I swear I'm still here

laptop down.

want to put pictures up here.

big computer doesn't do pictures anymore.

will be back.

I promise.

hair woes

I was inspired by Mom-101 and felt I should show what dad created last night:

(stapler included for scaling purposes)

dad thinks it's hilarious to take all the dog hair a furminator can remove in 5 minutes on a 70-degree day and put it on your head. this is the dog hair fro, included to embarrass dad.

I wonder how it will grow when the temperature hits 85.

and if you're interested, here is the offending dog:

inspiration and women

inspiration and I are at odds. we're on different schedules, though both feel cleanliness is important. for me, inspiration only "strikes" in the shower. how am I supposed to do anything about it there? maybe I will try one of those notebooks that are used outdoors and are supposed to survive rain and water dunks.

but now, all the brilliant things I thought of ten minutes ago are gone. I was thinking this would be the longest post ever because of all the wonderful things in my head. but for now, it seems that is where they will remain.

actually...here's one.

the past few days, I have become more of a feminist every hour. this only astonishes me because it was only 3 years ago that I began calling myself a feminist. I had a wonderful sociology professor who said anyone who believes women deserve equal rights to men is a feminist. he was the first person to explain the term feminist that way to me, and I believe every word of it.

before this, I had always seen feminism as an extreme cause and feminists as crazy radicals, akin to PETA and some of their comments (sorry to all those PETA members who are not radical but really, it's a fly. come on).

now I feel I am one of those radical feminists, who some may label a "fem-nazi". everything I read lately seems to mention women, feminism, equal rights, etc, etc, etc. I can't get away from it. and I almost don't want to. almost only because it makes me sad. anyone who feels women have come a long way, have equal rights, and lets get over it already is not a woman. and especially, not a woman with children, a job, and all the expectations to be everything to everyone all the time and not bitch about it.

yeah, I'm a little upset.

I'm having a hard time really expressing how I feel, and getting all that has been pounding me for the past week on here. so here's where you can read what I've been reading and hopefully gain a little insight into my current condition: about abortion, sexist comments, women's happiness, and what this wonderful lady has to say, here, and elsewhere on her blog which everyone should read.

I should note, I am staunchly pro-choice, anti-Palin, and a believer in evolution, but that doesn't detract from the issues above. any discrimination against women is unacceptable. the sooner the world agrees with this the better. and our country should know better and behave better.

but that's probably just a radical stance.

(Late) Weekend Update

the big news this week is hd's new bike. it's an awesome balance bike that is supposed to eliminate the need for training wheels. she loves it. and is cute. and this is where you can get your very own (though should look for a local distributor).like I said, cute.

thankful times have changed cause I could NEVER hit my kid -- maybe yours...

the long years of time outs have begun in our household -- we have a baby-kicking toddler. actually, she kicks lots of things, and not like kick-a-football-through-the-uprights kicker. she drop kicks, like they do in the WWF. now, when done to a box, hahaha. when done to a baby, what the hell are you doing!?!

but luckily, my brilliant child gets it, time out that is. she sits and squirms for the whole minute, looks quite pathetic through the whole thing, and gives a bear hug at the end.

just like all you other parents out there, of course I think my child is brilliant and advanced. though I must admit, when it comes to time out, hd probably learned it from Olivia.

I wish I had been brave enough to attempt a Pollock-esque painting when I was young. maybe now I'd be rich. but every time I read this story, I am awed and terrified at once. if my kid ever did that... Olivia got lucky it was just time out she had to endure and doesn't live in a time when this is acceptable: that's right. your beloved Beatrix Potter whipped kids in her books. not spanked. not scolded harshly. whipped. I don't even know what to do with that.

Look who pissed me off today

first of all, may the guy who wrote this have a colicky baby who doesn't sleep through the night until age 2 and won't eat anything but mac n cheese with juice.

now then. I didn't realize we were "mommy blogging"(see here) until after little p was born. I just thought we had found a great way to keep friends and family who live no where near us to keep up on us and our lives. now that I have started this blog, I realize I've been missing out. what an awesome way to document my family's life and find other moms dealing with the same crap I'm dealing with. what a nice outlet to have, when other friends with kids are states and countries away, and can check in when they want.

and along with all the other labels I sometimes ascribe to myself, I am first and foremost, mom. my kids come first in all aspects of my life. that is what you sign up for when you have kids. the hardest thing socially is to be the only one around with kids. it is what you talk about, what you think about, and childless people HATE it. I know. I did. and all our childless friends (minus the only 2 worth keeping anyway) disappeared once hd was born. but how can you talk of anything else? this is a 24-hour a day job, playdate, ordeal, life. and what do you talk about with anyone but your life.

so I say to probably nice guy who wrote the mean blog post: back off. leave us be.

and we'll see you here when your first is born. sucker.

Weekend Update

I worked last night, my second to last as a MAC waitress. pretty exciting on those grounds alone. definitely won't miss the 10% tips (especially when pregnant!), complaints of cold plates for the buffet, the constant substitutions and incompetent managers. also, for all of you reading who have never worked in food service, many times when the kitchen is blamed for lateness/mistakes/cold food, it really IS the kitchen's fault. if your service is good otherwise, give the server the benefit of the doubt.

we went swimming today. well, dad and hd went swimming. I watched. little p slept. it's been a while since hd was in a pool and it was a little frightening, but this pool has a slide which helps. dad and hd will be starting swim lessons in a couple weeks so we wanted to check the place out. it's rad. portland parks and rec is the best.
another cool thing about portland: our ice cream truck plays Beethoven's "Fur Elise". what does yours play?

why I rock

dad got an offer to geek-out and go see the new Star Trek with a guy friend, and I immediately said no. who's home all day, up all night, and deserves to go see the second theater movie in two years? ME.

but dads need guy time just as I need girl time.

so I'm going to be the awesome wife I am and let him go see the movie -- after the babies are in bed. aren't I great?

(dad: I love you, you rock, and please go have a drink after too -- you do deserve it)