Swan Lake

We saw a beautiful, interesting production of Swan Lake tonight. Not everyone's cup of tea, it's by a guy named Matthew Bourne and it was primarily a male cast ... including the swan.

It was absolutely lovely, but Husband's review on the way out sums it up:

"That was either an amazing visual representation of dying to oneself...
or 'gay' doesn't even begin to describe it."

A guy walked past us, laughing, and said, "Can I quote you on that?"

Before the show we had an awesome dinner at a Greek place not-a-diner next door. We had chip-thin zucchini and eggplant, 3 dip/spreads (tzaziki, hummus-ish, and another one). I got there early and the Vince Vaughn maitre'd took good care of me and hooked me up with a lovely Greek white wine, which I sipped while I read my book and waited.

Lovely evening!

My Bad: Forest Hills Storm Pics

Oh my, it's been a long time since I've posted. I've thought about it, does that count?

Unfortunately it seems like the last thing I want to do is sit at my computer and type; I'd be happy to buy the latest brain-to-blog software!! (Oh, wait, isn't that called an iPhone? We're waiting for Verizon to come out with that. Then, Husband says, we're gonna get 'em.)

We had some more monster rain today, though not as much damage as a couple weeks ago. (I think all the loose trees were already down!)


Here are a few pics from that first storm ... they're not scenes I normally think of when I think NYC!

Hello, Haiku Friday!

It's Haiku Friday, and how am I supposed to post something when tornado-force winds ripped through my neighborhood last night and knocked out my cable, and internet?

Of course it's a disaster of Biblical proportions for DuckyBoy ... thank goodness we have DVDs, and if I can only find his sleeve of computer games we'll be all set. (At least he's got his DS now.)

Um, carry on without me!

Solid wall of rain
Brown water forcing its way
In open windows

Haiku Friday: Punt

Oh yeah, Haiku Friday.

Um, I've had a coupla beers. (And it's only 7:45 pm, Sis ... don't tell Mom!!)
There was no school today so after we drove Husband to work we went to Ikea. Where I ordered cabinets for the pantry and DuckyBoy played nonstop for an hour in Smaland.

And then I had to drag DuckyBoy out of the mall playspace 'cause he was, like, pile-driving a toddler. Not on purpose, but still. He, really, just didn't know.

Here ya go!

Taking a Risk on Jury Duty

So, you know that person who rolls in an hour late when you've already been sitting in the jury room for an hour? Well, today that was me.

I'm usually the person there on time, listening to all the instructions, etc, etc.

But today was the first day of school. (I can hardly believe DuckyBoy's in 3rd grade!)

So, I took him to school around 8:15, drove back to Forest Hills, parked the car in our usual spot and walked over to the courthouse. I was proud of myself for not rushing! It was around 9 when I arrived. I went in and had no idea what was going on. So I sat down and read my book. (The funny part is, people kept coming in after me and asking me what was going on!)

The clerks called people by row "if you have questions," so I stayed seated. Finally one clerk said, "Anyone who still has a summons, come up now. Last chance."

So, all by my lonesome, up I went. And it was fine.

Most of the folks got sent to another jury room, but about 2 dozen of us were left behind for an hour or so -- at which time the clerk returned and announced we had fulfilled our obligation and were being sent home. YESS!!

I was going to leave at 2 pm anyway to get DB, even if I had to sneak out a bathroom window ... so it all worked out fine. I even had time to get groceries and eat lunch before going to get DB.

And it seems like his first day was fine. He's sooo happy with one of his teachers that he knows a little bit from last year, and I've heard nothing but great things about the other teacher from several moms. He has informed me that it's going to be a "pack my lunch" school year. As he would say, What-ev-er!

Haiku Friday: Eight Years

Eight short (?!) years ago
DuckyBoy arived, and BAM!
What I thought I knew,

who I thought I was,
all was up for grabs again --
still is, in some ways ...

I'm a proud mom (?!) of
somebody very special.
Happy birthday, son.

For his birthday, DB wants the big Lego City police station, and he just told me all the logical reasons why on the phone -- "I have so many Lego policement, and they need a place to stay, and I want to be a policeman when I grow up!"

