Mockingbird and Vine

As most of you know, my friend Emily and I are in the process of starting a small business with some of the crafty items I've been making. Thought I'd show you some of the stuff we've been working on. Sorry the pictures are kind of dark, but you get the general idea. We're starting with hair accessories, but planning to expand into other areas too. I have lots of ideas in my head...just need to figure out how to execute them. It keeps me from getting enough sleep sometimes, but it's fun.

It's Flashback Friday Time

The Flashback Friday Flickr group came up with a theme this week (fancy dress) but I didn't know about it in time to steal a fancy dress picture from my parents' photo album, so this is what I've got. There was nothing on the back to tell my age or the location of this picture, but I'm guessing I was about five, and that it is most likely somewhere in Kentucky or Tennessee. Maybe my parents can help me out. Anyway, I hope to be doing something similar to this in Idaho/Wyoming next week. Have a good Friday!

Rude Awakening

Something crawled across Kevin's head at 5:oo this morning. His reaction was quite violent. I thought he was having a seizure. I'm sure I would have reacted similarly had something crawled across my head while I was sleeping, only I would have added some screaming. Anyway, the subsequent search for whatever it was failed to find anything. My guess is that it was the tiny little gecko I saw running around in the bathroom yesterday. Or perhaps it was Kev's imagination. He said he had just been dreaming about mice. Needless to say, there was no hope of going back to sleep after that, so I just got up. Now I am very tired. But at least nothing (that I know of) crawled on my head. I'll be sleeping with the lights on and holding a big shoe tonight.

Last Week's Poll: Current Results

Current Results

At the time of this writing. 16 people have voted in last week's poll, and the 80s seems to be the big winner. Understandable. But surprisingly, someone voted for the 2000s. Perhaps it was a joke vote? Or maybe a kid reads this blog? Who are you, oh Reader Who Loves the Oughts?

Thursday's Theme: Whaddayathink Wednesday

Well, I'll be danged. They still make paste. It looks a little different now than it did when I was in kindergarten. Anyway, here is yesterday's Whaddayathink Wednesday poll.

Did you ever eat the paste? Be honest.
	Yes
	No
	My generation didn't use paste.
Free polls from Pollhost.com

No Poll

Hi. I didn't post a poll today. There is too much going on. I will try to do it tomorrow since Thursday has no theme.

Top Five Tuesday

Top five foods I didn't know I liked until I was in my 30s (in no particular order):

1. Mushrooms
2. Lobster bisque
3. Split Pea soup
4. Jambalaya
5. Oatmeal

For years, I have wanted to like oatmeal. It smells so good. But every time I tried it, the texture made me gag. For some reason, I tried it again a few weeks ago, and HOORAY! No gagging! How I love delicious oatmeal. Especially with blueberries. Mmmmmm.

Whales!

Happy Place 2
Originally uploaded by Tara H.

Well, here it is, Happy Monday again. This week's happy place is a whale-watching cruise we took off the coast of Maine in 2003. If you have never done this, I really recommend it. It is pretty amazing to see big giant whales swimming along beside you so gracefullly. It's very peaceful. (It's not easy to get a picture of them though, as you can see). We also saw dolphins and puffins and various other birds. I love Maine. I think it is my favorite state. It also has mountians and lakes and loons and lobster and the best blueberries ever.

Headed to the Pool

Headed to the Pool
Originally uploaded by Tara H.

Peanut Flashback

Daphne, a year ago. August 2006.

Flasback Friday

Well, this is me at the kitchen table doing some arts and crafts. It seems I got an early start. Since we don't have our scanner hooked up right now, I had to take a picture of the picture and post that, hence the warp and glare. The back of the polaroid says I am 4 and 1/2, so I am guessing that this was taken around Christmas time in 1972 (also right around the time LarryFeathers was born!). I spent a lot of time at that table. I remember fingerpainting there, helping make cookies there, eating grilled cheese and tomato soup there, and stubbornly sitting there for hours because I wouldn't eat my vegetables. Good times, bad times. Anyway, if we ever move to another house, I would like to have an eat-in kitchen.

