Deep Thoughts--or maybe not

**I made dessert for dinner last night; brownies made from scratch. I don't think I've ever done that before, but I'm on a recent quest to stay away from processed foods and chemicals. Because I had cut the sugar in the recipe in an effort to be healtier, they weren't as good as brownies from a mix. I was very annoyed to discover that making brownies from scratch cost 2 1/2 times more than brownies from a mix. What is up with that?

**I also made apple crisp and served ice cream. Mama ate all her food. Dada ate all his food. Grandma ate all her food. Guess who didn't eat all their food? That's right--the Misses Aviana and Brielle ate their ice cream and only bits of their other desserts. Even when I serve dessert for supper, they still won't eat. What is up with that?

**I saw parts of the Today show because I wanted to learn more about the family who just had octuplets. I was thoroughly annoyed with this show.

They showed this couple who had spent $150K on a dog. Well, good for them. It's their money. Not really how I would choose to spend one hundred fifty grand, but whatever.

But Al Roker is trying to make them feel guilty about it, like they should consider the economy before they go out and spend all this money. Who cares how this private citizen is spending his money. It's HIS money!!!

Then the guy is trying to apologize for being rich. He says his father started NASCAR, so he essentially won the lottery. And then he started a company to help with wound care saving lives, and he says he won the lottery again!

No he didn't! He worked hard for what he has.

He and his father made smart choices. He and his father were creative, original thinkers. They invested well. That's much different than some work a job joe going into the Kum-n-Go and plunking down a dollar for the Lotto!

It's probably super nice to not have to consider the cost between mix or made from scratch brownies. I'd like to be rich too, but I don't resent him for having what I don't. Even if he did inherit it all and had never started his own business, I still think he has every right to be rich. That's what makes America great. You can do that!

We need "the rich". They create jobs. They invent things. They start businesses. What kind of society do we live in where someone feels they have to apologize for rolling in the dough? What is up with that?

**My children's view of mothering may be in need of a little tweaking.

Brielle and I were looking at a Cars and Trucks page in one of our favorite books, and I asked her what kind of vehicle she liked best.

"ummm...a red twuck for Dada, and...a Twacer for Dada and...a Mystique for Dada and... a jeep for Dada!"
"What about Mama?" I ask, feeling a little miffed :-).
She looked at me as if I were crazy to want anything.
" Well... you tan have a van. I guess."

Last night Grandma teasingly asked Aviana if Cadrian could have some soup. She told her "Noooo! Tadrian dwinks milk from his mama. She eats her food, and it dissolves into milk, and then he dwinks that nasty stuff!"

Mama's Daybook

For more daybooks, and to join the fun, click on the image above...

My Daybook ~ 26 January

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Outside My Window ... cold grey blah
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I am thinking ... I'm going to enjoy some apple crisp and hot cocoa for dinner after my fast is over
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I am thankful for ...growing in faith, through the book Becoming the Woman God Wants Me to Be
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From the learning rooms ...Themes of winter/snow/groceries & modesty
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From the kitchen ... no sugar or leaven or caffeine for me. Yipes!

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I am wearing ... A grey pink and white track suit
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I am creating ... organization and clean spaces--it got so bad Kevin asked me if I was pregnant, because it seems like I'm nesting! I think it might just be the weather.
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I am going ...to MOPS

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I am reading ... Harvest: A Year in the Life of an Organic Farm
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I am hoping ...The last four days of my fast are easier than the first six
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I am hearing...sweet nothing
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Around the house ... trying to get ready for our trip
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One of my favorite things ... warm water with lemon
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A few plans for the rest of the week ...going to a travelogue tomorrow night of a couple who went to 28 countries with only their carry-on; the rest of the week is pretty open since we are leaving for a week long vacay on Saturday. We're going to Springfield MO, Branson, and St Louis. Eight hours in the van one way. Eeesh! I'm not sure I'm ready for this!

***

Here is a picture thought I am sharing~

"Ptthhhpt!"

A little craftiness

I saw someone online selling these bow holders for like, $30. I said to myself, $30!?! No freaking way! I'm not paying $30.

