outside the (toy) box

I need to close shop. I’ve always said that I think you can balance work and family, but personal interests - forget it.  I thought I had time for this, for a hobby, but I don’t.  More honestly, I keep making the time and shouldn’t. 

Thanks for welcoming a new blogger, I’ve really enjoyed meeting you. 

I’m so sad to go, I just have no words.

Meanwhile, if you find her, please let me know.  I need some advice.

Dear Santa-

I’m sorry I haven’t written in a while, but I went through this whole disillusionment thing when I found out that you didn’t exist.  Life had no meaning.  My parents had been lying to me and when I uncovered the sham and started to grieve for you, then bam bam bam down came the Tooth Fairy and the Easter Bunny too.  It was Read the complete Post.

We’re all snowed in here in Northeast City. I love it (I will only feel this way today - the rest of the winter will be piss and moan city, so enjoy my positivity while it lasts)!  Thing 1’s preschool is coming to campus today to go sledding. I’m so excited, I wore my fleece. I’m going to surprise her and join in!  Workday sledding! SQUEEEE!

This will take away from my blogging work that I do so diligently at my desk all day, but I wanted to point to a few things that are pretty interesting…

First, CCFC and Lisa at Corp Babysitter are all over Webkinz for adding ads to their website, on the sly.  Bastards!  We’ve discussed the need for ad free virtual worlds here before, so this is an important update.  CCFC lets you email Ganz and tell them that they are scumbags. I highly suggest you do so - it takes 2 secs.  Izzy, you’re the VW queen - comments, new ad free ideas to add?

Second, I’m intrigued by the person who seems to accuse Lisa of being a communist when she recommends an alternative to the Scholastic Book Fair (New readers? Scholastic = bad.  Venting on this Here and Here.).  Check out this little exchange in the comments from Corp. Babysitter.  Read the complete Post.

So, as I indicated a couple posts ago, dh and I decided we needed to deploy some princess in order to keep them from gaining even more power.  I keep picturing Thing 1 morphed freakishly into Smeagol/Gollum from Lord of the Rings, lopsidedly lumbering, knuckles dragging, after someone wearing a Little Mermaid backpack, seething woundedly after it,”my precious…”

Since I saw it as a strategic decision, part of my larger project of keeping childhood freer, I was okay with it.  But the other day I stood in Sears, looking at the “stuff” and I was just dumbfounded.  Read the complete Post.

God, how self-absorbed can I be? (very.) 

My concerns with the commercialization of childhood have to do with the damage done to kids by socializing them to be not only consumers, but consumerist, to define themselves and others by what the clothes they wear, the cache of their cell phone, the bag they carry, the gaming system they have, the sneakers they own, and/or their MP3 player, Read the complete Post.

Tree of Knowledge dropped a little goodie from heaven, two lists of alternative princess books that I thought many of you with daughters (or little gift recipents, anyway, in Eszter’s case) might also be happy to know about. 

First, an anti-princess reading list (you have to look for it on the sidebar, it doesn’t pop up) that includes many ideas that some of you have mentioned along the way as well as several new finds. Super.

Second, a best princess list. Eureka!  Tree, where have you been all my life?

 Okay, so I know Christmas is supposed to be about love, family, and the birth of Christ and what not, but it’s also about PRESENTS! 

I know this sounds odd from someone who has issues with consumerism, but over the last couple weeks I have been thinking alot about my daughter and how much I want her to have that moment when she walks downstairs Christmas morning and sees IT.  The gift she has always wanted from Santa. 

Don’t you remember that?  Oh, the rollerskates!  Oh, the Barbie dream house! I wanted that Barbie dream house so badly and there. it. was. In my living room.  Thank you Santa.

Don’t get me wrong, I want holidays that are a much more than gifts, and I want the gifts to be in moderation, and I do want them to be gifts I feel good about. 

Here is where I found the challenge.  Read the complete Post.