IUDs...I Wish I Didn't Know.

A copper, and Mirena IUD.

Okay, again, short and sweet (as short and sweet as they get around here).  I don't want to get into a big debate on birth control, because I think if you don't want a baby, you need to prevent pregnancy.  I'd rather see you prevent a birth than to end a life.  (I'll get into my whole stand on that in another post when I'm not so tired, and can provide links, etc.)

For now, lets just talk about IUDs.

Here is a link to the Wikipedia description.

So there are two different kinds.  I honestly didn't even know they still did the copper wire ones...I live on the moon, I think.  But I have seen it mentioned on Facebook in some mommy groups recently.  (Which is what sparked all of this.)

Okay.  So when my twins were born, they were in the NICU.  I'm sure if you also don't live on the moon, you know that already.  Anyway, when they were 6 weeks old, I went for my check-up with my (super hot) OB...Dr. Gregg Hancock...(shout out for him here because he's [overall] pretty awesome).

So...after a short break thinking about him, I'm back to the topic at hand.  LOL  IUDs.  So, I went to my appt. with him, and because I'd just had twins (I assume), he asked me if I was planning on using birth control until we were ready for more children.  I said I'd considered it, but hadn't really looked into it too much because I was SOOOOO not ready to start having relations with my husband again.  He suggested an IUD.

Now, let me just say here that the only time I'd ever even heard of an IUD was in grade six sex ed.  Seriously.  I may not only live on the moon now, but clearly was born and raised there.  LOL
He told me that an IUD is "as good as getting your tubes tied, but easily reversible."  He said [TMI WARNING] I stopped bleeding, he'd put one in, in his office, and it'd be a small pinch and that would be that.

Super.  Small pinch.  This...from the same guy who told me that the dye he was injecting into my fallopian tubes would be a "small pinch".  0_0  Not quite, buddy.  (One word to describe that?  HOLY F*CK!!)  Well, because of what I faintly remembered from grade six, and the "slight pinch" description from him...I asked the kids' primary nurse what her opinion was on IUDs.  And, at first, she didn't want to tell me anything.  She said "I don't know much about them."
I knew she was holding back!!!
When the other nurse in the NPCU (Neo-Natal Progressive Care Unit) left for lunch, she told me what she knew.

She told me that in the 35 years of working in the same NICU, she'd seen no less than five babies born with problems associated with them.  Their mothers had gotten pregnant while wearing one, and that four were born with limbs (or partial limbs...like hands, or feet) missing because they'd been CUT OFF by the copper wires.  She said that they don't bleed to death because of how they're forming...it rubs the same spot over and over, and as they grow and run out of space, the wires get tighter against them, and they just sever the body part they're up against.
Seriously.
And then there's the fifth baby...
Brace yourself.
This baby was born with the IUD INSIDE OF IT'S ABDOMEN.  Yeah.  I'm not shitting you.  She told me that it had formed right around the IUD (so in this case, whether those wires are plastic or copper...it could happen).  Immediately after birth, she said it had to be whisked away to surgery to try to remove it.  She said that while it was inside of it's momma, it was safe from infection.  As soon as it was delivered, the chance of infection increased.  And obviously, it's not okay to live your life with an IUD sticking half way out of your belly.
She ended this by telling me that there are worse things in life than being pregnant.  And clearly, she was right.

I never got one.  That's the moral of this story.  I also never got pregnant until we put some serious effort into trying...when the twins were 20 months old.  And when we did try, it took a month.  So one day when I'm more on my game, I'll tell you why THAT is a dramatic story too.  LOL

So...do your research.  That's all I'm saying.

And, in conclusion, I leave you this one link that was posted by Guggie on her wall...(she just can't help herself...LMAO!)

Mirena Crash: The Mirena IUD Side Effects After Removal

Thank you for reading.  I'm sorry if I scarred you.  (We're in the same boat now, I guess.) 

My View On Religion(s)

I'm going to keep it short and sweet because there's not much to say.  I just feel like maybe I should explain myself, and my view of religion, just incase my last post rubbed anyone the wrong way.  I think once you hear it, you'll understand.


First, if you believe in God (or whatever you may call Him/Her/Them/It), I'm happy for you.  I believe in God, but maybe not the way other people do?  I don't know.  I haven't posted a poll to find out.  I just know that my idea of what God is, is different than some other people who also believe.


