Mini-Muse Girl: 5 yr old A-

Featuring Plate-Blogger: my friend's daughter, 5 yr old A-

As the mother of 2 boys, I have a particular soft spot for the daughters of my women friends. These girls are a vicarious pleasure to be around, and I LOVE to hear about the adventures and crisis(es?) of raising girls, whether it’s fashion wars, slumber party drama, horse riding escapades, daddy-to-the-rescue-stories, teacher tales, or icky boy-troubles. And then there’s all the pink. As the mother of sons, I am not even allowed to pass through a pink aisle in the big box stores. Oh no-we will walk three aisles over to avoid this heresy.

So when 5 yr old A- decorated her Santa plate with her mom and wrote down her wishes-I was tickled silly! A baby that pees and eats! A Barbie Hotel! Yes, Yes, Yes!!! I wanted these too! I distinctly remember spending hours of every day playing mommy and house and when I wasn’t doing these things-I was making Barbie play mommy and house. I even bribed my younger brother and boy-neighbor to play Barbie with me too (even at that young age, a naked Barbie held great power!) My favorite Christmas present-to this day-was the Barbie penthouse-with elevator!!! What could be better?!? (Well, the red convertible Barbie car is a close second…) But one of my (untapped) adult passions is for houses/homes. I love to spend hours watching/reading/seeing homes of all kinds. Never met a house/home I didn’t like or couldn’t fantasize about how to make better. And it all started with owning Barbie realstate.

So as I looked at young A’s plate that clearly outlined her heart’s desires, I was reminded of the very real pressures of playing mommy and house that can be so overwhelming-as we grown-up girls are quite aware. But lil’ A’s dream plate was also a precious reminder to me about my own “inner-girl.” My grown-up girl life sometimes makes it really difficult for her to emerge. So this holiday season, I propose we re-connect to our inner-girl and remember that’s she’s alive and well (maybe buried under her adult persona)-but her dreams and passions have carried us to where we are today. That inner girl is the mother to many of our greatest joys and accomplishments. And I’m afraid she doesn’t always get the honor and attention she deserves…

So, my young friend A-, I hope ALL your wishes come true this year. I’m rooting for ya’! And thanks for taking me down girlhood memory lane. What a sweet gift!

And…um…maybe I can come over sometime soon to play Barbie?… just for a little while? … Let’s ask your mom!

Early Request

Santa Baby,
I’ve been pretty good-mostly recently. And the times that I haven’t been very nice, I was provoked. Seriously. So if you don’t mind, could you give a girl a break-please?

I’m not asking for much. I just really NEED some snow for Christmas. As in LOTS of it-like arse deep. This is not a want. I repeat: I NEED snow. Sooner and deeper would be nice. Oh-and could you make sure the electricity stays on, too? Because I can’t enjoy my snow if I don’t get to watch the school closings at 5:13 AM or pop popcorn in the microwave or play stupid games on the internet and call all my teacher pals all giddy and what-not. And of course I gotta do laundry since it is my hobby and all. So thanks, that would be really great.

And I promise, you won't regret it: I’ll make it worth your while, Santa Baby…(wink!wink! ...Could we just keep this between you and me? Mr B doesn't need to know everything...)

your biggest fan,
blither blather

Tis the Season

The Christmas season has officially begun at our house. What was the exact moment that I knew this? When I overheard Mr B say to lil' brother, "So what do you think Santa would think about that if he could see you now, huh?" And with the first threat of the season uttered, we're crackin' along at a pretty good holiday pace!

T-DAY

HAPPY THANKSGIVING, FRIENDS!

