December highlights

-Winning $30 in iTunes gift cards at a family Christmas party
-ZooLights

-Baby Emmaline was born earlier this month! Her parents are friends of mine that have waited for this day for a long time and I couldn't be happier for them.

-Indie Christmas station on Pandora

-Elf on the Shelf- I only did it for fun, not for the whole behavior thing, but I'm still not sure if I'll do it again next year. I forgot to move him around more than I remembered, but Brayden loved it anyways.

-This year was the first year Brayden "got" Christmas at all and I loved seeing his excitement.

-Lots of books as presents (which makes me a little worried about my goal to read all the books I own by the time I turn 30!)

Thanksgiving throughts

-I'm so grateful. For my son, my husband, my family, my life. I'm so blessed.

-This is my 5th year hosting Thanksgiving. Five years ago, my Grandma died in early November. Very shortly after, my Mom had a serious stroke that put her in the ICU. That Thanksgiving was so special to me. I hosted the holiday for the first time and I was able to do so in my Grandma's house. My mom was able to come home for the day from the hospital, thank goodness. Since then, I've hosted it. I love the connection I feel to previous generations when I'm cooking the same foods they did.

-I love the Macey's Day parade. Brayden really got into it, at least until him and Adam left to visit his Dad. When the Buzz balloon came on the screen, he exclaimed "Buzz flying, Mama!" It would be so cool to see the parade in person someday.

-I recently finished Lies My Teacher Told Me. Even with the truth of the "first Thanksgiving" fresh in my mind, I really love this holiday. I love the reminder to be more thankful. I NEED the reminder to be more thankful. I love the food. Oh, how I love the food. My mom will be here shortly to get started on the cooking.

Ten on Tuesday: Pinterest edition

It's official. I am obsessed. I have over 1200 pins. For some Tuesdays, especially during NaBloPoMo, I figure I'll post some of my favorite Pinterest finds- recipes I tried and loved, crafts, quotes, etc. Without further ado...

sweet pork tacos and cilantro ranch dressing

These tacos are so good. I'm not a huge cilantro fan, but this dressing was amazing. Cafe Rio got both Adam and me to love pork in Mexican food, so I knew this would be a hit.

poster found here

This is a free printable that I was able to upload to Costco and then get printed. Brayden loves it. It cost about $5 to print an 11x16.

blog post here

I had an idea that a lot of these phrases are attributed to Shakespeare, but one surprised me:  "Knock, knock. Who's there?" It made me giggle.

link here

I found this blog from Pinterest. She opened my eyes to the wonder of sensory bins.

link here

Don't get me wrong, I love finding deeper meanings in literature. Sometimes, though, just sometimes, I could totally relate to this graphic.

link here

I'm just thrilled with these wacky sacks and all the other pinned projects that ended up in my busy bag exchange. I also love that I've found even more since.

baked southwestern egg rolls

These were so good. In fact, I'm hungry just looking at the picture. I think I'll put these on next week's menu.

link here

This goes along perfectly with my post yesterday. I should have put it there, but I didn't think about it then so I'm posting it now. I just really agree with this quote.

link here

If you have ever co-slept with your child, you'll totally get this. Especially toddlers.

link here

The rest of the poem can be found here. I like the whole poem, but that beginning makes me so happy.


What have you pinned that you loved to eat? That inspired you? That made you a better parent? That made you chuckle?

Abortion, social programs, and the religious right

Disclaimer: This is one of those posts where I am terrified to hit publish, but I just have to get it out there.

Thanks to my friend Miri and a few of her posts (this one on abortion and this one on social programs for the poor and Christ's teachings about the poor, I've had something on my mind.

We all know the majority of LDS people (at least in Utah) vote Republican. I could be wrong, especially since I couldn't find a source, but I think I remember reading it used to be the other way around. It used to be traditional for LDS people to vote Democrat. (If this sounds familiar to you and you can get me a source, I would gladly appreciate it.)

So what happened? When did the tide turn? I'm guessing it had to do with Roe V. Wade and the ERA. I'm actually really hoping it did.

You might ask me why. I'm against making abortion illegal and I'm a feminist that thinks the ERA should have passed. So why do I hope the deciding vote is about abortion? Because the likely alternative makes me sad. I see two of the the main differences between Democrats and Republicans to be their stance on abortion and their stance on social programs.

