Parenting 101

First...I haven't heard word yet about it actually being born, but my sister, Sue, is in the hospital having her baby! I'll let you know once I've heard more.


Okay, so it's come to my attention that some of you believe my children are over scheduled. I would argue that it's me that's over scheduled, whatever. Okay...let's plot this out, shall we?

Jacob: In addition to school, Jacob also attends Tae Kwon Do for one hour twice a week and Cub Scouts 2-3 times a month. He also attends Sunday School weekly.

Daniel: School, Tae Kwon Do twice a week and Cub Scouts 2-3 times per month as well as Sunday School.

Hannah: Preschool 3 times a week, Sunday School every other Sunday, Gymnastics for 50 minutes once a week and Moppets (MOPS for kids) 2 times a month.

Me: Taxi to and from preschool 3 times a week, school 5 times a week, TKD twice a week, Cub Scouts 4-5 times per month (one meeting is a pack meeting that both boys attend together), gymnastics once a week, MOPS twice a month. I also have the occasional PTO meeting and/or room mother meeting.

For the kids, I don't think that's a lot. For me, it's almost criminal. LOL! Seriously, though, the activities the kids are in are the ones they've expressed interest in. There have been school clubs that have come up that we've thought would be fun for them but they didn't want to do, so we haven't (like chess club). So, DAD, I know you have a hatred for all organized sports and whatnot, but that's just how it is these days. Unfortunately, I can't trust that the kids can ride their bikes to den meetings without getting snatched by some whack-job. And there are no pick-up games of baseball in the neighborhood. It is incredibly sad, but true. Okay...I'm done defending my parenting! LOL

Speaking of defending parenting skills, there was a lady at the dentist yesterday who got into an argument with a hygienist about her daughter. What is it with crazy people at the dentist? Anyway, the hygienist comes out with the lady's daughter and says that everything looks good but her daughter (she's probably 5 or 6) needs to stop using a binkie/sucking her thumb. The lady starts screaming that her daughter DOES NOT suck her thumb. The daughter chimes in, with a big proud smile on her face, "but I do take a paci!" The mother looks all flushed and yells, "YOU DO NOT!" The back and forth of "yes I do," "no you don't" begins until the mother finally yells, "WHATEVER!" The hygienist says, "well, it needs to stop because she's beginning to do some serious damage to her mouth." The mother says, "my daughter doesn't suck her thumb so there's nothing to stop." Clearly annoyed, the hygienist walks away and tells the mother not to forget to schedule her next appointment. I just kind of chuckled at the fact that this mother felt it necessary to defend herself so hard. I'm quite sure that had this mother just said that, yes, her daughter still used a bink but she'd work on getting rid of it, I wouldn't be writing about it here in my blog. Heck, I'll admit that I sucked my thumb until high school and that I slept with my blankie until Jacob was born...I think I turned out okay. (That's embarrassing...LOL!) I just find it funny that we feel the need to prove to others that we're good parents in the eyes of strangers.