My Kid Caught The Swine....

I have never once in my entire life had the flu or if I did I don't remember. I have had a few colds - this year I've had three (3) which is highly unusual.. My kids are almost never sick - my oldest would have had a perfect attendance record if we had not taken her out of school a couple of times for vacations and/or Disneyland....

On Thursday my youngest developed a pretty nasty cough - I kept her home because of the cough and she sounded congested..... No fever... she had a great mood and attitude... On Thursday night my oldest started coughing and not feeling well. On Friday morning - I had both girls stay home from school - my youngest probably could have gone to school but I felt it best to be safe rather than sorry later... The cough seemed to be worse for my oldest (she's 13) so I just kept an eye on her - she did not feel warm to the touch.....

Last night around midnight as I was going to bed - I checked on the girls. The youngest was sleeping peaceful and her forehead was nice and cool when I kissed it. The oldest was tossing and turning - I kissed her forehead and she was very warm. I gave her an Advil and checked on her throughout the night (I'm tired).... This morning - she was downstairs shivering - we're in Southern California and today is very warm... I touched her forehead and she was burning up. I searched high and low for a thermometer and could not find one. I went to a neighbors and thankfully they had one.... I had to confirm my suspensions that I wasn't just a paranoid mom but that my kid actually had a fever - the husband an hour before said she felt cool... Well her temperature read on one of the those ear thingies 101.8. Took her to Urgent Care...

The doctor's office was a madhouse - and here is my poor kid burning up, shivering, and trying her best not to cry - I wanted to cry for her... While we waited - there was a toddler running around the waiting room - jumping on chairs - screaming - eating Cheerios and spilling them on the floor - He proceeded to grab his stroller and started running it into people... The mom of this spoiled brat just watched her son and laughed... Here we are in a doctor's office on a Saturday morning - everyone is feeling like crap - and here's this "head up her butt mom" thinking that we all want to watch her kid terrorize everyone and all I really wanted to do was kick her for being so clueless... I always wondered how some parents just don't get it -Just in case one of those moms or dads so happen to read this post - I have something to say....People do not think your kid is as cute as you do - really we don't... So please please please control your kid if they are running around in a waiting room when there are sick people around.. thank you.

Finally it was our turn to go back - her temperature reading hit over 103 degrees.... After waiting in the treatment room for about 30 minutes - the doctor walked in - after describing her symptoms - the doctor concluded she had Swine Flu - the nose swab confirmed it... Got the prescription for the meds - dropped my poor baby off at home - went to the pharmacy to pick up the drugs and with our insurance discount the total came up to $98.99 for 10 pills!!! Crazy..

So today - my kid has the Swine Flu..... Never thought it would happen.. Stocked up on Gatorade, tissue, and comfort food. I bought my own thermometer... Poor thing she looks so pitiful... Have you been hit by the Swine?

The "Lady" Who Freaked At Target

As parents we often tell our children to be nice. Play nicely with your neighbor - share your toys... Don't say bad words... Show respect to your elders... Say thank you and please... Don't double dip...

The other day I was doing my weekly grocery shopping at Target with my girls.. I was in line to pay for my groceries and this lady (I say this very loosely) in front of me had two (2) beautiful young children with her..... She was yelling at the cashier because an item that she saw on Target's web site was not in the store.. I am very serious.. The cashier offered to track the item and discovered the item can only be bought through the Target web site...

The F bombs - the S bombs - the every bad word you can imagine bombs just started exploding out of this mother of two beautiful kids.... In addition to yelling - the "lady" started throwing her coins at the cashier.... What I found really sad is that her kids seem oblivious to this over the top lunatic rant.... My kids stood there with their mouths just about hitting the floor...

The "lady" was causing such a stir... all 12 lines that were open stopped to watch... All the customers and fellow cashiers just stood there as this poor cashier is getting pelted with quarters.. No security coming to her rescue - no managers walking our way.... So I'm thinking something has to be done.... (I'm lucky I didn't get pelted or belted).. As the lady was taking more change to throw - I grabbed her elbow.... I said, "Throw another quarter and I will personally see you arrested".... my eyes were angry... my voice was deep and shaky.. The "lady" looked at me - angry at first..... then reality must have hit her - her eyes did a 180.... As I saw the transformation in her appear - I said, " I feel sorry for your beautiful children to have a mother that can't even control herself... shame on you"... Right about this time - security came.. The woman was escorted from the store....

