It has to be said that I have posted three, now four, blog entrees since Kerri's last one. That means I am totally unsupervised and I can say whatever I want, she isn't watching.
Since I was talking about end of the year lists in my last post but that one got way too serious I thought I would lighten the mood with MSN's 20 stranger than fiction stories of the year and point out my favorites.
I like #1 about the woman who sat on her boyfriends toilet for 2 years just for the ick factor, and the fact that no one thought this was odd enough behavior to call someone for 2 years.
#3 mans coffin kills wife on the way to the cemetery. To summarize there was a car accident and the coffin was pushed forward and hit her in the back of the neck killing her. The best part of this story is that the hearse was being driven buy the dead person's son. He needs a Darwin award.
#6 family cremated mom on barbecue. Not exactly it was more of a fire pit and then they planted a tree on the site. Home cremation could become popular if the economy keeps tanking.
#15 This is the Goldilocks robber. A man was charged with burglary after he allegedly broke into a home, ate cheese from the refrigerator, made a mess in a bathroom and fell asleep on a child's bed.
#17 Rescue crews had to cut apart a portable toilet to rescue a man who got stuck naked inside the potty. Authorities say the 31-year-old man used his cell phone to call 911 on Sunday from inside a portable toilet.
Police say the man had been drinking and had taken off his clothes. Somehow, he immersed himself in the holding tank. He also needs a Darwin award.
So those are my favorite off the list. I hope they brought a smile to your face. I think the one about home cremation will have Kerri monitoring my posts more closely.
Have a day and a Happy New Year!
R.
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
Thursday, December 25, 2008
Merry Christmas!
Merry Christmas to all and Happy New Year! Since we are coming to the end of another year I've begun to notice that every newspaper, website, radio station, and TV stations are making lists. Lists of the bests, worsts, most popular, things we will never see again (like zima which I think everyone is happy about).
So because I have entirely to much time to spend on the internet I've been looking at these lists and one thing on one list really screamed out at me. On Newsweek's website the 8th most viewed story of the year was an article about how ugly crocs are. For anyone who lives under a rock crocs are those rubber dishwasher safe shoes not large reptiles. It doesn't bother me that this article was written, it doesn't bother me that there are a lot of people who want to defend their right to wear dishwasher safe shoes. Like this one who must really like her crocs
"I read this article on the paper Newsweek, and I was disgusted. Newsweek, I can't believe you published this offensive and self-centered article. Very disappointing. If you hate crocs, don't buy them, ignore them, or just write about your hatred on your little blog. Don't just attack them on a world-wide, influential and renowned publication like that" To write something this serious about a pair of shoes this person must have stock in the company.
No matter what you think of the footwear the sad thing is that this article was viewed more times then almost anything else on Newsweek's website this whole year. The few articles that beat is included the Obama election and the religious fanatics in Texas. After it was an article on the religious case for gay marriage and the american girl who committed murder in Italy. These articles sound more important to me but they were not read as many times as the fashion article.
So here is my idea. Next year perhaps we can all try a little harder to read the actual news articles on the web sites in addition to the ones that are funny and maybe we can avoid this happening again. Thank you for your co-operation and Merry Christmas.
R.
So because I have entirely to much time to spend on the internet I've been looking at these lists and one thing on one list really screamed out at me. On Newsweek's website the 8th most viewed story of the year was an article about how ugly crocs are. For anyone who lives under a rock crocs are those rubber dishwasher safe shoes not large reptiles. It doesn't bother me that this article was written, it doesn't bother me that there are a lot of people who want to defend their right to wear dishwasher safe shoes. Like this one who must really like her crocs
"I read this article on the paper Newsweek, and I was disgusted. Newsweek, I can't believe you published this offensive and self-centered article. Very disappointing. If you hate crocs, don't buy them, ignore them, or just write about your hatred on your little blog. Don't just attack them on a world-wide, influential and renowned publication like that" To write something this serious about a pair of shoes this person must have stock in the company.
No matter what you think of the footwear the sad thing is that this article was viewed more times then almost anything else on Newsweek's website this whole year. The few articles that beat is included the Obama election and the religious fanatics in Texas. After it was an article on the religious case for gay marriage and the american girl who committed murder in Italy. These articles sound more important to me but they were not read as many times as the fashion article.
So here is my idea. Next year perhaps we can all try a little harder to read the actual news articles on the web sites in addition to the ones that are funny and maybe we can avoid this happening again. Thank you for your co-operation and Merry Christmas.
R.
Sunday, December 21, 2008
Continued Moms - Can't live with them, can't tie a cement block to their legs and throw them in the lake
My mom called back. So I asked if she wanted to be discussed on our little blog and Kerri would you believe her answer was "No, because I'm afraid what the two of you might say". Ha at least she included you also.
have a day!
R
have a day!
R
Moms - Can't live with them, can't tie a cement block to their legs and throw them in the lake
Kerri I think this is a problem unique to you. I'm pretty sure my mom doesn't want me talking about her on this site. Just to be sure I'm gonna ask. Pick up cell phone *ring* *ring* *ring* voicemail. Crap I have to try later. I'm pretty sure her answer is going to be along the lines of - God you better not be writing about me where everyone can read it, have you lost your mind. But I will get back to you with an exact quote.
As far as at home dog grooming goes I feel the need to mention that I have had the doggy dremmel for almost 2 months now and Wolfgang seems to have no problem with it and Nikki believes it to be an alien device sent to kill her. I still can't get near her feet with it turned on. I hope your having better luck at your house Kerri.
R.
As far as at home dog grooming goes I feel the need to mention that I have had the doggy dremmel for almost 2 months now and Wolfgang seems to have no problem with it and Nikki believes it to be an alien device sent to kill her. I still can't get near her feet with it turned on. I hope your having better luck at your house Kerri.
R.
Friday, December 19, 2008
Mommy Dearest
Hello readers. I was on the phone chatting with my mom the other day and she mentioned she sent the link for this blog to some of her friends mostly so they could see pictures of the kids (I attached some recent pics of the kids just for her enjoyment). During the conversation she mentioned that she was sad because I never talk about her in my blog posts. I guess I was trying to spare her feelings :) but if she wants me to talk about her and she requested it then I feel she is now fair game. Hey, she asked for it. Seriously, what mother in her right mind actually requests her daughter to talk about her? Does she think I'll blog about how super wonderful she is and how she hasn't aged in years? Doubt it. So be warned mom (I know you're reading this) everything you now say or do can be potential fodder for my blog. muah hahahahahaha. Let me explain how crazy she can be. Just now as I'm writing she called and I told her I was writing about her request to be written about. She then begins to tell me about pictures I can include and things I can say about her. She actually trying to dictate my potential mom posts. She really does want me to turn this into a blog about her. Hey, just hold your horses there lady - Get your own blog!On another note...I found a link for the word of the day on merriam-webster online. Today's word is undulant • \UN-juh-lunt\. What a lovely word. Rising and falling in waves. in contrast the word of the day for the new york times is progenitor. perfect for a blog about my mom. Progenitor \prō-ˈje-nə-tər, prə-\ · (noun) 1 a : an ancestor in the direct line : b : a biologically ancestral form.
Coming soon, a post about grooming my dogs myself. an adventure in torture and humiliation. to be posted in Rachel's honor for all dog moms out there.
peace out,
k
Paige is doing yoga in the background
Thursday, December 18, 2008
just thought the world should meet my favorite dog
This is my tough dog Nikki under her favorite Christmas quilt. She loves it so much that she will stay in this position for hours. I really have nothing interesting to say at the moment. I'll write more when i doTuesday, December 9, 2008
Birthday Parties
Wow! Sorry readers, it's been a long time since our last post. Personally I have been uber-busy with the usual and in addition both of the kid's birthdays. Jak just turned 1 and Paige turned 4. Let's just say that when you have 2 kids' birthdays within 10 days of each other it's like the birthday party that will never end. Cake on one birthday, a holiday, a party, cake on another birthday, a party. Paige has no clue that her birthday really is only one day :)
I would like to talk about birthdays. As a friend and reader, Emily, wrote,
"Oh PLEASE tell me you will write about children's b-day parties. Is it me or are there a lot of people out there who think that their little angel's 3rd b-day necessitates a party with engraved invitations where you make people who only see you quarterly hang out at "go Bananas" until you want to "go postal"?
I will admit, we had a big party for Paige's 1st birthday at a pizza banquet room. Mostly because we simply could not fit everyone in our house. It turned out looking much fancier than it actually was. I really got my money's worth. Poor Jak did not get the same treatment. the second kid really does get the shaft. Anyway since then I have had one other actual "party" for Paige and that was last year at our local Park Rec center. I did it because Jak was just born and I wanted her birthday to feel special and not like she was forgotten because of a new baby. So this year I thought hmmmm I'll just have a little party at home with pizza and cake, no big thing just a get together, a joint party for both kids. Boy, am I crazy! Let's just say that no party with just friends and family is ever small. It was a great time and I'm glad we did it but I have decided that now there will be no big parties except on the "big birthdays". It's too much with both birthdays so close and thanksgiving and christmas thrown in there too. This was my first year with both kids having birthdays so I guess it's a learning curve. Even though it was crazy, it was fun. Paige loved every minute and Jak was totally thrilled with all the attention. Note to self - make the kids happy but don't go crazy doing it!
Since we usually have our neighbor buddies over for cake on the actual birthday from now on we will just do that and maybe a play date with the closest friends. I think that was my favorite part of the birthday madness this year. I did a small tea party after school with her class buddies (as a mom suggested) just have a few friends, more like a play date. Tiny sandwiches and snacks and treats, apple juice in tea cups. Lots of "please" and "thank you ma'am", so super cutie!
