Ok, this is officially another reason why Im glad I started this blog, because I have another thing to rant about that wouldnt be appropriate on Pooper's site . And, since there isnt really a good way to introduce the topic, Ill just put it out there and ask, What is the deal with people having sex in public bathrooms?????
I can sort of understand if homeless people or prostitutes, or maybe trampy teens (not wanting to get caught by their parents) end up having sex in a public bathroom, maybe. I mean, they probably dont have any place else, and while I would just go celibate, I do *understand* that some might just forego good manners and use a stall. A stall at a really nice restaurant or at the mall (they have nice couches in the women's bathrooms at the mall, like at Nordstroms where they have fresh flowers at the sink) or you know, places that have soap, and towels, and semi-clean floors.
But I really dont get it when rich people, people who can afford to rent a room, use airport and beach bathrooms. Are these not the most disgusting places possible to have sex? The smell alone is enough to get you, not to mention the high volume of traffic and less than romantic decor. I mean, the beach (ehem, George Michael) I can barely even walk into a beach bathroom without gagging, it's like walking into a public sewer drain, not most people's idea of "setting the mood." And now this Senator, for goodness sakes, were there no better options for this guy? He has money, power, influence, and he looks for a good time by trying to pick up a guy in the stall next to him at the airport???
What ever happend to an upscale escort service, or -here's a wild idea- meeting someone in a bar. Obviously these guys werent looking for love or an intellectually stimulating relationship, heck, the Senator never even saw the face of his target, but you would think that they would have the resources and opportunity to do a little bit better than a public bathroom.
Ive been known to wave my hand underneath the neighboring stall, never knew that was a *sign*. Good thing I always clarify my intentions by saying, "excuse me, do you have any toilet paper to spare?"
Wednesday, August 29, 2007
Tuesday, August 21, 2007
the suburban version of Cops, or, Reno 911
Sometimes, just for fun, or perhaps to escape the goings-on of my own life, I like to read the local police blotter. It lists all the calls that come into the dispatcher, as well as a bit of information about what happened. In a typical week, we’ll have a few complaints about pesty skateboarding kids, a few false burglar alarms, and maybe a call from someone complaining that their neighbors are yelling or having a loud party. Kinda boring. I’ve yet to read anything as dramatic as the time when I was single, and I thought there was an intruder in my home, and the police sent the helicopter and the cops rushed in my house…..nope, nothing like that around here. Just, simple stuff. But, I still like to read it, ‘cause you never know when something like this might show up:
[08/15/2007 11:00:24 : SIEGLERSD] [Cleared with unit 286] [08/15/2007 10:47:45 : SIEGLERSD] Unit : 286 C4 10-6 [08/15/2007 10:43:38 : 285 ] c-4 [08/15/2007 10:04:25 : BBLOCKLEVINE] ONEILL // DORRANCE 925 E1 PC ON ONEILL BTWN DORRANCE AND NARROW CANYON FOR A MW 70`S SITTING IN A BEACH CHAIR IN HIS PJS DRINKING ~MERLOT~..INF WAS JOGGING BY WHEN SUBJ ASKED INF IF SHE WANTED TO HAVE SEX AND AND OTHER RELATED ACTIVITIES..SUBJ ALSO TOLD INF HE WAS A DOCTOR....INF LAST SAW SUBJ 10 AGO
Once you get past the formal police codes (10-4 good buddy) and into the meat of the call, it begins to paint a picture…..
Kindly, retired doctor, just looking to enjoy life, yet with not a whole lot to do (he is retired most likely, since it says he is in his 70’s) decides to kick back and relax, in his beach chair, with a glass of Merlot, and since retired people aren’t tied down by the fast paced life the working folks deal with, the guy decided to stay comfy and remain in his pajamas. Now, according to the info, this all took place at 11:00am. So, Ive got the picture of the guy, relaxing, sipping his wine, in his pjs, reclined in a beach chair…… one tid bit that is interesting, is that the location, is on the busiest street in the community. The speed limit is 50, and people often go much faster, so, not sure why he selected that spot, doesn’t seem to fit the laid back mood that he seems to be trying to achieve, but ok, maybe he’s a nascar fan and likes fast cars. So, there he is, just enjoying the good life. Guy probably worked hard as a doctor, all those years of grueling medical school and 24 hour shifts doing his residency, and then dealing with the rigors of being a physician and caring for people, saving lives, no doubt, the guy deserves a little R & R. So, it’s really no wonder, that while sitting there, soaking in a bit of the Southern California sun, watching a female jogger run by (informant) that he decides to ask her out, on a sort of date, kind of. She apparently got a bit flustered by it, and turned him down. Bet he’s not used to that, being a doctor and all. Kind of feel sorry for him, seems to be losing his touch in his old age.
And then, there is this one:
[08/20/2007 19:29:12 : HOVDEBM] [Cleared with unit 389] [08/20/2007 19:16:17 : HOVDEBM] Unit : 389 C4 [08/20/2007 18:36:51 : HOVDEBM] Unit : 389 HAVE THE SUBJ DET IN FRONT OF OC DIAGNOSTIC [08/20/2007 18:29:49 : ASWANSON] VEH PARKED IN FRONT OF THE 10-20 GIVEN [08/20/2007 18:29:30 : ASWANSON] NO MAKE [08/20/2007 18:29:10 : ASWANSON] Cross streets: TERRACE RD//WINDMILL AV NBH: 922G7 92694 33.557856754532,-117.62915029401 SILV TOY TACOMA PLT ....MW SANDY BLONDE HAIR 5`8 MED BUILD WHI 24 HR FITNESS SHIRT BLU SWEAT PANTS APPROACHING PEOPLE...SAYING HE IS BEING FOLLOWED BY THE CIA...UNDER SURVEILLANCE BY THE FBI AND THAT WE ARE UNDER WAR, ETC....NFD...INF IS NOT 10-23
The location here, is in our business area, across the street from the homes. I noticed that he is wearing fitness garb, and indeed, the mentioned gym is in that area, so I imagine, he was working out, and as many people do when exercising, he was probably doing some deep thinking. Perhaps contemplating his personal life, or doing some existential wonderings, and I guess he also thought about the state of our world today. Apparently the war in the Middle East must have been at the forefront of his mind. The guy is young, probably still idealistic in his thinking, and it seems to me, this caring guy was just trying to be helpful, a good Samaritan of sorts. It looks as if he was just trying to let others know about the war, you know, in case they have been locked in a basement for 4 years, and hadn’t heard the news. Maybe he even tried to start an intellectual conversation with the informant, but in any case, this intellectual was taken the wrong way, and got someone freaked out. Guess the lesson there is to not talk to strangers, you never know how they are going to take you. Like, you can say, “That’s a nice dress you have on.” And be mistaken for a robber, and someone can call the cops and say you wanted to steal their dress…you never know, so, best not to talk to strangers, especially when you are having paranoid delusions.
