I was just reading an article about a new Disney ride that makes the good people thin and beautiful, then the bad people fat and lazy. They were forced to close the ride after protests that it made the "plump" kids feel bad.
They they pointed out all the movies that have a thin hero and fat evil villan. Like The Little Mermaid and Ursula.
Not only that but all older characters are plump - Cinderella's fairy godmother, the Witch Doctor in Frog Princess, Mrs. Potts in Beauty and the Beast. What does this tell kids? Its ok to be fat if you're old?
I have long said that Disney hates mothers. Usually in the first few minutes the mom dies, or she's never mentioned at all.
Snow white - dead
Cinderella - dead
Ariel - never mentioned
Belle - never mentioned
Nemo - killed
Bambi - killed
Pinocchio - never had one
What does Walt have against moms? Seems to me that maybe Disney isn't the happiest place after all, but if we wish upon a star, we'll all be super thin, long haired beauties who live happily ever after - until we have kids that is...
Wednesday, February 29, 2012
Thursday, February 23, 2012
Being sick
As a mom of 8 years I have developed a bad habit. I get sick at night, and then plow through the day having no rest and still sick.
But this morning I couldn't do it. I canceled all of my morning appointments, and just stayed home while Jeremy went to school. I'm sitting watching tv, eating pudding, and playing on the computer. When I want to, I lay down.
Why do moms tell themselves that we can't get sick? Will the world as we know it end if I'm not here to keep it spinning? NO! My husband is perfectly capable of handling the children for one day. The teacher can live without my help for one week. The kids can live without my attention for one day.
Who developed this concept? Even God gave women time off during their "unclean week" and after childbirth. Why do mothers think we have to be present and healthy for everything? We are just as susceptible to germs, maybe more because we hand out the tissues and medicines.
Most likely it's that God given need to care for others that leads us to not care for ourselves.
Take care of yourself mommies - without us eventually the world WOULD fall apart, after more than a day, of course.
But this morning I couldn't do it. I canceled all of my morning appointments, and just stayed home while Jeremy went to school. I'm sitting watching tv, eating pudding, and playing on the computer. When I want to, I lay down.
Why do moms tell themselves that we can't get sick? Will the world as we know it end if I'm not here to keep it spinning? NO! My husband is perfectly capable of handling the children for one day. The teacher can live without my help for one week. The kids can live without my attention for one day.
Who developed this concept? Even God gave women time off during their "unclean week" and after childbirth. Why do mothers think we have to be present and healthy for everything? We are just as susceptible to germs, maybe more because we hand out the tissues and medicines.
Most likely it's that God given need to care for others that leads us to not care for ourselves.
Take care of yourself mommies - without us eventually the world WOULD fall apart, after more than a day, of course.
Sunday, February 12, 2012
Diabetes
I have a couple of diabetes facebook pages that I follow. I love the online support, but I wonder sometimes why people get so up in arms about what this celebrity said or that post said...
Don't we, as diabetic parents, have enough to worry about without freaking out because Paula Dean forgot to say "Type 2 diabetes"? Or because Halle Berry said she "weaned herself off of insulin"?
Who cares? Yes, I try to educate when I can. I raise money for a cure, and first and foremost I take care of my own. I know there are people out there who don't know what the difference is between T1 and T2, and so many times I hear oh, my grandma had diabetes or my uncle has diabetes. T2 is no good, but it's different. They have the same name, and people assume it's the same.
And while I'm on it - since when does diabetes mean no sugar at all? I know both T1 and T2 people and I know you do not have to give up sugar all together, just back off a little and get up and walk once in awhile. But so many people walk by the Girl Scouts saying "I can't have that, I'm diabetic". BULL SQUAT! As long as you don't eat the whole box in one sitting, you're fine. I look at them and I know they aren't trying to control anything, they just don't want to fork over the $3.50. Just say I don't want cookies.
Don't we, as diabetic parents, have enough to worry about without freaking out because Paula Dean forgot to say "Type 2 diabetes"? Or because Halle Berry said she "weaned herself off of insulin"?
