Sarah Palin Rally Highlights

You can watch highlights HERE

We left Fort Wayne about 12:30pm and were in our seats on or before 3pm. The speakers started at 4:30, but then they played about 1/2 hour of music. Dd#1 was struck by the fact that so many people knew Neil Diamond's Sweet Caroline as well as she did. Her friends were struck by the fact that she knew the words to that old song! Sarah spoke from about 5:40-6:30ish. We pulled out of the venue at 7:45pm and stopped for dinner. We had to stop several times for potty & nursing breaks (the other mom I rode with had a baby, too). We got home at 11:45pm and I was sooo glad to see my husband (to hand off the baby) and get in my bed. So were the girls. I probably wouldn't do it with the baby again. We're glad that we made the effort. It was definately an experience! (and I'm counting it as a field trip)

We got to sit with our friends and chat for 2-3 hours before the speakers started. It was warmer than I had feared, but definately nippy. I had a hard time keeping the baby wrapped up, but he was mostly content to be in my arms under my shawl. I loved cuddling my baby, chatting with friends, waiting to see the next Vice President.
Going through security was one of the highlights of rally. There was a guy telling people in line that any weapons or anything that could be used as a weapon should be taken back to their car.

• He said they'd taken away a surprising amount of weapons, especially guns. I found this really funny -- I don't think I know anyone who would try to bring a gun through a Secret Service Checkpoint and I can't imagine who would try it -- but I guess they're out there...
• We were also told to make sure all our electronic equipment was turned on and working (cell phones, cameras) and if it didn't work it would be taken away. Are unworking cameras a place to put a bomb?? I wasn't sure...
• When it was our turn to go through the checkpoint and the metal detector, they had to go through my diaper bag. They told me the tennis ball I packed to keep the baby busy wasn't allowed, as it was considered a "projectile". I told the guy to keep the tennis ball. He was really reluctant and asked me if I didn't want to take it back to my car. I guess this guy has never carried a fat 27 pound baby through what seemed like a mile long line. "No, keep the tennis ball." He hesitated before he tossed it in his box of goodies that he'd taken from people.
• At the bottom of my diaper bag I always keep baby food. I hardly ever use baby food, but I keep it with me "just in case". He informed me, "Ma'am, no glass is allowed in the rally. Glass jars can't go through." I found this amusing, too, and told him to keep the baby food, so he put those in his box. I didn't want to embarass him and tell him that we didn't really need the baby food because I'd just nurse the baby when he got hungry. Just then, the Secret Service guy (they really looked like the guys in the movie MIB) who was waiting with his wand on the other side of the metal detector for me to go through, walked over to the table at this checkpoint. He leaned down to the guy going through the diaper bag and whispered something in his ear. I didn't know what juicy piece of information he had to discretely tell the other guy, but I was curious. It must have been too secretly relayed because the guy couldn't hear him. So the Secret Service guy leaned down and whispered to him again, then he walked back to his place on the other side of the metal detector. "Ma'am," the guy at the table needed my attention, "You can have your baby food back." I was almost in stitches. They were so serious and it was all so funny to me.

We were all told to wear red and I wasn't sure why until Lt. Gov. Becky Skillman told us that Indiana looked like a red state to her and that she was sure we'd keep Indiana a red state. Ohhhhh...then I got it. The funny thing was that I went to Walmart the evening before to buy them red t-shirts to wear a the indoor rally. When I realized during the 11pm news that it wasn't indoors, I knew both girls had their red fleece shawls. But my girls sure do look cute in red!

By the time the rally was over my arms were BURNING! The girls wanted to get an autograph from Sarah Palin, so we went down front and waited in the crush of people. The baby started to get fussy (he was ready to nurse) and I was ready to sit down. Even though 3 of us moms were keeping an eye on all 9 kids, I didn't feel like I could take my eyes off my girls to sit down and nurse. I told the girls we needed to go. My arms couldn't take much more of the huge baby. The girls were fine with it and said good-bye to their friends. We went to the restroom and sat down at a bench and fed the baby. Then the girls held him for me.

I felt really bad about that decision because we ended up leaving at the same time as our friends AND THEY GOT SARAH'S AUTOGRAPH!! I felt like I'd denied my girls...but they were great about it and understood the baby's and my limitations (and my need to keep them with me in a crowd that large).

