Sunday, November 29, 2009

Technology Overload

I have been thinking about this a lot lately....how does technology influence your life? Is it a positive or a negative or a little of both? I feel a little overwhelmed sometimes by e-mails, texting, social networks, blogging and everything that comes with it. Because of technology we are accessible to our family, friends, and world wide web acquaintances literally 24 hours a day/7 days a week. Is that healthy? Does that leave us with any time for our life outside of technology? Don't we need at least the commute home to unwind, shut out the world, and quiet our minds?

And in addition to being completely accessible to everyone, how do we handle "tech rejection"? You know what I'm talking about - someone deletes you from a social network, someone you send a text or e-mail to doesn't respond, and a person you know that has their phone with them all the time doesn't answer your call. This is a new form of rejection and I had a difficult enough time dealing with rejection in real life and now I have to deal with this? How do you respond to this new type of rejection? Is there a "Living Your Life Through Technology For Dummies".

Technology allows people to be more candid and ruthless than they might otherwise be in person. People feel less inhibited with their words and I think because the person isn't standing in front of you its easier to be brutally honest and forget that the words on the screen are creating an emotional reaction. Social networks are rampant with teenage angst and bullying and this goes for adults too.....people put themselves out there and sometimes the reactions aren't kind.

I do feel like technology has helped me stay connected to people that I might not otherwise hear from unless it was through the mail or over the phone and for that I am thankful. But on the negative side I have to wonder if I have made myself too accessible to others? Have I enabled others to affect me in a negative way because they have deleted me from a social network site, or never answer my texts/e-mails/phone calls? Have I revealed too much about my life, my family, my dysfunctions and put more judgement on myself or my family?

Are you on technology overload? In our efforts to simplify our lives can we live without technology? And if so, how do we manage these types of relationships if they can disappear as quickly as you hit the delete button?

Thursday, November 26, 2009

Set your goals and just go

"Life loves to be taken by the lapel and told: 'I'm with you kid. Let's go.'" Maya Angelou
I know that New Year's Eve is the time for people to make resolutions for the new year with hopes to change the events in their life that they didn't like and make it all better. But I believe that at any time you can set a goal for yourself and "just do it". I dabble in eating right and exercising, it's one of those things that if I have time for it I do it and but it's not consistent. I notice this mainly when I go to put on something that could show off toned arms I want to scream because my arms are not tone and are creeping up slowly to the dreaded "Hello Mary Arms". **sound the Psycho shower scene music here**
I am a working mother and a wife and I am busy with everyone else's life it seems and I am making it a goal from this day forward to schedule time for me. I am going to take time to take care of myself and to eat right and exercise regularly. Now....I am having this epiphany on Thanksgiving Day - a day when I will attend two family celebrations and eat so much crap that Randy will roll me home. AND I am doing this during the cold months which is when my Lupus flares up the most. But I am determined to take control of this desire to be fit and follow through with it.
Now, in doing this I have documented that I am making this pact with myself to make an effort to workout religiously and to eat right. I am so inspired by my Facebook friends that workout religiously and they are just as busy, if not busier than me......so for that I am thankful. Today before I eat all of the great food at each family celebration I am going to workout and I will let the kids know that during that 45-60 minute time period it's my time and unless they are bleeding, leave me alone! ha!
So if you have had some goals in mind start them today....take charge of your life and make something happen for yourself. You can do it and I will support you 100% of the way.

Wednesday, November 25, 2009

What I am thankful for

I know, it sounds like a cheesy grade school essay, but in thinking about my life today I realized how much I have to be thankful for. Life is so hectic and crazy sometimes and we just forget about how blessed we really are. We become so wrapped up in the chaos of marriage, parenting, work, extra-curricular activities that some times it is so important to stop and look around at the life around you and appreciate each and every moment.

I feel like every person in my life makes me a better person and I am so thankful with everything that I've been given in my life - life gives you what you give it and because of my solid foundation and the great people that I've surrounded myself with that I have been given a great life. This year on Thanksgiving Day and every day following tell the people around you how thankful you are to have them in your life. Nobody is perfect, but if you surround yourself with goodness that's what you will get in return. Happy Thanksgiving everyone - I wish you many blessings today, tomorrow, and always.

"In every person who comes near you look for what is good and strong; honor that; try to imitate it, and your faults will drop off like dead leaves when their time comes." John Ruskin

Friday, November 20, 2009

Before you point your finger, stop and look at how many fingers are pointing back at you.

