tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21521607Wed, 29 May 2013 21:04:12 +0000Suburban EdenOysterFestHome ImprovementNot My First Time at the Toddler RodeoInsanityCulinariaFUNemploymentmusicLaissez-Faire LivingKnittingMiddleburyBloggingNostalgiaThe Carpet BagRealLifeRomanceNovelHilarityBaby on BoardWedding FunTravelRamblingsLinksProject 365GMTDP'06Knight ErrantWritingRantCakeiTroublesFriends and FamilyPugsBooksThe real life adventures of one nanny, her husband, child, dogs, house, and whatever else crosses her path.http://rubysu87.blogspot.com/noreply@blogger.com (Cameron)Blogger620125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21521607.post-125708721175724365Fri, 04 Jun 2010 16:53:00 +00002010-06-04T12:59:27.888-04:00BloggingI'm moving.Just my internets address. Don't be alarmed.From now on, you can find me athttp://moveovermarypoppins.wordpress.comThis blog will stay live for a good long time, as I have some tweaking to do on the new site which will require this one stays put, but starting today, all new content will be over there.http://rubysu87.blogspot.com/2010/06/drumroll-please.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Cameron)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21521607.post-5191817708579653929Thu, 03 Jun 2010 12:43:00 +00002010-06-03T10:45:43.079-04:00Laissez-Faire LivingSuburban EdenLast fall, my Mom took Felix to her local garden store to pick out his Halloween Pumpkin.Yes. I know he's wearing the fire helmet backwards. He wasn't yet two. So?So, when I asked him if he wanted to cut out a face for his jack-o-lantern, he looked at me as though I'd suggested lopping off one of his limbs."I don't WANT you to cut it!" he yelled, indignant.Needless to say, we didn't have a http://rubysu87.blogspot.com/2010/06/great-pumpkin-or-good-things-come-from.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Cameron)6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21521607.post-7406356132018702968Wed, 02 Jun 2010 13:15:00 +00002010-06-02T09:19:01.952-04:00CulinariaSuburban EdenHome ImprovementI planted my first vegetable garden this summer. It is very likely that it's an overly ambitious first garden. I'm not good at reining myself in when it comes to new hobbies. I have four different types of tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, pole beans, English peas, yellow squash, carrots, pumpkins, and lettuce and a full complement of herbs in containers (except the cilantro, which arrived later thanhttp://rubysu87.blogspot.com/2010/06/suburban-eden.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Cameron)6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21521607.post-6890356709811003563Tue, 01 Jun 2010 21:02:00 +00002010-06-01T17:06:06.147-04:00Not My First Time at the Toddler RodeoThat post? Lost forever in the swampy gray bits of my brain...So, to celebrate the albeit murky, thunderstormy first day of June, I give you cuteness in turtle jammies and sparkly flipflips!You're all very welcome!http://rubysu87.blogspot.com/2010/06/i-swear-i-had-legitimate-post-for-today.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Cameron)6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21521607.post-5165829542319742206Mon, 31 May 2010 13:46:00 +00002010-05-31T10:43:00.926-04:00Not My First Time at the Toddler RodeoTravelYesterday, we spent the day playing tourist in Cambridge and Boston, which is ironic, since we used to live and work there, and were somewhat mocking of the tourists. Turnabout is fair play and all that, I'm sure we were mocked at some point. I'm okay with that.I can't speak for Mark, but when I used to mock tourists, is was the gentle mocking reserved for family, because yes, they might be http://rubysu87.blogspot.com/2010/05/pancakes-wind-turbines-audiokinetics.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Cameron)2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21521607.post-4738408002077952299Sun, 30 May 2010 00:29:00 +00002010-05-29T21:33:23.069-04:00RamblingsPugsKarma is coming to get me. But before it does, thanks to CaneWife of Three Pugs and a Baby for inspiring the title.A few nights ago I evicted five juvenile rabbits from their nest. In my defense it was a foot from Felix's sandbox. They are known carriers of parasites, disease and deer ticks. They are an obvious threat to my burgeoning vegetable garden.Their huge damp eyes and shivering paws as http://rubysu87.blogspot.com/2010/05/eviction-of-fluffeh-bunnehs.