Pa Rum Pum Pum Pum

To our surprise Alex was the Little Drummer Boy yesterday in his Christmas Play. We were so proud of him as he marched all of the boys and girls into the program, playing his drum. I also shed a few tears in the knowledge of my little boy growing up.

I couldn't resist putting this picture up. Alex and Faith have become quite a pair. They are sweet to each other, really care about each others feelings, and are just great friends. They properly found spots next to one another during the second part of the play.

Here is a picture of all of the kids. They put the two 4 year old classes together and oh they were so sweet!

I must say that they are a cute little pair! :)

Love to all,

Kim

Mrs. Clause

Alex met Mrs. Clause this week at school. Can you believe she came in the sleigh all the way to Mustard Seed!

Here is his letter to Santa:

Dear Santa and Mrs. Clause,


My name is Alex Julian and I have been a very good boy this year. I like you Santa and I love Mrs. Clause. I would like the Bumble Bee Transformers car, a Jesus toy or book, or the Batman Castle with Robin. I would even like a Power Ranger or Scooby Doo movie in my stocking, plus I like dragons and knights.

I can't find the Green Goblin's head either. :(


I will have chocolate milk, cookies, and carrots for the Reindeer.


Love,

Alex


Mom, Dad, Aidan and Caesar



(I have a picture but of course my camera isn't working).

Aidan gave her a high five and then clung on to my leg for dear life!

Happy Thanksgiving

We'll no pictures again since I forgot to charge the camera. :(

I really do enjoy Thanksgiving. It is a day designed to allow you to really think about what you are thankful for instead of the daily worries that everyone owns. This year I have so much to be thankful for. Life has been very good to me this year and I truly can say that I am happy with (just about) everything. I am thankful to have a loving husband, beautiful little boys, and a happy family. I am thankful that we haven't had any losses this year and that we are lucky enough to have all of our needs met on a daily basis when others aren't always so fortunate.

This year I again asked everyone what they are thankful for:
Aaron- Me and the boys :)
Alex- "My Mom, Dad, dog, and baby brother."
Aidan- "Shoes, and it looks like Doritos."

Love to all and Happy Thanksgiving!

Hectic

Life has become a little more hectic for the Julian family. STL Mommy has taken off with a bang. Can you believe in 1 week I had 60,000 viewers. I am in awe of the comments that readers are leaving about how I have changed their lives when it comes to their finances. OK, now I don't know about changing lives but they are all very appreciative of the work I am doing on the site.

Believe it or not the story has been shown in Michigan twice on different stations and in Columbus Ohio. Jordan, the person who did the story with me said that more NBC stations can still pick it up. I think we will be working on another segment for Channel 5 soon! Due to chance I will be on with Y98's Phillips and Company tomorrow morning. Hopefully I will sound OK, I am much better over the phone than in person when it comes to talking about the site.

The boys have been great. I'm getting up early so things will be as normal as possible for them and they love all the goodies that we are getting. They both have been sick in the past few weeks. Aidan is on his 3rd ear infection and Alex has his normal fall allergy/cold symptoms. I actually have a reader coming to the house this weekend to do a family portrait, so I will finally have some good Christmas photo's for all of you!

Aaron also has been very supportive of the transition to working from home. I really appreciate all that he has done for me and his help with the things I really do not enjoy like the finances, spread sheets, and starting a business with the state.

We'll that's all for now. I will share Aidan's new love for washing dishes next time!

Love to all!

Happy Anniversary

Happy early Anniversary to the love of my life. I am so thankful and blessed to have found such a wonderful husband and father. I want to thank you for every moment that I have with you and for always being so supportive. I truly appreciate everything that you have done to make me happy.

I love you!

Kim

Whoo

Whoo, I need a moment to calm down. I started the website and have people already asking me to advertise and I have some really cool things going on with some businesses. I feel like I am high, not that I know how that feels, but with the normal stuff in life that goes on and the busyness of the boys nothing has stopped it's just moving ahead. I am so excited about the web site and the nice compliments I've been getting from readers. I really hope this turns into something big.

We had a wonderful time Halloween, as you can see by the candy! Aunt Teresa joined us on our adventure and we had so much fun this year. Alex was really into Halloween and Aidan was just trying to get into peoples homes.

