or maybe there's some kind of local competition here to see who can be the rudest?

When people don't know what to say, sometimes they say something so absurd. 

My daughter was playing at her uncle Brooks' baseball game last week.  And a mother of one of the tween boys on his team came up to her and told her promptly how adorable she is how KEE--UUWWWWT! (translation: cute) she is--- which is pretty common in babyhood/toddlerhood parenting that some stranger becomes smitten and expresses their love for your child's ________ (eyes, dimples, shoes, hair, lack of hair etc). So I was prepared for the exchange, thinking it was another run-of-the-mill compliment  But then she says to my daughter...."it's too bad you are a girl.  Girls are devils." and then from my lack of response she must have gathered that I was not thrilled with this statement so in her infinite wisdom she repeated herself, as if it would be twice as true if repeated.  "Girls are devils."

my so-called "devil"

Usually I have ignored such silly parenting cliches-- "that girls are harder to raise than boys", that with girls "you must worry about all penises and with boys you only have to worry about one", that "girls are sassier", that "girls hate their mothers", etc ad nauseum, as if your temperment is somehow aligned with your biology. 

But this time I couldn't just sit by because what made me the most angry was that she addressed this comment TO my daughter. 

So I bent down to my toddler while weirdo-stranger was still within earshot and with my years of perfected stage diction told my daughter "there is nothing wrong with being a girl, nothing at all".  Then I kissed her on the forehead and let her continue to play in the dirt.   

I am a child not a cliche

my mama means business

What else is a mama to do but turn on her ani difranco Pandora station and rock to the sound of injustices everywhere? 

lyrics compliments of ani d...little plastic castle

moonlight & love songs never out of date

What I am thinking about today:

"It didn't happen, that's why it's romantic. If it would have happened it just would have been life." paraphrased from an episode of The Good Wife

Further evidence that the above is true... IMDB lists the top 50 romance movies. The number 1 movie is Casablanca (SPOILER ALERT- they don't end up together). source

title courtesy of the theme song of Casablanca: As Time Goes By

it's a big enough umbrella

save your pennies in here

Ever since I moved to the 19th "richest" ranked county in the United States, my life-long practices have been looked upon as "strange". I am thrifty. I grew up watching my mom search for sales and clipping coupons and I have learned to do the same.

It's always been looked at a little strangely before because of my age. I would use coupons in my early twenties and people would be surprised that someone my age clipped coupons. Now I get poked fun at because Johnson County is not especially coupon country.

One day at the office I was clipping coupons on my break and acquired a crowd of jesters. One person asked me how much I could really be saving, and how could it be worth the time? I didn't really know the answer to this question. So I decided to find out (thus spending more time on coupons).

On the first of the year, I began a simple tracking log that tracks how much I spend and save. I wanted to know if coupons (matched with sales) were as good as I suspected. I just finished my data entry for January and I saved $133.74 for the month, which was a savings of 39%. I consider this a great success as I only use the coupons for things I am already going to purchase. The spreadsheet is organized by date and store, so I can see how much I save at certain stores (CVS is the best!).

I am sure I will be pretty proud to report at the end of the year how much extra I have in my pocket for rainy days from using coupons (matched with sales), fabric shopping bag rewards, and rebates (yep I send those in too).

title courtesy of The Police: every little thing she does is magic

overheard lately....

As I am flipping channels and see an advertisement for "Bromance" Brody Jenner's new reality show I glibly said: "Who on earth would want to watch that?" To which Keenan, without missing a beat replied "Me, for one." (Serious as a heart attack).

While watching Man vs Wild, Bear Grylls pulls a fish out of a rushing stream and bites into it, still squirming and exclaims he "loves sushi". Keenan, mouth agape says "I wish that guy was my friend." I reply "You wish Bear Grylls was your friend?" He says "Yea, my best friend." (trying not to laugh I ask "why?") "He could get me out of some sticky situations."

Later on remembering the Brody Jenner remark I ask if he wishes that Brody and Bear and he were best friends and he said yes. I asked what they would do together, he said "Cool stuff, like fish, and drink in Cabo." I am pretty sure that would be quite a trio.

Tonight, when another ad for "bromance" came on k said "do you know what you can get me for Christmas?" I asked "What?" He answered "Brody Jenner's friendship."

He also plans on seeing if there is a Bear Grylls fan club, and if there is not...starting one.