I believe that God is loving and forgiving.  Fire and brimstone are not in my view of it.  In my view, God wants to forgive whatever it is that people do that is (according to religion as a whole) not so great.  So my kids aren't taught about God punishing for being "bad".  They're taught about love.  Because to me, that's the main point.  (They're little, and I think they only need the basics at this point.)  If you choose to believe God is scary, that's just fine with me.


I believe that the Bible is a book of stories.  It's been passed down through generations, and translated several times, and altered several times.  I think it's a great way to learn the stories, but I'm not going to be stoning my kids for being "stubborn and unruly".  It's what kids do, and stoning is somewhat frowned upon.  If you believe the Bible is something written to be taken literally and it's in original form, I'm glad for you.


I believe that it's things like hating homosexuals that turn people against religion.  I think that's ridiculous since these people slinging hate around like it's a lasso are also people breaking one of those rules about NOT JUDGING PEOPLE.  Keep those stones in your pocket when you're living in a glass house.  Basically, unless you are perfect...which I'm preeeeeeetty sure no one is, you don't get to go around hating on people for LOVING someone.  Who GAF what their genitals look like.  You don't get to stand in your sin and point the finger at someone you feel is sinning.  Period.  (BTW, MY God created us all...and I could go into a big rant, but I won't.  I'm climbing down off my soap box.  I'll just say that those rocks are heavy.  Put them down.)  If you hate someone for loving someone you don't think they should love...well...I say this;  Don't believe in gay marriage?  Don't get one.


I also believe that whether you believe in God, or pray to some Goddess, or practice Wicca, or whatever you do, as long as what you're doing is working for you, GIVE 'ER.  Seriously.  I almost never speak about my beliefs because they really aren't relevant.  Really.  Whether I believe in God, or don't, it doesn't make me a better or worse person.  Because I choose my actions.  I was given this very handy thing...I like to keep it inside my skull to keep my half-wit cat from licking it...it's called a brain.  And I REALLY like using it.  And because I own one, I don't get to claim that my actions are caused by my religion...even if they're influenced by religion, they are, in the end, mine alone to make.  I have known many a good person who is Christian, I know (very!) good people who are Muslim, I know very good people who have no religious beliefs at all, and I know some very good people who are even beyond that...more than atheist...they fall into their own category, I think.  More along the lines of anti-religion.  And you know, respect for eachother goes way beyond religious beliefs (or the lack thereof).

I don't hate anyone for their religious beliefs (or, again, their lack thereof).  Really.  Like, the guy we bought our house from is some high guy with the Jehovah's witness.  Awesome.
He told me lots about it, and I'm sure I'm going to hear lots more.  Super.  Really.  I like hearing about other people's religions...I like to know what makes people tick.  And he doesn't just believe it...he lives it.  And really, whatever you believe, I like it when I see people living it happily.  It's nice to see people happy with the choices they've made.  Seeing happiness is good for my soul...no matter what form it comes in.  Be happy!!


My ONLY problem is when someone uses their religion as an excuse to steal the rights from other people...as in circumcision.  Your religious right ends where another person's body begins.  Simple.  Keep your hands on your own genitals, and we'll all get along just fine.

So yeah.  Pray to whomever you love to pray to.  Or don't.  Either way.  LOL  Really, it doesn't matter to me in the least bit.  Your religious choices affect me the same way it would affect me if I was on a diet, and you ate a cookie.  Not one bit.  And mine...same thing.  I believe in respecting each other's right to religion, beliefs, lifestyle, etc.  That's what matters in the end, right?

*In conclusion, if I offended you by saying "lack thereof", or whatever...I'm sorry.  My intention was not to offend, only to explain.  If you don't agree with being tolerant to other religions, that's great for YOU.  I choose to treat other people the way I'd want to be treated...not because it's in the Bible, but because I live in the real world and expect to be treated well.
And, if you feel the need to go all crazy and freak out because of anything I wrote here, JUST DO IT.  You might make yourself look like a nut, but you'll feel better for a minute...LOL...and that's what matters.  


THE END.  ; )

Shit That Pisses Me Off...Being Nice.

If you know me, you know I'm very "nice".  I try to do for other people what I'd want done to me if I was in their shoes.  I try to consider people's feelings, and pretty much only expect the same thing in return.  

Anyway...

What pisses me off about being nice is when I find myself being nice ONLY because I'd want the same done to me if I was that other person.  Not because they really deserve it...and sometimes even when they clearly do not.