A couple of notes about this picture. First, notice the groovy curtains. I'd give anything to have those. So 70s, so orange. Also, notice the jar of paste on the table. Remember paste? It was the adhesive of choice for children back then. It came with its own built-in application wand (you can see it sticking up there in the jar). It never seemed to work very well, though, and your projects were always kinda lumpy. I remember the smell very well. I do NOT, however, remember the taste, like many of my kindergarten classmates probably do. I never ate the paste. Anyway, I don't even think they make it anymore. I haven't seen it in years.

So, there's Flashback Friday for you. Have a good weekend!

Theme-Free Thursday

In other words, I got nothin'.

Last night we watched One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest. This is a genius movie that everyone should see. It has some of the greatest characters in film history. If any of you have read the book, please tell me if it is worth doing. I need a good paperback to take on our trip.

It is August now, and so far we have had a pretty mild summer. It appears that is about to change. It is supposed to be really hot and sunny this weekend.

I am going to be 39 any day now. It just doesn't seem right.

So far, 9 people have taken yesterday's poll, and the 80s is winning. I haven't voted. I can't decide. Next week's poll may or may not be about aliens.

Ok. Well, that's all I've got. Tomorrow is Flashback Friday.

Whaddayathink Wednesday

Here is a poll. Please vote only once. It is anonymous, so anyone can vote...you don't have to be a commenter. That means people who claim to read this blog but never comment should go ahead and vote. Do it in the name of science! It'll be fun!

If you could listen to music from only one decade, it would be
	1920s
	1930s
	1940s
	1950s
	1960s
	1970s
	1980s
	1990s
	2000s
Free polls from Pollhost.com

Thanks for participating in Whaddayathink Wednesday. I don't know what the Thursday theme will be yet.

Top 5 Bad Concerts I Can't Believe I Actually Paid to See

1. Saxon and Armoured Saint at the Arcadia
2. Sammy Hagar at Reunion Arena
3. Ronnie James Dio at Reunion
4. Pantera at the Arcadia
5. A very wheels-off Debbie Harry singing to recorded music at some little bar on Greenville Ave. She kept forgetting the lyrics.

I'm sure there are more that I can't think of right now. Please feel free to comment with stories of bad shows you've seen! Thanks for reading Top 5 Tuesday!

Stay tuned...Tomorrow is Whaddayathink Wednesday.

Ooh Wee!

In order to force myself to have something to blog about, I have decided to start a series of regularly scheduled topics. I got the idea from some other bloggers out there who have started a thing called "Flashback Fridays," in which they post old photos of themselves from childhood or whatever. I may do that too, but I'm not sure how to hook up our scanner, so I thought instead I'd start with Happy Mondays*. On Happy Mondays, I will post a picture of one of my happy places, and maybe that will help me get my week off to a good start. Pictured above is delicious food from VoodooBarbeque on St. Charles in New Orleans. We went there on our honeymoon in April 2003. This picture is Kev's plate. You can tell because it has two pickles on it. I hate everything to do with pickles, so I always make Kev take mine right away before it contaminates the food on my plate. Next to the pickles is a pile of the best corn pudding on the planet. I wish I had some now. New Orleans gets my vote for best food in the country.

*Happy Mondays is a cool band from the 90's but I lost all my Happy Mondays cassette tapes.

Tune in tomorrow for Top 5 Tuesday!

Rats

I have finished Harry Potter as predicted. Now I have post Harry Potter Let-Down. I knew this would happen. And this time, there is no "next book" to look forward to. Dang.

School Supply Envy and So Forth

Yesterday I went to Target. They have just set up their seasonal display of school supplies. Oh, how I wish they had such cool school supplies when I was in school. I might've liked going to school if I'd had stuff like that. I must be kept out of Target until at least mid-September when the last remains of school supplies are on super-clearance.

I am concerned because it is unseasonably hot in Wyoming/Idaho, which is where we are going in three short weeks, presumably to escape the Texas heat. I believe it was just as hot in Jackson Hole yesterday as it was here. This will not do.

The new Harry Potter is pretty good so far. My plan was to make it last, but that's not gonna happen. I'll probably finish it by the end of the week.

I need to know the secret to scallops. I have made them a couple times, but they were only just OK. And last time I made them, the house smelled fishy for a whole week. The fishmongers at Central Market were giving out samples of bacon-wrapped scallops on Sunday, and they were DE-licious. Mine never taste like that. If you have any tips, please let me know.

