Ticked off

So last night before I went to MOPs I got into the deep freezer in the garage to get out a meal for a member of our small group that had been in the ER becuase of hurting her back on Sunday. So I got in the freezer and notice that some of the stuff had this weird frost just starting to form on it and a few things were melted (Ice cream and juice cans). I prayed that it was just left open somehow when Joel had gotten in there earlier in the day for me.

When I came home last night from MOPs at 10:30pm and went and checked on it. It was even worse... Alot of the smaller items had already begun to defrost. So we had to make room in the two freezer inside. We have our old fridge in the basement to store pop and right now my Lean Cuisine meals. So we were able to get the bags of Chicken breasts and all of the bags of veggies saved.However I have some Main Dish Kitchen stuff that is was starting to defrost... looks like we have the next 4 days of meals planned out...

Some of you may recall that this is not the first time this stinking freezer did this. That time I lost over a 1000ozs of breast milk. I am so irratated that this stupid freezer has been just fince since that incident back in Nov of 05. We only bought the darn thing back in August of 04 too...

Weight Loss accoutability

Well they say accountability is the key to weight loss and since we are in a new year it's time for me to shed these baby pounds once and for all!!!! Normally I'd do a 1 year weight review However I'm going to do a 2 year in review since I was preggo for 9 months of the last year.

Jan 2006: 166
May 2006: 175
August 2006: 148
Oct 2006: 150 (My maintain weight before we started to TTC)
Dec 2006: 157 (Got pregnant then)
Aug 20th 2007: 185 (My pregnancy high)
Sept 1st 2007: 164
Sept 20th 2007: 157
Oct 31st 2007: 158
Dec 1st 2007: 160
Dec 26th 2007: 164
Now: 162

Goals:April 1st (Allie's b-day) 152ish
June 29th (Maddie's b-day) 147ish
Aug 20th (Logan's b-day) 142ish
Final Goal 135-140 area!!!!

Merry CHRISTmas

The Golden Compass

Cl.. The 2007 film The Golden Compass is based on a series of books with anti-religious themes.

Status: True.

Examples:

[Collected via e-mail, October 2007] There will be a new Children's movie out in December called THE GOLDEN COMPASS. It is written by Phillip Pullman, a proud athiest who belongs to secular humanist societies. He hates C. S. Lewis's Chronical's of Narnia and has written a trilogy to show the other side. The movie has been dumbed down to fool kids and their parents in the hope that they will buy his trilogy where in the end the children kill God and everyone can do as they please. Nicole Kidman stars in the movie so it will probably be advertised a lot. This is just a friendly warning that you sure won't hear on the regular TV. [Collected via e-mail, October 2007] I don't just generally dismiss a movie or book just because someone 'says' it's meant to be something else...but this is worth knowing if you plan to see it (or plan to take your kids). "Hi! I just wanted to inform you what I just learned about a movie that is coming out December 7, during the Christmas season, which is entitled THE GOLDEN COMPASS. It stars Nicole Kidman and it is directed toward children. What is disturbing to me is that this movie is based on the first of a trilogy of books for children called HIS DARK MATERIALS written by Philip Pullman of England. He's an atheist and his objective is to bash Christianity and promote atheism. I heard that he has made remarks that he wants to kill God in the minds of children, and that's what his books are all about. He despises C.S. Lewis and Narnia, etc. An article written about him said "this is the most dangerous author in Britain" and that Pullman would be the writer "the atheists would be praying for, if atheists prayed." Pullman said he doesn't think it is possible that there is a God and he has great difficulty understanding the words "spiritual" and "spirituality." What I thought was important to communicate is what part of the agenda is for making this picture. This movie is a watered down version of the first book, which is the least offensive of the three books. The second book of the trilogy is THE SUBTLE KNIFE and the third book is THE AMBER SPYGLASS. Each book gets worse and worse regarding Pullman's hatred of God. In the trilogy, a young girl becomes enmeshed in an epic struggle against a nefarious Church known as the Magisterium. Another character, an ex-nun, describes Christianity as "a very powerful and convincing mistake." As I understand it, in the last book, a boy and girl are depicted representing Adam and Eve and they kill God, who at times is called YAHWEH (which is definitely not Allah). Since the movie would seem mild if you viewed it, that's been done on purpose. They are hoping that unsuspecting parents will take their children to See the movie, that they will enjoy the movie and then the children will want the books for Christmas. That's the hook. Pullman says he wants the children to read the books and decide against God and the kingdom of heaven. If you decide that you do not want to support something like this, I suggest that you boycott the movie and the books. I googled a synopsis of THE GOLDEN COMPASS. As I skimmed it, I couldn't believe that in a children's book part of the story is about castration and female circumcision.

