Friday, January 31, 2003

the friday five
1. As a child, who was your favorite superhero/heroine? Wonder Woman, and I also loved the Wonder Twins... oh and yeah, Electra Woman & Dyna Girl! and of course Oh Mighty Isis... unlike my own kids, I watched unlimited saturday morning tv.

2. What was one thing you always wanted as a child but never got?
oh lots of unnecessary things, like a color tv, cable tv once I was aware of it, stuff like that. I wanted roller skates so bad, and then got them but had no place to skate, we lived at the end of a dirt road.
3. What's the furthest from home you've been?
to Finland and the USSR in 1985.

5. What are your plans for the weekend?
this afternoon I'll go to the playground and see if anyone there wants this little homeless puppy I took in, and then come home and make dinner for the kids and me. I am try my hand at a veggie shepherd's pie. tomorrow we might walk to the children's museum if the weather's cooperative, and later I have things to prepare for sunday school. then on sunday morning I'll go to work.

Thursday, January 30, 2003

amazingly enough, I was pretty intrigued by the idea of being on Frontier House, but you'd have to pay me well to see me on Colonial House.

Tuesday, January 28, 2003

my favorite thing about when liam wakes up from his nap is how happy nash is to see him.
ah, 50 degree weather! my favorite. it's finally warm enough for us to cook and eat downstairs without shivering. I am going to make some kind of potatoes tonight, need to use them up.
also: rosana felt that I should clarify that when I said that I prefer winter to summer, I was referring to a New Orleans winter, or even an Atlanta one, which are both cool and crisp and only occasionally harsh... as opposed to summers in each of those places which can be oppressive to say the least... but no, thank you, I am not up for a new england winter at this time. maybe someday.
this or that
January 28, 2002: Same Thing, Different Names

1. Kleenex or tissue?
it depends. usually tissue.
2. Soda or pop (or tonic or whatever)?
soda! although most folks down here say "coke."
3. A sandwich on a long roll: sub or hero (or hoagie or grinder, etc)?
could be a po'boy or a sub, depending on the consistency of the bread.
4. Glasses or spectacles?
glasses. who says spectacles?
5. TV or television (or boob-tube, or telly, for our friends across the pond)?
both. all four. and let's not forget The Box.
6. Movie or film?
well you might have a john hughes movie, say, as compared with a roberto begnini film...
7. Sofa or couch?
couch. and never a chesterfield.
8. Stove or range?
STOVE.
9. Remote control or clicker?
oh both! often referred to as THAT THING.
10. Supermarket or grocery store?
also both. do I talk funny?

Sunday, January 26, 2003

this is the most entertaining quiz I've experienced, period. makes me wonder if everyone gets the hobbit answer... did I get it just because I indicated that I love to eat. I will say, bilbo's house always sounded nice and cozy to me.

Maybe...you%20should%20be%20a%20hobbit
When You Grow Up...(If you grow up..)

brought to you by Quizilla

Maybe you should be a hobbit. You know... a cute little hole-dwelling creature with a great knack for good times and fundamental life necessity living style. You grew tired of peanut butter and jam in grade school and began making your own gourmet-paper-sack lunches in about third grade. A good time to you would be rolling down a nice grassy hill. Or having.... second breakfaaaaasssttt! (If you have trouble saying that term, or hearing it, you are not a hobbit. Go back and take the quiz again.) Film to Rent Tonight: You're kidding, right?
I watch it for the ads...
seriously, I do! and because somewhere around 12, a relative of mine established a tradition that I have continued to this day, of sitting in front of the Big Game with chips (ruffled), dip (made with sour cream & lipton's onion soup), and root beer floats, YUM.
through most of my twenties I hosted elaborate superbowl parties each year, complete with kegs of beer, decorated cakes, vats of homemade chili (made by me), drunken friends puking in the yard... my favorite part was gathering a smany television sets as we could and placing one (at LEAST one) in each room of the house for the occasion. what better way to honor the most expensive ad spots of the year?
anyhow, today it's just nash, who has requested many times that I turn off the game and has now retired to the bathroom to practice fierce looks in the mirror; liam, who is asleep; and myself, who clearly isn't paying all that much attention to the tv.
that said, my favorite ad so far is the h & r block spot starring willie nelson ("my face is burning!"). second place, the pepsi twist ad with the osbourne's, third place the fed ex guy on a desert island one.

