They Call Me Mom

May 14, 2012 in Just Life, Raising these kids, Raising these Parents, The Small People Know Me as "Mommy"

Finally, 5 years into it, I had the perfect Mother’s Day. Not that the others have been at all bad, they just weren’t perfect. On my first Mother’s Day, JB bought me a little snow cone machine. What, you say? You see, my first real job (which required a wee exaggeration about my age) was back up snow cone maker at the flea market. People, you haven’t lived until you’ve worked at either a flea [...]

NC Passes the Marriage Amendment

May 9, 2012 in Just Life, Politics, Raising these kids, Staying Home Didn't Kill the Feminist, Things that Make Me Twitchy, Thoughts from a SAHM

I remember the blazing disappointment when Dubya was re-elected. You see, I lived in Durham, worked in Chapel Hill; my perspective of reality was blurry. By the way– it’s late, and I’m sad and angry. Raging, actually. I remain convinced that the intent behind passing the marriage amendment was always devoid of religious conviction, the purpose only for re-election. I see what conservatives mean about too much government because their power? That sort of extremist-fly-a-plane-into-building-mentality? [...]

Vote AGAINST the Marriage Amendment and Legislation in Violation of the Separation of Church and State

May 7, 2012 in Just Life, Politics, Raising these kids, Staying Home Didn't Kill the Feminist

May 8th– tomorrow, the big voting day. The final chance for my fellow North Carolinians to power their way through the screaming “you’re going to hell” protesters, into that voting booth and say–with an emphatic NO– we will not support Paul Stam’s bigoted hate legislation. Oh wait. You support* the amendment, but dislike being called a bigot? You feel that description somehow unfair? You assumed the responsibility for defining what god meant– and denying what [...]

Meeting an Astronaut

May 2, 2012 in Adult ADHD Isn't a Bad Thing, Just Life, Raising these kids, The Small People Know Me as "Mommy"

In Space, anything is possible. Or perhaps, “Whip me, beat me, take away my charge cards… NASA is talking!” From SpaceCamp? No? JB had never seen it either, which downgrades his Eighties movie knowledge from Deficient to Abysmally un-American. I could focus an entire series of posts on the movies he’s not seen. Hey… However, tonight I’m hear to talk about meeting a astronaut. My friends, when I stop to catalog my many blazing failures [...]

And the Eyes Have It

May 1, 2012 in Raising these kids, The Small People Know Me as "Mommy", Thoughts from a SAHM

Brain calm, body relaxed I sat in the big Chair of Suck The Motivation Out of You, wasting the afternoon. I woke early and did 40 minutes of kickboxing this morning. I deserved this time. Biggest of the Small People at school; smallest of the Small People taking a nap. Then… the SCREAM. Not the fakey one, or the bored one, but the OhMyGodHeElectrocutedHimself version. I run– down the hall, through the door. Mom-eyes immediately [...]

Produce Wash Can Do That?

April 30, 2012 in Gotcha Moments, Raising these kids, The Small People Know Me as "Mommy"

5pm, Friday playing the home version of What’s That: this time What’s That Sticky Spot on the Floor. A Friday already full of bizarrely frustrating events that seem innocuous when examined separately, but when grouped together? Parenting laughter– the knee-hugging, rocking back and forth in padded room kind. Parenting. Spending more time exploring Life’s Really Important Questions, such as “What’s That Smell” and “What Made This Sticky Spot” JB leans in and sniffs, categorizes it [...]

Air Force One

April 24, 2012 in Adult ADHD Isn't a Bad Thing, Just Life, Politics, Raising these kids

President Obama traveled to Chapel Hill today, which means Air Force One landed at RDU. After dropping Z at school, I asked E if he might want to take a little ride, maybe see some planes. And… 3 hours later, we got to see Airforce One take off– totally cool. Because I’m a dork. Most of this adventure from Elliot’s POV? Perhaps not as exhilarating, though he met bunches of new friends to play with, [...]

DIY with your kids: Mudpie Kitchen

April 21, 2012 in DIY Life, DIY with your kids, Pinterest, Crafts, and Home Decor Projects, Raising these kids, Reduce, Reuse, Recycle by Upcycling, The Small People Know Me as "Mommy"

Yet another brilliant idea from

Explaining Why We Vote AGAINST the Marriage Amendment

April 19, 2012 in Just Life, Politics, Raising these kids

What did you do at lunch with your kids today? I sat down a twice reheated cup of coffee and uninspired salad, when my 5 year old asked, “so what are we voting for on May 8th?” Choke- cough. Do wha–? The signs in everybody’s yard. About voting. Like when we voted at the fire station– I got a ballot and a sticker, remember– —And a flag– interjects the 3 year old. Great, even the [...]

Vermicomposting with Children

April 17, 2012 in DIY Life, Homeschooling, Indoor activities, It's Easy Being Green, Just Life, Natural Gardening. Sometimes Organic, Pinterest, Crafts, and Home Decor Projects, Raising these kids, Staying Home Didn't Kill the Feminist

I won’t say it’s a boy thing– since it isn’t. But the Small People do love insects, arachnids (spiders), and annelids (worms). Now, because they are tech-age kids, they will dig for a few minutes, give up, then move over to stand 8.5 inches away from my leg, waiting for whatever worms I find. It makes my chest hurt that they don’t have enough patience to dig for their own worms. Which begins the choruses [...]