Lessons Learned . . .

Robbie has been begging me to watch Teen Wolf with him for a last week or so. He finally got his way and boy, am I glad. I really learned some valuable life lessons:

1. Almost any girl looks big compared to Michael J. Fox, he has an 18 inch waist.

2. If you're a high school student in the 80's you've got to have a cool nickname like Styles or Boof.

3. Also, if you want to make a sweet soundtrack to a 80's movie, all you need are electric drum beats and a sweet guitar riff. 

4. Don't be judgmental. If your friend or teammate suddenly turns into a wolf, just be cool and go with it. 

5. You thought Spiderman coined it, but you're wrong. Teen Wolf's dad said it first: with great power, comes great responsibility.

6. If you're a Teen Wolf on the varsity basketball team, make sure you're not a ball hog.

7. And always remember to be yourself. You don't have to turn into a Werewolf to be special.

  

Thanks, TW

And then I turned 90

When did I suddenly become 90 years old? Because, I think I am officially becoming prudish. I find it hard to listen to almost any radio station without something inappropriate coming on. Rihanna, you're gross. Bruno Mars, I like you, but seriously? Britney Spears, you know how I feel about you. And every other pop artist out there, you're so inappropriate! (Don't worry, Cee Lo, I do love your radio edit.) But seriously, is it impossible to have a hit song without referencing teen sex or exploiting women? (Okay, yes, I know - probably on the country western station. You got me there, country: you're much cleaner and more wholesome than top 40.)

I remember a year or so ago watching the video for If I Never See Your Face Again with Maroon 5 and Rihanna and being so disgusted. Of course the lead singer of Maroon 5 was dressed in this dapper 3-piece suite and Rihanna was in lingerie. Because women can't be successful and considered beautiful and sexy without dancing around half naked to please some chauvinist man (or men, I should say)? What a horrible example to young girls and boys everywhere and what a slap in the face to the entire feminist movement. Ew.

The point is that I seriously find it hard to listen to so much of the music today on the radio without feeling gross about my 9 month-old listening to it, also, in the back seat. Is this how my Mom felt when she found my Madonna CD in sixth grade? I swear that was not as bad as this. Or was it?

Whatever. Maybe I'm prudish when it comes to some areas of pop culture. Maybe I'm prudish when it comes to my kid. But more importantly, where do I draw the line? I haven't, and am not planning on, walking out of my Spin class if the instructor plays "3" by Miss Spears. I don't know what to do with my formally semi-cool self.

In the words of all the prudes before me: "The world's gone crazy!" (Right?)

Easter at the Beach

Jacob and I were lucky enough to go to Holden Beach for Easter with my family.

Jacob had his first dip in the pool, and he really did like it.

 Even though it doesn't really look that way from the pictures . . .

The weather was great and Jacob loved playing in
the sand with his aunts and uncles. He was quite the beach babe.

The water was still pretty cold, so I thought 

he wouldn't be very interested in the actual ocean. . .

But he was! He really liked the little waves.

JoAnna got Jacob this adorable Hawaiian outfit, so we had to try it out on his first "tropical" adventure. 

 And then it was Easter Sunday! 

You know how I love to buy baby clothes and treat my child like a live doll -

So I was pretty excited about his cute Easter outfit, complete with bow tie.

Before church:

And I think we have all felt like this after 3 hours of church:

Little Easter Baby:

My family always does an Easter Egg hunt, and Jacob got to help of course.

He was quite the egg hunter. You can see him providing lots of help to Eleanor here.

(He actually kept knocking the eggs off the porch as he was trying to grab them. He got a few, though.)

And then he proceeded to eat the plastic eggs. Typical.  

But Jacob really did come in handy when it came to getting the eggs my six foot brother hid in the rafters of the deck. He really saved the day.

All in all, it was a fun time with the family. 

I mean, come on, don't you want to spend Easter with these gals?

 Jacob: sporting the new Easter outfit Nana got him. 

Happy First Easter, Jacob. You rocked it. 

Best Mother/Worst Mother Award

"They" have been doing construction to the sidewalk in out courtyard. Specially, the sidewalk in the courtyard right outside Jacob's window. I heard some clinking and hammering while I was doing the nap time routine, but just as Jacob was falling asleep the jack hammer started. Ugh. I quickly thought about what other room in this apartment could keep out the noise. My bed is along the same wall of the apartment, just as exposed to the jack hammers. The only room that was on the other side of the house and was closed off enough to keep out the intense side walk drilling was the bathroom. I made a split decision and grabbed a play mat and his comforter, scooped up the barely sleeping child in my arms and made an insta-tub-crib.

Exhibit A:

 Exhibit B:

I was feeling pretty good about myself. I had innovated a quite nap space and kept my baby sleeping among jack hammers. Way to go, Mom.

However my pride was short lived and I soon realized the worst (well, the worst if your baby is sleeping in the only bathroom): I had to go. I didn't know what I would do! I thought about just taking my chances using the bathroom next to my sleeping tub-baby, but then I would have went to all the trouble to put him to bed in the bathroom, just to wake him up 5 minutes later . . . no way. Plus, a toilet flushing would definitely wake him up and I really had to go, if you get my drift.


There is a Caribou Coffee across the street did have a bathroom, and I can make it there in under a minute. Did I dare leave the babe for a few minutes and use the bathroom? Wake the baby or abandon my child . . . hmmm. I guess it is obvious how much I value Jacob's naps, because I ended up grabbing the monitor, locking the door (of course) and running across the street to do my business and let my baby sleep. I was back to the house in 5 minutes and 45 seconds, Jacob still asleep safely in the tub. 

Exhibit C (proof my child was happy and healthy post tub-nap): 

So there you have it. I'm not the only crazy mother out there, right? I seem to remember a story about my grandmother and sleeping in the bath tub for some reason, but I don't think it involved naps, jack hammers or going the bathroom across the street in a coffee shop. Please tell me some of you out there have some wild stories, too!