you're not my yia yia

I'm reading, 'Christ Plays in Ten Thousand Places' by Eugene. I go through such phases with faith. There are times when the whole idea of Protestantism freaks me out. I don't understand why it exists. I wonder what the heck it is. I feel like I somehow have a bad relationship with it that I must reconcile. I still dig Dallas, Richard, Eugene, Henri, and the like. And then there are times when Orthodoxy freaks me out. Theologically, it makes so much sense, but there are so many people within it that I just don't get.

When we were learning about Orthodoxy, I was in a place to swallow it- hook, line, and sinker. And I still do. But we were in a context of the Greek Church- and we still are. This has been frustrating for me from the get-go. We were chrismated about a year after we started taking our Intro class. Many people wondered why it took us so long (I always thought this was weird). The reason for the time was not the Faith. It was the parish. There were oh so many things that I didn't (and still don't) get about the Greek culture and how they live out their faith in their daily lives. For some reason, this cultural issue has always been HUGE for myself and my husband. Some converts assimilate quite well into the Church. Some even take up Greek-ness. I have known several people who have their kids call their grandmothers 'yia yia' which, to me, is completely weird. But, I understand the affectionate connection. I could go on and on and on and on about the differences between my former social life and the one I have now, but I'll spare this post.

I had a meltdown early on when trying to deal with all this social weirdness and reading some Orthodox books that I didn't get. Fortunately, my super Godmother (NOT my 'nouna') came to the rescue. She told me to go read Henri. I'd feel better. Life jacket! She told me to read, 'The Way of the Heart' and I did and was saved. So I've really been in breakdown mode for the past 11 months (hint: since my return from home) regarding social existence and I have to say that I just miss my homeez. And they're Protestant (for the most part). I cannot reconcile Protestantism with reality anymore. However, I'm not Greek. I don't want to be Greek. I don't want to assimilate. There are so many behaviors that exist at Church that make no sense to me in the context of faith. As a family, we fight the secular world on a moment by moment basis. It can sometimes be exhausting. I'm sick of feeling like I am still engaged in that fight in my own Church. We have gone to 2 Orthodox Churches in CA and felt much better when we were there than we do at our Church here. So, I'm considering commuting 1000 miles every weekend to go to Church in Orange County.

But, for now, I'm reading Eugene. And listening to Jars of Clay.

stroller babies and P.O.P.s

A few people have, very generously, given me clothes for this new babe. I don't keep clothes. So, with each new baby, it's the one thing I need. Baby clothes, particularly for girls, are becoming more and more impractical and less and less useful by the second. This baby is a girl. And, I'd say, I've had to give about 75% of my generous donations right back. Girl baby clothes are too froofy. Too pleated. Baby dresses are ridiculous. The material is funny and uncomfortable to hold. All these clothes make for great stroller babies. These are the kind that people don't want to touch anymore. These babies are kept in strollers, car seats, or other such devices where these outfits look good. I was reading an article in a magazine and, finally, some experts have caught on to this phenomenon. They're calling them 'container babies' and are surmising that said children do not develop fine motor skills like freedom babies. I have freedom babies myself. No cute outfits. Cotton one pieces. Stroller baby outfits are also not designed for little siblings to hold onto. Little kids cannot grip a baby wearing such an item. They're also not made for cloth diapers. This, I discovered, with my first cloth diaper baby who was number 5. I often get funny stares because I walk around in public holding small infants. This is odd for people because they're used to seeing car seats and strollers. To actually hold a newborn seems unheard of.

I was at a local 'outdoor' mall where there is a squirting/sprinkling device that people run around in. I had my 5 kids and 2 spares. I must say, I get a kick out of overhearing mom conversations in these types of places. I was sitting next to a mom who had 3 kids. As she was packing up her stuff, she said, 'I can't imagine what it would be like to have FOUR kids!' I giggled as she filled up 3 bags and grabbed her kid beach chair while one of her kids carried another bag. I call these people 'P.O.P.s'. People of the Paraphernalia. The amount of stuff people carry with them is ridiculous. My kids are lucky if they each have a towel. They usually just dry on the cement or have to share a towel. And, as for 'stuff'. What exactly is it? I had my car keys.

sign the petition!!! stop cap and trade!!!!

http://www.americansolutions.com/energytax/

weekly nags

I find myself nagging Congress and the President weekly on certain issues. We have to stop sitting down. We are being taken over.

Who's following this Gerald Walpin mess? You'd better get on it. If George W had done something like this, people would be asking for his impeachment.

HR 1207, the 'Audit the Fed' bill. This legislation MUST pass. Contact your Reps and urge them to co-sponsor it. Just a few days ago, Obama signed more legislation, giving the Fed MORE power to have their say in businesses and other private affairs. They have got to butt out and be accountable to what they're doing.

Read this letter. You can click on the link and add your name to the petition. I didn't agree with everything in it, but I was down with the tone.
http://www.glennbeck.com/content/articles/article/198/26742/?ck=1

ATTEND YOUR LOCAL TEA PARTY ON JULY 4TH!!!!!! The last tea party was quite fun. You don't have to carry a sign or yell or be obnoxious. Just get as many live bodies there as you possibly can!!!! It's great for the kids.
www.teapartyday.com

I am somewhat disturbed by the sleepiness of Americans when it comes to present circumstances. People don't want to get involved in politics and, while I understand somewhat, it will be our downfall.

phew. . .

