tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23566860738127157152012-01-27T15:54:54.300-05:00Life As I Know ItLife As I Know Ithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09492465378321819342noreply@blogger.comBlogger2911100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2356686073812715715.post-13030376855168263492011-11-22T13:00:00.001-05:002011-11-22T15:39:02.309-05:00The Party Store Won't Be Happy, But I AmMy son is a few short weeks away from turning ten. TEN! Double digits! Eight years away from college!
It makes my head spin.
The upside to having a kid turning ten is that the hoopla of a big birthday party seems less appealing - fourth grade boys are good like that. I no longer have to invite the whole class to a laser tag party or fill goodie bags with crappy dollar store junk. Life As I Know Ithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09492465378321819342noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2356686073812715715.post-43452483510686049262011-10-26T14:20:00.000-04:002011-10-26T14:20:20.347-04:00On Turning FortyIt's been awhile since I have visited this space. I keep dipping my toe in the bloggy waters and then running in the other direction. The thing is, I don't have a lot to say. And when I blather on about the banal details of my life, it feels a little self-serving. A little trivial. Do you ever feel that way? Also, in case you haven't noticed, there is a lot of negativity out here in the virtual Life As I Know Ithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09492465378321819342noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2356686073812715715.post-41352977996587190002011-06-16T17:03:00.001-04:002011-06-17T08:02:34.264-04:00Monetary ValidationHolly: "Do you think she's talented, deeply and importantly talented?"
Paul: "No. Amusingly and superficially talented, yes. But deeply and importantly, no."
Breakfast at Tiffany's
I got a check in the mail today. Not a big one, but it had my name on it and when I saw it among the stack of bills and various junk, I smiled.
Which got me thinking. (Because I can't ever just be happy. I need to Life As I Know Ithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09492465378321819342noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2356686073812715715.post-44335493900740657032011-06-16T12:59:00.000-04:002011-06-16T12:59:12.536-04:00Winner Winner Chicken DinnerWinner of last week's book giveaway is... Green Girl in Wisconsin!
Send me your address, GG, and I'll get Girl in Translation in the snail mail to you.
Happy Summer Reading.Life As I Know Ithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09492465378321819342noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2356686073812715715.post-2775262281791176462011-06-06T09:16:00.000-04:002011-06-06T09:16:04.942-04:00Book GiveawayI haven't decided whether I'm coming or going on this little space. I think I'm mostly going, but while I decide, I have books to give away! Before I donate them to my local library, I thought I'd throw them out to my friendly Internets first.
First up is Jean Kwok's, Girl in Translation. You can read my review here. Go ahead and click over. You'll never guess who not only read my review, but Life As I Know Ithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09492465378321819342noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2356686073812715715.post-70174421188776218632011-04-25T09:11:00.001-04:002011-04-25T09:13:50.101-04:00Vacation All I Ever WantedHere's the thing about going on vacation - you don't know how much you needed it, craved it, until you're there. Until your feet sink into the hot sand and your skin soaks up the rays of Vitamin D and your children's squeals of beachy happiness fill your head. You don't realize just how far down you've been until you feel the wind whipping through your hair as you four wheel down a beach in a Life As I Know Ithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09492465378321819342noreply@blogger.com20tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2356686073812715715.post-79415180328114826162011-04-11T10:07:00.000-04:002011-04-11T10:07:10.531-04:00Four Wheelin'There is a signature in my high school yearbook, written by a friend I grew up with, that has stuck with me over the years. Two decades since graduation and I still remember the words he wrote next to my senior picture.
It began as the usual 'great knowing you, you're a great friend, good luck next year' blather, but then morphed into this: "...I believe that one day you'll meet that great guyLife As I Know Ithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09492465378321819342noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2356686073812715715.post-83132649183228295152011-04-05T21:18:00.002-04:002011-04-06T16:11:55.593-04:00Date NightYou know when you and your spouse go out on your quarterly date night and end up at a pool hall in a town you'd otherwise never step foot in? The last time you played pool was in a smoky hole-in-the-wall college town bar somewhere in your 20s. But there you are, chalking up your pool stick in your Anne Taylor cardigan while gulping the pint of Harpoon freshly poured from the pitcher the under-ageLife As I Know Ithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09492465378321819342noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2356686073812715715.post-74242695569000432052011-04-04T13:11:00.000-04:002011-04-04T13:11:57.857-04:00Anyone Hiring?A long time ago, in another lifetime, I wrote resumes for job seekers. It's always more difficult to write your own, but I think I covered most of my current responsibilities here. If only the job market were better, I'd be in high demand. I'm sure of it.
March 2005-Present
Enterprise CEO Created and delivered two children
Deliverables were on time and under budget
Manage enterpriseLife As I Know Ithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09492465378321819342noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2356686073812715715.post-78791405754772168822011-03-28T08:56:00.000-04:002011-03-28T08:56:31.643-04:00Inside BloomsWhen it still looks like this outside
can you see me?
we focus on the spring happening inside
Life As I Know Ithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09492465378321819342noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2356686073812715715.post-57936410604513360382011-03-22T13:15:00.000-04:002011-03-22T13:15:43.758-04:00Regurgitated Backyard ScienceLiving in Boy Town, I have learned to accept some inevitable truths. Well, mostly one inevitable truth, which is that my children generally gravitate towards things that would turn the stomachs of most adults. The higher the gross factor, the better.
So over time, I have come to expect the unidentified goo on the kitchen table, the day old food remnants stuck in their chairs, the dirty, stinky Life As I Know Ithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09492465378321819342noreply@blogger.com25tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2356686073812715715.post-72047387633621659462011-03-18T07:07:00.000-04:002011-03-18T07:07:34.533-04:00Shortcut“Gimme a light?” she asked her friend as she opened the pack of Camels.
They leaned against the railing of the motel balcony outside of their room. The summer air was heavy and still, the boardwalk below deserted at this hour.
“What'd we make tonight?” her friend asked.
Casey unrolled the wad of cash and counted.
“Just short of a grand. Not bad,” she said.
“Not bad if it was ours,” her friend Life As I Know Ithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09492465378321819342noreply@blogger.com22tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2356686073812715715.post-1114013254153937882011-03-15T08:31:00.000-04:002011-03-15T08:31:49.865-04:00Report Card DayWhen the Third Grader got into the car yesterday after school, he reminded me that it was report card day.
How did you do? I asked.
