Spare Mindy

Camping With Kids: Why It’s Worth It

2011-07-21T22:32:00.000-07:00

For the past decade a group of family and close friends have trekked up North each summer into giant redwood territory near Eureka to camp for a few days along the Eel River. When it all started, it was a bunch of young adults, for the most part untethered and able to keep it simple. As the years have passed, many of us have gotten hitched and had kids, which has expanded the group size as well

Ramblings on Gender Differences

2011-07-18T12:00:00.000-07:00

I was looking at back to school backpacks for kids last night online and you had to click boy or girl before the website would display your backpack choices. At McDonald's you have to tell them boy or girl when you order a Happy Meal so they can give you the correct toy. When grocery shopping with 3 month old Fox wearing a plain white onesie, baby admirers needed to know boy or girl before they

F*&n Update

2011-07-17T21:16:00.001-07:00

My boys returned from a bike ride this afternoon and shared the story of the unleashed pitbull who was growling and running toward them and how they had to yell at the dog and, later, the owner. Best part of the telling? Turtle (gravely): Mommy, the dog was so mean and scary that Daddy had to say fucken.

Out of the Mouths of Babes

2011-06-25T12:29:00.000-07:00

A week ago we were at the park with Granny & Grandpa and Turtle decided to bring 73 Hot Wheels (yes, he counted) in a bucket to play with. At one point, I am sitting on a bench nursing Fox and he is behind me racing Hot Wheels in the grass. I can vaguely hear the familiar sound effects and exclamations and constant narration that goes along with major Hot Wheels races, but I'm kind of happily

Free Range Challenge #2

2011-06-25T11:58:00.000-07:00

You might remember my dilemma a couple months ago when I finally decided to go to the bathroom alone, leaving my 5-year old in the coffee shop by himself while I did so. Well, this week I was faced with the other side of the coin. We were settling in at the public pool and I had just begun nursing Fox. Turtle's lessons were soon to begin when he realized he needed to pee. Uh... okay... I'm not

Quarters of Conversation

2011-05-10T06:30:00.000-07:00

Two of my most favorite pieces of descriptive writing. Oh, that I could learn to write like this! "Around the watchers, the city still made its everyday noises. Car horns. Garbage trucks. Ferry whistles. The thrum of the subway. The M22 bus pulled in against the sidewalk, braked, sighed down into a pothole. A flying chocolate wrapper touched against a fire hydrant. Taxi doors slammed.

What Should Your X-Year Old Know?

2011-05-05T10:19:00.001-07:00

A friend sent this to me and I think it's great. You know all those "What your 5-year old/kindergartener/2nd grader should know" books? Here's the answer to what your kid should know.

Sick of Nesting

2011-04-15T08:57:00.000-07:00

(photo credit: http://myheelsarehigherthanyours.blogspot.com/2011_01_01_archive.html)I can't stand it anymore. My due date is tomorrow and she still isn't here. If she doesn't come by Tuesday morning, I have to have the dreaded appointment where my doctor & I discuss induction. My first day of maternity leave was April 4, 12 days ago, not that I'm counting. The first couple of days were

Free Range Challenge

2011-03-26T07:39:00.000-07:00

One morning last week Turtle and I went on a date to Starbucks where we enjoyed a leisurely breakfast over the newspaper together. After some time, I needed to go to the bathroom and was confronted with a decision that was a new one for me to make as a parent. A year ago, no question, I would have to bring him to the bathroom with me, hoping the staff didn't clear away our table since we

Turning 40

2011-03-23T11:33:00.000-07:00

Last night I greeted Backtire and Turtle as they climbed out of the car to say "Happy Birthday" to me and give me hugs. I thanked Backtire for the card and gift he had left for me to find that morning. Turtle's bottom lip started to quiver as his eyes got sad and he said "but I want to get you a present for your birthday." Tears began... Oh no! We had both failed to make a point to ensure

Teaching Evolution to Children

2011-02-18T10:52:00.000-08:00

Last night, Turtle was talking to his dad about the dinosaurs in the puzzle he was piecing together and mentioned that the T-Rex was a “bad guy”. Daddy corrected him pointing out that just because an animal is a meat-eater, that doesn’t make it a bad guy, that’s just how it needs to eat. Turtle clarified saying the reason it was a bad guy was that it ate people. To which both of us quickly

The Birth of A Stereotype

2011-02-14T10:50:00.000-08:00

(image credit: http://writingya.blogspot.com/2008_10_01_archive.html)Turtle came out of his room in his red Valentines shirt and wearing a baseball cap backwards this morning. I commented that he looked really cute in the hat and he said:"Mom, did you know that bullies wear their caps backward?""Oh, really?""Yes, if they have caps.""How do you know that?""I've seen pictures of bullies in some

Frustration Free Packaging!

