Journeys with Cameron & Connor

Big Day

2009-09-13T10:12:00.000-05:00

The boys both woke up dry this morning. This was Connor's first time and one of only a handful of dry mornings for Cameron. I think we are finally approaching the end of diapers. Woo hoo!

Happy Easter

2009-04-12T22:09:00.009-05:00

The kids were so cute for Easter. Here's a video of the Easter egg hunt at Nana & Grandpa Warren's house:

Cameron and Kaylie checking out their loot

Connor impressed with his very full Easter basket

In the afternoon, we did it all over again at Kaylie's Grandma's house:

Happy Easter!

Picture post - March

2009-03-31T06:36:00.010-05:00

I don't have time to completely keep up with all the boys are up to. However, I thought I'd just post some of my favorite pictures from March.

Before my work gala 3/7/09

At the train park 3/8/09 - Happy Birthday Nana!

At home 3/14/09:

Cameron welcoming our new kitty, Marlin, to the family:

Marlin was the most mellow, cool cat the Friends of Strays had. He really is a great addition to our family.

Playing at Titi's house 3/22/09:

Happy Father's Day

2009-06-21T22:43:00.003-05:00

This father's day, Cameron, Connor and Kaylie made Grandpa a father's day gift (with a little help from their moms). Here they are with the finished product.

How cute are they?!?!

Then the boys got to work on a little something for their Daddy.

Happy Father's Day!

measurements

2009-06-20T09:13:00.002-05:00

We went to see Dr. Bhumi today for a well visit. The boys are developmentally on target with no areas of concern. Here are their measurements:

CAMERON
Height: 36" (15%)
Weight: 31.1 lbs (42%)
BP: 84/52

CONNOR
Height: 37.5" (49%)
Weight: 30.7 lbs (38%)
BP: 82/46

They're getting so big!

Very Happy 3rd Birthday

2009-06-07T21:44:00.021-05:00

The boys looked forward to their "very happy birthday" for so long. Finally they got to celebrate, celebrate, celebrate!

First, they enjoyed a little school birthday party complete with ice cream cake.

Here's the class picture where they are all saying THREE!

Then we stopped by to see Nana & Grandpa Warren for some hugs

and kisses

When we got home, Granny and Nana & Grandpa Starkey were waiting to wish the birthday boys a very happy birthday too.

The balloons and fishing poles were big hits

A little birthday video

And then on Saturday they had their very happy birthday party at the train park. So fun!

After naps, my family came over for dinner. The cousins ended the night with a super fun bath together.

What could be more fun?

Legacy of an Adopted Child

2009-04-30T03:20:00.004-05:00

Once there were two women who never knew each other.
One you do not remember, the other you call Mother.
Two different lives shaped to make you one.
One became your guiding star, the other became your sun.

The first one gave you life, and the second taught you to live it.
The first gave you a need for love. The second was there to give it.
One gave you a nationality. The other gave you a name.
One gave you a talent. The other gave you aim.

One gave you emotions. The other calmed your fears.
One saw your first sweet smile. The other dried your tears.
One sought for you a home that she could not provide.
The other prayed for a child and her hope was not denied.

And now you ask me, through your tears,
the age-old question unanswered through the years.
Heredity or environment, which are you a product of?
Neither, my darling. Neither. Just two different kinds of Love.

~ Author Unknown

The book Motherbridge of Love (available on amazon.com) illustrates this poem from a Chinese daughter's perspective.

Some observations

2009-04-13T14:15:00.003-05:00

Connor is so my child. He has the same needs to clean, order and tidy things. Mike often leaves drawers slightly ajar. Of course, I need to shut them. So does Connor. He'll come into the kitchen in the morning after Mike's left for work and go through and shut all the drawers. He also voluntarily empties all the little trashcans in the house into the main one in the kitchen. He does this almost every morning. If I have a can to recycle, he will actually get upset if I put it in the recycle bin myself because he wants to do that. He loves to sweep and pulled out the mop the other morning. The only time I've seen him sit to concentrate for very long is when he's stringing things. Very orderely. I can count on him to put things away in their correct place most of the time. Connor is right-handed.

