Posts Tagged: children


12
Jan 12

a lazy woman plans a shower


 


 

9:00 pm: finally got kids to bed, now i can do the laundry, straighten up, pay the bills, and take a shower.

9:59 pm: i’m so tired. i’m going to bed now. i will just get up an hour before i have to wake the girls for school and shower tomorrow.

10:00 pm: set alarm with conviction and pride for 6:00 am for morning shower and pass out.

12:00 am: wake up to pee. look at clock. awesome, i still have 6 hours to sleep before i’m going to get up to shower.

2:00 am: wake up to pee. look at clock. ok, i still have 4 hours to sleep before i have to get up to shower.

4:00 am: wake up to pee. look at clock. oh god. i only have 2 hours to sleep before i have to get up to take a fucking shower.

6:00 am: BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEEEEEEEP.

6:00 am and 1 second: omg, it’s so fucking early. do people really get up this early to bathe every day? it’s still dark out. i don’t really need an entire hour to shower and get ready. i have plenty of time. i’ll just snooze another 10 minutes.

6:10 am: BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEEEEEEEP.

6:10 am and 1 second: i’m sooo tired. why am i still so tired when i went to bed so early? i’m still good on time.  just another 10 minutes.

6:20 am: BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEEEEEEEP.

6:20 am and 1 second: why didn’t i just shower last night? i hate getting up early. i will be like lightening in there. i won’t shave today. another 10 minutes and that’s it.

6:30 am: BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEEEEEEEP.

6:30 am and 1 second: is that rain? yes it’s pouring. i’m not going to do my hair if it’s pouring out. i will wash my hair, but i won’t dry it. it looks ok when i let it air dry. (editor’s note: no it doesn’t. at all) i can do something cute with a barrette or a headband. i can work it. i just need to be clean, not fabulous. another 10 minutes and i can still make it.

6:40 am BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEEEEEEEP.

6:40 am and 1 second: wtf am i going to wear today? i have no work clothes. i need work clothes. and i got fat again. how did i get fat again? i killed myself at the gym all summer. i looked amazing. that’s it: no more carbs. but i’m so sick of worrying about it. i’m not perfect. i’m a 40 year old woman. and i still look pretty damn great. i need to just own it. i will figure it out in another ten minutes…

6:50 am BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEEEEEEEP.

6:50 am and 1 sec: i still have 1o minutes. i can jump in the shower for 5 minutes and get ready as girls are getting ready. shit, i have to make lunches though. fuck it. i clean up nice. this is why they invented dry shampoo – for invalids and lazy people. no, not lazy – tired people. tired women who have too much to do. tired women with curly hair that have to blow it out straight for 40 mins. well, no point in getting up now. might as well just take the last 10 minutes.

7:00 am BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEEEEEEEP.

7:01 am and 1 second: i just have to look clean. no one actually knows i’m a disgusting filthy woman. let those sweet girls have another 10 minutes…

 

i’m unshowered on my facebook fan page too!

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15
Sep 10

chapter 5: the bra police

upon reading the details of a contest on a drink cap and observing the list of prizes was followed by the promise of  “and more,” 9 y/o snorted derisively, “ ‘and more’ is probably valued at a meat loaf.”

6 y/o to 9 y/o discussing the vacation they were going on with their father: “are we going to wisconsin?” “yes.” “maybe we will see my camp counselor – she said she was going there.”

i have promised 9 y/o she can get a kitten when we move (no, i don’t really want one, but it was a moment of weakness due to major divorce guilt), and  knowing what a handful kittens can be, i said i would prefer (like it matters) to adopt an older cat that we know is a lap cat. 9 y/o’s reply: “with a kitten there is no need for a lap cat, it’s a hand cat. cup of coffee in one hand, handcat in the other.”

on one saturday, my only day to sleep late that particular week, 9 y/o arose bright and early and watched tv until her sister and i woke up. when i finally emerged from my room, i asked her if she wanted some breakfast and she said, “no thanks. i ate tortilla chips and i’m full now.”

part 1: 9 y/o woke up and told me she wasn’t feeling well. since, i had to work that day, we had a spirited debate about whether or not she was really sick enough to stay home & necessitate the need for me to call out & lose pay for a day. she told me, “that’s what you signed up for as a parent. you didn’t have to give birth to me if you didn’t want to call out.”

part 2: so, my mother came to watch 9 y/o, so i could work the few meager hours for which i was scheduled and 9 y/o was so grateful, that she said, “if i ever need to take care of grandma, i will take off.”

9 y/o to grandma when she came visit one afternoon, “grandma, did you bring any food?”

9 y/o was loving on her sister and it was so cute, i couldn’t help letting loose a giggle, and she reprimanded me with: “i am trying to have an emotional moment here.”

me: “i just need a few minutes to finish writing this last paragraph.” 9 y/o snidely says to 6 y/o: “c’mon let’s go upstairs so she can finish writing about us.” they will thank me for documenting their childhood when they’re 30.

6 y/o: “would you rather have a mushy squishy tushy or a bony butt?”

6 y/o ” mommy, can you play barbies with us?” me, well i was just doing some work here on the computer right now.” 9 y/o, “oh so, watching tv and drinking wine is work?’

9 y/o discussing barbie’s ride with 6 y/o, “she drives a corvey.”

9 y/o telling me something about “silly bands (the newest overpriced crap fad to hit the grade school set), ” to which i replied in disbelief, “really?” and she said, “yes. i do not lie about silly bands.

this summer, their camp had a “winter in july” day to which the girls had to bring a sled. since it was kind of large, i started to help 9 y/o bring it to the bus. she stopped me and told me she would do it herself. i said, “am i really that embarrassing? “in unison, both girls replied, “yes.” (sigh. et tu 6 year old?

i gave up on tanning in my 20′s even tho i am so white i am almost transparent. upon noticing how pale my legs are, 9 y/o said, “mommy you need a tan, you’re whiter than coraline.”

