Nope, you’re not seeing things. I’ve really posted the Friday snippets on Thursday night, for a few reasons:
- I hurt my back earlier this week, got two shots at the urgent care today, and have a dose of muscle relaxer on tap for bedtime. It’s doubtful I’ll be sufficiently coherent to hit publish on Friday morning.
- Things have already begun to spin out of control. Nate-Nate is running naked around the house playing chase with Stella.
- See #7. If I post now you’ll have a chance to catch the second showing of Sharknado.
Simcha Fisher shared this video of Dustin Hoffman discussing his iconic role as Dorothy Michaels in Tootsie (GREAT FILM!) I don’t want to give too much away, but his comments about women also apply to people with disabilities. It starts out a little slow, but stick with it to the very, very, very end. For me. Pretty please. 😉
Click below or go here to watch.
You want a potty training update, right? Of course you do! I wish I had good news to share, but it’s okay news at best. Nathan has gone potty numerous times, multiple times each day, both #1 and #2. That’s the good news. The less good news is that he is also still going in his undies/pullups/diapers (we use all three depending on the time of day and circumstances). The bad news is that he has yet to go potty a single time at school.
That’s all I have to say about that. If you’d like a more detailed play-by-play, go read Anna’s potty post, replace “Ellie” with “Nathan” and you’ll get the gist.
Are your children on Instagram? Sarah Kate has my old iPhone that she is using as an iTouch and she’s been begging me to let her join. She loves to take pictures so I’m sorta kinda considering it, but I think the terms of service recommends (requires?) that users be at least thirteen, so I’m very reluctant to say yes. Thoughts?
— 4 —
I’m going to be on a podcast! Daniel “Podman Dan” Smrokowski produces the Special Chronicles, a news and interview style audio podcast covering Special Olympics and disability, and he approached me earlier this week about coming on as a guest. The episode will be recorded in early August; I’ll provide more information when the air date has been set. In the meantime, check out Daniel’s story here.
— 5 —
My ebook is almost done! Many thanks to my wonderful beta readers for their feedback (and to my mom for her mad editing skillz!) I’m putting the final touches on it right now and developing a dedicated download page for the book – as soon as those things are done, it’ll be available as a free PDF download. A Kindle version is also in the works; to publish on Amazon I’ll have to charge a minimum of $0.99, which I’m a little unhappy about, but the PDF will always be free.
On top of everything else, I’m participating in Camp NaNoWriMo this month. For the uninitiated, NaNoWriMo is an annual program which takes place each November in which writers set a goal of completing 50,000 words toward a novel. Camp NaNoWriMo is essentially the same thing, but in July.
Which of course will lead some of you to ask, “So … you’re writing a novel?” which ought to be a rhetorical question when one declares she is participating in a novel writing venture. But … because I am not consistent but do my best on the honesty front, my answer is that no, I am not writing a novel, but I am working on a personal narrative/memoir (Truth trumps fiction, amiright?) and I am trying to write 50,000 words toward that end by the end of the month. Wish me luck!
Did you watch (cue: scary music) Sharknado on Thursday night? NO SPOILERS, PLEASE! I’m not sure if it’s due to the madness-inducing effect of potty training Nathan, the laser-like focus on finishing my ebook, the struggle for catharsis while writing my life story, or pure curiosity, but I could not help myself: I had to (HAD TO!) record this ridiculous terror monstrosity. If you missed the movie, don’t miss the trailer below. If your curiosity is then sufficiently piqued, cross your fingers for a replay or some OnDemand action.
7.1. – Yes, I am planning to DVR Teen Beach Movie and yes, I do plan to watch it with or without Sarah Kate. Why do you ask?
7.2 – Did you notice in the US article linked above that Sharknado star Ian Ziering of the original 90210 is now 49 years old?!?
7.3 – I’m pretty sure from the trailer that Sharknado started with a hurricane, so…it could totally happen here in Mayberry!
Have a great one!
This post was inspired by and is linked to Conversion Diary‘s 7 Quick Takes.
Ian Zeiring is 49… Remember Andrea Zuckerman (played by Gabriel Carteris) – and how it was scandalous “back then” that someone “so old” was playing a high schooler???
