I’m bringing this feature back by popular demand (I got one email!). That’s all it takes. Today’s focus is Mothering Magazine which you can find online at www.mothering.com. You don’t have to be a parent or aspire to be a parent to appreciate the crazy on this website. Continue reading
I am thousands upon thousands of dollars in debt, thanks to five years of a private university education dedicated to a degree in elementary education. I graduated last May and, with the nature of hiring in elementary schools being what it is around here, I was not lucky enough to land a job right away. We’re still holding our breath for this upcoming year, but in the meantime I’ve been babysitting like crazy — it allows me to pay what’s required on my loans for now, puts gas in my car and I even have a little spending money sometimes. Continue reading
Last week, my niece was in town with her newborn son. I spent several hours holding him because I have a long-standing weakness for infants. It was so nice to spend some quiet time with the newest member of our family. Since I was enjoying myself, several people asked if I wanted another baby. I have just enough time to squeeze one more in if I hurry.
The answer is “No”. The truth is that I am weary of monitoring small butts. Every baby is a minimum two year commitment to diapers. Honestly, it’s probably more like three years and that doesn’t include nighttime wetting. My daughter, who I will call Bean, is 2.5 and I am finally seeing the light at the end of the diaper tunnel. I can’t go back. I won’t go back. I can’t bear the thought of an endless pile of diapers on the horizon. Continue reading
In 6 years of working at a membership-only pool, I’ve come to notice many things that bother me about how the members treat the club and our staff. So in order to help you potential pool and beach-goers avoid pissing off people like me, I’ve compiled a short list of things that bother me and how they can be remedied! Read more and pay attention! Continue reading
The Seattle Post-Intelligencer is probably the weirdest name for a newspaper I’ve ever heard but It sounds weirdly relevant to today’s world, which often seems “post-intelligent.” Take Rebekah Brooks, for example, the News International CEO who did some pretty stupid things and resigned today over her involvement of the ever worsening News of the World telephonic ethics scandal. More headlines inside!
I won’t forget that spring weekday, and what happened in my 6th Grade classroom. We were trapped inside because of the rain, and we were tearing mid-century modern room up in a way that might have made Mies van De Rohe horrified. Laughter echoed off the ceilings, and the pure joy of good kids playing ran down the halls.
I had a Whoopee Cushion, and made exuberant fart noises with it at every opportunity. This was so not like me that my classmates were delighted and screamed with laughter. It was so not like anyone else that our gym teacher hauled me out in the hall, slammed me up against a wall, and gave me a lecture about how “the football team” would pay for my misconduct. What? I wasn’t even on the football team. His choking hand on my neck was simply stunning – no one had ever touched me that way before. When I was disciplined at home I was simply told to leave the room. No one had ever hit me. My friend Andrea came out in the hall and warned the teacher – “If you hit him, you’re in Big Trouble. And I don’t like you – never did.” Continue reading
A few months ago the blogosphere was all abuzz with the personal article about a woman who hated her daughter. Concerned commenters pointed out that she sounded like she had real psychological problems (obviously) and it was more than just the Terrible Twos. The problem was and is not with mothers who sometimes get frustrated because Little Snowflake keeps painting the walls with his poop – having a very human “OMG you are so annoying!” moment is not what this woman was talking about. The issue with this woman was that she was putting the onus of responsibility to have a connection with her child on the child – not on herself. Women who have Borderline Personalities cannot form appropriate and healthy attachments to people – including their own children, and especially their own daughters.
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All right! This week was “A Very Special Episode” featuring The Worst Non-Teen Mom In The World! We’ve got our hip waders on for this Very Special septic tank, and I’ll pause a minute for you to do the same. It’s really long, so settle down with a mood-altering substance; you will need it. The theme of this episode: “What I Don’t Even.” Continue reading
A Canadian couple is raising their 4 month old baby without telling anyone the gender.
In an email the couple explained, “We’ve decided not to share Storm’s sex for now — a tribute to freedom and choice in place of limitation, a stand up to what the world could become in Storm’s lifetime (a more progressive place?…).”
Is this the height of progressiveness or politically correct ridiculousness? Parentcental.ca
Once upon a time, in April of 2010, author and screenwriter Neil Gaiman was approached by the good folks at Stillwater, Minnesota’s library to come and speak, presumably about writing and the like. While he has been known to speak publicly from time to time, he’d much rather spend his days writing, so his agency asked for a kingly sum.