Sound advice from the Christian radio station that I frequently listen to. I have found myself in situations recently where there has been a lot of finger pointing and I've had to stop myself from pointing back because I know that I am not perfect and I'm willing to accept myself for who I am. I look at the individuals who have done the finger pointing and know that deep down I am the scapegoat for their life issues - does it bother me? A little. Does it change me? Not anymore. I am a grown woman, a wife, a mother.....I have the weight of my own life on my shoulders and refuse to carry anyone else's.

When you point your finger at someone think about the real reason you are doing it. Are you just really unhappy in your own life and it's easier than facing your own problems? I know I'm guilty of doing that - it's easier to point out someone else's flaws rather than really looking at your own. Nobody is perfect and I have found in my journey through life that sometimes it's so much easier to laugh at yourself and say "I'm an idiot, I'm so sorry for what I said/did, etc." and everyone can move on. Accepting yourself, flaws and all is not a simple life lesson and can some times be a very difficult pill to swallow - but it means your human.

I recently had someone tell me something that was being said about me and I didn't react to it like they thought I should - I just took it all in and said "If that's what they think, that's fine, but I know the truth" and they acted as if I should create a scene, a confrontation, clear the air.....but like I said, I know the truth and the truth is what will carry me through any situation. Would I feel better screaming and yelling and carrying on? Not really, maybe for a moment, but screaming at someone at my age just makes me look crazy - ha!

So if you are in a situation right now where fingers are being pointed at you, terrible things are being said, and your character is being challenged - look at the source, look at the real reason they are doing what they are doing. Are they so incredibly unhappy and miserable in their own life that they are willing to put you out there so nobody will really look at them? Probably. Stand strong, be your own person, and be comfortable with the truth.

Some things don't warrant a response and I have had to bite my tongue many many times this past year in different situations - and it's for the best. I am comfortable with myself, my flawed, imperfect self, that is in a marriage that at times seems so dysfunctional, with children that are far from Peter and Bobby Brady, and family that is just sometimes laughably insane.

Don't you look at me so smug
And say I'm going bad.
Who are you to judge me
And the life that I live?

I know that I'm not perfect
And that I don't claim to be.
So before you point your fingers,
Be sure your hands are clean.

Judge not
Before you judge yourself.
Judge not
If you're not ready for judgement. Woah oh oh!

The road of life is rocking
And you may stumble too.
So while you talk about me,
someone else is judging you.

**Bob Marley**

Wednesday, November 18, 2009

Wholey Chicken Batman

I have to admit, I've been a chicken snob for many years - if it wasn't boneless/skinless chicken breast I wanted no part of it. Well, along my journey to frugalness, I have found that you can have chicken without the major hit on your pocket book! When I see bone-in chicken breasts on sale for $0.88/lb. I get super excited! I know now how to remove the skin, cut the meat of the bone and package it up in the freezer for another day......woo hoo! AND if you are like I was and you're buying those bags of chicken breasts.....they are full of sodium because they're frozen in basically a salt water bath - just a side note for those of you trying to lose weight.

More recently I have discovered whole chickens.....initially I thought - what the heck am I going to do with a whole chicken? Well, at $0.49/lb. I was willing to learn! I have made several meals out of a whole chicken along with chicken stock.

Here is what I have learned from SO many of the great blogs that I rely on -

Step #1 - place the whole chicken in the crock pot with celery, onions, carrots, salt, pepper, a little pat of butter and about 1/2 cup of water. Let cook 8 -10 hours.

Step #2 - remove the chicken from the crock pot and let cool - remove skin and bones and return all of that to the crock pot (instructions for that will follow). With the meat you have from the chicken, shred it up and package it into 1lb. packages (or whatever you like). The last time I did this I ended up with four little baggies of chicken. Go through this really well with your fingers - chicken bones can be little. Put in the freezer and save for future use.

Step #3 - all of the stuff in the crock pot will now be made into a rich, beautiful chicken stock! Just fill the crock pot with water - leaving all the skin, bones, left over veggies in there and leave it on low for 8 - 10 hours. After it cools a bit, you can strain out all of the garbage and package up the chicken broth into whatever portion size you would like and stick in the freezer for a rainy day.

A 5lb. chicken that cost me $2.45 can go a really long way - 4 packages of shredded meat and 8 containers of chicken stock. I think that's a great bargain and it's so healthy for all of us!

