Maybe this is our year...

Ok, I admit that sometimes I am annoyingly optimistic, but I think this year the midwifery movement is starting really strongly!

It is early in the session and already a huge victory for us! The Senate committee decided to combine the tocology repeal language and the licensure language into one bill! This is giant! That means that our opponents can't remove the language that made the midwives legal thus rendering our Supreme Court case moot without at the same time legalizing CPMs the way we wanted to in the first place.

For all the details: http://www.friendsofmomidwives.blogspot.com/

YEA!

Quotes

I LOVE quotes! I came across these on Nikki's website:

"Before you speak, ask yourself:
Is it kind,
is it necessary,
is it true,
does it improve on the silence?" --Shirdi Sai Baba, Indian saint

"I would rather be ashes than dust! I would rather that my spark should burn out in a brilliant blaze than it should be stifled by dry rot. I would rather be a superb meteor, every atom of me in magnificent glow, than a sleepy and permanent planet. The proper function of man is to live, not to exist. I shall not waste my days in trying to prolong them. I shall use my time." Jack London

and thought I would share some of my favorites.

"Nothing of me is original. I am the combined effort of everyone I have ever met." Chuck Palahniuk Invisible Monsters

"Those whose cause is just will never lack good arguments." Euripedes Hecuba

"Trying to control love is like being the captain of a small sailboat on a chaotic sea of frustration and ecstasy." DW Pop Rocks and Coke

"If I were asked...to what the singular prosperity and growing strength of that people ought mainly to be attributed, I should reply: To the superiority of their women." Alexis de Tocqueville Democracy in America

"Do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Let the day's own trouble be sufficient for the day." Jesus Matthew 6:34

"I will carve a tunnel of hope through the mountain of despair." Martin Luther King, Jr.

"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed people can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has." Margaret Mead

"Dreams are how we figure out where we want to go. Life is how we get there." Kermit the Frog Before You Leap

How to spend a day at the Capitol

The following is an email to our homeschool group about hanging out at the Capitol, I believe the same directions apply to any trip to the Capitol with only minor modifications. Does anyone have anything to add?
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I am the Chair for the Legislative Committee and would like to offer a task. One of the most important things we, as homeschoolers, can so is to remind our legislators how well the Missouri law is working and how grateful we are for their support. We are so fortunate that the tremendous resource of the Capitol is right in our backyard, it would be a shame to not use it. So here is my task for all of you: make a visit this month. If you only have 30 minutes, that's fine, if you have all day, even better! Here are some suggestions to make your trip successful:

• Before you go, write a short (one to two paragraph) story about your family and why homeschooling is important to you and any changes you would like to the law or things you love about the law, eg: wanting a tax credit for curriculum, freedom to tailor education, choice of year-round or other unconventional schedule, etc. You might also include any awards the kids have received or goals they have been able to reach because of homeschooing or even a family photo! Make about four copies of this letter.

• You can look up your legislators here: http://www.senate.state.mo.us/ just enter your zip+4 in the lookup box on the left side. If you don't know your zip+4, go to http://zip4.usps.com/zip4/welcome.jsp to find it.

• Stop by the desk in the Rotunda (use the front entrance that is under the big stairs facing High St.) and ask for a list of the Senators and Representatives. If you don't know yours, then they can help you figure it out. If it is a nice day, you might also want to pick up a copy of the "walking tour of the Capitol grounds" (that might not be the exact name) to get an art and history lesson out of the visit, as well as the social studies. This guide explains all the sculptures outside the Capitol and is really interesting.

• Visit your Senator (for most of us it is Carl Vogel, office 321 http://www.senate.mo.gov/08info/members/mem06.htm) and drop off your letter. If the Senator is in the office, try to talk to him or her directly, if not the Legislative Assistant (LA) is almost as important. Talk to him or her the same way you would the Senator, he or she plays a very important role in what is brought to the Senator's attention and how the Senator perceives an issue. If your Senator is Vogel, then enjoy a free soda out of the cooler, his family owns the local Coca-cola distributorship.

