February 2007 Archives
It's "Getting to Know You Day" at CaC and today's topic is stretching beyond your comfort zone. So, I'll attempt to answer these questions with complete honesty, even if they're embarrassing:
1a. What is one thing about your body that you hate, deny, talk trash about?
I absolutely hate my ankles (ala "cankles). I've always been really petite, except for my ankles. For a long time, from high school up until I met Bill, I refused to wear shorts. I'm also really pale so the combo isn't so pretty. Bill finally helped me to come out of my shell about them, but I still hate seeing pictures of myself in shorts. I'm also developing serious spider veins (genetic, yay!), so basically I just hate my legs in general.
1b. What can you do to make friends with this part and show it a little love?
Oh, God, is that possible? I've looked into sclerotherapy for the veins (expensive). I usually use a light self- tanner for the paleness (temporary). I've heard mixed reviews about developing better calf muscles to visually offset the largeness of my ankles (haven't tried yet, but I'll add that to my "exercise more" resolution this year). There'a plastic surgery option that is relatively new, where they take a little off the ankles, but there's a big possibility the problem will return. Basically, it's going to take a lot to make me love them.
2a. What is one thing about your home that doesn't feel good?
I could say lots of things, but I really do love our little house. That is, except for the damn animal smells. As much as I try to clean it there's always a dog or cat smell. The dog smell isn't so bad, but the cat... Well, let's just say that the woman who lived here before us had about four cats, all of whom didn't seem to like their litter box. We have a cat too, so that just adds to the problem. I hate not being able to do much about it until we replace all of our carpeting.
2b. What is one thing you can do to change that?
Um, keep steam cleaning the hell out of our carpets? Making sure our cat has lots of access to her litter box? Apologizing profusely to people who visit our house for the first time? Oh yeah, and eventually get new carpeting.
3a. Is there a relationship that you have difficulty with?
Oh man. Probably my stepdad (the first one) who I really don't have a relationship with at all. He was a good guy, loved us and had a big impact on who I am today. But he sort of went nuts when I became a teenager. He had a heart attack and then a mid-life crisis and just left our family, showing himself to be a horrible person in the process. I'm always trying to see things from his point of view, to understand why is the way he is. I know he had a tough life, but I also know that he wasn't a nice person before he met my mom, so it's tough to justify that he was still a nice person after he met her and prior to the mid-life thing. I'm not his daughter biologically (which he has since reminded me) but I was the first to forgive him after everything happened. I let him back into my life (twice) only to be burned again. He just won't take responsibility for the mistakes he's made. I finally realized that I had to cut ties altogether for my own sanity's sake. It hurts a little to know that he's is a lonely old man with no one to take care of him, but I also knwo that he's done that to himself. I never want to see anyone hurt, but there's not much I can do now. So yeah, that's a really difficult relationship for me.
3b. What is something small you can do to either salvage it or come to terms with the way it is now?
Like I said, I need to keep it a nonexistent relationship for now. Perhaps in the future things might change, but I don't hold any hope for that. He has no interest in getting to know his grandchildren. The only thing I can do is wish him the best in the life he's chosen.
4a. Is there something you are afraid to do, but would like to try it?
For years and years I've thought about contacting my biological father. It's a little secret in the back of my head, that I've only just revealed to Bill and my mom. I don't want a relationship with him at all. I just want to find him and look him in the face and see if I look like him, see if we share anything in common. Sometimes I think about confronting him and telling him I'm his daughter, but that would be worthless. I just want to see him. I was so scared to tell my mom, for fear of hurting her. A few weeks ago I finally asked her to tell me about him, about what happened when I was born. 30 years and I finally asked her. I know it hurt her to talk about it, and she kept trying to dissuade me from wanting to meet him, not understanding that I don't want to meet him, just see him. People have always said I look like my mom, but in truth I don't. I don't share many characteristics at all with her or my brother and sister. I found out that my petiteness probably comes from his mother, who was small and also really fair. That was the biggest thing for me to know at all. Just to know where I got pieces of who I am. Can we say "Daddy issues," anyone?
4b. What can you do to begin a plan to try it?
