Annoyed with a drop-in Childcare place

My husband (insert angelic choirs here) has gotten a job! It was very quick notice, got a call Friday and he started on Monday.  I had previous plans to go to a local university to make a presentation on campus that afternoon.  I sought out a local "gym" type place that has child-care services full-time along with the birthday parties, etc.


We had used the place once before years ago, and the price wasn't horrible ($65 for both kids) so I figured they'd have a nice afternoon while I got some business taken care of.  Drop off was uneventful, the manager was at the desk, kids were in two play rooms, divided by age appropriately.


When I picked up my children at 3:45, i walked directly into the location, no one was at the desk. I saw my son (9) sitting in a line of "older" kids along the hallway..not sure what their plans were.  I also saw the younger children in the kitchen area with some sort of craft project.  The only teacher/leader I saw looked to be a 15 year old boy -- this conflicts with NJ State laws that govern licensed child care spaces.  I was able to leave without any notice or discussion with both of my kids.


As I thought about this, I was concerned.  This was a licensed daycare place, and truthfully, there are regulations.  Had I wanted to, I felt that i might ave been able to walk out with someone else's kid (though i barely wanted to walk out with my own LOL).  I emailed the owner my concern:

I am a bit concerned.  I came in yesterday to pick up my kids at around 3:45 and I could not find a single adult. There was a teenager kind of leading a crafting class in the kitchen area, and the older children were sitting in the hallway in a line.  I came in, got my kids and walked out without what I feel was a single person noticing.  I could have probably taken other children with me, had I had the inclination....that scares me.
Please let me know what your normal protocol is for pick up at the end of the day?  Since we aren't regular users of your service, maybe I wasn't aware of what is SUPPOSED to happen.

I sent this on Tuesday, got no response on Wednesday and followed up today b/c I still hadn't heard anything back.  The response I then received is below:

I apologize I am just receiving this email today and was very alarmed when I read this.  I just spoke with Chrissy,  my manager about this and she was in fact in the building when you came and picked them up.   She was in my office which has a two way mirror on both the windows and my office door.
She did see you pick up but was nursing her newborn, that's why she didn't come right out.  I do apologize that she didn't come out right away and acknowledge your presence and thank you for coming in.  Had someone other than Chrissy been here we would have asked you for ID if we weren't here when you dropped off in the morning. 

As far as your concern regarding our ratios we are a liscened facility and we follow the NJ state guidelines for ratios.  They were actually 3 people in the building that day when you dropped off and picked up.  With there being 28 children that day our staff to child ratio was more than fine. 

Again I apologize that Chrissy did not come out and acknowledge your presence.  Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns.

The owner followed up with a 2nd response:

The more I think about it.  All you have to do is ask your kids how many teachers were  here that day.  They were not in the same group all day so there had to be more than one teacher.  If there were kids lined up in the hallway that meant they were waiting for their teacher who was probably in the restroom or in the storage room getting out games. 

I can definitely appreciate your concerns but am very surprised that you would think I would only have 1 coach in the building and let a new parent walk out with no one noticing.  We have been in business a very long time and have a good reputation and I would hate for you to walk away with a bad impression.

So I am even more concerned since her email to me feels defensive.  I realize my questioning the business could be an offensive thing, but I didn't drop willy nilly and call the county (which I could have done) I simply asked them what their protocol is.  I have never had a daycare situation where I didn't have to sign my child in using a password system or some other format and since I am not a regular here, I don't know what their set up is for day to day. 


So let me know, any of you, if you think I was out of line to be concerned and what I might have done differently if you think so!


Thanks!!

Why is EVERYTHING a surprise?

We all know that common sense isn't really as common as it should be.  I am amazed though at the fact that my significant other apparently has complete retrograde amnesia. Every.single.day he apparently wakes up and forgets items I have sent him, told him, or asked him to research for information.

Case in point:  We have been lucky enough to get a newer car from his dad, so I am selling our used jeep to a place in a city about half an hour from us.  I sent dh the information, told him about the appointment and all that.  After I showered today i asked dh if he was going to shower.  He was dumbfounded I went over the following info:

1) I am going to sell the car that I am driving to the place.  That would be an awfully long walk home, since I am selling our car to this company...which in the normal person's mind means we have to take TWO cars.
2) When I mentioned (again) that it's in Smith City, he was like "oh all the way up there"  NO, knob, I am making them open an outlet next door to our house so we don't have to drive the full 15 miles to Smith City.  REALLY   are you truly dumber than a box of boogers and just as useful??  I mean honestly...come the eff on!
3) He is mad at me b/c I was snarky when responding.  Again, the question of why I second guess him is in play. He must really forget that he is the same person who drove off-road and got a 4x4 Jeep stuck in a mud hole, and he's the same person who thought it best to shower before he call a job opportunity back (at 4:30 at night)... so go ahead be mad...i'd love it if he would prove me wrong

but he won't... :(

DH got a call from a staffing company

And he noticed the call from this morning just now, at 4:30 pm.  I said "give them a call" since it's a place that I sent his resume in response to a specific type of inquiry.  He said "i am going to go shower first"....WHAT THE FUCK?  Really? A potential job call comes in and you are going to go take a shower before returning their call, because surely they have smell-ophones where you can smell the breath or BO of the person on the other line.


WTHell?   I mentioned that to him and he stomped off to go use the bathroom, then stomped down to our family room before making the call.  


What a baby.  I need to be single, i swear.

Inter-generational ranting -- really.

My In-laws are in the midst of moving down to south Florida.  This is a very ambiguous time for me, we love them terribly, my kids will miss seeing them weekly, and they honestly are the only real support we have in terms of potential babysitters, etc...we haven't ever had to really ask anyone else.  But the move is the best for them, they have wanted to do this for a long, long time.  The process includes moving my grand-mother in law, an 87 year old very lovely, very nice, very fun lady.  The IL's have driven down, and the ass-busting ride would not work out so well for said 87 year old.  Let's call her "Dawn" ... so we have taken her in, essentially babysitting her, until Friday (tomorrow!!!) when we take her to the airport and hand her off to the airport attendants to get her settled.

She is not feeble, she is healthy, talkative, opinionated, loving, and honestly lovely.  For a few hours.