Cameron is more of a normal child. He enjoys making a mess and isn't really pleased when asked to clean it up but will and knows it is expected of him. He wants to do everything. He can concentrate on a variety of tasks. He loves to be around people, interacting and being the focus especially with people he's comfortable around. He warms quickly to strangers though. He's tried the garbage emptying and recycling routines but didn't find them very entertaining and is more than happy to let Connor have those fun jobs. Cameron is left-handed but still uses his right at times.

Here are some pictures to illustrate their differences. They were given stickers and crayons to decorate the picture.

This picture is Connor's. He put exactly one sticker in the middle of each square, made a few lines of color and was done. Perfection to my orderly boy!

This once is Cameron's. "Let's put on as many stickers as I can and color some too. Okay. Done now!"

My cuties

Yes, they have mohawks. I was feeling funky.

More observations

2009-04-30T01:58:00.004-05:00

Connor and Cameron have such different little personalities that actually play into each other well. Cameron is so demanding but often in a really irresistible fun way. He is the center of attention and very engaging. He always wants to know what's going on and be involved in the activities. My dad was commenting on it tonight predicting he'd do well in sales. I concur.

Connor on the other hand is very easy going socially. He is very content to just be involved and is so sweet to be around. He does have his demanding moments but they are usually not overwhelming.

For example, every morning when I drop them off, this is the typical routine. As soon as I get Cameron out of the car, he becomes clingy which is a totally abnormal behavior for Cam. He is a very extroverted, want-to-be-in-the-middle-of-everything kind of kid, except as this daily morning drama is played out. I hold his hand while we walk up to the school while Connor runs for the door to beat us. When we go inside, Connor very confidently walks towards his class while Cameron becomes even more clingy sometimes wrapping himself around one of my legs or wanting to be carried (which I almost never do). Once we get to class, Connor finds a chair at the table and becomes very interested in eating his breakfast (that I bring for both of them). Cameron becomes more distressed as I try to set up breakfast for them. I give a distracted Connor kisses and a hug goodbye. When I try to do the same for Cameron there is such a production. Cameron asks for "another hug and kiss" sometimes even while I am hugging and kissing him. He just does not want me to go. I go sometimes only after the teacher is involved and holding him. By the time I am to the front of the building, he's fine - eating breakfast being his normal engaging self.

Connor is fairly laid back but definitely sticks up for himself too. Connor still often struggles saying what's on his mind both due to trying to find the right word and stuttering to get it out. However, he is not to be outdone. Cameron is a constant chatterbox and will often speak over Connor as he's struggling to tell me something. So Connor will tell Cameron, "no talk Cameron!" (without stuttering or delay). And while Cameron is very much in the center of everything, Connor is so observant. Connor will point out all kinds of things while we are driving - dump trucks, school buses, daddy's car (Honda Pilots EX trim in any color of his model year, 2005 - not to be confused with any other SUV of similar attribute), uncle Efrain's car (Chevy Avalanche, any color in his model year and trim), police, baloons, etc. Sometimes I think Connor misidentified something because I will not see it but I believe him far more than I trust what I've seen now that this has gone on for months and months. He is looking for these things and I will miss them but then will see them as we are closer to them or when we stop and I have a moment to look around.

First bubble bath

2008-12-28T23:58:00.003-05:00

They loved it. Can you tell?

Cameron dove right in and was so excited.

Connor was hesitant but concluded the bubbles were awesome!

Christmas at the Starkeys

2007-12-27T23:41:00.009-05:00

We had such a great time with Nana, Grandpa & Granny tonight. We normally spend Christmas Eve with the Starkeys but had to celebrate Christmas a little late this year due to me being sick. Today was so much fun though!

Here's Cameron posing with one of Nana's many snowmen. She alwasy has such a festive home at the holidays.

Cameron showing Granny the best present ever - a baloon!

Faces of joy

And then, it's time for unwrapping

The hug... here Connor is telling Granny thank you for his gift. He could also be saying I love you, I'm sorry, I hope you feel better... Aren't hugs the best?

The ticklish dinosaurs were big hits with the boys

We had such a great time. Thank you Nana, Grandpa and Granny!

What a week!