It amazes me how grown adults can act like this.... Throwing temper tantrums in a public forum because they can't get what they want.... I feel so very sorry for those children.... Growing up with an abusive parent. We as parents set the example for behavior...... What example was this "lady" setting for her children???

Have you ever seen something like this?

Auto Repair At Your Fingertips

Two summers ago I took my girls on a road trip - we had the best time. We drove from California to Utah to Colorado and back - putting over 2000 miles on the car... Before our trip - I dropped my car off at the local gas station to have everything looked at and update whatever needed to be updated.... We left the house early on a Sunday morning... As I was approaching the freeway on ramp - 2 blocks from my home... the check engine light came on..... I still proceeded to go on my trip and the next morning I called the station and they said don't worry about it - the car is fine and we'll turn the light off when you get back...... When I got home two weeks later - I went to the station and they turned it off - only for the light to come on again.... it stayed on until I brought my car to a station that specialized in my type of car.....

How do you find a shop that can give you what you need? Unless you have a mechanic in the family it is hard to find the right place... until now.... There's a site that I recently discovered called Repairpal. It's great - you can go onto the site and find useful information about your car. It helps you find a shop that specializes in your car needs..

Let's say you needed to find a Los Angeles auto repair shop - for your Ford Explorer because you need to replace your head gasket.... You can go onto http://repairpal.com and search for whatever service you need.. I loved that you could preview several different shops - compare prices - the site even has a map for you that pinpoints the locations of all the shops in the area you need to be in.... There is so much information about your car that you'll come off the site feeling like a pro...... at least more knowledgeable about your car.

So if you are looking for information on your car from an independent company - then try out RepairPal and let me know what you think...

Reality TV Parents - Shame On You!

One of my biggest peeves is reality TV - especially when it exploits children.... TV stations no longer care about people... all they care about is rating and advertising dollars... Parents like Jon and Kate (plus 8) do not care about their children as much as they care about themselves - just watch any tabloid news show and you'll see Jon and Kate tearing each other apart.... I truly feel sorry for the kids especially when they get old enough to see what their parents did for "fame and "fortune" Jon and Kate say they do the show for the kids... yeah right.. They do it for themselves.. In my opinion parents who truly love their kids and have their kids' best interest at heart don't exploit them for money... gimme a break..

Last week one of one my clients called me and said for me to turn on the TV - there was a balloon in the air and a little boy was stuck in it.... Every news station was covering this. I watched the balloon with a million other people - praying that the child will be okay... I remember thinking in the back of mind - I bet this is a hoax... It just didn't ring right. The balloon landed and no boy - then people became fearful that he fell out and there was a mad search for him - but thankfully the little boy was fine - he was hiding in a box in the attic.. When the father asked him on a morning TV show - why he stayed in the box - the little slipped and said "I stayed in the box because you told me too"..... the father ignored that comment and proceeded to talk about something else..... the poor little boy was so traumatized he vomited right in the middle of the interview...

As the details of this story unravel - we have come to learn that the parents are reality TV junkies - they were on Wife Swap a couple of times and have been trying to be on TV any way they can... We need to have some laws to prevent these things from happening.. You see it all over TV - people getting paid - famous for doing the wrong thing... it is so very sad to me...

What do you think should be done?

I Got My Prize!!!!

Yesterday in the mail I received a prize!!! I never win anything - so this is a big deal... huge deal.. Thanks to Kat at Heart2Heart I can now say I am a winner...

Kat had a give a way for a book called Seaside Letters - A Nantucket Love Story by Denise Hunter.. I can't wait to start it.... Publishers weekly says "A good kiss goes a long way..."

Thank you, Kat! And for my friends that have not met Kat yet - Please visit her amazing and loving blog - Heart2Heart - you'll be happy you did!

Real Beauty?

