DevilMacDawg

More coming to this space soon

2008-06-24T21:29:00.003-04:00

To be honest, life has been horribly hectic. And so, I've neglected this blog. For that, dear internet, I'm so sorry. To bring you up to speed, I'm a single mommy for this summer, for another 7 weeks or so. I'm going on my 4th week in this state. I do not know how folks do it as a lifestyle, as opposed to a summer. What I'm finding is that I've become bitter, angry, tired, frustrated, and generally not very pleasant. My coworkers have taken the brunt: they have listened, sympathized, and supported. However, I need a place to vent, and I need to stop bugging my friends. So coming up soon will hopefully be more tales of mommy woe. Oh, the poop-tastic stories I have to tell. And, the cuter than ever kid stories. And some which span both categories!

Take Little Miss S tonight. We were having our evening bath tub. Such a grand time. I even bought a jumbo bottle of Mr. Bubble for her to enjoy. I hear her talking about not pooping in the bath tub. Oh, that's good. Then she says "Mommy! Can I go to the potty?" I don't know why she's compelled to ask permission! Of course, I say "Yes!", and finally settled Baby MC down for her night's rest. By the time I get there, I see her on the potty. Poop on the floor, on the toilet. But not IN the tub, so yay! She made it. So she pulls her legs up, and she's holding on to her feet. "Mommy - it's GROSS! Pick it up NOW!"

So that's my life. Poop and picking it up. So that's what I've been up to.

89-78

2008-02-06T23:20:00.000-05:00

Couldn't watch the game - too nervous. WOOOOO! GO DUKE!

Alignment

2008-01-21T06:53:00.000-05:00

I think my husband and I agree on the best choice for President. Now, what we are actually going to *do* with our votes (open primary) in two weeks remains a different story. Here's how the candidates align with my views:
92% Chris Dodd
92% Barack Obama
89% John Edwards
89% Hillary Clinton
88% Joe Biden
85% Mike Gravel
83% Dennis Kucinich
77% Bill Richardson
47% Rudy Giuliani
34% John McCain
23% Ron Paul
21% Mike Huckabee
21% Mitt Romney
21% Tom Tancredo
11% Fred Thompson

2008 Presidential Candidate Matching Quiz

Smowmans!

2008-01-19T13:06:00.001-05:00

Being built on the top of the slide as we speak. Don't as me why the "Snowmans" has to be on the slide - to explain would require 3 year old logic, which sadly, I don't possess.

Snow is COOL when you know it's going to go away in a day or so.

2008 Will Be Great

2008-01-01T15:53:00.000-05:00

I just know it.

In looking back over the past year, it's been another one of ups and downs. My year began with the deaths of two close relatives, and then it quickly progressed to new life, specifically that of my latest daughter. I found employment, found myself in a significant way, and found out that I can manage multiple children, a job, a husband and a household. Now, if I could just regain my sanity things would be nice.

2008 gives me the opportunity to begin putting together my revised professional growth plan, and what I want to be now that I'm grown up. There is training and certification, all of which will take some time, but it's a good place to be headed. I'm finding that I'm genuinely good at what I intend to do, and I believe that others will share in this assessment as time goes on. 2008 also finds me trying to help Mr. Mac focus on where he wants to be. On the one hand, he has a job offer in another city, in a general business firm, that would be steady and reliable. On the other, we don't want to leave this place and Mr. Mac doesn't want to do general business transaction work. Do we take the bird in hand, which is nice and calm and, well, there or do we hunt for the two much more exciting and appealing ones we know are lurking in the bush? I don't know.

My kids have become my life, and I need to do something about that - I'm not saying they should be anything other than most important, but I have got to get away from them being the only thing I have - my only hobby/interest/thing I talk about (for real - it's awful). I'm losing myself, and I need to bring back my inner adventurer. Instead of following the proper path, I need to begin taking the right path for me, and trust that inherently, this path will be the right one for my family. Getting back to this place involves significant changes on my part - most importantly, I need to gain back my self confidence. From that, I believe, the rest will flow.

My tangible personal goal is to lose 30 lbs. My tangible professional goal is to undertake the training and certification that I need as my career moves forward (I have a concrete list). With those accomplished, I will be back on track for getting back to being myself. I've been pushing myself aside, or allowing myself to be pushed down, for too long now.

Word up....

2007-12-16T10:11:00.001-05:00

In the great Sunday Morning Ritual that is VH1 Classic, the following question will follow me the rest of the week... Red panties? Really? Over a black unitard? Man, Cameo... I don't think Little Miss S needs to be watching this......

To refresh your memory:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u_7Kp_TapA4

Potty Failure....

2007-12-08T14:23:00.000-05:00

I am a complete failure at potty training my dear Little Miss S. I beseech you, internets, help me. Please.

Here's the deal. We have the components of understanding. She knows that she's not supposed to go in her panties. She knows how to hold it, and she can hold it for impressive lengths of time - up to 4 hours, AFTER having something to drink. She knows that her pee-pee is supposed to go in the potty. Yet somehow, it doesn't connect together.

This morning captures the frustration I'm feeling. I was here alone with the two kids for a while, and she was kinda doing a little dance. Crossing her legs and whatnot. So I said "Come on sweetie - let's go to the potty." So we went. And we sat. Baby MC started crying, and so I left LMS on the potty and went and got BMC and a bottle, and we sat. LMS talked about going potty. She put her hand in warm water. She talked about being a big girl. We sat on the potty for a freaking half hour. Nothing.

So, she gets up, and I start making her lunch, when LMS starts crying. And yes, she had an accident. Not three minutes after she got off the potty.

What do I do? I didn't scold - I told her that she had an accident and now we had to clean it up. I said that we have to put pee-pee in the potty, and not on the floor. She was pretty inconsolable until we got everything cleaned up, then she was fine.

She has shown all of the "signs of readiness" by pretty much any list you see out there. But there's something that's not connecting with her. Any thoughts? Help!

Potty Training the Willful Little Girl

2007-12-01T10:57:00.000-05:00

Any pointers? We're just beginning, so any help is appreciated.

THE BIG GAME!!!!

2007-11-16T11:13:00.000-05:00

As many of you know, I'm an alumna of three different universities, each with a distinct football heritage. There is SMU, my law school, which received the death penalty and other nasty punishments due to some really heavy, erm, investing in the program by high-profile Texans in the early 80s. At least it got us Craig James on ESPN and later CBS football. And of course, my beloved Bulldogs. Herschel!!! Lastly, and most removed from football greatness, is Duke. Ahh, the Blue Devils. Seriously, the biggest joke in college football for, now, 30+ years and counting. Truly abysmal, and from a team that HOSTED the Rose Bowl in its only playing outside the, well, Rose Bowl. Yeah. 1942, and we still have Rose Bushes planted outside the stadium to prove it.

This Saturday marks a great achievement in Duke Football - we are traveling to South Bend to play Notre Dame with - GET THIS - a LEGIT chance to WIN! And in celebration, dukesuperbowl is one of the funniest things I've seen on the internets in, like, forever.

Conflict potential is that the UGA-Kentucky game plays at 12:30 here locally, and this game kicks off at 2:30. Having absolutely zero faith in Bulldawg Nation to hold onto the incredible momentum sparked by the "Field Party Dance" against Florida, I anticipate having to keep an eye on the first game until it plays out with a loss in the end. Nonetheless, I anticipate that Saturday is going to be a BIG DAY - the potential for seriously bad football is, truly, as high as it's been in years.

Now, can someone tell me please why Duke and SMU don't play one another annually? For real - two programs at the bottom of the heap - they should trade wins.

UPDATED AFTER THE GAME: Ugh! That was horrific! Notre Dame is one bad football team, and Duke managed to make them look *good*. Sheesh - I don't ask for bowl games or winning seasons, but please stop with the embarrassing! I have zero faith in Joe Aleva to handle this properly, but even Mr. Suntan should be able to figure out that Ted's time is done in Durham.

I'm good

2007-11-14T20:55:00.001-05:00

Baby MC's good. Little Miss S is good. Mr. Mac is busy. But it's all good. Sorry internets - I have several posts in my head and I'm just not able to put type to screen.

Baby MC

2007-10-28T22:56:00.000-04:00

She arrived at 8:11 am Friday, weighing 8 lbs. 11 oz and measuring 19". She's beautiful and wonderful (and hungry again). I'm fine too. Mr. Mac is so thrilled with having three beautiful girls now. Miss M can't wait to see her. Little Miss S is trying to be happy, but would really rather have gotten another kitty cat. Thanks for your kind thoughts and wishes. We're all here now.

And we're off!

2007-10-26T05:11:00.000-04:00

More when I'm able. Thanks for your kind wishes, words and prayers.

One more week....

2007-10-19T08:07:00.000-04:00

There's one week until the baby is born, unless she comes sooner. According to the doctor, her head is fully engaged, and I've started dilating. Wednesday, I was having irregular contractions for half the day, but all that ceased in the afternoon. Since then, really nothing. I'm so ready, both physically and emotionally. I'm exhausted from carrying around this weight, and I'm sore from all the stretching and kicking and pushing outward on my abdomen. And I'm just tired of being pregnant - I think that's normal. So there we go - I'll put stuff up when she's here. The hospital has wi-fi and all that good stuff.

Yeah, I know....

2007-10-06T19:32:00.001-04:00

It's been a while. I'm sorry. I have no energy. Once Baby MC is here, I'm sure it'll get better, right? I took Little Miss S out today with my sister and my niece to buy shoes. Kids' shoes shouldn't be allowed to be so cute! Mr. Mac is so very busy, and it's just getting to be more and more. BUT, he has a job offer now, and so we're thrilled, despite the fact that if he were to take this offer, it would mean another move (though closer to my parents). So, considering that I've passed 36 weeks, it's all good. :)

Faculty

2007-09-26T16:45:00.000-04:00

Those of you out there who deal with faculty, how do you deal with the pompous asshole prof who gets off on abusing lowly staff members?

31 days and counting

2007-09-25T13:30:00.000-04:00

As I sit here today, in agony from the aching, stretched abdominal muscles and skin, in pain from the recurrent sinus infection, and immobilized by my bloated feet and ankles, I look back on this pregnancy fondly. It's really not been a bad one by most measures - sure, I'm uncomfortable, but I just passed the 35 week mark. I can't believe that in just over 4 weeks, it will all be over, and I will move into a new phase of my life.

Knowing that this pregnancy is my last is comforting to me. I don't like being pregnant at all - the restrictions, the discomfort, the way I'm treated like an invalid by some people and by others - that they don't 'get' that I can't just bend over and pick something up off the ground. It's a difficult place to be - I'm not independent at all. There is a living being inside me who is solely dependent upon me for everything right now. The air I breathe, the stress I feel, the food I eat - everything is passed along to the little girl growing within, and that's empowering on the one hand, and stressful on the other.

