Waiting for Halloween

"Is it October, yet?"

I get that question every morning, from April until it actually is October. Sometimes I think my boys would wish away summer if it meant Halloween came that much sooner.

Things really heat up in August, though. That's when they start sifting through all the new costume catalogs that come in the mail. They spend as much time as I allow them to be on the computer, surfing the net for the latest in Halloween fashion. Side by side, debating the merits of one over another, whether they should coordinate their outfits or each go their own way.

I once overheard them discussing whether Mom would be able to adjust a particular favorite that didn't come in a small enough size for the Pumpkin. And they've heard me go on about sale prices enough to at least notice if one of the many costumes to make The List might actually be on CLEARANCE.

While the Peanut weighs the pros and cons of each costume that catches his fancy, day after day, the Pumpkin makes his decision rather quickly. He even worked out which parts he wanted to order through the internet so he can get a box at the post office, and which weapon (there's ALWAYS a weapon of some sort) he wants to go pick out at the local party store. He rattles off the prices like a practiced huckster ... "it's ONLY $39.99! So can we get two? Please?"

I must say, though, no costume is ever a waste of money in this house. They dress up in their various costumes almost daily. I barely notice whether I have two little boys or Hulk and a Power Ranger when I go to the library anymore. Spiderman is often spotted adorning the sidewalk in front of our house with chalk art, and the Thing regularly accompanies me to Target, where he begs for candy.

And now we have our Swamp Monsters, a matched pair.

Now that the Halloween decor is on display at every single store in town, there's no such thing as a quick trip to get some milk. Not that I've had any quick trips since becoming a Mom, but now I have to account for at least an extra half hour so they can dissect every little spider web, gravestone and talking skeleton for authenticity. If it looks too plastic, it's Not Scary At All. If it makes the Pumpkin run away in terror, WE GOTTA HAVE IT!

Sigh ... at least the Christmas season gimme's don't last very long.

First Day of School

Yes, I'm finally ready. I've been telling everyone I'm not ready for the last two weeks, but now that it's here, I'm ready. Are the boys ready? We've done our best to prepare them. And so what if they're not. I'm here to guide them gently into the world of academia, ready or not.

So no pictures yet. I've still got to go get them out of bed.

But I'm ready to get started.

Hanging onto summer by my fingernails

I've said it over and over again. I'm NOT ready for summer to be over! NOT, NOT, NOT, I tell you! I still want to go swimming. Now get out of my way! If anybody needs me, I'll be at the pool.

But the pool is closed. Mother Nature is washing away the last days of summer. School doesn't start for another week, the public school, that is. We won't be starting till after Labor Day. And this, the last week of summer before the pool closes for the season, it has rained every day. And not just rain, noooooo, that would be too easy. Rain. Thunder. Lightning. Flash Flooding. High Winds. And, just to really get the point across, Tornado Warning.

Really, the thunder was enough. In fact, thunder every night, every single night. Loud enough to wake the dead? No, loud enough to wake sleeping children. Who will naturally (you know what's coming, don't you?) wake Mom. And don't you know, Mom is already cranky because it seems like summer is stealing away, taking off early without so much as a See You Next Year!

When it seems like every other mother on the planet is celebrating Back To School, I find myself squarely in the kids' corner. Except it's not school that I wish to avoid. I really like school ... homeschooling, that is. I just like to be outdoors, and hot sunny days (I don't even mind mowing the lawn, but don't tell my husband!) and swimming or just hanging out at the pool. Lazy Hazy Summertime.

I refuse to let go of summer until the very end of the last day of August. Absolutely refuse. And nobody can make me. Even if I have to get out the Slip N Slide again.

Going on a Dinosaur Hunt

Sometimes, being stubborn pays off.

I purchased some new software for the kiddos at the beginning of summer. One in particular, Dinosaur Hunter, was a special request. So of course that would be the one to have issues with installation.

I installed, error message, uninstalled, shut down and restart ... over and over and over. Turns out the issues are "Known Issues", and the web site pleasantly directed me to a simple patch that, once downloaded and properly installed, should fix the problem.

So, close all other Windows applications (I think!), disable anti-virus (with fingers crossed), download the simple patch that will fix all my problems and install. Only it seemed to just ignore all attempts to actually install. Back to install, error message, shut down and restart and try again. And again. In a different order. Into a different folder. Log in as a different user and try everything all over again.

For three hours. Yes, I am THAT stubborn. And Dinosaur Hunter is working properly now.

So we headed out for our daily trip to Target. Where we were greeted by this little beauty, on a young teenaged girly flanked by two little sisters and a pair of clueless parents.

http://www.allposters.com/-sp/Women-s-The-Misfits-Skeleton-Hands-Babydoll-Posters_i1122844_.htm

I really wish I had a picture of the Peanut's face as she walked by. Poor kid was speechless!

Staring at a blank screen

OK I admit it. I've been spending way more time reading than writing this summer. Could it be that reading is a more portable activity? And I haven't exactly spent the summer ensconced here in my living room, typing away madly on the next Great American Novel. Sure there's always a notebook and pen in my pool bag. There's also two books and a magazine.

Of course I'm reading it, too!

It's a long book ... I may be awhile.

It's time for a change

Ever think saving the environment is just too big for lil ole you? Global warming is way beyond us regular folks, right? Wrong!

Be the change you want to see in the world. (Ghandi)

Lots of little people, making just one change in habit at a time, all adds up. Just think of what we can accomplish, if we work together!

So come, pledge and share. Together we can change the world!

Home again, home again.

Yes, back from another Family Road Trip. Ah it's good to be home! Especially good to be back in my old bed again ... with a head cold. Now travelling with a cold can be trying in the best of times, but waiting in a crowded airport while my flight is delayed by just a few hours ... well, let's just say that I'm no longer fond of flying.

I would say let's keep the Family Road Trip on the ROAD, but I'm not the one doing most of the driving. Even with all the airport delays, total travel time from door to door was ... hmmm ... 12 hours. As opposed to 3 days. With plenty of road travel during the trip. And to top it all off, flying was actually cheaper. Like, we actually came home with money in our pockets this time.

And the children still LOVE to fly. They even like going through security.

Let's face it, the Family Road Trip will be taking to the skies again. Might as well sit back and enjoy the ride.

Community Lawn

You may or may not live where there are actual rules, ordinances, laws governing your lawn. It's just grass. How can so many people be concerned about grass, especially when it's not theirs?

Ah, but it affects us all, doesn't it?

Take my neighbors, for instance. They thought they were being smart. They had come up with a sneaky way to avoid having to mow the lawn every three days all spring and summer long. (YES, it really does grow that fast around here! Just one of the Benefits of building on FARMLAND). Anyway, my brilliant neighbors, who don't even own the land they DECIMATED by dumping or spraying something, probably gasoline, maybe only vinegar, who knows? They were living easy on their brown patch of DEAD EARTH in the middle of our golf course green neighborhood.

It looked like a toxic waste dump. And then its brown death started to creep onto the next lawn. And then the weeds poked through, cause you can't kill weeds. Especially ones that grow on farms.

Now I ask you, would you rather live next to a toxic waste dump or an overgrown patch of weeds? Sure there were no snakes hiding in the dead grass of the toxic waste dump, but we actually haven't seen any snakes around here since the Chili's restaurant opened nearby. (just a coincidence, I'm sure)

Anyway, word eventually got round to the actual owner of the property. I saw him over there this weekend, supervising his tenants as they dug up every bit of dead brown grass in the front lawn. In the hot summer sun, while temps reached the high 90's.

And now they have to spend the rest of the summer watering their new grass. And mowing it.

Wake Happy

Never read Newseek and Time right before bed.

Sometimes I just can't stop myself from reading whatever is in front of me, and somehow those two mags ended up on my nightstand (whisked away from the living room, should've just trashed them!). Death, destruction, how corrupt our government is, what a totally sucky world we live in. Yay, go to sleep angry and depressed.

Pretty much, news in general has that effect on me. To Be Avoided AT ALL COSTS. I won't be renewing those subscriptions.

And thanks to the internet, I caught up on some Daily Show and Stephen Colbert videos this morning. That's what I should've been watching last night! Anyway, smile has been repaired back on face where it belongs. Thanks Jon! Thanks Stephen!

Now I can get on with the business of Summer! With Happy Children! Playtime 24/7!

Um, have I ever shared my favorite season? SUMMER! Favorite pastime: lounging with feet in water, be it pool, beach or slip n slide. just saying.

Memorial Day

As some would say, the official start of summer. Cookouts, barbecues, family gatherings, graduations, weddings, etc. all started off by ...

remembering the dead.

I hope you did. Remember, that is. Take a moment and be grateful for the sacrifices made by heroes long gone. All the way back to the Revolutionary War, when regular folks took up arms and fought off a professional army, all for self-determination. And our military has been fighting for our freedoms ever since.

"It doesn't take a hero to order men into battle. It takes a hero to be one of those men who goes into battle." -Norman Schwarzkopf

And let's not forget the women, the mothers, the daughters, wives and sisters. Heroes in war, heroes in peace.

