Sigh.
And yuck.
ThePinkThing's been scratching her head for a few weeks. I'm not stupid, so the first thing I thought of was lice. I (being a researchy kinda person) looked up lice is diagnosed and followed the instructions. I saw nothing, nothing I tell you. I looked behind her ears and at the back of her head but didn't see nits or bugs. I changed her shampoo and conditioner, I changed our laundry detergent, I even had her use Neutrogena's T-Gel a few times. But she still kept scratching.
I must be blind or something. Since TheHusband was going to TPT's pediatrician's office anyway to fix one of their computers, I sent her along for an evaluation. (TH fixes the computer, KidDoc fixes TPT's itchy head, right? It's a fair trade.) KidDoc apparently saw the nits right away. Eeeeuw. And gross. (Yes, yes, I know that I'm a Brain Doctor, and the sight of brain slices fazes me not in the least. But ooogey bug eggs in my kid's hair gross me out, okay?) When I told KidDoc that I had looked and didn't find anything, there was silence on the phone. I know he was thinking "God save me from these adult specialists who can't even diagnose something basic..."
I followed KidDoc's instructions (Rid shampoo, followed by Prell shampoo, followed by some serious hair inspection/combing). I stripped the beds, washed all of the bedding in hot water, dried it on high, put the pillows in the dryer for 20 minutes on high (Oooo, toasty!), washed the towels, and vacuumed the carpet in her room. I washed everything again before nit-picking session number 2, as well.
I was also instructed to put any stuffed animals she sleeps with in a plastic bag. Note that TPT is not terribly fond of stuffed animals, which is strange considering how stuffed-animal-obsessed my brother and I were (I guess she takes after TH, in that respect). She does have two favorites -- Mousie and Cottontail. Cottontail is a generic rabbit, but Mousie is special. My brother gave Mousie to me in 1989, when I had to have surgery. She is a big, fat, white mouse with personality (though all of our stuffed animals had personalities when we were kids). For some reason, Mousie's signature activity is screeching "MOTHER" at the top of her lungs (yes, I am the voice of Mousie...). TPT thinks it's hilarious and appropriated Mousie for her own a few years ago. She also decided that I am no longer Mousie's "mother", she is. Kids are strange, yes? When I told her that Mousie would have to spend 2 weeks in a plastic garbage bag, TPT became distraught and started to cry. She told me that Mousie doesn't like being in the bag and wants to come out. Eventually she stopped crying and decided to throw Mousie a party in 2 weeks to make up for her captivity. When I mentioned the Mousie-situation to my brother (via text), his response (also via text) was as follows:
"MOTHERRRRRRRRRRR!"
and
"MOTHER, GET ME OUT OF HERE!"
When I showed these texts to TPT, she ran around shrieking "Mother, get me out!" at the top of her lungs. Perhaps she does share some stuffed-animal-genes with me and her uncle, after all.
Looking forward to the lice going away and Mousie being sprung from prison. And anytime I scratch my head now, I am paranoid.
Showing posts with label Parenting. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Parenting. Show all posts
13 September 2010
07 September 2010
The Curse of Lake Wallenpaupack
Yes, it struck again. I've mentioned that whenever we visit my friends at their house in the Poconos, something bad seems to happen. Even when they come to visit us, badness occurs. I did threaten to leave TheHusband home if we went to the lake house again. This time, he wasn't the problem.
We wanted a low-key, relaxing summer vacation this year. Last summer we went to Great Wolf Lodge right before school started, which was fun but frenetic (add friends with 4 kids and frenetic is definitive). So we tempted fate and stayed at our friends' lake house in the Poconos for a WHOLE WEEK, from 8/21-8/29. I was really tempting fate with a whole week's stay.
Our trip there was mildly annoying, because we left an hour and a half later than planned, forgot the blow-up mattress (thankfully our friends brought theirs), and left the car adapter for the DVD player at home. A Radio Shack along the way didn't have the right tip. So we had a 4 hour car ride with an only child and no obvious method of entertainment (it was dark for almost the whole ride). We survived. And, yes I am fully aware that everyone in my generation (and a million generations before mine) all went on long car trips without such nice methods of entertainment. Yes, yes, I know that. But it does make things so much easier.
The first weekend was nice, although the weather turned against us on Sunday (low 70s and rainy). Seven and four year-olds don't mind going in the lake or hot tub when it's raining. Their parents don't love standing around in the rain quite as much. Later that day, our friends went home and we had almost a whole week of relaxation and fun ahead of us.
It was fun and relaxing. Perhaps a bit more relaxing than expected, as it rained and was cool from Sunday through Wednesday. It was like 500 degrees every day this summer, except that week. Where's the justice in that, eh? We went to 2 different "family fun" places, and ThePinkThing played skee-ball, air hockey, and other arcade games that (of course) promote mental development. TheHusband and I had our usual no-holds-barred, cutthroat game of air hockey, for which I will sacrifice a certain level of back pain. I WON, OF COURSE. We went to a mall to buy some of her school clothes. We drove to NJ to see my grandparents, who live about 2 hours from Lake Wallenpaupack. I even worked one of the days. Not exactly the activities I was expecting for a vacation at the Poconos lake. I figured that our badness this year was the weather. No biggie in the real scheme of things.