9 y/o: “there was only one thing about camp i didn’t like this summer: one day the ice cream was only for the CIT’s and i got really mad. i take my ice cream very seriously.”

6 y/o: “mommy, will you go on the tatter totter with me?”

me to 6 y/o at breakfast: “i gave you 6 mini-pancakes and then you asked me for 3 more, so how many did you have altogether?” 6 y/o: “i don’t know. i don’t have math in my head. it’s summer!”

normally, i  strap these puppies down at night, but once in awhile they roam free. one morning, 6 y/o noticed and exclaimed in horror,  “mommy! you are not wearing a bra!” me: “and, why do you care?”  6 y/o, “i am the bra police.”

6 y/o in cereal aisle asking me if she can buy a particular cereal, “mom does this have crap in it?”  i have taught them well.

6 y/o: “mommeeeeeee, come get this spider web.” “it’s not a spider web; it’s a cob web.” “what are cobs?”

my sister & i used to read “the archies” digest comic books when were mere lasses & actually saved them lo’ these many years. 9 year old recently discovered the giant stack of them at her grandmother’s house and is now a fan. that being said, she is collecting the modern day editions. so, i told her to save them for when she is older and she will be glad she did. 6 y/o said, “yeah, so she can sell them online.” to which, i laughed heartily. in response to my amusement,  9 y/o said, “she is following in your footsteps.

9 y/o came home from school the other day most distressed upon learning a classmate has a heart condition & is not allowed to eat any chocolate. she said, “it’s the saddest thing i have ever heard.”

6 y/o heard the word chocolate and came over to investigate. when she learned there was, in fact, no actual chocolate, she said, “there is no chocolate here. i’m bored, ” and promptly walked away.

6 y/o saw my sister’s stretched belly (she is 6 months pregnant with twins) and said, “what happened to her bikini button?”

9 y/o had some dry skin on her face and i told her i would give her some lotion to put on it. upon hearing this she said, “yes, i need some for sensible skin.” chuckling, i said, “i  think you mean sensitive.

me to 9 y/o getting a snack to eat while watching tv: “don’t eat that on the couch!” 9 y/o, “i know the drill.”

while waiting for the bus one morning, the girls and i noticed the neighbors were having their roof replaced. the guys were yelling back and forth which prompted 9 y/o to say, “that may be the first conversation, i have ever heard on someone’s roof.”

me to 6 y/o struggling with a task: “can i help you with that, so it doesn’t take so long?”  she replied, “no, i like to be independent,”  which, of course, made me giggle. she then said, “i just knew you were going to laugh, somehow.”

i had caught a terrible cold from the girls recently and was struggling with the decision to drag myself into work or take a sick day. 9 y/o said, “go ahead, take the day off.”

9 y/o was making her belly button “sing.” she said, “it’s belly button karaoke.”

the girls are very interested in my sister’s pregnancy and have a basic understanding of how the babies grow. the other day, my  9 y/o asked me about the enchilada attached to the baby. i thought for a moment and realizing what she meant, said, “it’s called a placenta.” she replied, “enchilada, quesadilla, placenta. whatever”

i questioned if something 9 y/o said was really true, and she replied, “i swear on my cupcake.”

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3
Jun 10

trainer boobs: part 3

9 year old: “mommy, when you die can i have those earrings great grandma gave you?” me: “umm, sure.” 6 year old: “can i have your sesame street t-shirts, then?”

9 year old told me a story about being with a friend who put some candy in her pocket at a store without paying for it and she said the girl “knew better.” she then continued to tell me that she was displeased with being in that situation and proclaimed, “she can have fun with me, but legally.”

9 year got new glasses today. she put them on & then immediately belted out, “i can see clearly now…”

in the process of packing up the house, the girls discovered several bags of unopened halloween candy i had stashed away for next year (yeah – that’s right, i have no issue handing out stale candy). 9 year old  said with the heartbreaking look of betrayal only a child can portray, “how could you have kept this a secret?”

it occurs to me that while i write about them, i keep telling the girls to leave me alone so i can write about them.

9 year old after arguing with grandmother about heating up leftover pizza: “i do like this pizza warm.” grandmother: “i know. you’re just used to eating everything cold.” me: “ouch.”

my sister is pregnant with twins about which the girls are very excited. there has been much speculation between them as to if it will be 2 girls, 2 boys, or a “set.” should it be “one of each,” 9 year said, “i call the girl.”

me: “after you finish your homework, please clean up your room.” 6 year old: “i can’t – i have other plans for after my homework is done.”

6 year old: “my friend said that her bus driver gives them ice pops in the summer & hot chocolate in the winter. ” me: “i’m not sure the bus driver would do that since so many kids have food allergies.” 9 year old: “no, they can’t. eating is strictly prohibited on the bus. it says so.”

6 year old was trying to wiggle her most recent loose tooth out and i said,  “i am not sure the tooth fairy is prepared for a tooth to fall out tonight.” then 9 year old said: “well. maybe she can give her something homemade – with a paperclip.”

6 year old after overhearing her father on the phone with a client: “daddy, why do you need so many chairs?” father: “what do you mean?” 6 year old: “you said on the phone you needed 2000 chairs.” father (a stockbroker): “that’s shares.”

i painted my nails pink the other night of which my 9 year old took notice and remarked, “it’s been years since i saw anything but a french on your nails.”

9 year old announced, “i am only using this shirt for pajamas from now on. it makes me look like i have boobs.” me: “i thought you wanted boobs -you are completely obsessed with getting them.” 9 y/o: “i am but i want them at the regular age. this shirt makes me looks like i have trainer boobs.”

