Political Soapbox

Okay, I am not even going to pretend that I understand all that is going on in this Presidential campain - shame on me - but I do have an opinion about what I've heard.
As I have read each of McCain's and Obama's plans on their websites, I have to say, initially, Obabma's didn't sound bad. Sure, spread the wealth, healthcare for all, make everyone equal. It sounded great! However, something about it didn't quite sit right with me.
Well, I finally figured out what it was. I have two problems with Obama's plans. The first is what seems like an attack on businesses. Yes, I am sure there are many greedy, crooked businesses out there, all in wait to take the unsuspecting American's hard-earned dollar, but I also know many good, hardworking people who have poured hours and time and have taken risks to build honest, good businesses. What would his plans do for them? And what about the people who would benefit most from Obama's plans. What would they have to give, or contribute in return for the healthcare and spreading of wealth. Nothing?
If they have to contribute nothing, what would motivate them to contribute at all. So the attack on businesses in order to give to the underdog, in some ways, seems like taking from those who work hard and earn what they have, to give to those who may or may not have worked for it, and may not even deserve it.
This makes me wonder what happened to the American dream? The hope in the possibility of rising from nothing and becoming something through honest, hard work and ingenuity? The pride of accomplishment, of building something that lifts and contributes to the society?
The next thing that bothers me about Obama's plans is, you cannot get something for nothing, at least not without being enslaved. What will such dependence on the government for our healthcare and our money do? What if the government asks the unthinkable? What if they ask for our very freedoms? How hard will it be to say "no" if the government is in control of our money and our healthcare and could take it all away? By not being self-sufficient, by depending on anything but God and ourselves for our existance, by accepting something for nothing and allowing Obama to spread the wealth, we are allowing him and the government to have control.
The last thing that bothers me about Obama's plans, is that it seems he has no faith in the American people. Yes, Americans need protection, they need help making sure they aren't taken by big, evil, corporations. Yes some Americans do need assistance with healthcare, and going to school, and making a living, but we don't need someone else to do it for us. There is nothing wrong with a little hard work, even if it means doing without some of the luxuries many of us deem necessities.
Maybe we shouldn't need anyone to make our decisions for us in the name of protection. Maybe we don't need the government to do for us what we can do for ourselves. And if we ever do fail, whether it's loosing a job, a house, or becoming a victim to a big, bad corporations, what's wrong with making a mistake, learning from it, getting up and dusting ourselves off, and trying something else? So many great men and women in this country have failed, and seemed to have lost everything, and made great comebacks. Abraham Lincoln comes to mind. It is possible to bounce back from adversity; we don't need the government to do it for us. We need someone to motivate us, to encourage us, to put some morale back into being an American.
"If you give a man a fish, you feed him for a day. If you teach a man to fish, you feed him for a lifetime." - Author unknown

Aaron's Magic Spray

So Aaron has a lot of fears, it's a long story, and the counselor had me make him "magic spray" with a colored bottle or colored water, and something that smelled good. That way, he could spray it in the rooms he's afraid of, and hopefully, not be scared anymore. Well, the first night, he informed me that it doesn't work. The next night, he let me know that it was just water. Well, on to plan B.

Finally Figured It Out!!!

I finally figured out how to make my own backgrounds. I am definetly going to give it a face-lift. This background is just the one I used to learn on. I really need to fix that awful mustard-yellow.

Brad Gerrard

We lost a great friend this weekend. Brad was shot Saturday night, leaving behind his pregnant wife and son. We will really miss him.
He was the one that practically put in our garden. I don't know how many times he was in our yard, helping us with something, when he had no sleep, had just finished working in his own yard, and had to go to work after.
He was quiet, patient, and loved his family. It was obvious how much his wife and son meant to him. He will always be an example to us.
There is a memorial fund open for his wife and son. Anyone who would like to help can donate to any Wells Fargo, to the Bradley J. Gerrard Memorial Fund, account no. 3138632421.

First Week Post-Colorado

Okay, so the first week got a little hairy. Kameron was still quite a bit backed up, so the Doctors in Colorado wanted him admitted to the hospital. I asked if we could try cleaning him out a little more, and they said that was fine, and it would probably work, so I told the pediatrician to cancel admitting kameron.
Well, things were going much better until Friday night. Kameron started really crying and vomitting with each enema. I got worried and called doctors, but either they weren't worried and said to keep giving the enema, or they didn't know what to do. So, I just kept trying to give Kameron the enemas and he just kept puking. I finally emailed the Dr. in Cincinnati again, because I didn't know what else to do. He said he couldn't help me. It got so bad that there was no way I could keep giving Kameron enemas like that, so I stopped them and gave him a laxative.
Well, that Sunday was no fun. I remembered why we took him off of the laxatives - he was pooping almost constantly! On top of that, just as we were heading off to church, the doctor from Colorado called and chewed me out for emailing the Dr. from Cincinnati. I was angry at how the weekend had gone and how no one could help me, so I didn't hesitate in letting the doctor know what we needed. I wasn't rude, I was just blunt. I think by the end, it was a very beneficial conversation. When it ended, sacrament was over. I was a mess and went to church upset. It was all I could do to keep from going back home. I felt really guilty and horrible for getting the second opinion, until I realized that there is nothing wrong in getting a second opinion, and I wasn't really sorry at all that I did. That made me feel better.

Decisions, Decisions

Okay, so this whole laxative vs enema thing has really been bothering me. Plus, there are so many contradicting things between what these dr.'s are telling me and what I read and hear from the Cincinnati doctors. I am fine with what Colorado is telling me, but the Cincinnati Dr.'s are the experts, and it seems like it is their way or it's wrong. I don't want to do the wrong things for Kameron, so I stress about it. I finally emailed Bonnie and she explained that it's what works best for my family. She explained that I need to trust myself, and she told me the reasons her daughter is on the enemas and not laxatives, and it makes a lot of sense to me. I am just going to go with what Colorado says, because that works for us.

Colorado - we're back

Colorado was kind of disapointing - not because of the doctors, but because of Kameron.
First the positive - Kameron is completely, 100% potty-trained for urine! He has never even wet the bed! YAY!!!!
The biggest shock was the last day. Todd wasn't there, he was at the training, so I got to hear the bad news all by myself. I thought we were doing great, but then the dr. showed me Kameron's x-rays, and he was impacted again. So we have to do 3 1-hour-long enemas per day, and then basically start bowel management week all over again, getting x-rays here and then emailing them to Colorado. I am so exhausted, this has been a very tiring week, and now I get all of this to deal with, plus a flight with Kameron and all of our paraphanalia alone, all on top of my normal responsibilities. The doctor wished we were local, and I thought about saying I could stay longer, but I really missed Aaron and Karli and wanted to get home to them.
Then, the Doctor told us that based on how the Bowel Management Week went, Kameron will need some kind of Bowel Management Program for life. When I asked him if that meant enemas or laxatives, he said he didn't know, but definetly enemas for a few years.
That wasn't even so bad. When I got really discouraged, was when Kameron started having a lot of accidents because he was backed up and I had to put him back in a diaper. I almost cried.
One more positive -- even though Kameron had to go back in a diaper, he still wouldn't pee in it. He told me when he needed to pee!!! I am no longer worried about having to re-potty train him as far as urine is concerned!

Denver Zoo