Though for The Day

I'm tired, the floor needs vacuuming, the floor needs to be mopped, I have a filling that's falling out, I need to go to the podiatrist, I need a facial, I need a massage, I need to go the the chiropractor, I need to have three moles removed, I want an Ambush Makeover, I discovered the bottles I use suck, I need to get more of the good ones, the rabbit needs to be moved outside, laundry needs to be done, I'm chubby, so is Chris, my hair has been unusually greasy as of late, Roxy's pooping on a more regular basis, I want a new house - or at least new things in this one, I haven't been preparing for work, there's a woodpecker that loves the corner of the house outside my bedroom, Tony Danza cracks me up, the boys take the "you're an idiot" tone with me ALL THE TIME, I want a vacation, I hate Tom Cruise, I hate W, I need to get to Jazzercise, I need to stop buying Roxy clothes, we need a retirement plan, the deck needs a good cleaning, the floors would look really good refinished, I need to have a serious garage sale, I want a manicure, and a pedicure, the plants need watering, I need to plant grass seed outside, I hope my mom isn't having a stressful day, we're headed into crunch time, I keep forgetting to call Linda, the dogs chased a young raccoon up a tree today (punks), I don't know what to make for dinner, I need to take Roxy to see my grandma, my face is breaking out, I have to do laundry ( I already said that), I wish everything could get done in one miraculous day, I need help, the car needs an oil change, I need to go to the library, I need a good night's sleep, mosquito's are coming, flea's too, and fly's, get some bug spray, flea stuff and fly traps, men are exhausting, I love my dog, I need more money, buy a lottery ticket, the front yard needs new landscaping, the back yard needs a miracle, a personal assistant for a week would be great, Chris' cat is kinda stupid, my cat's are obnoxious, my body aches, I wish I could fit into all my cool clothes, I wish I had the personality to wear my cool clothes, I don't like things too put together, therefore I should love things the way they are, I do, dusting never ends, I sometimes wish I had a normal job that I could walk away from after 8 hours, my body has forgotten what it feels like to dance, that's incredibly sad, I wanna buy something, I wanna eat, I need to re-organize, I need to play more, I have gas, I'm tired, and I need to do laundry

Daddy's Girl

Those of you who know him, know what I'm talking about!

Let's Put A Face With It

This is my brother Ian. He's in Iraq.

Our Morning - A One Act

The Setting: Roxy's room 8:23 am
The Characters: Roxy (life-like doll will do), Evan (age 9 3/4), Noah (age 8), and Mom (ageless, glowing and radiant at all times)

Evan: Do you think that Roxy will be pretty when she gets older?

Mom: Well, you're both good looking, so I think she has a pretty good chance of being pretty.

Noah: Yea, well I'm prettier than Evan.

Mom: Oh you both look exactly the same!

Noah: NO! I'm prettier than Evan!

Evan: You are not!

Noah: I am too!

Evan: Well, I'm smarter!

Noah: No you're not!

Evan: Oh yea, well what's 88 divided by 44?

Noah: I don't do division dummy. I only do multiplication! (swift kick to Evan's shin)

Mom: NOAH! You better watch that German temper of yours!

Noah: I'm not German!

Mom: Yes, you are.

Evan: Yea, Nazi.

Mom: Watch it bub, you're German too!

Evan: I am?


Curtain

But Mama, I Love Him!

He says that I call him lazy every chance I get. Well actually I have said it three times - WHEN HE WAS BEING LAZY!

I warned him that I was particular- now he refuses to put the dishes in the dishwasher because I'll just go in there and change them anyway - if he would turn the damn thing on and put the clean ones away, I'd never know the difference!

He put the baby to bed the other night without changing her poopy diaper for FOUR HOURS!!! He swore he would never do it again. The next day, HE DID IT AGAIN!

He said he didn't snore - HE DOES!

He said when he was working his hands got really strong and he'd rub my back for hours - hasn't happened.

He does laundry - HIS WORK CLOTHES!

I asked him to tell me one reason why he loved me - he said because I was his "baby mama."

I can be in the middle of feeding the baby, doing dishes, vacuuming, and brushing my teeth, all at the same time - and he will run through the house after me to hand me a ringing phone.

We have a garage full of brand new tools - still in the boxes.


He is a stubborn man. But he is thoughtful. He's honest. Giving. Witty. Smart. Level-headed. Genuine. Beautiful. And he loves me. This I know. And I love him for everything he is.

Damn They're cute!

Woo-Woo For Me & Good Ju-ju For You!

