I try to remain politically neutral for a variety of reasons. One - I like to keep an open mind. Two - in most cases, different candidates have varying philosophies regardless of the party platform. Three - I grew up with staunch democrats (educators!), but my parents always encouraged me to think for myself. What I have noted over time is that this "make up your own mind" mentality seems to be more prevalent with democrats than with republicans - interesting. But I digress...
There is one major party platform issue that I cannot waiver on my stance: Roe v. Wade and/or any legislation created or amendments added that make abortion illegal. But it's not for the reasons you may think... Of course, as a woman, I object to middle aged men (or older - let's look at our presidential history, y'all!) telling me what I can and cannot do with my body. But yes, I do understand the thought that life begins at conception. I certainly do not think that abortion (or even the morning after pill) should be used as a birth control method. Those who have done so have given the term "abortion" the extremely negative connotation it has acquired. I have never personally had an abortion, but I do know a couple of women who have. In both cases, it was the right decision for all involved.
There are so many contradictories that both parties have. Democrats are pro-choice, yet oppose the death penalty; Republicans are pro-life, but endorse the death penalty. Democrats want stiffer gun laws in place; Republicans are NRA-friendly and think we should all have the right to bear arms. The rationale is most often that even if it were illegal, people would still obtain guns just like they obtain drugs today. So who is right? Who is wrong? Who should decide that?
The main reason I oppose laws that limit or prohibit abortion are because of what would happen if that were the case. Similar to the logic that if guns were illegal, people would still obtain them; if abortions were illegal, women would still find a way. And it would be at extreme health risk, so not only would an embryo or fetus or whatever stage/term used be terminated, but the girl or woman having the back-alley abortion would be at extreme risk of the same fate.
So no matter what party you affiliate yourself with, I don't think anyone has the answer. This clip made me laugh in the way that it posed the abortion issue; hope it lightens this post up for you as well. (Sorry conservatives - it's from The Daily Show - but you have to admit it's still funny!) :)
http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/wed-august-29-2012/rnc-2012---the-road-to-jeb-bush-2016---the-republican-platform?xrs=synd_twitter
Friday, December 28, 2012
Thursday, November 15, 2012
Where Have All the Ghouls Gone?
When I was a kid, Halloween was a big deal in my neighborhood. All of us youngsters lined up and paraded around the cul-de-sac before we hit every house we possibly could in the area and acquired enough candy to make any self-respecting dentist cry. My grandmother was an incredibly talented seamstress; we would tell her what we wanted to be (usually by July!), and she would create the most amazing costumes for us from scratch. She'd find a photo of whatever we came up with (ex, Cinderella, The Lone Ranger, etc.) and churn away! This was well before you could really buy anything more than a sheet to be a ghost for Halloween, so we always stood out in the crowd.
My parents and their friends in the neighborhood (aka my friends' parents) created a magnificent haunted house facade on cardboard that we pulled out of the attic every year and staple gunned to our garage. There was a maze created in the garage with "scary" items scattered throughout (think ax in fake head, hanging ghosts, and witches' cauldrons while the tape recorder rolled over and over with a woman loudly screaming and scary chuckles interspersed throughout), and it ended when you came out of the back of the garage and down the stairs where there were "grave stones" in the giant flower bed out back (a la Haunted Mansion at Disney World - "Here Lies Fred...Without His Head"). I remember my dad standing out front well after our bed time (I could see him from my bedroom window) for all of the teenagers in our neighborhood to go through over and over. Halloween was epic. We looked forward to it every year ALMOST as much as we did Christmas.
Today, not only is it not as exciting, but there is little to do in our neighborhood. When I first moved into this house in 1998, there was still some activity - I ran out of candy every year! But since my kiddo started trick-or-treating, there is not much to do that is considered "safe" these days. Most of my neighbors either turn off their lights or just don't answer the door. The first year we were here, Ellie went as Belle (or Bellie!) to the school party, which was randomly held at a place near downtown (rec center/park area) at 10 AM, but nothing was very well organized; none of her friends were there; didn't see her teachers anywhere... It was kind of odd; most of the decorations scared her; the games were too old for her; the candy was a choking hazard. And then it was over.
