NaBloPoMo - I Hardly Knew Ye

So, I did it. A month of posts in honor of NaBloPoMo (National Blog Posting Month) plus one more for good luck, for a total of 31 posts. It went by so fast. How is it December tomorrow already?

I had a lot of fun participating, and to be honest, I don't think I wrote any more (or less) than in any other month. The only difference was instead of hitting "draft" as I usually do, I hit "publish" instead.

I started the month with the plan to use NaBloPoMo as a time to clean-out my lingering - perhaps even malingering - posts in draft status - I had close to 200 of them.  As of today, I now have 143. Not exactly empty, but progress just the same.

And my basement that started the month looking like this:

Ended the month looking exactly the same. So much for the whole idea of "making yourself publicly accountable."
And perhaps best of all, at the end of this month of writing my own daily posts and reading the posts of others, I got this in the mail, my very first article in print - 5 ho-ho-ho-liday books in New Jersey Family magazine.

So, NaBloPoMo I enjoyed spending time with you. And while I'm sure we'll meet again it won't be in December. For now, I have a basement to clean. And a few posts to publish, or delete.

That should keep me busy.

Thank you New Jersey Family for all the opportunities you have given me and for making my first tear sheet possible (though my husband has asked me to never use the phrase "tear sheet" again).

Instructions for My Husband: At the end of a long day when the kids are sick is not the optimal time to go shopping at Radio Shack

When the kids are sick, and I'm home alone with them, you should come directly home after work. As the saying goes, Do Not Pass Go, or in your case, Do Not Go to Radio Shack.

This advice is particularly applicable when one of the sick kids is puking. Repeatedly. On me. And the other sick kid is snotting repeatedly. On me.


Let me set the scene: I'm home with sick kids, puked on laundry and carpet, boogery tissues and snotted on clothes, and I call you to see when you'll be home and you answer helpfully in an upbeat tone "around half-an-hour, I'm getting a new phone right now at Radio Shack."

This takes place at 5 o'clock. You get home at 5:30pm. Many of you reading this may be thinking, what's the big deal, it's only 30 minutes. And now your husband has the phone he wanted!
But you would be wrong. In those 30 minutes I had to feed the snotty one, while explaining to the pukey one that she couldn't eat the dinner, she could only have jello and Popsicles, while simultaneously trying to convince the snotty one to eat some real food, not just the pukey one's food.

And remember, this delightful dinner is taking place after a day of snot and puke and general toddler sickness and ickiness of one kind and another. Which, and I know this will come as a surprise, is actually not nearly as fun as it sounds.

Radio Shack is two blocks from our apartment. Two measly blocks. They are open at 8am. They stay open until 10pm. Was there really no other time you could find to go? The day when I was home by myself with two sick kids and their tears, whines and various bodily excretions,  going today at 5 o'clock was the absolute best time you could come up with?

So, please, let me help you - today at 5pm was not a good time to go to Radio Shack. Go any time in the middle of the day this weekend. Go any night after the kids are asleep. Or even go at 5pm, on any of the many other days when one of them isn't throwing up. Repeatedly. On me.

This is a post I started back in December, 2007. Thanks go NaBloPoMo, I finished it today. I'm still sorta annoyed, which is surprising because I am totally not one to hold a grudge. At all.

This is the twenty-sixth instruction in my ongoing series of Instructions for My Husband.

Does your husband ever pick the absolute worst time to go run an errand while you're at home with the offspring?

Math Midway at the Liberty Science Center: A Great Family Day Out in New Jersey AND AN AWESOME TICKET GIVEAWAY

Thanks to everyone who entered and congratulations to the winner, Kelly!

My family recently had a great day out at the Liberty Science Center located in Jersey City, it's an easy trip from Manhattan and a really easy trip from much of New Jersey.

My five and seven year old daughters enjoyed everything, and spent a lot of time at the interactive Math Midway exhibit, which is currently on display through January 22, 2012. Math Midway presents math concepts in a colorful, carnival style and gives kids a chance to try things out themselves.

 Here my kids are giving the square-wheeled tricycles a try:

Winter Holiday Handprint Crafts - Christmas, Hanukkah and the Winter Solstice, too

Are you here from a search you just did for hand print arts and crafts for the holidays?

Whether you are looking for a Christmas tree, a handprint wreath,a Hannukah menorah or a non-denominational winter solstice craft .... you've come to the right place if you want to make it with handprints.

