Category Archives: Jana

November 10, 2008 · 10:43 pm

Time to Cry Tuesday – the reason why I had kids

I first saw this questionaire on Yellow Jeep Blonde. Her sons did such a great job with it that I had to force ask my kids to do it too. It is a little long but a fast read. Actually my 19-year-old, Jana, did it in less than 24 hours. Danny, the 16-year-old, needed a little more constant incessant nagging coaxing to do it. Nonetheless, the result was the same. I urge anyone with kids to try this out. As the title of this post states, it reminded me why I had these kids in the first place; to grow up to be two of my most favorite people on earth!

This week I will post the answers they gave for me, next week I will do the ones they had for Gary. Of course I had to add my commentary on some of them. (come on, you know I can’t shut up!)

Enjoy

What is something I always say to you?
Jana: Keep your eye on your own prize. Don’t compare yourself to other people.
Danny: Be all that you can be.
 
 
 
 
 
What makes me happy?
Jana: Reading on the couch in the living room with blanket and family dinners with the 4 of us. (yes and YES)
Danny: puppies (corny, but yes. c’mon, who doesn’t feel happy from puppies)
 
What makes me sad?
Jana: Sad books? Or maybe when the school budget doesn’t pass. (she must be traumatized from my years of volunteerism)
Danny: George W. Bush (that’s my boy!)
How do I make you laugh?
Jana: When you curse more than I do. (um, yeh, well perhaps I should take a look at this)
Danny: By being ridiculous (are you getting an odd picture of my parenting?)
What was I like as a child?
Jana: Probably less crazy than you are now. (true)
Danny: Artsy (true again)
How old am I?
Jana: 28 (I thought Danny was the suck-up)
Danny: According to you… 30 (oh, right, he is)
What’s my favorite thing to do?
Jana: Go to the beach. (you bet baby!)
Danny: Think of ways to torture me (typical!)
What do I do when you’re not around?
Jana: Sing out loud in the car… oh wait, you do that anyway.
Danny: Sing “everybody was Kung Fu Fighting” (not only do I sing this often, they gave me a birthday card with the sound chip – they encourage this behavior)
If I became famous, what would it be for?
Jana: BLOGGING
Danny: blogging (one can dream, thanks guys)
What am I really good at doing?
Jana: Listening to me complain. (I have had lots of practice)
Danny: making fun of dad (in a loving way)
What am I not very good at doing?
Jana: You’re good at everything Mommy 🙂 (again, sucking up)
Danny: math (for sure, but honestly no one is going to mention sports?)
What is my job?
Jana: To make me happy. KIDDING… graphic designer/ soon to be professional blogger. Is there such thing? (there sure is)
Danny: graphic designer (yes STILL)
What’s my favorite food?
Jana: Eggplant (I can’t believe you know that)
Danny: I have no idea (I guess that is fair)
What makes you proud of me?
Jana: How dedicated you are. (wow)
Danny: People respect you. (wow again)
If I were a cartoon character, who would I be?
Jana: Kermit the frog (yes, we know kermit is a muppet, not a cartoon)
Danny: Lois from Family Guy (we LOVE Family Guy)
What do you and I do together?
Jana: A lot.
Danny: Lots of crap.
How are we the same?
Jana: We HATE shopping (yes we do)
Danny: Diligent (yes we are)
How do you know I love you?
Jana: Because you tell me everyday. (yes i do)
Danny: You tell me constantly that when I leave you will be found rocking back and forth in the corner. (yes i will!)

And there you have it. Just when you thought they weren’t paying attention!

Haven’t had enough of me yet? You can also read me at Mid-Century Modern Moms and at 50-Something Moms Blog where Jana joins in the election bloglove.

For photo enthusiasts, visit Leaving the zip code, photos from outside the comfort zone.

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November 5, 2008 · 12:01 am

Oh Oh Obama!

Hard to believe but I am kind of speechless.(I said ‘kind of’).

Sitting here listening to the last speech I will have to hear from John McCain for a long, long time I am in awe of the perseverance of the man I am very proud to call my president. Let me add that McCain was quite gracious while his audience was not. As my friend Gibs just said, he was way more sincere in defeat than he was in debate.

In celebration of this historic event I am posting a part of Jana’s photo essay of the election on campus.

Yes baby girl, anything can happen. The man they said could never beat Hillary… did. The man they said could never survive the Republican attack machine… did. I am so very happy for you that your introduction to the voting process of this great nation has been so historical. (even if the mechanics in Wisconsin were kind of lame)

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dreams_small

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Haven’t had enough of me yet? You can also read me at Mid-Century Modern Moms and at 50-Something Moms Blog where Jana joins in the election bloglove.

For photo enthusiasts, visit Leaving the zip code, photos from outside the comfort zone.

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November 4, 2008 · 2:27 pm

Election Day is Not for the Faint of Heart (vol 2)

Chickens! All of you. I know there are plenty of you lurking out there who wanted to comment on the guest rant but were scared away. Ha! So much for ‘the conversation’.

