The World I Want for My Daughters

I agreed to participate in this Blog Carnival in an effort to support The Joyful Heart Foundation. When I first heard about it, I happily jumped at the chance to help. I was thinking it wouldn't be too difficult. I was wrong. I didn't want to wait to the last minute and throw something together so I started early, kind of writing it in my head, but after thinking about this for almost a week now, I have to say, it's harder than I thought it would be.

I wanted to be more profound than "World Peace" and "The End of Racism" but all I can come up with is this:

The world I want for my girls, is a world that I didn't screw up before handing it over to the next generation.

Every vote that I cast, every purchase I make, every can or box I recycle or forget to recycle is making an impact for the world I will leave behind. The world they will grow up in, raise their children in and grow old in.

I want them to find more acceptance, more open mindedness and love along the way. I want to raise them to be aware of these issues and if in that world they can't find these things, I want them to fight to make a change.

I want a world where women are strong, and where our men aren't giving their lives in useless, drawn out wars.

I want a world where the sick can get better, where abused and neglected children can find love. Where all couples can marry, and have or adopt children regardless of their race, or sexual orientation.

I want a world that will be ready for the strong, independent, caring, loving and accepting children I plan to raise.

About this blog carnival: “The world I want for my children” is an effort to support The Joyful Heart Foundation, which was founded by Law & Order: SVU actress Mariska Hargitay to help victims of sexual assault mend their minds, bodies and spirits and reclaim their lives. Today, the foundation is at the forefront of an effort to end a disheartening backlog of tens of thousands of rape kits in labs across the country, a backlog that contributes to a rapist’s 80 percent chance of getting away with his crime. The backlog and its detrimental effects will be the topic of an SVU episode on September 29^th.

Please help us raise awareness for this important work. What kind of world do you want for your children? Write your post and link up here.

The Experiment. Day...... Who the Hell Knows I've Been Watching TV Since Wednesday

So this was a failed experiment. I like to think it's because I picked a really bad week to do this. Sick kids (all 3.) The Munchkin home 2 days from school for said sickness. A huge event that required a massive amount of my time. Me ending up sick by the time the event was over.

All in all, I didn't really watch a ton of tv until Friday. It wasn't because of the conviction I felt for the the experiment, I simply didn't have enough time this week to watch, but on Friday while I was laying on the sofa sick, I lapped it up like it was water from the fountain of youth.

When I pulled up my DVR it was 82% full and I couldn't have been happier.

I guess I do walk away from this failed experiment having learned a little something.

1. I still love tv
2. I need tv for my sanity
3. There are many times in the day when the tv is on for no reason, and I will change that.
4. My children will be having less tv time and it will be more selective.

While this was kind of a fail, walking away making some adjustments makes it somewhat useful... Me thinks.

My New Things - Week 36

I tried another new vegetarian recipe and it was a FAIL. I wanted spaghetti with meat sauce so instead of using hamburger meat, I used some type of soy/protein crumbles. While it looked like regular hamburger and didn’t actually taste bad the texture was just off. Almost mushy. I have texture issues and just couldn’t get past this one. I think I’ll be having my sauce sans meat from here on out.

For more New Things or if you’d like to participate in 52 new things along with BirminghamMommy and many others – please join in by posting your new thing to your blog, facebook or on twitter (use #52newthings) – Also, you can head over to www.willblogforshoes.com to link up every Thursday!

The Experiment Day 2

2 words.

Epic. Fail.

Munchkin had a rough night not feeling well, no one slept because she couldn't breathe through her nose and felt the need for us to be aware of this every 5 seconds. I kept her home from school and my Mom was here to keep the twins. I couldn't possibly leave her here with 3 cranky/sleepy/sick kids and no tv... By 8:45am The Dinosaur Train was rolling on through the house.

After naps the TV stayed off until after the kids bed time and the husband turned it on the bedroom and fell asleep before I did, leaving me getting sucked into back to back episodes of a show I've never see before but am now addicted to. I think it was called "Swords." Very similar to Deadliest Catch.

So all in all, I watched tv and became addicted to a new show... I think I'm going backwards.

The Experiment - Day One

Hmmm, what can I say to describe this void in our daily life so far?

• The screaming children are so much louder and more persistent without the television to distract them or drown them out.
• I thought I would have all the time in the work to do laundry and clean the house, only with screaming children that can't entertain themselves, it's damn near impossible to even take a shit alone (which is a rarity in itself) but can sometimes be done with the assistance of Wonder Pets.
• I am a better Mom when we have the TV in our life. This is not a joke.
• I have nothing to help tune out the snoring husband.

