Mesmorized by the thunder storm at The Rainforest Cafe
My Little Farmer
Chop-sticks orientation
Swing-monster!
Richie's clever shot
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Quickee
It's been a busy post-trip week, so I just have time to blog some pics. Ramblings come later!
Mesmorized by the thunder storm at The Rainforest Cafe
My Little Farmer
Chop-sticks orientation
Swing-monster!
Richie's clever shot
Mesmorized by the thunder storm at The Rainforest Cafe
My Little Farmer
Chop-sticks orientation
Swing-monster!
Richie's clever shot
Thursday, February 19, 2009
Shriner's Hospital Visit Recap
I know that some of y'all are waiting patiently for a synopsis of our big day at Shriner's Hospital in Minneapolis today.
So, here it is (and emphasis on the word "synopsis"! It's been a long day!):
Ellie's Hips: They took new x-rays and nothing has changed in the last 8 months, which is great news. As long as things stay the same with her hips and their sockets, we're okay. There WILL be a day when surgery is inevitable, but thankfully, that day is not anytime soon.
SDR (spine) surgery: Everyone seemed to agree that Ellie was still a candidate, but we needed to give her more time to gain strength and hone her walker-walking abilities. The average age of kids they operate on is 6, so we have lots of time. I feel really good about their answer. They were so impressed with her progress over the past few months, that they just said, "let's keep doing what we're doing". Yay!
Orthotics: Man, that place is so stinkin' state of the art. It makes our Manitoba Rehab Centre look like a big orthopedic slum. They are making Ellie a new pair of AFOs (leg braces), they gave us a new pair for her to wear overnight, AND they're ordering in and customizing a special hip brace just for her! Our home therapist told us to ask about it because it's not even available here yet (and at $1500, we wouldn't be able to afford it out of our own pockets). The staff at Shriner's were so willing to order it and almost seemed excited that Ellie seemed to be such a good candidate for it (this brace, called a SWASH, is a really new thing). It is supposed to help with her scissoring (crossing her legs) when she walks, which is definitely Ellie's biggest hindrance right now. Of course, we're thrilled that she's going to get this equipment, but the not-so-hot detail is that we will have to come back in about a month to pick it up (we love coming down here, especially to see one of my BFFs, but it IS an 8-hour one-way drive!).
So, there you have it! We felt really great about the visit and consider it to be MORE than worth it. Ellie's doing so fabulous, y'all. There were several older kids (teenager-ish) at the hospital today, using walkers or canes, and I just felt so encouraged to see their abilities. Ellie's gonna be there too! I just know it!
I'll leave you with a few pictures and a goodnight kiss from the Twin Cities. Mwwwaaah!
The mold of Ellie's new leg brace
Picking out a toy with sweet nurse Kim
Waitin' on the doctor
So, here it is (and emphasis on the word "synopsis"! It's been a long day!):
Ellie's Hips: They took new x-rays and nothing has changed in the last 8 months, which is great news. As long as things stay the same with her hips and their sockets, we're okay. There WILL be a day when surgery is inevitable, but thankfully, that day is not anytime soon.
SDR (spine) surgery: Everyone seemed to agree that Ellie was still a candidate, but we needed to give her more time to gain strength and hone her walker-walking abilities. The average age of kids they operate on is 6, so we have lots of time. I feel really good about their answer. They were so impressed with her progress over the past few months, that they just said, "let's keep doing what we're doing". Yay!
Orthotics: Man, that place is so stinkin' state of the art. It makes our Manitoba Rehab Centre look like a big orthopedic slum. They are making Ellie a new pair of AFOs (leg braces), they gave us a new pair for her to wear overnight, AND they're ordering in and customizing a special hip brace just for her! Our home therapist told us to ask about it because it's not even available here yet (and at $1500, we wouldn't be able to afford it out of our own pockets). The staff at Shriner's were so willing to order it and almost seemed excited that Ellie seemed to be such a good candidate for it (this brace, called a SWASH, is a really new thing). It is supposed to help with her scissoring (crossing her legs) when she walks, which is definitely Ellie's biggest hindrance right now. Of course, we're thrilled that she's going to get this equipment, but the not-so-hot detail is that we will have to come back in about a month to pick it up (we love coming down here, especially to see one of my BFFs, but it IS an 8-hour one-way drive!).
