Articles

Feb 21 2013

… It’s the thought that counts

Author: Kerry

mama kats

 

Tell the story of trying to learn a new talent or hobby that you only pursued briefly.

 

I wanted to be the perfect mom!

Tall Child arrived half-way grown…  She became my daughter when she was 12.. She came with only a few things to call her own… but one thing she did arrive with was a dufflebag stuffed with yarn…

I looked at small child… at his tiny little two year old self… and begged Tall child to teach me!

I wanted to give small child a blanket… a homemade mommy blanket… something he could pass on to his kids… you get the idea… I wanted to be the perfect mom… I wanted him to have everything…

I invested in some Crochet Hooks/Knitting Needles (Did you know these were two different things? I never did figured out what the difference was or which one I was doing) I chose two different colors of blue yarn… She taught me the easiest stitch… and after much cursing… and poking her with the needle/hook… I got the hang of it enough to do a couple of rows….

Then a couple more….

Then a couple more….

<sponge bob voice> Six Months Later

I finally handed small child his scarf…

He loved it!

He roped the dog with it while wearing his Indiana Jones hat… and swung by the banister with it doing his spider-man impression… he tied people up with it and returned as superman to rescue them…

Until one day it mysteriously disappeared and was never mentioned again…

because….fuck knitting!

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This is an older pic… but damn… we are cute!

 

Feb 05 2013

Small Child

Author: Kerry

I claim several as mine … But I’ve had the opportunity to name only one…

Small Child’s Father and I decided the second we found out …

Girl = My Choice

Boy=His (Mostly due to a family tradition of naming after the grandfather)

Ultra-Sound technician let us know at about 17 weeks that we were having a girl … I was a high – risk pregnancy … I was having non stress tests and Ultra – sounds weekly… Week 18 … Yep! a girl… I bought fairy wall stickers… I named her after a Russian Princess… I had the nickname all picked out… I was buying clothes like a mad woman… Cute pink clothes… Week 19…. Week 20… I couldn’t make this up you guys… honestly… “See this pearl strand is his spine… ” The cursor moving over the screen… “You mean her”… “No… you are having a boy” …. “NO… they said a girl”… cursor moves over the appropriate area “That is either the biggest Clitoris I have ever seen… or you are having a boy”…. I stared at the monitor… That was definitely a boy….

(Have I told this story before? I can not remember, and I am not going through 200 posts to see… That’s right… I hit the milestone of 200 posts… and 1 year… Woot… okay on with the story)

Tearfully returned all the pink… and the fairy… threw away the custom stitch diaper bag with the MOST BEAUTIFUL NAME in the whole wide world on it… replaced it all with tigger and pooh bear…

In the hospital .. about to deliver … Small Child’s father begins to panic… “I don’t know anyone named Keith that has ever amounted to anything” …. “You fathers name is Keith!” … “I want more for him” … and he went to every office in that facility and took a tally… the most common name for a Doctor at that time… in that place… it was a good name… and when he arrived it fit him perfectly… we signed it on his birth certificate … and I have threatened the life of anyone that tries to shorten it… those doctors plaques did not read John.

My miracle son…

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Inspired by this weeks writing prompts-  Share how you came up with your kids names!

mama kats

Jan 23 2013

… Heart of the House

Author: Kerry

This Week’s Prompt – SHOW US YOUR KITCHEN!

mama kats

The first thing that came to mind is WHY? Who would want to see my kitchen!! I know… It is to judge my hard water problems… or organizational skills? Because really I do not need your opinion (Unless you have a magical hard water remedy)

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And then I thought that perhaps it was to judge my junk food… (It is two weeks before the Puppy/Super bowl!!) … I guess no one is buying the “I just have a slow metabolism” routine again.

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All kidding aside… I realized this is the room where the magic happens… Whoa! not that magic! We keep that in the bedroom… for the most part.

(you are wondering now aren’t you)

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This is the heart of my home… this counter… this is where we roll out Christmas cookies… and color… serve play dough pizzas… homework…pancakes on the weekends… This is where we have Settlers of Catan show downs … wrap birthday presents … discuss our day while dinner is being prepared… it is where the cat lounges in the sun… Toddlers are set to put on their shoes … multiple parties and holidays along with their appropriate food spreads have been set out here and surrounded and picked at by the people I love… jokes told… laughter filling the room…. kids running around it with Nerf guns and princess dresses… tea is prepared … served… sipped… It really is a magical place.

