Purity of Heart

As I sit in my car awaiting time to go into my kids school for their Christmas parties, I watched the kids playing in the playground. At one point my eye caught a little boy crying. I don't know why he was crying, but he sat apart from the group except for 2 other boys. The thing that was unusual was that the 2 other boys were standing there. They didn't cause the distress from what I saw, but the amazing thing was they stayed with the crying boy. At this age they didn't know what to say or do but they provided this boy with comfort by being there. They cared. While all the other kids were spending their precious playground time running and jumping, these 2 boys were showing support for their friend in need. Eventually the teacher came over and cared for the boy by telling him something to sooth his sorrow and they all went back to the table with all the other teachers. So I ask you, is compassion inherent or taught? I don't know, but I do know those 2 boys acted better than many grown ups I've seen.

Half way gone or halfway there?

I'm 41. According to statistics I'm halfway through my lifetime. Last night as I lay in bed I starting thinking about my first half of life, pre-family, and thinking of all the things I did throughout the years. I've had my share of good times and bad. The things that seem to stay fresh in my mind are the lessons I've learned and the times when I felt I was living to the fullest. A canoe trip down Rifle River with several of my friends, driving through Michigan, Ohio, West Virginia, and Kentucky with a friend after high school, taking a trip to the west coast and visiting wine country and meeting up with school mates in California. These are some of my most vivid memories of my earlier life. I remember going to obscure places and late night Taco Bell drive through runs. Working at a 2nd run theater and having Thursday after hours pizza and beer while we preview the new movies. Barbecuing out behind a friends house with a bon-fire. These are a few of the things I remember well. I've had a lot of good times. Some bad times. Luckily for me the former vastly outnumbers the latter in my recollections.
Now I think of all the years I hopefully have ahead of me and with the lessons I've learned I endeavor to make them more memorable than my previous ones. One thing is for sure, with my kids and wife, I have plenty of help to make that happen.

I voted. Did you?

There's something about standing in line to vote that gives you a different feeling than when you stand in line anywhere else. The patriotism seems to pervade you and you become more connected with people around you. The thought that came to my mind was of other nations and those that do not have the freedom to choose their government officials. Of course there may be times when a country is fortunate enough to have an unelected leader who may actually have the best interest of the people at heart but it's rare. Having the choice to vote for the person you want to represent you is the one time when you have the power over government, however fleeting that time is. Our choices may be limited and they may not be the best we can do, but they are choices. That's something billions of other people do not have. While standing in line there was an elderly gentleman who had just finished voting walking out. He was arguing with someone about a subject that I didn't get the details of, however I was able to determine he was admonishing someone regarding something they did with regard to his voting. He told them they were not to interfere and they needed to respect the polling place and voting rules. He was doing this in a stern but calm manner. I was impressed. Here in our country we the people take the right to vote without pressure seriously and are prepared to challenge anyone who would try to violate those rights. In other countries you could be jailed or killed for standing up for your rights.
For all the imperfections our government and elected representatives have, we still have the power to boot them out of office if we so choose. Sometimes I wonder if that crosses their mind when they make back room deals or have lapses in judgments? Either way, it's up to us to decide whom we deem worthy of being elected, and that's a responsibility we should all take seriously.

Tyrannosaurus Debt

One thing I was able to pass along to my kids from my childhood was the ol' Schoolhouse Rock videos that used to play every Saturday morning in between cartoons. I didn't realize it then but those little 2 minute education videos were to last in my memory well past the time I watched cartoons. I bought the video series for my kids when they were still too young to appreciate them (I of course had to watch them a few extra times to make sure they were still relevant..ahem) but now that they are 3 and 5 years old they are loving the songs and lessons. One of the songs that I didn't remember was called "Tyrannosaurus Debt". Apparently the national debt was pretty large back then also and caused a concern for the country. I wonder how the debt ratio compares now vs then if you adjust it to inflation. Has it become worse? Better? The same? I don't know but I do know that the national debt of 8.5 Trillion dollars is beyond belief. How is that our government can spend that much more than it takes in and still operate? As a percentage of the national budget it may be less imposing but can you imagine what the possibilities would be if we didn't have that debt hanging over our heads? The interest alone is over 200 Billion dollars per year. Can you imagine that it would cost each person in the US $650 dollars to pay the interest alone? What if we eliminated the debt? That would save us $28000 per person a year. What kind of society would we live in when each and every person made at least $28000 per year? Each year our elected representatives talk about reducing the "deficit". That's not the debt, it's only the amount that gets added to the debt. So how do we force our leaders to become fiscally responsible? I don't have any answers but at least now I know more about the problem. The possibilities once we become debt free are endless, but the road getting there is going to be long and extremely difficult with the current tax and spend mentality in D.C.

