Strollerderby : mother bloggers

Strollerderby Playdate: Checkin' It Twice. Or At Least Once, Really Well.

Jessica Ashley (Sassafrass) — Tue, 18 Dec 2007 22:34:00 GMT

Since there are eight gazillion parenting blogs out there to read, four or five of which are actually entertaining, it helps to have some guidelines when you have a good solid twenty minutes of Elmo's World to waste online. Other than scratching off all the Republicans, homeschoolers and people who are still buying Baby Einstein DVDs, how do you negotiate your way through all those parent blogs?? (People, I'm kidding. I would never, ever judge someone who threw the kid in front of a Baby Mozart video from time to time throughout the day). Since it is the holidays and since I'm already migrating over to the other side of the list for posting this Playdate wayyyy late, why not just use the old St. Nick shortcut to decipher which blogs you should be reading? And of course, which blogs you really, really, really can't help but touch the screen longingly while you're reading. Here's how the bloggers are measuring up in these Christmas countdown days:

Naughty.

Nice.

Naughty.

Supremely nice.

Mostly naughty.

Pretty nice.

Naughty naughty naughty.

Strollerderby Playdate: When Mommy Stuffs Her Own Stocking

Jessica Ashley (Sassafrass) — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 11:57:00 GMT

No no no, this isn't another post about mommy's "alone time" while the carob chip cookies are in the oven and Wonder Pets is blissfully playing in the basement. But frankly, it should be because at Strollerderby, we can't get enough of talking about stuff we know you -- and most sixth graders -- think about pretty much always. On to the thesis of this post, which is (and will surely continue as soon as you stop thinking about whipping up some cookies as an excuse for your own "alone time") that many mommies spend a lot of time during this particular (insert faith/consumerism/obligatory practices here) season giving to others. I'd like to change that up a bit and just validate that you do deserve to get yourself a little something sparkly, whether that is a new box of teeth whitener you bought with a sweet coupon or a pair of shiny patent leather his-n-hers that inspire a little less of that "time" being spent "alone," as a way of reminding yourself that you are worth the time/acknowledgement/energy/investment/being thrown over the credit limit at least once a year. Face it, you're naughty and nice. Here's how a few mothers are wrapping up the year by putting themselves at the top of the list and a few things that might distract you from buying another Wii (unless that's your sparkly, kitten):

A purse that cannot possibly hold anything poopy.

Sweet somethings for your hair and neck that do not look better with drool and crusty yogurt beading.

Candies that you can whip up on the cheap and get to horde guilt-free.

Fuzzy stuff that's fashionable rather than growing on something already undecipherable in your fridge.

Cozy, lovely stuffed toys without collectible tags that must remain in tact and that look better on your vanity anyway.

Kissing Santa, schmissing Santa...a hot little number for the night when the kiss really counts.

Armchair Activism: The MOTHERS Act Needs to Pass

Alisyn — Wed, 17 Oct 2007 19:33:00 GMT

Read carefully, because this affects all of us: 800,000 American women each year suffer from the debilitating and horrible effects of postpartum depression. Eight hundred thousand. That is a staggering number, isn't it? Equally shocking is that only 15 percent of these women will receive any assessment or treatment for postpartum depression.

That's why BlogHer, Postpartum Support International and Postpartum Progress are joining together to host a blog action day (next Wednesday, October 24th) in support of the MOTHERS Act - The Moms Opportunity to Access Help, Education, Research and Support for Postpartum Depression Act. Women in this country are demanding that new mothers and their families are educated about postpartum depression, screened for symptoms and provided with essential services. To show your support by the bill, call your senator next Wednesday (the more calls the better!), and blog for the cause.

The women of American need this bill to pass, and we need the acknowledgment and support of lawmakers to make that possible. All it takes is a phone call and a blog post to do your part.

True Dad Confessions: I Want a Hooker

Mike Adamick (Cry It Out!) — Tue, 12 Jun 2007 20:55:00 GMT

Sometimes I just want a hooker. I love when my wife does that thing with her little finger. My son gave me a card and I cried. Work is kind of like my vacation.

Holy sweet lord, man -- I am loving True Dad Confessions! Brought to you by the same people behind True Mom Confessions, the web site lets a dad anonymously post confessions -- and I'm digging what appears to be a glorious consummation of catharsis and rubber necking.

Some gems include:

I wish my wife would just leave. But the kids are staying.

I wish the kids would go to bed so my wife ad I can have round two of great uniterupted sex! YEE HAW!

My own kids annoy me! Why did I not put that condom on? I was so stupid for my 15 mins of "fame"!

These are among the more sanitized comments. Seriously, you should check it out. There are some messed up dads out there, and it's quite possible you're married to one of them.

Though I have to admit that after reading a few score comments, I began to feel something along the lines of shame or pity or maybe just sadness. There is all sorts of wife-hating -- serious, scary wife hating -- going on, so I was pleased to remember that moms have a confession outlet, too.

Or maybe that's just the genius of the site? If a dad actually gets it off his chest, he doesn't need to puff his own at home? I hope that's the case.

Of course, it's not all scary. Far from it. A lot of the confessions are downright hilarious. And insightful. From all the comments, I've learned that dads seem to enjoy the blow job. Huh.

(True Dad Confession: I wrote half of those last ones. But thank god for anonymity, right? ... oh.)

Strollerderby Playdate: Mishaps and Misadventures

Kelly Mills — Fri, 11 May 2007 11:02:00 GMT

This week, after a number of minor crises, I just had to remind myself: sometimes bad things happen to good people. (Not that I'm good, mind you, but it makes me feel so much better to frame it that way.) Unforeseen disasters leap out of the blue and bite even the most prepared of us on the ass. And I'm not alone in my life-curse. The blogosphere is loaded with bad luck stories and catastrophes. Luckily these folks have enough talent and humor to meet any challenge.

Woulda Coulda Shoulda shares how social skills group can lead to some life lessons for everyone involved.

Sweatpants Mom can drive just fine, but she keeps being attacked by inanimate objects. No fair!

Careful with those scissors, says Mom to the Masses. Thank god for first aid.

Her Bad Mother was blindsided by Bratz. I see a nemesis in the making.

DadCentric's Whit tells us his old job was a disaster. Now he plans to put those job skills to better use in the future.

And we're just glad Joy Unexpected survived being jumped by Jack in the Box.