Where are the Mark Twains?

Today is Mark Twain's birthday. For your pleasure, I list some of my favorite Twain quotes. Even among my favorite authors that I admire today, this kind of pithy wisdom and raw common sense is missing. Perhaps there is some truth to his quotes about schooling and education!


'Classic.' A book which people praise and don't read.

Courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear, not absence of fear.

Cauliflower is nothing but cabbage with a college education.

Denial ain't just a river in Egypt.

Don't let schooling interfere with your education.

A person who won't read has no advantage over one who can't read.

Giving up smoking is the easiest thing in the world. I know because I've done it thousands of times.

Education consists mainly of what we have unlearned.

God made the Idiot for practice, and then He made the School Board.

Be careful about reading health books. You may die of a misprint.

It is better to keep your mouth closed and let people think you are a fool than to open it and remove all doubt.

Never put off until tomorrow what you can do the day after tomorrow.

Reader, suppose you were an idiot. And suppose you were a member of Congress. But I repeat myself.

God created war so that Americans would learn geography.

If you don't read the newspaper, you're uninformed. If you read the newspaper, you're mis-informed.

- Posted using my iPhone

Alas, I was wrong...

I didn't think there could ever be a government agency created that could be more abusive, more tyrannical, or more intrusive than Child Protective Services (or DFCS), but then comes along...the TSA. Welcome to the U.S.S.A.

Another Day, Another TSA Screening to Make Your Blood Boil

Romans 13:3

"For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the evil."

Government is not ordained by God to terrorize honest citizens.

When I'm an Old Lady

When I'm an Old Lady and Live With My Kids

by Joanne Bailey Baxter

When I'm an old lady, I'll live with each kid,

And bring so much happiness... just as they did.
I want to pay back all the joy they've provided,
Returning each deed. Oh, they'll be so excited!

I'll write on the wall with reds, whites and blues,
And bounce on the furniture wearing my shoes.
I'll drink from the carton and then leave it out.
I'll stuff all the toilets and oh, how they'll shout!

When they're on the phone and just out of reach,
I'll get into things like sugar and bleach,
Oh, they'll snap their fingers and then shake their head,
And when that is done I'll hide under the bed!

When they cook dinner and call me to eat,
I'll not eat my green beans or salad or meat.
I'll gag on my okra, spill milk on the table,
And when they get angry I'll run... if I'm able!

I'll sit close to the TV, through the channels I'll click,
I'll cross both my eyes just to see if they stick.
I'll take off my socks and throw one away,
And play in the mud 'til the end of the day!

And later in bed, I'll lay back and sigh,
I'll thank God in prayer and then close my eyes.
My kids will look down with a smile slowly creeping,
And say with a groan. "She's so sweet . when she's sleeping!"

Thanksgiving Fun

Rosebud's Famous Faces

Of Cookie Tins and Catalogs

As I was searching for some candy with which to decorate our gingerbread houses, I ran across some cookies in a tin at the dollar store. I was struck with deja vu so strongly that I could remember just for an instant exactly what it felt like to be 10 years old. You see, years ago (before iPods) my mother gave my sister, my cousin, and me little round cookie tins to play with. Hours on end, we would sit with the Sears and JCPenney catalogs (remember those?) and scissors, making a "pretend family". We would each pick out a husband, however many kids we wanted, what clothes we would like to wear, toys for our kids, appliances, even hair styles, and we would cut them out and store them in our cookie tins. We were quite creative, building this elaborate pretend world that occupied most of our play time. What great times we had!

