Wednesday~ April 22, 2009 The insightful, gifted, lovely and amazing Kelly of Love Well tagged me to do an ipod meme. I’m usually SO bad at following through with memes, but I love me an ipod meme. Such fun surprises awaited as I shuffled through my songs. Check it. ————— Instructions:1. Put your iPod (or MP3 player) on shuffle.2. For each question, press the next button to get your answer.3. YOU MUST WRITE THAT SONG NAME DOWN AS YOUR ANSWER, NO MATTER HOW SILLY IT SOUNDS!4. Tag some Moms you admire who could use a laugh and a song. HOW DID YOU BECOME A MOM?My Heart Goes Out – Peirce Pettis WHAT DID YOU THINK THE FIRST TIME YOU SAW YOUR BABY?Family Hug – Bob McGrathWHAT DID YOU DO THE FIRST MORNING AFTER A SLEEPLESS NIGHT?It Might be Hope – Sara Groves WHAT DO YOU SAY WHEN SOMEONE COLORS ON THE WALL? Morning […]
Saturday~April 18, 2009They say you’re never really ready for this kind of adjustment. I know I never thought I’d want this. And then I found myself thinking those crazy thoughts, feeling so…ready. Strange, but true. I guess I just wanted more to love. But I didn’t want to be a cliche. I kind of like to fight the suburban cookie cutter existence, and it seems more and more families are heading this direction. I didn’t want to follow the crowd simply to follow the crowd. I wanted to be sure this was right for us. They say that the big decisions in life always come at a price, if you’re going to bring something good to your life. I just never thought we’d want more than two. But today. I’m really happy that we took the leap… … …. …. Ha! I know! I’m hilarious! Did I have you going?Nope, not preggers.Just a […]
Wednesday~April 15, 2009 “So I took him by the left leg and flung him down the stairs.” ????? THAT, my friends, is a line from a song on a CHILDREN’S CD. You know, Tunes for Toddlers or some such thing. The kind we listen to in the car. Which is quite often now that I’ve resolved to get out of the house and into the world more often. So I may have been losing my mind with us all cooped up too much before, but now I’m losing my mind hearing these ridiculous songs. Why do you put the CD in, Heather? Are you not “in the driver’s seat,” so to speak? I’ll get to that in a moment. So there are the usual suspects like “Rock-a-bye Baby,” in which a baby drops to the ground from a TREE TOP. And “Three Blind Mice.” What is up with that one? She cuts off […]
Friday~April 10th, 2009 There’s no 7 Quick Takes over at the Conversion Diary today, but I had to do them anyway. There are just too many small bits of information in my head that need capturing. Ready? GO! 1. I can’t believe I have not eaten even ONE Cadbury mini egg yet this Easter season. I have eaten about four packages of Peeps all by myself, but still no mini eggs. What gives? 2. Spring is almost all the way to Minnesota now. The sun is coming out to stop the snow and the air is moving it’s way above 40 degrees. One thing I love about having such stubborn winters is how their death and darkness are always completely destroyed by spring renewal. It’s truly miraculous, refreshing, powerful, and somehow it changes me. Every year. Just in time for Easter. 3. And spring makes me want to do something good. For only […]
Wednesday~April 8, 2009 “You seem like you’re pretty earthy,” she said. And I paused a second and said, “Yes, I guess I am. I mean…yeah, I’m crunchy, but not totally.”I wrote a post recently for WFMW about healthier snacking for kids. In it I mentioned that we as a family are not entirely organic, but making healthy choices by limiting our chemical, pesticide, and additive intake is very important to me. (the sticker reads, “Don’t panic I’m organic.”) And even though it’s important to me, I still find it to be overwhelming sometimes. The food prices are higher and sometimes more limited and difficult to find. I’m forgetful and disorganized so I’m not too swell at finding the best prices and coupons to make organic living more affordable. And sometimes I’m just plain in a hurry, so I don’t read labels, I simply grab and go. One thing that helps me is Mama […]
Monday~ April 6, 2009 This is funny stuff, people. Are ya ready? I just checked my sitemeter and said to myself, “Why are there so many google searches that landed people here today?” Then I clicked on one, and another one, and another one…. The google search words? “Heather motherhood blog” Guess what, guys? Heather Armstrong was on Oprah today. You know, the Heather Armstrong of one of the best known blogs in the world? Yeah, Dooce. I wonder how long people will look around, confused, wishing they could understand how a blogger like me was on Oprah… I’m sure there will be a whole lotta‘ confusion. Especially because I look so much like her: Heather of the Dooce Heather of the EO I mean, seriously. If you photoshop my wrinkles and thin out my nose, darken the brows, straighten the hair, and stand really far away, we’re totally the same person. You […]
