Bad Songs

So the other day I came across this blog post about 10 songs kids love, but shouldn't.

Here's the list (in case you don't want to check out the link).
1. Starships by Nicki Minaj
2. Can You Blow my Whistle by Flo Rida
3. Tik Tok by Ke$ha
4. Party Rock Anthem by LMFAO
5. Wild Ones by Flo Rida
6. Single Runaway by Kanye West
7. Glad You Came by Wanted
8. Somebody That I Used to Know by Goyte
9. Domino by Jesse J
10. Scream by Usher

Here's what I have to say (like you, or anyone else cares, but that's why I have a blog).

1. Why is anyone listening to Nicki Minaj? This is a serious question.

2. Anyone who lets their children list to FLO RIDA needs parenting classes STAT. Are you freaking kidding me? Flo Rida? Of *course* he's on the list twice. Just give him one spot for "all songs" and free up some space, will ya?

3. Yeah, that song is pretty bad. Some of her songs are less bad, but Ke$ha is one naughty young lady and most of her songs are pretty inappropriate for kids.

4. I've heard a rumor there's a "clean" version of this song. I need to find it because (and I only slightly hesitate to admit this), I kinda like LMFAO.

5. See #2 - this second Flo Rida spot could have been taken up with Lady Gaga's "Love Games". I don't want Penelope to sing about taking a ride on a dildo stick, pleaseandthankyou.

6. I haven't heard this song, so I'm assuming she's right about this one. But it's Kanye West, when has he EVER been known to be appropriate for kids?

7. "Glad You Came" should not be on the list. You know what should? "Last Friday Night" by Katy Perry. Have you listened to the lyrics? It glorifies substance abuses, causal sex, and being a f*cking twit.

Don't get me wrong. I let my kids listen to Katy Perry - but not her entire lexicon. Her songs are catchy and it's 1 million times better than that horrible Kidz Bop crap (if you buy Kidz Bop and are my friend then let it be known that you are dead to me. I can be friends with Republicans, the religious, Bears fans, and even the odd Dodgers fan. But not someone who profanes the ears of their children with Kidz Bop).

The point is? I would much, much, much rather my children listen to "Glad You Came", thinking the drink he's handing her is juice or milk than have my kids know the words to Perry's "Last Friday Night."

8. Here's another one that doesn't deserve the list. The blogger calls it stalker-ish. I think she needs to listen to The Police's "Every Breath You Take". Because *that* is what a stalker song sounds like. Not Goyte's break-up anthem.

9. Who is Jesse J and why do her parents let her dress like a hooker? How old is she? 12?

10. Yeah, parents who let their kids listen to this song need some classes. There are Usher songs that are ok, so it's not an Usher thing, just a this-song-thing.

I remember when I was a kid, we used to listen to George Michael's "I Want Your Sex" & Elton John's "The B*tch is Back" - only my parents would change the lyrics as we sang in the car. Neither my brother or I turned out too badly.

I get not wanting to listen to Yo-Gabba-Gabba & The Fresh Beat Band all day (especially The Fresh Beat Band). And I *especially* get not wanting to subject yourself to the drivel of Kidz Bop (see #7). So listen to original works - listen to pop, rock, country, R&B, bluegrass, gospel, even rap. Listen away. Expose your kids to a little bit of everything - just not Flo Rida. Please.

And change the channel. Because they may just be songs. And you may not think it matters - but kids absorb a lot. We communicate social norms, values, and behaviors through song. We've done so since humanity was born. We should all just be a little more aware of what are kids are absorbing...

This or That - part II

I have always wanted a big family. Not Duggar family big, but larger than 2 kids. When I was a kid, I used to dream about buying a huge house and adopting children with AIDS and then showering them with love until they passed - when I was growing up AIDS was still a death sentence. Aannnnnddd I was also a smidge naive.

I no longer harbor a desire to foster a huge house of children - maybe when I retire :) But there is still a part of me that very much wants to adopt.

I think it's no secret that I didn't really enjoy pregnancy. Even though I had very easy pregnancies, they weren't exactly the most enjoyable 80 weeks of my life. Don't get me wrong, parts of pregnancy are pleasant. But nausea, back pain, kicks in the ribs, kicks in the bladder, and feeling like a beached whale aren't my favorite pregnancy memories.