At the same time, knowing that after another month, I will never feel the flutter of little feet in my belly is a little sad for me. Don't get me wrong - I'm not questioning my decision to be done. First, I'm just too old to do this again in another couple of years. Second, I don't think that I am capable of rearing any additional children effectively. These are personal decisions, based upon my understanding of my own limitations.

So, for now, I sit and wait and wonder if everything will be okay. Sometimes I fear that I will die in the OR during the c-section, or that something horrible will be wrong with the baby when she's born. But mostly, I just get anxious - what will she look like? What kind of personality will she have?

How on EARTH am I supposed to complete this to-do list of mine in the next 31 days?

Suck on this Facebook!

2007-09-10T20:13:00.001-04:00

For real - This Group was formed to protest Facebook yanking pictures of women feeding their babies the old fashioned way. If you're on facebook, join the group. I did.

Is it basketball season yet???

2007-09-08T19:27:00.000-04:00

Duke football is embarrassing. Georgia isn't much better. Ugh. Is it time for basketball yet?

Mr. Mac Smarty Pantses

2007-09-06T08:11:00.001-04:00

Made the Mock Trial Team. I did this activity in law school - it's tons of work, but an absolute BLAST! Yay him!

Hello Internets....

2007-09-04T20:01:00.000-04:00

Remember me? Yeah, I'm still around. Unfortunately, between the new job, Mr. Mac's school year starting back, Little Miss S and her two and a half-ness, and my overall exhaustion, I haven't had time to write.

Yeah, I know.... Excuses.

It's been an incredible 4 weeks. I can't believe that it's been that long since I started my new job, but it has. The thing is, this job scared the crap out of me when I started. It is a HUGE job - there are many facets to it, and I can see so many places where I can just fall flat on my face. And I have done so already, and it's all good really. At the end of it all, the staff are supportive and encouraging, and they allow for honest mistakes to be made. Learning from a mistake is what everyone expects, and that is VERY good for me, after five years of having my confidence torn to shreds by the boss from hell in the job from hell. I can't explain the feeling of utter joy that I feel every morning when I walk in. Of course, this will fluctuate, as things do, and I know my job isn't perfect. But for me, right now, it's ideal.

Little Miss S has changed schools to the one on campus. She is absolutely THRIVING. Her class is 6 international kids (at least two of whom speak VERY little English) and 6 American. It's GREAT. Her best friend is a little German boy, so I'm helping her learn a little German on the side. Tonight, she said she wanted to 'spiel blocks'. I'm so proud! What's even better is that she really loves going, every day. She insists on wearing a dress. And a hairbow. She just loves the place, so that makes me happy.

Today, we learned that the Littlest Mac, Baby MC I think I'll call her, will be here on October 26. Hard to believe, but I've scheduled out the rest of my doctor's visits, and my delivery date. Wow. Now, I'm sure that this whole thing won't begin to go according to plan, but I can dream, can't I?

Mr. Mac, well he's busy. Very busy, but happy about it. I miss him on nights like this when he's out late with a class. But I'm glad to see him enjoying himself.

So there ya go internets. We're all here and happy and whole. We all miss Miss M like mad, and we love when she comes to see us (she left again yesterday). I'm sorry for the self-indulgent list of how we are. But we're happy, and I've bitched so much in this space. It's nice to be able to crow.

Funny Jim Carrey

2007-08-28T07:35:00.000-04:00

Thanks bdure. That just made my morning.

Off to deal with crabby Little Miss S, my job-I-love-but-don't-know-how-to-do, insurance companies and the University Parking Office! WEEEEE!

Young Lady

2007-08-22T10:22:00.000-04:00

Miss M is now 10 years old. I don't know how I feel about it. I met her when she was three, and came up to my waist. Now, she comes up to my shoulder and her legs are pretty much as long as mine. She used to want clothes for her dolls, kid music, and she was into the Powerpuff Girls. Now, she wants clothes for herself and teeny bop music and she's into High School Musical. Sniff!

It's HOT here!

2007-08-19T22:11:00.000-04:00

But dang! It's been busy. And hot. Atlanta has already established this month as the hottest ever on record, and there are still 11 days left to go. I'm at 30 weeks pregnant. I work for a University, and I don't have faculty parking privileges. So, either Mr. Mac takes me to work, I pay $10 to park in the visitor lot for the day, or I schlep.

Mr. Mac isn't in classes now, so you know his job. :)

Little Miss S is positively adorable and heads off to her NEW SCHOOL tomorrow - we were able to get her into the on-campus daycare at my college, and now she is in care approximately 1/2 mile away from me. She's turned into quite the chatterbox, and her newest favorite thing to do is to discuss the books you're reading to her. "Dat George is always inna time-out mommy. He bad monkey."

Coming soon to this space!

2007-08-07T19:04:00.001-04:00

Actual Blog Content! Now, in lieu of substance, I offer bullets.

* I LOVE my new job. It's awesome. People are happy I'm there. People are nice. I get paid to go to school and I don't have to take any (more) exams! It's just amazing! Yay for me!

* My Little Miss S is fabulously cute. Except when she poops in the tub. Especially when Mr. Mac is not here to help me clean it up. Just sayin'.

* Tonight, LMS did a new trick - the "Flop". She stands up on the bed and flops over backward. Straight back. Like a trust fall, only onto the mattress. Amazingly funny.

* Miss M has gone back to Florida for the school year, and I'm sad about that.

And now, off to finish cooking dinner for Mr. Mac and me.

HP VII

2007-07-30T22:59:00.000-04:00

Just finished it (hey - I had to wait over a week to start it!). There were definitely things I didn't like about it, but in all good. It was sad, and not like I'd expected (nor for the obvious reasons).

Acute Otitis Media

2007-07-29T09:22:00.000-04:00

Hurts like hell. I'm just sayin'. I know it hurts because I have a stupid middle ear infection, the bane of parents kids 3 months to 3 years. The NP said it comes from the sinus infection I've ignored for a month.

My left ear echoes and rings, it hurts, and it feels like someone jammed a bunch of cotton in it. And on top of all that I have the typical facial aches of a sinus infection.

The kids don't understand "inside voices" and "let's whisper!" My dear husband forgets too. Ow. Little Miss S has out her dress-up clothes, including the clankety clank high heel thingies. On the hardwoods and tile floors.

Someone shoot me now. WAH!

It is done

2007-07-25T22:07:00.000-04:00

Little Miss S is home, and Miss M comes home tomorrow. And then we go on real vacation.

I have no comments about the test, really. It was awful, but I did it.

Tomorrow....

2007-07-23T21:12:00.000-04:00

The sun will come out. I'm sure of that. I won't care - I'm taking a stupid test that lasts two days. In 48 hours, it will all be over. I keep reminding myself that this process is significantly shorter than pregnancy.

Why we won't get taken seriously....

2007-07-23T08:03:00.000-04:00

Women don't even take themselves seriously, so why on earth would we expect the male-dominated business and political worlds to do so? In flipping through the local rag today, I came across an article in the Living section about Hillary Clinton's cleavage. It first appeared in Friday's Washington Post.

Pardon me, but since WHEN is the degree of cleavage shown by a tastefully-dressed woman remotely relevant to the discussion of the issues in the upcoming Presidential election? I mean, if she were running around letting her ta-tas hang out, then sure - fair game. Thank you, Robin Givhan, for reminding me that we wimmins need to be concerned about flashing our boobies appropriately moreso than discussing the issues. Really, what the hell are we doing out of the kitchen anyway? How can we raise babies if we're off WORKING and stuff?

I await articles addressing how John Edwards and Barak Obama can both rock a tailored suit, because they can.

Childless

2007-07-20T11:30:00.000-04:00

I've sent Miss M off to Ireland with Grandma, and now I've sent Little Miss S to the Farm with Mama-N and Papa-B (my parents). Little Miss S has been accompanied on her farm adventure by my niece M&M, so I can guarantee you that the place is rockin'.

It's quiet here. I have a stack of books I won't recite for a week. Two rooms that are sparkling clean, and they'll stay that way for a week. I can make fancy food, eat dinner at 8 pm, and generally just relax about chasing the clutter and the schmutz.

But it's a little lonely, too.

I literally have nothing to do other than last-minute cramming until I take my exam Tuesday and Wednesday. And that's a very nice feeling indeed. :)

This shouldn't be funny

2007-07-13T17:56:00.000-04:00

But it is. WebMD has a Symptom Checker program that helps you diagnose your ailment. Go, check it out! I did, and I found out that the mysterious lump or bulge in my lower abdomen may be any of the following things: abscess, benign lipoma, or umbilical hernia.

Actually, the only symptom I could find that indicated 'pregnancy' is that of 'missed or late period', and even then, it was well down on the list behind several more scary things.

And so, my response is that I'm howling laughing! :)

She left on a jet plane....

2007-07-12T09:39:00.000-04:00

I know when she'll be back again, though. Miss M headed off for her Irish Adventure with her grandma yesterday. We heard from her this morning, and they had safely arrived at the first stop in their whirlwind tour, a place on the beach on the West Coast. Miss M was tired, but excited to be there. Lucky little girl, I'd say. :)

The week that was

2007-07-10T15:13:00.000-04:00

Last week was our annual family vacation at the beach house. This year was special, because my parents tore the thing down last summer and built a new one - our first night in the new house was last Friday. When we visited the place over Memorial Day weekend, I was certain that we'd be lucky to sleep there by Labor Day, at best, and my sister concurred having seen the pictures.

Oh, but we forgot about my mother - and trust me, the house was done, decorated, and fabulous. I'm so proud of her and what she accomplished, and I'm still amazed.

The weekend was beautiful, marred only by the fact that Mr. Mac had to return to ATL for the week to be in court for his summer job. Good for him, but I sure did miss him. So did the kids, as they told me pretty much every day!

The Fourth is just a fun time for us all - we relax and play, and then we get on each others' nerves around Thursday or so, fight, and have so much MORE fun that by the weekend, we're sad to leave.

This year, we didn't have any sunburns, because I was there the whole time and I slathered my kids with Bullfrog every couple of hours. We seriously went through two bottles in a week. The only injury of consequence was that Little Miss S got a black eye in a mid-run collision with her cousin M&M. Baby J was just a doll - he's pulling up and crawling, and his main source of upset was that he couldn't keep up with all the little girls. Miss M found herself a friend on-island, and so the kids were all happy.

I sat around studying for the bar while everyone went to the beach.

