(This is actually common in my world.)

The tweet I saw was from a local news outlet, announcing that a bill allowing creationism to be taught in Indiana science classes was on the floor of the state senate.

It didn’t seem to get much attention- at that moment, for the days following, all of the attention was on the Right to Work bill and the Superbowl Village. Heck, my college roommate and I even wrote Indianapolis a love letter in two parts– a history and a city guide of what to do.

Because when Indiana is good, it is very good.

But when it is bad? It is horrid.

I was surprised at my reaction- honestly, not a whole lot riles me in politics. I’m luke-warm when it comes to unions. I’m pessimistic when it comes to healthcare reform. I want tax dollars to be spent wisely.

But bring up an education issue, an issue that would directly affect what my own child learns in a science class?

My mama bear comes out.

That night I emailed my state senator and urged friends to do the same.

The bill passed in the Senate today, 28-22, and from what I can tell, straight along party lines. (Thanks, State Senator Merritt, for a) not acknowledging my email, not even an autoreply, and b) voting in favor of this rubbish)

Thankfully, an amendment has been added that will hopefully make it something that no science teacher worth their salt will touch – an amendment that broadens the bill to say if schools choose to teach something other than science in science class, they have to include multiple creationist stories, not just what’s in Genesis.

Thank you, State Senator Vi Simpson, for this clever addition. There are a lot creation stories a science teacher could choose from, many of which are featured on http://www.magictails.com/creationlinks.html. Of course, the Supreme Court of the United States ruled in 1987 that teaching creation science was unconstitutional, but that didn’t stop State Senator Dennis Kruse from proposing the bill, because as he says in today’s Indianapolis Star online, “”I believe in creation, and I believe it deserves to be taught in our public schools.”  Seriously? This is a reason to present a bill to the senate floor?

The focus on here is really on how humans came to be, but when you start teaching creation stories as science….it sort of upends not only biology, but geography and geology as well.

Because if this is really what they (Christian creationists) want to teach (from http://www.creationcurriculum.com/):

Our mission is to promote the Gospel of Jesus Christ through educating individuals of all ages about the evidence for creation.  We believe that God made the heavens, the earth, the sea, and all that is in them in the time and manner specified in Genesis:  by His Word in six normal, solar days.  We also believe that God made the first man, Adam, directly from the dust of the ground and not through an evolutionary process.  We also believe that science, rightly interpreted will be consistent with the Old and New Testament Scriptures.

Then I ask how are other science classes going to deal with the questions from young scholars who are taught that Genesis is actually a real possibility?

Are the ice ages real? How did the mountains come to be? What about plate tectonics? Are they a hoax? What about the dinosaur bones that are older than the people bones? (can you tell I live with kids who like to ask questions?)

Did the earth ever really look like this? That depends on which unit we're teaching this week. (photo from Wikipedia)

I just don’t get it. Granted, the way the bill is written now, with the amendment, there’d have to be more than one version presented. So let’s look at the Hindu story of creation.

In this story, the people of the world come from Purusha, the creator of all things. The people come from Purusha’s body….and that’s how the Indian Caste system came to be. People are to live and marry within their own class to fulfill their life’s purpose.

That belongs in science class, right?

Comparative literature? Sure thing. Sign both my kids up! They’d love it.

Science? No way.

I’m off to email my state representative, Brian Bosma, and to write a thank you email to state Senator Vi Simpson. I’m urging you to do the same- here’s a handy link to do just that: http://district.iga.in.gov/DistrictLookup

I’ll admit, I am shocked by a) how this has gotten to me and b) how many people think that creation stories belong in science class. I mean, I know better than to read the comments on the news websites, but when there are over 100 comments and a good number of Facebook likes, it’s like Internet rubber-necking and I can’t turn away. 

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So I’m here, but not for long. This week has unofficially been declared: INDIANAPOLIS WEEK, as the entire expanse of the metro area gets ready to host SuperBowl XLVI.

Ready doesn’t even begin to describe it. This town of ours, it is on fire. It is breathtakingly ready. If you’re anywhere within a day’s drive of this spectacle, come check it out. I know I’m not the only Hoosier thinking that maybe, just maybe, this will be the first of many successful Superbowls for our fair city.

We took the kids downtown on Friday night, the opening night of Superbowl Village.

We saw the 33 NFL Super Cars.

We saw the Zipline operating overhead.

We saw the Human Hamster Wheels.

We saw the giant Superbowl Roman Numerals on Circle.

We saw Elmo.

There were football activities, music, food, and an electric energy that was contagious. And that was just opening night.

MaM has learned all about Roman Numerals.

