Vaccinations - Tarav

I feel like being a mother in these days is extremely difficult at times. Sure, we have things that our ancestors didn't; pack-n-plays, swings, carriers, etc. But I feel like in these times not only do we have to worry about our babies getting sick, or why they won't stop crying, we have to worry about lead levels, chemicals in our baby products, and vaccinations.

Being that I have two children under two (my first turns two tomorrow!) I have started to research vaccinations. With my first I heard that there was much controversy surrounding them but I never did my research. I never listened to both side. I wish I would have been more educated. I have since learned that multiple vaccinations contain harmful ingredients (including aluminum, formeldehyde, and others,) and are believed to cause a wide range of effects, temporary, permanent, and death.

So I am just curious, what side of the vaccination war are you on? Do you feel like people who do not vaccinate are "selish" (I hear that argument a lot?) Do you feel as if vaccinating babies puts them in harm and so you don't participate in it? Do you believe that children should be vaccinated but on a different schedule than the Association of Pediatrics recommends?

As for myself, I wish I did not have to inject certain ingredients into the fragile bodies of my babies. However, I also fear them becoming sick and ultimately deceased [as a result of complex vaccinations]. That is why I have decided to vaccinate but on an alternative schedule. Rather than my children get 5 shots at a time, I am opting to give them one at a time. If you are curious about the schedule I follow (although I have edited it a bit,) I highly recommend the "Vaccination Book" by Dr. Sears. He breaks down every vaccine telling you what the ingredients are, how it's made, why people choose to give the shot, why others don't, and how he feels about the priority of a particular vaccine. I have learned enough to help me make my decision and will never look at vaccines the same again. The good thing about the book is it is not anti or pro vaccine. It is simply giving you the facts. Not only do I recommend it for parents, I think it is a good read all around.

Thoughts on vaccinating? Pro, anti, indifferent, or are you someone who, like I, wishes to do it but in a less intrusive manner?

fall weather

You can tell we are a busy family in the fall when school goes back in session.  I hadn't realized it had been so long since I chipped in.  Tara and her family are still house hunting in San Diego.  Gabi and her family are into their school activities. And I'm just puttering around.

I got an email from my cousin in Indiana and they have cold weather up there already, frost expected, and I started thinking about the redbone hound dog I had when I was a teenager and we lived out in the country.  He loved fall weather after the heat of the summer.  When he went out in the morning, he'd go down to the hollow and chase a rabbit all the way across the hollow.  In the summer he did that too but they didn't run as fast. But in the fall he'd wait until the rabbit stuck his nose up and chase him all the way back around.  And then he'd come sauntering in with his tongue hanging out and looking sooooo pleased with himself.  He really got pumped up to go hunting when the weather cooled down.

So let's enjoy whatever cooler weather we get and I'll try not to complain.  I'm a 75 degree person but we don't have snow here at least and last year our winter was only like three weeks long.  Here's to another one.

Drug Testing for Welfare

http://news.yahoo.com/why-drug-testing-poor-could-unconstitutional-081205581.html

I 100% stand behind the drug testing for welfare!!!!!!!! What do you all think?

Busy, busy, busy !!!!!!!

We have all been so busy. Really with all the elections and all I haven't found much time to keep up with it all. Seems to me that every politician needs a paycut, so they can feel the same way that the American people feel. Yet they are asking for raises. If they didn't feel like they were getting paid enough for the job they were doing then why did they want the job? Here's an idea, have them go find new jobs that they feel will better compensate them.

http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/ticket/members-congress-paid-enough-165641960.html

I wish them luck in their NEW adventures!!!!!!!!!!!!

Monday morning musings

Well, the cable news and the Weather Service got great ratings because of the hurricane. This one impacted a lot of heavily populated States so it was the major thing on a lot of people's minds. It could have been a lot worse. Floods are bad anywhere but it's not like New Orleans which is like a bowl.  Once water got in there it couldn't get out.  In the Northeast it just flows on down.

I noticed that Michele Bachman, one of the GOP presidential candidates, thinks because of the hurricane and the earthquake that God is trying to tell us that our government spending is out of control, deficit, deficit, deficit.  I wonder if that's the same God that tells women in Texas to kill their kids.  Sometimes the voices in your head mean you're just nuts, not listening to God.  Not saying that she's nuts but I don't think she's playing with a full deck.

This week the US Open Tennis Championship opens in New York City.  They are saying they are starting on time this morning.  Wheeeee.  I've got my next two weeks taken care of.  And for the last five days my computer has been working so I can blog.  I do find a virtual keyboard to be a pain to type on.  So I'll try to be a bit more active.

Military Retirement Pay

Since so many of us are tied to the military, I'd love to see how you all feel about military retirement pay being, I guess you could say taken away, in relation to the economy? Do you think it will happen? Do you think if the economy improves it will be reinstated?

When I was younger I was almost obsessed with understanding how Hitler and the Nazis could take over a country and do such evil things. For probably twenty years I studied World War II because it just didn't make sense to me. Lots of people knew about the death camps, not only in Germany but the rest of the world leaders. One comment I came across that made more sense than most was it only takes good men remaining silent for evil to prevail.

I look at my country now and wonder how the crazies got unleashed. Maybe it was too many sane people staying quiet.

Free Birth Control for Women - Tarav

Sorry, once again, that I have been so inactive with this blog. Having a newborn and a toddler is very time consuming. I am getting better at this whole double duty mommy thing though!

As for the birth control thing, I think it is a fabulous thing! Some of my friends are unable to afford insurance and therefore have to go to planned parenting to get birth control and that alone has caused a lot of problems for them. I am glad that getting birth control has become a little more convenient. Maybe this will help to lower teen pregnancy statistics!

Free Birth Control for Woman

http://news.yahoo.com/federal-health-department-approves-free-birth-control-women-143218278.html

I believe this is a great move! How do you all feel.

New voices welcome

Gabi is inviting friends from Facebook to join in our discussions. We all hope you do. Is is a free-flowing conversation, kind of what's on your mind. Just play nice, dinner table rule. We can all learn from each other. If you have ideas on what we can do to make life better for someone, put it out there. A lot of people are having a really hard time and the kids usually have it the hardest because they can't do anything about it. So give a kid a hug

political talk

While my computer is working (for one hour or two or three days) I will get a quick post up.  Last night the President addressed the nation on raising the national debt limit and then the House Republican Leader made his comments. Just a quick reminder, this is not new spending they are talking about and to say the President wants a blank check is either stupid or a lie.  This is in order for the government to continue paying for those government programs that Congress has legislated.  The President, by our Constitution, cannot spend a dime.  Programs that cost money have to start in the House, be passed by the House, then the Senate and finally signed by the President.  He can't pass a law, can't make Congress pass a law.

Now, the biggest reasons for the deficit and debt being so large now are:  One, the so-called Bush tax cuts which the Republican controlled Congress passed and Bush signed in 2001; two, two wars that Bush started and two countries occupied, and it was the first time in our history that we went to war and didn't pass a tax increase to pay for it.  We borrowed the money to pay for those wars; three, the great recession caused outlays for the banks, car companies and another tax cut and money for States so they didn't have to lay off teachers, cops, firemen (so-called stimulus).