Cicada Picnic

The cicadas are coming! The cicadas are coming! To a tree near you ... well, maybe not. We heard the cicadas were emerging after 17 years in the ground and thought it would make a nice homeschooling field trip to take the kids to watch. The cicadas. Come out of their holes in the ground.

Picked a nice old park, with nice old trees, in an area that complained of the deluge oh so many years ago ... nothing. Not a one. Other than the grass being mowed perodically, we really figured this place for "undisturbed ground".

I read that they like the areas near the river so we headed for water. This time I wasn't surprised to find none. I figured the flood they had about ten years ago may have disqualified any hope of "undisturbed ground".

As for my own neighborhood ... Not A Chance. In fact, most of my hometown and surrounding areas are all new subdivisions. Once green farmland, no trees now or ever before, the only cicadas we'll get are the annuals. And we like them fine thankyouverymuch.

So, for the sake of education, a-hunting we will go. For cicadas.

Gone and Back

Happened in a flash. Good vacations always do.

I've had a whole week of adjusting to the real world ... no more Starbucks at 1AM, no more martinis at 2 ... AM/PM, doesn't matter. Back to schooling the kiddos, back to dieting, back to cooking my own meals and trying to feed a family that resists my every effort.

Ah, but summer's coming. We got out the Slip N Slide this weekend and gave it a whirl. Fully functional, but the pool passes are also ready to go for the season. Summer may not exactly be a TOTAL vacation for me, but parts of it don't feel much like work, either.

Bring on the sun!

You wanna pack for me?

I love travelling. I really, really, really love to travel. I like to Go Places. And I would really, really, really prefer not to bring any Stuff with me.

The ideal vacation for me would include all the Stuff I Need. All I would have to bring is my camera. A whole new wardrobe that I would look fabulous in, all my essentials neatly put away in the most comfortable of accomodations.

Of course, I try to leave as much of myself behind as possible when vacationing. This one I'm letting go of the Mom part, leaving it at home. So all my dowdy Mom clothes pretty much have to stay too. Except, the mom-bod hasn't left yet (still working on that) so the only clothes that fit would be ... oh all right I'll bring the elastic waist pants!

And that new bathing suit. With a cover-up.

It's the reading and writing and heathy-working-out parts of me that don't want to be left behind. And they take up a lot of space in the ole suitcase. Athletic wear that will be totally icky on the return trip, books and magazines, paper and pencils. How many notebooks can I squeeze into the mom-bag (a back pack that passes for a pocketbook and I'm ready to retire it any day now if only I didn't need the space!)? Can I fit all four pairs of sandals and still squeeze in a couple more magazines into the outside pocket?

Do I have to bring a camera?

I see a slight green tinge ...

Hot off the presses. As in, yes, I did just go out front in my jammies to take pictures ... real proof ... that my azaleas are actually blooming this year.

The key, my friends, is not my usual beneficient neglect. No, these beauties took actual work to make them happen. I had to call in the experts, and little did I know, the experts live right here in my very home with me. The Peanut supervised the Pumpkin (though he's not admitting any knowledge whatsoever), and while there was quite a mess to be cleaned up afterward ... well, you can see the results for yourself.

Shall I set them loose on my rose garden?

They had me at Bon Jovi

They got me, again.

I had fallen off the bandwagon. I thought I was over it. I didn't need my fix any more. Actually, that kid that's on the cover of every magazine even though he has no more talent than your average teenager who likes to sing (no I am not going to print his name here!), well, he pretty much ruined it for me. And big name guests like Peter Noone and Christina Aguilera couldn't help except to make things worse.

Thanks to media saturation, I was sick of American Idol before the season actually started. All that mean and nasty audition business (like auditions should be nice and polite, eh?) and the "controversy" being touted as the biggest news story of the day ... day after day after day. Ah, but that's another rant for another day.

And it's easy to reminisce about past AI finalists, how much better they all were ... are. Hey, I'll just get some of their new releases and be done with it all. I liked Chris Daughtry best, anyway.

But no. I am addicted to American Idol. Again. Thank You Bon Jovi.

My favorite, Phil, went down in a Blaze of Glory. Couldn't get any better than that, especially since he took Chris with him. (I'm realistic, I knew he couldn't win)

And now, we have our Three Divas ... and Blake. Your guess is as good as mine, but at least we have ourselves a competition now that the circus is over. And now, sorry boys, but I've got the big TV when American Idol is on.

I think I hear another Grammy ...

A frog hunting we will go

We've been enjoying some beautiful spring weather here lately. I guess we've pretty much earned it, as we usually expect spring to show up in March ... it's May already! So, anyway, nice weather beckons us outside.

And there again, another reason I love homeschooling. First thing in the morning, after all the schoolbuses have passed, we head out for the nearest pond. Equipped with boots, buckets, and our trusty wagon loaded with various "supplies" (the kind only a pre-schooler would need), we make our way down the street in the bright sunshine.

Our mission: to catch a frog.

After a couple hours watching the big ones splashing out in the deeper water, we settled for some water samples that might contain tadpoles. Teeny tiny tadpoles, that might grow big enough for us to see. They are now separated into some smaller plastic cups that we can inspect more closely with magnifying glasses. Which they do several times a day.

Still not sure if we have any tadpoles, but we sure do have some interesting creatures swimming around. And we can always go back for more.

As soon as the boots dry out.

Why I'm not .... you know ... what part is this?

Yeah, another Sunday, beautiful Sunday, so busy seeing how beautiful it is out there that, as usual, I forgot about the time and ... well ... the Pumpkin is still sleeping. Oh, and I haven't bothered to get myself dressed and ready for church, either. Nope. Just a hanging out kind of morning here in beautiful suburbia.

But the children will drag themselves out of bed sometime ... any minute now, I'm sure. And it'll be go, go, go, let's go outside and PLAY!

So, we've had some rain. And I took the opportunity to pick out some seeds. Now, we'll be looking for places to plant them since I ... um ... kind of let my garden grow out. Took no time at all, the jungle of a lawn took right over and you can't even see it anymore. Frankly, the hose didn't reach too well, and so, dry season pretty much killed off any attempts at growing something worth eating. Which was the whole point. So, now, just a couple of tiny patches near the back door, maybe throw something into the rose garden out front and see what happens there ... I don't know.

Maybe just plant some seeds in plastic cups and put them on the window sill. Kids love that.

No April Showers

I think I can say this without jinxing anything now, finally. Spring has arrived. Not with the requisite April showers or anything, which means the annual dry spell is beginning early this year, but I'm pretty sure there'll be no more winter. And no more frost.

Let the gardening begin!

The song of the birds can drown out the early morning construction traffic. That was my biggest clue. Once the birds have arrived, they don't leave, no matter what weather rains down upon them. Unfortunately for the farmers, there hasn't been any rain. Plenty of rainy day forcasts, but no measurable precipitation.

Not that I'm complaining or anything. I don't have to survive by farming, oh lucky me. No, I get to spend dh's bi-weekly paycheck, rain or shine. And the children are spending way more of their precious tv time outside ... getting dirty.

And our lawn is green and growing like a jungle out there. You'd never think it hasn't rained in weeks.

The dirt is calling me. I need to get me some seeds and start planting! Spring is finally here!

need ... more ... chocolate

I'm counting down the days till I get me some fun in the sun, and a real nightlife. I'm counting down the inches, if not the pounds, to get into my new bathing suit. Help me SlimFast!

Only chocolate need apply.

So It Goes

Kurt Vonnegut writes no more ...

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/12/books/12vonnegut.html?pagewanted=1&_r=2

but I can still read his words. So it goes.

So Much For Spring and Weight Loss

It snowed today. It's freezing rain and windy ... of course! It's trash day! And I'm still waiting for Spring to stop and stay awhile ... like maybe two whole days in a row. Is that too much to ask? Apparently it is.

At least we got to try out the new tennis rackets yesterday. And the new playground opened, too, so the boys had to give it a test run. It's a keeper.

So how's the diet going? Oh just wonderful! TWO WHOLE POUNDS are gone from my bod. After three months of dieting and working out six days a week ... at this rate I'll fit into my new bathing suit sometime in 2010. I leave for Vegas in less than 4 weeks. Looks like I'll be wearing a caftan at poolside.

And I intend to stick to my diet and workout schedule while on vacation, with just a slight adjustment. I'll be counting the olives in my martini as a serving of vegetables.

Part II (and stuff)

Yeah I missed church ... did you really think I would remember to turn the clocks ahead? Or even after I got up late, would I figure out on my own that I forgot to Spring Ahead? Not a chance. That's dh's job, and he does it well. Once I figured out what time it really was, and with the boys still asleep, all that was left was the "mad dash" if we were going to get there in time. And I really hate the mad dash. I'd rather clean the kitchen.

Maybe that's why I homeschool ... avoiding the mad dash every morning. Works for me.

Except sometimes I throw in a mad dash of my own to fit a gym workout into my morning. Which is working fabulously at the moment. Really, truly, up another 4 pounds. Building muscles on top of muscles, I sure am. On top of the fat, too, I'm sure.

I'm tracking the food and fitness goals on Sparkpeople, measuring portions even, counting calories, fat grams, fiber and water and all kinds of stuff. And according to their counters, I'm within my goal range. And my jeans are just as tight as always.

