Did You Not Get the Memo?

Seriously. I want a song about me. I want to be interrogated about details of my life. I want to win this contest. So I am fully relying on you, gentle readers, to pop over to Code Daddy's site and leave a comment and name drop for me. Cuz if you go over and drop my name as being your reason for visiting, I get an extra entry. Did I mention I want this? Cuz I do. I want this. Bad. Might get extreme... Help me. Please. Pretty please. Don't make me use my puppy eyes...

You Want Him To Write a Song About Me!

Go to CodeDaddy's blog. Comment and totally name drop for me. Because no one has EVER written a song about me and I think it would be HILARIOUS!

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.

Out of the Mouths of Babes

Teagan doesn't like chocolate. She wants to. But it just isn't her thing. It's one of the few foods that she will actually spit out. Today, they had jelly beans and chocolate chips in Sunday School. This afternoon, she saw me eating brownies. As she started to leave the room, heading back to her room for quiet time, she turns to me and says "Mommy, when I'm bigger... bigger like you... how many are you?" "Maybe, when I'm 34, maybe I'll like chocolate then, too."

A Date With Myself

Jeff is out of town until tomorrow night. It's remarkable how difficult it is doing things on my own- realizing where he fits in regularly. I miss him. Teagan misses him. Zach... doesn't notice. Teagan has been calmed by doing activities or eating meals we wouldn't do with Daddy home. Or things we haven't done in a long time. Tonight, once we get Zach to bed, Teagan and I are going to make cookies. We had dinner out with Aunt Christy Thursday. My friend Latifa spent the morning with us today. And tonight... I am taking myself on a date. An at home date, of course. But I'm feeling the need to indulge a bit. Work had me pretty darn stressed this week. Zach is cutting a molar so he's cranky. And Teagan is 4. Enough said, right? So I bought some brownie mix. And some mini bottles of wine. And I might even order an on demand movie- if anything strikes my fancy. I will put in laundry (that's hot, I know). And I might do dishes. And then I will put my feet up, enjoy some much needed chocolate, and imbibe. I might even put out!

A Post for Garret and Jim

So I get the kids to bed and start flipping channels. And happen upon a show about RVing. Immediately, I think of my blog friends- Jim and Garret. The show starts with a $360K class A RV. Leather seating, lots of room, outdoor media center for entertaining. The Avanti... 70% better fuel economy. Slimmer, lower chassis. 14.7 miles per gallon. Flip down bed in teh front, queen size bed in the front. LED lights that don't heat and are more energy efficient. Front windshield is one piece, not 2. The Monaco Dynasty ($500K)... Lots of interior woodwork. Cherry cabinets, leather seats, ceramic tile floor with radiant heat. Stainless convection oven, appliance, hideaway pantry. King size sleep number bed, security monitor, access to both bathrooms- very spacious master bath (sink, counter, shower, washer and dryer, and floor space). So this show is going to have me thinking that J&G are out there, eating at Spago, visiting castles, and riding around in total luxury! That's exactly how it is, right? The show is "RV 2009." Now we are looking at Class C RVs. They drive like a car. Right. Price range is $50K and up. Four Winds Chateau is a 28' RV and costs $80K. Lots of counter space and nooks and crannies. Over the drive sleep area. The bathroom has a mini tub and they are going nutso over it. Dinette folds out to a full size bed, too. The Class C's are perfect for families because of all the sleeping compartments. I'd imagine the price range is better, too. The Super Max. 22' and $150K. Great overhead sleeping area, fold out couch, and dinette changes to a bed, too. Plus the bedroom in the back0 queen size bed and 2 closets. And bunk beds with individual DVD players! The Jayco Embark. 39' and $215K. Lots of space, slide out living area. Nice counter space. Walk space on both sides of bed. Sleeps 6. Jackknife couch, sleeper sofa. Fleetwood Icon. 23' $93K. 5x5 kitchen, 3 beds. No master bedroom. Large bathroom. Full tub. RV Gear. Top 9 in '09. Must haves. 9. The e-pad. Keeps your laptop steady while traveling and keeps your lap cool. 8. Car charging valet. Holds your electric gadgets in one place while you charge them up. Also stores chargers. Huh. 20 minutes in and... I'm done. I need a snack. So check out the HGTV website link up there and dream of the fantabulous lifestyle that Garret and Jim must be living!!

Systems of Reward

I have to admit that I've never been a huge fan of reward systems- like sticker charts- as a parenting device. I understand the appeal in a school setting because the teacher is dealing with a group of students instead of a one on one, parent and child relationship.

However, I have a child who reacts very favorably to a tangible reward, to physical evidence of positive reinforcement.

I work hard to follow her lead, to meet her where she is.

We are doing the sticker chart.

It kind of started with the school visit this week. The class has a "Wow Card" reward system set up. There is a thing on the wall and each child has a pocket. There are laminated green cards that say "WOW!!" When the teacher "catches" you making a good choice, she may instruct you to get a Wow Card and put it in your envelope. After so many Wow Cards, you get to put a sticker on this chart that also hangs on the wall. Once the chart is full, you get to pick a reward from the Treasure Chest.

This is a BIG DEAL.

Teagan watched very intently the 2 times I saw a child get a Wow Card. She turned and studied that whole set up a few times on her own.

She's got this thing about charts anyway. PBS' "Sid the Science Kid" did a thing about charts once and she likes to make charts from time to time now because of it.

As an answer to the ongoing saga of the bedtime stress, we now have a sticker chart.

Teagan can earn a sticker at our potentially difficult transition points- bedtime, getting dressed, getting out the door, dinnertime. And we also added having a good day full of good choices at Lisa's house. 5 sticker earning opportunities. And when she earns 5 stickers in a day, she gets to play the Wii for about 15 minutes after Zach goes to bed.

Day 1... she only got 4 stickers. Really bad day at Lisa's (which is rare). So what do I do with 4 stickers?? She ends up giving me the suggestion... she handled the knowledge that she wasn't going to achieve her 5 stickers really well. I reminded her that she could still earn her dinnertime sticker- and she asked about dessert. We aren't a dessert family so it's a "big deal" to have dessert.

So we have a reward system based on the number of stickers earned. 5 stickers, play the Wii. 4 stickers, small dessert (sherbet or jello). 3 stickers, quiet play time in your room before bed. Any less... no reward. Heck, even the 3 sticker thing might not get a reward some days... we'll see.

I'm playing this by ear and we will fix it when we find it to be broken.

I have to run. I need to seriously stock up on stickers.