If nothing else, the police blotter gives me great insight into how people think, and what they do. You can even get some great ideas for how to spend your free time, if you have any, like, if you are retired (cough, cough, Grandma J)….
Do any of you read your community police blotter? Have you ever been on there yourself? If you have a good incident to share, pass it along, we could all use a good read.
[08/15/2007 11:00:24 : SIEGLERSD] [Cleared with unit 286] [08/15/2007 10:47:45 : SIEGLERSD] Unit : 286 C4 10-6 [08/15/2007 10:43:38 : 285 ] c-4 [08/15/2007 10:04:25 : BBLOCKLEVINE] ONEILL // DORRANCE 925 E1 PC ON ONEILL BTWN DORRANCE AND NARROW CANYON FOR A MW 70`S SITTING IN A BEACH CHAIR IN HIS PJS DRINKING ~MERLOT~..INF WAS JOGGING BY WHEN SUBJ ASKED INF IF SHE WANTED TO HAVE SEX AND AND OTHER RELATED ACTIVITIES..SUBJ ALSO TOLD INF HE WAS A DOCTOR....INF LAST SAW SUBJ 10 AGO
Once you get past the formal police codes (10-4 good buddy) and into the meat of the call, it begins to paint a picture…..
Kindly, retired doctor, just looking to enjoy life, yet with not a whole lot to do (he is retired most likely, since it says he is in his 70’s) decides to kick back and relax, in his beach chair, with a glass of Merlot, and since retired people aren’t tied down by the fast paced life the working folks deal with, the guy decided to stay comfy and remain in his pajamas. Now, according to the info, this all took place at 11:00am. So, Ive got the picture of the guy, relaxing, sipping his wine, in his pjs, reclined in a beach chair…… one tid bit that is interesting, is that the location, is on the busiest street in the community. The speed limit is 50, and people often go much faster, so, not sure why he selected that spot, doesn’t seem to fit the laid back mood that he seems to be trying to achieve, but ok, maybe he’s a nascar fan and likes fast cars. So, there he is, just enjoying the good life. Guy probably worked hard as a doctor, all those years of grueling medical school and 24 hour shifts doing his residency, and then dealing with the rigors of being a physician and caring for people, saving lives, no doubt, the guy deserves a little R & R. So, it’s really no wonder, that while sitting there, soaking in a bit of the Southern California sun, watching a female jogger run by (informant) that he decides to ask her out, on a sort of date, kind of. She apparently got a bit flustered by it, and turned him down. Bet he’s not used to that, being a doctor and all. Kind of feel sorry for him, seems to be losing his touch in his old age.
And then, there is this one:
[08/20/2007 19:29:12 : HOVDEBM] [Cleared with unit 389] [08/20/2007 19:16:17 : HOVDEBM] Unit : 389 C4 [08/20/2007 18:36:51 : HOVDEBM] Unit : 389 HAVE THE SUBJ DET IN FRONT OF OC DIAGNOSTIC [08/20/2007 18:29:49 : ASWANSON] VEH PARKED IN FRONT OF THE 10-20 GIVEN [08/20/2007 18:29:30 : ASWANSON] NO MAKE [08/20/2007 18:29:10 : ASWANSON] Cross streets: TERRACE RD//WINDMILL AV NBH: 922G7 92694 33.557856754532,-117.62915029401 SILV TOY TACOMA PLT ....MW SANDY BLONDE HAIR 5`8 MED BUILD WHI 24 HR FITNESS SHIRT BLU SWEAT PANTS APPROACHING PEOPLE...SAYING HE IS BEING FOLLOWED BY THE CIA...UNDER SURVEILLANCE BY THE FBI AND THAT WE ARE UNDER WAR, ETC....NFD...INF IS NOT 10-23
The location here, is in our business area, across the street from the homes. I noticed that he is wearing fitness garb, and indeed, the mentioned gym is in that area, so I imagine, he was working out, and as many people do when exercising, he was probably doing some deep thinking. Perhaps contemplating his personal life, or doing some existential wonderings, and I guess he also thought about the state of our world today. Apparently the war in the Middle East must have been at the forefront of his mind. The guy is young, probably still idealistic in his thinking, and it seems to me, this caring guy was just trying to be helpful, a good Samaritan of sorts. It looks as if he was just trying to let others know about the war, you know, in case they have been locked in a basement for 4 years, and hadn’t heard the news. Maybe he even tried to start an intellectual conversation with the informant, but in any case, this intellectual was taken the wrong way, and got someone freaked out. Guess the lesson there is to not talk to strangers, you never know how they are going to take you. Like, you can say, “That’s a nice dress you have on.” And be mistaken for a robber, and someone can call the cops and say you wanted to steal their dress…you never know, so, best not to talk to strangers, especially when you are having paranoid delusions.
If nothing else, the police blotter gives me great insight into how people think, and what they do. You can even get some great ideas for how to spend your free time, if you have any, like, if you are retired (cough, cough, Grandma J)….
Do any of you read your community police blotter? Have you ever been on there yourself? If you have a good incident to share, pass it along, we could all use a good read.
Sunday, August 19, 2007
Are we all in this together?
Earlier this week, I was startled awake in the early morning hours (early morning being 7am, just to clarify.) I was confused by my fugue state and for split seconds thought that we were having a home invasion by Hanson, The Jackson 5, Donny Osmond and the cast from Grease (the original soundtrack cast.) The music was blaring, and I couldn’t quite make out the words, but I could hear my daughter shrieking over the thumping of the bass.
I quickly stumbled out of bed, mumbling to myself, “must-save-children-hurry-downstairs.” But as I got closer to the staircase, the music became much clearer and I realized that my kids were having their own High School Musical concert in the playroom.
