John Deere Green

Career Day at pre-school.

When the paper came home at the beginning of the month announcing the day - complete with "interview" questions to ask our child such as "what special tools will you use for your career" and "what education will you need for your career" - I casually asked Owen want he wanted to be when he grew up. Here's how that went:

Owen: "A John Deere tractor".

Me: "Do you mean you want to be a farmer and drive a John Deere tractor"?

Owen: "No, just a John Deere tractor".

Me: "Do you want to sell them or maybe fix them"?

Owen: "Um, no. I want to be a John Deere tractor".

I tabled the conversation.

Over the next week I'd talk about different jobs, like when I took Sadie to the vet, or when we saw the mailman. When Owen took out his doctor kit and gave me a check-up, I asked him if he wanted to be a doctor when he grew up.

"No, a John Deere tractor".

I tried a few more times - fireman?, police officer?, teacher?, work in an office like Daddy?, baseball player??

"A John Deere tractor".

So we answered the questions as best as we could, deciding he needed a tractor and a lawn to do his job, and that although he didn't know what education he'd need, Mommy and Daddy said he had to go to college regardless.

This morning he dressed in one of his favorite shirts and JD socks and went off to school. He was very happy. And I'm looking on the bright side ... we won't be spending a lot of money on an Ivy League education.

Pie Play Along

Owen needed a flower to plant in the school garden tomorrow for Earth Day, so after the gym we went to Baugher's Restaurant which sits adjacent to Baugher's Market with its bright display of flowers, fruits and vegetables (Owen chose a yellow zinnia).

Baugher's is the kind of place that draws men in suspenders seated at the lunch counter, and it's average age customer is a proud card-carrying member of AARP. The conversation today in the booth behind ours centered on drug interactions, and across the aisle a woman treated her granddaughter to an ice cream cone. The apple theme from Baugher's Farm located right up the road is transferred here in the wallpaper, curtains, clock, and labels pasted on the glass display case containing homemade ice cream.

It's the kind of place where the daily special is usually an open face hot turkey sandwich or tuna casserole. The lettuce is always - and only - iceberg, menu sides include corn and apple fritters, banana nut salad topped with chopped maraschino cherries, and jello; and chipped beef gravy is available everyday from 7:30am to 11:30am.

It's the kind of place I like, and that my Uncle Rich would love.

The pies at Baugher's are also homemade, and today I noticed a flip card at the table indicating what pie choice meant regarding your personality. My favorite pies are blueberry ("likeable, friendly, and a leader") and Chocolate Cream ("strong, addictive, and high-strung"). Probably not too far off the mark!

As Owen built a tower with the grape jelly packs I jotted down all 20 choices and their traits ... leave a comment with your favorite pie and I'll let you know what it says about you according to Baughers! To get the fun started, Mom - your favorite (mince meat) means you are "traditional and talented". Good, huh?!


Baughers also has a playground on the property and much to Owen's delight an old, real tractor as well as this one. Sorry for the picture quality - taken with my phone.

Circus, Circus

Today was Owen's trip to the Barnum and Bailey circus with his class. Along with his friends Mackenzie, Reganne, Kerri, Dylan and Nick (and their moms), we bumped our way into Baltimore aboard a yellow school bus; made our way across a busy city street; and struggled through crowds of school kids. Once seated all in a row, we fended off assaults by the hawkers selling $8 programs, $20 lighted-whirling-stick things and plastic swords, $16 cotton candy towering out of a fabric top hat, and rainbow snow cones dripping down clown cups; then handed out the pepperoni, crackers and cheese we'd packed for lunch and waited for the lights to blaze under the big top.


The kids seemed a bit daunted at the spectacle at first - there were acrobats swinging from the ceiling by fabric streamers, clowns running amok, dancing ladies, and adorable dogs jumping, dancing and somersaulting through hoops. Seemingly all at the same time.


Oh, and these guys, who make me extremely nervous ever since as a kid I watched a TV movie about the "The Great Wallendas" and how the father fell to his death from the high wire.

As expected Owen most enjoyed the animals - horses, zebras, the aforementioned dogs, elephants, and of course ...



the TIGERS!

