This morning is full of orthodontist appts. and school conferences. Instead of the ususal "chat" this morning, here is a list of some really great quotes. Thanks to The Husband for supplying these...
1) He has all the virtues I dislike, and none of the vices I admire. Churchill
2) I have never killed a man, but I have read many obituaries with great pleasure.
3) Thank you for sending a copy of your book; I'll waste no time reading it. Hadas
4) He has no enemies, but is intensely disliked by his friends.
5) I feel so miserable without you. It's almost like having you here. Bishop
6) I've just learned about his illness. Let's hope it's nothing trivial. Cobb
7) In order to avoid being called a flirt, she always yielded easily.
8) Some cause happiness wherever they go; others, whenever they go. Wilde
9) I've had a perfectly wonderful evening. But this wasn't it. Groucho Marx
10) He has Van Gogh's ear for music. Billy Wilder
11) A modest little person, with much to be modest about. Churchill
12) She: If you were my husband, I'd give you poison.
He: If you were my wife, I'd drink it.
That's it for today...until tomorrow...
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
This Just In....
Minutes after the morning blog posted, big Sis called to confess that lunch yesterday was Burger King....and no, not the salad....
3 down on the whole vegetarian thing. Now it is The Boy's turn to try it??? I'm thinking no.....
3 down on the whole vegetarian thing. Now it is The Boy's turn to try it??? I'm thinking no.....
Do Vegetarians Eat Animal Crackers?
Where to start this morning...a little of this and a little of that...
Little One had a softball game last night. She lives for these games. They've had 3 so far and they have won all of them. Little One has pitched in all of them, too. She carries her glove around every waking minute and begs everyone in the household to pitch with her. It is an obsession. On the way to the game last night, she wondered out loud if she would be pitching. I responded that since she pitched the last game, probably not. Glaring at me, she replied "Maybe ______ will not do well and he will bring me in." Little One has a way to go on her understanding of team spirit....
Big Sister and SIL have become vegans. Is this a phase or a new lifestyle? I guess we will see. This was actually the SIL's idea...which surprised me a bit, since it is usually the Big Sis who instigates these "phases". Past phases have included 'Newlyweds', 'Buckhead Yuppies', and 'Dog Whisperers'. I asked Big Sis what this phase is called..."Hippie, Outdoorsman Phase" she replied. I'll keep you posted on this one...I was actually surprised that it lasted through the weekend, as the SIL is a big football fan, and what is game day without those wings??...
Vegan phases have happened twice before in our household. When The Senior was in middle school, she came home one day and declared herself a vegetarian. This was at 4:00. The next night, The Husband made his 'famous cheeseburgers' (self-titled), and The Senior had a change of heart. Little One also went down this path. Someone told her where burgers and chicken(?) came from, and she decided to be "one of those people who doesn't eat meat". She made this proclamation at 3:30, but The Husband brought home Chik-filet for dinner. She then decided to be "one of those people who only eats Chik-filet and vegetables"...the next day she added hot dogs to the list...(The Husband seems to be on a rampage against vegetarianism...watch out Big Sis...)
'Dancing With the Stars'.....I didn't see the whole show due to the softball game....but poor Tom Delay almost dropped his partner. He looked like he was about to cry...not sure if it was from pain or embarrassment. Kathy Ireland is drop-dead gorgeous and such a nice person, but she just has no grace on the dance floor. I'm afraid she's going home next. Donny Osmond was fabulous...and he looks and moves great for 51....Kelly Osborne is darling and I am glad the judges took it easy on her. Her dance was full of mistakes...but I think they sense her fragility, so they were nice.
And finally...a very Happy Birthday to the Brother-in-Law. The BIL is the only person who is allowed to make fun of me on a daily basis without repercussion. Why? Ok, quick story:
After I had been dating The Husband for about a month, the BIL came from New Jersey for a visit. I was invited to have dinner with them . We went to a lovely restaurant and had a nice dinner. The BIL was sweet and friendly...and I felt comfortable with him immediately. Near the end of the meal, he turned to The Husband and said "Don't screw this one up. She's a keeper. Heads and tails above anyone else!"....Well, you know, I just adored him then and there....Of course, imagine my surprise when The Husband replied "Really?? What about the St. Louis girl? I thought she was really cute."......OH REALLY???....For a second, I thought I had gained the super-power of becoming invisible, because you know, who would say such a thing in front of their date??...But the BIL came in quickly for the save....."Not even close." he said, and rolled his eyes at me. "He's an idiot" he whispered....Well, I agreed. I will say that I begged out of the next date with The Husband after that little comment, but I was eventually won back over by his semi-charming ways. And I do need to add that when confronted with this story years later...he claims he was "only joking of course". ....Oh..ok....Ha Ha........
So anyway, I wish the BIL a very happy day, I wish the Big Sis happy vegging,...and until tomorrow, when who knows what the discussion will cover......
Little One had a softball game last night. She lives for these games. They've had 3 so far and they have won all of them. Little One has pitched in all of them, too. She carries her glove around every waking minute and begs everyone in the household to pitch with her. It is an obsession. On the way to the game last night, she wondered out loud if she would be pitching. I responded that since she pitched the last game, probably not. Glaring at me, she replied "Maybe ______ will not do well and he will bring me in." Little One has a way to go on her understanding of team spirit....
Big Sister and SIL have become vegans. Is this a phase or a new lifestyle? I guess we will see. This was actually the SIL's idea...which surprised me a bit, since it is usually the Big Sis who instigates these "phases". Past phases have included 'Newlyweds', 'Buckhead Yuppies', and 'Dog Whisperers'. I asked Big Sis what this phase is called..."Hippie, Outdoorsman Phase" she replied. I'll keep you posted on this one...I was actually surprised that it lasted through the weekend, as the SIL is a big football fan, and what is game day without those wings??...
Vegan phases have happened twice before in our household. When The Senior was in middle school, she came home one day and declared herself a vegetarian. This was at 4:00. The next night, The Husband made his 'famous cheeseburgers' (self-titled), and The Senior had a change of heart. Little One also went down this path. Someone told her where burgers and chicken(?) came from, and she decided to be "one of those people who doesn't eat meat". She made this proclamation at 3:30, but The Husband brought home Chik-filet for dinner. She then decided to be "one of those people who only eats Chik-filet and vegetables"...the next day she added hot dogs to the list...(The Husband seems to be on a rampage against vegetarianism...watch out Big Sis...)
'Dancing With the Stars'.....I didn't see the whole show due to the softball game....but poor Tom Delay almost dropped his partner. He looked like he was about to cry...not sure if it was from pain or embarrassment. Kathy Ireland is drop-dead gorgeous and such a nice person, but she just has no grace on the dance floor. I'm afraid she's going home next. Donny Osmond was fabulous...and he looks and moves great for 51....Kelly Osborne is darling and I am glad the judges took it easy on her. Her dance was full of mistakes...but I think they sense her fragility, so they were nice.
And finally...a very Happy Birthday to the Brother-in-Law. The BIL is the only person who is allowed to make fun of me on a daily basis without repercussion. Why? Ok, quick story:
After I had been dating The Husband for about a month, the BIL came from New Jersey for a visit. I was invited to have dinner with them . We went to a lovely restaurant and had a nice dinner. The BIL was sweet and friendly...and I felt comfortable with him immediately. Near the end of the meal, he turned to The Husband and said "Don't screw this one up. She's a keeper. Heads and tails above anyone else!"....Well, you know, I just adored him then and there....Of course, imagine my surprise when The Husband replied "Really?? What about the St. Louis girl? I thought she was really cute."......OH REALLY???....For a second, I thought I had gained the super-power of becoming invisible, because you know, who would say such a thing in front of their date??...But the BIL came in quickly for the save....."Not even close." he said, and rolled his eyes at me. "He's an idiot" he whispered....Well, I agreed. I will say that I begged out of the next date with The Husband after that little comment, but I was eventually won back over by his semi-charming ways. And I do need to add that when confronted with this story years later...he claims he was "only joking of course". ....Oh..ok....Ha Ha........
So anyway, I wish the BIL a very happy day, I wish the Big Sis happy vegging,...and until tomorrow, when who knows what the discussion will cover......
Monday, September 28, 2009
"Luxury Must Be Comfortable. Otherwise, it is Not Luxury" Coco Chanel
I'd been reading Nina Garcia's newest book, The Style Strategy, all week long. She's the previous editor of Elle magazine, the fashion director of Marie Claire, and one of the judges on Project Runway. I've mentioned her other two books before, great mindless reads that kind of teach and inspire about fashion at the same time. This newest book is a primer on how to keep your wardrobe updated in these tough economic times. She once again runs through the fashion classics, must-have items that you should build your wardrobe around. But the main theme of the book is how to care for, update and recycle what you have, so that you don't have to spend a lot of money every fashion season.
Saturday we headed to a ballgame. The Boy was playing in yet another baseball tournament. As I reached for my jeans and tennis shoes, Nina Garcia's words of wisdom ran through my mind...how we have forgotten how to make the effort..how we need to stay away from the "sweats and tennis shoes look" at all cost. Well, in a moment of weakness, I decided to follow her instructions. I stayed with the jeans, but grabbed the beige cotton knit tank, bought close to 18 years ago. This tank has been amazing, a true testament to the fact that it is worth it to pay more if you are getting quality. I bought it in a store called Pastille in preparation for a trip to Paris. I also bought the matching skirt and a sundress...and I remember cringing at the price. But I wanted to look good in the City of Light, so I bit the bullet. 18 years later... I still think it was a good decision. The skirt had to be put to rest a few years back due to over-wear, and the sundress, though a timeless design, was also retired. But this tank just refuses to age or date. In fact, when I put it on Saturday, The Husband said "That looks nice", rare words coming from The Husband. (Little one, in her gym shorts and high tops declared "You look too fancy"). I also threw on a pair of python-wedge sandals. Now I debated over these for several minutes...but decided to go for it. The Husband would later ask me, "Are those the shoes your Vogue says to wear to a ballgame?" (The Husband is always a smart-alec.)
For the first few minutes of the game, I was happy with my wardrobe choice. I felt sporty and chic...knowing that Nina would approve of my "look". But 2 innings later, when the temperature dropped about 20 degrees and the rain moved in...I was beginning to doubt my choice. As the rainfall deluge began and Little One and I made our run for the car, I was fairly certain that I had messed up. Trying to maneuver up a hill through mud and pouring rain in 3 inch heels all of a sudden felt ridiculous. I froze all the way home, and was never so happy to throw off those heels and throw on a big cozy sweater.
The next morning, it only took me about 5 minutes to get ready. Jeans, t-shirt and flip-flops...The Husband was kind enough to remind me that it was going to get really hot, so I threw in a tank top for good measure. Little One stayed with her gym shorts and high-tops, and congratulated me for coming to my senses. "That's better!" she said. And it was. There are just some times when comfort has to take the place over chic...and the ballgame is one of them.
In the end, it was a terrific day. Not only was the weather gorgeous...but The Boy and his team won the tournament. And because I am mom, and because the brother-in-law is now thinking "Who cares what you wore...how was the game?"... I have to say that The Boy was just so good. They won 3 games in a row...and he pitched in the first and the championship. He also played first and third...and had several hits. It was fun to watch...Even the Little One, in between practicing her pitching and making 17 trips to the concession stand, declared it an "exciting game."
So that's it for the weekend re-cap. Just a reminder that you probably look the best when you feel the best....and until tomorrow, when October is almost here...
Saturday we headed to a ballgame. The Boy was playing in yet another baseball tournament. As I reached for my jeans and tennis shoes, Nina Garcia's words of wisdom ran through my mind...how we have forgotten how to make the effort..how we need to stay away from the "sweats and tennis shoes look" at all cost. Well, in a moment of weakness, I decided to follow her instructions. I stayed with the jeans, but grabbed the beige cotton knit tank, bought close to 18 years ago. This tank has been amazing, a true testament to the fact that it is worth it to pay more if you are getting quality. I bought it in a store called Pastille in preparation for a trip to Paris. I also bought the matching skirt and a sundress...and I remember cringing at the price. But I wanted to look good in the City of Light, so I bit the bullet. 18 years later... I still think it was a good decision. The skirt had to be put to rest a few years back due to over-wear, and the sundress, though a timeless design, was also retired. But this tank just refuses to age or date. In fact, when I put it on Saturday, The Husband said "That looks nice", rare words coming from The Husband. (Little one, in her gym shorts and high tops declared "You look too fancy"). I also threw on a pair of python-wedge sandals. Now I debated over these for several minutes...but decided to go for it. The Husband would later ask me, "Are those the shoes your Vogue says to wear to a ballgame?" (The Husband is always a smart-alec.)
For the first few minutes of the game, I was happy with my wardrobe choice. I felt sporty and chic...knowing that Nina would approve of my "look". But 2 innings later, when the temperature dropped about 20 degrees and the rain moved in...I was beginning to doubt my choice. As the rainfall deluge began and Little One and I made our run for the car, I was fairly certain that I had messed up. Trying to maneuver up a hill through mud and pouring rain in 3 inch heels all of a sudden felt ridiculous. I froze all the way home, and was never so happy to throw off those heels and throw on a big cozy sweater.
