Flag Day

Seeing as it is Flag Day, I thought that some history of it would be appropriate. Even tho most of you already know it. ;)

Flag Day is June 14.

History of Flag Day

Flag Day is a celebration of the adoption of the American flag by Continental Congress in the First Flag Resolution of June 14, 1777. Although the 200-year anniversary of this date was celebrated by flying flags on public buildings and holding remembrances in several cities, Flag Day wasn’t officially recognized until President Harry Truman signed it into law in 1949.

Bernard J. Cigrand, known to the general public as the "Father of Flag Day," worked as a school teacher at Stony Hill School in Waubeka, Wisconsin. He held the first unofficial observance for Flag Day at that school in 1885, and today a bust of Cigrand stands in Waubeka at the National Flag Day Americanism Center.

Cigrand delivered speeches around the country about patriotism and holding an observance for the flag on June 14. He later became the president of the American Flag Day Association and the National Flag Day Society. He continued to promote his cause with backing from those organizations. According to amateur historian James L. Brown who wrote the booklet, "The Real Bernard J. Cigrand: Father of Flag Day," Cigrand once claimed he had given 2,188 speeches on the flag and patriotism. The Chicago Tribune noted that Cigrand "almost single-handedly" established Flag Day.

Although Cigrand is perhaps the most recognized candidate, several others have also claimed to be founders of Flag Day. In 1889 the principal of a free kindergarten, George Bolch, celebrated the anniversary of the Flag resolution at his New York City school. Soon the State Board of Education of New York, the Betsy Ross House in Philadelphia and the New York Society of the Sons of the Revolution celebrated Flag Day too.

In 1893 Elizabeth Duane Gillespie, a descendant of Benjamin Franklin and the president of the Colonial Dames of Pennsylvania, attempted to have a resolution passed deeming June 14 as Flag Day. That same year the Colonial Dames of Pennsylvania were responsible for a resolution passed requiring the American flag to be displayed on all Philadelphia’s public buildings. In 1937 Pennsylvania was the first state to make Flag Day a legal holiday.

After much persistence and the support of many individuals, organizations, mayors, governors and five presidents, President Woodrow Wilson issued a proclamation requesting that June 14 become National Flag Day. In 1927 President Coolidge issued a second proclamation, and finally in 1949 Congress approved it and it became a law.

Soon after Flag Day became official, another law passed requiring the state superintendent of public schools to make sure patriotic holidays like Memorial Day, Flag Day, Lincoln’s birthday and Washington’s Birthday are observed in schools.

How to Observe Flag Day

The week of June 14 is designated as "National Flag Week." During National Flag Week, the president will issue a proclamation urging U.S. citizens to fly the American flag for the duration of that week. The flag should also be displayed on all Government buildings. Some organizations hold parades and events in celebration of our national flag and everything it represents. It’s also a time to remember and honor military men and women who defend our flag and our country.

The National Flag Day Foundation holds an annual observance for Flag Day on the second Sunday in June. The program includes a ceremonial raising of the flag, recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance, singing of the National Anthem, a parade and more. The ceremony will take place on June 10, 2007, in Waubeka, WI, the birthplace of Flag Day (according to Cigrand).

http://www.united-states-flag.com/flag-day-history.html


Oh, and Happy birthday, Mom!!! :D

*dies laughing*

I found this a while ago and had to post! It's hilarious!!! Enjoy!

Twilight in less than 500 pages

Scene 1

BELLA: I'm sad to leave the horrible, uninhabitable wasteland of Phoenix to live in a rain-soaked town full of country people that do not understand my city ways. I wish everything about my comfortable and privileged life were completely different!
DAD: Hi, Bella! Welcome to Forks, Washington. I'm glad you've stopped playing mother to your own flighty, irresponsible mom and come here to be my mother instead.
BELLA: It will be my pleasure to cook and clean for you.
DAD: I bought you an old truck from an Indian in a wheelchair!
BELLA: I .... have no response for that.

*******

Scene 2

BELLA: It's tough being the new kid in school! Especially when everyone is so friendly and helpful and interested in me. Why can't they just leave me alone so I can sit in the corner and be left alone to pout?
CLASSMATE: You're awesome Bella!
BELLA: See what I have to put up with? Hey-- who are those hot people over there?
CLASSMATE: Those are the Cullens. They avoid direct sunlight, they don't eat food, they sleep in coffins in a graveyard, and holy water burns them. I think they're Canadians.
BELLA: They sure are spectacularly gorgeous.
CLASSMATE: Yes, they are.
BELLA: I mean seriously, those people are BEAUTIFUL. Especially the one who keeps looking at me. Man alive, that guy is stunning. I mean, wow. He is hot buttered seduction on a stick. I mean, LOOK AT HIM! If you don't mind, I'd like to spend the next 75 pages talking exclusively about how attractive he is and then bring it up again every paragraph or so for the remaining 400 pages.
CLASSMATE: Knock yourself out.

