Kid Talk

Santa Claus: Blame the Patriarchy

3 Comments / Christmas, Daily Dose, Family Funk, Kid Talk, Women /

I know, it’s Easter and here I am blogging about Santa Claus. That’s just the way this family rolls. Also, this is sort of related to the Easter Bunny so just be patient while I explain.

Yesterday when TW picked up the kids from school there was a discussion about what the Easter Bunny might bring. This led to RJ saying that she is pretty sure the Easter Bunny is a girl. She is also very, very sure that Santa Claus is a woman.

TW questioned this because, ya know, Santa Claus is a dude. Everybody knows this.

RJ does not agree because what everybody really knows is men do not know enough about children to be able to provide the perfect, high quality gifts delivered by Santa Claus. Only a woman would have the insight into gifting and into children to be able to pull of a great gift giving season – year after year after year.

TW asked her how she reconciles that with the long, long history we have of Santa Claus being a man.

RJ says, duh. Santa is a woman dressed like a man. History proves that women have often had to pretend to be men in order to accomplish great things. And, that they have had to allow men to take credit for their work because women aren’t allowed to do great things.

Needless to say, I love that kid.

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A Gainesville PSA

3 Comments / Family Funk, Kid Talk, Memories /

They mean it.


I drop Michelle off at this spot, several times a week. OK, not this exact spot – this is the parking lot exit and I tend to drop her off at the parking lot entrance which is like 30 yards back – and every time I drop her off I say “Damn, I really need to bring my camera.” And today. I did.

Michelle works at the place that has such great burritos that people risk being towed to grab a bag full of them. You see, parking is almost non-existent in downtown Gainesville and it’s extra non-existent directly across from campus so that tiny little Target Copy parking lot is prime parking space for burrito hungry people.

Anyway. I love the sign. Both of them because there’s one at both the entrance and the exit and they both make me smile, every time. Even when the drop off time is 5:10am on a Sunday morning.

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Gun on campus – email isn’t enough especially if it doesn’t arrive

2 Comments / Community Chest, Daily Dose, Family Funk, Kid Talk /

Michelle wasn’t at SFCC yesterday, she was at work. She did however hear all about the gun on campus from friends. She did not hear about it from administrators of SFCC.

She did not get an email in either her SFCC account or her personal account.
She did not get a phone call on her cell phone or on her home phone.
The emergency text message service was not used.

A friend of hers was at school, attending classes and roaming the campus, and she didn’t hear about the gunman until she got home from school…

I’ll be interested in hearing what was discussed at the meeting that occurred today, at 11:30am and at the Student Government meeting going on right about now.

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Daily Dose of Cupcakes

4 Comments / Family Funk, Holidays, Kid Talk, Memories /

Happy 18th Birthday

The birthday girl came home from an all-nighter to change clothes and get her stuff before heading to school to take a math test. We nudged her into the kitchen to check out her cupcakes and she giggled.

And then she said… “How did you know I love chocolate cupcakes with white icing?”

Errr I have been this child’s mother for 18 full years and I have baked her so many batches of cupcakes for birthdays and other events that it would be impossible for me to NOT know that this is the only kind of cupcake that Michelle likes.

Kids are clueless.

Taking cupcakes to school when you're in college


And then she grabbed a cupcake to take with her to school, as I knew she would.














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See mom, I told you

5 Comments / Family Funk, Holidays, Kid Talk /

A few days ago my mom called to see if Michelle wanted anything special for her 18th birthday or if she should “just add money to her CD”. I told her to just add the money to the CD because Michelle can afford to buy anything she wants or needs… and she really would appreciate money added to the CD (most often referred to around here as the “Michelle’s down payment for a house when she’s 25 fund”.)

Sure enough, Michelle proved that she can, and sometimes does, buy herself whatever she wants.

This mandolin was purchased by Michelle during her break between classes today – without touching her savings at all.

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