I don't read. Not that I'm particularly proud of that fact. There are hundreds of books in my house, either purchased or borrowed with great intent. But the fact remains that I don't have a great deal of time to sit down and read, and when I do, the act of reading puts me to sleep. HOWEVER! I did finish reading a book last night! A play, actually. One from the list of books I swore I was going to read. I finished "The Good Body," by Eve Ensler (author of "The Vagina Monologues"). All 102 pages of it, including the preface, title page, and special acknowledgments. Not "War and Peace," but I did it, so woo-woo for me!
And on a totally unrelated note, I have to admit that I was pissed off at Grey's Anatomy last night! Why? They stole my "ju-ju!" Not that I am the sole owner of that term or that I even have any special right to claim it as mine, but I have been the identifier and gracious recipient of good ju-ju for a really long time now. And now there is a slight threat that something I hold so dear is going to become common. God, I hope not! And anyway a cup of coco is not good ju-ju! Especially when it is given with the intent of bringing the giver good ju-ju! Ju-ju is fortune, energy, luck! Icky people have bad ju-ju for you. Being in the right place at the right time is good ju-ju. You can't hand somebody good ju-ju! I don't believe that ju-ju applies in a form similar or comparable to karma. Ju-ju just is!
It comes your way or it doesn't! What's important is that you appreciate the good ju-ju, genuinely. And that you turn and walk away from the bad ju-ju, genuinely. So on that note, may good ju-ju be yours.

How It All Turned Out

Well, this is it, the last day of the boy's Spring Break! And as irony would have it, the first official day of Spring (starts at noon). And as irony would further have it, we're due for 3-6 inches of snow later on today. Go figure! Anyway, we made it through this week without any major meltdowns, just one moody moment brought on by an impending headache (Evan). Other than that, all went really well. I actually had a good time with the boys. We got the house cleaned for when Chris's sisters and dad came up for dinner - always nice! Having people over of course, but a clean house ROCKS! I worked with Evan on his long division, and he gets it! Halle-freakin-lujah! He even thinks it's easy! And we didn't have any horrible episodes doing it! I can be a nurturing mama, I can! We went ice skating, visited Science City, they played outside a lot, Noah went with me to the studio and helped me clean there, they played video games, went and saw their grandpa's show, colored, roller skated, and helped me out immensely with Roxy. Pretty uneventful really, but it was pleasant. And the fact that Evan is returning to school confident with what he has to do makes me happy beyond belief. We have struggled the past two years with him and his confidence. There are things that he doesn't understand easily and in turn starts to think himself stupid. I guess it's hard not to feel like that when you think everybody else in the room understands what you don't. So my hope is that he waltzs right into school tomorrow (assuming we don't have a snow day) and kicks some long division ass!

Magic Full Circle Moment

So, mom's little whisper (Julie/LoveBoat) in the ear got to me and I decided to take the kids ice skating at the outdoor rink I frequented as a child. (compliments of the free passes I received from one of the students I teach at the University) It wasn't crowded at all - and the place literally hasn't changed one bit in 20+ years. It was a nice day, not too cold at all, a little windy but hey. Anyway, there I was holding Roxy under my jacket, and watching Evan & Noah ice skate for the first time in their lives (don't know how that happened). The sun was out a little and Fastball's "Outta My Head" was playing over the speakers. It was a beautiful little moment. One of those that make you feel as though you're the star of you own movie. Watching the boys glide over my old haunt, holding the baby I thought would never be, and listening to a pretty great song. Just one of those magic full circle moments designed to remind you that life is beautiful. Play it again.

Wouldn't You If You Still Could?

