Laugh and Awww

I love TV. Seriously, I have more shows than I have time in the day...hence my undying love for my DVR. How I Met Your Mother, Bones, The Daily Show, House, Mythbusters, Big Bang Theory, Psych, Royal Pains, Glee...I'm lucky when my total used memory space is under 70%.

Still, much to my DVR(and husband)'s dismay, another show has caught my eye...but I swear it is super awesome and worth the memory space. Have you seen Raising Hope? I can't get enough of it!

Basically it's about a kid in his early 20s who has a baby. He lives with his young parents and his senile great grandmother, and it is hilarious. It reminds me of Malcolm in the Middle, which I also loved, only unlike Malcolm it has a huge awwww factor. While watching the pilot I almost peed my pants, but by the end I seriously misted up because it was so sweet.

I love shows like that.

I also love shows which I can watch on Hulu, just in case one of my other shows has a marathon and uses up all my DVR space.

What shows do you love? Are you a TV junkie like me or a casual watcher?

Live Lost Party at My Place-You're Invited!!

The west coast is awesome for so many, many reasons. We have gorgeous weather, and nice people, and a general laid back atmosphere of acceptance mixed with a little kick of funky/eclectic taste-let's face it, the west coast is where it's at, with one teeny tiny exception. During season finale time we are always the last (in the continental US) to know how tv shows end! Usually it's an annoyance, but for the season finale of Lost I find it to be just plain tragic. My friends in the East are going to know how the series ends before I even start watching!

Oh west coast, this TV problem is your near fatal flaw.

So how do we bring that special zing to the west coast viewing when 2/3 of the country has already seen the finale? I'll tell you how-we'll commemorate it right here with our very own LOST LIVE CHAT PARTY!

Oh yes, you read right. We west-coasters [and east-coasters who won't post spoilers LoL] can ring out the Lost two and a half hour series finale by hanging out in my live chat party! Want to exchange WTH?! 's with people? Want to talk during commercials? Do it here on Sunday at 7pm----Pacific Standard time of course. I will set up a chat box so that we can all hang out and talk about the very last episode all the way down to the very last minute (and let's face it, afterward). Don't miss out, this is going to be awesome!!!

So Totally LOST

Unless you live in a cave/under a rock you probably know that this is the last season of Lost. Most of you have probably been following it-I, on the other hand, am playing catch up. I watched the first three seasons of Lost regularly and I have to admit-I got so incredibly frustrated with the crazy go-no-where-totally-confused-and-definitely-LOST "plot". I couldn't follow anything! I couldn't even care about the characters because there were so many of them and we never stayed with any of them long enough so I just gave up.

Still, when I heard it was the last season of Lost I figured I would give it another go. Am I any less frustrated? Does the plot make any more sense? No-but after season 4 I actually started caring about the characters (at least, about the ones whose names I can remember). I just finished Season 5, episode 10 [don't follow the link if you don't want to know everything about that episode!] and I am still totally confused.

--Why does the island have magical powers/give people magical powers?

--Who is bad and who is good? 'Cause pretty much everybody seems to be bad to one degree or another at the moment. On that note, why do they keep trying to make Lock a good guy? 'Cause I really kinda hate him. And why do they try to make Jack a bad guy? 'Cause I really like him.

--That one guy-the Others guy-never ages...why not?

--How am I supposed to figure out this time shift changey thingy? ARRRRRG!

Despite my frustrations though, I'm going to press on. My plan is to watch all the episodes fast enough to watch the series finale on TV with the rest of the whole wide world. If you want to catch up on Lost you can watch it, in it's entirety from Season 1 Episode 1, on Hulu.

P.S. As I was writing this I was also watching S5 E11 and can I just say-I'm glad that Hurley and Sees-dead-people-guy are just as confused about the time shifty thing as I am!

Sunday Ten Spot: TV Moms

The Top Ten TV Moms (as far as I'm concerned)

10. June Cleaver (Leave it to Beaver)
She is the one-the classic TV mom who set the standards impossibly high for every stay at home mom on and off TV. The one who created nostalgia for Super Moms who never existed...and yet no TV Mom list would be complete without her.