Last year, Ellie was Rapunz-Ellie! She was adorable "holding court" at the lake where they had a party in my parents' affluent neighborhood. But that was all we really did; it was a bit anti-climactic to say the least. The school event was held at her location this time, but the communication about how it was going to happen was not very clear, so she ended up attending but not in costume. And we didn't trick-or-treat around the neighborhood because most of the houses were dark (and the people in this area are not the most friendly for whatever reason).
This year, Ellie wanted to be like Uncle and be Bat Girl! She got to wear her costume to school, which was great because it was much better organized, and she got to parade around in it with her friends, but then I had class :( Before class started, I took her to Publix (they had put an insert in my grocery bag earlier in the week saying that they would be trick-or-treating from 4-8 PM on Halloween), but they were not ready early on, so it was kind of a bust. It was 4:30 and they were still decorating; no one was really paying attention. Fortunately, Uncle's class was canceled at the last minute so he was able to take her back to her school for the Halloween party, and I heard she had fun, so that was a little better I guess.
But clearly it all pales in comparison to the "good ol' days" when we were free to roam about the neighborhood and didn't have to worry as much about weirdos or tainted candy or pedophiles/sexual predators... The worst that happened was when you went to the little old lady's house on the corner, she gave you 5 pennies for your UNICEF collection. Speaking of, whatever happened to that tradition?
I swore I'd never be the old person who did the whole, "You kids missed out 'cause when I was a kid...," and for the most part, they have it better in a lot of ways. Halloween is just not one of them.
My parents and their friends in the neighborhood (aka my friends' parents) created a magnificent haunted house facade on cardboard that we pulled out of the attic every year and staple gunned to our garage. There was a maze created in the garage with "scary" items scattered throughout (think ax in fake head, hanging ghosts, and witches' cauldrons while the tape recorder rolled over and over with a woman loudly screaming and scary chuckles interspersed throughout), and it ended when you came out of the back of the garage and down the stairs where there were "grave stones" in the giant flower bed out back (a la Haunted Mansion at Disney World - "Here Lies Fred...Without His Head"). I remember my dad standing out front well after our bed time (I could see him from my bedroom window) for all of the teenagers in our neighborhood to go through over and over. Halloween was epic. We looked forward to it every year ALMOST as much as we did Christmas.
Today, not only is it not as exciting, but there is little to do in our neighborhood. When I first moved into this house in 1998, there was still some activity - I ran out of candy every year! But since my kiddo started trick-or-treating, there is not much to do that is considered "safe" these days. Most of my neighbors either turn off their lights or just don't answer the door. The first year we were here, Ellie went as Belle (or Bellie!) to the school party, which was randomly held at a place near downtown (rec center/park area) at 10 AM, but nothing was very well organized; none of her friends were there; didn't see her teachers anywhere... It was kind of odd; most of the decorations scared her; the games were too old for her; the candy was a choking hazard. And then it was over.
Last year, Ellie was Rapunz-Ellie! She was adorable "holding court" at the lake where they had a party in my parents' affluent neighborhood. But that was all we really did; it was a bit anti-climactic to say the least. The school event was held at her location this time, but the communication about how it was going to happen was not very clear, so she ended up attending but not in costume. And we didn't trick-or-treat around the neighborhood because most of the houses were dark (and the people in this area are not the most friendly for whatever reason).
But clearly it all pales in comparison to the "good ol' days" when we were free to roam about the neighborhood and didn't have to worry as much about weirdos or tainted candy or pedophiles/sexual predators... The worst that happened was when you went to the little old lady's house on the corner, she gave you 5 pennies for your UNICEF collection. Speaking of, whatever happened to that tradition?
I swore I'd never be the old person who did the whole, "You kids missed out 'cause when I was a kid...," and for the most part, they have it better in a lot of ways. Halloween is just not one of them.
