RIP Router

I still have a couple more TV shows to write about, but since we came home to a fried router I thought I'd write about that, since it will make blogging that much harder.

Apparently when you power up and power down a router enough times it eventually just dies. They don't come with power buttons -- at least not the model we had -- so wasn't protected from that. Even though it was plugged into a surge protector that didn't save it.

SO we still have internet via the modem if we plug in directly BUT without wifi my Draw Something time is severely limited. Not to mention that reading my Google Reader feeds without my iPod will be nearly impossible for me! Oh how my habits have changed. I don't sit at a computer all day anymore!

Hopefully we'll be back up and running by Tuesday, but until then I'll hobble along and use my Connectify program to create a small wifi hot spot when my laptop is on and connected to the internet.

Home Away

We're homeward bound today. It's been a great trip. Remember when I would obsessively write every detail of every trip? I will probably do some highlights with pictures of this trip, but nothing like my Owen-filled detailed posts of old. (But there will be plenty of Owen in any wrap up ... I still love that kid like a crazy person!)

Wish us luck getting home, although it should be infinity times easier with two of us to wrangle a toddler. And it actually wasn't all bad when I did it myself.

Happy Small Business Saturday, and I hope I can find one en route (unlikely in DFW I'd guess) -- or make it home and do some Etsy shopping just to say I did.

(This tiny laptop of my mom's is nice, and I'm grateful to have been able to use it and keep up with NaBloPoMo, but I'll be glad to get back to my own machine, photos, etc.)

What I Watch: Psych

Psych might be my favorite current show. It's another crime show -- mostly a comedy but with some drama mixed in.

I love Shawn and Gus, and Shawn and Juliet. I love the goofy jokes, 80s and 90s references and the wacky crime solving team.

Another show that I started watching because my mom turned me onto it. And I LOVE it. It's another show I can watch again and again in syndication. I might even watch it if I had the DVDs (I only have DVDs of two shows: My So-Called Life and Felicity).

Anyway, I watched tons of reruns on Ion and USA during my pregnancy. I wouldn't be surprised if Jane recognized the theme song: "I know, you know that I'm not telling the truth. I know, you know you just don't have any proof..."

Gobble Gobble

Happy Thanksgiving from our turkey to you.

What I Watch: The Big Bang Theory

I love this show, and it's one of the few that Shawn will watch with me regularly and intentionally. It's centered around academics -- totally stereotyped but also hilariously accurate sometimes.

One of the characters is socially inept but also OK with it (his mother had him tested so he knows he's not insane) -- Sheldon is so funny, and the actor who portrays him (Jim Parsons) does such an amazing job with his body language and dry one-liners.

Sheldon has a "girlfriend" in later seasons -- Amy Farrah Fowler -- who is played by Mayim Bialik, formerly known as Blossom (whose book Beyond the Sling I recently read).

We always laugh out loud at this show, sometimes because it reminds us of something we've experienced, but usually just because it's so outlandish and such a ridiculous portrayal of the way academia works.

It's definitely one of my favorite shows and one I would be sad to give up if I ever did abolish TV entirely. It's also one that I can watch repeatedly in reruns, which I did earlier this year when Jane was still small enough to keep facing away from the TV (what a bad mama!).

What I Watch: Community

Here's another NBC sitcom that's currently on hiatus. I've watched it since the beginning because of Joel McHale. I was a big fan of The Soup (don't watch anymore because I actually HAVE cut back on TV watching, despite what this month is showing me/us). I watched it back when it was Talk Soup and Skunk Boy was the host. (I didn't watch it when Greg Kinnear was the host, but that's probably because we didn't have cable then.)

Anyway, I think Joel McHale is super cute and funny, so I checked out his show and I liked it and kept watching. It doesn't get the best ratings because it's kind of a wacky only-some-people-will-get-it kinda show. And I like being one of those kinds of people I guess.

This is a show about a group of friends -- originally a study group for some class -- at a community college (I think in California?). The main character, Jeff, was an attorney who'd never completed his undergraduate degree, so he gets fired and decides to go get it so he can get back to practicing law and making money. The other characters are so assorted and have different reasons for being at the school -- some fresh from high school all the way up to an old retired guy played by Chevy Chase.

All in all it's a really clever show. There is some drama behind the scenes with the show's creator being fired and Chevy Chase being apparently a real pill about everything. I have no first-hand knowledge obviously, but I do read things and sometimes information sticks around in my head, although not always in pristine 100% correct condition.

They have really good bumpers at the end of Community (Troy & Abed in the Morning...) but I often miss part of it because of the previously mentioned DVR issue since NBC airs their shows to straddle the break between shows. Annoying!

I'll be glad when the show is back on the air. It was supposed to start in October, but now it's been pushed to February. This is the fourth season, so maybe it will be the last given ratings and the incongruity of being in community college for so long? (Although that's not even the most bizarre thing about the show.) My DVR is set, so whenever it comes back -- Thursday or otherwise -- I'll catch it (or most of it I guess).

My Daughter is Not a Princess

Jane isn't old enough to watch TV (and the irony is not lost on me that I watch enough TV for two or three people myself), but someday maybe we'll watch this clip together. A Supreme Court justice is telling one of the characters (Abby Cadabby -- the weird one I can never figure out why she's able to do magic in the books we read) about careers. Being a princess is not a career.

Since I've been home my Gran and dad have both called Jane "a little princess." I know it's a term of endearment, and I haven't said anything like "don't call her that," even though I cringe a little when I hear it. (I don't think they called Owen "a little prince," but I wouldn't doubt it entirely, especially for my Gran.)

Jane is a lot of things. She's funny and amazing and smart and strong and beautiful (and every synonym of those words). But she's not a princess.

What I Watch: Grey's Anatomy

Grey's Anatomy is a drama -- really a soap opera -- set in a hospital in Seattle. I haven't watched it since the beginning. I'm not sure how I got sucked into it. I know my sister used to watch it and I probably started watching reruns on Lifetime (back in Alexandria?!), and so I've watched the newer seasons since then.

I liked Izzy (Katherine Heigl), but her departure was pretty weird and her story line had degraded -- I hated the Denny hallucinations and brain tumor stuff. Otherwise I think Meredith (Ellen Pompeo), the main character, is my favorite. And I like her relationship with Derek (Patrick Dempsey). I couldn't understand the adoption story line -- it seemed very fake that they wouldn't be able to keep their baby with them as a foster child during the process, especially after she had bonded with them. But I'm sure there is some grain of truth there. It was irritating to watch though.

The seasons continue to get more and more drama filled in terms of fantastical things happening to them to make big cliffhangers -- gunman loose in the hospital, plane crash, etc.

I also kept getting confused this year on the timeline -- their progression as doctors from interns to residents to attendings -- apparently takes five years? But this is the ninth season, and so they just became attending physicians and kept referencing "five years ago" when showing clips from season one. I still am not sure I understood that right. Or which seasons were supposed to represent two years.

Thursday is my most jam packed night for TV recording. I usually watch all my NBC comedy shows (whatever three or four are on that I'm watching) and call it a night. I watch the Grey's, etc. later on the weekend.

