tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-61681325266090525982024-02-06T20:39:55.630-08:00tiny babelUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger615125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6168132526609052598.post-89616752692007471822011-08-23T13:39:00.000-07:002011-08-23T13:42:04.573-07:00I couldn't leave without saying ...<object width="525" height="394"> <param name="flashvars" value="offsite=true&lang=en-us&page_show_url=%2Fphotos%2Ftoyfoto%2Fsets%2F72157627500953338%2Fshow%2F&page_show_back_url=%2Fphotos%2Ftoyfoto%2Fsets%2F72157627500953338%2F&set_id=72157627500953338&jump_to="></param> <param name="movie" value="http://www.flickr.com/apps/slideshow/show.swf?v=104087"></param> <param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><embed type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="http://www.flickr.com/apps/slideshow/show.swf?v=104087" allowFullScreen="true" flashvars="offsite=true&lang=en-us&page_show_url=%2Fphotos%2Ftoyfoto%2Fsets%2F72157627500953338%2Fshow%2F&page_show_back_url=%2Fphotos%2Ftoyfoto%2Fsets%2F72157627500953338%2F&set_id=72157627500953338&jump_to=" width="525" height="394"></embed></object>
<br />
<br />I've met and worked with some really amazing people in the past 14 years.
<br />
<br />I wish I had photographed each and every one of you.
<br />
<br /><a href="http://ittybit.blogspot.com">... But I'm not saying "goodbye."</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6168132526609052598.post-27206498220580680322011-08-20T20:06:00.000-07:002011-08-20T20:08:59.163-07:00Please join me ...
<br /><a href="http://ittybit.blogspot.com">I'm still here</a>
<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6168132526609052598.post-30744360113796542232011-08-04T08:28:00.000-07:002011-08-04T08:29:01.991-07:00Breakfast with Martin<center><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/toyfoto/6006833514/" title="It's okay, Martin ... by toyfoto, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6135/6006833514_0c084e3602.jpg" width="500" height="332" alt="It's okay, Martin ..."></a></center><br /><br />And a <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=giTIlL_QAeM">song:</a><br /><br /> <br />"<span style="font-style:italic;">If you want to be a grump that's okay, but could you be a grumpy a little further away? It's not that I don't love you, 'cause you know I do. Sometimes I'm grumpy too.<br /> <br />If you want to be a nudge that's okay, but could you be a nudge a little further away, it's not that i don't love you 'cause you know I do, sometimes I'm a nudge too.<br /> <br />I think I understand exactly what you're going through. Oh your oatmeal's lumpy and your socks are all bumpy, what's a poor kid to do?</span>"<br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;"><center>- Music for Aardvarks</center></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6168132526609052598.post-73536311833450890432011-08-02T12:06:00.001-07:002011-08-03T04:48:20.888-07:00Obituary for the Old Barkley Times<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/toyfoto/5571572451/" title="Old Dog by toyfoto, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5183/5571572451_b69e6e576c.jpg" width="332" height="500" alt="Old Dog"></a><br /><br />Madeline J. Dog, 113.75 in dog years, was suddenly called home to snarfel the big beach in the sky on Wednesday, July 27, 2011. <br /><br />Born on a Columbia County farm in mid-April of 1995, Maddy Jerk Monkey Hose Dog, as she was affectionately called by family and friends, was the smallest and quite possibly the homeliest of a large, multi-generational family.<br /><br />Her mother, whom she knew only briefly, was a black Labrador-mix and was whispered to be the canine predecessor of the OctoMom. Her father, whom she never met, was known as That Bastard Who Got Over the Fence. Both have reportedly returned to the breeding ground in the sky.<br /><br />Madeline is survived by her adoptive family: Siobhan, her adoptive mother; Jed, some guy who never formally signed the paperwork and always referred to her as "YOUR DOG IS BEING A JERK"; Annabel, a foster sister, who misses her but kinda wants a puppy; and Silas, a foster brother, who would feed her from his plate accidentally on purpose.<br /><br />She is also survived by a cat, Ariel, who was a late-in-life friend and not entitled to bragging rights.<br /><br />Madeline was predeceased by at least one sibling, a direcl litter-mate named Chester, who, became affluent in adoption and who, in the early years, was reunited occasionally with his sister by way of dog-sitting. He was tragically struck and killed by a car in his prime. The motorist was never located, however there was some question as to whether Chester bore some culpability in his own untimely death, as he was rumored to have been a car chaser. <br /><br />She was also predeceased by an adopted sibling, Maggie Dog, who was her dearest and closest canine pal for more than a decade.