The worst thing about a big birthday party every year is that you really are setting the bar pretty high early on. People go to great lengths now for fantastic parties at fun places. If I did that every year what is my kid going to expect on her 10th birthday? A private circus show with gifts for everyone and a 8 tier cake? I just can't keep up with it. I have seen it getting really competitive. So who are we having these parties for, the kids or us? I know they enjoy it but let's be serious, don't kids like just about any kind of attention? I know my kid would be just as happy with a few of her friends as she would be in a big party.
I say all this now and I know the readers with older kids are saying "just you wait, just you wait until your kid is whining for that super expensive cell phone/ipod/navigation/book-reader/bottle-opener and huge party at some fancy place because all her friends are doing it". Ug, I guess I'll just wait and hope for the best!
I would like to talk about birthdays. As a friend and reader, Emily, wrote,
"Oh PLEASE tell me you will write about children's b-day parties. Is it me or are there a lot of people out there who think that their little angel's 3rd b-day necessitates a party with engraved invitations where you make people who only see you quarterly hang out at "go Bananas" until you want to "go postal"?
I will admit, we had a big party for Paige's 1st birthday at a pizza banquet room. Mostly because we simply could not fit everyone in our house. It turned out looking much fancier than it actually was. I really got my money's worth. Poor Jak did not get the same treatment. the second kid really does get the shaft. Anyway since then I have had one other actual "party" for Paige and that was last year at our local Park Rec center. I did it because Jak was just born and I wanted her birthday to feel special and not like she was forgotten because of a new baby. So this year I thought hmmmm I'll just have a little party at home with pizza and cake, no big thing just a get together, a joint party for both kids. Boy, am I crazy! Let's just say that no party with just friends and family is ever small. It was a great time and I'm glad we did it but I have decided that now there will be no big parties except on the "big birthdays". It's too much with both birthdays so close and thanksgiving and christmas thrown in there too. This was my first year with both kids having birthdays so I guess it's a learning curve. Even though it was crazy, it was fun. Paige loved every minute and Jak was totally thrilled with all the attention. Note to self - make the kids happy but don't go crazy doing it!
Since we usually have our neighbor buddies over for cake on the actual birthday from now on we will just do that and maybe a play date with the closest friends. I think that was my favorite part of the birthday madness this year. I did a small tea party after school with her class buddies (as a mom suggested) just have a few friends, more like a play date. Tiny sandwiches and snacks and treats, apple juice in tea cups. Lots of "please" and "thank you ma'am", so super cutie!
The worst thing about a big birthday party every year is that you really are setting the bar pretty high early on. People go to great lengths now for fantastic parties at fun places. If I did that every year what is my kid going to expect on her 10th birthday? A private circus show with gifts for everyone and a 8 tier cake? I just can't keep up with it. I have seen it getting really competitive. So who are we having these parties for, the kids or us? I know they enjoy it but let's be serious, don't kids like just about any kind of attention? I know my kid would be just as happy with a few of her friends as she would be in a big party.
I say all this now and I know the readers with older kids are saying "just you wait, just you wait until your kid is whining for that super expensive cell phone/ipod/navigation/book-reader/bottle-opener and huge party at some fancy place because all her friends are doing it". Ug, I guess I'll just wait and hope for the best!
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
The Squirrels Have Declared War!
I'm an indoor kind of person. I don't camp, I don't go walking in the forest preserves, I do not feel the need to be outside infringing on the space of wildlife. So why do they feel the need to infringe on mine. There are three places that I consider to be my space, my car, where I work and my home. It's bad enough that lately on the way to and from work I have had to deal wit suicidal deer who stand a foot or two off a busy street and look like they could jump out at any moment. But I am once again under attack from squirrels.
This is not the first time these fuzzy tailed rats have staged an attack on me. Two years ago after Rob put the air conditioners in I woke up to a loud crash in my house. When I came out of the bedroom there was a squirrel staring up at me from my dining room floor. It took two of us to chase the little flea infested devil out of the house. But this seemed like one isolated sneak attack from a rogue squirrel.
Now it seems that the fluffy tailed rats have declared war. About two weeks ago I was trying to walk from my car into my office and this brave little squirrel got between me and the exit of the garage and refused to move. Eventually I managed t sneak past him after several minutes of evasive maneuvers. Then yesterday a kamikaze squirrel crashed into our dining room window. At this point I should have known something was terribly wrong. Today one of the little rats has once again infiltrated my homes perimeter. I went to take my dogs outside this morning and a squirrel was on my enclosed back porch. It's sudden movements scared me and brought out the instinct to chase small game in the larger of my two dogs.
Since the squirrels have started this fight I see no other option then to retaliate. I don't see it as an unreasonable request that I give these animals the entire outside world and all I ask in return is that they don't come inside. I now need to find a way to remove the squirrel from my home either by humane or inhumane ways since I have very little sympathy for the flea infested possibly rabid little animal who started this fight. If anyone has any suggestions for squirrel removal please let me know. If no good suggestions come soon I feel I will need to go to extreme measures. Thanks in advance for any help that you may be able provide in this squirrel war.
This is not the first time these fuzzy tailed rats have staged an attack on me. Two years ago after Rob put the air conditioners in I woke up to a loud crash in my house. When I came out of the bedroom there was a squirrel staring up at me from my dining room floor. It took two of us to chase the little flea infested devil out of the house. But this seemed like one isolated sneak attack from a rogue squirrel.
Now it seems that the fluffy tailed rats have declared war. About two weeks ago I was trying to walk from my car into my office and this brave little squirrel got between me and the exit of the garage and refused to move. Eventually I managed t sneak past him after several minutes of evasive maneuvers. Then yesterday a kamikaze squirrel crashed into our dining room window. At this point I should have known something was terribly wrong. Today one of the little rats has once again infiltrated my homes perimeter. I went to take my dogs outside this morning and a squirrel was on my enclosed back porch. It's sudden movements scared me and brought out the instinct to chase small game in the larger of my two dogs.
Since the squirrels have started this fight I see no other option then to retaliate. I don't see it as an unreasonable request that I give these animals the entire outside world and all I ask in return is that they don't come inside. I now need to find a way to remove the squirrel from my home either by humane or inhumane ways since I have very little sympathy for the flea infested possibly rabid little animal who started this fight. If anyone has any suggestions for squirrel removal please let me know. If no good suggestions come soon I feel I will need to go to extreme measures. Thanks in advance for any help that you may be able provide in this squirrel war.
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
No serious topics...just a Wordle
So I was actually working on jewelry and paused for a moment to check my e-mail and close down the computer when I happened upon a Wordle. A product from a cool website http://www.wordle.net/. It takes any text you paste in or feed from your blog and creates a "wordle". A graphic image of your words. I created a few using text from previous posts. It randomizes the content and you can further tweak it if you like. I did not purposely put the words "ass" and "jim" right by each other in the wordle above. It did that. Sorry honey.
Also, I just couldn't help myself. I did another wordle using an excerpt from a monumental speech given not so long ago.
"And to all those who have wondered if America’s beacon still burns as bright – tonight we proved once more that the true strength of our nation comes not from our the might of our arms or the scale of our wealth, but from the enduring power of our ideals: democracy, liberty, opportunity, and unyielding hope.
...
This is our chance to answer that call. This is our moment. This is our time – to put our people back to work and open doors of opportunity for our kids; to restore prosperity and promote the cause of peace; to reclaim the American Dream and reaffirm that fundamental truth – that out of many, we are one; that while we breathe, we hope, and where we are met with cynicism, and doubt, and those who tell us that we can’t, we will respond with that timeless creed that sums up the spirit of a people:
Yes We Can. Thank you, God bless you, and may God Bless the United States of America."
Yes We Can. Thank you, God bless you, and may God Bless the United States of America."
Thursday, November 6, 2008
Comment re: dog suicide attempt
See, Rachel's house is not even dog proofed much less child proofed, another reason she does not have children :)
Wolfgang the amazing dog that can't be killed by ordinary means!
I'm home from work today because my car broke down and Rob is nice enough to be fixing it. But that is not important. What is important is that my dog Wolfgang apparently survived another suicide attempt!
Some background on Wolfie for anyone who isn't familiar. He was half price at a pet store when he was six months old because he was already a 10lbs Pomeranian, which is huge. He is now 13yrs old and 16lbs. He is beautiful and fluffy and he bites. He bites me, he bite our other dog Nikki who is 4 times his size, he has bitten my brother, snapped at little children, he's a rotten dog, and Rob loves him. This dog is also too mean to die. He has gotten his head stuck in a radiator, chewed a razor, ate several packs of cigarettes, frequently eats chocolate, drank an entire jack and coke then fell over and passed out in our living room, drank a guests glass of wine, knocked several teeth out trying to bite me through his crate, escaped into the west side of Chicago for a month and was found in excellent condition, and ate rancid ham.
So what was the new suicide attempt after all of this that would even be worth mentioning you may be wondering? He tried to hang himself. Yep, he has now survived hanging. (Damn it, he really will live to be 20.) Rob took him to the local coffee shop yesterday, this is their normal pattern, and when he went inside he tied Wolfgang to the chair outside. Not on the ground mind you because according to Rob Wolfgang normally sits on the seat of the chair and waits for him. Well yesterday he jumped. Of course there wasn't that much slack in the leash and his paws barely hit the ground as the choke chain tightened on his neck. Wolfie is fine after this, no harm done, but Rob is babying him even more, he tucked him in on the couch surrounded by pillows when he went to the store today.
So Wolfgang truly will live forever in spite of himself and in spite of Rob. I hope this brightens every one's day!
Some background on Wolfie for anyone who isn't familiar. He was half price at a pet store when he was six months old because he was already a 10lbs Pomeranian, which is huge. He is now 13yrs old and 16lbs. He is beautiful and fluffy and he bites. He bites me, he bite our other dog Nikki who is 4 times his size, he has bitten my brother, snapped at little children, he's a rotten dog, and Rob loves him. This dog is also too mean to die. He has gotten his head stuck in a radiator, chewed a razor, ate several packs of cigarettes, frequently eats chocolate, drank an entire jack and coke then fell over and passed out in our living room, drank a guests glass of wine, knocked several teeth out trying to bite me through his crate, escaped into the west side of Chicago for a month and was found in excellent condition, and ate rancid ham.
