Home Education: There ARE Options.

Public, Private, or Home Education?

The traditional method of late, in the education arena, is the brick and mortar public schools. They take in all of our students, no matter how gifted, special needs, or normal. But, it seems as if this isn't for everyone.
So what are the options? Well, one obvious option are private schools, whether they are faith based or independent. Of course your child probably can't have a special need, as most private schools don't handle these situations unless you are able to afford not only tuition and uniforms, but a tutor for school as well, if your child has learning issues.

Then there is straight up home schooling. And then wonder what curriculum do you want to use, and how much money do you have to spend ON that curriculum? Do you have support within your family to pull it off? And then what about subjects that are getting difficult in the upper levels? There are many different ones out there, and only you can make that decision. On the up side, you might want to check your local library to see if they have materials you can check out. It's very handy when you don't have money to sink into it, but want to curtail your child's education specifically to your child.

On the other hand, there is another option that is becoming more and more popular. It's the virtual schooling program for the k12 levels. It's a public school, and the kids still attend classes, though they are online. You get a link to go into these e-classrooms, and of course there is a white board rather than a black board, and the teacher is there to talk to the class.

No worries, your child will have the opportunity to ask private questions, as well as participate within the full class, and has the choice to type or talk to the class. There are even study halls available for extra help if your child needs. The only requirement is that your child not be so special needs that they can't operate a computer properly.

In the virtual schools, you get your regular teacher, a student-learning-advocate (SLA), and if a special needs student, a special teacher to make home visits also. The curriculum is sent to you, as well as a school computer, and if you need help with stuff, they will give it to you. And since you don't use a school library, rather than a library fee, it's a technology fee. If you're low income, you can get that waived, because most k12 virtual schools are also public schools that work within a district, and meet state standards. And because your child eats at home, yet you qualify for free or reduced lunch, you may be able to get a little bit of help with your cable bill as well at the end of the school year.

What's nice, is that the school works with you, even if it's online, and you always have the phone if you need that too. And, because it's home based, you still have the power to guide your child through life lessons as that comes up. It's the best of public and home school education.
Of course some of the things are on the honor system, such as if you do a physical education regimen. That is required, as well. But no worries, it's not as bad as you think. Yard work, a walk around the block, a swim in a friend's pool, that all counts.

There are slightly different versions, and it's up to you what you want to do. There's the two main ones, Virtual Academy or the Virtual Learning. In Wisconsin, there's WIVA (Wisconsin Virtual Academy), WVL (Wisconsin Virtual Learning) and WIVC (Wisconsin Virtual Connection). Look up your state's ones, to see what you can pick from. We like WVL for my son. It's amazing how much my son has progressed through the system, and is actually doing a great job.

While yes, it does take a little bit of a sacrifice, because you do have to be around to field technical problems and to be the home tutor, but, you can work around the course work part as your schedule allows, and that's just fine and dandy.

We chose to do the virtual schools because of the fact that my son quit learning in the brick and mortar schools, and they would NOT allow me, as the parent to be more proactive with him. But, as for the education, since I'd be in charge, I didn't want to go it alone, so, I looked into it. It's amazing the transformation, and my son went from being way behind to pretty much on task in just a few short years.
Worried about socialization? It's easier than you think. Most of us are somewhat active in a faith based community, and these are great ways to ensure that your child is with other peers, in a safe setting during the school year. Of course there are other things too, such as youth sports, and other civic organizations to keep your kids active. There are teen, tween and parent/child based volunteer activities too, so the possibilities are endless. You may want to check in with friends and relatives with kids near the same age as yours. Do play dates and more. Camping and other local activities are also good to look into.

Here in Racine, WI, we have River Bend Nature Center, Yogi Bear Campground, Root River, local museums, and more. Kiwanis sports are also an option.

So, if you are frustrated with your child's current school, and there aren't many options within that school district, I strongly suggest checking out the virtual programs. You just may enjoy it. My son and my husband grew a strong bond with each other as stepfather and stepson with doing the virtual schooling at home. It even wore my husband out... And my son kept on trucking, to the point that he's very independent in getting stuff done, and even turns it in online too... My little boy is growing up, and getting smarter by the day. I couldn't be prouder, and I'm glad I made the decision. His online teachers are very good too.

The Importance of Being Involved in the Community

We need YOU, to be bold and care.

