I am not the girliest of girls. I never owned a Barbie or a Cabbage Patch doll, haven't really felt the need to wear dresses, don't wear makeup much, and stick with hairstyles that require 5 minutes or less. I am much more at home riding a four-wheeler in the mud than dressing up and wearing heels.
So when pettiskirts, the latest fashion for girls, hit the news, I thought it was quite silly. More ruffles and fluff than you can shake a stick at, and people are paying upwards of $70 for these things? Heck no. It doesn't look like you can run in them, they're not very practical for playing outside, and you sure can't ride a bike in one. I'm happy with the fact that my girls aren't afraid to get dirty; we're a fairly active family, and the kids love to ride bikes and play outside. A local moms' group put together a co-op to order pettiskirts, and I watched with slight bemusement as they oohed and aahed over each of the frilly things. I just didn't get it. I thought about ordering one just to see what magical powers it had, but really didn't want to shell out that kind of cash just to follow along with everyone else who was ordering one.
Aspen, who is as tough as any 4-year-old boy I know, has decided she's a princess. That's all she's played lately. She dresses Levi up as her prince and leads him all over the house, with a running commentary on what they're doing and what their castle life is like. After seeing a Martha Stewart show on how to make pettiskirts, she gasped and said "Those are so beeeeeyoutiful!" Of course, what mother doesn't want to make her little girl smile? My kids aren't spoiled by any stretch, but every once in a while I don't mind a splurge.....
So, last week, someone on the moms' website posted a "For Sale" message with a pettiskirt in Aspen's size. It's lavendar and aqua, not exactly my favorite color combination, but since I'm buying secondhand I couldn't be too picky. I figured if Aspen thought it was as silly as I did, I could eBay it or put it on craigslist. I sent her a message with my address, and she mailed me the skirt.
It came yesterday. Opened it up, and this thing is voluminously fluffy. Huge! I had second thoughts of "WHY did I buy this?" But a minute later, Aspen walked into the room. I think her intake of breath could be heard three rooms away! "Mama! Is that for me?" Her eyes were huge with amazement, and when I said yes she threw herself against me and said "Oh, thank you, mother! (Yes, she really talks like that.) It's the bestest thing I didn't know I wanted!"
Any doubts I had evaporated when we went outside. This is what she did for half an hour:
How did I end up with such a girly girl?
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
At least I'm uploading them this year, and not next...
I am making a valiant attempt to put pictures onto my Picasa site within a month of taking them. I am famous for posting pictures six months or a year after they've actually happened. So, in the interest of not getting behind, here are the most recent:
Easter pics
Lily's birthday and cake
Trip to the zoo
Most recent pics of the kids
Of course they're cute. And of course I'm not biased.
Easter pics
Lily's birthday and cake
Trip to the zoo
Most recent pics of the kids
Of course they're cute. And of course I'm not biased.
Telemarketers Who Must Die
Can I just say that I hate templates? I tried to change mine to something really cool, and every time I mess with it, things get lost. I've switched back to one that's controlled by Blogger, and it's OK, but I don't like being a sheep. I'd rather have something different.
I spent two hours yesterday getting ready to file a lawsuit against a company for their telemarketing practices. I am not a sue-happy person by nature, but I do have a strong sense of fairness. Telemarketers are governed by a federal law called the Telephone Consumer Protection Act, which is summarized here. Now, I know telemarketers aren't fun for anyone, but for the most part they are just people doing their job. There are a million pranks you can pull on them, and just as many ways to be annoying. I figure it can't be a fun job, though, so I am polite but clear when I tell them I'm not interested and ask them not to call again. Probably 99% of them are happy to comply. I'm not wasting their time, and they can get on to the next call where someone might actually buy something.
Every once in a while, though, you run across a company whose disregard for consumers' requests is so egregious and full of hubris that you feel the urge to do something about it. For the past several months, I've been contacted by a "travel company" who wants me to attend a presentation on their timeshares, and oh wow, I get a free trip to boot! My first thought was "What the heck, I can kill 90 minutes for an airline ticket." After a couple of calls, though, I became increasingly irked by the woman's sales tactics even when I'd already agreed to attend, and I canceled. I asked her to put me on the company's Do Not Call list (which they're required to maintain under the TCPA).
