DSP '09

I was lying on the floor tickling my kids one morning this weekend and it got me thinking about the economy. Times are legitimately hard and probably going to get harder. More than anything I want to be sure my family gets to that supremely happy place as often as we can - regardless of our "situation." The distance between suburban materialism and lovingly raising happy children with your partner is sometimes far greater than it should be IMHO. If we do it right we'll be able to muster the self discipline and confidence necessary to remember this fact even with a tighter belt around our middle. In retrospect I know my parents must have lived by a similar credo and I am grateful. Time on the floor playing really was the currency my sisters and I valued most.

No batteries, no big brands, no must-see events - just time on the floor with the kids. Call it the David Stimulus Plan and yes, it does tickle.

Eat to win

I have an exceptionally shallow hope for President Obama's speech tomorrow. After he charms and elates us, after he tells us how we are going to all contribute to a new and better America, after he gives us the briefest glimpse of his master plan for leading us through change and names the smart and inspirational people who will be on his team, I'm hoping he'll talk about comfort food.

I can hear it now,"These are difficult times. We must raise our standards..our expectations for each other and ourselves. We know it is the only thing we can do now and the only way to make a difference in the long run. It is challenging. It is stressful. We should all expect to work hard but we are only human. Perhaps this isn't the time for a diet. Let's give ourselves the first 100 days to work hard, sleep less, focus on what needs to be done. If we need to eat a donut along the way..SO BE IT! A well timed chocolate chip cookie can be as powerful as a well written education plan! I need everyone of you at your mental best. This is not a time to cut calories."

The crowd goes wild.

I suspect he is up at 4, works out at 5, politely declines all sweets and never calls in sick.

Time for another salad. On to greater and grander things.

Self-editing memory

My dad and I were talking about the way humans are able to alter their memories to suite their emotional needs. People will swear, even pass lie detector tests completely convinced they saw something they didn't or didn't do something they did.

http://www.washington.edu/research/pathbreakers/1975a.html

It makes me wonder about the memories my kids are creating. 

My daughter is two. After begging to go on the "big kid ride" with our twelve-year-old, we sat her in a kiddie bumper car. He was too big to go with her. She had to go alone but could see me standing on the side. There was a lot of sitting still and a little spinning in place. I am of course yelling and gesturing, "push the button on the floor cookie! Turn the wheel! Turn it!" A couple of very happy parade style waves then it was over. The moment the other kids got up to go she clearly thought she was alone, panicked and bawled.

Does this one wash away like eating the toothpaste and dog food or is it riveted in like a first kiss? Will she edit in an evil carny named Chuck who almost kidnapped her? Or in the end did her dad teach her how to drive stick when she was two?

Note to self - save for therapy.