Coming up on six weeks...

That's how long it's been since I've checked in over here.

I'm chagrined.

Two words that have taken on markedly less importance in my world of late would be "blogging" and "workout".

But it's time for both to return...not with a vengeance, though. With thought and care.

I know everyone who used to read Taking It On has probably been quite curious about my injection schedule and how my hip is doing, so that will be the first order of biz.

MY HIP

I had my second PRP injection on March 20th. It was amazing. No singing, sadly. But cute, nice doctor same as the first time. Nice, big needle again, too.

 

Unfortunately, that alcohol bottle is not the drinking kind.

Might've helped had it been.

Recovery seemed faster than the first time. While there is still some soreness and inflammation, that is deemed normal as the injection causes an inflammatory healing response. The truly remarkable thing is the ease and smoothness of movement, especially when not bearing weight. The range of motion and increased flexibility is arresting. And I have been cleared to start working on the elliptical...as long as it doesn't hurt. You bet your ass I'll be paying close attention and safe-guarding my investment and progress. The instant it hurts in that not good way, I am off the machine. Interestingly, I'm not feeling driven to jump back on. It's Spring Break over here...the kids are all home...I've got things to do and people to play with. I'll probably get back to things of a workout nature in a week or so. Injection #3 is slated for sometime before the end of the month...no set date yet.

WORKING OUT

None. Nada. Zip. And totally NOT stressed about it. I have so much on my plate right now. While working out might help decrease some of the stress, making it happen might increase it. I look at it as a wash and have let go. It'll all come back when it's time. For now, I'm focusing on feeling healthy and happy and spending a ton of time with my kids :)

Which brings us to...

MY KIDS

My oldest just got accepted to an amazing local high school. I am so proud of him. Of course, it wasn't his first choice and so he's having a hard time getting excited about it. I do wish we could skip this phase, but we can't.

 

Photo taken two days after he received 

the first-choice school's wait list letter...hence the attitude.

Who'm I kidding? He'd have the attitude no matter what.

My big girl is just a joy. Doing great in school. Helpful wherever she is. Lots of harp playing and reading books. Lots of creating cool stuff like wallets made out of found materials and earrings made out of safety pins and writing books and drawing involved fashion pictures. She is really just the coolest of the cool.

 

I convinced her to go on the Ferris wheel at the local boardwalk.

We got stuck at the top...and I took this picture.

My little boy turned 8 since the last time I posted. Still non-stop, he had a bounce-house extravaganza for a party and a cake topped with General Grievous.

And my baby turned 4! She was super duper sick on her actual birthday but did get to share the bounce madness party with her big bro.

I've missed you all. Sounds corny, but it's true.

It's very likely that I'll be around a little more, but no guarantees.

Hope all o' y'all's worlds are treating you well :)

High School

Who remembers high school? Okay...now who remembers it fondly?

High school for me was a mixed bag. Academically, the institution I attended was highly-ranked and well-regarded. It was our city's public high school. Very few people in the district sent their kids elsewhere because it was considered such a great school.

Ours was a school of tremendous diversity...in all areas: racial, religious, economic, cultural...you name it. Still there was a lot of 'fitting-in' angst. But I see now, after watching my 6 stepkids navigate this period, the angst is fairly universal even if it isn't always obvious.

Why am I talking about high school?

My big boy is about to embark on the adventure, that's why. And it isn't a simple procedure.

The local public high school is not a good fit for him. He would be miserable and afraid. He would for sure get jacked up and shoved into a locker sometime in the first or second week of school. I'm not a doom-sayer...I just know my kid. This school is my husband's alma mater, and way back when he was a student it was a great school for him, and he loved it. But my guys are different animals, one from the other. And so we've been doing the Private School Application Game with Big G. Lots of open houses, student shadow visits, interviews, and application essays. Fun stuff. And we're all starting to feel a wee bit stressed. Deadlines are looming...everything needs to be in by next Thursday.

He has chosen three schools to which he plans to apply. They are all great, and I do believe he would be happy in each one, but they are all as different as they are similar. I'm wondering how much influence I should exert over the decision-making process. I'm wondering if there will even need to be a decision. And I am a little overwhelmed at the parental pieces of the application! We have to write essays, too!

Long story short...I'm distracted from this blog right now. And top it off with not running for a myriad of reasons (actually, not exercising at all)... not much time and really very little to say :( So not like me!