Thanksgiving Interview

Mom: Tell me 5 things you are grateful for:

Big kid:
1. heavy metal music
2. my family and dog
3. my friends
4. holidays
5. my house

Big kid (who's a little grouchy from having to clean up) wants to list what he is NOT grateful for:
1. being grounded
2. an annoying lil brother
3. "when people lie to me!"
4. bad supper
5. when I don't get to go to my friend's house

Lil' brother IS grateful for:
1. the food
2. my family
3. the house I live in
4. my friends
5. my doggie

Lil' brother (who is in a happy mood because he tattled non-stop on big brother while doing his chores) is NOT grateful for:
1. chores (suggested by big kid)
2. "when brother annoys me!"
3. when dad yells at me
4. going to school
5. doing homework

And that's all, folks!

STUFF(ing)

Silly STUFF(ing) I’m grateful for:

Netflix; MR B’s red plaid robe; my favorite coffee mug; online banking; my denim jacket with my new rhinestone snowflake pin; my IPOD; the apple cinnamon air freshner; bad words; thong sandals; cranberry sauce; pay at the pump; blither blather; country music; girlfriend time; Tivo and Bravo!; sunshine; sandwiches; stacked up books waiting to be read; lip gloss

STUFF(ing) I should be grateful for but usually am not:

My dirty mini-van; well-earned lines around my eyes; the ancient dryer that keeps on working; Swiffer-anything; hand prints on the fridge; cream-of-something-soup

Serious STUFF(ing) I’m grateful for:

The love of a good man whose only mission in life is to make me happy; my silly, sensitive, oblivious, pure-hearted, social, buoyant, pleasing, oldest son; my intense, strong willed, insightful, resolute, big-hearted warrior, youngest son; good friends who get me, get it, and get each other’s backs; brown eyes, toothy grins, busy hands with dirt under the nails; being loved and adored by the best dog ever; having a meaningful job that feeds my soul-inspite of the intensity and stress; a house that feels like home and is my daily refuge

Leave some of your STUFF(ing) in the comments!

Holiday Advice from Justin's Dad

The holidays would probably be a lot more joyful if we all just followed Justin's dad's gift giving advice: (taken from twitter/sh*tmydadsays)

"Everybody's broke, so here's the rule for Christmas this year; if you still shit your pants, you get a present. Otherwise tough shit."

Now how simple yet brilliant is that???

GOYA Tues

OK-so this week has been stressful, what with holiday and work drama and the such-tis the season….for crazy! Which means that I’m guilty of emotional overeating (I won't go into the details because it makes me want to carb-load while chanting "red-rum"). And nothing good comes from that. So I’m gonna have to own the number at the scales this evening for my official weigh in. Which means no whining and no excuses. However, I did have some success with exercising a few times and abstaining from my favorite chocolate chip cookies-in spite of the fact that I made 4 dozen batches for my students. No easy feat!

So my goal for this week is to continue moving, making wiser choices, and enjoying my home and family-and kicking the drama to the curb!

The day after Thanksgiving marks the official start to the Christmas season at our house. We will be putting up 2 trees, garland, wreaths, the village, the nativity, the Santa, nutcracker, and snow globe collections, and hanging the stockings. All to loud Christmas tunes! CAN’T WAIT!!! I'm sure there will be story from all this...

So blessings to you and yours. I hope good food, good times, good friends, and good memories will be a part of your traditions this week. In the meantime...have a great Get Off Your @ss Tues!

Next week: final GOYA Tues report...stay tuned!

THE LIST

Mr B has decided that YES! I am getting a Blackberry for Christmas! But he has demanded that I write a list of 10 Reasons Why I Want A Blackberry because he has decreed that he will not buy me one and listen to me bitch about paying a big phone bill (remember how much I hate AT&T???) every month. He intends to use this list against me if I should happen to act out (which is a very real possibility). So for public record, here is the list:

