Tuesday, November 18, 2008

Tags

*This post has been updated and corrected.*

I've been twice tagged. So here goes...

Tag #1 from Amy at My Blob
The rules are:
1) Link to the person who tagged you.
2) Post the rules on your blog.
3) Write 15 (I am doing 10) random things about yourself (see below).
4) Tag 6 people at the end of your post and link to them.
5) Let each person know they have been tagged and leave a comment on their blog.
6) Let the tagger know when your entry has been posted.

My List of Random Things:
1. I have freckles in my eyes.
2. I almost always have my toenails painted.
3. I had asthma as a child.
4. I wear contacts - glasses give me a headache.
5. The only man I've ever kissed is Chris.
6. I'm not very good at rollerskating - I have horrible balance.
7. My favorite Thanksgiving foods are stuffing and pumpkin pie.
8. The game show I want to be on is Wheel of Fortune.
9. I haven't seen my sister in 1 1/2 years.
10. We have a house that's been for sale for 2 1/2 years.
11. I sing alto.
12. I wish I had a different hairstyle, but I don't know which one I would want.
13. I don't think comedians are very funny (usually).
14. There is truly no place like home.
15. I will always choose Jesus over anything/anybody else.

Phewph! And now onto Round 2...

Tag #2 from Susanne at Truly Captivating
Here are the rules:
1) You have to post these rules before you give the facts.
2) You must list one fact that is somehow relevant to your life for each letter of your middle name. If you don’t have a middle name, use the middle name you would have liked to have had.
3) At the end of your post, you need to choose one person for each letter of your middle name to tag.

Okay, my middle name is:
R - Red Rover. I've been clotheslined enough in my life to hate this game.
O - Octopus tastes like fishy rubberbands. I know. Don't ask.
S - Soccer is my favorite sport to play.
E - Eggplant is the dregs of vegetable life.

And now I'm going to break the rules by not tagging anybody because I'm hoping that Autumn just fell asleep for the night and I'm going to go crash... Besides, rules are meant to be broken, right??

2 Month Old Autumn







Strawberry



We have a new addition to the family. For Eli's birthday, he got a pet fish. He named his pet fish "Strawberry", because it looks like a strawberry. He feeds it every morning, and blows it a kiss when it's bedtime. We've also explained that fish have to stay in the water in order to live, so I'm sorry, but we can't take him out to pet him. But that's okay, because Strawberry swims over to the side of the tank when Eli calls him.




Friday, November 14, 2008

Shopping Cart Drop-Out

I do a lot of grocery shopping (as I've frequently mentioned). A family with lots of people eats lots of food. Each of my sons can eat way more food than me, and they are just 7, 4, and 2. (Just a side note about Eli, the 4 year old. He just had his yearly checkup - he's in the 50th percentile for his height, and the 25th for his weight. We are excited about his weight progress - he was in the 10th percentile last year. Poor guy has such a fat-free diet because of his food restrictions! But he loves chicken skin, and we let him eat all he wants when we are having chicken for supper!)

So, back to grocery shopping. You can imagine I'd have to be in a bad way to take all 5 kids to the grocery store. For one thing, the cart would be too full of kids - no room for the food. So, I usually wait for Chris to come home from work, and then I take 1 or 2 kids with me.

I have a specific route that I usually take so I can get the best deals at several grocery stores. At most of the stores I visit, there are parking spaces right after the handicapped spots that are for "pregnant/small children" parking. Soo convenient! Whoever's brain storm that was hopefully got a big bonus. But this is what baffles me...

Why are the shopping cart corrals so far away from the "small children" parking spots????

Do the grocery store people really think that I'm going to unload my groceries into my car, and then take the buggy all the way across the parking lot, and then walk back across with my young children in tow to my car? Umm, I can think of several reasons why this would be unreasonable, especially if it's Seth with me who likes to run away fast and when I call him he likes to grin and run faster. Plus, it's just not safe. I know. I watch America's Most Wanted (Saturday nights at 9:00 on FOX).

So, I admit. I am a leaver of shopping carts in the middle of a parking lot. But only if I have my small children with me. And I'm not parked next to a buggy corral. I don't leave them in the middle of a parking spot. I angle them so they don't roll. But I do value my safety and sanity. And when Bi-Lo, Harris Teeter, Lowe's, and Food Lion decide to install buggy corrals next to their handicapped spots and "pregnant/small children" spots, I'll be glad to fulfil my civic duty and park my cart in them!