So...

hold that thought!

because

as Schwarzenegger would say,

"I'll be back!"

Wishing you all a fabulous weekend!  :)

Jackson Pollock was a smoker

source

Remember art class when you were in elementary school?  It usually started in the Fall with pressing leaves and crayon shavings between two pieces of waxed paper and ironing the mess to produce a colorful piece to add to the stack of stuff on the dining room table or perhaps to grace the front of the refrigerator. Things would then progress to cutting snowflakes in the Winter followed by red and pink heart art and pastel-colored 'Springtime' images. Some adventurous teachers might allow you to make paintings using string and toothbrushes dipped in paint and then dragged or splattered across a sheet of paper.

Things are different for my kids.

Starting in 3rd grade, my kids' school gives them 'real' art class once a week. It is taught in french, and they explore art movements and famous artists as well as finding their own artistic voice using a variety of media. The other day Baby X came home from school with a note from her art teacher. The fourth graders have an assignment – create a diorama showing an artist is his or her milieu.

I remembered when Big G had this assignment. He chose to depict Michelangelo painting the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. It was rad. Someday I'll dig it out of the garage and post a picture of it. I almost suggested we just 'recycle' it :P  But then the Good Mommy spoke up and asked Baby X what she would like to do. She was at a loss, so we discussed a number of options... Monet in his garden with the Japanese bridge and some waterlilies, VanGogh in his room, Frida Kahlo and the Flying Bed... just kidding about that last one...it's a little heavy for a 10-year old to try and fit in a shoebox.

Not sure why it popped out of my mouth, perhaps it was because none of the other dozen or so options were appealing to her, but I blurted out...

Hey, you could do Jackson Pollock and have him surrounded by empty liquor bottles in his barn with a big painting on the floor!

And she asked me...

So we watched this video together...

And looked at various examples of his art...

And she was hooked. And insistent...

We need to make sure he's smoking, mom.

Here's the outcome...she did an amazing job...

Barn in the background, cans of paint all over, paint-splattered boots, knocked-over liquor bottles...

...and a cigarette.

Did you ever have to make a diorama when you were in school? Do you remember what it was of?

– I made one that had something to do with Teddy Roosevelt and the Rough Riders. I can't for the life of me remember what the heck it had to do with anything!

Have you seen the movie about Jackson Pollock starring Ed Harris as the artist and Marcia Gay Harden as his artist wife, Lee Krasner?

– Great movie. Highly recommend. Very troubled dude.

The Things I Learn While Brushing My Teeth

Conversation in the bathroom this morning between Big G and me while we were brushing our teeth:

Me:  If you could have any mythical creature for your very own, what would you pick?

G:  You mean what would be my personal preference...or what would be the conventional choice?

Me:  You...your preference.

G:  Okay...well, you know the conventional choice would be a unicorn. Everyone just loves the idea of them being magical and thinks they're all sweet and docile.

Me:  Right...I figure most people would say "unicorn" without thinking twice.

G:  Well, mom... unicorns were dangerous creatures. They were NOT nice...unless you were a young maiden. They really were only interested in 13-year old maidens. Or red-haired ladies of any age. They were drawn to purity...and they thought 13-year old maidens and red-haired ladies were pure...or something like that. If you were a male, they would run and hide because the only reason males generally approached them was to capture them or kill them, so those guys usually lured unicorns out using 13-year old maidens as bait.  

source

Note: cloven hooves, goat beard and lion tail...the real deal.

And you know, unicorns were NOT just like horses with a long horn sticking out of their foreheads. They had the body and head of a horse, the legs of a deer, the tail of a lion, and a goat's beard...oh, and the big, long horn...duh. They tended to be aggressive toward lions...I don't know why. And griffins... because griffins were very leonine. 

For myself, I would pick an Ammit.

Me:  What the heck is an Ammit?

