A thought on parenting

Just a random thought - I criticize my kids. Lots of parents criticize their kids; obviously I am not alone in this. But I am trying very hard to keep complimenting my kids when they do something nice, or are well-behaved. I'd really like to compliment them more, and complain less.

Grocery shopping

Just a quick vent - I think the next time that I take both kids grocery shopping, I am going to employ several sherpas, some pack mules, and pack enough to mount a week-long expedition. It;s not that the local mega-store is exceptionally large, it's that my kids both want to steer the cart, in opposite directions, neither of which is the direction in which we need to go, and, when they are not fighting over the steering, they are treating the cart as though it were some sort of primitive trampoline.

Disney Parent Pulse vent

OKay, so I haven't written here in more than six months. It's been a busy year, and I might explain later, but right here, right now, I feel the need to say this:

Just a quick vent - but come on, Disney. If you claim that you want Dads involved as well, could you stop with the presumption that the only playgroups are some form of "Mommy & Me"?

I stopped looking for local "Mom Group & gatherings" years ago - when it became obvious that the local "Mom" gatherings were all variants of MOPS, and would not welcome a SAHD. (I do look for "Parent" groups - which do accept SAHDs, though sometimes only grudgingly.)

I know SAHDs are a minority, but cripes, I'm getting tired of being invisible.


I'm really, really, really getting tired of the whole "We welcome Moms and Dads" routine, when it is followed by a constant presumption that only Moms are actually participating. I'm tired of panels and groups and organizations calling themselves "Moms Panel", "[organization] Moms," "Parents Panel" and so forth, claiming that they are open to all, and then being little better than MOPS when it comes to actually listening to, or including, men and fathers. (For those who are not aware, fathers cannot join MOPS - so if the local playgroups are all MOPS-based, SAHDs don't have a playgroup for their kids.)

Productivity (or the lack thereof)

If you ever want to feel utterly unproductive, and like completely wasting your time - try spreading rock in your yard. We ordered 10 cubic yards a while back, and I can spend an afernoon moving rock, 10, 20, 30 wheelbarrows - and, at the end of the day, I'm hot, sweaty, sore as hell - and that %&*$ pile that was 10 cubic yards looks pretty much unchanged.

Small victories

Some days you have to accept that you will only have little victories. And today, simply getting the wee ones out the door on time (more or less) was as close to a victory as I was likely to have.

He lives!

And I might even start writing here again. It's not that I got bored with it - I fell out of the habit, got busy, and never picked it up again. But with one in school, and the other in preschool, I have time on my hands again. It's either blog, or laundry.

Or Mafia Wars on facebook.

Special Agent Oso

You know, it's hard enough teaching my kids the concept of telling time without Special Agent Oso and the "We have to leave in exactly eight seconds" garbage. Those eight seconds take half a minute or more to elapse, and I would like to know who says "We are leaving for the party in twelve seconds, so you have just enough time to wrap a present."