So, there you have it! We felt really great about the visit and consider it to be MORE than worth it. Ellie's doing so fabulous, y'all. There were several older kids (teenager-ish) at the hospital today, using walkers or canes, and I just felt so encouraged to see their abilities. Ellie's gonna be there too! I just know it!
I'll leave you with a few pictures and a goodnight kiss from the Twin Cities. Mwwwaaah!
The mold of Ellie's new leg brace
Picking out a toy with sweet nurse Kim
Waitin' on the doctor
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
There. I did it. Are you happy now?
I have been tagged on Facebook a hundred times. For true. If I get one more "It's YOUR turn to write 25 Random Things About Yourself" email, I will vomit up my Cadbury Cream Egg. Here is my experiment to see if people will stop tagging me: actually do the stupid thing. So, here on both my blog and Facebook page are 25 pickin' Random Things About Me.
1. I have grey hair. A lot of it. If I don’t color my hair at least once every 2 months, the grey starts to become easily visible on the side of my head. It sucks. I hate coloring my hair myself (don’t even ask me how many towels are stained because of my Loreal adventures) and I REALLY hate dishing out $200 every other month to get it done professionally. Grey hair is dumb and expensive.
2. I am a passionate egalitarian. Some would describe me as feminist, and although I embrace that label, I much prefer a term that includes equality. I get hot under my unpressed collar every time women’s issues come up. I ardently believe in equality within marriage, within the church, within the workforce, within pretty much everything. If I had unlimited funds and time, I would go back to school for my Masters degree in Women’s Studies. I would love every inch of reading and discussion!
3. I was so scared of fire and of burning myself, that I didn’t independently light a match until I was in my 20s.
4. I love watching political commentary shows on Sunday morning. I get dressed for church to the words of George Stephanopolus (now that Tim Russert is gone and “Meet The Press” sucks monkey’s balls). The Canadian political shows come on after church starts, so I am fairly Americanized in this regard. I seriously smile before going to sleep on Saturday night, in anticipation of drinking coffee while watching a good round table discussion.
5. I am a bit anal about cleaning. Messiness registers as chaos in my brain, so I’m just a much nicer (and coherent) person when I’m in a decluttered, tidy space. I don’t think I’m an OCD cleaner, but I do have an obsession with corners. I hate dust and dirt in baseboard corners. I’m also a real stickler when it comes to bathroom cleanliness. My dream would be for someone in our house to pee sitting down, but until that happens, I will scrub the toilet and the floor surrounding it, every other day. Now, I *do* find that cupboards and closests are outside the clean equation. Mine are messy as all get-out. Ha!
6. I love milk. I could drink a gallon every few days if I’d let myself.
7. I wear inappropriate footwear a lot. I don’t even own a pair of boots and I live in Canada. I seriously wear flip flops until the tips of my toes turn gangrenous from frost bite. Actually, the big toe on my left foot has no feeling because of “the frostbite incident” in 1988. I was in 6th grade and we were waiting for the Olympic Torch to pass through our town (the Olympics were in Canada that year). I wore these tight pink Converse sneakers because they looked COOL. So cool, in fact, that my toe froze for good. So, see, I have an Olympic battle scar too!
8. I secretly love dressing Ellie up in froo-froo dresses. Like wedding-flower-girl-ish dresses. Pains me to admit it, but it’s true. Just wait till you see the dress I just bought her for Easter!
9. I could eat a family sized container of Cole Slaw from KFC as my meal. Best. Coleslaw. Ever.
10. I could be an gun control lobbyist. I am more passionate about women’s rights, but gun control would be a close second or third (I’m a pretty passionate person!). I hate guns. I wish it were against the law for anyone (other than law enforcement) living in city limits to own a gun.
11. I don’t drink a lot of carbonated beverages. Soft drinks are NOT my guilty pleasure. Now, sweet tea, THAT’s a diet-breaker. Carbonated drinks give me heartburn.
