TURN OFF THE NEWS...

This is an unknown person's brilliant take on what happened Friday :

"You want to know why. This may sound cynical, but here's why.

It's because of the way the media reports it. Flip on the news and watch how we treat the Batman theater shooter and the Oregon mall shooter like celebrities. Dylan Klebold and Eric Harris are household names, but do you know the name of a single victim of Columbine? Disturbed people who would otherwise just off themselves in their basements see the news and want to top it by doing something worse, and going out in a memorable way. Why a grade school? Why children? Because he'll be remembered as a horrible monster, instead of a sad nobody.

CNN's article says that if the body count "holds up", this will rank as the second deadliest shooting behind Virginia Tech, as if statistics somehow make one shooting worse than another. Then they post a video interview of third-graders for all the details of what they saw and heard while the shootings were happening. Fox News has plastered the killer's face on all their reports for hours. Any articles or news stories yet that focus on the victims and ignore the killer's identity? None that I've seen yet. Because they don't sell. So congratulations, sensationalist media, you've just lit the fire for someone to top this and knock off a day care center or a maternity ward next.

You can help by forgetting you ever read this man's name, and remembering the name of at least one victim. You can help by donating to mental health research instead of pointing to gun control as the problem. You can help by turning off the news."

I couldn't agree more Anonymous person, except I DO feel that when its harder to get help for mental health than it is to get a gun, we need better laws. So let's please always remember...

Charlotte Bacon, 6
Daniel Barden, 7
Olivia Engel, 6
Josephine Gay, 7
Ana M. Marquez-Greene, 6
Dylan Hockley, 6
Madeleine F. Hsu, 6
Catherine V. Hubbard, 6
Chase Kowalski, 7
Jesse Lewis, 6
James Mattioli, 6
Grace McDonnell, 7
Emilie Parker, 6
Jack Pinto, 6
Noah Pozner, 6
Caroline Previdi, 6
Jessica Rekos, 6
Aveille Richman, 6
Benjamin Wheeler, 6
Allison N. Wyatt, 6
Rachel Davino, 29
Dawn Hochsprung, 47 (principal)
Anne Marie Murphy, 52
Lauren Russeau, 30 (substitute teacher)
Mary Sherlach, 56 (counselor)
Victoria Soto, 27 (teacher)

More in depth about the victims- Who They Were

I'm Not Obsessed! Okay Yes I Am...

You know you may have warped your almost 10yo with your Supernatural obsession when:

1) He loves saying "gank" and runs around telling the dog, "GANK 'ER SAMMY!"

2) He tells you running out of salt is NOT what Hunters do!

3) His new fave car is a black '67 Chevy Impala. He has also decided he is going to have one and name it "Baby the Metallicar".

4) He thinks we should all get Protection Symbol Tattoos on our chests.

5) He walks around the house singing "Cry No More" and "Eye of the Tiger" (Complete with leg air guitar).

6) He makes sure everyone knows the radio rules in the car which are "Driver picks the music, shotgun shuts his cakehole".

7) He wants to learn Latin so he can exorcise the demon he is SURE is in his big sister's butt.

8) He tells his father that Dean Winchester is "a sexy piece of man meat" thus leading your husband to ask you if your son likes guys and isn't he too young?

9) He asks if you can redecorate his room starting with painting a Devil's Trap on the ceiling and Angel Sigils on the window.

And last but not least...

10) He is still afraid of normal monsters in the closet but not any monster from Supernatural because as he said when he slipped, "We know how to gank those bitches mom!"

I love this kid!

I Lost It In 'Nam...

Last week I was at the store with the Hyper Heathen (MonkeyBoy's new nickname) standing in line telling him "No" for the zillionth time when this woman just out of the blue asks me, "What happened to your tooth?". Now just so you know, I'm missing the third tooth over on the bottom front for clarification. Most people don't even notice it but for some reason Madam Rudeass did.

After I picked my jaw up off the floor (Who the hell asks a question like that??), the first thing I thought to say was, "I lost it in 'Nam". Before I could bask in how witty and funny I thought I was, without missing a beat the elderly gentleman in front of me popped out his dentures and said, "Those Vietnamese bastards got ALL of mine!".

His wife gasped, the cashier turned red, I burst out laughing, and the woman who asked the question in the first place just looked at the old man and I blankly.

