper"

Even though it's legitimate work, would you really want to fess up to the fact that you sang a song that was called "Super Duper Pooper"?

So, while most people would find Chia websites boring, I obviously see them as founts of tantalizing, thought-provoking intellectual stimulation. In addition to that, I realize that Swim Girl might be a future Chia president, because she has a great interest in herb gardens, politics, history and animals. I better keep fortifying her Cream of Wheat!

Hail to the Ch-Ch-Ch-Chief

2009-05-19T12:01:00.004-04:00

In a world filled with suffering, economic turmoil, environmental crisis and traumas as great as the switchover to digital signals on television, one would think there could be no sign of hope. However, one would be incredibly incorrect to think that. All throughout America, there are people rising to the call of leadership.

Take, for instance, Andrew Miszak Jr, of Bedford, Ohio. His political career would have been in ruins, if not for his father, Andrew Sr, and his quick thinking. Andrew Jr, a 28-year-old school board member and political consultant, lives with his father. When Andrew Sr became so enraged with his son over his messy room, he confronted him about it, presumably at dinner. Andrew Jr., overcome with anger about being told to make his bed,actually threw his plate at his Dad. Andrew Sr did call 911, but refused to press charges because he didn't want to hurt his beloved son's political career. I'm left wondering if the spaghettios (isn't that the favorite meal for dads to prepare for their kids?) were flying all over all the room or if they stuck to the plate. I'm also wondering who would hire a 28-year-old that still lives with Dad as a consultant for their political race, let alone elect them to a school board.

Then I remembered the mayor of Cincinnati. Allegedly he lived with his parents before becoming mayor, so maybe Mr. Miszak Jr. isn't off to such a bad start. I wonder if he knows how to throw a baseball at a large target.

Of course, there is also Miss California, who apparently finds gay marriage morally reprehensible but sees no problem with posing topless for photographs. What astounds me the most about this public (waayyy to public in my opinion!) figure, is that she either 1) didn't think there was anything wrong with posing without a shirt 2) was too stupid to realize that she wasn't wearing a shirt or 3) was too stupid to realize that the photographer would of course release the photos of her after all her publicity. Either way, she's certainly dense enough to run for at least a state level public office!

It's people like these that allow someone like Barack Obama to rise above the din. We might as well face the fact that he doesn't really have any competition right now, and that's part of the reason he's being so idolized. Idolized? Yes, idolized. I might even say immortalized. Thanks to my good friend, Ellen, I learned that Obama has been made into a ChiaPet...er Chia Man...uh...Chia President?

The great thing with this is that there are actually two versions you can purchase. There is "Happy Obama" and "Determined Obama". The website says that you can even purchase BOTH!

Act now, because I'm certain that owning a Chia Obama is the only way to see Obama with an Afro at this stage in fashion history. And, if horticulture is not your thing, it doesn't really matter because Chia Obama is easy to grow -- an encouraging. Can we grow this? YES WE CAN! It even says so on the side!

My Ballerina Princess is Seven Years Old!

2009-05-14T14:07:00.008-04:00

At lunch today we were re-living the early days of my little Ballerina Princess.

First there was the time that she bit Lawyer/Social advocate Boy. It was the day after she came home from Kazakhstan and she found a small toy that was truly something she shouldn't play with. He saw her holding it, took it from her hand and as he was replacing it with a more age appropriate toy, she leaned over and took a nice big chomp out of his thigh.

"She bites!" He screamed in terror. Poor boy. It was his second biting sister.

Ballerina Princess, of course, was only defending what she thought was rightfully hers. After spending 4 long weeks visiting her at her orphanage, I knew that she was very used to bigger children simply snatching food and toys away from her. The reaction was not unfounded, but still had to be corrected. Correcting someone with such puffy cheeks and tender spirit is not a very nice job! Plus, she cries so easily!

Not long after that, was her land mark visit to the zoo. We were all looking at the Rhinos, who had nicely decided to pose for the crowd as close as they could to the viewing area. People were "oooing" and "ahhing" and taking pictures. My Ballerina just raised her pinkie (a function of club hand -- she points with her pinky!) and said, "THAT RHINO! HE AIN"T GOT NO BELLY BUTTON!". That's when I realized that she is turly cuteness incarnate.

Then there were the Cinderella years. Starting at about 2 1/2 she fell in love with the Disney version of Cinderella. When she had her second hand surgery at Shriner's, the nurse came in and asked her what her favorite movie was.

"Tinderewlla" she replied without hesitation.

I was shocked because she had only seen the movie one other time, and that was 3 months earlier during her first stay at Shriner's. We ended up watching the movie over 20 times during the next 5 hand surgeries. Each and every time she laughed at Gus the mouse when he accidentally shouted "Happy Birthday" to Cinderella upon giving her their homemade ball gown.

"Hahaha! He still thinks it's her birthday!" she said at least 20 times.

It wasn't funny after the third viewing. It became like a training session of self discipline for me. How many times could I watch the same movie with the same kid having the same reaction and not rip open the DVD player and smash the disc?

At least 20.

When she was barely three she was picking out fashion accessories that went with her clothes. Shoe shopping with her was an absolute hoot. The flashier the shoe the better (was that early Russian influence in her life?) She would pick her dresses according to her play -- what matched what. Flip flops were love at first sight. In fact, there is still a sparkly pink one stuck in mud somewhere in the woods behind our house!

She quickly showed us that she is elegant and graceful. Rob has even noted that she pukes gracefully. One night at dinner we tried to convince her that she really does like lima beans. After putting a few in her mouth, she turned toward Rob, gracefully moved her arm to second position, tilted her head and the puke merely rolled forward out of her mouth like ribbons flying in the wind around a maypole.

Okay, maybe the other kids wouldn't describe it that way, but it sure did look like that to me. And, that was her miss. Usually she's on top of the action when it comes to puking. This kid has actually started to puke and HELD IT IN HER MOUTH while she ran to the toilet! A virtually mess free puker, every mother's dream.

Now that she's seven, though, things have changed. For instance, she no longer likes dresses because they are too hard to play in, according to her. Although give her a couple bottles of nail polish and some good light and she and Nappy are occupied for hours.

She still loves to dance and performed in her second ballet recital this past spring. However, she's also joined swim team and confessed to me that she might like swimming even more than ballet!

And, her favorite movie is now "Shark Boy and Lava Girl" rather than Cinderella.

I expected her to change. She was a sullen, sad child when we first me her. For over two weeks of visits to the orphanage, she wouldn't even make eye contact with us. She would stand with her hands in fists, scowling at the floor. If we held her it was like holding a plank of wood as she would hold her self so tensely. Both Rob and I thought that we had months, even possibly years, of attachment therapy ahead of her. However, I'll never forget the day I took her out of the orphanage. I swear I could see the shackles fall off her and she began to heal on that very day.

Now, she's a kid who spends her days adding sweetness to everything, but is also not afraid to tell an older sibling "You wanna knuckle sandwich?" when she's mad at them. She loves to draw pictures of herself, mommy and daddy, all holding hands and standing, of course, under a rainbow. The sun is shining in her pictures, in fact it often even has a smiley face.

So, to my button-pushing, plumbing-loving, gadget-playing, engineering-slanted, math loving, swimming, dancing, beautiful girl, "Happy Birthday! I thank God everyday for the day your were born!".

As If To Prove My Point

2009-05-10T21:52:00.003-04:00

Wow. As if he lives to prove my point of irrelevancy, Dick Cheney once again opened his mouth. From the man who brought us justified torture, pushed for unsubstantiated claims of weapons of mass destruction in order to justify a war that lined his pockets, and also happens to be a buddy nobody would want to hunt with came another really stupid idea.

He would actually rather follow RUSH LIMBAUGH than Colin Powell in the battle to make the Republican Party once again relevant.

And Rush Limbaugh has contributed what to our nation? To anybody? Can't Cheney just ride off into the sunset like Bush did? I think this all might be about him trying to prove himself relevant.

The Irrelevance of the Republican Party

2009-05-09T15:40:00.010-04:00

I was once again at the Y the other day, exercising while the Awesome Trio (Green Bottle Boy, Swimmer Girl and Ballerina Princess) was at swim practice , and came across a most interesting editorial piece on the relevancy of the Republican Party. I found it interesting because I used to be a Republican. I can no longer call myself that because I decided to start my own party. For now I'm calling it the "Disgruntled Republicans". Once organized, though, I think it will be much larger than the current Republican Party. That's not saying much, though, because the current Republican Party is shrinking at a rate faster than the dead zone is growing at the mouth of the Mississippi River. And, they're shrinking because they have made the party irrelevant, with a lot of help from the likes of Sarah Palin, Dick Cheney and Joe the Plumber, to name just a few.

However, just before watching that nice little vignette on the Republican party, I saw an interview with a Republican Senator discussing the torture techniques used by the US government in both Guantanamo and AbuGhraib. I can't remember which senator it was now, and I have to start to wonder if it's not because they're all starting to look and sound the same to me. I watched as he proceeded to explain how what happened at Guantanamo was not torture and was done to enact protection for the US. The moral implications of that ideology are astounding as he quite clearly was stating that the ends justify the means!

He continued to defend his position, despite other experts on the show explaining how waterboarding and the other torture techniques used don't even persuade the victim to relinquish the truth but to say what they think the torturer wants to hear!

What jumped out clearly to me with this interview, though, was not that the apparent immorality of torture was not utterly offending this Senator, but that this was exactly what was making the Republican Party irrelevant. It was striking me as irrelevant even before I saw the op-ed on CNN. This man was so caught up in defending one of the actions of the Bush administration that he was not willing to see the moral implications of what he was saying, or the practical implications (ie misinformation that comes through torture) of what he was defending. That is irrelevancy.

Even as I write this, Time Magazine arrived at my door. The cover story? A large elephant picture with the title "Endangered Species". Now, if Time says it, it must be true.

I sure hope people pick up on my sarcasm here.

So, before we've even finished the wake for the Republican Party as we know it, here is the plan for new political party. My "Disgruntled Republican Party" would be a party that believes:

1) Less federal government is better. The federal government should only be involved in things such as national infrastructure, national security, national resource management, possibly health care if it proves that a better structure than the misshapen mess the state-based medicaid provides can be created, and as a backup to the times when state governments are not able handle their jobs. As Republicans whine about national health care, Disgruntled Republicans realize that our current health care system locks people into jobs because they are dependent upon maintaining their current health insurance. That does not stimulate the economy, nor does it enhance people's quality of life or really provide the opportunity for people to "rise up" out of poverty.

2) State and local governments would maintain their communities through their own taxes and programs. States which are too poor to do so (based upon the incomes earned) would be eligible for help from the federal government because my party would recognize that there are states and communities in this country which do not have the resources to provide for their citizens what they need. It is essential to the health and well being of the entire nation that all Americans have the opportunity to live in a healthy and sustainable way.
As you go further down the line, the government would get bigger -- so county and local governments would have the most involvement in people's lives. They would be handling social programs, providing accountability to people needing the social programs, over seeing the schools, creating solutions to health care coverage, making decisions about roads and local infrastructure, etc. The people of the communities could then oversee those governments which would truly represent them (as it would be made up of them!) and have a vested interest in their tax dollars being spent wisely.

3) That it is not the role of government to legislate morality, but to maintain order. Therefore, beyond crimes that harm another person or person's property or opportunity, the government shouldn't be involved. The government, therefore, would not dictate that every school have to teach creationism or not be allowed to teach creationism nor would the government be involved in defining the sacred relationship of marriage (something the church never should have allowed the government to do in the first place). The government's job should be to establish order and stability, so that people can live their lives without other people telling them how to do it. Local governments could issue Civil Unions that would create structure and stability to base families on and various churches could continue to administer the sacred rite of marriage as their faiths and scriptural understandings dictate. Disgruntled Republicans are not afraid of that concept because we understand that America's families are already a moral mess and that the political definition of family is already far from the scriptural one.

4) There would be a clear separation of church and state (gasp! Yes, I believe that our Constitution calls for that, and I believe that if God is big enough to give us a choice we should be gracious enough not whap people on the head with theocratic ideas), but it wouldn't really matter because the government wouldn't be sticking their noses into our business anyway. Those of us in the party who are followers of Christ realize that Christians are much more effective as salt and light than as powerful political icons that dictate the constraints of religious freedom.

5) In part with creating order and stability the Disgruntled Republicans would advocate for a wholly pro-life stance. That means rather than just lobbying for laws to limit abortion (as laws will never stop abortion -- a fact proven by the number of illegal abortions that continue to happen around the world), Disgruntled Republicans seek to address the issues that bring about abortions. Of course, this would mean doing so at a local level, and not through programs but through families opening their homes to unwed mothers, providing solid sex education, slowing down enough to actually spend time with children and teens so that they aren't alone and in the position to make an error in judgment to start. In addition to that, Disgruntled Republicans also believe that all torture is wrong, capital punishment is wrong and that war should be avoided unless absolutely necessary (like they are attacking us!).

6) The Disgruntled Republicans are in full agreement that our society must protect and support our most vulnerable -- not only unborn babies, but children, the elderly, the severely disabled and the mentally ill. We do not advocate stupid solutions to problems such as homelessness like taxing the homeless with squatters tax, nor do we advocate ignoring those problems. We recognize that those problems will be most likely to be solved on a local level. Unlike today's Republicans, we recognize that this will mean there is a need to tax more on the state and local level, but that's okay because those local governments would, indeed, be US and less federal government would mean we should need to pay less federal tax, This also leads us to believe that fair and just incarceration laws are necessary, and that capital punishment makes us as evil as those who kill. We also believe that sustainable living is part of being wholly pro-life.

7) Disgruntled Republicans realize that our economy is in the state that it currently is because of the greed that underlies all human nature. Therefore, we recognize that some stimulus is going to be necessary to stop the economy of our nation from collapsing and causing the economies of other nations to topple as well. We also realize that because of the greed of our banks, our government is going to have to establish a stake in them or else we will see our entire economy crumble. However, because we are balanced we realize that people need to learn from their mistakes. Therefore, our stimulus would be tied to work (rather than tax cuts which is ridiculous because big businesses are taking tax cuts anyway -- everyone knows they don't pay their fair share of taxes!), as would things like student loans.

8) There are some people that would be banned from joining the Disgruntled Republicans. Because we see the inherent value of every human life, after some heavy penance they might be allowed to join. That list would include, but not be limited to: Sylvester Stallone, Dick Cheney, Glen Beck, Michael Savage, Hillary Clinton, Rush Limbaugh, Caroline Kennedy (because I don't think you can trust someone who doesn't vote consistently yet thinks she's qualified for office), Arianna Huffington, and any of the Power Rangers.

Also, anyone naive enough to think that I'm really trying to start a new political party is also banned from joining.

Look at Me!

2009-05-08T11:00:00.001-04:00

I closed the van door and herded my children towards the entrance of the Y. It was like any other day, especially because the day consisted of going to the Y, and going to the Y seems to be do something I do at least once, if not twice a day. I did not expect anything unusual.

That's when she opened her mouth.

"I just love *$%&*! She's so beautiful! Especially when she's NAKED!"

Now, I immediately knew what my little Nappy meant. She meant that her oldest sister, Swimmer Girl, was beautiful because of who she is not what she is wearing. This came about because whenever Nappy puts on a fluffy outrageous pink dress, she asks me if she looks beautiful. I always answer the same.

"Yes, you look beautiful, but it's because you are beautiful. Without you the dress isn't beautiful."

However, to all the innocent bystanders, this was nothing but just another seriously dysfunctional family heading out to the Y. And, of course, since nothing with Nappy is quiet, all the bystanders heard this.

Part of what I think is really funny about her is that people feel akward about the wheelchair. We've run into this with Swimmer Girl in because of the missing arm and the prosthetic leg. My favorite was a little boy, preschooled age and just as loud as Nappy. We ran into him at the grocery store. The first time he saw Swimmer Girl, he did a double take and then his mouth opened.

"That girl -- she don't got one of her...."

"Shush... don't mention it." His mother quickly hushed him. I could tell this was far from over, though because this was a kid that had to say what he was thinking. So, each time we'd pass him and his mother, he'd start to talk and she'd shush him loudly (far more loudly than if she'd just let it go and just simply address questions). Finally, they passed us and he clearly said,

"I know. I know better. I'm not gonna say even one thing 'bout how that little girl ain't got no arm! I'm not gonna ask where it is or if it's in her shirt. Not one thing. "

I thought his mom was going to die. Swimmer Girl, of course, could've care less because she wasn't paying attention to him. But this highlights what is usually the problem with small children encountering my girls. I don't in any way advocate a parent encouraging a child to ask a person about their disability, because I strongly believe that the questions they ask are personal. However, if a child does point or ask a question, then the best thing is for the parent to simply acknowledge the child's interest and give a simple explaination.