Origins: The Golden Compass, a fantasy film starring Nicole Kidman that is scheduled to be released into theaters on 7 December 2007, has been drawing fire from concerned Christians. The film is based on Northern Lights (released in the U.S. as The Golden Compass), the first offering in Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials trilogy of children's books, a series that follows the adventures of a streetwise girl who travels through multiple worlds populated by witches, armor-plated bears, and sinister ecclesiastical assassins to defeat the oppressive forces of a senile God.

Books of the trilogy have sold more than 15 million copies around the world, with Northern Lights winning the Carnegie Medal for Children's Literature in 1995 and in 2007 being awarded the 'Carnegie of Carnegies' for the best children's book of the past 70 years. The Amber Spyglass, the final book of the series, won The Whitbread Prize in 2001, making it the first children's book to do so.

The series' author, Philip Pullman (who has described himself as both an agnostic and an atheist), has averred that "I don't profess any religion; I don't think it's possible that there is a God; I have the greatest difficulty in understanding what is meant by the words 'spiritual' or 'spirituality.'" Critics of Pullman's books point to the strong anti-religion and anti-God themes they incorporate, and although literary works are subject to a variety of interpretations, Pullman left little doubt about his books' intended meanings when he said in a 2003 interview that "My books are about killing God" and in a 2001 interview that he was "trying to undermine the basis of Christian belief." (In 2002 conservative British columnist Peter Hitchens labeled Pullman "The Most Dangerous Author in Britain" and described him as the writer "the atheists would have been praying for, if atheists prayed.")

Bill Donohue, president of The Catholic League, has condemned The Golden Compass as a "pernicious" effort to indoctrinate children into anti-Christian beliefs and has produced a 23-page pamphlet titled The Golden Compass: Unmasked in which he maintains that Pullman "sells atheism for kids." Donohoe told interviewer John Gibson on 9 October 2007 why he believes Christians should stay away from the film:

Look, the movie is based on the least offensive of the three books. And they have dumbed down the worst elements in the movie because they don't want to make Christians angry and they want to make money. Our concern is this, unsuspecting Christian parents may want to take their kid to the movie, it opens up December 7th and say, this wasn't troubling, then we'll buy the books. So the movie is the bait for the books which are profoundly anti-Catholic and at the same time selling atheism.

Other reviewers, however, have described Pullman's works as being more generally anti-religion rather than specifically anti-Christian or anti-Catholic:

In "His Dark Materials," Pullman's criticisms of organized religion come across as anti-authoritarian and anti-ascetic rather than anti-doctrinal. (Jesus isn't mentioned in any of the books, although Pullman has hinted that He might figure in a forthcoming sequel, "The Book of Dust.") His fundamental objection is to ideological tyranny and the rejection of this world in favor of an idealized afterlife, regardless of creed. As one of the novel's pagan characters puts it, "Every church is the same: control, destroy, obliterate every good feeling."

http://www.snopes.com/politics/religion/compass.asp

Who really looks like who?

So I did a look alike meter on the kids and Joel and myself... here are the results. If I used different Pictures they were a bit different each time and the median I actually came up with the most often is that they are equally like both of us...

