Very Funny Picture

I saw this on Yahoo this morning. You can click it to get the caption. It was taken after one of the debates.

Sometimes She's A Little Opinionated

Did you try to watch the debates tonight?

I say try because it started at 9 here and we turned it off at 9:36. I couldn't take any more of it. They were driving me crazy. Crazy I say. And I like politics.

I don't see how a debate helps us understand anything about either candidate. Not one thing resonated with me in the first thirty minutes. All I heard was non-answers. They get a yes/no question and never say yes or no. They tell us how the other candidate is going to hurt us, but fail to explain their own ideas. If those ideas were worth following, we wouldn't have to be told how bad the other guy is. By the time they go back and forth on one question, I have no idea who is telling the truth, where the truth is being stretched, or if there's any truth at all. So, again, what's the point?

To me, it sounds like they think they are running for king. No doubt congressional spending is a mess - but if the president vetoes every spending bill until he gets one he likes, or puts a spending freeze on all non-essential agencies, can you imagine the chaos that would ensue? We'd like to think he could just whip 'em into shape and create a logical budget shortly after taking office, but it just doesn't work like that. There are checks and balances for a reason. Sometimes they save us from power mongers and sometimes they make clean up of big messes harder. Congress has control of the money and Congress has to clean it up. The president can work with them and try to lead them in a certain direction. He can veto whole bills, but in the end, they write the spending legislation. A standoff between the two leads to a government shut down.

And since I'm all agitated anyway, let me just point out, again, that education does not belong anywhere near the federal government. It belongs with the states under Amendment Ten of the Constitution. Any power not specifically given to the federal government belongs to the states. That includes all this preschool jabber. Our kids leave our homes plenty early enough at age five to attend school. The government should not be aiming to take our four year olds out too. It sounds all nice for the federal government to make sure everyone has access to preschool, but the next step after that is making it mandatory. Congress should leave education to the educators and to the states. That may sound harsh to the states at the bottom of the performance lists, but they need to take a hard look at how they landed there and make a few changes. Without government assistance.

Phew! Now that I got that off my chest, I better get back to work. Lots of data entry to complete and a deadline that is drawing nearer by the minute.

So Much For Keeping My Political Opinions To Myself

I'm supposed to be in bed, but I stayed up to watch Sarah Palin. That girl ROCKS! I have never been so excited about a candidate! Ever! I understand now why people try to vote more than once. I want to hang a banner on the front of my house and paint her name on my roof. I'm nuts about her!

And here's why: Because she's not afraid to tell the truth.

Be it about Obama, (who's written two books, but no major legislation and has never made an executive decision) or about her unwillingness to kowtow to the media, she gets right to the point. She's not messing around with 'politics'. She's wants the job in order to get something done. She sold the executive jet on ebay?!! Just imagine what she could do if she access to line item veto on the federal budget! (She won't, though, in case you're a Dem. and I just scared you. Only Governors have that power, and not all of them.)

If you didn't see the speech tonight, it's well worth finding it online. Michael and I watched it on CSPAN. The funniest part of the evening, though, wasn't something Gov. Palin said. It was a moment CSPAN caught that showed her youngest daughter holding the baby boy. No kidding, the girl licked her entire hand from palm to finger tip and then smoothed down the sleeping baby's hair. I laughed so hard I nearly cried.

Not Yet

We must be the last area of the country to start school. I used to think that everybody started school the day after Labor Day, but I've noticed that's no longer the case. The new trend seems to be to start the week before Labor Day.

We here in Virginia, though, are tied to the Kings Dominion law. So while the rest of the country is off and running, we're still arriving at the track. There are no waivers for our county. We rarely have bad weather and other than laptops for every student, we're not pushing the envelope of experimentation.

Though we're squeezing one more week out of the summer of 2008, we'll definitely be the last ones to start the summer of 09. Several weeks after SOL testing. Weeks of a much lighter load - or more honestly, not really doing much.

All because the entertainment and tourism industry managed to trump logic in education.

And so we wait.....

Pullin' Out My Handy Dandy Pocket Constitution

I wasn't in the mood for politics on Saturday night. Despite how that topic used to fire me up, I now only engage when I feel like it. Which is admittedly more than the average person, but drastically less than my former levels of immersion. I really used to just about drown myself in it.