Who cares? Yes, I try to educate when I can. I raise money for a cure, and first and foremost I take care of my own. I know there are people out there who don't know what the difference is between T1 and T2, and so many times I hear oh, my grandma had diabetes or my uncle has diabetes. T2 is no good, but it's different. They have the same name, and people assume it's the same.
And while I'm on it - since when does diabetes mean no sugar at all? I know both T1 and T2 people and I know you do not have to give up sugar all together, just back off a little and get up and walk once in awhile. But so many people walk by the Girl Scouts saying "I can't have that, I'm diabetic". BULL SQUAT! As long as you don't eat the whole box in one sitting, you're fine. I look at them and I know they aren't trying to control anything, they just don't want to fork over the $3.50. Just say I don't want cookies.
Thursday, February 9, 2012
Outrage
Diabetic-man-is-beaten-by-police-during-traffic-stop
I had all kinds of things I was going to write about today, then someone sent me this clip on Facebook. This man was in a diabetic emergency and then had trouble driving. The officers jumped to conclusions, and 5 or 6 of them proceeded to beat him, even as he could not fight back because he was unconscious.
No one should be treated this way, no matter what their illness. Someone could get stung by a bee, and end up passing out from anaphylaxis. Someone could have an epileptic seizure and pass out. All of these people could be victims of overzealous police officers.
Not just that, but if he was drunk, what gives them the right to beat the crap out of him? No one should be treated like that when they have not been aggressive towards the police.
I want to create a sticker for the car that says "Diabetic on board" with the medic alert sign.
I had all kinds of things I was going to write about today, then someone sent me this clip on Facebook. This man was in a diabetic emergency and then had trouble driving. The officers jumped to conclusions, and 5 or 6 of them proceeded to beat him, even as he could not fight back because he was unconscious.
No one should be treated this way, no matter what their illness. Someone could get stung by a bee, and end up passing out from anaphylaxis. Someone could have an epileptic seizure and pass out. All of these people could be victims of overzealous police officers.
Not just that, but if he was drunk, what gives them the right to beat the crap out of him? No one should be treated like that when they have not been aggressive towards the police.
I want to create a sticker for the car that says "Diabetic on board" with the medic alert sign.
Wednesday, February 8, 2012
Stopping to help
We were driving along today and I came up behind a car that was stalled. As I went around them, I noticed they were an elderly couple. I drove down the road aways, then decided maybe they needed help, so I turned around to help. By the time I got back there, their car had started again and they were moving.
I had to go way out of the way to turn around again. So I asked myself, was it worth it? Should I have kept going? If I had come back an hour later, and they were still there, I would have felt horrible. But why stop?
When I was younger, my dad would stop for anyone who needed help. I guess I inherited his trait. My mom has been broken down so many times and I've watched people just zoom on by, too busy with their own lives to stop.
Have we really become so afraid that we'll get hurt that we won't stop, or is it a selfish need to not mess up our own schedule to help someone who is obviously having a worse day than we are? Really, what are the odds of the person you stop to help being a psycho murderer. If anything I think it's safer because a murderer wouldn't have much luck sitting on the side of the road!
Sometimes I will give money to homeless people, but more often than not I discreetly check my door locks and turn to talk to the kids so I don't have to deal with them. Does this make me no better than the person who passes a fellow motorist? The other day I gave Mike a hard time about his parking job when we were downtown. A nearby homless woman launched into a tirade that started with "Oh my God, I have nothing else to worry about than..." then I got into the car. She continued to yell at the car for 3 minutes. I don't want to roll my window down to someone like that - and she looked "normal" until she started in.
Which leads me to my next thought - could I be her one day? Obviously she has some mental illness, that progressed over the years until she couldn't hold on to anyone or anything. Could that be me someday? Off my meds, wandering in the cold, yelling at strangers? I would hope my kids would take care of me, even if Mike wasn't around, but you never know what they will remember.
Anyway, just remember this next time you pass by a homeless person and intentionally ignore them, or fly by someone broken down on the side of the road.
I had to go way out of the way to turn around again. So I asked myself, was it worth it? Should I have kept going? If I had come back an hour later, and they were still there, I would have felt horrible. But why stop?
When I was younger, my dad would stop for anyone who needed help. I guess I inherited his trait. My mom has been broken down so many times and I've watched people just zoom on by, too busy with their own lives to stop.