<br /><br />She often referred to herself as "one member of a two-dog wolf pack."<br /><br />Madeline was estranged from her remaining siblings.<br /><br />She bore no children, a credit to her natural abilities of entertainment. <br /><br />Also ... the result of spaying.<br /><br />Madeline was educated in the style of 4-H Obedience (Method trained) and won praise for her recitals of limited runs. She never flaunted her abilities outside the spotlight, however, refusing most performance requests.<br /><br />Her favorite pastimes were playing with her Squeaky Nun toy, drinking out of the toilet, begging for food, stealing food not quickly provided to her, knocking over small children and licking pants. <br /><br />She was a lover of balls, sticks and playing fetch. She refused to "drop it." <br /><br />She enjoyed yearly trips to Maine, where she loved to romp on the beach and chase after dogs owned by former presidents of the United States. She also liked to reinforce the point that she would not perform (nor would she "drop it") for the Secret Service. Luckily, she was never harmed as a result of these hystrionics.<br /><br />She especially enjoyed trips in the car to just about anywhere ... the grocery store ... around the block ... the end of the driveway. Anywhere except the vet. In her youth, she would curl up in the back window of her adoptive mom's old, Civic hatchback. People from all over the country would wave and laugh as they drove by. Her mom couldn't see them, however, as Madeline was a large dog and often would block the rear views.<br /><br />She also enjoyed watching the opening sequence of "The Slaves of New York," a movie based on a Tama Janowitz novel and featuring a Dalmatian named "Andrew."<br /><br />She was also known for barking intermittently, jumping up and running out of rooms for no apparent reason, and other occasional irregularities. <br /><br />She was not known for her humanitarianism, however she was modest. She didn't like to make a big deal out of staying by the side of people who were in the throes of painful back spasms. She often reveled in looking at them nervously and with undue concern, though she did not like to be known as a "Nervous Nellie."<br /><br />She would prefer people just forgot she ever cavorted with a cat. That was AFTER she got the cataracts. She truly thought it was a meowing, battery-operated toy one of the foster kids had dragged home.<br /><br />Near the end of her days, she enjoyed sleeping, eating and pooing, sometimes all at the same time. She also enjoyed barking at her family when they sat out on the porch. They would let her out. She'd want to go back in. Then out. Back in. She wasn't indecisive, she just assumed the family being OUTSIDE was completely unnatural. She wanted them inside, staring at the TV where they belonged. <br /><br />The end came quickly for Madeline. However, she always liked to keep them guessing. For the past three years she had gained considerable skill at clutching her chest and shouting: "This is the Big One, Elizabeth. I'm comin' to join ya, honey," and then recovering completely.<br /><br />She will be missed by all who knew and loved her, but she is looking forward to being reunited with her friend and beloved sister, Maggie, so they can relive their kibble days.<br /><br />A private burial was held after bedtime. <br /><br />Contributions in lieu of flowers, preferably pigs' ears or some other delicacy based on a dare or bi-product, may be sent to the humane society of your choice.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6168132526609052598.post-87695267613472320082011-08-01T08:58:00.000-07:002011-08-01T08:59:13.332-07:00Imaginary parenting<center><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/toyfoto/5997831803/" title="morningcommute2 by toyfoto, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6124/5997831803_d9f2c48c0a.jpg" width="500" height="332" alt="morningcommute2"></a></center><br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">BICKER-BICKER-BICKER<br /><br />BICKER-BICKER-BICKER BICKER-BICKER-BICKER <br /><br />BICKER-BICKER-BICKER BICKER-BICKER-BICKER BICKER-BICKER-BICKER BICKER-BICKER-BICKER<br /><br />BICKER-BICKER-BICKER BICKER-BICKER-BICKER BICKER-BICKER-BICKER BICKER-BICKER-BICKER BICKER-BICKER-BICKER BICKER-BICKER-BICKER BICKER-BICKER-BICKER BICKER-BICKER-BICKER BICKER-BICKER-BICKER BICKER-BICKER-BICKER<br /></span><br /><br />Hey, Guys? <br /><br />How about you NOT bicker for the rest of the trip ... or at least until we get to our first destination? OK? Whatdoyasay?