This is the drawing that Harper made of a ghost. Which she then held behind her as she ran screaming around the house trying to get away from it. I couldn't stop thinking, "Just drop it already."
Monday, November 22, 2010
The Ghost of Harper Jo(ad)
This is the drawing that Harper made of a ghost. Which she then held behind her as she ran screaming around the house trying to get away from it. I couldn't stop thinking, "Just drop it already."
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Saturday in the Park
It's not unusual for us to head out to Griffith Park on a sunny Saturday afternoon. We love the train ride and the ponies. Harper has been on the bigger horses that actually trot a little bit, but this time she decided to go on the slow ride with Marley. What a great big sister!
Check out the below pics and vids from this past weekend's excursion...
Check out the below pics and vids from this past weekend's excursion...
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Harper's Prayer
Dear God,
Thank you for my unicorn, and for mommy, and daddy, and marley man. I hope you will help mommy feel better, because she had to go to the...
Where did you go today?
To the doctor.
She had to go to the doctor. So please help make her better because she's really sick. And help us to eat all of our dinner, and to stay sitted at the table, and to listen to mommy and daddy so we behave.
Amen.
Thank you for my unicorn, and for mommy, and daddy, and marley man. I hope you will help mommy feel better, because she had to go to the...
Where did you go today?
To the doctor.
She had to go to the doctor. So please help make her better because she's really sick. And help us to eat all of our dinner, and to stay sitted at the table, and to listen to mommy and daddy so we behave.
Amen.
Friday, December 25, 2009
Watch them break down, gDiapers earth-friendly diapers
I am thinking of trying these with Marley Man... since we're going broke on diapers, and he's not showing any interest in learning to use the "potty". (Well, except for the fact that he loves sitting on his potty - fully dressed - and having someone read "Potty Train" to him. It's his new favorite book.
Thursday, November 26, 2009
Automated Parenting
Throughout the years technology has promised so many amazing advances (I'm still waiting for my jet pack, by the way). But something I think the tech nerds are woefully behind on is the robotic childcare provider, or RoboMom.
From Fritz Lang's Metropolis right on down to Dollhouse, we've seen men making machines to replace women in the bedroom. But in typical male short term goal orientation, there is never any thought about what comes post-coitus. You know, kids.
One of the few examples of advanced parenting is Rosie from the Jetsons. But again, she was a maid who also had to occasionally pull double duty while Jane was getting her galactic hair did and George was in hot water with Mr. Spacely.
Ironically, perhaps the best robotic babysitter was the Cyberdyne Systems Model 101. The Terminator. In T2, the Terminator protected John Conner while simultaneously teaching and learning important lessons about the value of human life, how to use '90s teen slang, and why humans cry. Throw in a motorcycle ride through the LA river and some gun safety lessons and you've got the perfect candidate for the Big Brother program.
So maybe we can try to throw some of the stimulation money at tech research for creating caring, loving, nurturing terminators. Until then, I'll just have to rely on the same old stand by we've been using since the 1950's. Television.
From Fritz Lang's Metropolis right on down to Dollhouse, we've seen men making machines to replace women in the bedroom. But in typical male short term goal orientation, there is never any thought about what comes post-coitus. You know, kids.
One of the few examples of advanced parenting is Rosie from the Jetsons. But again, she was a maid who also had to occasionally pull double duty while Jane was getting her galactic hair did and George was in hot water with Mr. Spacely.
Ironically, perhaps the best robotic babysitter was the Cyberdyne Systems Model 101. The Terminator. In T2, the Terminator protected John Conner while simultaneously teaching and learning important lessons about the value of human life, how to use '90s teen slang, and why humans cry. Throw in a motorcycle ride through the LA river and some gun safety lessons and you've got the perfect candidate for the Big Brother program.
So maybe we can try to throw some of the stimulation money at tech research for creating caring, loving, nurturing terminators. Until then, I'll just have to rely on the same old stand by we've been using since the 1950's. Television.
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
American Girl Dolls: Suck It Xavier Roberts!
Today is McCall's birthday (happy birthday, baby!) so we went to the Grove/Farmer's Market to do a bit of shopping and get some things to prepare a birthday fondue dinner at home. While we were there we decided to finally give in to the tractor beam-like pull of the American Doll Store.
I really didn't want to go in, and we don't have any intention of actually purchasing one of these things for Harper (at least I don't THINK we do). But we walk past it all the time and people fly from all over just to go to this store. Not going kind of felt like living in New York City and not visiting the Statue of Liberty. It just felt unpatriotic. Like by not going we were letting the terrorists win.
So in we go and the first thing you think is, my goodness this is a lot of dolls. I mean when I was a kid there was never any GI Joe store, no Transformers store, no Masters of the Universe store, and no Star Wars store! So to walk in and see an entire store dedicated to only this single brand of doll is a bit overwhelming. And the first floor isn't even where it's at. That's right. The store is two levels and the second floor is about twice as big as the first. It's like Harrods for dolls.
But let's get down to the real nitty gritty. American Girl Dolls are ridiculously expensive dolls for which you purchase ridiculously expensive accessories. Want a doll? A base model is $95. Packages go for up to $118.
It all seemed a bit silly to me but the funniest thing was the historical dolls. Go upstairs and you're treated to a sort of museum of American history. With dolls!
