I'm back to being annoyed about religion and my daughter.
Refer to this for background.
Maya's friend recently moved from four houses down to the subdivison up the street from us; gorgeous house, btw. Totally jealous.
The friend (H) is Mormon; I am very tolerant and accepting of Mormons. Really. You wouldn't believe the hatred christians have towards LDS. Like, Real Christians do not consider Mormons Christians, even though Mormons definitely (at least the many I know) classify themselves as such. I'm sure everyone has a little Salt Lake somewhere near where they live, but I am seriously nestled in the bosom of Little Salt Lake. Everywhere you turn, there is a Mormon church. Few missionaries, though.
I, however, am not Christian. I do not believe in god or christ. I just don't buy it, and I think that's just fine. Paige is godless, as well, as is Wayne. Brittani loves Jesus. She goes to youth group, but that is the extent of her worship within designated walls.
Maya has minimal exposure to Christianity, except when she goes to H's house.
Maya and I were on our way to my mom and dad's house for dinner, when she mentioned to me that she believe is god and jesus and in heaven and that there are gold houses in heaven. She was very idignant when she was telling me this. She gets really angry that I don't believe in god, etc.
I don't know what to do.
I am conflicted because Wayne and I came to our Atheism/Agnosticism after being raised Christian (he: Baptist; I: Catholic). We arrived at our own beliefs after having exposure to the idea of God, Jesus, the Holy Ghost (do Baptists belive that?). I feel like it is unfair to tell her, "just trust us, baby, there is no god. We know." I don't know how deep I should go into the topic considering she is only 6. But I guess, OTOH, Christians tell their kids, "trust us, baby; there is a God who brought forth his son, Jesus, to die for our sins, etc..."
What I do know is that if I decide for Maya to attend church (Sunday school, most likely), I want to decide which crazy doctrine she'll learn; I don't want her learning religion from my neighbor! And to tell the child that there are gold houses in heaven? That is such a scam. The whole scenario is glamorous and fantastic and really appeals to a 6 year old who loves to play fairies. Oh, and this is the same friend who told Maya that there is no santa claus. Completely out of line, if you ask me. I don't know what to do. maya loves H. H really loves God. I mean, really, really loves God. They have large pictures of the Salt Lake Temple in their house. Framed. Hanging on the wall.
The thing that worries me is that Christianity is an easy sell to kids; it really is. They believe whatever you tell them (just ask my dad, who can tell quite a tall tale), and they trust you to be honest with them. They don't question the existence of God and Jesus. If you say it, they will believe you.
I tend to believe that Maya believes in God and Heaven because people whom she respects frequently talk to her about it. Wayne and I don't engage her in conversation about why we don't believe in God. God is quite simply a non-issue in our household. I don't think about being Agnostic just like I don't think about the color of my eyes. Maybe it is time to start to give her confidence in our godlessness.
H has moved five minutes farther down the road, so I can start to passive-aggressively keep Maya from playing with her for the time being, or I could talk to H's mom, who I like, about talking to her kid about NOT shoving their beliefs down her throat.
I'm going to do some Googling and see what I can find. I wonder if Amazon has a book that addresses this issue.
Sunday, January 28, 2007
my mind is set on overdrive
I like comfort.
I'm not talking about those "cute" tracksuits that the PTA moms wear to the post office and the grocery; I mean comfort as in Comfort Zone. I like things to be as they always have been. Assuming that "as they always have been" is sane and level.
When I'm out of my comfort zone, I eat. I like warm, heavy, satisfying foods. And hot fudge.
But I just realized tonight that I like other comfort items, too.
Awesome movies that are always going to be awesome and totally watchable, even if you've seen 'em 500 times.
Music that puts you right where you were when you listened the first and four-thousandth times. Like this or this and some of this. Times that were innocent, crazy, fucked up, settled, whatever.
So, my dad has some kind of health issue that is about clear as mud right now; whatever it is, it's in the cervical spine area. I don't know if it's in the actual spinal cord or if it's hanging out around the vertabra taunting us with its creepiness. We'll know more next week; he has a MRI scheduled for Thursday, which will clarify the situation, we hope. I refuse to get worked up about it right now; I'll save that for if it's REALLY necessary and not because I crave drama.
This is, like, the fifth blog I've attempted today.
My sister and I got into it on Friday. It's tiring. She won't hear what I'm saying; she takes my words and twists them to suit her victim mentality, which enrages me, which further fuels her opinion that "Shannon is big fat meanie". Emotionally, I am exhausted when I think of her and my niece and nephew.
sigh.
When I speak with her, I can hear in her voice the expression on her face, her body language. She thinks that I think I am a better (fill in the blank) than she. Heh. No matter how many times I tell her that isn't the case, that I am not judging her or whatever, everything I say falls on deaf ears. So I yell.
But really, I've only been in two yelling fights with my sister. I just avoid talking to her anymore. She doesn't want to talk to me anyway, and she really has nothing to say to me. Funny how things can change so completely and so suddenly. A year ago, this dysfunction and anger was not part of our relationship dynamic.
Things--between the two of us, anyway-- was comfortable. One never really realizes how disposable a relationship can be.
And this is why I like things that are comfortable. As the walls come crashing down, I'll have my baked potato soup in my bowl, Say Anything on the TV, my iPod earbuds in playing The Smiths or Depeche Mode with my hot fudge waiting in the wings. Maybe that will make me more comfortable?
Hm.
Oh, and my poor husband is stuck in a building that was aflame today. Scary shit. Big building, too. He has no power, and no elevator. Many, many flights of stairs, but he's confined still, so maybe the lifts will be working by the time he is released.
It sounds like he's in prison. Sometimes it seems like it.
I'm not talking about those "cute" tracksuits that the PTA moms wear to the post office and the grocery; I mean comfort as in Comfort Zone. I like things to be as they always have been. Assuming that "as they always have been" is sane and level.