Grandma H has already bought it, all we have to do is pick it up at the Lego store and head out.
Would you like to haiku today? To participate in Haiku Friday, just follow these steps:

1. Write your own haiku on your blog. You can do one or many, all following a theme or just random. It or they can be part or all of your post, but your post must include a haiku. What's a haiku, you ask? Hint: 5-7-5. More info: Click here. Or here.

2. Sign the Mister Linky below with your name and the link to your haiku post (the specific post URL, not your main blog URL). DON'T sign unless you have a haiku this week. If you need help with this, please let me know.

3. Please leave a comment after linking, thanks! (Eventually the Mr Linky links go away, I think, so they only way we'll find you in the future is via your comment.)

4. Pick up a Haiku Friday button to display on the post or in your sidebar by clicking the button at the top of this post.

REMEMBER: Do not post your link unless you have a haiku this week. I will delete any links without haiku.

Project Oasis at the Halfway Point

Husband is off work this week, and DuckyBoy is at his grandparents ... at Grandma's request, I might add.

So when we were casting about thinking of what to do on our vacation, the usual things came up: places like Puerto Rico (which, given the current hurricanes blowing through that region, we're really glad we didn't opt for), London (which I love), and the like.

One day, Husband called from work and said he had the perfect plan for our vacation: "Project oasis." he said.

"I'm in!" I said, loving the sound of it. "What is it?"

Brilliant mind that he is, it's rearranging, organizing, sorting, and otherwise making our apartment into the oasis-to-come-home-to that a home should be. We never really did that when we moved here; at the time, we were both kind of crazy in our own ways. He was still trying to move up the ranks at Big Bad Corporate Bank and I felt all alone dealing with baby DuckyBoy, who was starting to veer from the behaviors the baby books told me to expect, yet didn't seem delayed in any significant way.

So, here we are. And we're having a blast.

Monday we sorted and rearranged the shop/pantry, then took a boatload of stuff to the Salvation Army, bought a new smooth-tilting tripod at B&H Photo, and treated ourselves to dinner at Metrazur. For $44 you get appetizer, entree, dessert And a bottle of wine. What a deal! And everything was really good, too. Plus you're overlooking the waiting room at Grand Central Station.

I had a Groupon-type coupon from Open Table for the restaurant, which is why we were going to that particular place. I bought the coupon deal (spend $25 for $50 off your meal) because the place is a no-brainer for us: Created by Aureole chef Charlie Palmer, the menu had things I knew we'd like, excellent value price fix, fun location, on and on.

Husband says the best moment of the day was when, after fielding several questions from him-on-the-couch about what for him was a mystery restaurant (including, "Has Adam Platt reviewed it?), I finally said, "I'll lookm, but this is the last question I'm answering about Metrazur. You can come with me, or I'll go with someone else some other time."

He bust out laughing, got up and went to his computer, and he looked it up himself ... and immediately knew why I was so sure of myself. He loved that I, as he put it, stood up for myself. And we had a great laugh!

Tuesday, we tackled our bedroom. We treated ourselves to egg sandwiches and juice via delivery from the diner, then moved the 3 large Ikea wardrobes from our room to the playroom/other room/ room-to-be-named-later. Which meant dis- and re-assembling them. And we did it without a single argument, which is huge. We did realize that no design decisions were really involved, which is when feelings get involved and our tempers rise. But, still. Anything involving both of us and tools has traditionally caused at least one tiff.

Then we went to Ikea and sized our cabinets for the pantry, double-checked the pieces we want for the bedroom, and ate at The Family restaurant, mainly because we haven't been there in, oh, forever, and it's one of the reasons we live in Forest Hills. Happily, it hasn't changed much in the year or so. (I was a little worried because recently a sign appeared in the window, "Cool off with a margarita, sangria, or daquiri," which is usually a sign of desperation when a restaurant starts touting drinks completely unrelated to their cuisine.)

Today, we tackle the many boxes in the bedroom and ... [insert gasp] ... do some more planning of the office/living room before we move the myriad heavy things around. We had eggs with our leftover veal Valdostana from Da Family, and we're ready to go!

Haiku Friday: Seriously, A Year

Wow, it's been a year
that I've been hosting this meme ...
time to up my game.

I'd like to blog more
in haiku, poems, and prose ...
BlogHer '10 inspired.