******

Scene 3

EDWARD: Hi, I'm Edward. I'm every girl's fantasy boyfriend: moody, humorless, violent, capable of snapping your spine with my bare hands, liable to do creepy things like watch you while you're sleeping, but also really cute.
BELLA: There is something strange about you.
EDWARD: (recoils at her garlic breath) I don't know what you mean.
BELLA: I just can't put my finger in what it is.
EDWARD: (lifts automobile with one hand) You're imagining things.
BELLA: I feel like you're hiding something from me.
EDWARD: (grabs passing rabbit with lightning speed; drinks rabbit's blood) Don't be silly!
BELLA: It's like you're different somehow.
EDWARD: (turns into a bat, flies away)
BELLA: Hmmm. I bet he's foreign.

******

Scene 4

JACOB: You should be careful with those Cullens. Many moons ago, our tribe's elders, who were werewolves, made a pact with the Cullens, who are vampires. They're not allowed on our land, not even at our casinos.
BELLA: What, still? Even after all this time has passed?
JACOB: Nope
BELLA: Since when do white people honor treaties with Indians?
JACOB: I know, right?
BELLA: Let me guess-- you're a character whose only job is to provide exposition, and you won't be useful until the next book.
JACOB: Yes. At the earliest.

******

Scene 5

BELLA: Thanks for saving me from that mob of guys who attacked me in the street! It's a good thing you obsessively stalk me while simultaneously insisting you want nothing to do with me.
EDWARD: No problem. If anyone's going to tear you limb from limb and gorge themselves on your sweet, delicious, life-giving blood, it's going to be me.
BELLA: Aw, you say the nicest things! I'm pretty sure you're a vampire, that I'm in love with you and that part of you wants to kill me.
EDWARD: Don't be silly. It's not just part of me.
BELLA: HA HA HA!! You're so funny!

******

Scene 6

EDWARD: You know what vampires love? Baseball!
BELLA: Really?
EDWARD: Sure! Haven't you ever heard of vampire bats?

>crickets<

EDWARD: Anyhoo, these are the vampire friends I live with, the Cullens. They've been very eager to eat you.
BELLA: You mean meet me?
EDWARD: Meet you. What did I say?
ALICE: I'm Alice! I can see the future, but only when it's useful to the plot. For example, right now: Look out for those mean vampires barging in from the forest!
MEAN VAMPIRE JAMES: Fe-Fi-Fo-Fum! I smell the blood of a human!
EDWARD: Stay away from her! Bella, you'd better go. I don't want you to have to see me fight this guy for your honor, our muscles straining as we grapple, the air thick with testosterone and the sounds of our throaty snarling.
BELLA: Right! I wouldn't want to see that! Especially not if your shirts got torn off!

******

Scene 7

MEAN VAMPIRE JAMES: You puny humans are so predictable and weak. Now I've got you alone, free to toy with you and torture you and deliver lengthy explanatory monologues to you! I just hope I don't waste so much time that when I finally do decide to kill you it's too late because Edward and the Cullens have arrived to save you!
BELLA: That would certainly be an unusual twist!
MEAN VAMPIRE JAMES: Never mind! At last it is time for me to--
EDWARD: Not so fast, Count Jerkula!
MEAN VAMPIRE JAMES: Edward! And the Cullens! Who could have forseen your perfectly timed arrival?!
ALICE: I could have! Didn't, but could have!

(Fighting ensues. MEAN VAMPIRE JAMES is vanquished.)

EDWARD: Bella! Are you OK? He bit you! I've got to suck out the vampire poison!
BELLA: Edward, you don't have to make up excuses to suck my blood. I mean honestly, who ever heard of "vampire poison"?
EDWARD: I'm serious! It's coursing through your veins as we speak!
BELLA: Uh-huh, whatever you say.

******

Scene 8

BELLA: Why did you bring me to the prom, Edward? You know I can't dance, and that I hate it when people tell me I'm beautiful, which happens all the time.
EDWARD: I don't want your dangerous psychological infatuation with a vampire to interfere with your regular life.
BELLA: But I want to BE a vampire! I want you to do it to me.
EDWARD: You're sure you want to be a vampire?
BELLA: Yes.
EDWARD: Well, how about if I press my lips against your throat in an ambiguous way, just enough to ensure that readers come back for the sequel?
BELLA: It's a deal

(Fade to black; roll credits; send in ushers to mop up the audience's tears and drool.)

What is it about his voice that just makes you feel so much better?

I've been feeling not quite myself the past few days. But I listen to Josh and it seems like everything is better, even if it's just for a moment. But I especially listen to these 2 songs.

