Julie Pippert: Using My Words

It always starts here, in the cute place. I know you read that title and expected a long, deep post. You aren't going to get it. In fact, this post, which is not be about politics or world affairs at all, is actually about mommying. More specifically, it is about Persistence, whom I adore, but who is also hmm shall we say in an extremely challenging phase that I am extremely challenged by. Persistence's pre-school ended nine days, three hours, and 22 minutes ago. That would be three weeks before public school lets out. It has been hell on earth ever since. I realize I should be overflowing with the joy of uninterrupted quality time with my precious child who I adore more than life itself, but pretty much I wake up and within ten minutes am humming, "I wanna new drug." I'm counting minutes until her father comes home by 8:30 a.m. This is because Persistence is THREE, also known as the Cruel and Vicious Age. People tell me five is worse, but I lived through Patience...

Today...you guys are going to share something from the Blogosphere or Internet that inspired you and tell us where it lead you next... I can't wait. Seriously...I am really so looking forward to your stories. Copyright 2008 Julie Pippert Also blogging at: 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, dangerous imports, health care, food safety, media and marketing, education, politics and many other hot topics of concern. MOMocrats

Teaching my girls how to pull the rope for themselves. It was a pretty innocuous mother's club meeting, and we were talking about babysitters. I don't even recall why it came up, the talk about babysitters. Conversation unrolls so organically in these meetings, these times we get together, without children, and get to just talk. But sitters came up in conversation and the turn of that conversation surprised me. Greatly. Apparently around here it's bad manners to quote an hourly rate for one's babysitting services. "You know what gets me?" a mom said, "You know what sitters I prefer? Who I pay the most to? The ones who say 'oh just pay me whatever.'" She went on to explain that (and this is my paraphrase not her exact statement) to her, it came across as very forward, rude even, when these sitters said they charged X dollars per hour. My mind rolled that concept around for a minute: it's cheeky and rude to state upfront how much you charg...

My kitchen in the afternoon... Copyright 2008 Julie Pippert Also blogging at: 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, dangerous imports, health care, food safety, media and marketing, education, politics and many other hot topics of concern. MOMocrats

My extremely cute and talented assistant, Persistence, drew the name for me. In case you can't read it, it's Stephanie ! Congratulations, Stephanie! Stephanie's post for the Hump Day Hmm grabbed me from the get-go when it began with a quote from The West Wing . By the way, for reasons I cannot disclose, I happened to have Regis and Kelly on the other morning. To the guy who did not know Josh Lyman's name? Four words: Buy it on DVD. Also, for more reasons I cannot disclose, I admit to possibly being the only person in the US who did not want Josh and Donna to get it on together. I thought Josh was a mess, and Donna needed a pulled together guy. Yes, I was emotionally invested. Wow, I really miss that show. Dear TV Executives, I would actually tune in and watch your stations if you had ANY show on that was not crime or hospital based. I miss The Cosby Show . I miss The West Wing. I really miss Keen Eddie. Twin Peaks ---I hear the funky weird supernatural is really popu...

Walking out of stride...posts we all want to read! Old or new posts about walking out of stride welcome. Just link here then add in your link to the widget below. And remember, all participants will go in a drawing to win either a clown or funny book (winner's choice). If you can, take a few minutes to keep checking back and visit the other blogs who link here. I think one of my favorite things is going from blog to blog to read all of the different perspectives. Feel free to make a topic suggestion at any time. Next week...it's all about the other guy. One of the greatest things we all say we find in blogging is community. What post, blog or blogger has inspired you? It could have been a comment, a post, something someone did. Perhaps you've become friends. Big or small, if it moved you and caused you to take action in your own life, tell us about it. Tell us what inspired you, and then let us know the story from there---your story. Copyright 2008 Julie Pippert Also bloggi...

It can't just be me: that's wicked creepy, isn't it? Someone else, please, say yes. So as it turns out I am not that great of a juggler. I sort of figured as much when---upon considering subsequent education after graduating high school---I immediately struck off clown college. Not only couldn't I juggle but I really can't stand clowns. It's not fear, it's something else. I get to see a lot of clowns as a parent and every time, I think they sense my whatever-it-is feeling that is a lot short of "YEA! a CLOWN! Woo hoo! I LOVE clowns! They're so FUN!" I don't like them and they know it. They smell it or see it in my eyes, no matter how jovial or polite an act I put on. Patience is the same, I think. I can see it in her eyes. I hope no boyfriend ever takes her to the circus. One time I was dating this guy and he planned what should have been---would have been for any other woman---a fabulous date: the circus. I was horrified. Seriously. Trapp...