I declare it here,
I'm going to get serious
'bout blogging again!

Would you like to haiku today? To participate in Haiku Friday, just follow these steps:

1. Write your own haiku on your blog. You can do one or many, all following a theme or just random. It or they can be part or all of your post, but your post must include a haiku. What's a haiku, you ask? Hint: 5-7-5. More info: Click here. Or here.

2. Sign the Mister Linky below with your name and the link to your haiku post (the specific post URL, not your main blog URL). DON'T sign unless you have a haiku this week. If you need help with this, please let me know.

3. Please leave a comment after linking, thanks! (Eventually the Mr Linky links go away, I think, so they only way we'll find you in the future is via your comment.)

4. Pick up a Haiku Friday button to display on the post or in your sidebar by clicking the button at the top of this post.

REMEMBER: Do not post your link unless you have a haiku this week. I will carry on the esteemed tradition of deleting any links without haiku.

My Christian Kane Fantasy

Ok, I know what you're thinking. That I'm going to share some sexy dream I had about actor Christian Kane. I know, there's been precedent for that on this blog. And I do think he's a sexy guy.

But my fantasy is actually about his hair. I want it. Specifically, as it's styled on the show Leverage. every time we watch the show I'm distracted by his hair: "How do they get it to stay out of his eyes? How to they keep it off his face?? How long does that take?"

I got my hair colored and styled Monday, and my awesome stylist with her round brush did amazing things. Tuesday morning I put on a tank top and short-sleeve shirt and HEY! There it is, the Eliot look!

What do you think:

Mystery Dog

This little guy was hanging out on one of the beds at the CheeseBurgHer party at Blogher '10.

I have 2 questions: Was the music too loud for him? (It was too loud for me.) and, Did he get to eat a cheeseburger? (There's a scrunched-up wrapper behind him.)

I've got a review of the Angus Snack Wraps that I got to try at CheeseBurgHer, plus a giveaway, over here.

Haiku Friday: Ode to Big

Grandpa PotatoHead is going to help me with this week's haiku. We just got him yesterday at Costco ("Can you go shopping just ONCE without DB getting a new toy?" Husband lamented last night.) -- Db was the one who realized why he was at Costco -- because he's BIG!


Huge boxes and jars
Stare at us, floor to ceiling,
as we roll the aisles

Here's something we like,
we won't eat that fast enough,
let's try this sample.

Nuggets not crunchy,
but whole-wheat pasta's thumbs up,
and sweet-pepper sauce.

Who knew the samples
would expand DB's palate,
a little at least!

Want to play along on Haiku Friday? It's easy!

Just write a haiku (5 syllables, 7 syllables, 5 syllables) on your blog, any theme.
Put the post url into Mister Linky here, then please leave a comment after linking.

Not a blogger? Feel free to write your haiku in the comment field. Or just tell me what you think of my haiku. Or what your weather is like. Anything!

And have a great weekend!

Haiku Friday: Conference Hangover

I had so much fun last weekend at BlogHer ... then promptly fell off the face of the earth!! My apartment is covered in awesome BlogHer swag that I want to write about, take photos of, and on and on.

So far we've got one of DuckyBoy's swag pix up on his blog, of him with the adorable TempurPedic bear he got!

I'm uninspired re: haiku this week. I did join the Haiku Friday Facebook group, though ... and I added "#haikufriday" to my saved Twitter searches.

One poem per week
doesn't sound that hard ... yet it
rolls around so fast!

Seventeen morsels
of thought from my brain to yours
and from you to me

This summer haiku
drippy with humidity
and silliness too!

Want to play along on Haiku Friday? It's easy!

Just write a haiku (5 syllables, 7 syllables, 5 syllables) on your blog, any theme.
Put the post url into Mister Linky here, then please leave a comment after linking.

Not a blogger? Feel free to write your haiku in the comment field. Or just tell me what you think of my haiku. Or what your weather is like. Anything!

And have a great weekend.

Haiku Friday: BlogHer '10 Edition

How embarrassing ...
Spent the day at BlogHer '10
but forgot to 'ku!

Some hostess I am ...
I do better in person,
snacks, drinks I can do!

Maybe need to think
of hosting haiku as more
of a house party!

