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Today’s Gratitude
I am thankful that in our post 9/11 world, it is still possible to fly without identification. Pdad called me from the airport at 6 a.m. this morning to ask if his wallet was in his pants. Yep. I offered to throw the kids in the van and drive it up to him at the airport (an hour away). If you knew how I felt about driving, you would know that this was quite an offer. (He had a very important meeting). Anyway, Pdad determined that I wouldn’t be able to get there soon enough and he was still going to miss his flight.
In the end, he was somehow able to fly after all, though it necessitated going through extra security. Whew! Now he is in faraway city with no money,* and no ID. I do hope we’ll see him tomorrow. (*Well, okay, exing my tendency to hyperbole: he says he borrowed some from a coworker).
So, I’ve noticed that several blogs I like are sporting “I like Mike” [Huckabee] buttons and others are linking to Moms for Mitt [Romney]. I would like to support a candidate now, because I think support is more useful now than later (of course I will vote when the time comes). But–who to support? It sure isn’t obvious to me.
Anyway, I thought Huckabee deserved a closer look, since I am unwilling to vote for many of his opponents. I went over to his blog where they have a nice tab labeled “issues.”
So, where do Huckabee and I meet and part ways on the issues?
Huckabee: “My faith is my life – it defines me.
C&G: Certainly my own faith has defined my life, so that is something I respect. However, when he says “My faith doesn’t influence my decisions, it drives them” I start to worry a little. I do think *properly understood* separation of Church and State is important. In other words, it is very important that there be no state establishment of religion. On the other hand, I think religion often needs to be protected from the state, and that is where the U.S. occasionally struggles. Separation of Church and State should not mean that people of faith have to live out their faith in a windowless closet. It also does not mean that people of faith may not have a voice on political matters.
So, I am sympathetic to Huckabee on this issue, because we must not allow ourselves to be stripped of our ability to appeal to faith on political questions. When social issues such as abortion, stem cell research, same-sex marriage, and the death penalty are in question, partitioning our religious views from our other views not only robs us of our identities, it also robs us of our ability to think as integral people. However, I don’t know Huckabee well enough to be comfortable that he would be judicious and proper in his use of faith in political decisions that will have coercive results on a diverse nation of believers and nonbelievers. I know that at one of the debates, he mentioned not accepting evolution. If faith “drives” his decisions, what does this mean about money for science? I need some reassurance on this issue.
Sanctity of Life: Huckabee supports a constitutional amendment protecting the right to life. (The phrase used, “supports and has always supported”–strikes me as unnecessary mudslinging. I would imagine that someone like Huckabee would hope to persuade others to adopt his pro-life position. If having been pro-choice is classified as a moral failing, this task of persuasion becomes more difficult. Shouldn’t we simply embrace those who come to embrace the better view? Romney’s possible political opportunism is clearly an issue, but “has always supported” isn’t precise enough to pick that out. Although I am always leery of additional constitutional amendments, this tells me that Huckabee would probably attempt to nominate pro-life justices to the Supreme Court. I am in favor of that.
To be continued . . .
My children struggle with being independent, so I would love to hear others’ ideas on this topic.
One thing that has worked for us: When a child states a need he is capable of meeting himself, we respond with: What should you do? For example, Duncan: “I’m thirsty.” Pmom: “What should you do?” Duncan: “Get a glass?” Pmom: “Good! Go ahead, honey!”
It’s simple, but it has really helped.
For more Works-For-Me Wednesday Wisdom, visit Shannon at Rocks in My Dryer
I am thankful
for my friend A. She is so giving and generous. I need to learn to be a friend like that. I need to lose the feeling of making a sacrifice, and just do friendly things because I love my friends.
that Kate has stopped throwing up.
that Amelia’s 10 minutes bonus reading time is helping her learn good habits. She always puts her clothes away now, and she almost has the habit of putting that backpack away.
that I have a husband who enjoys taking the kids to the library.
that Duncan was so well-behaved at Amelia’s school today. He listened quietly to two presentations to Kindergarten classes, an entire PTA meeting, and a number of other errands. What a good boy.
Improve your pasta:
1. Use plenty of water and a large pot. The noodles need to boil freely to cook properly and not turn out sticky.
2. Salt the water. Use at least 1 tablespoon of table salt. You want your noodles seasoned on the inside, not just the outside.
3. Do not use oil. If you use plenty of water, you won’t need it, and oil will interfere with the ability of the sauce to stick to the pasta.
4. Try using the smallest number of minutes on the package. I used to always test my noodles. Now I simply time them. It is much simpler.
5. Reserve 1/3 cup of the hot cooking water. This will allow you to adjust the consistency of your sauce if necessary later. I find that many homemade sauces benefit from a bit of the cooking water. You won’t forget to reserve the water if you set your glass or metal measuring cup in the colander. The measuring cup will serve as a visual cue when you are just about to pour off the water.
As with almost everything I know about cooking, I got these ideas from Cook’s Illustrated.com Their website and other publications are content worth paying for.