Thursday the weather cleared up, although the lake temperature was, um, cool. TheHusband had promised ThePinkThing that he would take her Jet-Skiing, and Thursday was the day. Riding on a Jet-Ski was basically forbidden by SpineDoc for me ("Are you nuts? You had a lumbar fusion a few months ago. You know better than that..."), so I was the cheering section on shore. TPT enjoyed it but got really cold. She also said that she liked going 10 mph better than 40 mph. I wonder what that says about my husband's aquatic driving skills? Friday we went to a very nice beach at the lake. Sunny, nice, cold water, few people, lots of sand, very attentive and hungry ducks. (Did you know that ducks eat ice cream sandwiches? I didn't until that day.)
Friday night (8/27) my friends and their daughters arrived. (Yay, PinkPlaymates! And grown-ups to hang with, too!) Saturday was another beach day. One nice thing about kids of a certain age is that you no longer have to hover over them or watch them every minute.
On the Sunday morning I was silently congratulating myself for surviving the week at Lake Wallenpaupack unscathed. In retrospect, I just should've kept my (internal) piehole shut. TPT and the 7 year-old PinkPlaymate were riding their scooters on the back deck, while the four year-old was alternately begging to join in and whining that the big girls weren't playing with her. The wheel of TPT's scooter must've gotten caught in between the slats of the deck, and she fell over, hitting her face on the edge of the bench. She immediately started crying. She is the kind of kid who cries at the drop of a hat, and I have learned to differentiate the "Wah -- that hurt" cry from the "OMFG WAAAAAAHHHH, a limb is hanging by a thread" kinda cry. She let out one of the latter.
I may have mobility issues, but I can move quickly enough when I need to. She hit her right eye (the eyelid, thank goodness) and the bridge of her nose on a square edge of a bench. She ended up with a laceration on the eyelid and some pretty impressive swelling/bruising of the right eyelid. She may have had a hairline fracture of the bridge of her nose, but if she did, it was asymptomatic and non-displaced.
One other bad thing about this most recent evidence of the Curse was that she had her first day of school on the day after the injury. Poor thing was in a total tizzy about going to school with a black eye -- to the point where she "couldn't fall asleep". Once she got to school, she was fine, but boy it was a chore getting her to go. Note that a swollen eye and bruise on her nose didn't stop her from climbing the street pole, as usual.
A week after the injury, you can't even see it -- the healing power of children. TheHusband has now refused to visit my friends' lake house next summer, in hopes that the Curse of Lake Wallenpaupack may dissipate, if we stay away. He said that if we go to Alaska instead, it might not find us there. I'm game.
We wanted a low-key, relaxing summer vacation this year. Last summer we went to Great Wolf Lodge right before school started, which was fun but frenetic (add friends with 4 kids and frenetic is definitive). So we tempted fate and stayed at our friends' lake house in the Poconos for a WHOLE WEEK, from 8/21-8/29. I was really tempting fate with a whole week's stay.
Our trip there was mildly annoying, because we left an hour and a half later than planned, forgot the blow-up mattress (thankfully our friends brought theirs), and left the car adapter for the DVD player at home. A Radio Shack along the way didn't have the right tip. So we had a 4 hour car ride with an only child and no obvious method of entertainment (it was dark for almost the whole ride). We survived. And, yes I am fully aware that everyone in my generation (and a million generations before mine) all went on long car trips without such nice methods of entertainment. Yes, yes, I know that. But it does make things so much easier.
The first weekend was nice, although the weather turned against us on Sunday (low 70s and rainy). Seven and four year-olds don't mind going in the lake or hot tub when it's raining. Their parents don't love standing around in the rain quite as much. Later that day, our friends went home and we had almost a whole week of relaxation and fun ahead of us.
It was fun and relaxing. Perhaps a bit more relaxing than expected, as it rained and was cool from Sunday through Wednesday. It was like 500 degrees every day this summer, except that week. Where's the justice in that, eh? We went to 2 different "family fun" places, and ThePinkThing played skee-ball, air hockey, and other arcade games that (of course) promote mental development. TheHusband and I had our usual no-holds-barred, cutthroat game of air hockey, for which I will sacrifice a certain level of back pain. I WON, OF COURSE. We went to a mall to buy some of her school clothes. We drove to NJ to see my grandparents, who live about 2 hours from Lake Wallenpaupack. I even worked one of the days. Not exactly the activities I was expecting for a vacation at the Poconos lake. I figured that our badness this year was the weather. No biggie in the real scheme of things.
