Julie Pippert: Using My Words

Hi. You. Yes, you , my fellow parent. Here you are, in the class with our kids. Aren't they incredible? It's amazing, isn't it, how cute they all are, and how warm and fuzzy it makes us parents feel to see them having fun with each other. Cameras and video cameras don't even really capture it. We'll have to make an emotion memory that the photos and videos will trigger. The little inside jokes. The things they like. The toothless grins. The grins with teeth a little too large yet for faces still sort of small. Not as small as last year, though, or even last month. They all have something just so particular to the special stage of this age. I don't know how to explain it. It's how they like certain things now, things they didn't appreciate or even know a few months ago, things that may not matter in a little while from now. There are things right now that our lives revolve around and sometime soon, it will be a memory. Remember that lovie, the one that ha...

Image from SurvivalIQ Handbook : Edible and medicinal plants---raspberry, blackberry and dewberry The bush along the bike path to school first sprouted bright red berries about a month ago, right when the rolie polies came out in force. My children, naturalists of course, spotted them immediately. They also immediately wanted to put them in their mouths. "Raspberries!" they shouted, grabbing at the bush. "Wait!" I said, uselessly. "Ouch!" they said, stabbed by thorns. "YUCK!" they said, spitting out the partially chewed berries, and as much taste as they could. "Sigh," I said, as usual wondering when they'd ever learn to listen to me and why the entire myth of natural consequences began. "Step back from the bush," I said, "Close your mouths and open your ears." They hesitated, and looked back at the bush. "Before you grab at any plant or bush, you need to know what it is. Some plants can make you sick or giv...

I? Have been busy. But at least when I'm busy I'm troubled with but one devil (versus the thousand that would plague me if I were not busy...allegedly.) What makes me saying that any different from everyone else who says it, and what makes this week noteworthy versus others? This week has been truly busy and absorbing, but it's not been all about me. In fact, I've felt like more of an instrument---which feels more powerful than you might think. My house is a mess, my kids have gotten away with murder (of two rolie polies, as a start), my hair hasn't been out of a pony tail in five days (other than to be washed, which YES, I did wash), I made three innocent children tardy because I forgot my daughter's bike at school, and we've subsisted on starchy dinners all week (mac-n-chz for the kids and loaded potatoes for me and the hubs---have you ever done a Tex-Mex potato, with sour cream and salsa and black beans and cheese? YUM!). But I'm happy. This week I...

If you ask Persistence how old she is, she'll tell you she's five. She can't quite bring herself to say six, her sister's age. Is it because her sister holds a claim to that number right now, or is it an inherent talent for hyperbole---knowing exactly where the line is that she shouldn't cross? On Saturday at a party several of us were laughing with a neighbor, my friend's husband, and he was spinning yarns about his upcoming trip to Italy. "You need to learn how to lie, Jack," I said, "You go one step past believable. If you'd said you were biking from Paris to Florence, some of us might have partially believed you. But walking?" And we all laughed harder. "Maybe it's intentional," he told me, "I get in trouble for teasing, so I try to make sure I'm way over the top upfront so nobody even starts to believe me." Someone reminded me that I must be a very good liar because everyone thinks I'm truthful. I am ...

It's been a wild week in nearly every avenue. Here's what I've seen that might intrigue, interest, disgust, enthrall and/or appall you: The good: Earth Day ramp up has motivated some really fantastic things. At Moms Speak Up, I joined The Nature Conservancy's campaign to Plant a Billion. One tree, one dollar...and every dollar counts. Click over here to check out the information and join in the campaign! Aimee Greeblemonkey launched a project near and dear to my heart (for those of you who know how I feel about art, kid art , and art in school , as well as the environment). Inspired by her son who hosted a backyard art auction and a reader suggestion, she launched Kid Art Auction for Earth Day 2008 . Izzy asked if I would take on Moms Speak Up as Editor-in-Chief, which I agreed to do. I'm currently seeking motivated writers who are passionate about the environment, dangerous imports, health care, food safety, media and marketing, education, politics and many othe...

By Friday of last week, I was a wee bit stressed . In case the spinning head and shrill tone escaped anyone's notice. Luckily, Friday is followed up by that miracle of time known as The Weekend. Our weekend was healing. Other than a Sunday we dedicated to fun, I think the thing that stands out most are three women who contributed something along the lines of restoring my faith in humanity. Random Acts of Kindness Act I The woman was behind the Starbucks counter at Target. She was probably ten years older than me, at most. I'd been dragged into the Starbucks by a wailing Persistence, and I was exhausted straight through my spirit by incessant creative parenting, power struggles, and daughters on the edge. "That milk!" Persistence shriek-wailed, "THAT MILK! Nilla MILK!" Our circuit through the deli-produce-bakery area had been going badly. Persistence is always hungry and thirsty, and a carton of milk will keep her happy through the store. The cooler by the fr...

I realize I have promised three weighty topics to you, including but not limited to free speech on blogs, more on healthcare, and kids and blogs. However, I have a full agenda of To Dos today and oh, yeah, I'm still sick. So I decided to take it easy today and figured you'd have no objections. I thought it was time for a true and real portrait of my life. This is me on the average day in my momiform and mode of transportation to and from school: I call it the suburban rickshaw. I believe people in the neighborhood set their watches by me. I also believe they count on the little chuckle they get when they see me. Here's how it goes: chuckle, glance at watch, chuckle again. I don't actually just suspect it: they'll tell me. "I see you every morning just pedaling away trying to beat the tardy bell," says a friend with a smile, "You're like the perfect suburban mom with that bike and trailer and your little momiform on. Gives me a chuckle every day....

