Love this post, it is so sweet and sad at the same time.
Kinda describes all of August & September for me.
Monday, September 26, 2011
Saturday, September 24, 2011
Thanks!
I never wanted to be a political activist, I'm too sensitive. My feelings get hurt, I take things personally, and politics is a dirty game. People can be mean and hateful, and I try and avoid that at all costs. It's also healthier for someone who is bi-polar to avoid situations that trigger anger and resentment, which politics is also full of!
I had no idea what the effect would be of my post, but it was larger than I anticipated. I'm grateful for everyone's support, from friends, family, and even strangers. My blog was quoted in a post on the examiner.com, which is so cool to me, so I'll post a link here if you want to read it.
Thanks guys, even to the ones who disagreed without being disagreeable!
I had no idea what the effect would be of my post, but it was larger than I anticipated. I'm grateful for everyone's support, from friends, family, and even strangers. My blog was quoted in a post on the examiner.com, which is so cool to me, so I'll post a link here if you want to read it.
Thanks guys, even to the ones who disagreed without being disagreeable!
Friday, September 23, 2011
Warning: long political post.
I feel like I need to make some sort of public statement about some local politics that are affecting me, and now affecting my kids. This is directed at my neighborhood, my church, and my family.
I'm in Legislative District 18 in Mesa, Arizona. My Senator, Russell Pearce, has been recalled and is running to keep his seat in a November election. His opponent, Jerry Lewis, was my Stake President and is one of my Dad's best friends. I call him a friend as well, he's been a great support to me in so many ways over the years. He's an honest, hardworking, faithful, optimistic man, and I'm sure he'd work hard and do his best. But he's not getting my vote.
I have a Russell Pearce sign in my front yard. This has prompted comments on facebook, text messages, instant messages, emails, dirty looks, phone calls, etc., from other ward and stake members. I was going to give the short answer, stand up for myself in a quiet and dignified way, but yesterday was the last straw.
Ember told me that some kids, either in the neighborhood or at school, have been asking her why our family doesn't like Jerry Lewis, why don't we have HIS sign in our yard like everyone else? She felt ashamed, and had to ask me about it.
My response? NEVER be ashamed of who you are and what you believe. This election isn't about her, she can't vote, and she doesn't understand the recall or the politics. I just used it as an opportunity to tell her that people disagree, but always stand up for what you believe in. Don't let peer pressure make you change your mind, your behavior, or your beliefs. I went to bed so angry last night because my daughter is being attacked because of a sign in my front yard, and I had to teach her to disagree civilly and respectfully when I felt like doing the opposite.
So I love Jerry, but here's why I'm voting for Pearce. I believe this recall is wrong. He's worked hard, he's authored or supported legislation that I believe in, he earned that seat through a legal and fair election, and he deserves to keep it. The people who walked the city with petitions asking for signatures to get him recalled were misrepresenting themselves, one of them told me that this was for a regular election and if I signed the petition, that just gets Pearce's name on the ballot. That sounds fair, and I only came to understand later that it was underhanded, misleading, dishonest, and it makes me wonder how many signatures they got that way that they wouldn't have gotten otherwise.
Here's some of his voting record, to show you that I have done my research and I agree with his politics.
Abortion issues:
He voted to prohibit abortion based on race or gender, to prohibit non-physicians from performing abortions, to prohibit late term or partial birth abortions, to increase penalties for doctors who do perform late term or partial birth abortions, to take away public funding for abortions, and to require notorized parental consent for underage abortions.
Education:
voted for HB2557, requiring students to comply to academic standards in order to participate in physical or fine arts education, and for schools to keep their funding for those programs. Specific schools within the district can vote on these programs on a case by case basis, but in general he is supportive. I agree with this 100%.
Budget:
There are so many bills he voted on here, I can't highlight them all, but he voted for mandatory drug testing on those applying for state assistance programs. He voted down tax increases for Arizonans. He voted not to raise Arizona's debt ceiling, to keep the current debt limits, and to require the legislature to aquire funds to pay back interest on loans from somewhere besides the state general fund. He voted to reduce corporate, income, and property taxes, including taxes on small businesses. He voted down a temporary sales tax increase (because we all know, those are NEVER temporary).
