tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-171633472011-04-21T17:45:54.359-04:00Not So Effortless Charm and BeautyHer Gracenoreply@blogger.comBlogger1281100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17163347.post-37289218534644322212007-06-07T16:06:00.000-04:002007-06-07T16:10:00.632-04:00

Her Grace, at this URL is officially closing up shop as of today. Wait! Don't cry! Oh. You weren't crying? I must have misunderstood. You just looked kind of disappointed. You weren't? I could have sworn I saw "crestfallen" cross over your face. No?Oh.Anyway, I have a brand new blog and it's bitchin' so if you want to come check it out, drop me an email at hergrace01 (at) yahoo (dot) com

Her Gracenoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17163347.post-82218816217183831572007-06-07T09:14:00.001-04:002007-06-07T10:27:43.108-04:00

Yesterday, we came home from the park and discovered that JoJo had eaten an entire bag of chocolates. Not only did she eat the chocolates, she ate the foil that they were wrapped in to make them look like teeny little baseballs. This morning, over breakfast, I expressed concern that not only did she eat an awful lot of chocolate, she ate quite a bit of tinfoil as well.M helpfully pointed out

Her Gracenoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17163347.post-23919646438112376272007-06-06T08:40:00.001-04:002007-06-06T08:48:10.864-04:00

"Today, Party Girl, you're going to learn how to use the potty."(a very disappointed sounding) "OooooOOOO.""What's wrong? Don't you like the potty?""No. I donna yike da potty.""Really? I like the potty. Potties are for big girls. You're a big girl!""I notta big girl. I fine.""Hmmm. I see. I think we should try the potty today.""I not like the potty. I like DINOSAURS.""Fair enough."

Her Gracenoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17163347.post-81395037696018110542007-06-04T17:05:00.000-04:002007-06-04T17:10:08.130-04:00

Sitemeter tells me that I've got readers! I want to tell all 5 of you that, though Her Grace currently looks a terrible mess, that I've got a few things cooking. Stay tuned for a new look, a new URL, and a few other things I've got brewing. So stay tuned!

Her Gracenoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17163347.post-42812066787096723032007-06-02T17:20:00.000-04:002007-06-02T17:21:59.885-04:00

"Duuuuuude.""Yes?""I could so totally eat you.""I dare you to try. You don't know what these wheels can do.""Ok, ok, simmer down little dude. So what'd they pay for you?""A lousy dime, you?""A ten-spot dude. Not too shabby, eh? So, like, what do you do?""What do I do?""Yeah, like, do you talk like a rabbit...""Rabbits don't talk.""TOTALLY CORRECT! Dude! I mean, do you go into hunt mode or

Her Gracenoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17163347.post-18101744110477214782007-06-01T18:04:00.000-04:002007-06-01T18:13:07.234-04:00

Her Grace has been sitting in limbo for months now. I planned on cleaning up the archives and deleting it, but I keep coming back to it to write a post. Often, I leave it up over night, then delete it the next morning. I just can't commit to blogging again, but yet here I am writing yet another wishy-washy post. I'm waffling. I'm a waffler. I'm a waffling blogger. A woggler? A blaffler?So

Her Gracenoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17163347.post-1162965053954920812006-11-08T00:42:00.001-05:002006-11-15T19:33:34.630-05:00

All night long, I've had "Close, but no tomato" stuck in my head. Don't ask me why. And don't ask me why 50.49% of my community can't see past their stubborn opinions to invest in our city's future.In any case, we lost. Right now by about 168 votes, but that'll change overnight, as there are a few precincts left to report. It'll get worse, not better, though. I finally convinced M, who has

Her Gracenoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17163347.post-1162657942370119802006-11-04T10:55:00.000-05:002006-11-15T19:33:34.361-05:00

I have this recurring dream. Most of my recurring dreams are kind of fun: secret rooms in houses, flying effortlessly or being able to breathe underwater. But this one is disturbing; I dream about fishtanks. Not your lovely, well tended, brightly colored, salt water versions, but fish tanks that I was responsible for and forgot about, for years. I'll find them (last night it was in the "fort" I

Her Gracenoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17163347.post-1162487002684993002006-11-02T12:01:00.000-05:002006-11-15T19:33:34.197-05:00

Her: Candy! Candy COHN!Me: No.Her: Candy! Suckah! Suckah COHN!Me: No.Her (sitting on floor, head thrown back, screeching at the sky): CANDY! WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!Me: No.Her: .........Me: Pleasant smile.Her: Apes?Me: Yes, eat your grapes. And she did.Mama: 1, Halloween Candy: 0

Her Gracenoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17163347.post-1162387345510022902006-11-01T08:02:00.000-05:002006-11-15T19:33:34.000-05:00

Last night, when all was said and done, Party Girl sat slumped on the couch, her belly sticking out of her jammies. She had a bag of mini-M&Ms in one hand and a sippy of milk in the other, Here Come the ABCs playing on the TV."Mama? Candy COHN! Siy-yee doggee. Candy COHN!" (Candy corn being the name for all things candy. Silly dog being our dog who is silly and also very, very bad for

Her Gracenoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17163347.post-1162172397811697402006-10-29T20:34:00.000-05:002006-11-15T19:33:33.915-05:00

Mom, can I help you?What are you doing?Can I put them in?Why is it hot?Ow, it burned me.Yes, it did.Why are they wet?Why do we wash them?Why do they get dirty?They smell funny.Can I help you put them in?Why only the towels?How do towels get dirty?YOU DID THEM ALL! WHY DID YOU DO THEM ALL?I wanted to do one more.Why is smoke coming out?What's steam?What kind of soap is that?Why do you pour it in

Her Gracenoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17163347.post-1162090254719910002006-10-28T22:11:00.000-04:002006-11-15T19:33:33.818-05:00

I've had a stretch of insomnia where I find myself up at 2 A.M. flipping channels. Insomnia makes for good mothering -- including, but not limited too: skipping bath for the fifth night in a row, letting your children eat candy bars for morning snack, and your toddler knowing the name of every show on Noggin. (azee ton? mama? azee ton? ayaga-ins! If you can guess what two shows she's naming

