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God forbid we expose our children to a message on the importance of an educ
2009-09-05 05:58:00
This morning I got an email from the school superintendent. It read, “There is a current controversy about President Obama?s speech to the nation?s school children next Tuesday. The district is receiving conflicting feedback from parents and others about whether and how the district will handle this situation.” And this is how I learned about the ... Related posts:Is inauguration a dirty word? As you knoPolitics at the age of six Just befor Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.
More About: Children , Message , Expose

Never get shopping advice from a man
2009-09-04 07:12:00
Remember when I went school supply shopping almost three weeks ago? Remember how I found everything at Target but pink erasers and a TI-83 graphing calculator? Well after we I sanitized and paid for my supplies, we headed over to Staples to find our remaining two items. Staples had both the pink erasers and the ... Related posts:School supply shopping can be deadly It’sThe shopping gene I’m Shopping : A [not so] scientific study on the habits of men and women Last Frida Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.
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Are large families irresponsible?
2009-09-02 07:20:00
Last week on Motherlode Lisa Belkin posted Terminating an Adoption; an essay by Anita Tedaldi’s about her failed adoption. Anita had wanted to adopt a child for many years. She did her homework, made all the preparations and adopted a baby boy. However she never felt like the baby really bonded with the family and ... Related posts:Cracking down on irresponsible parents There Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.
More About: Families , Large

Praise is bad. Lying is normal. And arguing is respectful.
2009-08-29 05:34:00
Remember waaaayy back in 2007 when I blogged about a Po Bronson article on the importance of sleep for children? Well Po (and his co-author Ashley Merryman) have a new book coming out; NurtureShock : New Thinking About Children. Yesterday Po was on NPR’s All Things Considered in the segment Parenting Tips: Praise Can Be Bad; ... No related posts. Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.
More About: Help Me , Lying , Normal

School supply shopping can be deadly
2009-08-18 06:27:00
It’s that time of year again. That holiday I dread every August. It’s back-to-school shopping time. Every year I say I’ll be proactive and be the first mommy at the store to buy the glue sticks and Crayola markers as they pull them off the truck. And every year I’m battling other slacker moms on the ... Related posts:The shopping gene I’m Shopping : A [not so] scientific study on the habits of men and women Last FridaHow I spent my back-to-school vacation The kids w Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.
More About: School , Deadly

Getting too old for the waterpark
2009-08-17 05:14:00
Yesterday we took the kids on our annual trip to a nearby waterpark. It’s something we’ve been doing for several years. And every year that evil waterpark reminds us just how old were getting. As the kids get older they think they are mature enough to go off on their own. At 9. And 7. Yeah ... Related posts:Thankful for the lifeguards Today suckDay 2 of Mr. Accident Prone After SatuJust say no to sleepovers As you kno Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

I may be a bum, but I?ll have a cute piercing
2009-08-15 04:36:00
Today is my step-grandma’s birthday. She decided to celebrate by having surgery. I can think of at least a thousand things I’d like to do on my birthday. Surgery isn’t one of them. But to each their own. Actually, a couple weeks ago her doctor found a spot of cancer on her lung. So today the ... Related posts:Another hole in my head Lori and I Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.
More About: Cute , Piercing

Another hole in my head
2009-08-13 06:47:00
Lori and I have been talking about getting another tattoo since, well, before I got another tattoo. But something always came up and we never got around to scheduling an appointment. Until today. We met for our usual Wednesday girls lunch. (I double pink puffy heart our Wednesday girls lunches. Good food with great friends and TONS ... Related posts:Like a hole in the head Do you notDo you think is what she meant by suffering? Nine yearsGirl’s Night Out, the old lady edition Last night Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.
More About: All About Me , Head , Hole

Birthday lessons from a slacker mommy
2009-08-06 06:47:00
Today Keaton turns 15. It doesn’t seem possible. It seems like just yesterday I was writing my “Oh my God my baby’s 14-years-old” post last year. And now I’m all “Oh my God my baby’s 15-years-old.” I seriously don’t understand how a whole year can just fly by in the blink of an eye. How ... Related posts:They say it’s your birthday It’sThe last of the single digit birthdays Skyler 35 things I’ll be doing on my 35th birthday in Vegas Today is m Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.
More About: Mommy , Birthday , Slacker , Lessons

