Politics Shmolitics

I'm not usually outspoken on my political views unless I know that the person I'm talking to is of the same affiliation as me. I usually don't see any point in getting into an argument that neither side can win. However, this is my blog and it's as good a place as any to say my piece.

I am registered as Republican, but I don't always vote that way. The way I see it, is if you believe in a person and think they will do a good job, you should vote for them based on that and not their party. I didn't vote for President Obama for many reasons that I will not get into. Again, what's done is done. He's in office, so there's no reason to complain that he's there. I will, however, vent a little on a few things that are bothering me greatly. First of all, the national debt: I know for a fact that our government has lied to us about the amount. We are in much deeper than they let on. I read a book recently called "National Suicide". At first I was shocked at the carelessness and stupidity of our government and then was angry. How come nobody seems to be aware of everything that is happening? We are in so deep that we can't seem to do anything but spend more. There are people being paid tremendous amounts of money to sit in Senate to watch a bill get passed. These people are lobbyists. I can tell you right now that when I helped pass a bill for the non-profit I work with, we did that for free. It does not take much time to do. And yet, people are being paid copious amounts to sit there all day. There are funds within our government that were created long ago for a specific purpose. We no longer need those funds and the purpose is outdated. For some reason, though, our government seems to keep dumping money into those accounts. Why? Because nobody took the time to do away with it. We have money sitting in unused accounts. All it would take is a bit of maintenance.

Another topic that irks me is the fact that Washington starts too many projects that cost too much money. And it is usually something that we don't even need. Here is an excerpt from "National Suicide". It was written by Martin L. Gross. This particular excerpt is about how we are tricked into agreeing to projects that will ultimately sink us further:
"It's a simple psychological trick called 'low balling', a method that pretends that things will cost a lot less than they really do. All it requires is for the public to be gullible, which it always is, and for politicians to lie, something that is endemic to their trade, perhaps even a genetic requirement of that particular profession. The purpose, of course, is to get a massive project started, one that can cost a great deal of money. Supposedly it will also eventually cast honor onto the member of Congress, or the president-whoever is the mastermind behind some excessive spending of borrowed money, the brilliant fiscal strategy of the US government."

If I could choose anyone for president, I would go with Ron Paul. I love the fact that he's not afraid to speak out against injustice, even though it means his reputation most of the time. He always has an answer for everything. Not a political one. A real one. Something that can actually work. For Secretary of Defense, I would choose Judge Judy. NOBODY messes with her! Last, but not least, Dave Ramsey for Secretary of Treasury.

Not only do I think we have been financially screwed, now we have those ridiculous body scanners and pat downs/probings at our airports. Our rights and freedoms are being taking away one at a time and nobody is fighting it.

My last bit on this. I promise the next post will be on a lighter note. I'm just all up in arms on the state of our country tonight. This is another excerpt from "National Suicide". These are bits and pieces from the chapter "Instructions for the President" is a detailed plan for change:
"There are more than 1,000 programs that are duplicated in the federal government, spread throughout scores of bureaus and several cabinet agencies. All programs with the same mission should be assigned to a single agency rather than being dispersed and effectively hidden, as they are now."
"Reduce the number of government employees by 20%, saving $120,000 a year for each in salary and benefits, plus a substantial savings in overhead. This is an easy task for it requires that no one need be discharged. There is a 7% turn-over each year. By not rehiring 5% a year, within 4 years the objective will be achieved."
"Change the present permissive atmosphere among bureaucrats, and prosecute those involved in any criminal activity, which has become an epidemic."
"Establish a law, or a constitutional amendment, that sets a 4-year limit on all legislation, requiring the Congress and the president to review the programs every 4 years. After review, the programs will either be extended or closed."
"Eliminate the China trade imbalance by a new equalization tax on their goods based on the value of their underpriced yuan."
"Return all mineral rights to the states on their federal lands so they can produce for the nation."
"Eliminate all support for bilingual language."
"Eliminate the birthright citizenship of children of illegal immigrants."
"Close the No Child Left Behind program and use the money to reconstruct the K-12 system."
"Eliminate all earmarks, subjecting members of Congress to ethical charges if they propose extra funds for their localities."