I found out where he works (a cement plant about 20 miles away from where my mom lives) and I someday plan to go in and get a quote for some cement or something. Just to see him and hear him talk. It's something I've thought of doing for the past 25 years. Then I can be content.
Wow, I honestly hadn't even read these questions before pasting them hear and answering them. That was tough, but also cathartic. This week's "Getting to Know You Day" really is deep.
I'm gearing up for a huge consignment sale in March. I've got about 5 huge bins worth of baby clothes and toys to sell (the grandparents were just as generous when the girls were babies too). I'm already working on washing and tagging each item (they use barcodes - this is serious stuff!)
It's been hard to look at all those teeny tiny clothes again. Were the girls really that tiny? I can even still smell their sweet little bodies on some of them. This whole thing is difficult because I really want to be able to give them to someone I know who could use them. I already donate to Goodwill on a regular basis, but I want these to go to some little babies that I know. The problem is that none of my friends have babies now. My sister and her husband are bound to have kids eventually, but they just got married and aren't planning to for a while and that would mean saving all this stuff for years and we just don't have the room. Plus, I'm hoping to make some money to use towards home improvements. We finally fixed up the girls' room around Thanksgiving. Now I want to tackle our bedroom and the bathroom and maybe new doorknobs on the interior doors (all exciting, yes). So my sale money is hopefully going to go towards that.
Of course, I'll probably sell all this baby stuff and find out I'm pregnant the week after the sale. That's just the way the cookie crumbles.
I've taught the girls to say, "What up, dude?" when they answer a call from Bill.
It's probably not the best phone skill to teach them, but it sure does make Bill laugh each time.
I've actually done this for a while now, but I had no idea it had an actual term and definition:
Type a few ingredients into Google, press enter, and then take a look at the recipes you can make.
I'm constantly battling my nervousness over who actually reads this site. I don't think I've been mean or hurt anyone in any way. Or at least I hope not. I've made a few jokes (and complaints) about my mom, but they're nothing that I haven't told her in person. Still, lately I've been worrying about some of the topics on which I want to post.
One of the things that Bill told me when I started this blog a little over a year ago (has it been a year already?) is not to worry at all about stats or comments. It would affect my writing, he said. I listened to him and things were great for a while. But then I started getting a little popular. More comments and new people and old ones. It's like being the popular girl in school for once. It's a high to know other people are interested in you, except when you think you need to live up to their expectations of you. I have no ideas what those expectations are. Are people growing tired of my whining?
And I'm not saying that anyone has been anything other than completely nice. I feel like I've actually made some new friends, halfway across the country, just by communication through our blogs. To my new friends, Hello, and I'm so glad to have met you and made a connection.
But then I start thinking about who else might be reading this. Old friends? Family members? Ex-boyfriends? Coworkers? That crazy cashier at the grocery store?
Why should I worry? What does it matter? Well, the people who make me nervous the most about reading it are the ones I haven't seen in years, decades even. How will I be perceived now? Especially compared to the person I used to be. Will I offend them? I don't want to make anyone uncomfortable. Am I revealing too much about myself when I joke about sex or silly stuff between Bill and I?
I loved the idea of De-Lurker Week, but no one participated except for two readers who I'm already aware of. Who else is out there?? Make yourselves known!
I don't know. It's all silly, really. There are so many things I want to write, though, so I'm going to have to move past this little fear. I never discuss politics or religion with friends or family (other than Bill) but there is so much I want to say here. So much that affects my life and thoughts. But of course I worry about offending anyone reading those thoughts.
Oh well. I'm going to have to write those things. I want to. I need to say them out loud. And I apologize in advance if what I write offends you. I'm not looking for a debate. I might even close comments altogether. I'm just putting things out there. If you agree, great. If you don't, great. I need to remember why I started this blog. It's for me. It's an outlet for me. It's the part of me that isn't wiping snotty noses or making dinner. It's all me. And I guess I'm finally becoming ok with people seeing that, be they from 10 years ago or 10 days ago.
The sweetest memories I have of Maddie as a baby are ones like this. She slept with us the first month or so since it was easier to breastfeed that way. Somehow we always woke up facing one another, nose to nose. Her sweet little face was the first thing I'd see every morning when I woke up.
See more self-portraits here.
