Things I Never Thought I Would Have to Say, Part Four
“Don’t spray sunscreen on the windows!”
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Tuesday, November 04, 2008
Brought To You By Insomnia
The best way I have ever spent insomniatic time--VOTING. I was up early listening to the Wee One cough (hello, asthma season!) when I remembered that the polls opened at 6. As I drove down the road, I encountered my neighbor, letting the chickens out. He was on his way to the polls, too. When I got to the community center, his wife was already there, as were about 15 other people. I was number six in line. As we left, my neighbor's wife, a reticent New England native, burst into tears. Apologizing as I hugged her, she said, "I just want to be able to breathe in this country again."
Here, here. This is the big one, folks--get out and VOTE!
The best way I have ever spent insomniatic time--VOTING. I was up early listening to the Wee One cough (hello, asthma season!) when I remembered that the polls opened at 6. As I drove down the road, I encountered my neighbor, letting the chickens out. He was on his way to the polls, too. When I got to the community center, his wife was already there, as were about 15 other people. I was number six in line. As we left, my neighbor's wife, a reticent New England native, burst into tears. Apologizing as I hugged her, she said, "I just want to be able to breathe in this country again."
Here, here. This is the big one, folks--get out and VOTE!
Monday, October 27, 2008
Thursday, October 23, 2008
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
Tuesday, October 07, 2008
Breaking Biggie News Flash
She won a national Amtrak essay contest!!!
She wrote the essay while we were traveling on the Amtrak Cascade in Oregon in August. The notification was delivered to me by FedEx just now. She didn't win the grand prize of some sort of El Capitan super train, but rather one of 14 "first" prizes of a Polar Express train set--which is the one she wanted, anyway.
Very many thanks to Uncle Nat, who speedily hand-delivered the essays to the only open Post Office at the eleventh hour the night they were due. You need to come play with the train!
Happy day!
She won a national Amtrak essay contest!!!
She wrote the essay while we were traveling on the Amtrak Cascade in Oregon in August. The notification was delivered to me by FedEx just now. She didn't win the grand prize of some sort of El Capitan super train, but rather one of 14 "first" prizes of a Polar Express train set--which is the one she wanted, anyway.
Very many thanks to Uncle Nat, who speedily hand-delivered the essays to the only open Post Office at the eleventh hour the night they were due. You need to come play with the train!
Happy day!
Monday, October 06, 2008
Wednesday, August 06, 2008
I ordered the Wee One a teeny red backpack for school. It arrived on Friday and she promptly packed it for our upcoming “Girl Trip” to Oregon (the poor Husband has to stay here and work). Here is what she deemed essential equipment for venturing to the hinterlands of the West Coast:
4 packets of Swiss Miss instant hot cocoa, with marshmallows
2 packets microwave popcorn
5 quarters, 1 nickel and 4 pennies
1 pound pitted prunes
1 cup raisins
1 package tamari-seaweed rice cakes
2 graham crackers
1 box, lime Jell-O
2 shirts
1 pair Princess underpants
2 socks, mismatching
I think we're ready.
4 packets of Swiss Miss instant hot cocoa, with marshmallows
2 packets microwave popcorn
5 quarters, 1 nickel and 4 pennies
1 pound pitted prunes
1 cup raisins
1 package tamari-seaweed rice cakes
2 graham crackers
1 box, lime Jell-O
2 shirts
1 pair Princess underpants
2 socks, mismatching
I think we're ready.
Tuesday, August 05, 2008
The Hostile Takeover is Complete
It finally happened. I had to look up a word used by the Biggie. It wasn’t that big a word, and upon retrospect I knew what it meant (this is the “saving face” portion of the program, folks) but she was flinging words at me; we were in mid-fight mode, and I was rattled by her multi-syllabic grenades coupled with my cumulative years of sleep deprivation. “Mama,” she said, “You are simply irrefutable!” and stormed off in a cloud of pre-tween dust. When I asked her what she meant by that (hoping to catch her in show-off mode, like a sophomore Philosophy major), she quoted a dictionary-perfect definition.
