Empathy

I have been thinking about poor Brad.  You know the guy who's wife was fired on his birthday after 11 year with a company.  He just wants to know why.  Social media really isn't a very nice form of communication sometimes, it creates false empathy.  I shouldn't give a flip about Brad. Yet, here I am! And why am I so wrapped up with April?  Her video will replay over and over again once she has that baby!!! And I will probably watch it....over and over AND over and over!

In the last century, no one cared that I was fired from my first job.  No one wanted to watch me give birth to my children. So why are we consumed with other people's business now?

Poor Brad!  No one can eat at the restaurant that his wife worked at  without wondering "why was she fired?"  Poor me.  I was fired from my job of 3 days, husking baby corn for a pickle factory.  I wasn't fast enough, imagine that.  Yes, poor me, I was making $.39 an hour.  I needed that job!  No one eats pickled baby corn and feels sorry for me!

Poor April.  She will be pregnant for 15 months.  Good lord! I thought 9 months was torture.  And then I experienced it several time over.  If there was any sort of video camera on me while living the hell of pregnancy, I would have been jailed for killing the photographer.  Maybe it is a good thing that April is a giraffe!  But still, poor April.

I cannot un-think any of this.  I cannot un-see what I have seen.

I could learn a lesson from Harper, almost 5.  She and  her preschool classmates were attentively listening to their teacher. Mrs. C was questioning the children about words that begin with the letter N.  The kids weren't coming up with anything but the teacher noticed that Harper's little brain was working on a word.
Her teacher asked, " Harper, do you have a word that begins with the letter N?"
Harper softly replied in a questioning tone, "Noneofyourbusiness?"

I guess the best thing to do is don't listen and don't look! All of this is "none of your business." NA! Poor Brad and Poor April!  Who's next? I have an abundance of empathy that I need to use.

Hope, the model

Last year Style to Shine

 Today is World Down syndrome Day.  This is the day we can really celebrate our friends that possess and extra 21st chromosome!  Today is 3/21!  And tonight after her SMILE dance class,we are going to have an ice cream social...just because we can!

 We are so fortunate to belong to a support group for families that have loved ones with Down syndrome.  Our group is called SMILE. We have wonderful financial support through the help our our leaders who know how to write grants.  We also have annual fundraiser, and the one Hope loves is the FASHION SHOW.  Surprise Surprise!!!!

Last week we had our fashion show! This has become an annual fundraiser for us with the help of many volunteers.  Our kids shine and rock the runway with a local celebrity! Of course, our kids are the real celebrities!  The big perk for Hope is that she gets to keep the clothes and accessories. ( that I get to purchase at a discount from Dillards!)  Last Sunday, Hope modeled a dress, hat and purse.  If there isn't a hat and purse involved, Modeling is  a no go.  Her hat was a floppy straw hat with sparkly words that read " Loves Life".  "Loves Life"is a complete sentence in Hope's world.

This year was tough in chosing her dress.  I have learned that I am better off leaving her home while I shop.  Why?  You know Why!   She wants it all!  I have always worked retail and Hope is no different that any women in a clothing store. I will let her shop til she drops at Goodwill since everything there is under $5!

Since today is 3/21 we are all about celebrating the uniqueness of Hope!

When she couldn't decide on a fashion.  She fell asleep!

When she decided to cut her own bangs

Dolls are always naked!!

Algorithm and Super Powers!

I sure wish that I would have paid attention in math class.  I never understood Algebra.  Don't lie, you didn't either. Look at what is happening today, as in right this very moment, in our universe.  Everything...EVERYTHING is calculated by algorithm.  Algorithm is a word that really snuck into our lives.  I never heard it mentioned out loud until recent years. It's like a catchall word that rules our every being.

 Algorithm is used for calculating results for many things but most noticeably for politics, Facebook, Twitter, and advertising.   Almost all TV shows, especially the high crime shows like Blind Spot, have specialist in the area of using algorithm. I wonder how much the actress really knows about it.  She has this big screen in her lab, that has 3D photo's of Jane's Tattoos. On the screen are scribblings of formula's that help her "crack" the case using algorithm. They are so busy working the algorithm and saying the word algorithm that it causes me to almost hyperventilate.  I have to pause and breath.  Algorithm makes me sad!  It makes me wish that I were in High School again so I could know exactly what the heck they are talking about on these shows.  There is so much in life to think about and I chose worrying about algorithm!  Cray Cray!!

We never talked out loud about algorithm 5 years ago.  Eight years ago we were introduced to another term, transparency. EVERYTHING had to be transparent!

And look where transparency got us.  I guess using algorithm made everything transparent, therefore we had to be transparent on how we became transparent and that was through algorithm.

Anyone who can use algorithm has super powers.

Super powers!  That's another term that is used daily.  I see it on marquise. I see it on bumper stickers.  The big question is:  What is your super power?  I see the answers on marquise and bumper stickers too.

So what is your super power? Hair Stylist? Rocket Scientist? School Teacher? Lover of nature? I don't know?

I do know one thing.  If I knew how to calculate the algorithm for finding out super powers, I could possible have my own TV show. There would be transparency or maybe not!

Thanks for stopping by and letting me vent!

Kids Say the Darndest Things!

I loved the  Art Linkletter Show when I was growing up.  He would have 3 or 4 kids sitting on stools and would ask each of them the same question.  We would howl at the answers.  I am so blessed to have my very own question answer show right here in my home.  If you listen to little children very closely you will learn a great deal about life.  Stick with me here....

Sitting at the dinner table usually brings on the same question...WHAT IS THIS?

Hope,"What is this?"
Tom, " It is Turkey."
Hope, " HUMMMM, Tastes like chicken."
Hope, "Did you add Fish?"

Melida, "What are you eating?"
Hope, "Chicken Gub Gubs."
Melida, "Are they good?"
Hope, "Taste like fish."

When Hope really likes the taste of her Chicken Nuggets,she used to squeal, " Corn Cob Fish! " Ya, I have no clue where that came from.

 I picked Harper up from preschool early and she delighted in NOT going to after school daycare. It is a real punishment in her mind! She was with me when we picked Hope up from school and Hope had had a bad day.
Harper, in all of her 4 year old wisdom had the answer, " You know, Mumma, I have a solution, just put her in after school daycare."  I wish I could some days.

Graham was over at my house after we ate supper and he wanted an ice cream cone with all the fix'ns.
I asked him if he had supper and the resounding answer was "YES."
His mom came in and said, "Time to go home, Dad made us supper!"
At age six, with a twinkle in his eye he said, " Seriously, You should never believe a word that I say!"

Vinnie, age 4, was playing in my closet while I was making my bed.  I asked him what he was doing and he said, " Oh, I'm just shopping in the shoe store!"

This one is X rated...
Graham and Harper were sitting at the Kitchen Bar drinking Hot Chocolate, when Graham spilled it on his lap.  He jumped up and started screaming about his balls being burned.

Harper went into a sing song about balls and then started to sing " Graham has balls and I have a vagina." Over and over again.

After he quit jumping around and Harper's song ended, I asked, " If Graham has balls and Harper has a vagina, what do I have?"

Without missing a beat he said, " A vagina, a very very old vagina!"
I spit out my hot chocolate.

I love little kids,they teach me about life!