Political Ramble

Okay so this election crap is almost over. As I go through my "Snail" mail today and see the NUMEROUS ads for Senate, Congress & Presidental election, I can't WAIT till November 4th is here and GONE! Seems NO one really gives a flying flip during the "off" years when a president isn't running. But they all step it up a notch (okay a HUGE notch!) when the ever 4 year election is going on for President. And it seems EVERYONE has a political opinion. No one goes around asking you who you're voting for in a city mayor race, or a senate seat or congress seat is up for grabs. So what makes these people so "Political Smart" all of a sudden? Now I'm not saying don't go out there and vote, but honestly...do YOU pay attention to the politics any OTHER time? We should all really be paying attention to the local elections as THOSE are the ones who speak for THEIR town to get things done in office. The president just has Veto power honestly. You want to vote for the right senator as those are the ones who speak for you and your rights as a citizen.

I'm just tired of everyone having a political opinion, when they OBVIOUSLY don't have any clue about the canadiate they PLAN to vote for. Just because the majority of the party believes in one thing, doesn't mean that THAT CANADIATE believes it too, or even supports it for that matter. Is it too much to ask that people step BEYOND Party lines to LOOK at the other canadiate who's running? Too many people are "party specific" and don't even LISTEN to what the other canadiate has to say.


Okay, stepping off the high horse now :)

~ Brandi ~

No Instruction Manuals

So hubby and I are friends with a couple who just had a baby boy. They named him Smit (Eastern Indian name). I was thinking yesterday about how this couple has NEVER changed a diaper in their life, yet the state/government allows them to have children and bring him/her HOME.

The thought of them being so confused and NEW at this makes me remember what my brother, Ronnie, used to say when their son Ethan was born: "Sheesh Doc, didn't this little baby come with an instruction manual?"

Still to this day I laugh at the thought of him saying that and having this newborn baby and feeling helpless as to why he's crying. Then I sit and think of the couple with the new baby boy and us calling them and hearing baby Smit cry on the phone and the daddy frantically saying "I gotta go! Sorry!" Oh boy do we remember those days. Hubby and I just looked at each other and we both got this huge grin on our faces.

The couple is the first friends of ours; besides the ones we've met WITH children already, that have had a new baby. They (this couple) would never understand WHY we had to be home by 8pm to put the kids to bath and bed. Oh boy, is their world going to change and flip upside down. When you get that child on a schedule and he KNOWS that it's sleepy time, you don't want to mess with it. That is of course if you're traveling and it's BEYOND your control.
Many of times we've had to tell them we can't make dinner at their home because it's late and close to the children's bedtimes. (Indian food usually is served about 9pm or later) We thank them for the invite and tell them we'll have to do it at our house sometime because the children can then go to bed and we could mingle downstairs.

Our world has turned upside down with children, but now it's a sort of organized upside down chaos. It's just NICE to know that for a change, these people who have NEVER understood what a world of children has over parents...finally joins the "parental" role.

~ Brandi ~

Political crap!

Seriously, do I need 50 calls calling about this presidential election? Know how many "out of area" calls I have on my phone, or "name unavailable?" Oh! Like this one? I went to look at the caller ID and it said MY NAME & PHONE NUMBER!!! But I couldn't call my own home from MY NUMBER. It was a "POLITICAL ADVERTISEMENT!" These guys are getting sneaky! Anything to get you to answer your phone.

Tonight three "KIDS" (I'll call them) of the African American decent came by with knowing who lives where... (asking for us by name) asking us if we're voting Obama or McCain. Obviously they were "snooping" for the Obama campaign. Man, can't they just WAIT till the election? I don't know TOO much about politics, but enough to know that this is all getting out of hand!

I seriously can NOT wait till all this is over. Does the DO NOT CALL list pertain to political calling? Or Polling? We've been asked a MILLION times who we're voting for. Usually just hand Aryan the phone and we get a dial tone after that.

I wish there was a number to be called that allows you to opt out of these political calls. It's too much when you've got calls at: 11:32am, 11:50am, 11:59am, 6:13pm, 8:02pm, 8:30pm, & 9:30pm! And that's just ONE day! 9:30pm? Do they not realize that families have their children into bed at that time?