And my personal favorite....
"Track down and eliminate the present documented $13 billion a year fraud perpetrated by recipients of the IRS Earned Income Tax Credit welfare program for the working poor."

Sorry that I decided to vent all my political views and issues. Sometimes I just need to let it all out. Maybe I'm a bit of an idealist, but I know things could be run much better. Next post will be more upbeat.

Teen Mom: My Story

I have never seen the show "Teen Mom" nor do I ever plan to. I think that I would have found it entertaining if I had not been in that exact situation. Now, I think I would just find it insulting and very inaccurate. It seems that people today only want to focus on the outbreak of teenage pregnancies and not on the success stories many of these girls have. My story starts at the age of 16. I grew up in a Christian home with wonderful values. My parents were always very supportive and brought me up to be respectful, obedient, kind, loving, and above all - Christianly. I went to church every week and took part in many youth group activities. Here's were my first problem starts with today's society. We assume today that young girls who get pregnant have no values and must have grown up in a bad household where casual sex is accepted. This is certainly not the case. Everyone is susceptible to temptation and mistakes. I live in a small town where everyone knows everybody. Sometimes this is a good thing and sometimes it's bad. All my life I had a reputation as the "good girl". I didn't smoke, didn't party, I went to church, and I always respected my elders. My mother always taught me to be mannerly and kindhearted. I wasn't perfect by any stretch of the imagination, but I was a good kid. I began dating someone when I had just turned 14. I won't get into all the details on that, but things were not well between us. There's a lot that happened that I never want to mention. To make a long story short, he was not a good person. I knew that he was into drugs, but thought that it wouldn't matter because I could be his saving grace. I cared about him and gave my whole life over to him. He was my first serious boyfriend. Being that young and that naive, I thought that that's what love was. We dated for 2 years. I had always stood firm in my belief of abstinence. I was saving myself for my husband and was completely dedicated to that. He was not of that mindset and let me know many, many times. I can even remember a phone conversation when I put my foot firmly down and told him it wouldn't happen. He then told me that he would never hug me again because he couldn't stand to do that and not have the rest. I was upset that he would give me such an ultimatum. However, I continued to see him. He tried many times to convince me that it was okay and for 2 years I stood my ground. When he finally left for college, things changed. Long story short, I gave in. It certainly wasn't something I wanted to do. I was ashamed, but I wanted to keep him in my life so much that I was willing to do almost anything. Almost immediately I noticed changes happening. I was gaining weight. I was moody and depressed. I ate a lot. I could NOT accept the fact that I could be pregnant. So I told myself I wasn't and continued with my life like I wasn't.

Fast forward to Thanksgiving, later that year. I know by now that I am pregnant. I'm almost sure of it. When I tell him that evening, it's over between us. He's mad at me and calls me a liar. He drops me off on the side of the road to walk back in to my grandmother's house where my family was celebrating. I cried a lot. I didn't want to admit it then, but that was the best thing that could have happened to me. I had to tell my mother. This would be the hardest part. I'll never forget those few moments when she looked at me before I told her. I was so nervous. Would she kick me out? Would she demand I give my baby up for adoption? Would she hate me? Will she ever be able to look at me again? She saves me the trouble by asking me if I'm pregnant. I nod my head and mumble "yes". She calmly told me to meet her upstairs in the doctor's office. Nothing can describe the relief I felt in that moment. She didn't hate me. It was out in the open. No more secrets. A lot happened between that time and my birth. By then things were better and I had been able to continue going to school. I was made fun of though. I was looked upon like I was a horrible person. No longer was I the "good girl". I was the girl that got pregnant. What a scandal! The rumors, the stares, the whispers. I will never forget that as long as I live. People talked about me that didn't even know me. I was the butt of everyone's joke. I had to waddle down the high school corridors to my classes. My small church family who had supported me threw me a shower. My friends threw me a shower. I had 3 total. I was so incredibly blessed to have that much support. The snide comments almost paled in comparison to the wealth of love I received from my close friends and family. The price was steep, though. I lost all my old friends. I missed out on a lot of things. People nowadays think that pregnant teens just had nothing better to do and no common sense to avoid their situation. I beg to differ. Did I want to miss out on all that high school and teenage years have to offer? No.

