This is SO WRONG!!!

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Getting ready for bed...

Rocking the jammies and robe.


Did you say bed? Excuse me while I run away...


I do not wish to fight you...but I will if you say bed, again

G Rated?

Is it just me or have the Disney animated movies taken on a new level of sophistication? And no, I don't mean they're smarter, I mean they are no longer meant for children, really.
Rockstar-led soundtracks, adult dialogues, violent fight scenes and story lines, these movies are great for the parents, but I find myself not wanting to let my daughter see them.

For example, on our trip home from Wenatchee, Bryan changed the standard Elmo DVD out for the Disney movie "Cars," to see if little miss would like it.
She was quickly enamored by the music and the characters; what kid doesn't love talking cartoon cars racing around?

All was fine until the hero, "Lightning McQueen" shouted that he was in hillbilly hell.
Funny ineed, but not a phrase I expected nor wanted to hear from the mouth of an animted character in a g-rated cartoon.
Now I am certainly no prude, anybody who knows me, knows I appreciate the use of ALL the words in the English vernacular.

However, I believe there is a time and a place for certain words and phrases and a g-rated film is not, in my opinion where I want to hear "salty" language, especially as these are the movies allegedly aimed at my daughter and nephew's demographic..
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Heard outside the classroom today...

I'm subbing today, 5th-7th grade band. School has not yet started, kids are running around outside waiting for the bell to ring.
.
I hear through the window:
"Give me back my book, you butt-hole!"

Ahh youth....so innocent.
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Into the unknown...

Today is Bryan's last day at Chrysler. After 8.5 years of faithful service and hardwork, of months of travelling and being manipulated and bounced around by coroporate goons more concerned with shareholder profits than corporate responsibility, the company is floundering and he, as well as every other member of the West Coast field team, has taken a "voluntary" severance package. One we are hoping to see but not counting on.

He and his coworkers were told in no uncertain terms, this package was their only option; the company is going under.
And so we step out into the unknown, a new life, a new reality and a new financial situation where until he finds a job, we are living on the income of a teacher; a part-time teacher who subs on the off days to try to help make ends meet.

We do not know what is in store. And so we hope and we pray, and we hold on for dear life.

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Evie's first dance video

She has developed her own "groove," and now has choreography. This went on for over an hour (this has been condensed to three minutes,) the iPod was on "shuffle," and she just stood there, waiting for each song, and then began her own interpretation. It was HILARIOUS.

Make an on-line slide show at www.OneTrueMedia.com

No Pictures

I have taken pictures of Evie, but I can't post them because my computer has has some kind of seizure.
I apologize to all family members who are frustrated with the lack of photos as of late, we are trying, I assure you.

Dear Jeff Bezos, on behalf of all parents this holiday season, thank you

You may recall my rant a few months ago, regarding the ridiculous amount of extra wires and plastic attachments in packaging of children's toys.


Apparently I am not the only one who has lamented the absurdity of the current packaging trends; Jeffrey Bezos, president of Amazon.com, has implemented a new “frustration-free packaging” initiative. Products from Mattel, its subsidiary Fisher-Price, Microsoft and Transcend, an electronics maker will now be shipped in a plain cardboard box...no plastic clam shell, no wires, no industrial-strength cardboard and staples from a staple gun to secure a tiny plastic toy doll.

As he said, I "shouldn’t have to start each Christmas morning with a needle nose pliers and wire cutters."

Indeed.

And so I say to you Jeffrey Bezos, on behalf of all parents this holiday season, thank you. If I could, I would give you a big hug right now; my husband? He would marry you.

A mystery solved

Evie has recently developed a fear of the bathtub. It began about a month ago, every time we would try to give her a bath, she would become hysterical, screaming and trying to crawl back out in terror. After checking the water temperature etc, we would ultimately have to rush through the basics and get her out quickly, unsure of the problem, but certain she was desperate to be out of the water as she screamed through the entire procedure...most unlike her previous water-baby self.

We have consulted various other parents and parenting guides and determined that this is not uncommon for kids her age and could possibly be a new-found fear of something in the tub, most-likely the drain.

So this weekend, determined to conquer the bathtub fear for the sake of all involved, we conducted an experiment, we decided to see what would happen if we made the drain disappear. We filled the tub with bubbles...tons and tons of bubbles. So many bubbles that nothing could be seen, most importantly, the drain.

Once I had the bath ready to go, I had Bryan bring her into the bathroom; I sat on the edge of the tub, scooping out bubbles and blowing them back across the water. Bryan soon joined me and we threw bubbles up into the air and blew them at her while she sat on the floor in her naked glory.

Soon she could not resist the bubble fun, and ran over, squealing in delight. We handed her some bubbles and let her touch them. She blew them, she threw them, she wanted more; we obliged. Soon, handfuls were simply not enough; she wanted to to crawl into the tub and into the pile of bubbles. I lifted her over the side, where she first stood, then crouched and finally, sat down in the warm water, lifting bubbles and throwing them at us, squealing and laughing.

I thought we had success until something caught her eye- I looked over, the drain was still well-covered and she wasn't looking down. Her face became very serious and she completely froze. I followed her gaze and I realized the possible source of her fear- the spout cover.

Last summer, we purchased a green and white spout cover for the old, sharp, metal tub spout in an attempt to prevent possible head trauma. The spout cover is however, basically the shape of a wide mouth, there is no face. So to the imagination of a small child, it could perhaps be something scary to look at.
I asked Bryan, "do you think that could be what she's afraid of?"
"What, you mean the big green and white mouth that can swallow her whole?"
"Indeed."

She continued staring at the spout, wide-eyed, unmoving.
"Is that scary to you, love?" I asked her.
She just looked at me with a trembling lip, eyes huge.

I reached over and pulled the cover off the spout, showing it to her. She reached out tentatively, and touched it softly. Once realizing it was only plastic, she grabbed it from me and plunged it under the water, I assume to drown it. She laughed and let out a squeal...
Then, after sufficiently killing it, she tried to put it back on the spout herself...apparently it was no longer scary.

As the spout was not a threat, bath time was once again fun. She splashed and she giggled; she drowned her rubber ducky, she stuck foam letters to the walls. She played with the drain and tried to let the water out.

We asked, "are you ready to get out?"
She always replied "nooo."

When we finally did call bath time to an end, she cried, sadly in protest.

I will call this a success.

Gotta love her spirit

It's five minutes to 1:00--in the morning. She is in my arms after being rocked and consoled after waking up, screaming. She has consumed a midnight bottle of forumla, per the doctor's orders; she is very anemic and the fevers have kept her from eating or drinking much.
Her eyes are closed, her breathing heavy. She is not yet asleep, but almost. I kiss her warm head and whisper,

"Ok love, time to go back to bed..."

She does not move, she does not open her eyes, but I hear the sleepy protest of a tiny voice-

"No?"

Gotta love that spirit.

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