Thursday, September 24, 2009
Nature Study
If you're wondering why there are fewer photos of Jack than Xavier these days, you have to understand that my baby is an omnivore. He is particuarly partial to paper these days. By the time I realize he's pulled down a magazine he's eaten all but a quarter-sized portion of a subscription card. So often when I'm getting the camera, he's getting into mischief and doesn't end up photographed. Here's a little photo essay of nature study at MaMere and MoMo's house that illustrates the situation beautifully.
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Hats N' Things*
The boys and I heading out for our morning walk. MaMere would be proud that Xavier insists on all of us wearing hats. Of course, we are hardly out of the driveway before Jack pitches his out the stroller or takes it off to munch on. Xavier keeps his on until we get to the little park and says, "Ma, hold dis."
Xavier, where is your belly button?
Xavier, where is your belly button?
Xavier, where are your eyes?
Xavier, where is your tongue?
Xavier, what are you doing now?
I sitting in the sunbeam...I see pic?!
*Just thought you might be getting tired of the Photo Dump title.
Thursday, September 17, 2009
Way Too Early, Way Too Often
Thanks to my sons, I've been up at rediculous hours most days this past week. This morning Jack woke up at 4 a.m. Usually he'd just go back to sleep. Xavier, however, must have gotten up in the middle of the night to play with toys and fallen asleep on the floor, halfway under his bed I might add. So Jack wakes up, doesn't see big brother in bed and thinks its time to get up for the day. So when I go in the room I have the choice to either try to put Xavier back in bed and calm Jack or whisk Jack out the room before he wakes up Xavier. I chose the latter and together we watched Willie Geist's "Way Too Early" on MSNBC. While I love Willie, I wish I got to see a little less of him.
UPDATE: Xavier awoke at 5:55 a.m. upon hearing Dad run the blender. When I opened the door to the boys room he shoved past me like a Black Friday bargain hunter, ran to the kitchen and demanded a "Shake! Shake!" Methinks it is going to be a long day.
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Father Pine
Thanks to the very creative Catholic mamas over on the 4Real Forums we got the inspiration this summer to make Father Pine to help us follow the liturgical seasons here in our domestic church. Lexy painted him and I made his green ordinary time vestments. Unfortunately, Father Pine has been hanging out on our mantel in green for several months now despite several church holidays that called for other colors.
Last night I decided to get back in the swing of things and whipped up a red chasuble and stole for Father Pine to help commemorate today's feast of the martyrs, Pope Cornelius and Bishop Cyprian. A little lace hem tape made a nice trim don't you think?
The reality is that until the boys are older, I am the primary target of all the religious education. Until I started reading up on domestic church family activities I had no idea how much I didn't know about the traditions of the Catholic church. Following the feast days helps dip a toe into Church history while using the liturgical colors helps us prepare for the big calendar events: Lent, Advent, Christmas and Easter.
Saturday, September 12, 2009
Boys in Cars
We were so lucky to have Xavier's BFF, Ethan, with us for a few mornings last month. I love love love watching them interact during imaginative play. Here's a little sample. Sorry for the abrupt ending, I had to prevent fraternal domestic violence.
My Brother's Keeper
I've had a few folks ask me lately about where I stand on the current healthcare debate and the prospect of blogging about it has really forced me to nail down my thoughts on the issue.
First I think I need to state that I have access to the best available healthcare today. We have comprehensive insurance through my husband's workplace and are avid users of our Flexible Spending Account. Growing up in a medical family I rarely went to the doctor--a habit I've carried into my adulthood. I was well into my 20s when I realized that most people went to the clinic when they had the flu that was creeping into pneumonia--I just had a relative or doctor friend call in a prescription. While I don't ask for medicines anymore, I still often go to family members for informal second opinions or medical advice. These informal medical consults were invaluable when I was paying for my own health insurance when I was a sole PR practicioner. All of this is to say that any form of healthcare reform probably won't affect my access to healthcare on a day to day basis. Although we are a healthy family, I estimate that about $15,000 a year goes towards our healthcare expenses--that includes the portion our employer pays for our insurance but excludes all but separate insurance costs for my stepdaughter. I can only imagine how much families who aren't in perfect health would spend.
I've also worked in my mother's clinic, as a PR consultant for medical companies and medical associations, and in a medical school and hospital. The maze of insurance reimbursements, Medicare rates, and referral systems is dizzying. My OBGYN's malpractice insurance is likely the equivalent of four years of our income. When Jack was in Texas Children's Hospital, day after day we saw the crowds of uninsured families crowding the first floor waiting room for the ER--for curable things like strep throat and migraines that had exaccerbated to emergency conditions. I have no doubt that the current system is disfunctional and costs are in rising loop that defies common sense. Access to decent basic healthcare is shrinking and there are powerful interests that can mimic and thwart true American interests.
When I form opinions I rely on my two guideposts: my moral grounding as a Christian and my civic values as an American. Now I'm not going to proclaim what Jesus would do with healthcare because I don't know. I'm sure I could find bible quotes that support any political position. But my faith tells me that there is inherent value in human life--even when a particular human may be less than perfect. I am particularly called to care for those who are set apart from typical society: the poor, the widowed, the sick. These are the people that Jesus cared about. I cannot say, well my family is fine so I can ignore these other folks.
There was a time that most hospitals were intertwined with faith communities--they still retain the vestigial titles of Hotel Dieu, Christus, Baptist, St. Mary's, etc. although they have long since been purchased by larger hospital companies. Even most community hospitals (founded by the local taxpayers acting collectively) have sold themselves to larger companies. We have all but divorced the collective or missionary purpose of healthcare from the practicalities of it.