Image Source

Hanukkah menorah

And if you're just looking for a general collection of winter ideas, we have snowflakes,snowy trees and a polar bear:

And if you are here looking for a handprint craft project we don't have...just leave a comment and let me know, and I'll be sure to add it!

Happy holiday handprint crafting!

Looking for even more handprint crafts? Here's the full list.

Happy Niece Day!

As of yesterday, I'm the proud new auntie to a super-cute and awesome baby girl, Rosie.

Here's Rosie with proud daddy and grandma:

 And getting ready for her close-up:

I hope my niece's parents approve of their daughter being excellent and fair game blogging material, but I won't post again until I hear the word.

Update: Rosie's image can be used! Hooray!

What I'm Thinking About on Black Friday... and it's not about going shopping



Photo from Say No to Black Friday

Today is Black Friday. I'm not a big fan of crowds, or big box stores. So I won't be going shopping.

I'm also not a big fan of over-consumption, so even if I did like crowds and big box stores I wouldn't want to be part of the whole holiday buy! buy! buy! scene.

What will I be doing instead today?

• I will be thinking about the security guard who died a few years ago at Wal-Mart when shoppers trampled him on their way to buy! buy! buy!

• I will be thinking of all the people who had their Thanksgivings cut short because they had to go to work, as more and more stores decided to be open on Thanksgiving so people could buy! buy! buy!

• I will be thinking - as I do at this time every year - of Gavriel and Rivkah Holtzberg, the young Chabad couple who were killed in the Mumbai Massacre on November 26, 2008, and who left behind an orphan son, who was not even two.

And why do I think of Gabi and Rivkah Holtzberg every year? It is not just for remembrance - it is for inspiration. There are many stories of the couples' incredible kindnesses, there are over 12,000 mitvahs (good deeds) that have been performed in their memory, and perhaps most moving, photo after photo of babies named after the slain couple.

Is it a surprise that reflecting on a life lived with such a sense of purpose would be more inspiring to me than the thought of a really great Black Friday bargain?

Not really.

And so, this Black Friday I'll leave the deals to anyone who wants them. As for me, I'll happily be one of the people participaing in Buy Nothing Day.

Happy Thanksgiving - Suffragette Style

One of my side hobbies is collecting (or hoarding as the case may be - your words not mine), and one of my collections is suffragette postcards.

Nothing makes me happier than when a holiday comes around that is celebrated in suffrage postcards, as thankfully Thanksgiving is.

Here are one of my favorite Thanksgiving suffragette postcards:

In case my photograph makes it impossible to read the text is: "This is not a suffragette lecture, but a kind Greeting."

This text always puzzled me, but yesterday a search with Lady Google's help revealed The Society Pages: Social Science that Matters and the information that in 1909 "Chicago-area women’s rights advocates {were} pushing back the time they served Thanksgiving dinner in order to go see the British suffragist Emiline* Pankhurst," who was giving a lecture.

Now I'm wondering if this postcard that I proudly display in my pro-suffrage collection, actually need to be moved to the binder with the anti-suffrage cards? I think so.

So what does this all mean besides that I love collecting suffragette postcards and I love Thanksgiving?

I'm not really sure...

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Thanksgiving Preview II: Meyer Lemons and a Lemon Tart

Images received via an email from my mother.

Meyer Lemon Buttermilk Tart recipe via Emeril Lagasse and The Food Network.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Thanksgiving Preview: Corn Sticks

Image via email from my mom.

Corn sticks recipe from Country Living.

An Homage to Tristram Shandy, Gentleman

space







This post intentionally left blank.







The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman

Three Great Things to Do in New York City Over Thanksgiving Weekend

I love New York City all year round, but Thanksgiving weekend is one of my favorite times. Not only does it begin the holiday season with all its lights and splendor, but our family has a few annual traditions we try to fit in every year over Thanksgiving weekend. Here are three of our family favorites:

• Macy's Day Parade - this legendary spectacle is a wonder to behold in person, but not too bad either when viewed on the television from the comfort of home with a mulled cider and the scent of turkey roasting. When we were still Upper West Siders, we always made sure to take a stroll by the balloons being inflated the night before, one of my most enduring memories of being a Manhattanite.

• American Museum of Natural History - we visit this kid-friendly museum frequently in all seasons, but I never miss a holiday trip to see the amazing Origami Holiday Tree (on display November 21 through January 2).

Other special exhibits currently on display are The World's Largest Dinosaurs and The Butterfly Conservatory, both incredible experiences for kids of all ages.

