Lessons for 2009 and beyond

"The greatest good you can do for another is not just share your riches, but reveal to them their own." -- Benjamin Disraeli

I hope someday down the long, wonderful road of life my son will remember something he learned from me. I hope he will share and teach someone he loves as much as I love him. I hope I can teach him to love – and be loved better than I have. Of all the lessons he will undoubtedly encounter ( and hopefully learn ) I hope that love for himself and others will someday become so strongly imbued in him as to be second nature. I hope he does better than I have.

I hope he’ll learn to respect himself and others. I try to remind him often of the golden rule. I hope he is absorbing that just like he picks up on all the little nuances in Zach and Cody’s adventures.

I hope he will learn to love reading and will read often. Read some Mark Twain, some Zig, and much from the Bible. I hope he will learn from the masters just like we try to. I hope he’ll read more about the great Benjamin Disraeli and Ben Franklin than I have. I hope he’ll develop a life-long love of reading.

I hope he’ll learn to love nature and the great outdoors even more than I do. And learn to treat this great earth we inhabit better than I have. I hope he will treat the healthy little body God gave him like a temple and practice better restraint than his Dear Old Dad ever did.

I hope I can teach him the importance of saving for a rainy day. Of setting aside some of his earnings. I hope I can teach him some money saving tips that will actually stick with him! I hope I can teach him the art of frugal living. And to start saving money at an early age!

May all our beloved young loved ones learn to love themselves, each other, and this great land we are so fortunate to live in. I hope I can teach him how to love!

Merry Christmas

"Mary his espoused wife, being great with child.

And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered.

And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.

And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.

And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.

And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.

For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.

And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.

And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,

Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men."
Luke 2:5-14

Merry Christmas

Let the Christmas Buyer Beware

Boy number 2 loves cars! For his fourth birthday all he wanted were some cars! No expensive video games or electronics. No clothes ( who EVER wants clothes? ) or bikes or gadgets. Just cars! That makes shopping easy. almost...

Now, three weeks later I discover that around 80% of the toys on retailers shelves are made in China. And despite last year's warnings - we still get toys from our Chinese friends laden with too much lead in the paint.

Well - back in the Summer - our elected officials passed legislation aimed at making our childrens' toys safer. And President Bush promptly signed it into law! This new law is effective February 9, 2009. That's right - in 2009!!! This sad tale gets even worse. Recently published reports tell us that the Consumer Product Safety Commission - who enforces these newly enacted laws - has told the toy makers that if they still have any toys with the harmful amounts of lead or other dangerous chemical - not to worry. They can keep selling these potentially dangerous toys to the children in the USA until their stocks are depleted!!

Now, I'm all for the stockholders of Mattel and Disney making a good return on their investments. I just don't want my child having some toy with dangerous levels of ANY potentially harmful chemical. Toy company profits are far less important than our childrens health!

Are there any safe toys to give a child this Christmas?

Maybe this Christmas I'll just buy books ( hopefully books made in the states ) or DVDs or anything I can find that is free of the made in China stamp.

Maybe I'll get the boys the VeggieTales DVD Library - The Complete Collection

The Electronic Babysitter

On the drive into the city this morning I heard a disturbing statistic. The average child today is spending 45 hours each week playing video games or watching TV or sitting in front of a computer. I don’t know about your children – but mine aren’t exactly using their computer to learn! They like to play games on their PC – or watch cartoons on the cartoon channel web-site.

These same researchers are suggesting that all this time spent in front of video and TV screens is partially to blame for childhood obesity and behavior problems both in school and down the road. You THINK?

What happened to playing outside? Sometimes I wish I had never bought them that silly playstation. Or that other $125 babysitter – his Nintendo gameboy. Last night I had to threaten taking away his game time on his computer before the eldest son would sit down and read with me. I imagine I’m nowhere near the first parent to encounter some resistance when it comes to homework time.

This summer we picked up new bikes for both the older boys. They had outgrown last year’s models. Neither new bike saw much use this past Summer. The gameboys on the other hand… Well, you get the picture. What will their lives be like when they get into FaceBook or MySpace or wherever else youth spend their online time?

Maybe this Christmas I’ll buy them both basketballs – or soccer balls. Maybe I’ll get them a couple of fishing poles and tackle boxes. Or a good book to read!

Or, maybe I'll get them something good to watch while they do watch TV -
VeggieTales DVD Library - The Complete Collection