But I like how I feel after a workout. And I sleep reeeal good. So ... maybe next week I actually get to lose some weight. A girl can dream.

And Spring Is Coming ... Today! Yes, I will be OUTSIDE, enjoying the Best Day of the Year (so far). So ... I'm going ... outside ... like, now ...

The Runaround

It was inevitable. My addiction to cookies has caught up to me. Actually, it caught up to me several years ago, but I've been using the children as an excuse, and stretchy pants to keep the lie alive. I've been on the treadmill runaround for over a year now, and nothing has worked to trim off the excess fat.

It's taken me awhile to acknowledge that it is indeed FAT. Yes, that fat lady reflected in the window is ME, not some stranger following me. But it's not like I'm not trying to do something about it. In January I joined the Y and started going 3 days a week. In February I bumped it up to 5-6 days a week. Now I've called in a personal trainer to get things moving in the right direction.

And I've gained 4 pounds.

But I WILL NOT GIVE UP! The cookies have got to go, sorry boys. Lil Bubba will have to go back to snacking on bits of cardboard, and Buddy will have to ... wait, he doesn't eat anything anyway, I'm the one who ate all the cookies! (And poor deprived dh will have to just hide his snacks someplace I can't reach!)

There's a new bathing suit hanging on my closet door and I am going to wear it in 9 weeks. It's go time!

What is Tragic, Really?

Oh that word has been thrown around and around so much it makes me dizzy. Sure, the sudden death of a certain celebrity is no cause for celebration. And since she spent so much time making lawyers and photographers and gossip-mongers rich, no sense in stopping now, just because she's no longer going to actually win anything by it. The wheels of justice will roll on and on and on and on ...

But is it truly tragic? When faced with tragedy closer to home, who among us is going to wonder, "but what about Anna?"

My community is facing one of those moments in time. You probably can guess: 2AM, a carload of teenagers and a utility pole. Of the 9 occupants in the car (an Infiniti, NOT a van, NOT an SUV) only one of them is home tonight, recovering from her injuries. All students at the same high school, (except the adult driver), they have endured 4 burials this week, and await news on at least one more still on life support. And they were all good kids.

In this area, this is the third such accident this year. But by overstuffing the car, they made sure it was the worst. Will their friends remember the lessons learned? Or will they forget?

While subbing in the high school last year, I made the acquaintance of a senior in a wheel chair. She was gracious enough to share her story with me. She actually felt it was her duty to share her story with everyone she met. She had also been in a car load of teens that got out of control. Yes, some of her friends had been drinking, she admitted. But some of them, the driver and herself included, had been stone cold sober. But it wasn't good enough. The silly drunk in the front seat grabbed the steering wheel and sent them all tumbling into a ditch. Two of her friends died that night, and she was left a paraplegic. So much for the designated driver theory.

Even in my own high school, back when I was a teenager, we had our share of tragic accidents. It's like a rite of passage: you survive the teen years by sheer luck. Then you get to relive it with your own children. And just hope and pray they listen to you.

Happy Valentine's Day

Oh I know it was Yesterday! It's the one day a year I never forget (ok, so I never forget Christmas, but I've got kids and Santa for that). I highly recommend getting married on Valentine's Day, so you never even have a chance at forgetting it. It's worked for me.

Twenty Years. Even the weather was the same: clear blue sky, fresh blanket of snow and frigid cold. Can't beat that blue sky, though.

If I could go back in time, I'd do it all over again.

Do you really want to know what I'm thinking?

No, you don't. It could get messy. Lots of UFO's in there (unfinished objects), which could explain the UFO's scattered about the house. But sometimes stuff just spills out ...

Like how fortunate we are to live in a country where homeschooling is legal. "School phobia" is pretty normal here, but in Germany (and elsewhere in Europe), you can get arrested, thrown in jail, or even worse. Take the current case of Melissa Busekros, a 17-year-old girl who was forcibly removed from her parent's custody by more than 15 police officers and then placed in the child psychiatry unit of the Nuremburg clinic. The account can be read at http://www.hslda.org/elink.asp?id=3731 .

And here in IL, where we don't even have to submit to standardized testing, we don't have to have our curriculums approved by anybody, we dont' even have to stick to our own curriculums, we just have to dedicate ourselves, as parents, to giving our children the best education we can, and we take it for granted. No, this year, on Homeschool Legislative Day, (May 2nd, I think) I hope to get down to Springfield and let all our busy legislators know how much I appreciate them keeping their nose OUT of our homeschool, the Super-H Academy.

I miss Molly Ivins. I only discovered her columns in the last couple of years, probably because my neck of the woods doesn't have any independent-minded newspapers that would print anything as brash and common sense and funny as her stuff. But we can hope, and pretty much count on, that great state of Texas producing another original, funny writer to illuminate the mess that's always going on in politics. (read the Texas Observer, way better than New Yorker!)Because Texas is a really really big state (and their politics is really really messy!) But let's take her advice and never, never elect another president from Texas.

And yes, Anna Nicole Smith will be missed also. Call me a hopeless romantic, but I was really hoping she would just settle down and be a mom for awhile. She was our generation's Marilyn Monroe, so her time was bound to be short. May she rest in peace.

In between reading the news online (which is skewed toward "Entertainment News", and I don't get how Entertainment can be News, just gossip, really) and forgetting to watch Idol this week (it's been a rough week) someone suggested that I read Imperial Life in the Emerald City: Inside Iraq's Green Zone by Rajiv Chandrasekaran to get a perspective on what's really going on Over There. Of course I forget who made the suggestion, but I'm passing it on. Even though it's making me angry, and sometimes just sick about the whole thing. I'm only 50 pages in because I just have to put it down and go look for something to make me smile.

This makes me smile. http://www.comedycentral.com/motherload/index.jhtml?ml_video=81956

Careful, there's lots more where that came from.

Why I'm Not Going to Church Today, part 1

Why a series? Because there's bound to be many more Sundays in the months to come that I will be sitting at home posting to my blog. But how can posting to my blog be more satisfying than sitting in church? It can't, really. It's just easier to plop the mighty mite in front of PBS wrapped up in a warm blanket than to fight with him in church.

We got through the holidays fine. He had been going to Sunday School without too much complaint fairly regularly. But then ... there was NO SUNDAY SCHOOL. Yikes! Now there was a choice. He could either follow the bigger kids and go watch a video (which inevitably was boring, no matter how good it really was, and he would get in trouble for disrupting the other children), or he could stay in church with me, and get bored, and not want to color anymore, and start whining just as the sermon was about to begin, which would soon elevate into a full-blown tantrum, and I would end up rushing him out of there in a really big scene for all to witness and pass judgement.

I get a lot of sympathetic smiles from parishioners I don't know very well. Poor mother can't control her child.

I know plenty of others have been there, done that, and lived to tell. It's just a stage, I hope, and he'll either grow out of it, or he'll never go to church again for the rest of his life.

But today, it's snowing. Not a big storm or anything. Probably won't even get the trucks out for this thing. Just enough to be bothersome, have to clean off the car (curse the roof rack on top of the SUV!), scrape the crusty ice off the windows, and drive carefully because the roads get slick from the merest hint of moisture in the air. (Brilliant idea: concrete highways. NOT) And I've just been told my tires are on the wrong side of legal and need to be replaced yesterday. So church has suddenly become non-essential travel.

Big guy gets to sleep in, and there still won't be enough snow to play with when he finally drags his skinny bod out of bed. But enough for Mom to call a Snow Day.

Stay tuned for next week's excuse.

I'm raising aliens

"I don't know how you do it."

"You must have a lot of patience."

"I bet it takes a lot of energy to keep up with them."

Those are the kinds of words you would expect to hear if you had a big family. At least four, maybe a set of twins in there, just for fun. I hear that stuff all the time.

I only have two.

From my perspective, my boys are a couple of stagnant couch potatoes who would rather sit around and watch tv or play games on the computer all day. But out in public, they literally explode with energy. They race from the car to whatever errand I have on my list, the little one usually behind (but not always) and yelling to catch up. Me, I don't even try. I get a lot of sympathetic smiles from passersby.

And loud is the only volume they have under control. The louder the better.

I try to get them outside as much as possible, but I've got to admit there's not much fun in freezing if there's no snow to play with. Their friend next door hasn't been seen outside since sometime last fall (the last warm and sunny day, I believe). And as soon as they do go outside, the yelling and screaming can be heard all over the neighborhood. With no other kids to come join the fun, they soon get bored with themselves.

Actually, there are other kids, but they disappear into minivans as soon as they get off the bus that stops nearly in front of our house. And they often look at the boys strangely, as if they're aliens or something. I guess to an over-scheduled child stuck in school all day then whisked off to various "activities", the simple joy of running around and screaming your head off is alien.

I'll admit they do use up most of my patience on a daily basis (and every day is a New Day), but it's creativity that keeps us happy, and gets the wiggles out. That and every now and then a little help from my friends. Like the one who forwarded to me a story about a nearby sledding hill, complete with snow-making machine. We'll be checking that one out today.

I just hope we're not the only aliens out there.

