OK, This is Pathetic...

Parker's best friend Jack got a Kindle Fire tablet. I recently purchased a nice android tablet myself which Parker has been slowly taking over. Parker and Jack are shown here enjoying "Tablet Time". They sit next to each other and play "Lep World" on their tablets until Laura or myself stop them. They could play all day if we didn't intervene.

Who ever heard of "Tablet Time"? Where does she come up with this stuff? 

What kind of social interaction (or lack thereof) is this?

Notice in the background how beautiful that Sunday afternoon was.
This kind of behavior me so angry I'm going into my bedroom and play Atari all night!
I give up, enjoy kids. 

Solvang April 2012

We made our penta-annual trip to Solvang. Along the way we stopped at a beautiful waterfall off of the 101 right before Buelton called Nojoqui Falls. Wonderful place to visit, here's some info on it...
http://www.lotsafunmaps.com/Santa_Barbara/Nojoqui_Falls_Walk_Solvang.html

And now it's time for...

BEFORE AND AFTER

The picture above was taken the last time we visited in early 2007. Parker was a little over 1 years old. The shoe is in front of a shoe repair shop.

Flash forward to the present and it's still there! Five years from now it's going to be much more difficult.

 

 Grandma got some company in bed one morning. 

Parent's Bill of Rights

                                                   

 There needs to be a parent’s bill of rights. There are some things in this world that we are simply entitled to. When I have the time to sit down and formally document the long list of rights I will include the following:

1^st Amendment: THE RIGHT TO A QUICK AND QUIET BREAKFAST

The right is paramount in my attempt to remain composed and in a positive mood. I have a right to enjoy a quick breakfast while reading the morning newspaper. For Laura and I that is difficult. Georgia vehemently disagrees with Amendment #1. She believes she has been bestowed with the inherent right to constantly require my attention in the morning regardless of my condition (late for work, feeling ill, hungover, etc…). On several occasions I have asked her to let me read the newspaper for 5 minutes, which she will grant. However, one minute later she’s back in the kitchen…”Daddy?”…I make direct eye contact with her and await her question. “Daddy?”…at this point I realize she will keep saying “Daddy?” even though I make it clear (through direct eye contact) that she has my full attention. I then have to say “Yes, Georgia?”  Then comes the realization that she has nothing to say or ask, I get a lot of “ummms and aaahhs” and then she makes up something odd right on the spot.

This morning she came up with “ummm…who’s your favorite princess?”

“My favorite princess is you”

“I’m not a princess, I’m Georgia”.

…and so it goes. I guess I try to read the newspaper at lunch.

2^nd  Amendment: THE RIGHT TO DRIVE THE KIDS AROUND TOWN WITHOUT CONSTANT INTERRUPTION

This drives Laura crazy. Like the issue previously mentioned, whenever Laura’s driving the girls around, Georgia requires constant engagement. When I’m in the car with them I try to deflect it as much as possible…

Georgia: “Mommy”

Me: “Georgia, mommy’s driving, talk to me. What do you want to say?”

Georgia: “Mommy”

 Me: “Georgia talk to me, not mom”

Georgia: “Oh yeah…mommy…I mean daddy”

Me: “Yes Georgia”

The next utterance from her is usually one of the three:

1    “I Love You”

           “Where are we going?”

      “Can I have some gum?”

Additional amendments go something like this…

3^rd Amendment: Parents shall receive at least 16 hours of sleep collectively (10 hours for me and 6 hours for Laura).

4th Amendment: After the age of eight, all dishes are to be washed by the children of the household. 

You're A Grand Ol' Flag

Parker burst into our bedroom at 6:30 this morning waving her flag scarf and singing "It's a grand old flag, it's a high flyin' flag...da da daaa".   She then proceeded to go pick out an outfit that would match her scarf to wear to school today.  I told her that today wasn't the fourth of July but she said red white and blue are her favorite colors.

I don't know what has got into Parker lately.  In preschool she would wear nothing but dresses.  I think a single pair of leggings occupied her "pants drawer".  Since she started Kindergarten she would wear nothing but jeans and t-shirts.  That all changed last week when she wanted to wear her fanciest and most delicate dresses to school.  On Monday I let her wear a very fancy dress (black velvet bodice with dreamy-flowy pink skirt).  On Tuesday when she wanted to wear her layered chiffon dress I put my foot down and told her she couldn't wear the fancy dresses to school any more.  They would get ruined.  She tried to talk me into letting her wear her red velvet Christmas dress and that argument ended up with Parker in tears.  She did wear dresses the rest of the week (not her fancy ones).  I was shocked.  I guess this week will be holiday themed outfits.