But last Saturday I was tired. Watching political shows requires engaging your brain and I didn't think I could handle it. So when my mother-in-law called to remind us that the Rick Warren interview with Obama and McCain would be on, I told Michael he could watch it upstairs if he wanted, but I was veggin' on the Olympics.

After we put the kids to bed, I won the race to the remote and started flipping channels. Non-stop through all the espn-types, followed by the news stations. As the set box paused to catch up with my thumb, I caught a question being asked of Senator Obama on C-SPAN.

I was hooked. Just that quick.

We missed a good portion of Obama's interview, but we did see all of McCain's. I have to say, I really liked the format a lot. Debates can be so frustrating with their timed answers and rebuttals. Sometimes I end up more confused than ever. I thought the conversational format was much easier to watch. Since both candidates were asked the same questions, without hearing the other's answers, we really got to see where their priorities lie, not just how they disagree with the other person.

As the interview ended, the major news stations began commentary. However, we had stopped on C-SPAN, and they began taking viewer reactions by phone. I listened to two before hitting the channel button, but one of callers made a point I couldn't forget. She identified herself as a democrat and began by saying that she found the whole forum disgusting.

And with that, she had my attention.

But it wasn't the answers or the format that upset her. It was the venue and thereby, the implied purpose of the event. She was appalled that either candidate had agreed to participate. She said article VI of the Constitution prohibits a religious test for any candidate. I, of course, immediately googled article VI. It says in part:

The Senators and Representatives before mentioned, and the Members of the several State Legislatures, and all executive and judicial Officers, both of the United States and of the several States, shall be bound by Oath or Affirmation, to support this Constitution; but no religious Test shall ever be required as a Qualification to any Office or public Trust under the United States.

Was the event at Saddleback church a religious test? In a way it was. Being held at a church and moderated by a pastor, it drew an audience of Christians who likely wanted to know a bit more about these two candidates. No doubt most of them were interested in the faith of these men. I believe a question or two even directly addressed that issue. Furthermore the questions asked in the domestic section were largely hot button republican issues - abortion, stem cell research, and the like. For some who watched, I think this event may have been a religious test in their minds.

However, if you read article VI carefully, you'll see an important phrase that I think makes a big difference in this discussion. "required as a qualification" Simply put, we don't require candidates be a certain religion in America. Many of us prefer Christian leaders, but there are no official tests in place to force this preference. And that is as it should be.

Sometimes in their zeal to protect the ambiguous line between church and state, people begin to strip the rights of Christians and the church to have any say at all. That's not what the constitution, or the separation concept, are about. Though it's not an easily defined idea, it is really about balance. All Americans have a right to know about the religious and political views of the presidential candidates. Based on that knowledge, they have the right to vote how they see fit. In balance to that, though, we have laws protecting us from a religious state. We seek to keep religion from being a required qualification for office.

The key concept is really balance. Not too far one way or the other. I think that caller had a good point. But in this case, she swung too far. We can follow the constitution and still hold a presidential interview at a church. We can ask religious questions and not be administering a required test. All in balance. All in America.

News Photo

I saw this picture when I checked yahoo news this morning. There's a little bit of me that thinks it's really funny, but there's a whole lot of me that says, "WHAT THE HECK? He's the PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES! You can't chest bump him!!!" But apparently you can.

In Loving Memory Of Maria Chapman

The news story is here.
And Dena has links to more pictures on her blog - Room For Grace.

Teacher Appreciation Gifts

I get a little defensive when it comes to conversations about teachers. That's probably a whole post in itself, but last week I read a magazine article about teacher gifts that really raised my blood pressure. The author, a mom who is tired of being asked to give money toward group gifts, had a point, but in making her argument she managed to make every teacher in America sound like a greedy, ungrateful, undeserving gift beggar. Or maybe I just took it a little too personally.

Here's a quote from the article:
"...the grand finale to a school year that already featured a holiday-season gift frenzy and Teacher Appreciation Week. During the latter, my children are supposed to take not just any token of appreciation, but specific ones: chocolate on Monday, flowers on Tuesday…."