1. I really want to try sexting. Talkin’ dirty sounds like an awful lot of fun, and I feel really left out of this phenomenon.
2. I want to send everyone I love a picture of my left boob. What could say “I love you” more than inappropriate pics?
3. Texting snarky comments during boring meetings is way more cool than passing notes.
4. Playing on your Blackberry is a socially acceptable way of ignoring weird or annoying people.
5. Knowing that I can reach Mr B anywhere, anytime, anyplace is a powerful and heady feeling. How exciting that all my needs and desires can be made known to him as soon as I realize them myself!
6. Not sharing a phone with a pic of a pancake in the shape of a cross with an 11 year old will be a relief.
7. I will no longer have to listen to “I had a bad day!” as a ring tone.
8. My Blackberry will make people assume that I am a very important person who is in high social demand.
9. I won’t be embarrassed anymore that my sons’ grandmother has a better phone than I do.
10. I will no longer be the only 40 year old on the planet without a phone (think 40 year old virgin).

Gift Ideas

Hey Blither Blather'ers!
Check out the Knaughty Knitter website (see my link list)! Lots of cool, handmade stuff! Proceeds from the auction will support Domestic Violence charities in our community. I just put in a bid on item #23. LOVE the pink, fuzzy scarf!!! This website is a good place to start your holiday shopping while doing a good deed for women and kids in need this season.

Thanks to my blogger pal HH for bringing this to our attention!

Theory-Schmeory

Mr B and I recently had an argument about Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. No, this is not our usual kind of conversation. But Mr B is in grad school-hence the highbrow subject matter. Normally our conversations take on a more low-brow flavor with discussions about pee stains around the toilet, picking up dog food from the grocery store, and why the garage is a freakin’ disaster-again. …ANYHOO… In summary: CBT is the belief that if you think/say your intention then your behavior will reflect that thinking. Example: You look in the mirror in the morning, and think/say, “Today sucks!” And indeed it does. Next morning, you look into same mirror and say, “Today can only get better!” And Voila! It does. Mr B practices this method- with excellent results. I (as you might imagine) have a much more cynical view. Just because I wake up in the morning and think/say, “I am hotter than Jaqueline Smith in her Charlie’s Angels’ heyday!” don’t make it so. I call that delusional-not good mental health. My brain is also too smart to fool itself. It would know that I was fakin’ it. And do you know how much effort fakin’ it requires??? I am too freakin’ TIRED to try and fake myself out. Fakin’ it requires focused effort and commitment. And all you fakers out there, KNOW WHAT I MEAN. I myself prefer for positive sh*t to occur first before I even consider having a positive outlook. Why would I waste all that positive thinking/feeling on something that might or might not show up? That would be wasting a perfectly good cynical point of view. And that would be a cryin’ shame.

Who's the Boss?

OK-to be fair, grocery shopping with lil' brother at Wal-Mart has gotten somewhat better. I have been on hiatus from solo shopping with lil' brother since he was on the cusp of three. The psychological scar of being shoved on my @ss by a berserker baby with a riding toy in a Wal-Mart aisle while big kid, my 12 yr old neighbor, and startled strangers (from 3 aisles over) looked down at me with horror as a demented, red-in-the-face toddler stood over with me with a riding toy lifted over his head bellowing, "DISSSS IZZZZ MIIIIIINE!!!" isn't easily gotten over. Nor being kicked in the back of the head by little blue sneakers as I held lil' brother around the waist while the 12 yr old neighbor and big kid desperately ripped the toy from his agonized grip. Lil' brother's howl of agony and pain and betrayal was epic. And that was the moment that I swore to Mr B, "NEVER. AGAIN."

So today when lil brother knocked over 47 cans of cream of chicken soup that rolled in 59 direntions-I didn't sweat it. Everytime I stopped to consider an item and he moved the buggie 5 feet away from me so he could be in charge of the cart and I had to continually drag it back-no biggie. Unraveling 175 plastic bags at the bagging wheel because they wouldn't seperate properly as he loaded our goods-not even worthy of an eye roll. Having a hand shoving competition with him about who gets to push the overloaded buggie into the street while cars are surging for the best parking spaces? Fine-you win! And it was a close one when he pushed the cart (look, ma! no hands!) too hard and then had to run after it while the old lady in the Cadillac obliviously sailed by with inches to spare. What's a few years off a mom's life in the whole scheme of things anyway?

