Monday, December 17, 2007

Today

Today's horoscope for Taurus is:

It may feel as if the world is pushing back pretty hard against you right now -- and it is! But there's an upside to this pressure: You know you're doing something right and your persistence should help you win.


I don't usually read them but for some reason, I'm getting them in my inbox... so, today, I decided to go ahead and see what it says. I actually think its fitting.

Anyways...

I'm happy with myself! lol That doesn't happen too often :D Why am I happy? I finally finished up the girls' room this past weekend! woohoo! I finished picking up the summer clothes, taking out the small stuff and bagging them, hanging up & folding all the rest of the clothes that I took out for winter! woohoo! I even boxed them and put them in our storage thingie outside. I moved their dresser to in front of the window... they play with the window too much... Jeremy's even nailed it shut because they would open it! So, then they'd constantly be pulling the blinds up... I don't need passers-by to see inside my kids' room! Now their TV is right in front of their bed, on the dresser still. I allowed one big box of toys in their room at a time. The rest is picked up in the storage thingie.

Oh yeah, I also finished Wyatt's clothes too :D Went through, took out the 12 mth clothes and bagged & stored them outside.

Now, all I have to do is finish up doing that same thing in my room... lol Still have lots of stuff to bring to the storage thingie outside too.

Oh, and Wyatt's 2nd birthday is Thursday and Ursula's in on Saturday! No plans for either. I am thinking we may wait until the weekend after Christmas... I think we did that last year too. Its just hard to expect people to come to their party at this time of year! I was thinking of just bringing them to Chuck E. Cheese on Saturday. I didn't talk to Jeremy about it yet because I was just thinking about that during one of my insomniac moments last night in bed. Wyatt's in a climbing mood lately and I know he'd LOVE it there as would both of the girls. Oh, another reason for no real plans for a party is that Wyatt is still all spotty looking from chicken pox and quite possibly, lots of ringworms. I think he had a combination of them both... but, maybe not. Its hard to find good pictures of chickenpox online... esp. pics of the healing up phase which is what had us questioning the pox. But, some of his pox remained small, like the pics online. That's why I think maybe some of his pox were actually ringworms... the boy loves animals!!! He's constantly hugging them, kissing them, being as close to them as he can... so, he could have very well have picked up some ringworms from the animals. Anyways, the scabs are pretty much gone but he has red patches all over his face and body. Not very camera ready right now! lol But, still just as cute as always :D

Friday, November 16, 2007

Saturday, November 03, 2007

Halloween 2007

Here's the only pictures I got of all 3 of the kids together. There's 2 pictures of Wyatt by himself... the only ones I could get of him... he moves way too much for my disabled digital camera to capture good shots of him.

I have better pictures of the girls by themselves on their blog. I know some may be critical about me putting make-up on them... but, first off, its Halloween! What if they would be zombies or something else? I would have put monster make-up on them... so, secondly, they were princesses... princesses wear make-up :D Thirdly, it was fun for me to do :D I enjoyed it as well as the girls. AND, they looked so pretty! It almost gives me an idea of how they'll look as teens.

Tuesday, October 30, 2007

Generosity

Wow... I'm so amazed by the generosity of others!

My sister, Cherie, has had a really bad last couple of weeks. Her trailer caught on fire - electrical fire that started in the walls, last week (I think either Tue or Wed.) and then, this past weekend, her purse was stolen from her car while it was parked at our brother's home (a month prior, my sil, Jessica's (our brother's wife), purse was stolen in the same way; parked at her home and scattered in the bathroom at the park across the bayou)!!!

Anyways... just a few things that I know she's received from others in her community... even from people she doesn't even know!!!

Wait, first off... let's see who was affected by this fire... Cherie and 2 of her daughters (her oldest is with her dad for now in Florida) and our mom. It was actually the room our mom stays in that caught fire. Thankfully, they were all awake (it happened approx. around 9:00pm) and got out without any harm coming to them personally. Everything my mom owns was in that room. It was really the only room that was so badly damaged but the rest of the trailer got smoke damage. And Cherie said that everyone she's talked to has said its pretty much impossible to get rid of that smoke smell... no matter how many times you wash the clothes. I was like, that sucks, because her girls had such cute dresses in there! Precious dresses, really!

Also, while the trailer caught fire, they were also experiencing flooding from tons of rain that had fell over the past 24 hrs! Jessica has pictures of the aftermath... kind of hard to see since it was nighttime but... you get the idea... and you can see the water... there's pictures of my brother with the bottoms of his shorts wet.

Cherie has 2 jobs... she is a beautician in Mathews and also works at the Wal-Mart Supercenter in the same area, at the jewelry counter. Her girls are 3 & 5 yrs old (her oldest is almost 11 yrs old - but, like I mentioned earlier, she's been with her father since the school year began). Olivia's in kindergarten and our mom watches Sophia while Cherie works. Cherie & her husband have been estranged for the past 5 yrs. They aren't divorced but haven't lived together in those 5 yrs. He doesn't send any child support... never has. Also, they married each other twice.

Anyways...

They've been staying with our sister's, Angele, house in Thibodaux.

She received a 'credit card' from The Red Cross to get whatever they need; not gonna say how much, but, its generous :)
A manager at Wal-Mart is allowing her and the girls to stay at a house he owns rent-free for a year!!! Isn't that awesome??? Its like an 80-yr. old house... but, how nice is that??? Plus, he's done stuff to fix it up.
She received a call to open the beauty shop; she gets there and there's a trailer load of furniture!!! Amazing, huh?
Her friend, Angie, has bought Olivia new school clothes... she's giving Cherie a set of bunkbeds and some other furniture as well as clothes!
A near-by thrift store told her that she & mom can go get whatever they need out of there.
Wal-Mart has raised money for her! They're also applying for some sort of hardship deal to see what else they can give her!
Bonnie, another friend, has a list of numbers to call for stuff like that and has been helping as well!
People have been coming out of the woodworks, giving her money! One lady gave her a check for $50 and this guy, in Afghanstan (sp?) sent her $200 via wire!!!
I know there's probably things I'm failing to mention... I'll return and edit if I remember more or mom or Cherie tell me more.


I really just can't get over all awesome everyone is in a family's time of need! I'm floored. It really helps restore your faith in humanity!

It makes me happy for her though because Cherie is a very giving person. And now its coming back to her. She deserves it :D

Monday, October 15, 2007

All Paid Up! (Almost, anyways!)

Woohoo!
I'm excited! hehehe
Almost all of our total monthly household bills are paid up! Only thing left to pay is water (which is due on the 22nd) & Jeremy's car insurance.
I'm so happy because I HATE being behind on bills! And we were behind on almost everything!
Our rent is paid.
Electricity is paid (2 mths).
Cingular is paid (2 mths).
My car insurance is paid.
Our house phone is paid (2 mths).
AND, the credit card bill (my card, my first card that is super maxxed out thanks to Jeremy's wreck... he used it to buy the car he's driving now... the wreck which is finally settled after 2½ yrs of waiting and Jeremy's still not getting fully compensated for what was lost :( grrrrr But, at least its over).

Woohoo!

Jeremy finally gave me money to open up a checking account so, I paid 4 of those bills online! One over the phone. Wow, that's so much easier! hehehe And Jeremy paid rent yesterday.
Check this out... we still have money in the bank! hehehe woohoo!

Jeremy said that he decided that he'll keep the check that the rent will be taken from every month but will deposit all the other weekly checks.

Sunday, October 14, 2007

eBay

Okay, I admit it... I'm hooked on eBay right now... lol

Jeremy finally gave me money to open up a checking account... doing so enabled me to use my Paypal account... woohoo! I had set up a paypal account because I do these surveys and sometimes, they pay you money upon completion. Well, at first, they'd send me checks and since I didn't have a bank account, the checks would usually get outdated before I'd have the opportunity to have them cashed by my mom. So, when the survey people sent me a thing saying they could deposit the funds in a paypal account, I readily opened one up. Until now, money has been accumulating in it.

ANYWAYS, so now that I'm actually able to use the money in my paypal account, I bought a few things off of eBay :D hehehe

I bought the girls their costumes for this year. I'm currently bidding on a prince costume for Wyatt since the girls wanted to be princesses again this year. I hope I get it. If not, and I can't find another one in time, I'll probably get him a frog costume (ya know, the Frog Prince).

