A Day in the Life

Psst

2008-02-04T20:18:00.000-05:00

Hey! You! Go here! I have my own domain now! I MIGHT even start posting again!

Not that I wish ill towards the previous owner of www.chichimama.com, as her maternity clothes were tres cute albeit rather expensive, but I am thrilled that I could finally nab it!

Blast from the past

2008-02-03T20:56:00.000-05:00

AHHHHH!.jpg, originally uploaded by chichimama's photos.

Now that my kids look nothing like this, I feel free to share this picture from OMG almost 4 years ago. I love this one. It pretty much sums up my kids in one fell swoop.

Go figure

2008-02-02T21:06:00.000-05:00

So A was right, apparently Rapunzel is getting her own movie...

Overheard at the Library

2008-02-01T19:15:00.000-05:00

A: "Mommy! Look! There is a NEW princess! Her name is Rapunzel! But why doesn't she have a movie???"

Chichimama: "From your mouth to Disney's ears. I would LOVE to see what they would do to Rapunzel..."

True Love

2008-01-31T22:53:00.000-05:00

True love is crawling into bed with someone who says their tummy hurts while wearing cashmere.

Please, oh please make the tummy bug go away. Please. I beg you.

Smarter than a Fifth Grader?

2008-01-31T19:54:00.001-05:00

So a question for y'all (and DON'T you DARE Google it!). How many oceans are there and what are their names (Gina, you can totally steal this for your trivia contest, which you have been sorely neglectful of now that I am just questions away from that candy!)

No less than ten moms were completely befuddled by this question while waiting for swimming class to get out this afternoon. And no less than eight of us got on our cell phones and asked our husbands to Google the answer. The only person who got it right without the help of Google? The fifth grader.

Give it a whirl. Perhaps some of you are more up on such things than I...

Overheard in the middle of the night

2008-01-25T07:20:00.000-05:00

C: "Mommy, I need to snuggle in your bed. I had a nightmare yesterday."

Chichimama: "Ulngh? A nightmare yesterday doesn't translate into a snuggle in my bed today."

C: "Huh. OK. Night Mom."

About five minutes later....

C: "Mommy? How about a snuggle in my bed? Because it was a scary dream you know."

Chichimama: "Do you want to tell me about it?"

C: "Well....I don't ACTUALLY remember it. But I am SURE it was scary."

Mommy: "C, I am tired. And if I don't go back to sleep I will be tired tomorrow, and if I am tired tomorrow than I may not be very nice, because I get cranky when I am tired. Much like a certain little boy I know."

C: "Oh fine." C stomps off to bed and almost wakes A.

Chichimama: "CRANKY C! I am already CRANKY!"

C: "Then clearly your bedtime is too late and we need to start making sure you go to bed earlier."

A slight edge

2008-01-21T13:37:00.000-05:00

I think that, given my druthers, I would take the tummy bug over the multi-day viral something with fever. Even though the tummy bug is gross, at least once your child has thrown up all over themselves, you, and the new rug, she is somewhat happy, at least until she needs to throw up again. And, in general, the tummy bug isn't a long, drawn out affair.

Or, perhaps I am just trying to make myself see the silver lining.

Knit A Long Update

2008-01-19T13:59:00.000-05:00

So those of you who are interested can head on over to the knit-a-long blog, where an interesting discussion is already underway, even though there is no pattern yet.

I think we found his calling

2008-01-19T08:04:00.000-05:00

My five, almost six year old just seriously trounced me in chess. It was his second full game ever. His first? He put me in check mate in four moves.

I think it is time to dig my old chess books out of the attic and hand them over, after I re-read them of course.

It is so nice to have a heads up

2008-01-19T07:34:00.000-05:00

M is currently upstairs, felled by a tummy bug of explosive proportions. It is so nice to know how I will be spending the next several days. I have banned the children from the upstairs, but we all know that it is only a matter of time before the rest of the family succumbs.

We were due for a tummy bug, it's been about two years since we had one. But this was not the weekend I would have chosen. Right about now we were supposed to be in the car, headed off on a grand family adventure to view the dinosaurs at the large museum in the city that never sleeps, followed by dinner at the best pizza dive known to man.

And the real crime? I had JUST washed and remade all the beds.

Failed

2008-01-13T22:59:00.000-05:00

C failed his first school test, the eye exam, Yes, the child of two people who can't see squat without their glasses, and whose aunts, and grandparents, and great-grandparents, all wear glasses, is apparently as blind as a bat. Or else he was just in a really uncooperative mood when they did the eye exam at school. Given the genes, however, we're going with blind as a bat.

Now the parental guilt can kick in about not taking him to the eye doctor's earlier....

Decisions Decisions

2008-01-12T20:18:00.000-05:00

OK, so I'm going to give you all some felted bag choices. I am all about democracy here. Except I have a favorite, which I'm not telling you, and if it's close we're going with it. Because it's my party and I can choose if I want to :-). Kidding (sort of).

Drum roll please!!!!

First up, Amanda's Squatty Side Kick.

Next up, the Carried-Away Felted Bag. (requires getting your hands on the book).

Finally, the Sophie Bag. As recommended by Stephanie.

Comments close whenever enough of you chime in. Or sometime next week when I get itchy for closure...

And the winner is....

2008-01-12T16:56:00.000-05:00

A felted bag! If you are interested in knitting along, I've set up a separate blog and will give anyone who is knitting access to it. So email me if you are interested and I'll figure out how to set that up. I am searching for a pattern tonight, right after I plan the Sunday School lesson for tomorrow.

Winter Blues

2008-01-06T21:39:00.000-05:00

I've hit the winter blues, despite the fact that it is supposed to be pushing 60 this week. Don't mind me as I crawl back into bed and pretend I am a hibernating bear for a while...

Can you say addicted?

2008-01-05T19:20:00.000-05:00

I currently have six Scrabble games going on Facebook. I'm just a wee bit addicted. But if you're on Facebook and want to play...

It still cracks me up a decade later

2008-01-04T22:40:00.000-05:00

My all time favorite email correspondence...

The setting:

I am in grad school, buried in a windowless room in the middle of summer. Everyone else in the world has managed to wrangle a vacation day, but yet there I sit, running query after query on my not terribly well constructed database that I know needs to be rebuilt but would require way too much effort for this particular day. Rebecca is, I believe, at the dot-com startup in a similarly windowless environment.

Chichimama: "Yawn."

Two seconds later...

Rebecca: "Burp."

I have no idea why this cracks me up so, but it does. So there.

Burp.

Resolutions

2008-01-01T17:33:00.000-05:00

Last year my resolution was to whine less, or at least balance out the whining with happy thoughts. Yeah. That worked out for me.

This year I am going to stick to the one resolution thing, but I think my resolution for the year is actually doable.

I hereby resolve to be a list person.

"A LIST person?" you ask. Yes! A list person. You know, one of those people that keeps a running tab of things that need to get done on an ACTUAL piece of paper. And then they CROSS the things off that running tab once things are DONE. A novel concept, for me.

I have no illusions that I will become quite the list person that Organized Friend is, as she actually types up her list every night and assigns precise times to each activity (9-9:30, grocery shop. 9:30 to 9:40, put away groceries) just to make sure she can fit everything into a day. I admire that, but I'm also a realist. Not. going. to. happen. But a simple "Put away Christmas decorations, organize hall closet, donate outgrown coats" might improve life a bit.

So there you go. If you need something from me, tell me to put it on the list...

New Years Roundup

2008-01-01T07:51:00.000-05:00

We had WAY too much food. And not enough dessert.
Apparently, this year my friends felt like cooking appetizers, even those who had signed up for dessert.
Next year I quite honestly think I will be better off doing things myself than trying to coordinate a potluck. The only stress I had all evening was the "Oh my God, is that another appetizer walking in the door, where will I put it" and then the guilt about the fact that no one ate most of what people worked so hard to make.
On the upside, I have more than enough ham left over to do my all-time favorite meal, ham and squash casserole. By the time I got the main meal on the table, only the kids were hungry.
Note to myself for next year, skip the baked beans, only get a half ham, and skip the pasta salad. The baked ziti was a huge hit. As were the pigs in blankets and the feta and caramelized onion quiches from Trader Joe's. And Lovely Friend's crab cakes were the only appetizer to "sell out." Must get recipe.
I have decided that there is no telling what people want to drink. This year there was a run on ginger ale and beer, and almost no takers in the wine and seltzer department. Last year I had to dip into my private wine collection, this year I won't have to buy everyday wine for a very long time. If we get snowed in, I have no worries.
Next year Mike needs to be reminded to check the coolers that hold things other than beer and restocking as needed.
I think I need a clone of myself. Or Rebecca needs to come home. Because I know she will use the bathrooms and alert me if something is amiss in them...
I haven't been able to face my basement yet. I have a feeling that several Christmas acquisitions will need to be replaced, including a old-school Hess Truck that is going for a small fortune on Ebay. Most of the children were very well behaved, but there were a few who got a bit hyped up on the frosted brownies and were spotted dragging things up and down the stairs like Winnie-the-Pooh. Thankfully they were children I knew well enough to be able to step in and remove said toys with a minimum of hysteria.
I am always amazed at how dress-up clothes are really all that kids need to entertain themselves. Well, that and Hess trucks.
I feel like I was a horrible hostess, I spoke to almost no one for more than 30 seconds. And the couple of folks who didn't know anyone were pretty much left to their own devices to find someone to talk to...I tried to make a few introductions, but then the food started burning, and the carbon monoxide alarm went off, and 14 kids started chasing Lazy Cat, and things just got away from me.
32 kids was an awful lot of kids. I am looking forward to the day when they head down into the basement and watch movies instead of chasing each other around with brooms while in Snow White wigs. Or at least to the day when I don't have to worry so much about someone getting hurt while they chase each other around with brooms while in Snow White wigs...
Happy New Year! Would you like some leftovers? May I interest you in some vegetarian baked beans....