ACK!!! This just in! I’m up over at TopMomma.com today! Have you heard of this? Well, either way…would you be so kind as to head on over there, check out the place and click the Moms Rock button? That’s me! Please click HERE to get to the main page and give the EO a click! Thank you so much! If my blog gets the most hits, I become Top Momma and then I RULE THE WORLD! What fun! (bwaaahaaaahaaa!!!!) —————— And if you’re here from TopMomma.com, WELCOME!! Thank you for coming by. If you want, you could click on the Greatest Hits button at the top of my blog. You’ll find some posts worth reading there. I think…I hope…I mean, other people liked them a lot, so it’s worth a try! Thank you! Thank you for allowing me to pop up in your inbox and for reading my words, silly or serious. I […]
Posted on Tuesday~March 31, 2009 Do you have a few posts you’re really proud of? You know the ones, tucked away in your archives, begging to be read? Posts that many of your readers missed because it was long ago, or posts they would love to see again? YES, YOU DO! So here’s your chance to have your favorites featured! Bloggers Annex I’m one of the editors over at the Bloggers Annex, and we want YOUR submissions. The posts can be serious, funny, poetry…anything. We simply look for well-written posts to share with the blogosphere. I joined the Annex team because I love discovering new blogs and great writers. I love to “meet” new people I wouldn’t have come across if not for sites that feature a variety of posts from a variety of bloggers. That’s exactly what the Annex does, and I look forward to seeing it grow! If you’re already familiar […]
Posted on Sunday~March 29, 2009 I haven’t really known where to go after my last two posts. Talking about the sad stuff, the sickness, the loss…I didn’t know what to say after that. I have a tendency to just randomly post whatever is on my mind and heart on a particular day. There’s no rhyme or reason. I don’t have any one particular kind of blog, which gives me a bit too much freedom. I can attempt humor, I can wax philosophical, I can mommy blog, I can vent, and so on. I’m sure visiting here is a bit like arriving to a theater without knowing what kind of movie you’re going to, but I’m not going to apologize for that. (Sorry.) This is how I roll. Those of you with ADD will totally understand, I’m sure. Now what was my point? Oh yeah… I still couldn’t figure out what to say because […]
Posted on Saturday~March 28, 2009 I have good news today! Can you stand it? If you’re here from 5 Minutes for Parenting, HI! Welcome to the EO! Now that I (hopefully) made you laugh with my McFear post over at 5 Minutes for Parenting, let’s see if I can make you cry! I know, fun game… This post shares my feelings about how fast my boys will grow and how badly I want to Remember. (I will now plug this post furthur by saying it was featured on Blog Nosh Magazine, Mama Manifesto, and the Bloggers Annex. And I was totally flattered.) And now, HI GUYS! (you regular folks, you!) Yes, you guessed it. A post of mine is over at 5 Minutes for Parenting! Every Saturday, 5 Minutes for Parenting features a post that’s funny, giving you a Dose of Humor. (If you have some humorous parenting related posts, go on over […]
Posted on Wednesday~March 25, 2009 I apologize for how cramped this post is, but blogger apparently hates the Enter key today. ARGH! Thank you all so much for your comments, thoughts and prayers for our neighbors. I love so many things about the blog world, but I think my favorite is the way people spread the word and encourage each other. To the non-blogger, it might seem strange to truly care about someone you’ve never met, but people are totally capable of it. I’ve experienced it more than once. Thank you. I hope to have something light and funny to share with you soon, but today isn’t that day. I’m sure many of you know about Stellan. If you haven’t heard, he’s back in the hospital and his little heart is just not working right. I’ve been following MckMama’s tweets and posts and my heart breaks for their struggle. This family is living […]
