Don't Pee on the Bee

Oh, so emotional!

I don't know what I am going to do about Sarah.  Yesterday we were driving down the highway, listening to music and  talking.  She gets quiet for a moment, and then all of a sudden, I hear a huge sob come out of the backseat!  I look back there, wondering what in the world could have happened to her!  It turns out we had driven past the freeway exit to her preschool, and . . . "I miss my friends!  I miss Ruby!  I miss the turkey!"  And on and on she went. 

I tried telling her that the summer program would be starting next week, and she would get to see her friends then.  But "Six days is tooooooooo many!"  Sob, sob, sob.  I kept trying to explain things to her and then realized what a fruitless battle that was.  So then I kicked into psych mode and just told her how sorry I was that she was feeling so sad, and that I knew that it was hard to miss your friends.  Well, that didn't really help either.  She cried for almost 10 minutes as we zoomed down the highway. 

And I have to admit that this is kind of new territory for me.  At her last preschool, she didn't really have a "best friend."  She had some friends whom she liked, but she never talked about them like she talks about her best friend here.  Everything is about Queenie*.  In fact, today Sarah even asked to buy a headband.  (This from the girl who either wants her hair "flat," which means hanging down her back, or in a regular old ponytail.  And truth be told, the ponytails aren't even that great because her mother is rather lame when it comes to cute hair-do's!)  After she put it on, she smiled and said, "I look just like Queenie."

Now, thank goodness, that Queenie will be attending part of the summer program.  But please notice that I said only part of it!  I can't even imagine what is going to happen when that last day happens.  And it's not like these two girls will be going to the same school one day.  There are way too many freeway exits between our house and theirs!  Honestly, I just don't know what it is going to be like.  And I feel so sad and hopeless because she is so sad.  And then I wonder what it is going to be like when she is a teenager if she is so emotional already.  And then that just makes me feel more emotional and hopeless and sad . . . Yikes.  Therapy for the house, please!

And I think that I have my genes to blame for this!  As you may already know, I am quite the emotional crybaby myself.  Cries at lame commercials, kid movies, you know, that kind of stuff.  And my mom has admitted that she used to cry frequently as a little girl, especially when someone would be leaving.  So Sarah, no doubt, has got salty, teary blood surging through that skinny little body of hers.

And just so you're clear on the genetic aspect of this, I am actually avoiding watching something on TV because I think that it is going to make me cry!  Last month (maybe even the month before, who knows?), I saw that PBS was running a special about Elsa, the lioness made famous by the movie, Born Free.  Well, I remember watching that movie many times, and I remember bawling my eyes out watching it.  So, of course, I had to record it, and it reminds me nightly that it is sitting there in the queue, unwatched. I really want to watch it.  I really don't know why I don't.  I think it's just the emotional aspect of it.  I was the girl who was banned by her father from watching Wide World of Disney on Sunday nights (anybody remember that?)  because, if there was a story about an animal that got hurt, I would cry and cry and cry.  My dad got so mad at me that he finally told me I couldn't watch it anymore!  So everyone else watched it while I went to my room and read for that hour. 

Sarah hasn't got a chance.

*Name changed for confidentiality!

The Celebrity Confession

Well, it has been quite awhile since I've talked about what I've been watching on TV.  It's so funny for me to think that at one time in my life, I didn't have a TV and couldn't care less.  Now, sometimes, I can't wait for everyone to go to bed so that I can slip out to the living room and watch my shows!

And now for the confession.  I watch(ed) The Celebrity Apprentice.  Now I'm not a Donald Trump fan by any stretch of the imagination, and I have never watched the "regular" Apprentice (way too back-stabby for me!)  But there is something about the celebrities--although honestly, I think that title is slightly dubious for many of the people who are on the show!---that gets me every time.  And I like that they play for charity.

Not too long ago, I actually mentioned to someone that I watch this show, and she said, "Oh, I don't watch any reality shows."   After feeling slightly chagrined, I realized later that Celebrity Apprentice, at least in my mind, is about as far away from reality as one can get!  But I digress . . .

So last night was the season finale, and I actually was able to stay awake until 11:00 to watch.  Miracle.  But my point for this post is that I was actually teary-eyed through the end of it, only because the two finalists were so passionate about their charities.  And when they filmed Marlee Matlin in Africa with her charity, giving hearing aids to African children who had never heard before, I lost it.  There was one mother there who finally heard her child say, "Mama," for the very first time.  Can you imagine?  And one little girl got a girlie attitude goin' on when she could here.  She started strutting around with her hand on her hip, dancing and laughing.  It was so sweet.

And then there was John Rich at St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital, talking with kids and families with life-threatening illnesses.  All these bald kids and their families, talking about their lives at the hospital.  One family  had been there for almost a year.  I just prayed to God right then and there to keep my kids safe and healthy.

