Today is election day. Like everyone else in America, I think I will breathe a sigh of relief tomorrow when it's all over, regardless of the outcome. I finally got my first political survey call a few weeks ago. Since we dropped our landline a few years ago, we've gotten very, very political calls. I'm sure that will change, eventually, though! I have no idea if this was a genuine survey or if the person was working for one party or the other. However I was amused/dismayed/shocked when the poller asked, "Are you planning to vote for the Obama/Bidden ticket?" And then later, she asked, "Do you consider yourself to be Muslim, Jewish, or Protest-ant? I so badly wanted to say something to her along the lines of "Ask your employer to hire someone with at least a 3rd grade education next time!" I didn't, but I was rolling my eyeballs. And just think, she probably voted, too! I just read a great quote by Winston Churchill last weekend (so great that I had to put it up on our city sign) - "The best argument against democracy is a five minute conversation with the average voter." Isn't that the truth?! Scary!
Will came home from his classes today, somewhat disgusted. He has a student teacher in his psych class that he just loves (her teaching style, that is). But she told the class that she voted for Obama - not out of conviction, but just because she's a registered Democrat and she thought it would cost too much to change her party affiliation. Um, hello? Will said he was disgusted with her ignorance that he had a hard time to listening to anything else she had to say for the rest of the class period!
We will all be definitely voting for the Romney ticket tonight. It isn't that I like Romney, per se. In fact, he was probably the last candidate that I hoped would get the Republican nomination. But, it's a vote against Obama, who is the worst president we've ever had (even worse than Harding, Johnson, or Carter, I believe). Now, I don't know if this is the "most important election of my lifetime" as I've heard so many assert, but I believe it's important that I vote practically. Voting for a 3rd party candidate or refusing to vote at all because there are no candidates that totally line up with my Biblical beliefs is just plain dumb. This is the way the system works. There are two main parties and one of them is going to win. Do you want to throw your vote away or do you want to throw your vote toward the candidate who will do the least amount of damage? I know there are some who will vehemently disagree with me, but they can go suck on their sour grapes. It's time to be practical, folks - not idealistic. All that said, if Obama does get in, I will be sad, I think, but not distraught. I have no doubt that I will see my beloved country turn into a socialist nation during my lifetime. I don't want to be a "well, what can you do?" type of person and just acede to the inevitable. It's going to happen with me kicking and screaming all the way. But the handwriting is on the wall and it's just a matter of a few generations, I believe. Tell me I'm wrong - please! But I don't think so. Not this time.
Ok, onto more cheerful things: Paul got an unexpected raise last week of .75. Well, they're always unexpected to me because I forget every year that they do reviews in the fall! Paul got a pretty good raise last year, so he was not expecting much of anything this year. So, it was a pleasant surprise. One of his bosses is adopted and has talked to him a few times about how wonderful what we're doing is. Paul wonders if that might have played into the decision of his raise! Maybe they feel sorry for him, having to support six kids now!
We had parent-teacher conferences last week. I ended up having to go both nights in order to talk to all the teachers that I needed to. I sure got my exercise, trotting all over that school, from one end to the other. Will's teachers had nothing but praise for him. His psych teacher told me that Will is the type of kid who will be able to "do anything he wants with life and go anywhere he pleases" because of his excellent work ethic and personality. His speech teacher told me she wished she could "clone" Will! Well, I sense a little bit of motherly pride coming on!
I found out Ben has been moved to a Level "2." I had really mixed feelings about that. Level 3 is what he used to be. That's the most disabled student level. Well, he's done so well in his testing that the state insisted he be moved down a level, which means they don't have to pay his school as much money. I was really irritated that the school never bothered to inform me of this. I am concerned that at some point they will try to remove Ben's full-time aide as a result. I mentioned this to his life skills teacher and he admitted that that might be an issue, esp. as Ben gets older. They will have a fight on their hands if that is the case! But on the happy side of things, I had one of Ben's teachers (his Geography teacher, a regular 9th grade class that Ben is in) look at me and tell me, "I hope you realize just how loved Ben is by all the students and staff here." Oh, that just warms my heart! If you remember my anguished postings 3 years ago when we were trying to decide whether or not to send Ben to school, that was my number one concern, that Ben would be bullied because of his disabilities. Instead, he seems to be very appreciated by everybody. I think some of it is that he has such a sunny personality. Despite being autistic, he is really an "outward" focused person. That's unusual with autism.
Our neighbor got arrested! Well, technically, she's not our neighbor, as in next-door. She lives one street down. Actually, she's a nice lady. She has been very interested in our girls and has been bringing me clothes all summer long for all 3 of the Littles. She doesn't work and spends her time scouring thrift stores and garage sales. She would never take money for any of it, either. I have long suspected she's a prescription drug addict, from things I observed and things I was told by others. So, I was cautious around her, but friendly. I didn't have any problem inviting her into the house when she'd come over with another armload of clothes. Granted, she would always ask to use my bathroom and I knew she was probably hunting for drugs in there. But we don't keep any in the bathroom. If she needed to steal some razors or lotions, then so be it. She didn't, I don't think! But she did steal drugs and money from some people in Pleasantville who pressed charges. According to the news, she's facing 10 years in prison now. Yikes! She needs help; I don't know that prison will necessarily get her the help she needs, although I suppose it will dry her out (do you "dry out" from drugs or is that just alcohol?). I'll never forget this summer when she looked at me and said, "Your family just has something. I'm not sure what it is, but you guys are differernt. I like that!" I suppose I should have seized the opportunity then to share Christ with her, but I didn't . I think I'll always regret that.
Our baby is showing us that she is definitely a toddler now. Yesterday I was so impressed by her. A little scared, but impressed nontheless. I have a retro 1950s stool in my kitchen. It's a heavy thing. It's got those two steps that fold up under the vinyl seat. I normally keep it over by the fridge. That child not only managed to turn the stool around, but she alternately pushed and pulled it a distance of about 8 feet over to the center of the counter. And that floor is rough. Part of it is linoleum and part is just plywood (although Paul did just buy new laminate flooring on Sat - yay!). She then climbed up the stool, stood on it, casually reached into the fruit bowl, pulled out the last apple, and ate 3/4 of it! She did it all so casually and matter-of-fact, like it's a perfectly normal thing for just-turned 16 month olds to move furniture and help themselves to fruit! Her big thing is also the dishwasher. She has loved the dishwasher since we got her. But lately, whenever she sees that someone has it open to be unloaded, she will scurry over and start pulling out the silverware and dishes and then hand them to whoever happens to be standing nearby so they can put them away! It's cute but we've learned to get the sharp knives put away as soon as that door comes open!
Well. that's all for now - probably all for a couple of weeks. We found out yesterday that Ben has been asked to carry a flag in the Bowling Championship's opening ceremonies. That's so cool because it will also be his 16th birthday. That should be a fun day!
I think I need more drugs. I've had a sinus/cold thing for the last week and a half. It has settled in my voice which my kids think is hilarious because I sound like Barry White. But it's also giving me tremendous sinus pressure which causes migraine-like pain in my poor head. So, off to find more drugs (legally, that is)!
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