To be honest, I do not know WHO I'm voting for. I don't like EITHER candidates and wish seriously someone would come out of the clouds of heaven and give me a sign as to whom to vote for. Who's best for our country? I don't like McCain's Health plan, and he's voted with Pres. Bush 90% of the time, and look at our country now. We ARE in a recession and our economy is hurting very badly right now. Our unemployment is at an all time HIGH, yet we've had no help from the government. Whose to say that my husband will still be employed here soon. It's the time of uncertainty and that's scary for sure! Regarding Obama ~ I'm not fond of his inexperience, his spending habits (we've all seen that!). And I'm just not sure he's "THE ONE" for the White House. He's making all these promises, but not sure he's able to fulfill them all. Sounds too good to be true. With his lack of experience, it really makes me think that our country will be even MORE vunerable than it already is!


I'm just a stay at home mom, who wants what is best for her children and her children's children.
The way this election is going, I probably have more experience than two of the nominees!

MOMMY TO MOM TO MOTHER

MOTHERS

Real Mothers don't eat quiche;
they don't have time to make it.

Real Mothers know that their kitchen utensils
are probably in the sandbox.

Real Mothers often have sticky floors,
filthy ovens and happy kids.

Real Mothers know that dried play dough
doesn't come out of carpets.

Real Mothers don't want to know what
the vacuum just sucked up.

Real Mothers sometimes ask 'Why me?'
and get their answer when a little voice says, 'Because I love you best.'

Real Mothers know that a child's growth
is not measured by height or yearsor grade...
It is marked by the progression of Mommy to Mom to Mother...

The Images of Mother

4 YEARS OF AGE - My Mommy can do anything!

8 YEARS OF AGE - My Mom knows a lot! A whole lot!

12 YEARS OF AGE - My Mother doesn't really know quite everything.

14 YEARS OF AGE - Naturally, Mother doesn't know that, either.

16 YEARS OF AGE - Mother? She's hopelessly old-fashioned.

18 YEARS OF AGE - That old woman? She's way out of date!

25 YEARS OF AGE - Well, she might know a little bit about it!

35 YEARS OF AGE - Before we decide, let's get Mom's opinion.

45 YEARS OF AGE - Wonder what Mom would have thought about it?

65 YEARS OF AGE - Wish I could talk it over with Mom.

The beauty of a woman is not in the clothes she wears, the figure that she carries, or the way she combs her hair.

The beauty of a woman must be seen from in her eyes,
because that is the doorway to her heart,
the place where love resides.
The beauty of a womanis not in a facial mole,
but true beauty in a woman is reflected in her soul.

It is the caring that she lovingly gives, the passion that she shows,and the beauty of a woman with passing years only grows!

~~ My friend Christina sent this to me ~~

Thanks hon!!!

Looking Back ~ Shock!?!

Today in the car, I had my daughter, my son & my son's friend coming home from Gymboree Play & Music. Aryan said something to Kaden in the form of, "You have to make sure to listen to my mommy Kaden." Kaden said okay. It just sort of dawned on me, that about 10 years ago ... I dreamed of becoming a mommy and now I have two children, and a son telling a friend that he has to listen to "HIS" mommy. Suddenly I became an adult. When did this happen? I am responsible for two children and their well-being. WHO gives us this right to become parents? Who says that we're ready to be responsible for someone other than ourselves?

It just seems like yesterday that life has just passed us by. And we just sort of grew up without really realizing it. Makes you wonder how many people you've thought about or forgotten over those years.

Just wanted to share my shock that I had today. Here I am, a mommy driving in a mini-van with two children and I still feel ~ mentally ~ a teenager. Just wish the body felt that way!

~ Brandi ~

Explaining Fibromyalgia

I don’t think I could have put it better myself!

WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT FIBROMYALGIA

1. FMS is not the newest fad disease. In fact, it isn't a disease at all, and it isn't even new. In 1815, a surgeon at the University of Edenburgh, William Balfour, described fibromyalgia. Over the years, it has been known as chronic rheumatism, myalgia and fibrositis. Unlike diseases, syndromes do not have a known cause, but they do have a specific set of signs and symptoms which, unfortunately for the patient, take place together. Rheumatoid arthritis and lupus are also syndromes.