"Yes, she has one arm. Sometimes people are born with one arm."

"Yes, she uses a wheelchair. Sometimes people aren't able to walk or walk well, so they use a wheelchair to get places."

Instead, though, so many parents create a larger scene by trying to "hush up" a child that they think is going to say something embarassing, which, of course, they will, because that's what children do. They say embarassing things like, "My sister looks especially beautiful when she's naked." That, in turn, leads their sister to beg her mother to buy a house where she can have her own bedroom.

What's really funny with Nappy though, is that she is someone that just screams, "Look at me!"

Several weeks ago, we were at the Y (of course). Nappy was wearing a fluffy, light pink princess dress, a pink easter hat, sun glasses and sparkly purple shoes. She is using a purple wheelchair with LIGHT UP wheels and a very pink Strawberry Shortcake backpack attached to the back. She has a bigger mouth than anyone else in the lobby.

So, of course, a little boy pointed at her and his mother started shushing him.

Oh my! Who in the world wouldn't stare at that?
******************************************************************************

Note: Photography by Ben

A Modern Day Mathew 6:5-8?

2009-05-07T22:03:00.002-04:00

⁵"And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. ⁶But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.⁷And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. ⁸Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him."

Or you can buy the stickers to announce just how righteous you are!

Commercialized Prayer. Wow. It's Really Come to This!

2009-05-07T20:56:00.006-04:00

"We are disappointed in the lack of participation by the Obama administration," Shirley Dobson, chairwoman of the National Day of Prayer Committee, said in a statement. "At this time in our country's history, we would hope our president would recognize more fully the importance of prayer."

Wow. I hope that Shirely Dobson never has the opportunity to comment on my prayer life! I have a feeling she would have a lot to judge, especially as I would much prefer to pray in private. Before anyone has a chance to tell me I'm evil for having the audacity to call myself an Evangelical and yet question a Dobson, let me fully explain.

First of all, the National Day of Prayer as celebrated by the Bush family... What was that really? He invited both Christian and Jewish leaders to his office, gave a short speech about prayer and then invited them to pray. Now, if he's going to invite Christian and Jewish leaders, then why not Muslim? Why not Hindu? What's the real purpose of this? And, why, simply because Obama chooses to pray in private, rather than make a political spectacle of it, is he criticized?

Delving in deeper... what is the history behind the National Day of Prayer? The National Day of Prayer was established as a fixed holiday in 1952, although since the founding of our country various leaders have co-ordinated efforts for a National Day of Prayer . Ronald Reagan made sure that the date of the National Day of Prayer was the first Thursday in May. Some credit Billy Graham as the one who instigated the more modern version of the idea, although it strikes me that his idea might not be the same one as Shirley Dobson and the National Day of Prayer Task Force. His idea leaned more towards a day , "on which the people of the United States may turn to God in prayer and meditation in churches, as groups and as individuals."

If that's the purpose, then I don't see where a meeting at the White House fits in, and it also appears that Obama did participate in the National Day of Prayer.

Another confusing thing about this day is the "National Day of Prayer Task Force". This task force is in no way an official task force in any body's mind, except maybe their own. However, if you go to their website, their logo makes it look official: "National Day of Pray official site" with an itty bitty nearly hidden task force under the banner. It confused me as I first began to research this, and I'm certain that many people are under the false impression that this task force is actually the body that organizes the National Day of Prayer or actually has some kind of official status.

What adds to this even more, is that the woman criticizing Obama is the woman who runs the task force that has actually commercialized the National Day of Prayer! Yes, of course, the National Day of Prayer Task Force has a store! On it you can purchase things entitled "Event Essentials" -- things you simply can't pray without: balloons, balloon launch kit (I guess so you can launch balloons that will eventually be litter around the country, although they are supposedly biodegradable), special envelopes, letterhead, fliers, flag pens, and of course, the essential "waving flag pens". After you've collected your essentials for hosting a National Day of Prayer Event, then you can also purchase apparel, "theme products" and of course, visit their bookstore.

Have we hit a new low? We've actually commercialized prayer! There are self-proclaimed leaders among us that don't believe a church or small portion of the body of Christ can pray for our nation on our own. We need to be told how to pray, and we can't do it without balloons, flag pins and special letterheads.

Wow. I don't think that Shirely Dobson really understands what needs criticized here!

A Great Story by Green Bottle Boy

2009-05-04T20:52:00.003-04:00

One day, there lived a boy named Jack. He lived in a

poor village. There was a factory that his dad worked at. His

dads name was Zeek. His mom worked at home, cooking,

cleaning, and walking around the city.

One day his dad got sick from working at the factory. He

had a hard time breathing and he had cramps all over. They

called a doctor who told them he could not go back to the

factory until it had been six days since he got better. One day

passed and he got worse. Two days passed and he got worse.

Three days passed and he got worse.

The next day, some builders got to work. They were

knocking down the factory to build a new house. Jacks dad

was still sick. Jack was worried. So was his mother. The next

day, the factory was knocked down. Zeek didn’t know what he

was going to do. He was sick, the factory was knocked down.

To him, this was an unhappy ending.

Then, he thought of something! He could be a butler! He

was triumphant! Six days later, he got better. But he still had

to wait six days before getting another job. Four days later, he

said he was going to find a job. The next day, he came back.

He had become a butler!

Obama's Dog, Shelters, and Pit Bulls

2009-04-14T07:43:00.004-04:00

Well, on the news front the big thing now seems to be Bo, the Obama Family new dog. It didn't actually effect my life too much. The economy is the same, the wars are still going on and health care is still in crisis, but, apparently, our nation has something settled. I, personally, think if it takes the Obamas this long to decided on something as simple as dog, we might in a lot of trouble, or not depending upon where your politics are compared to his.

Many people are angry because Obama had earlier stated he would like to rescue a dog from a shelter. I had a feeling that wouldn't happen, although his intent was noble. However, one of their kids has allergies and a hypo-allergenic dog doesn't typically find itself in a shelter. The shelter dogs are typically dogs that annoy their owners for one reason or another: they chew, they won't housebreak, they bite or they shed. If they were a dog bred to be a pet, one that is hypoallergenic, snugly and easy to train, then they are probably going to stay with the person who paid hundreds of dollars to purchase them.

I'm not saying this to bash shelter dogs because we have one we adopted from a shelter, Sammy. She is the sweetest dog, and has been a great pet. Each spring, she also sheds enough hair to cover the head of every comb-over man in the USA. She is definitely not hypoallergenic.

Plus, I believe Obama did rescue the dog, as the dog came to them through Ted Kennedy. I think enough is said there. Let's just leave it at the fact that there is more than one type of prison a dog can live in.

On the topic of shelters, though, there is another reason I hate the Easter Bunny (and thus the commercialism of Easter). The number Chickies, Duckies and Bunnies that end up at animal shelters about a month after Easter swells.

Parents who are all caught up in the Easter Bunny thing actually purchase these animals for their kids. Then they are all surprised when the animals do an amazing thing. They grow up! I understand kids not thinking about that, but I really can't understand parents. Since we started duck farming, we get about 2-5 emails a year in late spring about people asking us if we want to take Easter ducks and chickens. What in the world are we going to do with them? Then there are the people who just take the Pekin ducks and dump them off at a park. I guess they think that's an especially nice thing to do since the ducks can find food for themselves, and can't fly. It really wouldn't surprise me if there are people who are trying to start a wild chicken population in Cincinnati as well.

On another animal story, in the past month a Pit Bull escaped from it's home (they can climb fences) and mauled three miniature horses.

"The kids adored those ponies," said Patricia Rau, director of the Learning Tree Farm, a nonprofit that provides hands-on experience in a traditional farm setting in Jefferson Township outside Dayton. "The three ponies had been together for at least 15 years."

If there is one thing I have absolutely no patience for, it's ridiculous dog owners and their dogs. Some person had the need to beef up his or her machoism, so they decided to get a dog that they 1) didn't know how to handle or train 2) didn't know how to contain and 3) was dangerous and aggressive. Now three peaceful, innocent animals are dead and a non-profit is, more than likely, financially hurt by this owner's stupidity. I hope that they sue the owner and press charges. Under Ohio law that owner is 100% liable for that dog's actions.

How do I know all this? Because I was attacked by an Akita that was owned by a person who 1) knew NOTHING about dog behavior 2) did NOT know how to handle or train their dog 3) did not know how to contain their dog 4) Felt the need to own a large aggressive dog because it bolstered their machoism. As a result of their need to own a vicious dog, I got over 55 stitches in my face to restore my nose and lip and 4 of my 5 children got to watch their mom get attacked by a dog.

But people who own dogs like that Akita and the Pit Bull, have a twisted perspective on life so the owner actually called me to ask me if I was okay with him not having the dog put to sleep but rather put in doggie therapy.

Ya know, NO, I'm not okay with that. There are how many thousands of great dogs out there that will sit in shelters for their entire life? It makes no sense at all to put hundreds of dollars into rehabilitative measures for an aggressive one, especially an aggressive one that is owned by someone who can't even put together a reasonable perspective about their dog. Doggie therapy? Who, in their right mind, would even consider something like that?

Maybe Ted Kennedy did. That certainly seems like something he'd do. Maybe that's how Obama got Bo....

Just How Christian Are We as A Nation?

2009-04-13T06:36:00.007-04:00

President Barack Obama made a statement last week that has just sent some conservatives up in arms in ways that... well, probably only Barack Obama can do. And, as my role as official heckler of all leaders despite their political affiliation, I should be just so filled with blog fodder. However, for once, I agree with the President. Sigh... yet another thing to make me unpopular with the Evangelical crowd. First my distaste for "christian cruises", then the Easter Bunny and now this.

According to CNN, "Obama said Monday that "one of the great strengths of the United States" is that it does not consider itself "a Christian nation or a Jewish nation or a Muslim nation. We consider ourselves a nation of citizens who are bound by ideals and a set of values. I think modern Turkey was founded with a similar set of principles."

So, he said it. We can't even say he finally said it, because he also said a similar thing while campaigning for the presidency. But, boy, this time, the conservative media really attached itself to it.

The reality is, though, that we are not and have never been a "Christian Nation" in any real sense of the word Christian. We have been a nation that has had Christians who have acted as salt and light within our government and culture, even at it's founding, to try to bring Christ-like qualities to our society. However, you can hardly call "christian" a government that says in one breath that we are all "endowed by our creator with certain unalienable rights" and in another declares that you are not entitled to that label unless you're a white, affluent male.

You can hardly call the greed of capitalism Christian. You can hardly call slavery Christ-like. You can hardly call our nation's absolute annihilation of our native peoples something Christ would do. Is our nation's unsustainable agriculture what makes us Christian? How about our fascination with Hummers? Our denial of basic civil rights to minorities and women? Is it how disabled people were historically denied the right to immigrate (the poor tired masses have to have all their limbs, apparently to enter our country)? Is it our history of institutionalizing the disabled and mentally ill? Or is it our more recent history of de-institutionalizing them and then ignoring them while we drive our Hummers that makes us Christian?

The name of Christ is too precious to me to tie it up with a blundering empire of this world. Our nation, like so many others, is absolutely great at throwing around the name of God when it suits us, but living however we feel comfortable.

The thing that I think is hilarious about this, is that people who truly do believe we are a "Christian Nation" either don't know the Bible or are in denial. Between the jubilee laws and the instructions in the book of Acts, if we truly were a theocracy, we should really be a socialist nation.

But, we aren't. We are a nation that was built upon the ideals of the Enlightenment (a set of values -- gasp isn't that what Obama said?) that have some salt of the gospel mixed in by our earlier brothers and sisters in Christ. Unfortunately, I often think that their sacrifices and work has been lost when the more recent generations have decided to be the Empire rather than work as a leavening agent within it. The really sad thing is that these people who claim to promote the Gospel, but really promote their own form of American Civic Religion, aren't concerned about spreading the Kingdom of Christ. They are concerned with preserving their way of life.

It is a near-truth. Near-truths are so dangerous because they are so much harder to detect than a blatant lie. However, they are just as destructive.

This first thing that struck me about Obama's comments was that his definition was not his own. In fact, almost 5 years ago, I read that definition of America for the first time, and I'm sure it wasn't new then, in a letter "written" by George W. Bush, to our little Ballerina Princess. It was a letter welcoming her to U.S. citizenship. It described America as an "unfolding promise" and a "country bound by a common set of values and ideals". I thought it was one of the most beautiful descriptions I had ever read of our country.

The reality is that we don't live in a Christian nation, even beyond my belief that it never was one. About 3 months ago, Barna released a study that showed just over 50% of the U.S. no longer even bothers to identify themselves as Christian. The number swells even more if you delve into what most people call being a Christian. Most recently, over 58% stated that the Holy Spirit is merely a symbol for God, and about 60% believe that Satan is also merely symbolic. What is really disturbing is that a full 48% of the people who call themselves Christians doubt the divinity and perfection of Christ!

How in the world someone can be a "Christian" and not believe in "Christ" is beyond me, but that's the picture of America today, like it or not. The real question is: are we going to keep barking up this tree or are we going to accept the reality of this day and get back to building Christ's Kingdom which can exsist anywhere in the world no matter what the reigning Empire says?

Street Cars???

2009-04-12T21:23:00.003-04:00

Just a quick blog entry here, to pose a question to anyone who can provide an answer:

Why, in the name of all that makes sense, is the city of Cincinnati asking for stimulus for a STREET CAR when we don't have a decent east-west metro bus route? We live just off the same street that my husband works on, yet he can't take the bus to work unless he wants a commute that is almost 2 hours both ways.

Why?

Because the big metro routes run north-south. So, he'd have to take a metro to downtown and then take a separate metro up to the east side of town.

So, the street cars are going to create exactly what?

Ugh!

We are Known by the Company We Keep

2009-04-10T10:01:00.002-04:00

I think we can see under whose counsel the Republican Party started heading in the wrong direction:

Why I Hate the Easter Bunny

2009-04-10T07:59:00.005-04:00

If you've read my blog for a while, you might have noticed that I have some strong opinions about certain things. Maybe. Well, in this case I do have a strong opinion about something: The Easter Bunny.

Now, if you're reading this, you might think, "Deb, how could you possibly hate the Easter Bunny? A cute fluffy bunny that brings candy to small children? How innocent is that?"

But I ask you to consider this. Have you ever seen a cute fluffy Easter Bunny? No! First of all, most Easter Bunnies I've seen are the size of an adult human. In fact the ones at the mall are about the size of men that can't find full time employment elsewhere. Based on mall experiences, too, I think the Easter Bunny smokes. Another strike against him -- especially since I'm evangelical and we don't bode to well to smoking bunnies.

Think about the Easter Bunny's face. You've got a head that is not only 3 to 4 times bigger than the average bunny, but is proportionally large for his body. And the teeth! To quote Monty Python, "LOOK AT THE FANGS!" Can you really trust that plastic smile? Really?

Then there is his color. What sick genetic mutation or radiation causes a bunny to be pink or purple or blue. But the freakiest thing is that he, HE I might add, lays EGGS! That's just creepy! Do you people really believe that the egg shaped things coming out of a bunny's rear end are chocolate?

All kidding aside, we don't let the Easter Bunny visit us. Santa doesn't stop here either. And, yet, somehow our kids are happy and well behaved. Santa doesn't visit because there was no way that I was going to give credit for money spent by me, time spent by me, and creative energy spent by me to some lazy old guy who forces little people to work relentlessly and himself only works once a year. In addition to that he is no longer based upon the story of St. Nick but on a great marketing scheme thought up by Macy's in the early 20th century. Although lots of Christian publishers and marketing companies would really like us to believe we can tie the two together, they really aren't the same. Santa of today is a marketing tool to manipulate parents into standing outside a Toys R Us over night in order to make sure that they can get the gift that their kid asked for from Santa. It's really an ingenious scheme.

We celebrate Christmas, and the gifts are all from people who love them, know them and were excited to take the time to purchase them, And those gifts are not given based upon the kid's behavior but on our unconditional love that wants to give them good gifts.

Now, my intense hate for the Easter Bunny dates back to a time in my life when I was teaching Sunday school to 4-year-olds. It was Easter time and I asked the kids, "What is Easter all about?"

The entire class looked at me and answered in unison, "CANDY!"

That was disturbing to me because these kids were kids that were from homes where I'm confident that the true significance of Easter was being taught. However, with kids, chocolate trumps eternity in paradise and so the message that came across was, "Candy!"