When Bush was elected he inherited a surplus.  In other words, we were collecting more in taxes and fees than the government was spending because of policies put in place by President Clinton and a Republican controlled Congress.  When the Bush tax cuts were enacted in 2001, the reason they were to expire in ten years was because they would balloon the deficit.  That was very publicly discussed and debated.  That is exactly what happened and then we had the other things on top of that.

Social Security has never contributed a dime to the deficit.  On the other hand, it has paid for a great deal of the government's expenses and the Social Security Trust Fund holds most of its worth in government debt, like a Treasury Bill or savings certificate.  And the only way to corral health expenses in this country is for a single payer system similar to France and other European countries where the government has the ability to control the price of services.  Shoving people into for-profit insurance companies does not control costs or improve health care.  I was against that kind of health care reform in the 1990's when the Republicans were pushing it in Congress, I was against it when Romney got it enacted into law in Massachusetts and I was against it when Obama and the Democrats in Congress passed it.

So whether the retards in Congress can get it together before we crash the world economy, I don't know.  Maybe but there are some in there that are fanatically committed to a particular philosophy and quite willing to take us all down with them.

Babies and Bonding

I have been completely missing in action lately. Why? Well, let me tell you.

On July 7th and 1:48 AM my husband and I welcomed our gorgeous 6 pound 1o ounce baby boy into the world!

Everything is going fabulously and we feel super blessed as a family. Our daughter adores her little brother and has been adjusting well.

Between caring for a newborn and tending to my 21 month old toddler I have had zero time to sit down and blog. As soon as I find a moment I will be sure to post my responses to the previous posts!

Social Security Being Cut

http://news.yahoo.com/obama-lawmakers-fall-short-debt-deal-045247357.html

Are these just threats to get what he is wanting?

Earlier College Topic

http://finance.yahoo.com/college-education/article/113010/degree-not-worth-debt-cnnmoney

Another update on our earlier college topic.

Catching Up

I believe that the jurors in the Casey Anthony case did just as they were supposed to. Based on the evidence provided it was their responsibility to find her not guilty. If you are one of those who are terribly upset about the verdict then do some research and submit the proof that shows she is guilty. If it is anyones fault then blame it on the prosecution for feeling like they had a shut case and not putting in the work that is needed. All we can hope for is that some new evidence will come to light one day and justice will be serve for poor Caylee.

For the housing market, well that is down right scary! I fear knowing that the market value of my home is going to drop even more. I am still in better shoes than most people because I owe less than what it is worth, but I am still hurt that it isn't worth what I paid for it. I hope one day it will be though.

I do believe though that we can not count on the government to help us with our economy. We need to take the situation into our own hands. People need to pay their bills, and everyone needs to look at what they believe is a MUST HAVE. I read an article yesterday about someone who has been collecting unemployment benefits for over 4 years. It said her home was now in foreclosure and that she had done everything she can such as lower her cell phone plans, Internet plans and cable TV plan.  ARE YOU KIDDING ME!!!!!!!!!!!!! Why couldn't she cancel all those plans???? Those are wants in my eyes, her home would have been a must have. Now she fears her unemployment check will be cut since she has been on it for long so now she is going to widen her search for a job to other fields of work. Here is another ARE YOU KIDDING ME!!!!!!!!!!! After 4 years and all she is still be picky on what kind of job she should be working.

Casey Anthony verdict

I noticed on Facebook there is a lot of angst over the verdict. First let me say that I did not watch any of the trial coverage and when I was working I refused to do murder trials when the victim was a child whenever possible. And I would remind all of you that a murder trial is not entertainment or a new reality TV show.

The jury returned a verdict of not guilty. In Canada and I believe England the same verdict would be read as not proved. A not guilty verdict does not mean the jury determined the defendant was innocent. It means that based on the evidence they heard they did not find proof beyond a reasonable doubt. And it is only based on the evidence they heard. The same thing happened with the OJ trial. Based on the evidence the jury heard I had to agree with that verdict, and that one I did watch the trial because I could not believe the sloppy way the crime scene techs and the cops handled the evidence. Polk County did a much better job than that. So based on the evidence presented to the jurors I had to agree with them. That doesn't mean that either one of these defendants is innocent. It means that jurors have to follow the law and they take their job seriously. And based on the evidence the jurors heard is not what you hear on TV. Sometimes what you hear the jury is not in the courtroom. And what the talking idiots say on TV is for ratings, not for the truth of what they say.

Social Security - Tarav

It seems to me as if everything is going downhill in our country right now. Instead of problems getting better little by little, they are becoming catastrophically worse! Maybe we need to start looking to other countries for ideas? Something obviously is not working and we may need to try a different method.

As for the housing market, I think there are pros and cons to it. Obviously for those of us who have already purchased homes, it is scary. We spent x amount of dollars and now our house is worth much less! Ouch! Fortunately, though it might not be enough, there are small things we can do to increase the value so we are not at a complete lost. Being that my husband plans on buying and selling homes, I have done lots of research on how to significantly increase the value of your home without spending major bucks. I would advise everyone to do the research and really learn about the area in which you are living. What is important in a house in the area, etc. I am blessed by the fact that I live in a little "Marine Corps town" we call it. Because of that there is not a huge fear of my house not selling for a nice price or renting out. Where I am at, families always need homes. It is not a matter of moving to a cheaper city if you cannot afford it. The Marine Corps places you where they want and housing is obviously a necessity.

As for the pros of the declining housing market, I look at it like this. I was watching a day time talk show and Suzy Oreman (a financial "expert") was asked, 'Is it better to buy or rent in this economy?" Her response? "Right now, renting. And I will tell you why." She went on to explain that the housing market will not be getting better anytime soon and values will continue to decline. Therefore, if you wait you can ultimately get a house for much cheaper. It is not a positive thing for our economy to fall, but maybe more families will be able to purchase homes at much lower prices.

Anyways, those are just a few of my thoughts on the matter. I wanted to post something since we have all being extremely inactive on this blog. Not for lack of desire, summer time is a busy one for our families! Not to mention, preparing for a newborn and spending some much needed time with my husband who was deployed to Afghanistan for 7 months.

Summer

Middle child is vacationing with her family in Nebraskaa. Tarav is at the end of her pregnancy and busy with her husband just back from Afghanistan. And here toddler. And the oldest child is busy trying to catch up on everything. That leaves me and I have been very happily watching tennis tournaments and being very happy being a couch potato. And trying to learn how to use the keyboard on the iPad.

Update for our Family

Wow! We have been busy. Cassidy tried out and made an All-Star Cheer Leading Team and so far she is super excited for it. Today is the last day of school for the children before SUMMER begins! We have a big trip planned for this summer already. Our 2 yr old will begin school in a week, and I still have to come up with summer lesson plans!!!!!!!!

Like I said. BUSY, BUSY, BUSY!!!!!!!!!!!!!