I'm realizing that as much as I love TV and have self diagnosed myself as an addict, I'm just as much a dealer, looking to shoot my children up with the purist form of Blue's Clue's or Sesame Street that I can score. I love my children and as much as I love to sit and read and tell stories and teach colors, I do have shit to do during the day and at this rate nothing is going to get done.

• This experiment is not for the weak.

The No TV For One Week Experiment

This could also be labeled the "I've lost my damn mind experiment" but let's not split hairs..

We (My Husband, Myself and my sister and Brother In law) had a conversation last weekend about how much TV we watch, individually and as a family unit. They don't have kids, we do. We weren't really comparing so much as just generally discussing how much time we waste in front of the tube.

My husband lovingly pointed out that I watch a shit-ton of television. He's right. I didn't argue then and I won't argue it now. I LURVE television. It calls to me... I love getting sucked into ridiculous reality t.v., stupid sitcoms and even bad dramas.

I won't discriminate when it comes to my tv addiction. I'll show you what I mean.

Cupcake Wars? You betcha! The Cake Boss, Ace of Cakes, Top Chef, Hells Kitchen, The Great Food Truck Race? All in my DVR.

The Gates, Vampire Diaries, True Blood? Got it covered.

Days of our Lives? Yep (its the only soap opera I watch.)

Entourage, Weeds, Dexter, The C Word? Watch it , record it, or catch it On-Demand.

Project Runway, Flipping out, Thintervention, and the Real Housewives, ATL, NJ, DC, NY, and Orange County? Sadly, yes.

Greys, Private Practice, Desperate Housewives? Done done and done.....

30 Rock? Won't miss it

Saturday Night Live? A great little slice of comedy heaven to end the week.

I really could go on and on, but there just really isn't enough bloggy space out there for me to cover the depths of my television addiction. For you see, all of the shows mentioned above are most (yes there are more) of what I watch on a regular basis. That does not include the mindless hours I spend flipping through channels and landing on marathons of Hoarders, LA Ink, Jersey Shore (Shoot me, but yes) The Duggars, and the miserable train wreck that is Kate plus 8.

I. Love. Television.

I. Have. A. Problem.

Therefore I have decided to take it out of my life for 1 week. Not a full week mind you, it's football season and come Saturday morning, I will be watching Gameday and every game I can possibly manage to suck up in these precious 12 or so weeks of college football.

Starting tomorrow, well tonight I guess. The television goes off and will not come back on until Gameday on Saturday.

Holy Hell, my kids are going to hate me.

Wordless Wednesday! Tis' the Season

War Damn Eagle!!

My New Thing - Week 35

I volunteered to be Room Mom. This is a task that I have always shied away from, it’s something I wanted to do but didn’t want to over commit and fail my child (and the teachers and other mothers.) When the Munchkin started pre-school the twins were new, only about 5 months old so I had put in my mind that I would do my time as Room Mom once all the kids were in school and I had more time to devote to those little extras. This year there was a need and I agreed. I’ve been assured that it’s mostly just reminding the other Moms via email (which I can rock) who brings goldfish and who drives on the field trips. I can’t speak yet to whether or not I would do it again as I haven’t really done anything yet.

If you have any tips, throw them my way!!

For more New Things or if you’d like to participate in 52 new things along with BirminghamMommy and many others – please join in by posting your new thing to your blog, facebook or on twitter (use #52newthings) – Also, you can head over to www.willblogforshoes.com to link up every Thursday!

And Then There Were Two!

The Munchkin started school today. This is the first year where she will be going 5 days a week, still not Kindergarten, it's pre-school and half days, but it's everyday.

She's ecstatic, I think getting up and having everyone ready and out of the house on time 5 days a week is going to suck. The school is 5 minutes from the house. It takes longer than that to load the twinlets into the car. I hate mornings.

** Go ahead and submit this post to this site


Anyway. Not that I'm glad to have the Munchkin gone but my day was so much easier. I learned that I can actually manage the twins. In Target. Without a tranquilizer gun. We ran errands all day and they were angels. I almost wondered what happened to my children.

They listened, they cooperated and they didn't screech. I think this time alone with them is going to be so beneficial. Plus it's so sweet to see them excited to go get Munchkin from school.

It's going to be a good year!