I am the parent of two beautiful and amazing girls... As they enter their teenage years - their appearance has become more important to them.... My thirteen year old constantly asks me the following questions: How does my hair look? How about this style? Do these pants make me look fat? thin? Is this shirt in style? Do I look like a dork? Do I look pretty? Do I look hot? Do these shoes match with what I'm wearing? Does this necklace match my pants? And the questions continue..... I remember as teen asking many of the same questions.... But the standards for beauty was much different in my day... at least my memory of it....

This video below - I first saw on my friend Tom's Face book and I stole it.... Thank you, Tom.... Watching it - got me to really think about the expectations of today's society for beauty.. You can't be too thin?? really... You can't be too beautiful??? by who's definition? This video goes to show that "real" beauty really isn't that real after all.....


We need to let our daughters and sons know that beauty starts from the inside and works its way outward.... The sign of true beauty is in the heart....

Jesus In Sports....

I am a fan of Tim Tebow - the University of Florida Gators' star quarterback... I am not a fan of football - I have no idea what a first down is and what the heck is a conversion.... but I do like the man and this is why..

He was the first college football player to both rush and pass for 20 touchdowns in a season and was the first sophomore to win the Heisman trophy.... Okay this is great - but this is not why I admire him.... I admire him because in all things he gives thanks and praise to God. He is not shy about his faith - just ask him...

Tim is a person that is living the life that Christ wants us to live.... He is active in the missionary field - going to the Philippines and working in orphanages. He is not afraid to say that he is waiting until he gets married - he is saving himself for his future wife.... When you listen to him speak he is humble... he is thankful. Broadcasters, coaches, and fans cannot say enough about him. He is a born leader.... he's a Heisman Trophy winner and two-time national champion. he spends his time when not in school or on the field spreading the "Good News".. Of course, Tim is not a saint - he is simply a man who loves God...

The other day - I was reading an article in USA Today - the article was written by a guy that believes that God should be taken out of sports... This is a direct quote: "In big-time sports, God often gets a prominent place on the field of play. A shout-out here, a prayer there. But this faith surge is being powered by a brand conservative Christianity that is - like two teams competing on the field - very 'us' vs. 'them'" Tom Krattenmaker. In his article, he was basically saying that Christians who believe that Jesus is the only way to Heaven are judges... That they are not good for the sports world.... or any world...

A few more quotes: "I am impressed by the good that's done by sports-world Christians. Jesus-professing athletes are among the best citizens in their sector, and they commit good deeds daily in communities across the county. I know these evangelical players are not out to harm - they are fulfilling the Bible's Great Commission "Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit - Matt 28:19. In this sense, their mission is pure altruism: They seek to share the gift of eternal life.... But there's a shadow side to this. If their take on God and truth is the ONLY right one - which their creed boldly states - everyone else is wrong....." Tom Krattenmaker

It is strange to me how today's society wants the world and God's acceptance to be under their terms... Not God's terms.... John 14:6 Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." You have heard people say that all roads lead to God... Well, that is not true.... Not in any form.... The Bible clearly states - no exceptions.. no bending the rules... The only way is through Jesus Christ... Acts 4:10,12 Then know this, you and all people of Israel: It is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified but whom God raise from the dead, that this man stands before you healed.. Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under Heaven given to men by which we must be saved."

In this article I read - the writer is basically saying this - okay the Jesus loving athletes are good people.. they do a lot of good things... but..... what about the people that don't believe in Jesus? What about the people who don't believe in God? Christians are not being fair.. Christians are promoting a belief that makes non-believers feel bad.... Even though Tim Tebow is a great guy - great athletic - great volunteer - great hearted - God loving man - he's not really all that good.. because "Tebow espouses a far-right theology. It's bottom line: Only those who assent to its version of Christianity will avoid eternal punishment" another direct quote...

My final thought is this: God gave us free will - free will to decide to accept His Son or not... I pray that the seeds of Christ and His love are planted in the non-believers.... Jesus is an Equal Opportunity Savior - you just have to accept Him......

My Kids Are Night and Day...

It is funny to me how my children can be so different from each other..... They are both raised in the same home.. the same parents... the same values... the same rules.... the same love - but they are as different as night and day...

One loves anything chocolate - the other is NOT a chocolate fan.

