OK, I'm not a religious-crazy-spin-the-Judas-Priest-album-backwards-and-find-the-satanic-message kinda person...
But, you start to wonder sometimes...seriously, I need to talk to the people at White Castle and Tractor Supply Company. I understand why my child stops and stares at a tv that she really doesn't care about when the TSC commercial comes on, seeing as it employed about 50 dogs to run thru a field. She points and screams "doooo" as much as possible in 30 seconds. I don't get why she cackles manically while doing it though. It's kinda freaky...
And Whitecastle? What do they get out of brainwashing my kid? I don't know, but they must have put something in their commericals, cause every...stinkin'...time my kiddo sees that commercial, she stops and is mesmerized...Mind you, she hates, hates, hates, hamburgers. I would understand Mattel, sell those Barbies to my little growing mind wrapped in a cute body, but sliders?!?!
I guess they are just getting her set up for being a consumer later in life when she needs to buy a tractor, overalls to wear while riding it, and needs some food to eat while plowing the back 40...
Thursday, July 31, 2008
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
Multiple Choice Test
Ok, here's a brain teaser for anyone who has a kid or knows someone who has a kid:
Question 1: If said kid-owning person is coming to your house, do you tell them if you've changed "the plan" for the day?!
A. Yes
B. No
Question 2: If said kid coming with people isn't totally old enough to eat whatever gets put in front of them and/or order off of a menu, do you tell the parents of these new plans?
A. Yes
B. No
Question 3: If the change of plans means eating in instead of eating out, do you make something that said child can eat, or have kid-edible foods in the house?
A. Yes
B. No
Question 4: If the answer to above Question 3 is "no", do you tell said parents so they can have kid-food with them?!
A. Yes
B. No
Question 5: When parents say that the child is "totally cooked" and needs to get in the car for the hour and 45 minute drive home and take a nap, and that they have to leave "now" also so that they do not get stuck in rush hour, making it a 2.5 hour drive that over tired child will not tolerate, what do you do?
A. Kiss Kiss, love you much and kick them out the door
B. Start asking all kinds of questions about kiddo and making small talk while trying to make over tired child sit on (what is to her) strangers laps?
C. Tell them to put her in the p 'n p upstairs?
Question 6: When you have heard at that meal that child doesn't drink milk, but don't know why, what is best to feed the kid when the mama turns her back for 8.3 seconds?
A. Cookies
B. Ice Cream
C. Pasta
D. Nothing, of course
Question 7: If you are the person who is cooking the "party food", and you know a small child (and you've had 5 yourself and 8 grandkids), is coming, what time do you plan to eat:
A. 1pm, as they arrive, knowing parents had shown up at other house at noon, planning to go to a restaurant right away.
B. 1:45-2p, cause what's an hour-plus wait to a 15 month old?
C. 1:15, so I can say Hi before we sit down.
OK, tally up your score...
If you answered "B" to most or all of the above, you are related to my husband somehow. We don't know why he's not like you, but we appreciate it.
If you answered any of the other choices, be glad you aren't one of the crazies I call my in-laws.
Question 1: If said kid-owning person is coming to your house, do you tell them if you've changed "the plan" for the day?!
A. Yes
B. No
Question 2: If said kid coming with people isn't totally old enough to eat whatever gets put in front of them and/or order off of a menu, do you tell the parents of these new plans?
A. Yes
B. No
Question 3: If the change of plans means eating in instead of eating out, do you make something that said child can eat, or have kid-edible foods in the house?
A. Yes
B. No
Question 4: If the answer to above Question 3 is "no", do you tell said parents so they can have kid-food with them?!
A. Yes
B. No
Question 5: When parents say that the child is "totally cooked" and needs to get in the car for the hour and 45 minute drive home and take a nap, and that they have to leave "now" also so that they do not get stuck in rush hour, making it a 2.5 hour drive that over tired child will not tolerate, what do you do?
A. Kiss Kiss, love you much and kick them out the door
B. Start asking all kinds of questions about kiddo and making small talk while trying to make over tired child sit on (what is to her) strangers laps?