12. I am a terrible car passenger. Eight or so years ago, Richie and I were in an accident. Richard was driving and it wasn’t his fault. It wasn’t necessarily a BAD wreck, but I had to go for chiropractic treatments for a few months. The worst part of it, though, was how it seemed to traumatize me. I am ALWAYS nervous in a car, waiting for the next accident to happen. I realize I’m annoying, but I don’t know how to change it. Medication, maybe?
13. I miss Texas every day. When we lived in Texas, I missed Canada every day. I have SEVERE “grass is greener” disorder.
14. I am a big believer in Affirmative Action. Perhaps one day, when the percentage of the population living under the poverty line is less than 50% African American, I may be persuaded to eliminate Affirmative Action. Until then, however, I have no problem balancing the playing field a little bit. I know that I was born with privilege simply because of my parent’s skin color. That’s not fair. AA makes it a little less unfair.
15. I’m not an animal lover. I wouldn’t go so far as to say I’m an animal HATER, but I would be more than content to be pet-less for the rest of our lives. Richard and I actually had a dog during our first year of marriage. It ended up breaking my heart, because we had to put him down. I’m not sure I want to deal with that heart-ache again. I also like the freedom that pet-less-ness affords.
16. I have won many a farting contest. Just ask the girls in my youth group. Or Richie.
17. I love Lean Cuisine Thai Chicken Pasta. I eat one at least once per week for lunch. It reminds me a little bit of my favourite dish of all time: Thai “peanut butter” pasta at Cheesecake Factory (with angel hair noodles). See number 13. We don’t have a Cheesecake Factory in our current neck of the woods.
18. Ellie cries every night when we put her to bed. Sometimes it’s for 1 minute; sometimes it’s for 20 minutes. She’s done it since the day she was born. I don’t even notice it anymore. Well, I *do* notice it when we have people over and I get paranoid that they’ll be calling CFS to report us. My conclusion is that Ellie just needs to get it out at the end of the day, and her way of emotional release is through crying.
19. I played ringette all the way up to 9th grade. What is ringette, you ask? It’s pretty much hockey. Back in my day, girls weren’t really allowed to play hockey yet, so they played ringette (a ring replaced the puck, hence the name). There was no fighting or body checking allowed. But, man, was I a verbal goon. I was nasty. Truly. If anyone reading this played ringette against me, accept my apology for dissing your mama, making fun of your flat chest, and spitting in your face.
20. I love luxurious bedding. I am a stickler for down comforters and for sheet sets over the thread count of 600.
21. I no longer drink flavoured coffee. Guess that phase is done. I’m just a dry roast, half-and-half cream kinda girl now.
22. I really, really, really, really wish my uterus worked.
23. It’s only been a few weeks, but I’m already missing football in a major way. Of course, I miss college ball the most, but I also love me some NFL. I think I will always be a Cowboys fan, after living in Dallas for seven years. They’re always good for a laugh, especially with Jerry Jones at the helm.
24. I hate talking on the phone. For this reason, I love my answering machine. I don’t know what it is, but I would much rather send you a 5-page email (do emails have pages?) than answer your phone call.
25. We’re selling pizzas for our missions trip fundraiser. Wanna buy some?
1. I have grey hair. A lot of it. If I don’t color my hair at least once every 2 months, the grey starts to become easily visible on the side of my head. It sucks. I hate coloring my hair myself (don’t even ask me how many towels are stained because of my Loreal adventures) and I REALLY hate dishing out $200 every other month to get it done professionally. Grey hair is dumb and expensive.
2. I am a passionate egalitarian. Some would describe me as feminist, and although I embrace that label, I much prefer a term that includes equality. I get hot under my unpressed collar every time women’s issues come up. I ardently believe in equality within marriage, within the church, within the workforce, within pretty much everything. If I had unlimited funds and time, I would go back to school for my Masters degree in Women’s Studies. I would love every inch of reading and discussion!
3. I was so scared of fire and of burning myself, that I didn’t independently light a match until I was in my 20s.
4. I love watching political commentary shows on Sunday morning. I get dressed for church to the words of George Stephanopolus (now that Tim Russert is gone and “Meet The Press” sucks monkey’s balls). The Canadian political shows come on after church starts, so I am fairly Americanized in this regard. I seriously smile before going to sleep on Saturday night, in anticipation of drinking coffee while watching a good round table discussion.
