Parentopia - The official blog for Aviva Pflock and Devra Renner

Extra Extra Read all about.....

noreply@blogger.com (Devra) — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 22:54:00 +0000

First go check out Laurel from Moms Minivan over at PBS Parents this month. She is their featured expert and has a discussion up about family travel. Even if you are only traveling from your house to a little league game, Laurel has some awesome ideas for together time that won't include crying, yelling and whining (not even your own!)

An Op-Ed piece in USA Today discusses what can happen if parents hover over their college students. According to Debra Bruno, parents do their college kids no favor when they aren't able to let go as their offspring spring off to college. While the title of the Op-Ed piece is an obvious grab for a readers attention, Parents Quit Hovering, the body of the piece reflects Ms. Bruno's own perspective of being a recovering helicopter parent herself.

Even if I wasn't quoted in the piece, I'd still be recommending the article to you. Many of our readers have young children, and our research has shown that as kids get older the guilt-o-meter spikes even more for a majority of parents. Consider it fuel for thought and not necessarily a warning that you need to cool your jets just yet.

I'm Not Alone in my Confusion

noreply@blogger.com (Aviva) — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 13:41:00 +0000

It would appear from reading this article in Boston Globe Magazine, I am not the only one feeling a bit confused with teens and technology. I like the approach of limited and open monitoring - Devra and I tout the philosophy "legalize, regulate, and everything in moderation" quite a bit when talking about parenting. Why shouldn't it also hold true with the use of technology? Kids need to be given the ability to learn and grow while being kept safe and knowing they are cared about. Of course, there will always be those kids who will attempt to outsmart their parents in every adventure in life but, like I tell my kids, "Been there, done that and probably did it better than you so don't even try to get away with it!"

Text and/or Talk - Good, Bad, Ugly, or Just Plain Confusing?

noreply@blogger.com (Aviva) — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 01:47:00 +0000

I must admit, I just don't know anymore. I resisted text messaging for my kids but all their friends had text time instead of talk time so I eventually gave in. I totally agree with my husband, phones are meant for talking on, but I apparently could not convince my kids' friends' families that was the case. I understand the need for social interaction but I clearly remember talking on my home phone with my friends on their home phones (they even had cords attached to them). Of course, we all spent a lot more time at home back then too. And, if we were out, we were usually unable to be hunted down by cell phone, pager, email, IM, Twitter, GPS, or any other device that can find you just about anywhere.

OK, so we now have the convenience of being able to contact who ever stopped at the grocery store and let them know we also need eggs but honestly, is it necessary to call me downstairs in the family room because you are too lazy to walk out of your bedroom and come down to talk with me? Or stranger yet, send me a text message that surely took longer to type than it would have taken to come down the stairs and talk to me! Yes, I do believe technology has made us all a little lazier in that sense. More disturbing though, is the combination of an expectation for instant response and an overwhelming lack of respect.

I realize it's easy to blame both these things on technology alone but the one thing they are both missing is human interaction, and aren't we still responsible for providing that element no matter what the method of communication. I see my own kids displaying both of these distasteful attributes but I can't just keep blaming their phones - not the same phones I count on them having when I am running late to pick them up from somewhere. Not the phones I call when they are at home and I need them to find a piece of paper I left on my desk with the address of where I am trying to get. As difficult as it may be (and it is for me), we need to figure out how to teach our kids the same things about patience and respect we all learned as kids but with the new technology.

For example, just because you have the ability to call your friend at any time of the day or night to ask them what they are going to wear to school or even what the homework assignment is, doesn't mean you should. There are appropriate hours to call people even if you're sure, "they'll have their phone off if they don't feel like talking." (Excuse me, my daughter just sent me a text message.) Is texting really less disruptive than calling? I don't think so. I can ignore a ringing phone as easily as I can ignore an incoming text message or I can turn all my attention to reading as easily as I can to listening. One real problem with texting we have experienced in our home though, is people will definitely text things to a person they would never actually say to them. A great teachable moment of "don't text anything to anyone you wouldn't want to see all over the front page of the newspaper." It's comparable to teaching respect for the feelings of others, right?

OK, one last thing. Has texting made us more sneeky? Think about it. Kids have way more privacy with their friendships than we did because they can wander off and have private conversations on their cell phones, far, far away from us. Now, they can sit in the same room as us and have private text conversations. We all know how incredibly important it is for us to know who our kids are spending time with but it is sure getting harder to keep track of this.

Yes, I am rambling and ranting but I am frustrated. We have all become extremely dependent on the conveniences provided by our hand held technology. Now, it is time to teach our children and ourselves how to use the convenience without abusing all of us in the process. I have learned a few tricks along the way but I would love to hear what some of you are doing to bring patience and respect back into a world that requires neither when you can go for days without having to see those you are in constant contact with.

C'mon. Let's Be Baaaaaaad!

noreply@blogger.com (Devra) — Fri, 30 May 2008 14:35:00 +0000

Go ahead. Break some rules with your kids. Do it. I just read this article by our blogmiga Meagan Francis in which she describes the excitement her children experienced from going with their dad to the midnight showing of Indiana Jones.
On a...

Wait. For. It.

SCHOOL NIGHT!

Then she goes on to discuss how quickly feeling good about a parenting decision can switch to feeling crummy when you realize your decision may not be receiving approval marks from other parents. This is an experience many parents can relate to and share. It does burst one's bubble of parental confidence at times to discover what you are doing isn't "mainstream", but you know what? Maybe the other parents are being non-commonsensical. After all, a 12 year old watching midnight movie on a weeknight with their parent isn't the same thing as an 12 year old being dropped off at a midnight movie by a parent. Period.

Some of my most fond memories of childhood are when my parents "broke the rules" with me. Letting me sleep over at my friend Louisa's house on a school night so our entire gaggle of girlfriends could watch The Lords of Flatbush on TV. Being Brooklyn Girls we had just had to see this movie and it was The Fonz people! I also remember the time my dad took me when I was a young teen to a bar to celebrate my birthday because a famous folk singer and human rights activist was playing that night and he thought it would make my birthday extra special. Which it did.

I remember these as special experiences I shared with my parents. Not every day events. These occasional deviations from the day to day, became memories from my childhood I cherish.

So go ahead, take your kid to a midnight showing of that special movie you know they really want to see, pick up your child from school in the middle of the day and whisk them to McDonald's with you for lunch. Is an author your child enjoys reading coming to a bookstore near you? Take your kid to the signing and so what if it's on a school night. I did this with Son One when This guy came to town and it was AWESOME.