DD has been in HEAVEN with Dawn here.  Dawn is DD's new best friend.  Dawn was given DD's room (which has a nice queen sized bd, etc) to sleep in while she is visiting us.  DD refuses to sleep in Sonny's room b/c she wants to have her sleep over with her octogenarian bff. DD doesn't even give me a kiss goodnight. Our long-standing bedtime rituals are not adhered to b/c Dawn tells her it's time for bed.  My children having this opportunity to spend time with their great grandmother is truly a blessing, though I feel every second that it's ticking me toward a huge crevice that I really want to jump into to escape the third parent here in the house.  really.  REALLY. I want to either jump into it or push her into it.  LOL I am pretty certain my IL's wouldn't really mind if she didn't make it down to FL, since she has lived with them for over 40 years now.  This would be like an unexpected alone-time honeymoon....two 60-somethings running around their new 5-bedroom house naked.  ew.

That being said, (ok, now i have to try to windex my mind b/c i am skeeved).

Dawn is driving me crazy. CRAZY, bonkers...kookie, nuts, circus freak crazy.  Truly, honestly, really....CA-RAZY.

I want to run out into the street screaming, if it weren't thundering out.  I am sitting here typing this out and hoping beyond home that she doesn't walk down the stairs and start in on talking to me LOLOLOL.

She can't hear extremely well. She's not deaf, but hears the wrong words.  She corrects my hubby and I when we say things to our kids.  She corrects our children when they haven't done anything wrong.  She is DRIVING ME NUTS with my son who's a bit chubby, by in odd little ways pointing it out to him.  *I*, ranty mom who likes to call a spade a spade, do not point out his chubbiness to him since I am pretty sure he's aware of it and I don't want him to lose the little bit of confidence he has (ala Gibby on iCarly...)

Last night DD was super over-tired.  When they went to bed, Dawn told DD she wouldn't read her a book.  DD decided that it was the perfect time to connip.  Full-out screaming and crying, inconsolable connip.  Dawn kept telling her to stop crying which made it worse.  (cue underdog music here) Hubby goes in and asks what's up.  Dawn tells him that DD is crying and she doesn't know why.  Under-Hubby tells her it's b/c she's over (fucking) tired and doesn't know how to wind down.....and Dawn keeps on the "i don't know why she's upset" path.  Not a good idea with a 4 yo ranting, crying and blubbering all b/c she's FUCKING TIRED.  There's no real reason...she isn't in pain, she's not sick.  She's tired. She's been outside most of the day, running, riding her princess bigwheel and forcing the other girls in the neighborhood to play with her barbies and jewelry and she's done. Now since you allowed her to sleep with you in her bed, READ HER A BOOK AND GO THE FUCK TO SLEEP.....but it continues for a few more minutes, bargaining between an 87 year old and a 4.5 year old (who do you think will win this one??) and the stories begin.

It's silent now, the rain is pouring, thunder is rolling across the sky, but there are no feet coming down the stairs and no whines or "DD, stop that, dd come back" in the octave of age.  I honestly love the silent moments which is why most days I get up at the ass-crack of dawn so i can get some work done job searching and such.....but today it's spent with more than a little anxiety.  If Dawn doesn't get up I have to go check on her, but if I check on her too early, she might still be breathing.....whoops i hear creaking footsteps in the hallway.  Nothing to decide -- today.  Now i hear the voices chatting young and old.  It's still a good day and I love them both but really stay the fuck asleep!!!

Keep on Rantin' all!!

why do i let it annoy me?

When I think of how I tend to complain, i recall a commercial created by Perdue about its oven stuffer roaster in 1985.  The song is perfect for my mood...and i substitute the word "bitch" for pick... bitch, bitch bitch, bitch bitch bitch.

That being said, here I am knowing i am a ranty mcbitcherson but I just cannot stop myself.  I am just full of bitchy goodness almost like a weird oreo cookie or jelly donut LOL.  

Tomorrow is furniture transfer day. My IL's are transferring their furniture to both my BIL and our house.  We are definitly lucking out in this endeavor as we will have a new to us furniture set in our basement that is very cool and a truly excellent living room set for our sunroom...we will have three large seating groups in our home. LOL good news right?  I am just waiting for the people who are taking the basement couch and loveseat to pick it up, then we have to clear out the existing seating from our sunroom, scrub the floor and area and put the new bound carpet remnant down in preparation for tomorrow.  So what in the world do I have to bitch about right?  We are also getting a newer queen bed, a double/full mattress for our son's bottom bunk which will be a welcome change from the futon mattress that allows you to feel every.single. slat in the bottom... but i am troubled.  Why you ask?  BECAUSE my dh, love of my life, keeps telling me to relax.  WHAT THE HELL? Your parents already judge us b/c we are messy sloppy people who live a cluttered life.  And our house in areas that the furniture currently covers, is more than messy...it's dusty and dirty and just YUCK.  So yes, i am stressed about it.  Add to that the fact that my FIL is now forwarding me job hunting tips and giving me information on how to survive the job search and I want to shoot him in the fucking foot.  I know he's being thoughtful but I am doing every.single.thing he sends me, before he sends it to me.  I am getting at least an average of an interview - phone or in person, per week (though admittedly no job offers :(((() so I am doing something right, just not sure what I am doing wrong.

Anyway, just wanted to pick, er, bitch.  I do know we are blessed. I have healthy kids, TG, we have gotten no-cost healthcare for our kids, our AC works and we have more than enough food in the pantry and love to go around  We have people who do care for us and family and friends to share good and bad times with.  

A friend of mine posted on FB yesterday about perspective and I am working on turning my perspective around, trying to treasure the good in our lives and not always lament the not so good.....argh!  

Happy friday people and hope you have a fabulous weekend!

effing idiot

my husband had to go to a cubscout thing today.  They were to meet at a local township school.  For some reason this FUCKING IDIOT thought it might be a good idea to follow our tomtom down a non-paved road.  Only when the fucking wheels of the 4 BY GOD DAMNED 4  jeep are totally stuck w/ the body of the truck caught on a plateau.  What a goddamned asshole REALLY???? who does this shit? With a 9 year old in the fucking car.  Our other car is not inspected nor registered b/c everything on it is going down the tubes.

So of course I had to drive out, with shovels.  The entire scout pack's parents started digging the car out and NOTHING....FML.  Went home with DH having  a nervous breakdown in the car, he took a shower, kids showered and I made dinner, and started calling around to places to get a tow truck out.  Got no answer at most places and those that did answer only have flat beds.  le sigh...so I went to bed to start round two of phone calls in the morning.

Monday morning -- found a place to tow the car (mind you, I am not the person who drove the jeep into a hole.) The price is one that will not overdraw my account so that's good.  Went out to meet the guy (all of us in the unregistered, un-air-conditioned car) and he towed it.  Tow Truck guy was super nice, only charged me the bottom price he quoted us, so that's good.

