2-14-2012

I might be a holiday grinch, but my kids sure get into it and I can’t help but join in in some capacity :).  D made me a lego heart, and drew out a detailed set of directions on how to play the online game he’s been obsessing about the last few weeks.  Sharing the love :).  Rather ironic that the game is called Motherlode I think.  I’m trying to get into it, because he so badly wants to me to like it as much as he does!

I hope your day is a lovely one, and that your heart is full and your mind settled. Love to you all!

SaneMom

Monday Meme : Give Me 5?

Found this walking home from the park yesterday … had to laugh!I’ve been a little down and prone to navel-gazing lately, so decided to lighten up a bit today.  It is warmish and sunnyish after all, and while I might be hoping for a good foot of snow to play in, I’m not too bummed that I can still wear my flip-flops when I run to the corner store!

Five quick questions for you, in no particular order …

1. Current or most recent book read?

2. Right-handed or left?

3. Number of years you’ve been a mom?

4. Worst sickness/injury you’ve ever had?

5. Fictional character you most identify with?

Thanks, and happy Monday!

“As If” – The Limitlessness of Play (by Jocelyn)

I was fortunate enough to attend NYU for my MFA in Acting under the legendary theater director, Zelda Fichandler.  Zelda taught a class for the first years called, The Actor’s Space, which I later came to realize was an in-depth exploration into our Imagination. We created one-person shows which she called Universe Projects and performed them just for the other 17 members of our class and, of course, Zelda.  We learned intimacies about each other, in an instant of mime, mask or music that would have taken years to reveal, and which would make our work as an ensemble incredibly strong.  Every day there would be another brave sharing of personhood.  And ironically, the more specific the work, the more universally we all felt it.

And then the games began.  Zelda led us in the kind of theater games that rely on the trust an actor has in her ability to play. It was like a wonderful regression to kindergarten, where what you make-believe teaches you about the world and yourself, and you don’t even know it. 

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Laying Down My Wand Day ... is today!

Bridget has declared it so, and I like it. 

A day when we all kick back and appreciate that we are doing our best and that more often than not, our best is good enough. A day when we acknowledge all of those around us who are doing the same. One day a year where we proudly wear the crown of best wife, mother, daughter and friend. One when guys can be the best husband, father, son and friend. A day when we all make a secret pact to be happy with who we are. (And if we aren’t, we’ll promise to do better.)

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For the love of visitors ...

We’ve had family here for most of the last week, and it’s been delightful.  Cousins the same age to play together, and my sis all to myself!  Best kind of holiday/birthday present in my book.  I let my birthday slip by on Sunday with GF cayenne-chocolate cupcakes at the end of our holiday open-house, and that was all the recognition I wanted.  Breakfast in bed thanks to Douglas was a huge treat the next morning too!

The two yahoos in the pic above managed to compete each other into a frenzy of yes-no-yes-no-yes-no more times that I can count, but they do come by it honestly :).  Aside from party planning and cleaning and such, we did manage to make some forays out in the city to take a break from the massive Risk games and fort-building going on a home.

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Happy Hallowe'en!

The costumes have been finished for several days, which is a miracle.  Thanks to the storm that dumped 4 inches of snow on us on Saturday night, the festival in the park was postponed and then cancelled entirely when there were trees down everywhere.  Instead of that we had a nice quiet weekend, and now have fresh costumes to take around the neighborhood tonight! The grinch in me is glad we’re only going out once.  The boys both made their own costumes this year too, which is a first for Fynn, and a very welcome relief as things tend to get over elaborate in a hurry when a procrastinating artist or two get involved.  How does it happen in your household, or does it at all?  Did you wrestle kids into costumes before school this morning?  Do tell :)

 

Q of the Week : What's your song?

Becky and I at her partyOne of my SIL’s was in town this weekend, for what’s become her annual birthday bash at our place.  She’s slow but able to live on her own, and relishes her rare weekend in the city for many weeks before and afterwards.  Her tastes are simple, which makes it pretty easy to please her.  We always have plenty of Coors Light, steak, and Push It by Salt n Pepa.  I admit that my tolerance for the song grew after about the 12th repeat with the volume cranked, but perhaps I was just tuning it out?  I did truly enjoy her enjoyment of it though, and even did a little rocking to it myself while cooking dinner.  I’m not sorry the CD went back home with her however! It’s definitely her song.
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Q of the Week : Meme Monday!

Fynn in his dad’s latest foam creation, made for “Alien Day” at his art camp last week. I’ve got to keep it light today, fighting the blues and the heat here. 

Without further ado then …

1. Breakfast today?

2. Last book read?

3. Coffee or Tea?

4. Kept your last name or took your spouses?

5. Word you overuse a lot …

6. Oldest person you know personally?

7. Something you’re really good at …

Thanks for playing along!  Hope your week is looking good.  It’s my last one with only one kid here, we make our way up to NH (somehow) this coming weekend to pick him up! 

Q of the Week : Last time you really laughed?

Image courtesy of notashamed via FlickrI know I should be asking about summer plans, survival tips, and that kind of thing, but I want to know other things right now.  Google answered my most pressing question already tonight: How do you get cat pee out of a down comforter?“  Thankfully I have a laundromat right around the corner, and made a mini-date with Fynn out of the wash cycle part of it all.  We read both a crazy Italian folk tale about a girl with a goat-head, and details about the Roman Army’s weaponry and strategies, nice combo don’t you think?  Then I dropped him back at home and made the drying time into a date with myself and my current book.  A nice break from a pile of client work!
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Q of the Week : What's your personality type?