So Kevin cut me some wood. I painted some names and polka dots, put some little stick-on bling for good measure and then I stapled some ribbon to the back.

Now we have a bow holder that was like, free.

(I know it wasn't really, but I'm counting it as free because I didn't have to buy a single thing for this project; it was all already on hand. Let me live my little fantasy.)

Guess what we read today...

Cadrian is five and then SIX months old

Here is his five month picture

And here he is at six months

I completely forgot to do his five month post because of who knows...Christmas seems like a good excuse, and I forgot to do his six month picture on his six month birthday because he's been sick. Ah well.

Baby boy is doing great (other than all the mucus and coughing). He's sitting up well, he's crawling, he pulled himself to a stand on my back while I was lying on my tummy yesterday, he is getting into trouble because he immediately heads for the stereo equipment or electrical cords. He's got a great laugh and an infectious smile. He tolerates his sisters antics well. He likes to play peek a boo. He is quite social and enjoys attention. He's fallen into a great schedule, which is a huge blessing in a lot of ways, and especially because his sisters weren't nearly as predictable. He's been switched to a "big kid" car seat; we couldn't get the infant seat buckled anymore, let alone carry it! He's on the big side of growth, but I have no idea what his exact dimensions are.

He's a gigantic gift from God and we are so thankful for his sweet little self!

Brielle, weeping: My tears made me cry!

****************************************
Aviana, enthusiastically, apropos of nothing: I tan't WAIT until I'm old enough to start woozing teeth! When I'm about 6 or 7, I'm going to carry around a paper bag, and hold my mouth over it, and then if a tooth falls out, it can fall right into the bag and I won't wooze it.

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Homemaking ABCs

I got this idea from over at The Home Authority. Pretty clever.

1.Aprons – Y/N? If Y, what does your favorite look like?
I offered my grandma an apron. When I handed her one of my 'older' ones, she said, "What? I don't get to wear the new one?", I realized I was hoarding my special apron from sassyapron on etsy. So I tied it over the one she had already put on
Oh no. This photo was not at all staged. *wink*

2.Baking – Favorite thing to bake: Bread--love to experiment, love yeast, sourdough and quick breads, love the kneading

3.Clothesline – Y/N?


4.Donuts – Have you ever made them? oh yes-wonderful snow day activity

5.Every day – One homemaking thing you do every day: make food, pick up, change diapers, wipe counters ect.

6.Freezer – Do you have a separate deep freeze? and how we love it. We have a 1/4 of a beef in there, lots of all natural chicken, extra meals I've cooked from doubled/tripled recipes

7.Garbage Disposal – Y/N? so necessary, even though most of our disposal bound leavings go into the bucket for the chickens.

8.Handbook – What is your favorite homemaking resource? Publications from Reiman Publishing like Country, Taste of Home, Light and Tasty, my 1955 Betty Crocker cookbook and Proverbs 31

9.Ironing – Love it or hate it? I love it on the rare occasion I do it.

10.Junk drawer – Y/N? Where is it? Mine is fairly tidy--the drawer next to the refrigerator

11.Kitchen – Color and decorating scheme: Click to see my vintage kitchen

12.Love – What is your favorite part of homemaking? Attempting to make my home an inviting place, a refuge for my family

13.Mop – Y/N? when I'm in a hurry, other wise it's hands and knees baby.

14.Nylons – Wash by hand or in the wash in the dryer? I wash them when I'm in the shower

15.Oven – Do you use the window or open the oven to check? We have a short in our light, so I have to open the door.

16.Pizza – What do you put on yours? Pineapple and Canadian bacon!

17.Quiet – What do you do during the day when you get a quiet moment? Pray, check email, blog, facebook, read...

18.Recipe card box – Y/N? What does it look like? Vintage of course


19. Style of house – What style is your house?Click to see our 1850's farm house

20.Tablecloths and napkins – Y/N? When we eat in the dining room--tablecloth and cloth napkins, in the kitchen, paper

21.Under the kitchen sink – Organized or toxic wasteland? Fairly organized

22.Vacuum – How many times per week? Almost every other day.

23.Wash – How many loads of laundry do you do per week? 10ish? I really don't know!