We found your boat

Now we are home again, luckily, with both cars.  One covered in mud of course but the winner of a husband will wash that off later today "once it's cooler outside"  I am showered and in a snit now b/c he's getting his feelings hurt by the other cub scout dads who are teasing him.  He feels like they are picking on him BOO FRICKING HOOO. really?  you are supposed to be a grown assed man. These guys work all day and then come out to take their kids to cub scouting events. The scout master sent this picture. LOL but it hurt my dh's feelings.  Then he starts talking about how they (two of the scout masters) pick on him and he's starting to get pissed off.  REALLY?  I cannot begin to tell him why people might pick on him. He wanders around oblivious to the fact that he has not worked for over 2 years, has made 0 effort to find a job...i struggle every single day to find employment that will support us, and allow some perks back into our life.  *I* am the one who calls his dad when we need something, *I* am the one who calls to get things fixed or replaced or removed. WHAT is wrong with this picture?  I am so mad right now I could spit, and he wonders why I second guess him when he makes decisions.  really? He could ask that with a fucking straight face.  oh my god, i joked about burying him back where the jeep was.  It was only half a joke, and only half b/c I would not do anything that might leave my children without either parent.

sigh.  /end rant

Normal Complaints on a Friday

Some days I feel like I am truly insane, by the posted definition of "doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different outcome".... and today is one of those days.  

I emailed my FIL with a few questions and he responded with a one word answer that covered the first question.  GRRRRR and I feel my bp rising. Is that normal? probably not. I want him to be different and he isn't going along with my wishes LOL.  

I also have started to really appreciate the non-goofy appearance of my kids as compared to some people I know (no one i know in this realm or in my immediate personal life...)  I am a horrible mommy b/c I compare my kids to the way I see other peoples children.

I am that mom who thinks her kids are beautiful, but I am concerned that maybe they aren't and no one will tell me.  Unattractive children are something that bugs me and pretending that I think a baby or child is cute pains me.  "isn't he precious" or "isn't she something else -- what a little monkey" come to mind.  I can't force myself to say "what a gorgeous baby" when the baby is NOT beautiful.  As you can see  above my daughter (the one with the pop-eye in our annual Christmas card the year she was born). I harbored no illusion that she was a beautiful baby.  She looked like a god-damned skinned squirrel for the first few months of her life. She was an ounce away from being diagnosed with "failure to thrive" and thank god she started to gain weight.  But the friends who told me how beautiful she is became the friends that i did not ask opinions of...b/c I know she wasn't a beautiful infant.  I think she's quirky and beautiful and full of life and energy today, but a beautiful baby she was not....  

So, I ask this question of my bloggy friends, followers, or the random person who reads parenting/mommy blogs -- do you WANT To know how your child appears to others, or do you prefer to think that your little darlings might be king or queen of the prom one day?

I would appreciate honest appraisals of my own offspring.  I am so tempted to post the pictures of the kids in question but alas, I am chicken chicken chicken...

Interviews...i am getting interviews!

Ranting about being a mom is a good way to pass my time, but truthfully I need to find a stinking job b/c no money and health insurance really truly sucks.  So every day, as you have heard me rant, I am seeking a job in higher education, hopefully in foundations, fundraising or membership support.

My job-search life is one of feast or famine....i either send out eleventy-million resumes and get NO CALLS or I send out a few and get calls within a day or two.  The past 10 days feels like feast v. famine at this point. I had a telephone interview last week for a foundation position at the main campus of the university *I* graduated from. Tomorrow (Wednesday July 20) I have a telephone interview for a foundation position at my FIL's alma mater.  Not the actual school he graduated from, but part of the larger school system.  He rec'd his Bachelor's and Master's degrees there.

So my rant today is that I emailed FIL to tell him that I have this phone interview tomorrow with the school of law and asking if he knows anyone at the law school or donors that graduated with their JD from that law school so that I can find a way to leverage an actual in-person interview.

Recall that I am married to his son who has not worked for over two years and isn't really looking for a job.  I am the mother and essentially sole support to his only grandchildren and well, i expect at least some level of heart-felt emotional support.  (Can you tell that I have tapered down on my zoloft and am starting a new SSRI???)

This was his response to my email:  Don’t know anyone there.  I’m an alum of the school of business.  Best of luck.


This honest to god pisses me off. PISSES ME OFF all caps ....  pisses me the fuck off.  This man supports us in a lot of ways, especially financially; however, I would have thought a response might be a tad bit more like "oh great news....let me check my contacts to see if I do know anyone who's a XYZ Law school graduate"


I am cogent enough to realize that I am going off a little bit here, but if  I don't type it here, my poor kids will get it b/c, well, i am weaning off Zoloft and everything every.little.thing is pissing me off.  My kids, noise, the tv, my effing gums hurt .... i am getting odd dizzy spells and hot flashes.  FUCK !!  I have to spend most of the day away from everyone b/c really and truly i am on the edge.


So that's it, i am ranting here so i don't rant at home, loudly, and end up with crying children and an angry hubby who will all be tap dancing on the one frayed and sparking nerve I have left.


Please zoloft leave my body and please celexa help me soon!  :D


Happy ranting. On the good side, I have a phone interview tomorrow and an in person interview at my own alma mater on August 3!!

Job Fairs are NOT fun nor are they fair.

So as an unemployed formerly full-time employed mom, I am chomping at the bit for a job that actually entails receiving a reasonably sizable pay check with some health insurance and time off benefits.  Since April I have been looking -- albeit in spurts -- for a job. I have had a few interviews but nothing has come to fruition.   Essentially my full-time job is surfing the web and different job search sites to find jobs that I feel qualified for and writing cover letters/tweaking my resume to fit what the position's needs are.  My BIL sent a link yesterday to a job fair at Citizen's Bank Park in Philadelphia -- short drive from my home, so I figured why not??  Their tagline for this fair is "Let's make finding a job fun again" -- and the following snippet is directly from their website:  

The Grand Slam Job Fair is a fun and productive day where you can come and meet 60 to 70 of the area's hottest companies who will be on hand to instantly interview for a wide range of employment opportunities.

