TT: 13 Warm & Sunny Places I Have Been

Thirteen WARM AND SUNNY PLACES I HAVE BEEN Given that it's been rainy and cold here for almost a week, I decided on a mental vacation for this week's TT. Here are thirteen warm & sunny places I have been: 1. Tuscany, Italy 2. Provence, France 3. Cancun, Mexico 4. The Bahamas 5. Bermuda 6. Kauai, Hawaii 7. Orlando, Florida 8. Vero Beach, Florida 9. Clearwater, Florida 10. San Diego, California 11. Las Vegas, Nevada 12. Los Angeles, California 13. The Mojave Desert, California (not very nice but definitely warm & sunny!) Links to other TT's: (please note that I take no responsibility for the content of linked blogs):

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TT: 13 Christmas Songs I'm Completely Sick Of

Thirteen CHRISTMAS SONGS I'M COMPLETELY SICK OF I love Christmas music and have had my car radio tuned to the holiday station since the day after Thanksgiving. By this point, however, there are a number of songs I've heard so many times that I don't want to hear them again at all until next year. I'm particularly frustrated by their heavy rotation given that there are several of my favorites that I've heard only a few times (Do You Hear What I Hear?, the Barenaked Ladies' version of God Rest Ye Merry Gentleman, and Josh Groban's version of O Holy Night) or not even once (Mary, Did You Know? and New Song's The Christmas Shoes). I'm officially sick of: 1. Sleigh Ride, especially the Air Supply version (ick!) 2. Winter Wonderland 3. Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow 4. Holly Jolly Christmas 5. It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year 6. My Grown-Up Christmas List 7. There's No Place Like Home for the Holidays 8. Santa Baby, especially the Madonna and country versions! 9. Happy Christmas (War is Over) 10. Merry Christmas, Darling by the Carpenters 11. Happy Holidays (It's the Holiday Season) by Andy Williams 12. LeRoy the Red-Neck Reindeer by Joe Diffie. 13. Anything by the Trans-Siberia Orchestra, Manheim Steamroller, or Kenny G! Links to other Thursday Thirteens (please note I take no responsibility for the content of other blogs):

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TT: 13 Favorite Christmas Traditions

Thirteen FAVORITE CHRISTMAS TRADITIONS Christmas is one of my favorite holidays and here are some of the things I enjoy doing this time of year. I don't do all of them every year, of course, because of budget & time constraints. 1. Midnight Candlelight Mass. I haven't gone since I had kids but this is my absolute favorite service. 2. Sing-along Messiah. I'm not much of a singer, but who cares in this kind of a crowd? 3. The Nutcracker. I can't wait until DD is old enough to go. I considered taking her this year but couldn't find an abridged performance in our area. She's only just turned 5 and the full-length ballet is still a bit long for her attention span. 4. The Christmas Revels. Again, this is something I debated on taking DD to this year, but decided to hold off on. 5. Cookie Exchange. The Boston alumnae group of my sorority always holds a fun one but sadly I'm not visiting my folks for Christmas this year. 6. Ecumenical Christmas Pageant in my hometown. One of my brothers played Joseph one year and my other brother was one of the Magi another year. It's always fun to time how long it takes for them to switch out the real baby for a doll. 7. Photo with Santa. The funniest was the year that my mom-in-law and I took her dog Murphy and my then-10 -week-old DD over to Petco for their "Santa Paws". 8. Ice Skating at the Frog Pond on Boston Common. Another New England tradition I miss! 9. Zoolights at Stone Zoo. Did I mention that I really miss New England this time of year? 10. Growing an Amaryllis. I forgot to buy one early enough this year so it's going to bloom probably in January, LOL! 11. Peppermint Mocha. Preferably from Peet's but I'll take one from Starbucks if one's there. 12. How the Grinch Stole Christmas. The original TV special, not that awful movie with Jim Carrey! 13. Reading Luke 2:1-20. Does it make me a bad Catholic to prefer the beautiful language of the King James translation here? Obviously, the KJV cannot be used for theological purposes but it's so much more poetic than the NAB or RSV.

