More please!

I could say a lot of philosophical things about the past year, affirmations and hopes for the new year and so on. But, as I was formulating that post and searching through last year's picture archives, I realized something. Most of all in this upcoming year I want more moments like these, please.

They are following me and calling me Mommy

Ain't I lucky?!
Though the colors are fading rapidly, our hike through the beautiful forests of the Blue Ridge Parkway was absolutely awesome. The weather couldn't have been nicer. The kids were out of school for Veteran's Day so off we went. The quest for the prettiest fallen leaf got going along with lots of good-natured leaf-throwing and piggy-back rides. I love these times with my kids - away from the house and all of its distractions. ( I had my cell on me though, but only in case we saw a bear. Don't ask me how that would help, but it made me feel better...;)
After our hike we hit our favorite park and had it all to ourselves!
A fun time had by all.

The 'Rock'

The scene: a noisy dinner table.
Children chattering, all trying to be heard above the next.
Spoons clattering on mismatched soup dishes.
The squeak of the wipe-off board marker. What? you may ask. How odd. A wipe-off marker? Where does that fit in?

Dinner time is a time of talking about what has gone on for each family member during the day, a time to come together and share, but a couple years ago we also started playing educational games while we are eating. It helps cultivate team effort, assists in learning even after the school day is long over, and it is just plain fun.
So, tonight, as my Jacob was drawing ever so carefully the lines for his word on the Star Wars wipe-off board, it happened.
Jacob gave us the theme (person, place, thing). We had been talking a bit about Obama, and all the good changes he is going to make for our country, so i guessed 'president'. Before he could fill in the letters (I was right) Serenity burst out with a loud and gleeful "Rock-O-Bama"! Followed by fits of laughter and soup hurriedly swallowed so as not to spew all over fellow dinner mates, we all said in unison: What?
To which she even more happily cried, "You know Mommy, "Rock-O-Bama"!
Being only three, obviously her pronunciation is a bit off, but even at the tender age of three she has picked up on all the excitement and even the name of our new president-elect.
That's right Baby.
Spot on.

America, you did it

President Barack Obama.
The name rolls easily.
As have his speeches and his smooth way of being with the people.

Change is inevitable, it is here already with unprecedented voting turnout with last night's election and the fact that we have elected the first African-American to office.

Who would have thought, on September 11, 2001, as we watched our friends and family, fellow citizens fight for their lives as those planes invaded our space and sucker-punched our country, that we would, 7 years later, elect a man into our highest political office who has biological heritage to the very members of society who formulated and executed the attack?

I am not a racist by any stretch of the imagination, I just find it ironic.

My state, the state of NC, is still tied at 7:30 this morning. Though, not due to Asheville voters, I am certain. Every car within 30 miles of this mountain city has for the last year sported Obama stickers of every make and color.
I crave something different for our country, but close to the end of this race, I began to question whether Obama actually has our best interests at heart. Is government control in huge areas such as health care and education really a good idea in the long run? Isn't it a bit Socialistic? No doubts that Obama will have to raise taxes to make those changes he has been raving about, it will have to happen. Are we sacrificing our freedoms, rights, and what makes us Americans by wanting a government health care program and other huge plans he has for our country? Once those freedoms are infringed upon, and the hand of control is resting within each of our lives, it is almost impossible to reverse it.
Barack's oratory has been to say the least, captivating. Sleeves rolled up, identifying with the working man/woman. Inciting feelings of patriotism to the core of Americans. His stance on war gained him millions of supporters. But have we paid close attention to the rest of what Obama has been saying and read between the lines? Studied the economic plans? Or are we guilty of leaping, then looking?

I don't know...I am happy that McCain isn't in office, but to tell you the truth, I am a bit anxious about what comes now. Total control by any party isn't necessarily a great thing, and that is where our nation sits for the next four years.

Guess we will wait and see...

Mission aborted

From my previous post, you saw that we were gong to disconnect ourselves entirely from the media flowing into our household.
I decided to go a different way.
I know, but what do you expect? I am a Gemini after all.

