tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-138534702012-01-31T09:04:56.700-06:00Glimpses into the {crazy} life of a single mom of twoVictoriahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13925344793260230297noreply@blogger.comBlogger2301100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13853470.post-52973881408214803952012-01-21T08:25:00.008-06:002012-01-21T09:14:04.508-06:00

.Well, I've let my little slice of the web lie dormant for about a year, now, so it's probably time for that annual "this year I'm really going to stay current" vow and a few weeks' worth of posts before I get busy again and neglect my blog.A lot has happened over the past year. There have been ups (a new dog and a rockin' boyfriend) and downs (I was part of the "reduction in force" at my job in

Victoriahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13925344793260230297noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13853470.post-30847078402572984492012-01-20T09:33:00.003-06:002012-01-20T09:42:00.464-06:00

*clears throat, taps mic*Is this thing on?(Looks around, a little embarrassed at all the dust and cobwebs, dusts off the stool.)Was thinking about getting back into blogging. Anyone still around?

Victoriahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13925344793260230297noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13853470.post-3888447894105292622011-01-17T22:51:00.002-06:002011-01-17T23:02:24.400-06:00

.Just a little happy, along the way.Sometimes the shit life gives us ends up improving the hell out of our gardens. Don't ever forget that :).

Victoriahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13925344793260230297noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13853470.post-57775914517634438142011-01-10T06:05:00.001-06:002011-01-10T06:06:39.283-06:00

.I'm struggling to wrap my head around the tragic shooting in Arizona. I cannot fathom the pain of the families who lost loved ones, or the horror and fear of those who were there. Because my brain goes a million miles an hour, and bounces back and forth, there are several threads in my processing.On one hand, crazy people happen. I'd argue that anyone who can actually kill another human being is

Victoriahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13925344793260230297noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13853470.post-64259310756457888762011-01-01T05:26:00.000-06:002011-01-02T05:26:54.194-06:00

.This should be a more cheerful post.It's the new year, new beginning, fresh start, tabula rasa ... all that stuff. It should be an optimistic, hopeful time. Unless you begin your year with my kids, that is. I so badly want to be a great mom. I want to be calm, compassionate. I want to be able to love and accept these kids at face value, not holler, not threaten. I truly do see being a mom as my

Victoriahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13925344793260230297noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13853470.post-48038687530458666932010-12-11T00:01:00.001-06:002010-12-11T00:08:55.960-06:00

.Your Royal Tininess ...It's been a joy to watch you grow up; to see your personality develop and to learn about who you are. You're just such a cool little person, and I love everything about you. Happy Birthday, sweetheart.BirthOne yearTwo yearsAnd three

Victoriahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13925344793260230297noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13853470.post-33757846334070089032010-12-05T19:10:00.006-06:002010-12-05T19:47:11.350-06:00

.The Thanksgiving break was, I think, a little hard on the Big Girl. Not that she minded the extra home time. It was the change in routine that threw her; a few days at 'daycare' (which she declared was "too little for me; the kids in pre-K just don't *know* anything"), and was a complete break for the predictable routine she has at Kindy. Then a lot of special togetherness days at home. With me.

Victoriahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13925344793260230297noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13853470.post-77654218222365467622010-12-01T19:22:00.001-06:002010-12-01T19:22:00.856-06:00

.For Miss O's 2nd birthday party, I made a Texas-style chili that everyone (very kindly) raved about. When I was invited to a soup swap recently, I decided to replicate my efforts, and actually (a first for me) keep track of what and how much I used to create a recipe. I tend to just be a wing-it type of cook; I'm not really a details kind of person when it comes to cooking (which is likely why I

Victoriahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13925344793260230297noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13853470.post-74126985512989175042010-11-30T20:24:00.006-06:002010-11-30T21:42:44.174-06:00

.Was talking to Miss O today about the joy that is Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer ...... and *honestly* - is that not just the suckiest message for kids? Ever? His parents are embarrassed of him because he looks different, the other reindeer mock him and even Santa thinks he's worthless because of his nose. "Rudolph, those are some mad flying skillz, but you've got a shiny nose, so tough

Victoriahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13925344793260230297noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13853470.post-50944541003818402502010-11-28T20:27:00.000-06:002010-11-28T20:27:59.502-06:00

We love our Austin Zoo membership and visit often. We got there right around opening time today, and the crisp, cool air made for great visit. Miss O was most taken by an orange kitty cat, not at all wild or exotic, and would have been content with a visit that consisted of just hanging with that kitty. Said kitty is missing an eye, and Miss O declared "I can be the person that finds lost kitty

Victoriahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13925344793260230297noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13853470.post-32975796033743391692010-11-28T06:22:00.003-06:002010-11-28T06:58:41.340-06:00

Fueling upRiding the carouselBudding pilotsMy little horsewomenMaking new friends on the ferris wheelGoing home

Victoriahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13925344793260230297noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13853470.post-47387202228986879472010-11-25T09:02:00.002-06:002010-11-25T09:24:39.373-06:00

.Looking back over the past year, I'm thankful for CuriositySillinessSnow DaysBluebonnetsFamilySolitudeNatureJoyFriendsMy girls

Victoriahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13925344793260230297noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13853470.post-9505065891172513092010-11-10T06:23:00.006-06:002010-11-30T20:43:39.987-06:00

.Technically, she won't be three for a month, but close enough. Lu has been on a roll lately with the things she says. Below are a few I've captured for your reading pleasure."We can't hang Bean's picture outside because hopper-grasses will get it!"Lu: "Get off of my finger, you silly things"Mommy: "It's probably just glue"Li: "It's skin. From dolphins. I don't know how to get the skin from the

Victoriahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13925344793260230297noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13853470.post-33576371147523614682010-11-09T21:34:00.007-06:002010-11-09T22:12:48.025-06:00

