Why I'm Glad I'm Not a Democrat

I set a goal for myself to write at least 3 times a month on the blog. Does it count if Peter contributes?

Just in case, I thought I better push hard today to meet my own goal...

Peter and I were having a conversation the other night that went something like this:

(DISCLAIMER: I NEVER VENTURE INTO POLITICS, SO BEAR WITH ME...)

D: I'm so glad I'm not a Democrat right now. I would be so confused.

P: Why?

D: Well, if I were voting Democrat, I would really be stumped as to who to vote for. I don't like Hillary a whole lot because she just irritates me and a myriad of other reasons. But at least she is a somewhat "known-quantity," I mean, we know what she thinks - she tells us. But then there is Obama. He's got this cult-like charismatic following and I can't figure out why. He never says anything. It's all hype.

P: Have you heard him speak? He's brilliant.

D: No, I haven't. But what he's got going for him in my opinion is that he is likeable and he's NOT Hillary.

P: You should listen to him sometime.

D: I can't. We don't watch T.V., and the only time I hear someone's clips is when I'm driving and listening to talk radio on the hour.

(Both thinking)

D: I will say that I think Hillary has a better position on a few things - like her position about meeting with rogue nations - just for the sake of discussion. She's against it. For all her problems, I think she has a better grasp on foreign policy, even if her "experience" is somewhat - at least we think it to be, but now we wonder about her position in the White House - vicarious, through her husband. I realize you can pick up a lot living with someone, but then...well, was there a co-presidency in effect - then?

P: Who knows. You aren't tired are you?

D: Then there is this whole momentum thing. Obama is on a roll.

P: I don't think she's going to catch up.

D: I have heard Michelle Obama. I was totally impressed with her. She's got a head on her shoulders. That woman knows what is up.

P: But she's not the one running. What did you hear?

D: Then again, is it even a great time to be a Republican? I'm not exactly thrilled with John McCain. At least he has some bonified years of experience. I think he'll grow on me - especially when I think about the options.

P: Yeah, me too.

D: You know what? It's a great time to be an INDEPENDENT!!! If I were an Independent, it would be a snap. I would be a whole-hearted McCain voter. He's got experience, and he is business. I was pretty impressed with how he handled the whole New York Times flap...very presidential.

P: I was impressed too. He didn't lose his cool. He addressed the issue, and closed the subject.

D: Yeah, so if I were an Independent I would vote McCain for a lot of reasons...

P: You're not sleepy at all are you.

D: I guess not, but I can stop here.

P: OK, let's get some sleep.

(Pause.)

P: Yeah, I guess McCain is growing on me too.

I want to be like my big brother when I grow up.

We have noticed recently that Caleb really looks up to Daniel. That showed up again tonight. Daniel spilled water on his shirt and had to have it taken off. As soon as he saw what was happening, Caleb came running in pulling his shirt up with loud grunts indicating he wanted his shirt off too. So here are our two shirtless little boys, the younger of whom is only like that because he wants to be like his big brother.

The Ickies

Peter and I are both sitting in bed sick right now. It's kind of funny, because we decided it is fun being sick together! Maybe misery loves company, but it is also just fun to be with someone when you're too sick to do anything else.

I think I picked this flu up at church on Sunday. On Sunday evening I wasn't feeling too great, and by Monday morning (which happened to be one of the few holidays in the year when my dear husband is home) I was really sick. I spent almost all of Monday in bed. Fortunately for us all, my parents are right in the back pasture, so they swooped in and rescued the kids from The Ickies.

By Tuesday morning I was feeling much better...but Peter wasn't. The guy who is NEVER sick actually cancelled all of his appointments but one (he couldn't get out of that one), and spent the day in bed. I was too weak to do much, so my parents again took the kids all day, and brought them back at bedtime.

Last night I woke up thinking we were having an earthquake. I laid very still for a second listening, almost excited that we were having an earthquake (it's been some time since we had one), until I realized it was Peter shiverring with the chills!!! Poor guy! I've been so cold, and he has been so hot, that we are quite the duo. I keep snuggling up to him to get warm, and then he starts sweating profusely to cool down.

Today is Wednesday. Peter cancelled his morning appointments, and abbreviated the afternoon ones. We're sitting/laying here trying to rest. I can't sleep, because the only thing that I can eat still is 7Up floats, and the sugar is keeping me awake. He's not asleep because he can't get comfortable. We've been watching Perry Mason reruns and trying to figure out the plots. I'm sorry to say, we still can't figure them out until the end!

Hopefully, this will end soon. I'm not complaining, because it is just too funny. I just hope that the kids and my parents don't get The Ickies.

Our Weekend Scare

We learned this weekend that croquet balls can be lethal.

Caleb loves to play with the croquet set whenever he gets a chance to run in the garage. His favorite thing is to bowl them down the cement part of the driveway to the rocks. There isn't much of an incline, but there are always a few bumps along the way to set him giggling.

This weekend Peter the Ambitious decided to undertake to MAKE a bookcase with a drop down secretary-type desk for the alcove in Daniel's room. (Isn't he wonderful AND amazing?) Anyway, he decided he needed more space to spread his tools and wood out out, so he asked me to hold on to the boys while he backed his Explorer out. I sat down on the basketball goal and took the boys, one in each arm while we smiled at Daddy slowly backing out.

Then we heard a loud POP (as the ball shot out from the edge of the tire), and a yellow blur sped past us, just at eye height. It couldn't have been more than 6 feet away from Caleb and hit a tree before landing some 30 yards away near the property line.

Peter and I just stared at each other.

God's protection is so perfect. It would have probably killed Caleb if it had hit him, or it could have really done some serious damage to Daniel or me.

Thank the Lord for His protection!!!


P.S. The croquet ball had a chuck out of it from hitting the tree. Now the entire set has been put up, out of little hands' reach. I still can't stop hugging the kids. Life is so precious, and fragile.

X-Rays

Here is an x-ray from Daniel's broken clavicle. When we saw this, Debra and I both said "ouch!" But the doctor says it is healing properly and Daniel almost never complains about it now even when he takes a (not infrequent) tumble.