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TT: 13 Christmas Gift-Givers from Around the World

Header courtesy of Missy Frye at "Observations from Missy's Window" Thirteen CHRISTMAS GIFT-GIVERS FROM AROUND THE WORLD In honor of tomorrow Feast of St. Nicholas, here are 13 Christmas gift-givers from around the world. 1. St. Nicholas, 4th century bishop of Myrna in modern day Turkey. Renown for his generosity and love of children. 2. Santa Claus, his secularized, commercialized version in present-day America. 3. Father Christmas, the British version of our Santa Claus. In Roman Britannia, the pagan god Saturn was said to watch over the festival of the winter solstice. After St. Augustine brought Christianity to England in 597 A.D., the gift-giver changed from Saturn to Father Christmas. 4. Dun Che Lao Ren, "Christmas Old Man" in China 5. Pere Noel, Father Christmas in France. 6. Christkindl, the Christ Child in Germany. 7. Nino Jesus, the Christ Child in Latin American countries. 8. Befana, an old woman said to have gotten lost bringing gifts to Gesu Bambino (Baby Jesus) in Italy. 9. Babushka, an old woman said to have felt guilty about steering the magi in the wrong direction on their trip to Bethlehem, in Russia. 10. Jule-tomar, little elves with long white whiskers, in Sweden. 11. Jule-Nisser, elves in Norway. 12. Tel-apo, "winter grandfather" in Hungary. 13. The Grinch, if you live in Whoville :-) Other Thursday Thirteens (Please note that I take no responsibility for the content of other blogs):

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Hey, Thanks "Thursday Thirteen"!

Confession time: I didn't even realize that I'd been featured as the newbie TT'er this week until someone mentioned it in the comments. I must've scrolled right past it obliviously...

TT: 13 Favorite Holiday Meal Dishes

Thirteen HOLIDAY MEAL DISHES I LIKE TO SERVE Thanksgiving is a week away so it's time for all the cooks to start their menu planning. I've actually never hosted a big family gathering at Thanksgiving (only Christmas & Easter), but here are some of my favorite dishes to serve at a holiday meal: 1. Orange-Zinfandel glazed ham from the Thanksgiving 101 cookbook by Rick Rodgers. Mix 1 jar orange marmalade with 2 garlic cloves, 1/2 cup red Zinfandel, and 1/2 cup OJ. Marinate ham overnight then bake until done. 2. Roast turkey. A trick I learned to keep the breast from drying out is to ice it prior to sticking the bird in the oven. Another one (if you don't have anyone with heart disease in the family!) is to pin bacon strips on the breast to let the drippings seep into the meat as it cooks. 3. Gravy. I like to make a starter using turkey stock and butter in case the turkey does not give off enough drippings. Also, I like to add 2 Tbsp. of bourbon for flavoring. 4. Sourdough, apple, and sausage stuffing. I make this recipe from Bon Appetit but use sourdough instead of French bread. I've also used Pepperidge Farm stuffing mix & just added the sausage, apple, leeks, and celery. 5. Triple cranberry sauce. I've adapted this recipe by using 100% cranberry juice from the natural foods section in lieu of the cranberry cocktail concentrate and then bumping up the sugar to 1 1/2 cups. 6. Maple-glazed carrots from Thanksgiving 101 by Rick Rodgers. Saute baby carrots in butter, beef broth/bouillion, and real maple syrup. Sprinkle with toasted pecans. 7. Mashed potatoes. The trick with these are to make them as close to the meal as possible so that they're still warm when served. I peel & chop the potatoes a few hours ahead and cover with a couple inches of cool water. Then I start cooking them shortly before the turkey is ready to come out of the oven. By the time the bird is cooled, carved, & ready to go on the table the potatoes are ready to mash. 8. Steamed green beans with slivered almonds. I am not a fan of the traditional green bean casserole made with cream of mushroom soup & french-fried onions on the top. 9. Fruit salad with scoop of rainbow sherbet. This is how my family traditionally starts all big holiday meals. 10. Tiramisu. This is one of those dishes that are really tricky to make well from scratch & it's simply easier just to pick up at one's local bakery. 11. Pecan-Bourbon pie. Another recipe from Rick Rodgers' Thanksgiving 101 cookbook. Add 2 Tbsp. Bourbon to the standard corn syrup-brown sugar-eggs-butter filling. Yum! 12. Apple pie. I like to use tart Granny Smith apples for this. Rick Rodgers has a great suggestion to saute them in butter & sugar prior to putting them in the pie to minimize shrinkage. 13. Weird dish relative always brings & nobody has the heart to tell not to. In my family, this is my aunt's Jell-o salad. She's been showing up with it to every family meal since long before I was born and I'm sure she'll bring it as long as she's able to. I love her dearly but not her odd concoction of lime Jell-o, cottage cheese, pineapple, and vegetables (!) I'm sure your family has a similar dish that everyone has to choke down a small serving of to be polite. Links to other Thursday Thirteens!