2009-02-12T22:28:00.004-05:00

Monday, as we pull into the driveway, Cameron starts screaming “My penis hurts, penis hurts!” Screaming. Tears. I was stunned. With the car seat he can’t even get a hold of his penis. What on earth is going on?!?! So I jump out of the car and pull down his pants to see what’s wrong. He’s so scared, wants me to be careful, don’t touch. Poor guy. The foreskin tip was a little red but I couldn’t see anything more. He complained about it all night, even waking up once wanting to go to the bathroom on the potty. We put Neosporin on it and when he got up in the morning and was still very upset with the pain, I called the doctor. Tuesday morning we go to the doctor. I explain to Cameron while we’re driving that Dr. Bhumi is going to have to look at his penis to see what’s wrong so she can give him the right medicine to make it better. “Dr. Bhumi kiss it make it better?” “No, Dr. Bhumi is not going to kiss your penis. Dr. Bhumi is going to give us medicine to make your penis better. No one should put their mouth near your penis until you are a LOT older and ask them to.” I’m pretty sure he didn’t get all of that but it’s never too soon to teach them their rights to their bodies, right? Dr. Bhumi thinks it’s just a little infection the Neosporin should clear up. If it doesn’t improve, move on up to the oral antibiotics and so on. No worries as long as it’s not a recurring problem. These things happen.

We go to day care. I explain the problem to their teacher and the owner and they tell me he needs to move out of the pull ups and into big kid pants. Cameron was not very happy about this AT ALL and was insta-melting. I think they worked on him all day because after school he was excited that we were going to the store to pick out some big kid pants. We got MANY. Connor even picked out a pack since he wanted to wear them too. While we are walking through Target, Cameron, ever observant, notices the women’s underwear. “Bra! Bra for mommy!” “Yes, those are bras.” “Boobies! Does daddy have boobies too?” “Yes, Daddy has boobies too.” What great conversations to have with two-year olds in public. Gotta love it!

We talked about wearing the big kid pants that night and they were very excited. Wednesday morning they were excited picking out which big kid pants to wear. So cute! Well, the drive to daycare averages 45 minutes which is about as long as they can go without peeing so I wanted to put a diaper on under the big kid pants just for the ride there and then take it off before taking them into school. That started Cameron into full on melt down. He did not want to wear big kid pants at all and only wanted to wear the diaper. Or at least that is what he told me. I couldn’t get him to explain and sometimes he tells you the exact opposite of what he wants so it’s hard interpreting some days. Wednesday was one of those days. Connor was such a sweetie, so quiet. Watching Mommy and Cameron melting down takes it out of him I think. Cameron made it all day in his big kid pants with no accidents! Connor had an accident, but was up for trying again Thursday. Both boys came home in their big kid pants today. I am so proud of my boys. They are so proud of themselves too!

measurements

2009-02-08T18:48:00.004-05:00

Today we measured the babes:
* Connor 36.25 in
* Cameron 34 in
* Kaylie 34.5 in

Kaylie, almost 7 months younger than Cameron is now clearly taller than him. I hope Cameron is about to have a BIG growth spurt!

Happy Birthday Kaylie

2008-12-27T20:04:00.009-05:00

Today we celebrated Kaylie's 2nd birthday.

The birthday girl

Cameron enjoying the party

The birthday song

Opening presents

Sharing a laugh with Nana

Connor doing his Elvis impression with Kaylie's new sunglasses

Merry Christmas!

2008-12-25T23:12:00.005-05:00

Here's a picture of all of my favorites:

And here is Christmas joy (interrupted by Jack, our very hyper Doberman puppy):

Our very happy boys on Christmas morning:

On our way to Nana & Grandpa Warren's house that afternoon, I caught another one of our favorite things on film - Connor showing us where something is:

At Nana's, a pic of all the babes with Jackie:

no babies

2009-01-25T23:23:00.004-05:00

Today was really neat in a lot of different ways. They boys are just getting so big. They are definitely not babies at all any more. They talk very well and will let you know what happened and what they want, no problem. Their vocabularies are great. They do not often not have a word at least not that I can tell!