Saturday, January 25, 2003

the friday five

1. What is one thing you don't like about your body?
I don't want to answer this because I can't think of a way to say something negative about my own body that wouldn't translate to a put down of millions of other women's bodies, thus feeding the massive negativity machine that already has the fuel of the entire american entertainment industry behind it.
I'll tell you what I don't like about the way I relate to my body: I don't treat it right. I don't love it enough. I don't feed it as well as I should. I don't stretch it and let it run and jump and dance as often as it needs. I refer to it as if it were a separate entity form myself. I need to work on this.
2. What are two things you love about your body?
my body is strong, I grew two whole people in it! my body is curvy and cute and loves to snuggle.
3. What are three things you want to change about your home?
I wish I had curtains instead of the blinds that are all over my room - my room has six large windows. I don't know that I'll change it, though, as we're renting and I don't have any money for curtains.
it'd also be nice if there were a way for the downstairs to be warm and cozy in winter.
the third thing I want to change is simply that I want to own my own home.
4. What are four books you want to read this year?
the new harry potter, some more jack kerouac, ariel gore's latest, the big rumpus (still haven't read it).
5. What are five promises you have kept to yourself?
eh? I don't know if I've ever made five promises to myself except in the very short term. like, today I will make some chai at home and find a cup to put it in rather than dropping $3 for second rate chai at the local coffeeshop, stuff like that. I usually keep those promises, but only if I can, you know, locate the lid that fits the cup for my tea so it won't slosh everywhere, and etc....
the big project for today is to return some library books, and later, watch bravo's replay of the golden globe awards. uneventful, I know, and I didn't even KNOW about rabbie burns night until today. no time to make haggis now.
a quiz of threes from living nappy:

three things that scare me:
Anything happening to my children, death, driving a car

three people who make me laugh:
nash, liam, rosana

three things i love:
books, clear weather in the mid-fifties, dancing with my kids

three things i hate:
violence, weapons, brussel sprouts

three things i don't understand:
weapons enthusiasts, women who love eminem, blind consumerism

three things on my desk:
I wish I had a desk besides my computer desk. what's on it: my computer, many scraps of paper containing various addresses I've jotted down, reciepts I'm saving as reminders of recent trips

three things i'm doing right now:
half listening to "discovery kids" shows, cruising my email, getting bundled up for a walk to the library

three things i want to do before i die:
see the whole world, write about it, see my children grow up

three things i can do:
think, write, speak clearly

three ways to describe my personality:
clear, decisive, moody

three ways to describe my looks:
pale, lots of dark hair, 5'4"

three things i can't do:
drive, any kind of math under pressure, catch a ball without flinching

three things i think you should listen to:
children, The Bottle Let Me Down cd, michael moore

three things i don't think you should listen to:
misogynist rap music, the bush administration, dr. laura

three things i say the most:
like, okay, oy vey

three of your absolute favourite foods:
tom kar gai soup, spring rolls, hot wings

three things you'd like to learn:
how to confront bigotry without being hateful, how to focus and write in any environment, how to speak Russian fluently (instead of haltingly like I do now).

three beverages you drink regularly:
water, chai tea, soy milk

three shows you watched when you were a kid:
Sonny & Cher, Donny and Marie, The Six Million Dollar Man

Thursday, January 23, 2003

liam just said, with a heavy sigh, "this is my first day being a princess." and on that note, I will put on a sweater and go make dinner.
the tuesday this or that

1. Super Bowl or World Series?
I can only enjoy the world series if I've growen attached to one of the teams, whereas the superbowl is an EVENT. I have been celebrating that day with chips & onion dip and root beer floats since I was about 12. once upon a time I hosted huge, noisy parties... the commercials have always been my favorite part. last year I watched them at home with my huge, noisy kids.
2. Winter or summer?
oh winter except that when I go massachusetts in the summer it FEELS like winter to me and I love it so much! but I still say winter. winter is cookies and sparkly lights and mardi gras.
3. Look up numbers in the phone book, or call directory assistance?
try the book first.
4. Mashed potatoes or French fries?
I love both very much. garlicky mashed potatoes with gravy and curly fries with mayo.
5. Hand-code your website, or use an editor (such as Front Page)?
eh? hand code. isn't it painfully obvious?
6. Freeway or winding country road?
the country road, especially if it passes through a few small towns
7. Star Wars or Star Trek?
old school star trek
8. Disney or Warner Brothers cartoons?
old school WB
9. When it feels chilly in the house: crank up the heat or put on a sweater?
I'm likely to do both.
10. CBS or PBS?
PBS. what does cbs have going for themselves besides Letterman? oh and the amazing race.
details of NY trip are coming soon as I get rested, caught up and what have you...
meanwhile: liam and I have had some great conversations this morning.
upon waking:
liam: mama, I'm happy to be with you
me: mmm, me too
liam: I sure missed you
me: I missed you, too
liam: but I'm your baby cockroach, mama!
me: hmmm...
and later,
liam: mama, I always want to be a princess
me: okay, great
liam: but first I have to be in shrink
me: oh?
nash: he means SHREK
me: oh, right, shrek...
liam: shrek shrek shrek!!!

right now he's finding imaginary scrapes with which to use his fancy korean bandaids that I brought home from the city, and nash is watching zoboomofoo. this morning, nash told me that 3 + 3 is 6, and he also used the word "nor" correctly in a sentence. whoo! what a weirdo kid.
our kitchen is fairly bursting because my mom took the family on a sam's trip. we have like, unbelievable quantities of toilet paper, butter, juice boxes (which I generally avoid), what have you... best of all: tortellini, my favorite!

