Let's Pretend We're the U.N.

So tonight at dinner, while my kids are fighting (big surprise) and my food is stuck in my throat, I ask them once again, why are they so mean to each other?  Sister says, "it's how siblings bond".  Tonight they are "bonding" over french fries.  The triplet who only eats white food fills his plate with them because he's not going to eat the burgers I made and this makes everybody else protest. 

My 15 year old has an idea.  "Let's pretend we're the U.N. and we're each a country".  I like this game.  I tell him he's "Turkey" because that's the only meat he eats.  My only girl is "Italy" and she likes that because she's our Italian Princess.  The little guys are "Hungary" (little man, big appetite), "Iran" (the guy who never stops moving) and "Iraq" (pronounced "I-Rock", no explanation needed).

Everybody laughs, my food slides down my throat, and I thank God for my Full House.

'Are you Mom Enough' to comment on this Time cover?

I know that breastfeeding is a controversial subject.  Like religion or politics, we all have strong beliefs that cannot be swayed by people shouting their oppositional views at us.

HOWEVER, to me, this Time cover photo is not about breastfeeding.  It's about a disturbing cover photo that is going to haunt this poor child forever.  There is something very perverted about this picture.  The mother looks a little sexy and smug, and the poor little boy has an odd look in his eyes and is dressed to look older than he is, standing on a chair to look even bigger.  I think Time went too far in an effort to sell magazines - pedophiles and perverts will no doubt cause this cover to be a sellout.  Ew!

As far as my personal view on breastfeeding, I think it is beautiful and natural for a new mother to bond and nurture her baby.  I breastfed my first 2 children, didn't have enough milk (or boobs) to nurse my preemie triplets.

I have no problem with someone breastfeeding in public (I was much too modest to, myself) but appreciate someone doing it discreetly so little (and grown) boys don't stare and giggle.  If you want to continue beyond infancy, more power to you, but I don't want to see it.  I was once at a birthday party where a preschooler was eating spicy salsa, then ran over to her mom, lifted her shirt, and took a drink.  It was just freaky to me, sorry!

Here's my bottom line - women should not judge each other for breastfeeding or not breastfeeding.  Some women are naturals, others find it awkward or just don't produce enough milk.  As women, we should support each other in sisterhood either way, just like working moms or stay at home moms should respect each other's choices.

Oh, and please ladies, remember to take good care of your 'girls' either way!

Hair We Go

"Hair, hair, it's everywhere.  Some have little, some have lots, plain hair, striped hair, polka dots."  (A line from a children's book embedded in my memory after reading it a thousand times over the past 15 years.)

I have a crappy head of fine hair.  I don't complain, I'm fortunate to only have a few grays at my age and they're silver, so they kind of look like highlights.  I'm happy to say none of my kids have my cruddy hair, they all have beautiful, thick heads of hair from their dad's side of the family.

I have to admit that I worried for the first 2 years of my daughter's life that she'd have my hair.  Our first boy was born with a full head of dark hair, predicted by the terrible heartburn I had during my pregnancy.  I figured our little girl would come out with the same hair, but she just had a head covered in peach fuzz.  Uh oh.  Then as it started to grow, it only sprouted long on the top of her head.  I'd put it in a pony tail on top, like a pineapple. 

Somewhere around her second birthday, it seemed to grow overnight, a full head of long, thick, wavy hair with blond highlights that I paid a small fortunate to replicate on my own head.  I was thrilled to see she had the same beautiful hair as her cousins, but I had no clue what to do with it.

I still blow dry it for her at night, it takes around 30 minutes to dry and has caused several hair dryers to explode prematurely.   Before her, a hair dryer would last me 10 years, no lie.  I've been through 3 in the past few months.

The biggest reason I'm glad she doesn't have my hair is that I secretly enjoy the bonding time we have, just us 2 girls, when I blow it out for her at night.  I know she can do it herself, but she's so independent and growing up so fast that I love grooming her like a little girl.

But I'm happy I only have to do it for 1 kid - imagine if the triplets were girls and I had to do 4 heads of that hair every night!