9 y/o discussing her little crush: “we are meant for each other: we both hate ketchup, we both like honey mustard, we both hate crusts, and we both lie for no reason.”

9 y/o noticing the compact florescent bulbs in the outdoor fixtures: “oh, you used those curly-q light bulbs. now people will know you are green-system.”

grandmother to 6 y/o: “you’re really good at art. you should take lessons. ” 6 y/o “if i’m so good why do i need lessons?”

9 y/o: “something came to my attention.” me: “what’s that.” 9 y/o: “my belly button is all crusty.”

me to 9 y/o: “i can’t believe you’re going to be a fifth grader.” 9 y/o “yeah and then i’ll be middle school. i’ll be shaving in a few years.”

9 y/o: “photo shoot” with grandma’s cat: “now, give me naughty kitty.”

me on phone with 9 y/o: “is the plumber still there?” 9 y/o: ” yes, and i saw his crack.”

9 y/o: “he had a quack in his voice” me: “what?????” 9 y/o: “you know the saying ‘a frog in your throat?’ well, he had a quack.”

our californian cousins came to visit us during memorial day weekend. between the 3 of us we have 5 girls ranging from 15 months to almost 10 years old. hilarity and much squealing ensued:

our cousins got into town late, so we went to their hotel room to visit with them a bit before bedtime. the girls were all so excited to see each other that they got slightly rambunctious. so, i said we all needed to be quiet because people might be sleeping in the other rooms and my 9 year old backed me up by saying, “yeah, you’ll wake the elderly.”

after a particularly messy day with her cousins that involved barefoot activities, 9 year old proclaimed she needed a shower to wash her “blackened feet.” 6 year old asked if she could go in the shower with her and i said it was up to her sister, to which 9 year replied, “sure. God Bless her if she wants to go in with me.”

9 year old needed to take the toothbrush her grandmother keeps at her house for a spontaneous overnight at the hotel with her cousins and when her grandmother said it was no problem, she then said to grandma, “will you be a dear and get it for me?”

my cousin took his daughter & my 9 year old into The Big Apple one of the days to do all sorts of fun things. one of the stops was Dylan’s Candy Bar where my cuz asked her if they should bring back a tequilla lollipop for me as a joke. without skipping a beat she replied, “my mommy likes vodka.”

after dinner with the cousins one night at my mother’s house, we ignored our kids, while three of the girls played in my mother’s large walk in closet and we could hear that they were getting quite rowdy. cuz & i glanced over our wine glasses at my mother to see if we should intervene and she just said, “not my kids.” and we both replied, “not my closet.”

after a day filled with sugar, grandma brought out the cupcakes. 9 year old noticing my displeasure said, “grandma makes trouble.”

at great adventure we all went to the restroom but somehow became separated from my mom and sister and they ended up in different parts of the park after the pit stop. my group wondered how this was so & concluded my mom & sis must have exited the rest rooms a different way than we did, to which 9 year old said, “well, with them, it’s the blind leading the blind.”

my cuz needed to entertain his daughter one day when my girls were with their dad & i was at work. after brainstorming several activities, he chose a local water park i had suggested. i had warned him that the element of people that frequented that particular establishment were a bit “white trashy” and i was sure the carnies, themselves, must go there on vacation. when he came back & i asked him what he thought, he told me, “well, it wasn’t blue collar, it was orange jumpsuit.”

while eating dinner at the park my sister felt something cold on her arm. apparently,  our adorable 3 year cousin decided to rest her cheesestick upon it, to which our aunt, their nana, said, “honey, please don’t put your food on people.”

and adults say funny things too:

i texted my pal that she should google ShaToBu.com – it’s a calorie burning undergarment for chicks. she texted me back: “is that that whacky japanese animation porn? i had roomate who watched it and he was a pig.” i literally LOLed when i read that!

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14
May 10

the circle of bullshit

i asked verizon if they have an “unlimited bitching plan.” they do, but it gets routed through india, and i only bitch domestically because, even though it’s cheaper, i can’t stand the offshore delay.

is it wrong to nap during a playdate – at your house?

i immediately dislike men who give women the fish handshake. don’t be an asshole & break my hand, but give me a real handshake & show me some R-E-S-P-E-C-T, dammit.

i have found a cure for the common cold: take 2 vodkas & sleep late in the morning.

what is it about the sound of children snoring that is so delightful? oh yah, it means they are finally sleeping.

how many times is it acceptable to wear a bra before washing it? do they really get dirty?

90% of the time i don’t wear undies to work because when i bend down they stick out of these damn low waist-ed jeans. now, i show so much crack, i am in danger of being transferred to the plumbing department.

i’m not bitter – just sweet n’ sour.

i haven’t gained weight -  i’m bloated.

a quick perusal of my dvr menu will reveal that i watch far more cartoons than shows with real people.

there is a saying: your toad, is a prince to another. so, maybe if you leave him in a pond in the middle of a forest, some stupid princess will take him home with her and then you can ride off into the sunset…alone.

ladies, please wax. don’t bleach. it’s still a mustache even if it’s blond.

i am instituting a tampon exchange program called Code Red. here is how it works: any woman can walk up to any other woman anywhere and just say “Code Red” which is universal for “i need a tampon, stat!” it’s like the take a penny, leave a penny dish but it’s need a tampon, give a tampon. imagine the implications for facilitating peace and clean pants globally.

i am tired of hearing people from other countries & states proclaim that everything where they are from is better. really? is it? because here’s a newsflash: we didn’t invite you. see if they will take you & the rest of the assholes back.

my children make unreasonable demands and threats and throw fits when they don’t get what they want, but i told them i don’t negotiate with terrorists.

i know a man who wears a bad toupee with a baseball cap over it every day. i just can not wrap my head around it. is the toupee receding? doesn’t his head sweat doubly? that is a vanity rivaled only by anal bleaching, imo.

