Mothering 101

OK, so right now is the witching hour for my kids. When both of them come home from school/pre-school and determine that it's fun to beat each other up. This process usually involves hits, being sat on a time or two, screaming and crying (not necessarily in that order).

So my question is this…during times like this, is it ethical and moral to ignore my two children and let them wail away at one another? Or should I step in every time they do this to mediate? Can I justify hiding myself here in the computer room and ignore the noise going on in the other room? Sigh…

Well…I better go…my two year old is trying to shove my 7-year-old into a laundry basket right now…

…out

Another day at home…

This is really funny…

I need a vacation…

…from my vacation. No kidding…

I went to Disneyland with the family last week and, as of today, I'm still feeling truly wiped! I didn't know that Mickey and the gang could play such havoc with me.

Disneyland was truly one crowded place. I had never seen it so crowded before – and as I was standing in line for something (I forget what, but that's pretty much all I did during the vacation was stand in line), I kept thinking to myself that "this is what hell must be like"…crowded…waiting in a long line…hot…small children to corral…except in hell, you'd never get to get on any of the rides…you'd just stand in line all day long.

Next time I go to 'The Happiest Place on Earth' with the family? Early December…hands down…I give up on spring and summer at the place that Walt built.

One thing, though, that came my way today - we may be headed off to Hawaii in October! Now that is my kind of vacation!

…out

Susan, you’ve survived Holy Week – what are you gonna do now?

…'I'm goin' to Disneyland!'

Yup, last week was one of the craziest weeks where I volunteer. See, I volunteer at my church on a part-time basis, but I've managed to find myself in the position of actually creating the worship services (which is actually a blast and a half). I get to pick the hymns and the flow of our traditional liturgical service and then I also get to figure out the flow of the service in our contemporary offering. It's fun…except during Holy Week…or as I like to call it 'Holy Hell Week'.

Usually I'm a little ahead of the game in prior years, but the interim Pastor we have now is not one for long-range planning (basically, I usually find out on Wednesday what the service on Sunday will be about). This makes for a stressful job on any normal week – throw in the fact that last week we had a service on Thursday, two on Friday, one on Saturday and, oh, three on Easter Sunday – well, let's just say I was ready to spend my Easter Sunday in a drunken stupor somewhere dark. Ok, I over-exagerate there – I'd spend it in a drunken stupor in the dark or in broad daylight…

But…the week is over…from the comments I hear, people enjoyed the worship services…and tomorrow, me and my family are headed off to Disneyland - the Happiest Place on Earth.

My kids are excited – ok, so my daughter is excited – my 2-year-old son just likes to run around screaming like a girl at the top of his lungs "We're goin' to Dizzyland!"

So my postings will continue to be sparse over the next few days. Wish me luck with the family and that I come back home with a little shred of sanity!

…out.

Immigrant Reform

The local news is going a little crazy right now covering the march going on in downtown Phoenix. Thousands and thousands of folks all in white shirts, waving the flags and making their voice heard. It's a marvel to see…

It's funny how stuff like this quickly comes into the radar of public awareness. A year ago, I would never have given any thought to the need to fixing a system that was obvioulsly broke (or if I did, it would have just been in passing). Now, because of these demonstrations, I can't help but ponder on the existence of our friends from the south as they live and work here in my own community…shoot, my own backyard as I type! Yes, our landscape is being put in and the work is all on the shoulders of immigrant labor (at least, that's what I perceive). Well…these demonstrations are having their desired effect…raising the awareness level of us mainstream, suburban living, white folks.

Being born and raised here in Phoenix, I've always seen this system. This city that I live in has been built by the sweat and hard work of immigrants. Definately a class system that we live in. My lifestyle has been supported by amazing men and women who will do whatever it takes to live an honest and upright life here in this country.

And it makes me feel like a elitist snob.

I can't help but feel guilty. Who cleans my home for me once a week? Who mows the lawn and maintains our yard? Who physically built this big, beautiful home that we just moved into?

My mom works at a local dairy in the office. She's an amazing woman in her own right, always thinking the best of people, and taught her kids the value of respecting people from all walks of life. Where she works, she has always said that noone would be willing to work the hours and hard work, except for the illegal immigrants.

Part of me struggles – am I being racist when I think about this class system we have? I admire folks who are willing to work so hard – but would I do the same thing if I needed to? Am I like the southerners in pre-Civil War Georgia who thrive on an economy produced by slave labor? Am I like the ruling class of pre-apartheid South Africa?

