Lagging Brain

So that post I did with the photo catch ups from my phone, well I had a memory finally hit my brain that the whole reason I was downloading the pictures was because of one specific picture, which I did not post. Side note: I have lost the ability to have continuous thoughts for more than about 2 minutes in a row since I had a kid.

Back to the picture, I took this in a Sam's Club family bathroom and immediately had bathroom envy. And can I just add that as a now single mom with a son, I think family bathrooms are the best.

At the time Will was going through a phase of being scared of the big potty. Problem with the little training potties is while convenient for training and ease of the kid going by themselves, I don't consider cleaning them out much of a step above diapers. Enter perfect solution. A kid sized real potty. If I had a house and the money this is totally a splurge I would have put in. Along with a kid height sink. It would be like our own little Kindergarten bathroom. Will loved it so much he went three times because he just wanted to keep using it.

And just because I took this today, enjoy:

Floats Your Boat

I have a mixed cd I made a while back that I have been listening to a lot. The first song on it is Def Leppard's "Pour Some Sugar on Me". For me this is one of those songs that as soon as I hear those first beats my volume knob starts turning. And for me it almost can't get too loud. I let it slowly get louder and louder until its reached my ears capacity right when the drum beat comes in. I end up listening to this song a lot when Will isn't with me because I don't think he would approve. I can already see his embarrassment when he becomes a teenager.

I like the song much better now then I did 20 years ago when it came out and for some reason its just one of those, doesn't matter what mood you are in, I will always smile when I hear it and just want to crank the volume.

Seems like a tangent, but stick with me. Recently I was at one of my local restaurant addictions, Cafe Rio. They put the guacamole that usually goes on top in a little cup on the side. Not a big deal except after I had eaten it I saw those little bits sticking to the side, and had I not been in public would have cleaned that out with my finger, or ok lets face it, my tongue. This may be just a sign of a food addiction, or just an example of the awesomeness that is guacamole.

So what I'm wondering is, do you have a song that you just love to crank up the volume to and sing at the top of your lungs? And do you have a food you would lick the plate just to get the last taste, or is that my own issue :)

And just in case you need a little 80's in your day, enjoy.

Photo Catch Up

Someday I will get around to posting about Halloween, but that day is not today. Instead a little photo catch up. I recently found out how to get photos from my phone to my computer. No this did not end up being some magical trick, and no this is not a new phone, I guess I just actually wanted to do it today. So pretty random, put just wanted to post them.

(*Warning - these are photos from my phone, which is not great. So please disregard the quality as I have)

This is just a random picture from before my sister moved. And its not a great picture in anyway other than I think it accurately depicts what its like when the fam is over and how only 3 kids can still make it seem like 10. And I miss my sister, so I just wanted to put it up.

I took this picture several years ago while waiting in a parking lot. This delivery van pulls up and parks, and this was his idea of an acceptable parking job. No there are not any cars around that would have prevented him from pulling out a little and getting in there correctly. He just didn't care. And it just amazed me that not only is he taking up two spots, he is like 4 feet away from the top of the spot, therefore sticking out into the driving area that same 4 feet.

Parking Issue II. This was after having sat through a work safety meeting where we were talking about defensive driving and among other things the city's parking policy. Found it a little ironic to come out and see how the safety instructor had parked. Notice, the lines are going the opposite direction.

This was from my cousin Beth's son's birthday party where I forgot to take my camera. They did an awesome activity where they made these little cars. I had seen a play last year based on Go Dog Go and they actually had the same concept for the cars and I always have wanted to make one for Will. They are banana boxes with straps attached so they can wear them. They had paper plates on the sides for wheels, circles in the front for lights, streamers in the back for tailpipe fire, and party horns for the horn. Very creative.

And a Halloween preview, cause honestly who knows if that will ever happen. This year we had the kids draw on paper what they wanted the pumpkins to look like and then the mommies helped carve them out. Of course Will was not satisfied with just a Jack-O-Lantern and so trucks needed to be added. So I had him drawn one truck on the back and I did the other, and then it had officially been Willized.

Welcome

I was kind of amused today when I got home and found a "Welcome to the neighborhood and ward" packet on my door step. Thanks. I moved here six years ago. What I found most amusing was that I'm on the included phone list. Hmmm...

Is it ok to play?

Before actual post - Do you have those times where you just don't feel like blogging. And maybe don't even feel like reading anyone elses blog. And then the desire starts to come back and you're like, wait I missed so much and now I need to catch up but where do I begin. Or do I just start from here and sort of forget those weeks that just went by. Well...moving on.

So I usually stay away from "controversial" topics on here. Because I don't like confrontation. And honestly, I have my opinions and you have your opinions and that's just the way life is. I probably won't change mine you probably won't change yours so lets just sit in a circle and sing Kumbaya. But I have a dilemma and I'm actually interested in hearing your opinion. Yep yours. Not that I don't feel that away about any post...back to subject.

Will wants a toy gun. I hate guns. Dilemma. Do you let your kid have something that you really really dislike cause its just a toy and making a big deal about not having it seems like a bigger deal then the fact that you don't like it? Or do you say, no, I don't like this and I don't care that I don't know anyone else that has said this, its still my feeling?

History - When Will's dad Pat was little his mom didn't want him to have a toy gun. She bought him a toy drill and instead of having a gun like all the other kids, he used his drill to shoot things. And he was laughed at. Now the main point of this is that even if you don't give a kid a toy gun, they will make one up. Use a stick, their hand, a drill, what have you. So is that any different than just buying them the gun?

Here's my issue. Guns are made to hurt things. Kill things. Not a fan. And I'm not saying that I have a problem with people owning guns. Not the point. You have your gun and we can talk about that another time. I'm talking about kids. Little kids. Pointing a toy at someone and pretending to kill them. Cause that's what you do with toy guns. You take turns being the bad guy and you kill each other.

Now I know the vast majority of kids that grow up playing cops and robbers do not go on to commit school massacres or such. But you know what, some do. And not that I'm worried about my kid becoming a criminal, but it just seriously disturbs me to see him point his finger at someone and make shooting noises.

Today I read a story in the paper about some kids running around outside with an air gun. They were running around the neighborhood chasing each other and all of the sudden the kid found himself staring down a real gun. It happens that they were running outside of a police officer's home. He heard kids yelling, looked outside and saw what he thought was a real hand gun. He went outside and pulled his gun on the kid. Now luckily the story ends there. The kid didn't get hurt. But he could have. Just because of appearances.

So does it come down to what kind of gun, where you let them play with it, how you let them play with it, or is that just all irrelevant and you say, you know what, I don't want you to have a gun? And if you do, do they grow up wanting this thing so badly that it becomes a bad thing? Something that they get into trouble with because they don't understand the power of a gun? Circles and circles and circles in my mind.

So...does your kid have a toy gun? Did you have a toy gun growing up? Talk amongst yourselves. And then leave a comment :)