I found this quote in a magazine from Author Unknown: "I don't understand why Cupid was chosen to represent Valentine's Day. When I think about romance, the last thing on my mind is a short, chubby toddler coming at me with a weapon."
Here are some pictures from our short-lived snow day!
{Okay, I know this is a pretty wordy post, but I'm writing from my heart and I get wordy when I do that. Please read anyway. Thanks!}
About 3 years ago, I saw a movie that changed my life. It's not a movie I can watch again, once is enough, but if you haven't seen Hotel Rwanda, you should. It's the true story of Paul Rusesabagina, the manager of a hotel in Rwanda during the genocide in 1994. He managed to protect over a thousand refugees during the crisis. It's an extraordinary story about "an ordinary man" (the title of his autobiography.)
In the middle of the movie, Paul has a conversation with Jack, an American cameraman for a news crew that got stuck in the middle of the crisis. This conversation basically knocked the wind out of me:
Paul Rusesabagina: I am glad that you have shot this footage and that the world will see it. It is the only way we have a chance that people might intervene.
Jack: Yeah and if no one intervenes, is it still a good thing to show?
Paul Rusesabagina: How can they not intervene when they witness such atrocities?
Jack: I think if people see this footage they'll say, "oh my God that's horrible," and then go on eating their dinners.
And then go on eating their dinners That line has stuck with me ever since. I don't want to be that way. I don't want America to be that way. But there are so many atrocities happening today: the Congo, Darfur, the Gaza Strip, the list could go on if I were more informed... It seems like the problems are so horrible and the solutions so unattainable, that it's easier to just ignore it and go on eating our dinner.
But there are ways to do something. Sure they may be small and seem insignificant, but collectively it can make a difference. I personally don't have a great idea that can bring peace to the Mid-East, but I do know of organizations (MCC and World Vision) that are working there (and in Africa) and I trust their judgment. Perhaps you have your own favorite organizations that you trust. Many of these organizations have avenues to advocacy on their websites, such as sample letters to representatives in Congress (very helpful, because I sure wouldn't know what to write myself), petitions to sign, or they might endorse other advocacy campaigns, such as the ONE Campaign, which is supported by both MCC and World Vision and numerous other faith groups, secular groups, justice groups and relief groups.
But here's my challenge for you this week: Feb 12th is Red Hand Day. From their website "The goal of Red Hand Day is to raise global awareness of the plight of child soldiers through public protests, demonstrations and other activities. The Red Hand symbol, has been used all over the world by the Coalition to Stop the Use of Child Soldiers and many civil society organizations to say no to the recruitment and use of child soldiers."
Now, I'm not asking you to grab a sign, put on an angry face and go chant at some government building until you are arrested; I'm just asking you to get your hands dirty. The Red Hand Campaign is asking people to send their red hand prints to them, and on Feb 12, they want to deliver 1 million red hands to the UN. What impact will 1 million red hands have? The UN has already forbidden the use of child soldiers, yet children continue to be forced to fight. Again, from the website, "The collective aim of this global campaign: To impress the responsible persons in New York with the huge numbers of red hands and so force them to act!"
This is something you can do as an individual, but it is also a great activity for a small group, church, school, friends or co-workers to do together. Just paint your hand red (have some washcloths or paper towels handy) and stamp it on a piece of paper. Write your name and your town on the paper and send it (after it dries) to:
Red Hand Campaign
c/o HRW
350 Fifth Avenue, 34th Floor
New York, NY 10118
If you want to learn more about the project, check out their website. And if you do send in your handprint, please let me know and share any stories you have from it. I already got my boys to give their hands (that's Charlie's hand in the picture), and I hope to do it with my small group from church next week.
Registration for kindergarten is in the next couple months and our school district gives parents some choice in the school their child attends. They can choose the local school, or they can choose from 4 other schools in their "zone" and there are a few magnet schools in the system that are available by lottery.
Casey and I visited one of the schools today and it was so cute to be in an elementary school again with all the miniature desks and chairs. In the bathroom, the sink was mounted short and there were signs everywhere reminding me to flush, to use a small amount of soap and to only crank the paper towel dispenser 3 times.