I also bought some RAM for my computer. I haven't been able to play my Sims 2 game for a while now since I've now got so many expansions, my PC can't handle it. So, I found a set of two 512MB for $17 altogether! This guy had recently upgraded his 'puter. Mine can only upgrade to 1 gb of RAM, so, this was perfect. He sent me a tracking number Friday so I should have it in 3 to 5 business days! woohoo!

I also bought a 128 MB memory card for our Game Cube. I can't play my Sims on that without one. I had one once upon a time but it disappeared. And, in the store, for retail, they cost $30 still! I bought this one for half that amount, including s&h.

I'm also keeping an eye out for another digital camera. Of course, I'm sure I don't have enough in there for a good one, or one even as good as mine (that is, unbroken)... so, I may have to ask Jeremy if its okay to use some money from the account... IF I find an unbelievably good deal, that is. Shucks, I'll even settle for something in the 5 or 6 MP range if the price & camera are good enough with the money in my own paypal account... until I get a real good one of course.

Wednesday, October 10, 2007

Kittens

Here's 4 of them in one pic... the only one missing is the black male, Spooky.
This is M.J. Isn't she cute? She's one of the sweetest ones. M.J. stands for Momma Cat Jr. Since she looks so much like her. OR, alternatively, M.J. can stand for Mean Julie... in remembrance of what she did to us and our other batch of kittens... and maybe even Momma Cat herself...

Here's M.J. sleeping so cutely :D
These pictures are untouched as I just uploaded from my Kodak folder... the pics there remain untouched. Any touched up photos go to my "My Pictures" folder... just so you know... because I know you wanted to know... ha ha ha

Monday, October 08, 2007

Momma Cat's Gone

Can you believe this shit??? She was here last Thursday night. I put some table scraps out for her to eat Friday morning... but, didn't see her. Which wasn't that weird... sometimes she goes off and gets some bugs or frogs or something and comes right back. ANYWAYS... I put the food out in the morning when the girls get on the bus... so, it was like 7am. I didn't go back outside until after lunch and the food was never touched. That evening, same thing... no evidence of her eating any food. No Momma Cat Saturday. No Momma Cat Sunday. No Momma Cat today. She's gone. I have no idea what happened to her.

I saw our neighbor, the husband, outside this morning and asked him if he had seen her around and he said he hadn't. I told him I saw he, or at least his car, was home pretty much all day Friday and he said he was home and only left for like 45mins that day.

I did ride my bike (with Wyatt) both Friday and Saturday down the road and never saw any signs of Momma Cat. I talked with my neighbor behind me Friday evening and she said she hadn't seen her. Our neighbor closest to the railroad tracks wouldn't have done anything to her because they like cats... plus, our cat isn't bothersome.

Okay, I just rode up and down our street again as well as the road behind our house and no Momma Cat... no evidence of her demise either. However, before getting to the railroad tracks, I heard a cat crying... sounded like a kitten though. I couldn't tell exactly where the sound came from. I did get down off the bike with Wyatt and walked next to the tracks, where the overgrowth isn't as bad... then it sounded like the cat cries came from across the bayou. No way for me to get to it if its over there... besides running down the railroad track, across the water... I feel badly for that kitten/cat... but, I don't know how to get to it.

I called the local animal shelters but they're closed today thanks to Columbus Day (garbage was picked up today!!!). I'll call back tomorrow... hopefully someone brought her in... but, I'm betting not :((

The kittens are doing okay. Of course, they weren't weaned :( Poor babies :(( They're only a month old. But, they aren't crying either. I have some formula that was sent to me free in the mail that I never used (because, of course, I breastfeed) that I'm mixing and giving to them. We bought some kitten food Saturday and they're eating it... in fact, they were growling at each other while eating! LOL

The kittens are so cute and sweet. If you pet them while they're standing there, they'll purr. They usually stop purring once you pick them up though.

Momma Cat didn't even have a chance to teach her kittens her ways :( They are cleaning themselves and each other and pooping in the dirt (not on the cement! woohoo) but, she didn't have the time to teach them how to hunt. Maybe its in their blood and instinctual.

Anyways, they seem to be coping well... I'm sure it has a lot to do with having their siblings around for comfort.

I've named them. LOL The black one is Spooky (he's the most shy one), the black/gray tabby is MJ (Momma Cat Junior), the gray one is Slater or Pewter... haven't stuck with one yet... thinking Slater. The Tortoiseshell one with white around her eyes is Bandit. And the other Tortoiseshell one... well, I told the girls they could name her... so, she's without a name as of now... oh wait, I just remembered, Calista said "Marina"... We'll see if that sticks.

Wednesday, October 03, 2007

A real-life test for Roe v. Wade

http://worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=57059



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Posted: August 9, 2007
1:00 a.m. Eastern



Many Americans have come to accept the idea of unborn babies being torn limb from limb, starved to death, burned with acid and generally exterminated like pests – as long as the killing is done in the antiseptic conditions of a so-called "clinic."

It's a little harder to accept what happened in Ocean City, Maryland, where police have found the remains of four dead preborn children – all believed to have been aborted by the mother, Christy Freeman, 37. I guess I shouldn't call her a mother. Maybe "host" would be a more accurate term.

However, she is, technically speaking, a mother – at least biologically speaking – to four unfortunate offspring who live with her and her longtime "boyfriend," Raymond W. Godman Jr.

No one knows exactly what happened to these babies. One 26-week-old unborn baby was found wrapped in bloody towels under Freeman's bathroom sink. Two other sets of fetal remains were found wrapped in plastic in a bedroom trunk. A fourth was found in a Winnebago outside the home.

(Column continues below)


While Freeman is being held, no one is quite certain what crime, if any, she will be charged with.

After all, most laws against killing unborn babies were effectively struck down by the Supreme Court's Roe v. Wade decision in 1973.

To prosecutors, the key is timing.

They say if the infants were too young to be considered viable outside the womb, Freeman can't be charged with murder. And if they were old enough to live outside the womb but died before Maryland passed its 2005 fetal homicide law, it may not be a crime even if Freeman intentionally caused the deaths of these children.

Aren't you proud to be an American?

These four little babies are a sign of our times.

These are the little faces the pro-abortion crowd would never want you to see.

For one reason, the advocates of abortion on demand insisted this kind of thing would never happen again if only abortion were safe and legal. There would be no more "back-alley" or self-induced abortions. They would all take place in clean clinics under the direction of monsters who looked like doctors.

That was the promise.

It hasn't exactly worked out that way.

God knows what possessed Freeman to do what she did. Men and women have always done evil things and always will. It's their nature. And it is why government has a responsibility to rein in the worst of man's excesses – to keep us, at a minimum, from killing one another, to protect the innocent.

Today everything is upside-down, backwards, topsy-turvy, inverted. Black is now white. Up is down. Left is now right. Right is now wrong.

In many cases, government ensures the guilty never pay the ultimate price for their most heinous crimes, while the most innocent are permitted to suffer unspeakable fates.

The people in Ocean City, Md., are pretty upset about dead babies in their neighborhood. In fact, this case is a big story through the Washington Metro area – somewhat ironic given the fact that the U.S. Supreme Court, right in the heart of the nation's capital, made all this possible, if not probable, 34 years ago.

It will be interesting if it turns out that no crime was committed.

It's quite possible that four dead babies in your house is nothing more than, say, a health code violation, thanks to Roe v. Wade.

Is this the kind of story that can confront people about the horror that is abortion?

Is this the kind of story that can force people to confront the reality of what happens every day in abortuaries around this country?

Is this the kind of story that can make Americans think?

Thursday, September 06, 2007

Additives 'can make any child hyperactive'

Yeah, this is old news to some of us :D

Additives 'can make any child hyperactive'


HELEN WILLIAM

PARENTS got a fresh warning yesterday that food additives could trigger hyperactivity in children.

Many children, and not just those suffering from extreme hyperactive conditions, can become more impulsive, inattentive and hyperactive from the cocktail of artificial extras found in drinks, sweets and processed foods, according to research published in the Lancet.