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TT: 13 Signs You Homeschool

Thirteen SIGNS YOU HOMESCHOOL It's been a while since I did a Thursday Thirteen. Here are 13 signs that your family educates your children at home: Your child is actually studying science, history, art, and music in the primary grades. Your child learns to read from literary classics and not some boring, dumbed-down, politically correct textbook. Your child can quickly solve an arithmetic problem without the use of a calculator. Your child points out misspellings and grammatical errors he/she encounters and tells you what it ought to say. Your child is studying the history and geography of ancient civilizations rather than following the state-mandated "Social Studies" curriculum focusing on holidays and patriotic symbols. Your child doesn't learn about things by listening to a teacher's lecture and then filling out a boring worksheet but rather by hands-on experience. Your 2 year old sings along with "God Bless America" every morning. Your child never hears "it's time to move on now" before he/she is ready or "just sit quietly & wait for the rest of the class to finish". You don't have to ask your friends, relatives, or co-workers to buy junk they don't need or sponsor your child in some stupid whatever-a-thon. Your child never gets caught in the middle of a labor dispute between his/her teacher and politicians. You can let your kids stay up to watch the Red Sox win the World Series without having to worry about them having to get up early the next day for school :-) When you're out & about with the kids, you often get compliments on how well-behaved they are. Your children's education actually reinforces your family's values, as opposed to undermining them. Links to other Thursday Thirteens! *Please note that I take no responsibility for the content of other blogs*

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TT: 13 Luxury Items I Don't Own or Want