I did great in gym!
I have so much to say about him, his school and social experiences, but I find myself censoring what I put out there these days. He's getting older and, understandably, I need to respect his privacy.
But I will say this, he DID do great in gym.Life As I Know Ithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09492465378321819342noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2356686073812715715.post-18156415352862002442011-03-14T10:28:00.000-04:002011-03-14T10:28:58.483-04:00Picture Book GiveawayDo you love children's books as much as I do?
Enter to win Kristi Yamaguchi's new picture book, Dream Big Little Pig! over on my review page.Life As I Know Ithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09492465378321819342noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2356686073812715715.post-35627319283349955642011-03-11T10:34:00.000-05:002011-03-11T10:34:23.310-05:00Don't Forget the Belly RubThe dog is going on a mini-retreat this weekend. She's had a long, cold winter and needs a getaway. Who doesn't? She'll be spending several days irritating her elderly cousin, who is way past the playful puppy stage and wants very little to do with her. While she gets into down-dog play mode, he rolls his eyes and goes back to sleep. Though, secretly I think he likes it; we all need bouncy energyLife As I Know Ithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09492465378321819342noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2356686073812715715.post-24676200213509565222011-03-07T11:52:00.000-05:002011-03-07T11:52:16.951-05:00Saving the Landfills, One Puppet at a TimeMy five year old bounded off the school bus with an uncharacteristic spring in his step last week. Usually, he slumps down the steps, hands me his backpack and complains about all the work he did in the 2.5 hours of half day Kindergarten. So when he got off the bus on Friday with a smile and a skip, I knew something special had happened.
His class had a presentation from a local artist who uses Life As I Know Ithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09492465378321819342noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2356686073812715715.post-52595137949760047642011-03-01T13:23:00.000-05:002011-03-01T13:23:21.899-05:00How Does Your Garden Grow?According to the gardening calendar hanging on my wall, I should start looking for signs of early bulbs this week.
I don't think the calendar knows that there is still three feet of snow on top of the slumbering daffodils in my backyard.
Still, the mountains of snow will eventually melt, the tulips and crocuses will find their way through the dark soil, and spring gardening - perennial and Life As I Know Ithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09492465378321819342noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2356686073812715715.post-58984490900123454042011-02-23T08:47:00.000-05:002011-02-23T08:47:19.393-05:00Shoes in the AtticYou hear the stories from time to time. Stories where new homeowners, while gutting a kitchen or opening a wall or digging in the backyard, find treasure. Maybe wads of forgotten cash. Maybe a diamond ring with a long history. Maybe diaries or war time love letters. These things happen.
Do you know what we found last week in the crevices of our not-so-old 40 year old house?
Oh, it's a treasureLife As I Know Ithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09492465378321819342noreply@blogger.com22tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2356686073812715715.post-89718440076353863092011-02-18T08:01:00.000-05:002011-02-18T08:01:00.195-05:00Good Will“Toss it,” he says.
“Maybe,” I tell him.
My husband and I are in the middle of our yearly closet purge. While he effortlessly tosses old shirts into the Goodwill bag, I’m stuck in a time warp.
I have found my old denim jacket: vintage 1987 - beautifully faded, flannel lined and smelling faintly of youth.
I take it off the wire hanger and I’m lost in its history.
I am sixteen. My hair Life As I Know Ithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09492465378321819342noreply@blogger.com26tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2356686073812715715.post-53269395681810151272011-02-15T13:26:00.001-05:002011-02-15T13:27:00.016-05:00DupedYesterday the Five Year Old came home from school with a one hundred dollar bill. A giant, photocopied one hundred dollar bill.
Which he insisted was real.
And which his older brother insisted was not, in fact, real at all.
Which caused The Five Year old to cry.
Because the Five Year Old wanted to buy an xbox with his giant one hundred dollar bill.
Which his older brother told him he Life As I Know Ithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09492465378321819342noreply@blogger.com19tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2356686073812715715.post-2104617160220915812011-02-14T10:56:00.008-05:002011-02-14T11:32:06.893-05:00Domestically Romantic
After 11 years of marriage, he knows the way to my heart.
What this post-it note doesn't tell you is that before leaving for work at the ungodly hour of 5:30 this morning, the house still dark and slumbering, he brewed himself a pot of coffee, cleaned the carafe, and got another one ready for me.
Swoon.Life As I Know Ithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09492465378321819342noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2356686073812715715.post-38804455761536820722011-02-10T22:23:00.001-05:002011-02-10T22:23:49.662-05:00Stuck (and a Bunch of Books I've Read)I'm stuck. February stuck.
I can't move forward with any new projects. I can't write anything resembling... I can't finish sentences. I can't walk the dog or get out of the car at the bus stop. I just can't. It's too damn cold (good god, how many blog posts can one person spend complaining about the weather? many, apparently).
I'm in my usual February funk. The funk that forces me into my Life As I Know Ithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09492465378321819342noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2356686073812715715.post-18694507740453533592011-02-08T09:20:00.000-05:002011-02-08T09:20:58.985-05:00If My Kids Don't Go to College I'm Blaming Milton Bradley
My husband and I believe that college, or some sort of post-secondary school education, is important. So important, that we have been saving for our kids' college education since they were born. Money is automatically deposited into their funds every month, discussions are had every so often about higher learning and career choices. It's our plan, our hope, that our kids study something, Life As I Know Ithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09492465378321819342noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2356686073812715715.post-49207520551530654812011-02-02T21:38:00.000-05:002011-02-02T21:38:04.879-05:00Turning it AroundI'm not going to lie, it's been a tough stretch of wintry weather so far. Today is snow day number five. Or ten. I can't remember. These strings of constant storms are not only blocking my memory, but also, quite literally, my view of the world.
Oh, spring will arrive. It always does. It's just that some days the eternal hope of sunshine feels more finite than eternal. Like today. And Life As I Know Ithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09492465378321819342noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2356686073812715715.post-64255436374027247592011-01-21T08:46:00.000-05:002011-01-21T08:46:37.862-05:00One Snow Day Too Many
Another snow day; another day I wish I lived south of the Mason Dixon line - even if Yankees aren't welcome there. I don't care, at least I'd be warm, and able to leave my house without an ice pick and a bag of salt.