Monday, January 13, 2003

oh YES!
this quiz gets my full endorsement.
I can now go on living.
Steven
Who's Your Blue's Clues Host

brought to you by Quizilla

Tuesday, January 07, 2003

here's what's waiting for me at the library:
*Belgrave Square
*Confessions of an organized homemaker : the secrets of uncluttering your home and taking control of your life
*Griffin & Sabine : an extraordinary correspondence
*On the road.
*Sabine's notebook : in which the extraordinary correspondence of Griffin & Sabine continues
*Steal this urine test : fighting drug hysteria in America
Nash is really amazing these days. tonight, after weeks of trying, he has finally learned to whistle. he is settling down now in his sleeping bag - his chosen way to go to sleep, in his very own sleeping bag which he was given for winter solstice. it has a built in pillow and he loves it, probably just as much as he loves his harry potter uno cards.
tonight he told me while doing mazes from his big maze book, "hey, did you know that four three times makes twelve?" awesome. and we read Little House in the Big Woods for the first time in weeks, at his request. we read the sugaring off party part, my favorite bit from when I was five.
I am feeling like maybe his freak out behavior a couple of weeks ago was related to too much holiday everything - parties, candy, presents, nonstop activity. right now he's recovering from a cold and seeming otherwise very much in balance.
of course, now that Nash and I are pretty much done with being sick, Liam is coughing his lungs up.
Grover%20on%20E
Which Sesame Street Muppet's Dark Secret Are You?

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Monday, January 06, 2003

this is fascinating. dru blood linked to it on her blog, and I'm so happy to have found it. I'll read just about anyone's road stories, let alone those of Penn Jillette. I mean, I just read his list of each and every movie and tv show he watched in the past year and I'm riveted. he's compelling. or I'm deprived. possibly both things are true.

Friday, January 03, 2003

in 2002, I
*gave away all of liam's old diapers and such
*spent 5 days away from my children for the first time ever
*(sort of) met dennis miller and was freaked out by how much he really does look like my brother
*experienced my first new orleans mardi gras (& loved it)
*joined up with the local unschooling group
*got my first regular paying job since 1996
*got to know my city pretty well on foot, and joined the children's museum and the zoo
*had my heart broken on the bulletin boards of hipmama.com
*threw my first (and possibly last) elaborate children's birthday party
*started a live journal at the urging of a beloved hip mama friend, and a blog at the urging of another
*moved from a smallish place on one end of my neigborhood to a frigging palace on the other end, thus eating up all of my income each month on rent in exchange for the relative luxury of maintaining an air-conditioned two bathroom household
*fell in love with my neighborhood and began looking for a house to buy here
*gave macrobiotics a (brief) try
*went to jazz fest
*organized two events for feminist mothers, both of which lost money and left me feeling uncertain and dazed
*entertained quite a few houseguests
*directed summer camp with my children in tow for the fifth time
*subjected my children to nanny care for the first time in their lives, and am still listening to their complaints about it
*had what felt like a brush with death at coney island
*became a dedicated library patron
*took some major strides in getting back to my "old", more outgoing self, and made some new friends
*rekindled my unfortunate cable tv addiction
*lost it with my kids countless times and, for the first time, felt seriously doubtful about my parenting abilities
*wrote more than ever in terms of journaling
*produced no "finished" writing work and only published one issue of my zine
*took four major road trips with the kids and loved, hated, and survived the experience
*went on a second big trip away from the kids, and loved it
*spent a quiet new years eve at home for the first time since 1981

in 2002, nash
*learned to scream, "throw me something mister!" and catch the beads
*turned 5
*experienced bullying in a group care setting for the first time
*became increasingly interested in sounds, what rhymes with what, how a letter can change a word around, etc.
*learned some spanish and some sign language
*went through an intense "I hate you" period which finally evolved into "I hate your ideas."
*went through a period of intense homicidal utterings towards his brother, which finally evolved into "sometimes I hate him" and "he always does that" and etc.
*got his first mohawk! and then his first crew cut.
*claimed an identity as a "tough guy."
*discovered harry potter
*spoke to "santa" for the first time

in 2002, liam
*abandoned diapers for good in early january
*learned to scream, "throw me something mister!" and duck when the beads come flying
*turned three
*had non-family babysitters for the first time
*started riding a tricycle
*learned that screaming bloody murder if his brother even looks at him is very effective in getting all of the adults running
*began saying, "voila!"
*spent a lot of time as a baby dog, baby horse, etc., and some time as a "girl."
*started calling me "mom" and "mommy", both much to my chagrin
*learned to say, "mom, can I please watch some kids shows on nick junior?"
*saw india.arie at jazz fest
*developed a habit of getting me away from the computer by any means necessary: turning the computer off, throwing a toy car at my head, what have you...
*drew a picture of a person for the first time