Strollerderby : Suburban Bliss

Strollerderby Playdate: Mired in Misery? Not So Much.

Amy Kuras — Fri, 15 Feb 2008 15:33:00 GMT

Misery index? I'll give you a misery index!

Karen wrote this week about the fact that Forbes Magazine recently released a list of the most miserable cities in America, and guess what? I'm living in the worst one! Whee!

Admittedly, right about now it’s hard to disagree. We're embroiled in a huge political scandal, my neighborhood streets are so icy I can hardly negotiate them, and there are for sale signs just everywhere, including on the homes of some of my favorite neighbors. Boo.

But there is so much reason to be optimistic, including that some of the best parent bloggers out there live in my very own city. Melissa from Suburban Bliss is one of the leading motherhood bloggers, to the point that she vacations with Dooce and has taken on Meredith Viera and everything. And she's smart, funny, insightful and generous with her success; she's been nice enough to link to me and you should see the spike it gives my blog's traffic numbers. Plus I got to vicariously live through the horrors of the Detroit real estate market with her – and they actually sold the house! Hope is alive!

And then there is Sweet Juniper. Bloggers (alias) Dutch and Wood moved here from San Francisco a little over a year ago, and I love seeing this city I have lived in almost my whole life through their fresh, creative eyes. They are both uncommonly graceful writers, although Dutch makes me feel like the slackest parent ever with the cool things he finds to do with their daughter.

And there are some excellent non-parenting bloggers as well – check out Detroitblog for an interesting perspective on life in this city and Model D for development news and neighborhood profiles that counteract all the gloom.

That'll show you, Forbes Magazine.

Do You Have a 'Challenging' Child?

Jessica Ashley (Sassafrass) — Wed, 15 Aug 2007 22:01:00 GMT

I thought I'd begin this post on having a challenging kid by writing something along the lines of, "Hey, mother/father/caregiving grandparent/au pair of the screaming, kicky kid in playgroup, you know who you are!" The truth is that my own child certainly has his challenging moments and I imagine I am not alone in wondering if I am indeed doing the best I can or if I am caught in a stall of the Costco bathroom with a tantruming toddler in a strange karmic repayment for sneaking boyfriends in my bedroom window or "misplacing" so many library books. Sure, my boy's 90% honey but there's also that 10% day-past-sell-by-date milk part of him that I admittedly don't talk about very often. I'm not always so good with what to do with milk that's pushed past its sell-by date. Throw it out? Just deal with it despite the hint of sourness? Pretend it's absolutely fine, thank you very much?

I love how straightforward our own Melissa Summers is about how hellish the challenges can be in raising a challenging kid. Maybe I took to this post so much because I've seen so many conversations among parents completely halted once one chimes in about how adorable and precious her own child is but some of my most meaningful talks with other parents have started along the lines of "He won't stop biting me and I've tried everything to stop it and I am not sure I can do this anymore..." or "She's up every hour and I am trying to figure out why the hell I got myself into this whole baby thing to begin with..." Sure, I'm a sucker for the kidisms in magazines and cutesy stories from my favorite parent friends, but I also know that sometimes talking about the tough stuff opens the door to more support and heads nods than you could imagine. After all, I never doubt myself as a parent more than I do in those hair-pulling moments and it's good to be validated, advised or just listened to after it's all (finally, God spare us) over.

Of course, true confessions of any parenting kind also open the door to lots and lots of judgment. But I think if we all think back on those break-of-dawn breakdowns and bathroom stall pranic breathing sessions, we'd all say that we have -- at least for those moments -- challenging kids. I guess the question is, how do you deal with the sourness when it comes, especially when it comes often?

Strollerderby Finishline: Vacation All We Ever Wanted

Rachael Brownell (Redsy) — Sat, 23 Jun 2007 11:45:00 GMT

Strollerderby bloggers have vacation on the brain this week. Pierre just returned from his trip out West to the beautiful San Juan Islands. Mike is relaxing at a mysteriously un-wi-fii-ed bed and breakfast, and Karen is loving up on..... Whistler, B.C.??

Meanwhile:

Jessica describes the happy reunion following baby elephant's day out,
Patti shares some great tips for cooking while on a camping vacay with her kids,
Mike celebrates Father's Day every day
Gwynne talks up Babble's Summer Film Round-Up
Whit starts the weekend out right with a friday afternoon mini-vacation using a drink inspired by Otter Pops

Super Cute Dollhouse Round-Up

Rachael Brownell (Redsy) — Wed, 11 Apr 2007 19:02:00 GMT

The joy of doll houses is lovingly described by Melissa Summers (of Suburban Bliss) as a combination of whimsy and escape from the tiresome of big people real estate. The maxi-happiness of mini-houses lights up the eyes and faces of parents and children alike.

