Japan, the Bible, and the Apocalypse.. Oh my!

What a ride this past weekend has been. Between dealing with a death in the family, Japan being rocked (literally) to its knees and everything else in between, you would honestly think that Armageddon has finally started to rear its head.

First the initial earthquake, then the earthquake-provided tsunami, then aftershocks that are as big almost as the initial quake, now TWO Nuclear Power Plant explosions.

Thanks for a FaceBook friend posting the following, I can now (clearly) see the signs of impeding warning that is upon us globally.

"Sept 11 (NY), Jan 11 (Haiti), March 11 (Japan)...Luke 21:10-11 : "Nation will rise against nation, & kingdom against kingdom. There will be great earthquakes, famines, and pestilences in various places, and fearful events and great signs from Heaven.". Jesus says, For behold I come quickly, (so...ask yourself are we ready?)."

Until now, I didn't really pay much attention. But look at this pattern...Three sets of "11" on the day's dates. Plus one of them was 2001, another also was in 2011. Too many ones for my head to wrap around.

Makes what I had posted in my ParanorMel blog about the Horseman of the Apocalypse video seem more real than "shopped or cropped".

To read about the video from MSNBC that *supposedly* caught the ghostly figure of one of the Bible's Four Horsemen during a nighttime riot in Cairo, Egypt, CLICK HERE.

Pretty eerie stuff if you ask me. Sure I'm still on the proverbial fence as to the validity of the piece. If I wasn't in the technologically advanced age, then I say that that is some cause for worry.

On the flip side of the argument though, if indeed someone did in fact catch the horseman REALLY riding through, fulfilling Biblical Prophesy for our generation's time, then my friends, some of us are in some deep shit. And some of us are about to be called home.

One of my favorite novel series to read is the Left Behind books. It's a series by Tim LaHaye and Jerry Jenkins. The books speak about topics of Christian dispensationalist End Times: pretribulation, premillennial, Christian eschatological viewpoint of the end of the world.

Pretty fascinating and capturing stuff, if you ask me.

Just too much is happening within the world on a global scale to NOT really take a deeper look in to why all of these "natural disasters" are taking place as well as other life-taking matters (terrorist attacks, wars, severe famine and pestilence). When you think about it all, and put one and one together, it honestly makes you see things in a much bigger picture being interwoven like a spider's web of destruction.

Monkey In The Middle (A Divorce Post)

Monkey In The Middle is a game that my husband and I play with our youngest, Skyler, who is six years old. If he and I are sitting on the couch or the floor, or laying in the bed and she wants to "snuggle-buggle", then she always says she is the "monkey in the middle". Skyler sometimes is, and other times is not the proverbial monkey. Sometimes, just to get her goat Scott or myself would be the monkey.

Sadly, I have had my oldest playing this game as well. She is the monkey in the middle that must go between her two parent's homes. I have full physical cusody, and always have. Her father gets visitations every other weekend and we alternate (major) holidays. Plus I personally set out three week blocks where she stays with him in one-week increments during the summer while school is out.

Plus, I give extra time even on their "off" weekends where I can and feel it's appropriate (to go to the movies, park, etc.).

No matter how bad he has been known to talk about me, cuss me and even go as far as calling me a slave driver (because in MY home she has chores, rules and consequences, whereas in HIS home, they don't exist), I still bend over backwards to give him more time with our daughter. Even when it is NOT stipulated to do so in our still-standing court order.

How Hayley has grown in to the young lady she has thus far, without resentment towards either of us has just blown me away.

For one thing, I NEVER talk ill of her father in front of her or to her.

Two, I don't make her go on those "off" days unless SHE wants to (at 11, she can now make her own mind up about extended stays and other 'extra' days to spend time with him).

Thirdly, she knows clearly what her expectations are in MY home.

Fourth, I don't pick fights with her father (in person or over the phone) over trivial things (i.e. the having/not having a TV in the bedroom debacle over the phone..I do *not* allow one in my kids' rooms, he says she has one there and that I am a bitchy, mean mom {in so many words} for not letting the kids, including HIS "kid" to have one in their rooms in *MY* home).

Fifth, I do my very best (most of the time) to be civil towards her father. Especially when Hayley is present.