Thursday, November 6, 2008

Allergy Update

Yesterday we loaded up the whole family and took a trip to the pediatric allergist two hours away. I know that's a long ways, and there are allergists here where we live, but where we go is at the forefront in pediatric allergy research and discovery, and I kind of like having access to the top allergists in the nation - especially when it's my kids I'm concerned about. :) This was Eli's third yearly visit. He had his annual skinprick test for dairy, eggs, and peanuts. He's still just as allergic as ever. Poor little guy! We will get his bloodwork results next week to see if his allergy levels are on the rise or decline.
Eli was "the strongest and bravest" when they took his blood. He only cried a little bit, and he told Chris that he was going to look in Chris' eyes when the nurses were sticking him if he needed to cheer up. He was very offended and worried when he realized they actually took blood out of him - until Chris told him that his body would make some more blood.
Since Seth has been such a wierdo with knowing what and if he's allergic to anything (last year, we took him to a local allergy Dr. who was not very thorough), we had him tested as well. He is allergic to eggs and borderline to peanuts, according to the skin test. The dairy was negative. However, the skinprick test is 90-95% accurate, so we will wait until we get his bloodwork results next week to truly celebrate!
It took 4 people (me and 3 nurses) to hold him down to get his blood drawn. Dude, that kid is strong! It is a sad thing to be the traitor holding him down with a needle aiming at his arm. He was calling for his Daddy by the end. Afterwards, I gave him a sucker and then he liked me again.
I'm sure we looked pretty funny, 5 kids and 2 parents crowded into the Dr.'s office. But at least we only have to go once a year...

Tuesday, November 4, 2008

Free Treats for Voting

If you manage to make it through the long lines at your voting precinct and want a little something yummy for a prize, then make sure you grab a couple of "I Voted" stickers and make a few stops on the way back home...
Starbucks - free cup of coffee
Krispy Kreme - free star shaped donut (w/ red, white, blue sprinkles)
Ben & Jerry's - free scoop of ice cream
Shane's Rib Shack - free 3 pc. chicken tender meal (includes fries and drink)

I had to show my sticker at Starbucks; and I had to give my sticker at Shane's. That's it. Free food!

Saturday, November 1, 2008

Wasted Vote?

Just a few qualifications at the beginning of this post: I'm a free thinker. I don't take your word for it (in the political world) - I'm going to research and find out for myself. You won't be able to talk me into voting for someone; but I will listen to your opinion with an "open mind". I'll appreciate it if you listen to mine, likewise. What I am about to talk about is just some ruminations that have been rumbling around my brain. I will not discuss this in person or on the phone, since I have to process information before I can have a well-thought-out response. But if you want to have a conversation in the comments, I'd love to hear.

In 2 days, a new president will be elected. In my city, there have been long lines at early voting spots for weeks. Some have had to wait in line for up to 2 hours to early vote. I haven't voted yet; but I will on Nov. 2nd. It's my civic duty. One I take very seriously. But I don't know who I'm voting for yet. You see, I don't really like certain aspects of either of the two traditional party candidates. I've been told to vote for the lesser of two evils. But that doesn't sit right in my heart. I did that the last election, and look what we got... Plus, I don't really care for voting for an "evil", even if it is a lesser one. But to vote for anybody else is "throwing my vote away", or so I've been told - by a lot of people. Which causes me to wonder how many Americans there are that are simply voting for a lesser evil, when they really would rather vote for a different candidate who they don't think has a chance to win. Did you know there are actually 6 different candidates running for president who are on enough ballots in enough states that could actually win the presidency if enough people voted for them? How do you know one of those other candidates isn't actually a better fit according to your values and concerns? We don't hear about them because they don't have the advertising dollars; but is that a good reason to vote for someone anyway, because they had enough money to promote themselves more than anyone else? If all the people who aren't satisfied with the two-party system actually started voting third party, I bet we'd have a surprise winner. Wouldn't that be a hoot on election night?!

This year, there are critical issues America is voting on. The economy, war in Iraq, energy, etc., the stuff we've all heard over and over. But there are a few issues that Americans as a whole don't realize are up for grabs with this election: socialism, big government, privacy rights, parental rights, state rights. If you haven't voted yet, I urge you to research who your options are. You are not throwing your vote away. Vote your conscience - with a clear conscience. And for the love of America, please do not vote for a lesser evil.

My name is Elisarose and I approve this message.