Being Seven

My "baby" turned seven yesterday. I barely remember her being a baby, and now she is a tall, skinny first grade student who can read and write. Who has an imagination, a sense of humor, curiosity and a zest for life. That's not to say she doesn't just about drive me crazy with all the weird, kid stuff she does. She is notorious for taking television remote controls apart, using way too much toilet paper, changing her clothes too many times, and generally being a mess-maker. Being seven seems to be the ideal kid age. You are still young enough to be carefree. You don't get much homework from school, you still like to play with toys, and can dance and run and be silly without feeling self-conscious. Being seven is great. The television news doesn't make you worry, and having a quarter in your pocket makes you feel like you are rich. Seven! What a great age. I think we are going to enjoy this year of my "baby's" life!

Ball State Football Player NFL Dream Dashed

Football is a tough game. No doubt it is more dangerous than spectators realize. There was bad news coming from my alma mater, Ball State University, after this weekend's matchup between Indiana University and Ball State at Indiana. Not long into the second quarter, receiver Dante Love, got the ball and turned to run down the field. He was met with a head to head collision with the IU cornerback. Love collapsed near the Hoosier sideline and never got up. He was rushed to the hospital and then transferred to Methodist Hospital in Indianapolis. The news was difficult. Dante Love was the number one receiver in the nation on Saturday before the game. He had hopes of playing professionally; that dream will not be realized. It was not meant for Dante Love to achieve that goal, but thankfully, he is expected to recover from the spinal cord injury and is able to move his extremities. Perhaps there is something better that this young fellow is meant to do; something bigger and more important that being a football player. Mr. Love is well respected and loved by his teammates and family. There are good things to come for him, but it will not be on the football field.

Dancing With the Stars--Again

Hey, don't get me wrong, I'm a big fan of Dancing With the Stars, but it seems like the show has more than one "season." I am looking forward to it, I guess, but at the same time, I'm a little tired of it. It seems like there are two seasons, and maybe that is the problem. I also am a big fan of the series, Lost, but it seems that it has the opposite problem from Dancing With the Stars--less than one season. Not all that long ago, there was the Fall lineup of shows and the season would run from the end of September to sometime in May. Now there isn't any predictablilty. Two seasons of DWTS and a season of Lost that starts in Decemeber or January and only runs until May. Then, of course, there are the shows like The New Adventures of Old Christine, and Pushing Daisies that seem to just fade away without any warning, or the shows that are moved around to so many different days that the viewer can't ever find it. Television viewing just isn't what it used to be. So, I will catch as much of the season premiere of Dancing With the Stars as I can tonight (kid has a softball game ) and just try to figure out the other shows as they start up again. Such worries I have!

Bush Rushes in to "Save" Economy

Make no mistake about it, I am not a fan of President Bush. I never have been. I recall the day he took the oath of office. I had a bad feeling about him and just felt like our country was in for an interesting ride, to say the least. All the bad feelings I have had for President Bush have pretty much been proven. He is not a good leader. He is not all that bright. He was in the job for the wrong reasons. We should never have trusted our country to this man. The state the country is in right now, at this very moment, makes me sick, and while all of it cannot be blamed on one man, I attribute most of it to him and his cohorts. The emergency measures the government has had to take today should never have had to happen. Lazy leadership, and greed are to blame and who better to blame that the man at the top. Maybe it is his last hurrah--to rush in and save the day so that he can go out of office feeling like he has not been the cause or the catalyst for much of the troubles we are facing now. He messed up, plan and simple. He is leaving a terrible mess for the next group of leaders to deal with. I don't like it and it never should have happened. I can't wait for President Bush to leave; go away, never to be heard from again. God help the next President! It is going to be a huge undertaking to even take baby steps toward mending all that Mr. Bush has torn apart.

Teenage Driver Danger

My oldest daughter is currently learning how to drive. She was very excited about getting that learner's permit and hitting the road; that was three months ago. Yesterday, she told me that she doesn't want to drive; that yesterday was the last day she was going to do it--it's too scarey and you have to pay attention to yourself along with everyone and everything around you! Part of me wanted to say, "great!" but I know that driving is something that she is going to have to learn. Teenage drivers scare me to death. My nephew, who is fifteen months older than my daughter, got his license this summer. I worry about him. There are so many distractions and dangers that I can hardly bear the thought of my nephews and nieces and my own children driving. In one instant, a wrong, inexperienced teen aged decision could end their lives. I just have such a fear of that; it almost makes me sick. My daughter told me that she tries to remember the stories she has heard about kids getting killed because of mistakes so that she doesn't make them. My nephew told me that his friend text messages friends while he is driving and steers with his knees; and he thought it was funny. Those kinds of things scare the living sh*t out of me. It hadn't dawned on me, until now, what a big deal having a kid operating a two thousand pound hunk of metal is--extremely dangerous and foolhardy--really. But, it is also a necessary evil. There is no way around it. The way communities are set up, there really aren't many places one can walk or bike to. Public transportation is only in larger cities--no such thing exists in the suburbs or out in the middle of nowhere where we are living now. I have a little time to steel myself for the day when my daughter will actually be able to drive alone. When that day comes, I am sure I will be praying a whole lot more than I do now!