The Fox wants to know when the big race is- he’s convinced those 33 NFL cars are going go to race, and the Colts car is going to win.

BgK is geeked for the LMFAO concert Friday night.

Me? I’m loving the good press Indianapolis is getting.

What’s been your favorite thing about Superbowl week so far?

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1. Take Me Out to the Ball Game: A Giveaway

One thing I did do to get ready this year is…make wine. It’s true. Back in October, some girlfriends and I got together, went to Harmony Winery in Fishers and made a wine kit for the holidays.

It’s quite the process, making wine, even when you’re starting with grape juice and not in the vineyard.

After sanitizing our hands and donning aprons, we set to work creating the concoction that would then ferment for about six weeks. I don’t remember exactly what we were doing in all these photos- but it took about an hour, and we had a lot of fun!

After sanitizing, we took turns filling the bottles with Riesling. After bottling, came corking. After corking, came foil seals. After foil seals came customized labels. After all of that, we had a toast for a job well done, for done it was. We bottled about forty bottles total, and all five of us carted out a box of our creation.

Look at the finished product. Now the real dilemma is, do I really gift the fruit of my labor, or do I enjoy it myself?

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1. Happy Birthday, Grandma!
2. Happy Fall (or Autumnal Equinox)

A few weeks ago (ok, nearly a month ago), my grandma turned 98 years old! We kind of make a big deal about her birthday, because, well, how many 98 year olds do you know?

We had a party for her at my parents’ house, and of course there was cake. She brought her collection of birthday cards to share with us- she must have received over fifty cards. (PSA: Send birthday cards to the elderly people in your life! They love them!)

We had a lovely afternoon together, and as the day went on, she began to reminisce. As she gets older, her memories go back further and further. She used to talk about the sixties, now she talks about the thirties. She surprised us all by reciting, word for word, the opening monologue to the radio program, Our Gal Sunday. As she began to talk about the show, I started Googling for more details. She was wondering the exact year it began, and how long it ran for.

Between websites devoted to old time radio and Wikipedia, I was able to help her fill in the blanks. It was a fun way to share some time with each other.

Smart phones and the Internet, bringing generations together!

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1. Happy Fall (or Autumnal Equinox)

Between the two of us, we have five kids, ranging in age from preschool through to junior high. We know the ins and the outs of places around town, and can’t wait to post our favorite things to do.

To start things off, I posted our  trip to Conner Prairie’s annual Headless Horseman event. Check out what we did, and then make plans to go yourself! The Headless Horseman will be scaring at Conner Prairie this weekend, and next weekend (closing night is Oct 29th).

Also this week- Heather gives us a tour of Vampire Vacation, this year’s haunted house at the Children’s Museum of Indianapolis, and a review of Beauty and the Beast.

Know of something cool happening in Indy that we should cover? Please let us know!

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What’s sweet is that she doesn’t understand the business side of these packages, so sometimes our conversations go like this:

“Oh look, there’s a FedEx bag!”

“Do you want to help me open it?”

“Oh yes.”

“Let’s see what we have.”

“Oh look Mommy! It’s cards, and a keychain, and oh, this says FREE BURGER. Mommy, who sent us this?”

“Wendy’s did, because they’d us to try their new cheeseburgers.”

“Wendy’s is SO NICE, Mom!”

For the record, Wendy’s really is nice. I love what they do, both with cheeseburgers and the Dave Thomas Foundation.

And OMG, the cheeseburgers. They’ve been reconstructed, and they’re YUMMY. My mom and I tried them out last weekend (the kids opted for chicken, even though they both had cheeseburger tattoos on their arms), and they were delicious. Substantial bun, juicy burger, fresh toppings. With this remake, the Wendy’s basic cheeseburger is more like a speciality burger. And unlike some other chains, this burger is sized so you eat one and you’re DONE. My mom and I both got a small fry with our meal and neither one of us could finish them. SO YUMMY.

But back to the FedEx bag- I’m wondering though, if next time, they’ll just contact Mam directly. I was walking near her in the hallway at school the other day (I was volunteering, she was going to class, and she was not acknowledging my existence) when she started her pitch:

“Hi Will!”

“Hi MaM!”

“I have a new keychain.”

“Cool.”

“It’s a cheeseburger. It’s from Wendy’s.”

And the future generation of bloggers has been born.

Disclosure- I was sent a bag of Wendy’s goodies, coupons and a gift card in exchange for my honest review. I chose to eat and sing the burger’s virtues on my own free will. And MaM raved about Wendy’s all on her own, with no prodding from me whatsoever. 

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If you live in Indy, you may have heard- the Container Store is finally here! If you’ve never been to one, you might not know why this is a big deal. If you’re familiar, well, then, you aren’t reading right now, you’re shopping.