Children of divorce are fragile on some levels. But are much more thick-skinned than most people realize and give these kids credit for. Look at all that THEY must put up with. Especially if the parents, for whatever reason cannot seem to get along on ANY level.

She's been going between myself and my ex-husband like this (for the most part over the years) since she was about two years old (was one-day visits from infancy until two years due to some legal issues and other things I cannot get in to here; maybe a later post).

We split (as in I walked out with a few things we needed in hand and never looked back) when she was five months old. By then I had a "friend" in my life that treated me RIGHT, the way I should have been treated all along and this person cared enough about me and my daughter that the sister even helped me get out and let me and my then-five-month old daughter stay with her and her family.

Yes, there are times that Hayley does the "I want to live with my daddy!" routine. As soon as I say that I know it's because he is the "no-rules-do whatever you want-without consequences" parent, she hushes up and walks off.

I guess he has yet to learn, especially now that she is a preteen (or shall we say Tween, seeing that's the 'norm' these days), he cannot be her friend. Not now. She needs PARENTS that will lay down the law and set those morals and values to solidly cement within before it's too late.

Sure! She will at some point (more than likely) try to experiment with drugs and alcohol, or even cigarettes. And (God forbid) seriously think of having sex. But all I can do now is try my best up until those years NOW to lay the foundation to keep away from those types of things and avoid problems down the road with them.

But then again, when you are the "Monkey In The Middle" with two parenting styles within two different home environments, it can get confusing of which way to turn. So I am planning to just keep doing what I'm doing and hope for the best down the road.

No one said being the parent of a "divorce" child was easy!

Trick Or Treating, Religious Convictions and "The Walking Dead"

Good morning post-Halloween, everyone! I hope that those that were able to, had a wonderful time trick-or-treating with their goblins and ghouls. It's one of the two favorite holidays of mine personally. The other being Christmas.

For most of my area here in Central Virginia (Lynchburg area), the children were able to Trick-Or-Treat on actual Halloween night. But there were a few areas that decided to either hold the holiday tradition on Saturday night, or wait until tonight (Monday) for them to go candy hunting due to Halloween falling on a Sunday this year.

Speaking of Trick-Or-Treating on an alternate night other than Halloween, I had become accustomed to the fact for a while when I had lived in Nevada "back in the day" of my late teens and early twenties. Nevada Day falls on Halloween. And so, being that there are many more tourists in town and also other big celebrations, along with parades, the state usually had them TOTing on the night before Halloween.

This year though, I had found out, thanks to my father that the children of (at least) their area were able to go candy collecting on the actual Halloween this year.

It should be this way everywhere. Personally, I do not see where a separate state or town should have ANY right to tell me and my kids that we cannot Trick-Or-Treat on Halloween if it falls on a Sunday. In other words, you are disgracing God by celebrating an "evil, Pagan ritualistic" holiday on the Lord's Day. And to a SMALL amount of people, it's not "right", so they want the date changed.

If YOUR Christian faith makes you feel convicted to not pass out goodies or let YOUR children Trick-r-Treat, then so be it. Do something more faith based or just keep your light off for the night and be a shut-in. But why ruin the evening for everyone else in your area by boo-hooing to City/County Counsel and force them to change for YOUR benefit of YOUR religious beliefs?

Whatever happened to "Separation of Church and State"? Does that not also apply to holidays where what may not be right for you, may just be okay with others around you? Personally, I think it is rather childish to cry foul over a freaking holiday. Just remember, Christmas is coming. And I can bet you, the ones that are "Jesus Freaks" to the fullest extent are gonna bitch to high heaven if a SMALL percentage of non-believers make a stink over the fact that religious symbols in a department store selling Christmas items.

You cannot have your cake and eat it too, people! Halloween, just like Christmas and Easter should be celebrated by the majority ON THE GIVEN DAY that it was intended to be celebrated. So what if it fell on a Sunday? Do you honestly think that God will think more of you for STILL celebrating that Pagan Holiday on any other day than Sunday? Wrong is still wrong when participating in "evil things" on ANY day of the week. Remember that.

Now, on to the next thing, seeing as I killed two birds with one stone. I feel like I'm on a roll today.

Let's talk about the new show on AMC (American Movie Classics channel). It's called "The Walking Dead". A deputy is shot and is in a coma for a chunk of time. When he wakes up, his world is completely different. In fact, deadly different. As in the walking dead different.

