There are things that Dadas teach best. This is just one more invaluable life tool for Elle from Dada. I love parenting with Eric, as I'm always impressed with the creativity he brings to fathering. Way to go Eric and good job Elle!

A president's pension currently is $191,300 per year, until he is 80 years old.

Assuming the next president lives to age 80, Senator McCain would receive ZERO pension, as he would reach 80 at the end of two terms as president.

Senator Obama would be retired for 26 years after two terms and would receive $4,973,800 in pension.

Therefore it would certainly make economic sense to elect McCain in November. How's that for non-partisan thinking?!

Because you asked...

We have quite a few Melissa & Doug puzzles. We bought them last year for Christmas and introduced them slowly one at a time. When she had mastered one, we'd bring out another. She got the shape puzzle from her Aunt & Uncle and then I've picked up several more at garage sales. Here's a link to some of the puzzles we purchased...

http://www.melissaanddoug.com/dyn_prodlist.php?k=86067

Elle is really good at puzzles. She has about 10 of them and can match the colors, patterns and numbers together perfectly. She is still working on the alphabet one, but she's getting it too. She gets this talent from Dada as I can hardly put together a puzzle to save my life or pull out my hair trying! Well, I could probably manage these puzzles. :) She 'works' on them morning, noon and night. It's just her thing!

An email from my first dude!

"Did you see that Palin drew a crowd of 60,000 (in 92 degree heat, mind you) to one of her rallies this weekend? That's just one rally in a state that's considered up-for-grabs... Obama only had a few more people at his red-carpet acceptance speech!

Meanwhile, Boring Biden's biggest crowd since accepting the Dem VP spot is 2,000, if you round up and count the crickets. D'Oh!!"





Also received a good comparison/review from my SIL...

2008 PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE COMPARISON TALKING POINTS

JOHN McCAIN
BARAK OBAMA

Favors new drilling offshore US
JM Yes
BO No

Will appoint judges who interpret the law not make it
Yes
No

Served in the US Armed Forces
Yes
No

Amount of time served in the US Senate
22 YEARS
173 DAYS

Will institute a socialized national health care plan
No
Yes

Supports abortion throughout the pregnancy
No
Yes

Would pull troops out of Iraq immediately
No
Yes

Supports gun ownership rights
Yes
No

Supports homosexual marriage
No
Yes

Proposed programs will mean a huge tax increase
No
Yes

Voted against making English the official language
No
Yes

Voted to give Social Security benefits to illegals
No
Yes

CAPITAL GAINS TAX

MCCAIN
0% on home sales up to $500,000 per home (couples). McCain does not propose any change in existing home sales income tax.

OBAMA
28% on profit from ALL home sales. (How does this affect you? If you sell your home and make a profit, you will pay 28% of your gain on taxes. If you are heading toward retirement and would like to down-size your home or move into a retirement community, 28% of the money you make from your home will go to taxes. This proposal will adversely affect the elderly who are counting on the income from their homes as part of their retirement income.)

DIVIDEND TAX

MCCAIN
15% (no change)

OBAMA
39.6% - (How will this affect you? If you have any money invested in stock market, IRA, mutual funds, college funds, life insurance, retirement accounts, or anything that pays or reinvests dividends, you will now be paying nearly 40% of the money earned on taxes if Obama becomes president. The experts predict that 'Higher tax rates on dividends and capital gains would crash the stock market, yet do absolutely nothing to cut the deficit.')

INCOME TAX

MCCAIN

(no changes)
Single making 30K - tax $4,500
Single making 50K - tax $12,500
Single making 75K - tax $18,750
Married making 60K- tax $9,000
Married making 75K - tax $18,750
Married making 125K - tax $31,250

OBAMA (reversion to pre-Bush tax cuts)
Single making 30K - tax $8,400
Single making 50K - tax $14,000
Single making 75K - tax $23,250
Married making 60K - tax $16,800
Married making 75K - tax $21,000
Married making 125K - tax $38,750
Under Obama, your taxes could almost double!

INHERITANCE TAX

MCCAIN
- 0% (No change, Bush repealed this tax)

OBAMA
Restore the inheritance tax

Many families have lost businesses, farms, ranches, and homes that have been in their families for generations because they could not afford the inheritance tax. Those willing their assets to loved ones will only lose them to these taxes.

NEW TAXES PROPOSED BY OBAMA

New government taxes proposed on homes that are more than 2400 square feet. New gasoline taxes (as if gas weren't high enough already) New taxes on natural resources consumption (heating gas, water, electricity) New taxes on retirement accounts, and last but not least....New taxes to pay for socialized medicine so we can receive the same level of medical care as other third-world countries!!!

You can verify the above at the following web sites:

http://money.cnn.com/news/specials/election/2008/index.html
http://www.cnn.com/ELECTION/2008/issues/issues.taxes.html
http://elections.foxnews..com/?s=proposed+taxes
http://bulletin.aarp.org/yourworld/politics/articles/mccain_obama_offer_different_visions_on_taxes.html
http://blog.washingtonpost.com/fact-checker/candidates/barack_obama/
http://blog.washingtonpost.com/fact-checker/candidates/john_mccain/

DON'T MISS BIDEN'S GAFFE POSTED BELOW - A MUST SEE! :)

Biden Gaffe: Asks a Gentleman in a Wheelchair to Stand Up


Sorry for the political posts, but they make it just way too easy! Man, unbelievable! I've become quite the Fox News junky lately. I'm crazy about all this - praying, praying, praying! Actually, I'm so crazy that I thought I saw Todd Palin sitting in church yesterday! Seriously, I was playing keyboard and from the stage, this guy looked just like him! I gotta campaign detox!

While I'm downloading pics from Gram & Papa's visit, I decided to upload some pics from last month. Just random stuff....

HOUSE RULE: You cook, you taste!



Elle's new hiding place: the pantry














Drinks from a regular cup all the time and so good at it!

Three whole tomatoes - whoa! ;)

"Iraqis are giving passing Americans the 'thumbs up' sign, which the troops interpret as a symbol of support. But many veteran travelers insist that the gesture is a crass Middle Eastern insult." (Slate)

Well at the Wolfe house, a thumbs up is a common gesture represented by a closed fist held with the thumb extended upward in approval. Big thumbs up to Sarah Palin and her awesome speech at the RNC last night - WOW! And Rudy - he was great too! So, as Elle would say, "Aaaaaaaa!"