Her Gracenoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17163347.post-1161805401302826442006-10-25T15:26:00.000-04:002006-11-15T19:33:33.621-05:00

Ok, no more spoilers for me. I kept waiting for it to happen and it never did and it sort of spoiled the whole episode for me. I'll leave that post up below, anyway, but apparently I need to learn to read, because in my panic of reading that article I missed a lot of important information (like NOT Sawyer and NEXT week.) On to the episode:Thoughts:1. The Others don't live on the island. No

Her Gracenoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17163347.post-1159794740532803352006-10-16T08:45:00.000-04:002006-11-15T19:33:31.378-05:00

September 30th has come and past, but I didn't forget my promise to myself. My goal was to lose 11 pounds by the end of this month, my one year anniversary as a blogger.I didn't lose 11 pounds, but I did begin faithfully doing T-Tapp. I can't be certain, because I didn't measure before I began, but I think I've lost almost a pant size. So I think it's a wash, really. I've come to discover

Her Gracenoreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17163347.post-1160684564131476502006-10-12T16:08:00.000-04:002006-11-15T19:33:33.325-05:00

One of the most endearing moments of this fall season for happened on a recent trip to the pumpkin farm. As we walked past a field of giant pumpkins, Party Girl seemed in awe."Apples," she said. M was holding her while my mom and I traded Sass back and forth."Those are pumpkins," he told her.She seemed to contemplate this new piece of information."Apples!" She said again."No, not apples," he

Her Gracenoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17163347.post-1160664183228748802006-10-12T10:24:00.000-04:002006-11-15T19:33:33.225-05:00

For Moxie. Though she has way more readers over at her blog who are watching the show, so click over there for a more thorough discussion!What we now know:1. Ben's been on the island "his whole life." Was he a child of Dharma? Is he an experiment gone wrong? He seemed to be softening up a little at the end, until Jack wouldn't shake with him and his face got that creepy NotHenry look again. "

Her Gracenoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17163347.post-1160482999833544902006-10-10T08:05:00.000-04:002006-11-15T19:33:32.837-05:00

"Your daughter is really cute." We're sitting in the pediatrician's office. Let me rephrase that, we've been sitting in the pediatrician's office for close to an hour. There's a woman next to me with her toddler son and she's talking to the woman next to her with a sleeping 18-month-old girl in her lap who is dressed head to toe in Halloween-themed clothing."Thanks," the woman replies. "I

Her Gracenoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17163347.post-1160347384398849282006-10-08T18:32:00.000-04:002006-11-15T19:33:32.067-05:00

I spoke too soon. Party Girl's still sick and off to the doctor tomorrow. I think three days of fever and constantly pulling at your mouth warrant a trip, don't you? The doctor told me today there is a particularly nasty sore throat going around right now, which I think fits her symptoms, but I want to rule out strep/ear infection.In any case, I was up umpteen times last night so M got up with

Her Gracenoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17163347.post-1160261445339189562006-10-07T18:41:00.000-04:002006-11-15T19:33:31.958-05:00

Fever's broke. Dinner has been eaten (an accomplishment, as both children decided to subsist on air and milk and the stray popsicle yesterday). Party Girl, who was the more miserable of the two, seemed to perk up a little late afternoon. She sat in my lap, reading a book, crooning Thank-eau. Tanks! Tank-eau. It broke my heart that she was thanking me for reading her a book, something I

Her Gracenoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17163347.post-1160181750861627512006-10-06T20:33:00.000-04:002006-11-15T19:33:31.763-05:00

The girls are both sick tonight. Party Girl's hot (can't tell exactly HOW high her fever is because the stupid thermometer I just bought reads 94.5 no matter whose ear it's in). I gave her motrin an hour ago and it still hasn't broke. I'm not sure what to do if it doesn't, it always has.I went to the store for milk and sore throat goodies (popsicles, drinkable yogurts, etc.) and M said Sass

Her Gracenoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17163347.post-1160052681433985172006-10-05T08:48:00.000-04:002006-11-15T19:33:31.579-05:00

If you came looking for Lost Talk, mosey on over to Moxie.

Her Gracenoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17163347.post-1159813834630131092006-10-02T14:20:00.000-04:002006-11-15T19:33:31.477-05:00

Last week, our dishwasher broke. Well, it didn't break so much as it started making horrible grinding noises and smelled like smoke, which was close enough to broken for me.We've learned a lot over the course of our years of home ownership, but fixing dishwashers is not in our knowledge base, so I was left with the task of calling a dishwasher repairman and started hand washing my dishes.The

Her Gracenoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17163347.post-1159751049326119432006-10-01T20:57:00.000-04:002006-11-15T19:33:27.236-05:00

Last night, Sass and I were lying in her bed have our nightly chat-a-thon before I tucked her in. She'd been drilling me with questions about airplanes, and suddenly switched to math:"How many is a couple?" She asked."Two.""Then how many is a few?""Three.""Oh. How many is five and five?""Count your fingers," I said. "You have five fingers on each hand."She started counting, but missed her

Her Gracenoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17163347.post-1159446620061115202006-09-28T08:20:00.000-04:002006-11-15T19:33:27.145-05:00

Every spring and summer, the robins come to a euc wreath on my mom's front porch and build a nest. They're safe there from the hawks and crows, it's dry and cozy. It's also where everyone enters their house, however. So every time you enter or leave, your greeting with a loud, sudden fluttering of wings as the mama bird retreats. She sputters at you from her perch while you walk to your car,

Her Gracenoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17163347.post-1159052652083378882006-09-23T18:51:00.000-04:002006-11-15T19:33:27.061-05:00

**Updated to say: Good Eats has been moved to wordpress because they have categories. Do you hear that Blogger? CA-TE-GOR-EEES. I looked around for a blogger categories fix, but it made my head spin. So now we're at www.goodeats.wordpress.com. Enjoy! Earlier this summer, I was ordering produce at my local co-op. They had a surplus of kale, so I decided to take some, though I had no idea

