<p>“9 and 14? So many things to look forward to!!”</p>
<p>Mythmom, I think I will not ask you to expand on that.</p>
<p>Sarahsmom, your poison ivy post is on the wrong thread!</p>
<p>Ah, I loved raising kids, so there was not an ironic tone in my voice. It’s all good.</p>
<p>Mine is packing right now to go back to school. He’s running late, of course, and a school mate is driving. He needs to be at the ferry in 20 minutes and he was thinking of taking a shower! (See scary face.) If he were 9, no problem!</p>
<p>But I still love the process.</p>
<p>Childrearing moment.</p>
<p>My sister had her third child about 9 months ago. First two are 7 and 5. Baby is having one of those periods where he wakes up 3 times a night.</p>
<p>Her new loving nickname for him at the nighttime wakeups?</p>
<p>“Hi fu***r baby, what do you want?” Said with love, complete and total, of course. Don’t you love honest mothers?</p>
<p>Childrearing moment.
My kids are all very musical and love to listen to music. When one of my boys was about 6 or 7 years old, we happened to buy the Chorus Line CD. My husband would let the child listen to the CD as much as he wanted to. I explained to DH that some of the music was inappropriate for a young child. DH’s attitude was that the “inappropriate” music would go over the child’s head. Until, one day, my young man began to sing the “Dance 10, Looks 3” song publicly. You know, the one that goes, “T*ts and *ss, bought myself a fancy pair.” That was the day that DH surreptitiously took the CD away and “lost” it. 
Fathers really can be clueless at times.</p>
<p>LOL, momof3sons…that’s a bad tune to get stuck on, too—now thanks…I’ll be singing it all night now!!! Bet I get hubby’s attention with that one!</p>
<p>Hi gang–my computer has been down and I am on a different one just so I can check email and see what’s going on in SA!</p>
<p>Looks like I didn’t miss anything TOO earth-shattering. Wouldn’t want to miss any marmot sightings or wild parties. ;)</p>
<p>A day without sin is like a day without sunshine.</p>
<p>BUMP</p>
<p>I haven’t visited Sinner’s Alley in a while but who else to tell my funny drivel to? You are the types who would get it. I haven’t read the latest here and so this is out of context (though I did read something musical a few posts up…ok). And then “a day without sin is…” …well…maybe that fits?</p>
<p>So, OK, I admit I read D2’s “away” messages on my buddy list (keeps me in the “know” and sometimes if it changes, I get a sense she is still alive or arrived home safely as she is out very late at night in her activities and walks home alone in Manhattan). So, I noticed the “away” message for the past three days has not changed but it was a funny one for me. It said, “Marx…and rice cakes.” LOL! I know she had a paper to write but I have no idea on what but my guess is that it was for her Political Theater class. And she is into healthy eating and the away message kinda said it all…she was writing about Marx and eating her rice cakes. So, I know she is like never in, but I went to check her away message earlier this evening and it still said, “Marx and Rice cakes” her old message which can’t be true as I know she had school from 9-6 and rehearsals every night. So, I left a message that said, “your away message is STILL Marx and rice cakes!” and so she didn’t write back but she must have been in (it was about 9:30 at night and maybe rehearsal was over earlier? she is now rehearsing as Audrey in Little Shop of Horrors ). But an hour later, I went to check her away message and now she purposely left one there so she must have known I’d be reading it, having seen my message. So, her new “away” message says: “Performing at a celebrity burlesque club. That’s right, Mom!” ROTFL! Well, I haven’t spoken to her since the weekend and didn’t know about this gig but I do have an inkling. She must be on stage right now at this club that celebrities frequent. She did tell me that she, along with a small sub group of her a capella group (I must admit, their group is hot and award winning rock/pop coed and she is the musical director and has written several of their arrangements) had an audition last week to perform at this club in the city that celebrities go to and I never did hear what happened but I guess they got it and have a late night gig tonight. And so I think she was saying, “look at me, I’m performing at this 'burlesque club” which I guess it is referred to! Ha! And when I think about it, a week ago, we were in the city where she had a professional debut as a musical director for a new piece written by a Tony nominated composer and the venue was Cathedral of St. John the Divine…a far cry from this burlesque club!! So, she went from performing at this amazing cathedral, to Marx and rice cakes to a burlesque club. Hm. And she left her message on purpose as she’d know I’d look at it! (and she likely could not have gotten into this club if she were an actual patron)</p>
