To go or not to go, that is the question

Thanks in no small part to family and friends we have the opportunity to go see the last launch of the Space Shuttle Discovery.  We would also loop in a trip to Disney as they are reasonably close to each other.  That is the good news.  The bad news?  The launch is scheduled for 11/1 so we would miss Halloween traveling, it is VERY spendy, and it is twelve hours away.

So we need to make a decision.  Go or no go?  Let's look at each choice in more detail....

Go flight:

• Twelve hour drive did I mention we have four year old Triplets?
• Once in a lifetime chance to see the last launch of the Discovery
• Large crowds and long lines
• Disney

No go:

• Trick or treating with the Triplets
• We host our annual Small Group Halloween party
• Save the money we would have spent

Normally I am all up for the challenge of long lines, spending money, lots of traffic, cranky kids, and large crowds but with it butting up against Halloween I am torn.  If you ask the kids they want to go trick or treating.  Recently we are more and more convicted that we need to use our money more wisely.  You know, the way God would want us to spend it.  Which makes my soul feel good but the rest of me (the fleshy part) feels no bueno.  

So we pray.

Space is big. You just won't believe how vastly, hugely, mind-bogglingly big it is. I mean, you may think it's a long way down the road to the drug store, but that's just peanuts to space.

Douglas Adams 

That intelligent creatures exist in outerspace is proven by the fact that they have not contacted us.

Loesje 

Al

Love the sarcasm

If you have read my blog then you know I love sarcasm.  I found this post the other day and would like to share it with you.  It is titled Over Protective Mothers.


Sweater, n.:  garment worn by child when its mother is feeling chilly.  
Ambrose Bierce

Al

The two hour breakfast

Jackson is the TOD (triplet of the day) so he got to choose breakfast.  He chose pancakes, but just any pancakes but blueberry pancakes.  But wait, there's more... he wanted Mickey Mouse blueberry pancakes.  No problem, well, almost no problem.  We only have one Mickey Mouse pancake form so I was/am limited on how many I can make at one time...  one.  I just finished, seriously.

I despise the pleasure of pleasing people that I despise.
Lady Mary Wortley Montagu (1689 - 1762)

Al

Being green

I am no Al Gore but I try to be "green" when I can.  Unfortunately I do not have a private jet to fly around saving the planet but I try to reduce my carbon footprint when possible, where possible and when affordable.  BTW, do we REALLY think we are "saving" the planet?  Let's be honest, we are trying to save US, the humans.  As George Carlin would say "the earth can shake us off like a bad case of fleas."  The planet will eventually heal itself, it has time, we do not.

Back to trying to be green like Al Gore minus the jet and the beard.  Packing the Triplets' lunch for their day out program got me thinking... a rare thing these days... well, OK just rare:)  I use 6-9 plastic bags each day for their lunch that end up in a landfill.  I have read where people use organic cotton bags for food but then they would need to be washed which uses water and electricity at a minimum.  BTW where do we get off that using electricity is good like in electric cars?  Most electricity comes from coal plus in those cool eco cars you have batteries which will end up where?... in a landfill!  Back to my point.  Or I could use containers but they also need to be washed and they might have BPA in them.  Luckily the Triplets' got their smarts from the CFO so they have plenty to spare but I want to limit the loss of brain cells where possible.

Don't report me but we actually drink tap water...ooooooo!  I know, how radical.  Sometimes even unfiltered.  That's right, sometimes I even run with scissors and drink milk past the expiration date.  Don't try to stop me, I will only take you down with me.  We do use some bottled water but primarily to keep in the van for when we need it on the road.

Now to the affordable part.  I switched their sippy cups a while back to BPA free stainless steel insulated sippy cups, to the tune of $12 a pop!  So I spent $72 plus tax just for each of them to have two cups, one for water and one for milk.  Did I mention that I am already sending four of them back for warranty repairs?  It seems that been green is not always kid proof.

Time to go burn some fossil fuel!

There is a sufficiency in the world for man's need but not for man's greed.  
Mohandas K. Gandhi

Al

What kind of Man are you anyway?

A recent post on Daddyshome Blog got me thinking what does it mean to be a "man" these days.  That also begs the question of what it means to be a "woman" but I am not touching that one with your ten foot pole.  It seems that there are a lot of different schools of thought from which to form a definition of what a man should be/do.