Wednesday, November 14, 2012
Learning to write, but ain't got a clue... Teaching people how is very hard to do!
I have a lot of grammatical pet peeves; my guess is that I inherited that from my mother. Her biggest one is when people use the word "less" when they should use the word "fewer." Yes, she's talking to you grocery stores, Targets, & Wal-Marts... It's not "10 items or less;" it's "10 items or FEWER!!" Same to you TNT and your "more movie, less commercials" promos. You want to see more drama? Let my mom get on the phone with your marketing department.
One of my pet peeves is when people use seldom used words over and over in a document. Or just too often in general. I will use one of my exes as an example of this because there is nothing he can do about it; it's my blog!! Ha ha! To be completely fair, he does have a mild form of dyslexia, so it took awhile for me to work with him and get his written communications up to par (think years). And this is a person who earned his master's degree by age 24-25 (at the time, I was a lowly bachelor's degree holder). He used to send me things via email (or read them aloud to me over the phone) before he sent out important emails or letters as the benefits manager for his former employer. I once used the term "aforementioned" in a very formal document when I edited it for him. From that point on, he whipped that 50 cent term out every chance he got. NOOOOOO!! WHY??!!! It was a habit I was not successful in breaking him of because he thought it made him sound smart. It didn't. So when you find a word you like that is not often used in writing or conversation, save it for those rare opportunities when it actually does make you look intelligent.
I have been working with master's and doc students in the class I am co-teaching, and I am TOUGH on them, but they have responded to the challenge. I am super proud of them, and most are appreciative of my criticisms because it has made their writing better. But the papers I recently graded (NOT from the class I co-teach!) were, on the whole, horrific. There are really no words. Okay, maybe there are a few, but I have standards for myself on my blog. Anyway, this tirade applies to documents I told my boss I am now "dumber having read."
By far the worst thing I saw was when someone referenced this historic US military event: "Viet Nam." Yes. Two words. I honestly have to wonder if she was using a typewriter because any computer software program would have picked that one out.
My favorite from many of the cover pages: "Such-and-Such Name, Doctoral Degree Anticipated 2014." First of all, let's not count chickens here, folks. Secondly, even if you DO expect to make it to a glorious end, don't be so arrogant as to put it on your FIRST YEAR paper. I wouldn't do it even if I were already in candidacy, much less make that kind of prediction on my very first project!
They're, their, there. Too, to, and two. Your and you're. Were, we're, and where. These are all different words that mean different things. Speaking of, it is never "different than;" it is always "different from." Do not end a sentence with a preposition. Do not start sentences with "however" or "therefore." When you put 2 complete sentences together with an "and," "but," "or," etc., you need to put a comma before the joining word. Sometimes even a semi-colon (or just a semi-colon), depending on how many things you're joining together. And if you join TOO many things together in one sentence to the point where it looks more like a paragraph, chances are that you have created a run-on sentence. Conversely, if you don't actually create a sentence that includes both a noun and a verb, it's called a fragment. If you are writing in past tense, do not change to present tense halfway through the sentence. Make sure your nouns and pronouns agree: it's not, "the student learned their lesson;" it's "the student learned his or her lesson." Dangling participles: Google this phrase please. Misplaced modifiers: ditto. Speaking of colons, they are used to list things; that is not the semi-colon's job. When you place parentheses in a sentence, the word following the end parenthesis needs to agree with the word preceding the beginning parenthesis. Punctuation goes inside quotations but outside parentheses in most cases. If your Word document is underlining something in red or green on your computer screen, please look those items over and be sure that you are either using a word that is not in the dictionary or you intend for the phrase to be worded the way that it is. The Thesaurus tool is your friend.