OK, I will break the suspense for you. She is 52!!
I KNOW! I was talking to some friends about it last night and one of them Googled her.
Andi
I know people who have set their kids up on instagram at 10, as a way to avoiding the whole facebook battle, as there are some people who allow their kids on underage. I also know, that you as a parent, would be diligent about monitoring her too. It would be a great forum for SK to share the world through her eyes via pictures.
Hope the back feels better…visual of Nate running naked…he is such a little boy!! Remind me to share the story of the picket fence with you when we are together
Ann-Marie
My daughter (who is 11) has been begging me for an Instagram account. I have been torn because it is just pictures but going into middle school this year I know there are some freedoms I’ll eventually need to let her have. But I’m pretty sure the age is 13 like any other social media/email. To be able to post she has a Kindle Fire and a phone (for letting me know she gets to school and home ok; although not a smartphone, it does take pictures). After talking with my husband and debating about her maturity level and what she would use it for we have decided against any type of social media account until she is 13. Personally, I don’t see a reason for someone her age to use it especially if pretty much 99% of her friends aren’t on Instagram/FB (which she also asked for which got an absolute NO!). Good luck with SK!
With Sarah Kate I would say why not let her get an account w/ your email and only let her post/go on with your or Mr. Andi’s supervision. If it was anything else, I would say no way (and yes I am a teenager) but Instagram seems safe enough if you lay down rules. I would love to see her pictures.
I wish I could find a great article I read the other week about Instagram and kids. I will continue to look for it, but in the meantime thought I’d share this article: http://www.safekids.com/2013/05/20/new-guides-demystify-instagram-and-snapchat-and-walk-kids-and-parents-through-safety-and-privacy-features/.
I just spent several days with my nieces, ages 11, 14 and 16, and they spent all their time on Instagram and Twitter. I think if you can lock down her account and encourage her to be responsible with followers and whom she follows, it’s probably ok. I think where kids get into a lot of trouble is when they post photos and people start posting nasty comments. They don’t know how to deal with those. But if she’s locked down, hopefully she can avoid that problem.
Hope that helps!
I debated e-mailing v. commenting.
I see kids all the time on social media sites. I know that the sites require they be 13-y/o. It’s federal law. At my site, we’ve caught kids on our message board – at least one time, a parent actually, without realizing what she was doing, was the one who outted her kid. (Someone was picking on her, I think and mom came in and said “Leave her alone! She’s only XX-y/o” What? You have to be 13. Off she went. FAST.) I’ve seen kids kicked off social media when they realize the kids have violated TOS, and parents get upset that THEIR kid was kicked off when they were behaving. Yes, they might have been behaving, but you let them go on a site when they weren’t old enough to.
I defer to the song from Into the Woods: “Be careful what you say, children are listening.” If I let my kid break this rule, what will be the message I’m sending. Meanwhile, to me, life is about the process. When my son turned 13, he got to start his Facebook account. It was a right of passage for him – and I remember his peers and some of my friends who I met when we were pregnant at the same time – our kids were joining FB as they turned 13 at about the same time. (And then when we signed him up, we promptly laid down the law and our conditions of participation on Facebook!)
So yes, I vote no to Instagram. Both a professional courtesy (they’re the ones accountable to the government for their members following the guidelines. I’m sure they know people lie, but that’s not the point,) and from a parenting perspective.
That’s one of my main hangups, Adrienne – I know that Sarah Kate probably wouldn’t ever know that 13 was the minimum age (I mean, really … she’s not gonna read the TOS!) but I would know. I’m not super excited about telling her that it’s the law that she has to be 13, though, because I don’t want to send the message that her friends who are on it (or their parents) are scofflaws. I’m hoping that she forgets about it so I don’t have to do that!
Of course, she could be reading the blog, in which case I’m totally busted. 🙂
Andi-
My cousin’s two oldest have accounts and they just turned 11 and 13 this month. Their mother and aunt both follow them as a way of monitoring their account, that is the only way they could do it.
From what I hear Instagram is safer than facebook?
I also follow both of them and their older cousins who are 12 and 14 and for me it is a great way to keep up with them between holidays and get togethers.