For the record, this website lied. It was neither fun nor productive

In preparation for my inaugural "Career Fair" event,  I reviewed the employer list that were slated to be on site (they showed over 60 and several of whom I am interested in joining albeit not at entry-level).  Being the semi-anal person that I am, I pre-registered (so as not to wait in the line to register in the morning), I updated my resume to it's more generic form and went to print it....


and *bum bah baaaaaaaaaahm*  printer ran out of ink about halfway thru printing TEN resumes.  The ink was fairly new btw, i purchased it in May...we don't print a lot. WTH???  No wonder the fucking thing was free when we ordered our laptop.  No worries, it may have been 10:00 pm but I can order printed copies from Fedex Kinkos -- or better yet I can stop there in the morning and just copy myself so that they are fresh and I can control that little bit of the process....


So the alarm goes off, i get up, make coffee, take a shower,dress in a pale lilac cami under a black jacket (3/4 length sleeves, buttons locked and loaded) and gray/black pinstriped pants and professional shoes.  I put make-up on my face and cover up on the (now healing) cold sore above my lip.  Out the door with about an hour to spare!!  Off to Kinkos to make my copies.


Oooops Kinko's server is down. I cannot use the self-service machines since they cannot use credit cards at this moment.  Luckily the girl running the desk could make copies for me, recommended resume paper and ended up charging me almost 18 bux for copies of my resume.  But that's OK since this might lead me to my dream job, right?  I am so so optimistic.  Believe it or not I am a people person. I enjoy meeting new people and networking/finding a way to better myself in most situations.  I am now on my way officially, with 30 fresh copies of my resume printed (first time in YEARS i have printed a resume to hand out other than to have copies at job interviews), my leather portfolio is ready to go in case I get an on-site interview as advertised on the website, and I look at least presentable (though my god damned car is HOT since my AC doesn't work AND my driver's side window is inoperable....) so i get to the site, park, and walk toward the stadium looking for the entrance.

I find it, and I find the line snaking from the entrance around one corner, so I follow it -- there is no indication that pre-registered people enter here and non-registered people register there. SO like a lamb being lead to slaughter, I followed the masses around the corner...then another corner, and a third to finally come to rest at the end of the longest line full of people from all walks of life, every end of the earth and honestly, some with extremely questionable personal hygiene and wardrobe choices.  Some of the contenders could have been pulled straight from the pictures on peopleofwalmart.com -- but at least THOSE people aren't hoping to get a job when they step out their front door...


Anyway, after following the line back to the entrance there are now employees pointing out for those of us who pre-registered which line to go in, so I go.  A simple sign could have fixed this mess, but I am not going to give into my negative Nelly thoughts...not right now at least....i smile, pull my jacket down a bit in back since it's now sticking to the sweat running down my back and pat the sweat off of my face and forge ahead into the melee of the career fair.


There were perhaps 40 tables set up, at least 4 were for colleges who were hawking THEIR classes and such to the job seekers.  The career placement companies were doing interviews, and at 15 minutes past opening, they were booked for 2.5 hours.  I could become a bartender, hawks one woman....or i could pay for my insurance licensing and work for AFLAC, Farmers, and various other insurance agencies.  I actually spoke to three people at tables.  I gave out two resumes.  One woman gave me her .02 as to which job to apply for and let me know that she'd keep an eye out for the application.  She also gave me pointers on which portions of my resume to highlight in the application process....so i appreciated that.


Every other table I went to (and including the one where the woman was so helpful) told me to go ahead and apply online if any of the jobs interested me.   APPLY ONLINE IF ANY OF THEIR JOBS INTEREST ME.  I looked at the jobs YESTERDAY....I was hoping to actually speak to someone about what they are looking for and find out what the chances are for me to fill their needs....not drive out in 90 + heat, walk around a super hot BALL PARK in my interview clothing to meet with recruiters who then tell me to apply online.  REALLY?  (can you tell my smile is now slipping, hairpins are shooting out of my head though I have super short hair and I am starting to mutter to myself) .... so i left the ballpark and have learned a nice lesson that I won't go back to a job fair again...or if I do I am going to wear whatever I want and do whatever I want..... of course THAT will be the day that my dream employer is actually giving interviews and they spot me coming in my peopleofwalmart shorts and backboobs. 




Wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!  

Busy busy but doing NOTHING

I haven't been blogging much.  Have to turn that around shortly.  Been feeling down :( but I am going to turn my frown up and down LOL.....and will have a snarky commentary up shortly!

:)

BlogDare July 2 - Food I cannot live without?? NOODLES

Noodles, pasta, LOMEIN, spaghEtti, RigaTONI, NOODLES Noodles, noodleS!!!!  Do i have to type it out again?   I like noodles with butter, noodles with sauce, italian, asian, plain ol' american.  My favorite restaurant when I am traveling?  NOODLES....too bad they don't have one in New Jersey or I'd visit it weekly for a noodle fix.   Noodles is one of the few foods that my family can agree upon, even if the toppings differ....i know that my children will eat.  I know that if we eat out my kids can eat plain pasta or noodles with butter, at a chinese restaurant or buffet, my very picky eater DD can choose lo mein noodles with soy sauce (and ONLY soy sauce)....

Have a few ramen packs?  I can make a super meal out of that....you can even use noodles/pasta/ whatever in desserts of one sort or another.  I can add noodles to any soup or broth to make it heartier and add some body!  Noodles stir fried with veggies and some tofu can be a quick and healthy meal....Noodles can be used to entertain vegans, vegetarians and the typical omnivore all at the same time with very little effort!

So, noodles and pasta products are the one thing that I could not live without!!!!!!!!!!!

Bon Apetit!

BlogDare July 1 - choosing a favorite time period to live in....

This is my first venture in the "blog dare" at Bloggy Moms...I am doing it to try to stretch a bit and learn more about myself and the craft of blogging.


The first posting "dare" (7/1) is:  If you could choose any time period to live in, what would it be


I have been thinking about this a lot today.  I am torn.  I loved the 80's (1980's) and am truly a Generation X girl....i would wear my hair big (or punky) and wear my neon and listen to pseudo-punk music and pretend to have angst in my life every day, if I could.....but I am assuming that my current person would be living in the time period, not my teen-20's person....so not sure if that's what I'd really like as a middle-aged woman with two children who would more than likely be mortified by a pseudo punk-rock mom with safety pins thru her earlobes and frizzed up huge lacquered hair.....


So then I think of times in history that I would be comfortable in...I was born in the late 60's so I guess I understand that....but I am not a free love, flowers and peace kinda girl....the 70's were an interesting time, lots of controversy, a huge leap in liberties and political movements, but the fashion, not-so-much and the simple fact that Disco was king makes it not for me (though I do like my Disco, i don't want to LIVE in disco times....)