I'll try to redeem myself with a few photos of the day... obviously, DuckyBoy came with me ... his shirt (made by me) has his blog URL on it. :)

On our way into the hotel for the conference,
there was Mrs. PotatoHead getting out of a cab!


We also saw the Pillsbury Dough boy ... I saw him twice.
DB enjoyed poking him in the stomach to hear him "Tee heee..."

After the 4th or 5th poke, the Doughboy started to poke DB back!!
(Which made him "tee hee" too...)


Duckyboy really wants this Tempurpedic-material bear!
Me, I want to win the 2-free-mattresses giveaway!!


The S'mores suite was amazing, they recreated a hotel suite to look like an actual campout. Very unique and cool. In addition to eating 2 S'mores, DB snagged an awesome set of telescoping marshmallow toasting sticks, in a case!! Plus, they filled his backpack (not everyone's mind you, just his...) with Jet-Puffed marshmallows, Honey Maid graham crackers, and Hershey's chocolate. No other brands will ever do for him again!! And, now we MUST go camping.

So, what are you doing this weekend? (I think I asked that last weekend too! It's summer, people do interesting things...)

A Different Kind of Win

We didn't win a prize this year at The Great Hot Dog Cookoff, but we had a good time trying -- all 3 of us! DuckyBoy helped put the little "boats" in the serving trays, cut dogs, place buns, and even tried his hand at squeezing honey onto the buns and glopping on the cheese sauce.

He also walked around with a tray and served, and read an entire Calvin & Hobbes book. (A few new books was cheaper than a sitter... and anyway every option for him to do something else for the afternoon fell through. Feel better, JB!)

Haiku Friday: Hot Dogs

A hot dog poem
in honor of our weekend
cooking 100 --

Great Hot Dog Cookoff
our second year doing it,
"The Last DogBender!"

Long lean mystery
meat chopped fine inside a bun
topped with yumminess!

So tell me... what are you doing this weekend?

Lesser Known Milestones

The past couple of weeks I've noticed some subtle milestones in DuckyBoy's life, ones the parenting books never talk about:
* Thirst not satisfied by small bottle of water
* Snack-size ziploc bags don't hold enough of anything for a snack

That got me thinking about the others that, since there's such a wide range of when they occur, the books just don't even bother with. But aren't they huge for moms, like:
* Wipes own butt
* Orders own meal at restaurant
* Can be left alone 5-10 minutes while you run to mailbox or put laundry into dryer (especially in an apartment building, where a locked door and an elevator separates you), or in front of apartment building with heavy objects while you get the car a block away and pull up.
* Turns on TV
* Changes channel on TV
* Finds own DVR'd show

I'm still waiting on these:
*Sets DVR for own shows
* Eats restaurant meal without your having to cut up the nuggets

Haiku Friday: Summer Heat

Hello, 100,
you make DuckyBoy happy;
when he's hot, he's calm.

DuckyBoy is actually happy these days. He's SAYING so.

He's like a different kid these days. He says he's tired and has a summer cold. I think it's partly the swimming -- lots of physical activity -- and also, just maybe, the heat wave has a similar effect as a fever ... making him less anxious, more loving, more calm?

I know, sounds weird. Possible, though.

PS, speaking of weird, I think my snowy header looks a little weird ... but I'm too hot to make a new one right now, and the air conditioner is too loud to put it on. Tell you what, it's on the list!

Doesn't Feel Like Much, Yet...

These are my days this week so far... (this is kind of an amalgamation but you get the idea.)