The next morning, it only took me about 5 minutes to get ready. Jeans, t-shirt and flip-flops...The Husband was kind enough to remind me that it was going to get really hot, so I threw in a tank top for good measure. Little One stayed with her gym shorts and high-tops, and congratulated me for coming to my senses. "That's better!" she said. And it was. There are just some times when comfort has to take the place over chic...and the ballgame is one of them.
In the end, it was a terrific day. Not only was the weather gorgeous...but The Boy and his team won the tournament. And because I am mom, and because the brother-in-law is now thinking "Who cares what you wore...how was the game?"... I have to say that The Boy was just so good. They won 3 games in a row...and he pitched in the first and the championship. He also played first and third...and had several hits. It was fun to watch...Even the Little One, in between practicing her pitching and making 17 trips to the concession stand, declared it an "exciting game."
So that's it for the weekend re-cap. Just a reminder that you probably look the best when you feel the best....and until tomorrow, when October is almost here...
Friday, September 25, 2009
"To Avoid Criticism, Do Nothing, Say Nothing and Be Nothing."
It's been a pretty good week in our house. Everyone did well on homework and tests...and since I am the live-in tutor, I take a lot of pride in this. Probably too much. I get way too excited when an A is made...like it is my grade or something. (There is probably some kind of psychological reason for this.)
Little One and I were lucky to get a visit from The Senior and the Tike last night. After a long day of work and classes, she was in the mood for some company and a home-cooked meal. So over a plate of spaghetti, The Senior filled me in on college life. She also took the opportunity to critique all of my writing. See, being a senior English major, The Senior feels it is her responsibility to demonstrate how she is a much better writer than me. Any article or piece I have written, published or not, gets torn apart. Last night, I learned that I am using my 'to be' verbs too much...so in next week's blog, I will purposefully leave out 'is', 'was' and 'were'....I will instead use verbs like 'criticize', 'rip apart' and 'upstage'....
The Tike and I have a running narrative...I began telling him a particular made-up monster story about a year ago, and every time I see him, he wants me to continue the story. Now first of all, I am amazed that at 3 years old that he can remember this...and secondly, I am really ready to move on to a new story...but he refuses to let me! He only wants to hear about the big, red monster with an orange tummy and green feet who scared the fish away and had to be sent away on the train. I know...not very inspired, but I do the best I can. Every time I try to tell a new one, he says "NO NONI! Tell me about the red monster!! Why did he scare the fish?"...Oh well, maybe I will write a children's story about this red monster...but hey Senior...I WILL BE SURE TO NOT USE TOO MANY 'TO BE' VERBS!!!!!!.....
The Boy was quiet this morning until I turned up the new Lady Gaga song in the car. He started laughing and said "YOU like this song, mom?". Well, yeah, I do. "Have you listened to the words?"......Well, no......so I did. And I was immediately grateful that I had let the Little One leave the hearing aids at home today. I believe this song could be incorporated into the 6th grade sex education curriculum...
Little One is going on a field trip today to the Botanical Gardens. "Mom, I don't need to hear anything at those Gardens!" Well, ok. I caved and let her leave off the hearing aids. I noticed she went with the high ponytail....this is the hairstyle that is usually out of the question because then the hearing aids will show....It is all a matter of priorities...
Best of luck to Big Sister who is running in a 5k this weekend. I think it is her first one, but I am not going out on a limb to say it, because if I do, she will immediately shoot me an e-mail that says "I can't believe you don't remember..." and I will be in big trouble.
Ok, that is it for today. Except for my best wishes to a friend whose mom has been in the hospital....my thoughts are with you.
And until next week, when there will be no "to be ' verbs used....
Little One and I were lucky to get a visit from The Senior and the Tike last night. After a long day of work and classes, she was in the mood for some company and a home-cooked meal. So over a plate of spaghetti, The Senior filled me in on college life. She also took the opportunity to critique all of my writing. See, being a senior English major, The Senior feels it is her responsibility to demonstrate how she is a much better writer than me. Any article or piece I have written, published or not, gets torn apart. Last night, I learned that I am using my 'to be' verbs too much...so in next week's blog, I will purposefully leave out 'is', 'was' and 'were'....I will instead use verbs like 'criticize', 'rip apart' and 'upstage'....
The Tike and I have a running narrative...I began telling him a particular made-up monster story about a year ago, and every time I see him, he wants me to continue the story. Now first of all, I am amazed that at 3 years old that he can remember this...and secondly, I am really ready to move on to a new story...but he refuses to let me! He only wants to hear about the big, red monster with an orange tummy and green feet who scared the fish away and had to be sent away on the train. I know...not very inspired, but I do the best I can. Every time I try to tell a new one, he says "NO NONI! Tell me about the red monster!! Why did he scare the fish?"...Oh well, maybe I will write a children's story about this red monster...but hey Senior...I WILL BE SURE TO NOT USE TOO MANY 'TO BE' VERBS!!!!!!.....
The Boy was quiet this morning until I turned up the new Lady Gaga song in the car. He started laughing and said "YOU like this song, mom?". Well, yeah, I do. "Have you listened to the words?"......Well, no......so I did. And I was immediately grateful that I had let the Little One leave the hearing aids at home today. I believe this song could be incorporated into the 6th grade sex education curriculum...
Little One is going on a field trip today to the Botanical Gardens. "Mom, I don't need to hear anything at those Gardens!" Well, ok. I caved and let her leave off the hearing aids. I noticed she went with the high ponytail....this is the hairstyle that is usually out of the question because then the hearing aids will show....It is all a matter of priorities...
Best of luck to Big Sister who is running in a 5k this weekend. I think it is her first one, but I am not going out on a limb to say it, because if I do, she will immediately shoot me an e-mail that says "I can't believe you don't remember..." and I will be in big trouble.
Ok, that is it for today. Except for my best wishes to a friend whose mom has been in the hospital....my thoughts are with you.
And until next week, when there will be no "to be ' verbs used....
Thursday, September 24, 2009
"There's Nothing Wrong with Being Shallow, as Long as You're Insightful About it." Dennis Miller
I'm late getting to it today. I've been focusing on some other writing, so the blog had to take a back seat. I was going to skip it all together, but I thought I'd comment on a few new Tv shows. As I've said before, the TV in our house pretty much stays on ESPN or the Disney Channel, with American Idol and Dancing With the Stars thrown in for Little One, but The Husband and I caught a few new ones this week.
First off, I mentioned the other day that I was looking forward to The Good Wife with Julia Margulies. It came on Tuesday night at 10:00...and I missed it. It's hard to imagine that my TV viewing at this age is still dependent on how much homework I have....but that is how it goes. So anyway, last night I suggested to The Husband that we watch it online. "No." The Husband never feels as if he owes an explanation. I pleaded a little bit more. "Oh, come on, it might be good...just this once." "No." And he went back to channel surfing since there were no sports to be found. And what did I do? Well, if truth be told, I might have pouted for a few minutes. Now this does not normally influence The Husband, but if you add in boredom and the lack on anything else on...he caved. And we watched. And it was pretty good. The wronged wife who has to go back to her old law career to support herself and her children after her politician husband strays and breaks some laws and ends up in jail (sounds right out of the headlines, huh?) The Husband admitted to liking it too...so if no ballgames are on next Tuesday night...it might get a chance.
The best show award of the night goes to that crazy new show "Modern Family". I'd been seeing the previews for weeks, and when The Husband put it on last night, I caught a few minutes before I went for my run. Then I cut the run short because it was so funny. It would take too long to cover the "plot"...but it is hilarious. You could hear The Husband laughing all over the house. The funniest character so far to me is the dad who tries to be cool. He had some of the funniest lines I've heard in awhile. Big Sister and SIL watched too and found it hilarious. After that, CougarTown with Courtney Cox was on. It started out funny with the scene of her in the mirror noticing how she was aging...but it kind of strayed into nasty-land, so we had to turn it since The Boy was still drifting in and out. It's hard to hear Monica from Friends say some of those lines....
Anyway, that's it for today....quick and shallow ....so until tomorrow, when the week comes to and end....
First off, I mentioned the other day that I was looking forward to The Good Wife with Julia Margulies. It came on Tuesday night at 10:00...and I missed it. It's hard to imagine that my TV viewing at this age is still dependent on how much homework I have....but that is how it goes. So anyway, last night I suggested to The Husband that we watch it online. "No." The Husband never feels as if he owes an explanation. I pleaded a little bit more. "Oh, come on, it might be good...just this once." "No." And he went back to channel surfing since there were no sports to be found. And what did I do? Well, if truth be told, I might have pouted for a few minutes. Now this does not normally influence The Husband, but if you add in boredom and the lack on anything else on...he caved. And we watched. And it was pretty good. The wronged wife who has to go back to her old law career to support herself and her children after her politician husband strays and breaks some laws and ends up in jail (sounds right out of the headlines, huh?) The Husband admitted to liking it too...so if no ballgames are on next Tuesday night...it might get a chance.
The best show award of the night goes to that crazy new show "Modern Family". I'd been seeing the previews for weeks, and when The Husband put it on last night, I caught a few minutes before I went for my run. Then I cut the run short because it was so funny. It would take too long to cover the "plot"...but it is hilarious. You could hear The Husband laughing all over the house. The funniest character so far to me is the dad who tries to be cool. He had some of the funniest lines I've heard in awhile. Big Sister and SIL watched too and found it hilarious. After that, CougarTown with Courtney Cox was on. It started out funny with the scene of her in the mirror noticing how she was aging...but it kind of strayed into nasty-land, so we had to turn it since The Boy was still drifting in and out. It's hard to hear Monica from Friends say some of those lines....
Anyway, that's it for today....quick and shallow ....so until tomorrow, when the week comes to and end....
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
"If You're Going to Walk on Thin Ice, You Might as Well Dance."
Little One and I were in the middle of a grinding homework marathon Monday evening. Her afternoon had been spent at dance class, so what would usually have been finished was dragging on and on due to tiredness and frustration...from both of us. Finally, she looked up at me with teary eyes and begged for a "10 minute break". Doubting this was the answer to the issue, I caved and turned on the TV. I could hear The Husband and The Boy in the den remoting back and forth between baseball, football and the season premier of "House"...but we were in the mood for some light distraction. As I flipped channels, Little One suddenly shouted with joy: "Dancing With the Stars is on!!!"....Oh dear. Ok, well, just 10 minutes. Now Little One loves this show, but I had avoided it last year since she had softball practice or games on Monday nights.
It's not that I don't like the dancing. I do. I just don't like the judging sometimes. Especially when someone is really bad....you know, cringe-worthy. I don't like any show where I have to be embarrassed for anyone. If you read this blog regularly, you know that I spend enough time being embarrassed about stuff that I do...I don't need anyone elses' stuff....But the look of pure joy on Little One's face was enough to convince me to put down the remote.
It was the men's night to dance, and it was a very eclectic group: Michael Irvin, the football player; Tom Delay, politician (weird choice), Donny Osmond; Aaron Carter,
either a Backstreet Boy or some boy-band guy; a boxer; a Food Network chef..and a couple of other guys who I guess didn't make an impression on me, because I can't remember them. Now Michael Irvin was average...he will not do as well as Jerry Rice or Emmitt Smith did (both former NFL players too)...but he won't go home first either. The Backstreet Boy was good...but he should be, right? I mean, he's a dancer. Tom Delay was downright embarrassing. He just looked out of place, however I give him credit for trying. (His partner, Cheryl, looks like she is embarrassed to be dancing with him). My favorite was Donny Osmond. Like the Backstreet Boy, he should be good...but he has so much charm that it is easy to root for him. Little One asked who he was...and I launched into a long explanation about how he was my generation's equivalent of the Jonas Bothers, and how I had liked him the way she likes the Jonas brothers. She gave me the look that she often gives me and shook her head. "Oh mom." This means I have given her too much information....
Ok, I suddenly remember the worst dancer...that Asley Hamilton, son of George, who was on the show a couple of season's ago. Poor Ashley did not inherit his dad's dancing ability or his charisma. I think he will be the first to go.
Now last night, it was the girl's turn. Little One and I got in late from a softball game, so we missed a few dancers. But in quick summation, it looks like Maya (is she a singer?) and the swimsuit model girl will be top contenders. And my favorite was Kelly Osborne, daughter of Ozzy and Sharon. All I knew about her previously was that she was a wild-child with a drug problem. But she had such a sweet and vulnerable presence that I immediately rooted for her. Not only did she work hard, but she was really good! Plus her mom and dad cried after her dance which made me cry too. The worst girl in my opinion was the singer, Macy Gray. Now look, I was cheering for her initially because she seemed like such a fish out of water...but after her dance, I thought she looked like she was "under the influence" in her interview, so she dropped down a few places in my mind...of course, I could be wrong...
So that's it for this morning. The elimination show is tonight, and Little One has already negotiated for a later bedtime so she can watch. She was initially rooting for the girl that plays Sabrina on "Sabrina the Teenage Witch", but Little One is easily won over by prettiness...so I'm guessing she will be voting for the swimsuit girl...
