Yorkshire Lad in America

Our son was born 3 days before my birthday and he just turned 4.
I can’t believe it has gone so fast!He was little (7lb 14oz) and squishy. Now he is a wall climbing, tear things up, and wiggly boy! We had all his friends over for a party in the back yard. We are real low key for birthdays, healthy snacks and we request no gifts, and it has always worked for us. That way, if the time ever comes and they want a “big deal” of a birthday, we have something to work up to
The birthday boy requested banana nut muffins for “cake". They were yummy! We also did our traditional meal at the Mexican restaurant they put a sombrero on him and sang Happy Birthday to him in Spanish and English. Gosh! Those folks are great.
We had a second party at Grandma’s where he was gifted a set of crocodiles. He immediately “gave” one to his sister and they have not put them down yet.They sleep with them, carry them with them shopping, and even out to eat. I love that my kids love animals, even the “less cute” ones!
Kids grow up really quick. It is true in the saying that "don't blink or you will miss something". So now, I do not want to blink anymore, as I want to watch them grow and have fun and happiness.

Today, we (my wife and kids)went to the Heifer Ranch, near Perryville,
Arkansas. It was a 45 minute drive but we made it in 40 minutes as we left the house late. When we got there, we watched a short video about two kids ( one in Indian and the other was in Uganda) It was interesting to watch as these kids we given the gift of life from Heifer International. After, the video we went on a Hay ride around the ranch. There were different animals to see, camels, water buffalos, llamas, etc etc. The last thing we did was to walk around the Tribal grounds, where houses from different countries were built. They were from Guatamala,Thailand,Africa,and a shanty houses which could have been from anywhere in the world.
We are homeschooling our children and this was a home schooling adventure. The kids really enjoyed it. The youngest who is 4 was tired after it all and on the drive home, he fell asleep. Our oldest, enjoyed the hayride aswell as the youngest. My wife and I did too.

If there is another adventure to somewhere like this or different, I will be going again with the family. I enjoyed myself which I have not done for a long time as i have not been able to go with my wife and kids on these trips.

My sister in law may have to have open heart surgery. She has been feeling tired alot and putting on weight. After a visit to the doctor's she was told that she had Aortic Valve Stenosis, which was about 1 cm wide. This is size is not enough to push alot od blood through it to get to the rest of the body. She went and saw a Cardiologist who ordered an Echo and an Angiogram. The Echo confirmed the diagnosis but after the angiogram, the doctors were please with what they saw. She may not have to have surgery yet but be treated medically. My wife was upset about this which is right thing.

Meanwhile, over the Atlantic, one of my younger brothers who visited us in March-June 2007, ma have to have heart surgery too. The day he left to go back to England, he collapsed in Dallas/Fort Worth airport. At the hospital, he was told that his heart rate was in the 200's wich is damn fast for an adult. The doctors gave him some medicine to get his heart rate down, it took two doses to bring his heart rate back to normal. Back home in England, he has had test after test to ran and been told he may have to have surgery. If he does, I do not know if I will go home to visit while he is in hospital or not. I will probably not go and keep in touch with the family by phone.
When it rains in ones family it pours down. How funny that at the same time, these two people are going through the same thin at the same time.
To both of them, I hope that they don't need to have surgery!!!!!!!!

The President of the USA has vetoed a bill that will stop children in hte USA from having health care insurance. The following are excerpts from Yahoo news:

WASHINGTON - President Bush cast a quiet veto Wednesday against a politically attractive expansion of children's health insurance, triggering a struggle with the Democratic-controlled Congress certain to reverberate into the 2008 elections.

Bush vetoed the bill in private, absent the television cameras and other media coverage that normally attend even routine presidential actions. The measure called for adding an estimated 4 million mostly lower-income children to a program that currently covers 6.6 million. Funds for the expansion would come from higher tobacco taxes, including a 61-cent increase on a pack of cigarettes.

Me now blogging agian.
Was Bush too scared to face the US nation and explain why he vetoed this bill? I wonder if his kids were without insurance, what the F%^k would he do? Who cares about where the money comes from. The kids of America from lower income families have the right to health insurance.