In the biggest study of its kind, scientists at Southampton University recorded the responses of 153 three-year-olds and 144 eight to nine-year-olds to various drinks and found that artificial food colour and additives were having "deleterious effects".

The youngsters drank a mix that reflected a UK child's average daily additive intake.

Professor Jim Stevenson, a psychologist who led the research in the study commissioned by the Food Standards Agency (FSA), said: "We now have clear evidence that mixtures of certain food colours and benzoate preservative can adversely influence the behaviour of children.

"There is previous evidence that some children with behavioural disorders could benefit from the removal of certain food colours from their diet.

"We have now shown that for a large group of children in the general population, consumption of certain mixtures of artificial food colours and benzoate preservative can influence their hyperactive behaviour. However, parents should not think that simply taking these additives out of food will prevent all hyperactive disorders.

"We know that many other influences are at work, but this at least is one a child can avoid."

The children, chosen as a snapshot of the general population, were all put on additive-free diets. None suffered from a hyperactivity disorder.

Each day for six weeks, they were given drinks that either contained one of two mixtures of food colours and benzoate preservative or just fruit juice. All the drinks looked and tasted the same.

The study builds upon tests conducted on the Isle of Wight in 2002, which were inconclusive about the possible links between additives and hyperactivity. The first mixture was similar to that used in the 2002 study. The second mixture contained the current average daily consumption of food additives by three-year-old and eight to nine-year-old children in the UK.

The children's different reactions were rated by teachers and trained observers in the classroom and by their parents at home. The older children also took computerised attention tests.

Professor Ieuan Hughes, the chairman of the Committee on Toxicity, made up of independent scientists, described the £750,000 study as "robust" and said it "added weight" to a possible link between certain artificial food colours and preservatives having a bad effect on children's behaviour.

The FSA is now sending the findings to the European Food Safety Authority, which is currently reviewing the safety of all European Union permitted food colours.

It could increase pressure on manufacturers to stop using certain food colourings, but there are no plans to call for a ban.

Parents who are confused over what might be bad for their children are left with a simple message: read the label.

They will have to do the groundwork to find out what is in their children's meals as some foods such as school dinners or those served at children's parties do not come with labels.

Julian Hunt, of the Food and Drink Federation, said: "As a responsible industry, we shall be studying the detail of the research and companies will clearly take account of these findings as part of their ongoing review of product formulations."

This article: http://news.scotsman.com/health.cfm?id=1420232007

Last updated: 05-Sep-07 00:54 BST

Top 20 things that are more dangerous to children than lead paint in Mattel toys

Top 20 things that are more dangerous to children than lead paint in Mattel toys


The mainstream media is amusingly irrational when it comes to reporting scare stories. The latest example involves the lead content of Mattel toys made in China. The Consumer Product Safety Commission has issued a third recall of Mattel toys involving over 700,000 toys containing unacceptably high levels of lead paint (over .06 percent lead). Irrational parents are rushing back to retailers in droves, turning in their Mattel toys to "save their children" from the dangers of lead paint. Mattel, for its part, is being rightly blasted in the media for selling shoddy products made with toxic heavy metals.

But here's the interesting part in all this: Parents directly poison their children every day with products far more dangerous than Mattel toys. Don't believe me? I'll name twenty things in this article that are far more dangerous to children than Mattel toys. It doesn't mean Mattel toys are safe, of course. They apparently do contain unacceptably high levels of lead, and there's no question about the toxicity of lead. But children don't eat toys nearly as often as they eat some other toxic substances given to them by their parents, and even as parents are herding back into retailers to refund their toxic lead-laden toys, they're returning home and poisoning their children with many other products that are far worse.

The press, of course, reports nothing about these other toxic products. And why? Because they're made in America.

American products poisoning American children

American products, you see, are often given blanket immunity by the U.S. press. While the media is happy to jump on toxic lead found in Chinese products, they completely ignore (for example) the toxic mercury that dentists continue to place into the mouths of young children all across the country. Why is it considered highly dangerous for a child to merely touch a toy with .06 percent lead paint while it is considered perfectly safe for a child to chew on a filling made with 40 percent mercury? Mercury is far more toxic than lead in many ways, yet the media has nothing to say about the mass poisoning of children through the outmoded dental work still being performed on children today. Mercury fillings were invented before the Civil War, and they're just as toxic now as they were then!

Of course, if dental fillings were made in China, the U.S. press would be screaming about their toxicity! But since they're installed by crazed U.S. dentists -- many of whom still manage to seem convincingly sane -- there's zero coverage in the mainstream media.

Reporting the truth about dangerous chemicals, heavy metals and other threats to children is extremely selective. The public never hears the real truth about what's dangerous -- they only hear what the media want them to think is dangerous!

But I've had it with popular media distortions. Here, I'm going to reveal the top 20 things that are more dangerous to children than the lead paint in Mattel toys. Interestingly, most of these are things that parents intentionally give their children (or feed to them!). If you're worried about lead paint, you should be far more worried about these 20 things...

The top 20 things that are more dangerous to children than lead paint in Mattel toys

1. Mercury fillings
Often called "silver fillings" to hide the fact that they're made from mercury, these highly toxic fillings are placed directly into the mouths of children where they are inhaled (mercury vapor) and swallowed, causing systemic mercury poisoning to the child and leading to long-term neurological damage. Visit www.IAOMT.org and watch the "Smoking Teeth = Poison Gas" video to learn more.

2. Vaccines
Think vaccines are safe? You've been hoodwinked by the popular media parroting drug company propaganda. Vaccines are preserved with methyl mercury, one of the most dangerous chemical forms of the toxic heavy metal. This mercury is injected directly into the bodies of children where it causes severe neurological damage. And yes, it does cause Autism, despite what you've read in the dumbed-down press. Only a fool would inject their child with mercury-preserved vaccines.

3. Hot dogs
Hot dogs are made with horrifying processed meat parts (click here to see shocking photos of processed meat products, then preserved with a cancer-causing ingredient called sodium nitrite. As detailed in my book Grocery Warning, this ingredient causes brain tumors in children, not to mention leukemia, pancreatic cancer, colon cancer and other cancers. Hot dogs are far more dangerous to a child's health than lead paint in my opinion, and yet parents keep feeding them to their children!

4. Antibacterial soap
How about a little nerve toxin in your soap? That's what's found in antibacterial soap. It's a toxic cocktail of chemicals designed to kill life. That's how it kills bacteria. The problem is that it also harms people -- especially infants and children who are trying to develop healthy nervous systems. Avoid all products claiming to be "antibacterial." You're better off using natural soap (like Dr. Bronner's soap, www.DrBronner.com ) and letting your child's immune system fight off common bacteria. The world isn't sterile, after all. You can't turn your house into a germ-free bubble.

5. ADHD drugs
Would you give your child street drugs like speed or meth? Probably not, but what if your doctor wrote you a prescription for speed and said your child needed it because he was ADHD? If you're like most parents, you'd fall in step and start giving your child speed. But wait, you say: ADHD drugs are not speed, are they? But of course they are. They belong to a class of drugs called amphetamines. They used to be illegally sold as speed. Now they're prescription drugs, and they're given to children in schools all across America (and elsewhere). Psychiatrists and drug companies are making a killing dosing up kids and infants on substances that used to be considered illegal street drugs (and that have no legitimate medical use whatsoever).

6. Sports drinks
For some reason, parents irrationally believe sports drinks are healthy because they contain the word "sports." Didn't they notice the neon green artificial coloring? Sports drinks are, in my opinion, a nutritional joke. Made from salt water, processed sweeteners and petrochemical coloring, many of their ingredients are actually harmful. Drinking water would be smarter, and feeding your child some healthy trace minerals would be even better. Low on potassium? Eat a banana.

7. Cough syrup and over-the-counter medicines
Nearly all children's over-the-counter medicines contain multiple toxic substances such as chemical sweeteners, preservatives and additives. Cough syrup, in particular, has been scientifically proven to be absolutely worthless in preventing coughs. Many "children's" medicines are actually more toxic than their adult counterparts because they're sweetened up and cosmetically enhanced with artificial colors made from petrochemicals. Yet parents poison their children every day with over-the-counter medicine.