cats: the chosen pet of co-dependents – you love them because they hate you.

i am considering having only one eyebrow tattooed raised because i just can’t  master the muscle control to do that on my own.

i think a manic episode here and there can be very productive.

a friend remarked that when people say they have to quit drinking for awhile, she finds it worrisome. i told her that’s i why i have never said i would quit.

people frequently tell me i look like patricia heaton. i am never sure if it’s a compliment or an insult.

an oft overlooked bennie of divorce is the fact that you no longer have to pretend to like your in-laws.

jesus turned water into wine but i can turn a bad husband or a crying child into a vodka tonic.

once i stayed over my mother’s house and came down with a severe case of the runs and had no choice but to violate federal law and use chlorox cleanups in a manner inconsistent with their labeling…

parenting is not a democracy, it’s a monarchy; and i am the queen.

when people of color come into the store, i give them extremely exceptional customer service – it’s a weird reverse racism, but i want them to walk away thinking, “white people aren’t so bad, after all.”

so far the divorce is the the biggest fight we have ever had during the marriage..

all of the experiences in my life have led me to be the person i am today: a huge bitch.

if wine is the nectar of the gods, then vodka is the juice of the mortals.

quitting the gym has actually unexpectedly relieved me of a lot of guilt: the guilt of not going was far worse than the guilt of not working out at all.

the average marriage lasts 7 yrs. the average jail term is 5; but, you can get out of jail early for good behavior.

when people say i am a bitch, i am flattered. it means i am doing a great  job of pissing off the right people.

youth may be wasted on the young , but middle age ain’t no prize. and since i just saw a man wearing a “senior olympics” t-shirt, i am now even more terrified of old age, although it does involve some sweet discounts.

i hate hitting bottom – the bottom of the bottle.

so, i considered having my teeth professionally bleached until the hygienist told me i would have to avoid coffee & red wine afterward. well, that was a very short consultation.

having kids means never you will never have to be alone again- in the bathroom.

hey! the 1980′s called and kit wants his car alarm back.  the rest of us couldn’t give a rat’s ass if its beeping.

i did that no carb diet – until lunch. now, i just follow this food pyramid:

so my daughter wanted to know what the “c-word” is. i considered telling her that it’s her father’s pet name for me since the divorce.

dr. gggb says: one nostril continually running is far more annoying than both being stuffed up.

having a litter box in your home is like having a toilet you never flush.

it has been said that if we all sat around in a circle and put our bullshit in the middle, everyone would keep their own crap. this may be true, but i would still like the opportunity for a bullshit swap meet.

grape juice is really just wine with training wheels.

substitutes i have used for milk in my morning coffee when the milk in my fridge has curdled: vanilla yogurt, powdered milk, yo baby yogurt drink, hot chocolate mix, powdered milk from 1974, whip cream, mini marshmallows, cool whip, vanilla ice cream, sour cream with sugar, powdered sugar, carnation instant breakfast, and anything powdery or white that when mixed with water resembles milk. it would behoove me to learn to drink it black – i hear you never go back after that anyway…

i never realized the true depths of my need for validation & approval until i started a fb fan page. 100th fan gets a pony…

make mine extra dirty, please.

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10
May 10

file it under gggb

from the i am getting too old for this files:

i have been out with my pre-tween girls on more than one occasion when i clucked disapprovingly at what “teenage girls are wearing these days. it’s just disgraceful that their mothers allow that.” pictures from my high school years would reveal that i dressed like one of those tramps myself.

no matter how routine she knows it is, and despite her seemingly huge annoyance with it, any woman over 30 will always be secretly thrilled to be carded.

at 2 am there is nothing sadder than a drunk, over-botoxed, orange spray tanned, too skinny, bleached blond cougar in spandex with new tits on an old body alone at the bar for last call waiting for someone (anyone) to take her home for a mercy fuck. i am going to retire early from the singles’ scene before i can be described as doing even just one of those things (well, except for drunk).

from the that will ruin your day files:

upon sitting in the pedi chair for a relaxing treat after a long hard week, the tiny asian bitch looked at my gut and most likely trying to make conversation said, “you have baby?” i said, “no, apparently i gained some weight since i was here last, but thanks for noticing.” consequently,  she was quiet for the rest of the time which was nice because i always hate when they talk to me anyway.

while purchasing tickets for a movie, my mother asked for the senior discount. the vacuous 18 year old behind the counter then turned to me & asked if i would like the senior price too. at first i wanted to cry, but then i thought, “what the hell?” a discount is a discount.

from the hangover files:

i decided i must make a clean break from dirty martinis.

my liver can’t recover  like it used to. in college i could party as late as i wanted for as many nights as i wanted, pop 2 tylenols before bed & resume all of my daily activities. now if i want to binge drink for even one night, i need to plan for a week of recovery.

a friend remarked, “when people say they have to quit drinking, it makes me nervous.” i told her that’s why i never quit.

from the beauty files:

i decided i won’t  torture myself anymore to lose that last 5 (10) pounds because i realized there is no way you’re gonna get these perky 32DD’s (which are real AND spectacular) on a 5’0 frame without a little extra padding elsewhere.

my mom was never high maintenance (none of us have any idea how she raised me) but she did impart some valuable knowledge that has allowed me to preserve my glowing youth so successfully: 1. it is never too early to start using eye cream. 2. stay the fuck out of the sun especially when you are fair & have skin the thickness of filo dough.

it is not advisable to wear new fuck me heels in which you are unaccustomed to walking after a fresh pedi, because when you fall off them & twist your ankle, you will indubitably scratch up the fresh polish.

after a full day of personal maintenance, it occurred to me that i was all groomed up with no one to fuck.

