Sunday, February 5, 2006

It's a quiet, lazy Sunday here...one of my favorite kind of days.  I can afford to do close to nothing today, as I have taken a personal day tomorrow.  Yes, I just had Thursday off, but tomorrow was a scheduled day off.  Amanda is in the spelling bee for her grade tomorrow and I felt I really wanted to be there for her.  Last year she was out on the first word.  The principal told her to spell "stable".  She repeated the word back and she spelled stable.  Much to her dismay, the word was actually STAPLE.  Talk about pi$$'d off.... I'm hoping she will do well, and at least be out fairly, if at all... her sprain is not getting any better yet, and she is really down about missing basketball.  Not to mention the fact that her team hasn't lost a game since she's been out and she thinks it's because she's not playing and the fact that the lost all their other games was because she was playing before.  Dang.  She's more superstitious than I AM!!

There was some disturbing news in our neighborhood this week.  Right in our complex a 53 year old man was arrested and charged with being in possession of child pornography.  OMG.  Apparently he was downloading pictures and they caught him tracking from New York somewhere.  We know his name, but I have no idea who he is or what number address he is.  I plan to find out.  It's sickening to think he lives here and sees my children playing outside...f'ing scary, as a matter of fact.  People really think, even with all the media there is now, that this kind of thing doesn't happen around them, or to them.  Well, I know from experience, that it does.  You can be OVERLY protective...it helps, but it doesn't matter.  It's usually someone you know.  Someone you trust.  That is their plan.  The sickos are smart enough to know what to do to get children to trust them.  Let me tell you this ~ TRUST YOUR INSTINCTS.  If you have suspicions, no matter how small, be alert.  Be watching, listening and knowing about what is going on around you and around your children.  This is a hard subject, one that I have an understanding about that I wish I didn't .  It makes me want to delete this wholejournal and never put myself or my family out there in the world again.  But you know what?  That is giving power to the demons...and I refuse to do that.  I try to be careful and not give too much information.  According to news programs, there are 300,000 preditors online every day.  Reading teens journals and My spaces.  Gaining knowledge about our families.  SCARY.  Should we just pack up and move out of Jland?  I think if people are careful, good can be done.  There are more good people out there than bad.  I have faith.  It took awhile, but I have it back, and I'm not losing it for any sick creeps. 

WELL  I got that out of my system...

We are watching a marathon of Little House on the Prairie today.  I grew up watching this show and it's great that my daughters are enjoying it as well.  It has some really good moral stories.  We went to see Eight Below last night and that was very good.  One of the better Disney movies I've seen in a while....

Anyway, I hope you all are having a great weekend.  My grapics are being zapped out lately, so I must have done something I wasn't supposed to.  oops.  It wasn't intentional.  See you all around town!!          

                                                       !

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

my god sister tried to make me change the station to lil house on the prairie sorry but it wasnt happening. I watch the good times and whats happening on tvland. Sorry your daughter feels that way and plus all that anxiety of being on the spelling bee probably got to her and made her nervous about spelling but im sure she will do better one day at a time tell her she cant win at everything and if she did I'D HATE HER lol im just playing. Im sure thats not why her team is winning they are playing for her!!!

Anonymous said...

I rant about the same thing in my journal  I am so sick of these perverts.  I called my state and everyone I could think of telling them enough is enough.  I have o many hang up and life changes due to one of these perverts.  Please speak up for all children and ask you state reps to pass the Jessicas law.  TerryAnn.  

Anonymous said...

I loved Little House on the Prairie when I was young, too, and I love that my daughter enjoys the books and watching the re-runs with me.  I agree.  You have to be so careful these days.  I go online to our local sheriff's department regularly to access the sex offender's registry.  I check our county, especially all the streets around us.  Hope your daughter does well on her spelling bee.
Lori

Anonymous said...

I know of what you speak when you talk about child predators and pedaphiles!  I won't elaborate here, but, I agree with you 100%.

Jackie

Anonymous said...

Stumbled across your journal, then I saw your graphic about leaving you a comment, so that is what I am doing. :-P

Hope you enjoyed your personal day! Yay!

Amanda over at
http://journals.aol.com/trickeytricky/CountryMyKindaLivin

Anonymous said...

Hi hon. Im glad you're able to take a day off. I'm especially happy that you'll not be missing the spelling bee.
 Child pornography is the largest money maker, which ought to tell us how far out of hand things are. It's scary enough to know about it, much less discover, as you have, tahat there is a man in your complex downloading it. I'm glad you posted this entry. Hopefully a lot of people will read it and be extra alert. We don't have to be paranoid - just realistic. It does happen, and not just to everybody else.
 I LOVE "Little House On The Prarie" too. My children love it and are now showing it to their children.
And speaking of stories, I'll be updating mine in a day or two. I want to finish it so I can start my new one.
  I'm way behind journal reading. Might have to simply delete and start over. There is no way I can catch up with over 400 alerts. Take care.
Love you much,
Barb- http://journals.aol.com/barbpinion/HEYLETSTALK

Anonymous said...

    Kinda scary, isn't it, to think that these kind of people exist.  And yet, like you said, you can't let the fear of them run your life.  I wish there was an answer to this kind of thing.  I guess all we can do is be cautious.  
    I loved Little House !  I used to watch it all the time. Very sweet show ... wish there were more of that type of programming.  Tina http://journals.aol.com/onemoretina/Ridealongwithme
   

Anonymous said...

You are right, Michelle. That is pure evil. I wondered about that when I first started blogging, about putting too much information out there, but in my case, I don't worry about someone stalking me, but I do worry about the little ones who have no idea. Natalie, over at Interface, had a say so about that. I'm sure she would love you to visit and leave  a comment about it. Here is her journal address. http://journals.aol.com/lurkynat/Interface/entries/855

You are right, though, more good can be done because there are more good people out there than bad. However, it is good to be mindful of the dangers, and not to let the younger set have access to such unknown places visited by unknown people who have perverted objectives. There's no way to identify them on the chats or the IM's or the emails... they can tell you all kinds of lies, make up stories about themselves. Kids don't realize the danger... it's like giving them a car without the training and the license to drive. It's like giving them a bottle of liquor, and a gun, and drugs, and telling them not to use them, and to avoid people who do. Or saying to them "Be careful."  How can a kid know how to deal with that kind of responsiblity? The internet is no place for children or teens without supervision, parental controls, and guidance. Bea