Instead of terminating our services, which was going to affect my business, we are simply enforcing more viewing rules and guidelines than before (and before, I actually was pretty strict about what and how much TV was watched). They do not ever have unmonitored access to the Internet so that isn't a worry for us yet, but now they are not allowed to turn the tube on until 7 p.m, and bedtime is 8. If they are engaged doing something interactive, such as (gasp!) playing together, then of course I will not interrupt. Heck, I might sell tickets, so rare would the attraction be!

But seriously, I think children are mostly adversely affected by the media. I realize that there are educational channels and some benefits to viewing, but as with anything it must be closely monitored and in moderation. Their little bodies need to be active and challenging their imaginations. When I was young, we looked forward to going outside and playing with friends, riding bikes, climbing trees, playing tag - just whatever. Granted, there wasn't the choice of channels that are now offered with cable TV. No Disney channel or Nick Jr.


During different times throughout my childhood, my mother used to actually get books from the library (long chapter books) and gather us together in the evenings, my brother, my father and me, and read aloud. This is a fond memory for me,one I draw upon when I am molding my little family unit in the way I want it to be. In this busy, fast-paced world, it is often hard to imagine carving out a whole hour for such an activity, right? But, these types of interactions with our children is what they grow up and cherish as loving memories. Course, the trips to Disney World didn't cause too much harm...(grinning).

Anyway, a lot of this comes in the wake of my 5 year old daughter saying to me the other day that she is fat. Fat. My response to her was a bit manic, perhaps too animated in my effort to sway her to the opposite opinion of herself but I was caught off guard. How can my little girl be plagued by those worries already? Is it her friends? Her peers? The commercials on TV? The magazines she loves to thumb through and try to read?

So, onward.
There are books to be read, Monopoly and CandyLand await us.
This might actually be fun.

Kill your TV

We are going to do it.

Until the New Year, or longer if we are into it by then, my kids and I are going to no longer watch TV. I am testing to see if the atmosphere of the home changes - less arguing, fighting, trance-like drooling (not really, but still). I am canceling cable and internet until Jan.1, 2009 (kind of like a backwards resolution). The boys can still play the occassional video game and we will watch a DVD every now and then, but no mindless TV shows.
This is going to be a challenge for the entire family, as I am certainly as addicted to certain shows as they are, but anyone like s good challenge. I think we will miss Survivor the most, as that has been a long-standing tradition in our house on Thursday evenings, but there will always be another season. I, of course will miss the internet more than I can explain, reading blogs and emails, having information at my fingertips, but hey, 10 years ago, I barely knew what it was and certainly was fine then.

If any of you are game - - jump on board with us!
I will be making weekly visits to the library for emails due to my business, so if you decide to take the challenge with us, send me an email and we can compare notes throughout!

Adios!

It's a Gas thing.

Asheville, and the Western North Carolina region is apparently suffering form a shortage of Gas. As in gasoline. For cars. Which cannot run without it. This I pondered as I sat in LINE for ONE HOUR and 15 minutes today, one block from the station...why, how, when...

Is it like 1942 or something? Did I fall into a time warp? Of course, the gas prices aren't .40 cents per gallon, more like $4.00+ so I feel sure that I am in the correct century, but GEE-ee-ee-eeZ.

The Mayor (who, by the way, cannot form words without stumbling and tripping all over herself) said "normalcy will return to the area in 5-10 days". EXCUSE ME? Somehow I don't feel reassured. She offered no explanation for the shortage, asked people to stop driving across town to fill up or 'top off', and reminded the community to pull together.
HUH?
Don't drive across town? Well, when there are only FIVE gas stations in the city with gas, we are all scramblin'! (bet she doesn't have to wait in line...)

But seriously, every a.m. the radio stations begin announcing which stations have gas, and for what price. Lines have formed by 6:30 into the streets, backed up and causing major clusterf*cks everywhere. There have been fist-fights, wrecks, and all-out brawls in the name of filling up your car with gasoline.

Signing off with REM's words..."it's the end of the world as we know it...."