On religious FREEDOM at any age

I was raised in a militantly Catholic family who NEVER missed a Sunday or Holy Day for all of my years living at home. EVER. We even found a church to go to when we were on vacation. I always thought that was especially awful - because what I prayed for was that vacation meant vacation from CHURCH too. I also went to an all-girl Catholic school my whole life, getting kicked out when I told a priest that if I wanted to talk to God, I surely didn't need him to do it for me. (Well.... that and I was pregnant) Anyway, my Mother was very religious, and it struck me as ironic even as a little kid that we would go to church, then get the crap beat out of us, usually later the same day while being called god-damned shit faces on every downstroke. I digress. But I did mostly stop going to church at 18.

Last night I had a dream that Henry snuck off to a Catholic School without telling me and I didn't find out until he was about to graduate. His graduation finery was 3 hand drawn crayon crosses on a piece of paper, taped to the front of his t-shirt .... and I was mostly mad that I had forgotten my camera.

Tonight we are laying in bed eating Otter pops and watching The Simpson's. In this episode teaching evolution was banned in Springfield schools, after Flanders visited a museum evolution exhibit and pushed Mayor Quimby to outlaw Darwinism. After holding secret evolution classes, Lisa is arrested and retains a lawyer to help defend her beliefs in front of a judge. While Flanders is on the stand in court, Marge gave Homer a beer in the courtroom, and when he couldn't open it he began acting like an ape. The judge was swayed to believe that Homer in fact could have descended from an ape, case closed. Nelson called Flanders a "God-wad. Brilliant.

After it was over, Henry sat quietly contemplating for a moment or two and then said "Mummy, I think there IS a God and I think he is good. Can I start going to church with Laura"? I might have been silent a moment too long, pondering this religious freedom thing because he finally said "They have donuts there." "Coffee too?" I asked. "Probably!" Ahhh sold.

HEY stop doing this shit...

Bombs are exploding and innocents are dying and Bush vetoed his first piece of legislation – a stem cell research bill that could lead to treatments that save millions of lives and improve the quality-of-life for millions saying, ''This bill would support the taking of innocent human life in the hope of finding medical benefits for others''

“Were I to invoke logic, logic clearly dictates that the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few.”
Spock Star Trek: The Wrath of Khan (1982)

Precious Former Chiclets®

I still have every single little tooth the kids have ever lost and I admit this is probably gross - unless you are a Mum, in which case you probably understand that sentimentality occasionally overrides sanity. I wouldn't click to zoom the picture, these are not the sweet little Chiclets® (little square shaped white gum candies) they once were.

Inspired by Cheri's tale of Laura's first tooth loss - River Deep, Mountain High I share this:

I too remember the days of tending forty little baby teeth and watching all the permanent teeth grow in - straight thank gawd. The paying for and schlepping to, all the dental appointments x 3 kids. 120 baby teeth, coming and going. I have paid for each of them in some way or another so I figure I own them. Right? Some were lost at the bottom of pools or in accidents at summer camp, but most of them are here, in a red velvet-lined mahogany box... a mini-monument to what it was like to take care of three sets of Chiclets® and representative of the weird - some may say disgusting sentimentality a Mum has anyway. And now embarrassing blog material.

Do I think the kids will one day ask for them???

Chaaaa. They laugh at me for the stuff I save.

Oh yeah? Someday they may WANT these teeth. They just don't know it yet.

Anyway, one of my son's lost a tooth (18 years ago) and to test whether the Tooth Fairy REALLY existed (oh he of little faith) he slipped it under his pillow after I went to bed - not letting me know ...on purpose.

He put it in a little envelope (that I also still have) and wrote in his best 6 1/2 year old hand writing, "Tooth Fairy IF you are REAL, please leave me $5.00." LUCKILY I went to look at him in the middle of the night - one of those things I used to do when they were little and finally, peacefully SLEEPING - and I slipped my hand under his pillow to give him a midnight hug - thankfully discovering his TEST.

He found his $5.00 in the morning and all faith was restored!

A later college conversation...

A: Hey Mum, I REALLY need those little teeth that you have been saving for 20 years.
M: OK, Anthony. I am sure glad I saved them for you. Should I Fed Ex them?

Yeah right.

Waiting to be discovered for all his life....

Wednesday night Henry and I ran across the new Simon Cowell show, America has Talent. The show features a colorful array of hopeful future "stars" from across the country as they compete for a one million dollar cash prize. The greatest and oddest characters strut and perform in front of the judges who can send them to the next round or give them the big red flourecent X, Gong Show style.

One guy balanced a stove on his face, another one balanced a bowling ball on his head while it was on fire and had knives sticking out of it. But first he dropped a scorpion down his pants. You get the picture.

We landed on the channel just in time to watch Leonid the Magnificent balance and then drop his swords, get Xed and slink off stage with his lovely wings between his legs. He had been waiting for this moment for all of his life. And I am not making fun of him. He was beautiful and he cried. I am a sucker for a beautiful man crying. I am so glad they gave him another chance!

While I was riveted to this spectacle, Henry ran into the kitchen and grabbed a bottle of water and a towel (we have new hardwood floors, bless his heart) and sauntered back into the living room saying. Hey Mummy, look. I have talent too. Watch me while I gargle "Happy Birthday... No, no wait...even better... watch me while I gargle the song You're a Grand Old Flag." Which he did, water spilling out of his mouth and running down his neck. Nice of him to catch the torrents with his towel. Gawd bless America 2 times. Sugie would be so proud!

Ken Lay is dead

When I heard the news yesterday I decided that Ken Lay hasn’t died, but has entered into some sort of witness relocation program… Republican Criminal Relocation Program?

Check out my new favorite website (Thanks Annia)

And my new favorite/secret lovah... Mo Rocca! Ahhhhhhhhhh!!

On (not) explaining stereoscopic vision to a 6 year old. At midnight.

Last night was the first night all week I could shut my brain off and go to sleep at a reasonable hour, I was in bed at 9 and happily sound asleep soon there after.

Midnight:

H: "Muuuuummmmmmy? I have sweat all over my head, can I come sleep with you?"

My eyes flutter open regretfully... Sigh... toss...silence

H: "Besiiiiiides, I have a question I need to ask you."

T: "Ooookay... come on then little guy."

Sound of feet hitting the floor and padding down the hall ....dragging 2 blankets, a pillow, the stuffed kitty and a few dust bunnies. He climbed quietly up under the sheet on the other side of the bed and laid there with his eyes open in the semi-dark for a few minutes.

H: "Mummy, how come everything we see looks together, but we are seeing out of two eyes?"

T: "Honey I'm not sure I can explain it right now. We can look it up together in the morning."

H: "That's Okay. I can Google it" He slipped out of bed and padded towards my computer.

I am wide awake now, interested to see what he is going to do...

Silence for a few minutes...

H: "It says here that when you look at something, each eye has a slightly different view of it. Your left eye sees a little more of the left side of an object, while your right eye sees a little more of the right side, then each eye gives your brain a different image. Your brain automatically uses this information to put the two flat images together to look three-dimensional. It's called...stereoscopic."

I sit bolt upright.

T: "That's incredible Henry."

H: "I know. I sure do ask good questions for a kid, huh Mummy?"

____

P.S. This morning when he got up, I let Henry read this blog and he made me make the following corrections:

"I didn't say, I have sweat all over my head, can I come sleep with you? I said that I was uncomfortable in my bed and wanted to come sleep with you."

AND " I said, "Mummy, how come everything we see looks together, but we are seeing out of two seperate eyes?"

I stand corrected.