Talk Derby to Me

I think I'm catching on to the secret of this whole parenting thing.

It isn't about some act of evolution nor altruism, it's simply a means to live out all the things we as individuals missed out on. Imagining all the things Quinn might do differently, and certainly better than I did is exhilarating. It makes me feel like I get another shot a life. And yes, a whole decade of therapy is probably called for based on that statement alone, but I'm just vocalizing what most others probably feel. No?

In my visions of her future, I see Quinn being a multilingual, outgoing, full of confidence, dynamic person. Unlike her Mom, she'd never give up on things before she started them. And she'd dare to do things I still can't try in my dreams... Like becoming a Roller Derby star.

Ah, but in the meantime I just provide her with the sustenance of life and try not to get too ahead of the lovely stage she is crawling in, and all around.

All this crawling makes being the sole person to watch a baby a bit of a challenge at times. And pretend I might that I would never use the devil box (aka TV) as a babysitter, just give me three days without another adult in the house and I'll convince myself all kinds of things on TV qualify as "educational."

Not because of forethought about my parents' imminent absence did I order some DVDs for Quinn. It was more out of hope I could pique her interest in learning Mandarin since after so long of listening to it over a streamed radio station she starts to cry like I make actually make good on my threat to send her (and the living room pool) back to China.

Tonight as I tried to talk Quinn out of giving the DVDs a big thumbs-down, she caught five seconds of a WWF commercial, and her eyes and whole body locked on the tube. I too froze to watch her reaction, and then she started to squeal and bob up and down enthusiastically in her bouncer seat. Seeing her get so animated made me feel like the educational stuff is virtual torture, or worse, its turning her brain to glue.




Problem found, problem solved. The easy solution is that I'll just have find footage of Chinese WWF fighters, so at least she knows some choice Mandarin words (and grunts) to use for her Roller Derby days.

A big thumbs-up from us to you,
Mama von Catastrophe & Quickly Kickin' Quinn