On the flip side are my American values. I favor capitalism. While there is certainly a principle of free enterprise, I would argue that there is also a strong foundation of community collaborative effort in this country. While the Declaration of Independence promotes the "pursuit of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness" they followed it up with the Constituion with,
The problem with a blind devotion to free enterprise and letting the markets working out the details is that markets treat people as consumers--things. Healthcare is about profit now, not mission. As an American I am called to see people as my brothers and sisters, as fellow citizens. As a Christian I am called to see people as children of God. So I want to regard people as inherently sacred and not objects. But if we make capitalism a straw man, we fall prey to the communist trap which holds up the collective good in the form of the government as superior to the inherent value of the individual.
That's the push pull that I approach healthcare with. I don't want to destroy business altogether (even the immorally run ones) or ignore the struggling sick people (even the despicable ones who will take advantage of any system). Here's what I want:
I believe in our country. I believe in democracy. I believe in the decency of the American public. I believe in the pursuit of greatness as a nation. I pray for God's guidance in our continued growth.
First I think I need to state that I have access to the best available healthcare today. We have comprehensive insurance through my husband's workplace and are avid users of our Flexible Spending Account. Growing up in a medical family I rarely went to the doctor--a habit I've carried into my adulthood. I was well into my 20s when I realized that most people went to the clinic when they had the flu that was creeping into pneumonia--I just had a relative or doctor friend call in a prescription. While I don't ask for medicines anymore, I still often go to family members for informal second opinions or medical advice. These informal medical consults were invaluable when I was paying for my own health insurance when I was a sole PR practicioner. All of this is to say that any form of healthcare reform probably won't affect my access to healthcare on a day to day basis. Although we are a healthy family, I estimate that about $15,000 a year goes towards our healthcare expenses--that includes the portion our employer pays for our insurance but excludes all but separate insurance costs for my stepdaughter. I can only imagine how much families who aren't in perfect health would spend.
I've also worked in my mother's clinic, as a PR consultant for medical companies and medical associations, and in a medical school and hospital. The maze of insurance reimbursements, Medicare rates, and referral systems is dizzying. My OBGYN's malpractice insurance is likely the equivalent of four years of our income. When Jack was in Texas Children's Hospital, day after day we saw the crowds of uninsured families crowding the first floor waiting room for the ER--for curable things like strep throat and migraines that had exaccerbated to emergency conditions. I have no doubt that the current system is disfunctional and costs are in rising loop that defies common sense. Access to decent basic healthcare is shrinking and there are powerful interests that can mimic and thwart true American interests.
When I form opinions I rely on my two guideposts: my moral grounding as a Christian and my civic values as an American. Now I'm not going to proclaim what Jesus would do with healthcare because I don't know. I'm sure I could find bible quotes that support any political position. But my faith tells me that there is inherent value in human life--even when a particular human may be less than perfect. I am particularly called to care for those who are set apart from typical society: the poor, the widowed, the sick. These are the people that Jesus cared about. I cannot say, well my family is fine so I can ignore these other folks.
There was a time that most hospitals were intertwined with faith communities--they still retain the vestigial titles of Hotel Dieu, Christus, Baptist, St. Mary's, etc. although they have long since been purchased by larger hospital companies. Even most community hospitals (founded by the local taxpayers acting collectively) have sold themselves to larger companies. We have all but divorced the collective or missionary purpose of healthcare from the practicalities of it.
On the flip side are my American values. I favor capitalism. While there is certainly a principle of free enterprise, I would argue that there is also a strong foundation of community collaborative effort in this country. While the Declaration of Independence promotes the "pursuit of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness" they followed it up with the Constituion with,
"We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union,
establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence,
promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves
and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United
States of America."
The problem with a blind devotion to free enterprise and letting the markets working out the details is that markets treat people as consumers--things. Healthcare is about profit now, not mission. As an American I am called to see people as my brothers and sisters, as fellow citizens. As a Christian I am called to see people as children of God. So I want to regard people as inherently sacred and not objects. But if we make capitalism a straw man, we fall prey to the communist trap which holds up the collective good in the form of the government as superior to the inherent value of the individual.
That's the push pull that I approach healthcare with. I don't want to destroy business altogether (even the immorally run ones) or ignore the struggling sick people (even the despicable ones who will take advantage of any system). Here's what I want:
- affordable access to health insurance
- reduced liability to doctors with tort reform
- uniform and streamlined billing and reimbursement processes
- incentives for improved personal health practices
With my taxes I currently pay for healthcare for those 65 and older, poor children, the disabled, the military, the native americans and veterans. I'm not asking for equivalent comprehensive, government-run healthcare for the rest of Americans...just access to decent basic care without risking financial ruin.
This week I took about 15 minutes to call my senators and representative to see where they stood on healthcare. Ted Poe and Kay Bailey Hutchison's offices simply stated that they were "against a public option" but didn't have further ideas. Senator Cornyn at least had a few positive bullet points and a website to give me. I let all of them know that I supported healthcare reform and that I am their consitutent. I encouraged my friends on facebook to do the same.
Now I know that at least 50% of my facebook friends hold different political views from me and may even oppose healthcare reform in its entirety. But I still hope they make a few phone calls even if they counteract the effect of mine. That's where my collective American values trump my personal interests.
I'm willing to be flexible with the ultimate policy changes but what I'm unwilling to do is accept NOTHING. I'm unwilling to accept a pseudo-policy engineered by monied, profit-driven interests or extremists. I've worked for grassroots projects and engineered "astroturf" projects as well. Astroturf works only if individuals let it. Astroturf folks pass out black and white hats, they namecall, they separate people. In short they turn us away from seeing people as children of God and see them as objects/obstacles. I find that immoral, unChristian, and unAmerican.I believe in our country. I believe in democracy. I believe in the decency of the American public. I believe in the pursuit of greatness as a nation. I pray for God's guidance in our continued growth.
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