When I'm out of my comfort zone, I eat. I like warm, heavy, satisfying foods. And hot fudge.
But I just realized tonight that I like other comfort items, too.
Awesome movies that are always going to be awesome and totally watchable, even if you've seen 'em 500 times.
Music that puts you right where you were when you listened the first and four-thousandth times. Like this or this and some of this. Times that were innocent, crazy, fucked up, settled, whatever.
So, my dad has some kind of health issue that is about clear as mud right now; whatever it is, it's in the cervical spine area. I don't know if it's in the actual spinal cord or if it's hanging out around the vertabra taunting us with its creepiness. We'll know more next week; he has a MRI scheduled for Thursday, which will clarify the situation, we hope. I refuse to get worked up about it right now; I'll save that for if it's REALLY necessary and not because I crave drama.
This is, like, the fifth blog I've attempted today.
My sister and I got into it on Friday. It's tiring. She won't hear what I'm saying; she takes my words and twists them to suit her victim mentality, which enrages me, which further fuels her opinion that "Shannon is big fat meanie". Emotionally, I am exhausted when I think of her and my niece and nephew.
sigh.
When I speak with her, I can hear in her voice the expression on her face, her body language. She thinks that I think I am a better (fill in the blank) than she. Heh. No matter how many times I tell her that isn't the case, that I am not judging her or whatever, everything I say falls on deaf ears. So I yell.
But really, I've only been in two yelling fights with my sister. I just avoid talking to her anymore. She doesn't want to talk to me anyway, and she really has nothing to say to me. Funny how things can change so completely and so suddenly. A year ago, this dysfunction and anger was not part of our relationship dynamic.
Things--between the two of us, anyway-- was comfortable. One never really realizes how disposable a relationship can be.
And this is why I like things that are comfortable. As the walls come crashing down, I'll have my baked potato soup in my bowl, Say Anything on the TV, my iPod earbuds in playing The Smiths or Depeche Mode with my hot fudge waiting in the wings. Maybe that will make me more comfortable?
Hm.
Oh, and my poor husband is stuck in a building that was aflame today. Scary shit. Big building, too. He has no power, and no elevator. Many, many flights of stairs, but he's confined still, so maybe the lifts will be working by the time he is released.
It sounds like he's in prison. Sometimes it seems like it.
Saturday, January 27, 2007
out-of-hospital births in Washington state
(from my inbox)
Please repost this on your blogs, your myspace bulletins and send this information out to anyone you know in Washington state.
The Problem
Midwives pay the highest licensing fee of any healthcare profession. Next year, the fee is likely to be over $3000 for a one year license. By contrast, physicians pay $330, dentists $230, registered nurses $50. The current law says that each healthcare profession must fund its own regulatory affairs at the Department of Health. With only 90 licensed midwives in the state, the burden of supporting a department is huge and growing. As the license fees go up each year, more midwives quit, leaving fewer midwives to pay the fees the next year. If this trend continues, out-of-hospital midwifery will become financially impossible.
The Solution
There is a proposal--House Bill 1667--that is going through the legislative process in
This bill offers a permanent, fair solution to the licensing problem. The full text of the bill can be found at http://apps.
How You Can Help
To find out who your state senator/representat
You can also help by supporting the Midwives Association of Washington State, the group that works tirelessly on many fronts to preserve midwifery. http://www.washingt
Thank You!
Thursday, January 25, 2007
new bed
Wayne and I are getting a new bed. Brand new. KING size. Yeah, baby.
We went mattress hopping last weekend at Costco, which was kind of weird, and we decided to get a Stearns and Foster mattress that is Mama Bear soft. Wayne would have preferred a firmer mattress, but he is humoring me on this one.
I insist on new sheets that are a decent thread count. I actually learned a bit about thread count; bigger isn't always better-- especially when talking thread count. We have really nice sheets right now that are probably 400-500 TC. They have to be the best sheets I have ever slept on.
The bed should be here any time between 2 days and five days. I can't wait!
We took Paige and Brian to the G Love concert on Tuesday at the showbox. Wayne and I were going to have dinner at the Crab Pot, but it closed too early. Paige was confused about what time the concert strted, so we were actually in Seattle about 2 hours too early. We sat in St. Arbucks and chatted (me, Wayne, Brian, and Paige) while a homeless man, who I thought was on a cellphone, was really interjecting into our conversation the whole time. Finally we dropped the kids off and we dined at Chandlers. It. Was. So. Good.
Wayne has eaten there many times, but I don't get out to the Big City very often anymore. Wayne is only there daily.
After dinner, which included three (?) lemon drops, we walked to some bar where i had at least three, maybe foure, more lemon drops. I love lemon drops.
I was pretty shitfaced by the time we picked Paige and Brian up from the concert. I dealt with a kiler hangover the next day. KILLER. I do not metabolize my liquor as well at almost-36 y.o. as I did at, say, 28 y.o.
Okay, I have to go snuggle wit mah man.
We went mattress hopping last weekend at Costco, which was kind of weird, and we decided to get a Stearns and Foster mattress that is Mama Bear soft. Wayne would have preferred a firmer mattress, but he is humoring me on this one.
I insist on new sheets that are a decent thread count. I actually learned a bit about thread count; bigger isn't always better-- especially when talking thread count. We have really nice sheets right now that are probably 400-500 TC. They have to be the best sheets I have ever slept on.
The bed should be here any time between 2 days and five days. I can't wait!
We took Paige and Brian to the G Love concert on Tuesday at the showbox. Wayne and I were going to have dinner at the Crab Pot, but it closed too early. Paige was confused about what time the concert strted, so we were actually in Seattle about 2 hours too early. We sat in St. Arbucks and chatted (me, Wayne, Brian, and Paige) while a homeless man, who I thought was on a cellphone, was really interjecting into our conversation the whole time. Finally we dropped the kids off and we dined at Chandlers. It. Was. So. Good.