The early centuries, even early 20th century are not for me, as I enjoy a daily shower, and not having to smell people out on the road, in the store, in a car...I also enjoy the technology that's become available and truthfully I can't imagine living without my constant companion....the interwebz.


So, I guess that I would like to live in the CURRENT period of time. I love technology, love that clothing is available for the plus sized woman that wasn't in the eras past....and i enjoy most things about life today (short of being unemployed and struggling financially, but i think that's just part and parcel of MY life....)  So, the current time period is where I'd prefer to live......

I love SuperNanny

It's true. I love Supernanny.  I wish that I were not married so I could propose to her, if I lived in NY or another socially progressive state that would allow it.  It's not that I am interested  in her as a sexual being, but man oh man she is consistent, firm, funny, and warm all in a plump pudding package... she's a bit fashion-awkward and such but that's not a problem for me.  


I am troubled by my love for her though....because I sit and watch the Supernanny for hours, honestly.....while my kids do whatever it is they want to do in our play room.  I engage with the TV show, taking pointers and information that truth be told, I will never use because I know that I am a lazy parent.  I hate that about myself, but realize that while she amazes me, and has super ideas that really will help to run my life, my household and my children's schedules smoothly, that I won't ever use the advice.  I will be the parent that cries during the family meeting and will pledge to do whatever it takes to get my life and family on track, and then the.very.split.second she goes on her trip away, I will revert to my lazy bass-ackward ways of parenting.  I would sheepishly watch the DVD of shame, where she'd highlight where my husband and I did not follow the techniques in place and how we lacked and I will, honestly and truthfully, swear to continue to be better -- and I will...while she is there.  


My house is a mess, though not a hoarded mess (thank you lord!!) but I teeter on being on the brink... my kids are a mess LOL and I would love Supernanny to come and live with us and never leave.....at least not until DD is in college -- i am skeered of DD and think Jo Frost could help manager her ;) with little or no violence...Jo Frost - if you are reading this, please email me at RantyMom@gmail.com -- i might even get a divorce for you :)  


<3 RantyMom

Figuring out what I want to do when I grow up....

I think about life while it is moving forward....and I don't think that things happen by coincidence.  So, while I was watching Supernanny on DVR today, ignoring my own children, I saw a family that has a home business baking and sending cookies/sweets.

ding ding ding ding ding alarm bells went off in my head that this is something I could do, to bring money into our family with a low level of outlay of cash to get the business off the ground.  There are craft fairs and flea markets around in this area....so my wheels are turning, that perhaps I could set up a table with samples and grab bags of our wares.....and get this party started.

My hubby came in and saw the same episode and said "we could do that"....so who knows.

I have a batch of berry/almond biscotti in the oven right now, just to see if we enjoy them as much as I think we do.... and tomorrow who knows.  Maybe it's off to another fabulous idea to support my family some way, some how.

:)

bills from my previous employer

hahahahahahah. Today I received an email from my former employer.  Yes, the group that let me go over 2 months ago to essentially find my way through the social services pool and learn the true meaning of struggling 101.  (I guess I shouldn't say that b/c I do have a home at this time, food on the table and in the pantry and TV and internet to entertain us but it's difficult to realize that when I look at the $9.00 in my bank account that if something came up, I can do NOTHING about it.  I am serious....our bank account has $9.00 in it. I get unemployment tomorrow so my hope is that my fuel purchase yesterday doesn't clear my account before the unemployment does) 

So when I receive this bill from them for a car rental that I had used during my tenure at the job, I laughed, laughed, laughed and almost wrote a scathing email that they could get in line behind the hospital and any other entity I owe money to.  But I am not going to do that since I owe the money to them for the rental.  I am going to write a letter, mail it and offer a payment plan.  The rental is more than 1/10th of my biweekly check so there's no way in hell I can pay it in full.  I am going to offer $10 a month.  If they choose not to accept then it's on them to do what they will.  I will have proof that I offered to rectify the situation in good faith and was refused.  That a larger payment will definitely take food out of my childrens' mouths and an organization devoted to the benefit of women would do something such as this.  And they still have the framed certificate of membership that belongs to me.  I should send them a bill for that!!

Losing this job was inevitable....but there was so much more lost in this transition.  I lost someone I considered one of my best friends.  She no longer even comments or chats with me.  She wouldn't have become the person she is if it weren't for me (no I didn't get her the job, but she was never in touch with the organization before this position.....I was and forwarded her the info when the opening was advertised)  What fun that is.  It would be easy if we didn't share friends IRL but we do.  Ah well, life is messy.

Anyway just wanted to put this out there before I did send the scathing email I want to send.... this helps me get off the ledge a bit!

Wedding drama - continued :D

As discussed on Friday, my BIL is getting married this weekend coming.  I am still without an itinerary of where my kids and dh need to be (they are all in the wedding).  The bride isn't feeling well, has a horrendous summer cold, and to top that off the stylist she went to for a trial run thoroughly upset her.  He was truly a dick, brutal to her and really doing what he could to break her down.


I didn't mention this to her, but bridal consults are not usually done less than a week before your wedding especially not with a stylist you have never seen before.  Now we are in def-con -10 to find a potential hair person and make up for the wedding...but that's not the issue.  I am trying to help as best I can (and have contacted my own stylist who will do it with no trouble but now BIL and his bride are hemming and hawing)


My current issue remains that I have no specific itinerary for the big day. I know that we have to be at the restaurant by a certain time, but beyond that there's still no level of expectation being set.  PLUS I contacted the hotel we were told we were staying in  to confirm that we would have a double room and not a king (b/c of the 2 kids) and I was told that the reservations were canceled.


<<Cue needle dragging across vinyl record noise >>


My stomach dropped a bit, since now I was going to be the bearer of not pleasant news.  I emailed FIL about the reservations (after double checking that it WAS the hotel he told me about). His response was "oh we changed hotels to XYZ"  (crickets chirping)   THE EVENT IS THIS FUCKING WEEKEND and I could almost feel me sitting in the un-airconditioned car (it broke) having a minor stroke over not knowing where the fuck I am supposed to be going/staying.   Why not forget to tell us the date has changed or the restaurant no longer allows overweight women so I am SOL?


Of course my DH is like "at least we know where we have to go now"  REALLY?  Why am I the only person who thinks this is fucked up in my family?  Am I the one who is wound SO tightly that diamonds come out if you shove a lump of coal up my butt?  I don't think that's the case but apparently somewhere in the past 13 years that I have known my IL's we have crossed dimensions and I now reside in The Twilight Zone. 