I finally watched Brokeback Mountain last night. We've had it Tivo'd for almost 6 months, but I find it so hard to sit down and commit to watching a movie . I usually need something quick that I can walk away from at any moment.
Great great great movie. Yes, it was nominated for awards, so duh. But it really was! It started off a little slowly, but it was a beautiful movie about love and circumstances and how life just gets in the way. Jake was good. Heath was amazing. And I was really impressed with Michelle Williams' performance. I expected to see a variation on her Dawson's Creek character, but she played the country wife really well.
If you haven't seen it, go to Blockbuster now. It's a beautiful love story about two people. Not necessarily two people of the same gender, but two people in love.
I haven't watched an awards show in a while, but Bill and I sat down to watch the Oscars last night. We got in a little late from Bill's birthday festivities (Happy Birthday, honey!) so we watched the rest in high-def. Oh wow. Never before have I seen so much detail so close. Lots of high beams last night, to Bill's delight. We ended up watching it again afterwards, skipping through most of it until we got to speeches or parts we'd missed before. Oh yeah, and so Bill could see Jessica Biel again.
A breakdown, in my honest opinion:
- What's up with Nicole Kidman's and Gwyneth Paltrow's hair? I just don't get it. Looked a little stringy and too composed to fall over one shoulder.
- I love Kate Winslet. I really really do.
- Ellen ROCKED! I Tivo her show every day and I adore her as a person. It was a rocky start, but she was funny without even trying. Yay!!!
- Helen Mirren is beautiful. I recently read a very open and honest interview with her where she came across as being not quite so humble, but she's a great actress nevertheless.
- I love how Jack Nicholson is in the front row of every awards show, whether he's nominated or not. And how he's always the butt of some joke, and how he always gets camera time for facial expressions and laughter.
- Steve Carrell is just too damn funny.
- It was cute that Abigail Breslin from Little Miss Sunshine brought her Curious George doll with her. I read where she said she was bringing him since she wasn't old enough to date yet.
- Yay for the international recognition that was received this year. There are so many great foreign films out there.
- Was Diane Keaton drunk? Seriously, I love her, but she was acting really goofy last night. I half expected her to jump up and down and do a jig at one point. She was slurring her words too. But I still love you, Diane.
- Kudos for the emphasis on Hollywood going "green". Like Al said, it's a moral issue, not a political one. And even better that celebs are jumping on the bandwagon so that Joe Shmoe will pay more attention as well.
- Say what you want, but I love Pilobolus. I've been a fan of this dance troupe since I first saw them in high school. I owned their calendars for a couple of years. Brilliant.
- When did Leo DiCaprio finally grow up? He's always looked like a little boy to me until last now. Meow!
- Will Ferrell, Jack Black and John C. Reilly were hilarious. At least for right now, I can't get enough of Will Ferrell.
- Congrats to Jennifer Hudson, but I honestly thought Cate Blanchett would win. Until I see more of Jennifer's work as an actress, I won't be convinced that she played her part well because it was her playing herself. Bill and I talked about how many actors today are basically just playing themselves. There's no breadth to their work. I don't see how that is deserving of an Oscar.
- Congrats to Martin Scorcese. Too bad it came too late and not for Goodfellas, etc. He's also got a great sense of comedic timing (with Ellen).
- Boo to the director and sound editing for the show. The direction was bad: random shots of nothing and seat fillers instead of stars. Or catching stars off guard (why were so many unaware that cameras would be on them?) Also, the sound was awful. We got our new stereo so it was especially evident.
- Jaden Smith is possibly the cutest kid I've seen lately (other than my own, of course.)
- The whole thing with live models for the costume awards category was just weird. I would have preferred pics or illustrations like in past shows.
- Forrest Whitaker is cool. I saw a couple of interviews with him and he's just a cool guy. It's good to see him win - a REAL actor. He was so shaken up during his speech. Was he really that surprised? I wasn't.
- Why were Anne Hathaway and Emily Blunt giggling so much? Did they not realize their mic's were still on even if the cameras weren't? Immature.
- Melissa Etheridge thanking her wife. I got a nice, warm fuzzy feeling from that.
- Jennifer Lopez looked pretty and fresh. She's had some odd fashion choices of late, but I still prefer them over the old "Jenny from the Block".
