Blah, Blahditty, Blah

I have nothing to say today. I want to freeze this moment in time. because it is truly rare that I find myself at a loss for words. So let's just do the random thing and see where my thoughts take us, shall we?

- I can actually find myself crying for someone else's baby when I hear about moms who practice "crying it out" in the extreme sense. On particular days, I almost shake and weep. Seriously. And if it's an online sharing of this sort of thing and I choose to respond, it takes all I have to withhold my anger. Because I see it from the baby's perspective. I lived it from the mom's. I know how demanding these little people are. But I have this innate sense of what life looks like from the baby's point of view... and it can be terrifying and heartbreaking.

- Given how emotional I can get over people doing versions of "cry it out," you can imagine that I do NOT follow news stories about missing, kidnapped, abused, killed... children, babies. I can't. If the news comes on and there is anything about a baby found on the highway, falling out of a window, shaken, burned, or any other "newsworthy" atrocity, the news source gets turned off. I can't bear it. The sharing of personal experience, personal stories- that I can deal with because I fell like there is growth and healing in sharing. But the "news" aspect of those stories... the vultures all over the "Tot Mom" case... heck, even the crap with the "Octomom..." And again, my reaction is because I see things from the perspective of the child, not because I have sympathy for the mom.

- If I made the news in a story related to parenting, I wonder what nickname the media would give me?

- I spent all of last week busting my ass at work and now I have no motivation to get anything done. And I have at least 2 things I should really get done today. Have to get done today. And have no interest in focusing on those tasks. at. all.

- Carrie Underwood must be hugely thankful for American Idol. Folks can knock that show all they want. But AI has turned out some serious talent! Carrie Underwood, Daughtry, Kelly Clarkson, Jennifer Hudson, Clay Aiken... and this season has a handful of seriously talented young people that I think will go far (especially if they don't win the show).

- I feel really old when I say that the people competing on AI are "young people." I remember turning 24 and being upset because I'd aged out of applying to be The Real World...

- I'm hooked on a soap opera again. It started... in high school or college. Got strong in college. Fell back a little and then got back into it. I don't go so far as recording it... but if I miss a big day, I will look for it on SOAP that night. One Life to Live. I've been an All My Children fan before but OLTL has me hooked right now.

- And while I've never ever been a Guiding Light fan, I am sad to see it go away. That's an amazing history. 72 years. Started as a radio show before TV even existed!

- I can't say this in other places but this is my blog and I can say whatever I want. In certain circles, I have to maintain a certain decorum. But my blog... I guess I'm inspired by Alix of CASA HICE. My blog, my business, I can say what I want. Right? So let me vent a moment. And I'm not going to say this in the context of community theatre and how making a commitment and sticking to it is of the utmost importance and I'm not going to talk about the weight of a person's reputation and the disappointment when a person fails miserably in living up to even an iota of that reputation and I'm not going to give a lot of details about the miserable and pathetic failings on what should have been a moderately simple project for someone who is supposed to be vastly talented and experienced in this area. Not gonna. Instead, I'm gonna say... DON'T PISS OFF OR HURT MY FRIENDS. My friend has been uber-stressed and it all relates to ONE person not doing their job, not fulfilling their promises, not even making up for it when they swear they are going to "prove themselves." And when my friend is stressed, I have a lot less fun with said friend. So see- it's really all about ME.

You know... I sure end up with a lot to say when I think I have nothing to say.

Preparing to Mourn

The end is coming.

There is no chance, it seems, of a continuation or extension.

It is completely out of my control.

My life will change. Perhaps for the better but it doesn't feel that way.

The digital age is upon us.

I love my tv at work. It's a little black and white unit with a radio and CD player. But I bought it for the little tv. Don't get me wrong- I don't sit at work and watch tv all day. But if I'm going to have background noise, I like tv. I like having the news on in the morning. I like listening to The View. I like silly end of the day talk shows like Dr Phil and even shows where I might learn something like Oprah. Some days my tv never gets turned on and some days it is on most of the day. I like listening and being able to glance over to see what's being talked about. I like being able to connect to news coverage when something happens.

But... in a couple short, too fast weeks... my love affair will come to an abrupt end.

I could save up and buy a TV for well over $100... but then I lose my radio and CD player.

I think I'll wear black on 2/17/09. I know many, including my husband, are excited and eager for this transition. Speaking from a completely selfish place... I'm not. Generally speaking, I don't really care. But this is going to impact me on a more personal level than I'd anticipated.

It's going to suck.

Obsessed with TV

My 3 year old has 2 obsessions... TV shows, specifically. These shows have become our bribe... er, reward... er, goal for a good bedtime routine/going to sleep and for having a good day at Lisa's house (daycare). Sid the Science Kid Let's start with Sid. This is a really cool show!! PBS has swung us away from the cable shows and back to public television. It's a Henson production and the quality is excellent. It was even touted as being the Seinfeld of kids' TV. The music is fun, the kids are cute, the ideas are solid, the family isn't all white-bread. I must confess that my baby boy, my little not-quite-one-year-old, also adores Sid. He doesn't sit and watch it. But he definitely pauses his playtime when Gerald, one of Sid's friends, pops on the screen. Zach dances to the theme music and to the playground music. I'll have to see if I can get video of it. Lots of cool ideas for activities on this show, too. I am making plans to freeze fruit in a block of ice for snack one day (that's reversible change, just so you know). Imagination Movers And Teagan also frequently asks to watch "Movers." It's a fun show that has more of a message than I had thought. I like the focus on teamwork and coming up with ideas and brainstorming. And the music isn't sappy and silly- it's fun and singable. The Imagination Movers are a band from New Orleans and have been around for several years prior to getting linked up with Disney (you may have heard them on XM Kids Radio or Sirius Kids Stuff). And they're kinda cute in a nerdy-ish sort of way. Care to join in our obsessions? We could beat anyone in a round of identifying reversible vs irreversible change! Or a Use Your Senses challenge? Or maybe come up with an idea on how to get the Robo-Bee back down? Anyone? And because you are here, reading my thoughts, I'm gonna tell you what I think about TV and kids (well, not all kids- my kids). We can tell when Teagan has been watching too much and it is out of control. The beauty of our TV as the goal system is that it also limits how much she watches while she feels like she's achieved her goal. We succeeded on our final potty training goal because of her desire to watch Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. "Stay dry all day at Lisa's house, come home and watch Mickey Mouse!" And it worked and had minimal meltdowns. It isn't working quite as famously for daytime behavior. But there may be a specific reason behind that and there could be changes coming next week that will fix that other issue. We'll see. So we have a short list of shows we like and we have 2 shows that are obsessions that she will do anything for. We found her currency and intend to use it for all its worth!