So anyway, I guess my confession is two-fold.  Number 1:  I watch some bad T.V.  And Number 2:  I am a big crybaby!  And honestly, I can say that I am happy Celebrity Apprentice is over!  I spent way too much time watching that show.  And soon, Drop Dead Diva will be back!  Yeah!  Now, that is some good TV!

Blame It On Oprah

Now although I am a somewhat self-proclaimed TV lover, I can honestly say that it is a rare day that I watch TV during the day--and definitely not when my kids are home!  Well, I can also honestly say that the past two days, those rules have left the building!  And whose fault is it?  Blame it on Oprah!

Since the beginning of her last season, I have just set the DVR to record all of her shows, and then occasionally I sit in front of the TV with the recordings list in front of me and begin to delete the shows I could care less about.  Lisa Marie Presley?  Delete.  The woman who sued her husband for $12 million and won?  Slightly interested but Delete.  Teen heartthrobs?  Well, that one I did watch--just to see Shaun Cassidy!  Holy cow!  I think I owned every Tiger Beat they showed, and I definitely had more than one of the posters that they had up!  Did anyone else have the life-size one taped up behind their bedroom door?  Guilty!  But I digress . . .

So on Sunday night, because the football game was so awful, I started going through the Oprah list.  Much to my surprise, I realized that The Sound of Music 45th reunion show had passed, and I had forgotten about it.  Thank goodness for the DVR!  Note to self:  Be sure and watch this soon. 

I kept cruising the list and came across the first of a 2-part series with Oprah and her best friend, Gayle, taking a camping trip to Yosemite.  Since we camped near there this summer and will probably head there next summer, I thought I would take a quick look and see what Yosemite is like these days.  I went there many a time as a child but haven't been there in more than 20 years.  Well, I started watching, and I started laughing almost immediately!  It was SO funny to see these obviously non-camping women try and do it!  But what was even funnier to me was how they talked to each other through it all.  It reminded me of my friend Shellie and me.  There is pretty much nothing that we won't say to each other.  And I honestly don't believe that we have too many of those kinds of people in our lives.  I definitely had to move on the Part 2--which--get this--I did on MONDAY MORNING after my kids were at school.  I just really felt like sitting on my fanny, relaxing and laughing.  And laugh I did!  As melodramatic as this may sound, watching that show made my day!  I was definitely in a better mood.  I called a couple of friends as I realized that it is not good to let those friendships dwindle.  And even better, after telling Shellie about it and making her laugh just by talking about it, she and I have decided that it is time for a little "sista's trip"--although it will definitely NOT be camping in November or December!

So there's the first dreaded secret--TV during the day!  And here's the second--I watched The Sound of Music one today--during the day--Gasp!--and I did it with Sarah!  Shock!  I will also admit that I lost count of the number of times that I teared up or actually started out and out crying while watching it.  Such a sucker!  But really, if you loved The Sound of Music, you should watch this show.  It was really a treat to see all of them.   The men still looked like the little boys that they were.  And Christopher Plummer is a hoot!  I want to read his memoir after seeing him on the show and hearing that he was really a gadabout and taught "Lisele" how to drink!

And for those of you who, like my husband, think that the movie is corny and whatever else you might think, there were interviews of "ultra fans" on the show, and one was a Vietnam war veteran whose wife made him watch the movie a few months before he was sent to Vietnam.  He said that he watched the movie 127 times while in Vietnam, it being 3 hours of time where he could be peaceful.  That was powerful.  Also, a young woman who is profoundly deaf who heard "The Hills Are Alive" the first thing after having a cochlear implant put in her ear.  The looks on the actors' faces when these were over was astounded.

So now that I've admitted to my TV indiscretions, I hope that you don't think less of me!  And please don't report me to the Bad Mother Police! 

A Compliment In The Hat

My kids have been watching the new PBS show, The Cat In The Hat Knows A Lot About That.  I was somewhat hesitant to let them watch it at first since we all know that Cat is not always a great role model.  However, my mom sent me an article about the series, and it is the first one that Dr. Seuss' estate agreed to have made.  And they toned down The Cat a bit.  And so now The Cat is a hit in our house.

We were walking today, and they were talking about the show and how much The Cat knows.  Then JJ said, "But Mommy knows more than The Cat In The Hat."  Woo hoo!  Did that make me feel good!

P.S.  Sorry about no post on Tuesday.  Was having Internet issues and didn't have the time to try and resolve it then!

Mommy Deconstructionists

One of my TV pleasures is Top Chef.  I'm not into reality shows as a whole, but this one I like because of the cooking.  I am definitely not a chef, and I don't really have any desire to try any of the recipes they make, but I do love to sit there and watch them sweat as they make these amazing-looking dishes.  And I usually learn something too.  That makes me feel less guilty about watching TV!