Monday musings

It's snowing. If you look real hard you can see snowflakes, little, teeny, tiny snowflakes. They almost look like mist, they're so tiny.

When I checked the weather this morning, one weather guy actually said the predicted storm had been cancelled. As if you can CANCEL the WEATHER?! Wishful thinking. Getting a little puffed up with an exaggerated self-importance. I guess being on TV every day, predicting the weather (and fairly accurately, for the most part) can do that to a guy. But actually CANCELLING A SNOWSTORM! Hah, that's going to come back and bite us all.

On the plus side, there is no snow to be shovelled ... yet. A hard shell of ice covers everything, but no snow.

Monday mornings often find me culling new web links from my various homeschooling newsletters. How many of them do I actually use? Actually, tons and tons. How many do I have? Tons and Tons and Tons and Tons and Tons ... I may actually reach the limit in My Favorites. Only, now I've been asked to organize my links into a useable listing for my fellow homeschoolers. That could take some time. I see a few late nights on the horizon, and I mean really late nights. Did I mention that Organization is not one of my strong points?

Anyway, my peanut has gotten excited by a new "game", called typing. I'll share the link here:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/typing/ ... now dance away little fingers!

I could probably share a link a day and never get through the whole list. Gee, never thought of that before.

For those of you who are link-happy, here's another one. It seems that the artist depicted in the video I linked to in my previous post was a high school art teacher. Only he was fired for not being a good role model for his students: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070110/ap_on_re_us/teacher_butt_art_2

And just how is an art teacher supposed to be a good role model for his students, if not by practicing his art? The only thing the students at that school have learned is that there are limits to what is acceptable creativity. (Reason #145,986 why I homeschool)

And now, Happy Martin Luther King Day to you.

And now for something truly amazing!

I just have to share ... http://www.ifilm.com/ifilmdetail/2690376

Happy New Year!

Christmas may be over, but ...

We are still playing with our toys! Yes, I am still fighting with plastic shell cases and impossible twisty ties and heavy duty cardboard that has been stapled and taped and glued in place, all cleverly designed torture devices for parents.

And the batteries. Don't get me started on those impossibly tiny screws they use to keep the battery case closed at all costs, all in the name of safety. I mean really, I got a gift that uses batteries, and all I had to do was flip off the battery cover, insert the batteries (all 6 of them) and then snap it back in place. But for all the kids' toys, there are a number of teeny tiny screws, and if you're successful in getting those off (I finally had to resort to the eyeglass repair kit), then you must manuever it carefully, so as to not snap off any appendages that fit the cover snugly into place so it can't be removed, EVER. And the batteries last for a total of two hours playing time, so then you get to do it all over again.

Yeah, Christmas is so much fun.

Ah, but the pictures! The joy, the rapture ...

No longer a cheap date

Dinner for two at the local pub $57.00
Movie Tickets $16.50
Babysitter $45.00
Pizza to feed the babysitter $16.00

Long-awaited date night with husband ... getting pricier every day.

I didn't have to shop, but ...

Not feeling very empress-like right now, as I sit here, WAITING! And freezing, my fingers are freezing because the thermostat is on a timer and it goes WAY DOWN at night. Otherwise, it gets way too hot upstairs, where I should be right now, all cozy and warm in my bed.

But NOOOOOOO. There's literally a mountain of boxes in the garage, yes it is actually taller than me right now, and I must wrap many, many packages before I sleep. But not until the Peanut and the Pumpkin are SOUND ASLEEP. So far, they have snuck down the stairs 3 times since I put them to bed. Of course, I knew that was going to happen, and I haven't started the excavation project.

But, I promise you, I WILL start tonight ... sometime. I could really use a bit of Santa's magic right now, but so far he hasn't offered any. So, one more cup of coffee, and I will outlast the varmints, tonight.

Tomorrow will be another story altogether.

Queen, Empress, it's all the same around here

You are The Empress

Beauty, happiness, pleasure, success, luxury, dissipation.

The Empress is associated with Venus, the feminine planet, so it represents,
beauty, charm, pleasure, luxury, and delight. You may be good at home
decorating, art or anything to do with making things beautiful.

The Empress is a creator, be it creation of life, of romance, of art or business. While the Magician is the primal spark, the idea made real, and the High Priestess is the one who gives the idea a form, the Empress is the womb where it gestates and grows till it is ready to be born. This is why her symbol is Venus, goddess of beautiful things as well as love. Even so, the Empress is more Demeter, goddess of abundance, then sensual Venus. She is the giver of Earthly gifts, yet at the same time, she can, in anger withhold, as Demeter did when her daughter, Persephone, was kidnapped. In fury and grief, she kept the Earth barren till her child was returned to her.

What Tarot Card are You?
Take the Test to Find Out.

It's Christmastime!

It's 9.7 degrees (Fahrenheit, not Celsius!). And that's warmer than when I first rose this am. YEP, we got ourselves a real, honest to goodness winter wonderland outside. Just last week, only four days ago, my boys were outside playing in shorts and t-shirts and barefeet. Today it's too cold to even enjoy the snow for more than 15 minutes at a time.

And this isn't even New England.

Nearly every house in our neighborhood is decorated (including ours, even though some of it doesn't show up through all the ice and snow). And now our house is gearing up for FULL-ON CHRISTMASTIME! The boys have already started making decorations, and new ornaments for the tree. The shopping is almost done so we can start the wrapping, always fun with tape-impaired children.

And as soon as I can kick this latest sinus infection we'll all be messing up the kitchen with our baking creations, which actually turn out more like science experiments and art projects. But first, I should clean it.

November was mild. And quiet. Even Thanksgiving was a low-key, quiet family day for us. But now the December winds are blowing, snow is blanketing our world, and twinkling lights brighten up the evenings. All in preparation for the Big Day.

All this to remember the lowly birth of a baby in a stable full of animals. Whether we got the date right doesn't matter. Whether we incorporate pagan rituals into our celebrations doesn't matter. Whether we spend a lot of money or a little doesn't matter. What matters is that I Believe, and I Celebrate and I teach my children the true meaning of Christmas.

May the magic of Christmas shine on all year.

Thankful for the world around me ...

I always seem to be running to catch up to my guys, as they go off on their adventures. But this is my world, and I am thankful for every single day I get to be a part of their world.

What is it about the deep blue sea?

I sometimes feel the need to head for the coast and look out over the horizon, just to be sure it's still there. Yeah, so what if it's 1000 miles away. It's worth the trip.

And the seafood's not too bad, either.

Sharing the Love

Start every day with a hug.

That's practically a rule around here. As the little guys drag themselves from the warm embrace of their blankets, they head right for Mommy, and another warm embrace.

It's still dark. I'm at the computer, sometimes the only light in the room, and a slight shadow steps closer, presents himself for inspection.

"Good Morning Sunshine!" I sing out, sometimes with more enthusiasm than others, as I get down on my knees for a full-on mommy-hug. Sometimes the Peanut only mumbles a sleepy "Good morning" in reply, but always with a hint of a smile. And the Pumpkin, well, he may climb aboard for the full body cuddle, but there's no smile. More of a whine, the beginnings of "I waaaant ..."

How much longer will they go along with this little ritual? The Peanut is already taller than me in the hug position. The Pumpkin is getting too big for my lap, but somehow still manages to spend as much time as possible there. I simply adjust to their growing stature.

I tell myself, this will never end.

I hope it never does.

Words, pictures, now video

I think I'm covered now.

I put my words here. If my family is looking for any quick updates, this is the place. Well, maybe not, but if you want to know what's on my mind. Yeah that's it. My brain is here. No, that sounds too weird. Well, you know what I mean.

I put my picturs on Flickr. Some are public, some are private. Most of the family ones are Private. As in For Invited Guests Only. Kind of like a private family reunion, you wouldn't want any strangers crashing, now would you? But it's a nice place for friends and family to drop in and check out what's new. Especially for the ones who live far away, or are travelling.

Now my videos are up for the same group. Lot's of invitations to come to the party were sent out this am. Now I just upload the kiddies in all their most embarassing moments for all the family and some very good friends to laugh at. And soon I will figure out how to put a sample up right here ... I know I will, just give me a few days.

I'm totally wired. And yet, I still let my cell phone die. (don't ask about the PDA)

One step closer to Totally Insane

Yep, look what I've gone and done now.

Haven't completely finished novel #1 (though I'm not giving up, yet!). #2 fizzled by chapter 3, mercifully. So now I will join a mass hysteria of novel-writing, with a totally new novel #3, 50,000 words, start to finish in the 30 days of November.

A pipe dream, to say the least.

In past years I have sat by the wayside and wished the participants luck, and lots of caffeine. Now it's my turn to stop being a bystander and jump into the fray.

As I get older, I get a little nuttier. Or maybe my kids are truly driving me insane. At least I'm enjoying the ride.

For now it's time to prepare. Get some ideas gelling, maybe a character sketch. Finish up some deadline work AHEAD of schedule (now that would be a first). Maybe even clean up the house, so I at least have a clear space in which to begin. Get organized and set myself up for success.

Just you wait and see what happens next!