One loves to run and play and has a lot of energy - the other would rather watch TV

One loves to spend time with me.. all the time - the other rather be alone.

One is a joyful helper - the other rather be helped...

One has a great attitude - the other has a storm brewing overhead...

Today - I had to take a privilege away - a privilege that my troubled one claims to love.... But because of her horrible attitude and disrespect to her coach she can no longer play tennis... There has been months of warnings... months of second and third and fourth time chances to make it right.... Today - I had to discipline.... and I hate it...... Being a parent is tough - Not knowing if you are making the right decisions can be heart breaking.....

Today, I am praying for the knowledge and words to enter the heart of my negative one... I see she is lonely..... I see that her negative attitude has prevented her from having a lot of happiness and friends... She has so many wonderful gifts - she is smart... she is funny..... she has a giving and loving heart.... I wish she knew what a treasure she is......

I Failed Mom 101

Have you ever been so angry at your kid that you lifted your voice so loud that the neighborhood could probably hear you with their doors and windows closed? Have you ever dropped your kid off at school and you're so angry that you can't even say "goodbye - love you".... Today - I did that.... Today - I was awful... Yes, kids will be kids.... and they will run late... they will have teenage attitudes.... they will talk back... But they learn from my examples ..... and today... this morning.. I failed MOM 101 - and I feel like crap!

After I dropped off said child - I pulled out of the parking lot.... and then I turned around. I went to her class and asked her to come out... I could see the redness of her eyes (she was so close to tears) - I told her I was sorry.. She said she was too... I said I was wrong... She said she was too.. I told her I love her more than one million peanut M & Ms and she told me she loved me more than 200 million peanut M & Ms.... I asked her to forgive me.... She asked me to forgive her... We both cried... we both hugged....

So I said - I guess I should take you to lunch today.... she said yes you should...... We had a special moment of forgiveness and understanding..... I am humbled by my daughter.....

Lie To Me

One of my new favorite shows is 'Lie To Me'. It started last year and it hooked me on the first show... It's about a business that specializes in reading people to determine if they are telling the truth or not... I love the way they will show a body gesture of someone they are interrogating and compare it with a body gesture of a well known liar - I would love to have that talent with my kids.. or maybe not.. Maybe sometimes ignorance is bliss... I haven't decided on that one yet.

As most shows do eventually it tries to draw you into the personal lives of the characters. A show is never happy just presenting the fun stuff - like finding the truth tellers and the liars... The show wants you to connect with the people in it too. The main character is a divorced dad - he also is the owner of the business and the King of the reading people... He has a young teenage daughter and an ex wife that he still loves on occasion..

Last week's episode kind of made me mad - I would love to hear your opinion too.

The story line was a member of a fraternity was accused of raping a minor. The minor was a girl in the same clique as the owner's daughter. The owner/dad was asking his daughter if she knew these girls and she pretended to not really know them.... He could read that she was lying.. He walked into her bedroom - where her body language showed that she was hiding something... He opened the drawer and found two fake identification cards and birth control pills... The daughter is mad and yelling at her dad... The ex-wife comes in and says he should have left the pills alone - at least she hasn't started taking them yet......

As it turns out the girl that was "raped" set up the entire seduction - posing as a college girl and to add insult to injury she tapes it - the camera is found and some knuckle head posts it on the Internet. When the owner/father looks at the camera - he finds his daughter's picture posing with the rest of the seduction posse at her school.. Granted the daughter was not part of the seduction thing... But she did use the fake ID's to get into clubs.... and the pills were just in case.... The end of the show.. the father returns the pills to his daughter and hugs her..... show over.. That really got my goat!

