Friday, May 26, 2006

It's been longer than I thought

The last couple of weeks has been crazy around here. I didn't realize it had been so long since I had last posted. I had to change my routine slightly for a bit, other wise I get stuck in the rut I've created for myself. I haven't been online much, barely long enough to check my email. I was playing Myst V, and I won! If you like puzzles, this series of games is great.

Gregory was able to walk with his graduating class. We knew that he would be graduating, we just weren't sure when the credits from the online courses would be added to his transcript, thankfully it was in time for him to walk with his classmates. So this last week we have been running around to get his cap and gown so that he could participate in the ceremony. When you get your cap and gown now you own it. So we now have a lovely purple cap and gown. The ceremony was one of the best organized ones that we have been to. Once the ceremony started they kept on track. Gregory's recruiter was there to watch him and a couple of others graduate, Greg even turned over his certificate to him before we left. The recruiter needs a copy of it in Greg's file. Greg is so excited about going into the Marine's.

Kyle is going to take the GED test on Tuesday. We had to get a letter from his school councilor for him to take the test. The Navy recruiter told him he had to wait until after school was out before he could take the test. It takes three weeks to get the results back, we should know before the party what his results are. He is very excited about going into the Navy as well. The GED test is just one more step closer to his goal of getting into the Navy.

I hope everyone has a wonderful day.

Live fully.....

Thursday, May 11, 2006

Happy Mother's Day

Mothers

If you send this to just one person, it should make it all the way around the world by Mother's Day.

This is for the mothers who have sat up all night with sick toddlers in their arms, wiping up barf laced with Oscar Mayer wieners and cherry Kool-Aid saying, "It's okay honey, Mommy's here."

Who have sat in rocking chairs for hours on end soothing crying babies who can't be comforted.

This is for all the mothers who show up at work with spit-up in their hair and milk stains on their blouses and diapers in their purse.

For all the mothers who run carpools and make cookies and sew Halloween costumes. And all the mothers who DON'T.

This is for the mothers who gave birth to babies they'll never see. And the mothers who took those babies and gave them homes.

This is for the mothers whose priceless art collections are hanging ontheir refrigerator doors.

And for all the mothers who froze their buns on metal bleachers atfootball or soccer games instead of watching from the warmth of theircars. And that when their kids asked, "Did you see me, Mom?" they could say,"Of course, I wouldn't have missed it for the world," and mean it.

This is for all the mothers who yell at their kids in the grocery store and swat them in despair when they stomp their feet and scream for ice cream before dinner. And for all the mothers who count to ten instead,but realize how child abuse happens.

This is for all the mothers who sat down with their children andexplained all about making babies. And for all the (grand)mothers whowanted to, but just couldn't find the words.

This is for all the mothers who go hungry, so their children can eat.

For all the mothers who read "Goodnight, Moon" twice a night for a year. And then read it again. "Just one more time."

This is for all the mothers who taught their children to tie their shoelaces before they started school. And for all the mothers who opted for Velcro instead.

This is for all the mothers who teach their sons to cook and their daughters to sink a jump shot.

This is for every mother whose head turns automatically when a little voice calls "Mom?" in a crowd, even though they know their own offspring are at home -- or even away at college ~or have their own families.

This is for all the mothers who sent their kids to school with stomachaches, assuring them they'd be just FINE once they got there, only toget calls from the school nurse an hour later asking them to please pick them up. Right away.

This is for mothers whose children have gone astray, who can't find the words to reach them.

For all the mothers who bite their lips until they bleed when their 14year olds dye their hair green.

For all the mothers of the victims of recent school shootings, and the mothers of those who did the shooting.

For the mothers of the survivors, and the mothers who sat in front of their TV's in horror, hugging their child who just came home from school, safely.

This is for all the mothers who taught their children to be peaceful, and now pray they come home safely from a war.

What makes a good Mother anyway? Is it patience? Compassion? Broad hips?

The ability to nurse a baby, cook dinner, and sew a button on a shirt, all at the same time?

Or is it in her heart?

Is it the ache you feel when you watch your son or daughter disappear down the street, walking to school alone for the very first time?

The jolt that takes you from sleep to dread, from bed to crib at 2 A.M. to put your hand on the back of a sleeping baby?

The panic, years later, that comes again at 2 A.M. when you just want to hear their key in the door and know they are safe again in your home?

Or the need to flee from wherever you are and hug your child when you hear news of a fire, a car accident, a child dying?

The emotions of motherhood are universal and so our thoughts are for young mothers stumbling through diaper changes and sleep deprivation. And mature mothers learning to let go.

For working mothers and stay-at-home mothers.

Single mothers and married mothers.

Mothers with money, mothers without.

This is for you all. For all of us..Hang in there. In the end we can only do the best we can. Tell them every day that we love them. And pray and never stop being a mom.

Happy Mother's Day to every mother and every woman.

Monday, May 01, 2006

Immigration

It may be difficult for those who do not live along the border with Mexico to understand the frustration that we have with illegal immigrants. There are laws that describe who is illegally in the country, what a person needs to do to be in this country for work or school, and what paperwork employers and educators need to see in order to hire or enroll as a student. There are jobs that the immigrants do that some Americans don’t want to do, the biggest problem is that the jobs that the illegal immigrants are taking are jobs that legal immigrants could be doing. The illegal immigrants are taking the jobs of legal immigrants.

The legal immigrants that are hired have the same taxes taken out of their paychecks the same as the rest of us, the illegal immigrants are paid under the table. Because of this, those of us that are paying for services that the illegal immigrants are using without paying for. Yet the illegal immigrants want to use the services that they are not paying for, mainly medical services. There are other people who could qualify for any of these services, yet because the illegal immigrants are using them there is no money for those that have paid the taxes that funds these services.

If they want to come here to work or go to school, we already have legislation in place that addresses this desire. Now what is in place on the other side of the border doesn’t seem to be working for their people to find work elsewhere. When people are working then the economy is better for it, even if they are working outside their own country. Most of the immigrants, legal and illegal, send a good portion of the money they make back to family in Mexico so that they can live. I don’t think that there is any need for more legislation on this side of the border. There are rumors of corruption in the Mexican Government, whether or not this is true I don’t know, there has to be a small bit of truth in it as there are so many stories that point to pay offs to different officials. What should happen is a change n policy in the Mexican government pertaining to working visas and educational visas.

What concerns me the most is that if we cannot keep people from crossing our border whose biggest crime is just crossing the border illegally, how can we keep those who are coming here to commit crimes from coming across?