9-1-1, What is Your Emergency?...

Yesterday, when my husband was home for lunch, I was sitting, talking with him when a "blocked" call came over the phone. When I answered the phone, all I got was the dial tone, so I hung up and went back and finished my conversation. A couple of minutes later I was in the living room monitoring the kids doing their chores when there was sharp knock on the front door. When I looked through he peep hole I saw two men in uniform, so I opened up and saw two County Sheriff officers standing on my front porch asking me if everything was okay, and if I called 9-1-1?... I'm sure I looked confused, but only for a moment before I turned my gaze inside to #3, my six year old, and asked her if she called 9-1-1...? Silently, she looked down at her feet and I knew...

I call her over to the door and now have to explain to her that what we had been telling her all this time about using 9-1-1 for emergencies only was for real... As embarrassed as I was, I have to say that I was also glad that it had happened just SO all the kids could see how VERY SERIOUS that this is... They (and especially my 6 and 9 year olds who LOVE to use the phone and call aunts and cousins...) now REALLY understand that when they attempt to call 9-1-1, that a computer automatically will connect our address with our phone number coming in to the police office, so they know right away WHERE the call is coming from and can send help, whether we need it, or in this case, not... They now connect that there may be someone else who really DOES need help, but the officers can't go help them, if they are busy going to check on a house (ours, in this case) that doesn't really need their help at all... They understand that sometimes a police car will drive VERY fast through streets and traffic to try and "help" someone, because they don't really know what the problem is, or isn't, until they get there. They are only doing their job to go and "help" when help is asked for. A call to 9-1-1 is a call for help and not a phone game...

I don't think the uniforms and visible handcuffs hurt either... Who knows WHAT she was thinking, as we had already told her MANY times before that you never call 9-1-1 except in an "emergency", other wise you could be arrested.... The officers were very nice and after we had her apologize to them, they told her to be sure and not do it again, except in an emergency... I think she was pretty relieved after they left... without her! ; )

About the Pregnant Teens in MA

Not one of them over 16... Did they purposefully create a pact to get pregnant together? That answer is foggy right now... Does it really matter at this point?... I guess, on the positive side the girls are choosing life and keeping their babies... But in actuality, like all young girls that "fall in love" with the "idea" of being pregnant and having a baby, and most teenagers in general really, they can't see past the tip of their noses... Oh, they say they can. They will say they are "ready" and "prepared" to have and raise children... But speaking as a mom of 4, well, technically 5 at this point, and step mom to 2 grown children, I can say EACH new child brought with him or her a whole new experience, issues and happenings that I wasn't really "prepared" for... And I was MARRIED and living on my own before I even started to think about getting pregnant...

A baby is not a new "toy". A baby is not something that you can just take out and play house with when you feel like it, and put away when you've had enough. Baby's are work, and commitment and unconditional love... and I'm not talking about their love for you but YOUR love for them... and trust me, some days, or nights, when your walking the floor with caulic, or woke by screaming, sometimes puking, when they learn to walk and move around and have destroyed your favorite glass or ceramics or anything that might be special to you... they aren't real lovable... When you want to go out with friends, and you don't have a babysitter, when you can hardly afford to eat any of the things you like because it costs too much trying to feed and diaper a baby... When you feel like you have no life anymore because everything circles around the baby that you insisted that you wanted and were ready for... And have any of them thought about the possibility of having multiples? or a special needs child?... A stubborn kid might tell me that she's thought of all that, and that she is still "ready"... uh-huh... "hearing" and "thinking" about it and saying one's ready is one thing... actually "living" it is really quite something else...

The Mayor of the town that these girls are from, Carolyn Kirk tried to blame a lack of funding for "health education" and THAT'S why so many girls came up pregnant, not because of a "pact"... hhhmmm... I'm sorry Ms. Kirk, but do you really suspect that NOT ONE of these girls knew about birth control?! Call me "naive" but honestly in today's public school systems "health education" is literally shoved down the throats of young students. Not to mention the secular world of advertising, where it's not unheard of to hear and see everything from bill boards, to magazine ads to TV commercials and radio spots, not to mention the actual shows themselves, discussing young people's "need to know"... From pigs pedalling condoms to the cute, young, late teen and 20-somethings, giggling about the latest and greatest new birth control pill that not only prevents pregnancy, but gives "shorter, lighter periods" and is great for the complexion! (as an aside, I have to say that I DID actually see a TV commercial - can't remember the channel now- about a week ago with a young guy talking about how great sex is, and how he can't wait, but, he has chosen to stay a virgin right now, and as a result doesn't have to worry about being "tested" or any of the other hundreds of STD's that are now in existence... The closing plug was that abstinence was 100% effective - when used properly - for prevention of pregnancy and/or contracting disease.)

