Make Monday: Make Your Own Way

*This post is about being a strong woman. A strong woman and mother. Mommy's Recess receives no money from the Ernst campaign or those who fund her.*

In April 2003, I had agreed to work for Senator Grassley as his only person on his campaign staff for 2004.

I had just graduated from Iowa State University in December in 2002, and had worked for Chuck Gipp as the House Majority Leader in the 2003 session.

I had to have health insurance, as a woman. I paid for it, by myself, as a 23-24 year old. But that's just being personally responsible. After all, I had graduated from College, I didn't feel the need for my parents to be burdened by my insurance, be it health, car etc.

Since then, I've met my husband, I've worked, we had a child, we married, I continued to work, he went to Iraq and served his country. I continued to work when he had trouble finding a job.

Thankfully, he found a job, a job he's been at for 6 years. He climbed the ranks. After our third son was born, we could not afford daycare. So I stayed at home. It wasn't easy. It was tough. It still is tough.

I work at home. I am thankful that our boys can go to Grandma's Pre-School, free of cost, while I focus on my work. But I have no insurance, except for my husband.

And now? His insurance, his pay, will be deducted even more because of Obamacare.

Stop the socialism of America. Stop encouraging Obamacare. Vote for Joni Ernst. Vote for any Republicans in your district.

I made my own way. My parents made their own way.

As the 8th great grand-niece of Abigail Adams, make your own way. Make yourself who God made you to be.

All of my ancestors came here legally, new Americans should not have their first act as a citizen, should not be an illegal one.

Friday: Our Son's School Thinks He is Fractured....

I received an email today, an email no to parent wants to read.

"Hi Sarah!  I just wanted you to know that I have been keeping an eye on Sean's small motor skills and working closely with him on handwriting skills.  If it's ok with you, I would like the Occupational Therapist to pop in for a visit next week just to observe and offer any other activities for me to use with Sean.  Let me know if you have any questions.  Thanks so much!!"

I wanted to write, "He is in kindergarten. He is brilliant, sweet, charming and smart. Maybe he doesn't write his name correctly, but there's no need to have an "Occupational Therapist" visit him. We can work with him. He writes right to left, and it would be better for him to have his parents talk to him, than a complete stranger.

Kids are cruel. If they notice that Sean is being followed by someone that is not from the classroom, he will be teased. He is emotional and strong. He has been since birth. I can imagine if someone teases him, he might react in a manner that may be physical. And his father and I don't want that.

Please, before you bring in an Occupational Therapist, let us work with him."

However,

I responded to the email with, "Please, tell me more. What have you noticed?"

I am waiting on a response. Sean is NOT fractured. He is in kindergarten. He is learning. If you put this stigma on him that he is "different", he will feel that way.

He IS special. He is awesome. He thinks differently.

Maybe it is the educational system that is fractured or broken.

Maybe he won't conform to Common Core.

Maybe he is like his mom.

He goes his own way. He is smart, strong and determined. I am not turning away help, but let his parents help him before you bring in a "specialist."

Edit: I just spent 20 minutes on the phone with Sean's teacher. She is fine with us working with Sean until conferences mid-November.


 

 

Flashback Friday---Food Friday! Our Most Popular Food Post!

We're in the process of getting back to posting daily, but to hold you off, and tide you over, here is our top visited post, which is also a food post! Crock-pot Potato Soup!

http://www.mommysrecess.com/2011/03/food-friday-crock-pot-potato-soup.html Over 4,400 views!!

BUT, I've managed to improve the recipe. And even though it doesn't have as many page views, it is SO much better. http://www.mommysrecess.com/2011/09/food-friday-best-crock-pot-cheesy-baked.html

Enjoy!

We're BACK!!!

But we hope to help with everything moms need to stay sane! :D

Shuffle Saturday: Cheeseburger Soup in Homemade Bread Bowls

Just call me Sarah semi-homemade--minus the matching curtains with the outfit. Who has time for that?

This recipe is SO good....as always, I don't measure (just dump, dash, pinch) when cooking....

It's really an easy recipe...I use the Wisconsin Cheese Soup in the bag at Fareway (local grocery store) from Taste Traditions (frozen soup out of Omaha). While the soup is boiling in the bag, I brown 1.5 lbs of ground beef with diced red onion. Drain the meat, cut up some pre-cooked bacon, add to drained beef/onion.

Dump the boiling pot (plugging the sink to get humidity in the house in the winter), cut open the bag of soup and pour into the already hot pot. Add water and chicken bouillon. Dump the meat/bacon/onion mix in the pot with some pepper. Add shredded cheddar cheese and some frozen hashbrowns.


For the bread bowls: I use Rhodes loaf bread (3 loaves make 7 bread bowls), let them rise, tear them apart and roll them into balls with a little corn meal on them. Bake at 350 for an hour, take them out of the oven, cut a circle with a knife in the top, spoon out the insides (for dipping) once they're cool enough to handle.

Ladle the soup into the bread bowls and enjoy!

Nom, nom, nom.