Thursday the weather cleared up, although the lake temperature was, um, cool. TheHusband had promised ThePinkThing that he would take her Jet-Skiing, and Thursday was the day. Riding on a Jet-Ski was basically forbidden by SpineDoc for me ("Are you nuts? You had a lumbar fusion a few months ago. You know better than that..."), so I was the cheering section on shore. TPT enjoyed it but got really cold. She also said that she liked going 10 mph better than 40 mph. I wonder what that says about my husband's aquatic driving skills? Friday we went to a very nice beach at the lake. Sunny, nice, cold water, few people, lots of sand, very attentive and hungry ducks. (Did you know that ducks eat ice cream sandwiches? I didn't until that day.)Friday night (8/27) my friends and their daughters arrived. (Yay, PinkPlaymates! And grown-ups to hang with, too!) Saturday was another beach day. One nice thing about kids of a certain age is that you no longer have to hover over them or watch them every minute.
On the Sunday morning I was silently congratulating myself for surviving the week at Lake Wallenpaupack unscathed. In retrospect, I just should've kept my (internal) piehole shut. TPT and the 7 year-old PinkPlaymate were riding their scooters on the back deck, while the four year-old was alternately begging to join in and whining that the big girls weren't playing with her. The wheel of TPT's scooter must've gotten caught in between the slats of the deck, and she fell over, hitting her face on the edge of the bench. She immediately started crying. She is the kind of kid who cries at the drop of a hat, and I have learned to differentiate the "Wah -- that hurt" cry from the "OMFG WAAAAAAHHHH, a limb is hanging by a thread" kinda cry. She let out one of the latter.
I may have mobility issues, but I can move quickly enough when I need to. She hit her right eye (the eyelid, thank goodness) and the bridge of her nose on a square edge of a bench. She ended up with a laceration on the eyelid and some pretty impressive swelling/bruising of the right eyelid. She may have had a hairline fracture of the bridge of her nose, but if she did, it was asymptomatic and non-displaced.
One other bad thing about this most recent evidence of the Curse was that she had her first day of school on the day after the injury. Poor thing was in a total tizzy about going to school with a black eye -- to the point where she "couldn't fall asleep". Once she got to school, she was fine, but boy it was a chore getting her to go. Note that a swollen eye and bruise on her nose didn't stop her from climbing the street pole, as usual.
A week after the injury, you can't even see it -- the healing power of children. TheHusband has now refused to visit my friends' lake house next summer, in hopes that the Curse of Lake Wallenpaupack may dissipate, if we stay away. He said that if we go to Alaska instead, it might not find us there. I'm game.
22 November 2009
Early morning emergency (including crying)
(Scene: 7:20 am, my bedroom, TheHusband and I asleep.)
ThePinkThing (standing at TH's side of the bed): Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!
TheHusband: Wuh. Huh?
TPT: Waaaaaaaaaaaaaah!
TH: Whassa matter? What's wrong?
TPT: You ate my Halloween candy!!
TH (brain clearly still gummy): I only ate 3 pieces.
TPT: That was MY candy. And you ate more than that. You ate like 50 pieces.
TH: No, I didn't eat 50 pieces of your Halloween candy. I ate a few pieces last night.
TPT: Waaah! That's my candy, not yours.
TH: Okay, I won't eat anymore of your Halloween candy.
(pause)
TPT: Will you turn on The Magic School Bus for me?
(pause while TH goes downstairs then returns)
TH: Do you know that she found and looked in the random bag that I hid the candy wrappers? How the heck did she find that? And it's not like she'd have eaten the Almond Joys anyway...
--For a change, there was a household emergency that did not involve me.--
ThePinkThing (standing at TH's side of the bed): Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!
TheHusband: Wuh. Huh?
TPT: Waaaaaaaaaaaaaah!
TH: Whassa matter? What's wrong?
TPT: You ate my Halloween candy!!
TH (brain clearly still gummy): I only ate 3 pieces.
TPT: That was MY candy. And you ate more than that. You ate like 50 pieces.
TH: No, I didn't eat 50 pieces of your Halloween candy. I ate a few pieces last night.
TPT: Waaah! That's my candy, not yours.
TH: Okay, I won't eat anymore of your Halloween candy.
(pause)
TPT: Will you turn on The Magic School Bus for me?
(pause while TH goes downstairs then returns)
TH: Do you know that she found and looked in the random bag that I hid the candy wrappers? How the heck did she find that? And it's not like she'd have eaten the Almond Joys anyway...
--For a change, there was a household emergency that did not involve me.--
31 July 2009
No, really, I'm not crazy
I picked ThePinkThing up from camp yesterday evening and freaked out one of her counselors. You see, I left a flesh-eating bacterium on TPT's carseat and she was happy about it.
Huh? Now you're thinking I'm out of my mind. I'm really not. You see, I love flesh eating bacteria (Strep pyogenes). I also love rabies (Rabies virus), mad cow (bovine spongiform encephalopathy), and Influenza A (orthomyxovirus). Now you're thinking she's gone off the deep end. I can hear you thinking it. Really I can.