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Cameron)4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21521607.post-6798925723810097761Fri, 28 May 2010 18:20:00 +00002010-05-28T19:07:26.077-04:00Friends and FamilyEvery spring, usually sometime between Mother's Day and Memorial Day, my Mom plants flowers at her mother's grave. Growing up, I often accompanied her. I would fetch water and help with the planting. My maternal grandmother passed away before I was born, so those trips helped me to forge a connection with her memory. She loved hyacinths, something I know from asking Mom about the engraving on herhttp://rubysu87.blogspot.com/2010/05/memorial-day.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Cameron)2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21521607.post-3092624199711410427Thu, 27 May 2010 22:40:00 +00002010-05-27T19:21:53.464-04:00The Carpet BagFUNemploymentJust when I was really gearing up for a summer of FUNemployment opportunities, a crazy thing happened.I got a job!I know, right? I'm going to have to change the text in my "About Me" widget.I'm going to start in two weeks nannying for a new family. We'll call them the Concords. They have two kids. Felix will be able to come to work with me. One of the perks is that we get to ease our way into thehttp://rubysu87.blogspot.com/2010/05/job.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Cameron)6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21521607.post-600150368706520374Tue, 25 May 2010 17:12:00 +00002010-05-25T13:28:01.589-04:00WritingBloggingI have a whole lot of nothing to post about. Usually, when that's the case, I don't post. Of course, I've built up some momentum again in terms of posting regularly, and I like that. I've been at this for more than four years, and I think the five friends who initially read it are still with me. And then there are the couple people I don't even know who read here. Whoa.It's like a miracle, http://rubysu87.blogspot.com/2010/05/clicking-publish.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Cameron)6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21521607.post-8954450081018708290Sat, 22 May 2010 22:50:00 +00002010-05-22T23:06:54.049-04:00Not My First Time at the Toddler RodeoI don't know about other mothers of toddlers/preschoolers out there, but when I'm with Felix, I don't have a lot of privacy. He likes to "help" when I go to the bathroom, which means handing me toilet paper and flushing the toilet for me. He keeps me company while I dress. He follows me pretty much everywhere.This has also been the case with the three toddlers who preceded him. I tell people I http://rubysu87.blogspot.com/2010/05/mama-do-you-need-this-one.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Cameron)5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21521607.post-2300599821783582241Fri, 21 May 2010 13:10:00 +00002010-05-21T09:11:20.093-04:00NostalgiaFriends and FamilyReunion2010-066Originally uploaded by Worcester Academy Alumni HouseI've blogged about my 15th Reunion in terms of my personal goals, but I neglected to mention what a truly wonderful time I had.Isn't it funny, at reunions, how you first see someone and you think, "Wow, they look so different!" Then five minutes later they're exactly the same as they were in high school? The bond, the love, http://rubysu87.blogspot.com/2010/05/15-years.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Cameron)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21521607.post-11069501945675519Fri, 21 May 2010 02:57:00 +00002010-05-20T23:35:55.972-04:00Not My First Time at the Toddler RodeoHome ImprovementLast Friday we made the transition from crib to bed, and I was, to say the least, apprehensive. I underestimated my little munchkin, not to mention my own parenting skills. I know how to transition. I've been there before, and the the tee shirt is old, stained, and holey.He took to it beautifully, even "helped" the delivery guys set it up (and by "helped," I mean he played with his GeoTraks on http://rubysu87.blogspot.com/2010/05/big-boy-bed.