After School Nom

Ah I love fall, the time of year I keep the sugar industry going.
I made this for after school snack today and it was SO good.

Kettle Corn**
* 1/4 cup canola oil
* 1/2 cup popcorn kernels
* 1/4 cup sugar
* 1 teaspoon kosher salt

Heat oil on medium to medium-high (I was on 6 on my stove). Add corn. When it starts to sizzle and bubble, sprinkle sugar on top. Cover and shake until the popping slows down. Pour into bowl and sprinkle with salt.

Now make yourself a bowl before your hyenas children eat it all.

**this is adapted, only a little, from Rachael Ray's recipe**

Tomorrow we make caramel apples!

If you dont have something nice to say...

Remember I said in my last post that we should keep talking to stop ignorance? Turns out that only applies to some people, others should actually just shut up.

Friday after school, I took the kids and dog to the doggy park, we were having a great time watching Milo roll in the dirt dust with a pit bull and jack russell. The jack russell was freaking INSANE. The pit? Was the sweetest dog. Isaiah spent most of the time playing fetch with her.

We were there about an hour when a woman walked in, she was uh interesting right off the bat. Obviously wealthy, she had WAYY too much plastic surgery. The icing on the cake was seeing her nipple ring through her very tight tank top. Did I mention she was like 60?

Immediately she hones in on the pit and demands to know who the owner is. The young guys speaks up, she begins to berate him without any pretense. Explaining that she doesn't think pits belong at the dog park and asks if the dog have ever attacked anyone. I step in and tell her the dog is a sweet mush and that my kids have been playing with her the whole time.

Then her ignorance just shines through...

She whips her head up and realizes that the only kids at the park are brown and looks at me again. "THOSE kids are yours????" To which I replied, "yep all them brown ones be mines" (insert dripping sarcasm). Her reply, "ohhh well I TRY not to judge." Took everything in me not to smack her.

She continues on her anti-pit tirade, sneaking in insults about them almost constantly. The owner was a sweet guy and continued to be polite.

The kicker?

When her dog finally came over to our side of the park, it was clear to see HER FREAKING DOG WAS AT LEAST HALF PIT! When we asked her about it she said noooo, she is just a mutt. Uh NO.

No H8

As everyone is aware, unless you live under a rock, there has been a rash of homophobic bullying related suicides, not to mention the asshats in the Montana GOP trying to make it illegal to engage in homosexual acts.

You heard me ILLEGAL.

They will fail if our constitution means anything, but these days we can't count on that. What the GOP and "tea party" seem to be forgetting is we have a separation of church and state. Religion has NO place in our government.

I have talked about my failed attempt to be an evangelical christian on here more than once. I have also talked about the fact that I refused to shun, condemn, or rage against gays was a major factor in why I just didn't fit in. I grew up around my parent's gay close friends, who by the way are still together and my parents aren't, and I knew these men did not deserve this kinda of treatment.

Another reason I am so invested in the rights of gays? Because as little as 20 years ago, MY marriage was an abomination in the eyes of the same type of maniacs that are now focusing on their homophobic hate. See being a racist isn't so PC anymore. Though, God knows it still exists. It is not really okay to be openly racist, but somehow it is okay to spread hate publicly against gays.

This is where we come in. We need to keep talking to each other and to our children. If we talk to our children about acceptance, love, and understanding hopefully we can prevent another child from taking their own life out of fear, desperation, and pain.

I understand some of you truly believe being gay is a sin. But we are ALL sinners and no sinner is greater than the others. Also I am pretty sure the bible is pretty clear on who gets to do the judging.

Hint, it's NOT you.

Why I Might Not have Sex for the Next 12 YEARS.

Last week I posted about being on the fence as far as the boys school situation. Well several things have happened since then.

First was progress reports, all three boys have straight A's. I am super proud of them all.

The second thing has my mind blown. Also not sure I am having sex again until my kids are in college.

