Bridgewater Soccer Mom's view of the world

(Warning, if you are used to my school-focused, knitting blogs, this might not be the entry for you.) A couple of weeks ago I was with a friend at Barnes and Noble. She needed to pick up a book she had ordered. She was so embarrassed about it, that she freaked when we recognized someone. "I hope she didn't see what I bought..." she worried. Fast forward a few days and I'm at a school event at the same bookstore. My son's school was having a fundraiser and "everyone" was there. An employee asked if we were looking for something in particular. I jokingly said something about how with so many people here, we couldn't get porn (I was kidding) - and she  misheard and said, "oh, I have just the book." And there it was: " Fifty Shades of Grey ". Socially acceptable smut. The gateway book to hard-core porn. In a strange way I felt like I was in a bar, everyone was taking a shot, so I took a turn, put the salt on my thumb, lime ready...

Tonight I really had a jolt of adrenaline! My son and I were driving home from his usual Wednesday activity and I called the house for something. My daughter said she was going to a concert at his school.... A concert? Tonight? A choral concert??? Yes, yes, yes. I couldn't believe it. No, no no! I've had this concert on my calendar for tomorrow night for many months. I actually double checked it a couple of weeks ago. Still tomorrow... Apparently the date was changed (or wrong on the district's calendar) and they sent a note home to parents. They also apparently e-mailed a reminder (which I don't remember seeing - my bad). So I drove insanely fast the final mile to make it home. N changed his shirt. And I sped to the school, with my husband begging me to slow down.... He got there 20 minutes late for the warm-up, but was 15 minutes early for the actual concert. Everyone made it to the concert. Why is my heart still racing as all's well that ends well? ...

11 miles done, 2 miles left... Somewhere between Piscataway and New Brunswick on Sunday I like to run but I don't refer to myself as "a runner". Runners are thin, and committed. Runners watch what they eat. Real runners run no matter what the weather.  They worry about their times and distance. Those are the stereotypes, and I don't fit any of them. Except if you count me thinking "I shouldn't eat this" as I swallow, then I watch what I eat. But now, despite not meeting these stereotypes, I call myself "a runner"!   (Kelly Clarkson, "Stronger") But why did I attempt a half marathon at all, if I'm not "a runner"? All along the path from Busch campus to Livingston, back to Bush and into the main campus past the Campus Center of the College Avenue Campus I worried that my husband and kids could not come to see me finish. Why would they bother to get up early on a Sunday morning, facing traffic, bad parking an...

I have so much to write about, the wonderful performances that I saw on Friday at Eisenhower School and BR Middle School, a weekend full of activities, and nice meals, and commentary on our schools. But it's a beautiful day, so I'm heading out to fold laundry on the deck.

My Mom as a child (right) in Florida This past year I got a little interested in genealogy. I've always wondered about my background, but never got much farther than looking up names on Ellis Island's website, but that changed this past Fall. I haven't done much with it in 2012, and it isn't a top priority, but I'm sure I'll get back into again someday. This weekend, however, I re-read my Mom's obituary (which I co-wrote, and you can read here ) and I found one of my dad's cousins information (when searching for hers). From a very short obituary I learned he served in Korea, was a CPA and it sounds like he never married or had any children. I thought it was quite sad. But who knows... maybe he wanted it that way?! What do you learn from an obituary anyway? My Mom's obituary mentions her cooking skills, but says nothing that she was very critical of others' cooking which may be the root of my own insecurities! I'm actually a fairly good ...

My daughter is in hour 20 of a 30 hour fast as part of her youth group's fundraising efforts for 30 Hour Famine . She is not eating anything for 30 hours. For me, the most important part is that she is learning how it feels to be hungry. I don't feel it is appropriate for young girls (she started when she was 12) to not eat anything, so I allow her - even encourage her - to drink plenty of caloric drinks, including milkshakes. She definitely gets hungry enough, just with a liquid diet, and it is a test of her determination and skill. I'm proud of their determination. Although this raises funds for the hungry in the 3rd world, it is always important to remember that the hungry live around us . There are millions of ways to help the less fortunate. Sometimes it helps just to be a friend. This Spring I've been focused on my own knitting - but if you read this because you are a knitter/crocheter (and many readers are), I encourage you to knit something for Emily's...