The headlines to the advertisements on my Facebook Profile read: "Dr. Oz Diet - Lose 9lbs",  a recipe promoting "Gooey Butter Cookies" and another for "Chunky Soup".    Oh, and a video trailer for the "Belly Fat Detox Diet".  Seems that as a result of the high-tech number-crunching in the underworld of social network marketing, I am a yo-yo dieting junkfood junkie.  Not necessarily an uncommon demographic, I suppose.

It's no great mystery that each and every one of us is a moving target for those wanting to sell us something.  Consider the infamous 'courtesy cards' from supermarkets and retailers.  I just bought a new wallet to house them all.   The drug store, book store, department store, restaurants.  All to be on-hand so we can have the "courtesy" of getting the "cheaper" price.  And the fact all these retailers know our purchasing history really freaks me out at times.   I think I'm going to get coupons for diapers and wipes until MJ is 10.  Something fun to do could be to swap cards with some of your friends to see what coupons are spit out.  Or even your spouse (mine carries his own).  Hmmmm, a bouquet of flowers with your next purchase of Godiva chocolates, Hunnie? Explain please.

Another thing I don't get is why bringing your own shopping bag is so important when the receipt for my purchases equals about a cord of pulp wood? But I digress.

One of my favorite movies from the 80's is Mr. Mom.  And one of the best scenes is when Michael Keaton is sitting around the table with other Moms, playing poker and drinking beer betting coupons.  I've seen that movie a dozen times and still laugh out loud.

Have you ever felt feisty and fibbed about your birthdate when 'registering' with an online shopping site?  Like registering as an 65 year-old retired male accountant whose interests include gaming, the rodeo and Bingo.  It's a terrific reminder to find the humor in the exploitation of our personal interests.  Or at least in what is perceived to be so.

From the Mouths of Babes

I was covertly watching an altercation between Nina and MJ a few weeks back.   With personalities as different as night and day, a disagreement can either be pretty amusing or horrifying.   The disputes usually revolve around someone touching someones matchbox cars, or denuding someone else's Polly-Pocket-Dolls.  Reasons best left for them to figure out, and for Mom to not intervene.  But in this fight, Mj was using some force that didn't set well with me and Nina was cowering back in tears....

While MJ was in his timeout,  I comforted Nina.  "Don't let anyone push you around like that" I say in all my wisdom, "especially boys - they are no smarter than girls".

"What about Papa?" Says Nina.  "What about Papa?" I ask.

"Isn't he smarter than you?"

Amazingly, I was dumbstruck into silence for a few seconds.  Not really sure if I was going to fall over laughing or launch into a full-blown lecture on the history of the Women's Movement.  But I stayed calm and did the best I could.

"Papa does many things very well that Mama does not, " I say, "But Mama is good at many things too.  It does not mean that Papa is smarter than Mama."

Nina ponders this for a few moments, brightens up a bit and then starts listing my talents...  "Oh yeah! You are good at things too, Mama!  You are really good at doing the dishes....and doing the laundry.... and giving us good things to eat!"

Now I'm barely concealing a laugh and I give her a hug and thank her for noticing my 'smartness'.  Of course, I later recount the whole thing to Hubbie and express my concerns that perhaps I'm not being a strong-enough role model for Nina.   His opinion was that I was reading into it too much.

Perhaps so.   But it has my eyes open to how strongly our actions do model for our children.    Nina does not see me at the office supporting our business, nor has she shadowed me all that much in my photography.  But my hope is that in time she finds power within the love, comfort and stability that this 'domestic diva' tries to impress upon her.   (And also, that she develops a good left hook the next time her brother tries to push her around:)