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It’s been about 5 months since Miss Bit came along and joined us at Circus Maximus. I’m settling into the parenting roll gradually. She and I are both learning, about each other.  There are days that she is a delight. This morning she came into bed before we had gotten up and came over to snuggle with me till I got out of bed. There are days that I’m sure she is a demon. Last night for example, I was sure that not only was she pushing buttons, but she had a whole keyboard out and ready to go.

However, just in case you get a six year old of your own let me share a few things I have learned.

1. Kids say hilarious things without meaning too
    A recent conversation with her I made the comment to her jokingly of “You’re obnoxious” (Insert Finding Nemo voice too) She looked at me and matter of factly stated “No, I’m not obnoxious, I’m Pagan”

2.  What was liked today, will not be liked tomorrow. And neither will the food hated yesterday.
    Fishsticks were not ok at her Aunt and Uncles in Poway.  They were ok the first time I made them. The second time  they were made, they were not good. She had me add the cilantro to her chicken bacon tacos, just like everyone else and she liked it. She hated it on her pad thai though, it was too spicy.  We will not be making headway with salmon, sushi, nor mushrooms any time soon.  Indeed. It just adds to the joy of our food issues at Circus Maximus.

3. Six year olds have their own logic.
Sometimes this logic involved imaginary friends, other times its games. Sometimes it involves, both and its really hard to make heads or tales of a situation.

4. Six year olds can scream like fire alarms. 
It was only a spider, but yesterdays wake up call involved her screaming at the top of her lungs running the whole way from her room to mine. “Spider”When screamed like a six year old sounds a whole like “Fire” and is guaranteed to get Deb up and vibrating. 

And in case you get a thirty three year old of your own, let me share  a few things she’s learned

1.Debs sing in public. and dance and not the right way either.
2. Deb not Debbie. Calling her Debbie makes her sad.
3. No matter what you don’t eat Deb keeps cooking.
4. If you ask nicely, she’ll make you a snack, read you a story, or play a game with you.

Indeed. Such is life with my six yearold.

I’ve been a Cooking Light read for years and have been a subscriber for the past year. I enjoy the effort that goes into the magazine and the recipes, though I do question some of the advertisements used. One feature I have always disliked is the Fit House feature the magainze publishes annually.

For the Fit House feature they build or remodel a home and make it more appropriate for those aiming to live a healthy lifestyle . They improve the kitchen, add a fitness area and typically add extra activity space. This years Fit House also claims to be green and good for the environment. They claim that using green building materials, an urban area with local resources, low emission pain ,  effecient windows heating and cooling, water use,  and recycled materials make this house green.

From the Magazine itself : What makes it green

1. Exterior Materials :Locally sourced.
2.  Location : In an urban area so you don’t have to drive.
3. Low Emission paints and carpet.
4. Heating and Cooling systems :Efficient appliances.
5. Water use regulated: efficient applicances
6. Triple paned windows.
7. Recycled Roofing
8. Extra Insulation
9. Natural Light for less electric use.
10. Green Roof , for extra insulation.
11. Recycled decking.

I call bullshit. First of of the 11 items the magazines lists as “green “   are duplicates or achieve the same result.  Items 1, 7, and 11 are about the exterior of the housing being locally soured and recycled materials. Items 4,5,  can be summed up as efficient appliances.
6, 8 and 10 are all about extra insulation.  Trying to make it look better then it really is I think.

The amount of wasted space and the incredibly high price of this house are what make its “green status” that much more of a farce. Looking at my magazine this years green house has 6 bedrooms, two kitchens,  6 bathrooms,  A wine cellar in the basement a wine bar in the “penthouse” (I’ve counted that as a bedroom)  A family room, a rec room, a living room and  a sauna.  Perhaps appropriate for a commune of 3-4 couples, but not really  a single family home.

Last year’s fit house was 4,836 square feet. According to this article, this years is about the same size and is selling for a mere $4 million dollars. Perhaps you get fit from running from floor to floor.

These articles are supposed to be inspirational. symbols I understand that. However the insinuation that such overconsumption,and waste of space is “Fit” and “Green”disgusts me.

