Teaching our children to celebrate death?

Today is without a doubt, a day that will be marked in history. Nearly 10 years ago, I remember standing with my friends before school in shock thinking everything that was being said was just a dream. In class we watched as the towers fell, NYC filled with dust and debris from the fallen towers. People running, literally for their lives. We'll always be haunted by that day.

Today, I sit in shock overwhelmed with so many emotions. Sadness, joy, relief, disgust, bitter, terrified, thankful.... I'm just... sigh. I probably shouldn't even write at this point because I don't know where my mind is. 

I woke up from an evening nap, came to sit in the living room with my family to relax. Looked on Facebook, everything was crazy "Osama is DEAD". Still half asleep, we flipped the TV from what the kids were watching to CBS news.

My first reaction was to shout! I was excited! Almost 10 years later, he's finally been found! No more questioning it, it's him. Confirmed and all. One step closer! Then just before President Obama came on to speak, Bradley wanted to know what was going on. How do I tell him we're clapping and giving praise because a man is dead? How do I explain what this person has done? What am I suppose to tell my child? Am I suppose to teach my child that it's OK to be happy that this person died? I don't believe in sheltering my children from truth and the real world. But I do believe in protecting their youth and innocence. Do I open my child's eyes to the evil that goes on in our world? Or do I lie and make something up to feed his need to know?

I cried as I told him "The biggest bad guy in the world is dead." I cried for all the lives lost, and because I was tearing down my child's innocence. I explained that he killed a lot of people. Men, women, children. I'm sure that everything I tried to explain to him went over his head a bit. I'm glad that I was able to sit here and witness this day with my children, even if they wont remember it 20 years from now. 

I know it's my uncontrolled emotions that are all over the place, but I'm questioning myself. Did I tell him the right thing? I just explained to my son that a man was killed because of his actions, and we're celebrating it. 

No, I just taught my son to celebrate murder.

Isn't this what THEY did when they broke our invisible wall of invincibility? When they broke down our freedoms and made us fear for our lives? They CELEBRATED and ran rampant in their streets. CELEBRATED that they succeeded in killing so many lives. Is that who I want to be? What I want my children to be?

I'm not a political person. 99% of the time I stay out of anything related. I don't force my opinions, and I listen openly to other's. Politics aside, I stand behind the US Military men and women with 100% of my heart and pride. I'm so thankful for all that they have sacrificed to ensure our freedoms. I'm thankful for the families that stand behind, worrying over their soldiers when they're gone. So tomorrow, when we wake up and everything is still crazy, I'm going to make sure I sit down with my baby boy and talk. I will reiterate that Osama was a bad guy. I will tell him that 2,977 men, women & children died on 9/11. I will tell him that over 4,450 Americans have died because of the war. I will tell him that their lives were sacrificed to ensure that America remains the land of the free.

Tomorrow, I will tell my son that we are not celebrating murder. We're celebrating everyone who's lives have been sacrificed. We're remembering the lives that were taken too soon, the families who buried loved ones who went to war, and so much more. 

Even I am guilty of it, because I said it too. But "Justice" has not been served. Not yet at least. I can only imagine that this is fuel to an already burning fire. I'm worried f or what is coming in the near future.

God Bless America and our troops. The day we really need to celebrate is when this is OVER and our men and women are HOME!

Santa Monica Beach, CA. January 2011

Never...

wake a sleeping baby.

For about a month, I think just after we came back from Disneyland, Abigail broke out with this insane new sleeping schedule. Wake up at noon, go to sleep at 8pm, wake up at midnight, go to sleep at 5am. I called it midnight madness. I'm hoping with all of my hoping abilities, that's she's finally back to a normal schedule. 

I.was.exhausted. 

And now I'm stuck with a funky sleep schedule! She's doing the normal 9pm bed time, 9am wake up (no naps, I'm scared of naps right now!) so that's amazing! The night before last she fell asleep in my bed. Even though she's no longer a baby, I still didn't want to wake her and move her to her bed in fear that she would wake up and the midnight madness would start all over again!

Maybe it was a random growth spurt. My kids seem to lose their appetite and sleep weird schedules when they're growing. It could very well explain her going from a 3T in the winter, to having to buy her 5T's for Spring/Summer! 

Speaking of spring, we're actually having a real spring this year! Usually by mid March or April, it's full on hot, 90+. It's been absolutely beautiful here lately. My dream weather! Which means lots of outdoor playtime for the kids to wiggle out all of their pent up winter energy. 

•••

Today I thought I attempt to get some photos of our big dog, Cee Cee. I'm always chasing the cats to get their big round eyes, love them<3 But I'm never able to keep up with the mutts to get something good. Or... I just suck at pet photography! Haha!

Lesson for today? Don't hold the dog treat over the camera. Dogs are not afraid to eat cameras. Almost had a big hairy wet dog nose smear my lens *panic*!

Moco? Or no moco?

Happy St.Patrick's Day! Today is mine and David's fourth wedding anniversary. We didn't have anything special planned and usually don't since everyone is usually celebrating the holiday and we don't want to have to battle the crowds. Instead we planned to stay home, make dinner, the usual thing. 

Except today must have been a little too boring for Abigail. At almost 4pm, she came to me and said, "Mom, I moco in my nose." Moco is the Spanish word for booger in case you didn't know ;) 

I got tissue, and told her to blow. Abigal-  "It no working!"

I looked inside her little nose, and found something that looked glittery and pink. Oh great... a Barbie shoe.

David came home and we headed out to children's urgent care. Four hours later... there was nothing in her nose. If there was, it's gone. What I saw when looking into her nose, was an inflamed spot that she's either been picking, or she did have something in her nose that irritated it. But now, it's gone. 

I pretty much felt like an idiot walking out of the urgent care. Oh well. After Abigail and her $30,000 penny a year and a half ago, it's better safe than sorry. Thank goodness it wasn't anything more!

Waiting to be called back.

Tomorrow we have a big day. I'm shooting my first official wedding with David by my side on Saturday. I'm super excited and nervous. Really hoping that the rain that's scheduled for the day will miraculously disappear!  

Car Seat Safety

   If you know me, you knew this was coming! I'm CRAZY about car seat safety! I didn't use to be, because I didn't take the time to educate myself and the seriousness of keeping my children safe in the things they use the most.

I have this posted on Facebook, but the information is so great, I decided to just copy and paste it here.

Here are some basic tips on car seat safety... that every parent needs to know.

1) The straps should be flat, untwisted against the child's body. This disperses the force of the crash along their whole body and not just parts.

2) The chest clip is just that...a CHEST clip. It should be armpit level. It is not a belly clip. Having the clip too low can cause damage to the internal organs that are not protected by the soft tissue of the belly.