Why am I talking about whole chickens today....I got a call from my child's school that our youngest was running a fever. In addition to that he is stuffed up and has a bit of a cough. So, in a victorious "planning ahead, best mommy in the world" moment - after I made him a bed on the couch and got him settled, I was able to whip up a batch of homemade chicken noodle soup using two packages of broth, two cups of water, some sauteed garlic/onion/carrot, a package of shredded chicken, and a bag of egg noodles. I know I feel better.....and I'm hoping that he will too.

So far I have used the chicken to make white bean chicken chili and the homemade chicken noodle soup, but it can be used in enchiladas, a casserole, etc. - just like I learned with a small chuck roast that I found way back in my freezer.....alone it's not enough to feed my family, but mixed with things it can make a meal. (You might have already known that, but I am still on my journey to frugalness! ha!)

I hope you have a happy and healthy day and remember to not be so snotty when it comes to cooking, branch out - sometimes you might surprise yourself!

Monday, November 16, 2009

Frugal Christmas Shopping Continued

I am trying to be very conscious of the fact that I have gifts to buy for Christmas.....I would love to spend on myself with all of the sales going on now, but I just can't justify it.....well, maybe I can a little! ha!

I received a coupon last week that I could use at any Gap/Old Navy/Banana Republic store, including outlet stores - it was 30% off your entire purchase with 5% going to the Leukemia/Lymphoma Society. I nearly fell over with joy given that I had come to terms with the fact that I needed to really go out and try on jeans. Not that I've changed sizes, I WISH WISH WISH I would go down just one little, teensy, bitty size....but I haven't shopped for jeans in forever and many times I find myself just grabbing the size I need from wherever and get home to find that they are Ultra Skinny, Low Waist, Not Meant For Mommies That Have Hips and Bend Over A lot Picking Up Whatnot From The Floor Jeans that don't provide me with the fit that I need.

So after I worked the Illini football game on Saturday I found myself with a few hours before I was scheduled to meet some girls out and about and I took advantage of the beautiful weather to travel to the local outlet mall. Armed with my coupon my first stop was Gap.....this is my style, I love their clothes and have for a long time and they were having decent sales on Saturday. I tried on 6 pair of jeans total and ended up buying 3 pair for around $25 each!

My next mission was Old Navy....this time not for me, but for my boys for Christmas! I wanted to get them each robes and jammies - no luck in that department. However, all fleece was Buy One Get One Free and I got them each fleece pullovers, waffle shirts and boxers for under the tree and in their stockings, I'm sure they will be thrilled - but the pullovers ended up being about $5.00 each and I like them, so there! ; )

I ended up going back to Gap and bought them robes originally priced at $29.99 for $15.00 - they have a skull on it, which seems to be on EVERYTHING for boys - so they'll be excited!

I also got a chance to go to a Pampered Chef party on Friday and actually bought a great gift for a family gift exchange that I'm in.....I won't list the contents just in case my family reads this! BUT, if you get invited to a home party like Tastefully Simple, Lia Sophia, Pampered Chef, etc., figure out who is on your list that might enjoy something from those companies and you can give your friend the benefit of purchasing from his/her party and mark someone off your list!

If you are looking for any bargains this week - Gap Outlet has their fleece marked 50% off and I know that hats, scarves, and gloves/mittens are great gifts for any teenage girls you might have on your list? And sweatshirts are always a great gift for boys.

I haven't officially made my shopping list for this year, I've done a rundown in my head of who I know we have to buy for, etc., but I need to really get that done or else I will overbuy and that's just not very frugal! ha! Happy shopping!

Friday, November 13, 2009

A good cry

This morning was a morning of monumental tears. One of those mornings when everything just built up and built up and built up and I finally had it. The source of my stress was our oldest son Logan who has been battling with a diagnoses of anxiety/ADD for the past few months and we're going through a whole gamut of things for him to help him and it's difficult to know how to parent him without losing it every second of the day!

The thing that has been getting to me lately is how he blames every single one of his problems on someone else and I'm trying to get him to take responsibility for his own actions which is a life lesson that I think is so important. If you know you've made a mistake, admit it, apologize, learn from it and move on. I know that's difficult at 8 years old, it's difficult at 33 years old, but it has to be learned. I had it this morning, I had enough of the bad attitude, talking down to his younger brother, and then blaming the whole fight on his younger brother and I yelled at him. I sent him to his room and I yelled at him about taking responsibility and knowing when it was his fault, etc. He talked back to me and told me that he wanted to run away and I told him that there were days that I wanted to run away from problems, but that is no way to solve them. By then I was in tears......an emotional sobbing mess and we were running late for school/work.