My remaining thought is, what is it about these girls lives that is missing that causes them to want to create their own love for themselves?... Did any of them have a stay at home mom? How many of them have both parents still at home?... How many of them had healthy, strong relationships with their parents, either or both?... I don't know the answers to these questions, and I don't know that the answers would reveal anything new... I won't count on the secular media asking any of them, either... All we can do now is pray for them, and for the lives they carry... In all honesty, I don't know that my kids will grow up without ever having to experience this, just because they are growing up now in a home where both biological parents still live together, and I stay home to raise them during the day... Statistically, I'd say their chances are better that they will make better choices, though.... Again, some days all I can do, is pray...

Human Lover First, Animal Lover Second

This commercial makes me nuts...



Now, don't get me wrong, I'm an animal lover as much as the next guy... We have a fish, a cat, some chickens, a rabbit and a tortoise as part of our "extended" family, but these commercials that go to such great expense and length for the bleeding hearts that love animals as if they are as important as the kids in our own nation going to bed hungry, if they even HAVE a bed to sleep on just drive me crazy! Just my rant for the moment....

Today's the Day!

What to do with a 21-month old that won't keep her diaper on?... Potty train, of course! I'm hoping that it will be as easy as I think it will.. ( a mom can hope, can't she?...) So today is the day that we have been waiting for. The only trick will be getting her to KEEP some clothes on, as she has discovered that the little training panties come off WAY TO easily! She seems to prefer to wonder the house "au naturale", but with 100+ degree tempretures in our fair valley, who could blame her?...

Pray for us! I'll let you know how she does! I KNOW y'all be checking in JUST to find out! ; )

Brothers, Sisters and Flies...

I hate flies... They are SO gross... And as anyone with kids can imagine, I have done my fair share of hollering at MY kids to "shut that door!!" or "Were you born in a barn?!" Then I go in to my fly swatting murder mode, as I stand motionless waiting for those nasty things to land, then "WHACK!" MWHAHAHAHAHA!!! Another victim!

The kids inevitably, from time to time, ask me "Mom, why do you hate flies so much?"... "UGH! Because they are nasty, filthy!! They buzz around your head, go sit on cat poop, dog poop, horse poop, dead animals, etc... and THEN they come and want to land on your clean dishes or your food, etc!! BLECH!!" So, now thus armed with such vital information, how do you suppose one big brother could use such against his little sister?... Warning, the following story may not be for the weak stomached...

I had just finished lunch, myself, when #3, 6 years old, came screaming and crying out of the bathroom in to me that there was a"dead fly" in her mouth!

"What? What are you talking about?"

"There's a dead fly in my mouth and I can't get it out!" she starts drooling uncontrollably and almost gagging, at which point I hold my now empty glass up to her mouth instructing her to NOT throw up on me and to just spit it out....

She continues to cry and scream that it's still in there and she wants me to get it out. I reluctantly try to search and hesitantly poke my finger in, seeing nor feeling nothing. She continues to cry that it's still in there, and I tell her to go in to the bathroom.

I help her over the sink, and cupping water up to her lips telling her to spit it out. Nothing...

"I don't see anything! look in the mirror! Do YOU see anything?... WHERE is the fly?!"

Through tears she looks in the mirror and points to her back molar where there is what looks like a dark colored filling from her last trip to the dentist... "There! it's right there!"

"that's a filling! From the dentist! Why did you think it was a dead fly?"

Well, apparently, her big brother, #2, 9 years old, was in the bathroom with her when she came running out. They had been playing with a flash light and looking in each others mouth in the mirror in the bathroom. He pointed to the dark spot and told her it looked like a dead fly.... That's all it took... "He freaked me out..." she said still trying to stop back the tears...

Oddly enough, through the whole nightmare, #2 stayed noticeably invisible in the other room, never saying a word, until he was called forward to explain... Of course, I don't think hubby helped matters any when he called #2 in to scold him for his mean trick, but could hardly contain the laughter at the mischievousness.... *sigh* sometimes it's like I have 5 kids, already...