The Peanut...

The Peanut...
Originally uploaded by Tara H.

...doesn't fall far from the tree.

Bounce House

Bounce House
Originally uploaded by Tara H.

We had a Big Weekend. There was swimming, bounce houses, chicken dancing, bbq, shopping at Kwik E Mart, cheese grits, risotto...so exhausting, but the Peanut had a blast. Now, I am going to go read the first chapter of the last Harry Potter.

Now, THAT's More Like Me

A different Simpsonizer here that starts with a real photo of you and then allows you to make minor changes. More fun than the other one.

Hair Experiment

Hair Experiment
Originally uploaded by Tara H.

Daphne's hair is becoming a little unruly, so I tried a little experiment. The bands stayed in for a total of 45 seconds.

If I was a Simpson...

Well, if anyone is looking for a good timewasting activity, you can go here and make yourself into a Simpson's character. That's me, above. I couldn't find a curly-haired option I liked, so this will have to do. While I was at it, I made a Daphne Simpson, below.



And here is my favorite: Kev Simpson, below. Looks just like him, don't ya think?

The Road to Recovery (or...Happy Feet)

So, I got my new Target shirts, a pedicure, and (finally!) a haircut, and I'm feeling a little better. But all that doesn't change the fact that I am turning 39 in less than a month, and I'm not handling it very well. I don't want to be 39. I want to be 37. Forever. It's a great age. Anyway, that, plus the heat, plus the fact that a lot of people I like are stressed or sad or having a general malaise, and I can't seem to quite get my groove.

One thing that is good is that the day after my dreaded birthday, we are heading to the mountains for a much needed vacation. There will be clean air and trees and wildlife and delightfully cool temperatures, so it should be good. Perhaps I will forget all about being 39. Maybe, just maybe, I will even see an owl. That would probably catapult me right back into hypergroove.

Chicken a la Kev

Kev cooked dinner last night. Lucky me. De-Licious.

All the Young Dudes

Yesterday, we took a road trip to East Texas to visit some friends. First stop was Whitney and Bob's new house, which is very cute and has a screened porch and some bluebird houses. This was the first time all of our kids (mine, Whitney's, Shannon's and Julie's) have been together, and it was really fun to see. Of course, just as we got the kids situated for a picture, my camera batteries died, and by the time I changed them, the kids were no longer sitting nicely. I am hoping one of my other friends got a good shot.


Shannon's daughter was kind enough to let the Peanut try out her wings.



From Whitney's, we headed to our friend Cheryl's house for a big BBQ. Cheryl lives on a ranch. She has cows. Below, you can see Kev looking at them. Kev would make a good cowboy. But I would not last very long on a ranch. There is a lot of dirt and mud and stuff out there.

It was fun, but not very relaxing, as we had to chase Daphne around the whole time. She had a blast with all the people and babies and dogs and cows.

There was a lot of good food. Cheryl smoked a brisket, which I heard was excellent. I couldn't bring myself to eat any, what with all the cows staring at me from just over the fence. I had some sausages. I didn't see any pigs around.

Would you eat brisket if this was staring right at you? She looks like she knows exactly what was going on.

It was a good day out, but very exhausting. Today we're taking it easy.

The Continuing Story of Charlie and Harriet...

So, after I finished embroidering Charlie and Harriet, I needed to decide what to do with them, and it was my big idea to frame them for the Peanut's room. She likes birds.

First, I scorched the fabric when I was pressing it (bottom left, under Charlie). Then, I messed up sewing on the pink background fabric, hence the lumpy bits. Then, I couldn't get it centered in the frame. Then I cut the (bad word) out of my finger when I was cleaning the glass with goo-gone, trying to get off the goo from the dumb Target sticker. There was blood everywhere, and I probably need a stitch, but I'm not getting one. So, it is far from perfect, but a lot of blood, sweat, and tears went into this simple little project. I sure hope Daphne doesn't put this in a garage sale or something when I'm dead.

Hooray for Target

Exactly what I was looking for yesterday, found this morning at Target for $16.99. I will probably add a little something to make it less plain...