C. Tell them to put her in the p 'n p upstairs?
Question 6: When you have heard at that meal that child doesn't drink milk, but don't know why, what is best to feed the kid when the mama turns her back for 8.3 seconds?
A. Cookies
B. Ice Cream
C. Pasta
D. Nothing, of course
Question 7: If you are the person who is cooking the "party food", and you know a small child (and you've had 5 yourself and 8 grandkids), is coming, what time do you plan to eat:
A. 1pm, as they arrive, knowing parents had shown up at other house at noon, planning to go to a restaurant right away.
B. 1:45-2p, cause what's an hour-plus wait to a 15 month old?
C. 1:15, so I can say Hi before we sit down.
OK, tally up your score...
If you answered "B" to most or all of the above, you are related to my husband somehow. We don't know why he's not like you, but we appreciate it.
If you answered any of the other choices, be glad you aren't one of the crazies I call my in-laws.
Saturday, July 12, 2008
Jumping In With Both Feet
Hi all, it's been crazy around here lately. Too crazy to even be snarky and pretend to think I'm funny...I'll explain more later...
So, the scoop of it is, I'm good at research. I'm good at paperwork. Some days, my daughter even makes me feel like I'm a half-way decent mom...which got me to thinking...mostly in bed at night, lying awake, listening for any issues in the bedroom at the end of the hall...now what? Are we done? Is there a sibling for H? What is best for her? Undivided attention? Someone like her? And I've thought and I've researched and we've pondered.
And that pondering is very hard, when you consider that most programs put you out at least 24 months. And life shifts more than you know in the space of a week with a child that is moving, learning, attaching, evolving on a minute-by-minute basis.
How do you calculate life when you are looking at 2.5 years + and it involves a little 15 month old that is your world?
I've asked that for 4 months. And I have realized I can't calculate shit. That's the lesson I've learned best from my kid. All planning is out the window. We have to live by the seat of our pants, and do what our hearts tell us...
So, this week, we submitted an app to an agency to get in line in Taiwan. I've promised P that there will be no neurosis on my part, as we know that this wait is going to be over 2 years, (We don't want it any sooner!) unlike the crazy we got into with the wait for H. There will be no whining, analyzing, pondering, spreadsheets etc etc etc...
Moreso, I've promised myself that I can work my butt off, do what has to be done, invest my heart in it, and then walk away for 2 years. I can live my life with P and H, while we wait for A, in anticipation, but without gut-wrenching longing for the last little sweet giggle that will complete our family.
Go ahead. Laugh at that last statement. Just don't snort milk up your nose while you do it, ok? Then promise to peal me off the ceiling when I get all freaky, ok?
So, the scoop of it is, I'm good at research. I'm good at paperwork. Some days, my daughter even makes me feel like I'm a half-way decent mom...which got me to thinking...mostly in bed at night, lying awake, listening for any issues in the bedroom at the end of the hall...now what? Are we done? Is there a sibling for H? What is best for her? Undivided attention? Someone like her? And I've thought and I've researched and we've pondered.
And that pondering is very hard, when you consider that most programs put you out at least 24 months. And life shifts more than you know in the space of a week with a child that is moving, learning, attaching, evolving on a minute-by-minute basis.
How do you calculate life when you are looking at 2.5 years + and it involves a little 15 month old that is your world?
I've asked that for 4 months. And I have realized I can't calculate shit. That's the lesson I've learned best from my kid. All planning is out the window. We have to live by the seat of our pants, and do what our hearts tell us...
So, this week, we submitted an app to an agency to get in line in Taiwan. I've promised P that there will be no neurosis on my part, as we know that this wait is going to be over 2 years, (We don't want it any sooner!) unlike the crazy we got into with the wait for H. There will be no whining, analyzing, pondering, spreadsheets etc etc etc...
Moreso, I've promised myself that I can work my butt off, do what has to be done, invest my heart in it, and then walk away for 2 years. I can live my life with P and H, while we wait for A, in anticipation, but without gut-wrenching longing for the last little sweet giggle that will complete our family.
Go ahead. Laugh at that last statement. Just don't snort milk up your nose while you do it, ok? Then promise to peal me off the ceiling when I get all freaky, ok?