T-Minus Two Hours

2007-12-31T15:15:00.000-05:00

Because I have nothing else to do...ha!

Knit a long

2007-12-29T20:40:00.000-05:00

OK, so I promised a knit-a-long in the New Year, and a knit-a-long you shall have! But I need some guidance. So here is a short poll. If you pick other, please indicate what the "other" is in the comments. I've set it up so you can vote more than once if you would be interested in more than one project, but please don't vote 17 times for one project (I know y'all, you wouldn't do that, right???).

Once the general project type is picked, I will find us a very cool pattern. I promise!

PS: Feel free to tell others to come vote. I'm probably going to set up a separate group blog, unless everyone is on Ravelry, which I doubt.

New Years Menu

2007-12-29T08:09:00.000-05:00

Veggies and dip from Costco to tide folks over until those lovely friends bearing appetizers arrive

Other assorted ~~impulse purchases~~ goodies from Costco

Honey Baked Ham with rolls and cheese for sandwiches (Should I warm up the ham or serve it cold? The website said to serve it cold, but I have always thought ham was served warm...opinions???)

Baked beans in the crockpot

Baked ziti

Rebecca's Orzo and Bruchetta Salad (One box orzo, cooked. Two containers bruchetta, two containers mozzarella balls. Voila. Yummy salad!)

60 juice boxes

24 bottles of seltzer/fun sparkling waters

A couple bottles of soda, as no one touched it last year except for caffeine-addict friend.

60 bottles of water (do you think this is enough? I thought so, figuring that a lot of people will drink the seltzer as my friends guzzle seltzer, and then I remembered that the kids will have access to the cooler it will be in, and we all know how kids open up a bottle of water and then abandon it two sips later in some undisclosed location and want another...)

Some yet to be determined amount of beer and wine. Last year we ran out of beer, which was a bad thing from a hosting standpoint but a good thing from a breaking up the party before my kids totally lost it standpoint...

Whatever nut- and peanut-free desserts other lovely friends arrive with.

It is nice to have lovely friends :-).

Underestimation

2007-12-27T16:52:00.001-05:00

It appears that I underestimated how many people would already have plans for New Years Eve. We are currently at 30 adults, 32 children and counting. I'm not quite sure how they are all going to fit. And the logistics of how much wine, beer, seltzer, juice and food to buy are overwhelming me. I have stopped obsessing over the music because with that many people, no one will hear anything except perhaps the screams of "It's MINE!!!!" from the basement.

I actually think it will be fun as it has turned out to be a really, really nice group of kids and adults. Bu next year we are totally catering this thing.

Outta Here

2007-12-22T23:13:00.002-05:00

We head north tomorrow to make a whirlwind tour of the J side of the family. May you have a very Merry Christmas if you celebrate. I'll be back around next week, just in time for the big New Years Bash Chez J-E. Bets are now being taken on how long it will take 27 (and counting) children ages 7 and under to take out every toy in my house...

Overheard on the couch

2007-12-21T22:02:00.000-05:00

M: (while trying to get the new OLPC up and running) "See! It's just like Microsoft! Something doesn't work, reboot!"

And then "If this were Apple I would have just typed 'Get Flash.' "

So far we're having some set up issues with the OLPC. I am fairly convinced that if we put C in front of the thing he can fix most of it except the Flash issue. And at the end of this experience he will be able to out compute us, big time.

More updates tomorrow...

Overheard over Breakfast

2007-12-21T07:58:00.000-05:00

C: "I promised Daddy that I would try to be good for a whole week, and he said if I did he would get me some electric train catalogues!"

A: "And if I am good for a whole week I can have a unicorn!"

Chichimama: "Hmm. I'm not quite sure what to say..."

New Years Tunes

2007-12-18T23:26:00.000-05:00

OK, so I'm trying to pick a music theme for our "used to be small and is now outgrowing our house" New Years Eve party. I'm thinking 90's one hit wonders. And not just because I can buy the ITunes Essentials list off of ITunes. I mean, who doesn't want to listen to Hansen on New Years? Or do y'all think I should go classy and actually play some "cocktail" music?

Thoughts? Ideas? Input? If you were a 30/40 something with kids at a New Years party guaranteed to break up by 9pm, what would you want to listen to???

A question for the Mac users out there

2007-12-18T21:24:00.000-05:00

What word processing program do you use, and do you like/dislike it? I am about to embark on a writing project of some substance, and the free program I am currently using is not working so well for me.

People either seem to love or hate IWork, and love or hate Microsoft. And I can't for the life of me figure out if one is better than the other, or if they both suck.

Holiday Tunes: The List

2007-12-18T19:37:00.000-05:00

So here is my compiles list so far. It's pretty much all upbeat songs, I've been in the mood for pep this year. Perhaps next year I'll move on to more mellow fare...

Wonderful Christmastime
The Christmas Song (Merry Christmas to You)
Happy Christmas (War Is Over)
A Most Excellent Party Christmas
Pop Christmas Medley
Do You Hear What I Hear?
Mary's Boy Child
(It Must've Been Ol') Santa Claus
Sleigh Ride
Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas
Blue Christmas
Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!
All I Want for Christmas Is You
Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree
Here Comes Santa Claus (Single)
White Christmas
It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year
Santa Claus Is Coming to Town

Wanna know how the rest of my day is going???

2007-12-17T15:47:00.000-05:00

The kids had their first lunchables ever. I had drive thru Burger King at 2:30 (and no, I didn't order the salad). Right now the kids are watching TV while I frantically try to wash and dry their swim clothes that I found in the bag from last week. Ewww.

My dinner is going to consist of appetizers and cookies. Although I still need to figure out a cookie solution for the swap in T-minus four hours. I have a feeling the the burned biscotti from yesterday will be it, and I'll just pretend that they aren't mine. Or else I'll throw myself on the mercy of Organized Friend who I KNOW just baked 12 dozen lovely cookies yesterday morning.

On the upside, I finished my brother-in-law's hat late last night.

Now I just have to figure out when I can wrap it and get to the post office.

God I just love the holidays.

Cookies are not my thing

2007-12-17T12:27:00.001-05:00

There is a reason I do not bake, and I should not be a kindergarten teacher... These are my cookies. Rolled and cut out in class with the children, and baked at home by me.

These are Mrs. S's cookies.

She will never, ever ask me back into the class.

Nothing like first instincts

2007-12-16T08:12:00.001-05:00

We had a bit of a reorganization here at Chez JE this weekend. And even though I brought it upon myself, I was the one who at the end of the day was so freaked out by all the changes that I needed a glass of wine and a nice hot shower in my unchanged bathroom to keep myself from delving into a full-fledged panic attack. C was similarly afflicted, requiring a restorative stay in his room, while M and A jumped around the house in glee exclaiming "Look! How great! I love it!"

Now, because you are all going to clamor for such things, I present to you the pictures. With the caveat that once my sewing machine arrives from Santa there will be real window treatments and such...

Eating area before

Eating area after
It feels, well, empty. But it DOES make accessing the pantry easier. And if we ever get around to the kitchen redo, the eating area was going to be toast anyway. But seriously, since the renovation is several years out, do you think the empty space is going to look odd?

"Train room" before
"Train room" after
When I first saw the house, I saw this room and Rebecca and I both went, "Hmmm. What do you DO with that room?" We quickly decided upon eating area, but the real estate showing the house insisted sitting area. And so it became ingrained in everyone's mind that it should be a a sitting area. But there was no real way to configure the room as a sitting area. Clearly this table is too small for the space, especially since we are down to two chairs thanks to "you get what you pay for" construction. What do you think, if there were a larger pedestal table in there, with a small buffet against the wall to the right of the fireplace?

Family room before

Family room after

Not sure how I feel about this one. Clearly that wall is calling out for SOMETHING. We've moved the quilt up to the guest room for now as the kids kept pulling it off the wall, and it really didn't go in the room. I think the long term plan for in here is a sectional with this furniture moving down into the basement for the kids, as it has been basically trashed by them already.

Living room before

Living room after

This one I think came out well. M is less convinced, primarily because he can't figure out where the Christmas tree is supposed to go and refuses to consider placing the tree in the family room. I say you can't build a room around a Christmas tree that is in the house for two weeks a year, but clearly the Christmas tree placement is not quite the concern for me as it is for M...