One of the tasks that is often given to the chefs is to "deconstruct" a dish.  So if it is lasagna, say, they are supposed to use all of the ingredients--but somehow separately--but still make the dish taste like lasagna.  As I've watched this show for the past two seasons, I've always thought Ooooh.  How do they do that?  What talent!  What brilliance!  And then last night I realized something somewhat astounding.  Uh du-uh.  Isn't that something that most moms do on a nightly basis?  Deconstruct?  Here are your noodles, here is some sauce, here are your veggies.  All on a separate section of the plate because heaven forbid that any of those things touch!  You know what I'm talking about.  So pat yourself on the back and tell yourself, your husband and your friends that you, my friend, are a potential Top Chef challenger!

R.I.P TV season

In my mind, this is a blog primarily about magazines and interesting articles, ideas and things.  I throw in a kid story or two here and there.  Today, however, I just feel compelled to talk a bit about TV.  Why?  Well most of the shows I watch either ended last week or are ending this week.  Why do they all have to end at once?  (Imagine me with my hand thrown up at my forehead, swooning slightly backwards as I say this.)

I will embarrass and humiliate myself if I list a few particular shows that I used to watch.  (A little American Idol, anyone?)  Far too many really lame sitcoms--although they did provide a bit of respite most nights!  Luckily for me, a few of those sitcoms are not going to be renewed next year, so I'm already on the weaning bandwagon!  And I definitely will not watch American Idol next year.  No Simon?  No me.  (I had a secret crush on his mean, good looks!)

Did anyone catch Parenthood?  It started right after the Olympics ended and was advertised hardcore during the coverage.  The first two times I watched it, I was so uptight when it ended.  Too real, I thought.  Definitely real-life family drama.  But what I liked about it was that the characters lived in Berkeley, and so they would talk about and some times show places from my childhood.  I almost stopped watching Parenthood because I thought it was too intense, and then suddenly I found myself absolutely loving it, drama and all.  Then I read a blog post called Where Have All the Good TV Moms Gone?  A couple of people commented on the moms from Parenthood.  One is a lawyer whose husband is a SAHD.  Another mother is parenting a teenager daughter and a young son, recently diagnosed with Asperger's.  The other is a single mom who just moved back in with her parents with her two teenagers.  And then, of course, there is the matriarch.  And so, of course, now Parenthood is gone too for the time being.  Boo hoo.  

But there is one high point in all my TV drama, and I've posted about it before.  Check out Drop Dead Diva on Sunday nights on Lifetime!  Super clean.  Super funny.  About a gorgeous young model who dies and comes back to life in a "larger" lawyer body and has to make the most of her life.  It's kind of quirky, a bit like Ally McBeal.  It's just a really fun show.  Season 2 just started this Sunday, so at least I have something to look forward to on Sunday nights!  You can check out a preview of Season 2 here.

I'm expecting to have a lot more reading time!  So back to magazines and books--and blogging!

Happy Birthday, Sesame Street!

 
So how could I resist THIS?  Sesame Street is turning 40!  I am one of those original Sesame Street kids, and it was certainly different back then!  Gordon had a big ol' afro and Mr. Hooper ran the store.  (God bless, Mr. Hooper!)    And Oscar originally wasn't green!  I remember being so surprised by the changes when I first turned it on 3 years ago and started watching it with JJ!  Call it naivete on my part, I guess!  All things change, right? 

I remember loving when the baker guy who counted the number of bakery items on his tray would fall down the stairs afterwards!  (This was the part that cracked up JJ when we watched the old versions on the DVD Old School 1969-1974.)  And I still remember the little ditty "What came first?  The chicken or the egg?"  I loved when that segment was on and showed the chicken farm and all the eggs.  And when Snuffleupagus first showed up?  I remember feeling as excited as Big Bird was!  And then when I got a Sesame Street album to play on my little orange record player, I thought that was so cool!  Forty or so years later, when I bought the CD Songs from the Street: 35 Years of Music to play for JJ (well, for me!), I still remembered most of the words!  J.R. just looked at me like I had lost my mind.  He doesn't remember watching Sesame Street. 

We all know that Sesame Street was revolutionary for children's TV at the time, so I won't go on and on about that.  But I do love that the FCC chairman at the time called the cartoons that had been the basis for children's TV back then "chewing gum for the eyes."  That paints quite the picture, and I can think of many shows today that fit that description!

So here is my final thought on Sesame Street.  Cookie magazine polled their subscribers and asked which Sesame Street character they most identified with.  34% identified most with Grover while 16% identified with Ernie and Cookie Monster each.  As for me, it's Oscar all the way!  (OK, one more memory!  Driving up the river route to Sacramento from the Bay Area in the summer in a car with no air conditioning, singing "I Love Trash" until my dad finally begged (well, probably yelled!) at me to stop!  Boy, was I happy!)