Giving in

Anyone who has little kids knows that bed times are synonymous with bedtime stories, getting ready for bed and good night kisses. But there's more. Last minute bathroom needs, thirst quenching and other various creative stall tactics are also a part of the parent-kid bedtime dance. I'm scared, I'm hungry, I'm thirsty, I need to prepare a thesis on the time space continuum are all common stall techniques passed down heretically through the ages. My son is no exception. On top of this he has allergies that make it more difficult to fall asleep some nights. Last night was one such night. After about an hour of his sniffling, asking for water and being unable to fall asleep he came into my room. I was already in bed awaiting the end of a TV show I was watching when he slowly came in looking at me with those pleading eyes. I knew that he was having a hard time falling asleep due to his allergies so I asked if he wanted to climb up into Mommy and Daddies bed. His face lit up instantly. He climbed up into the middle of the bed and covered up. I told him it was time to go to sleep and turned off the TV. As I reached for the light switch he put his hand on my arm, looked me straight in the eye and said those words that made giving in worth it. "You're the best Daddy ever. Thanks for letting me sleep here tonight".
He's 5 and yet he understands being grateful! I got a 2 fold gift in those sentences. First, the love of my 5 year old son, and second knowing that he understands what it means to appreciate things. We must be doing something right. My pride in my son was overflowing that night and we soon both drifted off to sleep with smiles on our faces.

Lost Words, Lost Worlds

We've become a society that has lost control of our own words. Every day people are misquoted, mis-spoken and misrepresented in the interpretation and intent of what is said. It has become too easy to take what someone says and impose a different intent upon those words. Someone says the war is necessary. It's taken to mean the war is all about oil. Someone says the war is unjust. They become unpatriotic. The truth is left by the roadside in our highjacking of speech. Newspapers take bits and pieces of a speech and re-assemble them to create a completely different intent.
A picture taken on a battlefield is altered in the hopes it makes a greater emotional impact on the reader. Where does it end? When will we regain control over what we say? Words are one of the most powerful things we have, yet we do not exercise the right to make sure our words are used as intended. Why is that? It seems that the need to obfuscate the events around us only ensures that we become more jaded in our lives. Who do we believe? The politicians who say all the right things while stuffing their pockets? The web site that promotes openness and accountability but is funded by groups with agendas? Or maybe the news that is forever being put to the fire for not researching the facts thoroughly enough before the deadline to print forces them to just run with the story and see what happens? Where is the accountability? It starts at home. The blogosphere is one example. It's the home bloggers that are the new detectives and investigative reporters in the world. Anyway, back to my original subject matter. Often I see people who make statements only to be taken out of content, misquoted, or vilified based not upon the speakers intent but upon the listeners interpretation. We have become a nation that jumps to conclusions based upon our own personal bias. Instead of asking how something is intended we arrogantly think we know what was meant and quickly drive down that road of self righteousness thinking we have understanding. When we make judgments on a persons first impressions, take dialogue the wrong way or read more into something that just maybe is really black and white, we take the path to literary indiscretion. Patience is what we lack. The patience to wait and find out the whole story before making any judgments. In effect, our "rush rush" lifestyles only tend to make us run down the wrong path, effort wasted.