While we do have some candy at our house at Easter, and we do an Easter Egg hunt, we've made a point to intentionally point it toward the empty tomb. The empty Easter Egg gets you a prize and we have a special box and book we use to tell the story of Easter in the weeks leading up to the day. There are no evil oversized bunnies that poop chocolate in our house, and nobody misses him. The only star of Easter is Jesus and we don't want to ask him to share the stage with a mutant bunny.

Easter is a celebration of the single most important event in the entire history of the world! Until the moment that Jesus came back to life, it looked as though death had conquered and there was no hope. On Easter, though, we won the victory over sin and death and could now be in relationship with God again! No longer was there any separation at all.

I love to tell my kids the part of the Easter story where the curtain in the Temple rips in two. Every time I tell it, we stop to talk about how, in the times before Jesus they would tie a rope to the ankle of the priest who was required to enter the Holy of Holies where God's presence resided.

"And do you guys remember why they tied a rope?" I ask.

And every time, with big eyes and hushed voices they reply, "In case he would DIE from being the presence of God! Then they could drag him out!" Needless to say, they are pretty impressed with a God whose presence is holy enough to cause someone to just drop dead! And any story involving pulling a dead guy with a rope is a great story.

But, thanks to Jesus, there's no more rope. In fact, there's no more curtain! You can just be in the Holy of Holies, we can be in the presence of God, and he can inhabit us. Kids can understand this, they really can, and they can celebrate that truth.

That is so much more exciting than a stupid bunny that lays eggs! Why would we even want to draw attention away from the exciting good story to the utterly ridiculous one!

So, at our house the Easter Bunny is in the same boat as Santa Claus. Because I don't like either of them, that is a really small row boat, with a tiny leak in the bottom that will hopefully one day sink and they'll both die.

Until then, though, when nice people ask my kids if the Easter Bunny is going to visit they just look at them with totally blank faces and nod their heads. But don't worry, they know they aren't allowed to tell other kids the truth about the Easter Bunny or Santa.

And, as far as the tooth fairy goes, I have them pretty convinced that Dad dresses up in a fairy costume, steals into their rooms and exchanges the tooth for money.

Swimmer Girl Turns 10!

2009-04-01T15:17:00.002-04:00

March is birthday month in our house, and the problem is that I'm tired of birthdays by the end of the month. Actually, I'm tired of holidays period. They need to be spread out more. Anyway, the end of March is my little Swimmer Girls birthday, so I must do a tribute to her as well before I can move on with any other blogging that might be swimming around in my mind.

Swimmer Girl was born in a small city in north west/central Ukraine. I know the city fairly well because I was forced to stay in it for 3 weeks while waiting for a council to meet and tell us that we were allowed to apply for a court date in order to try to adopt her. :)

From the moment we met her, Swimmer Girl was outstanding. She called me "Mama" from day one, and declared her love for both me and Rob, despite the fact that she found Rob's beard to be an unsightly disfigurement. She really does love unconditionally. At age three, she was speaking Ukrainian, understood Russian and started picking up English from us immediately. This girl can talk. I am convinced that if you dropped her anywhere in the world and left her stranded, she would be fluent in that language within months. Now, that would happen not so much because she has a desire to communicate with others, but mostly because she's really nosey. She would just have to know what other people are saying. I'm convinced that her love of history, civics and government is based in her need to know other people's business.

This is a child that, at age 4, asked me, "Mom, exactly how do you go about taking over a government?" And, at age 5 would routinely stop people and ask them, "Have you ever considered adoption? My mom and dad adopted me from an orphanage. I'm a great kid. There are so many great kids like me. Don't you want a great kid like me?" And when she was about 7 told me, "It must be so hard to be a person with a disability. I'm glad I don't have one!"

Not only an athlete, Swimmer Girl loves to write and read. She's currently working on a book called "Toucan's Song", and has written stories about Detective Dogs, Wolves and also a family living through the Great Depression.

She'd probably rather eat worms than work on math.

Since swim season is over, she is currently trying to run a mile every day. You just can't keep her down.

And, it's in part because of her beautiful little heart that our family is now sponsoring a little boy in Rwanda, through World Vision. She has emptied her piggy bank to help send food to Ukrainians rallying in Ukraine during the Orange Revolution, to send Bibles to persecuted Christians in Asia, and to feed hungry kids in Africa. She looks forward to feeding the homeless people we see that wander about Colerain Avenue near our home. For the longest time, her dream was to train service dogs to take back to Ukraine and give to people with disabilities there.

But the coolest thing about my Swimmer Girl is her undying belief that no matter what, God is good. No matter what this child has faced, she has always pressed on with a joy and faith that just isn't shaken. Not after abandonment, poverty, gaining an understanding of her disabilities and differences, and not even when she can just never place first in a heat at a swim meet. She just keeps going and goes in joy.

Happy Birthday to my beautiful little girl!

Green Bottle Boy Turns 11 and Gets an Orthodontic Device to Celebrate!

2009-03-10T20:55:00.008-04:00

How does a mom face the adolescent years when her son is Green Bottle Boy? Very very apprehensively. Of course, I do have to give him credit. He is the kid that we always predicted would be our trip to the emergency room and in all 11 years of his adventurous life, including times when he fell through a window protector, fell and hit his neck on the sharp edge of a table, swallowed a bug that flew into his mouth while walking down stairs, and being my only child to ever truly choke on something, he has never had a trip to the emergency room. That's actually pretty impressive.

Of course, he didn't start out so lucky. Green Bottle Boy was born with an extremely rare neural tube defect and leading up to his birth, we weren't even certain how long he would live. So, every March I reflect on how one simple brain surgery completely fixed the defect and he has thrived since even before it was corrected. The story of his birth, though so stressful at the time, is now a beautiful monument to how precious he is.

So, in reflecting upon what is wonderful about him, I have to say that one of the things I love the most is how his brain works. For instance, several months ago, I gave him a math placement test. I assumed that he would test into 5th grade in the new curriculum (which I ultimately didn't switch to), however, I thought I better be certain. I told him that he was supposed to do the first 15 questions, have me check it, complete the next 15 questions, have me check it, complete the next 15 questions, have me check it and then finally move on to the last set of questions.

"You need to do one section at a time and then have me check it. Do you understand? Because you don't need to move on to the next section if you miss too many of the questions in one section. Got it?"

"Yes Mom, yes Mom, I get it."

So, of course, he sat down and did the entire test without having me check. That's not the great part, though! The great part is that he failed the 4th-5th grade portions of the test, but passed the 6th-7-th and 8th grade parts with flying colors! Now, what in the world do you do with that?

He's obviously a really smart kid. He loves to read, is a gifted artist and musician, and is incredibly creative.

Some of my favorite quotes of his are:

1) (While holding his head in complete anguish over my lack of understanding) "I wish you could just be inside my head and understand what I'm trying to say!"

2) "Yes mom, I'll take care of the tarantula and you won't need to help with anything."

3) "I am too paying attention!"

4) "Why in the world did you put my desk in front of the window!? You should know better! The raindrop patterns are way more interesting than handwriting!"

I also love his fascination with nature. This kid, a kid who took years to figure out where exactly our living room was located, actually found a sun dried red ant on our red deck. The ant was "frozen" in a dramatic position, one arm reaching toward the sky as though it was begging for mercy as the sun relentlessly shined its rays on him.

His first word was, "Tree!" He was 11 months old. It was just really important to him. His second word was banana, which was pronounced, "Balalala" rather than the typical "Nana" that most kids use.

He loves identifying plants, tromping through the woods and just laying in the sun. He is really the quintessential little boy.

But, he's also not so little anymore!

Society Without God

2009-02-28T14:15:00.005-05:00

I just finished reading "Society Without God" by Phil Zuckerman. Although a very repetitive book, it provides some useful insight into how "secular" people view religion, and, without the author fully understanding, how "secular" people confuse true Christian with Civic Religion. Of course, many Christians confuse real Christianity with Civic Religion as well, so there needs to be even more grace for those who are completely separated from God and lack understanding. Obviously, it's a deceptive topic.

Apparently Sweden has a national church of which people can pay taxes and become a member. Any person who truly follows Christ sees an obvious problem with that (many people who like organizations such as Vision Forum probably don't). However, it is apparent that the Swedes have bought into their own version of Civic Religion, just as many in America have, and that the Swedes have brought it to it's ultimate outcome: death. Sweden, despite it's national church, is a completely secular nation.

What was interesting to me in reading the book, was the outlook of the Swedes towards Christianity. None of them had a clue as to what Christianity was, including the author, and yet they were convinced that they did. In fact, by definition, someone could be a Christian, even if they didn't believe that Jesus was the son of God!

Some of the rather humorous things I found in the book were:

1) The belief that believing in an afterlife meant not investing in this life. I find that so humorous because the entire reason I am able to lay down my life in service to others and to give up material possessions is because I am confident that there will be an afterlife! An afterlife frees me to focus on what is truly important (relationships) and not concern myself with accumulating wealth or meeting my selfish desires. The great benefit to that is that the more I have laid down my life for others, the more joy that I've had. That's probably because, as I said, the knowledge of an afterlife frees me from focusing on the wrong things.

2) The belief that life is meaningless or that believing life is meaningless will give an individual a full life. Okay, I read the entire chapter on this and didn't know if I should laugh or cry. I'm just so glad that I'm not there! I guess a meaningless life is okay if you find enough ways to inoculate yourself against the aimlessness and isolation.

3) The belief that every Christian believes the exact same thing about the Bible, how to interpret the Bible, and how to apply the Bible. What a misconception! Obviously, this author didn't talk with enough Christians (or even Civic Religion followers) to get a complete grasp of the role of the Bible in Christianity.

4) Unbeknownst to them, the bulk of the "good" in their society is based on Christ's teachings. In fact, one guy actually said something to the effect of "I was taught don't do something to other people you wouldn't want done to you." Hmmm.... As my wise husband pointed out, Swedes claiming that they can have a "good society without god" would be like John Rockefeller's descendants writing a book about how you can be rich without working.

While I get very frustrated with American Civic Religion and I can't stand how Christianity gets mixed with patriotism and politics, I'm thankful that I live in a country where there is still some passion, some life and some desire for purpose. As Zuckerman described Sweden, I couldn't help but think of the novel "The Giver". It sounded like a society where everyone was taking their pill in order to not see color, not have "urges" and just go about their business. Not messy, but not too full of life either. I'm sure that that picture is not completely accurate, but it certainly is not ever going to be America. We are far too diverse of a culture to ever all think the same, and being the same appears to be, from reading this book, a necessary aspect to success in Sweden.

"Society without God" was certainly worth reading, or at least skimming, as it strikes me as a prophetic telling of where our nation is spiritually headed.

Cherrio -- Unless You're Different.

2009-02-27T07:55:00.006-05:00

Well, my early morning ire was up again today. Every time I think western humanity is past discrimination, I get a new taste of just how "civilized" we are. This time, the taste came from Great Britain. Yes, the land that brought us the Bible in English, C.S. Lewis, J.R.R. Tolkien, Paddington Bear, and the concept that tea can also mean little yummy sandwiches and cookies, not just a pale yucky liquid.

There is an uproar over a new character on a popular children's television show. The show, Cheebie, has hired an energetic, engaging young lady who just happens to have been born with a partial right arm. Since her appearance on the show, there has been an uproar among parents in Great Britain, because apparently their poor sheltered children can't handle seeing a disabled person on television.

Here are some comments, with my thoughts following them:

"How do you explain to a three-year-old that a host only has part of one arm?"

She was born with one arm. Sometimes that happens, but it's okay. It doesn't hurt and she just has to learn how to do things differently than a person with two arms.

"We are programed to shun people like that as a matter of nature."

What?!?!?! I think that people are programmed to shun people as a matter of selfish fear, ignorance and an inability to discern what is truly important.

My child was immediately freaked out and didn’t want to watch. There’s a time and place for showing kids all the “differences” that people can have, but nine in the morning in front of 2 year olds is NOT the place!

The only times I've seen children "freak out" about a limb difference is when the child is 1) excessively sheltered and only been around people exactly like them or 2) when the child has obvious severe emotional issues and is trying, desperately, to get the attention of their parent. I don't even believe that his kid reacted this way, because 2 year olds don't even normally notice the differences, let alone freak out. Obviously, the Dad was freaking out and putting it on his kid. This child will grow up disabled, too, because it's got some incredibly horrible parents that aren't bothering to teach him how to embrace humanity. I would much rather have a limb difference than such a shallow and selfish mind. I would have to wonder, as well, if this parent could "stomach" this better at another time during the day. Maybe after one or two beers? At what point in the day or in life does he think you should do the arduous task of "introducing" his child to disabilities? Is it better after a good lunch? Probably not before bedtime because he'd worry about nightmares... maybe he could medicate his son and then tell him? What incredible ignorance!

In my 7 years of parenting children with special needs, I know, I KNOW, that the issue here is not the children watching the show but the ignorant parents. Kids can handle disabilities, especially young kids. They ask a couple questions and they move on, so much better than so many adults.

Well, kudos to the BBC to stepping out and kudos to all the parents in Great Britain who are teaching their children! Maybe they will be able to change a society that has, more than once in this past year, displayed a great disregard for life.

Here is a Today Show Link to see more about the controversy.

See Us on Inside Edition!

2009-02-26T08:12:00.002-05:00

See us interviewed on Inside Edition!

Girl Swims with One Arm and Inspires

5 Years Old and Running, in a Crawling Sort of Way

2009-02-26T07:37:00.004-05:00

Well, Nappy has been home for over 2 years and just recently turned 5. She's now telling everyone that she's going to soon be 6, and I keep asking her "What's the rush?". I'm still getting over the fact that my oldest, Lawyer/Social Advocate Boy, is now 12. Where, in the world, did all those years go?

After 2 years of parenting my most-special-needs child, I fully understand some of the frustrations that other parents face, and I wonder what happens when it's a parent who doesn't have the courage or energy to stand up and talk back.

Because we're fighting a muscular condition, I've known she needed some type of physical therapy from the start. So, why, WHY???, I ask, did I have to beg, cajole, pray incessantly and go through a year of being told I was a bad parent in order to get just that? Why did I have to endure medical professionals telling me that I was in denial of her condition, simply because I believed that she could manipulate her environment more than they did? Why did I have to endure OT sessions where an OT tried to help me teach her how to do things, when, in reality, Nappy can figure out on her own how to do things? Why did the "experts" like telling me she couldn't work a wheelchair, would never walk, and that she needed therapeutic preschool? Why did they make presumptions without just cause?

Obviously, I'm not over that. However, I do love talking about how they were wrong on all accounts!

However, now, she is has the best intervention possible. One day a week I can take her to OT (Occupational Therapy) and PT (Physical Therapy). For one hour a week, her wonderful therapist, Miss Shannon, works with her arms and shoulders to stretch and strengthen what is there. What an amazing difference it has made! Shannon understands how bright Nappy is, and that Nappy wants to learn and move forward, and she understands that the best use of therapy is to work on those muscles and joints in order to get more flexibility and strength. We do, at therapy, exercises that we can't replicate at home, so each therapy session is supplemental to the exercises I do daily (at least in theory daily...) with her.

And, PT... well, Nappy can now stand on her knees for minutes at a time, walk on her knees while holding on to something and even balance on her knees while on a platform swing. Even if she never walks, these skills have tremendously increased the options for her to manipulate her environment. Miss Melissa, as Nappy calls her, has taught us exercises to do with her at home and in the pool that have improved her trunk strength and increased her stamina. This kid is all over our house now, with new confidence and strength!

So, I'm still frustrated with the doctors and therapists out there that won't listen to their patients or their patients' parents, but I'm excited to, finally, see the system working. I wish there was some way I could inspire other parents to have a big mouth like me so that they can advocate for what their kids want.

Nappy is also reading. She's reading anything she can. As we drive down the street, she's behind me in her car seat:

"Suuubbbwaaayy -- Subway!"

"Giiiiiffffttt shoppppp -- Gift Shop!"

"Biiiigggggssss -- Bigg's!"

Non stop chatter and reading. She's playing to piano, too, which is great for her hands. She loves it.

And, she's incredibly logical. Take, for instance, what happened after I forgot to pack underwear for her to wear after she changed from swim lessons.

"Sorry, Nappy, I forgot your underwear. You'll just have to go without until we get home."

"Okay. But it will be cooollld without pants!"

"Well, you're going to wear pants!"

"Mom, I can't wear pants without underwear!"

"Yes, you can. You can't leave the Y without pants!"

"But I can't wear pants without underwear, so I can't wear my pants."

"You think you can go home with no pants!"

"Well, that's better than going home with pants and no underwear. You just aren't supposed to wear pants without underwear."

Needless to say, I won the argument.

She's just a wonderful little treasure... another precious jewel, like the other 143,000,000 out there that still need families, only still uniquely herself.

