Putting it all in perspective...

I took the boys to the mall today. I'm not a big fan of malls really - too much time spent there in my suburban youth, I suppose - but a trip there was necessary as I had to go to Eyemasters to pick up my new frames....purchased as the J-Man fell on my head two days ago and busted my previous pair (the day after I mentioned to A that "after Mr. T gets out of this pulling my glasses off phase I think I will need a new pair of glasses"...how very prophetic).

Anyway, I normally take the boys places where they are, well, contained - library story time, Kroger/Target (confined to the buggy), a mom's house for playgroup. I try to avoid the closest mall as, well, for one thing our mall is not in the best part of Nashville, and plus the mall represents to me one big open area where a moment's distraction could cause me to lose my child forever. Overprotective much? Anyway, there were big talks to J-Man about not wandering off, and staying with mommy, and stressing on my part of make sure J-Man and Mr. T would be appropriately occupied for the 10 minutes we would spend in Eyemasters.

No child was lost, and I didn't owe anything in damaged merchandise at Eyemasters. The boys were generally well behaved. And then I read this on Laura's blog, which put it all in perspective.

A trip to the mall pales in comparison to traveling miles on foot in a conflicted country with your life on your back.

I'm trying to be more of a reader these days. I was a big reader growing up - and when I say big reader, I mean my mom would take me to the library every 2-3 weeks and I would leave with a stack - a stack - of books. I've forgotten a lot of books that I have read.

I take the J-Man to the library every couple of weeks - something I am hoping to change to weekly once story time kicks back up in September. Mr. T is getting a little more into reading at the ripe old age of one too, actually bringing me books from time to time and letting me read at least a page or two before he walks off. But J-Man is the reader - like me. Child heads to the library with an agenda, folks. A subject list, if you will, because we have to hit the juvenile section general to get the books he wants. This week the list included snakes, trains, and monster trucks. Two weeks ago it was reptiles and waterfalls.

Lately when I hit the library and try to look for a book for myself, I feel a little overwhelmed. I realized that I need to be more like the J-Man - I need an agenda. This week I realized that, despite my Spanish major with several Latin American/Spanish lit courses, I have never read Gabriel Garcia Marquez's One Hundred Years of Solitude (nor Love in the Time of Cholera, which my small-town library also has). So I got it and I am about to start it once I finish this post.

But after that, what? I remembered my AP English teacher giving us a list of books to read; I Googled and found Time's top 100 All-Time Novels. I think I have read the following, so I have a lot of list left to cover:

• Animal Farm, George Orwell - read this sophomore year of high school. Can't really remember liking it. I am sure it's kicking around my folks' house somewhere.
• Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret, Judy Blume - I remember this being such a big deal and being underwhelmed when I finally got around the checking it out at the library.
• Catch-22, Joseph Heller - I don't remember a lot about it, but I liked it...
• The Catcher in the Rye, J. D. Salinger - I remember when we read this in high school senior year. A lot of people were bothered by it. I related to it at the time in a big way.
• Gone With The Wind, Margaret Mitchell - it's a romance novel. I'm a little surprised it's on the list. But I liked it. Way more detailed than the movie.
• The Grapes of Wrath, John Steinbeck - I had actually read East of Eden a few years before reading this in AP English. I like Steinbeck and Faulkner - if memory serves me right the writing was a bit more straightfoward.
• The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald - I was not impressed. Lots of folks love it though.
• The Heart Is A Lonely Hunter, Carson McCullers - I read this when I was about 12 and I don't remember a lot about it. I remember I liked it - need to put this on the re-read list.
• Lord of the Flies, William Golding - no comment
• The Lord of the Rings, J.R.R. Tolkien - out of the three books, I would not say this is the best. There's a lot of "on the road" business that gets old. However, I guess you gotta start with the beginning, and they are good fantasy. I've read them several times. I'm a dork.
• 1984, George Orwell - creepy.
• Slaughterhouse-Five - I think I liked it, but don't remember it.
• To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee - OK, so if Tucker had been a girl, he might have been a Harper. No joke. I love this book. I've read it many, many times and it's probably my all-time favorite.
• Wide Sargasso Sea - the Jane Eyre prequal. It was good, but I think I liked Jane Eyre better.

Anyone got any recommended reading for me? I am going to attempt to plug through this list, and maybe blog about it here.

Knockout - Another View

Knockout - Another View, originally uploaded by TNEmily.