Until tomorrow, when we will wait with baited breath to see who goes home...
It's not that I don't like the dancing. I do. I just don't like the judging sometimes. Especially when someone is really bad....you know, cringe-worthy. I don't like any show where I have to be embarrassed for anyone. If you read this blog regularly, you know that I spend enough time being embarrassed about stuff that I do...I don't need anyone elses' stuff....But the look of pure joy on Little One's face was enough to convince me to put down the remote.
It was the men's night to dance, and it was a very eclectic group: Michael Irvin, the football player; Tom Delay, politician (weird choice), Donny Osmond; Aaron Carter,
either a Backstreet Boy or some boy-band guy; a boxer; a Food Network chef..and a couple of other guys who I guess didn't make an impression on me, because I can't remember them. Now Michael Irvin was average...he will not do as well as Jerry Rice or Emmitt Smith did (both former NFL players too)...but he won't go home first either. The Backstreet Boy was good...but he should be, right? I mean, he's a dancer. Tom Delay was downright embarrassing. He just looked out of place, however I give him credit for trying. (His partner, Cheryl, looks like she is embarrassed to be dancing with him). My favorite was Donny Osmond. Like the Backstreet Boy, he should be good...but he has so much charm that it is easy to root for him. Little One asked who he was...and I launched into a long explanation about how he was my generation's equivalent of the Jonas Bothers, and how I had liked him the way she likes the Jonas brothers. She gave me the look that she often gives me and shook her head. "Oh mom." This means I have given her too much information....
Ok, I suddenly remember the worst dancer...that Asley Hamilton, son of George, who was on the show a couple of season's ago. Poor Ashley did not inherit his dad's dancing ability or his charisma. I think he will be the first to go.
Now last night, it was the girl's turn. Little One and I got in late from a softball game, so we missed a few dancers. But in quick summation, it looks like Maya (is she a singer?) and the swimsuit model girl will be top contenders. And my favorite was Kelly Osborne, daughter of Ozzy and Sharon. All I knew about her previously was that she was a wild-child with a drug problem. But she had such a sweet and vulnerable presence that I immediately rooted for her. Not only did she work hard, but she was really good! Plus her mom and dad cried after her dance which made me cry too. The worst girl in my opinion was the singer, Macy Gray. Now look, I was cheering for her initially because she seemed like such a fish out of water...but after her dance, I thought she looked like she was "under the influence" in her interview, so she dropped down a few places in my mind...of course, I could be wrong...
So that's it for this morning. The elimination show is tonight, and Little One has already negotiated for a later bedtime so she can watch. She was initially rooting for the girl that plays Sabrina on "Sabrina the Teenage Witch", but Little One is easily won over by prettiness...so I'm guessing she will be voting for the swimsuit girl...
Until tomorrow, when we will wait with baited breath to see who goes home...
On Reader Response and Who We Are
I thought I'd take a day to respond to some reader response. The title of this could actually be "I've got nothing today"...but instead, I'll frame it out as being responsive to my "readership". (The Husband and Brother-in-Law are now both typing me messages giving their opinion on the make up of this readership).
1) Editing. Ok, I agree that lately there have been a lot of grammar and spelling errors. I don't know what accounts for this...To the reader who reminded me to use spellcheck....I do. Unfortunately, it doesn't catch everything. And remember, at minute 25, I hit "publish" no matter what...otherwise, this would get out of hand. Big Sister usually catches the glaring errors within the first 30 minutes, but if you read this on my facebook page...it's too late. Once it posts, I can't edit. I actually had to delete a post last week because I was embarrassed about the number of spelling errors. The Husband only edits content....Anyway, I'll do my best to "clean it up" before I post.
2) What does The Husband actually do for a living? This is a tough one...but I'll try. The Husband is the CEO of a company. This is what I would consider his main job, as it were. However, he is also CFO for many of the companies that his partner owns. In this capacity, he has been involved in building and racing cars (which explains our time in France during the summer for the LeMans), running a winery (which explains much time in California), and overseeing financials of properties (which explains time spent in Scotland and the Bahamas). The Husband's partner spends half the year in Australia, which explains our travel there. In addition, he also runs a few side enterprises involving beach condos and baseball bats....The Husband is a very busy guy...
3) Who is related to who? Ok...The Husband and I met at work about 15 years ago. He was the CFO, and I was buyer and tour director. He was a bachelor, and I was a single mom with 2 little girls, Big Sister and The Senior. We married (eloped) after 9 months....and The Boy and Little One came along a few years later. Big Sister graduated from college, married the SIL, and now lives 45 minutes away and works for The Husband. The Senior is a senior in college...lives about an hour away...and also raises the Tike, who is 3. The Niece lives in Tennessee, in the town that I consider the closest thing I have to a "home town". She is married and has a toddler. The Brother-in-Law is a Jersey boy who now resides in Pennsylvania, and he is married to my lovely sister-in-law, and has 2 darling children. And now you know everything there is to know...and more than you asked for....
4) I just want acknowledge my overseas readers. I take great pride in the fact that people in France, Italy and Germany follow the blog. I've even had a new reader lately from the Phillipines. Now when I asked The Husband how he thought a person from the Phillipines would have happened upon my little ol' blog, he once again suggested that they typed in "Bore me today'...and the blog popped up. (The Husband feels it is always his job to keep me humble). I would like to say that when I "quit" the blog for the second time, I lost a loyal reader from Canada. Each week, I check to see if they have reappeared...but no luck. I guess they deleted me. You can only quit so many times before people stop taking you seriously.
So that is it for today. Hopefully I have answered some of the burning questions that you had been asking...and until tomorrow...when we will have to talk about Dancing With the Stars...
1) Editing. Ok, I agree that lately there have been a lot of grammar and spelling errors. I don't know what accounts for this...To the reader who reminded me to use spellcheck....I do. Unfortunately, it doesn't catch everything. And remember, at minute 25, I hit "publish" no matter what...otherwise, this would get out of hand. Big Sister usually catches the glaring errors within the first 30 minutes, but if you read this on my facebook page...it's too late. Once it posts, I can't edit. I actually had to delete a post last week because I was embarrassed about the number of spelling errors. The Husband only edits content....Anyway, I'll do my best to "clean it up" before I post.
2) What does The Husband actually do for a living? This is a tough one...but I'll try. The Husband is the CEO of a company. This is what I would consider his main job, as it were. However, he is also CFO for many of the companies that his partner owns. In this capacity, he has been involved in building and racing cars (which explains our time in France during the summer for the LeMans), running a winery (which explains much time in California), and overseeing financials of properties (which explains time spent in Scotland and the Bahamas). The Husband's partner spends half the year in Australia, which explains our travel there. In addition, he also runs a few side enterprises involving beach condos and baseball bats....The Husband is a very busy guy...
3) Who is related to who? Ok...The Husband and I met at work about 15 years ago. He was the CFO, and I was buyer and tour director. He was a bachelor, and I was a single mom with 2 little girls, Big Sister and The Senior. We married (eloped) after 9 months....and The Boy and Little One came along a few years later. Big Sister graduated from college, married the SIL, and now lives 45 minutes away and works for The Husband. The Senior is a senior in college...lives about an hour away...and also raises the Tike, who is 3. The Niece lives in Tennessee, in the town that I consider the closest thing I have to a "home town". She is married and has a toddler. The Brother-in-Law is a Jersey boy who now resides in Pennsylvania, and he is married to my lovely sister-in-law, and has 2 darling children. And now you know everything there is to know...and more than you asked for....
4) I just want acknowledge my overseas readers. I take great pride in the fact that people in France, Italy and Germany follow the blog. I've even had a new reader lately from the Phillipines. Now when I asked The Husband how he thought a person from the Phillipines would have happened upon my little ol' blog, he once again suggested that they typed in "Bore me today'...and the blog popped up. (The Husband feels it is always his job to keep me humble). I would like to say that when I "quit" the blog for the second time, I lost a loyal reader from Canada. Each week, I check to see if they have reappeared...but no luck. I guess they deleted me. You can only quit so many times before people stop taking you seriously.
So that is it for today. Hopefully I have answered some of the burning questions that you had been asking...and until tomorrow...when we will have to talk about Dancing With the Stars...
Monday, September 21, 2009
"Never lose and opportunity for seeing anything beautiful, for beauty is God's handwriting." Emerson
I sat down to write a letter to an old friend last week. She had written me after losing her husband last spring, and I had procrastinated about writing her back. Now I had her e-mail address, but it's just not the same, is it? I had thought out in my mind what I wanted to say, but I just kept putting off the actual writing. When I finally did it, I was appalled at my handwriting. It's not that I ever had beautiful writing, but what use to at least be legible had turned into a mess.
The Boy and Little One struggle with this problem too. The Boy's handwriting has improved considerably over the last few years, moving from almost un-decipherable to actually kind of nice. His letters are sometimes hard to differentiate, but altogether, it looks neat. Little One has lovely handwriting when she sets her mind to it, but that impatient gene that she inherited from The Husband keeps her from setting her mind to it very often.
Now my mother-in-law had beautiful handwriting, the kind that you look at and then try to copy. But she also had a talent for analyzing handwriting...not in a "I took a class and now I can do this" kind of way...but in a "I studied for years and I can tell what kind of person you are" way. I was unfortunately introduced to this talent in a rather disconcerting way...
As I have previously stated, I met The Husband at work. We had been out on a couple of dates, when one morning he approached me at my desk with a funny look on his face. "Let me ask you something", he began. "Are you depressed? Stuck in the past? Do you have low goals?"........Well gee, good morning to you too, I thought. At the time, I was bewildered that he would ask me these questions out of the blue. Our dates had all been upbeat and fun (ok, well except for my stalker boss who threatened to fire me if I went out with The Husband...but that is a story for a whole different blog).....so I could not imagine why he would ask me those questions. But anyway, I did give it some thought. Was I depressed? No. Not my personality....although having a new "boyfriend" asking me that question didn't help.....Next, was I stuck in the past? No, although being a single mom struggling to find a balance between my kids, my work and this new guy probably did have me wishing for easier days....and finally....Did I have low goals?....Good grief, what kind of question was that? I was sort of offended...although later on I would look back and remember that I had been forced to give up working on my master's degree, yet hold on to the modeling jobs that I hated due to time and financial priority. Because of that, I might have actually gone through a brief period of "low goals"...but again....not something you want a new man in your life to be pointing out after only a few dates.
I can't remember what my reaction was to The Husband. I think I laughed it off and shooed him back upstairs...and it wasn't until after we were married that he divulged to me that he had actually sent his mom something I had written so that she could analyse me!! All I can say is that it is a good thing I did not know this at the time...because this blog would be minus "The Husband"......and suffice it to say that I never wrote anything to the mother-in-law by hand again....even Christmas cards were typed....
But it was amazing what information she could obtain from this...and I will admit that I did consult with her a few times before I hired people because she was so dead-on in her analysis. Big Sister and The Senior and their friends would all sneak handwriting samples from their boyfriends, and then, when mother-in-law visited, they would race to the house and sit around the table, and she would tell them whether or not the guy was a "keeper". (If she had met the guy and didn't like him....you can bet the handwriting always indicated "dishonesty and unkindness").
A few weeks ago, The Husband told a totally inappropriate story at dinner with friends. It had to do with old girlfriends... and what his mom had deciphered from their handwriting. Let's just say that it was not dinner table material....and let's also say that it was not a normal mom/son conversation. But that was the great thing about the mother-in-law.....she was at her best when she was un-edited. And that is definitely a trait she passed on to The Husband...
So until tomorrow, when I am promising myself to work on my handwriting, because you never know what conclusions people may be drawing from what you write....
The Boy and Little One struggle with this problem too. The Boy's handwriting has improved considerably over the last few years, moving from almost un-decipherable to actually kind of nice. His letters are sometimes hard to differentiate, but altogether, it looks neat. Little One has lovely handwriting when she sets her mind to it, but that impatient gene that she inherited from The Husband keeps her from setting her mind to it very often.
Now my mother-in-law had beautiful handwriting, the kind that you look at and then try to copy. But she also had a talent for analyzing handwriting...not in a "I took a class and now I can do this" kind of way...but in a "I studied for years and I can tell what kind of person you are" way. I was unfortunately introduced to this talent in a rather disconcerting way...
As I have previously stated, I met The Husband at work. We had been out on a couple of dates, when one morning he approached me at my desk with a funny look on his face. "Let me ask you something", he began. "Are you depressed? Stuck in the past? Do you have low goals?"........Well gee, good morning to you too, I thought. At the time, I was bewildered that he would ask me these questions out of the blue. Our dates had all been upbeat and fun (ok, well except for my stalker boss who threatened to fire me if I went out with The Husband...but that is a story for a whole different blog).....so I could not imagine why he would ask me those questions. But anyway, I did give it some thought. Was I depressed? No. Not my personality....although having a new "boyfriend" asking me that question didn't help.....Next, was I stuck in the past? No, although being a single mom struggling to find a balance between my kids, my work and this new guy probably did have me wishing for easier days....and finally....Did I have low goals?....Good grief, what kind of question was that? I was sort of offended...although later on I would look back and remember that I had been forced to give up working on my master's degree, yet hold on to the modeling jobs that I hated due to time and financial priority. Because of that, I might have actually gone through a brief period of "low goals"...but again....not something you want a new man in your life to be pointing out after only a few dates.
