Rage Against The Minivan

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talking to kids about tragedy

January 17, 2011

Between the shooting in Tuscon, the anniversary of the earthquake, and Martin Luther King Junior’s birthday, I’ve been thinking a lot about how I talk with my kids about tragedy.  I try to live my life with eyes wide open – I want to know what is going on in the world and I’m very intentional about educating myself on the issues, even when those issues are hard to face.  I think that is why I am sometimes ambivalent about how to talk with my kids about difficult subjects.  I want . . .

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was that so hard? (comments and an ethical dilemma)

January 17, 2011

Thank you to all of you who took the time to comment this weekend. It really was fun getting to hear from the “silent majority”.  It felt like a bit of a love-fest and I’m really hoping that you will free more confidence to comment again.  You did so well! (This is me resorting to flattery to see if you will comment again.) Now I’m gonna throw a question at you that would be blatant comment-seeking if it wasn’t something that I actually need help with.  I'm really looking for . . .

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what I want you to know: being a conservative

January 17, 2011

What I Want You to Know is a series of reader submissions.  It is an attempt to allow people to tell their personal stories, in the hopes of bringing greater compassion to the unique issues each of us face.  If you would like to submit a story, email me.Today’s post was written by a reader who wishes to remain anonymous. What I want you to know is that even though I'm a Christian and I mostly vote Republican that I am not an uninformed "values voter" that loves Bush and . . .

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delurking day (that means you)

January 14, 2011

Today is National Delurking Day, or so I’m being told.  That means it’s your day to finally leave a comment!  I know . . . some of you already do.  But the vast majority of you are silent readers.  Maybe you are intimidated by the comment-leaving process?  it’s easier than it looks, and you can log in with just your name. Just click on the “COMMENT” button below this post, and this box will appear.  Ignore all the fancy log-in options. The best way to leave a . . .

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Haiti, today

January 13, 2011

Haiti was on my mind all day today.  It’s hard to forget.  The devastation I fled a year ago this time – those concrete ruins I could not wait to escape are a daily reality for the people of Haiti.  It is hard to fathom the resiliency that is required of this nation’s people. An estimated 230,000 people were killed in the earthquake – many have not been unearthed or recorded. Only 5% of the rubble has been removed. 3,600 lives have been lost to cholera. 800,000 are living . . .

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the race recap

January 11, 2011

I was just drafting a post about this time last year – with the anniversary of the earthquake coming up, it’s hard not to reminisce.  I went to link the post of my half-marathon, and realized it was missing.  I had drafted up this post on my phone on the flight to Haiti on January 11th . . . and obviously this post got lost in the shuffle.  Anyways, one year later, here is the recap of my first (and hopefully not last) half marathon. Writing a race recap feels a lot like writing . . .

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rage against the rhetoric

January 11, 2011

As pointed out in the comments of this post, also lame (a reference to the movie Untouchables, at a Philadelphia fundraiser in 2008): “If they bring a knife to the fight, we bring a gun.  Because from what I understand folks in Philly like a good brawl. I’ve seen Eagles fans.” – Barack Obama There were several other examples left in the comments – some of them such extreme displays of crazy that I had to wash my eyes out with soap.  If you want to get your fill of liberal . . .

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planes, pains, and automobiles

January 10, 2011

We are still in massive holiday hangover mode.  We’ve been home for four days and I’ve yet to unpack or open all the mail.  Vacations are a lot of work. Before we left, I was pretty stressed about the trip.  Our first plane ride with four kids would be followed by our first road-trip with four kids.  So in the week leading up to the trip, I did what I do when I’m stressed: I strategized and hyperfocused on minute details, to give myself the illusion of being in . . .

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winter sports

January 9, 2011

When I was a kid, we used to spend hours going down the staircase in a sleeping back when my mom wasn’t looking.  We don’t have a staircase, but the boys have managed to craft a luge out of one of their plastic toy bins. I think we’re all a bit ready for the weather to warm up so we can get back to playing outside . . . . . .

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counting the cost of violent rhetoric

January 9, 2011

I am watching the news in horror today, as a gunman opened fire on politician Gabrielle Giffords at a public event she was holding, shot her point-blank in the head, and shot 17 other people.  At the time I’m writing this, Giffords is in critical condition and six people have been killed. It’s times like this that require introspection as to what is going on in our country.  The gunman is allegedly a 22-year-old man named Jared Loughner.  People have been speculating all day on . . .

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Hi, I’m Kristen. I’m a mom of four kids via birth and adoption and a writer living in Southern California. Read More.

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Rage Against the Minivan sometimes earns revenue through sponsored posts, which are clearly labeled, and occasional affiliate links to recommended products. I only feature products that I truly like, and my opinions are always my own.

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