I sincerely hope that most LDS Republicans would tell me they are Republican because of the Democrat stance on abortion. I wouldn't agree with it, but it would be an easier pill to swallow. If you didn't click on the link about Christ's teachings about the poor earlier, please do now. Miri put together a great list of scriptures about caring for the poor.

I really like what Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said at BYU in 2007: "My faith and political beliefs are deeply intertwined. I am a Democrat because I am a Mormon, not in spite of it." Utah state senator Ben McAdams also said something to that effect in September. He's part of a new LDS Democrat caucus, the existence of which makes me happy. What they say makes sense to me. And to expand it, I would love to hear other Christian Democrats say "I am Democrat because I am a Christian."

What I wish everyone would read

Image found here

I had this great idea for a post- the 10 books I think everyone should read. Doesn't that sound like a fun list to make? Except when it came down to it, I couldn't do it.

I couldn't narrow it down. "Fine, I'll do a fiction list and a non-fiction list," I thought to myself. Cut then within non-fiction, there were more than five. Way more than five.

And then I thought about all the books I'm sure are worthy of being on such a list, but I just haven't gotten around to them yet. At this point, I get a little depressed. There are so many books I want to read. This is where I wish the picture above were true!

What would be on your list? Let me know, and it will probably end up on my to-read list.

Anyway, here are just a few books that would be on my list.

Fiction

To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

The Giver by Lois Lowry

Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling

1984 by George Orwell

The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood

Non-fiction

Nickel and Dimed by Barbara Ehrenreich

Why We Can't Wait by Martin Luther King, Jr.

Half the Sky by Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn

When Everything Changed by Gail Collins

Maus by Art Spiegelman

White Like Me: Reflections on Race from a Privileged Son by Tim Wise

Parenting

Nurtureshock by Po Bronson

Adventures in Gentle Discipline by Hilary Flower

Books that would likely be on the list if I could get around to reading them

A People's History of the United States by Howard Zinn

Playful Parenting by Lawrence Cohen

Raising Our Children, Raising Ourselves by Naomi Aldort

Class Matters by Bill Keller

Extended rear-facing

Parenting is hard. There are so many choices to make, and I'm often left wondering if I made the wrong choice. Take car seats, for example. The American Academy of Pediatrics has said for awhile now to keep your child rear-facing until the age of 2 or until they reach the height/weight guidelines for their car seat. This isn't law, just recommendations. Recommendations that I believe in because I have read some of the research myself (there are a few AAP guidelines that I haven't followed).

Brayden turned 2 in July, and we kept him rear-facing. Adam switched him a month ago, even though he's still five pounds away from the weight limit. It didn't feel right to me, but I let him stay forward-facing. Until yesterday, that is. I was driving by myself with Brayden and it hit me. Something was happening that was making it unsafe for him to stay forward-facing, at least for right now.

He's in the typical two year old "the world is all about me" phase. One aspect of that plays out with him saying "Look at me, mama" or playing peek-a-boo by covering his face and saying "Where's Brayden?" He's doing it in the car now, and even if I say "Mommy's driving," he continues demanding my attention. I decided to switch him back and see if that would get him to stop. It did.

I'll fully admit that part of it was my fault. In attempting to make myself okay with it, I tried to make it fun for me. I'd push that little thing on the windshield to make it so I could see him and he could see me. Obviously that has led to him thinking that it's okay for me to pay a lot of attention to him while I am driving.

So, he's back to rear-facing. And I don't think this will be a decision I second-guess.

Things I've heard a lot lately

"Brayden be Woody Halloween. Jack be Buzz Halloween. Sophie be butterfly Halloween."

"Play me, mom."

"Brayden want ______, mom."

"Wait Brayden, mom."

"Not yet, mom."

"Don't touch that, mom."

"Look at me, Mama."

"Where's Brayden at? Right here!" (2 year old version of peek-a-boo)

"No, Brayden do it!"

"Help me, mom." or "Brayden want help, mom."

"Don't do that, mom."

"Tickle back, please."

"Momma lap."

"No, mom."

"Hold hand, mom."

