Monday, May 28, 2007

A true friend will lovingly speak truth...

I unintentionally hurt a friend's feelings. She confronted me and has forgiven me, but I hate that I can't undo the deep hurt that my words caused. I'm really going to have to work on the whole "thinking before I speak" thing.

Friday, May 18, 2007

Happy Birthday Brian!

Today was Brian's 30th birthday! Aimee and I took him lunch and bought him a pie and a specially requested dinner.

Brian and I had an entire weekend of fun planned that was to begin at noon today, but had to cancel when we all got the stomach virus earlier this week. Brian and I are better, but Aimee is still requiring entire outfit changes with each diaper, if you know what I'm sayin'. Another reason we can't go this weekend is because his boss practically begged Brian to work the whole day today and another 12 hrs tomorrow (Saturday) as well. Brian was resistant about working tomorrow and tried to set his boundries, but he gave in when the owner pulled out the big guns and said that they were in such a bind that the other owner (an 80 year old man) would have to come in and help out if Brian didn't come in.

That's one of the reasons why I love Brian so much. He's an honorable and hard working man.

We are hoping to continue with our plans next week.

Thursday, May 17, 2007

Immigration FYI

A bipartisan group of senators (both very conservative and liberal) have come up with a plan to help legitimize many of the 12 million undocumented workers, increasing border security, and establishing a worker program. It's expected to fly through the senate, but will have a harder time passing through the house, where Republicans are expected to fight for harsher penalties. Still, good news!

Wednesday, May 16, 2007

Mother's Day

My 2nd Mother's day was really great. Brian's family and my family came over and we got to spend the day togather. We were supposed to be in charge of Nursery at church, but at the last minute we got a few friends to help us out while we listened to the sermon. It was about one family's journey to adoption and it was given by a new church member who adopted 2 of her daughters from Vietnam. The talk was beautiful and I cried the entire time.

After a tense (but actually really funny) ride home from church, both of our families came over and we had a really nice time togather. The food was great and the presents and cards were really thoughtful. The best gift ever? Aimee learned how to give kisses and she gave me a real kiss on Saturday. It was the sweetest thing in the whole world.

Friday, May 11, 2007

It took almost 2 years for a good poop story...

This probably won't top the story our friends told us. They were on a road trip when they saw that their son had rubbed melted chocolate all over his face, when they realized that they hadn't given him a chocolate bar. Then they realized it wasn't chocolate, and they only had 7 babywipes. This cautionary tale has kept Aimee's diaper bag fully stocked with babywipes and a canister of clorox bleach wipes tucked away in the van since before she was even born.

While it would take a lot to top that story, I finally (regrettably) have our own poop story to tell...

I was in the shower this morning when Aimee woke up. In the 10 minutes it took me to finish showering and getting dressed, Aimee managed to take all of her clothes off, stuff her diaper in a remote corner of the crib where I couldn't easily get to it, pee on the other corner of her crib, take a big poop (she didn't go yesterday) and fling the poop across the room. I couldn't even find her diaper or clothes until I moved the entire crib. Her diaper was completely dry and her blankie was entirely soaked.

I immediately put her in the tub and gave her a bath. I let her play in her little toddler tub for a minute while I pulled the dirty sheets off her crib and in THAT short time, she used the little bucket we use when we bathe her to dump half of the water out of her toddler tub onto the bathroom floor.

If anyone feels like babysitting anytime soon, please PLEASE drop me an email.

Tuesday, May 08, 2007

This gives me hope!

As you may have noticed from the last few months of blog entries, I have been really worried about the immigration crisis and have been returning to one of my first loves, politics. In the past, I liked listening to the Moody Bible Institute radio station, as I find a lot of the programs to be really inspiring, but I've really come to HATE certain aspects of their programming.

For starters, their news service is so obviously partisan and slanted to the right that it puts Fox News to shame. Secondly, James Dobson really gets on my nerves with what he chooses to support in politics. Thirdly, the last time I listened to a national issues segment in their afternoon talk program they had a guy on who was making a case AGAINST universal healthcare and no one to rebut his arguments. Hmm....last I heard we were commanded to take care of our poor, the widows, and the orphans, buddy.

I've grown fearful of listening to that station in the mornings for fear that I'm going to hear someone talk about how all those "Illegals" are breaking the law and therefore should be shipped back to their countries. ...Followed by a request for the shoes you are planning on throwing away to send to those poor little brown kids in Latin America.

Anyway, this morning Aimee and I drove somewhere really early and my sleepiness made me forget that it was too early to turn on Moody Radio, when all of a sudden, I heard it, the story I didn't want to hear on Moody Radio. The one about immigration. And it almost made me cry.

The story was about how over 100 leaders from many denominations of Christianity, many of them staunch conversative republicans had formed a coaliton called Christians for Comprehensive Immigration Reform. The coalition is calling for humanitarian border security, the reunifications of families that have been torn apart by deportation, and a compassionate path to citizenship and employment. The radio hosts commented on how amazing it was to see several conservative christian leaders actually working with Senator Kennedy.

This is what America is about. People of different values and ideas working with each other for the good of humanity, not working against each other for fear of what could happen "if the other side wins". My prayer is that the denominations involved will encourage their local churches to preach on this issue and that the faith community at large will grow more supportive.

To read todays article in the washington times go to:
http://www.washtimes.com/national/20070507-112349-9370r.htm

One more thing. My old school, Purdue University, named a new president yesterday. For the whole university. Her name is France Cordova. She's an astrophysicist, a woman, and a LATINA. The president that was in office when I went there was once quoted in the newspaper calling Latinos "wetbacks". Umm..that's Madame President to you, sir.