In the opening scene, a little girl is slowly walking as the deputy (post-hospital stint) sees her feet from under a vehicle, wearing bunny slippers. Her back is to him and when she turns around, you can see the severe bite mark on her face. She runs at him, hungry for flesh. He shoots her right in between the eyes and of course kills her for the final time.

As the show's premier episode kept on going, we got the back story of three (alive) characters and also we were able to view some pretty gruesome scenes of half or mostly eaten victims, including fellow zombies. Let's just say that all in all, NOTHING was really left to the imagination with this episode. Including the deputy's horse being torn apart and eaten by a hoard of ravishingly hungry walking poke-alongs.

As gruesome and grotesque as this show is, and knowing that it WILL GET much more graphic as the series moves along in it's rookie season, I personally do not feel that "The Walking Dead" should be on a channel such as American Movie Classics channel (AMC). It does not "fit" with the theme and feel of the channel its self. I see this show as more for the likes of HBO or Showtime. Mainly due to the show's EXTREMELY graphic nature.

"The Walking Dead" is most certainly not a television show for the faint of heart, nor for the squeamish of stomach. Some scenes even grossed ME out pretty bad. That's saying A LOT for me, if you know my taste in horror and thriller films.

So be warned my friends. If you cannot handle lots of blood, guts and gore, then I highly recommend that you do NOT watch "The Walking Dead".

Judging A Book By Its Cover...In This Case, Blog Posts.

Judgment. We all do it at some point in our lives. We may judge a person just by their looks or behavior. We might judge a place, just by secondhand "word of mouth" and decide to NOT go and look for ourselves. Or we judge a book, article or post by it's title, and refuse to read it because we automatically assume it's viewpoints are of a disgusting nature. And in turn, we once again base our opinion of not only the subject within the post, but we tend to judge the author as well.

This very thing happened with the previous post here on Homemaker Diary. Because someone had misread and in turn, misinterpreted the title to the post, taking it that I TRULY do believe in the nature as what the title "sounded like", I was made out to be a racist, controversy-seeking moron. When in fact, I am FAR from that "truth". And the post was named what I chose as to drive home a point. NOT to state what I truly felt.

If I honestly believed in the fashion that I had chosen for the title of my previous blog entry, then the "..." would not have surrounded the title's name. Hence I would have stated that I did indeed think/feel in that manner. But, I used the "..." to show the audacity of such a statement and show what I was about to write about.

Sadly, someone misconstrued the title with the ".." around it to mean that it was the title to the blog it's self and the statement that I really do think in the fashion of the title. And this person was only half right. And being that they flat out decided to not read the post in it's entirety, they missed out on the TRUE meaning and reflection of the post at hand. If anything, my post was speaking AGAINST such a statement. Towards ANY race/color.

If this person had swallowed their pride and not gone off half cocked, then maybe, just MAYBE they would have in the end agreed with me. Even after posting the main points from the blog its self, they still refused to read it. All because they decided blindly on the title's name.

If you wish to check out the post in reference, CLICK HERE.

This is what is wrong with the world today, in my opinion. And no, I am not innocent. Not by any means. To say otherwise would be stating an all out lie. ALL OF US are too quick to judge in this world. From skin color, to people with disabilities, to literally judging books (or in this case, blog posts) by their covers.

I lived my life with judgment all around me. Because of something I could not help. I looked different from my peers. I was not mentally challenged in any form of the word. But because I slightly looked different, with a trache in my throat, it left me open to automatic judging. Even by adults!

This is why I cannot stand ANY KIND of intolerance of any kind.Be it racial, ethnic, physically or mentally challenged, and a host of others. When you automatically "ASS"ume (which makes an ass out of U & ME) about a person, place or even an article BEFORE getting to know them or read the material, it doesn't make the offended look bad. It makes the offender look closed-minded and depending on the case, looking like a bigot and a hypocrite.

Personally, I would much rather read the article/post or get to know the person or place for MYSELF, **BEFORE** passing judgment upon it/them or making my opinion known. To do so leaves you looking less like a jackass.