So gentle readers, people who take time out to read MY rants or perhaps make fun of the idiocy of what I call my life.....if you think I am out of line, please let me know!  Leave a comment or email me!  I would love to know that I am not crazy, or perhaps have proof that I am, indeed, over the edge ;)  


I suppose I will be back, before the week's end, with a final rant down to the blessed event ;) 

Fuming Friday - Wedding Preparations

pulling my hair out!!

Ahhhh my Friday post.  Until a few moments ago nothing really made me THAT ranty that it would be considered a "fuming" post.  Cue my IL's response to a request for an itinerary for the wedding that's to occur NEXT weekend that DD, Sonny and my husband are in.


Am I overreacting to this situation?  I welcome your opinions!!! Leave a comment below.


Earlier this week I requested the approximate schedule from my BIL and his Fiancee.  I was told they'd send it to me.  NOTHING.  Today I emailed FIL "do you know what the plan / schedule is for next weekend?  I have no idea what time we are supposed to be to the hotel, if there's a rehearsal, and what the expectation is"


The response?  "I don’t have a timeline but we can chat on Sunday."  This makes me fume.  FUME.  I have two kids involved in this wedding and a week and a day before the wedding I have no idea what the expectation is for them, no idea what time we need to be at the hotel (which is in a shore-resort town) nor what I need to bring for them (ie: rehearsal dinner - clothes?).  I am not a control freak generally, but I like to have an idea of what the expectation might be for my family so that we do not wreak havoc on what is hopefully going to be one of the best days of my BIL and fSIL's lives.  Since FIL reserved our rooms, I have no idea what time I can check in, what TYPE of room we have (will we have a king sized bed or two queens) and if I can bring snacks and store them in the room for Sonny and DD to enjoy for the two days we will be staying there.  As you may know both my hubby and I are unemployed and don't have a ton of extra cash to eat out or order in at a resort town.....

I do not like to live by the seat of my pants.  Since I am consulting for a company in NJ I also need to have a clear idea of where I need to be and what time I need to be there (so that I can schedule time to work on the project and go into the office to collaborate with the team).  And i have TWO KIDS BELOW THE AGE OF 10 WHO NEED TO HAVE SOME SEMBLANCE OF STRUCTURE.

I am being fatalistic here, but I can see how the weekend is going to go already and my stomach is aching. Maybe I can go back to the hospital????  Below is a synopsis of what I think will happen:
Friday:  pack up everything we will need and find a way to entertain the kids on the ride.
Saturday: Arrive at hotel.  Kids will run around in lobby (since we are permissive parents) and create some disturbance.  FIL and BIL will yell at DD to tell her to stop running/skipping/dancing (she's 4.5) and making noise.  FIL and BIL will look at DH and me, communicating via daggers to "control these danged kids" I will take kids out to the parking lot so as to not cause any more commotion or break the fucking eggshells we have to walk on all.the.time.  Hopefully we'll get a room that's not right near my IL's rooms....so we don't have a knock on the door when my kids/tv/whatever are too loud.

Sunday:  Wedding is on beach.  DD and Sonny will be yelled at to stop playing with the sand, stop dancing round, stop making noise, stop stop stop being kids. (My stomach aches right now).  I will hopefully retain most of my hair follicles.  DH will either yell at his dad and brother or he will pretend nothing's happening and I will have a stroke and fall to the sandy ground and hopefully someone will drag me off the beach before the sandfleas and crabs get to me.   At the reception DD and Sonny will do their level best to garner the attention of every adult in the room.  They will win -- there's no competition between a 35 year old woman no matter how beautiful and  a determined 4.5 year old girl and 9 year old boy who tag team for attention.  They are cute, funny, and noisily annoying.  FIL and BIL will probably yell more at which time my mama bear instincts will kick in full force and I will threaten them (the adults) with bodily harm and remind them that this was their mother effing idea to bring my children to this occasion to be flower girl and ring bearer.  I offered. i offered to have my kids stay with my family . If I am still alive and haven't been transported to the local hospital, I will be drinking wine. If there's wine at the reception (both BIL and his fiancee are recovering addicts but my IL's are not...so potentially there WILL be alcohol).  I will continue to drink wine and eat my meal and pretend that all is well....until I pass out.....and my kids might be allowed to eat cake or dance but who knows.


And I could prepare better for the upcoming weekend of family fun if I knew what the expectations are.  For the record:   BIL and his Fiancee and my IL's said that they want the kids at the wedding and that they'll be so great to be part of it. They'll have fun and have lots to do........but the proof will be in the pudding. Unfortunately my predictions with this family generally come to fruition.


 DON'T SAY I DIDN'T WARN THEM. 


Anyone have a spare room in a quiet, softly padded cell for me?  Please?  I promise I will weep silently so as not to disturb your family members....

Tummy Troubles and the RantyMom Experience

I have been MIA from RantyMom for a few days.  I have been experiencing tummy trouble since my visit to social services last week.  I originally thought it might be anxiety related to having to go into the bowels (LOL) of the system....but Friday arrived and my stomach was still funky, and then Friday afternoon arrived and I thought i was feeling better so i ate some rice crackers and some cheese with DD and then all hell broke loose in my gut!  Seriously.  I felt like a flaming pole of death was being rammed through my body from the upper right side of my body through to the back sprouting little brush-fires of pain throughout its path. WHEEEE it was so much fun.

So i checked myself into the local hotel ugh, er hospital (newly renovated, LOOKS like a hotel) to be checked out.  I sat in the ER for about 8 hours but at least i was in a triage room with a TV and all that.  Nothing by mouth so I was dying of thirst as i sat there, but i felt OK since I was in a place that could help me if I was about to expire.

ER doc said she wanted me to have an MRCP (an MRI scan of the ducts of my liver and pancreas).  Said an ultrasound wouldn't show up what she suspects is the issue (a stone in my common bile duct -- happened before).  She said i needed to be admitted and the floor doc would issue the order for the MRCP.  So I was and I got the lovely liquid diet (which at that time was fine since all i wanted to do was drink something, anything).  I was in a lovely single room (they are all single rooms) and my kids and dh came to visit me for a few minutes.  They were all more interested in the view out the window from the 7th floor than in me LOL but that's ok...par for the course.  So i spent the night in a nice room, eating water ice and sipping water all delivered to me from room service (they are open until midnight btw)  with no belly trouble.  

