A couple o' things .....

First of all, thanks to all of you who have responded to my pleas for help regarding my plans to make my kids more self-sufficient. I wanted to share with you some information provided to me by a good friend (thanks SBC - always good with the dead-on referrals), but..... when I Googled "good enough mother" (the info. I was given), you would be surprised to see / hear / read all the interesting and valuable (and varied info) that came up from blogs to books to psychiatry.... Apparently, many of us wonder about that very thing. So... I will share what I research (and I will clarify what I'm supposed to be looking for - I am not the world's most focused person these days) and get back to you. A whole new world....(and just in time as my sweet Enzo - eager and happy tennis player this morning - became kid who won't apologize to wronged friend and child who now kicks and scratches at unsuspecting mommy a la toddler tantrum... way upsetting on a 5 yr old).

Also, check out Design Mom (see my blog list) for input / ideas / queries on digital storage from anything like bank statements to photos. How do you guys roll? I do a little of both (and, in fact, commented on her blog), but... currently the photos have me overwhelmed as do keeping the utility bills and statements organized (hubby and I don't want to pay twice in the same week, but we do not want to miss a payment either - so... who's keeping track?).

One more blog to check today..... Random House (see my list!) for a fab - thorough, uniquely relayed - review on The Tim Burton / Johnny Depp, Alice in Wonderland (who woulda thought that the Yeah Yeah Yeahs would find a home for a song entitled "Heads will Roll" :-).

In keeping with quick summer, pull it together fast for the family recipes (i.e. kids might eat...) recipes, here is a sloppy joe recipe from Bobby Flay (Throwdown style). I have some buns to use up today and might give it a whirl (I hate wasting food and groceries - plus I'm on this "make it easy" kick, and last night, made the bbq sauce base, so... in my household where dinner is expected warm and on the table every night, and... when the limited amt. of time I do have to cook is interrupted by constant fighting and requests for snacks and juice, having dinner partway done is HUGE for me - speaking of not wasting food .... anyone have a good root veggie recipe? I have some to use up....).

Went to Whole Foods today, and... have to say - prices were lower - my bill seemed reasonable, and.... I got a variety of stuff - veggie entries, deli, produce, 360 degrees brand stuff, paper products..... Competitive and LOWER prices always good.

Tonight, Edgewood swims against Meadowink (a worthy and talented rival).
Go Edgewood Eels!

Last night - watched Shutter Island, which came out around the time the supposedly much better thriller, Ghostwriter (with Ewan Macgregor) came out, but... it wasn't on On Demand, so.... watched the former (and I love everyone in it - Leonardo DiCaprio, Mark Rufallo, Ben Kingsley - of course, directed by Martin Scorcese...). Anyway.... parents beware; I didn't realize the premise and / or one of the storylines was so disturbing (in that anyone with young children will be upset... some hard to watch moments).

Lastly - all you private / Catholic school parents .... important EITC message below.... along with ACTION ITEMS - please read:

State lawmakers are supposed to pass a balanced budget before June 30. There is an anticipated $1.1 billion shortfall, so many cuts are being considered.

One cut under consideration is E.I.T.C. A column on page 4 of this past weekend's Pgh. Catholic does some very enlightening math.

"All students in Pennsylvania must go to school. 44,000 students receive EITC scholarships to attend a non-public school. It costs the taxpayers about $12,083 per year to educate a student in public school. Therefore: If all 44,00 students lose their EITC scholarships and return to public schools, then the taxpayers will have to pay an additional $531.6 million per year in local school taxes.........Cutting a successful educational program like EITC that saves local taxpayers does not add up."

Even just a partial cut, puts $12,083 additional cost per student onto the tax roles.

"Operation Restore is a statewide initiative to restore funding for EITC to $75 million. People all across the commonwealth need to speak up.......lawmakers should be asked to support the restoration of the $75 million for EITC."

Either contact your state rep and state senator on your own, OR, as the Pgh. Catholic suggests, for information, log onto www.operationrestorepa.org -- To look up your legislators' contact information, go to the PA Catholic Conference's www.pacatholic.org/current_issues/catholic-advocacy-network/ and lobby through there. (If you can't navigate that website, just contact them by phone, e-mail, or through their website.)

OK - so photo speaks for itself (gearing up for swim meet season - this was last year's championships), and... my two wee ones are beckoning (apparently, there is a major ice cream spill on the back deck - Remember my Milo and my Lil are the kids that, at dinnertime in the summer, I put an ear of corn in one hand, a hard roll in the other, put them in pull-ups and let them go feral - and I'm not even exaggerating for a moment on that....;-).