Love is….making mommy laugh at bedtime…so, BOOM!
Happy Love Thursday, everyone….'cawse, it IS almost Friday….so, BOOM!
© 2010 This Full House – All Rights Reserved.
Category: Who’s Parenting Who?
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Viewing the World Through Frozen Side Mirrors
Most days, I wake up and, if my feet hit the floor and my head is still attached, then, it really doesn't take much to convince myself that, YES, half the battle is actually getting out of bed and HOORAH! but, it's gonna be a good day…DAMMIT!
Until, it's time to leave the house.
"Why IS it so hard to make a left turn!?!?"
Then, I remembered.
"Oh yeah, 'cawse I live in Jersey!"
Is it just me, along with perhaps the rest of the Eastern seaboard, STILL digging out of one of the snowiest winter's in, well, recorded history (yeah, I'm looking at you, Washington, D.C.) or, has Snowmageddon (or, as I've come to call it, Snowpocalypse) frozen everyone's nice buttons, shut?
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On A Long Winter’s Night
And the snow began to fall…aaaaand, fall…school was closed…the next day, too. Then, ALL the lights went out.
"GAAAAAAH!"
Aaaaand, DAYUM, it was dark.
"Don't NOBODY move!"
The sort of inky gloom that makes a person lose all sense of good grammar, too.
"Do we have any candles?"
Is the Pope, well, whatever.
[click, click, click, click]
"I'm cold…I have to go to the bathroom…I'm scared…I'm hungry!"
It's hard, you know? Living in the suburbs.
"Whatever you do, do NOT open that fridge!"
Minutes. Hours. Days. Weeks. Time stops, in the dark.
"Okay, who blew out the candles?"
Like moths to a flame, they just can't help themselves.
"Are we gonna freeze…can we flush the toilet…are we gonna die…do we have enough food?
[click, click, click, click]
"Everyone, close your eyes, take a deep breath and relax."
[whoosh]
"Okay, who blew out the candles?"
Honestly, I don't know how the pioneers did it.
"Um…wait…wait…I got one!"
It's hard, you know? Playing charades…in the dark, inky, gloom.
"No, it's MY turn!"
Minutes. Hours. Days. Weeks. Can cabin fever kill?
[flash, blink, blink, zap]
"POWER'S BACK!"
Aaaand, DAYUM, just in time, too.
"QUICK, turn the lights out AGAIN!"
[ZAP!]
"GAAAAAAH!"
Of course, pioneer parents probably would have agreed that playing head games on your kids is really quite fun.
"Don't NOBODY move!"
Or, perhaps if they had really good timing AND quick access to the circuit breakers, they probably would…I mean.
FWAHMP!
"Okay, who blew one?"
Stupid snowpocalypse!
© 2010 This Full House – All Rights Reserved.
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Love Thursday: Quiet Time
Love is….finding a quiet moment.
Happy Love Thursday, everyone. May you find yourself…a little quiet time.
If all else fails, tell your kids (or, whoever) that you are giving yourself a time-out, today.
‘Cawse, I said so!
© 2010 This Full House – All Rights Reserved.
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It’s Called Word-of-Mouth AND Drive-by Mothering
Can you judge a mother by her shopping cart…in MY case, ABSOLUTELY…go right ahead…I triple-dog dare you!
If you were to ask me, years ago — before blocking the MTV channel and searching for un-holey jeans at Hot Topic ruled my world — what I disliked most about being a mom, I would have answered, without hesitation:
"Answering to other moms!"
Although, having to explain myself…to anyone…is STILL really hard — especially, without relying on cocktails, or the use of visual aids — living a fishbowl existence and swimming along with the same old school of thought, day after day, is even harder.
"Oh, just LOOK at how SHE is dressed…I would NEVER let my little Muffy wear black, EVUH!"
No flaming. I understand. Maybe even have told Buffy (you know, Muffy's mom) that we went through something similar. However, today, I would totally see Buffy's point and perhaps raise her an opinion…
"Oh, she's just expressing herself."
…or, two.
"But, absolutely NO belly button piercings until at least 17!"
Point being (I really do have one, I think) I find myself relying A LOT more on, you know, what OTHER moms are saying.
"Hi Liz, just wanted to let you know that, you know, cookie orders are due."
Yeah, it's girl scout cookie order time (AGAIN!) and I knew, that my youngest girl's leader knew, that I was supposed to hand those in, like, a week ago.
"I hate being THAT mom!"
[silence]
Because, my father-in-law drops Hope off and I don't even see, talk, or hear anything from any of the girl scout families, anymore, since picking up the afternoon/evening shift at work.
"You know, the one who forgets EVERYTHING!?!?"
[very awkward silence]
"I'll drop it off, during pick ups, today."
Even though, I don't really know whether I'm dropping off, or picking up, unless another mom, you know, texts me.
"Hey, isn't that my girl scout leader's car?"
Why, yes, yes it was AND she's stopping to talk to me…uh-oh…right here…in the middle…of traffic!
[rolls down driver's side window]
"Heh, good timing, did you stop by my house, yet?"
Then, I realized something (besides the fact that my oldest must have put the cookie order into my tote, I mean) after 16 years of raising kids (and killer dust bunnies) it doesn't matter.
[passes cookie order through window]
"Here ya' go!"
I still have NOT learned to, you know, get over myself!
"Well, that worked out well, didn't it?"
At the end of the day, no matter how crazy it gets, or how absolutely awful I feel, somehow, it really does NOT matter.
"I'll be seeing you."
At least, my being able to admit that…YES!…I am THAT mom….hopefully, helps other moms see that, no matter, we ALL come together, in the end.