G:  An Ammit is an Egyptian mythological creature around the size of a small dog...has the head of a crocodile, the front body of a lion, the back half of a hippo. It devours the souls of the damned...I figure that might be good to have around. We probably wouldn't have any trouble with burglars again.

source

Or I might want a Kirin, which is a chinese-slash-japanese version of a unicorn...it appears in both cultures but with different spellings. Body of a deer or an ox, covered in carp scales and with a deer's antlers...the chinese version has a dragon's head. It's a symbol of good fortune and good times...if you cross paths with a Kirin, it means things will be going your way...and people looked to the Kirin to help with fertility, both people and crops. They're very gentle...unless you're bad...and then, well, look out. 

source

At which point he spit, rinsed, spit again, dried off his mouth and left. His teeth might not have been super clean, but ...holy crap...was I schooled or what?

Oh, and he ran by himself yesterday! I couldn't accompany him because my husband was out and we couldn't leave the younger three home alone, so he said, "I should just go do it without you." And off he went, in his new real running shoes and wearing my Garmin. Our lack of mythological discussion while running is probably what prompted this morning's seminar :)

How much do you know about all the various mythologies? 

I thought I was fairly well-informed. My kid puts me to shame.

Sharing Love and Strength ...in Sherry's name

For the love of running...for the love of life.

On this day, February 11, 2012, at 9 a.m. MST (which was 8 a.m. PST), people all over the world energetically gathered together with the intention of honoring Sherry Arnold through movement. Sherry is the cousin of my friend, Beth, who writes the blog Shut Up and Run. She was a mother, wife, and school teacher...loved by many. She went out for a run one morning in early January and did not come home.

After discussing what this event was about and what it meant, my family decided to come along with me. None of us can imagine the feelings of pain and loss that Sherry's family must be experiencing. We all wanted to do something toward their healing and the healing of the greater community by showing our love and support. 

We walked quietly and thoughtfully out of our neighborhood and over to the water to have a moment of silence and then begin the event...

The boys were uncharacteristically not loud.

Once we got to the water, Big G started some whiny, selfish b.s. about how unfair it was that we had to do this at such an 'early' hour. "In Washington D.C. it's 11 o'clock...why couldn't we just do this at 11 o'clock?" I explained two things to him:

1. the idea was to have a collective energetic intention of honoring and remembering...and the closest everyone came to participating at the same time, the more that power would be felt. Yes, we could do it later, but we had the time and the space in our day to do it then...and so that was how we were going to do it.
2. we don't always get to pick the time something happens. Handling 'inconveniences' that mean a tremendous amount to other people is part of living a generous and loving life. The more grace and kindness we can infuse into our challenges, the better life will feel to both ourselves and those around us. And I related an anecdote about my own father's death that really seemed to hit home with him.

He went off by himself to mull over all of these heavy thoughts. And the other kids went down to the water, lost in exploring and living life. It was a beautiful, if melancholy grey morning. The sun was streaming through the clouds in such a hopeful way...

...and the sky was clearing...

Big G finished his mini-sojourn, returned to my side, gave me a huge hug and apologized for being selfish. We walked holding hands for a good ways. As I felt the warmth and trust and love of his grip and watched my younger three children examine and ponder rocks and shells and feelings and life, I reflected on Sherry and her family. She has brought out so much love in people, both in her life and in her passing. Though I never knew her, I can feel the strength of her giving, soulful being. And her death, though horrific and tragic, leaves me feeling neither fearful nor destroyed but, perhaps oddly, even more open and hopeful than I have ever been. 

Linking up this week ...

come on over and join in!

Lots of great reads going on :)

The Wild West, Whistling Footballs, and ... a WINNER :)

What day is it? I forget. They all blur together when my kids are on school break, which they are as I mentioned on Monday.

That was the day they made the fort under the dining table. At that point, I had no idea what we would be doing to keep them from killing each other avoid ripping my hair out amuse ourselves. Luckily, the weather has been very cooperative this week. On Tuesday we went on our exciting zoo outing. We saw all sorts of interesting things like motionless alligators, motionless wallaroos (bigger than a wallaby, smaller than a kangaroo), monkeys involved in giggle-inducing grooming behaviors, fighting bats, and entertaining otters. And we went on rides. Looking at the picture below, you might wonder who it was all for...

"Smile, kid... we're having fun!"

How do you follow up an awesome 5-hour trip to the zoo? With 45 minutes at the funnest playground around, of course! Why only 45 minutes? you might ask. Because it is right near Big G's Wednesday piano lesson place, and that was all the time we had.

Welcome to 
The Wild West

This playground and all these cool Wild West things have been here since I was a little kid. It was my favorite playground... and that was a long time ago. They've given things a facelift and a paint job or two, and some things have been rearranged, but it's still an amazing place for kids.

