Who is responsible for our kids?

So. I was sitting here earlier tonight doing a little laundry killing time until I had to go pick up my teenage daughter from the movies. On the TV, the local nightly news. A news story caught my attention and frankly made me shake my head in shame:
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/technology/2011/05/facebook-zuckerberg-privacy-teens-underage-users-consumers-union.html

Let me get this straight...Consumers Union is pissed off at Facebook because Mark Zuckerberg isn't doing more to police underage Facebook use. Hmmm. Let's ponder this. Last time I checked, shouldn't it be the responsibility of PARENTS to police this? I mean, I'm a young mother. I just turned 34 in April. My oldest daughter turned 15 in April. She has a Facebook. She wasn't allowed to have her own Facebook until she started high school in the fall. So, that meant she was 14. A year older than what is "required" to have a Facebook account...and that is WITH parental permission. At least that is what Facebook's account registration page asks.

I know of kids younger than 13 who have a Facebook page. Do I agree with it. Absolutely not. Is it my problem? Nope. Is it Mark Zuckerberg's problem...I don't think it is. This is a PARENT problem. This is a parent's not taking control problem. This is parents trying to be the good guy and thinking it's not a big deal that their 10 year old has a Facebook account. This is a HUGE indication of how parents are quick to point the finger to anyone but themselves and/or their child.

This topic literally flys all over my a$$. I mean, I consider myself a pretty strict parent. By NO means am I "perfect" or anywhere close. But I REFUSE to take my thumb too far off my kids when it comes to Internet use. I have all log in and password information. More than a few times a week I will log in to my daughter's Facebook account and "creep" on her page and the pages of her friends. She knows this. It's not a secret. I'm not sneaky about it. I tell her. I WANT her to know. I'm always watching...vigilant. The same goes for her cell phone. Spot checks...I'll just grab her phone at random and read some texts. Me doing this stuff was part of the conditions to her getting access to it. Not because I'm mean or not cool. And not because I'm not respectful of her privacy. Privacy? Heh...I digress.

I can't help but hear stories like this one and get angry with the way kids are being parented today...or lack there of. And people wonder why today's youth are so disrespectful and seem so entitled. It's because they weren't raised like we were...not even CLOSE. Granted, times are different now. There are so many more influences we as parents have to worry about. All the more reason to be more involved! We won't even get started on the "everyone plays & everyone wins" mentality that's being shoved down our throats in every aspect of our kids lives where there should be competition. I'll save that rant for another day!

I'd love to hear what you guys think about this...all 3 of my followers LOL Or ask your friends about this article...on your Facebook page *grin*

OK...I'm ready now

So. Spring has sprung. The birds are out in full force, chirping their spring songs. The weather is bi-polar and my children are counting the hours until the last day of school. The women of the world are doing the spring cleaning routine...time to wash the walls, windows and clean the nooks and crannies that are forgotten the rest of the year.

I mentioned in my previous post that we built a deck last spring. I use the term "we" as in we PAID for the deck to be built by a wonderful man and his crew of 1. He did a spectacular job with it and we thoroughly enjoyed the summer out there last year. Obviously we are eager to begin enjoying it again this year....but we can't yet.

A month or so ago when I was getting all antsy to start my "spring cleaning" because everyone else I knew was talking about doing THEIR spring cleaning, I asked my sister in law to bring her power washer up to help me clean my deck. After going over both our schedules and working around volleyball clinics, t-ball games and her work schedule - we nailed down a date. I really wanted it done before we had the boys' birthday party May 15th. We were going to do the cleaning the end of April. Perfect.

So, maybe two weeks prior to this perfect date we had set I gave Bob a haircut. Went outside and shook the excess hair off the side of the deck. I opened the door and there was a bird that flew quickly off my patio furniture. I said aloud to NO ONE, "What the hell is with the birds? Is there a freakin' nest or what?"...I walked over to where my patio furniture was neatly stacked for the winter and sure as shit there on the underside of a chair was a Robin's nest. Not only was it a nest, but it contained 4 perfect sweet blue eggs. AWWWWWW! I was SO excited! A bird's nest! On my deck! Low enough for us to see! The kids are going to flip!

