8.31.2008
Gustav update
As of 5:00 central time, the weather station has the storm at a cat. 3 storm moving at 20 miles per hour. I guess the speed of the storm is a good thing because it will move faster over land and not cause as much flooding! The news reports have tropical force winds making landfall as soon as midnight and the outer bands of the storm hitting here soon! (It is al Rain is forcast from this evening until Friday when hopefully Gustav will have had his fun and gone on home! Shreveport is a major evacuee center with shelters housing thousands of people AND animals. Everything seems fairly calm, though there is quite a buzz of anticipation. We are currently under a flash flood and wind watch with a tropical weather advisory..whatever that means. In my world that means the red box movies will be going back a few days late and we might run out of popcorn! Also the paint supplies and construction paper are at the ready and the wii batteries are charged. (along with the real neccesities like a full tank of gas and bottled water). Yes. I allow my five year old to play video games. Yes. I understand that I always vowed I would never do that. No. I don't really care right now. I might just be playing along with him by the time we are going stir crazy on Thursday!
8.30.2008
Gustav
We are surprised by how affected we already are by this storm! We found out late this afternoon that schools are closed through Wednesday because of the potential for bad weather but mainly so our school buses can be sent to New Orleans! We went to the grocery store and the Albertsons gas pumps were covered up with ply wood. The bread shelves and water shelves were emptying fast. The only thing you hear anyone talking about is how ready the state seems to be this time and how they are not taking any chances. Several friends are housing evacuees. As we enter Sunday we ask for prayers for our state. Pray for our leadership, that they communicate and make smart decisions. Pray for the people of the state to make smart choices and not take unnecessary risks. Tomorrow morning the contraflow efforts on I-49 begin, closing any southward traffic and allowing more room for people to get out. I've never seen anything like this.
8.29.2008
So much...
So much has happened in the past few days that I want to blog about, but have not had the time. Topics to come back to: A's first full week of school, my first tutu sale, my future tutu sale ideas, B's brilliance (b/c we now believe he is a true Einstein.. really, no really, he is) and to top it all off, Lucas' promotion! Lets start with that one and I'll come back to the others as time allows.
Monday Lucas finished all requirements to complete his engineer training program! He is now officially a Field tech representative for a great company! We are sooo proud of all the hard work he has done. He has spent countless nights cold/hot/rained on/snowed on, muddy, tired, sleeping in folding chairs spending days away from home to learn the job. All without actually getting to do what he in turn was hired to do. All the pre-job learning was tough, but now he is getting a shot at the real stuff. I am so proud of him and grateful that he took this job and is now providing us with so much! I am able to stay at home with my boys, my lifelong career ambition :-). I am taking care of a couple of kids here at home to help with the financial gap, but Lucas is carrying the bulk of that for us! Today he was given his truck! Yay! We can get rid of one of our cars and all the costs associated with it. (YAY).
I sold two tutus to a friend and know that what I make are beautiful. I opened an etsy site, but don't think thats going to be true niche for selling these. Etsy seems a bit snooty. I make rustic hand tied tutus that are wonderful for imaginary play. There are women on there selling tutus they think are more like fashion icons. I really just want to make fun, fluffy confections. I walked into chik-fil-a carrying a couple of them and was pounced! So I KNOW I can sell them, I've just got to find a better way. I'm looking for craft sales at Christmas. Any friends or family you come across let them know!
Monday Lucas finished all requirements to complete his engineer training program! He is now officially a Field tech representative for a great company! We are sooo proud of all the hard work he has done. He has spent countless nights cold/hot/rained on/snowed on, muddy, tired, sleeping in folding chairs spending days away from home to learn the job. All without actually getting to do what he in turn was hired to do. All the pre-job learning was tough, but now he is getting a shot at the real stuff. I am so proud of him and grateful that he took this job and is now providing us with so much! I am able to stay at home with my boys, my lifelong career ambition :-). I am taking care of a couple of kids here at home to help with the financial gap, but Lucas is carrying the bulk of that for us! Today he was given his truck! Yay! We can get rid of one of our cars and all the costs associated with it. (YAY).