<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">BICKER-BICKER-BICKER<br /><br />BICKER-BICKER-BICKER BICKER-BICKER-BICKER BICKER-BICKER-BICKER BICKER-BICKER-BICKER BICKER-BICKER-BICKER BICKER-BICKER-BICKER BICKER-BICKER-BICKER BICKER-BICKER-BICKER BICKER-BICKER-BICKER BICKER-BICKER-BICKER BICKER-BICKER-BICKER BICKER-BICKER-BICKER BICKER-BICKER-BICKER BICKER-BICKER-BICKER BICKER-BICKER-BICKER BICKER-BICKER-BICKER<br /></span><br /><br />OK. ... How about this:<br /><br />How about you take your imaginary pencils and - silently - write your complaints on these here imaginary sheets of paper, which you will then insert into my imaginary suggestion box, which I store in the front of the car for just these occasions ...<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">BICKER-BICKER And then what? BICKER</span><br /><br /><br />And then I will pretend to read them tomorrow.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6168132526609052598.post-84410593570888345552011-07-28T10:00:00.000-07:002011-07-28T10:29:56.006-07:00A good life ...<object width="400" height="300"> <param name="flashvars" value="offsite=true&lang=en-us&page_show_url=%2Fphotos%2Ftoyfoto%2Fsets%2F72157627174222597%2Fshow%2F&page_show_back_url=%2Fphotos%2Ftoyfoto%2Fsets%2F72157627174222597%2F&set_id=72157627174222597&jump_to="></param> <param name="movie" value="http://www.flickr.com/apps/slideshow/show.swf?v=1http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif04087"></param> <param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><embed type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="http://www.flickr.com/apps/slideshow/show.swf?v=104087" allowFullScreen="true" flashvars="offsite=true&lang=en-us&page_show_url=%2Fphotos%2Ftoyfoto%2Fsets%2F72157627174222597%2Fshow%2F&page_show_back_url=%2Fphotos%2Ftoyfoto%2Fsets%2F72157627174222597%2F&set_id=72157627174222597&jump_to=" width="400" height="300"></embed></object><br /><br /><a href="http://exiledintoyland.blogspot.com/2010/08/facing-lifes-flow-ebb-in-dog-days-of.html">A great dog.</a><br /><br /><center><span style="font-weight:bold;">Madeline J. Dog</span><br />April 15, 1995 - July 27, 2011</center>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6168132526609052598.post-85665907881911725772011-07-27T13:20:00.001-07:002011-07-27T22:17:55.316-07:00Disorderly conduct<center><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/toyfoto/3963147387/" title="nap time by toyfoto, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2632/3963147387_46bf6fe8df.jpg" width="332" height="500" alt="nap time"></a></center><br /><br />I wish I <span style="font-style:italic;">was</span> a stickler instead of just pretending to be one.<br /><br />It's easy to seem fussy within the margins of a viewfinder. You shove the mess to one side and focus on the part that seems calm and serene. It's an illusion.<br /><br />You can't fool yourself into thinking you are organized and disciplined, however, or that you aren't failing at the basics.<br /><br />You tell yourself it doesn't matter, but you aren't convinced.<br /><br />You tell yourself tomorrow will be different.<br /><br />Tomorrow they will brush their teeth after breakfast.<br /><br />They will eat more protein and fewer sweets. <br /><br />He will change his socks and she will go to bed on time ...<br /><br />Even if you have to force them.<br /><br />Tomorrow you will be more of the mother they need you to be, and less of the one that you are. <br /><br />Because underneath the Pick-Your-Battles parenting style you've adopted, you know you are picking all the wrong ones.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6168132526609052598.post-12885964946293910892011-07-26T14:46:00.000-07:002011-07-27T08:34:20.684-07:00When someone says 'I'm not a feminist'but ...<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRpYBdXquS7tw1tIMbPphx304NFmFmERWNUciEwggpElM-DF4i_6ijww61uoR0Q95BzeMBsOijej66hKNeS0eo2UuKcaE685qRhLMQeiZCbK8bQpU_C3eJ1B6d7GGlwp0ODi7R9hqkyVdE/s1600/Twits.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRpYBdXquS7tw1tIMbPphx304NFmFmERWNUciEwggpElM-DF4i_6ijww61uoR0Q95BzeMBsOijej66hKNeS0eo2UuKcaE685qRhLMQeiZCbK8bQpU_C3eJ1B6d7GGlwp0ODi7R9hqkyVdE/s400/Twits.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5633780292019960194" /></a><br /><br />I want to <a href="It's about teaching boys they are not masters of the universe and teaching girls they are not victims of it. It's about rhttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifespect for each other, and respect for our differences. ">stop them</a> and tell them whatever they planned on saying next is unimportant. <br /><br />It is of no value to me.<br /><br />Because that's what women were ostensibly told before our grandmothers and great grandmothers fought for the right to vote; and before our mothers secured the ability to decide the size of their families.<br /><br />But it's their choice to define <span style="font-style:italic;">feminism</span> so narrowly.<br /><br />Feminism, for some, is just a scourge of a word. But it has serious meaning for men and women who have struggled, and continue to struggle, to instill its tenants as a basic component of a free society. <br /><br />Because, dear lady, like it or not, if you believe women and men are and should be treated equally under the laws of the society in which we live, you are a feminist.