Vesicouretral Reflux Fixed Using Deflux Procedure

I know the title sounds boring, but I am telling you, if you have a child who has vesicouretral reflux, you would do well to read this blog. Two of my four daughters were born with the condition that is simply put; one, or both ureters (the tube running from the kidney to the bladder) comes into the bladder wall at the wrong angle allowing urine to flow backward to the kidney when voiding. This can cause serious kidney damage if the child does not get treatment and/or does not grow out of it. My youngest daughter grew out of her reflux, but my next oldest one, who is nine, did not. In the past, the only thing to do was to re-insert the ureter at a proper angle. This required cutting into the abdomen and spending three days in the hospital. Now, thanks to researchers and doctors, there is a procedure that can be done that does not require an incision. The procedure is called Deflux. It is a polysaccharide gel that is injected on either side of the ureter where it enters into the bladder wall. The gel makes a bulge that can then serve to pinch off the ureter when the child is urinating. Eventually, the gel is replaced by the body's own tissue.
Today was the day we finally solved the reflux problem for my daughter. The procedure does require general anesthesia, but only takes about ten minutes. My daughter had the procedure done at 10:00 this morning, and is now up and playing a little Guitar Hero. She will be able to go back to school tomorrow. She will have to take her usual antibiotic for one more month, and then, she will be finished for good. It is amazing that within the time that she was diagnosed with this problem to the present, a non-surgical, well tolerated, outpatient cure has been devised. I know it seems like a minor thing, but modern medicine is alive and solving lots of little health problems that people have. It is a good and marvelous thing! For more information about the Deflux procedure, you can go to www.deflux.com

Road Names

In an effort to be a little less negative about this podunk town I live in , I have been trying to find at least one positive thing to say about it every few months or so. Something I have observed is that the street and road names around here are really cool. Where we came from, it's Oak this, or Oak that. Not here. There are really great names here. Here is a sample from the list of great street names I have been compiling (in no particular order):
Frogtown Road
Whiskey Hill
Turkey Roost
Pot House Road
Cattail Run
Snake Hill
Foggy Bottom
Chain Bridge Road
Gallows Road
Sam Fred Road
Tranquility Lane
Piggott Bottom Road
Yellow Schoolhouse Road
Shoemaker School Road
Elizabeth's Field
Pennycress
Polecat Road
Fox Run
Do you see what I mean? These are great. The old boring tree named streets have gotta go!

What Did I Get Myself Into?

Tomorrow looms in front of me. I did something that I'm not sure I should have. I signed my fifteen year old daughter and I up for a kickboxing class. Yes, you read that correctly; kickboxing! We have been unsuccessful in getting my daughter involved in any extra-curricular activities in this podunk town, so I took it upon myself to find something we presumably both could do. Now I'm not so confident about what I have done. I don't even know what kickboxing really is. The class description only said that it is a "great workout" and that it was for ages 12 and up. I'll bet I am the only forty-something person in the class. I really do need to start doing more physical activities---more than just running up and down stairs doing laundry and occasionally using the AbLounger! My daughter has been talking to a girl in one of her classes at school who said that she has taken the class, and takes it whenever it is offered, and that it is mostly "ladies" who are in the class. I checked online to see how many people had signed up for the class, and there are seven people! I won't be able to get lost in the crowd in this one, that's for sure! Kickboxing! Good grief, I don't even know what I'm supposed to wear!

That Day

September 11 will never be the same again. At least not for Americans. It was such a dark day in our history, and one that no matter where you live in the country, that day will never be the same.
I was nine months pregnant with my fourth child. Sitting in my home far away from the ghastly things that were happening in New York and Washington, D.C. and the field in Pennsylvania. My children were young; my oldest was eight, but she still remembers that day. The others were too young, but they somehow know now that this is a day that is important; a day that is unlike any other. I remember thinking that perhaps this was not a good time to be having a baby; but there was no way to undo what had been done; what was going to happen. It seems like everything from that day on has been slightly different. A tiny bit of happiness, a tiny bit of freedom, a tiny bit of self-confidence in our united country was taken away that day.
I love the name--Patriot Day--it gives the day certain solemnity and strength. That day will never be the same. So much has happened since then. So much that is not good, so much that has hurt our country. Let's hope that in the coming days when our country works toward choosing a new President, we will choose wisely so that we don't have to worry so much that there is an enemy on every corner, in every airplane, in every place we go. Let's hope that we have learned well from that day. That we can observe Patriot Day--"that day" without fear of it happening again.