But just to show him who's boss, I made him listen to Mariah Carey-circa 1990's-on the way home because I am the boss-even when it doesn't look like it.

Addendum

BTW-"happy pills" don't even freakin' touch RIGHTEOUS INDIGNATION.

Learned a cool, new word today from dictionary.com so all is not lost:

billingsgate: (noun) coarsely abusive, foul, or profane language

As in: I think I might work on my billingsgate today!

Been There

A friend recently wrote that she had "been in the bowels of hatred and anger..." I've been sitting in this place too this week feelin' like a real hater at my work (non kid related-btw). It's a real b*tch trying to claw your way out of the muck and mire. Throwing your hands up and giving in to fate is not easy. I'm a fighter by nature. So bending over and taking it gracefully with a smile as the lone tear elegantly slides down my cheek (can't stand a martyr!) is NOT my style. Kicking, cussing, spitting, and making it worse in the end-now that feels RIGHT. Even when you know you're going DOWN.

Lil brother's life cycles

Summary report of a typical day in the life of lil' brother:

step 1: mean baby (hey! this is kinda fun!)
step 2: mad baby (oh no, you didn't!)
step 3: crazy-get-you-back-baby (Deliverance style)
step 4: sad/grumpy baby (how could the world be so cold and rejecting???)
step 5: silly baby (being sad is BOR-ing!)
step 6: annoying baby (cool! repetition makes my family go beserk!)
step 7: repeat cycle (doesn't everybody love to ride the merry-go-round???)

Of course, his victims are typically trailing a step or two behind. But hey-all in a day's work for lil' man...

GOYA Tuesday

Only 2 Get Off Your @ss Postings Left!!!

This week I added another weight loss blog to my reading list: Jack Sh*t, Gettin' Fit. Jack has a decidedly unfeminine view of the weight loss journey. His voice is honest, witty, clever, pointed-and honestly, refreshing in his masculine view on a b*tch of a topic. His most recent posting 'Resolutions,' however, touched a nerve. I am a typical In-January-I-Will-Do-It-Dieter. But Jack's point is this: NOW is the time to be resolute. NOW is the time to make those small sacrifices-because resolving to do the impossible in the future-it doesn't work. So I'm not waiting til January-because there's no magic in January. The work is NOW-in this minute, this moment. In Jack's words, "Let's resolve to keep on keeping on." I needed that, Jack. Living in this moment takes courage and commitment. And I'm resolved to imperfectly yet steadfastly holding the line.

I'm excited to show you the pics from my Sunday afternoon walking-journey with Mr B! We stuck closer to home this week, and the pics you see are from my own backyard!!! Theses pics are a good reminder for me that I don't need to look far and wide for beauty and inspiration in my life. Enjoy!

Thanksgiving Feast Countdown

I am fantasizing about the T-giving meal that Mr B and I will be cooking:

Our Favs:
Mr B will make his signature mashed potatoes with a combo of Idaho and Reds (with skin on) with real butter and cream and lots of salt. He is the master of the spud!

I will make the dressing with chicken stock and slow cooked onions-n-celery in butter and add sage sausage (a new recipe!). I will bake it separately from the turkey-no mushy stuffing at our house! And lots of turkey gravy...Lord, have mercy!

And of course the piece de resistance (for me): cranberry jellied sauce straight from the can unceromoniously blopped onto the crystal dish ready to serve (with the can indentions in plain view)!!! ohhhh...can't wait!

Feel free to share your favs!

Old Posting Revisited/Advice Solicited!

I am seriously considering getting a new cell phone...one with some serious bells and whistles. I reflected on this in an earlier Aug 6th posting. Here's my dilemma: HATE to spend more $$$ but really WANT/NEED to be better plugged in to my life. Please read below and advise asap!!! BTW-I rarely ask for advice-feedback, always-advice-notsomuch. Problematic? Probably. But that's another posting for another day. So here's your chance. Don't abuse your privileges.