"Remember when the days were long And rolled beneath a deep blue sky Didn't have a care in the world With mommy and daddy standing by" Don Henley, "The End of Innocence" Oh those days will remain long and rolling under blue skies if I have anything to say about it, and as it turns out, I do. Because Patience is and always will be Our Very First Baby Precious Angel Love of Our Life , she is going to have to put up with a lot of parental freak outs---an unduly unfair number above and beyond what her sister will experience. On the flip side, Persistence will have an unduly unfair number of parental exasperations above and beyond what her sister will experience. So it all balances out. Last Thursday Patience got to experience yet another parental freak out, although she had no idea her father and I were totally melting down. We have mastered the art of hiding it well . But I must say...her father melted down WAY worse than me, for the record. He melted down so badly...

Image of Syesha Mercado from TV Guide online . My husband and I are invariably behind on watching American Idol . First, our time is pretty tight, and we prefer to watch together. Second, and maybe more importantly, our heart's just not in it that much, any more. The singers we began really excited about---the ones we thought would be really good and who somehow captured our interest---never really delivered the goods and were slowly picked off, one by one, leaving two singers we don't really like, and one who we think is very talented, but a really iffy proposition in this showcase. Nevertheless, we watched the show last night, only one day late (we don't know the results, so please, no spoilers). When Syesha Mercado came on to do her second number---the song she picked for herself---a few things finally clicked in my mind. "What is that?" my husband asked, after her interview, "That super Southern voice, and all that arm waving and clicking? Who is this gi...

Photo of Hugh Grant and Nicholas Hoult in About a Boy from allmoviephotos.com and Universal Pictures. BADLY DRAWN BOY "Walking Out Of Stride" You and me we could never hide Too busy walking out of stride You and me could never hide Too busy walking out of stride Take 1,2,3 then 4 or 5 People talking keeps us alive You and me could never hide Too busy walking out of stride Take 1,2,3 then 4 or 5 People talking keeps us alive What does it mean to you: walking out of stride? Does it mean at cross-purposes with yourself, or is it more of a cross-purposes with the norm, with general expectations? Is it a light issue or a deep one? Do you embrace walking out of stride? Endeavor to stand out? Or are you more the type of person who does your best to keep pace, remain part of the anonymous crowd? It's said that the desire to stand out from the crowd is innate. When I researched this, I found just as much written about the other side of the coin: the fear of standing out is innate...

Photo by Chris De Lucia , "Tiny animal tracks criss-cross the dunes early in the morning, before the midday winds blow them away. Clearly mice or some other diminutive sand-dwellers had a lively night." The children had finished eating and asked to be allowed to leave the table. Their request granted, they hopped out of the chairs, and the younger ones played a "rescue the toy" game beside the table. It was the second time in as many days that we were eating out, and at a place that, although it appealed to families, wasn't specifically designed for families. We had chosen an outside corner table. If we get a choice, we do our best to opt for something where we aren't adjacent to other tables on all sides so we have a little "private" area the kids can use. I don't expect kids my children's ages to be able to sit at a table as long as adults who have come together to socialize will. It was a buffet brunch and we all took our time with multi...

To find a perfect example of disproportionalism in life, look no further than motherhood. Motherhood: that state so many of us desire, and yet, despite 8th grade health lessons, is not so easily achieved. Motherhood: that somehow oh-so-public state that drives people to ask intensely personal things Motherhood: that state held up for public commentary---sometimes idolizing, sometimes demonizing Michelle Duggar is quite the mom. We watch her and her family like ants in a habitat: how does she do it? 16 kids! We discuss and dissect her methods. 16 kids! Can it be fair to any of the kids! "Another Duggar on the way," said the Discovery Health email I received this morning, "Happy Mother's Day!" Of course, I thought, she can have as many as she likes, healthy and lovely, whenever she wants. It was much more matter-of-fact than you might think. I have accepted---mostly---that life is not fair, is disproportionate, and this includes fertility and motherhood. When---af...

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...