I've also just gotten my body (mostly) back. No child is nursing, I've lost the bulk of my baby weight, and my hips have *sort* of returned to where they used to be. I will never have the same skin elasticity in some places like I used to, and my hips may never return to pre-baby width, getting back to pre-pregnancy weight was difficult. Do I want to do that again? I mean, the kids are worth it, but I did just get a new wardrobe of size 8 dresses...

Even though pregnancy and all its associated "body modifications" aren't really that enjoyable, delivery is. Yes, this makes me odd. But I loved labor. It was difficult. It was painful. It was amazing. And there's a part of me that would love to experience that again.

It would also be nice to actually plan a pregnancy. Neither Penelope nor Griffin were planned (PSA: birth control is not 100% effective). We've never experienced all various stages of planning. The anticipation, excitement... although I imagine that the adoption process would be full of these emotions - and more :)

The thought of never adopting makes my heart heavy. And the thought of never giving birth again makes me sad as well. And again, we don't have to make this decision today. We don't even have to make this decision this year. But I think about this a lot and it's nice to get this all out.

I do have another post planned but may not have time this week. Next week I start work in earnest and the week after I get my students. Not much time left of this summer vacation. I am looking forward to being back in the classroom, but cheese-and-crackers I have a lot of work to do in the meantime!

This or That?

This post is a long-time coming. In fact, I started talking about it these posts and then left the topic for, what, almost a year?

Well, it's time to revisit the adoption topic and add a bit of a twist. It's been (mostly) decided that we want child #3, the question that remains is - how?

When I say mostly it's because Bryan still has a few reservations about adding another to the brood. One more child means a bigger car (can't fit 3 car seats into the RAV4), a bigger house (can't adopt while we live in this house, and 3 kids sharing one room is a bit much), and the other financial concerns. His concerns are valid, and someone has to be thinking about practicality (not that I'm impractical, but I do think about this topic with a little more emotion than reason).

But he knows how much I want a larger family and he's willing to compromise - I wanted 4.

We're not in a place to either get pregnant or adopt at this very moment... that will probably happen next year. But I can't stop thinking about it. And I need a place to record my thoughts, which is why I have a blog - n'est-ce pas?

So, here's what I have rambling around in my brain.

Age Differences

If we were to have another baby, the very earliest that I could give birth would be when Griffin is 4 and Penelope is almost 5.5. The gap in age isn't huge, but nonetheless, I do have a few reservations about such a gap...

My brother and I are 5 years apart and we only really became close when we were both adults. Not to say that we didn't have a good relationship as children, because we (mostly) did. We didn't fight excessively and we generally got along - but we were always at very two different stages in our social/emotional development. When I moved away, my brother was just about to start high school - and while I would see him on holidays, birthdays, or summers, I didn't spend a lot of time with him during his high school years. We reconnected after that - he was my Man of Honor in my wedding - and we're close now (not weekly phone call close, but still close). I love my brother, and I know he loves me. But I do wish that we had been closer during that time period when everyone really needs a big brother/big sister - even if they do have awesome parents.

So the thought of having a child that many years removed from P&G makes me pause. I know that there's a lot more to sibling bonding than age difference. Even children born close together - or even twins - aren't guaranteed to be close all their lives. Relationships have natural ebbs and flows. Regardless, I can't force any of my children to have close relationships - and even if we have a child much younger than the first two, Bryan and I can still help foster a close relationships between the kids.

Even with that said, adoption means that we might be able to find a child whose closer in age to P&G - one that is a year or two younger than Griffin. Because even though age difference doesn't dictate sibling relationship, it certainly can't hurt.

Another age related benefit of adoption is that we don't have to go through that horrific newborn period again. I love my children, but newborns aren't a whole lot of fun. Night wakings, constant eating and pooping, and later - teething. Ugh.

Granted, newborns have positives. The newborn smell, for one. Snuggling is another plus.

But toddlers snuggle too.

Time

Having another child puts us on a rather predictable timeline. Unless we struggle with fertility, we have a fair amount of control about when our family expands.

Adoption is a bit more nebulous. After the classes/home studies are completed we try and find a match and then go through a process - visits, overnights, check ins, the move in - and then the date when the adoption is final. Each stage could potentially be road blocked and so things are a little less certain (although it's not like pregnancy and childbirth are without roadblocks). If we find a child and something falls through - then the disappointment or grief that might come with that is something we have to process as a family.

And yet - pregnancy and birth is not without risk. There's no guarantee that we won't have to deal with disappointment and grief if we decide to try for another baby.

