Helping

Ever since I started to think and question as a teen I wanted to help others. I wondered who were the most in need and what I could do. In the course of that quest I have been actively involved in the pro-life movement, volunteered at a crisis pregnancy center, had a job as clothing room manager for the Milwaukee Rescue Mission women’s and children’s division, and went on a spring break trip to help a farming community recover after a flood. Those are just the things that come to mind in the few minutes I am spending writing. I say all that not to tout my goodness (you all probably know what a spectacular person I am, JK), but to qualify myself as a person who has seen many aspects of people and organizations who are trying to help others in the ways they see as effective. Some of my volunteer and work activities made me feel I was making a difference, some made me cynical and all of them have formed my opinion of the bad, better, and best ways of helping those who need it. Some of my views on this issue are not in the least politically correct, and one of these days I will spout all of my lovely opinions on the subject here on this page for all 2 of my followers to see.

In the meantime, I wanted to let you know about an organization I support that I think has a very effective view on how to help those in the world who can really use it. KIVA. I have supported three entrepreneurs through them, and I think their idea works. They don’t give hand-outs. They provide loans to people in many countries around the world who ordinarily would never have access to loans. These people use the money specifically to expand a business they already have taken the initiative to create, and then pay it back. Except in dire circumstances like post-earthquake Haiti, I believe giving others help with dignity is the best way to go long-term to help people and hopefully, countries prosper. The video below explains more about what KIVA is about.

My Awesome Kids

The other day I became overwhelmed with awe at my kids. The day started before I was awake with Evan, our early riser, getting up (probably at 6:00 or 6:30) and discovering that our one year old foster daughter was awake. My husband informed me that Evan got her out of her bed, closed the bedroom doors so as not to wake any other sleeping family members, and took her out to the living room. Then he got some toys out for her and played with her. This is not the first time he has done this. I have told the kids that for certain chores they do that I have not asked them to do they can earn money. I have offered Evan money for helping with the baby but he refuses it. Later that day I caught Nina changing the baby’s poopy diaper. I had previously showed her how so she does a good job at it, and enjoys the responsibility. Nina has begun taking pride in helping the girls decide on cute outfits, and changing them in the morning. She, unlike Evan, gladly accepts compensation. Then in the evening we went out to Golden Corral where Nina happily listed each family member to our waitress, including ages and parental first names. Then, she brought back a plate with pizza on it especially for our 2 year old foster daughter because Nina knew it was her favorite, and this was before Nina brought back a plate for herself. Arin fed the baby crackers and then gave her some of his drink. Then the kids went on a wild sharing frenzy, offering everyone at the table sips of their pop. Talk about a parent’s heart swelling with pride. Forget scoring a soccer goal, or getting a medal in a winter gymnastics show. I don’t care if any of my kids ever refer to anyone as Ma’am. It is these self-initiated acts of kindness and helping that tell me my kids are growing into the kind of people I want to infuse into society: the kind that will see a need and fill it.

The god that is Tim Minchin

Lately I have become infatuated with an Australian guy named Tim Minchin. I am not the only one so I am sure some of you may have heard of him. He is the kind of guy I would love to invite to one of our friend gatherings with his wife. He would have some fabulous contribution to the conversation and have the best definitions for Balderdash. It is hard to confine him to a category. He considers himself a musician apparently, though in all honesty his voice, while so likable, is relatively mediocre. Yet somehow I can’t get him out of my head. His song writing is wonderful, and I get chills when I listen to his artful, yet hilarious word combinations. Oh gosh it just turns me on to think about his vocabulary. He says things that I very often agree with, though he says it in such a lovely crass, would-never-enter-a-politically-correct-conversation sort of way. He specializes in talking about social issues, everyday life and religion, or the lack thereof, and he has a way of saying what I am thinking, but in public. Then he combines that with spectacular piano playing. He will even jump up and squash keys with his toes on occasion. His fingers completely make up for his vocal chords. In a somewhat similar sense what he lacks in the looks department he makes up for in eyeliner and hairspray. Then to distract the onlooker from lack of muscle elsewhere on his body he uses every facial muscle with utmost dexterity. I believe one reason my husband doesn’t mind my crush on Tim is because he knows that Tim doesn’t really have anything on him in the looks department. There would not be much advantage in shagging Tim. Tim is also happily married with two kids. What a fantastically paradoxical turn on. I have seen my husband experience the same catch-22 of being admired by women for his devotion to me. Nothing could distract me, however from the awe I experience when Tim puts together his words and his music. So I just had to share him.

Tim Minchin - Peace Anthem For Palestine - Watch more Videos at Vodpod.

Obsessing

Me and my sometimes obsession

Arin and his current obession

It’s not that a person’s vocabulary is tied directly to their value, but I do love the moment when my seven year old is praying before a meal and he uses “beautiful” correctly in a sentence…twice. I recently dusted off our ancient ornate-looking dictionary because Evan drew a picture for his daily journal and used the words “lego creations” just so he could look up the “c” word in it. Very exciting stuff to me. There are a multitude of reasons I love having my kids with me so much. One of them being encouraging thier vocabulary, and another the things I get to discuss with them at oddball teachable moments.

One such moment with Arin recently combined the two. Arin has sort of an obsessive personality and when he is interested in something it can consume him. This is what happened when he was introduced to the X-men. If you happen to have owned a Klingon dictionary, or have attended a convention wearing the clothing of your other personality you may understand this way of thinking. Arin could talk endlessly to anyone about this one topic. His spare time was rarely spent without his plastic superhero companions.

When I finished my marathon in November I found myself strangely physically attached to my finisher’s medal. It was hard to put down for the next week, and each time I rubbed it my face fell into a dreamy smile. I explained to Arin that I was obsessing over my medal, similar to the way he obsessed over the X-men. I got over the medal after the first week and began leaving it at home. Then one day a few weeks later I spied it again and it filled me with pride. I took it to the car and hung it from the rearview mirror as I was packing kids and snacks into the van. Fifteen minutes into our drive I heard Arin’s voice “Mom, are you obsessing, again?” I laughed and admitted to Arin that he caught me. He loved the attention of me retelling the story to Grandma and Grandpa so much that “obsessing” is now a permanent part of his vocabulary.