tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8161302541470280750.comments2023-07-06T08:28:15.848-04:00Mama daysCali Lovetthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10959377832026957593noreply@blogger.comBlogger388125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8161302541470280750.post-13180947742550313962013-02-27T08:15:34.956-05:002013-02-27T08:15:34.956-05:00Oh boy do I understand what you are talking about....Oh boy do I understand what you are talking about. And there is that certain feeling that we learn from our personal mistakes, that someone making us feel worse really doesn't matter... but we, as parents are their role models, teachers, guiders and if we let that go then we have failed too. I struggle with elements of this daily. Sometimes strong and courageous and others with exhaustion. ;) <br />Love that you are still writing. I am going to try to get back to blogging once a week. <br />Hope you are well.andrea gardiner freemanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17651815843778923759noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8161302541470280750.post-68427846024828606852012-12-09T00:59:52.370-05:002012-12-09T00:59:52.370-05:00Oh, ugh. I'm so sorry to hear that your daugh...Oh, ugh. I'm so sorry to hear that your daughter has started to get migraines. My husband started getting them when he was around 9, and our son started getting them at around age 4. Sometimes our son will fall asleep when he's having a migraine and that knocks it out. We've also recently discovered that a dose of ibuprofen can take the edge off if we give it to him early enough in the headache cycle. As for my husband; a few years ago he started having headaches weekly and then started taking magnesium, riboflavin and feverfew suppliments. This seems to have reduced the frequency of his headaches... which is a blessing. I hope things are getting better for you regarding headaches...m. bloomhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13982592446597646598noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8161302541470280750.post-83727084794061139712012-08-04T15:11:16.462-04:002012-08-04T15:11:16.462-04:00Thank you, Amy, for this advice. I needed someone ...Thank you, Amy, for this advice. I needed someone to say that to me. You're right - it probably will be our last alone time pretty much ever - in a structured way like that. And, you know, I've been sad ever since Clark was born that Frances and I lost our alone time. Interestingly, I've had plenty with Clark because he was still with me when Frances started school. And she's always attended more days than he. So this is it - this is our time! Thank you for reminding me to treasure it.Cali Lovetthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10959377832026957593noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8161302541470280750.post-78806719669846962882012-08-04T12:04:32.766-04:002012-08-04T12:04:32.766-04:00A little bit of a "sad" thought for you ...A little bit of a "sad" thought for you (but a good rationale for being happy about the PM K placement)...those mornings are one of the remaining set times when you'll have dedicated one on one time with Frances. When Sarah did PM K and Megan went to preschool in the morning, I didn't realize that and I wish I could back and do more of what you're planning to do. Once Sarah started first grade, I felt like getting one on one time with her was a real challenge and I wish I could have more of it. Enjoy it to the fullest because once K is done, you'll have them both in the summer and then she will be gone all day. Not that one on one time is done by any means, but this is one of the last times when it will be structured to be just the two of you. <br /><br />I felt somewhat the same you did about K being so short, but at the end of the year I really did feel that they had packed A LOT into those two 1/2 hours (maybe too much, but that's a different topic) and that regardless of the time spent in the building, the experience gave Sarah a foundation for "formal learning" that she did not get in preschool. Those 2.5 hours "taught" structure, rules, strategy, process...a whole host of things that I didn't even realize that she didn't have until we got to the end of the K year. I also felt that for me, a first time K mom, it was a good transition from play/preschool to "real" school.<br /><br />Megan will be doing morning K, but it's only because I started working at CRPS and work in the mornings. Made no financial sense to have her in school while I was at home (although I will miss that time for myself!). But, as I learned with Sarah, the year goes by SO FAST, so I will make sure to enjoy my "last" time with her in the afternoons. Because next year, they'll both be full time and that one on one time will be harder and harder to fit in.Amy Rhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10284359274403017304noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8161302541470280750.post-15854389487946310282012-06-21T00:55:41.570-04:002012-06-21T00:55:41.570-04:00Go, mama, go! Revel in that new-found freedom. Y...Go, mama, go! Revel in that new-found freedom. Your CSA adventure sounded grand. Looking forward to hearing what you're up to next...<br />mbm. bloomhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13982592446597646598noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8161302541470280750.post-7908652159964624982012-04-25T12:24:55.351-04:002012-04-25T12:24:55.351-04:00Love. this.