2010-10-29T13:32:00.000-07:00

(Photo stolen from Amazon's website)3 years ago, I posted a rant about my frustration with toy packaging. I'm happy to report that Amazon is trying to help us and the environment with their new "frustration free packaging". They are working with certain toy manufacturers to have the toys packaged as simply as possible inside a plain cardboard box that is sturdy enough for the toy to be shipped

I Vote for Extinction

2010-09-03T11:04:00.000-07:00

You don't still use these, do you? Learn More.

"Girls Can't Do It"

2010-08-15T22:11:00.001-07:00

Team sports don't do much for me. I've always been more of an X-Games kind of girl. I was a skater in another lifetime, am into street and dirtbikes, still love to rollerskate (quads only!), and recently took up BMX along with my son. Two years ago, I fought a lot of anxiety and self-doubt to even make it around the track for the first time. After much practice, I gained confidence, got

Front Yard Sorbet

2010-07-20T10:48:00.000-07:00

For the past two years, I've enjoyed the deep red foliage and gorgeous white-pink blossoms of the plum tree in our front yard while merely stepping over the sticky stain blobs of the tiny plums it drops on the sidewalk. Never having an edible fruit tree before, I think we subconsciously assumed the plums were sour, toxic, or bad in some way. But this summer, since we've been in the rhythm of

How My Garden Made Me Sick

2010-07-13T12:10:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, I learned what bolting is. Bolting: What my stomach contents wanted to do all afternoon and last night after eating a big salad for lunch made from the romaine I've been growing the backyard this summer. We planted 4 each of romaine and red leaf lettuce from seedlings this spring for the first time and they both did beautifully, continuously producing scrumptuously crisp and tasty

The Sheer Ridiculousness of our Response to Environmental Disaster

2010-07-12T11:39:00.001-07:00

This is really funny and really sad and really clever and really tragic and I just don't even know how to feel about it! I love the video and hate the reality. I'm having a hard time even facing what's going on with the bp spill. I wish I didn't know what I do about the importance of wetlands, about marine ecosystems, about the persistence of crude oil, about how the effects of Valdez still

Living the Dad's Life

2010-07-10T09:32:00.000-07:00

This is a hilarious reminder that it's not just us moms that have our lives and identities swallowed whole. I'm sure Backtire has his share of "Spare Mindy" moments, too!

Just Starting the 15-Year Trough

2010-07-07T15:42:00.000-07:00

Here's the most validating graph I've seen in a while from my latest issue of Science News. WB stands for well-being, so the higher up the dot on the graph, the happier the people feel at that age. Hundreds of thousands of people were surveyed in this piece of research to show that we all start getting progressively less happy as our 30's wear on and don't recover until after we turn 50. My

Have it Your Way

2010-06-07T06:40:00.000-07:00

So we're stooping to McDonald's take-out for dinner tonight and Daddy asked Turtle what he wanted to order and Turtle said:"I want a cheeseburger with no cheese."

What the beep?!

2010-04-11T21:23:00.000-07:00

(Photo credit: http://www.powerpath.com/images/products/lg_jaaudioscreening.jpg) For his 4 year check-up, Turtle did his first auditory screening. The nurse told him to put on the headphones and raise his hand every time he heard a "beep". Facing him away from her, she began the test, pushing buttons to ring different tones in his headphones at random intervals. We sat nervously watching her

St. Patrick's Day...More Than Meets The Eye

2010-03-17T15:16:00.000-07:00

Turtle this morning: "Mom, all of us have to wear green today or else the decepticons will pinch us!" Hmmm...whole new mental picture of St. Patty's Day:Ouch! Really don't want to be pinched by them!