This is a different view of the knockout rose - actually a different rose altogether. This image has really grown on me over the past couple of weeks so here it is.

I have really lacked time lately to truly blog. I keep thinking about maybe just ditching my public blog, but I do like sharing my photos, even if only a handful of folks actually look at them.

Check out Laura's blog if you don't regularly - she's gone back to Africa (Goma to be precise). Hers is one of the most thoughtful blogs that I read - her experiences in Africa (or at home in Texas) are just good readin'. She's a smart gal, that Laura.

Real Moms

Jamie, in her infinite wisdom at how "real" I am, tagged me for this. Her post is brilliant. I will try my best.

• Real moms love their kids, but always sigh a little when the peaceful quiet of naptime ends.
• Real moms (of more than one) do a little dance when a true miracle happens - both kids nap at the same time (like now. Hence the blogging).
• Real moms, be they workin' moms, SAHM's, WAHM's, or on odd mix of all three, just do what they feel is best for their families.
• Real moms will let their skinny kid eat two PBJ's in one day if it means he got two solid meals.
• Real moms can use stickers as a bribe like nobody's business.
• Real moms know there are not enough hours in the day, so it's all about priorities.
• Real moms sometimes let the laundry, dishes, and cleaning go if it means spending some quality time with their kids. OK, well maybe that's just me. I lack the housekeeping skills.
• Real moms spend a good portion of the day on their kids', um, output (we're potty training right now).
• Real moms look at their stretch marks with an odd mixture of horror, pride, and nostalgia.
• Real moms will cry as a result of their kids' general wild antics, and then a minute later will laugh out loud...at their kids' general wild antics.
• Real moms worry.
• Real moms love their kids unconditionally.

Tagging Angelle & Kristen.

Buy less crap.

I found a link to this site via a newsletter I get (from Chief Marketer - and no, I am not a CMO but I am responsible for certain direct marketing efforts on the part of my company). It links to this article.

I used to subscribe to Utne and Mother Jones, and those two publications put me on a lot of cause-related mailing lists. It turned out to be an overkill of non-profit junk mail - there's no way to give to them all, especially when you've just gone down from two incomes to not quite 1 and a half, and plus you've got a baby....

Anyway, a lot of the non-profits would include freebies in their pieces - wrapping paper, notecards, etc... And then there's the freebies you get for donating just a paltry $15 - free book bag! A free plush baby seal! And so on and so on.... I don't know how any of the money donated actually gets down to those that need it.

Now I think the BuyLessCrap site makes a good point - it's better to directly donate, because instead of spending $30 on a T-shirt and have $5 go to the charity, you go and just donate $30, then obviously that's better. But think of the average American - you might not take the time to donate to a certain group, but hey I was going to buy this (insert product here) anyway AND I can feel good about myself - well, then $5 went to a (hopefully) deserving cause and that's awesome. And I look at myself - I donate to United Way every year because my company makes it easy - it just comes out of my paycheck and it's not even like I really see the money. We're the average American - make it easy and we'll do it.

Nuggets of Bloggin' Inspiration

I've been super busy. Plus, like Angelle, I sometimes "have nothing interesting to say".

It's funny, because sometimes I will get little nuggets of inspiration and write it down. But then I actually have to sit down and find the time and the mood to actually write something. And that can be darn difficult, considering that my most recent call to Dell (don't ask) resulted in Jackson coloring on the back of our couch (thank goodness to Crayola for washable crayons) and touching his own poop (we're hoping this is a sign that potty-training will get better. I did accomplish the art of getting him to pee three times this morning in the potty for a sticker reward).

Anyway, to my nuggets of inspiration:

1. "Minimum Wage" - a They Might Be Giants tune from Flood. I don't remember what I was originally thinking about when I wrote this down. The song is hilarious, because it starts out with a man singing "Minimum Wage!" and a whip-snap, then gears into some Muzak. I wonder if my friend Lynn has heard it, and if so, does it remind her of her days at Bi-Lo, because it's total grocery store Muzak. My first job was at the mall, at a little jewelry store called Afterthoughts (later bought up by Claire's). I worked there for a month, and in that time had 3 different managers. I left due to hours (I was hired in to work 15 hours a week and they cut me down to 3, but manager 3 was "disappointed" when I left to work at Sears for better pay and way more hours. Whatever.). The preteens were the worst part of the job - I think preteen girls may be, in fact, of the devil - they would come through (our store had two entrances, basically serving as a shortcut to the food court) and check things out, knock the hats off the wall, and not buy a dang thing. I don't know how those kinds of stores make money. I was hired as prom season was closing, so there was a good cash flow during that time and then...crickets. It would be a Friday night and I would maybe sell a $3 pair of earrings. The other bad part of the job - I had to pierce ears; it was required. Who thinks it is a good idea to have a 16-year-old girl piercing ears? Not me. I pierced one pair of ears - there's a poor gal out there who's probably just graduating college this year, and likely still curses the day she went to Afterthoughts to get her ears pierced. They were slightly crooked.