So what was the new suicide attempt after all of this that would even be worth mentioning you may be wondering? He tried to hang himself. Yep, he has now survived hanging. (Damn it, he really will live to be 20.) Rob took him to the local coffee shop yesterday, this is their normal pattern, and when he went inside he tied Wolfgang to the chair outside. Not on the ground mind you because according to Rob Wolfgang normally sits on the seat of the chair and waits for him. Well yesterday he jumped. Of course there wasn't that much slack in the leash and his paws barely hit the ground as the choke chain tightened on his neck. Wolfie is fine after this, no harm done, but Rob is babying him even more, he tucked him in on the couch surrounded by pillows when he went to the store today.
So Wolfgang truly will live forever in spite of himself and in spite of Rob. I hope this brightens every one's day!
Monday, November 3, 2008
Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
Hey everyone. I'm posting because Rachel is threatening to put up a 3rd post before I can get one in...and then the earth shall cease to revolve and we will all wither away. So here I am. I'm going to briefly talk about Halloween. not too much to say. Awesome weather, lots of fun, a really great time. I have been eating candy for 4 days straight. eeehhhhh. Now to the topic at hand. catching some zzzzz's. I was talking to a good friend today and realized how important sleep can be. I'm one of "those" people that's bright and shiny most of the time but catch me when I have had little sleep or I'm hungry and watch out. I'm pure evil straight outta hell. As a parent I have realized that sleep is probably the thing other than total spontaneous sex that I miss deep down to my bones. Oh my god I miss it! It has been 4 years since I was able to go to bed as early as I want, wake when I want, nap when I want. I'm not saying I don't get enough. I do okay. my kids are really good nappers and sleepers (except for baby Jimmy who has been a tool for the past 3-4 weeks since he started walking. I hope it passes SOON). most times I'm up till 1am trying to get all the things done that I want to do, like blog. In the morning it's straight into the day. You can't lay around. there are mouths to be fed, animal and otherwise. There is no rest for the weary. I don't think this is news to any of you readers. you've probably heard it so many times before. And I'm so extremely super jealous of my childless friends that can sleep till 11 on a Sunday if they choose. Not that they do but they can.
what become so clear to me today is how much losing some sleep can totally affect every other thing going on. Really truly mess with your emotional state. make you cranky. not have enough energy to do the things you want to do so then you feel even worse because you're getting nothing done including sleeping. You feel like crap because you have bags under your eyes and it reminds you of how hot you used to be before the sleep stealers shot out of your womb. Or your thyroid takes a crap on you and then life REALLY sucks (more on that some other time).
But what can really be done? The early child rearing years will be and are some of the most wonderful years of my life but they are also the hardest. They take a toll. I'm always last on the list of the person who gets the attention in my house. and I think it goes - baby, daughter, dad, dogs and THEN me. Then again, I created this scenario and the reason is most likely because I'm the only one in my household who can take such abuse and still love everyone and put on a happy face. It's much easier for me to do without than for Jim who has to go to work everyday and run a business or my children to not have the things that I think they need. the good news is that this too shall pass and as the saying goes, some day I'll wish my kids would need me.
and I truly hope that Jim can see past my bitchiness and realize that if he just let me sleep in this Sunday he would truly benefit. wink wink. happy wife = happy life.
what I really want to say is "Hey, childless friends/relatives/concerned citizens, get your ass over to my house so I can take a frick'en nap!" teehee
Dear childless readers, please hit the snooze button just one more time for me. I'll just dream of sleep and maybe try to not do the dishes or run one last load of laundry and go to bed. and with that I say good night.
what become so clear to me today is how much losing some sleep can totally affect every other thing going on. Really truly mess with your emotional state. make you cranky. not have enough energy to do the things you want to do so then you feel even worse because you're getting nothing done including sleeping. You feel like crap because you have bags under your eyes and it reminds you of how hot you used to be before the sleep stealers shot out of your womb. Or your thyroid takes a crap on you and then life REALLY sucks (more on that some other time).
But what can really be done? The early child rearing years will be and are some of the most wonderful years of my life but they are also the hardest. They take a toll. I'm always last on the list of the person who gets the attention in my house. and I think it goes - baby, daughter, dad, dogs and THEN me. Then again, I created this scenario and the reason is most likely because I'm the only one in my household who can take such abuse and still love everyone and put on a happy face. It's much easier for me to do without than for Jim who has to go to work everyday and run a business or my children to not have the things that I think they need. the good news is that this too shall pass and as the saying goes, some day I'll wish my kids would need me.
and I truly hope that Jim can see past my bitchiness and realize that if he just let me sleep in this Sunday he would truly benefit. wink wink. happy wife = happy life.
what I really want to say is "Hey, childless friends/relatives/concerned citizens, get your ass over to my house so I can take a frick'en nap!" teehee
Dear childless readers, please hit the snooze button just one more time for me. I'll just dream of sleep and maybe try to not do the dishes or run one last load of laundry and go to bed. and with that I say good night.
Maybe Kerri Is Right And Silence Is Golden
So today I was over at Kerri's house working on the jewelry project. I think things are coming along quite nicely so far. We went to a bead store with Paige which included the phrase "don't touch" a lot. But it was still a successful trip. The problem was after we got back to Kerri's house. So picture this, it's getting close to dinner time and Kerri is cooking. I am trying to look some things up on the internet and then I hear a baby Einstein DVD on a loop, because the viewing part is over it is stuck on the start screen. It's playing the same song over and over. Layer that noise with one of the children riding on a push car thing that has a popcorn popper thing on it. Also add in the other child pushing a toy car that sounds like a machine gun while it moves. On top of all this background noise Paige is attempting to carry on a conversation with anyone who will listen to her and the little boy is carrying on a conversation with himself. I feel the need to point out here that they weren't being bad kids, they are actually great kids, but they are still kids. So I decide I need to get away from the noise so I go outside for fresh air. Bad idea. A church not far from them has some bells going off but they aren't typical bell they play a whole song, those things were going for 5 minutes. This is total chaos as far as I'm concerned. I'm sure all of you parents reading this are going "ahh, typical day". Well not typical for me. By this point I am twitching, if people wouldn't think I had totally lost it I would sit down suck my thumb and rock. If there is too much noise in my house I either turn off the T.V. or ask Rob to turn down what he is working on. As you can tell I'm used to quite being very easy to achieve. I would like to end this with a compliment to all of the parents that you have much stronger ears then I do and you need to be applauded for that. I also wish all of you parents at least 15 minutes of silence a day because I'm sure you need it. I will continue to live in my quite and easy to control environment which doesn't make me twitch only venturing out as needed into the world of children. And to Paige and little Jimmy if you ever read this when you grow up if by some chance this internet stuff really is around forever, I'm sorry I'm picking on you but your the kids I see the most.
Friday, October 31, 2008
Happy Halloween!
Hello to all of you parents who are reading this. I want to try to put your minds at ease before you go rummaging through your children's candy or even worse bothering to have it x-rayed. There is only 1 reliable, traceable Halloween candy death in the country and it wasn't from a stranger. "Timothy O'Bryan of Houston, Texas actually did die in 1974 after eating a Pixie Stick laced with cyanide on Halloween night. Which is true, but the kicker is that investigators determined that the candy was poisoned by O'Bryan's own father, who, unbelievable as it seems, hoped to collect on a life insurance policy he had taken out on his son." This is according to Newsweek. (and yes I double checked it with snopes just to be sure)
Now when people are confronted with a news article confronting the whole Halloween candy hoax they post things like this. "When I was a child in the late 60's and early 70's there were many instances in my home town of Battle Creek, Michigan, where strangers had embedded needles, razor blades and broken glass in fruit that was given away on Halloween. There were even more cases of people injecting soft candies with LSD, Heroin and Hash Hish. Kids I knew personally were victims of this insanity. That is when hospitals in Michigan began offering to x-ray Halloween candy" (just to let you all know, I do not correct the spelling of the people I quote, I want you to see them in their full and brilliant glory) I like this post, it tries to be credible with a place and approximate time, and it goes the extra step of adding drugs into the candy. However all they mention is the glass and drugs as the reason for doing x-rays on candy, but neither of those show up on and x-ray so we know this person isn't that bright.
I do however like this Dr who was interviewed by a San Francisco newspaper when asked how to avoid tainted candy "You need to look through all the candy before the kids eat any of it. If it has any Chinese lettering on it, toss it." Notice he says nothing about if they got candy from strangers or looking for sharp objects, just Chinese writing.
So all of you let your children eat their candy and get a good sugar buzz going. Know that the candy is safe as long as it isn't Chinese. And Have a Happy Halloween
Now when people are confronted with a news article confronting the whole Halloween candy hoax they post things like this. "When I was a child in the late 60's and early 70's there were many instances in my home town of Battle Creek, Michigan, where strangers had embedded needles, razor blades and broken glass in fruit that was given away on Halloween. There were even more cases of people injecting soft candies with LSD, Heroin and Hash Hish. Kids I knew personally were victims of this insanity. That is when hospitals in Michigan began offering to x-ray Halloween candy" (just to let you all know, I do not correct the spelling of the people I quote, I want you to see them in their full and brilliant glory) I like this post, it tries to be credible with a place and approximate time, and it goes the extra step of adding drugs into the candy. However all they mention is the glass and drugs as the reason for doing x-rays on candy, but neither of those show up on and x-ray so we know this person isn't that bright.