Sure enough, when the kids got home from school they were in awe. Everyone took turns looking and of course I got pictures. See:

April 27, 2011

I of course did some research on the internet. Read that it takes about 2 weeks for eggs to hatch once they are all laid. Then after they hatch it's about another 2 weeks til they leave the nest. Oh. Um. Ok. But this is such an amazing opportunity for my children to see a wonder of nature! What's a month of not using my beautiful new deck? I mean, the loads of bird shit all over the siding, floor, railing and furniture I'm going to have to scrub are nothing compared to the circle of life happening right in front of us, right? Right?! *sigh*

About a week later, we have these:

May 6, 2011

Adorable? Right?! I wanted to snatch them out of the nest and hold 'em in my hand! Awwe!

The next week:

May 12, 2011

And as of yesterday they look like this:May 16, 2011

Can you believe how FAST they have grown?! I plan on taking pictures every other day now until the leave. Which is hopefully SOON! As much as I have loved the experience, I am SO ready to power wash all the bird shit off my beautiful deck and furniture! Now is the time little birdies...fly away....be FREE!

And the moral of this ladies and gents? Next year, the deck furniture is going in the basement.

Like a Phoenix rising from the ashes....

Wow...last blog post February 2009? Really? I can NOT believe it's been 2 years since I've blogged. I mean, I can kind of believe it. My life has had literally thousands of blog-worthy moments the past 2 years...but somehow I haven't had the time to sit down and document them.

Noteworthy moments:

April 2009 - I turned 32...now I'm 34 LOL

May 2009 - Rocco turned 1...Saturday he turned 3!

July 2009 - We went to Florida...again...saw the mouse...again...swore I wouldn't go back to Florida in the summer again.

September 2009 - My mom was diagnosed with Stage 4 Liver Cancer.

October 2009 - My mom passed away on the 17th. My world crumbled.

November 2009 - Went to Florida again. It was cold. But I needed the mouse after the October I had.

May 2010 - Put a deck on the house. It is awesome and we LOVE it.

July 2010 - Florida again...why do I do this to myself. Many years shall pass before we do this again. Although we had a blast and I got to meet up with a super cool friend and her family while we were there - love ya Mary Ann!

August 2010 - Roman started Kindergarten *tear*....Kailey started high school *sob*

September 2010 - My grandma passed away (my mom's mom). I'm now the only living female in my family. Wow.

I guess that kind of catches you up. I should also mention I started coaching volleyball at Kailey's school with a dear friend of mine. I am her assistant...love being the assistant LOL It keeps me super busy from August to October and March to May. We coach 7th - 12th grade. It's really awesome and I love doing it.

Kailey's Jr. High volleyball team finished 4th in the conference (11 teams) this year. This is a vast improvement on the last place finish the team has had for many years now. We are working really hard at turning the program around, and it's starting to show. Very exciting stuff!

Roman played flag football in late summer fall last year and plans on doing it again this year. He really loved it & asks when he gets to wear pads...umm...not for a few more years! He is currently playing t-ball. I have one word for t-ball excruciating...yeah...that'd be the word. I guess if you don't have a competative bone in your boday it would be right up your alley. Unfortunately my family has about 1000 competative bones collectively. So it's painful to sit through. After EVERY game Roman asks if he won. Yeah buddy...sure...you won *eyeroll* LOL But he is having fun...and that's all that matters!

Rocco is just Rocco. He is a super lovey sweet little boy who wants to do/say EVERYTHING his big brother does/says. It's almost like having a Roman clone in the house & almost to the point of making me want to pull my hair out LOL He has strange habits of smelling me all the time and wanting to invade my personal space anytime I decide to sit still. His favorite perch is on the recliner arm while I use my laptop...as that is pretty much the only time I sit anymore. I love him to bits though and can't get enough of his strong hugs and sweet kisses. It kills me that he is 3 now...*sigh*

I guess on that note, I will leave you with a few snaps of the growning weeds I affectionatly call my children...enjoy & I SWEAR I will post again soon!