24.X’s – Do you keep a daily list of things to do that you cross off? I have a chore chart, but I don't cross it off!

25.Yard – Y/N? Who does what? My dad or Kevin's dad mow, Kevin clears the snow. My dad gardens. I plant a flower or two.

26.Zzz’s – What is your last homemaking task for the day before going to bed? Cleaning up the kitchen

What I'm wearing.

Over at Tiaras and Tantrums--and seriously, is that NOT the best name for a blog?--Teresa is asking what people are wearing.

I am wearing the same thing I wore yesterday, which is what I also wore to bed. Shame shame, I know.

Here is my excuse. When I went to get into my jammas last night, Cadrian needed me, so I got into bed to nurse him. Then I was just so warm and cozy, I said "what the hey".

Then this morning, after I got done with my Time Alone with God-which I am trying to do first thing I can-Baby Boy was screaming his head off again. So I put him on too.

I'm afraid he may be getting sick; he was up and inconsolable at 1, 3 and 5, and he rarely even cries in the night. He's being dedicated on Sunday and we're having extended family come...

Any way, my so called outfit.


Champion fleece lined pants, a cornflower turtleneck, a silver MOPS fleece, no bra, no socks, my Christmas slippers, and a finally sleeping baby. I am wearing handmade earrings, my wedding and engagement ring, and my silver amethyst ring I got in Italy. I am wearing glasses (but am getting contacts soon!) and no makeup.

Next to me you see our thermostat, which is getting a workout because it's -20 here, without a windchill--Kevin gets frost on his face when he goes out to do chores!--, and behind me our bedroom with its unmade bed.

So that's what I'm wearing, in all it's real life glory. What are you wearing?

Teresa says: "You can post or just comment, tell, or don't tell, show or don't show (maybe soon you will show) exactly what it is you've put on today!"( but I want to see pictures) and go over and sign up!

Love=Discipline

We had the best speaker at MOPS the other day. She spoke about discipline-what it is, what it should look like, what worked for her. Her only credentials were raising three kids, one of whom was extraordinarily strong willed, and being tuned into the Holy Spirit. Her talk just lit a fire under my bum about how I have kind of slacked off in the area of expecting full time, first time obedience.

When we got home on Tuesday, I sat my girls down for a chat, and told them I was sorry I had been allowing disobedience in their lives. I told them God expects me to discipline them when they disobey and they need to answer me when I say their names, they need to do as I say without whining, arguing, or complaining, and they need to always be kind and respectful to everyone.

Who's to blame when I get frustrated if I say "Brielle."...."Brielle!!" ..."BREE-ELLE!!" and then she comes?
Me. I've trained her to not listen until I raise my voice.

Who's to blame if I start to lose my cool when my four year old argues with me?
Me. I've trained her that she will get a response, she obtains an ongoing dialogue if she talks back to me, instead of just expecting obedience and disciplining her if it doesn't happen.

Who's to blame if they drive me crazy by fighting and bickering with each other?
Me. I've trained them by allowing them to disrespect one another.

I realized after this talk that I have let the standard slide as of late. I'm going to have to interrupt Cadrian's nursings. I'm going to have to pull the car over. I'm going to have to get up and get a hold of the offending child. I'm going to have to get--and stay-- more consistent.

Discipline sometimes scares me--I grew up in an angry home; where yelling, screaming, belittling, criticism, hitting and striking in anger were the norm. I was very strong willed, and I found I could push and push and get my way. This is the opposite of what I want for the lives of my children.

I don't want raised voices. I don't want my kids to feel like failures if they don't do it "right". I don't want hurt feelings. I don't want my emotions to rule the home, but the standards of God. I want my children to know what treasures they are. I want my children to know how loved they are. I want my children to realize they have value simply because God created them. I want them to feel secure in the boundaries in our home.

And I hope and pray that by returning to the basics of discipline, God will accomplish this through me.

Marching Band

mama's daybook

For more daybooks, and to join the fun, click on the image above...

My Daybook ~ 12 January

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Outside My Window ... Grey, ice covered branches, incoming storm, corn stalks poking through snow

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I am thinking ... how it doesn't really count as Time Alone with God when the four year old needs snuggled, and is so long leggity, she takes up your whole lap; the two year old needs wiped, and the five month old needs fed.