We have had a busy week with Faith coming over twice, the election, and Alex had fun with Kyan so I could vote. THANK YOU Kim!

Today Alex had his first dentist appointment. NO cavities, and a wonderful report. I was so impressed with the office. They sent a book prior to the visit written to him they autographed it and took his picture. I will scan that later.

OK, I'm going to do something besides look at this computer. The boys are asleep!

Love to all!

More Halloween fun and my little blond terror!

We had a wonderful time at the Mustard Seed Halloween Party! Alex was thrilled with all of the fun games and crafts that the mom's put together for the party and he even won musical chairs. Aidan enjoyed the fun also while running around and checking everyone out. I love watching the kids having fun and talking to each other. I have no idea why that amazes me but I love watching their conversations.

We did our annual pumpkin painting. It's weird to see how big Alex has gotten and how much easier it is to have him paint a pumpkin. He did an awesome job as always. Here are some old pictures of our pumpkin painting. ~sniff

2006
2005

He really isn't a terror! This morning Aidan walked with me into the kitchen I turned and sprayed the counter and when I turned back he had stamped his face with Halloween stamps. Seriously, it took maybe 15 seconds for him to stamp his whole face. He didn't allow me to take a picture of painting the pumpkin so maybe this was his way to show off his messiness!

Have a Happy Halloween!

Halloween Fun

We had a fun Halloween filled weekend at my Mom's house. We went to the pumpkin farm as I like to call it. Aidan has been sick, I feel like I write that every post, but he finally got into the farm enough to pull around a wagon and once he found the slide it was over for me. I still have the dirt marks on my jeans to prove it!


Alex surprised me when he jumped on this swing zip line and went full speed ahead. He really enjoyed the farm especially since he had Daddy taking him around everywhere. Although, Daddy didn't do the tower of terror like I did last year! :) Alex didn't want to anyway, I think that thing burned a memory in his brain to last a lifetime.


We had fun at Grandma's Halloween Party at the Boulders. Aidan decided that he was too too little to put his head in and bob for apples but his hand worked perfectly.


Alex on the other hand did it! First try he got an apple. I must say I was a proud since my little guy got an apple and we didn't need a towel to drive him off.


It's a busy week, we have Alex's Halloween party at school. This year I opted to bring the drinks instead of doing the craft. I'm quite pleased with my choice!

I'll bring updates and pictures soon. It's funny how much you love Halloween when you have kids!

A new endeavor

I am thinking of starting something new. I have been using coupons with the help of Mommy blogs that I have listed on my blog roll. It has actually been fun finding the best bargains but I have found that in the STL area there isn't anyone doing anything for the stores surrounding us with the exception of the MILLION Walgreen's we have in the area. So I am going to start a blog of my own. Once it is up and running I will send you all the link so you can get started if you want a quick resource for coupons. I also plan to do reviews and giveaways so I'll keep you posted and have a link on the blog to my new site.

In doing this I have found a great rebate source for online shoppers-Mr. Rebates. I Hate the mall as many of you know so much of my shopping is through Ebay, and online stores or sales. During Christmas I do pretty much all of our shopping online because I really detest crowds. Anyway, at Mr. Rebates you just sign up and they give you a percentage back of what you purchased, but remember to go to their site, log in, then search for the place you want to shop. I bought a purse on Ebay this week and got cash back, HOW AWESOME IS THAT? With all of the Christmas shopping I may have enough to buy myself the book of Aidan on Shutterfly that's been sitting there for 6 months! :)

Anyway, check it out and I'll keep you posted on my new endeavor!

The Great Pumpkin

"What is that?"

" That's Gross!"

"Can I eat it?"

"It's taking too long, maybe I should beat on Daddy!"

"Any day now!"

It's almost done, this is hard work!"

The perfect "Mean Face" Pumpkin!

