Mackinac Island, how I love ya

There is oh so much I could say about the weekend on Mackinac Island, but then Kassi said it all so well over here. Instead, I offer up a photo montage today.

And yes, the last picture, for those who will get it, is in fact "Escanaba in da Moonlight" (haha)

Island O'Guilt

Between being raised Catholic, growing up in a Jewish community, and being a mom, I have my own overload of guilt all the time. This week is no exception.

Hubby & I are heading out for a weekend away, leaving the kids with friends & grandparents. Sure, they'll have a great time probably (hopefully) but I still feel guilty.

On the upside, we're joining some dear friends at Mackinac Island! In 48 hours I'll be eating fudge, horseback riding, and probably freezing my booty off (but that's ok, I have plenty of booty to spare). I can't wait! I knew there are a few people who occasionally read my words here, and if you've never heard of Mackinac Island, let me tell you a little about it.

It's located in that little spot between Michigan's upper and lower peninsulas, and is only accessible by ferry boat. The island has been maintained as it was during the Victorian age, meaning NO cars of any type. Only horse drawn carriage & bicycles. It's simply lovely, and famous for it's fudge. (yum!) All the fall leaves are peaking with their colours up there right now too. We'll be stopping on our drive there at a winery I found & some of the falls in the U.P.

I hope it's fun!

Is there a TOO far?

How far is too far when it comes to your kids? Is there a jumping off point in making sure your kids are safe? How about when it comes to educating them? I think those are simple answers, in that most parents would do most anything self-sacificing to further their children's intellect and safety. But what about their wants & needs? Is there a too far then? Parent Bloggers has proposed the question...what are your thoughts?

I have to say I am not the sort of parent who will sacrifice anything for my kids wants. Toys, clothing trends, video games, those things come & go. I made a rule when my daughter was born that I would never purchase a video game system for her. If someone gave her one, I wouldn't return it, but I would never buy one for her. Why? Because I'm the meanest mom on the planet! No, not really. It's because I truly believe that kids are losing their sense of imagination & attention spans because of computer & video games. Sure they are good with eye-hand coordination, but kids can't sit still for 10 minutes nor can they just run around outside using their imagination...all because most parents allow their kids to do nothing but play those things. (That said, my daughter does have 2 Gameboys and a Gamecube...all given to her by someone else.) And fashion trends, forget it! I refuse to spend $80 on a pair of shoes that will be outgrown in 6 months. A good knock off will serve the same purpose IF absolutely necessary. I try to encourage my daughter to have her own style instead. (And believe me, she does!)

But how far am I willing to go for my kids' needs? I don't know that I have a limit there. I've had some bad times, have gone without food for a day or two, have slept on couches and in my car (only once), have worn the same clothes for years...but my children have never had to suffer those same fates. I made sure the kidlet never knew the dire straits we were in, always had food, good clothes, toys, and love. LOTS of love.

There is no question to me that needs are limitless. Wants are arbitrary.
How far would you go for your kids?

Off Target Randomness

Surely I am not the only mom on the planet who has this happen to them. You go to the store, you spend a stupid amount of time picking out groceries, all the while dealing with idiots who can't seem to drive a shopping cart let alone a car (or usually an SUV), spending ridiculous amounts of cash, only to find a day or two later when you go to get something out of the 'fridge or cupboard that YOU really want to take for lunch, that someone else...everyone else...had already taken it/eaten it! I did all the work! I WANT my treat, dang it! The sacrifice of a mother & wife is endless.

Am I the only person on the planet who simply LOATHES that damn "Big Girls Don't Cry" song by Fergie? "...I miss you like a child misses its blanket..." what the hell kind of lyrics are those?And why does she get to call herself Fergie? She should at least have to be be Fergie Take 2 or something. And "Her Eyes" by Pat Monahan from Train...what a crapass song that is! And what's with Hinder's song about longing for some other chick when his girlfriend/wife is in the next room. Ass, I tell ya, ass.

Someone needs to do something about this president of ours. NOW. Vetoing child health care. And still no funding to education. Idiot needs to go bye-bye. Please.

I warned you this would be random.