What I Watch: The Office

The Office hasn't been the same since Steve Carell left, but I still love it because of the Jim and Pam story line. The drama is over there, but I like a happy ending.

I've seen several of the original British "The Office" episodes, but definitely after I had seen the Americanized versions. I probably didn't think it was as funny as it would have been otherwise. I also really like it even though I don't work in an office anymore (and I guess I haven't for much of the run, since I worked from home for several years in there). Especially at the beginning some of the jokes seemed to ring true to life, making them even funnier.

I keep watching this because I'm hooked into the characters' story lines. It's still funny and an OK way to spend 20 minutes. This is its last season though, so hopefully I won't fall into whatever replaces it in the time slot.

//////

Jane and I made it to Oklahoma no problem. We had a tight connection in Dallas, but our flight arrived and then departed from the same gate. I think it was even the same plane! I was worried about our car seat not making it in the 45 minute layover, but of course it did. The strap on the car seat bag broke, which is annoying and hopefully I can replace it -- let me know if you have ideas for that! -- but otherwise it was an uneventful trip. Jane was fairly good. She didn't cry like I thought she might.

Being here so far has been a challenge, since Beth is spending time with her boyfriend, my mom is working today and Shawn is en route to his conference. So I'm basically single parenting in unfamiliar (and not childproofed!) environs. I'm exhausted. Add that to the lingering sickies and I'm not a lot of fun to be around. Poor Jane! (And Gran!)

I put Jane in the play pen so I could knock out this post -- and give myself a rest. She took a good morning nap, but this afternoon was way more interested in watching Owen play than resting. So I'm in for it tonight I know.

Gotta get back to Gran's -- AKA land of no Internet. Makes me wish I had an iPhone so I could DrawSomething from there. Until tomorrow...

What I Watch: Up All Night

Let's see, a 30-minute show about new parents with a baby keeping them up all night that premiered in fall 2011 ... yeah, that sounds like something I would tune in for since I also had a baby keeping me up all night then. (In reality she slept great as a newborn ... it's now as a toddler that we're really losing sleep.)

This show stars Christina Applegate, Will Arnett and Maya Rudolph. They tweaked the set up of the show from stay-at-home dad to stay-at-home mom from season 1 (Rudolph being Applegate's boss on a talk show) to season 2 (Rudolph just being a wacky friend with no evident employment), so that's a little weird. It's not my favorite show, but I like the premise of seeing how a fictional family deals with a baby/kid.

(In real life Will Arnett is married to Amy Pohler -- of Parks & Recreation -- and they have two little boys. BUT they recently announced their divorce after 9 years of marriage and it makes me sad. Not all celebrity breakups make me sad -- Robsten, what? -- but this did. I have no idea what happened, obviously, but if I had to pick shows based on loyalty I'd definitely go with Parks & Rec. Not only is it a better show, but I almost always side with the ex-wife in celebrity breakups. Team Aniston! Wow, I am so lame.)

ANYWAY, on the show the baby's name is Amy, who is pretty much the most adorable baby ever ... I assume it's a set of twins, and if I saw them together it would be cuteness overload! On one episode Amy was unable to sleep anywhere but her parents' bed. The solution: put a pillowcase in her crib. Uh, maybe my baby's broken but that does NOT work for us. Jane mostly sleeps in her crib now anyway, but I wear a path between our rooms throughout the night as she wakes up.

Another episode, I think last season, has the family taking a cross-country flight at the last minute for a wedding. They're at LAX, the lines are long, Amy needs a diaper change so they do it in a security bin. Funny. Traveling with a baby is no joke.

And I'm about to do it today. This will be my first flight alone with Jane since she's been able to walk. I'm hopeful it will go OK, as they are two short flights. But she's heavier, we're both a little sick (so worried about her ears!) and we're both used to our routines. I've got my bag of tricks -- some new small toys, snacks, books (favorites and new) -- and hope that we can be OK on our way to OK. At least on the way back Shawn will be with us (he has a conference).

Anyway, Up All Night is a silly little show that isn't at all representative of life with a baby. They take some aspects of it and blow them out of proportion, which is exactly what a TV show should do I think.

What I Watch: Parks & Recreation

Another sitcom in the NBC Thursday night block. I've watched this from the first episode, probably because it just came on after something I already watched. But I actually love Amy Pohler from Saturday Night Live -- she created and stars in the show -- so it's possible it was an intentional decision to start watching.

In any case it's intentional that I KEEP watching.

Pohler's lead character Leslie Knope is a government employee (working in the parks department) in an Indiana town. She's idealistic and efficient and loves her job and town. She's also a goofball and is surrounded by quirky, nutty characters who fit together in really weird ways.

Here's a funny clip with two of my favorite characters, Tom and Donna:



I also really like that characters get together romantically and then seemingly stay together. Romance isn't a big part of the show (although the Leslie and Ben storyline is great), but there isn't a big effort to have some sort of ongoing sexual tension between characters (like Sam & Diane, Ross & Rachel, etc.). Maybe that will change as the series progresses, but I hope not.

The show, like most sitcoms for me, isn't long enough and I wish there were more. I guess if I watched everything on DVD plus extras it might seem right. In any case, I like this show a lot.

What I Watch: 30 Rock

I've watched NBC's Thursday night comedy block for what seems like a long time. I feel like since ER was on (Seinfeld and Friends for sure), but probably only sporadically since then and for a few shows.

Now it seems like I watch the whole block, and I have a real issue with my DVR. The way NBC airs their shows they end right in the middle of the top or bottom of the hour. So no matter what I do I miss part of the "bumper" after the show. What I could do is just set my DVR to record every Thursday from 7-9:05 and watch it in a continuous stream (a la a VCR), but then I might miss a show if its moved to another night (seeing as how I don't really watch commercials). So I get by with missing the last joke on every show.

Anyway, one NBC comedy I've watched for a few years is 30 Rock. At first I avoided it because it seemed too "popular kids" -- it doesn't have a mass following but it has a loyal enough following that it stays on the air. Also it's very smart and has Tina Fey. What was I thinking? 

Well, I saw an episode on an airplane and since then I've been watching, watching, watching. I've seen a few back episodes on Comedy Central but definitely haven't seen all of the early seasons.

I liked watching it in New York, thinking "oh yeah, I know that," even though seriously their NYC is almost as absurd as the one on How I Met Your Mother.

Fey's Liz Lemon character has the BEST lines. And the show about the creation of a Saturday Night Live-like show is great. It's usually layered and nuanced, sometimes so much that I'm sure I don't get everything they're putting out there. The show also has its fair share of gross and what-were-they-thinking moments. I find the Kenneth character especially weird and troubling sometimes.

I love the banter between Fey and Alec Baldwin. No sexual tension, but just a comic boss-employee relationship with two characters who have radically opposing political leanings (while still managing to keep the entire show very liberal ... something you don't expect really from a sitcom: a political bias).

The show is ending this season, and hopefully I'll find it in me to NOT replace it by watching whatever takes its time slot ... although it actually seems to share a time slot with another show I watch (because 30 Rock isn't super popular it hasn't always had a full season, which is bizarre).

