Apt. 11D

Spreadin' Love

Murdoch wins the WSJ. Who is this mysterious Bancroft family? And what did they exchange for their souls?

Two new blogs: Wendy is Outside Providence.  And the read about the saga of English pupil barrister at Baby Barista.

(more later)

The Junior Senators From New York

Robin Gihvan's article on Hillary's cleavage almost brought me out of my blog vacation last week. Yesterday, I flipped on CNN to hear another story on this topic with commentary from some chick from Feministing. We love to talk about boobs in the blogosphere. (Perhaps we should call it the boobosphere?) I was pleased to see that this topic hasn't died yet, so I can get my shot at Hillary's ta-tas.

My take on the whole cleavage controversy is that is that there is absolutely nothing wrong with giving the girls a little air. However, Hillary needs a better bra. Honey, you need an underwire and a little padding.  Pear-shaped girls need to be evened out. We're not talking silicone, just a good Victoria's Secret number. You want the girls up front and center. Say hello to the junior senators from New York, baby.

The Latest in Work-Family Saga

In the past few weeks, there has been a low buzz in the media and in the blogosphere on work-family issues. It's probably no accident that it's the summer.

School's out and families are piecing together a patchwork of activities for their kids to keep them busy. One week of basketball camp here, three weeks of town recreation there, swim lessons over there with some library book club around the edges. All designed to keep the kids from gluing their fingers to wii controls for the entire summer. These plans require a color coded calendar and a deep wallet.

For those who are working, even the most carefully constructed quilt of activities is insufficient. There are open weeks in the summer and all sorts of activities that end at 3:00. I will never teach summer classes, because I will never make enough to cover the supervision for the two kids.

But, I'm lucky. I have that option to leave the summer for research. I have a flexible, part-time job. The pay is nothing to write home about and I won't make it to Harvard by this route, but it's something. At this stage of my kids' life, it's perfect for me. For part of the day, I'm doing something that I'm really good at and that stimulates my mind. And for the other half of the day, I like taking care of my high maintenance kids without the stress that someone else is screwing it up. My youngest one is still not easy to manage. He screams a lot less than he used to, but for some reason, his OCD stuff is really flaring up this summer. I can't trust that a non-blood relative will be nice to him. He also needs me to translate.

Ever since I started this blog four years ago (yikes! has it been that long?), I have been shouting that women want part time work. Until schools are open 12 months a year and a full time job shrinks down to 35 hours, women want part time work.

A recent poll in the Pew Foundation found that 60% of working moms would prefer to be working part time or not at all. At someone in the field here hashing things over with moms in the school parking lots, this finding is a bit of a "no-duh" for me, but apparently it has taken some others by surprise.

This poll has led to some interesting discussions, such as why aren't there more part time jobs and what would happen to feminist goals if more women moved to part time work.

Judith Warner writes that part time jobs pay too poorly for women to accept them and discusses the reluctance of feminists to endorse part-time work. "Feminists have long been leery of part-time work policies, which tend to be disproportionately used by women, mommy-tracking them and placing them at an economic disadvantage within their marriages and in society. The American model of work-it-out-for-yourself employment is Darwinian, but women’s long working hours have gone a long way toward helping them advance up the career ladder." Ingrid Robeyns writes about part time work in Europe.

We need more part time work now. Until tax adverse Americans agree to fund the schools for 12 months a year, until the full time hours become more manageable, until childcare becomes better qualities and cheaper, we need part time work. I can't think about the the long term goals of feminism when women are drowning in responsibility. Even if we had the work utopia, there would still be a certain number of women who prefer being with their kids to any full time job.

Something's gotta give. If feminists don't want to push for more part time labor, then I want to see them head to head with the teachers union in Washington demanding a 12 month year.   

Sunday Night Journal

I just took a week off from blogging to get priorities straight and to take the time to plop some blueberries on my Cheerios in the morning.

We've been working very hard for a really long time deferring fun for some far away goal. At some point, you have say, "dude, this is it. This is your life. Deal with it." So, I've been trying to enjoy the moment more and all that nonsense by not farting around the computer too much and by setting reasonable work goals for myself, ticking them off a list, and then spending more time socializing.

Week Off From 11D

I'm taking a week off from blogging. I'm writing a paper with an eight year old home from camp. He's unused to free time and keeps interrupting my work. Will you draw with me? Will you roller blade with me?  It's cool. I'm just a little distracted right now.

We've also had several house guests in the past week. Coincidentally, my two Seattle friends dropped in with their families in the past two days. I love my friends from Seattle. They come on vacation with their own coffee beans, just in case they might encounter the inferior East coast stuff.

I'm also craving time away from the computer. I need to charge my brain with reading things not found on the computer. Including Harry Potter books.

So, a short break is in order.

Thanks all for the vacation info, especially the tips on Cape Cod.  We've printed it all out and filed in our Cape Cod folder.  The hubby says thanks, too.

Question of the Day - Vacation Plans

In two weeks, we'll be on the road to Yarmouth, Cape Cod. We found a hotel that entertains your kids while you drink by the pool and the beach. We're really looking forward to it, because this is our first vacation for longer than a weekend that does not involve relatives in ten years. Really psyched. Cape Cod seems to be the perfect combination of beach and non-beach activities (shopping and eating) for tan-challenged redheads. Thanks to Wendy for the Cape Cod suggestions.

Question of the Day: What are your vacation plans for the summer?

Book Review: But Excuse Me That's My Book

We picked But Excuse Me That is My Book (Charlie and Lola) up at the library last monthm and it was a huge hit. Whiney children with English accents are so much more cute than whiney American kids. If you've seen the show on playhouse Disney, you know exactly what Lola's voice is supposed to sound like and it's of utmost importance that this book is read in the correct voice. "But Chaaaaar-lie, Beetles, Bugs, and Butterflies is the best book in the whole wide world." She whines throughout the book until Charlie convinces her than "Cheetahs and Chimpanzees" is also a good book, because the cheetahs are very fast and the chimpanzees are quite cheeky. We read the book 53 times and now know all the words by heart.

Book Review: Dream Big Starring Olivia

Usually, I'm four square against books of inspirational quotes. But if you're one of those people who likes such things, may I suggest that you put down those mini-books in the Hallmark aisle and take a look at Dream Big. The quotes must go completely over the head of the kids. It includes too many Dr. Suess and Oprah quotes for my taste. And the artwork is recycled from previous books. However, it makes an excellent gift book for an adult who hasn't read Olivia a million times to her kids. I did love this page...

It's Decadent Thursday

I'm declaring this Decadent Thursday and only providing links to fun things.

OKay. [the following posts will all be said in up-speak]. So, like Gawker has a series for this summer on conversations overheard on Fire Island.  "Eavesdropping on the gays is the surest way to find out what products and people are hot and what are not." Wonder what Andrew Sullivan has to say about this.

You've all seen Obama girl v. Guiliani girl, but watch it again. I want an Obama tank top.

It's a Girly Post!

Husband scowled in the kitchen as he prepared his ham sandwich for work. He's a little burnt out these days. "Cheer up. It's Thursday and we have the Style section AND the Home section of the Times." That earned a smirk.

Things that caught my eye...

A fantastic review of Harry Potter.

I'm cutting this article out and saving it in my neglected cookbook cabinet. 101 ten minute meals.

A new Brazilian hair relaxer.

Nothing says hedge fund manager like a Thomas Pink shirt. The store has special after-hours shopping tours for my husband's firm. It's a status symbol in league with those ridiculous Hastens mattresses.