Wednesday, July 2, 2008
I Blame My Looks on Sleep Deprivation...
It's been a crazy couple of weeks here...more than I ever anticipated!
First off, the Friday before last, something freaked out H. I don't know what happened, but it did...Morning nap? Actually took one. It was fine, it was great. Visitor to house came over lunch. Put H down for nap afterwards, and she clawed me to the point that I had blood drawn. Nothing bad happened to her, I don't know why or if this was the catalyst...I don't know if it's the multi-molars coming in at once, or just baby's perogative. All I know is that since that point in time, sleep has been a scary time for H and a pain in the ass one for us. It has taken up to two hours to get her down...if at all. Our anniversary (ahhhh, now that we have a child, I see how far romance can fall!)? She woke at 4:10a and WOULD NOT go back to sleep. I cancelled my grandma daycare service, cause if we sat anywhere, we'd fall asleep. We still counted ourselves luckier than the 3:14a call she gave us a few days before.
She wakes and sobs hysterically, at the corner of her crib nearest the door. That's what she does if you try to take her in and sing a few of Baby's Top Ten and lay her down like we have done for the past 4 months, rub the tummy for a few seconds, kiss kiss and leave. The lip quivers, the tears flow...and the wail is a wail of abject fear. The only progress we've been able to make is that now we (P) can sit in the room, instead of touching her constantly until she sleeps.
This of course (it always does) happened the day before we left for vacation. We went to the ILs down South. All in all, not too bad...they were on their best behavior, though they think they can force a kid to play in the kiddie pool even if she's tired and doesn't want anything to do with it.
The classic IL story of the trip though was this one: we went to the beach club, and we were on the deck area and P and I were digging thru all the sherpa-up-Everest crap you have to bring with when you take a kid somewhere. My SIL (world's best aunt, as she sees herself, and she's right, don't you know?) picks H up, and whisks her down the stairs, across the sand, and shows MY daughter the ocean for the first time. Hello?!? Ummmm...lady that hasn't ever once emailed us to see how her niece is doing? You don't get to show my daughter her firsts....bitch. At least H rewarded her with an ear-splitting wail when she tried to dip her in the water!
The other thing they did was they insisted that we go with the ILs to a fancy schmantzy bar that has opened there for a drink while the SIL watched her for an hour. They did not get why I told them that even though H was ok with Auntie with us there, she had only known her for a day and a half. I was literally dragged out the door. I told Auntie that if she got upset for more than the few minutes seperation stuff to call us. The answer? There will be no reason to call you, I can handle whatever she dishes out....clueless witch. H did ok, but she clung to Auntie the whole time, which Auntie thought was cute. I pointed out this is what she did in China when she was handed to us and terrified. Sobered her up about this whole thing about 4%.
On to the good stuff...H is sooooo close to talking, it's scary. She walks around the house doing a Helen Keller baby impersonation...she knows now that everything has a name, so she goes around the house pointing or touching, and looking at us. She's enamored with flowers now, and balls. She's expanded her baby vocabulary by bounds in the last 3 days. And when she looks you in the eye, she's not a baby anymore. You can see the little girl she is too quickly becoming. We've got 3 molars in various stages of eruption, and the 4th about to pop. She even throws her diaper out for us now. Then gives us a high five.
It's the little triumphs in life, huh?
So, we've crossed another year milestone in putting up with each other thru whatever life hands us, and however it changes. We've seen the worst of some issues that H has handed us yet, and we've seen the amazing capacities of this child. I know we'll see worse yet, and I love the promise of the wonderful that we'll see too.
First off, the Friday before last, something freaked out H. I don't know what happened, but it did...Morning nap? Actually took one. It was fine, it was great. Visitor to house came over lunch. Put H down for nap afterwards, and she clawed me to the point that I had blood drawn. Nothing bad happened to her, I don't know why or if this was the catalyst...I don't know if it's the multi-molars coming in at once, or just baby's perogative. All I know is that since that point in time, sleep has been a scary time for H and a pain in the ass one for us. It has taken up to two hours to get her down...if at all. Our anniversary (ahhhh, now that we have a child, I see how far romance can fall!)? She woke at 4:10a and WOULD NOT go back to sleep. I cancelled my grandma daycare service, cause if we sat anywhere, we'd fall asleep. We still counted ourselves luckier than the 3:14a call she gave us a few days before.