Memorable quote: "Once a boy, always a boy."

9. Norma Arnold (The Wonder Years)
A sweet, down to earth woman with a boatload of patience, Norma Arnold was June Cleaver...only not a cyborg.

Memorable quote: "More potatoes, honey?"

8. Lucy Ricardo (I Love Lucy)
The fun and funny mom we all wish we could be, there is a reason that everyone loved Lucy.

Memorable Quote: "Well, I'm your Vitavigavegivat Girl. Are you tired, run down, listless? Do you pop out at parties? Are you unpoopular? "

7. Kitty Foreman (That 70s Show)
Kitty Foreman is the best possible mix of frank and funny. She's not afraid to tell it like it is, but still gives her all into loving and caring for her husband and kids (and her kids' friends). I'd let her be my mom.

Memorable quote: "Red: Pork chops? I thought we agreed to stick to a budget! Pork chops aren't cheap!
Kitty: Well, you know, on the way to the market, I tried to run over a cat. But they are just so darn speedy! "

6. Carol Brady (The Brady Bunch)
Carol was a super cool mom who had it all together (it didn't hurt that she had a housekeeper) and and always had the best advice. Don't play ball in the house? Classic.

Memorable quote: "Carol: What are you going to wear, Mike?

Mike: Oh I don't know... my cowboy boots...

Carol: (in her best John Wayne impression) Well ya better wear somethin' else, or you're gonna get arrested!"

5. Amy Matthews (Boy Meets World)
Okay, I can't have been the only kid growing up in the 90s who sometimes wished Mrs. Matthews was their mom. In the last few seasons of the series she was a rock for her entire family during hard times, and through out the series she was always so understanding and patient and loving...the great picture of motherhood in the 90s.

Memorable Quote: Morgan: Mommy, if my dolly's cold, can I put her in the toaster oven?
Amy: No, honey. That would be a mistake.
Morgan: Mommy?
Amy: Yes?
Morgan: I made a mistake.
Amy: [runs over to toaster oven and pulls out doll] Cory, didn't you smell that?
Cory: Yeah, I just thought we were having plastic for dinner.

4. Lois (Malcolm in the Middle)
Any mom who can withstand five boys bent on destruction deserves a medal (and a vacation). Lois shows us the moms we all are sometimes-full of maternal love, and at the end of our ropes. Plus she gets extra points for super creative disciplinary techniques.

Memorable quote: "Just remember, any kid who makes fun of you is a creepy little loser who will end up working in a car wash."

3. Laura Petrie (The Dick Van Dyke Show)
Mary Tyler Moore created a sweet, funny mom whose love for her husband matched her love for her children. I think that's the thing I love most about her-she portrayed the most realistic relationships at that time (both with her TV husband and TV son). That, and the little rebellious kick that was her iconic capri pants amid a sea of TV moms' skirts, makes me love her.

Memorable quote: "Oh Rob!"

2. Lorelai Gilmore (Gilmore Girls)
A single teen mom might not be who some people consider one of the best TV moms, but I love her. In a world where teen moms are used in the media for either after-school-special type lessons (ala 7th Heaven) or for the personification of ghettoness (ala Jerry Springer) she paints what is, to me, a realistic portrait of being a hard working, responsible person who loves their kid and just happened to start a little earlier than her peers. Plus she's super funny.

Memorable quote: "Lorelai: Hey, isn't that your naked guy?
Rory: Oh, yeah. Marty, hey! He's not my naked guy.
Lorelai: Well, you don't really want a communal naked guy, nowadays, you know, it's too sketchy."

1. Marge Simpson (The Simpsons)
Yes, I know she's a cartoon-but she's still the best TV mom ever. She's not super funny (at least not on purpose), she's not super perky, and she's not super human...and that's what I love about her. Marge tries her very best at everything and loves her family absolutely unconditionally, all while the writers use her to poke fun of the Super Mom image. I love neurotic Marge and everything she represents.

