tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-57706802008-07-26T06:56:38.468-06:00Carrienoreply@blogger.comBlogger759125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5770680.post-73567449255408007662008-07-25T12:53:00.005-06:002008-07-25T14:01:49.196-06:00

Because I was reporting this year at BlogHer, I got the chance to meet waaaay more people. Last year I didn't have a story to report and I'm a bit shy about just introducing myself to people with no pretext. And honestly, I didn't see any bloggers in Chicago last year who I had read or heard of. Here are some of the faaay-mous bloggers I met or heard speak. As you might expect, many of them have

Carrienoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5770680.post-56781021067577810862008-07-24T23:33:00.002-06:002008-07-24T23:39:07.333-06:00

I'm undeserving of all the comments I got from other moms about traveling with the two kids. Yes, it was tiring, but I would totally do it again! It really went very well. It surprised me that the airports and flights were not the hardest part. They actually went very, very smoothly, and really, I spend so much time alone with the two kids. Usually they're running around messing up the house,

Carrienoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5770680.post-3526585528467289892008-07-23T11:09:00.004-06:002008-07-23T11:35:18.673-06:00

What was it like to take two small children to San Francisco with me on a business trip? Strenuous. The kids were mostly cooperative, with Nutmeg going so far as to be "my big helper" at times. That saved it from being a train wreck. But I would never say it was easy. Here's how it went: Thursday evening: Get dropped off at airport. With Nutmeg's help (moving bins along, getting her own shoes

Carrienoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5770680.post-70317281980757861462008-07-22T21:37:00.004-06:002008-07-22T22:20:57.257-06:00

Tonight Nutmeg read a book. I've long suspected she was almost ready to read a whole book because of the number of street signs and such she reads. But in the past anxiety seemed to be holding her back. Tonight I came into the girls' room because Pebbles had been crying instead of sleeping. Nutmeg told me she'd been reading her sister "Sugar Snow"; a kids' version of a chapter from "Little House

Carrienoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5770680.post-58388284518282114562008-07-22T14:27:00.003-06:002008-07-22T14:45:33.402-06:00

We landed at back in Chicago at about 3 a.m. this morning with one of those characteristically abrupt Midway descents. That sense of being on a down escalator out of control returned this morning when I eagerly pulled up The SF Chronicle's Web site to check out my story. "Mommybloggers" Turn Their Hobby Into Profits During my whirlwind trip to San Francisco, I remembered how much I love

Carrienoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5770680.post-48814346448149354612008-07-20T21:10:00.005-06:002008-07-20T21:25:13.510-06:00

Sitting in a San Francisco cafe with a laptop and a latte, psyching myself up to write the story I must file tomorrow afternoon. So happy to be where I am right now, and so loving the friends that have made this evening and the whole last three days possible. Here are some quick facts about my BlogHer excursion, in no order: 1. You can fly across the country alone with two little kids, and if

Carrienoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5770680.post-10332776603461793722008-07-16T21:31:00.004-06:002008-07-16T21:41:12.989-06:00

I always thought my kids would eventually demand to know which one I loved best. I had my answers all prepared, with some help from "Siblings Without Rivalry." How, Nutmeg, I love you in very special ways because of x, y and z. But sweetly inquiring about my love is not Nutmeg's way. No, she is the 4-year-old drama queen, and so -- after an afternoon when I made her so happy by taking her to the

Carrienoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5770680.post-83700227133337825592008-07-16T18:29:00.002-06:002008-07-16T18:30:02.145-06:00

Night before BlogHer trip. Mild freak out. I picked up my laptop, though. The box is pretty. That's as far as I've gotten.

Carrienoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5770680.post-78881612311523621912008-07-15T20:28:00.002-06:002008-07-15T20:32:19.381-06:00

Thanks for your input! (Confidential to Notta -- One of the reasons Epu said I should get the Toshiba is, "H. got a Toshiba." I ordered it from Bestbuy.com and will pick up tomorrow. Excited! Also received my business cards. And knocked some things off the pre-BlogHer to-do list. All of which took away some of the sting when Nutmeg used the time I was occupied with such things to cover the

Carrienoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5770680.post-45790930269241524962008-07-15T07:54:00.002-06:002008-07-15T08:29:36.827-06:00

Last week I returned the Asus Eee mini-laptop I had bought, and Epu installed Linux on my old Fujitsu Lifebook. I was hoping to hobble along on my old computer through BlogHer and maybe for the rest of the year. After all, I love the keyboard and weight of my old laptop. The only thing I don't love is that it barely works. That is, it works slowly when switching from one program or window to

Carrienoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5770680.post-85396697631947684682008-07-13T21:42:00.003-06:002008-07-13T22:01:34.868-06:00

Lest I ever doubt Dr. Marc Weissbluth, my kids make sure to show me just how crucial sleep is to their behavior. Both days this weekend Nutmeg behaved OK in the morning, and then got more and more out of hand all afternoon, just as we were preparing to head out to meet friends. Saturday, we actually canceled our afternoon plans* because she was just having a lot of crying fits, acting silly like

Carrienoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5770680.post-27043163331548895072008-07-13T09:04:00.004-06:002008-07-13T09:35:26.248-06:00

Last night I had the good fortune of meeting up at the all suite Omni with some ladies from the blog network I write for, Silicon Valley Moms Blog (which is also Chicago Moms Blog). They're on an Oprah-and-Gayle style road trip from coast to coast in a hybrid Chevy Tahoe, on their way to BlogHer. These are some cool women, and it was nice, real, real nice to get out of the house and sip a

Carrienoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5770680.post-53785815346026318732008-07-11T13:50:00.003-06:002008-07-11T13:53:53.991-06:00

Yesterday, Epu and I were bickering in the car. Yes, we know we shouldn't do this in front of the children, because one of the children reminded us. "Mommy!" Nutmeg shouted from the back seat. "You are saying bad things and hurting Daddy's feelings!" Well, that'll put a damper on a good rant. Another interesting thing that came out of Nutmeg's mouth lately: We came across the word "isolated"

Carrienoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5770680.post-53296392458644960022008-07-10T09:35:00.004-06:002008-07-10T09:41:32.779-06:00

Yesterday Epu told me that a guy on the train knocked his glasses off accidentally, then said, "Sorry, Homes." Epu was pleased. "I'm never been anyone's homie before," he said. I wondered what he'd be willing to do to achieve "dawg" or maybe "cuz" status. Submit to the Jackson Maneuver?

Carrienoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5770680.post-12142360924974237452008-07-09T08:11:00.002-06:002008-07-09T08:14:48.001-06:00

Last night Epu and I were cleaning up after dinner. He picked up the heavy recycling bin, so I assumed he was heading out to the alley. The next time I turned around, I thanked him for (quite unusually for him) taking it out. Then I noticed that he had merely moved it closer to the back door, for my hauling convenience. Me: Baby, I am always amazed by your epic sloth. Epu: Hey, that would be a

Carrienoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5770680.post-65429719362028846272008-07-07T19:41:00.003-06:002008-07-08T12:43:01.834-06:00

Pebbles turned 17 months today, in the midst of all kinds of developmental fireworks (get it, Independence Day, fireworks, heh?). She is now repeating unfamiliar words after we say them. She even pointed to Nutmeg's friend today and said his name after hearing us say it a few times. One of the latest words she uses spontaneously is "ride." As in, she sees a stroller, her car seat, a riding toy,

Carrienoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5770680.post-52039978200789922092008-07-06T18:48:00.003-06:002008-07-06T19:10:02.114-06:00