As parents - I believe it is our duty to try our best to have our kids not grow up too fast.. There is a reason the legal age to drink is 21... I would not allow my 15/16 year old kid to have a fake ID... and go on the pill... I hope that my kids will wait until they are older.... I am not blind and ignorant to the fact there is a possibility that my kid may go on the pill without my knowledge.... (I did) but I would not drive her to the clinic... I would not hug her and say it's great you're on the pill..... or that I am so proud of you for thinking of safety... I would be saying "What the heck (I believe my words would be a little more colorful) are you thinking - You're 15 years old... You're 16 years old.. Getting pregnant would be least of your problems, Missy!" I don't believe we should condone under age drinking and pre-martial sex - I think we need to make it as difficult as possible for them to attend a "drinking party" or have alone time with their boyfriend or any other guy for that matter... I am not going to let it be easy for them to do any of these things.... and if my kid decides to have sex - I really don't want to know about it..... because if I do - I have no idea how I would handle it... I would love to say - I would handle it with love and understanding.... but until it (and I hope it won't) happens - I'm just going to have to wonder....

My Big "HUH?" Of The Week

This is my Big "huh?" of the week....

President Barrack Obama wins the Nobel Peace Prize in 2009
"for his extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples"

Are they serious? Really? He was in office only 12 days when the deadline for submissions was up. This has got to be a mistake..... Yes, the man can talk.... yes he is very charismatic - but he has NOT done anything yet.... He is trying to push through a health care plan that does NOT make sense. He has been caught in many non-truths... He is spending money faster than former President George Bush and every president before him.. He has made a mockery on what our country was founded on - Our Belief in God..... He has gone out of his way to shoot down our military... He has gone out of his way to apologize to the Muslim countries for our belief in Jesus Christ...

The decision of the 5 person committee to award President Barack Obama the Nobel Peace Prize was based on his potential... Was based on the fact that Obama persuades Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to shake hands during a trilateral meeting in New York... I make my kids shake hands after a fight sometimes and five (5) minutes later they are back at it....

This award even surprised one of the president's top aides - his comment to the media when told was "It's not April 1st, is it?" seriously...

The Taliban mocked the award - calling President Obama not a peaceful man but a man of violence.. Spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said it was absurd to give a peace award to a man who had just sent 21,000 extra troops to Afghanistan to escalate a war... A senior leader in Pakistan called the award "an embarrassing joke"

"In less than a year in office, he has transformed the way we look at ourselves and the world we live in and rekindled hope for a world at peace with itself" Nobel director Geir Lundestand

Former Polish President Lech Walesa, a 1983 Nobel Peace laureate, declared: "So Soon? Too early. He has no contribution so far. He is still at an early stage. He is only beginning to act"

Why are so many people so eager to prove that President Obama is something special before he has really done anything? Do they think by awarding the award that he will meet the challenge? I personally have to guess that majority of the people in the world are dumbfounded - supporters and non-supporters.. This award has made a huge uproar - so much so - that the popular social network Twitter crashed shortly after the news - people were going nuts....

President Obama has not earned this award yet... I do hope that one day he will meet the challenge and do something worthy of it... but as for now - he doesn't even come close......

Obama's Spending Road Trip



The Day Obamacare Died


Obama saying we are NOT a Christian Nation

Levi Johnston To Pose Nude For Playgirl

One of the things that really bothers me about our media - about the morals of today's society is that they make it possible for losers to profit from the sadness and mistakes of others. Remember Hugh Grant when he met up with the prostitute, Divine Brown - she made some good money making TV appearances and interviews... You can't forget good ole Kato Kaelin, OJ Simpson's friendly housemate... I can go on with many more names and I am sure you can too.... The list seems endless and that is so very sad to me...

There are many leeches out there ready to grab on for a quick ride at the expense of others... It is so gross. Trying to raise my kids to have the values of human decency is sometimes hard when they see the media glorifying these pond scum suckers... Human decency has become lost in the quest to make more money.... Destroy more lives... Sex and humiliation sell. Think of all the realty shows that go out of their way to set people up.. to tear them down...

So when I found out that Levi Johnston is going to pose nude for Playgirl - it just made my skin crawl..(Now I know why he keeps getting his picture taken with his shirt off - geez) Here is a guy - that was the boyfriend of Sarah Palin's daughter, Bristol. Levi fathered Bristol's son Tripp. Instead of man-ing up and marrying Bristol and trying to provide a home and family for the son they created - he decided to air his perceived dirty laundry in the public forum... We have all heard his side..... What is sad is the very people that were against Sarah Palin for Vice President are welcoming poor misunderstood Levi into their home... into their parties.. into their studios.. Look at Kathy Griffin a major "I hate Sarah Palin" celebrity - She and Levi have become fast friends..... I wonder why? He's 19.... and she is just yucky...