The Gifted

2009-02-13T10:00:00.002-05:00

I've always thought the concept of gifted kids is very funny. How much of it is really true, how much of it is the parents pushing or encouraging and how much of it is an incessant need on the part of parents to think that their genes are far superior to everybody else? Or, in the case of adoption, the incessant need of parents to think that they are providing an ultra-rich cultural and academic environment that produces gifted children?

Take, for instance, in our county, all the "gifted" programs at the schools. First of all, in the city there is a high school just for gifted kids. One whole big high school full of kids that are gifted -- now add into that number all the kids who passed the test but didn't go there, and then all the kids who are in the "gifted" program of all the other public and private schools. Don't forget the home schooled ones or the "undiagnosed" ones! You end up with a mighty large number of "gifted" kids! It almost makes you wonder just how "gifted" they all are if there are so many of them.

Malcolm Gladwell once pointed out that research has shown that while Mozart was gifted in music, he would not have been the phenomenal success that he was if it weren't for his father, Leopold Mozart, who taught, pushed and shaped him into the musical genius that he was. Could he have written his first piece of music at age 5 unless his dad was there to help? Probably not.

So, I've always thought this gifted stuff was malarkey, but, then again, I've bought into it.

Several years ago I was at Border's and perusing the workbook section in the education department. I was looking for books to work on with Lawyer/Social Advocate Boy. Of all the different series of workbooks, I, of course, was drawn to the one entitled "The Gifted Kid's Home Enrichment Program".

"Well," I thought, "That's obviously the one for my boy!"

As I looked through it, I realized the marketing scam involved. See, I had looked through some of the other series there as well, and this series, the series for the outrageously intelligent child, had the exact same concepts in it as the other ones! These, though, we're more popular because what parent wouldn't chose the workbook that calls their child "gifted"?

That got me thinking about why honest marketing schemes don't work in education. For instance, who would buy "The-slightly-Below-Average-Kid"workbook or "Your-Kid-Is-a-Slacker-In-School-So-You-Have-To-Buy-Them-a-Workbook" workbook or how about "Your-Kid's-Teacher-Didn't-Teach-It-Right-the-First-Time-So-Now-You-Must-Spend-$10-In-Addition-to-Taxes-Or-Tuition" workbook?

It just seems like those wouldn't sell so well.

The other night Rob and I were talking about what exactly one might find in these workbooks. We came up with "Billy and Bob's Needin' Extra Schoolin' and Learnin Workbook".

Such a book would have to focus upon logic through the use of words problems, such as:

Billy had $1 . Bobby wanted that $1. He is much bigger than Billy. So Billy gave Bobby his $1. How much money does Billy now have? (For a great two parter, they could add in "How much money does Bobby now have?")

Billy had $1. Each piece of candy cost .50. Bobby also wanted candy, and is still much bigger than Billy. But Billy had recently attended a "Boundaries" workshop and decided to say "no" to Bobby. What did Bobby do in order to get Billy to buy him candy?

Then there might be a puzzle section that contains puzzles that a bit scaled back:

Sudoku
1 _
_ 1

Crossword puzzles:

1 down, 3 letters, a "kitchen utensil that starts with the letter P and ends with the letter T."

I really believe that if they did market this, but rather called it "The Gifted Child's Home Enrichment Program", it would, indeed, sell well.

One of the things that I have always hated about organized schooling is the need to catagorize kids into the "haves" and "have nots". What really determines how "gifted" a kid is? And, even if the kid is gifted, is he more worthy of learning than the kid who isn't? What gifts matter? Doesn't being gifted with compassion or mercy have more meaning than being able to "stay ahead" of your peers?

In the context of public education, I have to question how just it is to give one child more opportunities than another just because he's "smarter"... yet, it's often justified because being "gifted" actually makes them an "exceptional learner". In education college, I was taught that the gifted are actually "special needs children". Please! So I guess it works well for schools to put them all together to work hard and improve the school's test scores?

Well, at least with home schooling I can just teach Jesus'way: Meet them where they're at and take them to the next place.

I've Got the Holy Holy Spirit

2009-02-09T16:00:00.007-05:00

You just never know with a 4, nearly 5 year old. Especially when your kid is incredibly precocious. But, Nappy, as of late, has had an intense interest in Jesus and the Holy Spirit. A lot of people would say she's too young to really understand things, but I know that she's already experienced more trauma, loss and gain in her short 5 years on earth than most people experience in the first 20. Plus she's seen God's work in her life in very direct and vibrant ways. I believe she is falling in love with Jesus in a very real way. He not only made her part of his eternal family, but He gave her a family on earth and she understands that.

This interest has since flourished, and several days ago, she asked me about the Holy Spirit. I explained as best as I could who He is and how He works. Well, she was all about a super-spirit that could fill you with wisdom and courage and give you direct access to the voice of God! She asked, actually demanded, that we pray and ask Jesus into her heart and the Holy Spirit to live in her too.

So that we did.

Then when she was done, she smiled at me and said, "Mom, I GOT the HOLY SPIRIT! I'm gonna live FOREVER!"

I told her that was true, but to remember that her body would die, just not her soul, and the part of her that lived in her body, the part of her who was really and truly Nappy, that part would go to heaven, and in heaven, God would give her a new body.

"Yep!" She said, "The Holy Spirit and Jesus will give me a new body because I won't ever die!"

The next morning she came down to breakfast literally beaming with the Holy Spirit. It was quite a refreshing and beautiful sight. She is definitely in love. She even wrote a song:

That afternoon, we went to her regular physical therapy appointment. She'll be transitioning to a new PT soon, and that PT came to her session to meet her. While I was talking with her old PT, Nappy rolled up to her new PT and assumed what can be described as nothing less than asouthern pentecostal preacher mode. She even developed a southern accent! A Southern accent with the typical "--mba" that preachers like to throw on when their really worked up. I was worried she might start pulling snakes out of her pockets. It was that intense.

"I've GOT the HOOOOOLY SPIRIT! And YOU(-mba) can(-mba) have it too! He'll FILLLLL you up! And you can LIIIIIVVVE Forever! All -- YOU--- HAVE--- TO ---- DO--- is PRAY AND ASK (-mba)!"

This lady, who doesn't know us from Adam, just looked at my beaming daughter and then at me and then at my daughter.

I could read her mind, "uhhh...note... nut cases...."

However, my mind was reeling! Where did this come from? Not the message but the delivery! Did Jimmy Swaggart have some of his indiscretions in southern Ukraine? Are there Ukrainian equivalents to the snake handling preachers in the US? How could a little girl with genetic stock from Ukraine and in a family that never listens to that type of preaching ever have come up with this?

It was love. Her personality when it's in love. Heaven help us when she's a teenager.

But, the story gets better. The next day, I was discussing with the kids the story of Nate Saint, Jim Elliot and other missionaries that were martyred. I asked the kids what they thought they'd do if God ever called them to that. They were all discussing their answers when Nappy cut in.

"Well, I don't ever have to worry about that because I've GOT THE HOLY SPIRIT! I can't die!"

"Uh...Nappy..." I told her, "You can die."

"Nope, I can't." She replied, "When you have the Holy Spirit you can't die because he lives in you. So, na -na-na-na-na-na I've got the Holy Spirit and I can't die."

"Yes you can." I replied and explained it all again.

"Hmm.." she replied, appearing to be devasted over the news (wait till she finds out that she'll also have to pay taxes!), "Well, I'll keep the Holy Spirit anyway, because it's still a pretty good deal!"

Face to Face With a Human

2009-02-05T19:23:00.006-05:00

I understand that logical thought does not come naturally to some. I, myself, am given to the occasional illogical thought process. However, what has appeared in the news in Florida recently defies so many rules of logical thinking, that I can only think to compare this to earlier days of our nation when our leaders decided that certain people who had the same kind of blood, same body structure, same capabilities and same organs as them were only partially human, simply because they had a different shade to their skin. An argument based on emotion and a desire for power, not one based in rational or logical thinking. And so it goes on today, just a different group of people.

Several years ago, an 18 year old woman paid an abortion doctor $1200 to perform an abortion. The woman was just over 23 weeks into her gestation when it was scheduled to occur. In short the doctor, who has paid out 5 male practice settlements in the past few years, wasn't there when the labor-inducing medications he gave her kicked in. And, despite several hours warning was not in the room when the woman delivered a live baby.

The coroner's determined that the baby was live as it's lung were filled with air -- thus it had breathed on it's own before dying.

According to the woman, the owner of the clinic (not a medical professional) came into the room, cut the umbilical cord with a pair of scissors and then (after possibly throwing the baby on the floor), put it in a plastic bag and threw it in the garbage.

Police later found the baby decomposing in the garbage cans outside the clinic.

Now, if you're not ready to vomit like I was when I read the more detailed account, then I'm not sure what's wrong with you.

At 23 weeks, that baby was only needing to grow in order to live. In fact, babies have survived birth at 23 weeks, although I think their chances are significantly higher when they aren't in the room with a murderer.

The mother was irate, and is now suing the doctor. According to the FOX news article, her lawyer commented that, "She came face to face with a human being,and that changed everything."

The Health Department has filed a complaint, and there is the possibility of murder charges.

So, this leads me to believe that the young lady had not been counseled in any way regarding the human being she was carrying nor the risks involved with the abortion. She had obviously not researched her doctor, and I would have to wonder if the going rate for an abortion is always so high. I mean, this doctor got $1200 for simply prescribing medication to her, she did the rest of the work herself! How's that for lucrative? This young lady believed that she did not have the means or maturity to raise the baby that she has since named, "Shanice", but I bet that she now wishes she had been counseled towards adoption instead.

The real ringer here,though, the real logic twister in this entire gruesome story is NOW. The NOW chapter of that part of Florida was very disturbed by this occurrence. A spokesperson for NOW expressed concern over the fact that this clinic behaved in this manner and said women need to be directed toward better clinics.

Now, this begs the logical question of, "What did they do wrong?"

Honestly, if the point of the abortion was to kill the baby, they accomplished that! If the baby isn't worthy of life, what's so terrible about tying it up in a plastic bag and throwing it out in the trash? Certainly it's what most people do when they kill a rodent that's infested their home. What makes this scenario one that people want murder charges, when that doctor probably slits the throats of hundreds of babies a year, and no one says a word.

Because people came face to face with a human!

In the end, NOW knows it's wrong. The doctor knows it's wrong. The owner of the clinic knows its wrong. The health department knows it's wrong.

This time, they saw what they killed.

There is no logic in this. There is no ethical reasoning. Only emotional justification, rooted in a desire for power and control, that happened to come face to face with a human.

Several Definitions

2009-02-03T14:27:00.004-05:00

A Democrat a person who's political persuasion leads them to believe in a higher level of government involvement in the structure of our society, not just at the state level, but also at the federal level. Believes higher taxation is necessary in order to provide our society with just and quality social services.

A Democratic Leader A democrat who believes that everybody else should pay those taxes (see: Tom Daschle, Nancy Killefer, Tim Geithner)

An Idealist Someone who believes that the democratic party leaders are truly leaders of the poor and common people -- like people who earn enough income to owe more than $40,000 in back taxes (See Tom Geithner -- see also Caroline Kennedy, John Kerry...).

A Republican A person who believes that our country functions better with less federal government and that state and local governments should have more influence, albeit unintrustive influence, than the federal. There is a strong belief that private charitable organizations function better than state. Fiscally conservative, they often weep when they hear "God Bless America" and have a tendency to forget that America has had largely imperialistic dalliances around the world.

A Republican Leader Someone who believes the same as the typical Republican, but is afraid to stand up to big-business and loves to compromise on moral issues (see; abortion is wrong vs capital punishment is okie dokie or gay marriage is wrong but our divorce rate is rather good). They also like to rally around their major candidates and say things like, "No, she really is right for the job. It's okay that she's only left the country to vacation in Mexico and that she used to be sportscaster. Did you know she won a beauty pageant once?"

A Disgruntled Republican A person who believes that less federal government is good, is fiscally conservative, morally conservative (across the board, not just on one issue), and knows that it takes more than a pretty smile and some spunk to win a national election.

Punxsutawney Phil and A Little Innocence Lost

2009-02-02T15:26:00.005-05:00

This morning, while trying to distract myself from the arduously boring task of exercising, I watched the ceremonies involving the great Punxsutawney Phil. After watching the ceremony, I have a few observations.

1) Punxsutawney Phil is riddled with scandal. According to his Inner Circle, Phil is accurate about 70-95% of the time. According to the National Weather Service, he's accurate 39% of the time. I'm sure that Phil's Inner Circle would never exaggerate, but one does have to question the accuracy of their numbers. However, deeper in lies a greater question: How can a groundhog predict the weather with 39% accuracy? Combine that success rate with those hats that they wear, I would start to wonder if there is not truly an evil little groundhog somewhere running a terrible underground (literally) cult....

2) I don't think that this stuff is true, because they also said that Phil is a Steeler's fan. Now, come on, obviously that was just made up. It seems evident to me, a sports deficient classical pianist, that a ground hog would never like football. They are by far more likely to indulge in a game of golf. It fits with the holes.

3) There is a member of the "Inner Circle" that looks exactly like Bill Murray. It was astounding!

4) I once lived the movie "Ground Hog" day. When we adopted our middle daughter from Kazakhstan, we lived that movie. Every day the alarm went off, we ate the same breakfast, waited outside for our driver, drove the exact same streets to the orphanage and played with toys in front of an adorable little girl who not only didn't like us but wouldn't respond to us. Nothing else happened for 3 weeks until we finally went to court. It was very surreal.

However, my loss of faith in Punxsutawney Phil was nothing compared to the loss of innocence that happened for Swimmer Girl. After reading the news last night, I figured I needed to talk to her about her one athlete that she has always admired: Michael Phelps. I knew it would likely come up at swim team or at some other point, so I had to talk to her about it first.

When I read about Phelps smoking cannabis, I was really disgusted by him. I've come to expect such hedonistic behavior from professional athletes, but I hoped that someone who would represent our country to the world could be a person with more maturity and integrity. And, his apology was frustrating as well! I was with him until he threw in the word "youthful". So, what he did would have been okay when he was 16? I'm sorry but the same people who are hurt by the drug trade, the same people who imbibed with him that night, would have been just has hurt by his selfish and emotionally sick behavior back then just as much as at age 23.

So this morning I had to explain to my daughter that someone she respects is not someone she can look up to, that there is a need in this sick world, to be able to respect what someone can accomplish even when you can't respect how they live. A little bit of her innocence died today, and that made me very sad. I wish people like Michael Phelps could understand the implications of their poor choices.

So, we are recovering from our lost innocence. My in my belief that GroundHog's day just must be a promotional entity for Punxsutawny and Swimmer Girl that there are, essentially, no famous role models out there.

Aaa, we're over it now. Plus, I think Gopher day would be more fun.

A Study in Contrasts

2009-01-26T07:01:00.004-05:00

I was struck this week by a study in contrasts. The contrast? Our new president.

I was very glad when President Obama made executive orders involving Gitmo. I think that our nation's stance on abusive interrogation and unsubstantiated arrests without a speedy trial are unjust, immoral and a nasty scab on the face of our nation. I never really had a problem George W., but I sure had a problem with his administration and their views on this. I think that George W. went wrong when he chose his running mate and the majority of his cabinet. Their counsel led to so many of the international issues we face today, and the fallout from Gitmo is one of the worst. Totally ungodly. Totally wrong. They made us as bad as the bad guys, but then justified it.

So, I was so very glad to see President Obama move in the right direction.

However, I was so confounded that one individual could be so vibrantly focused about the value of one group of humans' lives and yet so blinded to the value of another. How could Obama make life-giving decisions with suspected criminals and terrorists, and yet be willing to remove a ban on monies going to snuff out the life of innocent ones?

I understand that the debate on abortion centers around the idea that not everyone believes human life begins at conception. Even if you can look past the fact that embryos have the same DNA as us, heartbeats, and the ability to feel pain among other things, what if you're wrong? What if they are, in every sense of the word, human? At what cost does that decision come? Our society and our world is only going to be as strong as our willingness to take care of our weakest members. So, with each abortion we've weakened our ability to flourish.

People can talk to me about the suffering of children with this, and they have. Most of those people have never set foot in an orphanage, so they really don't have a clue. Even if they have, though, I know that the solution is not to snuff out a life. The solution is to embrace their lives. To provide homes for them. To spend our money on giving them life, rather than spending our money on SUVs. That solution gives life to not only the "unwanted person" but to the parent as well.

Instead, like Bush's administration, we, as a society, choose the low road and then make ourselves the same as the bad guys. Only we justify it.

