This Full House Archive

Tag: mombloggers

Aaaand a Very Happy Motherversary to Me, My Friend!

Happy 17th Birthday, Holly!

I remember the first time I saw your round little face. I stroked your tiny fingers, one by one, tracing a path along your elbow, then across the funny little folds in your neck and finally found my way up to the most perfect pair of lips I had ever seen.

I tickled you. You wrinkled your nose. I noticed your dimple (only one, it's still there, on your left cheek) and then I fell in love with the idea of holding you…my…baby…girl…forever and ever.

I never imagined, all those hours, days, weeks, months, years ago, that you would grow up and, well, look at you now.

But, now, I can't help and wonder, STILL.

Did I hold you enough? Maybe I should have let you climb the monkey bars, higher? Did I not feed you enough vegetables? Maybe I should have let you stay in your crib a little longer? Did I give you enough attention? Maybe I should have waited a year, or two? DAMMIT! Did I love you enough?

Then, again, you ARE seventeen.

"How do I look?"

As I watch you, right now, deciding on exactly which outfit to wear, on your birthday, all the shoulda, coulda, just doesn't seem to matter, as much, anymore.

"You look beautiful!"

Because, you ARE seventeen!

"Wait, my butt doesn't sag…does it?"

Seventeen years ago, at about 4:30 in the morning, a new mother was born and, although, there are days when I can't help but miss that sweet little baby girl (one beat, two beats) it seems I have also made a brand new friend.

"Honey, you're seventeen, your butt does NOT know how to sag."

Aaaand, you STILL wrinkle your nose when you laugh.

"I love you, mommy!"

Happy 17th Birthday, my sweet baby girl; my friend!

© 2010 This Full House Blog / TFH Gone Shopping

Updated to Add: Here's the first "Happy Birthday" blog post I wrote for Holly's 10th birthday, way back in 2003 — nice to see my writing style hasn't changed, um, much.

HW7XT5TRWUM2

November 12, 2010
Nearly Wordless Wednesday:
The Dance

My mother's baby sister, Aunt Theresa (holding me) her friend (holding my brother) my dad, my mom and Nagy Mama late spring, 1964.

04/30/52 – 11/02/10

My Aunt Theresa sass'nit up on the dance floor (with me) on my wedding day (August 25, 1990) whose last wish was to be buried in the same awesomely sassy dress, tomorrow.

Until we meet again…save me a dance, my sweet and awesomely sassy Keresztmama (Godmother, in Hungarian) you will be missed, never forgotten and forever loved for ALL your sassyness and more!!!

Forever yours, Sziszike.

Friggin' Diabetes.

© 2010 This Full House Blog / This Full House Gone Shopping

November 3, 2010
In Which I Discuss My Girly Bits in Manly Terms

[Source]

I went out to lunch with a mom friend, who also happens to be a pharmacist (don't have one, get one!) and it didn't take long for the conversation to turn all, you know, clinical.

"How about those hormonal replacement therapies, eh?"

I mean, it sort of goes with the territory. Besides, I'm a mom, she's a mom and you know you're a mom when you can comfortably discuss your entire reproductive system over a cobb salad, right?

"So, you're going forward with the edometrial ablation?"

What? Oh. Sorry. But, it felt SO GREAT to be able to FINALLY talk about this sort of…uh…stuff with someone who understands, or can empathize and not just in clinical terms, either.

Sort of like blogging.

There's something really very therapeutic about being able to, literally, write your way into a healthier state of mind, right?

Riiiiiiiight.

Which is probably the reason why my blog was voted #8 most confessional last year (anti-alpha mom, indeed!)

Still. At the risk of sliding into the #1 spot in 2010 (congratulations, Mir!) I'd like to continue discussing the trouble with my girly bits in the most manly way I know how.

In mechanical terms.

[cracks knuckles]

Ready?

Last 5 Years:

I've been experiencing brief instances of heavy load and sudden acceleration and, for fear of causing any further internal engine damage, I thought it was indeed way passed time for a professional assessment.

2 Weeks Ago:

A brief, superficial inspection under the hood confirmed a breach in the combustion chamber and carbon build up on the outside of the engine wall.

It was determined that additional performance-related diagnostic information was required.

Last Week:

Diagnostics further determined that the engine crankcase was crammed and required pressure relief; the sooner, the better.

Today:

However, to be sure that the flame arrester is operable (in case of backfire, we wouldn't want the flame in the intake to spread to the crankcase) they're going to scrape carbon off the pistons for further analysis.