Posted on Wednesday~March 18, 2009 I would like to say that I feed my kids three perfectly balanced meals a day, but that would be a big fat lie. I’d also like to say that they never have any unhealthy snacks, but that would be an even bigger and fatter lie. (No one likes a liar.) But I will say that I try. Eating well is something that’s important to me. Part of my Mama Manifesto, if you will. The problem with staying on top of eating healthy is that it’s lots and lots of work, and I can be lots and lots of lazy. So I’ve come up with a few things that are standard, things I always have around the house that I consider healthy alternatives for the things kids love. (Please don’t tell me they aren’t healthy, or I’ll be crushed–I know they’re at least more healthy than really unhealthy […]
Posted on Thursday~March 5, 2009 CHECK THIS OUT!!! I WON THE $250 TARGET GIFT CARD FROM AUDS ATBARKING MAD!!!! I’M FREAKING OUT!!!! NO WAY!!! Wait…now what did I say I would do if I won? OH!JUMP right OUT of my SKIN!(I totally did that and it terrified my children!) THANK YOU, AUDS!!! I can’t decide what I’m going to do.Should I stock up on diapers and wipes and toilet paper and ranch dressing?Or should I blow it on fun stuff? Or both? OR, I could buy stuff for other people! Oh….this is gonna be FUN!!!! Thank you for allowing me to pop up in your inbox and for reading my words, silly or serious. I appreciate you. ~Heather
Posted on Wednesday~March 4, 2009 Miles was eating at the kitchen table and I was standing at the counter staring into the vortex that is my laptop. I’m sure I was twittering or blogging when Miles said, “I miss Daddy.” I stopped short and looked at his cherub face. “I do too, sweetie.” “Yeah, for now Asher and me will just play with each others and you will do grown up stuff and we’ll just wait.” I wanted to throw the computer in the garbage at that moment. Because he’s right. I don’t play enough. Daddy is the playing guy, so when he’s out of town for work, there’s a lot of boredom going on in here. And I do spend too much time on the computer sometimes, I know that. So lately I’ve been doing something new. I’m using a timer. It sits right next to me. It’s an old-fashioned one, you […]
Posted on Bluesday~February 3, 2009 Do you know what’s funny? I rambled on and on yesterday about wanting another baby and today I mostly just want to run screaming down the street shouting, “I HAVE FREE CHILDREN FOR ANYONE WHO WILL TAKE THEM!!!” Life is funny that way. Motherhood is funny that way. In other words, I don’t feel like this: (seriously. what is wrong with me?) I feel like this: When the Dad is out of town for the work week, Tuesdays are just icky. It’s like there’s a curse on them. I noticed it many Tuesdays ago and now that I’m focusing on it, I’m sure I’m making them even worse. You get more of what you focus on, you know. (yeah yeah whatever.) The day even started with Miles misjudging his aim in the bathroom, and me mopping up a very full bladder’s amount of urine. You know how your […]
Posted on Saturday~February 28, 2009 I have to be sure to clear up some things before I share more of my recent thoughts on motherhood. (Read: I’m paranoid sometimes.) I’ll get back to my mysterious dream that I’ve now played up way too much in my next post, but some things have been bothering me. SO I’m selfishly getting them off my chest. First of all, in my last post I was not referring only to stay at home moms. When I talked about accepting motherhood and embracing the selflessness and sacrifice of it, I was simply referring to a state of mind in general and my own personal journey. I happen to be a stay at home mom, but I used to be a working mom so I’m very sensitive to that perspective. I would never want to come across as if I’ve forgotten that there are mothers who work outside the […]
Posted on Sunday~February 22, 2009 I usually don’t do that thing where you mention giveaways on your blog so that you have a better chance of winning. (Because it’s too much effort for a non-gambler like me. Wait…I guess I do like to throw some nickels in the slots, but that’s the equivalent of leaving a comment to enter a giveaway. I do that. Sure, throw my name in the hat! Clickity Clack. Done! But linking to the giveaway on my blog? That’s like high stakes poker! So much effort and so little chance of winning…But I digress.)This time it’s different. I’m linking to a giveaway because it’s for some friends and their baby. That rocks the giveaway party. Rachel at In His Hands is the sweetest thing. She and her husband Josh are preparing to bring their baby home from Korea very soon. I’ve been following their adoption journey for a few […]