I'm one of those types that think...Love. this.<br /><br />I'm one of those types that thinks a lot more parenting, um, <i>flexibility</i> is acceptable if you're willing to accept the fallout as part of the flexibility.<br /><br />And it makes me wonder if maybe the reason I don't let my kids chow down is because I never got that.<br /><br />Hmmm, more perpetuating the limitations of how I was parented...Amy Jane (UntanglingTales)http://untanglingtales.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8161302541470280750.post-13905747929425206772012-02-10T15:26:51.248-05:002012-02-10T15:26:51.248-05:00Hilarious!! I certainly know who is who. Neither...Hilarious!! I certainly know who is who. Neither is deterred; they both charge ahead in their own world. It is so cute.ineznoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8161302541470280750.post-71091498615395914792012-02-05T22:57:55.057-05:002012-02-05T22:57:55.057-05:00Today, on our roadtrip, we saw a postcard that sai...Today, on our roadtrip, we saw a postcard that said "For god's sake- all I want to do is go to the bathroom without a kid following me in" and Thing 2 laughed and laughed. She asked me if I'd ever felt that way, and I was like, "Are you kidding me?" It was funny that she had no recollection of those days, and to her her early childhood is a halycon blur. I remember every failure, every snarl, every time I cried and yelled because they wouldn't let me even take a shower by myself. You're a great mom, and you have great kids- and your kids are going to remember the castle cakes and the fort in the yard. Someday they'll be big and it will be unimaginable to them that once, long ago, you were ornery because they wouldn't even listen to your own radio.ebphttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06858624785461153837noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8161302541470280750.post-85856474629044476532011-12-24T23:21:30.927-05:002011-12-24T23:21:30.927-05:00Yep, right there with you. My toddler is a screame...Yep, right there with you. My toddler is a screamer, too...m. bloomhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13982592446597646598noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8161302541470280750.post-20315805655207766702011-12-18T17:28:29.581-05:002011-12-18T17:28:29.581-05:00Max was not necessarily a screamer but he was so l...Max was not necessarily a screamer but he was so loud, all the time, no matter what he was doing, unless sleeping. Kindergarten has changed him. He has matured and quieted down. <br />But every once in a while when he is tired or hungry or frustrated, his tornado, volcano erupts and I see that little boy, with the inability to do anything else but erupt. <br />I erupt too. Can't blame him much.andrea gardiner freemanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17651815843778923759noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8161302541470280750.post-9496128750767696002011-12-05T18:35:45.239-05:002011-12-05T18:35:45.239-05:00I hope you someday find peace and a clear head. Yo...I hope you someday find peace and a clear head. You are amazing for all you do with what you are dealing with. Children are resilient and they know love when they see it.andrea gardiner freemanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17651815843778923759noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8161302541470280750.post-10856011582714211932011-10-30T15:46:00.304-04:002011-10-30T15:46:00.304-04:00Love this. We had one of these this morning. Max i...Love this. We had one of these this morning. Max is obviously very tired, or getting sick. He just could not bare to do his chores today. Just talking about it sent him into a sobbing frenzy. This carried on for 10 minutes or so with a brief consoling from his pillows on his bed. He then came back, hanging on me and still whoaing over chores. <br />Rohan came over, took his chores list (he had done his hours ago), and said, "Come on Buddy, I will help you".<br />This is love.<br />I love to read your stories. Thanks for sharing them.andrea gardiner freemanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17651815843778923759noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8161302541470280750.post-48834533529385309272011-10-25T10:22:34.959-04:002011-10-25T10:22:34.959-04:00Hi Cali! I just discovered your blog through a Goo...Hi Cali! I just discovered your blog through a Google search and I love it! You really tell it like it is, which is so important!! Thanks for being you :)Devonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02594009783919795305noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8161302541470280750.post-57711595391787915162011-10-18T23:36:30.697-04:002011-10-18T23:36:30.697-04:00Mmmm... Frye boots... My husband bought me a pair ...Mmmm... Frye boots... My husband bought me a pair of red Lucchese boots for my 40th birthday. Boots & birthdays are good...m. bloomhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13982592446597646598noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8161302541470280750.post-23760950683993125932011-10-18T23:32:26.794-04:002011-10-18T23:32:26.794-04:00Lovely! So wonderful to have those types of experi...Lovely! So wonderful to have those types of experiences with our children... may you have more & more... (and the bit about studying organs to the tune of the organ? giggle...)m. bloomhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13982592446597646598noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8161302541470280750.post-82987178224780716202011-10-05T21:44:16.015-04:002011-10-05T21:44:16.015-04:00Cali, it's nice to get a new post! why don'...Cali, it's nice to get a new post! why don't you talk about why I'm not magically the most perfect mother ever with the cleanest and most organized house ever, now that I have 5 mornings "free" a week, and really a bit longer than that, if you count Quiet Time?Paigehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11531761365043335536noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8161302541470280750.post-91747528306514466622011-09-06T13:28:04.650-04:002011-09-06T13:28:04.650-04:00Thanks for all the support, friends! A friend who ...Thanks for all the support, friends! A friend who sent an email to me about the post said this: "What struck me the most about the guest commentator's post was the degree of anger expressed. Sublimating her/his own guilt and shame about being an "inadequate" parent, gotta yell at someone who owns it? I dunno." The level of anger is indeed interesting. My dad suggested it was simply the cussing itself that sent him/her off. And perhaps so. Some people are indeed insulted by the use of profanity. My writing teachers would say it's lazy, cussing. Oh well. I find it helpful in getting across intensity and emotion. It's not intended to shock. Anyway, thank you again for the encouragement in this blog and in my exploration and expression of mothering young children. I like writing about it, and I love that you read it. Please, all comments welcome!Cali Lovetthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10959377832026957593noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8161302541470280750.post-91362581861822873822011-09-05T13:25:14.178-04:002011-09-05T13:25:14.178-04:00Oh, by the way HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!!Oh, by the way HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!!andrea gardiner freemanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17651815843778923759noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8161302541470280750.post-92035147456172123132011-09-05T13:24:49.880-04:002011-09-05T13:24:49.880-04:00As a woman entering my third year of the 40's....As a woman entering my third year of the 40's.... I will say they are Brilliant.