Friday, November 12, 2010

School Issues

My triplets have been in all day public school since they were 3 years old, thanks to the PEI program having a speech Pre-K class. They were together for their 3 years of pre-K (we held them back a year simply because they were right on the cutoff date) and have been separate ever since. They are currently in 3rd grade.

I have been a huge, big-mouthed proponent of separating multiples, but that has now changed!

The separate homework has never been a problem. They learned early on that only they are responsible for doing their homework. They can come to us if they need help. Otherwise they know when they are to do it and where they are to put it when they're done. They are to bring me anything that needs signing, without my asking, and to put it where it belongs afterward so that it gets turned in! This method works great for us. Two of the kids have no problem doing things the way they are supposed to. One of my boys is flaky and absent-minded (like his Mom!) and is constantly forgetting things and losing them. Some Moms might compensate for that by reminding and micr0-managing. I don't believe in that. It's better he learn to get organized now than in high school or college! And he is learning. He is exponentially better just this year. By the time he gets to 4th grade I believe he will have it down.

Fourth Grade. That is where the problem comes in. They will be at a new school, which will be enough of an adjustment in itself. The fourth grade has four classes - but it's in two blocks. Each block has one teacher in the morning and the other in the afternoon. So it's possible to have the same two teachers, yet not be together.

And this is exactly what I am going to ask for. I would like to have the exact same teachers for all three. In my perfect world, two will be together in the same block. The other - yep, the one who needs to work on his organization skillz - will be alone, on the opposite rotation of the same block.

So we will have the exact same homework, which will make things much easier. Homework hasn't been a problem yet, and I don't anticipate too much change next year, although with the other adjustments I would like to ease it for all of us as much as possible.

But the main issue for me is a certain teacher. I'm sure we have all known people who are simply in the WRONG JOB. This is a prime example! This woman has no business teaching children. She may do ok with teenagers, but she is horrible with younger ones! I know, because my current 7th grader had her. I was all set to demand he be moved, when they added an extra block and he lucked out.

You have to realize that I have never demanded ANYTHING from any of my kids' schools. I have not even asked nicely. My kids have always taken what they got and it has worked out fine. But my Mama Bear comes out when I think of this bitch.

She is a shouter. She belittles, insults, screams, all in front of the entire class. My son, who has loved school always before and since his experience with her, came home in TEARS every day for TWO WEEKS. He is not an overly sensitive child. I confirmed his experience with his friends and with other parents. I've confirmed through parents, children and other teachers that she has not changed one bit in the past few years. How in the HELL does someone like that keep a teaching job??

I was ready to pull my son out and home school him for fourth grade. Which is exactly what I will do with the triplets if I don't get my way. I'm ready for battle. I'm not exactly sure how to go about it - but I am ready to start my battle shortly after the holidays. We'll see what happens!

Monday, October 18, 2010

Forever the Triplet Mom

One of the problems being a triplet mom is all the attention we get. Mostly when they're babies, and they're with us. How well I remember being the "Triplet Exhibit" at the zoo!

Most of that has disappeared now. Even when they're all together they just look like a bunch of kids playing. The boys are assumed to be twins since they look alike - but they rarely dress alike so if they're not standing right next to each other it usually isn't noticed.

But this weekend I didn't even have them with me and I had issues!

It's been 30 years since high school, and we're having some reunion activities. We started this weekend with the Homecoming game, a party afterward and a family picnic. Because of Facebook, I've been back in touch with many of my old classmates and they know (or would, if they ever read anything or see my PROFILE PIC which has 6 kids, 3 of whom are the same size). Apparently they don't, or were just really looking forward to seeing real live triplets, live in person, and whaddya mean they are actually KIDS, aren't triplets supposed to be babies? And how is one of them a GIRL if they are triplets???