She wakes and sobs hysterically, at the corner of her crib nearest the door. That's what she does if you try to take her in and sing a few of Baby's Top Ten and lay her down like we have done for the past 4 months, rub the tummy for a few seconds, kiss kiss and leave. The lip quivers, the tears flow...and the wail is a wail of abject fear. The only progress we've been able to make is that now we (P) can sit in the room, instead of touching her constantly until she sleeps.
This of course (it always does) happened the day before we left for vacation. We went to the ILs down South. All in all, not too bad...they were on their best behavior, though they think they can force a kid to play in the kiddie pool even if she's tired and doesn't want anything to do with it.
The classic IL story of the trip though was this one: we went to the beach club, and we were on the deck area and P and I were digging thru all the sherpa-up-Everest crap you have to bring with when you take a kid somewhere. My SIL (world's best aunt, as she sees herself, and she's right, don't you know?) picks H up, and whisks her down the stairs, across the sand, and shows MY daughter the ocean for the first time. Hello?!? Ummmm...lady that hasn't ever once emailed us to see how her niece is doing? You don't get to show my daughter her firsts....bitch. At least H rewarded her with an ear-splitting wail when she tried to dip her in the water!
The other thing they did was they insisted that we go with the ILs to a fancy schmantzy bar that has opened there for a drink while the SIL watched her for an hour. They did not get why I told them that even though H was ok with Auntie with us there, she had only known her for a day and a half. I was literally dragged out the door. I told Auntie that if she got upset for more than the few minutes seperation stuff to call us. The answer? There will be no reason to call you, I can handle whatever she dishes out....clueless witch. H did ok, but she clung to Auntie the whole time, which Auntie thought was cute. I pointed out this is what she did in China when she was handed to us and terrified. Sobered her up about this whole thing about 4%.
On to the good stuff...H is sooooo close to talking, it's scary. She walks around the house doing a Helen Keller baby impersonation...she knows now that everything has a name, so she goes around the house pointing or touching, and looking at us. She's enamored with flowers now, and balls. She's expanded her baby vocabulary by bounds in the last 3 days. And when she looks you in the eye, she's not a baby anymore. You can see the little girl she is too quickly becoming. We've got 3 molars in various stages of eruption, and the 4th about to pop. She even throws her diaper out for us now. Then gives us a high five.
It's the little triumphs in life, huh?
So, we've crossed another year milestone in putting up with each other thru whatever life hands us, and however it changes. We've seen the worst of some issues that H has handed us yet, and we've seen the amazing capacities of this child. I know we'll see worse yet, and I love the promise of the wonderful that we'll see too.
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
The Big "R" That's Out There...
So, somehow I was thinking about Barack Obama and H last night, as I waited to drift off to bed...I think H started me thinking about him, but I'm not sure...this is a bit rambling, and I'm sure to piss someone off, but, oh well...
I looked in on H last night (I think this brought my political thinking to my conscious mind, but I could be wrong), and I was thinking of the pics that we got from a photographer yesterday (we had photos done at a park this weekend.) So, I look in on H as she's sleeping, and, for lack of a better term, with how she was lying, and the light, she *looked Chinese.* I don't know, I just don't look at her and think of her Chinese-ness. It's not far from my thoughts, but I don't know, I don't see it when I look at her, because I see all the things that make her H (and I know, that's a big part of her) before that. I think of the dimple she gets and the nose crunch when she giggles hysterically. I think of her perchant for taking food she's done with, holding it out at arms length over the side of the highchair, and looking me straight in the eye, before she drops it to the hungry kitties below, with a defiant look. I think of the sweet baby "buh" she says when she waves now. But I was struck by her classic Chinese beauty last night. And I realized that this is what people see when they first see her in my pasty pale, Franco-German arms.
