A Year in the Life

Each day I check my online news feed.  Each day I see some things that disturb me to no end.  Can I say there are some very bad people out there who are maiming and killing their children in the most horrendous ways?  I don't know if the parents are mentally ill or just tired of their kids, but reading these stories day after day is breaking my mommy's heart. I know there are some out there who have children because they want someone to love them.  I've heard someone say this before, so I'm not making it up.  Anyone who has children knows that your kids do show you love, but they also can be very irritating, a pain in the booty,  difficult.  Ask a mother of a toddler, or a child you are teaching to read, or a teenager.  Yeah, the struggle is real.  What I'm really wondering is, how do these parents think hurting or killing their children was an option when they became frustrated or tired of parenting.  With 4 kids, I've been there, b...

Can I tell you how upset , frustrated , angry I am?  I am tired of adults, men and women, having children they are not willing to take care of.  I don't care about the circumstances you had your children under, what I care about is that you man-up and take care of them.  It's time for you to stop saying you want to be an adult and just act like one. I was reading an article online  about the surprising number of children who are at risk from toxic stress.  They are saying this stress can "change the brain and it can interfere with learning and lead to disease in adulthood".  This is not normal stress:  homework, activities & school.  This is children seeing and experiencing things a lot of adults haven't been through.  The numbers listed in the article are staggering.   Here's what they say & this is directly quoted from the article: More than 1 in 4 U.S. kids experience a serious traumatic event by the age of 16, includin...

Everyday women are amazing.  I know many people look up to celebrities, but honestly, I know regular people who are incredible mothers and professionals.  They get up everyday, grind it out, and don't expect special treatment for doing the normal.  Family and friends are the ones ordinary women lean on, because no one thinks twice about the normal.  Everyday things accomplished by a non-celebrity go unnoticed, but you have a celebrity talk about or do anything , and people lose their ever-loving-minds.  It's nuts, and pregnancy is a big one. Have you seen some of the names celebrities come up with for their kids?  Just Google it...yikes.   There are those women who love being pregnant.  Their skin glows; their hair is silky smooth; and their nails are super strong.  They can eat what ever they like and they sleep beautifully.  Yeah, I don't like those people.  Just kidding; really am just jealous.  I fell into the lucky 10% o...

Ugh stained sink This weekend our fam of 6 was able to spend some time together.  It's getting harder, but those moments are wonderful.  I talked to Harry earlier in the week and he wanted to know if I had some of that 'oxy stuff' that could get stains out of his shorts.  He wore them to work and got grease on them.  NOOOoooo!   Of course they are his nice shorts; and he probably tried washing and drying them to get the stains out; but set those stains right in.  Great. Oxyclean and very hot water I pulled my Oxyclean off the top of the dryer & went to my porcelain sink to soak them in very hot water, because that's supposedly how you remove grease stains.  A side note about my sink.  I think it's the original to the house.  It has seen its better days.  (I would love a copper sink, but am not willing to spend the money to get one; there is too much money going out.)  One of my children, and I won't name which one (co...

All I have ever wanted for my children is for them to be kind and generous to someone in need without wanting anything in return.  I'm willing to bet if I polled 100 people, at least 99 of you want the same for your children as well.  It's something we all want, but how many times do we not see little ways we can help others.  There is no act of service that is small because it may be big for someone else.  As parents, grandparents, and mentors we have to lead by example. What I've learned is children are not innately kind and generous.  Ever had a two year old tell you "mine!" or not willing to share toys?  Ask me how many times I broke up my kiddos arguing over who would share what toy & who hit whom.  Ever tried to ask a child/teenager to help do anything that they didn't really want to do?  (cut the grass, unload the dishwasher, fold clothes, pick up toys...does anyone out there feel me?)  Like I said, children are not innately ki...

Dear Facebook, I wanted to let you know how much I really hate you right now.  You have turned my country, state, and city upside down.  You have made enemies out of friends and ripped us in half, and left us bleeding out.  You have lawmakers removing historical monuments because someone screamed 'those are racist'.  The 'R' word scares the holy h.e.double hockey sticks out of people, and sometimes makes them think that by just removing a symbol we can take away the pain of the past.  Wrong.  A symbol is just a symbol & an individual is the only one that can give it any power.  Hate lives within a person not a thing. To the leaders of our country, state & city:  FYI, this is a southern state.  FYI, we were part of the confederacy.  Does that mean we still believe in slavery?  No.  Does it mean that we believe in the segregation and exclusion that some people assign to this state?  No.  Does it mean we can l...

Today I was reading a few posts on Facebook.  Yes, I still get on it.  Yes, I like it, a lot.  I'm also my daughter's secretary & administrative assistant, so I have to get on to update her business page.  :)  There has been some chatter about cell phones and social media on Facebook the last few days. ESPN did a story about Madison Holleran , a U of Penn runner that committed suicide.  Everyone was shocked because on her Instagram page she looked so happy.  Hey everyone, news flash here, most people only let you see their "good side" on social media.  Do I post pics of myself or my fam looking bad?  Of course I don't.  (well, except when I posted one of Henry getting his braces & he had that mouth thing in, but it was hilarious!)  Do I want people to think I've got it all together all the time?  Of course I do!  For those of you who already didn't know, social media is not real life.  For those who post sel...

