When I attended BlogHER-Boston recently, I had the pleasure of meeting a number of bloggers. Talked with them, face-to-face, which was a novelty for me considering that, as a work-from-home writer, most of the contacts I have with blogging folk is virtual.
One of the women with whom I met was Charlene Prince Birkeland, the parenting editor at Shine -- a women's Yahoo channel -- and parenting blogger who writes under the name Crazed Parent. At the conference, she gave an effective talk which provided bloggers valuable tips on how to boost traffic (many of her tips were implemented on this very site . . . check out the changes to the sidebar . . . my fingers are crossed on the boosting traffic part) which received good buzz. Charlene and I have crossed virtual paths on a number of occasions; we both wrote for AOL and DotMoms. But we hadn't met one another until BlogHER.
Nonetheless, it was a wonderful surprise to read today that she named this very blog, Suburban Mom, as one of the "four parenting blogs you should be reading." She also lavished praise upon yours truly calling me "smart and sassy (and also super nice)." (*blushing . . . demurely of course*)
'Twas very uplifting to read, particularly in the wake of last night's unspeakably tragic Red Sox loss (*pausing to weep into my latest caffeinated beverage, the 47th of the day following late night baseball*). Thanks for the boost Charlene.
Showing posts with label Red Sox Nation. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Red Sox Nation. Show all posts
Monday, October 20, 2008
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
Vast Riches, My Children, Don't Take Them for Granted
I was up, late into the night, watching the Boston Celtics win their first national championship since I was but an awkward high school student who didn't sufficiently appreciate the likes of Bird & Co. when I watched and rooted for in the 80s. ("Don't the Celtics always win?" I remember thinking.)
The Eldest Son stayed up with The Spouse and I, watching until the bitter end, almost making it to see the televised images of the champagne showers in the locker room.
This morning, The Spouse had spread our newspapers across the kitchen counter, all with huge, glorious images of the triumphant Celtics for our three kids to see. Looking at those images and at the children who've become accustomed to their teams winning, I don't know if my three children can entirely recognize how very lucky they have been, with the shocking (I still remain shocked) 2004 Red Sox World Series championship, the Patriots' Super Bowl victories, the 2007 Red Sox win and now, the Celtics' championship. They think, that Boston teams -- with the exception of the Bruins -- always win.
Silly children. Enjoy it now, while you can. You never know when we'll be this lucky again.
Image credit: Associated Press/Charles Krupa.
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
Big Papi Patriotic About Whole Nation, Not Just the Sox Part
Big Papi, one of my favorite Boston Red Sox players, has officially become a citizen of the American nation, not just of Red Sox Nation, according to media reports.
The Sox designated splendid splinter -- currently nursing an injury -- attended a luncheon at the Kennedy Library in Boston before taking the oath of citizenship accompanied by his wife, two of his children (ages 7 and 3), his father, and the president of the Boston Red Sox organization, the Boston Globe said.
The Associated Press quoted Ortiz as saying: "My whole family, kids, and everyone have been born here. It's a great country, proud to be here, now proud to be a part of it."
"He is the personification of what a great citizen should be," Red Sox president Larry Lucchino told the Boston Herald. "He’s the heart and soul of Red Sox Nation."
Amen.
Image credit: Jezebel.com.
Friday, May 2, 2008
Four for Friday: Baby Mama, Mystery Reader, Election Fun/Star Wars style and Baseball Rain Delay
Item #1: Baby Mama
Went to see the new comedy flick "Baby Mama" with a gal pal last week. We laughed. We cried. A good time was had by all . . . particularly in the brew pub afterwards where we watched the end of the Red Sox game while having adult beverages. I sing the praises of comedic talent Tina Fey in "Baby Mama" in my film review here.
Item #2: Mystery Reader
I got an early morning e-mail from the Youngest Boy’s room parent one morning this week asking me if I wanted to visit my son’s class and serve as the class Mystery Reader (a parent who surprises the class by showing up to read a book). At 9 a.m.
I had two columns due that afternoon and other work to which I had to attend, but seeing as though I hadn’t yet been a Mystery Reader in his classroom thus far this school year – though I did help with the class “winter holiday” party – maternal guilt set in. I agreed.