Taking Flight

I'm in the airline business. I come by it honestly. My Dad worked for an airline most of his life. My brother worked for one for several years, and I've worked for one for 20 years, albeit not the same one. I'm on my third airline. Usually when two people from different airlines meet, one of the inevitable questions that arise is "So, is this your first airline?". Most times the answer is no. I've found that at one time or another everyone else worked for Braniff, even though it could be Braniff 1, 2 or 3. As for me I got into the biz when I was in my early 20's. The job seemed glamorous in a way and I was impressed by the way my Dad seemed to be friends with people all over the country. Some of the draws of working for an airline are the freedom to jet off to places all over the country, spending a day on the beach and flying back to snow that evening and going where many people could only dream of going. After all, what good was working for an airline if you didn't use the flight privledges? Of course I didn't use them that much, but I could have, got the t-shirt to prove it (My friends went to sunny Hawaii and all I got was this lousy t-shirt). When you're young, the world was an open book. I was fortunate, I've seen several places I probably wouldn't have seen if I had not worked for an airline. I don't have a college degree but I make a good living. Now the airlines are being attacked again. Yesterday a group of men in England were arrested for planning to detonate home made bombs on several flights to the U.S. Thankfully they were stopped by the intelligence services in England. Traveling by air has become a common event. People of all ages, statures and incomes are taking to the skies so it only makes sense that the people who hate our way of life would attack that freedom. But I'm sure they won't stop there. Telecommunications, food and water supply, and energy won't be far behind. After all, they live as if the year were still 1410 a.d. so of course they want us to live that way too. To them, they see progress as a capital offense. As our standard of living improves, it reminds them of how much farther the divide is between their lives and ours. Granted, with a free society comes things that are detrimental, but you can't tell me other societies don't have the same crime problems.
Yesterday was a horrible day in the airline business. Today was 180 degrees better. We went from a 40% on time day to a 90% on time day, and a Friday no less.
Our flights indicate that people are still flying. We'll see how this pans out in the weeks to come but for now, the traveling public are doing what they wanted to do. Taking flight.

Bill

Everyone should have a friend like my friend Bill. He's opposite to me on so many levels and as such challenges me on my beliefs. I hope that I have some small influence on his, but I doubt it. He's a liberal to my conservative, philosopher to my logic, single life to married life. We use to be roommates in our single days during which time we would ponder the origins of the universe, religon, girls, employment, inventions, music, movies, etc etc. Bill's spontaneous nature led to several exciting expeditions some of which I never would have traveled had it not been for him. From swimming at a state park beach to finding obscure movies at second rate theaters. We saw the Directors cut of Blade Runner that had a limited showing thanks to Bill. We visited Cranbrook Institute, saw a laser light show with U2 music and found ourselves on numerous trips to places in Michigan I probably never would have heard of or seen. Bill was the wild card to our group. The catalyst to change or challenge to the status quo. Employment was never his strong suit until later in life. I always had a stead job. Still, we remained friends.
Bills love of exploring his world helped me find new places because he never wanted to go alone so I got dragged along. I'm the better for it also. So today I say Thanks Bill. Everyone should have a friend Bill.

Info Junkie

Ok, I'll admit it. I'm an "Information Junkie". I read the news daily searching for any article of strangeness or obscurity. Searching for an article that has a direct impact on my life or anyone I know. Cataloging the information until that moment in time when the subject comes up in conversation and I'm able to pluck it out of memory and into the verbal exchange. I read the internet news, the local rags, the major newspaper for this area, and the Drudge Report for any late breaking news stories. Give me some news on stocks I own, places I've been, political issues, and helpful tips regarding a wide range of subjects and my attention is drawn. I can remember when I was young and my parents would have the news on in the evening. I of course wanted nothing to do with watching that so I would go into another room to watch a sit-com or cartoon. I believe I understand now why they watched. It provides a brief overview of the days events in our state and around the world. It's kind of a way to get a condensed summary of news. I'm not sure what changed in my viewpoint to make the news so interesting to me but I now know why my parents loved having the news on at 6pm. It's just what you do when you get older.

