Can I just take a semi-political moment here?

I just feel like saying this.
I get irritated when i hear people say "This is America-Speak English" OR "If you can't speak English-Go HOME!"

Anything really pertaining to this matter is a hot button topic. And i realize this as i keep typing, that many will not agree with me-But this is how i see it.

Yes, I DO think that to make it successfully in America, it would be beneficial to speak English well.
But the diversity of our world brings to us many beautiful languages. And a great deal of the people who predominately speak another language also are taught from young to speak and/or understand English or another as a second language for life.

Why are people so rude about it? I'm sure other countries aren't segregating their foreign speaking citizens or tourists with a "speak French or go home" or "Learn Dutch or get the fuck out" mentality. They embrace the diversity. In America it's almost 'dirty' to speak a foreign language. Shame.

I think it truly a damn shame and a crime of our education system to lack the implementation of a country-wide enforcement of second language classes as a requirement from the start. Kindergarten on up. I find it a joke. And a setup for lack of worldwide failure for our people. Holding us back In my opinion. America and it's closed minded people. And this is just English Here, I'm not even going to talk about closed minded America and issues such as gay rights or religion etc...!

I guess that's all. Speak what-ever language you want-*And* if you want to be successful here in anything you do-speak our language well too ;-) But I wish people would stop hating on folks just cuz they can't speak it.
I would add that if you were in their homeland you probably couldn't speak their language-but the obvious retort to this is-"well Im not there-We are Here*-so it doesn't matter..."

A.B.

I Enjoyed our conversation today, even if it was not of a happy nature.

Amanda

The Brighter Side.

   I didn't want to come and write yesterday and be all, "I have good News!" about it. But the OM and I spoke finally Sunday night. Awkwardly also might I add. It's weird to go back and forth in a domestic relationship like this. One year you're close, and loving-the next roommates.
   We hit our latest ebb after i became pregnant with our 3rd child. I love my spawn with a fierce vengeance-and i would* kill for them. Let's make this clear before I go on. I would love another child with the same.(And i most definitely do!) But I didn't want a third child. He did. He'd always said so. And I think over the years we both thought we would wear the other down about it. Well, my older 2 kids are of the age where they were gaining personal independence. I was losing weight again, and feeling like 'myself' again. the person I was before I became a mom. The two were merging and the full on mommy was going back into hibernation.
    And then it happened. I was pregnant. I was truthfully devastated. And in denial as well! I was almost 30, and the few months I had started to feel whole again, washed away in an instant at the thought of having to be someone's everything again for the next 5 years. I can't explain myself to make anyone understand any better. You either get it or you don't. And I was sad. I was sad for almost about 1/2 of the pregnancy before I was finally able to turn myself around. Emotionally/mentally. But thankfully it did happen, and that little life growing inside of me finally won me over. She won me over-and i couldn't wait for her to get the hell here so we could just start already! That's all I ever said about her-"I wish she would just get here, and we can get this party started!!"
   In The meantime however. OM and I grew farther apart as an actual couple. It's the worst time to feel 'single' when you are going through such a large change physically and emotionally. Except this time-#3, It was the worst it had even gotten. I lamented about it here on my blog. In quite a few posts. I couldn't express myself to him, but felt really good writing it down, rather than the usual of, all-consuming-thoughts invading my mind relentlessly. Perhaps they should have been kept in a private journal. But then what's the point of the public blog, If i keep all of my deeply personal feelings hidden, and lie about what I'm going through, with false entries? I couldn't even begin to try-I even posted about it!
   So you might be asking yourself so far down these ramblings-"where the hell is the Good News?" Well, that's just it. The news in that we spoke. sounds so small. but at the same time, it was just talking-it wasn't yelling either. I think for once i was able to say what i mean and mean what i say. I laid it all out for him to make his choices. It sounds hopeful. This is Good News to me. We'll see how things play out in the coming weeks. I think it will be transparent just how much this means to him. It will either be taken seriously-or not. Then i will just how serious I am about it. Im not sure what kind of 'cap' can be placed on our situation. I'll just be playing things by ear for now. But I'm hopeful again. And that's all I can ask for at the moment.
   I'm not sure how all of this will play out in my blog. How frequently i will venture over here, and what the subject of my future posts will be. But i hope they get back to more upbeat ones soon. Cuz I'm truly tired of the sadness.
   And for what it's worth, It probably doesn't matter much what i post-because I'm pretty sure I'm my only reader! In which case-It really IS like a personal journal!

    Ciao! or now!

Sorry.

   I haven't been able to bring myself here to blog about unhappiness lately. I thought I'd be back sooner with more upbeat posts. But ya know-nothing upbeat has happened yet. This brings me down more. I must go now. lol. Check in again soon.

I WILL NOT Cook.

   This will not escape me. So i must put words to it. It baffles my Mother in Law and Sister In Law to no end that I was That girl. Way back when, almost a decade ago-long before having children. That I would incessantly remind them I was never cooking. And that the man i marry would have to understand i loathe cooking-and only did the minimal to sustain myself. That the man i married would have to fend for himself.

   Loathe

   Then i Had a child. And as he grew i needed to feed him. It was difficult. Suddenly being responsible to feed this human being 3 square meals a day-EVERY day for the rest of his childhood years...ok-well at least till they can poor the cereal and milk them self-right?! Anyway. LOATHE. Hated it. Made angry faces over it in fact. That because I'm the one 'home' this would be my duty. Didn't these men in my house understand?! I HATE COOKING. But it persisted. Them wanting food. Hot. Edible. Me doing the least i could. Persuading Travis to take over a meal here and there.
   I then had my second child. dear Jalynn, when Elijah was just about to turn 2. And it (dinner) was a habit at this point. So it was easy to make the baby-toddler transition this time around. The years have rolled by. Our meal slowly becoming more sophisticated. More healthy, less processed. still hating being the cook but not having a choice otherwise-Im not a parent who would allow such degradation of my kids health just to sustain my laziness in this field. It's been truly hard to figure all this out on my own.
    I also loathe processed foods for the most part-but struggle with the addiction so many of us have to their salty/sweet persuasions...
   I've become more confident over this last year. At the beginning of 2009 i found out i was having my 3rd child.  I was still sort of unhealthy, being a smoker-I quit right away-hopefully for good this time. Its been over a year now since i quit. Being pregnant one more time-something happened inside me. My body recognized I wasn't giving it foods to support the growth of a healthy baby. And it changed my cravings. I finally got the kick to go even healthier than I had ever before. I found myself in the produce department week after week, letting Marlo inside my belly decide what healthy fresh food she wanted to try next, and it blossomed from there into our healthier, more adventurous meals. Packing snacks for the kids lunch's became slightly easier too.

   Now don't go and let this healthy food love post have any affect on you-because i still don't love cooking. But I've grown up, and have stopped fighting it. lol. And I'm not so hesitant to try things out anymore. I can do it. I'm just not enjoying it. You can't make me enjoy the making of the incredible food i provide. You CAN'T! It's incredible because i just rock. And like i said-I don't have choice-i must feed thy family health. I might 'miss' the first time i ever make something, but you can bet it kicks ass the next.