Wayne has eaten there many times, but I don't get out to the Big City very often anymore. Wayne is only there daily.
After dinner, which included three (?) lemon drops, we walked to some bar where i had at least three, maybe foure, more lemon drops. I love lemon drops.
I was pretty shitfaced by the time we picked Paige and Brian up from the concert. I dealt with a kiler hangover the next day. KILLER. I do not metabolize my liquor as well at almost-36 y.o. as I did at, say, 28 y.o.
Okay, I have to go snuggle wit mah man.
five words
Okay, Jill and Susannah have inspired me.
Five words that describe my marriage:
drunk. 1. because we were drunk when we first started dating; we were drunk when we conceived our child; we like to drink. We are drinking wine right now, actually. His glass is big and mine is small. 2. we are drunk with love, baby.
trust. I trust Wayne completely. I have been in other relationships where I did not rust my bf. I didn't trust those men to not cheat on me, to not lie to me, to not hit me, yell and scream at me and just generally disrespect me. A friend asked me the other day if I thought Wayne was cheating on me. Nev-er. Not once has it crossed my mind.
comfortable. We've been together for 10+ years. We are very comfortable with each other. This is the guy who dislodged a freaking Instead from my cervix when we were together for only a month or so. He's seen weird things happen to my body and removed weird things (in addition to the Instead) from my body. He also has the perfect chest on which I lay upon before falling asleep at night. Very comfy.
cooperative. he isn' a freaking sexist pig guy who expects me to stay home and take care of the kids, have the house immaculate and dinner on the table when he comes home from work. In fact, tonight he made dinner. Well, I chopped the basil and sliced the polenta. He did all the rest after going to the store to get his favorite marinara (Copolla) and talking to Brittani for 30-45 minutes to calm her down (her iPod, which was an xmas gift, was stolen at school today). We work so well together; he is motivated, and I am lazy. He motivates me while I make him slack a little.
sloppy. We are. Really. It's kind of gross sometimes. Sloppy kisses; sloppy other stuff. It's good times, though...
Your turn!
Five words that describe my marriage:
drunk. 1. because we were drunk when we first started dating; we were drunk when we conceived our child; we like to drink. We are drinking wine right now, actually. His glass is big and mine is small. 2. we are drunk with love, baby.
trust. I trust Wayne completely. I have been in other relationships where I did not rust my bf. I didn't trust those men to not cheat on me, to not lie to me, to not hit me, yell and scream at me and just generally disrespect me. A friend asked me the other day if I thought Wayne was cheating on me. Nev-er. Not once has it crossed my mind.
comfortable. We've been together for 10+ years. We are very comfortable with each other. This is the guy who dislodged a freaking Instead from my cervix when we were together for only a month or so. He's seen weird things happen to my body and removed weird things (in addition to the Instead) from my body. He also has the perfect chest on which I lay upon before falling asleep at night. Very comfy.
cooperative. he isn' a freaking sexist pig guy who expects me to stay home and take care of the kids, have the house immaculate and dinner on the table when he comes home from work. In fact, tonight he made dinner. Well, I chopped the basil and sliced the polenta. He did all the rest after going to the store to get his favorite marinara (Copolla) and talking to Brittani for 30-45 minutes to calm her down (her iPod, which was an xmas gift, was stolen at school today). We work so well together; he is motivated, and I am lazy. He motivates me while I make him slack a little.
sloppy. We are. Really. It's kind of gross sometimes. Sloppy kisses; sloppy other stuff. It's good times, though...
Your turn!
Monday, January 22, 2007
mama's pro-choice
Why am I pro-choice?
When I was 16, I worked at a Christian retreat center; it was an awesome job that deserves it's own post, but there were a lot of groups that came through there for week-long or weekend-long retreats for work, family gathering, etc.
One year we had Planned Parenthood stay; they had tables set up with all kinds of information on birth control, STDs, pregnancy, abortion, HIV/AIDS (the first time I saw the terms "fisting" and "rimming" were at work during the Planned Parenthood meeting!), etc... It was very interesting for me, a sixteen-year-old virgin.
I clearly remember a booklet I picked up; it was a bunch of stories written about women and written by women who aborted pregnancies before Roe v. Wade protected their right to choice. Some women died; some suffered horribly because of the conditions of their surgeries (unsanitary, untrained people performing the surgeries).
I'm fortunate; Abortion has been safe, legal and protected, for the most part, since I was a small child. I can honestly say that if I were to become pregnant now, I would definitely consider aborting my pregnancy. That is my right. This is my body, my life, my choice. No one else gets to decide if I will bring another child into this world or not.
It makes me sick to my stomach that there are people in our nation who want to remove a woman's right to choose to NOT be a mother. To NOT be pregnant. It is insane.
What really makes me mad, too, are the parental consent laws. Ugh.
So, I guess I am pro-choice because having safe and legal abortion available to any woman protects me, protects my daughters, protects so many women from making a choice that may kill them. I want the back-alley abortion stories to be a part of our sordid history-- not a current event.
Saturday, January 20, 2007
snow
because we couldn't get enough of the beautiful snow, we headed to eastern washington-- Leavenworth to be exact-- for our annual January trip. It's always so much fun, and Maya really looks forward to it.
This year Brittani came with us and Paige decided to stay home and party all weekend with her friends. And my parents. My parents really like to party, so I am more worried about what she's doing there than when she's staying with her GF.
Not really. I mean about the worried part. My parents really do know how to party.
Brittani is actually off learning how to snow board up at Stevens Pass right now. I am so excited for her, and I am certain she will do well.
Maya and I went to the pool this morning while Wayne was working-- we're actually at the Washington Thoracic Society and American Lung Assoc. conference. We are getting ready to hit the town and go innertubing. I will post pictures later today.
Gotta LOVE wireless in the hotels.
This year Brittani came with us and Paige decided to stay home and party all weekend with her friends. And my parents. My parents really like to party, so I am more worried about what she's doing there than when she's staying with her GF.