First Bonnie Hunt Show: Pretty Good

I didn't get to do any blogging done yesterday since is was "one of those" days. One unplanned thing after another happened, but I did get to watch most of Bonnie Hunt's new talk show. It was pretty good, and was kind of similar to the fictional talk show she "hosted" on her short-lived sitcom a few years ago. I am looking forward to watching the show regularly, and I hope that in time she will be able to get some really interesting and fun guests on her show. Not that Robin Williams isn't fun--he was a lot to watch--but I wanted more. Anyway, the show was pretty good and I will certainly be a regular viewer. One question though: what in the world is she drinking out of that huge dog bowl sized mug on her desk? The vessel is lovely with the flowers and things, but good grief, the thing is huge!

Sarah Palin Speech

Here's the thing; I am neither Republican nor Democrat, and proudly so. I have been watching some of the speeches that have been televised from both the Democrat and Republican party conventions. Sarah Palin's speech last night was of particular interest to me for several reasons. First, I knew very little about her; really only that she is young ( I'm glad they think 44 is young!). Second, because she is almost exactly the same age as I am. I think she is about a week older than I am, and she has children who are similar in age to my four children. Third, I wanted to see how she delivered her speech: hateful, mocking, full of substance, moving, genuine, etc. Anyway, she seems to be an interesting character in this election. The problem with both of the candidates that we have to choose from, for me anyway, is that neither of them is saying exactly what I want to hear. I want a leader who is genuinely concerned with the citizens of the United States of America. I want a leader who wants to end the war in Iraq--the sooner the better! I want a leader who will act quickly to make alternative fuels a reality in our country. I want a leader who will not tax the life out of every family and every business here. I want a leader who speaks the truth; who isn't concerned about his or her own popularity. I want a leader who is positive and above all the current stupidity of the politics in this country. I want the President to be someone to lead us back to the safety, security, prosperity and ingenuity we had before we became dependent on foreign countries for energy, cheap work forces and shoddy products. I want my children to grow up in a country that is strong and independent; that is safe and offers everything they could ever want or need. So far, while I have been impressed by the speeches that have been delivered, but I am not convinced that either candidate or their running mates are exactly what I am looking for. This is an important election. Some would argue that it is the most important election to happen in decades. I liked Sarah Palin's speech. I don't agree with her on everything. I liked Michelle Obama's speech, Joe Biden's speech, and Barack Obama's speech, yet I cannot bring myself to throw my support behind either candidate. So, what is a person like me to do? Watch and wait. Pray and study each candidate, I guess; and then hope for the best.

Waiting and Waiting

Have you ever had this happen to you? Have you ever made arrangements for some sort of repairman or workman of some sort to come and do their thing, but they don't show up right when they say they will? That is happening to me, right this very minute. I made arrangements for this guy to come and re-grade and gravel my driveway. Originally, he was going to come on Saturday at 8:00am. I moved my car out of the way, and was ready for the work to be done. Eight o'clock comes and goes, and no one shows up. Finally at around 9:00, the guy calls and says that he forgot that it was a holiday weekend and the gravel pit was closed. Could he come on Wednesday morning to do the work? Okay, fine. I, of course, have nothing but time to sit around and wait. So, here I sit. It is now 9:00, and no driveway-man is anywhere to be found. I need to take a shower and get dressed and get on with my day. My car is sitting out on the grass, out of the way, waiting to get rolling, but alas, I am stuck. I know that if I decide to go ahead and get my shower, the minute my naked body gets into the shower, that guy will show up. It never fails. Do I assume he is not coming? Do I try to call him? Where the heck did I put his business card anyway? Do I risk the shower? Do I skip the shower and just do the yardwork that needs to be done? I don't need to take a shower before I do that kind of work. Well, with my indecision comes a blogging opportunity, but I just hate waiting and waiting and waiting. . .

School Starts Today!

Well, today is the first day of the begining of a new "era" for me. For the past fifteen years I have been a stay-at-home mom. This year is (finally) is the first year in eleven years that I will be at home, during the day, all by myself. That's right, my youngest daughter started first grade today and will be gone from 7:00am to 3:00pm. I don't know what to do first! Do I take a shower and go out shopping? Do I fire up the new Wii and practice all the games that my kids and husband keep beating me at? Do I mow the lawn? Do housework? Get my hair done? Run errands? There are so many possiblities. I feel like a kid in a candy store. Don't get me wrong, I love spending time with my kids, and a part of me feels a little sad that my "baby" will be away from me all day long, but this is such a liberating feeling. I wonder how long it will last? Will I get bored? Afterall, you can only do so much house and yardwork! Well, I guess time will tell! Today, I will just enjoy my freedom and watch the clock until 3:00 rolls around.

Palin Baby Mama Drama

And so it begins. All the mudslinging and rumor mongering you can stomach. Now that all the rumors about Sarah Palin being her youngest child's grandmother instead of his mother. All the rumors about a faked pregnancy, has now forced her and her family to come out and say that her oldest daughter, Bristol is currently pregnant. I guess there is no privacy once you step into the political spotlight. It really isn't any of our business, but I am sure there will be more to come. Let's hope the Palin family has the strength to get through it.