Half Full

I recently posted why the glass is half empty when it comes to our dependence upon energy from other countries and the global instability we face. Here are some reasons to be hopeful for the future.

National Debt. If the debt was such a drag on our country, then why is the economy so strong? Foreign investments in the US ensure our own stability. The more invested in the US other countries are the less likely they are to do something adverse to the health of our country. Why would you sabotage your own investment?
It also makes the economy global. In other words the impact of large events is mitigated by the globalization of the worlds economies. When one country has a downturn there's a very good chance another country is having an upswing in equal proportions.

Our Borders. The outcry to secure the borders has finally reached a plateau high enough for our government to realize they must do something. It also has brought this subject out to debate on a grand scale. The more debate there is the better the chance of a comprehensive solution being found. It may not be the perfect fix, but you can bet it'll be something noteworthy.

Energy Dependence. Here's a actually a subject that could have a very good ending. With the price of oil through the roof and the political instability in regions that supply a large part of the worlds supply there is actually good news for the future. First for the US, we get most of our oil from Canada and Mexico. Those are 2 nations that we get along with and are less impacted by political instability in the middle east. Oil is now at a price that makes it economical to get it from places that required more effort to extract. Prime example, the oil shale deposits in the US and the oil sands in Canada. These will continue to be a rich source of energy reserves available. Alternative forms of energy are becoming more and more viable. Hydrogen, biodiesel, and ethanol are some examples. Hybrid vehicles are becoming more popular which will reduce our dependence on gas and oil. The result is less exposure to the wild fluctuations in the oil markets. It's a classic case of "Necessity is the Mother of Invention".

China. China is becoming more and more progressive in it's bid to open up to the rest of the world. Our engagement of China economically has provided the catalyst to set them on the road toward change. They have revaluated their currency a few times due to pressure from the markets and have been negotiating trade policies. As this exchange continues I would expect to see China more toward a more free society. It will take time, but look at what has been accomplished just since 1970. Formal trade relations and open policy discussions. These are big steps for a communist country.

Other countries. Although there are still hostile relations with other countries and a lot of newsworthy anti-United States remarks made by countries who are feeling their oats lately, we have strengthened relations with some countries who were on the fence when it came to the US. Germany in years past had been aligned more with France in their opposition to our policies but recent elections had placed into power a pro-US Chancellor in Angela Merkel. She was freely elected based upon her pro-US stance and that says the people of Germany want better relations with the US. Also, in South America there have been several countries that are telling Venezuelan Presidente Chavez to butt-out. They claim he is interfering with their elections by trying to have candidates he supports elected. Iran is making overtures to establish a direct dialogue with the US. Could it be they are feeling the heat? It could open the door to moderating the rhetoric coming from that country which would provide stabilization in that area of the world.
So for every negative, anti-United States event that happens there are other pro-United States events that even out the playing field.

Ying and Yang in the geo-political world.

More on politics..yawn..

Lately there's been a lot of chatter about the immigration issue. Should we build a fence? Should we position troops to enforce the borders? Should we make it a felony to enter this country illegally? What about the drain on healthcare and government assistance programs caused by illegal immigrants? "But they're only taking jobs Americans don't want. They're only trying to start a better life than what they had in Mexico. They're only trying to pursue the American dream."

The problem isn't that there are millions of immigrants here in the U.S. The problem is the government is ill equipped to handle the mass inflow of illegals coming to America every year. As such there is a toll taken on the ability of government programs to administer to all the people that have come here illegally. To want to come to the U.S. to start a better life for yourself and family is admirable, to break the U.S. law to do so is ironic. That is a portentous way to start your new life, under the shadow of darkness and evasion.

So what happens when the generosity of the federal government and it's funding of several programs is strained by the inflow of illegal immigrants who require medical treatment, living expenses, child care, food stamps, and social security? Larger debt, higher taxes, reduced economic growth, and a decrease in the governments ability to fund programs such as education, social security, defense, disaster relief and other programs that are essential. What happens when the demands of a population exceed the ability to finance those demands? Debt. When that debt becomes so heavy that there is no possible way that it will be repaid, there will be a day of reckoning that could cause serious financial consequences. It's a scenario that could affect countries across the globe unless this issue is addressed by clear, forward thinking people. What is needed is an immigration policy that allows the opportunity for immigrants to come here, while making sure they do so legally.

