I thought I would share my fabulous morning with all of you.
5:30 AM - Wake up, courtesy of Jack. I could understand when he woke up this early when it was light outside, but now the days are getting longer and it's still dark at the butt-crack of dawn. But still...he's up.
5:32 AM - Coffee brewing. Even Jack knows to leave me alone until I've had my first cup. Start Mickey Mouse Clubhouse DVD for my little early riser.
5:52 AM - Finally...a cup of coffee.
6:03 AM - Restart Mickey Mouse Clubhouse DVD.
6:15 AM - Chris leaves for work. Sucks to be him.
6:30 AM - Aiden wakes up and scampers downstairs, informing me very loudly that it's raining. I look out the window - it's cloudless and probably 80 degrees already.
6:33 AM - Aiden asks for food. Jack asks for food. I make Eggo Waffles.
6:34 AM - Restart Mickey Mouse Clubhouse DVD.
6:40 AM - Get bumped by small children bouncing on the couch and spill coffee all over my leg.
6:41 AM - Go into the kitchen for a towel and step in a puddle of apple juice next to an "unspillable" sippy cup.
6:43 AM - Change pants. Change socks.
6:45 AM - Get another cup of coffee. Sit down at the computer.
6:46 AM - Realize Jack's PJ's are soaking wet from the apple juice spill.
6:47 AM - Remove wet PJ's and send him off to play in his diaper.
6:48 AM - Sit down at the computer with coffee...again.
6:49 AM - Aiden asks for food. Jack asks for food. I make Eggo waffles...again.
6:53 AM - Sit down at the computer with coffee. Coffee is cold. Reheat coffee in the microwave.
6:55 AM - Aiden has to go potty. I clean up that mess, since he is, after all, a boy.
6:58 AM - Help Jack wash his hands. He insists on washing his hands every time Aiden goes potty. What can I say, he's clean.
7:00 AM - Sit down with coffee at the computer.
7:02 AM - Restart Mickey Mouse Clubhouse DVD.
7:03 AM - Sit down with coffee at the computer. Wait expectantly for a "MOMMY!!!!"...all is quiet. I manage to actually write a blog post.
It's now 7:20 AM.
I'm tired.
Thursday, September 10, 2009
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
The Reality of War
I'm sure most of you are aware by now of the recent firestorm surrounding the Associated Press and their decision to publish a photo of a dying Marine. Like most members and family members of the military, I am shocked and appalled by the AP's decision. The Associated Press defended their decision by saying they felt it was important to convey the reality of war, and the reality is that people die.
I believe that we are ALL aware of this fact already. And while I am a big supporter of telling people the truth (especially in the media), we all know this rarely happens. From day one of our campaigns against the terrorists in Iraq and Afghanistan, the press has been steadily feeding the American people a boatload of horrific stories. We always hear about the bad things that happen, the civilians who get killed, the abuse being done to these poor innocent people by our big, bad soldiers. Why? Because that's what sells newspapers. People don't want to hear about the schools our soldiers have rebuilt, about the electricity and plumbing being brought to people who never had it before, about the scores of Afghani and Iraqi women who are now able to hold jobs and attend college. That's boring to the voyeuristic people who only want to read about the horrors of war. So why should we be surprised when the AP decides to run a photo of one of our brave Marines while he's dying? That's juicy stuff!
But in the media's race to get the scoop, they've forgotten one very important thing. It is imperative that while we are in the midst of this terrible war and the horrors of terrorism that surround us every day, we must retain our humanity. Our compassion. Isn't that what the terrorists themselves have forgotten? Aren't we fighting to protect the humanity and the rights of people who can't defend themselves? Isn't this what Lance Corporal Joshua Bernard died fighting to protect? So why does the Associated Press feel it's okay to disregard the express wishes of his family, deny their and their slain son's right to privacy and plaster this horrible piece of "journalism" all over the newspapers? This act alone shows man's inhumanity to man more clearly than any roadside bomb. Why? Because WE SHOULD KNOW BETTER. To deny this Marine a dignified death, to plaster a family's grief at the loss of their son across every breakfast table in America is simply inhuman. We call it barbaric when a terrorist group publicly executes a criminal, beheading them on television. We thank God that our culture is not that bloodthirsty. Is this not the same thing?
The family of Lance Corporal Bernard as well as Secretary of Defense Gates both appealed to the AP, begging that this photo not be run. But the AP decided they knew better. After "careful deliberation", the editors made the decision to run it anyway, even though they knew this would cause the family even more grief at a time when they deserve our country's support and understanding. I am personally ashamed that the Freedom of the Press, which is among the freedoms that Lance Corporal Bernard swore to defend with his life (an oath which he upheld to the fullest), is now being used to disrespect him in such a manner. I have one question for the editors of the Associated Press. If it were your son in that photo, would your decision have been different?
My deepest condolences to the family of Lance Corporal Bernard. May your son rest in Everlasting Peace.