I think I thought of this because my mom, in all her good qualities, notices race way too much many times. So, we were going thru the photos, and she would say something like "she looks sooo Chinese here, don't know if you want that or not." I guess because she doesn't have the super-open baby eeyes anymore?!?! I don't know. It's weird, cause she adores...simply lives, for this kid. I guess it's when she's not engaged, for example, a picture, it's really easy for her to forget that there are real people behind the images, that are so much more than what they present in two dimensional space. Anyways, I guess it was on my mind.
And me, being me, started drifting my mind to the looming presidential race, cause, I am by nature, a political beast. I love politics (well, in a hating it kinda way), history, geo-politics etc...and I've had some discussions with people about the First Black Serious Candidate and the First Woman Serious Candidate...
At the time, I said to friends, I didn't get why, because I have boobs, I had to support Clinton...and I didn't get why anyone had to support any certain candidate because you can play "what's the same" with their picture and yours...
Isn't that the point of Civil Rights? Of Equal Rights? That it didn't matter what color, sex, political or religious beliefs you held? The best person for the job? It seems to me, that if I supported Clinton because I was a woman and she was a woman, I'd be doing the exact opposite of what I believe in...I'd be picking her because she is like me, not because of what she stands for...the ambiguous "we" don't like when we don't get chosen because of who "we" are, so why should it be done the other way around?
And if someone (well, a lot of those people in WV and KY said it to be broadcast for the world) said "I'm going to vote for Clinton or McCain cause they are white", all hell would break loose. Really, Clinton was pandering to the blue-collar whites. She uses the "w" word in a lot of her speeches..."hard working white people."
Does that give anyone else shivers that this is acceptable?
No. We cannot live in a world where race/gender/religion whatever is ignored. It's a part of who each and everyone of us is. But it at the same time isn't us. It's a piece. Sometimes big, sometimes small. And that's what makes everyone queasy...lots of people want a black and white (har, har) answer...yes, we either pin everything on it, or we HAVE to pretend it doesn't exist. No inbetween.
Ironically, in cases where race and gender (Affirmative Action and equality stances), they aren't talking about it. This is a case where Barack Obama as a minority male should be speaking as an educated person with a different viewpoint. Clinton should also be, as a female who wants to go where she percieves other females have not been welcome. It shouldn't be their complete campaigns, but these are issues facing our country. And it's like they are not being talked about on purpose...all those talking heads out there on all those 24 hour news networks? They never once thought to ask what Obama thinks of affirmative action? (Maybe they have, I haven't seen it.) Or what Clinton thinks about the disparity of pay to females vs males for the same job? This is when it does matter...to know what these people think. But, the talking heads shun it, cause it's bad to point it out when it matters.
Just like I won't pick out a picture because it makes H look Chinese, or she doesn't look "as Chinese" (what that supposedly means, that's another discussion...). I'll pick a picture that shows the most of H. It'll be in her eyes, and how she carries herself, that look of her soul using her body to show the world who she is. And that's all colored by the body she's in, and the eyes she's using to see the world, but it isn't just those eyes and that skin that is darker than mine.
And I'll pick a presidential candidate that shows me how he will run this country based on who he is, shining thru his eyes, and expressed in his actions. And someday, maybe I'll have to put an "s" on that pronoun, but I don't cry that it's not this year, cause there's so much more that matters than what's between the persons' legs, and what color it is.
How's that for random ramblings?
I looked in on H last night (I think this brought my political thinking to my conscious mind, but I could be wrong), and I was thinking of the pics that we got from a photographer yesterday (we had photos done at a park this weekend.) So, I look in on H as she's sleeping, and, for lack of a better term, with how she was lying, and the light, she *looked Chinese.* I don't know, I just don't look at her and think of her Chinese-ness. It's not far from my thoughts, but I don't know, I don't see it when I look at her, because I see all the things that make her H (and I know, that's a big part of her) before that. I think of the dimple she gets and the nose crunch when she giggles hysterically. I think of her perchant for taking food she's done with, holding it out at arms length over the side of the highchair, and looking me straight in the eye, before she drops it to the hungry kitties below, with a defiant look. I think of the sweet baby "buh" she says when she waves now. But I was struck by her classic Chinese beauty last night. And I realized that this is what people see when they first see her in my pasty pale, Franco-German arms.
