Mr. Brown can Moo...

Great book if you are learning to read. Let it be said that I love Dr. Seuss. He is one of my favorite authors. That being said, his early reading books can wear on a parent when you read them over, and over, and over....

At some point every parent has a fantasy about what they would like to do to certain books....



Unfortunately not only is destroying a book a crime (morally at least), I do believe it is probably some form of child abuse.

It is kind of amusing to me really. My son has these two books. Mr. Brown can Moo can You. By Dr. Seuss and The Gingerbread Man by Jim Aylesworth. The Dr. Seuss book is meant for early readers, so the words are simple one - two syllable at most. It's mainly sounds..."Mr Brown can sound like a clock he can TICK he can TOCK" The Gingerbread Man has an actual story line and each page has many, many words. Granted, there is rhyming so it makes it easier to read. That being said, I would rather read this more 'difficult' story over and over then read Mr. Brown one more time. No joke. Its not just that book, I hate reading Goodnight Moon (yes I do). I know grandparents and mothers of older children all go 'aww I love goodnight moon...I remember reading it to my children..." yeah do you remember reading it over and over and over? How about The hungry hungry caterpillar? Yeah? These books are enriching in their colors, shapes, words and the worlds created by very talented children's authors. They are repetitive, boring, and down right mind numbing to a parent. Well to this parent. Does this make me a bad parent? Does it make any parent bad if they hate something their kid likes? I mean if you are a Uber girl and you have a son, does it make your horrid if you hate cars and trucks? I don't think so. No where is it written that being a parent means you automatically love what your children do. In fact I would say it is perfectly okay to down right loath certain things. (think teen years with music and clothing....)  Being a parent means you put your kids first.

Selfishness isn't part of being a parent. So if your kid wants to read Goodnight Moon....again...you read it. You muster up the enthusiasm even though you can recite it in your sleep. You build city's and train tracks when you would rather play with dolls, you watch Little Bear when you would much rather watch Dexter.

And you pray...you pray that someday your child will want to read something with a plot....like Horton Hears a Who....









As a final note, am I the only parent who rather spend an extra fifteen minutes reading a 'real' story to my child then reading a quick nonsense story? I'd like to think that I am not alone.

This is why I don't like roller coasters....

Its because one minute everything is fine, world is stable beneath your feet and then next...whoosh...flip...spin....breathtaking heart stopping, stomach flipping downward spiral. Wham!! Nothing is what you thought, you are left with a shocked expression, funny tingling in your stomach and a bad hair do. That night what? Can you sleep? No. Why? Because you are thinking about that roller coaster. You might still be feeling it. You might still be a little sick.

This is life though. This is how life works. Its always been that way. Sometimes the roller coaster is awesome. Best ride of your life. Sometimes its scary, and you want nothing more then to get off. Sometimes, there is a dark tunnel and you can't see the end. Then when you think all hope is lost, the light shines through and you see it was worth it.

So what ride are you on this week, month, year? The kind where you are happy and having a great time? Or the one where you are begging the attendant to let you off? Just remember, my fellow riders, there is always a light at the end of the tunnel. It may be hard to see now sure, it may be very distant, and it might not make up for all the pain and fright and anxiety you had during the ride, but it will make the ride worth it. I can say that, even though I am currently on a very strange ride. One I never thought to be on, one I hoped to leave behind.

Addiction

There are many, many forms. Some are good for you. Being addicted to running for example.

Some are awful for your health, drugs come to mind!











And some are awful the people around you. Like gaming addictions....

I have been addicted to things in my day. Like smoking, big one there, and coffee. So I am no stranger to the pull that addictions can have one you...

Come here, I will make life all better!!

That all being said, I thinking gaming addiction is the dumbest. Perhaps that is because I have a loved one who has one. "Yes my name is M I am the spouse of a gamer.? "Hi M!"

So in true therapy fashion how does this make me feel. Well, I feel angry, a lot. I have come to despise his computer in ways I have never despised an inanimate object before. (were are not going to talk about a missing Cowboy Junkies CD that was accidentally maliciously destroyed).

I get angry at him for not wanting to spend his free time with his family. Now I understand that you, want some you time after work. I get that. Gosh I would like it to. Now GROW UP!! For Gosh sakes we have a four year old!! And every single day he is just getting older! Why isn't that the most amazing thing you have ever seen in your whole life? That is what kills me. If it was just me, whatever. But having this amazing wonderful person to play with and enjoy and not WANTING to? Just PISSES ME OFF!!! I can't even handle it.

And yes, we have talked. There have been many, many talks! Nothing. I promise I will cut down, I promise this I promise that. Instead I am left to have these wild fantasies about what I would like to do with his computer. Like this one for example.

Pretty good huh? Totally made that myself!! But honestly this is a mild one. Others have included acid, fire, burying ashes, oh car tires. Many many more wonderful ways of destruction, and I am open to more ideas.

I just don't understand the addiction I guess. In ways I am sure some people will never understand why I spent so many years smoking. But to me, this is just stupid. I mean down right, loser stupid. Its like Dungeons and Dragons for losers. You have to play and get good or whatever and then interview to join the best guilds!! Lame! Is this a job? Are they paying you? Oh and apparently if you aren't on raids enough, your percent goes down and they can kick your butt out!? What is this survivor? Honestly!! This is the stupidest waste of time. Read your kid a story, play some go fish. Some day he is going to be a man and you are going to say...what the heck happened?

Here are some fun links for you:

Everquest - not just for kids for anymore
Gaming Addiction - where to get help 
Addictions - again, where to get help 
Being the loved on of an addict