"Break me outta here, sistah!"

"Yay! We're freeeeeeee!"

Ride 'em, cowgirls... the fastest pink getaway pony ever!

Sweet pic of my gals... Miss C is a might tuckered out.

A 45-minute Fun Blitz. The rest of the day was totally bogus. For me, anyway. The kids got to go out for burritos with dad while I went to my massage appointment that didn't happen due to transportation issues for the masseuse. Such a total bummer. Might be part of why my Thursday run sucked so badly :(

"Playground" was the order of the day on Thursday, too. It was just me and my boys. We rode bikes (against their silly will) to the very, very nearby park. What complainers. Where do they get this from? Neither my husband nor I are like this... really. They are getting good modeling for active, 'tough-it-out' lifestyles. Of course once we got there they had an excellent time. 

Throwing the whistling ball...

And playing some inexplicable 'king' game in which Big G was the king and Q-man was the peon...which clearly didn't sit well with him.

Fortunately, it evolved quickly into some bird-watching thing... 

we were right on the water and the diving pelicans were a huge hit :)

I'll have to share what awesomeness we did on Friday tomorrow... after I attempt a really hard run that is making me nervous already. Hills, hills, and more hills. Keeping my eye on the miles and not on the pace :)

I hope everyone is enjoying the weekend and that all the racers have great races!

Oh... and the big announcement!!!!

The winner of the Great Moving Comfort Giveaway is...

Marisa @ The Pace of My Life !!!! (email me for specifics regarding your prize!)

Her "i tweeted" comment corresponded to the random number generated by random.org.

Many thanks to all of you who entered...your enthusiasm was just awesome! I hope you new followers do stick around... it is wonderful to see your comments and visit your blogs :)

While the husband's away, the wife will play...

My husband is out of town again, and I am home alone with 4 kids... again.

And on Thursday, I ran late again... start time: around 9:30 p.m.

The plan for the day (or night, in my case) called for 6 miles with eight 90-second accelerations at 5K pace or thereabouts. Someone suggested I just round up to an hour. I liked that. I liked that he assumed I would do 6 miles in less than an hour!

And I did.

6.6 miles in 1:00:37.... 9:11 pace. woo hooo

But not entirely consistent :(

I was able to pretty much hold onto just under 9 min pace for the first half of the workout... and then kind of did a series of stair-stepping nosedives... until I pulled her back up for the last mile and finished it off in style... last 0.6 miles was at 8:27 pace.

Part of the overall slowing down happened because I decided I wanted to focus on maintain the speed in the accelerations... keeping them even from one to the next... and I did that, only vacillating 4 seconds between the slowest and the fastest (I worked over distance based on the first 2 pieces). I am feeling pretty good about being able to gauge and keep things evenly-paced at the higher 'speeds'. It is a valuable skill, or sense, to have.

And I need to use a slightly slower pace for my base. We've talked about that. The whole "reining it in" thing. (And yes, it is "rein" as in you rein in your horse when he's going to fast. "Reign" is to rule... like over a kingdom).

I was done shortly after 10:30... wandered around the dark streets in a daze... then found my house and went in to eat cold fish and a popsicle.

I miss my husband.

***************************
The excitement of yesterday's announcement as to who is running which legs for the Nuun Hood to Coast Relay team overwhelmed me... in case you didn't see yesterday's post on this... I get to run the anchor leg! Really just beyond excited. There are sentimental reasons why in addition to anchor just being fun... you can read that in yesterday's post, too :)

Announcements...

I want to thank all seven people who participated in my giveaway... you all rock and know a good deal when you see one ;-)

The winner of Catch Me If You Can is danny who blogs over at A Quest for Running Perfection. Congrats to you, danny... the smartest running blogger in my blogroll. And the only one who had a really good law-breaking life-experience... that he was willing to share ;-) If you have never visited his blog, you ought to ... he puts such a different twist on things. Going from my blog to his is like going from Twinkies to brown rice and grilled fish with a side of spinach. Go there and you'll see what I mean.

The runner-up prize of that Baby-Ruth-in-the-swimming-pool classic, Caddyshack, goes to Jennifer from Chase-ing the Dream. She is a super smart mom who even reads books!  Someday I will read a book again, too.