<br /><br />Feminism has nothing to do with who opens doors for whom, or who stays home with the kids. It's not about forcing women into military service or forcing men to wear aprons. Although I'm sure our comfort with specific gender roles does blind us to the real issues of equality. <br /><br />Personally speaking, people who boil feminism down to the assigning of household chores border on insulting.<br /><br />Feminism isn't about obliterating feminine traits or emasculating males. It's not about the choices we make individually or for our own families. But it has everything to do with acknowledging the need for people to be able to make those choices - regardless of gender - for the betterment of society.<br /><br />Feminism is about equality. Period.<br /><br />It means we believe men are capable of nurturing. We believe women are capable of leadership. And everyone is uniquely important and deserving of basic rights.<br /><br />It's about teaching boys they are not masters of the universe and teaching girls they are not victims of it. It's about respect for each other, and respect for our differences. <br /><br />Feminists are everywhere women are respected. It doesn't matter what they wear, or what they do, or even which pair of chromosomes they posses.<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">ETA:<br /><br />*The top link is broken because BlogHer took down the post to which I was referring.<br /></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6168132526609052598.post-20490951784115961822011-07-25T11:56:00.001-07:002011-07-25T11:57:02.331-07:00He was just born ...<center><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/toyfoto/5975181140/" title="patch by toyfoto, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6134/5975181140_9213bb8a03.jpg" width="500" height="354" alt="patch"></a></center><br /><br />Now he's practically a grown up.<br /><br />Time. She flies.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6168132526609052598.post-32680835638605370622011-07-22T08:43:00.000-07:002011-07-22T09:26:39.822-07:00What I learned yesterday ...<center><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/toyfoto/5963202812/" title="ER ... 11:51 pm by toyfoto, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6132/5963202812_28423f3c2b.jpg" width="375" height="500" alt="ER ... 11:51 pm"></a></center><br /><br />* Lawn chairs can eat finger tips.<br /><br />* We have some incredible friends (who will hunt through the weeds to find aforementioned dismemberment).<br /><br />* "I was" over a cell phone sounds a lot like "Silas."<br /><br />AND ...<br /><br />* Emergency room visits aren't that bad when you realize the person in the back of the ambulance was your husband and not your son.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6168132526609052598.post-31464451370340069952011-07-20T09:00:00.000-07:002011-07-20T19:37:55.123-07:00Things I learned today ...<center><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/toyfoto/5958028336/" title="badfriends by toyfoto, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6135/5958028336_6dbe6fe2f7.jpg" width="500" height="358" alt="badfriends"></a></center><br /><br />* Although domestic cats (many of which are feral) are estimated to <a href="http://www.abcbirds.org/abcprograms/policy/cats/mahttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifterials/predation.pdf">kill millions of wild birds</a> each year, more birds meet their untimely demise as a result of <a href="http://www.abcbirds.org/abcprograms/policy/collisions/glass.html">building collisions.</a><br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">* I like to lessen my own culpability in ecosystem damage.</span><br /><br />* Bells on collars do not prevent cats from killing wildlife; some studies suggest that the bells may even condition the animals be more efficient at silently stalking their prey.<br /> <br /><span style="font-style:italic;">* Again with the minimizing of pet-owner responsibility. </span><br /><br />* <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/21/science/21birds.html">Cats are the Zebra muscle of the domesticated animal world -- an invasive species.</a>.<br /><br />* And that <a href="http://smithsonianscience.org/2011/03/alarming-number-of-fledgling-suburban-catbirds-fall-prey-to-domestic-cats-study-finds/">catbird</a> I managed to wrestle from her terrible claws will probably die anyway.<br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">Crap.</span><br /><br />Oh, wait. There is an upside:<br /><br />* A "University tested" and humane way to protect songbirds AND humiliate their would-be killers: <a href="http://www.catgoods.com/testimonials.php">The Cat Bib.