Cranky Pants

At the risk of sounding like a total cranky pants, I'm feeling slightly alienated from a lot of the shows and artists I loved only a year or two ago.  While I'm not some old woman who sits on her front porch lamenting the downfall of my generation, it does seem as though there's a glorification of irresponsibility and bad choices in both tv and radio (probably also movies, but with a 14-month-old and pregnancy bladder, we don't get to the theaters much these days).
A friend and I had a recent discussion about The New Girl premiere episode, in which a bunch of late 20-somethings are frustrated because their friends are getting married and they keep being invited to weddings.  Because...people shouldn't grow up and make lifelong choices?  Because celebrating love in any shape is a bad thing?  Because I'm supposed to appreciate that they're 'taking back their fridge' by throwing away the many wedding invitations covering it?  The vast, vast majority of my friends in their late 20s are married (a lot with kids, but I digress), or in longterm committed relationships.  In my, admittedly suburban, worldview, it's the norm to have a fridge full of first birthday invitations and birth announcements, along with the wedding mail.  This is what people do: they grow up and mark the milestones in their life because, without those things, how else do we make those moments stand out from the mundanities?  By the end of the episode, I was totally turned off by and flabbergasted that we're supposed to be cheering a group of grown-ups who were 'taking a stand' by ripping up wedding invites from people they are supposedly friends of.
I had to stop watching Modern Family a couple seasons ago because, seriously, do these people even like each other? And how am I, a married and pregnant mother-of-one with a mortgage, supposed to applaud Katy Perry's latest single, in which she respects kids using their rent money for bottle service?  I probably am not the target demographic for her song, but I can't help but wonder what attitude we're promoting here.
The bottom line is that I should probably back off and find other shows to watch and/or artists to listen to.  I've been watching The Mindy Project and Brooklyn Nine-Nine, the first of which showcases a successful woman of color who isn't afraid to speak her mind and have flaws, and the second of which highlights a team who is good at what they do and isn't constantly belittling each other. My current iTunes playlist includes more of The Okee Dokee Brothers (for August) and Jenny Lewis (for me), whom I don't hate myself for listening to.  Are there any other suggestions out there? And am I the only person who feels so disconnected to the current onslaught of entertainment?

What I'm Watching/Reading This Week

These girls are amazing!

Did you see John Oliver's report on the Miss America pageant?  Seriously, I was blown away by it.

Word.

Next birthday party, I'm totally stealing this theme.

These stories always make me weepy.  I'm so glad we're in a society where non-conformityisn't frowned up, and also understand how much it affects a family and parenting decisions.

Our Week in Photos

He is very cute, although not always especially photogenic.

 On Sunday afternoons, we like to indulge in some pantsless reading in the playroom.  It's a very fancy end to the weekend.

Due to someone's extreme fidgety nature during story time (ahem, August), we left a few minutes early and played in the children's department.  Two minutes later, story time let out and this area was packed!

 Grey sweater twinsies!

Trust me, I am enjoying these days when he voluntarily holds my hand, or finger, as it were.  I know it won't last forever, and his hands are small enough to just need my pointer right now!

 This is August's favorite area at our closest playground.  He likes it even more when I stand behind him and say, "Vroom, vroom!"

 Wearing the hottest accessory these days: a video monitor on my front pocket.
And yes, it has been chilly enough in the mornings to justify a sweatshirt!

Are these not the funkiest homemade bagels you've ever seen?  Hopefully they taste better than they look.

August found this large stick in the middle of one of our 'walks' (a few hundred yards around a field near Target).  Doesn't it look like he's practicing fencing or something?

What I've Been Reading/Listening To

We are currently on the lookout for some art for our living room mantle, so I loved browsing through these ideas on Mother.

Ira Glass can do little wrong in my book, but I found last week's installment of This American Life enthralling.

Even though this is titled '15 Career Tips from Smart Women,' I think it's more like '15 Empowering Quotes for Women.'

What awesome news!

This article left me feeling so conflicted.  Is this a good conversation to bring up?  And can there possibly be a 'right' answer?

THIS MAKES ME SO HAPPY!!

Our Week in Photos or Gratuitous Photos of August

I'm sitting in a perfectly quiet house, with sunlight shining through moderately clean windows and a toddler sleeping soundly in his crib.  The only thing that could complete this is the biscotti and iced coffee I'm downing while typing this up.  I hope your weekend has some peaceful moments as well!

 JP surprised me with a family membership to the Atlanta Botanical Gardens, which is such a cool space for young kids (and adults, too!).  Last Friday we wandered around the kids' garden, which has some Peter Rabbit themed paths, a splash pad, and a mini-maze.  It wears out the little man, too, which is ultimately the goal.

 Could he be any cuter?  When JP heads out to his soccer games on Sunday afternoons, August and I take the opportunity to explore parks.  Now that he's walking, we've enjoyed practicing his newest skill on the uphills at Leita Thompson Park.  It does require plenty of snack breaks, though.

 He's a climbing machine!  We love the playground at Morgan Falls, which is covered to help keep sunburns and overheating away.

 Yesterday morning, August woke up at 4:30 and decided to start his day.  Rather than fight it and get frustrated, JP and I embraced the early start, packed up the car to 'open' Starbucks, and watch the Mindy Project premiere.  When August went down for a nap at 7am, JP and I chatted about our expanding family, work-life balance, and why Hermione ended up with Ron in the Harry Potter series.  It was a perfect start to the day, and I'm so glad we could turn an early morning into a great memory.

My little yogi.
He wordlessly requests to have this chair moved under his favorite set of light switches in the house, and then just hangs out: flips the lights on and off, practices his stretching, giggles at Mia.  I absolutely love watching August entertain himself.

The Last Week

August has taken it upon himself to 'mow' our living room carpet.  It takes it very seriously.

 Last Saturday, the three of us ventured to the High Museum for their exhibit of concept cars from the past century.  It was very, very cool, and very difficult to corral a 14-month old throughout.  JP was a patient man.

 We ended up taking him to the kids' area, where there is an entire magnetic wall for the alphabet.  August got really into getting letters out of the bin.  Look at his little feet!

 In case you weren't sure who that cute boy is.

I caught them during story time; my men are too cute.

 August's new trick is climbing onto this chair to turn the light switch on and off, which will keep him entertained for hours.  Probably.  I don't let him do it that long, but I can only assume.

 August making sure his big sister doesn't miss out on story time.

 One of our friends turned one on Wednesday!  We met up at a park for a small celebration.

 August decided that Miss Stephanie is his new best friend.  I tried not to be offended.

 We sent this picture to JP one afternoon; the Diegos are very photogenic.

 Yesterday, this 10% full milk jug was August's favorite toy.  He carried it around the house until I pried it out of his fingers to put back in the fridge.

16 week belly shot!  The 'pop' happened quickly with this one.