It's a good thing I found this shirt. I was pretty close to just completely giving up and getting some sweat pants.

Good Times Bad Times

Yesterday, our friend John came for dinner. I made jambalaya (ooh-wee!) and this blueberry cake (recipe here). The cake was really good...not too sweet. I added a little lemon zest, but otherwise, followed the recipe exactly, and served it warm with some of the home-made ice cream my dad made for Daphne's birthday. If you make this cake, you will probably feel happy for at least the few minutes it takes to eat it, and maybe even for a few minutes afterward. Daphne cried when hers was all gone. Plus, it will make your house smell good. And blueberries are really good right now, so this is a good way to use them. It was good to see our friend John, and a nice time was had by all.

Things have taken a slightly more negative turn today, though. Nothing seems to be able to crush my self-esteem more than a trip to the mall. I know I always make fun of Kev for having a "uniform," but since I pretty much only wear jeans and a t-shirt every day, I don't have much room to talk. So I decided I should get a couple of nicer shirts to wear this summer, and you would think this would be easy in a mall with hundreds of stores. Geez. And it's not like I was looking for pants (don't even get me started). All I wanted was a simple white light and airy blouse that fits. But no. The first problem is that everything at the mall is expensive. The second problem is that all this season's shirts are cut like maternity shirts and make me look 6 months pregnant. I do not want to look 6 months pregnant. I have already been through that. Anyway, after trying on about 30 shirts in 4 different shops (poor Daphne, she was so patient), I finally found one shirt I liked, and payed way too much for it, but I will wear it because it is orange and kinda cute and doesn't make me look 6 months pregnant. But the whole experience was depressing. Plus, while we were at the mall, I happened to look down and notice the sad state of my feet, which are in desperate need of some attention. I don't even look in the mirror at my hair anymore. It hasn't been cut since before Daphne was born, so it is very unruly, especially with all this rain, and the silver ones are slowly taking over.

This post is a cry for help. Please, someone, nominate me for What Not to Wear so I can get some assistance from Stacy and Clinton.

I know, Kev, I know. Somebody needs a nap.

Charlie and Harriet

Last night we watched So I Married and Axe Murderer. It was funny as usual.

All is does is rain and rain and rain. I think we will go to the mall today.

Bertha's Buttons

Yesterday, my mom gave me a jar of buttons that belonged to my great grandma, Bertha Kelly*. My dad helped me clean them up. I got to use his cool power-buffer machine in the garage. I think buttons are cool, especially really old ones.


These ones are some of my favorites. I love the orange one because it's orange. It is going to become something cool, but I'm not sure what yet. The ones in the middle have birds on them.

I am always seeing jars of buttons in antique stores. They are always just like the jar I got yesterday: A mason jar with a decorative round piece of fabric in the lid. I wonder why old ladies always kept jars of buttons. It probably won't surprise anyone who reads this that I have my own jar of buttons. It does not, however, have the decorative round piece of fabric, and it is a baby food jar, not a mason jar. I think I may have to rethink that, though...I kinda like my great-grandma's jar better.

*My great grandma's name was Bertha, and her husband's name was Bert. Funny, huh? My g-g-ma didn't really look like your typical Bertha, though. She was thin and very pretty. I will post a picture sometime.

Bird Names

I have decided on Charlie and Harriet, after Mike Myers and Nancy Travis in the genius movie So I Married and Axe Murderer.

Dad Gets Crafty

So, my dad shows up and pulls this out of his pocket. He thinks there should be a girl bird to go with the one below. Nice job, dad. I like it. Stay tuned for the continuing adventures of these two as yet un-named birds.

By the way, my dad's name idea was to combine his name (Bill) with Daphne's other grandpa's name (Floyd) and call the littl blue bird "Boyd." Get it? (Say it out loud if you don't). So, I'll add it to the list to be considered.

And note to Fooie: I'd be happy to monogram just about anything for you except your underpants. No offense.

Please Help Me Name My Bird

One day for some reason I was drawing some birds and I came up with one I liked...the one up there on the left. I wanted to stick him on something, so I embroidered him on a piece of white fabric (above right, and below). That one will probably turn into a patch or something. I'm not sure yet. He'll probably become a rubber stamp too, and maybe a screen print. I really like him. He needs a name. I think he looks kinda like a Sherman, but there is a worm named Sherman on the backyardigans, so I think I'll try to think of something else. Please feel free to help me name my little happy bird guy.