She called me back 40 minutes later.
And then four hours later.
And again, twenty minutes after that.
I could have chosen not to answer the phone. I'm aware of that. But dangit, this is my phone, and I should have to (A) ignore the ringing, especially when I have a chorus of "Mom, the phone!" "Aren't you going to answer it?" "Mama, da bone is winging!", (B) turn it off an miss a call that might actually be important, or (C) continually answer and repeat for the fifth time, "DO NOT call here again!"
Over the next three months, the same woman called me back another five times. She gave a different travel company name a couple of times, but it was the exact same woman and the same number on my caller ID. Depending on how much time I had, I'd either repeat my "Don't call" line, or ask to speak to a supervisor. Requests for a supervisor were either met with an argument: "Why? Why do you need a supervisor? We are just talking here. We are talking just fine."; or she'd hang up on me. Only once did I actually get the supervisor, who claimed that unless I was on the national Do Not Call registry, they did not have to remove my number. (He's wrong.)
After doing a bit of research, I found the above document summarizing a telemarketer's responsibilities under the TCPA, and decided I'd had enough. A quick search on the Texas Secretary of State's website, which costs $1 per search but is worth every penny, gave me the address of the company and the name of the president/registered agent. I also found instructions on how to sue a telemarketing company without hiring a lawyer. The "travel company," which has conveniently changed names three times, just happens to be located in the next county. The demand letter is going in the (certified) mail today, along with documentation of 9 violations of the TCPA, and I've given them a deadline of two weeks to respond.
Do I think anything will come of this? I don't know. Given that they change incorporations like most people change cell phones, it's not looking great. Am I in it for the money? No. I've reached the point where I feel someone needs to stand up to them and point out "Hey, idiots who don't listen to me and keep calling here, you're breaking the law!" If no one does anything, it's only going to get worse.
I spent two hours yesterday getting ready to file a lawsuit against a company for their telemarketing practices. I am not a sue-happy person by nature, but I do have a strong sense of fairness. Telemarketers are governed by a federal law called the Telephone Consumer Protection Act, which is summarized here. Now, I know telemarketers aren't fun for anyone, but for the most part they are just people doing their job. There are a million pranks you can pull on them, and just as many ways to be annoying. I figure it can't be a fun job, though, so I am polite but clear when I tell them I'm not interested and ask them not to call again. Probably 99% of them are happy to comply. I'm not wasting their time, and they can get on to the next call where someone might actually buy something.
Every once in a while, though, you run across a company whose disregard for consumers' requests is so egregious and full of hubris that you feel the urge to do something about it. For the past several months, I've been contacted by a "travel company" who wants me to attend a presentation on their timeshares, and oh wow, I get a free trip to boot! My first thought was "What the heck, I can kill 90 minutes for an airline ticket." After a couple of calls, though, I became increasingly irked by the woman's sales tactics even when I'd already agreed to attend, and I canceled. I asked her to put me on the company's Do Not Call list (which they're required to maintain under the TCPA).
She called me back 40 minutes later.
And then four hours later.
And again, twenty minutes after that.
I could have chosen not to answer the phone. I'm aware of that. But dangit, this is my phone, and I should have to (A) ignore the ringing, especially when I have a chorus of "Mom, the phone!" "Aren't you going to answer it?" "Mama, da bone is winging!", (B) turn it off an miss a call that might actually be important, or (C) continually answer and repeat for the fifth time, "DO NOT call here again!"
Over the next three months, the same woman called me back another five times. She gave a different travel company name a couple of times, but it was the exact same woman and the same number on my caller ID. Depending on how much time I had, I'd either repeat my "Don't call" line, or ask to speak to a supervisor. Requests for a supervisor were either met with an argument: "Why? Why do you need a supervisor? We are just talking here. We are talking just fine."; or she'd hang up on me. Only once did I actually get the supervisor, who claimed that unless I was on the national Do Not Call registry, they did not have to remove my number. (He's wrong.)
