I Won’t Leave My Child To Fight In A War

November 17, 2009 by

Meet Army Spc. Alexis Hutchinson, 21. Spc. Hutchinson refused deployment to Afghanistan because she didn’t have anyone to care for her child. Here’s her story, she initially thought her mother would be able to care for her 10 month old son during her year deployment; however, her mother changed her mind at the last minute. You see her mother is currently caring for her elderly mother, her sister and a special needs daughter. In addition to caring for 3 family members, she runs a daycare with 14 children during the day. Her mother stated that the baby would need more care than she would be able to provide with her current responsibilities, so she reneged.

Spc. Hutchinson requested additional time to make arrangements for the baby, but instead of receiving additional time she was ordered to place her child in foster care and deploy as scheduled. She was unable to make other arrangements and refused to place her baby in foster care. She was arrested for not deploying as ordered. Although no criminal charges have been filed against her, she has been confined to her base in Savannah, GA. This soldier is a single mom who is no longer connected to her baby’s daddy. She had no where to turn, and she made the choice that any true mother would make. She refused to leave her 10-month old baby in the care of a stranger while she entered a combat zone. I say you go momma.
Now according to an Army spokesman, the Army would not deploy a soldier who had no one to care for their child. According to Spc. Hutchinson, she was denied additional time to find someone to care for her baby. The Army has vowed to get to the bottom of it what exactly took place with this mother and her superiors. In the meantime, her mother has retrieved the infant since her daughter’s arrest and is caring for him in spite of the burden that it has placed on her.
I will leave my personal views on the wars that we are currently engaged in out of this post, but I applaud this young mother for refusing to leave her child to go to war. I hope that serious actions are taken against the superior who ordered this young lady into a combat zone at the expense of her child. You have to be a pretty heartless person to give that command.
 
Would you have deployed or placed out your hands for the bracelet? I would have been arrested, there’s no way I would have placed my child in foster care especially if I was placing my life on the line. This young mother would have had no peace of mind while she was there. How could she, she would have no idea where her child was or who was caring for him. How could she focus in a war zone not knowing? I would love to hear your opinion on this young mother and what you would have done had you been in her shoes. Please leave us a comment.
Filed Under: Afghanistan, Army, child welfare, foster homes, Uncategorized Tagged With: , , , , ,

Results of Poll – Should Disruptive Children Be Removed From Planes?

November 16, 2009 by

The result of our poll is in. The question – Do you agree with airlines, Disruptive Children Should Be Removed From Planes? Here’s the results: 52% yes, 47% no and 1% unsure.

As a regular traveler, I voted yes. It was a tough call for me as a mother, but I am grateful that the airline will be placing my safety first, especially at 32,000 feet.

Filed Under: blog polls, Uncategorized Tagged With: ,

God Is With Me – Children’s Book Give Away

November 13, 2009 by

I had the opportunity to review two wonderful books, God Is With Me Through The Night and God Is With Me Through The Day. These books were written by Julie Cantrell, a certified speech-language pathologist, with years of experience helping children develop communication skills. Julie currently writes for Princeton Health Care System and FNC, Inc.

I loved both of the books, they contain beautiful stock photos and the wording is simple. The books are very similar, but I really appreciated God Is With Me Through The Night. I’m partial to deer, so I was drawn to the cover. Also, because I think it is in line with the author’s goal. The author wrote the book for her daughter, who was afraid of the dark and suffered from nightmares. Ms. Cantrell’s intention was to not publish the book initially, but to create a story that would let her daughter know she was safe and she wasn’t alone at night. Ms. Cantrell stated, “When her friends would sleep over, they all enjoyed the book and wanted me to print copies for them. Then the neighborhood kids asked for copies.”


The story lines in the books are simple. She’s used beautiful photos of baby animals expressing their fears and loving pictures of baby animals with their mommy assuring them they are safe at night and during the day to engage the child’s attention. The books are useful in building the child’s faith in God as well. Ms. Cantrell conducted research and with data to support the design of the books, and a gut instinct that families would enjoy reading the book again and again, she decided to move forward with publishing. The books are receiving positive feed back from parents and children.

My 2 year old grandson gets excited when he sees the books. I’ve read them every day since I’ve received them. He’s partial to the God Is With Me Through The Day book. I believe he finds the color of the cover stimulating and likes the puppy on the cover. I love that the author expanded her idea to include the fact that children face fears during the day as well. I believe we will get a lot of mileage out of these books. Another plus is that they have a hard back cover. I found one with little sticky finger prints. My grandson loves pancakes with maple syrup for breakfast, so guess who was the culprit. A damp cloth easily removed the breakfast remnants.
Ms. Cantrell wanted our readers to experience these beautiful book too, so we’re offering a set to one of our readers. They will help guide your child through their fears and let them know they are not alone and they will be protected and loved. Here’s how you could win: Leave us a comment on one of your child’s fears or visit Ms. Cantrell’s blog and read her tips on how to help your child with their fears. Leave a comment on how you think Ms. Cantrell’s tips could help you.You can also find activities to go along with the books on Ms. Cantrell’s blog, Julie’s Journal. Want extra entries:Follow our blog (1 entry)
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Comment on one of our post (5 entries)This give away will end December 14 at mid-night. Give away is open to US Resident 18+ only.

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Filed Under: childhood fears, children's books, faith, God, Uncategorized Tagged With:

Home For The Holiday Give Away

November 12, 2009 by

Looking for a few give aways to enter? Gather, has the following give aways going on.  Stop by and enter:

Is there someone special you wish you could see over the holidays this year? Gather is currently hosting a Home for the Holidays program where you can win either a trip home for yourself or bring someone you care about come home to see you!