We've had an unusually high number of snow days this year. Maybe I'm being nostalgic in a 'we were tougher in my day' kind of way, but I don't recall as many weather related Life As I Know Ithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09492465378321819342noreply@blogger.com24tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2356686073812715715.post-47145014895896703632011-01-17T06:00:00.002-05:002011-01-17T20:55:38.686-05:00I Think They're On To Something (teachers, that is)Somehow I got roped in to making spring hats for my son's Kindergarten class. Where roped in means I raised my hand when his teacher asked for volunteers. I didn't even balk, as I usually do when asked to spare some of my time. With a mind of its own, my hand shot up into the air. It didn't even ask me first.
So even though it was more like a fluke response on the part of my spastic hand, here ILife As I Know Ithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09492465378321819342noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2356686073812715715.post-58265676082638739492011-01-13T08:38:00.013-05:002011-01-13T08:51:43.972-05:00Seeking My Summer"In the depth of winter, I finally learned that within me there lay an invincible summer." --Albert Camus
the path to our front door
I'm searching for my inner summer, but everywhere I look I find winter.Life As I Know Ithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09492465378321819342noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2356686073812715715.post-60752163554514932112011-01-12T06:00:00.048-05:002011-01-12T08:02:57.936-05:00The Snack HabitI have a problem. I am a compulsive snacker. The winter months are the most difficult, and the hours between 3pm and 5pm are my prime binge-snacking time. I usually reach for something salty. Or sweet. Or both - cheese and crackers, a handful of chocolate chips, cinnamon toast or even dry cereal. It's not pretty.
I've tried to curb the mindless snacking compulsion, but I just don't think it's Life As I Know Ithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09492465378321819342noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2356686073812715715.post-15316429440181345252011-01-10T09:19:00.001-05:002011-01-10T20:19:05.641-05:00The Entitlement GenerationMy kids are at the age where each week our mailbox contains at least one birthday party invitation. It's not that they are particularly popular. It's just that they are in the age group where the current trend is to have big invite-the-whole-class parties at expensive outsourced venues. (I'm no exception. My son just had a laser tag party with 13 of his closest friends. Guilty as charged).
But Life As I Know Ithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09492465378321819342noreply@blogger.com21tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2356686073812715715.post-41557269807171746562011-01-06T08:47:00.000-05:002011-01-06T08:47:15.028-05:00Art and the ArtistI finished a book last night.
This is not a remarkably profound statement for me to make. I read just about every night after the kids are tucked in and the dishes are done. And even when I turned the last page of this particular novel last night, I had no noteworthy thoughts other than 'that was pretty good'. It served its purpose - it drowned out all the day to day thoughts bobbing around in Life As I Know Ithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09492465378321819342noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2356686073812715715.post-2979000277655449832011-01-03T10:17:00.000-05:002011-01-03T10:17:59.442-05:00Weeding My GardenI'm not one to make resolutions when the ball drops. When the clock strikes midnight I'm more likely to be sharpening my guitar hero skills than working on my new year's vows. Resolutions seem contrived to me, and most of them are made under the influence, which makes their success rate even more dismal. The truth is, like everyone else, I'm probably not going to get up any earlier or exercise Life As I Know Ithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09492465378321819342noreply@blogger.com20tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2356686073812715715.post-33286153753356989262010-12-21T08:37:00.001-05:002010-12-21T08:42:39.845-05:00Breakfast at the PopsI know, I know, I've been away from the old blog for awhile. And worse, I hate when bloggers start a post by explaining an absence.
I actually have no explanation other than the obvious short and not so sweet one, which is this:
It's winter. It's dark. It's cold. I'm grumpy.
My winter-berried window boxes aren't making me smile anymore. The holiday cards in my inbox are outnumbering the ones Life As I Know Ithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09492465378321819342noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2356686073812715715.post-40761760554402262362010-12-14T13:20:00.002-05:002010-12-14T17:33:13.991-05:00And Now He Is NineThe Third Grader turned nine yesterday. Nine! Nine seems just inches away from Ten. And I can't begin to think about my first born in double digits. Not yet.
Where did the time go? I swear, the last time I checked he was five and getting on the school bus for the first time.
I can't say I wasn't warned by other seasoned mothers about this blink of an eye phenomenon. I just didn't think it wouldLife As I Know Ithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09492465378321819342noreply@blogger.com21tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2356686073812715715.post-21638675485140096802010-12-08T13:23:00.000-05:002010-12-08T13:23:40.004-05:00Just Call Me MarthaI may be feeling grumpy about holiday cards, but I did manage to muster up enough yuletide jolly to adorn my window boxes with nature's bling.
The best part? I didn't have to run to any stores or spend any money or check anything off a list.
All I needed was a willing husband to tromp through the woods for winter berry, and greens from pine trees, which are right out my back door. Life As I Know Ithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09492465378321819342noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2356686073812715715.post-72127010055791885942010-12-06T21:44:00.002-05:002010-12-06T22:35:29.372-05:00The Demise of the Holiday Card (and why it might be okay)I received my first holiday card today. Via email.
I suppose that ecards are the next logical step in the current trend to remove anything personal from the yuletide season.
Was that too cynical?
It's just that I've noticed a slow but steady decline in the quality of the once anticipated holiday card over the last few years. Not only are more emailed cards showing up, but, no matter their Life As I Know Ithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09492465378321819342noreply@blogger.com22tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2356686073812715715.post-44327781431606031052010-11-30T17:07:00.000-05:002010-11-30T17:07:51.381-05:00Because We Deserve the Very BreastI was officially initiated into the club, so the technician told me.
I got my first mammogram this morning.
My husband thinks it sounds like something one would receive upon delivery. Like a telegram. Or a candygram. Only instead of a land shark at your door, there is a vice grip at your chest.
(did I just date myself with that old SNL reference?)
Actually, the procedure wasn't as terrible Life As I Know Ithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09492465378321819342noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2356686073812715715.post-49085722691377930232010-11-29T08:55:00.001-05:002010-11-29T09:23:36.319-05:00Screen Time (or How I Became a Hypocrite)When my oldest was in Kindergarten, I was amazed at how many of his five year old friends were immersed in technology already, and not the good kind. Many had their own DS or other hand held gaming system. Some had a television in their room. Almost all had an Xbox or PlayStation and, more often than not, unlimited screen time.