Sigh.
It finally happened. I had to look up a word used by the Biggie. It wasn’t that big a word, and upon retrospect I knew what it meant (this is the “saving face” portion of the program, folks) but she was flinging words at me; we were in mid-fight mode, and I was rattled by her multi-syllabic grenades coupled with my cumulative years of sleep deprivation. “Mama,” she said, “You are simply irrefutable!” and stormed off in a cloud of pre-tween dust. When I asked her what she meant by that (hoping to catch her in show-off mode, like a sophomore Philosophy major), she quoted a dictionary-perfect definition.
Sigh.
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
Vocabulary of the Day
Perhaps this one shouldn't count, because it's real, but here is an actual journal title that I've been pulling abstracts from today: Vox Sanguinis, abbreviated "Vox Sang" in citations. Yes, that would be, in Latin, "The Voice of Blood."
A little light reading for your nightstand, there.
Perhaps this one shouldn't count, because it's real, but here is an actual journal title that I've been pulling abstracts from today: Vox Sanguinis, abbreviated "Vox Sang" in citations. Yes, that would be, in Latin, "The Voice of Blood."
A little light reading for your nightstand, there.
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
Parenting Genius Award
(If I knew how to do anything fancy I would insert sparkling graphics or perhaps a cartoon dancing kitten here.)
I would just like to take a moment to present myself with the long-sought, most glorious Parenting Genius Award. This award marks one of the few opportunities in parenting to rest on your laurels, pat yourself on the back and say, “Job well done!”*
Unfortunately I cannot tell you what the award is for. To do so would be to violate the privacy of the Biggie. Suffice it to say that, together, she and I are in the process of conquering one of her deepest and longest-held Big Bad Issues, one I was concerned would plague her into adulthood; something I considered one of my greatest, dismal failures as a parent.
Whooha, or “Yehoo!” as the Wee One would say! A lifetime supply of chocolate for me!
*Be aware that this action will immediately call into effect Murphy’s Law, which will bring you to your knees.
(If I knew how to do anything fancy I would insert sparkling graphics or perhaps a cartoon dancing kitten here.)
I would just like to take a moment to present myself with the long-sought, most glorious Parenting Genius Award. This award marks one of the few opportunities in parenting to rest on your laurels, pat yourself on the back and say, “Job well done!”*
Unfortunately I cannot tell you what the award is for. To do so would be to violate the privacy of the Biggie. Suffice it to say that, together, she and I are in the process of conquering one of her deepest and longest-held Big Bad Issues, one I was concerned would plague her into adulthood; something I considered one of my greatest, dismal failures as a parent.
Whooha, or “Yehoo!” as the Wee One would say! A lifetime supply of chocolate for me!
*Be aware that this action will immediately call into effect Murphy’s Law, which will bring you to your knees.
Monday, May 26, 2008
A comment made on the last post (thanks, Amy) made me realize I should explain something. The vocabulary of the day posts (all two of them) come from actual words or phrases I come across in the research related to my work, and my imagined meanings for them. The definitions rise from my criss-crossed Latin language/Biology Major*/random non-professional medical worker/M.Ed. background, heavily influenced by the brain degradation I’ve experienced since I had children. I’ll try to remember to post the actual meaning (if I can figure it out) in the comments section.
Speaking of brain degradation, I’m wondering—can anyone actually spell “ophthalmological” without double-checking themselves?
* Adding to the confusion, though I majored in Biological Sciences, my undergraduate degree is actually a Bachelor of Arts (or Artium Bacheloris, as Cornell prefers to call it--the piddling Latin I took allows me to translate that as "Bachelor of Arts").
Speaking of brain degradation, I’m wondering—can anyone actually spell “ophthalmological” without double-checking themselves?
* Adding to the confusion, though I majored in Biological Sciences, my undergraduate degree is actually a Bachelor of Arts (or Artium Bacheloris, as Cornell prefers to call it--the piddling Latin I took allows me to translate that as "Bachelor of Arts").