Melissa's doll house round-up over at Alpha Mom includes houses in all price ranges and styles, ranging from a cardboard quiet little $40 place from Kids on the Roof to the $145 Waldorf friendly cottage from Quiet Hours Toys (pictured right) to the $700 sleek Villa Sibi house.

Whatever the house, whatever the materials, the joy of giving children something this creative to play with makes me look forward to the next birthday around these parts.

Moms Too Drunk to Tackle Today Show "Momtini" Debate?

Mike Adamick (Cry It Out!) — Thu, 08 Feb 2007 14:24:00 GMT

The last time the Today Show ran a segment on mother fuddlers, the blogosphere lit up with heated debates about mixing alcohol with playdates. Personally, I mix my alcohol with gin, but to each her own. This time around, however, all seems quiet. For now.

Maybe that's because Today Show guest Stefanie "So Hot She Must be Anorexic" Wilder-Taylor yesterday debunked some people's perceptions that moms who drink around their kids are loutish lushbags. She was funny. She was intelligent. She asked for more beer. Who wouldn't like her?

No one that I could find. And I searched -- I swear to god. In putting together this list of the blogosphere reaction to the latest segment, I couldn't find an anti-drinking stance anywhere following the show yesteday. Maybe, and most likely, I'm just a moron -- but I'd like to think people have come to see this issue for what it really is: B.S. Who doesn't drink in front of their kids? Who doesn't drink because of their kids?

Z Recommends offers blogger solidarity with "Mothers for Social Drinking " blog badges. Go get one. Now!

IzzyMom has had enough of the non-debate. "Christ…it’s no wonder we’re NOT all self-medicating after dealing with such nonsense for two weeks in a row."

A Mommy Story believes moms can, gasp, make their own damn decisions. "Personally, I don't think moms are scared of being called a bad parent. I think we're sick of being told that anything we do could make us bad parents, as if we are incapable of making reasonable and sane parenting choices."

Suburban Bliss Melissa Summers, who got unfortunately railroaded when she was on the Today Show the first time this topic came up, rejoiced when host Meredith Viera was asked her opinion and stumbled. OK, rejoiced is a weak word. "I think I had an orgasm at that point."

Desperately Seeking Sanity has no problem with a few drinks, just watch what you say: "Just please refrain from telling me I’m a horrible mother….I might have to console myself with lots of alcohol and that would endanger my children and it would be all your fault … KIDDING!"

MamaKBear loves her some Jose Cuervo.

Elizabeth McDonald at 451Press wonders when parents will stop judging each other and start teaching their kids to make awesome margaritas.

To include some type of counter opinion, Viera herself defended her role in the debate, saying last week she thought making a comparison between moms and babysitters was fair - although she does enjoy a drink "from time to time."

The way I see it, drinking occasionally isn't her problem. Not drinking all the time is.

I'm sure I've missed a lot of great voices in this debate, so if you're not sick of it -- let me know about them and I'll update this. I'd especially like to hear from the anti-drinking side, if only to silently mock you.

(Photo from I'm Not a Wino, Not Yet a Girl -- check her out.)

Cocktail Playdates: What's the Big Deal?

Stefania Pomponi Butler (CityMama) — Fri, 26 Jan 2007 18:15:00 GMT

Did you catch the Today Show this morning? Melissa Summers was on with Meredith Viera discussing the "cocktail playdate" phenomenon.

When Melissa told me she was going on the show, I was worried that the producers would try to paint those of us that might like to have a cocktail or glass of wine at playdates (no, not every one, and not at 9:00 AM although some days...) as a bunch of irresponsible alcoholics, but my impression was that it was a very balanced segment.

The moms they interviewed were all women I'd be happy to have over some afternoon to share a bottle of wine. And Melissa is right, if you have a problem with that we probably can't be friends. And people that criticize moms who drink responsibly BECAUSE WE'RE ADULTS, are just looking for an excuse to critize, well, anything.

The Today Show polled iVillage members and 57% disapproved of "momtinis." I think the numbers would be different if they polled on a site like Babble. So what do you think? Have you ever shared a bottle of wine or mixed up a batch of mojitos with other parents while your kids are around? Or should alcohol never mix with children?

[graphic credit: Suburban Bliss]