Posted on Friday~February 20, 2009 Do you? If you do, maybe you’ve already heard that Kim of Prairie Mama is one of the finalists in the running to win a FREE RIDE to the BlogHer convention this summer in Chicago. If you hadn’t heard, I’m telling you now because I’d LOVE to see my friend Kim win this trip. Kim’s post about why she blogs moved her into the finals of the Mabel’s Labels BlogHer contest, and now we can help her win the whole deal with a simple vote. So please take just a moment to CLICK HERE and vote for Prairie Mama. If she wins, I’ll give you all FIVE DOLLARS. OK, I lied. I won’t give you five dollars, but if you were in my kitchen (where I am right now) and we found out that Kim won, I’d definitely give you a HIGH five. Or maybe even a hug. […]
Tuesday~February 10, 2009If you’ve been reading my blog long, I’m sure you’re thinking that this post is about Tuesday Whitt. In a way this post is about that Tuesday, but mostly it’s a tribute to a couple of other people. Every Tuesday over at Halftime Lessons and Dirty Socks and Pizza (for over a year now) it’s time to link up for Tuesday’s Tribute. A day to write about someone other than yourself, a tribute to the person (or place or thing) of your choice. Jay of Halftime Lessons is the guy pictured in my sidebar on the left. On March 21st he’s shaving his head once again for St. Baldrick’s, an organization raising money for cancer research. That rocks the party. Go ahead and give that picture a clickety click and read more about Jay and his family, and how they’re doing their part to fight cancer. Scroll through the site and […]
At the exact same time that Tuesday’s loved ones gathered and joined in a “wagie ride” parade in Parker Colorado to celebrate her life, we walked our streets. I felt that if I turned to my left or right I would bump right into those of you all over the country sharing in one big “wagie ride” parade in honor of Tuesday’s life. Thank you Lee and Em, for having the idea for a parade. It’s beautiful. We walked to an intersection with a mailbox. Where Miles had the honor of mailing the money that was raised for Tuesday in this post.He called that envelope “the special mail.” I was so moved by that, I nearly dropped him. Because so many of you spread the word about our little fundraiser across the blogosphere, we were able to send a check to the Tuesday Fiona Whitt Memorial Fund at the same time that we […]
January 31, 2009 Tuesday Fiona WhittOctober 11, 2006-January 30, 2009 Comments for this post are off.Please continue to comment on the post belowto help Tuesday’s family. Thank you for allowing me to pop up in your inbox and for reading my words, silly or serious. I appreciate you. ~Heather
Posted on Friday~January 30th, 2009: 9:00am You’ve maybe noticed Miss Tuesday in my sidebar. This beautiful little girl and her family have been on my mind and heart since the day I heard about them and started following their story. Tuesday is 2. She has a twin sister and two older brothers. Tuesday also has cancer. I know there are a lot of hurting people, and we hear a lot of sad stories, especially if we’re connected to the internet world. But sometimes a certain person’s story will just stick with you, touching your heart in a way that seems impossible for never having met them. Tuesday and her family have done something to my heart. And I’m honored, because it means I’ve been moved to help in my own small way. Jessica Kate is Tuesday’s mom. Her latest blog post was an update with heart-breaking news: “My deepest fears were confirmed. Tomorrow […]
Posted on Tuesday~January 13, 2009 Many of you read my last post and might notice it’s gone now. I took it down because I didn’t feel right about it from the moment I posted it, and I woke up this morning ready to delete it, even before I read through the comments. I don’t think it was wrong for me to be so frustrated with judgment and arrogance in general (I didn’t link to the blog I was talking about because I wanted to keep it general). But I do think it’s wrong for me to judge the judgers themselves, and I did have a specific person in mind when I wrote that post. I appreciate that many of you understood it was a moment of frustration for me, one that led me to venting on my blog. I think it’s acceptable to do that, but in this case, I wasn’t comfortable with […]
Did you know I joined the Bloggers Annex team? Well, I did. So that means I get to read all the submitted posts and have a part in choosing those that are featured. And today my big introduction post is up over at the Annex. Check it out and leave me a comment over there. That will make me feel better about rambling on about myself and posting a picture that looks nothing like me on a daily basis. (You know, I look showered and I’m wearing make-up. Weird.) ————— In other news, the man behind the Mother Letter Project is doing another cool thing today. He rocks. He has a Mr. Linky type of thing over at the Mother Letter Project blog. Everyone is welcome to talk up one of their favorite organizations (charities) and link up over there. The organization I’m going to link to the Mother Letter Project is…(drumroll….)… You’re […]