7 am:
Pack DuckyBoy's snack.
Get Husband's pain meds.
Take shower.
Get dressed.
Get Husband his prednisone by 8 am. (That's what the dosing info says?!).
Have first cup of coffee.
7:40:
Pick up DuckyBoy's friend and drive both boys to school.
Drive home and pick up Husband.
8:30:
Drive him to work.
Have 2nd cup of coffee.
Drive back to Queens.
9:30 am
Shop at Trader Joe's. Get heavy bag of water, flowers, chips.
10:30 am
Scrounge quarters so I can park in front of the nail salon.
Park twice so I'm not too far away from the curb.
10:35:
Let myself get talked into having my eyebrows and lip waxed in addition to bikini.
11:30:
Drive to DB's school and pick him up.
12:00:
Listen to DB vent at me.
(Monday) Take him to dentist on Long Island.
12:45:
Sit in chair with DB while dental assistant cleans his teeth.
Pet nice kitty on the way back to the car.
1:30:
(Monday) Take proud son home. Agree he should be proud to have endured cleaning he was scared of.
3:30:
Agree to take him to Disney store for a white Puffle because he was so good at the dentist. Resist comparing white puffle with tooth for fear it will be a turn-off (likely). Remind him that the Lego store (latest obsession) opened in the mall.
5 pm:
Begin feeding DB dinner.
6:45 pm:
Go to pool because it's too hot to go home.
8:10 pm:
Get home and give DB enough to eat that he stops saying "I'm starving!" and will go to bed.
8:25:
Help DB brush his teeth. Read to him. Set up "guards." Get him cold water. Check hamster. Give her fresh water. Turn off room light. Turn on nightlight and music.
8:40:
Change his fuzzy blanket for my old quilt... slightly less heat-holding, yet still protective from things that go bump in night.
8:50:
Collapse on bed next to Husband and watch TV.

* * *
We've also been to the Hall of Science with a friend, and we've been to the pool I think 3 days out of 3. And today we went grocery shopping. And, sucker that I am, I agreed to go back to the mall. I swear, this is the last Lego for a while! (I'm taking a cue from my friend and have offered DB a deal -- his next coveted set for some math work with coins ... now if I can just find that workbook I bought!

Where's the Gout Diet?

Husband has been having a bad bout with gout (I know, it's awful that that rhymes ...) this past week.

Sketchy help on the internet, and in the library as well. Maybe an opening for me!

It's Too Hot!

DuckyBoy has been like a different kid, most of the time, since my last post. Maybe, just maybe, something got through. AS Husband said, "Sometimes, you get a glimpse that he's going to turn out ok."

DB's also been HUNGRY nonstop for the past week or so! It's actually fun to be able to make food for him that he chomps through and then wants more.

And not just junk, though he is mostly sticking to his usuals -- oyster crackers with cream cheese, chicken nuggets, fries -- he's also taken a fancy to Boar's Head Baby Swiss cheese, pretzel thins, and hummus. That's my boy!!

Haiku Friday: Harrumph

Apparently DuckyBoy is doing great at summer camp. He's (fairly) upbeat about getting on the bus, where his friend is riding for the summer who usually goes by car during the school year. Not that I dare call him a "friend" because then DB will be sure to rebuke me: "He's not my BEST friend!"

Anyway. No one bothered to tell us moms that the kids are arriving half an hour late ... meaning DB and his friend are on the bus for just about an hour and a half each morning!! And they miss the "social activities worksheets" the kids do over breakfast. Of all the things to miss!!

But his teacher says he's been great so far. Which is good, because as soon as he sees me he turns into Drama King, unless he's in the pool or I am doing exactly what he wants me to do.

Which I am Not.Doing.Any.More.

Can you tell I am a bit p.o.'d at DB tonight?? We went to the (half an hour from nowhere near anywhere we ever go otherwise) dentist today and he screamed, fought, cried, and screamed some more when they tried to clean, just clean, his teeth. I'm spitting mad at him and he knows it. There was no mask, no laughing gas, and he's had a cleaning at least twice. But no. Apparently his new schtick for the dentist office is to freak out. He'd better not repeat that shtick on Monday when we go back for the cleaning! The dentist did get him to let her count his teeth, and she promised that's all she'd do and kept her word.

Did I mention they're a half an hour from nowhere??

Don't worry, he's been reassured that he is loved, and always will be, but he had no TV and fell asleep on the couch during our Bible study tonight. "I'm having trouble enjoying this relaxation time without tv," he moaned at one point. I told him his choices were to try, or go to sleep.

Can we tell a story? Um, no. I was honest with him -- I'm too mad at you, I said. Can I help you find a Lego part? Um, no. (I did help him download a pattern.)

I don't care that it's been like, 1,000 degrees here in NYC the last few days. I don't care that he's probably worried about 3rd grade and certainly reacting to the end of 2nd grade.

He's got to reason to be the way he's been toward me. The things he says range from mean to demanding to rude. I'm totally sick of it.

So mad at my son
and yet I love him so much --
my heart breaks in two.