Memorable quote: " ...and that's the life of Mozart. Thank God he died young. I gotta get dinner on the stove."

I Heart Conan

Who HASN'T wanted to do something like this to their ex-employer?

I (DO NOT) Got Rythm

I'm talented in many ways. My desserts are delightful. My singing is sweet. I'm semi-technology talented....but when it comes to gross motor skills I am SOOO lacking. You're talking to the woman who tripped UP a hill. Twice. In the same day. I am just not coordinated in my movements.

So whatever on earth possessed me to try some hip hop cardio? It can only be explained by temporary insanity since I very well know that it is simply impossible for me to force my body to move in one seamless, quick, coordinated movement after another. I should know this better than anyone, I just got too enthusiastic.

It started earlier this evening when I found a TV channel I didn't know that we had. Turns out that when I've got as many channels as I do, entire networks can just go unnoticed forever. Well, almost forever-today I finally noticed Fit TV. It is a 24-hour-a-day 7-day-a-week diet and fitness channel!

Holy-Bending-Yogi Batman.

I've been looking for a way to find the time to exercise, and now workout time is 24 hours a day! Fit TV is run by the Discovery network, not surprising since I already LOVE the other Discovery Channels, and features fun workouts like Shimmy (a belly dancing workout) and Namaste Yoga.

Workouts like All Star Workouts:Hip Hop Dance with MaDonna Grimes. [Dun-Dun-Dun]

This workout caused me to flop around the living room like I was some kind of drunk grizzly bear marionette. Don't get me wrong-it was definitely a workout. I broke into a serious sweat (which I'm sure you're happy to know) and I think it would be an awesome program for anyone who is even slightly more coordinated than I am-a Koala Bear, for instance.

Or, if you're grace-challenged but impulsive like I am you can still try it....though I recommend doing it when no one else is home and with your blinds closed. Also, be sure to remove any reflective surfaces in your workout space, or you'll be laughing so hard at yourself that you won't be able to keep up and you'll get the whole routine mixed up...then you'll REALLY look stupid. I speak from experience here.

And it while was a fun experience, but I think I'm just going to hold out for something that doesn't make me feel like such a fool. I'll let you know how belly dancing goes....



[Picture from NYMag.com]

TV is Our Friend

I am different from a lot of parents-I make absolutely no apologies about the fact that my kids watch a lot of TV. Sure, I've gotten the snide remarks-especially from my in laws, who had no electronics in their home until my sisters in law were 16-but I'm not sorry. Right now, as we speak, all three kids are in front of the television....and yes, this includes my 20 month old and my 5 month old (though it should be mentioned though that our 5 month old Bean is sleeping-as she should be, having been up all night).

I realize that TV is a controversial issue. Just watch this video (from Juice Box Jungle)

More parenting videos on JuiceBoxJungle

Maybe it's what we're watching, but my kids don't become "TV zombies". They play and interact with each other and with the characters on the TV. They count with Dora, practice Mandarin with Kai Lan, read and spell with the kids from SuperWhy...then, when their shows are over, they use the shows they watched in their imaginative play. If that's bad parenting, sue me.

In fact, I know it's probably going to be controversial but I'm going to say it-as a home educator, I use the television as an invaluable educational tool. Our five year old can draw a diagram of your leg, identifying the tibia, patella, femur, tendons, and muscles....thank you Science Rock. He can speak over 30 words and phrases in Mandarin....all because of Kai Lan. He can identify major foreign landmarks like the Great Wall of China and the Eiffel Tower and tell you their country of origin.....thanks to Toot and Puddle.

He learns so much from his TV experience, it provides excellent building blocks for our home learning. Because of his interest in world landmarks we have been utilizing our world map more and he can now identify almost a dozen cities/countries. The passion for Mandarin that started with Kai Lan has branched out and we now use computer software to learn what Monkey wants to learn-he now knows more than 30 words and phrases. Once he learned that individual bones have individual names, he wanted to know all of them....right now we're learning the names of all the bones in the foot.