And another:
"I admire the efforts of every person who comes in contact with my child, but that doesn't mean they deserve a prize. Many workers never get year-end bonuses. Those who do are paid by the employer, not the client. True, in a convoluted way through the wonder of taxes, a parent is both employer and client to a teacher, but believe me, my taxes are already a wonder."

I have been a teacher and I am married to a teacher. I have relatives who are teachers and lots of friends who are or have been teachers. If you feel that we are soliciting gifts, then don't buy us anything. No one is forcing you to appreciate your teachers materialistically. If you're thirty-five years old and you still can't stand up to the peer pressure of the other parents, there's not much we can do for you. Just because we tell you what we like doesn't mean we expect you to run right out and buy three. Oh and while I'm picking this article apart - there are lots of professions where the clients do give a year end gift. The hairdresser, the mailman, the newspaper delivery boy, the piano teacher, and the list goes on....

If your budget is tight and you want to send a gift for your child's teacher, pick just one event...Christmas, teacher appreciation week, or the end of the year. Sending something for all three is way over and above. (Not that we don't love it when you go over and above... : ) Or better yet, do it at a random time of the year, when it's totally unexpected.

In this mom's defense, she did finish the article with the following paragraph:
"The number-one thing that teachers want, according to a 2007 National Education Association online poll in which 2,500 teachers participated, is not a big show of thanks, but the thank-you itself. A note that praises his or her efforts with your child conveys more than a gift card ever could. Things have become the currency of gratitude in this materialistic era. Yet a carefully crafted card, a note praising the person to the administration or a standing ovation may leave a far more lasting impression. Makes a pretty good lesson for children, too."

That's so true. Michael comes home every year at Christmas break with a large bag of gifts. He thoroughly enjoys the notes that the kids write themselves. The ones that say "Mr. P----, You make musik so much fun." and "Sorre if I was talkg to much." Or the ones from the parents that say "Thank you for instilling a love of music in our daughter. Your patience during after school practices showed through in the fabulous play last week. We appreciate all the time and effort you put into it." No, we don't keep them all, but those notes keep a teacher going. The cute set in the picture to the left had a small bag of M&Ms attached.

We don't keep all the gifts either. (gasp!) I could decorate six Christmas trees if I kept all the decorations we've been given over the past ten years. I'd also have enough mugs to serve hot chocolate to every kid in the neighborhood if we kept every candy filled Christmas themed mug. And some years we think about opening a store just to resell boxes of Hershey's Pot Of Gold and Russell Stover samplers. We do have to give some things away.

Oh, and just because the sparkly gold bird with the clip has become a gag gift among our family members, doesn't mean we were ungrateful. Some elementary school child provided us with years of unintended fun, and he/she doesn't even know it!

So if you don't want to give your child's teacher a gift - don't. Your half hearted, because-everyone-else-is gift might become a family heirloom in a way you never intended. Or less exciting, it may end up at Goodwill.

But, having said all that, if you do want to give, and you want to do it inexpensively, here are a few ideas we think are worth it, always accompanied by a note:

1. A full size candy bar. (we're talking 33 cents on sale here!)
2. A cute tumbler with a drink mix-in packet inside (this one has the potential to go the way of the mugs, but for now it still works.)
3. Home-made cookies, fudge, breads, etc. - as long as they are GOOD - don't send the burnt ones or the ones you made two weeks ago!
4. A tomato plant - we got this one yesterday. I loved the idea and I don't even like tomatoes!
5. A potted flower
6. Flower seeds (c'mon...these can be really inexpensive too - just wrap 'em up pretty!)
7. A basket of fruit
8. bag of popcorn with a drink or a blockbuster card


Here are a few things teachers would love to ask you to avoid. They won't because they'd sound snobby...but I'm not a teacher anymore, so I'll ask on their behalf.
1. mugs
2. Hershey's Pot of Gold
3. Whitman Samplers
4. Home made crafts - unless you are really good at them -so good people buy them.
5. Strange Christmas ornaments like ones with last years date or odd looking reindeer with one eye and a green tail.
6. crumbled, smooshed, melted, burnt, or otherwise compromised foods.
7. Dollar store knick knacks
8. Smelly candles
9. Lotions

