Bratz

So the makers of Barbie sued the makers of Bratz, because of an employment contract dispute. The maker of Bratz evidently came up with the idea for Bratz while working for Mattel, who makes Barbie. The jury sided with Mattel and they were awarded $100 million. That is not really the point I am making, just a little background info. My point is in reading this story I learned Bratz profits top $500 million a year. I was stunned to be honest. Is the market for these little whore dolls really that large? Do parents really buy these little street walkers for their little girls? I know a lot of parents do not care for Barbie, she sets a bad example, causes body image issues, her proportions are just unrealistic for the average woman. Fine and well. Bratz though take it to a whole new level. If Barbie encourages girls to have bodies that are unattainable, do Bratz encourage girls to dress like ladies of the night? To wear more make up than any circus clown does? To have shoe sizes larger than their waist sizes?

I banned Bratz in my house long ago. I hate the dolls for all the above mentioned reason, but also because they are the ugliest dolls I have ever seen. I find a troll doll more attractive to be honest. Now my girls have at some points in time been given Bratz dolls as gifts, and I do not take them from them, but I made sure I commented on how the dolls do not dress like real girls should dress and I also make sure they meet an untimely demise eventually. Even more disturbing in my opinion are the Baby Bratz, wow hooker babies, how interesting.

I know, I know if children are looking at dolls to be their role models, even just image role models, maybe I am doing something wrong. NO. I do not agree. Grown women, who are mature and have very strong minds of their own, look at the images of celebrities gracing the covers of magazines and feel inadequate quite often, so is it that far of a reach a child would want to replicate their favorite toy? I don't think so.

If you choose to allow your child to play with Bratz, fine, that's okay for your family. It is not okay for mine though. I just hope that the Bratz evidently large buying market are instilling in their children they are purchasing these dolls for that their image is not a good thing. That it is not acceptable to look that way in real life. I really was just super disappointed to learn how large of a market these little hooker dolls have. I almost wish Mattel would have been awarded their $2 billion in damages they originally requested and put this doll straight into the depths of, oh I don't know bankruptcy.

Herc

Then:








Now:


It's almost that time for our dog to cross the Rainbow Bridge. We are going to let him go there. I realize that a lot of people read my blog and have debated whether or not I would blog about this since it may be a bit controversial. But I need somewhere to get my feelings out about it, and after all this is my blog.

Our oldest dog, Hercules, is a German Shepherd who John has had long before I met him. Hercules was actually my mother in law's dog, but due to special circumstances he ended up with John. So this dog has been in the family since John was 16 years old. Hercules had a very mischievous youth, which is how he became John's dog after John moved out of his mother's. He was not a very friendly dog to other animals because he was attacked by another dog when he was little. He is a special dog in our opinions, a dog who would rather a piece of fruit or a vegetable over a steak. He has a special fondness of apples. The mere mention of an apple gets him drooling. He was born on a farm with pigs and he loves to root. His teeth are in bad shape because he loved chewing rocks. He is smart, sometimes he can outsmart us.

Hercules has started showing his age a while back, just normal things, he liked to sleep more often than not, he moved at his own pace, wouldn't like walking anymore, he started having to go out and do his business a lot more often, and we actually started leaving a bowl of apples in the middle of the dining room table and he left them alone. The vet has always given him a good bill of health, he just says he is getting old. The vet asked us exactly how old he was, I told him almost 13 and asked what is this breed's life expectancy and the doctor kind of muttered 10. We have known he is up there in age for a while.

Lately though things are getting worse. He is getting very snippy with everyone. His back end seems to have lost most of it's muscle tone. He has trouble standing up, laying down, scratching his head with his back legs like he used to do, he can no longer jump much at all whereas in the past he could clear things very high. The latest thing is he doesn't even seem to know when he is going to the bathroom. He just starts going, laying wherever he is and realizes what he did and start getting up. This is poop and pee. It sucks. We know he doesn't mean to do it. He's lost most of his hearing. He sleeps a lot, and is hard to even wake up sometimes. At night if he doesn't wake us up to go out, I wake up looking for him, checking to make sure he is still breathing. The good thing is he doesn't seem to be suffering or in pain, not that he shows us anyway, he is just elderly. In dog years he is almost 91. His quality of life is hardly there anymore, at least compared to what it was.

A lot has gone into this decision. The decision was mostly left up to John because well he and Herc have this bond. He has had this dog a little less than half of his life. He has never really lost "anyone" so close to him. I know a decision was/is heart wrenching, but right. But my heart bleeds for John, it really really does. Our family seriously will not be the same with Herc. As much as this dog has been a huge pain in the rear, more in his youth than now (now I understand that he cannot help the way he is) we all love him. Our lives revolve around Herc. We make sure we are never gone for more than a few hours, we don't open certain doors and windows because he is not fond of outside animals, I mean John and I have a loveseat at the end of our bed for him. That is Herc's couch.

