Sleeping giant roars

It’s my turn (B’s) and I have had it!

I realize that if you are reading this blog then you likely are already part of the “choir”, so let me just use this forum as a warm-up exercise. That annoying dimwit group called “Our Family Up Your Ass” (or something like it) has successfully gathered enough signatures to get their adoption ban amendment on the ballot for the November election in Arkansas. This amendment says that if you are not glowingly straight with perfect teeth and part of a marriage legally recognized in all 50 states then you are not qualified to adopt children who are in desperate need of a loving home. Somehow their logic follows that if you happen to be “unmarried” and you will abstain from sexual relations, then they will approve of your adoption. Basically, Catholic priests qualify, which should scare the begeshies out of folks, but the moms living in the Big Green House and our network of loving parents do not. Hell, even my straight Mom who maintains a house full of foster kids would not be able to adopt any of her kids should she get a boyfriend.

This certainly is another attack on the gay and lesbian-headed families across the state. They have gone even further to pull the well-being of vulnerable children into their web of hate-filled bigotry acts. Absolutely sickening is what it is!

If “Family in the Ass” wants a fight, they got one from me. For every punch there is a counter punch, and I am gearing up for the counter punch. Not only should we oppose this amendment, but we should push for equitable rights for our families. Here is what I would like to see happen immediately:
1) I want Second Parent Adoptions in the state so that I can legally adopt Meric and Holcomb can legally adopt Breck without either of us giving up our rights as birth mothers.
2) I want “family status” through our work benefits, so that my family is just as protected and cherished as my co-workers’ families.
3) I want equitable civil rights and social recognition for anyone who decides to partner with someone they love.

Arkansas Family First (love how they stole the name from the conservatives) is spearheading some efforts to fight the adoption ban. I just signed up with them, so I am probably behind on some of the efforts already in place. Those who know more than me, please share your information. See you on battlefield…
-Bridget
(fade away to Melissa’s ‘Giant’ playing in the background….)

Racoons and Rascals

On Friday we had a racoon in our backyard that was driving our dogs crazy. We kept bringing the dogs inside thinking the varment would leave while the gettin' was good. No such luck. Bridget called the animal control people who returned the phonecall MONDAY saying they were at our house and where was the racoon. Bridget said, "Hell! I don't know! I called you three days ago." That wasn't as good as the comment made to the private critter ridder company who wanted to charge $400 to rid us of the racoon. "Damn! My bullet isn't going to cost me $400." It's gone and it's a lucky critter because she and our neighbor were ready to shoot it. We think it was sick. I'm glad it ran away because God only knows what would have happened to the carcass or the bullet. I'm just glad we didn't have to start a round of rabies shots on anyone.

Just as exciting as a rabid racoon in the yard, Breck started Pre-K this week. I was expecting a nice picture of him with his hair all slicked down in his crispy-new uniform standing in front of the fire place. Didn't happen. Mr. GQ wanted his own photo shoot so that's what we got. A cowlick headed four-year-old posing around the sun room. He LOVED his first day and seems to really like his "big" school. He came home with a "Take Home" folder with his name on it. Only he didn't want to share what was in the folder because, quite clearly, HIS name was on the folder and not ours, so why on earth would WE, his parents, need HIS folder?! Geez! We haven't even started "real" school yet and already he's acting like a hormonal teenager. What can we expect for middle school?

Keeping Up

I'm so behind on blogging that no one is going to look at my blog anymore if I don't do something to update it. We're ARE, however, completely nuts. Bridget begins her PhD program on Monday, Breck starts "big school" on Monday, the students arrive at school for Holcomb on Monday, Bridget starts teaching on Monday, Meric begins her new class at day care on Monday and Holcomb is attempting National Boards. Is it any wonder that we can't blog. For crying out loud, we're hardly sleeping before we have to go work. We just aren't any fun. We'll work on that though. Thank GOD we're not home with a four-year-old, a set of 1-year-old twins, and a set of newborn twins trying to breast feed, like some other bloggers we know.

You Have My Money, You Might As Well Have My Name

We've made the decision to legally change mine and Meric's last names to be the same as Breck and Bridget. I gave this considerable thought and decided I liked the idea of linking us all as a single unit...however "hetero" it may be. :) Breck is really excited and so am I. Tomorrow is my first day back at work from summer break and I'll have to let my boss know that I'll be going by a new last name. It should be an interesting transition since I've gone by two different first names in my lifetime. I lived all my life as Laura before going to college where I briefly coexisted with another Laura P. We both decided to go by our middles names since our records were forever being mixed up. So, to everyone I met prior to college I am Laura. To all others I am Holcomb. Now? Whatever. How many combinations can one person have? Bridget in her odd little way is likely to call me up tomorrow at work to say she has a spread sheet to determine all the possible ways my name could be listed. (She's a number cruncher, but we don't hold that against her.) When I ran the idea by Bridget her response was, "Well, you have my money, you might as well have my name." So true! :)