Posted onMay 20, 2009|Comments Off on What you can get out and what you can’t
Based on my personal experience in the last two days …
Things you can get out of the sofa fabric: – Big black streaks of marker (thank you Crayola washable markers) – Spit up – Dorito “cheese”
Things that you CANNOT get out of a three-year-old’s hair after an outdoor playgroup: – Dirt – Tree seeds (those ones that look like rolled oats) – Tiny pieces of mown grass – Various seed pods
Seriously. I washed her hair for about 1/2 after we got home, and she still has miscellaneous yard detritus all over. Maybe next time I should scotchgard her ahead of time. It worked with the sofa.
1. Not to harsh your enviro-buzz, but check out this post by Kevin Drum. Really puts all that recycling you’re so committed to in perspective, don’t it? (Not that I’m going to quit recycling or anything. But perhaps some legislative oversight is in order, no?)
Posted onMarch 14, 2009|Comments Off on The Final Countdown: T minus 2 days
1. The headcold rages unabated. In retrospect, purchasing stock in Kleenex about three months ago would have been a good move.
2. To be honest, if anyone said the phrase “the power of positive thinking” to me right now I would probably kick them in the nards, but there *are* some things making me happy right now, namely: a) my new spring purse, courtesy Questionable. (The one on the left.) It is so springy and stripy. It defies the weather. b) It’s supposed to be almost SIXTY degrees on Monday! Sure, I’ll be drugged up and in the hospital the whole day, but still! c) Tonight, the Hatchling, after commanding her father to sit next to her on the sofa, sidled up to him, batted her eyelashes and said “Hey, baby.”
3. I think I might be having the occasional contraction, mostly in the evenings the last three days. I say “I think” because I don’t actually know what normal contractions or Braxton Hicks feel like. When the Hatchling was born, I had nothing in the way of contractions until I was induced, and lemme tell ya, Pitocin-contractions are undeniable. You KNOW you are having one of those. And then you KNOW you are getting an epidural. But this – it just feels kind of like a tightening, sometimes verging on crampy, not lasting or regular, just sort of unsettling and a pain in the ass. Or thereabouts. Thoughts from readers who’ve done this the natural way before? I go in for a regular monitoring appointment tomorrow so I’m sure they’ll pick up on it if anything is going on.
Posted onMarch 11, 2009|Comments Off on Final Countdown: T minus 5 days
Daily Index:
Watching – American Idol. Because my brain is just that fried. Eating – What have you got? No, seriously. WHAT HAVE YOU GOT. Reading – Bridge of Sighs by Richard Russo. Because my brain isn’t that fried. Although I can only manage about 10 pages before I fall asleep. Wearing – only stretchy jersey-type fabrics. In XXL. Don’t judge. Hearing – the harmonious sounds of my almost-three-year-old daughter making up nonsense songs, repeatedly requesting to play with my iPhone or watch a “bideo” on the computer, and running/dancing around the living room with just her diaper on. Cursing – the fucking SNOWSTORM currently raging outside my windows. Also the fact that the high tomorrow is supposed to be, like, 5 degrees. At least it’s supposed to warm up again by the weekend. Loving – that my long-suffering husband, when he comes home and I’m all pregnant-pissy-cannot-be-pleasant, instead of shooting me the evil eye gets on the phone and orders me my favorite take-out pasta and plays with the Hatchling to get her out of my hair.
Item one – Conversation between me and the Hatchling this afternoon, as she’s running around with her superhero “cape” on (a big silk scarf she ties around her neck):
Hatchling: I superhewwo!
Me: You are a superhero.
Hatchling: Fwy weawwy fast.
Me: You sure are flying fast. Go, go, go!
Hatchling (stopping and looking right at me): I BATMAN.
Me: You’re Batman?!
Hatchling: Yeah, dat’s wight. I BATMAN!!!!
Her father is so proud.
Item Two – I’ve been scanning in some old family photos just so I have them digitally, and I came across this one of me and my parents circa 1972. I’m not normally at a loss for words, but … wow. Kind of explains a lot, doesn’t it?
Relatives in town. Prepping for Kid 2.0. (One month left. ACK.) Trying to catch up on teaching stuff. Would prefer to be sleeping, eating or peeing most of the time.
