Oh No You Didn't!

JMonster has Sensory Integration Dysfunction,

We all know that, right?

It includes aversions to smells, sounds, tastes, and especially to textures in food.

This evening we tried a yummy new recipe at dinner!

Cucumber and avocado soup.

Mmmm....

Except, when JMonster tried it he GAGGED. 

We didn't force the issue.

He's actually thrown up at the table before.

So we told him we'd get him something else.

In the meantime, his Aunt M got up and fixed all of the kiddos tortillas with melted cheese.

He didn't want melted cheese.

He argued.

He whined.

His uncle, the Doc told him he might as well stop cuz he wasn't going to win this battle.

A few minutes later, as JMonster is sulking, his cousin A says he wants another.

So The Rev hands JMonster's to him and is just getting up to fix JMonster something else when JMonster says, "Well, I guess I won that battle!"

Yep, you guessed it.  He was sent to his room.  No dessert.  

And he was lucky...The Rev was FURIOUS!

Later I asked him why he said that.  His response?

"I thought I did!"

Boy, I know you didn't!

This one's for Mom!

The only person (I know of) who reads my blog, faithfully, EVERY DAY is my mother.

And she mentioned recently she's tired of seeing the same post at the top of the blog.

So, this one is for YOU Mom!

What have we been up to?

Cousin Camp.

I'll post about that one when I get the pics downloaded.

Teaching Swimming.

Do you really want to hear about that?  Didn't think so.

JMonster started music lessons.

Pretty cool!  He's learning to read music, play guitar, play piano, and...basic music appreciation.

And we attended a semi-pro baseball game.

Once again, I'll post about that when I download the pics!

All in all we are having a great summer!  

As happens every summer, though, I am a PRISONER OF SUMMER 

and have very little time (and desire, if I am honest!) to post daily.  

I think the sun drains my brain of necessary energy for coming up with anything creative.

(Did I mention I have around 400 posts to read in my Google Reader?  And there is NO WAY I can do all of that, make any comments, and stay sane.  Just might have to "mark all as read" and be done with it.  What do you think?)

TTFN!

Swimmer's Ear!

Poor JMonster has had swimmer's ear for almost 10 days.

He's been on 2 different meds.

(Did you know one tiny bottle of ear drops could cost $130?)

Had ear wicks.

(They look like tiny little tampons...for the ear!)

Had blood coming out of his ear.

(Ewww!!!)

And had to avoid swimming.

He is finally on the mend and we pray he NEVER gets it again!

In a few more days he'll be back to swimming.

And getting swim drops after every time in the pool.

Disappointment

Nobody likes disappointment.

Nobody.

We all have our share, but today...today I am very disappointed.

We have a family member who has made a very, very unwise choice.

A very unkind choice.

A choice obviously based on not enough thought and prayer.

A choice that has implications beyond what they must have imagined.

And what makes it even harder, to me at least, is that the choice is being made by a Christian, against another Christian (a FAMILY member, no less), and goes against everything the Bible says.

My heart knows that we are called to forgive 70 times 7.

And I am trying.

I'm just disappointed.

And praying.

Congressional Reform Act of 2011

I received this in the form of an email.  I've cleaned it up for this post, and hope you all will want to pass it along!

The Constitution is not an instrument for  the government to restrain the people, it is an  instrument for the people to restrain the  government - lest it come to dominate our lives and interests . 

- Patrick Henry - 

Congressional Reform Act of 2011 

1. No Tenure / No Pension. 

 A Congressman collects a salary while in  office and receives no pay when they are out of office. 

2. Congress (past, present & future) participates in Social Security. 

All funds in the Congressional retirement fund move to the Social Security system immediately. All future funds flow into the Social Security system, and Congress participates with the American people. It may not be used for any other purpose. 

3. Congress can purchase their own retirement plan, just as all Americans do. 

4. Congress will no longer vote themselves a pay raise. Congressional pay will rise by the lower of CPI or 3%. 

5. Congress loses their current health care system and participates in the same health care system as the American people. 

6. Congress must equally abide by all laws they impose on the American people. 

7. All contracts with past and present Congressmen are void effective 1/1/12. 

 The American people did not make this  contract with Congressmen. Congressmen made  all these contracts for themselves. Serving  in Congress is an honor, not a  career. The Founding Fathers envisioned  citizen legislators, so ours should serve their  term(s), then go home and back to work. 

The 26th amendment (granting the right to vote for 18 year-olds) took only 3 months & 8 days to be ratified! Why? Simple! The people demanded it. That was in 1971...before computers, before e-mail, before cell phones, etc. 

Of the 27 amendments to the Constitution, seven (7) took 1 year or less to become the law of the land...all because of public pressure. 

THIS IS HOW YOU FIX CONGRESS!!!!!

Where have I been?

The last few days have been...not my best.

I caught a "summer cold".

It started while I was sitting in the chair at the hair salon getting my hair highlighted for the first time.

Took a pic with the good ol' Mac.

Pic is awful.

My hair does look great, though!

 

Why didn't I do this sooner!?!

All of this in the midst of starting swimming lessons for the summer!

And I'm off to bed.

Before 9pm.

really.

Colonial Golf Tournament

Growing up, my family had a tradition of attending the Colonial Golf Tournament.

Every May we would pack our lunch, our chairs, our bug spray, our binoculars, and our badges, and head to Colonial Country Club.

Our parents had friends who lived 2 doors down from one of the entrances and they let us park in their driveway.  A sweet deal!

Right inside the gate was the 14th green.

Every year my parents and my mother's mother (Grandma) would sit under a tree right there at the 14th green.

The tree was great for shade (remember, it was May in TEXAS!).

It was also great to warn of stray balls.  

You could hear them crashing through the branches and leaves and it gave you time to duck!

Us kids would sit there with our parents and Grandma until we were so antsy we couldn't stand it.

Then we'd wander the course.

Or follow a golfer.

This year my brother-in-law Chris is getting to attend the tournament.

He took a picture of "the tree".

It will always remind me of my grandmother, my parents, and my childhood.