Spin Cycle: Behind the Blog

The first post that I ever wrote on Blogger explained the meaning behind "My Bella Figlia". For the pronunciation of "figlia", go here and click on the listening feature. To hear Pavarotti sing the aria Bella Figlia dell'amore, click here.

I first started blogging on the (now defunct) parenting site Maya's Mom. It was a wonderful community and I "met" several wonderful women, like BonggaMom and Jamie Lee. They gave daily blog prompts like "3 things I want to remember about my kids..." and "My Moment Wednesday". The site was sold to Babycenter, which is lovely. Really. It's just not Maya's Mom. All of my Maya's Mom posts are archived here. Several posts are missing photos as the save option allowed for text only. I keep telling myself that I'll get around to restoring these posts someday, but...*sigh*)

I generally blog in the morning while Sesame Street is on. I used to be more proactive about it, blogging at night and setting up posts for the following day, but I haven't done that in a while. I've found that the mommy-blog medium just works for me. I love being able to incorporate pictures and music to my posts, and I love that, in some ways at least, the internet is more permanent than a journal or a scrapbook. I love being able to connect not only with people like me, but with people that come from other experiences and truths. I want my kids to know who I was when I'm gone, not just as their mother, but as a person, and I want to be able to look back with rheumy eyes and remember those 3 things about them that I didn't want to forget.

For more blog-revealing spins, head on over to Sprite's Keeper.

RTT: "But we're all mad, here..."

I saw a bumper sticker while driving My Favorite Middle to school today that made me furious. It said, "Marriage=" and then had restroom symbols of a man and a woman on it. I wanted to ram their car. I wanted to write, "OR Marriage= Man + Man OR Marriage= Woman + Woman" in black Sharpie on their pristine white paint-job. I wanted to key their vehicle. Because ignorance and baseless fear make me forget what Mr. Rogers taught me.

I went to see the new Alice in Wonderland movie and cannot for the life of me understand why reviewers aren't getting behind it. Several reviews essentially said that it was "too weird". Really? If you approach anything referring to Wonderland without expecting (nay, embracing) the weird, well then, you just deserve what's coming to ya, that's what I have to say about that! My only complaint *Spoiler Alert* is that Alice doesn't choose to stay in Underland. My favorite parts: Johhny Depp's Mad Hatter's Scottish personality reciting The Jabberwock, the moment when The Hatter says to Alice, "Why is it that you always seem to be either too big or too small?" and the psychology of the 2 queens' relationship as sisters. I could write an entire post based on that last one alone...I also love Syfy's Alice. It just came out on dvd, and while the climax of that movie is sadly lacking, the rest of it is marvelous. Plus, Andrew Lee Potts' Hatter and Matt Frewer's White Knight are too good to be missed! Srsly.

I've been crafty lately (as in cutting and pasting, not rubbing my hands together muttering and laughing to myself.) My inner artist is screaming at me a lot, and my "real" life is suffering for it. My house is trashed, but brainstorming and plotting and writing and such are going swimmingly. I mosaic-ed a handmade cobra yesterday...just sayin'.

Sesame Street is over, and I really need to walk away from this screen long enough to engage my child, clean the kitchen and maybe start dinner in the crockpot. So... head on over to Keely's for more happy random! :)

Monday's Muse: Lucy March and Discovery Playlists

I am a Lucy March blog junkie. Lucy March is really Lani Dianne Rich, and she is an author that runs Discovery and Revision workshops when she isn't writing her latest novel. I haven't taken either of her courses (yet), but have picked up a lot of good stuff just from "hanging out" with her and Jenny Crusie online. One of the things that they both suggest is making a playlist for the book you're working on. I'm deep into my Nano novel, Ouroboros, and have compiled all of the music and some of the images that I've collected for inspiration and offer it up here for anyone interested in a glimpse at what I've been working on. It's in 3 pieces-really 3 playlists, the first two in video form. Enjoy! :)

Love Thursday: I Love Mr. Rogers

I grew up watching Mr. Rogers, Sesame Street and The Electric Company. I loved Mr. Rogers, especially, because he reminded me of my dad (thin and tall with a long, handsome face and dark hair parted on the side.) I could go on and on about all that I learned from PBS in general and Mr. Rogers specifically, but instead I'll just tell you this:

Once, about 4 years ago when I was having an awful day, I snapped on the television and started flipping through channels in an attempt to distract myself. About three channels in, I found myself eye to eye with Fred Rogers. His face took up the whole screen. He leaned forward, smiled at me and said, right. to. me. "I love you. Just the way you are." And I burst into tears. Because even when you're grown, sometimes you just really need to hear that. And for that alone I will always love him.

