Red and Yellow, "African American" and "Caucasian"... or something like that.

When you have to fill in that race bubble on tests and stuff you only get a few choices, "Caucasian" "African American" "Asian or Pacific Islander" or "Other". This has always bothered me.

I never understood why we, as white people, have to refer to black people as "African American". For one thing, not all of them come from Africa. There are Black people in Asia, Europe, South America, North America... pretty much every where. So, if someone emigrated from India to the U.S., why are they still considered African American? Maybe I am just missing some fact, but it has never made sense to me. Also, most of America's black population has been born and raised in the U.S. and were not immigrants, nor were their parents or grand parents... and their heritage is just as muddled up as most white Americans.

I just recently learned that the term "Caucasian" stems from the Caucasus Mountain region of the Middle East."It comes from the idea that the inhabitants of the Caucasus displayed the ideal human features. Therefore, the inference was made that this region was the birthplace of mankind. This is all based on the inherently racist idea that white people exhibit the best human characteristics!" (http://www.omg-facts.com/view/Facts/24649) This is a completely Racist ideology. Besides, I did not come from the Caucasus Mountains, did you? And, weather you believe in the Bible or not, science has proved that the humans stem from Africa, not Europe.

So if we are going to be calling black Americans "African Americans" shouldn't we be calling ALL Americans "African Americans"? In which case, we need to use a completely different set of vocabulary to make the distinction between "Black people" and "White people" (and don't tell me that we don't need to make a distinction... you use the word "brunette" or "blonde" or "red head" to describe different people, you NEED to have a word to describe someone's skin color as well. If God did not want us to be different, he would not have made different races of people... duh) I think the best word to describe "White people" is "White" or "Peach" if you want to be more specific. (or tan, or lobster... lol) And the best word to describe "Black people" is "Black" or "Brown" or "Light Brown" or... You are describing the color of their skin, not their ancestry.

Now, if you ARE talking about their ancestry, then YES you need to be specific. But for the most part, when you hear people use the term "African American" or "Afro-American" they are usually generalizing the term and referring to the person's outside appearance, not their heritage.

Please forgive me if you think I am being ignorant. I have ZERO intention to offend anyone. And if you think I am wrong, please feel free to correct me. HOWEVER, please do so in a manner that is respectful. I have a huge thing against people stating their opinions in a way which disrespects the beliefs of others. We can be civil and still have differing opinions.

yeah, that's about it.

You are Bad!

Is there a difference between the phrase "You are bad!" and "That was bad!"?

Let us think about this for a second. If you tell your child "Bad Girl!" or "You were bad." you are telling them that they are a bad person. If you tell your child "That was bad!" or "What you did was bad." you are telling them that they made a bad decision, that their actions were bad"

God does not make "Bad People". What God made was perfect, but we have a sinful nature. Meaning, we make poor choices sometimes. but making bad decisions does not make us bad people. Especially when you are talking about a child. A child whose brain can not make logical decisions yet. Who is incapable of making good choices. Isn't that why it is illegal for a person under 21 to drink alcohol? they don't have a fully developed brain and are not able to distinguish a good decision from a bad one? I am not saying they should have no consequences for their actions. on the contrary. I think every decision a child makes should have the proper consequences. How else will they learn to make good decisions if they don't get reprimanded for the bad ones?

I do not want to tell my 2 year old that she is a bad person. She is only 2! I do not want her growing up thinking she is worthless and can't do anything right. I do not want to instill in her a sense of worthlessness. If a child is told all her life that she is bad, what is to keep her from continuing those bad choices through adulthood? If there is nothing she can do to make herself a better person, why try? Why not just do what you want and live for yourself? If you call me a bad person, then I will act like a bad person!

If you tell your child "What you did was bad." or "That was bad!" you are telling them that their decision was poor. You are letting them know that they are not a bad person, but that they made a mistake. Giving them the opportunity to change their ways and make a better decision next time. Especially if you tell them "I love you, but what you did was wrong." this lets the child know that they have not lost your love, but just because you love them does not mean you can overlook their bad choice. God loves his children, but he gives us consequences for our actions. That does not mean he does not love us, just that we need to see that what we did was wrong.