Sigh. That's the best I can do today. I look forward to reading everyone else's haiku to pull me out of this funk! (And guess what? NO school-camp on Fridays, so we're stuck with each other all day! As of tonight my plan is: I'm going to get a bikini wax, a pedicure, and grocery shop. I also may need to criss cross Queens looking for 16-oz iced-coffee cups with lids. (Who knew they'd be so elusive?) Any other ideas, besides driving past every playground with a cackle?? Humph.

Please, do better than me! Link to your haiku post below, and leave a comment, too, unless you'd rather kick and scream for me...

Queensboro Bridge Poem

Queens-bound traffic jam
more like a traffic noodle,
one long thin line
on the shelf of the outbound bridge.

The only thing moving is the litter
tumbling blithely in the hot breeze.

Move forward in jerky spurts
then stare at the pairs of red eyes
that glare back from the cars ahead,
resigned to our common fate in the chute.

Whazza?

I have been so negligent ... even my ad network has left me (temporarily)! Apologies all around.
I'm having trouble logging into Google (aka Blogger) consistently -- this time it worked, hooray.

I missed 2 weeks of Haiku Friday?? My schedule must be off.
Why, yes it is... school's out for the summer!

"Summer camp" started today. In quotes because DuckyBoy is figuring it out: "It's just school!" (Well, yes, but only 4 hours' worth. And not as intense.) But, he had a good time anyway today, even on the bus because his friend whose mom drives him during the year is on it for the summer. (Not that they're Best Friends ... he's certain to point that out to us every time we mention this kid's name. Sheesh.)

Remembered this weekend that he sleepwalks/ sleep talks when he's very anxious ... which is right before something new. There, it's in print now. One year I'll notice the pattern.

Looks like I make more typos than usual after I've had 2 g&t's. Imagine that.

Had a heart-wrenching heart-to-heart with DB tonight about being happy. "Every other kid is happy except me."

Happiness is fleeting, I tell him, and also that all those other kids don't rethink every minute of their day Every.Single.Time. "Can I brush my teeth in bed? "You don't comb my hair on weekends!"

I even had to tell him that people comb their hair on weekends. I know that's hard to hear, I said. Dad and I have tried to protect you from the pain you feel, but it's not working. So you might as well know.

I'm sure I contributed to his being this way. And I'm just as sure it's partly genetic, as both adults in the household are on Zoloft. But what else can I do???
Tough love, redefined. In a marshmallow sort of way.

Overall the end of the year went really well for him. I got "guypped" out of a party-ish thing at the pool club on the last day of school: ALL the other moms (and their kids) were going, we were all going to order pizza, play in the pool, yadda yadda, I was telling peopole I was going up until like a half-hour before pickup time ...

... at which time DB informed me in no uncertain terms all he wanted to do was Go. Home.

I forget how anxious the end of year makes him.

So we went home.

I hope I did the right thing.

Haiku Friday: Our First Fads of 2010

Fuzzy Zhu-Zhu pets ...
DuckyBoy rolls on the floor
with desire for them...

We have the real thing,
even fun accessories!
But this ... this is NEED.

How 'bout Silly Bands?
He has so many can't count.
Invented a day

For next week at school,
Unofficial Official
"Class Silly Band Day!"

He'll have to share them,
but so far so good with that;
from abundance comes...?

Want to play along on Haiku Friday? It's easy!

Just write a haiku (5 syllables, 7 syllables, 5 syllables) on your blog, any theme.
Put the post url into Mister Linky here, then please leave a comment after linking.

Not a blogger? Feel free to write your haiku in the comment field. Or just tell me what you think of my haiku. Or what your weather is like. Anything!

And have a great weekend.

A Hair Affair Update

First I want to say thanks for the nice and interesting comments on last week's hairy haiku!

I'm almost embarrassed to post because I don't have an "After" photo yet of my hair -- but I'm sooo happy I got it cut, and of course colored. I honestly had no idea how long my own hair is. It's been weeks since I've worn it not-in-a-ponytail. And wavy! I have a wave in my hair! This is 100 percent news to me; I thought my hair was stick-straight and always would be.

And! I found a nice salon. Which is huge for me, I'm very intimidated by salons and hairstylists in general.

Which is probably why I've gone to a barber for 5 years.