Since Patience began kindergarten, she's come home at least three to four days a week with a story about a boy in her class that seriously makes me laugh out loud. I know she tells me the stories not because they are humorous but because she's puzzled by the boys and what they said or did, and a little disgusted. I can tell she's already figuring out that XY people can be very different from XX people. I can tell she's already forming the age-old female conclusion that boys are just so very boy sometimes. I'd spent most of yesterday at my best friend's house. She and another good friend (the mother of Persistence's adorable Love of Her Life) were doing some serious home renovation. My contribution was largely to entertain them while they worked and mediate territorial disagreements among the three year olds. They were still heavy into the demo portion (the moms, not the three year olds, although technically, that description could be apt for them too) when ...

Isn't this cake awesome---too pretty to cut? Patience was extremely approving as it looked, "just like my picture!" Nevertheless, I managed to cut and serve it and wow, it was delicious. Carrot cake with real cream cheese frosting (as per Patience's instructions). Of course. What other kind of cake would you have for a Peter Rabbit? (For those of you who do not live in the subtropics, you are probably thinking this is a fake-out. Nope. This was really yesterday, it was really 80 degrees, we were all really wearing tanks, tees and shorts, and sweating. The humidity did break halfway through the party, thank goodness, and a cool, refreshing breeze started. Locals...back me up please.) We had a ginormous bouncy castle (literally, with spires and everything). This is a brilliant invention, and I wish I had one in my backyard every day. It was delivered at shortly past 7 a.m. As you can imagine, Jon and I were model examples of Up With Parenting! at that hour. The girls we...

Part 1: How I resemble the Grinch Every One in the world liked Christmas a lot... But Julie Pippert, who lived south of Houston, Did NOT! Julie hated Christmas! The whole Christmas season! Now, please don't ask why. No one quite knows the reason. But I think that the most likely reason of all, May have been that the month was simply too small. For, you see, when the month of December rolled round, She had birthdays and parties and demands abound. Buy plates, hats, gifts, and balloons. The guests are all coming, the party's too soon! Her head spun in circles, she looked quite a fright, Mopping and sweeping, polishing her home perfectly right. Juggling Christmas and Birthdays should be a joy, But all Julie could say, with a sigh, was, 'Oh boy!' She struggled to execute every single detail, Endlessly rechecking her phone and email. It seems RSVPs are in short supply this time of year, She had no clue at all who meant to come here. Not to mention the holiday open house and ...

Today I am thankful for ...my beautiful and healthy children ...my patient husband ...my family, all of whom are here now ...the more food than we need today ...that I can provide my children with all they need and most of what they want ...our house that shelters us and is also a home (of just the right size) ...that I can reach out and find friendship, support, and caring when I need it That last one includes you. Thanks for taking the time to read this blog, comment to me, and share. Thanks also to you who write, too. A little Natalie Merchant (Kind and Generous) for you... Have a really happy Thanksgiving! (And if it isn't Thanksgiving for you...have a really happy day.) (Believe it or not...this is a Thursday Thirteen .) Copyright 2007 Julie Pippert Also blogging at: Using My Words Julie Pippert REVIEWS : Get a real opinion about BOOKS, MUSIC and MORE Julie Pippert RECOMMENDS : A real opinion about HELPFUL and TIME-SAVING products Moms Speak Up : Talking about the environment...

It must be said that my girls are no longer babies. They are getting big, developing their own lives. Cases in point... Boston, October 2007, Museum of Science A child pointed to Persistence and said, "Baby!" Said child appeared about Persistence's age, and was at the time being carried by his mother. Persistence, on the other independent hand, was walking about of her own volition (her usual state). Persistence shrieked in fury and yelled back to the child, "I NOT BABY! YOU BABY!" and ran off, mortally offended. She could be heard muttering for the next hour, "I not baby!" And was quite pissy about it all. Coastal Texas, October 2007, Elementary School Patience begged me to come lunch with her at school on Thursday, so Persistence and I went. I had grilled cheese sandwiches and chocolate milk in buckets. A big deal. This is Fine Kid Dining. She was waiting for me and happily leapt up to join me at the guest lunch table, a big table in the center of th...

The mahvelous Queen of the Mayhem asked a great parenting question today. Answering it in comments took too much real estate so I decided to post. This one's in honor of you, Queenie ! Here's what she wrote: Do you believe everything your kids tell you? During my Open House speech with my parents.....I always end on a humorous note....I tell them that " I will promise not to believe everything they say happens at home, if you promise not to believe everything that happens at school!" We all get a good chuckle....but my point is made. . . . Being the mother of an incredibly over-sensitive child, I can appreciate this rationale...as The Princess takes every statement that is not a glowing remark of her greatness to be a slap in the face......but here's the difference....when she tells me crazy things like this....I remind her that, just because someone isn't thrilled with something you do that is inappropriate...doesn't mean they don't like you....it ju...

I believe in preschool, in general. I sent my kids to preschool. In fact, Patience seriously benefited from it, and Persistence is currently enrolled in preschool. Believe it or not, I've gotten criticized for sending my kids to preschool: "Oh, it's not really school at that age, how ridiculous!" Oh yes it is, school is a place you go to learn things. My kids learn things at this place they go, which is literally called A School. "Kids don't need to learn anything before kindergarten. They just need to have fun." Yes. And no. I actually think kids benefit from preschool, but I don't think it's for everyone or required. My kids enjoy learning (anything and everything) and the right preschool can be fun. Some parents and kids can accomplish this at home, but others, like me, appreciate a school for this. "You just want time away from your kids. It's not really to benefit them; it's really to benefit you." Here's the fallacy of...