Spring Break For Mama

So the boys are on Spring Break this week, and we haven't done a damn thing. It's my thinking that not having to go to school is break enough, but my mom has a great ability for making me feel I'm not doing enough for them. Marcie and I have decided that she is my event coordinator (Julie from Love Boat) - not really that she gets involved in my stuff - she doesn't. It's just that I have guilt when she says things like "I just thought if you___________, then the boys would feel like they had a vacation." My response? "They're not in school for 9 days!" I'M gonna be the one in need of a vacation! They're in 2nd & 4th grade. They still get reccess every day for crying out loud! My idea of a good day is when I get the laundry done, the dishes put away, no calls from the principle, no animal by-products left on the floor, no bills in the mail, am nice to my students at work, and get a nap. Mama needs a vacation! Which got me to thinking that the last time I went on a bonifide vacation - sans children - was in April 2004 when I went out to L.A. to see friends. The time before that was 1999 when I went with my ex to New York. And believe me when I say that weren't no vacation. Other than that was when the boys were 3 & 4 1/2, and we all know that is defined as a "family vacation," and there is no time for anything that doesn't revolve around tantrums, naps, and ice cream. So where do I want to go? Someplace warm, with warm water, and sun, and not too many hot people beause I'll just feel like a blob in a swimsuit. A little bit of time where I don't have to get up and do something for someone by a certain time. A periodic jaunt back to the days of selfish indulgence. Marcie mentioned the other day what it's like for people who don't have kids. That they are free. Oh, just a moment of that! It goes without saying that my kids matter more to me than anything, but just a day would be nice. But then I have to wonder - could I really enjoy myself? Would I worry that I'm being selfish? Of course I would. I'm a selfish person! But I'd somehow manage to plug through. (get the irony?) This is all just wishful thinking, however. Roxy is only three months old, and my chances for a vacation are next to nill for the next year, at least. BUT! Sometime in August, Marcie and I are planning a day long outting to a neighboring college town to go fabric shopping and what ever else strikes our fancy. Two daddy's - alone with seven kids! Even if we are wrestling with guilt, I bet we stick it out - if for nothing else than the humor factor. Oh it's just so wrong, but it's not going to stop us!

Brace Yourself And Hang on Tight

Oh my god, it started! If you remember a little while ago, I realized that I had finally achieved official parent status - embarrassing Evan by singing in the car. Well, yesterday my friends I heard those infamous words - "I should be able to do whatever I want to do with them (jeans), because THEY'RE MINE!" Best wishes and regards are appreciated, and donations for the "'Payback is a Bitch' Escape Plan" should be sent to Van and Susie c/0 "The Grandparent's Final laugh / 'Ha Ha' Club." Please be generous.

Bathroom Humor

Being the mom of two boys, there are certain things that just happen. Like developing an extra strong affinity for bathroom humor. I've realized that the act of farting can be a great bonding experience. And I've secured a great relationship with my boys. We don't cower to proper terms - "flatulence," "breaking wind," "passing gas," and all the apologetic phrases that go with that lingo don't apply here. We call a "fart" a "fart," and affectionately refer to the verb as a "poot," or "the thunder from down under." We repeat the various sounds and laugh. There are the "pppffffft," "pwoof," "burrrrrrrrnt," "pwup," "boom boom boom boom, boom," (a Roxy fart), and countless others that are really hard to try to convey with mere words. And when one of us breaks out in poot, our family response is "good one!" Probably to the horror of my mother. But it is funny.
Sometimes I act like I'm going to tell the boys something of great importance - "Boys, you know what?" "What?" prffffffft! "Awe mom! Geez!" Laughter. Last night, however, Evan responded by saying "That's the mom I know and love!" While I adore his sweet sentiment, it does make me wonder if they only love me for my vulgarity. Do the toys, and food, and groovy bedrooms really matter to them? Do they brag to their friends that I'm cool because I laugh at them farting? Who knows. All I do know is that the looks are their faces when they are laughing is priceless. And from what Chris tells me about "adult" men, I didn't pick my battle well!

Thought(s) For The Day

"The connections between and among women are the most feared, the most problematic, and the most potentially transforming force on the planet"
- Adrienne Rich

"Motherhood and homemaking are honorable choices for any woman, provided it is the woman herself who makes those decisions" - Molly Yard

"The only real elegance is in the mind" - Diana Vreeland

"Trying to be a perfect feminist...is not really a big improvement on trying to be a perfect wife, mother, and lady" - Jane O'Reilly

All Together Now!

(to the tune "Camptown Races")
Guess who's 3 months old today?
ROXY!
ROXY!
Guess who's 3 month's old today?
Little Roxy Kay
She doesn't sleep all night
She likes to eat all day
We love this little baby, yes we do
Precious Roxy Kay

Pretty Boys

Morning Glory!

Here are the boys with all their kinetic energy! Getting ready for school is FUN! Actually, they do a great job of being responsible for themselves in the morning. They're growing up! Gorgeous!

Thought For The Day

"Feminism is an entire world view or gestalt, not just a laundry list of women's issues" - Charlotte Bunch

Roxy's Heart

On February 10th, Roxy was diagnosed with a heart murmur. Needless to say, it threw us for a loop. This past Monday, we took her to a pediatric cardiologist and found out everything is fine - a clean bill of health! She is a thriving, happy, and charming baby. And we love her!