Archive for April 2008

I am officially sick of earthquakes.  Also, officially freaked the heck out.  That one last night was strong enough to really make me start worrying.  And hearing just how unusual this all is (over 100 earthquakes, most of them super teeny though, in the last several days alone) doesn’t make me feel any better.  The whole “are we all gonna die” thing is really driving me nuts.  Anyhow.  Onto the point of this post, shall we?  Dang if there weren’t some great posts this week.

• Webby Thingy That I Must Stop Playing from GoodyBlog.  This could be a serious detriment to whatever productivity I have left (which isn’t much, let’s be honest).  Only visit this site if you have a good half hour (or more!) to spare. 
  
• Forgive Me Target, I Have Sinned from The Queen of Shake-Shake.   I’d like to think that if I had a Super Target anywhere remotely near where I live (think 50 mile radius) that I would shop there religiously.  But then again, I’m rather addicted to Walmart’s low, low prices.  Agony! 
  
• Left to My Own Devices from Jonniker. Every post from her is SO. Freakin’. FUNNY. I love her rambling style, it’s almost like a conversation with an old friend over the phone. However, the ending of this particular post was so funny and SO DISGUSTING that I honestly shrieked with laughter. I kid you not.
• The funny moments of babyhood from Linda at ParentDish. Heh, I love this little story and I love the way Linda tells it even more.  Mostly because, YES, I have seen several babies in my residence do just this sort of thing and I’ve often thought that this is exactly what they were thinking.  Too cute.
  
• I may be slow….but I’m not a drip from Running Stitch.   What does this say about me that I never “got” that either, until I read this post?  Makes me wonder what else from the movies of my youth I didn’t get.
  
• Puerto Rico, part one: Things I learned in first class from The Bloggess.  This is quite possibly the funniest thing I read all week.  It’s hard though, because I read a lot of really funny things (it was a great week!).  Still, the Bloggess doesn’t disappoint here.  I loved how first class “changed” her.
  
• Crazy Narcissistic Exploitative Zombie-Pimp Mom-Bloggers from Her Bad Mother.  There are no words.  And the fact that I’ve already sort of talked about this whole thing already.  But it’s important enough for you to read this post to put it up on here twice. 
  
• Dear Boobs, from misszoot.com.  I could have written the same note to my boobs before Evie was born.  And right now I’d be telling them, “you go, girls!” 
  
• Where Mothers Fear to Tread from IzzyMom.  Even just reading this account made me feel weak in the knees.  I have a feeling that Liam will be the sort to do this to me.  And when that day happens I will lose 10 years off my life.  Many get well vibes are being sent towards Izzy’s home today.
  
• Mirror, Mirror On the Wall from Attack of the Redneck Mommy.  I don’t know how I could make such a decision.  Would you constantly second-guess it?  Would you always wonder?  Would you feel guilt?  Best wishes for her with this, I hope she finds peace with it.
  
• Mommyblogger Sell-outs? Consider the Alternative from Surrender, Dorothy.  I love the recognition and attention that mommy blogging is getting these days.  I do!  And I’m so excited for Rita and her book (can’t wait to read it!).  There is plenty of love for everyone to go around, just like she says. 
  
• A Businesswoman, a Tibetan Monk & a Mommyblogger Get on an Airplane from amalah . com.  I’d be jealous of her if I were a smaller person.  Oh, who are we kidding, I am COMPLETELY jealous.  Trip to California aside, the goodies they all got make me weak in the knees.  Beyond cool.
  
• Killer Chocolate Chip Cookies from Mandajuice.  YUM.  She describes just the sort of cookies I like the best.  Which means that I must have one RIGHT NOW. 
  

Hot dang! Do you see all those lovely posts? Especially all the wonderful ones that say, “I am mommy blogger, hear me ROAR!” I love it.  If anything can take my mind off the fact that “the end is nigh!!” then these posts will do it.  Have a great weekend, ya’ll!

Filed under General Snark |

As I mentioned earlier this week, I’m considering trying out cloth diapering.  Well, more than considering actually.  At this point, I think it’s just a matter of when and a matter of how.  I’d like to incorporate the gDiapers I won, either in part or in whole or as another variety.  Either way, whatever I chose, I will have to purchase other supplies.  Two covers aren’t going to cut it, I don’t care what you say.

With the gDiapers, the prevailing thought is to use a cloth insert instead of the flushable insert (at least when here at home and save the flushables for when out and about).  I toyed with fashioning my own insert, but then, I could also buy an insert.  Or I could buy prefolds from Walmart and use those.  But I’d have to cut those down or something in order to make them “fit” properly.  Still, would be less work than fashioning my own inserts which could involve “sewing”.  And, ya know, I don’t do that.  Obviously, the easiest choice is to buy inserts online (such as would go in a pocket diaper).  But which inserts would work the best?  What “brand”?  What fabrics?  How much is this going to cost me?  (I’m a little afraid of the answer.)