Miscellaneous:
Voted no on a bill that would allow registered handguns in restaurants that serve alcohol. Voted to increase penalties for people boating under the influence of alcohol. He voted no on repealing legislative term limits. (Even he knows he can't work there forever, and he shouldn't). He voted to repeal state funding for campaigns. He voted to keep the current definition of marriage. Voted to reduce the burden of proof on self-defense use of force cases in law enforcement, in other words, Officer Involved Shootings. (he's very supportive of law enforcement, which means so much to me personally). Voted to end affirmative action. He's voted lots of times regarding gun owners rights, and I'm a believer in the 2nd amendment.
IMMIGRATION:
SB1070... allows the State law enforcement agencies to be able to enforce existing Federal Laws, that the federal government refuses to enforce themselves. I've read the bill... it's fair, it's not racial profiling, it mimics the federal law word for word and they cite specific examples throughout the bill so you can check for yourself. I read the whole thing, so I could be informed. We need to be able to protect ourselves, Arizona is becoming more violent. I am not a racist person, but I do believe in the law. If you're here illegally, you're a criminal, period. Come here fairly, pay your taxes, enjoy our benefits and freedoms the right way, and if you don't? Hopefully SB1070 will help our officers take care of you.
Increased employer sanctions for hiring undocumented workers. Voted to have English be the official language. Voted to require documentation of citizenship for benefits. Increase border security. Deport violent criminals... it goes on and on. This one issue is very personal to him, his son was shot in the line of duty while trying to serve a homicide warrant by an illegal alien.
Pearce was a law enforcement officer for 23 years, was shot in the line of duty, and received the medal of valor. He has a history of fighting for citizens rights, being tough regarding law enforcement, being tough on budget issues (yes, he had to cut funding on some things that were unpopular, like 1.5% from education, but he also believes strongly in a balanced budget).
I admire him, I respect him, I think he's doing a great job, and the recall is WRONG.
So for all you naysayers, finger pointers, and those who wouldn't sit next to me at church, THAT'S why I'm supporting Senator Pearce, so he can keep his job. I am NOT voting against my friend, he has nothing to do with my decision.
Now quit hurting and teasing my daughter and accusing her, and our family, of not liking Jerry Lewis anymore, because that isn't true.
(This post is approved by Austin & Jill Lawlor)
p.s. Thank you sooo much to my neighbors who put a Pearce sign in their yard, so we wouldn't have to be the only ones in the neighborhood.
p.p.s. This is a 9/24/11/update to the original post: No one at church has actually gotten out of their seat and moved away because I sat down. I do get the sense that I'm being avoided, but I used that description to describe the vibe and the atmosphere around the church AND the neighborhood. I will not point fingers or be any more specific than that, I'm trying to keep things civil for the sake of my kids.
I'm in Legislative District 18 in Mesa, Arizona. My Senator, Russell Pearce, has been recalled and is running to keep his seat in a November election. His opponent, Jerry Lewis, was my Stake President and is one of my Dad's best friends. I call him a friend as well, he's been a great support to me in so many ways over the years. He's an honest, hardworking, faithful, optimistic man, and I'm sure he'd work hard and do his best. But he's not getting my vote.
I have a Russell Pearce sign in my front yard. This has prompted comments on facebook, text messages, instant messages, emails, dirty looks, phone calls, etc., from other ward and stake members. I was going to give the short answer, stand up for myself in a quiet and dignified way, but yesterday was the last straw.
Ember told me that some kids, either in the neighborhood or at school, have been asking her why our family doesn't like Jerry Lewis, why don't we have HIS sign in our yard like everyone else? She felt ashamed, and had to ask me about it.
My response? NEVER be ashamed of who you are and what you believe. This election isn't about her, she can't vote, and she doesn't understand the recall or the politics. I just used it as an opportunity to tell her that people disagree, but always stand up for what you believe in. Don't let peer pressure make you change your mind, your behavior, or your beliefs. I went to bed so angry last night because my daughter is being attacked because of a sign in my front yard, and I had to teach her to disagree civilly and respectfully when I felt like doing the opposite.