And here are a few of the best gifts we've ever received, regardless of price:
1. My The West Wing travel mug. (A student visiting NY brought it back for me. Best Ever!)
2. Custom granite cutting board.
3. CD - these are a bit hit and miss, but most of the time we really like what we're given.
4. Dove or Ghiradelli chocolates
5. Gift certificates - these indicate that you truly appreciate a teacher!
the grocery store
the gas station
Barnes and Noble
Starbucks
Brusters
Target

And one last thing. If your daughter takes her male music teacher a flower, the printed card from the florist should not read "I love you. Faith" It causes his wife unnecessary stress when she finds it in his car.

Bunnies

This is what Michael saw when he got ready to leave for work on Thursday morning!



They're cute until they eat the tops of my tulips.

Open Primary - Bring Back The Curtain

Virginia is an open primary state. As a registered voter, you may participate in either party's primary. No one checks to see if your name is on an official party list before you receive a ballot. You can vote in the Democrat primary one year and the Republican one the next. Open primaries seem to promote participation and make it easy to go vote.

Yesterday, however, I was very disappointed with the way the open primary was administered at my precinct. When I arrived around 10 AM, I pushed Daniel's stroller up to the table where the ladies asked for an ID and checked my name off on a master list of registered voters. After verifying my address, she asked, "Republican or Democrat?" Well, now, I hadn't planned on having to announce that. I figured with our new touch screen voter machines, I'd be able to make that distinction IN the voter booth.

I quietly mumbled my answer and she handed me a colored piece of paper that corresponded to the party. I then had to carry that colored piece of paper across the room and hand it to another poll worker. She inserted a white card into my touch screen to bring up the candidates for the primary I had indicated with my colored paper. I touched the screen, cast my vote, and picked up my "I voted" sticker.

Not so very long ago, you stepped behind a curtain to vote. No one knew how you voted. Now we have to announce Republican or Democrat to the whole room. I don't think that's fair. Touch screens are computers and you should be able to choose Republican or Democrat right on the screen. Perhaps that technology is not yet available. If not, then the board of elections should bring back the curtains. Voters could step behind the curtain to make the party selection allowing only one poll worker to see that choice. I would much prefer this over telling the gym full of people.

Regardless of how it was done yesterday in my precinct, I hope we don't ever sink to the level of this Ohio situation. Those voters can be publicly tied to their vote. If that is not illegal, it should be.

Julie's Talking Now

I'm tired of yelling at my tv. (Something I didn't do when we didn't get FoxNews, CNN, MSNBC etc.) I turn to these stations to get an update on the primary elections and I end up yelling at talking back to the anchors. I get so irritated when they can't see the logic that is plain as day. I'm sure tonight will be no different, as the results come in from the so-called Potomac states, mine included. If you hear me yelling, I apologize ahead of time. I'll do my best to keep it down.

Julie's Talking Points

1. Regardless of whether or not Huckabee can win the nomination, he needs to stay in the race as long as possible. It forces the media to talk about the Republicans as well as the Democrats, especially if he continues to win more the 25% of the vote. Without him, it's all Clinton/Obama all the time.

2. If Romney had stayed in the race, he and Huckabee would have continued to split the conservative side of the Republican vote. He did not drop out too soon as some have suggested. He will likely come back in 4 years a stronger candidate, with more money and nation wide name recognition. Continuing to spend now would hurt later, especially since he wasn't able to consolidate support.

3. Obama has clearly stated what he means by hope and what he intends to do if he's elected. Those who claim he is too vague are not listening. When he spoke at the Siegal Center in Richmond, VA he was quite specific. This particular criticism of him is unfounded.

4. Since Harry Truman, who took office in 1945, only once has a party held the Presidency for more than 8 years in a row. (George H.W. Bush's term made 12 years for the Republicans 1981-1993.) From a political science and historical view, I find it hard to believe that this year would be any different. Whether consciously or not, the people in the middle (committed to neither party) often vote according to their pocketbooks. With rising food and gas prices and trouble in the real estate business, they are most likely to be looking for a change in leadership.

