Tuesday, October 22, 2013

And The Best Burger In Town Is...

It takes a lot of heart, time and chutzpah to put your personal stories out there for anyone to read (or judge).  In the beginning, I really questioned if blogging was for me.  In fact, I still get butterflies when hitting "publish" on some pieces.  That's why I am incredibly thankful to hear when something I've shared touches enough to leave a mark.  It happened most recently when I was asked by a reader to donate something cool to an auction benefitting a very young girl with cancer.  I was happy to do so, and while I am hopeful that my gift will make even the tiniest difference in the life of that wonderful family, selfishly I am grateful to the reader for giving me the opportunity to help make a difference.

My girls say (oooover and over again) that sharing is caring... and it really is.

So, when "Great Moments in Parenting" asked me to share, I jumped at the chance...


"I love it when busy weekends are capped off with early bath-time and a movie on Sunday nights. That’s exactly where we were headed yesterday when I made (or at least reheated) dinner for my daughters, ages three and five.
As they sat with partitioned plates, using their favorite forks to dip pieces of hamburger into gobs of ketchup larger than their heads, I was excited to rest my feet and join them. But as I sat down with my own burger, dressed properly on a bun, I could practically see the mouth on my youngest begin to water..."
To hear what happened, visit Great Moments in Parenting.


Thursday, October 17, 2013

Here's What Happened When My 5yo Watched Miley Cyrus's "Wrecking Ball"


My 5-1/2-year-old daughter busted me watching the "Wrecking Ball" video by Miley Cyrus and while I am not proud of my behavior, I am not ashamed of it, either. Surely, had the images been of a more sexual, frighteningly graphic or violent nature, I would have slammed the computer shut to shield her. And though I realize that I may be setting myself up for criticism for letting her watch, I feel strongly about striking a balance between protecting my children and being realistic about the world in which they are growing like weeds. So, as she watched, I asked her what she was thinking. She had some pretty hilarious commentary.

"Oh, she's pretty! Her teeth are so white.  She must brush a lot."



"That's gross... Why is she licking it?"



"She needs a *bra-n." (* her word for bra)



"That's not a real swing!  When the wall grows again, and she hits it, she's gonna get hurt!"



"Why does she have pictures on her? She must be strong. Boys who are strong have pictures on them. Daddy is strong. He needs pictures."



"I don't know why she's naked, but maybe she has shoes on so she doesn't get a splinter."



"She's crying! Maybe she got a bit hurt on the wrecking ball."



"Now she's hitting herself. She is upset because she was wrecking the walls. She made a biiiiig mess."



"She got killed! She got killed!"


I can't say I won't watch Miley again (and again), but as far as my daughter is concerned, I'll let this video rest in peace.



Wednesday, October 9, 2013

BREAKING: You Don't Need To Be A Slut To Be A Superhero


We are one week into October, and I am already tired of hearing about slutty Halloween costumes for children.  Am I am in favor of them?  Hell no.  Have I been disgusted by them since the mail order catalogs began spamming my mailbox in early August?  Absolutely.  But I am also aware that we live in a society where people know more about Miley Cyrus’s ass than the government shutting down and Duck Dynasty gets higher television ratings than any news program could dream of.

Let’s face it.  Walmart isn’t to blame for this costume (which I actually find on the less offensive side of the argument) which they stripped from their shelves days ago after public outrage.


The designers, buyers, retailers, advertisers and manufacturers are not to blame.  We are.  You  are. And I am.

Well, not me, literally… But we, the consumer, are to blame.  As are we, the parents.

I’ve learned to trust very little on Facebook, especially after having seen an adorable photo of my college roommate's children stolen by a coffee company and falsified with a tear-jerking (but bullshit) slogan for their marketing campaign.  So, it was with a grain of salt that I took this recent post from the Facebook group (strangely) titled “My Room Was Clean, But Then I Needed Something”.


Still, it infuriated me. Even if the caption on the ridiculous meme is true, or isn’t, there is something inherently wrong with the photo.  I’m all for a tutu, legging and boot combo, but the unnecessary sexualization in this photo is ridiculous.

Let's hope the lesson is simple.

You don’t need to be a slut to be a superhero.