I love to reminisce about those days, and the more I visited those times in my mind, the more I realized just what a miracle had occured in my life. When we played, I ALWAYS had 5 children (which I have now). I always wanted a Christian husband. I always wanted to love only one man in my whole life. I always wanted to stay at home with my children. I didn't know anything about homeschooling then, but I knew about Daycare. My mother ran a daycare center in our home. I loved those kids and spent so much fun, quality time with them. They loved me because I did all the fun stuff with them. Their moms would come pick them up after a long days' work, take them home for supper, baths, homework, laundry, and the menial tasks of everyday life. When I played pretend, I always included me (as the pretend Mom) doing all the fun stuff with my own kids. In my dreams, my kids thought I was super cool instead of the babysitter! Little did I know then, that God would open the door for homeschooling for me, allowing me to spend abundant time with my children and create tons of memories and traditions that I hope they will take with them forever. When I first held Caleb in my arms, I decided I was going to milk every ounce of fun out of him that I possibly could, and I've tried to live up to that with all my kids.

Seeing how the Lord has brought me full circle from my childhood dreams to my real adult life is overwhelming to me. God is so gracious. He's so kind. And thoughtful. And loving. Praise His Name! He truly does give us the desires of our hearts. When I say that I couldn't have had a better life if I had hand-picked it all myself, I hope you'll know that I literally mean that. The Lord has given me everything I ever desired, much more than I ever deserved.

Happy Thanksgiving!

:-)

- Posted using my iPhone

Random Act of Culture

This is so awesome!

On Saturday, October 30, 2010, the Opera Company of Philadelphia brought together over 650 choristers from 28 participating organizations to perform one of the Knight Foundation's "Random Acts of Culture" at Macy's in Center City Philadelphia. Accompanied by the Wanamaker Organ - the world's largest pipe organ - the OCP Chorus and throngs of singers from the community infiltrated the store as shoppers, and burst into a pop-up rendition of the Hallelujah Chorus from Handel's "Messiah" at 12 noon, to the delight of surprised shoppers. This event is one of 1,000 "Random Acts of Culture" to be funded by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation over the next three years. The initiative transports the classical arts out of the concert halls and opera houses and into our communities to enrich our everyday lives. To learn more about this program and view more events, visit www.randomactsofculture.org.

More of the Same

This article goes right along with what I was talking about in my previous post about the oligarchy of rule by judges. The fact that they so often find themselves defending murderers, homos, and pedophiles ought to tell us something of their moral condition.

Judge in Pedophile Ruling Has Curious Past

The Exceptions Clause

I'm still rejoicing over last week's elections. I still get a thrill every time I think about Nancy Pelosi handing over that big gavel and stepping down from her position. I was thrilled about Marco Rubio, Rand Paul, and the state governorships and legislatures that went Republican. However, there were two little reported results last Tuesday that really gave me hope. First, was the historic removal of 3 activist judges who tried to force gay marriage against the wishes of the people. The second was the state constitutional amendment passed in Oklahoma that forbids judges in Oklahoma to consider international or Sharia Law in making their decisions. And, boy, was I disgusted this morning to see that yet another activist judge has blocked this amendment that was passed by the people.

It really won't matter what kind of Congress we elect if this oligarchy of rule by the judges (who are not supposed to make laws, only interpret them!) is allowed to stand. There IS a Constitutional remedy for this, and it looks like it is going to have to be considered. The solution is called The Exceptions Clause. In the video below, David Barton explains how it works (fast forward to 6:50 to begin the exception clause discussion).



The shadow government that is methodically being put in place and subverting our Constitution will be the undoing of our nation, and there won't be anything Congress can do about it if they don't exercise their Constitutional checks and balances NOW. This shadow government consists of czars, beaurocracy with unchecked powers (such as DFACS), corrupt secretaries of state, activist judges, Obama's civilian army that answers to him (not a proper chain of command) and has not taken an oath to the Constitution. Add this to the demoralization of our military (who better to turn on its own citizens than perverted reprobates who have no conscience left?) and progressives like George Soros, who has spent $45 million to change the way state judges are seated, from elected to appointed positions. Um....and that's just the domestic shadow government! That doesn't count NAFTA, CAFTA, climate treaties and other possible treaties like the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child that relinquish our wealth and our sovereignty to people who haven't even discovered deodorant yet!

