Wednesday, August 31, 2005

Tragically unhip

I put off responding to the 5 songs meme, because although I can sing you all the words to any Disney Princess movie, or song that was played on pop-radio between 1980 and 1993, lately, I just simply haven't been into music--particularly new music. Reading over everyone else's lists made me feel like a super square old bag. So--as the 5 songs I hear most often lately are sung by animated characters--how about 5 songs that I love. I won't say my top 5 favorite songs of all time, because that's just too big of a commitment, but these would easily make it into the top 20 any day.

1. Son of a Preacher Man (Dusty Springfield)
2. Lady Marmalade (Patti LaBell)
3. Lucille (Kenny Rogers)
4. Walkin' After Midnight (Patsy Cline)
5. I Love Rock and Roll (Joan Jett)

I know. Kind of sad.

So--Today Sophie had her biggest temper tantrum to date. We went to the dollar store by our house to buy some fabric softener, and I told her she could have ONE thing. She chose Tender Heart Bear, and then a sand painting mess-in-a-box thing. I said--"You can only have one." She literally went to pieces. Screaming. Kicking. Flailing around. But--I stuck to my guns. After a while, I scooped her off of the floor, (with--as the Dr. told me this morning--a sprained back) put her in the car, and we went home without buying anything. The tantrum continued the whole way home, into the house, and into her bedroom--until she cried herself to sleep.

The poor little bug must be feeling a lot of 3 year old anxiety. I've been laid up for days, and that worries her. We're hitting the potty training thing pretty hard, because of day care. Also, we've started weaning her off of the bottle. (She goes to sleep without it, but when she wakes up in the night, I still let her have one. We'll get there someday.) She's been playing baby A LOT so I'm thinking that she probably is realizing that this being a big-girl thing has both ups AND downs. Many many changes for her to cope with. (Damn--a sentence fragment that ends with a preposition. If the mommy police don't get me, the English teacher police will.)

Today's best thing about being a mom:
This was yesterday--but Sophie told me that she was going to sing me a song to make my back better--and she did! The lyrics were "Feel better mommy," repeated, sung to the tune of the alphabet song.

Today's worst thing about being a mom:
The looks people give you when your child is having a tantrum at the store--and you know what? They can all BITE ME!

7 comments:

amandak said...

Good for you for sticking to your guns with the tantrum. And progress counts a lot as far as the bottle thing goes. Toddlerhood sucks sometimes. Me and Zach and the pooping thing is getting SO old, but we have to have faith that they will make it successfully, if not always gracefully, on into the next stage of childhood.

mrs. awesome said...

those staring people can bite me too. what do they think we should do instead? tantrums happen, and i'm sure their kids did it too. and more to the point, why should i care what they think? at least you weren't the mommy that totally pacifies and coddles at a tantrum. THAT drives me nuts. my philosophy sounds the same as yours--well, now we leave with no special treat. behavior like that doesn't get rewarded in my house.

Kathryn said...

Ooh, good song list. And you were even able to come up with actual songs, unlike me. I'm thinking I win in the trajically un-hip category. Maybe Sophie can sing a song for me.

lonna said...

Sorry about the tantrum, but I would have done the same thing. I hate that when you are in pain, you still have to lift toddlers. Ouch. They just don't understand. I bet that Sophie is trying to adjust to Jimmy and to you being gone again. It's tough to be a little kid, but she sounds like she's tough. She'll be fine, but I bet she'll make it tough on you while she can. Good luck.

As for people staring, if they want to help, no problem. Otherwise, back the fuck up and pay attention to your own damn business. I feel so sorry when I see other moms dealing with that crap. I avoid them so that they can go about their business of dealing with whatever is coming their way.

dasereht said...

Joan Jett? Dusty Springfield? PATSY FRIGGING CLINE?

There is SO nothing remotely square, sad, or un-hip about your list. In fact, I dare say it's the antithesis of un-hip. Which I guess would be hip. But I think "hip" sounds kind of lame. And lameness isn't hip. Unless it's ironic, intentional lameness, like indie rock boys wearing their pants too short. Which personally? I think is just plain lame and not hip at all. In any case, you rock.

Regarding the tantrum, I will step up and admit that while I never get annoyed when I see a desperate mother pleading with a screaming child in a public place, it does fill me with a sense of panic. For a brief moment, the movie in my brain fast-forwards several years, and I picture myself attempting to wrangle a blubbering, flailing redheaded toddler into a car seat, and I think, holy crap. But those people who stare disdainfully (both at your dollar store and in my scary daydream) when a child is being child? Assholes.

My verification word is vegpk; if I were a vegan preacher's kid, that would totally be my email alias. Hope your back is getting better!

thelyamhound said...

Nothing unhip about perennial favorites like Dusty Springfield and Patsy Cline, even Joan Jett . . . and to be fair, Patti Labell and Kenny Rogers are arguably canon-worthy. New mainstream music is, but for a few exceptions, shaky at best; and the underground is so factional, and designed for such specific audience preferences, that a) it's tough to know what it is or where to hear it and b) much of it is hard to listen to without some experience--or a crash course (best taught by ME, natch)--in its aesthetic vocabulary.

I guess what I'm saying is . . . your list is PERFECTLY hip. In fact, there are few stances as consistently and unchallengably hip as asserting that you're not into "new" music and falling back on transcendent classics for your five best. I'm not sure that's what MY top five would look like; but you wear yours very attractively.

I always panic during public temper tantrums just because I'm easily startled by loud noises (strange paradox, then, that I tend to appreciate so much hardcore, art-metal, industrial and punk--I wonder what a shrink would say about that dichotomy?). Also, it strikes great fear of parenting in my heart, just because my first impulse is to join the child in raging against the petty injustices of the world.

It sounds, however, like you did pretty much exactly what you should have.

Unknown said...

Hey! I love Patsy Kline!