Happy Birthday and Observations

Happy Hump Day friends!

I'd first like to wish a happy birthday to the most successful hooker I know, my youngest sister, Katie. You've always been a giant pain in my ass so I don't have any grand expectations for you turning a year older and growing up.

I've also made a few observations as of late and thought I'd share.

Perhaps the most depressing, I have suddenly acquired many, many wrinkles. I don't know when it happened but please see below for the photographic evidence. Time to buy that cream and pray for a miracle. Also, see bags under eyes compliments of my son. 

My second observation comes from reading a few articles about everyone up in arms about their kids being weighed at school and getting notices if they are overweight. I guess the approach isn't so great but news flash; this has been going on forever!! Has everyone forgotten the required physicals you had every single fall growing up? The nurses calling you in one by one and getting poked and prodded to make sure you were healthy? 

The part that gets me is that instead of parents being concerned about their child's weight and holding themselves accountable, they're banging down the doors at the school calling it cruel, embarrassing and a bunch of other nonsense. I stopped reading after a while.

Here's the thing, back in elementary school I was a chubby bunny and I'm going to guess my parents probably knew about it from the school or just plain observation. They were probably all "hey, Jen's chubby we oughta do something." My dad made me exercise and eat right, for the most part. I don't mean exercise in the way we think, I mean, get off the couch and go outside and don't come back in until its dinnertime.

Am I scarred for life? I don't think so. Do I eat healthy and am I an average weight for my body? I think so. Probably because I learned to take care of myself a long time ago.

Obesity is an epidemic people! The schools are trying to help you! I can almost guarantee they're not dragging scales into the classroom, weighing kids in front of everyone and encouraging the class to laugh and point at the fat kid. They're simply trying to help nip a problem in the bud before your kid blossoms into a 400lb adult with diabetes, busted knees and a whole bunch of heartbreak. 

Haven't we all seen those shows?

In summary, I think we're all getting a little soft. Toughen up people. Hold yourself accountable. Feed your kids good food. Teach them the importance of exercise. Take away the iPods, iPads and computers and tv. Make them go outside. And while you're at it, teach them that we can't all win a trophy, you will lose at some point in your life and that sometimes you're just not going to be the best at things. 

Here's what we're teaching out kids: its not your fault, its society or your teacher or whomever is closest to you at that moment in time. It's not me and it's certainly not you baby. All them. Come on, lets go get you a cupcake to cheer you up.

I could probably go on and on about this all day but I'll stop there because I can feel myself getting fired up about how screwed up we're raising our children. Get it together.

And just one more thing, I won Fantasy Football last week. Suck it boys! Papa Bear just beat me on the waiver list though and stole all my prospects so I'm not hopeful for this week. It's a battle royale in our house.

Me vs. PB.

It's on.

xxoo
ma