I end up on the phone with people from Bell Canada (phone/satellite company we use) for 45 minutes when the phone call should have taken no more than 5 minutes at the most.  Why?  Oh, because I'm NICE.  The guy on the other end wanted to talk to me about his favorite show, and I listened.  I told him it sounded interesting.  (It did SO not sound like my cup of tea...it was called "Operation".  Gag.)  The moral of the story, he ended that call happy as a pig in shit.  I'm glad someone enjoyed our time together.  LOL

And when we get one of the calls we get about twice a week; "Hello?  Can I please speak to the manager?"
I tell them nicely that we are a HOME, not a BUSINESS, and most of the time they apologize and take my name off of whatever list it is that they have in front of them.  Most of the time.

...But not all the time.


Like that time a man called and I told him the exact same thing I've told a hundred people before him (and since him)...we're a home...a family...not a business.
He apologized and explained to me that our phone number was on a callers list for businesses...under the name "China Delight".
Lovely.  We're a Chinese restaurant, apparently.  (That restaurant actually burnt to the ground about three years ago, if not longer.)
I'm glad he took the time to explain why people were calling here, speaking Mandarin, and asking to speak to someone else who spoke Mandarin too.
Anyway, I thought that was the end of the call.
Wrong.
Buddy called back about 20 minutes later.  He told me that he was calling on his own "personal" time, and had enjoyed speaking with me earlier.  He said he wanted to ask me a question.
I just said "okaaaaay...".
He said, "Can I ask you a question?"
At this point I'd regained my senses, and said "I don't think I even want to know what your question is, so I'm going to go with NO."
He asked again.  "Can I ask you a question?"
Me:  "No.  I don't think so."
He spent five minutes telling me how nice I am, and how I have such a nice voice, and told me about ten times how much he'd love to ask his question.
By this point I was annoyed...but still being NICE.
I told him that I had to make the twins their lunch, so I had to say goodbye.  He asked if he could call me again some time.  I told him that I'm normally too busy to answer the phone, so he probably wouldn't get me. With that he finally said goodbye.

I wish I could travel back in time and tell him to be a professional, and to get a life.  But I probably would just end up on the phone with him again...listening to the same crap I listened to the first time.

And my nice-ness doesn't just extend to people trying to sell me something.  It also is given to people I'm trying to sell something to...like some of my baby clothing stash.


Like the guy who called to ask how much I wanted for a pair of baby boots.  They were super soft, and only worn once, and I'd ordered them off of eBay for about $12.  I told him I'd sell them for $5 if he picked them up.  He asked what other items I had...so I gave him a summary...NB girls clothing, or anything for boys from NB to 2T.  I told him that as our youngest outgrew the girls' clothing, they'd be for sale as well.  I (stupidly) told him that I had twins the first time, so we have a butt load of clothes to get rid of.
He told me he has b/g twins too...and then went on to tell me he's a SAHD.  He told me that the clothes were going to be a donation, so he didn't want to spend much.  He SOUNDED nice, so I told him I'd give him a deal if he picked a bunch of things.
He decided to go on and tell me about his twins, and his wife, and he told me she worked a lot.
He told me about taking the kids to the park, and how the women hit on him.
>My red-flag was up here.<
He went on to tell me that the women in  his neighborhood were "too close for comfort", but felt he needed a "special friend".  He told me that I sounded nice, and that he'd love to meet me.  He told me that he thinks every marriage needs a "special friend" to keep it going...

I told him that the kids needed me, and I had to let him go.  I told him I'd email him and we could arrange for him to pick up his items.  Then I hung up.

Okay.  So he (probably)wasn't Tom Cruise.
But Tom Cruise is creepy as hell...no?!

I swear, I nearly cried.  What a DICK that guy was!!!  I couldn't believe he'd even suggest that...he doesn't even KNOW me!!!  I was losing it, so I ran to the computer and took down all the selling ads I'd put up on Kijiji (our local online selling group...kind of like Craig's List).  I was so upset I called my mom.  And really, she's the LAST person I normally go to in this kind of situation...but I was losing it.


She actually told me what I needed to hear...pull your head out of your ass and tell that guy to take a hike.  Funny enough, he beeped in as I was on the phone with her.  I told her to wait, and I answered the beep.

He said "It's just me, I need your address."
I told him that I wasn't going to be giving it to him, and that I was sorry, but if he was to come here, my husband would rip him a new asshole.  I advised him to find someone else to buy items from.  He apologized (I could hear his wife in the background!!), and told me he won't bother me again.  And thankfully, I haven't heard from him.