With the Medicare discussion. I don't believe any voucher system will work. One: there doesn't seem to be enough honest people out there who would spend the money on health care. It will be spent on other things, leading us to have the same amount of people not covered or possibly more people not covered, because once the private insurance companies know that people with have help paying for insurance, well they are going to raise the price of coverage for all the rest of us who are already paying top dollar for coverage.

The main problem with all this and the discussions is that our political backbone of this country is not looking out for the people of this country. The are only looking out for themselves!!!!!!!!!!!!

Social Security

Wow, not content to vote to abolish Medicare, the House Republicans filed legislation to abolish Social Security.  How's that stock market thing working out for you guys?  And we won't even talk about the housing value collapse.  Better start buying tents and sleeping bags.  Oh, and first aid kits too.  Granny has to have some kind of health care and a place to stay.

And you know the Medicaid funds that the States are all trying to cut?  70 percent of the Medicaid funds go for seniors, mostly nursing home care.  Guess all the kids are going to have to start coughing up money for nursing homes or quit their jobs and stay home to take care of their parents.  What a country.

Busy busy busy!

I have not contributed much to the blog lately. Not for a lack of desire, there just has not been much time. That being said, I figured I would post an update.

I left the family and returned to my own home in California. Being home has been nice! My own house, rules, food, etc. I am so grateful for the time spent "back home" but there is nothing like returning to your own home and ways of doing things! I came home early to prepare the house for my husband and take care of other responsibilities, such as medical insurance and what not. In that time without my husband I was in the hospital once being monitored for contractions that were 2-3 minutes apart over a span of three hours! I was only 32 weeks at the time so needless to say, that was not ideal. I was given a shot to slow down the contractions and was told to go home, take it easy, and give all responsibilities to anyone around me. I am now 34 weeks, still have contractions, and still taking it easy (not so much, but hey I am trying.) I had preterm labor with my daughter as well so it is not exactly something I take lightly, but not something I am fearing.

My husband returned home from Afghanistan on May 31st so we are spending all of our time with him! It has been fabulous having him home. My daughter adjusted immediately and is having no problems giving her daddy lots of love, hugs, and kisses! Life is just better this way. While he was deployed I expressed my daughters love and obsession of the iPad. He thought it was silly and that I was spoiling her by letting her play with peoples' iPads. But lo and behold, we have made the purchase ourselves! I guess walking through the mall and having people tell him how incredible it is that his daughter knows how to operate an iPod convinced him. Spoiled? Maybe. But hey, my daughter will be advanced technologically!

Today we spent the day shopping for the house and setting up our above ground pool. My husband has been extra busy! The little one loves water so I am thrilled for it to be full so we can start having family fun outside!

Until next time!

education

It caught my attention this weekend when I was surfing the net and checking my usual news sites which include several newspapers in the U.S. and two or three in Europe and sometimes Israel that the articles in the overseas papers aren't written for seventh graders like the U.S. papers.  They actually use what my dad called ten-dollar words and even, gasp, throw in a foreign word now and then.  It vividly illustrates the effect of the dumbing down of our education system and how far we've fallen below the rest of the developed world.

 I have thought for years now that we need to get back to the basics in education for the first three years.  Diversity is great and I'm all for it but kids really need a solid basis in reading, writing and arithmetic.  It's kind of like building a house:  If the foundation isn't solid it doesn't matter what kind of bells and whistles you add because it won't be a stable house.  Reading especially is a basic necessity.  When you can read, you have the world at your fingertips.  And writing develops critical thinking and the ability to organize your thoughts to effectively communicate.

And the other thing I think would help is expecting the most from our kids.  Kids tend to live up or down to expectations.  If you expect them to bring home A's, they will.  If you just expect them to go to school, that's what they'll do most of the time.  Each child is different but expect the best that each child is capable of and teach them to expect the best of themselves.

Monday morning

My older daughter, with whom I live, is back to work this morning after a couple of weeks off so until my two granddaughters get here from school today I'm on my own.  Just a couple more days and they're off for the summer.  So glad we got the above-ground pool.  They are really enjoying it.

I spent a lot of the last couple of weeks watching tennis at the French Open.  There were some fantastic matches and that's always one of my favorite tournaments.  To win that tournament a player has to be in top shape.  It was great to see Federer give Nadal a terrific at the old age of 29.  That has always been a terrific rivalry.  And then to see a Chinese woman win  the ladies' side at the age of 29, a first for a Chinese, really special for the people in Asia.  Tennis has never been a top sport in that part of the world but Li  Na's play at the French Open got lots of attention all over Asia but especially in China so maybe more children with start playing.

And now we move on to England and the grass court tennis season.  Wimbledon in a couple of weeks.  I am a very happy couch potato.

Medicare

I have been really interested in the Medicare conversation.  All the Republicans, except four, in the House voted to replace Medicare with a voucher system and now they are squealing because there is an uproar about it.  Listen, the definition of Medicare is a single-payer, government health care program for seniors.  That is the definition of it.  When you replace it with a voucher and tell people to go buy their own private insurance if they can get it you have voted to abolish Medicare.  I don't care how much lipstick you put on that pig, it's still a pig. But it's been entertaining to say the least to listen to them trying to convince people that throwing granny under the bus is a good idea.

update

I just got my computer back from HP.  It had some problems and they sent a box via Fed Ex to ship it to them, we did, they fixed it and sent it right back.  Took about a week total and no charge at all.  Now that is customer service I can believe in.  And my family knows how much I love my computer.  It's an HP TouchSmart and it has the screen that swivels around and folds down so it can be used like a tablet or a regular notebook and with the touch screen.  So I am back to scooting around the internet and having fun.

More Bad News for Home Owners

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/Foreclosures-for-sale-Big-cnnm-2801454840.html

Where do you all stand on your homes? Are you terrified at what the future holds for your own homes? I am!!!!!!!! My home value has been cut in half. On a good note, we do owe less than what it is worth but it wouldn't be enough that if we sold right now that we would have a decent amount down on another home. It is heartbreaking!!!!!!!!

Bin Laden

Some of the sites I follow are suggesting that this may be the break-through we need for the Taliban in Afghanistan to break with Al Quaeda and get serious about negotiating a political settlement in Afghanistan so we can truly get out.  From what they say there was more a personal relationship between Bin Laden and Mullah Omar, the head of the Taliban, and the Arab world has moved on in ten years.  Their revolutions over there are not the making of Al Quaeda but brought about by the young people over there.  It is a time of great turmoil in the Middle East and ten years down the road I think it will look considerably different than it does today, with or without our help.

In any event, I think we'd be better served if we got out of Afghanistan and Iraq and let them solve their problems.  I also think Israel had better get serious about negotiating a peace settlement with the Palestinians because time marches on and the security concerns of Israel are going to get more serious.  The United Nations is poised to recognize a Palestine state based on the 1967 borders that were originally set up after World War II by the United Nations and from what I'm reading it's going through the U.N. General Assembly and not the Security Council so the U.S. can't veto it and 99 percent of the world does not agree with us on Israel.