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I am thankful for ... an extended visit from my grandma
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From the learning rooms ...snow and volcanoes, and more lessons from Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Lessons

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From the kitchen ...cozy comfort casseroles

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I am wearing ...my fleece jammas and robe, and my old slippers because I have mislaid my two new pairs
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I am creating ...a welcoming home and a budget for a mom's group

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I am going ... to a new playgym at our church, to Chick-fil-a for free breakfast, MOPS
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I am reading ... I picked up The Shack again, after a brief hiatus, and Animal, Vegetable, Miracle (one family's adventure of strictly eating locally grown for a year)

I am hoping ... I can squeeze in a nap today
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I am hearing... Kevin reading The Christmas Trolls to the girls, and Cadrian talking to and raspberrying his caterpillar

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Around the house ... trying to implement my new chore chart

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One of my favorite things ... Burt's Bees Coconut Foot Cream

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A few plans for the rest of the week ... A new friend over, maybe a trip to the movies, seeing my grandma, and CADRIAN'S DEDICATION on Sunday

***
Here is a picture thought I am sharing~

It was pretty sunny when Aviana decided to undecorate the tree. Proper eye wear required.

How we interact in my family:

Aunt Barb (who just adopted my sister's dog) started it when she emailed us all this:

If you've had a busy day

I have something which will make your smile stay

If you're so tired, you're ready to droop

It's good to know you didn't have to give Max a bath today when he rolled in poop!

Then I replied this:

I had a busy day,
in a very hectic way
a baby constantly on my lap
and a toddler who wouldn't nap
And while we may have had some potty issues
and a baby who tried to eat the tissues
I can gladly say "hi-ho cheerio"
because we didn't have a single poop scenario!

My mom (who drove from my aunt's in practically Arkansas to Iowa today and hates car travel; and who brought my grandma back to stay for a month) answered with this:

No poop problems for us today

Just a million hour drive this way

Mom is glad she isn't there

She doesn't want to wash Max's hair.

And my sister responded with this:

Oh you are all so witty

no poop is not very pretty

I've seen six diaper's full today

I am so glad Max is going to stay!!! :)

Friday Five or Fewer

Back when this blog was in its infancy, I started a Friday Five or Fewer theme-y. I really liked it but somewhere along the way, I dropped it.

Now that this blog is in its toddlerhood--this is my 1001st post--and I need to make things simple once again, I thought this would be a good time to bring it back.

Also, because gina gave me this great idea of Five Everyday Loves the timing is perfect:

Excluding my family, because, well, duh; here are five of my everyday loves.

1--My sacred space:

The Bible study I started on Monday is fantastic! One of the many terrific, and literally life changing things she encourages you to do, is have a set aside spot to spend Time Alone with God. I tell you what, I can't wait to get up there in the mornings!

It's not too late! Come, join me!

2--Caffeine, in one form or another.

3--Quiet time!

Pic taken through the screen at the top of her tent


4--Creating--alone, and with children (and these days, it's usually with children)

--my craft/preschool cabinet--

--box for recycleables to be used for projects--

5--Learning new things--along with some escapism

--Books--and therefore my library, interlibrary loans, represented by my library cabinet

Let's play a game...

It's called "Where in the world is Brielle Analiese?"

**in the kitchen eating the rest of a tub of cool whip

** in the back seat being all sophisticated in style

**out on the porch trying to climb into the guinea pig cage, resulting in the overturning of the cage and the unfortunate demise of an innocent pig

** in the summer kitchen, pouring out buckets of corn

** in the bathroom, getting into Mama's make up. Again.


**in plain sight, 18 inches away from me (I swear, I'm not even lying), while I am doing nothing else, but talking to her and Cadrian, although I will admit, her back was to me.

Should I be fired from my position of Best Mama in the World?

I got promoted

I used to have to take a bath in the baby tub. But now, I get to be in the big boy tub. Or big girl tub, as the case may be.

Sleep, or a lack thereof

Sleep. Oh you elusive commodity. If only I could store you and take out extra when I needed it, like, oh, I dunno, today!

