crazy legs: the blog

Thursday, November 24, 2005

Gobble gobble quack cluck

Happy turducken day, everyone!

Crime against nature

In case you didn't know, a turducken is a turkey stuffed with a duck which is also stuffed with a full chicken.

Did anyone else's gag reflex trigger?

If nothing else, give thanks that we live in a land of plenty where we stuff things inside of other things.

Have a happy Thanksgiving!

Friday, November 18, 2005

Voices / prayers

VOICES

Well, if you haven't heard about the Andersonville coffee shop A Taste of Heaven and the outrage caused by a NY Times article about a sign in their window asking children to use their "inside voices" when visiting the eatery, let me assure you: there's a lot of coverage on baby blogs about it.

Most people are applauding the store owner for having the cojones to ask parents to manage their children. The popular phrase being used in support is along the lines of "If you can't control your children, someone needs to" or "My children always behaved in public, so should theirs."

However, there is a smaller contingent (primarily those with children) who are feeling attacked and singled out by not only the story, but by the overwhelming reaction to the story.

Also, there is also the fact that not everything in the story was given full and proper coverage. The Chicago Reader follows up with the major players from the story, and actually brings to light some finer aspects that were misreported or not reported.

I tend to fall on the side of supporting the business owner in his efforts to cater to his customers, even though the sign is abruptly worded and could be construed as mean-spirited towards families.

However, I also believe in my heart that a majority of the parents out there WANT to raise children that behave in social settings, and are embarrassed enough when the child acts out inappropriately. Now, they are being portrayed as uncaring adults who can't keep their little monsters in check. Maybe a year or two ago, I would have seen them in the same light.

But there's something about becoming a parent. No matter how much you're told before you have children, you don't realize that it's the most important and most difficult job you'll ever have. And most of us want to do it well. So, while it's irritating to hear children screaming or crying, or watch them wildly misbehave, it's not only equally irritating to the parent, but especially mortifying, because IT'S THEIR KID to contend with.

PRAYERS

Please spare a thought for Colin's great-grandfather Alex who is in the hospital, awaiting surgery after suffering a heart attack.

Our thoughts are with you. We miss you and hope you get well soon.

Monday, November 14, 2005

In non-baby news

Off the Crazy Legs beat for a bit:

Former Illinois governor George Ryan's trial recaps are stuff of legend.

A state trooper recounts Ryan's issues with gambling:
One of Borisy’s recollections sounded like a comedy sketch, with Ryan asking his bodyguards if they’d lend him some cash so he could bet against some golfers in a foursome at the Kankakee Country Club. “How much do you want,” Borisy said he asked Ryan. “How much do you have” was Ryan’s reply. Again Borisy asked “how much do you want” and again Ryan replied “how much do you have.” This went on for a while with neither man declaring an amount before Ryan left in a huff, “ticked off,” Borisy testified, and empty-handed.

Why isn't the news covering it?

This brings up a bigger point. Crazy Legs: The Blog may become a component of a larger, more general blog for the family, where we can expound upon other topics. More details to come...



Wednesday, November 02, 2005

Happy belated Halloween!

Halloween


The boy loved his giraffe costume, and Halloween was so much fun this year. Little does he know this is the first people we show his first girlfriend. That is, when his mother allows him to start dating - around age 30 or so.