Help Wanted

Are you looking for a new career?!?!
Do you want to work in a casual work environment with friendly people?!?!
We're currently hiring the following full-time positions:
Chef Must be willing to ominipotently know what anyone wants on any given day. Duties will include breakfast, packing lunches, dinner and two snacks, keeping kitchen anally retentively clean, putting away dishes in the dishwasher due to the employer's irritation at having to do this task. Baby bottles must continually be clean & prepped.
Housekeeper Duties to include scrubbing, dusting, sweeping including baseboards, cobwebs, mopping, making all beds, organizing offices, scrubbing toilets, stocking cupboards with stupid necessities like tampons or toilet paper when empty.
Laundress Duties will include at least one load every other day. Must be willing to wash the employer's very few work shirts on demand whenever they are soiled by spit up. Stain removal skills are a plus.
Accountant Must be willing to explain every single purchase made and explain reason for going over the grocery budget. Duties will also include reconciling the checkbook, making budget, paying bills, and filing tax returns. Ability to make money stretch further required.
Errand Boy This is a very important position. Must be willing to run to the grocery store without notice, take vehicles for scheduled maintenances, and any other piddly errands as deemed URGENT! AND NECESSARY! by employer. Hot, muscular body, bedroom eyes and a dashing smile a plus! Shirt NOT required.
Lawn Boy Must have extensive knowledge in flowers, shrubs, and grasses and the ability to make things grow in sandy, nutrient-depleted soil. Again, a hot, muscular body, bedroom eyes and a dashing smile are a DEFINITE plus! Shirt is also NOT required.
Scientist specializing in cloning Must have the ability to clone the employer so that she can be relieved of some of her duties and have time for herself too. Clone will be responsible for making doctor's appointments, remembering birthdays & sending cards to all friends and extended family, making certain the diaper bag actually contains, you know, diapers.

Salary is very competitive and commensurate with what the finest SAHM's are being paid!!!!Apply today!!!!

Feeling better now. I don't know what it was, but now I'm fine. Well, tired...but fine. I feel like my days all sort of blend into one. I'm always busy, but with nothing really worth mentioning. Its a continually spinning wheel with random flashes of interesting things passing by. The routine that becomes life...and you find yourself just sort of wondering where time went.

Oh well. Life isn't bad...it's just rather...routine.

Kidlet started her theatre program. I'm glad she'll have a chance to make friends with similar interests. The kids at her school just don't "get" her, her interests, or her experiences. I'm hoping this will be good for her on many levels.

The baby is crawling! He's so funny! It's really more of an army crawl than an up on his hands & knees crawl, but it doesn't slow him down. He's sooo proud of himself! And he has a tooth! (my little Jack-o-lantern) Again, time just flying by.

Unexplained

Today was a nice day, bright & sunny & warm. We went to the Harvest Fest, which wasn't nearly as good as it was last year, but we did buy some pumpkins & gourds & peppers & leeks. We walked around, and just spent time together. Then we had dinner with Rick & Brian, and it was good.

And yet I'm feeling blue. I can't find the words or the reasons, it just is. It's a state of sadness. A state of missing my mom. A state of feeling for those people who have lost someone special to them. A state of uneasy restlessness inside my heart. I don't know what's causing it...but that's where I am right now. Hopefully it'll be gone by morning.

Inspired

Today I'm feeling particularly inspired by the beginning of autumn.

I can't imagine living someplace that doesn't have that significant change in seasons, and particularly the joy that is the fall. I'm not a nature girl by any stretch of the imagination, and could never live much outside of a city, but every fall I can't help but yearn to be outside. The crispness of the air, the cool breezes, the lushness of color...it inspires me to bake, to paint, to explore. It is the only time of the year you will ever find me wanting to go hiking. (Of course the lack of mosquitos helps!) I want to draw & paint & photograph today (and sadly can't because I'm stuck at work...a museum that is offering TWO nature landscape drawing classes today, ironically).

I'm anxiously anticipating hubby & my upcoming trip to Mackinac Island with our friends in two weeks. The fall colors should be almost peaking up there then, and I can promise you I will be posting a plethora of photos afterwards.