In the morning (Sunday) the doc came in and talked to me.  He basically dismissed my thought that it might be a stone in the common bile duct, did not order the MRCP but had me go for an u/s instead.  U/S was normal so that's good i guess...but the last time I was hospitalized the U/S and liver enzymes were ALL normal until I had to come back in severe biliary colic 3 days later (the night before Thanksgiving in the US) and was hospitalized for almost 2 weeks.  Since I am not a doctor, but play one on the Internet, he disregarded my opinion and discharged me thusly (which i am glad for anyway since I can't PAY for the visit LOL)

In order to ensure that my tummy troubles are over, we had burritos and tacos last night for dinner...and i am fine.  I am almost pissed that I didn't have any pain b/c I wanted to prove the doc wrong..... how healthy is THAT?  I wanted to prove the doctor he was wrong by getting sick... makes no sense to the normal person i think....but I am far from normal and always want to be right!!!!

OK so it's sideways. I can't figure out how to set this upright, sorry!

So thinking healthy thoughts over here and waiting to get a few things done around the house and with my resume, searching for the elusive mid-life career change job.... DD is playing Cinderella right now, tip tapping around the hardwood with her powder-blue plastic shoes....in her gown, tiara,....oh and red lipstick <-- that's a must for all Cinderella's today!                

Fuming Fridays -- my new project LOL

I try try try to be positive (??) -- probably the main reason my blog is called RantyMom... since i am so positive, pleasant and just a joy to behold :) and i get struck down my the reality that is my life every time.

So....for three point 5 years I had suggested, begged, requested that staff I worked with to pay their "membership fee" so we can post that "i paid my fees won't you do so too?"   I worked for a fairly large membership organization.  I was laid off due to a few reasons (my primary thought is that I am neither young nor pretty enough to represent the organization but of course that's not going to be stated...however the women hired in my stead are all below 30 and cute as buttons with NO EXPERIENCE...)

Anyway, I digress....so today I see two high level employees posting that they value their membership in our organization and they are paying their membership fees.  WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?  Every year when I paid my dues and did outreach to the staff I was told that it's not important for them to pay their membership fees, that they are OBVIOUSLY members and that they shouldn't have to pay.

WOW. I am hurt, angry, pissed and want to smash some of these people in the face right now.

I could really throw up right now.

Off to lick my wounds and do the best I can to let go of this anger. This doesn't affect the people I formerly worked with....it affects me, makes ME unhappy, makes MY heart race and I cannot let them have this power.

LeSigh

My trip into the underbelly of the beast!

Today was my first fore into the interesting world of social services.  The main reason I have decided to go this route is that we are without health insurance (lamented in a few other posts LOL) and I figure that if my family is eligible for anything then we will utilize the services until we are more solvent.

It was a long afternoon.  I went through intake, went to meet with a counselor to discuss the paternity of my children and then sat in a waiting room with roughly 80 people (some in couples/triads) waiting to go through the final interview and such.  A homeless guy came in ranting at the staff because someone had forced him out of the shelter he was living in....he was given paperwork to fill out and he did so, then went out to lunch, telling the clerk he'd be back at 1:30.... there were a lot of teeny tiny babies crying, some preschoolers strolling and smiling and dancing....there was a 20 something guy accompanying a young woman.  He had  running commentary on the other people in the room.  "what is she 12?"  "look at the stumps on that lady" and on and on. I wanted to smack him, this smug kid, and bring him back to reality....he is waiting in the welfare office with his gf....this could be his future....and he's too much of an idiot to recognize it.

I was overwhelmed with a new perception of life in the US.  I went into the offices thinking that I would be very very out of ordinary in there.  My own belief I guess that the educated, previously financially stable don't end up on the dole...i was wrong and the faces in the rooms I entered underscored the reality of the times in which we live.

So, i have to send back a few items we were missing during intake (will go out tomorrow) and then barring any problems with said paperwork, I will have a determination in 30 days or so.  Yep, even today government still moves at the speed of molasses.

BIG dose of reality.....

As I have ranted previously, i lost my job in April.  At that time my husband had already exhausted his unemployment benefits, so my bi-weekly unemployment earnings has to pay for everything, a mortgage (which is more than 1.3 times the bi-weekly unemployment payment), food, gas for the car, school lunches for Sonny, gas, electric, cable (since I am looking full time for a job, I need the internet......and gas costs more than internet honestly).  Of course understanding that the maximum one would likely earn on unemployment is under 1200 a pay period, you can then imagine that I am NOT making that.  Do the math, and you have to conclude  ultimately am not able to pay COBRA (@1700/month) for our family either.  For the first time in my entire adult life I am without insurance.  My children are without medical insurance....I am going to have a STROKE.

Today I picked up my prescriptions.  I take two...generic blood pressure meds and generic zoloft for anxiety.  My cost at the pharmacy was almost 80 effing bux.  80 BUCKS...OH MY GOD... what the hell?

I am off tomorrow to social services, believe it or not, for a welfare intake.  I figure at the very least with our level of income (or non-come) we will qualify for the state children's health insurance.  At the very least that won't weigh on my soul and scare the crap out of me and will allow me to relax while they ride bikes or run around ... I have a sneaking suspicion I won't qualify for anything else.  I have another suspicion that I will become a ranting, raving lunatic at the social services office b/c we are literally teetering on the brink and I don't know what to do to stop from rolling over the edge!

Truthfully i am not looking for you to save me, or give me pointers.  I just need to get it off my chest.  Worse comes to absolute worst, we do have family that I know will help us, but I don't want to ask for that yet. I am continuing to do what I can to move forward, and will hopefully find a prescription savings program and buy my generic meds next month at a discount......or I will decide my kids can't eat anything but peanut butter and we sit in a dark house fanning each other with paper fans made out of things we scavenge from our neighbors on trash day ....

This was a big...nay, HUGE dose of reality for me to realize that I am really not that far from the streets and I have to figure out way to get past that and to a better place because I never, ever, will allow that to happen to my kids.

ARRRRRRGH!

Dancing Queen

DD will be in her first ever dance recital in less than two weeks.  She's pretty excited, more for the fact that she'll get to wear mascara, eyeliner and lipstick.  I am afraid once she gets ON the stage she will never get off....her class's number is about halfway through the first act, and I am truly fearful that we will have to physically remove her from the stage which will include mom and/or dad running around chasing her screaming....

The whole world is her stage!

This girl thinks that the entire world is her stage.  She is filled with joy and energy radiates from her body.  She loves to be the center of attention and frankly, I will be surprised if she follows the rest of the dancers off stage without tears and screaming from her parents.