Spread The Warmth - Support Embrace

2009-09-18T21:32:00.001-07:00

Learn more about Embrace here and share this with others here.

How to Save the World - Really

2009-08-16T21:56:00.001-07:00

Enjoying Shopping With A Toddler. Really.

2009-08-06T14:35:00.000-07:00

As the rice paper wrapper melts in my mouth, I am reliving childhood. The sensations- the texture, the taste, just the look of the box awaken long quiet neural circuits. Botan Rice Candy.The coolest part is that they are wrapped in rice paper, so you just pop them in your mouth and wait for that to melt before you eat the candy. I remember only getting these candies occasionally as a kid, that I

Mourning Mornings

2009-07-31T08:16:00.000-07:00

One of the biggest things I'm struggling with in life is the loss of my mornings. I've always been a morning person, waking up naturally as the sun rises and with energy and enthusiasm. As I'd lie in bed savoring drifting in and out of sleep and just staring at the ceiling thinking, I reveled in the hypnogogic day-dreaminess. In that state, ideas free flowed into my mind. Problems I'd been

Complete Kitchen Remodel - Fast! and Free!

2009-07-18T13:46:00.000-07:00

In a fit of annoyance earlier this year, I put our microwave on the floor in order to reclaim some precious counter space in our tiny galley kitchen. It was kind of weird, but you know how you just get used to things. We just bent down and put stuff in the microwave. The bonus was the Turtle could reach it himself and got to have the official job of pressing the buttons. When other people

Put Down That Knife

2009-07-14T16:01:00.000-07:00

No, you only have to build a complex machine to cut the tops off, house it in a climate controlled factory, filled with other machines that dice them, soak them in preservative, mix them with peeled and diced oranges, drop them into a blend of juices, fraction the mix into machine extruded plastic bottles, cap them, label them, transport them to a retail grocer, purchase a bottle of it, drive it

Cardboard R&D

2009-06-09T06:08:00.000-07:00

Turtle has a stuffed elephant named "Heffalump" (after the character in the Pooh movie). I was informed Sunday night that Heffalump needed a motorcycle. ASAP. Huh. Okay...well, let's see...(how will I pull this off?)...let's go look in the project closet...20 minutes later, we had ourselves a motorcycle: Turtle suggested breaking fat crayons to make the axles.I made cardboard nuts to hold the

Who Is Spare Mindy?

2009-06-07T07:49:00.000-07:00

It was long overdue. I retrieved the small cardboard box from Turtle’s closet and opened it. There she was, swaddled in two layers of clear plastic – Spare Mindy. She’d been shipped to me by Fisher Price, who I called in a fit of parental anxiety. At 18 months, Turtle had become attached, taking her everywhere, chewing on her head, and sleeping with

Apples' Brand Management

2009-02-02T21:57:00.000-08:00

I know how to punctuate. I'm not talking about the computer company. I'm talking about the fruit. I didn't think that apples needed brand management, but clearly I am behind the times. Can you believe these ads I recently ripped out of magazines? It's definitely cooler to remove the healthy fiber from the apple, add preservatives, burn a ton of fossil fuels to process and package it, and

Would You Like Guilt With That?

2009-02-01T20:57:00.000-08:00

(I wish it was this kind I was talking about...)"Hey, Mommy, there's Jack" Turtle yelled during a superbowl commercial today. Backtire looked at me, "Um, how does he know that?" "Remember, a few weeks ago when we ate at Jack In The Box and you met us there? There were pictures of Jack all over the wall and he wanted to know who it was, so..." I explained, feeling crappy that my not quite 3-

Delocating

2008-12-23T08:13:00.000-08:00

The other day I enjoyed a rarity- coffee with two girlfriends, no husbands, and no kids at an actual coffee shop for a couple of hours! There's a Starbucks I can walk to from home and one right by work, so I do end up there all the time. But, I wanted to try to break out of that and go somewhere interesting and different. Somewhere local and unique. I suggested "Let's NOT go to Starbucks."