5. I am a bit anal about cleaning. Messiness registers as chaos in my brain, so I’m just a much nicer (and coherent) person when I’m in a decluttered, tidy space. I don’t think I’m an OCD cleaner, but I do have an obsession with corners. I hate dust and dirt in baseboard corners. I’m also a real stickler when it comes to bathroom cleanliness. My dream would be for someone in our house to pee sitting down, but until that happens, I will scrub the toilet and the floor surrounding it, every other day. Now, I *do* find that cupboards and closests are outside the clean equation. Mine are messy as all get-out. Ha!
6. I love milk. I could drink a gallon every few days if I’d let myself.
7. I wear inappropriate footwear a lot. I don’t even own a pair of boots and I live in Canada. I seriously wear flip flops until the tips of my toes turn gangrenous from frost bite. Actually, the big toe on my left foot has no feeling because of “the frostbite incident” in 1988. I was in 6th grade and we were waiting for the Olympic Torch to pass through our town (the Olympics were in Canada that year). I wore these tight pink Converse sneakers because they looked COOL. So cool, in fact, that my toe froze for good. So, see, I have an Olympic battle scar too!
8. I secretly love dressing Ellie up in froo-froo dresses. Like wedding-flower-girl-ish dresses. Pains me to admit it, but it’s true. Just wait till you see the dress I just bought her for Easter!
9. I could eat a family sized container of Cole Slaw from KFC as my meal. Best. Coleslaw. Ever.
10. I could be an gun control lobbyist. I am more passionate about women’s rights, but gun control would be a close second or third (I’m a pretty passionate person!). I hate guns. I wish it were against the law for anyone (other than law enforcement) living in city limits to own a gun.
11. I don’t drink a lot of carbonated beverages. Soft drinks are NOT my guilty pleasure. Now, sweet tea, THAT’s a diet-breaker. Carbonated drinks give me heartburn.
12. I am a terrible car passenger. Eight or so years ago, Richie and I were in an accident. Richard was driving and it wasn’t his fault. It wasn’t necessarily a BAD wreck, but I had to go for chiropractic treatments for a few months. The worst part of it, though, was how it seemed to traumatize me. I am ALWAYS nervous in a car, waiting for the next accident to happen. I realize I’m annoying, but I don’t know how to change it. Medication, maybe?
13. I miss Texas every day. When we lived in Texas, I missed Canada every day. I have SEVERE “grass is greener” disorder.
14. I am a big believer in Affirmative Action. Perhaps one day, when the percentage of the population living under the poverty line is less than 50% African American, I may be persuaded to eliminate Affirmative Action. Until then, however, I have no problem balancing the playing field a little bit. I know that I was born with privilege simply because of my parent’s skin color. That’s not fair. AA makes it a little less unfair.
15. I’m not an animal lover. I wouldn’t go so far as to say I’m an animal HATER, but I would be more than content to be pet-less for the rest of our lives. Richard and I actually had a dog during our first year of marriage. It ended up breaking my heart, because we had to put him down. I’m not sure I want to deal with that heart-ache again. I also like the freedom that pet-less-ness affords.
16. I have won many a farting contest. Just ask the girls in my youth group. Or Richie.
17. I love Lean Cuisine Thai Chicken Pasta. I eat one at least once per week for lunch. It reminds me a little bit of my favourite dish of all time: Thai “peanut butter” pasta at Cheesecake Factory (with angel hair noodles). See number 13. We don’t have a Cheesecake Factory in our current neck of the woods.
18. Ellie cries every night when we put her to bed. Sometimes it’s for 1 minute; sometimes it’s for 20 minutes. She’s done it since the day she was born. I don’t even notice it anymore. Well, I *do* notice it when we have people over and I get paranoid that they’ll be calling CFS to report us. My conclusion is that Ellie just needs to get it out at the end of the day, and her way of emotional release is through crying.
19. I played ringette all the way up to 9th grade. What is ringette, you ask? It’s pretty much hockey. Back in my day, girls weren’t really allowed to play hockey yet, so they played ringette (a ring replaced the puck, hence the name). There was no fighting or body checking allowed. But, man, was I a verbal goon. I was nasty. Truly. If anyone reading this played ringette against me, accept my apology for dissing your mama, making fun of your flat chest, and spitting in your face.