WHEW! I feel better. All that said, I probably made at least a few grammatical mistakes in this post. I dare you to point them out!! ;)
One of my pet peeves is when people use seldom used words over and over in a document. Or just too often in general. I will use one of my exes as an example of this because there is nothing he can do about it; it's my blog!! Ha ha! To be completely fair, he does have a mild form of dyslexia, so it took awhile for me to work with him and get his written communications up to par (think years). And this is a person who earned his master's degree by age 24-25 (at the time, I was a lowly bachelor's degree holder). He used to send me things via email (or read them aloud to me over the phone) before he sent out important emails or letters as the benefits manager for his former employer. I once used the term "aforementioned" in a very formal document when I edited it for him. From that point on, he whipped that 50 cent term out every chance he got. NOOOOOO!! WHY??!!! It was a habit I was not successful in breaking him of because he thought it made him sound smart. It didn't. So when you find a word you like that is not often used in writing or conversation, save it for those rare opportunities when it actually does make you look intelligent.
I have been working with master's and doc students in the class I am co-teaching, and I am TOUGH on them, but they have responded to the challenge. I am super proud of them, and most are appreciative of my criticisms because it has made their writing better. But the papers I recently graded (NOT from the class I co-teach!) were, on the whole, horrific. There are really no words. Okay, maybe there are a few, but I have standards for myself on my blog. Anyway, this tirade applies to documents I told my boss I am now "dumber having read."
By far the worst thing I saw was when someone referenced this historic US military event: "Viet Nam." Yes. Two words. I honestly have to wonder if she was using a typewriter because any computer software program would have picked that one out.
My favorite from many of the cover pages: "Such-and-Such Name, Doctoral Degree Anticipated 2014." First of all, let's not count chickens here, folks. Secondly, even if you DO expect to make it to a glorious end, don't be so arrogant as to put it on your FIRST YEAR paper. I wouldn't do it even if I were already in candidacy, much less make that kind of prediction on my very first project!
They're, their, there. Too, to, and two. Your and you're. Were, we're, and where. These are all different words that mean different things. Speaking of, it is never "different than;" it is always "different from." Do not end a sentence with a preposition. Do not start sentences with "however" or "therefore." When you put 2 complete sentences together with an "and," "but," "or," etc., you need to put a comma before the joining word. Sometimes even a semi-colon (or just a semi-colon), depending on how many things you're joining together. And if you join TOO many things together in one sentence to the point where it looks more like a paragraph, chances are that you have created a run-on sentence. Conversely, if you don't actually create a sentence that includes both a noun and a verb, it's called a fragment. If you are writing in past tense, do not change to present tense halfway through the sentence. Make sure your nouns and pronouns agree: it's not, "the student learned their lesson;" it's "the student learned his or her lesson." Dangling participles: Google this phrase please. Misplaced modifiers: ditto. Speaking of colons, they are used to list things; that is not the semi-colon's job. When you place parentheses in a sentence, the word following the end parenthesis needs to agree with the word preceding the beginning parenthesis. Punctuation goes inside quotations but outside parentheses in most cases. If your Word document is underlining something in red or green on your computer screen, please look those items over and be sure that you are either using a word that is not in the dictionary or you intend for the phrase to be worded the way that it is. The Thesaurus tool is your friend.
WHEW! I feel better. All that said, I probably made at least a few grammatical mistakes in this post. I dare you to point them out!! ;)
Saturday, September 22, 2012
No You Aren't.
Brace yourself for a bit of a rant/tirade... :)
My father attended Marshall University from 1964-1969, and he played football during part of that time. It's also where he met my mother, but that's another story.
As has been publicized by the movie "We Are Marshall" starring Matthew McConaghey and Matthew Fox, there was an extremely tragic even that changed the Thundering Herd family forever in 1970. The plane, carrying upperclassmen football players, coaches and staff, crashed. There were no survivors. I have known of this tragedy my entire life via stories from my dad. And I can see some of the pain of that loss in his eyes to this day.
My father knew all of the coaches and staff as well as many of the players.One of the hardest things that Marshall University had to do was pick itself back up and carry on. As you can imagine, it was a very emotional time, and for those who lived through it, something that they will never forget. How did they do it? By coming together and honoring those who were lost. The cheer, "We Are Marshall" was their rally cry and their way to express the strong feelings of the time.