We, at the time, had nothing but an analog TV tuned to PBS and a Life As I Know Ithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09492465378321819342noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2356686073812715715.post-42979833717011410332010-11-22T20:14:00.000-05:002010-11-22T20:14:48.502-05:00An Evening of Inspiration. And Wine.I had the pleasure of attending the Boston Parent Bloggers launch party last week. While mingling and small talking aren't usually my thing (because staying tucked anonymously behind my screen is so much easier), I had a great time. It was a wonderful event filled with talent, ambition and chardonnay. I came home laden not only with loot from various sponsors, but also with copious amounts of Life As I Know Ithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09492465378321819342noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2356686073812715715.post-52480776862409764252010-11-17T09:26:00.002-05:002010-11-17T14:23:50.104-05:00Goodbye Cupcake. Hello Pie.
Everywhere I look I see signs that the cupcake fad is finally fading. I'm glad. I've never been much of a cupcake fan. And the whole thing, the whole sugar-laden cupcake thing, was a little over the top. My God, there were (are!) bakeries devoted entirely to the cupcake. How is it even possible to turn a profit with such a narrow confectionery niche? Obviously, it's all about marketing.
Like Life As I Know Ithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09492465378321819342noreply@blogger.com22tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2356686073812715715.post-86096197960004613972010-11-11T06:00:00.012-05:002010-11-11T06:00:10.647-05:00Making Mama ProudI visited my son's Kindergarten classroom last night. It was one of those Back to School Night Come See All The Things Your Child Has Been Doing kind of nights. Something the teacher does to make the parents happy, I suspect.
One of the things Kindergarten students do these days is journal writing. Yes, they do. During Writer's Workshop. Followed by word problem solving in their math journals Life As I Know Ithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09492465378321819342noreply@blogger.com19tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2356686073812715715.post-14834024527071967982010-11-10T06:00:00.001-05:002010-11-10T06:00:05.690-05:00Living Off The Land. Or Not.The last of the garden haul was harvested this weekend.
I think it's safe to say that we would not survive a New England winter living off our own land.
But we do get more than our daily requirement of beta carotene. So there's that.Life As I Know Ithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09492465378321819342noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2356686073812715715.post-56793970439795397892010-11-08T09:47:00.000-05:002010-11-08T09:47:03.695-05:00Sixteen: It Ain't That SweetLast week Twitter was twittering about tweeting your sixteen year old self. Which I did. But I had more than 140 characters worth of wisdom to pass along to my former self.
Dear Sixteen Year Old Self,
Things get better. They do. You might not believe it right now, but they do.
That senior you want to date because he has a car and can drive you to school? Take. The. Bus. Otherwise, you willLife As I Know Ithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09492465378321819342noreply@blogger.com19tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2356686073812715715.post-82580552498279982472010-11-04T15:30:00.000-04:002010-11-04T15:30:48.288-04:00Goodbye Jack and AnnieWe did it. I didn't think we would, but we did.
We turned the last page of the last Magic Tree House book today. Over the past year, my five year old and I have read the entire series. Start to finish; book one to forty-three. In order, per his insistence. Jack and Annie have taken us from the land of the dinosaurs all the way to the leprechauns of Ireland. We've braved erupting volcanoes, Life As I Know Ithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09492465378321819342noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2356686073812715715.post-78885271376858908692010-11-03T09:50:00.000-04:002010-11-03T09:50:36.841-04:00What Next?Every weekday morning I walk the dog around our wooded suburban neighborhood, about a mile loop. The streets are quiet at 9am. There is the occasional chipmunk and the yappy terrier in the invisible fenced yard that startle the dog, but mostly it is quiet. Mostly, it is just me, the dog, and the thoughts in my head.
This walk, which begins as a necessary part of my morning - the dog has to go,Life As I Know Ithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09492465378321819342noreply@blogger.com26tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2356686073812715715.post-55214609611602615742010-11-01T12:44:00.001-04:002010-11-01T14:45:45.192-04:00Ticks Don't Eat Salad DressingBy far, the most common search phrase that brings visitors to my blog is something along the lines of: when is tick season in new england?
Which lands them on this post, which, oddly, is the second link that comes up on the 'New England tick' google search.
Apparently, there are a lot of folks with a lot of ticks in their Northeastern backyards.
I feel kind of bad because the post I wrote Life As I Know Ithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09492465378321819342noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2356686073812715715.post-72914339220092552622010-10-25T13:26:00.000-04:002010-10-25T13:26:31.723-04:00Enough With The 80s NostalgiaShortly after my rant on skinny jeans and the 40 year old mother, I found these while perusing the Internet (I was looking for new boot cuts, by the way):
Stirrups? Really?
Please, 1985, go back from whence you came.
I really don't want to have to bust out the old cans of aquanet again for you. Once was enough.Life As I Know Ithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09492465378321819342noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2356686073812715715.post-35592363012756590422010-10-21T15:32:00.000-04:002010-10-21T15:32:57.080-04:00Chick Peas Just For MeThe boys here in Boy Town are serious carnivores. Particularly the Third Grader, who can consume a pound of bacon while pouring over the Sunday morning comics. Because I want my boys to EAT (what mother doesn't find joy in that?), I usually cater to their carnivorous ways. Dinners around here almost always center around a meat. Usually something from a pig.
There's only one problem. Me.
I Life As I Know Ithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09492465378321819342noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2356686073812715715.post-31028537664530589142010-10-20T06:00:00.002-04:002010-10-20T10:01:20.629-04:00If Only I Could Teach Her To Clean Up After Herself
I'm not sure who has more toys, the kids or the dog.Life As I Know Ithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09492465378321819342noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2356686073812715715.post-44039715441932876862010-10-18T14:33:00.000-04:002010-10-18T14:33:53.479-04:00The Divinely Gourd-geous GardenSometime last July we noticed that the vines creeping around our small garden were not the pumpkins we had planted. These thick, green vines were growing from the middle of the garden, nowhere near where we had buried the giant pumpkin seeds a few months earlier.
All summer they grew. And grew. And grew.
And we watched. And waited. And watched some more.
By the middle of August there were 50 Life As I Know Ithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09492465378321819342noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2356686073812715715.post-58004848335949931372010-10-15T09:33:00.001-04:002010-10-15T13:52:24.206-04:00Baby It's Cold InsideIt was 57 degrees this morning. In the house.
We are a frugal couple, my husband and I.
We recycle our cans and bottles for the .05 return (okay, actually I'm the only one who does this).
We re-use aluminum foil and plastic baggies (actually, he's the only one who does this).