Art for the Office

by peanut 0906
Originally uploaded by momsworking01.

Art by a soon-to-be famous artist, currently known as The Peanut. It could probably inspire an entire book, if I tried. Hmmm...

What's On Your Desk?

This seems to be a "writerly" type of meme, as I've seen it on other writer's sites. And since I aspire to be writerly, sometimes, I'm joining in on this one.

1. Dell flat panel monitor. Looks cool without being all in-your-face. And everyone who sees it thinks I have a Dell computer, which I don't. But I do like this monitor.

2. Speakers.

3. Pencil cup, packed full of unsharpened pencils, and a couple of pens, which won't be there when I need one.

4. power supply/surge protector

5. One of those adjustable snake-neck kind of desk lamps. I almost never use it, because the halogen bulb gets so hot I will inevitably burn myself on it. But I share this desk, and the other guy uses it. So it stays.

6. My coffe mug of the day, sitting nicely on top of its very own Mug Rug. Don't make fun of my Mug Rug, or I will be forced to write a blog entry about it. I could, you know.

7. Cordless keyboard and mouse, with a WristGlider. Better than one of those ergonomic wrist rests, and portable, too. I've had mine almost ten years, but the web site is still active if you want to git cher own ... www.wristgliders.com

8. The cord to connect my camera ... because I haven't put it away.

9. Dh's mp3 player, because I was borrowing his ear buds.

10. A spiderman glove. I dont' know why. It's been hanging out here for quite awhile now, I think it belongs here.

11. A small, unobstrusive Writer at Work sign. It even says Do Not Disturb, but that doesn't seem to stop anybody.

12. The installation instructions for my new printer. It works fine, I should just put those away now ...

13. A calculator and dh's course outline and a page ripped out of a spiderman comic round out the debris that clutters our desk here. What? No half-eaten cookies? Just a minute, I see one coming ... no, it's gone back to the kitchen ... no, it's gone. And all I got was a cookie-crumb kiss on the cheek.

There's more stuff in the various organized cubby holes and envelope racks and shelves within this desk which is actually the entire office. I'm just going to stop at the desk top ... enough is enough.

So, what's on your desk?

Wake-up Call

I've spent a lot of time complaining about the noise lately. Pretty much all summer, while construction on a new shopping center continues close by. And I'm sure I'm not the only one.

We have a noise ordinance in our village, one that ostensibly allows residents a peaceful rest until at least 7 AM. And while I do need to get up earlier than that, I prefer to sip my coffee in peace and let the boys sleep in awhile longer. I'm sure the families that live even closer to the main construction site would agree.

And I'm sure they've lodged more than their fair share of complaints, regarding 5:30 AM wake-up calls. We have another site, directly behind our back fence, that have since been silenced, for the time being.

Anyway, I can only imagine the conversation that may have taken place, causing this morning's noise of a different sort ... a helicopter.

"Hey boss, I got a great idea ... how about a helicopter?"

"A helicopter? For what?"

"To move that stuff up onto the roof."

"But we already have a crane. Why would we need a helicopter?"

"The noise! Picture it: you get woken up by a different noise, look outside and see a helicopter. Cool! Grab a cup of coffee and watch for awhile. It'll be past 7 before anyone bothers to complain!"

"Hmmm. You have a point, but it'll be expensive."

"No noise ordinance violation ..."

"And the crane is probably safer, too."

"I know a great helicopter pilot. Perfect safety record. And we could get some good publicity, too. You know that local paper would send out a reporter and definitely want some pictures."

"Hmm, publicity. Ok, let's go for it. Call your guy and set it up."

6:45 AM ... "Hey, where's your helicopter?"

"Oh, he'll be here at 7. He couldn't take the chance of a noise violation on his license."



update: 8:15 and he's still at it. I even took some video to show the boys when they get up!

Outside my comfort zone

concert pic
Originally uploaded by momsworking01.

There's a place in Middle America where the number of cigarette lighters still outshines cell phones ... and I was there.

It's one thing to attend a concert with your contemporaries ... a lot of old people trying to look young, a few young people trying not to look bored. But to travel to someone else's hometown is quite another. A mere 60 miles away is a whole 'nother world.

The opening act was obviously a local band, and I felt like the only one in the place who didn't know the words, and didn't appreciate the noise. Now, I'm not one to go get myself a beer while a band is onstage, but that night I got two. First, to get away from that awful noise, and second, to try to drown out the pain in my head being caused by that awful noise.

But the lighters were a real blast from the past. Here in smoke-free suburbia, I thought all smokers just hid out on their back porches. But down the road a bit, where sidewalks are still littered with butts, they're still waving their lighters during the slow songs. I bet they even have a drive-in movie theater.

Ahhh Serenity Now

Cape Cod beach path
Originally uploaded by momsworking01.

Sometimes I need a boost to get me going in the morning. Like a few minutes daydreaming about my favorite place on earth. I just put on my slide show of Cape photos and I can almost hear the surf above the din of construction vehicles. Almost.

We are studying American History this year, with a special emphasis on the voyage of the Mayflower and the Pilgrims at the moment. The boys both seem interested, but especially the Peanut. This calls for a very special field trip ... we MUST go to Plymouth! And since the Pilgrims first landed at the Cape, well, we'll just have to go there, too.

Homeschooling can be so very rewarding in unexpected ways!

meet Joe90506 2

meet Joe90506 2
Originally uploaded by momsworking01.

I proclaim the First Day of School a rousing success. Here, we have our team mascot. I found him at the bottom of the stairs this morning, possibly wishing he didn't have quite so much tape holding his "knees" together.

Both boys claimed school was fun, even though we did do boring things like Math and Penmanship. (Here's a hint: put them both first thing in the morning, and something fun, like Robot-building, at the end of the day, and they'll forget all about the drudgery!)

Now, Joe90506 does indeed have a purpose. But the Art/Science Fair is not until March 2007, so any ideas for how to keep him from falling apart, being trampled (or run over by the car), or just plain running away until then would be appreciated.

And now, to get back to school. What are we going to do today?

Our First Day of School

It seems like everybody else started before us. But dh and I like the idea of starting "after Labor Day" just like when we were kids. So today's the Big Day. And now I'm teaching two.

I have plans. I have ideas. I have dreams. And the boys will change everything.

Well, not EVERYTHING. They do like my field trips!

This year I'm starting with a little experience behind me. I'm no longer a total newbie at this. Yet I'll also be doing something totally new ... teaching the little guy to read and write. And to entertain himself without falling back on videos. I don't know which will be harder.

Well ... here I go!

Four Fascinating Things About Me (or someone I know)

I've been tagged, and for once I'm in the mood to play ...

Subject: Do you know me? For instance, did you know ...

Four places I have worked in my life:
1.Harvard University Art Museums
2. Philadelphia Insurance Company
3. Plymouth County Land Court
4. Oswego School District

Four Movies I would watch over and over
1. Pirates of the Caribbean (I and II)
2. Harry Potter (all 4 so far)
ok, so that's technically 6, with more to come ...

Four places I have lived:
1. Chicago, IL
2. Oneonta, NY
3. Abington, MA
4. Whitman, MA

Four TV shows I love to watch:
1. The Colbert Report
2. Drake and Josh
um, not much else ...


Four places I have been on vacation:
1. The beach in Massachusetts
2. The beach in Mexico
3. The beach in Texas
4. The beach in Greece

Four web sites I visit daily:
1. Flickr
2. Sparkpeople
3. Faster Than Kudzu
4. Miss Snark

Four of my favorite foods:
1. Chocolate
2. Cookies
3. Ice Cream
4. Pasta

Four places I would rather be right now:
1. on a beach
2. toes in the sand
3. sun beating down
4. waves lapping the shore

and now to tag ... anyone who reads this! (Yep, all 4 of you, you know who you are!)

How to Avoid Housework

I get better at it every day. Not the housework, oh no. AVOIDING the housework ... yes, soon to be awarded expert status in that department. Back in the dark ages before I had children, who are put here solely to MAKE MORE WORK, I was merely an amateur. Now that I have two little buggers whose main mission in life is to make messes, many messes, all over the house and everywhere else they may find themselves, well ... (blushing with modesty) ... shucks ... I can avoid whole boatloads of housework before lunch!

But I can do better, yes, I know I can. You see, we have a fairly small abode. Yep, just about 1000 square feet of clutter, junk, crap, dust, mold, mildew and hard water stains. Oh, and let's not forget the bathrooms. On second thought, let's not even speak of them. Anyway, I'm sure if we just moved on to bigger digs, well, the boys could take care of business in no time, and I'd be busy at my best ... avoiding more housework than any other SAHM in my subdivision.

I didn't learn this skill from my mother. Nor can any of my friends compete at my level (though there is one relative out there who feels she must attempt it, but moving into Wal-Mart doesn't count -- you have to Live with the fruits of your non-labor). Actually, I kinda fell into it. Credit must be given to the Internet, of course, the infamous Time-Stealer. And if it weren't for my dear husband, who refuses to lower his standards, and therefore ends up doing Way More Than His Share of the HW around here, well ... I'd be just a regular ole housewife, wouldn't I?

