Really?

I was just on Yahoo News reading through some of today's headlines. One caught my eye. It talks about a hip-hop artist who, in the name of art, stripped down to nothing and metaphorically got shot on the grassy knoll next to where JFK was assassinated. She was discussing the need of society to accept all people and not "assassinate" that which they don't understand. Really? It was filmed on a busy street at a busy tourist location with no warning. There were adults and children paying homage to a great man and fearless leader, but instead were subjected to public nudity. Since when did this classify as art? The most disturbing thing about this is the public view on the issue. Apparently, I am a "back-woods, in-bred, white supremacist Nazi" because I don't appreciate public nudity. Is this really where society's heading? Free speech= the right to bare body?

On to happier topics . . . Carys is walking!!! The little stinker started taking a couple of steps nearly a month ago. She can now make it across the room. At her Aunt Melissa's house, she even made it quite a ways while carrying a box almost as big as she was. She is also cutting 6 teeth simultaneously. Yesterday she woke up with a fat lip and swollen eyes (I think bi-products of teething) and looked quite humorous. The eye swelling went down, but she still has the fat lip. She is also sleeping with a pillow (please don't send the anti-pillow police after me!!!). She sleeps in her pack-n-play, but due to her, um. . , girth, the boards are beginning to bow. This is making her uncomfortable and was causing her to wake up in the middle of the night only to come to our bed, plop face down on my pillow, and snore in my ear. We gave her her own pillow and she has not woken up the past two nights- YAY!!

Andelynn is anxiously counting down until her 3rd birthday. I think she's inviting everyone she sees to her party. All she wants for her birthday is a "hairdresser" and pink cake. She is also counting down until the magical summer arrives so all her dreams can come true. Anything she wants can happen, "Next time we go Idaho Falls, at Wal-Mart Sales, in summer." Aren't children adorable?

Spring?

Children today are tyrants. They contradict their parents, gobble their food, and tyrannize their teachers. Socrates

Is it spring yet? I mean, seriously, can the snow/cold/wind leave and the sunshine come? I am so sick of winter that I could (and have been known to) scream!!!!!! It doesn't help that Andelynn is also a little winter crazed and has a serious case of summer fever. She routinely puts on her sandals with a pair of capris and insists that she is going to go outside and play with her dog, NOW! She also expounds on what she is going to do when it's summer: swim, go on picnics, ride bikes, swim . . . She is so desperate to swim that she wears her swimming suit in the bath tub so she can pretend. We also had to pick up our picnic basket from my grandparents' house so that it's ready to go whenever winter leaves. The rate we're going, I'm thinking July!

Carys is sick and miserable. She started coughing the night we got home from Ashlyn's birthday party (beginning of February) and hasn't stopped since. She started going down hill last week and was even running a fever of 105.5 at one point. We took her to the doctor on Thursday and found out she has ear infections. Now her antibiotics are gone, but her misery is not. She was running a low grade fever tonight, so we'll keep watching her and if she starts getting worse we'll have to take her in again. I guess this is what we get for going 9+ months without anything more than a cold!

School is, well, school. Let's just say that the teachers are counting down to summer vacation with more enthusiasm than most of the students. It's been a long year and certain, um. . , state "leaders" are making all of us dread next year. I really think that anyone who has the job of passing laws about state/national tests should be required to take them themselves. I wonder if certain governors and state superintendents would test proficient? It would be entertaining to find out! It may affect their opinions on how important and essential funding education is. I have also discovered that children are LAZY!!! I know this makes me sound really old, and that adults have been making the, "When I was younger . . ." speech since the beginning of time, but children are seriously lacking motivation of any sort. We are in an instant gratification society and it is not a good thing. I just get tired of explaining that reading/writing/history/math/science are essential and mommy and daddy can't get them out of everything forever.