</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6168132526609052598.post-64488191318684801862011-07-19T11:30:00.001-07:002011-07-20T08:17:10.876-07:00Fear of heightsBy the standards of my childhood haunts, the playground at the end of our block is as safe as they come. Age-appropriate structures, parents prowling every perimeter, many helping their children down the tall slide by offering their laps as sleds.<br /><br />The lone, tall monkey bars, have gone. Replaced by lower, multi-tiered play areas.<br /><br />Safety factors first.<br /><br /><center><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/toyfoto/121576315/" title="social climber by toyfoto, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/54/121576315_4e3aeb6660.jpg" alt="social climber" height="500" width="333" /></a></center><br /><br />I remember taking this picture and holding my breath as Ittybit climbed the chain ladder of the play station, for that's what a was -- a collection of slides and hanging bars that defied labels or definition. A tiny jungle gym for a marshmallow landscape.<br /><br />Eighteen months old, still so baby-like, and there she was climbing to the grated platform, five feet off the ground, on her way to the circular slide.<br /><br />I'd overheard so many parents telling their kids to get down, that they were too young, that it wasn't safe. So many eyes in my direction wondering where I'd gotten my parenting skills, no doubt from a Five & Dime that had gone bust?<br /><br />But I had to fight my inner (paranoid) parent to let her.<br /><br />So it was with interest that I read <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/19/science/19tierney.html">this</a> about some emerging research on the benefits of risk on development.<br /><br />Some of the points I found most interesting was that "safer playgrounds" weren't actually safer for play. The logic being the perception of safety actually made risk-taking seem less risky, and, therefore, injury just as likely.<br /><br />Another point was that while many parents and some researchers expected childhood falls from high places to produce later psychological effects, such as phobias, the reverse was more true: Children who had engaged in the exploration of heights and endured childhood falls had fewer instances of phobias.<br /><br />I suppose the obvious question for me is this: How do we, as parents, get over our own fears of emergency room visits?Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6168132526609052598.post-20116700092627316572011-07-18T10:15:00.000-07:002011-07-18T10:16:11.992-07:00And then my heart exploded<center><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/toyfoto/5944636611/" title="towel dry by toyfoto, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6026/5944636611_b5ae2b7582.jpg" width="332" height="500" alt="towel dry"></a></center><br /><br />If a photograph can be defining, I'd say this one does that about her.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6168132526609052598.post-11038062262622431232011-07-15T15:17:00.000-07:002011-07-15T15:19:22.183-07:00For argument's sake<span style="font-style:italic;">Scene: Morning Commute.<br /><br />Cast of Characters: Ittybit, The Champ, A.M. Rider (Ittybit's BFF from way back to Kindergarten) and Yours Truly.<br /><br />Destination: Various day camps.</span><br /><br /><center><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/toyfoto/5940872121/" title="grasshopper by toyfoto, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6027/5940872121_a7118ca055.jpg" width="500" height="332" alt="grasshopper"></a></center><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">ITTYBIT:</span> MOM! Is that creepy crawly inside or outside.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">YT:</span> What? Where? <br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">ITTYBIT:</span> There, on the window.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">YT:</span> Oh, that's on the outside. Don't worry about it.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">ITTYBIT:</span> Don't worry! That green guy is hanging on like a crazy person. What if it gets in here?<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">YT:</span> It won't get in here. I promise that is on the outside. See how the wind blows it around. ... Wow. That thing really is hanging on. ...<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">A.M. RIDER:</span> What is that thing?<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">YT:</span> It's the color of an aphid but it looks like a grasshopper. Maybe it's an adult aphid? <br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">A.M. RIDER:</span> Aren't aphids those tiny things that are really tasty snacks for Ladybugs?<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">YT:</span> Yes. Yes. I don't know maybe it's just a mighty green grasshopper.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">THE CHAMP:</span> I frink its a squid. That's what it is, a squid.