So I love Jerry, but here's why I'm voting for Pearce. I believe this recall is wrong. He's worked hard, he's authored or supported legislation that I believe in, he earned that seat through a legal and fair election, and he deserves to keep it. The people who walked the city with petitions asking for signatures to get him recalled were misrepresenting themselves, one of them told me that this was for a regular election and if I signed the petition, that just gets Pearce's name on the ballot. That sounds fair, and I only came to understand later that it was underhanded, misleading, dishonest, and it makes me wonder how many signatures they got that way that they wouldn't have gotten otherwise.
Here's some of his voting record, to show you that I have done my research and I agree with his politics.
Abortion issues:
He voted to prohibit abortion based on race or gender, to prohibit non-physicians from performing abortions, to prohibit late term or partial birth abortions, to increase penalties for doctors who do perform late term or partial birth abortions, to take away public funding for abortions, and to require notorized parental consent for underage abortions.
Education:
voted for HB2557, requiring students to comply to academic standards in order to participate in physical or fine arts education, and for schools to keep their funding for those programs. Specific schools within the district can vote on these programs on a case by case basis, but in general he is supportive. I agree with this 100%.
Budget:
There are so many bills he voted on here, I can't highlight them all, but he voted for mandatory drug testing on those applying for state assistance programs. He voted down tax increases for Arizonans. He voted not to raise Arizona's debt ceiling, to keep the current debt limits, and to require the legislature to aquire funds to pay back interest on loans from somewhere besides the state general fund. He voted to reduce corporate, income, and property taxes, including taxes on small businesses. He voted down a temporary sales tax increase (because we all know, those are NEVER temporary).
Miscellaneous:
Voted no on a bill that would allow registered handguns in restaurants that serve alcohol. Voted to increase penalties for people boating under the influence of alcohol. He voted no on repealing legislative term limits. (Even he knows he can't work there forever, and he shouldn't). He voted to repeal state funding for campaigns. He voted to keep the current definition of marriage. Voted to reduce the burden of proof on self-defense use of force cases in law enforcement, in other words, Officer Involved Shootings. (he's very supportive of law enforcement, which means so much to me personally). Voted to end affirmative action. He's voted lots of times regarding gun owners rights, and I'm a believer in the 2nd amendment.
IMMIGRATION:
SB1070... allows the State law enforcement agencies to be able to enforce existing Federal Laws, that the federal government refuses to enforce themselves. I've read the bill... it's fair, it's not racial profiling, it mimics the federal law word for word and they cite specific examples throughout the bill so you can check for yourself. I read the whole thing, so I could be informed. We need to be able to protect ourselves, Arizona is becoming more violent. I am not a racist person, but I do believe in the law. If you're here illegally, you're a criminal, period. Come here fairly, pay your taxes, enjoy our benefits and freedoms the right way, and if you don't? Hopefully SB1070 will help our officers take care of you.
Increased employer sanctions for hiring undocumented workers. Voted to have English be the official language. Voted to require documentation of citizenship for benefits. Increase border security. Deport violent criminals... it goes on and on. This one issue is very personal to him, his son was shot in the line of duty while trying to serve a homicide warrant by an illegal alien.
Pearce was a law enforcement officer for 23 years, was shot in the line of duty, and received the medal of valor. He has a history of fighting for citizens rights, being tough regarding law enforcement, being tough on budget issues (yes, he had to cut funding on some things that were unpopular, like 1.5% from education, but he also believes strongly in a balanced budget).
I admire him, I respect him, I think he's doing a great job, and the recall is WRONG.
So for all you naysayers, finger pointers, and those who wouldn't sit next to me at church, THAT'S why I'm supporting Senator Pearce, so he can keep his job. I am NOT voting against my friend, he has nothing to do with my decision.
Now quit hurting and teasing my daughter and accusing her, and our family, of not liking Jerry Lewis anymore, because that isn't true.
(This post is approved by Austin & Jill Lawlor)
p.s. Thank you sooo much to my neighbors who put a Pearce sign in their yard, so we wouldn't have to be the only ones in the neighborhood.
p.p.s. This is a 9/24/11/update to the original post: No one at church has actually gotten out of their seat and moved away because I sat down. I do get the sense that I'm being avoided, but I used that description to describe the vibe and the atmosphere around the church AND the neighborhood. I will not point fingers or be any more specific than that, I'm trying to keep things civil for the sake of my kids.