SMILE

Smile though your heart is aching
Smile even though it's breaking
When there are clouds in the sky
You'll get by
If you smile through your fear and sorrow
Smile and maybe tomorrow
You'll see the sun come shining through for you

Light up your face with gladness
Hide every trace of sadness
Although a tear may be ever so near
That's the time you must keep on trying
Smile what's the use of crying
You'll find that life is still worthwhile
If you just smile

When there are clouds in the sky you'll get by
If you smile
And maybe tomorrow
You'll see the sun come shining through for you

Light up your face with gladness
Hide every trace of sadness
Although a tear may be ever so near
That's the time you must keep on trying
Smile what's the use of crying
You'll find that life is still worthwhile
If you just smile

You are Loved (Don't Give Up)

Don't give up
It's just the weight of the world
When your heart's heavy I
I will lift it for you
Don't give up
Because you want to be heard
If silence keeps you I
I will break it for you

Everybody wants to be understood
Well I can hear you

Everybody wants to be loved
Don't give up

Because you are loved

Don't give up
It's just the hurt that you hide
When you're lost inside I
I'll be there to find you

Don't give up
Because you want to burn bright
If darkness blinds you I
I will shine to guide you

Everybody wants to be understood
Well I can hear you

Everybody needs to be loved
Don't give up

Because...you are loved

Don't give up
It's just the weight of the world

Don't give up
Everyone needs to be loved

You are loved

July 15, come now!!!!! *begs*

You know when you past the point of exhaustion and nothing seems to matter anymore? That's been me the past couple months. Not just with the baby, oh no, the baby is a piece of cake. It's with the child that I like to call "The Demon." aka-Porter. He's going thru some sort of stage. I don't know how long it will last, but I want it to end like 2 months ago! It's not a matter of sibling rivalry, he doesn't even notice Luke half the time. He's always acting out. And not that of a normal child or what he used to do. like 100 times worse! Right now he's in the living with the oscelating fan, and he's turning it on and off and twisting the fan around and it's clicking really bad, I keep hearing things in there, like he's putting a blanket or something thru one of the holes and letting the blades hit it and make a noise. I haven't gone to stop him, because well, quite frankly, I know that it won't help. As long as the fan is in there, it's going to get abused. But it's too hot to take it out. We decided not to put our a/c unit in the window this year, for that reason alone.
I don't mind that he's becoming more independant, like wanting to make his own sandwiches or making his own toast, but that's where I draw the line at the moment. I don't care if he opens the fridge and grabs the package of hot dogs, just as long as he actually eats them and doesn't spread them all out over the floor or hide them so then the room begins to stink.
This morning he told me that he was going to brush his teeth. Okay, great! He doesn't brush enough. 10 minutes later, I checked up on him to get his toothbrush and he was sucking on his toothpaste tube. I just bought it this weekend and the toddler training toothpaste is not cheap! Luckily, it won't hurt him.
It's just the things that he knows he's not supposed to do that he does anyways. Now he's swinging in the baby swing. Again. Or dumping his toys out the second I get the floor vacuumed. Or shoving things into the DVD player. Yeah, I went to put things in the dryer and came up to copy a cd from my laptop and the drive won't open. After taking the cover flappy thing off, I discover there's a dvd in there. And of course, it's not one of mine. It was one that I borrowed from my sister. I can't get it out for the life of me, without taking the whole entire computer apart.
Discipline? He doesn't seem to understand that concept. Spankings, time out, loss of priviledges... none of that phases him at all. 5 minutes later, he's back to doing whatever it was that he was doing before he got in trouble.
And he's become rude! He's like a snobby kid!! He told Seth to shut up like 5 times this morning, even after timeout and daddy spankings. He likes to yell "no" or "go away mom," or "don't tell me stop."
Everyone that I've talked to and the stuff that I've researched online have all said the same things: make sure he's getting enough sleep, a good diet, and enough activity. He gets all of that! Even going outside is a nightmare. He's always eating and when he doesn't take a nap, he sleeps for like 12 hours. I'm trying to get him back on his schedule now that Luke is on one, but that's harder than pulling teeth.
Seth told me that maybe the reason why he doesn't listen to me is because I look like a kid and most kids don't listen to other kids. *shrug* I don't know. It'll just be really nice to go on that vacation in July for 5 days. No worries and no kids. A much needed break.
I realize that I have responiblities at home. Like, keeping the house clean, making dinner, doing laundry on top of watching the kids, but it's almost impossible to do anything. I'm constantly chasing Porter around. I'm lucky if I get a load of clothes in the washer/dryer and a load of dishes in the dishwasher. That's a good day.
I'm just so frazzled and everyone says it'll pass. Well, they obviously don't have my temperment.