Proud Mama

Yesterday was the Hawaii State Championship Tae Kwon Do Tournament. I was scheduled to take Boy-A-Thon (BAT) and then leave to go to the Christian Homeschoolers of Hawaii (CHOH) Conference. BAT had recently had a small surgery on his lip and was still a bit swollen and sporting stitches, so my main goal for him at the tournament was to not get hit in the mouth.
Fortunately, my goal was achieved, and even better, BAT won a gold medal in forms and a silver in sparring for his belt/weight division! It was exciting and nerve wracking all at once. I like forms (kind of a TKD ballet of sorts, to show the different moves one has learned). Sparring was tough to watch. It's really a fight with kicking. And watching two 14 year old boys who each weigh 130 pounds go at it, was not something I recommend for most moms.
My friend Chris was very involved in TKD. In fact, at this tournament last year, she won a gold medal, just weeks after having a lung removed and while undergoing chemotherapy! To show their love for her, the team of which my son is a member all donned blacked armbands.




Then, each medal winner donated his/her medal to be placed in a frame and given to Chris' family. These kids work and train very hard. For them to give their medals up, isn't easy, but not one kid hesitated.
As if I wasn't already emotional, there was an announcement that the tournament organizers had created a special award for the competitor that showed the most indomitable spirit at the tournament. That award will be given at each state championship and will be called the " award. I was bawling.

So, I decided to stay for the whole tournament and watch my son, instead of attending the CHOH conference and getting a shot in the arm to encourage me in my homeschooling journey. I'm glad I did. I'm also grateful for a fellow sister in Christ this morning who encouraged me that I did indeed do the right thing. It always help to get a second opinion. :-)

New Babies

Well, to say this weekend was very uncharacteristic of us, would be an understatement. Let's just say that when the weekend was over, we were driving home with two Doberman puppies. I'd say we are nuts, but being the mature adult that I am, my only response is, "Yeah, but they're sooo cute!"

Breitbart.tv » 16 Lies in 7 minutes: State of the Union Video Breakdown

Breitbart.tv » 16 Lies in 7 minutes: State of the Union Video Breakdown

It's as if were are down the rabbit hole...

Very Funny

Ahh Vindication!

The cover of Time magazine caught my eye today. This article proved to make the purchase worthwhile.

Back in 1998 I had to deal with the issue of "Autism Spectrum Disorder" (ASD). It was not my idea of a good time, and changed me forever. As a young mother I was forced to learn that people are ruthless, uncaring, and well, jerks. (Shouldn't have been a newsflash, I know, but it was a newsflash to me.)

Whilst (love that word) researching, digesting, and learning as much as I could about ASD, I came to believe that there were both genetic and environmental components to this "disorder." As I described this to others I would say, "It's like some kids are born with a switch in the 'off' position, and something happens to them to turn that switch on."

Well, it would appear that there is now great evidence to show that is likely the case. A relatively new field of genetics has emerged, "epigenetics." This field argues that, though we cannot alter genomes and pass those alterations to our offspring, we can alter the epigenome, and that change can indeed be passed on to our offspring. The epigenome, for lack of a better analogy, is a switch--or maybe more accurately a volume nob--that can be emphasized or de-emphasized by choices we make in our lives.

It feels good to have "real science" behind a gut instinct. But it is every bit as good a feeling--maybe better--to be in a position that no longer needs the condescending pat on the head.

It will be interesting to see how this plays out over the next several years. I hope I get to see questions answered, peace for families, and quite honestly--I hope to see heads roll.

Pedophilia?

Though I do not order form Victoria's Secret, I received this catalog in the mail today.

This "cover girl" looks 12 years old to me. Am I just at that age where everyone looks like a kid, or is this pushing the envelope?

"Community Intervener"??

Last week, I received a newsletter from state of Hawaii senator Jill Tokuda. One of the articles contained a picture with "Representative Ito, Community Intervener (emphasis mine) Grant Yoshimori, & Senator Tokuda..."

Wow, and I thought "Community Organizer" was the most ridiculous "job" description I had ever heard.