Occasionally it's good to be bad. And it's really not all that bad if you stop and think about it. If no laws are being broken and no feelings are being hurt,and common sense is being observed then I say, "Go for it!"

I bet you will be surprised at what kinds of rule breaking you can come up with that isn't expensive, doesn't take tons of time and yet will be something you and your children will look back upon and love that you did together.

It's two,two, two posts in one: Loser Moms and Rookie Moms

noreply@blogger.com (Devra) — Fri, 23 May 2008 15:15:00 +0000

Sarah and I have decided enough is enough and we're going to take turns kicking each other in the ass so we get on a healthier track. Sarah admits she eats too much and the consumption of da beer only adds to the extra pounds she feels she is packing. For me, being left handed and somewhat dyslexic has made aerobic classes an exercise in frustration. Given I have almost no equilibrium whatsoever, any kind of unsupervised work-outs could result in a lot of "I've fallen and can't get up" type situations for me. So, this is where Vionna Jones comes in to the picture.

Vionna is a personal trainer who will be working with Sarah and Me. Our agreement is she will work with us, and we will chronicle our experiences and progress. We encourage anyone who would like to kick our collective ass, to stop by our collective blog, Loser Moms. Because as anyone knows, it's going to take the entire Internet to get Sarah to put down the beer and get me to use my elliptical.

This isn't vanity people, this is for our health. Look, our hips don't lie and neither does our BMI. So now, we're taking the plunge and doing something about it. Maybe you've been putting off the idea of taking care of yourself. Maybe it's not extra pounds that are bothering you, maybe you've stopped reading for pleasure, maybe you've stopped hanging out with other adults.

Maybe you just need some more ideas to get you out of that parent trap we fall into when we only focus on one aspect of who we are. It's not tantamount to child neglect to decide you want to keep your pre-parent interests or develop new post-parent ones. As a social worker, I can tell you I have NEVER read a report from child protection investigating parents for hiring a responsible babysitter and going to a matinee of an Indy Film with French subtitles. Nor have I read a substantiated report of child abuse because a parent chose to make bedtime an hour early freeing up some time to read a book other than Goodnight Moon.

Maybe you need some ideas for combining parenthood and adulthood. This is a perfect opportunity for me to give some love to a new book written by our blogmigas, Rookie Moms. Aviva and I have spoken of Rookie Moms on our blog, and now the gals have a book we are very excited to recommend and endorse; The Rookie Moms Handbook: 250 Activities to do with (and without) your baby.

This book isn't laden with popsicle stick crafts you and your infant can do together, this book includes activities that focus on the many facets that make up who we are as people. The book grabbed my attention because of the inclusiveness it promotes among those facets. One which resonated with me in particular is parents can benefit from continuing to hang out with their non-parent friends. I totally agree.

It's very common for people to stop seeing their non-parent friends after they have kids. I think one of the main reasons is we become parent-centric in many ways, which isn't unexpected nor unnatural, but it does make it difficult for some parents to figure out how to relate to friends who aren't parents. Non-parent friends may become bored with babytalk, which is also not unexpected nor unnatural. But while we may miss our friends, we may be too sleep deprived to think clearly about how to make a bridge that doesn't include anyone lifting up their arms, singing and walking around in circles. But help is here...

What I especially love is one idea in this book which suggests parents focus on finding a common interest with their non-parent friends, in this case it is watching movies together. The book then gives a brief paragraph on how exactly to make that movie night happen.

And while the book is being marketed with new parents in mind, I found ideas in it which are absolutely applicable to seasoned parents too.

The book is also perfect for reading in stops and starts, kind of like how I've been exercising...until recently. ;)

Wee Wii Wee

noreply@blogger.com (Aviva) — Thu, 22 May 2008 03:55:00 +0000

As many of you know, Devra and I met at JCC Ranch camp when we were still in single digit ages. A fond memory of those camp years is talent show night. Every year a few favorite cabin acts would return. As I tell my kids when they ask me why - I can tell you in one word, "Tradition." Feel free to break into song with Tevya here. Anyway, a show stopper every year was the infamous, "I gotta go wee" act. All the campers and counselor would lie down on the ground, ready to go to sleep. The one on the end would whisper to the girl next to her, "I gotta go wee." It would get passed up the line to the counselor who would say, "Tell her to wait, we're all sleeping now and I don't want to get up." This would pass back to the girl who would repeat her request with a bit more agitation only to land a similar response (wash, rinse, repeat - you get it right?). Finally, exasperated, the counselor would send back, "Fine, go wee already." The girl would jump up and dance across the other campers while singing out, "wee, wee, wee." Totally expected but we all laughed every year. Why? You don't really want me to sing again do you?

What the heck does this have to do with anything? Nothing really. Except for the fact that every time I hear someone mention the Wii, I think of that ridiculous skit. Now you can all suffer that memory right along with me...

So, the kind folks at Nintendo have decided to help me keep off the 15 pounds I just lost in preparation for my last show by gracing my home with Wii Fit. Of course, things being what they are, I was the last family member given the opportunity to sign on and give it a try. OK, so maybe I got to try it before anyone else at a Nintendo hosted dinner a little while ago. You see, I am not athletic in the sports sense. I can probably sing and dance circles around a lot of you but don't ever, ever throw a ball at me. I will duck, yell, and look foolish, as well as frightened. Suffice it to say, I am just as lousy at electronic sports as I am at actual ones so things like Wii had no real appeal for me. Until...Wii Fit. I can proudly say I rule the house at aerobics and yoga! My balance and strength aren't too bad either. Just don't make me head those stupid soccer balls! I admit it, I'm hooked on parts of it - the parts I am good at.

As for the rest of the family. I caught my husband doing Yoga when he thought he was alone in the house. My girls are simply having fun with all of it and my son is learning patience and practice are just as important as the activity itself. I'll admit, I was frustrated with the amount of time it takes to set each person up to get started. However, once all the data was entered and we, "Let the games begin," I realized the reasoning behind it all. Wii isn't just about playing games. It really is about challenging yourself (and others if you wish) to improve your skills along with your health in a very relaxed environment - your own home! Yes, it is a bit intimidating to hear the initial stats about your BMI but encouraging to know that playing these games can make a difference. The system even lets you set goals and track your progress. How cool is that?