Really though, wtf, right?!  I said I was SORRY that I couldn't sell him things, when in fact he scared the shit right out of me.  I was home alone with three kids that night, and the idea of some creepy guy coming to my door...terrifying.


Oh...and you'd think that after these incidents I'd learn to just be a little more assertive, and stop worrying about people not thinking I'm nice...  But nooooo...


Today I ended up on the phone with the man who's house we bought.  He's a Jehovah's Witness.  No biggie, right?  Yeah, right.  I was on the phone with him for 37 minutes...five were in regards to two mattresses he wanted to give away, and I gave him the numbers of two women who wanted them.  The rest of the time he was telling me about his religious beliefs.
He's a nice guy...he means well.  I don't doubt that one bit.  And I love that he loves his religion.  Really.  It's nice to see someone who is living well, and who is HAPPY living their religion.  I love that they are so into it, and that they love it so much they just want to share that joy with everyone they meet.  Even when it comes in the form of ministering to whomever is close enough to hear them.
But seriously.  I have things to do.  And yes, I think he's a nice man, but when he told me that he's going to have to come and see me and "discuss further" the beliefs he holds, I realized that once again, niceness bit me in the ass.  He knows where I'm going to be living.  Forever.


It's become very clear that being nice does not always serve me well.  Sometimes there are going to be those times that being nice is really just being a wimp...and I need to step up and make that choice to be nice to the people that DESERVE it.  And, when the need arises, I need to stop being a wuss and tell people how I feel.


I'll tell you...the NEXT person that calls here and makes me uncomfortable, or the next time I find myself humoring some telemarketer, I'm going to remember writing this post and tell that person that I have better things to do than deal with their shit.  And then I'm going to hang up.  Because being nice for the sake of being nice, even when the person on the other end of that phone does not deserve my kindness, is straight up BS.  And I'm not going to let it piss me off anymore!!!

This post is a reminder to myself that it's just fine to bitch about something, but then the next step is to DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT.  Change it.

"You're not a tree.  If there's something in your life you don't like, change it."
~Arden Park Hotel sign wisdom.

Children Deserve Better

In the last few days I've heard too many people talk about their children as though they just aren't the precious gifts that they REALLY ARE.  It irritates me.


As a mom who saw my first two children struggle to breathe...struggle to LIVE...when I witness a parent not appreciating their child, it just hurts my heart.


As you may or may not know, we bought a house.  We're going to be moving out of this rental in March some time, so the landlord has been showing our house.  It's not bad...it's a pain in the butt, but not a huge inconvenience.  I understand that he has to do it.  What I can NOT understand is the things some people say.

See, yesterday my husband was working overtime, so the kids, my BIL, and myself, were all home during the three showings the landlord had.


It went better than expected, really, considering the kids wanted to be part of all of it.  (Of course they would...these are new people in their house!)  The first couple saw that we have twins and told me that I must be an amazing mom to not only have twins, but to have gone on to have another.  I just laughed and told them we were very blessed.  (All of my children were very much planned and wanted, so I don't think I'm an amazing mom...I think I'm JUST a mom.)

That first couple had an 8 month old baby at home, they told me; their first.  So to them, this probably seems chaotic.  (To me, it's normal.)

The second family that went through were nice...at first.  It was a woman, her 2 1/2 year old daughter, and her mother.  I should mention that the older woman (the grandmother) was fabulous.  My issue was with the mother of that little girl.
As soon as she found out that we had twins (the landlord was telling them...not me), she commented on how much work they must be.  I said that I had them first, so to me, two at once was normal...and that they aren't much work at all.  (If they were, would I have had a third?!)
Her daughter immediately saw the toys and wanted to play, and I told her that if she wanted to leave the little one in the livingroom with us while she looked at the house, that would be fine.  I told her that one more would be no trouble at all, and I didn't mind.  She drug her screaming child through the house anyway.  Finally Grandma had enough of it, and brought her down.  She sat on the couch while the little girl played with the kids.  She was super cute, and THRILLED that she was finally getting to play with that mountain of toys she'd seen.  I talked to Grandma, who informed me that she'd been a nanny for years for a "Festival family" (which means a family that works at, or are in plays at the Stratford Shakespeare Festival), but the boys are in school and no longer need a nanny.  She seemed super nice, but I'm a little...Mother Bear...to leave my kids with someone just because they say they've been a nanny.  Hell, I could say I spent three years working on the MOON...it doesn't mean I did.  Right?!


Anyway I'm getting off topic.  When Mom came back downstairs to gather up Grandma and Daughter, she decided to say "I don't know how you did it with twins...I only have one, and she's too much for me sometimes."