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
Grace-isms
So Grace-isms are hilarious when she's two, three, four, five, in Kindergarten... but they kinda stop being funny when she's in first grade, all day school, and I have my first parent teacher conference.
It's not a good sign when the teacher has to take a deep breath and sigh before she starts talking to you about your child.
Grace rocks in her chair and falls out.
Grace sits on the floor (to avoid falling out of her chair, and it's more comfy down there)
Grace draws on herself.
Grace sucks on her arms and hands, making loud slurping sounds and giving herself hickies and rashes.
Grace pokes her neighbors with sharpened pencils.
Grace sings and hums... constantly. During tests, study time, lesson time, the girl is making up music. She seriously can't stop. Remember "Grace: the Musical"? mmmm hmmm.
Grace doesn't pay attention when the teacher is speaking.
Grace doesn't complete assignments correctly or on time.
Monday, Grace LICKED her desk. (This is one week after I saw Contagion... I FREAKED out.)
Basically her teacher is a tad bit concerned. She loves her, thinks she's a sweet girl, she's just making teaching her a little bit difficult. She's very supportive of however we want to handle her behavior, however we choose to discipline her, however we choose to evaluate and treat her, I felt zero pressure or bullying from the teacher to do something I didn't want to do. That was refreshing. But we do have to do something, there are red flags all over the place. I want my child to love learning, to love school, and to not feel like she's in trouble all the time.
So... here we go again.
May my child be herself, do good in school, and may the Grace-isms never end.
It's not a good sign when the teacher has to take a deep breath and sigh before she starts talking to you about your child.
Grace rocks in her chair and falls out.
Grace sits on the floor (to avoid falling out of her chair, and it's more comfy down there)
Grace draws on herself.
Grace sucks on her arms and hands, making loud slurping sounds and giving herself hickies and rashes.
Grace pokes her neighbors with sharpened pencils.
Grace sings and hums... constantly. During tests, study time, lesson time, the girl is making up music. She seriously can't stop. Remember "Grace: the Musical"? mmmm hmmm.
Grace doesn't pay attention when the teacher is speaking.
Grace doesn't complete assignments correctly or on time.
Monday, Grace LICKED her desk. (This is one week after I saw Contagion... I FREAKED out.)
Basically her teacher is a tad bit concerned. She loves her, thinks she's a sweet girl, she's just making teaching her a little bit difficult. She's very supportive of however we want to handle her behavior, however we choose to discipline her, however we choose to evaluate and treat her, I felt zero pressure or bullying from the teacher to do something I didn't want to do. That was refreshing. But we do have to do something, there are red flags all over the place. I want my child to love learning, to love school, and to not feel like she's in trouble all the time.
So... here we go again.
May my child be herself, do good in school, and may the Grace-isms never end.
Thursday, September 15, 2011
Knock me down, I don't care
I heard a line in a movie this week that I loved...
Blogs are just graffiti with punctuation.
Awesome!
So let me add a little graffiti with the words of a song:
(and punctuation)
Just go ahead and hate on me and run your mouth
So everyone can hear.
Hit me with the worst you got and knock me down
Baby I don't care.
Keep it up, and soon enough you'll figure out
You wanna be
You wanna be
A loser like me.
('Loser Like Me', from 'Glee'... a guilty pleasure)
I've been feeling like a loser a lot lately, picked on judged and criticized everywhere I go. I've been knocked down over and over (and over!) again, and I haven't gotten up yet this time, but I probably will. Mostly I try to keep the attitude that I don't care, you're losers too, but the truth is that I DO care. Probably a little too much. I care when my co-workers "hate on me" (you all suck by the way), and I care when my family, (extended, husband, kids) criticize me. I do care if you start your sentence with "no offense, but..."
Yea, I'm gonna take offense.
I should lighten up and let things go, I'm aware of that, but people in general should just try and be a little kinder! You never know when you criticize a co-worker and complain to the boss, that she isn't going through some serious problems at home, and struggling with her physical and mental health, and a meeting with her supervisor isn't going to set off a brand new tailspin that she was just starting to climb out of!!! And if we're going to get nit picky here, let's compare productivity statistics for the last 5 years... me vs. you. Scared? You should be. Hate on me, but you wish you were as good a loser as I am.