I believe that we are ALL aware of this fact already. And while I am a big supporter of telling people the truth (especially in the media), we all know this rarely happens. From day one of our campaigns against the terrorists in Iraq and Afghanistan, the press has been steadily feeding the American people a boatload of horrific stories. We always hear about the bad things that happen, the civilians who get killed, the abuse being done to these poor innocent people by our big, bad soldiers. Why? Because that's what sells newspapers. People don't want to hear about the schools our soldiers have rebuilt, about the electricity and plumbing being brought to people who never had it before, about the scores of Afghani and Iraqi women who are now able to hold jobs and attend college. That's boring to the voyeuristic people who only want to read about the horrors of war. So why should we be surprised when the AP decides to run a photo of one of our brave Marines while he's dying? That's juicy stuff!
But in the media's race to get the scoop, they've forgotten one very important thing. It is imperative that while we are in the midst of this terrible war and the horrors of terrorism that surround us every day, we must retain our humanity. Our compassion. Isn't that what the terrorists themselves have forgotten? Aren't we fighting to protect the humanity and the rights of people who can't defend themselves? Isn't this what Lance Corporal Joshua Bernard died fighting to protect? So why does the Associated Press feel it's okay to disregard the express wishes of his family, deny their and their slain son's right to privacy and plaster this horrible piece of "journalism" all over the newspapers? This act alone shows man's inhumanity to man more clearly than any roadside bomb. Why? Because WE SHOULD KNOW BETTER. To deny this Marine a dignified death, to plaster a family's grief at the loss of their son across every breakfast table in America is simply inhuman. We call it barbaric when a terrorist group publicly executes a criminal, beheading them on television. We thank God that our culture is not that bloodthirsty. Is this not the same thing?
The family of Lance Corporal Bernard as well as Secretary of Defense Gates both appealed to the AP, begging that this photo not be run. But the AP decided they knew better. After "careful deliberation", the editors made the decision to run it anyway, even though they knew this would cause the family even more grief at a time when they deserve our country's support and understanding. I am personally ashamed that the Freedom of the Press, which is among the freedoms that Lance Corporal Bernard swore to defend with his life (an oath which he upheld to the fullest), is now being used to disrespect him in such a manner. I have one question for the editors of the Associated Press. If it were your son in that photo, would your decision have been different?
My deepest condolences to the family of Lance Corporal Bernard. May your son rest in Everlasting Peace.
Monday, September 7, 2009
Hello....Anyone There???
Yes, I know. It's been a while. I'm sorry, I just haven't felt like blogging lately. I'd say I don't have time, but we all know that's a lie since I'm addicted to Facebook and spend too much time taking dumb quizzes to find out what 80's cartoon character I am. But I decided that I miss blogging, and I'm going to really start trying to update this more. It's not for lack of things to talk about, that's for sure!
For starters, I'm re-entering the workforce. For all of my fellow SAHM's, don't panic! I'm getting certified to provide Army Family Childcare in my home. I'm almost done with the process, I have to go through my inspections still, but I'm almost there! I'm really excited to start, I think it will be a great way to earn another income and still stay home with my kids while they're little. Our family room has been turned into a preschool classroom, which is actually turning out rather well. Don't call me a "babysitter", for I have lesson plans and menus and LOTS of training. I'm really more like an at-home preschool teacher. Trust me, I'll be earning my paycheck! I'm hoping to be open the beginning of October.
What else? Let's see...Aiden is mostly potty-trained. I say "mostly" because up until a couple of days ago he flat out refused to put his #2 in the potty. I got to the point where I was so frustrated with the whole thing, the doctor told me to put him back in diapers and take a break from it. Lo and behold, after a couple of weeks back in diapers, he took the initiative and pooped on the potty. All by himself. So far we've had it happen twice, I'm hoping it will stick. Cross your fingers because I'm REALLY tired of two in diapers....
My sister is going to have a baby in like, 3 days. I'm super excited to be an Auntie again, this time on my side of the family! Pray that everything goes well, since she's also suffering from a gallstone, which can't be removed until after delivery. I can't imagine being 9 months pregnant and having a gallstone.
Anyway, I *hope* to be updating this a lot more often than every 4 months, so keep checking back, I've missed you...:-)
For starters, I'm re-entering the workforce. For all of my fellow SAHM's, don't panic! I'm getting certified to provide Army Family Childcare in my home. I'm almost done with the process, I have to go through my inspections still, but I'm almost there! I'm really excited to start, I think it will be a great way to earn another income and still stay home with my kids while they're little. Our family room has been turned into a preschool classroom, which is actually turning out rather well. Don't call me a "babysitter", for I have lesson plans and menus and LOTS of training. I'm really more like an at-home preschool teacher. Trust me, I'll be earning my paycheck! I'm hoping to be open the beginning of October.
What else? Let's see...Aiden is mostly potty-trained. I say "mostly" because up until a couple of days ago he flat out refused to put his #2 in the potty. I got to the point where I was so frustrated with the whole thing, the doctor told me to put him back in diapers and take a break from it. Lo and behold, after a couple of weeks back in diapers, he took the initiative and pooped on the potty. All by himself. So far we've had it happen twice, I'm hoping it will stick. Cross your fingers because I'm REALLY tired of two in diapers....