I can't remember what my reaction was to The Husband. I think I laughed it off and shooed him back upstairs...and it wasn't until after we were married that he divulged to me that he had actually sent his mom something I had written so that she could analyse me!! All I can say is that it is a good thing I did not know this at the time...because this blog would be minus "The Husband"......and suffice it to say that I never wrote anything to the mother-in-law by hand again....even Christmas cards were typed....
But it was amazing what information she could obtain from this...and I will admit that I did consult with her a few times before I hired people because she was so dead-on in her analysis. Big Sister and The Senior and their friends would all sneak handwriting samples from their boyfriends, and then, when mother-in-law visited, they would race to the house and sit around the table, and she would tell them whether or not the guy was a "keeper". (If she had met the guy and didn't like him....you can bet the handwriting always indicated "dishonesty and unkindness").
A few weeks ago, The Husband told a totally inappropriate story at dinner with friends. It had to do with old girlfriends... and what his mom had deciphered from their handwriting. Let's just say that it was not dinner table material....and let's also say that it was not a normal mom/son conversation. But that was the great thing about the mother-in-law.....she was at her best when she was un-edited. And that is definitely a trait she passed on to The Husband...
So until tomorrow, when I am promising myself to work on my handwriting, because you never know what conclusions people may be drawing from what you write....
Friday, September 18, 2009
"We Think in Generalities, but We Live in Details"
The most difficult thing about writing this blog in 23 minutes is the ability to cover everything I want to in a thorough manner. Today, for example, I'll be all over the place, which I'm thinking will make coming up with a cohesive title a bit challenging. I'll deal with that at minute 22...
1) I have mixed feelings about the President scrapping the missile-defense system agreement forged by the previous administration. I could buy the bit about the new intelligence about Iran's short-range missiles being ready before their long-range missiles, thus encouraging us to concentrate on short-range receptors...but there was evidence that the administration was leaning toward scrapping this program months ago, before this new evidence came out. I'm worried that our European allies who have always looked to us as the nuclear deterant in the area, are going to feel like we're backing out, and decide that they need to develop their own nuclear programs...
2) Someone explain to me how 75 Democrats can continue to support Acorn after learning that 5 employees from 5 different offices tried to help undercover investigators (posing as a pimp and prostitute) set up a child prostitution business. This isn't a political issue...this is a common sense issue. Any good this agency might have done in the past has been far over-shadowed by video after video of corruption and ignorance...
3) I love all of those Mac and PC commercials...but the newest one is the funniest yet...with the guy who used to play Elaine's boyfriend on "Seinfeld" trying to convince the Mac customer that she can't expect everything...at the end, he gives her his card and says "when you're ready to compromise, give me a call"....just so funny.
4) My favorite designer won last night on Project Runway. Irina from New York won the newspaper challenge (they had to create a design from newspapers). Her trench coat was just off the charts in design and creativity and execution...I would have bought it in a second...even knowing that it would fall apart in the rain!!...I can only hope she will create the same design out of fabric. This girl is so talented.
5) The 11:00 episode of "Friends" last night was the funniest one ever in my opinion. Remember the one where Ross has taped the video of he and Rachel "getting pregnant". Rachel insists that Ross came on to her...and everyone believes it until he shows the video, and it turns out she has used Joey's "hiking in Europe" come-on story to lure Ross....hilarious...It's also the one where Chandler and Monica have been given a fake number by a couple they met on their honeymoon, and they try and figure out why....this episode is just an example of how every one of those actors was just brilliant on that show....The Husband and I were rolling on the floor laughing...
6) I'm often critical of the President, but I love the You Tube video of him calling Kanye West a "jackass". It is a very unscripted and real moment...and not only did I agree with him, but I loved his reaction seconds later when he realized that he was probably going to get busted for saying it....
7) New York runway shows were this week. Results? Marc Jacobs seemed to have won over the crowds with his feminine, yet strong designs. I'll have to see it...I've never liked his stuff since his "grunge" days. Michael Kors dresses were lovely...but a little too much like old Prada and Calvin Klein designs. What's up with that? He'd never let someone get by with copying on Project Runway. ..My favorite was Oscar de la Renta...classically beautiful, but on trend. He continues to produce lovely clothes after all these years. They keep saying Michelle Obama has snubbed him and hasn't worn his designs...but by the look of his spring designs...I'll bet she'll wear one of his dresses...they look right up her alley.
8) The new show with Julianna Margulies(ER) and Chris Noth('Big' from Sex and the City) starring as an estranged married couple living out the Eliot Spitzer headlines looks terrific. It's called "The Good Wife"...I love that it will come on at 10:00 on Tuesday nights because it means I have a shot at watching since the kids SHOULD be in bed by that time....
So that's it for this rainy Friday...a little of this and a little of that...so until next week, when the weather becomes cooler, the baseball play-offs are nearer, football season is upon us, the health-care bill has been presented....and so much more.
1) I have mixed feelings about the President scrapping the missile-defense system agreement forged by the previous administration. I could buy the bit about the new intelligence about Iran's short-range missiles being ready before their long-range missiles, thus encouraging us to concentrate on short-range receptors...but there was evidence that the administration was leaning toward scrapping this program months ago, before this new evidence came out. I'm worried that our European allies who have always looked to us as the nuclear deterant in the area, are going to feel like we're backing out, and decide that they need to develop their own nuclear programs...
2) Someone explain to me how 75 Democrats can continue to support Acorn after learning that 5 employees from 5 different offices tried to help undercover investigators (posing as a pimp and prostitute) set up a child prostitution business. This isn't a political issue...this is a common sense issue. Any good this agency might have done in the past has been far over-shadowed by video after video of corruption and ignorance...
3) I love all of those Mac and PC commercials...but the newest one is the funniest yet...with the guy who used to play Elaine's boyfriend on "Seinfeld" trying to convince the Mac customer that she can't expect everything...at the end, he gives her his card and says "when you're ready to compromise, give me a call"....just so funny.
4) My favorite designer won last night on Project Runway. Irina from New York won the newspaper challenge (they had to create a design from newspapers). Her trench coat was just off the charts in design and creativity and execution...I would have bought it in a second...even knowing that it would fall apart in the rain!!...I can only hope she will create the same design out of fabric. This girl is so talented.
5) The 11:00 episode of "Friends" last night was the funniest one ever in my opinion. Remember the one where Ross has taped the video of he and Rachel "getting pregnant". Rachel insists that Ross came on to her...and everyone believes it until he shows the video, and it turns out she has used Joey's "hiking in Europe" come-on story to lure Ross....hilarious...It's also the one where Chandler and Monica have been given a fake number by a couple they met on their honeymoon, and they try and figure out why....this episode is just an example of how every one of those actors was just brilliant on that show....The Husband and I were rolling on the floor laughing...
6) I'm often critical of the President, but I love the You Tube video of him calling Kanye West a "jackass". It is a very unscripted and real moment...and not only did I agree with him, but I loved his reaction seconds later when he realized that he was probably going to get busted for saying it....
7) New York runway shows were this week. Results? Marc Jacobs seemed to have won over the crowds with his feminine, yet strong designs. I'll have to see it...I've never liked his stuff since his "grunge" days. Michael Kors dresses were lovely...but a little too much like old Prada and Calvin Klein designs. What's up with that? He'd never let someone get by with copying on Project Runway. ..My favorite was Oscar de la Renta...classically beautiful, but on trend. He continues to produce lovely clothes after all these years. They keep saying Michelle Obama has snubbed him and hasn't worn his designs...but by the look of his spring designs...I'll bet she'll wear one of his dresses...they look right up her alley.
8) The new show with Julianna Margulies(ER) and Chris Noth('Big' from Sex and the City) starring as an estranged married couple living out the Eliot Spitzer headlines looks terrific. It's called "The Good Wife"...I love that it will come on at 10:00 on Tuesday nights because it means I have a shot at watching since the kids SHOULD be in bed by that time....
So that's it for this rainy Friday...a little of this and a little of that...so until next week, when the weather becomes cooler, the baseball play-offs are nearer, football season is upon us, the health-care bill has been presented....and so much more.
Thursday, September 17, 2009
"Joy and Temperance and Repose, Slam the Door on the Doctor's Nose" Longfellow
Is it Friday yet? I usually try to avoid that kind of thinking, but everyone in our house has been feeling "on the verge" of being sick. Somehow it seems like a weekend of sleep and relaxation will solve it all, but The Boy has 5 ballgames this coming weekend, so this vision of r & r may not materialize.
Little One woke up yesterday morning in an unusually bad mood. She is normally robotic in her morning routine, pausing only to ask how her hair looks or hide her hearing aids. But a sore throat and little cough had her feeling down. As I woke her up for school, she cried a little and declared she felt "weird". I took this as a sign and told her to just stay in bed. But as I was unpacking her lunch box, I heard her yell from upstairs, "I'm going!". The thing about Little One is that she is a mover. She doesn't like the thought of hanging in bed all day (wait till she grows up, right?). Our rule is, if you stay home, you stay in. No friends or activities or practices...and this is painful for Little One. So she stumbled down the stairs and sat down to eat, tears rolling down her face. I gently explained to her that maybe it would be best to stay home and sleep, but she said she would stick it out. But the longer she sat, the harder she cried...so I finally had to exercise my mom-authority and tell her to go back to bed. She nodded slowly, took off her tennis shoes, and headed back up the stairs, mumbling "I hope you let me play outside later if I feel better".
The funny thing is, under the same circumstances, The Boy would be just as careful in deciding to stay home, because he cannot stand the thought of getting behind...but once he decides to stay home, don't even try to pry him out of bed...
A little while later, The Senior called on her way to class. She, too, was feeling under the weather, but was experiencing what all mothers experience...and that is, when you are a mom, how you feel doesn't matter very much. She had woken up early to take the Tyke to daycare so she could get to school and study, but she was wishing she could just go back home and sleep. I had a flash-back to a few years earlier when she would bow out of class due to rainy days and late nights...but things change and people grow up...and responsibility is the toughest teacher of all. And suddenly she remembered that her professor was showing a movie in class, so that only left that pesky weight-lifting class to get through...and all of a sudden things didn't seem so dire..and so "thanks for chatting mom, but I have stuff to do"...
The Husband doesn't believe in missing work for illness. He is extremely disciplined and refuses to give into that sort of thing...and besides, if you're home in bed, you don't get to be in control....
So until tomorrow...Friday....which seems like the goal-line this week....
Little One woke up yesterday morning in an unusually bad mood. She is normally robotic in her morning routine, pausing only to ask how her hair looks or hide her hearing aids. But a sore throat and little cough had her feeling down. As I woke her up for school, she cried a little and declared she felt "weird". I took this as a sign and told her to just stay in bed. But as I was unpacking her lunch box, I heard her yell from upstairs, "I'm going!". The thing about Little One is that she is a mover. She doesn't like the thought of hanging in bed all day (wait till she grows up, right?). Our rule is, if you stay home, you stay in. No friends or activities or practices...and this is painful for Little One. So she stumbled down the stairs and sat down to eat, tears rolling down her face. I gently explained to her that maybe it would be best to stay home and sleep, but she said she would stick it out. But the longer she sat, the harder she cried...so I finally had to exercise my mom-authority and tell her to go back to bed. She nodded slowly, took off her tennis shoes, and headed back up the stairs, mumbling "I hope you let me play outside later if I feel better".
The funny thing is, under the same circumstances, The Boy would be just as careful in deciding to stay home, because he cannot stand the thought of getting behind...but once he decides to stay home, don't even try to pry him out of bed...
A little while later, The Senior called on her way to class. She, too, was feeling under the weather, but was experiencing what all mothers experience...and that is, when you are a mom, how you feel doesn't matter very much. She had woken up early to take the Tyke to daycare so she could get to school and study, but she was wishing she could just go back home and sleep. I had a flash-back to a few years earlier when she would bow out of class due to rainy days and late nights...but things change and people grow up...and responsibility is the toughest teacher of all. And suddenly she remembered that her professor was showing a movie in class, so that only left that pesky weight-lifting class to get through...and all of a sudden things didn't seem so dire..and so "thanks for chatting mom, but I have stuff to do"...
The Husband doesn't believe in missing work for illness. He is extremely disciplined and refuses to give into that sort of thing...and besides, if you're home in bed, you don't get to be in control....
So until tomorrow...Friday....which seems like the goal-line this week....
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
"Good communication is as good as black coffee, and just as hard to sleep after." Anne Morrow Lindberg
Little One came home from school the other day with some notes she had taken about an assignment. As often happens due to her hearing issues, she had written down something that neither of us could decipher...a book she had read took place in "monart time". Thankfully, her teacher was just an e-mail away, and we discovered that the book took place in "modern times". We giggled over this, but it got me to thinking about how important our words can be...and it brought back a story from several years ago...
