I’ve always bragged about how well my kids play together.

I honestly thought I had hit the parenting jackpot with these two. Constantly hugging, sharing toys, thoughtfully saving half of their cupcake from a schoolmate’s birthday to give to the other after class. (no really, I swear this has happened on more than one occasion)

As the mother of two small children, I took great pride in how fierce they protected each other on the playground and helped each other through daily life.

Then I woke up one morning and Thunderdome erupted in my living room.

Somewhere in between waffles and Spongebob there were shouts. Shoves. Even an “I hate you.” Someone took someone else’s toy. Someone moved the other’s stuffed animal. Someone was sitting in ‘the wrong’ spot on the couch. I believe someone also was breathing too loud.

I found myself yelling things like “wait until your father gets home” and “I don’t CARE what your brother/sister did, you’re BOTH in trouble.” I was separating toys in bins, where before there had been nameless baskets, and I was triple checking to make sure each scoop of ice cream was EXACTLY the same size.

As a sibling myself, I knew this was bound to happen. However I’d like to rewind back just a few weeks or months to the hugging days. In fact, I’d like to KNOCK that feeling of love and adoration back into both of them.

No, really.

How do you deal with sibling issues at your house? Does ANYTHING work or are they destined to be mortal enemies in the Thunderdome of my living room for life?

Many of you know I’m a big hockey fan. Specifically, I am a big Detroit Red Wings fan.

So when my children asked me to bring them home the “Penguins of Madagascar” from New York City, I had a problem.

Why? Because the Red Wings are currently playing the Penguins for the Stanley Cup. And I couldn’t very well just go buy some penguins.

I can’t tell you how I agonized over this while in New York. I knew I could easily get to FAO Schwarz and I knew I could find penguins. But I couldn’t really go buy them.

I thought about giving a friend money to buy them for me. I thought about bringing something ELSE home for the kids. I thought about trying to find penguins AND tiny red wing jerseys to dress them up with.

Instead I decided on this:

Voodoo.

Go Wings.

#suckit Penguins

Crossposted at BlogHer.com

Remember this?

Back in the Fall of 2007 many in this community joined the fight against Facebook, more specifically Facebook’s ban on photos of mother’s breastfeeding their children.

We joined the protest group. We contributed to videos. We held a nurse-in. One of the main talking points throughout the campaign was the alleged inconsistencies in Facebook’s Terms of Service. They appeared to allow pro-anorexia groups, and, as many of us pointed out, hate groups.

At the time a few media outlets picked up on the bru-ha-ha. Some notable bloggers joined in. Even TechCrunch had a short piece on the uproar (with, in my opinion, some of the most immature and sexist comments I’ve ever seen against women in one single post- “chicks and their milkbags” comes to mind). And then the ruckus died down.

Until now.

It seems the Facebook TOS issue has reared it’s head in the form of the blogosphere taking note of the allowance of Holocaust Denial groups on the service.

Michael Arrington at TechCrunch writes, “Jew Haters Welcome At Facebook, As Long As They Aren’t Lactating” much to the delight and surprise of some in the mommyblogging community. Ok, much to the delight and surprise of ME.

In fact, I was so shocked by the allegiance I twittered:

“Did the boys just figure out Facebook allows hate groups? the MOMS pointed this out years ago when they wouldn’t allow bfeeding pics. lol”

Which then started a full scale discussion over on this thread at friendfeed.

Karoli ties the entire issue together citing very clearly that Facebook needs lessons in community management,

“Just amazing. It seems that on the Internet, there are still many males (I won’t call them men) who don’t have any respect for women, and have no problem demonstrating it on a daily basis.

This is bully behavior. When women are demeaned for breastfeeding or wanting to promote breastfeeding (which was the original purpose of the group) by men who fail to see the hypocrisy in Facebook’s decision matrix around these two groups, they are being marginalized and bullied. It’s wrong, but I’m not exactly sure what could be done to prevent and/or stop it.

Here’s one idea: Let’s see some of the mature, responsible members of this large universe called the Internet stand up not only against Holocaust deniers, but also for breastfeeding mothers. “

As a breastfeeding mother I want to see Facebook be consistent in the way it implements it’s TOS. As someone disgusted by Holocaust denial groups, and other hate groups, I am appalled they are allowed to remain while photos of me feeding my daughter are removed.

Now that the “other half” of the blogosphere is having this discussion in depth, will we see any movement from Facebook? Will the “tech” bloggers continue to embrace the “mommyblog” causes when it involves a social networking service?

I can’t wait to find out.

Contributing Editor Erin Kotecki Vest also blogs at Queen of Spain blog

I can’t stop laughing. So I had to blog this.

OH GOD THE HOMO STORM GOT ME

The Obama’s gave the Queen an iPod *gasp!*

The First Lady and the Queen EMBRACED! *shock* *horror*

We’re so sorry for our diplomatic ineptitude that we’re sending apology letters!

Listen, haters…you can make up all the drama you like, you can be upset over our President and First Lady’s ability to actually be warm and caring and human. But there is no ugly American overseas issue here.

You should have been writing those letters to apologize a few years ago when the cowboy mentality of shoot first and ask questions later reigned and the entire world thought we were a bunch of dicks.

Freedom Fries anyone?

But no, now you choose to be upset over an iPod and a hug. Nice.

*updated: Forget the Queen and the First Lady, conservatives just got wind that the President bowed when meeting King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia. Let the terrorist e-mail memes ensue.

/eyeroll

I gave my son and my daughter pennies to throw in the fountain.

What did you wish for?

I wished Mommy would stay with us Always.

What did you wish for?

I wished that my Mommy was always here.

I’m pretty sure that spot, in front of that fountain, is where my heart broke into a million pieces.

Shattered.

If you go visit, please sweep it up and return it to it’s owner.

Thanks.