Sarah didn't say too much different than I've heard her at other places. The crowd was so excited for her that as soon as she'd start to say something, they'd jump up and scream...so I only heard the first half of her sentences. I was really struck with how many Down Syndrom children were in the crowd. What a BEAUTIFUL testament to Sarah Palin that so many families with special needs children would be drawn to her and want to support her. I thought that spoke volumes!

Indiana Beach Homeschool Days

The tickets were sooo inexpensive, the kids had lots of fun (Dd#1 seems to be getting a bit beyond the age of admitting fun). Allergies were rough, but we came home healthy.

After Indiana Beach, we unpacked, Dave did laundry and the next day we visted Albion's Black Pine Animal Park. We hadn't been there since they renovated -- the animals were sooo close and the lions were HUGE!

On the way home we stopped at the Jail Museum in Albion -- it was very cool! Our vacation was so educational that I think I'll count a day as a school day!

Happy Birthday, Baby!!

Our beautiful baby is 6 months old, now!! The day before his 6 month birthday he learned to roll over from his tummy to his back. On his 6 month birthday, he learned to roll the other way!! We're so proud and excited about our adorable gift from Heaven!!

He was trying to catch butterflies like his siblings did at Botanical Gardens.

Real Cheese vs. Processed Cheese

A good friend and I are having an e-mail flurry on such a small subject. It seems ridiculous that these small items can fill our lives, and yet, having someone to share the small discoveries and discussions with are what make wonderful friends (and my husband doesn't care a hoot about these kind of topics, he'd just like dinner once in a while).

My friend :

I found this article and thought it was very interesting. I'm always trying to learn more about nutrition and eating healthy, for me and my family.

This article talks about nutrition labels and real foods (ie, cheese) vs. processed foods. It was about a year ago that I learned that Kraft cheese slices are "CHEESE PRODUCT" not real cheese! And that it's hard to find cheese slices that are REAL cheese, as most are listed as "CHEESE PRODUCT". Not to mention, the powdered cheese in the boxed mac and cheese! Once again, you just have to read the small print and/or ingredients.

Me:

What I think is most interesting is that you didn't know that. Have you ever tasted Kraft singles? The price difference between real cheese & fake cheese is huge, too (real cheese is generally alot more expensive). One of my pet peeves about cheese is how often I'm slicing, grating, crumbling & cubing (it's cheaper in blocks) and how much work it is to melt to a smooth consistency. Even though it's a hassle, we
eat TONS of cheese, and almost all of it is real.

My friend:

I've never bought chs in a block. Sounds like too much work. I do buy the huge pkgs of slices at Sams, though. And I probably didn't know about the Kraft singles b/c growing up my mom didn't buy them. But what she did buy was lots of Velveeta. Funny thing is I thought that was real chs! It wasn't until I got married and was cooking for Ken that he brought it to my attention that it was fake. Then my dilemma was how was I going to make homemade mac and chs with real chs? I still use velveeta sometimes, just b/c it makes a great mac and chs. But I mostly use the slices from Sams. Maybe I should try the block. Is that what you do for M & C? What kind of chs do you use?

The article was so interesting to me b/c of the issue about labels. I think it is so misleading to put the words "real cheese" on something when it's clearly yellow powder. AND people believe it!!! I have switched to only buying the shredded chs made with 2% milk just b/c of my past cholesterol problems. After getting my numbers down without medication, it's really important to me to keep them down. I do the same with most dairy. I buy the lower fat stuff. It does cost more, but I feel like it's a good investment in my/my family's heart/arteries in the long run. If I'm prone to high chol. then maybe my kids will be someday too. Who knows.

Me:

To make Mac & Ch, I buy dried powder cheese from Schmucker's Greenhouse - Amish powdered cheese HAS to be healthier -- It's my one concession to buying bricks of real cheese.