• Big Apple Circus - This has been a favorite holiday destination since our oldest was little, and I was delighted to see the Dream Big! show this year with all three kids (2, 6 & 7) who were all enthralled. My dog-obsessed toddler was loving the canine performances, while his older sisters couldn't get enough of the trapeze and magic acts. A truly magical experience, the big tent is up at Lincoln Center Plaza until January 8.

My kids, ready to join the circus!

So what's not on my list of recommended places to visit in Manhattan? All the places that have been commercialized and Dora-fied -  The Bronx Zoo and The Central Park Zoo, as well as the Children's Museum of Manhattan. And it's too bad, because in the day, those were once great New York institutions, too.  It would be nice if Nickelodeon would leave a few spots free of Dora-fication.

___________________________

My family and I were lucky enough to receive comped tickets to The World's Largest Dinosaurs exhibit and to the Big Apple Circus for purposes of review. Believe me, our opinions were not influenced. I was also offered tickets to the Children's Museum of Manhattan, which I (semi) politely declined.

Kid O - Great Toys from a Good Company

The most dedicated blog readers might remember that this winter I lamented being unable to find a shape sorter my toddler son Ziggy would play with despite my most first-world efforts to find one for him.

Among the many shape sorters I purchased was a sorting house by one of my favorite brands, Kid O. I loved the design, and even better, Ziggy showed a mild interest in using it.

But then the sorting house started falling apart. I added it to my "gonna fix someday soon" pile of toys, and of course that mythical day when I sit around fixing toddler toys never came.

But the day of throwing out the broken toddler toys did come. And out with the trash went the shape sorter house.

Then I sent a completely unnecessarily rude email to Kid O complaining about the shape sorter house. I'm not really sure what made me think the company was purposely selling shoddy stuff, since I have lots of there other products and not only are they all incredible quality, but they also have a great aesthetic and not a single licensed character in sight.

So of course I shouldn't have been surprised when my nasty email was returned with a completely gracious reply. Kid O understood there was a quality issue with the house, and it was no longer being sold. Could they send me something else as a replacement?

Every company should be so awesome.
_______________

Kid O sent us a Bilibo, which I had been planning to buy for about as long as I had been meaning to fix the broken toys in our house.

The Bilibo is a toy that enables kids of all ages to use their imaginations and be endlessly creative in deciding how to use it - my children have had their Bilibo serve as a house, campsite, garden, Giraffey bed, and transportation provider to various stuffed animals and Barbies with long commutes.

The Bilibo is also great for dress-up, and makes a nice helmet, turtle shell, or camel bump depending on your comedic or dramatic needs.

Thank you, Kid O for being a good company with great toys.

Make or Bake a Handprint Turkey for Thanksgiving!

Photo from Real Simple

I'm not sure if I should be happy or sad about this, but most of my site traffic is from people looking for handprint crafts. (Actually, they're looking for hand print crafts, but I like writing handprint as one word instead of two.)

So, love it or hate it, I have embraced it.

I even made a slide show over at Kirtsy today of, you guessed it, handprint turkeys.

And there are lots more hand print turkey craft ideas here in a post I wrote for Thanksgiving last November.

So, however you are crafting or baking your handprint turkeys, enjoy.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Find the full list of handprint crafts here.

If you ask a modern child an old-fashioned question...

Have you heard this brain teaser before?

A son and his father get into a serious car accident. The boy is taken in one ambulance to a hospital, and the father is taken in another ambulance to a different hospital. Upon reaching the emergency room, the doctor looks at the boy and says, "I can't work on this patient. He is my son!"  

How is this possible?

I asked my kids this favorite puzzle from my own childhood on the way to school the other day.

My seven-year-old daughter Magpie, modern child that she is, thought for a few minutes and then exclaimed, "The doctor is the mom!"

While I'm busy congratulating Magpie on both her wisdom and her young feminist leanings, I notice that my five-year-old daughter Kay is looking totally confused.

I make a mental note that a child must need to be older to understand these sorts of logic puzzles, and suggested as much to her - apologizing she didn't really understand what the question was asking.

Her reply?

"Well, it could just be the other dad."

Yes, Kay, it certainly could.

Oh how I love modern kids.

Being Thankful

This post is from 2008.

Our little clan had a tropical twist on Thanksgiving this year, with a non-oft vacation to celebrate in Puerto Rico.

On Thanksgiving, right before bed, after eating too much, sunning to much, and swimming way too much, I exclaimed"Hey! We should all say what we're thankful for!"

