Monday, Monday ....

This morning, Mommy and Kitty watched a show on the Animal Planet channel called Growing Up Walrus. We were really interested because it followed an orphaned Pacific Walrus, Nereus, from Alaska to the INDIANAPOLIS ZOO! We have seen him on our trips there and didn't even realize it!

Then, this evening, Daddy came home with tickets to the Tennis Championship, part of the U.S. Open Series at IUPUI. Mommy and Daddy were amazed at how many people didn't cover their hearts with their hands! How have we lost our patriotic spirit? It arose quite dramatically after 9-11, but it seems to have been reduced to apathy again. Even 9-11 has lost it's significance.

We had fun at the tennis matches. Daddy's work gets box seats since they house the equipment for the matches throughout the rest of the year. All of the employees at the office get the chance to go to the matches for free. Plus, you get a parking pass for the garage. We hope we can go back on Friday or to the finals on Sunday.

Since the box seats are considered VIP status, we also get access to the Admiral's Club. It is an air-conditioned facility where you can eat and watch the matches, altho only on a TV. It used to be that you could actually see the matches from widows that were about ground level at one end court. Unfortunately, some of the players complained that they were distracted by the lights in the club during night matches. So, now there are screens blocking the windows so you can't see anything.

Andy Rodick, Jewel's and Kitty's favorite player, is not able to participate in this year's tournament due to injury. The girls love to see him and have at least two of his autographs each.

We really love to go to the tournament as a family. It is a nice outing for us all.

There be Gold!

Kitty received a $1 coin from the tooth fairy.

Now, we're just waiting until the next tooth comes out. Both of her middle top teeth are loose, one much more than the other. I should be any day now.

Toothless!

Kitty lost her third tooth today. She woke up with it in her mouth. Thank goodness she didn't swallow it!

HP Kids

Kitty and Jewel are about jumping out of their skins, as they have just agreed to participate in an Harry Potter Crafts Kids Swap. They're not sure what all they're going to send yet, but Jewel has already completed a hand-drawn picture of Harry.

Ship date is August 1, so this will be a fun month!

An Unlikely Way to be Heroic

A Chinese policewoman is being praised for her aid after the massive earthquake in China. Not only has she done her duty as a police officer, but she has also been breastfeeding infants in the disaster area as well. Five of the children she has fed were orphans. She also helped moms whose milk dried up or wasn't sufficient to feed their own kids.

This amazing lady is truly doing God's work!

You can see a video of this story from CNN.

EXPELLED!

"EXPELLED! No Intelligence Allowed" is a new, controversial documentary about Intelligent Design and the debate between Creationism and Evolution.

Being a Christian with a science degree and somewhat analytical thinking, I cannot accept that life, any life, on this planet is the result of an extremely rare, incredibly lucky accident. There is a designer behind all of this and it is God. His hand is in our creation and the creation of all life.

And while I do believe that he guides our lives, he has given us free will. That will extends to all of his creations. They, and we, make choices and we must live with those choices. Or die by them. We can adapt according to our free will, thus creating evolution in ourselves. All of God's creatures can do this. So, evolution exists within the realm of the creation of all life by our omnipotent God.

After seeing this trailer, I would like to see how well the issue is handled. We cannot create a future for the human race is we force our children, and ourselves, to be limited by what others view as "safe" ideas.

If nothing else, it will have far more truth to it that Al Gore's fakumentary about Global Warming. Maybe Ben will get a Nobel Peace Prize and an Academy Award for this, too!

Why Public Schooling Is Better Than Homeschooling

This may be "old" news, but it is still good for a laugh!!

Memo: Top 10 Reasons to Criminalize Homeschooling
by Scott Ott for ScrappleFace

(2002-08-26) — In an effort to increase the public drumbeat for criminalizing homeschooling, California Deputy Superintendent Joanne Mendoza has distributed a memo containing the top 10 reasons why public schooling is better than homeschooling. Here is an excerpt from that memo:

Why Public Schooling Is Better Than Homeschooling

1. Most parents were educated in the underfunded public school system, and so are not smart enough to homeschool their own children.
   
2. Children who receive one-on-one homeschooling will learn more than others, giving them an unfair advantage in the marketplace. This is undemocratic.
   
3. How can children learn to defend themselves unless they have to fight off bullies on a daily basis?
   
4. Ridicule from other children is important to the socialization process.
   
5. Children in public schools can get more practice “Just Saying No” to drugs, cigarettes and alcohol.
   
6. Fluorescent lighting may have significant health benefits.
   
7. Publicly asking permission to go to the bathroom teaches young people their place in society.
   
8. The fashion industry depends upon the peer pressure that only public schools can generate.
   
9. Public schools foster cultural literacy, passing on important traditions like the singing of “Jingle Bells, Batman smells, Robin laid an egg…”
   
10. Homeschooled children may not learn important office career skills, like how to sit still for six hours straight.