20. I love luxurious bedding. I am a stickler for down comforters and for sheet sets over the thread count of 600.
21. I no longer drink flavoured coffee. Guess that phase is done. I’m just a dry roast, half-and-half cream kinda girl now.
22. I really, really, really, really wish my uterus worked.
23. It’s only been a few weeks, but I’m already missing football in a major way. Of course, I miss college ball the most, but I also love me some NFL. I think I will always be a Cowboys fan, after living in Dallas for seven years. They’re always good for a laugh, especially with Jerry Jones at the helm.
24. I hate talking on the phone. For this reason, I love my answering machine. I don’t know what it is, but I would much rather send you a 5-page email (do emails have pages?) than answer your phone call.
25. We’re selling pizzas for our missions trip fundraiser. Wanna buy some?
A Happy Spring Picture for a Happy Spring Blog
Thanks once again to my on-call I.T. guy for making my blog all spring-like!
And thanks to my little girl who can actually make western wear look cute!
And thanks to my little girl who can actually make western wear look cute!
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Work It, Girl!
Camera in hand, Richie-Rich took Ellie to her therapy session at The Movement Centre last week. The shots aren't the greatest because, well, Richard is no professional (ha!) , and he had to take most of them from behind the glass in the observation room. Ellie gets a little ticked at us if she knows we're watching her, so we have to stay behind the "police interrogation mirror-sided" glass. Tee hee!
Ellie always walks in and out of her classroom, down the hallway. You can see here that Gemma, Ellie's therapist, is just holding Ellie's upper body while she takes steps on her own.
Gemma is only giving Ellie a little bit of support with her finger tips. Yay!
Yes, Ellie's now wearing different pants. When Ellie arrives at The Movement Centre, she walks to the bathroom and they put her in panties and "it's okay if they get peed in" pants. She's going on 4 months straight of being DRY the entire three hours!
Snack time!
Ellie always walks in and out of her classroom, down the hallway. You can see here that Gemma, Ellie's therapist, is just holding Ellie's upper body while she takes steps on her own.
Gemma is only giving Ellie a little bit of support with her finger tips. Yay!
Yes, Ellie's now wearing different pants. When Ellie arrives at The Movement Centre, she walks to the bathroom and they put her in panties and "it's okay if they get peed in" pants. She's going on 4 months straight of being DRY the entire three hours!
Snack time!
The whole concept at the Movement Centre is to train the kids to be as independent as possible. That's the parenting mission of Richie and me, too, I suppose. So, a little thing like putting on your own shoes becomes a BIG DEAL! Ellie's been "forced" to at least attempt to put on and take off her own shoes at therapy for 2 years now. She's starting to get the hang out of it!
Organized chaos?!
I am CERTAIN that Richard did Ellie's hair that day!
Monday, February 9, 2009
THANK YOU!
To YOU, and YOU, and YOU!
Some of you I can (and hopefully DO) thank in "real life". Some of you I can (and hopefully DO) thank through emails. But, some of you are lurkers without known names. To you, I extend a super big blog thank you.
Thank you for all the wonderful words of love, encouragement, wisdom and even butt-kicking (cuz I need that a LOT!) that you leave in the comment section of this here therapy blog. Every once and I while I glance at my counter and I'm always flabbergasted that so many of you pop by! (It also makes me feel much less blog-stalker-ey, because obviously I'm not the only one out there!)
I love all of your comments, I really do. I love that you share in my excitement and in my sorrow. I love that you argue politics with me and that you laugh at my pictures.
I would also love to know who some of you "strangers" are! Send me an email or let me know your blog address so I can stalk back.
You have blessed me today.
Some of you I can (and hopefully DO) thank in "real life". Some of you I can (and hopefully DO) thank through emails. But, some of you are lurkers without known names. To you, I extend a super big blog thank you.
Thank you for all the wonderful words of love, encouragement, wisdom and even butt-kicking (cuz I need that a LOT!) that you leave in the comment section of this here therapy blog. Every once and I while I glance at my counter and I'm always flabbergasted that so many of you pop by! (It also makes me feel much less blog-stalker-ey, because obviously I'm not the only one out there!)