I'm glad the Tea Party won big last week. Now it's time to get serious about defending our Republic before it's too late!

Cutest Firewood Stackers Around!

- Posted using my iPhone

"Poor Coon!"

I SAID she was NOT going coon hunting! But I guess I'm eating my words! The whole time I was trying to take her picture, she was saying, "Poor coon, Mama. Poor coon!"

More Kitty Love

The kittens have grown up, but that hasn't stopped Rosebud from hauling them around and riding them! If cats could talk, ..........

Line up, sheeple!

It's that time of year again....flu shots for everybody! No matter your age, health condition, or medical history, and no matter what is contained in the ingredients, "they" insist that you need it. ("They" would be the Pharmacy Industry that gets rich off fear mongering and getting you to take medicines that cause you to need more of their medicines....um....there might be a conflict of interest there!)

"Thimerasol-containing vaccines are considered hazardous waste and can't be thrown into a garbage can, poured down a sink or flushed down a toilet because of the mercury—they're considered environmentally toxic....... Why would anyone.....want to be injected with a substance that is too toxic to dispose of down a drain?"

Click here to read the entire article by Dr. Mercola called "New Proof That This Common Medical Treatment is Unnecessary and Ineffective". Please do your homework before jumping on the bandwagon!

Voter Responsibilities by David Barton

Potty Training 101

In 1999, when I began to think about potty training Caleb, I went to the library to get some information (back in the old days before I carried the internet around in my pocket!). My main concern with potty training was that I did not want to drag it out. I grew up in a daycare center that my mother operated in our home, and I had seen kids wear pull-ups for a year or more while they were "training". This seemed so ridiculous to me, and I knew there had to be a better way. Thankfully, I checked out a wonderful book called Toilet Training in Less Than a Day. Though I haven't followed this book to the letter, it gave me the foundation that I needed to come up with a plan. Now, five toddlers later, I think I can successfully say that I do know how to potty train kids. With every single one of them, I began on Monday and took them to church the next Sunday with underwear/panties on, and there was no looking back. That sure beats hauling spare clothes and pull-ups around for months! If you're interested in following this plan, I encourage you to read the book, but I will briefly outline the method.

First, however, there are some signs of readiness that you need to observe. You should notice your child going for at least 2 hours during the day without wetting his/her diaper. This indicates control over the bladder. The second indicator (and this is as much for the parent as for the child), is that your child will follow simple commands, such as "come", "sit", "clean up", "hush". This indicates that your child is mature enough to understand your instructions (and obviously this is a discipline/training issue as well).

Now, there are a few things to work on for the week prior to training:
1. Every day, find several occasions to teach your child "wet/dry" and "clean/dirty". For example, after a bath, you might pick up her dirty clothes out of the wet floor: "Yuck, feel these. They're wet. Gross! Let's put them here with the dirty clothes."
2. CLEAR YOUR SCHEDULE and eliminate distractions. This is the #1 tip for success. It may be hard, but if you devote a week to successful training, it will definitely be worth it! Somewhere around Day 4 or 5, you may want to schedule a visit to Grandma's or church or somewhere familiar to let the child check out someone else's toilet. Don't be afraid to turn the ringer off, and don't schedule any company.
3. Decide on consistent names for the process and share these with everyone involved. If your child understands "peepee toilet", and Grandma asks if she needs to "potty in the commode", it could cause some confusion.
4. Let the child observe Dad/brothers (for boys) or Mom/sisters (for girls) sitting on the toilet. Sounds funny, but some children are truly terrified of sitting on a water-filled tank with a hole in the bottom that makes a loud noise, so this can help them get used to the idea. Though some children truly are scared, it has been my honest observation that most 2-year-olds are more terrified that their mom might realize they can actually be made to sit for a few minutes at a time! They'll act like they're dying a slow, horrible death just to keep that secret from coming out!
5. Things to gather:
--a stepping stool and toilet insert. You can use a potty chair, as the book suggests, but it isn't necessary unless you just enjoy carrying poop around in a pot. The stool is to climb easily onto the toilet and also to wash hands.
--training pants, in a size larger than normal. This is so the child can easily pull his own pants up and down independently.
--snacks and drinks, salty type stuff that will cause her to drink more and create more training opportunities
--a timer
--pull-ups for nap and bedtime