Monday, May 07, 2007

The Devil's Hairstyle.

I'm starting to believe the widely held opinon that children always know when a sibling is on the way. Lately, Aimee has been difficult, tantrum prone, and needier than when she was a newborn. She demands to be held, but not held sitting down, I have to stand up and carry her. She also refuses to eat anything that isn't home made and resembling soup or stew. To go to sleep she is requiring extra snuggle time and needs to have a baby, blankie, and at least 2 stuffed puppy doggies in the crib with her. All of these things seem pretty reasonable for a fussy, teething, ready to become a big sister, almost 2 year old. The strangest demand of all? I am not allowed to wear my hair in a pony tail. Pony tails are evil and can produce a reaction that goes from mild annoyance to an all out, foot stomping, pull her own hair, screaming tantrum very quickly.

Here are some things that are NOT evil and she actually likes:

New outfits with sparkly embellishments
Painted toenails (on me)
Letting her play with my make-up brushes
Visits from her friends Gracie and Maggie, they are 3 and 4 and are SOO cool.
Brushing her teeth
Shoes (all kinds)
Strawberries
Milkshakes
Daddy

Saturday, May 05, 2007

Utah Republican Convention ends with Satan and immigrants...

When I first clicked on the link for this article that I found on another blog, I seriously thought I'd be taken to The Onion. I was sorely disapointed and just a little bit shocked. The link did NOT lead to The Onion, but to the Central Utah's newspaper, the Daily Herald. This is for real folks. No joke.

Sunday, April 29, 2007
Convention ends with Satan and immigrants

CALEB WARNOCK - Daily Herald
Utah County Republicans ended their convention on Saturday by debating Satan's influence on illegal immigrants. The group was unable to take official action because not enough members stuck around long enough to vote, despite the pleadings of party officials. The convention was held at Canyon View Junior High School. Don Larsen, chairman of legislative District 65 for the Utah County Republican Party, had submitted a resolution warning that Satan's minions want to eliminate national borders and do away with sovereignty. In a speech at the convention, Larsen told those gathered that illegal immigrants "hate American people" and "are determined to destroy this country, and there is nothing they won't do." Illegal aliens are in control of the media, and working in tandem with Democrats, are trying to "destroy Christian America" and replace it with "a godless new world order -- and that is not extremism, that is fact," Larsen said. At the end of his speech, Larsen began to cry, saying illegal immigrants were trying to bring about the destruction of the U.S. "by self invasion."

Republican officials then allowed speakers to defend and refute the resolution. One speaker, who was identified as "Joe," said illegal immigrants were Marxist and under the influence of the devil. Another, who declined to give her name to the Daily Herald, said illegal immigrants should not be allowed because "they are not going to become Republicans and stop flying the flag upside down. ... If they want to be Americans, they should learn to speak English and fly their flag like we do."

Senator Howard Stephenson, R-Draper, spoke against the resolution, saying Larsen, whom he called a "true patriot and a close friend," was embarrassing the Republican Party. "I agree with 95 percent of this resolution but it has some language that is divisive and not inspiring other people to its vision," he said. "This only gives fodder to the liberal media to give negative attention to the Republican Party." Joel Wright, a member of the Cedar Hills City Council, was booed as he opposed the resolution. "This might be the most divisive issue in the Republican Party," he said. "I support President Bush but he needs to support this issue harder."

To continue reading this article, go to: http://www.heraldextra.com/content/view/220065/4/

Wednesday, May 02, 2007

Lessons learned that help make parenting easier: Lowering one's standard of cleanliness is not always a bad thing.

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A dirty kid is very often a happy kid.

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Dressing your kid up in a cute outfit can help put things in perspective when they misbehave.

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Immigration Rally

Rallys took place across the country yesterday calling for immigration reform. I would have like to have gone, but being pregnant and having a demanding toddler with a pretty rigid sleep/eat/poop schedule prevented me from going. In honor of May day, I'm going to share some more thoughts on immigration reform.

Talks about mass deportations scare me. I've already talked about the mass deportations that happened between the 1920's - 1940's. That kind of talk gives rise to serious racism and dehumanizes people. I, being part of the group in question do not want to lose my humanity, nor do I want that for my children.

Americans need to accept the fact that we have a serious dependance on illegal labor. When we can understand the magnitude of our dependance, we can then start having serious talks about a worker program or making work visas more accessable for the world's poor that want to come to make a new life here. We also need to hold employers accountable for the living and work conditions of the workers they hire. Legitimizing workers will force employers to treat them as human beings and help end the appauling abuse that is happening today.

The borders should be secured, but spending hundreds of millions of dollars on building a wall will probably not make a big difference. Making visas more accessable may help curb the influx of people as well as give the US more control over who is entering and who isn't.

I support an amnesty. Parents of american citizens, home owners, and business owners should take priority. Undocumented workers would be willing to pay fines, so go ahead and charge a fine to help pay for the cost associated with processing them. Anyone who has committed a crime, including DUIs should not be given amnesty and should be deported. Anyone given legal status through the amenesty should also be held to that standard. If you commit a crime, especially against another person, you should be deported.

That's about all I have to say. Our politicians need to take this problem seriously and come up with some workable solutions. My fear is that this is just another political hot button that's going to be used to drive the political parties further apart. This is a win-win situation for both parties. The democrats have finally found an issue that will bring Latinos to the polling booths, and republicans have found yet another topic that will instill fear in the hearts of middle class white america. Let's not get played people! I'm not going to vote for someone just because they show their face at a rally. Let me see what your ideas are, let me see that you really understand the problem and are willing to do something about it.