I think I thought of this because my mom, in all her good qualities, notices race way too much many times. So, we were going thru the photos, and she would say something like "she looks sooo Chinese here, don't know if you want that or not." I guess because she doesn't have the super-open baby eeyes anymore?!?! I don't know. It's weird, cause she adores...simply lives, for this kid. I guess it's when she's not engaged, for example, a picture, it's really easy for her to forget that there are real people behind the images, that are so much more than what they present in two dimensional space. Anyways, I guess it was on my mind.
And me, being me, started drifting my mind to the looming presidential race, cause, I am by nature, a political beast. I love politics (well, in a hating it kinda way), history, geo-politics etc...and I've had some discussions with people about the First Black Serious Candidate and the First Woman Serious Candidate...
At the time, I said to friends, I didn't get why, because I have boobs, I had to support Clinton...and I didn't get why anyone had to support any certain candidate because you can play "what's the same" with their picture and yours...
Isn't that the point of Civil Rights? Of Equal Rights? That it didn't matter what color, sex, political or religious beliefs you held? The best person for the job? It seems to me, that if I supported Clinton because I was a woman and she was a woman, I'd be doing the exact opposite of what I believe in...I'd be picking her because she is like me, not because of what she stands for...the ambiguous "we" don't like when we don't get chosen because of who "we" are, so why should it be done the other way around?
And if someone (well, a lot of those people in WV and KY said it to be broadcast for the world) said "I'm going to vote for Clinton or McCain cause they are white", all hell would break loose. Really, Clinton was pandering to the blue-collar whites. She uses the "w" word in a lot of her speeches..."hard working white people."
Does that give anyone else shivers that this is acceptable?
No. We cannot live in a world where race/gender/religion whatever is ignored. It's a part of who each and everyone of us is. But it at the same time isn't us. It's a piece. Sometimes big, sometimes small. And that's what makes everyone queasy...lots of people want a black and white (har, har) answer...yes, we either pin everything on it, or we HAVE to pretend it doesn't exist. No inbetween.
Ironically, in cases where race and gender (Affirmative Action and equality stances), they aren't talking about it. This is a case where Barack Obama as a minority male should be speaking as an educated person with a different viewpoint. Clinton should also be, as a female who wants to go where she percieves other females have not been welcome. It shouldn't be their complete campaigns, but these are issues facing our country. And it's like they are not being talked about on purpose...all those talking heads out there on all those 24 hour news networks? They never once thought to ask what Obama thinks of affirmative action? (Maybe they have, I haven't seen it.) Or what Clinton thinks about the disparity of pay to females vs males for the same job? This is when it does matter...to know what these people think. But, the talking heads shun it, cause it's bad to point it out when it matters.
Just like I won't pick out a picture because it makes H look Chinese, or she doesn't look "as Chinese" (what that supposedly means, that's another discussion...). I'll pick a picture that shows the most of H. It'll be in her eyes, and how she carries herself, that look of her soul using her body to show the world who she is. And that's all colored by the body she's in, and the eyes she's using to see the world, but it isn't just those eyes and that skin that is darker than mine.
And I'll pick a presidential candidate that shows me how he will run this country based on who he is, shining thru his eyes, and expressed in his actions. And someday, maybe I'll have to put an "s" on that pronoun, but I don't cry that it's not this year, cause there's so much more that matters than what's between the persons' legs, and what color it is.
How's that for random ramblings?
Friday, June 6, 2008
Thank God It Was A Diaper Under There
Sigh...
Why am I flashing forward about 15 years to when it's not a Huggies under there? (Not that my kid is ever, ever, ever getting a thong) BTW, she walked around like this for a good 15 minutes before she'd let me get my hands on that waistband...
Thursday, June 5, 2008
Cheerio Haiku #1
In honor of the lowly cheerio that has been raised to the venerated status of "must have on tray at all times otherwise a hissy of biblical proportions will be thrown", a Haiku, what I personally view as one of the most lowly poetry formats.
crunchy cardboard-y
irregular mass-made "o"
please please more right now
I've lost it folks, admit it.
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