tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-67416232009-11-09T23:13:02.157-05:00MimilouMusings on parenting, books, and whatever flotsam floats to the surface of my mind.Suzannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17358441701832129130noreply@blogger.comBlogger567125This is an XML content feed. It is intended to be viewed in a newsreader or syndicated to another site, subject to copyright and fair use.tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6741623.post-43142259426025006092009-05-12T18:35:00.003-04:002009-05-12T18:58:39.966-04:00Attention SpanYou might think, given my usual child-centric content, that this post is going to be about how one of my kids can't seem to focus on anything for more than a few minutes before being distracted.A reasonable assumption, especially because....Wait, is that a fly buzzing around the kitchen? And wait a sec, I need to check my e-mail.Umm, where was I?Oh, yes, posting. About short Suzannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17358441701832129130noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6741623.post-16714703486231863962009-05-07T16:29:00.004-04:002009-05-07T17:04:27.138-04:00Lordy, Lordy, Look Who's...Twenty-five. I know that's not quite how the saying goes, but the number that does rhyme has connotations I'm just not up to embracing right now.So, it appears that I haven't posted since, umm, February. Which means I've missed the chance for a timely post not only ignoring lamenting celebrating my birthday but also acknowledging my blog's fifth anniversary.Five years! Suzannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17358441701832129130noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6741623.post-26553727611750401522009-02-04T11:18:00.002-05:002009-02-04T11:30:11.534-05:00Job InsecurityThe economic news is grim. With rounds and rounds of layoffs announced daily, it seems that everyone currently employed should be taking steps to work harder, smarter, whatever it takes to protect his or her job. Rookie mistakes should be avoided at all costs.Someone needs to remind the Tooth Fairy that even she is not immune from losing her job because of substandard Suzannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17358441701832129130noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6741623.post-13448237106951789632009-01-13T10:28:00.002-05:002009-01-13T10:33:13.632-05:00Music to My EarsAllie was watching me play Scrabulous, or whatever its latest incarnation is called."Oh, Mommy, you're playing that word game again! I LOVE this game.""Really? Why's that?""Because it's filled with letters, and letters make up words, and I just love words!"Ah, the sweet sound of validation.Suzannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17358441701832129130noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6741623.post-62406709320396367012009-01-08T09:25:00.002-05:002009-01-08T09:49:35.215-05:00Yawn, Stretch, Try to Come to Life ...*Although in January that might be asking too much. So, hi, how are you? I've been feeling like the blogosphere wraith lately -- not posting, not commenting, just ... hovering, I guess.I don't have much to report from my 2 months of silence. Christmas was great, Sean did not wail in abject disappointment over the fact that Santa didn't bring him a DS system Suzannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17358441701832129130noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6741623.post-46813495103061382092008-11-19T20:10:00.003-05:002008-11-19T20:16:14.666-05:00Thanks, I ThinkAllie was twirling around in her room. It's one of the many, many tactics she deploys to delay the bedtime process. Tonight there was sing-song commentary as well: "Mommy, you are so nice and sweet and appropriate!"At least someone has finally noticed.Suzannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17358441701832129130noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6741623.post-3056395689245764832008-11-11T18:06:00.002-05:002008-11-11T18:30:49.723-05:00Thank a VetToday Sean's school had a Veterans Day assembly. The first graders sang a song that Sean's been practicing for a few weeks now (sample lyrics: "If you love your country thank a vet"), the high school's ROTC showed the students how to fold a flag, the mayor popped by -- Sean was very impressed.He came home filled with questions about veterans, and soldiers (he's a little unclear on the Suzannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17358441701832129130noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6741623.post-56630656914091630402008-11-05T07:44:00.003-05:002008-11-05T07:45:47.346-05:00Yes, We DidI never thought I'd have tears of joy in my eyes after a presidential election.Suzannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17358441701832129130noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6741623.post-64985613869698526072008-11-02T23:45:00.003-05:002008-11-02T23:48:08.414-05:00Boo '08This year's Halloween was brought to you by three-sizes-too-big ruby slippers that will take you back to Kansas, but only if you can keep them on your feet.and by George Lucas, purveyor of the franchise that will never ever die, apparently.Suzannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17358441701832129130noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6741623.post-15659371705054102402008-10-22T09:57:00.002-04:002008-10-22T10:08:29.665-04:00My Son the SmugglerThis morning Sean asked if he could take his T-ball portrait and team picture to school. "I need to show them to my friends," he explained.I nixed the idea because Sean is not what you'd call careful. I hate to be a killjoy, but I like those pictures and don't particularly trust that they'd return home unmangled.Case closed, or so I thought.As we were hustling out the door (Do Suzannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17358441701832129130noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6741623.post-7846481377348096692008-10-18T20:58:00.002-04:002008-10-18T21:59:12.649-04:00Cowardice(This was inspired by Aliki's post about a reunion with a friend from high school. I'd wanted to write about this over the summer, but self-recrimination is a mighty foe, apparently.)In early August I got a call from an old high school friend. We're no longer close, but she is in the periphery of my life because she is good friends with Jeff's brother. A call from her is most unusual.SheSuzannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17358441701832129130noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6741623.post-77928349018812730232008-09-28T12:47:00.002-04:002008-09-28T13:07:35.727-04:00Return to SenderI'd been tucking little notes into Sean's lunchbox. "I love you," "I hope you're having a good day," that sort of thing.After I'd done that for about a week without any reaction from the addressee, it came up in a conversation about why Sean wasn't finishing his lunch. I knew the real reason -- my son is an incurable chatterbox -- but I hinted at another explanation."I know!" I Suzannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17358441701832129130noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6741623.post-14145270884084623862008-09-24T13:09:00.003-04:002008-09-24T13:36:27.658-04:00Yes, I Know It's Almost the End of SeptemberIn my continued neglect of my blog, I am guilty of unfair and unbalanced photo representation for the first day of school, female edition.Here's my girl 2 weeks ago, about to embark on her first five-days-a-week school year:She's attending a transitional kindergarten program this year, five afternoons a week. I've come to peace with the fact that she Suzannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17358441701832129130noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6741623.post-14061865813605388302008-09-05T14:53:00.003-04:002008-09-05T15:09:46.849-04:00Yes, Another One in the Recent Spate of First-Day-of-First-Grade PostsWahhh!Where did my kindergartner go?Sean started first grade yesterday. Today is his first full day of school ever. After soothing a distraught Allison, who realized that she'd be spending an entire day without her best friend, I found that this morning was business as usual. Around noon, though, I started getting a bit twitchySuzannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17358441701832129130noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6741623.post-25084025814353619392008-08-22T09:47:00.003-04:002008-08-22T14:05:40.570-04:00Just One Late Book Away from the HoosegowDid you hear about the woman who was arrested for $30 in unpaid library fines?Under a more unforgiving municipal regime, that certainly could have been me. I have this unfortunate tendency to a) check out a lot of books at one time (for the kids, but still) and b) forget when they're due.I do get a receipt with all the due dates. And if I remember, I do Suzannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17358441701832129130noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6741623.post-34365392081645603062008-08-15T08:16:00.002-04:002008-08-15T08:19:30.456-04:00MonopolyI JUST found out the most remarkable news.Did you know that there are actually other athletes besides Michael Phelps competing at the summer Olympics?No, seriously. In fact, there could be, like, hundreds of them.How about that.Suzannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17358441701832129130noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6741623.post-608634987347892442008-08-12T10:45:00.002-04:002008-08-12T11:10:59.487-04:00The Grouchy EditorI'd call this the first in a series of posts about grammar and punctuation and usage mistakes that annoy me, but I know better.We'll be lucky if there's a part 2, let alone a series.And with that