So that was the first announcement.

The second one is this...

I want to thank the people at Nuun for realizing that a nun running at noon really needed to be on their team. Yes, I was selected (the crowd cheers), along with a slew of other amazing women bloggers. You can check out the whole list here....

just click on it...

While I am very excited, I am also very nervous. Not so much about the running but about the whole rest of it... What if they hate me? I'm not kidding. You like me... that's why you're here reading this... theoretically. But there really are people who don't like me. I am abrasive and obnoxious. What you get here is a miniscule glimpse into how I am in real life. Scary, right? Soooo... nervous and a little anxious.

The third thing I want to announce is a parent thing... a stay-at-home-parent thing... only they will probably get the magnitude of this announcement.

I just signed my 3 older kids up for camp for two weeks!  Starting Monday! Woooo hooooo! and during their second week, my 2-year old will start preschool two mornings a week!  Woooooo HOOOOOOO!!!!  I know parents always say this... and we mean it.... I love my kids, but I am so looking forward to a little break :)

It'll be like Moms Gone Wild for three and half hours on both July 5th and 7th. Please give me some suggestions of what to do... it has been so long. I am worried that I will just sit in the minivan outside of the preschool, speechless and immobilized by the overwhelming feeling of freedom. And by the time I snap out of it, it'll be too late to do something.

I am thinking... running in the daytime.... oooooooo......

The cost of a trip...

can really make traveling a challenge. In a comment on my post titled Jardin du Luxembourg, Part Un



Anonymous said...
how do you ford a trip with 10 children!
April 28, 2011 7:02 AM  


Well... fortunately, we have a really big Ford... F250-crew cab... so everyone can fit if we squish and double-buckle ... Sometimes a few of us might have to lay down in the truck bed... but if we throw a mattress down back there, it's pretty dang comfy!

Nawwwwwwwww!

I know what that person meant...

That person wants to know where one would get the money to afford a trip to Europe with 10 kids, right? I'll bet that is a question that crossed a lot of readers' minds... unless you understood from reading my blog that only 4 kids still live at home and only those 4 kids came with us on the trip. But even that would be pretty spendy...

Airfare alone would run you .... ummmm... about six grand. And that's if you got a deal.

Lodging... minimum of about $200/night times 12 nights... about $2400. And that's for a nast-o-rama place you really wouldn't want to get near let alone sleep in with with four kids.

Food... restaurants are always pricey... even if it's just Denny's or the equivalent.

Getting around town, seeing the sights, souvenirs... all that stuff adds up.

We'd be looking at around $10K. Big money for many. Too much money for most.

So ... just how did we swing it?

The reason why you never see my face in video is because that might divulge my secret identity...

I work to only be captured on camera (still or moving) with my long, black wig on, wearing my "movie star" sunglasses and after just having my lips shot full of collagen.

Do you know how much work that is?

image source

nawwwww...

Actually, it's my ex-husband who's the breadwinner...
And I was worried that people might de-follow me if they knew who he was...

image source

just kiddin'...

Here's the secret...

• A serious butt-load of frequent flier miles saved up from long ago travels when flying was super cheap and a really nice, incredibly generous, tolerant and flexible friend with a huge house will eliminate the bulk of the costs. 
• Eating salami and cheese and bread from the backpack for every meal out of the house, and cooking at home for all other meals using food from the grocery store or farmers' market cuts the food expense dramatically. 
• Combine this with kids under 18 being free to most museums, monuments and the like and visiting those places on free day for adults as well as keeping souvenirs to the cheapie fare and using public transportation most of the time made the trip completely doable.

We did take the whole family to Europe back when there were only 8 kids (hahahhaha... "only 8"). I somehow managed to score the sweetest of deals on airfare for that one and was still playing with some money I was awarded as part of a law suit settlement. It was a very challenging trip... kids ranging in age from 8 months up to 21 years old. I am not sure I would term that trip a success... though I sure did learn a lot :P

This recent trip was, indeed, a success.

Opening the floor to any other questions...  :)

The Slacker Bunny...

Today is Easter. I know it really is one of the holiest of all days for those who are of a Christian faith. I work to educate my children about which faiths celebrate what and what each faith holds in holy regard. While we are not a church-going family, both my husband and I are spiritual people who endeavor to "do right" in this world on all levels. We do our best to impart this philosophy onto our children.