There's more - a lot more - that's been rolling around in my head. But it's late and I'm (finally) tired. More to come, I assure you.

What to teach your children

My last post got me to thinking about what the most important ideals or habits parents instill in their children. Is it more important to teach them to pick up after themselves or to appreciate art? Do they need to be good readers or good listeners? Is oral hygiene more or less important than learning how to fix a flat tire?

There are a lot of things parents teach their children - some we teach explicitly (like how to fold a towel, because if you don't teach that then your children grow up to be like my husband and fold them into squares that don't fit in a linen closet) - and there's a lot that we teach through modeling (usually behaviors & communication, although that can be taught explicitly as well).

If I had to boil it down to a top 10 list, there's a lot of important things that would get cut... BUT since I enjoy making lists and because I have some time to kill, here's what I consider the TOP TEN things parents should teach their children.

1. Love to read... parents need to instill a love of reading into their children. Even if that parent hates reading. Why? Because reading is linked to improved academic performance as well as a host of other benefits. Children who can read well will do well in school, they improve their vocabularies, they become more logical thinkers, they have an easier time mastering language, they cure cancer and AIDS and bring world peace.

Ok, so that last one may have been a slight exaggeration. But I will bet you that the person or people who DO end up curing cancer and AIDS or who bring about world peace WILL BE fluent readers. So it's only slightly hyperbolic.

2. Be self sufficient... Alright, I admit that this one is broad and can encompass a lot. What I mean is that kids need to be able to balance a checkbook, clean a toilet, do laundry, and cook something other than microwave dinners. You can add change a tire into this one if you'd like, but I have AAA and while I know *how* to change a tire, it is not a skill that trumps cooking. Not being able to change a tire isn't going to kill me (although I may be extremely inconvenienced), a lifetime of snack foods and HungryMan meals will.

Which brings me to...

3. Healthy eating habits... I certainly don't expect any parent to withhold treats from their children. That's just crazy. But parents do need to expose their children to a variety of foods - especially fruits and vegetables - and parents need to explicitly teach their children what the word "moderation" means. I've seen WAY too many teenagers show up for 1st period with a Monster and Hot Cheetos only to see them out at lunch with a sugary sports drink and another bag of Hot Cheetos. Hot Cheetos are not the devil, but they're not a food group. 90% of the kids I see eat horrific things at lunch are overweight. It's not a coincidence.

There is a time and a place for junk food. That time is not every day. And for heaven's sake that place IS NOT SCHOOL. Your brain is supposed to be working during the school day and yet students feed it crap and wonder why they didn't do so well on their test. Gah!

4. If you can't say anything nice... I was going to put "be nice" but that's just unrealistic. Some people are just not nice people - but they can fake it! Really, kids just need to learn appropriate filters. They can say some things in front of their friends or peers that are not appropriate in the classroom, or at Thanksgiving dinner. If they learn it as children and teenagers, then they can apply it in the workplace.  There are some things you just should NOT say in front of your boss. There are some conversations that are best left out of the office... I'm guilty of this sometimes myself - no one is perfect at it - but if you can teach your kids to think before they speak, they'll be one up on everyone else who tells everyone at work about how drunk and stupid they got last night at the bar.

5. It's ok to be gay. Or straight. Or in theater. Or in mathletes... Athletes have value. Valedictorians have value. Homosexuals have value. Heterosexuals have value. Artists have value. Engineers have value. Gamers have value. Bookworms have value. People with disabilities have value. Homeless people have value. I could go on. No one is more deserving of rights than anyone else. My rights do not trump the rights of the homeless person sleeping on the library grass down the block...

And for goodness sake, corporations are not people.

6. Brush your teeth!... Maybe it's just because we took the kids to the dentist. Or maybe it's because the last time we were at the play-place at the mall 99% of the 10 & under crowd had visible fillings and crowns - but oh mylanta! Brush your d@mn teeth! Twice a day! With toothpaste! Flossing is good, and I know all dentists will recommend daily flossing, but as I am not a dentist nor am I a regular flosser, I'm just going to advocate for twice daily brushing. Hopefully P & G will get into the flossing habit as well, I'll try. But I will sure as hell make sure they brush every morning and every night. Anything less is just plain GROSS.