I sold two tutus to a friend and know that what I make are beautiful. I opened an etsy site, but don't think thats going to be true niche for selling these. Etsy seems a bit snooty. I make rustic hand tied tutus that are wonderful for imaginary play. There are women on there selling tutus they think are more like fashion icons. I really just want to make fun, fluffy confections. I walked into chik-fil-a carrying a couple of them and was pounced! So I KNOW I can sell them, I've just got to find a better way. I'm looking for craft sales at Christmas. Any friends or family you come across let them know!
8.24.2008
8.18.2008
8.09.2008
Pray for Lucas!
Many of you know that for the last seven months Lucas has been completing an extensive training program for the company he works for. Basically they take him from knowing nothing about the industry and expose him to every job in the field. He has taken classes in Houston and spent the remainder of his time finishing a VERY long checklist of other tasks. Usually he goes with a crew into the field and shadows different jobs. To learn he has to DO. We are soooo close to being done! YAY. He passed his final class and only has about 9 more jobs to attend!. To go with a crew there has to BE a crew and there has to BE a job. Please pray that these final tasks come up easily so that he can hop from one job to the next and get finished! When he is finished he will officially be employed and not a student:-). He will get a job title and promotion, along with some other perks that will really help.. such as a work vehicle and cell phone! Lucas has sacrificed so much to complete this job (including missing his sisters wedding) and there is a lot of pressure on him from his bosses to get finished quickly! Thanks for your prayers for his stamina and luck!
8.05.2008
Eduoard Hits Houston
Eduoard hits Houston as a Tropical Storm. Lucas was in Houston finishing up his level one classes, Sand Control. Waking up to discovery work is cancelled do to winds and rain. This is Lucas' first Houston Hurricane threat. Lucas made it to his IN-LAWs for dry land and a safe place to stay. The hotel room would be safe, but clusterphobia would have kicked in around High NOON. So Lucas spent August 5, 2008 undercover in Conroe, Texas avoiding Eduoard. All is well, by the time the storm hit Montgomery County there was nothing but rain. No sign of power outage in the city, no signs of branches or trees down.
8.04.2008
Moody Gardens
We went to Moody Gardens on Galveston Island this weekend and had a GREAT time! If you havent been there it is a botanical center with pyramid shaped exhibit halls. One hold museum type programing. We saw a Titanic exhibit that was beautiful and sad. It had relics pulled from the ocean floor like pottery and even a ladies powder compact still filled with powder! They also told the stories of people who both survived and were killed. There is a rainforest pyramid where most of the pictures were taken and an aquarium that was featuring sharks. And there was an imax. We saw a 3d sea monsters and ayden was terrified. B was squirmmy so Lucas escaped with him. I stayed because A loved the movie but couldnt let go of my arm. They also have a big resort style pool with a waterfall and lagoon. There is white sand and beach chairs and a pool side bar. The boys swam for a long time! Then we headed back to the hotel with Lucas where he is staying for two weeks. It was nice to feel like we were on vacation even if it was only for a couple of days! A loves sleeping in hotels and much to my surprise even B was a great sleeper!
7.26.2008
I made a tutu
We were invited to a birthday party for a 2 year old this weekend. What better opportunity to attempt making a tutu??!?? I've wanted to for a while, but this gave me a good reason, so here she is. Happy Birthday Madeline!
7.25.2008
Blood diamonds/Blood electronics??
Playstation 2 component incites African war
Console war reaches past the couch and into the Congo, claims report.
By Ben Silverman
Has the video game industry dug up its very own blood diamond?
According to a report by activist site Toward Freedom, for the past decade the search for a rare metal necessary in the manufacturing of Sony's Playstation 2 game console has fueled a brutal conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
At the center of the conflict is the unrefined metallic ore, coltan. After processing, coltan turns into a powder called tantalum, which is used extensively in a wealth of western electronic devices including cell phones, computers and, of course, game consoles.
Allegedly, the demand for coltan prompted Rwandan military groups and western mining companies to plunder hundreds of millions of dollars worth of the rare metal, often by forcing prisoners-of-war and even children to work in the country's coltan mines.
"Kids in Congo were being sent down mines to die so that kids in Europe and America could kill imaginary aliens in their living rooms," said Ex-British Parliament Member Oona King.