A sad story with a happy ending

Last week I went to pick up Alex from school and the teachers were frantic searching for the pumpkin that he had painted. They looked everywhere so we finally asked Alex if he painted a pumpkin during school and he told Mrs. Appleton that she never called his name. Mrs. Appleton got tears in her eyes and said, "Alex, I'm so sorry I guess your name tag was stuck to someone else's." She asked if he would like to paint one then, so he did. It was interesting to see his old teachers coming out wondering if they had run out of the materials and why he was painting after school had ended. Mrs. Appleton told them the story so Mrs. Goldecker and Mrs. Haight both told us that Alex is such a sweet boy and would never say anything while other kids would have been in their face telling them their error. (Although, I know he would have told me immediately while we walked down the stairs). I felt so sorry for the little guy but he seemed happy painting his pumpkin and told Mrs. Appleton he had more fun doing it with me there.

While there I kept looking at the easel and thinking that I wish I would have bought one 2 Christmas's ago when I thought about it but they were so expensive and I didn't know if he would really like it. When we got home I got on Craigslist and found one in High Ridge for $20.00- it's perfect no marks, stains or anything. (At least when we got it). So now we have an easel. They don't fight since it has a chalk side and dry eraser side and they LOVE it. I was telling Aaron that there are now 3 favorites in the Julian family. First is the Lego table that we bought for Alex's 1st birthday, second is the refrigerator toys, and now the easel! Even though the drive to High Ridge is the worst drive ever it was worth every moment!

Just in case your wondering they were working on their numbers while kids went out to paint their pumpkins.

A Phone!!! I have a Phone!

I am so excited!!! I have a phone, you can call me, I can call you, no more phone book or funny pieces of paper to remind me of your numbers!!! I have been playing with it since Aaron brought it home and it's pretty and it makes funny sounds like "say cheese" before it takes a picture!

"Aidan cried the minute he couldn't have it," but I have a phone!

On another note. Aidan had his check-up today. Can you believe the little guy almost weighs 31 pounds. Alex only weighs 38 pounds. No wonder my back hurts! He is in the 90th percentile for height and weight. I laughed when she asked me if he eats well. He is doing great despite my worry with his breathing issues which I think are allergy related. Hopefully I can get some answers soon since I've decided to take him to an allergist. Poor little guy had to get eye drops since his eyes are draining icky stuff.

Well that's all for tonight!

CALL ME!!! :)

GO ME!

I was just checking out my Ebay seller stats and in the last 31 days I have had $412.00 in sales. WOW, I'm impressed with myself! I also have $50.00 coming this weekend from my craigslist listing. Not bad for a stay-at-home mommy!

Family Fun!

We'll we have been busy. OK, busy is not the right word since I'm down here just trying to take a break but I guess that's what we will call it. This weekend we went to see the Backyardigans at the Fox Theatre. It was amazing. Grandma bought us excellent tickets so we were in the 11th row right in front of the stage and with all of the little heads in the crowd you could see everything. Alex had his eyes glued to the stage. Aidan was in awe of the theatre as you can tell from him looking up at the giant ball in the center and I think he did pretty good for a 85 minute production with a 20 minute intermission. Alex is continuing to sing "Were knights, that's right!"

I was bummed that we didn't get to take off on Sunday for our Key Largo trip but all is right with the world and we continued having a fun family day. I actually made a recipe that Aaron LOVED so you know it was a good day in our house.

This week has been a whirl wind and there is no stopping it. We had a wonderful day today playing with the Perry's. Thank God for Amy she is so wonderful with the boys and she is great to me. I got to go off for a Walmart adventure of my own which was less eventful then when the boys are around. They made art projects and played and Aidan didn't cry after I snuck away which made me a very happy Mom. Kyan came over this afternoon to give Kim a little while to rest. I was thinking today that they don't tell you how exhausting a new born is in the 'baby' manual, but they are so rewarding. Kingston is a beautiful baby. I am still dying to hold him but my 'big' baby didn't allow that when we took Kyan home. Ade- the big baby- has an appointment with his pediatrician tomorrow so maybe I can get some insight on what is going on with his allergies and his separation issues.

So the rest of the week we have school, Dr., a Mommy book party and play date, and Halloween party planning with the school Mom's. It should be fun. "Maybe my Mom will want to give us a night out?" Subtle huh?

Baby Kingston arrived!

Just a quick post to let everyone know my friend Kim next door had Kingston this morning and he is a healthy 8 pound 1 ounce baby boy. I am so excited to have a baby next door. I'm sure these 4 boys will have some fun!