What I Watch: Criminal Minds

Another crime drama introduced to me by my mom. Surprise surprise. I remember watching it first at her house -- it was a two-part episode rerun that went late into the night. I was so tired the next day, and although I had avoided watching this particular show I decided I liked it and got sucked into the characters. I caught up on most of the back episodes via Bravo and Ion.

It's a show about FBI profilers who travel the country helping local law enforcement solve gruesome cases, usually serial murders or other psycho things. They're always on the hunt for an "unsub" or unidentified subject. And I'm pretty sure each main character has had a psycho out for him or her individually throughout the course of the show's run.

I can't believe there are really so many serial killers out there. Wouldn't there be more national media coverage of some of the gruesome things if the TV show were real life? Thankfully it's not, but ugh. Some of the crimes they solve (and they almost ALWAYS solve them/the criminals are all so dumb or unlucky) are downright horrifying. So it's not a show for kids.

I tend to roll my eyes when the profilers get everything about the unsub right with just a few guesses. I also take issue with how they popcorn around the room while they're giving the presentation to the local law enforcement -- seamlessly moving from one person to the next on a single thought. I can't believe that's how things actually work in profiling, and I know people can't give a multiple-person presentation like hat without practicing. But really, what do I know? I watch gobs of TV each week!

There was a bit of a hub-bub a couple seasons ago when two of the female characters were written off (and it seemed they didn't ask to leave). It became a sausage-fest with one female tech who gets limited screen time most episodes. Thankfully the writers/producers/whoever reversed that and there are two women back on the team -- one of whom is Jeanne Tripplehorn, so that's pretty cool.

My favorite character is probably Spencer because he's so ridiculous. He's a special agent just like the rest of them but he has a PhD and is somewhat of a prodigy so they always introduce him as "Dr. Reed." As far as I can tell he's not a medical doctor, so the Dr. courtesy title is way overdone. That's something that irks me every episode because there's ALWAYS an introduction scene.

Now the new character played by Tripplehorn (have no idea what her name is on the show) also has a PhD. But I haven't noticed them calling her Dr. Whatever. Such a weird and random and small thing for me to notice.

I also really like Joe Montagna -- he is pretty relaxed all the time. I think he comes off like he doesn't really give a shit, where some of the other actors seem to stay super intense all the time. Maybe that's just part of how their characters are written though.

A lot of scenes on this show are DARK. I don't have a big TV so sometimes I can't see anything that's going on, and that's frustrating/annoying. But a minor issue I know and one that could maybe be corrected with a bigger TV. Meh.

If I watched more TV this is probably one that I could watch reruns over and over because it isn't mentally taxing to watch, especially when you've already seen most of the episodes and have a general sense of how the main characters' personal story lines have evolved. Although it's a case-by-case show there is some individual screen time about the characters about their lives outside of work, especially when it overlaps with the work (like when a serial killer is after one of them especially).

Complaint Box: Doctor Appointment

New Jacket from Auntie Sue

Ugh. Today was Jane's one year doctor check up. Everything is fine -- she's growing (and actually slimming down because of all the walking), but the WAIT just to see the doctor.

We had an 8:30 appointment, so we were there by 8:20.

Check in Lady: Have you filled out paperwork?

Me: Well, we've been coming for a year now, so yes we have.

CIL: Oh no, if you haven't been here since October 9 of this year you need to resubmit your paperwork.

M: Why didn't anyone tell me this?

CIL: They were supposed to tell you to come 45 minutes early for your appointment when they called to remind you. I'm sorry. Here, fill these out.

Uh ... I guess that means it takes 45 minutes to fill out AND for some numbskull to type everything into the computers.

I had forgotten to bring my ring sling, so I was actually holding Jane while writing out everything. I don't understand why they didn't just input the previous charts' information into the computer system since they were still going to have to type in whatever I was writing on this stupid piece of paper. Otherwise they could have sent me an email with a link to a form and I would have typed it in myself. ARGH.

I was overly pissy and sloppy in the writing. On the important parts I wrote as clearly as I could with a 23 lb. toddler squirming in my too weak arm. My signatures were illegible, I put down Shawn as a contact "outside of the household" before I realized that made it seem like we weren't together (we most assuredly are!), but I was hurrying through everything hoping I could still keep my 8:30 appointment.

HAHAHAHAHAHAHA.

The waiting room was FULL of sick and well kids. There wasn't anywhere to sit after I got up and picked up my driver's license and Jane's insurance card (both of which they should already have copies of, but whatever). We ended up eventually sitting at the end of a row where Jane could see TV -- she didn't watch it consistently but she did relax and look at a few minutes of Phineas and Ferb. BAD MAMA!

We weren't seen until after 9:30. We didn't leave until nearly 10:30 what with additional waiting in the exam room -- both for the doctor and later for the nurse to give Jane her shots.

If I were a better person I would have been happy to wait, thinking about how lucky we are to have access to medical care in a clean, safe and warm clinic. Jane wasn't upset. She liked being out and about and seeing all the other children. My sweet baboo.

What I Watch: Modern Family

Another funny sitcom, and it's very popular/won a lot of awards. It's clever -- about an extended family full of wacky people.

It's got some good writing, and I think my favorite character is Phil. He usually has the funniest lines. Although lately the kid Luke has had some pretty good ones -- that take me a minute to get. He said something about "we already do" after his sister said "someday we'll be using Chinese money." I thought that was pretty funny, especially considering the Luke character is supposed to be a little daft/goofy like his dad.

By zooming through the commercials I can watch an episode in about 20 minutes, so it never feels like enough. Sitcoms seems like they have much less bite or heft to them nowadays. But what do I know?

Because this is on at the same time as another show I DVR I don't get to DVR Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. I haven't really watched new episodes of that show religiously in a while, possibly ever. I mostly catch re-runs. BUT season 13 of SVU is airing on USA on Tuesday nights, so I've set my DVR to record those so at least I'm seeing some that were made after Elliot Stabler/Christopher Meloni left -- although I still haven't seen the episode explaining why he left. I LOVE ICE T. He's hands down my favorite part of that show, with Olivia Benson/Mariska Hargitay being a close second.

I guess SVU deserves its own post, but since I already typed it out here (and don't have much to say about Modern Family) I'll leave it. Quality blogging here, I tell you what.

What I Watch: The Mindy Project

This is a new show this season. I have loved The Office for many seasons, and Mindy Kaling wrote some of my favorite episodes (she also plays Kelly Kapoor). Now she's got her own show, and so far so good.

I was able to read her recent memoir, Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me?, and some of the content and jokes are repeated on the show, but it doesn't make them any less funny. I am sure as the show finds its footing she'll keep getting better.

I also listened to an interview on NPR's "Fresh Air," and I liked the way she was approaching her job and long hours that come with it (she's star, writer, director, producer, etc.). She vowed never to talk about how busy she is (because how boring is that?). She may have written about that in her book too, but it's a good drum beat to repeat and let sink in. We're all busy. (Although to be honest I don't feel as busy as I once was, but that might be a product of decreased efficiency in terms of my outputs ... although I know the payoff is coming in 17 years or so, it just doesn't feel as productive in the short-term.)