Now I have thrown out a bunch of stuff out there for you guys to chew on and read up on.

Earlier Discuss About What is Next for Al-Qaeda

http://news.yahoo.com/s/time/20110518/wl_time/httpglobalspinblogstimecom20110517alqaedasnewleaderwhoissaifaladelixzz1mhqmqt00xidrssfullworldyahoo

Here is an updated article about the new twists and turns. This topic was discussed earlier this month if you would like to update yourself.

Earlier College Topic

This is an updated article about a topic previously discussed. College? It was a hot topic of our during the March 2011 month if you would like to revisit the topic again.

http://finance.yahoo.com/career-work/article/112754/recession-lost-generation-cnnmoney

Donations for a Fence to Cut Immigration

I think that this donation system is a great idea compared to raising taxes to help pay for it. One, the people who this is really important to can donate and they will feel as if they are having a part in the whole system. Also, you would not be taking more money from people who just don't have it right now. I am sure they are going to be able to raise quite a bit of money through the donation system, especially if the advertise it well and get the word out.

Changes

Yes, I will be super excited to hear about their travels and hopefully see some pictures on here. Also, if possibly all of all can post a picture here and there, just to keep us all updated. That would be fun. Also, thank you all for the support and love for the new baby!!!

Changes - Tarav

First and foremost I would like to say congratulations to Gabi (Middlechild) who, as mentioned, is expecting. Children are such a blessing and our family growing is always incredibly exciting!

Secondly, good luck on your travels Katie. Peru. How fun! I hope your time there is fabulous and educating! I hope that you will take some time to write about your travels here on this blog as I would love to read it!

And thirdly, I am home! Being back in my house has been amazing. I miss family more than I could ever express, but being home has been nice. Relaxing. Quiet, haha. You never stop missing family, and at times I wish I lived closer, but once you are moved out on your own and taking care of your own family, you begin to do things your own way and often times have difficulty adjusting back to your "home life." I am and will forever be grateful for the 6 months I got to spend back home but I am incredibly anxious to have my husband home and get our lives back to normal. We have our own little family now and ways of doing things and that is exciting for me!

I hope that anyone who reads this blog feels as if they are connected to us on a personal level. I love to share my thoughts with you and look forward to hearing all of your feedback!

Donations for fence - Tarav

I am not too sure how I feel about this matter. I guess if the money used for construction is gained by donations I would have no reason to be against it. I would need to read up more on how well the current fencing works. If it works well, then great! If not, then why pay more money for something that is not successful? However, I imagine it cost more to pay people to guard the borders.

As long as this money is not needed for a higher priority elsewhere, then I am all for it!

Donations for a Fence to Cut Immigration

What are your thoughts on the idea?

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/us_border_fence_donations

Changes this Week

Tara heads home to California this week so she can be home to welcome home her husband when he comes home from serving overseas. Also, a new addition will come to the family soon as well, as Gabi has found out she is pregnant. Katie is also heading to Peru for a two week vacation. So many things change everyday!

A Car for ME !!!!!

http://money.cnn.com/2011/05/02/autos/volt_1000_miles/index.htm


Wow, this is neat. Now if the can just start installing plugins all over town!!!!!!!!

Bin Laden's Death

I agree! I would be lying if I said I was not happy to hear the news. Not only have these families had to live through this and live through losing their loved ones but they have a constant thought in their minds all the time of "what is going to happen next". At least with knowing of the death, the now can relax some without the thought of him sitting around some table with his next big plan. These families needed a bit of closure and I believe they deserve it.

America's Victory [Osama Bin Laden.]

Katie posted that quote, as have many of my other friends, and it is a good one. However, I will not sit here and pretend like I am not happy about the death of America's number one enemy. I am not happy about the death of another person, no. I feel sad that he never found God in his heart and was lead down a path of destruction and evil by a darker power. I do hope that even though he was doing terrible things, he had enough guilt in his heart to ask God for forgiveness and was trying to find a way out.

That being sad, I find comfort in knowing that many people can now have even the tiniest bit of peace in their hearts knowing that the person responsible for their loved ones' deaths is no longer around to wreak havoc. Not only did Bin Laden affect Americans, he affected his own people. Because of him, thousands have been violently murdered. I have never been more proud to call my husband a Marine than I am right now. People have so many opinions on the wars and why we are involved, on top of that, so much hatred towards the troops for no reason other than their disagreement. My husband is one of many who, despite their hatred, continues to fight for them and their beliefs. As for the conspiracy theories (in case you are unaware, people are saying things such as "Bin Laden has been dead and it is only just now coming out because of Obama's drop in ratings.") I think people can take the theories and shove them somewhere unpleasant. Let the loved ones of those lost have the tiniest bit of peace they have received from this news without having to hear about conspiracies!

And on an even more depressing note; So many American's have attacked our president since the speech. They have made claims that Obama's speech was all about himself and he took credit for the capture of Bin Laden. Not once did his speech mention anything of the sort! He simply stated that he called the mission into action. What of it? That is his job. He is the COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF of our country! Was he supposed to sit back and let the military make their own decisions? What kind of president would he be then? Just goes to show, once again, the pettiness that our country pays attention to when much bigger issues are presents. This was not about democratic or republican beliefs, it was about a huge victory for our country! We should be proud that so many of our governmental organizations were able to come to gather for a common cause and succeed!

My Take of "America at Number 2???" - Tarav

Am I surprised? Absolutely not. I will say this, and this only on the matter. American's act so surprised that we lose jobs and money to China. We should not be. We, as a country, are so completely uneducated and ignorant to important issues going on right here in our own country, often times because we are so worried about others. Sometimes I feel as if countries on the outside are looking at us, laughing, waiting for our collapse. We are years upon years away from being capable of repair.

For a problem like this, where should we start? Simple. Buy your products from America! Why do we spend so much of our hard earned money towards the success of other countries when we have so many problems at home? Want fruit and vegetables? Go to your local farmers market or vegetable booth (or at the very least buy veggies they are "grown and packaged in America!) Desire higher quality products? Buy something, made in America, that might cost you more in the beginning but will last longer and support our economy! Want a nice toy for your child? Many American toy makers make it their goal to make toys from wood rather than plastic!

The more you spend in America, the more you are helping our country. Easy as that. It is one simple, but ginormous step that we just cannot seem to comprehend and act on!

American's owning less Televisions

http://finance.yahoo.com/banking-budgeting/article/112659/tv-ownership-nytimes?mod=bb-budgeting&sec=topStories&pos=4&asset=&ccode

I thought this was super interesting. I will honestly say for my family alone we have drastically cut our satellite bill and have thought about doing more. There are so many ways you can watch television on your computers now and you can even hook up these computers to televisions to watch on a bigger screen. My family is so busy that at the end of a week, you really have to think about how many hours of television did you really watch that week. Then the bigger question is if it is worth that $50 to $200 bill you pay monthly to keep watching television or is there something better you can do with that money, like pay off some debt.