I'm not saying that all TV watching is enriching-Lord knows letting your kids watch Hollywood Ink all day probably would make them zombies-but in my opinion letting your kids watch educational television which you utilize and build upon doesn't make you a criminal....and if you happen to get a blog post in while they're being enriched, so be it.

Fall Season TV Premieres (Friend Makin' Monday)

It's time once again to meet some new bloggy friends with my gal pal Amber at aefilkins...that's right, it's Friend Makin' Monday!



This week I am totally stoked because she is asking about a topic near and dear to my heart-

What are your favorite fall shows?

Good thing it says 'favorite' instead of 'what shows do you watch most often' otherwise my list would be full of Ni Hao Ki-Lan and History International specials! [Poor Mommy never gets to hold the remote unless everyone else is asleep!]

Thank God for DVR, right? At night I get to cuddle up with my blanket and a snack (which, because of my 30 Day Throwdown goals are usually something on the healthier side like strawberries and low fat whip cream or honey roasted peanuts) and watch whatever I want to watch. Here's what's on the top of my DVR list:

How I Met Your Mother

I love this show. No, that does not do my passion justice-I am OBSESSED with this show. It is lengend....wait for it....and I hope you're not allergic because the last part of this word is-dary. It truly is by far the awesomest display of awesomeness ever. True Story. {And the award for most 'inside joke' TV show references in one paragraph goes to....me? Oh yeah! Fake-Award-Five.}

Bones

I have been watching this show since day one and I. Am. In. Love. With. It. Possibly because I also love David Boreanaz....in a platonic, I'm totally married kind of way. I've followed him around since the Buffy days and I think that his role as Sealy Booth is the best role he's ever been in.

House

You knew it was coming. Who doesn't like House? Hugh is awesome (if unintelligible off screen) and the train wreck/evil genius that is House MD couldn't be more compelling. This year it premieres the same night and time as How I Met Your Mother....again Thank God for DVRs, am I right?

Psych

Okay, so this has already started, but I love it love it love it so it goes on my list. If you haven't had a chance to check it out, please do! The quick back and forth banter is awesome, and there are so many pop culture references in it you could nearly drown.

So, what do you like to watch? Let me know! And, if you get a chance, stop by Amber's place and join in on Friend Makin' Monday!

Mondays Our Way:I Heart Television

Do you want to know my dirty little unschooling secret? My kids watch TV.

I know.

Call me a black sheep amongst homeschoolers, but our family loves TV-and while TV has been blamed for everything from childhood obesity to poor SAT scores and ADD, I see absolutely nothing wrong with letting our kidlets watch quality educational programming whenever the opportunity arises.

I know it is trendy these days to not own a TV, or to not allow kids to watch, but none of our kids have developed a twitch, and our experience with TV has actually been enriching.

Yesterday, Monkey came up to me and said, "Mommy-let's count these pennies! En español! Ready? Uno, dos, tres, cuatro, cinco, seis, siete, ocho, nueve, diez!" Thank you, Dora The Explorer. Thanks to School House Rock he knows what a noun is, and understands what bones are and what they do. Thanks to an idea he picked up from Little Einstiens he now understands the process of metamorphosis. Go Deigo Go taught him about the diet, habitat, and skills of sloths.

Most recently, Monkey (okay, all of us) has fallen in love with Ni-Hao Kai-Lan...and it is because of this obsession that Monkey is now speaking Mandarin...and quizzing me on it. Regularly.

"Look Mommy! This car is hóng sè (red)...can you say 'hóng sè'? And this car is lu sè(green)...can you say 'lu sè'? Good job Mommy! You can talk like Kai-Lan!"

Besides 'red' and 'green', Monkey has also learned:

Hi-ni hao
See you later-zài jiàn
Thank you-xiè xiè
Grandpa-yé yé
Slippers-tuō xié
Push-tuī
Pull-la
Jump-tiáo
Up-shàng
Down-xià
Fast-kuài
Snow- xué
Dinosaur-kǒng lóng
Listen-tīng
[If you want to hear the pronounciation, I recommend going to this site.]