August 6th, 2009

In order to save some money in the monthly budget, I decided to cancel the service on my ancient cell phone. The amount of money I pay out each month for phone service turns me into a Raging AT&T Anti-Christ! I HATE paying for the right to “talk.” The old adage that talk ain’t cheap is the freakin’ truth! sheesh….
*
So for practicality’s sake, I decided that I would “share” a phone with the 11 yr old. First came the battle over who had more “rights” to the phone. Okay-yes, it was a Christmas present. But I pay for that “Christmas present” every month. So it came down to a card game of UNO. Which he won. So he has 60% ownership-I have 40%. Whatever. The next argument commenced over the pictures that would appear on the screens. He refused to negotiate over the picture of the pancake in the shape of a cross on the front screen. But at least he conceded the wavering flame (which only reminded me of some past bad behaviors that I had no business resurrecting), and I got the floating coral. But the biggest argument of all came over the ring tones. What’s wrong with traditional, classic ringing from the good ol days? BORING-he says. The compromise? Random ring tones. Now when I race to grab the phone it jingles, jangles, blips, beeps, chirps, caws, cha-cha-chas, or techno sings, “cause I had a bad day!” Which totally frazzles my brain. And when I finally and frantically locate the phone-it’s another 11 yr old wanting to talk to the 11 year old.

A 40 yr old sharing a phone with an 11 yr old is a universe out of kilter...so maybe I'll just get a blackberry.

*2012* The End!!!

Had a date with Mr B and 'lil brother last night. We went to see 2012 (on opening night-how cool are we?!?) It was ex-CI-ting! The graphics and dilemmas were thrilling. It was a real arm-clutching-kinda-movie. I just LOVE apocalyptic stories! (Have you read Alas, Babylon??? Well-you should!) I think it's just in our nature to always wonder about the end of time and what that will mean for humankind. I actually feel pretty good about my chances for survival. Because I've got Mr B. And he is a man who MAKES sh*t happen. If we needed to be on a plane to Russia-he could make that happen-not sure how-but he would be on that Blackberry and then-bam!-we'd be in Tibet-with a taxi waiting on the north face of Everest. Not even joking. The end of the world would so get his Fighting-Irish-UP. And of course, I'd be (comfortably) sitting at his right elbow b*tchin' bout how fast he's driving/flying/rushing/hollerin' f-bombs (in front of the kids) waaaaaayyy too much for my taste. "You just cut them off! Will you stop tail-gating! OMG-did you just FLIP them off ?!?" And I will be giving the apology wave to the poor suckers who got in his way. But we're not going DOWN. Mr B says so...

Postscript:
After reading this, Mr B wants the studio audience to know that once he had delivered his family to safety, he would be forced (by me) to apologize-not for running over the poor China man on his donkey-but for telling me to "SHUT THE F- UP!" while dodging the 5 mile volcano blast of red liquid death. ...And he is so right about THAT...

Case of the -itus

Lil' brother just informed me, "Hey, Mom. I've got a case of Wednesday-itus." Ok-It's Friday. But I get it. Cause I've got it too.

Bonus:
triskadekaphobia: fear of the number 13...pretty cool, huh?

Facelift

Like the new backgound??? Hope so!!! I am a big fan of change. I love to reorganize and rearrange (just ask Mr B-he gets really huffy about having to move the piano every few months). This passion for change can be taxing for those who require stability and sameness (and those who want to avoid a trip to the chiropractor...). But I usually get folks to come on over to my way of thinking-just ask Mr B. So my advice is to get that risky, cute haircut (I've grown out several of these) or try that new shade of blue eyeshadow (no such thing as too much blue eyeshadow). Life is just too short to not have a little adventure now and then. And this blogger was due for a change!

