Picket Fence Post

Boston Globe writer Joanna Weiss wrote an interesting piece this weekend about whether parents should impose their political views on their kids by having them wear politically-oriented clothing:

. . . [T]he idea of an activist baby is also a little disturbing, given the state of political rhetoric today. This is an arena of name-calling and knee-jerk hatred; comments on blogs can be nastier, and a fair amount more childish, than any spat I’ve seen in a playground sandbox. Even the candidates, some of whom strove to look noble for a while, are starting to act like schoolyard bullies or snotty tattletales. And it turns out you can have hostility printed on a onesie, too.

I did a quick search of CafePress and found that you can indeed get baby and kid political-wear. There were, for example, an ”I Hated Sarah Palin Before It Was Cool” shirts and ”Godless Liberal” bibs. Not cool, using a toddler or baby to promote a parental political position.

In our house — which is filled with all manner of political and current events talk — The Spouse and I emphasize that the kids can and should make up their own minds when it comes to which presidential candidate they support.

It’s kind of like the flirtation The Eldest Boy had with rooting for the Evil Empire, otherwise known as the New York Yankees a few years ago. Even though the fact that we bought The Eldest Boy a Yankees cap made The Spouse nuts, I told him we had to allow our kids root for (and vote for or support) whoever they want to. They’re their own people. We shouldn’t force our views on them, even though, in a house full of Red Sox paraphernalia and vigorous cheering, the Sox are clearly the favorites.

That’s why, I can’t even imagine suiting my kid up, particularly a non-verbal baby, with an “I Hate [Fill in the Blank of a Candidate or Party]” onesie. Feels too creepy.

“A lot of people care passionately about the upcoming election, the future of the nation, the pressing issues of our day,” Weiss wrote. “Here’s the reality check: Your infant isn’t one of them. Even if he’s wearing a onesie that said, ‘Tiny Democrat.’”

Image credit: CafePress.com.

Gal bloggers — including yours truly — will be heading up to Burlington, MA this Saturday for a day-long BlogHER event which will feature speakers such as Lisa Stone, founder of BlogHER, and Boston Mama’s Christine Koh.

The Manic Mommies podcasters, who are based in Massachusetts, along with Parents & Kids Magazine editor Heather Kempskie will be there, among other New Englanders.

Of course I’ll be toting a massive cup o’ Joe in order to make it through the first few sessions on how to bring you folks some exquisite bloggin’ goodness. But with Game 1 of the American League Championship Series featuring the Old Towne Team starting after 8:30 tonight, I’ll be in need of a gallon of java.

Now that the Red Sox have disposed of the Angels in the American League Division Series in dramatic fashion, we can look forward to American League Championship Series games being played on East Coast time, not West Coast 10 p.m. hell.

Between those LA playoff games that stretched until the wee hours of the morning and the 9 p.m. presidential/vice presidential debates (and the post-debate analysis I watch until late), I’ve been running on some serious Dunkin’ (and other caffeinated goodness) these days. But to be honest, Sunday night’s game in Boston ran late as well, and it didn’t end as nicely as tonight’s contest.

Bring on the Rays. I wish we could also bring on Rem-Dog and Orsillo from NESN. Those TBS guys are just terrible and that guy with the hideous, retina-destroying jackets makes me crazy.

Image credit: AP/Charles Krupa.

Item #1: Late Night Sox

I, along with many members of Red Sox Nation, am bleary-eyed today after staying up (or trying) to watch last night’s Red Sox playoff game in California that ended in the wee hours of the morning. While the Sox were triumphant, I must admit that there were about a half-dozen times when I nodded off for extended chunks of the game. (I should’ve had that iced coffee I was talking about drinking at 7.)

And with the pressure to be remain wide awake tonight in order to watch the historic vice presidential debate – when debates are boring, they often require caffeine in order to make it through and actually understand what’s being said — I’m going to keep the good coffee grower folks in business.

