Up to a million people go to watch the ball drop in New York City every new years eve. This year will be no different, with the unveiling of the new Waterford Crystal ball making its debut drop. But people in other parts of the country will be having just as much fun dropping other things from great heights to count down the seconds until the New Year. This year I am wishing that I could get to Clays Corner in Brasstown, NC to watch the annual Possum drop on the Possumtron big screen. Based on the pictures on the website, it is a wild, non-alcoholic celebration, where men dress up in drag and dance around, and prepare themselves for the 'Little Miss Brasstown' Pageant.
Here is one of my favorite testimonials from the webpage:
Was sure glad to hear that the '05 possum was LIVE. As anyone who has ever kicked a dead cow on a late night coon hunt and seen three possums roll out of it knows, possums are just naturally curious. I am sure the ride in a limo and then the trip up and down for the drop made this possum's day! Steve White Killduff, IA USA
Sometimes I wish I had grown up some place like that. Good ole country folk who think dropping possums is hilarious. I totally agree.
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
Parent and Child Compatibility (using the stars!)
When I got pregnant a few years ago, I signed up to receive weekly email updates from a site called Babycenter.com. Each weekly email would describe the growth of the fetus and give healthy pregnancy tips. For a first time mother it is a great site for reference info. Now that Bronwen is two, I still receive weekly updates with tips for dealing with picky eaters, tantrums and potting training. This morning I received my weekly update. I clicked on the link “How tall will your child be?” but somehow ended up at the main page where I discovered the headline story for the week:
New! Mother and baby horoscopes
Get a parent and child compatibility report
What the stars have in store for your family this week
Now, I am one to indulge in a little horoscope silliness sometimes. I don’t actually believe that being born at a certain time of year determines your personality and destiny. But horoscopes are written so that you can get whatever you want to get out of them. I was, however, a little disturbed to see parent and child compatibility reports. Here is what I imagined one might say:
“Ooh, too bad. Scorpio mothers and Leo children just really don’t work together. Try again.”
You can see my problem here. What do you do if you and your child are not compatible; put the kid up for adoption? And what about the people out there who really believe in this stuff?
So I did a little research. I entered all of our information in to the mystic internet to see what this mysterious compatibility report would say about our little family. Here are the results:
Scorpio parent and Pisces parent
You two blend your gifts and talents to make a remarkably effective parenting team. You complement each other, and your strengths compensate for one another's weaknesses. Emotional connection and sensitivity are but two of the qualities you share. The Scorpio parent is deep and intense, with a specific concern for safety and security. You'll work hard to take care of your children. You prefer to keep family matters private and may even have difficulty expressing your most poignant emotions. Your children will open your heart to new ways of feeling. The Pisces parent has no difficulty in showing emotion. In fact, you wear your heart on your sleeve! You're a real softie when it comes to your kids. It's hard for you to say "no" or to enforce your own rules consistently. Don't let your kids take advantage of you. Firm discipline demands the respect you deserve.
I especially like the part where we will "work hard to take care or you children?" What normal parent wouldn't work hard?
Scorpio parent and Leo child
With her sunny, warm, passionate energy, your Leo child is a natural leader. She's the center of fun at her numerous playdates; even a walk to the park often results in little Leo charming a group of new friends. This makes you smile proudly, amused by your little one's natural popularity -- and quite relieved that she takes the focus away from you. Center stage is not your bag, (so not true!) so it's a good thing your child thrives there! Your little Leo is quite aware of her own power, which is very different from yours. Still, she depends on you for a solid, dependable emotional base and needs your positive support and feedback. Though outwardly fearless, she's nearly as sensitive as you are! Good thing you're emotionally attuned and self-aware enough to be the strong foundation your little Leo needs to thrive.
Pices parent and Leo child
Your Leo child's energy and confidence amaze you. This little person is so passionate! Like you, she craves adoration, which you shower over her. Unlike you, she thrives on being the center of attention. Yes, this kid is a natural performer, and her impromptu performances and occasional dramatics are all intended to keep everyone's eyes on her. That's not a problem as far as you're concerned; you've been awed from the start by the sheer power your little Leo emits. (With all that power she emits she glows like a Christmas tree!) But you're also intuitive enough to understand that behind her proud, courageous exterior exists a sensitive, vulnerable heart.Little Leo is very family-oriented, just like you, and she needs every bit of the affection and support you can give. You're a wonderful parent to this complicated child because you're able to respond to her inner needs as well as her more obvious outer ones.