So here I am, about to impart a mere crumb of my vast experience in housework avoidance. Sure, just about anybody has a computer with hi-speed internet these days, and children can be rented out to the childless (at least mine can ... call me for rates!), but an addiction to newspapers and magazines and library books (yes, you have to actually READ them for total effectiveness) and WRITING ... that could take the cake for most any household. But the coup de grace ... drumroll please ... HOMESCHOOLING!

Maybe I should write a book about it.

Yes, we have roses!

yellow rose 2
Originally uploaded by momsworking01.

The payoff for tending my little rose garden meticulously, watering, feeding, weeding ... etc. is a few green thorny bushes.

So I stopped. I left them alone. I even took off and left town for a few days. And while I was gone, something beautiful happened.

Apparently MY roses are the INDEPENDENT type. They prefer to make it on their own, with no interference from lil ole me. And who am I to argue?

We have Visitors

I'm sure you know this one ...

The ants go marching one by one
Hurrah ... Hurrah

The ants go marching two by two
Hurrah ... Hurrah

They found the candy in the chair
I told you not to eat it there!
And now the vacuum hose goes down
into the chair
to get all
of the ants
boom, boom, boom ...


Oh give me time, I'll come up with the rest of the verses. Probably before I get rid of all the ants, who have now set up their colony in The Big Chair.

You know, once you get that feeling of ants crawling across your arm or leg, you just can't shake it. Phantom ants continue to plague me. And the strays are searching out new digs over by the sofa while my back is turned, I just know it!

Underwear Ninja

Underwear Ninja
Originally uploaded by momsworking01.

Where would our Superhero be without his underwear?

Underwear is Fun to Wear

In our family, not only is underwear fun to wear, but it’s also become something of a competitive sport around here. Complete with sound effects.


“Hulk MASH RRRRRR!!!”


“King Kong! Aarrgh!!”


“POW-er RAN-GERS!!” (in a sort of superhero sing-song)


“SPI-der-MAN!!” (I can’t spell the noise they make with this one, but believe me, it’s pretty impressive)


They pose like mini body-builders trying to psych each other out. Really, a new package of underwear spawns more excitement around here than the new fall collection in Milan. Even a new pair of sneakers (Teen Titans and flashing lights!) doesn’t compare to a fresh pair of Spiderman Boxer Briefs. Throw in a new Captain Underpants book and the adventures last all day.


At least until the Queen forces them to cover up their superpowers with “street clothes” in public. (evil queen!)

Finding My Own Pathway

(This was originally published in the Beacon News, April 22, 2005.)


There comes a time when you have to make a decision. How far are you willing to go to stand up for your principles? How quickly will you bend, just to keep everybody happy?


As a lifelong individualist, I’ve practiced the balancing act almost to perfection. With the outward appearance of conforming, I still made some unusual choices. When my friends all wanted to take dance lessons, I went ice skating. When all the girls signed up for softball, my mother dutifully signed me up for Little League. And in high school, when all the girl athletes were playing field hockey … there I was on the soccer field. The crowd I hung out with was always a bit small, and somewhat unusual.


Most of the time, to outward appearances, I follow the straight and narrow line of what’s expected of me. I went to college (picked one nobody heard of , six hours away) and finished in the prescribed four years, with a major I created myself. Any radical ideas that may have been picked up along the way were assimilated into my mild-mannered conservative demeanor. Never dressed too outlandishly, never too trendy, never attracted too much attention.


Soon after graduation, as everyone expected, I married my high school sweetheart and settled down to a life of work (at an art museum), staying close to home and family, keeping all the same old friends, going to the same church, hoping to eventually start my own family. Ever the non-conformist, that spirit that is usually kept so well-hidden broke out of the mold and moved me from the Northeast to the Midwest, a thousand miles from home and family and all those old friends.


Away from my comfort zone, but still with my faithful companion by my side, I stuck by some of the old rules … back to another full-time job. Or rather, a series of them. A relatively brief series. And finally to starting my own family. And that’s where the armor started falling off.


Motherhood gave me a power and a conviction in my choices that wasn’t there before. Being given ultimate responsibility for a helpless babe turned on a switch. Having to stand up for my children, for what I believe to be in their best interests, has given me the confidence to stand up for myself when necessary. Well, as long as it’s not at their expense, anyway.


Like many mothers, I went back to work after my first was born, thinking that was best for the family, still bowing to that all-important paycheck. Yet, I no longer fit into the work world; I couldn’t switch easily from my role as new mother back to loyal employee devoting all my energies to the company bottom line. I couldn’t look my boss in the eye and tell him his priorities were my priorities, at least not with a straight face. And the Christmas gift watch with my name printed on the face, Mommy, probably sealed my fate, as it soon became my job title as well.


As much as I love being a full-time mom, the lure of the paycheck beckons. Yet there are always compromises that come with employment. How far am I willing to go to stand up for my principles, when I know those closest to me will not agree? Maybe principles aren’t all that important when facing a pile of bills and rising gas prices.


And maybe those principles are strong enough to stand on their own, without any backing from my wishy-washy self. After all, the children are watching, and learning, from what I do as well as what I say. So the time has come to stop following the lemmings toward the security of a weekly paycheck, and to follow my heart down the path of the freelancer.


Whether it leads to poverty or riches doesn’t even matter. Life is too short to follow someone else’s path while my own lies out there still.

The Space Between

There’s a space between what’s going on in my brain and what gets written down on paper. It’s a vast chasm today. There’s no rhyme or reason as to what makes the leap, and what gets sucked into the void forever. I’m convinced there’s some literary genius mired in the muck at the bottom with my usual drivel.


I was in the middle of one of my rare brilliant surges of inspiration this morning, just after finishing my first cup of coffee, but it got pushed over the edge by the sound of my husband’s voice. I just lost my train of thought, my fingers poised at the keyboard, blank screen waiting to be blessed with my genius … oh, there it goes again.


There are lots of trains, one right after the other. But instead of stopping and dropping off a few characters, they just head on down the tunnel, into the abyss. Occasionally one slows down, waits on the other side for just the right moment to cross over. Trouble is, I never know when that is, or what’s waiting on the other side.


There must be a narrow bridge over that space, the great between. And it’s a perilous crossing, often crashing into a pile of debris once it makes it to this side … the page. But once in awhile one really long train makes it across, slowly and confidently, unaware of the editor just waiting to derail a car or two, or three. Or the child, waiting to scribble on the nice shiny engine once it comes to a complete stop.


I like to delude myself that I’ll find a way to close up the between, or at least make it smaller. Maybe it’s just a hiding place, and the really good stuff will come back and make to it the other side one day.


And maybe someday I’ll have a quiet space in which to write, free from the interruptions and distractions of family life. A girl can always dream.

When it's not enough to be Queen ...

I had to know. This being the home of superheroes and all ... surely I have some superpowers of my own. But of course! But just to be sure ... I took the quiz:

My results:
You are Supergirl (I KNEW IT!)

Supergirl 70% Wonder Woman 70% Robin 70% Superman 60% Spider-Man 60% The Flash 60% Green Lantern 40% Catwoman 40% Iron Man 40% Batman 20% Hulk 20%

Lean, muscular and feminine. Honest and a defender of the innocent.

Click here to take the "Which Superhero are you?" quiz...

Keeping up with the children

Yesterday I was able to post my very first picture to this here blog. Yep, quite proud of myself, really. I didn't even have to ask my son for help!


I used to be the Techie Queen of the household. Don't get me wrong, I'm still In Charge of all things relating to the family computer, as long as we have only one. All repairs, anti-virus and firewall protections, new software installations, all my domain. But for anything new and cool ... ask the boychild.


I got a new digital camera for my most recent birthday. It took awhile to load my new pictures to the computer, as in a couple weeks. I had to try out a few online sites for sharing them with the various friends and relatives (and their various levels of techno-geekiness and/or cluelessness). A couple more weeks. And a couple more weeks. And now, finally, I put one up here on the blog (see Scooby Van below). For those who are counting, we're now up to SEVERAL weeks.


In one evening, my son grabbed my precious camera, took pictures of all his Bionicle Piraka, even taking them apart and building a new one out of their parts, and posted his pictures to the web site. Just like that.


At least I can program my own VCR. I know, that's so last century.

On our way to the candy store ...

Scooby van2
Originally uploaded by momsworking01.

We always look for a candy store when we travel. Every town has one, somewhere ... but every town does not have it's own Mystery Machine. Our two superheroes discovered this one parked in Galena, IL (which I know has some very nice candy stores!)

Unfortunately, our travel plans did not allow enough time to wait for Scooby to return to the van.

In search of ... Jr Mints!

I'm always in search of something around here, usually misplaced socks or tiny pieces of legos.

One of the inhabitants, who prefers not to be named, (although he doesn't mind being referred to as the king) happens to like Jr Mints. In the Big Box. And he has come to expect to find such a box on the kitchen counter after I have just done The Shopping. The weekly gathering of boxes of stuff whose ingredients I can't pronounce but yet it puts a smile on the faces of the natives so I keep on buying it -- that's called The Shopping (as opposed to the semi-weekly gathering of stuff that grows out of the ground and has to be washed and cut and comes in pretty colors and causes the natives to make all kinds of distorted contortions with their faces).