Anyway, the show is funny. I laugh out loud at least twice every in every show. It's ridiculous and there are time inconsistencies -- but realistically it would hard for there not to be given that she's an OBGYN who also goes out on a lot of dates. I really do like the show and hope it gets picked up for more seasons.

I realize how absolutely ridiculous it is for me to chronicle all these TV shows I watch, and that it seems SO EXCESSIVE. What a waste of time. It really is, but I am not sure how to stop something that's such an engrained habit and feels so good/relaxing to me at the end of the day. Maybe at the end of this month I'll see just how many hours I spend each week in front of the Boob Tube and make changes. But on the surface I'm enjoying this cataloging process and hope it's at least somewhat interesting to someone (voyeurism is so fun!). I also wonder how I stack up to other Americans in terms of how much TV I watch...

Seems like someone needs to do some research ... or at least GTS.

Disclosure: Amazon affiliate link used for the book.

What I Watch: Parenthood

Here's a show I have watched from the beginning (2010), although I'm not sure WHY I chose to watch it.

Maybe it was Lauren Graham, because I loved Gilmore Girls back in the day (until the awkward weirdness with Luke and his suddenly-have-a-teenage-daughter-of-his-own storyline).

Also I think the people who made Friday Night Lights are somehow involved because a lot of the same actors have shown up as recurring guest stars. But I'm sure I didn't know that when it started.

As the show's gone on though I think my favorite is "Crosby" played by Dax Shepard. He's the goofy younger brother who's cool and relaxed. In the beginning of the show he finds out he has a 5 year old son he's never met, and now he and the mom are married. Not sure how realistic that is, but I like it because I like the characters/actors together.

The characters do a lot of other eye rolling things, but it's a TV show so what do I expect? There's an awful lot of emotional turmoil -- affairs, cancer, infertility, adoption, etc. So it can sometimes make me cry (not every time, like someone on my Facebook said last year).

Basically this is another show I just watch because I watch. Maybe sometimes I think about "wonder what's going to happen with..." but usually it's just "oh hey, look what's on my DVR ... this hasn't been on in a while." And if it were pitted against another show for DVR space this would probably be the one to go. Not a real ringing endorsement I guess, but it isn't a bad show.

How Birthday One Went

Mama fails left and right.

Jane "made" one (thanks KB)

I had wanted to get Jane a helium balloon for her birthday. I went out Wednesday night to get one. I went to two grocery stores before I found out there's a national helium shortage. I know we saw one in the store a couple weeks ago because I remember her looking at it longingly. In the grand scheme, it's no big deal. But I still would have liked to surprise her with a fun balloon on her birthday morning, and this is the only year a big "1" would be appropriate.

Our play date fell through because the museum closed exactly when we planned to meet. (It was OK though because Jane wasn't feeling well and to be honest I don't really have a good mom friend with a kid Jane's age, so it wasn't something I was looking forward to -- but I didn't choose the time/didn't intentionally torpedo the date). 

One thing went relatively "right" in that the Google Plus hangout with family actually WORKED. One aunt joined from work, so she didn't have a mic or camera, but she knew how to use the chat feature and she could see and hear us all. Another aunt joined but didn't know that -- so we just saw a black screen and joked about her watching in the dark (without knowing she could hear us). Hopefully she wasn't too offended. I kept cracking up about it during the webcast. (Shawn's parents webcammed with us earlier in the day since they had scheduling conflicts.)

Jane got way too many toys (we'll have to put up some of her old toys and rotate them out in a few months), and was really happy with all of them. She especially liked this wolf cub from Jackson Hole, Wyoming. She's in a stage of cuddling stuffed animals, so she was holding it and patting its back. Very cute.

It was good to get to see my sister, Owen, Gran and aunt all at once -- felt like a technological marvel. I remember being a kid and seeing video phones being used on Good Morning America with Joan Lunden. I love that the technology is advanced enough that even though I don't live near family we can still celebrate Jane's milestones together.

What I Watch: NCIS

This is a trend with my TV watching, but NCIS is another show introduced to me by my mom. I caught up on back episodes via endless marathons on USA.

Another crime drama, this one tied to the Navy. It's one of the most popular shows, so it has broad appeal. My inlaws watch it too.

It's not the best show I've ever seen, but I've been watching long enough that I keep watching to see what happens with the characters' relationships (way more than I watch for any of the Navy crimes/murders they investigate).

DiNozzo!

I don't watch the spin off, NCIS: Los Angeles, although I did watch the first episode. I guess I just didn't want to get drawn into something else.

Basically this is a show that gets high enough ratings to expect it to be around as long as the actors want it to. So I guess it's likely to have a happy, wrap-it-up ending at some point. And I like shows that get to do that.

Jane's Day

 
See Jane grow...

It's Jane's first birthday -- hooray! She's got a runny nose thanks to some snot nose kid at either the library or the playground yesterday. Now she's the snot nose. Otherwise she's OK, although sleep last night was a challenge, and it continues into today's napping.

We go to the doctor on Monday and will know her height and weight then. She's always been off the charts in height and in 95th percentile in weight, so I'm sure it continues. She's healthy, happy and just a joy to be around.

Less blogging, more snuggling! Happy birthday, Jane!

Edit: Sorry these weren't ordered properly before. Now they're in a set and arranged by date taken so now you should ACTUALLY be able to see Jane grow.

365 Days Later

Today is my 365th day of being Jane's mama (not counting gestation time). Because 2012 is a leap year her birthday is tomorrow, but I'm already feeling nostalgic and ecstatic about the beginning of her second year.

I am worried that I'm not doing enough -- she's not having a "real" party, I haven't planned to give her a cake, etc. She will have a play date tomorrow at the children's museum, she has an "I'm One" t-shirt and a cake hat that my aunt made for her to wear, we'll have a Google+ hangout for family to watch her eat dinner and open some presents before bed, and then on Saturday we'll have friends over for dinner to celebrate more.

She's got many presents -- probably too many from us, even though it didn't feel like enough at the time I was putting them together.

I don't know what it is -- a cultural pressure? an internal pressure? -- that's making me want to overindulge her with THINGS, when that's the exact opposite of how I'm trying to parent. Constant battle within me for sure...

What I Watch: Covert Affairs

Covert Affairs is a USA show about a CIA operative named Annie Walker. I've watched it from the beginning, in part because the lead character's name is Walker! Also we had recently seen Piper Perabo in a play on Broadway when the show started so I wanted to at least check it out. I've kept watching, and I think the show gets better and better.

Last night I watched it and kept flipping back to election coverage on commercials (eventually I just went to sleep -- Daylight Savings Time has done a number on us, and I'm glad I didn't try to stay up until 1 a.m. when the election was finally called. I was just as happy finding out this morning at 7 a.m.!)

Basically I love that this show has a kick ass female lead. She's not perfect and makes mistakes and has to be saved sometimes, but she also gets to do the saving plenty.