But I digress. I had a great time this weekend - better than I expected, actually. High school was not the best years of my life, to be honest; I was pretty much a spoiled, self-absorbed (IMO way more than is typical) brat back then. Most of my friends were in the 2 years ahead of mine, and my best friendship from High School has had a major falling out in the past year. I spent the past few months going back and forth on whether I would even go (I still live here, so I don't even have that excuse!). But I went - and had a blast.

My gripe, and it does sound petty but it's something a fellow triplet Mom would understand, is this - as soon as anyone found out I had OMGTRIPLETZ!!!!!!!1eleventy!!!! the questions started! Did you do fertility? Did you KNOW you were having triplets? Did you TRY to have triplets? OMG how did you do it? OMG I would kill myself! blah blah.

And there is no way to avoid it, of course. You've been to reunions: Where are you living now? How long have you been married? How many kids? How old?

So I just answered simply and sometimes I got away with it. How many kids? 6. How old? 19, 16, 12, 9. Sometimes the math didn't compute or maybe they weren't really listening, LOL. But it never failed that if they did the math the questions would start. And then at the picnic everyone wanted to see them together, and take pictures.

I have never, ever faulted anyone for asking. I'm sure I would do the same thing. So I don't mean any criticism of them. Even with the pictures - we were all taking pics of our friends with their families, that really didn't bother me. It was just annoying to be repeating the same thing over and over, and it made me wish to just be normal for once, not just "the triplet mom".

Thursday, September 30, 2010

God Initiates Massive Recall

WASHINGTON – God is recalling more than 10 million items over safety concerns.

The Consumer Product Safety Commission said Thursday that several of the products being recalled involved injuries.

In the recall of about 7 million sticks, the agency is aware of 10 reports of children being hurt. Six of them required medical attention.

The sticks — some of which which feature popular decorations like leaves and twigs — have a protruding end that children can strike, sit on or fall on, leading to injuries that the commission said can include genital bleeding.

God is also recalling more than 1 million pairs of legs, after 14 reports of problems. Seven children required stitches, the commission said.

The legs are designed to walk and run freely, but children can fall, resulting in cuts and other injuries.

CPSC Chairman said God needs to do more to build safety into his products before they are released to the public. But she also offered praise to God for "taking the right steps by agreeing to these recalls and offering consumers free repairs or replacement."

The two other God recalls were:

_More than 2.8 million tons of fresh air (too much can be damaging), several sizes of river rocks (these can be misused by throwing at people, or tripped over causing injury), dirt (if thrown can get in someone's eye), the oceans (drowning hazard), and anything anyone finds to be fun. Anything can pose untold hazards to children, said CPSC. The agency said there were more than 50 reports of fun things causing harm.

_About 100,000 Fisher-Price Little People Wheelies Stand 'n Play Rampway toys. The wheels on the purple and green cars can come off, posing a choking hazard.

Consumers can visit the God's website for more information on the dates of sale and model numbers for the recalled products, or they may simply choose to pay more attention to their children, teach them right from wrong and learn how to use a band-aid.

____________________________________________

OK, the last one was serious, as anything marketed for under age 3 should not pose a choking hazard. The actual article can be found here.

I read that this morning and it mostly made me shake my head and go HUH? Look, I really am sorry if your kid got hurt. Kiss the bobo and apply a band-aid, and move on to the next thing! If you expect your kid to fall and NEVER get hurt, you are in for a big surprise! Why not just bubble wrap the poor kid and get it over with?

If we were talking sharp points on a toy that would be different. I have had 5 of those very trikes and I know what that key looks like. Sure, it might hurt someone who fell on it "just right". How the heck does a kid fall on it to cause "genital bleeding" anyway? But the bigger question is - out of 7 million trikes in this recall alone, is TEN injuries really worth a recall? SIX of them "required medical attention" - what does that mean, exactly? Is it a band-aid, or a rush to the emergency room in an ambulance? How many of those were genital bleeders? What were the kids doing with/on the trikes when they were injured? These are the things I would like to know. I think we have a right to know! To be honest, though, six rushes to the emergency room would still not justify a recall in my mind. I can also guarantee you that if my children were still using those trikes, they would keep right on using them.