Scorpio Sibling and Leo Sibling
Both these children are sensitive, passionate, and stubborn, and they both crave your affectionate devotion, so their rivalry can be intense if they start to compete for your attention. (Because no other siblings ever compete for attention!) Good thing they get along well for the most part and show each other respect.Little Leo wants to be the center of attention and keeps the whole family laughing. That's okay with complex, observant Scorpio, who is happy to sit back and watch the show, if only to store up information for later. Yes, little Scorpio can be devious and even manipulative! And when those powers are turned toward her sibling, well, let's just say Leo doesn't know what hit him.The good news is, these two actually enjoy this cat-and-mouse dynamic. It's like a game to them: Scorpio enjoys feeling in control, and Leo loves to think he'll finally be able to best his sibling.
It is hard to imagine that someone might read these comments (which seem pretty generic anyway) and customize his/her parenting style based on the advice listed, but truthfully that is my fear. It is pretty clear (after imputing some random different signs to make sure) that whoever wrote these horoscopes has only positive things to say. I didn’t find any incompatible parent/child matches, so I guess that is good. But that is besides the point. I think parent/child horoscopes should stay off of sites like Babycenter.com which in the past has always tried to present itself as a site where important health (science) and parenting (psychology) information is available for reference. Having the main article on the site be about parent/child horoscopes decreases the site’s credibility.
New! Mother and baby horoscopes
Get a parent and child compatibility report
What the stars have in store for your family this week
Now, I am one to indulge in a little horoscope silliness sometimes. I don’t actually believe that being born at a certain time of year determines your personality and destiny. But horoscopes are written so that you can get whatever you want to get out of them. I was, however, a little disturbed to see parent and child compatibility reports. Here is what I imagined one might say:
“Ooh, too bad. Scorpio mothers and Leo children just really don’t work together. Try again.”
You can see my problem here. What do you do if you and your child are not compatible; put the kid up for adoption? And what about the people out there who really believe in this stuff?
So I did a little research. I entered all of our information in to the mystic internet to see what this mysterious compatibility report would say about our little family. Here are the results:
Scorpio parent and Pisces parent
You two blend your gifts and talents to make a remarkably effective parenting team. You complement each other, and your strengths compensate for one another's weaknesses. Emotional connection and sensitivity are but two of the qualities you share. The Scorpio parent is deep and intense, with a specific concern for safety and security. You'll work hard to take care of your children. You prefer to keep family matters private and may even have difficulty expressing your most poignant emotions. Your children will open your heart to new ways of feeling. The Pisces parent has no difficulty in showing emotion. In fact, you wear your heart on your sleeve! You're a real softie when it comes to your kids. It's hard for you to say "no" or to enforce your own rules consistently. Don't let your kids take advantage of you. Firm discipline demands the respect you deserve.
I especially like the part where we will "work hard to take care or you children?" What normal parent wouldn't work hard?
Scorpio parent and Leo child
With her sunny, warm, passionate energy, your Leo child is a natural leader. She's the center of fun at her numerous playdates; even a walk to the park often results in little Leo charming a group of new friends. This makes you smile proudly, amused by your little one's natural popularity -- and quite relieved that she takes the focus away from you. Center stage is not your bag, (so not true!) so it's a good thing your child thrives there! Your little Leo is quite aware of her own power, which is very different from yours. Still, she depends on you for a solid, dependable emotional base and needs your positive support and feedback. Though outwardly fearless, she's nearly as sensitive as you are! Good thing you're emotionally attuned and self-aware enough to be the strong foundation your little Leo needs to thrive.
Pices parent and Leo child
Your Leo child's energy and confidence amaze you. This little person is so passionate! Like you, she craves adoration, which you shower over her. Unlike you, she thrives on being the center of attention. Yes, this kid is a natural performer, and her impromptu performances and occasional dramatics are all intended to keep everyone's eyes on her. That's not a problem as far as you're concerned; you've been awed from the start by the sheer power your little Leo emits. (With all that power she emits she glows like a Christmas tree!) But you're also intuitive enough to understand that behind her proud, courageous exterior exists a sensitive, vulnerable heart.Little Leo is very family-oriented, just like you, and she needs every bit of the affection and support you can give. You're a wonderful parent to this complicated child because you're able to respond to her inner needs as well as her more obvious outer ones.