Mike and I said some boring platitude stuff, Kay added an inspiring "me too" and Magpie stole the show with: "I'm thankful for Hashem for this perfect little sister," and kissed Kay on the head.

Happy Thanksgiving.

What are you grateful for?

At My In-Laws

Kay Takes (Another) Sick Day

I will admit it: my daughter Kay does not have a stellar school attendance record. She acts as if daily attendance is a suggested guideline, and not an actual mandate.

With this in mind, I make a concerted effort to make sure her days at home are not that fun. Today she was legitimately able to miss a school day (she was less than 24 hours fever-free) even though she was not really still sick.

I told her to find something do in the kitchen while I did the dishes.

She found toothpicks:

And, with help from her loyal sidekick Giraffe-y, made this:

And then this:

With the day still young, she deemed it Giraffe-y's birthday, and dressed her up in her best finery:

And invited Seal-y over for a party-in-a-shoe (which apparently are all the rage):

All in all, Kay had a good sick day. Maybe even too good. (Self-portrait with mommy's phone.)

But tomorrow?

Kay, you're going to school.

_____________________-

Linking-up to Finding the Funny. 'Cause I LOVE Funny.

Read them all at My Life and Kids and Kelley's Break Room.

Suburban Kitchen, Now and Then

Here I am in the suburban kitchen of my childhood, circa 1975:

And here is my daughter Magpie in our kitchen now, circa 2008:

Yes, my family today is still eating at the same kitchen table from when I was a kid.

And a quick glance at the counters in the background suggests my mother and I share both housekeeping and kitchen furnishing aesthetics.

Glad I Saw It: My Other Car is an Art Car

This art car was done entirely with Sharpies. Seriously.

Seen at the corner of Chatsworth and Palmer, Larchmont, NY, Nov. 12, 2008.

And yes, I'm glad I saw it.

A few random offerings from the mouths of my kids: The Kay and Magpie Edition

4pm, Monday afternoon, February, 2009

Thanks to my brother for the fantastic animation.





Vignette I:
Magpie: The party has been cancelled.
Kay: Why! Why has the party been cancelled?
Magpie: Because my Aunt is coming over. I didn't know she was coming over, I just found out she was, so we'll have to have the party another day. For those of you who don't know, an Aunt is your mother's, mother's, mother's sister."

Vignette II:
Magpie: I need to look pretty. VERY pretty.
Kay: Why?
Magpie: I'm getting married. Today!

Vignette III:
Magpie: This is mine! And I also need lots and lots of trains.
Kay: That's OK. I have three mountains.

A few minutes later...

Magpie: Kay, can I have a triangle?
Kay: No! I told you I need three mountains!

A few more minutes later...

Magpie: Are you sure you don't have just one triangle I could have?
Kay: No!
Magpie: Are you sure?
Kay: OK, I will try.
Magpie: Thanks, Kay.

Vignette IV:
Magpie: No dinosaurs allowed at this slumber party.
Kay: Is the slumber party today?
Magpie: No loud noises at this slumber party!
Kay: Well then why do you get to talk?
Magpie: Because it was my idea.
Kay: OK, as long as we are having rhinestones and spaghetti.
Magpie: Promise.

A few random offerings from the mouths of my kids: The Ziggy Edition

Ziggy is two-years-old and has all the funny speech-isms that come with the age. A few of my favorite convos of late:

While we're playing in his room:

Ziggy: "Mommy! Be careful!"

Me: "Why?" I quickly assess what dangers could be lurking on the rug with the two of us and a pile of toy cars.

Ziggy: "Car coming! Car coming" as he zooms one by me.

____________________________

While we're eating in the kitchen:

Ziggy: "Apple! Apple"

Me: "Here you go." I hand him a shiny red one.

Ziggy: "No! No! A black apple!"

Me: "Huh?

Ziggy: "A BLACK apple!!!"

Me: Confused, looking around on the counter, then realizing. "Oh. You want a plum." I hand it to him and he smiles.

Ziggy: "Black apple."
____________________________


Halloween night

Me: "You're going to go as a cat."

Ziggy: "Me not a cat. Me Ziggy."

Me: "Yes, I know - but for Halloween you're Ziggy, who is a cat."

Ziggy: "No cat."

Me: "Then you can't go out with your sisters."

Ziggy: "Me no Ziggy! Me cat!"

What funny stuff do your kids say?

A few random offerings from the mouths of my kids - The Magpie Edition

I wrote these down a while ago, and NaBloPoMo makes me decide to actually post them.

All quotes are from my daughter Magpie when she was 6 or 7 years old.