Now, we have a rule in our house, the volume is not to exceed # 15 on the TV, but I frequently find that my kids have upped it into the 20’s. On this morning, however, they had cranked it into the 40’s.
As I swung into the room, angry that they had so selfishly disturbed my slumber, I was fully prepared to ban them from all things related to the tv, music, and anything else enjoyable. Before I could utter a word (not that they would have heard me anyways) I caught a glimpse of Pooper doing hand motions while he sang, “keep your head in the game, keep your head in the game.” And Beauty was shimmying, head tossed back, singing (and I use that term loosely) from the deepest parts of her diaphragm.
I stopped and watched, my anger melted to amusement, and some weird sense of pride. Pride that my kids were growing up, normally, developing their own sense of self (as much as one can in our media age where HSM is jammed down their throats.)
Tiptoeing out of the room, I decided to let them enjoy this childhood moment.
Little did I know that this same scenario would replay over and over again, basically non-stop throughout the week. They even played, “music videos” with their neighborhood friends, blaring the High School Musical soundtrack from the porch, dancing along with their McDonalds Happy Meal/American Idol “microphones” in their hands.
Now, I like the music to HSM, it’s definitely easier on the ears than Barney, or The Doodlebops. But believe it or not, there is a limit.
Just when I thought my head might explode and spastic high schoolers might pop out singing, we reached the amazing crescendo of the HSM phenomenon. The TV premiere of High School Musical 2. My kids were so worked up about watching it Friday night, so I let them stay up late and watch it.
When it was over, Pooper remarked, “It wasn’t the same as the first one.” Um, yeah, it wasn’t the first one, it was a different story, with the same kids, and very similar music, and to be honest, an eerily familiar story line. Boy likes girl, different rich girl likes boy, different rich girl tries to win boy over, but in the end, boy connects with the original girl, and it’s true love, and then unicorns and ponies fly out of everyone’s ears.
When it was all over, I felt quite satisfied, that the HSM obsession was now complete, and we could move on with life.
Until tonight. When my kids informed me, that the Disney Channel, never ones to pass up a good opportunity for overkill, was having a High School Musical 2 sing-a-long. They wanted me to go to wwwdotdisneydotcombackslashhighschoolmusical2 and print off the lyrics, so that they could “sing along” tonight.
I thought I was going to choke on my own breath. WHAT? Aren’t we done with HSM2? We listened to HSM1 all week, then had the grand finale with the premiere of HSM2, and I even promised to get you all the CD for Christmas (far enough away that they might forget) and now we have to hear it all over again, via some commercialized karaoke night?
So, Im signing off, as the printing is done, and Im going to go hand the kids the lyric sheets, and sit and watch them, and maybe sing along, but definitely be in awe of how grown up they have become. And then Ill throw up.
I quickly stumbled out of bed, mumbling to myself, “must-save-children-hurry-downstairs.” But as I got closer to the staircase, the music became much clearer and I realized that my kids were having their own High School Musical concert in the playroom.
Now, we have a rule in our house, the volume is not to exceed # 15 on the TV, but I frequently find that my kids have upped it into the 20’s. On this morning, however, they had cranked it into the 40’s.
As I swung into the room, angry that they had so selfishly disturbed my slumber, I was fully prepared to ban them from all things related to the tv, music, and anything else enjoyable. Before I could utter a word (not that they would have heard me anyways) I caught a glimpse of Pooper doing hand motions while he sang, “keep your head in the game, keep your head in the game.” And Beauty was shimmying, head tossed back, singing (and I use that term loosely) from the deepest parts of her diaphragm.
I stopped and watched, my anger melted to amusement, and some weird sense of pride. Pride that my kids were growing up, normally, developing their own sense of self (as much as one can in our media age where HSM is jammed down their throats.)
Tiptoeing out of the room, I decided to let them enjoy this childhood moment.
Little did I know that this same scenario would replay over and over again, basically non-stop throughout the week. They even played, “music videos” with their neighborhood friends, blaring the High School Musical soundtrack from the porch, dancing along with their McDonalds Happy Meal/American Idol “microphones” in their hands.
Now, I like the music to HSM, it’s definitely easier on the ears than Barney, or The Doodlebops. But believe it or not, there is a limit.
Just when I thought my head might explode and spastic high schoolers might pop out singing, we reached the amazing crescendo of the HSM phenomenon. The TV premiere of High School Musical 2. My kids were so worked up about watching it Friday night, so I let them stay up late and watch it.
When it was over, Pooper remarked, “It wasn’t the same as the first one.” Um, yeah, it wasn’t the first one, it was a different story, with the same kids, and very similar music, and to be honest, an eerily familiar story line. Boy likes girl, different rich girl likes boy, different rich girl tries to win boy over, but in the end, boy connects with the original girl, and it’s true love, and then unicorns and ponies fly out of everyone’s ears.
When it was all over, I felt quite satisfied, that the HSM obsession was now complete, and we could move on with life.
Until tonight. When my kids informed me, that the Disney Channel, never ones to pass up a good opportunity for overkill, was having a High School Musical 2 sing-a-long. They wanted me to go to wwwdotdisneydotcombackslashhighschoolmusical2 and print off the lyrics, so that they could “sing along” tonight.
I thought I was going to choke on my own breath. WHAT? Aren’t we done with HSM2? We listened to HSM1 all week, then had the grand finale with the premiere of HSM2, and I even promised to get you all the CD for Christmas (far enough away that they might forget) and now we have to hear it all over again, via some commercialized karaoke night?
So, Im signing off, as the printing is done, and Im going to go hand the kids the lyric sheets, and sit and watch them, and maybe sing along, but definitely be in awe of how grown up they have become. And then Ill throw up.
Wednesday, August 15, 2007
and the winner is.......katie!
First, thanks for playing, it was fun to read the different questions and ponder over the answers.....and Ill tell you that it was much harder than I imagined, to pick a winner. I thought about it all last night, and couldnt decide.
