tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-175431712024-03-23T14:33:26.966-04:00Wishful ThinkingBetween the wish and the thing, life lies waiting.Goslynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00153864420303599725noreply@blogger.comBlogger222125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17543171.post-84805509908514731662007-11-14T08:26:00.001-05:002007-11-14T08:58:34.205-05:00A Stopping PlaceWith any relationship, there comes a time when you must part ways. So it is with Blogger.<br /><br />So many of my readers have complained that my blogger site crashes their computer, that I've started a temporary site over at Wordpress.com.<br /><br />I will not delete this blog, but all new posts will be at <br /><br /><a href="http://www.gosduck.wordpress.com">gosduck.wordpress.com</a><br /><br />Please update your links, and I can't wait to see everyone again!Goslynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00153864420303599725noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17543171.post-65753505965945981542007-11-12T12:46:00.000-05:002007-11-12T12:49:13.348-05:00Seeing Red“Look at those beautiful leaves!” I said, admiring the contrast of the sky’s clear, sharp blue against the red maples. “We should be outside today, not driving. It’s too beautiful,” I told my husband, who was in the passenger seat.<br /><br />He looked at me blankly.<br /><br />“Don’t you think the leaves are gorgeous?” I asked, surprised at his noncommittal response. <br /><br />Read on at <a href="http://www.crunchable.net/articles/?p=465">Crunchable</a>.Goslynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00153864420303599725noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17543171.post-6487671447182518502007-11-09T16:59:00.001-05:002007-11-09T17:00:41.616-05:00Serious Blogger IssuesI have not fallen off the face of the Earth, I promise. It's just that Blogger is being ... difficult. And then some. <br /><br />And apparently, no one can read my site, because it keeps crashing computers. <br /><br />Please bear with me while I do my best to fix things.<br /><br />Thanks!Goslynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00153864420303599725noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17543171.post-63458033053502892782007-10-26T00:00:00.000-04:002007-10-26T11:34:02.614-04:00"Friday Finds"<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_JUPW8uNhmFk/RyFdiyuv42I/AAAAAAAAAK8/Qn-4A9xaYXI/s1600-h/fridayfinds2.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_JUPW8uNhmFk/RyFdiyuv42I/AAAAAAAAAK8/Qn-4A9xaYXI/s320/fridayfinds2.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5125480703239119714" /></a><br /><br />I am totally stealing this week's Friday Find from my buddy <a href="http://noonetoldme.blogspot.com/">Shannon</a>. On Wednesday, she put up a link to this <a href="http://quotation-marks.blogspot.com/">"site"</a> and it cracked me up so much that I just had to use it for my find. <br /><br />It's a site sure to tickle the fancy of all you editors out there. <br /><br />What's your find?<br /><br />If you'd like to play, review the rules <a href="http://gosduck.blogspot.com/2007/10/friday-finds-reminder.html">here</a>. Then submit your link and get to commenting!<br /><br /><script type="text/javascript" src="http://www.blenza.com/linkies/autolink.php?owner=goslyn&postid=25Oct2007"></script>Goslynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00153864420303599725noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17543171.post-34493750940835078592007-10-25T22:47:00.000-04:002007-11-13T15:34:10.640-05:00One Bad MotherSo, I don't know if it's a good thing or a bad thing that my two-year-old can use the word "reciprocity" correctly.<br /><br />Good, because he needs to know about reaping what you sow. If he wants me to respect him, he needs to treat me with respect, too. Which is something we struggle with on many a day. <br /><br />I only sing the first and last verses (I leave out all the risque parts in the middle) but still. At least it keeps me sane.Goslynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00153864420303599725noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17543171.post-22695937689119357762007-10-19T00:00:00.000-04:002007-10-19T12:06:24.746-04:00Friday Finds: Desperation Entertaining<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_JUPW8uNhmFk/RxgvHBy1vyI/AAAAAAAAAK0/YcqaFxGtsZQ/s1600-h/fridayfinds2.