- Jodie Foster is so classy.
- Everyone looked great, but I just didn't understand Cameron Diaz's dress.
- Our new TV. I'm finally starting to understand what Bill has been saying about HDTV.
- That my cold is starting to go away, or at least it's just turned into an annoying tickly cough.
- Having the girls back home. We picked them up from my mom's on Sunday and I practically ran inside the house before the car had even stopped. Bill was off work on Monday too, so we had some extra time together as a family.
- My pole dancing class. No, seriously. On Saturday I took a little sampler class at this place that offers pole dancing lessons, etc. We learned a little stripping, chair dance, shadow dancing, and some pole spins. It was so much fun letting my sexy self come out. The class was full of moms and older women, so the atmosphere was pretty fun -- not at all serious. It really was empowering. The owner talked about how she started it to empower women and make them comfortable with their bodies. Plus, it was one heck of a workout. You have no idea how many more muscles you use when you're wearing stripper heels. ;) I made a friend in the class and we're considering taking another little sampler class for fun.
- Dinner with some old friends at their place. They're an incredibly sweet couple who are currently trying to have a baby. I've never met any people who are more deserving of becoming parents. I wish them all the best because Bill and I both agree that they will make excellent parents.
- Bill's birthday this weekend. We've got some surprises lined up for him, and I hope he enjoys them. (No, I'm still not telling, Bill!)
- Some changes that are happening to our family in the coming weeks. I can't go into detail yet, but we are privately celebrating some wonderful things (and no, mom, I'm not pregnant).
- Warmer weather has returned to Atlanta. I'm excited about the future walks and bike rides we'll be taking.
My cousin's daughter, Graisi, is jumping rope for the American Heart Association this year. She will be jumping in memory of her brother, Grant. Eight years ago, Grant was born with 3 congenital heart defects. He died in surgery to repair one of them. Donations to the AHA aid research to help prevent birth defects in infants.
Take a moment, if you can, to donate towards Graisi's cause. It's one that hits home not only for her family, but for hundreds of others across the country.
Click here to donate.
Some of you will remember ANP from my interview with her a few weeks ago. She has recently been featured in New York Press for her participation in the fine art jello wrestling. Way to go, ANP!
I participated in the CAC Book Exchange and just received my books this weekend:
The Year of Pleasures by Elizabeth Berg
Operating Instructions: A Journal of My Son's First Year by Anne Lamott
Thanks to MaryEllen for sending them. I've already started on the first.
Casual embrace.
My mother-in-law captured a quiet moment between Bill and I at our Myrtle Beach vacation last year.
We have a chain link fence surrounding our backyard, but wouldn't it be better if it looked like this:
I've mentioned how much easier things seem to be getting now that the girls are getting older. I suddenly feel as if I've come out of a fog and am really enjoying my time being a mom. That sounds awful, but I feel like I'm driving the car instead of going along for a crazy ride with no brakes.
The bad part about the past three years is that it hasn't left Bill or I much time to devote to one another. We both acknowledge that we sort of fell into "survival mode" after the girls were born. Our attention was directed solely at them, with any other leftover time and energy put into the basic necessities for ourselves (food, sleep, etc.) Now that the girls don't need so much of our attention, we have time for each other once again.
The problem is that it HAS been three or so years since we've been able to focus on each other. We've grown and changed interests a lot and haven't really updated each other. We finally realized this about ourselves last night when we exchanged Valentine's Day gifts.
This Christmas, Bill got shafted in the gifts department from me. I got him some things that he had seen and talked about in a store one day. What I didn't realize is that he was making fun of those things, and that what he really wanted wasn't like those at all. He was great about hiding his disappointment, but later I found out that he was completely puzzled by what I had given him.
Last night he gave me the biggest box of candy I've seen in ages. A gigantic box of Cherry Cordials that he apparently had to search for in many stores. Guess what? I hate Cherry Cordials. I had brought some home from a party a few months ago and he had assumed from that that I really liked them.
Bill's birthday is next week so sometimes Valentine's Day is lumped together with that. He loves Everclear and there's a concert here in town tomorrow night. He had mentioned it a few times, but I didn't pick up on any of the hints. Instead I got him something else for his birthday... something he probably won't end up liking after all. What would he have really liked? Tickets to the concert tomorrow night.