Meet Felicity, a young girl in 1774 who believes in colonial freedom. Wow, these are forward thinking dolls. Meet Amy, she fights for gay marriage. Yeah Amy!
Then we come to the ethnic dolls. You have to have minority themed dolls, right? Otherwise your company might seem racist. So of course American Girl features Addy, the black doll who...wait for it...escapes from slavery!
I was also very happy to find Kaya, the Native American doll. You know for all those little girls from the reservations I see at the Grove all the time. Want Kaya's tepee? A steal at $70.
Are you an Asian-American girl looking for an American Girl doll to reflect your culture and experience? We've got Ivy Ling for you. The Chinese doll. But I'm Korean, you say. Up yours! But I'm Japanese, you say. Shove it! But I'm... Look we have one doll to cover an entire hemisphere so take the NorCal, '70s Chinese girl or go find Laotian Barbie. We dare you.
Once you select your doll, you can have a photo session with it to remind you that you bought a doll. I can't even take the time to go into the cafe with $20 tea servings and little high chairs for the dolls. Or the salon where your American Girl doll can have her hair did (if you don't mind the two hour wait). Or even the infirmary where employees wear doctor's jackets and stethoscopes (for listening to what, exactly?) and your doll can have that leg the dog gnawed off replaced.
Amazing? Yes. Excessive? Absolutely. Delightfully tacky yet offensive given the current state of the economy? Probably. But I see a lot of red shopping bags wandering around the Grove so somebody somewhere is making a boatload, and the store looked like it must employ at least 100 people so maybe it's not all bad.
However, I do wonder about the little girls who have these dolls, but maybe even more I wonder about the little girls who don't. Are American Dolls the status marker that Cabbage Patch dolls were when I was their age? I can't imagine otherwise. And it makes me sad that Harper Jo may one day be excluded because she doesn't have one. And it makes me sad to think that I may one day buy her one so she won't be.
----------------
Was playing: The Doors - Light My Fire
via FoxyTunes
----------------
Now playing: LTJ Bukem - Inner Guidance
via FoxyTunes
----------------
Now playing: LTJ Bukem - Inner Guidance
via FoxyTunes
I really didn't want to go in, and we don't have any intention of actually purchasing one of these things for Harper (at least I don't THINK we do). But we walk past it all the time and people fly from all over just to go to this store. Not going kind of felt like living in New York City and not visiting the Statue of Liberty. It just felt unpatriotic. Like by not going we were letting the terrorists win.
So in we go and the first thing you think is, my goodness this is a lot of dolls. I mean when I was a kid there was never any GI Joe store, no Transformers store, no Masters of the Universe store, and no Star Wars store! So to walk in and see an entire store dedicated to only this single brand of doll is a bit overwhelming. And the first floor isn't even where it's at. That's right. The store is two levels and the second floor is about twice as big as the first. It's like Harrods for dolls.
But let's get down to the real nitty gritty. American Girl Dolls are ridiculously expensive dolls for which you purchase ridiculously expensive accessories. Want a doll? A base model is $95. Packages go for up to $118.
It all seemed a bit silly to me but the funniest thing was the historical dolls. Go upstairs and you're treated to a sort of museum of American history. With dolls!
Meet Felicity, a young girl in 1774 who believes in colonial freedom. Wow, these are forward thinking dolls. Meet Amy, she fights for gay marriage. Yeah Amy!Then we come to the ethnic dolls. You have to have minority themed dolls, right? Otherwise your company might seem racist. So of course American Girl features Addy, the black doll who...wait for it...escapes from slavery!
I was also very happy to find Kaya, the Native American doll. You know for all those little girls from the reservations I see at the Grove all the time. Want Kaya's tepee? A steal at $70.
Are you an Asian-American girl looking for an American Girl doll to reflect your culture and experience? We've got Ivy Ling for you. The Chinese doll. But I'm Korean, you say. Up yours! But I'm Japanese, you say. Shove it! But I'm... Look we have one doll to cover an entire hemisphere so take the NorCal, '70s Chinese girl or go find Laotian Barbie. We dare you.
Once you select your doll, you can have a photo session with it to remind you that you bought a doll. I can't even take the time to go into the cafe with $20 tea servings and little high chairs for the dolls. Or the salon where your American Girl doll can have her hair did (if you don't mind the two hour wait). Or even the infirmary where employees wear doctor's jackets and stethoscopes (for listening to what, exactly?) and your doll can have that leg the dog gnawed off replaced.
Amazing? Yes. Excessive? Absolutely. Delightfully tacky yet offensive given the current state of the economy? Probably. But I see a lot of red shopping bags wandering around the Grove so somebody somewhere is making a boatload, and the store looked like it must employ at least 100 people so maybe it's not all bad.
However, I do wonder about the little girls who have these dolls, but maybe even more I wonder about the little girls who don't. Are American Dolls the status marker that Cabbage Patch dolls were when I was their age? I can't imagine otherwise. And it makes me sad that Harper Jo may one day be excluded because she doesn't have one. And it makes me sad to think that I may one day buy her one so she won't be.
----------------
Was playing: The Doors - Light My Fire
via FoxyTunes
----------------
Now playing: LTJ Bukem - Inner Guidance
via FoxyTunes
----------------
Now playing: LTJ Bukem - Inner Guidance
via FoxyTunes
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