One of Cameron's favorite things right now is to demonstrate what he's talking about and then follow it up with the phrase "just like that." For example, today, at naptime, neither Cameron nor Connor were interested in going to sleep but they still need a daily nap. Mom takes them on Sunday afternoons for a few hours and they know they will see Nana when they wake up. So after about an hour of them jumping in their beds, laughing and playing (and after a few reminders from me that they couldn't see Nana until they took their nap), I got upset with them. I asked Cameron if he wanted to see Nana and he said "No!" and started bouncing again. I told him, in an angry voice, "That's it! Lie down and go to sleep. This is your quiet time and I don't want to here another peep from you." I then picked up Cameron and laid him down. I also laid Connor down and proceeded to leave. Cameron started crying whining "tucka in" to which I replied "No. I have already tucked you in 4 times. You need to go to sleep" and walked out. Cameron cried. Very dramatic. For about two minutes and then silence... for the next hour plus until the dog started barking and woke them up. When I went in to get them, we talked a little about how they were missing out on playtime with Nana since they wouldn't go to sleep and how I had gotten upset. Cameron then said he cried, immitated his cry (quite well) for a few seconds and then said "just like that." He also does this to imitate the mixer, blender, dump truck, etc. He's quite a good impressionist.

While Cameron is very animated, energetic and engaging with everyone, Connor is not one to run off in strange places unless he's running with Cameron. Connor is thoughful, helpful and more subdued in his toddler antics. When faced with new or uncomfortable situations, he just needs to hold my hand. (Neither of them try too much to get me to pick them up anymore since I almost always tell them my back is broken and I can't.) Connor's helpfulness and cleanliness are most intriguing to me. Today, for example, just before the boys awoke from their naps, I had discovered a nice flour mess Jack had made for me when I wasn't looking for a minute, which led to bedtime for Jack, which resulted in much barking which woke up the boys. After getting them out of bed, I told them Jack made a big mess and did they want to see. So we all went into the kitchen to behold the flour everywhere. I asked Connor to get the little broom in the closet which he promptly did. This is impressive since I only use that particular cleaning tool maybe every other week. We swept up the flour. When we were done, I asked him to put it back. He put it back exactly as it had been. I find this so amazing since he's two and not genetically related to me. How did I get "my" child?

The boys are gaining a sense of time. They know that their bed time is 8 (and that Wee Willie Winkie checks to make sure children are in bed by 8). I show them our clock in the bathroom and explain that the little hand on the 8 means it's 8 o'clock. I believe that is the only number they can identify. They also have some concept of the days of the week. They know that Saturday and Sunday they don't go to school but on Monday they do. They remember a lot. We went for eye exams at the end of December. We attempted to go again one weekend earlier this month to pick out frames for Mike and I but the store was closed. Now, whenever we go down that street, Connor points out the eye doctor. They still talk about their dentist, Dr. Copeland whom they have met once and won't see again until next month. They're little boys now. They are amazing and I just adore them.

quick update

2008-12-18T08:12:00.005-05:00

I'm so swamped but just wanted to share a couple of really quick updates.

Cameron has pooped soley in the potty for the last two days. He tells me he needs to go and then goes. We are so excited about this. Hopefully someday soon he will no longer like wet diapers.

Connor does not like to poop in the potty. Even when he knows he needs to go, he prefers to do it in his diaper. Connor has developed a bit of a stutter. He does this mostly when he's upset or anxious. I have no experience with stuttering. Does anyone know anything about it or know of a resource you could share with me?

Here's a cute picture, just because:

Happy Halloween

2008-10-31T22:11:00.032-05:00

The boys were so cute for Halloween. We had been talking about it for over a month - they were going to dress up like dinosaurs and go to people's houses. When the people answer their doors, say "Trick or Treat" and they will give you candy. The boys have been so excited. Here they are trying on their outfits for the first time (9/18/08):

Cameron - the cutest dino ever

Ok, Connor's the cutest dino ever

Can you tell they LOVE their costumes?

Here we are picking out pumpkins (10/25/08):

Getting the pumpkin ready (10/30/08):

On Halloween, we went to our friends' house, Jay and Dorothy, who were having a bit of a block party with all their neighbors and their children.

Here's Jay with daughter, Molly:

Kids in the backyard waiting to trick or treat:

We were waiting to trick or treat in a group but the boys were not happy being in their costumes so we went a little early. They did great!

