polīticus

I see that Gabby made a comment on "Emily's Rant". I'm curious about any other opinions that are out there. I know there many readers out there because you tell me that you check this blog. It would be fun to start a discussion here...

I'm still struggling about my vote for president. I'm definitely an independent when it comes to the issues. Here's where I stand:

The War I definitely don't know enough about what is going on there to have an opinion. I have to put my faith in our military leaders that they are being truthful and doing what is best for our troops and the Iraqi people.

Gun Ownership I support our right to bear arms, and I also support a waiting period and background checks to ensure that only responsible people can purchase them.

Abortion Unquestionably pro-life

Education No politician ever puts the blame where I believe it lies for a vast majority of failing students: the parents. There are exceptions, of course, but I believe that most schools and most teachers are doing a good job. In Texas, most of the failing schools are filled with many immigrant students, some illegal. While many of these children are good students many are not, and teachers are expected to work miracles in the short amount of time these students have been in country. How are they supposed to learn about the Revolutionary War when they've never even heard of Massachusetts or Delaware?

I heard that Obama would like a national pre-school program. This may help some students, but it will be expensive and will not fix the root problem. Some students will still come to preschool unprepared to learn and from homes where education isn't valued. Many students fail because they are truant. If parents can't get their kids to school every day when the child is in first grade, how will that be different when the child is in preschool?

Taxes I don't care about tax cuts as much as a balanced budget. If the next president could minimize spending and reduce the deficit, I don't need a tax cut. I also don't think wealthy INDIVIDUALS should be taxed further, but I think that too many big businesses like oil companies get too many tax breaks.

Healthcare and the Economy I believe government is too big and inefficient. These things should be left up to the private sector with little government involvement. Read: No bailouts or economic stimulus plans. No national healthcare coverage. I do like McCain's proposal of a tax credit. I like the concept behind HSAs, too. We have a large deductible on our insurance as well as $430 monthly premiums. We have to budget for this expense out of Ryan's teaching salary. Because of the large deductible ($1100 per person), we don't visit the doctor for unnecessary reasons, and we shop around for the best deals. Because it costs us to visit the doctor, we want to take the initiative to stay healthy.

The Environment I think we should support renewable sources of energy like wind energy. We use Green Mountain energy which is 100% renewable. I'm not sure about domestic drilling.

I do think that we should minimize pork barrel spending. All of the candidates talk about it, but they seem hypocrital to me.

What do you think???

VA

My parents took Molly and I on a trip to Virginia last week. We stayed at a resort in the woods. It was beautiful. Traveling with the grandparents is ideal with a 13 month old! My brother the pilot advised us that babies are much safer on the plane when they have their own seats. However, you are not required to buy a seat for children under two. He also suggested that we carry the car seat to the gate in case there is an open seat. On both flights we were able to get a free seat for Molly. She slept well in her car seat both times. It was such a blessing! She managed to lull herself to sleep after putting Bunny over her face!

We spent a lot of time at several playgrounds. Molly is no longer very interested in swings, but she enjoys slides- the higher and faster the better. She sits on my lap to go down big slides, but on small slides she either holds our hands as we stand next to the slide or someone just catches her at the bottom. Like usual, she was most interested in the mulch beneath the playground equipment. The resort had free pony rides. Molly wasn't very interested in being atop a pony. She lasted only a minute or so!


We stayed in a cabin in the woods. Day and night the sounds of falling acorns and leaves could be heard as well as frolicking squirrels. We experienced the beauty of God's creation right from our deck.

We went around the lake on a pontoon boat. Molly liked to help drive, but she kept reaching for the keys in the ignition. Thankfully the panic horn was beyond her reach. Don't miss the picture of my mom entertaining Molly with the life vest!





Molly has started using crayons! We picked her up from the kids room at church last week, and they gave us a picture she had scribbled on. This is her coloring on a restaurant placemat.
We had pool weather in VA. It felt like TX- high 80s in the afternoon.

Morning at the Park

Molly is officially running! It is not a surprise; she must take after her daddy. Kit Kat likes to be chased, and Molly doesn't mind doing the chasing. However, she wishes that he would chase her. She has a difficult time understanding that he doesn't respond to her like mommy and daddy. We know what she wants, but Kit Kat doesn't!

We spent about an hour at the park this morning. She loved it. The playground is near a trail with a lot of cyclists, joggers, and walkers. Every time a person went by walking a dog, she stood up and walked toward the dog, even if it was 100 feet away. She would keep walking down the sidewalk even after the dog and its owner had disappeared out of sight!