I know that many schools are now using the "We Are" cheer. I will not do it when it happens at South Carolina because I don't feel that it demonstrates the appropriate level of respect for the real reason that phrase exists.
And I am LIVID that Penn State has begun using it to help their recovery. Plane crash > Sex Scandal. Quite frankly, I find it extremely disrespectful and despicable. Find another tag line to frame your situation, Nittany Lions (what the bleep is a Nittany lion anyway?). I am sure Ohio State & Michigan fans have plenty of suggestions.
My father attended Marshall University from 1964-1969, and he played football during part of that time. It's also where he met my mother, but that's another story.
As has been publicized by the movie "We Are Marshall" starring Matthew McConaghey and Matthew Fox, there was an extremely tragic even that changed the Thundering Herd family forever in 1970. The plane, carrying upperclassmen football players, coaches and staff, crashed. There were no survivors. I have known of this tragedy my entire life via stories from my dad. And I can see some of the pain of that loss in his eyes to this day.
My father knew all of the coaches and staff as well as many of the players.One of the hardest things that Marshall University had to do was pick itself back up and carry on. As you can imagine, it was a very emotional time, and for those who lived through it, something that they will never forget. How did they do it? By coming together and honoring those who were lost. The cheer, "We Are Marshall" was their rally cry and their way to express the strong feelings of the time.
I know that many schools are now using the "We Are" cheer. I will not do it when it happens at South Carolina because I don't feel that it demonstrates the appropriate level of respect for the real reason that phrase exists.
And I am LIVID that Penn State has begun using it to help their recovery. Plane crash > Sex Scandal. Quite frankly, I find it extremely disrespectful and despicable. Find another tag line to frame your situation, Nittany Lions (what the bleep is a Nittany lion anyway?). I am sure Ohio State & Michigan fans have plenty of suggestions.
Saturday, August 25, 2012
Any Takers for 60?
Have you had or do you have an "if we're not married by age ___, let's marry each other!" buddy? I had THREE! And they are all now taken (and I know it's because my guy friends are fabulous - I know how to pick 'em!)!
My 30 (which is way too early to start playing that game, by the way!) was BW. The roommate of my best guy friend in college. He got married just before he turned 30 as I recall. Coincidence? Nah - pretty sure he knew what was ahead of him if he didn't!! :)
My 40 was Reed Morton. I have known him since Kindergarten and yes, for those who follow Gamecock football, he was the place kicker for USC from 1993-1997. We ran into each other at the infamous Tammany Hall (think of every cheesy dance club you have been to and then combine them all together and you'll have about half of the picture in your mind of that spot) and made that arrangement. Yep - he's taken now too!
And then my 50... The best part of this one is that we made the agreement because we laughingly assumed that we'd be old and getting ready to retire and just want to have some companionship at that point. Now that I am 37 years old, that is not so funny. My 50 was my best friend from college - Matt Stanton. And you know who snagged him? My college roomie Wendy! :) So I guess I am okay with that. Pretty sure they will make room for me in the RV we're going to tour the country in when we retire...
(PS - If you are reading this, hopefully you already know, but of course I did not take any of my "arrangements" seriously!!)
My 30 (which is way too early to start playing that game, by the way!) was BW. The roommate of my best guy friend in college. He got married just before he turned 30 as I recall. Coincidence? Nah - pretty sure he knew what was ahead of him if he didn't!! :)
My 40 was Reed Morton. I have known him since Kindergarten and yes, for those who follow Gamecock football, he was the place kicker for USC from 1993-1997. We ran into each other at the infamous Tammany Hall (think of every cheesy dance club you have been to and then combine them all together and you'll have about half of the picture in your mind of that spot) and made that arrangement. Yep - he's taken now too!
And then my 50... The best part of this one is that we made the agreement because we laughingly assumed that we'd be old and getting ready to retire and just want to have some companionship at that point. Now that I am 37 years old, that is not so funny. My 50 was my best friend from college - Matt Stanton. And you know who snagged him? My college roomie Wendy! :) So I guess I am okay with that. Pretty sure they will make room for me in the RV we're going to tour the country in when we retire...