We make our own cheese (no. no, we don't. I threw it in because it sounds über frugal. and fun.).
And we wait as Life As I Know Ithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09492465378321819342noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2356686073812715715.post-73789770537679923472010-10-13T14:05:00.003-04:002010-10-14T08:44:05.422-04:00Skinny Jeans: They're Not Meant for You and MeI am not a slave to fashion. But I do follow one rule. Which is this: once you have experienced a fashion trend, you should not experience it a second time, no matter how cleverly repackaged it may be.
When The Gap started selling tapered jeans again, slyly marketed as 'skinny jeans', I had a scary time-warpy dream where I was trapped in an acid-wash jeans sweat shop while the kids from FameLife As I Know Ithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09492465378321819342noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2356686073812715715.post-37631804014919308312010-10-05T11:27:00.000-04:002010-10-05T11:27:40.482-04:00Daydream BelieverThe Third Grader is having a difficult time staying on task at school this year. His mind wanders, he says.
So much so that phone conversations with the teacher have been had (and it's only October!).
She confirmed that, yes, he tends to prefer daydreaming to essay writing.
She is a good teacher. She talks to him, she asks him what's going on. Last week, she told me, their conversation Life As I Know Ithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09492465378321819342noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2356686073812715715.post-39474192858428063012010-10-01T09:34:00.000-04:002010-10-01T09:34:30.328-04:00The Little ThingsSometimes, on a wet, windy day, at the end of a long, trying week, all you need is an unexpected purple scarf to show up in your mailbox to make everything alright again.
Thank you scarf knitter.Life As I Know Ithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09492465378321819342noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2356686073812715715.post-27669183394350613122010-09-27T09:24:00.000-04:002010-09-27T09:24:10.774-04:00Music To My EarsIs there any sweeter a sound than listening to your Third Grader on the phone with a newly-made school chum as they plan a big kid play date? You listen as they discuss times and places and who will drop off and who will pick up. Just as they are finalizing details and wrapping things up (boys, even 8 year old ones, do not linger on the phone) you hear your Third Grader say, "...and bring your Life As I Know Ithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09492465378321819342noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2356686073812715715.post-66419251354052185392010-09-23T09:56:00.001-04:002010-09-23T10:09:41.307-04:00Damn You, HGTVWell, I didn't win HGTV's $75,000 Fall Fix Up Sweepstakes this month.
Which means I'm stuck with my 1970s pine cabinets for awhile longer. Woe is me.
I have nothing against the 70s. I was born in the 70s. I had a pet rock and watched The Gong Show and learned The Hustle in gym class. My mother made me terry cloth rompers and we broke out the fancy fondue set for birthdays.
It was a Life As I Know Ithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09492465378321819342noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2356686073812715715.post-36364223316404956692010-09-21T09:58:00.002-04:002010-09-21T11:25:27.629-04:00Coping MechanismsIt's started, friends...the downward spiral to winter. Yes, I realize it is only September, but September in New England is a lot different than, say, September in Virginia (I know, I used to live there).
This morning, at a dismal 42 degrees, marked the First Day of Fleece. A momentous day because once the fleece has been released from the closet, there's no turning back. Boots, mittens, Life As I Know Ithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09492465378321819342noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2356686073812715715.post-69730756426084982992010-09-16T08:52:00.001-04:002010-09-16T09:16:39.237-04:00The Price of FameLook where I was yesterday:
p
Can't see it?
Here's a close up of my name in lights on the Boston.com homepage:
I KNOW!
I almost choked on my full fat Trader Joe's cheese doodles when I saw my stat counter reach the 1000 pageviews mark by mid-afternoon.
And I KNOW I've made it big because I received comments calling me names like 'moron' and 'idiot'. I guess there are some Boston Life As I Know Ithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09492465378321819342noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2356686073812715715.post-5330203109986330012010-09-15T11:01:00.000-04:002010-09-15T11:01:40.165-04:00How Trader Joe's is Making Me FatDo you have a Trader Joe's near you? You know, that friendly neighborhood store where the employees wear cutesy Hawaiian shirts and act all helpful and friendly?
Their no-frills marketing ads lure you in with promises of their products being All Natural! with No Preservatives! and No Artificial Ingredients!
Don't let them fool you, my friends.
Just because the shelves are stocked with Life As I Know Ithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09492465378321819342noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2356686073812715715.post-27078092928541083012010-09-13T07:00:00.001-04:002010-09-13T07:00:14.573-04:00Summer SummarizedRemember The List?
That long piece of paper filled with To-Do items for the summer? You know, the one that masqueraded as a creative lesson in brainstorming and goal setting, but was really just the result of the panic I felt at the thought of two whole months of unstructured time with my kids?
Yeah, that one.
Well, here's how how we did on The Great Summer List of 2010:
Try Archery: The Life As I Know Ithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09492465378321819342noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2356686073812715715.post-17173234965764367962010-09-09T17:30:00.000-04:002010-09-09T17:30:12.530-04:00Big Problems, Little ProblemsThe Kindergartner got the teacher I didn't want him to get. She is a good teacher, but not the right teacher for The Kindergartner. She runs a tight ship. I'll leave it at that.
There have been a few complaints from The Kindergartner this week. It will take some time to adjust to a new routine, I know this. But hearing my optimistic, go-lucky five year old's voice waver as he recounts partLife As I Know Ithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09492465378321819342noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2356686073812715715.post-74301907183159780162010-09-08T10:45:00.000-04:002010-09-08T10:45:03.597-04:00Slowing It DownThe Second Grader is now the Third Grader. The Five Year Old is now the Kindergartner.
Let's just say, it has been a definite week of transitions. For everyone.
I find the first few weeks of the school year exhausting. The kids, after the adrenaline high has faded and the new shoes have been scuffed, are cranky. There are new teachers to get to know, new kids to sit next to, a new lunch Life As I Know Ithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09492465378321819342noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2356686073812715715.post-40030161026777084462010-08-30T15:19:00.000-04:002010-08-30T15:19:18.598-04:00BrunchIt tiptoes between breakfast and lunch, morning and afternoon. It bends and twists into almost anything we ask it to be.
It is lazy and slow, decadent and rich.
