hi, hip mamas, i hope you're all having a great holiday weekend so far. i want to make sure you guys know that we're doing okay these last couple of days and that things are actually feeling somewhat manageable... imagine that!! --read more >>

i have been crying for three hours now. i cried through dinner; i cried through bathtime; i cried through bedtime stories and tucking-in. i'm still crying right now. I AM SO FUCKING OVERWHELMED. i've felt it coming on for a few weeks now, that faint tingle of losing control, the chalky taste of the desperation to make it all work. i've been trying to push it away, keep smiling, have faith that everything's going to be okay. but everything is not okay.--read more >>

i've been thinking alot lately about how much i'd like to see some sort of global service community designed for families. i looked into the peace corps briefly when i was about 19, but was disappointed to learn that one of its main goals seems to be the americanization of other countries. plus, the peace corps is really designed for childless singles, so it wouldn't be an option for me even if i did think it was a worthwhile program.--read more >>

the artist at work

the (almost) final product--read more >>

Disneyworld may be the perfect example of the gross excess of consumer culture, but damn is it a fun place to bring the kid!!
stretching on our first morning waking up in mickeyland

meeting minnie and mickey (not even scared!)--read more >>

i forgot to mention in my travellin' post that monkeygirl's fave new word is 'vagina'. she's been saying it for weeks now- first it was 'bagina' then 'gagina', now she's settled on 'kagina'. not a huge deal, it's actually very sweet and innocent when she says it. she's reeeally proud of it!--read more >>

hey mamas, i'm checking in from FL right now!--read more >>

Driving home from work today I heard the DJ on a local radio station talking about the nearby town of Gloucester, Massachusetts. It seems that seventeen students at Gloucester High School are pregnant, and it's because they all made a pact to have babies and raise them together. None of these girls are over 16. The DJ's comments was pretty unforgiving, and pretty predictable: basically, "what a bunch of dumb whores, you've gone and ruined your lives." Not exactly the most insightful commentary on the situation. --read more >>

Hi mamas! I made a lil quiz for you, just for the yell of it. For each question, come up with a ONE WORD answer, okay? Happy quizzin'!
1) How are you feeling today?
2) Anything pissing you off right now?
3) Favorite cocktail?
4) If you had one wish right now, what would it be?
5) Describe the last time you had sex.
6) What are you most proud of yourself for?
7) How's your summer going so far?
How do you think your family would describe you to strangers?
9) Doing anything fun this weekend?
10) If you could be anywhere right now, where would it be?

i've had the song 'lucas with the lid off' stuck in my head for 22 hours. straight. including while i was sleeping. i swear, in my sleep my stupid brain was going "whatever bubbles bubbles up..." and "catch the vibe catch the vibe..." F*CK!

--read more >>

monkeygirl and i in my BF jill's wedding a few weeks ago. we're kinda lovable, right?!?

woohoo, my first ho EVER! thanks for the help bitchface, you're the best (or should i say bitchiest?).

Could someone tell me how to post pics?? i know there's some kind of longass code i've gotta put in, but i don't know how to do it! thanks, mamas...

1. It's sunny and 75 out. Really, what more can one ask for??
2. Jello pudding pops are the best thing EVER that come on a stick! I sneak them at work when the kids are napping.
3. My sister's graduating from high scool tonight and I'm FREAKING PROUD of her. She's going on to the University of New Hampshire in the fall, and I feel almost like a proud mama even though she's my sis.
4. Goodbye longass workweek, hello TIME OFF!!--read more >>

2 weeks from now the monkeygirl and i will be in florida, woo-hoo! we'll be spending a few days with family for a small family reunion, but the really exciting part is that we'll be in disneyworld for the last 2 nights. i'm so excited thinking about how much freaking fun we're going to have, but i'm reeeaaally nervous about the flying part....--read more >>

bubblyja's post made me really curious as to what all the other mamas think would make the perfect day off. so, if you had a full 24 hours off from your kids, partners, jobs, EVERYTHING, what would you do to take advantage of it? this is a fantasy, so feel free to be a little unrealistic if you want!

hola, mamas!--read more >>

i wish you'd all check out 'what it is' by lynda barry-- it's been blowing my mind all week since i got it! it's an all-illustrated guide to reigniting creativity (i know i'm grateful for the help!) that's accompanied by some autobiographical comics based on barry's childhood creative life. each page poses a question ( like, what is a memory? where do thoughts come from? what is a toy? what's the difference between a lie and pretending?) and has a collage of drawings, cutouts, and quotes that suggest answers and help you come up with your own. --read more >>

sigh. i'm, um, EXHAUSTED. i can't think of any better word to sum it up.

it's a grey, rainy day outside, and it was yesterday, too. i want some sunshine-y happy weather to give me some energy!

my job (full-time nanny) is catching up to me; taking care of someone else's kids is just as hard (harder, in some ways) as taking care of my own. i keep reminding myself: at least i get paid to raise these ones!!! --read more >>

Here's a little example of some gross sexual objectification of women: (Sorry it's so long--I feel like I talk way too much around here!)

My best friend Jill's wedding a couple weeks ago was fantastic, and we all had a crazy fun night...until things took a shitty turn at 2 am. --read more >>

i've been assuming that my milk has been gone for a while, since monkeygirl weaned herself in february (when she was 15 months old). she was only nursing before bed, so on february 17 (i think i'll always remember the date!) i tried putting her to bed without nursing and she was fine...neither one of us ever looked back. in the last week, though, i've leaked milk twice while i was in the shower! so weird, because i figured that if i never had any leakage at first, i never would. how long will it be before the milk is actually gone?--read more >>

inspired by my rage upon watching the most apalling episode EVER of 'a baby story,' i finally went out and bought 'the business of being born.' it was absolutely unbelievable, and i stayed up for a while after it was over so i could digest it all.
a couple thoughts i had:--read more >>

i just made the mistake of watching an episode of 'a baby story' at work while i was folding laundry, and i am SO PISSED right now.

the poor woman featured had a fucking dumbass doctor who induced her the day she was 40 weeks along because, the woman said, "he didn't know how much longer it could be before i went into labor and he didn't want to have to wait." frigging BRILLIANT. --read more >>

so monkeygirl is having her intro to the kiddie-loving eyeball infection known as conjunctivitis. i thought for a couple days that it was just allergy-related irritation, but the verdict is in and it's pinkeye. the really crappy part (besides the delightful green gunk pouring from her eyes) is that she's banned from day care until tomorrow. AAARGH!
TMI ALERT:--read more >>

it's so funny (and also very scary) how much children imitate what they see the adults around them doing. monkeygirl is already developing little habits that she's clearly getting from me: she stands with her hands on her hips most of the time, she's always clearing her throat(perhaps due more to inherited post-nasal drip than a desire to be just like mommy), and she says "awesome!" when she likes something. chip off the old block!--read more >>