Hatching Chicks

The kids are on Spring Break this week, and my sister-in-law, Heidi, is in town with some of her family. So today we headed to the Oglethorpe Mall to visit the Chick Hatchery. Anna and Will were so excited to see the little freshly-hatched chicks - as they love all animal babies - and even got to hold them. Evan liked the little chicks, too, but I kept him at a distance for the protection of the chicks, of course! They had incubators there with brown eggs ready to hatch, but unfortunately we didn't see anyone breaking through their shells.

After visiting the chicks, we whiled away some time at the mall... a little playtime at the Soft Play area, a visit to the children's section of Barnes and Noble to look at books and play with trains, then climbing on the rides at the Food Court (Anna and Will still enjoy the "rides" without money in them!). There's a carousel in the Food Court now, which we decided save for another day.

It made for a nice outing, followed up with a beautiful afternoon for playing at the neighborhood park. I love springtime!

Jesus a Democrat?

Sometimes, driving down the road, I'll see a bumper sticker that says Jesus was a Democrat or something to that effect. The passage of the healthcare entitlement program has brought this to mind again. I guess the bumper sticker people make their claim based on Jesus' compassion towards the poor, the sick, etc. But I think they are missing the point - either by honest ignorance or blatant disregard. Jesus never advocated that the government do anything to help people. He wasn't about earthly government. Jesus wanted his followers to give and help others out of a joyful heart and to honor him. He did not assert that government should require the masses to fork over their money to be redistributed it to others. Jesus even stated that we would always have the poor among us - there will be no utopia on earth, people. Government can't do it. If the "giving" is required, it's not really giving, is it? How joyfully do you pay your taxes? Would anyone say you are generous because you pay your taxes? Yes, we should pay our taxes honestly because it's the right thing to do. But Jesus was about the heart - give joyfully, give freely, show compassion, serve others. If anything, it seems government redistribution of wealth makes the heart grow cold as it lets us off the hook (while simultaneously demoralizing the taxed). It's not our responsibility to take care of others anymore since the government does it through our taxes and programs. The government gains more and more control; people grow more and more dependent. That doesn't sound like freedom to me. It sounds more like slavery. Somehow I'm guessing that's not the angle Jesus would take.

Census 2010

I filled out our 2010 Census form recently, and now I am left puzzling a bit. Two things: 1. why do Hispanics get a whole separate question and 2. why is one race option simply "white?" I honestly would like to know.

What is the significance of being "Hispanic" that it warrants a whole question on a very brief census questionnaire? And if it is not a "race," as stated in the census, then what is it and why does it matter? It makes me wonder if there is some hidden agenda at work. Bring on the conspiracy theories!

And "white?" Really, that's it? My skin is not really white and I'm not from Whiteland or anything. Where is the option for European American? All the other groups have very descriptive, geographically based identifiers. There is no black, yellow, or red race option. How about Ukrainian/French/German/English American? That's something I can identify with! In hindsight I should have marked "other" for the sake of accuracy, but alas I dutifully marked "white" as I have been trained. Perhaps European Americans should try to increase awareness and sensitivity in our society so that we may be properly recognized by our land of origin.

Saturday, Workday

Today (Saturday) I decided to load up my three youngsters (ages 6, 4, and 10 months) and head to my office while Jon was working. I work part time from home, but usually go into the office on the weekends briefly to tie up loose ends, etc. I have never taken the kids with me due to the fact that, in most things, they slow me down. But today I wanted to knock it out and be done with it, and Jon wasn't home anyway... So off we went - fully supplied with toys, snacks, and a stack of stuff to be done.

I was a bit apprehensive about the whole scenario - mostly regarding Evan and how to contain and entertain him while still accomplishing my work. Anna and Will are usually pretty good in such situations as long as they have something to occupy themselves with. So let's just say I was less than enthused when I pulled up at the office and saw my boss's car parked outside. I had to revamp my strategy - forget about letting Evan play on the floor or cry for even a second. The pressure was on. Not only did I have to get my work done, but now I had to maintain a pleasant, professional work environment for others (who are not usually there on the weekends!). Evan would be the lap baby and I would work as fast as possible.

Once inside I saw my boss's wife and big, sweet, enthusiastic dog were there, too, with files and boxes pulled out all over the place. Nope, no floor for Mr. E today. Anna and Will were very good, as expected. Evan fulfilled expectations, too, being good for a while until, perhaps realizing he was missing a nap, he grew increasingly fussy. So the poor dog howled, having been exiled to the bathroom for his unbridled enthusiasm, and Evan fidgeted and fussed while I wrestled him and tried to click, print, and organize papers. Evan grabbed papers, pulled on desk drawers, tried to lunge to the floor, pulled my hair (he thought that was particularly funny), and chewed on my fingers as I tried to work. It struck me as revealing that no one offered to hold the baby so I could finish up, but I guess they're just not "baby people." It occurred to me today that I'm not getting paid enough.

Sleep-deprived

My baby won't sleep! Aaaahhh!!! Last night is a blur - I don't know how many times he woke up. Two? Three? The problem is he won't go back to sleep, often for over an hour. I try everything... from merely hoping he'll go back to sleep, to sitting up quietly, to talking/singing, holding/rocking. When I finally feel hopeless, I tell Jon I'm done and he can have a go at it. Last night between crying spells Evan was standing in his crib, practicing waving - it would've been funnier if I'd been more awake. When Jon took his turn, he told me he and Evan made the rounds of the house, with Evan happily playing with toys in various rooms - I was oblivious as I essentially passed out as soon as Jon took over and the crying stopped.

What to do? I pray, I read silly books on infant sleep, I've gotten all kinds of advice. Evan is 10 months old. I know in my head that this won't go on forever, but in the dark hours of the night it sure feels like it. Is there some kind of lesson I'm supposed to learn from this experience? If so, just send me an email, God, and let's get it over with! The greatest thing I can imagine right now is a full, uninterrupted night of sleep. Wow.

A Broader Education

How does one go about educating the general population outside of the school system? I guess if you're a large enough group with adequate funding you can launch a public awareness campaign - advertising, promoting, selling your message with the right image to make it appealing - like breast cancer awareness with its pink ribbons and events. I have a few issues that are important and dear to my heart that I wish the general population could know better. Aside from my core concern for the sharing of the gospel message, which I believe is not best served by an advertising campaign, these topics are:

1. basic financial education of the general population - how crazy that this is not a required part of everyone's school education - balancing a checkbook, smart use of credit, why you should pay bills on time, interest explained, etc.

2. education on women's options for pregnancy and childbirth, encouraging women to think through the options instead of blindly submitting to a doctor's decrees without asking questions - to encompass the pros and cons of medical interventions like c-sections, epidurals, inducing labor, as well as provide info on natural alternatives including ways of coping with pain and the benefits to mother and baby of "going natural."

3. promotion of breastfeeding, which really should be pushed by the government - how much healthier would babies be and how much money would Uncle Sam save if entitlement programs didn't so easily pay for formula? I wonder if the healthcare bill has any provisions for promoting breastfeeding or the use of midwives and birth centers to lower costs. Oh, right, the bill doesn't do anything to really lower medical costs, plus that would aggravate the big medical business.

4. motivational and inspirational instruction aimed especially at the younger at-risk population to help them set higher goals, get excited about learning, find strong role models - to help those like a little girl (poor, black) I met who aspired to be a single mom... as well as light a fire under the rest of us, too.

Anyway, I'm rambling and I'm not sure what my point is, but I just wonder how to effectively get a message "out there" without having a zillion dollars. Hmmm...