My Soapbox

Last night I watched "The Cove", a documentary on the dolphin slaughters in Japan. The movie was amazing yet very, very sad. From September to March Japanese fishermen scare dolphins into the perfect cove. They then separate them from their babies with nets. The next day, trainers arrive and pick the dolphins that look pretty enough to become performers. The remaining dolphins are corralled to a cove unseen by curious onlookers and are slaughtered. ---For meat which happens to have toxic levels of mercury and should not be eaten. Sadly this meat is sold as tuna. It's horrible. But it's happening. Not just in Japan but also in Norway.

Until I watched the movie, I didn't think something so horrible could happen. I thought animal cruelty groups wouldn't allow slaughtering to occur. It seems dolphins aren't really protected and/or the Japanese are able to find loop holes in the system. It wouldn't be so easy for them to do if more people knew exactly what they were up to. If you haven't seen "The Cove", you should rent it. And then tell others to watch it too.

Wisdom from a toddler

BB says some of the funniest stuff...ever. I've never met anyone funnier than my child. Well, maybe my husband. Maybe. In the midst of all the funny phrases he comes up with, he has one phrase he repeats a lot.

"The man's got to do what the man's got to do."

Yeah, it's not completely correct but so what. Since hearing him repeat this almost like a mantra whenever he comes across something difficult or he accomplishes something that makes him proud, I've started using it almost like a mantra too.

It's really kind of empowering.

This is how it usually works its way in:

9:00 most evenings the kids are in bed but I'm still catching up on laundry. I don't usually have the energy but push myself through. Occasionally I use his phrase because a 'man's got to take care of himself too'.

When I don't really feel like working out but know I'll feel better if I do.... the phrase almost lifts my ass off the couch once I've spoken those words.

Or sometimes when I know I shouldn't have a piece of chocolate but denying yourself sweet treats ALL the time is just wrong and leads to binge eating... the phrase makes it okay to have one treat. But only one.

Or like now when the kids are toeing the line between good and awful and are begging for a later bedtime. The phrase once again lets me know that I should salvage my sanity instead of catering to their desires.

'The man's got to do what the man's got to do.'

All in a day's work.

I've been filling out military forms for the new GI Bill transferability thing. And I must say, the military always using the lowest bidder for website design just sucks. Could that damn form be any more difficult?? Yes it could be, thank goodness it isn't. I have a feeling this works in their favor. I'm sure others have gotten so frustrated and decided not to seek free benefits. Not me. I'm powering through.

We're also searching for a new sitter/nanny. Nothing is going our way. Instead of freaking out and giving myself a migraine, I'm going to empower "The Secret". Let me just visualize the perfect sitter arriving every day and let's watch it happen. While I'm at it, I'll also visualize a free education. Why not, right. The author says the universe is just waiting for me to do this.

Living with an old dog tests my patience every hour. I say every hour because that's how often I let him out to the bathroom. This is Jas's dog. He's about 11-12 years old and as senile as they come. Did I mention he's a wiener dog?? Cute, loyal, dumb as a rock, great with the kids, and known to be stubborn on purpose. Here's an example: Due to the mess little Goose makes, Jas solved the problem by crating him all day except for bathroom breaks. So, Goo repaid me (not quite fair) by doing his thing in the crate. Was Jas home to clean the crate?? Nope. I repaid Goose with a trip to the vet to see if they could A)fix the problem with medication; or B) let him 'forever sleep'. Ultimately Goose won because the vet thinks we just need to spend more time with him. In turn, I put a crate in Jas's office so HE can spend time with his dog. That last grand idea of mine lasted a whole 2 days. Goose and I are back to hourly outdoor visits and I'm constantly cooing his good behavior. Goose and I have been in this vicious cycle before. He wins me back over and then while we have a playgroup at the house, he poops under the train table. It's truly a love/hate thing with Goo.

The greatest feeling this week... our master bathroom (mold central) still works and is mold-free. On the flip side (because there is always a flip side with us), the outlets near and inside the bathroom emit a burning smell if you're silly enough to use them to dry your hair. Again, I'm so glad we did not buy this big ass money pit.