Thirteen LUXURY ITEMS I DON'T OWN OR WANT I had a different TT all set but reading the CNN article on teens wanting luxury goods for back-to-school got me thinking about all the luxury items I neither own nor want. I will pay more for quality on certain things, but when it comes to frivolous fashion items I tend to balk. 1. An iPhone. I've got an mp3 player I rarely use and a cell phone that works just fine, so why would I want to spend $600 for something that hasn't gotten all the bugs worked out yet? 2. A Kate Spade, Petunia Picklebottom, Burberry, etc. diaper bag. Why pay $300 when you can go to Target and get a cute knock-off one for $30? 3. Seven for All Mankind, True Religion, Citizens of Humanity, etc. jeans. I have worn Lucky and Calvin Klein jeans that I've found at Ross or Filene's Basement but I refuse to pay $200 for a pair of pants. 4. A high-definition plasma screen television set. DH wants one so he'll probably end up buying himself one once he's paid off his student loans but I'd just as soon skip it. I hardly ever watch TV and our current set works perfectly well. 5. Manolo Blahnik, Jimmy Choo, Prada, etc. shoes. I'm not all that into shoes anyways, so why would I pay $400+ for a pair? 6. A Hummer. There's someone at our church who drives one, and I'd just love to ask him/her if that's what he/she really thinks Jesus would recommend driving. 7. A Bugaboo stroller. Yes, I've heard they really are very easy-to-use, yadda, yadda, yadda. But there's nothing that screams "I'm a yuppie mom!" louder than a $900 stroller. 8. Designer sunglasses. I used to have a pair of Ralph Lauren sunglasses I got in a 2-for-1 promotion with my regular glasses but I lost them. Since then, I've made do with Target cheapies. 9. A designer watch. I have a problem with things happening to my watches. The weird thing is that it's a different issue each time. Doesn't matter how much or how little I spend on a watch, it lasts about the same length of time. 10. A Wii or a PS3. DH has a PS2 that is almost exclusively used as a secondary DVD player. I can't remember the last time it was used to play a video game. 11. Nike Shox. Yes, they're cute. I'm sure they're comfortable. But I refuse to pay >$100 for a pair of sneakers. 12. Breast implants. I'd be tempted to get a lift if I ever won Powerball, but having gotten up to a DDD when nursing, I can definitely say that I would not want to go any larger than my normal size, LOL! 13. A much-younger trophy husband. The whole May/December thing isn't any more appropriate when it's the man who is younger. I'm sorry, but one's new spouse should not be the same age as one's children! Links to other Thursday Thirteens! *Please note I take no responsibility for the content of other blogs*

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TT: 13 Books I Have Read in 2007

Thirteen BOOKS I HAVE READ IN 2007 I've been a voracious reader ever since I can remember. My mom says I taught myself to read at age 3 and from then on it's been one of my favorite leisure activities. Here are some of the books I've read so far in 2007 and some brief thoughts on each. 1. Opting Out? Why Women Really Quit Careers and Head Home by Dr. Pamela Stone. Excellent study of why so many highly educated women leave successful careers to become stay-at-home-moms. Contrary to the media portrayal of it being by choice and emblematic of a "new traditionalism", Dr. Stone shows how many of them quit reluctantly because they were unable to find positions offering part-time/flexible hours, interesting work, and potential for career advancement. 2. Hothouse Kids: The Dilemma of the Gifted Child by Alissa Quart. Interesting but frustrating book. Problem #1 with the book is that Ms. Quart is childless, so she second-guesses what parents are doing without ever having been in that position herself. Reminds me of that great title I saw of a recently-published book: I Was a Really Good Mom Before I Had Kids. I'd like to see whether Ms. "Holier-than-Thou" Quart get a bit more sympathy when she has her own child(ren). She also lumps together a bunch of different issues that don't really have all that much to do with each other. It's like she can't decide what the focus of her book is- true prodigies, garden-variety gifted kids, or the average IQ offspring of affluent parents. 3. The Price of Privilege: How Parental Pressure and Material Advantage are Creating a Generation of Disconnected and Unhappy Kids by Dr. Madeline Levine. Excellent read for any parent trying to raise children in an affluent neighborhood. 4. The End of Education: Redefining the Value of School by Dr. Neil Postman. Thought-provoking but I did not agree with the author's emphasis on "social cohesion" over individual needs in education. 5. "Doing School": How We are Creating a Generation of Stressed Out, Materialistic, and Miseducated Kids by Denise Pope. Very interesting profile of how traditional schools, particularly ones in affluent areas, foster a hypercompetitive atmosphere detrimental to true learning. 6. Critical Lessons: What Our Schools Should Teach by Dr. Nel Noddings. Thought-provoking but scary. I found the book to very full of deliberate misinformation about Christianity. The author keeps claiming that she wants to foster "critical thinking" but what she means by that is teaching skepticism towards beliefs with which she disagrees and indoctrination of impressionable young minds in furtherance of her own agenda. This book should be required reading for Christian parents who have children in government-run schools! 7. Reclaiming Childhood: Letting Our Children Be Children in Our Achievement-Oriented Society by Dr. William Crain. I don't agree with everything that the author says, as he's a bit on the permissive side for my tastes. He definitely appears to hold a Rousseauian view of human nature that I do not share. But Dr. Crain does make some excellent points in the book. 8. The Overachievers: The Secret Lives of Driven Kids by Alexandra Robbins. This is very similar to the Denise Pope book mentioned above and just reinforced my desire to keep my kids away from such an unhealthy atmosphere in traditional schools. 9. Tough Choices or Tough Times: The New Commission on the Skills of the American Workforce Report by the National Center on Education and the Economy. Definitely not an easy read, but it got a lot of press earlier in the year about the commission's recommendation to end high school in 10th grade for most kids. It contains some interesting ideas but I very much disagree with the vocational focus and the recommendation for universal government preschool. Also, I'm not convinced that the average student is ready for college at 15 or 16. 10. God's Universe by Dr. Owen Gingerich. Another one that is not an easy read as it's written by a Harvard professor of astrophysics adapted from lectures he gave on science & faith. But it's an excellent work on how the two fields are complementary, and some of the evidence for why Dr. Gingerich believes that the universe shows Design. 11. Homeschooling- Take a Deep Breath, You Can Do It! by Terrie Lynn Bittner. I've read a bunch of intro to homeschooling books and this is by far the best! She is very down-to-earth and reassuring unlike certain other authors whose tone comes off as pretty intimidating. She also deals with issues that are pretty common but not generally discussed in homeschooling books such as how to convince a skeptical spouse and how to defuse rivalry between homeschooled and traditionally-schooled siblings. I also appreciated how Mrs. Bittner recognized the importance of religion/spirituality in homeschooling without advocating any one particular faith. The problem I have with most homeschooling books is that they either completely ignore religion or else they are written from a certain worldview (typically fundamentalism). Mrs. Bittner's book is religiously neutral, but recognizes the centrality of faith to the homeschooling of many families. 12. Shadow of the Giant by Orson Scott Card. I took a break from the parenting & education non-fiction genres to read this latest novel in the Ender series. While it's not my favorite in the series, I did find it entertaining. 13. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling. Another foray into fiction from one of my favorite series. Links to other Thursday Thirteens! *Please note that I take no responsibility for the content of other blogs*