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">A.M. RIDER:</span> It's not a squid. They live in the water.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">THE CHAMP:</span> Not always.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">ITTYBIT:</span> Yes always!<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">THE CHAMP:</span> Nuh, uh.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">A.M. RIDER:</span> Yes uh!<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">YT:</span> What makes you think squid live out of water, bud?<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">THE CHAMP:</span> Vector's squid launcher. Those squids weren't in water.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">ITTYBIT:</span> That's not real! That's a movie!<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">THE CHAMP:</span> It is, too, real.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">A.M. RIDER:</span> Nuh uh!<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">ITTYBIT:</span> Hey, where did the aphid/grasshopper/squid go?<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">YT:</span> I let him inside. He wanted to hear this.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6168132526609052598.post-21524043252870164782011-07-13T14:35:00.001-07:002011-07-14T10:16:54.415-07:00SpaghettiOs Western<center><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/toyfoto/5934532935/" title="hunting party by toyfoto, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6014/5934532935_682d49caa6.jpg" width="389" height="500" alt="hunting party"></a></center><br /><br />Starring The Pajama Kid and his trusty sidekick, Mousealini.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6168132526609052598.post-9815804121959088712011-07-12T11:59:00.001-07:002011-07-12T11:59:34.655-07:00He's an excellent driver<center><object type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="400" height="300" data="http://www.flickr.com/apps/video/stewart.swf?v=71377" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000"> <param name="flashvars" value="intl_lang=en-us&photo_secret=a30a5a9d56&photo_id=5931195480"></param> <param name="movie" value="http://www.flickr.com/apps/video/stewart.swf?v=71377"></param> <param name="bgcolor" value="#000000"></param> <param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><embed type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="http://www.flickr.com/apps/video/stewart.swf?v=71377" bgcolor="#000000" allowfullscreen="true" flashvars="intl_lang=en-us&photo_secret=a30a5a9d56&photo_id=5931195480" height="300" width="400"></embed></object></center><br /><br />"Dad lets me drive slow on the driveway every Saturday."Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6168132526609052598.post-139087296247900682011-07-11T13:31:00.001-07:002011-07-11T14:13:12.360-07:00First you must float ...<center><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/toyfoto/5924907962/" title="arm over arm by toyfoto, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6134/5924907962_4c773debfb.jpg" width="366" height="500" alt="arm over arm"></a></center> <br /><br /><center>Pools scare me.<br /><br />There. I said it.</center><br /><br />Despite the fact that my husband worked doggedly in the wind and rain and sun to renovate the pool that he ... well ... <a href="http://exiledintoyland.blogspot.com/2010/05/jumping-off-deep-end-to-be-neighborly.html">broke</a>. <br /><br />From the moment he got it gurgling to a clear, if not dark-bottomed oasis again - the first time since we moved into the house - I've been counting the days until winter.<br /><br />When we can close it on up again.<br /><br />I can't stop thinking about the <a href="http://www.cdc.gov/HomeandRecreationalSafety/Water-Safety/waterinjuries-factsheet.html">statistics</a>. About the people we actually know, as well as those we've read about in the news, who have lost children in pools. <br /><br />I can't stop thinking about how I could have been one of those statics myself, when I was a toddler and slipped into a pool at a party and sunk to the bottom.<br /><br />But we can't live in fear. We have to be practical. And proactive. <br /><br />Even if I am mostly NEGATIVE:<br /><br />* No kids in the pool yard without an adult. Ever. <br /> <br />* No beginning swimmers in the deep end without an adult who is free to swim with them one-on-one.<br /><br />* Not following the directions of adults is grounds for ouster from pool area for the remainder of the day.<br /> <br />And one positive ... The most important positive of all pool rules:<br /><br />All children must learn to <a href="http://www.joshuamemorial.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=79&Itemid=62">float on their backs</a> first and foremost.<br /><br /><br /><center><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/toyfoto/5924336411/" title="floats by toyfoto, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6016/5924336411_7a59fce05a.jpg" width="500" height="333" alt="floats"></a></center><br /><br />After they master that, we'll work on the crawl.