Changing your name

Good Things Utah just asked "Should a woman take her husband's name when she marries?"  There were actually a lot of good answers like...

Only if they want to.

I think either way works. It's all in what the couple is comfortable with.

Being Utah, though, you know there's gonna be some crazy answers thrown in there...

Yes, it shows TOTAL commitment ..

Oh, I didn't know it was that something that isn't even in the traditional marriage ceremony is THE thing that shows total commitment above everything else.

If a woman doesn't take her husbands name it sounds like she isn't sure the marriage will last.

Really? The only reason for a woman to keep her name is because she thinks the marriage won't last? Maye, just maybe, she's lazy (some women admitted they hadn't because of that). It's a lot of work to change your name. Some women feel it's feminist principle, so they don't. Nothing is wrong with that.

If he asks you to marry him and devote spending the rest of his life with you, then the least you could do is have the same last name as your husband!! Duh! :)

So, in this scenario, the woman is so lucky that a man has deigned to spend the rest of his life with her. She's apparently not making that same choice and giving him that same gift. No, the gift she is giving her husband is taking his name. Okay then.

This was my favorite answer: Haven't we evolved past this? There is no should or should not, only what the involved persons choose for themselves and their relationship.

Full disclosure: I took Adam's last name when we got married. I also dropped my middle name and made my maiden name my middle name. It was my choice.

How about you?

Redlines

It took eight months, but I have finally written an article that needed no editing. No red lines all over the page! Plus, my editor paid me a huge compliment and said I'm one of her best writers. (I'm currently blushing and think I shouldn't brag, but this is a journal of sorts so it stays).

I'm really proud of the ways this job has helped me get out of my comfort zone. I have to call complete strangers for quotes. I have to call people who I see at meetings repeatedly until they finally return my call. I got a quote from someone in trouble with the law who said "no comment" to the bigger daily newspaper.

This job has been really good for me. Hard, but good. I love that I'm getting writing experience. It gives me hope that I will tackle my book idea eventually. I am thankful I have the government beat because, as you all know, I am fascinated with politics.

I haven't linked to any of my articles before, but here's a link one of the articles I'm most proud of- Mapping out Midvale's representation. The redistricting process was something I learned a lot about and I felt strongly about it. However, I was able to put my personal feelings aside while writing and focus solely on how redistricing affects Midvale.

Ten on Tuesday

1- November is known as NaNoWrMo, or National Novel Writing Month. Someone somewhere along the line crafted a spin-off called NaBloPoMo. or National Blog Posting Month. I'm going to try to do it- one post a day, even if it's just a picture or quote some days

2- We went up to Park City a few weeks ago. It was such a nice Saturday. We ate breakfast at Ruth's Diner and drove up Emigration Canyon to I-80. We walked up and down Main Street, saw a Banksy, stopped in at two bookstores (my favorite kind of stores), and took the free trolley. Brayden LOVED that trolley. We took Guardsman pass and Big Cottonwood Canyon the way back.

3- I just finished rereading The New York Mormon Singles Halloween Dance by Elna Baker. I really enjoy this book. I think she's a good writer and I find it refreshing when people are honest about the religious struggles they have. After checking it out of the library to read twice in two years, I think it's one I want to own.

4- I am really enjoying the books my book club has chosen. We take turns choosing and end up with a really good variety. Many times, it's a book I wouldn't have gotten to otherwise like The Children's Book by A.S. Byatt or As Nature Made Him by John Colapinto. This month, we are reading Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman.

5- I made Brayden a Halloween sensory bin. He has really spent a lot of time playing with it. I got the idea from various bloggers and Pinterest. I can't wait to make a Thanksgiving one.

 

6- I don't need another news show to watch, but I watched last night's Rock Center with Brian Williams during Brayden's nap. I really like Brian Williams. I'll probably try to catch it when I'm home. His first guest was Jon Stewart, and you all know how much I love him.

7- I've been watching Parenthood on Netflix instant streaming. Good show.

8- We had our nephew Jack sleep over on Friday night. I'm just going to say it- Jack and Brayden stayed up really, really late (3:00 am late). And made a huge mess. They had a blast though, and both of them helped Adam clean the next morning.