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_JUPW8uNhmFk/RxgvHBy1vyI/AAAAAAAAAK0/YcqaFxGtsZQ/s320/fridayfinds2.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5122896373921201954" /></a><br /><br />This Friday, I want to highlight a cookbook that should be in everyone's collection, even if you don't frequently entertain. Nearly every recipe in this book is fantastic, and most of them can be easily scaled if you are not serving a crowd. <br /><br />Get thee to Amazon for <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Desperation-Entertaining-Beverly-Mills/dp/0761118152/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/105-2587134-0444426?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1192767390&sr=1-1">this book</a>!<br /><br />Alicia Ross and Beverly Mills have hit the jackpot in their cookbook, <span style="font-style:italic;">Desperation Entertaining</span>. They have wonderful plan and prepare-ahead tips to make cooking for gatherings a breeze. And the recipes - oh, the recipes. The Heirloom Fudge Pie is to die for, and so easy you won't believe it. <br /><br />So go, check it out. You'll love it.<br /><br />What's your find?<br /><br />*NOTE* Mr. Linky is not currently working correctly, so just leave your URL in the comments, and when I figure out how to make Mr. Linky work, I'll enter it in myself. Thanks!<br /><br />If you'd like to add your Friday Find to the list, check out the <a href="http://gosduck.blogspot.com/2007/10/friday-finds-reminder.html">rules</a> here. <br /><br /><a target="_blank" href="http://www.blenza.com/linkies/links.php?owner=goslyn&postid=05Oct2007"><img border="0" src="http://www.blenza.com/linkies/graphic.php?owner=goslyn&postid=05Oct2007"></a>Goslynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00153864420303599725noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17543171.post-45439907114519847692007-10-18T22:07:00.000-04:002007-10-19T00:33:25.368-04:00Really? It's a fish?I was making dinner last night, and noticed the packaging as I pulled the last individually quick frozen salmon fillet from the bag. A big allergy warning on the back said this:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_JUPW8uNhmFk/RxgSTRy1vxI/AAAAAAAAAKs/neF355OK-Ik/s1600-h/salmon2.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_JUPW8uNhmFk/RxgSTRy1vxI/AAAAAAAAAKs/neF355OK-Ik/s320/salmon2.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5122864698537393938" /></a><br /><br />Really? Salmon is a <span style="font-style:italic;">fish</span>? Because I thought I was cooking up some rare form of chicken. Does the grocery store really think that's a necessary warning label? <br /><br />I wanted to post this to participate in the <a href="http://blog.parentbloggers.com/2007/10/07/dangerous-admissions-blog-blast-winners-and-more-info-on-the-wacky-warning-label-contest/">Parent Bloggers Network</a>'s Wacky Warning Label Contest, mostly because I think it's hilarious. Plus, I happen to agree with <a href="http://www.sickoflawsuits.com/index.cfm">these guys</a>. So, what's the wackiest warning label you've seen lately?Goslynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00153864420303599725noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17543171.post-78300357248380222562007-10-17T14:33:00.000-04:002007-10-18T23:46:51.777-04:0010-20-30I saw this meme on <a href="http://www.unretouchedphoto.com/2007/10/15/10-20-30-virus/">Actual Unretouched Photo</a> a few days ago, and it's been a while since I've done a meme, so I thought I'd play along.<br /><br />-10-<br />Ten years ago I was a senior in high school. I had just broken up with a very, very nice boy, Matt, who looked exactly like <a href="http://www.deancaincentral.com/">Dean Cain</a>. Hot. He was football player and a student of martial arts. Catholic and respectful. And so sweet he almost made my teeth hurt. <br /><br />I had to break up with him because he was much more serious about our relationship than I was, and when words like "love" started entering the conversation, I hastily backed away. I had recently had my heart broken by my very first love, and I did not want to go down that road again. When I met SuperHubby a few months later and began dating him seriously, Matt called me very upset that I was dating, since I had told him I was not looking for a relationship. Which, in October of 1997 was true, but by the time I got to January of 1998, all that was out the window. What can I say? SuperHubby was just *the one*, and I knew it.