MuttonChops

As I sat working on the computer, I was also watching " Strait-Jacket " on the Turner Classic Movie Channel. The actress screamed which was louder than the rest of the movie had been. My 20-year-old son came in to see what happened. The following conversation ensued: Me: I'm watching an old Joan Crawford movie. Son: I don't know who she is. Me: Did you ever see "Mommie Dearest"? Son: Yeah Me: That movie was about this actress. Son: Ohhh - the crazy woman. Me: Well, she wasn't crazy - just ... Son: Oh - yeah - right, beating people with wire hangers isn't crazy. Wait -beating CHILDREN isn't crazy! Me: (laughing hysterically) Son: (walking away) Good to know who's side you're on mom! She's no worse than Balloon Boy's parents. At least Crawford already had her fame established and was a shrewd business woman. Her children were adopted as accessories. Balloon Boy was a forced accessory to criminal behavior. Who's crazy now?!

Until now, my experiences in watching the power of Twitter in action from day to day has been like going from skates with keys to a Lambourgini . Today's TwitteReaction to Motrin's newest ads took me to Mach 1. Coinciding with International Baby Wearing Week , the Motrin ad attempts to connect with aches and pains of motherhood focusing on the strain of carrying a tot in a sling. Moms (and dads) go through a lot of pain out of love for their kids. However, the ad has become a royal pain in the ass for folks that see it as a slam. TwitteReaction has tracked comments ranging from disdain over Motrin's implication that baby slings are a fashion statement to seeking sincere retractions from the company. While parents are sending signals over slandered slings and issuing kudos over effective social media efforts, Tweeters in another corner are recommending Motrin for dads dealing with the manic moms and suggest the squealers put forth similar efforts into more justifiable ...

On January 1, 1994 I had been married 11 years and had two small children. My husband and I sat down to talk about the problems we were having. It was a new year and I was creating an opportunity to start fresh. Our arguments and his general mood had progressively worsened. He wasn’t happy and neither was I. The discussion was sane and amicable but the lines were drawn. We both needed to commit 100 percent to mending the relationship or there was no need in going further. He agreed but wanted time to think. As we both took in a deep breath, I felt like I had literally been hit with a lightening bolt. I don’t know where the question came from or why I asked at that moment. I certainly wasn’t prepared for the answer. “You’re gay, aren’t you?” He paused and responded, “Yes.” Tears welled up in his eyes. I crossed the room to where he was sitting and knelt down, hugging him, reassuring him. “It’s okay,” I said. “At least now I know what is wrong and why you’ve been so miserable.” He hadn’t...

When I finished the video I asked my 19-year-old son if he wanted to see it. "Sure," he said. After watching it he said, "Good song." Such a dry sense of humor, that kid. "What about the pictures?" "I see them all the time." "What? My photos?" "No - trees - they're everywhere." I gave him a look. He chuckled in amusement and said, "Well, maybe after I spend eight months in the desert I'll be more excited about seeing pictures like that." He is going in the Army in a couple of weeks. He'll need that humor, just like I needed mine to raise him."

This was a stellar day with temperatures in the upper 70s and still riding the victory train from election day, I decided to take full advantage. Grabbing my camera, I headed out on errands and stopped at a couple of parks that are literally just a few miles from me. Even the horses next door were grazing next to the fence and looked when I called. I enjoyed walking in the park because it had purpose. I wasn't just walking because I "should." I was taking pictures and taking in my surroundings. Fresh air and sunshine did my spirit good. I was able to revisit some places I haven’t seen in a while and along the way met a couple of interesting people. Memories of raising my own children were dusted off when I encountered a couple with two young children. I smiled hearing exasperation in the father’s voice as he responded to the incessant “whys.” Several cyclists and joggers shared my path as I wound around to a small pond. I asked the man fishing if he minded being in my pho...

The Halloween stash can be hard to manage but with parental guidance and the mantra "all things in moderation" it is possible to succumb to temptation. Yet one North Carolina dentist is noted for offering monetary incentive, much like the tooth fairy, for kids to turn in their spoils. Paying $1 per pound, this cavity fighter is buying back Halloween treats and forwarding the confections to troops. According to the U.S. Department of Defense , this dentist is not alone. I suppose it's better than the reaction from Willy Wonka's father. After trick-or-treating, Wonka had to watch his dad sort through the candy explaining why all of it was bad for the teeth. The entire booty was then thrown into the fire. This particular N.C. dentist served in the military, yet he doesn't seem to remember that chocolate can not be sent to the troops. Items that melt are among restricted items and if shipped to soldiers, will be confiscated So what happens to those wonderful snack-s...

"It is not easy to construct by mere scientific synthesis a foolproof system which will lead our children in a desired direction and avoid an undesirable one. Obviously, good can come only from a continuing interplay between that which we, as students, are gradually learning and that which we believe in, as people." — Erik Homburger Erikson (1902-1994) Erik Erikson developed the theory that there are eight stages of psychosocial development in a person's life. We may go through them systematically, and develop as well-rounded, functional beings. Sustain a jolt during one of the stages and a person can get stuck or develop in an unhealthy way. He believed that a person having psychological problems could revisit the related area of development, pinpoint the issue that caused the derailment and, voila' a healthy mental state is returned. (Yes, I'm severely paraphrasing here but it's hard to squeeze a semester of psychology into one paragraph!) Now, take this the...