I do however like this Dr who was interviewed by a San Francisco newspaper when asked how to avoid tainted candy "You need to look through all the candy before the kids eat any of it. If it has any Chinese lettering on it, toss it." Notice he says nothing about if they got candy from strangers or looking for sharp objects, just Chinese writing.
So all of you let your children eat their candy and get a good sugar buzz going. Know that the candy is safe as long as it isn't Chinese. And Have a Happy Halloween
Thursday, October 23, 2008
Picture additions for previous post from kerri
A picture of my husband Jim hogging the only recliner in Paige's room at Children's Memorial.
A couple pictures of Baby Jimmy in some shirts I made for him. Cool boys clothes are hard to come by unless you pay a fortune for them.
I'll call him Jak or baby chub-chub so as not to confuse him with my Hubby Jim.
Last, a sample of Rachel's work. I'm working on the website and once it's up and running and I have some jewelry there too, I'll let ya know.
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Camping, Surgery, and Jewelry OH MY
Sorry readers, it has been awhile since our last post. It's been busy. Warning - this is going to be a LONG post to catch up.
Let's start first with the topic of Camping...with children. My husband and I like to camp and used to do it often. Needless to say, we had not camped yet with children until a few weekends ago. We did "camp" once this summer in our backyard. One of my friends invited us to camp with them and several other families up in Wisconsin. Longing for something to do since the weatherman said we were bound for some last days of warmth, I eagerly accepted. Totally forgetting that Saturday night was my wedding anniversary. My husband was a little surprised when I said I would be fine camping instead of a fancy dinner (OH MY GOODNESS, who have I become!). Anyway, geez, 2 days of camping requires 4 additional days - 2 for prep and 2 for cleanup. I swear I think I packed the whole house because Baby Jimmy is only 11 months and requires a lot of crap. He had just started walking (more on that in another post) before we left so the pack-n-play (which I never used for Paige) was a MUST to keep him contained. Jim couldn't get up there until after us because he had to work so it was even more fun packing up all that junk, dropping off the dogs at grandma's, and getting set up all by myself. Despite all the work, it was a great time! Who knew my kids could spend so much time just rolling around and laughing in a tent?
The weather was awesome, mid-80's during the day and surprisingly not very cold at night. I was worried Baby Jimmy would be too cold but he was just fine and toasty. I got to snuggle up with him and Paige on an air mattress while my drunk hubby snoozed on the floor.
The downside to camping with children - when you camp without children it's dirty and grungy but not too "germy". Well kids makes it all different. They pee on their feet behind the tent or droop their underwear on the floor of the public washroom . UG! They're dirty and stinky and they don't care! I felt like I had to sanitize everything when we got home. ick.
The good side - Fresh air, good conversation, campfires and cuddles, watching Paige's eyes when she saw a real live stick bug someone had caught running up their leg. Seeing a snake and hearing her say, "snakes aren't scary, I learned all about them at school". Setting up our tent with just me and Paige (no daddy there yet) and realizing how proud she felt to do something which to her is was such a monumental task. Watching her offer her buddy Trea her prized glow stick so she wouldn't be scared in the dark tent and then laying with her buddy until she fell asleep. Snuggling with Jak (baby Jimmy) and watching him go up and down the air mattress as if he conquered a mountain. Wishing everyday could be so simple. Meeting new people and enjoying their company. Seeing the spectacular fall colors up north. and best of all was having some time with my husband without any home or work distractions.
Everyone there was awesome, friendly, and down-to-earth. Even though it was a bit of work, it was totally worth it! Can you believe I forgot my camera??!! Doh!
So right after I got my breath back from cleaning up from camping it was time for the S word, SURGERY. Paige had to have some minor surgery to remove a spot (nevus) and a dermoid cyst on her head. Neither was life threatening but they needed to be taken off and she needed to be put under anesthesia to do it. We went to Children's Memorial in Westchester and I couldn't have been happier with my choice. The surgeon was great and the staff made her feel so comfortable. Up to the date we talked with her about it and made sure she understood what was going on, but not enough so she got anxious. I was pretty careful not to let her see me get nervous, because if I'm nervous then so is she. And as long as she understood what was going to happen, she was fine. An amazing thing about kids, they are much more resilient than adults. She couldn't eat since midnight the day of the surgery and she never once complained. As they prepped her she never cried or was scared, she was way too enthralled with the hospital. She was absolutely amazing. Even as they wheeled her away she was ok in the hands of her nurses. We had to wait about an hour and a half before it was over. In that time I got to read a newspaper in quiet for the first time in years.
Finally they came to tell us she was done and everything went just as expected. I said I was fine right? Well I was up until we went to her room and she was in her gurney down the hall. As they starting wheeling those big brown eyes towards me and I just LOST it. I totally cried I was so happy to see her little smiling face. She was so sweet and vulnerable in the moment. all groggy from the anesthesia and bundled up in a warm blanket. I was so happy and proud of her being so brave. There are times in a mom's life when they love their kids and then there are times when you love them so much you feel like your heart is going to burst from it all. This was one of those moments.
We were able to go home shortly after and she was doing well, eating a bit and then a few hours later she spiked a 104.3 degree fever. She totally went downhill. The next few days are a bit blurry. Basically, she had a fever for several days and she starting vomiting the next night. After rounds on the phone with her surgeon and her pediatrician we deduced that she most likely had a cold brewing and the taxing nature of the surgery really made it hit her hard. Baby Jimmy came down with a stuffy nose the day she went in. She was probably vomiting from a virus or perhaps because she had a fever and had barely eaten anything for 2 and a half days. I had to take her to the doctor's office where they found she had an ear infection (her first ever). We started some antibiotics and by that night she was feeling a bit better and eating some soup. It's now almost a week later and today was her first day back at school. She still a bit sluggish but definitely much better. At least she gets that she feels like crap because of the cold and not the surgery. I don't want her to be terrified of doctors and in therapy someday :)
It was so hard watching her just lay there totally out of it, sleepy, hot, but most of all quiet. Much too quiet. Poor baby Jimmy kept trying to make her laugh but she was just too sick and too pooped. Anyway she's on the mend and playing with her brother again, which makes him very happy. she is one of his favorite people of course.
Here are a few pics from before. One of the staff members came and we showed Paige what everyone would look like in the surgery with their hats and masks on. We showed her how you can see someone is smiling in their eyes even when you can't see their mouth behind the mask. Then we let her put them on, she loved it. More accessories!
Last jewelry. So I may have mentioned Rachel and I are venturing in the hand crafted jewelry
biz. Darn her! she's cranking out the stuff like a machine and I've barely made a bracelet! Let's remember she has no children. BIG difference! I've been staying busy doing things I can do while the kids are up. messing around on the computer for ideas, starting up the website, and tonight working with Rachel on a lighting and photo system (more on that later). Part of my problem is I have so many things I want to make and some of them aren't even jewelry. Or to make them I need to invest money for the materials. It's hard for me to just pick a few things and get going. I want to do it all and now! But that attitude gets nothing done. So I sit and see the Rachel-machine go and dream of a life where I can sit and craft in peace for hours. Hey, I can dream can't I?
OK that's all I can blog for now. It's almost midnight and I'm tired. I'll try to blog some more in the next few days. hopefully some more inspiring posts and not just the hum-drum of my life. Camping, surgery, and jewelry is so mundane! Teehee! k
Let's start first with the topic of Camping...with children. My husband and I like to camp and used to do it often. Needless to say, we had not camped yet with children until a few weekends ago. We did "camp" once this summer in our backyard. One of my friends invited us to camp with them and several other families up in Wisconsin. Longing for something to do since the weatherman said we were bound for some last days of warmth, I eagerly accepted. Totally forgetting that Saturday night was my wedding anniversary. My husband was a little surprised when I said I would be fine camping instead of a fancy dinner (OH MY GOODNESS, who have I become!). Anyway, geez, 2 days of camping requires 4 additional days - 2 for prep and 2 for cleanup. I swear I think I packed the whole house because Baby Jimmy is only 11 months and requires a lot of crap. He had just started walking (more on that in another post) before we left so the pack-n-play (which I never used for Paige) was a MUST to keep him contained. Jim couldn't get up there until after us because he had to work so it was even more fun packing up all that junk, dropping off the dogs at grandma's, and getting set up all by myself. Despite all the work, it was a great time! Who knew my kids could spend so much time just rolling around and laughing in a tent?
The weather was awesome, mid-80's during the day and surprisingly not very cold at night. I was worried Baby Jimmy would be too cold but he was just fine and toasty. I got to snuggle up with him and Paige on an air mattress while my drunk hubby snoozed on the floor.
The downside to camping with children - when you camp without children it's dirty and grungy but not too "germy". Well kids makes it all different. They pee on their feet behind the tent or droop their underwear on the floor of the public washroom . UG! They're dirty and stinky and they don't care! I felt like I had to sanitize everything when we got home. ick.
The good side - Fresh air, good conversation, campfires and cuddles, watching Paige's eyes when she saw a real live stick bug someone had caught running up their leg. Seeing a snake and hearing her say, "snakes aren't scary, I learned all about them at school". Setting up our tent with just me and Paige (no daddy there yet) and realizing how proud she felt to do something which to her is was such a monumental task. Watching her offer her buddy Trea her prized glow stick so she wouldn't be scared in the dark tent and then laying with her buddy until she fell asleep. Snuggling with Jak (baby Jimmy) and watching him go up and down the air mattress as if he conquered a mountain. Wishing everyday could be so simple. Meeting new people and enjoying their company. Seeing the spectacular fall colors up north. and best of all was having some time with my husband without any home or work distractions.
Everyone there was awesome, friendly, and down-to-earth. Even though it was a bit of work, it was totally worth it! Can you believe I forgot my camera??!! Doh!
