Karen Chatters

Not as dumb as I look

Karen — Fri, 18 May 2012 16:38:28 +0000

A couple of weeks ago I took Patrick in for his 18 month check up. I knew he was kicking butt and wasting no time growing and thriving so I wasn’t really expecting to hear anything. I was mostly curious to hear where his stats were on the “chart” – 80% for weight and off the charts for height. That wasn’t the least bit surprising, my 18 month old is wearing 3T clothes. The doctor did tell me that at this point we could start time outs and I can’t lie, I was a little relieved. Patrick’s been hitting and punching and biting and all of the things he should be doing but still aren’t OK.

So the other day we were sitting on the couch and he hauls off and hits me in the head. I go through the whole, “NO hitting!” routine and he does it again. I tell him again, “NO HITTING!” but this time I add, “Do it again and you go in a time out.” So yeah, OF COURSE he hits me again. Duh. So I tell him he’s going in a time out and this is the response.

He’s no fool, he knows EXACTLY what’s going on. Man, I LOVE this boy.

In bloom

Karen — Wed, 16 May 2012 11:00:45 +0000

These didn’t do this last year. Maybe my thumb isn’t that black after all.

Living on the damn prairie

Karen — Tue, 15 May 2012 11:00:49 +0000

There’s a good chance that I need to get a life, or a clue, but the other day I was feeling very ‘living-off-the-land-Little-House-on-the-Prairie-ish.’ I’d seen “all over” the Interwebs, people who’d made the Tova top by Wiksten. I’d actually seen it on Rae’s site, several times and then I saw it everywhere and the more I saw it, the more I wanted it and felt the NEED to make it. And seriously, it was $10 so if I made 3 or 4 tops, then it just became a better and better deal. (See how my mind works, rationale. Forget that I would ~~have~~ need to spend $20 on fabric for each shirt I made.

The pattern couldn’t have been easier. OK, well, the pattern itself printed out to 35 pages and THAT was the biggest pain in the entire project. Oh, and the fact that I cut my finger on the rotary cutter and got blood on the fabric (the scrap part, at least). But once everything was cut and ready to go, and the bleeding stopped, the pattern and instructions couldn’t have been easier. AND AND AND, I actually went off the reservation and used some of the other things I’ve learned along the way to make some changes. For example, I made the shirt without the collar but still knew how to finish it off. That may not seem like a huge deal to you but HUGE to me. I made the shirt a little shorter than what the pattern called for as I don’t like how things hang over my hips.

I've had more freaking issues with this one damn picture... It's sideways. The point being the fabric in the lapel is on the bias, going at an angle. Woo me. Oh hell...

So back to my prairie… I was actually able to wear my shirt on Friday as the weather here was crappy and not that warm and my shirt was PERFECT for the day. I also was able to put Patrick in his Treasure Pocket Pants which I still LOVE and now that he’s full on walking, I don’t have to worry about the holes in the butt as much. Oh, and the rain watered my garden and I’m going to have a beautiful bounty of veggies over the summer. (Yeah right, I’ll be lucky to get a single thing but I’m going with it.) So yeah, it’s all Prairie-esque up here in the ATL.

More prairie living that just never ends…

(I take no credit for this, this is actually Paul's unbelievable spelt bread)

The littles make me smile

Karen — Mon, 14 May 2012 02:28:09 +0000

Like many of you, we mamas were treated to love and effection and cards and kisses. And occasionally whine and snot and crying and complete and utter and total meltdowns. But then there was more wine and ice cream and all in all, those little people make our world a much brighter place. You know, usually.

Happy day to all the mamas.

The legacy we leave

Karen — Thu, 10 May 2012 10:00:09 +0000

I think a lot about the parent I want to be. The friend I want to be. The person I want to be. And someday, a looong time from now, the grandparent I want to be. I’m not sure it’s a conscious thought that I have. Not something I think about on a daily or hourly basis but something that lurks in the corners of my mind. Something that I can’t help but be aware of when I voice my opinion or think of the consequences to my actions. What little ears are listening? What little eyes are watching?

There’s no secret on how I feel about same sex marriage: I’m all for it. I’m all for 2 loving adults, who are committed and devoted to one another, who want to share a life together, to be able to marry one another if they so desire. I don’t care who they are, what color they are or what gender they are. I want all people to be created equal and to be awarded the same rights in the United States. (Well, in the world but let’s talk about the US for now.) I know people in same sex unions who have been “married” FAR longer than my first marriage lasted. Marriage is hard. It takes work. Add kids and it’s hugely difficult. There’s no “market” on marriage. It’s not something that heterosexual people do “right” while others would ruin the union. Please.

I saw a discussion on Facebook the other day that has stuck with me for days. The young lady was very anti-gay marriage and voiced those beliefs quite loudly. Her beliefs were based on religious beliefs. She stuck to her convictions and cited all kinds of places in the Good Book where her beliefs came from. But this isn’t a religious debate. It’s not about what your religion tells you. It’s about equality for all. If your religion tells you that gay marriage is wrong and you happen to be gay, then don’t get married. I mean, there’s a law that allows you to carry a gun but if you don’t want to or don’t believe in guns, then don’t own one.

I’m really pleased with what Obama said yesterday, in stating his beliefs for same sex marriages. Do I think he’s way late on that announcement? Absolutely. But following the vote in NC, passing an amendment to ban same sex marriage, it was certainly the right thing to do. I know there are a lot of people that feel that government is over reaching and I don’t necessarily disagree with that. But if Obama’s “announcement” today is one that get’s us one sep closer to equality, then I’m all for it. It’s sad that we’re even having this discussion. STILL. But if we’re still having it, I’m going to keep talking about it and I want my kids to listen. I want them to know that ALL men are created equal, not just some of them. And if some day they want to marry someone of the same gender, then go for it. I want to be there at the end of the aisle to witness it all and know that we were part of the generation that made it possible.