Kid and Caboodle

I have no idea how this person found my blog to ask me to participate in a survey, but she looks like a legitimate researcher. She seems to need more people, so if you’re a female blogger and want to participate, I post the full text of her note below:

I’m a mom, a blogger, and a Ph.D. student, and I need your help. I’m doing a study about why women blog, and you have been selected at random to participate in a short survey about what motivates you to blog and what you get out of blogging.

Here is the link: http://www.surveygizmo.com/s/231228/women-bloggers

Thanks in advance for your help. Feel free to contact me at gmmasull@syr.edu if you have any questions.

Gina Chen
Ph.D. student
S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications
Syracuse University

Someone once told me that men and women approach stores in different ways. Men supposedly are “hunters”; they go into a store, get what they came for, then leave. Women, on the other hand, supposedly are “gatherers”; they browse through the aisles when they shop and buy accordingly.

Today, with our cul-de-sac finally cleared out from Snowpocalypse, Chris decided to run some errands, including a trip to the store. I gave him a list of supplies we needed such as milk, bread, eggs and ground meat.

Not only did Chris come back with the items on the list, but he also purchased several packages of chocolate (including a Valentine’s Day box for me — aw), several types of ice cream, cookies, goldfish crackers, Cheez-Its and Velveeta shells-and-cheese.

So much for that generalization!

We’re now going on Day 5 of our unexpected winter vacation, thanks to the roughly two feet of snow that hit the D.C. area last weekend. So far my neighborhood has not seen any sign of a plow.

A.J. has been spending most of his waking hours playing Webkinz, which is something like The Sims or Second Life for stuffed toys. Each Webkinz toy come with a computer code that, when registered, creates an avatar on the Webkinz site. On the site, Webkinz owners can feed, bathe and dress their Webkinz; read electronic books; or “cook.” The site also has a virtual economy; players can work at different jobs, answer trivia questions and surveys, or play arcade games to earn “Kinzcash” to spend on pet food, furniture, toys, room decorations, classes, spa visits, vacations and “home renovations.”

The site is actually quite engaging, which is a mixed blessing. My son certainly has been entertained the past few days, but he hasn’t really wanted to do anything else. He also wants me to play as well. (I bought myself two Webkinz so my son would have someone to interact with on the site.)

I also have mixed feelings about how the Webkinz manufacturers have used the site to encourage future purchases. Access to the Webkinz site expires after a year, and the only way to renew is to buy another Webkinz and register its avatar code. Clever!

In between Webkinz sessions, I have managed to do a few useful things in the real world, but it has been hard to stay focused. Hopefully I’ll do better today. Chris has been doing a much better job than I have of being productive; not only has he shoveled a lot of snow and done laundry, but he has been assembling some shelving units. Good husband!

We’re expecting at least six more inches of snow this afternoon and tomorrow … wow. Guess we’ll be having a few more days of family bonding time!

Life was so much simpler before I had a kid.

Back then, I never had to take off work to attend a school play or worry about how to occupy a 7-year-old during a two-month summer break from school. I never had to scramble at 5 a.m. to negotiate child care because snow closed local schools but not my office.

I used to be able to spend my evenings socializing with friends or relaxing at home rather than reviewing my son’s homework. I used to sleep as late as I liked on the weekends rather than getting up before 8 a.m. to feed my son and drive him to extracurricular activities. I used to be able to go on vacation whenever my husband and I liked rather than being tied to our son’s school schedule.

Life was simpler back then, and sometimes I really miss those days. But most of the time I appreciate the wonders of having brought someone into the world and watching him grow into his own person. I love seeing my son’s mischievous smile and answering his questions on everything from biology and weather to the rules of the road and the budget deficit. I like how he sings in the shower and hugs me at bedtime.

Despite all the scheduling challenges, I enjoy being a parent. And work is going well, too!

This post is part of the Fem 2.0 Blog Carnival on Work-Life hosted by About Working Moms.