I remember when John and I were still dating, I slept over one night (yeah, yeah I was that kind of girl, lol) and I woke up to my purse on the floor dumped out and my shirt on the floor torn up. Herc went through my purse, little did I know at the time he had a thing for gum and there was gum in there and then he ate my shirt, I assume out of spite. John was always his, now I was in the picture. He and I eventually worked out our differences, I used to work night shift at the hospital and then came home in the morning, John was already gone for work, and I'd sleep all day snuggled up in the bed with the dog. Another time he got up on the counter and ate a whole cantaloupe. The whole ENTIRE thing, the only clue we found was a single seed on the floor. And his huge bloated belly. I remember the story of him trying to eat a candle (this was before John and I met) because it was shaped like an apple, him and his apples. He used to play with empty soda bottle tossing them in the air and catching them, chewing them until he accomplished what he set out to do, pop the cap off. Herc would always sleep anywhere John was working around the house, even if it meant in a pile of saw dust. He hates the vacuum and the nail gun. He also hates fireworks and thunder. He used to love the snow, his favorite time of year though was when summer was turning to fall and the weather was cool and crisp. He used to like swimming, but he hated and still hates baths.

We are having our usual end of the summer BBQ the weekend after this one. Less than 2 weeks. We are hoping Herc hangs out with us until then, since everyone will be here (hopefully). Everyone who has loved him could see him one last time. Kind of morbid I guess, in a way, but having a last goodbye is always nice in retrospect. The week following the BBQ I guess we will bring him to the vet for the last time. Our lives will not be the same without Herc that's for sure. Herc is not the kind of dog who will ever be forgotten. He is truly one of a kind.

Laughter

When my sister and I were kids we would get these fits of laughter that were unstoppable. I don't ever remember what we were laughing at, maybe nothing at all, but the laughter grew and grew until we cackled like fools and usually annoyed anyone around us. I remember once my sister was in the doctor's office getting her temperature taken and one of the fits of laughter struck and by the time they came to see what the temp was it had risen way above what was normal all because she laughed and laughed with the thermometer in her mouth.

Our most memorable fits of laughter usually happen when we were both sleeping over our Gram's house. Never during the day, not during normal hours, always as we were settling down for bed. At first our Gram would laugh a bit with us but when our laughter took on a life of its own, she had had enough. She'd tell us she didn't care what time it was, she would get up and take us home, and this would make us laugh harder. I think because we knew she'd never. The same as I am not sure what caused the laughter I am not sure what caused it to eventually stop either, but it did.

Lately Amber has started giggling a lot. For no apparent reason usually, sort of like she heard a joke in her head, something no one else heard. Sometimes she will say something funny and just crack herself up. Whatever the reason it starts as a giggle and grows into an uncontrolled laugh. As soon as it hits the uncontrollably laugh stage, I start laughing. Laughing until my cheeks hurt, laughing until my sides hurt. I can't help it, memories wash over me like sunlight on a hot, cloudless summer day. Every time I think of my sister and I, laughing like two fools. How can that not make you smile? I guess you had to be there, because John usually finds this all pretty annoying, but seeing us cackling like that he doesn't say much, just looks at us, like we escaped the funny farm. I cannot wait until Jewel hits the age where she starts getting the giggles. When she and Amber will just look at each other and laugh for no apparent reason. Maybe because there is a secret only sisters can share, maybe because we, their parents, have embarrassed them by saying something stupid because we are oh so uncool, maybe because a cute boy caught their eye. Who knows what the reason will be, I am sure when they grow old they won't remember the reason either, just the bond they shared as they laughed their little heads off. There is nothing like childhood.

I Want To Sleep

It sucks not being able to sleep at night. S-U-C-K-S!!!!!! It's 5am and I have been up for a couple hours now. I am tired all day long, barely able to keep my eyes open, then come night time I am wide awake, daydreaming of being able to sleep. What the heck is wrong with me????

Entitled?

I really do not understand it. There is not that much time between when I was a kid and my kids are kids. At least I don't think so anyway. But my kids feel they are entitled to whatever they want and whenever they want it. I think my son is the worst of the 3. I am tired of being a walking ATM for these kids. John became tired of it long ago but I am the sucker. I hated wanted something when I was a kid, not that I wanted a lot, so I try not to make them want something unless it's something really special. Jewel who is only 4 wants a list of items. A cell phone, a camera and a vacuum, yes I said a vacuum. She needs her own vacuum for her room. :::sigh:::: Amber doesn't ask for too much really, she actually asked me today how she can earn $20 a week so she can buy her own Webkinz's, so I think she may have a clue. Carlos, oh boy, every day he needs money for something and not just $5 or $10. It's always at least $20-$25. Daily or least once every two days?!?!?!? What the heck? And if he is bought something, like the other day I bought him a crab trap, net, and bait he feels that doesn't count he i still entitled to money.