The Husband was going to be working in France over the summer, so Little One, The Boy and the Senior and I had settled into a small village to live while he worked. Now being fluent in french, this was fun for me, as it was a great opportunity to use my language. Although we became known as "les Americans" to the people of the village, they were lovely about conversing with me. The senior had just completed her second year of french in school, so she was anxious to try her french out too. Each morning, we would wake up and walk to the village bakery and pick up some fresh croissants for breakfast. It was a fun routine, strolling Little One, who was a baby at the time, and following The Boy toddler. One morning after The Husband had left, Little One was sleeping in after a long night, and The Senior and Boy were "starving". Well, I told her, it was time to go it alone. She had listened to me all those mornings...she knew what to say...she could take The Boy and do it herself. (This was a very small and very safe village). The Senior hemmed and hawed, not sure if she was yet up to the task. Though she is always bold and brave (remember, she was previously nick-named The Rebel), she was still hesitant about doing it by herself...and though I agreed with her that the crowded bakery with the talkative lady baker would be a challenge...I knew she could do it. So off they went, The Boy and Senior...and they returned 30 minutes later with fresh pastries for everyone. The Senior was so proud of herself... and was suddenly emboldened to be much more independent in this little village. That night we watched "Dirty Dancing" on tv in french, and we laughed the whole time, because hearing "Nobody puts baby in a corner" in french is just so funny.
Our second day there, The Husband took all of us for a trial run to the airport which was about 45 minutes (and many twists, turns and round-abouts away). I was going to have to drop him off there in a few days..and return to the village...and then pick up mother-in-law a few days later. This was concerning, due to my severe lack of a sense of direction. Thankfully, The Senior did not inherit that lack...and between my language skills and her sense of direction...we figured we could manage.
Now this is one of the only times in our marriage that The Husband has let me drive. But he felt it was imperative that I get the feel of things. The problem with this scenario is that The Husband is a back-seat driver. He was "coaching" me the whole way there on everything from my speed to the way I was holding the steering wheel. As we neared the airport, we were coming to a traffic light. Three times he yelled "Stop! No, Go!, No, stop!" Well, being used to doing EXACTLY what The Husband says...I did just that. The guy driving the motorcycle behind me tried to mimic my actions, but he didn't stop the last time fast enough...instead, he fell off and his motorcycle slid under our rental car. Needless to say, I was shaken up, and maybe...JUST MAYBE, peeved at The Husband. Well, knowing that he had caused this little fiasco...he decided he would get out and take care of it. But here is the problem...The Husband only knew 2 words in french...bougez, which means "MOVE"...and "C'est bon", which means "Everything is fine". ( I know...why on earth these were the two phrases that stuck in his mind we will never know). So he gets out of the car and heads back to the guy, who is fine, and has already picked up his bike. The Senior and I are watching them and shaking our heads, wondering how he is going to handle this...the guy looks as annoyed as I was. But The Husband just looks him straight in the eye and says "C'est bon?".....Well, The Senior and I looked at each other and burst out laughing...literally laughing so hard we were crying. Meanwhile, the guy must have taken pity on The Husband ( or maybe he didn't understand The Husband's french spoken with a New Jersey accent)...but he took off...and so did we...
It's worth noting that a few years later, after yet another minor accident in France, The Husband was able to use that second phrase..."bougez"...but as I remember, I had to get out and intervene...
So until tomorrow, when I will keep in mind that it is not always what we say, but how we say it, that really matters...
The Husband was going to be working in France over the summer, so Little One, The Boy and the Senior and I had settled into a small village to live while he worked. Now being fluent in french, this was fun for me, as it was a great opportunity to use my language. Although we became known as "les Americans" to the people of the village, they were lovely about conversing with me. The senior had just completed her second year of french in school, so she was anxious to try her french out too. Each morning, we would wake up and walk to the village bakery and pick up some fresh croissants for breakfast. It was a fun routine, strolling Little One, who was a baby at the time, and following The Boy toddler. One morning after The Husband had left, Little One was sleeping in after a long night, and The Senior and Boy were "starving". Well, I told her, it was time to go it alone. She had listened to me all those mornings...she knew what to say...she could take The Boy and do it herself. (This was a very small and very safe village). The Senior hemmed and hawed, not sure if she was yet up to the task. Though she is always bold and brave (remember, she was previously nick-named The Rebel), she was still hesitant about doing it by herself...and though I agreed with her that the crowded bakery with the talkative lady baker would be a challenge...I knew she could do it. So off they went, The Boy and Senior...and they returned 30 minutes later with fresh pastries for everyone. The Senior was so proud of herself... and was suddenly emboldened to be much more independent in this little village. That night we watched "Dirty Dancing" on tv in french, and we laughed the whole time, because hearing "Nobody puts baby in a corner" in french is just so funny.
Our second day there, The Husband took all of us for a trial run to the airport which was about 45 minutes (and many twists, turns and round-abouts away). I was going to have to drop him off there in a few days..and return to the village...and then pick up mother-in-law a few days later. This was concerning, due to my severe lack of a sense of direction. Thankfully, The Senior did not inherit that lack...and between my language skills and her sense of direction...we figured we could manage.
Now this is one of the only times in our marriage that The Husband has let me drive. But he felt it was imperative that I get the feel of things. The problem with this scenario is that The Husband is a back-seat driver. He was "coaching" me the whole way there on everything from my speed to the way I was holding the steering wheel. As we neared the airport, we were coming to a traffic light. Three times he yelled "Stop! No, Go!, No, stop!" Well, being used to doing EXACTLY what The Husband says...I did just that. The guy driving the motorcycle behind me tried to mimic my actions, but he didn't stop the last time fast enough...instead, he fell off and his motorcycle slid under our rental car. Needless to say, I was shaken up, and maybe...JUST MAYBE, peeved at The Husband. Well, knowing that he had caused this little fiasco...he decided he would get out and take care of it. But here is the problem...The Husband only knew 2 words in french...bougez, which means "MOVE"...and "C'est bon", which means "Everything is fine". ( I know...why on earth these were the two phrases that stuck in his mind we will never know). So he gets out of the car and heads back to the guy, who is fine, and has already picked up his bike. The Senior and I are watching them and shaking our heads, wondering how he is going to handle this...the guy looks as annoyed as I was. But The Husband just looks him straight in the eye and says "C'est bon?".....Well, The Senior and I looked at each other and burst out laughing...literally laughing so hard we were crying. Meanwhile, the guy must have taken pity on The Husband ( or maybe he didn't understand The Husband's french spoken with a New Jersey accent)...but he took off...and so did we...
It's worth noting that a few years later, after yet another minor accident in France, The Husband was able to use that second phrase..."bougez"...but as I remember, I had to get out and intervene...
So until tomorrow, when I will keep in mind that it is not always what we say, but how we say it, that really matters...
"There is a level of cowardice that is lower than that of the conformist: the fashionable non-conformist." Ayn Rand
There was an interesting article in the WSJ last week discussing the decline of "edgy" in fashion. It detailed how in the current economy, people are looking for safe, classic and comfort clothing...not trend or edge. A quick browsing at the magazine stand backs this up. Over the last few months, the familiar faces of Christie Brinkley, Cindy Crawford and Elle MacPherson have graced the covers of magazines for the first time in awhile, replacing the "edgier" looks of ,say, Kate Moss. If you thumb through the pages, you may see Kate, but not in all her waif-like, grungy glory...but in her more updated, demure look.
The last 2 weeks on Project Runway, the two designers that were eliminated were the ones who were considered a bit "over-the-top" in their designs. The one guy, who was suppose to be designing a maternity look, went so far as to create a "nest" for his model...literally draping her stomach so that she looked about 15 pounds heavier...suffice it to say, it did not go over well with the judges. As he was packing his bags to leave, he admitted that he might have to pay more attention to his customer's needs instead of his own esoteric vision. Once again, the judges discussed how "edginess" is good, but only up to a certain point.
Back in "the day" when I was modeling, I remember being sent out by my agency for a "go-see" at a particular department store. This department store was filming a new commercial, and they were looking for models to work as extras. I'm ashamed to say that I hesitated when offered this opportunity because this was not a store that I necessarily wanted to represent. I won't mention their name, because there is absolutely nothing wrong with this store...it's just that I had an idea in my mind of the kind of work I wanted to do...and this wasn't it. However, since Saks and Neiman's weren't calling... I decided that my hourly rate times the many hours that it usually took to film a commercial would more than make up for my deflated ego. So off I went to participate in the humiliating process of walking into a room with many other models...staring at each other...silently deciding who would be the competition...and then being called back to show your card and do your thing for the store marketing department. I remember walking in that day and seeing one of the most gorgeous girls you've ever seen...just stunning. I immediately felt like leaving, as I figured it was all a waste of time...she would definitely get the job. But since my agency had sent me, I had no choice but to wait it out.
The next day, my agency called to let me know that I had gotten the job! I was stunned....and I told the lady that booked me that I was surprised...I described the girl that was there..and she knew who it was. She said "Oh, yeah. They told me they considered her, but they weren't going so much for beauty...more edgy." ....What?? I didn't know whether to laugh or cry. Let's recap...I got the job for my lack of beauty?....and also, because I'm..."edgy"? Now look, I'm many things, but if you poll a group of 20 people that know me, I'm betting that the word "edgy" doesn't come up. But the strangest thing was that this particular store was as far from "edgy" as you can possibly get. The dictionary definition of "edgy" is "innovative" or "cutting edge". I will promise you that there was not one item in that store that fell into this category...nor did I. But I went and did the job, channeling my inner Kate Moss.
The next day, I went out and bought a ridiculous pair of chunky bottomed lace-up boots...the kind you see in a magazine and say to yourself 'Who the heck would wear that?" I thought that maybe I would try to mold my image into Miss New York Edge....but one look in the mirror changed my mind...(I was quickly reminded of what my French photographer said when he was shooting me for my card...."I sink we will go for zee bohemian, girl-next-door look"....) And so my days as the "edgy" girl quickly came to an end.
It will be interesting to see how long this period of "safe" lasts. I guess the good designers are the ones who can market their clothes as sensible and long-term right now...I read that Tory Burch and Narcisco Rodriguez, both fairly young designers known for quality, yet innovative designs, are both struggling to keep their fashion niche, yet also reach the customer who will no longer pay a lot for something that won't be around next year...because we have all learned over the last year that the best place to shop for clothes is in your own closet...so you better pick things that "last"..
So until tomorrow, when I just might pull out those chunky boots, and see what The Boy and Little One have to say about their "edgy"mom...
The last 2 weeks on Project Runway, the two designers that were eliminated were the ones who were considered a bit "over-the-top" in their designs. The one guy, who was suppose to be designing a maternity look, went so far as to create a "nest" for his model...literally draping her stomach so that she looked about 15 pounds heavier...suffice it to say, it did not go over well with the judges. As he was packing his bags to leave, he admitted that he might have to pay more attention to his customer's needs instead of his own esoteric vision. Once again, the judges discussed how "edginess" is good, but only up to a certain point.
Back in "the day" when I was modeling, I remember being sent out by my agency for a "go-see" at a particular department store. This department store was filming a new commercial, and they were looking for models to work as extras. I'm ashamed to say that I hesitated when offered this opportunity because this was not a store that I necessarily wanted to represent. I won't mention their name, because there is absolutely nothing wrong with this store...it's just that I had an idea in my mind of the kind of work I wanted to do...and this wasn't it. However, since Saks and Neiman's weren't calling... I decided that my hourly rate times the many hours that it usually took to film a commercial would more than make up for my deflated ego. So off I went to participate in the humiliating process of walking into a room with many other models...staring at each other...silently deciding who would be the competition...and then being called back to show your card and do your thing for the store marketing department. I remember walking in that day and seeing one of the most gorgeous girls you've ever seen...just stunning. I immediately felt like leaving, as I figured it was all a waste of time...she would definitely get the job. But since my agency had sent me, I had no choice but to wait it out.
The next day, my agency called to let me know that I had gotten the job! I was stunned....and I told the lady that booked me that I was surprised...I described the girl that was there..and she knew who it was. She said "Oh, yeah. They told me they considered her, but they weren't going so much for beauty...more edgy." ....What?? I didn't know whether to laugh or cry. Let's recap...I got the job for my lack of beauty?....and also, because I'm..."edgy"? Now look, I'm many things, but if you poll a group of 20 people that know me, I'm betting that the word "edgy" doesn't come up. But the strangest thing was that this particular store was as far from "edgy" as you can possibly get. The dictionary definition of "edgy" is "innovative" or "cutting edge". I will promise you that there was not one item in that store that fell into this category...nor did I. But I went and did the job, channeling my inner Kate Moss.
The next day, I went out and bought a ridiculous pair of chunky bottomed lace-up boots...the kind you see in a magazine and say to yourself 'Who the heck would wear that?" I thought that maybe I would try to mold my image into Miss New York Edge....but one look in the mirror changed my mind...(I was quickly reminded of what my French photographer said when he was shooting me for my card...."I sink we will go for zee bohemian, girl-next-door look"....) And so my days as the "edgy" girl quickly came to an end.
