This post is brought to you by Facebook and its new anti-privacy rules, because it was a friend of a friend who I have never heard of who posted this photo and my friend, a guy I actually do know, “liked” it.

Which apparently means the whole world gets to see it now, in case you just got out of that coma don’t know Facebook is raping you daily, right now.

Hold onto your britches. Take a gander at the girly cupcakes:
Puts new meaning in the term variety pack, eh?

Okay, focus, readers. Are ya with me? I posted this because I want to ask if you think it was would be outrageoushorrendousdisgusting of me to show this photo to my eight-year-old daughter?

Purely, a hypothetical question, Mrs. Child Protective Services, for the purposes of discussion.

I mean, if I did, I wonder if my child would guess right away what she was looking at or needed a hint from me.

I wonder if she’d then drop her jaw first, and then with a twinkle in her eye, her own drawers to show me hers as comparison to the frosted ones.

I also wonder if young girls should possess a relaxed, secure knowledge of their amazing, delicious cupcakes body.

Purely hypothetical, ya’ll. Don’t go get your panties in a–oh, never mind.

What do you think? Would you show a daughter and not a son? Is age a factor?

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During the holidays, the Kid was inconsolable at losing the tooth she had just lost, so I suggested a letter to the tooth fairy (btw, Santa she is beginning to question, but the tooth fairy…this is more believable?), and all the adults would swear it was true. No, we had no notary, but it calmed her anyway. We hoped the tooth fairy would go on the honor system.

And she did! Whew! Close one!

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I agreed even though like you readers have been saying I don’t really know anything.

But the other moms desperate for their own kids to be at my house after school pointed out that I took pictures and uploaded them, and therefore that made me a third-grader version of a camera expert.
Commence fantasizing.

Oh, imagine the fun we could have, the tricks we could do, the magazine-cover-worthy pictures we’d take, the utter fascination they would express for my pixelicious brilliance!

Key word: imagine.

Yes, my imagination often burns my ass like an Ibiza nude beach gets me into trouble. Particularly when reality quickly comes stampeding through the living room of my mind.

These girls, especially the one I bore, were utterly fascinated by photography. For 2.3 seconds minutes. Until they finished taking pictures of my everyone’s butt.

Then they needed more pumpkin bread. And some “not boring” play time.

Sure, I corralled them as best I could to look legit when their moms came. I even got a few shots of what looks like engaged photography students.
In fact, they were eager to take wildlife shots, which was only accomplished one way by my pack of wild, squealing third graders: dog treats.
Yes, fantasy and reality meshed especially well during photography class for one particular family member.
Um, say….when’s the next class?Have you ever tried to teach something to a pack of kids? I recommend leaving it to the professionals. They’re called that for a reason.

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Who does she love? Who does she hate? Who is she never going to let set foot in our house ever ever (not ever) again until possibly tomorrow?
‘Cuz one day, she’ll have friends, and not Facebook “friends” she has never met, but actual people who understand her, people who get her jokes and her strikeouts, people who she’ll totally jump in front of a bus for or at least sit through their looooooong venting sessions well, more likely her long venting session and nod compassionately, pretending to listen because they love you even though you’re a psycho.
And if she ever blows up and loses a kindred spirit, she will find it leaves a permanent mark worse than that Sharpie marker incident. Yes, friends need to roll with a friend’s occasional sassiness, absolutely particularly if she’s freakin’ hilarious, right?!

But sooner rather than later, I hope she learns quicker than her mommy a smidge of gentleness with those special ones.

Is that even teachable? And how?

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Well, it’s November 5th, and guess what?! We have some gourd-ous decomposing activity happening on our front porch.

Hi, neighbors and hot UPS guy!

So, the pumpkin goo writing is on the wall. It’s time for an experiment, doncha think?

If I avert my eyes, how long do you think these puppies will remain melting on our porch?

I’ve already taken a few days’ worth of snaps. Here’s where we are:

DAY ONE — HALLOWEEN
Everyone looking pretty fresh.

DAY TWO FIVE
(Yes, I skipped a few days; once in a blue moon ocassionally I do have a life!)
What’s that? We have some action, people! Notice the black mold happening in the dog pumpkin. Mmmmmm.

DAY SIX
Uh-oh! Vampire Kitty’s looking a slumpy, isn’t she? So deflated and sad….

Who’s gonna come out looking good? Will Vampire Kitty flatten before Dog Pumpkin bites it? Betcha can’t wait to see! My money’s on the bat. What do you think? Also, what day will the Hubs finally notice and say GROSS!?!

Isn’t science fun, kids?!

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One thing of a gazillion around here that she ignores me on is that all-time kid-favorite activity: brushing her teeth.

Luckily, her haphazard dental habit has not yet caused any ulcers in me cavities. She won’t work hard at cleaning her room, or picking up her stuff, but man-O-man, will she get creative in avoiding this daily habit.

Yesterday I yelled, are you brushing? I don’t hear the toothbrush going!, and she compliantly turned it on.

Unfortunately for her, I walked by the bathroom a minute later and saw, to my utter shock and amusement, a dry toothbrush buzzing away on the counter.

Too bad her mouth was in the other room.

I confess I had a hard time not hyperventilating from laughing punishing her.

Points for creativity, right?

If she gets more crafty, I’ll have to sell her to a mustached foreigner fill every corner of the house with third grader- nanny-cams.

Are you getting crap pulled on you? Tell me I’m not alone!

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Let me first say that I am not opposed to personalized ringtones unless they’re stupid or they annoy me.

I, in fact, have a few special ringtones because how can you NOT have the Partridge Family’s I Think I Love You as a ringtone if such an option exists in the Universe??

But, let us set the scene, shall we?

The Hubs loves Becca, our wire-haired pointing griffon (Who’s the most beautiful girl? Who is!? Who is?! Guess who used to be before we got the dog…).

However, we can’t all be perfect like moi just like he doesn’t especially care for my crunching, the Hubs doesn’t like her barking.

A dog? Barking?? What the what?! Color me outraged.

Against my protests, he got her this evil torture device!

A Bark Collar!

Shock treatment on the World’s Most Beautiful Girl??!

By now, you’re probably ahead of me, but imagine my shock when I heard the Hub’s new cell phone ringtone for all incoming calls:

A BARKING DOG.

Pardon me?!

(If the neighbor’s dog isn’t enough, You can go listen here — Barking Dog Ringtone ( Mobile4arab.com ).mp3)

Why would he voluntarily do such a thing?!

His answer?

…because he loves her!

Un-freakin-believable!

Am I missing something here?! Somebody needs to explain this to me…

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We all know he’s a total Alaskan gearhead (and I have the blog posts to prove it…), so natch, he’s got a cross- oops, I’ve been corrected compound bow. And plenty of raccoons roaming around a target in our yard for practice so I recommend you call first.

Yes, this was taken in our yard.

And the beauty of it? She wants to do it. She charges out of the house if he starts a-flingin’.

Whaaaaa?

Just how did he accomplish this great feat? I have no idea.

I’m wondering if he can start flinging her dirty socks across the living room.

Now, that would be helpful. Pick up those, Kid.

Of course, she is her mother’s daughter, so throughout practice he does have to endure a certain level of, shall we say, critiquing?

Dad, you missed! Dad, oh my God, that was SO FAR from the middle! AHAHAHAHAHA! Dad, I farted!

It’s hard to find good help these days.

Have you ever trained your kid to love some chore? Please share!! Maybe I can learn something!!

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