She's also beautiful, and they constantly change up her look -- her hair goes from curly to straight, up to down, etc. And the recent arc when she was in a Russian prison -- OMG she looked amazing in a haggard, beat down way. And the no makeup, pissed off look as she recovered from a gunshot wound. Anyway, I think the styling on this show is ridiculously good. Love it.

There's the right amount of romance, and although her male suitors seem to come and go, there is consistent sexual tension with her tech guy Augie. I love the solid friendship and when they give hints that the two could end up together. (I'm a sucker for love stories, even when they're less skillfully handled.)

Some of the side storylines are a little weird (suddenly her boss has a drug addiction, what?), but the main storyline right now is complex and rich. I have to watch the "last time on Covert Affairs" at the beginning to remember exactly what has happened (on most shows I don't). But it makes it SO good.

It's not a show you can really pop in and out of, but it's not so hard to catch up that watching an episode out of order would be unreasonable.

Election Day 2012

Four years ago I pulled a lever in New York City to vote for President Obama (although judging by that post I wasn't as passionate as I feel this year ... although I'll give the bedbugs some credit for that!). This year I pushed some buttons in Baton Rouge, LA, to vote for him again (how funny are the little icons -- I didn't realize that as I was voting. Is that for someone who can't read?!). Both times my vote didn't really "count" because neither state is a swing state. But it's still important to vote.

I also think it is important to share our convictions with others BUT I can say it gets super obnoxious on Facebook with people I disagree with. Honestly I will never see some people the same way based on the absurdity they've posted.

We've been getting a lot of electioneering calls, including one yesterday that was asking me to get on a bus to Philadelphia to help get out the vote (since Pennsylvania is a swing state). I think it was a mistake, since there wasn't enough time for a bus to get to Philadelphia in time for the election even if it left at the time of the call. So that was bizarre.

Otherwise the calls have been local, vote for this so-and-so for a certain judgeship, etc. (Is it only me, or does it seem bizarre to campaign to be a judge, when your job is essentially to be non-partisan and interpret the law without bias?)

I let Jane push the button to "cast ballot," but first while I was reading through the amendments and such she peeked around me and opened the curtain to the booth, flirting with the people outside. I heard people say "that's the cutest thing I've ever seen." I wished I'd had a picture of THAT. This will have to do, of us in side the voting booth:

I walked to our polling place, just like I walked in New York (although it was quite a bit further here in BR). Because my name is in the second half of the alphabet I was in a much shorter line and was in and out within 15 minutes. Other people were waiting 30+ minutes and I'm sure longer, especially as a nursing home bus showed up as I was leaving. I hope everyone in the swing states has as an efficient and easy time voting as I did (although I know that's not going to be the case).

Go vote today!

What I Watch: The Mob Doctor (?!)

Here's a show I started watching from the beginning (there have only been about four episodes so far). It got a LOT of advertising before it launched, and it took the time slot of House, which was one of my favorites up until last year. I dutifully watched it to the end of its run, although without Cuddy it just wasn't the same. (Hey, that was another show I started watching because of USA reruns ... anyway.)

I like the main girl on The Mob Doctor (I used to watch her old show My Boys, and Shawn recognized her from Must Love Dogs), although that and the premise of the show--she's paying off her brother's debt to the mob by being a sort of inhouse doctor for them--weren't enough to get me watching. What was? Two words: Matt Saracen.

OK, the actor's name is Zach Gilford, but I've been a fan since Friday Night Lights, one of the best shows ever. I'd actually rank it up there with My So-Called Life in terms of my favorites. (The FNL season with a random murder and Matt sleeping with his grandma's live-in nurse not-with-standing ... I blame the writers' strike on that.)

Another FNL alum is on a new show -- Nashville has Connie Britton, aka Tami Taylor. I tuned into the first episode of that show, but yowza. It felt too campy and soap opera-y even for me, so I made a conscious decision to keep myself from watching further (although it was tough, as I kept thinking "I wonder what happened when the husband found out about..."). I guess I could always go back and watch the episodes on demand -- but I will refrain! Anyway.

The Mob Doctor as a show is really too much. They cram way too much into each episode. Someone described it as "two shows in one" -- meaning it as a compliment. But I don't really like that about it. I'd rather see more Zach (I have no idea what his character's name is on this show!) and her relationship and more medical drama and less of the shoot-em-up stuff inherent with a mob show.

Not sure I'll continue watching this faithfully, especially since it's very likely it will end this season, but I'll keep DVR-ing it in case I have downtime and nothing else recorded. (Summer 2013 maybe?)

What I Watch: How I Met Your Mother

Ah, sitcoms. I watch several, and they're definitely not shows I find from my mom. In fact, I don't know if she watches ANY sitcoms regularly. Do you?

I do think I found this one via Lifetime reruns a few years back, and now I watch it regularly, despite it not being very good. Rarely do I start watching a show from its pilot -- maybe I want to wait and make sure it's going to stick around/be popular enough to bother watching? There are exceptions to that rule though (Fringe, Up All Night and some of the other NBC sitcoms).

Anyway, with this show I laugh and really like the Barney character BUT it's "just tell us who the mother is already" that makes me keep watching and wishing that I didn't watch. Pretty dumb. I do like the version of New York in which they live, although the street scenes are so fake lot-style that it's laughable.

With fast forward I can watch a DVR'ed episode in 20 minutes or less. Seems like TV shows are getting shorter and shorter. Annoying. Maybe they're saving the extra scenes for the DVDs.

What I Watch: Bones

Now that Major Crimes is on hiatus, Bones is probably my top Monday show. It's nearing its end, thankfully as it is getting hokier as it winds down. This is another show I got sucked into via watching at my mom's and then TNT reruns (I watched many after work in NYC, sometimes marching in place while I cooked dinner -- oh to be dedicated to exercise again).

Anyway, it's another "crime procedural" but it's got a heightened sense of comedy. There's some slapstick and weird, fun situations where the characters go undercover and/or dress up to try to catch the criminals. That also means there are more groan-worthy moments.

The sexual tension is gone now that the two lead characters are together and have a baby together ... who is almost never in the show and they never talk about who is watching her -- such a giant storyline hole for the mama in me. The main character is pretty preachy and a big know-it-all (she has shown remarkably little growth over the course of the series, other than attempting to be in a love relationship with the other lead character), so I have been surprised that there wasn't any preaching about the benefits of breastfeeding and/or specific ways of rearing a child, since that would have been absolutely in character for her. I don't know why they had to write a baby into the storyline if they were just going to ignore it/not mention it anyway. I guess that's TV for you.

Basically it's still an enjoyable show, but I'm not as invested in the characters as I probably was once. So many bad things have happened to them -- different serial killers have targeted them, etc. I don't have a problem with it being unrealistic, but at some point it starts to feel like enough. (See also Grey's Anatomy in a few days!)

I also think because I have been watching so much that when the characters make super dumb decisions or act out of what I understand their character to be I get even more frustrated than I would if I were watching a new show and didn't have as much back story in the mix.

What I Watch: Major Crimes

There isn't much that I watch on Sundays.We usually DVR 60 Minutes and then don't watch it. We watched The Simpson's "Tree House of Horror" episode, and because of no Showtime we don't watch Dexter anymore. Otherwise, Sunday is a night for catching up on other DVR'ed shows -- or rarely, not watching TV at all. (I almost always have a Law & Order or 10 DVR'ed for situations like that!)