It is a fact that KIDS FALL. Sometimes kids fall when there is something in front of them and they might GET HURT, whether or not the item is actually"dangerous" or not. I have news for people - getting injured by something does not mean the item itself is inherently dangerous. If I trip on my rug and get rug burn do we recall the rug? How about the piece of paper left on the floor and I slipped and twisted my knee on it, which put me in serious pain for weeks?

"Massive recall of printer paper! Please return all such paper to the place of purchase immediately. When left on the floor, this paper poses a severe slipping/knee twisting hazard which may require medical attention or at the very least lots of Advil. Do not delay your return of this very dangerous item which has also been implicated in several reports of paper cuts!"

Another newsflash - LIFE is dangerous. Life actually has a 100% mortality rate.

Truly dangerous products are another matter and I do not intend to make light of those or any injury stemming from them. We have just gotten so ridiculous about these things that it's really hard to take most of the seriously anymore.

Check out this page of actual product warnings. Are all of them real? I have no idea. But I have seen enough for myself to know that they're out there!

How about if we use some common sense (which is actually not so common), learn to use band-aids, supervise our kids, and teach them not to jump onto their tricycle from the dining room table with no underpants on. Then we worry about recalling the TRULY dangerous products and moving on with our lives.

Watch this video


Thursday, August 12, 2010

Health issues

Several weeks ago I was thinking about my various health issues. I had been to the doctor yet again and got blood work YET AGAIN with "normal" results yet again.... and decided that I was going to have to take control of myself to figure out what exactly is going on. It's time for a little progress report!

First of all, some of my symptoms:

bowel issues, cramps, gas, bloating....chronic sinus drainage...frequent headaches...nausea....little to no energy... insomnia / difficulty staying asleep...inability to lose weight ...no self control....extreme food cravings... there were more, but those were the worst.

Shortly after making that decision I happened on a thread on a message board. The subject of the thread I don't remember, and it had nothing to do with health matters per se, but one post caught my eye. The conversation had turned to behavior/mood issues and a woman chimed in that she had had similar issues in the past, but overcame them with the addition of a few simple supplements. She referred to a book called "The Mood Cure". I went to the site and took the quiz (something I don't normally put too much stock in since it always seems to apply to everyone....but remember, I was at my wit's end!!) and, desperate, ordered not only that book but the companion one called "The Diet Cure". After reading a few pages in "The Diet Cure" I went straight to the health food store for some amino acid supplements. I swallowed my first dose in the car in the parking lot! It's not my style to order something online based on hyped up recommendations - I would never had ordered if it weren't for the lady on the message board. But I was really SO desperate I figured what can it hurt? All I have to lose is the cost of the book and the bottle of pills, less than $30. The lady on the board is someone whose opinions I have come to respect, so that did count for a lot of it.

Long story short - I felt "different" after just 1 day. I didn't really put too much stock in that, as it could have been enthusiasm as much as anything. By the third day I noticed I was behaving differently. I was handling situations with the kids much more calmly and rationally than I would have the week before. I asked Hubby, and he agreed. I also noticed a difference as I prepared a snack! I suddenly stopped short and realized that I was preparing the snack I wanted at the moment - baby carrots and salsa dip - not my typical snack which would be more like chips and sour cream dip and something chocolatey! I was very surprised to "catch" myself doing that - it's been a LONG time since something healthy was what I actually wanted.

The funny thing is that for all these weeks it has continued. I do not crave sweets anymore. I do not crave starchy snacks anymore. I eat when I'm hungry and I am able to control how I eat as well - i.e. not too fast and too big bites. I am not eating nearly as much at one sitting as I used to. I have not wanted an alcoholic beverage. That is not to say I haven't had one - but I have not "wanted" one, you know? "Dieting" has been no effort at all, because my body is telling me what to eat - it was before, but it was telling me the wrong things. Because of my lack of self control (that I was constantly beating myself up for) I was listening to the wrong voice. That voice seems to have been banished from the Kingdom for now!