I wonder what other jobs are out there... community pot-stirrer... neighborhood troublemaker....Who knows, these could all lead to the White House one day.

My Friend, Chris

“When all is said (and truly said) about the divisions of Christendom, there remains, by God’s mercy, an enormous common ground.”

C.S. Lewis

That really sums up the Catholic prayer service for my friend, Chris, yesterday. The church was packed with people of all faiths and no faiths. We all loved Chris, and Chris loved the Lord, so there we were.

When Chris and I first started talking bout God, we were new friends. As our conversations grew, I got up the gumption to invite her to a bible study. She dove into the study like a dog after a bone. She devoured the lessons, got extra materials on her own, and came with questions every week. Her faith grew by leaps and bounds. And in that, she and I had several discussions about the Catholic church. We were both reared in Catholic homes--Chris was even fortunate enough to attend parochial school until junior high. I had left the Catholic church and joined a PCA church, and Chris was praying about whether she should also leave the only church she'd known. She made a very thoughtful and prayerful decision to remain a Catholic. She had found a wonderful priest in Father Herman. He became a dear friend and mentor to her as her faith grew.

Our bible study changed much and the "usual suspects" moved away as is always the case in Hawaii. Chris found a bible study at her church and was in a study there until her death. Her faith, once rekindled, never wavered for a minute. Her zeal for drawing closer to God only grew. And when she was diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer a year ago, she referred to it as a blessing, so that she would keep her focus where it ought to be--on Him.

Amazing. Joyful. Thoughtful. Energetic. Tough. Smart. Diligent. Beautiful. Smiling. Sincere. Devoted. BELOVED.

So when all of those people came to St. Ann's church to grieve the loss of our friend, we all sang worship songs together, and prayed the Lord's prayer. And nothing could have been less important than the denominations or lack thereof of anyone. That is who Chris was. She didn't care about anything but what really mattered: Love God. Love people.
Chris excelled at both.

Reflecting a Bit: Part I

This past birthday, I turned 40. It should have been somewhat bigger of a deal, I suppose, but it wasn't. Our culture makes a big deal out of changing decades. I'm not sure why.
One thing that has been happening with me, however, is that I am much more reflective about what I am doing now and what I want to be doing in the future.

Another thing that is different--very different, if you know me at all--is that I notice that I am talking less. In general and in particular. I have fewer opportunities for adult conversation, so that's the general part. In particular, though, I'm finding myself not saying things that are right there on my tongue and ready to go. Some of it is maturity--I'm thinking more before I speak. But a lot of it is a realization that no one really wants to hear what I have to say. Don't get me wrong, I didn't previously believe people wanted to hear me talk. I never thought about it at all. I just had an idea, thought, or opinion and shared it.

Now I have had enough experience to know that no matter how much I want to share my experiences with someone, hoping to steer them away from pitfalls, they don't believe a word I am saying. And if I'm really honest, I was exactly the same. One key difference is that no one tried or is trying to mentor or teach me anything. (Something I still lament.) But to be fair, I probably wouldn't have listened to anyone until about the last 3 years or so.

That's enough reflecting for now...

To Chris

Geek Alert

You have been warned.
This book is a late addition to my Christmas wish list (along with the time and solitude to read it!)

I have been over the moon about the textbook Explore Evolution, by Stephen C. Meyer, et al. (All the poor homeschooling moms in my hui have had to listen to me go on and on about that book.) It is an excellent biology supplement that takes each issue in the arguments for neo-Darwinism point by point. It presents both sides of the arguments plainly and without bias. The glorious problem in that, though, is that the only reasonable conclusion to be drawn is that there is an intelligence of some sort behind the beginnings of life on earth. By making the argument about the facts and not beliefs, Meyer et al succeed in providing the one critical flaw in Darwinian theory. A flaw that Darwin himself pointed out in his well known On The Origin of Species:

"If it could be demonstrated that any complex organ existed which could not possibly have been formed by numerous, successive, slight modifications, my theory would absolutely breakdown. But I can find no such case,"

The text is beautiful and well organized. There are also a DVD and different powerpoint presentations geared to middle, high school, and college students. It is precisely the type of book a Christian needs to truly teach their students the controversy that surrounds our origins. This controversy must be taught to our children if we expect to have them prepared for life.