Sleep had never been an issue for me until I had children. And then what do you know, I was tired. I didn't even know what tired was, until I had kids.

In fact, my very first blog post was about sleep. Or a lack thereof.

Aviana has only become a good sleeper in the last nine months or so. She goes to bed well and willingly everynight at seven, and sleeps until seven or later. It only took 3+ years to get to this point.

Brielle is not quite there. I really don't like 3 a.m. Especially not when the two year old is screaming because you put her back in her own bed.

Cadrian is a pretty good sleeper at night, but he only catnaps during the day, unless I hold him, and even then it's chancy.

Aviana is over naps. Brielle still needs one, but she stays up until 8 or later then. Of course, she stays up at least that long regardless.

When Aviana was a lot younger, I read The No-Cry Sleep Solution for Toddlers and Pre-schoolers. Lots of great tips and ideas and a wealth of information about how vital sleep is (in case you need a reason besides your sanity to stick it out).

I need to read it again. It's a very honest look at what you can expect from your child, what is appropiate for their age. Then the author offers a wide variety of possible solutions that can be implemented as a system that will work over time. Many of her suggestions worked well for our family.

Naps are kind of a big deal around here. In fact, I have mentioned naps in no less than 109 blog posts. Brielle is still a struggle. At nap time. So I am very excited to find out that now there is now The No-Cry Nap Solution. I can't wait to read it.

But even more than that, I can't wait unil coffee is not a substitute for sleep!

The Bachelor and Me

I love The Bachelor. I love the ludicrous set up of the show; as if anyone could really find lasting love in such a situation. I love trying to guess who is going to be kept from week to week. I love seeing what these girls wear and wonder if they really dress like that in their workaday lives. I love the romance the producers think of to make dates for these people. I love the preposterousness of a four on one date. I love the idea of these women all living in the same house, and trying to be "friends" when they are all after the same man. I love making fun of the girls on the show; like the girl on the commercial for this season who says, with her breasts hanging out of her dress, "I really want to be a mom!" followed by a vapid giggle. I love seeing what exotic locale they get to be privy to, and love being a little jealous. I love trying to think how I would act or what I would say if I were in their position.

This is why it's all the harder that I feel like God is asking me to focus on purity for my mind.

Philippians 4:8 Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.

I just quit reading a book because of the cussing in it. I quit watching Supernatural (my other favorite show) because it was getting too lewd. And now, even though I was all revved up for the new season, I feel as if I'm being asked to quit watching The Bachelor as well.

It worked out well that the new virtual Bible study I just joined (thanks for the tip off Mandy!) begins tomorrow. Because seriously, becoming closer to the God of the Universe, the King of Kings, will benefit me more greatly than watching some smutty show. The Bible is full of more titillation and betrayal and drama than anything ABC can provide.

Still, it's hard to give up a vice. I'm not sure I even want to be that virtuous. Even though I really do.

24 THINGS ABOUT TO BECOME EXTINCT IN AMERICA

24. Yellow Pages This year will be pivotal for the global Yellow Pages industry. Much like newspapers, print Yellow Pages will continue to bleed dollars to their various digital counterparts, from Internet Yellow Pages (IYPs), to local search engines and combination search/listing services like Reach Local and Yodle Factors like an acceleration of the print 'fade rate' and the looming recession will contribute to the onslaught. One research firm predicts the falloff in usage of newspapers and print Yellow Pages could even reach 10% this year -- much higher than the 2%-3% fade rate seen in past years.

23. Classified Ads The Internet has made so many things obsolete that newspaper classified ads might sound like just another trivial item on a long list. But this is one of those harbingers of the future that could signal the end of civilization as we know it. The argument is that if newspaper classifieds are replaced by free online listings at sites like Craigslist.org and Google Base, then newspapers are not far behind them.

22. Movie Rental Stores While Netflix is looking up at the moment, Blockbuster keeps closing store locations by the hundreds. It still has about 6,000 left across the world, but those keep dwindling and the stock is down considerably in 2008, especially since the company gave up a quest of Circuit City . Movie Gallery, which owned the Hollywood Video brand, closed up shop earlier this year. Countless small video chains and mom-and-po p stores have given up th e ghost already.