People have tried to convince me that it's okay in the case of rape. Yet, I personally know people whose conception happened as a result of rape. Both they and their mothers argue differently.

People have tried to convince me that their is a quality of life issue. If a person is severely disabled then it would be better if they weren't alive. I can only feel sorrow for a person with such a misunderstanding of life, and such a shallow understanding of humanity's ability to over come.

I live each day with 3 beautiful people that many in our world would have thought were "better off aborted". They live life to the fullest, with total disregard to the shallowness of most people's understanding. They are more human than the lot of humanity, and the world is a better place because they were not snuffed out, but instead given the opportunity to live.

So, these "human rights" groups that practice abortion? I've pondered how a group that is dedicated to the rights of humanity could find in their solutions the option to kill. All I can think is that this is where human rights cross the line into self-rights. It's no longer about the rights inherent to a human, it's about what an individual is allowed to do to themselves, or more correctly, for themselves.

So, what would prompt President Obama to have this dichotomy in thinking? Politics? Perhaps, as he owes his successful bid to office in part to those who prosper from abortion and those who champion it as their cause. However, I would like to believe that it has more to do with his blindness. As all people, he is blind to the dichotomy in his own thinking. What he sees as compassion, he has indoctrinated himself to see that way.

So, as I pray for myself that God will remove the blinders that hold me in my schizophrenic thinking, I will pray for President Obama that God will as well.

In the meantime, I will mourn that humanity is will lose more of it's human-ness and around the world so many people will lose the opportunity to love and be a part of a story where someone over comes.

"The Shack" -- a Good Reason for the Public Library

2009-01-26T06:19:00.003-05:00

Not to pound something until it is dead, but yesterday I remembered that I had two other issues with "The Shack".

The entire time I read the "The Shack", I felt like I was being played, manipulated. The reason why? "The Missy Project".

First of all, Missy is not a real person. So, to have a "Missy Project" is ridiculous. It sounds like her picture should be on the back of a milk carton. She doesn't exist. Hence, part of my disdain for the book. As I said before: when God is still alive and at work in this world in miraculous ways, why would we settle for made up stories about Him?

I really do like fiction (good fiction), so my issue is not that. I even like good redemptive fiction like Les Miserable or Ben Hur. I like God in my fiction. But I like my God stories to be true, since they can be.

The other issue with the "Missy Project" is that it is a sham. Yes, a sham. Movie rights have been sold for books that have sold far fewer copies than "The Shack". So, whether or not it becomes a movie is not directly tied to how many books are sold.

The beginning of the blurb about the "Missy Project" said, "A group of us who have been touched by The Shack" or something to that effect -- yes, that group would be the publisher and the author. The more books you buy the more money they get. "The Missy Project" struck me as a deceptive way to advertise and manipulate people into buying more copies of their book. It subtly tells you that in order to spread the Gospel "buy my book".

It reminded me of when I was in college and this guy who a barely knew told me that I HAD to vote for him for class president. Not because he would do a good job, but because he was a Christian. He had the audacity to try to use my faith to manipulate my will for his purposes. I felt this the entire time I read "The Shack" because of the "Missy Project".

If "The Shack" is truly such a great book that a movie maker wants it to become a movie, then let it stand on it's own merit.

I realize that I'm riding a fine line here, since my book will be released this summer, however, I would never start an "Anna Project" or anything so manipulative or cheap. There's a difference between promoting a book or a message than trying to manipulate people into generating income for you.

Another issue of honesty, I found on the publishers website. "A funny thing happened on the way to helping a friend with his new book. We couldn’t find a publisher who would treat it the way we felt The Shack needed to be treated to find its audience. Christian publishers thought it too controversial and wanted to dull its edgy side so as not to risk alienating their core audience. Secular publishers shied away because they felt the content put it clearly in the ‘Christian’ marketplace."

First of all, if a secular publisher had thought that it would sell, then they would have bought it. I highly doubt that Harper Collins would have turned it down on the basis of it's spirituality. In fact, many secular companies have either an "inspirational" market, or, as for fiction will just publish anything. If you read a lot you know that.

Secondly, there are Christian publishers that gladly publish controversial books. Specifically, I've seen some pretty funky stuff coming from Thomas Nelson as of late.

My issue here isn't with the fact that it was tossed out of other publishing houses. My issue is that they feel the need to make up reasons. Many a publisher has passed up a great manuscript because they don't know what they're doing. I'm sure Harper Collins would have loved the revenue from "The Shack". The issue was, probably, nobody thought it was a good book.

So, friends of the author started a publishing company. In essence, "The Shack" was self-published, maybe friend-published. So, BE HONEST ABOUT IT.

All of this just led me to feel like I read through one big marketing scheme as I read. Promoting a new publishing company started by the author's friends, trying to be convinced I should advertise for free for them. Trying to be convinced that I should help them try to make this a movie.

The entire time I read this book, I felt defensive, like I was being manipulated. It made for a frustrating read, in part because of the author/publishers behavior in marketing. It's hard for me to feel like I can be touched by God when I feel like the person writing the book is trying to get into my wallet as much as possible.

Perhaps it's a character flaw on my part, but I feel as though I should be able to read a book and the message, without interference by either the author or the publisher, should be able to get through.

So, "The Shack" -- if you want to read it borrow it from a friend or get it from the library!

Americans are Made

2009-01-19T09:00:00.000-05:00

Before becoming a delusionally bad poet due to my current illness, I’d been reading “50 Facts that Should Change the USA” by Stephen Fender, an American born in San Francisco but educated and residing in the United Kingdom. The book is well written and fairly balanced. I enjoyed expanding my knowledge surrounding facts that I already knew: There is one car for every adult in the U.S., Over twice as many Americans claim to go to church as actually do, Only 18% of Americans hold a US passport (our entire family does...I'm just not sure where that "special place" is that I put them to keep them safe), and When Bush cut taxes for the rich in 2004 the family that owns Walmart increased their wealth by $91,500 per hour.

Well, I didn’t know the specific numbers, but was fairly aware of those facts.

I also enjoyed learning some facts about America as well: that we’re generous with our time (donating more hours to volunteer work than the Japanese, Spanish, Italians or Australians), and that it’s the red states, the conservative states, that are the most generous with their time and money. New Hampshire, Massachusetts and Vermont have a few things to feel ashamed about in this area, I guess.

But, by far, the essay I enjoyed the most was, “Americans Aren’t Born; They are Made”. Now, of course, I like this one because I’ve seen it play out so fully in my life.

He begins the essay by briefly laying out the fact that our nation was founded, something not all nations can lay claim, and that that founding was ‘advertised’ by our Declaration of Independence. In retrospect, doesn't it make sense that we would have an ad as one of our first great documents? Continuing on, that founding was codified by the Constitution. Fender terms the Constitution as the “greatest artifact of the collective imagination” and states that it makes becoming an American “as much a contract as a country.”

He points out that for an immigrant to become an American you must test in its laws and that by understanding and agreeing to those terms you can choose to be an American. Now, my girls became Americans through their adoptions, so there was no test. Rob and I did, however, have to sign a paper stating that they had no intention of practicing polygamy, dealing in drugs or becoming involved in terrorist activities. It was a lot to take on ourselves as no one knows for certain just what a 2 or 3 year-old is planning to do. I did vouch for them, though, and when the plane wheels hit the ground in Detroit, they were immediately American.

In other countries you can test and become a citizen, but Fender essentially contends that while a person might become a citizen of that nation, they don’t become one of them. The example he gives is a man name Robert Maxwell. Maxwell was born in Czechoslovakia, but became a full-fledged, military serving Brit. Despite living his entire adult life in Britain, raising his children as Englishmen, participating in military service, political service and financial work, the citizens of his adopted nation never considered him fully British.

In fact, in his obituary, the London Daily Mail claimed that he never fully understood what it meant to be an Englishman!

Fender compares that to Henry Kissinger in the U.S.

“Born in Germany just 14 days before Robert Maxwell, Kissinger never felt the need…to smooth out his gravelly European accent. Did he still feel like an outsider in America? Whatever they may hold against him for his foreign policy, will his memorialists say that he never learned to understand what it meant to be an American… How absurd it would be to expect anything remotely similar being said and written by and about Henry Kissinger. He became fully-fledged as an American when he was naturalized as a United States citizen on June 19, 1943. Since then, he has been at the center of the American establishment, even serving as the country’s senior official representative to the rest of the world, as Secretary of State. As an American, he was made, not born.”

John Steinbeck pointed out that all Americans are descendants of criminals or adventurers, which is, while a very romantically Steinbeck point of view, probably only partially true. I would add to that many Americans are also the descendants of the natives whom survived what was essentially a genocide or slaves that survived horrors of slavery. And, then there are the kids, like mine, who are the survivors of life in orphanages. So, it does seem that there is a spark of some sort that unites anyone who does make it in this country, especially when you consider that a large number of people who tried to immigrate here actually ended up returning to their original country.

I've seen in my girls how, in this country, you truly can be fully American, and yet not need to snuff out what was there before. They don't have to give up a love of their birth country, in fact they can even celebrate the heritage that they left. It's like a marriage, in that there is no need to give up who you were before you married, only the need to craft yourself into a new unit, to merge those two personalities into one.

While I know that everyone who has come to this country has not had the success story that Henry Kissinger had (and that many would argue if Kissinger was truly successful), I'm proud to be a part of a country where there is hope. A friend of mine from Africa told me, "In this country, at least a child can dream and there is a hope that the dream can come true."

So, tomorrow, my Kazakh-Ukrainian-American family will watch the inauguration of our country's first African-American President, and, for the first time in a long time, my heart will be very proud that I am an American. I may not agree with all his politics, but it is so inspiring to see that God has begun to heal one of our nation's greatest wounds.

Plus, maybe now we'll start seeing a little diplomacy coming from Washington D.C.

I wonder what Henry Kissinger would think about that?

Winter -- a really bad poem by Deb

2009-01-18T11:52:00.004-05:00

Winter how do I reflect upon thee, oh killer of my joy.
You pound my house with ice cold winds, enough to freeze my toes,
Yet somehow never cold enough to kill off all my foes. (note: viruses and bacteria -- not people, except maybe car salesmen and IRS agents).

My toes, they are as cold nearly as my nose, and my nose it
runneth over because my windows must stay closed.
Resultant of our encased home, the viruses flow free
No place to escape to the outside world, so happy to rest on me.

You, oh winter, season of hell, you do this every year.
You produce this lovely environment that produces infections of the ear....
and the throat and the eyes and the sinus cavity.
Making me a grumpy Mom and writer of such bad bad poetry.

How do you accost me? Let me count the ways.
First, you cost me money, which goes a long long way
towards me never thinking of you fondly, and wanting to keep you at bay.

I purchase gloves and scarves and mittens and coats for my little knaves.
Lest not forget long underwear or sweatshirts of the color gray.
For e'er they ever outgrow them, they lose them one by one.
Then the work I once completed is now quite undone.

The heating bill -- don't force me there.
I hate you even more, when the mailman brings
The Duke energy bill to my very cold front door.

Uncomfortable? Yes, another way you accost me on this frigid day.
Wind in my face, biting my nose. Wind on my hands, fingers aglow.
Scraping my car, waiting for it to heat
adding an extra 10 minutes to my drive down the street.

Oohhh... ice... always fun when you have a to carry a well-bundled young one.
Or when your 9-year-old wears a prosthetic leg,
And believes that she can simply race across all surfaces no matter how slick
The least terrible would be to end up in a ditch.

I used to love winter, all the fun in the snow.
Then I grew up and realized the work that came in tow.
Or perhaps I moved to Cincinnati where snow is myth
And winter means little more than coldness,
with some rain and ice to mix.

So, I'll sit here plotting my move to Florida
Sneezing, coughing and knowing all along,
I'll be sick again next winter in my less-than-snug cape cod.
I'll never move to Florida, although I'd love it so,
So next year I'll be sick again and writing bad poetry
In a land of cold that has no pretty snow.

HOW LONG UNTIL SPRING??????????????

Confessions of a Renegade Christian

2009-01-17T20:49:00.002-05:00

I love Jesus. I love the Holy Spirit. I love God.

I didn't like "The Shack."

I realize that this will probably make me quite insane to so many people, but the book had far too many holes in it to be a good read. Sorry. I still feel a tad bit guilty about not liking a book about the being I love the most, but I believe the problem isn't Him, so I'm probably not in too much trouble.

First of all, the book was preachy. I can't even imagine trying to take so many theological issues and even begin to think I could explain them all away in one quickly written book. While I understand that the book was suppose to focus on Mack's pain and healing, it felt like Papa (so, in consequence, the author) just had all the instant answers.

Another issue I had was why Mack? With all the stories of pain in the world, what was so special about Mack that God would appear to him and not others? Was God "especially especially fond of him?"

In addition to that, with God so active in the world today, why do we read fiction stories about what He could do rather than real stories about what he is doing?

Moving on, why in the world was the story being told by Willie? That made no sense to me whatsoever. Now, I have to admit that I did end up skimming big chunks of the book so I may have missed a part, but the book would have been immeasurably better if it had been told by Mack's daughter or even the man who killed his daughter. Could God have closure there as well?

All the dialogue was forced and felt fake. I found myself skimming and saying, "yada yada yada" through much of the book. And, while there were a few unique analogies and creative sections, the descriptions were by and far dry and bland.

I appreciated the message of the book, and the depiction of the Trinity as a relationship between the God-heads. I appreciated that the female aspects of God were revealed. I also appreciated the way love was obviously portrayed as the most important thing. Perhaps if these were things I hadn't read about, or thought about before, I would have found the book more eye opening and exciting.

I just don't understand why the book wasn't more polished, with more effort put into thinking through the plot and the explanations. As I read the book, I had the feeling that it needed one or two more revisions to be a really great read.

It saddens me that what could have been a great book ended up being a mediocre book because no one took the time to really make it shine.

Caroline Kennedy, is Like, You Know, Wanting to be, You know, like a Senator

2009-01-08T22:53:00.005-05:00

In what must be one of the most amazing quotes I've ever read, Caroline Kennedy announced her desire for Hillary Clinton's Senate seat. She claims, according to Time Magazine, that in her family, "There's a sense of having to work twice as hard."

Maybe she meant yell twice as loud in order for the butler to hear her?

I'm trying to get my mind around this, because from what I could tell, in her family, you just had to be rich. Her brother, upon dying, was said by the media to have been snuffed out of a great political career -- possibly a future president. That he had incredible business sense and great social insight.

Maybe personally he was a great guy, but professionally, from what I can tell, all he had accomplished was a failed magazine for men. I also never saw him on any presidental ballots.

I guess he didn't do the requisite "work twice as hard." But, he was really rich, and he was a Kennedy.

What I'm really trying to get my mind around is this whole idea that Caroline Kennedy thinks she should be a senator, when she isn't even a regular voter, something for which she can't provide an explanation. I think she can't because there isn't a good explanation. It appears that her best arguement for getting the appointment is that her Uncle Ted really wants her there.

Apparently, I'm not the only one who can't figure out exactly what she stands for, or what she plans to do. According to Karen Tumulty of Time Magazine, "On policy questions, her answers have run from cautious to vague, except for her declared support for gay marriage. She does not appear to have given much thought to the specifics of what she would try to accomplish once in office -- even on education, which presumably is her area of expertise..."

She even refused to get into a debate with the New York Times about abolishing tenure and establishing merit pay for teachers. In addition to that, the British Daily Telegraph noted that she used the phrase "you know" 142 times in her interview with the New York Times.

You Know, if she's not going to, you know, give her perspective on these, you know, things, it's patently obvious that she hasn't, you know, given any thought to them as well. You know?

She's like the Sarah Palin of the democratic party! At least, though, with Palin, you knew where she stood on things. She wasn't afraid to state her opinion. I would guess, too, that she regularly voted.

I do agree with Palin on one thing. It will be interesting to see how the media handles Kennedy as opposed to how they handled Palin. My guess is that they will take it nice and easy on her.

Maybe New York can console itself with the fact that she probably doesn't cry as easily as Hillary Clinton.

She's a genius!

2009-01-04T17:28:00.005-05:00

Our youngest, daughter, Nappy, is one smart cookie. In addition to balancing her time amongst all her siblings and friends, she always has time for her pretend sister, Monica. Today, she told us about her new "pretend sister", Soydid.

I, of course, immediately asked her if Soydid ever told love stories. "Soydid Love Stories"?

Nappy didn't find that any more funny than you did.

But, her newest skill is spelling! After just only two years of speaking English, this kid is actually spelling words! It started with her constantly asking us how to you spell things.

"How do you spell Christmas?"

"How do you spell car?"

"How do you spell nose?"

"How do you spell cow?"