(Also- I get that this isn’t really wordless.. but there are pictures… and it is Wednesday)

Dec 10 2012

… Santa Baby

Author: Kerry

Dear Santa…

Without sounding like I am accusing you of doubting my goodness… I feel it is important to point out some of my finer qualities… because lets face it… My Christmas list is not small… and nothing short of cliche…. I would have to point out that I have been good this year… I have helped where I can… I have been a regular bundle of sunshine when people are down… I go to work… I work hard… I come home and I cook dinner… and I clean house… fold laundry…. scrub toilets…. attend recitals… drive carpool… make chamomile tea before bed… I love… my god do I have the love thing down… I love my children…Mr. Amazing…  others children… my childrens children… my friends… some of my family… I could go on… I have references…

I am no saint … this much I know… I have thrown my share of hissy fits… I have melted down over plenty of “1st world problems” … I have lost my temper… lost my patience… not returned a promised phone call… forgotten a birthday…. but I do try…

What I want this year for Christmas is breathing room… I would like a little more time between each challenge… Money to last a little longer… I am grateful ends meet… just a little less barely…. I would like a few less coughs… and a few less tears… a trip to disneyland… only in america can I flog myself and my parenting skills for never having gotten my son there… I know … I know it is wrong… when I have so much to wish it… but I do dammit… Im not done either… I wish for peaceful sleepful nights…. less nightmares… I wish for less debt… less instability… I wish for more time in the sunshine… more time with my little family… more laughter… and a kitten… Mr. Amazing says I cant have one… that one cat is enough… and I dont want anything to take my shadow cat away… I would like you to convince him…. and more than anything… more that anything I have asked for prior to this… I want all these things for others… Give my kitten to some little girl that has never had something of her very own… and give my comforts to someone who doesnt know what it is like to make ends meet… even barely… Give my less coughs to kids that dont have a mom to take care of them… and give my sunshine to those who dont have the freedom to run in it as often as we do… because honestly no matter how much you have… it is never enough…Capture Kony… Stop Assad… There is so much more wrong that I could add… fix it… make the hurting stop…. and please… Let me have DisneyLand

 

Merry Christmas You Guys!!!

 

Nov 20 2012

Humble and Grateful

Author: Kerry

We’re going around the table and it’s your turn to share what you are thankful for…go!

  • the fact that I’ve been given some bit of awareness… of spiritual awakeness
  • my humor … twisted and sick as it is.
  • my friends … Everyone says this… but in all honesty… My friends are magic… They are like the cast to a B sci-fi movie… and I truly love them with all of my heart
  • my family … All of them, The smalls, and the distant
  • my husband … Mr. Amazing
  • whatever talent I have as a writer that perhaps lets me help a few people
  • the opportunity to experience life from this vantage … it is unique
  • the insane overabundant beauty of nature … especially the rain and the moon.
  • a roof over my head and food on my table
  • an inquisitive mind that is easily amused and delighted
  • my surrogate family… with whom I spend many holidays … including this upcoming Thanksgiving
  • my love of music of almost all types… (except Country music  which makes me want to stab my eyes with a fork) …which entertains me … and often… brings me happiness.
  • you … whomever you are… however you got here… today as I type this… I am so grateful for you.

Your Turn … What are you thankful for? … Pass the wine!

Nov 06 2012

5 Reasons I Voted for Bronco Bama

Author: Kerry

Love is Love – Who you love and how you love will never make you a second class citizen.

Rape does not come with birth control –  There is no excuse in this world that makes it acceptable, no amount of alcohol drank, no amount (or lack of) clothing.

My friends with disabilities and/or their children with them deserve to have every opportunity we can provide them.

Global Warming is real … it just is.

My Child watched me … I had the responsibility to teach him that EVERY vote counts … and it is our duty to vote our conscience.

Oct 17 2012

… Thinking of you #WordlessWednesday

Author: Kerry

David House Eccles

Chief Headdress I Want To Be a Friend of Yours

(Author Unknown)

I want to be a friend of yours (mmmm) and a little bit more.
I want to be a pal of yours (mmmm) and a little bit more.
I want to be a little flower growing by your door.
I want to be your grandmother, grandfather, mother, father, sister, brother (mmmm) and a little bit more.

