Friday, September 29, 2006

Well,

Since that last post prompted such heated debate...let me explain what he meant by the quote.

I heard a guy saying that parents today put way too much of a value on a good education. Not that higher education isn't a good thing, but that true greatness can't be achieved through education. Nor is education a leading indicator of how much someone will make when they grow up. nN fact, he sited research that showed that kids who were A students most likely grow up to be educators. C students having given up on trying to keep up are most likely to become entrepeneurs. Thus, A students teach B students to work for C students.

I think I may have needed to hear that. Not that I necessarily agree with him. I'll give you a "for instance". We had Open House at school on Monday. It was a wonderful evening. And, although they say they are not supposed to talk about individual performance. I did hear really good things from all of the good teachers. And, I mean really good...like top of the class good. And, this boggles my mind. Because, in reality, I have done everything wrong. Some of it wasn't entirely my fault. I mean the triplets were born premature. They spent weeks in the hospital. They weren't held all the time to help those brain synapses get going, I didn't breastfeed, I barely read to them. I let them watch Teletubbies and other programs and I let them eat sugar and play video games. So, I ask you? How in the world are they doing so well?? I stand in awe..I tell you. And, I believe it is a miracle! You tell me without saying it's a miracle how Jaden, who had a 7 minute cardiac arrest at 4 weeks old is reading at a 6th grade ++ level. It's impossible.

But, here's the thing. I can't put all of my hope on that. In fact, if all my kids do is do really well at school, then I have failed as a parent. If I haven't taught them that all of that is rubbish compared to the surpassing greatness of Christ (Phillipians 3), then I have failed.

It would be nice if the fact that in 3rd and 1st grade they are doing well in school meant that they would do well in life. It would be nice if there were some "leading indiciators" that would tell me if they would lead wonderful, fulfilling, adult lives where they serve God and others and have wonderful people in their lives who support and love them through ups and downs. I just don't know if there are. Which is why I keep praying...

Monday, September 25, 2006

Interesting.

Here's a quote I heard toady...think about it and then let me know your reaction. No, really, I"m serious about that...let me know your reaction. You know, using the comments feature ;-)

This is in reference to the value of higher education as it relates to being successful (monetarily) in life:

A students teach B students how to work for C students.

Hmmmmm....

An Open Letter to MIchigan Drivers

God help you!

I know that your economy depends on cars being bought/sold. Therefore, you must reason, that if you drive crazy and wreck a car and buy a new one, everyone wins. That's the only thing I can figure. Several questions...

1) If I am going 75 in the right lane, why do you ride my tail and get irate?
2) Conversely, how come I can be practically riding your bumper going 70 and then have to get up to 85 to pass you? Most cars built after 1974 have cruise control...it is a lovely thing.
3) IN most states, the left lane is used as a passing lane. If you have 300 cars in line behind you, a good thing to do is pull over and let the faster traffic through.

And, to the lady in Ann Arbor with the "Peace" etc. bumper stickers including one that said, "Hitting kids is never OK": Do you see the irony in yourself when you weave in and out of traffic with your child in the car going at least 80 MPH? Just curious.

Thank you...I feel much better now.

Wednesday, September 20, 2006

Family Size

So, I've been thinking lately about family size. The thing is I have gotten very used to people bugging their eyes out when they find out I have four kids, as if that is a big family. Even more astonishing to people is when I mention that if I could (if Rob/God allowed), I would have AT LEAST one more. Why is that so weird? There are stranger, less productive things I could invest my time in. And, for people who study the Bible, aren't we taught that "Sons are an inheritance from the Lord; children a reward from Him. " Psalm 127:3 and "Blessed is the man whose quiver is full[of children]" Psalm 127:5? I don't know...it's just something I've been thinking about! Anyway, I'll share with you this thing I got from a friend to highlight my point:

The government recently calculated the cost of raising a child from birth to 18 and came up with $240,000 for a middle income family. Talk about price shock! That doesn't even touch college tuition. But $240,000 isn't so bad if you break it down. It translates into * $13,333 a year, * $1100.38 a month, or * $250.00 a week. * That's a mere $36.00 a day! * Just over a dollar an hour. Still, you might think the best financial advice is don't have children if you want to be "rich." Actually, it is just the opposite.

