And now starts "Carla's Whiny Season"

It was bound to happen soon. Last night we even stoked up the fireplace for the first time this season.

Bleh.

ETA because its Monday (and I forgot!)

I can't get this song out of my head today. I don't know why.

Expect more politics here.

I've thought a lot about my "lack of interest" in blogging over the past few months and I think I've come up with at least part of the reason. I segregated my blog last year, moving political discussion to liberalmom.com. It seemed like a good idea at the time, but looking back it really wasn't. It's just not me. Politics, or rather, progressive politics, are such a big part of my life. Only a hand full of friends read that blog.. and I appreciate those readers, when I do get around to posting there. But, by segregating my thoughts, its as if I was hiding my political leanings, and I don't normally hide. Shrinking Violet, I'm not.

This is a huge political year, probably the most important election season of my entire life - so much I could have written about, and didn't, because I thought no one would read. What a wasted opportunity.

I'm not sure what will happen to liberalmom, as I did invite others to post there with me. And thankfully they have had that soapbox when they felt a need to vent. So ladies, you know who you are, feel free to tell me what you'd like to do with that blog. I'll keep it if you'd like to post there. If not, I'll probably redirect the domain to come here.

So anyway... the past few days in politics have been interesting. That isn't to say that since the morning Sarah Palin was tapped as V.P. candidate, that it hasn't been. I'm still rather dumbfounded by that decision - as is every conservative in my personal life. Great job McCain, they all ran the other way screaming in horror. So thanks for that! Really!

So far I've tried to ignore McCain as irrelevant, because he sort of is. Out of touch, bad ideas, even worse decision making. But the fear cards being played this week by the McCain campaign... The racial undertones... the hate inciting...

From Dana Milbank of the Washington Post

Worse, Palin's routine attacks on the media have begun to spill into ugliness. In Clearwater, arriving reporters were greeted with shouts and taunts by the crowd of about 3,000. Palin then went on to blame Katie Couric's questions for her "less-than-successful interview with kinda mainstream media." At that, Palin supporters turned on reporters in the press area, waving thunder sticks and shouting abuse. Others hurled obscenities at a camera crew. One Palin supporter shouted a racial epithet at an African American sound man for a network and told him, "Sit down, boy."

and more..

Also from Milbank..

"I was reading my copy of the New York Times the other day," she said.

"Booooo!" replied the crowd.

"I knew you guys would react that way, okay," she continued. "So I was reading the New York Times and I was really interested to read about Barack's friends from Chicago."

It was time to revive the allegation, made over the weekend, that Obama "pals around" with terrorists, in this case Bill Ayers, late of the Weather Underground. Many independent observers say Palin's allegations are a stretch; Obama served on a Chicago charitable board with Ayers, now an education professor, and has condemned his past activities.

"Now it turns out, one of his earliest supporters is a man named Bill Ayers," Palin said.

"Boooo!" said the crowd.

"And, according to the New York Times, he was a domestic terrorist and part of a group that, quote, 'launched a campaign of bombings that would target the Pentagon and our U.S. Capitol,'" she continued.

"Boooo!" the crowd repeated.

"Kill him!" proposed one man in the audience.

Emphasis added by me.

McCain/Palin campaign? You done pissed me off even more. I've never wanted a President Obama as much as I do right now. You sling the hate... and I'll spend all my time slinging hope. Reality has a well known liberal bias MY FRIENDS, and I think you know that, otherwise you wouldn't stoop to this sort of shit.

So, to close this with a smile...

I hope you found it as funny as I did.

There, I feel better already.

After a few weeks of stalling negotiation, I took the boys in for a haircut...

They literally begged for mohawks for weeks .. and in the end, I gave in. But at least they both think I'm "the cool mom". Geez, thats all it took?

And..

OUCH.

This means we're staying home this holiday weekend - A time when we typically travel down to Pennsylvania. Thank you so much President Bush. Your foreign and energy policies suck.

I'm not sure why I waited so long to file, but I finally did ours this morning. Truthfully I completed them on Sunday, but I didn't click the "file now" button until this morning. I'm not one of those people who bitches about paying taxes, because lets be honest.. they do have a purpose. I am sickened by how tax dollars are used however. Faith based programs? Corporate welfare? War? Rendition and torture?

I'm not going to go into a political rant here. Its tax day, I felt like hearing some Beatles, and as you know - When I have nothing to post, I rely on youtube.

P.S. George W? That silly rebate we'll be getting soon? Its a lot of money. And surely my kids would love a Wii. But we, like most American families, are up to our eyeballs in debt. Heat, gasoline and food costs are way up. Just about every industry's jobs are at risk. No, my kids will live without the Wii.. or rather we're saving our pennies for one. On principle, that "rebate" is paying off debt.

P.P.S. It still blows my mind that despite you being a total failure at every thing in your life, people still voted for you. Hell, at least 27% of Americans still think you've done a good job. If you ask me, they're all on crack - or they just don't care, because dontcha know.. the rapture is coming any day now. Pfffft!

