Woah...

I asked Emma who was in this picture. She said "Tommy and Me.".

Who do you think it is?

It's me and my little brother. Well, he's not so little anymore. In fact he's taller than me. Wow... It's really all I can say...

Talkative Tommy

Tommy's favorite book is Dr. Seuss's ABC's. My favorite part of the book is the letter 'P' because the way he recites this part is so flippin' cute! I have attached a video link for your viewing pleasure.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zt_5qN3tUO0

Oppression

Merriam Webster defines the word oppression by saying it is an 'unjust or cruel exercise of authority or power'. That said, I was listening to a morning radio show this morning and they were talking about TV shows the listeners were not allowed to watch as children. One woman called in and said that her mother would not let her watch 'The Flintstones'. "What could possibly be wrong with 'The Flintstones'?" the radio show host asked. She replied with some cockamame nonsense about Wilma being opressed. She went on to say that Fred was always yelling at her (you remember 'WILMAAAA!') and how Wilma was always cooking and cleaning and said that it was sexist. This does not sound like oppression to me. This sounds like a woman taking care of her man. Oh this poor woman. If she only knew. Then, she went on to say that she does not allow her husband to watch 'Family Guy'. Allow?!? I agree that 'Family Guy' is disgusting, degrading, vulgar TV trash, but to say her husband is 'not allowed' to watch it is ludacris! It kind of makes you wonder what else she doesn't allow him to do, say, watch, or feel. What else does she withhold from him? That poor man chose the wrong woman. He is going to be miserable for the rest of his marraige...if it lasts. He probably sneaks out of bed at night just to watch the TV show. What else do you think he might be sneaking out of bed for? It's this 'oppressed woman' mentality that is part of the reason why most marraiges and families are broken. Instead of putting her husbands needs and desires first, she demands things from him and gives him rules and limitations. You can't tell me that there hasn't been a yelling match between this woman and her husband at least once. Everyone gets frustrated now and then. Oh, wait, she might not allow him to raise his voice for fear of being oppressed.

I don't believe Wilma is oppressed. She is proud to be taking care of her man. And all this about her cooking and cleaning and how it's demeaning...BALONEY! She is taking care of him, and I bet it makes her happy. And who knows what goes on behind closed doors if you know what I mean. There is nothing more satisfying than taking care of the most important person in your life. I'll bet that woman isn't happily married. Correction: I'll bet her husband is miserable.

Just an Update

So, Saturday, Emma had her first 'practice' recital of the year. It amazes me every time. She fools around in her dance class and seems to have trouble paying attention and following along. But, when it comes time to get on stage and perform, she's brilliant. Her rhythm and timing and her execution of all of the steps are great! My hypothesis is that she knows all of the steps and songs that they dance to in class and doing them over and over again is boring. When it comes time to get all dolled up in her costume and hop on stage for 'the real thing' she turns it on full blast. What an awesome little girl. I just need to figure out how to get her to focus and pay attention in class. Does this sound like someone you know?

We got a postcard in the mail from the school she'll be attending in the fall. Kindergarten. Wow. Do you remember when Kinder was just a stepping stone to help kids prepare for First Grade? Well the postcard was sent to inform us that Emma has a Kindergarten entry assessment. An entry assessment?!? Fortunately, Emma is a pretty smart kid so I don't think she'll have any problems. My friend, Cindy, is a teacher and is always giving me advice on what to teach her to get her ready for Kinder. She's been reading for a few months now and knows some very basic math. I downloaded a Dolch Sight words list and decided to see how much she knew. The list is broken up into five segments. Pre-K, Kinder, First, Second and Third. She knew them all. She corrected herself on a few of them but for the most part blew through the whole list. She never ceases to amaze me.

As for Tommy, he has recently started beating me up. I guess he hasn't learned his boundaries yet. I'm sure that he and Daddy rough-house at least once per day for fun, but I do not find this amusing. He like to punch me and say 'YA!' as if he were performing some complex Karate move. He pulls my hair, pinches me, I could go on. Maybe he just wants my attention and after a day of horsing around with Daddy, doesn't quite know how to switch gears. He'll get it eventually. He's a tough kid.

Paying it Forward

I loved this movie. The concept that the little boy came up with is genius. So, today I had an opportunity to pay it forward. I was on the trolley 2 stops away from my destination when the trolley Officer hopped on board asking for tickets and passes. I pulled out my wallet and showed him my pass for April. He brought this to my attention and so I pulled out my April pass and showed him the one for May. There was a teenage girl sitting across from me who pulled out her pass and showed it to the officer. He said, "That is for last month. Today is the 1st of May." She was clearly taken by surprise. He went on to explain to her that she needed to get off at the next station and by herself a ticket and that she needed to realize that the citation would have cost $125. After the trolley officer went about his business, her eyes welled up with tears as she called her dad. She explained to her dad that it was a new month and she only had $1 on her and that she didn't know what to do. I tapped her on the leg and asked her how far she needed to go. She said America Plaza (4 stops away). I told her that I would buy her ticket. She told her dad and got off the phone. We got off the trolley and I pulled out my bank card but the ticket machine didn't take credit cards. So, I ran across the street to the 7-eleven ATM machine. When I came back with my new crisp $20 bill I put it in the machine. The trolley Officer standing nearby explained that the largest bill the ticket machine took was a $10. Argh! So I ran back to the 7-eleven and bought a pack of gum and ran back across the street to help this poor girl. Success! I bought her a $5 day pass so that she wouldn't be stranded in the afternoon. She said that if she ever saw me again that she would pay me back. I told her "No, you'll get to help someone else out someday." I gave her a hug and bounced off to work. Nothing like doing a good deed to start your morning off right! So, I say, pay it forward. I hope that I made an impression on this girl and I hope that she never forgets to help people in need. I'm not talking about just giving money to a homeless person on the street. I'm talking about recognizing a situation when someone really needs help and it's the type of help that you can provide.