2. The many physical and emotional problems associated with FMS are not psychological in origin. This is not an "all in your head" disorder. In 1987, the American Medical Association recognized FMS as a true physical illness and major cause of disability.

3. Syndromes strike life-long athletes as viciously as they do couch potatoes. They can be disabling and depressing, interfering with even the simplest activities of daily life.


WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT ME

1. My pain - My pain is not your pain. It is not caused by inflammation. Taking your arthritis medication will not help me. I can not work my pain out or shake it off. It is not even a pain that stays put. Today it is in my shoulder, but tomorrow it may be in my foot or gone. My pain is believed to be caused by improper signals sent to the brain, possibly due to sleep disorders. It is not well understood, but it is real.

2. My fatigue - I am not merely tired. I am often in a severe state of exhaustion. I may want to participate in physical activities, but I can't. Please do not take this personally. If you saw me shopping in the mall yesterday, but I can't help you with yard work today, it isn't because I don't want to. I am, most likely, paying the price for stressing my muscles beyond their capability.

3. My forgetfulness - Those of us who suffer from it call it fibrofog. I may not remember your name, but I do remember you. I may not remember what I promised to do for you, even though you told me just seconds ago. My problem has nothing to do with my age but may be related to sleep deprivation. I do not have a selective memory. On some days, I just don't have any short-term memory at all.

4. My clumsiness - If I step on your toes or run into you five times in a crowd, I am not purposely targeting you. I do not have the muscle control for that. If you are behind me on the stairs, please be patient. These days, I take life and stairwells one step at a time.

5. My sensitivities - I just can't stand it! "It" could be any number of things: bright sunlight, loud or high-pitched noises, odors. FMS has been called the "aggravating everything disorder." So don't make me open the drapes or listen to your child scream. I really can't stand it.

6. My intolerance - I can't stand heat, either. Or humidity. If I am a man, I sweat...profusely. If I am a lady, I perspire. Both are equally embarrassing, so please don't feel compelled to point this shortcoming out to me. I know. And don't be surprised if I shake uncontrollably when it's cold. I don't tolerate cold, either. My internal thermostat is broken, and nobody knows how to fix it.

7. My depression - Yes, there are days when I would rather stay in bed or in the house or die. I have lost count of how many of Dr. Kevorkian's patients suffered from FMS as well as other related illnesses. Severe, unrelenting pain can cause depression. Your sincere concern and understanding can pull me back from the brink. Your snide remarks can tip me over the edge.

8. My stress - My body does not handle stress well. If I have to give up my job, work part time, or handle my responsibilities from home, I'm not lazy. Everyday stresses make my symptoms worse and can incapacitate me completely.

9. My weight - I may be fat or I may be skinny. Either way, it is not by choice. My body is not your body. My appestat is broken, and nobody can tell me how to fix it.

10. My need for therapy - If I get a massage every week, don't envy me. My massage is not your massage. Consider how a massage would feel if that charley horse you had in your leg last week was all over your body. Massaging it out was very painful, but it had to be done. My body is knot-filled. If I can stand the pain, regular massage can help, at least temporarily.

11. My good days - If you see me smiling and functioning normally, don't assume I am well. I suffer from a chronic pain and fatigue illness with no cure. I can have my good days or weeks or even months. In fact, the good days are what keep me going.

12. My uniqueness - Even those who suffer from FMS are not alike. That means I may not have all of the problems mentioned above. I do have pain above and below the waist and on both sides of my body which has lasted for a very long time. I may have migraines or hip pain or shoulder pain or knee pain, but I do not have exactly the same pain as anyone else.


I hope that this helps you understand me, but if you still doubt my pain, your local bookstore, library and the internet have many good books and articles on fibromyalgia.

Hailey still in PICU :(

It's been a touch and go situation with my niece, Hailey. I seriously wish I could be there with her and my brother and sister in law. They really need the support. Nothing I can do from here though, and I have my own two children.

They've already been through so much crap! They just deserve a break!
If you want to know the latest update you can do so at her caring bridge page:

http://caringbridge.org/visit/haileychavers

Will try to update later...

Also, I know little Riley is still in need of prayers, please visit his mom's site:
http://lindseysouza.blogspot.com/


All these children suffering! :(

~ Brandi ~