But lately there have been problems with The Shopping. At first, I thought it was just me hitting the store at the wrong time, like maybe just before they stock it, when they're out of everything. Then it was the re-decorating, which became a re-configuration, which morphed into a Total Upgrade. In other words, I couldn't find a damn thing!

And when one store goes into Upgrade Mode, they ALL do it. So now I can't find anything in any store I go into. Every shopping trip has turned into a great big SCAVENGER HUNT! At least the kids are having fun.

Yesterday was yet another Grand Re-Opening Extravaganza! Mob scene ... concession stand out in the parking lot, taking up at least 4 parking spaces ... free samples of exotic concoctions all over the store. All I wanted was a couple gallons of milk and ... of course ... JR MINTS!

No Jr Mints. But I won a free DVD player.

We're making do with York Peppermint Pattie Bites, but they're just not the same. Still searching for Jr Mints.

The Fireworks Scrooge

I love a good fireworks show. A good, PROFESSIONAL fireworks show. Watching them last night with the boys screaming and dancing around ... now THAT'S A SHOW!

The amateur let's-go-light-some-bottle-rockets-in-the-driveway do not impress. In fact, they're quite annoying. Especially when your driveway is barely 20 feet from my driveway. And particularly when your bottle rockets land in my yard for me to clean up.

All in the spirit of the holiday, I have kept quiet about all the illegal firworks in the neighborhood. Even though my local police have advertised a zero-tolerance policy for this year, I have not reported any of the neighborhood shenanigans. I'm sure there's worse goings on somewhere else, so I leave well enough alone.

But the holiday is over. So, for the next month, I become the Fireworks Scrooge. Until every last one is confiscated and the noise finally dies down, I will rant and rave and complain and YES, I WILL CALL THE POLICE.

Because ... I'm the Fireworks Scrooge.

Whooosh!

That's the sound of summer days flying by.

Ahhhh Summertime!

Now that school is out (yes, even us homeschoolers need a break!), sun and warm temperatures beckon us outside. So does the Pool Pass. If it weren't for summer thunderstorms, I might never come in.

While my trusty notebooks are portable, alas my computer remains chained to my desk. That's right, no laptops here.

These are the days I dream about all winter long. Now I'm savoring every moment.

Spiderman is Missing

So I am still recovering from another Family Road Trip. Really, I think it's the unpacking that gets me. And the lack of sleep, while everybody adjusts to Sleeping In Their Own Beds.

I sleep better in my own bed. Certainly that goes for most people? I think it has something to do with not having my pillow or blankets pulled away from me all night. And not being kicked in the head. Yeah, that's a biggie. Oh, and the hot breath in the face (and no, it's not as sweet as baby milkbreath anymore).

But the unpacking seems to go on forever. Maybe because I'm the one folding all the clothes. And re-folding. Day after day after day.

It was a couple days after our return that I sat down and committed to relieving the overflow in my email. Over one hundred (not including the junk). Took some time, and some concentration. So while the boys wrestled on the floor behind my chair, I skimmed, filed, read and sometimes even replied.

I was deep into the project when the little guy decided he needed to get dressed. He certainly can dress himself, but can he pick out his own clothes? Of course he can! He has very definite tastes, particularly anything that belongs to the big guy. And I had recently organized their bureaus to make dressing easier for them to do independently (and crossed that off my To-Do list!). Unfortunately, big brother was in no mood to help little brother to Find the Perfect Shirt. Yep ... told him to go find it himself.

Looking back, I really should've just nipped it in the bud. Especially the first time he came downstairs saying he couldn't find the shirt he wanted. Maybe even if I had acknowledged the second request for help, I may have averted disaster. But no, I was BUSY. And I assured myself that the drawers were neatly arranged and ANYBODY could find what they needed up there. In That Room.

Not only did he empty ALL of the drawers in BOTH bureaus, making sure each and every neatly folded item was shaken out and tossed about the room so as to completely cover every square inch of floorspace ... he also searched (meaning emptied) every nook and cranny, every cubby and basket, every toy box. And they have WAY TOO MANY toys. The evidence is spread out for all to see.

I can demand that he clean up his mess till I die, we all know that's not going to happen. Besides, everybody knows that Boys Can't Fold Clothes. I tell them to wear what they find on the floor. Eventually, through the miracle of Laundry, it will all find it's way back to its rightful spot. Or else they'll grow out of it.

And what have I learned from this? Big guy has at least seven Spiderman shirts. At least that's how many we've found so far ...

Memorial Day

In memory of those who have passed this way before us ...

I think I'll plant some flowers. Perennials, the ones that bloom again year after year.

Another Look at the Alphabet

Seen at Perpetual Chocoholic http://perpetualchocoholic.blogspot.com (and promptly "borrowed"!)

Accent – Depends on who I'm speaking to. Mostly bits of Boston mixing with a touch of New York drying out to a Midwestern Bland, and an occasional y'all thrown in for fun.

Breakfast of Champions - was "Booze of choice" but my boys are currently making their own breakfasts right now instead of asking me! How grown up! How independent! How much Baked Cheetos can you fit in that bowl? And let's not forget the chocolate chipped cookies! (They're still waiting for Mom to bring the chocolate milk)

Chore I hate – Cleaning.

Dog or Cat – Dog. Just not in my house (see above).

Essential electronics – Yup. Electronics are essential, expensive toys.

perFume - (Never would've found it here if I was lookin!) Yep, just a dab, every morning, so that no matter what I look like, at least MOMMY SMELLS NICE!

Gold or Silver? - Gold. or silver. as long as there's Diamonds, who cares?

Hometown – a nice quiet place in the suburbs.

Insomnia? – Child induced. I'm sure I could sleep through the night if ALLOWED.

Job Title – you may address me as Your Highness.

K? Where's K? I could add one: Killed anything? (or anyone?) Unfortunately, the Queen of the Castle is also the Spider Killer of the Castle

Living Arrangement – You mean I'm allowed to Arrange the Living? Hmmm, things are gonna change around here!

Most-admired trait – Integrity

Number Of Penguins In Your Bathtub – No penguins presently, probably eaten by the dinosaurs.

Overnight Hospital Stays – twice, and came home with a prize both times!

Phobia – stairs, as in falling down them. Do it enough times and you start to worry.

Quote – I read Wisdom Quotes regularly. I liked this one this morning.
H. L. Mencken:
In this world of sin and sorrow there is always something to be thankful for; as for me, I rejoice that I am not a Republican.

Religion – another quote, from yesterday's sermon: "I believe in the separation of church and hate."

Siblings – yes. one of each. I'm the middle child. Yes, I know, that explains a lot.

Time I wake up – when the snoring becomes too loud to sleep.

Unusual talent/skill – Sometimes able to "Pull It All Together" in time.

Vegetable I refuse to eat – Brussel sprouts. Just don't like the sound of it.

Worst habit – putting the piles of clean clothes too close to the piles of dirty clothes. Some people around here get upset when that happens.

X-rays – yeah, that's an X word. So is xylophone. So?

Yummy foods I make – Chocolate chip cookies, home baked bread, banana bread ... oh, I should go make some now.

Zodiac sign – The bull. No laughing.

But hey. . .what about you?

It's Not My Fault ... Really!

I'm feeling a bit like a jinx.

First Steven Tyler. Now Keith Richards. Who's next?

Let me explain. This past year I finally got to see two of the greatest rock bands still touring after all these years. I don't know how I missed them before (yeah I do, something like MONEY getting in the way) but now I'm finally working on my list of Concerts To See Before They Retire (or die, but really, who wants to think of that?)

So then, not too long after seeing Aerosmith LIVE and being all amazed that they can still do all that rock star stuff and sing and play and ... well. Amazed. And then, Mr. Tyler came down with a bit of a throat problem. A big enough problem that he actually had to cancel shows. WHOA! That may have been my last chance to see them. I hope not, but you never know.

Recently, after many attempts over the last several years, I scored tickets to see the Rolling Stones. Another AMAZING show (in my humble opinion, which is what this blog is so please go on). Again, thinking they're not getting any younger, wow, this could be my last chance. And by the way, I'm not getting any younger, either.

And here we have Keith Richards, recovering from a head injury. Well, at least he doesn't have to have brain surgery, I read today. And so far, there's no plans to cancel any upcoming shows. At least not yet.

Just wondering who's next ...

(Madonna!)

The Case of the Exploding CD

BANG!

"What just happened?" We both turned and looked at my son accusingly. He was sitting at the computer, playing his favorite dinosaur game.

"Nothing! I didn't do anything!" He was looking around the desk area for any signs of damage, but neither he nor I could find anything wrong.

My husband then confessed that "he's been at that computer all day." Oh good, so much for Turn Off the TV Week, just give 'em a substitute and business as usual. "Finish up and let your brother have a turn," I said.

No more noises, until Lil Guy wanted to change the cd. "Mom, it's stuck!"

Great. Add that to the list. This computer isn't very old, but it's showing signs of wear and tear ... as in children having a little too much freedom to download cool stuff off the internet which will therefore wreak havoc with parents IMPORTANT STUFF (also downloaded off the internet).