This is for ANYONE, not just my "regular readers" for future reference...If you have nothing nice to say, being you are too closed-minded and/or scared to read something, be it here or on any other blogs, then here is a suggestion for you (and you the guilty, know who you are)...DO NOT SAY A WORD. Being you wish to predict what the post/article is about BEFORE reading it (if you choose to do so at all), and in turn closing yourself off to other's points of view, only to stay within your comfort zone I call Fantasy Island and not possibly gain a different perspective about the world around you.

"I ♥ Being White"

I'm a fan of many upon many "Like" pages. In fact, almost (now) 650 of them. Yeah, I like A LOT of different things. I'm pretty well-rounded, to say the least.

One thing that I am *not* is racist. I love people and am friends with (or have family members of) all different colors and ethnic backgrounds. Primarily Black Americans.

Over on FaceBook, under the "Discover More Pages" link in your "Other Pages" of your Info Tab, they have various other "Like" Pages to choose from. And believe me when I say EVERYTHING under the sun that you can think of is in that section.

Including "I ♥ Being Black" (Black).

What I am about to say, may slightly offend some people. Then again, maybe it will open some eyes. I'm not looking to make friends with this post.

To me, as a white person, I find THAT page hypocritical. As well as in all honesty, to me, offensive.

That to me, is Reverse Racism. Why? Because, if it were "I ♥ Being Black (Latino, Hispanic, Chinese, Japanese, ect), it is considered acceptable. If there was one aptly named "I ♥ Being *WHITE*" then someone is going to cry foul and call the page and it's members racists for having "white pride".

How is it fair to us Caucasian people to be penned as racists and "(insert race here) haters" for stating that we love our skin color, but ANY other race can do so, and not have one eye batted at them for doing such?

And don't think for a minute that my race isn't downed or 'hated'. I have seen others being called "cracker" and "whitey". But as soon as you as a white person call out a derogatory name of another race, then you are considered a race hater.

There is racism in EVERY area of the human race. And to see the hypocrisy in the "I ♥ Being Black" page, as well as out in the world is sickening to me. This is the 21st Century, people! ALL OF US need to get with the times.

We are not back in the 20th Century, or even the 19th Century, where racism was running rampant. There is no longer slave ownership and segregation. It is time to STOP HANGING HISTORY OVER THE 'WHITE MAN'S' HEAD!!!

How, after at least the last 40 years, can we as a human society still be so damn barbaric? I say it's time that we get it together and GET OVER the past, and move on in to the future.

This goes for racism, homophobia, the way that we treat (all forms of) the disabled and how we treat the sick (such as those with HIV/AIDS).

When all is said and done, at the end of each day, "I ♥ Being A Human Being of Society".

Death Penalty. YOUR thoughts.

We all have to die at some point. It is a given. Some will be old and have lived a good life. Some will fall gravely ill and pass young. Those of any age can be killed in a vehicle accident. And there are some that will be murdered. And some will be put to death as punishment for taking another human's life.

Today, we are going to talk about the latter. Executions and Death Row. Now, before you go off on a tangent and yell at me that God commands us to not kill and that executions are wrong and/or immoral, I urge you to READ THIS FIRST before commenting right off the bat.

Also, be sure to read PART 2 OF THIS WHOLE STORY.

This woman put a hit out for someone that she was supposed to have loved and his son, who of course thought she loved him like he was her own flesh and blood.

Instead, she loved the impending Life Insurance Policy payout more and had two men break in to their home and kill the son, first. Then, as her husband was BEGGING for mercy, they then shot him, too.

The reason that Teresa Lewis is sitting on Death Row, awaiting her fate, twenty days from now is because she put this whole ordeal in motion. She was as guilty as those that pulled the trigger.

True, those two men received life sentences. But her part was much more heinous. She PAID to have her husband and his boy killed. Not because she was in harm's way, was being abused or anything of the like. But for the money.

Now she is begging that her life be spared, as are her attorneys and anti-death penalty activists, and they all are asking the judge show this woman 'mercy'?? WHAT?!?!

Where was 'mercy' when her step-son and her husband pleaded and begged to not be hurt or killed, and said that the men could have ANYTHING they wanted? It wasn't there that day. Mercy for those two men were nowhere in sight.

She has had to have been segregated from the common prison population for seven YEARS. WHY? And with that said, how will she be of "help" to the other female inmates, as to use her faith to help others? You cannot do that when you are NOT AROUND other inmates!! Duh.