A pair of small children at the park with their Polish aunt and uncle brought their beach toys to the park. They offered to let Molly play with them, too. The kids had a lot of fun playing with the pebbles that serve as the surface in the play area. In fact, every time we go to a park Molly is far more interested in the mulch or pebbles than the slides and swings. She is pretty good about not putting them in her mouth, but if she finds a pebble that she really likes she will kiss it!

She has been saying ma ma and da da for a week or so. She really said "Da da" a lot when Ryan was home with us last weekend. Those are her first words that she uses meaningfully. She also makes a "K" sound when she sees Kit Kat. She's had her own version of "hi" for awhile, that sounds nothing like "hi", but she says it consistently when playing with her phone!

Emily's Rant

I'm looking for a presidential candidate to support. I'm not going to vote for either of the big dogs. Initially, I was upset that they RUSHED into throwing together this bailout plan. Then, I heard Obama speaking on the radio, "The 401(k)s and retirement accounts that millions count on for their family's future are now smaller. The state pension funds of teachers and government employees lost billions upon billions of dollars. Hardworking Americans who invested their nest egg to watch it grow are now watching it disappear." I believe that the biggest part of the problem was that the media and politicians acted like it was an emergency and tragedy that needed to be fixed immediately. Of all people, Obama, the one who's words give hope to so many should not have made such a drama-filled statement that would lead to despair.

Then there is McCain. The "Maverick" who takes on special interests and pork-barrel spending would be the last one who should have voted for the pumped-up bailout plan with all of its added sweeteners. I'm frustrated by his hypocrisy. So, I'm open for suggestions. Any good candidates out there?

I've decided to not vote for any of the incumbents for the Texas Senate seats and the local rep for the US Congress because they have supported the bailout. None of the challengers really have a chance, but I kind of like rooting for the underdog anyway.

On a side note, did you hear that scientists have recently discovered a heavier element than those previously known? It is called governmentium. Read on:

Govermentium (Gv) has one neutron, 25 assistant neutrons, 88 deputy neutrons, and 198 assistant deputy neutrons, giving it an atomic mass of 312. These 312 particles are held together by forces called morons, which are surrounded by vast quantities of lepton-like particles called peons. Since Governmentium has no electrons, it is inert; however, it can be detected, because it impedes every reaction with which it comes into contact. A minute amount of Governmentium can cause a reaction that would normally take less than a second to take from four days to four years to complete. Governmentium has a normal half-life of 2-6 years; It does not decay, but instead undergoes a reorganization in which a portion of the assistant neutrons and deputy neutrons exchange places. In fact, Governmentium's mass will actually increase over time, since each reorganization will cause more morons to become neutrons, forming isodopes. This characteristic of moron promotion leads some scientists to believe that Governmentium is formed whenever morons reach a critical concentration. This hypothetical quantity is referred to as critical morass. When catalyzed with money, Governmentium becomes Administratium, an element that radiates just as much energy as Governmentium since it has half as many peons but twice as many morons.
(taken from Wikipedia)

Pictures

I realized I hadn't posted pictures in awhile. Some of these are from Molly's birthday a few weeks ago.

Xander helping Molly with her present.

Pretty girl in green.

Messy face from her birthday oreos. This particular one had white chocolate coating it. She recently ate one with milk chocolate. It looked like she had a brown mustache and goatee! I'll post one of those soon!

Getting political with daddy. I'm not really caring a lot right now about the presidential race. I'm angry with both of them (McCain & Obama) for supporting the bailout proposal. But, back to the baby pictures...

With her second cousins!

That's What Brothers Are For

Molly received several new books for her birthday. I'll give you one guess... which one is from my brother, Molly's Uncle Tim?




Yep, that's right... Walter, the Farting Dog. Somehow I missed it when this book hit the bestseller list. I especially enjoy the nicely illustrated clouds of flatulence on nearly every page. Do I want Molly using the word "fart"? Guess that's what Uncle Tim had in mind!

In Molly's World

Since Molly turned one last week, she's really taken off with her sign language skills. I have been doing some signs rather inconsistently for a few months. The last couple of days she has mastered the most important ones, "Eat", "More", and "All Done". For "All Done" she waves good-bye. The sign is somewhat similar to that, and I guess that "All Done" and "good-bye" are somewhat alike in their meanings. It is really helpful for me to know when Molly's hungry. When she's getting fidgety in her high chair, I ask her if she wants more or if she's all done. She usually answers with a sign. Often I'll only ask a question verbally, and she'll reply with a sign.

After her meals, I'm trying to clean her up in her high chair and give her her toothbrush while she sits there. It is too dangerous for her to walk around with it in her mouth, but she likes to chew on the bristles. I just put a little toothpaste on it for her to "brush" her teeth. It gives me a chance to clean up a little while she's still strapped in.