Anyway, I've been getting lots of compliments, I feel like the moms whose hair I admire at school, and I promise to post a pic as soon as I can re-create the style my new best friend did for me!! (Or a fraction thereof. She did give me tips.)

Haiku Friday (on Saturday): Long Hair on the Brain

Two years of long hair.
Is it worth all this trouble?
Long hair in the drain

Careful showering
keeps the pipes unclogged for now
despite no filter.

Long hair on the brain
ponytail all of the time ...
New stylist Monday!

Haiku Friday: Life Spins on a Dime

Our new family motto is, "Life spins on a dime." Husband claims we had one already ... "Life sucks, then you die" ... but I don't remember ever voting for that, as if I ever would!

Last week for Husband's birthday I made this giant dime from posterboard and put a spinner on it, then taped things around the edges like "I go get your breakfast from 7-11," "Open Present #1," and "1 hour of watch shopping."

His birthday was Saturday, but we used it all weekend. I plan to use it again, because it made for a great weekend. Even for a guy who claims to not like surprises!

I liked that he was trying to guess what it was while I made it -- yep, I was brazen enough to draw it right in front of him! He thought it was a quarter as in, "A quarter of my life is over?!" -- which, since he turned 45, wouldn't be so bad.

Life spins on a dime:
DB will be Citizen,
his teachers told me!

From life on savings,
now full-time income again,
things feel so diff'rent.

I can charge something
and leave the house without guilt
and still get things done.

We don't live for it,
but money plays a big role;
life spins on a dime.

Want to play along on Haiku Friday? It's easy!

Just write a haiku (5 syllables, 7 syllables, 5 syllables) on your blog, any theme.
Put the post url into Mister Linky here, then please leave a comment after linking.

Not a blogger? Feel free to write your haiku in the comment field. Or just tell me what you think of my haiku. Or what your weather is like. Anything!

And have a great weekend.

Taping Together a Plastic Bucket

I've just spent an evening (ok, half an hour) taping the pieces of a cheap plastic bucket back together after said bucket, filled with water, was dropped and broke at the park.

Oh, the weeping and gnashing of teeth!!

Part of me is about ready to gently say, "You know, some things just can't be fixed," and the rest of me wants him to come to that conclusion on his own. I don't know which is gentler.

For DuckyBoy, it's usually better for him to reach a conclusion on his own.

Especially when it's a personalized bucket.

The other day as I was walking him downstairs to get on the bus, he said, "I don't feel like talking again today." We went back and forth a few moments and he said,. "It's hard to get in trouble when you just don't say anything." Then he added, "I did talk a little bit, I answered questions."

Can I tell you, we were overjoyed! how many years have we been telling him some version of, "Just don't say anything!"

He even said, "If you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all."

Geez Louise, he HEARD ME! Or, heard somebody, anyway.

Haiku Friday: The End of the School Year Nears

School year winding down
Last chance to be Citizen ...
can DB do it?

All should get a turn,
but his outbursts caused some doubt
within the past month.

This week's going great,
new mp3 for the bus
and getting driven

3 days out of 5
seem to help a great deal.
Wish I knew the key!

Want to play along on Haiku Friday? It's easy!

Just write a haiku (5 syllables, 7 syllables, 5 syllables) on your blog, any theme.
Put the post url into Mister Linky here, then please leave a comment after linking.

Not a blogger? Feel free to write your haiku in the comment field.

And have a great weekend!

Has Parenthood Changed Your Sense of Humor?

It's changed mine in that I'm more aware of what I find funny as I see DuckyBoy get jokes that I'm not sure he'll get, or explain ones he doesn't and watch the light dawn.

I also notice there are certain things I don't find as funny -- cringe-worthy topics --as a parent and just as I get older, I guess.

I also sometimes have to NOT laugh at things I (sigh) have to send the Responsible Adult message about. Fortunately, Husband and I can usually take turns being the Serious One and the Snickerer.

Our latest favorite joke is from a recent Reader's Digest:

A guy is really lonely, so he gets a pet centipede and a little box to keep him in.

One night the guy says to his new pet, "Hey, do you want to go get a bite to eat with me?"

No answer.

After a couple of minutes he asks again: "Are you up for going out to eat?"

Nothing.