Celebrating Death

This has nothing to do with how I feel about our military or our president; it is in no way a jab at our soldiers. But this quote summarizes my thoughts today and how I feel about others' reactions to Bin Laden's death.

"I mourn the loss of thousands of precious lives, but I will not rejoice in the death of one, not even an enemy. Returning hate for hate multiplies hate, adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars. Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that."

-Martin Luther King, Jr

What is Next?

http://news.yahoo.com/s/yblog_exclusive/20110502/pl_yblog_exclusive/after-bin-ladens-death-whats-next-for-the-u-s-and-al-qaida

What is Next?

http://news.yahoo.com/s/yblog_exclusive/20110502/pl_yblog_exclusive/after-bin-ladens-death-whats-next-for-the-u-s-and-al-qaida

Victory Dance

I agree. Even if you do not like him for a president this is a huge step for America and you should be proud! It is about time for some resolution and closure that many Americans are still in need of after the attacks of 9-11. Remember bad things happen to good people, as much as good things happen to bad people. It is just a way of life. Today, you should enjoy the victory and do a little dance!!!

Bin Laden

Congratulations to our Special Forces for a job well done.  It is truly depressing to see so many people trying so hard to find something bad to say about a president they don't like, not because they don't like what he did but just the fact it was him that did it.  It says a lot about the political discourse in this country and how we are destroying ourselves.  Whatever happened to fact-based journalism and civil conversation?

Osama bin Laden is DEAD !!!

http://news.yahoo.com/s/yblog_exclusive/20110502/pl_yblog_exclusive/the-secret-team-that-killed-bin-laden

I am one of the ones who did a bit of a "hapy dance" this morning as I heard the news............ however, does anyone else think something else is up with this, like it just doesn't fel right???

food

My granddaughter Tara started watching Extreme Couponing and got several of us back into coupon clipping for our groceries.  And then my middle child did a great job Friday with her grocery shopping chopping off more than 50 percent.  Feeding our families has oftentimes in our up-and-down life been quite a challenge and at today's prices it's becoming more of a challenge again.  Along with coupons and careful shopping using slow cookers can be a great way to use less expensive cuts of meat and all kinds of veggies especially for those days when there are activities after work and time is just not there for cooking when you get home.  It's ready when you walk in the door and cuts down the impulse to swing through a fast food pick-up joint which can blow your budget real quick.

So what else can you think of?

Royal Wedding

What did everyone think of the Royal Wedding this morning???

http://shine.yahoo.com/channel/life/royal-wedding-mysteries-solved-2479360/

I usually do not get wrapped up in things like this, but it is truely a historical moment.

Tara's Other Blog

http://taravc.blogspot.com/

Just letting everyone know that Tara also has another blog here, so you can keep up with all of us.

America at Number 2???

http://finance.yahoo.com/banking-budgeting/article/112616/imf-bombshell-age-america-end-marketwatch

Obama's Birth Certificate

http://news.yahoo.com/s/yblog_theticket/20110427/ts_yblog_theticket/white-house-releases-obama-birth-certificate

What is everyone's thought on this???? I have a hard time keeping updated but seems to be a big subject right now.

Uniforms

I do believe that the military should be able to wear their uniforms in public. It would be a pain to have to drive all the way home to change just to run into the store for a gallon of milk that your spouse could be needing, who is holding a screaming baby at home. Also, if there were a great number soldiers wearing their uniforms then they would be less of a threat. Such as police men, fire men, ect. They should be able to be prideful in their uniforms instead of being taught to hide it.

hurricane season

To all my peeps, there is a tropical system brewing in the Atlantic this morning.  Hurricane season starts June 1st.  Somebody forgot to tell Mother Nature apparently.  This is unbelievable.  And my cousin in Indiana said Monday morning she woke up to snow.

New Topic - Military Uniforms in Public?

Since the health care topic was such a serious one, I figured I would post my first topic and make it a less serious and detailed one! With myself being a Marine wife, MiddleChild being a retired soldier, and FlSailMom being the mother of a retired soldier, I figured we would have lots of different view points on the topic.

So my question is, do you think service men and women should be able to wear their cammies in public? I am simplifying it down to cammies rather than mentioning dress blues (or whatever "fancy" dress attire the other branches wear.)

I am a Marine wife and therefore it is hardwired into my brain to not be okay with this. The Marine Corps is 80% mental, 20% physical (I believe those are the numbers, please do not quote me haha.) The uniform rule is just one of the mentalities they are taught to live by it. The rule being that a Marine cannot wear their cammies in public. Not to the gas station, bank, store, anywhere. Do I agree with the rule? Absolutely!

1. Rules are rules. No matter what job you do, you will have rules and will be expected to follow them. Whether you like the rule or not is of no importance and it must be followed regardless or consequences are likely to occur.

2. Safety. A service member walking around in uniform immediately becomes a target. The sad reality is that many Americans do not agree with war and actively seek out revenge on members of the armed forces.

3. Work is work. Work should be kept separate from non work related events or places as much as possible. When work starts being introduced into other areas, problems arise. Many marriages fail as the result of stress from work. Same goes for uniforms. It is a uniform for a reason. To be worn to work. Not to your child's basketball game.

4. Convenience? Honestly, how hard is it to take five minutes to change out of cammies? My husband has done it on numerous occasions and it has never been a burden.

5. Misconduct. I have witnessed fights amongst people in uniform in airports. Bottom line, it makes all who wear the uniform look bad. It is stereotypical and sad, but that is the world we live in.

*Just an FYI, I do not expect anyone to go as in depth with this discussion as I did. I simply felt like blogging and it is something I hear about on a normal basis being the wife of a Marine.

Need a change

To be honest, I don't know enough about how good health care works to even pretend to offer a good solution, but I do know things need to change somehow. The U.S. system as it is just doesn't work well enough. That coupled with the rising costs of medicines creates a very difficult situation for some people. For example, one of my grandmother's many monthly prescriptions is a $100 bottle of eyedrops, and that seems outrageous to me. Without these eyedrops, she would go blind. But how many people really can afford that, along with other meds, insurance, etc.? And health costs are only a fraction of the budget people need from month to month.

I don't think we can or should simply switch over to a free universal health care. For one, I think it would be much too hard to implement. How can we go from a system that's been in place for decades to one so completely different? It would require a great deal of time and certainly some trial and error. Second, offering free health care would place a great burden on taxpayers, and that burden would be unfairly distributed.

I didn't have insurance when I lived in Switzerland because I was only there for 6 months, but their health care system is supposed to be one of the best in the world. Everyone is required to have health insurance, and once you have it, you're guaranteed to have great care. It's very expensive, though, and there are some subsidies, but people have to pay out of pocket. It works for them, but Switzerland is so small, and they have a much lower poverty level than we do. It's really the only other health care system I have a little experience with, but I don't think it would succeed here. What would succeed and be the best for everyone? I just don't know.