The kids are thriving. Baby Al finally packed on weight and eats everything in sight. She runs to the fridge and says, 'EAT, FOOD'. Seeing this makes me happy.

We made a difficult decision to suspend Bug's private speech therapy lessons. I felt he viewed the therapist as a friend and wasn't showing $100 worth of improvement each week. He still attends the free speech therapy through the elementary school near our home. He can now easily say 'v, c, k' words. I don't even have to remind him about tongue placement, he does it all by himself. Again, hearing this makes me so happy.

I guess my motto this week should be, you win some and you lose some. As long as I come out ahead it's a good week.

Dinner Conversation with Bug

BB: Is Al my daughter?

Me: No, she's my daughter.

BB: When will I have a daughter?

Me: When you get a little older and you have a wife.

BB: I already have a life.

Me: A Wife.

BB: I want a brother.

He's not giving up on this whole brother thing. Just getting more creative with bringing it up.

Bug Zingers

I had to share (before I forget them).

We've been listening to Christmas music while eating lunch. I don't condone this before Thanksgiving, but the rainy weather demanded some holiday cheer.

"Celebrate Me Home" by Kenny Loggins was on the radio. Bug sang, "Silly Bring Me Home". Next time it's on the radio listen closely. I think Bug's lyrics are much better. We've been ad libbing ever since.

BB asked for more lemonade from across the house (pet peeve of mine). I yelled back he'd had plenty. His response, "I know I'm pretty. I need more lemonade!".

Every day he asks what day it is and where are we going. Today we're going to speech therapy. He said, "That's going to suck".

Me - "That's a bad word."

Him - "I wasn't talking to you. I was talking to myself."

Distubed

I'm disturbed. For several reasons.

Picture this:

Giant Grocery store.

Me-walking inside.

A toddler pushing the cute little cart for kids with the huge green flag straight out of the store, down the cart ramp into the middle of the freaking road. Alone.

A cart collector with gaping mouth.

An elderly woman with gaping mouth.

Two phrases keep repeating in my mind...WTF and Where is his mother?

Being a responsible parent, I beckon the child back into the alcove of the store and out of traffic. Does he respond to me? Hell no. I'm a stranger. And being in traffic is fun.

Therefore I walk inside the door, spot a motherly type chit chatting, and bang on the window. She reluctantly takes time away from her important conversation with the Giant worker and stares at me. I mouth, "Is that your son????" while frantically pointing at the tot in traffic. She rolls her fucking eyes and says yes. She then nonchalantly walks out of the store and meets her son in traffic.

After thinking maybe I overreacted to the situation, I glanced at the other shoppers and am reassured by my crazed plan to save the boy. Shock and Awe pretty much sums up the looks on everyone's face.

I wanted to turn her in to child services. I've never been one of those people. I'm just stunned by the dismissal she gave her son. He walked out of a store into a busy intersection and she didn't care. That poor poor child.

Bug Speak

Since this is my journal...a list of Bug's cuteness.

"Al is a baby. I'm a own up (grown up). Babies can't drink soda but own ups can." He drinks IZZE soda which is really carbonated water and fruit juice. Whatever gets us through the day.

When asked what he could do to help after dinner he replied, "Don't talk?". Maybe he'll pass this tidbit on to his dad. That would be so helpful.

I asked him a question about his vampire bat. His response, "Duh. You ij-i-dit. You iji-dit. Id. Idi."
Me - "Idiot?".
Him- "Yes! Idiot!"
Me- Shocked. I'm going to have to watch Spongebob. I bet he uses that word.

BB- My rap is done.
Me- Huh?
BB points to his zipper.
Me- Your zipper is down OR your trap is open.
Great. He's already showing signs of mixing up phrases and words; a source of constant embarrassment for me.

After being sent to bed early for bad behavior, I was on my way out for a girls' night out. BB comes to the top of the steps and says, "Oh bate (great). I was sleeping and you woke me up. Bate (great), now I awake. I'm coming down there to watch TV."
Me- dumbfounded. He's so darn smart. And really good at turning things we say around and using them to his advantage.