And, on and on it would go, until one of us would start feeling like we were in a solo spelling bee contest, and then refuse to spell any more.

Well, today, as I laid on couch, sick with a monstrous cold, a little voice scooted up to my ear and said, " How do you spell dog?"

"Oh.... I'm too tired to spell," I responded. "You'll just have to figure it out yourself."

"Okay..." she paused. "Dog. duhduhduhduhduh...D! Dog. duh--aw--aw--O! guhguhguhguh...G! Dog. D-O-G!"

"What?" I sat up, a little amazed, "You just did it!"

"Give me another!"

"Okay, spell 'cat'."

And, then she proceeded to spell cat, hat, cap, cup, rat, tub, and paper, among many other words.

We are shocked. However, we really shouldn't be. We were told that kids with arthrogryposis were usually gifted intellectually.

At my parents house, the kids enjoyed playing "The Same Game" on their Tivo. We were shocked when Nappy not only cleared the board, but also kept reading the score:

"Look! I got 450!"

"Look! Now it's 510!"

Okay, no one has EVER taught this kid how to read numbers past 10!

So, now, Nappy, or Dr. Egbert as she currently referring to herself, is amazing us not just with her physical challenges, but also with her incredible brain.

YOU GO GIRL!

Shoeless in Iraq

2008-12-26T19:43:00.004-05:00

As everyone knows, George Bush was attacked by an Iraqi journalist toting two lethal shoes. How the man, Al-Zeidi, was able to smuggle those shoes into the press conference is still under investigation, however authorities suspect that he might have done so by a method known to many as "wearing the shoes". Apparently, he did not have to enter the room through airport security.

In an official statement issued by the Iraqi government, Al-Zeidi stated that the attack was planned by the infamous terrorist, Al-Maliki. Al-Zeidi's family is claiming that his confession was coerced. One would tend to believe Al-Zeidi's family, as one would have to wonder exactly how much planning would be necessary in order to throw a pair of shoes halfway across a room at a nearly 6' tall man. However, according to the new Iraqi government, this was a planned and unnerving attack.

Really, people, we need to take this very seriously.

Apparently, during the elaborate planning of the attack, Al-Maliki and Al-Zeidi debated the best type of shoe for the attack. First discussed was the use of military boots. However, Al-Zeidi decided against using his boots for that purpose. When asked why, Al-Zeidi responded, "No... these boots were made for walking."

Stilettos were discussed as well, however, neither Al-Maliki nor Al-Zeidi could produce a dress that matched. Sandals were considered too flimsy and unable to cause enough damage. Flip flops? Pahh. Those aren't even shoes!

See. This attack did take some planning.

Where will this all lead? Well, according to top secret sources, there is a joint effort between the Iraqi government and the CIA to find this new cell of terrorists, known now as the "Slipper Cell", equal in infamy only to the "Loafer Cell", which was a threat earlier, but due to a lazy disposition, they never actually achieved any of their goals. Neither cell is as dangerous as the "Stiletto Cell", which is made up of pure young women willing to die in order for their soles to enter into the highest level of heaven, also known in fashion circles as "Paris".

With fashion implications like these, it's easy to assess that this cell most certainly has ties to Italy.

One of the scariest aspects of this attack is the availability of weapons. Once upon a time, shoes were a pricier purchase, but now these weapons can be bought almost anywhere, and authorities believe that this greater availability will only exacerbate the threat. As such, additional security will now be added to stores such as Payless, Walmart and Target. There is also talk about having security clearance before purchase, and a 24 hour waiting period placed on anyone after choosing which shoes they decide to buy. Needless to say, many impecunious husbands are applauding this measure.

In the meantime, people must be willing to express some type of pride and patriotism at the agility of our out-going president. Boy, can he duck. Obviously, that was never considered in the original planning of the attack.

Brothels, Protesting by Laziness, and Corruption

2008-12-22T08:13:00.004-05:00

Several months ago I heard a knock on my door. I opened it to see my neighbor's 10-year-old-daughter standing there clinching a catalogue, a pen and some sort of registry list. I knew then that I had lost. It was a school fundraiser. So, within a few minutes, I had flipped through the catalogue and found the thing I most wanted (ie had any inclination at all to buy, since nobody ever actually wants the junk that places sell for fundraising), which was a subscription to "Time" magazine. After receiving our first issue, I realized that I had made a great choice. Blog fodder! So without further ado, here is my commentary on things international:

First off, in Geneva, we learn that too many children die from unintentional accidents. I would tend to agree with that. However, what I think is wonderful is that somehow the "World Report on Child Injury Prevention" thinks we can decrease these unintentional accidents. If they're unintentional, then how do we stop them, as I would tend to think that "unplanned" would fall into the equation as well. Also, I read, once, that annually over 1000 adults in our nation hurt themselves with a mattress or ceiling. Now, if we can't stop adults from getting hurt by the ceiling, then how will we prevent children from getting hurt in unintentional accidents? Aside from using seat belts -- which if you can get people who aren't Americans to use seat belts I'm pretty impressed with you -- how can we prevent "unintentional accidents"? Maybe in Geneva this is a good discussion, but not here in the USA where people are already way too overprotective of their kids.

Another tidbit from Europe comes from Amsterdam. I had the honor of being in the Amsterdam airport the very week that they opened their first airport brothel. It had the effect of making me think, "ewwww" the entire time I was there, and want to use a disinfectant wipe on anything I touched or sat on. Unfortunately, I didn't have a disinfectant wipe, so I just paced for several hours.

Anyway, according to Time magazine, "Citing its brothels and marijuana cafes as havens for crime (NO KIDDING!!! -- my words, not Time's), city officials in the Dutch capital have unveiled a $50 million plan to replace half of them with restaurants , galleries and hotels. Officials hope to broaden the city's appeal and make tourists feel less embarrassed about visiting."

I wonder if this little bit of information will be brought up the next time someone wants to discuss how it "works in Holland" in regards to the legalization of marijuana and prostitution. Somehow I doubt it. In the meantime, the Dutch get to pay for the $50 million plan to replace those brothels and cafes, and many more travelers get to go through Amsterdam thinking "ewwww".

Leaving Europe, I want to point out that, according to Time, the Italian government is putting up $65 million dollars to purchase 200,000 wheels of Parmesan cheese to help the ailing cheese makers of Italy. The cheese will be donated to charity. That got me thinking about the auto bailout in the US. I think if it was a cheese bailout we'd all feel better about it. Then we could all get free cheese. I guess GM could give everybody a free Chevy, but that's just like being given cheese, and since you can't depend on it, and you also can't eat it, it's just not worth it.

One of the more interesting news tidbits I found was "Calling in Gay". I have no idea if this actually happened as it was set for December 10, and I did go into work that day. However, an Internet organized movement to protest California's ban on same-sex marriage was to happen that day. Millions of people were supposed to "call in gay" to work and not show up.

Now, that's responsible! Not stand outside and protest, or gather petitions or write letters to the editors, or even write on a cheesy blog! People are just supposed to call in sick and not work. I guess the idea is you can protest by staying home in your jammies, reading your novel, playing video games... Wow. I think that must say something about our culture that there are people out there that actually think this is a form of protest rather than second rate relaxation!

Of course the other question that it raises is that if you're gay, does that mean you're sick and can't work? Hardly a message I would think that anyone would want to send. There's a fine line between clever and ridiculous, and they are clearly on the ridiculous side of the line.

My favorite, though, is Governor Rob Blagojevich, of Illinois. If you looked up the definition of crook in the dictionary, you'd see his name next to it. The allegations (which are backed up with taped phone conversations and other such physical evidence) include: conspiring to solicit bribes from many people, including the future President of the US, extortion, forcing the Tribune Co. to fire editorial writers in exchange for a tax break, and even threatening to revoke millions in funding for a children's hospital if they didn't contribute to his campaign.

Of course, he's claiming he's innocent. Of course.

What I think would be a just punishment for the Governor would be that he be forced to live for 5 years in a country where corruption of his type is the norm. However, he wouldn't get to live there as a governor, but as an ordinary citizen who has to live under the rule of crooks like him. Now, that would be justice, however, I'll be just as glad to see him spend the rest of his life in jail.

Not surprisingly, there is involvement with the Service Employees International Union. This is the same union that my husband was forced to join, and that sent a representative to my home late one night (when I was alone) who lied to me and told me he worked with my husband. He then tried to get me to tell him who I was going to vote for. So, it's not surprising to me at all that the SEIU is alleged to be considering Blagojevich's idea of creating a "nonprofit" organization that could pay his salary if he picked the "right" candidate for the Senate seat (ie a union supporter) and then retired from politics.

Well, at least we can be comforted with one thing. According to Time, "Blagojevich whined that Obama's people were 'not willing to give me anything except appreciation.'"

The Story of Jacob, Esau...And Monica?

2008-12-11T16:49:00.005-05:00

Pictured here, you see our newest family member.

What? You say you don't see anything? Then have you no imagination? That, my friend, is a picture of Monica. Our newest family member. Monica is the latest in a string of pretend friends that our youngest daughter, Nappy, has created. First there was her entourage (or what I liked to refer to as her Greek Chorus). That consisted of 2 brown bears, 1 polar bear, 2 frogs, an elephant and a little man named Mister Helen. They went every where she went, commenting, agreeing and supporting Nappy in all her endeavours.

Then came "tiny mommy". Tiny Mommy was only about 6 inches tall and just hung around for general support and comfort. Tiny Mommy also, often, didn't agree with real Mommy, but I'm sure Nappy had no real agenda with that.

Now, though, we have Monica. Monica is Nappy's dear older sister. At first she was 9 years old. The next day she was 96. Then 17, 24, 40 and 44 respectively. Though her age might change with the wind, her personality doesn't. She does anything Nappy asks of her, no matter what it is or how Nappy asks. If Nappy yells at Monica to clean her room, then, well, Monica jumps to it without a complaint.

For days, all I heard from Nappy was how wonderful Monica was. I learned how Monica always understood Nappy, always did exactly what Nappy asked and would spend her days doing nothing but complimenting Nappy. So, when Nappy needed some help with something, I responded with the obvious.

"Why don't you have Monica do it for you?"

"Mom," she replied with a slight roll of her eyes, "Monica can't do that. She's just pretend!"

When does fantasy stop and reality start? Apparently when you need help opening the lid of a metal tin can.

At any rate, Monica has been with us now for about a week. She's gone to the Boy Scout's Christmas Tree Sale, but left early because she got too cold (wimp!). She was late to a tea party because she had a fever (sure -- I think she's really just anti-social). And, she doesn't attend meals where there are mushrooms present. But, in general, she's always with us, conveying her opinions through Aly.

I might find this a bit odd, but I had a pretend friend when I was young. Her name was Honey and she was from Mars. Before you start laughing at me, remember, I didn't name her or make up her story. It's just how she introduced herself to me.

So, life with 6 kids has been interesting. We've also had a change in identity. Meet Jacob and Esau:
They may look like the Ballerina Princess and Green Bottle Boy, but really, they reflect a much more ancient story.

See, Green Bottle Boy had a camera. A nice camera. One that used to belong to another family member but was then passed on to him. Ballerina Princess wanted that camera because she loves to take pictures. The problem was the so does Green Bottle Boy.

So, last night, she goes strolling into his room swinging a bag of Christmas candy given to her by one of her teachers. The aroma of the chocolate made the mouth of Esau-- I mean Green Bottle Boy -- water. Within minutes, he had traded his camera for two small milk-dud sized pieces of chocolate.

"Uh...*****," I asked him, "don't you think that was a little foolish? You love that camera, and to replace it would cost at least $100."

"Oh no, mom," he replied, "That chocolate was really yummy."

Now, I'm not even sure where to start with this, because he really thinks it was a great deal. So, in the meantime, I'm going to just find out what Monica thinks about it all.

After all, she knows best.

Black Friday

2008-11-28T21:20:00.002-05:00

Today is Black Friday, a day that I not only sleep in, but also avoid any store like the plague. Who, in their right mind, is willing to work those crowds just to save a few bucks? And, I'm really a cheapskate, so this is saying something.

I think there are two kinds of cheapskates. There's the kind that like to participate in Black Friday and the kind that don't. The kind that like to participate in Black Friday are the people who love spending hours in thrift stores, clip every coupon (and remember to bring them to the store with them) and get some kind of thrill out of buying things at the lowest possible cost.

Then, there's my kind of cheapskate, the lazy cheapskate. I just do without. It's just not worth it to me. Shopping is like cleaning my kitchen floor. I'd just rather read a book. And, if I have to wait in line to purchase it, then it needs to be almost free. I always add at least $10 an hour to the actual cost of purchasing something because I figure my time must be worth at least that much. If that's the case, I never find a "steal".

So, while all across America my fellow citizens are enjoying their newly purchased flat screen televisions while lounging in their just-purchased recliner and sipping Coke out of brand new glasses, I'll be happily laying on my old couch, library book in hand, sipping water out of my "Steve Chabot for Congress" cup.

Life just doesn't get any better.

That's my girl -- on CNN!

2008-11-24T15:36:00.000-05:00

The Lazy Parents Guide to Rough Housing With Your Children

2008-11-22T07:58:00.005-05:00

Rob and I were talking last night, and we decided that after over 12 years of parenting there had been some lessons we had learned and wanted to pass on to other parents in hopes of lightening their load.

First of all, all children love to rough house. In fact they need to rough house, especially in winter. So here are 3 games that we created that facilitate the much needed aerobic activity and relational attachment that comes from wrestling with your children.

1) The Mummy
This simple game is based on the old monster movies. You follow your kids around the house, arms outstretched, slowly moving one foot and then the other. The slow speed is necessary in order to really mimic a mummy (or Frankenstein's monster). You never actually catch a kid because you are moving incredibly slowly, and they are running around. But just like the people in the old monster movies, it doesn't occur to them that they can easily outrun "the mummy" and they have a blast while you don't break a sweat.

2) The Tickle Monster
This one was invented by Rob. You lay in one spot, say a couch, and the kids run up to you and you catch them and tickle them. Genius! You don't even have to sit up! Also, if you play this while listening to music, you can have the Tickle Monster "rest" for alternating songs. Of course, the kids don't realize that there's no "chase" to this game, because the "monster" is always relaxing. So, they just continue to run up and get tickled while, again, you don't break a sweat.

3) Hide and Seek
This classic has obvious applications to the parent who doesn't want to overexert themselves. You can offer to the be the counter.... 1,2,3,4,5....pick up a book.... or you can hide in a spot where they won't ever think to look. Again, take a book. Now, this one can back fire because little kids start to cry if they can't find you, and the older kids start to learn your tricks. But, still, you've probably got a good 5-6 year range where these techniques work quite well, and, sometimes, the older kids apply your tricks to the game as well because they're only playing to pacify their really cute little sister who asked them to join.

Here are some short cuts I've come up with:

1) The only real qualification for creating a "pair of socks" is that you have two socks. In fact, if the socks don't match it only adds color to the child's outfit.

2) Always have your kid dress themselves, that way you can just always tell people that they are dressed that way because they dressed themselves, not because you're behind on laundry.

3) Top sheets are useless for kids. They end up wadded up by the foot of the bed under their blanket. Then the child will always look at you with wide innocent eyes as to why the sheet is there and not spread nicely over the entire bed. Yes, you'll think of all the hygienic reasons a top sheet is good, but, my guess is, you'll finally realize it's a losing battle and easier without.

4) LOCK the bathroom door. You deserve the privacy, and they'll still shove notes to you under the door when it's locked.

5) In regards to both the neatness of the bedroom and their bathroom habits: if you can't see it, don't worry about it. Just make sure you teach them how to wash their hands. Then, let it go.

6) If it went through the dishwasher, it's clean (even if your oldest child disagrees), no matter how the dish looks. Honestly, what could possibly live through the temperatures in a dishwasher?

7) Wait to teach them to tell time. Of all the necessary life skills, this one is the best to hold back. Do you really want them to know what time bed time is? Is that really going to work in your favor? Also, once they know how to tell time, they can let you know how late you're running.

8) Teach your children that just because they're curious doesn't mean that you're curious. So, for instance, if they decided to life the dog's tail to see what anatomy is under it, they don't need to share with you exactly what it looks like under your dog's tail.

9) Teach your children to wash hands frequently (see scenario in number 8).

10) Good communication is a must. That way, if they, for instance, decide to burglar-proof your backyard by digging lots of holes in it and then covering the said holes up with sticks and grass, you know that information BEFORE you go out and mow the lawn.

And, now, this epistle must be cut short as I must go up and teach my children how to use the wet vac to clean up dog vomit on the carpet in someone's bedroom.