7. Teach them about their bodies.. It's called a penis. And the other one is a vagina. Use nicknames if you must, but teach them the real names for things as well. Teach your daughters what menstruation really means, teach her about ovulation, and cervical mucous, and how to tell when you're fertile. Teach her how to give herself a monthly breast exam (or make sure her Ped teaches her). Teach your sons about related boy-stuff. Teach them about condoms, and STDs, and birth control pills. Answer their questions. If you want, tell them sex is for marriage - but don't skimp out on real and genuine sex education just because you want them to wait. Married people need to know this stuff too.

8. VOTE... Because it's your civic duty and if you don't vote then you have to right to complain. Also? Teach your kids to respect jury duty. Yeah, it can suck - but it's an important part of our judicial process.

9. Disagree civilly... This one is HARD. I mean, few of these are really easy. But this is arguably the most difficult, in part because we have such a hard time with it ourselves. It's so much easier to degrade and deride - especially when we argue against things that are just.so.stupid (birthers anyone?). But when we get too heated - regardless of how right we are - things rarely end well. Umpires get verbally abused, baseball fans are beaten to the brink of death, people are called Nazis and their likeness is burned in effigy, hate mail is sent and received, Congress does jack-s**t for 4 years, etc.

And while we teach this lesson to our kids - we'll make mistakes. We will mess up. We will be WRONG. And so...

10. Admit fault... Our kids need to know when to say "mea culpa". And they need to learn this from us. It's hard to admit to your toddler (or teenager I'd wager) that you screwed up. You want to protect that facade of infallibility because you believe that it's the source of your authority - your parental power node. Only it's not. In part because your kids aren't stupid - they'll know what you mess up. And the most powerful lesson you can teach them about personal responsibility and leadership is to say "my bad" and then fix it if you can.

**edited to add: I forgot manners! How could I?! Manners are so, so important. But what do I replace? Voting? Teeth brushing? Maybe manners fits in to the "if you can't say anything nice category. What do you think blog world?

Annoyances

Lately everything seems to annoy me. I don't know if women go through a hormonal shift 1 year after baby (since I was pregnant when Penny turned a year) so maybe that explains it. I know you go through one at weaning, but we're still nursing...

Anyway, this means that I have compiled a list of small things that really, really annoy me. At least they really annoy me lately. They're annoying in general, but a few times I've had to stop myself from saying something to these offending people.

1. People who call chimpanzees "monkeys". Look, I know Curious George has us all thinking that monkeys are tail-less and often walk around on two legs, but let me set you straight dear readers. Curious George is not a monkey and neither are chimpanzees. Chimps and monkeys are primates, but chimps are apes (as are gorillas) and if ONE more person at the zoo tells their impressionable young child to "look at that monkey! He's eating an onion" then I will verbally berate them for being an idiot. Plus? That chimp is actually A GIRL. If you LOOK it's not that hard to tell. Fricking morons.

2. Girl children wearing stripper clothing is not sexy, it's disturbing. They'll turn into sexual beings eventually, but putting your toddler in hot pants and a tube top makes you a shitty parent. Period. End of story. Hell, allowing your 7 year old to wear short shorts with "Juicy" written across the back is just as awful.

3. When it is sprinkling your windshield wipers do not have to be on "ludicrous" speed. They have speed settings for a reason. You look like an idiot. Stop it.

4. When you enter a freeway via on-ramp you're supposed to speed up you *&^%& jackwagon. It is not appropriate to enter traffic going 35 mph. This will earn you a stare of death as we pass. And what is it lately with the middle aged, chubby, balding, white guys in convertibles driving 50mph on the freeway? Seriously dude, your precious mid-life-crisis-mobile will not explode if you go over 55. There is not a bomb on it. Go the d*mn speed limit.

5. Mosquitoes. I hate you.

6. Do dog farts have to be that smelly? WTH did the dog EAT?

7. People who talk loudly about their sex lives at brunch. Look, I know it's an outdoor cafe, and you're having multiple glasses of wine at 11:30am, and you're out with your bestest gay friend, but I don't give a crap about your sex life and I'd rather not hear about it while I'm trying to enjoy my overpriced salad. Thanks.

That's it. For now.

Some Truths

1. One year olds are crap at folding laundry. They also suck at loading the dishwasher. In fact, they're pretty much useless when it comes to housework.

2. Two year olds are crap at folding laundry, but at least they're genuinely trying to help. Two year olds are only slightly better than one year olds at loading the dishwasher, although they not bad at unloading the dishwasher. Although, to be fair, Griffin is pretty good at unloading the silverware compartment, only he just throws the utensils on the floor. Fail.

