This week, I'm really glad I don't have a daughter.

I will preface this by saying that I really do want a daughter. But after this week's news, I think that if I had a daughter, I'd be a wreck right now.

The murders of Somer Thompson and Elizabeth Olten, along with the disappearance of Morgan Harrington have touched my heart. I cannot imagine the pain their parents are going through and I have to wonder why people prey on the innocence of children. It just sickens me.

I looked up information on local sex offenders and there are TWO in my neighborhood and 30 within a 5-mile radius of my home. One lives on the same street as a friend of mine. I guess that having 30 within a 5-mile radius is better than the 161 within a 5-mile radius of Somer Thompson's home, but still...

I wonder if the massive numbers of sex offenders have to do with the fallen nature of our society. Pornography, promiscuity, and other immoral acts have become so much more rampant than when I was a kid. I understand the need for "acceptance" and "tolerance," but do we really need to accept and tolerate abominable behavior in the name of "civil liberties?" What about the civil liberty of being safe in your own neighborhood?

I suck at blogging.

For some reason, I thought that a blog would be a good idea since I seem to have a ton to say on Facebook. Apparently, I am having trouble with execution because I never have time to blog, except when I can't sleep at night (like right now).

Haven't people learned?

I will start off by admitting that I've gained about 10 pounds this summer. I can come up with all sorts of excuses (travel, hot weather, lack of sleep, etc.), but must take ultimate responsibility for eating too much and not exercising enough. Between my father's colon cancer diagnosis, surgery, and weeklong hospitalization and my older son's night terrors/seizures; we spent way too much time in the car shuttling back and forth to and from doctor's offices. This time was spent both riding and eating.

That being said, I was stunned when an older woman at church (whom we've known for years) asked me when my third child was due. I wish I could say that I responded with charity or a witty comeback, but I was so taken aback that my expression must have said it all because she immediately stopped herself from saying anything further.

Why, oh, why have people not yet learned that you NEVER ask a woman if she's pregnant unless you're absolutely certain she is?

It reminds me of a Brian Regan bit:

I’m always putting my foot in my mouth. I don’t stop to think. Oh, no!...words are coming out…oh, no…I’m not thinking…what is that? Like I met this woman recently; I could have sworn she was pregnant, lemme tell ya. [crowd moans] I know... NOW. I think the rule is: Don’t guess at that ever… ever… ever… ever… ever… ever… ever… ever… ever… ever… ever… ever… ever… ever. Something like that. I didn’t have enough evers memorized. So I said, “When’s that …b…aby due?” You ever feel a word coming out but it’s too late to stop it? Whoa! It’s coming out and loud… “Hey, when’s that BABY due? BABY!”

“What baby?”

“OOOooo…At the zoo…the pandas….I knew they were trying to have one. I just thought we’d talk about them…talk about the fluffy zoo animals. I hear they’ve got ‘em over there. You can go look at ‘em if you want, and touch ‘em.”