oh how delightful!
I love shoes that are sexy and functional. I can wear these a full day out with the kid without having to change shoes in the car. This is a happy mommy shoe!
When parenting goes wrong: tattoing kids edition! January 19, 2012
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While I was surfing my gossip sites over eggs and pancakes I came across this article on Bossip. All I can do is shake my head. Why on earth would you allow a 10 year old to get a tattoo? I have nothing against tattoos I have 5 and will probably get another one before it’s all said and done. I am also an adult. I got my first tattoo at 17 yrs and 364 days, I had to beg them to let me because I was still technically 17. That tattoo has since been transformed into something else because it was a total “first tattoo”. You are supposed to be 18 for a reason, the hope is that you are mature enough to put some thought into what you are doing.
At ten years old you don’t even know what you want to do with your life. A ten year old doesn’t know that the decision he makes now can affect him later in life. That is why 10 year olds still have parents. Which in this case probably worked against him seeing as tho his mother was the one who took him to get the tattoo. I just don’t get it. Why on earth? Why not a tee-shirt? The man who tattooed his three year old is some kind of crazy.
Below is the excerpt.
A Cobb County mother was charged with misdemeanor child cruelty after she allegedly let her 10-year-old son get a tattoo in memory of his deceased brother, Channel 2 Action News reported. huntera Napier, of Acworth, told Channel 2 that her 12-year-old son, Malik, was struck and killed by a motorist in Macon about two years ago, and her other son, Gaquan, wanted a tattoo like hers to remember his older brother by.
“My son came to me and said, ‘Mama, I want to get a tattoo with Malik on it, rest in peace,’” Napier said. “It made me feel good to know to know that he wanted his brother on him.”
She said she did not know it is illegal in Georgia to tattoo anyone under the age of 18.
“What do I say to a child who wants to remember his brother? It’s not like he’s asking me if can I get him a Sponge Bob,” she said. “He’s asking me for something that’s in remembrance of his brother. Well, how do I tell a child no?”
Napier took her son to a tattoo artist in Smyrna. When the child went to school, someone noticed the tattoo and called authorities.
The mother was arrested Tuesday and spent that day and Wednesday morning in jail. In addition to the child cruelty count, she was charged with being a party to a crime. She has since been released to await a March court hearing.
“I always thought if a parent gives consent, then it’s fine,” Napier said. “How can somebody else say it’s not OK? He’s my child, and I have a right to say what I want for my child.”
Acworth police Chief Mike Wilkie disagreed. He told Channel 2 that police had no choice but to arrest Napier after investigating and consulting with the Cobb County District Attorney’s Office and Solicitor’s Office.
“We hope they can find something that can sustain them through that loss, but this is not the way, and it is illegal, and it was something we were bound by the law to investigate and to prosecute,” Wilkie said.
Police now want to speak with the person who allegedly applied the tattoo to Gaquan.
Other parents have been arrested before in Georgia for allegedly giving their children tattoos.
Last April, a man in Floyd County, in northwest Georgia, was found guilty of giving a tattoo to a person under 18 after he tattooed “DB,” for “Daddy’s Boy,” on the shoulder of his 3-year-old son. He was sentenced to 12 months’ probation and fined $300.
About two years ago, a couple in Summerville, also in northwest Georgia, were arrested and charged with cruelty to children, reckless conduct and illegal tattooing after they allegedly gave all six of their youngsters, ages 10 to 17, small cross tattoos.
the kid has duped me! January 18, 2012
I cannot blog today because the kid has tricked me in to letting him stay home from school. He sounded like a coughing seal last night when he came into my room so I kept him home. Miraculously by about 11am the cough was gone and he was perfectly fine. I have been doing my best to work while keeping an eye on my wild banshee. I have been extremely unsuccessful at keeping an eye on him. He hasn’t had a nap, there is stuff everywhere, and currently he’s using my tomato plant stake as a baton leading his imaginary band.
Today would of course be a day where my workload is on overload! We will be having pizza tonight and I will be in bed by 9. My brain hurts.
Robot or Astronaut? January 17, 2012
Valentine’s Day is soon approaching and I need to figure out what I’m going to do for the kid and his class. I rocked out pretty hard last year so I have to keep it going. Here is the post for last years Valentine’s day fantasticness. His current school actually allows homemade treats so I can go balls to the wall this year!! My imagination has no limit. What I do have is a limit on time, so I decided to start the creative process early.