*Blank stare*  (Me.)


I didn't even know what to say.  The fact that her daughter was standing right next to her when she said that just took me aback.  I honestly had one of those "did I just hear that?" moments.


I know that Mom probably didn't mean to come across as some kind of bitch...and I'm sure she didn't mean to say, infront of her daughter, that sometimes she's "too much".  But she did.  And she did.

It was one of those things in life that show just how easy it is to say things in front of our children that will define them...change them...make them into who they're going to be as adults.  I hope that Mom made a slip of the tongue there, and that it's not a regular occurrence.

The day before these people came through I was talking with a woman who was our neighbor once upon a time...when her three children were small.  (They're 9, 11, and 13 years old now!)
The reason she called was because I had agreed to care for her 9 year old son.  Let's call him Billy.
Billy has "special needs".  He has some anger issues, and apparently also has some extreme anxiety.  I can only assume that when he feels that need to flee and someone stops him, that's probably when the anger comes out.  Fight or flight...right?  Sounds likely to me.  (I don't know...I'm guessing.)
Anyway, Billy's mom brought him over about two days before her and I spoke on the phone.  We wanted him to get a chance to RE-meet me (since he was only about two when I last took care of him), so he would be comfortable being here for 8 or 9 hours a day, three times a week.
When they came to the door, everything was fine.  The Boy was sleeping on the couch, and the baby was in the living room (baby gates), so only myself and Ooey answered the door.  I figured that if only her and I went to the door to greet them, it wouldn't overwhelm him...which when all three of my kids are around, tend to happen to the best of people!
The mom walked in, said hello, and took her shoes off.  In that amount of time, her son (who had come in directly behind her), decided it was too much and ran out the door and locked himself in their car.
She looked at me and said "he bolted".  She came in to have a look at the house, leaving him to sit in the car.  Within about two minutes, he was knocking on the door, yelling for her to "hurry up and let's leave NOW!"
At this point my 3 year old daughter was in tears.  She wanted Billy to come in so she could see him because she "loves him", and she said "he's my best friend!"
So the mom tried to get him into the house.  She tried using guilt..."Look Billy, she's crying!  She just wants to meet you, come in!"
I told her not to...that my daughter has the right to be upset, but so does Billy.  I said that trying to force him into the house wasn't going to help anything.  I told her that I would talk to Ooie when they'd left and explain to her what was going on.
The mom put on her shoes, and left.

Okay, it could have went better, but it could have gone worse.  When she called me to talk about our arrangement, the behavior of that little boy suddenly made total sense.

She explained to me that her and her husband had separated 2 years ago, after several years of being unhappy and non-stop fighting.  She told me of the incident that ended it all for them...which took place in front of Billy.  (I'm not going to get into it, but it involved domestic violence and police removing her husband.)
She told me about how her husband has been playing mind games with the children, which they are too young to identify or understand.  And apparently, the night before Billy and his mom came over here to meet all of us, he'd been with his dad.

Dad is a real piece of work.  He told Billy that he was going to "hate it" over here...and that he'd be "surrounded by babies".  He told Billy that he was "going to have a panic attack and freak out", and that he "wouldn't be able to handle it" here.
Nice.  Thanks Steve.  You dick.  *Yep, calling that asshole an asshole.  No fake name there!*


Anyway, he wrote his son's destiny for him.  He set his son up for failure, and managed to make a little boy have a panic attack just by telling him he'd have one.  Great parenting.

My two cents on that:

CHILDREN ARE CHILDREN.  DO NOT USE THEM AS A PAWN IN YOUR MIND GAMES.  THEY DESERVE TO BE TAUGHT THAT THE WORLD IS A SAFE PLACE, AND THAT YOU'LL BE THERE TO SUPPORT THEM IF THEY STUMBLE.  YOU DON'T STAND THERE AND TELL THEM THEY'LL FALL, AND THEN SHOVE THEM.

Holy crap I'm pissed off at that guy.  Who does that?!  And this has nothing to do with being upset about not getting to take care of that boy.  Honestly, he may not have been happy here.  Our kids are years younger than him.  We don't even have things here he'd want to play with.  (And I'm kind of anti-video games.)  But the fact is that after the first day, after getting a chance to talk to him, I could have gotten him things he enjoyed.  And he could have, for the first time, been like a big brother.
But no.  Instead he's going to be watched by his dad during the times I was supposed to have him.  Lovely.  Because a man like that deserves more time with his kids...
Oh...wait...