AND - a biggie - I have now gone through TWO months with ZERO PMS! You have no idea how big of a deal that is, although Hubby certainly knows!

The only fly in the ointment is that I am not losing any weight. I am positive I am eating less than half the calories I had been eating before, and they are not empty calories as they would have been before. It seems to me the weight ought to be fairly melting off! But I am not discouraged (at least not most of the time). I know I have a thyroid problem, I should be on medication. I have to get that from Mom and Dad's (alternatively minded) doctor, because I pass all thyroid tests. This doctor treats based on symptoms, which is not accepted by all doctors. It helped me when I was on it before, but didn't perform the miracles I thought it would, so I stopped taking it (assuming it wasn't working at all). Now I realize that there are several issues involved here - one of which being the amino acid deficiency, another being candida overgrowth, both of which I am treating myself with supplements from the health food store.

At first I suspected a food intolerance - probably to gluten or dairy. But after an experiment with an elimination diet, and more time on the aminos I have pretty much ruled that out.

The main thing is I am feeling SO much better now. I am eating decent foods now. I have energy!!!! I am getting there, and I have had to get there myself. Medicine was not going to help me, not traditional medicine. My doctor wanted to give me an antidepressant and a diet pill and a nose spray for my sinuses (Those have not completely cleared up at this point, but are much better). I don't fault my doctor, really...I have come to realize through this and my experience with Mom and Dad that modern medicine does not hold all the answers. Neither does alternative medicine, so I am not putting it on a pedestal either. I'm glad I'm advocating for myself. What works for me may not work for someone else, and I am quite sure someone will read this and think I have gone off the deep end or try to dissuade me from such utter quackery, and that's fine. I am the only one who has to live in this body!

Hopefully I will be able to post more progress very soon. :)

PS the supplements I am taking are just a basic blend of all the aminos. In the book it lists them separately according to your symptoms but I haven't had time to sit anf figure all that out...and it is working so well I don't see the need to now. The dosage on the bottle says "up to 6 daily" and I am taking 3 of this particular brand.

Friday, July 2, 2010

Let Me Google That For You

If you read much of any of my blogs you know I am REALLY big on customer service. I am quick to criticize a company and I like to also be quick to praise.

Practically ever since I started my Facebook, over a year ago, my personal comments box has said "Google is your friend". One of my biggest pet peeves has always been when people have a knee jerk reaction and spread stuff they know nothing about. It's stupid, for one thing. For another it often ends up hurting others, whether companies (but hey, they can handle it right? Those greedy corporations don't deserve any consideration!) or individuals (they must have done something to deserve it!).

Whenever someone posts or says something that is not directly from the source I like to take a couple of minutes to check it out. Surely we all have a couple of extra minutes to do this. We're sitting on our butts in front of the computer screen anyway, yeah? Are we really THAT lazy?! It's really easy. Look! Here I will demonstrate how to Google the incident which set off this post:

Let me Google that for you.

I will even save you the few minutes it will take to go through those links by 'splaining the situation to you.

Soldier has broken printer.

Now, it's important to me to note that I do fully support our troops, whether deployed or not, whether or not I approve of the politics behind what they're doing. They are defending our country and doing what the Commander-in-Chief has told them to do. I have no beef with them whatsoever. That said:

Clearly it is his personal printer or Uncle Sam would be paying for the repair, yes?

Clearly it is out of warranty as he is going to be charged for tech support. Are you still with me?

Clearly he expects preferential treatment because he is a deployed soldier... I am not going to get into that side of it, whether he should receive such treatment or not, as that is not the point of this post. But we really don't even know, without hearing the phone call, whether he told them he was a deployed soldier or asked to speak to a superior or anything like that.