Yes, I do support the Death Penalty. Many who are there, deserve it. If it is indeed proven that they had the means, the motive and the forethought to take a fellow human's life, as to gain from it monetarily (or any other means of ganing something materialistic in nature), or even just to kill someone, then yes, serve them death. On a silver platter.

If it was purely for self-defense and/or to protect your children, then that is a different matter. At least you are not killing someone just for the sake of killing and getting a rush (or something materialistic).

And yes, this woman, Teresa Lewis, deserves the ultimate punishment. If she wasn't so callous, money-hungry and devious, then maybe, just MAYBE, Julian and CJ Lewis would still be alive and well today.

Those that know her closely have even stated that she is a con-artist and has even fooled a couple of pastors (in months/years before this tragedy) in to thinking that she was an upstanding citizen of the community, and a good Christian woman.

Come to realize later, many that knew her, feel that she had a hand in the car wreck that took her husband's other son, almost to the day of his death, a year before. That son had apparently had a good sized Life Insurance Policy as well.

Seven years is a long time. A long time of being away from the main prison populous, sitting in Segregation. And a long time of my husband's and my tax dollars going to that prison to house, feed and clothe a murderess, who is a classic example of a Black Widow wife.

Not all killings deserve the Death Penalty. But, ones like this do. An eye for an eye. A tooth for a tooth. She reaped what she sowed. And for her, it ended with a hefty price.

True, killing her will not bring back two men that were dearly loved by their daughter and sister. But it will bring justice to two men that still deserved better than to be wasted for money.

Messages. The CORRECT way to pass them along. Teacher Edition.

So far, Bryce is having a rough start in school. At least where homework is concerned. And I told him, as well as myself, I refused to go through this again.

Last year, it was Hayley, and then it spilled over in to Bryce as well. They would do their work, but not turn it in. Or they "forgot" to do certain assignments, and not turn them in.

Almost daily, from around the middle of last school year, until almost the very end, I was getting notes home in Hayley's agenda saying she didn't turn this or that in.

Now, I am already battling this problem, the second week of school. And I said that I will not tolerate this, nor do I wish to do this again.

This past week, Hayley has come home, only to tell me that Mrs. So-and-So said for HER to tell me that Bryce did not have this for class, or didn't turn this in for class.

See something wrong with this picture? I certainly do!

What business do these teachers have of telling Bryce's older sister (who is one grade higher, and has been through these teachers last year) to relay messages to me? She is NOT their student any longer. They are no longer HER teachers. And she is NOT his mother. I AM!!

So, this morning, they ALL will see the note that I addressed to all of the Fourth Grade ladies, requesting (in no uncertain terms) that they no longer give his older sister messages that are meant for me concerning her little brother...Seeing as these things do not concern her. And for them to WRITE A NOTE to send home with her OR with Bryce that is concerning him.

Why..? Why put a ten-year-old child in the middle of a "grown-up" matter that does not even concern her? That's just ludicrous.

Let's hope my little note side rails any more message passing. And that his seeing it in his agenda will deter him from wanting to miss anymore assignments. Seeing as he is now four days without computer time and TV time as punishment.

Cell Phones In School. Should The Ban Be Lifted?

I think for today's post, being that it is nearing that time of the year once more, I shall touch on a subject that could become a hot button topic of debate.

Cell phone usage in schools by students.

Our city school system is thinking of lifting the ban on students from carrying cell phones on their person, while on the school's grounds.

Read about LIFTING BAN ON CELLS here.

Personally, I think that the ban SHOULD be lifted. Superintendent, Dr. McKendrick is correct, as is Heritage High's Principal. There are too many students in today's world that carry cell phones. And it can be quite time consuming to pull each offender in to the Principal's office and confiscate the phones. They average 15 to 20 per day!

Time could be much more well-spent on other areas of running the schools. Like on bullying, creating a positive learning environment, and ensuring everyone's safety. As well as ensuring that the students are getting everything that they can from their classes.

Personally, I have no problems with High School, or even Middle (Junior) High School students carrying cell phones on their person. As long as the usage is before school starts, during lunch break, and after school's last bell rings.

If the student is caught using the phone (via texting or talking) while switching classes, during class, or any other time not deemed appropriate (say during a field trip), then confiscate the item until after school for the remainder of that day.