Her Gracenoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17163347.post-1158278467716108402006-09-21T20:00:00.000-04:002006-11-15T19:33:26.710-05:00

Last Thursday, my mom took Sass for their weekly "date." This date usually involves a trip to the "snack store" and then pretty much anything Sass wants to do for a few hours at Grandma's. Sass soaks up the individual attention, and Grandma has only one rule -- "What happens at Grandma's, stays at Grandma's." (Sass is one of four, equally indulged grandchildren. Party Girl is just now

Her Gracenoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17163347.post-1158619039731767882006-09-18T18:17:00.000-04:002006-11-15T19:33:26.889-05:00

I had an interview today. A position that kind of dips its toes in the waters of what I used to do, but I can do it from home. A win-win situation.But the interview?VERBAL DIARRHEA.I can not begin to tell you how bad it was. Things kept coming out of my mouth, and it's like I was standing next to myself -- mouth agape -- yelling SHUT UP WOMAN and DO YOU NOT HAVE AN INTELLIGENT WORD IN YOUR

Her Gracenoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17163347.post-1158457004669787172006-09-16T21:16:00.000-04:002006-11-15T19:33:26.801-05:00

Today we went to an event in the park that my mom was a part of. When we left, she walked us the three blocks back to our car, and we passed her own car on the way. I strapped Sass in and she opened the door to put Party Girl in her car seat. PG arched her back and wailed, unusual behavior for her. My mom tried again, but again she flailed and grasped at my mom to keep from being put down.My

Her Gracenoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17163347.post-1158203296855287882006-09-13T22:18:00.000-04:002006-11-15T19:33:26.620-05:00

Good golly. Enough doom and gloom. I've even depressed the dog, I think, who is watching me eat celery and peanut butter and is not even begging. Seriously, she couldn't be less interested.So, instead of bringing everyone around me down, I've decided to join the beautiful thing that is Love Thursday.I only just this summer started reading Chookooloonks with regularity. I'm glad I did. Karen's

Her Gracenoreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17163347.post-1157682162727594912006-09-07T22:03:00.000-04:002006-11-15T19:33:26.087-05:00

Questions I Have Been Asked This Week By My 3-Year-Old:"What's behind the sky?""Where was Party Girl when I was in your belly? No, really, where did she live?""Where were people when the dinosaurs were here? Why aren't they here now?""What is the sun?""How does water get up in the clouds?""When I grow up, will I be Party Girl's mama?"I expect tomorrow she'll ask Mama? What's the meaning of life?

Her Gracenoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17163347.post-1157380425855929112006-09-04T10:10:00.000-04:002006-11-15T19:33:25.906-05:00

I'm in the middle of a 14-day T-Tapp workout. I've never made it past day 4 before, and I've realized why. Day 4 is the worst -- legs-quivering, waking-up-with-muscles-you-didn't-knowyou-had-aching-worst. But after day 4 it gets a little easier, so I'm glad I moved past it.I'm doing the 15 minute Basic Workout Plus. Every day after breakfast, it's the first thing I do. Otherwise, it gets lost in

Her Gracenoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17163347.post-1157075864845411872006-08-31T21:29:00.000-04:002006-11-15T19:33:25.814-05:00

It's that time of the month again. No not that time of the month (though that would explain why I ate two candy bars and read a People magazine instead of doing dishes after lunch), time to award someone with the Perfect Post Award!This month I chose Margaret for her post about "her old dreams and her new dreams shaking hands."I love this post for a lot of reasons. I love the idea of her

Her Gracenoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17163347.post-1156990908810530862006-08-30T21:50:00.000-04:002006-11-15T19:33:25.726-05:00

...Sass's hair didn't see a hairbrush today?...in the span of 5 minutes Party Girl:a) ate out of a box of dry pasta she found in the cupboardb) ate out of the crayon boxc) ate out of the garbaged) then tried to stick a pencil in her ear?...I declared NO ONE CAN ASK MOMMY A QUESTION FOR FIVE MINUTES, NOPE NO QUESTIONS. NOPE, YOU ALSO CAN'T ASK ME FOR A GLASS OF MILK. FIVE MINUTES....I forgot to

Her Gracenoreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17163347.post-1156723860446365642006-08-27T19:38:00.000-04:002006-11-15T19:33:25.552-05:00

This weekend I took the kids to a family fun day at a nearby park, put on by a local crime prevention organization (M's worked almost every Sunday this month, plus extra meetings and a guys-only day trip to a major league baseball game -- in case you're wondering why it's always me and not we on outings lately.) It included face painting, obstacle courses, simple games and prizes, dogs you could

Her Gracenoreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17163347.post-1156554421166982572006-08-25T20:59:00.000-04:002006-11-15T19:33:25.377-05:00

"Mama? How come there aren't dinosaurs?""There used to be. They lived a long, long, long time ago. But now they're gone.""Where did they live?""Right here, right where we are. But we weren't here, no one was. There were just trees and plants and dinosaurs." (Forgive me the simplistic explanation, dinosaur experts.)"No one was here?""Nope, people didn't exist then. There weren't houses or cars or

Her Gracenoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17163347.post-1156203869489685032006-08-23T19:20:00.000-04:002006-11-15T19:33:25.007-05:00

"Wow," Party Girl whispers, as I set a bowl of spaghetti in front of her. "Wow," a little louder. While it is impressive that it's being served in a (plastic) bowl with a baby-sized fork (since she's become semi-responsible with dishware) I feel as if I'm serving her filet mignon. She digs in.It's late. We've spent the day at the zoo where she tried to climb into the tortoise exhibit, got chewed

Her Gracenoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17163347.post-1155698781182905972006-08-15T22:32:00.000-04:002006-11-15T19:33:24.389-05:00

