Facepalm moments of book fair ( Read more... )

Laurel asked me to help her take out her earrings this morning; she had taken one out over the weekend because it had been catching on her blanket. I had been dubious of that particular pair since she had spotted them at the dollar store (there are some things I won't go that cheap on) and after I helped her get it off, the metal's finish was gone ( Read more... )

More proof little kids are way funnier when they aren't yours: I Need a Martini Mom, who blogs about her kindergarten classroom's antics. Earlier this evening I laughed until I was disausted at the little boy who forgets to aim when he pees.

Barbara Ehrenreich in The Nation ("Bonfire of the Disney Princesses"):
"Disney likes to think of the Princesses as role models, but what a sorry bunch of wusses they are. Typically, they spend much of their time in captivity or a coma, waking up only when a Prince comes along and kisses them. The most striking exception is Mulan, who dresses as a ( Read more... )

I felt ineffably old today when Laurel asked me what "sexy" means.

Then I remembered giggling at that word on the back cover matter of the paperback of Life, the Universe and Everything at the same age and I felt even older.

...

In case I haven't plugged it recently, I still love Robie Harris' "It's NOT the Stork!" as an introduction to talking ( Read more... )

The other day polyhymnia mentioned Cool Tools and I've been skimming there on and off since.[1] I'm fascinated by the Nosefrida Nasal Aspirator since I have no problem sucking thick snot out of children's noses with a regular nasal bulb aspirator after using saline drops to thin the stuff. Still caught up in the health category, I'm amazed at the things in ( Read more... )

A painfully cute Laurel moment: I knit a small handled bag and hung it on her doorknob to find. She promptly filled it with a toy cell phone, a small stuffed dog and her change purse. When I asked her how she chose the items she put in it, she replied, "For my family."

It hit me today that I am an intellectual snob while I was watching my daughter's classmates talk about the most recent book orders while waiting to be picked up after school ( Read more... )

Laurel's been wibbling on holding a pencil correctly. Remembering a neat ergonomic pencil grip I had as a little burrito, I checked around our local office supply chains. All I found there were round grips that felt nice but didn't encourage proper finger positioning. While thinking about making the trek to an educational supply store closer to ( Read more... )

Laurel has spent most of the afternoon alternately grumbling and crying over her perception that someone was being really mean to her by canceling our flight this afternoon. She talked to my mom and sister about the weather there and we watched a news segment on it too, but with overcast weather here in the 60s she's just not grasping it. I finally ( Read more... )