Obsession

I realize that I have these wierd quirks and OC randomness. I tend to get excited about something and then become almost wierdly obsessive about it. Sometimes its been Colin Firth, where I've had to rent every movie of his. Another time it was Disney. Right now I find I'm obsessing about:
Doctor Who (David Tennant in particular)

Swap-bot (it really IS addictive)

and Mackinac Island Do you have anything you just can't help but feeling "obsessed" about?

A Collective Kick in the Arse

Today I read these words:
"What is the one thing you've always wanted to do in your lifetime? And when are you going to get around to just doing it?"

Hmmm...I consider my butt soundly kicked.

The Call of the Footlights, the Roar of the Crowd

Kidlet auditioned for the Racine Theatre Guild last week. They have a special program for teens...it's an extensive theatre training program that cumulates with performances in the spring at various schools. It is highly competitive to get into, apparently, and we were warned that unless you've been around the theatre it is tough to get into.

Well, wouldn't you know it...she got in!

Yes, I'm very proud! So despite not getting the art and drama classes she wanted this year in school, she is now in a great drama program & is also taking some art classes at the museum where I work. (Animation & pottery, I think, for the fall session.) So for now she has ambitions of being the next Idina Menzel...and that's awesome!

Don't Say a Word

I'm facing a horrible reality. Next year I will turn 40. 4. 0. This is hell. In my mind I'm still 25. Not too old, not too young. But the reality is...well...40.

And I'm NOT ok with it.

I have a couple of other friends facing this same "milestone". Consider this a call to arms...if you are also looking 40 in the face, let's do something about it. Let's plan a bash. Something for us. US. Perhaps a trip away together? Toronto? New Orleans? Istanbul? Let me know your thoughts. I'm thinking May.I can NOT face this alone!

Be Sparkly!

Some of you may remember when I wrote about Hannah a month or more ago with this link. Well, I have devotedly read Hannah's mother's blog ever since. I've read as she has moved through the pain of losing her lovely 5 year old in this tragic accident. I have been inspired by her celebration of her daughter's short little life, and her younger daughter, Lily's, delightfullness, as well.
Tomorrow would have been Hannah's sixth birthday. Her mother is asking everyone to join them in celebrating her vibrant, sparkly nature by dressing bright & fun tomorrow. Wear the sparkliest earrings, necklace, shirt, shoes or scarf you have. Heck, wear a feather boa! This dear child, as well as all of our children, need to be celebrated for the beauty & innocence and joy they bring to this world. They touch the lives of so many more than they will ever know because of their sparkly nature.
You can read more about Hannah & her family here.
I hope you'll join me in celebrating her life & the lives of our children, as well.

Yar! Avast Ye Scrubby Sea Dogs!

Yar, know ye that this hear be "international talk like a pirate day! So all ye sea dogs and villanious buccaneers had best be spaken like the pie-rats that ye be!

Lest ye be a landlubber, I suggest ye swig back a few bottles o'rum today, pull on your stripey stockings, and grab your best mates for a rousin' day of pillaging & festivities!

ARGGGGGGH!

Pouty Take 2

Baby is better, thank goodness.
But now I'm sick. Much sicker than he ever was. (Thank goodness.)
Sore throat. Painful cough. No voice.

There is something singularly disturbing about knowing that if I had to scream in order to save my life, I would die.

I'm just sayin'.

Pouty

Not much to say other than I have a 6 month old with a cold. Stuffy nose & phlemmy cough. Yeah, I'm exhausted.

Be a Rebel...Read!

I love books. I love to read. I think that reading to your children is one of the greatest gifts you can give them. I think we grow as individuals by reading a variety of books. Even the challenged or banned ones. Heck, especially the challenged or banned ones!

September 29-October 6 is officially BANNED BOOKS WEEK. I encouraged everyone to read a banned book! In this country we have intellectual, artistic freedom. We have the freedom of speech. No book should be banned simply because someone doesn't like it. (If that were the case Shakespeare or The Bible would have been banned long ago!) What sort of books get banned? Pornography? Devil worshipping? No, those don't even typically fall into radar. Instead they are often books that are considered popular or classics even. Off the list this year, but on for several years past, are the “Catcher in the Rye” by J.D. Salinger, “Of Mice and Men” by John Steinbeck and “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” by Mark Twain.