Prognosis:

Diagnostics should be available in a couple of weeks, when further assessment will be made as to whether the flame has NOT spread to the crankcase, in which firing the exhaust tip (as scheduled for later next month) should alleviate the problem, or else a complete removal of the crank shaft and/or power wash of the engine is highly recommended.

But, that's between me and my mom mechanic.

[hands over dessert menu]

You're welcome!!!

© 2010 This Full House Blog / TFH Gone Shopping

October 25, 2010
Wordless Wednesday:
A-Maize-ing

No, you are most certainly NOT almost as tall as the corn…DAMMIT?!?

Taken with my cell phone. Imagine what I could do with a REAL camera? Yeah, I'm looking at you, Garth (not his real name!)

Check out the Official Wordless Wednesday HQ
Tag, you're it: Wordless Wednesday

© 2010 This Full House Blog / This Full House Gone Shopping

October 20, 2010
I See a Gray Hair
And I Want to Dye it Black!

So, I did — aaaaand chopped it ALL off, too — 'cawse, us forty-something-or-another moms are edgy and totally reckless like that.

AM SO!

LINKY LOVE BYTES:

Check out the Official Wordless Wednesday HQ

Wordless Wednesday on 5 Minutes for Mom

Tag,
you're it: Wordless Wednesday

© 2010 This
Full House Blog / This Full House Gone Shopping

October 6, 2010
Breast Cancer Awareness Month:
Happy Army of Women Day!

I have a confession to make (don't worry, no bodily fluids are involved!) okay, ready?

It's been 5 years since my last check-up!

It's true. You see, I've been busy. Participating in blogging projects, or reminding families (like mine) to think pink; but, could only watch, hope and pray, while my twin brother fought valiantly and gave up one of kidneys, in order to win his battle with cancer; last month, I sat next to my SIL's hospital bed, held her hand and prayed some more.

No, I am NOT proud of the fact that I have, once again, put my health and well-being…last.

Then, yesterday, I read WhyMommy's post calling on women (like me) to use our blogging powers for good and it moved me to action:

I'm asking you to join the Avon/Love Army of Women
fighting breast cancer by signing up for emails about future studies,
and participating in easy, online studies or studies in your hometown
when something applies to you — and to blog about your decision, asking your readers to as well.

Okay, now it's your turn — don’t have a blog? No problem! You can still TAKE ACTION by updating your Facebook status on October 1st with the following:

“I
signed up to STOP breast cancer before it STARTS. Have you? Join today
at http://www.armyofwomen.org, then copy and paste this status update
as your own.”

Why?

Because, nice matters and cancer sucks big, fat, hairy donkey balls!

Me?

I have an appointment for next Thursday. Thank you, Susan!

© 2010 This
Full House Blog / This Full House Gone Shopping

October 1, 2010
If You Give a 14 Year-Old PlayDoh

Nope, you are NEVER too old for PlayDoh!

BONUS points if you can, uh, guess which 14 yo is, you know, mine?

LINKY LOVE BYTES:

Check out the Official Wordless Wednesday HQ

Wordless Wednesday on 5 Minutes for Mom

Tag,
you're it: Wordless Wednesday

© 2010 This
Full House Blog / This Full House Gone Shopping

September 29, 2010
Barefoot Parenting
(Pants ARE optional!)

Playing the concentration game, on the fitness trail, while being bombed with acorns by militant squirrels, it's a gift.

Balance. Either you have it, or you don't. Then again, maybe you're one of those people who, over the years, have taken one too many nose dives into the asphalt and learned to NOT over-complicate a situation by, you know, wearing shoes.

[sound of crickets chirping]

No? Okay. Perhaps you're one of THOSE people who stop, look back and are all like…WHOA!…did you see that?!? Then swear that it came straight out of the ground (whatever it was) grabbed you by the ankles and, you know, face meets asphalt, the end.

[cricket]

Allllllrighty then.

"Shouldn't you be wearing shoes?!?"

Me? I used to wear heels. Until, I had kids. Now, I have enough trouble strutting my stuff on the sidewalk (without falling down) or, maybe it's my bohemian roots, beginning show (among other, more grayish ones, I mean) and perhaps, I should just change my name to Agador Spartucus.

"Shoes make me fall down!"

Who knows? Since turning 40-something-or-another (closer to another, if you must know, DAMMIT!) maybe, I'm just getting back in tune with the earth (ahem!) like that hippie dude on Dual Survival and his…um…friend…who sort of remind me of an old married couple (cough!) with kids (cough, cough!) but, DAYUM if they don't make for entertaining television.