.After a long five days without them, the girls are back. Their dad will be out of town on his regular Thursday, so he picked up the Monday shift. I had a 9:00 meeting today, so his timing was pretty good. Except for the fact that he returned Bean to me with a sore throat ... and he's heading out of town tomorrow. Just once I want to be the one leaving town when a kid is getting sick. Regardless,

Victoriahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13925344793260230297noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13853470.post-45681216151486535032010-11-07T15:22:00.004-06:002010-11-07T15:35:21.029-06:00

.As my kids have aged, it's led to phone conversations with the in absentia parent. Sometimes these are brief, parent-initiated calls, and sometimes they're more involved kid-initiated calls. I've called them at their dad's several times, wanting to say hi, only to hear them say politely "no thanks" when he asks them if they want to talk to me :) But miss a kid-initiated call, and you'd think

Victoriahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13925344793260230297noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13853470.post-53691544037016083452010-11-05T17:25:00.001-05:002010-11-05T20:19:54.734-05:00

.It's funny; I used to always have my blog set to the WYSIWYG editor, but lately I've been firing it up using the HTML editor. Technically, the Blogger interface should be called the "kinda-sorta-html-editor", as you don't have to format text or paragraphs or anything, but it's the HTML editor. And I sound damn cool saying I'm using the HTML editor. (My mom is still trying to figure out what I'm

Victoriahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13925344793260230297noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13853470.post-63914221136023334282010-11-03T22:40:00.001-05:002010-11-03T22:43:29.339-05:00

Victoriahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13925344793260230297noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13853470.post-42557116195284830582010-11-01T22:28:00.005-05:002010-11-01T23:52:17.551-05:00

.Happy NaBloPoMo!For the less-bloggy, it's National Blog Posting Month, where bloggers commit to posting daily for the month. I've been slacking so badly on my blog, I'll give it a whirl to see if it kicks my butt back into posting more regularly. I'm trying to reconcile it being November first with having to still run the air conditioning. I so miss North Carolina in the fall ... windows open,

Victoriahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13925344793260230297noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13853470.post-2775952527228865852010-10-08T13:43:00.004-05:002010-10-08T14:38:49.419-05:00

.There's so much going on these days, in my life and in the world. It's so easy to lose track of something like a blog; it's kind of a conceit (in the fanciful trifle sort of way, not the ego way, but blogs are kind of ego-driven, as well).I'm struggling a lot with how unkind the world seems to have become. It's due in large part to the recent surge in suicides among young people who have been

Victoriahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13925344793260230297noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13853470.post-16871904395401919842010-08-28T06:45:00.003-05:002010-08-28T07:49:28.126-05:00

.How much do I suck at blogging?I spend all day at work on the 'puter, and when I get home, it's just hard to motivate myself to typing up a blog post. It doesn't help that I'm starting to develop signs of carpal tunnel in my right hand again. I had brutal CTS when I was pregnant, in both wrists, so at least it's just the one side now. I'm sure steroid shots are in the near future, and possibly

Victoriahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13925344793260230297noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13853470.post-84679944647395261922010-07-24T19:53:00.004-05:002010-07-25T22:13:00.459-05:00

.I'm not sure anyone really *cares* about the details, but I have like a thousand pictures and I've been missing Alaska something fierce, so y'all are stuck with a day-by-day series of posts. Actually, you're not stuck. The little x on the upper right (or left, for Mac users) corner can make it all go away :)My first day in Alaska I drove southeast on the Seward Highway along Turnagin Arm. Along

Victoriahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13925344793260230297noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13853470.post-3459080976850030462010-07-19T19:23:00.003-05:002010-07-19T19:28:49.739-05:00

.(All sung to a baby doll and two stuffed Bambis, unless otherwise noted. And we all thought Bean had the lock on unintentional comedy.)I want my gramma and my grampaGrampa is my favoriteGrampa is my favorite boyI forgot my deerI'll go get it, I'll be right backCan I come with you?No, you can stay right here, I'll be right back (spoken)Mama, I'm getting my baby deerher name is BambiI found her

Victoriahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13925344793260230297noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13853470.post-80144049550885328512010-07-14T22:16:00.006-05:002010-07-17T23:41:31.927-05:00

.(Title quote from John Muir)I've been home for almost two weeks, and Bean's b-day got it's spotlight, so it's time for the rundown on my trip to Alaska.I was off-duty July 4th weekend, and had the 5th off, so I decided to extend it a little on both sides and take myself on vacation. I had considered Wisconsin to visit family, and Florida to visit friends and my sister, but - much as I love my

Victoriahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13925344793260230297noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13853470.post-85285123666641464322010-07-08T19:09:00.009-05:002010-07-14T22:05:51.996-05:00

.Sweets, we've gone through a lot together so far, and I wanted you to know what I know:You have a heart as big as TexasYou make me laugh every. single. day.You've changed me, for the better, in so many ways.You're an amazing person.You ask so many great questions about the world around you.Your curiosity and inquisitiveness keep me on my toes.You're sweet and loving and never hesitate to show

Victoriahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13925344793260230297noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13853470.post-7360232226618717282010-06-26T22:30:00.004-05:002010-06-26T23:03:32.088-05:00

.Today was the big girl's 5th birthday party. We did a joint party with two of her best friends, the fabulous Miss C and the irrepressible Miss A. Miss C's b-day is about two weeks before Bean's, and Miss A's is the day after Bean's. We usually have a 4-week run of parties, interrupted by July 4th, as a result. This year, we opted for the joint party approach. And, believe it or not, it went off

Victoriahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13925344793260230297noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13853470.post-55125813269863629712010-06-23T21:26:00.008-05:002010-06-23T21:36:38.059-05:00

.I have some cool news to share, but don't feel like a big long post tonight, so I'll share a few recent pics instead.One of Bean's "Feelings Journal" entries"I'm going to draw space so I know what it looks like", complete with the Earth, Saturn, Jupiter, Neptune, Uranus, an asteroid belt, stars and the sun. Seriously.Bean's heart drawingWhy I wonder about my kids' mental well-being. A lot. .

Victoriahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13925344793260230297noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13853470.post-66837579054115147572010-06-17T20:37:00.007-05:002010-11-30T20:43:51.488-06:00

.I've been wishing I had a single girlfriend or two of late; I'd love to go out and have a couple beers, just do the low-key casual thing, maybe meet someone. All the spiffy ads talk about how so many people are meeting their significant others online ... but I freakin' hate that approach. I'll do it, because I don't have much choice when it comes to actually *meeting* people, but I hate it. I'm

Victoriahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13925344793260230297noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13853470.post-37694045959656114152010-06-16T21:17:00.004-05:002010-06-16T21:45:38.861-05:00

.Bean's very into writing these days. And drawing. She loves to create written words and art .. kind of like me. Only she's good at the art part; I doodle. I'm just not artistic; I can play music and I pick up languages easily, or at least I did in school, but artistic creations have just never been my forte.Bean's art is kind of surreal. Her favorite shape is a heart, so that dominates her

Victoriahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13925344793260230297noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13853470.post-17969262175997666762010-06-11T22:24:00.004-05:002010-06-11T23:30:37.047-05:00

.Well, we're through week two of "regular" preschool for Bean and she's holding her own. Laying on her mat at naptime, no full-scale meltdowns, and she seems to be taking to heart that she needs to step up her own self-control. At least so far. Is it perfect? No. Actually, I'm pretty underwhelmed by her experience there. She's got some academics going on, and brings home practice writing every

Victoriahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13925344793260230297noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13853470.post-69358239782990790142010-06-06T16:05:00.006-05:002010-06-06T18:20:04.374-05:00

.In today's installment of "everything's bigger in texas", the Texas Spiny Lizard:The one I encountered this afternoon moved too quickly for me to get a pic before he was a good 10-15 feet up the free, but he (or she) was really cool! I hope I see it again; the girls were excited about the juvenile anole that we found on the deck - a 6-inch spiny lizard will make their day.Of course, I probably

Victoriahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13925344793260230297noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13853470.post-79625896364631422802010-05-29T21:26:00.003-05:002010-06-06T18:20:45.774-05:00

.Well, it's my weekend off and, naturally, I'm fighting off a poopy feeling. I don't know if I'm sick or it's just allergies. Grass pollen is wicked high, so that could be it. In Austin, *something* is always triggering someone's allergies ... I guess that's the price we pay for living somewhere that otherwise knocks it out of the park.The kids have been knocking it out of the park as well, on

Victoriahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13925344793260230297noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13853470.post-56415526559055617272010-05-25T22:01:00.007-05:002010-05-25T22:43:16.914-05:00

.I'm writing this with Deadliest Catch on in the background ... I have no idea why I'm hooked on this show (Mike Rowe), but I'll seriously watch it for hours on end. I'm glad that I'm on mommy duty for Memorial weekend, as the all-weekend-long Deadliest Catch marathon would otherwise hold me captive.And I *heart* the Time Bandit crew.Thanks for the encouragement about Bean's new labels. Don't get

Victoriahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13925344793260230297noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13853470.post-41386688873348602052010-05-19T21:12:00.004-05:002010-05-21T23:28:19.683-05:00

.If you ever want to freak out your boss, wear a dress and heels to your place of work when all they've ever seen you in is jeans. And then mention you have to leave early ... When I was getting dressed I knew there would be commentary; business casual means that dressing up is out of the norm. Poor guy was sleep-deprived from staying up for hockey playoffs and didn't get that I was joking about

Victoriahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13925344793260230297noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13853470.post-6197135621965191182010-05-15T14:25:00.005-05:002010-05-16T07:12:23.259-05:00

Oh. Hi.Yes, I'm still alive .. it's been like 2 months since I posted, but I'm still here. Things got progressively busier at work as March wrapped up, and early April was insane. Then we all got the chicken pox and ...What?Yes, we *all* got the chicken pox. Turns out Miss O was exposed as a parting gift at her last daycare. Maybe 10 days later I got an email (I'm still on their distribution list

Victoriahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13925344793260230297noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13853470.post-50262686505101663822010-03-11T20:53:00.003-06:002010-03-11T21:41:20.873-06:00

.Since I've got mommy duty this weekend, I'll take a few minutes to get caught up.I took my annual turn at the flu Sunday/Monday/Tuesday ... Monday was definitely the worst of the three. Bad enough to make my sans-insurance self pay out of pocket for a dr's visit. He suggested I skip the official flu test, since it's expensive, diagnosed the flu and sent me on my way with a couple prescriptions

Victoriahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13925344793260230297noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13853470.post-2709122378297444842010-03-07T08:37:00.003-06:002010-03-07T09:31:36.682-06:00

.I managed to sneak in a day with just Miss O yesterday, and it was a lot of fun. Dave took the Bean to Explore UT, where she ate a chocolate chip cookie made with crickets and beetle larvae (her dad didn't know until she was partway thru, and didn't bother telling her at that point :)I haven't gotten Bean's report on the day yet; I'm looking forward to hearing about what she saw and did. She

Victoriahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13925344793260230297noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13853470.post-78593614426783300232010-03-05T22:24:00.002-06:002010-03-05T23:10:48.560-06:00

.So I've been laying low a bit .. I'm a little melancholy, a little overwhelmed and a little just kind of blah.The melancholy is a little bit post-divorce, but more just the emotional drain of parenting; especially parenting the Bean. That's where the overwhelmed comes in, too. Neurology and neuropsychology appointments and assesments; biweekly OT; behavior challenges at home and at school;

Victoriahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13925344793260230297noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13853470.post-1596453166110294452010-02-22T19:36:00.004-06:002010-02-22T20:21:01.349-06:00

.I had the pleasure of a stolen hour with Bean today; one of her OT appointments got moved to 10:00 Monday mornings, and I took that shift and gave up the Thursday afternoon one. So now we can drop Miss O off and hit Barnes and Noble or Rudy's and steal a snack and an hour together. This morning I got coffee, she had a cookie and we read books at B&N before heading over for her OT visit.Her OT,

Victoriahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13925344793260230297noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13853470.post-91632647667236323632010-02-22T08:23:00.001-06:002010-02-22T08:23:00.565-06:00

.In my between-high-school-and-college days (and that was a LOT of days ... 5-6 years worth, for those counting along at home), my friends and I used to watch hour upon hour of documentaries. Biographies, nature shows, science programming pretty much anything that wasn't about hair, makeup or celebrities. Sometimes we imbibed and watched Disney movies, but usually it was a documentary. I'm not

Victoriahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13925344793260230297noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13853470.post-31699039825765818312010-02-21T10:53:00.004-06:002010-02-21T11:50:55.579-06:00

.Mornin' all.I spent most of my Saturday futzing around, getting little done, and watching the TEDx Austin livestream. There were a couple really great talks, including Carrie Contey, Turk and Christy Pipkin, Philip Berber and the closing speaker, Mark McKinnon. I cried a few times, I laughed and I felt inspired to do more. Now I need to actually get stuff done .. I've got early (for me) mornings

Victoriahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13925344793260230297noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13853470.post-27725007946564291292010-02-18T22:24:00.000-06:002010-02-18T22:29:31.901-06:00

.What a week. We started off with both of the girls' 'schools' being closed on Monday, so I struggled thru a work from home day. Let me just say it requires Herculean effort to accomplish work when these two are around. I can barely get through a Tweet before I'm interrupted, so actually working ... le sigh. And after the emotionally draining, PMS-fueled weekend I had, a bonus full-time mommy day

Victoriahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13925344793260230297noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13853470.post-16214497468830007562010-02-14T06:57:00.001-06:002010-02-14T07:35:15.735-06:00

.Poor O has been grumpy lately. I picked her up on Friday, and she came out to me crying and never really got herself straightened out. I asked the teacher at the door what happened, twice, and was pretty much ignored, so I was left with O's "my butt-butt hurts" and between Bean and I, we managed to ascertain that she fell - or was pushed and fell - on her butt. We're pretty sure someone pushed

Victoriahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13925344793260230297noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13853470.post-55374578638587248532010-02-10T05:52:00.002-06:002010-02-10T06:42:31.145-06:00

.I totally zonked out with the girls last night. I fully intended to get up after they fell asleep, but as O was nodding off, I thought 'screw it' and went to sleep. The girls got about 10 hours' sleep, and I was up an hour earlier, so hopefully we're all recharged sufficiently for another day at the grind. Since Bean doesn't nap, her nighttime sleep is precious. Miss O usually naps well during

Victoriahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13925344793260230297noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13853470.post-66107539005469882532010-02-09T06:35:00.002-06:002010-02-09T06:51:04.076-06:00

.Last night was one of those 'can't sleep' nights. I wasn't thinking on anything earth-shattering, but you know those nights when your brain is just kind of like one of those sped-up clock montages? Where the hands go sweeping around and pictures fly by? It was kind of like that. At midnight I gave up on laying there and tried to read myself to sleep, but was up until 2:00 anyways. Then the

Victoriahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13925344793260230297noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13853470.post-13238652570757050672010-02-08T07:33:00.005-06:002010-02-08T07:49:45.036-06:00

.What a week. It's stressful as heck trying to get both girls picked up, at different schools, by pickup time. I was already getting to work at like 9:30 and leaving at 4:30 to accomodate the 9-5:30 stretch at the school they both attended; now I'm having to jog east a bit to pick up Bean, and then get over to Miss O, which means I need to leave by 4:15 and I'm getting in around 9:45. Something's

Victoriahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13925344793260230297noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13853470.post-40798963170098292722010-02-03T06:18:00.001-06:002010-02-03T06:20:51.582-06:00

..

Victoriahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13925344793260230297noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13853470.post-74739808213784060452010-01-31T22:14:00.003-06:002010-01-31T22:28:22.271-06:00

.Bean starts at a new school tomorrow.We checked out a couple places and settled on one Friday; she had a chance to hang out and interact with the kids, and Dave was even able to show the director a video of a Bean meltdown and the director essentially said "she'll have to do worse than that to impress me."They're used to dealing with kids of all abilities here, and her OT is welcome to come and

Victoriahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13925344793260230297noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13853470.post-43873200407827253772010-01-29T21:20:00.001-06:002010-01-30T09:03:57.696-06:00

.Yesterday started okay, but we were like a mile from home and Bean asked me "when are X and Y going to get divorced?" (X and Y being a friend's parents.) She asked it in her unassuming, matter-of-fact Bean way, the way only she can. I replied "X and Y aren't going to get divorced, they love each other."And she promptly dissolved into tears and heaving sobs.She told me she was jealous and sad,

Victoriahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13925344793260230297noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13853470.post-18269375793441988822010-01-29T07:37:00.005-06:002010-01-29T08:21:54.318-06:00

.I had a 'woe is me' post scheduled for this a.m. already, but just saw this topic come across a sensory disorder mailing list - has anyone heard of Dabrowski's Overexcitabilities in Gifted Children?Most of these categories describe Bean with eerie accuracy. Eerie. I've read that sensory disorders are more prevalent in gifted kids, but stuff like this puts me on a circuitous "chicken - egg"

Victoriahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13925344793260230297noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13853470.post-12069890143956704422010-01-28T06:49:00.003-06:002010-01-28T07:07:55.678-06:00

.Thanks for the comments here and on Facebook ...It's so hard to make these kinds of choices on your kid's behalf.I never really felt "right" about Bean's current school, but I chalked that up to me being antsy about my kids being at the same school that Dave's GF's kids go to, and the associated weirdness therein. But when I went with this school it was the lesser of the evils; none of the five

Victoriahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13925344793260230297noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13853470.post-27766801019586522922010-01-27T10:49:00.000-06:002010-01-27T10:49:01.040-06:00

..

Victoriahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13925344793260230297noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13853470.post-13768838935794958272010-01-26T23:44:00.003-06:002010-01-27T07:16:55.981-06:00

.Well, we're in full-on "new school" search for Bean; she hasn't been kicked out, but they do want to cut her back to part-time at her current school. She simply will not nap, and they aren't staffed to accomodate one-on-one levels of care. I know it's not their job to cater to one child, but I also think they've put up barriers to Bean's success by not allowing her a lovey at nap time and by

Victoriahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13925344793260230297noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13853470.post-53697799022642538042010-01-25T23:32:00.003-06:002010-01-26T07:06:01.507-06:00

.As I was cleaning the kitchen tonight, I asked the Big Girl to read to Little One. She obliged happily, but Smalls didn't want to give up her book. Biggie picked up a different book and offered to read that to her instead, and Smalls agreed. They looked at pictures and numbers, and then the together time devolved into rougher pursuits. It has occurred to me, on more than one occasion, that

Victoriahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13925344793260230297noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13853470.post-88694182473885381402010-01-24T22:45:00.003-06:002010-01-24T22:48:08.428-06:00

.Oh, the humanity.I'll blog more about the trip tomorrow, but today's Exotic Resort Zoo visit was a chilly one. Miss O is not at all impressed with my attempt to help her stay warm. Not. At. All.(Quote from "Hush").

Victoriahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13925344793260230297noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13853470.post-58955870090225600982010-01-22T22:32:00.000-06:002010-01-22T22:35:02.931-06:00

.Yay - a mommy duty weekend! And the weather is actually cooperating. My past few mommy weekends have been sucky, weather-wise, so I'm hoping to get an Austin Zoo trip in. 'Course that means driving all the way down to where I work for one extra day this week, but oh well. Bean will be thrilled to see all the hawks on the streetlights along Mopac. And Miss O can wave 'hi' to every bird she sees.

Victoriahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13925344793260230297noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13853470.post-50509528828262070722010-01-21T23:26:00.003-06:002010-01-22T07:06:16.523-06:00

.As I was cleaning up tonight (such an exciting life, I know. Gotta take advantage of nights off to get stuff done!), I was thinking a lot about the Bean. She saw her pediatrician yesterday, as her dad and I are looking to get her a neuropsych evaluation to determine whether there's something more going on than "just" sensory stuff.I've wondered, sometimes aloud, whether her having sensory issues

Victoriahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13925344793260230297noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13853470.post-64661819894327419942010-01-19T21:42:00.001-06:002010-01-21T23:36:23.278-06:00

.Still trying to figure out a good work routine; 9:30 - 4:30 is looking to be my normal schedule, tho, to accomodate the girls' school being a 9-5:30 thing. That 5:30 part stresses me a bit, since I have to drive from Kyle to Waco in rush hour traffic. Eh, I exaggerate a bit, but the drive from SW Austin to way N Austin at 4:30 is not a fast-moving one. I'll need every minute of that hour to make

Victoriahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13925344793260230297noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13853470.post-70863654132817645072010-01-17T08:25:00.001-06:002010-01-17T19:04:02.498-06:00

.Being around Bean can mean experiencing the highest highs and lowest lows.She stayed with me Friday night; we had a blissful afternoon, and easy dinner, she fell asleep within 5 minutes and then was up at 5:30 (yay.) We went on a deer/horse drive, then had our now-standard Saturday morning J&J's breakfast tacos. Then Target, a trip out to grandma and grandpa's to drop off grandpa's b-day card,

Victoriahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13925344793260230297noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13853470.post-50566813412056181422010-01-16T05:54:00.003-06:002010-01-16T06:34:27.748-06:00

.But Bean is.It's been a rough week for her, adjusting to full-time. And her days still aren't as long as full-time days were at her other school.Wednesday, Dave got a call at work asking if he could talk to her about mellowing out and staying the full day. Thursday her got a call around 12:30 to come pick her up because she was throwing chairs. Friday, same thing.It's just heartbreaking. It's

Victoriahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13925344793260230297noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13853470.post-10163832631962135102010-01-14T22:47:00.004-06:002010-01-14T22:58:12.893-06:00

.Biggie and Smalls show off their mad mosh-pit skills to the Rollins Band's "Let That Devil Out."(Title from the supremely fab Joss Whedon dance in "Through the Looking Glass").

Victoriahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13925344793260230297noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13853470.post-76953914045244287312010-01-14T20:05:00.001-06:002010-01-14T20:07:35.340-06:00

.Yeah, so I totally missed Wednesday. It is what it is, people. .

Victoriahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13925344793260230297noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13853470.post-49180362637527273412010-01-10T23:01:00.006-06:002010-01-10T23:18:10.762-06:00

.Le sigh.Friday was just a sea of badness for Bean. It started rough, it proceeded to be rough all day and it ended on a less than sparkly note.When I picked her up from school, the director took me aside to tell me that Bean had peed on the floor, kicked a bunch of classroom stuff, kicked a teacher and peeled some of their plastic baseboard off the wall during her nap time. Our afternoon didn't

Victoriahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13925344793260230297noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13853470.post-76704697769676050772010-01-08T07:36:00.001-06:002010-01-10T23:19:12.650-06:00

.Sigh.So Bean wore panties at Dave's Wed night, and did great. She asked to wear them here, and since she'd been waking up dry in pull-ups for awhile, and even using the potty in the a.m. instead of the pull-up, I was fine with it.She did great overnight, but insisted this a.m. that she wasn't ready to pee in the potty. Y'all can probably guess where this is going: she waiting until the last

Victoriahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13925344793260230297noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13853470.post-19411582569470970902010-01-06T13:38:00.003-06:002010-01-06T13:41:20.779-06:00

..

Victoriahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13925344793260230297noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13853470.post-22212701185343849312010-01-04T23:30:00.003-06:002010-01-04T23:51:12.010-06:00

.For those who remember ...During my "the kids are gone, let's clean the whole house and get rid of stuff" week, I stumbled upon the last few scraps of Bean's beloved Purple Baby. Neither purple, nor baby, Purple Baby was a flannel blanket that she glommed onto as her security blanket. She had been okay with pretty much any flannel receiving blanket, but at some point, it was down to two

Victoriahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13925344793260230297noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13853470.post-85498224193726540662010-01-03T23:52:00.002-06:002010-01-04T00:29:11.080-06:00

.I've actually been chewing on a few blog posts for a couple days. This one is about how parenting ideals are nice, but, in my opinion/experience, shouldn't be carved in stone. I've watched a few discussions transpire on a parenting list that I belong to that make me wonder if it's possible to set too high a standard for parenting.Now, I strive to be a involved, attached parent. And I think that

Victoriahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13925344793260230297noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13853470.post-65823305459650877972010-01-02T23:49:00.002-06:002010-01-03T00:34:52.116-06:00

.Ah. A new year. That means resolutions and promises to do things differently. Not for me. I don't know what it is about resolutions that rub me wrong, but they do. Maybe it's the pressure to fulfill them. Maybe it's the hollowness of most resolutions. Maybe it's just like the whole "It's the *one* time of year to be good to others" kind of vibe that's perpetuated around Christmas: I try to be

Victoriahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13925344793260230297noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13853470.post-37781590093300880502010-01-01T12:54:00.002-06:002010-01-01T12:56:30.410-06:00

.New Year, new look.You likey?I hope you and yours have a happy, healthy and magical year. .

Victoriahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13925344793260230297noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13853470.post-21906567087920666082009-12-31T00:33:00.002-06:002009-12-31T21:12:26.887-06:00

.Yeah, I know. I've been slacking.We had a nice Christmas, even though it still just kinda rubs me wrong to do the whole Santa thing. With the exception of the divorce (meaning, I still feed the mutual breakup "mommy and daddy wanted it" line), I'm all about total honestly. Bean knows that hamburgers are made from cows (and how the cows die), I don't use cutesy pseudonyms for body part names, she

Victoriahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13925344793260230297noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13853470.post-86190192440081693592009-12-23T21:31:00.001-06:002009-12-23T21:37:01.527-06:00

..

Victoriahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13925344793260230297noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13853470.post-34015283668783367802009-12-17T20:39:00.004-06:002009-12-17T20:59:01.545-06:00

.Things I don't want to forget.That Miss O says "I love you too mama" when I tell her I love her.That she also says "Mama house" as an imperative, not as a question, when I pick her up from school. Followed by "No more dada." (Insert wry grin here - it's one of those 'kinda funny/kinda not' little divorce things.)That she has an intense love for my boobs. And my hair. "Mama hair!" is a frequent

Victoriahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13925344793260230297noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13853470.post-13923539160270974312009-12-16T20:52:00.002-06:002009-12-16T21:02:10.996-06:00

..

Victoriahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13925344793260230297noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13853470.post-18490692487471749302009-12-11T08:31:00.002-06:002009-12-11T08:39:08.622-06:00

.I remember when you were born ... when we were in the hospital, I heard all these other newborns wailing away, and you were so quiet. Barely made a peep. I thought I was uber-lucky and had one of those mythical "easy babies".Hah.Ha-ha!Then we came home.You showed me. Our first few months were hellish at times. You never slept unless I was wearing you in a sling, wrap or, eventually, thankfully,

Victoriahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13925344793260230297noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13853470.post-26372568636889219422009-12-10T11:47:00.000-06:002009-12-10T12:05:46.749-06:00

.Thanks for all the feedback on lying; turns out she was telling the truth, at least for the most part. What Bean had told me was that the teacher called her dad, and her dad said that if she couldn't lay quietly that she couldn't come come home with mommy or daddy, but if she did lay quietly, she could. Dave sent a note to the director and apparently the teachers will fake phone calls to the

Victoriahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13925344793260230297noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13853470.post-4504788587890358332009-12-07T23:20:00.002-06:002009-12-07T23:24:44.755-06:00

.Oh. Hi.Yeah, it's been a while ... insert lame excuse here.So, how y'all doing? I watched my Gators crash and burn Saturday, then a horrific Vikings game Sunday. I actually switched to a documentary where they were dissecting a crocodile instead of watching the second half of Sunday's game. It was more pleasant to see someone squeeze out the contents of a huge croc's intestines than it was to

Victoriahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13925344793260230297noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13853470.post-34413558264286925632009-11-17T23:15:00.002-06:002009-11-17T23:27:51.356-06:00

.Thanks, ladies.The ones who commented here, the ones who emailed and the ones who called. Thank you. Y'all are what keeps me going with a smile on the days that all the magic and love and light my girls hold is just enough to keep me putting one foot in front of the other. The support and compassion is much appreciated - thank you.There are days, however, when the girls put the smile on my face

Victoriahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13925344793260230297noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13853470.post-82424765010076695162009-11-15T13:17:00.003-06:002009-11-17T23:24:58.523-06:00