Now this may sound like a rally against immigrants but it's not. I support immigrants coming to the U.S. to start a new life, enjoy the freedoms we have, and participate in making our country stronger, but I favor it being done orderly and legally. There are people from other countries who do not share a border with the U.S. who have been waiting their turn to begin a life in the United States. After all we are a stronger nation for the diversity. However, we need to have a way to control the mass of people who are intent on coming to this country. To do any less could mean the deterioration of the country that has come to be known as the most prosperous nation on earth.

Are we concerned?

Lately it seems we should be more concerned than we are. There are several things that put this country in jeopardy but it seems everyone is afraid to address them with any sort of conviction. Of course there are the scholars and academia who publish opinions and research meant to try and enlighten us to the storm on the horizon but there are also many who raise warning flags so often we tend to ignore them as we would an irritating buzz. Here are a few things I think are issues that need to be addressed.

National Debt. Most of it is owned by countries that are not friendly to the US. What would happen if they decided to dump their holdings in a short span of time? We need to control spending and get our debt under control. Raising the debt ceiling every time we get close is not a solution, it's part of the problem. Kinda like a credit card company raising how much you can borrow because you're close to maxing out your debt. Of course the way congress spends our money is just like a teenager with a new credit card.

Our Borders. We need to gain control of our borders. Right now it's porous and we as a nation cannot maintain our security and economy by allowing so many people to sneak into our country without knowing who they are and if they mean harm to our nation. We have too many enemies to allow this to continue. We are a sovereign nation and as such we need to control who is allowed into our country.

Energy Dependence. We need to allow drilling in more areas inside our country. Right now the biggest threat to our economy and security is our dependence upon countries who open acknowledge their disdain for the US. We are, at any time, open to attack. Maybe not from a military force, but an economic one. What would happen if Venezuela, Iran, Russia, and Nigeria either decided to reduce or eliminate their exports to the US? We import most of our oil from Canada, Mexico, and Saudi Arabia. If you think the price is high now, what happens when we lose all or part of Saudi Arabia's imports due to some type of geographical instability event?
Reducing our daily consumption in the form of alternative fuels and more efficient autos would go a long way to reducing our exposure. Think it won't happen? Consider this, Iran gets a nuke and is crazy enough to launch it at Israel. Israel responds in kind and them boom, we have a major event in the middle east. Do we believe that Egypt, Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, and Saudi Arabia won't be drawn into the conflict? The political and economic effect will cascade throughout the world.

China as a developing Country. The US is currently the undisputed only Superpower in the world. But that is changing. China is developing economically and militarily. They have the resources and manpower to become a second super power. They are already flexing their muscle behind the Iran controversy and have been supplying the US with cheap goods for years making the US consumer dependent upon those products. China could become a valued ally or an equal super power. We have been pressing for reform in China for decades and it seems those efforts are making progress. Although they have a long way to come to become trusted, they seem to be making the effort to engage the US and the world in meaningful cooperation economically. They compete for the resources with the US and have shown that they realize the future can be one of cooperation between the two countries. Their regime may be oppressive to their population, but that is also giving way. When Nixon went to China he started us down a long road of subtly pressuring them to join the modern world. Unfortunately they are still communist and as such we are unable to trust their leadership. When freedoms are prevalent and they elect a government freely, then China could become a true friend. It goes to show the power of economics when it comes to encouraging change.

Other Countries. We should be concerned about the other countries that lately have tilted to the far left of Democracy and are openly expressing their dislike of the United States. Venezuela, Cuba, Bolivia, and Peru are all countries in our hemisphere that are openly expressing discontent with the US. It's a pattern that is growing lately and if we don't figure out how to counter it we could become more isolated as the years go by. Even Mexico hasn't been as good of a neighbor as usual with the illegal immigrant issue. A good neighbor doesn't tell it citizens to disobey another countries laws or proved them assistance to do so.