Pear Tree Greetings Kid's Astronaut Valentine's Day Card
I’ve already come to my first hump. The cards, what do I get? I’ve narrowed it down to Robot vs Astronaut. The kid loves robots and he thinks astronauts are cooler than cool. Which one do I get? I thought about asking him but I’ve realize asking the kid question is like asking him to sing the song that never ends. He will rationalize, decide, re-think, question, and then still not give me an answer. Its best I decided myself and just show them to him when they are done. They are both so cute! I’m leaning towards astronaut because it actually says “Valentine’s Day” on it. Hoooooooooooooooooooooowever, the Robot is pretty sweet.
Pear Tree Greetings Kid's Robot Valentine's Day Card
Decisions, Decisions, Decisions.
If you have not got your Valentine’s Day cards you should check out www.peartreegreetings.com. I buy all of our holiday cards from there. They have a great selection and most of their cards are made from 100% recycled material. They have a 15% off Valentines day card coupon until Jan 31st. Enter “PHOTOLOVE”.
Panko crusted Tilapia life savers! January 12, 2012
Trader Joe's Dinner Life Savers!
I have generally been against any prepackaged meals for myself and my family. I stayed at home with the kid until he was about 18 months old . While I was at home I had plenty of time to make elaborate 2 hour meals from scratch. Now that I’ve started working again, not so much. I do still try to make all meals from scratch but sometimes I fall short. On those days when I fall short we eat out. Chipotle, Whole Foods Pizza, and the super delicious Soul Food restaurant down the street see us more often than not. Not something I feel comfortable with.
While the kid and I were doing our grocery shopping in trader joe’s this weekend they had a tasting for these tilapia filets. The kid always wants to taste whatever is at the tasting station. Most times I feel bad enough to buy whatever they are selling because he takes two servings instead of one. The people who man the station look at me crazy and give me the “come get your kid” look. This weekend he did it again and he said “ohhhhhhh mommy oishii” to me that means buy the fish. I obliged and we had it for dinner last night. I prepared it with some homemade tartar sauce, lemon rice and minted peas. Divine! I did not feel bad AT all for using premade fish filets! I read the ingredients and I understood every single ingredient on the box except for guar gum and that was at the bottom. No food coloring, no random 14 letter words, just some frozen fish, seasonings, and panko bread crumbs. My kinda frozen food!
I am encouraging everyone to go to trader joe’s and pick up the Panko breaded tilapia filets for those days you just don’t have time to cook. You will not be disappointed, unless of course you just don’t like fish:-)
A $1500 Etch-a-sketch? January 4, 2012
really?
I’m all for impulse buys and getting my kid whatever he wants as long as he behaves. At 3 we are on a 50% behavior rate so I’m doing well with the random non-essential purchases. The kid has a fleet of trucks, enough helicopters and airplanes to rival a navy base, and more cars than carmax. Still, I get him pretty much whatever he wants. I have always thought this was normal behavior for a new mom so I never really worried much about it. I figured as long as I’m not buying him stuff that is outside of our financial means I’m ok.
I always told myself that no matter how financially stable I was I would never buy overpriced stuff just because I had the money. Like why pay $80 for a tank top when you can get a pack of 5 wife beaters for $11.99. I never understood that. Well this one takes the cake! I opened my FAO Swartz catalogue and I see the $1500.00 etch-a-sketch. First of all I have no idea how that got my address because the only FAO stuff my kid has, was purchased from the clearance section in toys r us! Secondly, seriously? Like for real? What kid needs a blinged out etch-a-sketch? They are kids for crying out loud. That etch-a-sketch won’t make it as a hand me down without a few blings going bye! Who is buying this?????? I feel like these things are just created to make us feel bad about our finances. It’s like the victoria secret million dollar bra. Who is buying that? I will say I did actually call Vikki’s and the rep said they had a few orders for the 20,000 bra or some unimaginable price that I don’t remember. She too was part of the matrix I’m sure.
FAO Swartz you have not succeeded! I feel fine and I’m way cool with my $20.00 trucks! You may carry on.
The things children put in their mouths… January 3, 2012
This came out of the kid's mouth!