5. When it's time for your state to vote, participate. Don't take your right to vote for granted. Many in this world will never have the opportunities we do, much less the chance to vote for their leaders. Don't be fooled into thinking that your vote doesn't matter. On primary day in Syracuse, NY, Obama and Clinton each received 6,001 votes. That's a TIE people! One vote can make all the difference. You just never know.

I Double Dog Dare Ya

Oh Yes. It's real. Salem, Ohio.
Somebody didn't watch A Christmas Story this past Christmas season...

Salemnews.net

At 7:56 a.m. Wednesday, police responded to the 1100 block of Prospect St. after being advised there was a child with his tongue stuck to a light pole at the bus stop at 1133 Prospect St. Upon arrival the child was freed by the mother and taken home. the mother advised she would seek medical treatment.


I only wish I had a picture.

What On Earth????

I'm telling you I get the best stuff from my friend Tara in South Carolina. Check this out...

Click Here To See The Picture On CNN!

A woman in Texas had a full size replica of herself created for her wedding.... it was made out of CAKE! Whoever made it did an incredible job, but this is a whole new level of "it's all about me!" Wow!

Tacky Lights Tour

We live near this house. Michael and the kids walked up to see it last Sunday while I was out with my friends. There really isn't room for them to add anything else, so they've started expanding to their backyard!



Last year I was talking with some folks from the west coast and I found out that the Tacky Lights craze is really a local thing. I thought everybody everywhere drove around at night during the holidays and looked at Christmas lights. And maybe they do, but here it's a big deal. They publish the addresses of the best houses in the newspaper and report from them on the news. Many people participate in charter bus tours of the city lights while others rent limos and go. These houses get lots of traffic and you usually have to wait in line to get close.

Last night we got Starbucks and then drove in and out of several neighborhoods on our way home from shopping. My favorite one is in a neighborhood nearby...it has a terraced front yard. They have a lot of crazy stuff, but their yard lets them spread it all out so you can really enjoy it.

Of course then we go home to our grinch-house. No outdoor decorations. The bin is inside the front door full of greenery and bows. We just never got it done. LAZY grinches live here for sure.
: )

The Sheriff's Report: Cow In The Road

I'm originally from a small town in Ohio, where they actually publish the police reports in the newspaper. Everything from the serious to the cows that got loose and blocked the road. I love reading those reports whenever we go 'home' to visit. A while back, I discovered that they are now published online! So today, I'm sharing the fun.

This is why it is so important to learn the rules of punctuation. A missing apostrophe makes the following report pretty funny!

Animal complaint

At 8:45 p.m. Nov. 18, an officer was dispatched to the 9500 block of Western Reserve in reference to two dogs on his property. The complainant believed the dogs to be his neighbors. The officer contacted the neighbor who stated his dogs were inside and that is where they have been most of the evening. The officer advised the complainant that if the dogs returned to call the dog warden because they were not the neighbors.


I included this report all because of the last sentence. Weren't you worried about it?

Accident

At 12:15 a.m. Wednesday, police responded to the Super USA store at 1680 South Lincoln Ave. where the vehicle operated by Jane C. Miller, 81, 1920 Maple St., pulled into the parking lot approaching the sidewalk and hit the gas instead of the brake and struck Otto Potts, 45, 239050 state Route 39, Salineville, a pedestrian, pushing him into a pop machine. Potts suffered leg injuries and was taken to the hospital and Miller was cited for failure to control. The pop machine was heavily damaged.


What can I say? They did what?

A Randel Road, Hanoverton, woman reported Wednesday someone she knows stole her clothes from her home.


See! I told you!

Animal complaint

At 10:24 a.m. Nov. 10, an officer was dispatched to Middletown Road in reference to a loose cow. Officer located the cow and secured it inside the fence.



For more reports, or to pass the time when you can't sleep, go to www.salemnews.net. Click on Local News Digest on the right side, then scroll to the articles titled Police, Sheriff, or Municipal.

Not much to write about today

I actually don't have anything to write about today. I felt the same way yesterday, too. Hopefully, it'll be a short lived trend.

In the meantime,

1- I'll be at Rocketts today for an open house.

