You're WELCOME...

Do you know what's fun? Being frozen out by your pouty three year old. Silent treatment for 1/2 hour. Good times...

ESPECIALLY since the reason he was giving me the silent treatment was because I was trying to help him, you know, ward off the scary, tiny, two year old baby girl that was traumatizing him. But, whatever. I'm totally over it now anyway. No. Seriously. OVER it. Water under the bridge.

I so don't care that my gargantuan little boy was so devastated about the tiny mean bully taking away the ball he was playing with that he FREAKED THE CRAP OUT and would not listen to a word I was saying about how he could, you know, ask for it back or come get mommy to help him. No, no. Don't care at all...

I don't fear for his days on the playground. Or life. Being bullied because he CANNOT stand up for himself. Not at all. Or how, if he's giving me the silent treatment (seriously, no talking, arms across chest while scowling) at three, what on earth he'll come up with at 13. TOTALLY looking forward to it. So very, very much.

**Please note this isn't a post asking for parenting advice. It is simply meant to be entertaining in a "glad it's you and not me" sort of way. All tongue in cheekness and sarcasm HEAVILY implied**

Blargh:

(to make you feel my love, adele) **Make you feel my love. Get it? Hee! Ok, maybe I was just tired finding a tie-in...

I'm Yours

I LOVE this song. I really like him, actually. He makes my inner flower child happy. But this song is just the perfect sing along and top on the list of Sammy and I's dance along daily music.


(i'm yours, jason mraz)

Top 5 Jason Mraz:
1. If It Kills Me
2. I'm Yours
3. You and I Both
4. A Beautiful Mess
5. Hey Love

Let's Talk About Sex, Baby...

I absolutely hate gender stereotypes and sexism. HATE them. And it really bothers me when people chuckle along with them, whether it's out of politeness, being uncomfortable, whatever. I think that we all need to start speaking up and making sure people know it's not ok to perpetuate these stereotypes.

We have a man at church who is the WORST with this. Isaac is constantly leaning over and telling me to sit on my hands because he can tell that I'm grinding my teeth and itching to shoot him down. And I hate that people chuckle at his 'jokes' which basically encourages him.

Why do people think it's acceptable to state how scatter brained all women are so you need to coddle them? Or how stupid all men are and you need to help them with everything? And even if they actually believe these horrid stereotypes, why do they think it's ok to state it so matter of factly at church where we should be all about the equal love under God?

It really bothers me when people buy into these myths, these lies. Isaac and I try to have equal respect for everyone and especially one another. We are absolutely trying to raise Sammy to shun these myths. To make sure that he doesn't grow up believing that women are weak or beneath him. That he isn't stupid and need a woman to make decisions for him or lead him. And while I believe we'll be successful in our efforts, here, I worry about those around him and their influence. Will our instruction be enough in the face of where we live where, sadly, this type of behavior seems bigger than other places (which might be my skewed perspective, I realize...)? I don't know. I certainly hope so. I hope that he'll grow up and be one to bristle and shoot down these stereotypes rather than being that man in church who perpetuates them.

The best U2 song ever:

(bad, U2)

How Things Are

*Friday we were supposed to finally clean out the garage. And then it snowed. Blargh. This Friday is looking promising.

*I made a taco soup this weekend with frozen tomatoes, onions and peppers from last summer's garden. The tomatoes, especially, were so good. Countdown to spring!

*I'm thinking of making my own granola bars. I'm thinking this recipe looks good.

*I've convinced (forced at fake gun point...) Isaac to read The Hunger Games. He read the whole of book one in one sitting...

*I'm half way through Game Change and it's FASCINATING. Political books make me giddy. I'm the one who read The Starr Report. When it first came out. For fun.

*I watched an HD Simple Minds concert on tv yesterday. Sadly, it was not kind to them and I'm not sure any of them are still, um (sorry), alive and kicking...

*We are showing our old house, on average, of at least once a week and have been for a few weeks. I wish I knew how many showings = selling. I'm getting antsy.

*I've had a career / social media meltdown over the past couple of weeks. I think I'm better, now and have emerged from the meltdown understanding how Twitter can better help me. I think. Maybe. I don't know, ask me tomorrow...

*I hate the smell of a new shower curtain liner and wish I could find a less offensive alternative.

*I completely loved this and need it tattooed on my forehead.

*New Paul Weller (that's Weller, lbs!):

(wake up the nation, paul weller)

Parallel Differences

My mom was the same age when she had me that I was when I had Sammy. We'll forget that I was number six for her and Sammy was, well, one and just focus on the age.

By the time my little brother came along, seven years later, I couldn't believe my mom could still have kids. I mean, she was 40! That's SO old; life over territory. But now...now I sometimes catch glimpses of her in the mirror. And 40 doesn't seem so very old. When did that happen? Seriously. What happened to all that time I thought I had? The same time that is slipping away, faster and faster before my eyes?

When do you give up on dreams? When do you give up and realize that you are just a mom and nothing more? That to keep up this mediocre dream and this mediocre career is futile and you are too old to keep working on it? When do you give up? I spend my free minutes writing and chasing that just out of my reach dream and wondering, lately.

I know that 36 isn't old. I know that I have a lifetime spread out before me. I know that I can still publish that book...someday. But. When do I give up the dream? When do I find something else? Do I find something else and be content with my life instead of always wanting more? Because I do. I want more. Not for Sammy. Not for Isaac. For me. I still want it all. But I'm not 20 anymore. And I kind of hate that.

Mommy music:

(nirvana, heart shaped box)