So right after I got my breath back from cleaning up from camping it was time for the S word, SURGERY. Paige had to have some minor surgery to remove a spot (nevus) and a dermoid cyst on her head. Neither was life threatening but they needed to be taken off and she needed to be put under anesthesia to do it. We went to Children's Memorial in Westchester and I couldn't have been happier with my choice. The surgeon was great and the staff made her feel so comfortable. Up to the date we talked with her about it and made sure she understood what was going on, but not enough so she got anxious. I was pretty careful not to let her see me get nervous, because if I'm nervous then so is she. And as long as she understood what was going to happen, she was fine. An amazing thing about kids, they are much more resilient than adults. She couldn't eat since midnight the day of the surgery and she never once complained. As they prepped her she never cried or was scared, she was way too enthralled with the hospital. She was absolutely amazing. Even as they wheeled her away she was ok in the hands of her nurses. We had to wait about an hour and a half before it was over. In that time I got to read a newspaper in quiet for the first time in years.
Finally they came to tell us she was done and everything went just as expected. I said I was fine right? Well I was up until we went to her room and she was in her gurney down the hall. As they starting wheeling those big brown eyes towards me and I just LOST it. I totally cried I was so happy to see her little smiling face. She was so sweet and vulnerable in the moment. all groggy from the anesthesia and bundled up in a warm blanket. I was so happy and proud of her being so brave. There are times in a mom's life when they love their kids and then there are times when you love them so much you feel like your heart is going to burst from it all. This was one of those moments.
We were able to go home shortly after and she was doing well, eating a bit and then a few hours later she spiked a 104.3 degree fever. She totally went downhill. The next few days are a bit blurry. Basically, she had a fever for several days and she starting vomiting the next night. After rounds on the phone with her surgeon and her pediatrician we deduced that she most likely had a cold brewing and the taxing nature of the surgery really made it hit her hard. Baby Jimmy came down with a stuffy nose the day she went in. She was probably vomiting from a virus or perhaps because she had a fever and had barely eaten anything for 2 and a half days. I had to take her to the doctor's office where they found she had an ear infection (her first ever). We started some antibiotics and by that night she was feeling a bit better and eating some soup. It's now almost a week later and today was her first day back at school. She still a bit sluggish but definitely much better. At least she gets that she feels like crap because of the cold and not the surgery. I don't want her to be terrified of doctors and in therapy someday :)
It was so hard watching her just lay there totally out of it, sleepy, hot, but most of all quiet. Much too quiet. Poor baby Jimmy kept trying to make her laugh but she was just too sick and too pooped. Anyway she's on the mend and playing with her brother again, which makes him very happy. she is one of his favorite people of course.
Here are a few pics from before. One of the staff members came and we showed Paige what everyone would look like in the surgery with their hats and masks on. We showed her how you can see someone is smiling in their eyes even when you can't see their mouth behind the mask. Then we let her put them on, she loved it. More accessories!
Last jewelry. So I may have mentioned Rachel and I are venturing in the hand crafted jewelry
biz. Darn her! she's cranking out the stuff like a machine and I've barely made a bracelet! Let's remember she has no children. BIG difference! I've been staying busy doing things I can do while the kids are up. messing around on the computer for ideas, starting up the website, and tonight working with Rachel on a lighting and photo system (more on that later). Part of my problem is I have so many things I want to make and some of them aren't even jewelry. Or to make them I need to invest money for the materials. It's hard for me to just pick a few things and get going. I want to do it all and now! But that attitude gets nothing done. So I sit and see the Rachel-machine go and dream of a life where I can sit and craft in peace for hours. Hey, I can dream can't I?
OK that's all I can blog for now. It's almost midnight and I'm tired. I'll try to blog some more in the next few days. hopefully some more inspiring posts and not just the hum-drum of my life. Camping, surgery, and jewelry is so mundane! Teehee! k
Thursday, October 9, 2008
Silence is Golden
Yesterday was Paige's first day of "enrichment". What this means is that after her pre-school class she stayed for "lunch bunch" and then had a cooking class where they made mud pie with worms, learned how to use a whisk, read books and did a craft project. She loved it! Anyway, she was gone most of the day and it was just baby Jimmy and I. The house was so quiet and peaceful. Which made me start thinking about silence.
There are times at meals when Paige will just talk and talk and talk and talk. I have actually said to her "will you please just be quiet for 5 seconds, please". I wonder where she gets it from? hmmmm. Any of my friends will tell you that I like to talk, a lot. I enjoy socializing and chit chatting. But boy can this be a bad thing. Sometimes I don't know when to just be quiet, stop talking, keep my opinions to myself. I think it stems a lot from the fact that I cannot handle silent pauses during conversation. I have to fill every gap with words.
So from now on I vow to listen to my own demands to my daughter and just be quiet. Maybe I'll fill the void by blogging more. Maybe in that silence I'll hear the answers to the universe, or maybe I'll just fall asleep, we'll see.
There are times at meals when Paige will just talk and talk and talk and talk. I have actually said to her "will you please just be quiet for 5 seconds, please". I wonder where she gets it from? hmmmm. Any of my friends will tell you that I like to talk, a lot. I enjoy socializing and chit chatting. But boy can this be a bad thing. Sometimes I don't know when to just be quiet, stop talking, keep my opinions to myself. I think it stems a lot from the fact that I cannot handle silent pauses during conversation. I have to fill every gap with words.
So from now on I vow to listen to my own demands to my daughter and just be quiet. Maybe I'll fill the void by blogging more. Maybe in that silence I'll hear the answers to the universe, or maybe I'll just fall asleep, we'll see.
Reply to "water"
Let's not forget that juice is filled with all sorts of goodies like antioxidants, polyphenols, etc. So juice is good, just not too much because of the sugar. I love V8 Fusion, a blend of 8 fruits and veggies. Note that the veggies are listed first in the ingredients list so this drink is not just all fruit juice with a splash of carrots. If only it were organic, ahhhh, that would be perfection :)
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
Maybe Kerri Is Right And Silence Is Golden
So today I was over at Kerri's house working on the jewelry project. I think things are coming along quite nicely so far. We went to a bead store with Paige which included the phrase "don't touch" a lot. But it was still a successful trip. The problem was after we got back to Kerri's house.
So picture this, it's getting close to dinner time and Kerri is cooking. I am trying to look some things up on the internet and then I hear a baby Einstein DVD on a loop, because the viewing part is over it is stuck on the start screen. It's playing the same song over and over. Layer that noise with one of the children riding on a push car thing that has a popcorn popper thing on it. Also add in the other child pushing a toy car that sounds like a machine gun while it moves. On top of all this background noise Paige is attempting to carry on a conversation with anyone who will listen to her and the little boy is carrying on a conversation with himself. I feel the need to point out here that they weren't being bad kids, they are actually great kids, but they are still kids. So I decide I need to get away from the noise so I go outside for fresh air. Bad idea. A church not far from them has some bells going off but they aren't typical bell they play a whole song, those things were going for 5 minutes.
This is total chaos as far as I'm concerned. I'm sure all of you parents reading this are going "ahh, typical day". Well not typical for me. By this point I am twitching, if people wouldn't think I had totally lost it I would sit down suck my thumb and rock. If there is too much noise in my house I either turn off the T.V. or ask Rob to turn down what he is working on. As you can tell I'm used to quite being very easy to achieve.
I would like to end this with a compliment to all of the parents that you have much stronger ears then I do and you need to be applauded for that. I also wish all of you parents at least 15 minutes of silence a day because I'm sure you need it. I will continue to live in my quite and easy to control environment which doesn't make me twitch only venturing out as needed into the world of children. And to Paige and little Jimmy if you ever read this when you grow up if by some chance this internet stuff really is around forever, I'm sorry I'm picking on you but your the kids I see the most.
So picture this, it's getting close to dinner time and Kerri is cooking. I am trying to look some things up on the internet and then I hear a baby Einstein DVD on a loop, because the viewing part is over it is stuck on the start screen. It's playing the same song over and over. Layer that noise with one of the children riding on a push car thing that has a popcorn popper thing on it. Also add in the other child pushing a toy car that sounds like a machine gun while it moves. On top of all this background noise Paige is attempting to carry on a conversation with anyone who will listen to her and the little boy is carrying on a conversation with himself. I feel the need to point out here that they weren't being bad kids, they are actually great kids, but they are still kids. So I decide I need to get away from the noise so I go outside for fresh air. Bad idea. A church not far from them has some bells going off but they aren't typical bell they play a whole song, those things were going for 5 minutes.
This is total chaos as far as I'm concerned. I'm sure all of you parents reading this are going "ahh, typical day". Well not typical for me. By this point I am twitching, if people wouldn't think I had totally lost it I would sit down suck my thumb and rock. If there is too much noise in my house I either turn off the T.V. or ask Rob to turn down what he is working on. As you can tell I'm used to quite being very easy to achieve.
I would like to end this with a compliment to all of the parents that you have much stronger ears then I do and you need to be applauded for that. I also wish all of you parents at least 15 minutes of silence a day because I'm sure you need it. I will continue to live in my quite and easy to control environment which doesn't make me twitch only venturing out as needed into the world of children. And to Paige and little Jimmy if you ever read this when you grow up if by some chance this internet stuff really is around forever, I'm sorry I'm picking on you but your the kids I see the most.
Water
In a recent post by my partner she mentioned no longer using bottle water because that positively affects the environment. You all know about less plastic in land fills. But this and another articles in Newsweek has me thinking about how much water we really need each day. It seems every where you go now people are carrying around water, How did this trend get started. I found the answer!
