Dora the Explora Makes Me Want to Shoot Myself

I try to avoid movies or t.v. shows that are heavy with marketing and merchandising. My daughter likes to watch Winnie the Pooh, Yo Gabba Gabba and Bambi. Of course, these come with their own set of stuffed animals and clothing, but nothing comes close to the marketing of Disney’s Princesses and Nick’s Dora the Explorer.

My daughter’s friend, a boy, is really into Dora. I mention that he is a boy because Nickelodeon, for some reason, felt it necessary to have a boy, Diego, and girl, Dora, version of the same Latino adventurer character as if one gender could not empathize with another. Anyway, my daughter showed interest, so I went as far as to borrow a DVD of Dora from the library. Do I regret it! Read more »

Oh, Mexico! 2010

Bahia de Conception

We went to Mexico this winter, drove down hauling our ’62 Cardinal travel trailer.  Our 2 year old is now a road trip pro and we have figured out her limits, when to stop, when to nap, when to buy new toys. We mostly drove up the Baja peninsula. She had a fear of oceans in Cabo, so we found a quite beach locale without waves and called it an Ocean Lake. She seemed convinced and we spent the afternoons collecting shells. Read more »

First Mother’s Day

Nine Months

They were everywhere,
dancing with clowns,
dueling with foam swords,
bopping each other
on the head with red, Read more »

DA DA, COO COO

I know it’s cruel, but I taught my daughter to say, “coo, coo” after, “da, da.” It’s hilarious of course. My husband pretends to not like it, but I think, secretly, he appreciates it for the good joke that it is, even at his expense. The best thing about it is that my daughter and I have an inside joke. Even at the small age of 18 months, we already can share in some private humor. Plus, she is learning to apply the new vocab to other situations. Today the neighbor dog, Ginger, who she calls, “Nay, Nay” was rolling in the grass. My daughter pointed and said, “Nay Nay, Coo Coo.”
“Yep,” I said, “Nay Nay, Coo Coo.”