Here is the bulleted list of the ups and downs:

* The baby sitter my mom hired (who's sit for us in the past, so we knew what we were getting) was even more omnipresent and obnoxious than before. The woman abhors silence, and she won't shut up. She also makes crap up about her life to make herself somehow seem more glamorous. It's sad and pathetic, and I generally just don't like her being around my kids unsupervised. So, she ends up taking care of my sister's kids while I take care of mine while my sister takes care of my mom, so it all kinda balances. At the end of the day, she will do anything for the kids, and she does take excellent care of them as far as seeing to their physical needs, even if she is a bit indulgent with the cakes and Dora. One night, Mr. Mac, Miss M, Little Miss S and I were all in my bedroom, relaxing together while we got everyone settled for bed. Babysitter comes in to say goodnight, and proceeds to hang out for a good half hour! Mr. Mac went and got his night clothes on, as did I, and she still didn't leave. Things like this make me worry.

* Internets, you won't believe this, but the boat broke down. I know! Like that never happens with a boat! This time, we were off to see "Monkey Island" (a colony of monkeys on an island in the marsh), and the boat alarm kept going off after we bottomed out when my dad tried to take a short-cut across the marsh (well, it was a VERY high tide). At the end of it all, we ended up anchoring at a public boat ramp and eating our picnic while we waited for Babysitter to come get us in the largest vehicle available (my sister's Suburban). Add it to the long list of stories about the boat breaking down, stranding us in the middle of the marsh or just offshore until we get rescued. No 3 hour tours for us, I tell ya!

* Little Miss S decided to develop a deeply-felt fear of water that began about the time her dad left the island, and didn't go away until he came back. I had to take her to the pool, shower her in my shower because she wouldn't go in the bath, and generally deal with her being a giant pain. I complained to Mr. Mac about it, and when he comes back - POOF! Phobia lifted. All done. Sighs.

* Miss M was an angel, as she always has been, and I think she had a wonderful time. She found a new friend on the island, who lives relatively close to us and whose mom is a friend of my sister's and mine. So we are very excited about that.

* The golf cart parade was fabulous. Miss M was miffed she didn't get to enter one this year, but I think she had fun in the end getting to watch. The little girls were enraptured, and even Baby J was just thrilled for the first 30 minutes, after which he took a nice, long nap. The fireworks were very nice - we can see them so well from the porch of the new house! Fortunately, there's also a sunroom off the back, so Little Miss S could watch them from inside. Fireworks are SCARY! :)

At the end of the day, the whole week was just great. Now, it's back to the grind for me, and Miss M leaves tomorrow for two weeks in Ireland with her grandmother seeing all sorts of aunts, uncles and cousins. She should be completely rotten when she returns, which she deserves. I have two weeks until the bar, and Mr. Mac is awaiting verdict on his trial. In another month, I'll be working, Miss M will be back at her mom's, and Mr. Mac will be gearing up for another year of school. The summer will be over, and I'll be sad. But it's been a good one, to say the least!

Home, sweet home

2007-07-09T09:02:00.000-04:00

We're back from our vacation to the beach. Such a nice long week. More later, but first I must away children to their activities and such.

Happiness Interruptus

2007-06-28T17:59:00.000-04:00

I pause in my celebrations to note that the current Supreme Court scares the living crap out of me.

I now return to revelry and playing with my children, but with a bit of a somberness in light of the scary decisions made today and over the course of the last term. May all this crap be reversed by the time my kids are old enough to be affected....

WHOPEEEEEEEEEEE!

2007-06-27T13:04:00.000-04:00

I got my offer letter. I have a job. I am so darned excited I don't know what to do with myself.

Yay! A good salary and loads of benefits and all that good stuff.

HALLELUJAH, Praise the Lord, and PASS THE CHAMPAGNE! Mama's gettin' a brand new pair o' shoes!

What's worse than being pregnant in the summer with bar review?

2007-06-25T14:26:00.000-04:00

Not much, but I can assure you that being pregnant in the summer with bar review and having a dreaded summer cold is worse.

WAH!

An update on many things, including the first den-tisss visit for Little Miss S, an exciting recap of Dead Fish Bible School, and other exciting Mac Household adventures, coming your way! But first, I must blow my nose.

Arts and Crafts at Vacation Bible School

2007-06-18T14:26:00.000-04:00

So I'm having loads of fun this week being a group leader for Miss M's Vacation Bible School group at our church. Loads. It's in the 90s right now, and I've been following around somewhere between 14 and 18 3-5 graders (yes, it fluctuated throughout the morning) in the Sunday School Building, which isn't so well air conditioned, and on the playground which has a few shade trees....

And they had a lovely activity in the Arts and Crafts room - making fish prints! Never done it? Well let me tell you - you take a whole dead fish, cover it in paint, and press a piece of paper over the fish to make a print.

Did I forget to mention I'm like 21 1/2 weeks pregnant? Yeah, I thought so. Oh Lordy, and it was HOT in that room. And smelly. And I did my best to stay un-green.

I have been promised no more dead fish after today. So yay.

HELP - THIS IS BAD!

2007-06-15T15:30:00.001-04:00

I have found a rip in a dress that Miss Baby loves. How do I *fix* it? It's a dress my mom got for her, and a it's royal blue/white gingham check bishop with lobsters smocked into the neckline and cute little sleeves with rickrack. **SO CUTE** The rip is small (just a cm or so), but it's on the FRONT, and there is a little fray - it's obvious she ripped it when she wore it. I HAVE to fix Blooooo Cwab Dress. I must. It's required. I am not at all crafty, and I can sew on a button but that's all. HELP ME AGAIN OH INTERNETS!!!! HELP MEEEEEEE!

About my Blog Roll

2007-06-14T09:41:00.000-04:00

A few months ago or so. Well maybe like a year ago. I noticed that Blog Rolling really wasn't updating accurately to let me know when blogs had been updated. And so I started investigating readers instead of relying on Blog Rolling to tell me when I needed to click on over and read someone else's Blog. I figured out that I liked the reader interface better, so that's what I've been using, and now I add new blogs only there, and I ignore the ones in my blogroll. At the end of the day, I keep the blog roll over there to the side to show the blog world that I like so many people, and so therefore I'm cool. Or something. I don't know why.

So, should I just ax it? Should I use another program? I don't know. Help me, oh internets. Help me stay cool as the rest of you!

__
Why, yes, I *am* procrastinating studying. Why do you ask?

I am a hungry hippo

2007-06-14T08:07:00.001-04:00

Hide your food if I'm around. I'm starving. Nonstop. Dang!

Torture

2007-06-12T12:53:00.000-04:00

I oppose torture. I think it's a bad way to get information when we need it. However, I, as a parent, am not above issuing the occasional threat of torture when necessary.

If we want to find Bin Laden, we can threaten anyone we have in custody with Bar/Bri. They will out him in a matter of days. Bar review is bloody murder hell when you've not been in school for a very, very long time.

All's well

2007-06-05T12:09:00.000-04:00

The ultrasound went great. We're really excited that they don't see any reason for further testing. I signed all the consent forms for the surgery today. She'll be here by Hallowe'en. Yeah, she. :)

SUMMER TIME!

2007-06-04T14:55:00.001-04:00

Miss M is here! Tra-la-la! We went and got haircuts, then played with my niece today, then shopped to find ribbons to make preppy head-bands! Tomorrow we have a Very Big Day - the ultrasound. Wednesday, we go to Big News Network to see a friend and tour 'behind the scenes'. And the new Brown Sugar Water museum. Tra-la-la! And Thursday, the ZOO! :) Fabulous times!

Hooray for SUMMER TIME!

Why I Love to Entertain

2007-06-02T21:42:00.000-04:00

I got an e-mail from a friend in the middle of last week. I'd dropped her a note to see how she was, and to touch base on a few things our big girls are doing together this summer. She writes back to tell me that she's so sorry she's been out of touch, but she just got back from Greece, where she had to fly to get her father and mother home. Her father just had a heart attack on the way there, had developed pneumonia and subsequently had a stroke once he got back here to the States. Amusing side story is that there actually were people in the hospital that thought he was the Atlanta TB Lawyer.

So, I said, fine - you bring your kids to my house, and another friend and I will take care of them while you and your husband take some time to relax. She said, no, if they come, I get to come to, and we'll all relax - I need it. I was up for anything, as Mr. Mac has gone to FL to attend Miss M's dance recitals (yes TWO!) and bring her back for the summer. So I'm alone for the weekend.

Folks, even without my husband, I had such a nice evening tonight. Nothing fancy - burgers and dogs, beans, potato salad, fruit and brownies. I had lemonade and water to drink. Our collection of 5 kids ran themselves into the ground. Everyone helped clean up, and we all ended the evening full, relaxed and happy. And my friend, as she was leaving said, with tears in her eyes, you can't imagine how much this means to me. And I said, it goes the same here too.

The world is big and frightening. I'm not a person with a ton of friends - I tend to keep a few close pals, and then I have a wide network of acquaintances. So it's nice to know that sometimes I can brighten the day of a friend, even if it's a horrible dark time. And even better, she can brighten my day with a simple smile. And best of all, Little Miss S is sleeping like the sweet angel she can be. :)

I love this woman!

2007-05-31T15:06:00.000-04:00

Ruth Bader Ginsberg rocks. J'adore. Keep it up, sister!

Bay-Bean Soups

2007-05-30T12:51:00.000-04:00

No, it's not some sort of hearty, stick-to-your ribs meal. It's what Little Miss S wants to wear, every day, all day. Because when we put on our bay-bean soups, we go to da beach, and we make san' cas-T-les. And 'swim' (better known as sitting in the water).

The cutest thing about this past weekend at the beach was that Little Miss S has her own definite idea as to what constitutes a 'beach', and honestly, it corresponds more closely to the actual geological-type definition. You and I, we hear beach, we think waves, sand, sea, etc. She thinks "water meets land". To LMS, beaches are everywhere, including on our back patio, where the sprinkler water has pooled after they ran overnight.

Over the weekend, when we went to the actual beach, we went to a section where the beach is very wide, so much so that a series of three tidal pools now form. The surf line became the 'big beach', and the wading pools were each a separate beach. The farthest back, which was shallowest and had been in the sun a while was the "hot beach". Then there was the "baby beach", and lastly, the cold beach. I put my chair pretty much between the reed line and the surf line, between the middle two beaches, and watched her run back and forth. She tired of "cold beach" and went to "baby beach." Then when she wanted to go to "big beach", she had to hold my hand.

She thoroughly enjoyed having my parents all to herself, and not having to share them one whit with Miss M, or my cousins. And I think my parents enjoyed that some, too.

