I have always been the type of person who has found solace and excitement in the outdoors. When I was a kid, I loved going fishing with my grandfather and swimming in the ocean. After I moved to the West Coast I got into a lot of recreational hiking. These days it's harder to do some of these things with the baby, but it's exciting to start to be able to share this stuff with my older son. I can't wait until both of the kids are old enough to do things like kayaking or camping. --read more >>

First of all, let me apologize for being so AWOL this summer. We just got back from a nice long working vacation in the Pacific Northwest at DH's family cabin and I am SO SAD to be here! It was so nice to be in a climate where you can actually go outside - during the day - in the summertime - and be active without wilting from heat or humidity. Here in So Cal we've been living inside a dark house with the blinds drawn and the air on for months now. Like lizards in the desert. I love summer, and to me this is so depressing. --read more >>

DH just got back from dropping ds off at preschool and told me that his teacher passed away over the weekend. Mrs. V just left the school three weeks ago, when she was diagnosed with stomach cancer, so this is all a bit unreal to me. She had just started chemo. --read more >>

This morning ds approached me with a Wattsamatta U ribbon from his Bullwinkle doll. With great ceremony, he announced, "We are going to give this to you. Mommy, you won 'Mother In The World, Best Skier". He attached it to my shirt with a piece of Scotch tape, then did a little march around the room. I have been wearing it all day.

I just wanted to share my award with all of you mamas. I could not have done it without you.

XO

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/15/magazine/15parenting-t.html?pagewanted...--read more >>

As a SAHD, DH is often taking the boys out to local playgrounds, parks and whatnot. He says he gets a fair share of weird looks from random moms and other women when he's out and about, in addition to frequent comments on his judgement, i.e. women telling him that our kids aren't dressed right or "are you sure he doesn't need a hat"? etc. When people hit me with the unsolicited advice I usually hit them back with a snarky comeback, but he's the type who just smiles and takes things in stride.--read more >>

Yesterday there was a pretty serious car accident right in front of my house. A 19 y/o high school senior lost control of her car. I think her engine died on her while she was starting the car - we live on a really steep hill - and her car started rolling backward down the hill really fast with her sitting behind the wheel. It sideswiped DH's truck, came up on our sidewalk, smacked into a boulder at the edge of our driveway, caught air, hit our neighbor's tree about 6 feet from the ground, fell into our neighbor's driveway and totaled his car.--read more >>

A couple of years ago I was fortunate to spend a Mother's Day with all of the women I consider mothers, in one way or another. Ever since then, I make it a point to make a little toast to them each Mother's Day, wherever they are. So here goes...

To my mom: In spite of our differences, I love you and love that we learn from each other every day of our lives.

To my grandmother: Thank you for being my kindred spirit and for showing me the magic in life. Thank you for sticking up for me when no one else did. --read more >>

I really hate it when my kids are sick. As it is it feels like I am getting through my days like MacGyver - a little scotch tape here, a bent paper clip there that is keeping everything from falling apart. When one or both of them gets sick everything does fall apart. Bills don't get paid. Laundry doesn't get done. Calls don't get returned.--read more >>

This stupid little thing happened among friends, and it has been bugging me for weeks. DH thinks I'm completely blowing it out of proportion, and he's probably right. But I'm curious to see whether anyone out there understands my perspective, or if I'm just completely out of line here.--read more >>

In no particular order, except for #1, which is truly #1:

1. My bf. Who took me to a spa yesterday afternoon to celebrate my birthday a few weeks back. She is awesome and has always been a wonderfully supportive friend. I love her!

2. Ds pulled up a geranium today by its roots, ran it into the house and deposited it in my lap. "Mommy, I picked you a flower!" Yes, you did.

3. Hot showers and toilet paper. Two things I never take for granted, ever.--read more >>

You know you're a mama when...
your babe gives you pinkeye for your birthday.
you walk into a room and see a lizard sunning itself on a stuffed Elmo doll.
you open your cereal cabinet and 23 tiny rubber tires land on your head.