<br /><br />-20-<br />Twenty years ago, I was in the second grade at Bushy Park Elementary school. I had short hair, short like a boy. I had begged my mother to let me cut my nearly waist-length hair, because she had cut her hair off, and I wanted to be just like her. My mom had cut hers off because she had been diagnosed with terminal breast cancer. I didn't know what that meant. I don't remember much about being seven. I had the chickenpox on my seventh birthday. My mom had cancer, which she beat, and is now in her 20th year of remission. <br /><br />-30-<br />Thirty years ago, I wasn't even a gleam in my parents' eyes.<br /><br />How about you? Where were you 10, 20, or 30 years ago?<br /><br />*** Reminder - Friday Finds previews tomorrow! The post will be up by midnight or perhaps earlier, so you can add your find with Mr. Linky. ***Goslynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00153864420303599725noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17543171.post-91998711957240465002007-10-12T16:56:00.001-04:002007-10-12T17:03:07.347-04:00Friday Finds: Reminder<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_JUPW8uNhmFk/Rw_fr3TNfAI/AAAAAAAAAKk/8MuBXs8Gm1o/s1600-h/fridayfinds2.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_JUPW8uNhmFk/Rw_fr3TNfAI/AAAAAAAAAKk/8MuBXs8Gm1o/s320/fridayfinds2.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5120557246015437826" /></a><br />Well, since last week's response to my Friday Finds was, well non-existent, I figured I'd give you guys a week's notice, so you can get your ideas together. <br /><br />Every Friday, starting next Friday, I will post a neat item or website that I think is useful, helpful, or fun. If you'd like to play along, you can write a post on your own blog, and then use the Mister Linky at the bottom to add your page to the list. <br /><br />Here are the complete rules:<br /><br />Write a post on your own blog about a "Friday Find." The find must be family friendly - this is a G-rated blog, and I'd like to keep it that way. You may use the graphic if you would like.<br /><br />Then leave your name and a short description of your post, and link to your specific post in the Mister Linky below. It might look something like this:<br /><br />Jane (New Cleaning Product) <br /><br />Here's how to link to a specific post: On your blog, click on the title of your Friday Finds post. It should open in a new window, where the only post you see is your Friday Finds post. Then copy that URL into the Mister Linky. It's super simple.<br /><br />If you link to your homepage, I will ask you to repost your link so that it links directly to the page with your Friday Find on it. If you cannot do this within a reasonable amount of time, your link will be removed.<br /><br />I would appreciate a mention and link to Wishful Thinking in your post, if you don't mind.<br /><br />After you've added your link, take a moment to check out and comment on some of the other great Friday Finds!<br /><br />Here's hoping you all will have some great finds next Friday!Goslynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00153864420303599725noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17543171.post-60405940545768594952007-10-09T14:56:00.000-04:002007-10-09T15:03:44.338-04:00Giggle PieI wish this blog had sound. I wish you could hear the Seth's chortle as he sits on my lap and watches the wind ruffle the leaves on the maple tree across the street. He sounds a little bit like those <a href="http://www.copernicustoys.com/proddetail.php?prod=cow">tubes that moo when</a> you flip them over. The pattern goes like this: Inhale. Wheeze out a slow laugh on the exhale, "Heeehhh" then finish with a giggle, "heh heh heh heh heh." <br /><br />Not a bad way to spend an afternoon, all told.Goslynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00153864420303599725noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17543171.post-21531693011868143542007-10-08T07:38:00.000-04:002007-10-08T07:40:02.746-04:00Sha-PoopieI dashed down the stairs, expecting a fresh and steaming pile to be sitting at the bottom. But … the carpet was clean. I peeked around the far side of the dining room table. Nothing.