blabbery parenting toddlers: live green parenting no-no's recycling toy packaging waste
by Blabby
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oh, and one more thing
about all the toys. We’re a fairly green family. Except that my husband drives an hour to and from work and works for a water-bottling company. You can bet we recycle those bottles, but still.
We compost, we recycle everything, we use reusable bags instead of plastic bags - except to hold cat poop, we buy biodegradable (read “even more expensive”) diapers.
But the packaging on these toys we’re buying our kid are undoing all the good. Two layers of hard plastic surrounded by tons of cardboard, paper instructions, a box around the cardboard and plastic, steel ties (well, maybe not steel, but ridiculously hard to cut) around each toy that has to be sawed off with a chainsaw…I now make sure I have my camping knife with me when we go to Target. I also keep a box cutter in the car.
Crazy? If you think so, perhaps you’ve never had to open a Thomas the Train package.
I think the Europeans have the right idea. Because there are limits on the amount of trash you produce (you have to pay more if you need a bigger receptacle), stores will take all the packaging for you.
But really, if there weren’t so many thieves in this country, the packaging wouldn’t be so extreme.
blabbery blessings parenting: capitalism gluttony matchbox parenting parenting no-no's spoiled target thomas and friends toddlers trampolines
by Blabby
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alligator eyes
As a family, we have alligator eyes and bird stomachs. Or bird bank accounts. Or a bird garage, that can’t possibly hold all the crap we buy our kid.
He often says, “Target is great!” You know what that means? It means we go to Target and buy toys TOO much. That kid is so spoiled. Today, we went to Toys R Us, and there was a sign on the wall when we walked in that said, “hurry, we have Wii’s in stock today!” I almost bought one.
My kid is 2. I don’t think he can play a Wii yet. I’m not sure why we don’t have any self control, except the fact that he’s such a good kid. He’s not bratty, he always says please and thank you, he genuinely loves all of his toys - for at least 10 minutes, anyway.
The other day, there was a garage sale down the street. The guy was selling off his Matchbox collection, and he had a huge box full of unopened matchbox cars. We bought a few, and left. William was thrilled. He played with those cars and trucks all day. My husband had a golf game that afternoon, and decided to stop back by the yard sale on his way to the course to see if there were any cars left. He gave the guy $40 and bought the whole box. There are probably 70 cars in that box.
What the hell are we going to do with all those cars?
We’ve been giving him a new car everyday. His “suprise” - he hasn’t seen the box, but he knows the suprise comes from the garage. Today, he said, “mom, let’s go in the garage and get a surprise.”
Crap. He’s onto us. Now, both Target and the garage are “great!”
Next, he’ll have a trampoline, a sandbox (even though there’s perfectly good dirt in the flower bed, a bigger plastic pool, a picnic table (have you seen the cute one at Target? With the bugs?)…you see where I’m going with this.
The poor house, that’s where.
Perfection
I just got home from JoAnns fabric, where I had somewhat of a run in with this mean woman. I was at the register, trying to get the cashier to honor my 50% off coupon, while she was explaining that if I wanted to use it for cut fabric, I needed the fabric cutting ladies way in the back of the store to put it on my fabric slip. Blah blah blah, so while I’m discussing the fairness of this with her, my son is (for the most part) staying right next to me. He takes two steps into the aisle and almost gets mowed down by a woman pushing a shopping cart. I give a loud, sharp intake of breath as I grab my son’s arm and yank him towards me and safety. He starts to cry because I scared him.
I tell the cashier I’ll use the coupon another day and to just wrap things up. She apologizes and launches into a story about the JoAnns she worked at in Montana or whatever and meanwhile, my son is acting a little inconsolable. While I’m talking to him, trying to calm him down, I say how nice that lady was for stopping and what good reflexes she had and then I say how thankful we are to her. She’s within earshot. I then hear her say, “if you restrained him, that wouldn’t happen.”
What?
So I tell her, “wow, what a judgmental thing to say. You must be perfect in every way to make a pronouncement like that. Thank you so much for the helpful advice.”
Perhaps they should hand out trophies to all those helpful people at the JoAnns.
Sheesh.
Credit Cards
I know the rules. I see the problems. But I can’t seem to break the cycle. We pay them all off, we run them back up, we pay them off, etc. It sure is a slippery slope. Mostly because we’re not saving what we should. If we had less credit card payments, we could save more. Balance transfers and other tactics allow you to save on interest, if you do it right, but they’re just a band aid.
Clearly, spending is the big issue. My husband and I are both impulse buyers with very little use for delayed gratification.
If you’re looking to build credit, it pays to research your options. I like Suze Orman’s books. It also pays to look for best buy credit cards, or cards that offer the best deals. This might seem obvious, but I know lots of people with credit cards high APRs and annual fees. Why? Who knows?
I hope to break this trend with our son. I want him to know all about credit cards and the importance of saving long before he gets to college and everyone and their brother offer him a line of credit. We hope they won’t make the same mistakes we have, but I see that I’m in the same boat as my parents, so what gives?
Playground etiquette
We went to our favorite park today. There seemed to be more kids than usual. My first thought was that it was a little chaotic - what with at least ten kids between ages 2 and 4 running, climbing, screaming and laughing all over the toddler play structure. Their mothers seemed to be divided into two camps. The fit, attractive, cool moms wearing sunglasses and military style caps sitting around the edge of the play area, talking with each other. The less fit, less fashionable moms walking around keeping their kids within eyesight. I’m not sure why it was divided so, but I’m just the observer of the story.
