mybagoftrix

I mean, really!  We were not protected at all… not the way we protect our kids.  We didn’t have helmets, knee pads, elbow pads and wrist guards.  We spent all day outside without checking in.  There were no cell phones or pagers.

I grew up in a neighborhood that was almost surrounded by woods.  We spent entire days in those trees, building forts and tree houses.  There was a creek at one edge of the neighborhood and on hot summer days we would find a deep enough “hole” and swim in the muddy water.

All of the kids pitched in to build a tree house in our yard.  It was triangular and three stories high.  In warm weather, it was our outside home.  We slept up there several nights a week. 

We left the house in the mornings and spent all day on our bikes (no helmets, of course) coming only to grab some lunch unless one of the moms brought some out to us.  At supper time we finally went home, only to head back out again after dark for a game of kick the can.  Our parents had to force us to come in to take a bath and go to bed.

We didn’t worry about sunscreen or insect repellant.  Sun burn and mosquito bites were just a part of summer.  With all of the time in the woods and in the creek, we should have worried about copperheads and water moccasins and poisonous spiders.  Hundreds of ticks were removed at our house alone.  We had bumps and bruises and scrapes and broken bones, yet we are all still alive.

Now, kids have play dates, sports and lessons.  Parents have to know where they are at all times.  They are covered in SPF 50 at all times and a complete set of body armor if they are going to be near anything with wheels.

Do we worry too much or is the world a more dangerous place now?  Are the kids having as much fun now as we did?  Are we too protective?  Our parents weren’t and we are still here.  Although, after all that we did, I still don’t know why.

Happy Happy Happy Birthday to history_gurl!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Who loves ya, baby?  (wait... did i just channel Kojak?)

Huh… Well, since everyone else is blogging, I guess I will too. Damn peer pressure!!

I’m sitting here watching the Oscar’s and realizing that I have seen none of the movies. In fact, I don’t remember the last film that I actually saw in the theater. Unless it’s one of those films that you just must see on the big screen, I rent it later. It takes me forever to see anything good (or bad for that matter). My kid goes to the movies with her friends and really doesn’t want Mom tagging along.

Anyway, Jon Stewart is doing a great job hosting. He has the right amount of funny without all the song and dance that Billy Crystal did and none of the silliness of Ellen Degeneres. He did get a little heavy on the political side, but that’s to be expected in this crazy election year.

The Red Carpet was a tad dull. No one wore a truly hideous dress or went totally wild with a powder blue, ruffley tux. I miss the days of Bjork in a live swan. Gary Busey did try to take out Ryan Secrest. Now THAT would have been fun!

OK, we’re an hour in, so only 3 hours more to go!!  

history_gurl

1. I have rediscovered my “inner punk” thanks to my new XM satellite radio.  There are some awesome alternative stations!  I’m sure I look ridiculous in my white Ford mommy-mobile rocking out to Souixsie and the Banshees and The Beastie Boys and Alice in Chains at 7:30 in the morning.

2. My kid is the queen of the non sequitur.  Really… she is totally random.  The other day, out of the blue, she asked, “Mom, why don’t you hop more?”  Um… huh???

3. I own too many shoes.  There are at least 30 pairs in my closet right now.

4. My new job makes my brain hurt.  I shouldn’t have to think this much.

5. I hate house cleaning.  I put it off until I just can’t stand it anymore.  Especially folding clothes and mopping.  I like when it’s all done, though. I need a house boy.

6. I also need a yard boy. Think I can find one who will work for trade?

7. I love cartoons.  Most of them actually, but specifically cartoons by Chuck Jones.  He was an absolute genius. 

8. I was supposed to be a boy…according to my mother, anyway.  She was convinced that she was having a boy and when they brought me in to the room after she came to she said, “That’s not my child! I had a boy.”  This supposed to be a funny story in my family.  Somehow, to me, it isn’t.

9. I think that beds are wonderful things.  I like my bed in particular.  It’s very comfy and it has lots of pillows and I figure that if I don’t get lucky in it, I can always sleep.

 10.       I believe in The Storyteller’s Creed:

                                I believe that imagination is stronger than knowledge,

That myth is more potent than history,

That dreams are more powerful than facts,

That hope always triumphs over experience,

That laughter is the only cure for grief,

And I believe that love is stronger than death.