Being a parent today is tough.. Teaching values that go against the media and other outlets is very hard... We have to say it's not okay to have kids before marriage.. We have to say it's not okay to drink and do drugs.... We have to say it's not okay to rip someone apart to see them crumble to the ground... It's not okay to hurt others simply because you can.... We need to teach respect for their elders... We need to teach marriage and then children.... We need to teach that everyone is worthy of kindness and praise..... and the sad thing is - the good and Godly things don't seem as much fun at times......

The Tree Project

Today my youngest is doing her tree report - she needs to find the scientific name of a tree and state five (5) facts about this tree... In addition - she must supply plenty of pictures.. This got me to thinking... (I know that is a dangerous thing).... How would my kid do her project in less than one week if we did not have a computer to use?

Having a computer in the house with a color printer has become the requirement in most households... It's crazy - Thankfully, we can afford to have one - but what about the families in lower income areas - when just putting food on the table is an accomplishment? I remember when I was in the 6th grade and I was to do a report on Brazil. I had to write a letter to the Brazil tourist board and hope that they would send plenty of pictures and information for my report.. To get more information - I had to use my library card and copy down all I could out of the encyclopedia.. In those days, copiers and scanners were not items you would find in your local library.. Times have definitely changed...

So the scientific name of her tree is...(drum roll please)

Archontophoenix cunninghamiana

We chose this tree because we have a few - the leaves are easy to get... and they are pretty. Can you guess the common name from the pictures?

Monday After School Special

How does my kid not see this mess - I could not concentrate on my homework if this was on the floor..... at least at the age of 43 - at 13... I think my mom would vouch that I'd give this kid a run for her money when I was her age.... I have definitely become my mother!




My youngest came home not feeling well today - the nurse said she had a slight fever of 99.8.. Hmmmm, I wonder if she read it right - this is my youngest... How do you think she is feeling???







She did feel up to reading her book for her book report due this Friday....



You just got to love Mondays.....

Abortion is Forever...

I saw a bumper sticker the other day - it said Adoption is another Option - it crossed the letters in the word abortion to change it to adoption... I liked that.... Today's society has become so harden towards human life..... You hear things like - a woman should have a choice about her body... she wasn't ready to be a mom yet.... Oh it's easy to get an abortion -it's almost painless...

Abortion has become another form of birth control... I remember listening to Rosie O'Donnell rant about being pro-abortion..... in the middle of her rant - I remembered the words of Ronald Reagan... "Abortion is advocated only by persons who already have been born"

I remember when I was talking to a birth mother and I asked her why she decided to put her baby up for adoption... Her answer to me was "It was too late to abort it" WOW... I think for the first time I was utterly speechless... I will say that I did not feel judgment towards her - I never thought she was a bad person... I was just shocked on how easily the words came to her lips... Many people don't realize that abortion is killing a human life...

I know Planned Parenthood would never call it a human life.... they call it (the baby) tissue removal... seriously... I remember when I was in my first year of college.. My best friend found out she was pregnant. She decided to have an abortion.. In those days - I thought she was making a good choice.. until.. I took her to her appointment - I remember walking through a line of picketers and going into the waiting room... She went back right away and I found a comfortable couch to sit on.. I did not have anything to read so I people watched.... There was one mother who brought her daughter in - the girl must have been around thirteen - when the young girl came out - the mother laughed and said "I told you it wasn't a big deal".... that moment will forever be burned into my brain... the complete disgust of it....

My friend came out when it was over - we looked at each other and we cried..... Twenty-four years later - my friend who is still a best friend today - still feels the guilt... especially when she looks at her beautiful 15 year old daughter... It's a guilt that I pray will go a way...

"The first thing I'd do as president is sign the Freedom of Choice Act. That's the first thing that I'd do." -- Senator Barack Obama, speaking to the Planned Parenthood Action Fund, July 17, 2007

This act is the most radical abortion law yet - Freedom of Choice Act - click on the link to get more information.....

Once an abortion has been done there is no going back.....