Who are the top 10 most challenged authors? Probably a few of your favourites:

1. Alvin Schwartz 2. Judy Blume 3. Robert Cormier 4. J.K. Rowling 5. Michael Willhoite 6. Katherine Paterson 7. Stephen King 8. Maya Angelou 9. R.L. Stine 10. John Steinbeck

I'm challenging you, my friends, to pick up a banned or challenged book. And then pass it along, send it out to someone else via Bookcrossings.

And for anyone in the greater Chicago area: You are invited to come and celebrate your freedom to read during the 26th annual celebration of Banned Books Week. Join the American Library Association's Office for Intellectual Freedom, McCormick Tribune Freedom Museum, and the Newberry Library in Chicago, IL at the Pioneer Plaza (on Michigan Ave between the Tribune Tower and the Chicago River) on Saturday, September 29, 2007, from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m., for the Banned Books Week Read-Out! Local Chicago Celebrities join several acclaimed authors to read passages from their favorite banned and challenged books. Admission is FREE.

Because Clearly I'm an Expert...

Most of you know I work at the RAM/Wustum museum! I've been asked to lecture this fall/winter about Historical Clothing! It is conjuction with the shoes & textiles exhibitions we'll be having at our main galleries, because I'm clearly an expert on this topic! I'm confident I can fake my way through...er...give a great lecture (or three!) but that doesn't change the fact I'm freakin' scared to death! I'm scared someone is going to answer something I can't answer and I'll look like an idiot! So...if you have any interesting tidbits about historical clothing, let me know, ok?!!? Thanks!

Here are all the sordid details, should you feel compelled to come hear me speak:

Lecture at RAM
Interactive Lecture:Historical Clothing
Friday, 12:00 - 1:00 pm 1 Day December 7 Lecturer: Kimberly WawrzyniakDiscover how men's and women's clothinghas developed throughout the ages...and some of the quirky and interestinghabits that have survived and evolved intotoday's couture. Then, take a closer lookat artist made clothing in RAM's fallexhibitions.Members Free
$8 Non-Members
Lectures at Wustum
Clothing Through History
Thursday, 7:00 - 8:30 pm1 Day November 1Lecturer: Kimberly WawrzyniakDiscover the changes in clothing for menand women throughout history, and howclothing reflects society. See historicalclothing recreations. Registration required.Members Free
$10 Non-Members
Renaissance Dressing...and How They Did It!
Thursday, 7:00 - 8:30 pm1 Day December 13Lecturer: Kimberly Wawrzyniak See how Renaissance women dressed,and how clothing of the lower, middle and upper classes differed. Registrationrequired.Members Free
$10 Non-Mem

Welcome to 8th Grade

Sarcastic enthusiasm duly noted.


You'll note her creative take on the new school uniform requirements: skulls & crossbone headband, silver shiny tie, and Jack Skellington messenger bag.

Yes, she is definately my child.

The Pursuit

I just finished watching "The Pursuit of Happyness" with Will Smith. I cried. Hard. Because I've known his desperation. I've been in that situation...not knowing where my child & I were going to sleep or if we would eat the next day. I've known that pain of wanting desperately to take care of your child and feeling alone and scared...but trying to make it good for them all at the same time. My daughter slept in a large closet I called a room & put up pretty sparkly things to try to make her feel like it was here little private space. I'd send her for an overnight with her grandmother or dad so she wouldn't know I didn't have any food in the house that night. I went many days without food, so she could eat. I've gone years without new clothes so she'd have anything she needed. I've played the game of "let's only use candles tonight" so she wouldn't know the electricity had been turned off. I pulled her into bed with me, under all the blankets we had when we had no heat. It sucked, and I'm not proud of it. But that hell only lasted a year or so. But I will never be the same person because of it.

Fortunately today we have a house & the bills are paid (thank God for my husband). Money is tight, but nothing like it once was. So why is it that deep down I still feel scared? Since my father died & mom is invalid in a nursing home, I still feel alone in this world, despite my husband. Despite my friends.

The kidlet begins 8th grade tomorrow. I can't believe she's that old now. Each passing year makes me realize that we're a step closer to her adulthood. I'm scared she been hurt too much, too deeply, because of the bad curves life has thrown us while she was little. When do you truly know?