Biblical - Don't even try throwing Timothy 5:8 at me.  If you do try to use that verse you first need to define "provide."  The word provide shows up 101 times in the NIV according to BibleGateway.com.  Looking at those verses it does not seem that "provide" means go to work and make money.  But hey, that's just me.  If you want to get Biblical on my why don't you try focusing on Ephesians 6:4.  I see way too many Dads exasperating their children and I don't see any Religious "Leaders" doing sermons on that.  I have to admit I am also guilty of it from time but then I try not to throw too many stones, I am too busy worrying about my glass house:)  Also, does anyone consider that the only "true" view of what God really wants a man to be is in Genesis before the fall?  The rest of what the bible says about the relationship between men and women is because of the fall and thus, in my mind is not what God "really" wants of us.  BTW, you either take EVERYTHING in the Bible literally or EVERYTHING is in context.  You choose which way you want it before you start throwing verses my way:)

Personal Experience - Many if not all of us develop our definitions of what "should be" from our experiences. For instance if you are a fan of Mr. Mom, ala 1983, then you probably envision SAHDs as flannel wearing, beard growing, slobs using 220, 221, whatever it takes to get it done.  Or maybe you have read about or met men that do stay at home but don't like it.  

Worldly - Whether we admit it or not this is why most of us scoff at SAHDs.  People always like looking at the 50's and previous decades as the ideal to be lived up to.  Of course you don't want to look past 1920 or women couldn't vote.  You do still think women should vote right?

Here is a little sarcasm on the subject.  OK, more than a little:) - I mean wanting them to be barefoot, pregnant, in the kitchen making pies is one thing but they should be equal to men on somethings right?  Oh, I get it... they can vote but only if they vote the way their "man" tells them to.  I mean, we don't want them thinking for themselves.  If they start doing that they might start getting crazy ideas in their heads like that they can talk in Church.  If they start that foolishness they may start wanting to do a man's job.  Being a secretary or waitress is one thing but do we really want women to start getting advanced degrees?  Sure they can be a teacher and teach boys and girls but we wouldn't want them thinking they can teach men things.  If they started doing things like that who would watch the rug rats while we are out with "the boys" and making all those great decisions like what country to invade next.

Don't even get me started about what to call us SAHDs (Stay at Home Dads).  I know some guys get all sensitive about wanting to be called something else but that sounds a bit like whining to me like how you have to say "do you work outside the home" to women.  I am OK with saying I don't work.  I am a SAHD and proud of it.  But in case someone wants another acronym I propose "THE Man" with "THE" standing for Tactical Home Engineer.  If someone doesn't like what we SAHDs do then they can just go pound sand.  I think it is a far worse sin to be a workaholic and ignore your family while justifying it as "providing" for your family.  If someone thinks being a SAHD is sad, a sin, don't respect it or think someone that does it is not being a man then I only have one thing to say...... jealousy is such an ugly thing ;)

Jealousy is the tribute mediocrity pays to genius.
Fulton J. Sheen

My father used to play with my brother and me in the yard.  Mother would come out and say, "You're tearing up the grass."  "We're not raising grass," Dad would reply.  "We're raising boys."  
Harmon Killebrew

He didn't tell me how to live; he lived, and let me watch him do it.  
Clarence Budington Kelland

Al

The McWane Birthday party

A big THANK YOU to all of our friends at the McWane Science Center for a GREAT Birthday party last weekend!  Of course we went with the animal option for the kids.  There was a Madagascar hissing cockroach, a spotted gecko, a Malaysian leaf frog and a chinchilla.

 

 

Another big THANK YOU to all of our friends a Publix for not one but two awesome cakes!

The Triplets loved blowing out their candles.

After all the fun in the party room everyone played in the McWane Center until about three or so.  The Triplets love the touch tank.  Yes, that is a shark:)

It's never too early to panic.
Unknown author, provided by Kelly Netherton

It is better to wear out than to rust out.
Bishop Richard Cumberland

The only person to get all their work done by Friday was Robin Crusoe.
Author unknown

Al

Kids say the darndest things

I taught one of our children's classes at Church last night.  I really like interacting with the youth at our Church for two reasons.  One, I get a glimpse of what I am in for with the Triplets.  Secondly, I get a chance to listen to them.  It seems I learn more about myself than they learn during our time together.  Hopefully they get something good out of it too:)

Last night we were talking about respect and how you don't have to like someone to respect them.  I asked them for examples of people that they do not always like but they need to always respect.  I got some expected general answers like parents, teachers, coaches, etc...  They also mentioned some specific names but one kid took the cake when he turned to me and said "my Mom doesn't like you."  I laughed out loud.  He tried to continue/explain but he was quickly interrupted by the barrage of others' answers.  I told him that that is OK and we moved on.

I was actually a little excited at the news as it is a running joke with the CFO that "everyone likes Al".  I now had more solid proof that just is not so:)  There is actually someone we are friends with that says they don't like me just because everyone else does.  Jealousy is such an ugly thing:)  But with a wife like the CFO, great kids like the Triplets and the "cush" job of being a SAHD who wouldn't be jealous?

There is always more misery among the lower classes than there is humanity in the higher.
Victor Hugo (1802 - 1885)

Jealousy is all the fun you think they had.
Erica Jong

Al