Have we really become so afraid that we'll get hurt that we won't stop, or is it a selfish need to not mess up our own schedule to help someone who is obviously having a worse day than we are? Really, what are the odds of the person you stop to help being a psycho murderer. If anything I think it's safer because a murderer wouldn't have much luck sitting on the side of the road!
Sometimes I will give money to homeless people, but more often than not I discreetly check my door locks and turn to talk to the kids so I don't have to deal with them. Does this make me no better than the person who passes a fellow motorist? The other day I gave Mike a hard time about his parking job when we were downtown. A nearby homless woman launched into a tirade that started with "Oh my God, I have nothing else to worry about than..." then I got into the car. She continued to yell at the car for 3 minutes. I don't want to roll my window down to someone like that - and she looked "normal" until she started in.
Which leads me to my next thought - could I be her one day? Obviously she has some mental illness, that progressed over the years until she couldn't hold on to anyone or anything. Could that be me someday? Off my meds, wandering in the cold, yelling at strangers? I would hope my kids would take care of me, even if Mike wasn't around, but you never know what they will remember.
Anyway, just remember this next time you pass by a homeless person and intentionally ignore them, or fly by someone broken down on the side of the road.
Tuesday, February 7, 2012
Siblings
I remember fighting with my siblings, I would sit on my brother, scream at my sisters, resent my parents for having the girls... but I never understood why it drove my mom crazy. UNTIL NOW!
I know that siblings fight - and it's how we learn to get along with others. I wanted that for my kids and for our family, which is why we had a second child. I read somewhere that a sibling knows you for the longest time in your life. From young childhood to old age, your sibling is hopefully always there. I've tried to instill this in my kids. My mom instilled it in us and my sisters and brother are people I know I can always count on to help, or watch my kids, or get me a deal on a hotel, or build me a gate in my fence. I hope it goes the other way too.
But back to my kids. They got along great, and can get along great on certain days. Then Jeremy hit about 3&1/2 and decided he didn't want to take orders anymore. Thats when things hit the fan so to speak. Suddenly there was this massive power struggle going on in our household. I needed to be right over Mike, he needed to be right over me, Natalie needed to be right over Jeremy and Jeremy over her, then the kids had to fight us and we started fighting the kids. It was the opposite of anarchy in that we weren't all doing what we wanted, we were all doing what the others didn't want.
So, how do we fix it? I can't change the kids, just wait for them to grow out of it. I can't change Mike because he just doesn't change when he thinks he isn't wrong. So I have to change me. The problem is, I'm not sure how...
I know that siblings fight - and it's how we learn to get along with others. I wanted that for my kids and for our family, which is why we had a second child. I read somewhere that a sibling knows you for the longest time in your life. From young childhood to old age, your sibling is hopefully always there. I've tried to instill this in my kids. My mom instilled it in us and my sisters and brother are people I know I can always count on to help, or watch my kids, or get me a deal on a hotel, or build me a gate in my fence. I hope it goes the other way too.
But back to my kids. They got along great, and can get along great on certain days. Then Jeremy hit about 3&1/2 and decided he didn't want to take orders anymore. Thats when things hit the fan so to speak. Suddenly there was this massive power struggle going on in our household. I needed to be right over Mike, he needed to be right over me, Natalie needed to be right over Jeremy and Jeremy over her, then the kids had to fight us and we started fighting the kids. It was the opposite of anarchy in that we weren't all doing what we wanted, we were all doing what the others didn't want.
So, how do we fix it? I can't change the kids, just wait for them to grow out of it. I can't change Mike because he just doesn't change when he thinks he isn't wrong. So I have to change me. The problem is, I'm not sure how...
Monday, February 6, 2012
Potty training
My son refuses to use the potty. He pees just fine, but he won't stop his life long enough, and just poops his pants. I've tried positive reinforcement, but how do you reinforce behavior that isn't there? I've tried negative reinforcement, but it just makes him hold it for days and days. I've tried ignoring it, which just means I change pants every day. I hate to admit I've even tried shaming him - big boys use the potty, only babies poop their pants. No parent should do that, but I was desparate.