There are a lot of people struggling with this poor economy, bad weather, and more. And while it's true that many people are in dire need of a paid job, but, just remember, a blank spot in your employment can hurt you rather than help you. Plus, helping out in the community helps you feel good. When you feel good, you infect happiness to others. So please pay it forward now, to get the positivity circle going.

We all know that abuse exists, and especially that child abuse exists. For many of us, the topic is depressing, so people want to step away from it. In the mean time, while people are walking away, children are dying from the abuse because they just can't take it anymore.

And when the economy is bad, and money stresses out the abusers, the violence escalates. Then of course the warmer weather seems to bring out the worst as well. Youth Voice Initiative is the only 501c4 to combat child abuse sponsored by a mom, a person who cares about ALL children. The other is a federal program, not run by we the people.

So, won't you consider being part of the action team? You don't need to be a lobbyist, or a big name. We just need people like you, who care. There are opportunities such as copy/paste petition links into emails and sending it to your friends... Or to help call legislators and get them on board, and yes, I'll keep you posted on that. There is also need for web designers to redo the website, as well as to do events and fundraisers to keep the official website going, and to travel to the State House and back... Or just to donate some special items such as ink and/or paper...

By being involved, you are helping to make the future a brighter place for those who need it the most. And even if you decide NOT to volunteer with YVI, please find a worthy cause to donate your time to. We are looking for board members as well, so please contact us to find out what you can do, and just remember, you're not just helping the abused children, but you're also boosting your resume' as well.
You can email lika.yvi@gmail.com, and subject should say YVI or Youth Voice Initiative so I know the importance of your inquiry.

National Night Out - 8/7/12

On Tuesday, August 7, 2012 is National Night Out. Please do an event to get to know your neighbors, and it's a great way to get the people on your block to come out and have a cookout for neighborhood fun.
My block will have an acoustic band, an outdoor pot luck, swimming, fire pit, and a whole lot of fun. Please host one for yours too! It's not to difficult, and worth the effort. If you don't do one, go to your friends, family or neighborhood community center or church, if they're having one.

If you don't mind, please mention Youth Voice Initiative - a non profit to protect abused children. Maybe talk about April's Law to put stiffer punishments on those who sexually prey on our children on and off line. Then there is Sean's Voice, a two year old boy who died at the hands of his mother, and his father was also abused and arrested for being a victim of a mad woman. In memory of baby Sean, we are pushing for equity in emergency shelter, support and services for our abused men, so that we can turn victimization into survivor status. It's time to thrive.

Thank you in advance for your support, and I look forward to hearing from you!

Why you? Why not?

www.youthvoiceinitiative.org

April's Law -

Federal Petition: 

http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/worldwide-petition-for-aprils-law-in-the-us/ 

 State petition: 

 http://www.thepetitionsite.com/650/959/434/wisconsin-aprils-law/

Sean's Voice -

Federal petition:

http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/a-new-perspective-the-unacknowledged-abuse-survivors/

 

Healthy Yet Tasty Recipes for the Dieter.

Food for thought, it's really true!

When we give suggestions that are good, it's called food for thought, and it may help your brain keep sharp because it makes you think, we really do need to eat right, or we can't think. So the term "food for thought" is both literally and figuratively true.
While we ought to stay away from deep fried foods, an occasional treat say, once a month or something is really okay. Just make sure you're using healthy oils such as canola, peanut, flax, and other plant based that is low in fat and cholesterol. Good fats can help you lose weight. But, since some of these foods, like egg rolls, is labor intensive, so it's not something you're going to do often. I will do a special blog just on that and flautas.
Here are some good ways to create your own healthy versions of traditional and comforting foods, that are just as good, if not more flavor intensive.
With baked chicken, get chicken parts, rather than the whole chicken, and use the chicken breasts. For the stuffing, leave the croutons at the store. Those have been deep fried, most likely. Instead, keep the crusts or the stale bread from your loaves, and keep them stored in the back of your refrigerator. This will help you save money for future needs as well.
These left over pieces of bread can also be used as bread crumbs. Use your coffee grinder to turn into bread crumbs. They will be coarser, but, it's a bit heartier that way. Lay on a baking sheet, and on LOW (170F) dry the bread crumbs and store in a safe container. This is great to have on hand when you're making meatballs.
Buy spices in bulk. They keep for a long time, and you can play with amounts to ensure that you're spicing your food just the way you like it, and to please those you are feeding. They'll think it's a secret ingredient that costs money, when it's really you, and your ingenuity.
Also, when you want to do cabbage rolls and you want the sour kraut flavor but you want whole cabbage leaves, pickle your own head of cabbage by filling a pot with 2/3 water and the rest with vinegar, or save pickle juice from your favorite pickles and add it to the water. Simmer the cabbage head until cooked through. You'll need to be able to turn the cabbage head, and reserve water if you wish.

