Rituals.

Long long ago when I was a new Mommy, I had a difficult baby in the sleeping department. She had to be held and rocked to sleep every night. And if we happened to wake her up while laying her down, we had to start the entire process over from scratch. I'm so glad we stuck to our guns back then, because she's such a good sleeper now.

Anyway, Way back in the olden days, we tried everything to get her to sleep. So I tried to think of some songs to sing. Hm. I seem to know NO nursery rhyme-type songs. On top of that, I'm not a very good singer. I know plenty of Dixie Chicks songs, but they aren't really conducive to sleep, more to dance. I remembered all the times with my dad, in the bedroom listening to him sing and play his guitar and wished for a recording. Bummer. But I also remembered a song he sang to us, and had sung to my mom, called "I Will" by the Beatles. Well, I can manage this! Short, right in my range, with the added family history! Awesome! So I've been singing it for 4.5 years now, to both of them. Even Ben knows some of the lyrics. Tonight Maddie asked me to print the lyrics so she could sing it in the microphone with Ryan, so I did, and Ryan requested the Tab. We sat in the music room and sang our song together.

It's really a good mommy/child song. Maddie loves the part where is says
"Love you whenever we're together, love you when we're apart"
and it's a true thing for us, a reminder that no matter where I am, I will love her (them). Another legacy from my dad, and so wonderful for our family.

I do not feel sorry for Jessica Alba

Or Jessica Simpson. These women put themselves out there, then complain.
This is what Jessica Alba had to say about giving birth.
"Contractions aren't that bad. If you've ever had bad cramps? That's what they're like. But that moment when they put the baby on your chest ? that's deep. It's a deep experience"
WHAT? Did she pretend to give birth? Act it out? Unless she was drugged from the moment she started feeling the contractions, she's nuts. “I wore a girdle," she says. "Eight weeks after my girlfriend had her baby, you could see her six-pack. She told me to put an elastic band around my waist—any kind of band or girdle works. She was like, 'I slept in it.' I didn’t recover as fast as she did. I [still] don’t have a six-pack.” WAAAAA!
I've never had a six pack. Most moms' don't due to the IMMENSE AMOUNT OF ABDOMINAL STRETCHING that happens for NINE months!

And now on to Jessica Simpson, My mom was actually at the concert the news is blaring about. Her "voice was weak" that night (always in my opinion) and she felt "vulnerable" on stage. Hey, lady, you signed up for this. I felt bad about the weight gain cracks (but, seriously, fire your stylist. Even if it's your mom) but this is ridiculous.

Some days, like yesterday, I don't want to even venture out of my house. J.S. is not a mom, but I think women in general feel this way sometimes. Being in the limelight is their chosen profession. Don't tell me you're too tired, whiny, upset to go on. You're being paid to do so. Anyone else would just be fired from their jobs.

Enough of the tirade. For now.