They all had me going back and forth having discussions with myself, trying to choose my own answers;
grandma j's (and yes, relatives are allowed to play) was easy...I go for laces, usually. It's good practice for the kids, although annoying for me to see straggling strings, getting all worn and dirty trailing my kidlets, but overall, It's important for the kids to practice tying. However, if after an hour at the store the shoe that fits is velcro, fine, but I prefer the kids in laces. Thankfully, Beauty, although only 4, is one heck of a shoelace tier. Pooper, nearly 7, will probably never learn to tie them (fine motor damage) but with his little sister to help him out, that takes the pressure off of me to be his only tier. So, that one was settled quickly in my mind. (disclaimer, I dont know how to conjugate the word "tie", but you all know what I mean.)
m, ms. r., mom, auntie m. marey really got me thinking.....Im not opposed to homework that they can do independently, and the family projects actually sound fun, but in the end, Id say to give the kids a break. I believe unstructured free play allows for some of the best learning, and want to make sure that kids have time to let their imaginations run wild. Obviously the homework that requires parental assistance is out, because Im already stretched thin, and Im lazy.
josiek and the mrs. both had my mind going down the same path....how would I spend my free time once the kids were in school....
Well, josie, once the kids are in school, I would like to get my toes done, mostly because I am currently way past due, walking around with those scratchy, cracked heals, and the tips of my toenails have had the polish scraped off and the little white edges are screaming, "Paint me!", so that would be my gut instinct. Although, truthfully, between the 3 kids and 2 schools, life will be even more hectic than it is now, being the family taxi. So if I do get some time, Ill probably be too pooped out to actually get my toes done, and will probably cuddle up on the coach with some bon bons (or, Ben and Jerry's coffee heath bar crunch) and watch tv (Im a news junkie, so instead of soaps, Nancy Grace or FOX.)
the mrs. had some fabulous ideas, and I think I actually went into a mini-funk realizing as much as I want to, Ill never get to do all of her relaxing options. Shopping is out, because Im plus-sized, and hate plus-size clothes, so I choose to just continue to wear old, stained maternity t-shirts rather than buy new plus sized clothes (Im nothing if not practical.) The day of beauty sounds so wonderful, and would beat out the nap, mostly because the day of beauty includes a massage, which is like a nap with perks. Lunch with friends would be marvelous, and it made me wonder when the last time was that I had lunch with good friends and no kids, and my mind went blank, because, yes, it's really been that long.
As my brain melted contemplating josiek and the mrs's ideas, it led me to some clarity, and finally it hit me, which one to choose;
You see, I have gotten some feedback about my last polls, from readers that said the polls didnt pertain to them, because they didnt have young children, or they were working moms, and my polls have thus far been about staying at home or kidlets.
So, that narrowed the entries down, to Katie's and the mrs.'s. And it was tough. Now, I know that the mrs.'s poll could be answered by anyone, but there was the "no housework" phrase, and I could just hear the working moms sighing, "we dont do housework, we have jobs." and excising themselves from the pack.
So, Katie became the natural, inclusive winner..not to mention that her options had me contemplating bringing my chocolate fountain (Christmas 2005 gift from the kids) into my bed. I wonder if my mattress would provide enough stability, maybe if I placed the fountain on a big, thick book...I could manage to prop up in bed, with a tray of goodies; marshmallows, pretzels, maybe even some fruit, just to make me think Im being healthy, and relax in my bed while enjoying the delights of the cascading chocolate.......yeah, who say's Im thinking.
Congratulations Katie! Email me @ kim.sprague@cox.net I cant actually email you, because when I click on your email it takes me to yahoo (problem with my computer settings that I need My Honey to fix)...because I dont have yahoo...so, please email me with your address and Ill send you your Starbucks gift card.
Ok, not that anyone wanted to hear my choices, but there you go, and now Id love to hear yours....
They all had me going back and forth having discussions with myself, trying to choose my own answers;
grandma j's (and yes, relatives are allowed to play) was easy...I go for laces, usually. It's good practice for the kids, although annoying for me to see straggling strings, getting all worn and dirty trailing my kidlets, but overall, It's important for the kids to practice tying. However, if after an hour at the store the shoe that fits is velcro, fine, but I prefer the kids in laces. Thankfully, Beauty, although only 4, is one heck of a shoelace tier. Pooper, nearly 7, will probably never learn to tie them (fine motor damage) but with his little sister to help him out, that takes the pressure off of me to be his only tier. So, that one was settled quickly in my mind. (disclaimer, I dont know how to conjugate the word "tie", but you all know what I mean.)
m, ms. r., mom, auntie m. marey really got me thinking.....Im not opposed to homework that they can do independently, and the family projects actually sound fun, but in the end, Id say to give the kids a break. I believe unstructured free play allows for some of the best learning, and want to make sure that kids have time to let their imaginations run wild. Obviously the homework that requires parental assistance is out, because Im already stretched thin, and Im lazy.
josiek and the mrs. both had my mind going down the same path....how would I spend my free time once the kids were in school....
Well, josie, once the kids are in school, I would like to get my toes done, mostly because I am currently way past due, walking around with those scratchy, cracked heals, and the tips of my toenails have had the polish scraped off and the little white edges are screaming, "Paint me!", so that would be my gut instinct. Although, truthfully, between the 3 kids and 2 schools, life will be even more hectic than it is now, being the family taxi. So if I do get some time, Ill probably be too pooped out to actually get my toes done, and will probably cuddle up on the coach with some bon bons (or, Ben and Jerry's coffee heath bar crunch) and watch tv (Im a news junkie, so instead of soaps, Nancy Grace or FOX.)
the mrs. had some fabulous ideas, and I think I actually went into a mini-funk realizing as much as I want to, Ill never get to do all of her relaxing options. Shopping is out, because Im plus-sized, and hate plus-size clothes, so I choose to just continue to wear old, stained maternity t-shirts rather than buy new plus sized clothes (Im nothing if not practical.) The day of beauty sounds so wonderful, and would beat out the nap, mostly because the day of beauty includes a massage, which is like a nap with perks. Lunch with friends would be marvelous, and it made me wonder when the last time was that I had lunch with good friends and no kids, and my mind went blank, because, yes, it's really been that long.
As my brain melted contemplating josiek and the mrs's ideas, it led me to some clarity, and finally it hit me, which one to choose;
You see, I have gotten some feedback about my last polls, from readers that said the polls didnt pertain to them, because they didnt have young children, or they were working moms, and my polls have thus far been about staying at home or kidlets.