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6168132526609052598.post-34438387641494295232011-07-09T16:25:00.001-07:002011-07-12T15:20:51.254-07:00Trial by jury<center><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/toyfoto/5920226684/" title="jury pool by toyfoto, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6026/5920226684_7b91f0ba99.jpg" width="500" height="332" alt="jury pool"></a></center><br /><br />I'm one of those moms people keep talking about. Kind of. ...<br /><br />I'm the kind who can picture themselves dealing with a missing child. Or not dealing with it. Picturing themselves, instead, not coping at all.<br /><br />But I couldn't bear to watch the media coverage of the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Casey_Anthony_trial">Casey Anthony</a> trial. I couldn't stand to see all the law-abiding citizens lining up for a chance to gawk, rationalizing their behavior as anything other than morbid fascination and mob mentality.<br /><br />I couldn't stand the presumption of guilt. <br /><br />And then she was acquitted, stunning pretty much everyone except, it seems, folks who believe evidence should weigh more heavily than the circumstances surrounding that evidence. More heavily than emotion. Especially when first degree murder is charged.<br /><br />I can understand the shock. I can understand the anger being raw and natural. But I had to admit I was proud of that jury. Proud that they came to such an impartial judgment based on law for an otherwise unlikeable woman. <br /><br />Most people it would seem, at least in the immediate aftermath, see the decision as proof of a fatally flawed American justice system. And already <a href="http://abcnews.go.com/US/casey-anthony-trial-aftermath-caylee-law-drafted-states/story?id=14020260">states are trying to remedy it with more reactionary laws</a>.<br /><br />I hope they come to their senses, though. Because what happened in Florida is how the system is supposed to work.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6168132526609052598.post-56631797856128957302011-07-08T09:22:00.001-07:002011-07-08T09:32:48.028-07:00Doodle-do<center><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/toyfoto/5914491258/" title="thankyou by toyfoto, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5156/5914491258_8d65137d51.jpg" width="332" height="500" alt="thankyou"></a></center><br /><br />Need to say thank you? <br /><br />We love to say thank you with drawings on plain paper.<br /><br />Parents can draw the square borders, ears, neck and chin so the figures are roughly the same size, and kids can add the hairline and faces to make them unique.<br /><br />Give kids a class picture as a visual aid and you have an easy, inexpensive and personalized way to make thank-you cards, valentines, notes or invitations.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6168132526609052598.post-30377493943728964342011-07-06T18:27:00.000-07:002011-07-06T18:28:10.448-07:00Car chase<center><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/toyfoto/5910251661/" title="car chase by toyfoto, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6010/5910251661_6e5a255ee0.jpg" width="500" height="248" alt="car chase"></a></center><br /><br />The Champ was bequeathed a battery-powered car by a friend who outgrew it.<br /><br />Jed is still trying to wrap his head around how it is possible to outgrow such a toy.<br /><br />He is also confident that one day <a href="http://www.threadless.com/product/816/I_m_Sure_I_Used_To_Fit">he will fit </a>in the cockpit.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6168132526609052598.post-11800036916616371742011-07-05T14:30:00.000-07:002011-07-06T06:53:34.307-07:00We did manage to use the colors Red, White and Blue<center><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/toyfoto/5903404282/" title="dragon dancer by toyfoto, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6005/5903404282_f155351a53.jpg" width="331" height="500" alt="dragon dancer"></a></center><br /><br />We may have been the only people in North America who celebrated Independence Day by marching in <a href="http://registerstar.com/articles/2011/07/05/news/doc4e126497420c4347845965.txt">The Peoples' Parade with a Chinese Dragon</a>.<br /><br />In our defense, however, our dragon was <a href="http://www.flickr.com/search/show/?q=paradedragon&w=20124241%40N00">made in America</a>.