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Harry Potter and the Thursday Thirteen

Image from "Fond of Snape"

Thirteen Things about ME & HARRY POTTER 1. I'm a huge fan of the series but I've never actually read the book Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. 2. I did not see the Sorcerer's Stone movie until it was on HBO. 3. A bunch of people had tried to convince me that I would love HP but I dismissed it as a kid thing. 4. They were right and I was wrong. 5. I only watched the Sorcerer's Stone movie because DH was away doing some Army training and I was bored. 6. After I saw the movie, I immediately borrowed my mom's copy of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. 7. After I finished that, I wanted to borrow Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban but we searched everywhere and couldn't find it. 8. So I read Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire next. 9. Some things in #4 had not made sense to me so I bought #3. 10. I recommend reading the books in the proper order, LOL! 11. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix was the first of the series I read at its initial release (late to the party, I know!) 12. I'm taking my 4 3/4 year old DD down to our local bookstore on Friday evening to attend a release party. We'll stay for a couple of hours and then I'm going to put her to bed and go back closer to midnight to pick up my copy of Deathly Hallows. 13. Friday will be the first release party I've ever attended, and I guess the only one unless J.K. Rowling changes her mind & writes another book! Links to other Thursday Thirteens! *Please note that I take no responsibility for the content of other blogs*

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TT: 13 Stereotypically Female Things I'm Just Not Into