Baked Chicken

Cube enough bread slices into pieces. You'll need enough slices enough to be about a half loaf, similar to Brownberry's half loaves of bread.
Dice a large onion and 2 ribs of celery. Sprinkle salt, pepper, and sage to taste. I use about 1 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp pepper, and I like to use extra sage, about a tablespoon, but it can be a mock gamey taste, and I've found that just a cinch of tumeric takes away that flavor and balances it out, w/o being intrusive. You may also add parsley, up to a quarter cup, if you wish. Drop an egg or two, and mix up well.
Place the stuffing mix into a bottom of a baking pan, and layer the chicken breasts (bone in) on top of the stuffing. Cover with foil, and bake @350F until done, about an hour. Take cover off for more added crispy to the skin.
Have a salad with raw spinach, tomato, grated carrots, and slivered mushrooms before hand, and serve the chicken with stuffing next to a green veggie such as broccoli or asparagus. To cook, cut into desired pieces. In a hot pan, add a tablespoon of butter, and olive oil to coat the veggie. Add some Mrs. Dash and lemon pepper seasoning to taste.

5 Hour Stew.

2# of your favorite meat - beef, lamb, what ever you'd like. Cut into large bite sized pieces. I just get a roast, what ever is on sale, and trim the fat and cut it up myself. Stew meat is expensive.
Cube up 4 potatoes, 3 carrots, 3 ribs of celery, and a large onion. If you wish, you may substitute the potatoes with a rutabaga instead. 2 large cans of whole or stewed tomatoes. Pepper to taste. If you're using fresh tomatoes, reserve the juices of the tomato to put into the mix, and add salt. If using cans, there is enough salt in the cans that you don't need extra. 6 table spoons of dry tapioca pudding mix. Mix thoroughly with your hands. Bake @ 250F for 5 hours. No peeking!
Serve a salad with arugula & endive, and cut up an apple. Sprinkle walnuts on the salad, and use a little Miracle Whip as a dressing.

Nimono

Soak desired amount of dried shiitake mushrooms in 2 cups water.
Boneless/skinless chicken thigh meat, cut and browned in oil.
Add large chunks of carrots and daikon (a Japanese radish).
Optional are green onions.
Remove mushrooms from water, cut stiff ends off, (save water) and add to the pot.
In the water from mushrooms, add more water to make it back up to 2 cups. Then add a little dashi, 2 tablespoons of sake (or dry vermouth), 2 tablespoons of sweetener, such as truvia, 3 tablespoons of soy sauce, and pour over the ingredients. This should just barely cover the ingredients. Cover and slow simmer about an hour.
You may use rutabaga in place of the potatoes and daikon, but if you do, skip the sweetener.
Serve with brown rice and pickles. Blanch a full bag of spinach, squeeze extra water out, cut, and pour a dab of soy & fish flakes on as an extra side of veggie.
*Haikuku brand brown rice is really good, it's soft like white rice, and is healthier, doesn't give you the harsh taste some brown rice has.

Sarma

Pickle a full head of cabbage, cool off to handle. Tear outer leaves off, and lay on bottom of a baking pan. Core the cabbage to remove individual leaves of cabbage.
In separate bowl, mix up 4# ground chicken, dilute 2 packets of the fant brand papriku & sarmu spice mix in 1 cup of warm water, and add about 6-8 oz rice.
http://www.amazon.com/Seasoning-Stuffed-Peppers-Cabbage-2-1oz/dp/B000LRILHQ/ref=pd_bxgy_gro_img_b
Mix well, and roll into the cabbage leaves. Place each roll in pan on top of the layer of leaves, until your pan is full. The small leaves at the end, chop and place on top of the rolls. Sprinkle some of the left over liquid over the top. Bake until done. About an hour or so.
Enjoy with a tomato and cucumber salad with a vinaigrette dressing.