Anyway, I was going to finish this post with just those two stories.  But I have one more.  And honestly, I don't care if this "costs" me any followers.  I'm at the end of my freakin rope here...

 


IF YOUR YOUNG (2 year old) SON PEES ON YOUR COUCH, AND YOU WATCH YOUR HUSBAND RUB HIS FACE IN IT AND DO NOTHING, YOU ARE A PISS POOR PARENT.  Anyone with two brain cells to rub together would have CALLED CHILDREN'S AID and had that parent removed from the home.  It's your JOB AS A MOTHER to protect your child, even if you're protecting them from your husband.  YOU chose that person as your "partner".  Your children didn't CHOOSE them at all!!!  They got stuck with him...stuck with your choice.  Great.  Lovely.  PROTECT THEM!!!

I'm telling you...if I ever saw ANYONE rub a child's face in their own urine...
It would not go well.  It would not go well at all.

Also, one more thing Super Mom...
When you see your husband slap your child in the face for biting his brother and you do nothing, you are allowing it.  You are saying it's okay.

GREAT PARENTING.

You don't get to hit children and say "keep your hands to yourself".  You have to teach by example.  You have to know that having those children is NOT YOUR RIGHT.  It's a privilege.  You can lose custody of them in a heartbeat.  They'll be gone, and even if you're not the one physically putting your hands on them, you are also not protecting them.  Failure to protect is AS BAD as being the one who does the hurting.  

"You hit me for hitting people to teach me that hitting people is wrong."  Confusing to adults.  Confusing to children!!!

If you need some help figuring out how to raise your children with respect, you can talk to your family Dr.  You can call CPS/CAS and talk to them.  You can sign up for courses, you can get some kind of funding to pay for some child care, so you can have a break from them if you need it.

You NEVER need to hurt your children.  You NEVER need to allow someone else to.  And there is no excuse for making children feel like less than the amazing gifts they are.

Maybe I Care Too Much About This...But I'm Calling BULLSHIT. Again.

Power Bullshit.

There's a young girl on a local selling site selling these..."Power Balance" bracelets...for $15 each, claiming that they were given to her free for a promotional thing...she says she's sponsored by Power Balance in tennis.

Well, I have been waiting for her "new, free" bracelets to arrive (she said she gets them as a promotion) so I could get some more pictures of them from her.  Shocker of the day...LOL...they aren't genuine "Power Balance" bracelets.

I knew as soon as I saw them that they were fake.

Note the color of the bracelets and lettering.

Fake.  It even looks cheap!

So, because I'm a skeptic, I already found out that "Power Balance" is being sued over their bracelets.  They're a scam.  People want their money back.  They hold no more power than a rubber band.  Shocking.  LOL  Sorry, but from the second I saw them I had to take a minute and look into what it was that they said was giving these rubber bracelets their "power".  Well, it turns out it's the hologram.  Seriously.  LOL  Oh that's some good stuff there!  XD

Anyway, the girl selling THESE bracelets has lied from the start.  Again.  Shocking.  LOL

The bracelets she's selling are NOT from "Power Balance"...they're from eBay.  And they're not genuine.

Fake.  Buy 10 for $20 on eBay.  

See?!  See the bracelet colours?  See the lettering?!  Same thing.  Exactly the same thing.  It took me all of three minutes to seach eBay for "Power Balance Bracelet Lot", and found this at the top.

From the website.

I'm no detective, though I play one in real life.  I know a scam when I see one, and I knew this was one the second I read about how the hologram (a sticker) improves strength and balance.  Seriously...does someone need to say that out loud to hear how insane it sounds?!

I put a picture from the "genuine" Power Balance bracelet buying page...and as you can see, they look completely different.  See the plastic cover on the hologram?  It's missing from the ones she's selling.

The hologram looks nothing like the "real" bracelets...and for shits and giggles, I punched in different colours offered by Power Balance, and saw that the black bracelets offer three choices for lettering...black, white, and yellow.  Not red.  Not green.

Another dead giveaway was the clear bracelets.  The website offers two colours for lettering.  Pink, and white.  Not purple.  Not blue.

And hey, I know I probably DO give WAY too much of a shit about this...but I HATE seeing people being ripped off.  If someone is buying something believing it's a genuine product, they should be GETTING a genuine product.  I hate scammers.  I hate seeing people scurrying to buy these bracelets for $15 each when they could get ten of these for $20 on eBay if they love them so much.  And really, if it's the BRACELET they love, that's fine.  Whatever.  But no one is going to pay $15 for a "Power Balance" bracelet for fun.  It just irritates me.  Badly.