Our church just started an 8:30 am service that we've been attending. The nursery has about 5-8 kids of all different ages. There aren't enough kids yet to have a class that is uniquely babies. Molly has been the only one less than two or so. When we were dropping her off this morning we heard some excited little voices, "Molly's here!" It is so fun to know that the older kids like having her there and that she's got a little place to belong!

Fisher Price House Party

I was selected to host a Fisher Price Play Date from houseparty.com. This website organizes parties sponsored by brand name products. They send you a FREE party package, and all you have to do is invite your friends and make some snacks. It is not about selling anything, just creating a buzz about new products. The party package I received was over the top. They sent four big new toys for kids to check out. Each child that came got to take home a goody bag that had a small toy in it. I gave away one of the big toys as a door prize. I'm going to keep two for Molly, maybe I'll put one away until Christmas. I might ebay the fourth! It is incredulous to me that we get such nice toys for free without having to sell anything. I guess the marketing strategy works for them. Thank you Fisher-Price! Here are some pictures of the fun:

Happy Birthday Girl

Molly turned one yesterday. I've heard that a lot of moms feel sad about this milestone. She is definitely a toddler now, but she is more of a baby than ever. I'm not sad, just loving every minute of being a mom.

She really, really likes attention from Ryan and me. She loves it when I rock her for a few minutes before bed. Previously, she would squirm and not want to merely be held. As she's getting older and more aware of her surroundings, she is showing more love to others. She'll kiss my arms quite often. Today she just started sucking gently on my finger after she pulled my hand to her mouth. We were relaxing on the floor after dinner, and Ryan was lying on his back. I laid down next to him on my side and started patting his chest. Pat, pat, pat, pat. Pat, pat, pat, pat. Molly looked at us for a second, came over on the other side of him and started doing the same thing! We cracked up; it was so cute!

I enjoy my time with Molly every day. Occasionally, people will ask me if I can stand being at home every day. I love it. Molly is so happy, and she keeps me entertained. I don't feel like she's growing up too fast because I get to be here for all of it. Time doesn't fly like it would if I were really busy. Time doesn't drag either, because I genuinely enjoy it. I used to think that my favorite stage of childrearing were the newborn months. I asked my assistant principal a few years ago what her favorite age was when she was raising her children. When she told me that she enjoyed all of them, I was reluctant to believe her. Now, I'm realizing that as a parent there is a healthy fascination for your children at every stage. I have also heard that once they start talking, many parents wish they could go back. I might update my thoughts then.

Babies are always changing their eating, sleeping, and playing habits. At her age, Molly is doing several different things every day. My nature is that of an analyzer, and so I enjoy studying and wondering about her habits. Is she down to one long nap a day or are two better? She used to swallow the tiny pieces of diced food whole, now she's mashing them up in her mouth better. Is that why her mouth gets so full of food? Does that sound mean she wants a drink of water or she's done eating?

Happy Birthday Molly! Mommy loves you! I'm so thankful for a wonderful year, and I pray that the next one is just as much fun.

Go State!

Molly is an MSU fan already! She got a package with Michigan State things from her Grandpa KK this week.

She also got this fun tin of white chocolate covered oreos. We'll let her try one on Monday. It's going to take Molly a long time to finish all of these!
Molly loves to check out new things. She just entertained herself for several minutes with an empty Cheez-it box. When she knows she has something she isn't supposed to have, she takes off with it and walks really fast to her room and hides behind her pink chair! She loves to try to lift and carry really heavy things like pillows that are bigger than her. One of her favorite games is being chased by mommy or daddy around the dining room table or pink chair in her room. I've already gotten a few laps of crawling around the chair on four different occasions this morning!
Molly is an expert sleeper. She's down to one nap a day, I think. She woke up yesterday at 8:45, slept from 12:30-3:15 in the afternoon and slept last night from 6:30 until I went in to check on her at 9:35 this morning! For her nap yesterday, she even fell asleep willingly in her crib while there were still about 6 guests still here from her playdate! So, she's been very happy this morning after all of that sleep.

Tribute to My Uncle Ron

Uncle Ron is the one in the back row on the left, the one that is nearly as handsome as my dad. He passed away early Saturday morning. I want to write a few sentences in honor of him.

I always picture him with a smile that comes easily and with a laugh that accompanies it. He would tease me when I was younger. I remember a time that he instructed me to hold my cat in front of me with one hand on each side of it. Innocently, I complied. He then grabbed my forearms and pulled apart so that I no longer had a grip on the fur, and the cat fell to the ground.