i quit the gym, but it’s okay because i have some new behaviors in place: 1. i am going to jog to the fridge. 2. i will hide my remote & manually change the channels on the tv. and 3. i will put diet soda in my vodka.

from the lost poetry files:

roses are red.
violets are blue.
it’s been so long since i got laid,
that my legs i no longer shave.

from the irritable bowel syndrome files:

at dinner my pal thought her phone was vibrating, but she realized it was just her intestines.

after a long day or full evening of holding in my gas, i love when i am finally in my car alone and can let loose, but i am concerned my intense flatulence is obliterating the new car smell.

i often wonder what would happen if farts had a color and differed in color according to intensity of stank. kind of like the national state of emergency chart of color level for terrorist activity but for methane intensity. i think we would have no choice but to deem farting socially acceptable. except you might cross the street if you saw someone blow a dark green cloud knowing it was going to be especially foul.

the smaller the girl, the bigger the farts.

you ever think its safe to freely fart in an empty room at work and then someone walks in after you did? they have to know it’s you. no one else is in there.

you know your gas is intense, when you have to roll down the window.

you know you are in a solid relationship when you can lean to one side & lift a cheek and let it all out.

from the random musings files:

why is that i can instantly get most anything delivered to my house except for what i really need? vodka.

so, since i started writing, i can’t simply have conversations anymore or participate in any aspect of my life without wondering if its blogworthy and surreptitiously taking notes on my phone. to be fair, i tell people, “i am so using that in my blog.”

i tried to quit coffee but the withdrawal was so intense i didn’t want to live. plus i was tired and confused all the time. if i owned a drug company, i would develop a caffeine patch or a gum for those trying to quit or who just need a steady delivery system of caffeine to make it through the day. (hey merck, this is a freebie.)

being in bumper to bumper traffic has a domino effect: the guy in front of you moves up 2 millimeters, then you do, and down the line it goes. sometimes when sitting at a traffic light i will notice a space between me & another car that i can either ignore or move up few inches. i usually choose to move up because there is a delicious sense of power in knowing i just set off a major chain of cause & effect for all those poor slobs behind me. i am the traffic queen!

some commercials are so intentionally cheesy i can not imagine that the advertiser even thinks they are good. i figure that the production budget was so low, they advertiser just didn’t give a shit as long as the product was on tv.

i think we need to buy products on infommercials that will “save us so much time” because we wasted all that time watching said infommercials. they are just sooooo fucking long.

why was it when we were in high school (last century) the kids in the band & drama club were usually considered to be giant dorks, but as adults, musicians & actors are some of the most revered people in our society? same is true for the computer nerds whom we now worship when they fix our technology.

there is one good week for women in a month and that is the week immediately after the last day of her period when all of her jeans fit. the rest of the month she is either getting it or has it.

there are now studies extolling the virtues of eating chocolate, taking naps, drinking wine, having orgasms every day, laughing, and limiting hard core exercise. it can’t be long until we find out being a bitch is good for you too.

i think the reason bad weather is so infuriating is that there is no one specific on which to lay blame. you can bitch all you want, but you can’t do shit to change it. weather is the one thing we as humans will never be able to control & that simultaneously freaks us out & pisses us off.

i spent mother’s day with my mom & sister at my friend’s house with her boyfriend’s family for an hour before she came home. when she finally  walked in, i told her i was about to text her: “10 more minutes and this becomes a blog post.”

i am all about having a sense of humor and i really don’t understand how someone can lack one. when i run into a humorless person, it immediately becomes my personal challenge to make them laugh and walk away with a smile. i have a warped need for approval.

from the parenting files:

your child’s entire sex education & knowledge of profanity occurs not from your well thought out talks, but from riding that damn bus back & forth to school every day. that is what happens when you put fifth graders & first graders on the bus together. sound travels up from “the back.”

a woman is always most fertile right after losing that last bit of baby weight.

i don’t know why that no matter what my kids ask me to do, my first response is always to want to say no.

i hate hosting playdates, going to birthday parties, and basically anything  that requires dealing with other peoples’ children but does not involve booze at the same time.

happy hour used to mean going drinking after work with friends. now it’s that one hour after the kids finally go to bed when i think about drinking but fall asleep before i find the vodka bottle.

god, my kids are perfect, brilliant, well -behaved angels…i have never loved them so much as when they’re sleeping.

my friend had to get off the phone with me the other day because, as she put it “she had to bathe the bitches.” see, we all agree that we adore our children, but we are kinda over the mommy thing.

sometimes i overhear my 9 year old  & her friends complaining about me or saying i am mean after i get annoyed with them for asking me for something every 10 minutes and i think “why, you little ungrateful bitches.” then i think, good, i don’t want these fucking princesses to come back here anyway. what happened to the good old days when you were afraid of your friend’s parents and avoided them as much as possible?

from the files of i wish i said this:

i heard a comedian remark that marriage was like the stockholme syndrome. having been there & done that, i must say this is brilliantly true.

from the fashion police files:

i have noticed that generally, most heavy, slovenly dressed, unattractive women, carry the most expensive designer purses. it must be because you don’t have to be thin to wear a purse or even look in the mirror to try it on.

why is it that thin women have more modesty than the big girls? it seems the fatter the woman, the tighter the pants & shorter the top.

men revere summer as a time when women run around half naked to beat the heat. i dread it as the time of year when my retinas are burned by being forced against my will to see far more exposed bodily hair & flab than i could ever have imagined existed. some people need not to dress seasonally appropriately.

from the break-up files:

i realized it’s not the boyfriend i miss so much, it’s the 24/7 texting i have a hard time living without.

i won’t exactly be out on the street after my divorce, but my lifestyle will change significantly. it’s kind of a “riches to rags to story.”