Yeah, they were my favorite part too. The trainer was crazy and loud, and the cats themselves were gorgeous. Think it's too late for me to join the circus and take up tiger training?

So I'm Not Perfect ...

My kid, eating the ranch dressing from his carrot and cucumber snack with, yep, an ice cream scooper. Got a problem with that? Read on.

I overheard two moms talking today at the gym. One was pontificating on her opinions regarding TV and computer access for kids. She thought that some parents were too naive about what their kids were watching and let them have too much unmonitored time; while others went unnecessarily overboard and banned TV or computers altogether. She, however, had figured out the right balance and was only too happy to share her thoughts with her companion (and the rest of us) on the matter.

Hmmm, I thought, "do I sound that self-righteous when I talk about parenting"? After all I have been known to have some strong opinions, and as the eldest child I'm no stranger to bossiness (ask my sister). I realized with a little shudder of horror that I'm sure on occasions I have indeed been that annoying mom. Got me thinking ...

I know parents who are strict enough to make me look like a push-over, and ones who could probably use a little Super Nanny styled help. Parents who discipline by screaming, locking their kids in their rooms, time-outs, time-ins, toys lost forever; and parents who chose the path of no discipline (have to say those play dates aren't my favorites). I know parents who forbid sugar, artificial colors and flavors, and anything non-organic; and parents whose kids exist on a steady diet of chicken nuggets and hot dogs.

Parents who seem quick to label their kids and push for therapy, special classes, camps, and expectations; and parents who appear to overlook fairly obvious issues. Parents who enforce naps, separate bedrooms and bedtimes, and ones who (like me) think if the family bed is OK for more than half the planet's parents it's good enough for us. And of course parents at each tick of the scale in between those extremes.

But as the mom at the gym demonstrated, we can all be pretty tough on each other. Judging. Ridiculing. Scoffing. Parenting has turned into a competitive sport. It's not all fun and games on the playground people. And I find that sad.

So while I still have definite opinions as to a "better" way to parent, I'll try to quietly pursue them, and continue to do as I always have with Owen, without shoving my viewpoint down any one's throat. I'll do my best not to be the mom who puts other moms down, or criticizes their parenting style. If someone questions my ways I won't get defensive; I'll simply listen.

Because the common denominator I see in this is that all the parents I know love their kids and are doing the best they can, as they can, with what they can. And really, in this world where babies are still discarded like trash and toddlers are locked in closets, shouldn't that be enough?

Happy Easter!

And just in from Nanny, a picture of Daddy and his bunny long ago!!


Dear Todd, it does indeed appear that you and Bob had to share glasses and bunnies, but I think you totally owned the side swept bangs!

Egg-cellent Day!

With Bob still out of town (WE MISS BOB!) and Nana playing nursemaid to an under- the-weather Sugar the Westie back in Pennsylvania; Pop-Pop, Owen and I were on our own for the City of Westminster's Easter Egg Hunt.

It was a beautiful morning as we headed to the lawns of City Hall to join the crowds of egg gatherers. First stop was the John Deere gator and front loader parked near the building. I'm not sure it was intentional on the planners part but it sure made Owen's day!



Next up, the face painting table where Owen got a pink nose, black whiskers and bunny ears courtesy of the same wonderful ladies who run the daycare center at our local gym (although he seemed a bit confused and told me several times with a meow that he was a cat).


We waited patiently for a few minutes behind a pink ribbon outlining the grassy area designated for 3 year olds, and with the announcement of "1, 2, 3, GO" Owen was off and running. He did great - no pushing, stealing eggs from others, or hesitation - and happily gathered ten eggs in his blue bucket.



After checking out his stash of candy and stickers we made our way to the critter area set up by some local 4-H kids to check out a bunch of real bunnies and a goat that had been born just five hours earlier! One of my favorite moments - and new favorite picture - is the one you see in the Happy Easter post above - Owen gently petting a little rabbit who seemed to sense his calm and love and actually came out of her basket to greet him.



We headed to lunch at Chick-Fil-A (Owen's choice), then stopped at the Duck Pond to show Pop-Pop our climbing/sliding/swinging skills on the playground, then back to the house to open a bag full of Easter goodies from Nanny and play a little golf, baseball, bubbles, and corn hole in the yard.


A really full, really wonderful day!