July 4th

I just cannot seem to get caught up, so here are more pictures from Washington! We had a great fourth of July, but let's have a few from July 3rd. We took some pictures after Church.

Wendie and her two great kids live with my parents and Abby had so much fun with them.
Wendie's kids have these stuffed dogs and Abby absolutely loved them. She took good care of them while the kids were staying with their Dad.
July 4th we flew Grandpa's plane down at Black Lake.
I just happened to see my high school choral director, Jack Arend while at the lake. It was so nice to see him again.
Then we went to our friends the Dobson's house and celebrated with good food, a slip and slide, great company and fireworks. It was a wonderful fourth of July and we even had gorgeous weather!

Jeremiah threw the kids down the slide and slide--it was Abby's first time!
Then he of course had to go down himself.
Grandma Karen and Nikki.
Abby was afraid of the fireworks, but Uncle Jerry calmed her down and held her while we watched.
What a great day!

New Law Requiring Homosexuality Taught to Children

On 5 July 2011, the CA senate passed senate bill 48 ("the Fair, Accurate, Inclusive, and Respectful Education Act"). This law will require that educators (and textbooks) include the various gender and ethnic groups in America. This legislation, written/proposed by openly gay CA Senator Mark Leno, also includes passages that will require schools to teach the "role and contributions" of "lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender Americans" as part of the social studies curriculum.

Jerry Brown has just over ten days to sign or veto the bill (and he tends to support gay activists). If he chooses to veto the bill then I don't think Leno has the support to override--it would be dead (it initially passed by a vote of 23-14--well short of the 2/3 it would need). But if Gov. Brown signs the bill then our children will be taught about homosexuality in the classroom, and those who practice it will likely be elevated as examples of positive contributions to America.

California would be the first state to pass such a law, but others will likely follow suit. Furthermore, California and Texas historically determine the content of textbook nationwide; if California wants gay history woven into textbooks the rest of the country will be reading those same books. Consequently, this is an issue for all Americans who are concerned about the curriculum taught to their children. For more on the law see the CA Senate's notes webpage: http://info.sen.ca.gov/cgi-bin/postquery?bill_number=sb_48&sess=CUR&house=B&site=sen

I find this bill disturbing on several fronts. First, it seems to me that this bill is an effort to normalize homosexuality as just another ethnic/gender/class group that is equally valid and brings good diversity. I don't agree, but I can accept that some feel that way. What I don't accept is that they want to pull an end-around. They can't get my vote so they want to change the curriculum so they can raise my child with their values and then win the votes. Our children should not be pawns for political squabbling. I can accept losing a vote, but I don't accept having my children indoctrinated by somebody else so that they can win the next vote. To Mark Leno and others I say, "Leave our children alone!"

On a second note, it bothers me that legislators who don't know squat about history are dictating what will be taught. The truth is that there are not many people who professed a homosexual lifestyle throughout history; they blended in and did not have a unique identity and experience until quite recently. To recreate a historical narrative where they stand out is to manipulate and revise history for current political needs--not authenticity's sake. With the possible exception of the Stonewall Riots, there is not really any gay history that belongs in the mainstream narrative. If we include the few obscure events that would qualify then why not include every other obscure historical event and turn our historical narrative into a chaotic all-inclusive mess that values events not for genuine cause/effect significance but rather for present-day political gain. This bill is a mistake.

I hope you will join me in sending Gov. Brown a message that conveys your feelings about this law. You can submit messages at his webpage: http://gov.ca.gov/m_contact.php

If you are going to send him a message, do it fast. He could be deciding on the bill right now. And if you don't live in California, you don't need to volunteer that information in the message you send him.

So behind

Wow how time flies. Traveling makes for lots of pictures and not much time to put them on the blog. This post will be mainly catching up which means lots of pics and not much for words. Probably just as you would like!

I will begin with the rest of our wonderful Washington trip.
My Mom and I took Abby to a Children's Museum in downtown Olympia and she loved every room.
Abby the farmer:
Look Daddy, I can water just like you!
Abby the cashier:
Abby said, "I'm workin' Mom."
Abby the foreman:
Abby the sailor:
Abby the medic:
Abby the doctor:
Abby the musician:
What a fun place--she wants to go back!
My Dad builds and flies model airplanes and so he took Abby to the lake by their house and let her drive the plane on the water and showed her how it flies. She was very excited.
Tumwater Falls Park is one of my favorite places back home so I took Abby one afternoon. We walked around and saw all of the waterfalls and played on the boats I played on as a kid.
On July 2nd, Abby, Grandma, Grandpa, and I went up to my sister Tiffany's. The kids played outside and Uncle Jeremiah threw some of the kids down the slip and slide. They had popsicles, played with water guns and just had fun being outside.
My first popsicle Mom! (Mom looks on in the background.)
Well this is a start in catching up! More to come!

More Washington Adventures

On Monday, June 27th, My Dad and Mom, Abby, Aunt Christie, Uncle Jerry and I went over to our friend's the Sampson's for a really fun, somewhat rainy barbecue. They have the most beautiful house and yard and we all had a great time. Abby was able to play with new toys--especially a train and an enormous stuffed dog, and we all sat outside, roasted hot dogs and made smores. Jerry even decided to my 'berry smores' which included fresh cut up strawberries. It actually looked really good.

Mattie, a picture of the glass fence at the Sampson's. . . .(we would like to do the same around our pond if possible).
Tuesday (28th) Abby went up and played with Jerry for a little while and I took my Dad in to have a spot on his skin removed at the doctor. I of course watched and took pictures.
On the drive home we even saw some elk in the field. We tried to get Abby and show her too, but they were gone when we came back.
Jerry and Abby after a fun play date.
I learned something interesting on Tuesday: do not give a child a hostess cupcake while driving in a car. As you can see, Abby liked it, but boy did we clean up a mess! I think that was her first hostess cupcake ever. Maybe her last!
We also went and saw all of the boats in Puget Sound while my Mom had a massage therapy appointment. It was a little chilly, but Abby even got to get up close to one of the boats.
Wednesday, June 29 we went back up to Puyallup to my sister's to help with the kids while she ran to an appointment in Seattle. We had a great time and I even got a hair cut! It's completely different and I love it! Matt will be happier because it is much shorter.
Grandma Karen with the grandkids: Kylee, Abby, Kennedy, Brynley
Lunch time and dinner time
New hair!
On July 1st I had a grand adventure at the ophthalmologist. I thought I'd been battling some allergies but Friday morning I realized that my eyes were rather jelly and almost "fish-eye-like." Tricky to explain, but they did not look good. The family doctor said I should have a specialist look at them just to make sure, so we ventured over to the specialist and ended up with some eye drops that sting my eyes and an unsure diagnosis. But they are getting much better. You just never know what a day will bring.
There are more pics to share, but I think this is enough to post tonight and my eyes are telling me to go to bed! So more pics soon!