Not really. I mean about the worried part. My parents really do know how to party.
Brittani is actually off learning how to snow board up at Stevens Pass right now. I am so excited for her, and I am certain she will do well.
Maya and I went to the pool this morning while Wayne was working-- we're actually at the Washington Thoracic Society and American Lung Assoc. conference. We are getting ready to hit the town and go innertubing. I will post pictures later today.
Gotta LOVE wireless in the hotels.
Saturday, January 13, 2007
at long last
I am finally posting a new blog.
I get in weird moods where I don't really want interaction with anyone, and I am in that phase. I think it may have something to do with the short days, but that's as far as I'm willing to go with that right now. It happens every winter, and my closest friends know it and expect it. Well, sometimes I have to remind them. Being in this mood doesn't really mesh well with starting a class in two days. New pregnant energy coming into my house every week does something to lighten my mood and make me happier, though. I'm really excited about this class!
Today I have been keeping an eye on the news. I don't usually watch 24-hour news stations because they tend to beat a topic to death; if there is some kind of news story that is constantly updated, i will tune in (start of the Iraq war part deux, Katrina, the tsunami, WTC attacks, etc...); otherwise, I DVR the 11pm local news, which is just too lame to watch live.
I awoke this morning and learned that two boys were found in MO; one had been abducted in October 2002 and one was abducted this past Monday, January 8th. I can't even imagine how the family of the 15 year old, who has been missing since October 2002, when he was 11, is feeling right now. "Elated" probably comes nowhere close to describing how they feel.
I think the abduction of one's child must be the most painful event endured in life. It would absolutely kill me. It upsets me even to think about it; It makes me want to lock my kids in the house and never let them out of my sight. You know, and I'm sure you do, how it feels when you're out shopping with your kid(s) when s/he dedides to play hide and go seek in the circular racks. NOT FUN!! Especially when they have not informed you that they are even playing that game. You get that instant drop feeling in your gut. Throat tightens. Panic ensues. Then you find the kid and yell off your adrenaline rush.
Child abduction has terrified me (not to the point of being irrational) ever since Adam Walsh. I was 10 when he was abducted from outside a mall of all places. That was the end of innocence. From that point on, we all knew that there are evil people who prey on children and get off on hurting them tremendously. It astounds me because it's not like there weren't abductions before Adam's. It's not as though no one was ever abused and murdered before 1981. Abduction must have been one of those topics that were "hush, hush" back in the day. John and Reve Walsh really put their son's face and story out there; they used the media as well as they could, and obviously this has made abduction an okay topic for media to cover and for all of us to discuss. So many scary and sad stories since 1981. So few reunions.
I remember my friend Angie's mom, Debbie, instructing me and Angie on what to do if we are grabbed. Angie's mom knew a woman who was murdered by Ted Bundy, I think. Or maybe he tried to abduct her friend. The details are fuzzy. Now kids are taught to yell and scream, kick and fight if an adult-stranger approached them; back when I was a kid, that just wasn't something that was addressed because it wasn't deemed necessary.
Angie and I did suspect that the Green River Killer lived in our neighborhood. He didn't, but he freaked us out. We called him John Belushi Guy. We thought he resembled John Belushi, obviously. The scariest Halloween ever was when we got up the nerve to trick-or-treat at his house. Seriously eerie. I wonder who he really was. He was super creepy.
Anyway, back to the story in Missouri.
The older kid was abducted in October 2002. October 2002. He was eleven. Now he is 15-- probably beyond his abductor's choice age group, which is where the new 13-year-old comes in the picture.
It is so great that the older boy is alive, but I can only imagine how awful his life must have been since his abduction. It makes me so sad. Talk about the end of innocence.
And of course, I wonder why, oh, why, didn't he contact his family, who lived only about an hour away. I understand Stockholm Syndrome. I understand the fear that their family will be killed or hurt. I need to make sure I get it into my kids' heads that no matter what, if they find themselves in that situation, they must call me. or 911. Without fear of retribution by the predator.
You know, the kid who was abducted on Monday, he was taken from near his bus-stop after being dropped off in the afternoon. So frightening. There are so many unattended children at bus-stops every day.
Well, these boys' stories end well. Who knows what hell they endured during the time they were with their abductor, but they are home, safe, now.
Oh, and I came across this True Crime Blog today. It's actually really good.
Keep your kids close, my friends. There are some seriously fucked-up people out there.
I get in weird moods where I don't really want interaction with anyone, and I am in that phase. I think it may have something to do with the short days, but that's as far as I'm willing to go with that right now. It happens every winter, and my closest friends know it and expect it. Well, sometimes I have to remind them. Being in this mood doesn't really mesh well with starting a class in two days. New pregnant energy coming into my house every week does something to lighten my mood and make me happier, though. I'm really excited about this class!
Today I have been keeping an eye on the news. I don't usually watch 24-hour news stations because they tend to beat a topic to death; if there is some kind of news story that is constantly updated, i will tune in (start of the Iraq war part deux, Katrina, the tsunami, WTC attacks, etc...); otherwise, I DVR the 11pm local news, which is just too lame to watch live.
I awoke this morning and learned that two boys were found in MO; one had been abducted in October 2002 and one was abducted this past Monday, January 8th. I can't even imagine how the family of the 15 year old, who has been missing since October 2002, when he was 11, is feeling right now. "Elated" probably comes nowhere close to describing how they feel.
I think the abduction of one's child must be the most painful event endured in life. It would absolutely kill me. It upsets me even to think about it; It makes me want to lock my kids in the house and never let them out of my sight. You know, and I'm sure you do, how it feels when you're out shopping with your kid(s) when s/he dedides to play hide and go seek in the circular racks. NOT FUN!! Especially when they have not informed you that they are even playing that game. You get that instant drop feeling in your gut. Throat tightens. Panic ensues. Then you find the kid and yell off your adrenaline rush.