disclaimer, let's rock and roll.We could also say, although I wouldn't, let's rock 'n' roll.What we should never say? Let's rock n' roll.Or rock 'n roll.We need a lovely matching set ofSuzannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17358441701832129130noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6741623.post-78402622877170465472008-08-06T13:55:00.005-04:002008-08-06T14:07:31.922-04:00Narrow VocabularyI've seen this very cool image on several blogs but only recently found out that my sister's colleague created the Wordle site. Hey, I thought, I have a nicely varied vocabulary. The Wordlet for my blog will surely reflect that.Apparently not. See the prominence given to "Barbie" and "TV"? If you see me randomly tossing about words like "perambulate" and "quotidian" and "NPR" inSuzannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17358441701832129130noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6741623.post-86264666622162612492008-08-04T11:26:00.004-04:002008-08-04T11:40:06.729-04:00Project Runway, Here I ComeSuch was my guilt over Allie's accident (she's all better now -- thanks for the kind words!) that I may actually have agreed to a trip to Target for a toy of her choice.And I may actually have agreed to uphold this agreement when it became obvious that "her choice" was to be found residing in the *gulp* Barbie aisle.Friends, I bought my daughter a Barbie.And not just Suzannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17358441701832129130noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6741623.post-19122466176522136362008-07-21T17:12:00.003-04:002008-07-21T18:12:10.193-04:00Pride Goeth after the FallLet's see, let's see, what was it about last Thursday that was so exciting?The fact that Sean decided the best way to rid himself of sand from the sandbox at the pool was simply to discard his bathing suit while strolling across the pool grounds en route to the showers? No, that's not it, although I believe I had to be resuscitated after I died of embarrassment.The fact Suzannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17358441701832129130noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6741623.post-84136902371642799762008-06-19T20:36:00.004-04:002008-06-19T21:19:54.406-04:00Getting Long in the ToothThree unrelated events that emphasize my rapid aging and/or increasing irrelevance.I sent my very first text message a few weeks ago. The (boring) context: Jeff was supposed to be joining his siblings and me at the movies. He wound up missing the beginning of the movie and decided to see a slightly later showing. He texted me about his location, indicating that he had Suzannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17358441701832129130noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6741623.post-40132477494770406142008-05-30T15:36:00.002-04:002008-05-30T15:54:08.385-04:00Big Plastic BubbleWhat's your approach to your kids' activities at someone else's house when you're not present? This is a new experience for us, and I have to tell you that my discomfort level has risen considerably as of late.When it comes to TV viewing, I'm one of those PBS-(and, okay, Disney)-or-die kind of parents. I set pretty firm TV and computer limits. We don't have any video game Suzannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17358441701832129130noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6741623.post-29816764975814132702008-05-17T21:28:00.002-04:002008-05-17T21:32:38.517-04:00May 1996Twelve years seems like both a lifetime and an eyeblink.Happy anniversary, my love.Suzannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17358441701832129130noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6741623.post-79031300070890441442008-05-05T12:40:00.004-04:002008-05-05T16:20:27.240-04:00Teacher's PetSean's had a terrific kindergarten experience so far. In large part I attribute this to his teacher, who is everything I'd hoped for: she's enthusiastic, caring, creative, empathetic, kind ...Sean just adores her.If I hadn't surmised that already, a few recent comments would have clued me in.It started with Sean's telling me a few weeks ago he wanted to send his teacher a Christmas Suzannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17358441701832129130noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6741623.post-35049335957968935282008-04-27T13:36:00.002-04:002008-04-27T13:41:38.991-04:00Spelling Does CountAttention World!My name is Suzanne.Let me spell it. S U Z A N N ELet's try pronouncing it, shall we?sOO-zan'Here's what my name is not:SusanWhich is spelled S U S A NAnd is pronouncedsOO'zunTWO DIFFERENT NAMES WITH DIFFERENT SPELLINGS AND PRONUNCIATIONS.Not the same name. So when I give you my name, and even spell it for you, what should I hear and/or see?Suzanne.Not Suzannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17358441701832129130noreply@blogger.com