Day 2 of Mr. Accident Prone
2009-08-04 06:50:00
After Saturday’s disastrous trip to the pool, we decided to stay dry on Sunday. It was a beautiful day out, but we needed a little time before we tackled the pool again. So instead we headed to a movie. Confinement to theater chairs seemed a whole lot safer than day 2 of swimming in the ... Related posts:Girl’s Night Out, the old lady edition Last nightThankful for the lifeguards Today suckThe wind on my scallop Caleb and Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.
More About: Accident

Thankful for the lifeguards
2009-08-02 08:24:00
Today sucked. I should have known it was going to suck as soon as I got a paper cut. At the pool. Who gets a paper cut at the pool? A loser who’s working instead of splashing around in the water with her kids, that’s who. After I got the paper cut I put my document ... Related posts:Parenting and sleeping is like water and vinegar This morniThe wind on my scallop Caleb and Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.
More About: Lifeguards

I went to BlogHer ?09 and all I got was a whole lot of swag
2009-08-01 06:53:00
Last week I drove to Chicago to attend my very first BlogHer conference. It was really bad timing. [The nerve of them not checking with me to make sure the dates worked with my schedule.] I was handing out business cards, but my blog was (still is) in no shape for new visitors. I have ... Related posts:Sunday Linky Love Looking foThis is why us old people are on Facebook A year or Sunday Linky Love My favorit Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.
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Stranded at Subway
2009-07-07 07:31:00
My friend Carolyn may never go to lunch with me ever again. Bad things happen when we go to lunch. Several years ago we were on our way back to work after running some errands and grabbing some lunch. About 3 miles from work my van died. Just stopped running mid-drive. I was able to pull ... Related posts:My 8am class is trying to kill me Is it justMother Nature can bite me We’rThe cure for road rage is steaming hot water Like every Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.
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Celebrating the 4th with family
2009-07-06 06:29:00
Whenever anybody asks me what my favorite holiday is I usually answer “Christmas.” It just seems like the obvious answer. I mean you get presents and all. Who doesn’t love getting stuff? But this weekend I realized Christmas is so not my favorite holiday. It’s nice and all, but it’s a little stressful. I have to ... Related posts:Buy a tree, save a forest I’m Sunday Linky Love There was Celebrating the anniversary with a porno For our an Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.
More About: Family

That depends on your definition of dependent
2009-07-03 07:01:00
Remember Leme? The person who commented on my Dads are good parents too post? In that post I quoted some morons who left ridiculous comments on a MomLogic post about stay-at-home dads. I was commenting on how it ticks me off when people call stay-at-home dads “unnatural” or “pussies” because dads can be just as ... Related posts:The mommy and daddy wars I receivedDads are good parents too The other Atlanta may be too rich for me I’m Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.
More About: Definition , Dependent

The cure for road rage is steaming hot water
2009-06-30 06:30:00
Like every Monday for the past three weeks, I scrambled to get my laptop stuffed in it’s bag, my purse out of my cabinet, and my phone on make busy so I could rush out the door. Like every day of my life, I was running late. I don’t get off work until 5:30. I have ... Related posts:A love story, part 1…I’m just his type This FridaBack-to-school can be so exhausting Tonight waI guess the joke is on me. But I don’t find it very funny. Caleb has Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.
More About: Dude , Water , Rage , The Cure , Road

My 8am class is trying to kill me
2009-06-23 20:36:00
Is it just me or has Tuesday become the new Monday? Or maybe it’s just because I have class at 8am on Tuesdays. You know how excited I am about 8am classes. Summer classes are always tough. Professors have to cram 16 weeks of material in to an 8 week summer course. That usually means you ... Related posts:Class at 8am should be illegal School sucSkipping school the hard way Today was Mondays suck big hairy donkey balls Between ou Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.
More About: Randomness , Dude , Kill