So that's my dissertation on why the glass is half empty.
I'll post later why the glass if half full.

And so it goes for the Wings

As so it goes, another hockey season cut short by a younger, faster, more desperate team.
As Edmonton goes on to the next round, the Red Wings return home silently with heads hung low, weary from the weight of our hopes on their shoulders. It has become a pattern in the last few years. The Wings place at the top of their league only to be swept away in the first round of the playoffs. Anyone who said the playoffs are a different game looks quite intelligent right now. Discipline out played by desperation. Puck control passed up by speed. You only have to look at the amount of times an Oiler lay his body into the path of a 100 MPH slapshot to realize who was willing to go the farthest in the quest for Lord Stanleys Cup. As our hearts slow and our thoughts turn to other things to help us forget the season we must remember that they are our Red Wings. We also need to thank them. They gave us a great season, albeit one cut short by a team who gave everything they had to move up.
No sooner had I turned off the TV when I was already thinking of next year and what changes will be made to ensure this bad karma is cured. I can’t imagine Steve Yzerman returning next year. He gave it everything he had, but in the end sheer will was not enough to overcome the challenge he faced. He is and always will be The Captain. Our Captain. His mark will be left on the team for years to come as all other Captains will be measured against his shadow. His leadership will serve as an example of how to lead, and for that we are grateful. We wish it could have been while holding the Cup but it wasn’t meant to be. He has earned his retirement and with it our respect.

So Detroit, what will it be when they return home? A scowl or a cheer? I for one will be cheering them. It’s the least I can do for my Detroit Red Wings.

Let's show them the class they deserve as we look toward next year...

Pork, the other tax.

Social Security, will it be there when I retire? I can tell you I don't plan on expecting it and I would venture to guess that if you asked most employed mid-life people they would say the same thing. I'm trying to make sure that my family's financial future will be secure when I retire. To wait for the government to fix the fiscal hole social security is quickly becoming is a fools gambit. The politicians are too busy figuring out new ways to inject pork projects into must pass bills because they believe that we elect them to swipe as much federal bounty as they can. The funny thing is, I would prefer a congressman who is honest when it comes to federal funds. Who do they think pays for all the pork? We do. So if congressman "Smith" attaches an amendment saying the government is to allot $100 million to measure and compare the amount of methane gas produced by grass fed and grain fed cows in the state of Texas, I still pay for that. Do they really believe that since I live in Texas and they procure that money for this project in my state I will cast my vote in their favor? Not likely. Imagine what could be accomplished if our congressional delegation all had the best interests of the United States as a whole in mind when they make decisions. An elected government representative is an honorable position, it's too bad we haven't elected many honorable people to fill that position.

Immigration

Blogging away

What’s going on in DC on Immigration?


I don’t profess to be a journalist and I readily admit I do not have all of the answers but I find myself asking over and over again why DC is so bogged down making decisions.

Immigration is the soup of the day and it’s become nothing but chicken. Our borders are in need of serious repair and we need a comprehensive solution to illegal immigration while taking into consideration that our economy is affected by the number of workers who cross the border under cover of night to work in this country. I have to ask myself though, if all of these illegal immigrants are taking our jobs why is unemployment at an all time low of 4.7%? The illegal mantra of “Today we March, Tomorrow we vote” may be true but I would like to remind our elected representatives that their constituents vote today. Since our elected representatives are unable to come up with a solution I would like to offer them a plan to get the ball rolling.

1-Enforce the Borders. It seems to me that any other solutions are doomed to fail unless we gain control of our borders. I’m talking Canadian also. We should and will let thousands of people in yearly, but let’s make sure we know who they are, what their intentions will be and if they will able to be a contributing member of this country. Unless we are able to control our borders anything else we do will just bring us back to where we are now.

