I Am SUCH A Mom

Last evening, Jeremy and I let Preston stay up past his scheduled bedtime, so that we could all snuggle on the couch and watch It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown. Since P'Dub is only 21 months old, we weren't even sure he'd sit through a half-hour show. But, he did!

Preston shouted, "PUNKIN!" and "DOGGIE!" whenever they appeared on-screen. He also enjoyed Schroeder tickling the ivories. And when the commercial breaks hit, he would yell "Mote!" (which is short for reMOTE); thinking that the channel got switched.

I, for one, would have loved to switch the channel. Don't get me wrong, I know this is a classic. But I probably haven't seen it in 20 years, and I don't recall EVER watching it as closely as I did last night.

Those kids are mean and rude. If they aren't calling another kid STUPID or BLOCK HEAD, they are yelling in one another's faces or writing on some poor dude's bald head. That Lucy chick is a real asshole. And Sally isn't far behind her.

And what about that weird Red Baron footage? What every little kid wants to see is their favorite little Snoopy shooting up the enemy and being shot at – bullet holes in the dog box included – until he gets shot down himself. It seems a bit violent, don't ya think?

Plus, there is the sad story of Charlie Brown himself. This kid gets bullied the entire show. He gets an invitation to a party, but is told he was accidentally invited as his name was on the 'NOT INVITED' list. He wants to be a ghost for Tricks-or-Treats, but his costume is full of holes as he had trouble with the scissors. Poor guy can't get a break. And on top of everything, all the kids get candy, gum, and popcorn balls when they go up to houses, and Charlie gets rocks every time. Why? Why all the Chuck haters?

And last, but not least, the horrific ending to the show: THERE IS NO GREAT PUMPKIN. Are you kidding me? Could you imagine how upset your little one would be if they believed in something that much, and every year the pumpkin was a no-show. Linus waits every year in the patch, and every year he is let down. BUT, he never gives up. Go Linus!

The one and only nice thing in the story, is when that witch Lucy actually gets her brother out of the patch at 4:00am. He's shivering and tired, and she puts him to bed.

At any rate, I think I'll wait to watch this again with Preston when he's twelve.

Pop Quiz

Came across this 'warning' posted to playground equipment at a local park.

According to this statement, one could only conclude, that:

A) Canadian kids are more advanced than American kids.

B) American kids develop slower than Canadian kids.

C) Canadian parents aren't concerned about their children's safety, and let them do whatever they want despite their age.

D) Canada just wants to be first, so they grab at every chance they get.

E) I am a bad mother for letting Preston play on equipment he's
clearly too young for.

F) All of the above.

Hmmmmm....any other thoughts?

P'Dub is a 'Butt Man'

Bella's birthday marked a couple milestones for Preston. Not only was it the first time he'd been invited to a birthday party, but it was the first time his girlfriend (Bella) had a birthday!

Being a normal 20-month-old, Preston was unsure about what gift would be appropriate, what he should wear, and if he'd be the youngest chap at the party. After all, Bella is nearly four months his elder.

I tried to ease his fears. We picked out birthday gifts off the registry, so not to disappoint. Had his hair cut the day before the big event. And tried on a couple outfits, just to be sure he'd look as dapper as possible.

As we headed out the door, Preston was pumped and oozing cuteness – small bouquet of freshly picked flowers in-hand. The boy was ready to party! (But not too hard, I warned him of hangovers.)

Little did I know how much confidence the tot was sporting. Nearing the end of the party, I asked Bella to stand by Preston so I could get a picture of them together. Up until that point, Bella was busy entertaining guests, and Preston was solely interested in a toddler-sized car that was at his disposal.

Bella bashfully walked to Preston's side. It was instantly obvious how excited he was to see her – First he grinned, then ever-so-smoothly reached over and started rubbing her BUTT CHEEK. Nope, that's not a typo. P'Dub went out on limb, and boldly went where no 20-month-old has gone. He copped a feel. Watch the story unfold in the pictures below!

Image #1:
P'Dub going in for the kill, intently gazing into Bella's eyes.
Her eyes warning, "Boy, whatcha doin? My papa will hurt you!"
























Image #2:
Bella's seeking reassurance, "Hey Mom, this is cool, right?"
Note that Preston's hand is blurry from the up/down/rubbing motion; and that his left hand is still on the wheel. (This kid will be a pro by 16!)

Image #3:
P'Dub pulled it off, and he's quite pleased with himself.
Bella's trying to play it cool, in case her papa is watching.

Does the Pacifier Cost Extra?

This is strikingly absurd and ticked me off the second I saw it. Seriously. Get another model.

I Want That!

Had I seen this costume last year, P wouldn't have been a turtle! Since it's bunting-style, he couldn't wear it now...UNLESS I cut out leg holes! ;)