It will be interesting to see how long this period of "safe" lasts. I guess the good designers are the ones who can market their clothes as sensible and long-term right now...I read that Tory Burch and Narcisco Rodriguez, both fairly young designers known for quality, yet innovative designs, are both struggling to keep their fashion niche, yet also reach the customer who will no longer pay a lot for something that won't be around next year...because we have all learned over the last year that the best place to shop for clothes is in your own closet...so you better pick things that "last"..
So until tomorrow, when I just might pull out those chunky boots, and see what The Boy and Little One have to say about their "edgy"mom...
Monday, September 14, 2009
"Sports do not build character. They reveal it."
My weekend re-cap is mostly sports oriented...but before I get to that, I have to say something about Kanye West and the VMA awards. When I turned on my facebook page this morning, Big Sis and all of her friends had posted outrage about last night's VMA awards. Now being of another generation, I stopped watching that show and anything MTV- related (unless I want to see someones outfit or make sure Britney is ok) a long time ago. Evidently, the darling Taylor Swift had won the award for best video, and as she was accepting her award, Kanye West leaped onto the stage, grabbed the microphone from her, and proceeded to rant about how Beyonce's video was actually the best. First of all, is anyone really surprised by this? His arrogance enters a room before he does...but he really stepped over the line this time. I was so glad to hear that he was booed whenever his name was mentioned after that...and even happier to hear that when Beyonce won Video of the Year, she showed so much class by calling Taylor back on stage to "have her moment". There you go, the worst...and best of behavior...
Speaking of bad behavior, did you see Serena's outburst at the U.S. Open? During the last game of the match which was to determine the winner, she was called for a double foot-fault by the line judge...and so she walked over and threatened to "shove this ball down your throat". Ok, not a proud moment for Selena...and all of the papers are chastising her this morning...and hey...very poor behavior. But I am going to have to play devil's advocate here for a moment. Does anyone remember John McEnroe and all of his rants during his time? Jimmy Connors? As I remember, they were always called, lovingly, the "bad boys" of tennis. I don't ever remember them being punished or disqualified...and sometimes their shouting went on for several minutes, in matches that were not that important...or in moments that were much less crucial. I have been watching tennis for years, and I can never recall two foot-fault calls in a row. When re-played, it was not an obvious fault...and while I'm not saying it shouldn't have been called...who among us can say that we wouldn't have felt exactly like Serena...and I had to at least grin at her "ugly moment", because sometimes competitive spirit gets the best of us. The line judge said she threatened "to kill me."...Please...I've never heard of anyone killed by a tennis ball shoved down their throat. The worst part of the whole thing was that Kim Clijsters beautiful play was overshadowed by this...which is why I think the line judge should have just let the match play out on its' own...
Ok, next. Did you see the between-the-legs cross court shot by Federer in his match? Unbelievable. Even he characterized it as the "best shot of my career". I wish Nadal had won his match, as it would have been fun to see them play again. I know I always say this...but Federer is just amazing to watch..
On another sports note...and probably nobody cares but me...but I loved seeing Brett Favre in his first game as a Viking. I love Brett Favre. I loved him as a Packer...loved him as a Jet...and now, love him as Viking. I don't care how many times he cries and retires...Once this guy hits the field, he is so much fun to watch. The first pass he completed yesterday was followed by a show of enthusiasm that the announcers called "juvenile joy"...but that is the kind of spirit that I enjoy watching. As long as he can play at that level, I hope he plays. If he stays healthy, the Vikings are going to have a good year...
On a personal level, our weekend was baseball over-load. 4 games in 2 days with two different teams. The Husband put together a group of terrific players from 4 different teams and entered them in a tournament. The lesson learned here is that no matter how good your players are separately... it always takes some time to learn to play together...thus the term "team". Even though they lost all three games, it was fun...because you always felt like they were only a rally away from winning. After playing three games, The Boy had another game last night with yet another team. He was exhausted, but played a beautiful game, including a great home run (sorry, mom-brag moment).
And on a last note...here is what I learned from The Boy this weekend. After playing on two teams where he didn't really know everybody all that well...he came away as he always does with new friends. The Boy has the ability to talk to anyone anywhere. He came away after the weekend knowing all of the players, opposing coaches, umpires, maintenance crew and concession stand workers...It never fails to amaze me how he can strike up a conversation with anyone. This gene evidently skips a generation like baldness, because my father was the same way. He never met a stranger that he couldn't tell his "stories" to. And The Boy is the same way...and it is a joy to watch. I did try to follow his footsteps this weekend. I left the book at home, I sat near the other parents...and I TRIED to have conversation. How did I do? Well, let's see...the first game started at 10:00, and by 11:00, I was exhausted from all the conversation....but hey, like I said earlier...feeling like a team takes time...even for the parents.
So that's it for weekend re-cap. Little One has her first softball scrimmage tonight...so until tomorrow, when I am promising myself to chat it up with this new group of parents....
Speaking of bad behavior, did you see Serena's outburst at the U.S. Open? During the last game of the match which was to determine the winner, she was called for a double foot-fault by the line judge...and so she walked over and threatened to "shove this ball down your throat". Ok, not a proud moment for Selena...and all of the papers are chastising her this morning...and hey...very poor behavior. But I am going to have to play devil's advocate here for a moment. Does anyone remember John McEnroe and all of his rants during his time? Jimmy Connors? As I remember, they were always called, lovingly, the "bad boys" of tennis. I don't ever remember them being punished or disqualified...and sometimes their shouting went on for several minutes, in matches that were not that important...or in moments that were much less crucial. I have been watching tennis for years, and I can never recall two foot-fault calls in a row. When re-played, it was not an obvious fault...and while I'm not saying it shouldn't have been called...who among us can say that we wouldn't have felt exactly like Serena...and I had to at least grin at her "ugly moment", because sometimes competitive spirit gets the best of us. The line judge said she threatened "to kill me."...Please...I've never heard of anyone killed by a tennis ball shoved down their throat. The worst part of the whole thing was that Kim Clijsters beautiful play was overshadowed by this...which is why I think the line judge should have just let the match play out on its' own...
Ok, next. Did you see the between-the-legs cross court shot by Federer in his match? Unbelievable. Even he characterized it as the "best shot of my career". I wish Nadal had won his match, as it would have been fun to see them play again. I know I always say this...but Federer is just amazing to watch..
On another sports note...and probably nobody cares but me...but I loved seeing Brett Favre in his first game as a Viking. I love Brett Favre. I loved him as a Packer...loved him as a Jet...and now, love him as Viking. I don't care how many times he cries and retires...Once this guy hits the field, he is so much fun to watch. The first pass he completed yesterday was followed by a show of enthusiasm that the announcers called "juvenile joy"...but that is the kind of spirit that I enjoy watching. As long as he can play at that level, I hope he plays. If he stays healthy, the Vikings are going to have a good year...
On a personal level, our weekend was baseball over-load. 4 games in 2 days with two different teams. The Husband put together a group of terrific players from 4 different teams and entered them in a tournament. The lesson learned here is that no matter how good your players are separately... it always takes some time to learn to play together...thus the term "team". Even though they lost all three games, it was fun...because you always felt like they were only a rally away from winning. After playing three games, The Boy had another game last night with yet another team. He was exhausted, but played a beautiful game, including a great home run (sorry, mom-brag moment).
And on a last note...here is what I learned from The Boy this weekend. After playing on two teams where he didn't really know everybody all that well...he came away as he always does with new friends. The Boy has the ability to talk to anyone anywhere. He came away after the weekend knowing all of the players, opposing coaches, umpires, maintenance crew and concession stand workers...It never fails to amaze me how he can strike up a conversation with anyone. This gene evidently skips a generation like baldness, because my father was the same way. He never met a stranger that he couldn't tell his "stories" to. And The Boy is the same way...and it is a joy to watch. I did try to follow his footsteps this weekend. I left the book at home, I sat near the other parents...and I TRIED to have conversation. How did I do? Well, let's see...the first game started at 10:00, and by 11:00, I was exhausted from all the conversation....but hey, like I said earlier...feeling like a team takes time...even for the parents.
So that's it for weekend re-cap. Little One has her first softball scrimmage tonight...so until tomorrow, when I am promising myself to chat it up with this new group of parents....
Friday, September 11, 2009
On Remembering 9/11
I was going to write on fashion today. I had my notes and magazines out, ready to discuss the edgy vs classic...but after watching the news this morning, I think I will wait until next week. The news is full of flashbacks to 9/11...one of those days that you remember exactly where you were and what you were doing. Eight years ago this morning, I was just waking up after a long night at the emergency room. Little One had been very sick, and so The Boy (who was the Little Boy at the time) and Little One were still sleeping, and I had stumbled downstairs to make some coffee. I flipped on the tv just in time to see the first plane fly into the towers. I was watching the Today show and I remember Matt Lauer and Katie Couric were confused...trying to determine whether it was an accident or deliberate. Minutes later, when the second plane hit, it had become clear...and I remember The Husband calling from work...asking if what he had heard was correct. Soon after, the plane flew into the Pentagon...and for hours, Americans walked around with a sense of sadness and fear...wondering if there was more to come.
After making sure that everyone in the family was safe, I remember saying a prayer of thanks...because we have a lot of friends and family in that area. Then a second prayer of thanks, because The Husband travelled extensively in those days, and had just returned from a flight the day before that could have been...and that was as far as I could let myself think....
I still remember the look on the President's face when Andy Card whispered to him as he read to some elementary school children in Florida. Years later, it still angers me when I think about how some people ridiculed and judged him for his immediate response and the look on his face. To be the President and hear those words...in front of a group of children...and try to compose yourself, yet quickly decide what to do...is unimaginable. For all the debate that will continue for years on how, why and what he did over the next several years...I think there can be little argument that for those next few weeks, he was a source of comfort and inspiration for our country. I will always appreciate his strength and emotion in those first few days...and I will never lose the picture in my mind of how he flew into Ground Zero to be with the workers in those first hours....
And so this morning, as I watch President and Mrs. Obama observe a moment of silence at the White House, I'm saying a prayer for all of those who lost loved ones and friends that day. And for our country, which lost some of it's innocence that day. But I'm also reminding myself of the love and support that we received from all over the world...the image of Tony Blair speaking to crowds of sobbing people in England, vowing to help us in any way they could...the messages from my friends in France...the outpouring of support from our usual naysayers...a reminder that it is a very small world and most people are good...
So until next week, with a moment of silence and a prayer of thanks....
After making sure that everyone in the family was safe, I remember saying a prayer of thanks...because we have a lot of friends and family in that area. Then a second prayer of thanks, because The Husband travelled extensively in those days, and had just returned from a flight the day before that could have been...and that was as far as I could let myself think....
I still remember the look on the President's face when Andy Card whispered to him as he read to some elementary school children in Florida. Years later, it still angers me when I think about how some people ridiculed and judged him for his immediate response and the look on his face. To be the President and hear those words...in front of a group of children...and try to compose yourself, yet quickly decide what to do...is unimaginable. For all the debate that will continue for years on how, why and what he did over the next several years...I think there can be little argument that for those next few weeks, he was a source of comfort and inspiration for our country. I will always appreciate his strength and emotion in those first few days...and I will never lose the picture in my mind of how he flew into Ground Zero to be with the workers in those first hours....
And so this morning, as I watch President and Mrs. Obama observe a moment of silence at the White House, I'm saying a prayer for all of those who lost loved ones and friends that day. And for our country, which lost some of it's innocence that day. But I'm also reminding myself of the love and support that we received from all over the world...the image of Tony Blair speaking to crowds of sobbing people in England, vowing to help us in any way they could...the messages from my friends in France...the outpouring of support from our usual naysayers...a reminder that it is a very small world and most people are good...
So until next week, with a moment of silence and a prayer of thanks....
Thursday, September 10, 2009
On Selena Gomez and Bad Dreams
Last night was unusual. No activities, no practices, no classes...everyone was home. By 8:00, we were all settled into our respective areas...The Husband was watching the Braves game, I was watching The President, the Boy was pretending to study science, but actually watching the Braves game...and Little One was standing by on my laptop awaiting the big Selena Gomez webcast.
For weeks, she had been looking forward to this...and hour where Miss Gomez, referred to occasionally in this blog due to her Disney channel fame, would "chat" it up with her fans and answer any questions that people "sent" online. Little One had her list of questions ready...by 7:30, she had me log on and set up so that she could immediately press that "send" button at 8:00. I tried to explain to her that almost 12,000 people were going to be participating in this little webcast, so not to get her hopes up about any personal "chat"...but this just enraged her, forcing her to declare that she was Selena's "biggest fan ever" and her questions would be answered.