A Suggestion

If the country is in favor of going to some kind of universal health care then I feel what is offered to everyone should be the same. Perhaps the country should even start on a smaller scale and work their way up. An idea such as they could offer every citizen a well check up every three years and children a well child checkup every year. Women could get a mammogram every three years, prenatal care could be covered. However, they wish to do it. Then at a slower pace those who choose to carry extra health insurance through their employment or personal choice, possibly the premiums for these policies would be lowered and all parties would benefit. Just an idea, but what do you think?

health care

Advocates for single-payer health care often point to other countries, where national government-funded systems produce better health outcomes at lower cost. Opponents deride this type of system as "socialized medicine", and it has not been one of the favored reform options by Congress or the President in both the Clinton and Obama reform efforts.^[204][205] It has been pointed out that socialized medicine is a system in which the government owns the means of providing medicine. Britain is an example of socialized system, as, in America, is the Veterans Health Administration. Medicare is an example of a mostly single-payer system, as is France. Both of these systems have private insurers to choose from, but the government is the dominant purchaser.^[206]

More money per person is spent on health care in the USA than in any other nation in the world,^[3][4] and a greater percentage of total income in the nation is spent on health care in the USA than in any United Nations member state except for East Timor.^[4] Although not all people are insured, the USA has the third highest public healthcare expenditure per capita, because of the high cost of medical care in the country.[


The USA is the "only wealthy, industrialized nation that does not ensure that all citizens have coverage" (i.e., some kind of private or public health insurance).^[17] In 2004 the U.S. a Institute of Medicine report observed "lack of health insurance causes roughly 18,000 unnecessary deaths every year in the United States."^[17] while a 2009 Harvard study estimated that 44,800 excess deaths occurred annually due to lack of health insurance.<sup>[18]

Some excerpts from the Wikipedia on health care in the U.S.  I really would urge you to read the whole piece and put some effort into understanding the health care system in this country.  It is a huge piece of our economy and it has many moving pieces.  The Health Care Reform Act that was passed is not one that I personally like but it does address many of the critical issues.  What I would like to see from you all are some suggestions that would address the problem.  And no one is talking about "free health care."  There is no such thing as free.  The premiums for my Medicare come out of my Social Security.  For people working part-time minimum wage jobs that don't provide health insurance, what's your solution?  And remember for a lot of people today that's all the jobs that are available.  Our middle class job base has shrunk tremendously over the last 30 years.</sup>

Free Health Care Question

I need to do more research on this topic but my quick opinion is that I do not agree with the so called free health care the country is trying to offer. As far as I understand it not everyone would be entitled to this free health care. If you work a job where your employer offers health insurance then you will not be entitled the free health insurance from the country. The people who work will not only have to continue to pay for their health insurance from their employers plans but those rates will also be increased and they will have to pay that. On top of that, the workers of this country will also have their taxes raised to help pay for everyone else in the country to receive the country's free health care. So NO, I don't agree, as a worker I am down right tired of helping to pay for everyone and their bills when I haven't been able to receive help from anyone in times that I would need it. Possibly after more research I can post more details, but as it stands right now, I think it is a terrible idea.

Multiple Baby Showers

I waited until the day of the baby shower to be able to see every one's opinion before I posted my opinion. To make it short though, YUP, I think a mother should have as many baby showers as she wishes. The way I see it a baby shower is to celebrate the new life that is coming into this world and joining into a family. If a mother has friends and families who would love to celebrate with her then she should do so. If she has friends who does not share the same opinion on baby showers then they do not have to accept the invitation to the baby showers. In a family like ours we know love is more important than any kind of price that you could put on a gift. At our celebrations, we do not even expect gifts. If one is received that is nice, but if one isn't then that is also just fine. We know later that a gift will come in one way or another. This way of thinking is probably what makes all of our celebrations wonderful and we look forward to ALL OF THEM. 

PARTY ONE EVERYONE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

baby shower/dinner

We all had a great time celebrating Tara's upcoming baby boy at Don Jose's, one of my favorite all-time restaurants.  They have a lovely screened room on the lake which is a perfect place for a large family with several small children.  It is a plus that we can have the interconnected families get together for a joint celebration.

Tara and her baby will be returning to California soon to prepare for her husband's return from Afghanistan and the new baby's arrival not long after.  We are all going to miss them terribly.  She came here five months ago with a baby who is now a very active, vocal toddler. 

I have been fortunate to keep my family together for as long as I have and now they are starting to establish their own little branches, first my son and his lovely wife, Katie, and then my two older granddaughters, one 40 miles away and the other one all the way across the country.  Skype has been a wonderful help in keeping us in touch and having family members branching out adds a different perspective into the family discussions.  We are fortunate to have Katie contributing.  She is not only gorgeous but also a very bright and accomplished young woman.

First post, new addition!

Hi all, and hello from Gainesville! Sorry I've been a bit delayed in my first posting, but here I am. I saw on Facebook that today is Tara's baby shower, which reminded me about the multiple-shower question from earlier this week. Hope you all had fun at the party!

Generally, I don't think it's a problem for mothers to have a shower for each new baby. Tara brought up a good point that each child deserves to be celebrated, so I think it's great for excited mothers to want to commemorate the occasion. Tara also is a perfect candidate for a second-child shower for several reasons; for one, she was away from family in California for the first baby, and two, boys do need different things than girls.

Perhaps when somebody starts getting into multiple births with multiple showers, not every shower should be as big as the one for the first child. For example, I can imagine it getting out of hand if a mother already had a large number of children and kept expecting more and more gifts. (Especially in extreme situations, like that family on "19 Kids and Counting"-- can you imagine if she wanted huge showers for each baby?) But of course most situations wouldn't be like that. People should keep celebrating each baby, but be cognizant of who they're inviting and whether they expect presents or not. A shower doesn't have to involve any big gifts, like Tara said, but most people would probably be happy to contribute something, even if it's small. And SailMom also had a good idea of giving something parent/family related, rather than just for baby, once the mother has all the baby stuff she needs.

Anyway, my overall opinion is that if you're excited about your new baby and have friends/family who want to celebrate with you, do it!

American's Rights to Free Health Care? - Tarav

First and foremost, let me say that I am mostly ignorant to the subject of health care in this country. It is embarrassing for me to say, but something I must admit as I believe many of us are and need more forms of education on the matter. I went from being covered by my mother's insurance to immediately being covered by my husband's (I am under Tricare provided by the United State's Marine Corps.) This is a subject I most certainly wish I knew more about and I will continue to read and learn.

The easiest way for me to break this discussion down would be by using pros and cons.

Pros:

1. Lives saved - Obviously, with free health care more lives would be saved and those who cannot afford care would still be able to get the care they need and most likely deserve.
2. Cost reduction of products - Companies would not have to pay for their employees to receive health care. As a result, these savings would be passed on to consumers in the form of lower product prices. Which in turn could help consumer spending and help bring the economy back to its feet.
3. Prevention - If a person had health care, they would probably be more likely to go in for routine checkups and catch a problem before it is a much bigger, more expensive problem.

