1.21.2009

The great "Calm Down" incident...

This guilt thing that I should be doing something "productive" is really getting in the way of my blogging. That and my newest addiction Facebook, which I'm getting over already. ( I told you I had a short attention span!)

Anyway, we were talking about how to handle a delicate situation with a 5th grader when we last met.

You all had some great perspectives on how you would address this matter.

Bottom line is my friend told her daughter that she was glad she came to her for information. She told her that she shouldn't be discussing stuff like that with her friend and that yes, sometimes moms and dads use something called birth control to prevent having a baby. She also told her she had never heard of a "calm down."

It ended there. (For now.)

I'm pretty open with my daughters when they have questions. As Zibbs said, I try to keep it pretty clinical, but I'm not going to freak out if they hear something at school. It would be naive to think that kids in 4th and 5th grade don't know at least something about sex.

I would much rather have my child be the one hearing stuff, than have her be the one telling My worst nightmare is getting a phone call from an irrate parent telling me that Meg gave her child a complete run down on "how babies are made." When I tell her things I ask her to keep it just between us. I'm sure she doesn't listen all the time.

I actually have a neighbor who called the elementary school principal to scream at him because her 6 year old daughter heard the word "vagina" from someone at school. She had never heard that word before at home! She told the principal that her son who is in 4th grade doesn't even know that word! I give the principal credit because he told her, "With all due respect ma'am. I'm sure your son does know that word, he just won't let you know that he does." HA!

I think parents have to face facts that kids are curious and they are going to ask questions. They are ALSO going to goof around and get silly about it sometimes. It's natural.

Alright, I'm done talking about that.

I think I'll open a can of worms. How 'bout that Inauguration? It's amazing what a production you can pull together with $150 million dollars.

The Obamas really know how to put on a show!!!

Now if I had that kind of dough, I might consider doing something a little more low key and take the rest of the loot and use it to help people who really need it. But hey, it's his money and if he wants to use it to throw a huge, ostentatious bash, who am I to tell him what to do with his money?




23 comments:

Anonymous said...

Wow - that is a lot of money...

Luckily, he's all about transparency and making government information available to the public, so we should all be able to find out where each and every penny went.

I really hope they didn't pay that poet; her poem was pretty bad.

I wonder how much went for security expenditures?

Tara R. said...

I think you handled this situation very "calmly." I agree with you, some parents are naive to think that their kids don't know anything about sex that they haven't told them.

jenn said...

No, I'm actually OK with the Inaugural Money Fiesta...it left me feeling patriotic and pumped full of pride and hope. I think we need a rally point as a nation right now, and maybe that was it - a chance for everyone to get behind the new administration and get primed to turn this country around. Of course, that perspective comes from someone who was already an Obama supporter, and I can see how someone on the other side of the political fence would view it differently.

And I agree with Impoverished Pretty that the poem totally sucked.

"Cookie" said...

Hi! Found you blog thru a blog and so so...

I have to say I was with you on the $150 mil but it was actually closer to $170 mil. (this is what i heard on FOX News today.) The breakdown was loosely as follows: $120 mil on security, Porta-johns, and blockades, $45 mil on entertainment which was paid for my sponsors...I quit listening at this point. Any way....thought you would be interested in that bit of info.

Glad I ran across your blog. It's too funny.

Anonymous said...

Not only did the poem suck but I thought Aretha sucked too...the prayer with all the races was great though...and that was a lot of money.

"Cookie" said...

it should have been BY sponsors...not my. Sorry!

Jill said...

The $150M aside.... I sure hope Aretha didn't pay much for that hat because it was just BAD.

Unknown said...

wow i have a 5th grader too...and ummm thats a lot of moola!!! I did not vote for Obama but i feel like i should support him as an American...

Anonymous said...

Have you checked how much was spent on other Inaugurations ?
Let's face it Security is very important not only for Obama but for spectators as well.
It takes alot of fuel to bring bush back to Midland on Air Force One perhaps Amtrak or greyhound would have been more practical.

Caffeine Court said...

The thing with Bush is...we KNOW he's a greedy, money grubber who's only out for himself. Obama is above all that stuff...RIGHT? ;)

As for turning the country around. I'm all for it. I hope Obama is able to do it.

Caffeine Court said...

My last comment sounded snide. I REALLY do hope Obama is successful. I just get scared when I hear things like the government taking over banks and healthcare. That kind of stuff is bad. Very bad, for everyone, rich and poor alike.

Debie Napoleon said...

It wasn't Obama that took over the banks..it was Bush's time.

Ned said...

SO much money spent...I guess every Inauguration costs a bundle. Aretha what the hell? Was awful. The poet I hope was free.

clemsongirlandthecoach said...

Dude. You are all missing the most important part of the day!!!

The darling-est coat ever worn by the littlest Obama. Seriously? Pink and orange...swoon!

Caffeine Court said...

I did indeed, see the coat. Those little girls are so damn adorable!!

Petunia said...

People have no clue how bad government-controlled healthcare would be. It's not too hard to look at Canada or Sweden and see what we would be in for.

jenn said...

Have you seen jcrew's homepage right now? They have a huge "Congrats to the First Family!" with an added note that yep, the Obama girls were wearing out coats! Talk about free advertising...

But seriously, they were a-dorable.

Anonymous said...

Really! Talk about making a splash!

Coffee with Cathy said...

On Larry King on Wednesday night, Aretha Franklin said she was not happy with her performance -- but she still loved her hat!

Youngby said...

The most expensive inauguration in history, the most expensive campaign in history. And all this despite having the most free press in history.

What's next, the most expensive presidency in history?

Let's look out 10 to 20 years and contemplate what the size of government and government expenditures might be.

This would cause tremendous inflation. Imagine retiring with $1 million dollars only to find that it's worth $100,000.

Fear for your future and your children's future.

It's not the spending at one huge event, it's the pattern of spending that has me afraid - very afraid!

Adlibby said...

Well... I have to differ on a couple of points. I would want my kid to be the one to spill the beans instead of learning incorrect info on the birds and bees from random kids at school. Both my 9 year old and my 7 year old can say "vagina" and say it proudly! Knowledge is power.

And yeah, that inauguration was sinfully expensive... but the Republicans have completely blown their reputation for being frugal so... Let's just see where we go from here, hunh? God bless America! (but that hat!!!)

Tickled Pink And Green said...

It was waaaay more than ever has been spent before.

The crazy thing is, 4 years ago Bush got PUMMELED for spending so much (and it was way less than this one) during a "time of war" and other economic downturns. One blog even pulled up 4 years old headlines about Bush being too extravagant!

Now? The media was all for the extravaganza.

It must be nice to have the media completely in the tank for you!

Yellow Beads said...

I use the words "vagina" and "penis" all the time around my kids; I'd rather them know the REAL names! In fact, my 3 year old girl jokingly told her dad this week, "I don't have a china dad, I want peanuts."

 
Website Content and Copy: Caffeine Court, 2007-8.|Blog Design by JudithShakes Designs.