Last Friday I totally listened in on someone's conversation and then felt the need to add my two cents. The librarian was checking out books for the person in front of me in line and she told him that her husband was getting fitted for his nazi uniform. I hope this would perk up your ears as it did mine. She explained that it was for a play and that he kept getting bumped up in rank. She added a caveat (for no apparent reason) of "not that I have anything against nazis" and my mouth hit the floor. I immediately said "I do! I have a lot against the nazis." She looked surprised and then just went about her business. Luckily another librarian came up to help me.
A great line by a comedian on the radio program that I listened to this morning: "We aren't great parents, we aren't even good parents. When someone asks us if he is sleeping through the night we say 'as far as we know.'" I would love to use that line.
Monday, July 17, 2006
Tuesday, July 11, 2006
Monday, July 03, 2006
It Is Not About the Butter
I understand that not everyone thinks like me; but quite frankly maybe they should.
We do not have a lot of rules in regards to Jackson's eating habits. We are trying to limit things like sweets and fats in general, but not in particular. I am not so hypocritical that I deny him all sweets, but I don't introduce them unnecessarily either. He discovered pie at a party where everyone else was eating pie and the host insisted that the kids be given pie. So I grabbed him and "shared" my pie with him; a little bite for you and a big bite for me (this was completely altruistic because I don't like pie). We since have had the pie incident, and the boy talks about pie with a kind of dream like quality.
When Jackson asked for noodles yesterday, like he does most days, I brought him a bowl of cold noodles ("no mitroave mommy") and a container with a little bit a parmasan cheese (he likes to add it himself so I keep a container perpetually just about empty). Well, Lyle's mother asked if she could offer him butter or mayo to make them more palatable. When I said "no" she was confused, "you gave him butter on his bread this morning." Well, your right, I did, but he asked for butter on his bread this morning. He is very happy with his noodles the way they are and he eats them. Why would I offer or introduce something he doesn't really need when he is happy with it the way it is? Does this make sense? Sure everything would taste better with sugar on it, but you shouldn't eat everything with sugar on it.
Now I would never in a million years criticize something that Lyle's mom did unless it was actually hurting Jackson. If she put butter (or god forbid mayo) on his noodles at her house, I would just accept it and understand why he was asking me for butter (which I have in the house) or mayo (which I don't) the next time he had noodles. But she asked me and I answered her and I think I hurt her feelings a little bit because my philosophy differed so greatly from hers; she just wanted to make it taste better for him knowing that it would make him happy. I am all about making Jackson happy, but I don't necessarily need to make him happier when he is already happy.
Luckily Rebecca and I are on the same page here although she is much more organic than I am. I was visibly shocked to hear Sammy ask for some candy after a dinner out. She rolled her eyes and explained that a cousin had given Sammy a mint while leaving a restaurant and called it candy. Jackson still does not know what "candy" is and I will withhold that information as long as I possibly can. Sure, he will eventually find out what "candy" is but we will cross that bridge when we get there. We are all just flying by the seat of our pants and making it up as we go along. Who knows, maybe I am scarring him for life with my butter and sugar withholding, but so far, so good and, being a late in life parent, I will be dead before he needs any serious therapy.
We do not have a lot of rules in regards to Jackson's eating habits. We are trying to limit things like sweets and fats in general, but not in particular. I am not so hypocritical that I deny him all sweets, but I don't introduce them unnecessarily either. He discovered pie at a party where everyone else was eating pie and the host insisted that the kids be given pie. So I grabbed him and "shared" my pie with him; a little bite for you and a big bite for me (this was completely altruistic because I don't like pie). We since have had the pie incident, and the boy talks about pie with a kind of dream like quality.
When Jackson asked for noodles yesterday, like he does most days, I brought him a bowl of cold noodles ("no mitroave mommy") and a container with a little bit a parmasan cheese (he likes to add it himself so I keep a container perpetually just about empty). Well, Lyle's mother asked if she could offer him butter or mayo to make them more palatable. When I said "no" she was confused, "you gave him butter on his bread this morning." Well, your right, I did, but he asked for butter on his bread this morning. He is very happy with his noodles the way they are and he eats them. Why would I offer or introduce something he doesn't really need when he is happy with it the way it is? Does this make sense? Sure everything would taste better with sugar on it, but you shouldn't eat everything with sugar on it.
Now I would never in a million years criticize something that Lyle's mom did unless it was actually hurting Jackson. If she put butter (or god forbid mayo) on his noodles at her house, I would just accept it and understand why he was asking me for butter (which I have in the house) or mayo (which I don't) the next time he had noodles. But she asked me and I answered her and I think I hurt her feelings a little bit because my philosophy differed so greatly from hers; she just wanted to make it taste better for him knowing that it would make him happy. I am all about making Jackson happy, but I don't necessarily need to make him happier when he is already happy.
Luckily Rebecca and I are on the same page here although she is much more organic than I am. I was visibly shocked to hear Sammy ask for some candy after a dinner out. She rolled her eyes and explained that a cousin had given Sammy a mint while leaving a restaurant and called it candy. Jackson still does not know what "candy" is and I will withhold that information as long as I possibly can. Sure, he will eventually find out what "candy" is but we will cross that bridge when we get there. We are all just flying by the seat of our pants and making it up as we go along. Who knows, maybe I am scarring him for life with my butter and sugar withholding, but so far, so good and, being a late in life parent, I will be dead before he needs any serious therapy.
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