Cons:

1. Quality - I fear that by providing everyone with health care, the quality of care may suffer. If more people are able to get care, it only makes sense that the services would be lessened as to provide for a much larger number.
2. Access - If everyone had access to health care, when would they receive the benefits? How long would the list be to get enrolled? How long would it take for care to be authorized or paid for?
3. Increased debt - We are already too far in depth as it is. Providing insurance to all Americans would more than likely put us even further into debt. Possibly to a point of the complete destruction of our nation's economy.
4. Free? - "Free health care" would not really be free. It would come out of raised taxes or spending cuts (education, defense, etc.)

I have been reading several blogs, websites, etc. and it seems to me that free health care would cause more problems then we already have. In my opinion, the cons heavily outnumber the pros. Besides, people without insurance may still possibly be covered through non-profit and government run hospitals. Most people who have something handed to them take advantage of it. The same would go for health insurance. If everyone had it, I fear that Americans would worry less about taking care of themselves and making alternative choices in their lifestyle and would rely instead on medicine.

*I recognize that "taking care of themselves" does not always cause the prevention of a sickness or disease. I know that illnesses such as cancer, lupus, etc. are not necessarily caused by the care given to your body.

New Additions - Tarav

Question: Should a mother receive a baby shower for each additional baby added to her family?

Once again, this discussion could be way more in depth depending on your vocabulary or understanding of the term "baby shower." My simple answer, absolutely! However, that does not necessarily mean having a get together for the sole purpose of showering a mother-to-be with baby gifts. I believe that every child should be celebrated. Children are so precious and none is more special than the previous or the following. Therefore, every child should be celebrated by the joining of family and friends in support, love, and celebration! I think that if your children are merely months or years apart, then it could be an option to put "gifts not necessary" on an invitation. But really, how much will it put you out to buy a friend, daughter, etc. a bag of diapers or a cute little outfit? After all, Walmart sells affordable brands that are no different than those of higher end baby departments!

In my case, I was away from friends and family for my first born. That was upsetting to me! All I wanted was to be around people who were just as excited for my princess to be born as I was. Receiving gifts was not even a thought in my mind! Now I am [temporarily] staying with family and I want nothing more than to be able to celebrate with those closest to me!

In closing, having a baby is one of the most exciting things to ever happen in a person's life. Having the second, third... none less exciting! I say the more to celebrate, the merrier! Bring on the baby festivities!

health care - new topic

Most of you know that one of my passions is health care in this country; to be more precise, the lack of access to health care for everyone.  And to me that does not equate to access to health insurance provided by for-profit insurance companies.  Their concern is their financial bottom line, not the medical needs of their clients.

So I want to know your views on where we are and where we need to go with health care.  I know we have some Republicans among us, some leaning that way, and I have been a liberal Democrat all my life.  But health care to me should not be a political football but a matter of what's good for the citizens of our country.  Should we try to move toward a single payer, Medicare for all, type of system?  Should we have private insurance for everyone, vouchers for government paid health care for people to buy private insurance, which is what the Republicans in Congress want to do? 

Here is the link for health care in Wikipedia.  It's rather long, complicated, but worth reading to get a handle on this subject.  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Health_care_in_the_United_States
When you have the time let's get some input.  I know two of us have government insurance now Medicare and Tricare, and I think everybody else has private health insurance. 

new additions

I too am delighted to have a new member joining us (new to the blog).  I am looking forward to hearing her opinions and it will add another younger member of the family.  And since she lives in Gainesville, which is a college oriented town) and has traveled and lived in Europe she has a different background which may give us a different perspective on matters.  So welcome aboard.

On the matter of multiple baby showers, I don't think Tara had one for the first baby so this is a new thing for her.  But as she said, it's more in the nature of getting the family together for a good bye and baby shower.  And since the first one was a girl and this one is a boy, she has gobs of pink frilly outfits but no baby boy type things.

Usually multiple baby showers depend on the length of time between babies (or at least that used to be the criteria).  If it's been long enough that the mom no longer has all the stuff that you want and need with a new baby then have a shower.  If you still have everything, then maybe just have a "welcome new addition" type of party and bring something if you want, maybe a treat for the mom or dad, i.e., a babysitting voucher, a card for a manicure.

New Addition

We will very shortly be having a new addition to our blog. Our family is constantly growing, I am so proud to have such a big family who we all keep in touch very closely. This is great!!!!

Talking about growing families..... We also have new arrivals coming into our family often. We have another one due soon as Tara will be having a baby boy to add to our family. She leaves Florida soon to go back to California, where she lives, to join her husband coming home from serving overseas. It feels as if she just got here though, and I haven't been able to spend much time with her. However, we are soon to have a baby shower for her in the next few weeks. So my question, and guaranteed to get interesting results, do you believe in multiple baby showers for expectant mothers. As if she has had a baby shower previously for one child, then should she receive a shower for any additional children she may have????

College or Bust

I too am of the opinion that not everyone needs or should go to college. Sometimes knowledge or skills learned/handed down can be more educational.
Susan

College isn't for Everyone

I agree! College is not for everyone. I am personally living the points of this discussion. I myself have a B.S. degree in Business Management. However, I work at a job that requires no college at all. I also have not been able to utilize my degree in this poor economy. I have many many friends who are also sitting in the same situation. On the upside, I do not owe very much in student loans and completed almost all of my schooling by paying as I went instead of getting in debt for my degree. This is due to being able to serve our country and being able to receive money to attend college. It was also something I wanted to do for myself and to be able to show my children that it could be done. I do believe though if you are looking at going to college just to make more money and not for it to be something you personally want to do, then you are going to be very disappointed when you graduate.

As a mother I do understand the feeling of wanting your children to go to college. I hope all of mine do, however forcing them to go isn't the answer. Many people live very happy lives and never step foot on a campus. Also, with so many people getting degrees it does lessen their values. If the degrees were meant to be that everyone should have one, then the government should be required to help achieve them, such as high school diplomas.

"For the most part, the articles we discovered on what a college degree is really worth were pessimistic about retaining valuations from a decade prior, with the rise in college costs and the current lack of jobs. However, a college degree still has value, just not as much as it did before this economic recession." This quote I found on http://collegestats.org/articles/2010/02/whats-a-college-degree-actually-worth-20-good-answers/

Before going to college, you need to make sure it makes since. If you are able to get help with payments and you have the time, then go for it, but I would never suggest to anyone to go in debt to pay for it hoping that a job is going to come along to help pay for it. Chances are you are going to end up with a broken heart and be paying on a student loan you can't afford.

College? - Tarav

My feelings on the craze of "everyone should go to college."

Do I agree? Absolutely not! However, as a side note, I believe most reference "high education learning" as college, correct? Examples including cosmetology school, tech schools.. in other words, vocational schooling. Even still, no I do not believe everyone needs to go to college, especially in todays age! I, personally, know many people who attended and graduated college with the major (and double majors and minors) of choice. Those people are either one, unemployed and unable to find a job or two, working a job that is considered to be under their schooling or skill level. So then, what good did college do for them?