I think we just had the perfect Fourth of July weekend. We hit all the quintessential Americana activities with a distinctive Wisconsin flavor and topped it with heaping servings of true family fun. Here's the rundown: Thursday afternoon: Pick up Epu from work, take the kids out to lunch in downtown Chicago. Thursday evening: Dinner at a fancy restaurant on Lake Michigan to celebrate my

Carrienoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5770680.post-977849687943659882008-07-01T19:30:00.003-06:002008-07-01T19:37:46.891-06:00

Nutmeg, lying in bed after lights out: Mommy, soon I will be writing 1,000 good jokes. Me: OK. Nutmeg: The first one is: "The fan is on the floor." Get it? Me: Nope. Nutmeg: And here's another one: The clock is on the ceiling. Get it? Get it?

Carrienoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5770680.post-56287471024945949342008-06-30T14:16:00.002-06:002008-06-30T14:26:50.424-06:00

Today was Nutmeg's last day of swimming lessons at the public pool, and she received a certificate saying she has passed Preschool Level I. That's the understatement of the year, in my (obviously biased) opinion. In the last week, I have watched my 4-year-old throw herself at the bottom of the pool to pick up plastic ring after ring, without even using her goggles. Last year in Preschool Swimming

Carrienoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5770680.post-45412562434373140892008-06-27T22:49:00.004-06:002008-06-27T22:56:59.043-06:00

So, tonight Epu and Nutmeg wanted to start making a pinata. Yes, a papier mache construction which would molder through the humid night and then ride with us in the car four hours to an even damper Wisconsin. Yes, usually when they make a pinata it takes several weeks to finish. Fortunately, I am a Wondertime magazine subscriber. This month they featured a pinata made out of an oatmeal cannister

Carrienoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5770680.post-43303315798098227652008-06-23T12:57:00.003-06:002008-06-23T13:16:08.338-06:00

A few weeks ago, Maggie Mason wrote a post about how it had taken her 16 long months to lose the baby weight. I was also nearly 16 months postpartum at that point, and I fretted that I had not achieved what she had. Why is that woman so active and why does she have so much fun and energy? Weight watchers? Living in Brazil for a month? She is making the rest of us mothers look bad. But then, last

Carrienoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5770680.post-86403656643848443302008-06-20T21:15:00.002-06:002008-06-21T00:01:08.248-06:00

OK, these are all from Thursday,the one day I got my camera out. But I must impress upon you how dang cute this baby is! Here is the aforementioned mastery of the Little Tikes slide. I love how much applause she gives herself: And here, you can see that she has developed a whole lot of new dance moves:

Carrienoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5770680.post-89793297699387284252008-06-20T13:37:00.002-06:002008-06-20T13:45:22.278-06:00

Just what the world needs: high heels for babies. No, they're not a safety hazard. They're soft useless heels attached to the bottoms of crib shoes. They are, however, about the ugliest and tackiest thing I have ever seen. High heels are obviously associated with sex -- sure, they have more mundane connotations as well, like, I am aristocracy so I can afford to not be able to walk very fast, but

Carrienoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5770680.post-74380255113180798822008-06-19T20:44:00.008-06:002008-06-19T21:14:05.852-06:00

Recently someone on my local Freecycle group was offering maple seedlings. I laughed and laughed, because there is nothing in this world we need less at our house than maple seedlings. Well, those and ebola. Today, as Pebbles perfected her newfound ability to use the Little Tikes slide and enjoyed having the neighbors' cat all to herself, I finally had a chance to attack our maple infestation.

Carrienoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5770680.post-8041929855727973942008-06-18T20:15:00.003-06:002008-06-18T20:25:46.776-06:00

Alas, it's here, the true beginning of the Terrible Twos. The Whacko Ones, if you will. The newly naughty Pebbles likes to run away from me in public places, stopping to look back and giggle when she's gained a few yards. Fortunately, 1-year-olds are not as crafty as they are naughty, and she has not figured out that this little gloat-break is what enables me to catch her every time. Today for

Carrienoreply@blogger.com