So again, don't buy ANYTHING until you've researched it.  Know wtf it is that you're paying for.  Don't be scammed.  And please, for the love of all that is good and holy, HAVE MORE SENSE THAN DOLLARS.

That is all.

Homeschooling Sadness

That's all I want!!!

I'm sad.  Very sad.  And I am NOT going to get over it.  I want to homeschool my kids.  I want them at home.  I want them here, with me, safe.  I want them to have one teacher for the three of them, not one teacher for 25 students.  I want them to stay nieve.  I want them to see the world the way I've taught them about it.  I want them to never have to tell another child that they aren't allowed to play "shooting games".  I don't want them to have to be put in a position of either playing along, or being alone.  I don't want them hearing about things like parents being mean, or about sex.  Seriously.  It bothers me to no end to think that my kids are going to be put in a position where they're going to have to act like they're adults (when they aren't!) and say no to a situation that may come up.  I have to depend on them behaving like they're much older than they are...and I don't live in a world of make-believe...I know that children are going to act like children.

Maybe that's not why other people homeschool.  I don't know.  Maybe people homeschool because they don't vaccinate and their kids can't go unless they are up to date on vaccinations.  Here, in Canada, it's illegal to deny a child an education based on vaccination status.  They have the right to an education.  No matter what.  I'm not worried about my un-vaxxed kids being at school...they will remain that way.

I know some people homeschool because they want their child taught according to their religious beliefs.  They want their child brought up learning their views, without outside influence.  And that's just so great for them.  But I'm also not worried about that.  I'm United, and it's pretty lenient on...well, pretty much everything.  I was raised United, and was openly allowed to question what I was told, and to look at other religions to see what I thought.  After many years of not going to church, I've taken my own children to a United church in our city a few times.  I'm not worried that they will grow up not understanding our religious beliefs.

I'm sure that some people also homeschool because they have special-needs children and refuse to drug them.  And I understand that completely.  I have never had my children tested for having Sensory Processing Disorder, but have taken a few online tests, and the twins both have areas that they hit every single one of the items on the list.  I know they have it.  And truthfully, if either of my children ever have an issue in school that results in a teacher (or the school board) recommend I drug them in ANY way, I'd pull my kids from school in a heartbeat.  They can kiss my ass.  No way.  If I can manage to peacefully parent three children, two of whom have SPD and KNOW they don't need to be drugged, there's no person on this planet that would convince me of that.
Still, that's not the reason I want them here.

I'm sure that being in a mainstream school will be good for them socially...meaning I know they'll get time to play with other children.  I don't have any disillusionment when it comes to knowing the difference between "playing with other children", and "social skills".  I know they get "social skills" every single day, from interacting with the people around them...with me, with my husband, with each other...

I'm sure they'll get to have a lot of fun doing things like painting, or going on school trips.  But they paint here. At home.  And we take trips to places all the time.  We have the most fun with them when we take them out.  And the idea of them going on a trip without me...UGH!  I'm terrified.

I don't know if every parent goes through this before their kids start school.  I'm sure not everyone does.  I know that there are more than a few parents that look forward to their children being out of the house so they can have "me time".

I don't even WANT "me time".  I don't only not WANT it...I HATE IT.

I know I sounded like a child there...but I don't really care.  I hate the idea of them not being here.  I hate the idea of them being away from me from 9am until 3pm every-other day.  I hate it.  And that's the nicest way I can even come up with to say how I feel.  My heart hurts just thinking about it.

Maybe I'm being crazy.  I don't know.

What I do know...
I know that I had those twins after carrying them for 30 weeks.
I know that I had to watch them fight to live.
I know that I had to visit them every day for 8 1/2 weeks in the NICU, and every second of it was worse than any nightmare I've ever had.
I know that there isn't a soul on this earth that I love more than my children.
I know that I'm afraid of what will happen when I'm not there to keep them safe.
I know that my son is a daredevil...that he needs a constant eye on him to keep him from getting hurt...and that more than once I've saved him from getting killed.
I know that my daughter is sensitive...that things upset her because she is such a kind soul.  And I won't be there to comfort her when she cries.
I know that even the bus ride to school is going to be something I worry about...what if...
I know that if anything ever happened to one of my children at school, or because of going to school, I would never again be the same person I am now.  I would be broken.