<br /><br />You will rock them. I have more energy and am more creative, spend more time with friends and feel more peaceful, even in the madness.andrea gardiner freemanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17651815843778923759noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8161302541470280750.post-73118194954831323652011-09-05T13:19:59.779-04:002011-09-05T13:19:59.779-04:00I think my favorite part of this post is how you o...I think my favorite part of this post is how you own your position.... the defenses do not even rear their head. You just mater of fact-ly respond, with a clear head and power.<br /><br />Being a part time working, stay at home mom, I will say that being at home with your kids all day is the HARDEST job I have ever had. Granted I have never been a single parent working with two kids... <br />I am a child of a single parent with four kids and I know that I dedicate my life to my kids, just as my mom did and "little fucker" is just part of the journey. <br />From one White Trash Mama to another.andrea gardiner freemanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17651815843778923759noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8161302541470280750.post-52153699793288372852011-09-03T22:12:21.405-04:002011-09-03T22:12:21.405-04:00I was just telling my hubs tonight how much I enjo...I was just telling my hubs tonight how much I enjoy reading your writings. Write on, white trash mama!Joynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8161302541470280750.post-47711806390312967062011-09-01T13:48:13.947-04:002011-09-01T13:48:13.947-04:00Sigh...people like your anonymous commenter make m...Sigh...people like your anonymous commenter make me shake my head in wonder. <br /><br />I agree that she likely doesn't have children, or if she does she has ones that don't talk/move/argue/fight with their siblings/complain/whine/beg/sass/lie etc. Lucky her. For the rest of us, those of us living here on planet REALITY, I think your blog sums up a lot of what most of us feel on a regular basis. <br /><br />My children are my life. Yes, I love them more than life itself and a life without them is unimaginable. I would give both of my arms to them if they needed them. But guess what...they are people and they have their own thoughts, wants and ideas that are going to differ from mine and we have to find ways to live together. This is going to mean a lot of frustration on both parts and yes, a lot of less than pleasant thoughts from both "sides". It's called life and learning to live together. When my oldest (6-1/2) lies to my face, am I thinking "oh, you are the joy of my life you darling angel"? Hell no..."Little F&*^er" pretty much sums it up. When the younger one (4-1/2) throws her entire bowl of cereal on the ground because I "put too much milk in it", that magical cloud of maternal love kind of floats away temporarily.<br /><br />And to comment anonymously...what a coward. If you're going to trash someone, at least have the decency to own up to it.Amy Rhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10284359274403017304noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8161302541470280750.post-77023132324463827642011-09-01T09:21:28.598-04:002011-09-01T09:21:28.598-04:00I must say, the person who wrote anonymously was j...I must say, the person who wrote anonymously was just mean. Your perspective is not everyone’s perspective. Not everyone feels the frustration and anxiety you feel, but many do, and you are expressing those thoughts. For her to say you need to “think a little more about your children” is just crazy. If you thought any more about your children you would think of nothing else. You are always working to be the best mom you can be….and it shows in your children. They are kind. They are thoughtful. They are delightful. They are wonderful.Ineznoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8161302541470280750.post-9420988626008285692011-09-01T00:11:03.803-04:002011-09-01T00:11:03.803-04:00To speak as the oft-quoted (but likely proverbial)...To speak as the oft-quoted (but likely proverbial) “single-mom,” I would like to second the mission of your writing. If I were reading about the joys, delights, ease, and slappy-happy days of motherhood, rather than your clear-eyed, irreverent, honest, and absurd rants and reflections about the life of the mother, I would probably stab my eye out with a pencil.<br /><br /><br />Keep it up, girl! -KristenAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8161302541470280750.post-9101990298000768952011-08-31T20:56:36.085-04:002011-08-31T20:56:36.085-04:00I love your full disclosure, and have thought abou...I love your full disclosure, and have thought about this post through the day. The phrase "little fucker" caught my attention, too, and wondered if I'd have the balls to be so expressive, but I started thinking about how many times I've thought/voiced she was a stinker (my word of choice). And, really, isn't a stinker simply a little fucker with a cherry on top? I appreciate your writing from the gut, and realize parenting delves into my entire spectrum of emotions, from most blissful to the fucking fuckiest. Even though one person gets pissed off, think of the many others who are like, hell yeah!Leslienoreply@blogger.com