Uncle Ron did lots of wood carving. We visited him once when he was camping in his RV with Aunt Donna. They also have a gorgeous condo in Northern Michigan. We always ate well at his house because in addition to Aunt Donna's cooking there always seemed to be venison jerky. Yum!

I remember my Uncle Ron faithfully caring for his first wife, my Aunt Carole, who was often ill. He was very interested in hearing about Molly and always commented positively when he received a picture of her in the mail. He suggested that my dad "smuggle her" to Michigan so he could meet her. Molly and I were able to visit with him last week. God must have ordained it because after a long morning of travelling and missing a nap, Molly was cheerful and perfectly behaved while at their home.

Like all cancer patients, he suffered. He seemed to be positive and uncomplaining. What a sharp contrast it must be to be in the throes of pain and to be instantly transported to fullness of life in God's presence. God's word says, "the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared to the glory that is to be revealed to us." Jesus told the thief on the cross that he would be with Him that day in Paradise. And so I trust in God's provision of Jesus and have unwavering faith in the promise of heaven for all that believe.

Our Master

I rarely forward e-mails that contain stories or jokes or chain letters. However, I found this one from my Grandmother-in-law to be simple and beautiful. As my Uncle Ron is in the last days of his life here on Earth, I thought it was especially meaningful.

A sick man turned to his doctor, as he was preparing to leave the examination room and said, 'Doctor, I am afraid to die. Tell me what lies on the other side.'
Very quietly, the doctor said, 'I don't know.'
'You don't know? You, a Christian man, do not know what is on the other side?'
The doctor was holding the handle of the door; on the other side came a sound of scratching and whining, and as he opened the door, a dog sprang into the room and leaped on him with an eager show of gladness.
Turning to the patient, the doctor said, 'Did you notice my dog? He's never been in this room before. He didn't know what was inside. He knew nothing except that his master was here, and when the door opened, he sprang in without fear. I know little of what is on the other side of death, but I do know one thing... I know my Master is there and that is enough.'

I have written before about how faithful dogs are to serve their Masters. This is again a good reminder to me to spend time with my Master so I can better serve Him.

Nearly One

We had a busy week last week. My brother was in town for my cousin's wedding, and so we had an early birthday celebration for him and Molly. She wasn't too interested in her cake, but she loves her new presents. She also wore a lei the entire time and didn't try to take it off. My parents wanted to take Molly to her first circus. She enjoyed watching the action from Papa's arms. We then left Molly at home with her first teenage babysitter and went to the wedding. It was beautiful, and Molly seemed to do well at home. We are still trying to figure out the mystery of the five cheerios found in her crib...

Love Shack

Molly loves to push our stools around. She does not yet know that she has to push at or below the center of mass in order to keep them from toppling. We'll work on the physics lesson.
She loves to clap her hands. Often, if I tell her, "Good girl!" She'll begin clapping. She loves to give kisses. She kisses the cat all the time. She'll open her mouth slightly and lean over to touch his back. She's also kissing us quite a bit. It's sweet!

Mom and Dad babysat, and Ryan and I went to the Love Shack! A famous chef in town, Tim Love, has an upscale restaurant, but he also opened this entirely outdoors burger joint in the Stockyards area of town. The only indoor parts of the place are the kitchen and restrooms. There was live music, and we sat the highest level of patio seating overlooking the street below. It was really fun.

Oklahoma!

We took a family trip to Lake Murray in Oklahoma last weekend. We stayed at the lodge at the state park. The lake was beautiful, but it wasn't very baby friendly. We are used to Michigan's beautiful beaches and were disappointed at the beaches there. It is a manmade lake, as most in this part of the country are. We just went into the lake for a few minutes. We swam in the pool a little bit, too. It seems like a very fun park for older kids. There was mini golf, lot of playgrounds, and many water sports. There were also a lot of cabins and villas for rent- all air conditioned! The most difficult part of our trip was that Molly woke up at 4:50 am both days. She was too excited to sleep in the same room with us! The second morning we just left at 5:15 am and were home just after 7! We didn't want to hang around just to kill time for a few hours.


We also visited Gene Autry, Oklahoma. It is the weirdest little town. There is basically nothing there except a BBQ restaurant, a huge Dollar General warehouse, a nice sized airport, a post office, 3 churches, a convenience store, and the Gene Autry Oklahoma museum. There were no fastfood restaurants even. The nearest town is at least 10 miles away. The Tex Ritter picture is with respect to my maiden name. The museum is packed with all kinds of film and concert posters and memorabilia. This small town and others we drove through reminded me of the setting of Napoleon Dynamite.

Molly's little second cousin is growing up. Molly is good at giving the cat kisses, but we couldn't get her to kiss the baby.