Carrying our hardcover copy of Officer Buckle and Gloria, I was greeted by my son’s teacher in the hallway outside of the classroom. She told me that the children would be back shortly. They'd been chosen to sing a song in the school library as part of a daily, building-wide, closed-circuit broadcast of the "Morning Messages." I plopped down on one of those tiny little chairs that I was certain would crash to the floor as soon as I lowered myself into it and watched the TV mounted on the wall above the black board come alive with the image of an awkward group of first graders singing a rendition of the “Bingo” song. In the corner of the screen, off to the right side, I saw my boy, looking dumbstruck and singing. Kind of. Or at least he was mouthing some of the words, although he did clap vigorously when the song called for it. But what surprised me was how little and how very young he looked. “He won’t be like this for long,” I thought.
After I read the book to the group, which seemed to go over well, the kids eagerly showed me the slimy-looking tadpoles that had just arrived in their classroom this week and were busy darting around a fish tank. All I could think was, "How many of these little guys will make it out alive?"
Item #3: Election Fun . . . 'Star Wars' Style
So this presidential election is going on . . . and on . . . and on. In December, conventional wisdom said that Sen. Hillary Clinton was the prohibitive favorite to win the Democratic presidential nomination. Then the caucuses and primaries began and Sen. Barack Obama’s campaign caught fire and he became the favorite to snag his party's nomination. Then came the dust-up with Obama’s former pastor and Clinton's recent string of wins, and now Obama doesn’t look so strong, or so favorite. The whole thing just looks like one big political mess.
But big political messes make for exciting political news and great cable TV news ratings. And, may I add, great political parody, including this "Star Wars"-style parody I discovered on the Huffington Post. It’s nakedly pro-Obama, assigning him the role of Luke Skywalker while Clinton is Darth Vader and her husband is the Emperor. Regardless of your political party or whether you have a candidate of choice in the Democratic race, I'll bet you find this pretty entertaining. My Eldest Son, a "Star Wars" aficionado, laughed out loud, even though he didn't get half of the political jokes.
Item #4: Rain Delay
Irony of the week: At 7 p.m. on Friday, I was just finishing up making a late dinner for the family. The Spouse and the Youngest Son were still at the Youngest Son’s season opening baseball game. In the rain and cold.
To help pass the time while I tidied up from the aftermath of my cooking, I flipped on NESN, the Boston area cable network that carries Boston sports, and, most importantly, Red Sox games. Only the Red Sox game was in rain delay. Meanwhile my son’s 6- and 7-year-old Little League game in a greater Boston suburb, however, was still ongoing.
Went to see the new comedy flick "Baby Mama" with a gal pal last week. We laughed. We cried. A good time was had by all . . . particularly in the brew pub afterwards where we watched the end of the Red Sox game while having adult beverages. I sing the praises of comedic talent Tina Fey in "Baby Mama" in my film review here.
Item #2: Mystery Reader
I got an early morning e-mail from the Youngest Boy’s room parent one morning this week asking me if I wanted to visit my son’s class and serve as the class Mystery Reader (a parent who surprises the class by showing up to read a book). At 9 a.m.
I had two columns due that afternoon and other work to which I had to attend, but seeing as though I hadn’t yet been a Mystery Reader in his classroom thus far this school year – though I did help with the class “winter holiday” party – maternal guilt set in. I agreed.
Carrying our hardcover copy of Officer Buckle and Gloria, I was greeted by my son’s teacher in the hallway outside of the classroom. She told me that the children would be back shortly. They'd been chosen to sing a song in the school library as part of a daily, building-wide, closed-circuit broadcast of the "Morning Messages." I plopped down on one of those tiny little chairs that I was certain would crash to the floor as soon as I lowered myself into it and watched the TV mounted on the wall above the black board come alive with the image of an awkward group of first graders singing a rendition of the “Bingo” song. In the corner of the screen, off to the right side, I saw my boy, looking dumbstruck and singing. Kind of. Or at least he was mouthing some of the words, although he did clap vigorously when the song called for it. But what surprised me was how little and how very young he looked. “He won’t be like this for long,” I thought.
After I read the book to the group, which seemed to go over well, the kids eagerly showed me the slimy-looking tadpoles that had just arrived in their classroom this week and were busy darting around a fish tank. All I could think was, "How many of these little guys will make it out alive?"
Item #3: Election Fun . . . 'Star Wars' Style
So this presidential election is going on . . . and on . . . and on. In December, conventional wisdom said that Sen. Hillary Clinton was the prohibitive favorite to win the Democratic presidential nomination. Then the caucuses and primaries began and Sen. Barack Obama’s campaign caught fire and he became the favorite to snag his party's nomination. Then came the dust-up with Obama’s former pastor and Clinton's recent string of wins, and now Obama doesn’t look so strong, or so favorite. The whole thing just looks like one big political mess.