So he shoots the printer, makes the video, yada yada. The video gets posted on my Facebook today. It spreads like wildfire, from one friend's page to the next. I think it's on my own newsfeed 6 times...probably more now while I'm typing this. The clear implication is that it's fresh and recent. That seems to be the assumption of those who comment on it, too, with anger and determined to NEVER.BUY.ANYTHING.FROM.HP.EVER.EVER.AGAIN!!!!!!!! as seen on the HP page itself.

Here are just a few things I found when I took a moment to use my dear friend Google.

A forum post


Note the date this video was posted.


Compared to the date this was posted.


A note from an HP person.


Well looky here. This very same video was featured on an episode of 20/20....wow look at the date!

And finally, here is the official policy of HP towards our military. Of course it doesn't say when they started the policy, but it's there now.

According to this it seems it was instituted after the video (although it doesn't say for sure).

People, please....stop and think before you jump on the bandwagon. We're not sheep. Use some common sense. Learn to use Google, or other search engine of your choice, or at the very least resolve to hear more of the story before you pass judgment.

Tuesday, June 29, 2010

The Greatest Love Story Ever Told?

I just read something that says Twilight is the "greatest love story ever told".

Wow. Really?

Pretty strong statement. There are a lot of good love stories out there after all! So I figured I would ask - do YOU think Twilight is the "greatest love story ever told"? Or even as good as the greats.

If so, why? If not, why not?

No flames here, you can even make up a name if you want to stay anonymous (it may allow anon. comments, I don't know). Of course I have my own opinion on this! I would just like to hear from others.

Sunday, June 27, 2010

Free Range Kids

I love this site.

I discovered it at least a year ago, when someone somewhere I don't remember posted a link and I realized that I had become a helicopter mom to the triplets. I had NOT been with the older kids, in fact I have to confess I used to mock the helicopters!

I decided to start by NOT walking the kids to the bus stop on the corner (one house away). My excuse reason for walking them had always been that they would be poking each other right into the street. Well, that's what I was afraid of anyway. By this time they were 7 or 8 and I decided it was time to teach them and trust them.

I did start slow - first I walked to the ditch and waited till the bus left. Then I gradually lengthened the distance between us until I was on the porch watching. Finally one day I had to help their brother with something and just hollered "goodbye, have a great day" as they went out the door. By the time I walked out the bus was gone.

It was a little bittersweet. We had fun at the bus stop. My family blog is full of cute stories of conversations we had and how we would watch the anthill and the bird nests in the magnolia tree. But actually they still notice these things and tell me about them at home.

Of course it didn't help matters that around this time there was a story of an abduction at a bus stop. Did I freak out? Yeah! But the fact is, I can't hover over them "just in case". I can't protect them from everything. I can let go without getting stupid about it.

There are many other things people do that I think are overkill and unnecessary. Booster seats till the age of 10, for one. The law here is 6, and I thought THAT was overkill!

So I'm really curious what other people think of that site and its ideas. I have friends that I'm sure would think it's totally insane. What are some ways you "let go" that other people may think are crazy? Or the opposite? I would like to hear them. No judgment on any replies. :)

Saturday, June 26, 2010

What Not to Say

MoMs (Mothers of Multiples) are all too familiar with the stupid and/or thoughtless things people say. But it's not limited to us! Stupidity is everywhere and I witnessed a LOT of it last week at Cub Scout Day Camp. Here are just a few of the things other parents had to say to me:

(When introduced as their boy's leader for the week) "Wow, I wondered who would be stupid enough to be out here with them all week!"

(When assigned as my helper for one day) "This has been the worst day of my life! I am dying!" (yeah, that's kind of similar to the mother of one infant complaining to us of the stress, heh)

And the kicker: The last day was Family Day, and parents were supposed to spend the day at camp checking out what the boys had been doing. I had several parents come ouut but NOT ONE stayed for any length of time... "This heat is brutal! I'm going home to cool off, be back later!"

