Miss Dub chronicles

Yes, I let her out in public in her pajamas.

I fear that my portrayal of Miss Dub has led some of you to believe she is a genius. And while she probably will graduate from high school at 10, she's also a typical toddler. Also, even though she talks like a teenager, only a few people can understand what she is saying. I happen to be one of those people.

So without further adieu, I'll share a few things Miss Dub has been doing and saying as of late:

1) The other day I was getting ready and trying to ignore my puffy midsection. Just then, Miss Dub shouted to me, "Mommy's skirt is pretty." This not only made me feel good, but gave me an incredible urge to eat her, which you will be glad to know I resisted. Then she added, "Mommy, you're pretty!" So I ate her.

2) Every time we drive in the car, she shouts out the windows, "Piiiiink! Piiiiink! Piiiiink house!" After some investigation, I discovered that she is on a quest to find and purchase a pink house. If anyone finds one, please let me know it's geographical coordinates so we can drive by and promptly never return. Maybe then she'll stop screaming while I drive.

3) When we were in Nauvoo, she wanted to get on stage before a musical performance. I indulged her since only the brass band was playing. Immediately, she began to shake her thing for the crowd, which they loved. Just then, the band stopped playing and the audience clapped. Miss Dub thought they were clapping for her. Confused when they stopped, she raised her hands and clapped again. The whole audience began clapping with her. She stopped, they stopped. And so on it went for a few minutes. She was beaming the whole time. When I finally got her down, she kept saying, "I want to go on stage." And when she awoke the next morning, the first thing she said to me was, "Clapping with me!" Looks like I'm going to be a show mom. Now, I just need to take a class on how to pressure my child and/or steal her earnings.

4) Miss Dub's favorite joke is to call grapes, apples. In fact, she doesn't even have to be eating grapes to crack herself up. She'll just look at me and say, "Aaaapples!" And I have to say, "No, grapes!" And then she laughs for 30 minutes, which is nice because it's hard to get anything done with a toddler around.

5) We recently purchased Juno. In one scene, Juno's friends suggests she might be pregnant with a "food baby." I guess Mr. Dub and I have been quoting that on occasion because Miss Dub recently turned to me and proclaimed, "Food baby!" I had to explain to her what that meant, at which point she motioned to my stomach. And no, she didn't say I was pretty this time.



p.s. Happy Birthday to me mumsie! She's an amazing lady and a great rhymer.

HTT - Extracurricular edition

First, thanks for all your fun feedback from yesterday. Shoot, I think Mel will keep HTT thriving for years to come with all her ideas. And I think you all convinced me that I don't necessarily need to blog less, I just need to stop expecting my blogs to be hilarious anecdotes or inspiring revelations. Sometimes they might just be a pic; Sometimes, there might be nothing, and that's OK. I'll stop short of the "You like me, you really like me!" impersonation because I've disliked Sally Field since my mother once compared me to her as a teenager, as if we were in the same peer group. ("Don't worry, honey! Lots of young people have arthritis. Sally Field, for example!")

Second, I'm really not that skinny, people. I think my face is just getting old, which means my chipmunk cheeks are now sinking into my face. Let's face it, we all can't look as young as Sally Field!

Third, you know it's a good HTT when someone suggests the topic to Mr. Dub and I, and we promptly get into an argument about it. Then again, we're pretty good at debating in our household. I don't suppose it would surprise you if I told you I'm a bit stubborn in my opinions?

So here's the topic: How far should you push your kids? Specifically, in extracurricular things. We all know that Tiger Woods is an amazing golfer, due in part to a father who bred him to be an amazing golfer. The guy had no choice. He probably doesn't even know if he ever wanted to be something else. Golf was his destiny ... or so his father decided.

Other kids are thrown into a million extracurricular events in hopes that they will be balanced and talented and, presumably, more marketable as college applicants. Sometimes the children are happy to be so involved, other times not so much. And most probably wouldn't notice if they had a few less lessons and a bit more playtime.

But it's a tough situation. You don't want to let your kids give up on an extracurricular pursuit just because it's challenging or because they're not the best at it. Some of the best athletes and musicians failed in the beginning or needed a little prodding.

But I say you shouldn't force a child to continue with something if he/she has made a valiant effort at it and still isn't having fun - even if they're really good at it. I also don't think you should get your kids involved in more than 2-3 extra things for fear of crowding out basic childhood experiences, like building forts. And, finally, I definitely think you have to examine your motives and make sure you aren't trying to live vicariously through your child. I mean, as Mr. Toys R. Us once said, "Let a kid be a kid!"

Mr. Dub, however, disagrees with me a bit. He thinks that you shouldn't let a child quit when they're displaying natural talent at something. And that you shouldn't let them stop just because they aren't having fun. He also says that our boys can never pursue dancing or acting, but I'm assuming he's joking. Right?

What do you all think?

How much is too much when it comes to extracurricular activities? How can you determine if your child is giving up or making the right decision to quit? And, finally, do you think amazing athletes and musicians are made from pushy parents? Or do you think you can be a star these days with an average amount of encouragement?

C'mon, my marriage is riding on this! Joking ... mostly joking.



p.s. Looking for a good read? Go here, where I'm of no help whatsoever.