30 - Big Deal

Well, I turned 30 yesterday and it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. I'm convinced that it was easier for me than Ryan or some friends of mine because I benefited from their experiences with the big 3-0.

My friend Tory turned 30 about six weeks ago and took me to the Chocolate Bar for an early b-day present last weekend. Tory is a friend from college who went on to law school, became a JAG attorney with the army and is now clerking for a federal judge here in Houston. She's traveled the world, having gone to four continents and so many countries I've lost count.

Even after all of her successes, she revealed that she mourns her twenties for all of the things that she has NOT accomplished, such as getting married, buying a house and having children. In short, she wants what I have and I, in turn, want what she has had.

I think the scary thing about hitting a big number in birthday years is the reflection that accompanies it. While I'm proud of what I accomplished during my twenties (graduating college, getting a job, getting married, buying a house, having a child) I can't help but think of missed opportunities. I will forever regret not traveling abroad while in college; I had chances to go to France and Israel and turned them down out of fear. I considered law school but opted for starting a job right out of undergrad in order to get my life going; now that I know that teaching is not for me, I really regret that decision.

For me, turning 30 was like a really intense New Year's Eve - a lot of reflection, but also some enthusiasm for what's to come. Perhaps we'll move into a bigger house, maybe we'll have more children and I might even make a huge career change. Who knows.....it's the uncertainty that makes it so exciting.

Government Spending Gone Awry

Here's something thought provoking (it's been checked against the Snopes website and is true) -

The next time you hear a politician use the word "billion" in a casual manner, think about whether you want the "politicians" spending your tax money.

A billion is a difficult number to comprehend, but one advertising agency did a good job of putting that figure into some perspective in one of its releases.

a.. A billion seconds ago it was 1959.

b.. A billion minutes ago Jesus was alive.

c.. A billion hours ago our ancestors were living in the Stone Age.

d.. A billion days ago no-one walked on the earth on two feet.

e.. A billion dollars ago was only 8 hours and 20 minutes, at the rate our government is spending it.

The New "Survivor"

Have you heard about the next planned "Survivor" show?

6 men will be dropped on an island with 1 van and 4 kids each, for 6 weeks. Each kid plays two sports and either takes music or dance classes. There is no access to fast food.
Each man must take care of his 4 kids, keep his assigned house clean, correct all homework, complete science projects, cook, do laundry, etc.
The men only have access to television when the kids are asleep and all chores are done.
There is only one TV between them and there is no remote.
The men must shave their legs and wear makeup daily, which they must apply themselves either while driving or while making four lunches.
They must attend weekly PTA meetings; clean up after their sick children at 3:00 a.m; make an Indian hut model with six toothpicks, a tortilla and one marker; and get a 4 year old to eat a serving of peas.
The kids vote them off based on performance.
The winner gets to go back to his job.

Killer Kites

Who knew kite flying could be so dangerous....no wonder it's been banned!

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20060308/od_nm/pakistan_kites_dc

Farewell Whole Milk

At Sydney's 2-year check-up last May, I was informed that she was underweight for her age. We were advised to keep her on whole milk for another year in order to fatten her up. I thought she looked fine and wasn't worried because she is also short for her age (surprise, surprise), but what do I know....I'm just her mother.

Today, I took Sydney in because she's had a cough for a few weeks. In addition to a prescription for some antibiotics, her pediatrician weighed her. She now weighs a whopping 28 pounds, 5 ounces. That's enough to get her into the 25th percentile for her age and enough to take her off whole milk.

So finally, Sydney can drink skim milk with the two of us and I can stop buying two different kinds of milk during each grocery shopping trip. I have no idea what we'll do with our extra 60 cents each week (whole costs that much more than skim). But at least I can rest easy knowing that Sydney won't be one of those obese pre-schoolers featured in overblown media reports.

And people wonder why I quit.....

A 12 year old boy stuck piece of gum on an expensive painting while on a museum field trip. I immediately felt sorry for his teacher, although no one seemed to blame her (thankfully). The boy didn't think he'd done anything wrong......and people wonder why I quit teaching.


http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060301/ap_on_fe_st/gummed_up_art