When we're on the way to a horseback riding party:

 "Im a really good rider, for someone who has never ridden a horse."

_____________

When she asks if she can answer the phone, because she's sure it's Daddy calling:

"I can tell Daddy's ring."

To which I respond, "No you can't, they're all the same."

And she answers, "No, they're not. They're like license plates, no two are alike."

_____________

When she asks me to get her some ice from the freezer:

"I gotta put ice in the toilet. So it will make it snow."

Me: "But it's already going to snow."

Her: "I know. But kids in my class did it last time, and that's why we got two feet instead of one foot of snow."

At least I know who to thank for that winter wonderland.

What funny things do your kids say?

I Heart Ephemera

Today's homework, tomorrow's ephemera

Ephemera by any other name would be... trash.

But not on eBay.

On eBay, you can buy ephemera, and I do. Lots of it.

I buy cast-aways and cast-asides from a generation back, sometimes even two or three.

I like the milk caps and the jelly molds, memories of kitchens and routines that are no more.

I savor postcards written to someone else with mentions of a mundane trip to Florida to visit relatives, or maybe to see an old friend in Nebraska.

I lovingly turn the pages of yellowed scrapbooks with ripped pieces of magazines pasted in alongside greeting cards for birthdays and anniversaries, where I know neither the giver or the recipient.

I buy stacks and stacks of photographs of families that aren't mine.

These things come here to my somewhat crowded home, and I try and find a perfect place for them.

And I think of them as beautiful and meaningful, this ephemera.

But deep down I know: I buy a lot of trash.

________
Linking-up to Yeah Write, check it out if you don't already know it. Lots of great stories from lots of great writers.

An Election Day Story and a Blog-In Call to Action

So as of today, I am officially an apathetic American.

I admit it.

I did not vote today.

Making this story even more pathetic is this exchange I had with my husband last night:

Husband: Are you going to vote tomorrow?

Me: No, and you're not going to either.

Husband: I know, I never vote. But I thought you usually did?

Me: I do, but I can't vote tomorrow because we didn't register when we moved.

Husband: Do you want me to drive you to Westchester so you can vote?

Me: We didn't register there either.

Husband: That's great, so you can vote in the City! That's closer!

That's right, I didn't register to vote when we moved from New York City to Westchester two years ago, or when we moved again to the great state of New Jersey. To be honest, I didn't even really think about the elections happening today at all.

Actually, that's not completely true. For a few minutes this morning I was very worried I was missing an important meeting at my kids' school. I kept thinking to myself, "Wow, a lot of people are going into the school today. The mom and the dad."

Then I realized why there were so many adults, and that all of them seemed able to find the time to both register and to actually vote.

And yes, I felt even worse then I did when I realized I wouldn't be voting today.

This post was written on election day last year. Sadly, one year later, I am still not a registered voter in New Jersey. Next year, for sure.

*******
Today, bloggers have organized the first ever "Blog-In" to send a message to politicians that we-the-people are hopeful that candidates in the upcoming election season will focus on the most important issues Americans are facing today - from being without jobs to being without health-care to being without well-funded public schools.

You can join the Blog-In, read the full letter, or learn more at the Blog-In Roll Call.

Below is an excerpt from the Blog-In letter:

Dear 2012 Presidential Candidates,

We are your future constituents and we are parents.

We are American mothers and fathers and grandparents and guardians. Our families might be the most diverse in the world. Blended and combined in endless permutations, we represent every major religion, political ideology and ethnic culture that exists.

Our very modern families embody the freedom that defines America. We embody America. We are rich in diversity, but we are united in our family values. We come together today, with one voice, to express our grave disappointment in the national political discourse.

We are living in a time where 15.1% of Americans now live in poverty, the unemployment rate stands at 16%, and we are spending close to $170 billion annually between the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan*.

Given the current state of affairs we would expect every candidate to focus on the issues that truly matter: job creation, debt-relief, taxes, education, poverty, and ending the war(s). Instead, it is already clear to us that the conversation has been hijacked, with the goal of further polarizing our nation into a politically motivated and falsely created class-war.

We will not stand for another campaign year in which politicians presume to know what our family values are as they relate to the nation.

To be clear, here are our family values:
Affordable health care, including family planning, for all Americans.

Access to education, and the ability to actually use it.

A reinstatement of regulations for banks issuing mortgages and full prosecution for those who engaged in fraudulent lending practices.

A return of strict environmental regulations protecting water, air, food, and land that were removed in the last two decades.