Meet My New God-Daughter!

I haven't posted much this week partly because we have had visitors from the East! Our former "magical babysitter", specifically. She decided, one day, to grow up, join the air force, move cross country, get married and have a baby! Anyway, this was her first trip back to the "left coast" since before she married and before she had her beautiful daughter! It was so nice seeing her again and meeting my God-daughter for the first time. You see, part of her reason for coming out was so that she could have the baby baptised at her former "home parish" and so that hubby and I could stand as God-parents. We were thrilled! The only thing missing was her husband, who was back home working and holding down the home front. We are working on his making the next trip out, which we hope won't be so far away...

The baptism was very nice, and only highlighted by the baby's constant inquiries to Father, "Water, now?" : ) Then after she FINALLY got the water poured on her head, she took it like a champ, and sitting upright and having the drops dabbed from her face and the back of her neck, she said, "Water, again?..." lol! An absolute angel!

Alas, our company has returned back East, to home, husband/daddy, and work and it seems like their visit was WAY to short, and went by WAY too fast.... But we are so grateful for the opportunity to see them and look forward to another visit very soon!

Spoke Too Soon...

If you will recall, only 2 and half weeks ago I recounted my trip to the ER with #4, commenting that I could forgo any more trips to the ER for awhile.... Well, for TODAY's mis-adventure, #1 comes hurriedly in carrying #4, saying that she fell and got hurt and was bleeding again. "She had a fork"... "Dear Lord!" I jumped up as he turned her toward me and I see blood streaming from her eye. Hubby goes in to full panic mode as to what had happened, and #2 is crying that it's "ALL MY FAULT!! She tripped over my shoes!!"

Trying to minimize the panic, but not very well, I scoop up #4 covering her eye with a tissue and take her to the bathroom to wash off the blood and see if she cut the eye or the skin around the eye. There was a small cut right at the outside corner of her eye that was still bleeding, but she wouldn't open her eye. As I gently tried to pry it open and see if there was any damage, the little bit I DID see was what I thought was a puncture wound. Waisting NO time I wrapped her in her blanket, started my "Hail Mary's" and headed back to the ER.

The bleeding stopped by the time we arrived, and she seemed to be using her eye, that I was now able to see a little better. What I thought "might" be a pretty decent scratch on the eyeball, at closer observation seemed to be a blood "gooby" that was just sort of floating around on her eye. It was moving, so I felt a little better. The nurse came out and looked at her right away and we were checked in only minutes later (amazing how fast things move at the ER when you write "stabbed eyeball with fork" on the registration paper...). After a couple of different nurses having a look, a doctor came in within about 10-15 minutes. He felt that there could be some damage to the eyeball and called in another doctor to have a look and suggested having her undergo "conscious sedation" in order to get a better look. The second doctor agreed, so then it became a waiting game for the respiratory therapist, the anesthesiologist the nurse and the doctor all converging to get it done.

She was a little trooper, though it was a bit upsetting to see my baby in that "glazed over" state. After the doctor numbed her eye and placed some dye on it, he was able to see with the light that she did have a scratch on the surface of her eye right on her cornea! Sends shivers thinking if it had been worse... Thankfully, he thought she should be fine. He gave us a Rx for some ointment antibiotic and we waited another hour for her to come out of the sedation before they released us to go home, 5 hours later.

I had taken #1 with me for an extra set of hands, in case I needed him to tend to her on the car ride there. He was great for the first hour and a half or so, comforting her and keeping her busy as we waited. But as 12 year olds go, he started to become restless and "bored" and "ready to go home...". I tried to remind him that the baby and I didn't like being there anymore than he did, and that I did appreciate him coming with us. It also occurred to me that of my four, he's the only one I haven't had to take to the ER! Then on the way home he was saying how glad he was to "FINALLY " be going home... I told him, "Hey! Just think! You can chalk it up to extra points towards heaven!" smiling at him. He turned back toward me with a somber face and said, "No, mom. Because I griped and complained the whole time!" lol!! Okay, well, there's something to be said for honesty!

Thank you, Jesus, AGAIN! For protecting my precious little "stink pie"... NOW can we be done with trips to the ER??!! I don't really know how much more this pregnant mom can take! And No! that's NOT a challenge! : )

What a Differance 37 Years Can Make...