Then, if a secondary offense occurs with the phone, then confiscate to the parent. If a third offense with the phone happens, then I feel that the school has a right to confiscate and keep the phone until the end of the school year.

We live in a high-tech age more so now than ever before. Our children are using things that were mere dreams when our parents, and even we were growing up in our generation.

Computers for the home didn't even come out until the 1980's. Then, came the message recorder for phones, cordless phones, CD Players, and then, in the early to mid 1990's, finally came the first cell phone. And that has gotten smaller, sleeker, and more 'hide-able' since it's inception in to our world of communication options.

So, with that said, what are YOUR thoughts about kids in High School (or even Middle School) carrying Cell Phones in their backpacks, along with their books and pencils? Yay or nay? Why so?

Blog Blast From The Past...Boy Was I *Mad*!

WOW! This blog is from LAST SUMMER where I posted it on my blog page at MySpace. These days now are NOT AS bad, but we still have times where I have the same problems.

Read on, if you wish. But be mindful, at this point in time last year, I was struggling. So was Bryce, and the rest of the family. So in the end, I was (unintentionally) biting heads off. But with good reasons. Both Bryce and I were in a dark place where his problems are concerned.

It's filled with some adult language, and much anger. I am the type that I don't mind advice. But I refuse to be EXPECTED to take it (and use it). Especially from someone that CLEARLY knows NOTHING about my son's conditions, our our life of dealing with them.....



June 28, 2009 - Sunday

Blog Title : Let me give YOU a lesson on what it's like for kids like mine and our families...

Category: Life

As a mother of 3 and a mom of a child with ADHD and a host of other mental disorders I can say that yes, we DO tell these kids "no". And at times have to PHYSICALLY redirect them.

Doesn't always work. Sorry.

They can be VERY manipulative and obviously sneaky.

Thanks for your *ahem* advice anyways to those who love to give it when not even asked for their opinions on the subject matter.

**I love how those that DON'T live with kids like ours thinks that they know all there is in how to *control* them to be PERFECT.**

I have our tool room locked, thanks to my son threatening to KILL ME more than once by bludgeoning me with a hammer.

And my attic door is locked, thanks to him constantly going up there, where it is a dangerous area to be and getting in to things after being told REPEATEDLY to not go up there.

If things don't change soon, we MIGHT have to PAD LOCK all my doors to leave my home due to his running off, jumping off my balcony and running up under a bridge where trains go through SEVERAL times a day.

Anyone that thinks that they can do better with MY child, I extend an invitation to let you keep my kid for ONE MONTH and see just how much progress you make with YOUR way of "straightening" him out and be able to have self-control, less aggression and not be so defiant and have more attention span.

Sound like a deal?

By around 4 PM, my son's Vyvanse wears off. It only works for a set number of hours. And it isn't meant to be taken more than once a day. In the morning, when you need them to focus and be attentive during the daytime.

Vyvanse can make a child lose their appetite for the most part. And instead of eating when they are SUPPOSED to, even with constant coaxing, they will at most times sneak in the middle of the night to the kitchen and get out food and eat when THEY feel hungry enough to eat.

That is one of the huge drawbacks with this and other ADHD medicines. They can severely affect the hunger center of the brain while helping the area that controls impulsivity and attention. It really is a Catch-22.

Where meal time is concerned and the fact that my son more times than not, refuses to eat because he is "not hungry" at meal time (knowing he had NOTHINGin between meals but a few drinks of water, milk or low sugar juice), no matter what was fixed, in my house, if you cook it, then they must eat at least SOME of it. I'm not cooking to cater to suit each individual taste. I am cooking for the family as a WHOLE.

For kids like ours speaking of mine, that are on a medicine that acutly decreases the appetite center of the brain, we must "force" them to eat their meals. And also, they thrive on incentives.

So, if they eat at least 1/2 their meal at dinner, then they get a HEALTHY snack later that evening. That may contain (like for MY family) a small juice box and a granola bar, fruit cereal bar or a small bag of BAKED chips.

Some kids like ours will try to manipulate and "run the show" to ensure that they are getting what THEY (the CHILD) wants.

So, as their parent, we have to have the upper hand and enforce stricter than normal rules upon our child.If that means no extra food (a TREAT) for not complying with OUR rules about eating meals, then so be it.