I love all of your comments, I really do. I love that you share in my excitement and in my sorrow. I love that you argue politics with me and that you laugh at my pictures.
I would also love to know who some of you "strangers" are! Send me an email or let me know your blog address so I can stalk back.
You have blessed me today.
Saturday, February 7, 2009
Yippee!
Oh, goodness, my heart swells! Ellie's walker-walking is improving SO MUCH. Two months ago, there was NO WAY that she could have walked down the hall without any assistance. She wasn't able to take steps AND push the walker at the same time. Now, look at her! It may not be pretty or perfect, but she's doing it by HERSELF. I am so convinced that my little girl is going to WALK into her kindergarten class 18 months from now. And that makes my heart smile.
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
Let's Talk Politics
Top Ten Political Thoughts Running Through Chrystie’s Head
1. I like the Canadian stimulus package. I don’t like EVERYTHING about it, of course (ie: the tax cuts), but I give it a definite B+. I would have replaced the tax cuts with adding childcare spots and increasing EI payments, but overall, I think it’s pretty solid. I am selfishly loving the $1300 tax credit for renovations. We had someone come down and give us an estimate for hardwood flooring, and let’s just say that an extra $1300 would be eagerly accepted!
2. I don’t like the US stimulus package. In fact, it makes me a bit pissy with Mr. Obama. I think he could have used this as an opportunity to build some bridges and heal some partisan wounds. Instead, he and his team of economic advisers puked out stupid concessions over the entire document. It stinks. Also, I think that…
3. Protectionism, be it American or Canadian, is stupid. Including a protectionist clause into the US stimulus package will only result in further global recession and retaliation from other nations. This isn’t just a US recession. When the global economy recovers, so will America’s.
4. I really miss Tim Russert. It pains me to watch Meet The Press these days. RIP, Timmy-too.
5. I like Ignatieff. Apparently, so do the editors of the New York Times. It’s not every day that a new Canadian politician warrants a NY Times article. I can now declare myself, once again, a proud Liberal.
6. Why won't health insurance (either government or private) cover conductive therapy? You all know how much I love The Movement Centre, where Ellie receives therapy twice a week. Because the therapists at the Movement Centre aren't trained at university in a standard physical therapy program, their services are not eligible for funding. Conductive therapy is administered in a group setting, which means the costs are much lower than one-on-one treatment with a physical therapist. Private physical therapy runs around $100/hour where we live, and conductive therapy is $50/hour. It's not rocket science to figure out that our kids get much more bang for the buck at the Movement Centre! Therapy is the reason why Ellie is able to walk in her walker. Think of how much money the government is saving by not having to pay for a $50,000 motorized wheelchair for Ellie. Intensive (conductive) therapy WORKS, it's CHEAPER, it saves the government (and insurance companies) MONEY and, most importantly, it improves quality of living. I need to become a lobbyist.
7. Nancy Pelosi bugs me.
8. Jack Layton is a crack-smoker.
9. I think that Hillary was a good choice for Secretary of State. However, I was a bit disappointed at the appointment. I really wanted her to head the “Committee that will actually give a rat’s petunia and do something to change Healthcare”. Because she DOES give a vermin’s butt. And she DOES have some clout. And now, with the Democrat-stacked house, is the time to make these changes. Oh well.
10. I left the most controversial statement for last. I know that many of you reading this blog will disagree with me on this one, but, hey, there’s nothing better than a political argument between friends. So, here it is: I am against school-sanctioned prayer in public schools. I know, I know, my butt is headed straight toward Eternal Hot Springs. I just know that I don’t want Ellie to be forced to read the Qaran or to rub the feet of Buddha. So, if that means keeping ALL religion out of public school, then so be it. Ellie can pray to Jesus all day long if her sweet heart desires. My definition of prayer is “communicating with God”. Thank goodness God doesn’t have selective hearing. He knows when we’re chatting with him, even silently. I believe in the separation of church and state. If the government funds the schools, then that separation should be evident. I grew up in a very small, conservative Christian town. Every morning, when we took our seats in the PUBLIC high school, our home room teacher was required to say the Lord’s Prayer with us. My tenth grade homeroom teacher was a foul-mouthed pagan alcoholic. But, there she was, every weekday morning at 9:00am, reciting the Lord’s Prayer with her half-sleeping class of 15-year olds. It was ridiculous. In fact, I would venture to say that it was borderline blasphemous. It had no place in public school. I don’t want that for Ellie.