For as long as I can remember Sen. Ted Kennedy is not someone that I have looked up to. For as long as I can remember he has been a pro-abort liberal that seems to have poo-poo'd his Catholic Faith in favor of "choice", and has made no secret of it... But in 1971, according to Pro-Life Blogs, his attitude was quite different...

"While the deep concern of a woman bearing an unwanted child merits consideration
and sympathy, it is my personal feeling that the legalization of abortion is not
in accordance with the value which our civilization places on human life. Wanted
or unwanted, I believe that human life, even at its earliest stages, has certain
rights which must be recognized - the right to be born, the right to love, the
right to grow old. ...
When history looks back to this era it should
recognize this generation as one that cared about human beings enough to halt
the practice of war, to provide a decent living for every family and to fulfill
its responsibility to its children from the very moment of conception."

Now, Sen. Kennedy is in a battle for his own life. I wouldn't wish it on anyone. My hope and prayer during his illness is that he will have a change of heart and be able to reconnect with his Catholic Faith during this time, for the good of his mind, body AND soul.... That he will be reminded that God DOES love and value his life as much as all the other little lives that have been martyred for "choice"... No thoughts of "he's getting what he deserves..." here... We never know what fate awaits us or what God has in store for us in order to draw us closer to Him. All we can do is pray and stay close to Him, knowing that He will leave the 99 in order to go find the one, no matter how far we've strayed...

I Love This Baby....

Til Death...

June 5, 1954. Aren't they the cutest?? Having met only a few months before at a dance... I love the story.... My dad had a job that involved working on a high platform, when the roof gave way, causing him to land hard enough to knock his front teeth out. He saw my mom at a dance, where she was with friends and asked her to dance. At the end of the evening he asked if she would be back the following week and she hesitantly told him "maybe"... a "toothless" guy, could you blame her?! : )

She decided to avoid the dance the following week in hopes that he would "take a hint"... But returned the following week, and guess who was still looking for her?!! Well, look at her! Can you blame him?!!

Hence, history was made! The oldest remaining daughter at home, helping her widowed mother take care of her younger brother and niece meets #7 of ten kids, a hard working, rabble rouser and jokester. It was meant to be. As rough and loud as dad could be, he treated mom as the princess she was. Nothing was too good for her! They had 49 anniversaries together in this life before dad went to his eternal resting place. But this date is forever in our minds as the day that mom and dad became one flesh, til death... Thank you Mom and Dad for being the wonderful example of the sacrament of marriage that you were! Because of you, I know that marriage isn't always easy, but relying on God's Grace, He will see us through the toughest of times. In a world that continues to try and convince us that NOTHING lasts forever, YOU have convinced ME that some things DO.... I love you always!

What's for Dinner?

Dinner time is not a great time for me right now... I mean, I'm not a big fan of cooking, anyway, but evenings seem to be an especially nauseous/tired time for me these days.... But I was in the kitchen this evening preparing a London broil to put in the broiler when my soon to be 6 year old daughter came in to ask "what kind of meat are we having?", and already tired I know I probably sounded annoyed when I answered, "London broil." she hesitated for a moment and then asked, "No. I mean what kind of meat are we having?..." if I didn't sound annoyed the first time, I'm sure I did the second, "London Broil! What do you mean, what kind of meat? It's just meat!"... again, she paused with her arms stretched across the kitchen doorway standing on one foot as she swung her other leg/foot, in and out of the door, "No, mom. I mean what kind of meat are we having?! Is it cow?..." So now I had to laugh, because I knew what she meant... "Yes, #3, it's cow..."

"Oh. Okay." and she skipped down the hall to inform dad that I was making "cow" for dinner.

A few minutes later Hubby appeared at the kitchen door with a smile on his face to tell me that he had asked #3 what "Mommy was making for dinner".... he said that when he asked her she stopped and looked thoughtfully in to the air and said, "HHhhhmm... I'm not sure... it's meat." (this was before she had come to me...) and he asked her, "What kind of meat?" and she said, "I think it might be horse, but I'm not sure..." That's about the time she came down the hall to ask me! lol!! I don't recall EVER making 'horse' before, but #3 apparently thinks she's had it! Where DOES she get this stuff?...