Memorial Day: Rant of a Patriot

Anyone who knows me can tell you that I'm a bit of a die-hard patriot. I suppose I can't help it; it's in my blood. I come from a long line of patriots, not "in name only", but those who truly meant it. My grandfather and his brothers had a combined 119 years of active duty (and another 31 years of reserve) between the 5 of them! As I said, it's in my blood.

As my brother so aptly stated, "My family has always grasped the fact that somebody's loved one has to put it all on the line. Our mothers do not shrink at the thought that it could be their boy who does not come home, so long as it is either ‘return with honor' or ‘die with valor.'"

Some people spout nonsense about patriotism, calling it "a form of pride", "brainwashing", and "mind-numbing, unquestioning loyalty". Have they ever actually looked up a definition for patriotism?

Others say we are intolerant and "people in other countries are just as precious as people here". That was never the issue! No one is saying that Americans are better PEOPLE. We're saying that America is one of the greatest nations ever. It's not one-upmanship, it's gratitude.

Why is it that celebrities who spout anti-American drivel continue to reside here, work here, and enjoy the freedoms provided here? If they hate it so much, why don't they move elsewhere? (Sean Penn, Alec Baldwin, I'm talking to you! Jane Fonda, I will continue to boycott your films for the rest of my life!) Why do they think that their so-called acting skills qualify them to be political analysts? Of course they're entitled to their opinion, but can any of them even name a Constitutional amendment, or the Secretary of State? I doubt it. In a true debate, these folks would be smeared mightily from one end of the room to the other, because they don't have a grasp of reality.

And if this country is so awful, why are there so many immigrants desperately trying to come here? But I digress...

Memorial Day has had me on this line of thought, and I have always been determined to instill the same sense of pride and responsibility for our nation in the hearts of my children. (Which is why I subject them to these things on days like Memorial Day: "Our Troops" and "If I Die Before You Wake". Also check out fabulous quotes about freedom and America from LDS prophets and a great article by Gordon B. Hinckley "War and Peace"). Support our troops... wherever they are.

Recently, a friend of mine mentioned the book "How To Raise an American: 1776 Fun and Easy Tools, Tips, and Activities to Help Your Child Love This Country". (Thank you, Tricia!) I bought a copy and, though I haven't finished it yet, I'm hooked!! It even mentions one of my favorite orgs, "Soldiers' Angels".

I tried to recall my history classes and, sad to say, most of them were just garbage -- regurgitated for tests and promptly forgotten. I always thought history was BORING... because I didn't know real history. I knew useless dates, faceless names, taught in a confusing context that I couldn't comprehend. I began thinking about powerful historical events that have occurred just in my lifetime – not only 9/11, but even back to the Challenger explosion, the end of the Cold War, the fall of the Berlin wall. Remembering how I felt at those moments made me realize THAT is what history is about - connecting emotions to an event to help us realize why it occurred and what it means.

Most schools aren't going to do that for our children (if they bother to teach history at all). Some even label America "the enemy". Ah, the devil's a sly one! But this book is inspiring me with the ways and means to teach my children the TRUTH.

Princess and the Pea

Princess got her first foot cast a few days ago, and it has been a hard transition for all of us. She cried the entire first day. Much like "The Princess and the Pea", she just can't get comfortable.

She has since figured out how to get around with the cast, but she tires quickly and then gets very frustrated. She had been pulling herself up on things and is now unable to do so because the foot isn't set in a flat position that can sustain her balance. That doesn't really improve her mood either.

I thought the docs would start slowly, but they really twisted that foot significantly. See how it looks upside down or backwards? I'd be grumpy too!

Mother's Day Musings

I was very amused by the card that Monkey #2 presented to me for Mother's Day. His teacher had created a list and he was supposed to fill in the blanks about me.
I couldn't help but crack up when I got to the 4th line down:


I think that's a compliment??
Then came the part that reminds me why I put up with him...

(For those who need a translation, it says: "Dear mom, I love you so much. I wish I lived with you forever.")

Okay, everybody say it with me... Awwwww!

