Recent Comments

1. about 14 years ago on Stone Soup

   Fish sticks are what you serve to your KIDS before you go OUT to dinner, not what you fix for a date.

2. over 14 years ago on Stone Soup

   @Macushlalondra–the kids are old enough to read the instructions on their clothes, the washer, and the detergent. And a few ruined clothes will teach them how NOT to do it (almost as important as how it’s done right). It’s not as if they can’t ask Val if they’re really stuck. (And I doubt Val’s bought them many clothes with special washing instructions–most working moms I know try to avoid buying items that are hand wash or dry clean only, so no problems there.)

   I learned how to do laundry when I was old enough to see the top of the washer and get the detergent; I learned to do dishes as soon as I could be reasonably trusted not to break them; I learned how to cook with adult supervision at about the same time–anyone can make spaghetti, or soup out of a box or a can. It’ll do the kids some good to learn how to take care of the house they live in.

3. over 14 years ago on Stone Soup

   Wow, comments escalated really fast today. Possibly a record for Stone Soup.

4. over 14 years ago on Stone Soup

   Macushlalondra, … not to question your wisdom or anything, but did you ever go to a school where kids wore uniforms, and that actually happened? I’m a 13-year veteran of private school and wore a uniform every day of those 13 years, and let me tell you now: uniforms do not change the have/have-not dichotomy. The rich kids will still show off their fancy stuff, and less-privileged kids will still feel bad that they can’t afford it. With uniforms, the high-priced and high-quality stuff just changes to shoes, supplies, accessories, and after school activities, instead of all of that plus whatever clothing they’re wearing.

5. about 15 years ago on Stone Soup

   I’ve got two older sisters (I’m the youngest of 3 girls). As kids, we could be best friends one minute and fighting like demons the next, but now that we’re older I wouldn’t trade my Big Bird or Oscar the Grouch for anything.

6. about 15 years ago on Stone Soup

   Jan, excellent work showing how little scary things pile up into big scary things, and showing that kids can help us do and see things that as adults we ignore.

   As far as any social commentary on welfare is concerned, if more people like Alix were willing to help their neighbors get back on their feet we might not need the welfare system we have today. And for those totally against it, I can’t tell you how delighted I am that none of you have ever lost the job that paid your bills and provided insurance, or lost your spouse and main breadwinner through death or divorce, or were injured badly enough that you couldn’t return to your old job or to the workforce at all, and that you’ve never had to go through the painstaking, soul crushing, and utterly humiliating process of requesting government aid, and I hope you never have to because I wouldn’t wish that on anyone.

7. about 15 years ago on Stone Soup

   I think she knows that Alix, while her heart’s in the right place, is doing it without her mom’s knowledge. Val, go gently with your daughter; she meant well.

8. about 15 years ago on Stone Soup

   My dad was doing the grocery shopping one day with me and my older sister–I was in the seat provided for small children in the cart, and my sister was on one of those toddler leashes. For whatever reason, a woman came up and with no provocation began screaming at my father that “Leashes are for dogs, not children! You should be ashamed of yourself!” So my father picked me up and started trying to calm me down (being frightened, I’d immediately started crying and screaming) and unhooked my sister. He told the meddler that if she was so concerned about his daughter’s well-being, she could be the one to keep her from climbing shelves and then falling and busting her head open, getting lost in the crowds, wandering off, being kidnapped, or anything else he’d put her on a leash to prevent. My sister promptly ran down the aisle and tried to climb to the top of the shelf. My dad looked at the woman and said, “Well? Aren’t you going to do something? You were worried enough to come over here and cause a scene a minute ago.” She just stood there dumbstruck, and so he told her, “The next time you’re so concerned about a child’s welfare that you come over and yell at their parent, be prepared to do something constructive about it instead of just b*&%h.” Then he collected my sister, put her back on the leash, and continued his grocery shopping. My sister doesn’t have any lasting psychological trauma from being on a leash for her own safety, but I still remember being scared of that lady yelling at my dad.

9. about 15 years ago on Stone Soup

   She also got a toddler with a sugar rush to deal with for the rest of the day. A donut for herself doesn’t make up for hyped-up Max.

10. over 15 years ago on Stone Soup

    “You can’t make me”, HA! When my sister hit thirteen, she pulled out the big guns: “I HATE YOU! I WISH I WERE DEAD!”

    My dad told her that if she EVER talked to our mother like that again, he’d grant her wish.