The Fruits of My Labor

2008-12-20T23:12:00.000-08:00

As the holidays approach, I often start thinking about craft projects to undertake. I love being crafty, but sometimes this is my only craft "season". So as my family knows, from often being the recipients of my efforts, there tends to be one creative crafty project I actually complete per year. This year's inspiration: The Pottery Barn fabric fruit set my son has. And you thought organic

You Know You're A Mom When (No. 2)

2008-12-19T16:08:00.000-08:00

Every product you ever purchased for the purpose of pampering yourselfsits unused and expired in your bathroom...and pampering yourself has been redefined as finding a few minutes once a month to use:usually with a small audience asking "what are you doing?" and "can I do it, too?"And his DIY pedicure looks better than yours......because there was no chance of sitting still with your feet up

You Know You're A Mom When (No.1)

2008-12-18T16:00:00.000-08:00

Your grandmother's antique setee... ...serves as a parking garage.

Christmas Lights at the End of the Tunnel

2008-12-18T06:08:00.000-08:00

The week started out with:1. Eye infection.2. Increasing job dissatisfaction (for both of us).3. Long, tiring days and urgent business in the evenings preventing enjoying spending time on fun holiday crafts.But has developed into:1. Picking up some needed winter clothes for Turtle at 60% off suggested retail price.2. Long, long lunch alone with a a great friend.3. Potential job

On This Election Night, I'm Sure Glad My Son is Not 18!

2008-11-04T18:23:00.000-08:00

ME: So remember I told you tonight we are picking a leader?TURTLE: Yeah.Everyone gets to pick which is the leader they want and write it on a paper and give it to someone and then tomorrow we find out which leader we're going to have. I get to pick my favorite and Daddy gets to pick his favorite.Do I?Yes, sure. Which one do you pick?You tell me their names again.John and Barack.John and Barack

Hamburgers Our Country Needs

2008-11-03T06:07:00.000-08:00

Sunday night we were walking through the neighborhood to a friend's house, singing silly songs about the hamburgers we were about to have for dinner. Turtle shouted "Look, Mommy! That sign says hamburgers!" as he spotted an Obama-Biden campaign sign in someone's front yard. "Yes, it does!", I heartily replied. He became excitedly surprised to realize that as we walked there were several more

She's So Sensitive!

2008-10-22T17:44:00.001-07:00

I have many memories of hearing (through my tears) the accusation that I was "too sensitive". In adulthood, I grew to accept this as one of my weaknesses. I worked on overcoming it. Until I spent the night on a friend's couch and picked up her copy of Raising Your Spirited Child and read the chapter on sensitivity. I was looking for insights regarding my son, but found that I was recognizing

So Much Time, So Little To Do...

2008-10-21T17:24:00.000-07:00

How is it possible that it is only 5:24 pm and I am able to sit and relax and blog while the sun still shines dappled light between autumn leaves in my front yard and I still feel mentally alert? How is it possible that I was able to leave work the minute it is supposed to end, drive to a salon and sit in a massage chair catching up on reading, happily waiting 30 minutes until they could squeeze

Using Up Sick Time

2008-10-10T16:11:00.000-07:00

After confirming what I already knew was true, that I have a virus kicking my ass that I can't do anything about, my doctor asked me what my job was and was anyone sick in my house? He laughed in pity when I answered that I'm a teacher and I have a 2 year old who goes to daycare and gave me that look that said this will continue to be my reality for a while.On the bright side, being home sick

Trying to Eat Locally

2008-09-19T15:27:00.000-07:00

(Image Credit)Since I posted my initial thoughts on eating locally and slowly, I have:•finished reading Animal, Vegetable, Miracle •visited 4 different local farmer's markets and actually asked questions regarding the locations of the farms and the farming practices instead of just shoving money in people's hands and walking away•purchased almost solely organic produce•slowed down in the

Ahead of Myself

2008-08-19T20:36:00.000-07:00

I am always ahead of myself. I drop things because my feet are already leaving the kitchen before my hands have gotten a good hold on the plate I need to carry. I bump into things because I'm already walking through the door anyway even though my hand found the knob to be a little stuck and hasn't gotten the chance to finish opening it. My hip hits the corner of the counter because my mind is

Exercising My Right To Flush

2008-08-15T13:51:00.000-07:00

Last night, after brushing his teeth, I gently excused Turtle out of my bathroom so that I could dare to go to the bathroom alone. (If a 2 year old heavily breathing and scratching at the bathroom door is considered alone). When finished with my business, I opened the door to be rewarded by a full blown meltdown. The issue?Let me quote: "Waaaaaah. I want to flush your pee-pee! Waaaaaaah. I

What's In Season?

