Grayson has TEETH!

He was much easier than his sister to get a pic of his newly acquired choppers. He's about two months behind his sister. Chloe already has her top teeth surfacing - not quite breaking skin just yet. I know, they grow so fast but damn if it isn't so true?!
They are both sitting up like, no problem; he pulls himself to stand and can stand solo for several seconds before losing balance. Neither are crawling yet so I suspect they are going straight for the stroll.

Goodness.

It's official

No. 44!!

I really hope the dems in congress don't ruin the promise this man offers. The Burris fiasco didn't show much positive light on them but he was ultimately seated; perhaps they will rise above their own egos and agenda and assist Obama and Biden to truly making this country great.

Vegas getaway

Hon fowarded me an email she rec'd last Monday declining an invite from friends to go to Vegas. She figured with babies and work, we just couldn't get away last minute to surprise her wife for her 40th!

I was at work when I rec'd the email and thought, let's do this. I contacted my father to line up babysitting; check! The big ones and little ones were going to stay with their dad; check! I got the days off; check, so we have no further obstacles. She came home from work Thursday and I told her we were going and to give F a call to let her know we were on board. We met at F and K's house that Saturday morning before 6 and our other friends showed up with donuts and coffee. There were six of us sneaking through the garage, decorating the kitchen, then headed upstairs armed with a camera. I know - it was mean and cruel and if this were my house it wouldn't fly as the dogs would have been bezerk. Anyway, we slam the bedroom door in the hallway and F opens her master door and we yell surprise, snap pics, get cursed at and laugh as we eat donuts and load the car.
I have been to Las Vegas numerous times and have never had such a wonderful time as this past weekend. We were four to a car, made great time, mooned each other down the highway; just had a blast. We threw some money away, walked the strip and took tons of pics (I'll have to post another day) and went to the buffet for dinner.

I hadn't had crab legs in forever so I piled them on. I think that was pretty much all I did eat once I started. We hung out at Flamingo for a while and enjoyed the scenery (read: pole dancers), we called her Raven.We laughed and joked with one another, lost more money, and then hon and I headed back to the room. We felt like two teens home alone before someone's parents got off work. It was so nice to have alone time which hasn't happened in FOREVER!

So we are enjoying our time alone as K and F stayed downstairs to play a bit longer. Suddenly, Hon felt bumps on my stomach and sides and back and ...hives. I am apparently allergic to crab - or something. I had shrimp only days prior so ??? Fortunately, Hon had a benadryl for me and all was good within minutes.

We came home the next day and picked up the Bogos - they were so very happy to see us and evidently Grandpa taught Chloe how to shake her head "no" - thanks dad. It was such a nice getaway and we had such a pleasant no rush 24 hours - it was really odd how time just slowed down and allowed us to relax. It was so nice to be able to pull it off and everyone had a really fun time. I guess we all needed it.

h

Inauguration day...

...was just looking at the counter on the side. Shows Bush has less than 14 hours left in office. Never thought I'd see the day. As any reader would know, I'm not a fan. Never have been and never will be. But I do feel bad for the family for how much negativity is upon him at this point. Co-workers and I were discussing his reign and I was told a reporter from LA asked him about Katrina and why it took him so long. My only thought was, "Why?"

He knows he screwed up; hell, everyone does so what was her point? Why bring it up some 3 years later upon his exit? The man is down and on his way into the sunset; I say, just let him go with some dignity. He came, he served, he's leaving - NEXT!

Big Babies!!

So Hon took some pics of the BOGOs the other day. Chloe is just a ham and follows the lense wherever it goes. And as usual, Grayson couldn't be bothered. Momma is really going to enjoy how responsive she is, assuming she stays that way. As it is now, the camera comes out and the big ones and little one groan.

call a spade a bloody shovel already

There has been much to do about Warren at the inauguration. I haven't said a whole lot on this topic or anything for that matter. I've been quietly annoyed. Obama was never my guy in the first place. So I am not surprised he is pandering to all walks of life, as he claims he has Warren on his list to show bipartisanship and unity. Okay so where is your Rev. Wright? How about the current Grand Wizard, no? Maybe Louis Farrakhan? I didn't think so.

You know, it is still okay to hate and discriminate and be prejudice against homosexuals. This is perhaps the last group of people left to publicy denounce and to get away with it. The potential speakers mentioned above would never be considered for the inauguration because they are people that are seen as hateful, ignorant, racist, anti-semite.

See, their words harm people that are protected by society as society finally sees their speech and their beliefs as the atrocities they are. Yet it is still okay for someone to speak against a group of people, in the name of their god or book or church, who causes no harm or threat to another. That's sick.

Some liberal minded folks (Melissa Etheridge for one) have recently stated that after speaking with Warren they realized he had more issue with the use of the word "marriage" than actually having a problem with homosexuality. Hm...really? That just doesn't ring true.

More importantly, why is that such a bone of contention? It's a word. If I have Civil Union and you have Marriage they are equal but separate so it's the same? That sounds familiar doesn't it? Separate but equal...can't quite put my finger on it...where have I heard that before...

Hide behind the bible, hide behind a god, hide behind your church - it's hate and it's gross and pathetic. You condemn a group of people by love; yes, who they LOVE. Seems harmless when you break it down to what is really going on between two people. You refuse them basic rights; if it weren't for laws protecting us up to this point we would have even less and, in some places, that is still the way it is.

In reference to the difference between himself and James Dobson(Focus on the Family founder), Warren claimed "it's a matter of tone." So then it would be true that they hold the same beliefs just have different ways of expressing them. If I tell you your god is a crutch for the decisions you make but I say it nicely, will you not take offense? It's all about tone so I would be sure to lift my voice at the end to ensure the edge is off.