<p>Well soozie that sounds like a divine menu.</p>
<p>At least you’re allowed to look at facebook. I’m forbidden. When S was here he would read me her away messages which were enormously creative. This was her creative outlet because she is putting much of that away to be a Constitutional lawyer sometime. From Nutcracker to the eighth amendment (cruel and unusual punishment as she was telling me today.)</p>
<p>Anyway, here are my two favorite away messages:
D is eating frozen peaches (just so absurd)
D is spouting Walt Whitman poetry on random NYC corners</p>
<p>That’s my girl!</p>
<p>Just to be clear…I am NOT on facebook and my kids would not be pleased if I was! I have no account or access to it. </p>
<p>I’m talking about my D’s “away” message for her IM’s…on my buddy list for IMing. </p>
<p>(I have no clue what’s on facebook, the wall or what have you)</p>
<p>Oh! Well I’m not allowed to IM either. They are very strict! And my students want to set up a facebook account for me too.</p>
<p>I’m not allowed to listen to any rap music either. Though how would they know?</p>
<p>mythmom, do you think they do just what you tell them? </p>
<p>I say, start with the rap and see where it takes you! :)</p>
<p>If either of you ever meets my sons and tells them that children can disallow parent behavior, I’m going to hunt you down!</p>
<p>Not listen to rap music? First of all–how could I HELP but listen to that boosted beat tingling the floor joists of my house? Those kids are playing it at volume 67 +++. </p>
<p>Second–that beat jumpstarts my 50 year old groove and when that happens–I gotta try out a few hip hop moves and bounces. That’s it. I don’t care what disapproving teenagers are in the room giving me the almighty grimace. Let them pound sand.</p>
<p>Well, for D it’s part and parcel of a whole political agenda that I wanted to support. But I did see Eight Mile (though forbidden). </p>
<p>Actually, D’s strictness has made me the good cop with S. Says D is way stricter; I’m a mushball.</p>
<p>I guess it’s a bit of game; but not facebook, texting, or IMing. That’s her private domain (and only S is allowed).</p>
<p>Oh lord. If disapproving teenagers ran my life I’d be standing in the kitchen making omelettes and breakfast burritos all day long. And I am still not sure what clothes I would be allowed to wear outside of my businesswear. And I couldn’t talk at all if anyone they knew was in the room…heaven forbid I talk about my psychic moments or anything! </p>
<p>But I confess, I too am subject to an IM rule. If D says she has to go, I gotta say OK. Luckily my best friend and I are like that on the phone, ie. gotta go, ok no problem, so I’ve been able to comply pretty easily.</p>
<p>Soozie - congrats on your D’s gig! Can we have her group come and play the Alley? Once we get the Band o’ Sons off the stage that is?</p>
<p>BTW, what do you all want to do the Alley for Halloween? Hmm. What am I going to come as…</p>
<p>My children have given up trying to control me. They have moved into appreciation of my eccentricities. Albeit reluctantly.</p>
<p>Refrigerator magnet on a friend’s fridge:</p>
<p>“Embarrassing my children: just one of the services I provide.”</p>
<p>Right up there with another friend’s refrigerator magnet:</p>
<p>"If a man speaks in the forest and his wife isn’t there to hear him, is he still wrong?</p>
<p>SBmom, I want those magnets!</p>
<p>My latest sin: I picked up S1 (14) at a friend’s house this weekend, and took the opportunity to speak to his mother about the upcoming local election (I am lining up voters and helping with turnout). This was not a sensitive conversation; this woman and I are very much on the same page politically and she has been even more active in national elections than I have. So it was more of a reminder, there was no need to even discuss candidates or issues. As we walked out of the house after the 3-minute conversation, S hissed:</p>
<p>“Mom! Don’t talk about politics with my friends’ parents!”</p>
<p>This is the kid who loves to watch debates, sit through interminable village meetings, and who intends to make it his personal mission to eliminate the electoral college.</p>
<p>Soozie, I’m still laughing about the “celebrity burlesque” message!</p>
<p>Sometimes the only way I know what my kids are doing is by reading their LiveJournal…and by reading between the lines of that. </p>
<p>But mostly they don’t post there anymore…they’ve moved on to Facebook, which I am not on.</p>
<p>I joined Facebook recently for the heck of it (to try to connect with my former Girl Scout troop) and was totally shocked when both my kids friended me. Still trying to scrape my jaw off the floor.</p>
<p>I don’t really know what facebook (or myspace, or messaging) is, how to use it, or why I would want to. Anyone up for a short tutorial?</p>