Knocking at a door:

At one of the first houses, an elderly gentlemen opened the door. As he reached behind him to get his candy bowl, Cameron thought we were supposed to go in so he just went right on inside the house. It was so funny. Totally adorable. When people would offer them the bowl of candy, they didn't know what to do. Especially if the host said to go ahead and take another - that lead to them taking one after another, no end in sight. They had a great time though, no melt downs and they walked all by themselves the whole way. When we got back to Jay & Dorothy's it was dark but the boys were still doing well. Then a "scary" family showed up. Poor Connor saw a little boy dressed in a faceless mask with two red lights for eyes and literally screamed he was so scared. The dad was dressed in all black and had painted his face black with a little green around the eyes. After this, the boys would not leave my lap, they were too frightened. They hadn't seen anything like that before and weren't too happy about it!

It was nice cuddling with them though. :-)

Tin Foil Hats

2008-10-16T20:52:00.000-05:00

Today is my birthday. Mike should be easy on me, right? I decide to check my email before heading to work. I see what looks like an interesting article in the NY Times. Mike asks what I'm reading and I tell him to which he replies, "You know they are very liberal paper." I'm so tired of hearing how liberal just about every newspaper and news channel is. I snap. I tell him that I watched the debate and they are not reporting anything I did not see for myself. I tell him if he's so concerned about how liberal the paper is, he should just get his tin foil hat out. So he did. And made some for the boys too. Aren't they cute?

Politics: Suffragettes

2008-10-27T22:09:00.005-05:00

Meeting the Goods

2008-08-10T23:38:00.009-05:00

I was so excited to finally get the chance to meet Laurie and her family this weekend. Laurie and Travis adopted their oldest son, Jackson, from Vung Tau a little more than a month before Mike and I traveled to pick up Cameron & Connor. I "met" Laurie through another FHSA family that was traveling with them to pick up their daughter. Laurie and Travis gave Mike and me one of the most special presents we will ever receive - pictures of our darling babies while we were DYING waiting to go and pick them up. Here is the link she sent me which I probably stared at for HOURS. When Laurie and Travis got back home with Jackson, they uploaded a video of their meeting Jackson which I must have watched a hundred times just to catch a glimpse of my baby, Cameron. When Laurie first walks into the baby room, you can see that Jackson and Cameron were lying together happily amusing themselves on the bed right before Jackson is picked up by one of the nannies to meet his parents.

I'm not sure where Connor is in the room. I know when Laurie and Travis were there, they said he was sleeping so he was probably in one of the many cribs pictured in the video.

Our boys have a unique shared history and it was so nice to finally meet the people I feel I know having followed their blog for so long. Laurie and Travis are such laid back, extremely nice and intelligent people and their children are all absolutely adorable. Here are the only pictures I was able to take since, after the trip down to the beach in the morning, my camera got a little wet and didn't work properly again for about a week.

The adorable Shane bug

Laurie and all of our boys enjoying the tidal pool

The Vung Tau trio

This picture cracks me up. Travis and I were trying to get some pictures of our guys together. Jackson kept playing and being his cute self. My guys, not so much. They really did not think this was a great idea. Don't you love how they show it?!

Jackson giving Cameron a great big hug

Laurie also posted a few pictures of the guys on her site. My boys really liked Laurie. If I mention that we are going to the beach, they respond "Laurie." I hope we can do it again soon!

Politics: 'Tis the season

2008-08-15T14:07:00.002-05:00

And I'm not referring to Halloween, Thanksgiving or Christmas. It's election time!!!