It is tomato quiche. It is baked french toast drizzled with maple syrup. It is blackberries and blueberries and raspberries in a chipped ceramic bowl. It is muffins and bagels and orange marmalade. It is strong coffee in a carafe Life As I Know Ithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09492465378321819342noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2356686073812715715.post-51216214778512166362010-08-17T10:34:00.000-04:002010-08-17T10:34:14.938-04:00BlockedYou know when you sit down at your keyboard on a Tuesday afternoon and effortlessly type the words that are free flowing from your ever-creative brain? Just you and your lap top. No agenda. No expectations. No destination. Just beautiful thoughts streaming real-time from your head through your hands and onto the flickering screen in front of you. Magic. Muse. Whatever. It's there and Life As I Know Ithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09492465378321819342noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2356686073812715715.post-35753981902436969122010-08-10T22:55:00.000-04:002010-08-10T22:55:31.427-04:00Sitting StillThe room is silent. The beautiful Berkshire mountains are laid out in front of me. The people around me are reading self-help books or catching a few afternoon Zs. And me? I am still glistening, in a sweaty kind of way, from noontime vinyasa.
I'm back at Kripalu. This time by myself (and on their dime! for a photo shoot! this blogging gig does have its unexpected benefits).
Have you ever Life As I Know Ithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09492465378321819342noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2356686073812715715.post-40537820658945591272010-08-04T16:31:00.001-04:002010-08-04T16:34:52.289-04:00You Never Can TellBack when we were young, hip city dwellers, my husband and I were riding the subway home late one night. It was a sub-zero wintry kind of Boston night and we took our seats quickly, happy to be out of the cold, and into the warm subway car.
It was only after I uncoiled my scarf from around my neck did I notice the man sitting across from us. He was maybe in his late 20s, and was wearing a Life As I Know Ithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09492465378321819342noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2356686073812715715.post-45284893071647850462010-07-30T09:22:00.000-04:002010-07-30T09:22:16.838-04:00Part Of The PlotDo you remember my Story Teller?
I knocked on her door a few months ago when I drove through my old neighborhood. I hadn't been back in over 15 years, but the street and the houses looked just as I remembered them. We were on our way to a wedding, my husband and I, when I suddenly had an urge to make a detour through the small town I grew up in. As we drove down my old street and past my Life As I Know Ithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09492465378321819342noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2356686073812715715.post-73274301994847713312010-07-26T16:21:00.001-04:002010-09-24T11:35:51.223-04:00Suburban GraffitiYou know that you are slip-sliding out of control through the bottomless pit of the summer boredom abyss when you start making your own paint.
Yes, paint.
We all have our breaking points, and mine came last week, at the end of an activity-free week. Poor summer planning on my part, but, honestly?, it's exhausting fulfilling the role of summer recreational director in Boy Town. And the pay Life As I Know Ithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09492465378321819342noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2356686073812715715.post-19870422930477265032010-07-22T10:15:00.001-04:002010-07-22T16:58:08.671-04:00Yep, I Make Them Do Homework During Summer VacationThe summer between my third and fourth grade years, I managed to forget my multiplication tables. All of them. An entire grade of math vanished in the span of two sun drenched months. My mind was wiped clean, or maybe water logged from too many somersaults in the lake that summer.
I was a walking, talking poster child for the case against Summer Vacation. Despite plowing through everything Life As I Know Ithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09492465378321819342noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2356686073812715715.post-39865431975953124192010-06-16T10:26:00.002-04:002011-03-07T11:19:35.942-05:00Keeping the 70s Alive, One Toilet at a TimeRemember when I put Greenie up for adoption?
Unfortunately, there were no takers on this classic piece from the 70s. I guess avocado green just isn't in high demand anymore.
We couldn't bear the thought of smashing Greenie to bits and throwing him out to the curb where he would eventually spend the rest of his life, and ours, in a landfill.
So.
I'm happy to report that Greenie has Life As I Know Ithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09492465378321819342noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2356686073812715715.post-28131627681315473702010-06-14T16:38:00.000-04:002010-06-14T16:38:10.766-04:00The ListSummer vacation officially begins in seven days. I love summer, I do. I love the hot sun. I love fresh berries and farmer's markets. I love beach days. I love the fact that we can get out the door without the added time delay of coats and mittens. I even love the sound of the ice cream truck.
What I don't always love is the task of keeping two boys occupied for two months.
And since weLife As I Know Ithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09492465378321819342noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2356686073812715715.post-76039284756305400702010-06-02T12:41:00.000-04:002010-06-02T12:41:09.944-04:00In Bloom (mostly)
dear birds, please don't eat our blueberriesLife As I Know Ithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09492465378321819342noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2356686073812715715.post-13682020562409189732010-05-26T14:10:00.000-04:002010-05-26T14:10:22.961-04:00A Question Of Faith For The Second GraderThe Second Grader lost another tooth last week. At age 8, he's a tooth-losing veteran, wiggly teeth no longer make him giddy with excitement. Still, it was the first thing he told me when he bounded off the school bus. At this age anything involving blood is news worthy.
I lost a tooth! At lunch! It was bloody! I got to go to the nurse!
But as he was preparing to put his tooth under his Life As I Know Ithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09492465378321819342noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2356686073812715715.post-57325955120459930462010-05-20T21:23:00.002-04:002010-05-20T21:29:11.490-04:00Meeting BillI don't know whether it truly keeps happening or whether I'm more open to it, this crossing paths with people-I-need-to-cross-paths-with thing.
Today I met Bill.
I instantly liked Bill. He's that kind of person. He's the kind of person who has a story to tell. He's the kind of person who wants to hear yours.
Bill tells you the unedited version of what is on his mind, in the way that only a 70Life As I Know Ithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09492465378321819342noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2356686073812715715.post-32378614605870290202010-05-18T17:36:00.000-04:002010-05-18T17:36:45.504-04:00Topless At The Breakfast TableThis morning, after drizzling syrup onto his stack of flapjacks, The Second Grader got a googly, starry-eyed kind of look in his eyes as he placed the full bodied bottle back on the table.
Look, Mom!, he bubbled, she just lost her shirt!