3. Babies come hardwired to love remote controls. I have no idea why. They are also able to figure out how to change channels, turn on x-boxes, mute the TV, and navigate Netflix on the Wii, and call or text everyone in your contact list... but they can't figure out how to go to the bathroom in the toilet. They're savants I guess.

4. Younger siblings are the only reason why older siblings eat anything. "Hey, Bubba likes it!" is sometimes the only way to get Penelope to eat dinner.

5. No matter how short of a trip you're taking to the grocery store, it is inevitable that someone will desperately need a diaper change or a snack. Probably both. You will, at some point, find yourself in the checkout line in Safeway covered in urine and snot because your child just peed ten gallons and is crying for goldfish.

6. The loudest toy is always the favorite.

7. Toymakers are assholes.

8. The day you decide your toddler is able to make it through a day without a change of clothes is the day she discovers mud, has diarrhea, or both.

9. Snack cups are possessed by evil spirits and they will deliberately hide themselves and/or run away in pairs.

10. Some days, bedtime will be the most glorious moment of your day.

Re-thinking Easter

Before Penelope was born I told Bryan "The Easter Bunny or Santa Claus", meaning that I would only consent to celebrate one holiday involving a deity in which I didn't believe. I was only going to lie to my children about one magical creature. He chose Santa so we haven't ever "celebrated" Easter.

I may be changing my mind.

First off, I never understood why someone would celebrate a holiday if they weren't going to celebrate the religious aspects. The purpose behind Christmas and Easter is a Christian purpose, isn't it? Yes, the timing of the holidays was co-opted and originally belonged to the pagans (of multiple varieties) but the current incarnations of the holidays revolve around Jesus. And I don't believe Jesus (if he existed) was the son of god, so why on Earth would I celebrate the holidays revolving around his mythology?

But then I started to talking to some other Atheist moms and they had some very good points. One of which is that modern celebrations are generally secular, the icons are originally pagan (x-mas tree, eggs, etc), and celebrating the change in the seasons is a valid reason to gorge yourself on candy. Ok, so the last reasons isn't that compelling, but it was a reason mentioned. It was also pointed out to me that celebrating these holidays would be an excellent teaching opportunity - I could explain to the kids the origins of the traditions, discuss who celebrates what and why, and get them to think about diversity.

Of course, should we celebrate Easter this year there won't be much discussion or debate, but as the kids get older it would be yet another way for me to expose my children to diversity of belief, traditions, and begin conversations about the evolution of thought, religion, and culture.

And yes, I DO manage to take all the fun out of everything.

Giving Thanks

So this year has been rough. We've had a lot of stress and change - some of it has been good, but a lot of it has been pretty crappy. I haven't gone into all of it on the blog simply because I don't wish to share all of our lives with the interwebs, just a portion. But even though this year has been more than a little bumpy, we still have a LOT to be thankful for.

Every day I try and remind myself of at least one thing I am thankful for, even if it's something as simple as a hot shower. On really rough days it helps get me through. As the year draws to a close, fewer days in the week are rough ones, but I'm still trying to stay in the habit of recognizing and appreciating the everyday things we generally take for granted. It helps my mood and it helps put everything into perspective. After all, we could be living in Haiti and dealing with a Cholera epidemic.

So here are some of the things that I am really thankful for...some are big and some are small, but they all make my life that much better.

Bryan and the kids
Of course they're on the top of my list! We all drive each other crazy. Really crazy. But we love each other more than we irritate each other, and really, what more can you ask for? I'm thankful for having a partner who shares all the responsibilities of parenthood with me. I'm thankful he always takes out the garbage, that he gets up with Griffin at 1am, that he only snores half the week ;) I'm thankful that Penelope has adjusted well to being a big sister, that she rarely throws tantrums, that she is polite and sweet, that she loves books as much as I do. I'm thankful that Griffin and I are still nursing a little at night, that he is so happy, and that he has the best goofy grin ever. I'm thankful that we're all healthy (and that the kids have insurance).

My parents
We really couldn't survive without my parents. I'm not exaggerating. Between childcare and emotional support, they're always there for us and we really and truly appreciate it. They've made it possible for me to finish my degree and student teaching, for Bryan to go back to school, for us to *not* lose our minds. I don't know how people raise families without my parents. Really, I don't.