So, that narrowed the entries down, to Katie's and the mrs.'s. And it was tough. Now, I know that the mrs.'s poll could be answered by anyone, but there was the "no housework" phrase, and I could just hear the working moms sighing, "we dont do housework, we have jobs." and excising themselves from the pack.
So, Katie became the natural, inclusive winner..not to mention that her options had me contemplating bringing my chocolate fountain (Christmas 2005 gift from the kids) into my bed. I wonder if my mattress would provide enough stability, maybe if I placed the fountain on a big, thick book...I could manage to prop up in bed, with a tray of goodies; marshmallows, pretzels, maybe even some fruit, just to make me think Im being healthy, and relax in my bed while enjoying the delights of the cascading chocolate.......yeah, who say's Im thinking.
Congratulations Katie! Email me @ kim.sprague@cox.net I cant actually email you, because when I click on your email it takes me to yahoo (problem with my computer settings that I need My Honey to fix)...because I dont have yahoo...so, please email me with your address and Ill send you your Starbucks gift card.
Ok, not that anyone wanted to hear my choices, but there you go, and now Id love to hear yours....
Tuesday, August 14, 2007
Getting to know you
When I started this blog, I was excited to be able to include polls. Why polls? glad you asked. I think it's a fun way to get to know each other. There has been such an explosion in blogging and connecting online, but yet, we are all still strangers. Every day I read some of my favorite blogs, and sometimes feel like I really KNOW the writer. All comfortable in my ergonomical chair, conversing with my computer monitor, laughing out loud and shouting "you-go-girls", as if, the blog author were sitting in front of me. But see, they dont know who I am. And, I dont know who some of you are, and, well, that takes this whole "connectedness" thing and makes it a bit cold, and impersonal. How ironic, to be sharing what's inside our brain, all of the little idiosyncracies of life, things that are typically reserved for our best girl friends, and have it be with strangers.
So, I thought polls were a great, "getting to know you" kind of a tool. Something informal, kinda fun, a way to see glimpses of each other.
And, I want you to be a part of it. So, now is your chance to suggest a poll question.
It should have a question, and at least 3 response options. Ill pick a winner and post it up as our weekly poll tomorrow morning.
It's a contest, and the winner will get a Starbucks gift card. So, put your entry in the guestbook, make sure it has your name or email so I can contact you.
It starts NOW and will end promptly at 8pm PST.
Ready.....GO!
So, I thought polls were a great, "getting to know you" kind of a tool. Something informal, kinda fun, a way to see glimpses of each other.
And, I want you to be a part of it. So, now is your chance to suggest a poll question.
It should have a question, and at least 3 response options. Ill pick a winner and post it up as our weekly poll tomorrow morning.
It's a contest, and the winner will get a Starbucks gift card. So, put your entry in the guestbook, make sure it has your name or email so I can contact you.
It starts NOW and will end promptly at 8pm PST.
Ready.....GO!
Monday, August 13, 2007
one foot, two foot, red foot, blue foot
What is the deal with my kids and their shoes?
When you enter my house, you will be welcomed by a large stack of shoes. I thought I would make life simple and have my kids take their shoes off at the door. Most people think I do that to keep our floors nice, and guest often ask politely, "oh, would you like me to take off my shoes?" The answer is, no need. The floors are already a mess, I just have my kids take their shoes off at the door in an effort to try to keep them from losing their shoes.
If they keep their shoes on, they will end up coming off at somepoint; bathroom, bedroom, living room, while playing, or maybe even in the kitchen, and then all chances of keeping the shoes together are gone for good. Im not sure why this is, but once the shoes come off, it's like the left shoe tries to run from the right shoe, and they are rarely seen together again. So, let's just keep it simple and keep all shoes at the door, right? Wrong!
While getting ready to leave for Pooper's swim meet championships this weekend, at 6am, I might add, Beauty could not find her shoes. I take that back, she could find plenty of shoes, just not a matching pair. She had a white flip flop in the play room and a pink one in her bedroom. There was a white tennis shoe in the hall, yet we couldnt find either pink tennis shoe. We took apart the house, the car, and eventually, after 20 minutes and risk of missing the championships all together, we found her nice church shoes in her closet. So, off to the swimmeet in her shorts and nice church shoes, aye!
I must have said a hundred times in complete frustration, "In our family , we keep our shoes by the door! How many times do I have to tell you to keep your shoes by the door? If you would just listen to me, you would know where your shoes are, and that would be, by the door! For goodness sakes, I realize that it's in your blood to do the opposite of everything I say, but trust me when I tell you to put your gosh danged shoes BY THE DOOR!" I say that often, and say it loudly when we are on our way out of the house, because naturally, one of my kidlets always whimpers, "I cant find my other shoe."
Im not sure how much easier I can make it. Perhaps it's a good time to pull out our Colombian Family to remind the kids that they should be so thankful that they have shoes, as their Latin siblings dont even get any, and they should cherish and protect and PUT BY THE DOOR their shoes!
Or, maybe I can input powerful magnets into the soles, or gps tracking devices. It's almost as if my house is the Bermuda Triangle for shoes.
In any case, with school and soccer beginning soon, and Little One starting to walk, Im going to be making a trip to the shoe store this week. The new pairs will exponentially increase the number of times that someone will not be able to find their matched footwear, taking me one step closer to that inevitable nervous breakdown.
** We will have a contest tomorrow!! Check back in tomorrow morning and you will have one day to submit your entry for the next poll question. All entries should be posted into the guestbook. If there are duplicates of the same question, the first person to enter it gets the prize, so come back early. The contest starts sharply at 8am Tuesday morning and will finish at 8pm Tuesday night, pacific standard time. The prize is a Starbucks gift card (mom, I know it's not quite as exciting as Pioneer Woman's prizes, but it still makes it fun.) I will post the winner along with the new poll on Wednesday morning**
When you enter my house, you will be welcomed by a large stack of shoes. I thought I would make life simple and have my kids take their shoes off at the door. Most people think I do that to keep our floors nice, and guest often ask politely, "oh, would you like me to take off my shoes?" The answer is, no need. The floors are already a mess, I just have my kids take their shoes off at the door in an effort to try to keep them from losing their shoes.
