How much bacteria does your kid pick up at school?

Our 3 year old boy has just started attending play school this year. Naturally, he has now picked up 125,870 different colds, sniffles and flus and, I can only assume, is basically a walking petri dish.

Thus, I give you the Before I Had Kids before/after starting school bacteria comparison . . .

Diagram of Bacteria Picked up At School

On Any Given Sunday in Parenthood Land

One recent Sunday I made a point to jot down all of the things our 3 and 6 year old kids said in the span of a couple of hours. Trust me – this is a completely random sample, in no way out of the ordinary . . .

Daddy look at me, I have a bin on my head!

I wish Princess Leia wasn’t Luke’s sister; they make a nice couple.

Is “okie dokey” a bad word?

I like the way Play Doh tastes.

Daddy you should blow that thing up!

Daddy I put my glasses in the water and now I have water glasses!

Do you know how to say “no” really fast?

Is this Toyota or turquoise?

Wanna see something gross?

Oh! I heared something. I heared my bum.
Oh it’s just the toot.  It go-ed away.

The 4 Levels of Diaper Change

Earth Tone Number 1

Level One: The Wet Diaper

Degree of Life Interruption:

Minimal.

What Gets Ruined:

A diaper, possibly some dinner reservations.

Eventual Result:

Remember to add diapers to grocery list. Remind spouse to empty diaper pail.

Earth Tone Number 2

Level Two: The Dirty Diaper

Degree of Life Interruption:

Medium.

What Gets Ruined:

A diaper, some pants, romance.

Eventual Result:

A bath for the kids.

Earth Tone Number 3

Level Three: The Pooplosion

Degree of Life Interruption:

High.

What Gets Ruined:

A diaper, pants, shirt, socks, all plans for the following 2 hours, satisfaction with life choices.

Eventual Result:

A bath for the kids, a hot shower with lots of off-market horse soap for the parents, a stiff drink, the lingering possibility of never eating or feeling compassion again.

Earth Tone Number 4

Level Four: The Poopocalypse

Degree of Life Interruption:

Life?? YOU CALL THIS A LIFE?

What Gets Ruined:

A diaper, pants, shirt, socks, sheets, wallpaper, toys, and the desire to carry on this pitiable, masochistic existence.

Eventual Result:

Vasectomy.

Parenting Flowchart: “Do I have to go to this stupid thing at my daughter’s school?”

It’s time for another Before I Had Kids flowchart!

It seems there’s always another activity, always another event – how is a modern, time-pressured parent to determine whether it’s necessary to attend? Consult this handy flowchart and wonder no more!

Click image to enlarge.

Do I Have to Attend this Stupid thing at my Daughter's School?

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Parenting Flowchart: “Am I too Sick to Parent?”

Parenting Pie Charts: Spending Habits Before and After Having Kids

7 jokes that are *apparently* not funny during labor

Let this serve as a guide to all you future fathers out there – there are some situations in which “lightening the mood” with “super-funny” “jokes” is probably not going to do anybody any favors. The final stage of labor is definitely one of those situations.

(Or so I’ve been told.)

(Repeatedly.)

Earth Tone Number 1

Hey baby, you’re doing great! Is there any chance we could just move things along a bit? I told my brother I’d meet him for a beer later.

Earth Tone Number 2Good pushing honey! Wouldn’t it be crazy if it turned out to be twins?

Earth Tone Number 3Wow, that looks like it hurts. I mean, just . . . wow. Ouch. Seriously, that CANNOT feel good.

Earth Tone Number 4Could somebody get me a stool? I’m exhausted.

Earth Tone Number 5I know we’ve been over this, but *how* sure are you that it’s mine?

Earth Tone Number 6Hey I was just talking to my Mom and apparently ENORMOUS babies run in our family! Isn’t that great?

Earth Tone Number 7I probably should have discussed this with you first, but I sort of told this girl at work you’d be a surrogate for her after you’re done with this one. That’s cool right?

-

10 alternative uses for baby wipes

Baby wipes are one of the great modern inventions.

Jumbo Box of Baby Wipes

As any parent who uses them will attest, the epic abilities of the legendary baby wipe go far beyond simply taking down unimaginable quantities of poo, however . . .

Alternative Uses for Baby Wipes

1. Crime scene cleanup

2. Shower alternative for new parents*

3. Surrender flag for army men battles

4. Air conditioning alternative**

5. Emergency pants!

6. Placebo nicotine patch

7. Effectively use to clean most brands of vomit off of most brands of smartphone screen

8. Makeshift gas mask in the event of a biological warfare attack***

9. Bedding for the Barbie Dream House couch, where Ken is sleeping (again)

-

*(What? You thought you were still going to get to shower every day after having a baby?? LOLOLOL!!).

**Scorching summer day? No air conditioning? Tuck a couple of baby wipes in your shoes for a cool, refreshing afternoon of laying out by the pool doing endless loads of hot, humid laundry and washing mountains of steaming dishes.

*** do not do this****

**** on second thought, if you needed this disclaimer, maybe you should go ahead and do it after all.

_

What You Send for Show And Tell, Beginning of School Year to End

Ah, Show and Tell. It’s a time-honoured tradition that teaches children how important it is to have better stuff than other people you know.

And of course the school year starts off with the best of intentions, but as the months wear on . . .

Show & Tell

1. September

A portrait of every one of your daughter’s classmates that you helped her paint on a large canvas, which you then had framed and donated to the class as a gift.

2. October

A hand-knit scarf your great ancestor Mildred Middlebottom made for a soldier who served served in the Franco-Prussian war and single-handedly halted a German invasion while wearing it.

A Mildred Middlebottom Original

3. November

A collection of seashells you gathered together last summer.

4. December

Half-finished colouring book.

5. January

The same dirty pair of mittens she’s worn to school every day since October because you forgot to send anything for show-and-tell.

Blue Mittens for Show & Tell

6. February

A nine volt battery that used to be in a really cool toy that got broken and thrown in the garbage.

7. March

The mittens again.

8. April

A page torn out of the 2003 International Plant Nutrition Institute calendar.

9. May

Mittens.

8. June

A tic-tac that sort of looks like a white smartie.

Tic Tac White Smartie