My December 08 Moms
Some of you know this, but some don't... when Poe was born I "met" a group of women with similar due dates on a site called BabyCenter. When they switched formats, a small group of us broke off and started our own support board. Over 2 years later it's still going strong. We've celebrated milestones, grieved over losses, argued (well, rarely), laughed, shared... they've been absolutely wonderful and I have leaned on them so much this year. I love those ladies!

My MSN Moms
My other support group has been my IRL moms - most of whom I met through MSN. Now that MSN is gone (well, gone-ish) we've moved activities to people's houses instead of the center, but we are all still close. They're a wonderful group of women (and men!) who are always there if I need them, and vice versa. Kim watches the kids once a week, we meet on occasional weekends for playdates, we spend holidays (Halloween!) together, celebrate birthdays, bring each other meals, have girls night out, go out for ice cream, stay up late on the phone, sew diapers... next year I think we might get all of our kids on the same toddler soccer team! I love my extended family.

Coffee
You may think I'm being flippant, but I really don't think I'd be sane at this point in the year without coffee. Between 5:30am wake-ups, to night nursing marathons, to stress-based insomnia, coffee has been my friend. It helps make me tolerable in the mornings, and I'm sure my 1st period class appreciates it.

Mira Loma
I'm lucky to have been placed at ML... and lucky to be working with some great teachers. All of my Mentor teachers have taught me quite a few things about teaching - I've gotten ideas on management, curriculum, planning, grading, and even life.

Our house
We have a roof over our heads. The kids sleep in their own beds. We are very lucky. I don't LOVE this house, but I am very thankful for it.

YOU
Last, but not least, is you dear blog reader. If you've taken the time to read this then I thank you. You may not always comment, but I know you read - and the fact that you care enough to take a few minutes to read the drivel I write is very much appreciated.

There are a lot more things I have to be thankful for. I could write a book - but no one would read it and I don't have time to write a book anyway.

I hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving. I hope your holiday season is full of joy and love. And I hope next year is better than this year.

A general update

It's been awhile since I posted (yes? I can't remember and am too lazy to check).

Anyway, things have been hectic. Bryan's schedule will soon include school (in addition to softball, soccer, and room remodeling... and work), and I have a lot of classwork, exams, cooking, and nesting to do before April. The most urgent things on my list are classwork and exams, two weeks left of this course (equals four assignments) and two TPAs to complete (which are basically just really LONG assignments). They need to be finished before I deliver since getting them accomplished with a newborn will make life so much harder.

But it's not going to be easy to get everything done before baby gets here. Not by a long shot.

So I've been feeling very overwhelmed lately... as in weepy. Saturday afternoon I lost it after Pen and I came home from the grocery store. Bryan wasn't able to get out of his obligation to play a tournament to come home, but my parents were able to make it over to entertain the baby so I could piece myself back together. It wasn't pretty. Although I did realize that I need to ask for help, so I'm trying to get better about that. It's not easy - I'm one of those people who enjoys a little bit of stress. But this stress is really just too much. Here's a list of things that I need to do before April 15th:

*Finish coursework for TED 666 (the class I'm currently enrolled in, which ends 3/27)
*Finish TPA 1
*Finish TPA 2
*Get birthing kit together
*Start/finish the owl project for Penny's room (a sewing project)
*Cook at least a week's worth of food and freeze it (preferably 2 weeks, but that's a stretch)
*Stock up on groceries
*Clean the bathrooms
*Put Penny's new room together (once Bryan is done)
*Clean closet and rearrange master bedroom (so the birthing tub will fit)
*Clean the rest of the house (lower on my priority list since cleaning gives me some pretty lovely contractions)
*Set up automatic bill pay so our bills get paid on time no matter when I go into labor

There's probably more, but this is all I can remember off the top of my head.

Bryan's list is equally extensive - he's got a lot on his plate as well.

Suffice it to say, overwhelmed is a bit of an understatement.

I do have some awesome family and friends who have offered to help out. My Dad takes Penny once a week so I can get school work done and my Aunt has offered to babysit as well so I can work on classwork and TPAs. I have some mommy friends who are going to come over sometime in the next few weeks and help me make/freeze food, they've also offered to bring food over after I deliver (hooray!). My brother spent a day helping Bryan remodel P's room, which was a big help. My parents are going to watch her Thursday night so we can make it to our childbirth class and our next prenatal... and they're going to take her next Friday night which will allow us to get stuff done as well. Although it would be nice to have one last date night before "&" arrives so we may do that instead of work on our list(s).

