King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters

Christopher Guest only wishes he had faked this documentary before it got made. 

CD of 2007

For the past six years, Ariel and I have put together a CD of the year; compiled mostly of our favorite songs we heard for the first time that year, but they may also include songs that had particular meaning that year - or remind us of something during the year. Here is our list from 2007. If you know us particularly well, you can guess which person contributed which song - sometimes there is great debate over certain songs.

Hard Sun - Eddie Vedder

Radio Nowhere-Bruce Springsteen

I told you I was Trouble-Amy Winehouse

Daughter-Loudon Wainwright

O Valencia-The Decemberists

New Slang-The Shins

House of Cards-Radiohead

Little Boxes-Weeds Theme

Read my Myind-The Killers

The Underdog-The Spoons

All I Need-Radiohead

Wish You Were Here-Pink Floyd

Shut Your Eyes- Snow Patrol

Icky Thump-The White Stripes

"Beware of all activities that require new clothes"

I bought this dress in lilac yesterday - one of my oldest friends, Jocelyn, is getting married, and I am going to be a bridesmaid in May. Jocelyn happens to be the only person that I maintain a friendship with from high school and I am really happy for her. She is another of my friends who I am so inspired to watch her life evolve; she is a Dr. and a Captain in the army. I am very excited about her wedding - I am going to get to go on a little vacation (to Hagerstown, MD), maybe see some friends in NY and enjoy her wedding. I normally get rather nauseated at the prospect of weddings, but I think the outlook is good; she isn't having a bachlorette party, the dress I am buying is not ugly; and having met enough of Jocelyn's family, I have great faith that it is going to be fun.
We took the kids to the zoo yesterday and had an absolute blast with our friends Eric and Laura. It was cold, but sunny, and everyone seemed to be enjoy themselves. Somehow the kids got snowed out of school today, even though there was only about 1/2 inch on the ground. Ariel managed to survive the entire snow day while I wiled away a few hours at work.

6:42

Tonight I am beat. After reading to the kids, I am turning them over to Ar so I can coccoon off and study. And drink diet coke so I can stay semi-comatose. I traumatized the kids a bit today - I recently turned in an assignment with absolute minimal effort put in, and got called on it by my teacher...I was feeling a bit overwrought anyway and started to cry. I don't cry very often and it was very sweet to see the kid's reaction. They were pretty upset to see me crying and Hamda approached me in a wide eyed state looking very worried. Since most of the time they act like I am their major domo, I forget how much they depend upon me to be okay and in charge. I assured them I was okay and they all moved along.
I also visited Shkuri and Isaac's class today to bring chocolate chip cookies. It is really fun to see them in that setting - even at 6 years old they have their own lives and their own world. At least for now, they were thrilled to have me come to class. I chatted with their teacher and Isaac has now completed his first grade reading assignments, and Shkuri is not far behind.
After reading and liking an Ayelet Waldman article I mentioned in a previous blog, I went and read a bunch of articles she had written for Salon.Com. I identified with a lot of what she said. I especially appreciated her summary of her writing themes. She basically writes about what a Mother owes her children...what sacrifices are necessary for a mother to make for her children to do well? What is she allowed to keep for herself and still qualify as a good mother?? I think these are such excellent questions - not just for Mom's but for others to think about.
I also want to highlight a little hurrah to my friend Rene...before she is 30, she is fulfilling what is probably on everyone's life long to do list - running off to live in Marsailles to see if she can make a career and a life for herself there. Life is all about taking chances and leaps. I am so excited for her and can't wait to live a little bit vicariously through her and her experience. Also, to warn her that if she stays I am visiting sooner or later. I won't bring all the kids, though.

To add too much information to my woe is me post; not 20 minutes after finishing the above post we had an incident involving a stomach virus and an only mostly potty trained 3 year old that rivaled the Rota Virus (if you don't know what that is -count yourself very, very lucky) incident of Puerto Vallarta Vacation 2005. In the list of parental duties, body fluids fall strongly on my side (I am a nurse after all), so I broke my studying vigil to clean up (and write this post). Yuck.

No Visual Included

Upon getting out of the shower this morning, Hamda handed me my cell phone and said.."I took a picture of Elias's booty". She then showed me the camera, complete with a picture of Elias mooning the camera. For the record, none of my children have ever seen a movie or t.v. show where someone moons - they came up with it all on their own.

Bad Mom

      I think about being a bad Mom a lot. I especially thought about it today after a conversation with a friend who recently adopted a baby boy who may be the most loved child on the planet. She was driven from a Mommy and Me meeting (her first) today because she admitted she went back to work (for 2 days a week!!) and was met with semi veiled hostility in comments like, "Oh, I cannot imagine how you could possibly leave him at all" and "I haven't yet left my son to go on a date with my husband - and he is two years old". I then read a great column by Ayelet Waldmen (http://bad-mother.blogspot.com/) on the cult of the Bad Mommy (Britney Spears is the current incarnation) and how Mothers are not allowed to be anything but 100%, completely selfless. 

   Maybe it is because I have four kids under the age of seven who will gladly take all I have to give until I am nothing but a stump, or maybe because the feminist in me doesn't like to see women tearing each other apart, but I really, really hate competitive mothering. I think we all know what it looks like - and that it has very little to do with how good a parent we are - but everything to do with wanting to feel like we are a good parent, or at least a better parent then our neighbor.  I know I want assurance that I am doing a good job with my kids and that I will be rewarded with four upstanding neurosurgeons who buy me Mother's Day Cards - but I am not going to get it.  

  Hmmm. There is a good reason that I don't post commentaries on my blogs very often, but I feel a strong sense of outrage at the pressures that fall on moms. The more I let go of my ideals of the kind of parent I should be, the better parenting gets. I kind of want to shout out, I am a Mother - not a Martyr!! And my kids sometimes watch more than an hour of television a day! 

Sushi

Today Ariel and I were supposed to be taking the kids to the zoo, but on Friday a Dr.'s office complained about him working on their building during office hours, so Ariel is forced to work today. I was just planning on hanging out at home with the kids, but Ariel forgot something at home, so we all loaded up on the car, and drove the half hour to his job site. In exchange for the favor, I am going to see Juno with my Mom when he gets back tonight.
On the way home, we went on a wonderful woalk in Steilacoom, one of the most beautiful little towns in Western Washington - as well as home to the State's only mental institution for the criminally insane. I have pretty unpleasant memories of my clinicals there from nursing school. Somehow we managed to get a few hours of bright sunshine as we walked along the bluff above the sound - the Olympic Mountains were out in full force.
Our final stop was at Trader Joes...which I love to go to when we are in the Tacoma area. TJ's did not make their carts or their aisles in mind for people with four children, but I love it all the same. At the moment I am happily munching on their California Rollls and Early Grey Tea. The kids wore themselves out on the walk and have settled in for a movie. They did really good on our whole trip - although it proves to me how old I am, because I cannot fathom how they can spend way over an hour in the car laughing hysterically at fart noises.
It has been very nice to day to just focus on the kids. Yesterday I bunkered down and spent about six hours studying. I have a monstorous cardiac chapter (my least favorite subject) to get through and I managed to get a little ahead of my readings. I have a long to do list for next week; I have to start hacking away at taxes and financial aid forms as well as buy a bridemsaid dress. Ariel will be home tomorrow with the kids.