This is just in the past two months. As if teaching Monkey over a dozen words of a foreign language in two months wasn't enough, Kai-Lan is doing a fantastic job curbing fits. By encouraging kids to explore the feelings of others (How does this person look? What did this person say? How do you think they feel?) and by showing and explaining good behavior (teaching kids to listen with step by step instructions for example) Kai-Lan encourages her friends on the show and in the audience to deal with their emotions in a healthy way rather than in outbursts.

And yes, it totally works.

I never cease to be amazed by all the things that Monkey has learned, including all of the great ideas we have discovered and explored further because of quality TV programming...I just couldn't imagine going without a TV!

Plus, I won't lie-if the kids can learn Mandarin for a half hour while I pick up without them under foot, that's truly a win-win situation!

A REALLY Bad Stomach Ache?

I love watching pregnancy and baby shows on TV...you know, since I don't have enough kids and pregnancy in my personal life...and by far the best place to go for your reality baby fix is TLC. Our DVR is up to about 50% capacity with recordings of A Baby Story and Bringing Home Baby which I watch in marathon form after I put the kids down for the night. I really enjoy watching my programs and oohing and awing over the new babies...but little did I know what TLC was going to bring me next. Last week they had a marathon of I Didn't Know I Was Pregnant. Let me say that again:

I DIDN'T KNOW I WAS PREGNANT

Wha?! Okay, I've had a couple kids now so I'm pretty sure I have a good grasp on the whole pregnancy thing...all I can think is how could you not know that there is another person living in your body? Even if you had negative pregnancy tests, you'd figure it out eventually right? What about when the baby kicks? Even if you didn't think you were pregnant the giant lurch-stab-pain from being karate chopped in the cervix would probably alert you to a potential medical issue...right? Or what about morning sickness? With Monkey my morning sickness had me laying face down in the bathtub puking into the drain for 8 months...I definitely would have consulted a physician even if I hadn't known there was a baby on the way. Maybe especially if I hadn't known.

As I sit here 36 weeks pregnant with our third 12lbs heavier, exhausted, swollen, leaking colostrum, slightly dizzy, starving, contracting 3-5 times an hour, and experiencing fiery heartburn, very discomforting back pain, and a heavy feeling in the booty area my brain just can't reach the point where I can believe a woman could sit here, pregnant just like me, and not think to herself for even a second,

"Huh. Maybe I should see a medical professional."

If I didn't know I was pregnant right now I'd be rushing myself to the ER, convinced that death (or at least serious illness) was upon me. I suppose I could just be a hypochondriac, but I really truly think that most women would do the same thing.

You would, wouldn't you?

Hubby thinks that these women have a case of severe denial...but I can't believe that strong enough denial exists which would make a woman go into labor and literally give birth on her toilet.

Seriously Geez Louise!

I love TLC...I love baby shows...but I will not be watching this show anymore, at least not until The Bean is born. I'm in no shape anymore to jump up and down on my couch and scream at the TV. I know I'm pregnant.

[PS this is my 99th post....stay tuned the next day or so for my 100th post. I'm trying to do something jazzy.]

Irony is Delicious

What is it about watching people struggling desperately to lose weight that makes me want to run to the kitchen and grab some snacks?

Generally we eat healthy as a family-our kids aren't allowed any junk food (except their 1st birthday cake and a candy cane at their 2nd Christmas) until they are two years old! We even wait until the kids are asleep to eat junk food ourselves in order to make sure we're setting a good example. We eat a lot of fruits and vegetables, we are active, our fast food intake is practically none (for budgetary as much as health reasons), and we only have dessert once or twice a week. That is of course not including when Mommy dives into the peanut butter cups on Tuesday night and devours a truly awesome amount of peanut-chocolaty goodness. Then I feel horribly guilty and silently thank God my children don't witness my complete loss of self control.

