Nearly 1 Million Toys Recalled For Excessive Amounts Of Lead

My son had one of these toys that we purchased from Big Lots.  Luckily, it was taken away soon after purchase for disciplinary purposes.  Please, visit the very helpful Fisher-Price website and answer the questions to determine if you have one of the toys listed in the recall.

From my home to yours,
Andrea

Whatever the usual and customary sentence for dog-fighting is wherever he committed the crime. 

<rant>

Seriously, there is a war going on, people!  HUMANS are dying.  There are over 20 South Korean hostages being held in Afghanistan by the Taliban.  DARFUR!!  Abortion!  Certainly we have more to be concerned about right now than how Michael Vick should be punished for dog-fighting.

</rant>

I just answered this Featured Question, you can answer it too!

No, I haven’t given up!!  I just had a bit of a rough evening yesterday and didn’t get around to working on my project because of that.

I took the boys out to dinner last night at the Macaroni Grill.  The food was delicious and the boys were very well behaved.  Our waiter was excellent!  So, with all of that goodness going on, I didn’t have the heart to turn Sebastian down when he asked to stop in at Barnes & Noble (right next door).

Everything was going pretty well.  Xander was playing at the train table.  Sebastian had made insta-friends with a 7 year old boy looking at pirate books and was keeping himself entertained.  I sat in a chair and watched Xander play.  After about 30 minutes, I decided it was time for us to go home and I picked up Xander who immediately screamed!    I carried him kicking and screaming out of the children’s section and then got him distracted by a Judy clock that was on display.  I called for Sebastian who was so obedient and came immediately.  I explained to him that we had to go and he was very compliant.  I then picked up Xander again and again he started kicking and screaming. 

Now here’s a little thing about our Barnes & Noble.  There are no carts.  There are shelves everywhere!  The place is LITERALLY designed to keep you IN the store!  I was doing my best at this point to get Xander to the checkout so I could buy the book that Sebastian had picked, but I was having a very hard time keeping a grip on Xander.  As I turned a corner, Xander slipped down to the ground on his feet and tried to bolt back toward the children’s section.  I squatted down behind him and wrapped my arms around him trying to get him to calm down.  When I did, he pushed back against me and I fell and landed on my rump!  Sebastian came running asking if I was okay and I was starting to tear up because there was nothing I could do to calm Xander down.

I managed to get myself back up and pick Xander up again.  Sebastian was so good to keep handing me things as I kept dropping the diaper bag and the book I had in my hand.  We made it to the checkout, but by then I could feel the stares, if you know what I mean.  Xander was still crying.  I went up to the counter and put the books down.  I had to get out my wallet, so I had to put Xander down.  I begged Sebastian to stand next to me and help me pen Xander in, which he did.  I got everything paid for as quickly as possible and then I led Xander out of the store.  He finally stopped crying when we got to the car, and it seemed a completely different child climbed into his carseat and sat down.  Amazing.

Well, when I got in that car and started it up to get the air conditioning going… I lost it.  I just started bawling.  I must have sat there and cried for a good 5 minutes straight.  Sebastian was so upset and all I could tell him was that it wasn’t him.  He got mad at Xander and I said it wasn’t Xander’s fault either. 

I think that was the first time that I have felt completely helpless.  There was nothing I could do for my baby.  All he wanted was to go back and play with the trains. 

So, when I got home, I wasn’t up to working in the kitchen.  I just needed to decompress.

I did work some tonight though, and here are the results for your viewing pleasure:

Another Pocket Dragon:  “Feed Me!”

~*~The Stove~*~

Clean & Shiny!!

From my home to yours,
Andrea

Is this what happens when children with autism aren’t accepted for who they are?  Their differences are labeled “demonic?”  They need to be “cured” through “excorcism?”  Disgusting!

Student minister charged in attempted ‘excorcism’

I’ve been avoiding the news (something I tend to do when Ben is deployed for obvious reasons), so I hadn’t heard this story.  One of the ladies on the message board I frequent posted about it and sent out an urgent call to prayer!  The Taliban has abducted South Korean missionaries and taken them hostage.  At least 2 are reported to have been killed.  Please PLEASE pray for these fellow Christians!!  You can read the story here.

Wow that’s a lot of money…

First, I would give 10% to our church and donate HALF to various charities.

Then, I would invest 10% so Ben could retire and we could afford to live without having to work.  I’d also invest enough for the kids’ college education.