8. Sunscreen
The sunscreen industry is a huge scam. Most popular sunscreen products actually cause skin cancer due to the numerous toxic chemicals they contain (which are quickly absorbed into the skin where they cause DNA mutations that lead to cancer). Even worse, sunscreen blocks the UV radiation that allows the skin to manufacture all-important vitamin D -- the most powerful anti-cancer nutrient yet known to modern science. It prevents over a dozen different cancers, yet parents block it by slathering toxic sunscreen on their children, all while mistakenly believing they're "protecting their children from cancer!" What a scam.

9. Fluoride in the water
I've always found it amazing that city water officials were dumb enough to actually buy a toxic waste substance and arrange to have it dripped into the public water supply where it would be ingested by infants and children. The result? Mass fluorosis and toxicity to children everywhere. Didn't these people realize that fluoride only works topically? (That is, it only works if you rub it on your teeth, then spit it out, and even that only works if you're using natural fluoride, not the chemicals spit out as byproducts of the fertilizer industry, which is what city water departments are buying and dripping into the water supply.) Click here to see my CounterThink cartoon on this topic.

Whoever heard of drinking a topical medication in the first place? It's like swallowing sunscreen to prevent sunburn. Even worse, putting this into the public water supply effectively mass medicates everyone with a bioactive chemical substance that no one has been given a prescription for. This is all done with no regard for the level of natural fluoride children might already be ingesting from other sources. The situation is so crazy that it's difficult to find a more insane example of medical tyranny than the mass fluoridation of public water supplies. The fact that doctors and dentists so vehemently support it demonstrates just how crazy they really are.

10. Processed milk
Children as young as 10 years old are now being diagnosed with heart disease and clogged arteries. Ever wonder how it happened? It's due in part, I believe, to all the processed milk children are swallowing these days. Not only is the milk contaminated with pus, blood and detectable levels of pesticides and other chemicals, it's also homogenized, meaning the fats are artificially modified in a way that makes them stay in suspension. This homogenization also makes milk fats dangerous to cardiovascular health. While I support the consumption of raw, unprocessed milk, I think that consuming processed, homogenized milk is dangerous to the health of infants, children and adults alike!

11. Fast food
Fast food is extremely unhealthy for children. Not only are the foods often fried, homogenized, hydrogenated and otherwise altered, they're also laced with chemical additives, taste enhancers, processed sugars, petrochemical food coloring and other unhealthy substances. Strangely, many parents actually reward their children for good behavior by buying them unhealthy fast food meals, thereby creating a psychological association between good feelings and junk food. (Fast food restaurants further exploit this psychological link by building playgrounds and running feel-good advertisements that emphasize friends and fun, then link those good vibes to their food products.)

12. Antidepressant drugs
Children as young as six months old are now being put on psychotropic drugs such as SSRIs (antidepressants). These drugs, we now know, cause suicidal thoughts and violent behavior, especially in young boys. They imbalance brain chemistry and even alter the body's metabolism of sugar, promoting diabetes and leading to rapid weight gain. These drugs are so dangerous that feeding them to children should be considered a crime. Every single school shooting involving a child in the United States in the last 15 years has been linked to antidepressant drug use. Need I say more?

13. Chemical laundry detergents
Parents are shown fancy ads on television depicting how wonderful and clean their clothes will be if they wash them in brand-name laundry detergent. What they're not shown, however, is the toxicity of all the synthetic chemicals that go into most laundry detergent products. The fragrance chemicals alone are often carcinogenic, and they're just as bad for the environment as they are children's health. A new alternative has appeared, however: Soap berries! It's laundry soap that grows on trees. We offer it at www.BetterLifeGoods.com

14. Flame retardant chemicals
Did you know that new mattresses for infants and children are often sprayed with extremely toxic flame retardant chemicals? These are easily absorbed through the skin of infants and children where they contribute to numerous neurological disorders and immune suppression. Many clothing products are also sprayed with flame retardants, as are some carpeting products. In the push to make everything fireproof, state regulators (who have mandated the flame retardant chemicals in states like California) have created a toxic environment for everyone. I suppose if you're a politician, it's always better for a million people to die of a mysterious disease that can't be linked to you than to have one baby burning up on the evening news with fingers of blame pointed directly at you.

15. Soda
Aside from directly promoting diabetes and obesity, sodas also contain high amounts of phosphoric acid, a substance that dissolves bones and causes a loss of bone mineral density. This causes massive tooth decay as well as a shrinking jaw bone and overall skeletal fragility. Diet sodas are even worse, since they contain chemical sweeteners linked to neurological disorders and learning disabilities.

16. Air fresheners
Air fresheners contain cancer-causing chemicals. Unleashing them in the house exposes children to these chemicals, promoting asthma and other respiratory problems. If you value the health of your children, avoid air freshener products and just use essential oils or citrus peels instead. (Peel an orange and hang the peel in your kitchen.)

17. Synthetic vitamins
Many children's vitamins are made with cheap, synthetic "vitamin" chemicals that actually harm people who take them. Plus, many are loaded up with artificial colors, sucrose and chemical sweeteners. Avoid cheap, store-bought children's vitamins or anything containing cyanocobalamin (a toxic form of vitamin B12). Quality children's vitamins are available through sources like Nordic Naturals (fish oils) and www.IntegratedHealth.com (also check www.WellnessResources.com for high-quality supplements).

18. Dryer sheets
Most popular dryer sheets and fabric softeners are made with toxic synthetic chemicals that are not safe to use on children's clothing. The fragrance chemicals alone are often highly carcinogenic, and the other chemicals contribute additional toxicity to the clothing. Children's clothes should never be washed or dried in chemicals. Only use natural detergents and fabric softeners, or avoid the fabric softeners altogether.

19. Bacon
Most bacon and sausage are processed meat products made with sodium nitrite (like the hot dogs, above) and contaminated with various chemicals lodged in the animal fats. Conventionally-raised beef, pork and chicken products are, in my opinion, extremely toxic to the human body and contribute to colon cancer, breast cancer, prostate cancer and many other diseases and disorders. If you make meat for your children, shop for 100% organic, free-range, antibiotic-free meats that have no nitrites or nitrates.

20. Shampoo and bath products
Virtually all popular shampoo and bath products sold on the market contain cancer-causing chemicals. The ingredients read like a top-40 list of toxic chemicals. Virtually none of these chemicals have ever been tested or approved for use on humans (they are simply ignored because the FDA astonishingly believes the skin won't absorb chemicals). If you want healthy products, use the shampoo I recommend: Pure Essentials Fragrance-Free Shampoo from Earth Science (www.TheNewES.com)

Keeping your health priorities straight

So that's the list of 20 items that are more dangerous to the health of children than the lead paint in Mattel toys. Most parents have no concern whatsoever for any of these 20 things, but they're going ape-shoot-crazy over the tiny amounts of lead in their Barbie toys and Elmo stuffed animals. It all just goes to show you that the sheeple will think anything the mainstream media tells them to think (and they'll ignore everything else).

It's classic American contradiction: Returning a Mattel toy at the local toy store while taking your child to a dentist to have mercury implanted in the cavities caused by all the soda the kid consumed at home (because the parents keep buying Coke and Pepsi). If it all weren't so downright tragic, it would almost be funny.

Almost.

###

About the author: Mike Adams is a consumer health advocate with a passion for teaching people how to improve their health He has authored more than 1,500 articles and dozens of reports, guides and interviews on natural health topics, reaching millions of readers with information that is saving lives and improving personal health around the world. Adams is an honest, independent journalist and accepts no money or commissions on the third-party products he writes about or the companies he promotes. In 2007, Adams launched EcoLEDs, a manufacturer of mercury-free, energy-efficient LED lighting products that save electricity and help prevent global warming. He's also the founder of a well known HTML email software company whose 'Email Marketing Director' software currently runs the NewsTarget subscription database. Adams is currently the executive director of the Consumer Wellness Center, a 501(c)3 non-profit, and practices nature photography, Capoeira, Pilates and organic gardening. He's also author of numerous health books published by Truth Publishing and is the creator of several consumer-oriented grassroots campaigns, including the Spam. Don't Buy It! campaign, and the free downloadable Honest Food Guide. He also created the free reference sites HerbReference.com and HealingFoodReference.com. Adams believes in free speech, free access to nutritional supplements and the ending of corporate control over medicines, genes and seeds. Known on the 'net as 'the Health Ranger,' Adams shares his ethics, mission statements and personal health statistics at www.HealthRanger.org

Something Funny

Ever since Calista told our neighbor's son about his mom and our kittens, he hasn't ridden the bus!!! LMAO I guess our neighbor is afraid of what Calista will fill his head with... LOL So, thankfully, because she's bringing her son to and from school now, I don't have to see her! woohoo!