I will keep on Wii-ing if it means I can work out whenever I have a few spare minutes instead of dragging my ass out of bed at 5:15 in the morning to go to the gym. My son will do it to master each event, my girls will do it for the fun and may even admit to the great shape it helps them to stay in, my husband will do it (let's be honest here) to make sure he keeps his #1 ranking in each category. And, when the entire family gets together to Wii, we all have a great time encouraging each other and laughing hysterically any time I try to actually participate in anything with a ball, bat, glove, etc...

Thanks Nintendo, for giving us our very own indoor video workout with a purpose!

How Was Your Mother's Day?

noreply@blogger.com (Devra and Aviva) — Tue, 13 May 2008 15:10:00 +0000

(Look people. We know you are lurking. We can see how many of you stop by on our stats. WE SEE YOU! But lo and behold, we only have two people brave enough to discuss their Mother's Day? Are you kidding us? C'mon! Jump in, tell us what's going on with you! We wouldn't ask if we really didn't want to know! Would you change anything about Mother's Day for next year? Leave it the same? What???)

We've had technical difficulties. For some unknown reason signing into "Blogger" became impossible for a number of days. Short of calling Oliver Stone, we couldn't figure out the problem or if it was indeed a conspiracy. But right when we were going to look up Ollie, suddenly the Internets opened up and we were able to sign into "Blogger." So now comes the catching up. How was Mother's Day?

We're going to say it, we're not big fans of Mother's Day. We know, it sounds so "unmotherly" to admit we'd rather skip it than observe it. We're not convinced that Mother's Day is useful to anyone else other than the gift card companies. We feel more like moms when we celebrate the birthdays of our children. Because isn't that the real day we all became mothers? However your child came to you,if they were never born, you would not be a mom. But we know there are those who consider having a day where motherhood is acknowledged and celebrated. Where are you on the idea of it? Did you like it more when you were the child honoring your mom or do you enjoy being the one now feted?

How did Mother's Day go for you and yours? Did you find yourself feeling...

Appreciated? Guilty? Annoyed? Happy? Let down? Something else?

Edited to add:
Dads, chime in!

Find Us Over On BabyCenter

noreply@blogger.com (Devra and Aviva) — Tue, 06 May 2008 12:32:00 +0000

A few weeks ago we were interviewed by Evonne Lack. The article is "The Top 7 Mommy Guilt Trips--And How To Handle Them" which is now posted on BabyCenter. We're also happy to give a shout out to our Blogmiga Tela from Working Moms Against Guilt who is also included in the article.

If that article gets you in the mood to read blog posts about parenting and guilt, go check out the recap of Parenting Guilt Day from Silicon Valley Moms Group. You'll find writers from DC, NJ, NY, SV and 50-Somethings all coping, ditching, ignoring and laughing as they retell their experiences.

Brother (or mother, father, sister, aunt, uncle, cousin, neighbor, business partner) can you spare a dime? Actually, it's $1.31 per year.

noreply@blogger.com (Devra) — Mon, 05 May 2008 17:54:00 +0000

Have you seen this article from Parade Magazine asking for a vote regarding funding for PBS programming? Unlike the elections, there are only two possible candidates, "Yes" or "No." I've already voted. My vote is "Yes!" If there was an "Oh hell yes!" button, I would have clicked it.

I for one do not want public television or radio to go under and I am very willing to pay $1.31 cents per year to make sure PBS stays afloat. Not only am I willing to fork over that money because I enjoy PBS and have done work for them, I am willing to pay up because I am standing up against the ridiculous argument PBS programming can be replaced by cable television programming. Pardon me while I rant for a moment about assumptions that bother me.

Newsflash: Death and taxes are a certainty in life, cable television service isn't. Hello? There are actually people who cannot afford to have cable television. And you know what else? There are people who do not want cable television. Yes, they walk among us! I have even been in their homes on more than one occasion, and you know what? Not all of them could be described as dope head democratic, republican, libertarian vegan crack dealers addicted to Wii who neglect their kids and are anti-establishment fundamental Christian Marxists who unschool their children. Not that anything is wrong with that. If any of those folks support PBS programming, I want their vote. But the ones I am speaking about mainly, are in fact run of the mill families who may not have the cash to shell out, may not believe having hundreds of channels meets their need or just, big shock, enjoy PBS programs.

PUBLIC, PUBLIC, PUBLIC Television. IT IS FOR... THE PUBLIC. YOU.ME. EVERYBODY!
Do I sound like a lunatic? I know I do and it's because the very idea that cable television programming could replace an American Icon makes me lose my shit.

Now is the time when I modify a quote from Sprockets in order to express myself: This disturbs me to the point of insanity. There. I am insane now.Obviously I have cable. I believe cable is a priveledge, not a right. PBS, to me, is a right. I want us to fight for our right to have it.

But I didn't get this passionate about PBS overnight. This has been years in the making. My parents were/are PBS Junkies. In fact my mother's ringtone when she calls me is the theme from MasterPiece Theatre because if you haven't figured it out, my mama has a penchant for drama. When I was in pre-school and needed to be in the land of make believe Mister Rogers had my back. There were other times in my life when Mister Rogers was there for me. You too? I knew I heard an "AMEN!" Maybe a true story from my own childhood will bring up some memories for you as well and in turn and make you think about what we will lose if PBS goes under.

The scene is 1976. A living room in Apt. 7B, Brooklyn Heights, NY.

Twas the days before television remote controls, the days when getting up off the sofa was required for changing a channel and I was doing just that. As I started to turn the knob on our Zenith to another station my mother instructed "Leave it be please, PBS has a show on we need to watch together." I shrugged my shoulders as if to say "Okay fine." and then asked "What show?" My mother answers, "The Underground Movement." I consult the TV Schedule and tell my mother, "NOVA is coming on next so it's probably some kind of show about moles." My mother gets fired up and proceeds to lecture me about how I am incorrect. That this show is about the Underground Resistance Movement. She insists it is my obligation "to learn about the struggle of the Jewish people" and informs me "You must watch this show as we are Jews! It is our history!" To which I reply "Are we descendants of Jewish moles? Because I'm pretty sure that if NOVA is having a show about 'The Underground' it's gonna be about animals living under the earth!" To which my mother snaps, "NO! It is about the Jewish underground resistance movement and you are going to sit right here with me and watch it so you will understand how much our ancestors had to struggle against oppression! This is my history, your history and the history you will one day share with your own children!" So throw myself down onto the sofa. I am in a full-body sulk. I am glaring. This is what 9 year olds do when they know they are right and their parent is undeniably wrong.