Nifty Book, If I Do Say So Myself

2008-11-12T23:24:00.001-05:00

Dolores Mize and Angela Talentino have created a new book entitled: Embraced By Love. It's a great celebration of adoption, and just happens to have 3 of my 5 children on the cover. Cool.

Their first book, I Know I am Loved celebrates birth and is filled with incredibly beautiful pictures, even though none of them happen to be my kids.

This is worth checking out:

www.iknowiamloved.com

Cruising with the Righteous

2008-11-11T07:50:00.005-05:00

I was lying in bed this morning and the radio woke me up. Unfortunately, we have our alarm clock set for one of the national Christian radio stations. This is unfortunate, because I almost always wake up annoyed. I don't do this because I like to punish myself, but because if I put on public radio and something like Maurice Ravel's Reverie is played at alarm time, then I don't hear it and wake up. However, if I crank the volume on it, then I get shocked out of bed by pieces like the "1812 Overture". I get enough Warm 98 when I'm at the Y, and any other secular station risks me having to listen to something gross. Yes, even grosser than someone saying ,"Glory Bump". If I'm lucky I might actually hit the jackpot with Christian radio and wake up to some nice thoughtful worship music.

Not today!

Today I woke up to constant drivel about the "Cruise" -- the one where all the cool Christian's go. Of course, the first thing I wonder is: how many families go on this cruise that don't really have the money to pay for it? I dug around online and couldn't even get a price for renting a cabin on the ship! You can't actually price anything unless you register and want to book. I'm sure there's a good reason for that, a reason far beyond the gluttonous nature of the cruise line industry.

Is this good stewardship? I mean, I know we don't live in poverty, but is a follower of a HOMELESS man really going to even be able to take a "christian" cruise???

Can the people who organize this really see Jesus attending? Paying lots of money in order to go on a ship and eat too much food, mingle with the elites and then go home, having totally pulled himself from the real world?

Maybe a cruise is a way to reward the humble servants who have sacrificed for the cross -- oh wait, they can't afford to go!

Nothing like an elitist church. I guess Jesus welcomes everyone, but only some get to vacation with him. Makes me so proud to be an American Christian.

It's Over!

2008-11-06T19:18:00.009-05:00

Well, the election's finally over, so our phone has stopped ringing and I can blog once again. I've been unable to get much of anything done in the past few weeks because all I've been doing is answering phone calls from both the Republican and Democratic parties, both of whom really believed I was on their side.

I have to admit it's been an interesting few days. No matter what the outcome, I knew that I was going to be disappointed in the election results. Neither party was offering anything that I liked.

On the conservative side, I was convinced that Sarah Palin did not have the education or experience necessary to be an effective Vice President (which is really saying something when you consider the "work" a VP is actually expected to do...). Honestly, the Republicans put forward a women who considered her family vacations to Mexico and the fact that Alaska was geographically close to part of Russia as part of her foreign affairs resume! I was in shock for months over that choice. Then, I could never shake the feeling that McCain was probably going to get us all blown up within the first year of his presidency. On an international level, we don't need a maverick, we need a diplomat.

I don't know if it's just the travels we've done during the Bush administration that's enlightened me, but it just really strikes me that most Americans really don't understand how incredibly unpopular our country has become, nor do they understand the implications of that unpopularity. These are far reaching implications which can challenge things from international adoption to the global economy to establishing a stable peace, not to mention our influence in things such as humane working conditions, world hunger and infectious disease.

I'm not kidding when I say that over 4 years ago, while in Kazakhstan, we saw a homeless man that wandered the park outside the Museum of Music and Culture in Almaty and approached Americans all with the same greeting (in perfect English), " Leeeet me OFfer my condolences on the OUTcome of yourrr presideeental elections...." The sentiment of the population there, in a country that was improving it's economy through the oil industry and America, was one of distrust at best and unchecked anger and frustration at worst.

Even the difference in attitudes of the "average" Ukrainian towards Americans from our first adoption trip over 6 years ago to our last was noticeable. Our militaristic dominance with no regard to diplomacy has just blown the minds of so many (and quite literally in some parts of the world!) and is just unfathomable to me.

Yes, there is evil in the world, but it seems to me that we've been operating under an administration that only allowed itself to see the evil in its enemy and not in itself.

But, what really strikes me as odd is how so many evangelicals can breeze past the immoral aspects of the war and jump straight to the issue of abortion and stem cell research without regard to the lives of those that have been killed or injured in a war that they have never asked for. In addition to that, to breeze past the administration sanctioned torture at Guantanamo Bay, with nary a blink or wince simply astounds me. I'm not saying that there was not just cause for some military action after 9-11, but I'm sad that the church has not stood it's ground, choosing instead, in so many instances, to follow the entire party line and buy into the "Christianity" offered by the Bush administration.

What about McCain's health care plan -- one that I'm certain would have destroyed us financially-- and it's impact on the working class as well as families facing health problems? What company or organization is possibly going to insure our family when they can just have us use the $5000 tax rebate to purchase health insurance that I'm certain (from price shopping) would cost more like $8000 for our size family. And, $8,000 if we could find an insurance company stupid enough to insure our family!

But, before I have well meaning people attack me with acidic comments.... let me continue. I voted for George Bush for both his terms, and in this election I did, indeed, vote for McCain. I did so with a sick feeling in my stomach, and no peace leading up to the election or even after I had voted. In fact, I felt shame over voting for people I knew were simply not up to the task at hand. But I also know the other truth.

Of course, Obama is not the answer. His liberal politics and disregard for the most vulnerable

lives in our country are an absolute shame. His faith that a government can provide more for it's citizens than it needs, too, is naive and potentially harmful if not kept in check.

However, he's now going to be our President. And, since I believe that God is sovereign, I chose to find the good aspects about him, because, whether or not the standard JC Penny shopping Fox-news network watching Evangelical likes him or not, there are some great points to the man.

First of all, it's obvious he's a diplomat. We are so in need of a diplomat in office! Yes, the president is the Commander-in-Chief, but we have an immense and amazing military with enough advisers to more than make up for his lack of military expertise. Even Fox News has reported on the effects already felt world wide from his election.

And, while the press has loved to throw around the term "universal healthcare" what I've heard coming directly from his mouth is not health care ala Hillary Clinton, but a more economical and fiscally responsible plan than what is becoming a majorly encumbering medicaid system.

In addition to that, while I've heard the term "socialism" thrown around by so many Republicans, including the incredibly rash and immature Glenn Beck, I fail to see how someone left leaning is a socialist, and wealth redistribution is not what I've heard come from his mouth. Lest I remind people, our current tax system is based in the idea that the wealthier pay more in taxes than the rest, thus the tax brackets. I've not heard too many Republicans refer to that as "wealth redistribution". The problem is that it's the wealthiest people and corporations that find the loop holes that allow them to avoid paying the taxes they should consider themselves morally obligated to pay!

As the mother of an Asian child, I'm ecstatic at witnessing the first ever African American in the Oval Office! A barrier has been broken, not only for black children in America, but all children of racial diversity, not to mention children born of a parent who was not an American citizen. Once again, America is leading the way in something good. As my husband pointed out to me, Great Britain has a 30 or 40 year lead on us in abolishing slavery and working against the racism of the British Empire. Despite that we have yet to see a Black or Indian British Prime Minister (or Queen!).

For this to happen so quickly after the wake of the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s shows that, indeed, God has been working and healing somethings in our culture, despite our many national flaws. It gives me hope that God truly is working here, despite the fact that it can be clouded by many cultural sins.

So, rather than focus on the things that I don't agree with or can't control , or jump to wild conclusions about us becoming a socialist state, I'm choosing to celebrate what is good from this election, and trust that God is at work. Barack Obama is not a saviour -- Russia's poking at him already and his election certainly didn't make the stock market rebound -- but he is a leader and God will use him to accomplish his purposes.

Our Little Miracle

2008-09-27T07:26:00.005-04:00

The story starts that we adopted this little girl from Ukraine, and decided that we needed to plan that her disability would never change. We decided this because after adopting our oldest daughter, Swimmer Girl, we dealt with the grief of realizing that her disability would never change. It was extremely painful, and neither of us wanted to face that kind of disappointment again.

Realize, of course, that once we got past that grief, Swimmer Girl has been a great joy. How can you be nothing but proud of a child who so gracefully and faithfully rises above such severe physical disabilities? I often think of her like a modern-day Elijah, when he, by the power of the Holy Spirit, ran faster than King Ahab's chariot. How does she do it? How does she swim like she does? How does she walk? How does she play the piano so beautifully? How does handle papers and books and opening packages? How does she manage to carry so many things?

Still, that grief of dealing with the finality of her situation was something I just didn't want to face again. So, we went into Nappy's adoption with the mindset that she was not going to change. Once we got her home, three different doctors agreed with us. We were okay with that because we had seen how God's Glory was revealed through Swimmer Girl's life, and it was really really good.

So, we became comfortable with life as it was presenting itself. Then a doctor ordered a 350lb powerchair that we just simply couldn't accommodate in our lives, and began to push us to put her into therapeutic preschool 5 days a week. None of it made any sense to us. People were jumping the gun, telling us that she couldn't do things that she had never even tried to do. Why would we take on the financial burden (which was huge) of this chair, and rearrange her life and our family life around her disability when no one had even bothered to see what she could do?

So, we bought a manual chair off of eBay for $100. It was the wrong size, way too big, and yet, she was wheeling around in it on her own from the first evening we had it. I guess she had no clue that she couldn't operate a manual chair.

It was then we began to realize that maybe there was more than one way for God to reveal His Glory in the life of a person with a disability. So, we ditched the therapists that were offering adaptive devices, therapeutic preschool and other stuff and started pushing for therapies and interventions that would actually make a physical difference in her life. We found a doctor that would accommodate us.

Several months ago, that doctor ordered Nappy's first round of serial casting to stretch her legs straight. We had botox injections done in her right thigh to weaken the constricting muscles and then 3 weeks later started the therapy. Our doctor warned us that Nappy needed to gain over 60-degrees of flexibility in each leg to walk, and that that was really out of the question. The most gained in one round of serial casting recorded was 30-degrees. About 15-degrees was much more typical. She doubted, because of the tightness, that we could gain even that.

We began the process of serial casting. Every 1-2 weeks her leg was stretched a bit more and a new cast was placed on it to stretch the muscles and release the joints. Each week, the therapist would record the changes, and it was like watching a slow motion miracle. After 7 weeks, Nappy had gained almost 70 degrees of flexibility in that knee!

At the same time we were working on her leg, God sent us the perfect occupational therapist. From the start, she said that she believed that Nappy needed to gain more flexibility in her shoulders, elbows and wrists in order to achieve the goals that we had for her-- goals of putting on her own shirt, buttoning and zipping jackets and drinking from cups without straws. Those may seem small, but try to do all those things without bending your arms.

So, we took measurements of her flexibility in those joints and then began the therapy. I won't bore you with details, but will just say that in the course of this therapy, we've seen our second slow motion miracle. Her rehab doctor claims that Nappy has gained more flexibility in her arms than she had hoped she could after a couple rounds of botox and serial casting!

In fact, her doctor said that there is only one word to describe the changes in Nappy's body. One word she doesn't use lightly: miracle.

We really are witnessing a miracle.

As of now, it really looks like our little girl is going to walk. And, while we have medical science to thank for it's help, even the doctor knows that this is happening by the hand of God.

In the past month I've really tried to process what we're watching. I have always believed in miracles, but have never actually witnessed one. What has overwhelmed me in these past few months is this: God loves me enough to allow me to witness this miracle. Watching His healing hand change these joints is the most incredible thing I've ever seen in my entire life -- so much more valuable than any thing this world can offer. I feel like a little kid who's parents have just given me a gift that I wanted so desperately but was afraid to ask for because it was so lavish and immense.

Through out this process, as I've prayed with Nappy, we've talked about what God is doing. Before she'd tell me, "I'll walk in heaven." Now she'll tell me, "I'll walk in this room. I'll walk on oaf (earth!)". Then I'll tell her, "It sure does look like you will walk on earth, but even if you don't....

And, she'll finish it for me, "GOD IS GOOD!"

Tony Melendez

2008-09-26T09:01:00.002-04:00

This is the life I envision for my girls! What a great life of faith, hope and purpose!

Bist Du Fertig?

2008-09-20T13:41:00.005-04:00

Many years ago, not long after becoming engaged to my husband, I asked him what, exactly, our last name meant. He told me that it was a German name and that it meant "carpenter". So, I felt very proud to enter into a family name that held meaning, much like "Wheeler" being the town's wheel-right, or "Smith" being the town's silversmith. My maiden name has been far too mangled from the original German to mean anything. So, the only meaning I can attach to my side of the family goes with "Campbell" -- which I would assume meant that side of my family was the town's soup-makers. So, finally, I had an identity to attach to my last name.

Something never sat right with me, though. I actually know some German. I'm not fluent in the language, but studied it for about 7 years and got to the point where I could write papers, and read German newspapers and magazines. The German word for carpenter is "Zimmermann", and that's not our last name. But, short of a better explanation, I went with it.

Well, last week Lawyer/Social Advocate Boy told me that his Sunday school teacher asked the kids to look up the meaning of their names in order to share with the class. I decided to double check this whole "carpenter" thing and did some online research. It turns out that our family name has been very researched, and even has it's own website. And, it doesn't mean carpenter -- it means "am ende", at the end. According to the website it meant we were the family at the end of the street or at the end of the village.

Okay, that's slightly less noble than "carpenter" . We're not the family that builds or repairs furniture, we're the family that lives at the end of the street. Not known for anything, just for living at the end of the street. We're vanilla, egg-shell white, no more exciting than Bob Dole.

But then, I reflected upon a bit of my own German experience. While in high school, our class hosted a German exchange student. Once, during a school skate, I sat and chatted with a group of girls, including the exchange student, while drinking cokes. As we finished our drinks, one girl said to the exchange student, whom I'll call Helga, so as to help perpetuate any German stereotypes, "Bist du Fertig?"

We had learned, in our German class, that "fertig" meant, "finished, ready to move on."

Helga looked at us like we were nuts.
"Was?" ("What?" -- for all you non-German speakers!)

"Bist du Fertig? Are you finished?"

With that Helga started laughing and quickly explained that while "bist du fertig" literally meant "are you ready to go?" it was really used as slang for "Are you crazy?"

So, I wondered, does "am ende" really mean the family at the end of the street, or does it mean "the family off the edge?" "the off balance family" "the crazy family"? hmmm...

Lest Anyone Think I'm a McCain Fan

2008-09-13T17:15:00.004-04:00

Lest anyone think I'm a McCain fan, due to my recent post about Joe Biden's hiney, I thought I should post a bit about McCain and Palin and my concerns there.

McCain -- I like the fact that he and his wife do seem to have a compassionate aspect to their lives. Yes, they are filthy rich. But, really, so are the Obamas, so I don't see how that matters. I also like the fact that they are hearing the cries of so many families of children with special needs, specifically the families of children with autism. Obviously, the growing rate of autism should be a concern in our nation. I'm skeptical that any federal aid to our health insurance situation is going to help, so I also am comfortable with his positions on health care. I don't think that two wrongs make a right, so I'm with him on abortion and the need to obtain stem cells in an ethical manner.

What I don't agree with him on is the war. However, Obama's going to inherit this war, too, and I'm not certain that he really knows what he's doing either. Yes, they both inherited this war from George W., but really, he inherited the situation from Bill "floundering with foreign policy" Clinton. He inherited some of it from George Senior .... at some point we have to stop pointing the finger and just solve the stinking problem.

We need to invest more in diplomacy, which is not something I see either candidate saying. I see McCain upping the ante in the war, and Obama sticking his head in the sand. This summer I attended a small seminar on foreign policy, with the discussion being lead by a man that spent 30 years working in diplomatic relations for the U.S. government. He pointed out that when he was sent to a new part of the world, as a diplomat, he was given a 4 week course on that region of the world, and then dropped into it as a diplomat. When an upper level military person is stationed in a new part of the world, they receive near-graduate level training on that particular culture -- usually at least a year's work of education. What does that say about our government's values, be it democrat or republican?

Then there is Palin. I like a lot of what she professes to be policy. I admire her decision to birth her son with Down Syndrome and show so much love towards him, although isn't that just what a mother is supposed to do anyway? I also, frankly, question how someone can be an effective VP of a major nation and give appropriate time and attention to a large family. Maybe her husband is planning on staying home with the kids. If so, kudos to him and I'm impressed with their family. If not, then I don't think that Sarah Palin actually has the same values that I have. The values I have don't just value that the life of my child exists, my values dictate that I give large quantities of my time to my child.

I can run the nation when my kids are grown. Until then, I can only blabber away on a second rate blog.