OK.. mini rant over (sorry!).. I did finish the Hedgerow socks on Saturday. ONE WEEK! I haven't taken pictures though, since the battery in my camera is dead, and the crappy rechargeable one I use as a backup is now charging. I started another pair, just 4x2 rib in some bright cheery Kroy Socks yarn. I'm just about to the heel now, but I don't see this pair going too fast. The kids are on Spring Break this week and I'm one busy mama.

In a few days, on Sunday to be exact, I will celebrate my first annual 39th birthday. This is a big milestone, no? Well, maybe it isn't since I plan to celebrate the same birthday every year from here on out.

So I'd like to entertain a little reversal here, and have a little contest. No answering questions, no donations to charities, just leave a comment telling me about a favorite birthday present you've received. I'll pick one at random on Sunday, November 4th and put together a little surprise package for the winner. See, as much as I love receiving surprises.. I adore putting together surprises for others. If the winner is a knitter or spinner, perhaps you'll get a nice fibery surprise in the mail. If you're not, maybe an Amazon or iTunes gift certificate... I have lots of ideas!

And here, I'll get you started. What is my favorite birthday present? Cassidy! She was born just a few months shy of my 30th birthday, and I had always wanted a baby before I turned 30 (weird.. I know!) But besides all of that, Richard and I were both surprised, since we had always thought our path to parenthood would be a difficult one. We were looking at facing lengthy and heartbreaking fertility cycles.. then there it was.. a positive pregnancy test, all on our own. And after a rocky first trimester, when we were expecting the worst to happen every day, despite bed rest and progesterone supplements, we were truly blessed... just in time to fulfill my 30th birthday wish.

Now, go, and tell me all about your favorite birthday present! As you can tell, it doesn't have to be a "thing", it can be "the perfect day", a great meal... anything.

P.S. Scorpios Rule!

Getting back in the groove.. with the laundry, the dishes, the kids, the blog, is harsh. And I was going to just take it easy and make re-entry a little easier, but dammit if I didn't just see this on msnbc..

Toys R Us recalls 16,000 toys.

(note now it says server too busy.. keep trying)

WTF? Again? Still?

Why are we freaking buying shit from China.. STILL?

Richard and I have some discussing to do before I start Christmas shopping. I want absolutely nothing "made in china" in my home, under the tree, or otherwise. I'm not sure how we'll do it and the kids still be happy with "Santa". But gawd.. this.has.to.stop.

Today there is no school, so the three oldest children are home.

Connor woke up at 5AM throwing up.

Alex is now throwing up.

So when Richard came home from work for lunch, I ran to the pharmacy for some odds and ends. I thought about stopping at the bottom of the driveway to grab the mail, but it was pouring.. and figured I'd stop on my way back. I was gone 20 minutes. As I returned and pulled up to my house I noticed that my mailbox was gone. Well, not entirely anyway.. there it was, decapitated from the post and laying way up on the hill with the post bent over. Dual tire tracks running through our neighbor's yard, our driveway and on to where my mailbox used to stand shows the path.

What if I did stop and get the mail and that is when this asshole drove through there?

Richard noted that he heard a loud "pop" after I left, looked out the side window thinking it came from our neighbor's driveway, but didn't notice anything out of sorts.

What pisses me off the most, is that if I had done something like that.. I'd have pulled over and at the very least, left a note on the person's front door, offering to replace the mailbox. The guilt would torment me.

Since our mailbox post is still standing it looks like the car went directly over it, I can only hope it tore out their oil pan. Gawd I hate rude people.

For the third time this week, I've scrubbed the same section of hardwood floor. Milk, juice, and worse, milk soaked cereal dried on the floor so hard I practically needed Ingersoll Rand air tools to get it up. In the end resorting to working away with one of my Pampered Chef scrapers. I do allow Connor to take milk and juice to the living room in a straw cup, but never, ever do I let him take a bowl of cereal with milk in there.. (I'm not sure how this one got by me.)

This repetetive chore drives me absolutely crazy. My weird tick about clean floors just doesn't mix well with a three year old habitual grazer. Sweeping, vacuuming, even a quick mopping doesn't bother me. But having to get down on my hands and knees and scrub away on a daily basis is starting to wear me down.

Now most would say, just don't let the child eat like that.. and once upon a time, he didn't do this. He would actually sit at the kitchen table for every meal (and snack.) But this behavior has evolved as his sensory issues have, and his occupational therapist points out that this is very normal for a kid like him. In all honesty, most days if I didn't let him graze and move around at will, he just wouldn't eat at all.

We are working with a weighted pad now (similar to this one), that within 24 hours of introduction, has shown some promise. Its just a little 8x10 pillow shaped pad filled with herbs and flax seed, which we set in Connor's lap at meal time, or other times when he needs to be a bit more "organized". Its been so helpful that I've been researching other methods of using weighted items with the guidance of our O.T., primarily a vest, and possibly a nap blanket. These are both things I can make vs. purchasing, because goodness you wouldn't believe the prices (don't believe me, check those links!)

To end this rant on a good note, Connor's speech today was incredible. He had moments of incoherence, but at one point, said, quite clear: "Mama, I want a dog". Not what would be his normal speech: "mama, I gogg". So its not all bad. It totally makes up for me having to scrape cereal off the floor.