The voice-over for NOVA begins and goes something like "Tonight on NOVA we explore life underground, from foxes and badgers, moles..." I triumphantly turn to my mother and demand "Tell me, which one of those mammals is our ancestor who fought oppression? Maybe we have a cousin who fought an opossum. Oh wait, you did say oppression, right?"

Silence. Had my mother been capable of shooting lasers from her eyes, I believe she would have done it. It also would have cleared things up fast had the New York Times television guide published this description of the show:

Underground Movement (The)
NOVA explores life underground, from foxes and badgers through moles and worms down to the myriad of micro-organisms that make soil the most complex substrate for life on earth. Included in the film is extraordinary footage of a mole burrowing and of roots growing.
Original broadcast date: 04/18/76
Topic: animal biology/behavior

What's your PBS story? Is it from your own childhood or that of your own children?

Whatever your story may be,I bet it's worth at least $1.31 a year.

A Day In A Life of Devra or How I know when I've got too much going on...

noreply@blogger.com (Devra) — Thu, 01 May 2008 19:20:00 +0000

I don't know about you, but when I've got too much going on, there are signs and I have learned to heed them. Like yesterday for example. Having parked my car at a meter, I ducked into a store to get change for a dollar. After being given 4 quarters, I dutifully went back to the meter. Fortunately it only took one quarter before I realized I was feeding the wrong meter. So if you were parked on Connecticut Avenue yesterday at 12:00 Noon and you got an extra half hour on your meter know it was on me, Devra Renner, the woman who has been doing too much this week.

Next I took me and my overtaxed brain up the elevator to a monthly meeting where I am a rep for MomsRising. I'm not the only rep, the other one was going to be there too, but a big tadoo over at The Momocrats was happening, so she bailed on me. But do not hate on her. Do not! Look if I had Barack O'boyfriend answering questions on my blog, I'd be bailing on me too. We were just talking about something weren't we? What were we talking about before I became distracted? Oh right, my inability to keep myself out of embarrassment when I have too much going on causing my brain to misfire.

Being that I had a half hour before the meeting was to begin, I figured it was as good a time as any to visit the loo. I asked the receptionist for the key, she pointed to a basket sitting on the counter. I grabbed one of the many keys. Got to the door, put the key in. Hmm, doesn't work. Think to myself, "What's that all about?" Suddenly the cloak of darkness is removed from my head, the fog lifts, angels sing and I realize I've got the key to the men's room. Niiiiice. Back to the receptionist, where I explain the key mix up as well as the meter experience that preceded the key debacle. Like she even cares. I know. Shut up. (But know I still heart you, even if I used the S word. It's in jest.)

Finally I make it to the conference room to hear staffers from Pete Stark and George Miller's offices discuss the "Family Leave Insurance Act of 2008" On the one hand, it was affirming to hear the staffers discuss the bill and bring up their own struggles with figuring out the life/family/work dynamic. But at the same time it was frustrating because it's difficult to determine how seriously the higher ups on The Hill consider this type of legislation because it's up against economic policy, foreign policy and a whole menu of other items which often are taken far more seriously by our nation's leaders. However, like a wild ride, another upward turn is this is the second FMLA inspired bill to be introduced in a very short period of time (we're on Federal Government Time, this means anything less decade) with the other being the "Family Leave Insurance Act of 2007" This is more congressional action we have seen in the 15 years since our country gave birth to FMLA on February 5th, 1993!

Call your elected officials, let em know you want more legislation supporting care-work in our country. It only takes a minute to say, "Please help my family and many more. Thank you." Do it. I'll wait right here for you to come back and tell me all about your call and what you said, and what they said.

I'll also wait right here because I need to slow the hell down!

Cross-posted on DC Metro Moms Blog

A Plumm Good Family Movie

noreply@blogger.com (Aviva) — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 17:04:00 +0000

As Devra told you, I have been insanely busy with my way too fun production of British Invasion at the Rialto Theatre in Loveland these past few weeks. I finally got some down time with my family on Sunday evening after an incredible opening weekend and we all snuggled up on the couch to watch a new movie sent to me called A Plumm Summer. It is a wonderful family film about growing up in small town America in the late 1960's. The people are average, simple, regular folks with all the quirks most of us still have in our families today. The movie handled teenage crushes, "weird" kids, ridiculous FBI agents, and family alcoholism all with the same unobtrusive and gentle touch.

My husband and I watched with my 13 year old daughter and 7 year old son and we didn't experience any of those awkward, squirming, "should we all be watching this together" moments. When our 15 year old daughter called during the movie to see what was up, our son piped in with, "We're only watching the best movie ever!" I don't want to give anything away but suffice it to say your tooth fairy believing young ones and your finding first crush teens will enjoy the film as much as you will. Besides, it's got Henry Winkler, William Baldwin, and Chris Kelly (a guy for every generation) along with the adorable Owen Pearce.

Go see it. You'll be glad you did!

A little Q & A

noreply@blogger.com (Devra) — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 01:51:00 +0000

Hope you are all still out there somewhere. We've had technological difficulties and our webmaster was off bettin' on the ponies. We'll catch up next week but in the meantime I will answer some questions people think we must be able to answer because they visit our site after searching:

What does schmuck mean? It means "penis" in Yiddish, but is commonly used to describe someone who is acting foolish or moronic.

What is the article in Newsweek titled "Girls gone bad"about? Spoiled girls. Duh.

Will soon to be ex-husband ever return? If his name is Charlie and you dropped him off in Boston, it's doubtful.

Friend's daughter has nits, do I tell her? Yes. Whether it is your friend or her daughter, either way you should mention it. You can work it into casual conversation like, "Oh hey, I need to run by the pharmacy and pick up some toothpaste. Want to go with me and pick up some Rid for you or your daughter? I'll drive."

How is Aviva? She's been busy with rehearsals for the Loveland Choral Society's spring show. If you ever had a reason to visit Loveland, this is it.

What is a pack n play? It is a portable crib made by Graco. We highly recommend them, particularly if you are a family that travels. Hotel cribs sometimes don't meet current safety guidelines. Also, if you are staying with friends or relatives, they may not have children or if they do,their kid might be using the only crib or has outgrown it so they don't have one at all.