NO TIME FOR BLOGGING.
I will post a cute video tomorrow, I promise.
In the meantime, is it just me, or does “the Island of Sodor” sound a lot like it should be a locale in the evil part of Middle Earth? I mean, “Sodor” is kind of a creepy name, right?
OK. I’m going to take a shower, pee, and go to bed. May your evening be equally satisfying.
1. How much did you love Obama’s press conference tonight? Mr. Squab turned to me and said, “It’s weird having a president who … like … actually knows what he’s talking about and answers the questions that are asked, with no creepy chuckles or smirks.” Indeed. Me likey.
4. The Hatchling’s two new favorite phrases: “Oh, MAN!” and “Oh my god!” It’s like having a pint-sized teenager in the house, except for the diapers and the spontaneous displays of affection.
Posted onJanuary 16, 2009|Comments Off on Will blog for beach house
What’s that you say? It’s Friday and where the heck have I been all week? FREEZING MY ASS OFF, that’s where. Jesus tap-dancing Christ, it’s been cold this week. Like, cold enough to kill you in a matter of minutes. Or, if you’re me, cold enough to make you want to kill someone. Every year there are one or two weeks like this in winter, weeks where it’s so cold you start to think longingly of those days when it was a balmy 25 degrees. I *always* hate these weeks, but this year my hatred is particularly deep and abiding. Maybe it’s the pregnancy, maybe it’s trying to get not only myself but also my cold-hating toddler sufficiently bundled up before walking the fifty feet to the car (and let me just be up front: when it’s -20 degrees outside, NO amount of bundling is sufficient), maybe it’s the anticipatory dread of having to do this next winter with TWO kids … I don’t know exactly, but I am just DONE with this cold crap. Human beings are not meant to live in this climate! I think this must be added to my REJECT list for the year. Cold: I reject it.
Posted onJanuary 2, 2009|Comments Off on This just in: The birds at our birdfeeder are retarded.
We don’t get the pretty, showy birds at our feeder; it’s more of a proletariat smorgasbord of miscellaneous sparrows and chickadees. Which, no biggie, they gotta eat, too, but sweet fancy MOSES, are they stupid. Here’s the pattern:
1. Assemble in branches of fir tree adjacent to feeder. 2. Swoop down en masse and lustily attack the feeder and often each other for about 5 seconds. 3. Get startled by the, um, NOTHING that is walking by, and feverishly flock back to the safety of the fir branches. For another 5 seconds. 4. Remember, hey! There’s food down there! For free! We should look into that! 5. Repeat steps 2-4 ad infinitum.
It is seriously giving the cat whiplash. Not being much of a bird person, I’m sure there could be some rational explanation for this, you’ll excuse the pun, flighty behavior, but for the life of me I can’t figure out what it would be.
Posted onJanuary 2, 2009|Comments Off on Good Riddance, 2008!
Looking back, I have to say that 2008 was not exactly a banner year. We had a break in and robbery, both cars broke down and had to be replaced, lots of pregnancy-related ill health, grandma going crazy and then dying – not to mention the economy going to hell and all kinds of political craziness. There were good things, of course – getting back in touch with old friends, my sister having her first baby, the Hatchling getting more and more interesting and fun(ny), satisfying projects around the house, etc. But overall, I’m not really sad to see the year go, you know?
Lately I try not to make uber-specific New Year’s resolutions on the principle that they just make me feel like a wanker when I don’t achieve them, but here are my sort of generalized ones:
1. Write more. In any area (blogging, academic, personal, etc.) 2. Keep working on being a more chill, zen-type person instead of the anxiety-ridden freakazoid that my genetic background wants me to be. 3. Find ways to enjoy being healthier. 4. Learn to say no without feeling guilty. 5. Breathe deeper and enjoy the ride.
Frankly, I’ll be happy if I can achieve (1) at any level. The rest is just gravy. How about you?
Oh, and a little post-Christmas cheer: here’s the Hatchling opening presents on Christmas Eve.
"Elise Robinson [that's me!] brings to the conversation her witty and joyful mix of academia and traditional theater into the context of 'communication.'"