I hope not…

I've always agreed that everyone in this country needs a fair chance to make a decent life. If someone is willing to work so hard and live an honest, upright life – well, why can't they become U.S. citizens?

I gotta do more research on the various proposals going on in Washington…

out.

I’m feeling a little better now…

Well…after my previous post, I managed to get my life really organized and put together and I feel so much better about everything that's going on. Yup…I got my car washed.

I am always amazed at the beauty of what a clean car will do for one's psyche. It makes me feel so much better about myself. Is that pathetic or what?

Lord only knows what happens to those folks who don't have cars to clean. Like all those people in China that drive around on bicycles. I mean, do they get the same feeling of bliss when they wash their bikes? Or how about people who actually have to walk from one place to another (I shudder to even think about it). What do they do? Wash their feet?

Maybe we should really think about this car washing thing as a way to improve the world. I swear, most of the problems in this world would go away if people just washed their cars! Shites and Sunnis – wash your cars in a group wash experience – think of the progress towards peace in that part of the world! Palestinians and Israelis! Heck, maybe even the Democrats and Republicans could have a group wash. But then, some yahoo would film it and make some pornographic interpretation of it, and the video would go out like wildfire on the internet. Sigh…

Well, at least I'm happier. My car runs better (yes, it does – less friction when driving). My kids, though, are a little more nervous 'cause I yell at them more about eating in the car. Can't win 'em all.

out. 

I want to hire a project manager for my life…

I have just way too much stuff on my plate these days between the new home (and all the snafus from getting moved and settled), work, kids, etc.

Can someone please tell me…are there such things as life project managers? I guess that begs the bigger question – is my life just one big project? Hmm…

out (and running)…

Sounds like heaven???

This whole documentary was fascinating to me – I kept on applying my faith and beliefs into the scientific discussion and came away excited, stunned and amazed…could we be seeing the face of God and Heaven and Hell as other dimensions? Check out the video in the chapters of The Wild West of Physics and Parallel Universes

It made my heart pound a little stronger when I was watching it…

out.

Love to see ‘em squirm..

The Republicans are in a position that they haven't been in for a long, long time. All I gotta say is, it's about time…

How can people who claim to be anti-big government back legislation like the Patriot Act? 

And this article makes reference, albiet seemingly true, to the Democractic Party's lack of a 'plan'. That's what has been most frustrating about being a Democrat. We have so many groups to please that sometimes I feel like we're a dog chasing it's tail, ignoring all of the stuff going on around it.

By my book – the Democratic Party is a party that:

• looks out for those less fortunate
• supports and defends the underdog, and
• believes that we are all not perfect, but we all want to try

Hey…that sounds like what Jesus was teaching all those many years ago…go figure, Mr. Pat Robertson..

out.

Precious life

So my first official post will be my musings on a crisis that's hit home hard the past day or so.

A dear friend of mine that I work with at my church took her daughter in to see the doctor yesterday because her little 2-year-old was complaining of owies in her knees. Of course, this little girl promptly blamed my own 2-year-old son of giving her the owies - "Dabey kicked me…"  He didn't…my precious angel would never do anything so cruel…when being watched at the nursery…I think.

You see, this little 2-year-old girl just dotes on my son, David. (She called him "Dabey-God" – I'm really going to have to watch my son's ego.) And, of course, we have pre-arranged a marriage for them in their late 20s – no earlier because, well, that's just not optimal marrying age in my humble opinion - no later because, well, both my husband and I would probably not be around much to nag our son about how he is raising his own kids.

So this sweet little girl was in some pain, and had a high fever last week. The doctor's visit yesterday did not go well. The doc wanted to run some blood tests, mumbling something that included the word 'Leukemia' in it.

My friend's brain froze up at that point and she couldn't focus after that. Prayer requests were sent out and, after coming back from a Phoenix Suns game late last night (we lost horribly), I found the e-mail about it – knowing it was way too late to call, I did my usual. Prayed and then searched the internet for about 2 hours on anything and everything dealing with kids, fever, joint pain, etc. Well…Leukemia is one of many, many things that might cause this.

Good news…blood test results came back today…no sign of Leukemia. The little girl is still going to see more doctors (she may have some need for braces on her legs and such), but that's so minor compared to what it could have been. And, in all honesty, my son won't have to run really fast to catch her for that kiss when they are teenagers…um, no, young adults…ok, married with kids.  

This mom stuff…can get pretty hard sometimes. Made me hug my kids a little more today than usual (much to my 7-year old daughter's delight and my son's discomfort).