Thirteen STEREOTYPICALLY FEMALE THINGS I'M JUST NOT INTO 1. Shoes. I'm no Birkenstock-wearer but I've never understood why so many women go absolutely gaga over footwear. 2. Handbags. I've been schlepping around a diaper bag for almost 5 years now but even back when I was childless it was always more of a utilitarian object than anything else. 3. Manicures. The handful of times I've gotten one, my nails have chipped within a day or so anyways. I don't even bother wearing polish for that reason. 4. Pedicures. I've got ugly feet and wearing toenail polish is like putting lipstick on a pig. 5. Primetime soaps like Grey's Anatomy. I think the last one I got into was Melrose Place back in high school. 6. Diet Coke. I don't dislike it, I'm just not much of a soda drinker. 7. Richard Gere. I've never understood his appeal. 8. Ashton Kutcher. Ditto. 9. Keanu Reeves. Ditto. 10. Vince Vaughn. Ditto. 11. Yakking on the phone for hours. When I'm with somebody in person, I have no trouble chatting away all night but for whatever reason I don't care much for long phone conversations. 12. IMing. Maybe this is a generational thing, but I really dislike it! 13. Chain letters and blog memes that have you tag X number of people. I like doing voluntary memes such as TT, 10 on Tuesday, or the Crazy Hip Blog Mama Carnival but I hate ones that put people on the spot. Links to other Thursday Thirteens! *Please note that I take no responsibility for the content found on other blogs*

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The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things. Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!

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Quaternary TT: 13 Words Certain Individuals Think You're Too Stupid To Hear

Thirteen WORDS CERTAIN INDIVIDUALS THINK YOU'RE TOO STUPID TO HEAR I've been seething (v. to be in an agitated emotional state) all day about the great lexicon debate. Below are 13 examples in alphabetical order from the America article (discussed here) and the Globe and Mail article (discussed here) of words that Bishop Trautman and Professor Beck think you're too stupid to hear used. Some are a bit more obscure (adj. not easily understood) than others, but they all strike me as reasonable to utilize (v. to put into service) in the context (n. setting) of a classroom lesson or a church service: 1. betwixt- adv. between 2. gibbet- n. gallows 3. incarnate- adj. existing in bodily form 4. ineffably- adv. indescribably 5. inviolate- adj. virginal 6. nefarious- adj. extremely wicked 7. prefiguring- v. imagining beforehand 8. suffused- v. to become overspread as with a fluid or light 9. sullied- v. made dirty 10. thwart- v. to prevent 11. unfeigned- adj. genuine 12. unvanquished- adj. unbeaten 13. wrought- adj. shaped Links to other Thursday Thirteens! *Please note that I take no responsibility for the content of other blogs, so caveat viator! (let the traveler beware!) *

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TT: 13 Shades of Lipstick/Lip Gloss in My Make-Up Bag

Thirteen SHADES OF LIPSTICK/LIP GLOSS IN MY MAKEUP BAG Things are pretty busy this week so just a quick TT this time around. When I'm feeling a little down, one of my favorite pick-me-ups is to get a new shade of lipstick or lip gloss. It's an inexpensive (and calorie-free!) way to brighten my mood. Here are 13 shades currently in my make-up bag: 1. Think Bronze 2. Golden Raisin 3. Girly 4. Soft Opal 5. Sweet Honey 6. Terracotta 7. Grapevine 8. Tenderheart 9. Berry Freeze 10. Honey Bee 11. Nude Shine 12. Midnight Berry 13. Vixen Links to other Thursday Thirteens!