Nope. I'm sane. Or mostly sane. I just love microbes in their giant friendly form. Giant Microbes to be exact. They are the stuffed animal version of various germs that you may encounter during your lifetime (e.g., the common cold), germs you hope never to encounter (e.g., Ebola), or other cells that you can't live without (e.g., red blood cells). They even have other critters such as algae, mosquitos, and bed bugs. I've sent out Ebola (to Janiece), swine flu (to my aunt who had it and recovered), and pneumococcus (to a friend who recently recovered from pneumonia).
Being a doctor with a vivid imagination, a love of anthropomorphizing inanimate objects, and a reasonably strong stomach, these are the stuffed animals for me. I currently own a neuron (duh, of course), rabies (in honor of Jenny McCarthy), the flu, mad cow (it eats brains, I couldn't resist), and flesh-eating bacteria (it is the funniest one, in my opinion). The flesh-eating bacterium is my favorite, and it is the source of much fun between TPT and me. It's name is (appropriately) Fleshie. Fleshie loves TPT and stares at her. (Fleshie is a girl, according to TPT, as is Mad Cow. Rabies and Flu are boys. Don't ask me.) Fleshie frequently asks TPT if she (Fleshie) can eat her (TPT). TPT always says no. If Fleshie becomes too obstreperous, she gets banished into time-out (the laundry hamper). Sometimes one or two of the other germs are also 
banished into the hamper. Then they get into a fight in the hamper, with me animating all of their voices. I always have a rapt audience, who doesn't hesitate to wade into the fray. It entertains us both. TheHusband is amused and not infrequently bemused.
TPT is kinda pissed that all of the "giant germs" are mine. I promised her that if she learned to swim by the end of the summer, we would buy her two germs for her own. The other day we went to the web site to see what they have, and so the TPT could pick some potential germs for herself. I went along their catalog alphabetically. TPT wanted to know the real name of each germ, what each one does to people, and if they can kill you. This was all fine and good until I got to Chlamydia.
It totally stopped me in my tracks. O.O How the hell does one explain an STD to a 6 year-old? I got out of that sticky situation by saying that it causes boo-boos on a vagina or a penis, but can't kill someone. Thank goodness she didn't ask how it gets there... As we scrolled through the rest, I skipped gonorrhea and syphilis. Once was enough. TPT wants Epstein Barr virus. Why? Because it is pretty. God help me.
Anyway, back to why "they" think I'm crazy. As I said at the top of the post, I left Fleshie on TPT's seat. She immediately picked Fleshie up and made her "bite" me. So I grabbed Mad Cow out of the bag and had Mad Cow "bite" Fleshie and TPT. The counselor looked on in bemusement. When TPT explained, she didn't look any less concerned. I am sure that she went back to the other counselors and told them that TPT's mother is crazy... She is probably right, but at least I am having fun. I doubt it will scar TPT.
Have a nice weekend. I'll be back on Wednesday!
Huh? Now you're thinking I'm out of my mind. I'm really not. You see, I love flesh eating bacteria (Strep pyogenes). I also love rabies (Rabies virus), mad cow (bovine spongiform encephalopathy), and Influenza A (orthomyxovirus). Now you're thinking she's gone off the deep end. I can hear you thinking it. Really I can.
Nope. I'm sane. Or mostly sane. I just love microbes in their giant friendly form. Giant Microbes to be exact. They are the stuffed animal version of various germs that you may encounter during your lifetime (e.g., the common cold), germs you hope never to encounter (e.g., Ebola), or other cells that you can't live without (e.g., red blood cells). They even have other critters such as algae, mosquitos, and bed bugs. I've sent out Ebola (to Janiece), swine flu (to my aunt who had it and recovered), and pneumococcus (to a friend who recently recovered from pneumonia).
Being a doctor with a vivid imagination, a love of anthropomorphizing inanimate objects, and a reasonably strong stomach, these are the stuffed animals for me. I currently own a neuron (duh, of course), rabies (in honor of Jenny McCarthy), the flu, mad cow (it eats brains, I couldn't resist), and flesh-eating bacteria (it is the funniest one, in my opinion). The flesh-eating bacterium is my favorite, and it is the source of much fun between TPT and me. It's name is (appropriately) Fleshie. Fleshie loves TPT and stares at her. (Fleshie is a girl, according to TPT, as is Mad Cow. Rabies and Flu are boys. Don't ask me.) Fleshie frequently asks TPT if she (Fleshie) can eat her (TPT). TPT always says no. If Fleshie becomes too obstreperous, she gets banished into time-out (the laundry hamper). Sometimes one or two of the other germs are also 
banished into the hamper. Then they get into a fight in the hamper, with me animating all of their voices. I always have a rapt audience, who doesn't hesitate to wade into the fray. It entertains us both. TheHusband is amused and not infrequently bemused.TPT is kinda pissed that all of the "giant germs" are mine. I promised her that if she learned to swim by the end of the summer, we would buy her two germs for her own. The other day we went to the web site to see what they have, and so the TPT could pick some potential germs for herself. I went along their catalog alphabetically. TPT wanted to know the real name of each germ, what each one does to people, and if they can kill you. This was all fine and good until I got to Chlamydia.
