Fresh Start

Well- I'm off to reinstall windows so I can start the semester off fresh-- just in case i wasn't 100% effective in clearing all the bad crap off after my last infection- (Norton still doesn't update right despite nearly 9 hours of tech support- i also cant update my camera software-- so i'm sure SOMETHING is still wrong :) probably something i damaged while trying to frantically clean it :) ) little nervous because i had a LOT of stuff to clear off and i'm just praying it all works :) anyway- wish me luck :)

original photo credit: full sized and complete image can be found at www.positivechangeuk.com/images/biting_cd.

Incessant Waittimes!

What is it with Sallie Mae? Is there just an ever present need for the company to keep its theoretical hands on students' money until the last possible second?? My refund has been posted for nearly 4 days now but has yet to process-- i'm guessing due to the holiday period-- but.. the catcher-- its ALL automated- all my loans/grants ect are direct deposited-- so what-- do their computers take a 4 day holiday too?? can anyone enlighten me here? what am i missing- why is it so difficult to automatically transfer money electronically??- or hell at least process something in less than 4 days! that way at least i'd know i would have it in my bank account by the 31st... so much for it'll be here 10 days before classes start--well.. 8 days and counting motherfuckers! i am going to be really upset if i have to wait until AFTER the 1st to get my money that I will be paying back- its not like its free money- i'm paying intrest on this shit and can't manage to get it when i need it-- it's such bullshit :P --end bitch session--

Videos--The Miracle of Childbirth

Someone shared these on a message board i check in with once in a while :) thought they were awesome so i wanted to share them with you :)

This video is just downright hilarious :D


And as for this video, I just can't get over how happy she is during the delivery, and the process seems to take ages compared to what i remember mine to be (though i think i pushed for nearly 20-30 minutes so maybe not lol) and the lack of hands from doctors and such would have been awesome- i still attribute my tear (small as it may be lol- i still resent it ;) )to my doctor trying to pull back skin because she thought it was taking too long- according to dave she was almost ready to give me an episiotomy without my permission- i would have decked her just like the guy in the first video ;) enjoy!

On a Brighter Note

My grades for the semester are in- straight A's :) My thanks to anyone who tolerated my stress filled tears rants and whinings throughout the semester :D final cumulative GPA: 3.953 :) Hopefully next semester goes according to plan and entrance in the fall is a shoe in :) Wish me luck!

Operation Castle-- Castle Bravo-- 1954-- Remembrance and a Moment of Silence

Just one of many tests endured by the Marshall Islands... Just thought I'd share... I think the digital enhancement of the footage is nice- makes it easier to see just how devestating these tests truely were... and to think that many of the people who were exposed to the fallout from such a blast are still denied any assistance or even acknowledged publicly as having been harmed by the US gov.- and all the while the goverment knew full well that those islands would be impacted yet they manipulated the people of the Marshall Islands, used their trust, used the barriers of language to their advantage, and have utterly ignored pleas for help from the people impacted by this testing program- and these people still cannot go home-- I don't think I'll ever be able to let this go... Barker, I may just take you up on that offer to teach english in the Marshall Islands.. infact, I may try to take up employment with Greenpeace or some other organization that would enable to me to practice in the marshall islands and teach english as an aside- I have many concerns related to that plan- but for now i have to get through school... I just wanted to take this oportunity to share the footage with my readers and have one more moment of silence for this shattered culture... Thank you for your time.

Don't Hide Behind a Shroud! Breastfeeding Moms Stand Proud!

The Great Breast Fest Montage from mothergoosemouse on Vimeo.