But big political messes make for exciting political news and great cable TV news ratings. And, may I add, great political parody, including this "Star Wars"-style parody I discovered on the Huffington Post. It’s nakedly pro-Obama, assigning him the role of Luke Skywalker while Clinton is Darth Vader and her husband is the Emperor. Regardless of your political party or whether you have a candidate of choice in the Democratic race, I'll bet you find this pretty entertaining. My Eldest Son, a "Star Wars" aficionado, laughed out loud, even though he didn't get half of the political jokes.
Item #4: Rain Delay
Irony of the week: At 7 p.m. on Friday, I was just finishing up making a late dinner for the family. The Spouse and the Youngest Son were still at the Youngest Son’s season opening baseball game. In the rain and cold.
To help pass the time while I tidied up from the aftermath of my cooking, I flipped on NESN, the Boston area cable network that carries Boston sports, and, most importantly, Red Sox games. Only the Red Sox game was in rain delay. Meanwhile my son’s 6- and 7-year-old Little League game in a greater Boston suburb, however, was still ongoing.
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
Sports in the Morning . . . Sports in the Evening
Early this morning: TV was tuned to the Boston Red Sox season opener in Japan (played in the evening in Japan, in the wee hours of the morning on the East Coast). Kids watched the Olde Towne team during breakfast with their dad, while I drove to work and listened in on the radio, and then cursed when the game went into extra innings and didn’t end before it was time to teach my first class of the day. (My students did, however, seem to enjoy the updates I provided them as I repeatedly checked my BlackBerry for the up-to-the-minute score during the first half of the class.)
This evening: TV will be tuned to my alma mater playing in the National Invitational Tournament (NIT). Kids will be allowed to watch some of it . . . probably more than they should, considering it’s a school night.
Early tomorrow morning: The Sox are slated for another pre-dawn ballgame on the tube.
We’re going to be one tired sports family.
This evening: TV will be tuned to my alma mater playing in the National Invitational Tournament (NIT). Kids will be allowed to watch some of it . . . probably more than they should, considering it’s a school night.
Early tomorrow morning: The Sox are slated for another pre-dawn ballgame on the tube.
We’re going to be one tired sports family.
Thursday, February 28, 2008
Three for Thursday: ‘Lost’s’ Parental Issues, Political Baby and Sox Spring Training
Item #1: ‘Lost’s’ Parental Issues
Ever watch the labyrinthian drama “Lost” -- about survivors of a plane crash stranded on an island -- and wonder why almost all the parents are screwed up and why women who get pregnant while on the island all die? Nearly every major character on the show has some kind of parentally-inflicted damage, the after-effects of which they’re still coping. And the irony of pregnancy equaling death, well, that just adds to the show’s many mysteries. I muse about these curious contradictions in a recent piece on Mommy Track’d.
Item #2: Political Baby
Want to know with which presidential candidate a baby feels most comfortable? During this presidential primary season, journalist Darren Garnick had his baby girl photographed with each of the major presidential candidates. In Senator Barack Obama’s arms, Garnick’s then-newborn looked comfy. She was happy for two seconds in Senator John McCain’s arms, Garnick wrote, but then started wailing. When the baby was held by Senator Hillary Clinton, the two locked eyes and the senator looked like a pro.
Item #3: Sox Spring Training Bay-Bee
Enough of winter, black ice, white-out conditions, etc. Enough of the flu, colds and whatever bugs are going around. I’m ready for spring. And spring means baseball. Or, at least spring training. More specifically, Boston Red Sox spring training.
(Image from ABC.)
(Image from ABC.)
Monday, February 4, 2008
Don't Count Your Chickens . . .
Last night’s colossal let-down (re: the Patriots’ collapse and the victory of the team nobody thought would win) provided my three kiddos with a big life lesson on why you should never smugly assume that things will always go your way (like planning a victory parade in Boston before anyone set foot on the field) no matter what sports commentators or conventional wisdom may lead you to believe.
As two of my three kids went to bed in tears last night – The Girl wisely put herself to bed at 9:15 p.m. and received the bad news early today – I tried to hide my disappointment from the rug rats as I mulled over what I’d tell them in the morning once the reality of a perfect season eluding New England’s grasp had sunk in.