Now we try to make him change his own pants, but he won't do it for me, and I can't leave him in nasty pants all day. He's four and a half - what can I do? He starts Kindergarten in 6 months. I'm out of ideas.
Now we try to make him change his own pants, but he won't do it for me, and I can't leave him in nasty pants all day. He's four and a half - what can I do? He starts Kindergarten in 6 months. I'm out of ideas.
Sunday, February 5, 2012
Super Bowl Sunday
Ahh, Super Bowl Sunday. A day when family and friends gather around their televisions to watch a violent fight over a small oblong ball.
Some watch for football, some for the commercials, which have become an industry in and of themselves. Some just come for the food, because no American can watch the game with out a plethora of snacks.
This year the game is being telecast in Spanish, which upset me a little, but we won't take on that subject today.
I remember that nothing annoyed my father more than questions about how the game is played.
Personally, I prefer baseball. Baseball is played in the warm, with chances of bad weather minimal and limited to the first and last months. Everyone stays where they are supposed to, in their positions. You can hear the bat, the balls, the mitts. And maybe most importantly its a LOT cheaper!
No one catches a football in the stands, there is rarely a fight, and when there is, it clears the benches with team loyalty.
Personally I'll keep the summer and the commercials - you can have the football.
Some watch for football, some for the commercials, which have become an industry in and of themselves. Some just come for the food, because no American can watch the game with out a plethora of snacks.
This year the game is being telecast in Spanish, which upset me a little, but we won't take on that subject today.
I remember that nothing annoyed my father more than questions about how the game is played.
Personally, I prefer baseball. Baseball is played in the warm, with chances of bad weather minimal and limited to the first and last months. Everyone stays where they are supposed to, in their positions. You can hear the bat, the balls, the mitts. And maybe most importantly its a LOT cheaper!
No one catches a football in the stands, there is rarely a fight, and when there is, it clears the benches with team loyalty.
Personally I'll keep the summer and the commercials - you can have the football.
Friday, February 3, 2012
snow
Wow - 10" of snow and the whole city shuts down. One would think that in Colorado, where we get hit with a storm like this at least once a year, we could handle it better.
We knew this was coming for 5 days, it kept getting worse, but 5 days we knew it was going to snow. All the normal people went to the store, the gas station, whatever to stock up. Why is it that the cities can't do the same? Call in extra police and fire for the accidents, put the mag chloride down BEFORE the snow falls. The airport could find some better way to do planes than the deicing that takes forever.
And the schools, they can't have school because the busses can't get through - really?? A 20 foot long 3 ton vehicle can't plow through a foot of snow? Give me a break.
Every one is comparing what they are doing today. "Sitting around in my pjs" "Just fooled the kids into shoveling" I did it too, just because I felt left out.
Snow makes me tired.
We knew this was coming for 5 days, it kept getting worse, but 5 days we knew it was going to snow. All the normal people went to the store, the gas station, whatever to stock up. Why is it that the cities can't do the same? Call in extra police and fire for the accidents, put the mag chloride down BEFORE the snow falls. The airport could find some better way to do planes than the deicing that takes forever.
And the schools, they can't have school because the busses can't get through - really?? A 20 foot long 3 ton vehicle can't plow through a foot of snow? Give me a break.
Every one is comparing what they are doing today. "Sitting around in my pjs" "Just fooled the kids into shoveling" I did it too, just because I felt left out.
Snow makes me tired.
Wednesday, February 1, 2012
Airlines
Frontier's website wasn't working for the last 6 days. So I call the 800 number thinking that they can just hook it up, book it and be done.
I have to get the new guy. He can't spell names, he doesn't know all the policies, he is hesitant in his speaking, he puts me on hold 4 times, he ASKED "what is your daughter's gender"... really?
Now, I've been new on a job, but don't these people get any training?? It took more than half an hour to do what should have taken 5 minutes on line! I just hope they fly planes better than they book flights!
I have to get the new guy. He can't spell names, he doesn't know all the policies, he is hesitant in his speaking, he puts me on hold 4 times, he ASKED "what is your daughter's gender"... really?
Now, I've been new on a job, but don't these people get any training?? It took more than half an hour to do what should have taken 5 minutes on line! I just hope they fly planes better than they book flights!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)