HARVEY KARP WILL SAVE YOUR MARRIAGE (And Keep You from Murdering Your Toddler, Too)
My Cavemen.
I have blogged about Harvey Karp before. His Happiest Baby on the Block and DVD
(Don’t know what that means? GO BUY THE BOOK!)
But I am long past babies. I’ve done this four times, people. Every child in this house is now walking and talking (hallelujah). They eat, they sleep, they play nicely 30-40% of the time.
I haven’t needed Harvey Karp in some time.
Or at least that’s what I thought – until last week, I heard him give a TODDLER seminar at The Pump Station and Nurtury in Hollywood, built around his “Happiest Toddler on the Block” book and DVD.
I was at The Pump Station on other MomciergeLA business, I wasn’t planning to attend the seminar – I mean, come on. What more could Dr. Karp have to tell me that I haven’t already figured out (or completely screwed up) on my own already?
But when the store manager said there were a few cancellations and I could sit in if I liked, I took the seat.
Research, right? Never too late to learn a little more I can pass on to all of you?
Bullshit.
Truth is, I have a bit of a toddler problem of my own.
Two of them, really. And I’m not talking about my twins.
I’m talking about Pancake and his dad. Continue reading “HARVEY KARP WILL SAVE YOUR MARRIAGE (And Keep You from Murdering Your Toddler, Too)” »
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New Year, New Goals
Image via http://www.flickr.com/photos/chripell/
I love New Year’s. Not New Year’s Eve – I could take it or leave it, really, especially since we’ve had kids and end up staying home throwing “New Year’s in Buenos Aires” parties, which means ringing in the New Year at 7 pm PST, to approximate Argentina time.
This year, especially, I could have left left left the whole thing. Sometime around 530 pm, Sausage’s cold turned horribly wheezy asthmatic and he coughed so hard he puked all over me. Around 630, Diddy and Gaga started messing with their food, chewing it to a pulp and then grossing out their dinner guests, both of whom also puked. Party finally broke up around 8 pm, at which point Sausage was SO sick I spent 40 minutes sitting in our steam shower with him, made a panicked call to our pediatrician, and nearly took him to the ER. Continue reading “New Year, New Goals” »
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Guest Post: How to Stay Close to A Spouse Who’s Far Away (Ask A Military Wife, Obviously)
“Take me to bed or lose me forever!” (Image via http://www.wiki-cine.com)
A little while back, a reader approached me and asked if she could guest blog about being a military wife. Umm, hell yes!
Please welcome Jessica. She’s an Air Force wife, and mother of a two-year old girl. She blogs at www.mmmmama.blogspot.com.
*
My husband is on the security forces/tactical response team. He has been in the Air Force for just a year now and let me tell you, it’s been one of the craziest years of my life.
Growing up, I never imagined being married to anyone in the military. Even when my husband and I got married, the Air Force wasn’t in our future plans. But deep down, it had always been a dream of my husband’s and when he expressed those feeling to me, I had no choice but to support him.
As time came for him to leave though, I became very angry and very resentful. Continue reading “Guest Post: How to Stay Close to A Spouse Who’s Far Away (Ask A Military Wife, Obviously)” »
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Yes, Mom! (Or: How I Talk So My Kids Listen*)
By 'gordonramsaysubmissions' [CC-BY-2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)
I live in a house full of people who don’t listen to me.
Either it’s the noise level (think four kids, high ceilings, no carpets or drapes, plus a husband who has to constantly take calls on speaker + run CNN at top volume + blast our system + turn up whatever loud loud loud video he is playing on his Mac to top volume, simultaneously) …
… or it’s the fact that two of the four kids are too young to understand much beyond “do you want Cheerios?”
… or it’s the fact that the OTHER two kids just … don’t … care.
Anyway:
Recently, I decided I’d had enough of this. I am tired of yelling incessantly up or down the stairs trying to get the kids to answer me. I am tired of running around asking “Did you hear me? Did you hear me? Did you HEAR ME ?!?” like some stressed out, way older, transgendered version of the Verizon guy. (And yes, I realize we wear similar glasses, he and I.) Continue reading “Yes, Mom! (Or: How I Talk So My Kids Listen*)” »
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Gay Marriage isn’t a Wedge Issue: It’s THE WHOLE PIE.
Diddy's first flower-girl gig (Image via www.couragecampaign.org)
I try to stay clear of politics on this site. I really do. (Well, unless you call me being pro-science, pro-vax, pro-Darwin “political.” I just call that educated.)
But I can’t not post about President Obama finally standing up for marriage equality, so here goes — and guess what?
I’ve decided I don’t care if I offend my readers tonight.
Because here’s the thing: I don’t think people have a right to get offended about gay marriage. You simply DO NOT GET TO BE OFFENDED about your fellow Americans claiming their full constitutional rights to “created equal.” You just don’t.
Marriage equality isn’t politics. Marriage equality is PEOPLE. Living their lives. Loving their spouses. Caring for their kids. Period. That’s it. That’s the whole issue. And it’s just friggin’ nuts to feel otherwise.
Also, bigoted. It’s that, too.
Seriously: What’s it to you, if your kid’s friend’s Dads want to be married? What’s it to you, if your cousin wants to wed her girlfriend?
OK, I take that back. You know what it should be? EVERYTHING. It should be EVERYTHING to you. It should be everything that we as Americans ensure that ALL AMERICANS share the same civil liberties across the board. Period.
I am thrilled that the President finally stood up and spoke truth. I wish it hadn’t taken him so long. But we’re here now — despite yesterday’s HORROR in North Carolina — and I am feeling okay about the universe this evening.
Which may have something to do with the fact that I just found out that an incredibly wonderful married couple I know will be DADS in October!
YAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAY!
But the President finally growing a pair is pretty damn good too.