This all sounds petty and materialistic, but I used to be so good at gift giving. I was the person who could pick up on subtle clues and surprise someone with a gift. For the first 5 years of our relationship, I think I made Bill leap for joy or cry at least once every Christmas because of a gift I'd gotten him. And they were always surprises and always something that he loved. Now I can't even seem to pick the right thing when it's laid out in front of me.
The whole point, and one that we've now realized, is that we need to reconnect. This weekend without the girls is the perfect opportunity to start. Random passing in the night (him coming home from work while I leave for the spa) hasn't left much time to discover each of our new interests. I'm just glad we're realizing it now, only 3 years in, instead of when the girls go off to college. So many of my friends' parents split up when we graduated high school. It's as if they finally looked at each other after 18 years and said, Who are you? They had focused on the kids and hadn't connected at all or enough during that time. Hopefully we can avoid that... and hopefully I can become a better gift-giver as well.
Well, Valentine's Day turned out to be very, um, interesting this year.
I took the girls to my mom's house yesterday. They're staying with her for the rest of the weekend so Bill and I can have some time alone. Nana and Poppa love having them stay for longer than a day or two, and without Mommy or Daddy, they can be spoiled as much as possible.
I had been feeling a little cold coming on the night before, but it started in full force on my drive back from Alabama. I got home and just hung out a while until it was time to pick Bill up from work. We had planned on cooking dinner at home, but it had been such a crazy week already that we just decided to go out for dinner last night. We had a great meal at our favorite Mexican restaurant, Nuevo Laredo. It's a little place hidden away, and has the best tamales around. The margaritas aren't bad either. But I digress...
We had a great meal and then headed home. My voice had been fading slowly all day and by last night it was almost gone. I was starting to feel really crappy. Sore throat, ears throbbing, upset stomach, annoying cough and a squeaky voice. Sounds nice, huh? We had just settled in for a nice evening of TV. By the end of Lost I was miserable. I mumbled something about bed and then went to the bedroom, covered up and fell asleep. I did all of this while Bill was in the bathroom. I didn't even say goodnight.
I woke up this morning feeling a tiny bit better, but my voice was still gone. It comes back in at odd times, and then I'm back to whispering and cracking. I canceled the massage scheduled for both Bill and I tonight because I didn't want to get the techs sick. Considering that I work with them, I didn't want to be the icky client who came in hacking all over the place. I tried to get Bill to go to his anyway, but there was a schedule mixup when I canceled mine and they ended up canceling his as well.
We've been without the girls now for about 36 hours and it hasn't been a good start to our weekend alone. Hopefully the next few days will be a little better. We have some plans to meet up with friends for dinner and other things and I'm hoping my little cold will clear up fast.
I mean, we talked about spending the weekend in bed, but I didn't mean because I was sick.
**** I always thought that losing your voice left you with a Kathleen Turner-type sexy voice. Instead, I sound more like Screech from Saved by the Bell.
A trip to Target is always an adventure.
The girls decide to have their own fun:
Josie falls in love with a pirate hat:
Maddie is a princess and Mommy is a....
Good times, good times.
Well, Bill went and bought our new TV last night. We were up until about 1am playing around with it and getting it all set up. Right about 1:30, as I was about to head off to bed after finding myself dosing in the chair, Maddie woke up crying and coughing. I walked in to find her vomiting and completely scared. She had no idea what was going on and was terrified. I scooped her up and took her to the bathroom as she continued to vomit all over me. She finally calmed down and stopped so she and I took a shower together (it was in her hair and mine) and then settled in on the couch so I could hold her until she fell asleep again. About 45 minutes later, she started again. Again, I rushed her to the bathroom, barely making it in time. Time for a wardrobe change.
She settles in again and it seems like she's done for the night. Then Josie wakes up. I let them both cuddle in my bed to watch a little Dora while they fall asleep. I start to nod off again. Then, of course, Maddie starts again, this time with Josie falling in right after her. Two kids vomiting all over our bed and my pajamas. Time to get naked again. At this point, I've spent most of the evening topless and we are running out of blankets on all of our beds. Throughout the rest of the night, the girls took turns vomiting. Maddie seemed to be okay with it as the night went on - not fun, but she wasn't freaking out as much. Poor Josie, though, just shrieked every time.