Next, I would buy a piece of land in a rural area and have a house built.  It would be modeled after a Victorian farmhouse with wood and stone floors, a wrap-around porch, a gabled roof, and the outside would be white with green shutters.  It would look something like this.  There would be a library full of books, a private manly den/game room for Ben, a private art studio/retreat space for me, a schoolroom, and a separate playroom for the kids.   I’d also pay for professional landscaping and maid service (weekly at least).  Frankly, I would rather have the maid than the big house! LOL  I’d also have a second house built on the property for my mother!  And I’d have both homes fully furnished with the help of an interior designer.   Then, I’d buy brand new cars for all of us.

That’s all I really want… a home.  I think if I had that much wealth, I’d just spend my days enjoying my family, homeschooling, and finding ways to continually bless others.

From my home to yours,
Andrea
   

I just answered this Featured Question, you can answer it too!

Well… today is the first day of our homeschool vacation week.  We had Xander’s speech therapist come this morning, so I spent most of my cleaning efforts on the living room/dining room since that’s where she would be.  I didn’t take pictures, because this is something I do *every week* and so really isn’t part of my changing habits, if you know what I mean.

Anyway, after the therapist left, I took the boys outside to play with bubbles and explore.  I also brought a ball for them to kick around.  Sebastian had a great time finding all the insects he could.  He commented, “Mama, LOOK at all of this LIFE that God made!!”   

After this outside time, I took the boys inside to wash their hands and then we got in the car and drove to KFC (not only had I not cleaned off the stove yet, but I didn’t want to move all of the stuff on the stove to my CLEAN counters just so I could heat something up).  We brought it home and ate… YUMMY!

Then, Xander and I took a nap.  Actually it started off with me laying down because I had a bad headache (I think I may be getting migraines, but I haven’t had that confirmed yet).  A few minutes later, Xander came in and crawled in bed beside me and we both fell asleep!  Poor Sebastian had to spend all afternoon alone.  This is a scary thought for me because he’s be known to get into a LOT of trouble when left alone.  But, today, he was good.  He got out his Mathtacular! DVD and played with his math manipulatives.  He also played with the P.E. equipment (scarves, ribbon rings, hopscotch mat, parachute, etc).  So, it seems he did a pretty good job of entertaining himself quietly and staying out of trouble.

After I woke up (and my headache was GONE! Praise the Lord!), I cleaned up the counter where the microwave is.

Then I washed the pots and pans that were stacked on the stove.  I didn’t take pictures of this part because I was on a roll!!

I did, however, take a picture of the stove after everything had been cleared off of it…. YUCK!!! 

This is DEFINITELY my next task!

So, that was my day so far.  Thanks to EVERYONE who has been visiting my blog to check on my progress.  Even when you don’t comment (either here or on the SL forums), I can see the numbers of visitors and I know you’re there!  Thanks so much!

From my home to yours,
Andrea

Thanks to all who have recommended Flylady.com.  I’ve actually “done” flylady before, which is probably why I started with my kitchen sink!!  LOL  I’ve just found that without any kind of accountability (no one to see my mess), I tend to fall out of my routines pretty quickly.  Then, it’s a mad scramble to get things “decent” before Xander’s therapist comes each week.  I don’t want to live like that anymore!

Here are some more progress pics:

My Clean Countertop (and sinkful of sudsy dishes)

Just look at that shine!

From my home to yours,
Andrea 

Well, this one’s hard.  Are we assuming that all people and pets are safely out?  What about important papers & documents (birth certificates, marriage license, social security cards, etc.)?  Usually when people ask this question what they are really asking is, “What one thing that you possess is most important to you?”  That’s really a different question than, “What would you save?,” because in the midst of an actual emergency you have to think logically and rationally, not sentimentally.

So, let’s assume that all of my family is safely on their way out (including our cat) along with the “Important & Necessary Documents.”  Then, I would have to say that I would save the framed guidon that Ben received after coming back from Iraq the last time.

It’s got his name engraved below it and it’s something I want the boys to have someday.  And unlike other army issued medals, etc., this one can’t be replaced.  It was made especially for the men in his unit at the request of his former commander.  It truly is a treasured heirloom.

From my home to yours,
Andrea

I just answered this Featured Question, you can answer it too!

I’ve made a little progress… I’ve tossed some trash and washed the dishes. 

Here’s what the sink looks like now.  It’s pretty scratched up… but it’s clean!