"You should drink at least eight glasses of water a day. The source for this myth may be a 1945 article from the National Research Council that claims that a "suitable allowance" of water for adults is 2.5 liters a day, although the last sentence of the article notes that much of that water is already contained in the food we eat. Existing studies suggest that that often-omitted fact is key to understanding water intake. We get enough fluids from our typical daily consumption of juice, milk and even caffeinated drinks. And drinking too much water can cause water intoxication, a severe electrolyte imbalance in which cells swell with excess fluid, and even death"
So the suggested water intake left out the fluid in the food we eat and also that and fluids counted, not just water. What i find most fascinating about this is how strongly people feel about this. As we can see from this comment
Comment: I love how the writer of this article attempts to debunk the need to drink "8 glasses of water per day" by saying "we get enough water from juice, milk, and caffeinated drinks" (aka sodas and energy drinks. I can just picture the fat-out of shape person that the writer is just by that. Instead, you should REPLACE all the juice (sugar+ empty calories), milk (hormone-laden), and soda (filled with caffeine and CARBONATED water) that Americans are used to drinking with water. "
I think this person needs a hug and a beer. I didn't know that talk of beverages could upset someone so much. She, I'm guessing the writer is a she, has a problem with every type of beverage. True juice may be "sugar and empty calories" but it obviously supplies much needed fluid. Also no where in this one little paragraph did it say to give up drinking all water which is what the person commenting seemed to have gotten from it. I going to stop writing for the night and go back to my diet pepsi without guilt, after all it is fluid.
"You should drink at least eight glasses of water a day. The source for this myth may be a 1945 article from the National Research Council that claims that a "suitable allowance" of water for adults is 2.5 liters a day, although the last sentence of the article notes that much of that water is already contained in the food we eat. Existing studies suggest that that often-omitted fact is key to understanding water intake. We get enough fluids from our typical daily consumption of juice, milk and even caffeinated drinks. And drinking too much water can cause water intoxication, a severe electrolyte imbalance in which cells swell with excess fluid, and even death"
So the suggested water intake left out the fluid in the food we eat and also that and fluids counted, not just water. What i find most fascinating about this is how strongly people feel about this. As we can see from this comment
Comment: I love how the writer of this article attempts to debunk the need to drink "8 glasses of water per day" by saying "we get enough water from juice, milk, and caffeinated drinks" (aka sodas and energy drinks. I can just picture the fat-out of shape person that the writer is just by that. Instead, you should REPLACE all the juice (sugar+ empty calories), milk (hormone-laden), and soda (filled with caffeine and CARBONATED water) that Americans are used to drinking with water. "
I think this person needs a hug and a beer. I didn't know that talk of beverages could upset someone so much. She, I'm guessing the writer is a she, has a problem with every type of beverage. True juice may be "sugar and empty calories" but it obviously supplies much needed fluid. Also no where in this one little paragraph did it say to give up drinking all water which is what the person commenting seemed to have gotten from it. I going to stop writing for the night and go back to my diet pepsi without guilt, after all it is fluid.
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
Um, I'm not as green as I thought
I'm just chomping at the bit to talk about the debates tonight, however, I refuse to turn this lovely little blog into a crazy political forum. So I'll restrain myself as hard as that may be.
Ok, I re-read my green post and came to a realization...I'm not as green as I think! I'm green when it comes to anything that impacts my family and our health but not all that good at things that impact everyone. Well, I guess if I use biodegradable and organic I am helping the environment but geez, I really do not practice what I preach when it comes to energy, water, etc. So I'll try but seriously, the whole thing about "if it's yellow let it mellow, if it's brown flush it down" I just cannot do. Not when I'm worried baby Jimmy will follow in the footsteps of his great sister and wash the Doctor's Kit in the toilet!
Ok, I re-read my green post and came to a realization...I'm not as green as I think! I'm green when it comes to anything that impacts my family and our health but not all that good at things that impact everyone. Well, I guess if I use biodegradable and organic I am helping the environment but geez, I really do not practice what I preach when it comes to energy, water, etc. So I'll try but seriously, the whole thing about "if it's yellow let it mellow, if it's brown flush it down" I just cannot do. Not when I'm worried baby Jimmy will follow in the footsteps of his great sister and wash the Doctor's Kit in the toilet!
I'm taking a break from the enviornment to talk about the Duggars
I admit I have a sick fascination with this family. It's a running joke when I talk I talk to my cousin from Arkansas if she has met them yet. (she hasn't but she wants to, it's like a sideshow curiosity we all have in my family) So tonight I watched there shows about how duggar's court, they don't date. They believe in saving everything even their first kiss for their wedding day. This is taking the purity thing to a whole new strange level.
As you read this I want you to think back to one of your first kisses. Was it any good, or was it and "oh my god this guy is trying to swallow my face". With those first kisses did you think "I wast to spend the rest of my life with this person". Or did you think "that was fun but Joe over there is cuter and I'd like to check him out." I feel if is setting yourself up for such disappointment to make such a big deal out of a first kiss, chances are it's not going to be the best kiss of you life.
If i was looking at this from what I wanted to teach my children, god forbid that happened, I don't think I could tell them to wait like that. You would miss out on so much, sure less emotional baggage is the Duggar thought, but also less coping skills if you haven't had to cope.
OK i am now done with this family i felt I couldn't ignore and will be back to making fun of peoples responses to relevant issues in my next post. Promise no more Duggars
As you read this I want you to think back to one of your first kisses. Was it any good, or was it and "oh my god this guy is trying to swallow my face". With those first kisses did you think "I wast to spend the rest of my life with this person". Or did you think "that was fun but Joe over there is cuter and I'd like to check him out." I feel if is setting yourself up for such disappointment to make such a big deal out of a first kiss, chances are it's not going to be the best kiss of you life.
If i was looking at this from what I wanted to teach my children, god forbid that happened, I don't think I could tell them to wait like that. You would miss out on so much, sure less emotional baggage is the Duggar thought, but also less coping skills if you haven't had to cope.
OK i am now done with this family i felt I couldn't ignore and will be back to making fun of peoples responses to relevant issues in my next post. Promise no more Duggars
Monday, October 6, 2008
It Ain't Easy Being Green
OK ok, let's not get all crazy because people may actually want to clean their house with "clean" substances.
I love love love green things. I avidly read the ingredients of anything that will somehow come in contact with the inside or outside of my body and those of my family, including my little doggies. This includes food, cosmetics, soaps, vitamins, and also cleaning supplies. I would love a house built of bamboo and solar panels but unfortunately it's hard to go totally green unless you win the lottery. So I pick ways I can contribute to the benefit of our planet. I do not buy water in little plastic bottles for use in my home, I use stainless steel thermoses or glass jugs filled with water from my fridge door, which is lovely filtered chicago water. I steer clear of any plastic or baby products with BPA in it, I buy organic as much as possible. I reuse and recycle. That being said I do not drive an electric car, I don't compost (but my neighbor does), I go through paper plates and paper towels like crazy, I buy McDonalds for my daughter, and I 'm sure I do a ton of non-green things everyday. You'll hear this a lot from me about almost anything in my life..."Everything in moderation"
Last year just before I had my second baby I got all hot on clearing out all the chemicals from my house cleaning so anything my baby touched would be chemical free. First I tried the baking soda and vinegar bit, along with castile soap, borax, etc. I even created a little file folder of how to use all this to clean any and every surface in my house. I felt great the first time I cleaned this way but what I did not feel good about was how this natural alternative just didn't CLEAN as well as the good old "chemical" cleaners. So I moved on to Shaklee products, recommended from a friend, and they actually do work very well. However, the downfall was I could not just run out and get it when I needed it. This had to be ordered. Yuck. Over the years I have tried various things from Whole Foods and other natural stores. I'm now settled into a moderately natural cleaning state of mind. I still use store bought natural, biodegradable, no phosphate products but from time to time you have to bring out the big guns no matter what.
Yes, bleach is in my arsenal. I like bleach, it kills germs! I put a few small drops in a sprayer with water and make my own disinfectant. I once bought the Clorox Anywhere spray but read the label and realized I was paying for a few small drops of bleach in water. What a ripoff! Another GREAT product is Grapefruit Seed Extract. This is so versatile and can be used in 100's of ways. I use it as a germ killer on surfaces and also add it to my laundry.
I also tried the natural deodorant before. First, the name is what you have to pay attention to, "deodorant" not anti-perspirant AND deodorant. Ok, this just does not do it for me. I sweat. I need something that will keep me from sweating and make me smell good. I also like aluminum, it keeps me from stinking best it can and it has a tough job let me tell you!
And people, don't start sending me crazy granola comments about my mattresses and carpets emitting harmful VOC's and other things like that. I know about most of it and I tolerate it until or if ever I can do better. Also, the more crazy green stuff I do, the more teasing I get from Rachel.
So Rachel is right, chemicals can be our friends. Sometimes "Natural" can be bad for you and "chemical" can be good (hey, water is made up of Hydrogen and Oxygen, 2 chemicals). However, I think we should start going more natural as much as we can to help our planet and our bodies.
P.S. Check out Clean Well all-natural hand sanitizer for your kids. Be sure to check out the links section of our blog. And remember, good old soap and water can go a LONG way!
I love love love green things. I avidly read the ingredients of anything that will somehow come in contact with the inside or outside of my body and those of my family, including my little doggies. This includes food, cosmetics, soaps, vitamins, and also cleaning supplies. I would love a house built of bamboo and solar panels but unfortunately it's hard to go totally green unless you win the lottery. So I pick ways I can contribute to the benefit of our planet. I do not buy water in little plastic bottles for use in my home, I use stainless steel thermoses or glass jugs filled with water from my fridge door, which is lovely filtered chicago water. I steer clear of any plastic or baby products with BPA in it, I buy organic as much as possible. I reuse and recycle. That being said I do not drive an electric car, I don't compost (but my neighbor does), I go through paper plates and paper towels like crazy, I buy McDonalds for my daughter, and I 'm sure I do a ton of non-green things everyday. You'll hear this a lot from me about almost anything in my life..."Everything in moderation"
Last year just before I had my second baby I got all hot on clearing out all the chemicals from my house cleaning so anything my baby touched would be chemical free. First I tried the baking soda and vinegar bit, along with castile soap, borax, etc. I even created a little file folder of how to use all this to clean any and every surface in my house. I felt great the first time I cleaned this way but what I did not feel good about was how this natural alternative just didn't CLEAN as well as the good old "chemical" cleaners. So I moved on to Shaklee products, recommended from a friend, and they actually do work very well. However, the downfall was I could not just run out and get it when I needed it. This had to be ordered. Yuck. Over the years I have tried various things from Whole Foods and other natural stores. I'm now settled into a moderately natural cleaning state of mind. I still use store bought natural, biodegradable, no phosphate products but from time to time you have to bring out the big guns no matter what.
