a dumb blonde's take on healthcare reform...

For everyone dying to know my take on healthcare reform here goes...

I'm just not really that affected either way.

I mean really. I am fortunate enough to be married to a guy who, barring any really stupid mistake, has a pretty secure job with good benefits. Granted, things can always come up, but for the most part, me and my family are going to go about our business and still get to see the same doctors we've always seen. Will it cost us more? Maybe. But, the price of milk keeps going up, and I still buy it.

What I don't like is people who decide that they love or hate it, only because it's a Democrat's idea. Do I love Obama-um....not even a little bit. Did I vote for him? Not on your life! Do I think his idea (or any Democrat's) of bigger goverment is a good one? No. But guess what, I didn't like some of the stuff Bush did either-and I even don't agree with McCain ALL the time. People who are so narrow minded that they can't see the opposite side irritate me!

Here's the thing. I don't think the Government should tell me what I have to do as a business owner. And I think that forcing people to provide benefits will only cause companies to hire less people, causing more unemployment, which will strain the system even more. I don't think that offering lower income families a "tax credit" to buy insurance or imposing a fine for those who don't have insurance is going to be all that effective either.

I absolutely do no agree that I should be paying for your healthcare if you come to my country illegally, don't pay taxes, and take away a job from someone who lives here legally. But, guess what? I already am. Have you ever been to an emergency room trying to get someone to see your sick child, only to be sitting in a waiting room for hours because it's full of people without insurance also trying to be seen? Do you realize that they don't have insurance because they probably can't afford it, or it's just not a priority, and so they are not going to pay this bill either, causing MY insurance premiums to go up. Is it fair? No. Is it life? Yes. For the most part, we've all been to Kindergarten, and we've all learned that life isn't always fair. I personally would rather have more people with insurance, which may free up some of the urgent care places, just in case I really have an emergency-call me selfish...

Yes, I worry about the cost, especially to my children-I don't want them to have to deal with the mistakes that my generation has made. But I also don't want my kids growing up in a society where every man is for himself. I LOVE that this country is founded on the belief that hard work pays and that you can be anything you want. But bad things happen to good people. People work hard all their life, and try to do the right thing, only to be handed a circumstance beyond thier control. Should this person suffer because he or she loses a spouse, or a job, or becomes ill? What about children? Should they suffer because they are born into a bad situation? Maybe if some of the people who are so worried that their taxes are going to go up spent a little less on trying to keep up with the Joneses and a little more trying to help their fellow man, Government wouldn't HAVE to step in. I get so fired up when I see on the news that people are sending millions of dollars over seas to help others when tragedy stikes, but they never think to pick up an extra bag of groceries to help a neighbor who is down on his luck at home.

For the record, I am not a supporter of Big Government, and I belive very strongly in the Constitution. I belive that this is the greatest country in the world because of the belief that hard work equals a good life. I am in no way a supporter of everyone being equal just because, and everyone deserving the same things. But, I am also a firm believer that sometimes, we need to all take a step back and look at how we act, before we start throwing stones at people because they don't have what we have or believe what we believe. Different views and right to express these views are part of what makes this country so great.

So yes, the Republican in me says this is a bad idea. And so does the comfortable, middle class, keep your government out of my business, life that I enjoy. Would I hate it more if I was a business owner, who is being forced to do someting by my government? Yes. But would I be thrilled about it if I was a hard working single mom who made too much to be on Medicaid, but couldn't afford insurance for my kids? Yes. My point is that it affects everyone in a different way. It's not the worst thing that has every happened, and it certainly isn't the cureall. As my mom would say-it is what it is, and now we have to figure out how to handle it.

And that is my very liberal republican view on this topic that I don't know nearly enough about...
Please feel free to bash my thoughts or clue me in to what I've missed, because honestly, I don't know much about it, but I want to!

Your momma dresses you funny

We had a minor crisis on our hands this week. I decided it was time to pull out the spring/summer clothes and see what we needed for the season. Naturally nothing that Emi had fit, so I knew we were in for some major money for her. But I thought for sure Kyns would be good-I saved everything I had for Emi, all I had to do was find the box of summer 3's...no luck, its gone, someone somewhere, probably in our old house, has a box full of Gymboree summer clothes and shoes in size 3-CRAP!

Emi is a fashonista-she is so very particular about what she'll wear and where she will get her clothes from. I knew we would be shopping for her in shifts-a little this week, a little next, etc. The child pretty much only wants clothes from Justice, so we buy when we get a coupon-any mom of a girl knows this-Justice is the place to shop, but Justice is not cheap. I'm ok with this, I was a label girl back in the day, and I want her to be able to wear what she likes.

Kynlea is not quite 3-and doesn't like to wear clothes period. Kynlea wants to wear nightgowns or "no pants". the child hates pants-and by pants I mean anything that covers her butt-she pretty much hates anything below the belly button, pants, shoes, socks-she can't be bothered.
Since she hates everything, I went for cheap for her-Carters. Cheap, easy to clean, easy to put on (and in her case pull off), and fun. Simple-run in, grab the stuff, get out!

This morning, I put one of the new outfits on her and said "oh Kyns-you're so cute!" Kyns reply: "I not cute, this is UGLY!!!" and promply pulled the skirt off....

Not even three and already more of a Diva than her sister!

Hi, my name is Wendy, and I'm a cerealaholic...

It's been 12 hours since my last purchase. I can't help my self. Jerry Seinfield is my hero-I aspire to have a cereal shelf as stocked as his. I don't know why, I just love to buy cereal.

