Author Archives: allstarme

Writer’s Workshop – Oh, I lost it alright

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4.) The last thing you lost.

I wasn’t going to pick this one but it’s appropriate today.

Though I was a good kid, I was pretty damn impatient. I don’t remember being that way but I do remember my parents telling me to have patience. Somehow I have managed to pas that onto my oldest son.

And the last thing I lost was my patience, with him. And I do this often, because it’s like he just doesn’t hear me or he’s incapable of change. I KNOW he’s only five (soon to be six in August). Maybe my expectations are too high. Am I wrong in thinking that he shouldn’t give up his spoon and start eating his yogurt with his fingers because he thinks it’s funny? He whines that he never gets so and so, which is obviously not true and he’s in a bad, negative mood. I find it very hard to enact the ignore method when he’s being that way because I see myself in there, so I want him to change that.

By nature, I am quick to anger and I am finding it especially hard to reign that in with my kids. How do you guys do it? How do you remain even-keeled even when what they do is sometimes so infuriating? I don’t want to be my father, who was always yelling and exasperated but I get it honest. I have to be the one to make the change.

I can’t lose my patience anymore.

WWTK – Get away from it all

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–RULES–

1. Please follow both of the hosts: Myself and Kenzie

2. Include the super cute button in your post (grab the code above)

3. Link-up and spread the word

4. Don’t forget to have fun!

Answer these as best you can:

–QUESTIONS–

1.) How connected are you to your phone? Do you always have it on you?

2.) Would you be able to be away from your computer for an entire week?

3.) If you had to get rid of one of the following, which would it be and why? Cell phone, computer, or TV?

4.) Do you think you could ever live “off the grid”?

5.) Tell us about a time you disconnected from technology/the world and how you dealt with it. Was it good or bad?

–ANSWERS–

1.) Yes, I am pretty connected to it, however, I am not afraid to let it ring and go to voicemail. I got my first cell phone in 1998 and phased out a landline in 2001 so I am pretty used to it being my only mode of communication. The new smart phones are pretty much tiny computers so the fact that it does everything sort of forces me to have it with me all the time.

2.) If it weren’t for ongoing online teaching, I would totally give up the comp for a week. I don’t think I’d miss anything.

3.) I’m going to say cell phone, believe it or not. I still like having TV. perhaps it’s a generational thing because I asked my freshman this same question and their answers was unanimously TV.

4.) I watched this documentary about a small island off the coast near Vancouver and about 80 people live off the grid in homes they constructed. They barter. Their entire system revolves around self-reliance… and solar panels. Sure, a few leave for a day here and there and go buy things but for the most part, they’re totally on their own. I think I would get used to it. I’d need to have that one last straw that pushed me to abandon life as I know it and go that direction. I would probably end up really liking the freedom though.

5.) Whenever Ash and I take our weekend beach vacations, I don’t bring my laptop and I try not to call anyone (I have my phone in case something goes wrong with the kids). I’m totally happy fr a few days away from all that we’re tethered to.



Random (Talk to us) Tuesday – Learning to Adapt

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Stacy

Seriously Shawn

Wassup wassup? Happy Tuesday!

  • Though I wasn’t a full-season viewer, I did catch a few episodes and Sunday’s night’s finale of The Celebrity Apprentice. I was glad Trace won but honestly, I would have been happy for Penn as well. It’s a fun show to watch, considering I don’t have many shows.
  • I had a Dr. Who dream last night and I don’t really much watch it. I pop in now and then but I always forget because it’s Saturday night. But yeah, we were travelling in the Tardis and for some reason, just as I said how much I trust that form of travel, it malfunctioned and we dropped from space. And I think we landed in Paris. Weird, right?
  • Remember when I complained about the guy at Dunkin’ Donuts who ALWAYS got my drink wrong? I mean, if I order an ICED VANILLA latte with NO SPLENDA, why does he give me a hot regular latte? Anyway, I haven’t seen him in a good two weeks and I’m hoping he’s on a, uh, permanent vacation.
  • Our A/C – brand new as of June 12th of last year – is having issues. Grumble grumble. It can’t seem to cool to 78 during the heat of the day. We thought it might be time to replace the filter but I’m pretty sure that only affects input, not output.
  • I woke up this morning thinking I hadn’t felt Baby Girl move in a while – she usually kicks every time I turn over at night – but wait… there she is. I was kind of slow to start today so maybe she was too.
  • Trying a new recipe tonight: going to grill corn on the cob in the husk. I watched some youtube videos about it last night. Isn’t it crazy how we teach ourselves these days?
  • I’m eating yogurt with fruit and granola this morning and it is so good. I don’t know what it is but I get in these ruts where all I want is X food (for a long time there it was some kind of egg breakfast sandwich) and I have to really pry myself out and force myself to eat something else.
  • I’m always interested in hearing what other peoples’ movie opinions are. At Ell’s tee ball game, I sat in front of one of the other moms and her mom, who were discussing movies. The older lady went OFF on Oblivion, saying it was the worst movie EVER. Yet, she loved Olympus had Fallen. I saw both and thought Oblivion was actually pretty good. But it was when she said she’d NEVER see Star Trek that I really wanted to turn around and tell her to give it a chance. Interesting!
  • I finally watched Perks of Being  Wallflower Saturday night. I was scared, honestly. I loved the book when I was a college sophomore but all I could think about it were the sad parts and I didn’t want to feel sad. But the movie was great and I could even handle the sadness. I did cry my eyes out at one point too.
  • Ok, that’s all I have for you today. Hope you all enjoy your Tuesday! And some Man Candy. Chris Pine looking tastier than normal:tumblr_mmrpifVTEP1qaak3fo1_500