Oh, Mrs. Butterworth, why must you taunt my son, so? Life As I Know Ithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09492465378321819342noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2356686073812715715.post-60227766580074062202010-05-17T10:40:00.000-04:002010-05-17T10:40:09.932-04:00Into The WoodsI was here over the weekend
to get here you have to drive down this
and once you drive down that you do things like this
and this
and some of this (if you're a dog, that is)
and then, just as you are beginning to relax, just as you are becoming one with the fire pit smoke that lingers in your hair and clothes, just as you are successfully building up your beer drinking tolerance with Life As I Know Ithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09492465378321819342noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2356686073812715715.post-40006048867642993112010-05-12T21:00:00.007-04:002010-05-12T21:02:51.774-04:00Riding The Serendipitous Wave
While sipping my usual cup of dark roast from my usual ceramic mug, I logged into my Yahoo account this morning, as I usually do. Stuck in routine, I am. The usual junk was there, Lands End sale, the DailyOM, Eddie Bauer FREE SHIPPING!. There were a few emails from friends, one from my mom, and one from a woman I don't know very well, who, in fact, I haven't been in touch with for over a year.Life As I Know Ithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09492465378321819342noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2356686073812715715.post-548835409147685262010-05-11T12:32:00.001-04:002010-05-11T12:34:13.039-04:00Spring KneesLife As I Know Ithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09492465378321819342noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2356686073812715715.post-27358023060134466062010-05-10T12:00:00.010-04:002010-05-10T12:23:54.577-04:00The Eight Year Old Brain
Every morning, for the last 155 school days, The Second Grader has walked out of the house without his backpack.
And every morning, for the last 155 days, I have said, Second Grader, have you forgotten something?.
And the Second Grader has looked at me, every morning, with his blank eight year old stare until the flicker of realization hits him and he says, oh yeah, and he runs back inside Life As I Know Ithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09492465378321819342noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2356686073812715715.post-43082948017186407632010-05-07T11:12:00.008-04:002010-05-07T12:42:17.400-04:00Two YearsI have been slogging through the week, not quite right and not quite sure why. The unease has caught me off guard, knocked me down from my comfortable stoic resting space. Today, finally, my brain aligned itself with my body and whispered in my ear.May.Two years ago this week the heart stopped beating.I'll be back next week, witty and cynical with maybe a little funny.comments closedLife As I Know Ithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09492465378321819342noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2356686073812715715.post-36404136867490788252010-05-05T10:05:00.003-04:002010-07-23T08:57:03.021-04:00Oh, Rosie Come Out TonightIt's been a busy few weeks, what with tending to the needs of my third child.
It's a good thing she's cute.
The Second Grader and I picked up our little Rosie* a few weekends ago at a rest stop in New Hampshire. It felt a little James Bondish mission-y, waiting for the unmarked van to arrive with our pups in tow. You see, we had to cross state lines to pick up our puppy. Had the rescue group Life As I Know Ithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09492465378321819342noreply@blogger.com20tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2356686073812715715.post-2672069668613563222010-04-23T08:19:00.006-04:002010-04-23T08:35:47.949-04:00Well. No One Talked Me Out Of ItRemember when I was delirious from days of quarantine in the sick house?And how in my desperate and confused state I filled out an adoption form for a rescue dog? And how not a single one of you tried to talk me out it?Yeah, well, I'm picking up my baby girl tomorrow morning at a rest stop in New Hampshire.The boys?They are ridiculously excited.And already creating unrealistic expectations for Life As I Know Ithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09492465378321819342noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2356686073812715715.post-10116432733165463332010-04-16T09:19:00.003-04:002010-04-16T19:56:38.007-04:00The Story TellerI am five years old. I am waiting as patiently as I can, chewing anxiously on the ends of my long blond braids that hang over my shoulders.The house is quiet. Today is not a nursery school day and I have nothing to do. My brother and sisters are at school. Even if they were home, there are too many years between us for them to be playmates. They lock themselves in their rooms, they talk on Life As I Know Ithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09492465378321819342noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2356686073812715715.post-73538817867086596642010-04-13T06:00:00.001-04:002010-04-13T06:00:05.438-04:00Trowels, Ticks and TurnipsThe calendar finally says April.And while many folks around the country are unpacking their flip flops and mixing margaritas in the blender, we good, hearty people of New England are spending these first few weeks of spring waiting around for the next frost while we slop around in our knee-high L.L. Bean muck boots.April in the suburban woods of New England does not evoke lovely sunshiny tulip Life As I Know Ithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09492465378321819342noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2356686073812715715.post-83428508275973656572010-04-10T12:00:00.002-04:002010-04-10T14:20:28.920-04:00It's All In The CakeLast week The Four Year Old became The Five Year Old. And while I have no doubt that I will be a weepy mess next fall when he climbs onto the big yellow school bus, I'm not going to bore you with the sad tale of how my baby is growing up. And how that makes me feel old and sad and wistful.But I will tell you about his birthday cake. Because hearing about his cake is much more interesting thanLife As I Know Ithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09492465378321819342noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2356686073812715715.post-66518395899459492992010-04-07T12:21:00.002-04:002010-04-07T21:46:35.083-04:00Avocado Green Toilet Available For AdoptionThis classic gemhas recently been replaced with this modern throneThe result of this mini-renovation is an abandoned toilet that is waiting for a new home.Do you need that perfect something to compliment your shag carpet, your harvest gold sink or your faux-wood paneled walls? Are you looking for a gift for the '70s enthusiast in your life? Do you crank up Sonny and Cher on your turntable and Life As I Know Ithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09492465378321819342noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2356686073812715715.post-61267020388662501642010-03-29T11:21:00.009-04:002010-03-29T20:12:23.632-04:00A Redeeming Quality Of Facebook (no, really, there is one)Have you ever had a teacher who you have never-ever-not-even-once forgotten?Have you ever had a teacher who made you feel special and showered you with hugs? Did you love her so much that you baked her homemade granola and wrapped it up in a pretty jar covered with pieces of calico fabric? And did you sign it 'xoxo'?Have you ever had a teacher who made your second grade classroom seem like the Life As I Know Ithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09492465378321819342noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2356686073812715715.post-24862813837212808872010-03-26T10:15:00.002-04:002010-03-26T10:21:22.823-04:00Defining OurselvesWhat defines you? Your job? Your relationships? Your beliefs?I'm writing about it over at GNM Parents today. Hope you'll click over.Life As I Know Ithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09492465378321819342noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2356686073812715715.post-37674661319042321192010-03-23T15:00:00.000-04:002010-03-23T16:09:54.663-04:00Crazy