End of another week...

It was a good week. The children did fairly well with their *formal* education and that is always a pleasure to me.


I know I stick on the same topics, but for the life of me, I don't understand people. Once again I will talk about people on food stamps. Why is it that if you are so poor that you can't afford one of the most basic necessities of life like food that you have pets? Last I knew food stamps didn't cover pet food. So...my question is, if you have enough money for dog/cat food shouldn't you have enough money for you and your family? Just asking. I'm guessing my problem is that I forget that most people on food stamps have such an entitlement mentality that if they're reading this (which I doubt), that they would say, well, why shouldn't I be on food stamps? I just couldn't make it otherwise. I have so few pleasures in life, my life wouldn't be worth living if I didn't have my dog. Whine Whine Whine. Complain. Complain. Complain. Complain.

Well, I have to go. Our 5th child (3rd daughter) just lost her first tooth! This is very exciting!!!

Not much time...

as per usual. As Neal Boortz would say, here are some intemperate thoughts:

Have you ever thought about the cost of sodas? Our family went to McDonalds' (take out and eat at home, because for some reason people like to stare at us when we eat in public...as if somehow families as large as ours shouldn't be eating in restaurants or something like that...good grief....anyway, rather than weather the stupid gawking, we take to eating in the peace and privacy of our own home) today after church.

Well, I have observed that our orders are generally too confusing for the English as a Second Language worker to handle so I usually go in so I can make sure that the order is handled correctly (this one almost was...required only one correction). Anyway, we drink canned sodas or water or juice at home to save on money (buying our sodas at loss leader pricing, anyways, so a can of soda cost only 25 cents or so). Anyway, I see the average idiot (forgive me for sounding so harsh, but in the end the term is probably accurate) ordering a soda for, let's say, $1.39 or so. Well, let's multiply that spending by 300 days a year...that would give us $417 for sodas for just 1 person per year. Odds are, that average idiot has next to no money in savings. Well, no kidding, you've spent that $417 (or $4170 plus interest over 10 years) on soda. What a waste.

If you're a family of 4, multiply that by 4.....in 10 years you have spend nearly $17,000 in sodas. Water is a great alternative. It is my empirical observation generally, that people who complain about lack of funds generally order sodas (and/or smoke, have cable, have manicures, drink gourmet coffees and in general show an utter lack of knowledge of basic budgeting techniques.)

Then to add insult to injury, when someone saves money and is able to afford something that they have delayed purchasing, the above class of people (consumers) mutter about how *lucky* the savers are....

What can I say?

Happy New Year! It's been a long 3 months since I last posted. I gave birth to a precious daughter on November 20, 2005 at3:50 am. This precious soul weighed 11 pounds 7 ounces and measured 22.5". Much could be said about GBS testing, prophylatic antibiotics etc. and although I have strong opinions on many things, I have no black and white opinion on this subject. Suffice it to say that many babies' lives have been saved, because of these antibiotics and testing of Moms. Whether sweet EO was GBS+ or not (her bacterial culture was negative; I had had half a dose of antibiotics which may have given her some protection, enough to have a negative culture reading, yet not enough to protect her from an elevated white blood cell count and a fever of 103 F by hour 54 of life), we'll never know. What we do know is that she was at Durham Regional in the Special Care Nursery for 7 days, after an initial day in the regular nursery and being with her Momma. It was sad to leave her behind, but she has been home now for 6 weeks and the hospital stay is but a distant memory. We are thankful for good to excellent health care insurance, because otherwise the $25,000 plus price tag would have been simply outrageous!

Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. (KJV) Ecc. 12: 12-13

I get pensive come every new year. I'll be blunt; raising 8 children, hsing 5 with a preschooler, a toddler and an infant is not easy...even with the help of a wonderful husband. What really bothers me is my fellow Christians.esp. those that have large families, yet rely on government assistance for their *daily necessities*, while spending their money foolishly on new computers, surround sound stereo, vacations etc. It is hard for me to be civil about such things. I belong to a private message board for quiver full homeschoolers. There are some VERY dear sweet women on there who inspire and encourage me; yet there's foolish women on there, married to lazy foolish men who refuse to provide for their family's food and shelter and medical needs. It drives me absolutely to frustration to listen to their illogical logic (is that an oxymoron?)about how the government's provision is God's provision. Hello? Why should the government be paying for your food and ultrasounds while you have a computer (with a better operating system than our lousy Windows 98), internet access and gasp! cable. These people are so darn arrogant to think that by virtue of their existence here in America that they are entitled to such things because....hmm.God is blessing them????!!! Supid arrogant willfully misguided people.

Before you think, wow, what an angry woman.....well, yes, that part is true...but really, I get frustrated because just as a rising tide raises all ships, so too, are these people's unbiblical way of life drag us down....esp. our Christian brethern in 3rd world countries who eke out a subsistence life because *we* like shopping at the $ store for junk stuff.....help.

The funny thing is I can't even post my blog link on my message board, because I'd probably get kicked off.....oh, well...

Well...it won't be 3 months until my next post. Let me go control what I can control which is this household of 8 blessed imperfect (like their Mombley) children.