My sister is going to have a baby in like, 3 days. I'm super excited to be an Auntie again, this time on my side of the family! Pray that everything goes well, since she's also suffering from a gallstone, which can't be removed until after delivery. I can't imagine being 9 months pregnant and having a gallstone.
Anyway, I *hope* to be updating this a lot more often than every 4 months, so keep checking back, I've missed you...:-)
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
Monday, May 11, 2009
Friday, May 8, 2009
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
Boy Crazy
Certain people have been giving me grief for not writing on here lately. And I know it, I've been neglecting this blog. It's not intentional, I'm just, well...I'll tell you about it.
I titled this post "Boy Crazy". I don't mean I'm crazy for boys, I mean I'm crazy from boys. I realize that all toddlers and preschoolers, boys AND girls, can and do cause their mothers grief. But I just really think that boys are worse. They just seem to have this genetic predisposition to trouble. Of course, in my case that's probably not far from accurate, considering their father's childhood exploits. But did NONE of my DNA get in there? Seriously!?
And I think that they just go around looking for ways to drive me crazy. That's their sole reasoning behind the act. Drive Mom Crazy. I mean, what other reason could Aiden have for, say, pouring furniture polish on the couch? Or, getting the kitchen scissors out of the dishwasher and giving his little brother a haircut? And that was just yesterday. He also enjoys locking his little brother in the pantry, and drawing on the wood floor with crayons. At least they're washable.
And he's not the only one. Jack may look all cute an innocent, but he's just as guilty. There is of course the now-infamous piano incident. He also managed to get Daddy's cell phone off the charger and hide it in a still unknown location. Or let's see...he decided to help me clean up the bathroom by dumping several articles of clothing into the toilet, along with a toy car and a whole roll of toilet paper. I'm just glad he hasn't figured out the flusher, although I'm sure it's just a matter of time.
I could go on and on. Needless to say, at the end of the day, I'm tired. Actually, that's not true. I'm tired all day long. So as much as I would love to spend an hour in the evening recording this time in my life for all posterity, I'm usually cracking open a bottle of wine and praying fervently that Jack will sleep for longer than 2 hours before waking up again. I also make a valiant attempt each night to clean up the destruction the kids have left in their wake, although by about 10 o'clock the next morning I'm seriously wondering why I bothered.
Right now, I'm going to go take a nap. Last night Jack was up every 20-30 minutes, he was coming down with a cold and was extremely restless. I didn't get much sleep. In fact, I pretty much didn't get any sleep at all, so keep my state of extreme sleep deprivation in mind when you're reading this, and ignore any and all grammatical and spelling errors. Please. I is tired. Chris is home for his day off from the field, and to my way of thinking, he can deal with the kids for a while. As long as everyone is still alive and in one piece when I wake up, it's all good....
I titled this post "Boy Crazy". I don't mean I'm crazy for boys, I mean I'm crazy from boys. I realize that all toddlers and preschoolers, boys AND girls, can and do cause their mothers grief. But I just really think that boys are worse. They just seem to have this genetic predisposition to trouble. Of course, in my case that's probably not far from accurate, considering their father's childhood exploits. But did NONE of my DNA get in there? Seriously!?
And I think that they just go around looking for ways to drive me crazy. That's their sole reasoning behind the act. Drive Mom Crazy. I mean, what other reason could Aiden have for, say, pouring furniture polish on the couch? Or, getting the kitchen scissors out of the dishwasher and giving his little brother a haircut? And that was just yesterday. He also enjoys locking his little brother in the pantry, and drawing on the wood floor with crayons. At least they're washable.
And he's not the only one. Jack may look all cute an innocent, but he's just as guilty. There is of course the now-infamous piano incident. He also managed to get Daddy's cell phone off the charger and hide it in a still unknown location. Or let's see...he decided to help me clean up the bathroom by dumping several articles of clothing into the toilet, along with a toy car and a whole roll of toilet paper. I'm just glad he hasn't figured out the flusher, although I'm sure it's just a matter of time.
I could go on and on. Needless to say, at the end of the day, I'm tired. Actually, that's not true. I'm tired all day long. So as much as I would love to spend an hour in the evening recording this time in my life for all posterity, I'm usually cracking open a bottle of wine and praying fervently that Jack will sleep for longer than 2 hours before waking up again. I also make a valiant attempt each night to clean up the destruction the kids have left in their wake, although by about 10 o'clock the next morning I'm seriously wondering why I bothered.
Right now, I'm going to go take a nap. Last night Jack was up every 20-30 minutes, he was coming down with a cold and was extremely restless. I didn't get much sleep. In fact, I pretty much didn't get any sleep at all, so keep my state of extreme sleep deprivation in mind when you're reading this, and ignore any and all grammatical and spelling errors. Please. I is tired. Chris is home for his day off from the field, and to my way of thinking, he can deal with the kids for a while. As long as everyone is still alive and in one piece when I wake up, it's all good....
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