Babble's Top 100 Blogs

Today I'm cheating. I'm buried under work (I might not make the deadline, eek!) I'm visiting my family in CT, which is great but means no work will be done. I've got holiday shopping and wrapping and cooking and eating to do. It's just too much.

And very importantly, of course, Babble chooses right now to start their blog competition. This year, Babble is linked to Disney and the nominees are all amazing.

It would mean so much to me if you would click on this link and vote for me there. Really, I cannot tell you how much I appreciate it.

Darlena for Babble Top 100!

While you are over there, check out these fantastic blogs, too! Jo from Poop on a Hot Tin Slide and Joella from Fine and Fair have also been nominated, and much deservedly!



If you're here from Babble...here's a bit of what I'm about!

Here you'll find essays from the trenches of parenting from a woman who's definitely not up for cookie-cutter parent of the year.  We do our best, though.

I started this blog because I read something on the internet that made me mad.  Here it is.

Since then I've talked about rude people in the library, in the salon and at a restaurant. (Okay, so she was actually just trying to be friendly, but we're not all perfect all the time.)  I've taken on childfree writers, facebook memes, and comedians.  I've reviewed some God-awful potties, and failed at making Cream of Wheat.  Before that, I formula fed, do you judge me?  They don't.

Or maybe you're just here for some cute videos of twins kissing, rocking out on the potty to They Might Be Giants, playing baseball, or dancing their hearts out.

I'd love a vote!! Thank you so much.

Should Children Be Involved in Protests?

How strongly do you believe in your cause? Would you risk your child's life? Where do your loyalties lie?

One woman apparently believes in the Occupy movement so much that she put her four-year-old daughter on train tracks to help shut down the Port of Portland.



Did it work?

Yes.

Was it worth it?

It wouldn't have been to me.

First off, no matter how strong your faith in humanity is, that faith cannot overcome the laws of physics to stop an oncoming train. No matter how moral the engineer is at the controls, his morality or sheer will cannot force a speeding object to stop in time.

Now, obviously, there are other factors at play (we hope) making this more safe than it would appear, but still, I would say this is a huge risk. Not one that I would take. Not one that I would have my unwitting children take. I have beliefs, but my love for my children outweighs them. I support the Occupy Wall Street movement, but I'm not going to put my kids in front of an oncoming train for it.

Let's take the life and death situation out of it for a moment, and look at how this statement affects the movement as a whole.

I would venture to say it make it weaker.

When protesting, you want to show that you believe in your cause without doubt or cause for remorse. A dead child would certainly be cause for remorse. You can do whatever you want with your own life. Why involve your child? Surely she does not hate the one percent so much that she doesn't even care if she sees kindergarten.

Actions like these take power away from the movement their activists are trying to purport and lend it to their enemies. If you look at this forum on Weasel Zipper, you'll see the comments full of rabid conservatives mingling with concerned parents, in turn mingling with people just there to say dumb things (like, kill them all. Oh, okay. Thanks for your imput.)

Like I said, I support the Occupy movement. Did I see this through them? Absolutely not. I saw this, along with a long diatribe on CPS and President Barack Obama, on my Facebook feed, posted by people who support shutting the protests down.

I'm sure that was not the mother's intent, just as an injury to or the death of her child would not have been her intent. But that's what happened.

When you protest, take stock of what your actions really say. You could hurt yourself, your loved ones or your very cause.

There's a difference, after all, between posting a cute picture of your twins in front of a paper sign,

and throwing them in front of an oncoming train.

I might be an armchair activist, but I'll take that over any inadvertent injury to my family. I'll take inaction and big talk over any action of mine giving fodder to those against what I believe in.

Don't use kids in your public service announcements. I've never once seen it work the way you hope it would.

Traveling Travesty

 7:30 p.m.

"Lilly, you a monster, okay? Okay Lilly?"

"Okay!"

I watch the three-year-old twins running around the airport terminal, full of laughter and games, shrieking and giggling away. It's so nice to see people actually happy to be in an airport, even if their joy comes strictly from youth. It lends the desolate place some much needed cheer this holiday season.

Right behind me, surly business folk are typing away on their laptops, always plugged in, despite the hour, despite the day. Money is to be made, and they will make it even as they step onto the plane, talking into their Bluetooth, checking their financials with an app on their phones.

To my left, a few old women totter, nodding off and starting awake when the twins venture too near. Those girls are the only children on this flight. Eight at night must be too late for most kids, I guess. Either way, I feel lucky. No crying brats, no fighting siblings. These two toddlers I can handle. At least they're happy.

8 p.m.

We're all lined up now. The man behind me smells sticky sweet, like old tobacco and coffee. I hope I'm not sitting next to him. The woman right in front of me is sneezing. Gross. Actually, I'll take stinky man over sick lady.

Beep.

"Beeeeep!"

Beep.

"Beeeeep!"

Oh, isn't that cute? The twins are mimicking the scan machine as the flight checker goes through the tickets. Most people are chuckling. I guess I'm not the only one who finds them adorable.

Oh, the father is talking to the checker. Trying to get them on board first. I don't know how I feel about that. On the one hand, they have a lot of stuff, and they'll have to settle those two in. On the other hand, stand in line like everyone else.

Family boarding. Blast them. They'll probably take up all the space in my overhead bin.

8:20 p.m.

"Mama, can I press the button?"

"Mama, turn my light on."