After doing a bit of research, I found the above document summarizing a telemarketer's responsibilities under the TCPA, and decided I'd had enough. A quick search on the Texas Secretary of State's website, which costs $1 per search but is worth every penny, gave me the address of the company and the name of the president/registered agent. I also found instructions on how to sue a telemarketing company without hiring a lawyer. The "travel company," which has conveniently changed names three times, just happens to be located in the next county. The demand letter is going in the (certified) mail today, along with documentation of 9 violations of the TCPA, and I've given them a deadline of two weeks to respond.
Do I think anything will come of this? I don't know. Given that they change incorporations like most people change cell phones, it's not looking great. Am I in it for the money? No. I've reached the point where I feel someone needs to stand up to them and point out "Hey, idiots who don't listen to me and keep calling here, you're breaking the law!" If no one does anything, it's only going to get worse.
Friday, April 25, 2008
Semantics
Autism Awareness Month will be over in just under a week. The large number of avatars, ribbons, and pictures proclaiming this to the world have given me quite a bit to think about. I don't know whether I'm concerned about an underlying meaning, or if it's just semantics, but I don't know exactly where I stand on the autism terminology.
For example, it's common for parents of kids who have Asperger's Syndrome to refer to their child as an Aspie. "These are my kids, Emma, Hannah, and Jake. Jake is my Aspie." This drives me nuts, even though I've said it myself a few times when talking to other AS parents. "Aspie," to me, sounds more like a breed of dog. Picture the Westminster Kennel Club, as you hear the announcer on the television: "Coming up after the break, we'll see more from the Scotties, the Shelties, and the Aspies." Drew isn't an Aspie. He has Asperger's, but that's not what he is. Kids with AS aren't some alien species.
The you come to the question of has autism versus is autistic. I flipflop on this, but I think in general I prefer to say that he has autism. Like the Aspie thing, Drew is many things, but autism doesn't define him. It drives me nuts to know that some people who are aware of his diagnosis look at him and just see an autistic child. He is so much more than that! Drew is funny, sweet, loves to wrestle with his brother, is a great big brother who loves to take care of Lily, a Lego maniac, Lego Star Wars expert, Harry Potter fan who can read the books over and over again for hours, helpful, likes to ride his bike, prefers quad skates to inlines, and could eat his weight in pink grapefruit Jelly Bellies. And oh yeah, he has autism too. Just saying that "he's autistic" leaves out so much of his personality, and he has plenty of personality. Preconceived ideas and stereotypes about the autism spectrum make me want to throttle someone. You know the saying, "If you've seen one, you've seen them all?" With ASD, if you've seen one...you've seen one. No two are alike. They are people, little kids, and the people who look at him and see a label are missing out on a great kid.
Last but not least, there's the whole puzzle piece thing. It's not a bad thing; it's kind of nice to have a symbol, a logo, that instantly identifies someone else who parents, or is affected by, an ASD child. On the other hand, my favorite shirt on Cafe Press is this one. Puzzle pieces are great and all that, but like the label, the symbol can obscure the real kids behind it. Drew doesn't need a cure, but he does need people to be aware of how he is different as well as how he's the same as any other ten-year-old boy. There's no puzzle to be solved, no miracle cure waiting around the corner.
I'm not going to touch the vaccine-autism thing with a ten-foot pole. I do have opinions, but Pandora's box will stay shut for now.
It's amazing to me that the more I read about Asperger's and autism, the more I learn, and the more I learn about Andrew, the more I realize I still have to learn.
For example, it's common for parents of kids who have Asperger's Syndrome to refer to their child as an Aspie. "These are my kids, Emma, Hannah, and Jake. Jake is my Aspie." This drives me nuts, even though I've said it myself a few times when talking to other AS parents. "Aspie," to me, sounds more like a breed of dog. Picture the Westminster Kennel Club, as you hear the announcer on the television: "Coming up after the break, we'll see more from the Scotties, the Shelties, and the Aspies." Drew isn't an Aspie. He has Asperger's, but that's not what he is. Kids with AS aren't some alien species.