By morning, I decided to apply this lesson – it’s not over ‘til it’s over — not just to sports but to life and to politics. I used the example of the presidential race to try to illustrate this point, that regardless of what the media, quoting opinion polls, believe will happen on Super Tuesday, what really matters is what people do once they actually set foot in the voting booths, just like no one knows who’s going to win a Super Bowl until the final whistle. (After all, the pundits have done a lousy job prognosticating about what voters would do in this primary season thus far.)
Of course, none of this has dispelled my children’s sadness and remorse as they cast forlorn glances at their Tom Brady jerseys lying on their bedroom floors. Sadly, election day isn’t as exciting to them as the Super Bowl. Maybe playing our DVD of the triumphant Sox might be the right kind of salve they need as opposed to my ramblings about politics and elections. After all, Spring Training is right around the corner.
As two of my three kids went to bed in tears last night – The Girl wisely put herself to bed at 9:15 p.m. and received the bad news early today – I tried to hide my disappointment from the rug rats as I mulled over what I’d tell them in the morning once the reality of a perfect season eluding New England’s grasp had sunk in.
By morning, I decided to apply this lesson – it’s not over ‘til it’s over — not just to sports but to life and to politics. I used the example of the presidential race to try to illustrate this point, that regardless of what the media, quoting opinion polls, believe will happen on Super Tuesday, what really matters is what people do once they actually set foot in the voting booths, just like no one knows who’s going to win a Super Bowl until the final whistle. (After all, the pundits have done a lousy job prognosticating about what voters would do in this primary season thus far.)
Of course, none of this has dispelled my children’s sadness and remorse as they cast forlorn glances at their Tom Brady jerseys lying on their bedroom floors. Sadly, election day isn’t as exciting to them as the Super Bowl. Maybe playing our DVD of the triumphant Sox might be the right kind of salve they need as opposed to my ramblings about politics and elections. After all, Spring Training is right around the corner.
Monday, October 29, 2007
World Champs, Bay-bee (With Many Sleepy Fans)
By the 5th inning, both of our boys had fallen asleep in the family room in front of the TV, snug in their sleeping bags. (The Girl put herself to bed at 9 p.m. after confiding in me that watching the game was making her nervous. Like mother, like daughter.)
By the 7th inning, I broke out the antacids, fearful that this was too good to be true.
By the 8th inning, I wanted to break the audio on the TV so I would no longer have to listen to the Fox announcers prattle on . . . and on . . . and on about A-Rod’s future given the fact that both A-Rod and the Yankees went home oh so long ago. (I would’ve tuned to a radio broadcast of the game if only I could get a clear AM signal at my house after dark instead of a wall of static.)
The Spouse and I briefly panicked after seeing Gagne warming up in the bullpen (the prospect of Gagne coming into the game nearly sent me, the exhausted shell of myself, to bed). After another Colorado homerun in the 8th, I made second trip to the antacid bottle.
In the 9th inning, The Spouse and I started taping the game to determine whether it would be worth it to rouse our snoozing trio. After we witnessed the Red Sox WIN THE WORLD SERIES, we re-wound the broadcast and tried to unsuccessfully wake The Girl, received growls of protest from the 6-year-old who didn’t want to get up and got a groggy grin from our 9-year-old son as he sat between his parents and watched Papelbon and Varitek celebrate the final out.
By this morning, with the newspapers telling tales of triumph spread out across our kitchen table, our children’s perspective that their hometown team is a winning force from whom World Series’ wins are expected, was cemented. For me, despite everything that has transpired, this remains a hard concept for me to grasp. My grandfather, who didn’t live to see the 2004 glory, would’ve been so pleased.
Thursday, October 25, 2007
Three for Thursday: Bomb Scare, Wimpy Kids, and Hopkinton Halloween-Themed Event (With Book Signing)
Item #1: Bomb Scare
If I had known that I could’ve slept a little later this morning after having stayed up until the bitter end of last night’s Red Sox game (I know, I should be over the fear of them blowing a huge lead, but I’m not) and NOT driven out to UMass to teach my first class because the campus was closed early this morning after someone found a suspected explosive device in a classroom, I’d be a much happier person right now.
