TheMommyBlog

Wednesday, July 07, 2010 QOTD

Dylan and Daphne have been really good sports about going to all of their big brother’s baseball games. Logan’s in the Little League Majors this year, and not only did his team win the league, they went on to the Tournament of Champions and now he’s on the All-Star team, which is in first place. That is A LOT OF GAMES.

Dylan is usually quiet, checking in with me occasionally by tapping my leg repeatedly. He asks if it’s annoying. When I say yes, he replies, “Then I’m doing my job.”

After a particularly spectacular hit, we watched the batter toss the bat end over end in graceful arcs as he pelted toward first. As we were cheering, he said:

I just feel sorry for the bats.
—Dylan

Friday, July 02, 2010 Family

Convincing my son to trim his mane was soooo much harder than cutting it! It had been at least four months, maybe more, and when his teacher started asking him every day whether he’d combed it…

I said he’d feel better, like our dog did when we got her a summer haircut. Just get all the undercoat out.

Whew. Thank God I did a good job; now it should only be 75% as difficult to persuade him next time. It’s still past his jawline, it touches his shoulders in the back, and he can still tuck it behind his ears. We have very similar standards.

Tuesday, June 29, 2010 Me, Me, Me, Bad Mood Dude, Family

Ok, everyone, I got some ‘splaining to do. I haven’t been updating and I don’t know what’s wrong with me, but it’s like part of my brain has been removed. The part that is creative, light heated, able to write, oh, you know, the part that EARNS MY LIVING.

Could be a number of things, not limited to:

• construction right outside my office window that has been going on for a month and has at least that much more to go;
• change in meds followed by a frantic change back due to unacceptable personality changes (putting it gently);
• frantic scrambling mixed with cautious, slow-acting optimism re school situation (read: we don’t know which school district the kids will be attending next year);
• a perhaps unwisely timed embarkation on a cleansing program;
• Guy doing some heavy international travel such that much of our time together consists of naps and reminders of what day and time it is, sometimes which year;
• preparation for trip to Cabo with a few other travel mom bloggers (I’m always the oddball—I’m not a travel writer but am generic enough to be included sometimes);
• having had to turn down a paid trip to Hong Kong and Shenzhen with Guy on the SAME DATES, but hope to make it up later in the year but in Berlin instead; playdate scheduled to start in ten minutes;
• barely any structure to the summer so far outside of relentless Majors Little League games and practices, followed by Tournament of Champions, followed by All-Star tournament and after-parties;
• and mommy-let’s-go-NOW-I’M LATE so I can’t finish this post.

Now I’ve forgotten what I was saying because the table saw is firing up outside and MLB is on, and Sleeping Carl is snorting in the background…

BUT at least I have an exciting new project. My landlady has a studio apartment attached to the garage she’s just torn down and is rebuilding and wants to use it when she visits CA. The other day, she said, hey, if you want, you can paint the concrete floor, fix it up, make it nice, and I’ll give you free rent.  HELLO! It’s ON! So now I begin my hunt for cool ideas for making a 450 sq ft studio with a concrete floor into a cool livable escape. Sooo excited! Appreciated any tips/links!

Thursday, June 24, 2010 Family

Today I read a comment on the Oprah Network video I submitted that affected me profoundly. If this woman is half-right, I have done what I’ve set out to do in life.

Posted: Thu 6/24/2010 7:26 PM
SgtGreta: Mindy is what rhetorical theorists call ‘the good (wo)man speaking well.’ In the often choppy and super-snarky world of blogging, her kindness prevails. She makes fun of no one more than herself and her love of her family jumps from her words. She manages to be impressive without being self-impressed. I wish I were half as fabulous. VOTE FOR MINDY.

I wanted to create a record.

I wanted to give life to children, love them fiercely, and turn them loose in the world knowing what is to be loved and cherished and also to be held accountable for their actions and for their fellow beings.

I wanted to show YOU what you are, what you are worth, and what you have brought to this world.

I wanted, desperately, to love and be loved and for all of those in that lovely goodness to know who they were.

I have no regrets; I have nothing to atone for; I am utterly at peace.

You have given me all that a person could want—confirmation that I did not take more than I gave and that I helped make things a little more fun.

It’s a strange feeling, because we are brought up to believe that there is always a goal to be chased, a purpose to fulfill. I think I’ve fulfilled mine. I could die happily tonight, but then I’d miss out on all the fun.

I give myself permission.

You all SO totally rock.

Thursday, June 24, 2010 QOTD

The kids and I were talking about exercise and how I need to make sure we all get out and burn off energy because they are driving me nuts at home they need to move their bodies.

Me: “I need to move mine too, if I want to wear a bikini this summer. I mean, I don’t really exercise. At all.”

Logan: “Sure you do!”

Daphne: “We’re your exercise!”

Dylan: “Yeah, remember? Kids are your workout!”

Daphne: “Be the pants!”

Dylan: “YEAH!”

Daphne: “FIND YOUR INNER PANTS!”

I must have three pair of Kids Are My Workout Yoga Style Pants from Planet Mom Tshirts. I love Eileen and Elise.