The mommy and daddy wars
2009-06-19 22:56:00
I received a comment to my post Dad’s are good parents too that requires a rather lengthy response. So I just decided to make it a blog post. You know, since I’ve been neglecting my blog for the last week anyway. Leme wants to know why I’m upset that people slam stay-at-home dads “when we have ... Related posts:Dads are good parents too The other day I was reading MomLogic’s article Jon Gosselin...Should a woman be able to use fertility treatments to get pregnant if she already has kids? How would I ever come up with ideas to blog...Atlanta may be too rich for me I’m watching a preview of The Real Housewives of Atlanta.... Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.
More About: Wars , Daddy , Mommy

35 things I’ll be doing on my 35th birthday in Vegas
2009-06-11 19:44:00
Today is my 35th birthday. Yeah, I said it. 35. I’m not ashamed. I’m 35. My mom’s birthday is Saturday. She probably doesn’t want me to tell you how old she is so I’ll just leave it at…it’s her birthday. To celebrate we are taking (or actually are currently on) a mother/daughter trip to Las Vegas . I’m really hoping there’s some sort of birthday girl jackpot. (Shouldn’t there be like a $35M jackpot for the birthday girl turning 35?) But I haven’t been able to find it just yet. So to celebrate I’ve made a list of 35 things I’ll be doing in Vegas over the next three days. Call Lee and the kids every day. I miss them already. Live tweet my trip on Twitter. Follow me at http://twitter.com/thebeanblog. Gamble. See Criss Angel Believe at the MGM. Drink out of a big ol’ glass shaped like a building. Wander around on the strip. Stuff myself at a buffet. Watch the Fountains at Bellagio. See Zumanity at New ...
More About: Birthday , Things

Thoughts from the road
2009-06-11 19:00:00
I hate to drive. I drive to work and back and that’s about it. Anytime we go somewhere as a family I make Lee drive. Whenever I go out with my friends I try to convince one of them to pick me up. Driving sucks. So imagine my excitement on the four hour drive to meet my mom in Chicago for our birthday trip to Vega. Four hours in a car. By myself. Good times. To keep myself entertained I turned the radio up really loud. Thank goodness for XM. I didn’t have to suffer through any static on the trip. Just my kind of music. All the way there. Lee worries about me when I drive. So to prepare he always makes sure all of the car’s fluids are full (oil, windshield washer fluid, etc) and he fills it up with gas. The tires on my truck need to be replaced so he borrowed some tires from a friend just for my trip. The new tires are a little taller than my old crappy tires. So I spent the whole trip worried I was going to topple over in my SUV like I keep hearing about on the news...
More About: Thoughts , Road , The Road

Schools out for summer…or not
2009-06-09 03:35:00
It’s been an exhausting week. Between class field trips, track & field days, a little nagging about grades, packing up Justis for his move, final dance recitals and soccer games…I’m beat. The end of the school year is tiring. Today was the last day of school. My baby is now a 2nd grader. My twins are now ruling the school as 4th graders (as 5th & 6th graders move up to the Intermediate school). And my oldest is a sophomore. When did these kids get so dang old? Speaking of getting old, I’m on the verge of my 35th birthday. My birthday is Thursday. And my mom’s birthday is Saturday. We are celebrating with a mother/daughter trip to Vegas. I haven’t really had any time to get excited about the trip yet since I’ve been taking care of the family. But four days in Vegas will be a nice relaxing time. And maybe I’ll win a bunch of money and get to quit my job. A girl can dream. But before I go to Vegas I need to start summer school. T...
More About: Schools

Get off your damn cell phone
2009-06-05 07:31:00
It’s already June and Lee and I have only been on two bike rides so far this year. We’re such slackers. But after today I may never ride my bike again. Biking can be deadly. Lee decided we needed to just go all out and take a hilly route. On our second ride this year? Are ... Related posts:Today’s public service announcement is brought to you by US Cell ular Lee drove home from the waterpark yesterday. On the way...Men are stubborn part 2 Speaking of stubborn men, or at least my stubborn man....They say it’s your birthday It’s been an exhausting, but mostly exciting week and a... Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.
More About: Phone , Cell Phone , Damn , Cell-phone