On top of that, just look at how many self-made individuals have become successful using their skills learned outside of school online. As a member of the YouTube Partner community (these partners make so much money per clicks on ads and so forth,) I understand the amount of money that can be made doing something you desire, no college required. The top earner of the "beauty and style" section on YouTube (Michelle Phan,) started to make thousands of dollars form YouTube, without attending college. Obviously it was not needed for her to succeed. She is now participating in her career of choice and can decide whether she wants to go to college to build on her skills rather than going because she or her family feels she "needs to."

And as a little side note, my husband has attended some college, but has not yet finished with a degree. Even still, he is a Marine. Doing something that he has always known he has wanted to do. Defend his country. Something that he has desired since he was a small boy. Was college a necessity? Obviously not.

Sorry for this lengthy post, it is just something I feel strongly about. I spared you of a much longer post!

-Tarav

silent family

My family seems to have lapsed into silence lately.  To be fair, it seems to be more a product of too many things going on at one time and not enough time in the day.  On the other hand, in my golden years (hah) I have plenty of time to run my mouth.


Yesterday I downloaded the new version of Firefox.  I've used Firefox for my browser for several years now and really like it.  Usually the updates are not major changes but this time, wow, I've had some work to do to figure out where everything is.  I do like it.  It's faster and has some great new features.  So today I'll keep working on it.  Also got a new microwave yesterday and I've got to get used to it.  The controls are kind of different.  Doing new things is supposed to keep my brain healthy and active.  Hummm.

college

Since a lot of this has already been about education, what's your opinion on whether everybody ought to go to college?  I have never thought so, although that's been the politically correct thing for a number of years now, but it seems to me that we need plumbers, electricians, manual laborers, so forth, and those jobs don't need a college degree, and there's nothing wrong with being a plumber or electrician or farm worker for that matter.  And I think this craze of "everybody should go to college" has led to a lessening of the meaning of a college degree.  So what's your take on this one?

School Fundraisers

I have always been torn on the school fundraisers subject. I do not believe they should be sending their students out on the streets to find money for them to run their schools. Those fundraisers begin the second week of school every year and as soon as one ends, another is yet to begin. I believe there should be more involvement from say the PTO. I used to go to every PTO meeting but left feeling like I just sat there listening to their plans and how they were going to accomplish their goals. Not once was there ever a time where someone could really put in their ideas, so I gave up and stopped going. Seemed like they had it all under control from their stand point. However, in the inside, I feel these people should really be more involved in say finding money for the school through grants or even marketing the school out to community figures. I do realize that the lottery is supposed to be helping out the school systems too, however every time you get help from the, the politicians then lower the budget given to the schools from the state and local government. I also feel the pinch of the class room sizes. They say teaching assistants are going to help this problem, but really we have SO many people who have not been able to find jobs, why can't some of these moms and dads, go volunteer and help out in the classrooms. If maybe one position was a paid position of volunteer coordinator, you may actually have enough volunteers that you would not have to hire as many teaching assistants. Maybe the government could make it a win win situation by allowing volunteers to volunteer so many hours and take a paid for training after so many volunteer hours that can help them reach a certified teaching assistants certification. They will then be helping themselves as well as helping the school system in this very tough economy. Just a thought!

cookie sales

After thinking about it I think I'd come down on once a year cookie sales.  It makes it a special thing and I remember when I was working a lot of people really looked forward to the Girl Scout cookie sales, even the ones who didn't have kids in scouts.  They liked the cookies and they would plan on buying several boxes.

On the other hand, you all know my feelings on fund raisers that involve kids selling stuff.  I don't like it, especially when it comes to schools, and I would much rather just make a donation.  The ones making money are the companies that the kids have to sell for.

Girl Scout Cookies

I have two little Girl Scouts. Cookie time is always a difficult time of year, but for the Girl Scouts it is our best outcome. Although it is really stressful on both the girls and the parents it is the easiest fundraiser we do all year. The girls make enough money here to be able to finish their year of hard work on a few outings. I wouldn't necessarily agree with selling year round as it is a lot of work. However, if we could do the sales two times a year, I think it would be more successful than the first fundraiser we do every year. I myself have had way too many Girl Scout cookies, but I am always there to share my support and every year I buy a few boxes. I also let me girls each pick out a box as well for themselves for all of their hard work. I thank everyone who shown their support to the Girl Scouts by buying a few boxes. The girls are able to do activities that some of these girls would probably never be able to do outside of the Girl Scouts. Girl Scouts teaches the little girls morals, respect, and to go after their dreams, and even if they do not accomplish everything they set out to do, they have a family of "sisters" to still love them and encourage them on.

Girl Scout Cookies (and Introduction) - Tara

First, allow me to introduce myself. I am a 21 year old mother to one, expecting another in July. I am married to a Marine and we are stationed on the west coast, therefore I am the furthest [in distance] from the rest of the family. I would say that my writing style compared to my grandmothers (the eldest,) is much different and possibly aggravating to her. I would say she is more skillful with her writing whereas I am more personal or a tiny bit more forgiving with grammar. Sorry grandmother! ;-P. I would like to think I can contribute to this blog with a bit of fun and youth!

As for the first topic; do I think girl scout cookies should be sold year round? This is a topic in which I do not have much input to share and could care less either way. I have never purchased a box for myself or anyone in my family. I have never been drawn in by the hype or the cute little girls trying to get my money (although it sure is hard saying no to their cute little faces!) Who knows, maybe one day my daughter will be a girl scout and I will be persuaded into buying some that way.

Looking forward to hearing the input from people who sell and those who buy!

By the way, I have my own separate blog if you would like to know more about me personally or if you are interested in learning my feelings on beauty, health, and other related (or at times, unrelated) topics.
www.taravc.blogspot.com

Elder of the family

As the oldest one of our family, come one and come all.  Join in and contribute your two cents' worth as you always have.  And as I have always said, I may not agree with you but I will fight to the death for your right to say it.  And remember, use factual points and not fantasy for your point of view.  And try not to get overly ticked off when someone disagrees with you.

Our First Topic

Should Girl Scout Cookies be sold all year?

Introducing Ourselves

In ever family there are members who we admire, love and these members can give you so much inspiration. There are also members who disappoint you at times, discourage you and that you may not always see eye to eye with. However, every member is your family and deserves to be treated with respect and sometimes you might just have to agree to disagree. With our blog, me may not always agree with the others point of view be we all do love each other and have always and will always be there for one another. With this said, everyone will treat each other with respect. We hope you will follow us and join us in discussion, but please remember to treat everyone with respect. As we begin our blog tonight, we begin with four family members. We are all different in age and we are spread across the country. We have all lived very different lives and we all have a different outlook on life because of our own experiences in life. We hope to gain followers and as we grow we may even gain a few more family members who would like to contribute. We hope we may gain some knowledge from each other and every one of you as well.

The plan thus far is that we hope to begin a new topic at "our dinner table" every week. We would love to hear from you as we share our point of views. As a family we have always had so much to say, however we have always remained a very tight family with an open philosophy. We would love to teach our children that not everyone is the same and people have different ideas.

Please follow us. As we go you will learn about us and see how a family can be so different but can still be a great family!