If you don't have anything nice to say...

I'm surely not a Saint when it comes to using foul language. I do, however, make an effort to speak in a courteous fashion. I think that being aware of your company is important to carrying on an enjoyable conversation. Sadly, this is not a universally accepted standard.

Chivalry is dead and social etiquette is being tortured in a dark basement. Modern times have placed a huge amount of value in being edgy and IN-YOUR-FACE, making people go to extremes to get attention.

This truly makes me sad. When I hear a person using words or phrases that are blatantly offensive to their audience I place an imaginary red check next to their spot in my memory, among other things. This red mark is completely involuntary, like a reflex, but absolutely necessary. It helps me remember whose opinion or idea to hold more value to, or not. In other words, if you use careless language and don't correct your mistake, I won't like you quite as much as I did when the conversation started. I may not say anything about it at the time because I don't feel like it's my job to be the grammar police, slapping your hands with a ruler when you piss me off. It can also be scary to stand up to someone who uses those words in the first place; they obviously can't take the time to be respectful in a regular conversation, so there is little to no hope of resolution if you try confronting them when you feel they are in the wrong. I might smile and nod during the remainder of the conversation, but I stop listening to everything they say, crawling inside my own head to imagine myself inflicting paper cuts under their tongue.

The most disheartening experience is finding a repeat offender, especially with those who I am close to.  I don't know where to go with that, because those situations cut the deepest. Using words like "retard", "gay",  "homo", "nigger", etc,  to describe something unlikable is extremely offensive, even if the audience may not embody any of those words. A person using these words appears immature and narrow minded. Everyone has family members and close friends who are different, and may be gay or black or Jewish or disabled, so your ignorance and carelessness is painful because you're mocking the people they love for your own amusement. Joking around while using foul words is no joke whatsoever, just like saying "I don't mean to be offensive/rude" before you say something offensive or rude is supposed to cancel out being an asshole. Making fun of people when they can't hear or understand what you're saying is so lowly, amazingly unattractive. Making fun of people when they CAN hear you lands you a spot on my imaginary tongue cutting list.

I found an article that may seem picky, but it elaborates my general views on this matter.
What is Ableist language and why should you care?

I am positive I will still hear nasty words fall out of the mouths of others, but I just wanted to say that when you do speak carelessly it affects me, and our relationship, negatively. If you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all, especially if you are around me. I am not really listening to you anyways.


Thoughtful words and peaceful thoughts
XoX

Living the life.

Every day is an adventure!

Seriously...EVERY day is an adventure. We always do new things even if I am not posting on this blog or Facebook. We might just be having too much fun for me to have the time or energy to make the tiny effort of writing anything down. I keep a record in mah lil' noggin! I might also be sort of a romantic, and prefer to keep things private and special. I love to have memories that only my family will share.

I decided to make the sacrifice of excluding ridiculous amounts of therapy for a notable amount of summer time. Until this year, we have never been able to fully experience a summer without intense therapy. It's about damn time that PP and the Fam enjoy some summer time, she's almost three after all. Most normal kids have experienced a summer to remember, but that's not quite the case for PP. There hasn't been any long trips or vacations, mostly just therapy after therapy, but we have been enjoying long stretches of days without having to worry about therapy. It is really nice...and a step in the right direction. Our summer therapy is more frequent trips down to South Harriet Beach than to Children's Hospital, and various parks or whatever else we feel like doing. It's turning out to be my most favorite summer to date! We will hit the books hard in the Fall. Summer is for loving and living, and that's what we have been doing.

Lemme blow you some dern bubbles. You know, to celebrate summah-summah time!

Keeping track of all these adventures is a task and a half. Who knew that writing on a website felt like writing to every single person reading the stuff you write. It's such a personal endeavor, especially when you write about personal endeavors. Blah dee dah! I just wanted to make sure the people who check my blog regularly don't get bored! It's an unforeseen obligation to starting a blog; I feel like I need to update it as often as possible! Weird.

See her Pseudostrabismus?

Anywho...

I'm so excited for tomorrow. We will be meeting my sweet friend, Kate, at the Minneapolis Farmer's Market in the morning. If there's one thing I love, it's a Farmer's Market with good company. The MPLS one is by far one of my favorites, so I am ECSTATIC! Impromptu meetings with lovely friends at spiffy places are my most favorite meetings. Thanks a MILLION Kate! Until 10PM the only thing I had planned for our Sunday was a whole lot of walking around Lake Harriet. Thanks again, lovely friend.

If there's any hope of me waking up on time, I should hit the hay.

Bonne nuit mes amis!!!
Gooey s'mores and giggle fights
XoX

Mean Momma

PP is always interested in anything I am doing, especially eating. Even if she doesn't want to eat what I have, she will sit with her face inches away from mine, making me think she wants the nummies. I have been thinking of ways to get her to stop wanting my food. Until yesterday I had come up with nothing.

Yesterday the light bulb turned on...