Item #2: Wimpy Kids
This San Francisco Chronicle article by Peter Hartlaub about what he called, and I quote, “the wussification of American children,” is on the mark. An excerpt:
Item #3: Hopkinton Halloween-Themed Event (With Book Signing)
If you’ve ever been to downtown Hopkinton — near the starting point of the Boston Marathon – you’ve likely seen the local drug store/gift shop called, cleverly enough, Hopkinton Drug. Well, I’m going to be on hand there this Saturday during their Halloween Open House event. No, I won’t be dispensing pharmaceuticals, making gift recommendations or musing about marathons. Instead, from 1:30-3 p.m. I’ll be signing copies of The Book, “A Suburban Mom: Notes from the Asylum.”
Including among the Hopkinton Drug Open House festivities for the kiddos and their ‘rents: A Halloween costume contest, an arts and crafts table, candy tasting, balloons and Halloween stories. The store can be found at 52 Main Street on the corner of Routes 85 and 135.
If I had known that I could’ve slept a little later this morning after having stayed up until the bitter end of last night’s Red Sox game (I know, I should be over the fear of them blowing a huge lead, but I’m not) and NOT driven out to UMass to teach my first class because the campus was closed early this morning after someone found a suspected explosive device in a classroom, I’d be a much happier person right now.
Item #2: Wimpy Kids
This San Francisco Chronicle article by Peter Hartlaub about what he called, and I quote, “the wussification of American children,” is on the mark. An excerpt:
“We pamper our kids, over-schedule them, overemphasize fairness in
competition (the score ends in a tie . . . again!) and keep them indoors too
much, to the point that we’re doing them a huge disservice. Kids aren’t learning
how to get hurt, lose, fend for themselves, find their balance and discover
minor dangers on their own – all important parts of growing up.”
Item #3: Hopkinton Halloween-Themed Event (With Book Signing)
If you’ve ever been to downtown Hopkinton — near the starting point of the Boston Marathon – you’ve likely seen the local drug store/gift shop called, cleverly enough, Hopkinton Drug. Well, I’m going to be on hand there this Saturday during their Halloween Open House event. No, I won’t be dispensing pharmaceuticals, making gift recommendations or musing about marathons. Instead, from 1:30-3 p.m. I’ll be signing copies of The Book, “A Suburban Mom: Notes from the Asylum.”
Including among the Hopkinton Drug Open House festivities for the kiddos and their ‘rents: A Halloween costume contest, an arts and crafts table, candy tasting, balloons and Halloween stories. The store can be found at 52 Main Street on the corner of Routes 85 and 135.
Monday, October 22, 2007
Unbridled Glee in Mudville Amid the Jet Lag
The kind pilot flying our plane from San Francisco to Boston last night tried his best. He tuned into a Chicago radio station so we, the Red Sox fans on board, could listen to the Olde Towne Team play a do-or-die game the winner of which would punch a ticket to the World Series. When we could no longer get the Chicago station’s muddy signal, the pilot switched to another station. And then another until we could barely make out what was happening in all the static.
By the time we set foot in Boston and then got home to witness the game’s final triumphant moments, my jet lag (I’d never adjusted to west coast time during my stay) was a non-issue, at least for me, as I stayed up watching the team party at Fenway Park. (I’m expecting the jet lag to catch up with me tonight, or tomorrow.)
The Spouse and I spent several days in San Francisco so I could attend the Mommy Track’d/Flexperience seminar on women and work (I’ll blog about it in a later entry), where I signed copies of my Book – A Suburban Mom: Notes from the Asylum – and could appear on a San Francisco TV program the "View from the Bay" with co-host Janelle Wang. (Watch the interview here.)
And while it’s going to take me a while to get back into the groove of EST, one thing that won’t need adjusting to is the fact that the Sox are in the Series.
Monday, August 13, 2007
By the Numbers
FOUR: If you’re a Red Sox fan, you know the significance of this number. It’s the dwindling number of games the Sox have left over the Evil Empire in the American League East. (Thanks bullpen.)TWO: Number of weeks before the kids go back to school. (Go ahead, ask me if I’ve bought school supplies yet.)
THREE: Number of kid-related birthday parties The Spouse and I have left to host by September 1. Each kid gets a very small children's party and then we're having a small barbecue for the kids’ immediate family. One “Star Wars” themed party down, one “High School Musical,” one Red Sox and another “Star Wars” themed party to go.
FOUR: Number of days until “High School Musical 2” premieres and my daughter has a whole new reason to proclaim her love for Troy Bolton.
SIX: Number of thank you notes I have to press my 6-year-old into writing some time this week.