In no particular order:Ten Things I Love About My Daughters10. I love that Party Girl's toes are so ticklish that I can hardly clip her toenails. It's nearly impossible to trim when she's giggling hysterically and I have tears in my eyes from laughing at her.9. I love that Sass uses a new word immediately after hearing it. And uses it and uses it, just not always appropriately: "Mama? I don't

Her Gracenoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17163347.post-1155607252079748192006-08-14T21:45:00.000-04:002006-11-15T19:33:24.306-05:00

Have you heard about the phenomenon they talk about in birthing circles? The one called labor amnesia?The way the story goes is this: Labor is hard and long and painful, but once it's over and you see your beautiful baby it all goes away. I think there's a little truth to the story. I didn't forget my pain right away. I surely did love that new little baby and was filled with amazement when I saw

Her Gracenoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17163347.post-1155007455259952352006-08-08T08:05:00.000-04:002006-11-15T19:33:23.784-05:00

I seriously don't know what to tell you about this video. It is both alarming and hilarious and disturbing enough that I may wake up sweating from my mid-afternoon nap.BUT. The cause is important. And today is election day, so what better time to contact congress and tell them you like your internet free and unmarred by big business.Save the whales. Save the dolphins. Save the rainforest. But

Her Gracenoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17163347.post-1154743471470776332006-08-04T21:46:00.000-04:002006-11-15T19:33:23.697-05:00

On Sunday we decided to sell M's car. Underused and in need of repair, we thought it could serve a better purpose (buying us groceries) than taking up space in our driveway. Ask me in the deep of winter (when it's too cold for M to bike to work) if I still agree with the decision to be a one-car family and I'll probably give you a shivery smirk, but this week it seemed like a good idea.We made

Her Gracenoreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17163347.post-1154474740419552332006-08-01T19:09:00.000-04:002006-11-15T19:33:23.509-05:00

Check out Suburban Turmoil and MommaK for this month's Perfect Post Awards. I've been looking these over for a while now, but when I read Karen's post about The Mom Precipice, I immediately emailed Lucinda to tell her I wanted to nominate Karen. Lucinda emailed me back, told me to settle down, and sent instructions on how to nominate her at the end of the month.Anyway.My favorite line from this

Her Gracenoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17163347.post-1154313377574572522006-07-30T22:12:00.000-04:002006-11-15T19:33:23.430-05:00

"Mo-ah. Mo-ah. Mo-ah toas!!" I dropped my butter knife."Mama? Party Girl wants more toast," Sass said casually."I guess she does!" I said, picking my knife back up. "And she just said her first 'sentence'!"Party Girl -- like her sister before her -- is hitting the 18 month language explosion a couple months early. All of the sudden it's all words, all the time. I remember this happening with Sass

Her Gracenoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17163347.post-1154228002590602882006-07-29T22:19:00.000-04:002006-11-15T19:33:23.347-05:00

"Those look like thunderclouds,"I said,"We best get off this lake."I packed up blankets, sunscreen, hats,Inflatables, a plastic rake.Wind swept our umbrella and I gave chase,Then stopped by a sudden screech,I turned to look -- "Mama! Mama!""Party Girl's peeing on the beach!"The big black cloud was bearing down,The wagon finally loaded.We took off running for the car --Oh Mama! Our raft is

Her Gracenoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17163347.post-1153882808716255942006-07-25T21:02:00.000-04:002006-11-15T19:33:22.874-05:00

Jenn thinks I should be posting more often. It seems this blog serves as entertainment for her, when she is bored and doesn't have anything to do. Except work. So Jenn? Get back to work.Also? Thank you for reading.So let's see. Here's a glimpse of what's going on in my head this week:Things That Make Me HappyWading in the creekTeaching my kids Weeding my flower garden yesterday, I came across a

Her Gracenoreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17163347.post-1153620108004880012006-07-22T21:39:00.000-04:002006-11-15T19:33:22.792-05:00

Just one more reason to love Sarah McLachlan.Watch the video to the end -- it is both heart-wrenchingly sad and yet inspirational. Follow the link to the list of donation recipients and then follow the links to the different organizations.My favorite? Comic Relief. Because the images of street children in Calcutta put an ache in my chest that won't go away and because who else can raise huge

Her Gracenoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17163347.post-1153328900809262682006-07-19T12:38:00.000-04:002006-11-15T19:33:22.611-05:00

Behind their serene, innocent faces the cats are smirking. They are sneaking into the guest room to roll around on their backs and revel in the hilarity of it all. It's even possible they're having clandestine kitty meetings in the basement to give each other secret high-fives.What's causing so much kitty mirth around here?Whenever we go to the vet, JoJo tries to escape her collar and run out the

Her Gracenoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17163347.post-1153181168432549562006-07-17T19:58:00.000-04:002006-11-15T19:33:22.526-05:00

"Mama?""Yes?""How do you get to the moon?""On a rocketship. People called astronauts fly in them. It's a long, long way away.""Yes, like five minutes!""Yes, or even more. Do you think you'd like to be an astronaut when you grow up?""Hmm. Do you think it makes a lot of noise?""The rocketship? I bet it probably does.""I don't really like loud noises. Plus, it's probably very, very dark in there.""

Her Gracenoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17163347.post-1152925721312467522006-07-14T20:09:00.000-04:002006-11-15T19:33:22.348-05:00

Dear Party Girl,I've written a lot about your sister on this blog. Sassafras is three and a half now and has big questions and big ideas and is both enchantingly dear and yet strong as a brick wall. Your sister is our first, an unwitting guinea pig in this experiment your dad and I call parenthood. Before her, we only had to worry that the pets were fed and the light bill was paid. Now that Sass

Her Gracenoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17163347.post-1152713853937697972006-07-12T10:06:00.000-04:002006-11-15T19:33:22.261-05:00

One New Year's Eve, a "few" years ago (I don't want to count how many) my friend Amy invited a few of us to her parents cottage up north to celebrate. The next morning I dropped her off at her apartment and returned to my own. The phone was ringing as I unlocked my door. I ran to pick it up:"Bethany? Can you come back over?" It was Amy."What? Why? I just dropped you off!""Something's weird here..