Last week I had the opportunity to have lunch with some of my favorite people and tour the Container Store, all 25,000 sq ft. That evening, I attended the Preview Party, complete with live band, dance floor and 2000 of the Container Stores biggest fans.  It was a lot of fun, really overwhelming, and really left me wanting to reorganize my entire house. October 6, 2011 will forever be known as “Container Store Day” in my book.

The Container Store generously sent me home with a bag swag and I thought it would be fun to take some before and after pictures to demonstrate how useful their products really can be.

Exhibit A: The kids’ bathroom caddy. Ack.

Before: The basket actually held everything from toothpaste to a measuring tape, to hair ties.

Every time I need a paper, everything else held by the clip falls to the floor!

Sorting the papers I need each each week by topic make things easier.

There are more goodies to put to work- I think the FlipFold  might have to be it’s own post. I find it oddly relaxing to fold my shirts like they do at the Gap.

What do you need help Containing? Whatever it is, I’m pretty sure the Container Store Indy will have an answer for you!

(Top photo courtesy of Angie Six, local blogger and Container Store enthusiast!)

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1. Admitting Defeat, or Plan B

I marked off each student’s number on a sheet, in a binder. With a pencil and paper. 

Fast forward nearly twenty years, and my first grader is more slick than I ever was.

Her school has an automated lunch payment system- I load her account online, and she enters a PIN before she goes through the lunch line.

My first grader has a PIN. 

It only goes to reason then,  that a lot of her life is electronic. She even has her own arsenal of iPhone apps, and was most excited about getting to play with the My Little Pony app from Ruckus Media.

“Mommy, there’s a pony. Her name is Twilight Sparkle (of course it is!). And she sparkles. And there’s a dragon. And it’s a story, and there are games. You touch the sparkles and things happen, and there’s a maze, and …”

Sounds like a perfect match for six year old girls, don’t you think? Especially six year old girls who already have PINs.

My Little Pony, from Ruckus Media is on sale through Thursday for $0.99. Friday the prices goes up to $3.99. It’s been a huge hit around the blogosphere, and I think any little girl would like it!

Disclosure- Ruckus Media provided me with a download of the My Little Pony app in exchange for this review. The opinions expressed here are my own.

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Edited: This giveaway is now closed. Thanks for playing, and thanks to Kelsay Farms for this fun giveaway! The winner of the tickets is the last commenter, #6. Congrats, Fairytalemom!

“Look mom! The pumpkins have faces!”

There really is nothing better than a three year old celebrating any holiday. My boy has been enjoying all things fall, starting with the Autumnal Equinox.

He notices the trees are turning colors.

He notices the  squirrels are collecting nuts.

He notices the pumpkins have faces this time of year.

Every fall we take the kids to get pumpkins and celebrate fall. Sometimes it’s to a roadside stand, sometimes it’s a fall festival, sometimes it’s an actual pumpkin patch.

This year, we’ll be taking them to Kelsay Farms, a working dairy farm that rolls out the straw carpet for fall fun every year. I’m so excited to combine fall with milkshakes, I can’t even stand it. There’s a corn maze, a baby barnyard, the moo-choo express train, and much more. The farm is open on weekends the entire month of October, as well as over fall break on October 20 & 21, (see website for specific hours and activities).

The Giveaway

Want to win a pair of tickets to experience the fun yourself?

To enter, just leave me a comment about your favorite thing about fall. It could be about Halloween, or it could be that the days are shorter and your kids go to bed more easily. Whatever it is, leave it as a comment (be sure to fill out the section with a good email address) and you’ll be entered to win a pair of tickets.

Want a second (or even third or fourth) chance to win?

Tweet, Facebook or Google+ the following:

“Fall is Fabulous& so it’s Kelsay Farms Fall Festival. Enter to win a pair of tickets @gotchababy’s blog today! http://wp.me/pVbJS-ES ”

and then leave an additional comment for each action, telling me that you did!

Comments will be open until about 10pm on Tuesday night. I will contact the winner via email. The winner will need to respond by 8pm on Wednesday night to claim the tickets, or I will need to pick a new winner.

Good luck! (Comment moderation is on, so if you’re new here, be patient and your comment will be approved shortly.)

Disclosure: My family received complimentary admission to Kelsay Farms in exchange for this blog post. The excitement over mixing ice cream and corn mazes is completely my own.

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1. Indiana State Fair: A Good Way to Wrap Up Summer {and a Giveaway}
2. Take Me Out to the Ball Game: A Giveaway
3. First Day of School! First Day of School! (Almost. And a Giveaway)