Do as the Times New Romans Do.

type A
type b
from heaven to helvetica
the words fly thru me
to you
the words wrap and envelope
the words are my hands
they hug you
the bottom part of the g strokes your face
ever so gently
(don't make j jealous)
0 kisses you openly while p lies prone
c cradles you while you sleep s shaped
since i can't.

My Worst Nightmare.

Confessions of a Full-Time, Single Mom

For the last 7 years, my sons have not lived with me....they lived with their father. i had them part-time, which wasn't necessarily a bad thing...at first. Ideally, i think it's great for boys to be able to live with their father. That's an important bond that needs to be nurtured. Not to say that girls don't need their dads...of course they do. But the father/son thing is different. I wish it could have worked out differently for my boys, but unfortunately, their father is not up to the task, in more ways than one.

So they're back with me after a loooooooong fight. 4 years long, to be exact. And its wonderful and beautiful and everything i knew it would be. Every night, I put them to sleep with jazz music from the radio...they love to help me cook and they don't complain too much (yet) when i tell them to help me clean up. I just got them some warm flannel sheets for their beds and they thank me every night when they snuggle in...if i look sad, they come right over to find out what's wrong (i usually just say i'm tired). They run to the door like sweet puppies, ears flopping, when i come home from work. Nothing erases a stressful commute quicker than two toothy grins and tight hugs...

But even with all that love, the single mom thing is definitely as challenging as i knew it would be. it's something i never wanted to be, especially since my mom was. but ok; i'm here. i'm doing it. there's so much logistical stuff to work out...keeping track of who needs what for school which day, making sure they make sure to lock doors, and turn out lights...everlasting laundry w/gobstoppers sometimes attached...whose socks are these? pick up your towel! i won't even mention mornings.

speaking of school, i got school still. two classes. most evenings after all the cooking and straigtening and logistic-ing, i don't feel like picking up a textbook. i was used to having that kinda time on the days they were not here. now they are always here. but that's ok cuz no matter what, i'm loving that. loving that.

In Defense of "Kid Nation".

I've always had a love|hate relationship with reality shows. Mostly because i feel most of them are scripted and fake and have very little to do with actual reality. A few of the creativity based ones are ok like Project Runway and Top Chef. The contestants are actually learning valuable skills to help them succeed after the show is over. But shit like The Bachelor? or any show where men/women are competing to snag other men/women? ridiculous and a waste of television air time. Or even Big Brother/Real World type shit. Why should I care about their lives?

So here comes Kid Nation. The premise is hokey and contrived (40 kids live "alone" in a desert and join together to "re-build" a "ghost town" called Bonanza). I used so may quotations because 1, they are not alone...there are plenty of adults around off-camera; and 2, the town is a just a set. But forget all that; these are real kids. With real emotions. And real talents/skills. They range in age from 8 to 16. And yes, they are getting a stipend to participate in the show (5 grand) but that doesn't change the fact that they are leaving their families behind for 40 days. some of these kids had never been away from home before (and they have the option to go home at any time) They have to cook, clean, manage a store, govern/lead each other, entertain each other...Shit is real for them.

Even before the show started airing, media and parents were screaming "EXPLOITATION!!!". Please. There is absolutely nothing exploitative about this show. I watch it with my children every week and they get so much out of it. it has given them an entirely different attitude towards work, it creates many teaching moments about teamwork, tolerance. they adore those kids.

yes the kids are getting paid...so what? do you think that children who are actors are being exploited? and what's even more interesting about some people's complaints is that they wish the kids actually were completely on their own with no adult supervision at all!!! THAT would exploitative. you basically want to tune in each week to see a bunch of kids kill each other and starve to death? They are in a controlled environment, forming bonds, learning the value of hard work, learning important lessons about leadership and personal responsibility. all of those things will impact them far more than a couple of rootbeer shots for the camera.

as pampered, lazy, fat and apathetic as American children are these days, i can't believe that so many people are hissy fitting about 40 kids leaving their televisions, imacs, ipods and nannies behind for a month. These children are NOT being abused. There are plenty of adults there, they are just off camera. There is an entire camera crew, a medical staff, counsellors etc. For anyone to assume otherwise is just pure ignorance.