last week i finished eat pray love by elizabeth gilbert but let me tell you, i could have done with just an eat love kind of book- the pray part was death so i skipped over it. did i learn much of anything? nope. sometimes knowledge and wisdom come from unexpected sources, such as a lovable comedy sitcom about 3 families. justin & i are huge fans- i love modern family more than glee, which says it all.
i am no mother to human kids, but i can boast raising 3 wonderful children of the fluffy variety. even i have things to learn....
don't share everything with your chicklens
"Your kids don't need to know who you were before you had them; they need to know who you wish you were, and try to live up to that person. They're gonna fall short, but better they fall short of the fake you than the real you." [claire-mother of 3]
for some reasons, this makes me think of my sister...
every father needs to be able to provide for his family
"I know I'm not the handiest guy, but I'm still a man and I want to be able to look out into my yard and say, 'There's a little bit of me in that princess castle." [mitchell- gay father of 1]
as a mother, letting go
"In my culture, mothers are very clingy to their sons. In fact, the leading cause of death among Colombian women is when their sons get married. But I'm not like that." [gloria- jay's younger, colombian wife]
sometimes its okay to bend the rules
"Ordinarily I'm a rule follower, but when someone tells me I can't bring my own snacks into their stadium? That's when I get a little... nuts. It's a free country right? Let's just say it Ruffles me when some Goobers tell me I have to spend my half my PayDay on their hot dogs." [phil- claire's husband]
the importance of exercise
"I decided to get in better shape quick. Didn't want to end up like my old man. Although he did die doing what he loved - refusing service to hippies who came into his store." [jay- father to claire & mitchell]
when you break the law, don't be an idiot [my own dad taught me this]
"A Realtor's just a ninja in a blazer. The average burglar breaks in and leaves clues everywhere. But not me. I'm completely clueless." [phil]
life is a continual balance of trade-offs
"I was gonna tell Claire about the dog. I was just waiting until she was in the right mood. Actually, I did get one right mood a couple nights ago... but I cashed that in for something else." [phil]
being a mother is #1 priority"Yes, I gained a few extra pounds while we were expecting the baby. Which has been very difficult, but apparently your body does a nesting, very maternal, primal thing, where it retains nutrients, some sort of molecular physiology. But that's science; you can't fight it" [cam- mitchell's partner]
the father-son relationship is critical to self-esteem
"I always felt bad for people with emotionally distant fathers; it turns out I'm one of them. It's a miracle I didn't end up a stripper." [phil]
it's the right of the mother to be able to embarrass her daughter
"Alex, honey, when you're out shopping, you might want to pick yourself up a training bra. I know you don't need one now but your little boobies are going to come in soon. Mommy loves you, kitten!" [claire]
the in-laws & what to do with them
"A relationship with your father-in-law is tough. You need to prove you can stand up to him, while being respectful. It's like walking a tightrope, which by the way I can do, because I went to trapeze school. " [phil]
"It's Cameron's turn to be out in the world interacting with other grown-ups while I get to stay at home and plot the death of Dora the Explorer." [mitchell]
staying strong in the face of adversity
"You never want your kids to see you scared. You want to be that rock that they grab a hold of in a stormy sea. Actually, a rock would sink. So a floating rock" [phil]
keeping love alive in a marriage
"It's Valentine's Day. It's not the day you run away from love. It's the day you chase it down." [cam]
help your spouse fulfill their potential [side note: justin is thinking about law school- ths is why i'm supportive of that]
"My dream for him is that one day, he'll be on the Supreme Court....So at parties I can tell people my partner is one of the Supremes" [cam]
this is why the prophet says not to gamble
"I could be a chump, do the usual, give the money back to the casino. Or I could do something for myself and get something from the casino store." [jay]
"Gloria: Children need to know that you believe in them; it's the most important thing. If you tell them they have wings, they will believe they can fly.
Jay: Oh really? I had a buddy that went to Woodstock, believed he could fly, didn't end great. That's why hotels' windows don't open anymore"
keep communication alive with your kids
"I'm cool dad, that's my thang. I'm hip, I surf the web, I text. LOL: laugh out loud, OMG: oh my god, WTF: why the face " [phil]
2 comments:
Mel. I love Modern Family more than Grey's Anatomy...which was my one and only true TV love until last year. This show makes me laugh like a goon every episode. In fact I think I am about to take a homework break in the good ol' Gerald R. Sheratt Library to watch last night's episode. That is the real reason I bring my laptop to he library.
I think perhaps I should start watching this. I feel so left out!
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