How is it that children across the country are losing their identities before they're even potty trained? According to statistics five percent of the nations children are victims of identity theft. Three percent out of the five are victims of true theft, while the other two are victims of clerical error*. Numbers, that while still on the low end, should cause parents to consider adding checking their children's credit history to the "Honey Do" List.

     For most people, the idea that a child could be a victim of identity theft seems absurd. After all, children don't carry lines of credit, or have drivers licenses and social security cards tucked in their pockets. It is through this thought process that we allow our children to fall victim. Most children don't consider looking into their credit history until they start applying for jobs and lines of credit, such as loans for college. By this time, the thief has left thousands, even millions of dollars worth debt to the child's name. The average debt of a child in this situation is $12,779*. Thousands more dollars will be spent working with lawyers, creditors and the government just to clear this away. With adults, theft is noticed quicker. Adults are busy applying for car loans and mortgages. Thieves often don't have time to rack up millions of dollars of debt.

     This unfortunate trend raises questions. How is it so easy to use a child's identity to open lines of credit and obtain various forms of benefits? Does the bank or employer not check the background of social security numbers established for less than a certain number of years? Tighter restrictions need to be put in place to ensure the use of children's identities does not go unchecked. Until that time it is up to us as parents and family members to keep a close watch and use the resources available to us to ensure the safety of their future.

     SpendonLife.com is dedicated to educating students of the importance of credit and how to protect themselves against identity theft. For further information and to participate in available scholarships please visit SpendonLife.com.

*Birch, Dave. Children and Identity Theft. Nov. 18, 2008. Digital Identity Forum. http://digitaldebateblogs.typepad.com/digital_identity/2008/11/children-and-identity-theft.html.

A girl at my church is preggers with twins, so technically they are the youngest ones I know (it counts to ME!).  If I could tell them anything I would tell them people are more important than things.  Just because someone is related by blood doesn't make them family and sometimes people with no blood relation make the BEST family you could wish for.

I would tell them to reach for anything and everything, to believe in the good left in the world and to be catalysts of change for a better future. 

Hehe, all the stuff that their mom and dad, who are wonderful people, have no doubt already started sharing with them.  (I'll admit it, I talked to my belly for the whole nine months.  We had some good heart to heart conversations, let me tell you!)

A better job for my dear husband, who works crappy hours for even crappier pay.  He hates his job so much its translating back into the home and we are all starting to feel it!

Let me start by saying I don't watch the news.  Don't.  Ever.  Tonight I just happened to forget to turn off the tv after one of my shows and on came the 11 o'clock news.  The headline story - a 20 month old baby girl, beaten to death by her 18 year old mother's 15 year old boyfriend.

The news showed clips from the child's funeral.  The casket was closed.  My hands just tremble and my eyes well up as I imagine just why its a closed casket service...

I've only been to one funeral in my life.  It was for a wonderful old lady who lived in our neighborhood that I loved very dearly.  The casket was big and beautiful and sad.  Big.  The casket was big.  I've heard they make caskets for children.  After all, there are many who die natural, unavoidable deaths.  Others are victims of acts of God.  But to actually see this casket and to know who was in it...and why...It was the Littlest Casket I've ever seen.  Tiny and all white.  White, in most socities is a sign of purity, of innocence.  Exactly what lay inside the LIttlest Casket.

There were several reasons for the baby in the Littlest Casket.  The first being parents who weren't ready to be parents.  Parents who had no type of support, probably no education regarding children and who were allowd to leave the hospital without anyone asking too many questions.  The 15 year old boy was not the girls father, just the moms current "thing".  Who knows where the father was.  Where was the mother while her thing beat her baby to death?  Then there was the child's daycare provider, who thought she was being beaten from the many bruises she always came in with, and didn't report it.  Did not report suspected abuse.  I am happy to announce that she was arrested along with the mother and her boyfriend.  In our state it is mandatory for all teachers, daycare providers and medical professionals to report suspected abuse of a child.  Had she stepped up the Littlest Casket might still be in storage.

The news team interviewed an abuse counselor this evening.  One of the things she said is "someone always knows."  People choose not to say anything to keep from rocking the boat, causing a fight with neighbors, to keep the family together -whatever the reason abuse goes unreported all the time.  All calls are kept annoymous, is what she reminded everyone.  Do your part.  Do you know an abused child?  Keep them from being the next one inside the Littlest Casket.

I most love coming home and seeing my family.  Our house its self is icky, so I don't get real excited about the home, just the people in it.

Right now, my two year old is really hitting his "language explosion" and talks all the time.  He still hasn't figured out how to say Mom or Mama, and I know he doesn't have an "M" issue because when he likes something he goes, "Mmmmm!"  So his name for me?

Ba Ba.

I think its the most adorable thing ever!  Our friends like to point out the many people use "Ba ba" in reference to bottles.  So I guess this is an appropriate name since I nursed him when he was smaller!

