It’s Practically a Farm

My conversation with Jake.

Me: “I mowed the back yard.”

Jake: “Oh, sorry. I don’t like to mow the back yard because it’s so vast.”

My Open Letter to Michael Lynton the Chairman & CEO of Sony Pictures Entertainment

Dear Mr. Lynton,

Today I saw Julie & Julia. I really enjoyed it, but before it started I saw a preview for the movie 2012. It looked exciting. I would like to see it, but because it stars Amanda Peet I will not. I use to like her. In fact, I was one of the few people who watched Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip before it was canceled.

But I didn’t like how Ms. Peet inserted herself into the debate over whether vaccines cause autism. Ms. Peet, like everyone else, is entitled to her opinion; but speaking as a so called “parasite” I’d like to respectfully suggest that she has no place in this discussion. Speaking with a pediatrician even “every five minutes” doesn’t guarantee accurate information about autism or vaccines. Pediatricians, like other doctors, rely on the CDC (which has an inherent conflict of interest as it is responsible for both the promotion and safety of vaccines) for information relating to vaccines. And why even speak to Paul Offit about autism? Writing a book about something in which he has no expertise doesn’t make him an expert in autism. And Dr. Offit is by no means an unbiased observer in this discussion since he’s made millions in royalties from the Rotateq vaccine.

Autism affects at least 1 in 150 children. That's a lot of families. I am not implying that all of those families will choose not to see her movies or that all of those families believe that there is a link between vaccines and autism. However, a significant number of us do, perhaps as many as 2/3. Some of those families will join me in deciding never to watch one of her movies or TV shows again. I choose this not because I hate her, but because she only has the platform and power that the public gives her, and I choose to give her neither. As the mother of two boys who became autistic two weeks after routine vaccinations I ask you not to give her power or a platform either.

Mom ... Mom ... Mom!

Bri is away at sleep away camp this week. My husband is in Palo Alto. And I’m a little lonely. My friend’s son is away for six weeks and I feel a ton of sympathy for her. If it were Bri, about week three, I’d have to go bust her out!

Lizzy and Jake are spending their time together arguing. I get to hear things like: “Lizzy went in my room! I hate it when she goes in my room! Can I get an alarm?” And all I can think of is that he wants a cage hovering over his door ready to drop on Lizzy when she puts a toe in his room. It wouldn’t work … except probably on William.

But Lizzy isn’t the innocent victim. For over a week she had a sign on her door that read No Boys Allowed! In her defense she did mean both Jake and Will -- but Will ignored the sign. But listening to their arguing is causing me to seriously consider becoming a nun. Oh … wait, I’m not catholic and it’s too late to do me any good!

At this point, I’m waiting for the “she’s looking at me” or the “he’s breathing” complaint.

Summer is kicking my butt!

Health Care

My Car has a Scraped Butt

After I dropped Jake off at his kayaking lesson this afternoon; I was in a hurry to get back home. So, even though someone had just pulled up next to me (in the middle of the parking lot!), I tried to back out. Everything would have been fine if a pesky wooden post hadn’t decided to move at the same time. But it did. And it wasn’t.

I saw a huge dent in my bumper! Naturally, I tried to call my husband who is in Palo Alto to fix it. After all, he’s only there because of some “big business” meeting. I’m sure he’d much rather stress over what damage (and how much it will cost) I’m causing to our vehicles at home! In fact, that information would probably help him by distracting him from the stressful “business” meetings. I am such a good wife.

But he didn’t answer. So, I called Marcy. She advised me to wait to tell my husband about the dent until he’s home because 1. What can he do from across the country and 2. It’s really not that big of a deal. She volunteered that she's dented thousands of vehicles. Then she offered her husband Tom’s services. I was fully planning on bringing my van over to their house and having Tom bang on my bumper with a hammer until I got home. But when I walked around the van to have a second look, this time minus an audience, I realized there wasn’t a dent – just some scraped paint. Perhaps if I’d looked a little closer in the parking lot I’d have realized it before I wasted ten minutes hyperventilating on the phone to Marcy because, you know, she’ll never get those ten minutes back.

Teaching My Children Humility

After swimming backstroke at B Regionals last Saturday, Lizzy ran up to me and very excitedly said, “I beat someone, I wasn’t last!” In many ways that statement sums up the best of my children’s swimming season.

Bri hasn’t had lessons in two years. Jake has had a tumultuous relationship with swimming. He needed 10 group sessions and 9 private lessons to get him to level 3 in swimming. Then he stayed in level three for about four or five sessions. Lizzy was doing ok in swimming until she went to full day kindergarten. At which point she stopped taking lessons.

It’s difficult to take the kids to swimming lessons. Will gets really upset if he sees the pool but doesn’t get to go swimming. For a while I would spend several days mentally gearing up for swimming lessons. I would take the kids to the dressing room. They would head off for their lesson. I’d walk Will outside the building with him screaming the whole way. It was not pleasant. As a result, my children have taken fewer lessons than I would have liked … and it shows.

Will is a better sport now, but still wants to go swimming if the other kids get to. (I know. He’s so unreasonable!) The one time I took him to watch the kids practice; he took off his shirt twice and tried to jump in the pool. At which point we went outside and waited in the car for it to end.

What’s the most surprising thing about swim team? Well, Lizzy and Bri want to do it again.

Book Recommendations for Adolescents

My brother asked for some book recommendations. I’m racking my brains for books I liked. I'm a voracious reader but after a while they start to blend together. I started reading books for adolescents a couple of years ago when I wanted to know what Bri was reading. I've really enjoyed it. There are some great series out now for kids that I, too, wait for the next book to come out.

I'll start with these and try to remember more. Add any recommendation you have for me.

The Ranger Apprentice Series: Fabulous adventure series!

Underland Chronicles: Set under Central Park. It has a whole civilization with giant rats, spiders, bats and people. Bri, Jake and I loved it.

Wardstone Chronicles: Spooks defending people against witches, etc. Warning this one is dark and a little scary. Bri and I liked it, but the second book scared me.

The Shamer Series by Lene Kaaberbol. Fun books with a female protagonist.

Shadow Children Series: Anything by Margaret Haddix is good.

Uglies Trilogy:

Spiderwick Chronicles

Percy Jackson and the Olympians

Holes and Small Steps

Charlie Bone Series

Books I loved as a child:

Chronicles of Narnia

Tuck Everlasting

Witch of Blackbird Pond

Anne of Green Gables and the rest of L.M. Montgomery’s books

Where the Red Fern Grows