Yesterday the kid walks up to me with a mouth full and says “mom I don’t want this” so I hold out my hand and he casually spits out a wad and walks away. As I look at the wad which is clearly unrecognizable I go through my order of mom logic.
1. Does my kid looked harmed from eating what he ate? No, he did not
2. Look around to see if substance came from something in immediate area. No, it did not
3. Smell the substance to see if you can figure out what it is. Smelled like spit
4. Take apart the substance or mash it, to see if you can identify what it is made of. I did that and thank GOD above I was able to make out shreds of tea bag.
5. I was able to not have to go to step five which would have been to taste the substance to see what it is.
After pulling it apart I realized that the kid had drunk a cup of tea that I left on the counter and chewed up the tea bag until it looked like a blob. Once he was finished sucking all of the flavor out he was ready to get rid of it which is what he dropped in my hand.
I remember seeing on tv once this mom put something in her mouth to try to figure out what her kid had eaten and I distinctly remember thinking that she was the grosses lady on the plant. Now, I get it. It’s gross but I get it. The detective certificate was clearly delivered via placenta during birth. I have never had to do so much super sleuthing in my life as I have as the mom of a toddler. I don’t see this coming to an end anytime soon!
Leroy Green our very own elf on the shelf December 22, 2011
Leroy Green our elf on the shelf!
Last year a few moms had told me about the elf on the shelf. I thought it was a cool concept but at the time the kid was 2.5 years of age so I didn’t really know if he’d grasp the concept. We decided to try this year and it has been so much fun! The elf is like the prison guard in our house. The kid’s fear of the wrath of the elf is sheer comedy to me. Last night he had some friends over and he wasn’t on his best behavior. This morning as he told his elf good morning I told him that the elf had to tell Santa that he was fighting with his friends. He has spent all morning apologizing, and reassuring that he won’t do it again. This is grand!
To make things even better, my boss told me that she had found an elf with dark skin at the Barnes & Noble in Atlanta. I searched here but couldn’t find any elves of any color at all. She was a peach and sent us a dark skinned elf which I absolutely love. To celebrate our dark skinned elf we have named him Leroy Green. That was the most stereotypical name I could come up with. Amazing how such a little thing can bring so much fun into the house.
I would recommend that those of you who do not have an elf on the shelf, get one for next year. They are like an extra parent if your kid gets the concept. Next year Leroy is coming out the day after Thanksgiving!
Would you go to a rap concert with your teenage kids? December 1, 2011
Watch the throne concert
Last night I went to the Watch the Throne Jay Z x Kanye concert in Chicago. When I got to my seat I noticed a lady in her late 40s to early 50s in the row in front of me with her teenage daughter, teenage son, and her son’s friend. I immediately thought to myself wow, what a great mom! Letting your teenagers go places by themselves can be scary and even more so to a concert that didn’t end until 11:30pm on a school night. My mom and dad would have given me a quick “have you lost your mind” and not thought twice about it. Actually my mother would have just laughed at me and ignored me. My dad would have been the one nice enough to question my sanity.
I thought to myself that she was keeping an eye on her children and allowing them to have the freedom to go to a concert under her watchful eye. As soon as the music dropped and Kanye hit the stage I realized mom was enjoying it just as much!! She was rocking right alongside her kids. When Jay Z came on she was throwing up the dynasty sign and waving her arms just like everyone else. It was the cutest scene. It made my heart smile to see kids having so much fun with their parent.
I will say she was a lot cooler of a mom than I will EVER be. In front of her there were two guys chain smoking medicinal greenery and I kept waiting for her to tap them on the shoulder and ask them to stop. She never did. I was amazed. If anyone was smoking anything in front of my kids it would have been a problem. It is a problem for me, which is why I kindly got security to go have a talk with the offending gentlemen. Of course that only stopped them for like 7 mins. I’m sure if the kid were old enough to be there he would have been mortified at my actions. I’m almost certain my 34 year date was mortified! What can I say, certain things I just can’t tolerate.
That lead to ask myself If I would ever be brave enough to go to a concert with my teenage children? I would think that me being in the music business would make that kind of thing easy but it has the opposite effect. I get to spend time with the artist and get a look at the buffoonery first hand so I’m not quite sure the kid will want to ask me to go with him to these kinds of things. I don’t even know if I will let him listen to the radio when he’s of age. He’d be better off asking his dad who I’m sure will be much worse than I would be! Poor kid.