<br /><br />But that … smell. I could still smell that … nasty, nasty smell.<br /><br />Find out why my house stinks at <a href="http://www.crunchable.net/articles/?p=456">Crunchable</a>.Goslynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00153864420303599725noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17543171.post-25521282643419163002007-10-05T08:36:00.000-04:002007-10-05T13:21:57.802-04:00Friday Finds: Intro<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_JUPW8uNhmFk/RwZyn1_ReWI/AAAAAAAAAKc/pfXnrYMxMy8/s1600-h/fridayfinds2.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_JUPW8uNhmFk/RwZyn1_ReWI/AAAAAAAAAKc/pfXnrYMxMy8/s320/fridayfinds2.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5117904055386077538" /></a><br />I'm launching a new feature here at Wishful Thinking: Friday Finds. Every Friday I will post about a website or product that I find helpful, useful, or just plain fun. <br /><br />This week's feature is a website I tripped across last night, <a href="http://www.raisinggodlytomatoes.com/index.html">Raising Godly Tomatoes.<br /></a> <br />Elizabeth, who writes the site, is the mother of 10 (yeah, count 'em 10!!!) children. She offers sage and Godly advice on childrearing.<br /><br />Last night, I was feeling overwhelmed by parenting my two boys, ages 2 years and 4 months, respectively. I was at the end of my rope, and had stopped being an effective parent, and had become a screaming, irritated, short-tempered and very ineffective parent. <br /><br />Raising Godly Tomatoes helped me remember some of the basic tenets of good parenting: namely that consistency and gentle correction are the most effective ways to raise children who are kind, respectful and responsible. It seems simple, but she presents her technique in a loving and easy to understand way, and supports her points with Biblical teachings. <br /><br />To be fair, she does advocate "swatting" children on a clothed or diapered bottom as a form of correction, or to get a child's attention when he is doing an unacceptable behavior. I am not comfortable "swatting," but I think her perspective on the swat is gentle and would not cause harm to a child if you did do it. <br /><br />I also believe I can use some of her other ideas and still have success, even if I do not chose to spank. <br /><br />If you're having trouble managing your children, I would highly recommend that you spend some time at Elizabeth's site. It's wonderful.<br /><br /><br />***<br /><br />Thanks for reading my Friday Find! If you'd like to play along, here are <span style="font-weight:bold;">the rules</span>:<br /><br />Write a post on your own blog about a "Friday Find." The find must be <span style="font-weight:bold;">family friendly</span> - this is a G-rated blog, and I'd like to keep it that way. You may use the graphic if you would like. <br /><br />Then leave your name and a short description of your post, and link <span style="font-weight:bold;"><span style="font-style:italic;"><span style="font-style:italic;">to your specific post</span></span></span> in the Mister Linky below. It might look something like this:<br /><br />Goslyn (Childrearing Help) - then that would link directly to this post, not to my main homepage. <br /><br />Here's how to link to a specific post: On your blog, click on the title of your Friday Finds post. It should open in a new window, where the only post you see is your Friday Finds post. Then copy <span style="font-style:italic;">that</span> URL into the Mister Linky. It's super simple. <br /><br />If you link to your homepage, I will ask you to repost your link so that it links directly to the page with your Friday Find on it. If you cannot do this within a reasonable amount of time, your link will be removed. <br /><br />After you've added your link, take a moment to check out and comment on some of the other great <span style="font-weight:bold;">Friday Finds</span>!<br /><br /><a target="_blank" href="http://www.blenza.com/linkies/links.php?owner=goslyn&postid=05Oct2007"><img border="0" src="http://www.blenza.com/linkies/graphic.php?owner=goslyn&postid=05Oct2007"></a>Goslynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00153864420303599725noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17543171.post-10491371767768423232007-10-04T12:52:00.000-04:002007-10-04T13:07:09.846-04:00Do You Ever ...Have a day where both babies wake up grumpy and you try as hard as you can to be cheery, but you really just want them to stop screaming so you can have a cup of coffee?