in the process of leasing a new car a few months ago, i discovered going to car dealerships is far better than going to singles’ bars.

when i think about dating again, i refer to that old addage about many fish in the sea, but then a friend said, “same ones keep getting thrown back in the pond.” so i decided to buy the club pack of AAA’s.

from the working girl files:

if he is cute, it’s flirting. if he’s not, it’s sexual harassment.

now that i’m working again (for pay), i am one lazy bitch on my day off  – no more guilt about napping immediately after the school bus leaves.

from the sex files:

a woman scorned will undoubtedly make at least 1 of these 3 revelations immediately after the break-up: 1. he had a tiny penis. 2. she faked ALL the orgasms. 3. he was terrible in bed.

how we know when it’s really over as summed up by a fellow gggb: “my vagina is dry for him.”

i have a vibrator that is so good, that i don’t scream, “oh god.” i scream, “i don’t need a
man.”

women try to rationalize sleeping with a married man by saying, “if it’s not me, it will be someone else.” while that may indeed be true,  i say, let it be someone else, girl.

men have turned online dating sights into a free prostitution ring. keep that in mind, ladies.

once in awhile i get lonely & think i need a man in my life, but then i get some fresh batteries and in 60 seconds, i am over it.

masturbation, by it’s very definition, is a solo act. so let’s agree that i won’t bother to pretend to jerk you off and you don’t have to hold the vibrator.

in case you were wondering: it is possible to burn out the motor on a vibrator.

faking orgasms is like eating potato chips: you can’t stop at just one.

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4
Apr 10

The Frozen Kid

hey folks! it’s time for the first (of most likely many) gratuitous “my kids say the derndest thangs” post. i share not only because are my kids are totally hysterical without even trying, but writing this kind of post is just too cheap and easy to resist. so without further justification, i bring you some bits from the stand up act i enjoy in my domestic comedy club on a daily basis. the two drink minimum is optional but i comply (strictly as a courtesy to the house).

we were watching a full house episode in which michelle had been given a “time out:”

9 yr old: “who makes a kid sit in a chair facing the wall?”

me: “well, it’s an old show, you know from the 80′s.”

9 yr old: “oh. the 80′s. well, they didn’t have accurate ways of disciplining kids back then.”

6 yr old: “mommy what color do you dye your hair?”

me: ” i don’t dye my hair yet. i don’t get grays. i guess i’m not that old, huh?”

6 yr old:  “that doesn’t mean you’re not old. ”

6 yr old giggling: “my teacher told us today we had to use a number two pencil for the tests. a NUMBER TWO!”

me: “umm. well, there really is such a thing.”

6 yr old: “come on, mommy. a number two pencil? that’s just silly”

9 yr old helping 6 yr old with homework: “i am a teacher in training. a T. I. T.”

me: “yah, that’s great, but let’s call it something else.”

9 yr old: “why? did i say a bad word?”

me: “yes. but it’s ok, you didn’t know.”

9 yr old: “well, that is why i need to know all the bad words, mom: so i don’t use them by accident. ”

6yr old: ” well, i know the H.A. word.”

me: “the H. A. word? i am not sure what you mean by that.”

6 yr old: “daddy says it all the time when he’s driving.”

me: “really? what is it?”

6 yr whispering in my ear, “Head Ass.”

me: “what???”

6 yr old still whispering, “daddy always says to the other drivers, ‘get your Head out of your Ass.’ Head Ass.”

me: “ohhh. the H. A. word.”

we eat out a lot and i find it so frustrating to constantly waste money on ordering food the kids insist they want & promise to eat but end up not doing so time after time. this particular night my oldest daughter demanded an order of eda mame which usually go uneaten. we argued back & forth resulting in my agreement to place the order with this caveat: “if you don’t eat them, then you will have to pay me back for them.” a completely ridiculous comment made out of frustration that caused my sister to snicker behind her menu. so the eda mames arrive & my daughter starts shoveling them in like it’s her last meal, and i say “why are you eating like that?”  to which she replied,” if i don’t finish these you are going to charge me for them!”

9 yr old: “i have an on/off relationship with crusts.”

me to 9 yr old during power outtage: “stop freaking out your sister.” 9 year old, “i’m not. i just froked myself out.”

my kids came home from their respective valentine’s day parties at school this year, with all kinds of crap about which dentists have nightmares. they sat down to a candy buffet while i was in the other room. when i returned, i came back to see they were cutting fun dip with pixie stix sugar. i guess fun dip has a higher street value?  this has to be how addiction starts…

little sister to big sister: “i am going to kick your butt at this game” and then proceeds to literally kick her in the butt. big sister to little sister: “that’s a saying, it doesn’t mean you actually do it!”

9 year old: “mom do, i have to go to [6yr old sister's] gymnastics with you? i hate sitting there for an hour smelling feet.”

my mother was telling me about a class she took at a local community college about carmen, the opera. suddenly, my 6 yr old pipes up and says authoritatively, “grandma , it is not opera, it’s Oprah!”

my 9 year old likes to order a turkey sandwich at our local deli. she also likes to order for herself. so, she asked the waitress for german dressing on the side. the waitress looked at me quizzically, i looked back at her just as confused, and then at the same moment we both realized: she wanted russian dressing.

9 yr old: “why does she [6 yr old sister]  get so excited when my friends come over?”

me: “dunno. it’s like how dogs get excited when they see you”

9 yr old: “well, at least, she doesn’t pee on the floor.”

6 yr old upon losing her second bottom tooth: “but i can’t whistle.” me: “could you whistle before your tooth fell out?” 6 yr old: “no.”

at my mom’s house for dinner one night: she fed the girls and then made one of my childhood staples, “franks and beans,” for me. upon learning such, both girls replied in horror: “no mommy! major gas tonight. it’s  gonna smell in our room.” a few hours later, my stomach was rumbling & an earthquake was about to roar through my intestines. so, i told to my oldest that she was right about the dinner entree- it probably wasn’t such a good idea,  and she said, ” mommy, it’s franks or beans. not both.”