Maybe these are the words of a "new mom"...even though they are 3 1/2, I have very little experience.  I'm going on what I know, what I've learned, and instinct.  And I know my instinct says to keep them at home.

And I don't want to throw my husband under the bus here...but...it really is him that is making all of this happen.  It's him who wants them in school.  It's him who has INSISTED that they go.  And it's very clear that the only way that they're staying home is if I was to divorce my husband.  He is that serious.  He is not going to give in.  And it kills me to give in on this.  But I have to think that my children having both of their parents under one roof is more important than my COMPLETE AND OVERWHELMING TERROR of them going to school.  I have to put their needs before my own...even when it makes my heart hurt.  Because my husband is ultimately a good man.  He just thinks about things differently than I do...and he HAS given in on a lot of things that he really felt strongly about because I was willing to divorce HIM to protect my children;
He wanted them vaccinated and I said no.  I told him that if I had to, I'd leave and take the kids to keep them safe.  I had to protect them...no matter what.
He wanted my son circumcised, and I said no.  I told him that I'd either A) kill him, or B) divorce him, if he had our boy circumcised against my wishes.
He wanted me to use the hormone cream on Baby Girl's labial adhesion because "the Dr. wouldn't give it to her if she didn't need it", and I refused...and it fixed itself!
He wanted Ooie's ears pierced.  I said no way.  She has no piercings.
He wanted the baby in a crib.  I said no.  She's 14 months...sleeping in our bed.  Shes never slept in a crib.
He told me to wean our son at a year old.  At 22 months I weaned him because of a high-risk pregnancy.

He's a fantastic PERSON and always means well, but he has never done a single second of research.  For that reason I feel like I should get to make the major decisions...I'm the one with the facts, right?!  If he did some research and found something different than I did, I'd have to consider his opinion on these things valid.  But he hasn't.

He doesn't get it.  He thinks I'm being crazy.  He thinks my research has made me nuts.  And maybe it has.  Maybe I know too much.  Maybe I'm to the point that learning has made my life something I take too seriously.  But how can I get past the fact that I feel like I'm giving in on a major thing...something that could ultimately change them forever?!  I want them to stay the children I've raised them to be.  I don't think that's too much to ask for!!!

I need to go and eat some chocolate.  I only have seven months left with my children staying home everyday.  The idea of that is just too much for me right now.  : (

This looks like TORTURE to me!

Sewing Cotton Pants

She says they're "super comfy".

Yeah, I'm a sewer.  LOL  The kind with the sewing machine, not the kind used to transport bodily waste.  LOL How unfortunate that they're spelled the same...

Anyways.  I sew.  I just sew all sorts of crap now.  It started with diapers.  Those are my favorite things to make because they're always so freakin' cute when they're done.  But I've also made "Mommy Diapers" (re-usable pads), and today I made some cute pajama pants for the daughter that has managed to lose more pairs of them than any other human being to date.  (I swear it!)

I'm also going to start making the girls some dresses with the huge amount of material I've managed to accumulate over the last few weeks (TONS of it), and make my son some shorts to match.  I can't see the shorts being all that different than the pajama pants, and now that I have the basic idea, I know I can manage to make a pattern for a simple dress.  I also thought about making some of those reusable grocery bags, and saving myself $1-$4 a piece for them at the grocery store.  Those would be super easy.

I know that some of you like sewing, so I thought I'd post the link to where I found out how to make the pants.  I found it a while ago on a blog called "My Cotton Creations".

You can find the instructions to make the pajama pants HERE.
You can find other tutorials HERE.  There's an awesome owl toy I am going to have to make.

The tutorial on the pajama pants is for "Christmas pants", but as you see from the photo I took, I used some spotted fabric I had here.  (My daughter says it's a cow print, my son says it's a dalmatian print, so in the interest of no fighting, I'm saying it's "spots".)

This video shows how to make an easy pillowcase dress.

And while I'm being all crafty, I figured I'd look up how to make a tutu.  Well...that's easy enough!  Thank you YouTube for teaching me how to do EVERYTHING.  LOL  This is a video showing you how to make one without needing to be able to sew at all.  (Though I highly suggest sewing the elastic...hot glue isn't going to cut it!)

Well, I have to go and make supper, but wanted to show off my latest sewing project.  And yes...they are about two inches too short, but she doesn't care.  I'll make her some new ones when she's sleeping tonight and sneak the other ones into the tote of clothes that the baby is yet to grow into.  I'm going to be making The Boy a pair of them after supper anyway...they want to match.  ; )