(PS - If you are reading this, hopefully you already know, but of course I did not take any of my "arrangements" seriously!!)
Friday, August 24, 2012
Chucky, Part 7: Small World Invasion
I visited Disney World at midnight for the first time since Grad Night in 1993 (I know, I'm OLD) - but this time I was with my three year old. Bad parenting? Well, maybe. But since we were staying on the Disney resort property (Cabins at Fort Wilderness - if you haven't stayed there, you should! And be sure to rent a golf cart!), we were eligible for "Extra Magic Hours." They keep certain parks open later and open others earlier so that those who are staying on property can ride most of the rides without the lines and intense heat of late July. One of the nights we stayed over included Extra Magic Hours from 11PM - 2AM, so along with Kat and her kids (ages 5 & 6), we went to the park during the day, took the kids back and fed them, bathed them & put them to bed. THEN, we woke them up and took them back to the park at midnight! They LOVED it! We got on all the rides with no wait, and in some cases, no one else on with us.
So it was all wonderful until we got on the last ride of the evening (at almost 2AM). "Small World." Annoying, repetitive song aside, I was pretty creeped out by the fact that we were the ONLY people in the ONLY boat in the whole place. All of the ones in front of us were empty and all of the ones behind us were empty. Most of the rooms you go through on the tour are pretty dimly lit. And then we got to Scandinavia.... Immediately on the left when you enter, there are 3 dolls on swings. Except that night. There were only 2... and an obvious spot where 1 doll was missing (cords hanging out of the seat). Suddenly, I am thinking, "What a great setting for a completely unexpected horror scene!" But then I remembered I was IN IT! So now I am picturing this grossly disfigured blonde haired, blue eyed doll rising from the "depths" of the water we were cruising through. Meanwhile, Ellie is smiling and saying, "Looky Mommy! A doggie!" And Mommy is thinking, "Maybe if we stay quiet, Chucky won't notice us."
Obviously we survived, but I'm thinking of setting up a meeting with some former Disney film producers with a chip on their shoulders...
So it was all wonderful until we got on the last ride of the evening (at almost 2AM). "Small World." Annoying, repetitive song aside, I was pretty creeped out by the fact that we were the ONLY people in the ONLY boat in the whole place. All of the ones in front of us were empty and all of the ones behind us were empty. Most of the rooms you go through on the tour are pretty dimly lit. And then we got to Scandinavia.... Immediately on the left when you enter, there are 3 dolls on swings. Except that night. There were only 2... and an obvious spot where 1 doll was missing (cords hanging out of the seat). Suddenly, I am thinking, "What a great setting for a completely unexpected horror scene!" But then I remembered I was IN IT! So now I am picturing this grossly disfigured blonde haired, blue eyed doll rising from the "depths" of the water we were cruising through. Meanwhile, Ellie is smiling and saying, "Looky Mommy! A doggie!" And Mommy is thinking, "Maybe if we stay quiet, Chucky won't notice us."Obviously we survived, but I'm thinking of setting up a meeting with some former Disney film producers with a chip on their shoulders...
Thursday, August 23, 2012
Get a Sitter
DISCLAIMER: The tragedy that occurred in Aurora, CO in July is nothing to be glib about in any way - I want to make that clear before I begin this blog. Each and every person there was an innocent victim of the most horrific shooting in US history. That is not at all in debate in this post.