Yes, bleach is in my arsenal. I like bleach, it kills germs! I put a few small drops in a sprayer with water and make my own disinfectant. I once bought the Clorox Anywhere spray but read the label and realized I was paying for a few small drops of bleach in water. What a ripoff! Another GREAT product is Grapefruit Seed Extract. This is so versatile and can be used in 100's of ways. I use it as a germ killer on surfaces and also add it to my laundry.
I also tried the natural deodorant before. First, the name is what you have to pay attention to, "deodorant" not anti-perspirant AND deodorant. Ok, this just does not do it for me. I sweat. I need something that will keep me from sweating and make me smell good. I also like aluminum, it keeps me from stinking best it can and it has a tough job let me tell you!
And people, don't start sending me crazy granola comments about my mattresses and carpets emitting harmful VOC's and other things like that. I know about most of it and I tolerate it until or if ever I can do better. Also, the more crazy green stuff I do, the more teasing I get from Rachel.
So Rachel is right, chemicals can be our friends. Sometimes "Natural" can be bad for you and "chemical" can be good (hey, water is made up of Hydrogen and Oxygen, 2 chemicals). However, I think we should start going more natural as much as we can to help our planet and our bodies.
P.S. Check out Clean Well all-natural hand sanitizer for your kids. Be sure to check out the links section of our blog. And remember, good old soap and water can go a LONG way!
Thursday, October 2, 2008
Chemicals are our Friends
I sent an email to Kerri earlier today about an article on Newsweek that was about reducing chemicals in the home. A lot of people think this is a great idea, I don't. Chemicals are our friends, so I was actually lurking making fun of the people who posted comments after the article. This one really caught my attention
"Comment : I have done away with all fluoridated toothpaste and anti-perspiranats which contain aluminum, also any product which contains High Fructose Corn Syrup. I also have been using white vinegar to clean and baking soda to scrub the sinks and tub"
This is the last person I want to be near in a crowd. Aluminum makes deodorant work. It keeps people from offending others. It holds precious Diet Pepsi. It truly is a magic substance that we shouldn't reject. Second problem with this comment is she is cleaning with vinegar and baking soda. What about bleach. I think bleach has saved more lives then it's harmed. When i think of toxic substance i don't think bleach, bleach is used to clean up toxic messes. I just ask that if people are going to jump on the chemicals are bad band wagon, don't throw out the good helpful ones. Especially not the ones that make people smell better, kill germs and hold Diet Pepsi.
"Comment : I have done away with all fluoridated toothpaste and anti-perspiranats which contain aluminum, also any product which contains High Fructose Corn Syrup. I also have been using white vinegar to clean and baking soda to scrub the sinks and tub"
This is the last person I want to be near in a crowd. Aluminum makes deodorant work. It keeps people from offending others. It holds precious Diet Pepsi. It truly is a magic substance that we shouldn't reject. Second problem with this comment is she is cleaning with vinegar and baking soda. What about bleach. I think bleach has saved more lives then it's harmed. When i think of toxic substance i don't think bleach, bleach is used to clean up toxic messes. I just ask that if people are going to jump on the chemicals are bad band wagon, don't throw out the good helpful ones. Especially not the ones that make people smell better, kill germs and hold Diet Pepsi.
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
Kid's on the phone
Ok, I do run into the kid on the phone thing a lot. But here is the worst scenario.
parent- say hello to Susie
(we'll call her Susie to protect the innocent child who used to be forced into this scenario all the time).
me - hi Susie
Susie - silence (pant, pant, pant)
me - hi
Susie - (pant, pant, pant)
I am now the recipient of an obscene phone call from a toddler
me - put daddy back on the phone
Susie - (pant, pant, pant)
I know Susie can talk, I've heard her talk before, but she never talks on the phone and her father puts her on every time I call
me - please put daddy on the phone
Susie - (pant, pant, pant)
Finally after about five minutes of heavy breathing her father would come back. It wasn't even a case of not being able to understand her, she just didn't understand what the phone was for.
If your going to have your child talk to someone on the phone stay with them, prompt them on what to say and how to use the phone. It's not a strange talking block. But please never leave your children alone with the phone, or else the above scenario happens.
Rob had an interesting idea of how to deal with this. When his brother would put his niece on the phone Rob would respond by putting the phone near our evil dog Wolfgang who will bark at anything. This was mildly amusing at first, but it too had gone bad in it's own way. Now our niece at the age of about 7 insist on speaking to Wolfgang using speaker phone. worse then listening to just me dog bark now I hear a child barking back at him long distance.
At times kids on the phone can be funny. I love being on the phone with Kerri and listening to Paige try to have a conversation with her whether Kerri wants to listen to her or not. Sorry moms I know it probably drives you crazy, but on my end of the phone it's funny. It's actually really funny.
parent- say hello to Susie
(we'll call her Susie to protect the innocent child who used to be forced into this scenario all the time).
me - hi Susie
Susie - silence (pant, pant, pant)
me - hi
Susie - (pant, pant, pant)
I am now the recipient of an obscene phone call from a toddler
me - put daddy back on the phone
Susie - (pant, pant, pant)
I know Susie can talk, I've heard her talk before, but she never talks on the phone and her father puts her on every time I call
me - please put daddy on the phone
Susie - (pant, pant, pant)
Finally after about five minutes of heavy breathing her father would come back. It wasn't even a case of not being able to understand her, she just didn't understand what the phone was for.
If your going to have your child talk to someone on the phone stay with them, prompt them on what to say and how to use the phone. It's not a strange talking block. But please never leave your children alone with the phone, or else the above scenario happens.
Rob had an interesting idea of how to deal with this. When his brother would put his niece on the phone Rob would respond by putting the phone near our evil dog Wolfgang who will bark at anything. This was mildly amusing at first, but it too had gone bad in it's own way. Now our niece at the age of about 7 insist on speaking to Wolfgang using speaker phone. worse then listening to just me dog bark now I hear a child barking back at him long distance.
At times kids on the phone can be funny. I love being on the phone with Kerri and listening to Paige try to have a conversation with her whether Kerri wants to listen to her or not. Sorry moms I know it probably drives you crazy, but on my end of the phone it's funny. It's actually really funny.
Put 'em up, Put em' up! Challenge Topic - Children on the phone
Ok, So Not The Mom. I challenge you!
Topic - Talking to Children on the phone.
You all know the drill, you're talking to a friend on the phone, their child is bugging your friend to let them have the phone. They of course do and the conversation goes something this...
You - "Hi (insert child's name here), how are you?"
Child - "Hi! I blah blah blah blah" a senseless string of inaudible words
You - "Ok honey, nice talking to you put mommy back on the phone"
Child - "Blah blah blah poopy hahahaha"
You - "Ok, that's great, let me talk to mommy"
Child - "blah blah blah"
This goes on for a bit usually ending in some kind of screaming or not, depends on the age of the child.
As a mom I have to deal with my daughter doing one of two things, either interrupting me when I'm on a phone call or wanting to talk to whomever is on the phone. We as moms think our kids are the most adorable things on earth, especially when they speak. Every once in awhile I will indulge her and let her talk on the phone, usually not for very long but enough to say hi to the person on the other end. I think in short spurts and in moderation this is ok. This is always ok when talking to a grandparent. I think that a mom rule generally should be to allow it if the person on the other end loves children, especially yours, allow it if your child can speak intelligibly, allow it if it is relaying their first words to someone who wants to know, and finally, do not allow it if the child starts demanding to talk on the phone. At that point tell you friend you will call them back after you deal with the situation and get control of your little devil.
So Not The Mom, what are your thoughts when people put their children on the phone in the midst of a conversation?
Topic - Talking to Children on the phone.
You all know the drill, you're talking to a friend on the phone, their child is bugging your friend to let them have the phone. They of course do and the conversation goes something this...
You - "Hi (insert child's name here), how are you?"
Child - "Hi! I blah blah blah blah" a senseless string of inaudible words
You - "Ok honey, nice talking to you put mommy back on the phone"
Child - "Blah blah blah poopy hahahaha"
You - "Ok, that's great, let me talk to mommy"
Child - "blah blah blah"
This goes on for a bit usually ending in some kind of screaming or not, depends on the age of the child.
As a mom I have to deal with my daughter doing one of two things, either interrupting me when I'm on a phone call or wanting to talk to whomever is on the phone. We as moms think our kids are the most adorable things on earth, especially when they speak. Every once in awhile I will indulge her and let her talk on the phone, usually not for very long but enough to say hi to the person on the other end. I think in short spurts and in moderation this is ok. This is always ok when talking to a grandparent. I think that a mom rule generally should be to allow it if the person on the other end loves children, especially yours, allow it if your child can speak intelligibly, allow it if it is relaying their first words to someone who wants to know, and finally, do not allow it if the child starts demanding to talk on the phone. At that point tell you friend you will call them back after you deal with the situation and get control of your little devil.
So Not The Mom, what are your thoughts when people put their children on the phone in the midst of a conversation?
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Dogs are Like Children
I have two dogs (so does Rachel). They are small and I'm sure they will live forever and have many expenses. I just had to wipe the butt of my dog Clyde. My first thought - are you kidding me? My second thought - why didn't my husband do it?
