Thanksgiving Thursday -- The Sisterhood of Motherhood

A real glimpse into the sisterhood of motherhood, worth the time to read: The Path We Walk
at Oh The Joys.

Thanks Giving Thursday -- There's a New Candidate in Town

Money talks, and $25 million says a lot. Barack Obama raised over $25 million in the first quarter of this year alone, a sure sign he is a serious contender for the Democratic nomination. Notably, Obama reported donations from 100,000 people compared to donations from only 50,000 for Hillary Clinton, indicating broader support for Obama and possibly a continuation of the grassroots level of involvement repopularized by the Howard Dean presidential campaign.

Thanksgiving Thursday -- Checks and Balances Ending the Reign of The You Can't Tell Me What to Do Administration

The Bush Administration has revelled in hearkening back to the inception of the Constitution for the basis of many of its arguments, cloaking themselves in the seemingly noble robes of strict constructionists, but not when it comes to the limits of authority granted to the Executive Branch. One of the most important issues facing the creators of the Constitution, the power of each branch is balanced carefully against the others, so that all can be kept in check. Their hope was to prevent any one branch from usurping democracy by exerting dictatorial control even in the face of widespread opposition.

It is this finely crafted system of checks and balances that empowers voters to make change. The Legislative Branch is the most audible voice of the people, the branch most easily held responsible by the people and therefore the branch most responsive to the people. In November, the people demanded change. This time, Congress heard them. Change is finally coming.

Voters were and still are exasperated with the Bush Administration's continued proclamations that things are going well in Iraq and that the best solution is to stay the course. They are tired of a President who continues to back loyal party players in scandal after scandal (Plamegate; Scooter Libby's perjury conviction; Tom DeLay's ethics debacle; "Brownie" who was doing a "great job" during and after Katrina; and now Gonzogate).

The Constitution was created by men with a deep apprehension of exactly the situation we face, men who not only envisioned the problem, but also presented the solution. All that remains is for Congress to avail themselves of the powers they possess to begin to set our nation back on course, and it seems that is what they have begun to do. We no longer have a "Do Nothing Congress". They are fine-tuning a warfunding bill with a March 31, 2008 goal for withdrawing troops; they are holding hearings on firings of U.S. attorneys, firings that were at best unethical and at worst may constitute obstruction of justice; and they have held hearings on the FBI's misuse of National Security Letters. They have been in power three months. This is only the beginning.

Congress is no longer a rubber stamp. This Congress is finally checking the power of the Bush Administration a.k.a. "The You Can't Tell Me What to Do Administration" thanks to checks and balances.

California Sunshine -- Special Feature for Thanks Giving Thursday

I had to make a little trip into L.A. today and thought I would bring a little of the joy home to share with you. A little sand and sun fix . . .

Thanks Giving Thursday -- On Being a Slacker Mommy

Easy is good. I like things easy, like Bisquick Complete. Just add water, shake it, and it makes pancakes. Well, you do have to actually pour them on a griddle and cook them, but still. If that's too much for you, you can buy frozen buttermilk pancakes and heat them in your microwave. Seriously! They sell these.

Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwiches? You can buy them at the grocery store ready made. They even cut the crusts off. They're called Uncrustables.

Remember when you had to buy peanut butter and jelly in separate jars, open two jars, dip the knife in each and spread it on bread. Man, what a drag. Well, not anymore. Goober Grape to the rescue.

All winners in my book because they are time savers. And as we all know, time is not a renewable resource.

But the thing that really makes a slacker mommy's life complete is convenience cleaning products. I know, "slacker mommy" and "cleaning" might not seem to go together at first blush. But let's face it, if you have kids, you've got to clean. Heaven knows there's nothing a toddler enjoys more than trying to give you a heart attack by finding that one brown mystery glob you missed and leaning over to lick it off the floor.