It totally stopped me in my tracks. O.O How the hell does one explain an STD to a 6 year-old? I got out of that sticky situation by saying that it causes boo-boos on a vagina or a penis, but can't kill someone. Thank goodness she didn't ask how it gets there... As we scrolled through the rest, I skipped gonorrhea and syphilis. Once was enough. TPT wants Epstein Barr virus. Why? Because it is pretty. God help me.
Anyway, back to why "they" think I'm crazy. As I said at the top of the post, I left Fleshie on TPT's seat. She immediately picked Fleshie up and made her "bite" me. So I grabbed Mad Cow out of the bag and had Mad Cow "bite" Fleshie and TPT. The counselor looked on in bemusement. When TPT explained, she didn't look any less concerned. I am sure that she went back to the other counselors and told them that TPT's mother is crazy... She is probably right, but at least I am having fun. I doubt it will scar TPT.Have a nice weekend. I'll be back on Wednesday!
03 June 2009
Was I Calvin?
My brother and I anthropomorphized many things when we were kids, especially stuffed animals. As he notes in his recent blog post, our stuffed animals had very rich "internal" lives, supplied by our imaginations. They had names (first, last and occasionally middle), family trees, personalities (sometimes too much), and even grade point averages. They lived in their own country and had their own language that we thought our parents couldn't understand (they could, we were wrong about that). Some were nice, some were mischievous, and some were plain old bad. We loved some of the animals literally to bits.
I was so excited to "play" stuffed animals with my daughter, expecting her to glom on to them in the same way Dan and I did. But she didn't. And she really doesn't care about them. She will interact with them -- usually with me providing the voice of one, two, or even three animals, while she is only herself. Occasionally she takes on the role of one of the animals, but she gets frustrated when she isn't being obnoxious in just the right way. I sometimes wonder if her disdain for stuffed animals is due to a lack of imagination, a lack of interest, or simply a lack of siblings.
But my predisposition to anthropomorphizing has made it very easy to get her to eat vegetables. You see, the vegetables on her plate complain. Loudly. They don't want to be eaten (understandably so). And they inform ThePinkThing of that. A green bean on her fork will shriek and carry on and suggest that she eat a different one. The broccoli or cucumber victims are always willing to throw a different one to wolves, per se. She gleefully eats them. Punishment, perhaps, for complaining. Whatever. She eats her vegetables. And I get to have fun while she does it...
So you see why I wonder if Sam Waterston lived in my head, or he modeled Calvin after me (without the hyperactivity). I think it is time to introduce ThePinkThing to Calvin and Hobbes, don't you?
(I found this somewhere online. It apparently wasn't done by Sam Waterston, though I think it's brilliant)
I was so excited to "play" stuffed animals with my daughter, expecting her to glom on to them in the same way Dan and I did. But she didn't. And she really doesn't care about them. She will interact with them -- usually with me providing the voice of one, two, or even three animals, while she is only herself. Occasionally she takes on the role of one of the animals, but she gets frustrated when she isn't being obnoxious in just the right way. I sometimes wonder if her disdain for stuffed animals is due to a lack of imagination, a lack of interest, or simply a lack of siblings.
But my predisposition to anthropomorphizing has made it very easy to get her to eat vegetables. You see, the vegetables on her plate complain. Loudly. They don't want to be eaten (understandably so). And they inform ThePinkThing of that. A green bean on her fork will shriek and carry on and suggest that she eat a different one. The broccoli or cucumber victims are always willing to throw a different one to wolves, per se. She gleefully eats them. Punishment, perhaps, for complaining. Whatever. She eats her vegetables. And I get to have fun while she does it...
So you see why I wonder if Sam Waterston lived in my head, or he modeled Calvin after me (without the hyperactivity). I think it is time to introduce ThePinkThing to Calvin and Hobbes, don't you?
(I found this somewhere online. It apparently wasn't done by Sam Waterston, though I think it's brilliant)
27 May 2009
Hip-hop for Jesus
A very disturbing thing happened today. Actually, it didn't happen today -- it happened a couple of weeks ago, but I found out about it today. And I am disturbed. ThePinkThing takes a dance class offered by a sort-of local dance school at her after-school program. This dance school also did the ballet class at TPT's preschool last year, and she loved that class. Although it was a hip-hop class, we signed her up without reservations (after the school director said they didn't use "real" hip-hop music). TPT mentioned this morning that today was the "Parent Watch Day", so I emailed to one of the other moms to confirm. Apparently it was Parent Watch Day, but we hadn't been given the fliers.