2. The Dove ads. I love the Dove beauty ads. I know this got a lot of press about a year or two ago, so I am jumping on that wagon late, but who cares. The most recent one I saw was a magazine ad. It was one of the aging gracefully ads, but the ad showed a woman - nude but covered) - and you can see her, rolls and all. And God bless her, but she looks radiant in the ad. I love it. Having had body issues specifically for the past 8 years or so (OK, well who doesn't have body issues, even if they seem perfect, right?), and finally coming to terms with the fact that I am likely never going to be that size 6-8 I was in early college, and that's OK - I really appreciate those ads. I had a lot more to blog about it earlier - like going into how I gained the weight (I was not a good vegetarian - I ate a lot more Pasta-Roni than vegetables & tofu, like a good vegetarian should. I am not a vegetarian anymore but if you are hurray to you, just make sure you eat those veggies).

It's late but I am trying to upload to Snapfish and order before I go to bed. I have 20 credits expiring April 2 and want to use them! We are so backed up on ordering prints. It's embarrassing so I won't admit how far behind we are, but it's bad. That's the downside of going digital. So I am trying out Snapfish - they seem cheap and I have heard good things. This week/weekend I am going to try to take some portraits of Tucker. It's one of the reasons we went for the big camera upgrade. Poor Tucker doesn't even have any photos on our walls - I need to buy some frames! I can't wait until we get a Walmart in this town.

Why It's Good to Read Other Mom's Blogs

I really needed to read this post today from Mama Tulip. Today was trying in ways I won't describe. Just standard mommy bad-day stuff, but nonetheless, it's always good to read that you're not alone.

Fun with Google

Recent google searches that landed people right here:

"photo of emily altschul" - um, sorry, wrong number.
"rebooting your dell" - does this require a google search?
"faith hill and tim mcgraw's house in brentwood, tn" - combined with that and the old mark slaughter searches, I guess I am the go-to spot on the word on tennessee celebrities?
"ankle buckles walking down stairs" - don't I know it.
"fracture of the fibia" - I am the leg-breaking mommy destination on the web.
"concertmate 900" - rockin' the Radio Shack keyboard.

Change is in the air...

I have renamed the blog. Jackson and Tucker still indeed rule the universe, but the visit from the sicko causing the removal of all child photos from this site made me rethink things.

So I'm heading in a new direction. I will still post kiddo updates and anecdotes, because my kids are funny and Jackson does say the darndest things. But I also want a place for my (neglected and amateur) photography. I want a place for my random thoughts (because boy do I have some crazy thoughts going through my head). And when the blog was all about the boys, I didn't really have a place for that. But the blog should be about me too - my only little piece of vanity on the internet. So here goes.

And I have upgraded to new blogger. Right now that seems to mean little, beyond labeling.

Freakin' Weirdos

OK, if you notice an absence of photos of the boys - they're gone.

Thanks to statcounter I was able to view the search string of some sicko that's likely to show up on Dateline sometime soon. Popped the sicko straight to my blog. I ain't happy.

So I am working my way through the blog to take the photos off. If you're friends and family, I will make sure to email one out from time to time. I started this blog for friends and family, so they could view photos at their leisure, without me filling up the mailbox. I try to retain our anomynity (sp?) but when you got sickos with sick search strings stopping by your blog for a visit - well, I have to protect the boys.

So, I will still blog, but won't be posting children photos. This might be for the best, as I was thinking about starting a separate blog for photography so I could participate in Photo Friday without drawing a lot of stranger traffic to a family blog - well, now I won't worry about that.

Note on Delurking...

There really are only 3 people that read my blog! I only had 3 comments. I thought I was joking, because Statcounter says otherwise. Oh well. Anyway, I just thought it was funny that I joked about 3 people, and sure enough that's all I got in comments. Ask and ye shall receive!

Hey Ya'll, Leave a Comment

I know there's all of maybe 3 people that read this blog, but if you're a lurker - i.e. if you never comment, please say hi! Tell me about yourself, where you blog, why you're here, anything!