<br /><br />And then you finally get the screaming monsters dressed and into the car to go to a meeting that's supposed to make you feel better, but it doesn't, because the speaker is a breast cancer survivor and her speech makes you cry?<br /><br />And then she talks about the importance of prevention and hands out little breast self-exam cards to help you remember, and you feel guilty because you know you never do your self-exam?<br /><br />It's not that you forget to do them; it's just that both your mother and grandmother had breast cancer, and you are so afraid you will find a lump that you figure it's better just not to know. Do you ever feel really stupid for thinking that?<br /><br />And then you have to leave the meeting early because the babies won't stop crying and won't stay in childcare? <br /><br />Does it ever happen that while you are trying to fix lunch for your two screaming babies, you realize your breast pads have failed, and your entire shirt is soaked with milk? And then the dog barks to be let out, so you let him out, only to watch him run away through the unlatched back gate, towards the high school, where the teenagers are getting out for lunch? <br /><br />So then you have to leave both children in the house, unattended, while you run down the street in bare feet and a milk-soaked shirt, trying to catch the dog before he gets hit by a car or picked up by the police?<br /><br />Then when you come home you wonder if trading in your job as a mediocre reporter to be a mediocre mother and housewife was a good idea? At least you got paid for being a reporter. Plus, you could actually quit that job. <br /><br />Do you ever wonder how you can spend all day picking up and straightening up and trowing crap away, and yet your house never appears neat, clean or uncluttered? <br /><br />Do you ever have a day like that?Goslynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00153864420303599725noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17543171.post-88318581125763131872007-10-03T07:28:00.000-04:002007-10-03T07:41:57.311-04:00Mascara WoesToday is backwards day at <a href="http://rocksinmydryer.typepad.com/shannon/2007/10/works-for-me-ba.html">Works for Me Wednesday</a>, and I am loving it! Instead of giving advice, we ask for some help from the great, amazing blogging community.<br /><br />I wear contacts. I rub my eyes a lot. And I can't find any eye makeup that can hold up to the challenge without flaking or smearing. I've even tried the impossible-to-remove Covergirl Great Lash Waterproof. During daily wear, it still leaves little raccoon marks under my eyes, when I try to get it off at night, the marks just get worse. <br /><br />Are there any great mascaras out there that won't leave me looking like a zombie?Goslynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00153864420303599725noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17543171.post-61784484722362182952007-10-02T19:39:00.000-04:002007-10-02T19:54:50.950-04:00My Son is a Preacher Man<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_JUPW8uNhmFk/RwLaAMJTL3I/AAAAAAAAAKU/Koe9X1YIVdE/s1600-h/preacher1.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_JUPW8uNhmFk/RwLaAMJTL3I/AAAAAAAAAKU/Koe9X1YIVdE/s320/preacher1.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5116891823441391474" /></a><br />Meet Rowdy, the itinerant preacher. He's holding a camp meeting revival in every room in the house this week, and he is on fire with the spirit. He's got his "Halleluias" and "Amens" down. He takes his microphone into every room with him, so the good news will be heard by all. (In case you don't recognize it, it's the toilet paper holder from the loo.)<br /><br />His sermon, while short, is pretty theologically sound: <br /><br />"Jesus on CROSS," he growls, gesticulating wildly, his index finger pointing to a spot on the wall behind his head, where my wedding photo hangs. "Jesus come DOWN!"