Off the deck of our hideaway this weekend … I had a great weekend.  Away from home and boys and peed-upon-toilet seats, in green hills with great friends, it was bliss.  I’ll recap it elsewhere to keep this Question short, but it involved a long whitewater rafting trip which I thoroughly enjoyed and am still aching from.  The funny thing was at least 4 of the 6 of us in the boat were Type A personalities, a lovely combination when shouting paddling instructions in the middle of a set of rapids!

If you’re not familiar with the A/B/C/D method of categorizing folks, the details are here, and I’ve included brief summaries below, courtesy of M.Farouk Radwan, MSc.  It’s a very general way of looking at things, but fun and sometimes handy if you end up clashing with a friend.  We got along well this weekend though, despite ourselves!

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The New Bugaboo Jacka**… er, Donkey (guest post from Jenny)

My daughter is now nine, so admittedly I haven’t had to think about strollers for years. However, I remember the hunt well.

I must have gone through three different varieties of stroller before hitting the one that worked (and it wasn’t flawless, it just worked well).  As a mother-to-be, I registered for what everyone told me was the single “best” stroller on the market: a fully loaded Peg Perego.  This monster was supposed to last Anna from infancy onwards, but it didn’t work out that way.  Despite the fancy detachable infant seat, the huge wheels (like a 16-wheeler for babies, it was), and the frame that wouldn’t have budged during an F4 tornado, the Peg was an epic fail.  Anna hated the seat and screamed in it the majority of the time; the seat seemed a bit stubborn to “click” in and out of the car.  That sturdy frame needed both hands to manage.  And there was this particularly memorable moment in a mall parking lot when it refused to fold.

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Tuesday Ten

Just re-found this pic, it’s been 10 years since this was printed, and I’m no longer a member, but I still barefoot whenever I can get away with it! The weather is looking mighty good for such things, I have to say. I’m borrowing directly from Kizz over at 117 Hudson today, and posting a list.  A random list.  For some reason I can’t seem to focus enough to write anything else, so here you go …

  1. I’m going out tonight to see this movie, and I’m looking forward to the venue, the company, and the subject matter.  I’m sure I’ll come home touched, and probably stuffed too if I can find some good GF food in the area. 
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Q of the Week : (Manic) Meme Monday

Last year’s magnolia gorgeousness …Quick one here, it’s almost noon and I don’t have much time before the boys clamor for lunch.  Yes, I’m running behind (go figure!) so a quick post on my end means you can answer in 5 words.  I’ll make it a wee bit more interesting by telling you why I’m asking these questions.

Ready?

Go!

1.  Favorite flower?  … because Fynn spent his entire cello lesson this morning staring out the window at the magnolia tree which is about to burst into full bloom

2.  Last time you ate chocolate? … I had my frequent late-night snack last night of a tiny dish of peanut butter, with a dab of butter, a drip of honey, and a not-so-tiny sprinkling of chocolate chips on top.  mmmm.

3.  Mood right now? … mine changes so fast it’s not funny, and I’m struggling with crabby frustration but want to let it go. 

4.  What hurts? … I tripped and fell while running yesterday, scraping up my hands and knees pretty well.  Fared better than Darah though, who fell off her bike last night and lost some teeth, broke her jaw, fractured her skull, and more! Please send some healing thoughts/prayers her way.  Ouch!

5.  Word for today?  … I just picked one, because I need it.  It’s RELAX. 

Thanks for playing!

Q of the Week : What are your favorite family games?

It’s been a gut-wrenching few days, hasn’t it?  With the news from Japan continuing to get worse, it’s hard to balance reactions to it all with daily life here.  I mused on that subject here on the weekend, and don’t have any more words to share on it yet other than love, prayers, and thoughts going out to all those affected.  It’s hard not to feel guilty for being healthy and safe here though. 

A recent Cranium duel between the boys … The question this week is a light one, and something that our boys are getting more and more interested in.  What games do you play together?  We tend towards board games, as they’re what we all enjoy.  The only game system we have is the Playstation, and it’s not something we can all play together, nor am I particularly into Lego StarWars tricks and techniques!  We’re not all frisbee or sports fans, so our outdoor play tends a lot more towards building stuff together, or the occasional random ball/stick battle in the back yard. 

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Pop Quiz!

… with no wrong answers of course.  And I just wiped peanut butter and honey on my keyboard, because I’m trying to eat breakfast while I blog so that I can get a quick run in before Michael leaves for work.  Moving (stickily) right along …

Quick set of questions today for the first Q of the Week for 2011, because we’re all getting back into the “real world” of non-holiday schedules and life, and I haven’t written the real post yet that’s been percolating in my head for a few days.  Answers can be short and sweet.  Here goes …

1.  2010 was the year I …

2.  This year I hope/resolve to …

3.  We have ___ pets in our house. 

Ok, that last one is really random but I do want to know.  We’re about to add a cat back into the mix here, along with the wee turtle who finally was given the name Sloop yesterday, and I’m curious how many critters you share your home/life with.  Other than the ones who call you Mom, of course :). 

Last thing … that new header image up there?  My front yard the day after the storm, showing just the tip of the fence peeking out.  Sadly it’s almost all melted :(.

Happy Monday!

Eclipse Tonight ...

Image courtesy of DJMcCready via Flickr.There’s a total lunar eclipse coming tonight, and the full details for North America and the GMT time zone are here. A brief outline is below, excerpeted from the MrEclipse.com site. 

A total eclipse of the Moon occurs during the early morning hours of December 21, 2010 (for observers in western North America and Hawaii, the eclipse actually begins on the evening of December 20). The entire event is visible from North America, Greenland and Iceland. Western Europe will see the beginning stages of the eclipse before moonset while western Asia will get the later stages after moonrise. During a total lunar eclipse, the Moon’s disk can take on a dramatically colorful appearance from bright orange to blood red and more rarely dark brown to very dark gray.

If I can wake my boys up, I’m going to give it a shot.  Just a heads up, it’s not something you see every day :).