Thursday, September 13, 2007

12 things I learned today

1. When I have a doctor’s appointment at 8:30 for just a “quick check” of my eyes, it will last 90 minutes and I should take more than one bottle, one diaper and two, count them, TWO wipes because (by the fourth child you would think I had learned this already) I would rather be safe and over-prepared than oh so very sorry.

2. Unfrosted strawberry Poptarts have exactly the same amount of sugar as the frosted kind. Huh.

3. I should look at my calendar more than once a day because it is entirely likely that even though I have been looking forward to lunch at the park with my High School buddies Kathy and Debbie for weeks, I will completely space it and only when Debbie calls me from the park at 12:10 will I remember and then have to admit that I’ve just put Nora down for a nap so please could they come have lunch at my house instead of the park which they will agree to because they are T.F.F.s (True Friends Forever) just like they vowed they would be in my yearbook 20 years ago.

4. When properly motivated I can take the kitchen from Totally Shameful Squalor to Almost Not Embarrassing in 10 minutes flat.

5. (Gabie taught me this one) Lavender lotion and a treatment of water applied with 17 different Q-tips will make the skin on a 5-year old’s face “less pooky.”

6. WARNING: It is actually possible for a 23 pound, 16 month old baby to produce 5 completely full, red-alert, toxic blowout diapers in a single day.

7. Junior High kids can be such idiots, especially the ones who called my sweet Ethan mean names and have apparently singled him out for teasing. He especially hates being called a “nerd.” I try to tell him that those twits will be changing his oil, flipping his burgers and emptying the trash in his executive office some day, but it still hurts.

8. Ethan’s Dad will come to the rescue. Ken vowed to find out where these kids live and (if Ethan wants him to) go have a little chat with their parents.

9. The Pennsylvania Turnpike—been there, done that—was the first freeway in America. (The kids were watching Modern Marvels tonight.)

10. A new word: blook. It means a book developed primarily from material first posted on a blog. Turns out there are loads of people who have done it, some quite successfully. So there! It is not ethically outrageous to recycle one’s own writing.

11. I have awesome, supportive blog readers who give me great advice and tell me to follow my heart and say they’ll read whatever I write and remind me why I love having instant feedback (who knows how many months it will take to hear back from editors who may or may not read past the first sentence of the manuscripts I just sent them?). I love having an audience of people who are just plain NICE. But I already knew that.

Which is why I’d like to post more, even if it’s short stuff here and there and maybe the occasional burst of serious mental tesserae-ing. Because I enjoy writing for people who appreciate what I have to say. Plus, once again, I am reminded that it’s a great way to develop ideas into words that may later work their way into my blook (see, I’m already a pro at wielding this new vocabulary!).

12. Even at the end of a day that I imagined was completely boring and utterly un-blogworthy, there are things I want to say—things that if I didn’t say them and post them to my blog might drain out of my head tonight onto my pillow and dissipate into the stuffing and be lost. Maybe it’s good to just have a place to take notes on the lessons of the day so I’ll remember them tomorrow and (hopefully) avoid having to relearn them again the hard way.

9 comments:

Shalee said...

Where oh where was this list when my kids were in diapers?! You could have saved me some grief back then... provided, of course, that I would have remembered it.

And although I didn't know the term, I've read two blooks: Julie & Julia and Why Girls Are Weird. Both were really great reads.

And you just keep reminding Ethan that he's PERFECT just the way he is. God made him just so for his purpose... and we all know that God never makes a mistake!

Unknown said...

5 blow out diapers? Whoa! I'm glad my diaper days are done.

I just read the last two posts. I agree with others that I would read whatever you write. Also, if you are looking for feedback, I definitely want to be in on that. I love doing stuff like that.

Good luck with your submissions, Julie. I'm impressed at your determination and I suspect it is going to pay off.

Kelly @ Love Well said...

I didn't comment on the last post, but you can add me to your fan club. Whenever my Bloglines account shows that you've posted something new, my heart goes pitter-patter.

And this post is just more proof of the reason why. Witty, fun, thoughtful and practical.

I so enjoy you.

TARA said...

Bravo! While we always enjoy your serious mental tesserae-ing, these are the types of posts that show off your inner Julie-ness that we so love. Hopefully you don't agonize over this kind of post as much - and it's still great stuff to use in your blook!

The only other blog I follow religiously is http://chocolateandzucchini.com/. Clothilde has quite successfully turned her blog into a book and sometimes can't blog as much as she used to because she's so busy with book tours! Um, gotta go - looks like she's back and has a new post.

Keep blogging!

Heffalump said...

I really dislike bullies. My oldest has been getting bullied since Kindergarten, and no matter where we go there is always some kid willing to bully other kids.

Luisa Perkins said...

Another highly successful blooker: Jane Brocket at Yarnstorm

http://yarnstorm.blogs.com/knitblog/

So glad to read something from you today!

Geo said...

Ditto, bravo, what Kelly said.

#10—That's what I thought. It's a relief anyway. Get blookin'!

(I love to lurk here. You're always so articulate that I usually just come and admire and quietly leave, but I must say now that it's a joy to read you.)

Amy Jane (Untangling Tales) said...

So I read #6 to my DH (dear husband) while he's working and the first words out of his mouth are, "Is there a picture?"

*GACK*

He said to ask what the kid was eating. We have a 16-month-old.

Cheryl Hagedorn said...

Hi. I've written about your blog and intended blook at Blooking Central. I thought you might want to respond.