Gobbles and Gluttonies

I saw Chris Rock do a stand-up one time on all-you-can-eat buffets, and how only in America do you ever hear the phrase "All You Can Eat." I was thinking of that yesterday at my sister's, who hosted Thanksgiving for the first time, and how because of deaths and divorces our crowd was "smaller" this year (only 12 people instead of like 22) and so mom only made three desserts (instead of like 22). Geez louise, we still ate so much I almost made Skylar drive home--lol-- you know you're full when the snaps on your jeans and the steering wheel are BOTH in the way of your stomach and you're NOT months away from delivering a baby. And I'm not embarrassed to say it here cuz I know I"m not the only one :)

So Happy Turkey Day a day late, and happy shopping! Go be patriotic and shop for things we don't need!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1

A Spoonful of Sugar Helps the Medicine Go Down...

I. Hate. American Medicine. Hannah has been fighting increasingly severe headaches for about two weeks now. Long story short she went to the school nurse and we've ruled out eye trouble or sinus trouble. So I have two choices in my arsenal, wonderful Dr. McGuckin who's our naturopath that keeps us healthy on a day-to-day basis, and wonderful Dr. Raelson who's our western medicine doctor who helps us the big stuff. Except the big stuff happens rarely, so we don't see Dr. Raelson that often...and when I called his office today to try to get Hannah in I had to talk to FOUR gatekeepers who gave me the third degree about not having a pediatrician, not visiting the doctor for well-child visits, not vaccinating, etc. The thing is Dr. Raelson himself knows my philosophies and basically laughs at me, stating "We'll just have to agree to disagree." Meanwhile he loves me and my kids and has never had a problem treating us. It's the 16 other people I have to get through first that give me the hassle! Just let me talk to my flippin doctor!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! As of right now I've been on and off the phone for two hours between the school and three calls back and forth to Raelson's office, and still no appointment... maybe if I'd just be a good girl and do what I'm told without asking anything they'd make it easier on me....

Freecycle

Our good friend E has gotten me hooked on Freecycle. For those of you who don't know what that is, type in Freecycle.com and then go to your ZIP code. It's a Yahoo group so you'll have to make a password if you don't already have any kind of a Yahoo account, but then you get to participate in this cool online free garage sale. Well I've been doing it for awhile and I get email alerts whenever something new is posted (like 40 a day, but fun not spam!) Well. Today there were like 5-6 asking for used toys for their kids for Christmas. Y O U G U Y S. I know Christmas will be tight this year for all of us, but omg that broke my heart. One was asking for books, one was asking for snowpants, one was asking for gently used toys for three kids, one was a grandma who just got custody of her grandkids and needs Christmas presents, etc. So I'm going home tonight and going through the Barbies we don't play with, the baby dolls we have doubles of, the Dora books we don't read anymore, and last years snowpants. We may not have money but you know what, we've got STUFF. More stuff than we need! And to pass that stuff on to people who really DO need it...especially with winter coming...makes me cry!!!!

Yay Freecycle!!!!!!!!

Divison of Labor

And I don't mean labor like baby labor, although that feat alone should excuse all women from any other kind of work in my opinion:) No, I mean the labor around your house. As a single mom I do everything from laundry to climbing on the roof cleaning the gutters. Most married SAHMs I know, since they work in the home, do the work of the home: laundry, food prep, scrubbing floors, etc; but many of them also mow the grass and clean the garage. I also know several hubbies who work outside the home but cook many of the family meals. So our generation definitely has a crossover, which I think is GREAT. But. I have a grampa and grampa who've been married 55 years, and he doesn't know how to do laundry. In 55 years the man has NEVER. DONE. LAUNDRY. He doesn't know how to put a tv dinner into a preheated oven. She doesn't know how to work a checkbook. She's never mowed the lawn, and she's pretty much not even ALLOWED in the garage:) Their division is very very rigid...but they've been married forever and so it has obviously worked for them. Do you guys think there's a right or wrong way? Or does it just vary from family to family? Should each person just go by their strengths rather than their gender? What if their partner disagrees?

Voting Virgin

Ok ok ok...now that November 4th has arrived and I went and voted this morning I'll admit it to the world. Or at least my good friends who read this blog:) I've never voted before!!!!!! ISN'T THAT AWFUL? But I did today, and it was sooooo fun you guys. Just feeling like I'm a part of something so much bigger. Regardless of who we vote for there's such a unity, standing in line with fellow citizens, preparing to color in the little circles. And this year it's exciting because of something I heard George Stephanopolis say: whether a woman wins vice-president or a black man wins president, there's this feeling in all of us that wow, maybe the American Dream really is real. Maybe when I tell my 8 year old daughter she can be president someday I can say it without crossing my fingers behind my back. Maybe the desire to vote and be a citizen of the best country in the world isn't dead. Maybe my generation is patriotic after all. Maybe maybe maybe! I'll be glued to the news tonight!!!!!!!!!!!!!