(Miss C has on 2 dresses... she picked one out, put it on, got mad, refused to take it off, demanded a new one put on over the first one... she is so two)

Right here and now, I have to confess... it's about the chocolate for my kids. Jelly beans come in second place. Peeps don't even enter into the equation. And Jesus... well, let's just say I definitely need to do some more work teaching "what is the meaning of Easter."

Still feeling jet-lagged after our great trip to France (at least it makes for a good excuse... and I'll use it as long as I can), I didn't have it all together regarding Easter preparations for my kids. No cute outfits... no fancy chocolate bunnies... no real baby bunnies or chicks or lambs... not even any plain white, hard-boiled eggs (I did buy the egg dye pack, however, so the intention was there). And, as you will be able to see in the videos, my jet-lag has been so powerful as to render me incapable of tidying up the house :P

If you would like to spend 2 minutes joining in on our egg hunt and see what the downstairs of our messy house looks like, watch this first video...

Then the kids took the show upstairs... so if you want to see what that looks like, in all it's glory, including our indoor bridge (!), watch this second, slightly longer video...

For once, I am not surprised that everyone is melting down and screaming and cranky already... and it's only noon. 

I did let them eat chocolate before breakfast

and during breakfast

and after breakfast.

Next year, we will be exploring the more spiritual side of the holiday.

Best Blogger Meet-Up Ever: Runninghood was in my 'Hood!

I know that sounds very Richard Scarry, but it wasn't very scary at all :P

Amanda@Runninghood was in my neck of the woods this past week. I didn't even realize it until I saw a picture of her feet with the Golden Gate Bridge in the background. That picture must have been taken from a place about 15 or 20 minutes from my house... if there's no traffic, which is never. I knew I had to engineer a meet-up. She had actually proposed this a few weeks ago when I was in the throes of getting things together for our family's trip to France. And I totally spaced... which was the case with lots of important things that week.

Amanda's blog is one of my very favorites. She is very thoughtful and thought-provoking on every aspect of life... parenting, running, education, kitchen-renovation, you name it. Her posts are filled with feeling and intention. Some are very deep and some are almost frivolously funny, but they always resonate with me. Do check her out if you haven't already :)

In real life, Amanda is every bit as beautiful as she appears in print. Her smile just lights up the day. She radiates an intensity and an energy that I aspire to possess. Her sense of humor is awesome... that means she got and genuinely laughed at my jokes :) Her children are fun and engaged and engaging and just as lovely as their mama. Her husband is such a trooper for hanging in and keeping track of the kids while we chatted away. Thanks again, Amanda's husband!

We went to a playground in Golden Gate Park where the kids could just run and climb, climb, climb and swing and slide. They had a blast.

Miss C nevers fails to make use of a good training opportunity ;-)

Amanda's 4-year old daughter is such a sweet and sensitive spirit.

The three girls climbing.

Miss C always needs to test her limits.

Amanda's 6-year old loved these sliding parallel bars...

She is such an outgoing girl. She became instant friends with another girl at the park.

Going down the slide 'properly' for a change.

Here we are at the end of the visit...

The moms look better in the picture on her blog, but the kids look like they are having more fun in this shot... on hers they look like they are giving each other the 'stink eye'!

Thank you so much, Amanda, for letting me hang with you and your tribe for a couple of hours! And for laughing at my jokes ;-)

I'll keep my eyes open for one of those fancy blankets made from the hair of a yak's balls that are so popular down here in San Francisco... land of nannies and fancy strollers and Sophie the Giraffe. I know you want one ;-)

And I hope we get to meet again soon!  xoxoxo

Musical Interlude by a child...of mine

Just wanted to share a little something by my cute harpist ...

Not exactly a seasonally-appropriate tune and not exactly a perfect rendition...
but she is really digging her new harp!

Mother's Cure.... Laughter

Driving driving driving...

Isn't that the story when you're a Stay-At-Home-Mom?  Yes, it's true that I drove more back when I was a florist delivery driver...no gold lamé suit or winged hat for me, though I was speedy and polite ...

But I do drive a lot.  This morning, the issue was not so much the mileage as the juggle... 4 kids, 3 different things all before 11 a.m.