No matter what happens on recital night, her dad and I, her grandparents and her brother will be very proud.  My hope is we won't have to resort to removing her from the facility but if we do, it will be ok, another page in the memory book that is DD.  She is challenging and so different from Sony, but she is worth the challenge and pays us back every day in hugs, kisses and unbridled zest for life.

Would love a venti non-fat double caff job!!!!

So i lost my job in April.  My husband has been out of work for over 2 years and we are essentially in dire straits.  I am applying for jobs in my chosen profession, for positions that are under my pay grade (since benefits are more important to me right now than money) and have even tried to get in with Trader Joes and Starbucks...and though I have gotten a few interviews for professional gigs (though nothing past a second interview) I am getting NOTHING from Starbucks, Target, Trader Joe's, etc....and the stores I see in my neighborhood and on my travels all have help wanted or "start your career here today" signs.  When I have inquired I am directed to the website...and that has not worked out for me.

I want to scream!  Honestly, I would LOVE to work at Starbucks especially.  I enjoy their customer service model and think that working as a barista and actually understanding the needs/wants of the customers would be a great experience...plus Starbucks is a true leader in their industry, their product is entirely consumable and the concept intrigues this consummate customer service and psychology buff :)

Anyone have any suggestions on how to get a foot in the door?

Freaky Eaters

I cannot believe that these things are real.  In my head I *know* it is true, but come ON...only eating corn starch or potatoes with cheese every.single.day cannot even be considered healthy...

Good luck Freaky Eaters and I commend you for getting help...but COME ON......

/end rant.

Hoarders....no judgement but observing.

I have a small addiction to home improvement shows (sell this house, moving up, that type of thing) and to shows about mental health issues that manifest in unusual ways: hoarding, animal hoarding, eating disorders, surgical addiction...things like that.  In some small way seeing how out of control other people can be puts into perspective, however moderately, in control I am.

I am messy. I am a piler...i have stacks of things on our kitchen table (homework/school things; activities for the kids; important mail;) but they are manageable piles.  We don't need a path through any room, and our bathrooms and kitchen sinks don't have indescribable pudding in them.  

What really SCARES me though is that I could see how one day I might find myself on TLC or Discovery or OWN completely surrounded by things.  I find that when I am stressed out, upset or depressed I tend to "clean up" but that means I take things that can be put away and put them in plastic bags.  I then have multiple plastic bags (target, walmart, kohls) filled with paper or items that need to be put away...they aren't sitting and blocking the way to my bed or surrounding the entrance to the house but I can imagine how out of hand I could get in my tendency to need things and the fear I have from time to time to throw anything away.  Sonny might need the study guide to his test from the beginning of 3rd grade.  DD might need to see her dance schedule from her first year in ballet.  DH probably would need the gamer magazine with portal II highlighted since, yanno, he doesn't HAVE portal II(he does).

It is frightening to see how truly out of control the people highlighted on the different hoarding shows are.  Even "clean house" reflects at least some level of hoarding behavior -- i worry about THOSE people b/c the reason that the home has become so full of things don't seem to really be addressed.  The home is beautified and the viewer walks away from the show thinking "wow what a gorgeous home" but where are these people in 5 years?  I know they follow up, but it's usually within a year of the Clean House team.  What support is in place for these families who are obviously dealing with some level of emotional issue.

Something else that terrifies me -- some of the people featured on the shows don't seem to realize just how bad they are living.  Some of the people have to go to local gas stations to use the restroom, have to shower at work and sleep in their cars. The smells alone would have to drive you out...i cannot imagine being so immune to the stench of rotting food, animal carcases, animal and human feces and urine....but it happens it HAS to happen otherwise, how could one live like this?

So it's something I think about.  Not a rant, not only about being a mom, but i think about it. A lot...and hope that I stay ahead of my tendencies and stay aware of my fear.

Preschooler TV & Commercials -- reposted from old site... :)

Since I have been unemployed, I have spent a good deal of time with my daughter, DD.  She’s lovely, funny, quirky, outspoken, smart and totally fresh.  Being that DD is about 4.5, she either plays the role of my assistant during my “work” hours (job seeking and resume/connection building) and/or watching NickJr.

I’ll be honest, I wish that TV today was on the same schedule as TV when I was a child, for children at least.  There was NOTHING on TV when I w mid-day as a child other than an hour of Sesame Street followed by an hour of Electric Company and maybe a Mr. Rogers inserted here or there.  There weren’t day long cartoons or educational shows that made me learn things.  The morning cartoons were Looney Toons where a rabbit/chicken/pig/cowboy beats the crap out of another character or a cat and mouse chased each other around until one or the other is “dead”…not many life lessons since there was little chance I’d ever have an anvil dropped on me or have a date with Tom and/or Jerry….

DD has a ton of viewing opportunities. She particularly loves NickJr and some of the shows have redeeming qualities (Max & Ruby not withstanding). It’s the education that she’s getting from the commercials that I object to.

In the past few weeks, both DD and Sonny have given me some suggestions for products they think I’d like to try:

Trilastin cream http://www.trilastin.com/ to get rid of my many stretch marks
Strivectin cream http://www.strivectin.com/ to eliminate my (apparently) deep and wrinkly lines.
My BFF (best fish friend) because, well who WOULDN’T want to have a teabag full of fish larvae that will grow into these colorful friends for life (or for a few weeks until we forget to feed the things and then we have to have a fishy funeral and the dead BFF can join the plethora of dead animals just under the surface of our backyard).
Happy Nappers — in case I would need a cute, cuddly and fun pillow for nap time.
LaLaLoopsie — disturbing looking dolls that would be better suited to being called “lala corpsie”  with their button eyes and weird floppy bodies.

My concern is that in the midst of all the high-brow cerebral learning that is being piped into her mind are these jewels from society that tell her that women (and the first two items are marketed SOLELY to women) should be ashamed of the stretch marks they have, the laugh lines they earned and don’t get me started on the Schick Quattro Trim style showing all the ummmm pruning capabilities of said razor.  http://www.quattroforwomen.com/media_trimstyle.php  REALLY?

I want my girl to grow into a woman who is confident of her body, who knows that she’s a beautiful person inside and out without the need to wear makeup or change the way she looks unless it’s what SHE wants to do….

Argh  off to lay down with my Happy Napper and Lala Corpsie to lament my lines and unruly bikini area.  If only I had used the stretch mark cream, I might have had the opportunity to use the quattro trim style…. 

g’night