When they started up again around 5:30 this morning, Bill let me sleep while he got up. The girls woke up at 8:30 this morning all excited and ready to play. I don't know how they're doing it. They're still sick, but they're also smiling and playing.
I know this sounds familiar to those who have kids, especially older ones, but this is the first time the girls have been really sick like this besides spitting up when they were babies.
Our day will be full of rest, Sprite, crackers, and lots and lots of laundry.
****Update:
The girls are doing much better. Saturday afternoon we noticed that Josie was feeling really hot. We took her temp, which turned out to be 103. Maddie's was 100. Four hours later (our dr's office waiting room sucks) we were told it was a flu bug going around and that they weren't too dehydrated. Go home and give them teaspoonfuls of Gatorade every 10 mins. By Sunday morning they were back to their old selves... and we had most of the laundry done.
Birthday girl Josey Posey.
Her ensemble may look vaguely familiar, though Josie ended up adding the tutu herself
- The Colts win the Superbowl! I'm not much of a football fan, but I do enjoy the event of the Superbowl each year. This year, though, it meant something. I grew up in Northwest Indiana, which meant I was a Bears fan. (Superbowl Shuffle, uh huh...) I went to college in central Indiana, which means I became a Colts fan in my adult years. Either way, I was a winner.
- Josie's party. Again, another birthday party that was just relaxed and fun. Both sets of grandparents were able to make it, plus various aunts and uncles. Josie enjoyed being the center of attention. For a couple of days before and after, she would walk around saying, "It's my birthday!!!" with a big smile on her face.
- Nice deductions for two kids and a house have left us with some spending money this tax season. One of our big purchases is/was (Bill's picking it up right now) a new TV. Of course it needed a new table as well. And while we're at IKEA, we might as well get some curtains that actually reach the floor and not just halfway down the windows on the front of the house. It sounds extravagant, but it was IKEA afterall. It's exciting to see our house getting dressed up, little by little. (You know, besides the fixed washer and heating unit and thermostat).
- I went to a salon. A REAL salon. One where they charge you more than what you (okay, I) would ever pay for a shirt, much less a haircut. But, I'm actually really happy with my hair. The guy is awesome. I sat in the chair, he asked me about my current haircut, then proceeded to tell me exactly what I should do. I've always wanted someone to be able to do that, but a person who actually knows what they're talking about and knows what would look good on me. I felt like he'd known my entire hair history just by talking to me for a few minutes. Anyway, my hair is still growing out from the mess, but it looks pretty good in the meanwhile. Did I mention that I also got a neck and hand massage? Uh huh. His assistant massaged my hands while he cut my hair. Awwwweeeesoommmmme. The extremely frugal (okay, cheap) person in me is finding it hard to rationalize the expense (which was insisted upon by Bill, citing that he no longer wanted to have to deal with me coming home crying from a salon). We were talking about me quitting my spa job but I may have to hold onto it just to pay for my beauty expenses.
And now, for your viewing pleasure, a little clip of the extremely mean things we do to our kids when the grandparents are in town:
I have so much trouble gardening here in Georgia. I've been here 7 years, so you think I would have learned by now. In Indiana, I rocked the green thumb. Georgia, though, has perplexed me with the plants that live through the winter and then completely burn up in the summer regardless of how much you water and care for them.
I've wanted an herb garden for our house here, but I haven't had any luck yet. Maybe this would work:
February's theme is black and white.
Our wedding day.
Black tux, white dress.
Despite our differences (and there are many).
Despite the fact that we're both incredibly stubborn and hate to admit we're wrong.
Despite the fact that we've been through some rough times.
I love my husband.
He has taught me that love isn't black and white.
It's not polar: does or doesn't.
It's gray with lots of mushiness in between.
And it's that very mushiness that I treasure most in my life.
More portraits can be seen here.
A while ago someone left a comment asking about my thoughts on the It's a Girl book shown above.