2- Stephen (my brother) and I got Dad one of these for Father's Day.

And
3- Praise the Lord for answered prayers.... This little girl's story, on the front of Fox News, is simply miraculous and wonderful.

My Blogging Story

(Joining the Your Blogging Story Carnival at Don't Try This At Home)

And this is how it all began:

How did you start blogging?

Once upon a time...no, no, no...It was a dark and stormy night... no, no...I was playing around the computer and I discovered blogs. That's the truth. I honestly thought I was going to develop something like Dumb Little Man and make money somehow, maybe with ads. My first idea was to rate products. I was going to call it 'Rocks and Knocks'. (It rocks or I knock it...yeah, I know. I'm glad I didn't do that either.) After I left that idea behind, I thought I'd write about the news and give my opinion on things that were happening in the world. I did that a little, but then I found that I wasn't really able to keep up with the news enough to give informed opinions. So in a few short weeks, The Peapod Four became a mommy blog. And that's good because that's what I really know best in this season of life.

Did you intend to be a blog with a big following? If so, how did you go about it?

When I started I did. But I think I was a little off my rocker at the beginning anyway. I only told one person about my blog during the first two months I was writing...so I'm not sure how I thought anyone was going to find out about it! Now, though, it doesn't really matter. My blog has become a writing and creative outlet for me. I write for an audience, but not for a following.

What do you hope to achieve or accomplish with your blog? Have you been successful? If not, do you have a plan to achieve these goals?

hmmm...I don't think I've ever thought about it in such a structured way. I just have a blog and I write as often as possible. I suppose if there was one thing I wanted to achieve it would be to improve my writing. Sometimes I go back and read old posts, just to see if I would use different words or change sentence structures. Hopefully, I'm getting better.

Has the focus of your blog changed since you started blogging? How?

see the first question.

What do you know now that you wish you'd known when you started?

That most people are like me...they will read but they won't leave a comment.

Does your immediate or extended family know about your blog? If so, do they read it? If not, why?

I'm pretty sure by now that everyone knows. My brother and cousins read it when it imports into Facebook. They sometimes leave comments there. My mom, dad, and sister read only the posts I send them in an email with a link. My aunt Kathy reads it every day! She still hasn't commented, but I know she reads it. I think my Uncle Randy reads it occasionally too -He was my first commenter. On Michael's side, I know that my sister-in-law Ginger reads it (and her mom, too!) but other than that I'm not sure.

Lately I've been picking up a few friends who've been following along. It's fun to have my friends read, and I think it raises my level of writing somehow.

What two pieces of advice would you give to a new blogger?

It's kind of funny that this is one of the questions, because I just wrote a long email encouraging my friend Tara to start blogging. It was full of advice! Here are two that I'll pass along:

1- This site HERE helped me to customize my blog. Everything became a lot more fun once the site began to reflect my personality. I can't afford a custom design, but I was able to put some personal touches on a standard blogger template by following these instructions.

2- Think carefully about who your intended audience is. I have another blog that I use to communicate during the week with the ladies in my women's Bible Study. Sometimes I think I write much clearer on that blog because I know exactly who I intend it for. Determining your audience is a quick way to make your posts better.

2.5 - Also, consider adding site meter or something similar. If you don't get hung up on the numbers, expecting a huge following right away, it can be very encouraging. It's nice to know at least 2 people found your blog this week. : )

A Question on Immigration

Before I ask this question, I should point out that I have not followed the debate on immigration at all. I do not know the pros and cons of the current bill, nor have I read it. I only became mildly interested in the topic last night, as I listened to Sean Hannity. He asked a question that I'd like to paraphrase and repeat.

How is allowing a bunch of people, who defied our laws and came here illegally, to be put on a track to citizenship in any way beneficial to our country?

Honestly. It sounds lazy to me. As a parent, I know that it's easier to sit on the couch and either ignore Daniel smacking the tv with a lego or repeatedly tell him to get down. Neither works. I have to get off my bum and take care of the problem. He has to learn the rules. It seems to me that it's easier to just let all these people stay here. We'll just put them on a track to citizenship and make them legal. The problem is that they don't learn the rules and we hurt ourselves further down the line. Our laws are meant to be obeyed and we should enforce them, even when it's hard. Even when it means getting up and doing something about it. If we take this easy route, we only give our trouble a new name, or perhaps many new names. We won't have stopped the actual problem...people entering the country illegally.

