As parents, we have a lot of power.  We teach our kids right from wrong from the time they are little to the time they reach adulthood.  MADD agrees with this and has created a great website about talking with our kids called The Power Of Parents.  We teach our kids about not sticking things in light sockets, but for some reason, a lot of paretns don’t talk to their kids about underage drinking and drunk driving.  I’ll be honest — I really think as parents we have to show our kids how we want them to act.  Bill and I do not drive drunk.  Ever.  We decide at the beginning of the night who is driving and that person does not drink.  I certainly hope that this shows my kids a good example.

Did you know that last year, 11,773 people were killed because of drunk driving? Scary isn’t it? Could you live with yourself if you killed someone? Could you live with yourself if your child killed someone due to drunk driving?  The Power Of Parents has some great ways to start that conversation.  You can also find them on their own blog, twitter, and Facebook.  What are you waiting for?  Start that conversation with your kids!

“I wrote this review while participating in a blog campaign by Mom Central on behalf of MADD.  A donation was made to MADD in my name to thank me for taking the time to participate.”

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What mother hasn’t felt this way? With the past week (broken laptop, couldn’t find flu shots for my kids, now Will’s sick), I definitely would love to get away just for a weekend.  When Country Inn & Suites by Carlson asked if I’d like a woman’s weekend retreat, how could I say no?

Next weekend, I’ll be heading to a local Country Inn & Suites by Carlson for a night.  My goal is get away from it all — work, reviews, the internet (though I am going to bring the laptop with since I can’t completely walk away from my internet addiction), my blackberry, etc.  Due to my many obligations, I often forget to take care of me.  This is a great way to relax and enjoy myself.  My game plan is to head to a movie, eat a nice dinner (and not have to inhale my food or bring crayons), and maybe even get some shopping in!

If you could get away, where would you go?  What would you do?

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This Week’s Post Was Written By Greta

Col. Henry J. Cook

Past National Commander, Military Order of the Purple Heart, after serving over fifteen years with MOPH, gaining invaluable experience while in the positions of National Aide-de-Camp, Chapter Commander, Region Commander, National Junior Vice Commander and National Senior Vice Commander.

He was a career Special Forces (Green Beret) officer for thirty-three of the total forty-two years that he was on combined active and reserve duty. His combat tours began in 1967-68 when he operated behind enemy lines in for extended periods of time conducting operations with native guerrilla troops as the Executive Officer of the 4th Mobile Guerrilla. He saw additional combat in 1969-70 when he led a U.S. Special Forces Mobile Strike Force Battalion (MIKE FORCE), consisting of Green Beret officers and sergeants leading Cambodian mercenaries, again working behind enemy lines as well as reacting to attacks on friendly bases, often requiring that his unit be parachuted into hostile drop zones.

Later, he participated in Desert Shield (Saudi Arabia), Desert Storm (Kuwait) and Iraq, and Operation Provide Comfort (Support to Kurdish refugees in Northern Iraq.

For his valor and military skills, Colonel Cook was awarded the Bronze Star Medal with ?V? device for Valor and two Oak Leaf Clusters, Army Commendation Medal with ?V? Device and one Oak Leaf Cluster, Purple Heart with One Oak Leaf Cluster, Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry with Gold and Silver Stars, Joint Services Commendation Medal, Combat Infantry Badge, Master Parachutist Badge, Special Forces Combat Diver Badge, Special Forces Tab, and numerous other U.S. and foreign decorations.

Henry Cook is now twice retired, as a soldier and as a lawyer and resides in Diamondhead, Mississippi. He is a member of the Pro Bono Consortium representing veterans who appeal denial of claims and is a member of the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans? Claims. He?s been a member of the Mississippi Bar Association since 1978 and also serves as a Municipal Judge Pro Tem in Bay St. Louis, Mississippi. Other significant contributions to veterans by Henry Cook include: a major role in the creation of the Mississippi Vietnam Veterans? Memorial in Ocean Springs and helping raise over $500,000 to help MOPH members in Louisiana and Mississippi who lost everything during Hurricane Katrina. In addition to MOPH, he also belongs to Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW), Disabled American Veterans (DAV), Special Forces Association (SFA), Special Operations Association (SOA), Military Order of the World Wars (MOWW).

You can read more about Col. Henry in this PDF file on pages 31 & 32.

These brave men and women sacrifice so much in their lives so that others may enjoy the freedoms we get to enjoy everyday. For that, I am proud to call them Hero.
We Should Not Only Mourn These Men And Women Who Died, We Should Also Thank God That Such People Lived

This post is part of the Wednesday Hero Blogroll. For more information about Wednesday Hero, or if you would like to post it on your site, you can go here.

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My son’s teacher heads up this great cause and I wanted to make you all aware of it. This is the letter she sends home at the beginning of her classes:

My name is Jacky and I am an early education instructor with the Oak Lawn Park District.  I started mailing boxes when one of my student’s only parent was sent to Iraq.  Now, boxes go out weekly to each soldier on my list who shares the boxes with their units.  I know first hand from the soldiers who return stateside that these boxes mean so much more than their contents;  they mean people care.  The families back home also appreciate the moral booster their loved ons are receiving each time a box arrives.  These boxes may be small, but they are mighty with support and positive thinking to bring our soldiers safely home.  All my soldiers have relatives, friends who live in Oak Lawn, or are residents of Oak Lawn.  It is a local support of our community.  Below are item lists of some of the things that have been sent out since March 2003:

Shampoo

Baby Wipes

Soap

Toothpaste

Hard Candy

Juice boxes

Snack food

Lip Balm

Combs

Sunscreen

Gum

Tylenol

Food Bars

Toilet Paper

Foot Powder

Small botthle of hand “no water” soap sanitizier

Band Aides

Canisters of presweetened Kool-Aid, Tea, and Lemonade

Mouthwash

User Paperback books

Toothpaste samples or floss

Sunday Comics

Extra condiment packets (sugar, ketchup)

Toothbrushes

Children’s drawings

Extra item in a pack (example:  6th gum free in a 5 pack)

Encouraging letters

Hotel shoe shine kits

Hotel small shampoo

Hotel small soap

Hotel small lotion

Hotel sewing kits

Hotel small conditioner

Hotel small mouth wash

As you can see, you don’t have to spend a lot of money to help the soldiers out.  We donate things every week and it doesn’t cost me a cent extra from what we already do.  Also, she will take ANY leftover Halloween candy you have!!!

They will also take any donated stamps or funds for stamps.  Items and postage can be dropped off at (or mailed to) Oak View Center, 4625 West 110th St., Oak Lawn IL 60453.  I’d just put a little note on there that it’s for the soldiers.

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