The teenage mom stereotype is so wrong. We are not all sluts who run around offering ourselves to everyone that comes along. We are not all valueless girls who have babies because we're bored. Many of us work hard. We bear through the guilt and the judgements. We make a good life for our babies and strive to do what is best by them. I am now 23 years old. I worked for years in nonprofit before we were financially stable enough for me to stay at home. I am married to a wonderful man and we have a son who is 2. I own my home and I am not on welfare (I'm not bashing anyone who does if they really need it. But I don't agree with people who do, just because they're too lazy to work). I vote and obey the law. I may not have gone to college, but I had a career and now am a stay at home mom and Girl Scout leader. I'm not saying I haven't made mistakes since my daughter's birth. I've had some huge lapses in judgement and done many things I'm not proud of. But I'm a good person. A good mother. A good wife. I love God and I take my children to church. Please, America. Take another look at the young mothers of today. We are strong! I am proud of my status as a young mother. I can chase my kids around the house and have energy to spare. I didn't plan for this, but I am enjoying every minute of it. I had a dream of a career much different than the one I had. Giving it up was one of the easiest things I've done. My daughter meant more to me than that. Do I still crave it? Yes. Would I change anything if I could go back? Absolutely not. I am proud of teenage moms who have the guts and courage to do something with their life and take care of their babies. Forget the reality shows and look closely at the girls around you who give everything they have to be a single mother.

Former Teenage Mom, signing off.

Junie B. Jones

My sister used to read Junie B. Jones and I would always read them when she was finished, despite the fact that I was much too old to be reading them. I have always enjoyed reading about this spunky little girl who makes everything sound funny. I bought Aislinn a book when she went on a Holiday World trip with her grandpa so she'd have something to read on the way. Since that time, she has not been able to get enough of them. My mom always told me that Junie B. books were like stories about me. I was always one of those that got in trouble for talking too much and often said things no average 5 year old would say. I love how unafraid she is to call it as she sees it. She's a bit of a smarty pants, but you love her for it. Since Aislinn has started reading these books, I have noticed that she really is a Junie B. clone. Hahaha! Sometimes she'll pop out with something that sounds like it came straight out of the book. "Wowie wow wow" has become one of our favorite sayings. If you've ever read a Junie B. book you will understand that one. I had to laugh out loud the other day, despite the fact that I shouldn't have. Aislinn came home with her daily behavior sheet and a frown on her face. That is never a good thing. When I read the sheet I understood why. There was a note from her teacher saying that Aislinn had been yelling at a student and when the teacher tried to tell her to stop, Aislinn hid and kept yelling. You probably won't understand the humor in this unless you're acquainted with Junie B. I could not stop laughing at the fact that she hid (where can you hide in a classroom???) and kept yelling. Just to give you an excerpt and possibly some insight into my daughter's personality, here's one of my favorite Junie B. moments: From Junie B. Jones Has A Monster Under Her Bed. "I smiled at a boy named crybaby William. 'Guess what, William. There's no such things as monsters. And so a monster doesn't even live under my bed, probably. Right? William? Right? Right?' William moved his seat away from me. I followed him in my chair. 'I'm right, don't you think, William? A monster really doesn't live under my bed, does he? Plus also, he doesn't put my head in his mouth.' William slided his chair away some more. I scooted after him. 'Just say right. Okay, William? Just say there's not a monster under my bed. And I will be on my way.' William picked up his chair. He carried it all the way to the middle of the floor. That's how come I had to carry my chair to the middle of the floor, too. I sat down and smiled very sweet. 'Right, William? I'm right aren't I?' I said. Only too bad for me. 'Cause just then I felt hands on my shoulders. I looked up. It was Mrs. I did a gulp. 'Hello. How are you today?' I said kind of nervous. Mrs. zoomed my chair back to my table. It was not fun. I quick picked up my pencil. 'Guess what? I am going to do my work now,' I said. 'Plus also, I am not even going to talk. 'Cause I don't actually like anyone in this area.' Mrs. tapped her foot at me. 'Love your shoes,' I said real soft. Her foot kept tapping. Only just then, a very great thing happened. And it is called, the bell rang for the end of school!"