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Cameron)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21521607.post-8793761387679612968Wed, 19 May 2010 00:00:00 +00002010-05-18T20:10:42.454-04:00Knight ErrantI was talking with (okay, emailing with, but let's not split hairs) my Weight Watchers buddy today, and she told me a story about her doctor that got me thinking.As part of this whole love-my-body, self-care trip I'm on, I've been trying to go back and pinpoint when, and more importantly, why my relationship with food and my body image went wrong. It's a multifaceted issue, not one easily http://rubysu87.blogspot.com/2010/05/doctors-word.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Cameron)12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21521607.post-8203588088145364000Tue, 18 May 2010 12:57:00 +00002010-05-18T08:57:00.329-04:00CulinariaDinner on Sunday was so good, I just had to share.To begin with, I borrowed this grilled brussells sprouts recipe from Lex at It's another blag on the intertruck. Yum, and fat free. Ironically, I'm trying to add a little olive oil into my days, since healthy fats are, you know, actually good for you. So, I added 2 teaspoons of olive oil in with the spices, after the microwave "blanching."The http://rubysu87.blogspot.com/2010/05/mustard-pistachio-crusted-mahi-mahi.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Cameron)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21521607.post-892135100210769398Mon, 17 May 2010 10:56:00 +00002010-05-17T12:43:35.552-04:00Not My First Time at the Toddler RodeoHilarityDue to the constant remodeling of our house, my husband's line of work, and the frightening grasp my 2 year old has on words, Felix can label a fair amount of carpentry and home improvement items that you don't find on Handy Manny.So, we're in Home Depot yesterday, buying tomato seedlings, cages, seeds, peat pots, stakes for marking deck footings, citronella torches for the backyard, and http://rubysu87.blogspot.com/2010/05/homonymous.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Cameron)14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21521607.post-3365952007950954541Sun, 16 May 2010 13:10:00 +00002010-05-16T09:45:01.723-04:00PugsInsanityA recent chat on Twitter revealed that our Maurice is not the only Pug who screams.Seriously. He screams. Like he's being stabbed.We're treated to this twice a day when it's feeding time, and then anytime we're riding in the car and we arrive. He screams to get out of the car.It gets me a lot of funny looks at the dog park.What does that woman do to her dog. Sheeesh. Someone call animal control..http://rubysu87.blogspot.com/2010/05/screaming-breakfast-pug.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Cameron)8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21521607.post-1856715271472592051Fri, 14 May 2010 02:02:00 +00002010-05-13T22:51:29.809-04:00Baby on BoardHome ImprovementWith all the home improvement posts I've done, I've never really posted much about the nursery. I am so very proud of it, too. I only realized this while I was mentally shuffling furniture around for his Big Boy Bed, which arrives tomorrow.I thought, Wow. I should take some pictures of the nursery before it's gone.My baby's not so much a baby anymore.When we were expecting, I thought about the http://rubysu87.blogspot.com/2010/05/felixs-nursery-with-bonus-video.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Cameron)6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21521607.post-3239895609866562636Tue, 11 May 2010 12:05:00 +00002010-05-11T09:24:26.493-04:00PugsInsanityThe new bed lasted eight days.Eight. Days.They got mad at me for leaving them home after putting on my rain boots (which they associate with the muddy dog park--though that was not where I went on that occasion), and they shredded the zipper, leaving the batting exposed, vulnerable to further tomfoolery.They're sleeping peacefully on it as we speak. The exposed, unzipped bits have been sprayed http://rubysu87.blogspot.com/2010/05/dog-beds-my-own-personal-brand-of.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Cameron)2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21521607.post-1724077736238972475Mon, 10 May 2010 18:18:00 +00002010-05-10T23:36:35.928-04:00Knight ErrantI've tagged all my weight and body image posts with "Knight Errant" since I first broached the topic. I think that it's because I see myself, wandering through different attempts to work though my difficulties with food and eating and fitness, always wanting to prove that I am worth my ideal body, but ultimately not loving myself enough to follow through.from Wikipedia:A knight-errant (plural: http://rubysu87.blogspot.com/2010/05/knight-errant-just-as-i-am.