Check it out

September 13th, 2006

Mighty Goods is a shopping weblog that I ran across a few months ago. I love checking in to see what cool stuff I absolutely do not need but once lay my eyes upon really want to have.

Life is always better with friends

September 12th, 2006

PJ started her first day of school yesterday. She went back for her 1st day of her 2nd year of preschool


She is in a class of 13 girls and 1 boy. Could you imagine???

I met ¾ of the girls last year. I met Dante and his parents yesterday. They are either going to pull him out of there as fast as they can or he will be the boy with the “golden ticket” once he realizes the knowledge he could gain. This experience alone may make him the one male on the planet that “knows” women, especially four year old girls.

Donned with a smile, bright pink and more glitter than you could possibly imagine on any one clothing item, PJ faced her first day.


As I walked out of the room, there she sat, sandwiched between friends.

As I drove back into the parking lot I initially couldn’t spot her on the playground. Then I saw them, a whole group of them, lined up in the tunnel sharing secrets, and giggles and friendship on the playground.

How lucky they are.

3 stitches in time

September 11th, 2006



Saturday he got beat-up by a teeter totter.

PJ’s first poem

September 8th, 2006

The sun is up.
It is day.
The sun is down.
It will come back another day.
Thank you very much.

CT was nice enough to tell her that it is not a real poem because it doesn’t rhyme.

Hillbillies on parade

September 7th, 2006

This evening I got to bring all three children to an Open House at CT’s school. We got to see where his desk and locker are, what his classroom looks like, meet his teacher and see all the great stuff he does every day.

With PJ not napping and KP at his bewitching hour, I decided to get there at the beginning of the Open House (5:00pm) instead of the end. And since I was doing it solo I thought a quick in and out would be easier at the earliest possible time.

The four of us walk into the room and meet CT’s teacher, I sign-up for fall conferences and at this point we are the only people in the room. No sooner do I fill out a volunteer hand out sheet then all hell breaks loose. PJ and KP start fighting over the teacher’s pointing stick with a star on the end of it. PJ wins with a swap on the head. I can feel the judgmental stares of the other couple who has entered the room with their one and only child standing nice and quietly behind them.

Once I break up the mayhem I turn to talk to another couple whose child has been in class with CT since pre-school. We exchange niceties, talk soccer and teachers when all of a sudden KP starts beating PJ with the telephone. Screaming, crying, tears, deep heaving breaths from the other parents who have filtered into the room and CT’s teacher as they all watch the insanity of my life unfold at 5:05 pm in CT’s classroom.

My guess is that his teacher thinks either I should not have procreated, that my children have rage issues or that I need some serious parenting classes.

ALWAYS a great way to meet the new teacher!

Food, you need food

September 6th, 2006

Today, on CT’s second day of 1st grade, he came walking home from the bus stop, chin trembling and when he saw me he BURST into tears. He crumbled into my arms and he sobbed and sobbed and then told me his head hurt so bad he thought he was going to throw up.

As the ever worried parent of a 1st grader, I of course thought the worst, he got his feelings hurt by someone, he got bullied, he couldn’t figure out the answer to some “gummy bear math” question or he got off at the wrong bus stop.

After some Motrin and ice to the head and dinner, we were able to talk about his day: a day that was filled with fun, math, gym, chasing girls, no confrontations and best of all no problems. And as we were talking, I was unpacking his lunch. A lunch that had only two bites out of it. When I asked him why he ate so little he said, “Well mom, they don’t give me enough time to eat and did I tell you I WAS THE THIRD KID ON THE PLAYGROUND!”

And if you are wondering, the answer is YES..Yes, recess comes right after lunch.

Waiting for the bus

September 5th, 2006


CT has been cool as a cucumber with this whole 1st grade bit. The only time I got an inkling of doubt was on the way out the door to the bus stop.

Right as we were about to walk through the threshold of the door he turned around, touched my arm and said, “Mom, now I’m a little nervous.”

Then off he went to seize the day.

When I’m and old lady I shall wear purple

September 4th, 2006

I was lucky enough to get a bike ride in on this glorious day. I was coming to the end of my 15 mile loop when I pedaled up behind this woman who had to be in her seventies and was moving at a pretty serious clip. Since the path was narrowing and we were coming to a very busy intersection I decided to stay behind her.

At this particular intersection there is a stop sign on the bike path for the bikers and a sign under the stop sign that clearly states that this is not a cross walk and that the cars on the street have the right of way.

Well, the sweet little old lady with maroon dyed hair that was up in a bun and her cute old lady skin wrinkling out from the bottom of her black spandex bike shorts and maroon sports bra must not have read the sign because she just starts screaming out at all the cars passing by at 45 miles an hour “YOU FUCKING CAR PIGS…DAMN IDIOTS!!!”

All I knew at that moment was that this bike ride was not helping her release her inner rage.

How many adults does it take to swab PJ’s throat?

September 1st, 2006

Today we took a trip into the doctor’s office for a “quick strep test”. CT and PJ both have had fevers with sore throats and upon closer inspection this morning, white spots on the tonsils.

PJ wanted nothing to do with this and started to panic while still in the comfort of her own home. After trying to reason with her, without any success, I just picked her up and plopped her in the car seat and off we went.

She made it very clear that she was not going to get swabbed. Even with her big brother telling her it only tickles and the bribes of donuts and movies, she wasn’t budging.

So the next three minutes of my life looked like this…

CT sat nicely and got his throat swabbed. I kept trying to calm PJ as the hysteria started to set in. The nurse asked her if she wanted to sit on my lap or the table. Unable to hear any response through the high pitched sobs, the nurse mouthed to me “put her on the table and hold her arms down”. PJ starts screaming “I hate this place” and “I hate all of you”, the nurse calmly says, “just open your mouth”. PJ yells “NEEEEVVVVVVEEERRRRRRRRRRRRR!!!” One set of swabs goes in, PJ clamps down and keeps them in her mouth too long for them to be any good. So the nurse has her pull them out since her jaw is locked in place and she is unable to do it.

The nurse then makes a second attempt and only gets the tips of the swabs in before she clamps down. This time she bit down so hard she broke them. The nurse just smiled and said, I’m going to get the doctor so she can help.

Our doctor walks in, says hello to the kids and arms herself with two tongue depressors. I am now asked to pin her arms and legs down to the table as the nurse with the swabs is steadying PJ’s head and readying herself to insert the swabs. PJ bites down on the tongue depressors so quickly that the swabs couldn’t even make it in. Her doctor says, “PJ, please open your mouth I’m just going to take them out.” Trusting her as she does PJ let go just enough for her to turn them vertically. Once PJ knew she has been swindled she clamped down again, only this time there was an inch wide opening and in went the swabs.

The doctor turned to me and said, “I don’t like doing that, I’m going to have nightmares about this one.”