Family planning, healthcare, education, economic solvency and environmental safety: these are our national family values.

Candidates who demonstrate the ability to understand the gravity of these issues, and their impact on our families, and who can provide actual, viable solutions to these problems will garner our support and our votes.

We believe in this democratic system of ours, and we will continue to use our voices and our votes to see that it reaches its fullest potential.

Sincerely,
Your future constituents,
The mothers & fathers of America

* Sources for stats:
http://money.cnn.com/2011/09/13/news/economy/poverty_rate_income/index.htm
http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=CNG.4452bed82adf3124e5884678e236d7fb.361
http://costofwar.com/en/

What do you think are the biggest issues in the upcoming elections?

The Last Time I Voted: 2008

The last time I voted was the 2008 presidential election. I took my kids (see above), to set a good example. I was shocked, and kind of appalled that we had to pass a bake sale to get to the polling station in a New York City public school.

Of course, my kids insisted on getting a treat, and I thought in this time of an obesity crises they should have been selling smoothies, fresh fruit and maybe whole grain power bars.

But I wanted to vote, so I got the kids cupcakes.

I also wondered to myself if the bake sale was "fair" - wasn't the reminder that the public schools lacked funding and therefore needed to raise money via these bake sales, a subtle nudge in favor of the left?

My last memory of that day is a particularly boisterous campaigner encouraging us to vote for Obama, and my then four-year-old telling her very clearly, "I don't care what you say. I'm gonna vote for the girl."

No one had the heart to tell my young feminist that she wouldn't actually be casting a vote.

Kay - if you are reading this one day, you are not wearing a coat in this photo because you did not wear a coat any day that winter of 08-09. Even though your grandma bought you three.

How to waste forty dollars without really trying

I'm linking this old post up to Yeah Write (for the first time).

It was a Saturday night in the height of summer. We wanted to be "fun parents", and as our oldest daughter Mapgie was at a friends house, we offered to take our daughter Kay (age 5) and her little brother Ziggy (not-quite-two) out do dinner. We gave Kay free-reign to pick the evening's dining establishment.

I suggested options, with an ever-so-slight emphasis on the more upscale place that was my preference to the usual kids' pick.

Kay was much clearer in making known her choice. "THE DINER! I WANT A HOT DOG!"

I agreed, but only after pointing out ever-so-subtly that the place I wanted to go also had hot dogs.

Kay dismissed this quickly, explaining "those hot dogs aren't good, they don't taste like hot dogs."

Which to be honest, is true. I mean, they're good - even better than the average hot dog I might argue - but they don't really taste like a classic hot dog.

So I agreed to go to the diner.

We sit down, all smiles in our turquoise leatherette booth. We order. A kids menu hot dog for Kay, which double score for her, comes with fries.

I eat my sub-par diner salad. My husband and I shovel food while trying to keep Ziggy's almost two-year-old antics to a minimum.

A few minutes go by, and I notice Kay hasn't eaten her dinner. At all.

I ask, in my sweetest Mother's voice, "Kay, what's up with you not eating your hot dog?

Kay replies: "I don't like it. It tastes like a... hot dog."

"Uh, OK." I say, thinking to myself, who the fuck orders a hot dog and then complains that it tastes like a.... hot dog?

I try again, in my sweetest Mother's voice, "Kay, what about the fries? You're not even eating the fries."

She replies, "They're too fried. Next time, could you ask them to make them less fried?"

Suppressing the urge to go on a rant about what would happen if I tried to start that conversation with the cook behind the diner counter, I instead point out, But they're fries. They're fried."

Kay, exasperated, answers "I know. I'd like them less fried."




My husband pays the check while I inspect the remains of Kay's entire dinner on her plate, and Ziggy's entire dinner on the floor, as we all leave the diner and a meal no one really ate, down forty bucks.

But as we walked to the car with two smiley kids, and made the way home amid their happy chatter, my husband and I were secure in knowing for that summer's night we were "fun parents," and that from the kids point of view, this had been a great night out.

And how can you put a price on that?

I'm linking up to Yeah Write, where I've been happily reading for awhile since being introduced to it by That Unique* Weblog, but this is my first time "on the grid."

Who Wore It Better - The Orange Pumpkin Sweatshirt

Today I bring you the third installment of Who Wore It Better?

The first two contests had the hard-to-call black winter coat stand-off:

And the even more difficult to decide frog costume comparison:



And today?

I bring a tough three-way competition between my son, my daughter and a stuffed panda bear.

So, who do you think wore the orange pumpkin sweatshirt better?