I am so surprised at the negativity that surrounds birth. The actual labor process and trusting the woman body. Why is our society so wrapped up in fear? What is to fear about birth? It is a completely natural process IF left alone. The more that someone other than the mom interferes the more problems that will arise. I just do not understand why everyone that surrounds a new mom in labor is so fearful. I guess I will have to "chalk" this on up to not being educated about the birth process, the risks of drugs and hospitals, and the mother's ability. Go get educated before you start being negative to a mom in labor! Or don't say anything at all but positive affirmations!

AVON

I've started with Avon now! I use to be with Avon about 4 years ago. It's a good way for me to be home with my kids and take care of my house AND earn some extra money. I like the opportunity it allows me and the flexibility it allows. You truly determine your own success.


The family is doing well. We are gearing up for the holidays. Actually we are gearing down. We don't participate in the holiday rush. No thank you. The Christmas celebration in our house isn't surrounded around Santa Claus. We acknowledge the fact that there is a Santa Claus, but we teach that Christmas is about Jesus' birth and that the gifts we receive symbolize the gifts the wise men took to Jesus. I do not let our children get caught up in today's idea of a materialistic Christmas mad house. It's not rewarding or fulfilling. It started out because we didn't have enough money to spend on Christmas gifts and we refused to load up our credit cards for the gifts. Now, it has evolved into the true meaning of Christmas as close as we can get it year after year. Next year we are going to add the Advent Calendar to our Christmas.

Baby Girl had a nasty fall yesterday. We have a brick banister that surrounds our front patio. It is about 3 feet tall. She likes to walk along the banister. She has fallen off of it a couple of times and caught herself when she landed. Well, not this time. This time when she fell, she landed on her back and hit her head on the concrete. I had a real scare! I freaked out! She is okay now and there weren't any signs of any head trauma so we didn't take her in. I was constantly watching her for ANY signs. Later that night, after I gave her some Tylenol for the headache she must have had, she started jumping on the bed. Yes, the Tylenol must have kicked in! She's fine now!

Big Brother has a Christmas singing thing with his school's Kindergarten classes next week. Yes, there will be pictures! Daddy will definitely be there to see that! We all will! I'm curious to see how well Baby Girl will sit through it. She is only 2 years old.

Merry Christmas everyone!

Barbara Walters tired of celebrity interviews

December 6, 2007, 1:39 pm PST

celebs: Michael Jackson | Paris Hilton | Britney Spears | Barbara Walters

Reuters

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Barbara Walters, famed for celebrity television interviews that often draw on-screen tears, says she's tired of Britney, Paris and the tabloid trend she helped create.

Walters, a pioneering journalist who became the first female U.S. network news anchor 30 years ago, has interviewed every U.S. president since Richard Nixon and other heads of state. More recently, she has been credited and criticized for soft interviews that elevated celebrity news above all else.

Now, before her annual show, "The 10 Most Fascinating People," airing on ABC on Thursday, the 78-year-old television journalist said she wants to focus on other topics.

"I am not going after the tabloid stuff, I don't do it," she said in an interview.

She said her latest special did not consider Britney Spears or Paris Hilton, abandoning the "week in, week out, competition for getting the next name, the next person out of rehab."

Instead, expect to see former President Bill Clinton, Venezuelan leader Hugo Chavez, two founders of the Internet network "My Space," and controversial radio host Don Imus.

After years of chasing exclusives on her old ABC newsmagazine show "20/20," Walters says she is tired of trying to compete with the tide of celebrity news.

"It seems to permeate most of the tabloids and the magazines and now you have six or seven entertainment programs," she said. "You didn't used to have that.

"It's a different climate now and 20/20 and the other magazines are focused on the big celebrities. I didn't want to keep doing that, I have been doing it for years."

Walters, whose interviews with Michael Jackson and former White House intern Monica Lewinsky drew huge audiences, makes no apologies for the "personality journalism" she forged.

"We began to do more and more celebrities and we were criticized," she said. "And now ... every program does it."

It's the ratings, stupid.

"The world has changed and you watch every program now and there are even interviews with heads of state where there is more interest in their personality and their background," she said.

Rejecting this aspect of the American culture he otherwise admires, French President Nicolas Sarkozy stormed out of a CBS "60 Minutes" interview in October when asked about his marital problems.

Walters' political interviews have included Boris Yeltsin, Margaret Thatcher and Saddam Hussein.

Now semi-retired, the former "Today" host says she still has to fight for interviews, but her reputation helps.

"I have been doing it for so many years, and I keep my word," she said.

(Editing by Doina Chiacu)

Park Day

This past Sunday we decided to spend some time at the big park that is nearby. We loaded up into the truck and went before lunch. The kids love this park the best. It has 3 separate playground equipments for different age groups. Of course, Baby Girl is on the big kid one.
Here is Ryan playing with some other kids. He's looking at the map on this toy and pointing to one of the places the other kid is suppose to check out. I have no idea what they are playing, but they had fun! There happened to be a few other kids there about his age that day.




I hope everyone is getting all their Christmas shopping done before the Christmas rush. I think we are just about done here. I have one more gift I am planning on. Any others that I get are extras that I would like to get, but not important. Christmas is only 2 1/2 weeks away. It seems further away to me. I'm waiting for my lovely husband to come home. He is going to help me wrap all the Christmas gifts to put under the tree. I haven't decided when we are going to put them under the tree yet. I don't want to do it too early so Baby Girl doesn't try to open them too early. We may wait until Christmas Eve to put them under the tree. That would be less temptation. In fact, we aren't even decorating our tree until the weekend before Christmas. We have a fake tree that is pre-lit, so it is still beautiful full of the lights.

Baby Girl is getting interested in reading books with me. She points out the things she likes. Which right now is ducks and apples. Anything red and round, to her, is an apple. She will argue with you until you finally agree that yes, it is an apple. It doesn't matter if it is a strawberry or a raspberry. No, it is an apples!