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TT: 13 Things I Miss About My Pre-Mom Life




Thirteen Things I MISS ABOUT MY PRE-MOM LIFE Lara David from "Life: The Ongoing Education" had a fun TT last week on the 13 reasons she's glad that she's not yet a mom. That got me thinking about all the things I miss about my pre-mom life. Don't get me wrong, I love my kids to death and wouldn't trade them for any of these things. I'm only human though and I do get nostalgic for these: leaving the house with just keys, a driver's license, and a debit card! perky boobs and taut tummy skin. Diet and exercise can do a lot, but not everything :-( light carpets and glass-topped furniture all the cute clothes that I'm young enough and thin enough to wear but that look ridiculous on me when I've got 2 kids in tow (people assume I'm the nanny even though my DD is a mini-clone) indulging in regular facials. My skin looked sooooo much better when I had the disposable cash to get them every 2 months instead of once a year. freedom from the voices of Elmo, Barney, Captain Feathersword from the Wiggles, Weezy from DragonTales, or any of the other characters who I'd rather listen to scratching nails on a chalkboard than hear. not having to confine bedroom activities to our bedroom ;-) using idioms and polysyllabic words in conversation without having to stop to explain their meanings doing laundry once a week instead of every single dangblasted day! making spur-of-the-minute plans to attend adult-only events turning on the TV, popping in a DVD, listening to the radio, flipping through a magazine, reading a book, surfing the 'Net, or just walking around in public without worrying about what impressionable little minds might see or hear.* devoting 100% of my attention to Mass.** not having to always set a good example by wearing a lifejacket when boating, helmet when biking or rollerblading, safety pads when rollerblading, copious amounts of sunscreen when outdoors, and a seatbelt in taxis; eating 5 servings of vegetables per day; skipping seconds on dessert; limiting alcohol to one or two drinks; driving at the posted speed limit; never making an illegal left or u-turn; pulling over to the side of the road when I need to make a cell phone call in the car; crossing only at the crosswalk and when the light says "walk"; and so on.*** *I tend to hold relatively libertarian views on the freedom of expression but at the same time I also strongly believe in the parental right to shield one's own children from content one deems inappropriate for them. Censorship by the government - very bad! Attempting to keep negative influences away from one's children - a basic parental obligation! **I know God understands and I do believe it's important to worship as a family rather than sticking kids in the nursery. "Let the children come to me" and all that jazz! ***Yes, I am aware that I ought to be doing these things anyways for safety's sake. Realistically, though, most people don't do them 100% of the time for various reasons. Links to other Thursday Thirteens!




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Thursday Thirteen: 13 Signs You're A Yuppie Mom

Thirteen Signs You're a Yuppie Mom All of the following are true occurrences from the past couple of weeks: 1. Your 4 1/2 year old DD is playing with her tea set and you overhear her offering her teddy bear a "latte". 2. You see a blog title called "If You Give My Toddler a Blackberry" and you think it's referring to an electronic device rather than a fruit. 3. Your 19 month old DS actually knows which button on Daddy's Blackberry to push in order to get a dial tone. 4. Your DD recognizes a Mozart tune but has no idea what Grandpa is referring to when he says "wascally wabbit". 5. You have a long discussion with some fellow moms about raw milk vs. organic milk vs. goat's milk and the best places to purchase the aforementioned. 6. You seriously consider driving two hours each way to attend a chicken pox party. 7. You overhear the kids at park day playgroup pretending to be ancient Romans fleeing the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius. 8. The kids in the playgroup have names like Soleil, Finn, Lydia, Ivy, Graham, Clark, Catriona, Coco, Leilani, Gianna, Leon, Tobias, Veronique, Jasper, Bram, and Atticus. 9. Your mom asks your DD "what does Daddy do at his job?" and when she answers "he makes money for [name of his employer]" you realize you have no clue how to explain his job function in a way that will make sense to her any more than that. 10. Your DD talks about getting a dog "after I finish graduate school". 11. You volunteer your DS as a guinea pig for the Learning Lab at Stanford and you use the opportunity to explain the scientific method to his big sister. 12. Your DS makes the American Sign Language sign for "milk" when presented with a cup as part of the experiment. 13. Your old babysitter growing up is now a post-doctorate fellow in neuroscience at Stanford and just got married at a Buddhist retreat in a ceremony that started with the "marriage is what brings us together today" speech from The Princess Bride. Links to other Thursday Thirteens!

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