The you come to the question of has autism versus is autistic. I flipflop on this, but I think in general I prefer to say that he has autism. Like the Aspie thing, Drew is many things, but autism doesn't define him. It drives me nuts to know that some people who are aware of his diagnosis look at him and just see an autistic child. He is so much more than that! Drew is funny, sweet, loves to wrestle with his brother, is a great big brother who loves to take care of Lily, a Lego maniac, Lego Star Wars expert, Harry Potter fan who can read the books over and over again for hours, helpful, likes to ride his bike, prefers quad skates to inlines, and could eat his weight in pink grapefruit Jelly Bellies. And oh yeah, he has autism too. Just saying that "he's autistic" leaves out so much of his personality, and he has plenty of personality. Preconceived ideas and stereotypes about the autism spectrum make me want to throttle someone. You know the saying, "If you've seen one, you've seen them all?" With ASD, if you've seen one...you've seen one. No two are alike. They are people, little kids, and the people who look at him and see a label are missing out on a great kid.
Last but not least, there's the whole puzzle piece thing. It's not a bad thing; it's kind of nice to have a symbol, a logo, that instantly identifies someone else who parents, or is affected by, an ASD child. On the other hand, my favorite shirt on Cafe Press is this one. Puzzle pieces are great and all that, but like the label, the symbol can obscure the real kids behind it. Drew doesn't need a cure, but he does need people to be aware of how he is different as well as how he's the same as any other ten-year-old boy. There's no puzzle to be solved, no miracle cure waiting around the corner.
I'm not going to touch the vaccine-autism thing with a ten-foot pole. I do have opinions, but Pandora's box will stay shut for now.
It's amazing to me that the more I read about Asperger's and autism, the more I learn, and the more I learn about Andrew, the more I realize I still have to learn.
Thursday, April 24, 2008
Is it over yet?
I am pretty sick of the presidential campaign, as I'm sure many people are. I'm not a die-hard Republican, but I do tend to vote GOP in many elections. This year presents a real dilemma for me. I am sooooo not a McCain supporter; his temper, his flip-flopping, and his insincerity drive me nuts. I think it would be safe to say that I detest him.
The Democrats, on the other hand, aren't offering me much to crow about either. I thought about supporting Obama, because he's not your run-of-the-mill politician, and I like the idea of change. After reading more into his ideals and where he stands on the issues, though, he couldn't be further from where I'm at. I can't in good conscience support him for president. He's far too liberal for me, and I'm not all that thrilled with his wife either. Granted, she's not running for president, but a person's taste in choosing a spouse says a lot about them.
That brings us to Hillary. I honestly don't know what I think about her. I couldn't stand her at first, but I'm softening a little bit, if only because I think she might be the lesser of two evils. I don't loathe her any more, at least. There are so many Republicans who do, however, that if she ends up being the Dems' nominee, it may be enough to ensure a McCain victory.
So what's a conservative, undecided voter to do? At this point I have no idea. I may just visit the polls this November and waste my vote with a written-in "Romney for President."
The Democrats, on the other hand, aren't offering me much to crow about either. I thought about supporting Obama, because he's not your run-of-the-mill politician, and I like the idea of change. After reading more into his ideals and where he stands on the issues, though, he couldn't be further from where I'm at. I can't in good conscience support him for president. He's far too liberal for me, and I'm not all that thrilled with his wife either. Granted, she's not running for president, but a person's taste in choosing a spouse says a lot about them.
That brings us to Hillary. I honestly don't know what I think about her. I couldn't stand her at first, but I'm softening a little bit, if only because I think she might be the lesser of two evils. I don't loathe her any more, at least. There are so many Republicans who do, however, that if she ends up being the Dems' nominee, it may be enough to ensure a McCain victory.
So what's a conservative, undecided voter to do? At this point I have no idea. I may just visit the polls this November and waste my vote with a written-in "Romney for President."
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