<br /><br />Amen Brother Rowdy, Amen.Goslynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00153864420303599725noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17543171.post-90040386283469622952007-10-01T23:42:00.000-04:002007-10-01T23:47:03.620-04:00KarmaI lay on the bathroom floor, fingers curled into claws, totally immobilized. I could barely breathe. I couldn’t feel my legs, but I could feel the bile rising in my throat. <br /><br />“This is Karma in action,” I thought to myself. <br /><br /> The Tuesday before, SuperHubby dragged himself home from work at 10:30 p.m., complaining of dizziness, nausea and chills. He climbed into bed and proceeded to toss and turn and keep me awake until 1 a.m. <br /><br />I tried -I really tried - to be solicitous. I got him a hot pack to warm his freezing hands. I found Advil to calm the fever he didn’t have. I fetched medicine to settle his stomach. <br /><br />I brushed my fingers through his hair and rubbed his back, muttering “It’s going to be ok; it’s going to be ok.” <br /><br />But what it sounded like was: “Good Lord. You are a grown man. This is the stomach flu and you don’t even have a fever. Suck it up.”<br /><br />I was irritated and tired, and as his illness lingered into Wednesday and Thursday, I probably didn’t give him the loving kindness he deserved. When he made it out of bed and downstairs, he would immediately lie on the couch as though the trip had cost him every ounce of energy he possessed. <br /><br />I scowled. <br /><br />Four solid days of single-parenthood weren’t setting well with me. <br /><br />On Friday, SuperHubby was feeling better, but still too drained to make it to work, or to help much with the boys. Instead, he headed to the doctor to try to figure out what was wrong with him. <br /><br />I was feeling ok, until about four in the afternoon, when Friday’s lunch came rushing back. I thought it was so odd, because the only I get sick with a high fever or when pregnant. I had no fever, and I knew I wasn’t pregnant.<br /><br />I called SuperHubby and asked him to pick up some ginger ale or Gatorade on his way home from the doctor's office. He said he was too tired. I figured I could live without it, and let it drop. But I was feeling woozy, and ticked that not only was he sick, now he wasn't even helping me out. <br /><br />I scowled some more, then threw up.<br /><br />By seven, I knew I wasn't going to make it without some Gatorade. I called a neighbor, and begged her to run to the store for me. She said she would, after dinner. But by eight, she still hadn't arrived, and I was shaking. SuperHubby was putting Tom to bed. I had Seth, but I was shaking so hard I was afraid to pick him up. <br /><br />By nine, I had collapsed on the bathroom floor, immobile and terrified. SuperHubby couldn't drive me to the hospital, so he called 911.<br /><br />The EMTs had a bit of trouble maneuvering me past the pack-n-play, the trendy <a href="http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2452297">Fisher Price Rainforest Swing</a>, and the exersaucer. They kept telling me to "breathe slower" and looked surprised and vaguely disgusted when I vomited bile all over the floor. I wondered why they were in this profession. <br /><br />As the EMTs wheeled me out the front door and into the ambulance, Drunk Judy from across the street came over to see how I was doing. "You ok?" she slurred, not unkindly. I was thankful that I couldn't speak, so I didn't have to say, "No, I'm fine. I volunteer to do this to help train the medics. It's really a fun way to spend a Friday night! <a href="http://www.billengvall.com/">Here's your sign.</a>"<br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">*It's been a little over two weeks since the horrible, awful, very bad stomach flu hit our house. We are all fine and completely recovered. In the process we managed to spread the joy to one neighbor, both of SuperHubby's parents and our wonderful, incredible babysitter. They've all recovered, too.*<br /></span>Goslynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00153864420303599725noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17543171.post-42842856269026120892007-09-10T15:54:00.000-04:002007-09-10T15:58:20.522-04:00Falling WordsThe reason I love poetry<br /> is the crisp, juicy bite of adverbs<br />Bouncing sassily in your mouth<br />Roundly and smoothly on your lips – <br /><br />Saltimbocca snaps of verbs<br /> Pouncing on nouns<br />Tumbling out of your throat and <br />Jumping in your ears and <br /> E x p a n d i n g in your mindGoslynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00153864420303599725noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17543171.post-45002116493505351742007-08-23T21:31:00.000-04:002007-08-23T21:40:53.996-04:00Batteries Not IncludedEvery morning, around 10 AM, the middle school marching band bangs and stomps and squeaks past my house. Tom, at two, is enthralled. He is convinced that his purpose in life is to bang the big bass drum.