21. Dial-up Internet Access Dial-up connections have fallen from 40% in 2001 to 10% in 2008. The combination of an infrastructure to accommodate affordable high speed Internet connections and the disappearing home phone have all but pounded the final nail in the coffin of dial-up Internet access.

20. Phone Landlines According to a survey from the National Center for Health Statistics, at the end of 2007, nearly one in six homes was cell-only and, of those homes that had landlines, one in eight only received calls on their cells.

19. Chesapeake Bay Blue Crabs Maryland 's icon, the blue crab, has been fading away in Chesapeake Bay . Last year Maryland saw the lowest harvest (22 million pounds) since 1945. Just four decades ago the bay produced 96 million pounds. The population is down 70% since 1990, when they first did a formal count. There are only about 120 million crabs in the bay and they think they need 200 million for a sustainable population. Overfishing, pollution, invasive species and global warming get the blame.

18. VCRs For the better part of three decades, the VCR was a best-seller and staple in every American household until being completely decimated by the DVD, and now the Digital Video Recorder (DVR). In fact, the only remnants of the VHS age at your local Wal-Mart or Radio Shack are blank VHS tapes these days. Pre-recorded VHS tapes are largely gone and VHS decks are practically nowhere to be found. They served us so well.

17. Ash Trees In the late 1990s, a pretty, iridescent green species of beetle, now known as the emerald ash borer, hitched a ride to North America with ash wood products imported from eastern Asia . In less than a decade, i ts larvae have killed millions of trees in the Midwest, and continue to spread. They've killed more than 30 million ash trees in southeastern Michigan alone, with tens of millions more lost in Ohio and Indiana . More than 7.5 billion ash trees are currently at risk.

16. Ham Radio Amateur radio operators enjoy personal (and often worldwide) wireless communications with each other and are able to support their communities with emergency and disaster communications if necessary, while increasing their personal knowledge of electronics and radio theory. However, proliferation of the Internet and its popularity among youth has caused the decline of amateur radio. In the past five years alone, the number of people holding active ham radio licenses has dropped by 50,000, even though Morse Code is no longer a requirement.

15. The Swimming Hole Thanks to our litigious society, swimming holes are becoming a thing of the past. '20/20' reports that swimming hole owners, like Robert Every in High Falls, N.Y., are shutting them down out of worry that if someone gets hurt they'll sue. And that's exactly what happened in Seattle . The city of Bellingham was sued by Katie Hofstetter who was paralyzed in a fall at a popular swimming hole in Whatcom Falls Park . As injuries occur and lawsuits follow, expect more swimming holes to post 'Keep out!' signs.

14. Answering Machines The increasing disappearance of answering machines is directly tied to No 20 our list -- the decline of landlines. According to USA Today, the number of homes that only use cell phones jumped 159% between 2004 and 2007. It has been particularly bad in New York ; since 2000, landline usage has dropped 55%. It's logical that as cell phones rise, many of them replacing traditional landlines, that there will be fewer answering machines.

13 . Cameras That Use Film It doesn't require a statistician to prove the rapid disappearance of the film camera in America . Just look to companies like Nikon, the professional's choice for quality camera equipment. In 2006, it announced that it would stop making film cameras, pointing to the shrinking market -- only 3% of its sales in 2005, compared to 75% of sales from digital cameras and equipment.

12. Incandescent Bulbs Before a few years ago, the standard 60-watt (or, yikes, 100-watt) bulb was the mainstay of every U.S. home. With the green movement and all-things-sustainable-energy crowd, the Compact Fluorescent Lightbulb (CFL) is largely replacing the older, Edison-era incandescent bulb. The EPA reports that 2007 sales for Energy Star CFLs nearly doubled from 2006, and these sales accounted for approximately 20 percent of the U.S. light bulb market. And according to USA Toda y, a new energy bill plans to phase out incandescent bulbs in the next four to 12 years.