What is so disturbing about a girls' hip-hop class (other than the music), you ask? Is NeuronDoc making a mountain out of a molehill again? Um, no, I'm not.
The other mom said that the current teacher may not have passed out the fliers because she was fired last week. Fired?!? I hadn't heard that. Well, she was sort of fired -- she would be finishing out the current session (one more class after today), but she will be leaving after that. Why was she "sort-of" fired? She was fired for proselytizing to elementary school-aged girls.
Apparently, it all began when she asked the class what they had done for Easter. When one of the older girls answered, "Nothing. We don't celebrate Easter, because we are Jewish," the teacher (according to that girl) looked a bit shocked. Shortly thereafter, the dance teacher brought in The Story of Jesus for Children DVDs for three of the girls. All three of these girls are Jewish. These DVDs weren't given to any of the other girls, including mine, who probably said (truthfully) that she spent Easter trading Easter baskets with her cousins. One of the girls (M) lost her DVD (how come all six year-old girls do that?), and was then given some sort of pamphlet or tract or booklet instead. This teacher also made several comments to the class about God and religion and Jesus. M's grandmother called up the dance school and spoke with one of the employees. The owner called M's grandmother back after speaking with the dance teacher. The dance teacher agreed that she had done it and was not apologetic about it. She apparently literally couldn't understand why M's grandmother was upset. So she was told that she would be let go at the end of the session, and another teacher would accompany her to her classes. I must admit that I didn't enjoy Parent Watch Day today, mostly because I couldn't stand looking at that teacher.
When I told TheHusband about this situation, he said it explains a conversation that he had with TPT a couple of weeks ago. During that conversation, TPT said that people can be strong. Strong? asked TheHusband. Yes, strong like Jesus, responded TPT. With raised eyebrows, TH asked who Jesus was. TPT's response was "You know, Jesus. He's magical, like Santa Claus." Oh. And the conversation was turned to choosing where to go for dinner.
This woman was handing out religious Christian items to elementary school-aged Jewish girls and saw nothing wrong in what she did. I am still amazed about that. What drives someone to think that this sort of behavior is okay, acceptable, and unworthy of an apology? Being a non-religious sort and having been brought up in a Jewish household (Jews don't proselytize), I suspect that I will and can never understand. And, to be honest, I don't want to. I just want my daughter not to be bothered by people with these types of agendas, at least until she is old enough to defend herself.
And (obviously) this incident makes me even more concerned about who is influencing my child when I am not around. She is the kind of kid who wants to please people, especially adults, and this type of situation may be extra tough for her, for me, and definitely for TheHusband, who might consider poking that teacher in the eye with a sharp stick. I'll just have to keep my eyes peeled and my ears to the ground. (sigh)
What is so disturbing about a girls' hip-hop class (other than the music), you ask? Is NeuronDoc making a mountain out of a molehill again? Um, no, I'm not.
The other mom said that the current teacher may not have passed out the fliers because she was fired last week. Fired?!? I hadn't heard that. Well, she was sort of fired -- she would be finishing out the current session (one more class after today), but she will be leaving after that. Why was she "sort-of" fired? She was fired for proselytizing to elementary school-aged girls.
Apparently, it all began when she asked the class what they had done for Easter. When one of the older girls answered, "Nothing. We don't celebrate Easter, because we are Jewish," the teacher (according to that girl) looked a bit shocked. Shortly thereafter, the dance teacher brought in The Story of Jesus for Children DVDs for three of the girls. All three of these girls are Jewish. These DVDs weren't given to any of the other girls, including mine, who probably said (truthfully) that she spent Easter trading Easter baskets with her cousins. One of the girls (M) lost her DVD (how come all six year-old girls do that?), and was then given some sort of pamphlet or tract or booklet instead. This teacher also made several comments to the class about God and religion and Jesus. M's grandmother called up the dance school and spoke with one of the employees. The owner called M's grandmother back after speaking with the dance teacher. The dance teacher agreed that she had done it and was not apologetic about it. She apparently literally couldn't understand why M's grandmother was upset. So she was told that she would be let go at the end of the session, and another teacher would accompany her to her classes. I must admit that I didn't enjoy Parent Watch Day today, mostly because I couldn't stand looking at that teacher.
When I told TheHusband about this situation, he said it explains a conversation that he had with TPT a couple of weeks ago. During that conversation, TPT said that people can be strong. Strong? asked TheHusband. Yes, strong like Jesus, responded TPT. With raised eyebrows, TH asked who Jesus was. TPT's response was "You know, Jesus. He's magical, like Santa Claus." Oh. And the conversation was turned to choosing where to go for dinner.
This woman was handing out religious Christian items to elementary school-aged Jewish girls and saw nothing wrong in what she did. I am still amazed about that. What drives someone to think that this sort of behavior is okay, acceptable, and unworthy of an apology? Being a non-religious sort and having been brought up in a Jewish household (Jews don't proselytize), I suspect that I will and can never understand. And, to be honest, I don't want to. I just want my daughter not to be bothered by people with these types of agendas, at least until she is old enough to defend herself.
