Top 10 Tuesday Favorite Bushisms

I just want to preface this by saying that I'm not a hater...but he is a funny son of a gun sometimes!

10. "I suspect that had my dad not been president, he'd be asking the same questions: How'd your meeting go with so-and-so? … How did you feel when you stood up in front of the people for the State of the Union Address-state of the budget address, whatever you call it." -George W. Bush, in an interview with the Washington Post, March 9, 2001

9. "Wow! Brazil is big." --George W. Bush, after being shown a map of Brazil by Brazilian president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, Brasilia, Brazil, Nov. 6, 2005

8. "Too many good docs are getting out of the business. Too many OB-GYNs aren't able to practice their love with women all across this country." --George W. Bush, Poplar Bluff, Mo., Sept. 6, 2004

7. "Neither in French nor in English nor in Mexican." -George W. Bush, declining to take reporters' questions during a photo op with Canadian Prime Minister Jean Chretien, April 21, 2001

6. "I'm honored to shake the hand of a brave Iraqi citizen who had his hand cut off by Saddam Hussein." --George W. Bush, Washington, D.C., May 25, 2004

5. "I couldn't imagine somebody like Osama bin Laden understanding the joy of Hanukkah." -George W. Bush, at a White House Menorah lighting ceremony, Washington, D.C., Dec. 10, 2001

4. "When I take action, I'm not going to fire a $2 million missile at a $10 empty tent and hit a camel in the butt. It's going to be decisive." -George W. Bush, Washington, D.C. Sept. 19, 2001

3. "I know the human being and fish can coexist peacefully." --George W. Bush, Saginaw, Mich., Sept. 29, 2000

2. "I can press when there needs to be pressed; I can hold hands when there needs to be -- hold hands." --George W. Bush, on how he can contribute to the Middle East peace process, Washington, D.C., Jan. 4, 2008

1. "Thank you, your Holiness. Awesome speech." --George W. Bush, to Pope Benedict, Washington, D.C., April 15, 2008 (Watch video clip)

If you'd like to see more...I found my favorites at http://politicalhumor.about.com/library/blbushisms.htm.

Mohawk

That last post was as much torture to write as I'm sure it was to read, so on a much lighter note, my son has a new Mohawk. He is so excited! And, before you say I'm crazy, there is a story.

In Arkansas, at the beginning of the past school year, Chase was getting into all kinds of trouble. I had a phone conversation with his teacher regarding his behavior almost every week and he made pretty close friends with the principal because he was in his office so much. I was really at my wits end and terrified of what his behavior would be like when we moved yet again. At the same time he was begging me for a Mohawk. So I struck a deal thinking he would a) not remember that we had made such a deal and/or b) not be able to adhere to the strict demands of the deal. But I was wrong. The deal was that if he never once gets in trouble with his new teacher and never goes to the Principal's office in his new school that he could have a Mohawk for the summer.

Near the end of the school year I talked with his new teacher and she could not understand how on earth such a model student could have been such a nuisance for his previous teacher just a few months before. Absolutely no behavior problems at all. So we have a punk-haired boy for the next few months.

Top 10 Tuesdays...Barack Obama

So, I dropped the ball yesterday (Tuesday). But here is my top 10 list a day late...

Like many others I have been thinking a lot about the candidates for President. I am drawn to Obama but have my reservations. I like John McCain too...but doesn't it seem that most recently the Republicans have made a mess of things? If Hilary had won the nomination I would be among the staunchest of McCain supporters. Now, though I am just so confused...what I share below is nothing new...sorry to bore. But if you have an opinion on any of it I would love to hear. So here is my list.

Top 10 things that are swaying my opinion for the election with regards to Obama...

10. Is Obama just a whole lot of talk??? He is so inspiring but he has so little experience.

9. Jeremiah Wright and William Aires...Personally, I am sick of hearing their names. I think talk radio has gone way overboard on them. Of course they are crazy...but Obama has denounced their words and actions til he is blue in the face and I only mention them because I think (unlike MANY others) Obama has handled the controversies over them in the best possible way.

8. With Obama and a democrat run congress, there will be virtually no chance of expansion of charter schools, vouchers and more parent choice which I am a huge supporter of...but isn't that a more local issue anyway???

7. I have never been a huge Bill Clinton fan but he was a great success economically. He was far more responsible with our national debt that Bush has been. Does the deficit scare the tar out of anyone else? It is a little disconcerting that Washington spending is out of control and there doesn't seem to be much hope for that to change. What happens if our country goes bankrupt?? Eek!

6. Born Alive Infants Protection Act As a senator in Illinois in 1999, Obama blocked this bill from getting a hearing. The bill basically says (from my limited understanding) that if a baby who a doctor is trying to kill through partial birth abortion is "accidentally" born alive, it has a right to its life and has rights to constitutional protection. In other words, the act would ensure that a doctor doesn't just kill the baby outside the womb if he failed to kill it inside. What kind of doctor would kill a viable baby in or outside the womb??? As if early-term abortion were not bad enough. This I will never understand. And, why would Barack Obama not want to protect babies? Don't understand this either but I would love to hear what he has to say about it.

5. Will he pick Hilary as his VP? I just can't see it...but if he does my decision will be easy...I wouldn't vote for him.

4. Michelle Obama. I was really on the "where does she get the nerve" wagon after her "this is the first time in my adult life that I have been really proud of my country" debacle until today. She co hosted today on The View and for those that didn't see it, she explained what she meant. She said that in the context of her speech, she was referring to being proud about the political process and not that she had never been proud of her country at all. She seemed very likable on the show today and I have come away very impressed.