SEE PICS
So where's the connection to Sony? According to Toward Freedom, during the 2000 launch of the PS2, the electronics giant was having trouble meeting consumer demand. To pump out more units, Sony required a significant increase in the production of electric capacitors, which are primarily made with tantalum. This helped drive the world price of the powder from $49/pound to a whopping $275/pound, resulting in the frenzied scouring of the Congolese hills known for being ripe with coltan.
Sony has since sworn off using tantalum acquired from the Congo, claiming that current builds of the PS2, PSP and PS3 consoles are sourced from a variety of mines in several different countries.
But according to researcher David Barouski, they're hardly off the hook.
"SONY's PlayStation 2 launch...was a big part of the huge increase in demand for coltan that began in early 1999," he explained. "SONY and other companies like it, have the benefit of plausible deniability, because the coltan ore trades hands so many times from when it is mined to when SONY gets a processed product, that a company often has no idea where the original coltan ore came from, and frankly don't care to know. But statistical analysis shows it to be nearly inconceivable that SONY made all its PlayStations without using Congolese coltan."
Currently, the Playstation 2 is the best-selling video game console of all-time, having sold through over 140 million units.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This report breaks my heart. I hope more attention is brought to it and other sources for this material are quickly found or used. West Africa has a history of this specific kind of violence. Money equals power: American desires equals money. Must we keep stripping these countries of materials that we deem so important for frivality?? Children are being killed so that our children can rot in front of the tv and we can have instant communication. Do people realize that much of Africa doesnt even have telephone access? or even electricity???? We as a country are in a panic because we've spent too much on too big houses and vehicles so big that they could be used to fight a war and now we cant pay our bills. We should have learned our lessons when the truth about gold and Diamonds came out.. but now seriously.... video game consoles causing bloodshed. In REAL life. This is not an issue of "now we need to boycot sony." What needs to happen is the American concience needs a serious time out. At what cost should our comfort come? Thousands of people are losing their homes, but should they ever have been able to buy one in the first place? And what if they had purchased something more sensible? How many of us, including myself, have giant credit card debts that only grow? For what? Junk that ends up getting thrown away? Our need for "stuff" is growing. We need a reality check soon... before its too late.
Console war reaches past the couch and into the Congo, claims report.
By Ben Silverman
Has the video game industry dug up its very own blood diamond?
According to a report by activist site Toward Freedom, for the past decade the search for a rare metal necessary in the manufacturing of Sony's Playstation 2 game console has fueled a brutal conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
At the center of the conflict is the unrefined metallic ore, coltan. After processing, coltan turns into a powder called tantalum, which is used extensively in a wealth of western electronic devices including cell phones, computers and, of course, game consoles.
Allegedly, the demand for coltan prompted Rwandan military groups and western mining companies to plunder hundreds of millions of dollars worth of the rare metal, often by forcing prisoners-of-war and even children to work in the country's coltan mines.
"Kids in Congo were being sent down mines to die so that kids in Europe and America could kill imaginary aliens in their living rooms," said Ex-British Parliament Member Oona King.
SEE PICS
So where's the connection to Sony? According to Toward Freedom, during the 2000 launch of the PS2, the electronics giant was having trouble meeting consumer demand. To pump out more units, Sony required a significant increase in the production of electric capacitors, which are primarily made with tantalum. This helped drive the world price of the powder from $49/pound to a whopping $275/pound, resulting in the frenzied scouring of the Congolese hills known for being ripe with coltan.
Sony has since sworn off using tantalum acquired from the Congo, claiming that current builds of the PS2, PSP and PS3 consoles are sourced from a variety of mines in several different countries.
But according to researcher David Barouski, they're hardly off the hook.
"SONY's PlayStation 2 launch...was a big part of the huge increase in demand for coltan that began in early 1999," he explained. "SONY and other companies like it, have the benefit of plausible deniability, because the coltan ore trades hands so many times from when it is mined to when SONY gets a processed product, that a company often has no idea where the original coltan ore came from, and frankly don't care to know. But statistical analysis shows it to be nearly inconceivable that SONY made all its PlayStations without using Congolese coltan."