MMMM + Busy and Cruddy weekend

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Sigh. Someone showed up in my office the second I walked in the door so I have been busy with that and website work things so this post is late coming. Sorry!

Friday afternoon Ash and I went to lunch (I got a salad; good for me!) and then saw Star Trek: into Darkness. I really liked it. I would say if the first one was about an 85-88, this one was about and 82-84. Good action, story, characters, etc. We got the kids but then both Ash and I fell asleep for a bit. Somehow, the kids managed to entertain themselves… quietly! Well, I thought so anyway. I later found a book that Isaac had torn AND cut. Where he found scissors, I have no clue! I had to get a ton of necessities so we went to Target. There, Isaac brought one of Elliot’s hats inside… and left it in the cart! I stopped into Chik-fil-A for the kids on the way out, got almost all the way home, and realized the absence of said hat. Annoyed, I turned around but by that time, the carts had been taken inside and it was gone. I was livid at first but then calmed down and the kids and I went through the whole “it’s just a thing” speech. No big deal; things get lost. But sigh.

Isaac went to a pool birthday party Saturday morning with Ash and I took Elliot to his last tee ball game. Ash and Isey joined us in time for trophies and post-game pizza. Nap and then in the afternoon, we went to one of Ash’s co-worker’s houses to pay with her kids and jump on their trampoline. Kids had a blast. Picked up sandwich things and I basically watched TV all night. Ash slept on the couch for about an hour before heading out to a house-warming party. I couldn’t sleep for some reason so that kind of sucked. He got in around 2 and that is when I finally passed out.

The next day, it was my intention to exercise more patience with Elliot and to clean up in the house. Well, some of that got done. I was very good with him. We went to Home Depot for a string trimmer and some top soil and basil. Then I made a big lunch. But Elliot, oh boy. What a mood he was in. Whiny and ungrateful and downright spoiled. UGH. By then end of the day, he was pretty much done. When we put on Swiss Family Robinson and all he did was complain, we told him he could either watch or go in his room, which he did and promptly fell asleep… at 6:30. I guess he just really needed the sleep!

(BTW, I went out to Target Sunday afternoon for some shirts and thought – what the hell – and asked if anyone had turned in our lost hat… and they did! There are some good people still in this world.)

Today has already been one of those “if it can go wrong, it has” kind of days but at least Ell is in a better mood. I took Todd to the vet this morning so let’s hope he’s ok in general; he turns 9 on Saturday!

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So this week’s theme is “Summer songs”. I took the liberty of also adding in an element. :)

Also linking up here:

Friday Confessions – I will definitely try to cut them out

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I confess… My stomach feels smallest in the mornings so I get dressed, look down at myself  and feel pretty good. Then I look in the mirror and feel HUGE.

I confess… I was not happy with my weight gain at the doc’s yesterday. Six pounds in five weeks. He said that every pregnant woman “pops” at some point so the larger gain is different for everyone. HOWEVER, I was still feeling too big. He told me if I wanted to control it, to just cut down on carbs. Um, my life revolves around carbs.

I confess… After yoga on Wednesday, I totally picked up a Vertigo burger; consequences be damned. (It was totally worth it.)

I confess… I will definitely try harder to cut down on carbs (and that night bowl of vanilla ice cream.)  And I think I am going to start swimming once a week. Probably at 7, because more lanes open at the pool and I’m guessing not a lot of people will be there.

I confess… This week has been sort of long and sort of annoying, but I cannot pinpoint why. We had a very nice Thursday evening: Isaac’s end of the year program and then two hours at the public pool with his classmates, pizza, and cake. (Also things I didn’t need.)