So what do you think? We are not at all wedded to any of this, and are seeking input....

Don't ya wish you knew???

2007-12-14T21:33:00.001-05:00

Wikipeda should totally cite who actually wrote the article on any particular subject. While surfing to fill in info that IMDB couldn't, I decided to see what Wikipedia had to say about my high school. And based on the random alum mentioned under "Notable Alums," and the fact that I KNOW this alum, and his claim to fame is not particularly worthy of mention under "Notable Alums," I am somewhat suspect as to the authorship of this particular entry.

I'm tempted to add myself to the list of notable alums. "Chichimama, fabulous mother and wife. Queen of the Laundry Room." Do you think that would be too obvious???

Tis the season for sitting on my you know what

2007-12-14T18:17:00.000-05:00

Y'all might have noticed that there hasn't been a menu for a while. Ahem, about that. Well, there hasn't been a menu because there hasn't really been much cooking going on around here. By the time dinner rolls around it is dark, and I am tired, and the effort to make dinner just got to be too much. Not that we are doing take out or any such thing, but we have basically been living off of my stash of freezer meals. Which is not really a bad thing, I suppose, as isn't that why there are there? But still, I sort of feel like I should make the effort to actually cook something at least once a week.

But, yet, I keep pulling from the freezer. And then I realized a few days ago that my stash was getting pretty low. Low to the point that we are about to eat the smothered eggplant that I wasn't so sure was worth the effort when I made it this summer, but still froze because who knew, we might get snowed in for a week this winter (It could happen....).

So for the last few days I have been trying to throw meals together in the afternoon, before I collapse onto the couch and watch Clifford the Big Red Dog. Then I had the inspired idea that I should make one meal for dinner and one for the freezer. I know, I know, I'm not a rocket scientist. This method has been touted by folks far and wide. But we've established that I am slow on the uptake.

To aid in my efforts, I decided to order some foil take out pans and lids from a restaurant supply company so I didn't have to use up my limited stash of Pyrex. Not the most environmentally friendly option, I know. But I could buy 500 take out pans for the cost one one Pyrex, and I couldn't really argue with the numbers there. And hey, at least foil is recyclable.

Do you KNOW how much space 500 take out pans and lids requires? I didn't quite think about the logistics of having to store that many pans. Or the draw that that many glittery foil objects might have for my kids. "Can we have JUST one more? You have so MANY!" I have a feeling that the garage is the best place to stash the big box-o-foil pans, but that means having to clear out a shelf (or two or three) out there to keep them on. Which requires a trip to the hazardous waste disposal place to get rid of all the old paint and lawn chemicals. And probably a trip to Goodwill and the used bookstore, and several trips around town to return all of the random crap that I have been "storing" for other people.

Somehow, I think I would have been better off just cooking dinner.

Happy Merry Ho Ho Ho, Tee Hee Hee

2007-12-13T19:37:00.000-05:00

Don't say I never give y'all anything (and make sure your speakers are on!)...

Happy Holidays From Chichimama

It's the little things

2007-12-12T20:36:00.000-05:00

After I picked the kids up at school today, we swung by church to deliver some presents for the angel tree. We saw the rector from afar, and I waved as he was conversing with someone else. We kept heading towards the angel tree, and the kids kept chattering about their day. At some point once we reached the tree, the rector caught up with us and I didn't quite notice as I was busy depositing the presents and keeping A from knocking over the water cooler.

I heard C say "Hi!" The rector responded with "Hello Father XYZ, how are you?" to which C blinked and dutifully repeated him. I blinked as well, and then, unclear how I was supposed to respond at that point, escorted the kids out of the building.

The whole interaction basically ruined my day. At first I was terribly embarrassed because clearly I had failed as a parent since the rector felt it necessary to parent my children in front of me. Then I got rather upset because really, my children are polite and interested in other people. They are three and five. The fact the C even had an interest in saying hello in a friendly tone of voice to a figure of authority is more than I can say for most of the children I interact with in the church.

By the end of the day I was ready to take our pledge card back from the stewardship office and rip it up. I have gone out of my way to instruct my children in the religion in which I was not raised. I have gone out of my way to volunteer, befriend members of the church who need befriending, and do the best I can to be an active and involved parishioner. I have done the best I can in raising my children, and yes, in an ideal world, they should have addressed the rector with " Hello Father XYZ, how are you today?" But I can't come up with a scenario in my mind in which I would have responded to a child's friendly hello in such a manner.

This is not a child-friendly, or even a family-friendly, church. It is a critical and insular church, which resists change and deters newcomers. And I really have no interest in continuing to participate. So the rector who has been nothing but unresponsive, condescending and insincere to my family can look for another family to drive out of this church. I'll fulfill my pledge and other commitments for the upcoming year, but after that I'm done.

It's the little things that keep a family in a church. And the little things that drive them out.

Overheard in the kitchen

2007-12-10T20:08:00.000-05:00

The phone rings in the middle of dinner...

M: "It has to be one of your many relatives."

Chichimama: "Actually, it's an out of area call. Probably the Republicans looking for you. Can I tell them you're voting for Hillary?"

M: "No!!!! I'll be blackballed for life!"

Chichimama: "Ohhh, now there's a thought."

Answering Machine: "Hi, this is Hillary! We have reached a critical point in our campaign...."

Chichimama: "It's fate. Clearly some higher being is telling you how you should vote."

M: "I'm melting! MELTING I tell you!!!!"

Overheard in the livingroom

2007-12-09T21:05:00.000-05:00

M: "You haven't posted today!"

Chichimama: "I know! But I don't HAVE to, it's December!"

M: "The whole point is to keep the momentum going!"

Chichimama: "It is Sunday. I deserve a day of rest."

M: "Who are you, God?"

Chichimama: "I'm your God, anyway."

Cheaters

2007-12-08T10:36:00.000-05:00

For the past month I have been glued to my back window twice a week. Thursday and Saturday, the days that the next door and diagonally behind neighbors' landscapers come to do the leaves. On Thursday, the landscapers of the diagonally behind neighbors blow all the leaves into the backyard of the next door neighbor's instead of collecting and disposing of them. Then on Saturday, the next door neighbor's landscapers blow THE EXACT SAME LEAVES, plus whatever fell during the last few days, back into the diagonally behind neighbor's lawn. For some reason, this amuses me to no end.

I figured it is a big old game of chicken, and at some point in the near future, someone is going to get stuck having to collect and dispose an entire season's worth of leaves from two lawns in one day. My money is on the next door neighbor's landscapers....

Overheard by the computer

2007-12-07T21:32:00.000-05:00

M: (after setting a pan on fire and singeing the kitchen ceiling and cabinets) "Well, there's your blog fodder for the day..."

Chichimama: "No, I'll let you blog it. It was your 'accident.' "

M: "Naw, I'm a professional blogger now*. I don't have time for THAT kind of blogging anymore."

Chichimama: "Well, lah-di-dah! Too bad you aren't a professional chef..."

*I can't link to his "professional" blog as it is his real name. But if you are really interested and I "know" you (FYI, it's rather dry unless you are, you know, a finance person) email me.

Overheard in the bedroom

2007-12-07T07:21:00.000-05:00

A pads in at some early hour and crawls into bed.

A: "Mommy?"

Chichimama: "Ungh?"

A: "Do you remember the time C wasn't behaving and you yelled at him?"

Chichimama: "Ungh."

A: "You weren't yelling at me..."

Chichimama: (rousing herself enough to respond appropriately) "Ungh. Sometimes you don't behave either."

A: "Yeah, I get mixed up sometimes. But that's OK, I'm still little and cute."

Chichimama: "Ungh."

Good news!!!!

2007-12-06T20:34:00.000-05:00

C: "Great news Mom! It is so exciting!!!!"

Chichimama: "Really???? What!?!"

C: "The school nurse is coming tomorrow to check us for lice! Isn't that great?!"

Chichimama: "Fab. Just what I need, lice AND fleas. Now I'm twice as itchy."

All I ever wanted for the holidays...

2007-12-06T17:13:00.000-05:00

Fleas. On the upside, the mysterious bumps all over my legs that Dr. Google had me convinced was some horrific auto-immune disease are suddenly much less concerning.

Sometimes I'm not really sure that pet ownership is worth all the headaches.

The Holiday Card Fiasco

2007-12-05T22:45:00.000-05:00

I have had my cards since mid-October. But yet, I still have no picture. And yet again, my cards will end up going out on December 23rd. Gah. On the upside, the outtakes are hysterical. If only they didn't feature my children, I would post them to amuse you all.

So much for planning ahead.

Little Voices

2007-12-05T14:24:00.000-05:00

A and I are sitting at Starbucks having a lovely juice/coffee and pumpkin loaf. It is snowing outside. There is holiday music playing. I have no pressing anything hanging over my head. At the table next to us, two women are having a pow-wow about how to best proceed with a school fundraiser. They are clearly headed down the wrong path. I contemplate saying something, and then take another bit of the pumpkin loaf. Yumm, pumpkin loaf.