.Started with a little bit scratchy throat yesterday afternoon, and now it's full-on scratchy with a ton of congestion. Yay. No fever, tho, so it looks like it will just be an annoyance and nothing major. I felt like crap last weekend with suspected strep (got results back Tuesday that it wasn't), but since I was kid free, I got to lay around, sleep and recover pretty quickly. Since I'm on mommy

Victoriahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13925344793260230297noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13853470.post-51436785448116282562009-11-09T22:43:00.000-06:002009-11-09T22:53:37.056-06:00

.No good deed goes unpunished.I've mentioned that before, right?Took the kiddos to Barnes and Noble with Shirley and her kiddos, then to Petco and PetSmart to say ho to animals. Then, idiots that we are, we thought "hey, let's take them to eat at Chili's"It was two adults, two four-year-olds and two under two. In other words, it had "stupid" written all over it. Ironically, Bean was actually the

Victoriahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13925344793260230297noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13853470.post-78224039603807540742009-11-07T22:47:00.000-06:002009-11-07T23:01:27.127-06:00

.I've been meaning to share this picture Bean drew at school a while back. It was during a "family" themed week, though she really doesn't need a themed week to focus on her family.Anyways, this is what she drew. Be sure to click on it to see the full-sized version. From left to right is Bean, mommy, a rose, daddy and Miss O:I crack up every time I see the disgruntled look she put on her dad.

Victoriahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13925344793260230297noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13853470.post-61712273360891870252009-11-06T23:52:00.001-06:002009-11-07T00:18:27.802-06:00

.Wow. It's been awhile, huh?Sorry 'bout that. Been a bit ... overwrought of late. So rather than piss and moan, or be all sad and whiny, I've been laying low. The fact that I've not had a full day off from being a mom in over two weeks hasn't helped me find my Zen or the time to blog, either. Throw in a sick kiddo and a sick mommy, and, well .. I'm moaning, aren't I?The girls seem to be adjusting

Victoriahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13925344793260230297noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13853470.post-77117566549548084472009-10-27T22:12:00.001-05:002009-10-27T22:15:29.829-05:00

. Another day, another humiliation.Took Bean and Miss O to breakfast this a.m., thinking I'd spring the little one for a day of hooky before they start at the new school tomorrow. We were supposed to meet Julia and her kiddos.We got there and Bean wanted to sit outside. It was 50-ish degrees this a.m., and her friend didn't want to sit outside. Commence full-on meltdown. Complete with screaming,

Victoriahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13925344793260230297noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13853470.post-8876161703444193122009-10-26T21:52:00.002-05:002009-10-26T21:59:03.012-05:00

.So. How's it going?Not bad over here. Still a little more tightly wound than I'd like, thanks to some unforeseen changes that I've talked about privately, but I'm nothing if not resilient, right?I'm having to take a day off tomorrow, to cover Bean's not being in school yet, and had planned to take the girls up to the zoo in Waco. But all this rain has me a little worried that all the animals

Victoriahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13925344793260230297noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13853470.post-62302368361903478872009-10-25T14:39:00.001-05:002009-10-25T14:40:53.773-05:00

tweetmeme_url = '';.Ack.A whole *week* without an update?And what a week it's been. Long story short, both girls start at a new school on Wednesday. It's one of those eeeaaassseee into it deals, where on Wed they will be there like 9-11 or so, Thurs 9-12, etc. Annoying as *hell* for those of us who have to work for a living, but it is what it is, I guess. Dave and I checked out 5 places, and

Victoriahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13925344793260230297noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13853470.post-37642975642532983522009-10-18T22:26:00.000-05:002009-10-18T22:29:26.701-05:00

tweetmeme_url = '';.What a weekend. I did get to watch a little football, unfortunately no Packers or Vikings today, tho I did see some highlights. Much love for Donald Driver, my favoritest receiver, for breaking a team record on receptions AND making a crazy-ass one handed, totally interfered with, catch.Had a great meeting with Dave about what to do first with Bean; he's taking point on

Victoriahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13925344793260230297noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13853470.post-45208517486777654772009-10-17T21:02:00.000-05:002009-10-17T21:08:16.693-05:00

.Some belated Sea World weekend picsMy big girl, pleased as punch with the hotel and all the flowers!Bean and Miss O, exploring the Hyatt groundsBean and her friends, swingingLove for the Clydesdale statueMommy, looking like a spaz, and kiddosBean!Bean plays Guitar HeroThanks so much for the empathy, feedback and well-wishes here and elsewhere. This situation with Bean is so hard; I don't think

Victoriahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13925344793260230297noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13853470.post-842788646994465122009-10-16T23:28:00.000-05:002009-10-16T23:30:45.837-05:00

.Le sigh.And an extra le sigh.Bean got the boot from preschool today. Okay, not 'the boot', but they asked us to take a break and not bring her back until January. Which for working parents pretty much means 'the boot', as now we'll have to start her in a new preschool, pay all their enrollment and start-up fees, and get her acclimated there. At which point, it's not like we'll want to yank her

Victoriahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13925344793260230297noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13853470.post-38107839910287400502009-10-15T22:46:00.002-05:002009-10-15T22:54:07.166-05:00

tweetmeme_url = '';.Thanks for the compliments on the lovely Miss O. She's quite the photogenic little thing, isn't she? There's a photo right after that where it looks like Julia captures an "I just put a handful of sand in my mouth, and it's not as tasty as you would think" look from her that's slightly less beautiful, but no less cute in it's own right.Both girls had Best Actress in a

Victoriahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13925344793260230297noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13853470.post-90733243768306452822009-10-14T23:00:00.003-05:002009-10-14T23:04:34.530-05:00

. tweetmeme_url = '';whispers - photo credit is all Julia .

Victoriahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13925344793260230297noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13853470.post-33534860691120169302009-10-12T23:00:00.000-05:002009-10-12T23:01:33.112-05:00

tweetmeme_url = '';.I'm probably the only person in the world for whom sleeping in a hotel with my kids really isn't a hard thing - they're both so used to cosleeping with me that it's just a matter of getting a king bed and laying perpendicular to the headboard. A couple well-placed pillows on nightstands and a chair or two to block them from rolling off, and we're good to go.So, the Sea World

Victoriahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13925344793260230297noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13853470.post-62659894506119125072009-10-08T22:34:00.000-05:002009-10-08T22:39:47.006-05:00

tweetmeme_url = '';.Man, I'm wiped out. Monday night I think I got two hours of sleep - I was obsessing on the career fair and classes and everything I needed to do, and the girls were having a fitful night, with one of them making noise like every 45 minutes or so. So I'd toss and turn and try to settle my head, only to have one of them cough or cry out and wake me completely and start all over

Victoriahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13925344793260230297noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13853470.post-57827906336150746622009-10-05T23:05:00.000-05:002009-10-05T23:14:26.136-05:00

tweetmeme_url = '';.Yay! It's Monday and I have my girls back :)It's also the single most conflicting Monday Night Football game I have ever watched. I've never been an "I hate everyone in the NFC North"-type Packer fan, so I never had a ton of bad feelings for the Vikings to begin with. Used to love watching Cris Carter, and the brief Carter-Moss tandem was fab. So when Favre went to the Vikes,

Victoriahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13925344793260230297noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13853470.post-19970201948380712712009-10-03T20:58:00.000-05:002009-10-03T21:05:08.794-05:00

tweetmeme_url = '';.Yeah, I'm definitely battling *something*. Still no fever, but a nice burn-y eye, scratchy throat, congested and just ick feeling's been hanging on all day. And the dreary, overcast day was just a perfect one for jammies and TV.I'm wondering if I am to blame for Bean's behavior issues at her dad's and at school. After a bumpy month or so, I've gone back to what worked for me

Victoriahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13925344793260230297noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13853470.post-89379652810080343762009-10-02T23:59:00.004-05:002009-10-03T00:09:54.566-05:00

.Sorry for neglecting y'all. I was on mommy duty this week, and except for staying up late Monday to blog, I crashed with the girlies on Tuesday and Wednesday, then felt kinda crappy yesterday, and not at all in the mood to blog. I think I've nipped whatever it is in the bud, but I'll be keeping the vitamin megadosing and the hot baths that jack up my body temp, plus making sure I get some

Victoriahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13925344793260230297noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13853470.post-74616165108120392102009-09-28T22:32:00.001-05:002009-09-28T22:46:03.356-05:00

.Woot!Did y'all see my boy Brett play on Sunday? Not bad for an old ma, huh? And Percy's 101 yard kickoff return ruled, too. What? What? I'm not supposed to be all up in the Vikings' bidness? I'm a Packer fan? Yeah, yeah. You show me the day that Aaron Rodgers is as fun to watch as Brett Favre and I'll remember my place. I promise. Totally screamed like, well, like a girl watching Brett play

Victoriahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13925344793260230297noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13853470.post-18790622561039642852009-09-26T10:23:00.003-05:002009-09-26T10:25:32.002-05:00

.Go Gators! Beat Kentucky!I miss the heck out of the girls when they're at Dave's for the Thurs-Sun night stretch. Yeah, after a weekend when it's been all Lord of the Flies around here, I'm happy when Thursday comes and I know I have a night off, but I already miss them on Friday night :)I'm not really focused today, so it's just going to be a couple links. I tried to find a good video of the

Victoriahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13925344793260230297noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13853470.post-2686642999048676322009-09-24T22:06:00.002-05:002009-09-24T22:17:23.339-05:00

.How did you start your Wednesday morning?Watching a video of an angioplasty? No?Bean's bedtime book on Tuesday was Essentials of Human Anatomy & Physiology. In it, an illustration of an artery with plaque deposits began a whole journey down the rabbit hole of junk food, cholesterol and coronary artery disease, which led, naturally, to the coolness that is a balloon in the artery. Hey, she was a

Victoriahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13925344793260230297noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13853470.post-66947242865588955712009-09-23T21:59:00.003-05:002009-09-23T22:06:08.262-05:00

..

Victoriahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13925344793260230297noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13853470.post-41660496641849297292009-09-20T23:13:00.000-05:002009-09-20T23:13:28.413-05:00

.My mom sent me an article I think I'm going to print for Bean's school: When a Parent's 'I Love You' Means 'Do as I Say'. I've read Alfie Kohn's "Unconditional Parenting" book, so I knew what to expect from the article. UP is, to me, an ideal and not something I can implement on an 'every minute of the day' basis, but it's such an awesome concept. I don't do time outs. I take away *things*, but

Victoriahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13925344793260230297noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13853470.post-22486491917510256192009-09-19T06:31:00.004-05:002009-09-20T07:57:18.813-05:00

.Does anyone remember that old Dilbert cartoon where the boss writes a 'letter of recommendation' that says stuff like: "For a man of his hygiene, he doesn't steal as much as you think."It's funny, but it's also reflective of the way some people characterize others.It's what I think of every time I pick Bean up from school - even if she had a rock star day, they're going to find something to pick

Victoriahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13925344793260230297noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13853470.post-1841156197474561912009-09-16T17:44:00.001-05:002009-09-16T18:01:04.663-05:00

.Thanks, y'all, for your comments.It's so hard to walk the line of advocacy vs. ... ... over protectiveness? over sensitivity? (over identification?) over reaction?I don't want Bean to think that every time she encounters adversity or has a hard time with authority that it's okay to do her own thing without regard for others or that mommy (or daddy) will intervene on her behalf at the slightest

Victoriahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13925344793260230297noreply@blogger.com5