Child abduction has terrified me (not to the point of being irrational) ever since Adam Walsh. I was 10 when he was abducted from outside a mall of all places. That was the end of innocence. From that point on, we all knew that there are evil people who prey on children and get off on hurting them tremendously. It astounds me because it's not like there weren't abductions before Adam's. It's not as though no one was ever abused and murdered before 1981. Abduction must have been one of those topics that were "hush, hush" back in the day. John and Reve Walsh really put their son's face and story out there; they used the media as well as they could, and obviously this has made abduction an okay topic for media to cover and for all of us to discuss. So many scary and sad stories since 1981. So few reunions.
I remember my friend Angie's mom, Debbie, instructing me and Angie on what to do if we are grabbed. Angie's mom knew a woman who was murdered by Ted Bundy, I think. Or maybe he tried to abduct her friend. The details are fuzzy. Now kids are taught to yell and scream, kick and fight if an adult-stranger approached them; back when I was a kid, that just wasn't something that was addressed because it wasn't deemed necessary.
Angie and I did suspect that the Green River Killer lived in our neighborhood. He didn't, but he freaked us out. We called him John Belushi Guy. We thought he resembled John Belushi, obviously. The scariest Halloween ever was when we got up the nerve to trick-or-treat at his house. Seriously eerie. I wonder who he really was. He was super creepy.
Anyway, back to the story in Missouri.
The older kid was abducted in October 2002. October 2002. He was eleven. Now he is 15-- probably beyond his abductor's choice age group, which is where the new 13-year-old comes in the picture.
It is so great that the older boy is alive, but I can only imagine how awful his life must have been since his abduction. It makes me so sad. Talk about the end of innocence.
And of course, I wonder why, oh, why, didn't he contact his family, who lived only about an hour away. I understand Stockholm Syndrome. I understand the fear that their family will be killed or hurt. I need to make sure I get it into my kids' heads that no matter what, if they find themselves in that situation, they must call me. or 911. Without fear of retribution by the predator.
You know, the kid who was abducted on Monday, he was taken from near his bus-stop after being dropped off in the afternoon. So frightening. There are so many unattended children at bus-stops every day.
Well, these boys' stories end well. Who knows what hell they endured during the time they were with their abductor, but they are home, safe, now.
Oh, and I came across this True Crime Blog today. It's actually really good.
Keep your kids close, my friends. There are some seriously fucked-up people out there.
Tuesday, January 9, 2007
yes, I'm blogging a forward
It's funny though. I found it while I was cleaning out my email draft box. It's been sitting there since 5/17/06.
Washington State Barbies are FINALLY available!!!!
Seattle Barbie: This modern day homemaker Barbie is available with a
Mercedes 4WD SUV, a Prada handbag and matching Nike Yoga ensemble. She
has a masters degree and double-majored, but has the luxury of being a
stay-at-home mom with Ken's generous salary. Comes with Percocet
prescription and Botox. Starbucks mug and traffic-jamming Blackberry
internet/cell phone device sold separately. Husband Ken is into fishing,
golfing, baseball and is often "working late." Available at a ll
Seattle-area Starbucks retailers.
Bellevue Barbie: This princess Barbie is only sold at Nordstrom. She
comes with an assortment of Kate Spade handbags, your choice of a BMW
convertible or Hummer H2 and a long-haired foreign lapdog named "Honey."
Also available is her cookie-cutter development dream house. Available
with or without tummy tuck, facelift, and breast augmentation.
Workaholic, cheating &n bsp;husband, Ken, comes with a Porsche.
Tacoma Barbie: This recently paroled Barbie comes with a 9mm handgun,
switchblade, '78 El Camino with dark tinted windows, and a meth lab kit.
This model is available only after dark and can only be purchased with
cash- preferably small bills, unless you're a cop, then we don't know what
you're talking about. Boyfriend Ken is in jail. Available at many pawn
shops.
Enumclaw Barbie: This tobacco chewing, brassy-haired Barbie comes with a
pair of high-heeled sandals with one broken heel from the time she
chased Beer Gut Ken out of Auburn Barbie's trailer. Her ensemble
includes low-rise acid-washed jeans, fake fingernails, strawberry lip
gloss and a see-through halter top. Purchase her Mustang convertible
separately and get a Confederate flag bumper sticker absolutely free.
Boyfriend Ken is in treatment. Available at Army Navy Surplus.
Monroe Barbie: This pale model comes dressed in her own Wrangler jeans
2 sizes too small, steel-toed cowboy boots, a classic Metallica 'T'
shirt and a Tweety Bird tattoo on her shoulder. She has fake
fingernails, a six pack of Budweiser, and a Hank Williams, Jr. CD set.
She can spit over a distance of 6 feet and kick mullet-haired Ken's ass
when she is drunk. Also available is the gold-toned cubic zirconium ring
that Ken gave her after another one of his "episodes" with his boss's
daughter. Comes with Barbie's Dream Double Wide Trailer. Available at
Wal-Mart.
Puyallup Barbie: Pregnant at purchase, this Barbie comes with a stroller
and bus pass. Also included is a G.E.D. and a completely filled out food
stamps form. Construction worker Ken and his '82 Caddy are optional.
Available at Value Village.
Vashon Island Barbie: This Barbie is made out of recycled plastic and
tofu. She has long straight brown hair, archless feet, hairy armpits, no
make-up, and Birkenstocks with white socks. She does not want, or need,
a Ken doll. If you purchase the optional Subaru wagon, you will receive a free
rainbow flag sticker. Available at REI.
Olympia Barbie: This versatile doll can be easily converted from Barbie
to Ken by simply adding or removing snap on parts. Walks to work. Likes
to "experiment," but will never commit. This model is being phased out
and is only available from the manufacturer.
Washington State Barbies are FINALLY available!!!!