My addiction makes no sense, I get this. There are four of us that live here everyday, and one who is here on the weekends. I've probably seen Tyler eat cereal 4 times in his life, Shon and Emi rarely eat breakfast at home, Kynlea may or may not eat on any given day, and I can't even think about putting anything in my body other than coffee until about 10 am. There is absolutely NO need for us to have 8 boxes of cereal in the pantry-NONE!

I know this, I understand this, but I can't stop...Last night's "incident" started off completely innocent. After dinner, I wanted to run by Target to pick up milk, creamer, juicy juice, pitas, bananas, and zyrtec-THAT'S IT! I didn't even need to go near the cereal aisle. And then I saw it...

A HUGE endcap (with a neon sign, being held by Kenny Chesney, that read LOOK WENDY in pink sparkly lettering-even though no one else saw it-ok, maybe that part was a dream) with 3 different kinds of cereal on it, and a sign that read "buy any three General Mills cereal, and get a 4th box free". What are these people trying to do to me??? Do they not know what brand of cereal GM makes-CHEERIOS!!!! I'll just take a quick peek, just to see if it's really worth it, I mean the girls are almost out of chocolate cheerios, and there may be another kind they might like, besides, all GM cereals have Boxtops which will help Emi's school, and wait, what's this? A NEW kind of Cheerios??? Do they have a person up at GM that just sits around and thinks of new kinds of Cheerios? Can I have that job? Seriously, next time you are in the cereal aisle, ask me to move aside and check out just how many kinds of Cheerios they have! Oat Cluster Cheerios! Well, we have to try these! Which naturally means we have to get three more boxes, so I can get the new kind for free-that way I won't feel guilty if I hate them (which I won't because they are Cheerios) because they were free!

My bottom shelf in my pantry is now proudly displaying 12 boxes of cereal, 8 of them being Cheerios...but they are whole grain, so really I'm just being a good mom and feeding my family healthy things...I'm seriously gonna jump on GM website now and see if they have an opening for Cheerios testers...

She's already a butterfly

Sometimes (ok almost all of the time) I worry like crazy about my kids. I worry about everything...literally everything! But sometimes I see something in my kiddos and I think that maybe, just maybe they will turn out ok inspite of me!

Emi's school hosted open house and the first grade program last night. For weeks Emi's been worried because she had a speaking part in the program. Yesterday she came home in hysterics because one of her friends was out sick and Emi was going to do her part also. She was so funny, practicing her lines over and over and reminding herself which mic to go to at which time.

FF to 6 pm-we arrive at the school and Emi leads us into her classroom-after stopping about 6 times to hug friends. She confidently walks in the room, introduces my parents to her teacher, shows them around, greets everyone else that walks in, then tells us it's time to see the rest of her classes. Again, she leads us around the school, stopping every ten feet to hug and talk to a friend. Every teacher we see talks about what a great kid she is, how helpful she is, and how friendly she is. When the program starts, my little butterfly gets on stage and nails her lines-both of them. She doesn't miss a beat!

I gotta tell ya, I have no idea where her confidence comes from, but I am so thankful that she is how she is. That girl does not know a stranger, and she is not going to change for anyone. I love that she is so sure in who she is that people just naturally want to be around her. And I love that she has a heart for people, that she will be friends with the "underdog" without hesitation, that she loves people for who they are inside, not what they are outside, or what the have to offer her. She doesn't care if they are older, younger, rich, or poor-she just loves people and loves to be with people.

Yes, I worry like crazy about my kids, but there is some comfort knowing that somehow, in someway, Emi is growing into a loving, confident young woman, who is beginning to find her place in the world. I pray that this confidence continues as she gets older, and that she can avoid some of the traumas that teenaged girls usually have to deal with.

You Hippy

My Kynlea is the leader of her own little world-has been since the day she was born. She came out fighting "the man" and two and a half years later, she still dances to her own tune. She looks like the perfect combonation of her older brother and sister, but that's where it ends-she is the exact opposite of the older two.

Anyone who knows her, knows immediately that she is NOT a people pleaser, in fact she's not even a people person-she doesn't have time, nor does she care to know you. She doesn't sleep, she requires perfect order in both her toys and her life in general, and she doesn't tolerate affection-she will only give you a kiss if you beg her NOT to. She also doesn't eat-the child literally lives off a steady diet of chocolate milk, bananas, tomatoes, and the occasional mix of refried beans and mexican rice with salsa, or a chocolate poptart.

And STUBBORN-the child has a will that won't quit. She has known how to potty in the potty for 6 months-some days she does it, some days she doesn't... and its on her terms only! I've tried "treats", sticker charts, begging, and even the occasional threat. I even tried to bribe her to poop the other day by promising her a zhu zhu pet-didn't work. But she will "conga" to the potty if I help her form the line and sing "gonna get your poop out-gonna get your poop out!" And I do-Shon thinks I'm nuts, but I say, every girl needs to know how to poop in the potty and to conga, so I see it as teaching her a double lesson...

This morning, she asked me to play a game with her. Now, most 2 year olds are content playing candy land, or chutes and ladders-but not Kynlea. Kynlea likes bingo...and craps...and farkle. Today's game was a crazy combo that she invented. The props included 5 dice, 8 yatzee chips, a checker, a tea cup, a plastic OTB cup, and a longhorn shaped laser light. And there were rules-there are always rules. The object of the game was to put the dice and chips into the tea cup, blow on them for luck, dump them out, yell WAHOO, take the longhorn out of the OTB cup, shine it on your roll and yell YOUR TURN! We played this game for almost an hour-and had to follow each step exact or it was a DO OVER! I don't have a clue how she came up with this game, but I know her well enough to just "go with it"

Ya know, Shon and I have taken the other two kids to Disney for their fourth bday, but between the Conga and the Gaming addiction, I'm wondering if we should just take Kyns to Vegas...