Who brings an infant and a 4 year old to a midnight showing of Batman?! Honestly, while I felt for the woman who was involved in the recent Aurora, CO shooting, I have to question her parental judgement. I have heard the argument that it's okay to bring an infant to the midnight showing at the theaters because they'd wake up in the middle of the night anyway needing a feeding. EEEEEHHHHH! (think loud annoying buzzer) First of all, it was a BATMAN movie! It is LOUD! This is not in any way good for infants and can in fact impact their hearing as there is still some significant development of auditory sensory happening during this time. Even if it were an estrogen-fueled Nicolas Sparks film adaptation (I am still seriously convinced that he has menstrual cycles), theater surround sound is always too loud. Secondly, a 4 year old?? My almost 4 year old daughter is scared to death of a fire alarm. I could not imagine subjecting her to any action film in a theater (or even at home!). It's just plain not age appropriate. And 4 year olds need to be in bed no later than 8 PM any night of the week. SELFISH PARENTING!
I went to a midnight showing of "Scream 4" - yes, I know but it is my favorite horror series. I saw babies there. WTF?! I ensured that my 2 year old (at the time) was safe and sound with my brother before I left to go and see the movie. And people brought infants?! Some studies show that people can recall imagery from infancy - is a massacre really something you want among the first things your child witnesses?
If you can afford a $10 movie ticket, $15 in popcorn, snacks and soda, you can afford a baby-sitter. And if not, wait for the DVD.
Who brings an infant and a 4 year old to a midnight showing of Batman?! Honestly, while I felt for the woman who was involved in the recent Aurora, CO shooting, I have to question her parental judgement. I have heard the argument that it's okay to bring an infant to the midnight showing at the theaters because they'd wake up in the middle of the night anyway needing a feeding. EEEEEHHHHH! (think loud annoying buzzer) First of all, it was a BATMAN movie! It is LOUD! This is not in any way good for infants and can in fact impact their hearing as there is still some significant development of auditory sensory happening during this time. Even if it were an estrogen-fueled Nicolas Sparks film adaptation (I am still seriously convinced that he has menstrual cycles), theater surround sound is always too loud. Secondly, a 4 year old?? My almost 4 year old daughter is scared to death of a fire alarm. I could not imagine subjecting her to any action film in a theater (or even at home!). It's just plain not age appropriate. And 4 year olds need to be in bed no later than 8 PM any night of the week. SELFISH PARENTING!
I went to a midnight showing of "Scream 4" - yes, I know but it is my favorite horror series. I saw babies there. WTF?! I ensured that my 2 year old (at the time) was safe and sound with my brother before I left to go and see the movie. And people brought infants?! Some studies show that people can recall imagery from infancy - is a massacre really something you want among the first things your child witnesses?
If you can afford a $10 movie ticket, $15 in popcorn, snacks and soda, you can afford a baby-sitter. And if not, wait for the DVD.
Thursday, August 9, 2012
Forget the Twos - It's All About the Terrible Threes
It's official. The twos were a non-issue. It's the threes that make me want to jump off of a bridge some days! And as someone who has cared for children all of her life in some form or another and LOVED working with every age group, I thought I would be more prepared to deal with the not-so-fun realities of parenting. But there is no frustration like the one you have with your own child when it wears you down. And, it seems, ANYTHING and EVERYTHING can set it off.
Case in point: Walgreen's the other week. An innocent trip to find some battery-powered personal fans before heading out to the Magic Kingdom on the hottest day of the year (don't ask why!). She finds a bouncy ball that she NEEDS, and Mommy says no. She then pulls on her friend's shirt and makes her cry. Then she loses it at the checkout (where I had to immediately head after the shirt pulling incident) because I will not buy her a piece of candy that is possibly the worst choking hazard ever. At that point (the kicking, screaming, crying, red-face, arm flailing, crazed tantrum-mode), I had to pick her up and apologize to the clerk at the counter and the other people in front and behind me in the line. There is no being rational or explaining rationale. None. She doesn't care why; she just wants to freak out. Took about 20 minutes for that one to settle....
Exhibit B: Ellie is watching Netflix in her playroom (with every toy imaginable + flat screen TV + Wii/Netflix + every kid's show or movie DVR'ed and taking up all the space on the Dish Network) while I am fixing her a delicious and healthy meal in the next room over. It is awfully quiet in the playroom but since one of her favorites is on, I am under the impression that she is just avidly watching. I have the meal all ready and go to give it to her when I notice something on the beige colored carpeted floor. As I survey the room I find navy blue and yellow NON-WASHABLE crayon all over the floor, entertainment center, TV, Wii station, coffee table and futon. WHY???
