TMI Friday! Are You Mom Enough?

That's Right, Kids!
TMI Friday is BACK!

And this weeks topic is sure a hot one - 

and fits right into the TMI logic.

*WARNING - TMI FRIDAY MAY CONTAIN ADULT SUBJECT MATTER*

Picture Courtesy TIME Magazine, Copyright 2012.

Is there anyone on the planet that has not seen this magazine cover?

The image of a little boy suckling on his mothers breast is not one that I expected, nor desired, to see when I took my four year old to the grocery store. 

Now, let's get one thing straight here, I am 100% in support of breast feeding your child whenever and wherever. 

Within reason.

If you're still breast feeding your kid when he's four, that's you're business.

But please, let's leave it as your business.

I don't believe that breastfeeding a child that big in public is appropriate, AT ALL.

And quite frankly, the possible psychological ramifications from nursing that late really disturb me.

And to go even further, it's not so much the image on the cover that offends me.

I think it's a little strange, and I'm really horrified that the media would use such an image solely for the sake of stirring up controversy (which was exactly their intention). But it doesn't offend me.

What offends me is the implication within the article that I am not a good enough mom because I chose to not be an attachment parent.

No, I am not, never have been, and never will be an attachment parent.

First of all, my kids are way to independent.

Secondly, I really want my kids to learn how to care for themselves.

I am not going to be there when my kid is 18 and in college to nurse him or her to sleep at night because they had a bad day.

While I can see the benefits of attachment parenting to a certain age (like, 2), beyond that, I honestly believe it can do more harm than good.

We are raising a generation of children that will wrongfully believe the world revolves around them.

Their reality will be skewed and they will not be prepared to handle the real world that involves things like solitude, loneliness, and even losing every once in a while.

Additionally, the psychological ramifications that will come from boys growing in to men that have been attachment-parented for a long period of time. He will grow with the unrealistic expectation that any woman he marries will be as perfect as his mother - or even a second "mother" to him.

I certainly hope that extreme attachment parenting is a fad and goes away soon.

For the sake of the young men of America.

Please.

Alright ladies and gents, that's my soapbox for the week! How do you feel about this topic? What's you're opinion? SOUND OFF!

Why Are Children Such Jerks?

Yes, I said it out loud.
MY CHILDREN ARE (sometimes) JERKS.
To me, to my husband, to each other.
They can be belittling and cruel.
They make fun of each other and call each other names.
They throw things, hit, kick, and bite.
What is it about kids that puts them into this mode?

One day my children are perfect little angels,
Playing well together, laughing with each other (as opposed to laughing AT each other)
Even defending one another and being helpful to one another.

Then the next day . . .
All H-E-double-hockey-sticks breaks loose and they become these little tyrannical monsters that appear to hate the world around them - including each other - including me!

Now this is not an everyday occurance - for the most part my kids are wonderful and amazing and I love them more than anything.

But some days . . .
I just wonder if the gypsies are still taking applications for children . . ?

God's Answered Prayers

This post was inspired by one of my dearest friends who is going through a tough time right now. In her struggle, she has begun to question her faith. This is to show her that sometimes the struggles aren't what they seem, but merely a pathway to something better and more beneficial for us.


Once upon a time there was a young woman.
She never thought she'd have anything worth anything.
She was single and alone, married to her work and her education.

Then one day, God showed her that he had plans for her.
He took away everything she held dear.

In their place He put a tiny child.
Then He put love,
A family,
A home,
And Hope.

God always answers prayers,
Sometimes it's not what you expect.
But sometimes it's what you NEED.
God Bless you all.
Have a wonderful weekend.

My Geeky Side . . .

Hello. My name is Jennifer. And I am a geek.
You wouldn't know from this blog, but I am .
A HUGE one too.
I love Renaissance Festivals, Dungeons and Dragons, Munchkin, Console Gaming (PS3, Xbox, Wii, etc) - and not the silly kiddie games either - no, we're talking hardcore games. Infamous. Bioshock. Left 4 Dead. Skyrim. (O.M.G. I LOVE SKYRIM!!!)
Yes. I am a geek.

One of the drawbacks perks of being a geek mom is that you get to raise geek kids. This poses a problem sometimes - for example, D&D time is Mommy and Daddy time. Our 16-year-old doesn't understand this concept and can't understand why he can't just jump right into our game mid-campaign (D&D games can last YEARS).  Another example is that my four year old son can now play Portal and Portal 2 better than some adults. Why is this a problem? Well . . . Okay, it's not a problem, I just wanted to brag on my 4-year-old gaming prodigy of a son!

But there are moments too that really make a geek parent proud. Like when your child can compare the subtle nuances between Little Big Planet and Mod Nation Racers, or they can talk about the importance of breaking during a drifting moment in Burnout. Or they can give you advice on how best to avoid the Creepers in Minecraft. Or the fact that they not only know who people like Rod Roddenberry, Wil Wheaton, Felicia Day or Steve Jackson are, but they actually look up to them as the kind of people they'd like to be.

Sometimes it's rough being a geeky parent in these non-geeky times. But sometimes, just sometimes, it's a blast.

Speaking of being a geek parent, I have started a journey with my husband and our two best friends to leave a geeky legacy for our children to follow. We are recording our console gaming sessions and posting them on YouTube - mainly for our own amusement, but also for the amusement of others who enjoy laughing at someone's expense. Some of them are hilarious, some of them are . . . meh. But they all show my geeky side. Feel free to check them out at http://www.youtube.com/user/4NerdsGaming My personal favorites are the Portal videos with me and my best friend trying to play 2 player - pretty funny stuff!