The Library

I am feeling very political today. I found out this morning that Governor Ted Strickland's proposed budget for 2009-2011 includes cuts to many, many worthwhile and vital Ohio programs.

The ELI (Early Learning Initiative) will be eliminated. There will be cuts to mental health funding. Physically and mentally handicapped individuals will not receive as much aid as they currently do. It sickens me that the people who need help the most are the people who are losing the small amount of help they already have.

One issue stuck out as directly affecting me and my family is the 50% cut to the Public Library Fund. This would cause many libraries to close, cut hours, cut programs. We attended a program today and the librarian told us they already have a book buying freeze. This cut would eliminate way more than just new books.

I emailed the Governor, my representatives and the budget committee members. I also emailed the director of the Toledo Lucas County Library to see if there are any plans for a rally to bring more attention to this issue for those who don't know what is going on.

The budget needs to be finalized by June 30. There is only seven days to make your voice heard, so email or call if you feel strongly about this.

In case you are curious, this is the email I sent. Usually, when I write about issues I send form letters. I'm lazy like that, and it's all politicians do in return anyway. This time, I actually wrote my own letter. Must be a special cause to me, eh?

I am saddened to hear of the proposed cuts to the Public Library Fund in the Governor's 2009-2011 proposed budget. I understand that cuts need to be made somewhere, but I feel strongly that this is not the place to make them. The library system is not a luxury, an extra piece of fluff that can be cut out. The library is important to many people for many reasons, myself and my family included.

With the economy in the state that it is, our state can not afford more job loss. Our unemployment rate is nearing 11%. It is at the highest point since October 1983. Cutting funding to the PLF would not only add to the unemployment in our state, it would also limit access to necessary resources for those who are already unemployed to look for work, including the Internet and resume writing materials.

The library system is important to families. I have a four year old daughter who is already reading. If not for the story times, programs and reading materials available to her, I do not think she would be this advanced. Being summer, a loss of programming would hit us especially hard. While I am lucky enough to have my husband gainfully employed, times are still tough for us. The library affords us the opportunity to attend programming that is both fun and educational without taking money away from our budget. Just today, we attended a program at the Sylvania Library which kept her entertained and out of the ninety degree heat. She absolutely loved it and is ready to go back next Tuesday to see what the new program is.

I realize making a state budget is hard work. I realize there are cuts that need to be made. Please don't make those cuts to our library system. Libraries are not a luxury - they are a necessity. Don't take this valuable resource away from our families.

Thank you,

Jamie Ritchie

I'm taking my toys and going home!

Or, in Ivy's case, she's leaving and going to Guh Guh's.

Guh Guh is my mom. It started when Ivy couldn't say Grandma... but now all the other Grandma's are "Grandma" and my mom is still Guh Guh.

Ivy plays ToonTown online. I wish I would have never let her start playing, but she loves it and I supervise her while she's playing, so what's done is done. She loves her some ToonTown so it makes a fantastic bargaining chip. Not listening? No ToonTown. Won't pick up her toys? No ToonTown. Won't give me a massage put her plate in the sink? No ToonTown.

So last Sunday, she wasn't listening and the computer was shut off for the day. She huffed away, then came back and asked for a pen and paper. Then she huffed away again.

She returned with a paper rolled up like a scroll and told me solemnly, "Tomorrow, you have to take me to Guh Guh's."

I could see where this was headed, so I reminded her that she had swim class the next day.

"Fine, you have to take me the next day."

"But the next day you have T-ball AND swim class."

HUGE SIGH. "Fine. Next week."

She gave me the paper and told me not to open it until she left forever, but of course I did. And then I scanned it. And then I posted it on the internet so I can make sure I have a record of it for the future.

Click image to see it larger. It's freaking hysterical.

Anticlimactic much?

Sooooo.... three months later, here's the follow up. Totally not important anymore, but I know y'all are hanging onto the edges of your collective seats.

Ivy was obsessed with the toilet. For a good couple months, whenever she couldn't find something she would ask, with tears in her eyes, "It's not in the toilet, is it?"

Of course, it never was, and she is basically out of this phase. At the time I wrote the last post it was really a major concern to me. She was SO preoccupied with the toilet. It was actually disruptive to our existence. But things have balanced out and we rarely get asked if something is in the toilet. Ahhh, kids.

Prelude

I have a post brewing in my head, but I need to post this story first, as I THINK it is the cause of the next post.  Clear as mud?  Okay then, just listen to the story.

About a month ago, Ivy and I went to Cici's.  As mentioned before, she always gets a toy out of the machines when we leave.  This particular trip, she got a bracelet that was made of little teddy bear beads, maybe half the size of your pinky nail, if that.  Teeny tiny.  In the car, she was pulling on it and snapped the elastic.  She was sad, but was okay once she realized she could play with the teddy bears.