Exhibit C: Doggie abuse. My other child is a senior citizen (16 years old) miniature schnauzer named MacGregor ("Mac"). My brother owns a 2 year old of the same breed (Gunnar).Apparently they have been put on the planet for my child to pull them by the collars, dump Tide and other liquid items on them, grab by the legs, grab by the head, kick and hit, etc, etc. For those who know me well, my dog is my first baby. I will not tolerate ANYONE hurting him, especially since he is more fragile these days. And since I kind of like Gunnar, I mostly stick up for him too :)
Yes I do understand that she is testing boundaries and is very much in the "id mode" but it is very hard NOT to get frustrated when I know SHE knows the rules. And how to act. And what Mommy expects. And what she needs to do to be a good girl. Most of the times she is, and when she isn't, time out is her sentence (which she hates so that's good news!). I have had to spank her (gently with my hand only!!) when she has refused to stay in time out and laughed thinking that it is all a game on a few occasions, and I am pretty sure that I feel MUCH worse than she ever does. Also, as a single mom, it is hard to be the disciplinarian AND the comforter. But I am both and that is my reality.
All I can hope for is that there is no terrible fours. Mommy just doesn't have that kind of patience. Or volume in her wine cellar.
Case in point: Walgreen's the other week. An innocent trip to find some battery-powered personal fans before heading out to the Magic Kingdom on the hottest day of the year (don't ask why!). She finds a bouncy ball that she NEEDS, and Mommy says no. She then pulls on her friend's shirt and makes her cry. Then she loses it at the checkout (where I had to immediately head after the shirt pulling incident) because I will not buy her a piece of candy that is possibly the worst choking hazard ever. At that point (the kicking, screaming, crying, red-face, arm flailing, crazed tantrum-mode), I had to pick her up and apologize to the clerk at the counter and the other people in front and behind me in the line. There is no being rational or explaining rationale. None. She doesn't care why; she just wants to freak out. Took about 20 minutes for that one to settle....
Exhibit B: Ellie is watching Netflix in her playroom (with every toy imaginable + flat screen TV + Wii/Netflix + every kid's show or movie DVR'ed and taking up all the space on the Dish Network) while I am fixing her a delicious and healthy meal in the next room over. It is awfully quiet in the playroom but since one of her favorites is on, I am under the impression that she is just avidly watching. I have the meal all ready and go to give it to her when I notice something on the beige colored carpeted floor. As I survey the room I find navy blue and yellow NON-WASHABLE crayon all over the floor, entertainment center, TV, Wii station, coffee table and futon. WHY???
Exhibit C: Doggie abuse. My other child is a senior citizen (16 years old) miniature schnauzer named MacGregor ("Mac"). My brother owns a 2 year old of the same breed (Gunnar).Apparently they have been put on the planet for my child to pull them by the collars, dump Tide and other liquid items on them, grab by the legs, grab by the head, kick and hit, etc, etc. For those who know me well, my dog is my first baby. I will not tolerate ANYONE hurting him, especially since he is more fragile these days. And since I kind of like Gunnar, I mostly stick up for him too :)
Yes I do understand that she is testing boundaries and is very much in the "id mode" but it is very hard NOT to get frustrated when I know SHE knows the rules. And how to act. And what Mommy expects. And what she needs to do to be a good girl. Most of the times she is, and when she isn't, time out is her sentence (which she hates so that's good news!). I have had to spank her (gently with my hand only!!) when she has refused to stay in time out and laughed thinking that it is all a game on a few occasions, and I am pretty sure that I feel MUCH worse than she ever does. Also, as a single mom, it is hard to be the disciplinarian AND the comforter. But I am both and that is my reality.
All I can hope for is that there is no terrible fours. Mommy just doesn't have that kind of patience. Or volume in her wine cellar.
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