Eat your veggies! They're good for you!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bDUVhLzC0Es

What's for dinner?

 

Weight Loss and What You Can Eat.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qH5QEqqNlOk

Eat your veggies…

My last blog, we talked about how different people may need different things from their diet, and avoiding fad and crash diets. I promised some recipes and such, but let me digress and post this as a segue to those recipes. Thank you for your patience, before you become a patient.

Anyway, becoming vegetarian or vegan may sound like a good idea, or maybe a bad one, because the use of meat is forbidden, and yes, fish is still in the meat category, and more, vegans don’t consume ANY animal products, which include yogurt and honey. While the veggies you get will keep you healthy in the fact that you’ll get the fiber you need, getting your total amino acids may be a little difficult, because veggies rarely have the full string. So, make sure you eat a healthy variety – it’s the spice of life, remember. And to ensure you’re not becoming anemic, eat your dark leafy greens.

That may not be so easy if you’re a meat and potatoes type of person. So, here are tips if you’re trying to add more veggies to your diet. The next time you make a lasagna or chilli, use half of the amount of meat, or maybe cut it out, and substitute chopped spinach and crumbled up tofu that has been browned well, and put that in. I would stay away from some of the grittier grains, as this may detract from making healthier choices. Another good thing would be to try a grilled portabella mushroom instead of hamburger on your bun. Surprisingly, these mushrooms are very meaty, and you might not miss the meat, especially when you put cheese on it, or maybe even a little barbecue sauce. Here is a link that can help you sort some of the info about getting the amino acids, and how important it is to get your protein without the extra fat and cholesterol. http://blogs.webmd.com/food-and-nutrition/2012/07/the-power-of-protein.html?ecd=wnl_dia_071912

Seeds and nuts can be used to replace some meats as well. Soybeans, as well as miso soup is great, and it’s even good for you when you have a sour stomach and can’t even drink water. Take in small amounts every 15-30 minutes, just to get it down. the high protein levels will help you get strong.
Different kinds of fish can be super-foods, especially those that are high in omega 3 fatty acids. While taking the fish oil pills is good, eating the actual food is better. But it’s too expensive, you say? There are ones that are more affordable, and even canned salmon is better than no salmon, and mackerel is even less expensive. Just don’t slap someone else in the face with it, just because of the smell…

Here is a link/quiz about fish, and why you should eat it. I hope it helps. http://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/rm-quiz-fish-fact-fiction?ecd=wnl_wlw_071812

Another tidbit, is that when you have time to cook, cook in bulk, so when you’re on the run, there’s “fresh” leftovers in the freezer to pull out and have. this way, you can still enjoy a home cooked healthy meal w/o having to work for it.

This is a lot of info, so I’ll post the recipes next time, I promise… Or my name isn’t Lika, it’s a pizza.

Health and Dieting.

Dieting for weight, or eating for health?

In this country, where there are many overweight people, it seems as if our obesity is getting thrown back at us, for what ever reason. Not only that, but it seems as if the ratio of being obese is ever so shrinking. Back at around the 1900's, you were obese when you were 100#'s over the average weight. Back in the 1980's, it was 50#'s over. Now it seems as if it's around 30.

Yet even without the shrinking amounts, it seems as if as Americans, we are still fatter than ever, and I'm not so sure that the decreasing levels of being obese is helping those who are morbidly obese. Then when we look around, there's fast food and easy prepackeged foods that are being thrown at us to boot.
So what are we to do? Well, surely not sit back and not take charge of our own health now, because there's no such thing as a magic pill! But then again...

Here is an article from Web MD about a new diet pill that is approved by the FDA, but seems to have it's own problems. http://www.webmd.com/diet/news/20120717/fda-approves-diet-drug-qsymia?ecd=wnl_nal_wlw_071812

So, sure, it may work, but, if you figure, it raises your heart rate, and you're already prone to heart disease if you're over weight. Then on top of which, a pregnant woman may be causing birth defects in her own baby by taking these pills to lose weight.