So check out shabbyblogs.com (bottom of page or upper left) for lots of fun bells and whistles. And stay tuned for more changes!

Destiny

I think there is a reason that I struggle with weight loss. If I were skinny, I'd be on the pole. And God knows this. So as long as I'm fightin' those odd 30 lbs or so-I'm safe. And He (in his heavenly wisdom) knows this. But I'm warning ya'll now: If I really do get skinny this time-I'm gettin' on the pole. No joke. And everybody is gonna throw all their money at my hott, naked butt.

Scruples (or lack of)

Big kid is the Puritan of our household. If we were to drop him off on the Mayflower-he would do just fine. His middle name should have been Honor & Decency. Mr B and I just look at him and shake our heads sometimes.

My problem is that big kid is supposed to play his trumpet 100 minutes a week…At….My….House. I am a woman on the edge-on a good day-hence the blogging. I cannot handle 100 minutes of tooting, blaring, blapping, bellowing, cawling. So every week when I have to sign off on the log, big kid is vigilant about the proper recording of the minutes. Today I had had it. “I DON”T CARE HOW MUCH YOU PRACTICED YOU WRITE DOWN 100!” And his look of moral censure, shock and horror was priceless. But I ain’t budging. Write 100 minutes-or die. That’s the choice. So to make up for the dishonesty big kid is practicing before school-while his dad is trying to sleep. Whatever… Honor & Decency cannot be defeated.

GOYA Tues

Good news! The scale is still sliding downward-although I was a little concerned when I crashed and burned a couple of days this week (spaghetti is a fatal weakness of mine). I also went hiking on Sunday afternoon with ‘lil brother and Mr. B. And it WAS fun! Who knew??? We picked a trail near our house that was woodsy and scenic and ended at a waterfall-which I knew would be a good destination for lil brother (who did great!). The trees were vivid, the sky clear blue, and the water clear and cold. Hope you enjoy the pics (thanks to Mr B)!

My challenge this week is to walk several times and to take another family hike next Sunday (Since I didn’t whine or complain Mr B has agreed to go again). Also a friend who has access to a stair master and treadmill has invited me to exercise with her, so we’re making plans to meet once a week. I’m sure it won’t even feel like exercising once we start chewing the fat. And I'm also sure we'll have some pretty interesting and evil things to discuss. A buddy makes ALL the difference.

Feel free to share your own GOYA challenges or successes too. Sometimes making a proclamation to the village (and not wanting to look like a loser ) is the best motivation. And the blither blather village has been a god-send in helping me to GET OFF MY ASS!

Have a great GET OFF YOUR ASS Tues!

For the Team

OK-I took one for the team. At the expense of my own dignity. I actually bought and paid for a STAR magazine while standing in line at the grocery store. And everyone noticed: the cashier, the couple in front of me, the man behind me (who seemed waaayyy interested in the cover too), the bagger, the manager, and the twelve people in line behind me. I tried to be subtle. A gentle stretch-as in 'ohhh! my shoulder hurts', then a quick Harry Houdini snatch and grab. Then faster than ol' Saint Nick, I quickly slid the contraband under the whole wheat buns and laid the broccoli over the top-because clearly I am a healthy person who clearly wouldn't read that kind of trash. A natural assumption, right? Buying tabloid fodder is just about as bad as buying beer on a Sunday in the South (Friday night is official beer run night-even Baptists know this). People are gonna talk. So, thank God, I was out of my own zip code when I did the deed. But-ooohhhh!!!!-was it worth it! This is a good one! As a matter of fact I should be done with all the Brad and Angie gore by Wed PM and will be ready to pass it on to some lucky blither blather winner. How do you get your name in the drawing? Why, just leave a comment-and even if I have to pay $10 to mail it to you-I will! All in the name of quality entertainment!