2008-08-13T14:58:00.001-07:00

(You can buy this vegetannual poster here.) The VegetannualI am currently relishing in reading Barbara Kingsolver's book, Animal, Vegetable, Miracle. Today I sat in the park at toddler hour (10 am) without my toddler, drinking my chai, and reading about the mythical, metaphorical plant Kingsolver invented, the vegetannual. She invented this plant to help the horticulturally challenged have a

Let Them Play!

2008-08-06T15:40:00.000-07:00

Driving the other day, I heard this story on NPR about Gever Tulley who founded The Tinkering School near San Francisco. In this ultimate summer camp experience, kids get to stay for a week and build creations of their own design (with some guidance) and test them out. The use of power tools is encouraged, as is creativity, risk-taking, and intuition. Kids must make real things and try them for

Driving Test

2008-07-29T21:06:00.000-07:00

Turtle (whining): I want a snack in the car!Me: I don't have a snack in the car. We'll get one when we get home in a few minutes.Turtle (demanding): I want a snack in the car!Me (ignoring him):Turtle (in a surprisingly angry yelling voice): Mommy! I want a snack in the car! Mom! I want a snack! I need a snack! (continue repeating for 5 minutes with increasing intensity and tears)Me (

Underwater Astonishments

2008-07-21T14:05:00.000-07:00

I have been meaning to share this for a while. This is just one of the amazing TED talks that I've been enjoying. Be prepared to be wowed by nature!David Gallo shows jaw-dropping footage of amazing sea creatures, including a color-shifting cuttlefish, a perfectly camouflaged octopus, and a Times Square's worth of neon light displays from fish who live in the blackest depths

Respite

2008-07-20T16:00:00.000-07:00

Our 24 hours off were great! The best part? Getting to be irresponsible! Highlights?•hanging out talking, sitting in the street in front of our house•taking the dry cleaner's tag off my not-worn-for-over-2-years-little-black-dress and leaving the open safety pin lying around on the table (HA!) •we didn't even head out to the restaurant until after Turtle's normal bedtime (tapas, strong drinks,

Aaaaaaaaaah

2008-07-18T13:55:00.000-07:00

It's the beginning of 24 hours to ourselves. The last time we had that was over a year ago. Turtle just drove away in Nana's car, hugging his teddy bear and hot wheel car, waving, and saying "see you later, Mommy". We're dressing up and going out on a real date tonight and sleeping in and getting massages tomorrow before we pick him up. But, right now I've got 4 hours to myself before

A Day Off

2008-07-14T22:35:00.000-07:00

Early in motherhood I read some article reminding moms that "when you are gone, it won't matter whether you kept a clean house, but that you sat down and playing with your kids and gave them your attention". A nice sentiment and excuse not to do housework, but let's have a reality check. Inspired by this advice, I decided to take a break from doing the normal thing, that is picking up after all

Kill Me Now

2008-07-13T09:40:00.000-07:00

8:24 arrive home from visiting grandparents for the day (note: no nap), attempt at carseat to crib transfer foiled8:25-8:57 take off pants, change diaper, and attempt to soothe exhausted half asleep sobbing, thrashing 2 year old who doesn't know where he is and why he was woken up from a deep slumber, finally have success with tight hold, rocking, and 15 minutes of endlessly repeated whispered

Leaving the Left Brain

2008-07-07T10:08:00.000-07:00

Last night Backtire & I sat and watched Jill Bolte Taylor's TED talk. Wow. If you don't know about the TED conference, check it out. All of the talks I've ever watched were fascinating and thought provoking, sustaining me for days or weeks. Jill Bolte Taylor is a neuroanatomist who spent her life researching the brain and then experienced a brain hemorrhage that shut down her left brain.

We Goed B-Me-X-ing!

2008-06-29T22:21:00.000-07:00

We broke all kinds of barriers this evening with our family outing to the BMX park. Chips and raisins for dinner. Bike riding way past bedtime. But most notably, I finally pushed past my fear and rolled smoothly over a couple of jumps in a row, got some speed in the berms, and got that "I can do this!" feeling.I made several laps in a row, gaining confidence and smoothness, shedding anxiety

They're Here!