What does your house look like? We try to make sure they aren't sticky or stinky, but other than that, we don't worry about it too much. The house can be spotless when the kids leave for college. Until then we'll just keep it surface clean as opposed to ready for royalty.

Does Britney Spears have a daughter? No.

How do you tell your family you don't wear underwear? All it really takes is putting your dress over your head. Just once.

What would The Fonz say? If The Fonz guest posted on Parentopia, we'd want him to share this quote with our readers:
Cool is knowing the difference between right and wrong and doing what is right with guts.

Parentopia May-nia

noreply@blogger.com (Devra and Aviva) — Sat, 12 Apr 2008 06:22:00 +0000

Wow. Just wow. All of a sudden we have so much to tell you. Our online and offline lives have surged and we're both whirling dervishes. We have so much to blog about, and we will get to all of it. But since things are so insane right now, it's going to be in bits and pieces and it also may be out of context too. But knowing most of you reading our blog are parents, it's not like you've never been interrupted or had to catch up on something later. And this is why we heart you all so very much!

Let's skip ahead to May and then we'll work our way back to April. For the first time in our lives we can say we are cover girls! In words, not in pictures, but who cares? We are on the cover of the May issue of Parenting Magazine! Parenting Magazine's very own Julie Tilsner also interviewed these two bloggers for "Kiss Mommy Guilt Goodbye!" and we didn't even know it at the time. Then we read the article and thought, "That is so cool!"

Love it when our paths cross like this! The Internet is so very large, yet so very small all at the same time. True that.

Two other May events are coming up fast and furious. We hope you will join us!

The first is "The Working Mothers Summit" being held in the Metro DC area on May 10th.

The second is Mamapalooza in New York City on May 17th.

Johnson and Johnson, GM, and Nintendo, Oh My!

noreply@blogger.com (Aviva) — Fri, 11 Apr 2008 04:30:00 +0000

The weather was, well... dark when I headed out to DIA at 3:00 in the morning on April 2nd. I was off to New Brunswick, NJ to be a part of Johnson & Johnson's Camp Baby! Honestly, I had no idea what to expect. All I knew was the folks at J&J were hosting an all expense paid trip to hear about their programs and products in exhange for some viral marketing and consumer feedback via the mommy bloggers of the blogoshpere. In addition, Devra and I had been invited to join them as influential parenting experts in their networking family. Sounded fair enough and, besides, it meant three days of leaving my clothes on the floor, not cooking or cleaning anything, hanging out with a some old friends and meeting a few new ones.

Upon my arrival in Newark, I was greeted at the airport by a lovely gal named Ava (her name is almost as cool as mine). She brought a group of us to our driver who whisked (OK, not really whisked but got us there) us off to the lovely Heldrich Hotel in the Chevy Malibu (I'm pretty sure) provided by GM.

OK, I will do my best to NOT have the rest of this read like a bad commercial.

The first night was an incredible evening of fun with Ted Allen. I'll be honest with ya' - before this, I wouldn't have known this guy if I plowed him down in the lobby on the way to the food. By the end of an evening of wine tasting with him though, we were gabbing away. I mean, any guy who starts a wine tasting by telling us we can't eat the little plates of food we have at our spots yet because they're like your plates at the Passover table, I am definitely going to have a good time partying with.

The next day was filled with informative talks from various people involved with J&J. My personal favorite was learning about InfantSee with Dr. Scott Jens. This is a program supported by J&J which provides a free eye exam for all infants. Since my brother struggled horribly in school until they realized he was near sighted in one eye and far sighted in the other and simply couldn't see what was going on in the world, I think this opportunity is something all parents should take advantage of! As a matter of fact, I have already made arrangements with Dr. Jens to get information about InfantSee into my community. I also loved hearing Bridgette Heller tell us about the many things J&J Baby Care division is involved with and how they strive to implement good health all around the world. One funny thing - about 30 minutes after Dr. Charles Gerba spoke with us about germs, you couldn't find a drop of hot water in the hotel. I think we used it all up frantically trying to remove germs we had gathered from any fomites in the room.

That night we had a fabulous dinner at The Frog and the Peach sponsored by none other than Nintendo - because nothing says fine dining like video games right? We arrived to drinks, hors d'oeuvres, and, of course, Wii. Now, being a Wii virgin, I was quite excited and a bit nervous. The folks from Nintendo were very kind though. They taught me to scuba dive and bowl without laughing at me and we even got to check out a new step game that isn't available to the public yet! Once we worked up our appetites, it was time to eat. The dinner roles were amazing (remember, I live in Colorado) and I joked with the restaurant manager about needing to bring some home. Wouldn't you know it, not 10 minutes later the waitress showed up at my table with a couple of boxes of rolls for me! Now that's service. After dinner, we went back to the hotel (courtesy of GM, of course) and gathered for a virtual camp fire evening.

The next morning we packed up (how sad) and headed to the lobby for a field trip to the J&J campus. The administrative building was quite beautiful and the campus has an on site day care facility as well. While there, we learned some J&J history and gave them some tips for heading into the future.

Then it was time to go home. The J&J folks loaded us up with plenty of goodies to take home and even had sack lunches for us to bring to the airport. They thought of everything!

Overall, I must say it was a wonderful trip and now, more than ever, I believe J&J lives up to its credo and truly is a company full of "good citizens [who] support good works and charities."

Thank you Johnson & Johnson, GM and Nintendo for a wonderful 3 days and for everything you do!

We pity the fool who doesn't have April Fool fun with the family

noreply@blogger.com (Devra) — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 04:18:00 +0000

Son One set our clocks an hour ahead. If you are like me-need java in the morning before you are even remotely able to formulate a sentence-then you know I am a total suckah. I woke up, took a look at the clock and puzzled as to why my kids let me sleep in on a weekday.

I walked into Son One's room. No one there.

I went to Son Two's room and there on the bed was a note written by Son One:

"Dear Mom, Son Two and I have walked to school. Don't worry about us, we'll be fine. It's not a long walk, just a couple of miles. Maybe a stranger will pick us up and give us a ride. Love, Son One and Son Two"

Now that part I realized was a joke. When I walked downstairs I had two children leaping up at me from behind chairs yelling, "Happy April Fools Day!"

Did you prank your kids? Did they prank you? Did someone else get you?