They continue to bicker over what is clearly a bad idea. I sip my coffee. Not my problem. Not going to get involved. Not even my kid's school. Yumm, coffee. OK, these woman are going to serious regret what they are about to do. I did that, last year. It so didn't work. It was a flipping nightmare, in fact. It is my moral duty to step in and say something. I cannot let another human being suffer the way I did last year.

I turn to say something, and then I hear a voice inside my head, that sounds remarkably like Lovely Friend's. "DON'T YOU DARE GET INVOLVED. YOU ARE CERTIFIABLE IF YOU GET INVOLVED." And so I walk out the door, sipping my coffee.

But I still feel guilty.

Perhaps there is a shot after all

2007-12-04T20:24:00.000-05:00

At dinner tonight...

C's friend: "Raise your hand if you celebrate Christmas!" C's hand goes up.

C's friend: "Raise your hand if you celebrate Hanukkah!" C' s hand goes up again.

Chichimama: "Um, C? You're Episcopalian."

C: "But we celebrate it every year at Julia's house and just because she is in London, I'm not going to to forget that I celebrate Hanukkah with her. And Passover. I love celebrating with Julia. I love her holidays because I love her."

Chichimama wipes away a tear and then calculates that Rebecca is probably fast asleep and we can't start planning the wedding right that very instant...

Assming the worst

2007-12-03T16:08:00.000-05:00

When I got home from dropping off C at school this morning, there was a message on my answering machine from the chair of a committee I am on. "Could you give me a call back when you get a chance? I need to discuss something with you." So, of course, my brain goes into overdrive, trying to figure out what she needed to discuss.

Did I say something inadvertent to offend her? Did I do something wrong? Am I being released from the committee (Hmm, that might not be so bad, really...). Every time my phone rang, I nervously jumped for it, wondering if it was her and mentally steeling myself for the worst.

Turns out, SHE had receieved an email from HER "boss" who was less than thrilled with something she had done, and she wanted my advice on how to handle it, because I am apparently "so good at these political things." Really??? You could have fooled me...

When am I going to stop assuming the worst? And more importantly, how do I keep my kids from inheriting this trait, or is it too late???

Holiday Tunes

2007-12-02T22:10:00.000-05:00

So I am building the ultimate holiday tune list. What are your favorites? Currently I'm blaring "All I Want for Christmas is You" but I can't decide whose version I like the best. This particular version isn't it though. Once I get the list built, I'll share it with you.

Ah, now up is Paul McCarthy, "Wonderful Christmastime." Life is good...

The life and times of a Dumb Cat

2007-12-02T08:23:00.000-05:00

5am: Meow! I'm hungry! Meow! Meow! Hee, hee, hee. I got her out of bed even though there is food in my bowl.

5:30am: Meow! Meow! Hee, hee, hee, I got her out of bed again. Why did I get her out of bed? Hmm. I think I will lie down right here and take a snooze while I think it over.

6:10am: I remember! Meow! Meow! Let me out! Meow! Meow!

6:11am: What IS that outside! OMG! It is cold and white! Meow! Meow! Let me IN!

6:12am: Clearly the front door is not the way out today. I will get her to let me out the back door.

6:13am: OMG! The white cold stuff is out there too! Meow! Meow! Let me IN!

6:14am: What about the side door? NO! The garage door? NO! Meow!!! Meow!!!!

6:15am: Where IS that litter box? Ewww. She needs to clean it. Now. Meow!!! Meow!!!!

6:17am: Hmm. I wonder if the white stuff is gone from the front. NOOOO! Meow! Meow!!!!

6:20am: I guess I am just going to take another nap. But what does she think she is doing??? The lights are on now, and she isn't headed back to bed. But I wanted to nap! And it is bright and loud and OMG the kids are up!!!!

6:21am: Ahh, under the bed. Nice and quiet and warm. I never should have gotten up this morning.

Ow

2007-12-01T23:54:00.000-05:00

My feet hurt. I have been on my feet since 6 am this morning, and it is 11:55pm. I am now going to bed. Santa has been dispatched off to the North Pole; I have been officially excused from church tomorrow morning, and I am heading to bed. Ah, bed, how I love you so.

Coming next week, a return to the usual dribble at life at Chez J-E. Because I seem to be (almost) commitment free until March 1st. And tomorrow, you may even get pictures of the house decorated for Christmas. Or not. Depending on how my feet are doing.

Ow.

Another giveaway! For YARN!!!

2007-11-30T18:19:00.000-05:00

Knitting Daily is giving away a gift certificate to your local yarn shop for $300 of yarn. Or $200, or $100. Go now! I have already mentally spent MY winnings. Ah, that yummy Alpaca I saw just last week. You are mine (I hope)!!!!!!!!

And thus ends the month of November. Hallelujah.

Breakfast with Santa by the Numbers

2007-11-30T17:44:00.000-05:00

300 tickets

12 dozen goody bags

18 loaves of bread

22 quarts of half and half

23 dozen eggs

5 pounds of broccoli

7 pounds of sausage

10 pounds of cheese

25 boxes of mini-donuts

9 dozen bagels

6 crates of clementines

10 bunches of bananas

15 gallons of OJ

12 gallons of apple juice

1 parking ticket

2 LARGE glasses of whine

Mystery Yarn

2007-11-29T19:52:00.000-05:00

It arrived! And I was thrilled to see the beautiful yarn. Yummy, yummy new yarn.

Brown wool for a hat and convertible mittens for my brother-in-law.

A fabulous reddish-purple for the tilted duster. It so totally rocks, this yarn.

And then there was this.

Lime green cashmere. I have no idea what I was planning to use this for. Clearly, I had a plan. One does not buy lime green cashmere without a plan. But I have no fricking idea what that plan was. Ideas anyone???

Anxious

2007-11-29T13:50:00.000-05:00

I am anxiously awaiting the arrival of the mail, as hopefully my new yarn should be arriving with it. I really want my new yarn. I have become fixated on my new yarn. If the new yarn does not arrive, I will be very, very sad. The mail is always here by noon, and here it is, almost 2pm and still, no mail. Of course.

You don't think I have a yarn problem, do you?

Overheard in the playroom

2007-11-29T12:33:00.000-05:00

C: "A stay still! Stay still!!!!! You have to stay STILL to play this game!"

A: "I am! I'm trying! I can't!"

C: "You can! I want you to stay still just like we do in church. THAT's how still you have to be!"

A: "Well, that's not a very fun game."

Is it December yet?

2007-11-28T19:59:00.000-05:00

Because on December 1st, Breakfast with Santa will be over. My dining room table will stop being a repository for stacks of BWS crap. My phone will stop ringing off the hook with desperate pleas for tickets, more tickets, changes in ticket times, questions about the menu, the decorations, and the toys. My fridge will be turned back over to our household's food. My living room will no longer house 300 goody bags. And my children will get their mommy back.

C's opinion of the whole thing? "I think we should give more money to the church. Because maybe then you won't have to work so hard." Ah, if only that was how it worked...

Holiday Gifts: Solved

2007-11-27T06:09:00.000-05:00

At pick-up yesterday, a friend approached me and asked what I was planning on doing for all of the teachers. I looked blankly at her and said "Huh?" And she reminded me that now that C is in kindergarten, there are music teachers and gym teachers and librarians, and art teachers, and etc, etc, etc. I literally groaned and said "Really? I am supposed to give something to all of them too? What could I possibly give that one of the billion other students they have hasn't already given? And I don't care how much they might love cookies, I am fairly confident that they don't want ALL. THOSE. COOKIES." I refrained from adding that I was also pretty sure that they really didn't want cookies from my kitchen.

After getting over the initial wave of horror, I came home and pondered whether I should do anything at all, and if so, what. And I came up with this. Yes, every "significant adult of the teaching variety" is getting a share of a sheep from the Heifer Project for the holidays. Because it makes me feel good, and I will bet dollars to donuts that at least 9 out of 10 of them will be thrilled to not receive something to clutter their desks or their thighs.

Never say never

2007-11-26T10:54:00.001-05:00

My long time readers may remember my horror at the resurgence of the skinny jean. And my equal horror that Rebecca had embraced the trend while living in London.

Today, I have on a pair of skinny jeans and a cashmere baby doll top (Old Navy! $40! $40 cashmere! Only in the store! Merry Happy Holidays!). And I have already gotten three compliments on how skinny I look.

Clearly, I have no idea what actually might look good on...

Christmas had Sprung

2007-11-25T10:55:00.000-05:00

Christmas has come a bit early Chez J-E, in an effort to perk myself up a bit. And so, even though I generally don't start decorating until the second (or, really third, because I'm lazy like that) weekend in December, this morning I put up the outdoor trees and window swags.

Now all we need is a little snow...and some cookies.

Knitting diet week 3

2007-11-24T07:02:00.000-05:00

Projects knit - 1 shawl and 1/4 or a hat (pictures to come later when I have access to a card reader).

Pounds lost - 2

Are you seeing a trend here? Me too. I have two more holiday gifts to finish, then I am going to give the tilted duster a try. The yarn for it should be arriving early next week. M says that the knitting diet might end up being the most expensive weight-loss tool out there, given my love of soft and yummy yarn.