Faux Pas

I have committed a social faux pas. I double booked 2 events for the same evening. Having 2 calendars is working...notsomuch... But because one of the events was a kids' sleepover birthday, I felt it was vital to send big kid-even though it was certainly not first on the calendar. Which meant that I had to call our first commitment (ok, I made Mr B do it...hey-I was teaching! k?) and let them know big kid would not be there at our pre-scheduled potluck-although the rest of us would. Turns out the dinner got cancelled. Because big kid was a no-show. That's how important big kid is. His appearance was critical. Ours? notsomuch. I tell you what-the power of the first born is unbelievable. Entire family units revolve around their life and commitments. The calendar bends to their will. The checkbook opens spontaneously. Our job? We squire him around while tossing money over his head. Boy-sure would be nice, huh???

So Mr B decides to take the rest of us out for a joyride as our social event for the evening (because spending time in a minivan is something we need to do more of). So to make the best of it, I make him drive me past ___________'s house. I've been wanting to see where she lives for awhile. Which justifies my point that she ain't no better than anybody else-another blog for another day. So Mr B turns to 'lil brother and says to him, "Hey, chief! You're cruising at midnight!" And 'lil brother gets really worked up. "Dis is only de third time I've been up to midnight!" And we assure him-the fun's not over yet. He's gonna get 30 more minutes! Big round of high-fives follow that announcement. Folks, it was 7:48. Lil brother was down by 8:30; I was in the bed by 9:30; and Mr B followed by 10.

So today when 'lil brother brags to big kid that he got to stay up til midnight and big kid starts shrieking that he NEVER got to do that when he was that age-I'm gonna sniff-and say, "Yup, that's how we roll when you're away."

What I've learned from the Housewives of OC

My favorite Housewives of Orange County expression(don't be a TV snob, k?):

"Holy Mary of Gynecology!"

Of course they were trashing another housewife for having naked internet pictures while using a vibrator with a chord. "Like who has a vibrator with a chord these days? I thought we all had the rabbit by now!"

Here's what I've learned from watching this show:
Naked on the internet is not so bad. Caught on film with an out-of-date-vibrator? BIG NO-NO. Guess I need to update the equipment in the panty drawer...

6th grade vocabulary

Big Kid: "Hey mom, guess what word I learned today? 'FUCUS'!"
Me: What?!?!
Big Kid: (giggling) "You know-FUCUS-the brown algae that grows on the beach. Isn't it cool what you can learn in a dictionary?"
Me: "Yeah....cool...real cool."

And no, I didn't know that FUCUS was beach algae. And yes, I actually looked it up on dictionary.com just to make sure he wasn't trying to freak me out. And indeed FUCUS is beach algae. What a perfect vocabulary word for the 6th grade crowd. Can't wait til they discover the National Geographic. And so it begins...

Family Reading Night

Positive Feedback

I have recently become a lightning rod for positive feedback at my job. Which only means that the universe is planning on getting me back real soon...but ANYHOO... All three of these positive incidents have (shockingly) come from management (gasp!) and have been quite flattering. Not gonna lie 'bout that. But the incident that has meant the most to me, occured this morning when a struggling new teacher was waiting for me at my classroom door. Without any premable he blurts, "Please let me tell you this story so I can just hear you say, 'F*CK!'" And folks, my heart swelled in that moment. This overwhelmed rookie needed to hear some real words of wisdom-and he knew I could deliver. Who needs useless platitudes when a well intentioned F-bomb can alter the course of someone's day? And I was only too happy to oblige. Free of charge.

Quote from Justin's dad(sh*tmydadsays on twitter):
"Sometimes life leaves a hundred dollar bill on your dresser, and you don't realize until later that it's because it f*cked you."

Irrelevant...but it's my blog

Looking forward to the New Moon movie on Nov 21st (opens the 20th). Let's hope the director has improved the quality of the action sequences. If ever a movie needed some CG bling (and good ol' fashioned acting)... ANYHOO.... My real point is this: What's UP with Kristen Stewart's hair??? (Source: people.com) The pseudo-80's-mullet is just not doing it for me. And I don't think it'g gonna translate so well to the 30-40 sumpin' crowd (and this crowd is desperately following the fads). No indeed... So let's make a pact-here and now. NOBODY gets the mullet, k? If you break ranks-it's all over, sister.