Mad Dash

Yesterday I took the Peanut over to G-ma and G-Pa's to spend the night so Kev and I could have some Mommy and Daddy time. We had band practice, which was fun, and then went to a real movie at an actual theater. So, I can cross that one off my Summer Goals list. We saw a really good movie at the Angelika called "Once" about an Irish street musician. I loved it. I have requested the soundtrack for my birthday. Go see this movie if you can.

This morning I am in a mad dash to take advantage of my free time before Daphne comes home. I went to the coffee shop, the book store (where I had to stop myself from buying the soundtrack to "Once"), and the fabric store (where I ran into my friend Ken, which was weird). (He was buying patches for his jeans because he is about to go on tour with his great band, the Old 97s ...go see them if they are in a town near you).

Now I am going to try to do a little sewing. I only have a couple hours left. But I am looking forward to seeing the Peanut. It's weird when she's gone.

More Drumming

Watch for the rock star ending.

Blogger: The Peanut Gallery "The Noive!"

This is a post I accidentally put in the Peanut Gallery and didn't want to type all over again. Click the link if you want to read it.

It's Official

My friend Emily and I got a Tax ID number yesterday for our little craft business. It (the "shop") is called Mockingbird and Vine. Mockingbird for the street (and the bird), and Vine for a combination of VIolet and DaphNE. It is exciting and a little scary. More details to come as we get things going.

Now I am going to see if I can figure out how to do a hyperlink. Here is what was happening on this date in LRHS history. Hey, I think it worked. Woo-hoo!

T's Goals for Summer '07

• Make a berry cobbler (recipe suggestions, anyone?)
• Make a cushion for the porch swing
• Go to the Arboretum early in the morning
• Try not to complain too much about the hot
• Make myself a skirt with a zipper and a lining
• Blog about more than babies and crafts
• Go to at least two states I've never been to before
• See an owl in the wild
• Go to at least one movie in a theater
• Have more shrimp
• Do the Peanut's first year scrapbook
• Practice my instruments / record a melodica solo
• Knit something for fall

Poll

Hands up if you know what this is.

Suave Fraud

Have you seen that commercial where it flashes through the stages of this girl's life, and by the end, she has a kid and she's sorta all beaten down and disheveled and wearing clothes that look like she borrowed them from Elmer Fudd? It says something like, "Have you let yourself go?" But then, she gets some Suave and everything changes. That commercial makes me so mad. Apparently, her bottle of Suave came with a make-up artist and hair stylist, a brand new wardrobe, a full time maid and nanny, and some serious energy-boosting supplements. Stupid TV. If all it took was a $2 bottle of Suave to be like that lady, I wouldn't be sitting here in my housepants with no make-up, on about three hours of sleep because the baby got shots yesterday and didn't sleep well, eating Peanut Butter Puffins for lunch, watching the Backyardigans in my cluttered house, and wearing a very small hat because if I take it off Daphne will cry.

In better commercial related news, my friend Troy is in a Lowes commercial. I have not seen it, because I don't think people who only watch Noggin are Lowes' target market, but apparently, he comes into the store trying to match a paint color to a large purple teddy bear. Or something like that. So, shout out to Troy, who is cool.

Peanut on Drums

It's My Birthday!

It's My Birthday!
Originally uploaded by Tara H.

Happy Birthday Peanut!

I am so proud of you!
Love,
Mommy

The Fastest Year Ever

http://housepants.blogspot.com/2006/06/february-belly-june-belly.html

If you click on the link, you will see what I looked like this time last year. I can't believe my little Peanut will be a year old in two days. She is such a good, fun little baby, and she gets to be more and more fun every day. I am a very lucky mommy.

Ikea Party Dress

Ikea Bird Dress
Originally uploaded by Tara H.

It fits! I think this is my favorite thing I've made for the Peanut. She wore it to her friend Violet's birthday party today. We all had a big time eating cake and playing with the dog.

Look Ma! I'm Famous!

