Celebrate and Respect the Veterans of America

Veteran’s Day holds so much meaning for me. Having a family member serve is an honor, like no other. To see my father serve and protect, I truly know the hell he’s gone through to provide for not just his family … but his country.

John McCain said it best — Country first.

Most Americans forget the blood, sweat, and tears shed to protect their rights to bad mouth other Americans, to bad mouth the wars and policies, to bad mouth different races.

Today I ask you to put that all aside, if you’re one of those Americans. Put aside your anger for whatever has gone wrong in your idea of a perfect America.

America isn’t perfect … but the soldier’s willing to die to protect it DESERVE your respect. Today call someone you know, who’s served, to thank them.

And Dad…thank you for always putting your country and family first. I appreciate your hard work and life threatening duties you served in. Semper Fi!

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Chinamen’s Curse

I just wanted to share a personal story with you all to implore you to please please watch what you buy from China.

My mom wore some new pajama’s that had already been laundered. The next day her body was covered in red puffiness. She told me that it looked like she had a sunburn from her neck down. She initially thought it was a food reaction, but she ate nothing that was suspect.

I told her to check the label of her new pajamas as the redness effected specific areas of her body, that was covered by them. She did…and they read ‘Made in China’.

The next day she went to the doctor because she started puffing up and getting more splotchy. This is after a day of being away from the garment in suspect. He confirmed after seeing her that it was due to the pesticides used on the fabric in her pajamas. She was having a reaction to the poisons used.

Yesterday, day 3, she was so swollen and achy that she couldn’t get rings on her fingers or shoes on her feet. Today, day 4, she’s in so much pain internally that she can’t move or even hold anything in her hands without pain.

The doctor gave her medicines that have helped her but she’s under a careful eye….mine and the doctors. I am writing this to warn you that the ‘Made in China’ info out there is real. China IS STILL using harmful chemicals on and in our products that are shipped to our country and purchased and used in OUR homes.

Please if your label, for any product, reads ‘Made in China’ please don’t buy it. Don’t put clothes on your own back and especially not your children. Don’t do it! It’s not just something you hear about in the news…it’s hitting home!

My mom is having severe medical issues because China isn’t watching or caring how they’re producing their products, and the OUR OWN COUNTRY isn’t protecting us!

Learned Behavior

My family is a hoot. Seriously we laugh most all the time. My son has the same sense of humor and his aptitude for picking things up is amazing. He’s five and nothing gets past the little dude.

Tonight we all ate dinner after his T-ball game. (He played really well by the way. He hit on his first try and scored 2 runs. He got one runner out at first as well…not bad for his first game ever.)

As we were eating, I asked my son to use his ‘inside’ voice. He’s tend to be really loud, like my husband, who’s voice is deep and loud at all times. Some people just project whether they mean to or not.

This started a whole conversation that spun off toward my mom, who has the opposite problem. She doesn’t project and sometimes hard to hear, even when yelling upstairs for my dad. Of course we all ganged up on her, and in turn she made reference to my dad again by saying, “No, he just doesn’t ever hear me. No matter what.”

My sister’s response, “Um mom I think that’s learned behavior.” (selective hearing)

My son was taking it all in and laughing at my mom, just like we were. The conversation then turned to his soccer game. I reminded him to tell about his goal he scored on Saturday morning. He was telling my sister’s boyfriend, Bob, all about it. Then my sister switched gears to ask if he picked up any balls to get anyone out tonight (T-ball).

My son: “No, you’re not allowed to pick up the ball.” (in reference to soccer)
My sister: “What?”
Me: “Honey, she’s asking about T-ball.”
(confused look on my son’s face)
My sister’s boyfriend: “Dude. You might as well give up, you’ll never understand them. They’re (women) gonna confuse you for the rest of your life.”
My son: LAUGHING – “That’s learned behavior.”

We all cracked up. Yup…that is learned behavior. He might as well learn now that men are from Venus and Women rule the planet.

I hope you all have a great night!!

Good Day

Does anyone else feel Spring in the air? YAAAAAY it’s the first day of Spring and I’m soooo happy. I feel that today is the first day of a lot of rebirth and growth in my life.

It’s funny how a little breeze with a warm sun can make you feel so full of life. These are the days that I am so thankful to God for. Even though I know each day, whether warm or dreary, are days to be thankful for….secretly these nice days are the ones I revel in.