My other WFMW posts include:
Vacationing with young children;
Hair care for fine hair;
Reading Rx info;
Cook’s Illustrated;
stickers and kids
grocery sack as giant disposable glove
white noise & swaddling
Visit Shannon at Rocks in my Dryer for other Works-For-Me-Wednesday tips.
I am the Velveteen Rabbit.
Today, Kate was ill. She threw up on me at least five times. I did a lot of laundry. I didn’t have time to shower. The few presentable items of clothing I own (due to my body’s odyssey through pregnancy and nursing) are now distinctly unpresentable.
I am the Velveteen Rabbit.
Motherhood has made me both flat and lumpy. Like that famous rabbit, my newness has been worn away. I am worn. But I am also real. My transformation has taken place. The self-obsessed girl has been replaced by a mothering woman.
Yes, in a way I am patting myself on the back. But not really. I know I didn’t get here on my own. Read more
General:
1. I was able to listen to General Conference today, and there were several talks that should be very helpful to me–if I study and make the effort.
2. We invited Grandma C. and my sister over for dinner today. I cooked an awesome all Cook’s Illustrated meal. It was the sort of thing I never have time to do: Garlic & Chive Smashed Potatoes, Brown Sugar Glazed Acorn Squash, and Pot Roast with mushrooms and tomatoes. Each dish was delicious. I still haven’t found the Pot Roast recipe of my dreams though. I don’t think I like mushrooms and tomatoes together. I may have to go back to some sort of cream of mushroom soup and onion soup mix combo. My inner Cook’s Illustrated devotee writhes at this, but their pot roast recipes just aren’t thrilling me.
Pdad:
I am grateful for Pdad because he loves our children. I am thankful that for him being a Dad doesn’t just mean earning the money, but it also means being a Dad: knowing our kids, playing with them, spending time with them. He spent a lot of time with them today.
Amelia: She plays so well with Kate. She is a great big sister. I love how much she looks forward to time with Pdad–she’s crazy about him. I was impressed with how attentively she listened to General Conference. I think she listened to most of all four sessions. You can’t get away from it in our house with all the intercom speakers booming it–but still, it was impressive. Also, she typed up a conference bingo game for all of us all of her own accord. That was impressive too.
Duncan: Today was the first day that he has put on his pajamas all by himself. We asked him to put his pajamas on, and he ran up the stairs and put them on (correctly even–if you don’t hold two pair of pajama bottoms against him) without being reminded or nagged and without even asking for help. I don’t know what accounted for the sudden burst of obedience and ability, but I am thankful. Also, his infected eyes are looking much better today. Thank goodness for health!
Kate: What a beautiful, cheerful baby. I love her kisses. I love her slightly sour milk smell. I love her desire for me. I am so thankful that I have been able to breastfeed. I am also thankful that she is beginning to eat more solid foods. I will be sad when our last day of breastfeeding arrives, but independence will be good too.
Sister: I am thankful for my sister. We had a nice conversation today. She listened to me talk about my worries about Duncan and how to handle extended family matters. She always compliments my cooking and I thrive under that kind of praise.
Today Elder Eyring spoke about keeping a journal. As a result of a revelation that he needed to write down his experiences for his children, he began keeping a journal. Every day for years he would write at least a few lines before bed. Never missing a day, he wrote about what he was grateful for and how he had seen the Lord’s hand in his life. He talked about how being able to read this journal had benefited his children.
Well, blogging is today’s journaling, right? I know I would love to read my parents’ journals–if they had kept any. I suppose the same would be true of my children. However, it’s more immediately compelling to me to realize that this could really help me. I tend to be a glass half empty kind of person. If I wrote every day about what I am grateful for and the good things people do, I might have a better and happier life. I like blogging & it would be good for me, so why not?
As of today, I am now fully eligible to be President of the United States of America.*
When I turn 50, will I still feel like I am 20? At 35, is all the suspense about my life over? Is my main life path pretty much determined now? (How can I ask these questions when even as I ask them I realize my 50 year old self will find them naive?)
- I know where I went to University and what I majored in.
- I know who I married.
- I know how many children I had. Don’t I? (Scary.)
- I know that I actually stuck with it and earned my PhD
- I know that I shelved that PhD and chose to stay home with my children. (Do I?)
20-35 is so formative, it changes so much about what your life will be. 35-50 simply isn’t as formative is it? Sure, many people get divorced, which would be a major life change, but I don’t plan that. Let me state it more strongly, I plan against that. There could be another baby, but . . . well, I am 35. There is a little suspense as to whether I seek to be PTA president or University Professor. What do I really want? And, regardless of what I want, will I be happy with what I choose?
Happy 35, Pmom. May you choose well so that 50 year old Pmom is happy with where your choices have taken her.
*I think I read this about someone else being 35. Was it Shannon from Rocks in my Dryer ? Or one of her Works-For-Me-Wednesday contributors? I’m not sure.
I want your tips for how to have a *fun* family vacation with young children. Where do you go? What do you do? What are your strategies? Finally, how do you cope with significant age gaps between the children?
Works for Me Wednesday is backwards-themed this week. For more advice-giving opportunities [show what you've learned!], visit Shannon at Rocks in my Dryer