Skipping like a mad thing to post ridiculous cuteness (as is my wont): [link]

~ma to all that need it!

Job~ma to Anne and Trudy!! May you be able to retire interview suits very soon.

job~ma to Anne and Trudy.

In a way, I am heartbroken about Polgara's mom. It's just not right.

Much ~ma to Anne. And Trudy.

Punctuation to Polgara and pawswithclaws.

He drove himself to the nearest hospital (?!)

I just posted a "Been There; Done That; Ate the T-Shirt" comment in your LJ. My Dad is notorious for driving himself to the hospital while his heart is doing the hokey-pokey.

My dad once drove himself to the hospital for angina pain, checked in, and had to call a buddy to have him let us know where he was, as he couldn't remember his own phone number. ("Well, it's not like I ever call myself.")

I think he'll be okay. He's pretty grabby himself on the playground and used to lots of rough play with his friends.

Yeah, Ben is like that, too. I don't consider that ungentle, because there's nothing mean behind it. There's youth, and vigor, goofiness, and excitement, and poor self-control behind it maybe, but no malice.

But it wasn't like that. Emmett's never been in a fight, and this was definitely aggressive behavior, not play.

Yeah, and screw them. That's what happened with the boy who punched Ben. It just *turned* instantly.

job~ma to Trudy.

The violent children issue reminds me that I have a parenting question: Annabel, while normally still a sunny-natured child, throws the occasional mini-tantrum when her will is thwarted. In particular, if I have to pick her up to keep her from committing some self- or property-destructive act, she'll yell and grab hard at whatever comes to hand--which means yanking my glasses off or pulling my hair. I've been dealing with this by prying her hand free and telling her in a sharp, firm, but controlled voice that We. Do. Not. Pull. Hair.

Is this good enough? I'm not freaked out by the mere fact that she has a temper and/or violent impulses. I mean, she's my daughter and I have plenty of both. But I don't want her to turn into a playground terror once she's in daycare and/or school.

This is normal. You are doing the right thing.

I think we all have violent impulses, Susan. Just the fact that she does that doesn't mean you did anything wrong, but I wouldn't know whatto do or anything.

Sounds pretty normal to me.

Leif is so cute when he gets mad. The funniest thing is when he gets mad and gives himself a time out because he doesn't completely get the concept.

Oh, I meant it when I said it doesn't bother me that she has violent impulses. My earnest liberal granola parent side expresses itself in wanting to keep her away from Barbies--water pistols, toy swords, etc. are just fine in my book. But I still haven't settled on any kind of parenting philosophy WRT discipline, so I want to make sure my instinctive impulses are neither too lax nor too harsh.