2008-06-17T13:15:00.001-07:00

Oh glorious day! The shoes arrived! I'll debut them tonight at the Mom's Night In. I know it's just cheap wine and a girly movie in someone's living room, but it's a start. One step closer to freedom from a bleak future with the ranks of the reasonably shod...

Breaking Up With My Pick Me Up

2008-06-08T15:38:00.000-07:00

(Photo Credit)Dear Caffeine,We can't go on like this. I have fun when I'm with you and you make me feel alive, but I'm losing sleep and being on this energy roller coaster is taking its toll on me. I should have never initiated this relationship with you. For all those years, you were around in the background, but I didn't see what others saw in you. And then I distanced myself from you for a

Two Steps Forward...

2008-05-09T15:47:00.000-07:00

You may recall me complaining about what I perceived to be the precocious push toward ____________at my son’s daycare. I don’t know what to call it. It’s, you know, when people feel the need to show their affection through sugary treats and junky toys, but it’s not even necessarily true affection because it’s more of an obligatory recognition of mostly meaningless consumerism holidays. Mothers

Mid-Life (Shoe) Crisis

2008-05-05T23:32:00.000-07:00

OMG! I really never thought I'd blog about this, and I feel like SUCH a girl, but I've been drooling over the website of a shoe company I discovered over the weekend for the past hour.I was in Nordstrom on Sunday, trying in vain to buy myself a pair of cool, funky, just for fun heels, because why not?, dammit! I have been on a slippery slope toward more and more responsible shoes for the past

Sanjay

2008-05-02T22:27:00.000-07:00

This is 6th in the Earth Week 2008 series. Sanjay- I don't know what to say! You've been outgoogled. Finding you online is the proverbial needle in they haystack because a certain famous someone has got your name. Here you are in the car on our trip to SF a few years back. A group of us went up to participate in the UN's World Environment Day International Student/Youth Forum. It was so

Shan

2008-05-02T21:08:00.001-07:00

This post is number five in the Earth Week 2008 series. Shan, here you are at your Earth Day Festival. It was your harebrained idea and I brought up every good reason why it couldn't be done by a handful of high school kids in a few short months. I'm glad you didn't take no for an answer. It's a toss up which of us was more proud that day when it all came together and really happened. After

We Interrupt This Blogcast To Bring You...

2008-04-29T21:35:00.001-07:00

...a full body rash followed 3 days later by fever and vomiting. Turtle, not me. Been busy taking care of that, so Earth Week 2008 is becoming Earth Two Weeks (or possibly longer) 2008. We will return you to the regularly scheduled posts as soon as we catch up on bills, laundry, groceries, emails, work...

Gayaneh

2008-04-25T06:49:00.000-07:00

aka Diana, aka GayoHey! Why didn’t we ever think of it before- it should be Gaia!You jumped in with both feet at Cal State Northridge, quickly becoming the Associated Students Director of Environmental Affairs and having the ear of the board in making campus sustainability decisions.I had so much fun attending the first Earth Day Festival you threw for the campus and hearing about your efforts

Ding

2008-04-24T06:22:00.000-07:00

Third in the Earth Week 2008 series.Ding, I can't remember the particular circumstances that led to you donning these leaves, but this picture symbolizes your nature loving ways. When we last spoke, you had spent the summer traversing the country, working for the park service. There were bear encounters, thunderstorms, long train rides. Back at Cornell, you emailed enthusiastically about

Heather

2008-04-23T06:35:00.000-07:00

This post is second in the Earth Week 2008 series.Heather, we haven’t talked in a while, but I think of you every time I hear about San Francisco’s landmark decision to ban plastic shopping bags in the city. I remember you trying in earnest to get our local Trader Joe’s to at least pull the canvas bags they sold out of their bottom shelf hiding place and prominently display and promote their use

Happy Earth Day to You!

2008-04-22T07:52:00.000-07:00

In honor of Earth Day, I want to honor my dear friends, the fellow founders of Change The World.In it's heyday, Change the World was a youth organization whose mission was to promote the personal development of youth through social and environmental activism. Sadly, Change The World is no longer an active organization, but I know it's spirit lives on in the people who found themselves involved

Spelling Lesson

2008-04-20T20:46:00.000-07:00

There's no "I" in "team". But there is a "me" in "motherhood". How did I never notice that before?