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Cameron)4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21521607.post-8838423551193822763Fri, 07 May 2010 11:43:00 +00002010-05-07T07:43:00.631-04:00Not My First Time at the Toddler RodeoThe Carpet BagRantLet me start with this question: Who could resist a hug from this kid?A few salient points: I nannied for the same kids over 10 years. Felix was with me for nearly 2 of those years. Mrs. Boss's Mother never really cared for how I did things, and was never more than cordial and often less than polite to me, and worse, dismissive toward my toddler. She stole my job in a well-played caregiver coup http://rubysu87.blogspot.com/2010/05/hugs-non-receivable.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Cameron)7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21521607.post-8900059634601325591Thu, 06 May 2010 15:03:00 +00002010-05-06T16:20:56.804-04:00Not My First Time at the Toddler RodeoNostalgiaThe Carpet BagDid you know it's Marine Week in Boston? If so, you're one up on me.I drove into the city last night with Felix to see Big Brother J play Little League baseball, and to give Felix the opportunity to run around with O. The weather was scrumptious, the traffic awful, everything that is familiar about Boston in spring.What shocked me was coming up out of the parking garage under the Common to see http://rubysu87.blogspot.com/2010/05/you-can-visit-but-you-cant-go-back.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Cameron)3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21521607.post-3926700530413270641Mon, 03 May 2010 19:45:00 +00002010-05-03T16:04:33.598-04:00Not My First Time at the Toddler RodeoI fired up Blogger Dashboard this morning feeling al kinds of post-y (postal? no... that's wrong), but then life happened. Felix wanted yogurt for breakfast. Okay. He only likes lemon and vanilla yogurt, so I ask him which one."What kind of yogurt, sweet pea?""Reg-ler kind,""Which flavor is regular?" I ask. I am foolish sometimes, despite this not being my first time at the toddler rodeo."Reg-LERhttp://rubysu87.blogspot.com/2010/05/blog-post-interrupted-breakfast-tale.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Cameron)5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21521607.post-4401468469383588450Mon, 26 Apr 2010 16:39:00 +00002010-04-26T16:39:01.694-04:00Baby on BoardWe live in a hotbed of suburban activity. Within five miles in every direction there are stores, malls, restaurants, schools, playgrounds, reservoirs, train tracks, MEMA, a fire station, library, hospital... and on and on.While I might pine for someplace a little more rural, Felix, at 2 1/2, thinks we live in Paradise itself. For instance, yesterday there was a medical emergency two doors down, http://rubysu87.blogspot.com/2010/04/byoo-ah-ful-train.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Cameron)5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21521607.post-835820737452854628Sun, 25 Apr 2010 12:48:00 +00002010-04-25T09:27:59.892-04:00PugsInsanityI grew up with dogs, always in pairs. My parents had two dogs before they had kids. Golden retrievers dominated my childhood, though my Mom had an Irish Setter while I was in high school and college, and now they have a Golden and a mixed breed shelter dog. So, you know, big dogs. With hair. And licking. And all the other stuff dogs do.I lived in apartments until Mark and I bought the house five http://rubysu87.blogspot.com/2010/04/dog-beds-my-own-personal-brand-of.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Cameron)4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21521607.post-106598464084061696Sat, 24 Apr 2010 13:00:00 +00002010-04-24T09:00:03.968-04:00WritingRealLifeRomanceNovelThis one speaks for itself, I think.She was researching on her computer, trying desperately to avoid procrastinating through social media. The work light over her desk cast long shadows across the kitchen. Her little dog slept near her feet, snoring a counterpoint to her breathing in the late evening stillness.He was maybe twenty five feet away from her, engrossed in the evening news. The http://rubysu87.blogspot.com/2010/04/real-life-romance-novel-late-night_24.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Cameron)1