Yeah...it was HOT, it was MISERABLE, but someone has to do it! We already discussed that it's not for everyone - but when the leader is standing in front of you sweating her ass off and wanting to go to the bathroom but there is no one to stay with the group because the other parents are a bunch of weenie-ass WUSSES, it's probably best to keep your mouth shut!

I am laughing as I type this so don't think I'm angry. It just goes to show that stupid comments are everywhere!

Thursday, June 24, 2010

The Things we Do for our Kids.

I've been thinking a lot about this lately as I find myself doing more and more stuff I may not particularly like, "for the kids". I've been working at Cub Scout day camp all week; a few weeks ago it was Girl Scout day camp. Moms like me (you know, the ones with "SUCKER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" written across our foreheads in big, red letters) must be a dying breed, since both camps were desperate for volunteers (much less Queens of the Suckers like me who were willing to work ALL WEEK).

Don't get me wrong, I don't HATE doing these things. I really do pretty much like them. But I won't miss them when the kids grow out of the activity.

Last night as I told Hubby about my day he asked me WHY I do this if I hate it so much? I will admit, there was some bitching going on, but I didn't think it was all bad. Anyway, the answer was "for the kids". He thought the kids could still do day camp even if I didn't. I pointed out that they are begging for helpers to begin with and that all the other parents have wussed out and make excuses. Wimps! Yeah, let me tell you how I really feel, LOL!

Someone DOES have to do it, and I've learned to say no to a lot of stuff. I don't teach Sunday School, or work in the nursery, or direct VBS, or head up the neighborhood whatever campaign, or serve on the PTA, or serve lunch to the homeless. I am not the room mom. I am not the team mom. I am not the head of the class reunion committee. I do not make ANY phone calls whatsoever, or coach Little League. I don't watch other people's kids, except in extreme emergency. I am not the one to call if you need a substitute in your classroom. Frankly I am not the person to call if you need anything. I will almost always tell you no.

Put out a general cattle call though, letting everyone know what you need, and having the option to call YOU is how it happens with me.

I do go on field trips, and I drive the instruments on band trips, and I do Scouts. I do Scouts because I believe in Scouts, and because someone has to do it. So I am the Brownie leader basically because I HAD to be. But I can say no, too; when they tried to triple the size of my troop last week I put my foot down and told them that it's time for some OTHER Mom to step up and lead so their daughter can have a troop. I did it, so can you. My troop is full, and registration is closed, thank you/drive thru!

Whatever. The fact is I do enjoy Scouts. I have almost no patience for other people's kids, but I do take endless pleasure in my own. So as long as they are into it I will do it for them (reserving the right to bitch about it to my husband if I so choose!).

Saturday, June 19, 2010

Ban Hammer

I must have missed a bunch of good stuff over at Triplet Connection lately, because when I went back (I try to go visit every few weeks or so) it seemed all hell had broken loose. Quite a few (not sure how many) long time members have been banned. Not only that - their posts have been completely erased, as if they never existed!

I am / have been admin at several sites over the past few years. I am not at all familiar with the format of the Triplet Connection forum (DC forum). I can tell you all sorts of good stuff about vBulletin, phpNuke and phpBB (OK, I admit, some bad stuff too!).

For instance, I can tell you that when someone on one of those boards gets banned their posts are NOT automatically deleted. If the person is banned, the name of the member remains (thus can not be re-used). The name remains on the posts and the posts remain exactly as posted, unless they are individually deleted/edited. I can tell you that the member no longer has a profile that can be seen by the average member, but that the admin staff can still access the profile if they so choose. Often a new user title appears under the name, such as "guest", "banned", or "bad kid" (I am not making that up!). The admin gets to choose which title goes under each name; it is not set in stone.

I can also tell you that banning is not permanent, even if they tell you that it is. If a member is simply banned, all it takes to reinstate them is a simple click of a box in the admin panel. vBulletin even allows you to set a time, as in a suspension. Or to set that member to b automatically sent for moderation when they post.