I Believe You All Know Mr. W Already

2008-04-18T15:26:00.000-07:00

Check out this awesome commercial. Thanks, Minh Dan, for sending it to me.

Icky Rice

2008-04-13T21:36:00.000-07:00

(photo credit)I am no Julia Child. But last summer I finally learned how to easily make consistently good sticky rice for dinner. In the 3 weeks we've lived in the new house, I've tried 3 times, unsuccessfully, to make sticky rice. I did what I always do and ended up with rice almost too sticky starchy on the outside but still crunchy and inedible on the inside. I've tried adding more water

Taking Time to Stop and Find the Roses

2008-04-11T21:17:00.000-07:00

Turtle & I were exploring our new front yard when he discovered a humble white garden rose on the underside of a nondescript shrub. "oooooooooh!" he intoned, with much dramatic enthusiasm, "Mommy, I found it! Look I found it. White flower!" He beamed up at me proudly from his crouch in front of the shrub. I held the rose stem between my thumb and forefinger and invited him to rub the soft

Rise and Shine

2008-04-10T16:45:00.000-07:00

Last night, I stumbled upon k-k-k-katy's blog. This girl cracked me up. It’s rare that you’ll find me in front of my laptop laughing out loud. (Check out her letter to her bathtub and her recent jeans shopping experience.) I stayed up way past my bedtime reading it.My punishment? Around 5 am I heard Turtle's first cries.Backtire jumped out of bed and I relaxed. Daddy was taking a turn and

Eggciting Week! (sorry, too exhausted to resist bad puns)

2008-03-26T21:51:00.000-07:00

(click photo for audio-not yet-coming soon)We unloaded the first truckloads of furniture on Saturday and took a break to celebrate my birthday with margaritas and Mexcian food at the type of restaurant where they force you to wear the huge sombrero while they sing to you and you can't enjoy dinnertime conversation due to the din of everyone else's conversations, spirited background music, and

Déjà Déménager

2008-03-14T22:40:00.001-07:00

I haven't been blogging because I've decided to participate in self-torture instead -- in the form of voluntarily simultaneously moving and new job hunting. You see it was so fun the first time, when I did the exact same thing last year at this exact same time. Maybe I'll make it an annual way to mark the coming of spring!This time, to make it more challenging and stimulating, I added 6

Thinking for Peanuts

2008-02-24T16:53:00.000-08:00

Photo CreditDid you figure it out? Watch.

Taking Charge...Literally

2008-02-19T21:36:00.001-08:00

I enjoy jewelry when I remember to put some on, but I've rarely bothered to actually bring jewelry along when traveling. I finally found a way to repurpose the travel jewelry case my grandmother gave me years ago.The contents?1. cellphone wall charging cord2. cellphone earpiece wall charging cord3. camera battery recharger & cord4. camera download cord5. iPod download cordWhich doesn't

Road Trip

2008-02-19T21:34:00.000-08:00

Tomorrow we hit the road, our destination 7 hours away. The car is loaded with pack 'n play, stroller, suitcase, diaper bag, and all manner of snacks. There's a crate holding car toys and destination toys as we'll be visiting some toddler-less homes. Turtle likes to look out the windows and zone out in the car, to jam to music in the carseat, and to read books as he sits. He sleeps well on a

Easy-Make Oven

2008-02-18T21:13:00.000-08:00

Pictured above is a play kitchen, featuring life-like and cool retro styled appliances that are only $250 or so each, available at your local retail indulged child outlet. Don't get me wrong. They are beautiful pieces, nicer than what's in my own kitchen, despite their non-functionality. And I would have been very excited to play with them as a child. Who's kidding? They'd be fun to play

Be Mine!

2008-02-16T21:32:00.000-08:00

My friend Casey wrote an anti-Valentines post on her blog Redneck Mother and I posted the following comment:I didn't plan anything special at all. Then I pick up my son from daycareto find that he has valentine cards and bags of treats in his cubbypurportedly from his classmates and that one mom brought cupcakes foreveryone. These children are less than 2 years old. They don't need thesugar

So They Shan't Remain Nameless

2008-02-08T07:14:00.000-08:00

It’s time for pseudonyms!My almost 2 year old son will henceforth be referred to as “Turtle” in honor of the turtle riding toy he was pushing backwards at full speed when he did his concrete faceplant. Note to him: next time, let go of the handle on your way down.You might think it’s creepy for me to name him after the toy that broke his nose, but he loves that toy and has fearlessly (

Sure, I'll Have Another Glass...

