Month: June 2010 (Page 1 of 2)

I had some down time today while the chillins were napping in the hotel room, so I did some perusing of what the rest of the world calls “real” bloggers (funny… aren’t bloggers simply amateur writers? so by definition I’m an (aspiring) amateur version of an amateur writer? Sounds like I’m quite, um, green). I made a few observations.

A) All kinds of give-a-ways. $50 gift cards, store credit, books, movies and ipads. I have none of these things. I suppose, after doing a brief inventory, I have these to give away: an old hutch (given to me from an older couple. It was secondhand when they received it 30+ years proir); a treadmill (which may or may not be owned by my parents and given to one of their friends, but since it’s still sitting in my florida room I think it’s fair game); an ice cream scoop (at last count we have 5); a partially used box of bakers chocolate (at last count we have 3); and a sign that says “beware of pickpockets and loose women” (this is hanging in the husband’s garage but I hate the thing and would be willing to give it away).

B) All kinds of free stuff for the blogger! If enough people read, random companies will just fill a blogger’s mailbox full of goodies in the hopes that said blogger will write something complementary about it. I’ve read bloggers who’ve received fancy yarns, clothes, soap, makeup, lotion, papers, crafting items, baking tools… it’s amazing! Now, I’ve mentioned before about my lack of fashionability: consider it an open invitation!

C) And in the vein of selling things… lots o’ ads. So far no one is paying me anything to write words of brilliance. Perhaps I need to find a subject area that includes a problem in which a specific product would solve it. Then the owners of the product company would pay me millions.

D) And lots of these bloggers are quite social; joining blog rings, going to conferences (seriously, who pays them so much money that they go to CONFERENCES!?). Some have a social conscience as well, advertising causes and npo’s. Nifty little box ads and everything.

E) And the number one thing these real bloggers have? Readers. Novel idea.

Well, at least I can work on making things pretty (which, btw, I recommend the Google Picasa photo editor). Then I’ll work on just gathering topics that are a bit more interesting than spying on the rest of the bloggy world.

Until then…

The husband has informed me that I’m a failure of a mother when it comes to notating when our children have reached certain milestones, i.e. first tooth, sleeping well, walking… I can’t go back in time to take notes on H-boy, but I can attempt to commemorate from here on out. Generally I resort to “about 3 months” when people ask about the early markers for H, as JME will attest. But we can capture what we’re good at today:

H-Boy (19 months)
Doing a pretty good job running. Cute little hip sway when he does. Learning how to jump but hasn’t quite got his feet off the ground.
Words: Mommy, Daddy, doggie, puppy, ducky, bobby (we’re not sure who bobby is. “baby” maybe?), “moo” for cow, uh-oh, yes, no, “shhhh” (when we tell him “sister’s sleeping) and just today: Kroger. You can hear him working on other words, we just haven’t figured them out yet – I think there was a “monkey” the other day.
Signs: more, help, all done, please, eat, milk, banana, cheese, thank you, water
Loves: baths & being naked, wrestling with daddy, watching out for sister, blowing kisses when we leave, wrestling with the dogs, riding the “tractor” (mower), digging in dirt and mulch, and the playground, shoveling (sand, water or beans).
Favorite toys: balls, cups, buckets, shovels, sticks. 
He also loves to show his belly or tell where his ear, nose, tongue and eyes are when asked. 
Sings “E-I-E-I” (no O) with Old MacDonald
Signs with Twinkle Twinkle little star
Claps with If You’re Happy and You Know It.

Miss M (10 weeks old)
Sleeping much better, only getting up between 2-3am and again for the day at 6-7am.
Super eater.
Smiles and laughs, lots of coos
Likes to bounce & jiggle to go to sleep, sleeps on her belly.
Ticklish toes!
Holds her head up like a pro
Has started to straighten legs as to stand

There we go. Now I’m fit for children. I’ll have to print this off and put it in their (incomplete) baby books.

After bringing home the class hampster in 2nd grade, I ended up on the couch for a week unable to breathe. Turns out I had a tad of asthma, mostly in conjunction with my allergies. Get the wrong kind of mammal hair floating around me and I was gasping and wheezing like an 80-year-old chain smoker. But in general, it wasn’t something that hampered my daily life.

Except gym class. At that point of elementary life, I hated to run. The most probable reason is because of my lack of zip, but I’m sure general laziness lent a good supporting role. And, let’s be honest: if you’re looking for natural athleticism, you’re looking toward the wrong sister (though you ARE reading the words of the 4th grade Stay Healthy Get Fit award. Yep, I won a basketball. Cling to what is good, my friends!). So in my lack of zeal for laps, I continually reminded my gym teacher that I had asthma and can’t breathe, so I can’t run that far. She was wise and knew with whom to pick an argument, so she let me run 2 rather than 3 laps. I win.

But if you want the honest truth, I had a flaw a bit deeper (I know, you’re gasping with surprise that I have a flaw, but I tell you, it’s true!). I felt I was special. I had a condition that excused me from the troubles that all the other 2nd graders were facing, such as those pesky 3rd laps. I mean, why should I be bothered by such short-of-breath-ness?

What I wish Mrs. McKinley would’ve told me was that tiredness and lack-of-breath just come with running. And sometimes, running is just part of the coursework. Some like it, some do it because they have to, and no one is being held to a speed criteria. You just have to finish. Heck, there aren’t even extra points for good form. I’ve only known one “B” in phys ed (the girl who was co-valedictorian with me) and it didn’t even count toward the GPA (I still feel cheated).

There’s a temptation out there to try to find the get-out-of-havoc-of-life-free card. Something gave us this false sense that in our day-to-day, frustrations shouldn’t exist. Tired? How can I be tired? Well, perhaps from living. Work, family, dishes piling up in the sink – it takes energy from you. It’s a fact of life. No one is waltzing through this world without a stress or two.

So, to those who feel that the last lap just isn’t for them, I say buckle down. Man up. I’m sure you can find a doctor out there to put a name to your condition, but life is still going to cause you to get out of breath. And hear me correctly: I’m not saying “get over it.” Some things in life you don’t “get over”. But push through. Because at the end of the day, you still have to pay the bills, love your kids and do the dishes. It’s part of the coursework.