Also, constantly giving positive feedback for good actions is a GREAT way to show the child what she SHOULD do, so that when she does mess up she knows she can still do good things as well. Saying things like "That was Very Nice!" or "Good Girl for...!" are great ways to give positive feedback and encourage good behavior.


ha! this did start out as a sort of rant. and ended up more like a child development lesson. oh well.

Those are my thoughts for the day.

September = School?

So, it is now September. And with all the back to school sales at stores, commercials on TV, and friends talking about sending their kids to school, I have been thinking... I need to start thinking about education for my kids.

So, these last few weeks I've been researching Home Schooling and Private Schooling. (I am too afraid of public school to research that yet. lol. BUT, I WILL, when I work up the courage)

I realize that my children are not yet 2 and 1 yet, but I think that if we get an early start, they will be so much better off and more prepared when they do go to school in a few years. From my research, I have found several websites and online articles which I have found to be of interest. The first of which is: http://www.greatschools.org/students/academic-skills/K-5-benchmarks.gs?content=531 . This is an article on what your child should know (academically and socially) coming out of grades K-5. The article also encourages you to check with your child's classroom and State's academic standards (http://www.greatschools.org/content/stateStandards.page?cpn=20090512my5) for more information on what your child is required to learn.

The State of Wisconsin does keep close tabs on its Home Schooled children. This is the Home School Legal Defense Association article which informs you of the Wisconsin State laws and regulations on Home School Education: http://www.hslda.org/laws/analysis/Wisconsin.pdf . It defines Home School and puts guidelines on things such as number of hours of study, age at which you are required to be enrolled, and the freedom from state assessment, curriculum, and certified teachers.

This is my favorite Site yet: http://ourpreschoolhomeschool.blogspot.com/ . It is the journey of a mom and her children through Pre-School education. She includes teaching materials, subject ideas, her own developed curriculum, and other resources to help you make your child's education journey a success. She also has an Elementary Blog and a High School Blog.

I am planing to begin Home School Preschool when Bre turnes 2. I don't mean the sit at the kitchen table and complete your worksheets type of home school. I mean, we will begin our learning process and developing our education skills in a structured manner. I plan to have lessons which we will tackle a week at a time, incorporating our lessons into our every day activities. Generally, getting Breanna excited and ready to learn, whatever avenue of education I decide to pursue.

I am ALMOST ready for our education adventure!  (still biting nails)

All the little Children

I just saw a video of children being buried alive in the amazon. i do not want to share it with you because i can not get the image out of my head! it makes me want to go collect all the unwanted children and care for them myself! It's a good thing that our God is a merciful God. I have to keep reminding myself that those children will be with him. what would poses someone to bury an innocent child alive!

and why the HECK would someone video tape this horrific act and not do anything to stop it?! I want to go to the film maker and kick him in the face! how can you just stand by and allow someone to not only be treated that way, but to be killed! because she was 2 years old and couldn't walk or talk yet. "Jesus loves the little children... All the children of the world..." I love my children, and I want you all to know that I would have no problem using old testament law on ANYONE who does anything to hurt my child! "An eye for an eye..." My foot up your ASS! obviously i am COMPLETELY horrified at this whole thing. why the CRAP did i hit play on that stupid video?!

my head is spinning from trying to think of ways to stop this from happening to any child. and the thing that is so depressing is that i know that no matter what i do, it will still happen. the world is in such a bad state right now that people kill their own children! or do worse things to them... It's times like these that make me grateful for biblical prophecy. I am so glad to know that there will be a day where there's no more pain. I truly know the meaning behind the words "for me to life is Chrst, but to Die is gain." Oh to escape this horrible place.

can you imagine being God and seeing your creation, what you created to be good, created to glorify you, what you love with everything you have... become something so terrible. like being a mother, who raises a son she loves so much! and through no fault of her own, he turns into a murderer. how can you un-love him. you can't. but it makes your heart break every time you think about your creation, your off spring, being such a bad person.