• Visit your Representative (same as in Senate office.)

• Visit the Chair of the Education committee for the Senate and House (same drill as in your Representative and Senator's offices). They are Senator Mayer, room 331 http://www.senate.mo.gov/08info/members/mem25.htm and Representative Cunningham, room 313 http://www.house.mo.gov/billtracking/bills081/member/mem086.htm.

• Stop by Secretary of State Robin Carnahan's office, room 208. Here you can get a free copy of the Blue Book, you just have to ask and sign that you have received it. This book is amazing! It has the answer to any question about Missouri you could have: bios of all the legislators, election results, schools, history, winners of a photo contest (one winner is a Kempf, is she a homeschooler?), addresses of newspapers, and much more. You can also get a small packet of educational things for each kid. While you are there say, "hello," to Milton for me and my kids and get a piece of candy, he always has chocolate! He is one of the friendliest people in the Capitol, if you ever have a question about ANYTHING (including the Chiefs), he should be your first stop.

• Enjoy the museums on the main floor and the paintings and old photos on the upper floors. There is a new exhibit of the battleship Missouri that is really cool on the main floor that has a scale replica, huge bell, and other artifacts.

• If you have more time, ask one of your reps to take you to the Whispering Gallery at the top of the Capitol, from there you can even go outside and see the whole city! This is a looong walk up lots of stairs, so be prepared for some exercise. If your rep is too busy, try asking Representative Jim Viebrock, room 407A http://www.house.mo.gov/billtracking/bills081/member/mem134.htm. ; He is super nice and will do everything he can to make time to take you up there. You can also tell him, "hello" from the kids and me if you'd like.

Fun links:
Senate kids page: http://www.senate.mo.gov/kidspage/index.html
State government home page: http://www.mo.gov/
How a bill becomes a law: http://www.house.mo.gov/billtracking/info/habbl.pdf

Christmas Evaluation

Every year I try to de-commercialize Christmas. I am up against some stiff competition in this arena, as I'm sure you are aware. Not only are the kids bombarded by television and radio ads as usual. Now they are also wooed by postal mail and email. I delete the emails, but those catalogs are devoured, circled, cut out and poured over time and time again.

Another trouble spot in my de-commercialization plan is that I am going solo. The kids even know it. They told me that their dad spoils them at Christmas and they will get piles of presents from the grandparents.

The third issue is internal. I end up putting way more focus on the gifts than I plan. I don't mean too, honest, I can't explain it! Each year I strategize ways to put Jesus at the forefront. Stories we can read, ways to increase the use of the Nativity set, events we can attend, etc. but too often I find myself Christmas shopping instead. I like to think I am a pretty strong woman, but I have been indoctrinated so thoroughly it is hard to break out. Wait a minute, that's placing the blame externally and is not my intention - I have allowed myself to hold on to the lessons I was taught growing up. I am always the weird one, I should be used to it, but I've gotta admit fitting in has its appeal. We already don't do Santa (except for the hats, but they're so cute!) which, I swear, makes some people think about calling the child abuse hotline on me. It's crazy how attached to that whole tradition people are! I hold strong to my beliefs on that issue. That being said, sometime around December 20, I decide to drink the Kool-aid and go spend a bunch of money. This year, I did way better than last year when I decided to compete with Tracy. This year I let him win, and bought sensible gifts in my last-minute remorseful shopping trip. I mean, really, are the kids going to love me less if they each only have one gift, but lots of story telling and game time, NO! They would love it, why can't I stick to the plan, I don't know, ack.