I know that we are doing what's best for him by going through the treatments we are for his anxiety/ADD - but I need to figure out how I can parent him the best without losing my cool. I do very well given the situation and I remain calm through a lot of things, but this morning I had one thing on top of another and another and I lost it. I know I should walk away, I know I should count to 10, etc., but the words came out and in that moment I felt like I needed to convey how blaming others was not the solution. Now for the remainder of the day I am left with the guilt that I yelled at my child before school, I upset him before he went to a place that he struggles with anyway.

Motherhood is difficult, parenting is not easy, I know how I felt as a child when I had a bad morning with my mom and I know that this will be one out of a million bad mornings I will have with Logan. I also know that I have friends who would give anything to have even my worst day with my child because their child has passed away and again, I feel guilty for even feeling guilty! So I had a good cry, on the way to work as I was putting my make-up on in the car AGAIN, I cried hoping that I would feel better. And 5 hours later, I still feel like crap about it.....I just realized that today is Friday the 13th, maybe this is just my dumb luck.

How do you handle walking back into your house after having a fight with your child or your spouse? If you are the parent of a child going through anxiety/ADD issues, how have you made changes to your parenting strategies?

Monday, November 9, 2009

A few of my favorite things

Oprah has her favorite things and so in the spirit of that, I thought I would blog about a few of my favorite things. Things that have made my life easier and more manageable as a wife and mother!

1. Aveeno - I love love love Aveeno products including skin and hair! I had coupons for their shampoo this summer and thought I would give it a try and I was very happy with how my hair felt and as a mother I know you can relate to not being able to wash your hair every day and this shampoo/conditioner keeps your hair and scalp clean and not greasy for at least two days. I have used their facial cleanser and lotion for some time and I've always been very happy with how light and fresh they are and how my skin feels afterwards.

I always have Aveeno oatmeal bath on hand because I find that it helps when I have flare ups with my Lupus and develop skin rashes. Plus I have two little boys who are always in something out in the yard.....like Saturday when Logan was playing football and rolling around in the yard and came screaming into the house that his arms itched.

2. Tide Laundry Detergent - I know that I made my own laundry detergent for some time in an effort to save money and I just have to say that I wasn't happy with how it cleaned our clothes. I started back to detergent and immediately went for what was on sale, what I had coupons for, and scoffed at the higher price of Tide. Well, I wasn't happy with the stains that remained on our kids' clothes and one day I convinced myself to try Tide to see if I would be happy with it, even at the higher price. I was sold....the grass stains, the dirt, the random stains that seem to find our boys.....gone! GONE!

I did use the powdered version with a coupon and have been told to try the coldwater kind, which I will do when I run out because I do use warm water which adds to the electricity bill. I justify this because I would like the our clothes to last and if I have to wash clothes multiple times to get one stain out, then I think it all evens out. Plus you can't beat the smell of good laundry detergent!

3. Dryer Max Dryer Balls - I bought these with the recommendation from one of the blogs that I read on how to save money. I believe the blog was about how to save money on fabric softener, but I saw an opportunity to save money on electricity. We have an electric dryer and it just didn't seem to dry our clothes after one time, there were times when we would have to run it two or even three times. So, on a whim I purchased these and I get almost giddy when I open the dryer and find that they have helped the clothes evenly dry after one time.

For around $10.00 these are supposed to last 2 - 5 years and I am just really happy with them because they are going to save money on electricity, the wear and tear of our dryer, and eliminate fabric softeners.

4. All You Magazine - This magazine is awesome for coupons! You can find the magazine on the Wal-Mart shelves or you can visit the website All You for online coupon deals and subscription information. The magazine pays for itself in the amount of coupons you will find. I believe in August it had over $90 worth of coupons in it....plus money saving tips for beauty, home, food, etc. I don't buy magazines because you can find free magazine deals all over the internet, but I do buy this one! I highly recommend it!

5. Rimmel Make-up - I first spotted Rimmel at Wal-Mart awhile ago and I loved the products and the low cost for them. Rimmel is now at other stores along with Walgreens and can be found many times for buy one get one free or buy one get one at 50% off. AND you can find coupons for these products in the Sunday flyer of your local newspaper as well as All You magazine.