And in January I think we should have a knit-a-long. Because I've always wanted to do one but am too shy to break into someone else's. I think I have enough knitting readers to make it fun. So if you're interested, chime in on what you would be interested in knitting. And lurkers who knit, this means you too. Because if I'm throwing a shy gals knit-a-long, then it's your chance to enjoy one too...

Thanksgiving leftovers

2007-11-23T06:29:00.000-05:00

As lovely as it was not to cook Thanksgiving dinner, I think I much prefer hosting.
It turns out that I have several strongly held beliefs about Thanksgiving.
Stuffing must be Pepperidge Farm, the blue bag.
Turkey should be cooked the same day that it gets served.
Mashed potatoes should be made a day ahead, and be lumpy.
Cranberry sauce should be whole berry, and lots of it should be provided, even in the doggie bags.
Regardless of my laundry lists of beliefs, the meal was delicious and our hosts were lovely.
But is rather odd to sit in on another family's Thanksgiving.
The inside family jokes totally flew over my head, and I felt a bit overwhelmed by trying to keep everyone's name and relationship straight.
And then when I realized that not only is this not my family, but I also would never see these people ever again in my life, the effort seemed somewhat pointless.
So I kept wondering how Rebecca's family's game of charades was going.
And who was cooking the bird at my dad's place this year, as that totally changes the whole dynamic of the holiday.
And I really, really miss my cats and my bed.

Ding Ding Ding

2007-11-22T20:12:00.000-05:00

We have a winner! At 8:09 PM, C announced that he felt hot and had a tummy ache.

I just love the predictability of my children...

Gobble Gobble

2007-11-22T11:17:00.000-05:00

This is the first Thanksgiving since M and I were married that I'm not cooking. It is really rather odd. Refreshing, actually. I think I could perhaps get used to going elsewhere for Thanksgiving. It is also the first Thanksgiving since C was born that one of the kids isn't running a fever. But, I suppose the day is still young, and one of them could pull through for me yet. We've already had the requisite fall that may or may not require stitches to the chin.

And just to leave a smile on your face as you head off to do whatever it is that you do on Turkey Day, my entire outfit is being held together with binder clips. Because I couldn't find safety pins and apparently my boobs don't quite fill out the wrap top I grabbed from the back of my closet the way that they used to. Hopefully the kids won't start tugging on my shirt too hard, or else everyone will be in for quite a surprise around the dinner table...

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Life in the fast lane

2007-11-21T14:17:00.000-05:00

Despite my post from yesterday, our trip actually went much smoother than I had anticipated, thanks in no small part to the fact that M travels extensively and has super elite status just about every place. So when we arrived at the airport, our bags were wisked away and we got to go through a specail line at security. We could have headed to the special waiting lounge (with free! drinks! free! snacks!) but decided to stay close to the gate, just because. I'm not sure why. We were the first folks on the plane, and our bags were the first off the plane. When we arrived to pick up the rental car, we had been upgraded to an SUV. It made it all much nicer than anticipated. And maybe, just maybe, I'll think twice next time I snark about M's travel.

But only if super elite status starts providing back up batteries...

Note to Self

2007-11-20T20:30:00.000-05:00

Note to self: the portable DVD player only works on an airplane if the battery is charged.

And a very special thanks to the very lovely woman who sat in front of us. May she be blessed with fabulous grandchildren, as she has the patience of a saint.

Nuff said.

Sibling Rivalry

2007-11-20T06:44:00.000-05:00

C has been acting out for reasons that escape us all. Temper tantrums, floor kicking, screaming, utter rejection of anything M or I say or do. I feel like I have a teenager and a two year old living in the same body. Not. Fun. Is any one else with an almost six year old experiencing this? Is it a developmental thing or and issue????

Anywhoo, A has been taking this all in, and decided that SHE will be the good child. So anytime C refuses to eat something, she gobbles it up and announces "I LOVE it! I am a GREAT eater! Look at me C, I LIKE it!" Or, this morning, when they both woke up at 6 am and C pitched a fit because I refused to go downstairs until at least 6:30, A, who generally is the one insisting on going downstairs, crawled into bed with me and announced "I'm just happy to snuggle with you mommy. I'm being good!" Which, of course, sent C into an even bigger tailspin.

On the upside, at least I have only one child who acts like the world is coming to an end at any given moment. On the downside, I have a feeling that A is not helping matters and I'm unclear how to address the issue with her, or if I should even try to...

The foundation of a wardrobe

2007-11-19T20:11:00.000-05:00

I've been watching a lot of Tim Gunn and What Not to Wear recently. I have no idea why. Well, actually I do, because I know my wardrobe needs serious help. But they keep harping on how bras only last 6 months, and how many women are wearing the wrong bra size, and finally I thought about when the last time I bought a bra was. I think right after C was weaned. Which was almost five years ago. So I decided to take the plunge, so to speak.

I took a poll at the gym this morning, and the consensus was Victoria's Secret. So once I dropped the kids off this afternoon, I headed over there and was both horrified and disappointed. I am no where near the size I though I was, and have gone down TWO cup sizes since before I was pregnant. Yes folks, I am now an A cup. So help me, because I swear my boobs are bigger than they were a decade ago. But, apparently, they are just more droopy. And the side that both kids preferred when I was nursing? THAT one is even smaller. Which makes me rather lopsided. Of course.

The sales lady at Victoria's Secret finally gave up and basically told me she couldn't help me. Fabulous. I did buy one bra there, the best of the sorry bunch, just in case I couldn't find one someplace else. Then I headed to Lord and Taylor, home of the little old ladies in our town. I couldn't find a clerk to help me, but since I now had a general idea of what I was looking for, I was able to collect a fair number of bras to try on. The only one that fit perfectly? The $60 bra. Of course.

I couldn't bring myself to spend $60 on a bra that was supposed to only last 6 months, so I purchased two different, much cheaper, alternatives figuring that I would wear both of them for a while and then I would go back and purchase more of whichever one I would groan about if it was in the wash. At pick-up, as I was regaling everyone about my afternoon (why yes! You don't converse with perfect strangers about your bra size, or lack thereof?), someone suggested a specialty store near here. Where apparently you can get someone to help you, and they won't give up on you just because your boobs are lopsided and rather oddly shaped.

So Rebecca doesn't know it, but when she arrives here from London, I'm taking her to get me fitted for a bra. Because that's what friends do when they haven't seen each other in close to a year...

Who couldn't use a $150 Amazon certificate during the holidays?

2007-11-18T13:20:00.000-05:00

Teeny Manolo is having a sweepstakes! Yes, indeed! Just in time for the holidays. Teeny Manolo is smart, very smart. Go, enter, and keep your fingers crossed that you'll be one of the lucky winners of a $50 or $150 Amazon gift certificate!

In defense of Rebecca

2007-11-18T08:28:00.000-05:00

Rebecca has been rather concerned that everyone thinks her to be a lousy friend because I continually mention and link to her, and she never reciprocates. I try to reassure her that y'all are smart people and have figured out that the whole town reads her blog and, therefore, if she started linking to me, the whole town would read my blog as well. Which is not exactly what I am looking for in a semi-anonymous blog. Even though I try to keep in mind that anyone could (and quite honestly has) stumbled upon my blog (waving hello to the folks I know from past and current lives who read and don't comment).

So, there you have it. Rebecca is indeed a good friend, as she is under instructions from me not to link to me.

(And, since I am defending my favorite people to folks I don't even know, M had been concerned that he is coming across as a not very nice person on my blog. So for the record, M is a wonderful husband and father, despite how he might appear during my grumpy moments. But y'all figured that one out too, I am sure.)

The knitting diet week two

2007-11-18T06:56:00.000-05:00

Projects completed (or even started): none.

Weight lost: none.

I think there might be something to this diet after all. I figure next week is probably a total wash since it will be Thanksgiving and I won't be able to make it to the gym at all, or even walk C to school because of the forcasted downpour both Monday and Tuesday.

Regardless, I do need to make a decision about what to make next. I've tried casting on a pair of mittens a few times, and have had limited success. Perhaps I will try again this morning, and revert back to my standard cast-on instead of the new one suggested by the pattern.

Because I know someone out there is more creative than I

2007-11-17T12:34:00.000-05:00

Celebrations, a new party idea site, is looking for an expert. I ran across it in my hunt to try and find some work-from-home writing jobs, and briefly debated applying myself. But we all know that creative party throwing and crafty are not words that folks usually use in conjunction with my name. And while I am pretty sure I could come up with some great ideas to pitch myself, the thought of having to keep coming up with them made me shiver. So, I pass the opportunity onto all of you.

And if you run across any writing gig that requires a little less Martha Stewart, keep me in mind, OK?

Finally!

2007-11-17T07:16:00.000-05:00

After weeks of temper tantrums, hysterical pleas for more sleep, and general miserableness by all parties, I think (please, oh please) that we have finally made the transition to standard time. 7 am baby!

Now if only we could get Dumb Cat to sleep past 4:30....