If they keep their shoes on, they will end up coming off at somepoint; bathroom, bedroom, living room, while playing, or maybe even in the kitchen, and then all chances of keeping the shoes together are gone for good. Im not sure why this is, but once the shoes come off, it's like the left shoe tries to run from the right shoe, and they are rarely seen together again. So, let's just keep it simple and keep all shoes at the door, right? Wrong!
While getting ready to leave for Pooper's swim meet championships this weekend, at 6am, I might add, Beauty could not find her shoes. I take that back, she could find plenty of shoes, just not a matching pair. She had a white flip flop in the play room and a pink one in her bedroom. There was a white tennis shoe in the hall, yet we couldnt find either pink tennis shoe. We took apart the house, the car, and eventually, after 20 minutes and risk of missing the championships all together, we found her nice church shoes in her closet. So, off to the swimmeet in her shorts and nice church shoes, aye!
I must have said a hundred times in complete frustration, "In our family , we keep our shoes by the door! How many times do I have to tell you to keep your shoes by the door? If you would just listen to me, you would know where your shoes are, and that would be, by the door! For goodness sakes, I realize that it's in your blood to do the opposite of everything I say, but trust me when I tell you to put your gosh danged shoes BY THE DOOR!" I say that often, and say it loudly when we are on our way out of the house, because naturally, one of my kidlets always whimpers, "I cant find my other shoe."
Im not sure how much easier I can make it. Perhaps it's a good time to pull out our Colombian Family to remind the kids that they should be so thankful that they have shoes, as their Latin siblings dont even get any, and they should cherish and protect and PUT BY THE DOOR their shoes!
Or, maybe I can input powerful magnets into the soles, or gps tracking devices. It's almost as if my house is the Bermuda Triangle for shoes.
In any case, with school and soccer beginning soon, and Little One starting to walk, Im going to be making a trip to the shoe store this week. The new pairs will exponentially increase the number of times that someone will not be able to find their matched footwear, taking me one step closer to that inevitable nervous breakdown.
** We will have a contest tomorrow!! Check back in tomorrow morning and you will have one day to submit your entry for the next poll question. All entries should be posted into the guestbook. If there are duplicates of the same question, the first person to enter it gets the prize, so come back early. The contest starts sharply at 8am Tuesday morning and will finish at 8pm Tuesday night, pacific standard time. The prize is a Starbucks gift card (mom, I know it's not quite as exciting as Pioneer Woman's prizes, but it still makes it fun.) I will post the winner along with the new poll on Wednesday morning**
Thursday, August 9, 2007
That's one more point for me
Halleluiah, there’s hope!
Have you heard the news? Baby Einstein doesn’t make your kids smarter, in fact, it makes them dumber! This is a huge relief to me, and it means my kids might have a shot at things in life.
I remember when Baby Einstein was all the rage. Whenever I visited with a mommy friend, she would inevitably have Baby Einstein (or Baby Mozart, or Monet) on with her baby propped up in front of the tv so that it couldn’t help but stare at the mobiles and toys and shapes accompanied by classical music. Everyone said it would make kids smarter, and more beautiful, and better behaved. They would talk sooner, be adept at foreign languages and math, it was really the thing to do if you wanted your child to succeed. I always felt guilty, like my kidlets would end up special ed, because I didn’t take the extra time to do all that fancy stuff like have them watch Baby Einstein, or put black and white patterns up in their crib.
I did try it. I got a Baby Einstein video as a gift when Pooper was born. I remember putting his car seat in front of the tv while it played. I kept waiting for him to do something remarkable, as if to show me immediate results from this intelligence producing program….but it never happened. He mostly slept. And I gave up.
Now just this week, I read that the whole thing is not what it’s cracked up to be. AND, to boot, (and here’s where I get a twinge of the, “na-na-na-na-na” ‘s) for each hour kids watched that stuff, they scored lower on verbal tests.
It makes sense. In the olden days, “experts” said to talk to your kids, don’t worry that you look like a fool in the grocery store having conversations with an infant, “yes, that’s the veggies, can you say veggies, veg-gies, yum!” Exposure to language was supposed to stimulate the brain, producing young talkers, which also was correlated to doing all kinds of things ahead of schedule.
Then some lady invented the Baby Einstein idea, that basically said, “don’t talk to your kids, just show them inanimate objects to music.” Come on, that doesn’t really make sense, how can they learn language if we don’t talk to them? See, I knew it all along, really, I did. That’s the whole reason I never forced my kidlets to watch all those artsy videos, I was, uh, smarter than that, yeah, that’s it, I knew it would slow them down, and since I always do what’s best for my kids, I made the sacrifice to avoid all things related to the Baby Einstein phenomenon.
Whew! I feel vindicated! One more point for me, for getting through this thing called motherhood.
**Have you taken the poll? and coming soon, a contest, to see who can come up with the best poll question, stay tuned! **
Have you heard the news? Baby Einstein doesn’t make your kids smarter, in fact, it makes them dumber! This is a huge relief to me, and it means my kids might have a shot at things in life.
I remember when Baby Einstein was all the rage. Whenever I visited with a mommy friend, she would inevitably have Baby Einstein (or Baby Mozart, or Monet) on with her baby propped up in front of the tv so that it couldn’t help but stare at the mobiles and toys and shapes accompanied by classical music. Everyone said it would make kids smarter, and more beautiful, and better behaved. They would talk sooner, be adept at foreign languages and math, it was really the thing to do if you wanted your child to succeed. I always felt guilty, like my kidlets would end up special ed, because I didn’t take the extra time to do all that fancy stuff like have them watch Baby Einstein, or put black and white patterns up in their crib.
I did try it. I got a Baby Einstein video as a gift when Pooper was born. I remember putting his car seat in front of the tv while it played. I kept waiting for him to do something remarkable, as if to show me immediate results from this intelligence producing program….but it never happened. He mostly slept. And I gave up.
Now just this week, I read that the whole thing is not what it’s cracked up to be. AND, to boot, (and here’s where I get a twinge of the, “na-na-na-na-na” ‘s) for each hour kids watched that stuff, they scored lower on verbal tests.
It makes sense. In the olden days, “experts” said to talk to your kids, don’t worry that you look like a fool in the grocery store having conversations with an infant, “yes, that’s the veggies, can you say veggies, veg-gies, yum!” Exposure to language was supposed to stimulate the brain, producing young talkers, which also was correlated to doing all kinds of things ahead of schedule.