So that leads me to Monday. TNT "knows drama," and all of the shows I watch on the network are their dramas, including Major Crimes, a spin off of The Closer. I didn't watch The Closer from the beginning, but I'm pretty sure it was a show my mom introduced me too -- a theme in my TV watching.

I did watch The Closer re-runs while Jane napped and I was still working earlier this year. There would be one on per day and I would somehow find the time to watch it (on DVR so I didn't have to watch the commercials). It was leading up to the series finale of The Closer, so I wanted to remind myself what was what. That's one thing about TNT shows, they have erratic seasons. I think there was more than a full year between the two halves of The Closer's last season.

The Closer was so good that I didn't mind repeating episodes, and I found there were some I had missed (so I definitely didn't watch from the beginning).

So Major Crimes is a spin off, and I like it ALMOST as much as The Closer (without the Brenda and Fritz dynamic and their secondary storylines it isn't quite the same, nor should it be). It's a "police procedural" in that it's about a crime being solved by the major crimes division of the LAPD. There are also interpersonal dramas going on at the same time to keep it interesting and to provide story arcs from week to week.

My favorite character is Provenza, although his grumpiness has ramped up in the spin off and he's a little less funny.The addition of the Rusty character has been interesting -- and was a specific way to tie the shows together, including leaving the door open for a guest appearance from Kyra Sedgwick later on.

The show isn't on the air right now -- I think it comes back next summer, or something? That's one good thing about the DVR -- it will catch programs you forgot about once they do finally come back on the air. I just hope Major Crimes did well enough ratings-wise to stay on the air for a few more seasons.

Welcome to NaBloPoMo 2012

So we begin again. I've done NaBloPoMo (National Blog Post Month) since 2008. The goal is to write one post per day for the 30 days of November. November is my favorite month, and I like blogging, so it can be fun for me. I managed to complete 2011 while being pregnant, being in the hospital for a few days after having a baby and then learning to care for a newborn. But something tells me having a toddler (yeah, she full on walks now) may prove a bit more challenging.

My idea for this year is to talk about TV shows to fill up the bulk of the month. I watch a RIDICULOUS amount of TV and am always thinking "I wish I had someone to talk to about this show."

Even though I watch more TV than is necessary, it's cut back drastically from what I watched before I had a baby. (Jane doesn't watch TV. We don't even have it on when she's awake.) Before Jane I would fill every minute home with TV -- watching endless episodes of House Hunters and reruns of Law & Order, House, SVU, etc. And Food Network -- oh, how I loved that. I would also watch reruns of sitcoms on Hallmark, Lifetime and Oxygen. When we moved here I watched all of Who's The Boss while working out. I've seen most of the I Love Lucy eps again, and Golden Girls -- man I could watch that any time. Basically the TV was on all the time, whether we were eating, cooking, cleaning, etc. If we were in the living room there was TV going on. (Now I listen to the radio a lot, but it feels a little less "bad" somehow.)

As for TV, now I've cut back to mainly just watching DVR'ed prime time. We don't have premium cable (meaning Dexter has gone by the wayside, but we'll rent the DVDs or something next summer when the current season comes out), so I mainly watch FOX, NBC, ABC, CBS, USA and TNT. Seems silly that we still pay for cable for effectively six channels, but we also make use of ESPN for basketball ... and the cable companies don't really give the option to have a super bare bones plan. We also use cable for our internet and phone (terrible cell service at our house), and I'd be lost without DVR. I know I COULD do without TV entirely, but I don't know that I'd want to.

Basically I'll plan to talk about one show per day and I'll roughly go in order of the week in which they appear (although I know I'll forget some and circle back), plus I'll add posts about shows that aren't on the air right now (Psych may actually be my favorite ... I watched a ton of those reruns on Ion while pregnant. I wouldn't be surprised if Jane recognizes the theme song...).

I know this won't be super interesting for everyone, but I'll also be interspersing with my typical November fare -- election, birthdays, Thanksgiving, etc. And other things may pop up -- books I read, outings and travel with Jane, etc.

We'll see how it goes, if I stick with the TV theme or abandon it for more free-form stream of consciousness posts as in years past. In any case I'M SO GLAD IT'S NOVEMBER!

Pumpkin Says Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween, from my pumpkin to you!

(P.S. NaBloPoMo starts tomorrow... YIKES.)

Read: A Year of Biblical Womanhood

A Year of Biblical Womanhood by Rachel Held Evans
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I loved this book. I've read Rachel Held Evans' blog for a couple years, ever since I read her first book Evolving in Monkeytown, but I haven't paid super close attention. I finally understand the "women of valor" series I kept seeing pop up but never took the time to read.

When the opportunity to pre-order her new book for less than $7 I didn't hesitate. Now several months later and I've got the book in my grubby little hands. The book is officially released today, but I've had it for about a week and finally finished it today (parenting books--and parenting itself--got in my way of devouring it more quickly).

I love the way Evans writes -- her conversational style about such a weighty topic of women's role in the church and home speaks to my heart. And this very issue is something that cuts deeply and has vexed me.

I'd like to think I could ask the questions Evans tackles in her yearlong project, but she asks questions that I would never have known to ask. I'm so glad that she already has explored the answers and put them together in such an easy-to-read book. I especially love her insight into the Proverbs 31 woman and her research into Judaism, its culture and traditions, and how that feeds into how we understand Christ.

This book may be further fueling a desire to continue investigating and praying about what it means to be a woman who follows Jesus. I also feel like buying this book as a gift for some of the women of valor in my life. I think you should take a look at it too.

View all my reviews

Disclosure: a couple of Amazon affiliate links included.

Eight

October 30 has significance for me and has for a few years. Shawn and I met at a Halloween party in Washington, DC, in 2004. So today marks 8 years of knowing the one I love the most.

Today also marks a year since "Pumpkin's" due date. I loved the dates aligning ... that we expected Jane on an anniversary. She came later, of course, but I'm sure I will always remember and mark October 30 anyway.

October 30, 2011

Grandma Jane

Today is Grandma Jane's birthday. I just realized that when I looked at the date on my clock by the computer (it used to be by my nursing chair, but since someone learned to walk I can't really have breakables at toddler-level).

I wonder what Grandma Jane would think about Baby Jane...

I'm sure she'd love her and Owen too.

Grandma Jane's great-grand babies.

Read: Beyond the Sling

Beyond the Sling: A Real-Life Guide to Raising Confident, Loving Children the Attachment Parenting Way by Mayim Bialik
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I wanted to love, love, love this book because I aspire to be a hippie mom of sorts (but fall short in so many ways, see part-time cloth diapering, non-organic carpet and window coverings, etc.) and am drawn to attachment parenting. I respect this book and its approach for sure, but in the same way the "cry-it-out" type books leave me feeling like I'm doing it wrong, parts of this made me question what I'm doing ... such as, should I have kept Jane's crib in our room indefinitely? But in other ways I am doing OK by this book's system (nursing, lots of carrying, spending insane amounts of time together, etc.).