Another concern with Palin, of course, is her inexperience. Let's face it. John McCain is old. Could Palin act as president? It's unsure at best. She really seems clueless on an international scene.

The worst thing is, though, that I'm no more confident with Joe Biden.

They' re all just a bunch of ..... politicians.

Let's hope congress shapes up!

Travels with Deb

2008-09-11T17:13:00.021-04:00

Obviously I've been a bit weak on blogging lately. Now that the school year has started back up again, I plan to grace your computer screen much more often -- blithely spewing my insights, humor and twisted political rhetoric into your otherwise peaceful day.

So, where have I been all summer? Well....

Our summer started off with Lawyer/Social Advocate Boy participating in a 2-week video camp that was held at the local public access television station in downtown Cincinnati. The camp was great, and, even better, it was free -- unless you count the gas money spent to drive to and from downtown to my suburban home for 10 days. It capped off with the lovely adventure of me forgetting to pick my beloved eldest son up from camp, and thus leaving him waiting for me for over 30 minutes on the corner of Race and Central Parkway. I had nothing to fear, though, because a nice gentleman, who just happened to have multiple body piercings and was smoking a cigarette, waited with him. He told me I had a great kid.

Following video camp was our church's much anticipated Vacation Bible School. I have to admit it was mostly anticipated by me, because it was the first time that I could drop all 5 of my kids off someplace at one time! 2 1/2 hours of free time for 5 straight days! I had visions of me sipping cappuccino while reading Dostoevsky, learning to play an instrument, taking up mosaics , writing the great American novel, waxing philosophical in a coffee house somewhere downtown, or in a less elegant yet realistic moment, visions of me napping on our living room couch.

However, the week before VBS, we decided to put our home on the market ASAP, and I spent the week painting... painting.... painting and painting. And, I hate painting. I hate it more even now. (Plus, our house still hasn't sold!)

The following week, we took our first vacation of the summer. I'm not really sure what insanity caused me to plan a camping trip to a gorge, when I have two physically handicapped children. However, I guess it was that I really want them to experience life to the fullest.

Plus, I figured that if Nappy was ever going to go down into a gorge, then it was going to be on someone's (mine) back, and that was only going to happen when she was little. As the trip approached, though, I was a bit daunted by the 7 days I had booked the campground. Rainy weather saved the day, and we ended up wimping out of about 4 days of our trip. We stayed at the nice Internet-linked, cable television access, air conditioned home of my parents. They, however, were busy at an elder hostel in New York with Swimmer Girl. We did enjoy a day at the small zoo/fun park in Pennsylvania called "Deer Park."

I even had the joy of placing my children in jail:

Unfortunately, Green Bottle Boy worked against me and they were all out within minutes:

After several days of vegging, and making pitiful jokes about us enjoying our vacation at the retirement center, we headed to Watkins Glen, New York.

No. We didn't go there to see the race cars. It happened to be the location we had to get Swimmer Girl to in order to attend the elder hostel, and we wanted to see the Glen.

We arrived home and jumped back into Farm Camp, Woodland Lakes Christian Camp, the end of swim season and the peak of 4H season. 4H projects included, of course, chicken and duck farming despite the fact that we live in a suburb and have a very typical backyard. Word spreads fast when you live in a typical neighborhood and are housing chickies and duckies, and every kid that lives within 1/2 a square mile of our house was visiting us. In fact, the following interchange was not uncommon:

A knock on our front door.

Either I or Rob answers while the dogs stand behind us barking like they would actually protect our house if it really was an intruder and not a 4-year-old at the door.

"Yes?"

"Can I have one of your chickens?"

"You want one of our chickens?"

"Yes. Can I keep one?"

"No."

"Can I buy one off you?"

"Yep. For $150."

"Oh."

"Good-bye." And, with that a door would close on the child and all their hopes of having their very own chicken to love, raise and then, ultimately, eat.

The ducks and chickens left us the week of the fair.

Several weeks later, while on vacation at Lakeside, Ohio, we ate Calm Wind -- possibly the best broiler I've ever eaten. I'm very thankful that Green Bottle Boy loves agriculture and raising meat. It's a great hobby that's now been embraced by 3 of our kids!

We finished our summer with our week at Lake Erie, in the gated community at Lakeside, Ohio. The boys loved the freedom of the community, being able to play shuffleboard in the park, swimming at the beach, a sailboat ride out onto the lake, and riding bikes everywhere. Swimmer Girl loved the theme for the week: the Civil War. I enjoyed taking the two little girls to hear a live performance of Rachmaninoff's Second Piano Concerto. Rob enjoyed relaxing. And, Nappy enjoyed the playground.

We finished our summer with a quickie surgery on Swimmer Girl, and now we're off to a quiet school year at home....we hope.

Biden Needs To Get His Little Hiney Out of Dream World and Into Reality

2008-09-10T16:58:00.007-04:00

Could somebody out there give me just 5 minutes with Joe Biden? Just 5 minutes! Perhaps he could actually walk away with some kind of idea as to what advocating for the disabled and respecting life actually means.

In reference to advocacy for people with disabilities, Biden made the following snipe:

"Well, guess what, folks? If you care about it, why don't you support stem cell research ?" asked Biden, the running mate of Democratic presidential nominee Sen. Barack Obama.

First of all, stem cell research is not as advanced as the proponents of it would like people to believe. I'm really tired of hearing about how the "cures" for diabetes, spinal chord injuries and other illnesses are just steps away but can't be found because we, as a culture, don't have access to enough stem cells.

For years I listened to the American Diabetes Association herald this cry. Then I actually read the research and learned that, like many of the other illnesses, the "cure" was not around the corner, but decades away and possibly not even linked to stem cells.

Secondly, most conservatives are not against stem cell research -- most conservatives are against harvesting them from embryos. Get your stem cells ethically and then research away! Personally, I just don't believe that you take one person's life to solve the medical problems of another.

Thirdly, not all disabilities can be "cured" through research from stem cells. So, advocate away for your stem cells, Joe, but your advocacy doesn't do a bit of good for someone who has a disability due to amniotic banding or their birth mother drinking alcohol while pregnant, nor thousands of other reasons that people end up with disabilities. Not to mention, it's certainly not going impact the life of any person right now.

To reduce disability advocacy to stem cell research is simply a way to politicize a new topic (disability rights and services) that both he and Obama are clueless about. In the meantime, while meaning to slam McCain and Palin, he has totally offended me by seriously implying that I don't care about the disabled because I don't support unethical stem cell research.

Thanks Joe! Glad my life counts for a hill of beans in your book!

Well, guess what, folks, if you care about the disabled, then why don't you actually research what can be done to support them and their families?

Whoa! Whoa! Whoa! They're Not Speaking For Me!

2008-08-24T08:41:00.006-04:00

The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill has recently released a study regarding the financial situations of families raising disabled children. There is an article summarizing the study on the UNC website, as the study itself will be published in an upcoming edition of "Exceptional Child" magazine. As such, I haven't seen the actual study, but only read the summary of it on UNC's website.

Let me start this by saying that I really don't want to cause problems. I really don't. However, there are some blaring errors in this study, ideas that aren't taken into account and generalities made.

The biggest issue is: what is a disabled child?

To lump all disabled children, let alone all disabled people, into one broad category of "disabled children" is simply ignorant. Do they really think that a child who needs a prosthetic leg to walk has the same needs as a child who is unable to breath without constant assistance? Or a child who is missing an arm requires the same aid as a child learning to handle their diabetes? What about a child with mild cerebral palsy versus a child with extremely severe cerebral palsy? Does a blind child have the same needs as a child that is unable to walk? What about an anemic kid versus an autistic kid? Actually, compare two kids with autism -- do they have the exact same needs? Taking all children with disabilities and lumping them into one category is just plain ignorant, and definitely faulty science.

In addition to that, what is their control group? They claim to have surveyed 28,841 families -- were they all families with a "disabled" child? Were half of them families without a "disabled" child? I mean, YOU HOO, the economy is not doing well, my friends, could their counterparts be reporting the same issues?

According to the article on the UNC website, " The UNC study found that overall, families across all income levels who are raising disabled children are significantly more challenged by food, housing and health issues compared to families without disabled children. Many also struggled to pay their phone bills."

Now, why is that? There are two reasons that I think are possible.

First of all, how well are the families managing their money? Are they unable to pay their bills because of the stress of their disabled child, or are they unable to pay their bills because they (like so many in our culture) have been living beyond their means and the disability provides a great scapegoat for them? I'm thinking that basic phone service, without any of the frills or long distance, is still only about $30 a month -- there has to be some pretty significant reasons that a middle or upper income family struggles to pay that. My first guess would be that it isn't a $30 phone bill, but a $150 phone/cell phone/Internet/long distance bill. If that's the case, then this is an issue of priority, because your family needs food much more than they need Internet or cable.

Another reason, I believe, might be related to the disability but not the disability itself. Of course, I'm referring to the dear medical professionals that recommend incredibly expensive solutions. When we adopted Nappy, the first doctor we saw said she needed a 350lb power chair in order to "function". If we had gone that route, all the additional expenses of setting our house and car up for this power chair, would have cost us anywhere from $20,000- $100,000. Money we don't have. It was incredibly difficult to accept the fact that we couldn't provide for our daughter what the doctor was saying she "needed". In the end, though, it was the best thing for her, and her quality of life, right now, is much higher because we chose to forgo that solution. She may actually walk!!!!

I swear, our culture's answer to every problem involves spending lots of money!

Perhaps some of these parents have found themselves in this financial bind because they have followed the advice of some professionals, without looking at the bigger picture.

And, I'm sure, that there are some in this position because their child has a terrible difficult special need that requires serious medical care and intervention. My intent is not to claim otherwise, but to point out that there is much more to this picture than this study is portraying.

Take for example dental care.

The article stated, "Though the study found that children with disabilities were more likely to have health insurance and a usual source of care, they were 61 percent more likely than non-disabled children to have postponed necessary medical care and 83 percent more likely to have postponed needed dental care. The study didn’t examine the causes for those results, but Parish said they likely are related to the expenses of obtaining care – even with health insurance – and other issues, such as limited transportation."

What they don't look at, as they themselves admit, are the causes for this. Well, let me enlighten everyone on that.

When you have a child that has multiple special needs, then you have to prioritize those needs or you and the child will go insane. For instance, in the past year Swimmer Girl has had major hip surgery, 7 weeks in a body cast, 2 months to relearn to walk, various visits to the prosthetist for leg adjusts and a bout of strep and several other normal "kid diseases". Guess what? We didn't get to the dentist within the recommended 6 months. It just wasn't a priority. I would also like to get her to the allergist because she has displayed numerous signs of allergies I would like to identify. Guess what? It hasn't happened!

Why? Certainly finances are not an issue with this. Her medical bills are covered through our insurance. We have transportation. So, this issue is that there is only so much a person can do at one time, so the successful strategy is to prioritize.

The thing that bugs me about both this study and this article is that it continues to perpetuate the myth that dealing with a disability is this terrible horrible life shattering thing. It perpetuates the myth that the entire family suffers as a result of the disability and that disabilities create terrible financial hardships. In my 6 years of experience in dealing with our daughters' disabilities, I have to say that I have not experienced that. Yes, the disability is hard. Yes, there is grief involved. Yes, it does require more doctor visits and medical expenses (although there is a lot of both public and private help available between government programs, Shriners, and other organizations). However, no, it doesn't have to break the bank, and no it's not "bleak" or "chilling" as this article indicates.

I've found parenting my daughters, just like my sons, to be very rewarding.

The Gadget Castle

2008-07-17T17:19:00.010-04:00

I grew up believing that every home was like mine. I had no idea that my family was abnormal, no idea that other children weren't growing up in a situation like mine. The experts claim that children just believe that what they live is normal, and that certainly was my story. See, our family had an over-riding force that shaped its very being.

My Dad is an engineer.

Now, this may sound to you like it isn't a big deal, but then you didn't grow up thinking that it was normal to have a wire inside your mailbox that tripped a small flashing light in your living room to tell you that the mailman had arrived. You didn't know that people found it odd that you had a "keep warm" light that your mom set dinner under as she prepared to set the table. You probably didn't live with parents that were whole heartily committed to the electric knife concept because, well, it's electric, so it must work better than a regular knife despite the fact that it might actually dislocate a shoulder with excessive vibrating, and that it shot small flakes of turkey around the room.

Honestly, I thought everybody had one of those strings hanging from the garage ceiling with a cork tied to the end -- to tell you exactly how far into the garage you should pull the car. Also, let's not forget all the heat sensitive outside lights (that would flip on when an intruder might happen past) or the hours spent learning how to do things with our personal computer. Lest you forget, I'm talking about the 70s and 80s, so, really, for most people computers didn't do much. Ours didn't either, but I do remember my Dad sure liked to give me lessons about it.

"The computer can dial the phone for you!" He told me one night.

I was skeptical. Before you judge me, remember, it was the early 80s, and our computer monitor was also a television set if I remember correctly.

"Look, you type in the person's last name. Then you pull up their number. Then you enter the number here and hit enter. Then you wait (and wait and wait, I might add) and then you pick up the phone and it dials." I tried, vainly, to point out that that was no easier than actually dialing.

Interestingly enough, I have now replaced him with a husband who likes to do the same thing. In fact, some nights, when I see the spark creep into his eye, I just know, I know, that he wants to show me how to do something on the computer. My eyes glaze over and my teeth start a subtle grinding. But, my childhood did prepare me for this, so I'm always able to survive my evening tutorial.

Last week, we planned a camping trip to Watkins Glen, New York. A few days of the trip did happen, but due to inclement weather, we shortened the trip and stayed at my parents house. They were out of town, in Corning New York, attending an Intergenerational Elderhostel with Swimmer Girl.

After disarming the security system (of course-- something as basic as that is necessary for any gadget lover), we entered the garage. My Dad, in his retirement, I quickly found, has evolved. He now has a laser to show him how far to pull the car into the garage!

It was late when we arrived, so we dumped the kids in bed and used my parents room to sleep. I lay down in the bed, and Rob turned the lights off.

Instantly I shot of out bed!

"What is that?" I whispered.

On the ceiling was a large red blur. I placed my glasses on my face, and realized that the clock next to me was shining the time in large red numbers on the ceiling above my head.

My Dad strikes again.

Another of my favorite's is his caller id system. Not only caller id, but you can read it across the room.

A convenient favorite is his out-of-town plant watering system. The little green thing is his in-town watering system, a nice little frog gadget that sits in the plant and chirps when it dries out. It works well, and I know that because they bought me one for Christmas.

The mailbox indicator has appeared to morph and has become a garage door indicator, open or closed:

Just the sheer number of remote controls in the house is enough to make a grown woman shudder, but, of course, all my children know exactly how to work each one.

However, the best was this incredible can opener that you simply set on top of the can and push a button.

When all is said and done, I have to admit that the apple must not have fallen far from the tree, because he gave us his nifty can opener and we've eaten something from a can every day this past week. I can only say that it proves my thriftiness, because it provides both dinner and entertainment.

Jesse Jackson: Enough to Light My Fire to Blog Again

2008-07-11T08:58:00.005-04:00

Well, it's been awhile since I've had the chance to blog, but Jesse Jackson has brought me out once again!

If you watch any TV at all, you're probably aware that Jesse Jackson is now the third Chicago pastor to pose a serious problem for Barack Obama's bid for the presidency. There's the Jeremiah Wright (who is a slippery snake) scandel, there's Pastor Michael Felger who used a sermon to attack Hillary Clinton, and now, not to be outdone, Jesse Jackson has appeared on the scene.

However, Jesse Jackson's derogatory comments shouldn't be surprising. Jackson has always been about one thing, and one thing only: Jesse Jackson. He wants to be president, so of course, in his angry bitter soul he's going to attack the one man who's arrived at the place where he's always wanted to be but could never obtain: the democratic nominee for president.

In addition to the immaturity of his comments, which were lewd enough to be banned from my blog, what's really sad about this is that it was in reaction to Obama's speeches addressing the need of black fathers to commit to their families. If Jackson actually spent any amount of time working with inner city children, he'd stick his foot directly in his mouth right now. Maybe Jackson would like to explain to a group of black children who have never had the benefit of an involved father that Obama was coming down too hard on black people?

Honestly, this incident reveals his character. If he wasn't a self-absorbed con artist, then he wouldn't have to watch his mouth when he thinks that camera's not there. How in the world someone who is as anti-family, anti-life, and anti-decency could even attempt to pretend to be a pastor is beyond me.

Of course, it happens on the right as well, as all these political "pastors" really need to get their heads rescrewed on. Using the pulpit to gain political power is straight from the pit of hell, and about as far away from a mustard seed revolution as anyone can get. They are aren't just missing the boat, they're at the wrong port.