I really thought nothing of it, as she is FOUR YEARS OLD and has never been a child that mouthed things a ton.  So we came home, I settled down to watch Guiding Light in Erin's room and she played in the living room.  Next thing I know, she's in Erin's room, saying she can't find the teddy bears because she swallowed them.

WHAT?!?!?!

Apparently, she put them in this little horn that she has and was going to try to blow them out.  When she inhaled the big breath to then blow the bears out, she sucked them in instead and swallowed them.  She was soooo unbelievably upset.  I was worried she was going to die instantly of lead poisoning, being pieces of a  made-in-china-only-cost-a-quarter-bracelet had just been eaten.  I called some people for advice and we all concluded the bears would pass on their own.  So then I had to explain THAT to my child who actually said she was going to go puke so she could get the bears out.  

We had a brief anatomy lesson about small "intenines" and large "intenines" and Ivy learned that everything you eat comes out in your poop.  And then she asked me to get the bears out of her poop.  I politely declined, in case you were wondering.  I didn't think the teddy bears were worth it.  Were it my wedding ring, or a million dollars or something, I may have considered.  But not for two plastic teddy bears.

I quit

I've smoked on and off since I worked at Six Flags the summer after my senior year.  That's nine years.  I'm quitting on Monday.

It started as a financial decision.  Nathan's child support just jumped from around $330 a month to $980 a month.  First of all, holy shit, man.  We have to find $650 extra dollars a month.  While it seems like he makes good money, the more you make the more you spend.  There's the health insurance we can actually afford now, the 401K he can contribute to.  But there's the day to day expenses, too.... the preschool tuition, the house payment, the two cars we need to have.  My lease is up in April, so if we can reduce the payment on my car, that will be a big plus.  But if we both quit smoking, that will save about $7 a DAY.  That's over $200 a month.  And without all those trips to the gas station for cigarettes, we probably won't spend as much on other things, like coffee.  So it will definitely be a big help.

Lately, though, the health thing has been weighing on my mind, too.  Don't get me wrong, I've never been ignorant enough to deny that smoking is bad for you.  But taking a step back and looking at all the people in my life who have been affected by cancer is really quite devastating.  Not all of them smoked either.  Grandpap, way back in 8th grade.  Grandma.  Uncle Ernie.  Aunt Marge.  Uncle Thom.  Bob Pay.  Grandpa.  My odds look slim.  Why raise the chances by putting poison in my body?  Just last week, Andrea's sister in law had a tumor removed from her brain.  From two inches inside of her brain.  She has a metal plate in her head because they had to remove part of her skull.  She is 25 years old.  I mean, GOD.  How can things like that happen to young people who don't make bad, unhealthy choices?

I thought I would write this all out so that the eight people who read this can hold me accountable.  I don't want to die in 10 years.  I want to see my baby grow up.  I'm not going to consciously put that in jeopardy any longer.  I know there are other things that need to change in my life, too, but I have to do this one step at a time.  I think this is a good first step to take.

Good thing she's still innocent

The scene: Leaving Cici's Pizza with Andrea after lunch.  Ivy always gets one of those quarter toys out of the machine when we leave.  Today, she had gotten a tiny monkey.  Here's what she had to say about him:

"Oh, my monkey is just so cute.  He is so tiny.  And he is unbreakable, because he is made of rubber.  RUBBERS NEVER BREAK!!"

Uh, sorry, kid, I'm sure there are plenty of people in the world who who beg to differ on that one.  Don't worry, I didn't explain that to her.

Happy Birthday, Husband

Nathan's birthday was yesterday.  We had a really nice day as a family.... well, I had to do an audit in the morning, but after I got home, it was a nice day.  Ivy helped me decorate Nathan's cupcakes, then we went out to eat and bowling.  Apparently that is the new birthday tradition around here, since it's the same thing we for my birthday last year.

On to the cupcakes.  I have these brilliant ideas in my head that just don't come out right.  Let's start off by saying that Ivy decided the frosting should be pink.  In my head, it was white, so it matched, but I was happy to let her help and just have the frosting (the yummy homemade delicious frosting) clash.  BUT, I have decided I am going to take the Wilton cake decorating class so that I don't keep embarassing myself with the lack of decorating skills.  Things tase good, but just aren't so pretty.  Take, for example, what YOU may inturpret as a steaming pile of pink dog poo.  Really, it's just the first cupcake I frosted, before I said "ohmygodIneedtouseadifferenttip!"

After that, things looked up.  Here's the display both on fire and not.  I couldn't afford as many candles as Nathan needs these days, so I just went with 12.  I loved how they matched my like fondant streamers.

      

Happy 37th birthday to the love of my life!