And...the quote of the week:
"There's nothing wrong with you that a maraca can't fix."

No one takes care of mama. --read more >>

OK, so I know it's tomorrow...but was in the mood to share some of my more notable V-Day memories. So funny how this one day can stir up so much shit.

2nd grade: For the first time ever a little boy has a crush on me. He gives me a heart filled with chocolates in front of the whole class. The one in the center is wrapped in gold foil and has coconut in the middle. He cries when he finds out that I'm allergic to nuts. I give him a kiss on the cheek and eat all of the other candies. It is the nicest Valentine's Day I will ever have, and I still remember that boy and how cute he was. --read more >>

Being that I usually post on here to complain about something, I figured it's about time for a little gratitude. Here they are, in no particular order:

1. My second cousins. All of my first cousins are guys, but I have some awesome female second cousins. We're getting to know each other better as adults and they are just great women.

2. My kids. They are getting to ages where they are starting to play together now, and I love to see how happy they get when they see each other.--read more >>

DH and I just got into it again. This time I am not even sure why. It was over our stupid annual photo holiday card. Every year he preps the photo before we send it in to T*rget or wherever. He's a designer, so he's really picky about the photo composition, the light, etc. --read more >>

The little guy is teething. Up all night squirming and crying teething. Biting while nursing teething. Nothing works. Nothing helps. Nobody is sleeping here or has been for days.

I have a big job due this week. I have to write something eight pages long in elaborate bullshit business speak by end of day tomorrow. I haven't even started it. I can't fucking think. I am staring at the computer right now with big red eyes and black circles underneath, with a giant mug of coffee steaming up into my face and I can barely string a sentence together. --read more >>

We live in a pretty naked-friendly household. Not like we walk around naked all the time, but it's a bathroom-door-open-while-we're-pooping household (for better or for worse!) Ds hangs out with us while we get dressed and occasionally will take a shower with DH or me, if we all haven't showered for the day and it's 8:00 at night or something. We don't hang out and read the newspaper in the nude or anything, but we generally don't close doors or make him "keep out" if we're getting dressed or getting in or out of the shower. --read more >>

I am sick to death of my DH and his bad attitude. This guy has been in a bad mood for what seems like two years. I can pretty much trace it back to the time when I started getting really busy with work, when he had to start filling in more as a SAHD. We have a sort of unorthodox division of labor in that we are both freelancers who work from home. My older son is 3 and is in part-time preschool. My younger one is 5 mos old.--read more >>

Yay! One of my best friends has just started labor (OK, well since 4am) with her first baby! If anyone has some spare vibes, I want to send 'em her way for a safe & speedy labor!

I usually get along pretty well with my parents. I really do. But it seems lately like there's an increasingly wide rift between what they consider to be acceptable parenting, and the way I have chosen to do things. Which I guess is normal. What's pissing me off is that they're starting to go off on me about it, which I find extremely disrespectful.--read more >>

So today ds starts his second preschool in two weeks, and I hope everything goes OK for him. We had to do some fancy footwork last week. I had enrolled him at a place kind of far from our house, but close to the day care where he'd gone before (and where I was planning to send the baby when he's older). --read more >>

Hi there. Sorry I haven't blogged in a while! I just turned around and realized that the summer is gone, my baby is three months old now and the only way I can account for the last three months is in the poundage my chunky monkey has put on since I gave birth to him! Good to know that my breasts are working this time...--read more >>

So I went to see my midwife yesterday for my 38 week checkup, and apparently I'm 3cm. Gaah!--read more >>

Does anyone else have this problem? We just had my cousin and her husband over for Easter last weekend, and I was reminded once again of how annoyed I get whenever we entertain - or go to a party at someone else's house. Or do anything social with other people.

DH does this thing where he goes ahead and relaxes, lets down his hair, catches a good buzz...and prompts forgets that he has a small child, or that he is in charge of cooking part of the meal, or cleaning up, or anything remotely like responsibility. --read more >>