Tuesday, September 04, 2007

Momma Cat


On September 1st, Momma cat gave birth to two kittens. One pure black one and one gray with some other colors on it. By Sept. 2nd, she had given birth to three more kittens (one black/gray tabby like herself and 2 black tourtiseshells). She still looked pregnant because normally, she's a thin cat. Sure enough, by Sept 3rd, all 6 were out of her. But, the last one was stillborn :( I'm guessing it must have been hindering the births of the previous 3 which is why it too her so long to birth all of her babies. The stillborn baby was almost an identical twin to the gray one born on the first day. And Momma Cat didn't try to get rid of it either. In fact, she cleaned it thoroughly, just like it was alive. I had left it, just in case it wasn't dead and maybe it just looked it. The next morning, it had been moved and all the other kittens were snuggled next to it. It felt warm. But, it was surely dead. I disposed of it after the girls got on the bus this morning.

I'm just surprised Momma Cat left in there. In my experience, the momma cats will even eat the dead baby... or at least, take it away from the other kittens.

Anyways, the rest of the kittens (5 of them) are doing great. They are nursing and nursing and nursing and getting fat bellies :) One of the black tourtiseshell ones was even purring this morning! I love that!

And yes, my other kittens are still gone thanks to my neighbor. I don't even want to imagine what she had done to them.

To my bitchy neighbor who will NEVER be a friend of mine again, word of advice:

DON'T FEED MY ANIMALS! DON'T LET YOUR KIDS OR HUSBAND EITHER!
Leave them alone and they won't bother you. My animals are my 'problem' not yours. I'll find homes for them in MY due time not YOURS!

Monday, August 27, 2007

Crimson Tide

After waiting over a month... I finally got my period again... LOL Just wanted to post it so that I'll know about when to expect it next month.

Witchy Woman Update

Update on the 'anti-cat' neighbor.



Friday, after Jeremy came home from work, he went next door to talk to the husband. It was just as I had suspected, he wasn't aware of all that was going on. I didn't go with Jeremy, so I only know what Jeremy tells me about what went on there. He knocked on the door and asked her husband to come out. He did. Jeremy showed him the yellow paper (animal control warning) and asked what that was about. At some point in time, the wife walked out. She kept saying stuff like, "___ get back in the house" "Are you going to believe me or this fucking drunk" (BTW, Jeremy wasn't drunk) "You (Jeremy) need to leave now." And she proceeded to call the police. Jeremy said that he was going home but to send the police over when they got there.



He walked in our house, telling what happened. Said the wife was saying that I was lying. After a little while, we (Jeremy & myself) went outside. Not long afterwards, the husband from next door asked if he could join us. He apologized for what had happened. He also apologized for buying the cat food. Apparently, they both thought we were bad pet owners and decided to take matters in their own hand without ever asking us about what they thought we were or weren't doing.


See, we sometimes go visit my family for a week (usually, if its a week, its me and the kids, not Jeremy & when he does leave for a week, that's the only time we ask neighbors to feed our animals) or even just the weekend. Well, before we leave for the weekend, Jeremy fills Max's (our dog) food bowl (large metal container that Jeremy nailed down inside of Max's house so he can't take it out or it can't be rained on and ruined.) with food (like a 20lb bag). Max doesn't gorge himself so, when we get back, he still has food there. The only concern is the water and Jeremy has asked a few of our neighbors at different times just to make sure he has water while we're gone. Also, our other neighbors have asked us if they could feed Max their scraps which is totally fine with us. He eats anything. And for the few times that we are gone for a week at a time, Jeremy calls our neighbors to make sure Max is okay.


Now, for the cat(s). I've written about how great of a hunter Momma Cat is. She is close to being a feral cat. She brought back many different types of rodents for herself and kits to eat along with birds, snakes, frogs, etc; even when there's food out there for them. Yes, we don't buy cat food too much because we want her to stay a hunter and not get lazy. However, I'm always giving them table scraps.


So, while our neighbor was here, Jeremy asked him if he knew about the metal container inside Max's house and that he fills it full of food when we know we'll be gone. Our neighbor was dumbfounded. He had no idea. They just figured we left the animals with nothing. Which is really stupid since Max is on a leash and can't very well go find food. What kind of people they thought we were, huh? AND, if they thought this, there were ways they could have found out what we do... they could have approached us with this concern before taking matters into their own hands.


Well, that is also the reason they bought cat food and fed them at their house. BTW, they did this while Jeremy was home... me and the kids were the only ones not home for the week.


Of course, they didn't 'fess' up to any of this... this is what we got from their actions and words.


All of this could have been avoided had they NOT assumed the worse and asked us... even then, that didn't have to be a confrontation... the matter could have been brought up during conversation without us even knowing their underlying concerns. And this whole ordeal could have been totally avoided.


So, yes, they created their own problems yet we were the ones that got both animal control and the police called on. OH yeah, the police did show up next door but the husband sent them away saying that there were no problems.


The wife has yet to apologize and I don't see her doing it, ever. This was all their doing; not ours. Our cats don't go to any of our other neighbors' houses; just theirs because they were feeding them.


OH, yeah... another thing... all of the kittens are indeed gone. She said the animal control picked them up but when I spoke to that lady, she said we get 3 warnings and THEN they pick the animal(s) up... so, I'm pretty sure she got rid of the kittens via her mom or someone else they know around here since our female neighbor is so allergic to them, she wouldn't have been able to transport them.


Even after her 'threat' that she'd get rid of the kittens, she only gave us like 4 days to do anything. I wouldn't have wanted to bring them to the animal shelter... I was trying to find them homes.


You know, even if she apologizes at some point in the future (which I don't see happening), there's no way I'd be friends with her again. She's an ass and a major bitch. Yeah, I can be bitchy... but, she's got me beat hands down.


Another thing that really sucks is now her son gets on the bus with my girls. So, I have to see her twice a day during the week. I'm just ignoring like I did.


What was funny this morning, after getting her seat, Calista was looking out the window, at our neighbor, with this super mean eyes... I had to smile to myself. I just wonder if our neighbor noticed it at all. She had to have... I mean, Calista was looking at her for a long time like that. lol

Okay... further on in the day...

Calista & Ursula get off the bus, before that, I see Jude with this sad/mad face. I asked Calista if she told Jude about her mom getting rid of our cats and she said she had and she will tell everyone she can about it.

Friday, August 24, 2007

Missing Kittens

I went ride my bike around 9:30-10:00am today and the kittens were around.

I received a visit from the parish's animal control regarding our pregnant momma cat... yet, nothing about the 5 kittens on that report. I knew about the leash law in our parish, but didn't realize that meant cats too... can't say I've ever seen a cat on a leash in real life. This lady came around 2:00pm. And I hadn't been outside since riding my bike. The kittens weren't around.

My kids got off the bus at 3:18pm and still no kittens.

I suspect my neighbor, the one mentioned in my previous post, had her mom or someone else bring our kittens somewhere else.

What an ass, huh? Report me to the animal control??? I can't help but think her husband knows nothing of what she's done. He likes the cats.

I'm so glad I never opened up to her about our personal lives!!!

I love how people create their own problems and blame others!!!

Update

Biking:

I've been riding my bike 2 miles daily this week and Wyatt has been loving it. Its so nice to just ride, wind in your face, sun tanning your skin (hehe), and having that nice quietness. Wyatt just sits and looks around, barely does he make any noise while we ride. Sometimes he'll touch my back with his hand or foot :D

Along with riding, I've been doing crunches; I can already see results! Gotta love that! Makes it worth doing, ya know!