I confess... I bought a pair of shoes on ebay that look very similar to Sperry’s… and I am happy with this. I was afraid I wouldn’t like how they look on my feet compared to the other boaties I have. They have a more pointed style. Well, these also feel a little pointy BUT having only paid 15 bucks, I can live with it. Had I paid more for Sperrys and still not been totally pleased, I would have been mad. Now, however, I am searching for the perfect no-show sock.

And that’s what I’ve got today. Hope you all have a good weekend!

Spin Cycle – Pets

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Second BloomingI don’t normally do Spin Cycle lately – just a lot of other obligations – but I will this week because i thought recently of a good story.

When I was about six or seven, I brought home a fancy-looking shell from the beach at my grandparents’  house in Palm Beach. When we got home, it turns out it was not just a shell.hermit-crab1

It was a hermit crab and I named him Max. We put him in a shallow dish with water and some tuna. I had no idea how to care for one, really. I think my parents did what they thought was best. I had Max maybe a week or so before the dreaded moment.

I was watching Pee Wee’s Big Adventure. It was the scene when he’s in Texas and they’re having some kind of carnival with those big papier mache heads and Pee Wee’s trying to avoid the Bluto character (I know his name isn’t Bluto, it’s Andy). My mother came into our TV room and told me that Max had gone to hermit crab heaven. I am pretty sure it was the first time I experienced death so close to me. At the time, it was fairly devastating. To this day, that movie and that scene trigger this memory.

P.S. As I was googling that street scene to add a photo, THIS is something I found. Totally unrelated but hilarious!richard-simmons

Writer’s Workshop – Goals for May

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4.) Create a “May Bucket List”…what will you accomplish this month?

Geez, the month is basically half over but let’s see… what do I want to do this month?

  • Finish cleaning up the old office and take down the built in desks. This will then allow us to paint the walls and get new carpet. I REALLY want to have that part prepped in time to do the last two things in June at least.
  • Create “save the date” birthday invites for kids in Elliot’s class. His birthday will occur about a week into next school year but he wants to invite kids from this year. I figure this might be the best way to keep them in the loop.
  • Get Todd to the vet.7562393688_e9df2c9e96_c
  • Buy an end of the year gift for Elliot’s teacher. She’s been so awesome for his first year of elementary school, she truly deserves something nice. I was thinking a gift card for Bonefish.
  • Blog every day over at my Tallahassee Daily Photo blog. (Not linked here). City Daily Photo had gone down for a long time so I got lazy about it. But I really think it’s time to go back to it.
  • Take either a free or relatively cheap class at Big Picture Classes.  I did one when Isaac was first born and it really helped me stay on top of picture taking.
  • Plant more basil in my green pot. The Carolina wren loves to perch on it for now but I need my herb.8041610198_63f349fe08_c
  • Watch more movies. Ash and I are way behind on ones we’ve recently gotten. Though, we did finally see Django Unchained last night. We’re seeing the new Star Trek in theaters tomorrow. It’s gonna rock!
  • And along those lines, show the kids Swiss Family Robinson. Ash and I both loved that movie as kids but they definitely have to see it before we go to Disney in June!

Ok,  I think that’s it. What are you going to accomplish in May?

WWTK – Schoolhouse Rocks!

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–RULES–

1. Please follow both of the hosts: Myself and Kenzie

2. Include the super cute button in your post (grab the code above)

3. Link-up and spread the word

4. Don’t forget to have fun!

–QUESTIONS–

1.) How were you as a student?

2.) What was your favorite subject and did you excel in it?

3.) What – if any – is your fondest school years memory?

4.) Did you attend college and if so, how was that experience?

5.) Would you go back to school – be it in person or online – if you could? (Or to earn another degree?)

–ANSWERS–

1.)  Growing up, I was a very driven student. Though my parents didn’t push me to succeed, I looked at school as my job and tried to do my very best at all times. This resulting in lots of all A report cards, winning poster contests, etc. As I got closer to college, I admit that I slacked off because I wasn’t being challenged. School was pretty easy for me up until the dreaded college algebra.

2.) I always loved English (of course) and yes, I did well. Though to be honest, I liked pretty much all subjects until high school math. In high school, I really loved my science classes but knew I’d never pursue a science as a career.

3.) For some reason, whenever I think of school, the first thing that pops into my head are the years from 3rd to 5th grade. I went to a private school until then and after, Orange Brook Elementary in Hollywood. It was only a few blocks from my house and I walked. I loved my teachers, friends, getting good grades, being a hallway monitor, and winning spelling bees. The playground was awesome, they had huge open fields where I ran and oftentimes beat even the fastest boys.