*deep breathing*
I had a bad day. I needed to spray a little graffiti and get it off my chest.
Just be nice, ok?
Blogs are just graffiti with punctuation.
Awesome!
So let me add a little graffiti with the words of a song:
(and punctuation)
Just go ahead and hate on me and run your mouth
So everyone can hear.
Hit me with the worst you got and knock me down
Baby I don't care.
Keep it up, and soon enough you'll figure out
You wanna be
You wanna be
A loser like me.
('Loser Like Me', from 'Glee'... a guilty pleasure)
I've been feeling like a loser a lot lately, picked on judged and criticized everywhere I go. I've been knocked down over and over (and over!) again, and I haven't gotten up yet this time, but I probably will. Mostly I try to keep the attitude that I don't care, you're losers too, but the truth is that I DO care. Probably a little too much. I care when my co-workers "hate on me" (you all suck by the way), and I care when my family, (extended, husband, kids) criticize me. I do care if you start your sentence with "no offense, but..."
Yea, I'm gonna take offense.
I should lighten up and let things go, I'm aware of that, but people in general should just try and be a little kinder! You never know when you criticize a co-worker and complain to the boss, that she isn't going through some serious problems at home, and struggling with her physical and mental health, and a meeting with her supervisor isn't going to set off a brand new tailspin that she was just starting to climb out of!!! And if we're going to get nit picky here, let's compare productivity statistics for the last 5 years... me vs. you. Scared? You should be. Hate on me, but you wish you were as good a loser as I am.
*deep breathing*
I had a bad day. I needed to spray a little graffiti and get it off my chest.
Just be nice, ok?
Saturday, September 10, 2011
My Turn on Earth
Tonight was the final performance of "My Turn on Earth" and Ember was invited to participate. It's a play about who we are, where we come from, and where we're going, told through the eyes of children. We missed the first two performances because of summer vacations and schedules, and I am so grateful that Ember was able to dance in this final show. My nephew Michael was also in the play, and he did a great job.
Ember danced to a song called "Heaven", and it's a group of spirits in the pre-existence enjoying their Heavenly Home. This is before the plan of salvation was presented. Ember was chosen to be in the group that liked Satan's plan better, which really bothered her at first, but she ended up with a really positive attitude about it. It's an important part of the story, and the fact that she's here dancing in this show reminds her that she was actually in that group of spirits that chose to follow the Savior. She was only playing a part, with a body that is a gift from God. I am so proud of her talent, her attitude, and her testimony.
I got a decent video of her dancing, although she's blocked by Junior for awhile in the middle of the song. The picture below that is of her standing with Satan's group... she looks proud, powerful. I think it's an awesome pose, she looks gorgeous.
I have one more video of the final dance, but it's so hard to see Ember in it, it's the entire cast. I decided to leave it out for now, but I may add it later, who knows.
Good job to everybody who participated, you guys did awesome and I'm so glad I was able to see this show!
Ember danced to a song called "Heaven", and it's a group of spirits in the pre-existence enjoying their Heavenly Home. This is before the plan of salvation was presented. Ember was chosen to be in the group that liked Satan's plan better, which really bothered her at first, but she ended up with a really positive attitude about it. It's an important part of the story, and the fact that she's here dancing in this show reminds her that she was actually in that group of spirits that chose to follow the Savior. She was only playing a part, with a body that is a gift from God. I am so proud of her talent, her attitude, and her testimony.
I got a decent video of her dancing, although she's blocked by Junior for awhile in the middle of the song. The picture below that is of her standing with Satan's group... she looks proud, powerful. I think it's an awesome pose, she looks gorgeous.
Good job to everybody who participated, you guys did awesome and I'm so glad I was able to see this show!
Friday, September 9, 2011
Kiss Kiss!
Grace likes to learn words in spanish (after her Dora phase, that kinda stuck), and I think it's pretty cool. She was going to give me a hug and kiss at bedtime and as she walked over to me, we had this conversation:
Austin: Grace, you have to kiss Mom in Spanish.
Grace: *thinking* *confusion* *disgust*
Grace: Is that where the tongues have to touch?!?