2-Minimum Wage. The reason illegal immigrants are hired is because they are exploited for wages below the federal minimum. Make sure that any worker is paid according to the law. That means minimum wage. This will allow a decent wage for the immigrants allowed into the U.S. and also make sure job applicants are fairly competitive. If you have two people vying for the same job let the best candidate win. Americans are free to pursue the same job for the same pay.

3-Current Illegal’s. Any illegal immigrant who is here now will be offered the chance to be added to the list for a green card. They will be at the end of the list and must pay a fine for breaking our law (currently a civil infraction) but if they can prove they are steadily employed and contributing to our country in a positive way they can continue to do so. They must also pay taxes according to the law.

4-Join the military. Want to get bumped up on the green card list? Enlist into the United States Military. Complete a normal enlistment and you will be given citizenship upon completion. If you can serve our country, our country should be grateful enough to ensure your residence.

5-Obey the Laws. If you are convicted of any felony you are sent back to where you came. The Statue of Liberty doesn’t say “Give me your convicts”.

6-Be Proud Of the U.S. If you spent numerous days making a trek that would put the cast of survivor to shame and are living in the country you’ve dreamed of, then be proud of this country. Why would anyone come to a country only to criticize and put it down? As Stephen Decatur said, "Our Country, Right or Wrong". At least we have the freedom to be wrong and the opportunity to make it right.

This should allow those who we have elected to represent us to get the ball rolling on how to handle the immigration problems we have at this time. We elected them, we pay them, and now we should demand that they make the tough decisions to ensure the safety and prosperity of our nation. Someone needs to tell Congress they can’t please everyone because I don’t believe they realize it. It could be years before the political posturing provides a real solution.

Battle weary

It's dinnertime. Wifey is working and Connor has a friend over to spend the night and play. Pizza is the dinner time solution for tonight. Connor is a bit of a picky eater but Sara usually eats everything we serve. We have a rule at dinner time though, the kids have to eat at least 2 bites of the main dish. Pizza should be easy but tonight Sara decides she doesn't want any. They've been playing hard all day and I know that hunger will surface if she doesn't eat anything. Playtime can resume as soon as they eat their bites but Sara is getting stubborn. After a few minutes she starts to get cranky so it's time for a time-out. This is a battle I can't afford to lose. We go back and forth with the time-outs for over 40 minutes. Each time-out is only 2-3 minutes because at her age it doesn't serve to make it longer but she is particularly stubborn tonight. I know she likes pizza and breadsticks, she just wants to skip dinner though and go play some more.
After about 30 minutes into it I'm ready to give up but I know I can't. It would come back ten fold later. She really turns it on for me, pulling my heart strings until I think they'll break. The crying, calling Daddy, pouting, kicking her feet and any other thing she thinks will break her out from having to eat first. She knows how close I am to just saying ok and letting her go play. At least it feels like she does. I have to keep telling her that I love her and she needs to eat her dinner first but to no avail. Finally after 40 minutes of going back and forth she agrees to take her 2 bites. We go to the table and she takes the bites. Happily she gets down as if nothing ever happened and runs to the playroom where her brother and his friend are playing. As for me, I need therapy now and a cold beer. Chalk another gray hair up to my 2 year old sweet little girl.

Vacation

Last week the family and I went up to Missouri to visit the in-laws. It was a short visit for wifey and I but the kids get to stay for the week. Needless to say we're taking it worse than the kids. It's too quiet at the house, but at least we take solace in that we are getting some projects done while we can. We called about 7 times that first day. Maybe 3 the next. Today may be 2. Wifey's sister and her family are there so our kids get to spend some quality time with the cousins as well as the grandparents. They'll have a great time. Of course we wouldn't mind a little "we miss you cry" once in a while when talk to them on the phone, at least one that comes from them to us instead of the other way around.
The visit was nice albeit quick. We flew in Friday and returned Tuesday. I think I gained 5 pounds! My mom-in-law is a very good cook. Sometimes a little too good.
We'll go back on next Tuesday to pick them up. Can't wait for that day to come. The silence is killing us!