Convenience cleaning products are the bomb, because after all, every minute I don't spend cleaning is another minute I can spend buffing my nails, eating ice cream bonbons and reading upscale fashion mags. Uhm, sorry slipped off into Never Never Gonna Happen Land momentarily. So, as I was saying, convenience cleaning products rock my world. And, drum roll please, I have found my favorite. The Lifetime Achievement Award for All Convenience Cleaning Products goes to Pampers Clean n Play Wipes.

They clean everything. AND they're even safe for cleaning things baby might (read inevitably will) put in her mouth. Great for highchairs. Cleans glass without streaking. Works like a charm on stove tops. Good for cleaning grime off of walls. Lovely on counter tops and chrome. If it can't be cleaned with a Pampers Clean n Play Wipe, it pretty much shouldn't be cleaned. Well, except for baby. They're not safe to use to clean the actual baby, but other than that, they're pretty much perfect.

(*I am not receiving any sort of reward for this gushy spiel about Pampers Clean n Play Wipes. I really just find them that exciting. Look out, soon I might be asking for a new washing machine for my anniversary.)

Perfume

The right scent wafts me away. Perfume is my innocent escape. It's one of the things that defines me as me and not just mom-me.

When I was pregnant, nothing smelled good. Except maybe pickles. On nachos. From 7-Eleven. But now, welcome home, fragrance my friend.

Scents that are earthy and warm appeal to me most, scents like musk and sandalwood, scents that say, "I'm crunchy, but sexy, in an I-shave-my-underarm-hair kind of way."

Gourmand scents can be lovely too, with notes of cinnamon or vanilla. If I wasn't afraid of smelling like a freshly baked pie, I just might sprinkle a little nutmeg behind my ears and go.

The right florals can be nice, although I'm much more picky about those. I don't want to smell like I've been doused in Grandmother's rose water, but I do love the intoxicating scent of Jasmine.

What makes my blood rush though is the ultimate, the complex ambery scent that brings it all to a climax in one enveloping aromatherapy party, the one crafted by an expert perfumer and rare enough that once a man associates it with you, he will think only of you whenever he smells it. That my friends is perfume. Va-va-va-voom.

Thanks Giving Thursday -- Maurine

Maurine was one of my Mimi's best friends. In my mind, as a child, they could have both been my grandmothers, loving, cuddling and doting.

Maurine could bring out the best in anyone. She believed the best of everyone.

If there is such a thing as karma, she must have loads of good karma. She could leave a diamond ring by a bathroom sink at a restaurant, go back later, and it would be waiting because someone found it and thought to themselves, "I should take this lovely diamond ring and turn it in. Someone surely will want it back." What was even better was that Maurine believed it would be there.

Tonight as I lay on the MRI table, mind adrift, a comforting scent came to me and brought her to mind. It smelled like her house. I walked through it in my mind. Through the front door. Then to the left and hiding under the piano with her red-headed grandson Rob. Into the living room and looking at the couch along the wall. Back to the back of the house and to the right into the kitchen. Past the kitchen sink to the shelves just at child height. I see a little plaque and it reads, "God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference."

There in her kitchen I feel at peace knowing she will be home soon. Breast cancer will take her there. She has had the serenity to accept it, the courage to face it, and the wisdom to accomplish it all with grace.

Thanks Giving Thursday: Potty Train, All Aboard!

It's a Potty Train! (Hum Soul Train theme music here. If not old enough to remember, just substitute theme from Thomas the Tank Engine. It'll be fine.)

Thanks Ladies for the comments regarding yesterday's post. When it comes to potty training, I have been feeling a bit like I have been sucked into the swirling vortex of the toilet flush. Just then you came along and offered your hand. (Lovely imagery, eh?)

You have paid me one of the best compliments I can imagine by implying I might have a spec of something insightful to offer on this subject. So, today I am thankful for the camaraderie of my fellow potty training blogging mamas. Muchas gracias.

Here is my little smidge of insight. Let's all do this thing together. I would love to hear your insight too. The best advice I get on all things baby almost always comes from conversation with other mommy ladies.

