Bridgewater Soccer Mom's view of the world

This weekend was a whirlwind! Drove over 600 miles in 2 days, plus back and forth to EWR again this morning long before dawn. My brother's flight canceled late last night and I took him back to Newark for his re-booked, re-routed flight - hopefully he's gonna get home sometime today - his connection is stand-by only! Poor RP! Am skipping kick boxing this morning. My nose has been running nonstop since Friday and I just don't have the energy. Sad day ahead - heading to PS's wake. He was only 47. Budget vote coming up. BOE candidates to consider. 3 people up for reelection. Need to find out who and look at their votes. Will be blogging on these things soon... when I've had more than a couple of hours of sleep. Wish I could blink my eyes to clean up the mess left by the puppy. Think the tasmanian devil meets paper towel roll. What remains is my living room. He also discovered how to climb on to the kitchen table. He's not British, but I can't think but to call

I was signing the kids up for Summer Playgrounds (the used-to-be-free-camp, but now $50 (a total bargain!) camp for July for kids from 9-3 weekdays) and getting my $9 insurance policy when someone told me some interesting news: Did you know this? The new municipal building is NOT for the municipal building's current occupants? It's for a new Court and a new Police Station! The rec department is moving their offices - about 10 feet. Their building is just getting renovated - they aren't getting a new building. Was I supposed to know this? Oh, and my $9 insurance policy? It is 3 pairs of uniform soccer socks. Remember the lost sock blogs from last fall? Hopefully I won't have as many this spring.

Someone really nice died today. T doesn't have that many friends - definitely none to spare - and P.S. was a good one. It's a reminder that life is fleeting. One evening you're six happy adults sitting around a table full of delicious food and wine, making plans for a Caribbean cruise... ...and a hop, a skip and a month later only five are left. You were a good man, a good father, a good husband and a good friend. You were also great at your job. I'll miss you. I loved your happy eyes and warm personality. But most of all your friendship with T.

Today my son gets to hear an author/illustrator speak at his school. Very cool. Today my daughter gets to visit a planetarium. Very cool, too. After school I get to play chauffeur. C has volley ball from 3:30-4:30, both kids have TKD from 5-6:30 and C has soccer from 7-8:30. I'll be knitting while I wait at TKD. Fresh Food Kitchen, Burger King or Dominick's will probably make dinner. Welcome to my new Wednesday routine for Spring 2009. Time to put a knitting project in the car for the spring season.

Several years ago my Dad bought C a telescope for Christmas. She was totally disinterested. Tonight when she let the dog out, she returned saying she had discovered a star. I found the telescope in the basement among forgotten Teletubby dolls, rated-G movies and a case of barbies. We looked at the Big Dipper (if I'm right), Orion's Belt and the Pleiades (again, I think, but who knows if I'm right?). We focused on the blue-ish star from the Big Dipper. She was really excited and came in crying "Daddy, Daddy, it wasn't a new star I discovered but part of the Big Dipper." She said that although she's been to planetariums a lot, and people have pointed out things in the sky before, it was the first time she actually saw a constellation. I have always loved looking at the stars and when I was her age I wanted to be an astronaut. I used to look at the stars with my Dad. I remember looking at Halley's Comet in the back yard. She has had that telescope for sev

After 2 days on sick-child lock down and 12 hours of TKD hell (see yesterday's blog). Here's my plan for the day: (Portions in red added at a little after 2pm) After writing this blog: Baking break (in the bread machine) Bought at wegs instead (buy 10 rolls, get 2 free) Check Coffee with a side of Weekend Edition Sunday on NPR Check Church? Check (tried St. John's in Somerville) Wegmans (a must today) Check - mob scene. Monday am is much calmer! Taking down the last Christmas lights. MR thought they were for Easter. Ha! (still planning to head out and do that "now") Lunch, read some more New York Times, laundry. Check, no check, check A little yard work. T cleaned up the dog poo in the back, so check 3pm workout with Debbie at Duke Island park. Last Saturday she put together a fabulous circuit training. Can't wait to see what she has in store for my outta shape butt today. Dinner prep/Dinner Any undone homework? TV & laundry folding - final Big Love (Ju

