Another Lilyism.....

Ok - so Lily was sick a few weeks ago and we had to stay home from church because Shane was preaching somewhere and it was just me and the kids. The kids were talking later about it and Kelvey told someone we stayed home because of Lily's health. Lily sort of looked at Kelvey and said in this questioning voice - "It was about my health? I thought it was because I was sick." Kelvey was practically rolling on the ground - she couldn't stop telling people what her cute little sis said. :)

Adventures at Adventureland

Well, to make a long story short - our weekend plans ran the gamut from Minnesota to the Amana Colonies and ended up in good ole' Des Moines (o.k. - really Altoona but who cares?). Our budget decided that we better stay home instead - so we found a good coupon in the paper and took the whole gang to Adventureland for the day. It was a perfect day for it - warm but with a breeze and even though it was crowded we had a great time. There was also no pukage involved which made it a really super-duper extra special time!
We saw some friends there too and got to hang out with them as well which was way cool! The kids thought it was awesome and (as a little bonus) we discovered that Kelvey has a very distinctive scream that can be heard quite clearly over and above the noise of the crowd. Glad I wasn't the one sitting next to her on the Star Shoot! :)

No Common Sense in Colorado either...

Ok - this is just a follow-up to my Common Sense blog/rant the other day. These are headlines from Fox News today:

• Florida Man Gets 1 Month in Jail for Posting Nude Photo of Underage Ex-Girlfriend on MySpace
• Cops: Austrian Teen Killed, Ate Roommate in Homeless Shelter
• Woman Gives Birth in McDonald's Restroom, Tries to Flush Baby Down Toilet
• Rabies Survivor Viewed as 'Medical Marvel'
• Shrimp Boat Cook Gives Birth 30 Miles Off Shore; Captain Delivers Baby
• Cops ID Boy Abandoned by Fleeing Shoplifter at Oklahoma City Wal-Mart
• Oklahoma Cops Try to ID Boy Abandoned at Wal-Mart by Fleeing Shoplifter
• Colorado Springs School Bans Tag on Playground, Citing Conflicts
• Hillary Clinton Campaign Donates Fugitive Contributor's Money to Charity
• Report: 6 Face Firing in Michigan Police Sex Scandal
• Florida Mom Charged in Bathtub Drowning Death of 9-Month-Old Son
• Champion Bulldog at Center of Pennsylvania Neuter Case
• Owen Wilson Drops Out of Movie Amid Report That He Was Hooked on Drugs
• Witness: Hulk Hogan's Son Nick Was Racing Another Car Before Crash

Basically several schools in Colorado have "outlawed" tag because children were being chased without their consent. Yes, that's really what happened - I couldn't make up anything this stupid. A simple - "Knock it off!" couldn't possibly do! Anyway, I was just struck with how pathetic you must be when all this other crap is going on in the world and your child being chased in a game of tag is a big issue for you. I thought the headlines were a perfect illustration of the utter stupidity of this whole movement! By the way, they did acknowledge that a few parents have objected - all I can say is - WAY TO GO!!!!!!!! Keep on standing up for common sense in a world with very little!

Pictures to make Shane cry and Tiffanie proud

I almost had forgotten about these pictures that were taken at the Iowa State Fair. Morgan isn't here because he said "I'm a Hawkeye Fan and there's no way I'm taking a picture with Cy!" I tried to use my reverse psychology on him but it failed miserably. :( Kelvey wasn't excited about taking a pic with Cy either but after I told her it would drive her dad crazy - she was all for it. Tweens, ya' gotta love 'em.

Oh Common Sense, Wherefore art thou????

OK - so I was perusing a local school's website the other day when I ran across this playground rule that made my head want to explode: "There will be NO chasing or tag games on the equipment, on the field, or on the blacktop. NO PHYSICAL CONTACT OF ANY KIND IS ALLOWED ON THE PLAYGROUND." The emphasis is not mine - this is exactly what it says.

SAY WHAT?????? There are few things that make me angrier than this whole move to strip children of their childhood one little piece at a time under the guise of safety or educational issues. Don't even get me started on my major pet-peeve - "all-day kindergarten" but this is right up there. There are even schools out there that have had the gall to cancel recess all together. What is wrong with allowing kids to be kids - do we really have to turn them into miniature adults as early as age 5?

I get so much joy watching my kids, for example, at homeschool tumbling, running around, and even (gasp) chasing and playing tag with their friends - a.k.a. ACTING LIKE CHILDREN!!!!! I think it's awesome when all the boys in Mo's class gather under the trees with their light sabers and have their miniature versions of the Luke and Darth Vader moments. That is what kids should be doing - and for heaven's sake - NO PHYSICAL CONTACT? What is it - a school or a prison? These aren't hardened criminals, these are children, children with energy to burn. Is there no common sense in making these rules? The bigger question for me is why any parent would put up with them. I wouldn't let my kid near a school that was hell-bent on stripping my kid of all things child-like. It's ridiculous and way over the top - it's zero-tolerance for the playground. Unfortunately, zero-tolerance is often the result of zero common sense adding up to 100% stupidity. It's enough to make me scream!!!!

For myself, this is simply another reminder of why we homeschool!

An Iowa afternoon...

So we had a great afternoon today in downtown Des Moines. We decided to talk a walk down by the river because it is running so high with the flooding upriver. It is really high - of course, not nearly as high as in '93 but pretty dang high - and it is moving way fast. The huge amount of debris in it is amazing too.

We went down to the Simon Estes Outdoor Amphitheater next to the river. Behind the stage area there are stairs that go right down to the edge of the river on each side with a path inbetween. It is covered with water up to the 2nd step from the top. Unbelievable, another rain and it will be up onto the stage area. Craziness!

We also had a lovely time at the Ice Cream Social at Brenton Plaza - the new outdoor ice skating place they built last year. They had live music and free ice cream. There was a slight breeze blowing and it was just perfect. What a great day for it. We hadn't realized they did this but we may make it a regular Sunday thing. It was too much fun!

So there, if you thought Des Moines wasn't exactly the most happening place - well, you're right - while it isn't the most happening place - you can always find something fun to do!

More Lupron drama...

Well, we did the whole Lupron shot thing again today. It only took two nurses and myself to accomplish the magic feat of giving Lil her shot. Even though that sounds bad, it actually went better than last time! Yeah, a little progress is a good thing! Yippee skippy! Maybe by the time she is finished with the shots she won't be afraid. :)

Sooooo Lily! :)

One thing everyone knows about Lily - she is a talker! She will fill you in on all the details of her life whether you want her to or not. She just keeps on talking! Anyway, Kelvey told me this story today and it so perfectly captures Lily - I had to pass it on.

The kids and Shane were up at Russ & Sonja's (see my post about the McDonald's and you'll understand). Sonja is from Germany and her mother and sisters live there but come visit often. Anyway, her mother doesn't speak much English. But does this bother Lily - NO WAY! Apparently, Lily was chattering on and on to Sonja's mom out on the porch just like always. Kelvey was out there too. Kelvey said at one point she turned to her and just shrugged - like I have no idea what she's saying but she just keeps talking. I could so totally see it and it made me laugh so hard. It is just such a perfect Lily story - my little motormouth! Gotta love her!