Seattle Barbie: This modern day homemaker Barbie is available with a
Mercedes 4WD SUV, a Prada handbag and matching Nike Yoga ensemble. She
has a masters degree and double-majored, but has the luxury of being a
stay-at-home mom with Ken's generous salary. Comes with Percocet
prescription and Botox. Starbucks mug and traffic-jamming Blackberry
internet/cell phone device sold separately. Husband Ken is into fishing,
golfing, baseball and is often "working late." Available at a ll
Seattle-area Starbucks retailers.
Bellevue Barbie: This princess Barbie is only sold at Nordstrom. She
comes with an assortment of Kate Spade handbags, your choice of a BMW
convertible or Hummer H2 and a long-haired foreign lapdog named "Honey."
Also available is her cookie-cutter development dream house. Available
with or without tummy tuck, facelift, and breast augmentation.
Workaholic, cheating &n bsp;husband, Ken, comes with a Porsche.
Tacoma Barbie: This recently paroled Barbie comes with a 9mm handgun,
switchblade, '78 El Camino with dark tinted windows, and a meth lab kit.
This model is available only after dark and can only be purchased with
cash- preferably small bills, unless you're a cop, then we don't know what
you're talking about. Boyfriend Ken is in jail. Available at many pawn
shops.
Enumclaw Barbie: This tobacco chewing, brassy-haired Barbie comes with a
pair of high-heeled sandals with one broken heel from the time she
chased Beer Gut Ken out of Auburn Barbie's trailer. Her ensemble
includes low-rise acid-washed jeans, fake fingernails, strawberry lip
gloss and a see-through halter top. Purchase her Mustang convertible
separately and get a Confederate flag bumper sticker absolutely free.
Boyfriend Ken is in treatment. Available at Army Navy Surplus.
Monroe Barbie: This pale model comes dressed in her own Wrangler jeans
2 sizes too small, steel-toed cowboy boots, a classic Metallica 'T'
shirt and a Tweety Bird tattoo on her shoulder. She has fake
fingernails, a six pack of Budweiser, and a Hank Williams, Jr. CD set.
She can spit over a distance of 6 feet and kick mullet-haired Ken's ass
when she is drunk. Also available is the gold-toned cubic zirconium ring
that Ken gave her after another one of his "episodes" with his boss's
daughter. Comes with Barbie's Dream Double Wide Trailer. Available at
Wal-Mart.
Puyallup Barbie: Pregnant at purchase, this Barbie comes with a stroller
and bus pass. Also included is a G.E.D. and a completely filled out food
stamps form. Construction worker Ken and his '82 Caddy are optional.
Available at Value Village.
Vashon Island Barbie: This Barbie is made out of recycled plastic and
tofu. She has long straight brown hair, archless feet, hairy armpits, no
make-up, and Birkenstocks with white socks. She does not want, or need,
a Ken doll. If you purchase the optional Subaru wagon, you will receive a free
rainbow flag sticker. Available at REI.
Olympia Barbie: This versatile doll can be easily converted from Barbie
to Ken by simply adding or removing snap on parts. Walks to work. Likes
to "experiment," but will never commit. This model is being phased out
and is only available from the manufacturer.
Monday, January 8, 2007
Saturday, January 6, 2007
many different topics all rolled up in one tasty post
I hate when bad things happen to kids. It just the suckiest thing ever.
Two bad things happened to teens in our community this week. One incident was the shooting at Foss High School in Tacoma. I can't imagine how that would feel to be a parent of a child who attends that school, to hear about the shooting on the news, to not know if your child is okay. Ugh.
The second awful incident actually hit much closer to home but didn't make national news.
A girl who went to a high school in our district died on new year's day. The rumor, or suspicion, is that it was a drug related death. Paige wasn't friends with Danielle McCarthy, but they do have mutual friends.
From what I have read and heard on the news, and Paige confirms, the girl wasn't a party girl. She didn't drink or use drugs, but she died while partying. She died far from home, when she was supposed to be staying the night at a friend's house here in town. I am sure that her parents felt about her the same way I feel about Paige: a good kid who has given no real reason to distrust her or her choices.
I completely trust that when Paige says she is at a friend's house that she really is at that friend's house. I expect her to check in with me by a certain time in the morning. She is uaually really good at checking in (we had a bit of an issue thuis morning, however).
Disclaimer: much of what I've heard has been through the media/my kid/my kid's friends, so the info may not be accurate. I take everything i hear with a grain of salt, for sure.
I feel so bad for Danielle's parents. And then to have her friends pretty much bail on her to save their own asses. I swear. If Paige was there when a friend died, I would insist that she speak to the authorities and tell them whatever they needed to know to give the parents any bit of peace of mind, if that is even possible. As far as I am concerned, that is the only moral and responsible thing to do. One friend was there and wouldn't come forward. The friend is over 18 and was concerned about his own liability (so I heard). His mom knew he was there when she died and wasn't making him divulge what he knows. Heh. That would not happen in this house.
The rumor is that she died after taking ecstasy. How does a kid who is not a chronic partier die after using ecstasy? How does she go from not being a user to being a user of an extreme drug like that?
A lot of it comes down to the fact that teens don't think about their own mortality. They are young, vital and invincible. I remember feeling like that. I have taken my share of illicit drugs in my past, and I don't ever remember thinking, "if I take this magic pill, I might never wake to see tomorrow."
Her family will always feel her absence, but one thing that I hope comes out of her unexpected death is that her friends and peers in the community will be truly affected in a positive way by her death. They will, I hope, see that young people can, and do, die from using drugs. Even the very first time. I feel so cliche typing that out, but damn. No kid should die how she died. It was reckless and completely avoidable. I didn't know this girl or her family, but I am so sad for them. Her death has been on my mind all week; it makes me sad and angry, to be honest.
----------
Now for a totally unrelated topic.
Last night Wayne and I were the recipients of a very wonderful treat: free childcare at our home. Childcare that was not provided by one of our older children.