I can just see the scenario being played out in Aislinn's class. I've been compiling a list of things both my kids have said and done that have made us laugh. Once I finish my list I'll post it up here. Sometimes, your kids say something so funny, you just have to laugh, no matter how smarty it sounds. How can you not absolutely love the fact that your child is so unique and outspoken. It may be a behavior problem when they're young, but with guidance and love, it can become such a benefit to them when they're older. I wouldn't be surprised at all if Aislinn becomes the president, or an astronaut, or something else big. She has such a spirit of determination and pure guts that I know she's capable of doing anything she wants. To all the Junie B.'s of the world: You are awesome!

My babies!

Laundry & Snuggles

What an interesting day it has been! To start my day off, I needed to run outside and put oil in the car. I've been borrowing my mom's since mine is in need of a new fuel pump. I had been scared to drive home last night since the oil light was blinking. I could not for the life of me get the hood open to put any in. I drove home worried it would burn up. This morning I could have kicked myself. I had been trying to open the hood and instead had popped the trunk about 5 times! Haha! As I'm laughing at myself, I'm trying to get the oil cap off and end up ripping off my fingernail. It's one of those days. I managed to drop my girl off at school with no incidents. Our washing machine is broken for the time being, so I drove my laundry to my mom's house to wash it while she's at work. I love days when I have extra time with my little boy. There was nothing else to do while I waited for the laundry to finish so we watched TV all snuggled up together under a blanket. It's times like those that I remember my purpose here on Earth. I have brought two beautiful children into this world. They need me and I need them. I can't imagine life without them anymore. I know I had a childhood somewhere in there. I just for the life of me can't quite remember what it was like to not be a mother. As agitated as I can get over the car, my minor injury, and the major washing machine problem, somehow just relaxing and loving on my babies makes it all seem so unimportant. Parenting is a gift. I have been given two little lives to nurture and help grow. What if I mess up? It's hard to look at my children sometimes and realize that I am in control of their future for the time-being. My guidance and instruction will help to shape them into adults. They will leave my house with the knowledge that I gave them and I can only pray that I give them all they need. Bragging time: I felt such an enormous sense of pride last week when my daughter came home from school. She just started first grade. We are big readers in our house and we've always encouraged her to read because it is fun. She very quickly picked up on it and has excelled beyond our wildest expectations. She was so excited when she came home that day and told me that she was on a 4th grade reading "something". "A 4th grade reading LEVEL?" I asked her. She nodded her head. I was shocked. A first grader reading on a 4th grade level.... I needed to ask her teacher about that. The teacher sent me a note home confirming she was the only student in class to reach that level. You could have knocked me over with a feather. I'm always catching her staying up late when she thinks we won't notice. The funny thing is that she's staying up to read her books in bed. I took her sheets off to wash them and found a whole stack of books she had been hiding in her pillow to read after we tucked her in. I love it!

I say all this to point out how little the other things in life mean. The conversation I had with my mom this morning prompted this feeling in me. So many parents get caught up in their jobs, or their hobbies, or stress, or money and can sometimes lose track of the little souls that look up to them and get ousted at times because parents get too busy. I am not making any conjectures about working moms and dads. (See below post) I know that food needs to be on the table and bills need to be paid. I have worked since I was 16 and only this summer got the opportunity to stay home. I miss work, but I love the time I'm spending with my kids (and the time to clean my house). Don't lose sight of what's important. In the end, the little things won't matter. It sounds cliche but it is so very true. I wouldn't trade the time spent with the kids this summer for anything in the world. Hug your kids often and always tell them how proud you are of them. These are the building blocks to a successful and happy adult. What better gift can you give them?

Women's Lib?