11. Stand-Alone Bowling Alleys BowlingBalls.US claims there are still 60 million Americans who bowl at least once a year, but many are not bowling in stand-alone bowling alleys. Today most new bowling alleys are part of facilities for all types or recreation including laser tag, go-karts, bumper cars, video game arcades, climbing walls and glow miniature golf. Bowling lanes also have been added to many non-traditional venues such as adult communities, hotels and resorts, and gambling casinos.

10. The Milkman According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, in 1950, over half of the milk delivered was to the home in quart bottles, by 1963, it was about a third and by 2001, it represented only 0 .4% percent. Nowadays most milk is sold th rough supermarkets in gallon jugs. The steady decline in home-delivered milk is blamed, of course, on the rise of the supermarket, better home refrigeration and longer-lasting milk. Although some milkmen still make the rounds in pockets of the U.S. , they are certainly a dying breed.

9 Hand-Written Letters In 2006, the Radicati Group estimated that, worldwide, 183 billion e-mails were sent each day. Two million each second. By November of 2007, an estimated 3.3 billion Earthlings owned cell phones, and 80% of the world's population had access to cell phone coverage. In 2004, half-a-trillion text messages were sent, and the number has no doubt increased exponentially since then. So where amongst this gorge of gabble is there room for the elegant, polite hand-written letter?

8. Wild Horses ; It is estimated that 100 years ago, as many as two million horses were roaming free within the United States . In 2001, National Geographic News estimated that the wild horse population had decreased to about 50,000 head. Currently, the National Wild Horse and Burro Advisory board states that there are 32,000 free roaming horses in ten Western states, with half of them residing in Nevada . The Bureau of Land Management is seeking to reduce the total number of free range horses to 27,000, possibly by selective euthanasia.

7. Personal Checks According to an American Bankers Assoc. report, a net 23% of consumers plan to decrease their use of checks over the next two years, while a net 14% plan to increase their use of PIN debit. Bill payment remains the last stronghold of paper-based pa yments -- for the time being. Checks continue to be the most commonly used bill payment method, with 71% of c onsumers paying at least one recurring bill per month by writing a check. However, on a bill-by-bill basis, checks account for only 49% of consumers' recurring bill payments (down from 72% in 2001 and 60% in 2003).

6. Drive-in Theaters During the peak in 1958, there were more than 4,000 drive-in theaters in this country, but in 2007 only 405 drive-ins were still operating. Exactly zero new drive-ins have been built since 2005. Only one reopened in 2005 and five reopened in 2006, so there isn't much of a movement toward reviving the closed ones.

5 Mumps & Measles Despite what's been in the news lately, the measles and mumps actually, truly are disappearing from the United States . In 1964, 212,000 cases of mumps were reported in the U.S. By 1983, this figure had dropped to 3,000, thanks to a vigorous vaccination program. Prior to the introduction of the measles vaccine, approximately half a million cases of measles were reported in the U.S. annually, resulting in 450 deaths. In 2005, only 66 cases were recorded.

4. Honey Bees Perhaps nothing on our list of disappearing America is so dire; plummeting so enormously; and so necessary to the survival of our food supply as the honey bee. Very scary. 'Colony Collapse Disorder,' or CCD, has spread throughout the U.S and Europe over the past few years, wiping out 50% to 90% of the c olonies of many beekeepers -- and along with it, their livelihood.

3. News Magazines and TV News While the TV evening newscasts haven't gone anywhere over the last several decades, their audiences have. In 1984, in a story about the diminishing returns of the evening news, the New York Times reported that all three network evening-news programs combined had only 40.9 million viewers. Fast forward to 2008, and what they have today is half that.

2. Analog TV According to the Consumer Electronics Association, 85% of homes in the U.S. get their television programming through cable or satellite providers. For the remaining 15% -- or 13 million individuals -- who are using rabbit ears or a large outdoor antenna to get their local stations, change is in the air. If you are one of these people you'l l need to get a new TV or a converter box in order to get the new stations which will only be broadcast in digital.

1. The Family Farm Since the 1930s, the number of family farms has been declining rapidly. According to the USDA, 5.3 million farms dotted the nation in 1950, but this number had declined to 2.1 million by the 2003 farm census (data from the 2007 census hasn't yet been published). Ninety-one percent of the U.S.farms are small family farms.