Apparently, according to some blogs I frequent, it's National Delurking Week. So it's your civic duty and all.

Fun with Statcounter

Recent search terms that brought folks here:

Study Buddy Koby Bear - I'm sure the fine folks that make this bear appreciate my mockery of their "just-in-time-for-the-holiday-season" educational toy
ben kweller sha sha - Guten Tag, Germany!
cd snan dmb - I appeared due to a typo - "snan" should have been "scan" - who knows what this means?
what is the meaning mabrouk - Hola Uruguay! And what are you searching for?
tucker rule pictures - Since Jack and Tucker do rule, we have pictures. I need more of poor little neglected youngest child Tucker though.

Sevens Meme

'Cause it's late and why not...

Seven things I can’t do:

• Drive stick shift
• Snap my fingers
• Roll my tongue (genetics at play, folks)
• Cartwheels
• Paint (not that well, at least)
• Sew/Quilt
• Jump out of an airplane (that seems like a won't do, but I really don't think I could let myself do that)

Seven things I can do:

• Go to sleep when I know I should (I think I have a tinge of insomnia)
• Read quite fast (my retention of what I read suffers though)
• Budget (this is more of a work-thing than a home-thing; A handles household finance)
• Speak, read, and write in Spanish (I'm horribly out of practice though)
• Proofread (I work in publishing but not in editorial; however, my grammar and spelling are quite good)
• Remember random facts/knowledge
• Follow a recipe

Seven things I want to do before I die:

• Travel the world - I hate being specific because there's a lot of places I would love to see
• Have dinner at a fabulously expensive restaurant while wearing fabulously expensive clothes
• Ride a horse
• Find a four-leaf clover (my husband finds them all the time; I NEVER have)
• Eat sushi in Japan
• Be on Jeopardy! (assuming I could get over the stage fright)
• Go to chef school - I don't even necessarily want to be a chef, but I'd enjoy the training
  

The Seven dwarves are (google is cheating!):

• Dopey
• Happy
• Sneezy
• Grumpy
• Sleepy
• Doc
• Brainy - oh wait, that's a Smurf

Seven things I say most often:

• Jackson, I said No!
• Might could (as in, "We might could go see that movie")
• ya'll/you guys (culture clash here)
• Jack, do you want juice or milk?
• If you have any questions, feel free to email or call....
• While you're in the kitchen....
• I don't have anything to wear.

Seven movies I love:

• Amelie
• Clerks
• Napoleon Dynamite
• Walk the Line
• Dazed & Confused
• Heathers (I don't often think about this one, but anytime it's on TV I will stop and watch it as if in a trance)
• Dogma (yes, I like Kevin Smith movies)
  

Seven friends who are getting memed:

• Angelle
• Jamie
• I don't know who else, but if you do this one just let me know!
  

I've been tagged...

Laura tagged me. Lord knows I can't resist a meme:

I AM: pregnant, and a mom that is both a full-time stay-at-home mom AND a part-time working mom.
I WANT: more cookies & cream ice cream. And I had some earlier today. So sad.
I WISH: for all the little children of the world to hold hands and sing...I honestly wish there was less suffering in the world, especially after reading this over at Laura's.
I HATE: rudeness.
I MISS: my MeMaw's okra, muffins, and custard pie.
I FEAR: losing someone I love.
I HEAR: my husband sleeping.
I WONDER: what Jack is thinking.
I REGRET: not asking any of my now deceased grandparents more questions about their past (childhood, etc...), and not adding that Education minor while I was still in college.
I AM NOT: a good public speaker/performer. Stage fright.
I SING: in the car.
I CRY: during movies when someone dies.
I AM NOT ALWAYS: social.
I MAKE WITH MY HANDS: breakfast, lunch and dinner for my little family.
I WRITE: when I feel like it.
I CONFUSE: myself.
I NEED: to get more sleep.
I SHOULD: update Jack's baby book, and scrapbook some of his pictures.
I START: explaining something, get off point, and then forget where I was. All the time. I think it's genetic. Thanks, Dad.
I FINISH: this meme.
I TAG: whoever wants to do this meme. Just let me know if you did it!

For Those From Tennessee...