...or just on your phone? Dear person driving in front of me this morning, I just wanted to let you know that I thought you were either drunk, which, if that's the case, it's a little early to be hitting the sauce; or you were texting/emailing on your phone.  Yes, I'm talking to you in the light green Honda minivan with the 1B***** tag.  (I have the tag number, but won't post the entire thing.)  You may wonder what great methods I used to figure out what you were doing?  Well, I happened to have my hands at 10 & 2 on the steering wheel & was able to use my sense of sight.  Wow is all I can really say.  (I was extremely focused to get where I was going this morning!)   1st, you kinda sorta ran a stop sign just past the high school.  With around 2K students trying to make their way to school, and half of those children being fairly new drivers, I would say you put your life in serious peril.  And when you went down the hill, yo...

 I have noticed that over the years I've become a little cynical about some things.  I was sitting in the doctors office today (for 2 hours!  Insert frownie face here.)  and was flipping through one of the different magazines they had on the table in the waiting room.  It was a style & gossip magazine & a few questions started floating through my head. Why are certain people considered celebrities & why do we care about every aspect of their lives so much?  I find it a little ridiculous. First off, they are people.  They do a lot of the same things we all do each day.  Second, they sometimes make bad choices.  (and keep making those choices...a lot)  I'm not saying those choices make them bad people, I'm just saying they consciously put themselves in situations that are not flattering & then some of them have the audacity to be mad because they are in the press about it. Why do we care so much what the celebrities ar...

Good gravy the rumors have been flying around this city faster than a forest fire.  I should know because I heard someone ask me if I had heard what was going on.  First of all, yes I know what the rumor is & second, no it's not true.  I know you wondering what this is all about.  I'm going to give you a few minutes to... ...think... ...a little more... ...you know what it is... ...it's the one thing that can make the most rational person totally crazy... ...think a little more... ...it's little league sports. Here's my take on little league sports, of any kind, both girls and boys. Little league sports are to teach basic knowledge of the game.  In football it's blocking & tackling; baseball/softball it's hitting & fielding; basketball it's dribbling & shooting;  lacrosse it's throwing, catching & shooting.  Your football player learns that a 42 draw is the tailback (or fullback) going through the hole on the right si...

...Because our automated menu has changed. No, no, nonono.  Do you know how much I despise automated menus???  Um, A WHOLE LOT!  I really hate the ones that have the condescending voice with them.  "Ok, let me see if I can help you."  (Charter...)  No you can't help me because you can't talk to me!  You know who I want to talk to?  A real person, who speaks great English, because I live in America!  I've just started pressing '00' to get to a customer service representative every time I hear a d*%n automated voice.  I don't care if the company thinks it's faster, more efficient or better for their bottom line, I need a person. A real living breathing human, who can laugh at me if I do something totally stupid. I actually changed credit card companies a few  years ago because I always got an automated answering service & it took 20 minutes to speak to a real person.  It didn't take 20 minutes because I was on hold, it to...

Raising children can be hard.  Let me rephrase, dealing with other people's children can be hard. My children are not perfect by any stretch of the imagination, but there are some things they know.  They know what the expectations are for them in almost every situation.  (They should, we go over them enough.)  They know that when I say no, I mean no.  They know that when Hopson & I look at them 'that way' they better cease and desist what they are doing, or they will have consequences.  Other people's children may not know these things.   There are so many things I want for my children.  I pray for my children to be kind.  I want them to have the courage to stand up for people who can't stand up for themselves.  I want them to be a good friend in both word and deed.  I want them to be unafraid to love people, even when others hurt or are mean to them.  I want them to be bold in their knowledge of truth; be able to see i...

I may have to get some of these. You know, I think the quote "no good deed goes unpunished" is true.  I tried to do something nice for Hopson while he is gone on a mission trip & I ended up wanting to shove bamboo skewers under my fingernails.  Some people and their lack of manners... Hopson asked me to take is very dirty car to get cleaned while he was away.  No problem, it was my pleasure to do this for him, well almost.  (I found out one of main love languages is acts of service, so he was totally speaking my love language.)  Until...the most obnoxious lady decided to get on her phone in the waiting area.  Not only was she a loud talker, her phone was on speaker while she was holding it up to her ear.  Would someone hit me over the head with a tack hammer?  Hello, McFly...really?  You can't tell your phone is on speaker?  Oui! I thought about the guy who does the cell phone crashing .  If you haven't seen it, you so n...