And there you have it from the cyber-mouth of your favorite wannabe-political commentator!
1. I like the Canadian stimulus package. I don’t like EVERYTHING about it, of course (ie: the tax cuts), but I give it a definite B+. I would have replaced the tax cuts with adding childcare spots and increasing EI payments, but overall, I think it’s pretty solid. I am selfishly loving the $1300 tax credit for renovations. We had someone come down and give us an estimate for hardwood flooring, and let’s just say that an extra $1300 would be eagerly accepted!
2. I don’t like the US stimulus package. In fact, it makes me a bit pissy with Mr. Obama. I think he could have used this as an opportunity to build some bridges and heal some partisan wounds. Instead, he and his team of economic advisers puked out stupid concessions over the entire document. It stinks. Also, I think that…
3. Protectionism, be it American or Canadian, is stupid. Including a protectionist clause into the US stimulus package will only result in further global recession and retaliation from other nations. This isn’t just a US recession. When the global economy recovers, so will America’s.
4. I really miss Tim Russert. It pains me to watch Meet The Press these days. RIP, Timmy-too.
5. I like Ignatieff. Apparently, so do the editors of the New York Times. It’s not every day that a new Canadian politician warrants a NY Times article. I can now declare myself, once again, a proud Liberal.
6. Why won't health insurance (either government or private) cover conductive therapy? You all know how much I love The Movement Centre, where Ellie receives therapy twice a week. Because the therapists at the Movement Centre aren't trained at university in a standard physical therapy program, their services are not eligible for funding. Conductive therapy is administered in a group setting, which means the costs are much lower than one-on-one treatment with a physical therapist. Private physical therapy runs around $100/hour where we live, and conductive therapy is $50/hour. It's not rocket science to figure out that our kids get much more bang for the buck at the Movement Centre! Therapy is the reason why Ellie is able to walk in her walker. Think of how much money the government is saving by not having to pay for a $50,000 motorized wheelchair for Ellie. Intensive (conductive) therapy WORKS, it's CHEAPER, it saves the government (and insurance companies) MONEY and, most importantly, it improves quality of living. I need to become a lobbyist.
7. Nancy Pelosi bugs me.
8. Jack Layton is a crack-smoker.
9. I think that Hillary was a good choice for Secretary of State. However, I was a bit disappointed at the appointment. I really wanted her to head the “Committee that will actually give a rat’s petunia and do something to change Healthcare”. Because she DOES give a vermin’s butt. And she DOES have some clout. And now, with the Democrat-stacked house, is the time to make these changes. Oh well.
10. I left the most controversial statement for last. I know that many of you reading this blog will disagree with me on this one, but, hey, there’s nothing better than a political argument between friends. So, here it is: I am against school-sanctioned prayer in public schools. I know, I know, my butt is headed straight toward Eternal Hot Springs. I just know that I don’t want Ellie to be forced to read the Qaran or to rub the feet of Buddha. So, if that means keeping ALL religion out of public school, then so be it. Ellie can pray to Jesus all day long if her sweet heart desires. My definition of prayer is “communicating with God”. Thank goodness God doesn’t have selective hearing. He knows when we’re chatting with him, even silently. I believe in the separation of church and state. If the government funds the schools, then that separation should be evident. I grew up in a very small, conservative Christian town. Every morning, when we took our seats in the PUBLIC high school, our home room teacher was required to say the Lord’s Prayer with us. My tenth grade homeroom teacher was a foul-mouthed pagan alcoholic. But, there she was, every weekday morning at 9:00am, reciting the Lord’s Prayer with her half-sleeping class of 15-year olds. It was ridiculous. In fact, I would venture to say that it was borderline blasphemous. It had no place in public school. I don’t want that for Ellie.
And there you have it from the cyber-mouth of your favorite wannabe-political commentator!
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