And (obviously) this incident makes me even more concerned about who is influencing my child when I am not around. She is the kind of kid who wants to please people, especially adults, and this type of situation may be extra tough for her, for me, and definitely for TheHusband, who might consider poking that teacher in the eye with a sharp stick. I'll just have to keep my eyes peeled and my ears to the ground. (sigh)
19 May 2009
Sleepover Success (updated)
I had meant to post this yesterday, but instead I posted about the Crazy Driver™.
ThePinkThing had her first sleepover at a friend’s house this past weekend. It was at her best friend N’s house. They have been friends since they were “little” -- before they were 4, and TPT is now 6 (actually 6¼, as I am told). TPT refers to N as her BFF (which I find cute).
I wasn’t worried at all about letting her sleep over at N's house. N’s parents are wonderful, caring people, and N is a nice little girl. TPT is well-behaved and not a troublesome kid. But she eats poorly when she is not in her usual element, such as on vacation or at parties. I warned N’s mom (C) that this might happen. The following is the email exchange between C and me yesterday:
____________________________
updated on 5/21 at 10:19 pm
Here are some pictures of the girls at the sleepover...
After the sleepover, TPT wants a sister even more!
ThePinkThing had her first sleepover at a friend’s house this past weekend. It was at her best friend N’s house. They have been friends since they were “little” -- before they were 4, and TPT is now 6 (actually 6¼, as I am told). TPT refers to N as her BFF (which I find cute).
I wasn’t worried at all about letting her sleep over at N's house. N’s parents are wonderful, caring people, and N is a nice little girl. TPT is well-behaved and not a troublesome kid. But she eats poorly when she is not in her usual element, such as on vacation or at parties. I warned N’s mom (C) that this might happen. The following is the email exchange between C and me yesterday:
ND: The sleepover was a success, as per [TPT]. Thanks so much for hosting (hostessing?) her. She is now looking forward to the next sleepover with N, especially since I said that the girls can both sleep in the big bed in the guest room. She was wiped out, though. When she got in the house, she started an art project in the dining room. When I came up about 30 minutes later, she was sacked out on the couch, drooling onto the pillow. She slept for about 2 hours and was hard to wake up even then.I have to admit that I find the image of TPT being “suspicious” of cranberry muffins to be hilarious. And TheHusband and I got to eat dinner at a "grown-up" restaurant and see Star Trek. A success all around!
C: I think it went really well, although apparently all the food we serve at our house is totally disgusting! :-) …They didn’t get to bed until after 9:00. They woke up Sun before 6am (!) and played until it was time to skate. Everybody was wiped out yesterday afternoon—including me!
ND: Did she actually say "disgusting"? If so, then we will be having a discussion on manners. Unfortunately her palate is fairly narrow (like her father's). She likes what she likes and not much else (although that is fairly typical of kids in general). She ate a snack (ice cream and chicken wings!) and a big dinner to make up for it.
C: No, don’t worry about it. My girls started it by saying EWWWWW as soon as I put the plates down. I need to talk to them about manners even to their old Mom! It was baked ziti—noodles, sauce, ground beef, and cheese. I guess my mistake was in mixing the ingredients because they like all of these things in other forms. [TPT] was also suspicious of the cranberry muffins (from a mix) the next morning and wouldn’t eat a bite. She survived on a bowl of cheerios. But you had warned me that this might happen, so I didn’t press.
____________________________
updated on 5/21 at 10:19 pm
Here are some pictures of the girls at the sleepover...
After the sleepover, TPT wants a sister even more!
31 March 2009
Parenting and Doctoring
Why it is bad to have a parent who is a doctor (Saturday noonish)...
ThePinkThing: I don't feel good.
NeuronDoc: What's wrong?
TPT: I'm tired.
ND: That's because you woke up at 6 am.
TPT: And my leg fell asleep.
ND: Is it still asleep?
TPT: No.
ND: Then it's okay.
TPT: I think I have a fever.
ND (after checking forehead temp): No, you don't have a fever.
TPT: My stomach hurts.
ND: I think you just don't like your lunch and don't want to eat it. That's fine. If you don't eat your eggs, I won't give you something else instead.
TPT (grumpy): Fine.
Why it is good to have a parent who is a doctor (this morning)...
TPT: Mommy, I can't sleep.
ND (pries eye open, notices that it is 5 am): What's wrong?
TPT: I can't breathe out of one nostril.
ND: Why don't you cuddle with me for a bit?
TPT: Okay.
(climbs into bed. lots of shifting around. and snorting. and elbows. now 5:20 am)
ND: How is it now?
TPT: Still stuffy. I can't sleep.
ND: Would you like to go downstairs and watch TV?
TPT (sits up): Yes! (leaves before ND can change mind)
Why it is bad to be a parent and a doctor (around noon today)...
**ring, ring**
Neurondoc: Hello?