This year a friend, who adores the kids (and how could he not?) bought them gifts rather unexpectedly. He was afraid I wouldn't accept them from him, so didn't go overboard, which I really appreciated. It was nice for them to have something else to open on our Christmas morning at my house. I hate people to spend money on us, so it took me a bit to get used to the idea. The so sweet fact that he thought of them when he has no legitimate reason to was overwhelming. After they opened them , the only trouble for me was that they loved them. More than my gifts! They played with them almost the entire day! I'm teasing, of course, I adore that he knows them well enough from the stories I tell and the few interactions they have had to pick out perfect gifts. They were even hands-on and a bit educational, so he obviously knows me as well.

So, I'm sure we did not keep the Christ in Christmas as well as the average homeschool family, but darn it we did better than the average American family and that is good enough for me. I know that bar is pretty low, but the older I get, the easier I am on myself, which is only positive. Trying and failing to be perfect can make you crazy and I'm already too far down that path to add any more speed to my travels.

Overall, this year the kids were super happy with how it all went and it was only barely stressful for me and fairly easy on the checking account so I am claiming success.

Side note: Kara and I both celebrated on Christmas Eve and the kids went to their fathers' on Christmas Day. That left us alone on the actual day. We both decided independently to celebrate in a really healthy way: she had wine and I had mimosas. :-) When she called about 10:00 am, we laughed - a lot - at how pathetic it was, but what's a girl to do?

First Snow

Well, it had to happen eventually. We have had a very mild winter (thank you global warming) and I have tried to be appreciative, but apparently Mother Nature has decided we need some snow anyway. This afternoon we were blessed with fluffy, icy goodness. The kids, of course, were ecstatic, which made me feel like a louse of a mother since I spend so much time wishing against it. They managed to hit me with only four snowballs, which I count as a victory for me.

Levi took a slab of ice from the little pond out front and pretended to eat it, which I found hilarious, and also, disgusting. Paige decided to slide down the hill on her front and back alternatively, making her super happy and freeeezing! She didn't care a bit, of course.

So, that's our first snow day. We got maybe an inch of snow, but it was perfect snowball snow, so great fun. Now, if it could get up to, like 80*, I'd be super happy.

Mouseless, Dogfull

We have closed up the mouse cage for now with the death of Speedy. The kids are fine with the circle of life. We put her outside to nourish another animal and Paige thought that was a fitting way to say, "goodbye."

In other news, I decided to get a dog. I spend a good deal of time alone in the house and the house stays empty quite a lot, so thought it might not be a bad idea to have a companion. I would like a standard poodle, but am not a fan of purchasing full-bred dogs when there are so many mutts out there in need of homes. I was able to find a very mixed dog with some poodle in her. Her name is Missy Bouffant and she is 3 1/2 months old and just as sweet as can be. She came from a woman who runs an informal rescue and kept her inside, so she is used to using a doggie door and being on a leash. She is almost completely housebroken, which is really good for me since I have to work for at least 7 hours a night. I have a tie out that allows her to go through the doggie door to be inside or outside and it works pretty well, as long as she keeps from getting wrapped around the table leg or porch post. After a mere $140 trip to Petco for the free dog, we have another happy member of the family.

So that is the animal update for the Doyle household, it's always something here.

Treading Water?

Ever feel like your not getting anywhere financially? Ever feel like you work for nothing? Let me tell you about my weekend.

Saturday night I made $131, which is a bit low, but I'll take it.
The babysitter (Debi who I work with watched them) cost me $25.
Spent $20 bringing the staff doughnuts and berries when I picked up the kids (she brought them to the restaurant so I didn't have to go all the way to her house.)
$20 went to the offering plate.
$53 for the kids a new Wii game (Doug gets some credit for helping the kids convince me this morning that they needed it and that it was an active game.)
$57 ticket for expired plates (apparently the renewal went to Tracy, but I should have noticed anyway, dang it.)
That means right now, I am at $-44 for the day and still need gas.

I am thankful that I have a job that gives me a bit of financial freedom. There have been times in my life where a day like today would have destroyed me. Today it is merely a setback. I will probably make enough to pay the ticket and get new plates tomorrow and then can move on to the other bills with the rest of the week.