9- There's a city council race in Midvale making news. I haven't written on it, but it's made both big newspapers and Fox 13, at least. It's weird to not be able to write about it. I'm really interested in the outcome though. One more week.

10- My family had a Halloween party on Sunday night. We've got the Black Spiderman (does he have a name other than that?), Luigi, a butterfly, Woody, and Buzz.

Recently read

Autobiography of an Execution by David R. Dow

"If you have reservations about supporting a racist, classist, unprincipled regime, a regime where white skin is valued far more highly than dark, where prosecutors hide evidence and policemen routinely lie, where judges decide what justice requires by consulting the most recent Gallup poll, where rich people sometimes get away with murder and never end up on death row, then the death-penalty system we have here in America will embarrass you to no end."

"In theory, there is a presumption of innocence in the American legal system, innocent until proven guilty, but in practice, it is just the opposite. Juries trust the police and the prosecutors, especially when the jurors are middle-class white folks. They think that if someone gets arrested and goes on trial, there must be good reasons to believe that he did it."

Squashed by Joan Bauer

"Winning's a fine thing, Ellie, but it's all the months and years before and after that made you who you are."

Cover Me: A Health Insurance Memoir by Sonya Huber

"Poverty and numbers alone had run us up against a last refuge, the generosity of a hospital that could write us off by claiming a donation to the poor. These things are the opposite of a guarantee and so the opposite of a sense of security. They impart the adrenaline rush of a bullet whizzing by one's ear, clipping millimeters of flesh and delivering a narrow margin of safety that emphasizes its own transience. This was my first real sense of us as three, as a family; three was the number that made our combined income not genteel poverty but a bit of an emergency, and three was the number that made the $3,000 disappear. I felt so guilty for putting my son to work in the numbers game in the weeks before he even understood the outlines of this world. He was already working, already helping with too much of the burden, for this thin-stretched family."

Every Thing On It by Shel Silverstein

Wall Marks

Those stratchy marks there on the wall,
They show how short I used to be.
They rise until they get this tall,
And Mama keeps reminding me
The way my Dad would take his pen
And as I stood there, stiff and straight,
He'd put a ruler on my head
And mark the spot and write the date.
She says that it's my history,
But I don't understand at all
Just why she cries each time she sees
Those sratchy marks there on the wall.

Yesees and Noees

The Yesees said yes to anything
That anyone suggested.
The Noees said no to everything
Unless it was proven and tested.
So the Yesees all died of much too much
And the Noees all died of fright,
But somehow I think the Thinkforyourselfees
All came out all right.

Ten on Tuesday

1- I went to the Counterpoint Conference I mentioned last week. I really enjoyed it. It's nice to know I'm not alone in my beliefs and issues with the church.
2- I got to go to said conference with a new friend, Miri. We've been commenting on each other's blogs for awhile now. Many of our political beliefs are similar. At least 10+ books on my to-read or recently read lists are because of her. She's a kindred spirit.

3- Yes, I said kindred spirit. I have Anne of Green Gables on my mind. It all started when someone tweeted the quote "I'm so glad I live in a world where there are Octobers" by L.M. Montgomery. I decided I finally needed to see the movie. Adam and I watched it last night. Adam actually loved it! He called it a "feel good movie" at least three times and laughed hysterically a couple of times too.

4- I'm pretty annoyed we still celebrate Columbus Day. If you don't know why, this Huffington Post essay is a good place to start  Really, though, if you don't know that Columbus was a bad guy, please read Lies My Teacher Told Me by James W. Loewen.

5- Hot guys reading. You're welcome.

6- On a related note, check out this hilarious Feminist Ryan Gosling blog.

7- Speaking of Ryan Gosling, I saw The Ides of March today. My wonderful husband could tell I needed a break today. It's a really good movie. Ryan Gosling is quickly becoming one of my favorite actors.

8- The theater aired a preview for a movie called Anonymous, another movie that alleges that Shakespeare didn't write the plays attributed to him. I don't know enough about those theories to have an opinion on them, but the movie looked interesting.

9- You all know I'm a nerd, so you won't be surprised when I tell you I bought both The Bippolo Seed by Dr. Seuss  and Every Thing On It by Shel Silverstein this last week. What's even more telling is how giddy I was about it.

