I think my children scarred Petunia and made her into a child scratching monster.  Sorry.  She was most likely normal until she stayed here for a year.

I'm going to ask you a slightly off-topic question, but one that's related to "exploiting your stupid blog."

I started reading "Father of the year" whose kids are the same genders and ages as mine, and asked him, since we both write about our kids for money, how much longer does he think we have until our kids rebel? Until they start hating that we wrote about their poop and vomit and eating habits, etc.? Until they say, "I'm not telling you that because you'll write about it in your effing column/blog" as they slam their bedroom doors in our faces?

Jane  chimed in and asked the same question, but I think Father of the year's too busy being Father of the year to answer. So what do you think?

Answer to Edgy Mama's question--I have a friend who had a long-running column about motherhood and her kids, and the time did come when they'd say, "Don't write about this," or "Don't put this in your stupid column." I think she said they were about 9, so you've got quite a few years, at least judging by her experience.

edgy -- i agree with another mom. josie is just a little 'un and she's at an age where self-consciousness isn't an issue. but there's a larger issue you're getting at, and i'll write about it in the next couple of weeks.

When will it be ok for Josie to read about, oh, the chest waxing incident? Or the escapades in "Which Brings Me to You.."? I'm asking because I think of things like that when I write in my blog for my son.

I want him to know his parents before we were just his personal dictators, but at the same time I struggle with issue of TMI and how is it going to spank me years down the road...?

I barely made it through my 20s and 30s and geezus knows I could relate some of that time with truth, wit, and guile     , but should I?

My parents had no filter for any book, music, or movie, (except for "Tommy", we got to the theater, one look at the poster and my mother took us home, BUT my father did take me to see "Up in Smoke" in the theater when I was a tween, or younger) So I was reading trashy Harold Robbins, Sidney Sheldon, and crap when I was 11. Is that good or bad? I'm not sure.

I just can't decide if I need to share stories of my meandering years which include lots of alcohol, men, and kickass concerts. (I was also working and putting myself through school, so it's balanced in that regard at least.)

I'm just not sure. So far I've kept it very clean and mommy-like.

Another Mom,

My oldest is 9! So far, she thinks it's cool that I write about her in the local alt newsweekly, but she did get a bit uncomfortable a few weeks ago when I wrote about her passive-aggressive fighting techniques with her brother. When she realized that her teacher read the column, she was embarrassed. Not embarrassed enough to stop attacking her brother, though.