2008-02-07T22:23:00.000-08:00

The last two weeks of my life have been consumed by drama and can only be summarized as follows:My son broke his nose and we’re in escrow. Needless to say, the pantry is several bottles of wine short.Lowlights:Holding my baby boy in a headlock with all of my might while he screams as the pediatrician probes the inside of his freshly broken nose. He managed to get in a few kicks to the poor doc’s

Incontinent Truth

2008-02-01T16:07:00.000-08:00

Apparently, a former colleague of mine sent out a mass email to her co-workers asking if anyone had seen her copy of Incontinent Truth. You know, that political propaganda piece with the slick graphics that came out last year. The one that shocked a nation into the realization that we are on an undeniable road toward losing control of our bladders. The one that tried to convince us that each

Soured Showers

2008-01-25T22:19:00.000-08:00

I remember the day several months ago it really hit me that I was the mother of a toddler and that my "baby" was gone. There I am in a steaming hot shower, lathering my hair with my eyes closed, and yelling out through the glass shower door "I think Elmo wants to ride in the bulldozer!" The shower used to be a private place to get lost in thought and get away from the demands of others. Even

The Interpretation of Hippos

2008-01-18T13:25:00.000-08:00

The other night a small hippo swam up to me and I found myself reaching into the wrinkly folds of its neck to clean it. There was the usual dirt and even whole rocks I was able to pull out and discard. When I was done, it swam away and a little while later transformed itself into a purple, gold, and red dinosaur that was running around all over the place. There was more to the dream, but those

Return Carts Here

2008-01-13T13:56:00.000-08:00

(photo credit)Last night we were talking to some other couples new to Silicon Valley and comparing notes on whether or not we knew our neighbors and felt people were generally friendlier here or where we came from. A woman from NY said that moving from there to here was like switching channels from watching the Sopranos to a Yoga show. Coming from LA, we could relate. We've been struck at how

Hypnogogic & Hypnopompic

2008-01-04T15:15:00.000-08:00

I was listening to a podcast of James Lipton playing "Not My Job" on NPR's Wait Wait Don't Tell Me (12/2/07). He said some of his best writing inspirations come during the hypnogogic and hypnopompic states. The huh? I'm a physiological psych major and amateur neuro-geek and had never heard these terms, which he said referred to the zones between waking and falling asleep and sleeping and waking

New Year's Predictions

2008-01-01T16:29:00.000-08:00

We enjoyed staying up past toddler bed time on New Year's Eve with my sister and a new group of friends and got to be a part of a fun tradition they started last year- New Year's Predictions. On New Year's Eve last year they all wrote down predictions for the coming year regarding the lives of everyone at the gathering, kept them secret from each other, sealed them in a Sees candy box, and hid

It gets worse...

2008-01-01T16:23:00.000-08:00

Update on the holiday cards: One recipient got the unstamped card along with a special IOU envelope so that they can send back the cost of postage to the post office. I didn't even know the post office did this! Now I feel like someone making collect calls to my family and friends by sending these cards out. Another person got the envelope, opened it, and found no card inside. Really nice to

Twist Ties from Hell

2007-12-27T15:47:00.000-08:00

If you've bought a toddler toy lately, then you understand the title of this post. One of the parenting magazines timed how long it took to extract bulldozers and dolls from their packaging and it was over 15 minutes in many cases. That's where I read the best recommendation- to remove the toy completely from the packaging, install any required batteries, test it, and wrap it so that it is

Why Do I Bother?

2007-12-22T16:10:00.000-08:00

(I promise most posts will NOT be this long. But I have to vent on this one!)So, are we sending holiday cards this year? I don't know. Should we? Did we last year? Yeah, with his Baby's First Christmas picture, remember? I guess we should. OK, I'll try to if I have time. Go online. Too late to order them and get them in time to send them out in time to arrive by Christmas. Kinko's