Here is a quiz by Web MD, about weight loss dos and donts: http://www.webmd.com/diet/rm-quiz-weight-loss-dos-and-donts?ecd=wnl_lbt_071812

But then, we've heard of Atkins, South Beach, Jenny Craig, Weight Watchers, and more... Fad diets such as the grapefruit and cabbage soup diets, it's not funny. So what should we eat? How should we eat? Should we take a pill? Follow a program? So many choices, and it's very confusing.

Anyway, it helps to know if you're eating right, wrong, over eating, etc. Find out if you may have some sort of food addiction. I know some of us may feel like we do, it's not a food addiction if you just love food. When we become dependent, emotionally and/or psychologically is when we are in trouble of addiction.
But, just because we emotionally eat, or eat because we're stressed, doesn't make it an addiction either. So what now?

Keep a diary. What you eat, when, and why. Were you really hungry? Or is the fridge calling your name? Are you bored? Or were you really hungry? And what did you eat? Was it healthy? How much was it? All of this helps. A log of what you eat, and when, because you may not think you're eating a lot, but, when you write it down, you realize you ate more than what you thought. Or maybe it wasn't that it was more, but maybe you thought you were eating healthy, and it was actually fattening.

The log will serve multiple purposes. First, you will notice a pattern, so if you were stressed, do you go for sugary or salty foods? Do you eat healthy breakfast, but have a lousy lunch? Maybe you grab a muffin and coffee for breakfast, and figure you'll eat healthy later, only to order a sub for lunch?

When you figure out why you eat, what you eat, how often you eat, and how much you eat, you will be able to develop a sense of your own schedules. Then go from there. If there is a sense of emotional eating, you may fare better with a therapist or counselor that can help you work through your stress. If it's out of cravings, start with small changes such as eating mandarin oranges instead of candy once, and then substitute other fruits and veggies gradually. If it's a whole thing about not knowing what you should eat, ask your doctor for a referral to a dietician. If you don't have a doctor, and no insurance, feel free to ask me about it, I will do what I can to help you. I am not a nutritionist or a dietitian. But I DO have a lot of experience with them behind my back. I might be able to help you find favorite foods that will go good, because many foods depend on American palates, and they don't really understand ethnic food, where I cook from a global food market.

The things I don't recommend - if you're offered a magic pill, run away from it. I also don't recommend diets that take away a whole food group or more, for example, the Atkins diet you skip all carbs. Fad diets like the grapefruit diet allows you to only eat 2 grapefruits and a scoop of vanilla ice cream a day for 3 days. The ice cream is so you won't have an acidic reaction, and w/o protein, you won't be able to think.

Most places will tell you to eat in moderation, and we all know that moderation can vary from person to person. I happen to have this genetic thing, called a 16p11.2 micro-deletion. We have a set of 23 chromosomes - for a total of 46, because we get one from each parent. On the 16th set of chromosomes, I have one normal one, and the other one is missing a small strand of information on the 11.2 band. It predisposes me to be overweight, and impacts my appetite. It will be nearly difficult to diet with this going on, so I will have to accept a diet plan that will go very slow - a super low calorie diet simply won't due, because I get way too hungry to suppress it. My son has it too, and it's more prominent in him.

Avoiding high sodium prepackaged foods will help, so please, leave the canned soups at the store, and only use those like cream soups sparingly to use with other foods to ensure that you're keeping away from them. Check frozen foods too, because the salt is hiding everywhere. Corn and peas are high in starch, and even though they're high in fiber, are really counted as starch, not a veggie.

Make sure you have 3 meals a day, and make them healthy, and have reasonable snacks. Pick one food/meal a week say, fried foods, to have. One a week won't hurt, while every day may. It's not easy, but when you include your favorite food, you won't be so tempted to fall off of the empiric band wagon.
If you have questions, please ask. And stay tuned, next blog will host healthy recipes that can easily be put into your difficult schedule. Some are so easy that you'll want to keep them, and because they will be tasty, you won't mind.

4th of July Recipes!

4th of July party time!

It's the 4th of July. Maybe you're having a family reunion. Or a block party. Or maybe getting together with the gang of buddies. Your house, park, back yard, beach, what have you...

Anyway, you're ready to roll on getting together with your friends, family, and ready to eat, drink, and be merry! And what's a 4th of July party without grilling and cooking out?

Well, here are a few that can be for yourself, or to share, along with other favorites to make sure that you have a great meal, from start to finish!