I'm writing it here because I'm still confused about how I should reply to comments on my site. Do I then leave a comment, and does that mean all of my readers read the comments on my site as well? Do they check back for replies to their comments? I know I've left notes on other sites, but I don't think I've ever checked back to see if the author has replied. Plus, I probably wouldn't remember all the ones I've left.
Anyway, to get back to the subject, the book is great. I'm really enjoying it. It's not a how-to or novel, but a group of short essays from mothers of daughters. It explores everything from the bond at birth, the hopes for a girl during pregnancy, the hard realities of raising a girl, and finally the adult relationship mothers have with their daughters. I was drawn to the book at first because of the individual authors of the essays. Andrea Buchanan (the editor) and Catherine Newman both have sites and columns that I visit frequently.
I'd definitely suggest taking a look at it if you have a daughter, or even if you've wondered what it would be like to have a daughter, or if you yourself are a daughter. It not only makes you think about your own relationship with your female offspring, but also makes you take a look at the one with your own mother. The best part about the layout of the book is that I can sit down for a few minutes and read an essay at a time. Okay, let's be honest, the book is currently on a shelf in my bathroom because that's where I experience my few moments of privacy during the day. Did I mention the essays are pretty short too?
In light of all the SuperBowl ads that ran last night I wanted to share my (and Bill's) favorite ad of all time:
- Familiy coming to town this weekend to celebrate Josie's birthday. Both sets of grandparents will be there, which means both girls will be spoiled horribly.
- That a giant cardboard box can keep two little girls happy for about 4 hours.
- Coffee
- Having heating and a working dishwasher.
- Bad weather, which means staying in and cuddling on the sofa or playing board games or doing puzzles or getting Barbie ready for the royal ball.
- The love sisters have for one another.
My sweet baby turned 2 today.
In bold if I've done it.
01. Bought everyone in the bar a drink
o2. Swum with wild dolphins
03. Climbed a mountain
04. Ridden in a Ferrari
05. Been inside the Great Pyramid
06. Held a tarantula
07. Taken a candlelit bath with someone
08. Said "I love you" and meant it
09. Hugged a tree
10. Bungee jumped
11. Visited Paris
12. Watched a lightning storm at sea
13. Stayed up all night long and seen the sun rise
14. Seen the Northern Lights
15. Gone to an Olympics game
16. Walked the stairs to the top of the leaning Tower of Pisa
17. Grown and eaten your own vegetables
18. Touched an iceberg
19. Slept under the stars
20. Changed a baby's diaper
21. Taken a trip in a hot air balloon
22. Watched a meteor shower
23. Gotten drunk on Dom Perignon
24. Given more than you can afford to charity
25. Looked up at the night sky through a telescope
26. Had an uncontrollable giggling fit at the worst possible moment
27. Had a food fight
28. Bet on a winning horse
29. Asked out a stranger
30. Had a snowball fight
31. Screamed as loudly as you possibly can
32. Held a lamb
33. Seen a total eclipse
34. Ridden a roller coaster
35. Hit a home run
36. Danced like a fool and not cared who was looking
37. Adopted an accent for an entire day
38. Actually felt happy about your life, even for just a moment
39. Had two hard drives for your computer (via Bill)
40. Visited all 50 states
41. Taken care of someone who was drunk
42. Had amazing friends
43. Danced with a stranger in a foreign country
44. Watched wild whales
45. Stolen a sign
46. Backpacked in Europe
47. Taken a road-trip
48. Gone rock climbing
49. Taken a midnight walk on the beach
50. Gone sky diving
51. Visited Ireland
52. Been heartbroken longer than you were actually in love
53. In a restaurant, sat at a stranger's table and had a meal with them
54. Visited Japan
55. Milked a cow
56. Alphabetized your CDs
57. Pretended to be a superhero (when I was a kid)
58. Sung karaoke
59. Lounged around in bed all day
60. Played touch football
61. Gone snorkeling in the Caribbean
62. Kissed in the rain
63. Played in the mud
64. Played in the rain
65. Gone to a drive-in theater
66. Visited the Great Wall of China
67. Started a business
68. Fallen in love and not had your heart broken
69. Toured ancient sites
70. Taken a martial arts class
71. Played D&D for more than 6 hours straight
72. Gotten married
73. Been in a movie
74. Crashed a party
75. Gotten divorced
76. Gone without food for 5 days
77. Made cookies from scratch