My spirit is at peace today with the wind howling through the buildings and trees. I’m serene when I hear birds chirping in the sky, as long as none of them poop on me! Seeing kids out with their families in play is such a sign of good times ahead. It’s so depressing to see no activity outside, because everyone’s stuck indoors…..but NOT today! Can I say YAY again?

Now I get to plan my garden! Anyone else want to leave an AMEN??

Spring Rain

So this morning, in the  middle of the night, it sounded like my roof was being pounded by softballs.  I’m pretty sure we had hail and then some.  It’s been raining and cold all day, which has made everything soggy and frigid.

I’m all for a  Spring Rain…but what happened to Spring?  I know it’s not ‘technically’ spring…yet, but come oooonnnn lets get a warm rain going.  It feels like the dead of winter.

Is anyone else going crazy with all this winter still hangin on?  It’s making me cranky!  How’s that for an uplifting daily blessings blog post?  HA!  🙂

Feed the Children

So my son’s 5th birthday party focused on Feed the Children as it’s annual charity. I only asked that each child bring $1.00 with each gift, if they felt the need.

It resulted in about 10 dollars worth of revenue toward donations for Feed the Children. Not very much, but every little bit counts. I only listed the information in the birthday invitations, but didn’t ask anyone at his party for any donations they might have brought. I didn’t want to push, b/c I figured those that wanted to give would. The last thing I’d ever want to do is guilt anyone into giving. Otherwise it wouldn’t have been a true gift. A few other parents, that I know would have donated, ended up canceling at the last minute.

I don’t care how much or little we’re giving to our charity of choice this year. All that matters is how my son feels when he can personally delivers the cash to them, knowing how it will help other people in need. Their main lobby has large photos of kids from around the world. I know as he looks around, it will hit home how even just 10 dollars could help.

So tell me what do you all do to teach your children about the world and it’s needs?

Birthday Giving

So today my son & I have two birthday parties to attend. It’s going to be a loooong day for mom ;), but it should be a fun one. My son’s 5th birthday is next month. I know how quickly the crud can pile up at this age…stuff that he may play with for one week and then it’s stuffed in the toy closet. With a birthday not too long after Christmas, I try not to imagine the toy clutter.

Last year I thought I would do something different. I asked for pet food in lieu of gifts, so my son could donate it to the local ‘Pets for People’ animal shelter. I explained to him how needy some animals were, with no homes or love, and asked if it would be a good idea to bring them gifts instead of opening up a bunch of gifts for himself. He loved the idea. I was worried the day of his party. What if this new 4 year old wouldn’t understand about giving back….only that he wanted something for him on his birthday? After all he was only 4 and the world is all about them at that age…as it should be.

He didn’t bat an eye. He opened each gift bag and unwrapped each cat food or dog treat with as much joy as if someone had given him a power ranger. Although he also got plenty of gifts of his own, we loaded an entire trunk up with pet food. It was a huge donation that my son got to personally deliver. The day of the drop off, he was as excited as could be. He fed some dogs treats and left feeling like he’d done something really good. …He had! This was the best birthday gift I could give him…to understand the value of giving to those in need and recognizing the payoff in how it effected them AND him.

This year he wants to give to FEED THE CHILDREN . He’s really concerned with kids in Africa living in mud homes with no food or education. He’s amazed that they have no grocery stores, and that they have to farm or hunt for their food unless in a program to get help. We already sponsor a child, through Compassion International, who my son loves to send letters too. BUT he knows Feed the Children helps with kids all over, not just Africa.

When I asked him if he wanted to help a charity this year for his birthday, he answered, “Oh yes, but will I get presents for me too?” I told him we’d only ask for $1 to go toward any charity he wanted, and that we wouldn’t ask for the donations to be in replacement of his own gifts this year. Now his gifts would accompany a dollar donation to the charity of his choice. That made him so happy. He’s excited to bring money so that other kids will have food. He even mentioned, “The animals still have plenty to eat from last year…I want to help kids eat this year mom.” My child is an amazingly compassionate kid for his age.

AND Of course I’m not going to be a cruel mom and NOT let him have gifts. I want his birthday to be just about him. I only want him to recognize how blessed he is and to learn to re-pay some of it back. And I think he does. He’s a very civic minded ‘almost’ 5 year old.