I do try to NOT discuss politics much, especially from where I sit. I grew up in Texas and am now in Florida - both are very red states. I also am a CPA which is traditionally a Republican crowd. I can't say "conservative" because not all accountants/professionals are evangelical Christians but they do tend to have conservative economic/tax philosophies of which many I share. However, I am a democrat. I was so excited that my first election had Gore on the ticket... as VP. I was really excited about him because of his environmental positions and I knew if Clinton could win and keep it for the second term, Gore would be a shoe in. I didn't sleep much that Tuesday, November 2, 2000. I was actually in class when CNN showed Gore winning the state of Florida. By the time I got home that night after class, Florida was red. WHAT??? Gore won the popular vote and lost the election. I was devastated. I had grown a bit embarrassed for my guy though as I watched him make the most ridiculous comments all brought up during the campaign (i.e. "I invented the internet"). There were many. It was embarrassing but I still had hope. And then he conceded and it was my state that lost it for him. It was sad but life goes on. The last election was unfortunately pretty boring. Nothing could be worse than George W. Bush but I don't think anything could be more boring and annoying to listen to than John Kerry. Seriously - how did he get the democratic nomination? Did people just vote for him so he'd stop talking? Anyway, that was a drag but this election is the most exciting one for me yet. I'm finally voting FOR a candidate again and not against one or for the hope of a future one.

Barack Obama has the most unlikely circumstances to have ever even dreamed of running for the highest post in this country. I love that he has risen to the occasion.

Obama is an extraordinarily talented speaker and a very positive one. He doesn't try to win people to his side by scaring them of the other. His is a message of hope and bringing people together. I love it!

Obama's economic policy is essentially that government should stay out except where it is needed. Businesses will respond to market pressures to produce better products cheaper. What they won't always do voluntarily is make sure they protect their employees and/or leave the Earth unhurt while making those products. Government needs to step in to make sure hazardous waste isn't dumped in our water; working conditions for workers are safe; etc. I totally agree!

Obama supports a woman's right to choose. He wants to invest in technology to replace our dependence on oil for energy. He is focused on making sure all Americans have health care - the poor, those with pre-existing health conditions, EVERYONE. He understands the need to join with the global community and not to try and force them into doing what he wants. I'm so excited about the possibility of him becoming our next president! It's official - I'm an Obama mama!

Cutest Obama/Biden Supporters EVER

2008-10-26T18:01:00.004-05:00

Politics: Why Obama?

2008-10-25T16:58:00.001-05:00

My blog-friend Nicki asked her readers to post why they are voting for the candidate they are. She posted a follow up to that after casting her ballot that was so thorough and well written, I must encourage you all to read it here.

I did however, end up writing an email to a friend of mine which essentially stated why I was excited to support Obama. Here is the letter:

Hi G-,

I respect you and value your opinions. Nothing you've said offends me and I appreciate the clarifications. I've thought about your email a lot since I read it yesterday. I want to write a well thought out, non offensive response. I doubt this will be as great as I'd like and I apologize in advance for my lack of pith or if anything comes across poorly.

The reason I support Obama is not because he and I share all views. In fact, according to a match up site I did, I am only a 64% match with Obama's platform (10% with McCain). What Obama does so well and that I find absolutely critical for a President is surround himself with the best and brightest, research the subject thoroughly and try to find the best solution. He does not only go with his party, he tries to see all sides and do what is best. For example, I am an environmentalist, total tree hugger here. When Obama said during his acceptance speech for the Democratic nomination that his plan for energy independence included off-shore drilling, clean coal and increasing nuclear energy, I literally gasped. Horror of horrors! But I understand his point. We have to do something NOW AND build a future that plans to not have drilling, coal and nuclear as the only means of providing energy in this country. I get it. Don't necessarily like it but I understand.

On taxes, I disagree with your stance. I don't think American companies or wealthy individuals suffer from their tax burden. If they did, they would move as you've said but they don't. They find other ways. Wealthy people stay wealthy even if their tax rate goes up. They are not rich, they know how to hold onto their wealth and no tax plan will take wealth away from them. People who find a way to make money but do not educate themselves on how to shield it from taxes and other things that try to take it away will not become wealthy and may feel bitter about the taxes they pay. I don't feel badly for them. Companies may have a higher tax rate but get other incentives at the local and federal levels which partly negate their tax burden. Taxes that must be paid by companies get passed on to consumers. The company does not suffer. I am not an expert on tax policies and their impacts on the economy but I trust Obama to surround himself with experts in this field to enact proper tax policies. I would like to mention, that this year's Nobel Prize in Economics was given to Paul Krugman for his "analysis of trade patterns and where economic activity takes place" (taken from this BBC news article). He is an expert in economics and he rails against Bush's economic policies. Additionally the list of economists who have endorsed Obama is impressive. Other than Krugman, there are 5 other Nobel laureates endorsing him. Here is a list of all Obama endorsements.

