her favorite song used to be "Baby Beluga" by Raffi. Now our two oldest are enamored with the cast of High School Musical, downloading lyrics to sing along.. and here is our family top 3 hottest tunes we all sing:
1. "Big Butts" ("I like big butts and I cannot lie.." - a la Sir Mixalot
2. "None of Your Business" (Salt N Pepa)
3. "Tear in My Beer" (Hank Williams)
Yes, we are terrible parents apparently.
Friday, April 28, 2006
Wednesday, April 26, 2006
Thursday, April 13, 2006
Lucycle
She's turning 5 this weekend.. and has no idea that her Grandma and Grandpa from Ohio and Daddy and I went in on a new bike for her. It's pink, has pink streamers and hand brakes. She's going to LOVE it. (She's pretty fond of riding her bike - but she's outgrown the old, smaller one.)
She knows she's getting her American Girl doll (because she picked it out) from the other Grandma and Grandpa and us.. but she will be truly surprised by the cool new bike.
Now I know why parents spoil their kids. Because it's sooo much fun to look forward to their happy faces.
She knows she's getting her American Girl doll (because she picked it out) from the other Grandma and Grandpa and us.. but she will be truly surprised by the cool new bike.
Now I know why parents spoil their kids. Because it's sooo much fun to look forward to their happy faces.
Stop The Hate
So, this post is partially about how strongly I agree with the efforts of this web "clique": http://openmind.clemish.com/about.php
..and partially about how I cannot get over how hateful people are these days!
Seriously folks, it's getting so that I want to just stay in my house and not go out.
While I was in Chicago with Holly we went for lunch at a Thai place in sort of a strip mall location. As Holly was pulling into the parking spot (a right turn) the car behind her, impatient to pass her, pulled in between Holly and the parking spot! Yes, passed ON THE RIGHT, in a narrow parking lot lane AS WE WERE TURNING RIGHT.
I have NO idea how this chick didn't hit Holly's VW with her stupid SUV. Had she hit us, it would have been ME that she creamed. (And she was driving WAY too fast for a parking lot.) Both Holly and I had a mini heart attack and then thought REALLY hard about walking the oh, ten parking spaces up where she parked in front of the "Get Fake Nails" salon and letting all the air out of her tires.
What, she couldn't wait 15-30 seconds for Holly to finish pulling into the parking spot? Those 30 seconds would make her too late for her hour of pamepering at the nail place?
Last night again I had a moment where there was another near miss by another idiot - and what's more he followed that up by yelling at me!
I had just picked up my new glasses and was on the cell phone getting everyone's McDonald's order (on my way home). A guy on a motorcycle (and I have a LONG BAD history with people on motorcycles) didn't look and started to pull into my lane. Seriously, he never bothered to look and I was RIGHT NEXT TO HIM.
My car is bright green (see picture below) and my chrome wheels are hard to miss. Yet, he was pulling directly into my passenger side. Not in front of me but BESIDE me. So, I veer as far as I can (without hitting concrete) to the left and honk to let him know he's about to hit me (because he's still not looking!).
Thereby the grace of God (or Bhuddha, Goddess or your-higher-power-of-choice) he realized he was about to wreck into me and got back in his (right) lane.
When he could, he got right behind me and rode my ass. Even better, at the next traffic light he pulled his bike up so his front tire was touching my rear bumper and revved his engine until he got my attention. Then he started YELLING at me.
"It's 40 MPH back there!!!" (Well, duh. I know that. I wasn't going but maybe 43 MPH)
I'm still on the phone with Jeff and I am SHAKING. I roll down the window and say: "I am going to call the police!" (That's his warning)
Then he yells something else (laced with obscenities)
Then I say: "You should LOOK before you change lanes. You are unsafe!"
Yes, the strongest word I used in his direction was: "Unsafe". I didn't flip him off, I didn't call him names - I just sat in my minivan and literally SHOOK with fear and anger.
He turned off on the next possible street (perhaps he thought I actually HAD called the police - though I was still on the phone with Hubby).
Now, here's where it gets even weirder.
There was ANOTHER car. A car that never saw the near-miss with the motorcycle, they got off the highway further up the road from there. It was filled with Uptown types. (In the Twin Cities that would explain that these are hip young people with many piercings, dramatically dyed and cut hair and possibly tattoos.) They were young, hip and in a REALLLLLLY crappy beat up Lumina. They had a guitar case, a dog and attitude to spare.
The girl in the backseat catches my eye because although she's two car lengths ahead of my minivan at the traffic light, in the right lane (I'm still in the same left lane) she is HANGING out the rear window of the car and yelling at me and flipping me off.
She doesn't know me or the motorcyclist and hasn't seen the near accident... she is just yelling:
"F$%&ing HANG UP AND DRIVE BEE-YOTCH!!!" (but not in the Disney-edited version I've typed here).
She is gesturing wildly and frequently and flipping me off.
She's not talking to the car next to her or behind her -- we're talking 2 cars behind and in a different lane. I literally stare at her gape mouthed. It probably takes me a full minute to process that SHE is talking to ME. I'm thinking: "WTF?!"