I love summer, the beach, and bay-bean soups. :)

No, White Men, I Can Make Up My Own Damn Mind

2007-05-22T07:16:00.000-04:00

Insultingly paternalistic. And I'd especially like to thank the NY Times for giving this story coverage. Gee, what next, Aliens in the White House? Wait, that one *is* true.

Women don't need the White Man Establishment telling them what to do about abortion. Believe it or not, we can have one, and go on to be happy and healthy and good mommies. FotherMuckers. More later. Hmph!

My funny Neighborhood

2007-05-21T08:02:00.000-04:00

I often lamented that Mr. Mac and I were somewhat stranded in a Republican stronghold when we were living in Tampa. It was an area where the County Commissioner race often had no Dem candidate, because there just wasn't a shot at winning. I absolutely vowed that when I was able to move, I'd look into the political demographic of the area to which I was moving, and choose neighbors who are a little more like me.

This is an affluent neighborhood - most of the families are dual income homes or retirees or possibly students. But we're hippie liberals, too! In combining the two zip codes that Druid Hills crosses, our neighbors have given $53,400 to Democratic Presidential candidates compared to $2,950 for Republicans. These figures are according to the AJC's report on the level of donation by local zip codes, and they look at donations for Q1 2007.

I love my neighborhood. It makes me happy to be in a place where people think like I do, even in the midst of bright red Georgia. :)

Some days I just get tired of being a woman

2007-05-17T16:19:00.000-04:00

I had a job interview yesterday. It went extremely well, and I had a great feeling about everything. UNTIL.... it came out that I'm pregnant.

Seems that's cause for concern for them.

I'm so sick and tired of being asked illegal questions, and having illegal conclusions made, about my candidacy for a position simply because I am female and I suffer from a condition that only affects women. It's appalling, and it's also illegal, but almost impossible to prove.

Right now, they claim they still want to check up with my references, etc. But I'm just so afraid that I've missed out, and because of something that isn't allowed to be held against me. It's a competitive world, and I know that pretext can be found to justify their decision. But damn. It makes me mad.

You want I should eat MORE?

2007-05-07T11:09:00.000-04:00

At the doctor visit this morning, there was much tsk-ing and frowning over my weight loss. See, since my first prenatal visit, I have lost 14 lbs (18 since I got pregnant). I've not had significant nausea. They are concerned that I'm not eating enough.

Folks, I'm eating 2,000 calories per day, which is what's recommended for a pregnant lady. I'm eating good, healthy foods, and following a very generic diet.

I heard the heartbeat, and I told them about the feelings I had last week, which she said was very likely to be the baby's first kicks that I feel. And she said that everything looks very healthy with the baby.

Okay - off to get me some bacon!

Butterfly Kicks

2007-05-05T10:56:00.000-04:00

Day before yesterday, I was dragging. So I had me a diet coke (a rare treat these days). The caffeine knocked me back into gear. AND it apparently woke up Junior Buckshot in the womb. I felt the first fluttering kicks, thumping against my lowest abdominal wall. Last night, Mr. Mac and I sat outside and played with Little Miss S, and I felt it again. This time, I was able to grab his hand, and put it over the spot where I felt the thumping, and he could feel it too. Just over 15 weeks in, 25 to go. Whew!

5 years

2007-04-27T08:27:00.000-04:00

Five years ago today, I'd not slept well - too much excitement. Five years ago today, I was pampered and preened like never before (or again). I actually allowed someone to do my hair and makeup. I was mad because you were "late" (but not really - you just weren't early). Five years ago today, I was nearly blinded by the constant flash of the photographer's bulb and annoyed by having to hold awkward pose after awkward pose. Five years ago, I was peeved by having to stay in the back room with the kids while they watched Powderpuff Girls. I snuck out of the back room and sat on the back porch with you, our two dads, and my brother in law. We watched people arrive behind a screen of greenery.

Five years ago today, we were married, my dear. And I can't believe it's really been that long, or for that matter, that soon ago. I don't remember life without you, and I can't bear to think of what that would be like.

Thank you my sweetie for a wonderful five years. I love you.

Momee - Stinkies inna baff!

2007-04-22T19:45:00.000-04:00

Yeah, that's what broke me out of my baff-time reverie. God bless Mr. Mac, who came in and cleaned out the, erm, stuff. We walked in to find her out of the tub, and just going "YUCKY! DAS GWOSS!" The impact on Little Miss S was having to take a shower to clean off. Maybe it will work as a deterrent in the future?

Blech! And now for some BLEACH!

On violence

2007-04-17T09:07:00.000-04:00

The shocking events at Va Tech haven't really sunk in for me. In roaming around the blogosphere this morning, I'm learning that a variety of folks are having a similar response - we must stop the violence. Some want to stop it by looking at video games. Others want gun control.

You know what? We need both of those, and we needed them 25 years ago.

I grew up in a home where the gun cabinet sits right inside the back door. In that cabinet there is a collection of beautiful firearms, some of which are rare collector's pieces. They're all shotguns and rifles. The one pistol that was in there was long ago put into the safe - it's just too dangerous to have around, thought my dad.

When I was about 6 years old, I got a BB gun for Christmas. Now, a BB gun isn't a very high powered weapon, and I would further submit that this gun was even less so than most. You seriously could watch the little pellet arc out of the barrel and fall well short of its target.

However, despite its lack of power, my dad would not let me handle the gun before teaching me a rudimentary gun safety course. See, I grew up in a society where everyone, men and women, hunts. Everyone uses a gun as part of every day life. Got a chicken snake taking your hen's eggs? Shoot 'im. Got a cow that's gone rogue and needs to get back in the field? Load up the shotgun with rock salt, and shoot 'er.

But, here's the kicker - the people in this society don't go on a rampage shooting one another. In fact, the incidence of gun violence in the community where I grew up is virtually nil. Furthermore, there are very few accidents that I know of EVER having occurred involving guns. I truly wish I had statistics here, but I don't.

So I submit that it's not the guns that drives us to the violence. It's the lack of respect for the guns and for one another that kills us.

You see, I learned how to use a gun at a young age. In doing so, however, I learned what a gun was capable of doing. I was taught "hunter safety" not only in the state-approved course that was required to have a hunting license, but also from the time I was very small. I learned that you *never* walk around with a loaded gun. You *never* point your gun at anything you wouldn't mind shooting (loaded or not). And you *never ever* shoot at anything that you don't absolutely intend to kill. There is no middle ground - by choosing a gun as a weapon, you are choosing something lethal, and you absolutely must understand that.

So it's not as much about controlling access to guns - it's about ensuring that people are properly educated about using guns. And also, to get on one of my other related rants - it's about ensuring that people understand that a gun is for protection and for sport - you don't need a damn automatic weapon for anything other than rapid fire situations. Those situations are illegal in hunting, and they have no other application than to put you in a position to kill many things in a short amount of time. There is absolutely *no reason* for someone to own one of these things, and because Americans have a noted lack of restraint, we have to regulate the ownership of them. We should *ban* their ownership, however.

But even more - I genuinely believe this incident stems a lack of respect for life. Honestly, I don't know but what the 'violent video game' culture also plays into this. I'm sorry, but if, in a virtual world, you're allowed to kill hookers and cops for the fun of it, you will lose some of your appreciation for the value we should place on one another.

It does, however, go beyond the video games. It starts when kids are young. I've had a serious issue with the Duke Lacrosse case, simply because I think that one lesson that needed to be learned was obviated by the overzealous prosecutor targeting guys who were innocent of the specific crime charged against them. Simply put, these guys were still doing things they shouldn't have been doing. In my experience with the Duke Lacrosse team (assuming that the team is the same 15 years later as it was in my undergraduate years), this group of boys never has treated women very respectfully. In fact, there is an entire subculture at Duke where men treat women awfully. Remember people, this is a school where the frats get prime housing in the best dorms on West campus (I'll plead ignorance and apologize if this facet of life has changed), while the sororities don't have housing. Disparity?

At the end of the day, we're still in a culture where women, and therefore more than half of our society, are treated as less-than-equal. Women don't get paid as much. Women have asked of them "So, do you plan to have more children in the future" in the course of a job interview. Women are asked "So, when your husband finishes his current path and is getting his new job started, how do we know you won't leave?" as part of a (different) job interview. Sure, you can say these questions are illegal, but they're still asked. Men rarely, if ever, get these kinds of questions.

And that's what yields this type of violent reaction. A lack of respect both on the part of the perpetrator, as well as likely against him by some segment of society. Put it another way - would this happen (or Columbine or any of these massive attacks) happen if there wasn't something in society putting the perpetrator down? If we can't start treating one another with decency and respect, we shouldn't expect to be treated so ourselves. I'm not going to go so far and say that this is a "Male-only" kind of crime - women are vicious and mean too, we just typically don't turn to overt violence as our way of striking back.

It's a long fight - a very long one. But it has to begin, and now. We can't sit around talking about how the college should've done better in warning the campus (despite the fact that they easily should've). Truly, our efforts need to be focused on understanding the defect in our society that leads a person to strike out in this manner. And fully understanding where the fault can be found. Then working to FIX THE PROBLEM rather than pointing fingers and blaming one another.

And people, if we can do that, then gun control won't be an issue any more. Nor will the disparate treatment given to women.

Hurt

2007-04-14T20:42:00.000-04:00

I sent out an e-mail to my husband's family letting them know of various and sundry goings-on in our lives. Mr. Mac is doing great, Miss M is doing fabulously, Little Miss S is adorable, I'm pregnant. Please know that this e-mail was sent with Mr. Mac's blessing and that it's how he wanted to share our news. He felt it's my news to share, so I'm the one to tell it (and I can't talk about me before I talk about how wonderful the rest of us are). He's kinda cool that way. It went to a very close cousin, aunts/uncles and his brother and sister (as was his preference).

Now, I get a response from the cousin (along with updates on her adorable daughters), from the aunts and uncles. Hooray, congrats, etc.

But my husband's brother and sister? Zippo. His only connections to his generation in the United States? Oh, they've forwarded me subsequent articles about the Duke LAX case (so I figured out that a) I used the right addresses and b) they've read their e-mails). But no comment on the impending arrival of their niece/nephew.

And damn, it hurts. Is it just that they are so horribly self-absorbed that they didn't bother to hit reply and type "Hey, that's great" and send (gee, it literally took me less than 5 seconds to type that in)? Or is is that they just plain dislike me intensely?

I know where I sit. Now y'all come and tell me how inconsiderate and self-absorbed they are so I don't run around thinking my siblings-in-law hate me.

Sigh

Yeah, Mr. Mac and I have talked this over, in depth, and he actually managed to convince the rational side of my brain of the former. My heart, however, along with rest of my brain, tends to believe the latter.