So why, why do I do it? I suspect the truth is that even the thought of eating kale and doing a sit up makes me clutch my usually-neglected Oreos in over dramatic anxiety. (Never depart from me, oh delightful chocolate cookie!) Or perhaps, as I like to think, it could be my highly developed sense of irony.

Yep, that's it.

And it feels so good to know that I am not the only one who loves to nibble on some ironic snackage. When I mentioned my Biggest Loser Eating Habits during the Ultimate Blog Party 2009, I was amazed by how many people commented and said they do the exact same thing! Then I put up a poll....

What Do YOU Eat While Watching the Biggest Loser?
Anything sweet................................................................... (1)
Anything salty.................................................................... (0)
Carrots (or similar healthy fare)...................................... (0)
Whatever I can get my hands on..................................... (7)
I don't eat, I do jumping jacks........................................... (2)
[View all poll results in the poll results archive]

Amazing! People really are like me-or I'm like them...well, most of them. [Not you jumping jackers-I don't think I've done a jumping jack since I was in 4th grade!] Still, I wanted more proof so I searched on Twitter for "eating watching biggest loser". [Oh yes, bloggy friends, I have joined the Twitterers (look for _MrsM_) though to what end I can't say.]

Apparently there is a smorgasbord of people who get their chip on every Tuesday night. Cookies, chocolate cake, Doritos, chipotle, donuts, pizza...you name it, people are eating it while watching this show. Some mention the irony, a lot of people mention guilt or imminent trips to the gym, but it seems that the popularity of the junk food/Biggest Loser combo cannot be denied.

I guess it just comes down to math.

junk food+TBL=delicious delicious irony.

How Much Does Therapy Cost?

This is how I picture it.

Monkey-now a devastatingly handsome, wildly successful, intellectual 25 year old-is laying on a long black sofa opposite a mostly bald, slightly overweight bespectacled man clutching a steno notepad and a ballpoint pen.

We'll call him Dr. Snooty McHeadshrink.

Dr. McHeadshrink looks at my grown son and says sympathetically, "Tell me about your childhood."

Monkey's voice catches, belying his calm exterior as he begins to report everything I've done to him from time immemorial.

"It all started when I was five. My mother was pregnant with my sister The Bean. All I wanted her to do was play with me but instead she turned on the TV, pulled the blanket up to her chin, and took a two hour nap. That's when the cycle of emotional abandonment began."

Snooty McHeadshrink nods sympathetically. "And how did that make you feel?"

"I knew at that moment," says the psychically scarred adult-version of Monkey, "that my mother never really loved me at all!"

You go ahead and laugh. I can see this happening. I can hear my son's heart breaking. I have an overwhelming urge to find Dr. Snooty McHeadshrink and pop him in his condescending kisser.

I can't even say it was an accident. I have been known to black out from exhaustion during pregnancy, but this time I made a fully conscious decision to nap while Baby Bug was napping. It was only supposed to be for a quick minute, a half hour tops, and next thing I know Monkey was tapping me lightly on the shoulder looking at me with puppy eyes and saying in his saddest most neglected-child voice, "Can I have lunch now please? My tummy feels hurty."

His tummy felt hurty!

I. Am. The. Worst. Mom. Ever. My guilt will compel me to pay for his therapy of course, where he can tell Dr. McHeadshrink all about the person who really raised him.

Diego...of "Go Diego Go"...in combination with The Wonderpets.

While none of you (I'm sure) are in the lower-than-dog-poo, leave your child to go hungry category of motherhood like I am, it did make me feel an eensy-weensy bit better to find out from last week's poll that your children do watch TV. Well, except for 3 of you...

Still.

According to last week's poll, 10 out of 21 of you have kids who watch Dora or Diego. No doubt with tummies full of nutritious snackage. Classic cartoons (think Bugs Bunny) and Spongebob were tied for second with 4 out of 21 a piece.

That goes a long way toward me feeling like a human being again. I can almost look myself in the mirror.

Well, until Tuesday when I pull out the snack foods and plop down on the couch to watch The Biggest Loser.