At this point I feel totally cornered. I review highlight reels in my head and torture myself.. Did I drive too fast? Too slow? I KNOW I haven't left my lane or wobbled, I'm stopped at a traffic light and haven't invaded anyones' lane at any point BEFORE the light...
I finally surmize that no - she just hates me for no (apparent) reason (at least to me).
Dudes, please, STOP THE HATE.
Just because I am a dorky mom type, drive a minivan and wear glasses and am old does not make me a bad person.
I used to look as hip as you. Really. I used to be backstage at Lollapalooza and I had lunch with Ice-T and Henry Rollins. I made brownies (not that kind!) for the Smashing Pumpkins. I used to be "Bohemian Like You" (Dandy Warhol's reference).
I embrace diversity. I believe you are born the way you are - gay, straight or whatever. I try hard not to judge and I think of it this way:
Everyone is at a different stage and place in life. No one is more or less important than anyone else. Just because you're a teenager makes your voice no less valuable than a CEO. Hell, you may BE a future CEO. Just because you're gay doesn't mean you wouldn't make a fine parent - maybe an even better parent than me.
Just because I'm old and fluffy doesn't mean I don't want to rage against corporate American just the same as you... I've just realized that it provides a mighty fine health plan and paycheck.
Apparently this sort of tolerance is too much to ask for someone like me: plain-white-bread, 30-something Mommy. But damnit, it's not fair.
Holly and I talked about this a bit last weekend. Our current theory is that people feel anonymous. It's not like when we grew up and all the neighbors knew our names and would feel free to go to our parents if they saw us doing something stupid.
It's like in this age of microwave meals, Instant Messaging and High-speed Internet access that people feel less personal responsibility in their dealings with others in "real life". Like, they can flip me off and cut me off and then not worry - because they figure they'll never see me again in their neighborhood. Or when they're interviewing for a job. Or when they go to get gas in their motorcycle at the gas station on University Avenue. Oh, but they are so wrong.
But.. if I want to practice what I preach.. I'd better be nice to them anyhow.
..and partially about how I cannot get over how hateful people are these days!
Seriously folks, it's getting so that I want to just stay in my house and not go out.
While I was in Chicago with Holly we went for lunch at a Thai place in sort of a strip mall location. As Holly was pulling into the parking spot (a right turn) the car behind her, impatient to pass her, pulled in between Holly and the parking spot! Yes, passed ON THE RIGHT, in a narrow parking lot lane AS WE WERE TURNING RIGHT.
I have NO idea how this chick didn't hit Holly's VW with her stupid SUV. Had she hit us, it would have been ME that she creamed. (And she was driving WAY too fast for a parking lot.) Both Holly and I had a mini heart attack and then thought REALLY hard about walking the oh, ten parking spaces up where she parked in front of the "Get Fake Nails" salon and letting all the air out of her tires.
What, she couldn't wait 15-30 seconds for Holly to finish pulling into the parking spot? Those 30 seconds would make her too late for her hour of pamepering at the nail place?
Last night again I had a moment where there was another near miss by another idiot - and what's more he followed that up by yelling at me!
I had just picked up my new glasses and was on the cell phone getting everyone's McDonald's order (on my way home). A guy on a motorcycle (and I have a LONG BAD history with people on motorcycles) didn't look and started to pull into my lane. Seriously, he never bothered to look and I was RIGHT NEXT TO HIM.
My car is bright green (see picture below) and my chrome wheels are hard to miss. Yet, he was pulling directly into my passenger side. Not in front of me but BESIDE me. So, I veer as far as I can (without hitting concrete) to the left and honk to let him know he's about to hit me (because he's still not looking!).
Thereby the grace of God (or Bhuddha, Goddess or your-higher-power-of-choice) he realized he was about to wreck into me and got back in his (right) lane.
When he could, he got right behind me and rode my ass. Even better, at the next traffic light he pulled his bike up so his front tire was touching my rear bumper and revved his engine until he got my attention. Then he started YELLING at me.
"It's 40 MPH back there!!!" (Well, duh. I know that. I wasn't going but maybe 43 MPH)
I'm still on the phone with Jeff and I am SHAKING. I roll down the window and say: "I am going to call the police!" (That's his warning)
Then he yells something else (laced with obscenities)
Then I say: "You should LOOK before you change lanes. You are unsafe!"
Yes, the strongest word I used in his direction was: "Unsafe". I didn't flip him off, I didn't call him names - I just sat in my minivan and literally SHOOK with fear and anger.
He turned off on the next possible street (perhaps he thought I actually HAD called the police - though I was still on the phone with Hubby).
Now, here's where it gets even weirder.
There was ANOTHER car. A car that never saw the near-miss with the motorcycle, they got off the highway further up the road from there. It was filled with Uptown types. (In the Twin Cities that would explain that these are hip young people with many piercings, dramatically dyed and cut hair and possibly tattoos.) They were young, hip and in a REALLLLLLY crappy beat up Lumina. They had a guitar case, a dog and attitude to spare.