I'm so tired but it's a good tired.

2007-04-09T20:04:00.000-04:00

I'm exhausted. I'm finding that as time goes on, I'm just tireder and tireder. I have good reason, given that I'm 11 weeks pregnant. Kelly pointed out that I haven't really officially announced this whole she-bang, so there you go.

Today, I went to the doctor for a routine prenatal exam. I have to go to these now. Today I learned that my uterus is still tipped, and that's what's causing the cramps I'm having - it's intestinal, not anything else. I also learned that I'm healthy, everything is progressing, and all's going well. My iron is low, so I get to take yummy yummy iron pills. Hooray for me (blech).

I have to go to a Maternal-Fetal specialist now because of my cervical cancer issues last year, and because I'm over the magic age of 35. I don't know how I feel about the genetic testing, and I'm a little nervous about the whole thing. I figure I'll go to the appointment, discuss the matter with the specialist, and go from there.

At the end of it all, though, I'm basically a normal pregnant lady who's suffering a few side effects. Whew.

Spring Break Redux

2007-04-09T11:56:00.000-04:00

More bullets....

* Miss M to my Mom: "Gee Grandma-Dawg, DevilMacDawg must have had the most wonderful childhood. There's just so much to do here, every day! I bet she NEVER got bored!" Oh kiddo, if you only knew - growing up in the cun'ry with nothing but animals for friends was, well, maybe not quite so exciting as a day-in-day-out proposition. It was still nice, though. :)

* In other words, Miss M had a fabulous time at the Farm. Cows, pigs, other little girls, cutting flowers and decorating a cross at the little church where I grew up. Attention, love, and care. Yeah, she gets it. She has also moved from calling my parents "Mrs. A and Mr. B" to "Mama-Dawg and Papa-B" like Little Miss S and my niece call them. Heh.

* She also got several bags (large ones) of clothing for the summer. We shopped the sale, then had another coupon, and the store credit card discount, so we paid less than half price for everything we bought.

* She left last night. So sad. Her f**king b**ch of a mother didn't bother to call and let us know she'd gotten home, nor would the s**t answer her g****mn phone. We know the flight landed safely, and that's it.

(I don't curse ordinarily. I really don't.)

* Little Miss S had a glorious time as well. "Wan' go see cows now." Repeated at least 4 times a day. Of course, my dad obliged. We also saw chickens, pigs, horsies and tractors.

* We also saw a dog. A sweet, floppy big dog. The type that will lick you to death. Little Miss S is terrified of dogs. She was carrying a ball, and the dog walked by about 2 feet away from her, and she flipped out. "Mama - Doggy scary! SCARY! Doggie Hurt!" Then she held out her arm "Doggie bite arm!" Erm kid, the doggie didn't come near you, and as far as I know, you've never been near enough to a dog for it to smell you, let alone bite you. Amusing in some ways, disturbing in others.

* Little Miss S and I ventured back to the city from the farm together in the sexy minivan. A long nap was had, then a stop to meet up with my aunt traveling the opposite direction. Then the fun began.

* Little Miss S is hilarious. She recited all of Dora World Traveler (I was listening to NPR while the video played in silence). Then she took off her shoes and socks. Took the socks and put them on her hands. Then proceeded to give herself a puppet show. Traffic getting back into the city was, well, actually less than typical. I never actually came to a complete stop on the interstate, and spent most of the stretch that's particularly bad above 30 mph.

* Today, she and Mr. Mac went back to school. I have tons of job leads to follow up on as well. For a nasty, overcast, dreary winter day in the 40s - AFTER EASTER! - I'd say it's going pretty OK.

* I see the Doc today at 3. I'm nervous. What if something's wrong? Mr. Mac can't be there. I can't face something being wrong without him. *gulp*

Spring Break!

2007-04-03T21:02:00.000-04:00

- Went to the ZOO today, along with a significant portion of the metro area. Y'all, baby gorillas are *cute*!

- Rhinos make very big poops. Just sayin'.

- Tomorrow, we're off to the farm for cows and pigs and such. Happy chilluns. Hopefully my mom will back the eff off and I won't have to go all psycho pregnant lady* on her.

- Today I went all psycho pregnant lady on a kid (around 10 or 11) who cut in front of me in line to go to the potty, right in front of her mother who didn't do anything about it. Sigh. I woulda jerked a knot in my kid, had she done that, but there again, my kids know better, and one of them is TWO!

- The zoo was hot. Very hot. Too hot for the lions to come out for a visit - they stayed in their air conditioned hut.

- So, the whole line in Biloxi Blues about "Africa Hot", maybe it's off? "Atlanta Hot" is greater than "Africa Hot"? Or maybe Atlanta lions are soft?

That's all folks.

* Oh yeah, the whole "pregnant" part of "Psycho Pregnant Lady" - I'm over 10 weeks along. Now all the internets knows, as well as everyone in my hometown. We're a tad excited. :)

Maraka

2007-03-28T20:13:00.000-04:00

Don't know how long this will be around - if you've got a Dora addict in your house, you will cry.

Random bullets of Pollen

2007-03-28T14:23:00.000-04:00

- When I was a kid, I got sick every spring. So did my dad. We finally figured out it was a pretty good case of hay fever brought on by an allergy to tree pollen. I've had shots, pills, you name it. My worst allergies were when I lived in Athens and when I lived in Dallas (the wind blows in tree pollen from the Rockies - no lie!).

- Until now. My life is coated in a thick (as in measurable to the naked eye) coat of pollen. It's amazing, and I'm VERY ill from it. Right now, I'm unable to even take any meds for it except for Benedryl. Sigh. I'm either Sleepy or Sneezy. I'm also Grumpy, so I guess I'm well on my way to needing Snow White around here.

- Little Miss S seems to have the same issues. She's now fighting a pretty good case of the sneezes and snorts herself, and I feel pretty badly for her.

- Our back patio is a bricked patio. It's normally a lovely bricky color. It's all pollen-colored now. Except the big circles (think crop circle-like in it) that appear at random. Mr. Mac has been very confused about what are now known as the Pollen Circles. He was out there looking one evening trying to find where the winds were swirling. I finally looked at him and said "Honey - see that big yellow cat over there? Remember the places you typically see him sprawling for soaking up the sun. Yeah, same place as the pollen circles!" Mystery solved!

- Little Miss S loves the outdoors, especially when it's warm. She also hates the "Lallow Duss" as she calls it. She goes out on the patio with a rag, and proceeds to clean off her table and chairs. Then she goes to her swingset and cleans that. Then she plays. Remember, folks, she's two.

- Miss M (asthmatic) comes in town for spring break. How much anyone care to wager her mom actually sends her meds with her? Heh!

Perfect Afternoon

2007-03-26T07:51:00.000-04:00

This afternoon, I was slated to meet a dear friend for ice cream. We planned to hit a neat gelatto place and sit and gab for a while. I've had it rough of late, as has she, and we both desperately needed it. Well, Mr. Mac got wind of Ice Cream to be had, and he felt, emphatically so, that he and Little Miss S should be included as well. I couldn't really object, especially given the lovely park and playground down the block and the temps forecast in the 80s.

So off we went to meet Future Mrs. USA (that's US Attorney) at 3 pm. Such a smart, funny woman. I adore her. And we got our gelatto - mine was pear, peach, zabaione and dulce de leche. LMS had banana. Mr. Mac had sour cherry and chocolate. Oh this stuff is yummy.

As we walked down the tree-lined streets, it seemed that every branch contained a bloom and budding leaves. The soft greens, the beautiful pastels of spring. It was glorious. Little Miss S insisted I stop every so often and pick her a "pwetty fower!", from which she then promptly pulled all the petals. There were birds singing, and loads of small, white butterflies.

This neighborhood is a very easily walked locale, so parents and children were converging on the playground after naps to run off the afternoon energy. Many carried small containers of gelatto from the same place we went, while others had Ben & Jerry's from a block the other way. Children were running and playing, grown-ups sitting and chatting.

The best thing about this playground is that it naturally divides between big-kid areas and little-kid areas. The big kids are content to play on this giant set with spinning stools and swinging things. Really made for their size. The little kids, however, are thrilled with another set that had slides, ladders, bridges and tunnels. Off to the side is a firetruck set that had wheels to turn and knobs to mash.

For the next two and a half hours, I sat and gabbed with my friend, while Mr. Mac and Little Miss S went to "Go swide down now" and "Da bridge!" and "Inna tunnel! Weeee!" She was so tired when we left that she just rested her head on the side of her car seat and zoned out. After arriving home, I fixed her some of her favorite, Kraft Mac 'n Cheeze, and she ate it all. A short bath, some time on Mommy's bed with a few books and an episode of Dora, and she was ready to go nigh-nigh at 7:30. She's just starting to stir now at 8 am.

I love it when Mr. Mac has the time to take to play with me. I love it when Little Miss S has so much fun she can't hold her head up at night. I love it when, for just a few hours, I'm able to forget the pressures of the world, and just relax outside on a beautiful soft spring day.

Sign the Petition

2007-03-22T19:33:00.000-04:00

A mastectomy is surgical procedure in which woman's breast tissue is removed in order to remove cancerous breast cells/tissue. If you know anyone who has had a mastectomy, you may know that there is a lot of discomfort and pain afterwards. Insurance companies are trying to make mastectomies an outpatient procedure. Let's give women the chance to recover properly in the hospital for 2 days after surgery.

Here's the petition:

http://www.lifetimetv.com/breastcancer/petition/signpetition.php

Breast Cancer Hospitalization Bill - Important legislation for all women.

There's a bill called the Breast Cancer Patient Protection Act which will require insurance companies to cover a minimum 48-hour hospital stay for patients undergoing a mastectomy. It's about eliminating the "drive-through mastectomy" where women are forced to go home just a few hours after surgery, against the wishes of their doctor, still groggy from anesthesia and sometimes with drainage tubes still attached. Signing the petition shows that you support Congress taking action to force insurance companies to cover the costs of allowing a woman adequate time to recover, in a hospital, from this very difficult procedure.

PLEASE!! Sign the petition by clicking on the web site below. You need not give more than your name and zip code number, even though other information is requested.