CPSIA

I just found a FANTASTIC article on the CPSIA which goes into effect February 10th.  If you don't know what I'm talking about, the CPSIA is a new law that will require all products intended for children 12 and under to undergo third party testing for lead and phthalates.  While in theory this may sound good (who wants their kids exposed to harmful things like that?) in reality it is a poorly written law that will put myself and many many others out of business.  

Here's the article I'm talking about.  Very well written and explains the "other side of the coin" very well, in my opinion. - http://www.forbes.com/opinions/2009/01/16/cpsia-safety-toys-oped-cx_wo_0116olson.html

I've written to my congressmen and senator about this law.  I've received the standard form letters back, which disappoints me.  Will you do the same?

Christmas Eve

Stocking are hung, presents are wrapped, candy is made.... I think we are all set for the holidays.  We have some heavy traveling ahead of us, but I am looking forward to spending the next few days with all of the people who are near and dear to my heart, and for Ivy to have a chance to spend time with those she doesn't see often enough (it is her blog, right?   Had to link back to her somehow. :p )

Happy Holidays to everyone.... enjoy whatever it is that you are celebrating and more than that, enjoy the time you are lucky enough to have with your loved ones.

For crying out loud

Christmas is just not meant to be this year.

All the parents at preschool have been charged with the task of bringing nine (apparently so I can eat three of the dozen I make?) homemade cookies to the Christmas Program tomorrow.  Here are the cookies I decided to make.

  

Aren't they beautiful?  I'm the mom who makes stuff, sews her daughters clothes.... I have to bring inpressive cookies, right?  Cookies that will make the other mom's talk, right?  Oh, they would be talking alright.  Check out what I just took out of the oven:

what. the. heck. is. that?  They taste FANTASTIC, but I don't think the teachers would count one large blob as nine cookies.  I guess I could be wrong, though.

So google has helped me to come up with another idea.  11:06pm.... and take two it is!

Update

Ebay sellers can still kiss my butt, but paypal is invited to be my bff.

Within 24 hours I was notified that the seller of the super duper top secret gift for my mom would be refunding me my money once he receives the item back in the original condition.  I swear on everything holy if he tries to pull any crap with that one, I will drive to Houston myself and introduce him to my foot in his butt, because I didn't even take the thing out of the bubble wrap.  Soooo, I should (fingers crossed) have the money back in my account in plenty of time to brave the stores and get the same thing for slightly more money not on the internet.  

And the unworking DVD player?  That can get sent back, too.  Prepaid UPS, so that's good.  I don't know that I'll have that money back in time to get a new one before Christmas, though, which should make for a fun 14 hours in the car.

Oh Internet Shopping, why must you mess with me?

I was doing soooo good.  I have found some KILLER steals on Amazon for Christmas presents.  Free shipping.  Fast free shipping.  $28 for toys that would cost $60 + tax in the stores.  I was on cloud nine.  Then, karma had to come bite me in the ass.

Who am I kidding?  Not karma.  Ebay.  I think I am officially over ebay.  I made two major purchases and they are both causing nothing but grief.  A present for mom came missing parts and the seller won't accept a return.  I filed a paypal claim to get my money back, but he has until 12/26 to respond.  Did you notice this is AFTER Christmas?  

I also bought a used personal DVD player so Ivy can watch movies during the 14 hours we are going to be spending in the car over Christmas (no exageration there, seriously).  Got it yesterday, it's beautiful.  But the one million dollar question.... does it work?  What do you think?  Would I be writing the post if it did?

I am beyond flustered.  That's almost $200 of crap that isn't what I wanted and won't serve it's purpose.  I sure hope the paypal gods are looking down on me this season and get me some refunds.  Ugh.

Ivy's Quote of the Day

"After four I'm gonna be five, and after five I'm gonna be six, and after six I'm gonna be seven and that's big enough to drive the car."

An Election Story

In honor of the election today, I wanted to share a conversation Ivy and I had sometime last week.  It started with me asking if they had talked about the president at all in school.  She said they hadn't, so I started to try to explain a little.

Me: The president is the person who is in charge of the whole country.

Ivy: I call Daddy president sometimes.

Me: I bet he likes that!  On Tuesday, we get to vote for who we think should be president.  Do you want to come with me so you can see how it works?

Ivy: Sure.  I know who I am going to vote for!

Me: Honey, you have to be 18 to vote.  Only grown ups can vote.

Ivy: Okay, I know who I would vote for.  Some one who starts with a "buh" "buh" B

Me: BARACK OBAMA??  (thinking: "YES! I am raising her right!!")

Ivy: No!  Brandi (this kills me that she still talks about Brandi so much)

Me: Oh, there are really only two people we get to pick from, Barack Obama or John McCain

Ivy: JOHN MCCAIN!

Me: (Insert internal screaming here)

Ivy: I like his name.  J is my favorite letter.