Then some lady invented the Baby Einstein idea, that basically said, “don’t talk to your kids, just show them inanimate objects to music.” Come on, that doesn’t really make sense, how can they learn language if we don’t talk to them? See, I knew it all along, really, I did. That’s the whole reason I never forced my kidlets to watch all those artsy videos, I was, uh, smarter than that, yeah, that’s it, I knew it would slow them down, and since I always do what’s best for my kids, I made the sacrifice to avoid all things related to the Baby Einstein phenomenon.
Whew! I feel vindicated! One more point for me, for getting through this thing called motherhood.
**Have you taken the poll? and coming soon, a contest, to see who can come up with the best poll question, stay tuned! **
Monday, August 6, 2007
A helpful parenting idea
I had a recent conversation with an old college friend, (hmmm, old? Yes, I guess it’s safe to say we are “old friends”…not that we ourselves are old, but our friendship is old, 20+ years, and, well, I guess that makes us old too.) but anyways, we were chatting about our lives, our kids, and parenting.
This particular pal has one boy, a year old, and, since Im OLDER and have three kids, that in some ways makes me wiser, or at least more ready to pull my hair out. I think my friend looks up to me, since she is in the thick of the “first time mom” thing , and I have so much fantastic advice. Like the time she was on a little vacation with her son, and she almost had to cut it short because he wasn’t sleeping in new and unfamiliar places. His lack of sleep kept them both up all night, and him crying and fussing all day, which made the trip nearly unbearable.
I was happy to share with her my favorite traveling companion, Benadryl. “Don’t cut your vacation short!” I told her, “Just give him Benadryl at night and it will get him right back on schedule.” It’s also handy for long plane flights, and well, sometimes nights at home when your kids are a bit out of wack.
But back to this recent chat, I expounded to her on the benefits of charity and how much it teaches our children when we give to those less fortunate. Let me explain.
When Pooper was an infant, My Honey and I decided to sponsor a child through World Vision It’s a great organization, and for very few dollars, you can help provide food, clothes, an education and Christian training to a child in a 3rd world country. We selected a boy, Pooper’s age, and we chose the country of Colombia, as My Honey was born there. When my daughters were born, we selected a baby girl each time, also from Colombia. It has been a great experience, and we frequently get photos of the children and sometimes letters and artwork. Our refrigerator door has a section for our “Colombian Family”, and my kids know all about their “brother and sisters.”
Ill admit the reason we started with this charity is because we thought it would help the children from World Vision. In actuality, it has been really good for my children, and well most of all it has been a fantastic parenting tool for me.
Case in point. Beauty’s eyes are bigger than her tummy, and she often has me make her a snack, and then is “finished” after a bite or two, leaving a whole plate of food to go to waste. Now, back in my day, my mom would rant about starving children in Africa who didn’t have any food, and I really didn’t make the connection, Id think, “go ahead and mail them my peas, please!” But I have what my mother never had, a real, live, Colombian family on my fridge.
I reference them often with things like, “You have the nerve to cry about not watching Sponge Bob? Do you realize your Colombian brother doesn’t even have a TV? Heck, he doesn’t barely have a house, he lives in a cardboard box with no lights or water, and you are crying about a TV show?” or “I don’t care if your happy meal toy broke, your Colombian sister doesn’t even have toys, and they usually don’t even have food…..and you have food and toys, so be quiet and eat!”
Really, it’s been very handy. Any time my kids start griping and complaining, which seems to be constantly, I just drag them into the kitchen to get a good look at their Colombian counterparts, wide-eyed-standing-in-the-dirt-with-mismatched-clothes-and-no-shoes HAPPY children. I remind them of their siblings that are thrilled over the rainbow when given any bit of food, even yucky stuff my kids wouldn’t touch. I tell them stories about how content these little sweeties are, and yet they never go to Chuckee Cheese or birthday parties or to a swimming pool.
Typically my kids feel a tinge of the guilt Im trying to jam down their throats, and sometimes they really get it. Once, after hollering about how they leave their toys around the house, and don’t take care of their things, when their siblings don’t even have toys….Andrew went and gathered a large box of his favorite toys, and asked me to send them to his brother.
Of course, that touched my heart, as I was able to see that learning to care about others has really been good for my kids. And I hope it’s helped the Colombian kids too.
**By the way, Blogger is having a problem with their "polls", but as soon as it's fixed Ill put up another poll, just for fun. Im thinking in the future, I might have a contest, (yes, with a prize, because my mom's favorite blogger The Pioneer Woman has contests with prizes, and my mom is always raving about them)..so I might have a contest to see who can submit the best Poll Question...so, be thinking about it, and watch to enter the contest, probably next week. ***
This particular pal has one boy, a year old, and, since Im OLDER and have three kids, that in some ways makes me wiser, or at least more ready to pull my hair out. I think my friend looks up to me, since she is in the thick of the “first time mom” thing , and I have so much fantastic advice. Like the time she was on a little vacation with her son, and she almost had to cut it short because he wasn’t sleeping in new and unfamiliar places. His lack of sleep kept them both up all night, and him crying and fussing all day, which made the trip nearly unbearable.
I was happy to share with her my favorite traveling companion, Benadryl. “Don’t cut your vacation short!” I told her, “Just give him Benadryl at night and it will get him right back on schedule.” It’s also handy for long plane flights, and well, sometimes nights at home when your kids are a bit out of wack.
But back to this recent chat, I expounded to her on the benefits of charity and how much it teaches our children when we give to those less fortunate. Let me explain.
When Pooper was an infant, My Honey and I decided to sponsor a child through World Vision It’s a great organization, and for very few dollars, you can help provide food, clothes, an education and Christian training to a child in a 3rd world country. We selected a boy, Pooper’s age, and we chose the country of Colombia, as My Honey was born there. When my daughters were born, we selected a baby girl each time, also from Colombia. It has been a great experience, and we frequently get photos of the children and sometimes letters and artwork. Our refrigerator door has a section for our “Colombian Family”, and my kids know all about their “brother and sisters.”
Ill admit the reason we started with this charity is because we thought it would help the children from World Vision. In actuality, it has been really good for my children, and well most of all it has been a fantastic parenting tool for me.