So, there is a really great on-line fabric store called SewMamaSew, and I recently joined their Flickr group to see what other people are making. And guess what happened! I won this month's $25 gift certificate, so I get to go shopping for free fabric! Woo-hoo! Plus, I got a mention on their Blog: http://sewmamasew.com/blog2/?p=110 Check it out if you want. I've been trying to put their button on my blog template, but haven't been able to figure it out. I will keep trying. In the meantime, I gotta go shop!

Pebbles vs Peanut

I think I know who Daphne will be next Halloween.

Modelling the Banner Pants

IMG_2920_1
Originally uploaded by Tara H.

The Banner is Pants

I made the LRHS banner fabric into some pants. I wish they were for me.

Done!

Summer Dress for Daphne
Originally uploaded by Tara H.

The Ikea fabric is now a dress for the Peanut. For anyone who is interested, the pattern is Burda 9708, and it is EASY. I will post another picture when she tries it on.

Mosquito Be Gone

Today at breakfast, my friend Ken bragged that he has only been bitten by mosquitos four times in his life. "They don't like me," he said smuggly, over his huevos rancheros. If this is true, Ken could become a bazillionaire and a hero to mankind if he could figure out a way to bottle and sell whatever he has that the mosquitos steer clear of.

The place where we ate breakfast was called the Divine Coffee shop. Ken's 7 year old son, Audie, calls it "the old lady restaurant." Everyone in there looked like they lived at Del Boca Vista with Mr. and Mrs. Seinfeld. Audie is funny. He hadn't seen us for a while, and on the way into the restaurant he said to Ken, "Well, it looks like we answered one question. Daphne is gonna have orange hair when she grows up just like on Scooby Doo."

On a completely unrelated note, I would like to informally poll the 2 or 3 readers I have left on the topic of putting on your shoes and socks. In my little family, one person puts on both socks before putting on both shoes (right sock, left sock, right shoe, left shoe). The other one puts a sock and shoe on one foot, then a sock and shoe on the other foot (right sock, right shoe, left sock, left shoe), thus throwing the world way out of balance and causing the first person to feel very uneasy. (FYI: The second person is not Daphne, as she rarely wears shoes at all.) Please tell me if you put YOUR shoes and socks on the right way, or the crazy way. Thanks.

Daphne Walks Part Two

Daphne Walks!

I have tried again to embed a YouTube video...please let me know if it works. Thanks!

Ikea = Danger

Today we went to Ikea. I could have gone crazy in there. Luckily, the Peanut started getting cranky so we had to leave. But not before I found a small duvet cover in the children's section for $7.99 made of this cute orange owl fabric, which is going to be made into a dress for Daphne if I ever have time to sew again.

It has rained and rained and rained. At least it isn't hot though.

It is not even 9:00, but I am going to bed. Friday night just ain't what it used to be.

Blogolution

My blog continues to evolve, but I am still not completely happy with it. I feel like I have to rush through everything I do these days. But, I will keep working on it until I get it the way I want it.

The embroidery hoop in the banner was my great grandma's (thanks Kathy). I think that's pretty cool. The yellow flowery fabric will most likely become Peanut Pants.

Tonight, Kev and I took the Forester for a drive to the lake. Then we went to Sonic and got root beer floats. For about an hour, it felt like we were on vacation. But I miss Daphne. She is a funny little baby.

By the way, she will be ONE year old two weeks from today. Unbelievable.

Dangit

Tomorrow I have to go to an all day conference about Asperger's Syndrome, and since I have to be there by 7:30am, I took the Peanut to spend the night with her g-ma and g-pa in Garland. My plan was to drop her off early, do some errands, and come home and have a little time to do something fun. But it is already 4:15, and I just finished all the errands and whatnot and the day is almost over. Oh well. Do you think it would be rude if I knit during the conference tomorrow?

Mommy's New Wheels

I heart my Subaru Forester!