I Could Cry election update:

1. I voted and not gonna lie, cried a little as I left (because after all it is Tuesday)

myvote_small

2. First report in from Jana; Univ. of Wisc. is going wild with Obama frenzy. Sidewalks are ‘chalked’ pro Obama, there are campaign trucks around and the atmosphere sounds so college campus electric that I am very jealous indeed.

3. My college thread is taking a poll on the final electoral vote count, anyone want to throw in some numbers?

4. I must have been the only one on earth who did not realize that Starbucks was giving free coffee to voters and I actually paid. (and was thrilled that the latte was more than I paid for a gallon of gas)

Haven’t had enough of me yet? You can also read me at Mid-Century Modern Moms where they are celebrating their 1 year blogaversary. And at 50-Something Moms Blog… Poor is the New Rich and There is no Hair in Team .

For photo enthusiasts, visit Leaving the zip code, photos from outside the comfort zone.

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October 31, 2008 · 12:50 am

Halloween (vol. 6) –RIP

Here we are. Halloween at last! As I sit here crafting the last post of this crazy themed week, I see that my daughter has started the Mad-town Wisconsin tradition of 3 nights of spooky celebrations. Her away message reads, “halloween part 1”.

Yes, of course I am jealous. I mean, here I am just finishing up the day’s work at some ongodly hour and there she is… ok let’s not go there.

This picture was taken in front of a neighbor’s house. I simply love those little hands. This neighborhood goes all out for Halloween. The decorations are wild. Some are kind of kitsch and subtle like this one and others feel the need to put a huge inflatable spider on their roofs. Or worse, those blow up snowglobe monstrosities (no pun intended) on the front lawn.

When my kids were little I used to go the scarecrow, bale of hay, cornstalk, pumpkin, mums route. I liked the traditional look. If I had only known about tampon ghosts, I would surely have added those. Funny, but I don’t remember doing all this Halloween decorating as a kid. We had a pumpkin. if we were lucky we carved it and we called it a day.

My strongest Halloween memory was when some kids stole my pumpkin, ran down the street and smashed it. The lore is that my dad ran after them and made them eat it. Dad, did I make up this memory or did this happen? Hey, go with it, it makes you the hero, why not?

Happy Halloween all! Don’t forget to eat some pizza after you steal your kids candy go trick or treating.

Haven’t had enough of me yet? You can also read me at Mid-Century Modern Moms where they are celebrating their 1 year blogaversary. And at 50-Something Moms Blog… Poor is the New Rich and There is no Hair in Team .

For photo enthusiasts, visit Leaving the zip code, photos from outside the comfort zone.

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October 27, 2008 · 10:45 pm

Time to Cry Tuesday – Halloween (vol. 3) Style

What a good sport Danny is, don’t you think? I picked this up at the craft store and I am sending it to Jana in her surprise Halloween package (which is no longer a surprise once she reads this).

Please note the two day stubble on his chin. Which leads me to the nostalgia of Halloweens past and the fact that my ‘baby’ friggin shaves!

Today was the little neighborhood Halloween parade on my street. Or I think it was but we were at a soccer game so the only evidence was the police barriers left behind. When did Gary and I stop running this sweet little parade?

Was it not just yesterday that Danny begged to be a cowboy, wore the costume all month and then the day of Halloween lost his mind and insisted he had to be a Ninja? Wasn’t Jana just wearing that cute little Devil with the Blue Dress On costume that I made her? Was she not walking down the street in the bluebird costume with my in-laws wearing fake noses and glasses (they were always such good sports).

Ok, so this sounds a little too Sunrise, Sunset? I know, but I am not done yet so if this is too sappy for you I will be back tomorrow with something crude again (um, Dr. Jimmy, that could mean you).

Seriously, I just miss those bedlam trick or treat evenings with the kids running in all directions and the dogs barking. I loved walking from house to house with them (especially Linda’s where the parents got a glass of wine while the kids got their candy). We always seemed to lose one kid for a little while (hmmmm, could have been the wine from Linda’s house) but they would turn up eventually. I miss that nauseous feeling of too many dips into the kids’ candy bags and how great the pizza tasted after all that sugar.

I miss staying up all night to make costumes when they were little and years later being the house the girls came to when they made their own because we had the best craft supplies. And I miss them sleeping over and taking pictures in my driveway and then driving off to school in their costumes together. (Sloany, Rik, you could be crying about now, no?)

I am usually good with this growing up thing, but Halloween? How much is a sentimental mom supposed to suck up?

Anyone have a little kid out there I can borrow?

Haven’t had enough of me yet? You can also read me at Mid-Century Modern Moms where I discuss rabid soccer moms. And at 50-Something Moms Blog… Poor is the New Rich and Sarah Palin Condoms show up here as well.

For photo enthusiasts, visit Leaving the zip code, photos from outside the comfort zone.

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October 24, 2008 · 11:12 pm

TOGAAAAA

Should I be concerned that when I IM’d my daughter to remind her that her credit card payment was due this was her auto-reply message? You have to feel a little bad for college kids today, their lives are always right out there all the time. The downside of technology.