Hey. Hang on. There's a novel idea. Perhaps I should start evangelizing the benefits of "barefoot parenting!"

You know, I can be the minimalist and primitive skills expert, trained in counterbalanced living and suburban preparedness…like, yes, she's texting (AGAIN!) but, they ARE outside and what if one of them breaks an arm, or something, right?

With 17 years of combined tween and teenage survival experience…like, yes, he's wearing low rise, skinny-something-or-another…but…um…at least, he's NOT playing a video game, right?

Balance. It's ALL a matter of perspective. Sure, I can insist he pull his pants up (DAMMIT!) then again, this picture wouldn't be half as funny and, more importantly, just fade into yet another missed opportunity in increasing my "Break curfew again, bub and I'll show your girlfriend," arsenal, to boot!

"Um, mom?"

Maybe THEN the Discovery Channel will give me my OWN show!

"Mom?"

Aaaand, I will FINALLY get to go to an island!

"Mommy?"

Where no one cares who you are (or, aren't) where you are from (originally) and that you weigh more than what's on your driver's license (ahem) or, that you've worn white (AFTER Labor Day) with pink underwear (cough) and forgot to shave your legs, AGAIN!

"Mom?"

Oh, but there IS a bed (dogless, catless, hairless and MATCHING pillows) a VERY large bathroom (with a double sink) with room service (a sun-kissed-20-something-or-another with, dark eyes and a wicked tan) giving you undivided attention and an endless supply of fruity cocktails…FOR FREE!

"Mommy?"

Aaaand maybe then (and ONLY then) will the tired, frustrated and gravity-challenged parents of the world (like me) truly unite and achieve GREATNESS!!!

"Mooooommeeeee!"

[blink, blink]

"It's okay that you're driving in your pajamas, right?"

Except on Mondays, then ALL bets are off, DAMMIT!!!

© 2010 This
Full House Blog / This Full House Gone Shopping

September 13, 2010
September 11, 2010
The Names Continue

Originally published for the Imperfect Parent September 11, 2008 — republished here, as the reading of the names continue — I will never forget…

(more…)

September 11, 2010
Children of the REAL Jersey Shore
(Now with MORE zeppoles!)

Wake me up when Septemberrrrrr ends!

I love the beach this time of year. The fresh, salty air is a bit chillier, which makes the water seem much, much warmer and, well, most of the Bennies (i.e., the cast of the Jersey Shore, mostly, ironically enough) have ALL gone home.

"When was the last time we were at this beach, again?!?"

I get it. I was young, once (shuddup!) and could NOT wait for Friday nights, in the summer, when we'd head down the Parkway to Seaside Heights and/or Wildwood Crest and sneak into bars study the bible, ALL weekend long!

"I remember, Momma, it was when we showed Dana the ocean!"

I'd forgotten. Yeah, it really was the day we introduced my bloggy friend Dana to the ocean — she's from Wisconsin!

"Has it been THAT long?!?"

Sadly, my kids have outgrown Jenkinson's Boardwalk.

Glen's 1st trip to the boardwalk — Jenkinson's 1999

It really is just the right size for little ones; ALL tuckered out by nap time (me, too) and we'd be loooong gone by the time the Jersey Shore night life, you know, woke up.

"I thought that ride was SO MUCH bigger!"

Then, before you know it, YOUR kids meet the maximum 48 inches to ride and, well, you know, you can't go back.

"Can we get zeppoles?!?"

Yesterday, however, was a GREAT day to get out (considering, September also translates to, "school holiday," in Jersey!) and housewife is such an oxymoron, dontchathink?

Mmmmm….the view inside a big bag of zeppoles (pronounced as zep-poh-leez) or, fried dough, drowning in powdered sugar, if you're NOT from Jersey.

"Noooo, I want funnel cake!!!"

Mmmmm…of course…(or, auf-cawse, if you're from Jersey) there's ALWAYS room for funnel cake!!!

"Wanna eat it on the beach?!?"

Bet you did NOT know we had palm trees, or blue skies, here in Jersey, right? Are they real? You know, I really don't know.

"This was really an AWESOME day, Momma!"

What we DO know is that there's SO MUCH more to Jersey than what some reality t.v. shows would care to admit, sort of.

"Too bad you ran outta money for the rides!"

Of course, it most likely will not be the one that my kids remember but, let's NOT go there…just yet…m'kay!?!?

© 2010 This
Full House Blog / This Full House Gone Shopping

September 10, 2010