10- You know how you get in a routine and do things the same way every time, especially with driving? Well, I drive out to Tooele at least two times a month because my sister lives out there. She's lived there for just over 18 months and I have always driven I-80. Until this week, that is. I drive the 201 freeway out there now. It may take a few more minutes, but it is much more interesting and scenic.

Busy bag exchange

I hosted a busy bag exchange last week and it was a big success.

It all started with Pinterest, as many of my current ideas do. I started seeing busy bag activities getting pinned left and right, especially by a blogger/pinner/tweeter I like- Emily Kate. She posted on her blog that she was going to have a local exchange and was kind enough to share the sign-up list she painstakingly compiled. I decided to have my own. I opened it up to my Facebook friends with kids in the toddler and preschool ages. Then it got a little scary. I also invited people on a new homeschooling board I joined and allowed my friends to invite their friends, people I had never met. All my worry was for naught because everyone came through in a big way.

Bring it, winter! Here are just a few of the 24 toddler and preschool activities I now have on hand to fight winter boredom and television overload.

Reversible felt board and I Spy bottle

Spin and spell

Movable alphabet

Ten on Tuesday

1- I want to write about my job and the things I've learned about politics, but I can't. It drives me nuts!
2- I've also learned a lot about writing. Still learning, in fact. Maybe it's just me, but AP style can be tricky. Plus, the paper I work for mostly follows AP, but not everything.

3- I like using the Oxford comma, but my editor keeps editing it out. I have to really focus on that when I write next month's articles. It reminds me of when I found out a year or two ago I wasn't supposed to use two spaces after a period. It took me a week or two to stop automatically hitting the space bar twice.

4- I am so glad I have an editor. I make the silliest spelling mistakes sometimes that spellcheck doesn't catch because the misspelled word is another real word. I promise I re-read everything before I send it to her, but I miss things.

5- I know all of these have been about my job so far. That is because the deadline for October's paper was on Monday. I got my redlines back today and luckily didn't have any major changes to make. That means other than city council meetings and two events tomorrow, I am free until staff meeting. Staff meeting is always two weeks after deadline, and I always waste those two weeks. I could get things pre-approved and start the articles early. In fact, I probably should. I haven't yet, though, in my seven months writing. From staff meeting until deadline is two weeks usually (three if it's a five week month).

6- My least favorite part of this job is getting people to talk to me. Almost everyone screens their work phone now. Most of the time, I have to call someone around three times before I get the quote or interview I need.

7- I really want to go to this Counterpoint Conference this weekend. Adam even has Saturday off (at least until 5 p.m.) so I think I'm going to go. I wish I didn't have to go alone, but it sounds so interesting that I will anyways.

8- The Occupy Wall Street protests really intrigue me. Mostly because I can't find a solid source of information for it. There is SO much on Twitter, but not verified, of course. Not much of the mainstream media is covering it, for obvious reasons. If an event is organized in SLC, I might take my little man to it. The We Are the 99 Percent message resonates with me.

9- I am going to have a hard time as Brayden gets old, I tell you. We have moved Brayden into his own bed in his own room. After a week, it still makes me sad.

10- In related news, Brayden is 27 months old, or 2 1/4 years old. I guess I should stop saying he's barely 2, huh?

East Canyon

Fall drives are one of my favorite seasonal activities. A fall drive is also one of the few times I will tear myself away from a book or my iPod in the car.

Yesterday, my family took a fall drive up East Canyon. The leaves were not at their prime, but it may very well go down as one of my favorite drives.  We saw huge groups of motorcyclists. We also saw a group of Mustang drivers (that's part of their line of cars in the picture above).

We saw this funny sign. You've got to love Utah and its rural ways.

This, my friends, is a herd of sheep that must have gotten loose from their rancher. We came around a curve as the front of the herd came on the main road from a cutoff. It was amazing to see. Brayden was asleep at this point and that made me so sad. They followed the main road for a bit, then crossed the road and went down into the trees.

It was such a beautiful day and a wonderful start to my favorite month. "I'm so glad I live in a world where there are Octobers." L.M. Montgomery, Anne of Green Gables



Yes I can!

