Sunday Blogaround - 4.14.13

Hello, lovely readers! Welcome to another edition of the Blogaround!

As you read this, my motley crew and I are traipsing around the Big Apple. That's right, we're in New York City! If I find Jon Stewart, I will hug him. Which, of course, would probably land me in jail. Still...

On to the blogaround!



"Your Mom Guilt Isn't Pinterest's Fault" - Honest Mom
Yes. I can't tell you how much I agree with this. Oh- yes I can. Actually, I've written about it a lot. I feel like it's true- moms are constantly judging each other. There's no winning. But nobody judges any other mom as much as she judges herself. All that paranoia and anxiety... it's internal. We just project it outwards.


"Why We Can Never Go To McDonald's Again" - Ask Your Dad
I actually laughed out loud at the Khan thing. My own similar adventures are here.


"Clone" - Good Times Dad
This. is. awesome. Now, I'm not so into GNR, but it *slays* me when the girls talk about John and his friends. John and his friends? They're the Beatles. SI is totally into Yoko, too. So... that will be awkward eventually. But for the time being, "John and his friends" practically live here. I love it.


"How To Prevent Rape" - SlutWalk Phoenix
You might recall that I am a huge supporter of SlutWalk. Well, this is a great set of guidelines.


"A Gay Dad Sounds Off on the Home Life of the Anti-Gay Child Street Preacher" - HuffPost Gay Voices
I was pretty sure this blog was actually referring to the suicide of the son of the Saddleback Church preacher. I heard the news and immediately started wondering, is this another case of a gay kid killing themselves rather than facing the rejection of everything they ever cared about? Well, it's not. Not exactly. And I am all for this dad, he has his heart and mind in the right place. I'll just go back to wishing I could somehow will people to experience a little more empathy.


"Dear Mom Meme" - The Mom Pledge Blog
I think this is a GREAT idea. It has long been my experience that the moment you really begin writing to somebody, the things you never knew you wanted to say begin coming out. Profound things, deep things, secret things. If you're a parent, I strongly urge you to write a letter.


"Professor Isaiah and the Dynamite" - Breaking the Parenting Mold
This? This is the funniest thing I read all week. Especially because that kid is FABULOUS. I mean really- I wouldn't be surprised if he grew up and became some super-villain a la The Monarch, the way he's selling this schtick. It's freakin' great.


"Parenting is a Human Experience" - Baby Rabies
I love this post. It hearkens back to my original rule of parenting- "Whatever makes you a happier, healthier, saner person IS good parenting." Being a parent doesn't preclude being human. Being a parent is an aspect of humanity. Not the only aspect, but there you have it. To be a human parent, you have to be a human being. No more, no less.


"Screw the Easter Bonnet" - Another Piece of Cake
See, here's another thing about Easter I just don't understand. Bonnets. The girls are supposed to have them? Why? And why do people care? What is HAPPENING???? Who decided that Easter had to be so complicated???? (And definitely, let's stop treating little girls like decorations, shall we?)


"The Seagull" - Short Fat Dictator
I laughed my ass off at this one, too.



"Prelude" - Down Wit DAT
I know, Down Wit DAT is another blog I've been highlighting a lot lately. Well, this is another one that really struck a chord with me. Wyatt, who has Down Syndrome, had open heart surgery on Thursday. This post touches on so many things- on the village helping her raise her children, on the fears any parent would have, on her own need to pay attention to HER needs even at this time... it's beautiful and moving. I know what it's like to wait for it, and then to sit endlessly in a waiting room while the person you love is under the knife. My heart goes out to the Down Wit DAT family.


"Pseudoscience R' Us" - Momma Data
It has bothered me for a while now that anything anybody wants to support has a home online. That there are dedicated "sources" to back up any claim. That there are websites that look like scientific journals that publish paranoid ravings by people with no real scientific education. Well, now I know why.


"The Man on the Street: Three Decades of Street Harassment" - xoJane
It being Sexual Assault Awareness Month and all, I feel that there should be more of this. More stories. More sharing. More coming out of the dark an announcing that THIS IS NOT OKAY. There's really nothing more to say than that.


"The Mother Who Says Having These Two Children is the Biggest Regret of her Life" - Mail Online
I find this woman fascinating. And the comments horrific, more so than usual. Here's a woman who felt obligated to have children, knowing she did not want them, and cared for them, grew to love them. Here's a woman who never wanted to be a mother, but was convinced by a husband that she loved that it was the right thing to do. Did she abuse her children? No. And she is very clear that she does love them very much. But I feel for this woman. Nobody should be able to tell you whether or not to procreate, and if you're coerced into doing so, nobody should judge you for not finding joy in the burdens of motherhood. I recommend this to anyone who doesn't want kids- and I know there are some of you out in my readership. Motherhood is great and all, but it's not everything. Don't trick yourself into believing that it will make you happy, if you feel in your heart of hears that it will not.