9 yr old: “can i take my ice cream to the tv room?”

me: “no. sit with us and eat so we can all be together.”

grandmother: “tell us your thoughts. are you thinking about anything?”

9 yr old: “yes. i’m thinking that i really want to watch tv.”

grandmother: “do you want me to defrost something for breakfast or make some fresh pancakes?”

9 yr old: “why would i have frozen when i can have fresh? mommy defrosts everything. i am The Frozen Kid.”

9 yr old: “i really want a kitten. so i can raise it until it gets big.”

6 yr old: “don’t you think that will be a lot of work?”

9 yr old: “yes, but it will be worth it for that bundle of joy.”

5 minutes into a rousing game of “who can be quiet the longest” while in the car late-ish one night, 9 year old asks, “can we talk now? not talking makes me nauseous.”

for some reason known only to my dvr, it taped all of one week’s simpsons episodes in spanish. upon hearing me remark how odd that was, 9 year old says, “maybe it’s hispanic week.”

one night i was having a hard time getting the 6yr old to bed. helpful 9 yr old starts making bribes to her sister that i don’t want to have to make good on at a later time.  i say to well-meaning older daughter, “just stop.” “stop what?” “stop having ideas.” my sister just looked at me with a smirk and instantly realizing how ridiculous my statement was, i  said to her, “you know people are always writing funny things kids say, but really they should be writing about stupid things parents say to their kids.”

hey! if you enjoy the blog, become a fan of swv on facebook!

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14
Mar 10

monsoon watch 2010

so i knew the weather was crappy when i left at 8:30 am for my very first day of work yesterday (which i promise to tell you about in my next post), but since i don’t smoke, i used my breaks to pee; and i had no idea just how bad the storm got during the day and that cows were flying through the parking lot by 3:45. always happens when i pay no attention to the local “accu-weather forecast.” but never mind that, i needed to eat. my search for food only yielded uprooted trees and downed power lines which meant most of the roads were closed. when i got home by 4:30, i was starving & the garage door opener was not working which meant one thing: the power was out.

the girls were already home and pounced on me like cats on a drowning rat. it was clear they needed entertainment and there is nothing like a power outtage to show you how pathetically dependent you are on electricity for such:

let’s watch tv: can’t

let’s listen to music: can’t

let’s watch our shows on dvr: can’t

let’s surf the net: can’t

let’s watch a movie: can’t

let’s make some microwave popcorn: can’t

let’s play light brite: can’t

let’s do perler beads: can’t (no iron. “but, i can melt them together with the lighter for you.” “umm, no thanks mom. that’s alright.”)

you know nothing electric works but the habits are so ingrained, that we can’t stop trying: i must have flipped the switch in the bathroom 10 times before i realized i was just going to have to suck it up & pee in the dark. we complained incessantly about the lack of power until we got sick of listening to ourselves and imagined how much it would suck to be amish. then nightfall was upon us and we had to get provisions. we gathered all the candles we could find, the torch lighter, the emergency flashlight, all the batteries from the toys, and every single overpriced flashlight collected from all those kid’s shows i suffered through. who ever would have thought those would actually be useful one day: go forth elmo, dora, & wiggles car: light yonder way to the board games…

we gathered all the board games we could find: don’t tip the waiter, candyland, perfection, superfection, chutes & ladders, boggle, mastermind, spill & spell, & blokus. there is a reason these games are called, “bored.” because they fucking are.  you try showing children who have lived with technology their entire lives how much fun it is to figure out if a mastermind peg is yellow or white using a dim flashlight or if the square on the candyland card is blue or green by the light of a shabbat candle. and it turns out a 6 yr old is just as sore a loser when you kick her ass at memory in the dark as she is in the light. after 30 minutes, we blew through all the games and were once again whining how bored we were. “mom, will you play with me?” “you want me to play more? ummm, is your DS battery charged?”  i started to consider an early bed time. “you’re sure you’re not tired yet?” “no, mom. it’s 6:45.”  i began to wonder if tylenol pm came in children’s doses.

there really is just nothing to do when the power is out. my oldest said, “we can’t even cook.” to which i wholeheartedly agreed, not reminding her a.) that the range is gas and b.) like i ever cook anyway. “here’s a box of black out cereal, kids. enjoy.” i couldn’t use my cell because i had 1 bar left and no way to charge it. i was getting desperate – i wasn’t far from sitting in my car  in the middle of a monsoon to charge it off the battery. i couldn’t text. i had no one to have sex with (that would kill 20 minutes at least). nor sext. there was only one thing left to do: pour a tall one.

finally we all settled into my bed (i with drink in hand, girls with crumbly snacks) and decided to read by flashlight and candle light. i was down to six votives and the large shivah candle i got when my dad passed away. i carried it around the house like jack who jumped over the candlestick which is probably not what the rabbi had in mind when he gave it to me, but i know my dad would find that hysterical. i was praying the remaining votives would last long enough for me to finish my book – like the oil during that first chanukah. it’s a power outtage miracle. i had only enough candles for 1 hour, but they lasted 8! finally, i decided to power off the computer to save whatever juice was left and make my blog notes with an actual pen and  paper, rather than on my new LG (which has already been totally marred despite my very recent promises to treasure it). last to shut down was said cell phone which was a very traumatic separation. one electronic device at a time i was admitting defeat and decided to go to bed when the last votive flame flickered out. it was actually quite romantic with all the candlelight in my room, but i had 2 roomates and no batteries left…

and all that time you are essentially stranded in your own house, you are thinking to yourself, “they will have it fixed soon.” we put all of our faith in this faceless “they,” but really, we have no idea. it’s just like religion. we fervently believe in something we have no proof will come to pass. and 14 hours into zero power, i imagined “they” said “fuck it. we’re soaked. we can fix it in the morning.”

in summation, i learned a few things about myself from the loss of power:

1. i would not handle solitary confinement very well.