Eat Bibim Mem. This delicious snack is like Korean style ramen noodles, but there are a few striking differences. Delicious differences. Bibim Mem noodles look like ramen, but they are covered in a red sauce instead of powder seasoning and you serve them cold. This red sauce is HOT. Like, really spicy hot. This is the only spicy food I enjoy eating. There are also little chunks of what I assume is some type of hot pepper mixed in the sauce as well, so if you bite one of those you get a lil extra sumtin-sumtin. I don't know how to read Korean, so I don't know exactly what it is I am eating. All that I know is that it's like a spiffy party in my mouth and everyone is really super hot and red and loving it. I LOVE BIBIM MEM.

I assumed there was no way that PP would find these appetizing, whatsoever. What baby likes hot and spicy food? Well, I guess it's true that when you assume, you make an ass out of u and me. Hah! She took a lil bite o' noodles and LOVED it. Whaaaat?! It was obvious she didn't get a big enough bite to make her mouth burst into flames. She wanted more so I gave her more, increasing the amount by a tiny bit each time. PP got fed up with my stinginess pretty quickly and screamed at me when I put a big chopstick-full in my mouth. This is when I had a Mean Momma moment. PP, you want to scream at me for my Bibim Mem? Fine. I got a big chopstick-full ready and popped it right into PP's mouth, which was wide open. She chewed for one second, things were OK, then started screaming and crying. As far as I know, it was the spiciest food she has ever eaten, so she didn't exactly know what to do. She clenched her jaw shut and I thought she was going to explode! I tried to get her mouth open to get the giant gob of burning noodles out of her mouth but she was also hitting and kicking me in the process, so I just yanked on some noodles that were hanging out of her mouth. I didn't get them all out, but I got most of them out. She swallowed a considerable amount of those cold and spicy noodles! The burn traveled from her mouth to her throat and she was not happy! I tried to get her to drink water, but I think I shattered any shred of trust when I shoved the chopstick-full in her little birdy mouth. PP cried for a solid 10 minutes, then whimpered for 15 minutes afterwards. Poor baby, I played my tiny violin for her.

Do I think she will still try to eat all my food? Yes, she has been doing it all day, seeming to forget the mean Momma incident. The real test is if she asks for my Bibim Mem again.

Mean Momma comes out when baby bird wants my favorite nummies!

Well, it's nap time!
Cozy blankets and snuggly pillows
XoX

Being BIG!

PP is a big girl in so many ways.

One very obvious way is her sheer mass. PP is a big, sturdy, clumsy girl. I love it, I'm always on my toes! She has a 4 year old body with the coordination of a 1 1/2 year old, but she's almost 3 so I think it evens out. Did I say she's almost 3? Well, her birthday isn't until November, but it's only 4 months away. Bonkers! Her age doesn't mean much to me anyways. I buy toys in the 1 1/2-2 year old age range, and I just bought PP her first shirt from the little girls section. She's a size 4-5 in girls clothes and getting close to size 7 shoes! She's my big baby.

She is delayed developmentally speaking, but her personality is quite fitting for an almost 3 year old. She doesn't like to share, she throws tantrums (more than I can handle) and she doesn't eat the crust of a sandwich. She is a shy-flirt and LOVES to be outside. PP sneaks snacks from her diaper bag and tries to hide when Momma finds her with Papa's toothbrush.

For someone who can't talk, she has lots of opinions! This is becoming an issue; I don't understand her completely so I just keep trying and trying to figure out what she wants. The process can take a while  and the duration can quickly reduce PP to a screaming heap on the floor, forgetting whatever it was that she wanted in the first place. I'm always getting beat up in the process because when PP is mad, she is MAD! Her shoes turn into flailing, pink and white hammers that inflict fat lips and clicking jaws upon those who dare to try and stop the madness. I'm told this problem will come to a resolution the further we get into therapy because she will begin to understand things a little better. I'm waiting for those days like a kid for Christmas; if they taught me anything it's to have patience and good things will come...I hope!

PP loves everything that Momma is doing! She always wants my jewelry and clothes and food and spot on the couch and undivided attention. I suppose it's just bound to happen that way if we spend more time with each other than anyone else. I act like her sometimes, too. When she gets mad for no reason and starts to just cry and throw herself around, I pretend (or not) to cry and throw myself around. It usually confuses, amuses, and exaggerates the problem, so I don't get to pretend to be PP very often! Sometimes you gotta let it all out. Most of the time we are just ourselves and we end up having a good time regardless of each others bad-itudes. Love is all you need.

Growing up is a hard thing to do, so I try to keep that in mind when dealing with a difficult PP. I'm so happy to be able to watch her grow up! When I was pregnant and when she was very little I was actually scared for her life and it was a terrible feeling. I would imagine her big, like a toddler, like she is now, to help me get through the tough times. So I can't complain too much. I got what I wanted!

I really just wanted to let everyone know that I bought PP her first little girl clothing item, it's obviously a big deal! No more shopping in the baby section for PP, little girl clothes fit her persona so much better anyways...sassy little things.

Stay cool
XoX