Let's Pray Together Cubs Fan

Eddie Vedder played THIS LIVE after composing it at the request of Ernie Banks who I've had the pleasure of knowing when I worked at Illinois Center Athletic Club once upon a time. I asked him for an autograph for my grandma after sneaking faxes in for him in the office on numerous occasions. He didn't just sign his name - he wrote by Grandma (life long die hard 91 year old Grandma) a sweet, long letter.

Go Cubs!!

Friday Evening & Weary

Sometimes I'm blinded
by exactly what's right in front of me

Other times I'm broken in pieces
but a little bit more put together than the day before

I'm always wishing for things I can't have
I'm always crying for things that I've lost

My heart is a framed picture of bliss, and peace, colored brightly and sweetly
With cracked and fragmented colored lines of gray and black of sadness and regret

Realizing that I just "am"
Helps me sleep better at night.

Lessons in Mommyhood #06

At some point during your child's life, usually between 18 and 24 months - DINNER TIME WILL SUCK. Accept it as it is, move on, dodge the food before it hits you in the face, and laugh. Remember why you became a mom and what a joyful experience it has been so far. And if you get the sudden impulse to just smack your husband in the face or hit him over the head with a large object during dinner, because nothing he says or does actually alleviates the situation, but only makes it worse.....resist the temptation. Save the energy for something else later..wink..wink....that might only result in another mess maker though.

Lessons in Mommyhood #79

What do you do when your toddler insists on going outside and you instruct him to put on his shoes (they're CROCS - he's not like tying gym shoes or anything) and he reappears with one shoe on (ready to go, of course)...while the other shoe is completely lost...for days....and he has not yet acquired the verbal skills to explain or remember what he did with the other one? Try this - CHECK THE FRIDGE - preferably the bottom two shelves.

Lessons in Mommyhood #44

When your toddler wanders in to the bathroom with an EMPTY cup and emerges mere seconds later with that SAME cup, but its FULL of water and your child is happily drinking it, don't immediately ASSUME that the little bugger actually reached up turned on the faucet and filled it up in that short amount of time. GO BUY TOILET LOCKS and then try your best to teach him to say..."I'M THIRSTY!"

(I swear I thought I was going to BARF - well, hey, the dog is still alive after all these years, it must not be THAT bad)

The Parrot and The Potty Mouth

I've been thinking about alternative words to swear words since, according to my parents, I was born with a dirty mouth and I now have a toddler who repeats EVERYTHING these days. He especially repeats the swears with fervor and exuberance. Suggestions are welcome. Breaking bad habits are hard to do.


These are the ones I've come up with so far:

Mother Fletcher (I love Shrek), Darnit, Gosh Darnit, Dangit, Shute, Dag Nabit (Was that Foghorn Leghorn?), SNAP (my favorite the older kids use it), Flippin, Crikey, and blasted.

Can you help me damnit?

Lessons in Mommyhood #92

Never let your child sit on your lap when he or she is eating watermelon and you're wearing white shorts...brand new white shorts.....that you got for your birthday and they really look cute on you......and your husband says, "oh, just go buy another pair."

But you don't want to...because you really really liked the ones you got for your birthday....they look cute on you....and your kid just ruined them. Then, your kid just laughs their little laugh and keeps eating their watermelon while they laugh at you and your white shorts...that you got for your birthday....that are... I mean were really really cute on you.