I'm sure it will all work out... although sometimes it's hard to fathom exactly *how* it will all work out.

I'll just have to count my blessings and take on day at a time (and a host of other cliches as well).

But enough of that, on to the good stuff.

Penelope's sleep has been stellar the last week. I'm so excited about it and I really hope it continues post-new baby. This afternoon I put her in her crib for naptime (awake but tired) and she fell asleep on her own. Score! She does this for bedtime (and has for a little while) but this was the first time it's worked for naps. I hope this continues, because it makes my afternoons so much easier. Especially since I'm getting to that point of pregnancy where I'm just uncomfortable, period.

I'll be 36 weeks on Thursday and while I'm ready to no longer be pregnant, I am in no way ready for this baby to be born (see above list). So I'm going to try to not complain about how much I dislike this phase of pregnancy because no matter which was you slice it, babies are easier to care for when they're inside then when they're out.

I am getting excited to meet this baby and find out his/her gender and finally choose a name. So there's something to look forward to - and it will hopefully make these next four weeks slightly more bearable.

Ok, on to a different topic. Baby signs. Penny now signs please, more, eat, all done, thank you, and socks. I'm working on teaching her mommy, daddy, potty, banana, apple, shoes, water, and up. She says nanas (food), mama, dada, da (for dog), key (kitty), verde (Spanish for green), and has other random words that she doesn't use consistently (like rabbit). It's still not as many words as she had before, but her vocabulary continues to expand so I'm not too worried. She sees her pediatrician in 3 more months.

She understands A TON. I can give her simple and complex tasks and she does them. She knows the names of a large number of people - most of whom she doesn't see everyday. She recognizes pictures of cousins she's only met once (she loves her cousin Gadge's pictures) and can point out her grandparents, Aunt Franny, Cousin Bobby, her friend Orson, O's mom Kim, Sarah, Sophia, and more from the pictures we have. She also knows who Lisa & Lisa are (one runs a toy store and one teaches music) and will greet them with a wave and a smile when she sees them (once a week).

She puts away her toys, will pick out specific books when asked, knows which stuffed animals are which, and knows a bunch of body parts (eyes, mouth, nose, ears, belly, fingers, toes, feet, legs, bottom, and hair). She really enjoys coloring, playing pretend with her doctor kit and her kitchen, and really loves feeding the dog (which Harley-Quinn also loves, but which Mommy & Daddy do not).

I'm probably forgetting a dozen things that she does, or has just started doing, but it's hard to keep track! Life goes by so quickly when you're running after a toddler all day!

Alright, I should get some stuff on my list done (or at least started) while she's still sleeping. Pics later!

Dear Bravo TV (things that need to be said part II)

The only reason I'm singling Bravo TV out right now is because I'm currently watching reruns of the West Wing on Bravo - although there are other stations who need a similar letter...

Dear Bravo TV,

Stop. Just put the camera down and take a deep breath please. You have an addiction and I'm here to help. I've sat idly by these past few years and watched you and other networks dissolve into a mushy, super dramatic, messy, and frankly ugly clusterf**k of really bad reality TV. Housewives of Orange County, Housewives of Atlanta, Housewives of Who-The-F**k-Cares, NYC Prep, Crappy Fashion Show I, II, & III, Silly Chef Show, Miami Social, Narcissistic Douchwaffles Have Mental Breakdowns, etc. Just stop. Please. You're embarrassing yourself.

Sincerely,
Jessica

PS - I'm guilty of watching one or two of these shows on occasion, and I know that Bravo's fall into mediocrity is partly my fault. Shame on me.

Side note: Penelope is laughing hysterically at the dog, who is just sitting there watching the baby. Hilarious!

Snot-nose Banana-face Poopy-pants

Take note, the above blog title is Penelope's new name. At least for this morning.

I can only imagine that one day, when she's 13 or so, reading this blog (which doubles as her baby book) and saying "Like OMG Mom! You're like so totally weird! I, like, can't believe you like wrote that in like my baby book!"

Only I doubt "valley girl" will be in style in the year 2021 (if we're still around as apparently the world will end in 2012). So it'll probably be something more like this:

"Oh my FSM Mom! You're so Sandberg! I can't believe you transcribed this in my GTD!"