Lately I have caught the boys whispering about sex. And quickly put a stop to it.
I am an extremely open person about sex and never really worried about talking to the boys about it, but I really wasn't ready to have the "talk" with them yet.
The other day one of the boys was eating a popcile and said, "I am totally having sex with this". I almost fell out of my chair.

After composing myself I demanded to know where he would have gotten such an idea...blank stare...He swore he didn't know where it came from.

I could delay no more, time to talk to them all. The baby is only five and really didn't think he was old enough, but my hand was forced. So I ask them what sex is...they all blush and say they know, but can't say it because it's too gross.
So I break it down. Using all the proper words and all.
And the baby looks at me and says, "yeah I know, they get naked, kiss, sometime a lady kisses a man's penis, then he puts it in her vagina". I wanted to cry. WHY DOES MY BABY KNOW THIS??

We limit their tv. We are careful what we watch when they are up. We keep our relations in the bedroom. He just came from a very conservative pre-k. I am at a loss. At first I assume the 2nd grader is hearing it from friends and sharing. But NOPE.

Turns out it's from the kindergartner's class! It is the same "friend" who has exposed himself to the class twice this year, who is sharing all this info. He also taught my son the word coochie. I will be calling the teacher on Tuesday. I hate to be "that" mom, but I don't want my kids near this one. I kinda thought he was making up the kid stripping in class, since the teacher never sent a note home or anything, but he sticks to that story and now this...

After I talked to the boys about the importance of NOT telling their friends about this info, because not all mommies want their kids to know. And that sex is for adults, little kids should not be talking about it. And of course, if they ever have a question to ask me or daddy.

And just when I think this is over for now, kid #2 looks at me and says, "SO THAT'S WHAT YOU AND DAD WERE DOING WHEN I WALKED IN YOUR ROOM THAT TIME???!?!?"

And then I died.

*Wanted to add, I am not making light of this, I am heartbroken that my sons' innocence has been shattered. But a little comedy is how I survive.

On the Fence

I have always been a huge supporter of public school. Hell I am/was even an education student, who had every intention of teaching in a public elementary school. As you know I have had a few struggles with Noah's education in the past and the recent bullying issue with Jordan. And now Isaiah is struggling.

Let me first say, I am not a delusional parent about my kids, they are FAR from perfect. But Isaiah is a REALLY good, easy going kid. In all of preschool he was only on yellow (warning) once or twice. He has been on yellow 3 times this WEEK! The reasons? Are refreakingdiculous. The first time he spoke to a friend. GASP. Yesterday he was on yellow for pretending to tickle a classmate with a feather. You read that right, PRETENDING. Have I mentioned he is FIVE and in the first months of kindergarten? I understand the need for order in the classroom. And the so-called-zero-tolerance-bullying-policy calls for NO touching. EVER. No hugs. No high five. No handshaking. Nothing. But really? It's bad enough there is no talking at lunch in their assigned seats and no recess, when are they supposed to be getting this socialization that I hear is supposed to happen in public school?

The other issue, Isaiah is VERY ahead of what they are learning right now. He finishes the work in 1/4 the time of most of the kids. He is just plain bored.

Recently I have been debating home school. I am really not sure I have the patience.

I really don't know what to do.

I am just not sure if the rigid public school environment is the place for them.

Whoa it's been a while since I posted.

I am not sure if I have too much to say, or nothing at all. I just haven't been inspired to post. I am still here, nothing is wrong. Feeling kinda blah about writing.

The weather is WONDERFUL down here in Florida.

I love fall. Really. I say this every year. I love making the house smell like apples and cinnamon, getting out the fall decorations, making pumpkin dishes, carving pumpkins, roasting seeds, and don't even get me started on Thanksgiving.

From this point on the year starts the steady happy climb to Christmas.

The low tonight is 59, which I am pretty sure is the temp of paradise.

I have been feeling crafty and decided to take up crocheting again.

Like everyone I am destroyed reading about the suicides of gay students at the results of bullying. I will be posting about it soon. I just can't find the words right now.