A Bone to Pick- Daycare Provider Battle Grounds

So, as those of you who speak with me on a regular basis already know, I have run into a bit of a problem with our new daycare provider (that we just started with back in August). And although I have discussed it with nearly everyone already, and all have been totally supportive, I still feel hurt and angry about it. I cant figure out why I'm letting it get to me so much.
For those of you who don't know this story, I will briefly enlighten you. My son, who is just now two and a half years old, started lashing out at daycare about a month and a half after he started there (he had already started on his terrible twos so i can't attribute it to that- we ran into power struggles starting 3 weeks after his 2nd birthday)... Anywho... the outbursts this woman describes are just beyond me.. I have never seen my child behave the way she says he does when he is angry at her home. We occasionally get hit or screamed at by our son... but she is describing a child that violently attacks other children for no reason at all (she never has an answer for what started the whole ordeal) she has said he has headbutted, scratched, bit, punched and kicked her and multiple other daycare children all in the same fit... I have seen him hit another child MAYBE two times ever... usually its screaming over stolen toys or taking toys from another kid... but the problem is generally easily resolved... she says she cant get him to go to time out and when she puts him there he starts punching her and threatening her. She called me Tuesday to come talk to him because she said all the other daycare kids were afraid of him (mind you he is the smallest and youngest child there). When I arrived, he was sitting quietly in his time out chair (which faces so that he can see everything- quite a contradiction from our time-outs which she said she would switch to) and had the most hurt look in his eyes that were welled up with tears.. and the other children appeared to be playing quite contentedly...so... anyway.. when i came to pick him up at the end of the day (which was around 3o'clock) she had handwritten a letter about how if he acted out again like that one more time he would no longer be allowed to continue at her daycare... she called him a danger to the other children and called him physically and verbally abusive. How a two year old can be considered abusive is beyond me to begin with-- but.. as i said-- i have never witnessed such behavior out of my child. So, somewhat concerned, we took him to the doctor... who.. of course.. said he saw no behavioral issues and that it was most likely a problem with the daycare provider and either her disciplinary style and or her temperament... (I have never received a complaint about my child's behavior from anyone else who has ever watched him without me either).... SO..
Just to put things into perspective.. I have already paid through the end of the year-- so two weeks are left-- and I'm afraid to send him there-- because I'm not sure what's going on while I'm not there- not to mention I'm afraid to not be allowed to take him there during my finals (which i still have 2 left to take)... I don't know if this woman simply cant deal with very young kids or what... but.. I have started looking for another daycare-- but I'm kind of uncertain as to what is going to happen with the money we have already paid her-- in her contract it says we have to give 2 weeks notice to terminate the contract (paid) but it does not mention what happens if she terminates it-- and I'm assuming she'll wait until the last day of paid time is gone-- at which point i would be left scrambling to find another daycare days before my spring semester starts...
Well.. I feel slightly better I guess... I don't know.. I just don't understand how someone can charge to care for children that they know they cant emotionally handle (she has thrown another child out of her daycare in the past of the same age for the same exact said problems-- she informed me of this about a month after we started with her) And then throw that kind of stress onto someone just before the holidays at a time they already know is stressful for the other (ie:my finals) I don't know what else to say at this point... but.. that's where my thoughts lie right now-- just hours before my Spanish final.... I'm trying to move my mind away from the issue so that i can crack my book back open-- but... i just don't think its going to happen as i know i will be finally confronting her again in a few hours as well (I have kept him out of daycare since the letter was written) Oh well.. anyway.. thanks for reading... have a happy holiday season if you don't stop in again before then

Hooray for Snowmen!

As you can see :) we had quite a lovely snowfall. As a reward for finally having a good day this week (lack of hitting ect) we rewarded Owen on Friday by helping him build a snow man :) it was quite the event :) I dont think i've seen his eyes sparkle that much in a while now :) (alas, the effects weren't as long lived as i hoped lol :) he hit once yesterday and had a bit of a meltdown today-though today we kept him up a bit past his nap time inadvertently so today i would attribute as our fault- but- never the less he still loses his reward for the day :( ) *crossing my fingers for tomorrow* :) anyway :) just wanted to show off our snow man :)

The Church Down the Street

This is an old picture :) The church just down the street :) it has given us many a good laugh over the years :) just thought i'd share :)