This book is a look at one family's parenting strategies, and it's written by an actress with a neurobiology PhD. While some of her educational training does seep into the book, overall this is a parenting memoir (of early childhood -- her oldest is 7) and a very good one. I liked the writing and could tell she wasn't trying to talk down to people who make other decisions for their families. (Sometimes I'm not sure I'm making any decision at all though.)

Bialik lost me when she talked about vaccines. She didn't go into detail, but she did say her family chose not to vaccinate, although I do agree in the concept of choice (sound familiar?). The idea of elimination communication still seems foreign to me, but I was glad to get a first-person introduction to it.

I liked the idea of less stuff, which is a battle I fight constantly and am LOSING in terms of Jane's possessions -- although we have decided to try to rotate out toys, and I have a box of stuff put away to be opened in May. But one thing Bialik mentioned that was weird to me is "babies don't need a lot of books." I can't help it, I want Jane to have lots of books and spend lots of time with them, which she does. Maybe I'm doing her a disservice or overwhelming her with choices, but I know I won't be able to bring myself to stop. We even go to the library each week and check out more.

I love the idea of gentle discipline and am hoping to learn more and use that as Jane grows. It will go against my innate tendencies (which I know because of Owen include being short-tempered and impatient).

I also like delaying exposure to media, TV and advertising as long as possible. I know we want to keep to the American Academy of Physicians recommendation of no screen time before 2 and probably go beyond that if we can (although I cheat when we travel when Jane gets to look at pictures of herself on my iPod, and she also sees my computer screen from the background sometimes).

Anyway, Beyond the Sling gave me a lot to think about, as well as a list of other books to read (many of which were at the library and a few more were available for a couple dollars each used on Amazon). I'd recommend it if you're interested in knowing more about Attachment Parenting (the new AP in my life). And I subscribed to Bialik's blog on Kveller.

View all my reviews

Sippy Cup Drama

Water or breast milk only please!

It's been a few days, but I'm still hung up on this.

On Sunday Jane went to the church nursery as per usual. Things have changed there -- they've moved rooms and hired a new worker. The pastors were also out of town, meaning there were 5 fewer kids in the mix, and during church it was just Jane and another little boy slightly older than she is.

She cried a bit when we left her, but it wasn't heart wrenching. When I checked in after worship/before Sunday school the volunteer church member worker said she was just fine and hadn't fussed at all. So I didn't go see her and assumed all was well.

She was the only kid with the new worker for the Sunday school hour. When we went to pick her up she cried when she saw us (probably pissed that we'd left her with a stranger for so long), and I almost crumbled when I saw what was in her sippy cup: JUICE.

At first I thought they'd given her Kool-aid, but upon later inspection it was "just" apple juice.

I had packed her a snack and a sippy of water as I usually do (once they tried to give her Goldfish crackers, so I know better than to send her with nothing ... which is actually what she "needs" during those two hours).

At drop off I told the volunteer and the new paid worker that she could have these for a snack. NEVER did I say "give her some juice," and they had to dump out her water to put it in her sippy.

I flipped out enough that the worker said "she didn't really drink it or like it," but I know now she's had a taste of apple juice and it wasn't my choice/I didn't get to give it to her as a treat and see how she reacted.

I also wonder if whoever gave her juice did it to try to get her to stop crying. If she's upset I'd MUCH rather they call me. I don't mind giving up Sunday school or church time to take care of my baby, and I want her to know I'm always available. BUT she can't talk or ask for me yet, so I'm all kinds of conflicted about what I should do going forward.

I don't want to tattle on the worker, because I'm not even sure she was the one who gave Jane the juice (it could have been the church volunteer or the mom of the other kid), and it's really such a stupid thing that no one but me would be upset. I'm just overly particular about Jane's food and drink right now because she is so small and I want to set her up for good eating habits. I know a sip (or even a cup) of juice isn't going to undo my efforts, but I'm steamed about it even now.

Cleaner

I've started trying to keep the house clean using a calendar/task schedule -- modified from this one that I saw on Pinterest (I swear I don't spend much time on that site!). I made mine in Word using my wedding font and swirl graphic (what a nerd).

As to cleaning, I don't do things perfectly, but I am getting into some kind of rhythm of doing each daily chore without too much self-whining. There's still some, but I love checking things off lists, so this is appealing to me.

BUT things broke down last Wednesday when I fell sick. As in stomach-bug-can't-move-fevers-and-chills sick.

Oh, and Shawn was out of town.

Luckily a good friend helped me by bringing 7up -- I am a weirdo, but that's all I wanted. Some 7up and my couch ... riding out the sickness.

But oh yeah, I still had to take care of Jane.

Thankfully she was not sick, but she gave me a break by playing a lot on her own, reading her books -- or bringing them to me while I splayed on the couch, and we took several naps together while we waited for Shawn to get home from his trip.

Somehow we made it, and although Jane got a little bit of the sickness on Friday (without ever skipping a beat and remaining her happy self), and Shawn got as sick as I was on Sunday we are all healthy today.

BUT my inlaws came to town the day after Shawn got home. And yep, my father-in-law got sick too.

My mother-in-law has the best constitution of us all, as she didn't even get a single chill. (Her preventive measure: Rolaids, so who knows.)

Basically, with the sickness and then family in town I got a little behind on my chore list. Try a LOT behind.

So today, after my inlaws got on the road, I got Jane down for a nap and got to work -- trying to deep clean the bathrooms especially and in general catching up on the backlog of chores.

I've pretty much got everything done, including fresh sheets in the guest room and clean towels in the guest bathroom, just in time for my mom and sister and Owen to come for a visit!

Basically this full day of cleaning makes me appreciate the bite-size approach of the cleaning calendar and hope I can keep it up and have some semblance of a tidy home. (Just look away from the overflowing laundry basket of toys...)

One of my chores is to pick up this mess every night -- I do it almost every night.

Tbd

Got this from Winn-Dixie and think it is funny. I didn't give Jane's name when I signed up before she was born so I guess they think her name is Tbd!

Am I Better Off?

A few weeks ago a big question surrounding the election was "are you better off now than you were four years ago?"

Of course the real question is about the COUNTRY and whether it's better off than it was ... or something like that. But the answer for me is YES.

That isn't to say I wasn't happy four years ago, but things have moved in an upward trajectory for me, and I'm very happy to be where I am, doing what I'm doing.

I lived in New York, the best city, so in some ways that might be considered better then than now. (Baton Rouge is not even the best city in Louisiana.) But other than that geographic preference everything about my life today is better than it was in 2008.

I lived in a few hundred square feet then. Today I have an entire house plus out buildings. (There's one score for BR over NYC.)

Fighting bedbugs in 2008 ... 5H

Four years ago I was still trying to figure out what was causing my hives. Multiple doctors visits and a couple rounds of steroids later we found the bedbugs. Ugh to infinity.

I was a newlywed then, which was definitely a good time. Today I am happily married for more than four years, an even better time.

