According to the Texas Department of State Health Services website the following are some of the alarming facts of Teen Pregancies... and unfortunately 2006 data  ranks Texas 3rd in the nation for teen pregnancies http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28538524/!  It is time to consider changing our attitudes about sex education.  What we are doing is not working! 

In today's shrinking world our children are falling behind the rest of the world academically.  We should be alarmed at how poorly we are preparing the next generation for the "new" world economy.  Instead of looking at solutions to this problem we all start planning our summer vacations, forgetting that summer is 3 months that our children lose the most ground.  To thwart that reversal in academic growth, think about some enriching activities you can add to your summer. When you fill your beach bag or day pack add some family reading material!  Visit a local science, history or art museum, take a hike in a nature center, or visit a state park. Spend time outdoors and enjoy the fresh air, but remember to feed your children's minds too!

Now isn't that an enticing title?  Hmmm I wonder what it said to you?  What were you thinking when you read the title and why did you continue to read this entry? Were you hoping for some deep dark confession, or a further baring of my soul?  Since it is rare that anyone actually leaves any comments, I doubt if I will get any answers to any of these questions.  If I owe you an apology then please consider it done, whatever offense I commited I am surely very sorry by now.  

Words....

Texas City allowed us to use their main park for our Learning for Life Outdoor Experience this past week.  Their team of workers (from different departments) did a great job setting up tables, garbage cans, chairs, filling our water coolers and bringing out enough port-o-potties to support a group of 400 children coming through the park every day.  I think the cleaning crew had a pleasant surprise.  The children who participated in this event did a great job cleaning up after themselves.  There were water bottles forgotten at every station but the participants put their trash in the proper receptacles.  One of the schools had transportation issues, they had no room in their budget to pay for school buses.  A local transportation company Connect Transportation (?) came to the rescue.

At yesterdays Learning for Life Outdoor Experience a black father was accompanying his son's Community in Schools group from LaMarque.  He was the only parent volunteer with his group.  It was great seeing him involved with his son's group.  I asked him why he was there and he said something that every parent, no matter their race, needs to hear.  He said parenting was like everything else in life, if you want it to pay dividends then you have to invest in it.  He feels like investing his time in his son is going to help his child be successful.  AND he is right, research has shown that parent involvement is the number one predictor of student success.  So, I would like to challenge all parents to spend some time with their child and show them that you think that learning and school are important!

Having a Great time helping with the Learning for Life Outdoor Experience!

Despite our recent conflicts with some adults in the Scouting program my faith in the program has been some what restored by scouts.  Ordeal candidates come in different packages.  Some are more than willing to let others do the labor and profit from it. Some work harder than others.  Others don't like to be idle and find more work to do.  These are the boys that restore my faith in the scouting program.  I still find myself doubting the sincerity of some of the adults.  There are always plenty of adults that are willing to supervise, and watch over others.  The one's who will roll up their sleeves and do extra work without anyone asking are a rare breed.  I wonder if there is link between the boys who step up and the adults who step up?  Apparently to some degree it runs in families.

I don't like "playing" politics, apparently I am not good at holding my tongue, or my keyboard.  So, I don't want a position of power, I want to stay in the background and be the encourager, the helper.  If you want to know my opinion about something you are going to get the good, the bad and the ugly.  I can be politically correct. AND there are definitely situations in which this is not only prudent, it is necessary.  BUT do you want me to hold back from telling you my perspective on a subject because it makes you uncomfortable?  If so stand back because I have vowed to not hide, if you don't ask I might not tell.  I can't promise but I will try to curb my tongue, my keyboard.  There is one thing that I want to stand up and tell everyone... there is value in being a housewife and putting in a lot of effort into child rearing, and my brain still works! Jackie Kennedy said "if you bungle raising your children, I don't think whatever else you do matters very much."
So watch out here Fay comes....I am still thinking about my vision of me in the future.  I have been happy being the wife of and mother of.... I want to impact and make a difference in the community at large.  I have decided to follow Texas politics, local politics and maybe improve my corner of the world.  I agreed to be the Area 10 PTA legislative action chair.  I really want to make a difference, perhaps to influence others and encourage other PTA members to play a role in the political process.  I do not want to convince anyone that my view is the correct view of the world, instead I want to present information (data) and persuade you to think about the issues before you make up your mind.  I will always try to open minded and look at the world with unbiased eyes.  I hope that others can do this too.

One would hope to feel relief after accomplishing a task.  Lining out the task at the top of the list, just leaves a myriad of tasks that climb up in ranking!  I was hoping that I would feel some sense of accomplishment, but my mind is already thinking about how to accomplish the next thing on my list.  I need to polish my training on VISION.  That entails me thinking more about my personal vision and the goals I need to set to make that vision a reality.  As a middle aged wife and mom that is not easy.  Hmmmm maybe I can procrastinate and work on the next task down on the list.... do laundry, arghhhhh that isn't any fun!

