playing along

Kids in a crate

by mayberry on May 5, 2009

After I saw this caged kids picture at Kimberly’s, I had to see her two kids and raise her two with this:

It’s an outtake from our recycled fitness toys photo shoot.

Mostly unrelated funny story: Once Jeff was flipping channels and “Snakes on a Plane” came on. I immediately yelled “M-f-ing snakes on a m-f-ing plane!” And he looked at me like I was completely insane, because somehow he had entirely missed the SoaP pop-culture moment.

But within about 30 seconds (no kidding), Samuel L. Jackson delivered the all-important line, and my credibility was rightfully restored.

{ 8 comments }

Shreddy Eddie

by mayberry on April 1, 2009

I did it!

OK, I mostly did it. I missed 3 days out of 30 on the 30-Day Shred. But I also did 75 minutes of vinyasa yoga twice a week for all four weeks. And I’ve been testing out a watch/monitor that tracks active time; I reach 60 minutes most days (that includes marching in place in my bathroom at 11 p.m. when I realize I am up to 57 minutes).

I didn’t take before/after pictures, but I doubt they’d match the amazing results shown by Kristen, Christina, and Nancy (among many others I’m sure). I still have the flab spilling over the waistband of all my pants, although I do notice that I am not quite as desperate to switch to PJs in the evening as I was before. (Small victories, people. Small victories.)

Still, I am very glad I participated. I’ll put up my lessons learned over at my fitness blog on Thursday (got an April Fool’s post planned there today!). And as of today, go Team Bob!

*

Continuity updates:

  • We are getting a fat tax refund. I know that’s not, actually, a good thing (means we’ve been lending our $ to the feds all year) but this was an unpredictable year for us, income-wise, so we’re going to take the money and run. And smile. And pay some bills.

  • Two birthday parties planned for this weekend. So far ALL of Jo’s invited guests are yesses and ONE of Opie’s is. Scrounging for additional 4-year-old boy invitees now. Jeff hand-made 10 Superman capes and we have no one to wear them! snif.
  • I never did cut anyone off Bloglines. Am total addict.
  • Most importantly: Our grocery store rescinded its dumb policy about reusable bags. I found out when I went to the website to deliver a scathing e-mail.

Lots of good news. No foolin’. Hope you get some today too.

{ 10 comments }

From long-ago songs and someday goals

by mayberry on February 5, 2009

mom and kids readingI am from hardwood floors, from Meyer’s Dairy milk in glass bottles, served in wine glasses on special occasions.

I am from glass shelves lined with houseplants watered every Saturday.

I am from black walnut, honeysuckle, lilacs, and grass on a hill.

I am from makers of music, milkers of cows, riders of rails, Beckers and Stephenses, fair skins and blue eyes.

I am from the stubborn and the silent, the peacemaking and the retelling.

From long-ago songs and someday goals.

I am from Sunday Mass with doughnuts after.

I am from the centre, from this side of the Mississippi and that, from braunschweiger and fried mush.

From the prize-winning irises and the fourth commandment, the stroller rolling down Tracy Hill and the dog named Susie.

I am from quilts on my walls, rings on my finger, names handed down from generation to generation. I am a daughter, a sister, a mother before I am anything else.

Thanks to Kate for tagging me with this particularly creative meme, which was a nice challenge for me at a time when the blogging well is a little dry. I do love writing about old family stories.

Thanks also to Magpie for the Tickled Pink award! I think you’re the bees’ knees, Magpie.

{ 9 comments }

Muchas gracias, you Hip Mom, you

by mayberry on December 18, 2008

Far too long ago, the lovely Kirsetin gave me a bloggy award, in Spanish no less. I’m going to go ahead and take her word for it when she says that recipients “are exceedingly charming. These kind bloggers aim to find and be friends. They are not interested in prizes or self-aggrandizement. Our hope is that when the ribbons of these prizes are cut, even more friendships are propagated. Please give more attention to these writers!” (I mean, wouldn’t you take her word for it, if her word was “charming”?)