"Hopefully, sometime soon!"
Aaaand, if not, don't worry, I'm on YOUR side AND I'm pretty sure, with my help, other folks will understand, too – especially, if you ARE a mother!
[fast-forward to CVS, last night]
"Muffy is at her Valentine's Day party at girl scouts, tonight!"
It's like the mother of all barking chains, really.
"Wow, well, Hope has hers tomorrow, so I guess I'd better check my email, then, huh?"
Stupid girl scouts!
© 2010 This Full House – All Rights Reserved.
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Yes I am Wearing Red for Women AND Men!!!
It is National Wear Red Day 2010 in support for the Go Red For Women movement.
Yes, I am wearing red. I happen to like the color (A LOT) but, it's a simple and powerful way to help raise awareness of heart disease and stroke.
But, what about men?
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States:
"About every 25 seconds, an American will have a coronary event."
Aaaaand, I asked my kids to wear red (if they had something clean, I mean) NOT just because I happen to like the color (A LOT) either.
"Doesn't Uncle Bradi have heart disease?"
No, but my twin brother is ALSO fighting something just as deadly.
"You mean, Farah Fawcett type of cancer?"
Kids today, you know, they talk AND they have a very keen sense of perception – especially, standing in the check out lane at the grocery store.
"No, sweetie, but he's fighting really hard, like your Papa, too."
My children are well aware of the terrible effects of heart disease,
with a bird's eye view from their stroller(s), while seeing my father
through one life-saving procedure after another.Thanks to his doctors, surgeons and my mother's valiant attempts at
maintaining a healthy lifestyle, by keeping his diabetes in check, as
well, my father has been beating back the effects of heart disease for
quite a few years, now.[knocking on wood until knuckles bleed]
So, yeah, I'm wearing red.
"Is your, or my heart bad, too?"
Aaaand, NOT because I think I'm someone special.
"No, I don't think so, sweetie."
But, my kids sure do.
"That's okay, I like red."
I know.
"It looks good on you!"
Yes, I am wearing red.
"Aaaand, I love my Papa!"
Especially, for him…too…GO RED!!!
© 2010 This Full House – All Rights Reserved.
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Wordless Wednesday: 365 Days – Just Another Sick Day
Another snapshot courtesy of my 365 Days microblog project — where I'm taking a self-imposed timeout, every day, to post wordless (you're welcome!)
Check out the Official Wordless Wednesday HQ
Tag, you're it: Wordless WednesdayAlso, I'm letting it ALL hang out on Flickr
© 2010 This Full House - All Rights Reserved.
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You Can Haz “Flawz!”
See that really pretty girl, up there? Well, her name is Caitlin Crosby and she is a singer-songwriter in her twenties.
Yeah, I don't remember what it was like…either.
However, raising 1 tween and 2 teenage girls (no, I haven't forgotten about the boy) who fight with image issues, as early as the 2nd grade (yeah, I know!) aaaand then…every…blessed…day…for the rest of their lives…well, it IS slowly (and painfully) coming back to me.
"Oh great, another pop tart!"
Being a mom (or dad) is hard (understatement of the year) but, IMO, parenting teens and tweens, at an age when female performers are advertising "sexy" as the new "sixteen," or "sexteen," if you will, well, my life IS downright rock-like.
Then again, us parenting-types haz flawz…too…aaaand, I'm not just talking about sagging breasts, or laugh lines, that continue running down, right to my butt, either!
[allows time for a mental etch-a-sketch]
Caitlin created a home-made and moving video highlighting all people from all walks of life embracing (and loving) who they are.
So, while I try to convince a couple of appliance delivery dudes that, "YES, you got the right house," and "I'LL MAKE IT FIT, DAMMIT!" please feel to grab a beverage and take a moment to watch (and listen to) FLAWZ:
Color me optimistic (or a little naive, even) but, I really like the message in Caitlin's new video (not to mention, her bangin' voice) and, well, maybe, juuuuust maybe, there IS hope for us parenting-types, too!
FLAWZ and all!
© 2010 This Full House - All Rights Reserved.
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Nearly Wordless Wednesday: Yes, I Lie Like a Rug, My Name SHOULD Be Matt!
Been working A LOT of hours, lately (SHOULD be feeling blessed, I know) younger kids are feeling ornery (no, I don't blame them) older kids been picking up the slack (thanks, you guys) and, well, let's just say I've pretty much blown any chance (as if, I were even close to being, you know, in the running) of winning "Mother of the Year," after both my 8 and 10 year-olds announced:
"Things are just not the same, since you went back to work!"
[shot to the heart]
You know when I said that it's a mother's right to decide what works best for her family? Well, I lied! Like a rug! It is so not THAT easy.
"Can't we just go back to the way it used to be?"
[salt to the wound]
So, for your viewing pleasure, courtesy of a blast from my blogging past, I present to you Dancing Matt 2008!
[Note: Includes really awesome music and feel free to go and grab a beverage — it is SO worth watching all the way through — oh, and I triple dog-dare you NOT to smile!]
Thanks for the dance, Buzz and (if you find yourself all, like, "Who the hell are you?") you just can call me, Matt!
Check out the Official Wordless Wednesday HQ
Tag, you're it: Wordless Wednesday© 2010 This Full House - All Rights Reserved.
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11 Things I Learned, Raising a ManChild
Happy 11th Birthday to my ManChild and…NO!…I did NOT let your sisters color their hair…until they were in middle school, anyways and…YES!…I am well aware of the fact that you are now in the 5th grade!
[checks calendar]
So, you know, you can always try me again, next year.
P.S. I love you!
© 2010 This Full House – All Rights Reserved.