At precisely 8:00...nothing happened. Little One rushed in the kitchen, interrupting the President and yelling "It's not on! You did something wrong! I'm missing it!" So I abandoned the President and ran to the computer...and thankfully, it was not my fault. Selena and friends were having technical problems... but minutes later, the adorable Miss Gomez appeared, and the questions began. Little One shooed me away so she could type (or mis-type) her questions and send them in. She was so fully absorbed in this that at 9:00, already past her bedtime, she was still typing away. She glanced at me hopefully, adding "You always let (the Boy) stay up for the Braves game"....Ok, I gave in. She finished up and we headed upstairs to go through the bedtime routine. As we were walking up the stairs, I heard the phone ring, and faintly heard the voice of Big Sister laughing and mentioning facebook. I put Little One to bed after a short discussion about how her questions had indeed been answered and how there was to be another such webcast in a few weeks..,
When I came back downstairs, I logged on to check my facebook page...and lo and behold, I understood Big Sis's message. Little One, being logged on my facebook page, had used my status to post her questions. This meant that all of my "friends" had been greeted with an hour worth of Little One's questions for Selena...."What is your favorite color? Do you have a pet? Do you have any fears? I love you and I'm your biggest fan."....all perfectly valid comments for Selena...however, there was my picture accompanying all of them, sent out to all of my "friends"...well, it took me about 10 minutes to delete all of the posts. I hated to have to do it, but already I had some confused replies, wondering why I would be asking "Do yu have any fears?"...
In the middle of the night, Little One made her way down the stairs and into my bed. " I had REALLY, REALLY, REALLY bad dreams"she cried...no doubt due to all of the evening's excitement. As I watched her climb in next to The Husband (who was happily snoring away, the subject for a whole different blog), I had a big smile on my face. Little One is not so little anymore, and Selena may be the new female in her life...but it is still mom that can make the bad dreams go away...and that is a good thing...
So until tomorrow, when dreams will hopefully better...and we will be back to fashion...
For weeks, she had been looking forward to this...and hour where Miss Gomez, referred to occasionally in this blog due to her Disney channel fame, would "chat" it up with her fans and answer any questions that people "sent" online. Little One had her list of questions ready...by 7:30, she had me log on and set up so that she could immediately press that "send" button at 8:00. I tried to explain to her that almost 12,000 people were going to be participating in this little webcast, so not to get her hopes up about any personal "chat"...but this just enraged her, forcing her to declare that she was Selena's "biggest fan ever" and her questions would be answered.
At precisely 8:00...nothing happened. Little One rushed in the kitchen, interrupting the President and yelling "It's not on! You did something wrong! I'm missing it!" So I abandoned the President and ran to the computer...and thankfully, it was not my fault. Selena and friends were having technical problems... but minutes later, the adorable Miss Gomez appeared, and the questions began. Little One shooed me away so she could type (or mis-type) her questions and send them in. She was so fully absorbed in this that at 9:00, already past her bedtime, she was still typing away. She glanced at me hopefully, adding "You always let (the Boy) stay up for the Braves game"....Ok, I gave in. She finished up and we headed upstairs to go through the bedtime routine. As we were walking up the stairs, I heard the phone ring, and faintly heard the voice of Big Sister laughing and mentioning facebook. I put Little One to bed after a short discussion about how her questions had indeed been answered and how there was to be another such webcast in a few weeks..,
When I came back downstairs, I logged on to check my facebook page...and lo and behold, I understood Big Sis's message. Little One, being logged on my facebook page, had used my status to post her questions. This meant that all of my "friends" had been greeted with an hour worth of Little One's questions for Selena...."What is your favorite color? Do you have a pet? Do you have any fears? I love you and I'm your biggest fan."....all perfectly valid comments for Selena...however, there was my picture accompanying all of them, sent out to all of my "friends"...well, it took me about 10 minutes to delete all of the posts. I hated to have to do it, but already I had some confused replies, wondering why I would be asking "Do yu have any fears?"...
In the middle of the night, Little One made her way down the stairs and into my bed. " I had REALLY, REALLY, REALLY bad dreams"she cried...no doubt due to all of the evening's excitement. As I watched her climb in next to The Husband (who was happily snoring away, the subject for a whole different blog), I had a big smile on my face. Little One is not so little anymore, and Selena may be the new female in her life...but it is still mom that can make the bad dreams go away...and that is a good thing...
So until tomorrow, when dreams will hopefully better...and we will be back to fashion...
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
Politics is suppose to be the second oldest profession. I have come to realize it bears a strong ressemblance to the first." ...Ronald Reagan
The President is speaking on tv tonight, once again trying to convince us that his health-care bill is what we want. I have a suggestion...why can't we focus on the areas of agreement? Why can't we start with coverage for pre-existing conditions...for those who have lost their jobs? There are several areas where everyone seems to agree...so why not start there? This so-called "public option", whether real or imagined, has scared everyone off. Can our Great-Communicator not see this? At best, the public option will give more people coverage, but the cost will be exorbitant. At it's worst, it's going to force some private health-care out, or the costs to sky-rocket.
The President needs to face the fact that he has not sold this program well. Leaving it the hands of Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid has turned it into an ugly "them vs us" thing. Americans are compassionate people. If you got to them honestly and explain why there is a need, it will usually be met. But we are not a people who like having anything shoved down our throats. And after months of stimulus packages that are costing a fortune without showing much result (thus far), I think people are saying "What 's the rush? Slow down and do it right."
I think our President was caught off-guard by his falling approval ratings. He has a bit of arrogance that made him think that he could convince anyone of anything. But he needs to take a long, hard look at what he is doing. With only 39% of people supporting this bill...he hasn't gotten it done. And when, as President, you start believing that You know what is best for the American people...even when they have told you differently....When members of your own party are hesitating and hiding....When you have caused the "crazies" on the opposing side to come out...this is when you need to take a step back and remember that you were elected to carry out what the American people want...not to fulfill your own agenda, whatever that may be.
This whole issue has leaked everywhere...and now The President is going to have to tread carefully. Imagine the uproar that he caused yesterday by speaking to our elementary school children. This should have been a non-issue. The fact that the President would take the time to address the kids should have been a great thing. I read the transcripts...there was nothing "inflammatory" in his talk. How can encouraging kids to work hard to succeed be a bad thing? How can pointing out that he wishes he would have worked harder as a student be considered leftist or conservative? But here's the deal....the moderates and conservatives have become suspicious of him...and his motives. Anything he does from here on out is going to be debated because he mis-calculated how far his persona would carry him.
In my opinion, he needs to take a step back. What he owes the American people is more explanation and less chastising. Stop making fun or putting down people who don't agree with you...it doesn't mean they are stupid...it doesn't indicate a decaying of public discourse...it just means they don't agree with you! Take the time and effort to spell out your plans...and then accept that you cannot shove an agenda down people's throats without consequences...
So that is it for today's political lecture...I realize I lost a chunk of readership with the words "our President'...but it can't all be fashion and cell phones, can it?
Until tomorrow, when we will return to more pressing matters....
The President needs to face the fact that he has not sold this program well. Leaving it the hands of Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid has turned it into an ugly "them vs us" thing. Americans are compassionate people. If you got to them honestly and explain why there is a need, it will usually be met. But we are not a people who like having anything shoved down our throats. And after months of stimulus packages that are costing a fortune without showing much result (thus far), I think people are saying "What 's the rush? Slow down and do it right."
I think our President was caught off-guard by his falling approval ratings. He has a bit of arrogance that made him think that he could convince anyone of anything. But he needs to take a long, hard look at what he is doing. With only 39% of people supporting this bill...he hasn't gotten it done. And when, as President, you start believing that You know what is best for the American people...even when they have told you differently....When members of your own party are hesitating and hiding....When you have caused the "crazies" on the opposing side to come out...this is when you need to take a step back and remember that you were elected to carry out what the American people want...not to fulfill your own agenda, whatever that may be.
This whole issue has leaked everywhere...and now The President is going to have to tread carefully. Imagine the uproar that he caused yesterday by speaking to our elementary school children. This should have been a non-issue. The fact that the President would take the time to address the kids should have been a great thing. I read the transcripts...there was nothing "inflammatory" in his talk. How can encouraging kids to work hard to succeed be a bad thing? How can pointing out that he wishes he would have worked harder as a student be considered leftist or conservative? But here's the deal....the moderates and conservatives have become suspicious of him...and his motives. Anything he does from here on out is going to be debated because he mis-calculated how far his persona would carry him.
In my opinion, he needs to take a step back. What he owes the American people is more explanation and less chastising. Stop making fun or putting down people who don't agree with you...it doesn't mean they are stupid...it doesn't indicate a decaying of public discourse...it just means they don't agree with you! Take the time and effort to spell out your plans...and then accept that you cannot shove an agenda down people's throats without consequences...
So that is it for today's political lecture...I realize I lost a chunk of readership with the words "our President'...but it can't all be fashion and cell phones, can it?
Until tomorrow, when we will return to more pressing matters....
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
"It is by chance that we met, by choice that we became friends."
It's always good to be reminded of how precious friendships are in our life. Last week, a good friend and I finally "synched" our busy schedules and had lunch together at Grandma's house. We hadn't seen each other in a year...a fact that I cannot believe even as I write it. We keep in touch all the time by e-mail, facebook, blog and phone...(that lovely technology, right?)...but with 7 children, 2 husbands, 6 pets and an hour drive separating us, we had just let too much time accumulate since our last face-to-face visit. I drove the hour to Grandma's, and she came out of her way from classes, and for a blissful 2 hours, we caught up on every subject imaginable. I am always amazed at the range of subjects we can cover in the course of a visit. She truly knows ME, all of my flawed self and life...and she still hangs out with me, so I love her. As we finished up and said good bye, she pulled out the most beautiful scarf that she had brought back for me on her last trip to Paris. Now you could bring me back an empty bottle from Paris, and I would treasure it, knowing it comes from the most beautiful city in the world...but this scarf is absolutely gorgeous, and again, I thank her for her thoughtfulness and kindness...and most of all, her friendship.
Sunday, the kids were invited to the Braves game with friends. We invited them all back to Grandma's house for dinner, along with some other old friends. The Husband was channeling Bobby Flay all day, creating and grilling, while I was channeling the Barefoot Contessa...or Giada..or Paula Deen...ok, whoever...just basically messing around in the kitchen. That evening, as we all sat outside on a beautiful evening, overlooking the golfers, it was a fitting tribute to Grandma, for this would have been her 68th birthday...and this would have been her perfect evening...lots of food, friends and conversation. The Husband told some "Grandma" stories...some appropriate and some not, but that was ok, because it is not a normal night if The Husband is not saying something inappropriate...and if truth be told, Grandma was known to throw out an inappropriate line or two also. We laughed and laughed...and inside I cried just a little, because in a perfect world...she would have been there with us. Our old friends had known her, but our new friends had not...and I guess that is how life goes. We move on and make new friends if we are very lucky, but we are fortunate also to have the old ones, the ones that "knew us when"....and are still around.
And so today, I'm thankful for friends old and new, for holidays and normal days....and until tomorrow, when there will be more stories to share...
Sunday, the kids were invited to the Braves game with friends. We invited them all back to Grandma's house for dinner, along with some other old friends. The Husband was channeling Bobby Flay all day, creating and grilling, while I was channeling the Barefoot Contessa...or Giada..or Paula Deen...ok, whoever...just basically messing around in the kitchen. That evening, as we all sat outside on a beautiful evening, overlooking the golfers, it was a fitting tribute to Grandma, for this would have been her 68th birthday...and this would have been her perfect evening...lots of food, friends and conversation. The Husband told some "Grandma" stories...some appropriate and some not, but that was ok, because it is not a normal night if The Husband is not saying something inappropriate...and if truth be told, Grandma was known to throw out an inappropriate line or two also. We laughed and laughed...and inside I cried just a little, because in a perfect world...she would have been there with us. Our old friends had known her, but our new friends had not...and I guess that is how life goes. We move on and make new friends if we are very lucky, but we are fortunate also to have the old ones, the ones that "knew us when"....and are still around.
And so today, I'm thankful for friends old and new, for holidays and normal days....and until tomorrow, when there will be more stories to share...
Friday, September 4, 2009
The 5 Top Reasons The Husband does NOT tick me off...
I had several concerned responses to yesterday's blog on falling asleep in pick-up line. These ranged from whether or not I was drooling when I woke up, to whether or not there was now a You tube video of the whole thing.....Then this morning, as I was patiently waiting in line to drop off Little One, a kindly friend knocked on my window and said "Just checkin' to see if you're awake"....
Many people were also concerned that I was not using the A/C. One friend suggested forming a coalition against The Husband to convince him...others suggested ignoring him...the Brother-in-Law might have called him Hitler.....I began to feel a little guilty. Especially when The Husband sent a note saying "Why don't you just write a blog on the 10 ways that I tick you off?" (Ok, The Husband never says "tick you off", but you can fill in that blank). Well, I explained that it would take more than 10 to....ok wait, that isn't sweet. And so today, in honor and appreciation of The Husband, the following are the Top 10...wait....Top 5 reasons that The Husband does NOT tick me off...
1) I had a lovely lunch with a good friend at Grandma's house this week. I will have more to say about this lunch next week...but for now, let me explain that when I got to the house, I lit a candle to help air out the house. After the lunch, I cleaned up and left. Later that afternoon, Little One and I realized that she had left her softball cleats at Grandma's. I called and asked The Husband to pick them up on his way home. Not only did he do this without complaining....but he didn't even yell at me when he discovered that I had...left the candle burning. He calmly walked into the house and said "You may want to be sure to blow out the candle next time.".....I couldn't believe it! Was this my husband? Anyway, this did NOT tick me off...