• 9:00 Certificate of Merit piano exam to be administered 30 minutes away from home for Big G.
• 10:00 Skateboard Class at a location heading back toward home for a 20-minute drive from the piano thing for Q-Man.
• 11:00 Gymnastics heading back in the original direction another 10-minute drive from the skateboard thing for Big G and Baby X.

Lots of back-and-forth going on.  Every time I got in and out of the car and had to look at how hoopty it's getting, this video came to mind.  You see, there is a medium-ish dent in the driver's door of my minivan, a ding in the hood and another on the tailgate and enough food on the floor to keep us all alive for about a week... if we were stingy with the portion-sizes and desperate enough to tolerate subsisting on stale Cheerios, rice cake crumbles and broken pretzels.  Thinking about this video kept me sane because it makes me laugh.  I find laughter really helps me in the insanity-prevention department.

Of course, the fun didn't end with the arrival at gymnastics.  Nope.  It was at this point that momming kicked into high gear.  Chasing a bored-now-rampant toddler who has been being schlepped all over town for her older brothers' and sister's activities while simultaneously coping with the whining of a bored, Doritos-craving kindergartener is grueling... especially in a confined space filled with lots of observing parents drinking cups of coffee without handy lids.  Finally, after 55 minutes of that, we got to go home to have lunch and fight with our siblings and drive mommy more batty and eventually settle down when the toddler went to nap.

After my rough housewife/mommy morning, I was in serious need of some REAL housewife humor.  I know where to go when THAT is my jones...  and if off-color language offends you and/or your kids are in the room, consider yourself warned... I don't let my kids listen to this one!



No need for oxycontin washed down with Jack D for me.  Listening to Sally Brooks and laughing so hard no sound comes out is my Mother's Cure :)

Do you spend a lot of time in the car?  Do you enjoy driving?
–While I spend more time in the car with my kids than I prefer, I do enjoy driving quite a bit :)  I love road trips and would love to do that with the kids... not loving all the kid-commuting as much.

What is your go-to for insanity-prevention?
–Other than a great laugh, I pick running.

Thirteen Years Ago... :)

March 1, 1998

A very special day... we got married!

Thirteen years of wedded bliss ...ters.
That was the joke today ;-)

My kids were asking why we got married.  My husband said, "because we wanted YOU!"  Love that man :)

So ...

Happy Anniversary to US!

My man still rocks my world

... even though his hair has migrated from his head to his back.

Buggy Boom Boom

SILVER PUNCH BUGGY!!!!!

*WHAM*

*No punch backs!* 

*OWWWW!!!* 

*WHAM*

*NO punch backs!* 

*HEYYYYYY!!!! MOMMMMMM!!!!*

I wish there were a jaggedy, more spidery font that could sort of visually approximate the ear-piercing, spine-shattering, nerve-damaging screech that normally accompanies that first statement ...
and a font that could somehow convey the sense of pain and deep-seated injustice that the punch recipients feel.

I hate this game.  Loathe it.  DETEST it.

I have hated it since 1995.  I have no siblings.  If I had siblings and had been subjected to this game as a child, my loathing would perhaps extend back to the 60's.  But I was introduced to this game by my stepchildren... they were 9 and 10 at the time.

OLD FASHIONED RED PUNCH BUGGY!!!!!

*WHAM*

*STOPPPPPPPP ITTTTT!!!*

*THAT'S ENOUGH!*

Back then, I outlawed the game... a couple of times.  They always found a loophole.  "What if we don't actually hit?"  "Okay."  Stupid, stupid, stupid.... why did I say that?  

WHITE PUNCH BUGGY WITH BLACK TOP!!!!

BOOM, BOOM, BOOM!

NO PUNCH BACKS!

NO, I saw it first!

NO, I DID!

NOOOOOO, I DID!!!!

*WHAM*

HEYYYYY!!!!!

A few incarnations and loopholes discovered later, and the game was totally and completely outlawed... for good... forever.  And they lost interest, I think, as it had all been going on for MONTHS.

Why is it that those who cannot remember the past... until it is too late... are doomed to repeat it?  The same thing is happening NOW.  I hate it.  Why don't I have the heart (or smarts) to just outlaw it completely again?  I think I'm getting there... lil' Miss C is only 20 months old and she now says:

B'OO BUGGY BOOM BOOM!!!

but it IS kind of cute when she says it!