Horror

When big kid could not produce the school paper I was requesting, I insisted that he show me his notebook-in no uncertain terms. I was gonna get to the root of this issue. So when was the last time you looked at a 6th grade boy's school notebook? I wish someone had warned me. Nothing can prepare you for the horror. All I can say is....Oh, my gahhhhhh!!! By the time we had cleaned out and organized the rat's nest of papers...I totally forgot about the paper I had been bitchin' about. Never...again... No paper is worth the shock.

GOYA Tues

My scale is showing downward movement this week! Even though the official weigh in is this evening-I'm feeling confident and energized. This was not a perfect week-what with two social events over the Halloween weekend. But that's life, right? Balance and moderation is what I'm striving for-not radical results. So, yes, I ate that hot dog. With no regrets. But I also said no to Halloween candy and made some deliberate low cal/fat choices at the grocery store. BTW-the double fiber bread has low calories/points (2 slices for 1 pt!!!). So this week I plan to continue tightening the metaphorical belt and trying to eat with deliberation and planning and to avoid exhausted over eating.(That is soooo easy to write- but a b*tch to put in action!)

I have also found two weight loss blogs that are inspiring (check out the list on the right). Christy from Seattle has really piqued my interest, however. She walks all over Seattle and takes pics of different locales-and boy, is Seattle a quirky, diverse city! When I visit her blog, I feel like I've BEEN somewhere! Which made me think about my own city and neighborhood. And the digital camera that Mr B bought for me. So I'm thinking about taking Sunday afternoon walks around the local greenway and each week starting at a different point. And of course snapping pics as I go. Not only do I get the benefit of exercise-but I become more aware and connected to my surroundings. Looking OUTWARD-as opposed to all this inward reflection from the past year-just feels so liberating and invigorating.

So I'm gonna get Mr B on board with my plan. Which means that I will probably have to make a deal to be his s*x slave-but, hey, I guess that burns calories too.

Hope you have a great Get Off Your Ass Tuesday!!!

Interested greenway walkers-email me at blitherblather@rocketmail.com

Trickle Down Theory

Big kid: Hey mom, why is dad making US do laundry, when you told him to do it???

Being at the top of the command chain has its perks, eh?

Unexplained

Something strange is happening. I have nothing to complain about. NOTHING. Nothing is getting on my nerves. No one has frosted my ass. No major problems to solve. No major stressful projects bearing down. Nothing is going on inside of my head. And you know what? It's kinda boring being me right now. So I'm going to watch the Kate interview on TLC tonight so that maybe I can renew my hater status on Jon Gosselin...or not. Hopefully something worth bitchin' bout will happen soon...or this blog is gonna be in serious sh*t.

Confession

I am already thinking about putting up my Christmas tree. Mr B is not gonna like this. Not one...little...bit.

Good Child's Special Day

You think dogs will not be in heaven? I tell you, they will be there long before any of us. ~Robert Louis Stevenson

Today is Good Child's birthday. He's 6!!! And for the record, in absolute seriousness: he is one of my favorite people. Although Santa brought him for the boys-Mr B will tell you otherwise-he's MINE. Even the boys know that Murph always chooses mom. We're a package deal. And there's no better friend or sweeter companion that a girl could ask for.

So to celebrate, Murph will get to ride in the car to DQ today for his b-day treat, get a new tennis ball and bone and can of really smelly, mushy food for his supper, and take a super long walk so he can pee on as many mailboxes as possible to mark the occassion. And of course he will be laying on Mr B's pillow and side of the bed when we retire together to bed tonight. Happy B-day, Murph! You're THE BEST!

The greatest love is a mother's; then a dog's; then a sweetheart's. ~Polish Proverb