(I do like prizes though. I bought a bundle of Christmas presents and several months of upcoming book club books with recent PBN winnings.)

So hmmm … writers that need more attention.

  • Kate from Eucalyptus Pillow recently started a couple of new blogs and a business so I guess she’s attention-seeking. Right, Kate?
  • Tammie from Soul Gardening needs us to read so she’ll keep posting, because I miss her when she doesn’t.
  • That goes for you too, Nancy. (Uh. No pressure, though, gals.)

If there’s anyone you’d like to pass this award on to, go forth with my blessing. As if you needed it.

{ 3 comments }

Name that character

by mayberry on November 12, 2008

I’ve seen this a couple of places and couldn’t help starting to mentally fill it in. So here it is. Probably a lot more fun for me than it is for you. Uh, sorry!

1. ROCK STAR NAME: Miss November Volvo

2. GANGSTA NAME: Chocolate Boot

3. NATIVE AMERICAN NAME: Blue Dog

4. SUPERHERO NAME: Green Tea

5. NASCAR NAME: Carl George

6. STRIPPER NAME: Lavender Kit Kat

7. TV WEATHER ANCHOR NAME: Philips Phoenix

8. SPY NAME: Summer Lilac

9. CARTOON NAME: Apple Cardigan

10. HIPPIE NAME: Granola Cherry

If you want to play, here’s how:

1. first pet, current car
2. fave ice cream flavor, favorite type of shoe
3. favorite color, favorite animal
4. 2nd favorite color, favorite drink
5. the first names of your grandfathers
6. the name of your favorite perfume/cologne/scent, favorite candy
7. 5th grade teacher’s last name, name of city that starts with the same letter
8. your favorite season/holiday, flower
9. favorite fruit, article of clothing you’re wearing right now
10. what you ate for breakfast, your favorite tree

{ 7 comments }

Shopping list: 1 bichon frise, 1 kitten, 1 rabbit …

by mayberry on October 24, 2008

At some point in kindergarten, every time Jo went to the school library she would only check out totally boring nonfiction books with some variation on the title Caring for Your Pet ____ or All About [Dog/Cat Breed X]. These were dry as dirt earnest, detailed manuals published by the likes of the ASPCA and the American Kennel Club. Not exactly my idea of soothing bedtime reading, but who was I to interfere with my child’s interest in books/science/companion animals?

In the months since we have come to discover that the kid had an ulterior motive. She filed away all the details and used them to craft her master plan. And now, once a week or so we hear “When Folly dies can we get a bichon frisé? And then, you know bichon frisés get along with cats so we can get a cat? Or a rabbit, and also a guinea pig.”

After she tried this a few times and I responded with horror at her blasé attitude toward the death of our beloved pet, she amended her request thusly:

“When Folly dies, it’sgoingtobereallysad, and then can we get a bichon frisé?”

We’ve had this dog since before the kids were born and they really do have a sibling relationship. By which I mean a love/hate kind of a thing. She tries to steal their food and they freak out. Then they feed her their leftovers right off their plates. She grabs their toys, they grab hers. They play together intensely for awhile and then ignore each other intensely for awhile.

She’s over 10 years old and she has a heart murmur. She sheds, she barks viciously at the vacuum cleaner, she sometimes refuses to go outside and then has accidents in the basement. And when she’s gone, it’sgoingtobereallysad.

(Photo is from 2002 and is one of my all-time favorites.)

This post was written for Parent Bloggers Network as part of a sweepstakes sponsored by Burger King Corp.

{ 19 comments }

I love your blog!

by mayberry on September 30, 2008

The news is all GLOOM! DOOM! World! Ending!

And yes–pretty much true. But let’s put that aside for a moment and talk about the fact that Kimberly loves my blog. So, happy thoughts! Thank you, Kimberly.

And now I get to say which blogs I love. Which seven blogs I love, which as you can imagine is not really possible. Seventy-seven, I could do.

So here are the most recent additions to my reader, because if they’ve earned a spot there then I must love them. (And if you’re not listed, that just means I already loved you.)

Dirt & Noise. A few good rants about Sarah Palin and I was sold.