Case in point. Beauty’s eyes are bigger than her tummy, and she often has me make her a snack, and then is “finished” after a bite or two, leaving a whole plate of food to go to waste. Now, back in my day, my mom would rant about starving children in Africa who didn’t have any food, and I really didn’t make the connection, Id think, “go ahead and mail them my peas, please!” But I have what my mother never had, a real, live, Colombian family on my fridge.
I reference them often with things like, “You have the nerve to cry about not watching Sponge Bob? Do you realize your Colombian brother doesn’t even have a TV? Heck, he doesn’t barely have a house, he lives in a cardboard box with no lights or water, and you are crying about a TV show?” or “I don’t care if your happy meal toy broke, your Colombian sister doesn’t even have toys, and they usually don’t even have food…..and you have food and toys, so be quiet and eat!”
Really, it’s been very handy. Any time my kids start griping and complaining, which seems to be constantly, I just drag them into the kitchen to get a good look at their Colombian counterparts, wide-eyed-standing-in-the-dirt-with-mismatched-clothes-and-no-shoes HAPPY children. I remind them of their siblings that are thrilled over the rainbow when given any bit of food, even yucky stuff my kids wouldn’t touch. I tell them stories about how content these little sweeties are, and yet they never go to Chuckee Cheese or birthday parties or to a swimming pool.
Typically my kids feel a tinge of the guilt Im trying to jam down their throats, and sometimes they really get it. Once, after hollering about how they leave their toys around the house, and don’t take care of their things, when their siblings don’t even have toys….Andrew went and gathered a large box of his favorite toys, and asked me to send them to his brother.
Of course, that touched my heart, as I was able to see that learning to care about others has really been good for my kids. And I hope it’s helped the Colombian kids too.
**By the way, Blogger is having a problem with their "polls", but as soon as it's fixed Ill put up another poll, just for fun. Im thinking in the future, I might have a contest, (yes, with a prize, because my mom's favorite blogger The Pioneer Woman has contests with prizes, and my mom is always raving about them)..so I might have a contest to see who can submit the best Poll Question...so, be thinking about it, and watch to enter the contest, probably next week. ***
Saturday, August 4, 2007
The sippy cup and other home science projects
Little One is now a full-fledged sippy cupper. When you consider her morning, mid-day and evening servings of milk, that means I have 3 cups a day of which to keep track. It’s not an easy thing to do. My Honey cant understand how these cups go unaccounted for, as if Little One sits in one spot all day, and I just sit there watching her, but that’s not how it goes. She doesn’t down her milk, she savors her beverages and totes her cup around with her for a bit, as she explores throughout the house. Inevitably, she drops it off in some unknown place, and it usually takes a day or two to find it again, if Im lucky, because Im such a super, awesome housekeeper. And when I finally do find it, it’s typically in some stage of fermentation, a perfect blue ribbon entry to the local science fair.
And, Ill throw in a free tip, because Im handy that way; don’t even bother washing old sippy cups, you cant get rid of the smell…better to throw them away.
Coagulated milk isn’t the only science project we have going on here….
Just this week, we have had some little friends visiting us during drives in the van, otherwise known as the, “crap mobile” The pesky little fruit flies have been multiplying exponentially each day, and each day I holler at the kids to throw away any food that they have left in the back seat. Well, this morning, I crawled into the back seat to try to find my car key that Andrew lost (whole ‘nother story) and surprise, surprise, there was a blackened banana, swarming with fruit flies. Science topic #124; decomposition.
One lesson that has been particularly emotion-laden, has been learning what living things need in order to survive. When perky children come hopping home with new plants that they sprouted in a Dixie cup at school, they place it in the sun with high hopes that it will blossom and flourish. They quickly forget that said seedling is alive, and needs water. I have one windowsill filled with school-started growths, now all brown and limp.
Recently Christine noticed that her flower was dead.
“You killed my sunflower!” she screamed, with all the high drama of a tele-novella.
And some of you may remember our fish, Kovo, we had hysterical, uncontrolled sobbing when he was discovered floating at the top of his bowl, followed by days of pomp and circumstance, which culminated with a full burial ceremony down at the beach.
Christine has been begging for a parakeet lately, does Hannah Montana have a parakeet? Someone tv idol must have one, because she got this nutty idea somewhere. I have reminded her that if we don’t have what it takes to keep a plant or fish alive, it’s best not to risk the life of a bird.
Besides, we have pets. In addition to all the other educational goings on, our house has become a full-fledged ant farm. So, we don’t need pets, we don’t need visits to the local dairy or science museum, we’ve got all 3 right here at home.
** One day left for our poll.....located at the very bottom of the page.**
And, Ill throw in a free tip, because Im handy that way; don’t even bother washing old sippy cups, you cant get rid of the smell…better to throw them away.
Coagulated milk isn’t the only science project we have going on here….
Just this week, we have had some little friends visiting us during drives in the van, otherwise known as the, “crap mobile” The pesky little fruit flies have been multiplying exponentially each day, and each day I holler at the kids to throw away any food that they have left in the back seat. Well, this morning, I crawled into the back seat to try to find my car key that Andrew lost (whole ‘nother story) and surprise, surprise, there was a blackened banana, swarming with fruit flies. Science topic #124; decomposition.
One lesson that has been particularly emotion-laden, has been learning what living things need in order to survive. When perky children come hopping home with new plants that they sprouted in a Dixie cup at school, they place it in the sun with high hopes that it will blossom and flourish. They quickly forget that said seedling is alive, and needs water. I have one windowsill filled with school-started growths, now all brown and limp.
Recently Christine noticed that her flower was dead.
“You killed my sunflower!” she screamed, with all the high drama of a tele-novella.
And some of you may remember our fish, Kovo, we had hysterical, uncontrolled sobbing when he was discovered floating at the top of his bowl, followed by days of pomp and circumstance, which culminated with a full burial ceremony down at the beach.
Christine has been begging for a parakeet lately, does Hannah Montana have a parakeet? Someone tv idol must have one, because she got this nutty idea somewhere. I have reminded her that if we don’t have what it takes to keep a plant or fish alive, it’s best not to risk the life of a bird.
Besides, we have pets. In addition to all the other educational goings on, our house has become a full-fledged ant farm. So, we don’t need pets, we don’t need visits to the local dairy or science museum, we’ve got all 3 right here at home.
** One day left for our poll.....located at the very bottom of the page.**
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