Okay, a compliment a day probably won't keep the doctor away.  In fact, saying that might be a real stretch, but it is something that can really make a difference to someone's mental well being! A little encouragement can brighten the day and change someone's attitude for the day.  Not to mention how it makes you feel to think and say good things about others.  All positive, happy thoughts effect your attitude too, so say something nice or even stretch a bit and doing something nice and unexpected for someone right away!  

A road trip to hike, and not quite according to our plan... so a car tour of Clear Lake and then we were on the way to Challenger Park.  Who knew that Armand Bayou didn't open until noon on Sunday?  We didn't!  We arrived at the gate around 9:30AM and it was closed.  So we toured UHCL, drove down to Saturn and across to NASA Parkway.  We zipped over to Challenger Park.  After a coating of sunblock and liberally application of DEET we went hiking.  We found lots of mosquitoes and ripe blackberries.  Zack whined about mosquitoes about 69.75% of the time we were hiking.  I didn't know that a Boy Scout couldwhine so much!  We chose Dairy Queen for brunch .... The Chocalate Brownie Sundae Waffle Bowl is very good!  Don't know what else is store for me today, I think it will involve reading the latest Percy Jackson book because Jon and Zack have finished it.

Not really going to post anything about being low or lower, just thought the title would balance the higher ground piece.  Enough griping for me, it is time to move on and be more upbeat.  I will probably slip backwards once in a while, but that is okay.  I am only human, at least the last time I checked I wasn't immortal, and definitely not without faults.  Check back in on my blog in a few days and see what I am thinking about.  See Ya around!

Keeping to the high ground, not dispelling rumors, not calling others liars, this it is not easy, it is not what I want to do.  BUT I keep telling myself that it is the right thing to do.  Apparently in some circles you can gossip all you want behind other people's backs, you can say ugly things about other people in front of others and your children, but you cannot give your opinion in a blog, especially if it "might" show that you disagreed with something someone (or a group) did (or didn't do).  So, remember everyone to keep it between yourselves when you want to talk about people or a group, and keep the gossip to small groups so that it will slowly mutate but cannot be directly attributed back to you.  If you are not a gossip monger but instead are the silent accomplice just remember that every sarcastic, gossipy comment you listen to is condoning the act, you become complicit as you become complacent. 

For myself, I will continue to take the high ground and tell you directly when I am happy or unhappy, I will not hide behind a group of pronoun people. In the end, criticism and praise both have a role in helping to improve things.  If you only chose to listen to one and not the other how will you know your weaknesses?  My hope and salvation is to keep improving, to keep being cheerful, to keep a good attitude.  No one will address me directly and talk to me about my role in current events.  Not one person has the gumption to find out what the other side of the story is.... that is unfortunate, because it tells a lot about the type of people involved with the group as a whole.  It is also disappointing because a little directness towards me, a little criticism, a little truthfulness might actually help me on my road to being a better person.

Eeyore is by far my favorite critter of the 100 Akre Wood.  His pleasant surprise at anyone acknowledging his presence always gave me a feeling of delight.  This came to my mind because I got a call from a dear scouting friend from Angleton.  We had seen each other at an event the evening before.  She was checking to see why I wasn't my normal chipper self.  That really made my day.  One person showing concern for your welfare really makes a difference.  In fact, in this case it set a great tone for starting a better today!  Thanks for noticing me!

No it isn't pool.  It is BULLIES, and they come in big and small packages.  They are adults, children and teenagers.  They walk down all avenues of life.  AND they have one goal, to get their way, be in charge and be the life of the party.  They like to have fun at someones expense and enjoy making others uncomfortable.  Don't ask questions, conform and be submissive to those who are in the inner circle and your position will be safe.  Supposedly this group has certain values that they uphold, if that is really true then they would value other people more.  It is a shame that a place that should be free from such behaviors is not and just because the adults are closed minded, judgmental and just can not get it right.  If they don't get it right how do they expect the children to get it right?

Words can be a powerful tool.  Presented correctly (the right words, in the right order, with the right timing) words can be empowering.  Words can anger people, shame people, tear people down and even back people into a corner.  But words can also be calming, uplifting and inspiring. So, keep this mind and build me up, inspire me, encourage me with your words it might just make my day!

If you care about the version of history and other social studies areas that our Texas children will learn in school then please pay attention.  Follow the Texas Freedom Network by periodically visiting their website (www.tfn.org) and signing up for the their email updates.  If you believe in public education, diversity and religious freedom then consider supporting TFN financially.  Please read this article about the people that our State Board of Education (SBOE) are going to approve to be on the curriculum committee:  http://www.tfn.org/site/News2?page=NewsArticle&id=5778.  An aquaintance of mine thinks that this committee might be structured in such a way that our children will be dramatically short changed.  Their version of social studies will be very white, no diversity, little mention of woman.  Please pay attention to what the SBOE is doing to our science and social study curriculum.  We are really shortchanging Texas children who need to have all the tools to survive in the ever shrinking world!