What's in a Name

It occurred to Steph and me that we should explain the title of our family blog.

Anybody who has spent time with Andrew knows how quiet and shy he can appear at first. He's really not once he knows you, and we've long described him around our household as the source of the world's most annoying noises.

The older he gets, though, the more he likes to explore his use of language. That brings me to a startling moment a few years back when Andrew - in utter disbelief at lord knows what - exclaimed, "What the _ _ _ _!" (h...e...double hockey sticks for those of you keeping score at home). As I remember it, Steph sternly requested that Andrew clarify what he just said. He wouldn't, and ever since, Andrew's statement of disbelief has become, "What the...!"

Needless to say, we're glad he has dropped the objectionable word, at least in our presence. I'm not sure where he heard such language, but I'll throw Steph under the bus and blame her. Ha, ha!

Gary

I'm depressed

We're not doing any of those things today. see ya.

Uh oh , I have too many things to do today.

Today it's a riled up day. First, I'm going to church and a luncheon. Second, we're going to Andrew's bowling b-day party. Last, we're going to a cub scout banquet. Well it's just a normal day again. bye.

Oh no...I think I may be a socialist.

I'm fully aware that the title for this blog entry will squash any hopes of a future political career. I don't have any intention of wading through the political cesspool on a daily basis, but 'tis the season. So, with my hip waders on, here I go.

I have been quite perturbed with the political discussion involving taxes, government programs, and the libertarian leanings of the Republican Party Presidential candidates during the primary/caucus season. Sound bite after sound bite rails against taxes and government spending. Our potential candidates from the GOP promise that Capitalism and the free market will sort out our problems with health care, the financial sector of the economy, and the declining median income of the middle class.

I could go on for paragraphs about how taxes support the infrastructure that we have come to depend on. I could point out that our increasing reliance on gambling revenue to prop up our states' economies is enormously less efficient at supporting infrastructure than just taking that same money as a tax. I could submit that if we took all of the money that we have pumped into Iraq over the last five years and put that same money into shoring up security here in the US, we'd be safer from terrorist attacks. But I'll leave those topics for another day.

I'm mostly upset lately at the "pull yourself up by your bootstraps" mentality that is so pervasive in our culture. By most accounts I'm currently living the American dream. I have a wife and three kids. We live in a cozy little cottage on two acres in the country. I own and operate a small business. Did I get here by working hard? Absolutely. Did I get here with a lot of good luck along the way? Of course. Those who deny that good fortune plays a large role in any success story are kidding themselves.

So, here is my point in all of this rambling. Those of us who reap the benefits of hard work and good fortune have a responsibility to give back. The government is not renowned for its efficiency at delivering services to needy citizens, but they fill a need that no other organization is equipped to fulfill. Unfortunately, these necessary programs need tax dollars.

I guess that's my campaign platform: raise taxes by re-establishing a truly progressive tax system (mainly through the elimination of loopholes for the upper class). I don't suppose I'll ever be elected, but I'd certainly tell the truth.

-Gary

Andrew& family

Andrew& Julia are playing that Andrew's a baby. Andrew says:Time for nappy! Than Julia says:Well than you better get in bed! And than Andrew:walks over, and pretends to read a book and than looks up & says "what".


-Isabella

Just a normal day

Andrew's just being himself today. Julia is too. She's chasing the kitty,making exuses for what she does, and watching TV. Oh, did I mention she's also being weird?Well, she's nagging me to get onto her puppy website. Stay tuned! Maybe ther'll be some interesting stuff here.Bye!

_
Bella

A Classic Post from the Archives

Wednesday, September 5, 2007

I just want to start this off by saying Andrew was great tonight. Julia on the other hand was just being Julia. We had finally convinced Julia that she could not have any chocolate covered pretzels until she ate her cubic inch of meatloaf. Just to let you know, we do not force the kids to eat things they truly do not like, she likes meatloaf.

Julia runs to the kitchen, opens a drawer and brings back a butter knife to carefully cut her meat. She then puts a bite in her mouth, spits it out and says "there is something in it." Gary looks at her and very solemnly asks, "is there some loaf in your meat?"

Julia nods her head, buries the piece in her mashed potatoes and says, "now it can grow."

Gary just smiles and says "maybe we can pick some meat next spring."

Julia finishes eating and so does Gary and I am once again laughing behind the napkin wondering if having kids automatically transports you to the twilight zone where you have serious discussions about meatloaf trees. Who knows what will pop up in the yard next spring.

The New Frontier - Our First Post

What do you do with a family of five who loves to read and write? Start a blog, I guess. Steph has been blogging over at her myspace page for about a year, but it occurred to me that the rest of us might want to join in the fun. So, here goes nothing. Stay tuned. We may say something interesting.

-Gary