Canning is the quintessential housewife thing to do, at least in my eyes. I don't know that I'll ever be your typical housewife, though I sure do try. Here's my canning story:

My friend Karen and I took a drive in search of peaches one Saturday up Highway 89 near Brigham City. That was fun, although we underestimated what a half bushel would make and bought what seemed like a ton of peaches. We're low-key canners, or at least I am. We also had lunch at the Maddox drive-in. So good!

I went back up to her house in Ogden on Monday. We actually thought we would get it all done then (ha ha). We only got half of it done- making peach jam, peach syrup, and frozen peach slices. Sadly, the jam we made that night never fully set. Honestly, I'm sure I did something wrong, because I was so nervous about what constituted the beginning of a "rolling boil."

We made plans to do the other half later in the week, but life got in the way and I ended up with 1/2 a bushel to do by myself. I realized that I do not like canning by myself. It took so much longer to do anything. I kept asking Adam for help that he did not want to give (to his defense, it's not like this was his idea).

I made peach cobbler one night. It was good, but I am still in search of a better peach cobbler recipe. I've tried two in the last month- one ended up being a peach cake, not a cobbler! (So if you have a good recipe, LET ME KNOW!) The next morning, I made peach vanilla syrup. That afternoon, raspberry peach freezer jam. That evening, frozen peach slices.

All in all, I spent $36 on peaches, $7 on raspberries, and at least $20 on supplies. Two nights and one full day of my time. Here's what I ended up with:

5 quarts of frozen peach slices
7 quarts of peach vanilla syrup (2 of which I have given away already)
4 half pints and 1 pint of freezer jam
7 half pints and 2 quarts of peach jam

And yes, I'll probably do it again. As much as I complain, it's nice to have peaches in the winter.

What mothers do

Honestly, it must have been fate. I can usually remember if someone specific recommends a book to me, but all I can think is that I found this book browsing on Goodreads. Thank goodness. Based on the title, I was expecting a feel-good book about motherhood. It was that, but it was also so much more. This book might be worth your while...

If you've ever felt like you do nothing all day at home with your baby.

"Has the time simply "gone?" Even now, as we look at her, you and I can clearly see that she is being present for her baby. She has given up her shower and her lunch. She is devoting her time and energy to him. We are looking at a baby who is being generously mothered. But most people would find it hard to explain this. Our language can be very clear and precise about anything practical. A person who has "tidied up" has both the words and a tidy area to show for it. It is much harder to find a word that describes the giving-up-things mode of attention a mother is giving to her baby."

If you wonder why motherhood looks so effortless for others and is so hard for you.

"A woman in the first shock of love is expected to be dreamy and forgetful. A person bereaved is expected to feel lonely and tearful. Mothers may be given a "warming-up" period of a couple of weeks. After that, they are usually expected to be calm and capable. Would it not be much more realistic to expect new mothers to be unprepared, anxious, confused, and very emotional for at least the first six months? If we could accept that this beginning is the norm for most new mothers, we would be in a better position to be supportive and respectful."

If you enjoy commiserating with other moms, but feel a twinge of regret when the advice begins. If you're guilty of dispensing unasked-for advice (I know I am).

"Rarely is it necessary to tell a mother what to do. It may demoralize her further, and it certainly does not help her to learn. A mother needs to feel safe enough to risk feeling uncertain. People who offer advice cannot know all the details of her situation. They also don't usually have to live with the long-term consequences of their advice. A mother needs time to "grow" into parenthood, together with her partner. She needs enough confidence to experiment and change her mind a few times. She needs to learn that some of her ideas work. The most uncertain and under-confident beginner can gradually turn herself into a unique mother."

Troy Davis

I have kept myself busy all day, but it's been a very sobering, heavy heart kind of day for me. I just learned yesterday about a man named Troy Davis. This New York Times editorial is where I first learned about him and his case.He is a Georgia state inmate facing the death penalty for killing a police officer. His execution has been scheduled and then postponed for appeals four times.

His execution was scheduled for four hours ago, but there was a (very) last-minute temporary stay from the Supreme Court. As I write this, the Supreme Court has decided not to block the execution any longer. It is set to take place in the next half an hour.

I don't know whether he is guilty or innocent, but the case against him has many problems. The case lacks much physical evidence and is mostly based on the testimony of nine eyewitnesses. From the editorial:

The Savannah police contaminated the memories of four witnesses by re-enacting the crime with them present so that their individual perceptions were turned into a group one

The police showed some of the witnesses Mr. Davis’s photograph even before the lineup.