It’s Lovely! I’ll Take It! Click over there. You will not regret it.

Motherhood in NYC. Marinka? Is very funny.

Nyack Backyard. Vicarious gardening!

Total Mom Haircut. She taught Martha Stewart a thing or two about blogging.

The Wink. I know, everyone already knows about Amanda, apparently except me.

And my 7th spot (since I always have to find a way to cheat on every meme) goes to all the mom bloggers participating in the Donors Choose 2008 Blogger Challenge. Thanks for supporting such a great cause!

Fine print:

  • You can put the award picture on your blog.
  • Link to the person who awarded you.
  • Nominate at least seven other blogs that you love.
  • Put up links to those blogs.
  • Leave messages with the blogs you nominated.

{ 12 comments }

Pop, swap, sweet!

by mayberry on September 23, 2008

I know it’s been all blasty, prompty, memey around here lately but I have to do this Mix ‘n’ Match, Pop ‘n’ Swap (warning, links to headless dolls! But they do seem to be a good solution to the typical Polly Pocket Problem) one too (via Parent Bloggers Network):


Because that picture just needs to be shared.

It’s hard to get a good look at the socks but they’re red with a yellow windowpane pattern and navy trim. Of course.

My kids pick out their own clothes every day and I pretty much never make them change. I won’t let them wear jeans to church or swimsuits to the grocery store, but I will let them wear whatever wackjob color/pattern combinations they come up with. I will let them wear pajamas under (sometimes over) their clothes if that’s what gets them out of the door smiling. I will let my toddler boy wear a tutu with his tool-emblazoned long johns.

Choose your battles, mamas. Choose your battles.

{ 15 comments }

Stock up on snuggles

by mayberry on September 19, 2008

I went to Back-to-School Night at Jo’s school yesterday and completely ignored the principal’s friendly speech as well as just about everything else that went on. Why? Because the sweetest little budgie baby was in her mother’s lap just inches away from me. Who wants to listen to some gray-haired man talking about parking lot policies when there is an adorable, barefooted, cooing infant in the room?

I mean, come on. There is a reason why actors don’t want to work with kids or dogs. This little girl had the entire crowd in the palms of her bitty pattycake hands.

There is so much to love about a new baby: those impossibly tiny toes, that fuzzy head, those adorable oohs and aahs. When my children were tiny, I think I loved their snuggliness the most–the way they burrowed into my neck; the way their heads fit right under my chin; the way their bottoms rested just so in the crook of my arm.

Kristen and Rebecca, wishing you lots of sweet snuggles with your new little girls!

{ 7 comments }

Tzedakah for little Catholic girls

by mayberry on August 2, 2008

When I saw the Learning Cents bank on Cool Mom Picks, I wanted it for my daughter immediately. The bank has three compartments, so kids can earmark their money for spending, saving, or giving (tzedakah in Hebrew). And at only $20, I thought it was a very good use of my own spending money.

Now, on those rare occasions when we remember to give Jo an allowance–and on the much more frequent occasions when she receives a gift of money–she cheerfully deposits it into all three parts of her bank. It’s such a simple, clear way to show her that we need to prioritize saving and giving just as highly as spending.

(Opie gets an E for effort for his suggestion, during a recent discussion about giving away gently used toys: “I don’t really like my piggy bank anymore. We can give that to children who don’t have one.”)

Typically Jo uses her giveaway stash for the fundraisers that she participates in at school and child care (and we match whatever she contributes). But after her recent hospital stay(s), I’m going to suggest that we make a donation to one of the charities that helped her, or a similar one that benefits sick kids. On her first night at our local children’s hospital, her bed was made up with a quilt from Project Linus and a teddy bear from the Starlight Children’s Foundation. These small touches really helped an institutional room feel more friendly, and she snuggled up with that quilt every single night.

You know I had to participate in this Blog Blast from Parent Bloggers Network: It benefits Generation Cures, an online community for tweens designed to teach them about altruism and about medicine and science. The site was created by Children’s Hospital Boston.

{ 5 comments }

← Previous Entries

Next Entries →