6. Tresemme Hair Products - For many years I used high priced salon hair products that I felt that I couldn't live without....until I had children and a budget. I tried a lot of hair products found on Wal-mart shelves that just didn't hold my hairstyle or provide me with the same happiness as the salon products. I felt like the pomades were waxy and heavy on my hair and the hair sprays were scary sticky and the hold was terrible. And then one day I tried Tresemme hair spray and was thrilled with how it held my style and how light it was. And when they came out with a pomade I just knew it would be good and I was right! I also use their mousse and have always been happy with how light it is and how it gives my hair volume.

They are right when they say salon quality.....it really is and it's not hard on your budget.

7. Lia Sophia Jewelry - I am not a terribly girlie girl, but I do love jewelry to accessorize with. I have bought cheap jewelry at the mall, but I wear it once and it tarnishes or breaks and it's frustrating. Well a friend of mine hosted a Lia Sophia party and when I went to it and started trying things on I fell in love! And the prices weren't bad at all, but then they had incentives like buy two get one free and then I read about the hostess incentives and was sold....I wanted this jewelry and I could get it for free!

On top of that, if you save your receipts for the items you order, there is a lifetime guarantee and you can return them for the price of the item and can use that credit for purchasing/replacing your jewelry. Go to their website at www.liasophia.com for a representative near you. **Disclaimer** I don't sell the jewelry - I am just a really big fan!

8. Arnold Bread - Bread in your favorite things? Really? Yes! I love this bread so much that I am giving it a shout out! I am a big fan of feeding my children the best things possible and in a perfect world they would get the correct serving of fruits, vegetables and whole grains....but as we know, our world isn't perfect! Arnold Bread makes a double fiber bread that is great tasting AND my kids will eat it! I get almost giddy knowing that they are eating whole grains AND fiber. I have looked up recipes for good homemade bread, but I don't have a bread making machine and I don't foresee purchasing one in the near future. I can usually find coupons for Arnold bread and I can buy a loaf of the double fiber bread for $1.78 at Wal-Mart when it's not on sale in another store.

9. Free Music and Television websites - I don't have a DVR....I know *gasp* - but I know that I can go to Hulu and catch up on some of the shows that I missed during the week for FREE. I have also found great shows for the kids that I sometimes let them watch as they are eating breakfast because we don't have a television in the kitchen.....I know *another gasp*!

Along those same lines, I love Pandora! You can create your own radio station with your favorite songs and it's FREE! I have discovered new artists and songs by using this website and if you create an account it saves your radio stations and you can just pick out what you're in the mood to listen to that day!

10. Febreze Home Scents - I really love Yankee candles and I will buy them if they are on sale or if I have a coupon. The scents are rich and they make your whole house smell so good. But they are pricey and I usually give them as gifts rather then use them in my own home.

At some point this summer I had a coupon for a Febreze candle and I gave it a shot. Boy was I happy with it! I use Febreze sprays in my home to freshen it up and really like those and I was so pleased with the candle! I then discovered the entire Home Collection products offered by Febreze - home sprays, soy candles, reed diffusers, and flameless candles. This fall when I was getting the itch for pumpkin scented candles I went with all Febreze products and have been really happy with them. I noticed the displays recently of the Christmas scents out and although I'm not ready for those yet (I'm still in love with my Autumn scents), I am looking forward to seeing what they have to offer!

You can find coupons for these products all the time and they priced for those of us that are budgeting and offer high quality similar to Yankee candles.

Friday, November 6, 2009

The Truth Police

As parents we have to come up with creative ways to keep our kids "in check". And while I was doing home daycare I dealt with a lot of lying.....nobody fessed up to coloring on my newly painted walls with red crayon, or breaking the toy, or putting a sucker in Bailey's hair, but those things happened and nobody ever came forward and said "I did it Ms. Angela, I'm so sorry". In my world that's what would have happened, but unfortunately that's not the case.

One day while dealing with my own children lying and creating a hectic situation I had a light bulb moment.....one of those parenting moments when you are reaching for SOMETHING that will work. I was tired of threatening Santa, I was tired of talking about God's rules, and I came up with a milder version of the police. The Truth Police were created by me for the sake of my sanity good of the children.

What exactly were the Truth Police, well, they were created at the spur of a moment and I kind of went with the following....the Truth Police know when someone has lied and they will make a report about it and if it's bad enough or if someone continues to lie they could take you to jail. At the time my son Noah was terrified of chickens and upon hearing this he cried and said "Are there chickens in jail", to which I shook my head and said "Yep, there are chickens in jail".