I got this forward quite a while back, and happened upon it again as I cleaned out my email. Excepting one or two exceptions, I think these could apply to most of the South:

You're a True Tennessean If....
1. You can properly pronounce Ooltewah, La Vergne, Etowah and Maryville.
Yep, guilty here. It's Mary-vul, folks!
2. You think people who complain about the heat in their states are sissies.
It's true! I remember when I lived in Mexico hearing some of the Californians (and other western Americans) complaining about the humidity. Oh, they so don't know humidity - I thought Mexico was quite dry!
3. A tornado warning siren is your signal to go out in the yard and look for a funnel.
OK, that's not me! I'm very afraid of tornadoes!
4. You know that the true value of a parking space is not determined by the distance to the door, but by the availability of shade.
True in the summer. But now that I have a toddler, I go by distance to the buggie/cart dropoff point at Kroger...
5. Stores don't have bags or shopping carts, they have sacks and buggies.
I say bags, but am guilty of saying buggies.
6. You've seen people wear bib overalls at weddings and funerals.
I don't know what bib overalls are...
7. You think everyone from a bigger city has an accent.
I live near a bigger city, so no.
8. You measure distance in minutes.
Yes. Guilty.
9. You go to the lake because you think it is like going to the ocean.
I grew up going to Destin, FL and Gulf Shores, AL, so no.
10. You listen to the weather forecast before picking out an outfit.
Of course! Especially in the spring and fall - weather's too darn unpredictable!
11. You know cowpies are not made of beef.
Doesn't everyone know this?
12. Someone you know has used a football schedule to plan their wedding date.
Football schedules are always consulted for a fall wedding, right?
13. You know someone who has a belt buckle bigger than your fist.
Maybe?
14. You aren't surprised to find movie rental, ammunition, beer, and bait all in the same store.
Nope, would not be surprised. Doesn't Walmart carry all this? Our town is also home to video and tanning. Ah, the video and tanning store - the staple of the Southern American small town...
15. A Mercedes Benz isn't a status symbol. A Chevy Silverado Extended Bed Crew Cab is.
I'd be more impressed with the Benz. But, trucks are expensive...
16. You know everything goes better with Ranch.
It's hard to have too much dressing on a salad. Am I right?
17. You learned how to shoot a gun before you learned how to multiply.
I was actually in my mid-20's before I ever shot a gun. But my husband grew up around them.
18. You actually get these jokes and are "fixin'" to send them to your friends.
They're on my blog, so you "might could" say yes...
And finally:
19. You are 100% Tennessean if you have ever had this conversation: "You wanna coke?" "Yeah." "What kind?" "Dr Pepper."
I have had ARGUMENTS with friends about "coke" vs. "pop" (you could also add "vs. soda" here too, but that's never been an issue). Here in the South, I guess "Coke" is seen as the original and therefore universal term for all sugary, carbonated beverages (Coke's also based in Atlanta, so I'm sure that has something to do with it, too). "Coke" can refer to Pepsi, Sprite, Dr. P, Fanta, etc... So they're all coke to me. I have friends though (transplanted from the North in their youth) that would argue otherwise.

BlogAds?

Do any of my friendly bloggy friends do BlogAds? Since it's invitation-only, is anyone willing to sponsor lil' ol' me and my blog to see if I can earn some revenue?

More Blogthings

Your Observation Skills Get A B-

Your senses are pretty sharp (okay, most of the time) And it takes something big to distract you!

How Observant Are You?

Blogthings strikes again...

Your Values Profile

Loyalty: You value loyalty a fair amount. You're loyal to your friends... to a point. But if they cross you, you will reconsider your loyalties. Staying true to others is important to you, but you also stay true to yourself. Honesty: You value honesty a fair amount. You're honest when you can be, but you aren't a stickler for it. If a little white lie will make a situation more comfortable, you'll go for it. In the end, you mostly care about "situational integrity." Generosity: You value generosity a fair amount. You are all about giving, as long as there's some give and take. Supportive and kind, you don't mind helping out a friend in need. But you know when you've given too much. You have no problem saying "no"! Humility: You value humility highly. You have the self-confidence to be happy with who you are. And you don't need to seek praise to make yourself feel better. You're very modest, and you're keep the drama factor low. Tolerance: You value tolerance a fair amount. You are open to new cultures, beliefs, and ideas. You have very few prejudices that you're aware of. And while you are tolerant, you do stand true to what you believe.

The Five Factor Values Test

I made me an avatar...

I made an avatar because I can. I don't think it's very true to life but it's a nice fantasy. Someday maybe I'll be that thin. And my hair will lay just perfect. And maybe someday that many flowery trees won't cause me to sneeze fifty times in a row.

A gal can dream.