Gymnastics:
Well, that hasn't worked out. The first one ended up being way more expensive than I had thought. I went to get the information package and Ursula even stayed for a class that day. I read all the mandatory requirements, deposits, etc... I knew Jeremy would say no; and of course, he did. For the end of the year recital, they wanted $300/child!!! That didn't include costumes and accessories even! Not even tickets! Crazy, huh? Then, you had to buy the daily outfits from them which would have equalled no less than $100 for both.

So, I called the other ballet/gymnastics place and got their info packet. Jeremy had agreed to their terms; seemed a better deal but when I read it closer, they wanted both the registration and 1st month tuition at the same time. If I could have paid them a week apart, it could have worked out a little better. That, together, would have been about $300. Jeremy said no. I do understand though. This summer, our bills have been twice and three times more than normal making his raise almost nil. There was a water leak the landlord didn't fix until recently. Our water bill was almost $300 for 3 mths. Normally, it would be about $24/mth. Then, our A/C seems to never cut off even when I have the temp set for 80 degrees during the day! Our electric bill has been between $250/320/mth!!! That's frickin' high for us. We're used to it being around $150 or so. Its not like we live in a huge house... its not even 1200 sq ft! Maybe next year, we'll be able to put the girls in dance and gymnastics.

My sister, Cherie, has her girls in dance where she lives and its only $20/child/mth! OMG, we could soooo afford that!!!

The closest gymnastics place is 20 min away. I called but no one answered. Depending on the costs and time the classes take place, it could work. Next closest is in Lafayette... and sorry, that won't be happening. I will not be traveling there twice a week...


Cats:

Looks like Momma Cat is pregnant again... much to our chagrin. Her kittens are barely 4 mths old. We still have 5 out of 6 of them. My sister had taken one home. I did place an ad for the in the local Freecycle group but no one answered it; guess everyone is trying to get rid of their own cats...

Jeremy's ready to drop them off somewhere (like the race track); I'd hate for him to do that but they'd have a better chance to survive than bringing them to a shelter where they'd euthanize them in a short amount of time. I really didn't think we'd still have them by now; looking back at how her other kittens disappeared by the time they were like 3 mths old... of course, those kittens were cuter... LOL This litter has no white ones like her previous kits did.


I like Momma Cat because she a mouser & an all-around hunter. I've seen evidence of her capturing, killing, and bringing home at least 2 rabbits. I've seen bird feathers. I've seen many, many mice she's gone found in the wooded area and killed. She's a good mom too; teaches her kittens how to as well.

I'd like to keep the one male kitten. I want to keep at least one because of the mouse problem we had 4 yrs ago... don't want to have that happen again!!!

Also, I've been complained to about my kittens by a neighbor. The kittens like hanging out there and she's allergic to cats. She's actually cursed at me about it (said the "F" word); something I've never heard her do prior to this week. I was in shock. So, I really didn't say anything at the time since she hurried off after having her say. So, I haven't talked to her since. I don't need friends like that... that will confront me and then hurry off without discussing the problem like adults. I can handle confrontation but can't stand when someone will say something, esp. cursing at me, and then leave after they've had their say. That just really pisses me off.

If she's reading this... here's my advice:

STOP FEEDING MY CATS

If you wouldn't (or your dh, whoever does it) buy and feed my cats, they wouldn't hang out at your house!!!

I've NEVER told you to feed my cats; NEVER asked you nor your dh nor your kids to feed them. Even while we are away, visiting relatives for a week, never asked you to feed them... the cats can fend for themselves; they're hunters; plus, we put out a bag of food for them when we leave that they can eat from.

We have 3 other close neighbors that the cats DON'T visit. You know why they don't? BECAUSE THEY AREN'T FEEDING THEM!!! HELLO??? You've created your own problem! And if it was your husband that did it and not you, then complain to him. I didn't bring food to your house and put dishes out in front of your door and lure the cats there. Nope, not me... I didn't do that.



Okay, I've gotten that out of my system... I feel better.

Sunday, August 12, 2007

My Bike!

My New Bike!!!
It cost me all of $1!!!
Last weekend, Jessica & I (along with our babies) went to garage sales. We left her home at 7am and got home at 10:30am. We went to 13 altogether!!! Now, we didn't buy something from every single one. But we did get some good deals!
This bike came with the baby seat as well! Now, it was a little messed up and couldn't be ridden right away but nothing Jeremy couldn't fix in 2 hrs!!! Yep, my man, the handyman :D
What's so great is that he was going to buy me a brand-new one so that I could exercise!!! I had been wanting one for a while now! I have a Raleigh Mountain Bike that I paid $550 way back before I had kids... but, I let one of my sisters borrow it. Plus, I couldn't have put a child seat on the back of it anyways.
So, now I get to ride! Wooohoooo!
I rode it for the first time today and Wyatt freaked when I strapped him in but once I got going, he calmed down. He did hold on for deal life though! heheh I think (I hope, at least!) that he'll eventually love it :)

I also bought an umbrella stroller for $2, quite a few uniforms for my girls, 3 pairs of shorts and a couple of shirts @ 25 cents/piece for Jeremy, about 3 or 4 pairs of shorts for myself, various shirts, velour jogging suits, Bratz tennis shoes for Calista and Reebox tennis shoes for Ursula, both is brand-new condition and about $1/piece along with some tan suede boots for Calista :)

I spent less than $40... probably more like $30 altogether but came away with tons of stuff! I mean, the bike along with the uniforms and new shoes made it all worth it!!!

It was a good trip because Jessica had looked up what garage sales were happening and located them all and then planned our route! It worked out so well! A few of the ones we stopped at weren't even planned, we just happened upon them.

The craziest part of it was that we didn't go to bed until after 2am that morning!!! So, we go to bed after 2am and wake up in time to drink coffee (which we took with us), get our babies & ourselves dressed, and driving out the driveway by 7:02am!!! I was this _ close to not going but like I told Jessica, I'm so glad I did :)

Wednesday, August 08, 2007

World Breastfeeding Week 2007





Okay, so, I'm a little late... :D But, we all know that I celebrate breastfeeding everyday :))





Here's a small snippet taken from the UNICEF site as to understanding why we have a World Breastfeeding Week:








Why this week to celebrate World Breastfeeding week?




It commemorates the anniversary of the Innocenti Declaration.




INNOCENTI DECLARATION




On the Protection, Promotion and Support of Breastfeeding. Recognising that:




Breastfeeding is a unique process that:




Provides ideal nutrition for infants and contributes to their healthy growth and development Reduces incidence and severity of infectious diseases, thereby lowering infant morbidity and mortality Contributes to women's health by reducing the risk of breast and ovarian cancer, and by increasing the spacing between pregnancies Provides social and economic benefits to the family and the nation Provides most women with a sense of satisfaction when successfully carried out and that Recent Research has found that: these benefits increase with increased exclusiveness of breastfeeding during the first six months of life, and thereafter with increased duration of breastfeeding with complementary foods, and programme intervention can result in positive changes in breastfeeding behaviour.




We therefore declare that:




As a global goal for optimal maternal and child health and nutrition, all women should be enabled to practice exclusive breastfeeding and all infants should be fed exclusively on breastmilk from birth to 4-6 months of age. Thereafter, children should continue to be breastfed, while receiving appropriate and adequate complementary foods, for up to two years of age or beyond. This child-feeding ideal is to be achieved by creating an appropriate environment of awareness and support so that women can breastfeed in this manner.



Friday, August 03, 2007

Stupid Argument

Okay, so, Jeremy comes home from work and all is well. We hug hello. The kids hug him. We're talking. Smiling. etc. I'm making Split Pea Soup but there's still a little time left on it and he's hungry so, he makes himself a sandwich. I see he's using the bread and tell him, "That bread sucks." OMG For some reason, that offended him. He got mad and started an argument. Frickin' ridiculas. He's mad because he bought the bread. Because he bought the best bread available at the local grocery store. Because he bought whole wheat bread. Because he bought that kind for me. Because he changed his eating habits to suit me. And I had the nerve to say something negative about this bread. Now, this is, of course, me paraphrasing the gist of the argument.

Let me tell you why this bread sucks. When you try to put peanut butter on it, it tears apart. It falls apart in your mouth before you start chewing. It is too airy. There's no substance to it. I like a more dense bread.