It's no wonder God caused the Flood in Genesis. I always wonder why he did it so early. If today's times are just as bad, or worse, why wouldn't he have waited until now to wipe the slate clean? or, have come back and set things right before they got worse? Obviously I'm not God. I just wish I could do more for this world than sit back and watch it kill its self. and drag the innocent down with it.

God, I love my children, and I thank you for giving them to me. But next time, would it be too much to ask to get rid of the bad stuff before the good gets a chance to be tainted? 

I am truly heart broken.

http://www.survivalinternational.org/

http://www.hakani.org/

Wilted Lettuce?

What do you do with Lettuce that is going bad?

Have you ever had cooked lettuce??

Tear the head of lettuce like you would a salad (i used romaine). Boil the lettuce until it is limp. Drain. Add a table spoon of butter and a quarter tsp of vinegar. S&P. also, add fresh mushrooms if you like. DELICIOUS! even Chris liked it.

Frugal food tip :)

Poop-Poop in the Potty

Did you know that you are supposed to Flush baby poop down the toilet? Even when you are using Disposable diapers?

http://www.pampers.com/en_US/proddetail/baby-products/new-baby-diapers-new-swaddlers/id/900826

Waste removal

As the Pampers bag recommends, you'll want to dump bowel movements in the toilet. Then just roll the diaper into its backsheet, using the tape or fasteners to keep it closed, and dispose of it in the trash.

Besides, this also cuts down on the smell in your trash can.

wizards, vampires, fairies and the easter bunny!

So, as I'm sitting here watching Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, I had a thought. Why is it that some people have an issue with make believe?

Lets look at a few different characters that society accepts, weather true or not: the all important Santa Clause, The Easter Bunny, Tinkerbelle, Wizards (harry potter), Vampires (twilight), Dragon Tales, Power Rangers, The Tooth Fairy...

All of these characters are widely known. Many of them are taught to young children to be "Real". Many parents sneak their christmas presents under the tree to pretend that Santa Clause did it. Same with the Easter Bunny and the Tooth Fairy. Is it wrong to tell your children that these characters are real? Is it wrong to LIE to them?

Some other characters, many people have an issue with, Harry Potter and Twilight... many people won't let their kids watch the movies, or even boycott the books because they promote magic... blah blah blah...

And some make believe characters don't even get discussed, they just get watched on TV without even an explanation. I mean, are monsters real? Sesame Street seems to think so. Can you "wish" yourself into a distant land where dragons exist, or have visions of the future? 

How do you get across to your children that some things are real, and others aren't? Is it ok for you to tell your child that Santa Clause is real, but Vampires don't. When is it ok to let them watch the Little Mermaid but not to let them watch Harry Potter?

Wouldn't it be much simpler to tell your child that Santa is not a real character, but is a fun make believe character that is used to represent the Christmas Spirit. Explain who the real Saint Nicholas was. Tell them that the Easter Bunny is just a fun way of bringing in Spring. That Harry Potter is just a made up character that is fun to make believe. That magic is just a fantastic idea that is fun and entertaining to pretend.

You can't tell a child that they are not allowed to have a tea party because the tea in the pot is pretend. that they are not allowed to play House because it is wrong to pretend that you are an adult who is married with children. That they can not pretend they are a Power Ranger because real people don't transform into robots (or whatever that show is about...). You let kids be kids. As long as they know the difference between reality and fantasy, what is the harm in a little fun? After all, what would we accomplish if we had no imagination? 

Now, if your kid starts shooting their pretend wand at other kids and saying "Obliterate" or shooting their pretend gun at someone saying "You're Dead!" then, I'd suggest a change in entertainment and an education on playing nice. But that is a whole other blog post that I don't wish to get into at this moment.