I Couldn't Make This Up if I Tried

A friend told me about a great toy store in the suburbs. I looked at their website and liked a few of the toys so I ordered their catalog thinking they might have some good toys for Fussbot. The catalog came yesterday and DMS and I looked through it before bed and could not stop laughing.

Behold! The weirdest toys you have ever seen:

Whale Rescue? What kind of kid wants to play "whale rescue?" Also why does the whale need a movable jaw- is it going to eat the rescue personnel? Why do the rescue personnel look like Rambo?



I totally get that some kids are into ambulances and police. That's cool. But I've never met a 4 year old that knows about a back board, head brace or Automated External Defibrillator. Either these kids are watching too many ER re-runs or they are witnessing too many serious crashes. Set also includes a rescue dog and IV pole.

Right on top of the Ambulance ad is far and away the best toy. Its called Astronaut Adventure and it has your usual astronauts, lunar vehicle, space capsule, satellite dish(?) and, wait for it...
2 SPACE MONKEYS.
So weird, I couldn't make this up if I tried.

National Pomegranate Month

Didn’t you know that if you go away for the weekend you get a free pass for NaNoBloMoPo? You totally do. It’s in the rules.

We went to visit my parents for the weekend, booking a last minute trip on Wednesday. We realized that if we didn’t go this weekend, DMS wouldn’t be able to go with me until March. A little crazy, but true. While I often go on my own if he’s working over a weekend, things with my parents have been a little tense lately and it’s always nice to have him around to help diffuse the situation. True to self, DMS was uber-husband this weekend and we had a great trip overall.

This week my MIL is coming for her annual November visit. I’m trying to bite my tongue and not say anything since DMS has been above and beyond when it comes to me and my family recently so I’m channeling my inner whiner into being super hostess. She arrives Thursday night (I think? I hope) and if all goes according to plan the house will be clean and the food will be cooked. This leaves Friday for me to entertain her (at least until lunch time when Fussbot will HAVE to come home and eat lunch and take a nap) and the weekend for us to do god knows what, but at least DMS will be around.

I’ve been trying to go to my happy place when I find that I’m getting tense thinking about her visit but certain habits die hard. I find that I still revert back to my thinking that if all appears perfect (me, the house, the kid, my interaction with the kid) she won’t have anything to disparage. I know this isn’t true and I should just say #$%#$ it and act how I normally do but I can’t help dressing a little nicer, or trying to be super-organized-engaged-mom. What do you when you’re in an uncomfortable situation? What habits do you retreat to when you’re nervous?

(Not So) Deep Thoughts: Happy Edition

When you have to (or want to for some weird join-er compulsion) post every, some posts are going to be better than others. Ahem.

1. I was reading this post today and I was really struck by the comment that “The happiest people seem to be very focused on whatever they are doing. Unhappy people seem to be very focused on what other people are doing.” I was thinking about all the crap that has been upsetting me this week and I realized that if I just focused on my life and what I wanted/needed that I would be so much happier.

2. I read an interesting article that mentioned kids make married couples happier. The article* went on to discuss the reasons for that (goal fulfillment, etc.) but then notes that not only do kids make married couples happier, that more kids make you even happier (up to 3 kids). How’s that for an interesting thought.

3. This week we’ve hit some major milestones on the Fussbot front. Not only has he stoped crying when I drop him off at daycare, he now even smiles at them when he walks into the room (by himself.) Further, when I pick him up he’s laughing. To top it off this morning, he looked at me and said “Mommy” for the first time. I was so happy.

*Side Note: The article was filled with terms that led to a great deal of discussion between DMS and I such as the existence of “happiness researchers,” the Journal of Happiness Studies and the listed hot topics in the happiness field.

Things I Didn't Buy At Costco

In lieu of talking about what really happened today (kerfuffle with friends, Fussbot discovering his nostrils and what can be shoved up them, disgruntlement with family) lets talk about yesterday's trip to Costco.

Exhibit A: Adhesive Toe Warmers

You had me until adhesive. I often think toe warmers would be marvelous but how do these work- you stick them to your feet? Nothing sound worse than the idea of my toes being burned by adhesive pads that I can't remove because they are glued to my toes.

Exhibit B: Large Polar Bear

This reminds me of a house near our place in LA. They had brass animals in their front yard. These weren't small animals- all were life-size including the giraffe, the numerous lions. We could have a whole polar animal yard. Think how much the neighbors would love it!

Exhibit C: Construction Worker Playset

I don't know if you can read the small print but this toy comes with 8 Functions and A MUTE BUTTON. How awesome that they advertise that. There are many toys I wish had a mute button (I'm looking at you Fisher Price).

Exhibit D: DORITOS DORITOS DORITOS
Nacho Cheese of course. It took a lot of will power but I refrained from buying even one bag. Mmm...Doritos.

Get the Worry Out

Tomorrow morning I’m taking Fussbot for his H!N! shot. Let me say from the beginning that I am a vaccine person and with Fussbot being in the cesspool of germs that is daycare there was no question that I wanted him vaccinated. I think science has made wonderful strides in protecting us diseases from horrible diseases and part of that protection lies in all of us doing our part and getting the recommended vaccines. I did split up Fussbot’s early vaccines so that he wasn’t getting so many shots at once but I delayed the shots by one month at most. I get the flu shot, DMS gets the flu shot, Fusbot gets the flu shot. No questions asked.

I think all the hoopla regarding the swine flu has been ridiculous. Jon Stewart had a great bit (aren’t they all though?) a few weeks ago that summed it up best when he charted the reaction to the pandemic as this:

-Oh No! We’re all going to die!

-Yay! We’re Safe! They have a vaccine!

-The vaccine will kill us!!!

- Oh Crap! They don’t have enough! Get it now!

I totally agree with him, the coverage has been out of control and the fear mongering despicable but I have to admit that I’m a little nervous giving Fussbot the shot. I know that had the pandemic begun a few weeks earlier the H!N! strain would have been wrapped into the regular flu vaccine and we wouldn’t even be having this discussion. So why do I care so much now? I guess its that its new, and I worry that while we think something is safe now who knows what we’ll learn in 5, 10, 15 years. I realize this could be applied to many things in life, not just vaccines, but it’s too overwhelming to think like that. I think this is just my way of getting some of that worry out. Fretting over something that I’m going to do anyway, worrying if its right even though I do think it is. What keeps you up at night? What do you focus on when you need to get the worry out?

Glass Half Full

Penny (and DMS and everyone I talk to) had the idea that I should have a five year plan for my life. I've started making good moves on this front and have some positive responses. Little things, like an email giving me a vote of confidence from someone in the field, has been enough to change my mood from pie plate half empty, to pie plate somewhat full.

It makes me think about how attitudes about oneself impacts how we see the world and how we see our own capabilities. I've always admired people who feel that they can do anything (rightly or wrongly) as I was always one to fear trying in order to avoid failure. But in my never-ending quest for paid work I've realized that you have to just be confident and tell yourself that you can, and people will respond to that. I know this isn't the Most Original Thought Ever but sometimes it takes actually realizing it yourself to make something ring true to you.

30 Posts, 30 Days (Take Two)