Female Voice: Hello. This is School Nurse. ThePinkThing is here. There isn't an emergency, but she has a temperature of 100.6. She told her teacher that her head hurts.
ND (having visions of meningitis, encephalitis and other awful things): Okay, I'll come right over and pick her up.
SN: She'll be lying down in the Health Room.
**ring, ring**
TheHusband: Hello?
ND: PinkThing alert.
TH: What's up?
ND: The school nurse called to say she has a fever, so I will go down and pick her up.
TH: I can get her. My job for the afternoon was canceled.
ND (somewhat untrusting): Okay. But call me if there is anything really wrong.
TH (correctly reading ND's thoughts and rolling eyes): Fine, I will.
Why it is good to have a husband who is not a doctor...
1 hour later...
**ring, ring**
ND (looks at caller ID -->TH): Well?
TH: She's fine. She's sleeping.
ND (a bit freaked): Sleeping? Was she lethargic, somnolent, confused? Did she say anything about her head hurting? Or a stiff neck?
TH (definitely eye rolling): No. She was lying down in the nurse's office, popped right up, and came over to me. She said she was tired, so we came home.
ND: Are you sure she wasn't lethargic?
TH (slightly annoyed): Yes. She got up at 5 am, remember? Stop it.
ND: But she could have meningitis.
TH: (sigh)
ND: Well, she could. I'm going to come home now.
TH: Fine, but I don't think you have to.
ND: But I'm worried.
TH: (sigh)
ND: Fine, I won't come home. But I'll be pissed at you if something bad happens.
90 minutes later
**ring, ring**
ND (looks at caller ID and cuts off coworker who is talking): Is she okay?
TPT: Hi Mommy!
ND (in a much happier voice): Hi love, how are you feeling?
TPT: Better, Mommy. Daddy and I are watching the Three Stooges on youtube.
ND: You definitely are feeling better...
ThePinkThing: I don't feel good.
NeuronDoc: What's wrong?
TPT: I'm tired.
ND: That's because you woke up at 6 am.
TPT: And my leg fell asleep.
ND: Is it still asleep?
TPT: No.
ND: Then it's okay.
TPT: I think I have a fever.
ND (after checking forehead temp): No, you don't have a fever.
TPT: My stomach hurts.
ND: I think you just don't like your lunch and don't want to eat it. That's fine. If you don't eat your eggs, I won't give you something else instead.
TPT (grumpy): Fine.
Why it is good to have a parent who is a doctor (this morning)...
TPT: Mommy, I can't sleep.
ND (pries eye open, notices that it is 5 am): What's wrong?
TPT: I can't breathe out of one nostril.
ND: Why don't you cuddle with me for a bit?
TPT: Okay.
(climbs into bed. lots of shifting around. and snorting. and elbows. now 5:20 am)
ND: How is it now?
TPT: Still stuffy. I can't sleep.
ND: Would you like to go downstairs and watch TV?
TPT (sits up): Yes! (leaves before ND can change mind)
Why it is bad to be a parent and a doctor (around noon today)...
**ring, ring**
Neurondoc: Hello?
Female Voice: Hello. This is School Nurse. ThePinkThing is here. There isn't an emergency, but she has a temperature of 100.6. She told her teacher that her head hurts.
ND (having visions of meningitis, encephalitis and other awful things): Okay, I'll come right over and pick her up.
SN: She'll be lying down in the Health Room.
**ring, ring**
TheHusband: Hello?
ND: PinkThing alert.
TH: What's up?
ND: The school nurse called to say she has a fever, so I will go down and pick her up.
TH: I can get her. My job for the afternoon was canceled.
ND (somewhat untrusting): Okay. But call me if there is anything really wrong.
TH (correctly reading ND's thoughts and rolling eyes): Fine, I will.
Why it is good to have a husband who is not a doctor...
1 hour later...
**ring, ring**
ND (looks at caller ID -->TH): Well?
TH: She's fine. She's sleeping.
ND (a bit freaked): Sleeping? Was she lethargic, somnolent, confused? Did she say anything about her head hurting? Or a stiff neck?
TH (definitely eye rolling): No. She was lying down in the nurse's office, popped right up, and came over to me. She said she was tired, so we came home.
ND: Are you sure she wasn't lethargic?
TH (slightly annoyed): Yes. She got up at 5 am, remember? Stop it.
ND: But she could have meningitis.
TH: (sigh)
ND: Well, she could. I'm going to come home now.
TH: Fine, but I don't think you have to.
ND: But I'm worried.
TH: (sigh)
ND: Fine, I won't come home. But I'll be pissed at you if something bad happens.
90 minutes later
**ring, ring**
ND (looks at caller ID and cuts off coworker who is talking): Is she okay?
TPT: Hi Mommy!
ND (in a much happier voice): Hi love, how are you feeling?
TPT: Better, Mommy. Daddy and I are watching the Three Stooges on youtube.
ND: You definitely are feeling better...
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