Go figure

2007-11-16T07:19:00.000-05:00

I took this quiz, as seen at Revdrmom's, on which candidate held views closest to mine. The result? Joe Biden. Go figure. Every time I see anything about him I scream at the TV "Stop running already! Who is giving you money???? You are NEVER going to win!" Apparently, people like me are giving him money (hangs head in shame for doubting the one who is obviously my political solution). Hilary came in a distant second, which is the direction I am leaning even though it pains me to no end. Really, there is no one who I am willing to throw myself behind like I did Bill Bradley (I still have my Bill Bradley hat. And clearly I have a tendency towards agreeing with folks who don't have a shot of winning).

I actually think I played the role of Joe Biden's campaign manager in high school at a mock election. In which he got clobbered by Dukakis (hey, I went to prep school in Massachusetts, he didn't have a shot).

Go take it, it's fun. And I suppose eye opening, if you believe in such quizzes...

Fly, fly away

2007-11-15T06:41:00.000-05:00

Next week we'll be headed south for the piggroom festivities. The last time we flew with both kids it was, how shall I say this nicely, disastrous. I know there are folks out there who fly frequently with small children, so please, take pity on me and tell me your travel secrets. Here are the facts, so far:

We will be traveling on the busiest travel day of the year. Because I totally messed up the ticket ordering.
Our flight is at 3pm, give or take.
Currently one parent is sitting with both children (guess which one) and the other is a few aisles up the plane.
The flight is supposed to take three hours, give or take.
There is no food being served on the flight. One child is already hysterical about the fact that there will be no cute little turkey sandwich on a cute little tray (which neither child would ever eat anyway).

Thoughts? Tips? Tricks? Any ideas on good packable travel games/activities that a three-year old and a five-year old might both enjoy without fighting over?

Careers

2007-11-14T17:11:00.000-05:00

Two comments have been made to me this week that I would love to expound upon, but I just can't find the time to sit down and really address them as I should. But because I want to get my thoughts out of my head, you'll have to suffer through my less than thoughtful prose on one of the topics as I stand in my kitchen trying not to burn dinner.

Sitting at one of the kids activities the other day I was chatting with another mom who I keep running into at random places. Somehow we got to talking about how in a few years our youngest were going to be in school full-time, and suddenly we were going to find ourselves "out of a job" so to speak. She asked if I was planning on going back to work then, and I replied "Yes, but I don't really know what I would do. And given M's travel and work schedule and my tendencies towards perfectionism, I'm not so sure it would be the best thing for our family. I certainly won't be going back to my last career, that's for sure. We couldn't have two people doing that commute and working 80 hour weeks."

She nodded and said, "I know! I feel the same way! My husband just wouldn't be able to be so successful without me at home!" I think I startled a bit, because that wasn't actually at all what I meant, and it just struck me as so fifties-ish. And then it reminded me of a book I read in one of my graduate school classes called Men and Women of the Corporation. A chapter or two addressed the role of the wife in a successful man's career, and I remember finding it both fascinating and a bit horrifying, in a Stepford Wives sort of way.

At the point in time that I read that book, I was in graduate school with all intentions of pursuing a career of my own, and engaged to be married to M, who was clearly a career driven individual intent on climbing the corporate ladder. I was actually so intrigued by the topic that I wrote a short paper on it, which I would post for everyone if only I had any idea where all my graduate school work was stashed. I remember being somewhat horrified by the thought that all of these women had devoted themselves to furthering their husbands careers at the expense of their own. I also remember realizing that many of these women had to have been intelligent, capable, organized individuals to keep their households running so seamlessly and provide their husbands with the advice and support they needed to climb that career ladder.

I plan on hunting through the boxes in the attic to find that book so I can re-read that section given my not-so-new anymore role of stay-at-home wife. I have a feeling that I'm going to see a lot more of my current life in those pages then I ever imagined that I would. I do know that as each year passes, more and more of the household responsibilities, which used to be shared more or less equally, fall onto me. Which makes perfect sense in some regards, since I am home and M is generally not. What I don't know is if we will ever be able to make the transition back to a two career family.

The Piggrooms

2007-11-13T21:27:00.000-05:00

Nana sent the kids some books about Thanksgiving (they arrived today, thank you!), and so we settled in after bath to read up on the fast approaching holiday. On page three of the first book was a picture of people with muskets. And A, having never seen a gun before, asked "What's that?" So I took a deep breath and launched into "Well, that is a gun, and guns are bad because they hurt people." "Are they shooting at bad guys? Are they KILLING people?" "Well, they are shooting at people they THOUGHT were bad guys. And yes, they killed people."

C proceeded to cover his ears and declare the book too scary. A, of course, continued to question. "But why did the piggrooms think that the people were bad?" "Well, because they were scared." "I get scared, but I don't kill people." "Well, that's a good thing. It's not right to kill people."

C uncovered his ears at this point and jumped in with, "They're killing the Indians, aren't they?" "Um, probably. Perhaps the British, but since we are talking about Thanksgiving, my guess would be the Native Americans." "Why do you call them Native Americans but some people call them Indians?" "Because they used to be called Indians, but really, the Indians live in India, and the Native Americans lived here before the pilgrims came here from England. But they thought that they were in India, at first. But really, they weren't Indians. It's kind of like if people kept calling you John but your name is really C. You wouldn't want to be called John, right?" "I guess..."

A then breaks in with "But the piggrooms. Why were they scared of the Naive Mericans?" "Well, because they sometimes painted their faces, and wore clothes that were different, and the pilgrims were afraid of that." A nods. "Ah. The Naive Mericans liked to play dress up, but the piggrooms didn't. But the piggrooms shouldn't have hurt the Naive Mericans just because they didn't want to play dress up."

"How about we read a Christmas book now?" "Yeah! Let's read the one about the Virgin Mary! Why is she called the Virgin Mary?"

"How about Mike Mulligan and his Steam Shovel?"

If a tree falls in the forest...

2007-11-12T19:29:00.000-05:00

So Bloglines is apparently down. Leaving me flailing around the internet without any direction whatsoever. Never a good thing. I would ask if it were down for you too, but my guess is that no one would answer because, well, hello! Bloglines is down, and I know that a significant number of my readers come in through Bloglines.

Bloglines has become like caller ID on my phone. I don't actually know anyone's blog address, I just rely on Bloglines to tell me when you've updated and where to go to find you. Just like I rely on caller ID to tell me what Lovely Friend's phone number is, four years into the game. And if I suddenly stop appearing at your blog, come knock on my door as it just means that Bloglines lost my subscription to your feed. BoogieMum seems to drop off with alarming frequency, for example.

So as I sit here willing Bloglines to magically fix itself, I will pose the question: "What internet tools do you use the most?" What am I missing out on that I could be occupying myself with during this unexpected outage?

The Knitting Diet: Week One

2007-11-11T20:04:00.000-05:00

Week one of the knitting diet: down two pounds, up one Nomad Hat.

Except I'm pretty sure I erased that two pound loss this weekend. Ah, sushi, how I love thee...

IMDB

2007-11-10T22:03:00.000-05:00

So are we the only dorks who watch every single movie or TV show with IMDB running on the laptop? Seriously. It is rare that we don't query IMDB at least ~~three~~ seven times an evening. Clearly, neither of us were good at Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon.*

We saw two movies today, one in the theater (The Bee Movie) and one on DVD (Knocked Up). During The Bee Movie, M kept leaning over to me and asking "Who is that?" And I kept saying "I have no idea. We'll have to IMBD it when we get home." Then tonight, we just took turns manning the laptop while guessing how old everyone was and what previous roles they had played.

How did we live without IMDB? And do you think it would be totally rude to bring the laptop with the wireless card into our next real live movie???

*And don't listen to Wikipedia on this one, I was playing Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon in college, well before 1994. So either we invented it and we should be suing someone for royalties, or Wikipedia is dead wrong. Shocker, I know.

Really, I swear

2007-11-09T22:32:00.000-05:00

I really want to go to London to see Rebecca, I swear. But my flight options? They suck. We can leave here at 9 am and get in at 8pm. Which sounds great on the surface. But you KNOW my kids will be up until midnight, for the whole trip. Or, we could take the red-eye. Which results in them getting about five hours of sleep and us getting none. At best. Oh, yeah. They'll be fun then. Because we all know how wethey operate on limited sleep.

When she left, Rebecca said she knew I was a true friend because I refused to say "Oh, of COURSE we will come visit you." Instead, I kept saying "I love you dearly, but I refuse to commit." Well, we have committed, but man, do my options have to be so horrid? Clearly, I need to stay two weeks as given my kids track record, that is about how long it will take us to make the time zone shift...

So, which door would you choose, A or B?

Musical Beds

2007-11-09T06:35:00.000-05:00

Last night I played a little game called musical beds. First A wanted to snuggle in our bed, but I convinced her that hers was more comfortable (it is). Then while I was dozing in her room, I heard C wander into mine and question M as to my whereabouts. I quickly scooted out of A's room and led C back to his room, which also required a snuggle (his bed, not so comfortable. There was no dozing). Then once I made it back to our room, A appeared wanting to snuggle with mommy and daddy and a gaggle of stuffed animals. I pared her down to one stuffed animal and in she came.