I have the telephone number for the Truth Police and I can call them any time I think the children are lying about something.....as soon as I pick up the phone one of them fesses up to things I didn't even know they did and the other one cries because they don't want their brother to go to jail. One of my kids asked a daycare parent if they knew about the Truth Police and without missing a beat she said "Yep, they hand you that number in the hospital when babies are born". ha! ha! I had an accomplice!

The Truth Police have morphed over the years and now I don't find myself threatening them so much. I look back now and think that the creation of the Truth Police was my tool in teaching my children to make good choices, at least I hope so. Or it could be the thing that lands them in therapy.....that and chickens! Sometimes you have to think so quickly about how to handle a situation as a parent that you come up with surprisingly creative things. As I go into this weekend I hope to not need the Truth Police, they have helped me many of times, but I would just like a peaceful weekend.....maybe I should create the Peace Police?

Happy Parenting!

Thursday, November 5, 2009

The Reinhart Opera

I just recently read on Facebook that someone's child listened to classical music while doing his homework. I used to do this and so I thought I would give it a try with my own children. I pulled up Pandora and chose the classical music station and thought for sure it would immediately bring calm into homework time.....boy was I wrong!

I felt immediately like I was in a terrible opera....a tragic one. Picture our family in opera singing voices -

"Sit down at the table please"
"Please sit doooowwwwwnnnnnnn"
"Homework is stupid! Homework is stupid! Stupid Stupid Stupid!"

"This book is hard! Mommy this book is hard!"
"Please just try, just try just try just try"

"Please redo that one you wrote that backwards"
"No mommy"
"Yes, do it now....do it now or you will be GROUNDED"
"No No No"
"You are GROOOOOUUUUUNNNNNDED"

I don't know that it helped calm the environment at all, but I did it again tonight.....maybe it just helped me chuckle a little as we were suffering through it! ha!

Tuesday, November 3, 2009

Teach your children well

One of my favorite blogs to read daily is Here's The Diehl and she has encouraged her fellow bloggers to put down their shiny happy persona's for one day and reveal their flaws. Oh Lord, we could be here all day! ha! ha! I have had to come to terms with my flaws and it seems like with every stage of life there is always a moment when you figure out that you're not perfect in some way.

A friend of mine and I recently had a chance to talk to one another about things that we've been going through with our children and some of the revelations that we've had in our own lives. And I said that I don't want to protect my children from disappointment and failure, I just want to make sure that I give them the tools to handle those things in the best way possible. And I think that as a parent, you can't expect that you are going to shield your child from the rough times, but you should strive to teach them how to maneuver through them.

Our kids know we're not perfect, on occasion they have seen Randy and I have a "discussion", they have seen me break down and cry, they have witnessed us each fall in our lives, but they have also seen us work through any marital issues, they have seen us dust ourselves off and get back up, so they know that even when times get tough, that there is a way out of it.

Now, I certainly don't expose our kids to more than they can handle at their ages. I definitely wouldn't want my children to have to deal with more than they have the capacity to deal with -they have stresses at that age that they are dealing with.....they certainly don't need an overdose of adult stress. I think in life it's important to give them opportunities to be independent, to learn how to deal with life, etc., but I know of some parents that offer these opportunities too fast and that forces their kids to grow up really soon and they miss out on the childhood stuff.

So every day I strive to be real, I am going to have break downs, I am going to have challenges, and not only am I learning and growing with everything that comes my way, my children are learning how to manage as well. I know it's a little corny, but I can't help of "Teach Your Children Well" by Crosby, Stills, & Nash......

You who are on the road
Must have a code that you can live by
And so become yourself
Because the past is just a good bye.

Teach your children well,
Their father's hell did slowly go by,
And feed them on your dreams
The one they picked, the one you'll know by.

Don't you ever ask them why,
if they told you, you would cry,
So just look at them and sigh and know they love you.

And you, of tender years,
Can't know the fears that your elders grew by,
And so please help them with your youth,
They seek the truth before they can die.

Can you hear and do you care and
Cant you see we must be free to
Teach your children what you believe in.
Make a world that we can live in.

Teach your parents well,
Their children's hell will slowly go by,
And feed them on your dreams
The one they picked, the one you'll know by.

Don't you ever ask them why,
if they told you, you would cry,
So just look at them and sigh and know they love you.