Dads are good parents too
2009-06-02 07:29:00
The other day I was reading MomLogic’s article Jon Gosselin is NOT a Stay-at-Home Dad!. I really couldn’t care less if Jon really is a stay-at-home dad or if Kate is too controlling or anything else about this family. I’m so tired of hearing about them I’d like to pluck my eyeballs out with rusty, ... Related posts:Do parents wear scarlet letters at work? I’ve heard horror stories about professionals who get passed by...Cracking down on irresponsible parents There’s a new ordinance in our county that will penalize...Didn’t your mama teach you manners? Earlier this week there was a little Facebook meet-up at... Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.
More About: Parents , Good

Take a deep breath and let go
2009-06-01 03:40:00
It’s been an emotionally exhausting couple of days for me. I thought I had left broken hearts behind with high school, but it turns out your own kids can break your heart worse than any stupid teenage crush. Last summer, just a week before Justis was supposed to come home from summer visitation with his mom, ... No related posts. Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.
More About: Deep , Help Me , Breath

Learning history at the wax museum
2009-05-30 08:12:00
Apparently procrastination is a lesson I have taught my kids well. (Of all the lessons they could learn. *sigh*) Late last night, well past bedtime, Skyler & Spencer let us know they were having a wax museum at school the next day and wanted us to be there. I didn’t really know what they heck ... Related posts:Learning a new language I’ve been thinking about learning a new language. You know,... Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.
More About: History , Randomness , Museum

To hell in a handbasket
2009-05-28 20:32:00
I?m having some technical issues. Yesterday Google?s Safe Browser was so politely informing people that coming to my site might harm their computer. This was, of course, a big bummer. People tend to not want to click the ?ignore this warning? button and come on over to your blog when faced with a big glaring ?get ...
More About: Hell

Remembering
2009-05-26 02:36:00
Today in the U.S. most of us our off of work for Memorial Day. Memorial Day is often seen as the beginning of the summer. In our neck of the woods it is the weekend our pools open up for the summer months. It’s the time when friends and family get together for BBQs. Some cities ... Related posts:Remembering 2008 I was sitting here trying to reflect on 2008 and...Remembering Maddie People often ask me why I blog. [Right after they... Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.
More About: Logan

Cracking down on irresponsible parents
2009-05-22 07:27:00
There’s a new ordinance in our county that will penalize any adult who knowingly allows children to have a party with alcohol on their property. Guilty adults will receive a $750 fine for the first offense and a $1000 for the second or more offense. This has sparked a new controversy over what should be ... Related posts:Do parents wear scarlet letters at work? I’ve heard horror stories about professionals who get passed by...Top 10 Threats Parents Use During The Christmas Season Isn’t the Christmas season grand? When else do you get...A love story, part 3…Finally, a kiss I make it sound like months have gone by with... Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.
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They say it?s your birthday
2009-05-20 07:21:00
It’s been an exhausting, but mostly exciting week and a half. We started with Mother’s Day last Sunday. I had an awful cold and was miserable, but it was nice to spend time with my mom, grandma, and aunt. Then we had Caleb’s 7th birthday. Followed by Lee’s college graduation. And today is Lee’s 39th ... Related posts:Today’s public service announcement is brought to you by US Cellular Lee drove home from the waterpark yesterday. On the way...Only 1 more year until he’s a man Today was Earth Day. We get pretty wild and crazy...We interrupt this Working Wednesday for my birthday (& a contest for you) They say its your birthday. It’s my birthday too. And... Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.
More About: Birthday , Da Vinci Code

Congratulations Lee
2009-05-18 07:08:00
Several years ago Lee got laid off from his job as a cable guy. He looked for a job for several months, but was having trouble finding something that paid anywhere close to his previous salary. And we had three kids in daycare…costing us close to $300 a week in daycare expenses. After a while ... No related posts. Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.
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