That has to be one of the best replies to a rude question that I've ever heard!

Touché old guy. Touché.

Things A Parent Probably SHOULDN'T Say To Their Kid:

Im backkkkkkkk! The blogging bug has hit me recently and I figure its about damn time I do something about it! So I will set the stage for how this blog is going to go with my first post. If you are easily offended then this blog isn't for you. If you like sarcasm, aren't bothered by a potty mouth that would make Dane Cook cringe, and like to laugh then Hello my friend!

Things A Parent Probably SHOULDN'T Say To Their Kid:

1) "Quit talking and GO THE FUCK TO SLEEP!"

2) "Ignore your father, he's an idiot"

3) "Your grandmother is a psychotic whore" (my egg donor)

4) "Don't go in his house, he's probably a fucking pedophile!" (A neighbor)

5) "Tell your father to quit being an asshole, but don't SAY asshole you're not allowed"

6) "That kid ever touches you again punch him in the throat!"

7) "If your AWANAS leader tells you one more time that we should all get baptized, tell her Mommy worships Satan and the only reason she lets you come to AWANAS is because she thinks its a scout troop that allows gays. Nevermind don't say that!"

And last but not least...

"See that kid over there? Don't act like him because he's acting like a douchebag. He's one worth ganking" (Ganking is a word that my 10 year old and I picked up off our favorite show, Supernatural. It means kill on the show but mostly we use it as a way to say they need hushed up).

Our First Relay For Life

I remember when I use to love to write whether it was an article, blog, or journaling. Nowadays I just can't seem to put my thoughts down. It sucks because writing was such a large part of who I am at one point.

Anyway- last night Sis, MonkeyBoy, and I took part in our very first Relay for Life! I'm so glad we did because I had a chance to see and watch so many great survivors and families.

Sis and I each received a "Survivor" t-shirt to wear all evening which was cool. It was also very humbling and to be honest made me feel a little uncomfortable because I don't feel like I have survived anything. The cancer is still there. I'll never be rid of it so am I really a survivor? They also gave MonkeyBoy a "Caregiver" shirt as well so he was so proud all night long. It was really cute!

At the event we enjoyed music, dinner, chatting with others, games, watched an awards ceremony, listened to speakers, made memorial luminaries, walked the Survivor Lap, and then they had a beautiful closing ceremony.

Of course, I got sick as a dog and am wiped out today because it was so hot (the no adrenal glands thing) but it was definitely worth it!

We bought memorial luminaries for my father, Darling Vincent Smith, and also the kids' other grandpa, William Fritsche. It made MB and I both cry to pass them on our lap around the track. It still seems like they were here just yesterday and we feel such a loss because they were both amazing men.

So we will be going every year from now on and I encourage others to go as well. It is an eye opening, humbling, and beautiful experience that you shouldn't miss.

Learning To Be Thankful

Growing up, Thanksgiving was anything but picturesque and filled with family togetherness. At our house the holiday was filled with mean comments about the food, complaints about family, and the only thing to be thankful for was if we actually made it to dessert without a fight. It always made me wonder if this was how holidays were truly meant to be.

Once I grew up and had my own family I realized that it could be so much more. The holidays became something I looked forward to. Thanksgiving finally became a day of good food, wonderful company, and thankfully no fists were ever thrown. I was able to teach my children all the things that I yearned for as a child- to be thankful for all the things we had and not focus on what we didn’t.

This year is very special to us in that we have so much to be thankful for. As a family we have made it through several cancers, surgeries, adjusting to living with a rare disorder, the loss of a loved one, and a job transfer that took us on a move across country. It’s been both hard and busy to say the least.

We can now truly say we know the meaning of being thankful. Having to go through our own trials has opened our eyes a little wider to the hardships of others. Our thoughts can’t help but be with the victims of this year’s hurricanes and tornadoes. The words “thank you” don’t seem like enough to show our gratitude to the brave men and women serving our country both at home and abroad. Joy hardly begins to describe what I feel knowing that I am alive and able to listen to my children do something so simple as argue over what float in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade is best.

I can’t say I don’t wish my childhood memories of the holidays weren’t better. I’d love to have the traditions and warmth from generations before to pass on to my kids but that isn’t something we will ever have and that’s okay. Instead they will grow up knowing they were a part of making many new traditions that we can all cherish and pass on to the generations to come.