Thanks to everyone for your prayers.

Amy's request

Me at 18 months

Me at 3 years. Seriously, Mom how many bangs did I need?

Aaron 3, Andy almost 5

How cute is that!

CRAZY ROCK LADY!

If you have been in the subdivision you have seen construction going on next to Windsor's elementary school. The National Guard is putting in a gym for the kids and tennis courts but it has taken alot of tearing up the ground to get everything level. Anyway, I kept seeing rocks coming up so I decided to ask the guys if I could have some. Happily he said take whatever you want so I have and continue too. I think the people driving by must think I am crazy with my little self and my 4 year old taking rocks and throwing them over to the car. Alex and I have filled 5 wheel barrels which equaled 2 trips to the rocks and delivered them to the back yard. Today after I dropped Alex off I decided to go on my own with Aidan watching and I filled up the entire back of the car- up to the top of the seats with rocks. So this is what I have done so far and have more to do out back. I do feel good about it though, Kim next door said she has seen rock prices and they are expensive so at least I'm landscaping and saving money at the same time. Plus, I love to do anything physical even though I am now writing to take a break since I'm exhausted!
The picture didn't turn out very good but this is a picture of Aidan's rash from his week of sickness. I don't know what I'm going to do with the little guy he always is getting sick at the change of season and he's not the one in school or having playmates over for visits. He had a 103 fever on Tuesday which scared me to death and after our Dr. visit I found out his throat was swollen and it was just a virus. He is feeling much better today since he is now carrying me food items out of the refrigerator to open!

We have been crazy busy with life. I have been working on our plumbing/water issues and everything is resolved! Alex had a fun time in the process trying to suck the water out of the toilet 'like the plumber did' with a shop vac which made for another hour of cleaning up water but heck I probably would have tried too, his job looked like fun or at least that part.

So that's it for me. I'm tired but headed up to get ready for the grocery store visit. Um, fun!

UH, OH!

This morning Theresa informed me that this weekend Faith asked her dad a riveting question.

Faith: "Dad when can I have a boyfriend?"
Dad: "When you are much older, 20."
Faith: "Well I'm sorry because Alex is my boyfriend."

Apparently she put her hand on her hip and stomped off.

Contact Solution, Lego's, and Cars

As most of you know my boys love the toilet. I thought that they only loved putting telephones in the toilet but I was wrong. Today we had Matt Bourgeois Plumbing come out and work on our toilet issues. Can you believe that he found a bottle of contact solution in our bathroom, a milk bottle cap in the family bathroom, and a Lego and car in the downstairs bathroom... No wonder we were having issues. The guy that came out was wonderful not only did he fix everything at a reasonable price but he offered to pull out the carpet in our bathroom downstairs. He would have done it alone but of course I had to get in there and pull up at least half and help with the tack strips. He also fixed our bathroom shower. I am so happy, (yes it takes little to make me happy), but it's such a relief. NOW I have to make sure I keep the bathroom doors shut!

On another note I had an interesting week with a spider. This spider was as stubborn as I am. He was outside over the deck on the corner of the house and no matter what I did he kept returning. I hit him with the broom, the mop, then threw sand shovels at him, can's, I even lite his web on fire, and finally got him down with a hanger. The next morning he had returned... I was able to get close enough to spray him with Lysol and finally he is gone. The neighbor asked me if I had been having a party on the deck due to all of the things I had thrown at the little bugger but I am pleased to say I finally won the battle!

So today I feel refreshed no spider and 3 bathrooms that work! Who Hoo!!!

4 year old DRAMA!

I really thought that DRAMA would start a little later in Alex's life but I guess I was wrong. Last Wednesday Faith was supposed to come over but she ended up being sick. That afternoon, Alex was VERY upset with me because she wasn't here and apparently it was all of my fault. On Friday, I talked with Faith's Mom and heard that she also had a very dramatic day. We decided that we would make a play date for this Wednesday and do whatever we could to keep it. Alex informed me as I was picking him up Friday that I was supposed to ask the teacher for Faith and Alex, however, that wasn't the plan since Aidan was sick. Both kids told us that they were going to have their play date on Wednesday!

