Mother and Father are OUT!! (***warning: non child friendly post!)

It seems that the United States government (the passport office, anyway) has decided that it is no longer correct to refer to the 2 (male and female!) human beings that cooperated with God to bring you into existence, as "mother" and "father".  Unfortunately, if you have children and are applying for a U.S. passport, you will now be referred to as "Parent 1" and Parent 2".  This is according to the Family Equality Council (whatever THAT is)!

You can click HERE to read the story for yourself, if you so dare.

A statement on the State Department website noted:  "These improvements are being made to provide a gender neutral description of a child's parents and in recognition of different types of families".

I have a few questions though......would I be considered "parent 1" or "parent 2" and does this mean you could feasibly have "parent 3" or "parent 4" or more?  How about "mommy 1" and "mommy 2" or "daddy 1" and "daddy 2"?  Isn't that even MORE politically correct? 

What is with this "gender neutral" stuff?  The world is trying to go neutral!  Educational neutrality is when you can't use a RED pen to correct a student's work because it might make them feel bad.  Athletic neutrality is when you no longer keep score in school sports because you don't want anyone to LOSE and when you can no longer play dodge ball because everyone picks on the weakest one inside the circle.  Sigh!

This is all really getting to me these days.  If it's not one thing, it's another.  I'm so tired of it all.  Times are getting tough and I truly feel sorry for my children and their children...and so on for all of this that they will have to endure.

Today, on my Unto The Hills desk calendar by Billy Graham:

     "Pray without ceasing.  In every thing give thanks:  for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you."  1 Thess.5:17-18
                "Praying unlocks the doors of heaven and releases the power of God.  God's answers are
                 always right and good and best.  Whether prayer changes our situation or not, one thing
                 is certain:  Prayer will change us!"

Dinner conversation....

Me:  As soon as I'm done clearing the table I'm going to start a bath for you girls, Ok?

Amelia:  A bath?  Why can't I have a shower?

Me:  Well, I guess because you always have a bath.

Amelia:  But mom, when I take a bath all I do is sit in my own wet dirt!

Me:  True enough!

Out of the mouths of babes!

The kids and I were sitting in our living room the other night, admiring the Christmas tree.  I was (once again) verbalizing how much easier an artificial tree is compared to a fresh one.  Everyone agreed that this was the right thing to do this year!  Olivia delivered the best line of the night......

"Mom, a fake tree is good 'cause then we don't have to worry about it burning our house down because it is fire retarded"!

I think they're trying to KILL me!

So, we had to run to the School Aids store today to get a few things laminated. THIS is the conversation that transpired on the way home:

Amelia: Mom, can you die in a tornado?

Mom: Yes.

Amelia: Well, what if you're in your backyard on a slide? Can the tornado get you there?

Mom: Yes, Amelia. It's best to be in a shelter of some sort when there is a tornado coming. Some cities have sirens that let you know when one is coming.

Amelia: (ponders that for a few seconds) Mom, what if you had a plastic playhouse outside in your backyard with a door that locked? Could it get you there?

Mom: YES, Amelia, it could quite possibly get you there too! (irritation is beginning to make an appearance)

Nathan: Mom, what if you were in a tornado shelter, like the kind that are underground?

Mom: Well, I think that's why they are underground as the tornado just moves over you but you're protected.

Nathan: How about if the door wouldn't lock and the wind blew it open? Could you get sucked out?

Mom: Sigh. I'm not sure if you could get sucked out, but I suppose it's possible.

Nathan: What if the door flew open but you were hiding in the corner under a table...would it suck you out then?

Mom: Forget the tornado!! You guys are seriously sucking my brains out right now! I don't know the answers to these questions but you have a book about tornadoes at home Nathan...look it up!

Some kids have the ability to literally remove every bit of brain matter that you thought you had in your skull....suck it dry and then leave you with nothing but a shell of the person you were before the questions began!

**we recently watched an episode of Storm Chasers**

Kitchen Tip!

Wait for it.....Wait for it.....

Make sure that the sugar bowl is completely dry after washing it before you refill it! Trust me on this one!

Somebody, somewhere.....

.....thought this was necessary. Only in America. Sigh.....