3. Health care and the expansion of other social programs. When the national debt is in the trillions...can we really afford this? Um, no. Taxes, taxes, taxes. Also, Sean Hannity asked a great question on his program of those that advocate federally mandated and/or funded health care. He asked what current or past government program will they model it after that has been truly successful??? There's no good answer because there isn't one, is there?

2. The war. Isn't it time to tone it down and come home to take care of the huge issues that we have at home. With such a large portion of our troops on the other side of the world it makes me a little uneasy that we are left a little unprotected. Will having an intimidating military show embolden extreme Islam or weaken it. I think it will strengthen it. Lets spend the billions that is currently being spent on the war on rehabilitating wounded soldiers, on paying off our national debt, on research for alternative fuels, building new refineries, preparing to drill for oil domestically, on strengthening our economy. Continuing in Iraq at the current level seems like lunacy to me. Am I missing something?

1. Oil. I heard the other day that we have more oil in Alaska, off our shores, in the south, and in the most recent discoveries in Utah, Colorado and the Dakotas than in the entire middle east and Venezuela combined. Huh??? Why are we not drilling at home. Why is it OK to use foreign oil that had to have disrupted an ecosystem of some kind but not OK to do in the most responsible way here? I just don't get it. I don't know that it makes any difference who gets in the white house on this issue because it doesn't look like anything in congress will change and they have blocked any effort to drill off-shore (as recently as today...did you hear the President this morning?) and in Anwar (vetoed by Bill in the '90's when we did have a republican congress).

It is so easy to feel hopeless that the things that should be different will change. Maybe that is why I am drawn to Obama's epithets of "Hope" and "Change" even if the picture he sees as a better tomorrow is very different from my own.

What to do???

Top 10 Tuesday - 10 Things Beau Miraculously Fixed (in the past 2 weeks)

Over the past couple of weeks things seem to be falling apart at our house. So it is right now that I am particularly grateful that my husband is so handy. It seems there is no job too big that he feels the need to call a repairman. His parents taught him how to work and that he can do anything he sets his mind to. So here's the list:

10. The blender (the blender and I had a little mishap)

9. The garbage disposal (my fault too)

8. The flusher lever on the toilet (it literally just broke off)

7. Gutter (that froze this winter and fell off)

6. A gate on our fence (one of the kids swung on it and bent one of the brackets)

5. The dishwasher (was leaking)

4. A power window on our new car (rolled down and wouldn't go back up...the dealership said they would fix it but we bought the car in Utah 3 hours away...Beau took it apart and fixed it)

3. The washing machine (also had a terrible leak...Beau took the whole contraption apart, found the offending part, plugged the leak with some goo he had in his tool bag so I could use the washing machine while we ordered the new part, then eventually replaced the part)

2. Our 2 year old refrigerator (stopped working altogether, after searching on the Internet and taking it apart, found and ordered replacement parts and put them in and my fridge, hallelujah, is fixed!)

1. OK....so all of the above really happened in just the past few weeks...but there were really only 9 things he fixed, like with tools and stuff. And, being that this is a top 10 list, I had some other ideas. Like how nicely he "fixes" our bank account because he works so hard or how he "fixed" my sons attitude today or how he "fixes" my daughters spirits by being a loving doting dad. But I guess the truth is that it couldn't really be just 10 things, so I will leave it at this. Thanks babe!

Hypocrite That I Am

I just had a moment...

Brookelynn was just in the family room hiding under a blanket shrieking at the top of her lungs in an attempt to get the dogs to howl (one of Beau's favorite past times-I'm not kidding). So the dogs answered by barking it up. So I yell through the house over the dogs, over the shrieking and hopefully under the blanket to Brooke to "STOP!"

Does it make me a hypocrite to yell at my kids to stop yelling??? I think it might.

Side note: Brookelynn agreed to let me post this only if I highlighted her name in PINK

Top 10 Tuesdays

In the spirit of trying to be a fun blogger I have decided to do a weekly post called "Top 10 Tuesdays". This idea started with an idea inspired by VH1's top 100 songs of the '80's. I thought...I should think of my favorite 10 songs of the 80's! Then I thought I could think of lots of Top 10 ideas like, Top 10 Reasons to Vote for Barrack Obama (or not...really not decided on that yet), or Top 10 Recipes, or Top 10 Things To Do With the Kids this Summer. So here we go...my

Top 10 Favorite Songs of the 80's

10. Hot Blooded

Foreigner (please don't be shocked...fond memories from my oldest brother)

9. When the Children Cry

White Lion

8. Keep on Loving You

REO Speedwagon (love them!)

7. Queen of Hearts

Juice Newton

6. Jessie's Girl

Rick Springfield

5. Islands in the Stream

Dolly & Kenny (would any 80's list be complete without them...I think not)

4. Don't Stop Believing

Journey

3. La Isla Bonita

Madonna

2. Africa

Toto

And, finally...probably my favorite song of all time...

1. Leader of the Band

Dan Fogelberg

These are my favorites...there is a player at the bottom with all 10 songs. What are your favorite 80's tunes???

Simplicity

I decided to change my background to try to add a little simplicity to my life. All the color was making me a little crazy. We are heading into a busy summer...so I will take serenity where I can find it.

The kids have full schedules almost all summer long of all kinds of activities and I am starting school in July. The plan right now is to take 9 credits this summer and start with a full schedule in the fall. The 9 credits I am taking (Music Appreciation, English 102 and History 102) will be cramped into 4 weeks. The last week we plan to be in Washington....so it will be a crazy-busy month!

So, if you have any words of peace or advice on simplicity, please send them my way...