He waits a few minutes more and then shouts, "Hey, do you want to hang out or what?!"

A little voice says irritably from inside the box, "I heard you the first time. I'm putting on my shoes."

(Badda-bumm.)

$2 Spongebob

We were in midtown Manhattan last weekend to do some corporate-job-clothes-shopping for Husband, and we encountered a street fair with benefits, aka characters with tip jars.

DuckyBoy wanted his picture with Spongebob. Having just returned from the artificially priced worlds of Disney and Atlantis, how could we say no to the paltry sum of $2? (The green thing in Spongebob's hand is his tip jar. It's clearly marked.)

Haiku Friday: For the Birds

Birds by the highway
splash and wash in a puddle,
no fear of danger

Two of them, so small,
found their city oasis
next to an off-ramp

I wish I could have snapped a photo of the 2 little birds I saw this afternoon-- starlings, maybe?? -- fluttering about in a puddle RIGHT next to the Queens Boulevard off-ramp of the Grand Central Parkway. (It just sounds big, right?) I was amazed at how such tiny creatures adapt to city life to the point that multi-ton vehicles zoom right past them and they just continued to splash around.

Want to play along on Haiku Friday? It's easy!

Just write a haiku (5 syllables, 7 syllables, 5 syllables) on your blog, any theme.

Put the post url into Mister Linky here, then please leave a comment after linking.

Not a blogger? Feel free to write your haiku in the comment field.

And have a great weekend!

Haiku Friday: Week Off!

Husband just asked me,
"Did you do your haiku yet?"
I've got a good man.

Last week I blew it
blame it on the vacation ...
but not Donald Duck!

Sorry!!

(Anyone know where this Donald is in Disney World? I've got nothing in particular to give away, but I'll come up with something for someone who gets it right!)

Here we are, not-haiku'ing at Epcot --
Tink, where are you? --
Atlantis pictures to come...

Want to play along on Haiku Friday? It's easy!

Just write a haiku (5 syllables, 7 syllables, 5 syllables) on your blog, any theme.

Put the post url into Mister Linky here, then please leave a comment after linking.

Not a blogger? Feel free to write your haiku in the comment field.

And have a great weekend!

Haiku Friday: Pink Blizzard

cherry tree in bloom --
gently swirling pink blizzard
drifts and paints the steps.

i wait all year to
scoop up soft petals and make
playful poofy snowballs.

when rain falls, petals
are splash-plastered to the bricks,
nature's can of paint.

leaf blowers protest,
blowhards powerless against
the pink dot onslaught.

before green bursts forth,
nature celebrates spring with
a confetti blast!

Want to play along on Haiku Friday? It's easy! Just a haiku on your blog, any theme. Put the post url into Mister Linky here, then please leave a comment after linking.

And be sure to have a great spring weekend!

Whew

After all, I'm 45, for pete's sake. Getting a little old for this, dontcha think?

It's true that I can't bring myself to give away the Moses basket or some of the cutest baby clothes and stuff ... so I do have some mixed emotions about the whole thing ... but overall, I'm sticking with, Whew.

Haiku Friday: Guest Poems by DuckyBoy

Perhaps hosting Haiku Friday is not the best model for helping my son learn to write poems, which they do every April in school. Here are some of his, clearly dashed off during homework time at afterschool. I think they probably expect a little bit more, but then again, it's only second grade.

homework
homework, homework
lots of it, every
day and every
night, let's hope
I don't have
to do any more
work!


penceil
sharp, point yellow
tool used to write
(His teacher wrote next to this one, "That's a bit short!")

paperclip
tiny
skateboard
like a paperclip
long
oval glide
fast
(There's another one on this theme
but it's written in a circle
and I can't read the overlapping letters.)


Birds
tiny
little ani-
mals that fly around
the area.

That last one's actually almost a haiku! So here's my version:

Birds, tiny and fast
little animals that fly
up, down; flit in, out

How about if this week, I remember to put Mister Linky in!

If you'd like to play along on Haiku Friday, just write a haiku on your blog and post the link (to that post) here:


And please leave a comment to let me know what you think of my future haiku-writer in the family!
Have a great week and take a look at my happy guys enjoying their bike ride last weekend in Washington, DC:

(More DC pix on my Flickr page.)