2) I usually refrain from sending The Husband to any information-gathering meetings, ie pediatrician, orthodontist, vet, school...anything that requires listening and learning...because he will inevitably go, socialize...and come home without knowing anything. But last week's middle-school meeting on lap-tops fell on a bad night. I could not be 2 places at once...so with fear and trepidation...I sent The Husband, begging and pleading with him to PAY ATTENTION. Imagine my surprise when half-way through the meeting, he sends me a detailed e-mail listing all of the information from the meeting. This did NOT tick me off! I was so proud! Of course, then he said he was going to nap the rest of the time...The Husband is always a smart alec....
3) For days I had been craving a soft-serve cone from McDonald's. After the above meeting, the Boy came running in to the house with a cone (melted and half-eaten, but still...) and announced "Dad said to give this to you!")...This did NOT tick me off...
4) Last weekend, while the kids were out playing, I was cooking dinner. The Husband was watching TV in another room. All of a sudden, he comes into the kitchen, turns on the TV to HBO where the 'Sex and the City Movie' is playing. I have seen this movie 432,00 times, but I love it. He turns it on, sits down in a chair, and watches the last 30 minutes with me. He doesn't laugh when I cry...AND he refrains from making his obscene gesture that tells me he thinks it is silly until AFTER the movie......That is The Husband for you..my own version of Mr. Big....This did not tick me off...
5) And finally, 2 nights ago, as the Braves game went on and on...The Boy asked to stay up late and finish it. The Husband responded "No, I want to have some time with your mom." At first, I was a little nervous. What did this mean? Had I done something wrong? But no, to my surprise, we sat in lovely silence, watching the game alone together...This did not tick me off...
And there you have it, 5 reasons why The Husband does not tick me off...and I say this with the acute realisation that it is indeed the small things in life that mean something...and as Meg Ryan said to Tom Hanks in 'You've Got Mail' (I know Thomas, an "oldie" ) ... "all this nothing has meant more to me than so many somethings"....The Husband will know exactly what I mean...
And so until next week, with an appreciation for The Husband...and a happy holiday weekend to all....
Many people were also concerned that I was not using the A/C. One friend suggested forming a coalition against The Husband to convince him...others suggested ignoring him...the Brother-in-Law might have called him Hitler.....I began to feel a little guilty. Especially when The Husband sent a note saying "Why don't you just write a blog on the 10 ways that I tick you off?" (Ok, The Husband never says "tick you off", but you can fill in that blank). Well, I explained that it would take more than 10 to....ok wait, that isn't sweet. And so today, in honor and appreciation of The Husband, the following are the Top 10...wait....Top 5 reasons that The Husband does NOT tick me off...
1) I had a lovely lunch with a good friend at Grandma's house this week. I will have more to say about this lunch next week...but for now, let me explain that when I got to the house, I lit a candle to help air out the house. After the lunch, I cleaned up and left. Later that afternoon, Little One and I realized that she had left her softball cleats at Grandma's. I called and asked The Husband to pick them up on his way home. Not only did he do this without complaining....but he didn't even yell at me when he discovered that I had...left the candle burning. He calmly walked into the house and said "You may want to be sure to blow out the candle next time.".....I couldn't believe it! Was this my husband? Anyway, this did NOT tick me off...
2) I usually refrain from sending The Husband to any information-gathering meetings, ie pediatrician, orthodontist, vet, school...anything that requires listening and learning...because he will inevitably go, socialize...and come home without knowing anything. But last week's middle-school meeting on lap-tops fell on a bad night. I could not be 2 places at once...so with fear and trepidation...I sent The Husband, begging and pleading with him to PAY ATTENTION. Imagine my surprise when half-way through the meeting, he sends me a detailed e-mail listing all of the information from the meeting. This did NOT tick me off! I was so proud! Of course, then he said he was going to nap the rest of the time...The Husband is always a smart alec....
3) For days I had been craving a soft-serve cone from McDonald's. After the above meeting, the Boy came running in to the house with a cone (melted and half-eaten, but still...) and announced "Dad said to give this to you!")...This did NOT tick me off...
4) Last weekend, while the kids were out playing, I was cooking dinner. The Husband was watching TV in another room. All of a sudden, he comes into the kitchen, turns on the TV to HBO where the 'Sex and the City Movie' is playing. I have seen this movie 432,00 times, but I love it. He turns it on, sits down in a chair, and watches the last 30 minutes with me. He doesn't laugh when I cry...AND he refrains from making his obscene gesture that tells me he thinks it is silly until AFTER the movie......That is The Husband for you..my own version of Mr. Big....This did not tick me off...
5) And finally, 2 nights ago, as the Braves game went on and on...The Boy asked to stay up late and finish it. The Husband responded "No, I want to have some time with your mom." At first, I was a little nervous. What did this mean? Had I done something wrong? But no, to my surprise, we sat in lovely silence, watching the game alone together...This did not tick me off...
And there you have it, 5 reasons why The Husband does not tick me off...and I say this with the acute realisation that it is indeed the small things in life that mean something...and as Meg Ryan said to Tom Hanks in 'You've Got Mail' (I know Thomas, an "oldie" ) ... "all this nothing has meant more to me than so many somethings"....The Husband will know exactly what I mean...
And so until next week, with an appreciation for The Husband...and a happy holiday weekend to all....
Thursday, September 3, 2009
"I Love My Sleep. My Life Has a Tendency To Fall Apart When I Am Awake, You Know?" ....Ernest Hemingway
I woke up at 4:20 this morning and I was so happy. I felt rested...and I still had 2 hours of sleep to go. I turned over, and what felt like 2 minutes later, the alarm went off. Now I understand all of that stuff about cycles of sleep and blah, blah, blah...but it just doesn't make sense that at 4:20 I feel great, yet at 6:20, I feel as if I cannot move. I glanced over at The Husband, and he was still blissfully snoring away. (I am always a little jealous of The Husband's school year routine, which involves a leisurely shower and a bowl of oatmeal waiting for him on his counter...though as he is now getting ready to say, it all balances out in the summer, when he kisses me good-bye while I am still in bed...)
Anyway, the problem is that lately there have been too many late night baseball practices, Braves-game rain delays which resume about 11:00,...and then of course, no matter how tired we are, The Husband and I are glued to "Friends" re-runs at 11:00 no matter how many times we've seen them...and these often morph into "That 70's Show" at 11:30, which we try to turn off, but keep saying "next commercial".
This silliness culminated yesterday into a true moment of embarrassment for yours truly. I arrived early to school pick-up line. I had forgotten my book, so there was nothing to do except sweat in the heat (because The Husband always says "DON"T WASTE GAS BY RUNNING THE AIR CONDITIONING IN LINE!"....Now the little catch there is, The Husband doesn't have to sit in 105 degree heat...but that aside...). So I listened to the radio, made a few calls....and then, with about 10 minutes to go, I decided to just close my eyes and "rest" for 2 minutes. Well, 15 minutes later I awoke to the sound of moving cars and honking horns...Yes, I had fallen asleep in line, and instead of someone kindly running over and tapping on my window...they all chose to drive around me and HONK. This proved to be highly humiliating, but I recovered quickly and made my way though the line. When I told The Boy and Little One what had happened, the first thing they asked was "Did anybody see you?" It was as if I had killed someone and was trying to hide the body....Nothing worse than embarrassing the kids...
So this morning, as the rest of the day stretches out beyond me, I'm a little concerned. Though I am granted a reprieve from pick-up line, because both kids have help-sessions after school...there is still that late-night softball practice that doesn't end until 9:00pm....so if you happen to see me at practice sleeping in my car...please don't honk...just tap on my window....
Until tomorrow, when I will look forward to sleeping late on Saturday...
Anyway, the problem is that lately there have been too many late night baseball practices, Braves-game rain delays which resume about 11:00,...and then of course, no matter how tired we are, The Husband and I are glued to "Friends" re-runs at 11:00 no matter how many times we've seen them...and these often morph into "That 70's Show" at 11:30, which we try to turn off, but keep saying "next commercial".
This silliness culminated yesterday into a true moment of embarrassment for yours truly. I arrived early to school pick-up line. I had forgotten my book, so there was nothing to do except sweat in the heat (because The Husband always says "DON"T WASTE GAS BY RUNNING THE AIR CONDITIONING IN LINE!"....Now the little catch there is, The Husband doesn't have to sit in 105 degree heat...but that aside...). So I listened to the radio, made a few calls....and then, with about 10 minutes to go, I decided to just close my eyes and "rest" for 2 minutes. Well, 15 minutes later I awoke to the sound of moving cars and honking horns...Yes, I had fallen asleep in line, and instead of someone kindly running over and tapping on my window...they all chose to drive around me and HONK. This proved to be highly humiliating, but I recovered quickly and made my way though the line. When I told The Boy and Little One what had happened, the first thing they asked was "Did anybody see you?" It was as if I had killed someone and was trying to hide the body....Nothing worse than embarrassing the kids...
So this morning, as the rest of the day stretches out beyond me, I'm a little concerned. Though I am granted a reprieve from pick-up line, because both kids have help-sessions after school...there is still that late-night softball practice that doesn't end until 9:00pm....so if you happen to see me at practice sleeping in my car...please don't honk...just tap on my window....
Until tomorrow, when I will look forward to sleeping late on Saturday...
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
The first Thing I Do In The Morning is Brush My Teeth and Sharpen my Tongue"
I'm off to at late start today after a late night. Just as bedtime rolled around for The Boy last night, the Braves game resumed after a rain-delay. The Boy moaned and groaned and negotiated for 3 innings...and got it. So he was a bit grumpy this morning, along with Little One, who was nervous because she had an orthodontist appointment.
We got the big news last week that not only was it time for Little One to go back into braces, but she also needed to have this appliance called the "herbst". The Boy is already in this, and the cost is approximately that of a small car...so the orthodontist , who is actually an acquaintance and nice guy, started off the consultation by apologizing for what was about to happen. He talked about "these economic times" and "no pressure"...but here is the deal. When the orthodontist brings several people into the consultation to explain why things are necessary, you can basically count on a thousand dollars for every person he has brought into the room. So instead of listening to his very interesting explanation, I was multiplying by the number of people in the office to figure up how much I was going to owe.
He was also kind enough to remind me that there was a "summer promotion" going on...but that also meant that I had to make up my mind in the next 72 hours...because that is when the promotion ended...but "no pressure". Now look, I don't know why he bothered to say that, because basically he has already stepped through how Little One will look if we don't go through with it...so when he says "If you want to just hope she will grow out of it"...he really means "if you are a horrible mother who would not do this to help her child'....or maybe this is what I hear...Either way, we of course decided to proceed, and so by the end of the consultation, I was somehow having to comfort the orthodontist, because he was so distraught that I would, in essence, be paying for his children's college education....
As we walked out the orthodontist's door and got into the car to head back to school, Little One kindly asked me "Why are you wearing the same thing today that you wore yesterday?"...Well, I explained, I just wore this to your softball practice last night...it's clean...and I don't think I'll see anyone today that I saw last night." Little One gave me the glazed look she gives me when I have given too much explanation...Meanwhile, she was wearing the same uniform shirt from yesterday...but I left that little tidbit alone..
So I dropped her off, came home to change, and let The Husband know that there would be no birthday or Christmas presents this year...but there won't be any overbites either...
Until tomorrow....
We got the big news last week that not only was it time for Little One to go back into braces, but she also needed to have this appliance called the "herbst". The Boy is already in this, and the cost is approximately that of a small car...so the orthodontist , who is actually an acquaintance and nice guy, started off the consultation by apologizing for what was about to happen. He talked about "these economic times" and "no pressure"...but here is the deal. When the orthodontist brings several people into the consultation to explain why things are necessary, you can basically count on a thousand dollars for every person he has brought into the room. So instead of listening to his very interesting explanation, I was multiplying by the number of people in the office to figure up how much I was going to owe.
He was also kind enough to remind me that there was a "summer promotion" going on...but that also meant that I had to make up my mind in the next 72 hours...because that is when the promotion ended...but "no pressure". Now look, I don't know why he bothered to say that, because basically he has already stepped through how Little One will look if we don't go through with it...so when he says "If you want to just hope she will grow out of it"...he really means "if you are a horrible mother who would not do this to help her child'....or maybe this is what I hear...Either way, we of course decided to proceed, and so by the end of the consultation, I was somehow having to comfort the orthodontist, because he was so distraught that I would, in essence, be paying for his children's college education....
As we walked out the orthodontist's door and got into the car to head back to school, Little One kindly asked me "Why are you wearing the same thing today that you wore yesterday?"...Well, I explained, I just wore this to your softball practice last night...it's clean...and I don't think I'll see anyone today that I saw last night." Little One gave me the glazed look she gives me when I have given too much explanation...Meanwhile, she was wearing the same uniform shirt from yesterday...but I left that little tidbit alone..
So I dropped her off, came home to change, and let The Husband know that there would be no birthday or Christmas presents this year...but there won't be any overbites either...
Until tomorrow....
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