Julie Pippert: Using My Words

Driving home from school with my girls is what I think of Quality Catchup Time but they probably think of (or will soon) as Suffer the Mom Inquisition. The latter title comes from an inside family joke about Suffer the Mom Love, which is when I give hugs to children and pets because they want and need them even as they pretend they don't. Trust me, I can tell the difference and respect a sincere no but give a smiling "Oh Moooooooommmmm" a good squeeze. While in the van, I ask each girl very specific questions so as to avoid potential monosyllabic responses. My younger daughter has been trying out her storytelling skills and we've been working on the "that's a great story, what a neat imagination" distinction from "that really happened, how interesting." Sometimes it's hard to tell. Such as in the telling of the story/report from the other day: Daughter: Today I have a romantic tale! *giggles* Me: A...romantic tale? Daughter: Yes! *giggles* ...

For Mother's Day, my husband arranged a weekend away and a luncheon at Driftwood Estates Winery and Vineyard. It was spectacular! The kids love the open space and beautiful scenery (and trees!) there. The food was great, the wine as good as always, and we met the nicest ladies from Austin -- one is a fantastic photographer and she kindly took photos of our family! A wonderful Mother's Day. Topped off by adorable drawings, cards and homemade gifts from my fabulous children.

I am driving in my car, with the windows down because it is a beautiful day and I don't care if the wind messes my hair. It is sunny and 60, my favorite. The sky is an even blue sheet above me, and the road is a blur below me. Lily Allen is singing "Smile" on my iPod and I do, because I am old enough to know it is complicated, how she means it, not ironic. That's what we do: we just smile. Plus it's a pleasant and light tune. I'm still in my workout clothes, fresh from the track and my laps. I sped along that track, relishing the fresh laid gravel, still damp from yesterday's rain, so the dust and pebbles didn't kick up so much. I circled past the sea twinkling back at the sun, over and over. I watched seagulls and pelicans fish the schools who risked the surface to catch some of that warm shine for themselves. The huge birds dove, scooped, then rose---the only white specks in the otherwise spotless sky. Triumphant, they tickled their full bellies alon...

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...

1. Danger Zone -- Kenny Loggins (A song I've never liked.) The air force is out doing maneuvers today. The jets fly low and fast over my house and the windows rattle in their frames. My dog barks uselessly at the perceived threat---anything so loud and unknown must be a danger. I don't mind the jets so much, though. They are on their way to the Gulf, and I'm simply on the flight path. They don't linger here at all, and are gone in a split second, leaving the air vibrating behind them. I mind the helicopters more. They fly low and slow, circling. Sometimes they are so close my skin feels the thud of the rotors, and if I look outside, I can see the mouth of the man hanging out the open door. The rest of his face is covered: helmet, ear phones, and goggles. Often there is a mounted machine gun beside him, and I prefer to think it is unloaded. It makes me think about these men, their helicopters, and communities elsewhere that they fly over, when everyone knows the guns ar...

Tonight, as I lingered on the sofa after the show** Patience and Persistence put on, Persistence returned, still in her costume, and climbed up next to me. She curled up in my right arm, and sat, still and quiet. More still and quiet than she ever is, really, even when sleeping---where she is as active as she is when awake: tossing, turning, flipping, making noise. We sat that way for a while, neither of us in any hurry to go or do. Patience played a room away, probably relieved to be on her own for a bit, able to run everything just as she likes it, without any interference. And so we sat, Persistence and I, curled alongside one another on the sofa, breathing slowly and deeply, enjoying the simple presence of the other...appreciating a moment with no testing, no confirming, no pushing or pulling. I felt her shoulder blades pressing against my arm, bony yet solid...and I thought how like a child she has become over the last six months. I rubbed her legs, long and skinny, yet strong and...

Subtitle: Ode to Persistence, whom we love mightily and who is fortunate to be so darn cute Two things multi-sense-ally (call Webster's) sum up the day the girls and I had yesterday. 1. How Santa Let Me Down Big Time by Patience, age 6 Dear Santa, Last month I wrote a letter to you . I didn't ask for much. Just a kitten, a puppy, and to please, please make my sister calm down. You did not deliver. That really, really disappointed me. I let it go like Mom said to because it's true that you did bring me a Barbie modular flat and Soccer Coach Barbie, which Mom said she'd buy over her dead body. Also you put candy in my stocking, which is big since Mom is mean and never lets us have any. So against my better judgment of really not being too keen on you, fat jolly stranger, I took Mom's advice and focused on all that I did have instead of what I didn't have. It was easy to do, at the time. But you should see what your handiwork (or lack thereof) has wrought. Santa, y...

My husband's day on Friday began at 2:15 a.m. when the alarm went off. This means my day also began at 2:15 a.m. when he hit snooze and rolled over. The alarm went off at 2:16 a.m. and started its oh-so-pleasant escalation in volume, necessitating domestic violence on my part. It was less painful for my husband to turn off the alarm and get up, so he did. Then he drove out to his construction site for a 4 a.m. concrete pour (and don't call it cement, trust me on that one). This is what it looks like at a construction site at 4 a.m. You are thinking, "Wow, that is hands-down the most exciting photo I've ever seen on a blog!" I know. I'm all about the excitement. That's why I am going to ratchet it up a few notches with this: Oooh aaaah. UPC pipe. Have I dispelled the myth of the rich, glamorous life of an architect yet? 4 a.m. concrete pours and UPC pipe. Allegedly this concrete pour was scheduled to accommodate the girls' birthday. (I doubt that's ...

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...

Note: Today is the monthly announcement of Just Posts . There are four hostesses, but, I'm in a rush so will link to Mad , the first one who popped in my Reader. Go check it out ! Last weekend JSC (that's Johnson Space Center) hosted the 2007 Ballunar Festival . It's just one more super family event we have around here. Normally it's held in August, but since the entire summer will forever be known as the Terrible Three-Month Neverending Monsoon of 2007, the event was delayed until now, in November. Because I'm not some sort of masochist who enjoys steaming myself into a lobster in the "sultry" August air here, I far prefer the event in November and wish it was held at this time every year. (Dear Sponsors, I actually came this year and spent a lot of money because I was so enjoying myself in the cool weather. Signed, A Potential Loyal Customer.) There are more hot air balloons than you can imagine at this festival. It's got sky diving, astronauts, and...