I Get No Respect

As emailed to Common Sense Media:

Hi,
I've enjoyed getting your reviews for some time. Just wanted to make you aware that disagreeable media is far beyond the traditional: I was at Staples (the office supply store) with my almost-6 year old today and there was an "Easy Button" for kids. In addition to "That was easy" it also said things like "Go ahead, stay up late" and "You're right, they're wrong" and "You can do your homework later" (not sure of the wording on that one, it was something about homework). I was not happy that they would chose to make an innocent item like an Easy Button so undermining to the family! It took me hours to explain to my son why I would not buy it for him!

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My refusal must've had a big impact on DuckyBoy. Several hours after we were at Staples, during which time we met with his Bestest Girlfriend in the Universe Who We Have Not Seen All Summer, and had loads of fun at a Burger King with a huge playspace and then went with her to a nature center that had animals, a walking trail AND a gift shop, he STILL asked me, as we exited the car on our way home, why I did not buy that Easy Button For Kids for him.

When I explained that those were things that parents would not like, it was pretty cute that he said something like, "But kids say those things, which is why Staples decided to use them."

To which I replied, "And I can decide not to buy that item." I told him I'd be more likely to buy him a traditional Easy Button (which he's coveted for some time, which just says, "That was easy") than that one. It was an interesting, brain-stretching conversation for me, at least.

I feel like such a Parent!! It's not that bad of a feeling though. Hmm.

Tricky Kid

DuckyBoy's latest funny attempt to trick us:

No DB, I can't carry you.
That's OK, just pick me up.
After being picked up: OK, now walk!

Early Saturday Haiku

Darn it just missed it
Wasted time at The Dark Knight,
left before the end.

Movie was too real,
Yucky violence too much --
in a lighter mood.

Better time at bar
watching Olympic divers
feeling better now.

Vacation Haiku

On vacation now
A road trip for fam'ly fun --
A bit of a risk...

Yes, we're in the midst of a Pennsylvania-Ohio-Indiana road trip right now. I told a friend our plans before we left and she comment, "You like it complicated."

I guess I do. That actually explains a lot. Will have to muse more on that later!

Too Many Little Purple Potatoes

Last week's veggie co-op included 2 lbs of potatoes (actually 4 but our half was 2), most of which were tiny and purple.

Now, I love me my purple potato chips as much as the next urban woman with too much disposable income, but this was the real deal. Now I know why that bag of chips costs so much -- these suckers were about as big as big cherry tomatoes, and EACH one of them had to have bad spots cut out (OK, that's where the organic part of the farm shows itself).

I felt like I was carving pebbles.

As I was scraping some, peeling some, and digging at each little purple stone, I questioned the sanity of putting in that amount of effort for an unknown payoff. Are they really going to be 5 to 10 times better tasting than the small red potatoes from last week, that were easy to clean and delicious?

So since I am big on metaphors, I looked for one here. Where's my Staples button because THAT was easy... I have waaaay to many little purple organic potatoes cluttering up my life.

Little tiny things that I didn't ask for, that take up too much time, for questionable payoff.

And the trouble is, I don't always recognize them. Until I've wasted a lot of time on them, anyway.

Meanwhile, I let 5 beautiful, organic, crunchy carrots from the week before go soft in the fridge. I am sick to my core for that -- no excuse to let such good produce go to waste. Now, I am not going to continue to beat myself up for it (as I would have in the past), but it does upset me. I thought I'd get to them, I just never did.
*Sigh.*

Friends & French Fries

Wow, I haven't blogged in a week!? Summer vacation -- with no summer school session -- will do that, I guess! Plus a self-imposed deadline for the book I'm helping DH with. Plus a rubber duck race and a trip to NJ to see friends!

Thank goodness for Haiku Friday, keeping me honest. I wrote this one while DuckyBoy actually played with another kid -- that's always worth the hourlong drive to Jersey, let me tell ya!! -- and the other mom was outside watching her younger son in the kiddie pool, since he was sleeping when DB and her daughter went in earlier. Two kids under age 5, I don't envy her that! But her cooking skills, and her ability to lose weight and keep it off for a year -- those things I envy.

I digress. Ahem [making that throat-clearing noise]...

In BK drive-thru
I had a surprising thought
about what I eat:

Turns out that I don't
Need french fries to be happy.
Now how about that?

NYC now requires fast-food chains to list calorie counts on their menus. It's been eye-opening to say the least, and it has, I hope, changed my choices for the better. Burger King has a veggie burger that's not half bad, and their new apple fries are good too (if you leave off the caramel dipping sauce, which I didn't try since it has milk in it). Today when DB and I went through the drive thru, I realized I wasn't really hungry enough to get fries, so ... drumroll, please ... I didn't. I just got the veggie burger and a small soda.

Sounds like such a little thing, right? But I've gotten so conditioned to ordering a side of fries -- or a side of something, anyway -- that I give myself points for breaking out of the rut.

Midday Haiku

Usually I remember about Haiku Friday after we've gone out and I'm checking my computer while DH is driving the babysitter home. For a change, I'll try it midday (and sober) today!

The last day of camp,
DuckyBoy is so happy
comfort awaits him.

He can hardly wait,
TV and computer games
in his pajamas...

What he doesn't know
Are all the plans I'm making
To keep him moving.

I want him to rest
But not turn couch potato
for he gets cranky.