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Balancing Blogging and Mothering

I squinted to make sense of scattered letters through the glare on my screen.  Focused attempts at deciphering HTML became distracted by bursts of giggling from the other side of my window.  Rejoicing from finally making a text box that scrolled, I missed a small excited voice asking me to “look at me”.  Dripping hair and sopping wet footsteps ran inside to beckon me to join their mini water park complete with a blow up monkey pool.  Promising just five more minutes I shooed away wet fingers from my computer.  Next I looked up and the time for sprinklers, popsicles, and water slides … Continue reading →

Men and Women Are from Earth

A study came out recently in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology: “Men and Women Are from Earth: Examining the Latent Structure of Gender.” The central hypothesis of the paper is that men and women actually aren’t all that different.  Many of the differences that we might demonstrate have more to do societal expectations than inherent biology. This isn’t the first study on the subject.  I recently read the book “Delusions of Gender: How Our Minds, Society, and Neurosexism Create Difference,” by neuroscience psychologist Cordelia Fine.  In it she exposes noticeable trends in male vs. female psychology, both in … Continue reading →

Meeting the Neighbor Dogs: Part 2

A month or two ago I wrote about how the neighbor’s dog began visiting our yard during the day.  I thought maybe interacting with him could help Chihiro calm down about other dogs.  Unfortunately, I think the opposite has happened. I really should have known better.  Chihiro has been wary of other dogs ever since getting attacked by one (even though she won the fight, because the dog that started it was a little Puggle), so when teaching her to feel comfortable again around other dogs, I should take her to neutral territory with dogs I know and trust. For … Continue reading →

A Playdate for the Girls Part III

Lunch time was a the most hectic part of the girls’ play date. They all wanted to eat at once, which is no great surprise when three infants are involved. This whole situation was slightly stressed by the fact that we only have one high chair and a tableless bumbo. The most upset girl got the high chair. I gave her some bits of cheese and frozen organic cheese to tide her over while I made her peanut butter toast. My daughter seemed to be the least upset (and it is no wonder being in her own house) so I … Continue reading →

Shopping with Grandma and Grandpa Part IV

After selecting several articles of clothing for my daughter, my mother-in-law and moved on to looking for some clothes for my son, which was surprisingly more difficult than shopping for my daughter. Since jeans were a must, I set my attention on scouring up all the different styles of jeans. The perfect pair was a straight fit jean in a darker wash with a dragon embroidered on the left pant leg (my son is currently fascinated with dragons). Much to my dismay they did not appear to have his size, but the saleswoman was able to track down a pair … Continue reading →

Art Class Adventures Part VI

I apologized to the teacher and was getting ready to leave, when she turned to me and asked if we could make a different two to four year old art class in October. Relieved, I told her absolutely and she overrode the already booked class to squeeze in our son! I was still very annoyed at myself for getting the class time wrong and it was clear that our son was very disappointed that we missed his class. We decided that we should take advantage of our failed outing and enjoy the sculptures outside as well as the gardens, which … Continue reading →

When Depression Starts To Affect Your Home

I usually consider myself very organized and on top of things. The past several months have conspired to change that perception. It has been a rough year, there really is no other way to say it. My life and the lives of people around me have changed so much. As a result I’m suffering from a little bit of depression. Today, after a nap, I realized that my home is completely out of control. The yard that I love so much is overgrown with weeds and almost dead. My sprinkler system is broken and in my current state of mind, … Continue reading →

Save Money on Window Air Conditioners

The summer after we put all new windows in our home we found that our existing window air conditioners no longer fit. This meant that we had to get all new ones, and of course that came with an expense for the units. I did learn a few things along the way, though, that I can pass on to you to help you save money on your window air conditioners. Say Farewell to Freon Unless you plan on upgrading your air conditioning units to central air conditioning any time soon, avoid buying units that contain freon, even if those air … Continue reading →

Green Uses for Vinegar – Part 2

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I listed some green household uses for vinegar yesterday, but I am not finished. You may be amazed by all that vinegar can do for you around the house. I don’t know about you, but I like to wash my hair in the bathroom sink, which inevitably leads to clogged drains. I have this hardcore aversion to toxic chemicals, so I was so happy to learn that you can drop the Dran-O and instead, just pour a cup of baking soda in the drain followed by a cup of white vinegar. Close up the drain with the stopper and let … Continue reading →

Green Uses for Vinegar – Part 1

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Isn’t it a great thing when you can take something as simple as vinegar – something so cheap and easily assessable – and do great things around the house with it? For one thing, vinegar is great for cleaning household areas including the bathroom (i.e. getting rid of that bathtub ring and scum from the shower doors), countertops, soap dishes, the refrigerator, and cutting boards. My husband also buys dishwasher cleaners, but guess what? Putting a little vinegar in your dishwasher each month will clean it. And, if your coffee pot is getting a bit funky, run vinegar through one … Continue reading →