On the upside, she then slept til 6:20 or so. Ad C made it to 6:30. Too bad I didn't sleep at all...but at least I'm not likely to throw myself down in the middle of the grocery and sob about the injustice of life.

Sigh

2007-11-08T21:00:00.001-05:00

I so wish I had someplace to wear this dress. Sigh.

Random Bullets of Tiredness

2007-11-08T19:01:00.000-05:00

Still not transitioned to standard time. Please, please put me out of my misery. I am somewhat doubtful that we will survive this intact.
Thanks to a somewhat bizarre school schedule this week, and my lack of sleep and general disorientation, I have no idea what day it is. C tells me it is Thursday, but since he was not the calender person this week I have no real faith that he is correct.
Instead, C was apparently the "messenger" this week. When I asked what exactly the messenger does, he informed me that they take people to the nurse. Which then led to the question "How frequently do kids in your class have to go to the nurse?"
The answer was, "A lot." Apparently, this week alone there were five trips. And it was a three day week. In which the half-day kindergarten met for a whopping hour a day.
I guess with 24 kindergarteners in a room, accidents are bound to happen. But still...a bit concerning.
It makes one wonder what particular illness is circulating. I'm guessing tummy bug.
Holy random transition batman, but for those of you near a Trader Joe's, they have organic mini-sweet potatoes that cook in the microwave in five minutes. Guess what I have been eating for lunch on a daily basis?
Speaking of lunch, I had all intentions of posting an update on the knitting diet, which went surprisingly well this week, despite the excess Halloween candy floating around. But the camera is MIA, so you'll have to wait until I clean out my purse(s) tomorrow.
And I just mistakenly added "suprisingly" to the spell-check dictionary instead of correcting the spelling, so forgive me in advance for all misspellings of the word in the future. Because if you hadn't noticed already, I am a lousy speller. And I have no idea how to go in and change my mistake.
My high school English teacher taught me how to spell believe by telling me "never believe a lie." I recite that to myself every time I write the word. Anyone have any suggestions for surprisingly???
And now I am off to bed, because if the kids won't alter their wake up time then I clearly need to alter my bedtime for the duration...

Awesome Dude

2007-11-07T17:35:00.000-05:00

I signed my kids up for an eight week basketball class. Because they could both take the same class, at the same time, at the gym where I could work out while they shot baskets, and it was only $50 for the two of them. Win, win, win. The kids have been beyond excited about playing basketball together, and I have been thrilled about the opportunity to plod along on the treadmill and watch ~~the news~~ Oprah.

We showed up to the first class today, late, because I had a hard time convincing C that basketball requires sneakers, not crocs. And I walked in to a sea of mommies hanging around the back of the gym. "Oh God. I'm not expected to STAND here for the whole class," I thought. Not that I wouldn't LOVE to watch my kids play basketball, but I was really looking forward to my guaranteed thirty minutes on the treadmill. So I started to look around for the coach.

"Hey dude and dudette! What's your name?" a voice called out from the center of the court. And there stood two teen boys who looked like they weren't even old enough to drive. Around them stood a gaggle of three, four and five year olds hanging on their every word. C's eyes widened, and he went running over to deliver a high-five to the outstretched hand. A looked less thrilled, but trotted after C because that's what little siblings do (most of the time).

I looked at the other mothers and asked "Are these the teachers?" One shrugged and said "Well, we guess so. But HOW are two teenage boys going to manage with THAT many small children? What if someone has to go pee????" And I realized why everyone was standing around in the back of the room. I eyed the situation for a few moments, and then announced "I was babysitting at 14. Surely these boys are more than 14 because of child-labor laws. And I am all about gender equality, so I think they'll be JUST FINE." And marched out of the room and down the hall to the treadmill. The rest of them slowly followed, throwing backwards glances back into the gym.

When I arrived to pick the kids up, everyone was lined up in a nice straight line, waiting their turn quietly. The ~~boys~~ coaches saw the moms arriving and whipped out their cell phones. "Whoops dudes and dudettes, time's up for the week. We'll play the really awesome game next week. It's totally rad guys." I asked the kids how they liked the class, and the response from both of them was "Awesome!"

The treadmill time is worth the language reprogramming right? Right?

Shiny and new!

2007-11-06T21:24:00.000-05:00

Look! New bar stools! From Target!
(and yes, I did manage to stay out of Target for an entire month, except for one trip to pick up teacher-dictated supplies for the Halloween party. For which I should be reimbursed, if I can just remember to track down the head class mom and keeper of the class party money...).

It is actually amazing what a difference these stools make to my kitchen. Or, maybe I am just telling myself that because of the blisters on my hands after spending three hours cursing and trying to put these together...

Hello! Good Morning!

2007-11-06T07:02:00.000-05:00

I am going to try to be one of those artificially cheerful people today, you know, the ones you want to strangle. Because my other option is the grumpy old bat in the corner swiping at imaginary things, and I think artificially cheerful is probably the way to go.

Isn't it a lovely day! The rain, it is soooo great for the lawn. And really, I think the fact that our new wake up time is 5 am is just fantastic! Think of all the things I can get done between 5 and 8:30! And it is even better this week because C has school for only an hour and ten minutes because of parent teacher conferences. So I get that many more hours to spend quality time instructing my children on how to behave like contributing members of society. I am beyond excited. My lungs needed some exercise today.

Now I am off to clean the house for the playdate who is supposed to come over after school with his mother. Because even if they cancel for the fifth time, I really needed to clean the house as the cleaning service is coming tomorrow. And I just hate to actually ask them to clean.

Have a super duper day!!! Muwah!

Must. Post.

2007-11-05T19:43:00.000-05:00

I came this close to bagging this NaBloPoMo thing today. I had grand plans for my post this morning, but thanks to my friend the time change and two children who refuse to acknowledge that the day does not start at 5:30am, my day alternated between kid time-outs and mommy time-outs, where I locked myself in the bathroom before I became a raving lunatic. So you are just going to have to wait on that post. But never fear, the month is young and at some point the kids are going to have to cave to the power of the clock...

Daylight Grumping

2007-11-04T06:31:00.000-05:00

Every year, I rejoice when we spring forward and grump when we fall back. Backwards, I know. But when you have children who would go to bed at 6pm if you let them, and would wake up at 5am given their druthers, you would grump too.

Last night I made the horrific mistake of setting my clocks back before I went to sleep, which resulted in me staying up way too late. And A, who has no idea what Daylight Saving (and yes it is saving, not savings) is all about, was up at 5am. C actually slept until 6:20, which was a perfectly acceptable time given the circumstances. But now I am going spend the day fighting with the kids internal clocks in a futile attempt to get them switched over to standard time in a timely manner. At the moment they are begging for breakfast, which I am refusing to serve to them before 7am. It is going to be a fun, fun day.

Yawn. Wake me when it is spring...

All Growned Up

2007-11-03T06:22:00.000-05:00

"Mommy, when am I going to be all growned up?" is A's new favorite phrase. Anytime there has been a silence of more than a few seconds, she comes out with that. And when she isn't wondering when she is going to be "all growned up," she is planning what her "all growned up" life is going to be like.

As we walk C to and from school, she discusses the pros and cons of each house on the way. "Well, that one is a pretty color, but it is too small. And that one is brown, and I don't like brown houses, but it has a tree swing and good Halloween decorations." I try to point out that she could change the color of the house and that Halloween decorations don't actually convey when one purchases a home, but she seems unconvinced and continues to use those as her primary criteria for choosing a home.

She is planning on having three kids (actually, two kids and a baby) most days, although sometimes she wants five. But after I point out that five kids translates into an awful lot of sandwiches to make in the morning, she scales it back to three again. She has decided that she and C are going to live three houses apart, so the cousins can see each other all the time. And when C dares to mention that he wants to be an astronaut, and astronaut's don't actually LIVE where we do, she glares at him and announces that he will JUST have to be something else because that RIGHT THERE will be his house and he will come for dinner every Friday.

The latest addition to her all growned up repertoire is playing wedding. Clearly, someone in her class recently went to a wedding as she knows exactly how it all works. "You sing the song while I walk down the rug. Then you announce me husband and wife and I run back down the rug and you throw birdseed. Then we dance and have cake, and I go have honey. Why do you have honey at the end of the wedding?"

Yesterday, as A was dancing with her phantom husband, she turned to me and said "Mommy, I want to dance with you now." And so, with A all dressed in white with a princess tiara on her head, we shuffled around in a circle. She looked up at me, as happy as could be, and said "I love you Mommy." And, just for an instant, I saw my little girl all growned up, a wonderful, smart and beautiful woman who was leaving me to start her own family.

"I love you too A. How about some snack?"

"OK, will you feed me like a baby?" And, just for an instant, my wonderful smart, beautiful little girl wanted to be taken care of by her mommy.