"OK, move aside, let Mom get to work here." I shut down. I restarted. I shut down and restarted again. I pushed on the CD door. I jiggled it. I shut down and started again. (I did a few other things that would take too long to explain and might even sound like I knew what the heck I was doing so we just won't go there). Anyway, eventually, it opened for us.

And there sat the shattered pieces of the dinosaur game.

"Well, at least we know what that noise was."

From Chaos to Harmony

Front hall closet: DONE

(One box of shoes to send to younger cousin, one bag of shoes for Salvation Army, one small pile of jackets to sort and distribute - but it's OUT of that closet!)

We've got a long road ahead of us, but step by step, one small section at a time, this cluttered house will once again become a serene home.

Oh, and I have to add, I can still fit my car into the garage!

Just dropping by to say "Hi"

That's about all I ever have time for these days. "Just a minute" seems to be my favorite phrase, since it's all that comes out of my mouth.

Just ask the kiddos. Even they're getting tired of waiting for me to finish what I'm doing (which is usually something for them in one way or another) in order for them to drop yet another request. For me to DO something else for them.

It would be a lot easier if I could just get organized.

I've been saying that for many years, but now I mean business. It seems that homeschooling has turned this moderately disorganized but comfy home into UTTER CHAOS & CLUTTER.

Not that I have never seen worse. My college dorm may have been worse ... yeah, probably was. But there was just me and my mess to contend with. Right now we have the combined messes of a growing family, and two of them are learning their slovenly ways from the wrong parent.

Dad tries to step in and make things right, but he's in a losing battle. It's up to me, since I am officially the Home Administrator and Queen in Residence, to shape things up.

I may be gone for long periods of time, since blogging must drop ever lower on my list of priorities. But when I'm back, it'll be better than ever. Or not, but at least I'm giving it my best shot.

Wish me luck.

Stuck in a Time Warp

What year is it? 2006 ... a long way from 1968, doncha think? But have we evolved, or has our government gone back to the "good ole days" of spying on us?

James Carroll wrote a column in yesterday's Boston Globe, also reprinted at http://www.commondreams.org, entitled "The Politics of Pacifism Meets FBI Monitoring."

So it's true, it's not just the President who's spying on us, but his minions, as well. And they've been doing it (or rather, they've been CAUGHT doing it) for the last FOUR YEARS. But you won't find it in any news reports. No, No, NO! Because, after all, it's just one columnist's OPINION (a very well-respected columnist who backs up his assertions with FACTS, but, well, you know).

So now you know what really ticks me off. Besides the ugly business of war and all that war-profiteering going on, that is. Stepping on the toes of our hard won civil rights. Yeah, some of which were won through war, I know. BUT STILL!

Don't make all our past mistakes in vain. Let's not repeat history. If we didn't do it right the first time, then things ought to be done differently. And labeling pacifism a "left-wing political cause" is ... oh, let me be the first to say, it's UNPATRIOTIC.

Maybe the FBI should go back to investigating UFO's.

Climbing Back into the Saddle

OK, so I'm not as back as I thought I was. Still on the mend, here, as I try to regain both my strength and the upper hand in the household.

That might take awhile.

Everybody else around here recovered pretty quickly, and thanks to the tireless efforts of both my mother and my husband, the world did not come to an end. Although I did find it somewhat amusing that it took BOTH of them to handle my various tasks around the house, and yet they left some for me.

In the eternal wisdom of my mother, "You have too much to do."

Don't we all.

I'm Baaaack

Wow, I didn't realize how long I had been away. Well, for those who have been in the dark, I've been recovering from my tonsillectomy. This is one of those things that's easy for kids, HAAAARD for parents.

I thought I had things all under control. In the days leading up to the surgery, while both boys developed colds and lovingly shared those colds with their father, I popped the Airborne like candy. It was actually kind of a treat, like drinking soda all day. Anyway, it got the job done, and I remained healthy enough to go through with the procedure.

Since my mother was flying up from sunny Florida to spend a week in confinement with my demolition crew, I thought the least I could do was start her off with a clean house. Cleaning is something that I just am no good at, I barely keep this place acceptable to my husband (who has had to DRASTICALLY lower his standards in order to live here). But since the last two times my mother came to help out she landed in a disaster zone, she was pleasantly surprised this time.

Everything was going pretty smoothly. The boys' colds had abated (dh was still pretty miserable, but coping), the house was clean, my mother even bought me my Last Meal ... PIZZA, (which, by the way, is No. 2, after chocolate) with plenty left over for the crew to reheat the next day. Even the boys ate well that night. Little Guy had two whole slices of pizza.

Which he promptly threw up all over me, all over the Big Chair, all over the BEIGE carpet (well, it was beige when we bought it), all over the end of the sofa (which I didn't notice until the next morning, eww), and a trail down the hallway to the bathroom, where he stubbornly refused to aim for the toilet. No, the floor was working just fine for him.

I'm sure my mother was thinking "I didn't sign up for this!" as she helped to clean up the mess. Things only got better from there.

He was sick throughout the night. Lucky for me (and my bed!) it was mostly dry heaves, since he had already thrown up everything he had ever eaten. But still, pretty hard to get a good night's rest when every cough, every whimper caused me to jump up and shove a bowl under his chin all night long.

But still, we stuck with the plan. In the morning, DH went to get "sick" supplies, and then we left for the surgery center, left my mother to care for one sick little boy, and one healthy (so far) big boy. (Sick Boy had no fever, so we were hoping it was just a case of overeating) Good Luck.

The surgery was quick and easy (I was asleep, real easy) and I was back home in time for supper, only I wasn't going to be eating any supper anytime soon. Mom had a pretty easy day, too. Sick Boy lounged around, didn't eat, drank his flat coke as directed by Dr. Gram. He was a very good Sick Boy. And Healthy Boy was good too, occupied himself with cartoons and computer games, read books with Gram, wrote in his Thursday Journal (the only school work he was required to do all day).

So in the early evening, as I was trying to get comfortable sleeping upright in my bed, with Sick Boy squeezing in beside me, DH totally passed out after his marathon (work all night, stay with me all day ... 22 hours), I heard the coughing start downstairs. Too late, Healthy Boy had just lost his supper (why did he pick now to finally eat?) and my dear mother was cleaning up another mess.

Since I was drugged up on pain meds, and clearly out of my brain, I went down to help. We eventually got Big Sick Boy settled into a makeshift bed on the floor of his bedroom (since the top bunk is NO PLACE for a Sick Boy). Mom took the couch to be away from Big Sick Boy and what was now clearly a HORRIBLE CONTAGIOUS DISEASE. I joined her, finding the Big Chair (totally Febreezed the smell out of it by now) to be more comfortable than propping myself against the wooden headboard in my bed upstairs. Little Not-as-Sick Boy squeezed in.

Big Sick Boy had a rough night. We ALL had a rough night. Well, not me, really, as I was pretty drugged. And Little Guy slept pretty well, too.

So now comes the part where DH tries to be me. And take care of me at the same time. Homeschooling Big Sick Boy was out for the day, so he was off the hook there, but pretty soon it was apparent that Mom was succumbing to the DREADED DISEASE.

She totally didn't sign up for this.


(sorry, this is getting too long ... to be continued)

Getting rid of your domestic aliens

My own personal grafitti artist has struck again.

Despite all our rules about putting crayons away, no pens within reach of our youngest little artist, all art supplies neatly LOCKED UP ... somehow, he found a pencil.

One innocuous little pencil turned several walls into an Alien Castle. Big enough for all the aliens to live in. And, apparently, we have an overabundance of aliens around here. So we NEEDED an alien castle, so they would go away.

I hope they were all safely nestled in their beds when I got out the cleaning supplies and helped the artist wipe away his creation. So now they can't come out and bother us anymore.

And for now we're looking forward to spring, and that great vast canvas known as the SIDEWALK (clean-up provided by Mother Nature).

Happy Valentine's Day

My favorite holiday of the year! (Christmas seems just so far away right now) What could be better than a day devoted to love and chocolate?

The boys, at least the little ones, cringe when I get all smoochy and huggy around them. But they like the candy. So they dutifully cut out paper hearts for me, in hopes of getting more candy.

Chocolate for breakfast, today! And hugs and kisses all around!

CODEPINK

Library Day

Today is Library Day in our household. It's a very important day, as we ALWAYS have lots of books and videos that are DUE TODAY. Always.

And sure, we spend most of our time in the Youth Services Department, aka The Children's Section. But I make sure to get myself some light reading, and I'm making an effort to pick out a movie of the week for myself, now, too.

So, for this week, the picks are ... (drumroll please)

Wise Blood, by Flannery O'Connor. A recommendation from a fellow writer.
Pendragon, The Lost City of Faar by DJ MacHale (book 2 in a series, and yes it's for kids, but irresistible)
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by JK Rowling (another book 2 for those who've lost count)

And the movie of the week ... Spanglish. I've been waiting for this one to be in for weeks and I finally found it. Now let's hope I find the time to actually watch it!

So, anybody have any favorite books or movies that I MUST check out? Go ahead now ... make yourself heard ...