Like sands through the hourglass

Noemie and I danced to Elton John's "Your Song" this morning, a birthday tradition I started two years ago on Noemie's first birthday. My baby girl, who has talked, danced, flaunted, charmed, put on lipgloss, finished puzzles, climbed playgrounds, and eaten dinner portions as if she were a 12 year old... is now three. A three year old graced with hand-foot-mouth disease.

Noemie's hands, feet, and the inside of her mouth are covered with blisters. Her "punticos" as she calls them. Cristovan has also caught it but so far, his symptoms have been mild. Regardless, the virus cost me my babysitter for this Saturday's annual South Florida Homeschooling Convention. I have been waiting a year for this! My mom offered to sub in, which was very kind of her considering she'd have to make the hour drive to be here by 8:45 am on a weekend.

This is so important to me, especially with homeschooling on the defense. Those in support of parent's rights over their children (a ludicrous thought, I know) are carefully tracking SR 99 as it makes it's way through the Senate. Its ratification would prohibit the US from subjugating its authority to that of the United Nations in this arena. Not only is the UN's Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) used to bar freedom to homeschool, but also freedom of religion. (Article 29 of the CRC, mandates the government-enforceable "right" to be taught religious tolerance – defined by the UN as the idea that no one religion or belief can claim to be exclusively right. The only thing not to be tolerated is the belief that your religion is actually true.) That our fundamental freedoms are under attack is not unusual. But that our federal government should concede to those attacks in the name of being peaceable is unacceptable. On a similar note, a friend recently provided a link to a news story of a public school teacher who was fired for writing about her work/students on a personal blog. She didn't use student's names and the writing occurred on her leisure time, but because the content was critical in nature and she was found out, it cost her her job. As the article points out, social media is still a relatively new frontier, and as a society, we are still learning to understand the terrain. But in a culture that is becoming progressively intolerant in the name of tolerance, our freedom is at stake. My freedom is at stake. If the UN's CRC passes, by own blog could incriminate me and be grounds for questioning my suitability as a parent. Parents are losing custody of their children regularly around the world for homsechooling, spanking, religious instruction, or in Britain particularly, for any excuse they can think up. (The US is the last country holding out against the resolution). Regularly! (Read more...Germany, Malta, UK, Australia

My blog readership is, as far as I know, about 20 people who check like once a week (and are usually disappointed... I'm sorry I don't write more!) and another 20-30 who check in on us maybe once every few months. And most of you only stop by to see how much my kids have grown or to see what new ridiculous thing Dominic has said. (The most recent being, "Quien va ser mi chivo?") Maybe you don't care at all about parental rights, American Medical Association conspiracies, or my end-of-the-world paranoias. But I thank you for bearing with me. Some days I am not sure why I write at all. I guess it's nice to keep a sort of line open to L.A, Bradenton, Tallahassee, South Korea...

Last Saturday, we were supposed to see a medieval jousting exhibit at the agricultural fair in Tropical Park, and then go to a birthday party in Tamiami Park. But when we got in the van, we ended up at the place where our friend Karn was staying during his weekend visit. He jumped in and next thing we knew we were at Mercy hospital visiting Danny's grandmother who was recovering from a hip replacement surgery. (Did you get scared for a second there? What kind of driver do you think I am?!) From there, it's unexplainable, really, we ended up in Homestead of all places, where my grandmother's new nursing home is.

By the time we finished these rounds, we were late for naps and it was time to check into Hotel Andollo. I'm sure Karn would have enjoyed the jousting... but there's only one abuela Angela. And, like ALL the people in our lives, abuela is available for a limited time only. Danny and I love our family and our friends. And if we see you posting something terrible on facebook, we will talk about it over dinner. And pray for you. And if you post something really terrible, we may even take you out for ice-cream. (Unlike the Philadephia school system). I have a lot of friends on my heart these days, because I read a lot of terrible facebook statuses. I hardly post any of my own anymore. Sometimes I debate getting rid of my account altogether. You know, to keep my stress levels down. Besides, it'll make me harder to find if the government comes after me... ha ha ...ha....... ha?

My grandmother was put in Hospice in January and we were told to say our goodbyes. She was put on the prayer bulletin that week and wouldn't you know it my church prayed her right out of Hospice. To almost literally pull a page out of my grandmother's book, I ask my Christian readers, is the Bible an authority in your life? If you want to believe something or do something that goes contrary to Scripture, which do you choose? If you call yourself a Christian, and the Bible is not an authority in your life, how do you justify your salvation? (If the answer is "faith in Christ", then you must rely on the Bible to at least that degree. By what standard would you validate the rest? Do you rely on your self? The Psalms say we are to trust in the Lord with all our heart and lean not on our own understanding... Jeremiah says the heart is deceitful above all things! Not a good standard!) How do you know what the Bible says if you don't read it? That's what my grandmother would blog if she could see the keys. Having answers to these questions is becoming increasingly urgent, as is prompting them in others... have you seen the news lately? Good grief! Let's discuss!

Abuela Martha will be continuing the tradition this year of treating her grandkids to a trip to Disney to celebrate their third birthday. Next weekend, we will be making the trek to Orlando and, just like last time, the kids pre-Disney behavior is reaching an unprecedented level of rotten. It's like they know we can't cancel and they're milking it for all it's worth. Have any other moms of preschool boys found an absurd spike in mean-spiritedness around year 4.5? Or could this be related to the insurrections across the Middle East? As for tonight, the five of us celebrated with cupcakes that Noemie got to help make herself! Topped with pink sprinkles, of course.

Here she is getting ready to blow out her candles... Notice her elbow in her dinner? I don't think she ever did.

Noemie was due March 21 and born on the 25th. Hana, my sister-in-law was also due on the 21st and is still awaiting her daughter. Maybe she'll share a birthday with Noemie! Come niece! I have freshly ground wheat!