Major ideas from the book that I did not use: a wetting baby doll. My boys don't do dolls. Period. So I just never went there. Also, the potty chair. It just made more sense to me to train them directly on the toilet with an insert. It's easily portable and makes it possible to potty anywhere you go. Plus I do NOT enjoy carrying poop around in a pot.

Here's the gist of the method: On Day 1, expect a rough day. It's going to be cold turkey! Let the child throw away her diaper and put her own training pants on. Have her feel the panties and confirm that they are "clean!" and "dry!" just like ____________ (Mama, Daddy, siblings, favorite people, etc.). Every 5 minutes, make her stop and feel her panties to inspect if they are clean and dry. Take her to the toilet and let her sit for a while to try to potty. Don't make her sit for more than 10 minutes at a time, as this can be torture for a 2 year old. When she does wet her panties, take her to the toilet immediately and say "potty toilet" or whatever, to establish that this is the goal. Then, have her get up, feel her wet panties ("gross!" "wet!"), put them in the dirty hamper, have her get a towel and clean up her own mess. This may sound extreme, but the whole point is to make the child responsible for keeping herself clean and dry. Obviously, you clean up thoroughly behind her, but she will begin to understand that she has made a mess. This is only TRAINING time, no discipline.

Have your child only wear a t-shirt and panties/underwear, so she can easily feel her panties and pull them up and down by herself. The book actually shows how to teach the child to reach their hand in the back and pull the pants up that way more easily. The independence is a key to this training. After an hour or two of checking every 5 minutes, go to 10 minutes, then 15. After a successful potty in the toilet (which may or may not even occur on Day 1...don't be disheartened if it doesn't!), go to checking every 30 minutes and toilet tries every hour. Watch your child closely for signs (you'll begin to recognize that look on her face), and be absolutely consistent with the timer and with the clean-up process. Guard against constipation, as the child will be tempted to hold back on going. You may want to add lots of juice or slip some probiotics into their milk to give more teachable moments in that area.

By Day 3 or 4, you should be seeing some real progress, but DON'T LET UP on the timer and bathroom trips. Be consistent and stay focused. ONLY use pull-ups for naptime and bedtime. Summer's have Woody on them, and we call them "Woody panties". If they are wet when she awakes, just quickly pull them off and put on real panties. This will come with time. Summer is in her 4th week of being trained, and we already skip the naptime pull-up.

Try to keep the mood in the house cheerful, and provide lots of fun activities to do. Movies probably aren't the best entertainment at this point, because they tend to put the child in passive mode. When you know your child has to poop, you may want to pull up a chair beside the toilet and just keep her entertained for a while. This is the biggest step, but a couple of successes should seal the deal.

When it's all said and done, you will have given your child something more than just the knowledge of peeing in the toilet, but also the gift of personal responsibility. Since training, Summer has become obsessed with "hosh hands" (translated: wash hands) and dressing herself and cleaning up spills. It's such a joy to watch! Mission accomplished!

It's time to call her ma'am again!

Call Me Senator from RightChange on Vimeo.

Stand therefore!

Is there anything more precious than a snaggle-toothed kindergartener quoting scripture?

(and yes, that is a snake skin in the background....)

- Posted using my iPhone

Such a big girl!

Night Night!

One of the best things about having kids ranging in ages from 2 to 13, is seeing that precious interaction between them. Summer is everyone's pet around here! Sis and KK have a nightly ritual with her, and I was able to capture Sis on video last night. So cute! (That's "hotdog!" that Summer is saying there at the end.)