Her Gracenoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17163347.post-1152062186362810712006-07-04T20:26:00.000-04:002006-11-15T19:33:21.936-05:00

At bedtime tonight, Sass and I lied in her bed having an utterly enjoyable conversation.She loves to hear stories about her life, things we've done that she may or may not remember. Tonight we were talking about her room and I was telling her all the things we did to get it ready for her. I told her about her dad scraping, sanding, and painting the plaster walls, and when she asked why the

Her Gracenoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17163347.post-1151173812385626512006-06-24T14:18:00.000-04:002006-11-15T19:33:21.575-05:00

On Friday my mom and stepdad unexpectedly and very suddenly lost their dog Nick.Nick's story is not mine to tell. I was lucky enough to be included in his circle of trusted loved ones, but his heart belonged to my mom and stepdad. They could write volumes on the joy he brought to their lives and their faces reveal how broken their hearts are today. But Nick was a part of my family and I'd like to

Her Gracenoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17163347.post-1149988078197687342006-06-10T20:37:00.000-04:002006-11-15T19:33:21.138-05:00

Five little hot dogs cooking in a pan,The grease got hot and one went BAM!We're on a road trip to a friend's birthday party an hour away. I started singing this little rhyme to distract the girls and they thought it was hilarious. It is now, however, 15 rounds in and Sass and I are frankly a little tired of it. Whenever we start to sing something else, though, Party Girl shouts "Nonono! BAH!" She

Her Gracenoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17163347.post-1149465807916078252006-06-10T19:51:00.000-04:002006-11-15T19:33:18.447-05:00

Al Gore May Be My New HeroThis week, anyway.So click the link, go to "Take Action" and click on "Become Carbon Neutral." There, you can figure out approximately how many pounds of carbon dioxide you personally are putting out into the atomosphere every year. (We're contributing 13600 -- in the average range at least, but we have work to do.)After you figure that out, you can choose to contribute

Her Gracenoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17163347.post-1149213063758404952006-06-09T21:14:00.000-04:002006-11-15T19:33:18.284-05:00

Have I been talking about my kids a lot lately? Well then, here we go again:Sass. Oh Sass. Sass and I are butting heads. We are like rams fighting on an open mountain top. (I guess. Is that where rams fight?) She is putting her foot down and I am putting my foot down and most days we're just stamping on each others toes and not really making any progress. She's been making me work really hard

Her Gracenoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17163347.post-1149122358143032622006-06-09T20:18:00.000-04:002006-11-15T19:33:18.201-05:00

I was born about 10 months before my cousin Jenn. Our moms are sisters and very close and we spent hours of our childhood playing together. Our favorite game for a few years was playing house/veterinarian in my room. We had our babies and we had our office where we helped sick animals. What we didn't have were husbands. It's not like we had made up husbands/fathers for our babies that just didn't

Her Gracenoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17163347.post-1149821527329750382006-06-08T22:24:00.000-04:002006-11-15T19:33:18.806-05:00

I recently taught Sass to play tag. Though we've been playing chase-style games forever, tag blew her mind for some reason and she finds it totally hilarious. Since there aren't a whole lot of rules involved, it was a quick lesson and we were off.She came running up to me that first time and yelled in my general direction:"TAG! You're it!"and went sprinting off, laughing with glee.Being the rule

Her Gracenoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17163347.post-1149025253038460762006-05-30T17:24:00.000-04:002006-11-15T19:33:18.026-05:00

M came home for dinner tonight and found nothing on the table. What he did find was me glued to the TV, my hands stuffed in my mouth in fear."What's going on?" He asked."Oprah. Bird flu. Shh." "Oh no," he said under his breath, and went to put a frozen dinner in the microwave for himself.Oprah had Dr. Michaal Osterholm, an infectious disease bigwig from the University of Minnesota on her show

Her Gracenoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17163347.post-1148993360021733072006-05-30T08:00:00.000-04:002006-11-15T19:33:17.867-05:00

"Mommy, I can't scoop my macaroni."We're eating dinner after a fun but hot afternoon working in Grandma's yard. Usually we ease into summer around here with the temperature gradually rising, but not this year. Less than a week ago we were still worrying about frost on our newly planted flowers. Today we hit 90. The babies are tired and sticky hot. I hand her a spoon to make the scooping easier."

Her Gracenoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17163347.post-1148752860505738502006-05-27T13:01:00.000-04:002006-11-15T19:33:17.711-05:00

Outside my bedroom window is a gigantic pine tree. With the weather warming up, we've been sleeping with the window open and each morning I wake up with a clear view of it's upper limbs. I can see the bright green new growth on it's branches and hear the birds who call it home twittering it about.The tree was planted close to the house -- too close probably, and when the wind blows we hear the

Her Gracenoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17163347.post-1148696128591575412006-05-26T22:10:00.000-04:002006-11-15T19:33:17.616-05:00

"You have a choice, you can eat some of your dinner and have your pudding for dessert OR you can not eat dinner and skip dessert too.""That's not my choice.""What?""My choice is to just eat pudding. That's my choice, Mama. I don't like your choices."

Her Gracenoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17163347.post-1148555773285704322006-05-25T07:05:00.000-04:002006-11-15T19:33:17.366-05:00

Why I Could Never Marry Jack:Jack: I'm going to the store.Me: Are you? I think I'll come too.Jack: No you won't! You're staying here Bethany, and that's final.Me: Jack, I'm coming.Jack: (handing me a gun) Fine. But you walk behind me and watch your step.Why I Could Never Marry Sayid:Me: I think Margaret's mad at me, but she won't say why.Sayid: (getting out his torturer's kit) Invite her over,

Her Gracenoreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17163347.post-1148330998886148452006-05-22T16:06:00.000-04:002006-11-15T19:33:17.208-05:00

Is it wrong that the people who run the ice cream parlor near my home recognize me? And knew just what I was going to order? Even though they hadn't seen me all winter? They probably just recognized the kids. Right? Right? And is it wrong that my high school PE teacher -- who came in with the local high school girl's golf team -- didn't recognize me? Probably has just been too long. Right? (That

Her Gracenoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17163347.post-1148220535201742182006-05-21T09:11:00.000-04:002006-11-15T19:33:17.127-05:00

During my senior year of college one of my dearest male friends from home drove an hour to slip a poem he had written under the door to my apartment. When I read it -- a beautiful ode to a girl he loved (me) -- my heart pounded in my chest, not because I loved him back but because I didn't. At the bottom of the page was a note: Bethany. I wrote this a while ago and wanted you to read it. Call me.