Today, Alex wore a pirate shirt to school. During their play time two of the little girls in the class that play with Faith told her that she could no longer play with Alex because they don't like pirates. Alex reported that Faith told them that he could play but they didn't listen so Alex was banned from girl play today. Faith was also invited to one of the girls in class birthday party and Alex informed her that she was not supposed to go since he wasn't invited. Faith apparently told him she was going...

Seriously, all this drama at 4. I have fears of what it will be like at 16!!!

Annoyed

I'm a little annoyed this morning. All of us get sick with the change in season. Aaron has had a horrible cold with a fever, I have allergies and sinus issues, Alex is the same and now starting with allergies Aidan has bronchitis and were back with breathing treatments. I am wondering if the Association of Pediatrics decision that children under 2 not being able to have cold/allergy medications is affecting his ability to fight infections. This is the second time for breathing treatments and the Doctor has said nothing about this being a sign for asthma in the future or an allergist. Anyway, I know most people love fall but the only season we don't get sick during the change is summer so I'm sticking with my love for it!

I WON SOMETHING! CAN YOU BELIEVE IT?

So lately I have been checking out money saving blogs and found a few giveaways. I left a comment on this necklace and actually won. Can you believe it, I won something. I feel like it's my lucky day, I'll send Aaron for a lottery ticket!!! You can check out the Lia Sophia jewelry at http://lizheil.blogspot.com

Thanks again!

We always knew he had BIG shoes to fill!

Missing my Hubby

Aaron is in Indianapolis this weekend and will be home tomorrow night. Today he got to enjoy the Indianapolis Motor Speedway GP from a suite with his co-workers and friends. I think he is having a wonderful time. I miss him. It's funny he used to have so many more nights away with work and I'm lucky that there haven't been alot of trips lately. I am happy however that he gets to get away and enjoy things he has never had the opportunity to do before. Alex is doing OK but tears up around bed-time and sends him a kiss and a hug from St. Louis.



We decided to go to Grandma's for the weekend. We always have fun there and I get to have some down time, or at least some time in a different surrounding which is always nice and we get to have adult conversations which I sometimes miss at home. I will say however that after our adventure to Chuck-E-Cheese I am SO thankful that I have the weekdays free because I will NEVER go to Chuck-E-Cheese on a weekend again. It was CRAZY!!! I can not get over how rude some kids are and how rude their parents can be. Aaron and I have taught the kids to be polite, take turns, wait in line patiently, and to never take someone else's place away from them. These kids were jumping in from the back of the rides with parents watching and then the parents would let them put in 4 tokens... Anyway, Alex and Aidan had a blast and that's all that really matters in the end.

Today I got to go with my $100.00 gift card, thanks to one of Aaron's co-workers, to the Galleria. I was planning to get some new outfits for our Key Largo trip but since that is cancelled due to the hurricane I decided that we had to have a new bedspread. I went to Macy's and found one that I loved, then remembered, I have a 4 year old and a 1 year old that LOVE to spill on our bed. Anyway, I settled for one that is really nice, washable, and matches our room. I was excited because I also had money left to buy something for me. For some reason I then became melancholy. I was thinking of how I have no idea what's in fashion, I was spending the gift card on something we had to have, and how the stores I love (Gap, Banana Republic, Limited Express) all have the cloths that if I bought an outfit it would be more then 100.00 and I just don't do that anymore. I was very excited when I found H & M! (OK, if you have been there and love it too just know I NEVER go to the Mall)! What a wonderful store all the things that I love for a great price. I got 2 light sweaters and a hoodie all colorful and fashionable and fun. I was so happy! I guess things just change, you grow up and realize that spending 200 dollars on an outfit is just silly when you can get a bed-in-a-bag for 75!

Aidan's 1/2 Birthday and his favorites!

Today is Aidan's 1/2 birthday. I can't believe that my little guy is closer to 2 then one now. He is such a wonderful little boy with so much joy and energy. I thought I would share today some of his favorite things and some of my favorite memories!

• He loves his Baby Einstein Head to Toe movie. If I say "Do you want to watch your movie?" he runs to the gate, then runs to the TV downstairs. He will sit with his blanket or a teddy bear watching the movie and clapping after the music. As you can see in his picture he is learning body parts and does a great job with eyes, nose, ears, and his favorite is tongue. I must mention that he will poke you in your eye, put his finger up your nose, pull your ear, and touch your tongue.