Ben: (from the other room) No, that's French!
Mom: (laughing) Where did you learn THAT??
Ben: Henry told me!
Super.
And I Googled kiss in spanish, it's beso / besar / besarse.
Austin: Grace, you have to kiss Mom in Spanish.
Grace: *thinking* *confusion* *disgust*
Grace: Is that where the tongues have to touch?!?
Ben: (from the other room) No, that's French!
Mom: (laughing) Where did you learn THAT??
Ben: Henry told me!
Super.
And I Googled kiss in spanish, it's beso / besar / besarse.
Thursday, September 8, 2011
School Picture Day
Today was school picture day. My friend Janalynn came over and braided my girls hair in cute headband braids, we managed to gel Ben's hair into place despite his desperate need for a haircut, and they all looked cute.
Then I got THESE smiles before school. Grace especially would not smile normally, she thinks it would be great to be goofy in her pictures. And Ember refuses to show her teeth, she thinks her smile looks better that way. They're adorable no matter what, but we'll see how they turn out!
Then I got THESE smiles before school. Grace especially would not smile normally, she thinks it would be great to be goofy in her pictures. And Ember refuses to show her teeth, she thinks her smile looks better that way. They're adorable no matter what, but we'll see how they turn out!
(click the pictures to enlarge them)
Wednesday, September 7, 2011
Politics is served
Tonight was the Republican Debate. The TV was on in the other room, we weren't watching it, but I overheard something that I mentioned to Austin while having family dinner. That prompted some questions from the kids about the debate, the election, and politics in general. They understand that the incumbent gets another shot at four more years, but they were curious about this crowd of people who wanted to run against him. I think they understand that only one of these guys gets to try and beat Obama, and they're all fighting to be THAT GUY (or girl). They're all saying different things to try to get the most votes, to make the most people happy. My kids are 11, 9, and 6. We were having family dinner. Here's how I explained politics to them.
I'm the president. (I'm off to a good start, right?)
I'm in charge, and I have to make everyone happy.
The dinner table is America.
The food I've prepared is what I have to offer America.
The shortlings surrounding the table are Americans.
One American doesn't like my casserole.
One American doesn't like the green beans.
One American won't eat the bread.
On a side note, my Vice President will eat pretty much anything.
I worked hard on this meal/plan for our table!
I'm proud of it, and my goal was to make EVERYONE happy! But that's a near impossible task, we're all too different.
My little Americans understood that it's a really hard job to fill the table with things that everybody likes, and can agree on. They liked the idea of being able to help pick the food, even help prepare and serve it. The politicians make the decisions and offer things to the people, but the people get to have a say too. I think they got the concept, maybe even six year old Grace. Not about politicians, but about how she's the little American that didn't like the casserole.
The only part of my story that doesn't work is that my little Americans do NOT get to vote me out in four years, even if I keep making them eat their vegetables!
I'm the president. (I'm off to a good start, right?)
I'm in charge, and I have to make everyone happy.
The dinner table is America.
The food I've prepared is what I have to offer America.
The shortlings surrounding the table are Americans.
One American doesn't like my casserole.
One American doesn't like the green beans.
One American won't eat the bread.
On a side note, my Vice President will eat pretty much anything.
I worked hard on this meal/plan for our table!
I'm proud of it, and my goal was to make EVERYONE happy! But that's a near impossible task, we're all too different.
My little Americans understood that it's a really hard job to fill the table with things that everybody likes, and can agree on. They liked the idea of being able to help pick the food, even help prepare and serve it. The politicians make the decisions and offer things to the people, but the people get to have a say too. I think they got the concept, maybe even six year old Grace. Not about politicians, but about how she's the little American that didn't like the casserole.
The only part of my story that doesn't work is that my little Americans do NOT get to vote me out in four years, even if I keep making them eat their vegetables!
Friday, September 2, 2011
Instead of posting a fake pregnancy and cravings on facebook, why don't you tell all of your friends to donate money to breast cancer research, or contribute to the medical care of a friend or family member undergoing treatment right now? Doesn't that seem more effective and less offensive?
Facebook games are so unbelievably stupid, but this one especially pissed me off.
Facebook games are so unbelievably stupid, but this one especially pissed me off.
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