This, people, is what is wrong with America today.  I don't doubt there WILL be people voting based on what letter they like, or that Obama is young, or that McCain was a POW.  Take a look at the issues and make your own decision.

Did YOU vote today?

What?

I was reading through the Halloween post and noticed that I mentioned Jamaica.  So I scrolled down to re-read the post about vacation.  Huh what huh?  There isn't one!  That is SO on my list of things to post about this month. 

I wasn't going to mention it for fear of jinxing myself, but it's National Blog Posting Month.  I tried this whole "post a day" thing last year and I believe I made it to November 3rd.  So this year, I am NOT posting every day for NaBloPoMo.  I am just posting "more."  Not a very specific goal for myself, but one that I am already doing quite well on, thankyouverymuch.  In fact, I already have a post written for TOMORROW.  How's that for being on top of things?  So, my five faithful readers, keep checking back.  This month will be way more productive than previous months.  I hope.  

More Wedding Goodness

I feel like I should run a caption contest for this one.  Of course, there's about four people who read this blog, so it wouldn't be much of a contest now, would it?

SERIOUSLY?  What was she thinking in THIS one?  I told you she was getting her groove on on the dance floor, but what kind of a groove was that?  

You can see how red and tired she was, though.  For her to ask to go home before the "party" was over was amazing to me.

By the way, she has asked me more than once when Andrea is getting married again.  I'm going to go with never, so apparently we need more friends who aren't already married so Ivy can go to more parties.

Halloween 2008

Oh, my child is a loon.  She wanted to be - get this - a garbage can for Halloween.  I showed her princess costumes and other somewhat normal costumes, but she would have none of it.  She wanted to be a garbage can and that was it.  So Nathan and I made her a garbage can costume.... admittedly, Nathan did a lot of the work on this one.  He can be crafty, too!  Here she is in the Halloween parade at preschool on Thursday.  She immediately tripped, basically on the way out the door, so I had to "march" with her for awhile.  Then she decided Mrs. Turner (the director) would do as well as me, so I got to take a few pictures.  By the end of the second lap around the building, she was "marching" by herself.

My one consolation in this whole "my daughter wants to be a garbage can" thing was that it was an original costume.  Right?  Right?? No.  There was another garbage can at school that day.  Whatever.

Here's the costume WITH the lid, right before trick or treating.

When she got tired and didn't want to walk anymore, she "had an idea."  She thought we should get a taxi.  That was a throwback to vacation in Jamaica, where a taxi would stop you every 27 seconds, if not more often.  I explained there were no taxis in our neighborhood, lazy bones, now get to stepping.  I thought she got tired pretty quick, but by the time we got home, it was past 7:00, so I guess she did pretty well.  She got a lot of loot and is already talking about next Halloween.  Halloween 2008 was a success!

The Wedding

The wedding is over.  Ivy was so excited, and I don't think the festivities disappointed her in the least.  There's actually a ton to blog about, but for now, I will put up the pictures my dear sweet sister took and leave it at that.  Well, that and Ivy's closing comment to my mom on Saturday..... "That was the best party EVER."

Ivy and Corrine walking down the aisle.  They did a fantastic, albeit sloooooow job.

Ivy on the steps outside of the church, after the service.  It was coooold.  You can't see it, but her dress is starting to rip.  By the end of the night, almost the whole skirt was ripped off the bodice.  Jordan Fashions is SO getting a strongly worded letter.

Ivy cheesing for Aunt Jessie.

Me and Andrea at the back of the church after the ceremony.  She looked so beautiful and perfect!

Me, after the ceremony.  I loved our dresses and our flowers.  

Infomercial Queen

Ivy loves commercials. She especially loves those "as seen on TV" infomercial type comercials. The girl can tell you all about Aquaglobes and Roll and Grow and Blendy Pens. And don't forget Green Bags. "Spoiled produce? Not again. Stop THROWING AWAY YOUR MONEY MOMMY." You should see the hand gestures that go with that one.

We were sitting on the couch cuddling earlier this week. I was on my laptop, Ivy was watching TV. I wasn't really listening to the TV. This conversation ensued.

Ivy: Mommy, do you love me?
Me : Of course I love you.
Ivy: Then you have to get me Zoobooks. See them on the TV?

I mean, at least she was asking for something educational. But still. I didn't think I had to start buying her love for at least another eight or ten years. Crap.

Wedding crazy?

Ivy is officially obsessed. Every time she picks a flower she says it's for when she is in Andrea Nelson's wedding.

Every time she puts on her white sundress she wants to know if that is her dress for Andrea Nelson's wedding.

She's found a box of envelopes and is always writing us letters. You know, three year old letters, which consist of wavy lines that only she can read. She can write her letters and read, but no way is she actually writing a whole letter!! Anyway, half of the time she writes letters to us, they are from Andrea Nelson.


What's up with that?