Enter Now to Win a Trip Home for the Holidays for You or Someone You Love!
Deadline: 12/4/09
NEW!

Other Gather Giveways:

Jet with JET. Win a free signed copy of their new album!
Deadline: 11/22/09
NEW!

Win a copy of Bill Engvall’s “Aged and Confused” DVD & CD!
Deadline: 11/23/09
NEW!

Hey Twilight Moms: Gather’s giving away New Moon tickets!
(Launches 11/12/09)
NEW!

Filed Under: holiday give aways, Uncategorized

Results of Poll

November 11, 2009 by

The results of our poll are in.  The question – What color do you wear under white?  The results – 16% said they wear black, 42% said they wear white and 42% said they wear flesh.  Fashion etiquette says, wear flesh colored garments under your whites.

Filed Under: blog polls, Uncategorized Tagged With:

Never Give Up – Even After 950 Times!

November 6, 2009 by

There are some people in life who I’ve met and wish I hadn’t, and some people who I’ve never met, but wish that I could. I’ve never met the lady pictured, but I admire her. Why? Because she truly understands the saying Never Give Up. This south Korean lady, age 68, knows persistence, failure, perseverance, and now a sense of accomplishment.


She took her written exam for her driver’s license 950 times. That’s right, 950 times. I’m a strong woman and quite confident, but I truly don’t think that I would have that kind of determination. This lady has taken her written test almost daily since 2005. She’s determined to get her driver’s license so she can become self-sufficient. She owns a vegetable selling-business.

For everyone who is struggling in any area of their life and is finding themselves on the Whoa Me Trip and thinking about giving up, please allow this lady to be an example for you. Never give up.

Filed Under: driver's license, driving examinations, Uncategorized Tagged With: , , ,

My Little Spider Man

November 4, 2009 by
Ready To Trick or Treat

Worn Out Spider Man
Xavier choose a Spider Man costume for Halloween. My daughter initially choose an adorable little lion outfit, but he would have none of it. He claimed he was scared of the outfit, lol. In the top picture he was preparing to go out for a few treats. He was so excited. He remembered to say Trick or Treat and Thank You.
 
I may be a little biased, but isn’t he the cutest Spider Man that you’ve ever seen.

Filed Under: children's dress up, customes, Halloween, Uncategorized Tagged With: , , , ,

Can You Take My Order Challenge

November 2, 2009 by

Can you take my order please? It’s an order Rapped by two teens at a McDonald’s. Listen carefully, and test your Rap skills by translating the order. Leave your interpretation of the order on the post. We would love to see what you come up with.

Filed Under: fast food, Uncategorized Tagged With: , , ,

Curel Lotion Give Away

November 2, 2009 by

Fall and winter are harsh on my skin, so I have to step up my moisturizer in my body lotion. I turn to Curel in the fall and winter. I love their products, I’ve been using them for years. When my skin immediately drinks up my body lotion, it’s a sign that my skin is extra dry. Curel has always provided the moisture that I needed. It’s light and creamy and is easily worked into the skin. Within days, I notice a difference in the feel of my skin. It’s smooth and the moisture is restored. I receive compliments on my skin and how healthy it looks. I spend as much time moisurizing my body as I do my face.

I was thrilled when I was given the opportunity to review several of Curel products. I already knew the quality and I also knew that I wouldn’t be disappointed. I wasn’t. I tested the 13 ounce bottle of Lavender, Chamomile and Oatmeal body lotion. Love It! It has a light scent, not perfumy, and it’s not greasy. I also like the fact that I can find Curel products at the local CVS or Walgreens at a reasonable price. I’m all for quality that doesn’t break the bank.

I tested the foot cream as well. I am a high heel and boot wearing diva who’s feet has paid a price as a result of my attempts to be stylish. I have regular pedicures, so I decided to use the The Curel foot lotion as a part of my daily foot care instead of the regular body lotion. It’s recommended that the lotion be used at night. I applied it before bed, and it didn’t take long before my feet felt silky smooth. I’ve started wearing socks since the weather has turned cooler, and there were no snags when I put them on. The lotion contains Shea Butter, Coconut Milk and Vitamin E. This was the first time I used the Curel Foot Lotion, but it won’t be the last.

Curel would like our readers to experience their products too. We will be giving a set of Intense Moisture Lotion for extra dry skin and a tube of hand and cuticle cream (shown above) to one lucky reader. You could be a winner! Visit the Curel website and let us know what other product you would like to try. This give away will end December 1, 2009 at midnight. The give away is open to US Residents 18+.only.
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Filed Under: body lotion, Curel Lotion, dry skin, foot care, hand cream, Uncategorized Tagged With:

Crockpot Steamers

October 24, 2009 by

Ingredients:

  • 3 pounds 90% lean ground beef
  • 2 bottles of Heinz Chili Sauce
  • brown sugar to taste
  • 1 small can tomato sauce
  • 1 cup water

Brown ground beef in skillet chopping beef until it’s fine; pour into colander and rinse well with hot water. Combine ground beef in slow cooker with sauce, water, and brown sugar. Stir thoroughly. Cover and cook on Low 6 to 8 hours stirring occasionally. Serve on a hot dog or hamburger bun with chips and sweet pickles. Great over hot dogs too.

Filed Under: crockpot recipes, Food-Recipes, Uncategorized Tagged With: , ,