As for Rev Wright, I understand how unnerving it is to see his hate filled rhetoric and I can understand the negative impact that would have on one's view of Obama by such a long association. I encourage you to watch the PBS show [Frontline: The Choice 2008] for some of their insights into that situation. From my perspective, I don't hold it against Obama. I will give Rev Wright the benefit of the doubt that he does not get in front of his parishioners every Sunday to say what a crappy place the US is. I will venture to guess that if he has that large of a following and for so long his messages are usually uplifting and encourage those in attendance to do good in this world, to be the hand of God. I understand that blacks face struggles in society that I do not and I know that a black minister has to address those struggles in a way that a white minister to his white parishioners would not. Do I agree with his comments? Of course not. Was he out of line? Maybe. I didn't hear the whole sermon to know. But Obama probably did and if the overall message was good with some really awful comments made to stress a point, well, I'm willing to give him the benefit of the doubt.

As for change, I no longer think that McCain would even attempt to deliver the change this country desperately needs. He used to be a free thinker but he has changed in that regard. Maybe it's just his desire to get into the White House and he will move back to his old "maverick" ways. However, his choice of Palin makes me really question that. She is like Cheney and even more scary to me. I know that you like her so I'm sorry if I'm offending you. She is completely unprepared for the office she is running for (she doesn't even know the actual role of VP based on her response in the VP debate) and even more woefully unprepared to lead our country should McCain not complete a term (based on actuarial tables there is a 1 in 6 or 7 chance that he will not and that does NOT take into account his actual health which has cancer in the mix). I am always fascinated to learn of others who really support her since I just absolutely cannot understand it based on all I've seen and learned of her. Maybe you can educate me on her strengths and positive leadership traits.

I think endorsements for Obama from the likes of Warren Buffett and Colin Powell also say a lot. The wikipedia list of endorsements for Obama is impressive (excluding the Senators and Congressmen since those are just expected and almost always along party lines). I am especially impressed by the scientists endorsing him - I'm very into science and rational fact-based research. McCain's wikipedia entry does not have the economic or scientific endorsements like Obama's. I am also impressed with the number of Republicans in general supporting Obama. Here's another site if you haven't already been that may be of interest: www.republicansforobama.org

I absolutely agree with you that Americans have become greedy, lazy, stupid and/or feel entitled. It absolutely makes me sick. I am totally with you that people need to work to improve their situations and nothing in life entitles them to anything but paying taxes and dying. I was actually pleasantly surprised to hear Obama tell people during his acceptance speech and several times since then many things along these lines. From his acceptance speech (if you haven't seen it, you really, really should).

"What is that American promise? It's a promise that says each of us has the freedom to make of our own lives what we will, but that we also have obligations to treat each other with dignity and respect... ours is a promise that says government cannot solve all our problems, but what it should do is that which we cannot do for ourselves: protect us from harm and provide every child a decent education; keep our water clean and our toys safe; invest in new schools, and new roads, and science, and technology... Yes, we must provide more ladders to success for young men who fall into lives of crime and despair. But we must also admit that programs alone can't replace parents, that government can't turn off the television and make a child do her homework, that fathers must take more responsibility to provide love and guidance to their children. Individual responsibility and mutual responsibility, that's the essence of America's promise."

I believe that Obama will do the things he says - he will invest in clean energy technologies that will bring high earning jobs back to our country. I believe that he will improve our relationships with countries around the world. I believe he will get us out of Iraq in a responsible, efficient manner. I believe he will actually engage our military to find Osama Bin Laden and cripple if not destroy Al Qaeda. I believe that he will responsibly increase tax revenue and reduce wasteful spending. I believe he will work with all members of the house and senate - democrats, republicans, independents - to bring about the changes we need.

These are just my opinions though. I know I'm not in the majority on most of my views but I am so excited to vote for a person who will consider all views before making decisions.

Erin

Politics: Powell endorses Obama

2008-10-19T16:14:00.001-05:00

I have much respect for Colin Powell and this endorsement of Obama is so clearly articulated! How is anyone still voting for McCain / Palin?