My friend :

Are you serious? Or are you joking? Powered cheese? Never heard of it. And if you are serious, is it really healthier? How can that be? I'm guessing you're being sarcastic but in an email, without hearing your voice, I can't tell :)

Me:

I'm serious. I don't know how they make it (possibly grate, dry, grate
& dry it? here's one product description), but since the Amish make much of their own food (and I don't think they'd repackage & sell something at their store that they didn't make) I only assume it's healthier than all the chemicals that are added to the stuff they sell in grocery stores. It looks and tastes just like the mac
& cheese powder (or the stuff you sprinkle on popcorn) only in approximately
quart packages.

We found it by accident. They had it in these really thin clear plastic bags that they wrote on with permanent marker and had it low on a shelf. Ds2 at 2 years old poked a hole in one as we passed by with his finger, so we felt obligated to buy it. (The next time we went to that store they had it in thicker clear plastic bags.) I didn't know what I'd do with it besides sprinkle it on popcorn, but since we only have micro-popcorn, it doesn't taste right with the fake butter in micro-popcorn. So I just guessed at the proportions and made mac & ch with it -- the kids went crazy -- they loved it. So that's how we make our mac & cheese -- with whatever noodles we have on hand & Amish powdered cheese.

I think this sounds like a field trip BEGGING to be scheduled -- alas, not this year. Maybe next year with baby in tow...

Farm Fun

Between baby chicks, baby ducks...

...sheep, chickens, pigs, dogs...
(the girls were sooo excited that they got the chicks to fall asleep on their laps)
and kickball...the kids had a WONDERFUL afternoon last week!! What a joy to homeschool and an even greater blessing to have friends who share their lives with us!!

Escape School Field Trip

This is a free field trip that teaches children about strangers and how to get away from them. My children participated in this several years ago and it was extremely non-threatening. Even my "sensitive" child found it empowering, not scary. My oldest was in 2nd grade, so my preschoolers participated, too. We'll be doing this, again this month. I think it's a really valuable program. www.escapeschool.com

It's geared to empower kids (like it talks about if you're riding your bike at the park with your friends - so I would think 11, 12, 13 age), but in the movie they show, it has lots of young children (5,6,7) and speaks to them, too. The guy we saw it from before said he did the presentation for his daughter who was about to go off to college. She was accosted while away at school and fended off the guy using the stuff her dad had presented to her. So, I think it's a pretty wide age range.

From their website :

Escape School is a nationally recognized abduction prevention program that
empowers children and parents by providing them with ways to recognize, avoid or
escape potentially dangerous situations. Offered in an entertaining and
non-threatening manner, the program teaches children how to differentiate
between good and bad strangers, the common lures abductors use, how to "get
away, right away" and how to find help when needed.

Is this similar to the "Stranger-Danger" programs that we heard about when we were young?
No, this is not a 'stranger-danger' program. Strangers are not necessarily bad people. In many cases, a 'stranger' may actually be the person who helps a child in a
potentially dangerous situation. In Dignity Memorial Escape School, we teach
children how to tell the difference between good and bad strangers by the way
they act and not by the way they look.

This is a national program and I've found the presenters in our area to be very eager to put this on for any sized group of kids. Check out their website to see if you can schedule one in your area!

Cemetery Field Trip

That was really cool. The head of the cemetery had information for us about their specific cemetery, plans for gardens in the future, habits of people who visit the cemetery, local well-known families, historical figures buried there, saints chosen to represent various parts of the cemetery and why, specific anecdotal information about saints and their orders today, weather, weathering, ground upheaval, stones for monuments (headstones), statues, buildings and how they hold up after years and what specific conditions affect which kind of stone....

Radio Station Field Trip

Wednesday, we went on a field trip to a local Christian radio station. All the kids asked very good questions, but my 4 year old's questions were the most interesting:

"Have you ever gone fishing?"
"If your roof is broken, do you climb up there and fix it or does someone else?"
"Who's the oldest person here?"

Home Depot Kids' Project

WOW!! That was a kewl free activity for us to take 6 kids at Home Depot!! The kids all really enjoyed it and the thing actually came out!! Dave was helping 5 kids, while I struggled to help 1, and they all came out!! We took them out for Chinese, and the 2 kids that are spending the weekend with us both ate it! Then, we brought them home and painted our firetruck banks. They had a serious BLAST!

Quote of the day: "Mama, this day was so fun, it could last me a MONTH!!"