Talk Radio

So generally when I'm in my car I'm subjected to silly songs with Larry , Radio Disney or the Jonas Brothers, but on the rare occasions that I'm alone in the car or any or all of my kids have fallen asleep ,I turn on talk radio. That's about as close to adult conversation as I can get before 5pm on a  weekday!  I listen to the occasional news and sports shows but my favorites are the psychology shows. What is it about us as human beings that makes us want to listen to other people's complaints,heartaches and life drama and judge them while we do so? I don't know, but I  intend to keep on tuning in. 

So how it works is that people who are  in a bad situation or in need of advice with a problem call in to these shows, sit on hold for hours so that they can spill as much of their guts before commercial break to a total stranger. Ok, so the first thing that really gets me about the people who call in is that they all say the same thing, " Hi thanks for taking my call, so I have a question for you", really, really? We all know that you have a question, hence you called the show.... Then they start talking and talking and talking, then once they give the host a chance to talk it's usually time for a commercial and I am left feeling totally frustrated ,ugh, just answer the question PLEASE!!! I'm waiting for someone to impart wisdom on this sad, sad person who just called in and instead some stinking sponser is trying to sell me a new heating and air system. I don't need new heating and air, Sally Smith needs someone to help her figure out wether or not she should dump her boyfriend  since she has recently found out that he'll be relocating out of state to be closer to his wife and kids! She's not sure if the distance will put a strain on their relationship!!!!!

Don't these people have loved ones in their lives to tell them how very wrong things like this are. Probably not, because because they have used up all of their free time sitting on hold waiting to talk to an expert rather than cultivating the relationships in their lives. Well I guess that's enough on that. Oh, did I forget to mention that the real reason that I am complaining  about this subject is because I'm the one that calls and never get through or on the rarity that I do I'm told "today's show was previously recorded, call back tomorrow" Do I sound bitter?

Outsmarted by My Four Year Old....

Ok so just when I think  I'm smarter than all of my children , my four year old says something that makes me feel collasley stupid and at a loss. How she does it, I will never know, but I am always taken off guard by it. Anyone with me on this? Well if not, it's just one more thing that I can talk to my therapist about.  So here it is.

 It's that lovely time of year when we all start, pulling out our warm clothes , going to Starbucks for their very festive Christmas cups and for most of us in Southern Ca, turning on our fireplaces,( since most of them are gas and not wood burning), and fighting for parking spaces in the mall.   AH yes, the holiday's. They seem to start earlier and earlier every year, but you know what seems to come earlier now too, yep you guessed it, well if you didn't I'm going to tell you anyway. It's all of that child directed advertising. I am so sick of all of the commercials that make my four year old daughter think that she should be an easy bakin', Barbie and the diamond whatever, Bratz super rock'n' roll something or other princess who has to have her own so chic hair styln' studio. What ever happened to tinker toys and maybe a dolly?  Ok so now that you know where my frustration comes from, enter the four year old. 

During the day I have been known to let the electronic babysitter watch the children while they watch it, don't judge me. Well this allows a lot of opportunity for my kids to see all of those afore mentioned commercials. Daily my daughter watches them and says "Oh, mommy, I'm getting that for my birthday, ( which happens to be in November)", to which I reply, "We'll see sweetie, you know you can't have everything ". Now that's a  very responsible, honest parental answer right? Right.   Day after day we do the dance, I want it, well you may not get it, I want it, well you can't have it all and then one day, it happened. I was outsmarted. 

We were having a lazy Friday morning and we were watching a cartoon  and inevitably the commercials start.  Why do I have a DVR anyway, you should be able to fast forward through the junk you don't want to watch! I digress . So my daughter starts in with, "I want that for Christmas Mommy". Oh I'm getting that for Christmas Mommy, Santa is going to bring me that Mommy". Now I figure I'm going to pull out another one of the honest, parental answers but before I can my daughter looks at me and says, "I don't want that for my birthday, I want that for Christmas, Santa has enough money for all of it".  WHAT!!!!! Okay so what do I say now? When did she make the connection between me saying no and money? Do I destroy her faith in the fat man and say ,"No dear there is no Santa,I'm sorry your father and I have been lying to you,' or even better, 'Due  to the current economic down turn sweetie, Santa has had to liquidate all of his holdings in the  North Pole and lay off half of the elves, so  you won't be getting that for Christmas this year!!!  DUHHHHHHH, is all I could think.  My husband and I told her about Santa  and we talk the guy up all year long ,we use him to threaten the children into being good . I mean, I'm  the one who  plops the little girl down in front of the TV to watch all of that contemptable material. Os whose fault is it really, the advertisers, my husband and I or Santa's? I'm gonna go with Santa. So there you have it, outsmarted by my four year old. Check and mate!