This takes about 2 seconds. PLEASE COPY THIS MESSAGE AND PASS IT ON to your friends and family, and on behalf of all women, THANKS.

http://www.lifetimetv.com/breastcancer/petition/signpetition.php

Polly the Pink iPod

2007-03-19T12:04:00.001-04:00

I heart Polly. She has many of my favorite songs. She's pink. She's teeny. What's not to love? :)

Shoe Shoppin'

2007-03-18T07:55:00.000-04:00

Oh the joys of shopping for shoes with a tired toddler. We went out to the Evil Perimeter Mall yesterday. My mom needed to pop into Nordies (they've discontinued their night shirts! Evil bitches!). And I noted that the Stride-Rite store was having a buy one, get one 50% off sale. So, despite the noon hour, I dragged Little Miss S into the store, into the throng of mommies trying to buy for their babies, to get her some new shoes.

Oh, the joy and fun of it. First. LMS is afraid of crowds. Also, she doesn't like loud noises. And all of her issues are exacerbated by her being hungry AND tired. So basically, I took her into a crowded store, with TWO sets of crying (screaming!) twins, at lunch time, and after a BIG morning of running around the Home Expo store among other places. Yeah, this was fun.

At least she generally sat quietly in her stroller. She tried on her shoes fairly well (she had grown a size and a half since last fall). And now, she is the proud owner of these cute green tennis shoes . And the summer's ubiquitous white stride-rite sandals. :)

Home Cleaning Product Review II

2007-03-14T13:39:00.000-04:00

Okay, admittedly, I'm a tad obsessed with Murphy's Oil Soap (much like Quinn, I learned in the comments). I wish it came in 5-gallon buckets, honestly. It is, in my mind's eye, the world's most perfect cleaner. Gentle and thorough, it smells wonderfully, and it keeps all of your wood in excellent condition. Simply put, in my home of antiques and wooden floors, it is an essential. It wipes away toddler leavings* with ease, while still allowing me to spray the bottle of it near my daughter without fear for her future development.

Imagine my delight when I saw for sale at the local hardware store a jug of "Murphy's Oil Soap: Squirt 'n Mop Hardwood Floor Cleaner". I was enthused. I procured said bottle of stuff knowing full well that my hardwoods are dusty, dirty, have milk splatters, and just need a good all-around cleaning.

Upon my return home, I grabbed the trusty rag mop, and I squirted, and I mopped, and so forth, over all the hardwood surfaces in my home.

Now, my floors, they gleam. They shine. And my house? Oh it smells so wonderful.

--
* Toddlers leave the most odd trail of goo and goop. Little Miss S most commonly leaves biyana goo, yo-gut goo, mukaroni and cheese goo, and bebiss bar goo. Occasionally, we get mushy chee-o goo and/or go-fish (sadly no more bobish in this house) goo. Blech!

New purchase that makes me happy

2007-03-13T13:07:00.000-04:00

I have a new broom - one that actually sweeps the dirt in my floor into piles that I can gather up into the dust pan. It rocks. I'm very happy with my new broom, simply because it accomplishes the aforementioned task, and without leaving bits of straw all over the kitchen floor. My old broom was ideally suited for our tile floor in Tampa. Now, we have a fancy-schmancy Travertine Marble floor (don't recommend it, but it was here when we got here), and that comes with different issues. So I have finally found a broom that works.

Maybe tomorrow, I will blog about my excitement over the Murphy's Oils Soap "Squirt 'n Mop" Hardwood Floor cleaner I have purchased. I adore the smell of Murphy's Oil Soap. It will surely rock the floors in my home, right?

Gah, my life has become ever so sad....

Barf!

2007-03-12T09:53:00.000-04:00

The whole family has had it. Nothing more fun that dealing with your sick-as-a-dog husband all weekend, only to find yourself Worshiping at the Porcelain Altar at 3 am. Even worse is when you seek sympathy from your dear husband only to realize he's off seeing about his 9 year old who's following the same religious practice in the other bathroom. Back to bed....

Hmph. That sucked.

2007-03-08T21:28:00.000-05:00

At least it wasn't as bad as the 1997 game vs. State when I was at a Mock Trial competition in Houston, trying to catch the game, arguing with a drunk in the hotel bar (yes, it WAS 11 am, and he WAS doing shots) as to why I got to commandeer the TV for the Duke game (only on that TV) while he could go watch whatever random SW Conference refugee team he wanted in his room.

But still, man, this sucks. Gah. Not only did we lose, but we lost a freaking Les Robinson game.

Sucks, sucks!

Back to School

2007-03-03T14:00:00.000-05:00

Unfortunately, not of the "Rodney Dangerfield" kind. Ahhh, love that movie. Ever so quotable.

Today started my long trudge up the hill known as "Bar Review". I went back to school, sat in uncomfortable chairs, and listened to the folks around me talk about what they were gonna do tonight. (Midtown? Buckhead? I dunno - if we Midtown, then we can preparty at Cassie's place, and then we can just walk, 'cuz you know about her preparties!). Ahhh the memories.

Okay, so back at it, right? Nose to the stone. Etc. In my first session, I was floored at how fast this class moved. It was the MPRE review course, and it's over a very easy portion of the whole bar exam process, but it flew to me. Uh oh... what have I signed up for?

Turns out, everyone else in the room thought the class was flying way too fast. Whew.

In all, while I don't have a swank suite for myself, and I don't know how to do a Triple Lindy, I do feel a little like ole Thornton Mellon. First, I've got a family member in the school where I'm now interloping. Second, I'm ages older than a lot of the folks there.

At the same time, the material covered today was stuff that I largely 'got' (well, except they changed all the ethics rules in 2003, and I last studied for, took, and passed this stupid test in 1998 - I get confused easily!). It still makes sense. Law is easy, just very significantly voluminous, and that's what kills me.

Okay, so I'm going back to school. I have a headache, and I'm tired. Maybe they give nap time?

Last night

2007-02-23T16:47:00.000-05:00

I was on the phone with my mom, when another call came in for her. My aunt died peacefully late yesterday. We were talking about other major [for now unbloggable] things going on around here. I'm sorry that Aunt Janie has died, but at the same time, I am glad she's found peace.

Now if the rest of my mom's family could act like grown adults, and behave over all this, we'd be good.

Happy Birthday Daddy

2007-02-22T10:48:00.000-05:00

Today's my daddy's birthday. Just like George Washington. Only he still has his real teeth. But he loves some cherry pie.

So happy birthday - you're a great daddy and granddaddy. I'm so thrilled we've all got you around to help us out with our lives.

Update

2007-02-21T15:21:00.000-05:00

I'm beyond paranoid to post this, but it's good for at least the time being - my aunt was taken off her respirator this morning, and she's reviving. She's tough, to say the least.

Weight Watchers

2007-02-20T19:34:00.000-05:00

I must be doing something right. I've been reluctant to post. But dang, y'all - 14.2 lbs are gone! Woo woo!

Aunt Janie

2007-02-19T11:08:00.000-05:00

When my mom was growing up, she didn't have the childhood we'd all wish for our kids. Very honestly, that understates the situation. Her mother, while a very accomplished teacher, was not the most loving, tender of people. Even with her grandkids, my 'swamp-granny' was a bit more difficult. I could get along with her, because I was a tomboy who loved to be outside, riding horses, fishing and hunting. But my mom wasn't as a child, nor will she ever be. And that was hard. On top of it, her parents were hard working, and my mom was the oldest of three, so she was responsible for a lot of the household matters, including taking care of her two younger sisters.

One person took my mom under her 'wing' and treated her like a little girl, and that was my Aunt Janie. She's my grandfather's brother. We have beautiful collections of crocheted items that Aunt Janie made. My mom has a hand-crocheted "Last Supper" that is framed, hanging in our foyer at home, which Aunt Janie made over the course of the last 6 months of my swamp-granny's life. She gave it to my mom for her 40th birthday, which was on the day after her mother had died.

I have a collection of crocheted ornaments, and also a nice set of cross-stitched Christmons, which I put out every year in a special place. These were made by Aunt Janie.

Aunt Janie moved 'in town' about 2 years ago, when she just couldn't take care of her house any more. She got an apartment in Braswell Homes, which is technically low-income housing, but it's become a place where the older population moves when they need to live in a duplex rather than a home. It's a nice community, full of many older widows. One thing they did there was feed the cats. Now, a few cats are good, but (literally) 75 or so around becomes a problem.

So Aunt Janie took it upon herself to begin trapping the cats. My Uncle Bobby is the super for the subsidized housing projects in my home town. His wife is my mom's sister, and so he took care of Aunt Janie. One day, he showed up to see how she was doing, and she took him inside, and showed him her three traps, each with a live cat inside. "Bobby, we got to get rid of these so I can catch more!" So Uncle Bobby took them away, presumably out of town to the country, and she proceeded to catch 28 cats, two possums, a raccoon, and a coyote (no lie!) in her traps over her two years.

About a month ago, Aunt Janie fell and needed her shoulder operated on somehow. They proceeded with the operation despite her age (84), and she had some issues recovering from the surgery. Turns out, her fall was caused by a mild heart attack. So they put a stint in to deal with some sort of problem there. And she got worse. Her kidneys failed for the first time, and they had to put her on dialysis. Last week, things started working again, but she still was having problems with water on her lungs. She never got off dialysis - but she did develop a blood infection from the catheterization.

Today, they called in the family.

Aunt Janie lies in a hospital bed, with a staph infection, failing organs, and her family around her. I don't know how much longer she has, but it's coming soon, and I'm just not ready to let her go. She was special to me, and not just because she was so special to my mother. She is a good, Christian woman, who genuinely worked to make this world a better place in her own way. She loved making things with her hands, and she continued that up until this past Christmas, when she gave everyone hand-made ornaments for Christmas. Beautiful things - something I could never begin to duplicate.

This year has already brought loss into my life, and I'm just not ready for it to happen again. At the same time, death is absolutely part of life, and that's something I must accept, because God does not let us choose the time or place. I guess that those of us left here among the living must continue to live our lives in a manner that honors those who precede us.

But it's still hard, and it's even harder when it's my mommy who's hurting the most over this.

So what do you want to be when you grow up?

2007-02-08T12:51:00.000-05:00

I'm lucky. See, I'm getting a do-over at life. It's embarrassing to me to admit it, but yeah, that's what's happening. It's not a complete do-over. I start at the bottom of a pretty steep hill, and I've got to push myself up it. But at the same time, I am fortunate to have the chance to walk away from being a Corporate Drone and do something that has more meaning for me.

When I was a kid, I had a single ambition in life. I wanted to be a vet - a large animal vet. Particularly interesting in light of this article from Monday's New York Times. It talks about the lack of large animal vets, especially in the more isolated farming communities. No kidding - this is exactly what I wanted to do: be an old fashioned, James Herriot style 'farm vet'.

Of course, my do-over isn't so expansive that I get to go back to vet school. I don't really even want that. I think it's sad, really, that a child is pushed from so young an age to say what s/he wants to be when s/he grows up. My husband wanted to be an astronaut. Maybe I'd be in a bizarre love triangle today if his eyes didn't go all wonky in the third grade.