"Mama, why are we moving?"

"Mama, are we taking off yet?"

"How about now?"

"Now?"

"Are we taking off now?"

"Mama? Mama? Mama!"

They're sitting right behind me. They're so full of energy that they must be overtired. I'm sure they'll sleep soon.

The woman next to me turns around.

"They're adorable," she says.

The mother shoots a harried-but-grateful look at her. "Thank you," she says. "I hope you feel that way by the time we land."

"I'm sure they'll fall right to sleep," came the reply.

The mother nodded, not convinced.


9 p.m.


If I have to hear 'Old MacDonald' or 'Jingle Bells' one more time in off-tune toddler shout-singing, I may go insane.


9:10 p.m.


I changed my mind. Bring back the songs. Anything to stop them from kicking my seat.


"Stop squiggling," I hear their mother say. "You're bothering other people."

You've got that right.

9:15 p.m.

Did that little girl just call me a witch? This is getting out of hand. I know she didn't mean it (I think), but, really, I spent $60 on these holiday-red nail tips. Someone should teach those kids some manners.

"Not everyone with red nails is a witch, babies," I hear the mom say. "That was just in that one movie, okay?"

Thanks for confirming, Mrs. Can't-Shut-Your-Kids-Up. I hide my nails behind my Kindle cover and try to continue to read.

9:45 p.m.

I cannot handle any more children's laughter. I don't want to hear it ever again in my life. Do these children never sleep? Why, in the name of God, would their mother let them have a tickle-fest on a plane? What is wrong with people?

10:15 p.m.

"Mom, can I tell the nice lady to get me juice? Can I tell her to get me peanuts? Mom, why did she give me Cheez Its? I thought we were getting pretzels."

Child, can you talk at a volume other than the top of your lungs? Don't we teach these things 'inside voice,' anymore? I think I'm losing it. Their little happy voices are chipping away at my last shreds of sanity. My brain feels like mush.

10:45 p.m.

We are finally descending. I will never have to deal with those hap-hap-happy brats again. Praise the Lord. I cannot handle another minute of their prattling on. Oh God. Now they're talking about how their ears hurt. I didn't think it was possible, but they've gotten even louder. They're trying to pop their ears by going "YAYAYAYAYAYA." I'm going to pop my fist in their faces in a minute if they don't stop.

I have a headache.

11 p.m.

We're all getting off now

The mother smiles wanly at anyyone who is looking at her, which is everyone, so aghast are we at the attack of insistent toddler-cheer for three entire hours without respite.

"Thank you all for putting up with us," she says.

Oh. So she knows how utterly annoying they all are. I'm not sure if that's better or worse. I chance a glance at her. She looks haggard, her eyes glazed over. I decide not to say anything. Her flight has been as rough as mine. And she doesn't get to walk away.

I still think she's a bad mom, though.

**From the assumed point of view of the woman sitting in front of me on our flight to Connecticut.

Looking Back - December Review I

It's always good to take stock of ourselves at some point during year. Most people choose December, and so do I. Not much has changed this year for me...as in, nothing at all, really. I'm trying to further some projects, working freelance and caring for the kids. Boring!

But as my friends hasten to let me know, what I see as tedious, they see as stability. And that's a great gift, one that many do not have. It couldn't be more important in life than when you have young children, either. So I'll take it. I'm grateful for my routine life right now. I'll spice it up again later, I'm sure. Or not. I don't even know. I gave up on making plans long ago.

Anyway, this past January, February and March...what happened?

I had to defend myself against a disgruntled library patron, my two year olds stopped calling me mama, and I couldn't make a bowl of hot cereal to save my life.

I've since improved my skills.

In February, I did my first and only DITL (Day in the Life). I think I'll do it again this February. I also potty trained my kids. Or they potty learned. Or however we say it these days. Which was a battle and victory enough to last the whole year.

In March, Bear had an emergency! My mother helped that time, but I've since learned to sew (at least enough to fix a bear). I also, started recognizing for the first time the very different ways my children learn.

The biggest difference, of course, is merely time. While I'm still me...the girls have gone from this:

To this:

This has been part of the 2011 review extravaganza, put on by several excellent bloggers! I suggest you check it out and link up yourself!

Recipe Monday - Christmas Sugar Cookies

 This is my aunt's family famous recipe, delicious every time. And it's a family affair. (I halved this recipe.)

Ingredients:

2 cups sugar

1 cup margarine (Hey, what's up 1993? I used butter)

2 eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla,

2 tablespoons milk

4 cups flour

2/3 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons baking powder

 

 

 

 

 

Cream the butter and add the sugar.

Beat in the eggs, milk, vanilla.

Mix together the dry ingredients in a separate bowl.

 

 

 

Mix the dry ingredients into the egg mixture.

Chill dough 12 hrs or more. (I chilled it for four hours, because 12 hours? Really?)

Then, prepare your work station. You'll want plenty of flour to keep the dough from sticking. The recipe keeps this in mind, so don't worry about drying the cookies out.

Roll the dough to about 1/8 to 1/4 inch thick.

Then have your helpers cut up the dough. Notice that when they get bored, it gets a lot more efficient. Then you can call them back for the sugaring.

Then, sugar it up. You can use anything you want.

Bake the cookies in a 350-degree oven for about 5-7 minutes.

Take them off the sheet and let them cool on paper towels so that the bottoms don't crisp, and you're done!