No worries. She did, in fact call me. A little on the late side, but let’s face it, she had been at a Toga party last night. With visions of Animal House I asked her how her evening was.

‘Oh, it was fun. You know those jersey top sheets I have make a great Toga’.

Thank goodness, I will let Linens and Things in on that little tidbit and maybe they can include it in their Back to School flyer as a selling point. Actually, she has both brown and turquoise sheets. Either really would make a fine toga and I am sure the jersey fabric drapes nicely and is quite flattering.

And the phone call wasn’t a total loss, she did handle the credit card bill.

Haven’t had enough of me yet? You can also read me at Mid-Century Modern Moms where I discuss rabid soccer moms. And at 50-Something Moms Blog… Poor is the New Rich.

For photo enthusiasts, visit Leaving the zip code, photos from outside the comfort zone.

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October 23, 2008 · 10:19 pm

Aliens on Post-its

Rifling through my desk drawer looking for a post-it I found a pile of yellow ones at the bottom. Hmm… what’s up with this ratty pile of old post-its?

Then I turned them over. And there they were. In all their glory. Pre-school Jana (now a college sophomore) drawings! A dozen of them. The past in my desk drawer. Cool. (Janny, i know you are reading, how excited are you to see these again?)

Aren’t these a riot? 16-some-odd years ago this was her signature style.  I am thinking that we might need to resurrect it. I love these people. I am pretty sure the Jana sigs on here were done by my nanny. Not my hand writing and thinking if she drew like that she couldn’t write that well.

So what do you think? T-shirt line. Look at these friggin’ faces. We could title them. Bottom right would certainly be WTF.

Haven’t had enough of me yet? You can also read me at Mid-Century Modern Moms where I discuss rabid soccer moms. And at 50-Something Moms Blog… Poor is the New Rich.

For photo enthusiasts, visit Leaving the zip code, photos from outside the comfort zone.

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October 14, 2008 · 11:49 pm

Campaign Voodoo-Op?


In celebration of the last presidential debate taking place just minutes away from where I live I thought I would bring this wonderful find to your attention.

Dover Publications has jumped on the election bandwagon with these campaign edition paper dolls. (fyi, if you are reading this on a blackberry you MUST find a computer to see this picture!)

I don’t think I can resist the buy. They are ‘collectibles’ for G-d sake. Somewhere down the line I know I will be so sorry if I don’t own these. Kind of like when I had to go back into the store to buy the Albert Einstein action figure last week. Hey, where did I put that? Isn’t it time I start posing him in odd places?

Take a look at the art on both of these. Obama has that suave debonair look of a 1960s James Bond. McCain? Well he has no neck for starters. Or maybe it is just that his head is not on right. (cheap shot, I know).

What struck me was their hands. The gestures are actually quite true to life.

The best part of all? These come with election night scorecards! THAT is truly fabulous.

Maybe I should buy these for Jana to celebrate her first election!

Go ahead, order them, they are only $7.99 each!

Now everyone get ready for the debate and don’t forget to drink on maverick.

I am very excited to be posting at 50-something mom blogs today. Don’t miss my tattoo thoughts.

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October 11, 2008 · 11:52 pm

Textify

This is a little word I coined in a MMCM post a few weeks ago. I used it in the context of teens having 5 kids over. Those who are there become ‘fruitful and textify’ and before they know it there are 30 kids… you get the picture.

This weekend I have come up with an alternate definition: When your kid goes to a big 10 school you can watch the game on national TV and textify them.

Here is a priceless text from Jana in the bleachers at tonight’s Wisconsin massacre game against Penn State.

Jana: girl fight in the student section a few rows down. alexa said nothings better than a girl fight.

I always loved that Alexa, a reader who is quoting! Such flattery!

Unrelated to textifying but related to the game, below is an actual note from Jana during college app days. Here is a link to the entire post. I thought the Penn State reference was ironic here.

Oh, one last thing. Voting is still open for the Aretha or Tina poll with Aretha in a strong lead Although thet the voting is thin, Lon posted an excellent comment. Let’s have some serious participation here please!

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September 15, 2008 · 5:19 pm

Don’t worry, I am still alive


Ok, so here is another really cool thing about blogging.

People miss you when you don’t post. You become a regular part of someone’s day and you leave a void when you are gone. I kind of love that!

This morning I received an email from a blog friend making sure I was OK because she did not find a new post from me. How cool is that? AND, when doing a little IM session with my daughter, she asked about it too.

Who said the internet was impersonal?

For reasons I will not disclose here (alright because frankly I drank too much both Saturday and Sunday night celebrating with friends) I did not post yesterday. And also because it is my birthday and I did not want to obnoxiously solicit birthday wishes (yeh, well, decided I would anyway).

For those who are interested… 49. (haha, when I went to type that the first time it came out as 40, Freudian fingers). Really. 49. Not 50 lying about my age, really 49. And proud(ish).

Thanks for missing me, even those of you who did not mention it (or did not miss me and frankly welcomed the break from my insane ramblings).

Uh oh, tomorrow is Time to Cry Tuesday and it is a killer…

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