A Smokin' Birthday Party

Yesterday was Monkey #2's 7th birthday, and he had requested a Volcano Cake. He envisioned strawberry syrup erupting from the center. I spent days agonizing over the science of it all, and although I could certainly make it "erupt", it was not with any ingredients that I would want flowing over my chocolate cake. (Mmmm, baking soda and vinegar cake, anyone? How about sugar and sulfuric acid? No? Perhaps yeast and hydrogen peroxide? Yum!)

Finally, I decided that if the volcano just emitted "smoke", that would hopefully appease him. I worried that he would be terribly disappointed.

Making the cake was fun! As I stacked each layer (two 9-inch rounds and a Bundt), I poked holes all over with a fork and drizzled caramel syrup to soak in, then frosted each layer with caramel frosting. I cut down into the center until I could fit in a small plastic cup at the bottom, out of sight. Warm chocolate frosting was poured over the cake so that it dripped down the sides and coated them. Add some red and orange decorating gel "lava", green-tinted coconut for grass, and a package of dollar store dinos, and the mood was set!

We put dry ice into the hidden cup and lit the candles. As we carried it to the table singing "Happy Birthday", we poured some water into the cup and POOF! Beautiful billowing plumes erupted from the center.

Birthday Boy's eyes became huge and his jaw fell open. He was so transfixed that we had to remind him - twice - to blow out his candles. Then he and his brothers wouldn't let me cut the cake -- they wanted to do it all again!

As he went to bed, Birthday Boy declared it "the best birthday ever". Monkey #1 chimed in with, "Yeah, that was way cool. I can't wait to see what you come up with for MY birthday!"

(Mom groans and smacks her forehead)

Strawberry Fields Forever

We actually got to harvest something from the garden... a miracle for us. I think it was because I stayed far away from the strawberry patch and let CJ (aka Monkey #3) take care of it on his own. He was delighted to find a lovely red strawberry ripe for the pickin', which he ate immediately and declared "dee-wish-ous!"

I went to Home Depot and asked their "garden specialist" about fire ants in the vegetable garden. He handed me a bag of Amdro.

I handed it back and said, "You can't put that on a vegetable garden!"

He looked surprised and then read the back of the bag. "Oh, you're right," he said. Then, after much thought, he announced that there was no hope for us and all we can do is sacrifice the veggies, kill the ants by dumping this poison all over the soil, and start over.

I repeated, "I don't want this stuff on my soil!"

"It's okay as long as you don't have food growing in it yet," he insisted.

I asked, "What about insecticidal soap, orange oil, stuff like that?"

"That won't work at all," he huffed dismissively.

Finally, I gave up and fled, leaving the so-called "specialist" far behind.

Don't get me wrong - I'm all for using these poisons in the right places at the right times. But did that "expert" really believe that the soil was somehow going to magically purge itself of chemicals once the crops started growing? Here, kids, have some hydramethylnon... it's highly toxic and a probable carcinogen, so eat up!

Orthopedic Appointment

We had our first appointment with the pediatric orthopedist today, and it looks like we have a long journey ahead of us. Princess's spine is actually curved at 42 degrees, and rotated as well. It's in the thoraco-lumbar area, which is basically just saying it is between the thoracic and lumbar areas of the spine. Doc said this is a rare place for the curve to be (most infantile curves are strictly thoracic) and, to make the case even more "interesting", her scoliosis is not congenital. They have no idea what caused it. So technically she has "idiopathic infantile thoraco-lumbar scoliosis".

Doc also mentioned that, in his 20 years of work, he can count on less than two hands the number of patients he has seen who had conditions like this one. In other words, we're stepping into a gray area where there is going to be plenty of speculation and theorization, and very few statistics or case studies to go on.
As if that weren't enough, she also has "Metatarsus adductus" of her right foot, where the front of the foot is bent inward toward the body, creating a bean shape. She will be getting her first cast for that next week, and the casts will be changed weekly thereafter for a while.

In two weeks, we will be meeting with another orthopedist who specializes in a particular casting technique which is most likely to help Princess's spinal situation. They are going to try to keep her out of surgery for as long as possible, but I got the impression that they believe surgery will eventually be inevitable. They just hope to wait until she has grown as much as possible before they start fusing her spine.