I KNOW that there is racism, sexism, and all sorts of –isms.  I also know that when someone does something to upset me that there is a big chance that their motivation is based on one of these –isms.  However, I feel like, for myself, that it is a waste of my energy to dig into the motivation of these people.  Which –ism am I to confront?  What if the motivation is purely that they like to be jerks.

I am not saying that these aren’t issues that need to be confronted.  I have many conversations with people that disagree with me.  I am not afraid to talk about any topic that is typically considered taboo. I discuss politics, religion, race, etc. with people who have drastically different beliefs than I do. 

I know that we are all different and embrace it, without having to know EXACTLY where each and every person’s motivation lies.  I also, know that “evil” exist in the world, without having to know EXACTLY where each and every person’s motivations lie.

What I plan to teach my children is this-There are negative people in the world.  These are some of the major reasons that these people are this way: racisms, sexism, ageism, etc.  You name it and I bet there is someone out there with something against it.  Don’t live your life under the thumb of what these people think of you.  Make changes where you can, talk to people when you can.  Share your opinion.  But never dwell on the many, many reason that someone could choose not accept you. 

Especial being that our children will be biracial with a large variety of cousins (White, Black, Jewish, Mexican, Honduran, and a variety of mixtures of theses) ,  I want them to stand up for all people… not necessarily specifically the ones that represent our family.   You don’t need a catalog of who gets what privilege or what the all the racial slurs are, or why a certain group is slandered to know right from wrong.  You also don’t need this to stand up for what is right.

As a lot of you know, Thomas was laid off in November.  So, Christmas was very tight for us.  We made a joint decision not to participate this year in the Holiday Assistance Program.  We hope that next year will be a better year.  We just realize that you  can’t help others if you can’t help yourself first.

 C’est la vie

I realized that I have already seen 63 of them.  So I made 100.and now need 37 more.  Here is the list of the ones I have seen:

These are the ones I believe I will watch in the next year or so:

I NEED SUGGESTIONS PEOPLE !!!!  Go Check out the list  Top 250 IMDb movies . then comment or facebook or email me your suggestions for good ones.

       Watching Oprah’s Best Life Web cast, a mother asked how to give her children a spirituality that empowers them.  This had me think about how children have been taught, and how I want to teach my children, about spirituality.  The web cast uses the term spiritual journey, a lot.  So stick with that term, I do not want to rob my children of a great spiritual journey. 

        By no fault of my parents, I felt disconnected from the organized religions.  As I got older I began feeling guilty for not feeling that I could release myself into church and Christianity.   It has been in the past few years that I have found Buddhism.  Buddhism has set me free.  I now understand that it is ok not to know.  That accepting life as it is and learning from every experience is how I bring about my spiritual awakening.  I attempt every day to have a Buddha nature about myself.  I am on a spiritual journey.

       By no means is it easy.  I have to struggle to learn from those who anger me and think past their actions to see where these actions come from.  Accepting difficult situations for what they are, temporary necessary points of life, is probably the hardest for me. But I know that it makes me a better person.

       I hope that I can lead my children through their journeys without restricting their direction.  I know this will be a challenge.  However,  I believe it is the most important job as a parent to guide our children through life and to be careful not hand them a predetermined life.  Handing them their beliefs robs them of truly understand who they are and restricts them from engaging in their journey to what their hearts tell them is the right way.

Check it out:

Day Zero: 101 Tasks in 1001 Days

12.       Take a weekend trip with Thomas to Lake Geneva

13.       Walk Kylie and Jenna to school 2 times a week until it becomes 40 degrees or less.

14.       Learn how to really play Chess. 

15.       Play a real game of Chess with Thomas (not the one where we play how we think it should be played)

16.       Challenge 5 guest that come into our home to a game of Othello

17.       Read 2 best sellers from each of the New York Times Best Sellers list categories ever year.

18.       Blog/ Review each book I read from the New York Times Best Sellers List

19.       Attend a book club at least once

20.   Go to Arlington Park for the horse races

21.   Have a super adventure day with Thomas. No Plans- just leave the house and explore!

22.   Go to one Cubs game with Thomas

23.   Go to one Bulls game with Thomas

24.   Go to a major Chicago play with Thomas (one that does not involve rotten bananas).

25.   Pass out hot meals to homeless people on a random day.

26.   Make a Budget.

27.   Stick to our budget for 30 days

28.   Put  $50 a month into our savings.

29.   Give to a food pantry once a month

30. Start and maintain an Etrade account.

31.   Participate in Northwestern University Settlement Association- Holiday Assistance Program. (2008)

32.   Participate in Northwestern University Settlement Association- Holiday Assistance Program. (2009)

So I am starting something new, well new to me.  Thomas and I came across this website that is dedicated to having people complete 101 things in 1001 days.  So I will be creating my lists here.  It will take a while.  My day zero will be the first Monday after I post my 101 task.  Tasks do not have to be done in any particular order.