One of the most debilitating problems in Christianity today, in my humble opinion, is that Christians have all but left science. True, many who are Christian and scientists have been bullied out. However, the Christian response has been shameful...even sinful, if you ask me. Post Enlightenment Christians have taken the bullying and left the secularists and atheists to answer one of the most important questions of humanity: where did I come from? It is this compartmentalization of our lives that has contributed to sappy Christian music, bad curriculum, and an almost total lack of science curricula for those of faith.

Before I became a Christian, I was turned off--even nauseated--by so much of the feel good mindlessness that I thought was Evangelical Christianity. It seemed the prerequisite for faith was an absence of thought. What a blessing to stumble into a branch of Christianity that is rich in study--producing and intellectual faith. However, on the issues of Darwin's theories, there was still a deafening silence. What a refreshing blast of (good) music to read Explore Evolution! What could be more worshipful than hard evidence of a Creator?

Ok, I should end my rant here. As my poor children can testify, I can really go on FOREVER about this. Please do at least check out the websites linked in this post. And remember to pray for my kids, because next week we delve deep into DNA, molecular machines of incredible complexity, and some really great experiments. I can't wait!!

So Many Thoughts...

...so few of them publishable. ;-)

What a dreadful year it has been! It really began when Teen-A-Thon (She's 20 now, so I'll have to rethink that moniker) and I took a trip to Pennsylvania. We were trying to secure a shot at life for the oh-so-adorable boy she had placed for adoption. The wheels of "justice" had to move slowly so the DNA contributor was afforded every possible opportunity to exhaust many public and private resources. You know, he had rights.

We flew home without success. The loser had phoned in to the court, and the judge (wisely so, but still!) wanted to afford him every opportunity that the law provides to be heard. T-A-T (I'm tired, work with me, here) and I were deflated. We knew it could go either way, but somehow we were both optimistic. While in the air, the results of the 2008 presidential election came in. When our plane landed, I had received a text from Dad-A-Thon. It read "Welcome to ObamaLand." We were just exiting the gate area into the warm open air of Oahu and I shouted, "SH*T." T-A-T didn't say a word. She knew what it meant. We were defeated times two.

And thus, the year has gone. Bad timing, negative complications, and many other things from which we previously enjoyed a respite. It would appear they had only been on pause, waiting to pounce. And pounce, they have indeed.

That's actually nothing. What is really bad, and seriously depressing, is that cancer is the theme of 2009. More of my peeps than I would have ever imagined have been diagnosed with cancer this year. And frankly, I'm pissed. It's not as if my friend with breast cancer who is, by the way, widowed due to her husband's BRAIN CANCER, is the only one. No, there is Kimmi Dee with whom I grew up. And Peg, whose breast cancer was discovered at her 40 year old mammogram. There is Jane who taught at our church's school. And Kim who is our Pastor's secretary. Yes, and Chris, together with whom we homeschool and have reared our kids for the past 9 years... Seriously. It's gotten out of hand.

The economy is in the dumpster. Which affects business. Which affects Dad-A-Thon. Who affects me. Who affects the Kids-A-Thon (bless their hearts).

I'll be happy to see 2009 go. And praying that 2010 has a decent upswing...

Decor

I figured I'd better skip the whole fall theme and head straight to Christmas. Odds are I won't be getting to this blog much more than I have been...

What's in a Name?

One of the challenges of being a stay at HOME mom, or a HOUSE wife and HOMEschooler, is that when it's time to relax, I want to be anywhere but HOME! My husband, who is rarely here for more than a few hours at a time, loves us to stay home when he can. I really hate that that is such a conflict...

Long Lost Blogging

I confess that I have been lured away from blogging to the much more convenient worlds of Facebook and Twitter. They provide a much quicker (and shorter, less intimate, etc.) outlet for my selfish need to blurt, share thoughts, or just hear from other folks.