What do you get for your $240,000?
* Naming rights. First, middle, and last
* Glimpses of God every day
* Giggles under the covers every night.
* More love than your heart can hold.
* Butterfly kisses and Velcro hugs.
* Endless wonder over rocks, ants, clouds, and warm cookies.
* A hand to hold, usually covered with jelly or chocolate.
* A partner for blowing bubbles and flying kites.
* Someone to laugh yourself silly with, no matter what the boss said or how your stocks performed that day

For $240,000 you never have to grow up. You get to:
* finger -paint.
* carve pumpkins.
* play hide-and-seek.
* catch lightning bugs.
* never stop believing in Santa Claus.

You have an excuse to:
* keep reading the Adventures of Piglet and Pooh.
* watch Saturday morning cartoons.
* go to Disney movies.
* wish on stars

You get to frame rainbows, hearts, and flowers under refrigerator magnets and collect spray painted noodle wreaths for Christmas, hand prints set in clay for Mother's Day, and cards with backward letters for Father's Day

For a mere $36.00 a day, there is no greater bang for your buck. You get to be a hero just for:
* retrieving a Frisbee off the garage roof.
* taking the training wheels off a bike.
* removing a splinter.
* filling a wading pool.
* coaxing a wad of gum out of bangs.
* and coaching a baseball team that never wins but always gets treated to ice cream regardless

You get a front row seat in history to witness the:
* first step
* first word
* first bra
* first date
* first time behind the wheel

You get to be immortal. You get another branch added to your family tree and if you're lucky, a long list of limbs in your obituary called grandchildren and great grandchildren. You get an education in psychology, nursing, criminal justice, communications, and human sexuality that no college can match. In the eyes of a child, you rank right up there under God. You have all the power to heal a boo-boo, scare away the monsters under the bed, patch a broken heart, police a slumber party, ground them forever, and love them without limits, so one day they will, like you, love without counting the cost. That is quite a deal for the price!!

Love & enjoy your children & grandchildren. It's the best investment you'll make.

Tuesday, September 19, 2006

My 100th post

Yes, on this, Talk-Like-A-Pirate Day, I made my 100th post. In honor of this occasion, I present you with this quick quiz to see what your pirate personality might be. Enjoy!

http://www.talklikeapirate.com/ppi.html

Tuesday, September 12, 2006

The Zany Adventures of Kosmo Kramer


I shouldv'e known when we named our cat after this guy 11 years ago, he'd be nothing but trouble. You see, we've been trying to get rid of our cat for many weeks now. Why? Because he no longer uses his litter box. We've tried adopting him out to people...no luck. Here's a snapshot of some of the things we have tried recently to get rid of him.

Trip to Humane Society:
Me: "Hi. Um, can you please take my cat?"
Nasty-PETA-Lesbian-Lady: "Why, what's wrong with him?"
Me: "Well, he pees and poops all over the place."
NPLL: "Have you tried changing the litter?"
Me (Only in my head) Response #1: "Well, I did change it that one time when we moved to our house 6 years ago." Response #2: "What is this 'litter' you speak of?"
Me: "Um, yeah...I've changed the litter."
NPLL: "Well, we are are full and can't take any more cats. We have over 200 cats" yada, yada, yada
Me: "Can I trade?"
NPLL: "No."

Ok. Let's try the vet.

Me: "Hi. WE totally hate, er, I mean love our cat. BUt, he's peeing and pooping all over the place. Is there anything we can do for him?"
Dr.: "Well, maybe he has an infection, we could give him some antibiotics."
Me: "Yeah. Can't we just, say, put him to sleep?"
Dr. :" Well, I can't ethically do that." Yada, yada, yada.
Bottom Line: My cat comes home with some antibiotics and antidepressants. If those don't work in 4-6 weeks, we can talk about putting him down. And, yes, I did say my cat is on antidepressants.

Here are things still left to try:

1) Go to an out of town vet, walk in and say, "Hi, I'm Sally Jones and this is Tiger for a 11:00 appointment." The receptionist will say she doesn't have us listed for an appointment. I'll say, "I'll go out to the car and get the card." Leaving Kosmo in the waiting room, I'll "go out to get the card" and take off!

2) Drop Kosmo off at a very exclusive resort AKA "Butkas Cat Care Business". At BCCB, cats are encourged to return to the feral roots. They are dropped of in a remote section of a large farm and then allowed to fend for themselves.