I promise to post on the Potty Train on Mondays, and I hope you will come along for the adventure. Your two cents in advice is your ticket to ride.

All aboard! Please keep hands, feet and flailing toddlers inside the compartment at all times. It may be a bumpy ride.

*The idea is that the Monday Potty Train review will be a bit like the Weight Watchers weigh-in, where I lost, where I gained and where I flubbed and totally need your advice.

Thank Goodness They Won't Know What She's Saying -- Part of the Thanks Giving Series

Thank goodness most people wouldn't be able to decipher what my 18-month-old, rosy-cheeked, blond-haired little cherub was saying today. Today, all day, she ran around my quaint suburban house saying repeatedly, "Oh Sh_t!"

Drop the spoon. "Oh Sh_t!" Toy fell down. "Oh Sh_t!" Looking for something. "Oh Sh_t!"

All day long.

It is her Daddy's favorite expletive. Coincidence? I think not.

Ah yes. We discussed this. Did he listen? Hmmmm.

This is certainly not a phrase my little rosebud learned from me. Here's the smoking gun: "Sh_t" is positively, absolutely my least favorite word in the English language, and perhaps in any other language in which it exists as well.

Recently someone commented on our "cute" Christmas card and asked, "And how did you ever get your husband to dress up like that?" Well, he was all for dressing up, but trust me I would so trade the picture of him in the giant mouse costume for not teaching our baby to say, "Oh Sh_t!"

For now, I'll just have to settle for the fact that her bad language is largely unintelligible, our saving grace.

Shared Experience of Parenting -- Part of the Thanks Giving Series

How wonderful is the shared experience of parenting that it can make us breathe a giant sigh of relief when we realize someone else is a parent too. Like, oh thank GOD, they understand why I am wearing a T-shirt decorated with baby spit-up, sweatpants and a diaper bag.

Priceless is the moment you realize your shared experience renders you free to do things like speak in incomplete sentences so simple they resemble primitive hieroglyphics, a mutually understood shorthand language of the sleep-deprived parent.

When one parent says to another, "Teething," it is simply understood this means, "My poor baby is teething. She cannot sleep, bless her heart, so neither can I. I am here only to buy Infant Tylenol and large bags of coffee."

Wonderful is the fraternal order of parenting.

Thanks Susan -- Part of the Thanks Giving Series

Susan and I have always said she has the other half of my brain, and I have the other half of hers. Very convenient, as when we do something half-witted there is always someone to share the blame.

When we met in school, we simply had to be friends. We had too much in common to not be. We were two farm girls in the big city, not that the city was all that big. We knew with a glance the internal dialogue that was running through the other's head when a professor did something ridiculous or a himbo made an ill-fated pass at one of our friends, or a himbo professor made a ridiculous, ill-fated pass at one of our friends.

We shared the same beliefs and challenges and endless hours of late-night studying over cheese fries and coffee at The Kettle. (It's a wonder we survived.)

Twelve years down the line, Susan is still one of my best friends. She's like a rock, never wavering. When a family health crisis turned my world a bit upside down a couple of years ago at Christmastime, she made sure I came to her house for Christmas dinner with her and her family. When I arrived, I wasn't a bit surprised to find her kitchen filled with all manner of people she had done the same sort of thing for. That's Susan.

So, here's to friendships that last a lifetime. Thanks Susan. I'll call you tomorrow.

Thanks to Francie -- Part of the Thanks Giving Series

Francie was my mentor, unofficially at least in my eyes, at the first law firm I worked for. I knew instantly I would like her when I walked into her office and saw the Albert Einstein poster looking back at me, saying "Great spirits have always encountered violent opposition from mediocre minds," and the framed magazine cover emblazoned with "I don't think ladies should be lawyers." (Special Report on Gender Bias and Women in the Law, Cover story for the ABA Journal, The Lawyer’s Magazine, December 1, 1986) (Yes, someone actually said this, out loud, as recently as that, and he was, get this, a Judge speaking to a female attorney about to present her case in his court.)