Her Gracenoreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17163347.post-1147905141689700292006-05-17T16:49:00.000-04:002006-11-15T19:33:16.875-05:00

"Are we there yet, Mama?""Not yet, Sass.""What's taking so long?""Just a little bit farther..."A deep sighing comes from the backseat, then:"I just can't take it anymore."An annual rite of spring in our family is the year's inaugural trip to our fantastic local children's zoo. This is where we were headed today.I took Sass the first time when she was 8 months old. She was fascinated by the unique

Her Gracenoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17163347.post-1146627577063582692006-05-02T22:39:00.000-04:002006-11-15T19:33:15.900-05:00

My Sass is a girly-girl. I didn't raise her that way -- at least not intentionally. Oh sure -- she loves to ride her trike and climb (you should see her on a rock climbing wall -- like a little spider!) She makes mud in her sandbox, and builds towers sky-high. We have more balls in this house than we can count and if she can talk you into playing a quick game of catch (or rather a game of throw

Her Gracenoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17163347.post-1146525183718767242006-05-01T18:54:00.000-04:002006-11-15T19:33:15.822-05:00

1) Ask your mom if you can stay up late tonight. 2) When she says no, let gravity take hold and fall limp to the ground. Yell things like, "That's not a deal!" and "I'm not going to bed...no! Never!"3) When you see her going upstairs without you, scream -- and demand to be carried.4) When she offers to hold your hand instead, ignore the fact that she is juggling your sister, pajamas, toothbrushes

Her Gracenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17163347.post-1145725149258773762006-04-22T12:52:00.000-04:002006-11-15T19:33:15.217-05:00

Me to my husband:The dishwasher was on fire today.Fire?Well, smoking anyway.Hmmm.It's working now.That's good. You know, you really need to scrape all the food off the dishes before you put them in.(blank stare)Me to my stepdad:Not much going on here. The dishwasher was smoking this morning, so that was kind of interesting.Smoking?Yep. It's working fine now thought.Do you make sure your dishes

Her Gracenoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17163347.post-1145543598651493252006-04-20T10:27:00.000-04:002006-11-15T19:33:15.067-05:00

Mid-week weigh in: 2 pounds gone. Oh I know --it's a drop in a very large bucket, but it still made me very happy.Yesterday I went for a run with the dog and left the kids home with M. I realize now that I was being way too hard on myself, because it was a good run. Apparently, pushing 20 pounds of stroller and 50 pounds of kid really adds a lot to a workout.The dog and I went about two miles and

Her Gracenoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17163347.post-1145062714444725372006-04-14T20:54:00.000-04:002006-11-15T19:33:14.590-05:00

"I like to climb trees Mama.""You do?" We don't really have any climbable trees in our yard, so I wondered where this was coming from."I do, and I will, I will climb a tree. It's my dream.""Your dream?""It's my dream to climb a tree.""Well then, we better start looking around for a good tree for you to climb.""Yes. It's my dream and I am making my dreams come true."And suddenly I'm humming

Her Gracenoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17163347.post-1144789651642012362006-04-11T17:03:00.000-04:002006-11-15T19:33:14.422-05:00

"So, looking forward to a few days of bachelorhood?""A little bit."(......)"I have to quit asking you questions I don't want an answer to, because that hurt my feelings a little.""What? Did I say that out loud? I just meant...""I know what you meant.""Yeah."All I have to say is that there better not be dishes waiting for me in the sink when I get home.

Her Gracenoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17163347.post-1144196576298855922006-04-04T19:02:00.000-04:002006-11-15T19:33:11.430-05:00

"Could you be pregnant?"Sometimes a question isn't a question. Sometimes it's the universe knocking on your front door.I was in the ER with asthma trouble, and they had done an EKG. It looked a little funky, so they decided to admit me.Chest X-Ray. "Are you pregnant?"Sometimes the universe stops knocking and peeks into the mail slot and maybe even gives a little Yoo-hoo? Anybody home?I remember

Her Gracenoreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17163347.post-1143940206381406052006-04-01T19:24:00.000-05:002006-11-15T19:33:11.173-05:00

Sass has been a bit on the touchy side lately. I'm not sure if it's being three, if it's because she's been sick, or if it has something to do with her sister moving up in the world (and into Sass's personal space.) Whatever the cause, she's been experimenting with expressing herself -- often in less than pleasant ways.Sometimes, she'll talk to me through clenched teeth. "No. Never." She'll say."

Her Gracenoreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17163347.post-1143851371545054322006-03-31T18:30:00.000-05:002006-11-15T19:33:11.072-05:00

5K -- Why do you taunt me?Why do you sit out there in the forefront of my guilty conscience, egging me on? What's it to you if I accomplish you or not? The ticker at the top of this blog is like a neon sign flashing "Loser! Loser!" It calls me out, tells me times a wastin'. It asks me in its loud, unpleasant voice, "What are you doing about it Bethany?"You take one look at my shin splints, my

Her Gracenoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17163347.post-1143731244220643512006-03-30T10:04:00.000-05:002006-11-15T19:33:10.900-05:00

Me: (in a warning tone to Sass, who is doing something she shouldn't and has already received a warning) 1....2.....Sass: Ok, ok, I stopped! (wanders off)M: What happens when you get to 3?Me: I don't know.M: You don't know?Me: She's never let me get that far...