Last Friday. . .we hit the pool. When I got there, I sat down next to my faithful pool friend, Colleen, and she said, 'Finally. I feel normal.' I concur. Finally, I feel normal.

We watched, 'New in Town', last weekend and it was a pretty good movie. I had an odd, unpredicted reaction though. Whenever there was a scene with winter (i.e. snow or people wearing big coats), I almost had to look away. I was cringing inside. I've never had this reaction to a movie before. It was really weird. And it may sound funny, but it really wasn't. It was uncomfortable.

We finally finished landscaping our front yard. It looks pretty good. The plants in front and back are really green right now. Including these two huge hostas that decided to grow big to make me happy. Love hostas. They make me feel like I don't live here. I tried them a few times in the backyard to no avail. They like the front where they don't get a single ray of sunshine. So, the landscape is nice. For about 3 more months. Then it will die. And so will I. For the next 7.

milestones

So, he finally did it. Wyatt is taller than me. He has passed the 5'7" point. He is 12. Baseball is the focus at the moment. He's in a somewhat competitive league and his team is in second place for right now. We've had a lot of cancelled games due to weather so their rhythm as of late is a bit off. They're supposed to have a game tonight, but the stormwatch is here so we'll see.

Iona turns 8 this month and Rowyn will be 5. Their birthdays are a day apart and, right now, that is really fun for them. They're great friends and they enjoy celebrating themselves together. Iona decided to tie her own shoes a few weeks ago. She just did it. Didn't ask for help. Didn't really tell anyone she was going to try. She just did it. And there it is. Rowyn decided to try the 2 wheeler which we have encouraged her to do. The girl has been riding at 80MPH on her tricycle for the past few months. Fire has been spewing from the wheels as she rounds the street. It was high time she started riding something else. I have come to the conclusion that training wheels are ridiculous and should have never been invented. Iona, literally, could NOT ride a bike with training wheels. The girl went straight from crawling to riding a 2 wheeler. Rowyn took to it at the same speed, but had the tricycle in between. Like Iona and the shoes, the girl needed no help. She just got on, figured out how to balance herself, and off she went. She's not quite up to 80MPH yet.

Morgan turned 10 and is the same as when he was first born. He and I are are a lot alike. We don't change. I am the same, boring person that I was when I was born. We don't like a lot of drama. We like to keep things un-eventful. He does want to play basketball in the fall so we'll see about that. He's very athletic, just like Wyatt, but has never had much of an interest in playing on an official 'team'. Except when he was 5. He was desperate to play soccer. He sat on the sidelines EVERY single game and would not get up.

PoPo has discovered that his boo-boo (boob) doesn't come off. That kid is hilarious. He is the one who is destined to pay for our retirement by being a professional athlete, though the sport at this point is under investigation. Wyatt will be a pitcher for the Dodgers or play for the Lakers (I know I'm repeating myself here). Iona is destined for herbology and midwifery. She loves the flora and the fauna and babies. I'm quite sure she'll raise chickens and rabbits and goats too. Rowyn will be a hippy. Make love, not war. And ride your bike at 80MPH around the neighborhood. The girl has no sense. And Morgan and I will be sitting on our towels, reading books at the beach. Best kids EVER.

Summer has arrived. The sprinklers are sprinkling. The pool is not yet fully functional so there is still progress to be made. But, at least heaven is in sight. I've been doing a bunch of yardwork which I actually like, but I can't help thinking it's all going to be pointless in 4 months and I won't wake up again until May of next year. Oi. I know I'm repeating myself. I do that.

debating myself

So, my current debate with myself is what to do about shampoo. My oldest son has a terrible dandruff/cradle cap/dry scalp problem which can lead to big, white crusty globs of yuckiness on his head. In the past, the only thing that has worked is Arbonne's hair/scalp revitalizer. That stuff is awesome and it doesn't contain any toxins. However, it is expensive and doesn't last very long. Buzzing his head also helps, which is what I did last week. I was looking on line and found a lot of recommendations for rinsing with vinegar. I am coming to find that apple cider vinegar is a cure for many ailments. Anyway, a few days later, I realized that I was running out of shampoo. Again, Arbonne's tea tree shampoo is my favorite and I can't find anything else that I like anymore. I even got a haircut a few months back and was totally disgusted by the feeling of my hair after using the fancy, hair stylist's shampoo. I had to wash my hair ASAP with my Arbonne. However, again, it is expensive and I don't want to spend the money on a new bottle at the moment. And, thinking about it, the bottles are a total waste. At this point, I got an e-mail from a friend who said she was giving up shampoo. Funny timing, but she was fed up with her dry scalp and was reading up on the harmful affects of manufactured shampoos and has decided to give it up. A rinse with baking soda every few days is her solution at the moment. So, now, I'm searching for shampoo alternatives and am trying to figure out what to do. I know that manufactured shampoos contain preservatives that allow one to keep the bottle for an extended period of time. This is something I would like because I don't want to concoct a potion every single time I want to wash my hair. My hair is also rather thick so I have to find something that will get it all. So, here I am. Anybody?