Although Francie would probably never think it of herself, I saw her as humble, honest, down-to-earth and just so friendly, qualities you don't always associate with "attorney" or "law firm partner." She had the supreme quality of being able to joke about almost any challenge and always carried on without hesitation when dealt an unfair blow.

She is, hands down, one of my best examples of "Don't let the bastards get you down." And although I know in her humility she would likely say this is overblown, she is also one of my best examples of nobility, perseverance and compassion.

Thanks Francie for setting a great example and being a good friend. If it is true that what goes around comes around (and I believe it is), you've got lots of good things coming your way.

Thanks Santa -- Part of the Thanks Giving Series

Dear Santa,

Just wanted to drop you a line to say thanks for your surprise appearance yesterday. I was beginning to think some strange sect of Christmas Krishnas was following us through Macy's, jingling bells and chanting, "Merry Christmas, Merry Christmas, Merry Christmas." A little dismayed by their persistent holiday spirit, I turned around to spy you waving your arms wildly trying to get my attention. If I had waited another moment, you might have actually taken flight.

There you stood in all your seasonal glory, beard disheveled, hat askew and slightly out of breath. "Merry Christmas," you managed to pronounce and then waited for our response. The twins and I stared at you, mouths agape, stunned by all the commotion and the crowd of people now surrounding us. Your bell-ringing posse alone must have numbered 15 or more and now customers and staff were gathering as well.

"Merry Christmas," I responded.

You looked at me as if, "Is that it Lady? I run through this store with my band of red clad zombie bell ringers, chasing after you, so your babies can have the joy of seeing Santa M. Claus, and all I get is 'Merry Christmas.' Didn't anyone give you the Santa M. Claus Guidebook that explains how to torture your children with threats that I am always watching. I am the greatest thing for childhood discipline since 'spare the rod and spoil the child.' I am the Grand Pooh-bah of the kiddy Christmas experience. And this, My Dear, is where at all begins."

The look in my eyes, must have said, "Yeah, sorry, I'm not into that."

Perplexed, you rather huffily asked if the girls could have some candy. To which I responded "No, sorry, but thank you. They're really too young for candy. It's kind of a choking hazard."

A choking hazard? Too young for candy?!!?!! Where are you from woman? This is the United States of America. There's no such thing as too young for candy. If you won't let them have candy, Christmas will be ruined. What is the point of Christmas if they can't have candy?

Your band of bell ringers collectively took a step back, as if they expected you might collapse from shock.

The twins watched you closely and then glanced at me as if to ask, "Mommy, is he going to be okay?"

"Thank you, Santa, for stopping to talk to us. That was very nice of you."

You spun on your heels and turned away in a daze, baffled by the strange reaction from this woman who clearly did not understand Christmas and her two mutant children who did not squeal in delight at the sight of you. Then off you trundled with your band of merry bell ringers to surround some other unsuspecting soul and bring them Christmas joy.

Thanks Santa for your surprise visit and may you have a very merry Christmas.

Truly,
Shannon

Thanks to Aunt Jean -- Part of the Thanks Giving Series

Just when I thought I couldn't possibly write today, a little gift showed up in my email, the picture above, with a precious note from my Aunt Jean. That's how Aunt Jean is, always dropping a line or an encouraging word at just the right time. I'm beginning to think she can read my mind across the miles.

I can never feel sour when I encounter her sunny disposition.

So, thanks Aunt Jean for:

1. Being my best role model.

2. Living a life to always be proud of, leading by actions rather than words.

3. Showing me, with style, what a loving, devoted marriage looks like.

4. Telling me stories about our family I've never heard from anyone else.

5. Accentuating the positive, eliminating the negative and not messing with Mr. In-Between.

6. Showing me how beautiful 75 can be.

7. Ignoring my faults and finding my strengths.

8. Telling me about our similarities. It always makes my day.

9. Marrying a great guy like Uncle Bob and sharing your family with all of us.

10. Showing me a softer side of Papa as your big brother.

And the bonus, the $20 accidental gift from the Tooth Fairy (You and Uncle Bob) which I shall never forget.