Today was one of those lost days. I feel like I have jet lag. We spent about 10 hours at a martial arts competition near Trenton. C competed in forms and sparring. N refused to compete. He spent the day with his PSP and T's cell phone and had a one-man video game marathon. Once both batteries died, his whines of "I want to go home" were more than well understood. By the end of the day EVERYONE's batteries had died and we all wished we were home. It was overwhelming. We spent the day trapped in an overcrowded, loud gym, where we were constantly inundated with announcements of lottery ticket sales, ring placements, requests for more people to help judge and reminders that spectators should not be blocking the ring areas (all of which were ignored). It was a huge waiting game. C was in a large group: 10-17 year old girls from intermediate to black belts. First the intermediate girls from ages 10-12 competed in weapons (a demonstration of their skills using weapons, not

Someone found my blog by googling "what to do while daughter is at soccer practice". I don't have a lot of experiences that people find useful. But, in general I spend about 10 hours a week at various practices, and I always find something to do. So here is my list: 1) KNIT. Knitting is my favorite pastime when I have to wait. In the fall and spring, when I am at a practice or game 6-7 days a week I leave a project in the car so I am never "empty handed". At the moment I am working on a cool skullcap for N. Any yarn shop in the country offers knitting classes - or you can ask your Aunt Elma. You can also put in a notice on Craigs List to find someone. "Wanted knitting instructor. Cheap." Knitting is great because it is a completely practical use of otherwise "wasted" time. In 2008 I knitted something like 10 baby caps, at least 2 scarves and I finished a baby blanket. You can knit simple pot holders after just 1 class - they make great, thou

Have been surfing the net and enjoyed a few things. I've been catching up on last week's Stewart-Cramer saga. If you have some time and need a laugh: Click on Cramer vs. Non-Cramer - and watch all the episodes as the story unfolds. Then read: on the Huffington Post . Think Cheney will do the Daily Show? Doubt it, but I'd love to see it! Until then, I guess I'll have to settle for Obama on Leno.

My friend is as overwhelmed by motherhood as I am. And she should be - she has twice as many kids as I do, plus a job, both her parents and in-laws in town and they move to a new house about as often as I buy a pair of sneakers. But, I love her and always read the stuff she forwards me. She sent me This Blog from the NY Times recently. Now, I ain't no NY Times bloggista and I don't have the balls to try! But here's my own attempt at a similar list. What have I learned so far? In my 11 years, 4 months and 5 days in parenthood. Mothering is a work in progress (and evaluations are subjective)!!! Your parents and parents-in-law don't always know best. You're allowed to do things differently from them, well meant as their advice is. Kids make marriage harder. It's OK that your kids don't follow in your path - your hobbies aren't necessarily theirs. Volunteer at school. It's the best way to know what's really going on. If you think your kid has an iss

My daughter C took my son N's green sweatpants to wear this morning. Without asking. She found them in the dryer. I made her take them off and return them to her brother, apologize to him and gave her "the world doesn't revolve around you" lecture. We then found not one, but two clean green Abercrombie shirts. She didn't wear them - a snub to Mom. We also spray-painted her hair green, now I have to wash the floor, the counter in the bathroom and the mirror. T asked why I didn't make her clean these things up? I don't have a good answer. Every day is a new lecture and I was still on my rant about the clothes, we didn't have time for the floor. Every day there is a new thing to yell at the kids about. I want to wake up and be nice to my kids. I want my kids to respect and love me. Instead I am the mean, psycho mom that everyone hates. Kids tolerate me only because I let them have sleepovers every weekend, I take them shopping and make them pancakes when

The musical background for today's blog can be played while you read. Click here . Had an argument with a man in my life who makes it so miserable. No, not my husband, father or son (cross out also: relative of any sort, neighbor, mailman, den leader, dentist or "pure evil" (see previous blogs), nor am I having an extra-marital affair, and if I were ever tempted, he'd be lowest on the list of potential lovers, for those who are wondering!). We are not in the same social circle, nor do we have kids who are friends, but he still has a huge influence over my life. But he is a jerk. Everyone knows it. We had yet another falling out yesterday over a stupid, minimal misunderstanding about a meeting place for my daughter's activity. 24 hours later and I'm still reliving the argument in my head. I shouldn't let it get to me. My Mom's favorite expression was "Don't let the bastards get you down". Did I learn nothing from her???? In the end I am ju