Currently, the Playstation 2 is the best-selling video game console of all-time, having sold through over 140 million units.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This report breaks my heart. I hope more attention is brought to it and other sources for this material are quickly found or used. West Africa has a history of this specific kind of violence. Money equals power: American desires equals money. Must we keep stripping these countries of materials that we deem so important for frivality?? Children are being killed so that our children can rot in front of the tv and we can have instant communication. Do people realize that much of Africa doesnt even have telephone access? or even electricity???? We as a country are in a panic because we've spent too much on too big houses and vehicles so big that they could be used to fight a war and now we cant pay our bills. We should have learned our lessons when the truth about gold and Diamonds came out.. but now seriously.... video game consoles causing bloodshed. In REAL life. This is not an issue of "now we need to boycot sony." What needs to happen is the American concience needs a serious time out. At what cost should our comfort come? Thousands of people are losing their homes, but should they ever have been able to buy one in the first place? And what if they had purchased something more sensible? How many of us, including myself, have giant credit card debts that only grow? For what? Junk that ends up getting thrown away? Our need for "stuff" is growing. We need a reality check soon... before its too late.
7.22.2008
Welcome baby Aston!
Yesterday at 5:11 pm Lucas's sister Katherine gave birth to her second baby boy! Baby Aston James Jones was 8lbs,15 oz and beautiful, or so we have heard:-). Congratualations Katy we love you and we cant wait to meet him! (and super giant appologies if any of this info is wrong or if I misspelled his name!)
Here is a picture of big brother Larkin Todd taken a couple of years ago! Im sure this baby will be just as gorgeous!
Here is a picture of big brother Larkin Todd taken a couple of years ago! Im sure this baby will be just as gorgeous!
7.11.2008
7.10.2008
Birthday Extravagnaza
Today we celebrated B's very first birthday. We met with friends at the Lousiana Boardwalk for Carousel rides and and cajun carousel themed cupcakes. Then it was off to the pop jet fountain for some cold and wet refreshment! Here are a few of our favorite pictures of the day (so far).
7.09.2008
Blog vacation over
Today is my 27th birthday. This has been a huge year for us. A new baby, 6 months in my parents home, a new job and a new state! I feel very blessed as I look at my children and our home and that I'm here, at HOME. Lucas works very hard for us to have this and I am grateful. Tomorrow I start keeping a couple of little girls. I won't have them every day and usually I'll only have the little one, but I am excited to bring in a bit of extra money for our family! Their mom just had premie twins so this is an opportunity to make some extra money and feel out what its like to keep kiddos at home. I'm looking forward to it!
6.30.2008
6.26.2008
California!
We are in California and loving it! Check out Liz's blog for pictures as we have no way to post mine. Things are a bit crazy and I'm tired, but we are having a really great time. Ethan and ayden especially are playing very nicely together.
6.22.2008
The adventure begins
We have arrived in Houston. Point A of the Mommy and Sons California tour '08. After Lucas's 10 hour journey home last friday night thanks to a traffic accident (someone else) and a flat tire (his own) I was worried the weekends luck would be permanent. But we made it here safe and sound. Lucas starts class again tomorrow and the boys and I have some shopping to do and then on Tuesday morning its off to Californ-I-A! We are very excited to do some much needed cousin and sibling bonding. This may be the first birthday I've spent with my brother in over 5 years. The kids havent seen each other but for pictures in two years and the little cousins, Mei Mei and Balin have yet to be introduced! Watch out Bay area! The circus is coming to town!
6.21.2008
AHHH
So today I am a bit overwhelmed. I have to clean and pack so we can leave for Houston tomorrow. The reality that on Tuesday morning I have to get on a plane by myself with my two boys... eeek. So today I'm focusing on laundry and cleaning. Lucas has to take the car to discount tire in Longview so I'm sending the children with him. They need some male bonding time. I need an empty house. and another couple cups of coffee.
6.19.2008
First tater tot
There are few joys in life that equal tater tots. Warm soft bits of yummy goodness. Balin struggles with potato in all form except those that are fried, so I figured why not give it a shot? He loved it, but I think more tot ended up crumbled ont he floor than his belly. Probably a thing thing.
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