Happy Valentine's Day...

I've never been a detractor of Valentine's Day - though I've also never completely bought into it either. After all, I'm narcissistic enough to believe that people should declare their undying devotion to me EVERY day, not just once a year.
Still, roses and chocolates have been a nice bonus at times in the cold depths of February.

That being said, aside from the commercial hype of florist commercials and the like, I've never noticed too much of a public celebration of Valentine's Day. Maybe I've been blissfully unawares? Maybe. But yesterday, as I walked through the throngs of displays and booths and Valentines signs in the SIUC student center, I was struck with how demonstrative this year's Valentine's Day seems. I asked someone else if it was just me - she said that she was kind of floored by this year's display as well.

So what's going on this year? Is a subconscious societal attempt to relieve the growing stress of our faltering economy? I'd love to be all gushy and warm and "Valentine's-y," but I can't really wrap my head around any other kind of excuse for it all.

Valentine's Day will come and go this year, for us, with a dinner and movie date. Alexandra gets to pick the restaurant and we'll go see "Push" (yeah, Alex chose that too). There may be chocolate involved, but her doctor said she should cut down on chocolates earlier this week. Alexandra is nothing if not a rule-follower.

I MAY have a fake chocolate rosebud that I'm carrying around in my bag today, but it's more for use as a magic wand than anything Valentine's-esque.

Happy Valentine's Day. Not in an ostentatious kind of way, but in a - have a good day, a happy day, and remember that there's someone who loves you, who's thinking of you, today and everyday.

Should _I_ Have Paypal Set Up On Here??

Okay, I will freely admit that, as a single parent, oftentimes ONE child is overwhelming. Add into the mix the multiple pets, the work schedule, not to mention the school schedule (and that pesky thesis), and I end up being, for the most part, a frazzled, overwhelmed Kylie most of the time.

It's worth it, though - I love my daughter, I'm working towards what I love - it's all good. Right?

Then today my eyes are opened to the newest sensationalist story in the country (at least, I think it's the newest, I could be behind still)... the Octo-Mom.

I'm one Kylie (and I've been told that I do a lot) and one kid can be too much at times. This woman, Nadya, now has 14??? She's a single mom as well - and she's in school as well. But 14 kids??
Her defense at that number was that she was really only trying for one more - to make it seven children. Because seven children is a picnic?

So, as happens when Kylie discovers something like this - I read up on it a bit. I read a bunch of news stories about this woman from the past few days and even visited her website (sorely disappointing - it was just a page asking for donations. nothing more). There's no way that I could or would want to defend her. I mean, I do understand the desire to have another child - but fourteen seems a little over the top. She actually reminds me of a Naylor character, but I digress.
I can't defend her. I don't want to defend her.

Then I read through the comments section of a few of these articles. There are comments on there calling for the death of the children rather than let one cent of government money be spent on them.
There are people on there calling for the children to be removed from the mother's custody and immediately put up for adoption.

After all, if you're in school and have children, they should die or be taken away from you?
*shudder*

Mind you, I DO understand the public frustration with this woman and her decision to have this brood of children. As yet, she's not actually taking responsibility for them - mostly leaving them in the care of her mother who went bankrupt last year. She doesn't contribute money to the running of her own household, in fact. She relies solely upon her mother.
Again, I understand how hard it is for just one child - I can't imagine six (let alone now 14). But to not contribute at all? That's unconscionable. That her mother is enabling this, as well. *shudder*

And with all that being said, the thing that makes me most upset is the attitude of absolute intolerance that this issue has brought out in the public.
Seriously? Kill the children rather than let them have a dime?
Really, WHO is the mentally unstable one? While I don't think this Nadya in living in what I would term "reality," I wouldn't credit those people leaving these comments as "stable."

Take the children away and adopt them out? There's a bit of a slippery slope there...
Hey lady who made that comment, what happens to your 2.4 children when you get laid off this year because of the economy? Do you get to keep them? But you might end up on some form of government assistance - unemployment, food stamps... Really, it'd just be better if the government stepped in and took them off your hands permanently. That would solve everything.

The thing is, and I'm guilty of it now as well, if we're so horrified as a culture about the actions of this one woman, why are we allowing her to be news? Why are perpetuating her time in the limelight and her chances of profiting from her actions? Why aren't we just ignoring it? If we don't buy into her hype, it won't be hype anymore. She'll discover what a mess she's made of her life and hopefully it'll be a wake-up call. Oh, and all those people calling for her dismemberment, or whatever harsh penalty they've dreamed up this hour, won't have to worry about going to hell...

cuz I'm pretty sure that when you call for the infanticide of 8, that's where you end up.