[Do you nosh while watching too? During the UBP I found out that a lot of you do! This week's poll asks about your Biggest Loser snacking habits...answer if you dare!]

Party Rule #1: Be Nice To Your Friends!

Like all of the most important things in life, I have learned social skills and emotional intelligence from our friends at Nick Jr.

Have you seen Ni Hao Kai-Lan? (You can watch clips here on the Nick Jr site.)

Oh. My. Seriously. Isn't that the cutest show you ever saw? It is the biggest thing since Dora and I think it's fabulous! It's like therapy for the 5 and under crowd...but you know, with cute little cartoons who have giant Anime-looking eyes. On Kai-Lan kids learn about understanding non-verbal emotional cues, dealing with emotions appropriately, empathy, and supporting their friends. Plus there are songs. Monkey loves it.

As if that wasn't enough, you can also get such informational social tips as Don't Bite Your Friends (brought to you by rockin' indie kid-show Yo Gabba Gabba).



So I guess what I'm saying is thanks to the miracle of Nick Jr. television I am now socially adept enough to hang out with people online. [Woo?]

This Ultimate Blog Party is just getting started! Stay awhile, hang out-I promise I don't bite (anymore).

(Back to Main UBP post)

Are You a Bob or a Jillian?

So I was eating junk food and watching The Biggest Loser-which has become my own personal ritual of irony-when I was thinking that Bob and Jillian can be more like parents than trainers...and then I thought "well, aren't most parents just trainers anyway?"-and most parents, I think, lean to the "Bob" or the "Jillian" side.

Bob and Jillian couldn't be more opposite in training techniques. As Bob's Bio on the Biggest Loser site points out:

Bob "adopts an "inside-out" philosophy in which he builds a relationship with each client. First he motivates them to realize their potential and their sense of self-worth. Then he helps them to develop habits -- and ways of thinking and acting -- which enrich and uplift them physically, emotionally and spiritually."

The difference between his approach and Jillian's is instantly recognizable. On her own site, she is billed as "tough as nails" and "the toughest trainer on TV"...which certainly would never be applied to Bob's gooey marshmallow-centered coaching.

When I think about it, both approaches have their pros and cons. The "Bob" method is a lot gentler on the surface, but can be tough when it needs to. He relies heavily on the fact that the people he is training are very motivated not to see him disappointed-not because he'll yell and scream but because he'll support you anyway and the guilt is smothering. The results of the "Bob" method are not quick and remarkable so much as a gradual change, but throughout the experience there is a peaceful bond between Bob and the person in training.

The Jillian method is the school of hard knocks, always pushing her people to be on the ball-going harder, going farther, and getting there faster-she focuses on getting them out of their comfort zones, but can be sensitive to people’s needs if the occasion really calls for it. The results of the "Jillian" method are amazing and pretty much instant, but it takes time for people to figure out that she's really working for their own good and truly appreciate and respect what she does.

Now think how that relates to parenting. There is definitely a spectrum-I don't think most parents would fall completely under "Bob" or "Jillian"-but no matter where you are you have a leaning for the authoritarian results oriented Jillian style or the relationship oriented Bob style.

I myself am definitely a Bob. I would rather sit down and discuss things with the kids, and even if I have to be stern I’m always careful to listen to them and keep our relationship a priority. I’m willing to wait for results--and I very often do. Then again, I was raised by two Jillians.

My husband-raised by a single mom Bob parent-is definitely a Jillian. He demands instant results from our children, and pretty much gets them (to the extent that is possible with a 5 year old and a 1 year old). He is tough because he loves them and wants them to do better for their own good, and he doesn't want them to spend time doing the wrong thing and hurting themselves. It all comes from a place of love and devotion, but sometimes manages to really upset the kids.

I’m eternally grateful that our kids will get to be raised by both a Bob and a Jillian (unlike my hubby and I who were raised by one kind or the other) and hopefully the combination of compassion and tough love will make our children well rounded. In theory. That's the goal anyway.

So, which are you? Or maybe someone had both a Bob and a Jillian parent--how did that effect you?