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6168132526609052598.post-81944816694447556802011-07-01T11:10:00.001-07:002011-07-01T11:10:32.823-07:00Nothing good will come of this relationship<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/toyfoto/5891004323/" title="KittenConspiracybw by toyfoto, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5040/5891004323_65e15c1eac.jpg" width="500" height="346" alt="KittenConspiracybw"></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6168132526609052598.post-27868210535314131062011-06-30T08:12:00.000-07:002011-06-30T17:30:00.626-07:00Anatomically corrected<center><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/toyfoto/369563826/" title="boy/girl by toyfoto, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/132/369563826_2c165dffe6.jpg" width="500" height="333" alt="boy/girl"></a></center><br /><br />The Associated Press had an interesting story this week about <a href="http://hosted2.ap.org/APDefault/*/Articlehttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif_2011-06-26-EU-FEA-Sweden-Gender-Neutral-Tots/id-b868c73a192e43859ead1804287ebaa1">a preschool in Sweden that is trying to establish a gender neutral environment</a> for its students by not using gender specific pronouns and designing the classroom to minimize stereotypical gender-related preferences. (Think Legos stored near the Play Kitchen.) <br /><br />Teachers at the school refer to students as "Friends" instead of "Boys and Girls" and encourage literature that questions generalizations of gender specificity, while conversely baning books that offer classic examples of traditional gender roles, such as "Cinderella." The school puts forth great effort to foster an environment tolerant of homosexual and transgendered individuals. <br /><br />Which, honestly, all sounds perfectly lovely to me.<br /><br />Referring to boys and girls grouped together as "friends" -- to me anyway -- reinforces the idea of fostering respectful relationships more than individual identities. <br /><br />My problem in this comes not from what the school is promoting but from what it's manufacturing.<br /><br />By disallowing the use of personal pronouns to the point where they had to make up a word to keep from having to label a person by gender, they are more than likely reinforcing another kind of judgement: That somehow it's not acceptable to actually be male OR female, nor to identify strongly one way or another.<br /><br />I can't help but think it's natural to try and understand the world and ourselves by compartmentalizing. We all have a gender. Some of us have preferences that others view as gender specific. This should not be viewed as fundamentally wrong or destructive in and of itself.<br /><br />A teacher's job (be they professional or parent) should be exploring with children where their ideas (about any subject) expand, contract and disappear from preconceived notions. It shouldn't be throwing the preconceived notions away and pretending there are none.<br /><br />Ultimately I think it's kind of unnatural to try and reduce gender to a neutral in the hopes of furthering egalitarianism. Equality through neutrality just seems like EVERYONE will be shortchanged. We are different. We should explore those differences fairly and without judgement.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6168132526609052598.post-83284252764441480782011-06-29T11:57:00.001-07:002011-06-29T11:58:12.279-07:00Missives and meanderingsInstead of the usual craft time, our babysitter reported today, the story-hour librarian rolled up the reading rug and handed out big pieces of sidewalk chalk.<br /><br />Her instructions were simple: Pick out an area of concrete (story time is in the basement of the village library) and draw a picture - Anything you want.<br /><br />Guess who needed a space that would ensure his lines blurred into those of his each and every one of his neighbors?<br /><br /><br /><center><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/toyfoto/5885276454/" title="Sly by toyfoto, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5184/5885276454_e9ae940570.jpg" width="500" height="500" alt="Sly"></a></center><br /><br /><br /><blockquote>"I need to make a stream. A gurgling, splashing, crashing stream ... with a waterfall ... that goes WHOOOOSH!" </blockquote>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6168132526609052598.post-27767340384186478002011-06-28T08:11:00.001-07:002011-06-28T08:11:54.298-07:00I'm not sure why I worry<center><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/toyfoto/4065463110/" title="wickid by toyfoto, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2584/4065463110_04094df8d7.jpg" width="333" height="500" alt="wickid"></a></center><br /><br />Yeah ... that whole <a href="http://ittybit.blogspot.com/2011/06/looking-back.html">summer camp first-day jitters thing</a>? She's <span style="font-style:italic;">sooooo</span> over it.<br /><br /><blockquote>"You know what was the best part of camp today?"<br /><br />"No, what was the best part?"<br /><br />"The best part was when the camp counselors told us things they probably shouldn't be telling us."<br /><br />"Oh yeah, like what?"<br /><br />"Like where they're getting tattoos."</blockquote>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0