So, the next time that your world falls to hell, grab a blanket and a pillow and go curl up on the couch and watch Mr. Rogers. I guarantee you will feel better.

(A P.S. to any Mr. Rogers haters out there: I'd tell you just how much you suck and then beat you up, but Mr. Rogers raised me better than that.)

RTT-The Softer Side of Sears

I changed my blog background to reflect how much I need Spring to get it's a** in gear. It's kinda like the gentle (often hidden) side of me, so every time I log on and see it I think, "The softer side of sears..." Turns out my softer side is weird, too.

My family has been saying a lot of funny crap, lately. For instance:

I was explaining to Walker how his Pulls-Up worked. After explaining that if he tinkled in his Diego Pull-Up, the little blue pictures would disappear, West (who was remarkably interested in the subject) piped up with, "It's like he does magic with his penis!" I laughed as his dad amended, "No, it's more that he does magic with his tinkle!" Then in an aside to me, "The magic with your penis comes later!"

I was unbuckling Walker from his carseat when out of the blue he piped up with, "I'm gonna eat you like a burger!"

Jesse put on clean socks and then promptly spilled a glass of water on his feet and said, "Dammit! I just put these on! Someone needs to invent waterproof socks!" and I said, "They have. It's called "skin", dumbass!"

I had a lot of other randomness stored up, but unfortunately I stored it in my head and it turns out that my head isn't the place to put something that I want to find again...so. I got nothin'.

For a random time call Keely@The Unmom (and then she'll redirect you to The Bitchin' Wives Club as she's taking the day off!

Cool Ticker!

So here's the thing: I have been messing with my novel, trying to edit it, thinking that once I'd completed THAT, I would continue writing until I had 100,000-110,000 words. CreateSpace donated one free bound copy of each NanoWriMo winner's novel, but the text must be submitted and ordered by the end of May...so that's when I need to be finished. I've decided to just write until I've met my word count goal-much like in November, and then edit this monster (my literary baby.) Jennifer Crusie posted a cool link on her blog today. I've used it to make this ticker as I count down to 100,000. Jenny says that if we don't produce word count, people will throw rocks. Gotta go write!

"Haha, Mom! HA HA!"

I was laying down beside my poor, sick middle kid to facilitate his napping. He snaked his little hand into mine and smiled a little with his eyes closed. I said, "I love you!" His voice drifted away into sleep as he replied, "I love...Bakugans!"

Conversations with Walker #2

An exchange between my youngest and myself last week as I put both boys to bed:

Me: Seeing that West is hoarding ALL of the Ben 10 guys in his bed and correctly assuming that it's the cause of Walker's wailing in the crib behind me. "Buddy, what are you doing? Absolutely not! Half of those guys are Walky's from Santa..." I step forward and begin to "help" Westie sort action figures into two piles.

Walker: "West, you give me my fuckin' guys"

Me: Momentarily stunned, I don't turn around, telling myself that I definitely misunderstood that. I mean, we still have to ask him to repeat himself occasionally, his speech isn't always clear and there's NO WAY that my baby just said the f-word, right? Right!? "No, West. Gimme Jet Ray. That one's Walker's..."

Walker: Clear. As. Day. "WEST, I SAID, 'YOU GIVE ME MY FUCKIN' GUYS!!!'"

Me: Clapping hand to mouth to keep from laughing and walking to the doorway to see Jesse sitting in the living room, "Jesse! Did you hear what your son just said?!" I tell him, and even as he shakes with silent laughter it's not lost on me that I didn't have to spell out for him which son I'm talking about. "Oh God, and I can't even blame this on you, can I?!" He shakes his head no. "This is all me." I square my shoulders and put my mom-face back on. I walk back to the crib and use my sternest voice: "Walker Cash, you don't say that word, that's a grown-up word!"

Walker: All innocence and big blue eyes, "What word?"

Me: Oh. My. God. I'm going to have to say it. How do I say it without reinforcing it?! Jesus, take me now. "You don't say 'fucking'!"

Walker: "I didn't say 'fucking'."

My head explodes, The End.

Conversations with Walker #1

During family Christmas goodbyes:

Auntie Natty: "Goodbye Walky! I'll see you soon for your birthday!"

Walky: "Yeah, I gonna have a FOUR-ARMS CAKE!"












Auntie Natty: (fairly sure that this is the first I've heard of it, laughing) "Really? Does Mama know that? Well, you tell that mom that she can call me if she needs help with that!"

Fast forward to the day of his 3rd birthday party:

Mama: "Okay, Walky! First we'll eat pizza and THEN we'll have your FOUR-ARMS CAKE!!!"

Walky: "Nooo! I want a ACCELERATE CAKE!"












Mama: "Forget it, kid. Not gonna happen. I already bought the frosting for four-arms!"