Disney called, they want their mistake back

noreply@blogger.com (Devra and Aviva) — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 03:22:00 +0000

Guess what? Phil won't be the only new face at the Parentopia Passover Seder this year. Craig Dezern from Disney has also scored himself an invite. Craig, who oversees PR for the Disney Parks, responded to an email we sent to Disney regarding the blogger event scheduled on Passover.

Craig did exactly what we would expect from a stand-up guy working with a company that understands a terrible and unfortunate mistake was made. Craig offered a no-excuse apology from Disney for their failure to check the date and realize they had planned an event on Passover. He said it was wrong, he said it was accidental and he said he was very sorry. We accept his apology, we accept Disney's apology.

PR folks, we understand screw ups happen. We're all human. But when the mistakes happen take responsibility, apologize wherever necessary, educate yourself or those responsible for the error so it hopefully will not be repeated, perform an act of contrition if warranted, and then move on.

This is exactly what Craig is doing at Disney. Craig will be meeting with his PR team and reinforcing with them calenders must be checked and there is no excuse not to check a calender. It is a simple, and obvious, thing to do when planning an event. Period. Craig also told Devra apologies will also be extended to those bloggers whom had been invited to the event and had to decline due to the event being scheduled on Passover. It is our understanding those bloggers will be invited to a future Disney event.

Learn from Craig and the way he handled the situation, notice he did not offer even one excuse, not one backpedal applied. Not even and inkling of, "We're sorry, but..." He kept it simple; An apology and a promise to do better next time.

And that,to quote a former Mouseketeer,is exactly "What a girl wants, what a girl needs..." and makes us happy.

How I Didn't Pass Over Easter

noreply@blogger.com (Devra) — Sun, 23 Mar 2008 16:52:00 +0000

Last night we were driving home from our Spring Break break. The Huz and I were discussing the entire Disney Debacle, as it is known in our household. Son Two was fast asleep, but Son One (our 12 year old) was listening in on our discussion and occasionally interjecting his own ideas/comments. During the course of our car-based convo about Easter and Passover observances, The Huz, responding to Son One's question "Do Jews ever do anything for Easter?" answered, "Yes, your mother was once the Easter Bunny!" Naturally this newly discovered tidbit about mom surprised Son One.

It's not a deep dark secret. It's true, during the Gulf War, I was in fact the Easter Bunny.

It's one of those "Before we had kids..." stories. (Which, by the way, most kids really enjoy hearing because it gives them perspective that their parents have other roles in addition to being mom and/or dad.) I wish I had the picture to post, but it would take me until next Passover to dig up the photo since it isn't a digital one. So you'll just have to make due with the retelling of the tale (tail?!) as I told Son One last night:

During the Gulf War, Daddy and I lived in Louisiana. Daddy was assigned to an Air Refueling Squadon at Barksdale Air Force Base. You weren't born yet. During our first year of marriage, Daddy was deployed 11 of those twelve months. One day while Daddy was away, I picked up the ringing phone and on the other end was the wife of Daddy's squadron commander, Ann.

"Hi Devra, all is okay, Pete is fine, I'm calling to ask for a favor." You see, back then, we all prefaced our calls to one another with "all is okay, husband/wife is fine" because sadly, a call from the Base always made our hearts skip a beat because it could mean the difference between knowing your loved one is coming home and life as it were continuing, or knowing your dreams of the future were ending because your loved one has been wounded or killed. That is the reality of war. Your dad and I lived that reality every day during the Gulf War and during Kosovo you lived it too when Daddy was deployed for all those months.

Do you remember sitting in our backyard in Kansas and looking up in the sky as we both heard a KC-135 fly overhead and you pointed upward? Do you remember what you called those planes as they flew over our house? Son One answered, "I called it a Sky Daddy." Yup, that's it alright. So you see, this a lot like the reality many families are currently facing with the war in Iraq and Afghanistan. It is a chilling reality our family understands too. We've talked about it a lot, so you know what empathy means; understanding we're all in this together. (cue the High school Musical soundtrack gentlemen!)

On other end of the line Ann is saying, "Devra, we are having an Easter Egg Hunt for the children in our squadron. Devra, would you please be our Easter Bunny?" I was quiet for a minute. Did I hear her right? I was being asked to be the squadron's Easter Bunny! Going thru my mind was,"Hello? I'm Jewish. I don't observe Easter", but maybe Ann had forgotten since The Huz is not Jewish? I gently reminded,"Ann you know I am Jewish, right?"

Ann responded that yes, she knew, and was asking me anyway. Huh?She then explained how when she was growing up she had once worked in a synagogue and everyone at that synagogue made her feel included, even though she was very openly Catholic. No one was trying to make her be Jewish, she understood that, they only wanted her to feel welcome too. Not feel excluded.

Ann went on to tell me she how she did briefly consider whether asking me to be the Easter Bunny would be offensive, but felt it more important to include me in a squadron event, than risk me feeling excluded from the event because I don't observe Easter. Ann told me it was more offensive to her not to ask. She explained her reasoning, "This is a time when we all need to be around one another. I know we're not all Catholic like me, we're not all Jewish like you, but I also know are all people who care about each other deeply. I don't want anyone isolated or excluded for any reason. If I need to figure out a way to include everyone, I am going to make it happen. I hope you will be our bunny." (and if you are reading this and tears are falling? Me too.)

Ann then told me she thought I would be "such a wonderful bunny", sharing how she had observed me with the squadron children at Hail and Farewells, and felt "your personality is perfect to be the Easter Bunny, we need someone to be upbeat and someone who could really play with the kids and get them to participate. Distract us all from the worry for a while." Something,she said, our squadron really needed as much as possible, given the stress the war is putting on everyone's family. The kids were indeed having a hard time. War is, after all, hell.

Ann wasn't at all surprised by my answer, "Ann, of course I will be the Easter Bunny. What time do you need me to be there?" After I hung up the phone, I went digging in our closet for Daddy's size 14 White Nike Hi Top's which I knew would make the perfect rabbit feet.

You see, my first thought wasn't,"I can't believe they're even having an Easter egg hunt in the first place when they know not everyone celebrates." No, my first thought was, "It must be so difficult for these families-my Air Force family of friends-to be observing their special holiday without their loved ones and since this isn't my holiday, why not be their Easter bunny?" Why not let them have their holiday, after all no one was denying me Passover by including me in Easter.

