Because it's still so true ....

Look back at Easter-time, 2009 .... sadly, the Flickr link doesn't work anymore.

Santa -- Yes! Easter Bunny -- No.

Through a highly-scientific survey process (read as: I asked a couple of teachers and students during recess yesterday), I have determined the following:

The Easter Bunny is downright creepy.

Not the concept of the Easter bunny. Not the idea of jellybeans, Peeps, Cadbury Creme Eggs, colored eggs. No, it's the actual bunny.

Folks dressed up in bunny suits for children's events, in particular.

I get a lot of e-mail. A lot. I'm not that popular a person, but I sign up for mailing lists, free offers, coupons, that sort of thing. Recently, every restaurant, tourist information board, Chamber of Commerce I've ever had any contact with has been contacting me with various bunny-related activities. Breakfast with the Easter Bunny, Welcome the Easter Bunny to the Mall, Brunch with the Easter Bunny, Steam Train Ride with the Easter Bunny, Car Wash with the Easter Bunny, Lap-Dance with the Easter Bunny ... (OK, maybe I made up one or two of those)

And, we all know what these events will entail ... a giant bunny-suited individual who may or may not talk through a bewhiskered, screened-in mouth frozen in a rictus of Easter-loving joy. An eight-foot, bowtied, tailcoated horror in fluffy white faux fur.

They're downright creepy.

I understand the need to "make fantasy come alive" for children. I understand the props and costumes and so forth to make Santa and Rudolph and all "real" for our kids. I take the kids to see Santa. I encourage the letter writing. I make sure we leave out cookies and milk and that they're at least partially consumed by morning. But ... the Easter Bunny?

I don't get it. And more than that ... it's creepy. I can't find a better word for it. OK, well, maybe I can. Disturbing. It's disturbing.

Some big sweaty men with fursuit fetishes are taking advantage of our children, and I don't care for it, not one little bit. And somehow, the "face" suit bunnies are even weirder. You know the type ... some perfectly genial intern or college student (usually female) dresses up in a pastel jacket, waistcoat (with obligatory pocket watch), plaid pants. Then there are obscenely large furry feet and mitts sticking out of the ends of the garments. Odd, wired-shaped ears stick up from a crooked headband or hood-like contraption. Then there's the biggest ick-factor ... the nose/whiskers/buck teeth prosthesis. There's nothing about this that says, "Trust me, I'm loveable and mean you no harm."

Beware the Bunny, friends.

--End--

ps. I'm not the only one to think so. I just Googled easter bunny creepy and found a lot of back-up. Like this gallery, or this Flickr image.

Blogging Paradox

I enjoy blogging. I know I don't do it very regularly, especially recently, but I really do enjoy it.

I like words. I like the way they work together in comfortable, creative, clever, surprising ways.

I like people. I like interaction and conversation and give and take.

I like attention. I know I'm capable of wit and cleverness and smarts and using words well and I like it when other people confirm that now and then. Especially when I'm not feeling witty or clever or smart or good with words.

But that's the rub. When I most need a boost or a pick-me-up or whathaveyou, that's when I blog the least. When I most need someone to say, "Attagirl...keep up the good work!" or "Fight the good fight!" or even just "lol," I am least likely to actually post something, let alone post something worthy of comment.

I've been in one of those phases lately. (if by "lately" you include big hunks of the last 12-18 months)

I don't know if it's age; I turned 40 last year. I don't know if it's weight; I've gained 25 pounds in the last two years. I don't know if it's fatigue; I'm working, parenting, going to school, volunteering, getting less sleep and sleeping less well when I do. I don't know if it's boredom; for which I have no real excuse. I don't know if it's malaise; global warming! Liberal media conspiracy! Racism! Poverty! Health care crisis!

I don't know. All of those things. None of those things.

What do you do when you feel like this?

--End--

As Time Goes By

Inspired by Adrienne ... as are so many things ...

Interestingly, I, too, have been reminiscing about the early days of my babies' lives. This is my prep period, and one of the teachers has his 8th grade class in the lab, researching historically-significant women for Women's History Month. The students are on Day One of their 3-day stint parenting "Real Life" babies. The lab is filled with the sound of crying and cooing (most of it coming from the robo-babies).

This inspired me to go back and look at early pictures of my own babies. They're all still up at my first blog. Which looks very dated and low-tech, but it is what it is.

This lovely cherub, my first-born, my little peanut is turning 13 in eleven days. I goggle.

And, this one ... my baby, my ever-smiley sensitive boy. This one is now 5'1" tall and wears a (men's!!!) size 10 shoe. At 10-1/2 years old. Again with the goggling.

My babies. I find it hard to remember that I built them inside of me way back when. The brain and body both forget so much. The pictures and the memories do evoke powerful feelings and misty eyes, though. Some part of the heart never forgets.

--End--

This Week

In the past seven days, I ...

woke up each day with an increasingly painful sore throat
developed a stuffy head and worthless cough, as well

woke up at 5am more often than not
grumbled and tossed and turned until the alarm went off at 6am

ate Buffalo wings
and enchiladas
and mixed nuts
and strawberries

read three medieval romances in Middle English
as well as Hamlet
and two articles

watched Glee, Castle, Criminal Minds, Parenthood and Sports Night

knitted for several hours

cooked steaks, roasted potatoes, butter-garlic rolls, Parmesan-garlic broccoli and made a big salad
and made some of the best chili ever

picked up 34 rubber bands from my Behaviorally Disabled class which insists upon shooting them
picked up a chair after one of same students threw it
shut down computers 729 times when same students refused to stay on task and tried playing bloody first-person shooter games instead

taught word-processing
and spreadsheets and formulas

explained what a self-portrait is to kindergartners

researched travel options between the Hawaiian islands

made reservations for Disney World dining in August

went grocery shopping and found clearance chocolate-covered fortune cookies in the Valentine's Day section labelled, "Emily's" so I had to buy them

helped set up a Wine and Cheese soiree at a local community theatre
and attended same

organized coupons and prepared menus and shopping lists for next week's cooking

made broccoli salad to take to an Oscar party
and attended same
and ate ribs, brisket, broccoli salad, and homemade guacamole and Bev's cinnamon cream on Irish cream bars, and two Irish potatoes
and added several movies to my must-see list

finished Week Two (again) of the Couch to 5K plan
researched 5K races in late April through May
tentatively decided to run in the Philly Race for the Cure on Mother's Day
procrastinated about sending in the registration form

disinfected 28 computers, keyboards, mice several times each

researched replacement screens for Joe's so randomly broken laptop

cleaned out my car

took down Valentine's day/winter decorations
and switched them out for Easter/spring ones

moped over wrinkles and grey hair entirely too many times
same for my current weight

wrestled and laughed with the kids and the dog all in "the big bed"

played family board games in my pajamas

--End--

ps. And most of it I'd love to do all over again next week.