Some might ask, is there a place for mercy? I think so. But not for everyone and not for people who are sneaking around avoiding the law. Mercy should be granted appropriately to those who deserve it. And that might be a little arbitrary.

I really think, if you came here illegally, you should have to apply for legal status. Just like all the others who are on waiting lists to enter this country. Where you are and what you do while you wait for that process to play out, isn't something I've figured out in my head just yet. (I did, after all, just starting thinking on this last night.)

Since I am no longer teaching government, and neither Brenna nor Daniel have any idea what immigration is, this will probably be the extent of the time I spend thinking about the immigration issue. Once I hit the 'publish post' button, I'll be back to thinking on such important topics as what to fix for lunch and whether or not Brenna has watched too much tv today.

$138,095

It looks like I've earned a virtual raise. How exciting. Salary.com has put out its annual estimate of how much a stay at home mother would make if she were paid for her job. It's a 3% increase over last year. Some of the job titles they include are housekeeper, day care center teacher, cook, facilities manager, janitor, computer operator, and chief executive officer.

While I'd be thrilled with even a small portion of that salary, the benefits of the job far exceed any financial compensation.

Julie's Top 10 on Being a Mom

(in no particular order)

1- Not having to rush around in the mornings to get everyone out the door. The time for this will come soon enough when Brenna starts kindergarten. In the meantime, I enjoy our slow mornings, where we get dressed when we're ready to and we stay in our pjs if it sounds like fun.

2- Time to get the dishes and the laundry done. Since these are pretty much the only two chores that actually do get done on a regular basis, I'm glad I can start and stop as necessary instead of having to do it all at night or on Saturdays.

3- Lots of extra snuggle time- I get to give Daniel his morning bottle and hold him for as long as I like in the mornings. I get to read Brenna a book before her afternoon rest time. We always snuggle together in my mama's chair and put the foot rest up "so we can relax."

4- Getting to do what I want to do - I'd be misrepresenting myself if I left this one out. I get to schedule my own day and do what I want to do, when I want to do it. That includes blogging, reading, logic puzzles, sewing, Bible study, and so much more.

5- All the developmental accomplishments - These happen at all different times of the day, but it is so exciting to watch the kids achieve new things. Sunday night, Daniel began to cruise along the furniture...to get the remote control, of course! Brenna's learned to count to 100. Daniel has started to play silly games with us. Brenna is always telling us what she learned in the book she read during rest time. (Often her kids almanac.)

6- Giving a good foundation of right and wrong - I have always been reluctant to give Brenna over to another teacher. I want to make sure she knows right from wrong and can stand up to other kids before I send her out to learn from someone else. I know she'll need to learn many things from experience; I just want to make sure she has a solid foundation to start with.

7- Silly time- Sometimes we just get silly. I love those moments. All three of us will be eating lunch together and Daniel will start shaking his head 'no' and grinning. That will just crack Brenna up and before I know it we're all giggling. Or maybe Brenna's watching tv and Daniel will crawl right up to her, stand up, and whack her on the head - grinning from ear to ear - and then say "Nenna". She laughs as hard I do!

8- Taking care of my kids when they are sick. I don't know why that makes the list, but when my kids are sick, I want to be there. In February, Brenna got sick as Michael and I were leaving town for a concert. My heart wanted to turn the car around and make sure she was ok. We didn't, but I couldn't wait to get home the next day and put my arms around her.

9- Ukrops on Fridays. Or pretty much any time I take them out. The downright, honest truth is that I'm proud of my kids. I love them and I love when they bring a smile to someone else. Our Ukrops is next to an age-qualified neighborhood, so there are lots of older customers. It's such a pleasure to watch them interact with Brenna and Daniel.

10- Smiles and Hugs and Baby Kisses. Who needs anything else? Right now Daniel is very stingy with his baby kisses...and I get most of them. I love it! Being a mom is so awesome.

The Queen of England

The Queen is Coming. The Queen is Coming!

When?