That whole “no screen time for children under 2″ thing? Not workin’ for me. Luckily, I talked to my mother-in-law on Wednesday and she said she let my husband watch lots of TV when he was little. Actually, she thinks that’s why he learned to talk so soon. He is super-smart and definitely not a TV addict, so I feel much better now about letting Max stare for a few minutes here and there while I take a breather.
Proud legacy
November 10, 2009 at 1:19 am (Babies, Etiquette, Gas, television)
Today, my three and a half month old son laughed when he passed gas and almost rolled over for the first time while trying to get a better view of the TV. Oh, yes, he is definitely my son.
Later tonight, he did roll over for the first time (front to back), but luckily, the television was not involved.
Day in the life of a mommy
September 9, 2009 at 5:54 am (Babies, Family, Motherhood, Parenting, Relationships, television)
7:30 a.m. Wonderful husband bottle-feeds son, so I can get some extra sleep after my horrendous Saturday night.
7:35 a.m. Realize that my Mommy radar won’t let me sleep when the baby is awake and in the immediate vicinity.
7:45 a.m.-ish Go back to sleep with baby after he has been duly fed and burped.
11:30 a.m. Awaken next to squirming baby. Rush in to bathroom to test milk on Milkscreen to make sure glass of wine consumed 12 hours ago is safely out of bloodstream.
11:32 a.m. Rush now-screaming baby in to be changed after Milkscreen’s thumbs-up.
11:35 a.m. Am now feeding baby, who falls asleep after one side. Right boob, which has not been feed or pumped off of in over 12 hours starts to pulse ominously.
Noon: Place smiling, giggling, but totally uninterested in eating and relieving Mommy’s discomfort baby in swing. Silently curse the Fates for making me have to put him in the swing when he’s happy, yet deal with him when he’s screaming his bloody head off. Realize will have to pump while having breakfast.
12:05 p.m.: Find pumping equipment still dirty in sink and vitamin container empty. Breakfast moving farther away.
12:30 p.m.: Finally start making breakfast after cleaning pump, filling cats’ water bowls and disseminating Fancy Feast and about a thousand cat treats. Hear Nature calling just as toast pops up.
12: 40 p.m.: Finish spreading soupy butter on room temperature toast.
12:45 p.m. Realize all of my nursing and baby paraphernalia still need to be moved from bedroom to living room in case the baby wakes up hungry or cat plops itself on my lap, rendering me unable to move.
1:20 p.m. Finally sit down to breakfast. Baby starts to stir. Start wondering whether to pump or wait.
1:30 p.m. Baby asleep. Must pump before boob explodes and obliterates Tokyo with typhoon of breast milk.
1:40 p.m. Crisis averted. Tokyo safe.
2:20 p.m. Baby awake. Finished all of breakfast except yogurt. Place yogurt on mantel to protect from cats. Change and nurse baby.
3 p.m. Tummy time.
3:30 p.m. Try to place baby in bouncy seat, so can pick out husband’s birthday present. Baby suddenly hates bouncy seat.
4 p.m. Discover all birthday ideas are not available until after birthday.
4:30 p.m. Baby asleep in swing. Rush to finally dress and brush teeth and hair.
4:45 p.m. Eat lunch.
5:20 p.m. Change and nurse baby.
5:45 p.m. Attack poor, unsuspecting husband for being late and calling while my phone was in the back and I couldn’t answer it (due to nursing).
6 p.m. Make up with husband after we catch each other smiling at Friends.
7 p.m. Eat dinner from Baby Greens, watch season premiere of 90210.
8 p.m. Nurse baby, watch series premiere of Melrose Place. Already looking forward to next week. Good sign.
8:45 p.m. Discover yogurt still on mantel.
10 p.m. Shower.
11 p.m. Nurse baby.
12:30 Blog, eat ice cream, go to bed. Start all over again tomorrow.
Meredith, shut up or speed up
July 7, 2009 at 5:14 am (Celebrities, television)
Does anyone else have trouble following Meredith’s monologues at the end of Grey’s Anatomy? I consider myself to be a fairly intelligent person. I have a Masters degree in English, so I know I can comprehend fairly complicated ideas. I think the problem lies in the timing. Her comments are spaced WAY too far apart and there are actual scenes occurring during the pauses in her speech. I end up getting caught up in the action and forgetting a monologue is even happening. By the time she starts talking again, I have forgotten what she just said and have to back it up. Which usually doesn’t help that much.
The Wonder Years knew how to do a voiceover properly. The narrator would talk continuously and scenes without dialogue, which were still perfectly easy to comprehend, would take place simultaneously. You always knew what was going on and you didn’t feel irritated when the action was constantly interrupted by a character’s pseudo-philosophical musings. Meredith’s monologues are usually apropos and even quite touching, but they are going to be ineffectual if no one can follow them! Shonda, with all due respect, it has to be either the narrator or the actors talking. It’s too confusing to have both.
Guerrilla envelope
July 1, 2009 at 4:33 am (Animals, Life, television)
I am an avid supporter of animal rights. Mostly my activity has been limited to groups helping domestic animals, although I am learning more about the plight of the polar bear and the wolf lately, to name just two. I donate both money and time to several different groups, such as Bideawee, the ASPCA, and the Austin Humane Society, when I can.
As a consequence of my charitable activities concerning animals, I have been added to other mailing lists, which is how I began to learn about the wolf and the polar bear. Today I received a mailing from PETA. I applaud their efforts to end animal cruelty, but I really did not appreciate being confronted with horrifying descriptions of animal cruelty before I even opened the envelope. I could barely skim the contents; the descriptions of the situations and the pictures were that graphic and sad. I understand why they do that and I will probably send them a donation at some point, but I just can’t stomach that sort of thing. I have always been incredibly sensitive. Scary, violent scenes on film or described on paper have a way of sticking with me forever. I have also suffered from anxiety and depression in the past and reading stuff like that doesn’t help. Believe me, I already know enough about the terrible acts perpetrated against innocent animals in this world. I don’t need new images to sadden and haunt me. That may be what’s needed to motivate others and goodness knows, I want to do that. However, if the envelope could just be an envelope, that would really help out sensitive souls like me, who are already willing to do anything they can to help the animals of this world.
repetitive TV programming
June 25, 2009 at 5:25 am (television)
It is mind-boggling how many hours of programming are occupied by The Golden Girls, Roseanne, and Reba. None of these are new or very recent shows (Reba has been off the air for two years already.), but they are on constantly and on multiple networks! It’s a good thing I like all three or this would be a very serious problem.