The girl in the backseat catches my eye because although she's two car lengths ahead of my minivan at the traffic light, in the right lane (I'm still in the same left lane) she is HANGING out the rear window of the car and yelling at me and flipping me off.
She doesn't know me or the motorcyclist and hasn't seen the near accident... she is just yelling:
"F$%&ing HANG UP AND DRIVE BEE-YOTCH!!!" (but not in the Disney-edited version I've typed here).
She is gesturing wildly and frequently and flipping me off.
She's not talking to the car next to her or behind her -- we're talking 2 cars behind and in a different lane. I literally stare at her gape mouthed. It probably takes me a full minute to process that SHE is talking to ME. I'm thinking: "WTF?!"
At this point I feel totally cornered. I review highlight reels in my head and torture myself.. Did I drive too fast? Too slow? I KNOW I haven't left my lane or wobbled, I'm stopped at a traffic light and haven't invaded anyones' lane at any point BEFORE the light...
I finally surmize that no - she just hates me for no (apparent) reason (at least to me).
Dudes, please, STOP THE HATE.
Just because I am a dorky mom type, drive a minivan and wear glasses and am old does not make me a bad person.
I used to look as hip as you. Really. I used to be backstage at Lollapalooza and I had lunch with Ice-T and Henry Rollins. I made brownies (not that kind!) for the Smashing Pumpkins. I used to be "Bohemian Like You" (Dandy Warhol's reference).
I embrace diversity. I believe you are born the way you are - gay, straight or whatever. I try hard not to judge and I think of it this way:
Everyone is at a different stage and place in life. No one is more or less important than anyone else. Just because you're a teenager makes your voice no less valuable than a CEO. Hell, you may BE a future CEO. Just because you're gay doesn't mean you wouldn't make a fine parent - maybe an even better parent than me.
Just because I'm old and fluffy doesn't mean I don't want to rage against corporate American just the same as you... I've just realized that it provides a mighty fine health plan and paycheck.
Apparently this sort of tolerance is too much to ask for someone like me: plain-white-bread, 30-something Mommy. But damnit, it's not fair.
Holly and I talked about this a bit last weekend. Our current theory is that people feel anonymous. It's not like when we grew up and all the neighbors knew our names and would feel free to go to our parents if they saw us doing something stupid.
It's like in this age of microwave meals, Instant Messaging and High-speed Internet access that people feel less personal responsibility in their dealings with others in "real life". Like, they can flip me off and cut me off and then not worry - because they figure they'll never see me again in their neighborhood. Or when they're interviewing for a job. Or when they go to get gas in their motorcycle at the gas station on University Avenue. Oh, but they are so wrong.
But.. if I want to practice what I preach.. I'd better be nice to them anyhow.
Monday, April 10, 2006
Greenie's New Shoes
While I was off spending a decadent weekend in Chicago, my dear husband Pimped My Ride.
I am feeling very spoiled at the moment. A full recap of my weekend reads like a list of my most favorite people, places and foods.
I drank raspberry liquor infused sangrias, ate yummy tapas, slept 8~9 hours uninterupted, chatted Holly's ear off, fabric shopped, stock-piled goodies like いちご大福, bought new 大塚愛 and 安室宗 美恵 CDs, アンアン（雑誌）, and 「嫌われ松子の一生」山田宗樹の新本 at Mitsuwa... and we even topped it off with shoe shopping at DSW and going to see a movie! (Unheard of for me! Jeff and I make it to like 3 movies a year, MAYBE).
(*Side note: "Failure to Launch" was light, fluffy and VERY funny.)
I had copious time to read, play sudoko, work on my quilt for P's new baby, listen to music, chat with Holly.. it was wonderful start to finish.
Meanwhile, not only did hubby keep the homefires burning, but he was so productive that he got the new tires on the van, cleaned the whole house, did the laundry, took the kids to gymnastics and a family party, and even got baby boy's haircut. He's putting me to shame.
Now, back to our regular programming.
I am feeling very spoiled at the moment. A full recap of my weekend reads like a list of my most favorite people, places and foods.
I drank raspberry liquor infused sangrias, ate yummy tapas, slept 8~9 hours uninterupted, chatted Holly's ear off, fabric shopped, stock-piled goodies like いちご大福, bought new 大塚愛 and 安室宗 美恵 CDs, アンアン（雑誌）, and 「嫌われ松子の一生」山田宗樹の新本 at Mitsuwa... and we even topped it off with shoe shopping at DSW and going to see a movie! (Unheard of for me! Jeff and I make it to like 3 movies a year, MAYBE).
(*Side note: "Failure to Launch" was light, fluffy and VERY funny.)
I had copious time to read, play sudoko, work on my quilt for P's new baby, listen to music, chat with Holly.. it was wonderful start to finish.
Meanwhile, not only did hubby keep the homefires burning, but he was so productive that he got the new tires on the van, cleaned the whole house, did the laundry, took the kids to gymnastics and a family party, and even got baby boy's haircut. He's putting me to shame.
Now, back to our regular programming.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)