So what is my 'do-over'? Well, it's me taking stock of what I have to my name (specifically my multiple degrees) and where I can put those things to best use for me, my family, and my community. I know that step 1 is passing the bar examination, not an easy feat for those without a 9-year lapse between school and the sitting date. Beyond that, I don't know what the steps will be.

I plan to do a ton of exploring of fields. I'm not looking to join a big midtown firm. I am, however, looking to practice law that has some direct (positive) impact on people's lives. Any thoughts out there?

GTHC!

2007-02-07T17:37:00.001-05:00

Punks!

What my life has become

2007-02-06T15:26:00.000-05:00

Bullets. I'm nothing but a collection of bullets.

* I had a song in my head. I couldn't place it. It was just the introduction to the song, and I was really liking the chordal progression, etc., when it dawned on me. I was singing a dang Barney song.

* There actually is something more annoying out there than Barney. It's Dora. Barney has a good 10-12 song rotation. Dora has about 4.

* My child has worn her "Bunnies" (bunny slippers) to school twice this week. Yes, I realize this week is exactly two days long so far. I figured out the reason this morning, somewhat - her Keds are too small and pinching her feet. Bah!

* I have found that Weight Watchers is actually going to be an easy diet for me to follow. While, on the one hand, no food is 'forbidden'; on the other hand, it's almost impossible to eat your 'points' ration if you stick to a list of foods that includes lean protein options, loads of veggies and high-fiber starches. Yesterday, I was seriously 7 1/2 points UNDER, and I was stuffed all day.

* The downside of WW is that I do have to avoid junk food like the plague. So we've just gotten rid of all that. It's also very difficult to eat out on WW if you don't go to places that have nutritional information available. I guess I'll just try to eat what I know is lower-point options? Who knows.

* Papa John's just sent us a flyer with all their deals on pizza for the coming weeks. Damn you! Now, I want gooey-cheesy pizza, with Italian Sausage and garlic-butter dipping sauce. AAAAAAAAGH!

* I think I'm getting a Nano, btw. Thanks for the feedback - I really appreciate it.

* Law school prom is in 3 1/2 weeks, and Mr. Mac wants to go. It's black tie. The last black tie event I attended was my wedding, almost 5 years ago. And a child ago. And before I quit smoking. Hell, before I needed the aforementioned Weight Watchers. I would seriously have to lose 35 lbs to fit into any of what I have that is 'formal wear'. Do I go buy something, or what? *gulp*

Question for all you portable music widget owners!

2007-02-03T07:55:00.000-05:00

I want an iPod. Well, not necessarily an iPod, because it's the most expensive option out there. But I want a thingie I can use for playing music when I walk. I want a flash-drive option, and I want one that is easy to use. I don't want a 'shuffle' option - I want something where I can at least choose the song I am going to hear. And I want one that works, that won't break, and that will withstand some rough treatment (which is just a general precaution one takes with a 2 year old). Please, people, debate amongst yourselves, call each other a ninny with no brain, and all that other fun stuff - but most importantly, PLEASE help me figure out what my parents are giving me for my birthday last week! :)

I'm certifiable

2007-01-30T11:33:00.000-05:00

I think I'm gonna sit down and that that nasty bugger-bear bar exam. At least it's the Georgia bar. Please expect to see my next post coming in from the loony-bin, which is where I clearly belong.

Happy Birthday Sweetie

2007-01-22T21:05:00.000-05:00

Mr. Mac is another year older today. I follow suit in another 9 days. Happy birthday sweetie!

Writer's Block

2007-01-22T15:39:00.001-05:00

As Little Miss S says when she wants to get out of her car seat "I'm Saaa-TUCK!"

Protect SMU

2007-01-18T15:45:00.000-05:00

Methodists say NO to Bush Library at SMU. Y'all go sign this thing, too!

Heartbreaking

2007-01-17T09:55:00.000-05:00

My cousin (my dad's first cousin, so my second) was found dead early this morning in her house. She lost her mom to cancer in high school, and about 5 years later, her dad to a drunk driver. To say she had a difficult time at a difficult age understates things. She got involved in a very fast crowd - coke, ex, etc. She married an absolute asshole jerk who screwed around on her then left her for a very young, wealthy woman. They got back together when she found out she was pregnant, but it was an ectopic pregnancy, so he left her again, while she was still in the hospital - my dad and the two other male cousins had to take her home.

And things devolved from there.

My cousin was found with a crack pipe and a few rocks around her, in her bed. Nobody even knows when she died - she was alone.

Daddy is absolutely broken-hearted. He, along with other cousins (she had no siblings) tried so hard to get her away from the drugs and back into life. He, along with those same two male cousins, watched the county coroner take her out in a black body bag.

My cousin bounced from one rehab facility to another. She ended up selling the old family homestead (where my great-grandfather grew up) for more drug money. She sold off most of the family land under her control, except about a hundred acres. Nobody knows where it goes - there's a will, but we don't know what's in it. This land is stunning, and we fear it will be developed.

She was my hero when I was a kid. She had beautiful horses, and she was beautiful to boot - tall, skinny, blond.... She was an absolute sweetheart toward me, and always took a lot of time with me when I was small. She let me ride her horses sometimes - it was our 'secret'.

And she died alone, shunning the family that loved her so much, trying to make her demons and pain stop with crack.

This kills me. I look at her and realize that but for God's grace, it could be me. It could be any of us. I pray that God will have mercy on her soul - she was tortured in life here. May she finally have found peace in the ever-after.

I'm such a bad mommy

2007-01-10T18:37:00.000-05:00

Mr. Mac has a meeting tonight. So Little Miss S and I are home alone. What does she want for dinner? Popcorn.

So that's what she's having. With milk at least. I'm having mine with beer.

Happy Birthday, my little girl

2007-01-08T09:26:00.000-05:00

I guess it's time to give Miss Baby a new nom de blog. She's two years old today. Last night, we had a birthday gathering for her. Mr. Mac's law school friends with kids, his study partner and her husband, and loads of family. My cousin did a magic show, and we had food and cake. Miss Baby couldn't be settled down to sleep until after 9, she was just so wired! This morning, she took cake to her Baby School to share with her friends there.

Cute moment - When my cousin was doing his magic show, my niece M&M came into the living room. She grabbed some balloons from a table, and then took Miss Baby's hand, and says "COME ON! WETS GO PWAY!" And off they went - oblivious to the magic show. Miss M and her gaggle of girls thoroughly enjoyed the whole thing, as did many adults, so my cousin wasn't lacking for an audience! It was just really cute - we had our evening's entertainment going in the living room, while Miss Baby, M&M, and a few other toddlers wreaked havoc back in her bedroom with all the toys.

I made my homemade lasagna with garlic bread, fruit and a salad. My aunt made a lovely Strawberry Cake, in heart shape, and we stuck an Elmo candle on top. Of course, we had ice cream cups (YUM). With more Elmo was scattered about - the 15 month old who was there took an Elmo paper whistle thing (the ones that roll up and down), and proceeded to kiss Elmo and hold it for the rest of the night. He was in heaven!

--

It's difficult for me to grasp that she's been my life for two years now. It's not that it seems so short - in some ways it does - but it's the permanence and the timelessness nature of her here with me. I simply can't imagine or even remember life without her. Her baby days are now just a mere haze to me - I see glimpses every now and again. But now, she's full of herself and loving life so much. It's hard to believe that she was ever anything other than just who she is right now. I can't imagine her getting bigger, but I know she will. She just is my girl - my beautiful girl.

--

I guess she becomes Miss S. I can call her Little Miss S, in a Mini Dress, if I'm so inclined. Happy Birthday.

Home again

2006-12-30T20:53:00.000-05:00

We spent the last week at the farm. I wish I could say it was relaxing, or healing, or something. It wasn't. But, for now and for the next week, Miss M is here, so I'm not squandering any more time with her pouting, crying, screeching, or otherwise feeling sorry for myself. I want to Ice Skate, see the Titanic stuff, and teach her to do laundry. Then I'll worry? Who knows? But we're home again. I missed it.

What a picture...

2006-12-30T19:11:00.000-05:00

Nevermind

2006-12-22T13:45:00.000-05:00

No job. Long story, but no job. I start anew in a new year. This sucks.

Pine Nut Cookies with Rosemary

2006-12-21T11:11:00.000-05:00

This recipe is phenomenal. It sounds odd, but I swear, it's great. I am very much not a baker, but I discovered (in making this recipe last night) that Miss Baby adores making cookies. It was really fun, and I got a wonderful treat. In all seriousness, these cookies pair well with dry chardonnays. Who'd a thunk you'd make a cookie that goes with chardonnay? Incidentally, Mr. Mac does not particularly like these cookies, because they aren't very sweet and they have no chocolate involved. To each his own, I guess, but I love 'em!

RECIPE:

Pine Nut Cookies with Rosemary

Makes about 6.5 dozen (I made about 125 somehow!)

Ingredients:

3 ½ teaspoons coarsely chopped fresh rosemary

¼ cup pine nuts, toasted, plus more for topping cookies

2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon ground ginger

¼ teaspoon coarse salt

10 tablespoons (1 ¼ sticks) unsalted butter, softened

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

3 tablespoons heavy cream

1 large egg

Fine sanding sugar for sprinkling

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Finely chop rosemary in a food processor. Add pine nuts: pulse until coarsely ground. I used a hand chopper widget to do this. A blender also works. Transfer to a large bowl. Whisk in 2 cups flour, the baking soda, ginger, and salt; set aside.
Put butter and granulated sugar into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on high speed until pale and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Mix in olive oil. Reduce speed to low. Mix in flour mixture. Add cream; mix until well combined, about 2 minutes. Mix in egg, then remaining ¼ cup flour.
Shape dough into 3/4 inch balls (I used my 1/2 teaspoon measure - maybe that's how I made so many cookies), and space 2 inches apart on baking sheets lined with parchment paper. Flatten slightly with fingers (or, in the case of Miss Baby - SMOOSHIE MAMA! FUN!), and top each with a pine nut. Sprinkle with sanding sugar (I dipped in the sugar before putting onto the cookie sheet).
Bake cookies, rotating sheets halfway through (I left this step of rotating out), until edges are golden, about 13 minutes. Let cool 10 minutes on sheet on wire racks (I lifted the parchment off the cookie sheet and onto the rack to cool so I could continue baking). Transfer cookies to racks to cool completely. Store in airtight container.