Thanks Mom, Part of the Thanks Giving Series

My mom will be surprised by this post. I don't think she realizes how grateful I am for the life lessons she has taught me. She is not always an optimist. I like to call her my little gray storm cloud, but she has taught me to see the world in a way I like. I hope to do as well teaching my daughters.

So, thanks Mom for teaching me:

1. Never be defined from outside yourself. Never let anyone else tell you who you are.

2. You can be anything you want to be, and I will love you no matter what you are.

3. Be colorblind. Race does not matter.

4. Men can cook and women can mow the lawn. I will never forget getting the answers wrong on a matching worksheet in kindergarten because I matched the mommy to the lawnmower and the daddy to the stove. Despite my repeated objections, the teacher still marked my answers wrong. What can I say? Thanks to my mom, I was ahead of my time, at least for Gotebo, Oklahoma, circa 1975.

5. Stand up for what you believe, even when you won't be rewarded for it, perhaps especially when you won't be rewarded for it.

6. Appreciate nature, respect it, and care for it.

7. It's okay to be different. Different is good.

8. Don't care so much about what other people think.

9. Janis Joplin, The Beatles and The Rolling Stones rock.

10. Don't judge others. They're not perfect and neither are you.

One last thing, thanks for being the cool mom. There is just not much better in fifth grade than the day your mom picks you up in a flaming orange Corvette.

Thanks to President Bush -- Part of the Thanks Giving Series

Lest you be confused, let me pause for a moment and clarify, I am not a Republican. (Repeat after me. I am not a Republican.) But as I reflect upon the past several years, there are some things that, really, I just have to stop and say thanks for. Way to go G. Dub.

I must stop and say thanks to him for single-handedly leading Republican politicians in the repeated, intentional mispronunciation of the word "nuclear" as nu-cu-lar, creating a class of apparently phonetically-challenged political lemmings.

I am also thankful for his many verbal foibles having forever left us with the term "Bushisms," and supplied comedians and humorists an ample supply of political material. (Here is just one example of a Bushism from "The Complete Bushisms" on Slate.com -- "You took an oath to defend our flag and our freedom, and you kept that oath underseas and under fire."—Addressing war veterans, Washington, D.C., Jan. 10, 2006)

And God bless G. Dub, with Karl Rove at the helm, they restored America's faith that dirty tricks are alive and well in our nation's capital. The orchestrated release of information revealing the identity of CIA Officer Valerie Plame let us all know, "If you oppose us, there will be a price to pay." Hey guys, thanks for the heads up.

So, as we approach Thanksgiving this year, I must say I am thankful to President Bush for making it abundantly clear to me that I am not, nor shall I ever be, a Republican.

Thanks to Papa -- Part of the Thanks Giving Series

My grandfather "Papa" with his first turkey.

I'm thankful for the lessons my grandfather taught me, some traditional, some not. Here are just a few:

1) Don't hunt for fun. Hunt for food. (We actually ate the turkey seen here, and it was the freshest, best turkey I've ever had.)

2) How to find water with a small branch from a peach tree. (How many girls do you know who can do that?)

3) How to drive a tractor with a plow. (Well, that one didn't go so well.)

4) How to drive a motorcycle.

5) How to shoot a revolver.

6) Tell the truth. Lies are too hard to remember and only snowball.

7) How to tell when it's going to hail.

8) How to know when a tornado is coming.

9) How to see the rain in the distance.

10) How to work hard even when no one is pushing you.

11) How to listen for rattlesnakes.

12) How to make doughnuts. (I don't think he knew I was watching.)

13) Don't chase boys. Let them chase you.

14) Let men open the door for you.

15) You come from a good family.

16) Treasure the past and look to the future.