Oct 09 2012

“Pumpkins! Anything with pumpkins!”

Author: Kerry

Sooo the prompts came out this week, And I have been lurking in this workshop for a long time, and I post quite often from the prompts, and I was counting down to them this week, because I am simply want to write so badly, but cant seem to focus on one thing long enough to get it out, so the prompts were posted yesterday and I quickly scanned them… Nothing… Nothing sparked… There was one that made me nostalgic… But I’ve written my share of despondent posts lately… So I opened it again this morning… and the same prompt jumped out at me… And I realized the reason the prompt made me sad is because that time in my life with small child has passed… I am a HUGE believer that when something exits your life it makes room for something better… and on that note I am choosing to write from the prompt “Pumpkins! Anything with pumpkins!”

This will be the first year small child is not going to go Trick Or Treating, He is too old.

No more fighting him to put a coat on under his costume.

No more cute costumes.

No more shrieks of joy and disgust at reaching into the pumpkin for the seeds as we carve.

Gone.

Trading them for the Haunted Houses!

The scary movies!

The hiding around corners to scare the Trick or Treaters.

Zombies! Ghosts! Werewolves!

Fake Blood

Pumpkin carving with those cool kits! Making amazing designs!

Roasted pumpkin seeds with Cayenne pepper!

Hot Pumpkin lattes!

Smashing pumpkins (not the band)… well and maybe the band too.

Doorbell ditching, Toilet papering!

There is a new teenager in the neighborhood, and a mommy that just loves acting like one!

 

 

Sep 17 2012

… I wouldn’t even bother reading this one…

Author: Kerry

September… ugh… like a punch in the mammary glands…. seriously… As if my birthday wasn’t enough… does anyone really like getting a year older once you are past the major mile stones… Voting… Buying liquor…. having children…. your children having children…. I have surpassed all of these… I’m not even forty …

… as if I wasn’t the type of person that struggled with anniversary’s naturally… I am… I think that most people who have been through trauma of sorts or loss of loved ones are date conscious… I seem to take it to a whole new level… I have written this several times… I’m pretty sure we are all tired of my personal drama… fucking hell… I know I am…

Let’s discuss the other anniversary’s that fall on the same time frame…. Suicide awareness week… First week of September… I’m glad it exists… I am … people need to be educated on it… I hate the shit though…. For anyone that has lost friends… those warning lists are like a check list of everything you fucked up and didn’t catch…  as you yourself are just wishing for the earth to open up and swallow you whole … and are hoping no one is seeing the signs…

… 9/11 … Wow… I know we need to remember… never forget… don’t worry… I never forget anything…

Something magical happened on the first day of september though… many close to me have given up on the common practice of pointing out the many good things in my life (which are abundant… and wonderful) because they have caught on that I just use them as another means to mentally punish myself… for being alive and having them… Disturbing… Im aware… A few years ago a friend (I have the most amazing friends in the whole wide world… btw) suggested just getting through it… Not trying to do anything more than survive… and she printed off a calendar… and pinned a sharpie next to it… and everyday we Xed a day off… and we laughed about some of them… and we cried about some of them… and there really aren’t that many days in September…

… This year she is across the ocean in the city of love… getting married in paris … My phone buzzed the text “Day 1, Thinking of you” … The next day pictures of the eiffle tower … “Day 2, How are you holding up?” …. Pictures of her in her gown… pictures of the french country side…. every single day…. she is counting with me… I don’t even want to know what it is costing her to text me from Paris….

Mr. Amazing has been amazing… as if he could be anything else… I love him so much ….. Small child has blood work out… that I am waiting for the results… He has some big life changing challenges directly ahead of him… Smallest child’s safety and security is always a source of anxiety when she isn’t under our roof… Tiniest child made an appearance for a couple of days this weekend and honestly steals my heart every time I see him…

… I have found other comforts… Sippy cup corner has happened several times…. I can now drink wine out of a buzz light year cup… with the bendy straw placed in such a way that it looks like his penis… to infinity and beyond baby…. Wine just tastes better that way… best gift ever…. We are raising our families together… and kicking ass at it.

… Pajama Birthday Coffee (okay it was mountain dew) with eyes swollen shut … teeth furry… hair untamed… without even worrying about it being embarrassing… These are the kinds of friends I have….

Halfway there.

And that is everything in my head this morning…