I didn't tell him the bread sucked to argue about it. I told him that so that he'd be prepared and maybe treat his sandwich a little more gingerly. I also told him that so that he wouldn't buy that brand again. I wasn't trying to insult his ability to buy bread. Or even his decision to buy that one. How was he supposed to know it was going to suck so badly?

You should have seen how angry he was about it. Totally uncalled for! I mean, I can't even talk to him without an argument happening. I've already told him that I was going to stop talking. I've done it before. I mean, I don't need to live everyday arguing with him. Its too stressful. I don't need it.

If the roles would have been reversed, I would not have acted that way. I would have said something like, 'oh, okay' and mentally noted not to buy that brand again.

Gymnastics Update

Okay, after Jeremy got to work yesterday, he must have been thinking about it because he called me around 10am. He asked when the registration fee was due. I told him I didn't know but I would leave them a message on their answering machine.

Well, I did call; twice. Left messages. Not sure if they called back while I was outside (no caller ID anymore) but, hadn't heard from them. I hope its not too late.

Jeremy's terms are that the kids are perfect. He will take them out of gymnastics if they aren't the model kids. He wants them to do their chores (Calista's loads and unloads the dishwasher. They both clean up their room and wherever else they made messes). He wants them to listen and follow our directions immediately, without hesitation or procrastination. He wants them (esp. Ursula) to respect me; IE, no yelling or sassiness or backtalk. Of course, I'd love to see this too. However, I don't expect perfection and maybe that's where I'm falling short... and maybe that's why he thinks I don't discipline. I do discipline them. And I am as consistant as I can be. I do believe though, that kids need to be kids and that kids will be kids; they will test you; they will test their boundaries. I know I tested mine as a child. I look back and think of the spankings I received. I think of the way I did sassy my mom. I remember my mom telling me to not look at her that way or to take that look off of my face and me thinking 'what look? how should I be looking at her?'. So, I do put myself in my kids' position. I think of myself and my parents. Things they'd tell me and didn't explain; assuming I knew what they meant.

I'll get back to this later.

Thursday, August 02, 2007

Pissed Off

Man, Jeremy makes me so mad!

He told me that he won't give me the money to get the girls registered in gymnastics!!! WTF??? He says they aren't disciplined. He's such a selfish $%%#$. It'll cost $120 to register them and $120/mth. Its not like he can't afford this. I know he spends more than that on beer and cigerettes alone in a month!!! You know, I don't ask him for anything. Nothing. I hardly ever ask him for money. You know what money I get? I get the change from paying bills & groceries. We pay them in cash, in person. So, I get that. I don't ask for new outfits. I don't ask for new jeans. I don't ask him to pay for my hair cuts & colors (my sister does them for me). I don't ask him for hardly anything. You know where the majority of my clothes come from??? Thrift stores or are given to me.

You can't convince me that he doesn't blow $120 or more on crap during any given month... kwim? How is this not worth it? He's trying to hurt me? Because he thinks I don't/can't discipline the kids. So, he's punishing me???

I'm so frickin' irritated with him.

I yelled at him, "You know how well Calista will excell in this! Just think of the pride you'll feel when you see her perform!!!" I told him to think about it while at work.

Wednesday, July 25, 2007

Dreams

I remember a couple of dreams from last night.

One was a beach scene. The beach scene was probably inspired by both of my sisters-in-law. I just saw pictures of Tasha's trip to the Gulf Shores and Jessica has been going to Florida because my brother is working on a job there; and of course, I've been seeing pics from there. Anyways... its like we were living on the beach and we had a neighbor who just moved in this cool looking house with like glass windows on almost the whole front side of it. I look to the ocean and there's this huge wave coming and I'm like, "Oh NO!!!" There's no time to leave the area and the wave hits us all. I pull my kids out of the mound of sand that we were buried in (and I remember how heavy the sand felt on me in that dream! It took all of my adrenaline to get myself and my kids out). I see both of our houses are trashed. I then go about trying to rescue others that may have been buried in the sand. I find 2 little girls and pull them out. I go about seeking more but that's all I remember about that dream.

The other was me being pregnant. IRL, I know I'm not... I've even taken a pregnancy test. I had lost weight and then recently, I've put on a few pounds. I can see it in my shorts... they're fitting snug now. Okay, so in my dream, Aimee (my oldest sister with 5 kids), looks at my belly and shows me something. My belly's skin is translucent and you can see a baby's body... feet, hands, etc! Its crazy looking but at least I know why I've gained weight! Then, towards the end of the dream, I'm trying to figure out how and when I got pregnant... what 'mistakes' happened...

Monday, July 23, 2007

Memory Foam

Yesterday, Jeremy bought us a Memory Foam mattress pad. Its 4" thick. He said he was tired of us both waking up with a sore back :) Hey, if this helps, woohoo! Of course, we probably need to buy a new mattress set altogether... a bigger one... maybe even a King size! One can dream... hehehe

Last night was okay. My back wasn't so sore... but, to be quite honest... I'm not sure if its due to the Memory Foam pad. For the past couple of days, I've been taking this homeopathic remedy for backaches and I had noticed a difference before sleeping on the new mattress pad. I'm just sick of having a sore back... I've been in chronic back pain since being pregnant for Wyatt! I'm sure exercising will help. I will try to get to doing that regularly once school starts again (Aug. 10th! Already!).

My back is the reason for not wearing Wyatt like I did Ursula (in a backpack carrier). Its also the reason I don't like going to anywhere that I have to stand/walk while carrying him... Its just too hard on me.

I'm hopeful that these homeopathic pills, the Memory Foam, along with exercise will get me back to where I need to be... PAIN FREE!!! I'm too young to be in constant pain! Geez!

While I'm blogging, I'll go ahead and mention that Jeremy also bought me a new broom (woohoo! Last time I told him I needed one, he bought me the frickin' cheapest thing and it sucked!) AND the Swiffer mop thingie :) Yay!

I LOVE home improvements! :D:D:D

OOOOHHHH, another thing... I heard on the local news that by January, Medicaid will be accepting higher levels of income! So, a family of 4 that makes $60,000 will be covered! Wow! So, that means my kids will have medical insurance again! lol We don't use doctors too often, but at least I know that if they do need it, we'll have it covered!

While I'm typing about income... what's crazy is that even with Jeremy making good money, our kids still qualify for reduced lunch! Here I was, thinking that we finally got out of the poverty level... cause quite frankly, it feels like we have! We aren't stressing about the bills anymore. But noooooo... we aren't even in lower middle class, apparently. Crazy, huh? I mean, how much money do you have to make? I mean, I guess I see things differently having been pretty bad off and all. Maybe I appreciate/value things differently then those who have never been so far down.

Oh, this just came into my mind... I am guessing that the income levels are different/higher due to both parents working.

One more thing... in regards to my previous post... my period is so slight, its crazy. I mean, no heavy flow at all and this morning, no blood even in my pad. I guess I'll blog about it again next month and see if its 'normal' again. I mean, I never had a heavy flow but there would be at least 2 days of heaviness and the rest of the days would be light... usually 5-7 days altogether. Yeah, I know everyone wants to read about my period... LOL But really, this blog is for me.

Saturday, July 21, 2007

The Return of the Red Tide

LOL I was just trying to think of a 'clever' way of saying that my period is back. Yep. After 28 mths... it returned early this morning... good thing I had to go pee in the middle of the night! Well, at least now I can know for sure when I'm ovulating and use extra precautions!

So, here's the rundown:

It returned when Calista was 18 mths old.
Returned when Ursula was 15 mths old.
Returned when Wyatt was 19 mths old (he actually just turned 19 mths yesterday).

Soooo... I've gone 79 mths with no period altogether since May 1989. Soooo... I've gone 6.583 yrs without having to worry about my 'flow' :D

Oh the benefits of breastfeeding :)) Of course, 27 of those months were spent pregnant. So, I can only say that 52 mths (4½ yrs) were actual breaks from my menstraul cycle due to breastfeeding & extended breastfeeding.

Wyatt does most of his nursing for napping or sleeping purposes nowadays. If we're home, he'll come nurse for short periods of time and go off and play. He still nurses at least 3 times during the night... probably more.