The kids were great. They have a "zero talk" policy in the hallway for the kids, so when we passed a group waiting in line for the bathroom, they were completely silent. (Yeah, I'd love to see Coulson do that!) Even when the principal asked them questions, they didn't answer! In one class, the kids were all wearing their pjs. They did something good, or completed a goal or something like that and for their reward they chose to have a pj day!
It was fun to tour the school and get an idea about what elementary school is like. I think Coulson will like school, once he gets used to the longer days and that whole foreign concept of "sitting still" that he keeps hearing about. He loves to be around other kids (once he knows them), he does well in a structured environment, and he does like to learn knew things.
We liked the school today, but we have a couple more on our list to visit. Can you believe that I'm looking at elementary schools already??!!!! My little boy is growing up so fast I mean, not fast enough, I mean, too fast. (The end of this sentence changes many times throughout the day, but since he's sleeping so innocently and peacefully upstairs right now, I'll probably stick with "too fast" for the next few hours.)
Why don't the people living on the bottom of the world feel Jesus or God holding them?
*******
What if instead of watering plants, we poured milk on them? And then we watered the cows!
********
Coulson: Did it ever rain Bibles?
Me: No.
Coulson: Then how did the people know what to write?
********
And now for what will hopefully become a recurring installment on my blog....
The Adventures of Rice Pudding Man
Episode 1: The Bad X-orater
By Coulson Glass age almost 5
Rice Pudding Man was going shopping when Bad X came along and was stealing from the grocery store. Rice Pudding Man used his sticky power to stick him to one of the shelves.
Episode 2: The Bad Monster of City Quiet
By Coulson Glass
One day Super Rice Pudding Man was fighting Bad X when he sent out one of his bad monsters and it was called...Jambalya. So the monster was gonna go underground but Rice Pudding Man stuck him to one of his rice puddings. And then the monster got stuck underground.
The End
I don't know where he got the idea of "rice pudding." It's not something I've ever eaten.
I'm so happy that Olivia Jayne has finally made an appearance! Her mommy, Anne, was my roomate and best friend in college. She is also the one responsible for getting me into blogging. She told me about "mommy blogging" years ago and now she gets to do her own mommy blogging. I can't wait to read her stories. Congrats to Anne and Steve - you will both make wonderful parents and Olivia is lucky to have you!
I'll also put in a plug for Anne's gorgeous jewelry - AnneMade Jewelry, but I don't think she'll be filling custom orders anytime soon.
Happy New Year! I'm trying to get better about uploading photos of the boys, especially since my original intent with my blog is to update friends and family from far away about the boys as they grow up. So here are some of the photos from Christmas.
I will sit down and write a real blog again soon, since one of my New Year's resolutions is to be a better blogger. But right now my house is a complete wreck since I haven't been able to absorb all the extra stuff we got for Christmas. The boys were thoroughly spoiled by grandparents, aunts and uncles from both sides, in addition to the gifts that we got for them, so I have toys scattered everywhere and I'm not sure where to put the new toys and which old toys will get the boot yet. And I have gradually accumulated 6 loads of clean laundry sitting in a pile on my bedroom floor that I haven't been able to fold or put away since I've been so busy from hanging out with family between Christmas and New Years (But let's give me some credit because the clothes are clean). So to properly procrastinate from these arduous tasks, I need to sit on the couch and watch a lot of TV or play Mario Kart on the Wii and that just doesn't leave a lot of room for blogging.
The boys had a great Christmas, I mean, three days of Christmas. On Thursday we celebrated Christmas with just the four of us. Then Friday was Christmas with my parents and brothers and sister-in-law and nephews and nieces. Then Saturday was Christmas with Casey's parents and brother and sister and sister-in-law and so-to-be-brother-in-law. Then we spent the next few days with my family while my brother and nephew and niece were in town from NY.
For New Year's Eve, we held a mini party for the boys and their cousins, complete with a countdown (to 8:00pm) and a ball drop (I stood on the bed and dropped a beach ball) and noisemakers (empty toilet paper rolls wrapped in tin foil). They were a very enthusiastic crowd, and of course I forgot to take pictures.