Who has better social skills, a chimpanzee or a two year old?

I got this from a Blog written by a woman named Dawn: http://mom2my6pack.blogspot.com Just had to share

I recently read an article which stated that toddlers are smarter than chimpanzees. The article went on to cite studies that claim the social learning skills of a two year old child are superior to those of an ape. The person who conducted these studies has obviously never met my children.

Let's talk a little about these five social skills that a toddler could be expected to demonstrate.


1. Saying "Please" and "Thank you" - Your toddler should always remember the magic words - please and thank you. My children are actually pretty good with their Ps and Qs. "Please, please, please can I have a piece of candy?" "Pleeeeease can I just have one more glass of water, goodnight kiss, or story?" "Thank you for letting me bring twenty-two worms in the house." And finally, "Thank you for letting me wear my Batman mask to the grocery store."
Yes, they've covered the ground on please and thank you.


2. Introductions - When introduced to an adult, your toddler should be able to say, "Nice to meet you." My toddler hasn't quite gotten to that point yet. I usually hear something more like "Hello. You look like Santa Claus", or "Hello. Why is there hair coming out of your nose?", or my personal favorite, "Hi. Are you going to have a baby soon?" Yep, that's social finesse at its finest. Shaking hands during introductions or greetings is another opportunity to teach toddlers good manners. Greeters stand at the door as we walk into church, waiting to shake our hands. My toddler usually looks at his feet and tries to hide behind me. Sometimes he'll be in an outgoing mood and perfectly willing to shake the other adult's hand, but having seen him lick his palm, wipe at his nose and cough into his hand on the way into the building, I quickly usher him along before he can pass the grossness on to some unsuspecting person.
I think that covers introductions for toddlers.


3. Sharing - It's important to teach your toddler to share. My children do an exceptional job when it comes to sharing. They are happy to share blame. To the question, "Who broke the picture frame?" all six will reply, "They did it!" while simultaneously pointing to the sibling on their left. They're also wonderful at sharing germs, bacteria and viruses. If one gets sick, they make sure they share until all six of them get sick.
More generous, giving children, you'll never meet.


4. Table Manners - Right from the start, you must show your toddler how to behave at the dinner table. I never have to worry about my children's table manners in public. Honestly. We simply never go out to eat. At home, well, let's just say that not a meal goes by where we aren't graced by some charming bodily function followed by hilarious laughter. Generally, enough food to feed a small village winds up on the floor and the phrase, "This is yucky" is uttered at least twice a week.
Perhaps they could use a little work in this department.


5. Saying you're sorry - Teaching your toddler to own up to their mistakes and offer an apology when they've wronged someone is essential.
"I'm sorry I put my sister in the clothes dryer, I'm sorry I squished Play Doh in the couch cushions, and I'm sorry for using your expensive lipstick to color on the wall," are all good examples of this lesson.
Yep, I've heard them all.


The researchers of this study go on to state that children could understand nonverbal communication, understand the intentions of others, and imitate other's solutions to problems better than chimpanzees and orangutans. I'm inclined to agree with them.


1. …could understand nonverbal communication - They understand what that look means. You know, the'Wait Until we get Home Mister' look that we give our children when they're misbehaving.


2. …could understand the intentions of others - They understand perfectly what their older brother's intentions are. "Mom, I messed up Austin's room and now he's going to kill me!"


3. …could imitate other's solutions to problem solving - "Well, he hit me first, so I hit him back."


Actually I think it's a toss up on who has better social skills, a chimpanzee or a two year old. But I'm pretty sure a chimp has never flushed a Barbie doll down the toilet, painted a television with chocolate pudding, or given their little sister a haircut with a pair of kitchen shears. Of course, I don't know too many adults who walk around doing those things either, so I guess eventually, they can be taught the finer art of social graces and in the meantime, they sure provide us with plenty of fun.

My kids...

look even more alike than I even thought

In the pic sets below it goes Maddie then Allie then Logan...