Her Gracenoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17163347.post-1143504669957911122006-03-27T18:51:00.000-05:002006-11-15T19:33:10.737-05:00

On our walk/tricycle ride today, we passed our neighborhood school. Sass saw the playgroud there and raised her eyebrows, so soon we were headed in that direction. This playgroud is known to us as "the big park," because compared to our every-day park, it's...well...big. Designed for 5-12 year olds, Sass's two-year old frame of last season needed help navigating the stairs and ladders, and her

Her Gracenoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17163347.post-1143485822235635072006-03-27T13:51:00.000-05:002006-11-15T19:33:10.658-05:00

This morning, getting ready to go out into the yard:Sass: That's not my coat.Me: I know, it's your spring jacket.Sass: Why is it my spring jacket?Me: Because it's spring.Sass: Why is it spring in my spring jacket?Me: It's nice outside today. No more snow. You don't have to wear your winter coat today.Sass: Oh..spring! Yay springtime! Yay springtime..indeed. Finally. I'm amazed these little

Her Gracenoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17163347.post-1143257751600456692006-03-24T21:28:00.000-05:002006-11-15T19:33:10.214-05:00

M: It's going to be 40 degrees next week.Me: Thank God.M: Almost balmy.Me: Yep, practically summer.Eager to move on from this week's debate, but lacking the brain power to blog about anything of interest, I'll turn to one of my favorite topics: buying things.Party Girl's turning one soon. Oh sure, you'll hear lots from me in the next couple weeks about it. You'll get lots of "

Her Gracenoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17163347.post-1143121640946946872006-03-23T08:24:00.000-05:002007-06-07T15:51:55.802-04:00

I do not like this one so well.All he does is yell, yell, yell.I will not have this one about.When he comes inI put him out.-Dr. Seuss After waking me by climbing on my head, fighting with the other cats, scratching on my dresser mirror, licking my face, and generally causing mayhem, he found himself on a fast track to the basement. He's quiet today, and when he looks at me, I feel like he's

Her Gracenoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17163347.post-1142621748332133572006-03-17T13:50:00.000-05:002006-11-15T19:33:09.382-05:00

"Mommy?""Yes?""Daddy and I got you a birthday present at the store today.""You did? That was nice of you.""It's a surprise." This last part was whispered."Oh, a surprise? I love surprises!""Yes! It's a very special beach blanket and it folds up and we won't get wet when we sit on it when it's summer outside. Will it be summer outside today? Also we didn't get you a birthday card.""Oh, that

Her Gracenoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17163347.post-1142609206583528452006-03-17T10:05:00.000-05:002006-11-15T19:33:09.288-05:00

I've been meaning to do a post on Leslie Sansone's new 5 Mile Advanced Walk. I got a copy of the DVD recently and have been looking forward to using it. It has a 5 mile walk or 3 different three mile walks. Due to shin splints leftover from my ugly run the other day and some general overall slackerhood, I've only done it one time, which is not enough to render my purely unprofessional

Her Gracenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17163347.post-1142470470670054832006-03-15T19:35:00.000-05:002006-11-15T19:33:09.209-05:00

Yesterday, I took the girls shopping for a few new spring things and Sass got a new hat -- a purple, Disney princess, baseball cap -- that she adores.She wore it to the grocery store today, and somewhere between produce and the green olives it slipped from our cart and was lost.Devastation.We back tracked twice and made two trips to the lost and found. Finally, I left our phone number, and we

Her Gracenoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17163347.post-1142352829092574712006-03-14T11:03:00.000-05:002006-11-15T19:33:09.123-05:00

Edited to add: You can find the answer in the comments section today!Courtesy of Holly and Cmhl...Can you guess which one is the lie?1. On a road trip to a concert, I once "hi-jacked" a Ben and Jerry's truck by holding up a sign that said "Give up your ice cream" to the driver as we passed the truck. He pulled of at a rest area and gave us all a free ice cream bar and let us take our picture

Her Gracenoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17163347.post-1142187131253237262006-03-12T12:36:00.000-05:002006-11-15T19:33:09.033-05:00

Spring has sprung in my little corner of the world, so as promised, I strapped on my running shoes and went for my first run.It was ugly, dear Internet. Dirty running, that's what it was. A jiggling, flopping, sweating, lung burning, wheezing mess of a run. My mom will often say to me:"So and so saw you out walking the dog the other day." or "Mrs. Whatsis saw you walking with the girls, she

Her Gracenoreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17163347.post-1142016770449185672006-03-10T13:42:00.000-05:002006-11-15T19:33:08.942-05:00

Trips to the doctor: 3Minutes spent waiting for doctor: 105Number of prescriptions: 3Co-pays, prescriptions, and OTC medications: $100 Number of times noses have been wiped: infiniteNumber of times noses have been wiped on my shirt: infinite plus one (Girls, mommy is not a kleenex. Thank you.)Number of times Party Girl has screeched and thrown herself back in protest of nose wiping: See

Her Gracenoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17163347.post-1141779806527262732006-03-07T19:01:00.000-05:002006-11-15T19:33:08.802-05:00

Remember when I wrote this?A lovely little post about adjusting to life as a family of four, about regaining serenity, and about all my motherly goodness?Yeah.Tonight, serenity hid in the closet and had the nerve to laugh at me when I went looking for her.Party Girl on albuterol is kind of like a bag of marbles. You know, like if you dropped them? And they went in every direction? Like under the

Her Gracenoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17163347.post-1141751532901391772006-03-07T12:11:00.000-05:002006-11-15T19:33:08.730-05:00

Go see Margaret to hear some good news, but put on your dancing shoes first!