I also thought that if agree to be the Easter Bunny, this means all of the families observing Easter would be able play and laugh with their children, enjoying a common tradition, as they ran around the Barksdale Visitor Center looking for eggs and giggling like crazy. While it may not have been *my* tradition, it was theirs, and I wanted to be there with them and help them have it.

And then I stopped in my bunny tracks as it hit me that I meant enough to them, they wanted me to be there too! And that,Son One, is how mommy was once the Easter Bunny.

It is also known as the story of, "How a nice Jewish girl like me, wound up in an Easter Bunny costume like that."

The take away from this? It is better to include somebunny than exclude somebunny. All it requires is a little thinking outside the bun.

Oy Vey they did it again (Update with Weber-Shandwick apology)

noreply@blogger.com (Devra and Aviva) — Fri, 21 Mar 2008 15:10:00 +0000

We are pleased to report that within hours of our post, we received this apology from Phil at Weber-Shandwick:

Dear Aviva and Devra,
I just read your response to the recipes that I sent to you yesterday. I sincerely apologize, especially if I offended you. Thank you for calling this out to me– lesson learned in paying close attention to the details. I will certainly be more conscious about the content of what I send to you in the future.
Sincerely,
Phil

We responded to Phil by accepting his apology and we also let him know that our calling him out was done in an effort to raise awareness and not to offend him either. He responded by letting us know he wasn't offended in the least, and needed to learn to do better. Phil, dawg, you have scored an invite to the Parentopia Passover Seder. Mazel Tov!

As for Disney? We are not aware of any formal apology having been extended by Disney to Jewish mommy bloggers. Hopefully they aren't Mickey Mousing around and are working on getting one out immediately. But maybe they can't do it on their own, maybe they need some more help from us. If this is the case, Devra has penned yet another brief open letter. If you want to sing along while reading, go for it:

Dear Disney PR,
Disney, let me introduce you to Phil from Weber-Shandwick. Maybe he will help you write that apology? Phil knows how to make one.
Wishing you well,
Devra

PS: School is in session over here, here and here if anyone needs to attend a couple of classes about how to market to mommy bloggers.

Oy Vey, they did it again.

noreply@blogger.com (Devra and Aviva) — Thu, 20 Mar 2008 02:49:00 +0000

We hope corporations are paying attention to the mistakes made when Social Media outreach folks either are oblivious as to how communication should be managed or don't take the time to learn about the consumers they are trying to woo. These two recent gaffes left us shaking our collective head.

Aviva received this email from Phil from Weber Shandwick,

Hi Aviva,

I thought you might be interested in these recipes to add a little variety to your Easter morning brunch from Eggland’s Best. After the egg hunts and visits from the Easter Bunny are over, gather the family around the table and enjoy these tasty meals. Also remember, EB feeds their hens all-natural, vegetarian ingredients, so they are healthier than ordinary eggs.

There are also other great brunch ideas available at http://www.egglandsbest.com/recipes/recipelist.asp?catno=1&pg=recipe.

Hope you enjoy these recipes. Feel free to share them with your readers if you like.

Happy Easter!

Phil

Well Phil - Thanks for the links and the two recipes you included in your email. Believe me, having Easter morning brunch at all would definitely "add a little variety" to our family's weekend plans. You see Phil, if you had bothered to read anything on my blog or website you would have noticed references to the fact that I am Jewish. Phil, if you didn't get the memo, Jews don't observe Easter. We observe Passover.

Phil, dawg, don't be too hard on yourself. Maybe you just need a better office calender. But you are in fine company. We recently learned of an event scheduled by Disney in April. Devra has penned a brief open letter:

Dear Disney PR Team,
While it is lovely for you to plan an event for mommy bloggers, your event is taking place April 18-20th during Passover.
Human Resources called, they want their diversity training back.
Wishing you well,
Devra

Weber Shandwick and Disney why don't you read this, this and this. Oh and bookmark this. We're all about embracing imperfection at Parentopia. Fully understand oversights occur, we know mistakes get made, despite the best of intentions. Just learn from them, okay?

When siblings handle their own rivalry. It can happen without blood and tears!

noreply@blogger.com (Devra) — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 00:44:00 +0000

I was just over at Goon Squad Sarah's blog and this post reminded me of a battle I once witnessed between a 7 year old brother and his 14 year old sister.

Brother: You ate all the Oreos, you poopyhead.
Sister: Well, you come from a used womb. So there!

Ed & Me or How my mind is changing about General Motors

noreply@blogger.com (Devra) — Fri, 07 Mar 2008 19:28:00 +0000

I promised last month that all would be revealed about my trip to ChiTown in a future post.

The future is now...

The email subject was "An Opportunity...the Chicago Auto Show" and I almost deleted it.

Why would I do such a thing? Well, every day Aviva and I open our email and read requests from individuals or companies asking us to mention their product, program or service on our site. They tell us "your readers want to know...." Then there are some who blatantly kiss our collective tush by calling us "influencers" and those are the ones that seem to scream "delete me!" and we often do. It's not that we discount the value of being taken seriously, it's just that the term "influencer" has become That Word.

We already understand we are recognized experts because we've worked that same collective tush off in order to become respected, trusted and Internationally recognized online and in real life, as they say it. The fact is we're not going to take that same collective tush and put it on the line for just anyone or just anything. After all, there is a big difference between being a resource and being a mouthpiece. N'est-ce pas?

What Aviva and I have together is called a "powerful platform" and ours was built not by a book publisher or a hired publicist. Our street cred is the result of dogged determination belonging to none other than Aviva and me. It's given us the power to take on the world advocating the joys of parenthood on our terms. We want to bring to you the best of what we know, see and do. Honestly, and with integrity. Period.

We use this power for good. Everyone's good, not just our own. We subscribe to the idea "Power is the ability to do good things for others." It was with this in mind I accepted the invitation from General Motors to attend the Chicago Auto Show. Was I in the mood to drink corporate Kool-aid and sell it myself? No. I actually liked the way I was approached. No expectation on GM's part that I was putting my glass out to be filled and no demand from them that I pony up some kind of positive promotion for them. No special agreements, no promises on anyone's part.

I've already blogged about the great party I attended at House of Blues. You already know I am a maniac on the dance scene when given the tiniest bit of encouragement. Nothing new there.

What you don't know about is the dinner I attended with the General Manager of Chevrolet, Ed Peper. (That's Kim and Me towering over Ed in the pic, btw.)Before you get up in my grill about selling you a car, that isn't what dinner was all about for me. Sure, the team discussed their new family crossover suv, which was certainly expected, but it was the unexpected which gave me insight GM has made changes since Roger & Me. Starting with General Manager Ed Peper and the team he had with him from Chevy.