His lineup picture was set apart by a different background.

The lineup was also administered by a police officer involved in the investigation, increasing the potential for influencing the witnesses.       

Seven of nine witnesses against Mr. Davis recanted after trial.

Six said the police threatened them if they did not identify Mr. Davis.

The man who first told the police that Mr. Davis was the shooter later confessed to the crime (and is one of the two eyewitnesses who did not recant).

The United States should not be on this list of countries that still practice the death penalty. I'm not up on my geography, so tell me if I am wrong, but the U.S. appears to be one of two developed countries (Japan being the other).

I'm categorically against the death penalty, but realize it probably will not be repealed. That aside, I think it is reprehensible that a man is being executed when there is this much doubt.

I am not proud to be an American today.

Birthday #2

This is super late, I know. Brayden turned two on July 2nd, right in the middle of the six week long flare-up. Because of that, his party was really low-key. We had it at a nearby park, we ordered pizza and I made cupcakes.

It scared me to death to let him on that tire swing (overprotective mom), but he loved it.

He got way too many presents. His favorite was probably a Leapfrog Laptop. My favorite was a 6 week pass to Gymboree. We'll use it this winter when we're cooped up inside.

I have to catch my breath every time I see close-up pictures like this of him. I just love his little face.

I love 2!

I know, I know, I shouldn't love 2. The 2s are infamous for being terrible. I was a nanny for twin two year olds, and I'm sure I threw the phrase around then as well as when my nephews or nieces hit that age. Not I'm not quite sure why, because we're having a blast.

-He's so independent at some things, but still really dependent too. That might be part of why people say it's a hard age. I will admit annoyance at hearing "I do it!" when I try to put Brayden in his carseat when we're in a rush. Really, though, it goes so much better if I plan ahead so he can climb up himself.

-Brayden is obsessed with the alphabet. B is his favorite. He asks us to write "B, B, B" on his Etch-a-Sketch over and over again. Wait, I don't really love that part. It is cute though. Right now, he knows B, U, and Z for sure and can also identify A and C most of the time. (I wrote this part when I started this post a month ago. Since then, he has learned to identify all the letters.)

-I could just go on and on about the learning. Two year olds are little sponges. Yes, that means he has repeated something I shouldn't have said once or twice. It also means he can count to 10, he has songs and parts of books memorized.

-I'm finally seeing some independent play. It used to be that I had to put a movie on when I made dinner or cleaned. Sometimes I don't have to now, and that makes me really glad because he watches too much tv as it is.

California- Huntington Beach

Originally, I had wanted to go to the Santa Monica beach and pier. It was too far away, and we had to wait for Andy's training to be over. Andy did some searching online and found out that Huntington Beach was actually pretty close to where we were staying. It doesn't have a pier like Santa Monica, but it was still fun. Brayden pulled the same trick that he did at Disneyland and wasn't happy at first. It was my fault because I took him straight to the water and it was colder than I thought it would be. He cheered up though once he dried off.

Good with the bad- Here's proof of his beach sadness.

And proof that he started to cheer up as he dried off.



Here's proof Andy was on this trip too.

I prefer mountains to the beach, but I admit sunsets at the beach are pretty awesome.

California- Disneyland

Side note: I just realized I never posted about the rest of my California trip! I'll keep these up at the current date for a couple days then move them to May where they belong!

Disneyland- I know Brayden won't remember his first trip to Disneyland. It's probably better that way since Adam wasn't with us. I had so much fun though. I'll admit to a bit of a rough start since Brayden was very cranky while we were in line for our first ride (Finding Nemo). In fact, I nursed him while in the submarine, mostly just to keep him from crying and bothering everyone else. After that, it was better. We went on a good mix of rides everyone could go on and rides only the adults and Jackson got to go on. Adam's brother John who lives in Southern California went with us. I felt a little guilty getting to see Adam's brother when Adam had not seen him since Christmas, but I didn't feel guilty for long. Jackson loved having him around, and it helped to have an equal adult-to-child ratio. Here's some photographic evidence of our trip to Disneyland: