Thursday, June 21, 2012

offense, not defense

Oh, Facebook.  Today opened with one of those unbelievably adorable moments that you just have to share on B because 1. It's so flipping adorable and 2. given the ease of commenting, said post would get dozens of likes and "AWWWWW"s which are not a bad way to start a day.  This is one of the bright sides of social networking.


More in-depth awesome moments are to be blogged, though the payback is less.  I blog the good stuff because I cherish YOU, special reader.


Anywho, I had to post this bit this morning because of the shockingly high cute content:
"I left Phineas and Ferb on while I took a shower this morning and it switched to Little Einsteins. I know this because as I got out of the shower, I heard WG playing her violin along to the episode on the TV - the Moldau. In the right key. With low 2s and everything. Hot dang, she is definitely the husband's daughter!! Then she got out her old 10th size and gave the Dude a mini lesson. !!!"
I am not and will not gloat because I know this is all her freakish brains, and I also know a good portion of those brains did not come from my DNA - AND I also know she was lucky enough to be born to a Suzuki teacher so she could learn how to use that freakish memory of hers as it connects to the musics.  But I CAN stand back and say "WHOA, lookit the awesome on that kid!"  Which is exactly what I did.


But the dark side of social networking is the ease of lobbing opinions around.  You want an example?  Just check out anything the husband posts - he has a few people who argue everything until the cows come home.  It's surprisingly predictable.  So to the awesomeness I posted about WG's ears, and the myriad of fabulous responses from friends, I got a lone comment about how terrible Phineas and Ferb is.


Several things went through my brain.  Such as whoa - point missed. I actually was wary about it until I watched it, and found it is smart and high-larious.  "Do you collect coins just in case / vending machines become the dominant race?"  - this is WG's and my favorite line from the Phineas and Ferb Across the 2nd Dimension movie which we could watch, like every day.  Plus it has Slash in it, for goodness sake!  WG is currently sporting a Perry the Platypus nightgown.  And I'm picky too - I hate the Fresh Beat Band and Barbie and Tinkerbell and... well, the list goes on.  And then there is the one thought - yes, I let my child rot their brains on TV, and yet my 5 year old just played the theme to Smetanas's Moldau by ear - so watching Phineas and Ferb hasn't totally ruined her yet.


This sounds defensive, but I promise my brain scrolled through these within a few seconds, then came up with the conclusion that clarification was pointless and to ignore it, like I do with most things.  I'm really not as annoyed as this sounds, but I felt it important to note to other parents out there who may have issues with my choices that yes, we watch TV in this house, make poor decisions, but every once in a while do something halfway right.  So here, as a gift to you, are other idiotic things I do as a parent:


Change the kid's diapers in the middle of the living room without a changing mat (the only time this was ever a problem was when I was changing the Dude at Heidi's place and assured her he was totally fine.  Then he peed on her wall)
Have extra lollipops in my bag as a nuclear option if shopping trips go south
Watch hours of mindless television
Allow the Dude's face to get super filthy sometimes just because it's easier to deep wipe it once than catch a squirming Dude 27 times in one hour
I have not even attempted broccoli with the Dude
Both my kids can correctly identify Homer Simpson in a line-up
Ramen is a perfectly acceptable lunch over here


This is just a short list.  But for right now, I think they're surviving.  They're actually on the couch, eating their body weight in pretzels and reading a cartoon novel about the Muppets.  I'm totally okay with that.

8 comments:

M said...

You and me both, sweetie. My kids watch TV (and it's not always PBS; Alexander loves "Johnny Test"). I don't do lollies, but I do carry gummies! And like you, I don't always bother to wipe faces (though I'm a stickler for clean hands).

My kids love veggies, though. They didn't get that from me. No way. But I made them chicken nuggets the other day and they all said, "But we need broccoli!!!"

All this and Alex's Kindergarten teacher calls to say she can't answer his questions because he keeps asking about quantum string theory and isotopes and photons. So I may be doing a lot wrong, but I must be doing at least a few things right, too.

The Atomic Mom said...

I think it's cool that WG was teaching Dude how to play violin...I don't even know what a 10th size is, except reallly small.

As for kids TV....yep, hate all those things too, but we watch copius ammounts of Barf Beat Band anyway....good thing I have a laptop and my kindle near by.

Jane said...

Hey. If your kids have the attention span to sit through a 1/2 hour TV show, they're doing better than a lot of adults I know. So, go you!

jennaroo said...

Read the thing on FB this morning. Completely missed the point. Your kid is so stinking intelligent! I would have love to be able to play by ear. Also, Phineas and Ferb is an AWESOME show. And I don't feel that way just because it's one of the few kid's shows that doesn't make me want to take a flying leap off a short pier. Those kids are creative and have insane imaginations. I don't want my kids to grow up and fit into a neat little box. Should they be polite to others? Say please and thank you? Of course but I grew up in a house where I had burping competitions with my dad at the dinner table and I'm only slightly screwed up. So what's the harm in a little tv? I've left the house for church and have only realized as I'm pulling kids out of their seats that Logan's face is filthy and I forgot to brush Seren's hair. Thank goodness Teagan can somewhat take care of herself. Point is your kids are awesome and you're doing an awesome job with them!

heidi said...

in the voice of seth meyers, "REALLY?" phineas and ferb? the show i've watched alone because it's that entertaining?
kudos on the violining.
at least it's not higgly town heros. THE WORST. especially the theme song.

Heidi said...

Like I told you this morning, the woman who wrote that comment is just looking to pick a fight. She does it all the time. Plus, let's be honest, she's just jealous. Because you are THAT awesome. You inspire jealousy in others. It's a curse you just have to live with.

Anonymous said...

OK...I give up...what is a ferb? who is Phineas? and how does barf beat in a band?
Is this some kinda Navajo code talk?
Guess this is what I get for boycotting cable TV.

Mara said...

Maybe I should let Teancum watch more cartoons, I have never even heard about Phineas and Ferb. And to tell the truth I know nothing about most cartoons. 95% of the time all he watches is animal planet, national geographic, military channel and history channel.

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