4.) Ahh yes, for me, college was a given. I moved just far enough away (four hours) to be separated from my parents but not so far I couldn’t easily drive home for the weekend. College was fun and stressful. I changed majors halfway and took five years to complete undergrad. But I learned a lot and not just in actual classes. College is such a huge life experience. I don’t regret going at all. Neither do I regret grad school.

5.) I think that someday, I may return for my PhD but it probably won’t be in writing. I guess it depends on whether or not I think it might help me gain a better job… or not.



Random (Talk to us) Tuesday – Always on a Tuesday…

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Stacy

Seriously Shawn

Well, May has certainly seemed long so far

  • I had one of those nights last night where even though I slept, my brain felt ON the entire time. I dreamed, I thought about things I had to do… there was constant noise in my head. I wonder why this occurs.
  • Swimming when pregnant has been something I’ve always wanted to do but never put the effort in. So when moons aligned yesterday and we were at the pool, it was a magical sort of experience. To be weightless in the midst of lugging around extra weight all the time is really something. Also, wearing a bathing suit when you’re pregnant is so much better than when you’re, well, done being pregnant. I feel like the weight is justified. Post-baby it’s all flab and no excuse.
  • However, I think I may need to start swimming more often – now and when I am finished having babies. It’s probably one of the best workouts you can get.
  • Do you ever go back into your blog archives and read what you were doing on this day, however many years ago? Apparently, in 2007,  I was seeing 300 in IMAX and buying my first pair of maternity pants.
  • Speaking of baby, I looked in the mirror today – wearing this tight-fitting black top – and from the front, I could barely tell I was pregnant. Aaaand then I turned sideways. Oy.
  • I guess I WILL be 28 weeks tomorrow. I specifically recall being that far with Elliot and having a total breakdown while waiting in the theater to see Evan Almighty. I was definitely overwhelmed. What did I know then??
  • The other evening I panicked about something so very insignificant: I was folding the boy’s laundry and I have a specific way of placing their underwear, socks, and shorts into the basket. Each has a place and it all fits in there so well. Now where, pray tell, will I put Baby Girl’s clothes in there?? It just made realize how much extra there will be with a 3rd kid. UGH.
  • I came into my office this morning and had no internet! It just got fixed. Kind of sucks but it made for a very easy morning; I just sat here and ate my breakfast in silence. Kind of nice actually.

And because of that brief hiatus, here’s how I feel about starting my work today:

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Well, have a good Tuesday everyone ad don’t forget to come back tomorrow for WWTK!

MMMM + Mama’s Day weekend

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Ahhh Monday mornings. I relish in those first few hours in the office, catching up, the quiet, knowing everyone is where they should be on a week day.

Friday evening I took the kids to that birthday party I was dreading. It actually turned out just fine; there weren’t a ton of people there and both boys really enjoyed it. We walked out of there at 8:15 (when we’re normally laying down for bed) so I expected a lot of whining but no, they were quite good. Amazing!

Had a pretty good weekend. Saturday, the kids seemed to be in a funk. Ell had a tee ball game, which Ash took him to, while I did some shopping with Isaac (shoes, groceries). Decided to make a lasagna and then we all napped. I honestly can’t think of what we did in the afternoon; it was rainy. Oh yeah! We introduced the kids to Pee Wee’s Big Adventure   As I posted on Facebook, that movie really held up after all these years. Still highly entertaining and hilarious.

Sunday morning, the kids decided to wake up at 6, which is a good hour earlier than their normal weekend time. Soon as they barged in the door, I told them to go back to sleep, but Ash graciously got up with them and let me sleep and additional hour. Hooray! So we headed out to The Egg a bit after 7 but it was not the breakfast we had last year. Last Mother’s Day, the boys were excellent and Ash was in a good mood. This year, Elliot had a breakdown about something, Ash’s stomach hurt, and Isaac wanted food but when it arrived, “wasn’t hungry”. Ugh. Mine was quite tasty and I enjoyed that part regardless. Luckily, the day got better. I started doing laundry when we got home and the kids calmed down some. Around 11, I decided to get myself a pedicure. Ahh-mazing.  Naptime then we decided to hit up the community pool. Spent a good two hours there; some in the activity pool but the majority in the free swim area of the lap pool. Did some actual swimming and man, that’s a good workout! No wonder Ash has been doing that in lieu of running. The evening turned out well compared to morning. We skyped with my mom, aunt, and grandparents, then had hamburgers. The kids watched a movie on their comp and Ash and I watched Wayne’s World (lol). All in all, a good Mother’s Day.

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Also…

I love freebies weeks when I have recently discovered bands. Here are a few who fall into the new Glam rock scene category.

The second video is… weird. I wouldn’t say “explicit” but may be slightly squicky. There’s torture involved.

Loving these two bands! Happy Monday everyone!

Don’t forget to come back Wednesday for my weekly meme!