I have so much to look forward to its ridiculous!  First off (and please, those that have read my profile know I adore my beautiful kiddes) my kids are gonna be starting college right when my husband and I are hitting our 40's.  Hello!  We are so gonna be in our prime WITH NO KIDS around!  People tell us all the time we should have waited to have our kids - but I love the way we did it.  I guess there was all this stuff we missed out on, yeah ok.  The way I look at it is we'll be able to do more this way.  We'll be older, have more money to throw around...

By this time I'll be settled into my career, any my lifes goal is to earn my Ph. D.  Why?  No reason really, more just to say I did than anything.

I'm also working really hard with not caring so much about what others think of me.  I think that is something that also comes with maturity, some people get there before others.

Plus, me growing older means my kids are growing older - and I want them to get all the time they can on this earth.  I almost didn't have kids with the way the world is and its a constant internal battle that I have going on.  Each passing day they grow less fragile, so should a major world melt down happen we will have a greater chance of making it.  Depressing thought, right?

1) What gift(s) would you like to give the world?
My children are my gifts to the world.  I have great hopes for them - that they will do great things!

2) What is the most unusual gift you have received?
The first Christmas my husband and I lived together we couldn't really afford a lot of gifts, so he got me a stocking full of chocolate - that I couldn't eat because it made our breastfed baby really cranky!

3) What do you like best about gift giving?
The excitement from the person who I am giving to.  I love giving so much I usually can't wait all the way to Christmas!  I've blown a couple really great suprises that way.

4) What gifts do you want for the holidays?
Understanding from my family that we can't be every where all at once, as much as we want to be!  Oh, and a great pair of cashmere socks.

5) When has a gift(s) made you feel warm and fuzzy inside?
The day my husband proposed to me, with his grandmothers engagement ring!  What a gift!  To todays standards its very small and simple I guess, but I think its the most beautiful, thoughtful thing in the world.  Great way to say welcome to the family!

I like being with people who don't always feel the need to talk, that for whatever reason make silence just as nice as conversation.  I like people that aren't afraid to show emotion and get excited about things.  For me, its very hard to be around monotone people.

The other thing that is hard for me, and probably many others, is being around a one upper.  You know the type, for anything you've done they have an "I've done it better" story.  Moms, you know what I'm talking about.  It happens so much with us!

"Oh today little Johnny learned how to spell CAT!"

"Thats nice Sue.  Yesterday Benny read chapters 1-10 of Gensis and now he's writing a thesis paper on creationalism vs. evolution.  He really should get a move on.  By the time his brother was 3 he had already published his 2nd novel."

Thankfully, I've been blessed with a pretty good sense of people, even over the internet, so I spend most of my time with really great easy going folks!

Men.

The best hot fudge sundae in the whole world.  If anyone knows the location you need to leave it here!

I also would love a glass of wine.  My babe has been cutting some teeth for a bit now, and he is actually sleeping without me pacing with him!  Woohoo!

SIONA!  Just one thing? 

Oh goodness me...I would learn Spanish!  I choose that because I came across an interesting oppurtunity today and I would be even more helpfully if I could speak Spanish.

Here I've been babbling on about needing my degree in Psych to make a difference...and the truth is I just needed to take at look at the opportunities around me!

Today I learned that I can become a CASA for Children - a Court Appointed Special Advocate.  As a CASA I would conduct an independant investigation of cases involving abused and neglected children.  I would be given all files pertaining to the case - including information gathered by Child Services.  I will be that childs voice.

http://www.nationalcasa.org/volunteer/index.html

CHECK THIS OUT!  If you are looking for a volunteer opportunity that will CHANGE THE LIFE OF A CHILD this is it. 

The Need for Volunteers

Your local CASA program offers a volunteer opportunity like no other. As officers of the court, CASA volunteers, also known in some areas as volunteer guardians ad litem (GALs), are empowered to make a lifelong difference in the lives of abused and neglected children.

Last year, our 59,000+ CASA and GAL volunteers advocated for 243,000 children-an impressive number yet just half of the children in the child welfare system at any given time. Our volunteers are an amazing force for good, but we need more of them. Our vision is that every child who needs a volunteer will have one. With your help, we can reach that goal.

What can you - as an individual - do to have a positive impact on the world?

Before I had children I had simple ideas.  Recycling, turning of the lights and riding my bicycle.  Later I realized this was a somehwhat selfish, fluffed up show for others.  None of what I was doing directly touched another person.  Sure, it helped out with my personal carbon footprint, but I can't say it did much else.

Now, as an older, more informed (I refuse to use the word wiser, because that just isn't true) I realize there is a lot more for me to be doing.  As much as sometimes I would rather not, I'm going to have to "get my hands dirty" and deal with stituations and people that aren't always so pleasant.  This is going to be the most effective way to create change in our world, more direct and invovled rather than passive as I was before.  Its all because of my children, well any ones child, really.  Such a driving force, those beautiful little faces!

Blind date at a Halloween Party!  He was a drunk vampire and I was a very cute Ms. Monroe.