He asked for money yet again today. So I came up with a list of chores. He had to clean the street in front of the house, mow the lawn front and back, and read a good chunk of one of his summer reading books. He seriously has/had a good 8 hours at least to do those 3 things. He will then get money to go to a carnival tonight. He of course complained the whole way through and even at one point quit saying he didn't want to go. I guess he thought I would juts dish out the money then, I stood strong and said, okay don't go. I guess he knew I was serious because he is back outside mowing the rest of the lawn. I really don't think it's that bad for a kid to work for something they want, instead of always take, take, take. It makes them appreciate it more I think. Who knows, maybe I am wrong, maybe my view point is skewed? All I know is that the money he gets today he may consider not blowing through it like water since he is the one earning it and it didn't come straight off the money tree we have planted in our yard.

Nothing's New

I haven't blogged in a bit an figured I'd get on to do a quick update. I think I am finally over whatever I had, but it was bad. Plus we took a 2 hour car trip up north last Friday and I was sick the entire way, pull over and let me out sick. It was not pretty. I was so exhausted on the ride back I slept most of the way which is very unusual for me, the one and only place I can't sleep is in a car.

John and I got out this past weekend too. Not having the kids actually fell into our laps. We do not often look for someone to watch the kids so we can do anything, rarely ever. We usually just do things that we can do as a family, which is fine by us. But Nana had the girls for 22 hours straight this weekend because Jewel asked for a sleep over. At first John & I were lost, what the heck should we do. So we did a few things in the area and then later that evening headed to Atlantic City. We had a lot of fun. Didn't get home until 2am the next morning. I really paid for it on Sunday and was beat the entire day. I cannot even fathom that 2am was my usual getting home time at one point in my life. How did I function???

Yesterday I was struck with a huge burst of energy and did a bit around the house. Then had trouble falling asleep last night. It figures so again today I am exhausted. A definite decision has been made by about regarding going back to Century 21. I am both sad and happy about it, strange how 2 opposite emotions can be occurring at the same time. The kids are starting to get geared up for school, we have started shopping already. School starts in 22 days for Carlos and 27 for the girls, but I'm not counting. I say that with my fingers crossed by the way. We are busy with the business, and just trying to squeeze as much into what is left of summer.

Bernie Mac died last weekend, we were pretty sad about that. I watched a special about Caylee Anthony, the little girl missing from Florida and was sick to my stomach about the whole thing, so sad. I hope there is an outcome soon. I tried talking John into a goat, well half heartedly knowing we cannot get a goat, and he pretty much was left assured of the fact I am insane. Other than that, nothing new to say or even worth blog about, I just wanted to touch base and let everyone know I am still here, just a little quieter than usual.

Weekend and Stuff

I feel terrible. What is worse than burning with fever and having an awful cold with an infected throat? Burning with fever, having an awful cold and infected throat in the summer. UGH! I have had a cold for a couple of days but yesterday morning when I woke up and my uvula was like triple it's normal size and I felt the sucker sitting on the back of my tongue I went to urgent care. I have no idea if I have strep or not since they did not do a test. My throat is so severely infected, swollen, and filled with pus I needed antibiotic anyway. Doing a strep test would have been pointless. I can deal with the head congestion, my ears and nose are just filled. I can deal with the fever despite the fact it's been in the mid 80's outside. But this pain in my throat is just unbearable. It hurts to even swallow liquid at this point and the swelling makes it feel like something is in my throat just stuck. I want to go to sleep and wake up when this all goes away.

Anyway the weekend went well. We did end up hitting the beach and took one of my nieces with us too. Everyone had a really good time and no one got burned. There was a super unusual tidal pattern which left the beach with a good 50 feet or so of very shallow water before wash even broke. It was like a strip of wading pool water for 50 feet out. Really really nice, and cool I have never witnessed anything like that. I also got some shopping in this weekend and bought a few new small appliances for the kitchen, took a ton of stuff to the thrift shop for donation, and redid the decorations in the bathroom. I am a total shower curtain slut and redo the decorations in there often according to the curtain hanging. Redecorating the bathroom often *kind of makes up for the fact we have a very dated bathroom.

This weekend Jewel also hit us with the news she wants a bitty. (AKA birdy) Well if you know us you know the thought of another pet is out of the question, COMPLETELY! But it seemed as if John entertained the idea of a bitty, I think he is a sucker for Jewel. We stopped at the pet store to check them out, and both the girls left there screaming. Amber for a guinea pig and Jewel for a :::drumroll:::: little doggy. What happened to the birdy you ask, well clear as day she says, I changed my mind! Alrighty, well that kind of sucks because I, of all people, kind of liked this one cockatiel at the pet store and I began to entertain the idea of a birdy. Can you imagine? Again those of know me know I *hate birds. Like with a passion. They totally skeeve me out. In any case the weekend passed and we still have the same number of pets we started the weekend with which is entirely a good thing. This morning I woke up to find out our elderly German Shepherd has once again peed in Carlos' room. Yes we are good with the pets we have. Thankyouverymuch!