5th Grade Classroom Political Discussion

I'm going to share with you guys the email from my daughters teacher and my response.

Parents,

I wanted to give you a heads up on a discussion we had today in class so you can talk with your child about it.

I was given a wonderful United States map with all of the electoral votes on it, so today we were discussing the Electoral College and how the race is tightening according to recent polls. One student in our class mentioned Barak Obama is for killing babies and other students agreed and said that was abortion. I told all of the students this is a topic they needed to discuss with their parents. However during the third debate Barak Obama did say he was in support of adoptions and that led us into a wonderful discussion on adopting.

Your children have brought in marvelous discussion topics about the upcoming elections and are very excited about running the voting at Galileo for the rest of the school. I do appreciate all of the conversations you have had with them at home to help each of them understand our government system better.


Wow...fun for you. So I would not be surprised if mine was not part of the discussion. A few days ago she asked me to explain how abortion works and that lead to a history of abortion, and yes I did tell her some of the early history of planned parenthood which is not highly publicized because the founder had some very scewed notions about minorities and poverty that would turn your stomach. She asked what partial birth abortion is and also about born alive babies. We discussed that Senator Obama is very against life saving measures for aborted babies born alive, which is stark contrast for a bill he did support for premature care. Quality of life= desirable life?

Because of our family circumstances, with Joey, these things are close to our heart. We were told by the genetics clinic that we had a fifty fifty chance of a reoccurance of microcephaly. I had contact through support groups with families whose second child had a more severe form, and some who were profoundly affected and lived only briefly. Many passionate discussions there about termination. When we went to schedule a vasectomy for these reasons, we found out I was pregnant with Justine. Surprising considering the years of struggle and fertility drugs it took the first time. The boys were 18 months old at the time. When I announced this to the online support group(hundreds of families) many were adamant that only a crazy person would go through with this. Yep, Crazy in love with my children. At one visit, my OB smiled and said"This is that visit where I am supposed to legally tell you you can do that test I know you don't want" I said"That's why your my doctor, you know better than to ask." My daughter was probably the most heavily ultra sounded child ever! He checked her head and brain every visit almost. My doctor was extremely attached to her and requested I bring her in for many visits.

My daughter and my son, are both considered disposable by many. Too risky, too much trouble. What a sad world that so many will miss out.

And now they have found a liscencephaly 1 gene that they are 99% sure is Joe's issues. This means our chance of reoccurance is less than 1%. She is more than worth it. There are a lot of kids walking around (and many who can't walk) that should never be thought of as a decision.

So yeah, pretty near and dear...
Jen Bach

Human Trafficking

Argh!! I'm gonna spew here for a moment. I can ignore most ads that I have to put up with online but this one ticks me off. Ads on facebook for Asian girls to order as wives. That is human trafficking! Yeah, I know that they are "willing" but only to improve their lives economically. They know they aren't going to get Brad Pitt, but Scary Larry the probable peeping tom and possible pedophile. I guess I should feel lucky that our economy, no matter the recent problems, has never been so bad that my daughter would want to leave her family and market her self to the dregs of another country. Oh, I am sure there are a few lonely, shy, nice men who have successful found a long term wife this way, but how few and far between are the great relationships of a mail order bride once she hits the good ol USA? These girls are told they will get a DiCaprio husband and their life will be like the O.C. So, coersion and taking advantage of desparation are being capitalized on. Turns my stomach. How bout you?

I miss him and how badly would I miss Him?

My husband is out of town again. This time for four days. In the begining this was kinda cool. I can actually stretch out in the bed. We go to my mom's for dinner, I can watch whatever I want(even thought I don't), and I can stay up and read for hours. But now, I just miss him. Suday night, I got choked up just thinking of him leaving. I kept having thoughts like "what if he never makes it back?" I started to wonder if it was a premonition kinda thing, or the Holy Spirit telling me to be prepared. Then I told my self to cool it and not give in to such a negative attack. Dave belongs to the Lord and he is in good hands, the best.

But, it's funny how the tides ebb and wane. For a while I thought it was cool to have one less family member needing me for a few days, and no buget master looking over my shoulder. No one to argue with over stupid stuff. No worry about wether or not I was going to be in a romantic mood after cooking, cleaning, doing laudry and helping with homework. But now, I feel like half of me is gone. Like I'm only half here and the other half is in limbo. You know that Twilight Zone question of " when I leave the room does everything stop and really my whole life is just a movie for some big giant?" You know what I'm talking about. Well, I feel like when he's gone, I'm not complete. Not just figuratively. It's like half light. Sureal. I love him with all that I am.

So now the question is: what would I feel like if God suddenly went of a business trip from me? If the Holy Spirit packed a bag and kissed my cheeck and said "No biggy, just four days." How big would that hole be. Would I briefly think "Ha! He's not watching, he won't know. I can stretch out and get away with it and be lazy!" But, how profound the absence once you have felt the completeness. How dark and colorless, how devoid of joy. And even more so, how scary to not feel watched over, protected, conected. A constant friend, suddenly abscent and unreachable. I hope to consider and ponder, but never "know what you've got once it's gone".

Scary day for mommy, Exciting for the girl. The angels dance along

Today, my fifth grader went to middle school. Justine is spending the day at Eagle middle with Joey. She will spend part of the day in the Extended resource rooms and the rest in the 7th grade classes Joey attends. She is so jacked! She carefully picked out her clothes and did her hair. Borrowed my silver hoop earings, used hair spray, and put my best lip gloss in her pocket. She has really wanted to do this because she doesn't like Joe being in different school, where she doesn't know what he's doing and how people are treating him. Before we moved, she was always very involved in his days. She knew all his staff very well. She loved being helpful and felt very grown up when the adults needed her help. She still gets a little of that by helping teach preschool at church, and last year by helping a boy in her class with Asbergers. But this will give her a sense of what Joe is experiencing while he is away from her. Much like her momma. Concern or control issues?

There is a hidden issue here. Justine is attending a science and math magnet school K-8th. It is smaller and there are no middle school sports programs. She has been thinking that she wants to go to regular middle school for cheer leading and a larger social population. Eagle middle is the largest in the state. I am hoping this experience freaks her out. The crowded halls, the large classes. I actually want her to be intimidated by all the older kids and see that going there as a 6th grader, would be a tiny fish in a huge pond experience. Girls in middle school can be nasty, so the more girls, the more nasty. The middle school teachers Robby has in their school are really caring and the small environment is supportive. Hard choices.

I won't worry too much. She manages to thrive everywhere. She belongs to the Lord, and He has made evident to us when changes need to be made in the lives of our kids. We will make any sacrifice to do is will in their lives. They can't just raise themselves. It is incredible to watch their growth.

I sat with one of the other moms from ballet yesterday, and we were both stuck watching our girls. They have come to the point of no longer being cute when they dance. They are beautiful. The gracefull movements they have now are amazing. It's like moving art. They are on the verge of becoming women. They look serious but there is a beauty in their movements that I can only describe as worship. God created these beautiful little creatures to please Himself! What must he think as he watches them? It brings me to tears to see them dance, I'm not kidding. I know that God's angels must dance along.