I kind of like all the neat compartments my life can have with these different areas of "interaction." Sometimes it is awkward though, as I restrain myself from saying what I really think (or maybe change the way I would say it) because I know who will likely be reading it. That is both a good and a bad thing.

It's interesting though, to find other people's thoughts and feelings (or just ways of wasting time) posted in a virtually public arena. It's as if we are all crying out for interaction--but only on our own terms. Too busy to have a real get together, we do the much more convenient thing and make a post to one of the many sites. (I have thought of inventing a way to combine them all into one and call it "MyTwitFace." I wish I could claim that as my own name, but it was PalmtreePundit's.) These sites allow us to feel connected, though we really are not.

Interesting, don't you think?

My Baby is a Teenager

She had a great day. And I marveled at the idea that she is becoming a woman before my very eyes...

Why We Love Earth Day

Fourteen years ago today Boy-A-Thon was born. We were young and scared, but very much in love with that little guy. This is a picture of him at Bishop Museum on a "dinosaur dig."

It is all too appropriate that he was born on Earth Day. He loves animals and is mindful about caring for the planet God has given us. Now he is taller than me by nearly 3 inches, helps me around the house and is quite the budding drummer.

Happy Birthday, Boy-A-Thon! We love you dearly and are so proud of you.

I Think I'm Gonna Hurl (yes, this is the second time I've used that headline)

“It’s a unique time in Washington and this photo helps capture all of the reasons why,” Graff said. “It’s not a normal way to look at a president of the United States but this is not a normal president.”

I couldn't agree more with that statement,though most assuredly, the person making it and I couldn't have more different meanings.

If this is the new normal, I am confident the hurling will continue. This is an article on a NEWS website and is written about the news coverage of The One's abs and pecs, the first dog, and the sleevelessness of FLOTUS' dresses.
SERIOUSLY. The only thing more asinine than reporting on those frivolous topics is reporting about that reporting!! And calling this reporting is being kind here, by the way. At least make it an opinion piece, and make some kind of statement.
If this is what we have in Washington to "keep 'em honest" we're all in deep kim chee.

The Change I Was Afraid Of

I learned of Barack Obama's election as president after my plane landed and I turned on my phone. I had one text message. It read: Welcome to Obamaland. My response was a one word expletive. I didn't yell it, it just kind of rolled out like a cup of poison would fall from the hand of the one who just drank it and died. That is dramatic, but that is how I felt. On some level, right then and there, I knew we were in for some bad turns.

Our nation has joined a cult. And like any cult, you don't find out what it is you are in, until you are in. No one really knew who Barack Obama was or what he stood for. Though he was a senator, his record was blank (voting "present" will do that). We knew he was pro-abortion and wanted to "spread the wealth around", but we really didn't know much more than that. Now that we're in, we are learning just what it is we have (been) signed onto. And again, like a cult, any disagreement is quickly beaten down. Those who adore the leader take care of that task for him, without having to be asked to do so.

The TEA parties held thoughout the nation this past April 15 are the first, I fear, in what will be a long and progressively uglier scrap over the next four years. The MSM's utter digust of the people's right to gather and protest the Beloved Leader was truly disheartening to me as an American. The irony of community organizer types to loathe the very idea that people would gather in protest is stunning. From the verbal battering by CNN's Susan Roesgen to the truly back alley gutter language used openly by Anderson Cooper of CNN and David Schuster of MSNBC, we have crossed over to a new place of language use. Read this article from Greg Hengler at Townhall.com. The author makes important points about the type of language used in civil discourse and debate. It is also important for you to see with your own eyes and hear with your own ears what was allowed on air by CNN and MSNBC. I had no idea what either reporter was talking about, but have now been "re-educated" by those two informative news outlets.

Hey! Hey! Oy Oy Vey!

Our Omniubus I group will be having a Seder next week. I have wanted to do a Seder for years, and finally will get to do it. A sweet neighbor of mine who is Jewish loaned me a bunch of her stuff, so it's a go.
While hunting around on the internet for recipes and such, I came across this. I loved it and hope you will too :-)