Trigger Happy

If one more person makes a rude comment to me about how they believe I have it easy for being an at home mom/wife, I'm going to shove my fist down their throat. I've had my fair share of difficult jobs. I've worked as an assembly line worker for Rubbermaid where you have to be quick and on your feet... working 12 hour shifts at a time. I worked as a maid for the Holiday Inn scrubbing god knows what off the walls, cleaning up after people's disgusting drug habits, and midnight joy rides. I worked on a greenhouse plantation (40+ greenhouses) where my job was to label every plant/shrub/tree that was thrown in my direction, most of which had thorns that i had to wrap my arms in or around, which left me with a few nasty scars. Last but not least, before becoming a mother, I worked as a pharmacy tech for Walgreens where my job was to fill prescriptions and interact with people and their insurance companies. These jobs were all difficult and stressful in their own ways, but nothing has been harder on me then the job I have now.

Every job requires a certain amount of responsibility and a certain amount of time and care, but when you're a parent, you don't have a time card, you don't have a weekend off. Your day is spent tending to their needs and their calls and with a three year old with a 50 word vocabulary and an 8 month old, everything is a guessing game. They can only tell you what they are needing at the time with a cry, a whine or a grunt. Everything around them is brand new and they explore all of these new things first by using their mouth. It doesn't matter what it is... a rock, a bug, a shoe... it all goes straight into their mouth. Then there's the diaper changing and the potty training... neither of which would be so bad if you didn't get the occasional accident on the floor, or the diaper that somehow managed to stay completely untouched while the rest of your baby seems to be covered from head to toe in baby poo. You also have the teething, the occasional boo boo, and then, of course, you have the responsibility to teach them everything the world has to offer, and to prepare them for life on their own, all the while trying to keep them safe and secure, making them feel loved and wanted, making them feel special and a part of something truly amazing.

It's up to me to make sure they grow up to be the best person they can be. Whatever it may be, whoever they become... its up to me to make sure they get there and that they are happy.

If you want to believe that your job is more difficult... thats fine. All I ask is that you keep these opinions to yourself. I'm tired of rude people trying to make me feel worthless. My life means something to my girls and that's all that matters. If the only thing I ever accomplish in my life is raising these two girls to be happy with who they are, then I can live with that.

Yup... so kiss my ass!!

I'm looking forward to the weekend, like most I'm sure. But what makes this weekend special is that its a camping weekend and what makes this camping weekend even more special is that its... kid free! If you're like me and you're at home everyday tending to children, a kid free weekend is a time for crazy celebration. That means beer, bonfires, cheddarwursts, tubing, and whatever else happens to come our way. I'm just praying that everyone keeps their clothes on this year, but you never know with a group of recently graduated college students. Public nudity isn't always a bad thing, especially if you're Mila Jovovich, but none of us were blessed with her ridiculously good looks.

Besides watching Mila Jovovich strip down one of my other favorite things to do is camping. I have not done much of it since I moved to Wisconsin, but back home in Tennessee I spent a lot of my time outdoors. As a lover of nature and the outdoors, it is definitely a difficult transition moving from Tennessee to Oshkosh, Wisconsin. I am constantly missing the mountains, its rivers and waterfalls. The Smoky Mountains have some insanely, beautiful hiking trails! If your ever looking for somewhere to vacation its definitely a nice place to go.

Anyways, I hope everyone has a nice weekend! Maybe I will get a few good shots that I can post to our photo website. Don't worry I'll keep it PG

Video games seem to have such a bad rep when it comes to kids. There has always been a lot of a lot of controversy over ESRB ratings, violence, language, and addiction. Most of that friction comes from parents who have no experience with gaming, have no interest in gaming, or has a child who they think is addicted to gaming. Parents who take the time to understand gaming and its effects are much more prepared to help their kids have a good experience and probably learn something from gaming. Yes, you can learn a thing or two from gaming. This quote is pretty powerful and sums up my response to any parent who opposes video games for their kids.

What was ultimately reinforced for me is a simple truth that all the legislation and media hand-wringing often misses: if a parent isn't doing their job, then no law will fix that. Don't worry about understanding the newest study or crunching numbers on the latest gaming statistics: if your gut says your child isn't old enough for a game, or that they're playing too much, listen to it.

Hit up the link for a great article:
Raising a healthy gamer: seven tips for parents - [Ars Technica]

Thanks to txshurricane for the article!