Thursday, May 22, 2008
Tuesday, March 04, 2008
Thursday, February 14, 2008
I don't know what I'm doing with this picture thing, the taking of, posting of, etc. These gorgeous photos were taken with my cell phone. Here is the Biggie, and what I like to call (after the heart-to-heart I had with our dentist today) The $5,000 Mouth. Observe the artfully crafted double cross-bite and the gynormously overcrowded teeth in all their glory. Six of those puppies are coming out to make way for gold-plated orthodontia, ladies and gentlemen!
And here is the sweet Wee One. She's not wearing lipstick; half her face is chapped. I am *this* close to rubbing cayenne pepper on her lips to keep her from licking them.
Well hey there, good lookin'. Long time, no see. How's tricks?
OK, it has been a while. Lame excuses: I was busy. I forgot my blogger login. My mojo was lo-lo. My yin and yang were being balanced. My aura was in the shop.
Let's bring y'all up to the present. The Biggie and Wee One are the same, only skinnier, taller and even more chatty than before. The Big is in second grade and would rather do schoolwork than go out to recess. The Wee is in her last months of preschool and is no less tornado-like. Milo the dog has lost a couple of toenails and Sylvie the Ancient Cat is still creaking around, yowling for salmon and milk. We are down one turtle (it ran away) and up one goldfish. I haven't seen the snake for a week, so I'm assuming it's hibernating. Winter is lasting a bit too long.
The Husband is working his already-diminutive heinie off, a fact which has caused me to slowly take over more house responsibilities and diminishes my other activities like, oh, blogging. We have a little bit of a bunker mentality going on here at the Quistilton Ranch, though I'm not sure exactly what sort of siege we're expecting. Maybe it's time to go out in the sunshine, eh?
I am still working at my wonderful job, though not too much, since Wee is only in half-day preschool. I am guiltily and eagerly awaiting the fall, when both my kids will be in school all.day.long. Just think of all the cleaning and working and showering and exercising I will be able to do! That's after I sleep for a month. A teensy-weensy article I wrote was recently published on the internet, yeeha. Nothing in actual newsprint yet, and I just realized the check hasn't come in the mail, either. No matter; I'll be expecting that Pulitzer nomination any day now.
Alrighty then, Wee wants her mac and cheese and my timer has run out.
It's nice to be back.
OK, it has been a while. Lame excuses: I was busy. I forgot my blogger login. My mojo was lo-lo. My yin and yang were being balanced. My aura was in the shop.
Let's bring y'all up to the present. The Biggie and Wee One are the same, only skinnier, taller and even more chatty than before. The Big is in second grade and would rather do schoolwork than go out to recess. The Wee is in her last months of preschool and is no less tornado-like. Milo the dog has lost a couple of toenails and Sylvie the Ancient Cat is still creaking around, yowling for salmon and milk. We are down one turtle (it ran away) and up one goldfish. I haven't seen the snake for a week, so I'm assuming it's hibernating. Winter is lasting a bit too long.
The Husband is working his already-diminutive heinie off, a fact which has caused me to slowly take over more house responsibilities and diminishes my other activities like, oh, blogging. We have a little bit of a bunker mentality going on here at the Quistilton Ranch, though I'm not sure exactly what sort of siege we're expecting. Maybe it's time to go out in the sunshine, eh?
I am still working at my wonderful job, though not too much, since Wee is only in half-day preschool. I am guiltily and eagerly awaiting the fall, when both my kids will be in school all.day.long. Just think of all the cleaning and working and showering and exercising I will be able to do! That's after I sleep for a month. A teensy-weensy article I wrote was recently published on the internet, yeeha. Nothing in actual newsprint yet, and I just realized the check hasn't come in the mail, either. No matter; I'll be expecting that Pulitzer nomination any day now.
Alrighty then, Wee wants her mac and cheese and my timer has run out.
It's nice to be back.
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