Paige was out with friends last night; Brittani was out with her BFF, and my aunt came over to watch Maya while Wayne and I went out to dinner and a movie. It was wonderful because we knew that Maya was well taken care of, wasn't being picked on or treated as a nuisance. The kids were able to do what they wanted to do and didn't bitch and moan about babysitting. It was so nice.
We went to The Rock for dinner. They have such good pizza and strong drinks.
Afterwards, we went to The Grand Cinema to see Shut Up and Sing. Yeah, go ahead and make fun of me for seeing a movie about The Dixie Chicks, but those women, they've got moxy. I am so impressed at how they did not allow themselves to be bullied by country radio and asshole country artists (Toby Keith) and fans. It was jaw-dropping to hear some of the things that Americans were saying about The Dixie Chicks in 2003. Jaw-dropping simply because of how ignorant the statements were.
The movie was great and so damn funny and frustrating. I just can't wait until 1.20.09. And I am so glad we bought the new DC CD legally and all that (before we even saw the movie). It really is a good CD-- better than I expected.
Ummm..what else.
Maya is a sickie. 102.5 at my last check (15 or so mins ago). She just fell asleep. Lightly. Poor baby.
The Seahawks apparently just won the wild card game. Oh, Yay.
Ummm, I have a full class now. I think I mentioned that before. It came down to the wire, but now I actually have a waiting list (in case any of the deposits don't make it this week). Such wonderfulness.
Soccer season is officially OVER. Happy dance.
I love soccer. I lovethat Paige loves playing soccer. I hate that soccer is played outside in the freezing cold regardless of weather conditions. Sleet? Hail? Snow? Torrential downpour? None a good reason to call a game.
I was in charge of the money stuff thsi season, and I hated it. But we had a really nice end of season pizza party with trophies for the girls (nice ones, too)-- they finished 2nd in their division in the ditrict. A plaque and $200 gift cert to Home Depot for the coach, who is moving to Arizona. For anyone who may be googling the guy, Todd Speidel is only the best coach I have ever seen coach soccer. I've seen many a coach by now, and he is the most laid-back, encouraging (yet with a touch of hard-assedness about him) coach that I have seen. ALL the girls adore him and really respect the guy. I hope he continues to coach in Arizona because he is really gifted, and it would be a shame for kids to miss out on having such a great coach. His daughter, who was on our team, is also quite an amazing player. She is very dogged out on the field, and she is so damn physical. Rough and tumble.
We will miss them, but Paige thinks she's going to go visit them over spring break. Road trip, she thinks. Ha! Since Todd won't be coaching next year, Paige won't be doing club soccer. She might do high school soccer, though.
I am relieved to see the end of the season but sad that Paige won't be playing with her same team again.
Off to tend to my sickie baby.
Two bad things happened to teens in our community this week. One incident was the shooting at Foss High School in Tacoma. I can't imagine how that would feel to be a parent of a child who attends that school, to hear about the shooting on the news, to not know if your child is okay. Ugh.
The second awful incident actually hit much closer to home but didn't make national news.
A girl who went to a high school in our district died on new year's day. The rumor, or suspicion, is that it was a drug related death. Paige wasn't friends with Danielle McCarthy, but they do have mutual friends.
From what I have read and heard on the news, and Paige confirms, the girl wasn't a party girl. She didn't drink or use drugs, but she died while partying. She died far from home, when she was supposed to be staying the night at a friend's house here in town. I am sure that her parents felt about her the same way I feel about Paige: a good kid who has given no real reason to distrust her or her choices.
I completely trust that when Paige says she is at a friend's house that she really is at that friend's house. I expect her to check in with me by a certain time in the morning. She is uaually really good at checking in (we had a bit of an issue thuis morning, however).
Disclaimer: much of what I've heard has been through the media/my kid/my kid's friends, so the info may not be accurate. I take everything i hear with a grain of salt, for sure.
I feel so bad for Danielle's parents. And then to have her friends pretty much bail on her to save their own asses. I swear. If Paige was there when a friend died, I would insist that she speak to the authorities and tell them whatever they needed to know to give the parents any bit of peace of mind, if that is even possible. As far as I am concerned, that is the only moral and responsible thing to do. One friend was there and wouldn't come forward. The friend is over 18 and was concerned about his own liability (so I heard). His mom knew he was there when she died and wasn't making him divulge what he knows. Heh. That would not happen in this house.
The rumor is that she died after taking ecstasy. How does a kid who is not a chronic partier die after using ecstasy? How does she go from not being a user to being a user of an extreme drug like that?
A lot of it comes down to the fact that teens don't think about their own mortality. They are young, vital and invincible. I remember feeling like that. I have taken my share of illicit drugs in my past, and I don't ever remember thinking, "if I take this magic pill, I might never wake to see tomorrow."
Her family will always feel her absence, but one thing that I hope comes out of her unexpected death is that her friends and peers in the community will be truly affected in a positive way by her death. They will, I hope, see that young people can, and do, die from using drugs. Even the very first time. I feel so cliche typing that out, but damn. No kid should die how she died. It was reckless and completely avoidable. I didn't know this girl or her family, but I am so sad for them. Her death has been on my mind all week; it makes me sad and angry, to be honest.
----------
Now for a totally unrelated topic.
Last night Wayne and I were the recipients of a very wonderful treat: free childcare at our home. Childcare that was not provided by one of our older children.
Paige was out with friends last night; Brittani was out with her BFF, and my aunt came over to watch Maya while Wayne and I went out to dinner and a movie. It was wonderful because we knew that Maya was well taken care of, wasn't being picked on or treated as a nuisance. The kids were able to do what they wanted to do and didn't bitch and moan about babysitting. It was so nice.
We went to The Rock for dinner. They have such good pizza and strong drinks.