• He still loves his puppy dog Dot. I actually have 2 Dot's just in case we ever misplace Dot or leave him at Grandma's. He loves to cuddle, love on Dot and pat his back. When he pat's on my back or his animals I always think of my Grandpa Bob. That was my favorite thing about him, he would sit beside me and pat me on the knee. I always knew that meant he loved me.

• He also much like his brother loves to run and enjoys running from Alex screaming sounds at the top of his lungs and clapping. He also has a love for toilets and phones like his brother did. I have lost many phones now to the toilet and still have a non-functional cell phone.

• He is really into things that are high right now. He loves to point at the birds and ah and ooh at them as they pass by. He is also into turning the lights on and off and pointing at them and clapping when he accomplishes his task.

• He loves the white down comforter that I am unable to take out of the living room floor because it's his trampoline!

• He loves his bath and water anywhere you can find it!

• He LOVES shoes and wearing shoes that are too big for him. Which also means he LOVES outings.

• His favorite song is still Glamorous by Fergie. When I put that song on he will immediately quit crying and start dancing and clapping. I sometimes think the star that is on the bottom of his foot is a sign for the future!

• Lastly, he loves his family. He loves mimicking Alex's play and playing with his brother. He loves Caesar and feeds him WAY too much food. He loves his Daddy and running to the door to tell him hello. He also loves playing rough with Daddy. He loves me, he must he claps when I sing, which makes me the happiest Mommy in the world.

We love you Ade!

In Remembrance

I think everyone who was old enough to remember will think today of where they were the moment this American tragedy occurred. I had just started working at the hospital and was on the 16-bed male unit. Half of the patients had the diagnosis of Paranoid Schizophrenia and even without that diagnosis I know we were all scared. I remember seeing the first plane hit and thinking, 'that has to be an accident' and then when we saw the second we all knew we were being attacked. So much has changed since this tragedy and everyone in the United States has been affected in some way. I can remember the fear while working that if something happened how would I get to Aaron and Alex, where would Aaron and I meet, and peace because I always felt secure with the people who cared for Alex. I still worry about Aaron and my Mom...

I hope everyone will take sometime today to think of those who lost loved ones, the hero's who risked and lost their lives, and the troops that are still fighting for our county.

Alex and Faith

Today we had a play date with Faith. When I arrived at school Theresa told me that Faith had to put on make up for their play date and I told her Alex had to be assured that he looked "cool" in his shirt and jeans. This is the first play date that I have had at our house with a girl. I was so worried thinking, "Oh No," we have so many boy toys but not many things for a little girl. I bought cookies to bake, and got out all of the teddy bears and animals I could find so she could have fun. I shouldn't have been worried they had a blast.

Here are some funnies from the day:


Faith told me to stay upstairs because it was "dangerous downstairs."

Faith had to drive the cozy coupe to the ball so she could marry Alex.

Faith was the Mother, Alex was the Dad, and I was the kid.

and a sweet one:

Faith said she wanted to stay here since we are so much fun!


I must say it was wonderful having a sweet little girl voice around the house. I know Aaron's heart is dropping as he is reading this but if they could like "Dr. Han" told me swirl some things around to make a girl I would be begging for another baby. OK, I'm over that thought but it was fun for a moment!

Love to all!

My thoughts

Ok, I guess I will just put my thoughts down and let it go. I have been frustrated all day long with the political system and the degrading of my profession that went on last night. I may not be currently working in the Social Work field but my heart is still with those struggling everyday to make a better life for themselves, and those who dedicate their life to their community, organization or field of practice.

