If The Internet Ended Tomorrow

**Do not be alarmed fair readers, the following post is my true hearts feelings regarding a fictional situation and it is my entry in the Mabel's Labels BlogHer '10 Contest.**

As you know, the electrical storms in the forecast for tomorrow may very well destroy the internet and it’s probable there will be no way to repair the damage that will be done.  Should we never again connect I just want to share a few things with you.

I have loved writing on my blogs and sharing a little bit about myself and my life with the great abyss that is the internet in hopes of connecting with a few of you surfing out there among the bytes.  My blog began as a way to express myself and continued because you cared enough to read my words and share my stories.  Thank you for reading.

For those of you that I have come to know and befriend in this wonderful cyber world; know that your companionship, support, and friendship will be missed and mourned as if you are gone from this world forever.  I will never forget the various things I was taught, the stories I have read, and the people I got to know.  My days will be empty without the inspiration from your blogs and the entertainment from your tweets.

As we have little time left in the cyber world, I would like to extend an offer to anyone who wishes to participate.  I will continue to write the old fashion (or in this case the new old fashion way) with pen and paper.  I will purchase rolls of stamps and anyone who would like to stay in touch email me as soon as possible with your address and I will write to you as often as possible. 

May you all have long, happy, healthy lives!  I will miss you so very much.

Mom's Don't Get Sick Time

Something I have learned since becoming a mom is that mom's do not get sick time.  You don't feel well?  Tough lucky mommy!  You still have to take care of your kid, do dishes and laundry, fix meals, take out the stinky trash, make sure the bills get paid on times, and in some cases like mine still get to your full time job and be productive.

Oh, did I leave out a few dozen things on that to-do list?  Well tough luck...I'm sick remember!

So how is this fair?  Moms take care of everything!  Shouldn't there be someone to come and take care of them once in a while?

I would like to vote into exsitance a house cleaning fairy that comes to your house when you are sick and magically makes it clean and shiny so you can focus on my important things like getting well!  She could look like Giada De Laurentiis except mini and with wings, organize like Martha Stewart but with a magic wand shaped like a toilet brush, and kick cleaning butt like Mr. Clean on steroids and speed. 

Doesn't that sound like a good idea?

You can't tell me that the Tooth Fairy and the Easter Bunny wouldn't mind another one at the table during staff parties and whatever they do when they are not being all magical.

Blended Society

My son has this one particular toy and the way in which he plays with it amuses me to no end.  It is a toy blender that blends blocks of different shapes and colors while it, of course, sings ridiculous songs along the way. 

Those blocks are currently no where to be found, so my son has decided to put all of his Little People in the blender instead.  Little People of various persuasions; male, female, black, white, young, old.  He puts all those different types of Little People in that blender and blends them up.

What a great way to illustrate that while we are all different we share the same space on this earth and thus, blended up, we are all the same.

He has no idea how profound that Little People filled blender actually is.

Haiti

I recently heard an argument that the USA should not be sending money to help the victims of the earthquake in Haiti.  The person gave the following rational: the USA didn't get tons of money for Hurricane Katrina victims, and this countries economy is bad and we could use that money here, for example in Detroit to rebuild the city. 

I was pretty upset inside by this rational, but everyone is entitled to their own opinions so I kept my mouth shut.  However, I feel that a little education on the magnitude of this disaster is important so we all understand why Haiti needs the help so badly.

The earthquake in Haiti has resulted in more than 200,000 people confirmed dead and the death toll grand total is expected to be between 240,000 to 400,000.  That is HALF the population of Detroit, MI!  1.2 million people in Haiti are homeless, hospital-less, school-less...they lost everything.

Meanwhile Hurricane Katrina resulting in 2000 people either dead or missing.  The USA was able to assist itself in recovery and rebuilding because only a very small fraction of our country was destroyed.  It was devastating yes, but a drop in the bucket when compared to Haiti's disaster.  

The population of Port-au-Prince Haiti is about 1.1 million (facts from Wikipedia) and the cities size is about 14.7 sq. miles.  By comparison Detroit, MI has just over 900,000 population in 143.0 sq. miles.

Imagine the entire population of Detroit crammed into 1/10 of the city and that 1/10 of the city was completely destroyed and there was no way for the survivors to access the remaining 9/10 of the city.  Now imagine that everywhere you looked their were dead people and destroyed buildings.  Your friends, family and neighbors were just gone, as is every building as far as the eye can see.  That is what the people of Haiti are dealing with every day now.  They have no hospitals, they have nowhere to turn for shelter, and they have no way to help themselves.


I for one am devastated for the people of Haiti.  The USA is still rebuilding years after Hurricane Katrina...just imagine how many decades it is going to take Haiti to rebuild if they are lucky enough to get the help they so badly need to do so.

Life List: Herb Garden

One of the things on my lift list was to grow my own herb garden to flavor up our foods the all natural way.  So to get the ball rolling I asked for an herb garden for Christmas.  I was so graciously gifted with a Chia Herb Garden from my wonderful mother-in-law. 

Eager to check something off my life list I busted out the Chia growing sponges and picked from the seed packet options cilantro, dill and basil. 

After about two weeks it became pretty clear that the dill was simply not going to grow.  So I cleared out the sponge (which I still can't understand how a sponge is better than good old dirt, but that is besides the point.) I clean off the sponge and replanted with chives. 

Another two weeks go by and I have a pot of dead cilantro, basil with a funny looking white webbing all over it (spider mites?), and one single shoot of chives.

I still have hope for the basil and chives but I think that this little venture is turning out to be a gardening fail.

Perhaps this spring I will try again with real dirt and see what happens.

At least I checked something off my list, even if it was a complete waste of effort and Chia growing sponge material. 

Guard Dog Fail

Our dog is no guard dog.  He's too lazy!

I got home from work on my lunch break around 12:30pm today.  Opened the front door.  Closed and locked the front door.  Said "Hi Mason!" loud enough anyone in the house could have heard it.  Placed my coat on the back of a chair and tossed my keys on the table with a little extra gusto.   

At the sound of my keys slamming onto the table my lazy dog finally wakes up, lifts his heavy head and looks at me.  The sleepy look in his eyes said, "Oh, it's you.  Why am I awake?"

No barking.  No sniffing.  Not a care in the world.

Lazy dog.  Good thing he's cute. 

Big Boy Bed

My little boy has a big boy bed!  (Our dog Mason is modeling said bed in the photo above since my son can't sit still long enough for a picture these days.)  I can't believe that it is already time to put this kid in a actual bed; he is only one and a half!

It all started about a month ago when I put Ian into his pack n' play while I put laundry away.  I turned around to find him digging his feet into the mesh sides of the play pen climbing his way to the top.  He would have swung that leg over the top if I had not scooped him up.

Knowing that he was climbing and now seeing that he had the desire to climb out of his enclousers we knew that it was time to do away with the crib.

Our crib had the option to remove the side rail and replace it with a smaller bar to turn it into the toddler bed.  It was our plan to do this until I got nervous that it would still be too high of a fall if he fell from bed.  So we opted for the mattress set on the floor.

Two nights in the big boy bed, I have only had to get up once to settle him back to sleep in the night.  Both mornings since he has been in his new bed he woke up around 5:30am.  In the intrest of my getting to sleep a little longer I brought him back to bed with me for snuggles until it was a more appropriate time to get up.

I am trilled with our progress so far.

Way to go my big boy!