3) Keep Kosmo outside all of the time until one of the neighbors complain that I am mistreating my cat. I think then the humane society will come and get it. Sure, it might mean a night or two in jail for Rob and/or I, but really, it's a small price to pay.

4) Have the children start peeing and pooping all over the place as an object lesson to show Kosmo just how ridiculous he is being.

5) {INSERT YOUR SUGGESTION HERE}

Monday, September 11, 2006

9/11/01

I find myself watching alot of the coverage of the 9/11 anniversary events today. I'm not really sure why...it really hadn't fazed me the past few years. Who can help but think about where they were 5 years ago today. This morning, as I watched the Today show, Jonathan came down and sat on my lap and asked me, "What is 9/11?". I asked him some questions to see if he had any memory of the event and was kind of surprised to find out that he didn't. Strange, isn't it?An event he can't even remember will have such a profound impact on his life.

Most of the children in today's elementary schools can't remember 9/11, but their parents sure can. People who have taught for a long, long time say that this generation of parents are some of the most over-protective and un-trusting they have seen. NO wonder.Think of what we have seen since then...the images we've had to process. We've seen terrorists bomb busses, trains, and subways. We've seen them invade schools and take hostages. We've been told that we need to come up with a family terror plan and buy plastic covers and duck tape for our windows. We've seen arrests and close calls. We've seen danger.

We no longer have to just worry about strangers approaching our children on the street, we have to worry about them posing as 13 year-olds and approaching them in chat rooms. We no longer have to just worry about our children getting sick from the flu or pneumonia, there's now Avian Flu, SARS, anthrax. WE don't just have to worry about our kids getting in fights with kids at school, but we have to worry about MySpace character asassinations. And, whether it's conscience like it is today, or buried somewhere in our subconscience, we worry that one day, maybe soon, our kids could be victims of a terror attack. So, maybe, just maybe, there is good reason for our overproectiveness and untrusting natures.

During an interview with President Bush today, Matt Lauer asked, "If we saw all of the intelligence that you see on a daily basis, would it be harder for us to sleep at night?" The president said probably so. So, Matt Lauer asked, "So, then, how do you sleep at night?" And, the President answered, "Because I have faith in Almighty God" Amen. You see, I owe it to my children to remember that though I do not know what the future holds, I know WHO holds the future. I know WHO holds their future. And, I pray that He will guard them and protect them, especially when I can't.

Tuesday, September 05, 2006

Some Interesting Comversations

I had this weekend... I'll keep the names confidential to protect the innocent.

This one struck me as strange:

Me to Son #1 who came downstairs after sleeping in his underwear: "Son, what's all over the front of your underwear?"
S1: "Chocolate"
Me: "Ummm, how did you get chocolate all over the front of your underwear"
S1: "I was eating chocolate in bed."
Me: "Okaaaaaay."

This one made me laugh:

Son #2(these are not in birth order, don't try to guess) was trying to do the Hand Jive from Grease. After messing up a few times, S2 exclaims: "Great! Now I'll never get in Grease the Musical!"


Here's another:

During the playing of Family Basketball last night (or, as I call it, the time where I sit inside terribly embarrased at my children's lack of ability to get along with one another) Son #1 was really being uncooperative. I asked him to come inside and I told him he was being uncooperative. He got very upset, indeed. After he calmed down, I asked him why he got so upset. He said that he didn't like my calling him a name. I said, "Uncooperative?" He said, "Yes. I don't even know who Uncle Ofrative is!"

I can't tell you any about Trisha since that would be a dead give-away! :)

Friday, September 01, 2006

What I Did This Summer

In typical back-to-school-essay style: (Although I've forgotten how to write an essay)

Besides the everyday summer type things like swimming, picnics, playdates, movies, vacations, etc. I did something very interesting this summer. I went on a 30 day fast. Yes, it's true. From June 12th-July 11th, I ate nothing! I only drank juices and water and maybe occassionally some tea.

I decided to fast because I felt like I needed some cleansing physically and spiritually. John Piper in his book, "A Hunger for God" says: "If you have no desire for God, it is not because you have drunk deeply and are satisfied. It is because you have nibbled too long at the table of the world. Your soul is stuffed with small things and there is no room for the great. God did not create you for this. "

The first week was difficult but after that it really was quite, well, refreshing, I guess. It was really an incredible experience, and probably something I will try to do once a year.