Scorpio Sibling and Leo Sibling
Both these children are sensitive, passionate, and stubborn, and they both crave your affectionate devotion, so their rivalry can be intense if they start to compete for your attention. (Because no other siblings ever compete for attention!) Good thing they get along well for the most part and show each other respect.Little Leo wants to be the center of attention and keeps the whole family laughing. That's okay with complex, observant Scorpio, who is happy to sit back and watch the show, if only to store up information for later. Yes, little Scorpio can be devious and even manipulative! And when those powers are turned toward her sibling, well, let's just say Leo doesn't know what hit him.The good news is, these two actually enjoy this cat-and-mouse dynamic. It's like a game to them: Scorpio enjoys feeling in control, and Leo loves to think he'll finally be able to best his sibling.
It is hard to imagine that someone might read these comments (which seem pretty generic anyway) and customize his/her parenting style based on the advice listed, but truthfully that is my fear. It is pretty clear (after imputing some random different signs to make sure) that whoever wrote these horoscopes has only positive things to say. I didn’t find any incompatible parent/child matches, so I guess that is good. But that is besides the point. I think parent/child horoscopes should stay off of sites like Babycenter.com which in the past has always tried to present itself as a site where important health (science) and parenting (psychology) information is available for reference. Having the main article on the site be about parent/child horoscopes decreases the site’s credibility.
Tuesday, December 9, 2008
Bronwen the Bully?
Yesterday Bronwen told me,
“I bite L on the arm. I hit L in the face.”
Needless to say, I was a little concerned. So, I spoke with her at length about the importance of kindness and tolerance (“not that you want to be a push over,” I was sure to mention) and the importance of keeping your hands, and your teeth, to yourself. She seemed to understand me, she cried a little, and then we sat down to watch a movie.
Today, when I dropped her off at daycare I asked her teacher about these supposed behaviors. S looked positively surprised.
“No! I have never seen her do those things. She is very good with the other kids. I mean, sometimes she will push back, but that is normal.”
Well, at least we don’t have to worry about her being a pushover, I thought to myself.
“Okay, well I was just checking. She said something about biting and hitting, and I wanted to make sure that she isn’t beating up on the other kids.”
“Absolutely not!” S said looking appalled and a little offended.
So now, here is the new problem that I am having. Either Bronwen is lying about biting and hitting, making her a little sociopath, or she is a bully. Either options is a little upsetting. I think I will pick the third option, she is probably just fighting back. I mean, just check out that bump on her head. These kids can be brutal!
“I bite L on the arm. I hit L in the face.”
Needless to say, I was a little concerned. So, I spoke with her at length about the importance of kindness and tolerance (“not that you want to be a push over,” I was sure to mention) and the importance of keeping your hands, and your teeth, to yourself. She seemed to understand me, she cried a little, and then we sat down to watch a movie.
Today, when I dropped her off at daycare I asked her teacher about these supposed behaviors. S looked positively surprised.
“No! I have never seen her do those things. She is very good with the other kids. I mean, sometimes she will push back, but that is normal.”
Well, at least we don’t have to worry about her being a pushover, I thought to myself.
“Okay, well I was just checking. She said something about biting and hitting, and I wanted to make sure that she isn’t beating up on the other kids.”
“Absolutely not!” S said looking appalled and a little offended.
So now, here is the new problem that I am having. Either Bronwen is lying about biting and hitting, making her a little sociopath, or she is a bully. Either options is a little upsetting. I think I will pick the third option, she is probably just fighting back. I mean, just check out that bump on her head. These kids can be brutal!
Friday, December 5, 2008
They Might Be Giants Nominated for a Grammy
TMBG has been nominated for a Grammy in the category of Best Musical Album for Children. Here Comes the 123s is a great kids album Check it out.
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
Dancing Toys
I have never been able to figure out why people actually buy those funny little dancing holiday toys. Like the dancing Santa that bops away to “Stayin Alive” or the Chipmunks that dance and sing Traditional Chipmuck Christmas songs. They seem like such a waste of money. But today I figured out the perfect market for these toys, children daycare facilities. At Bronwen’s daycare there are about seven different dancing and singing toys at the front door for all holidays. There were a few turkeys that gobbled and discoed for Thanksgiving. Halloween was great with dancing ghosts that moved across the floor. But Christmas has been the best so far for singing and dancing toys. This morning as I was leaving the building a small child was giggling away at the “Exercise Santa.” This prone Santa, when activated my a small red button on the front, does crunches in time with the techno music emanating from the side of the toy. It is actually hilarious. I am glad that the days of Billy the Big Mouth Bass are gone (my dad had one!). I really can’t figure out why anyone would buy something like that, unless it was a gift for someone you don’t like. But having these toys at the daycare are great. I have seen five kids gathered around a dancing turkey, dancing their little hearts out, over and over, until their parents drag them out of the building.
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