Maryland is considering tracking truant kids with GPS.

Back when I first entered Jasmine’s life. Leah and I took the day off to take Jasmine to the Wild Waves Water Park in Federal Way. We worked hard to keep an eye on her, as she was an energetic ball of 9 year old, bouncing off the walls in excitement. During one of our breaks I wondered if perhaps a gps system linking her to my PDA would not be a bad thing. Place the tracker in her earrings or bracelet, and download a map of the park before the trip. Then when you are looking for her you have an idea of where she’s at.

Not that I would suggest sitting on the sidelines and letting her run crazy, but the gps idea would let her go a little further afield without us freaking out over where she might be.

I’m back from Portland, and  with lots to say.

While the event was led by  Church of the Apostles Two other emerging churches made appearences,  The Bridge and  Soul Cafe .

All three Churches had some similarities and differences, all three told their story in different ways with amazing clarity. I have  6 pages worth of notes scribbled to decipher and to talk about. A lot of this will be thinking out loud while I wrap my brain around the event.

It was good and I’m glad I had the opportunity to go, now the question is where to go from here.

Haul out the holly;
Put up the tree before
My spirit falls again.
Fill up the stockings,
I may be rushing things,
But deck the halls again now.
For we need a little Christmas
Right this very minute,
Candles in the window,
Carols at the spinet.
Yes, we need a little Christmas
Right this very minute

—-

I have been ignoring the debate of Christmas versus Holidays. The debate claims to be about the secular holiday versus the religious holidays, but to me it all seems simple. Instead of worrying about the words being said, how about hearing the message behind the words.

Listen to the meaning the greeting, not just in the words being used. So many people are disillusioned by the season. Overwrought with the pressure of the season. The pressure of purchases and presents, the expectations of entertaining. So many people say "I can’t stand how commercial it is" as they run out to Target the day after Thanksgiving to get the special bargains.

The words themselves are just words, nothing else. There is nothing magic in the words "Merry Christmas" that will make you a christian, and no magaic in the words "Happy Holidays" that will make you a non Christian. these are just chosen expressions  that todays oversensitive society have taken issue with.

If you are worried that the holiday isnt religious enough, then make your traditions religious. Go to Church on Christmas Eve, have a creche in your house. Talk to your family about the meaning of Christmas and what it means . Examine why it is important to you, and share that.

If you are worried that the holiday is too religious, then make your traditions non religious. Celebrate what you believe in,  examine your belifs, find what is important and bring it out.

And above all, if the holiday is too stressfull,  to tension inducing, find a way to make it stop. Making the season something you can enjoy will help you bring out the best meaning.

—

Though I’m religious , most of my family is not, or at least not in the same vein I am. For me celebrating the holidays is about friends and family, food and entertaining. I’ll celebrate by going to church on Christmas day, by having a small dinner on Christmas Eve with close family. The gifts will be small, and are all family oriented, as we decided that was what was important this year.

I’m going to the Wal-Mart movie screening in Edmonds, you should come too.  More details are here:

http://action.bravenewfilms.org/event/wm_screening.jsp?event_KEY=6931
You can find out more about Robert Greenwald’s documentary, "Wal-Mart: The High Cost of Low Price", and other showings here:

http://www.walmartmovie.com/

On September 11th 2005, I returned to a church congregation after a 12 year absence. I joined the local church 2 blocks down, and here is what the bulliten had to say that day.

Deb is 30 Spends her days working UW in housing. She spends her evenings at school or with her family. In her free time she cooks, hikes, knits and writes. She also spends time volunteering at local events. She  is originally from Chicago, but made her way here in 2000 after a short stay in Phoenix. Her biggest challenges are balancing her fantastic domestic life with her work life all while figuring out what she wants to be when she grows up and attending school.

The Church is Broadview UCC. Located at 125th and Greenwood in one of the Northese bits of Seattle, it is a small homey congregation. Average attendance could be estimated at 25-30 people on a Sunday morning.  It is an involving congregation, as every little bit of help is appreciated and everyone steps up to offer assistance. While I’m not an every Sunday attendent as life gets in the way, I am very happy with this local community and the role I play in it.