Her Gracenoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17163347.post-1141260933392899582006-03-01T19:03:00.000-05:002006-11-15T19:33:07.970-05:00

So, this week, I got the bug to do some redecorating. Maybe I was inspired by Jenn.See, whenever we visit my brother's family or M.'s sister and her family, we always comment on how nice it is that all of their rooms are on one level. The kids scurry off to play, yet are only just around the corner in their rooms. We can hear them and see them quite easily.At our house, our children have

Her Gracenoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17163347.post-1141055875947059602006-02-27T10:51:00.000-05:002006-11-15T19:33:07.739-05:00

Official word from the doc has been gotten: The MRI shows no evidence of MS.Thanks to my favorite MRI technician, I didn't spend the weekend fretting about it, but it was still a relief to hear it "officially."I asked the nurse if the MRI would show if there are other things going on besides MS. She said, "Well, it is a picture of your brain, and there's nothing going on in there."I see.Just a

Her Gracenoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17163347.post-1140919247338226342006-02-25T20:48:00.000-05:002006-11-15T19:33:07.602-05:00

At 10 months old, Party Girl has "uh-oh" mastered.She drops a cookie -- "uh-oh."She throws her pacifier out of the crib -- "uh-oh."She sees a forbidden (but coveted) object that I put out of her reach -- "uh-oh."One morning M. got up with the girls and let me sleep in. He took Party Girl from me and headed down the stairs. She was reluctant to leave her mom behind, and she grabbed her dad's

Her Gracenoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17163347.post-1140576421235984832006-02-21T21:43:00.000-05:002006-11-15T19:33:07.159-05:00

Walking into the kitchen today, carrying Sass, she pats my face and says,"You are such a good mommy, Mama."Ok, yes, I live for comments like that, I do.

Her Gracenoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17163347.post-1140491428951900562006-02-20T21:41:00.000-05:002006-11-15T19:33:07.086-05:00

I really like Leslie. She's enthusiastic. She's encouraging. She talks to her body parts.Every morning as we walk our three miles together she cheers me on and lectures me again and again on the benefits of walking. "Come on feet!" she'll say to her feet and I'll repeat her. "Come on feet!" I crow, as my children look up at me in confusion. "Come on legs!" I sing as I lift my knees." "Go,

Her Gracenoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17163347.post-1140311569731803382006-02-18T20:05:00.000-05:002006-11-15T19:33:06.927-05:00

The other day, Sass and I sat talking at the kitchen table. She's been interested in the fact that she's a girl, but I'm a woman. So I started telling her about how she would grow up someday, and that she might get married to someone like Daddy and have babies of her own, or she might have a wonderful job, ("Or I'll be a princess!" she added, and I agreed that anything is possible.), or whatever

Her Gracenoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17163347.post-1140133836147520772006-02-16T18:22:00.000-05:002006-11-15T19:33:06.856-05:00

So I bought one of those magazines. The ones with an incredibly fit, gorgeous woman on the front with a body that you just dream of having and huge headlines telling you that you too can look like this if you just buy this magazine.I don't usually buy these, because they fall into the category of Old Dieting Habits That Didn't Work. I'd put loads of money into magazines and read them while

Her Gracenoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17163347.post-1140029381626114452006-02-15T13:20:00.000-05:002006-11-15T19:33:06.781-05:00

What Is This?A) A very, very messy table.B) A sign that I never clean up around here.C) A Very Important and Special Art ProjectD) You have no idea.If you guessed C, you are correct! Although A and B would have been very reasonable choices as well.This is, in fact, A Very Important and Special Art Project that is currently on international display in our kitchen. No, it is not a pile of scrap

Her Gracenoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17163347.post-1139967373414232182006-02-14T20:17:00.000-05:002006-11-15T19:33:06.690-05:00

So, I haven't posted in the while. Call it uninspired, call it too busy, you probably call it B-O-R-I-N-G. That's me! In a nutshell!We're scraping the bottom of the barrell around here -- a day late and a dollar short. The dishwasher's broken, the laundry is stacked (heaped) knee high in the laundry room, my blog has looked the same for days, and I just don't feel like doing any of it!The girls

Her Gracenoreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17163347.post-1139542315391024782006-02-09T22:19:00.000-05:002006-11-15T19:33:06.502-05:00

1. It's easier to ask forgiveness than permission. And if you don't feel like asking for forgiveness, then just crawl away as fast as you can. Someone will always catch you, but the joy is in the chase.2. Flirt shamelessly. This will get you endless amounts of attention. However, Mommy doesn't like it when the cart checker with the bad breath at the grocery store gets in our faces, so be

Her Gracenoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17163347.post-1139441834657920782006-02-08T18:33:00.000-05:002006-11-15T19:33:06.346-05:00

From Sass's mouth today:"Thank you for giving that to me, Mama. I really like it. But I really wanted it to go over here, so I'm going to move it now. Next time, you can just put it right here, ok?"

Her Gracenoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17163347.post-1139341520007033532006-02-07T14:30:00.000-05:002006-11-15T19:33:06.243-05:00

I was doing some research on target heart rates and the like this week and came across this (see below). It's loosely based on the Borg scale of perceived exertion during exercise. Level 1: I'm watching TV and eating bon bonsLevel 2: I'm comfortable and could maintain this pace all day longLevel 3: I'm still comfortable, but am breathing a bit harderLevel 4: I'm sweating a little, but feel good

Her Gracenoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17163347.post-1139021760719534942006-02-03T21:08:00.000-05:002007-06-07T15:58:47.782-04:00

"GrrrrrrrbababadadaDAH!" Party Girl growled to our waiter across the table."GrrrrrDAH!" He growled back.Party Girl was enjoying one of the first restaurant visits she's had since she could sit in a high chair on her own. She flirted shamelessly, growled and laughed at nearby patrons, and grumbled "Uh-oh" in her deepest voice as she dropped spoon after spoon on the floor.Then an older gentleman

Her Gracenoreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17163347.post-1138991792031608702006-02-03T13:33:00.000-05:002006-11-15T19:33:06.000-05:00

Just some minor construction going on, a little redecorating. Don your hard hat and feel free to look around anyway.Sorry for the inconvenience.The Management

Her Gracenoreply@blogger.com0