The love, true thankfulness, and heartfelt giving begins with us. The past can never touch the joy and togetherness we have now. Oh there still might be a fight or two but it will most likely be started by a hungry three year old who just wants the last piece of pie. The rest of the day though will be filled with the giggles of five goofy people trying to cuddle on one little couch.

"Average Joe" heroes

 As a little girl, my heroes were Wonder Woman and my cool third-grade teacher with the wild hair. Later, they changed to people like Amelia Earhart, Joan of Arc, and Eleanore Roosevelt. Okay so I still thought Wonder Woman was da bomb too! When I became an adult though, I quit having heroes. There just wasn't anyone who inspired me anymore.

Then I read the story of Kent and Melony on a parenting board I was on at the time. Melony was the mother of fivc (three by birth and two adopted), a talented artist, and she designed the most adorable outfits for kids. From a distance this woman seemed to live a perfectly charmed life. She just seemed so happy and on top of the world. Soon though I found out how truly amazing her story and life really were.

You see, Kent was fighting a Stage 4 cancer and it had been a pretty rough fight for him. Each update told of a body that was getting weaker yet a soul that was still burning brightly and fighting for all it was worth. Neither of them ever complained about anything and Melony spoke of Kent with  so much love that you could actually feel it yourself. Kent showed his love by fighting and refusing to leave his family. All this and more is why they will eternally be my heroes.

Kent taught me that I can never give up because the bottom line is that it's not really about me. It's about my family and loved ones who still need me. I learned to always keep my sense of humor thanks to him. I know now that if he could laugh, smile, and joke with all he was up against then there's no reason I couldn't do the same.

Through Melony, I finally witnessed unconditional love, unwavering faith, and the very epitome of grace. She is the kind of woman I dream of one day being. She never spoke of how hard this must all be on her but instead told about every wonderful and encouraging thing Kent did. 

Thanks to Kent and his amazing sidekick, Melony, I have heroes once again. Even though they don't wear masks, tights, or long flowing capes, my "Average Joe" heroes still save the day. And the greatest part of all is that all they had to do was keep being themselves.

*Footnote* Kent passed away at home holding his wife's hand on September 23, 2005. He is sorely missed and will always be "Superman" to myself and many others.

Real-world Wonder Women

Do you know that television’s Wonder Woman, Lynda Carter, left acting for several years to stay home and raise her two children? I mention this because to me, when Ms. Carter stopped “playing” Wonder Woman on TV she then took on the role of a lifetime: Motherhood. That is when she became a real life Wonder Woman.

We moms may not have bulletproof wrist cuffs (can you imagine doing dishes in those?), a magic lasso (though it would come in handy for wild children), or an Invisible Jet (how many carseats could fit in that thing anyway?) but who needs fancy accessories? We moms come specially equipped with many extraordinary superpowers like:

-Magic Kisses: Our magic mommy kisses can heal booboos, vanquish bad dreams, stop tears, and charm grumpy husbands.

-Soft Arms: These amazing arms provide safety from closet monsters, lovingly snuggle many children at once, and one hug can make all sadness in a child’s world just melt away.

-Super Senses: Every mommy comes standard with this awesome power. We can hear mischievous whispers from two rooms away, know a lie the moment it leaves our child's (or husband’s) lips, see through the back of our heads, and we always know who wrote on the wall without ever asking. Nothing gets past our super senses!

As mothers, our powers are endless. While TV’s Wonder Woman did a wonderful job of teaching a generation of girls about strength and self-worth, today’s real life Wonder Women go even further. We are raising the male and female “superheroes” of tomorrow. The future of the world truly rests in our hands.

So Lynda Carter’s character can keep the costume and fancy extras, for us real world Wonder Women they’d just get in the way. From the moment we hear our child’s first cry of life we instantly have everything we’ll ever need. How could a piece of rope top that?

Okay so maybe we really would love one of those bustier’s with the “W’s” on it for date night with the hubby, but that’ll just be our little secret.

What “superpowers” do you possess (or wish you did)?

*I wrote this for DotMom many years ago and just happened to find it again. Since I'm considering blogging once more I thought I would post this while I contemplate.*