If you've read my postings before, you know I'm not shy about giving my opinions about things.  I'm not a big fan of being wishy-washy.  Yeah, I know, you're shocked. What  you might not know, is that I don't publish all of my posts.  Sometimes I use it as a way to get my thoughts out of me so I don't choke on them.  You know how some thoughts feel like they're on instant replay?  I just have to get them out.  Then I can take a big breath & hopefully move on. One thing I need to get out, which I posted on Facebook last night... Teenagers & college age kids, please don't post selfies of you & your friends on social media sites with cute little tornado sayings.  For those of us who are living it, it is not cute and not funny.  When so many have lost their lives and/or lost everything, I don't think you're being cute.  If you have any comments, feel free to talk to some of my family members who survived the tornado in...

"MANNERS!" I love this line by Effie Trinket in The Hunger Games.  I wish there were more moms and dads out there that stressed manners to their children.  If the did we might not have so many kids acting a fool, and then posting their foolishness on social media sites.  There are just some things you don't do, and you know what, it seems even adults need to learn these things. 1.  When you're at the dinner table, don't be on your phone.  I don't mind if you need to see who is calling or texting you, but if you are going to answer said call or text, excuse yourself from the table.  Do NOT initiate a text or call.  If you are with your family, your friends can do without you for 20 minutes.  Believe it or not, there was a time when we didn't answer the phone at all during dinner. 2.  Know how to act in public.  No one wants to see you being a selfish brat in a store, restaurant or really anywhere for that manner.  Quit thinking...

This video about Obamacare and the lies that have been told since it's conception is one of the best explanations I have ever seen.  Click HERE to see it.  The only thing they left out was Nancy Pelosi saying that Congress needed to pass the bill to find out what was in it.  What?!  What kind of crack smoking logic is that garbage?  That should have made her constituents do a double-take, but I guess the really could care less in Cali. There's a great speech by Ronald Reagan at the end.  DON'T. MISS.IT!  It's prophetically scary.  I'm about to email my members of Congress to encourage them to stand firm & keep trying to REPEAL REPEAL REPEAL!  I don't want to be telling my grandchildren about the America that was! Standing firm! ~ashley

As social critic George Carlin once said, "we have bigger houses and smaller families; more conveniences, but less time; we have more degrees, but less sense; more knowledge, but less judgment; more experts, yet more problems," in other words, we're missing something; we're moving ahead, but all while falling backwards. Since the 1999 mass shootings at Columbine there have been 50 fatal school shootings in the US.  As each subsequent shooting happens, schools tighten their control more and more in an effort to “keep our children safe”.  Our schools have become a place of fences and totalitarian rule.  Those in control want more control and those who are under the control are miserable.  The children & parents never know how the rules change from one minute to the next.  How can children be expected to learn in this kind of environment?    I would tell you that from my standpoint, we are failing our children.   I think part of the probl...

A little preface...this is not about my children today.  They have been great!  It's dealing with others outside the fam.  And now...on with the show. You know, I'm so  tired of dealing with people who have an entitlement attitude.  You do things for them and they keep wanting more.  There's no thankfulness, there's just a wondering of what is coming next.  (and they want it to be bigger and better)  Because this attitude has metastasized throughout today's society, I find myself wanting to give a manners lesson to children and parents alike.  (or maybe become a hermit...right now it's a toss up) Let me tell  you what I learned growing up.   When someone gives you something or does something nice for you, you will look them in the eye and say 'thank you'; whether you like what it is or not.   You will write thank you notes.  Your thank you notes are not to be three sentences that restate the same thing.  The...

If you want to purchase this book, go here to find it. Just a heads up, this is going to be a rant.  I'm going to be discussing things that are not for children.  I'm disturbed, and since this is the place I come to get things off my chest, here we go. A few years ago Hop took AP Psych as an 11th grader.  Harry will take it this year.  It's a great class, and a great intro in psychology.  I love psych, it's what my degree is in.  (I really loved abnormal psychology.  Partly it was my professor and second it was just plain interesting.)  Hop suggested that I read a book that he read for the class called:   First Person Plural, My Life as a Multiple.   I'm thinking to myself, that sounds like a really interesting book.  I knew people created multiple personalities when something very traumatic happens to them when they are young, but I was not ready for this.  It was interesting, but at the same time very disturbing....

Alright, at the house the fam has started noticing me really getting into politics.  Sometimes I become that really frustrated angry mom on the right.  At what point will we declare that we just can't take it anymore?  I hate mainstream media.  They make me want to plug my ears with cotton balls and hide in my closet.  Unfortunately, change will not happen that way, so I'm going to arm myself with a smile and my computer.  I'm using a lot of different multimedia sources to find things out.  I love:  Breitbart, Glenn Beck, Rush Limbaugh, Chicks on the Right, CWA, and my newest find:  Intellectual FrogLegs .  OMG, Joe Dan Gorman is hilarious!  He is a good 'ole boy who uses humor and truth to point out the flaws in liberalism.  He had me ROLLING!  If  you need a dose of truth, you have to check him out.    It drives Hop crazy because I'll really only read conservati...