12 pack of charmin at walgreens - $9.79
small shitzu purchased 9 years ago - $300
wiping the poop off my dogs ass - Priceless
12 pack of charmin at walgreens - $9.79
small shitzu purchased 9 years ago - $300
wiping the poop off my dogs ass - Priceless
A Glimpse Into My Future
I had to stop at walgreens on the way home from running some errands. I'm standing in the halloween section looking at lightsticks to grab as a surprise for Paige and I'm near some teenage girls. I hear one of the girls holding a big bag of candy say, "Oh my god, my mom is going to kill me when she sees this...it's not organic". Eeeek, is that going to be Paige someday? and how about how old I felt standing there armed with only my 12 pack of Charmin, I might as well have been holding some Bengay and hearing aid batteries.
Welcome to Our Blog!
Hi all, this is Kerri aka The Mom. I'm finally a blogger! This resulted due to a drunken night (on my part) hanging out with Rachel aka So Not The Mom. We were discussing an idea to begin stimulating that part of our brain that yearns to create and the other part that wants to make money. We are both good at making jewelry so we'll see where that leads us. That discussion brought us to also create a blog. This first post may be a bit lengthy so I can give you a glimpse of who we are.
So let me give you a history about the two of us that will help you understand what to expect from our blog. Rachel and I have been friends since the 5th grade and we are both now married and in our mid-30's. Gasp, we both just turned 35, oh the horror of it all. I have 2 children and Rachel has none, zero, nil, nada and would run screaming to the hills if one should show up staking claim to her uterus. Don't get me wrong though, she actually does like children, some children, very specific children, children that are not hers...and children LOVE her. I mean really identify with her and like to be around her, I think it's her childlike nature that lures them in.
We grew up on the northwest side of Chicago in a modest neighborhood. We attended private schools, Lutheran grammar school and Catholic high school (we do not discriminate). We still have many of the same friends from "back-in-the-day" (see future post regarding Facebook, the black hole to my time) and Rachel's family is like a second family to me.
Rachel is a nurse and currently works for a health care company. Hopefully she will blog later about the moronic people with whom she deals with. She has worked in many fields of nursing and actually worked with my older sister in interventional radiology at Northwestern Memorial Hospital, a department who is a nation leader in cutting-edge technology. I am now a stay-at-home-mom who previously worked for about 14 years for Heidrick & Struggles, a leading executive search firm based in Chicago. I worked in the finance department and Technology department managing the business intelligence reporting, some SEC filing information, and various other tidbits of all-knowing data. I was there when we went public and that was exciting. I also designed and developed their global reporting system. I had an office in the Sears Tower with a view of the lake. I miss those days :( I worked a bit from home as a contractor after my first child, but bad economic times hit and I haven't worked for them since their budget was cut.
Rachel and I can be very, very different people. On the surface I have dark features and she has light. I won't mention which one of us has the booty and which has the nice rack because it's a sore subject for me :) I like a shoe with a slender heel and Rachel loves platforms. Over the years I have had my hair many different cuts and colors. Rachel has had virtually the same haircut since high school but it works for her and she looks great in it.
I am gullible and trusting, she is sneaky. I won't mention how she made me think I wasn't growing taller when we were young because she would lie to me about the measurements. Kudos to her invention of "soft cement" in the 80's which she told me was being installed on her block so you wouldn't get hurt when you fell down. BTW, they actually have this stuff now as I have read an article about some other cities actually using "rubber" cement to relieve stress on the joints when walking or running.
Family-wise, as I mentioned, I have children and she does not. Rachel's parents are still married after all these years and my parents have both been married many many times. Rachel's family basically adopted me probably because I needed a place to eat :)
We lived together for several years in our early 20's and they were some of the most fun times of my life. She worked nights and I worked days. She would torment me with practical jokes, like the time I can home to a house filled with post-it notes declaring "wall" or "fridge" or whatever it was tacked to. I am OCD neat and she is definitely not. She thrives in the darkness of the night and I jump out of bed bright and cheery every morning (well, almost every morning). Rachel has the memory of an elephant, is witty and knows anything about everything. My memory seems to have slipped since having children.
I relish in all things natural and organic and she poo-poo's anything that could possibly be good for you. Rachel will drink Diet Pepsi by the gallon and actually travels with a little cooler filled with it at all times whereas I thrive on water. I enjoy cooking and baking, Rachel is NOT allowed to play with fire.
With all these differences we are the best of friends and we have a lot of common interests. We both love to do crafts, having taken a stained glass class together (again, fire bad) and are now going to take the leap into jewelry making together. We like the same books, we are both into music - Rachel is married to a musician and has played keyboard in their band. We both like to stay up late. We love chocolate (who doesn't). We both have the same moral and political views. I won't tell you what those are because I don't want to scare away any republicans reading this blog, oops, looks like I let it slip. What did you expect from an nature lover and a bleeding heart nurse?
So what you can look forward to in our blog? I'm sure I'll be blogging about stupid kid stuff and granola-muncher topics. Rachel will probably post things like the giant boar myth. You'll probably have to suffer through blog entries with more insight into who we are and things that have happened to us over the years of our friendship. I will forever be on the butt end of many of Rachel's jokes as she never ceases to tease me even now. She is a maniacal genius and I'm glad she is on my side. I'm sure all her posts will shadow mine as hers will most likely be much more witty and hilarious. Rachel can make me laugh like no other person on this earth, many times to tears.
We will do our best to give you an intelligent, informative and entertaining look at things from the mom vs so not the mom perspective. I hope you enjoy our blog and that it brings you laughter, knowledge and inspiration!
So let me give you a history about the two of us that will help you understand what to expect from our blog. Rachel and I have been friends since the 5th grade and we are both now married and in our mid-30's. Gasp, we both just turned 35, oh the horror of it all. I have 2 children and Rachel has none, zero, nil, nada and would run screaming to the hills if one should show up staking claim to her uterus. Don't get me wrong though, she actually does like children, some children, very specific children, children that are not hers...and children LOVE her. I mean really identify with her and like to be around her, I think it's her childlike nature that lures them in.
We grew up on the northwest side of Chicago in a modest neighborhood. We attended private schools, Lutheran grammar school and Catholic high school (we do not discriminate). We still have many of the same friends from "back-in-the-day" (see future post regarding Facebook, the black hole to my time) and Rachel's family is like a second family to me.
Rachel is a nurse and currently works for a health care company. Hopefully she will blog later about the moronic people with whom she deals with. She has worked in many fields of nursing and actually worked with my older sister in interventional radiology at Northwestern Memorial Hospital, a department who is a nation leader in cutting-edge technology. I am now a stay-at-home-mom who previously worked for about 14 years for Heidrick & Struggles, a leading executive search firm based in Chicago. I worked in the finance department and Technology department managing the business intelligence reporting, some SEC filing information, and various other tidbits of all-knowing data. I was there when we went public and that was exciting. I also designed and developed their global reporting system. I had an office in the Sears Tower with a view of the lake. I miss those days :( I worked a bit from home as a contractor after my first child, but bad economic times hit and I haven't worked for them since their budget was cut.
Rachel and I can be very, very different people. On the surface I have dark features and she has light. I won't mention which one of us has the booty and which has the nice rack because it's a sore subject for me :) I like a shoe with a slender heel and Rachel loves platforms. Over the years I have had my hair many different cuts and colors. Rachel has had virtually the same haircut since high school but it works for her and she looks great in it.
I am gullible and trusting, she is sneaky. I won't mention how she made me think I wasn't growing taller when we were young because she would lie to me about the measurements. Kudos to her invention of "soft cement" in the 80's which she told me was being installed on her block so you wouldn't get hurt when you fell down. BTW, they actually have this stuff now as I have read an article about some other cities actually using "rubber" cement to relieve stress on the joints when walking or running.
Family-wise, as I mentioned, I have children and she does not. Rachel's parents are still married after all these years and my parents have both been married many many times. Rachel's family basically adopted me probably because I needed a place to eat :)
We lived together for several years in our early 20's and they were some of the most fun times of my life. She worked nights and I worked days. She would torment me with practical jokes, like the time I can home to a house filled with post-it notes declaring "wall" or "fridge" or whatever it was tacked to. I am OCD neat and she is definitely not. She thrives in the darkness of the night and I jump out of bed bright and cheery every morning (well, almost every morning). Rachel has the memory of an elephant, is witty and knows anything about everything. My memory seems to have slipped since having children.
I relish in all things natural and organic and she poo-poo's anything that could possibly be good for you. Rachel will drink Diet Pepsi by the gallon and actually travels with a little cooler filled with it at all times whereas I thrive on water. I enjoy cooking and baking, Rachel is NOT allowed to play with fire.
With all these differences we are the best of friends and we have a lot of common interests. We both love to do crafts, having taken a stained glass class together (again, fire bad) and are now going to take the leap into jewelry making together. We like the same books, we are both into music - Rachel is married to a musician and has played keyboard in their band. We both like to stay up late. We love chocolate (who doesn't). We both have the same moral and political views. I won't tell you what those are because I don't want to scare away any republicans reading this blog, oops, looks like I let it slip. What did you expect from an nature lover and a bleeding heart nurse?
So what you can look forward to in our blog? I'm sure I'll be blogging about stupid kid stuff and granola-muncher topics. Rachel will probably post things like the giant boar myth. You'll probably have to suffer through blog entries with more insight into who we are and things that have happened to us over the years of our friendship. I will forever be on the butt end of many of Rachel's jokes as she never ceases to tease me even now. She is a maniacal genius and I'm glad she is on my side. I'm sure all her posts will shadow mine as hers will most likely be much more witty and hilarious. Rachel can make me laugh like no other person on this earth, many times to tears.
We will do our best to give you an intelligent, informative and entertaining look at things from the mom vs so not the mom perspective. I hope you enjoy our blog and that it brings you laughter, knowledge and inspiration!
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