So a little boy (aged 2.5 years, I heard his mom say later) barrelled around the twisty slide, chasing a little girl of probably 3.5 years. The little girl kept saying, “no! no!” as the little boy pushed her from behind. She was clearly trying to get away. She ran up the big stairs of the structure, and he was right on her heels. She turned around once more to say, “no!” and this time he slapped her across the face. Hard.
I was sitting with my son in the sand, filling and dumping the dump truck for the 50th time, watching the whole scene unfold. At the slap, and because I was the only adult in the immediate area, I offered, “no, no, we don’t hit,” as the little girl’s mother rounded the corner looking for her loudly crying daughter. Meanwhile, the violent little boy had scampered up the steps and was happily headed towards the twisty slide.
When the little girl’s mother asked the distraught girl what happened, I pointed a finger at the boy and said, “that boy pushed her and slapped her.” The park got a little silent. The cool moms glared at me, aiming their stylish sunglasses my way with obvious disdain. I went on. “She was trying to get away from him.”
The mean little boy’s mother finally came over to see what happened. “Andrew did this? The one in the red shirt.” I offered a decided (if a little accusatory) “yep,” and returned to scooping and dumping with my good boy.
I continued to watch one mom carry her crying daughter away from the scene, while the other mother half-heartedly followed after her son. “Andrew. Andrew. Andrew, come here please.” After walking over to where he was, she looked down at him and said, “Andrew, we don’t hit.” Meanwhile, Andrew had plopped down in the middle of a circle of three kids and their sand toys and proceeded to pick up buckets and shovels, throwing sand and toys in every direction.
That was the extent of his reprimand.
Future criminal?
Should I have tattled? Who knows, but I don’t want that kid hitting my son, and clearly, his mom isn’t aware that she needs to monitor his behavior. But you can bet the other mothers - glaring or not - kept a little closer eye on their own kid when Andrew was around.
This isn’t the first time that I’m noticing that staying close to your small child seems to be the uncool way to parent. Oh, well. I never was very cool anyway. I was always better at being responsible.
parenting so you think you can dance TV: parenting no-no's sytycd
by Blabby
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SYTYCD…and more Hollywood tales
Tonight is the results show where the final four will be announced. My prediction is that Pasha and Sabra get voted off. I wouldn’t mind seeing Danny go, though. I hope he doesn’t win the whole thing.
During the 15 or so performances they did during the ensemble taping, as we were nearing the end, the Stage Director said something along the lines of, “See audience? This is why these are your final six - only the strong survive.” and Danny said, “only the strong and popular!” It was so arrogant and uncalled for. If someone from the audience had said it, it would have been fine, but coming from his mouth, he sounded like an ass. I guess it’s not untrue…but still.
One thing I meant to mention in my Hollywood Experience post was that there was this wierd stage dad and his two daughters next to me at both tapings. The daughters were probably 10 and 12 or so, and they were wearing these tight black dresses with black leggings that ended at their calves. They had faces full of makeup - pretty, but very pageanty, and WAY too old for them. The worst part was their 4-inch black patent leather stripper heels. Both girls. The smaller girl could barely walk. We spent at least four hours standing during the first taping and two hours standing during the second taping. Those girls feet must have been killing them. The dad was dressed in a black suit with a black mock turtleneck and sunglasses. He looked like a mix between a bouncer, a secret service guy and a mob boss. As we were leaving the studio, I happened to be walking behind them, and I heard him going over the girls’ schedules for the next day. Auditions, dance classes, photo shoot, etc. That guy was no better than a pimp. I felt like it was so sad that he would allow them to dress that way - letting them believe that that was attractive, or appropriate.
Uncategorized: 30 Rock alec baldwin NBC parenting no-no's The View tina fey
by Blabby
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Alec Baldwin ~ blurgh and double blurgh
Here’s an article about Alec on The View…he says he wants out of his NBC contract.
I actually have a good friend who when through a bitter divorce and now, although he has shared custody, never sees his son. It’s a ridiculous situation, and I can’t believe what the mother gets away with. I’m sure that the situation with Alec Baldwin and Kim Bassinger is much worse, because they have enough money to drag the fight out forever and make it truly awful.
But clearly, the message he left his daughter was terrible and ridiculous.
And now Tina Fey and crew (not to mention, Ireland - the daughter) are suffering. That stinks.
I wonder how they’ll get rid of Jack Donaghy?
blabbery ridiculous people: 30 Rock alec baldwin parenting no-no's tina fey
by Blabby
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Alec Baldwin ~ blurgh.
I’m kind of sad because I really really love 30 Rock. I’m sad because I’m totally disgusted with Alec Baldwin. I know people lose their temper, but seriously, what an ass. Here’s a good article about what he did, with a video link to the voice mail message.
Worst of all, now he wants to sue. Nothing says I’m sorry like a good lawsuit to hide the evidence. What an ass. It’s already out there Alec, it’s already out there.
I wish Tina Fey still did Weekend Update. I bet she’d have something funny to say.
I’m sad for his daughter. Not only being called a pig by her father, which is awful enough, but to have the whole world hear it. I hope she knows she’s not a rude little pig, she’s a beautiful girl caught in the middle of an awful mess, and her father’s ridiculousness isn’t her fault.
Seriously, what an ass.
Alec posted comments on his website. I personally like the book plug the best. He seems very sorry, indeed. Perhaps the people “that know him personally” will buy it.
Do I know the whole story? Probably not. Am I being fair? Who cares, it’s my blog, right? All I know is that when I heard that tape play on the news, I hated that guy for saying those things to his daughter. Movie star or not, horrible divorce or not, it’s not okay.
I tried to find if Tina Fey had commented on this matter, but I couldn’t find anything. If anyone has seen a comment by her, I’d love to read it.
