bears

December 7, 2010

My boys have been fighting about who gets to sit on the far end of the couch for about ten minutes. There is much growling and gnashing of teeth. Somehow this spot on the couch has become very special and this is a very heated discussion. Each of them have great logic for why they are the one that should sit on that spot.

Humans are just too much.

I’m not intervening unless someone gets hurt. I’m all about not hovering or mirco-managing. Or maybe I’m just feeling extra lazy today. It could totally be that.

Yesterday on Twitter Casey and I were lamenting winter. She’s pregnant too and she said, hibernation and gestation is the name of the game. Now that keeps running through my head and making me feel better because I’m an exhausted gestating mother in the winter in Minnesota and I kind of wish I were a bear because that would be a good excuse for all the hibernating I’m doing.

But then I thought about the question my nephew Zach asked about hibernating bears recently. If they sleep all winter, how do they go to the bathroom? I laughed and then I thought the answer was that their bodies probably shut down so completely that they don’t even go. But then I thought that maybe they do still go in their sleep and gross. I had never really thought about it before.

What I do know is that I don’t even come close to knowing everything. So I can’t say for sure about the bears and I don’t know which boy should get the far end of the couch or how to get them to see that it doesn’t matter.

And even so, I’m glad I’m not actually hibernating and that I’m here listening to squabbling about spots on the couch instead. Until I’m sick of it. Then I’ll growl like a bear for it to stop.

{ 19 comments }

One Crafty Mother December 7, 2010 at 6:00 pm

Okay, because I'm weird and I love arcane bits of info, I had to google "do hibernating bears pee or poop?"

Turns out they don't.

Nobody can say I didn't accomplish at least ONE important thing today.

So there.

-Ellie

Heather December 7, 2010 at 6:04 pm

So glad that Ellie googled that because I was on my way to see myself after I commented.

Hopefully they still aren't fighting over the spot & if so banish them from the couch. It may work.

Jen December 7, 2010 at 6:05 pm

Bears also birth babies the size of walnuts. Sounds good to me.

My big two fight endlessly over who sits where in the car because one seat has a good view of the baby and one doesn't. That seat now goes to whoever is being most cooperative in getting ready and getting to the car.

Els Manning December 7, 2010 at 8:47 pm

Ha ha and this will pass so fast. Then you sit up hoping they come home at curfew. And you will sit and wish that they were just arguing over the spot on the couch. I promise. So enjoy …. small stuff. And I am glad to know hibernating bears don't have to go…. :)

Heather of the EO December 7, 2010 at 9:11 pm

Ellie, of course you did. Of course. Also. good to know.

And Jen. I LOVE it that you know this walnut thing. Hilarious. And WOW.

And yes, ladies. The fighting it did stop. It wasn't really all that bad. Just some good blog fodder brought to me by my two besties, Miles and Asher. :)

moosh in indy. December 7, 2010 at 9:40 pm

For some reason I can't stop spending inordinate amounts of money at Costco on giant bags of pecans, boxes of canned fruit and piles of oranges.
I'm padding my cave for a long winter.
Unlike the bears I'm going to need snacks and 99 rolls of toilet paper to make it through winter.

Hyacynth December 7, 2010 at 10:20 pm

Thank goodness Ellie figured it out … I was thinking about asking master of the Google {hubby} to find out … and that would have taken hours and included a lecture on the essense of hibernating bears. ;)

Rest away, mama. You're doing important work.

Amy @ Never-True Tales December 7, 2010 at 10:58 pm

Well now I have to go google bears and hibernation and potty, which could be interesting.

I love winter…until about March. Then I'm over it. But a Minnesota winter is like none other, so I've heard, so your December is probably equal to my March here in Oregon!

Lara December 7, 2010 at 11:13 pm

I thought I was going to tell you how much I wished I could hibernate. But you very expertly managed to change my mind by the end of this post. I want to live my life….even under ten feet of snow!

Elaine A. December 8, 2010 at 12:29 am

Oh boy do I know about the squabbling over specific spots on the couch. My boys are masters of that!

I think I'd be good at hibernating too and I'm not even pregnant! :D

LisAway December 8, 2010 at 3:19 am

Don't feel bad. You're not hibernating if you're still using the loo. No hibernating = excellent gestating mother (whether or not you ever get out of the house or do anything more than listen to your cubs squabble about who gets to sit at the end of the couch). :)

TKW December 8, 2010 at 8:04 am

Every winter, I vow to come back as a bear in the next life. I would totally sleep through the cold months. Although now I'm a little disturbed about bear pee…may have to investigate!

Allison @ Alli 'n Son December 8, 2010 at 3:43 pm

I'm in full bear mode over here too. The cold weather makes me want to just curl up and not leave my house until Spring. Maybe if we had some snow that would encourage me to leave the couch.

Allison @ Alli 'n Son December 8, 2010 at 3:43 pm

I'm in full bear mode over here too. The cold weather makes me want to just curl up and not leave my house until Spring. Maybe if we had some snow that would encourage me to leave the couch.

Allison @ Alli 'n Son December 8, 2010 at 3:43 pm

I'm in full bear mode over here too. The cold weather makes me want to just curl up and not leave my house until Spring. Maybe if we had some snow that would encourage me to leave the couch.

Billy Coffey December 9, 2010 at 11:33 am

There was a bear on my neighbor's porch recently. Not sure why she wasn't asleep yet. I suppose she just wanted to say goodbye for a few months. She looked mean and cranky, though. I wouldn't want to be a bear if I had to be mean and cranky. Then again, maybe she just had to pee really bad.

Evolving Mommy Catherine December 10, 2010 at 11:57 am

I was going to say That I now needed to google the bathroom habits of hibernating bears, but Ellie did the work for me.

a Tonggu Momma December 12, 2010 at 10:16 am

Former Pre-K and kindergarten teacher here… you can tell him that bears don't typically pee during hibernation, although they sometimes DO wake up to eat and pee. As for pooping, basically a "plug" of hair and… er… other stuff forms to block the poop from coming out. Nice, huh? And can you tell I used to get this question all! the! time! from the boys in my classes?

Erin December 12, 2010 at 10:51 pm

I love that third paragraph, about not intervening because you are either not hovering, or you are just feeling lazy. I feel that often!

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