Friday

Well, the blue Buick is no more. That means the weekend will be spent not doing fun things, but going to look for a new car for me. I hope we find something. I have been without a car since last Friday, and it is a drag. Thanks to my parents for coming to help me out so I could do errands and stuff.
We are supposed to be at play group right now, but Daphne just went down for a nap, so we'll probably miss the whole thing. I was looking forward to it, too. It was going to be outside, and it is a rare nice day...not too hot.
I am addicted to flickr and have joined three sewing/crafting groups. It is fun to see other people's projects. I get inspired.
My friend Emily and I are working on getting the "selling stuff" idea going. It is going to be fun even if we don't sell anything.
I had a nice Mother's Day. Daphne is a good little baby. She can say "daisy." It is cute.
I think I'll go do something else now. Have a good weekend.

Fun with Pork Products

Please do yourself a favor and go read Fooie's newest post about the bacon viking.

http://mindsquirt.blogspot.com/

Ch-ch-ch-changes

As you can see, I am monkeying around with my blog, trying to customize it and make it a happier place. It will not stay like this, but it will take me a while to get it like I want it, so don't be surprised if it's a little different every day.

Also, I am thinking about making some stuff and putting it in an on-line shop at etsy.com. I will not even pretend that I am not telling you this just because I am hoping that now you will leave encouraging comments. I am generally really not much of a go-getter, so I need all the help I can get.

Happy Mother's Day

Baby Ducks!
Originally uploaded by Tara H..

And if you are feeling overwhelmed and tired like I do sometimes, think about this poor mommy...she's got eight babies.

Upside Down Peanut

Upside Down Peanut
Originally uploaded by Tara H..

Peace

Peace
Originally uploaded by Tara H..

Thank Goodness!

I noticed this seal on my paper bags from Central Market. Is there really a paper bag council? How do you get on it? If that is your job, do you actually tell people?
After noticing this on my CM bags, I checked a bag from Whole Foods. No seal! Not only is Whole Foods more expensive than Central Market, they send you home with sub-par bags. Hmm.

TV Rant

One of the mommies in my playgroup emailed us all this from the Today Show or somewhere:

Children of all ages are constantly learning new things. The first 2 years of life are especially important in the growth and development of your child's brain. During this time, children need good, positive interaction with other children and adults. Too much television can negatively affect early brain development. This is especially true at younger ages, when learning to talk and play with others is so important.
Until more research is done about the effects of TV on very young children, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) does not recommend television for children age 2 or younger. For older children, the Academy recommends no more than 1 to 2 hours per day of educational, nonviolent programs.
http://www.aap.org/family/tv1.htm

Apparently it was all over the news yesterday that we should stop letting our babies watch ANY TV at all. No Baby Einstein, no Sesame Street, nothing. With all due respect to the experts, I think it's a bunch of hooey. I feel I am qualified to say this as:

• a licensed and certified Speech-Language Pathologist
• a parent of a baby who watches TV
• a former baby who watched TV

My kid loves TV. She is 11 months old. Sometimes in the morning if the TV is off, she points to it, says "On?", looks at me, and does the sign for "please." That is pretty sophisticated stuff for a baby who has suffered from tv-induced developmental neurological damage.

Here's the thing. Once again, we seem to be looking for something to blame for what is actually poor parenting. TV is like everything else. You have to use some common sense. Don't stick your baby in front of the TV all alone and ignore them all day. Don't let them sit around watching Cops and Pants Off Dance Off. But if you need to make dinner, it is not going to hurt them to watch Blue's Clues for 20 minutes while you cook.

The thing that can REALLY negatively affect early brain development is lack of human interaction and stimulation. If you want your baby to learn language, talk to them. It's as simple as that, provided, of course, that they have normal neurological functioning to begin with. Talk about what you are doing. Talk about what they are doing. Talk about the dog across the street. Talk about what Cookie Monster is doing on TV. Read books to them from day one, and tell them about the pictures. Then, give them some quiet time to play by themselves, process things, and learn about the world.

The reason this makes me so mad is that I know that there are some very nice and well-meaning young moms out there who are going to fear that they've scarred their babies for life because they thought Baby Einstein was OK and let them watch it because they didn't know until yesterday the evil it was doing. Now they will take their babies and hightail it out of any place within 100 yards of a television set, wring their hands, and try as hard as they can to undo the damage. What have I done, what have I done!?

I was awake for two hours in the middle of the night thinking about how mad this makes me.

Chillin' with Joe

G.I. Joe decided to take it easy today, but he has his pistol displayed and ready in case Gumby tries anything funny.