The day that got away

2007-11-02T18:26:00.000-05:00

Today was a day that I should have gotten much accomplished. We had nothing to do besides get C to and from school and feed a classmate of C's lunch. I had a list a mile long of things to do around the house: vacuum the kitchen rug, sort through the beginnings of Christmas in the guest room, finish putting the garden to bed. And what I got accomplished? Nothing. The lunch/playdate did not go as well as anticipated and on top of that, A was distraught about being excluded from said playdate, so I spend the early afternoon playing princess and wedding while refereeing two kindergarteners who should really know how to play store on their own.

Once the playdate decided that his time here was over we walked him home and then came back. I had all intentions of starting in on my list, but then I got a phone call from a friend I hadn't talked to in ages and after I hung up with her I decided to wash all the comforter covers (which was no where on the list). That turned into a romp in the basement with the children in an ongoing attempt to convince the kids that the basement is fun and exciting and where they should play all. the. time. instead of treking the toys from the basement to the living room and then leaving them there.

Once I had the kids installed downstairs, I headed upstairs with all intentions of vacuuming the kitchen rug, but then saw I had messed up the pattern in my new knitting project and started ripping that out. I got it ripped out, but then the kids decided that the basement was not all that I had promised it would be so we headed out to the yard to work on the beds. But it was "too cold" so we quickly headed back in and then got sidetracked by snack. Ahh, snack.

So instead of eating snack, I quickly turned to my knitting. And then it was time to watch shows and I kept knitting. Then dinner, bath, and bed, with none of my to do list accomplished. But I did get this far on my new project...

and now my sushi is here, and the knitting diet is about to head out the window for the evening. Happy Friday!

I bet you thought I was already out

2007-11-01T18:14:00.000-05:00

Hey, NaBloPoMo doesn't say WHEN during the day you have to post, so here I am, fashionably late and not terribly inspiring. Do you want to know why I am not inspired? Probably not, but I am going to tell you anyway. Because I know you will just walk away from the screen when you are done reading my ramble so I don't feel guilty about burdening you, and yet I won't know that you walked away and therefore my feelings won't get hurt. That is why I love blogging in a nutshell.

Anyway, I am not inspired because we have spent the day coming down from the excitement of the past few days and it just was not at all pretty. I actually came very close to spreading out the kids' treat bags and telling them to eat as much as they wanted just to end the horrific begging for candy that has been happening. Last year we had a one candy a day rule and that went over fine for about a week, at which point they forgot about the candy and it all went into my secret stash.

This year, A went to bed begging for candy, woke up at 3am begging for candy, and never went back to sleep after that. Which should give you an idea of just how my day went. C was OK with the one candy a day thing until he listened to his sister begging every thirty seconds, and then he felt obliged to jump in and join the fun. On the upside, this was not the year in which the kids figured out that trick-or-treating is not restricted to the houses of people we know in a one block radius so the amount of candy they have is pretty minimal. But still, I think the parents who let their kids eat it all in one fell swoop and just deal with the sick children for an evening might be onto something...

Anyway, much fun was had by the younger set yesterday. And Snow White was much revered by all of the seven and under girls at the elementary school, yet sneered at by the eight and up set. So now I have a general idea when to expect the eye-rolling at grownup antics to begin. I also have decided to petition to have the kindergarten teacher declared some sort of saint, because by the end of my two hours there I felt like a mac truck had run over me and she was rip roaring ready to repeat the whole day over again for the afternoon session. I seriously want to bottle up her energy and market it.

On a totally different note, I am about to embark on a new program I am going to call "The Knitting Diet." Because I still really need to lose the rest of that baby weight (and don't even TRY to tell me that my baby is three and it is therefore no longer baby weight, as it is. I swear.). Why the knitting diet? Well, I have discovered that 90% of my "extra" calories are consumed in the evening after the kids are in bed. But the nights I sit and knit, I only make it through half a glass of wine and a chocolate kiss or two. So from now on when I feel the urge to whip out the chocolate chip cookies or whatever looked particularly tempting at Trader Joe's that week, I am going to sit down and knit a few rows. If nothing else, I should get a jump start on my holiday gift making.

And that folks, is about all I have in me for the evening. So I am going to go find my knitting and pour myself that glass of wine and see what's on TIVO. Stay tuned tomorrow for some knitting pictures, if I can remember to charge my camera battery.

And this is because you told me I was pretty...

2007-10-31T17:22:00.000-05:00

A real, live crockpot lasagna recipe that met with the M, C, and A seal of approval. Yes, the noodles, even whole wheat ones, were nice and soft with out precooking or using the slightly yucky tasting no-boil ones. And if you make it meatless, it is even easier.

It makes it all so much better

2007-10-30T20:07:00.000-05:00

I have been in Halloween hell for the last few days. As 2nd assistant classmom, apparently Halloween is "my" holiday. So I have been cutting out foam haunted houses, gluing them, cutting windows and doors, tying on strings, etc. etc. etc. I have been accepting the fact that they are making me dress up. In a costume. Snow White, to be exact. I have been coordinating balloon pick ups and sing-a-long practices. I have been frequenting the local party store so often that they know both my children's names.

But tonight, after finishing the last of the foam haunted houses and packing up the rest of the supplies for the party tomorrow morning, I discovered that at long last my new cell phone carrier has my song as a ring tone. I am happier than I have been in weeks. Ahhh, the joy of the familiar. Jeannie, take me away...

A new way to count sheep

2007-10-30T18:47:00.001-05:00

C has been having difficulty sleeping. Tonight as I was cleaning up downstairs I heard: "Two hundred and fifteen wool blankets, two hundred sixteen wool blankets, two hundred seventeen wool blankets..." He cracks me up.

Shopping help needed!

2007-10-30T16:53:00.000-05:00

So A only has one sweat suit that fits, and we have, ahem, lost it. And now that it is cold out the child needs at least two, preferably three sets, much to my husband's dismay as he hates them with a passion. But when shelpping a three-year old to swimming and gymnastics in the cold weather, it makes the most sense to me. Easy on, easy off, relatively warm. Except I can't find them anywhere. She won't wear the kind with elastic at the bottom, which is the only kind being shown at Old Navy and Target (although I have not been in Target for a while, so correct me if I am wrong there). I have looked online at all the usual places, and there is nothing. Carter's has tops, not bottoms. Oshkosh had big girls, not little. Even Gymboree seems to be lacking in them this year. WHAT are little girls wearing for comfort and warmth these days??? And have you seen a plain old sweat suit anyplace???

Overheard at the kitchen table

2007-10-29T10:02:00.000-05:00

M: "What are you doing?"

Chichimama: "Scooping out the pumpkin."

M: "Why?"

Chichimama: "So I can make pumpkin soup."

M: "You can eat pumpkin?"

Chichimama (blinks): "Uh, have you ever had pumpkin pie????"

M: "I thought it was, well, fake."

Chichimama: "No, not so much."

M: "Huh. Imagine that..."

The end of an era (almost)

2007-10-25T20:55:00.000-05:00

Chichimama: "C if asked you if you wanted p-i-z-z-a for dinner, what would you say?"

C: "YES! Pizza!!!!"

Chichimama: "What if I asked you if you wanted h-o-t d-o-g?"

C: "Yes! Hot dog and pizza!"

Chichimama: "What if I asked you if you wanted e-g-g?"

C: "Silly mommy! That's a breakfast food! Are we really having hot dog and pizza?"

Chichimama: "No, we are having p-a-s-t-a."

C: "Peanuts? A is allergic to peanuts."

Chichimama: "Thank God. I was about to get really freaked out...."

Overheard from the backseat

2007-10-25T20:48:00.000-05:00

C: "So we played inside today. The teachers were discussing going o-u-t, but then they decided to stay i-n. I was going to ask them why we couldn't go o-u-t, but then I figured if they were spelling o-u-t instead of saying out, they probably wanted to hide the fact that o-u-t was an option. So I didn't ask."

Chichimama almost swerves into incoming traffic because she is laughing so hard.

C: "Why are you laughing?"

Chichimama: "It's a grownup thing. Hard to explain."

C: "I really don't understand grownups sometimes."

Because I look at my blog more than my calendar

2007-10-24T21:10:00.001-05:00

MUST get children passports. And buy tickets to London.

MUST make appointment for cats to see vet for their "senior wellness checks."

MUST call the nice company who fixes furnaces. Because it might get cold, someday.

MUST order wood for the fireplace. And transplant the lilies that are currently residing where the wood is going to be placed.

MUST go to bed. But am now hooked into the world series. Plus, Dumb Cat is out and refuses to come in. At least he is feeling better???

Three in one day! Unheard of!

2007-10-24T17:26:00.001-05:00

My third post of the day. Clearly I am chewing up all my creativity (cough, cough) before November. But I am standing in my kitchen, after dinner, with the kitchen cleaned up, C's homework done, and the children playing happily together in the basement. I should be putting them to bed right now, but this seems like too good a moment to ruin. So I'll wait five minutes until it all goes south and then turn into "evil mommy who makes tired children go to bed...."

And on a totally different note, I need a good idea for an appetizer than can be served cold and doesn't require much work on my part for a women-only cocktail party on Friday night. Anyone have any brilliant ideas beyond the chip and dip or veggies and dip route?

There it is. The first yelp of "No FAIR!" And I'm off to begin the bedtime proceedings. Wish me luck...