Road trips to South Carolina by jodimariec

February 14, 2006 08:22 AM EST

I have fond memories of driving with my friend's family to the South Carolina beaches when I was a teen.  They would take me with them when they went on road trips across country.  We would stay with various family members and friends along the way.  What fun!  I remember…

The warm, humid climate of the South

Fragrant magnolia trees

Eating pistachio nuts for the first time

A woman along the road that sold baskets. 

The smooth, liquid Southern accent that I wanted so badly to imitate successfully.

My friend and her family helped me survive a very difficult time in my life.  Taking me on road trips with them was just one of many ways they supported me.  Their home was my second home.  My friend's parents allowed us to take over their living room to watch countless movies. They encouraged us as we practiced for them over and over and over our pieces for drama competitions. They shared so many wonderful meals.

 How can I thank these beautiful people?  They hold a very special place in my heart.

Assembly Required by jodimariec

April 23, 2006 05:31 PM EDT

Assembly Required.

Assembly Required

Assembly Required

That combination of words sounds so innocent.  Any old person could do it - right?  I try it every time.  You would think I would learn!  But NO.  I am a smart woman.  I have a college degree.  I am a successful career woman and mother.  I can tackle this little project!

Right.  Try to assemble a grill you smart, educated woman.  My father-in-law suggested we get someone to assemble it for us, but NO.  I CAN DO IT.  I was determined to demonstrate my ASSEMBLY talents.

I carefully took out the parts in order and laid them straight.  My first sign of trouble was that not all of the parts were there...my failure or Kenmore's? (or the last unfortunate person to try this project with this same grill!?). 

Still, I thought - ONE STEP AT A TIME.  I can do this!  Step one.  Put the legs on.  Easy enough, Right?  NO.  The holes of the legs didn't line up with the holes of the shelf.  I took them apart and tried again - at another  angle.  Maybe if I push...maybe if I push.  Maybe if I push THAT way, maybe if I pull THIS way.  But no.  I can't even get ONE LEG ON.

My husband was smart enough to stay out of the way and not even try.  He knows that his father is a wise man.  He suggests I stop since I am swearing up a storm and he doesn't think that is the best behavior for his smart, talented, usually calm wife to be demonstrating in front of our adorable 8 month old.

As I grumpily put the pieces of the grill back in the box, my husband explains to our little boy that mommy was just saying "this Ducking grill *&(U)*S) Ducking parts....DUCKING ASSMBLY REQUIRED!!!  &)(*#)*)&(_*&#)*_)#*_)*#!!!"

It is a rainy day and the Ducks are ubiquitous.

I just want a piece of Chocolate! by jodimariec

I just found this on my old Gather account...

September 09, 2006 07:44 AM EDT (Updated: September 10, 2006 03:19 PM EDT)

I found out this past week that my son is allergic to peanuts and eggs and milk.  How did this happen?  How did I become the "poor woman" who has to deal with the daily nightmare of a child with severe, potentially life threatening allergies?!  I did everything I was "supposed to do" for my baby from preconception through his first birthday… 

It was shortly after his first birthday that the identification of this food allergy nightmare began…(because I nursed him for the first year – as was recommended).  It was a few weeks ago and a few days after his first birthday – I was looking forward to the freedom weaning my baby/almost toddler would offer me (you mean I can be away from my son for more than 5 hours at a time during the day?  Maybe I could even get away for a long weekend!)  He happily took 4 good sips of his doctor recommended whole milk and promptly threw up violently several times.

This incident led to a gut wrenching withdrawal of blood that appeared to indicate my son is allergic to wheat, soy, milk, egg white, peanut, dogs, cockroaches (cockroaches?!), AND soy. WHAT?  How did this happen?  Well, the allergist appointment was yesterday and the silver lining is that he is only allergic to peanut, eggs and milk.  What a relief!  That was what I though until I went for a quick shopping trip last night to purchase a few things for my child at my local organic grocery store.

Not eating peanuts or nuts is fine…easy even.  But finding products not made in a facility that also has peanuts present is a completely different story.  I mistakenly thought that since peanut allergies are so very common now that I would just hop over to the store and pick up the appropriate product for my child.  All of his favorite snacks are made in a facility with peanuts present.  All of his not so favorite snacks are made in a facility with peanuts.  There are no bread products without some kind of combination of Peanut, egg or milk.  Even the soymilk is made in a facility with peanuts!

Not only that, but I would still like to wean him.  Until he is weaned I need to be on his diet…  so to sooth my soul I though I would just go to the candy isle and pick out a nice organic dark chocolate bar for myself (not my favorite milk chocolate with hazelnuts).  NONE OF THE CHOCOLATE IS MADE IN A PEANUT FREE FACILITY.  Ok.  So I thought I would just get some rice crackers – MADE IN A…  Vanilla wafers?  There is a vegan brand without any of the offending ingredients so I purchased them and ran out of the store unwrapping my snack as I went.

Needless to say, the wafers tasted a bit like cardboard spread with just a few drops of sugar-flavored vanilla.  I don't recommend them.  Long story short…all I want is a piece of chocolate…

Playtime with Toddlers by jodimariec

July 28, 2007 02:25 PM EDT

Oh how confusing....get a couple parents in a room with their toddlers and the negotiations start...we try to get our independent thinkers to say please and thank you.  Oh - what do we do when they take toys from each other?  What if they yell, hit, kick each other?

The toddler experts of the day say to just let them figure it out, because they will.  As long as adults are there to make sure everyone is safe, a little arguing and testing of boundaries are healthy for toddlers who need to learn about interacting with other children.

It is so hard to watch.  I want to interrupt, to model "proper" behavior, but they are so caught up in their own dynamic that they are not listening anyway.

So - my friend and I decided to test it with our little two year olds and...it works.  They figured it out and ended up having a nice time together!

Always in his mind by jodimariec

Always in his mind

April 24, 2006 08:25 PM EDT (Updated: April 24, 2006 09:40 PM EDT)

Haiku addiction

I watch my husband's mind tick

each day a new one

I will get even

"The only people with whom you should try to get even are those who have helped you." 

 

 

~ John E. Southard

Favorite Quote 8.3.10

He attacked everything in life with a mix of extraordinary genius and naive incompetence, and it was often difficult to tell which was which.
  - Douglas Adams