Afterwards, we went to The Grand Cinema to see Shut Up and Sing. Yeah, go ahead and make fun of me for seeing a movie about The Dixie Chicks, but those women, they've got moxy. I am so impressed at how they did not allow themselves to be bullied by country radio and asshole country artists (Toby Keith) and fans. It was jaw-dropping to hear some of the things that Americans were saying about The Dixie Chicks in 2003. Jaw-dropping simply because of how ignorant the statements were.
The movie was great and so damn funny and frustrating. I just can't wait until 1.20.09. And I am so glad we bought the new DC CD legally and all that (before we even saw the movie). It really is a good CD-- better than I expected.
Ummm..what else.
Maya is a sickie. 102.5 at my last check (15 or so mins ago). She just fell asleep. Lightly. Poor baby.
The Seahawks apparently just won the wild card game. Oh, Yay.
Ummm, I have a full class now. I think I mentioned that before. It came down to the wire, but now I actually have a waiting list (in case any of the deposits don't make it this week). Such wonderfulness.
Soccer season is officially OVER. Happy dance.
I love soccer. I lovethat Paige loves playing soccer. I hate that soccer is played outside in the freezing cold regardless of weather conditions. Sleet? Hail? Snow? Torrential downpour? None a good reason to call a game.
I was in charge of the money stuff thsi season, and I hated it. But we had a really nice end of season pizza party with trophies for the girls (nice ones, too)-- they finished 2nd in their division in the ditrict. A plaque and $200 gift cert to Home Depot for the coach, who is moving to Arizona. For anyone who may be googling the guy, Todd Speidel is only the best coach I have ever seen coach soccer. I've seen many a coach by now, and he is the most laid-back, encouraging (yet with a touch of hard-assedness about him) coach that I have seen. ALL the girls adore him and really respect the guy. I hope he continues to coach in Arizona because he is really gifted, and it would be a shame for kids to miss out on having such a great coach. His daughter, who was on our team, is also quite an amazing player. She is very dogged out on the field, and she is so damn physical. Rough and tumble.
We will miss them, but Paige thinks she's going to go visit them over spring break. Road trip, she thinks. Ha! Since Todd won't be coaching next year, Paige won't be doing club soccer. She might do high school soccer, though.
I am relieved to see the end of the season but sad that Paige won't be playing with her same team again.
Off to tend to my sickie baby.
Tuesday, January 2, 2007
happier newer year
2007.
Aren't we supposed to have flying cars, moving sidewalks and colonies on freaking Saturn by now?
Oh well.
Maybe next year.
Wayne worked all weekend, as he has the past three NYE. This year I decided I would party like a fool with our friends Renae and Dryke instead of sitting home with just Maya. Maya and I had a really good time with R&D, which is typical. Nothing terribly exciting ever happens. Alcohol. TV of some sort (Talladega Nights, this time). Talking. And so on. Usually we aren't able to spend the night at Renae & Dryke's because Wayne has a horrible allergy to cats. He can't breathe, he itches like crazy, and he is generally uncomfortable-- and this is when he takes his allergy meds, which he does every day (mostly) without fail. Rene and Dryke have a baby who is just the happiest cutest little girl ever! I really didn't think she cried, but then I accidentally woke her up (oops!), and she can cry. Loudly. With feeling.
I was quite impressed. It was good to have other adults around for the new year. We all went to bed at about 12:02am. Par-tay!
While I was hangin' with my homies, Paige was having an unsupervised get-together at our house. With my permission. I think it went well enough; I came home and the house was as clean as I left it, which is good. They drank a lot of energy drinks (those things are so damn nasty!) and were up until around 5am. I think she maybe had 6 people over-- three stayed the night.
Brittani has a new BF. I guess she's going to have him over here next weekend so he can run the gauntlet. Not really. Wayne is so funny-- he gets all tense as soon as she mentions the word "boyfriend." It amuses me. I'm okay with boyfriends; I don't like "relationships." As long as she dumps him (she dumping him-- very important for her self-esteem) before they reach the 6-week mark, I won't worry.
Shit. I have stuff to do today. Boring hausfrau stuff:
Aren't we supposed to have flying cars, moving sidewalks and colonies on freaking Saturn by now?
Oh well.
Maybe next year.
Wayne worked all weekend, as he has the past three NYE. This year I decided I would party like a fool with our friends Renae and Dryke instead of sitting home with just Maya. Maya and I had a really good time with R&D, which is typical. Nothing terribly exciting ever happens. Alcohol. TV of some sort (Talladega Nights, this time). Talking. And so on. Usually we aren't able to spend the night at Renae & Dryke's because Wayne has a horrible allergy to cats. He can't breathe, he itches like crazy, and he is generally uncomfortable-- and this is when he takes his allergy meds, which he does every day (mostly) without fail. Rene and Dryke have a baby who is just the happiest cutest little girl ever! I really didn't think she cried, but then I accidentally woke her up (oops!), and she can cry. Loudly. With feeling.
I was quite impressed. It was good to have other adults around for the new year. We all went to bed at about 12:02am. Par-tay!
While I was hangin' with my homies, Paige was having an unsupervised get-together at our house. With my permission. I think it went well enough; I came home and the house was as clean as I left it, which is good. They drank a lot of energy drinks (those things are so damn nasty!) and were up until around 5am. I think she maybe had 6 people over-- three stayed the night.
Brittani has a new BF. I guess she's going to have him over here next weekend so he can run the gauntlet. Not really. Wayne is so funny-- he gets all tense as soon as she mentions the word "boyfriend." It amuses me. I'm okay with boyfriends; I don't like "relationships." As long as she dumps him (she dumping him-- very important for her self-esteem) before they reach the 6-week mark, I won't worry.
Shit. I have stuff to do today. Boring hausfrau stuff:
- grocery shopping
- volunteering @ the school
- I really need to see the chiro or I am going to freaking collapse
- soccer banquet stuff (coaches gifts, trophies, burning pictures onto discs for the girls)
- And most importantly: go to the liquor store. I am out of Amaretto.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)