Thoughts From The Sick HouseTwenty-nine (but who's counting?) hours of being stuck inside with a sick kid can make you do crazy things.The isolation can make you read out loud the entire Lion, Witch and the Wardrobe novel to a boy too sick to read to himself. And THEN, after you've read page after page of this subliminal Bible story and you think you've done your maternal penance for sending a kid, who told you he was goingLife As I Know Ithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09492465378321819342noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2356686073812715715.post-50777519672720714492010-03-22T10:06:00.006-04:002010-04-11T10:02:37.274-04:00When Your Kid Tells You He's Going To Puke...When you are waiting at the bus stop with your Second Grader, and he tells you that he feels like he's going to throw up, you should listen.Even though your first instinct, after feeling his fever-free head and reminding yourself that he devoured four syrup drenched pancakes just 30 minutes earlier, is to nudge him onto the waiting school bus, you should still listen.Because chances are, later Life As I Know Ithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09492465378321819342noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2356686073812715715.post-77291035200594385592010-03-17T10:18:00.006-04:002010-03-17T10:34:06.168-04:00We Made It!Halleflippinlujuah spring has sprung!photo credits: The Four Year OldLife As I Know Ithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09492465378321819342noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2356686073812715715.post-52545487544006315562010-03-15T12:00:00.007-04:002010-03-17T10:59:19.344-04:00Disney DetoxIn the darkness of the morning, as the sky struggles to lightMay the rising sun caress and bless your soul for all your life- Bruce SpringsteenIf there is a polar opposite of Disney World, it is the Kripalu Center for Yoga and Health. As wonderful as a family vacation at the Happiest Place on Earth is, and as restorative as a few shots of Vitamin D are, neither of these things bring us closer Life As I Know Ithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09492465378321819342noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2356686073812715715.post-40262655627523957932010-03-09T10:00:00.000-05:002010-03-09T12:56:13.304-05:00Our Family Is ExpandingI saw a crocus popping out of the muddy soil (ah, mud season!) the other morning as I drove my son to preschool.The ground is thawing. Plants are sprouting. The sun is casting a light at the end of this dark, seasonal-disordered tunnel.I am happy.But there is someone in this house who is even happier.Someone who, for months, has been waiting, ever so patiently, for the snow to melt and the Life As I Know Ithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09492465378321819342noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2356686073812715715.post-57747651227811635232010-03-05T09:23:00.007-05:002010-03-05T19:50:46.370-05:00Vitamin D: The New Miracle DrugRemember that time I complained incessantly about the cold, doomy, gloomy winter?And how my husband, for his own survival, I suspect, bought me a happy light box?Remember how I said that if the happy box didn't lift my winter-blued mood then we would have to think about doing something a little more drastic?Yeah, well, we did something a little more drastic.Trust me, I tried it all before we Life As I Know Ithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09492465378321819342noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2356686073812715715.post-47254301916794933162010-02-22T11:53:00.009-05:002010-02-22T12:20:27.735-05:00What? Don't All Snow Men Carry Rifles?Another school vacation week has finally come to an end. There were sinus headaches, yoga, super-sized play dates, wine, minor contusions, yoga, doctor appointments, wine, pancake suppers, yogaandwine, and lego explosions. And, there was the obligatory winter vacation snow-man-making.In which, when I go inside to make my little cherubs hot chocolate, a perfectly innocent, stick-smiling, Life As I Know Ithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09492465378321819342noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2356686073812715715.post-64920131649058347922010-02-17T05:00:00.003-05:002010-02-17T08:05:18.785-05:00Finding My ReligionI am giving up chocolate for lent.This is an odd statement for me to write, for several reasons. The most striking one being that I don’t attend church, other than The Church Of The E Street. I am not Catholic, Baptist, Jewish or Born Again. I don’t practice Buddhism or Hinduism or even Sikhism. I was raised religiously unaware.I can count on one hand the number of times I have willingly been Life As I Know Ithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09492465378321819342noreply@blogger.com26tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2356686073812715715.post-12623715081734458892010-02-12T08:00:00.004-05:002010-02-17T08:06:16.676-05:00Our Inner GeniusI am approaching the final chapters of Elizabeth Gilbert's new book, Committed: A Skeptic Makes Peace With Marriage.While I devoured every last word in her first "freakishly successful" memoir, Eat, Pray, Love, I find myself trudging through this follow-up. I really wanted to love it. I wanted to be inspired and enlightened. I wanted to find a little piece of myself on the pages I read.That's aLife As I Know Ithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09492465378321819342noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2356686073812715715.post-20815282162312393262010-02-08T09:11:00.006-05:002010-03-17T11:08:19.611-04:00The Valentine's Day BoxMy mother was one of those crafty-type moms when we were young.The 1970s and 80s were an explosion of all things Craft at our house. There were cupcake lunches, gingerbread houses, hand-stitched quilts for our dolls, hand-stitched quilts for us, terrariums and Easter hats. There was one solid year of full immersion into the long forgotten stenciling fad. Every bare surface in our suburban Life As I Know Ithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09492465378321819342noreply@blogger.com19tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2356686073812715715.post-59451073002913202562010-02-05T08:58:00.003-05:002010-02-12T10:38:31.828-05:00Limited ConnectivityI don't know what is more depressing: February in New England or The Internet.Both have been messing with my head. Or so it seemed.It's easy to get dragged down into the deep, dark winter around here. The days are short. The nights are long. The sun is scarce.My need for light is overwhelming sometimes. And so, understandably, the bright, flickering screen of a laptop is enticing. It lures Life As I Know Ithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09492465378321819342noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2356686073812715715.post-8238671571620080202010-01-12T12:00:00.001-05:002010-01-12T16:08:37.628-05:00No Pants Party!It is not uncommon, on any given day, in any given season, to find The Second Grader and The Four Year Old dancing, with an eerie amount of enthusiasm, around their room wearing only their underwear. They leap and jump and chant, "No! Pants! Party!". They're happy and occupied and not bugging me so it's all good.And who am I to get in the way of a good time?But, the more I think about it, the Life As I Know Ithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09492465378321819342noreply@blogger.com20tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2356686073812715715.post-21947422591718052012010-01-08T08:00:00.000-05:002010-01-08T11:18:14.751-05:00Good Things Happen In The ShowerWhy is it that I think up my best ideas in the shower? Those ten minutes under a stream of hot water must put the right side of my brain in overdrive. Or maybe it's the time-warpy experience of a morning shower, the minutes that exist somewhere between sleep and real life, that makes all sorts of things seem like good ideas.But as soon as I turn off the water and step out onto the cold Life As I Know Ithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09492465378321819342noreply@blogger.com13