That's a thinly veiled separation between the two to say the least. His intolerance is not better or worse than any other who is anti-homosexual. Homophobic is a black and white answer - there are no shades of grey; much like any other form of hate. You don't hate black people a little. You don't hate Jewish people a bit. You don't hate illigal immigrants a tiny smidge. Racism, bigotry, religion-bashing - it all comes from the same place.

Regarding his point of view on homosexuality and gay rights, he stated, "... my wife and I had dinner at a gay couple's home two weeks ago. So I'm not [a] homophobic guy, okay?"

That argument has been made time and time again with racist individuals usually saying, " I have a (insert nationality here) friend so I can't be racist". Does THAT ring a bell for anyone. C'mon is he serious?!

Here's a snipit from an interview with Larry King - tell me if his concerns are the WORD.

CNN interview in entirety here:

WARREN: I think -- I think I was wired by God to like women. I think they...

KING: So, what did he do to the gay person, God?

WARREN: I don't know that God did that. I really don't.

KING: You mean he did it to you but he didn't do it to them?

WARREN: You know, Larry, we all have instincts and we all have urges and we all have desires. That doesn't necessarily mean that I fulfill all of them. In other words, as a heterosexual man I might desire to have sex with 100 women. That doesn't mean I do it because that wouldn't be the right thing.

(** editorial note here: a man with 100+ "conquests" boasts this fact and is not tainted by society but is usually lauded for his prowess so his analogy sucks anyway...just saying)

KING: All right, but if you desire another man and you're a man and you're an adult, who are you harming if the two of you agree and it's your life?

WARREN: Yes.... Well, again, I would just say I think to me the issue is, is it natural? Is it the natural thing? I mean here's an interesting thing I have to ask. How can you believe in Darwin's theory of evolution and homosexuality at the same time?

***
To be fair to the church and that there are many points of light that are positive and good and hold true to the teaching that Jesus supposedly came to deliver, you have Reverend Ed Bacon.

Recently stirring controversy in his own right from Oprah shows on Spirituality 101:

Bacon: If these people have developed a theology that makes them dependent on a doctrine or a dogma, they are not interested in being liberated to trust their inner voices.

Oprah: So what is the difference between doctrine, dogma, and true religion or being a religious person?

Bacon: My faith, my spirituality, is what I live for – it’s actually, what I would die for. My doctrine and my dogma is what I would kill for.

(**ed note again: taking the idea "to kill for" could be likened to ostracizing groups, removing rights from groups; just wanted to point out the obvious because this entry simply isn't long enough, lol)


"Being gay is a gift from God," the Rev. Bacon said. "But our culture doesn't understand that. And consequently, the culture sends messages that you ought to isolate. And isolation is the antithesis of what all of us need.

Rev. Bacon joined Oprah again to react to an onslaught of emails rec'd regarding his statement. "I meant exactly what I said," he says. "It is so important for every human being to understand that he or she is a gift from God."

***

Raised with a very religious mother, THIS is what I thought we were being taught.

Acceptance * love * peace * understanding

We are all made in his image, etc. I am an atheist so I no longer hold any belief in god or the bible. I think religion can be used for good - some people need that community to help them and that's great if it helps them find their strength.

Unfortunately, religion tends to be used for evil . Why does it seem to always be so condemning instead of uplifting? What is the point of religion except to find superiority and isolate others? Seems some lost their way... er Warren?

Happy New Year 2009! Whoo Hooo Hooo...

Yes, that is with sarcasm. You see, my hon and I spent new year's eve in the ER at John C. Lincoln (and the subsequent 4 days as well).

Grayson had been running a fever since Monday night (before the new year). By Wednesday (1/31) afternoon, I went home for lunch, his fever was at 103+ and that was after Baby Ty so I left work and took him to urgent care. They exclaimed his heart was racing over 200 and his fever was extreme (104) and I needed to take him to ER asap.

Went to er, they checked temps and admitted him to the children's triage. After an IV and catheter for urine and blood samples we waited. They took xrays and thought they found a mass in his abdomen, great ( negative ) then they wanted to check for heart disease due to blue-ing around his lips, mouth, and extremities ( fever related ), then they finally admitted him with a white cell count well over 10 times what it should have been. We were in our room when the ball dropped.

For the next several days I laid in a chair with him affixed almost constantly on my chest with fevers, vomitting, and the occasional test. We had CATs and Xrays, ultrasounds, and contrast dye tests. He was getting so ticked that after day three? he started screaming when I went to change his diaper.

We kept him well hydrated and his appetite, mostly, remained good. We were finally released this past Sunday and when we tried to undress to dress him he spazzed so we gave him a moment to love his sock and enjoy his bottle before proceeding.

Once he realized we were putting clothes on him (after spending days in only a onesie) he smiled, BIG! He didn't complain once as we put him in his car seat. He smiled the whole way out of the hospital until Jeff, our wonderful nurse and catheter villain, said g-bye to him. He furrowed his brow and didn't want any part of that.

He's on antibios til next week, his fevers ceased Saturday night, and the kidney and UTI is under control and we have a follow up with our Ped next Monday. Boosters for this Wed. have been pushed back so we'll see.

Chloe hung with Gma and Gpa and is now home and spoiled!!! They both are; they spent a great part of last night in bed with us. Re-training begins tonight. But he did amazing - was such a good boy. If it were Chloe it would be a sweat pouring, nerve splitting experience for me. Hon had a rough time. It's odd how I usually have him and she, Chloe but when they are hurt or uncomfortable she melt me and he, her. Anyway, they were enjoyed once they got back home as they were missed greatly!

New year is on!