Here is a little of what I have seen within this country within my lifetime. I have seen Veterans who come home from war with no psychological support which leads them into mental illness, alcoholism, and the loss of their families. I have worked with Mentally Ill Veterans who can not get a bed in their Veteran hospital due to overcrowding so they are sent to the streets. I have seen Mentally Ill persons kicked out of their Nursing Homes because of Medicaid cuts not covering their stays any longer. I have seen elderly citizens choose between medications and food or electricity. I have seen a Mentally Ill, homeless, man put on a Greyhound bus because when Katrina hit there was nothing else to do with him. I have seen a Harvard Professor die due to states not wanting to count him as their citizen because of the economic hardship of taking care of him. The list goes on and on but the people who get out there and help the people who should have been given the help in the first place are those who are attacked and belittled.
I am very frustrated today and appalled that someone could become our Vice President that cares so little about the helping organizations of our country.

OK, I'm done.

I truly respect everyone who reads this right to their opinion. I also respect that we all have the ability to make our decisions based on our own morals and values and this blog was not written to sway your choice in this election just to let me put out some of my thoughts and feelings on a day that I feel my profession was ridiculed.


This is what the National Association of Social Workers had to say today.

Social Workers Respond to Gov. Sarah Palin’s Attack on Community Organizers
The National Association of Social Workers was outraged to hear Alaska Governor Sarah Palin, one of the nation’s vice-presidential candidates, malign in a live international broadcast the work of community organizers.
The social work profession takes great pride in its community organizing roots and lauds the contributions of its members, and other professionals, who commit their careers to helping residents of different communities organize their resources and take social action to improve life for themselves and their families. Small town reformers and urban community organizers have much in common.
The concepts of community organizing, community building and community development undergird the premise of American democracy. As a result of these efforts, institutions and officials often deliver more effective economic growth strategies, as well as mental health, health, and family services for people of all ages.
Community organizing is also the foundation of most successful political campaigns. Meeting fellow Americans in their communities and working with them to find solutions to problems that limit their potential is valuable and necessary work—with significant responsibilities.
The profession of social work was founded on the legacy of outstanding women leaders such as Nobel Laureate Jane Addams, who practiced community organizing in the Settlement Houses she created for the poor and working class immigrants of Chicago. The profession also counts Civil Rights icons such as Dr. Dorothy I. Height among its luminaries. It is fitting that both women are considered two of the most influential people in American history, and are inspirations for many of our country’s finest leaders.
During this election year, NASW encourages both parties to stay focused on issues of substance to the American people. We hope that instead of denigrating the lives and work of huge segments of the population, candidates will demonstrate how their plans for the country will protect and elevate the quality of life for all Americans.
SHARETHIS.addEntry({ title: "Social Workers Respond to Gov. Sarah Palin’s Attack on Community Organizers", url: "http://www.socialworkblog.org/pressroom/index.php/2008/09/04/social-workers-respond-to-gov-palin-on-community-organizers/" });

Note to Self

Today has been one of those days. I wanted to put this post up so I will think twice before I make the same mistake. Thinking I'm smart, I decided to take our bath's after our spaghetti and meatball dinner. Usually I do it before so we can spend more time with Aaron when he gets in. Next time I must remember not to mop the floor during Aidan's nap.

Alex's first day in the Pre-Kindergarten Program

Alex excited for his first day.

Alex and Aidan excited for their picture to be taken.


Aidan realizing that his brother is going to leave him.

Wow, what a fun morning. Alex had a wonderful day at school and loves his teachers. It was a big bonus too that his friends Faith, Jack, and Tanner are in his class again this year.

Here are some excerpts from the car ride home.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Mom they asked about my family." "I told them my Dad's name is Aaron, Mom's name is Kim, my baby brother is Aidan, and my dog is Caesar." "Jack has a Mom, Dad, Brother, Sister, and Kitchen."

"Mom, Mrs. Appleton likes apples and Mrs. Beuler likes bee's."

"Mom, I'm in the bee classroom and Gracie is in the bear room. "The bear room is much bigger like from my head to the top of the car!"

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I am so thankful that he likes school. He walked right up to the door, gave me a hug and kiss, and went to his cubby to put his bag in. No tears or worry just a good-bye and I love you. You always wonder if you are doing what is right for your children. The right school, the right days, are you wearing them out, will they learn enough, are they happy. I thought pulling away this morning that Mustard Seed is in fact the right place for Alex. I am so proud of Alex and how he has grown into a thoughtful, smart, and wonderful little boy. I couldn't ask for a more caring and considerate child he amazes me everyday and I am so lucky to have him as a son.

Love to all.