Then there’s the question of extra diapers.  Do I want to buy more gDiaper covers and use that whole system exclusively?  (Again, I would only be using the flushables when out and about.)  Or, would I want to try another cloth diaper, perhaps an AIO (all in one)?  Then again, if I used a pocket diaper, then I could use the inserts that I made/purchased for use with the gDiapers.  In both cases, what brands are the best?   What features does one look for?  What works the best?  What is the easiest (because, knowing me, if it’s not easy I won’t keep it up)?

GAH.  Questions, questions.  It’s amazing that I don’t just give up the whole notion.  But then I find myself cruising different cloth diapering websites and forums and my interest is piqued again.

What do you all think?  Do any of you use cloth diapers?  If so, PLEASE tell me what works for you.  I’m positively obsessed with the idea right now.

Filed under General Snark |

Reno is, apparently.

Now, I’m from the Bay Area. I’ve been through a lot bigger earthquakes than the ones we felt yesterday. But I’d be lying if I said those earthquakes yesterday didn’t rattle me some and make my heart pound with anxiety. Why would I be anxious about a teeny weeny little 4.2 earthquake? I guess partly because I remember the 1989 earthquake so well and partially because the “experts” are saying that the pattern of earthquakes we’ve been having around here lately “slightly increases this probability for a significant earthquake” in the next ten days. Now, for the record, I don’t see the “slightly” in that statement.

And, truly, I’d really rather not have to go through another 7.1 earthquake, thankyouverymuch. Kile has been running through earthquake drills with Harry, talking over what to do in case of an earthquake here at home and I’m sure they’ll be doing some sort of drill at school today as well. And me? Well, I’d really rather not think about it.

What I’d rather do, actually, is post pictures on this here blog. Yes. Let’s do that. Let’s do exactly that.

^{Harry and Liam, enjoying Spongebob together. Liam just helped himself to Harry’s lap and luckily, Big Brother was accomodating.}

^{Evie is becoming so much more aware these days! She’s really starting to notice Kile, which is sweet.}

^{We see this look around here a lot these days. She makes such silly faces.}

^{I love this picture. If you can get past our twin double chins, that is.}

Filed under General Snark |

HBM’s recent horrific experience and post about whether or not she’s “pimping out” her child on her blog has made a lot of us in the realm of mommy blogging stop and think (and get more than a little pissed, if you want the truth).   A lot of us in our little tight-knit community are classified as “mommy bloggers” but when you stop and think… what does that mean, exactly?  And, more importantly, what does society and the average Joe Person think that means?

To me, it’s simple.  At least where myself is concerned.  Like HBM, I consider my blog to be about me, my journey as a parent, who I am and how being a mother affects my life.  Yes, sometimes I talk about my pregnancies, the my children and the minutiae of our lives in that regard.  And yes, I often post pictures for us all to ooh and aah over.  But I would hardly consider those sorts of posts to be the focus of my blog.  My blog is first and foremost about me.  It is about my family second.  And that isn’t to be confused with my priorities because as all mother’s can atest, our families come FIRST (Every. Time.) and we come (in most cases) dead last.

But what does “society” (and by this I mean your Average Joe and/or the media) think a mommy blogger is?  Do they expect us to be sunshine, rainbows and dandelions day in and day out?  Do they think all we do is talk about our children’s daily input and output and post pictures and profess the joys of motherhood to anyone who will listen?  Who the HECK would want to read THAT?  So maybe, just maybe, when Joe Blow reads a news article like that, they stop and think, “Hey, that’s not what *I THINK* a mommy blogger talks about!  Or what they even SHOULD talk about!  I’m going to spout some heinous vitriol in the comments to let the world know my superior displeasure with these so called “mommies”!”  Which, let’s be honest, the newspaper wanted Joe Blow to think when he read that article.  Why would the media want that?  Because they love to sell papers and in order to sell papers they need to appeal to the lowest common denominator.  They need to stir the pot and create a controversy.  And a headline that “hints” that bloggers exploit their children on their blogs wants nothing more than to create a controversy.  Do not be fooled.

I don’t know about you all, but I don’t want Joe Person or ESPECIALLY the media to decide who I am and what I blog out.  I will not be told that what I do is “exploitive” (I think in order for that to happen I’d have to actually make MONEY doing this, right?).  I will not be made to feel bad for doing something that has been such a positive influence in my and my family’s life.  I don’t want any other mommy blogger to feel this way either.  I don’t know what needs to happen to make this change happen, but it definitely needs to change.

Filed under General Snark |