He is just so cute :) I think he'll be funny... good sense of humor... wanting to make others laugh or at least smile... its just the things he does and the way he does them that are so cute and funny :D

Friday, July 13, 2007

Big Butts

You know, all of my life, I've been told (esp. by family members) that I have a big butt... well... I have found someone who seems to have a bigger butt! Of course, you have to keep it in perspective. I have no idea what size she is but, I know whenever I am wearing a size 3, or even a size 5, my butt isn't that big! LOL And please, don't think I'm critizing her either! I'm not, by any means! In fact, I feel relieved by her! She seems to relish her bottom! And that's awesome! I just wish I have loved mine back in the day instead of being embarrassed by it and trying to hide it by wearing huge shirts!!! I had such a bad self image back then :((

Anyway, without further ado, here's Kim Kardashian! And again. And yet again.

Tuesday, July 10, 2007

Home Improvements (Rental, that is)

The floor in the first bathroom in this house has always been messed up. The vinyl flooring was all cut up and stained. Well, finally, Jeremy decided it was time to fix it. So, I went to the Family Dollar with my sister, Angele, and bought a pack of those stick-on vinyl squares. Calista picked out one that is whitish with a blue diamond. Its pretty. Jeremy put them in this past Sunday and MAN, does it make a difference!!! Brightens that bathroom up. Makes it look cleaner. Also, the tiles match the shower curtain we already had up there. We did it the cheapest way because we rent. If it was our house, we would have put more into it. He also fixed the toilet innards of both bathrooms and the faucet in the first one. He'll be fixing the faucet in his soon. This was all done very recently. In the past, he has put new seals under both toilets and has put in better shower heads in both tubs.

Another home improvement has been the new blinds he bought from Home Depot for the living room. They look so nice! Those ended up being $100 for 2 windows! But, we'll take them with us.

Also... Jeremy bought us a new 30" widescreen flatscreen fatback TV! We like it a lot! What's really cool with it is that it has a digital tuner. NOW, I can finally watch local channels without static!!! woohoo! That's the only reason I wanted to get cable (which we can't get here anyways) or Satellite (only Dish Network and DirecTV are our options). Now, I don't need it (well, didn't need it before but it was just irritating watching TV all fuzzy for the past 6 yrs!

Since I'm posting stuff... next month is Jeremy's court date for his wreck! FINALLY! It'll finally get resolved and hopefully, we'll have a little extra money for it as well! Get to pay off my credit card that was used to buy J's car over 2 yrs ago! Its been 2 frickin' years. Ridiculas. At the time of the accident, J's lawyer said it would be just a matter of a couple of months until it was settled... over 2 yrs later now... J should have done what I told him in the first place... go to Morris Bart or some other lawyer that we constantly see on TV regarding auto accidents. I bet it would have been over with sooner had he done it that way. Anyways, at least now there's an end in sight!

Oh, the other weekend, on the way down to visit my family, I got a front driver-side blow-out on the interstate! Thankfully, some guy on his way home from work stopped and changed it to my spare tout suite! He looked like he worked at the mechanics part of a car dealership.

THEN, this past Sunday, I leave Jeremy with the kids (Wyatt was napping) to go get some Little Ceaser's $5 large pepperoni pizzas and I get a blow-out on the front passenger-side tire!!! Yeah! Believe the luck??? Again, thankfully, someone stopped... actually, two different vehicles stopped to help. The guys helped one another get me on my way and suggested I get that spare tire some air! So, thankfully, I was right there by Wal-Mart Supercenter, which has a Murphy gas station in front. So, I pulled in, put in 75 cents and pumped up my spare to 60 PSI... it was like at 20!!! whew! I got the pizzas and went home. Jeremy is supposed to be getting me a new tire today.

Each time before the tires blew, my car was driving weird. I thought I needed an allignment. But noooooo... that wasn't the problem. Even with the spare tire on, my car drove almost perfectly!

I hate worrying about reaching my destinations while driving alone or with just my kids!

Tuesday, June 26, 2007

June 2007 Update

Hmm... this month, I did a lot of driving... lol Mostly to the Houma/Thibodaux/Raceland area.

Roman (my nephew) had his 10th bday. My bil, Shane, also had a bday. For Roman, we celebrated by bringing all 15 grandchildren (my blood-related nieces and nephews) to JumpingKids. They... well, we all had such a good time!

Racquelle, my niece, was in a play... so, I went down to see her acting & singing. She was in The Jungle Book. It was held in the Jean Lafitte museum in Thibodaux. All of the kids in it did really well.

Jeremy had a scare. He called me while I was visiting (he came for one of the weekends I was down there but had to work the other weekends) and told me that he had thrown up blood! He was at his brother's house... so, he stayed there and left in the morning. I also left in the morning to come back home. He didn't go see any doctor... just looked up info online and in some of my health-type books. He seems to think it could be an ulcer. Funny thing, though, he hasn't had heartburn (which he did prior to the blood vomit) since that incident and he's been feeling fine. So, really, we don't know what happened. We do think that he must have irritated his stomach lining due to taking OTC non-steriodal anti-inflamatory meds (like motrin) for his knee that he hurt playing softball... since that's a side effect.

One really good thing is that Jeremy received a raise!!! woohoo!!! Yep! After being at his job for about a year, they finally gave him a raise! A $2/hr raise!

Wyatt turned 18 mths old this month :D He's such a cutie :) He still looks like a little man... hehe His personality is really starting to show... he's a little character. He already pretends play... like... he uses anything (even the kittens!), points it, and 'shoots'! Going 'pow pow' with it!!! Where'd he get it from? I've NO idea! Even Jeremy's video games aren't shooting games. We don't have play guns for them to play with either. Oh, and he just has to take his diaper off all the time. Recent pics of him are in his blog.

Ursula may be in Pre-K this year... that's gonna be crazy. Both of my girls will be gone during the day this school year... just me and Wyatt.





Oh, I also decided to go back to being a brunette. I like me blonde, but it was just that I'd have 2 inches of roots before getting them redone due to the fact that I live 2 hrs away from Cherie, my sister, who's a beautician. Believe me, if we lived closer, I'd keep my hair lighter! I just didn't like those roots! lol


Calista took the picture to the right. She also put the pearl necklace on me along with lipstick... she gave me a 'make-over'... LOL Excuse the black around my eyes... that's leftover mascara from the day before... I didn't wash it off good... LOL So, basically, that's me make-up-less and tired from driving...


And yep, there's Wyatt sleeping on my lap... after nursing, of course :)

Thursday, May 24, 2007

Freebirthers dismiss fear and bring babies home

http://www.reuters.com/article/healthNews/idUSL2148514320070522

LONDON (Reuters) - They insist they're no superwomen, they have no special powers, and are certainly not pain or adrenaline junkies.

But 'freebirthers' choose to go through what some call the most painful and potentially frightening experience of a woman's life with no drugs, no midwife and no medical help.

Delivering their own babies at home, often alone, they dismiss what they say is "fearmongering" by doctors and midwives and confidently catch their offspring as they leave the womb.


"Birthing uses the same hormones as lovemaking -- so why would you want anyone poking and prodding you, observing you and putting you under a spotlight?," said Veronika Robinson, an Australian based in Britain who sees growing interest in freebirth among readers of international magazine, "The Mother".


To read the rest of the article, click on the link at the top!

Friday, May 04, 2007

My Kittens




Here's Momma Cat's latest batch of kittens. Six in all; 4 girls & 2 boys. This first pic to the left is right after she brought them home... she had them elsewhere... so, I set up a box outside and she brought them to us... they were about a week old there.


The rest of these pictures were taken within the last week. The kittens are so cute :) They have really cute faces and are very playful. Some are more friendlier than others. Some purr if you pet them :D




















They're like 6 weeks old I think... :D hehe
This is one of the boy kits in these two pictures. He's a sweetie.











Thinking back, I really believe it was always seeing momma cats and their kittens nursing that made me see breastfeeding as 'normal'. We always had a plethora of cats and kittens growing up... because we lived on 10 acres of land and people would drop their animals off at our place... LOL We just fed them and took care of them while they were at our house.




This last pic of the kitty sleeping cracks me up... she was cleaning herself and fell asleep :D hehe