Item #2: The Duggar Family of 19 Makes Me Tired

Some call it a reality show. I call it a horror show. Just the very concept of a household teeming with 17, soon to be 18 children, is enough to send me back to the warm, cozy confines of my bed, and pull the covers over my head (and after late night Sox games, retiring to bed is even more alluring).

But in a world where I’m fatigued just trying to work and take care of three kids, I know I’m not the only American who is fascinated with just how a large family – a super-sized one in this case – actually makes it through the days without murder, mayhem and graffiti.

Enter: 17 Kids and Counting. On The Learning Channel. The premiere episode of the reality show this week featured a trip by the collection of “J” first-named kids and their parents to New York City where they were announcing — to the kids and the public — on the Today Show  that Michelle Duggar was pregnant with baby number 18. Just watching the kids pack (My Lord the closets! The clothing! Looked like Filene’s Basement!) was enough to make me want to cry . . . or maybe that was my own personal sleep deprivation.

And this woman home schools the kids. Oy! At least they have one grandmother around to help out.

Item #3: HSM 3 Trailer

The Girl yesterday inquired about the exact date of the theatrical release of High School Musical 3. (October 24 for those of you keeping track at home.) When I Googled it and happened upon the movie’s trailer, she was enthralled. Parents of tweens, prepare for the promotional onslaught.

The Eldest Boy stayed up late last night – with The Spouse’s permission – to watch Major League Baseball’s Home Run derby, while The Girl and The Youngest Boy two watched a recording of it this morning on our DVR.

All three kiddos are psyched about tonight’s All-Star game, although the American League players will be without the services of our beloved Big Papi who’s still on the mend.

Nonetheless, despite any sleep-deprived tantrums that are likely to erupt today or tomorrow following late night baseball viewing, we are thrilled that the Red Sox have re-taken first place in the American League East.

So, as The Youngest Boy is melting down tomorrow because he’s so very tired, I will try to ease my pain in dealing with his irrational behavior by reminding myself that, at least for now, the Sox are number one.

And I’ll plan on bribing the kid with ice cream, that always seems to work.

Image of me wearing my beloved Red Sox jacket. The dinner plate-sized button bearing the likeness of my baseball hero, Dwight Evans, is obscured from view.

A large article — accompanied by, count ‘em, three color photos — in the New York Times makes the argument that walking around with dramatically, noticeably chipped nail polish is now in. But only if you’re under 35 years old. And only if you’re wearing over-priced designer clothing and toting stupidly expensive purses which hold your now much-lighter wallet.

What reasons does one of the nation’s largest newspapers give for making this declaration?

“Over the last few years . . . having streaked, chipped or just plain grotty nail polish no longer suggests drug addiction, manual labor or pure laziness,” wrote Melena Ryzik. “Like untied high-tops, thread-worn jeans and bedhead, it’s now part of a deliberate look . . . It has been spotted uptown, in professional settings and gala parties, behind department store sales counters and even (gasp!) on beauty and fashion industry insiders.”

If letting your deep red nail polish chip to the point that it looks like you were splattered by blood is now chic — except for oldsters such as myself (the late 30+ crowd) — I’m throwing down the gauntlet. If the Times thinks it can declare something like this a bonafide fashion trend, then I, your intrepid blogger, have decided to jump into the deep end of the pool and declare some fashion trends of my own. . . starting with pony tails, sleekly done, 24/7. Not that pulling all your hair back into a pony tail says that you don’t care, it just tells the world that you have better things to do than spend 77 minutes on your hair every morning.

PJs at the school drop-off or school bus stop. Barely camouflaging your pajamas with a sweater or jacket and casually slipped-on sandals when seeing your children off to school indicates to the world that you were in bed too long.  What better way to get your neighbors to start wondering about whatever could have kept you in bed so late . . . other than garden variety sleep deprivation induced by living with small children.

Root beer or chocolate chip cookie dough lip balm as moisturizer. Who among us hasn’t used our children’s fun, flavorful lip balm on a dry patch or two? Why not make it a full-fledged trend and start regularly smoothing it on our elbows, knees and other parched areas so not only will they be soft and supple, but they’ll smell good too?

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