Probable New Gig

2006-12-20T22:21:00.000-05:00

More soon. But, it's looking extremely likely. The offer is in HR being approved, we hope. This job is a mile from my house. It's in a group of people who are smart, funny and cool. I still can't believe this is going to work out. As I said - probable. Stay tuned.

(woot! woot!)

Peace

2006-12-17T13:21:00.000-05:00

As is my tradition, every year I include wishes for Peace in our Christmas Card. I feel it's an important wish, right up there with Joy, Love and Hope. In the Methodist Tradition, these four words are celebrated in the four Sundays of Advent.

The kid manning the counter at the photography store* in my hometown didn't see it this way - my card proof was printed without "Peace". When I made him change it, he wanted to challenge me on it. "Do you really want that there? I mean, this is a CHRISTMAS card, right?"

Yeah, I do. I really do want peace. On my card, and in my life, and throughout the world. It's important to me.

Today is the third Sunday of Advent - it is the day of Peace. Today, our preacher gave one of the most beautiful, moving sermons I've heard him give (and that's saying something - he's AMAZING). Mr. Mac and I chose our church because of the congregation, its location, and its children's programs. This church also has outstanding music, as it's affiliated with Emory. Additionally, it's been blessed with a wonderful pair of ministers in this rotation**. Today's sermon talked a lot about Peace, and what it is to wish for Peace, even in the face of wartime. Of course, he mentioned the controversy over the "Peace Wreath" in Colorado.

But, then he took me back to a part of my life I'd forgotten. After my Sophomore year in college, I went abroad to study in Germany. One of the modules we did was on the East/West relationship. This was the summer of 1991, so the East/West relationship was changing dramatically, especially for Germans. The wall had fallen a little less than two years earlier.

This morning, our preacher retold the story of the congregation of the Leipzig Nikolaikirche, who celebrated a Mass of Peace every Monday evening, even in the face of the STASI (police). They marched, peacefully, through the city streets after their service, despite armed men and tanks threatening them. They sang songs of freedom, and peace, even though doing so could mean the end of their lives. Families chose one member to go to worship, and one to stay home and remain alive, to raise the children.

But nobody was ever killed in these demonstrations. These Christians took their message of Hope, Love, Peace and Joy to the rest of the world, without ever raising a finger. More remarkably, not a finger was raised against them, either.

I'd forgotten this piece of history. This moment that was part of the Eastern European groundswell***, clamoring for Freedom not too many years ago. I didn't have this in mind when I wished everyone Peace on my Christmas Card. I don't know if Lisa Jensen thought of it either, when she hung her "Peace Wreath". I know that I certainly wasn't trying to make a political statement on my card.

Why is it, then, that a wishing for PEACE has become so politicized? Why can't we, a citizens of a nation fighting a war, wish that peace would come to this Earth, without being branded traitors or cowards?

Peace, my friends, is that thing for which we should all strive. It's personal, and it's spiritual. And may it come in my lifetime.

* I chose to patronize a locally-owned store in my hometown, paying almost double the price for my Christmas Cards, and take political smack-talk, rather than going to Sam's Club (where I'm sure they would've had issues printing the order correctly, but I'm also sure they wouldn't have questioned my motives).

** As Methodists, we generally get a new team of ministers every 5 years or so. The Wesleyan tradition of the Itinerant Minister has taken some getting used to for me, raised Presbyterian.

*** I will write more about this subject at a later time. Short version - I visited the USSR in the summer of 1989. My dad's Rotary Club sponsored me, and I had to give a speech on my return. They all thought I was completely insane when I said that the Soviet Union would fall in a matter of years, if not months. I told them that the Baltics were ready to secede, and they all worried that I'd gone away and become some idealistic hippie. They were forgiving, though, as I was just a naive girl of 18.

Bullets - It had to happen one day

2006-12-12T16:58:00.000-05:00

* I interviewed, AGAIN, with the lovely University across the creek. This time with ANOTHER director of another functional area. Love you folks. Mean it. Now, about the offer? Any idea when I can expect that particular detail?

* Miss Baby is a terrible two. "MYYYYYYYYYYEEEEEEE!" means "I would like to have that thing, please mommy, so I won't throw a fit." "No, no! NOT NICE!" means "Please cease and desist in your attempts to make me do/eat/wear this thing/food/item, as I do not prefer it in the least, and I will throw a fit." Yeah, pretty much everything is "Or else I will throw a fit."

* Miss Baby also seems to be cutting eye-tooth #4. Hallelujah and pass the oragel and ibuprofen.

* Mr. Mac is taking his first final, as I type. I must say, I'm impressed with his dedication and thoroughness in studying and preparing. Actually, now he's finished, and so I must go get him.

Peace out folks.

Good Day

2006-12-08T19:07:00.000-05:00

I interviewed with the whole 'committee', and I seemed to hit it off with everyone. Now they have to meet. So keep the fingers crossed, prayers said, and all the good mojo coming our way. It looks good, but until I have a letter in hand, you know - nothing is set.

Thanks, Georgia Voters (GRR!)

2006-12-06T16:53:00.000-05:00

I guess I knew this was going to happen. Turbo-Repug Mike Eaton ousts the lone Democrat on the Public Utilities Commission. Now, the regulation of my natural gas and power supply is 100% in the hands of the GOP.

Nice.

I voted! Have you?

2006-12-05T14:49:00.000-05:00

That's what the stickers they gave you when you voted used to say here in Georgia. Now they are a round sticker with a (very dot-blasted and out of register) peach that says "I'm a Georgia Voter". I liked the old ones better.

Seems today, the answer to "Have You?" is a resounding 'NO!' When I voted at about 2 pm, the lady at my precinct told me that I was #31 to cast a ballot there today. Sad. Yeah, it's a run-off with one race on the ballot - for Public Utilities Commissioner. But people don't get it when it comes to politics. They'd rather ensure they educate themselves on the big national races, or state-wide top-of-the-ticket races, than worry about County Commissioners, Public Utility Commissioners, School Board Members....

What the electorate fails to grasp is that these races determine which people get to decide which roads to pave/fix, what the policy regarding natural gas distribution and gasoline taxes should be, and the things our kids learn in school. These decisions impact our daily lives on a fairly dramatic scale. Certainly I care about the war in Iraq, but in a lot of ways, but my daily life is much more affected by dealing with the pothole I have to drive around twice a day on North Decatur Road.

So why is it, then, that elections like this have such poor turnout? Do we not care about what is happening in our very communities?

Santa Tree

2006-12-04T16:33:00.000-05:00

It just occurred to me that my blog posts are really about myself, my issues, and everything DMD. I have not been the dutiful mommy-blogger, talking about my kids. And for that, my friends, I am very sorry. 'Cuz, you see, I have a fabulously wonderful Miss Baby, who is just freaking hilarious and cute and wonderful. And fun. All those things. She's a horrific eater, preferring 'fish' and 'cracka' (Goldfish and PB/Cheese crackers) to pretty much anything remotely healthful. She eschews all meats except fish sticks. She will eat 'Chix Nuggets' from Whole Foods.

So, without further ado, I tell you of the Santa Tree.

As is my habit, I put up this year's Christmas Tree before Thanksgiving. Not so much to prolong Christmas, but to have it ready for ornamenting when Miss M visited for that long weekend. One day, I went up and got it down, and put on the lights and the 'filler ornaments' (those that I stuff back in the back to give it some 'depth' - mom tells me that's important). And then, mission accomplished, I went and got Miss Baby from the school.

"OH WOW - Momeeeee! A TWEEE! SANTA TWEEE!"

"Das Pret-ty"

Over Thanksgiving, Miss M worked with Miss Baby to put all the 'special' ornaments on the tree. She carefully lined up the '12 Balls of Christmas' and even allowed Miss Baby to place the Lords a-Leaping on the tree near the bottom. We pulled out the Pink Pig ornaments, all the dolls that go on there. Pretty much everything Miss M decrees 'pretty special'. The most special ornaments are for 'her' tree, which is a little 3-foot thing we're now keeping on the kitchen counter.

So now, Miss Baby has dragged her little rocking chair into the living room. Every evening, before I go get her from her school, I 'turn on' the tree (the lights are plugged into an outlet hooked into a light switch). When we get home, she goes to her little rocker with Monkey and looks at the tree.

"Oh wow. Das pret-ty. Santa Twee."

Hack, Cough, Splut

2006-11-28T14:15:00.000-05:00

I hab code. Id ids nod fud do hab a code. I hab had a code for doo weegs now. Dis is de segun code I hab had dis year. Id is nod fud.

In other words, I'm stuffed fuller of goo than a jelly dough-nut.

WAH!

Thanksgiving

2006-11-21T20:06:00.000-05:00

I had hoped to post something more enlightening or, at least, entertaining. But alas and alack. Let's just say, I've spent the last 12 days blowing leaves into piles, and then putting the leaves into bags; cleaning and laundering; and dealing with a toddler who has just become a, well, a toddler. She sits right now, stoned out on paci and watching Elmo. Tonight's battle was over the spoon she wanted. I never figured it out, but she didn't figure out she wanted a different one until after she'd eaten a fair portion of the meal. But there are few things more frustrating than a total meltdown over "Sa-POOON" (sob sob sob).

The job stuff is being annoyingly slow. Still feeling good. But it's slow.

Tomorrow, we're off to the farm for a few days of down-home fun. Then we're back to the city for the mad dash. I think it's a good thing that my family has decided we won't exchange gifts. Something for the kiddies, of course, but the grown-ups don't need a thing. We don't have time, or money, or energy for all that.

So Happy Thanksgiving. I'm thankful for so many things - Miss Baby, Mr. Mac, Miss M, my folks and my sister and brother-in-law, M&M and baby J. Of course, Grandma (Mr. Mac's mom). I love this house, this neighborhood, this town. I thankful Mr. Mac seems to have found himself. I'm thankful for Bo the whiny cat and for the porch where he dwells.

Mostly, I'm thankful to be living in this time and place with these people. And even more, I'm thankful that we can all make it better.

Peace y'all.

Stupid Gas Company

2006-11-09T19:40:00.000-05:00

Atlanta Gas Light determined that our 28 year old meter needed replacing. They therefore contracted with a local company to come out and do the replacement. Which this company did, this afternoon.

I was out, so they didn't turn the gas back on because doing so would likely cause our house to, well, explode. That was right nice of them.

I returned home just after 5 to a bright pink door hanger advising me that my gas was off, and to call a number to have it turned back on. Which I did. And the woman informed me that someone would be around before 6 to turn it on.

No biggie, right?

After 7, the guy finally arrives. It takes him a good 15 minutes to get everything working. Y'all remember I have a toddler, right? Yeah - she likes to eat around 6 or 6:30 at the latest.

Good times, I tell ya. Good times.