There’s something so beautiful about a house full of women. The chatter and laughter, the smiles and questions. The give and take. The humor. The food… I hung out in a house full of women (and one man) today at one of my favorite places–the warm and inspiring home of K and/or K. Kelly hosted her second annual Santa’s Workshop. She invited the lovely ladies in her life to the Vlachster (K and/or K) home, asking us to bring our unwrapped gifts and some cookies. Then we did the cookie exchange thing, talking our heads off while getting our wrapping out of the way. Kelly even provided the wrapping paper, bows, gift bags, and tissue paper to help us accomplish this Christmas chore. (Even though some of us haven’t done our shopping yet…cough…SABRINA!) (Oh…and ME.) Anyway. Today’s Santa’s Workshop was a much needed break for me. As icing on the cake, I FINALLY […]
Hi all! This is MidnightCafe standing in for Heather of the EO today. She & I belong to the same Bible Study group, which Heather described in if life is a highway as a group of women who: …drink coffee and eat naughty things and then learn a little something from a little known lady named Beth Moore. In any case, I get to be the honorary blog poster who tells you all that… DRUMROLL PLEASE Asher is in recovery, and the surgery went great!! Heather’s sister (who sounds a lot like Heather on the phone) said that it took just a little over an hour. Now he’s waking up, drinking pedialyte, and doing fine! There’s not a whole lot else to say at this point. He will be in the hospital at least until tomorrow, and then the plan is for him to go home and be his wonderful, engaging self with […]
Look! It’s Becky of On top of the world (or at least really far north), guest posting! We’ve finally worked out the kinks. Becky is authentic, she has a great sense of humor, and I look forward to her posts every day. As she points out below, she and I have been reading each other’s blogs since July. It seems longer to me because she’s a blogger I instantly connected with, and haven’t missed a post since. Welcome Becky, my Alaskan friend! Visit her site, you won’t be disappointed. (No pressure Becky!) _________Wow! This is my first time as a guest blogger. I feel a little nervous. I also feel a little disgruntled that the hair and makeup guys who were present in my guest-blogger daydream (which was oddly similar to “A Makeover Story”) aren’t real. You’d think they’d understand what a big deal this is for me. Sheesh! I did a little […]
My priorities are all out of whack lately. They’re so out of whack that I’m not even sure what I mean. But I do know that the addictive nature of blogging is taking a bit of a toll. Now don’t get me wrong, I’m not going to stop blogging. Remember? I said it’s addictive. And I freaking LOVE it. I love to write. I love to read. You guys rock the party. But I’m still going on a blogcation. Is that what we call it? I think it will be good for me to just pretend it isn’t there for awhile and try to remember what I did with my free time in the past. You know, things like talk to my husband, do laundry, and work out. (Okay I didn’t really work out that much, but I should try it.) I just need a breather, even though I might shake and feel […]
Hi! This is Ryan. I’m the husband. Last week when I was gone the toilet was broken. This week it is the computer (the DSL connection), which is way worse. When we were all getting ready for Y2K I should have stocked up on dsl routers instead of spring water and dried packets of food. My poor wife, she cannot catch a break. Hopefully she will be up and running soon because she REALLY wants to be reading your blog posts. We do not know yet what is exactly wrong, this may not be solved until I get home. Nice to meet you on the World Wide Interweb! Thank you for allowing me to pop up in your inbox and for reading my words, silly or serious. I appreciate you. ~Heather
Hi! Yes I’m changing the look of the EO. Again. I can’t help myself. It’s too much fun to tinker around with this blog thing. Bear with me as I put myself back together. (If you’ve been reading this blog lately, you’ll know how funny that last sentence really is. I’m hilarious.) Thank you for allowing me to pop up in your inbox and for reading my words, silly or serious. I appreciate you. ~Heather