This is something that has been on my mind a lot lately. I certainly don't consider myself a feminist. I do believe in equality and women in the workplace if they so choose. However, I have been both a working mother and a stay at home mom and have found both to be enjoyable and rewarding. I believe women should have the right to choose whether they want to work or stay at home. We have gained the right to choose and I don't believe either side should be persecuted for their decision. So while I'm not a feminist, I do have some major issues with women (and men) these days. I am happily married to a wonderful man who has given me so much to be proud of. I love my husband dearly. However, I have been on my soap box lately wondering what Women's Lib was for.... Was it for equality and a way to become something more than servants? Women used to stay at home and have everything prepared for her husband when he came home. She never argued or tried to imply that life at home was more stressful than her husband's job. We have moved away from that era into a new one where women can vote, work outside the home, have an opinion, and become career-minded. I think this is wonderful, but what was it for? Flipping through any channel on TV, one would think that we've done nothing to better ourselves. There are so many shows and advertisements objectifying women and the kicker is that we're doing it to ourselves! What is wrong with us? We wanted to be free from the oppression and yet we have put ourselves back in it. I just can't stomach some of these shows. Don't even get me started on Victoria's Secret. They make some awesome undies, but do we have to have those commercials bombarding us with bodies that we can never hope to possess? Meanwhile our husbands, boyfriends, etc are drooling over them. Does that make anyone else just feel terrible?? I have often struggled with my self esteem, having had two children now. Breastfeeding and pregnancy does a number on your body. I am proud of my stretch marks because they were earned by bringing two babies into this world and nursing them. They are my badges of courage, no matter how much I may hate the look of them. Haha! I look at all this media, though, and wonder how any woman is supposed to feel good about herself and confident about her looks when we have that to compare ourselves to. We can't continue to blame men for feeling this way. Men will be men and men are wired differently. I'm not saying they are blameless, but I believe women are the ones who have done this to themselves. Men are just enjoying it. Why parade around in lingerie or thong bikinis in public or in media? Are you that desperate for attention? This should be something only your husband sees. That is not empowering yourself. You are doing nothing for the female race, but turning into something perverted to only be admired if you have a perfect body. I feel I must make myself clear on this. I am not one of those moms who wears waist-high pants, granny sweaters, and no makeup. I pride myself on having a good sense of style and I do my hair and makeup daily, but that does not make me who I am. There's a big difference between looking good and looking like you want every man's eyes on your chest. I realize I have written a novel on the subject, but I feel it is very important. I hate watching TV. I hate walking into Target and seeing girls wearing nothing but lingerie as I walk to the men's clothing aisle with my husband. One day my son will be seeing these things and I can only hope that through my husband's example and my teaching that he will be respectful of women and not expect a Barbie doll for a wife. Maybe I'm an idealist. Maybe I'm a feminist in denial. Hahahaha! All I know is that I'm tired of half naked women running around the globe complaining that men only see them for their bodies. Tired of it? Put some clothes on.

What a Mess!

So we just moved into a new house a little over 3 months ago. Most of the house is in carpet, but we figured we would let the kids destroy it over the next couple of years and then replace the downstairs with bamboo flooring. By then we would have the money to invest in something like that. I have a very unique style when it comes to interior decorating. I had this wonderful idea of painting one wall black in the living room. I would paint the other walls white and paint big black words all over one of the white walls. Trust me, it looked awesome in my head. We made the stencils and started to trace them onto the wall when I happen to look down and see my 14 month old son sitting in a giant puddle of black paint. I could have died. After calling poison control and crying my eyes out we came to the conclusion that the carpet was ruined and my son would be having some very colorful diaper changes in the not too distant future. I have been applying Dawn dish soap all night and am quite surprised with the way it is turning out. My dear husband is working on the last half of it as we speak. I think we have tried every home remedy that Google could offer. I say all of this to point out the fact that you just never know what your day will bring. I woke up this morning and never suspected that my day would turn out this way. My biggest concern this morning was where I had lost my favorite sweater to. Part of me wants to cry and part of me just wants to laugh my head off. I think I will choose laugh this time around...