More than just being two, we are now a family of three. And nothing could make me happier ... except maybe being a family of four? :)

Of course this silly reminiscing isn't actually influencing my decision on election day. In 2008 I voted for Obama in NYC, and in 2012 I will do it again in Baton Rouge.

FORWARD.

Draw Something Badges

I love the app Draw Something. It's the main reason my mom gifted me an iPod touch with the capability to run the app. It's pictionary online, and you use your fingers to draw.

I play with four people, and half of them read this blog and we've been talking about the new badges you can earn. It's been hard for me to type on the iPod within the game enough to explain how I understand them, and there doesn't seem to be anything clearly explaining how I understand it either. So here's what I can tell:

My drawing of a skeleton for
the "Don't Go In There" badge

There are 11 badges available for the free version of the app (there are likely more for the paid version). They're just collections of words that are around a theme. You can't see what the words are, but you can see the themes -- like "Don't Go In There" (skeleton is one of the words) and "Beauties and the Beast" (flower, princess, woman and kingkong) and "The Hardest Spelling Bee Ever" (3-letter words like tea, art, red) -- and see how many words are in each themed badge and how many letters each of those words have.

As you draw a word that's in a badge it will show up within that badge as complete (as far as I can tell it doesn't even need to be guessed correctly -- you just have to draw it).

Once you draw all the words within a badge theme you are awarded the badge and given a bonus of coins. As far as I can tell it's 10 coins per word in the badge (for the "Beauties and the Beast" badge I got 40 and for "The Hardest Spelling Bee Ever" badge I got 50).

There doesn't seem to be anything else you can DO with a badge -- some of the questions I read online were "how do I open the badge?" and "what do I do with a badge?" Really I think they're just a way to keep people playing and a way to earn more coins quickly.

(Coins can be accumulated to buy additional colors and bombs, which can unlock other choices of words to draw or remove letters when guessing someone else's drawing.)

The words for the badges do not have to be opened with a bomb. As I have completed the badges I have noticed that the badge words are marked in the lists with a little badge icon. If I see that icon, I know to pick that word to draw (even if it's an "easy" or one-coin word) to get closer to earning a badge.

But some days I don't see a badge word at all, so I'm not sure how long it would take to complete all 11 badges -- or if there's a bigger coin bonus if you do.

Hope this helps, and if it's unclear I can try to explain myself better. And if I figure out other things as I go along I'll update this post.

Happy Drawing.

Gym Member Fail

I do not like working out.

I love the way I feel after I work out, and even more how I feel when I CONSISTENTLY work out.

Jane is closing in on her first year, and I still haven't figured out a way to exercise while balancing child care. #mamafail

I am not a morning person -- so waking up before Shawn and Jane to exercise seems so daunting, especially since someone has regressed and doesn't sleep through the night anymore.

In the evenings I am so hungry and juggling feeding Jane, making dinner for us, giving a baby bath, making a PJ bunny, etc. that working out after Shawn comes home doesn't seem realistic either.

Excuses, excuses. But I set about finding a gym that has childcare. Ideally one nearby.

Gyms don't make information easily available -- such as the COSTS or the times in which childcare is available. I decided to go visit the gym nearest me that did have childcare.

Jane and I looked around, and it was very nice. The childcare SEEMED OK to me at first, although the giant TV (like a giant old-school tube TV) made me nervous -- both because I wouldn't want Jane to watch it and I could just envision it toppling over on a little kid. Also the childcare was only available in the mornings and evenings -- i.e. not even at the times most convenient for me to work out given Jane's nap schedule and my natural exercise preference (sometime between 3 and 5 pm). SO I panicked and balked at the gym membership ... of course AFTER I signed up.

So I had to undo the membership (and Shawn agreed -- plus it was pricy, more than I really needed, since what I need is an elliptical and child care). It was embarrassing and made me sick to my stomach for a couple days. The membership guy was very nice about it -- but he took it as though my husband said "no" and told me to let him know if he changed his mind. Ugh.

I still don't know what to do for exercise, although if it ever cools down here (91 yesterday OMG) I could start going on walks consistently with Jane and try to power walk/get my heart rate up that way. I've also considered re-joining Shawn's gym (which is super close to our house, inexpensive but no child care) and just sucking it up and waking up a few days a week to go get exercise over with. I also might look into the YMCA, although it is farther away from the house and the childcare hours are similar to the other gym.

Stream of consciousness and total dumminess on my part. Let me know if you have the magic solution...

Thin Skinned

Playground climbing

I thought the advice I got while pregnant was bad -- the horror stories of what would happen, both during the birth and once the baby was home. But all of that did not toughen up my skin or prepare me for the continued advice and poking questions I seem to get.

I know 99% of it is actually me projecting meaning into a harmless question, but when a mom at the playground asked "so, is Jane in any school programs?" I felt immediately shamed and panicky because the answer is of course "NO" but ...

SHOULD she be in school programs? She's 10 months old. Is she already at an age that I can't provide her with the stimulation she needs? Does she need more socialization than library story time, the church nursery and the playground can provide?

AM I DOING EVERYTHING WRONG?

And all of that from a question that was probably more like "know of any good programs for kids?" or "let me tell you about this program my son is in." (Although this particular mom I already knew she had her son in Mother's Day Out and also works as a music teacher for that program.)

Just writing this out makes my insecurities seem less important and likely a waste of my time fretting them. I also need to be a better listener to create some real mom friendships. Developing friendships is very difficult for me in any case, and adding this weird self-consciousness about my parenting choices seems to make it that much harder.

Maybe I should just grow up...

Mini Photo Marble Magnets

Mini Photo Marble Magnet crafting supplies

If you're looking for a quick gift making these marble magnets might be just the ticket. They're personalized and so easy to make (and honestly pretty cheap too!). Here's what you need:

• Flat marbles (in the craft or floral department), clear is best so you can see the photo
• 5/8ths inch circle punch (although you could always use scissors to cut out the photos)
• Clear glue for slick surfaces (such as Aleene's Platinum Bond)
• Small round magnets (3/4 inch or thereabouts)
• Proof sheet of photos (like you get when you order from Shutterfly)

I first made these with scrapbook paper and some Owen photos several years ago. And I used the Not Martha tutorial.

First I cut all the images -- using the hole punch upside down (so I can center the punch over the face in the picture -- close ups make the best magnets). If you don't have the hole punch you could just use the magnet as a guide for your scissors and cut out a circle.

Then I put a dab of glue on the magnet and put the paper on it face up, pressing to get good adhesion. Another dab of glue on the marble and mash the picture magnet onto it. Press down to make the glue squish to the edges.

Be sure to have good light so you can make sure the glue is evenly distributed under the marble (it will dry clear and bubbles should disappear, but without glue evenly distributed you'll get dark spots).

Let the magnets dry flat for a day or so before you put them up on the fridge or put them in a small metal box for gifting. I found round metal boxes at a NYC stationery store, but Altoid's boxes would work ... and you could even decorate those with pictures or special paper too.

There are so many metal surfaces around our house, and I love getting a glimpse of Jane's face -- and Owen's face because I still have many from my first round of making these -- when I do laundry or walk out the kitchen door.

If you make these let me know. I'd love to see them!

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