 Go check out the Day Zero Website

http://www.triplux.com/dayzero/default.asp?view=addyourlist

Here is my list

1.       Go to Temple at least twice a month for 3 months.

2.       Work out at the gym twice a week for 4 weeks straight.

3.       Start the baby making process.

4.       Be debt free.

5.       Travel to Costa Rica

6.       Travel to a state I would not normal travel to.

7.       Limit eating out to twice a month for 3 months.

8.       Start taking dance classes again

9.       CLEAN OUT the closets

10.   Start graduate school

11.   Have a super adventure with Kylie and Jenna.  No plans- just leave the house and explore!

12.   Take a weekend trip with Thomas to Lake Geneva

13.   Walk Kylie and Jenna to school 2 times a week until it becomes 40 degrees or less.

14.   Learn how to really play Chess. 

15.   Play a real game of Chess with Thomas (not the one where we play how we think it should be played)

16.   Challenge 5 guest that come into our home to a game of Othello

17.   Read 2 best sellers from each of the New York Times Best Sellers list categories ever year.

18.   Blog/ Review each book I read from the New York Times Best Sellers List

19.   Attend a book club at least once

20.   Go to Arlington Park for the horse races

21.   Have a super adventure day with Thomas. No Plans- just leave the house and explore!

22.   Go to one Cubs game with Thomas

23.   Go to one Bulls game with Thomas

24.   Go to a major Chicago play with Thomas (one that does not involve rotten bananas).

25.   Pass out hot meals to homeless people on a random day.

26.   Make a Budget.

27.   Stick to our budget for 30 days

28.   Put extra $50 a month into our savings for 6 months. (0/6)

29.   Give to a food pantry once a month for 6 months

30.   Start and Maintain an E*TRADE Account

31.   Participate in Northwestern University Settlement Association- Holiday Assistance Program. (2008)

32.   Participate in Northwestern University Settlement Association- Holiday Assistance Program. (2009)

33.   Vote for Barack Obama for President

34.   Establish an annual Girl’s weekend.

35.   Bake 12 different deserts. (2/12)

36.   Take Addie for a walk, with Thomas, at least 3 days a week.

37.   Send out 2 hand written letters a month, instead of email, for 6 months. (0/12)

38.   Go to the Lincoln Park Zoo…without a child.

39.   Learn to use the sewing machine that I begged Thomas to buy 3 years ago.

40.   Banish the negative monster in my head! (3 months of positive, productive thinking)

41.   Define 100 things that make me happy

42.   Create 100 of my favorites list.

43.   Make a Snapfish book for the wedding photos taken by guests.

44.   Run/Walk a marathon

45.   Take Addie to a dog park

46.   Participate in Open House Dance again.

47.   Go to six Flags

48.   Meditate 15 min 5 days a week for a month.

49.   Watch 3 movies that I do not want to see. (1/3)

50.   Write Thank You notes for all our fabulous wedding gifts.

51.   Manage my migraines

52.   Eat 4 salads a week for 4 weeks. (0/4)

53.   Wear the dress Photo Session with Mod4

54.   Pooch portrait for Addie @ Mod4

55.   Learn to do some cool digital photography. 

56.   Join National Association for the Education of Young Children (again)

57.   Get my CPR certificate renewed

58.   Use the damn Fondue pot we have had for 4 years and never use.

59.   Enter 5 sweepstakes.  I am feeling lucky.

60.   Play the lottery.

61.   Buy some scratch and win tickets.

62.   Cut my hair.  Still long…but shorter

63.   Paint the ugly turquoise wall in the office

64.   Make a new friend

65.   Help Thomas with his IDP (the sooner he gets his license the sooner we can get to #3)

66.   Write a politician

67.   Take Addie to Alex Brooks for training

68.   Visit 5 free attractions in Chicago

69.   Organize the photos on the computer

70.   Buy another CSI computer game (I actually used Swaptree to get it for virtually free)

71.   Learn to make 5 new meals (2/5)

72.   Write blogs about 5 of my friends so that everyone knows of their greatness (0/5)

73.   Read a book about a subject that does not interest me.

74.   Sleep in the office on the sofa bed

75.   Regain my ability to do the splits

76.   Have a meat free weekend.

77.   Enter a competition where you have to write an essay.

78.   Watch 100 of the movies on the Top 250 IMDb movies list. (63/100)

79.   Hang out at a local coffee shop.

80-90 to be added August 8, 2009

90-100 to be added August 8, 2010

101- Celebrate the first 100 accomplishments and start a new list.

Today, I took Kylie and Jenna with me to the two offices.  Including driving between the two offices, it only took approximately 1 hour and 15 minutes, total.  That is usually how long it takes for my number to be called at one of them!  Not only that but the girls were awesome.  We  took the back packs with crayons and stuff and they literally did not make a peep.

They were actually upset when we left the S.S office because they didn’t finish their pictures!!  Then got excited when I said they would have plenty of time at the drivers license place.

How did I get so lucky?

So, now it is official.  Tiana Shevon Kubik.

Bonus is that I don’t have to go to these places on Saturday, which would have probably lead to a very different post all together.

 Wedding notes will continue this weekend….still so much more to say!!