Grilling & Barbecue: The Main Course

Here is a basic dry rub, which helps make your ribs or any pork cut tender. You will need:
Up to 1 cup dark brown sugar; 1/2 cup paprika (or lemon pepper); 2 TBS salt; 1 TBS each black pepper, white pepper, cayenne pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder.
1-2 tsp each dry mustard, celery seeds, and optional chili powder.
Mix up well, and use half on the pork or ribs and let sit 12 hours or more in the dry rub. Save the other half for just before grilling. You may use barbecue sauce, but it's not necessary.

Basic barbecue sauce:
Ingredients: 2 cups ketchup; 6 TBS vinegar; 1/2 cup water; 1/2 cup dark brown sugar; 1 heaping TBS mustard; 1 bulb garlic, pulverized; 1 small onion, pulverized; 1.5 tsp salt; 1 tsp paprika; 1/8 tsp black pepper.

Saute pulverized garlic & onion. Add other ingredients. Bring to a boil, simmer for at least 10 minutes. This sauce is good with chicken, pork or beef.
With either the rub or the sauce, you can adjust the heat by adding or decreasing the amount of red pepper. Good stuff, Menard! Enjoy your barbecue!

Food note; to make it happen with taste.

Because our main course such as a barbecue is already high in meat, side dishes should be complimentary to the main course, so please don't over do it in the protein, because a delicate side will go well with the boldness of the rubs and sauces, along with the deep flavor of meat.
Of course there are tons of sides to choose from, and then don't forget the desserts... the sweetness at the end should be refreshing against the acidity of the sides, as well as the flavors of starches.

Pot luck sides...

Pasta Salad:
2 boxes of veggie rotini- noodle, cooked 80% through. Cut a bunch of green onions, tips and roots discarded, and coarsely chopped. Black Olives, sliced. Optional - cheddar or feta cheese cubes. Your favorite Italian type dressings.
Please do not use a creamy dressing. I like the Newman's Caesar dressing, or the tomato basil vinaigrette. They're light but full of flavor, and after being mixed, will soak into the noodles, to soften up the rest of the way. It's also good for your vegetarian friends, unless you add ham, which is not necessary, unless this is your main course.

Seafood Salad:
1 pound of elbow or other short noodle, I like the whole grain penne or mostacciole noodle. 1 bag of frozen peas, 1 medium onion, minced. 2 ribs of celery, minced. Salt and pepper to taste. Salad dressing such as Miracle Whip just enough to wet it. Two 8oz packages of imitation crab or imitation lobster (to make it a surf n turf supper), or a can of salmon, or 3 small cans of chunk tuna in water, or even mini shrimp or clams. Optional minced green pepper to help give it some brightness.

My family baked beans:
2 pounds Great Northern Beans, soaked over night, or use quick method, reserving the liquid. Make sure the water covers up to an inch above the beans. 1.5 cups brown sugar. 1/2 cup molasses. 1 quart of tomato juice or sauce. 1 pound raw bacon. Add dash of dry mustard and a minced onion. Pepper to taste.
Mix together the brown sugar, molasses, mustard, pepper, and tomato sauce. Layer bacon on bottom of nesco oven or crock pot. Using slotted spoon, scoop out beans over bacon. Add mix & onion. Repeat process until all ingredients are gone, and pour bean water over mix, until just covered. Slow cook. Check regularly to add more bean water. The beans will soak more moisture to dry out. You will use the water.

Appetizers or other sides...

Guacamole:
6 good sized avocados (maybe more, depending), cut in half, scooped and mashed - should be lumpy. 1 tomato, small diced. 1 onion, diced. About a tsp salt. Juice of a lime or two. Cilantro to taste. Mix well, chill.

Spinach Dip (may substitute chipped artichoke):
8 oz mayonnaise. 8 oz sour cream. 1 box of spinach, heated and extra water squeezed out. 3 green onions sliced. 1 package dry Knorr vegetable soup mix. Refrigerate overnight. Serve inside of a hollowed out bread loaf.

Sweet desserts for all!

Make a graham cracker crust, and layer at bottom of a 9x13 pan. Chill.
Make your favorite gelatin dessert, I like raspberry, but any red jell-o is good. Pour over chilled crust. Set.
Cover gel with cool whip. Place blue berries in upper right corner, like stars. Line across with sliced strawberries or raspberries to stripe the 13 stripes.