<br /><br />And so, we've started music time. We play piano. We pluck, strum, and occasionally bang the guitar. Tom has a blast pounding away on his Fisher-Price plastic drum. He's been known to pick out a tune (albeit more in the style of Coltrane than Mozart)on his rainbow-colored xylophone. <br /><br />He can play (or at least make a lot of noise on) the recorder, the Irish penny whistle,and our dilapidated harmonica. <br /><br />So earlier this week, I dug my father's trumpet and my saxophone out of the basement. Tom was very impressed with my improvised version of <span style="font-style:italic;">Happy Birthday</span>, and decided he wanted to give the saxophone a spin. He huffed and puffed, but he just couldn't get a sound to come out. <br /><br />"Saxophone broken," he sighed. "Need new batteries. No music in it."Goslynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00153864420303599725noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17543171.post-87397976064660750862007-08-20T20:57:00.000-04:002007-08-20T21:01:52.325-04:00BeachlusionalThe summer I was six years old, my parents took me to the ocean. I spent the week dipping my toes in the waves and chasing sandpipers. When I came home, I told my best friend that the king of the sea had made me an honorary mermaid princess. I showed her how I swam with my legs crossed at the ankles and pretended to live in castles under the sea.<br /><br />There’s just something about the ocean — the wide, flat expanse of it — that opens my mind to long-forgotten possibilities.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.crunchable.net/articles/?p=443">Keep reading ....</a>Goslynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00153864420303599725noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17543171.post-39076112254456487002007-08-06T16:34:00.000-04:002007-08-06T16:35:32.705-04:00Uncle Donald'sWhen I found my toddler in a full-on lip lock with a 6-foot fiberglass clown, I realized it might be time to change the family eating habits.<br /><br />Keep reading at <a href="http://www.crunchable.net/articles/?p=436">Crunchable.</a>Goslynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00153864420303599725noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17543171.post-19128120092615968202007-07-31T17:49:00.000-04:002007-07-31T18:02:46.889-04:00Well Tickle Me Pink<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_JUPW8uNhmFk/Rq-vPVSN00I/AAAAAAAAAJk/ssUnh0dI9Ek/s1600-h/rockingirl_4.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_JUPW8uNhmFk/Rq-vPVSN00I/AAAAAAAAAJk/ssUnh0dI9Ek/s200/rockingirl_4.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5093482381525766978" /></a>I've won something! I've actually won something! My good buddy Steph over at <a href="http://creaturebug.typepad.com/creature_bug/">Creature Bug</a> sent me some love in the form of a pretty pink award several weeks ago - I've just not been around to put it up. So, thanks, Steph, for thinking of me.<br /><br />In return, I'll pass the love along to some fabulous women.<br /><br />First, to Mopsy at <a href="http://www.lifenut.com/blog/">Lifenut</a>, since she's the reason I started blogging in the first place. Her writing is so lyrical and inspiring, and she finds time to do it while raising six kids. Amazing.<br /><br />Next, to <a href="http://blessedamongmen.blogspot.com/">Suzanne</a>, because she is so grounded in her faith and makes me think of things I would otherwise overlook. Plus, she's really cool. And her <a href="http://thevirtualkitchen.blogspot.com/">recipes</a> look fantastic.<br /><br />And finally, to <a href="http://mentaltesserae.blogspot.com/">Julie Q.</a> for always, always making me think. Amazing. Like a great college course, only on a blog. Plus no homework. And I never feel stupid for raising my hand in class. <br /><br />There are so many more women who deserve to be a Rockin' Girl Blogger, but I'll start with these three.Goslynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00153864420303599725noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17543171.post-62573817682167453012007-07-26T11:34:00.000-04:002007-07-30T12:23:59.235-04:00Moving OnThere is a 53-foot moving van outside my house, and Tommy, my 2-year-old son, is plastered to the front door.