I am supposed to be working on a "short" editing gig. Short my ASS! The person who wrote the original knows even less about accounting terms than I do (and the bar is very low!). I'm being paid for 6 hours of work, but it will likely take twice that since I'm too insecure to tear apart the work, but sure of myself enough to be convinced that she/he (I don't know the writer) is using the wrong terms and I have spent many hours pouring through my big dictionary as well as a bunch online. E.g.: Is it called a non-current asset or fixed asset? But enough about me. I don't have time to write much tonight as the misery of this annual report has many hours of haunting left in it, but a friend alerted me (SDB) to the high road being taken by the Superintendent in Hillsborough schools. They are also looking at a budget that will raise taxes, but their Superintendent has offered to forgo his raise!!! . Read the article in the Courier . While I don't read his blog re

At least once a day someone says or does something I don't like. About once a week it is so upsetting that I imagine saying what I think about this person to them - I even carry on the rest of the conversation in my head. About once a month someone says or does something that makes me want to cry or hit them. I manage to refrain (usually from the tears, always from the hitting) because that is what sane people do. I read this article today about a Bridgewater-boneheaded coach (presumably a parent of a 5th or 6th grader) who did NOT take that breath, count to five or even just call someone a bad name as the rest of us would. I get overzealous at a soccer game from time to time. I've even offered to get ice cream for the whole soccer team if they win. Last month a judge told me not to coach my kids from the sidelines when she was sparring at a karate tournament. And I am sure that people were shocked when I asked a couple of challenging (but appropriate, if you ask me) question

The girls have their squabbles. A while back my daughter had a series of falling outs with a certain friend. In trying to be non-partisan I actually took the other girl's side against my own daughter. My daughter still resents this and thinks that I will never take her side again. But this blog isn't about that incident. This blog is about learning from that incident. I am REALLY rather mad at my friend. One of my friends chose today to go skiing. We spoke about today's ski date every single day this week. Plans made, confirmed, reconfirmed and reconfirmed again. Every detail agonized over (do we stay overnight, don't we, who is renting skis, lessons, who is driving with whom, where we meet and when). Then she called about 45 minutes before we were going to meet and canceled. She said it was her daughter who was on the fence about going - but I could tell by her voice that it was her. I was mad. She chose both the date and the location to suit her needs. (I would have p

It's the weekend. Tonight there is something at C's school. The PTO has a clue: there is a parent's room, free of preteen squabbles, balls flying and squealing girls, serving donated Starbucks. Not wine, but definitely a carrot for me. After that am invited to a "party". I have never liked the "shopping party" but it is part of life in suburbia, so I am heading over to J's. Tomorrow we are supposed to go skiing. It's the first time in my nearly 25 years of skiing when I have had to ask myself: how warm is too warm to ski? Few plans for Sunday. Laundry, hanging out and maybe a walk. Suburbia actually ain't too bad!

I didn't get much done yesterday. Well, I worked out for 2 hours, did grocery shopping, put groceries away, took the dog for a walk, etc. But I didn't do anything that I had planned. (The laundry pile is just as high as it was on Tuesday and my mess of a room is still the same). I don't know what happened. Well, actually I do. Online shopping. I need new jeans. I only have one pair and they are too big. But I am afraid to buy new ones in case I gain the weight I just lost back. At the same time I don't want to spend a lot of money. So I looked at jeans and then shoes for nearly an hour. I didn't buy a single pair of jeans. I got a pair of $7 shorts and just now got a new pair of Birkenstocks for about $55. Hope they fit. Couldn't remember my size 38 or 39 (38 was what they had in my color, so now I'm a 38) and my old birkies are so old that I have worn through the sizes. I keep slipping on the nearly sole-less shoes that I think I treated myself to in 2000.

I blinked an a week has gone by. Last week was very busy and a fun week, then the weekend was sleepovers, taekwondo classes and probably the final trip to The Crayola Factory . I took N, bff T and mom SM. It was a lovely day, but, alas, they are getting a bit big for it. C had a soccer practice and complained about pain in her foot. She hurt herself doing TKD in December, but after a couple of weeks break (the TKD school closed over Christmas and she was, of course, off from gym) she seemed much better. We even went skiing one day. It didn't seem broken at the time, but now I am wondering if maybe I should have had it looked at. My Dad, a doctor (retired) thought it was no big deal at the time. My mother-in-law (who was pretty shocked by the intensity of sparring) didn't even push me, so I thought I made the right choice. Figures - all the hundreds of copays I've spent only to be told "it's a virus" or "give her a few days and she'll be like new"