Snicker Dessert:
12 frozen yogurt (vanilla bean). 1 cup cool whip. 1 package instant chocolate (or butterscotch) pudding. 1/4 cup chunky peanut butter. 3 oz grapenuts (optional).
Layer in 9x9 pan. Freeze, cut, enjoy!!

Sandusky guilty on 45 counts - Implications for the future

 

It's about time!!!

Once upon a time, you saw a case where a woman, just beaten is hysterical when the police arrive... In a calm and collective order, the abuser would tell the police that she is mentally ill and needs her psychiatric medicine, and makes a plea about how it's hard to live with someone with this type of personality. Points out that she is acting crazy. The police would return her to the abuser, and eventually, she is killed at the hands of her abuser.
Well, many sexually abused children are groomed. At first we are made to feel special. Like the cherry on top of an ice cream sundae. Or sometimes made to feel as if we are second class citizens. And then lucky to get the attention... Because it's about getting the victim to a place where either A) the actions are welcome because this respected adult is paying special attention, and while it may make the victim feel physically good, the emotional end feels very dirty. Or B) Since the victim is a freak or weirdo or outcast, and lucky to get this attention, no one would believe that the school oddball would be chosen to get such elevated status and no one believes them...
The long term consequences are long and difficult. All too often, the burden falls on the victim. Many times, its more difficult for a boy or a man to come to terms with being sexually abused. It's considered to be a female affliction, and so now many men question their own masculinity. At the same time, even if the advances are NOT welcome, often times, certain types of touch triggers an erection. Because of this, even though the victim is feeling dirtier than ever, it's a sign that they enjoyed the session, which only empowers the perpetrator, because they can always say the victim liked it, because an orgasm occurred.
I would like for all to come here and see what RAINN (Rape, Abuse, Incest National Network) here: http://www.rainn.org/ and pay special attention to the petition for the Safer Act - http://www.rainn.org/news/news-room/support-safer-act and call your legislator now.

Sean's Voice: A memoriam of a sweet boy.

Youth voice Initiative (YVI) is also pushing a national piece of legislation to go attach to the Violence Against Women Act, because we fully understand that sex abuse is a life sentence, and even when we move past the victimization, we never just "get over it". Even when we forgive our attackers, no, there is NEVER forgetting. Normal relationship with the abuser, even if the abuser is related will never be the same, and there is nothing normal about it.

Men are just as much traumatized by abuse, and we must step in and help. Sean's father was physically abused by his wife, and was not believed. He had to spend time in prison for not protecting his son from the abuser. This petition is in memorial of Baby Sean, who died at the hands of his mother. For all he had to endure, this law will help keep Sean's memory alive as a loved baby boy. Here is the petition for Sean's Voice: The Unacknowledged Survivors of Abuse, our men: http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/a-new-perspective-the-unacknowledged-abuse-survivors/ - please sign and share, to ensure that all of Sanduski's victims as well as all other male victims will have access to the help that they need, and mandated for our safety. This will help push for a better tomorrow for our abused males.

For more information, please visit www.youthvoiceinitiative.org

Youth Voice Initiative - A place to have a voice.

Youth Voice Initiative is a 501c4 to combat child abuse on many levels. The main one being getting tougher on laws for those who abuse our children. But there is much more than that, because the public basically still needs a lot of education on the matter.

Please come check us out, and we could use your help on the direction we can take, maybe you don't want to lobby the legislators, but, you have issues that can be put into something to make life easier for our victims. Maybe it's the kids up the street who are grossly neglected, or you just want to know how to support your friend who was recently assaulted... We need you, and you can help.

Youth Voice Initiative (YVI) can be found here: www.youthvoiceinitiative.org

Please remember to sign the federal petition for April's Law, to help ensure that the other Sanduski's of our country will be put away just as harsh, rather than dealing with unintended consequences of pursuing the justice needed. This makes it seem as if the perpetrator was the innocent one, or needs the slack or leeway, when in reality, the offender is just that, offensive!

The federal petition: http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/worldwide-petition-for-aprils-law-in-the-us/
For our Wisconsin friends and residents, please also sign this one.

The Wisconsin April's Law Petition: http://www.thepetitionsite.com/650/959/434/wisconsin-aprils-law/
Our children need us, and the Sandusky trial showed us how much. Please contact YVI to see how you can be involved!