2. i can not raise children without the aid of television.

3. i am electricity’s little bitch and i like it that way.

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7
Sep 09

i am mother. hear me slack.

tush

a few confessions from my diary of motherhood:

1. when playing interminable, yet fascinating games with my kids like candy land,  i slip the winning card in the pile for them to pick on their next turn when they aren’t looking so the game can end.

2. 90% of shows recording on my dvr are cartoons…that i watch.

3. when doing my kids’ laundry, if the clothes look clean, i.e., no obvious signs of dirt or stains, i fold them up & put them back in their rooms.

4.due to over-squeezing, my kids have forbade me from further tushy grabbing. so to get my fix, much the same way people ask, can i pet your dog?”, i will ask if i can squeeze your child’s tush.

5. i consider microwave popcorn or chips & salsa perfectly acceptable dinner choices.

6. since my first baby was born, i have redefined my personal hygiene. the new standards are quite lax.

7. several famous people i would love to meet are actually cartoon characters.

8. i have spiked my water bottle. many times.

9. during any given week, i do not brush my teeth 4 out of 7 mornings or 3 out of 7 nights.

10. sometimes i pretend not to hear my kids fighting or calling for me.

11. i have turned the heels of the bread inside out & used them to make school lunch.

12. many times when something seems to have been lost, i have previously disposed of it & then vehemently denied such.

13. sometimes i watch the disney channel at the gym..by choice.

14. i don’t dust anything above my eye level. at 5’0, this allows me a wide berth.

15. sometimes, i eat the school snacks before the kids even knew they were brought home from the supermarket.

16. i secretly hope they won’t finish their mac ‘n cheese/chicken nuggets/pizza so i can eat the leftovers.

17. to facilitate getting ready in the morning, i will pretend i don’t know they didn’t brush their teeth or hair.

18. i once instituted a sticker chart for myself. it was a great success.

19. my 5 yr old does a spot on dr. zoidberg impression.

20. i think phineas & ferb is the most brilliant cartoon ever created.

21. i have convinced my kids that posing for pictures & smiling dammit at any given time i demand, is what they owe me for giving them life.

22. when the girls refuse to clean up their stuff, i grab a garbage bag and tell them i will do it myself. this always gets immediate results.

23. some nights i am so tired, i ask my 8 yr old to read me a story.

24. i love those 2 girls more than anything in the entire world and i marvel at their intelligence & beauty.

25. i had no idea how much my parents did for me, nor did i appreciate any of it until i had my own kids.

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28
Jun 09

firefly, firefly, fly away home…

 

 

 

i don’t know why i was so surprised to see the fireflies last night. i’m sure they have been out already without my noticing them. but it caught me off guard because they reminded me of my dad, of whom, i think about every minute of every day anyway.

when i was a little girl, okay young girl, smart-asses, my dad and i spent many a summer’s night catching fireflies and collecting them in jars. something about the way they lit up fascinated me. i just loved to see the tiny lights sparkling against the black summer sky. but more than anything, i loved that time alone with my pops. we would sit in the darkness together while he imparted his pearls of wisdom to me (“susanne, pearls, these are pearls, i’m giving you”) punctuated with my cries of, “hey there’s one, dad! did you see it?!”

it was always the same routine: after dinner, i would beg my mom to prematurely dump the contents out of a jar and wash it out for me. then i would trot off to my find my dad and drag him out to his “workshop” in the garage where he would punch air-holes in the metal lid. we would ceremoniously gather grass, leaves, and twigs to recreate the firefly’s natural habitat. once satisfied with the authenticity of the insect lodgings, we would run around for what seemed like hours gently catching the unsuspecting innocents in our cupped palms and then gingerly placing them in the jar. when i say gingerly, i mean stuffing them in the jar before they could escape my sticky 8 year old grip. when it was finally time for bed, and probably a shower, i would bring the jar into my room and set it beside my bed so i could watch the bright creatures glow until i happily drifted off to sleep. in the morning, after my father left for work, i would bring the jar outside and emancipate the critters, so we could start all over again that night.

to this day i am still thrilled when what i call “firefly season” begins and sad when it ends. sad not only, because these mini magical creatures are gone for another year, but because it signifies the end of the carefree days of summer and reminds me of a simpler time in my life. a simpler time i yearn to recapture.

so what i realized, is that we spend so much time, effort, and money trying to create the perfect memories for our children. we take them on lavish vacations or try to document every moment of their lives with every media imaginable, but what really matters is the small stuff. its so cliche, but so unshakably true. children don’t really want things (as much as they demand them), they really want our love and our undivided attention. the time spent together doing simple things is what matters most to the people in our lives. now that i no longer have my dad around, i am grateful for the memories i have of time spent with him, not the things he bought me or places he took me. just the simple time when i walked in the house and upon seeing me he said “what’s up susie, girl?” i would give up any amount of material possessions to hear that just once again because the unabashed, generous giving of himself, was my father’s greatest gift to me.

scientists tell us the reason fireflies light up their miniscule rear-ends is to signal a mate and to communicate with each other, but they really signaled me to pull out another sweet memory of my best friend from the recesses of my hippocampus. because even though his things remain with us, they are just things in the end. it’s the memories i have of him that comfort me and remind me that we did have a rich life together even if it the time was too short. to know the time we spent together was full and truly enjoyed.

so, please, keep lighting the way little ones, we can all use some extra light in the darkest of our nights.

Firefly, Firefly, Fly Away Home...
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