(In the year 2021, GTD (gestational tracking device) will have replaced baby books and Andy Sandberg's name will have replaced the word weird - spread the word, you heard it here first! And if you're confused about FSM, just google "Flying Spaghetti Monster").

Miley Cyrus can't sing and other things that need to be said

Let's be honest here, Miley Cyrus is not a talented singer. She may even be close to tone deaf, since she seems to be yelling everything she "sings". I'm sure she's a nice kid, but her career as a megastar is either proof that the Devil exists and is willing to cut deals OR that people have really bad taste. You decide.

Speaking of singers who aren't any good at their jobs. Why do people like Brittany Spears? She's awful! As bad as Madonna, who also can't sing. At least the two of them can dance... but I've seriously heard better renditions of their songs at a karaoke bar.

Donte Stallworth killed someone while drunk driving and spent less than 30 days in prison. This is not ok. It is more than not ok. If he EVER plays professional football again I will stop watching the game. I'll switch to arena football or just go all out with baseball.

Speaking of baseball, what the heck is it with baseball stadiums & their "family sections" - which are generally unshaded? Um, hello! Families include kids and babies - who arguably need shade more than the trio of idiots who painted themselves blue for the game. Seriously.

I'm on the verge of boycotting Starbucks (*gasp* I know) because they don't have changing tables in their bathrooms. Moms need coffee! And I don't want to have to lay my baby on the freaking bathroom floor to change her! Next time I'm changing her on the damn table - Starbucks can suck it.

I really should be finishing my last assignment for the week in this class...

Compromises & Overprotective Parents

So I have a lot that I've wanted to blog about, but whenever I sit down to write all my beautiful words fly out the window and I end up spending too much time on the debate boards arguing politics.

I am now determined to start and finish this post, which I've been thinking about for a couple of days. It may be wandering and incoherent, I don't care - at least I'll have finished it. There's pictures at the end, so you can skip to those or they can be fun rewards for making it through this post.

First: Compromises
Marriage and parenting is nothing if not a series of compromises. Actually, life is a series of compromises. I can't count how many times I've compromised with myself (and subsequently beaten myself up for said compromises)... although there are some instances in which I've refused to compromise. Penelope's birth was one of those.

But I don't necessarily want to discuss the things I haven't compromised, rather I want to focus on some of the recent compromises we've made.

1. Diapering... we still cloth diaper. But we've decided to use disposables when we travel for a variety of reasons. Mostly because it's a pain in the butt to do laundry when you travel, it takes time away from the vacation. The last thing I want to do while on vacation is spend time at a laundromat. It does make me feel a little guilty every time I throw one away - and yes, this is just my super-crunchy side showing. But one of the reasons we decided to cloth diaper was because of the environmental impact of disposables. I realize CD'ing isn't for everyone, but it is for us - so even this small compromise sometimes makes me feel a little guilty.

2. Baby food... I had every intention of making ALL of Penelope's food. It's not really that hard, it saves money, allows me to know exactly what is in her food, and allows me to use all organic produce if I so choose. However, I have come to realize that it's just too much for me. Motherhood, grad school, volunteer work, my job, housework (not that it gets done on a regular basis), leave little time for "me" as it is. Even though Bryan is amazing at taking her when he comes home so I can do school work and make dinner (he's not allowed to cook, I don't want to eat spaghetti every night), I still don't have a lot of down-time. The time I DO have I usually spend blogging or on Mommy Support Group sites to help save my sanity. I'm sure I could squeeze in making baby food, but I honestly don't want to sacrifice the little "me" time I have. I know that makes me a little selfish... but I trust Gerber.

You know, I'm sure there are more but I lost my train of thought. On to Topic #2

Second: Overprotective Parents
Before Penny (BP), overprotective parents (OPs) used to make me roll my eyes and think "oh, those poor kids". Now, OPs just make me shrug my shoulders. That might not sound like much of a difference, but it is... having Penelope has made me understand why some parents freak out even though there are many things OPs do that I cannot imagine doing. They know their children better than I do, and so it's not my place to judge. I wouldn't want anyone to tell me how I can or cannot parent my kids, so I keep my mouth shut. Even though sometimes I still think "oh, those poor kids" :)

So CONGRATS! You made it through my post. You are now rewarded with some pictures of Penelope!

Here she is trying to kiss herself in her play mirror, she does this nearly every time she plays with this toy:


This is us + Bonnie & Omar in Old Sac - I love these photos!