You know what Ed told us at dinner? He's a dad with guilt. Yup, he admitted it right there at the table. In front of everyone, "I have tremendous daddy guilt." Ed travels a lot, he is dad to an infant who doesn't stop growing while dad is away on business trips. Ed feels the pull to be home, yet knows he has job responsibilities and employees to take care of as well. Fair enough to say this isn't exactly news, but I don't know all that many folks who used to be in Ed's corporate position Back In The Day who would discuss that fact at a business dinner. This was my first experience with radical transparency. And it was damn refreshing.

Not only did Ed's admission bring a new level of humanity to a business meeting, it also paved the way to discuss the difference between that which is concierge service and that which is true family benefit offered across the entire employee spectrum; from workers on the assembly line all the way up to absolving Ed of his daddy guilt. Ed was listening, his team was listening to Ed and I think everyone came away from that dinner feeling a little bit surprised, but in a really good way.

I am going to keep track and see what happens next because GM seems to be trying to figure out how to not only provide a new vehicle that will take consumer families where they need to go, but try new ways to go where their own corporation's families need them to be. I'm heading to Spring Hill TN in a couple of days to visit the plant where the Traverse will be made. Look for another post about that soon.

PBS Parents Q&A Launched! We say hey, what a wonderful kind of day!

noreply@blogger.com (Devra and Aviva) — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 21:58:00 +0000

PBS programming has always been a big part of our lives; During our own childhood, in the course of our parenting, and now as professionals. We are so excited to be featured experts on PBS Parents this month! We hope you will click on over, check out the Q&A and participate in the discussion about what spikes or decreases your guilt-o-meter.

Devra makes it no secret that if Calliou , Arthur and Clifford were of age (and in the case of Arthur and Clifford, human), she'd take them all out and buy 'em a round for each 30 minute increment they kept her sons contently occupied giving her the opportunity to take a shower...and leave the guilt.

Aviva says, "Roger(s) that!"

Everything Old is New Again: Header to Head Lice

noreply@blogger.com (Devra and Aviva) — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 22:59:00 +0000

We have a new header on our blog. We think it captures the feeling you will have when you find Parentopia. We'd like nothing more for you to lay back, relax and enjoy being with your family. There is much to be said for just plopping down on your back and staring up into the sky.

Even if it's only for a few minutes. Watching clouds go by, making up stories about the shapes you see. It's an activity that is absolutely free and one which can be enjoyed by people of all ages and stages. It can be a distraction for a tantruming child, or a way to occupy an older kid while you are taking a road trip. It's almost always an instant "ahhh" for an adult, where you can let the day's stress just float out of your body and up into the atmosphere.

Unless your kid has head lice, then there is nothing relaxing at all about that. We needed a transition sentence. Admittedly this one is terrible. Feel free to write your own and put it in our comments.

If you are dealing with lice, lice baby, check out "The Meaning of Lice" which was sent to us by Neil who thought we'd be interested in reading it . He was right. We love us some nice word play on Monty Python, whether that was his intention or not. We also appreciate Neil rummaging around our archive and letting us know our lousy post brought him to Parentopia.

The last time we wrote about head lice, our stats surged as we welcomed new Parentopians Googling:

do u feel lice on your face?
itchy head pre teen
parents complaining about headlice
child doesn t have lice but parent feels crawly itchy scalp
mom has lice
head lice make you feel lousy
invincible lice
my head really itches but i don t have head lice
can you get lice in a pool
lice eradication stuff
head lice amusing
worst case of head lice ever
what percentage of parents know how to deal with head lice
can lice or nits fall out of your scalp onto your face

Feel free to offer up your own answers and/or information to any of the Googling. The searches will continue for a good 6 months to a year, so you have plenty of time to scratch your itch to respond.

Are you dealing with peer pressure? Not the kid kind. The parent kind.

noreply@blogger.com (Devra) — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 03:20:00 +0000

In the current issue of Woman's Day Magazine Paula Spencer's Momfidence column tackles the topic of parental peer pressure. (There's also a little somethin' somethin' from me at the end).
Give in to peer pressure? Me?

Here's another little somethin'....

Try making the suggestion that instead of snacks at every game, the parents pool snack funds together and provide an end of the season party for the team. I have actually made this suggestion myself and it has been embraced and accepted. No one accused me of being a funsucker. In fact, other parents expressed their own relief that someone stepped up and made the suggestion.

The end of season party is a celebration everyone can share and remember long after the last game is played.

Can you say the same for a juice box and a pack of cookies?

Vibramate Me

noreply@blogger.com (Aviva) — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 04:13:00 +0000

I know, they look ridiculous but I gotta tell ya', they are great! The day my Vibram 5 Finger shoes arrived at my doorstep, the entire family had to check 'em out. My son thought they were totally awsome. My older daughter thought they were hilarious and my younger daughter informed me to never allow any of her friends to see me wearing them. My husband was a little upset about them being too small for him to try on. Once I finally was allowed to check them out myself, I was intrigued, to say the least.

First, I had to read the little booklet that came with them to figure out how to get them on properly. Don't laugh. You know how little kids have trouble getting their fingers into each hole in a glove. It was kind of like that experience. Of course, it was made a little more difficult by my totally deformed baby toe that I had to literally pry away from its neighbor to fit in the right spot.

Anyway... the booklet warns to not wear them for too long when you first get them. Take this warning seriously. After about 30 minutes of walking around my house in them, my thighs were burning. Yes, burning. At that very moment, I was in love. A way to work my thighs while simply doing day to day stuff around the house. I decided, if they were this good while walking at home, I should try them at the gym. So, I did. I decided to wear them for my morning work out. I proudly put them on at the gym and went 25 minutes on the eliptical. What an amazing experience. I got my regular cardio work out with an added core strengthening benefit. You see, the shoes really do force you to distribute your weight differently. I get a much better full body work out just from doing my same old routine in these wacky shoes.

I took them to a dinner party on night - not wore them, took them. They were a great conversation starter and, once I explained my own experience with them, everyone wanted to know how they could get a pair. A few of the people were really interested in them for climbing and bouldering.

If you are done laughing at the thought of me in these things, I suggest you check them out for yourself. They really are cool, even if they make me look somewhat primate like.