Don't just assume that our kids get junk food. Because in about 90% of the cases where they are sneaking and hoarding (and hiding) their food, the parents are trying their best and their HARDEST to maintain a HEALTHY lifestyle of eating and portioning.

NO CHILD should have to feel like they aren't "being fed" well enough. And parents of children like ours (mine and the OP) are doing ALL that we can to ensure that our children have the best nutrition and that their nutritional needs ARE being met.It's nowhere near an easy job for us.

And it is especially hard on our kids. Because they honestly CANNOT help how they are or how their brain functions. But not only do their disorder severely affect them, they affect the family as a WHOLE.

Honestly, I have lost count as to how many times my son has (almost severely) hurt either of my two girls. One is 17 months older, the other 3 YEARS younger than him. My son is 8.

Much of the time it's because his impulses say he "needs" a certain toy or other item that they have, so if he doesn't get what "his brain tells him to get", then he acts out violently and basically makes the sister give up the said item. By causing them pain to make them let go and so he can snatch it and take it away.

Right now, my son is is in Intensive In-Home Therapy. And at it's highest level of services. Crisis Intervention. Because he is half a hair away from being placed in a specialized facility to house him and help him more than what we as his parents and the IIHT can do.

Believe me. we have tried everything possible. Yes, from spanking down to time-outs, to taking things away, and grounding.As of this time, we are trying a points system. He has to earn a set amount in five areas of compliance.

If he gets the minimum goal, my son gets ONE privilege of his choice. If he gets a little higher, he gets TWO of them of his choosing. If he makes the full amount of points, then my son can have ALL of his privileges if he chooses so.

But, if he falls BELOW the minimum allowance, then he gets NOTHING. No privileges at all.

So far, even though he is trying to butt heads with me and testing me to see if I will break, the system has thus far been working. I think his seeing his progress and knowing what the deal is, it's finally making some headway. But, it's still early in the game.

Try being up constantly to tell your kid to go back to sleep (knowing he has YET to close the peepers) from 11 PM til around 4 AM.

All because he didn't get his Trazodone for the night. His brain is CONSTANTLY active. It can't "go to sleep" and rest without medical intervention. How he does it, I have no idea.

And being that his brain is so active, losing physical sleep does NOT affect his ability to learn. It primarily affects his moods and compliance with authority figures. Mainly of the FEMALE variety.

Well, now that you have been informed of what I and MANY other parents go through on a DAILY basis with our Special Needs kids with mental disorders, does it honestly sound easy or like that there is a "quick fix" to all of the problems that the kids and us as their parents have to endure?

If you still say YES, then I will let you have my son, WITHOUT his medications and see how easy it is for you to "tame" him and break him as if he is a wild animal.

Some people really amaze me and other moms and dads like myself as to how they view our kids, us as parents and show how IGNORANT of the facts that they really are. It's sad, really.

If anyone should be pitied, it's those types of people. Not us.

More Information Sheds New & Disturbing Light On Killer & Her Victim.

All I can say is this....DISGUSTING!

How can ANYONE, be it a man or a *woman* do such horrific and horrendous things to a child?

Many people have already heard the story of the former Sunday School Teacher, Melissa Huckaby. She raped, tortured, and killed eight-year-old Sandra Cantu. Only to stuff the girl's lifeless body in to a suitcase and throw her in to an irrigation pond.

Now, Melissa Huckaby is trying her best to try and seemingly "get out of" and is trying to explain away her actions.

Of course, she is using the classic "I was raped as a child" and the "I had a rough childhood" excuses to try and gain sympathy.

To read more just click HERE.

I'm sorry, but I have no sympathy, nor compassion for this woman. What she had done to Sandra, who was her daughter's friend and playmate, and what she did AFTER killing the child out of guilt was nothing but showing how calculated and callous the woman TRULY is.

This is one case of Prison Without Possibility Of Parole I say I *do* like. Normally, I would say death penalty. But for some reason, I get more satisfaction in knowing that Ms. Huckaby will be forced to sit and think for the rest of her days, of the things she did to that poor, INNOCENT girl and knowing the guilt will rot her inside more so than the rotting inside a prison cell.

"Macabre", in my eyes doesn't even begin to describe the acts of torture this woman had performed against Sandra. Melissa Huckaby by all counts ranks right up there with the devil himself when it comes to evilness.