What does her butt say?

For years I have wondered why women bitch at men ogling their bodies when they wear practically nothing. One of my biggest pet peeves is the shorts with sayings on the butt.

I bring this up because the habit starts so young. Even before she was out of diapers I swore Becca would never wear anything like that. Becca spent the summer in NJ with her grandparents and saw numerous relatives. She got so many new clothes that a box of them had to be shipped back.

I have been through the box several times since it came not yet having a chance to put it all away but pulling things from it on an as-needed basis. This morning I needed a pair of shorts and lone and behold what do I find? I’m sure they came from my sister or one of my sisters-in-law and I truly do appreciate the thought (they won’t believe me…) but what the hell are people thinking when they buy these?

Occasionally I get to the see the Bill Engvall show. In one episode his daughter is complaining she wants a belly button ring. She asks, “what’s the difference between earrings and a bellybutton ring?” and Bill’s response is, “when you wear earrings boys look up here,” and he points to his head.

Women complain that men look too much and then they put things for us to read on the asses of seven-year-old girls? This is only the beginning. I immediately took the shorts and put them in my donation bin. Becca saw them in the pile just before school this morning and had a hissy fit so bad that she’s grounded for a week and I didn’t even walk her to the playground at school like I do every morning.

Boys will be enough of an issue as time rolls along I don’t need irresponsible clothes manufactures or advertisers making it any harder.

Sears is running an ad campaign telling kids, “Don’t just go back, arrive.” Why can’t they just be themselves?

I’m sure the relatives will be pissed about it when they read this and have something to say about my having no style. Screw the style, I’m an individual and my daughter will be as well.

First Day of School

Becca, my seven-year-old daughter, started school this morning. Last night we picked out a flowery green dress and white tights. After she showered she asked me to braid her hair so it would be curly. This morning I made her lunch, we got dressed and I tried to put on this new pendant she got at Disneyland last week but I couldn’t figure out the clasp so we had to skip it. Off we went.

Sounds simple enough, huh? Until Wednesday when my son Joey starts his first day of his sophomore year. He doesn’t go to the local high school so I have to drive him. This means that Becca will have to get on a 6:45 bus for school so I can get Joey to school by 7:30.

Joey gets out of school at 2:50 but I work until 4:00 which means he has to sit around school for over an hour and then we have to trek over to the after-school-care facility for Becca.

If I’m lucky they will both have their homework done before I get them but I’ll still have to check it, most likely while I’m making dinner. Plus there will be soccer practice several times a week.

After dishes and showers and whatever other chores have to be done I might be able to do some writing…

Single parents of multiple children everywhere I feel your pain and understand the stresses you are under. Today I feel very alone but I know there are many of you out there in the same boat. You are not alone, there are many of us and we need to stick together.

If you feel like blowing up just take a deep breath, focus and push on.