Unnatural Childhood

The other day I was in the local grocery store and I saw two women with a group of 4 and 5 year olds, touring the grocery store with a store employee. I quickly realized that they were there on a daycare tour and that this was meant to educate them on the things they would have learned on trips to the supermarket with Mom. The store employee asked the children, "Do you know what this is?", as she held up various fruits and vegetables. The were able to recognize the apple. Beyond that, blank stares that were clearly indicative of the prepared food frenzy these children were likely served when their parents rush home to get them from daycare, feed them and send them off to bed. That thought haunted me as I continued shopping -- the majority of children don't recognize foods in their natural form. I caught up with them in the meat aisle as I unsuccessfully looked for ground turkey that did not have added natural flavoring. The store employee held up a package of beef. Do you know what this is? Its beef. Beef comes from a cow. Blank stares. Is beef healthy for you? "Probably not with all those antibiotics and hormones in it", I thought.

Just a Bit of Sibling Rivalry

We have been dealing with a huge issue of sibling rivalry between my first and third born. Its been quite bad for a year. Ask if you might, how I know its been a year. My first born is turning ten next month. Last year her third born sibling REFUSED to wish her a happy birthday. Flat. Out. Refused. And thus started the feud that left me in tears Thursday afternoon. My first born, however, apparently left wonderful documentation for me. While cleaning her room today I found an innocent written book with, "This Book is About When Your Sister or Brother Gets on your Nerves and How to Stop it". So, I opened to find this:

Chapter One

If your a person putting up with crap from your sister or brother this is what I did.

1st Pour water on sheets
2nd Pour vinegar on pillow
3rd Put marbles in pillow case
4th Mess up drawers
6th Dirty room badly
7th Make faces at them until they get upset and tell on you then tell your mom you have no idea what he or she is talking about
8th If they have a curtains, tie a string or something to it so when they walk past it falls on them.
9th Get a glass of water and dump it on them and say you did it on accident
10th Put glue on pillow not so much but some
11 Put stink bugs on ceiling
12 Pour salt on bed
13 Lock door first go in it unless you can open it from outside of room
14 If at your siblings best friend's say something embarrassing
15 trip them while walking with water
16 tell the boy or girl they have a crush on that they have one
17 tips don't tell mom about book
18 if your sister harasses you DO WHAT THE BOOK SAYS! Thank you.
19 Don't get fooled by them if they are nice the next day. Its a trick. Trust me on this I have been doing this for a year. but she has improved a little. Well a lot from when we started.
20 if she's just mean start one at a time if a brat do it all every day for a month

Thank you for reading
I hope your sibling improves

P.S. This is so not a joke. I wish it were.

Happy &$%#^% Groundhog Day

Let the truth be known. I hate groundhogs. Absolutely loathe them. They are destructive little theives, the terrorist of summer, the fat ugly ogres of the harvest.

Here are some facts about groundhogs:

- lethal gas to the groundhog hole has proven to be an effective means of control, only some municipalities do not allow such a measure to be employed.

- groundhogs are carriers of tick-borne illnesses.

- groundhogs are carriers of rabies.

- groundhogs prolifically produce a litter 5 to 9 of equally as dispicable offspring.

Pay it Forward

I decided to participate in a Pay it Forward …

here's the deal:

the first 4 people to leave a comment on this post will receive, at some point during the year, a handmade gift your truly. What it will be and when it will arrive is a total surprise!The catch is that you must participate as well: before you leave your comment here, write up a pay it forward post on your blog to keep the fun going. Then come back, let me know you’re going to play, and sit back and anticipate the arrival of your gift! Remember that only the first 4 comments will receive a gift from me, so be quick!I love that this is a crafty, hand made gift and that it encourages others to participate, so it is open to everyone, no matter the country as long as you Pay it Forward in your own way.

The Entirely Unofficial Hunterdon Free^y^cle A List

I started this list because I became fed up with free^y^lers that didn't show up for their stuff.

caheerjeavons@yahoo.com

Colene@jhadoption.org

dmclark21@comcast.net

gerryc1916@aol.com

Kahluhagirl@hotmail.com

khuff4242@yahoo.com

kircaldy007@comcast.net

loiseileen@embarqmail.com

minimama73@yahoo.com

redsjohn@yahoo.com

shadden2@earthlink.net

tamarajpark@yahoo.com

If you are a Hunterdon county free^y^ler drop me an email making_footprints@yahoo.com and I will put their names up here. Hope this works as a good reference for you guys!

Only in America

Only in America do we support a system that kills its supporters. No, I'm not talking about Big Tobacco, though it would be yet another glimmering example. I talking about Corporate America and Consumers. Most of you have already heard about the Wal Mart worker trampled to death. How did this happen? The people who had been allowed by Wal Mart to start gathering at the door 7 hours earlier, through the wee hours of the morning, clearly were not making good decisions. After standing on line for SEVEN HOURS who does make good decisions. (Why did Wal Mart knowingly allow this, by the way?) Add that the media hype over Black Friday. Someone had to brainwash people into thinking it was a good idea to line up outside any store in freezing temperatures, with no access to bathrooms and food, overnight. Nobody would come up with that on their own. Sorry. Yet the advertising geniuses (who, trust me, were tucked in soundly in their beds while this young man lost his life for what was a close to minimum wage job) managed to whip up the masses with too good to be true offers. And after 7 hours of standing in the freezing cold, the people waiting at the door see a man and get taken up in mob mentality, rush the doors and end that poor guy's life. Take the Wal Mart challenge -- I urge anyone who has made a purchase at Wal Mart today to RETURN YOUR MERCHANDISE ASAP and do not shop there the rest of the holiday season! Send Wal Mart, the Media and the rest of Corporate America the message that we will not be manipulated. 'Tis the season to see corporate giants fall and return our economy to the little guy.

Freaky Moon

Last night as we were leaving the grocery store the windshield of the truck was filled with a bright full moon, blurred by swirling clouds. My 5 year old remarks to my three year old, “Look at that freaky moon, and mom is driving RIGHT INTO IT!!!” Well, would you know that freaky moon followed us home? Cries of, "that freaky moon is chasing us" drowned out the radio. And when they got inside they let dad know that the freaky moon was waiting. RIGHT. OUT. SIDE.
Here's the Freaky Moon lying in wait in our back yard.