78. Won first prize in a costume contest
79. Ridden a gondola in Venice
80. Gotten a tattoo
81. Rafted the Snake River
82. Appeared on television as a featured guest
83. Received flowers for no reason
84. Performed on stage
85. Been to Las Vegas
86. Recorded music
87. Eaten shark
88. Kissed on the first date
89. Gone to Thailand
90. Bought a house
91. Been in a combat zone
92. Buried one/both of your parents
93. Been on a cruise ship
94. Spoken more than one language fluently
95. Performed in Rocky Horror
96. Raised children
97. Followed your favorite band/singer on tour
99. Taken an exotic bicycle tour in a foreign country
100. Picked up and moved to another city to just start over
101. Walked the Golden Gate Bridge
102. Sung loudly in the car, and didn't stop when you knew someone was looking
103. Had plastic surgery
104. Survived an accident that you shouldn't have survived
105. Published one or more books (a research article in a science journal)
106. Lost 100 pounds
107. Held someone while they were having a flashback
108. Piloted an airplane
109. Touched a stingray
110. Broken someone's heart
111. Helped an animal give birth
112. Won money on a T.V. game show
113. Broken a bone
114. Gone on an African photo safari
115. Had a facial part pierced other than your ears (always wanted my nose pierced)
116. Fired a rifle, shotgun, or pistol
117. Eaten mushrooms that were gathered in the wild
118. Ridden a horse
119. Had major surgery
120. Had a snake as a pet
121. Hiked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon
122. Slept for more than 30 hours over the course of 48 hours
123. Visited more foreign countries than U.S. states
124. Visited all 7 continents
125. Taken a canoe trip that lasted more than 2 days
126. Eaten kangaroo meat
127. Eaten sushi
128. Had your picture in the newspaper
129. Changed someone's mind about something you care deeply about
130. Gone back to school
131. Parasailed
132. Touched a cockroach
133. Eaten fried green tomatoes
134. Read The Iliad - and the Odyssey (in Latin too!)
135. Selected one "important" author who you missed in school, and read
136. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
137. Skipped all your school reunions
138. Communicated with someone without sharing a common spoken language
139. Been elected to public office
140. Written your own computer language
141. Thought to yourself that you're living your dream (parts of my dream, yes)
142. Had to put someone you love into hospice care
143. Built your own PC from parts
144. Sold your own artwork to someone who didn't know you
145. Had a booth at a street fair
146. Dyed your hair
147. Been a DJ
148. Shaved your head
149. Caused a car accident
150. Saved someone's life
Memes are great when I have writer's block...
Well, our heating was fixed last week. It turns out that our thermostat is so old that the slightest bump would make it click on and off, thus burning out the motor on our heating unit. We fixed the unit and got a new thermostat. The thermostat is awesome and I never thought I'd be so excited about one, but it's digital and programmable so that's cool. The bad part is that we found something out when it was replaced. Basically there's a gigantic hole in our wall directly behind the thermostat. I'm not sure how the old one stayed on, but luckily the repairman had a few tricks up his sleeve installing the new one.
This week our dishwasher was fixed. The GE repairman came out to take a look. At first we even considered getting a new dishwasher, to match our new-ish stove, and because just the visit to take a look at our old one was going to cost $70 in labor. In the end we went ahead with the repairs. It turns out that the problem was with our sump. And that problem was that it had been chewed through by rats. I'm not sure why they would chew on it (bored?) but they did quite a job.
The replacement sump cost only $20 but our total for labor and parts was about $200. Yeah, sucks. Our next step is getting rid of the rats. We have two dogs and a cat, so you think they'd have done their job in scaring the buggers away. But no. Instead they completely freak out whenever the doorbell rings.
Bill bought a bunch of traps and set them out underneath the dishwasher the other night. In any other situation, I might have pondered a way to get rid of them humanely, but honestly I just want them out of my house! The "willies" are surpassing any altruistic feelings I may have had towards the rodents.
I was just wrapping some gifts for Josie for her birthday tomorrow when I noticed myself removing the price tags.
As if she would notice and say in her little 2 year-old voice, "You bought these on sale?"