If a board admin wanted to go a step further they could delete the member. Of the several forums I have worked for this is never the preferred method, because someone can come back the same day and open a new account under that same name. To avoid that requires another step of putting the name on the blocked list, which really serves no useful purpose since the member can come back with a similar name with no undue stress to themselves.

Now, the question is, what if I do delete a member? What happens to their posts then? The answer is they remain on the site, under the title "guest" or whatever other name the staff chooses. There they are, providing the necessary flow of conversation, the advice that may still be wanted even though the actual member went over to the dark side.

In order to have every single one of the members' posts go *poof*, they have to be manually *poofed*. In the forums I am familiar with, they must be poofed one at a time. Which can be a major pain in the butt if we're talking about thousands of posts. Of course there may be an option to poof them all at once, but if there is I don't know about it. At any rate it's not a requirement, it's a choice.

So.....just saying. Someone must really have wanted every trace of someone else removed pretty badly.

Thursday, May 20, 2010

Rich Where it Counts

My husband spent last weekend with the two triplet boys, while I took the other kids somewhere else. They went on a Cub Scout campout at the local minor league baseball park.


Last night he was telling me about it and about how cool it was to spend time with JUST them. We do spend time with each child separately, but those boys are a different animal when they are alone together, too!

He said that Stephen got all philosophical at one point. That doesn't surprise me - he's the one that does that sort of thing. So he got thoughtful and said "you know, we're not like the people who have a lot of money. But we're not like the people who have no money, either. We're kind of medium."

He thought for another minute then said, "We're not rich in money, but we're really really rich in love. And I think that's better anyway."

What a profound thing for an 8 year old boy to say.

Thursday, March 18, 2010

Whose Homework is it Anyway?

If you've read any of the recent discussion on Triplet Connection about homework, you will probably find this both amusing and a bit disturbing.

Link

LOL! Read the replies. This is what parents who do everything for their kids have to look forward to. It's funny, but scary too. :-/

Oh, I would like to post my views on homework, and also my views on the blog linked above, but I have to run. I'll add them both to my to-do list!

Friday, February 5, 2010

Sick!

Ugh! Someone please tell me how to clean up my list of blogs I follow. I can't seem to figure out how to remove them, only to hide them.

Here's the thing - I had followed several blogs about the Gosselins of Jon and Kate+8. I was, and still am, very concerned for the children's welfare, which was why I followed them in the first place. Lately all has been quiet on the Gosselin front, and it was looking good that those poor kids would no longer be prostituted to the cameras of TLC (or any other network).

Now today I read a story (being from Radar.com, also known as "Kate-dar" for reasons which should be obvious to anyone with more than a pea for a brain) stating that Jon will allow TLC to film the kids again as long as they drop their lawsuit against him. Gah!!

I confess I didn't read the entire story, so I don't know any details, and what's more I find that I JUST DON'T CARE!!!!! I do still care very much for those poor children, and I pray that SOMEONE in this world will see common sense over dollar signs and get them away from any kind of regular publicity...we already KNOW it won't be either of their attention seeking fame-whore parents or anyone else who stands to make money off of them. But I just can't devote another single second of my time to keeping up with the saga. It is always the same. Nothing ever changes. It might look bright for a moment, but always the things that are truly important to those people (being money and STUFF) rears its ugly head and it's time to SHOVE those children back out into the public eye once again.

Jon and Kate, and anyone who works for you to film the kids, you are SICK. SICK. SICK. You are extremely POOR excuses for parents. Open your eyes, I beg you, you stupid, stupid people. Before it is WAY BEYOND TOO LATE for your children. Your children, your INNOCENT children. STOP whoring them out. STOP calling the paparazzi. Just STOP!!!!

And to anyone who still thinks this is a good idea - these are not CHARACTERS ON A SHOW. They are PEOPLE, you stupid twits! This is their REAL LIFE!! Good grief, I cannot believe how many idiots still talk abut them as if they were the Cosbys!!

How far this world has fallen. God have mercy.