<br /><br />“Moving van!” he says, trying to press himself through the glass and onto the front porch, where he will be two feet closer to the biggest truck he has ever seen.<br /><br />I wish I could close the front door and make the truck vanish.<br /><br />Keep reading at <a href="http://www.crunchable.net/articles/?p=435">Crunchable</a>.Goslynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00153864420303599725noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17543171.post-43876288787337472932007-07-06T21:32:00.000-04:002007-07-06T22:19:35.931-04:00While I Was OutWell, I haven't been posting much in the last seven weeks or so. But I have been busy. Doing this:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_JUPW8uNhmFk/Ro7t6KT8N5I/AAAAAAAAAIs/UFR5WTwEyyc/s1600-h/castle1.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_JUPW8uNhmFk/Ro7t6KT8N5I/AAAAAAAAAIs/UFR5WTwEyyc/s320/castle1.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5084262612804056978" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_JUPW8uNhmFk/Ro7t6aT8N6I/AAAAAAAAAI0/GRhWlYD8ApM/s1600-h/castle2.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_JUPW8uNhmFk/Ro7t6aT8N6I/AAAAAAAAAI0/GRhWlYD8ApM/s320/castle2.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5084262617099024290" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_JUPW8uNhmFk/Ro7t7KT8N7I/AAAAAAAAAI8/QAyz428X-og/s1600-h/castle3.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_JUPW8uNhmFk/Ro7t7KT8N7I/AAAAAAAAAI8/QAyz428X-og/s320/castle3.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5084262629983926194" /></a><br /><br />Amd of course, raising these:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_JUPW8uNhmFk/Ro7vyaT8N8I/AAAAAAAAAJE/U678wfQTvNo/s1600-h/kissesrev.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_JUPW8uNhmFk/Ro7vyaT8N8I/AAAAAAAAAJE/U678wfQTvNo/s320/kissesrev.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5084264678683326402" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_JUPW8uNhmFk/Ro7wuqT8N9I/AAAAAAAAAJM/1d0GNLJDvLE/s1600-h/staresrev.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_JUPW8uNhmFk/Ro7wuqT8N9I/AAAAAAAAAJM/1d0GNLJDvLE/s320/staresrev.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5084265713770444754" /></a>Goslynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00153864420303599725noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17543171.post-86076330356705495942007-07-04T11:16:00.000-04:002007-07-04T11:23:10.812-04:00Made Service"I made!" the Tominator exclaims, examining his handiwork. We have guests coming in 20 minutes to celebrate this day of independence, and my entire first floor is now baby powder fresh, thanks to a toddler and a two-pound can of talc. <br /><br />On top of each of the 88 piano keys is a carefully arranged pile of powder. The piano bench is smeared with powdery handprints and streaks. The baby's basinett is half-full of powder, and tom even sprinkled the couch, but it actually makes the cream-colored fabric look and smell better, so I can't complain too much about that. <br /><br />At the foot of the stairs, he has lovingly applied white diaper cream to our dark gray carpet. <br /><br />The baby is squalling, covered in spit up and demanding his bath. SuperHubby has finally met his archnemisis - the Influenza bug - and is trying valiantly to sleep it off.<br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">Lord help us all. </span>Goslynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00153864420303599725noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17543171.post-68631056111153374932007-06-25T21:09:00.000-04:002007-06-25T21:34:15.992-04:00What I Learned at Dinner TonightWhen we pray before dinner, we close by thanking "the Fadder, Swon, and Howy Spit."<br /><br />Dinner is best accompanied by "pwo-no" music such as "woa woa boat" which is sung in "wownds."<br /><br />Tom likes "penny pata" with alfredo sauce and "bwoccoli." He also likes "zoo-kee-nee quash!" <br /><br />He loves "huggins" but will not say "I wuv you" unless prompted, one syllable at a time. <br /><br />He's such a boy.Goslynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00153864420303599725noreply@blogger.com