Mysterious

First of all let me say that I have lots to say about the girls 2nd and 3rd birthday parties, but due to my inability to function on a basic level I have no pictures to post of either. So while I wait for those who DID have operational cameras to send me some of their snaps shots, I will explore two mysteries with you that have been baffling my brain the last 2 days. 

First, please observe the above photo. We received two rather generous birthday checks from the Great Grandparents (both sides) and upon visiting Target one evening I was inspired to actually spend every cent of said birthday money on something extravagant for the girls. Something that would blow their minds and that they would forever remember as having been provided for them by their Great Grands. So.. this is what I came up with. I mean look at it!! Maybe you can't tell in this picture but the thing is massive. I had to haul it in two arms to the checkout counter. It's the sort of thing that they would go nuts over looking at in the store but that Stephen and I would be too snobby to bring into our home - just being honest here. Too much plastic.. too much pink.. just too much. Well when I saw it this time, I didn't think. "Too much." I thought, "Just right!". Home it came. They unwrapped both boxes yesterday.. and to our surprise.. were totally and completely unimpressed. Really guys?! They asked if they could go back to playing with.. well just take a look at the picture below..

.. yes.. they were completely obsessed with the tiny little set of rainbow My Little Ponies that Stephen and I gave them that morning. I asked them if they wanted to keep the fairy house.. where they excited about it? Did they like it? Didn't it look like fun? No. No. No.. and No. They want me to take it back to the store. They told me that. So .. it sits on our dining room table.. they have been ringing the little lightening bug door bell all morning and watching it light up and ding.. they have talked about it.. but they are still not that interested in it. Pretty sure it is going back to the store and I am going back to the drawing board as to what to get them with their birthday money. Wow.. am I the only one who is shocked by this reaction? I suppose I shouldn't be since they are not used to this sort of toy.. but still. I sort of love that they love their tiny ponies this much.. and we all know how much they prefer pretend play of their own invention.. I just thought that the fairy house would be such good ammunition for those little fantastical brains. Oh well, back they go!

Now to the next mystery that is driving me insane. The shooting at the Sikh temple in Wisconsin. This is a tragedy. I huge and horrible and terribly sad event in our country. I have not seen any news coverage on it simply because I haven't seen any news in the last couple of days. My sadness comes from the fact the not one single friend of mine on FB has mentioned it. I know that is not a true measure of people's feelings on matters but when the shooting happened at the movie theater, a majority of my friends there said at least a little something about it. That was at a movie theater. This shooting occurred in a place of worship. In the United States, someone entered a place of worship and opened fire on the occupants inside. Am I the only one that finds this deeply disturbing and horribly frightening? I get that the idea of someone shooting folks as they watch a movie might be more disturbing to some, since almost every one has seen a movie in a theater. The idea that you have been in the same circumstance and that the same thing could have happened to you is upsetting. I do get that. So maybe this is more upsetting to me because I am someone who sits in a seat every Sunday worshiping my Lord. I can't pretend I haven't had the thought that someone could easily open fire on us as we sit there. I have had that thought more times than I care to admit. Fear is something that I struggle with. Still, the very next thought I have is that I am so thankful that I live in the United States, where religious freedom is a celebrated right of our land. The chances of some crazy nut coming into our building and gunning us down are slim to none. And then this happened. I am not Muslim. I am Christian. I do not believe in the teachings of Islam. But I do believe in their right to worship however they choose within the borders of this nation. A crazy person entered a house of worship and opened fire on the people there. How is this not absolutely devastating to every single one of us? How are we not all talking about it? How are we not all mourning it? Is it because they were Muslim? Please tell me that is not the reason. Please tell me some other good reason that no one I know is talking about this? Because honestly you guys, this is one of my worst nightmares come true for a group of people that I have never met and do not share religious affiliation with and my soul is bleeding for them. Am I the only one?