FIVE: Number of times I’ve ordered my offspring to go and play outside today because playing outside is what kids do. (". . . No, I don’t care if you’re bored.")
TEN: Number of dollars I owe the town library because I was tardy in returning videos we’d borrowed, both of them, sadly, unwatched.
FIVE: Number of tickets we have to a Red Sox game this week with the kids, courtesy of our kids’ Red Sox Nation memberships. (For the backstory related to this, go here.)
TWO HUNDRED: The amount of money I’m expecting we’ll have to shell out when we bring a family of five to the ballpark. I'm joking, of course. The number's likely closer to $2,000.
E-mail Meredith
(Disney image via the Los Angeles Times.)
Wednesday, May 16, 2007
A Red Sox Debacle: When Mom Screws Up
Last December, I had my laptop, The Spouse’s laptop, our landline phone and my cell phone all spread out across the kitchen table. I was trying, for hours upon end, to get through to the Boston Red Sox ticket telephone line or online ticket purchasing queue. I was trying to buy two decent tickets for The Spouse and I (as our big birthday gifts to one another) and four tickets for The Spouse and the three kids to see a game.
It was a hectic morning. I was fueled by caffeine and frustrated after hours of failure. So when both a laptop AND the landline phone had opportunities open up simultaneously, I should’ve known I was just askin’ for trouble.
Long story short: I wrote down the wrong date for The Spouse-kids’ game. And, because I didn’t check the tickets when they were mailed to me, I didn’t notice when the game for which we had four tickets was played. Instead, I got the kids all revved up about their upcoming game. They went to school and told all their friends. On so-called game day, they dressed in their Sox gear. And then, as I was getting the tickets to hand them to The Spouse I happened to notice that the game for which we had tickets had occurred a week earlier.
The only thing that spared me a verbal tongue lashing from all fronts was the tears in my eyes and the ashen look that took over my face when I realized my disappointing and costly mistake.
In a vain attempt to redeem myself, I signed all three kids up for membership in the Red Sox Kid Nation club, which promises with each membership, the opportunity to buy a pair of tickets.
Of course this means that if we do get tickets for each kid and a grown-up, we’ll have to pay for parking three separate times, as opposed to one. But when you disappoint your kids during their one chance to see the Sox this season, you do what you gotta do.
E-mail Meredith
It was a hectic morning. I was fueled by caffeine and frustrated after hours of failure. So when both a laptop AND the landline phone had opportunities open up simultaneously, I should’ve known I was just askin’ for trouble.
Long story short: I wrote down the wrong date for The Spouse-kids’ game. And, because I didn’t check the tickets when they were mailed to me, I didn’t notice when the game for which we had four tickets was played. Instead, I got the kids all revved up about their upcoming game. They went to school and told all their friends. On so-called game day, they dressed in their Sox gear. And then, as I was getting the tickets to hand them to The Spouse I happened to notice that the game for which we had tickets had occurred a week earlier.
The only thing that spared me a verbal tongue lashing from all fronts was the tears in my eyes and the ashen look that took over my face when I realized my disappointing and costly mistake.
In a vain attempt to redeem myself, I signed all three kids up for membership in the Red Sox Kid Nation club, which promises with each membership, the opportunity to buy a pair of tickets.
Of course this means that if we do get tickets for each kid and a grown-up, we’ll have to pay for parking three separate times, as opposed to one. But when you disappoint your kids during their one chance to see the Sox this season, you do what you gotta do.
E-mail Meredith
Monday, May 14, 2007
Dad tries to impress son. Gets Arrested. News at 11.
A Boston area TV station is reporting that a 37-year-old Connecticut dad, in an attempt to impress his 7-year-old, leapt onto the field at Fenway Park last night during the ninth inning.
And then — to thoroughly make the grade schooler proud of his old man and to provide great fodder for the family Christmas letter — got himself arrested.
What’s next in this dad’s repertoire of feats? Juggling chainsaws? Playing chicken with trucks on the Mass. Turnpike? Or maybe wearing a Yankee hat in full view of Red Sox Nation?
E-mail Meredith
And then — to thoroughly make the grade schooler proud of his old man and to provide great fodder for the family Christmas letter — got himself arrested.
What’s next in this dad’s repertoire of feats? Juggling chainsaws? Playing chicken with trucks on the Mass. Turnpike? Or maybe wearing a Yankee hat in full view of Red Sox Nation?
E-mail Meredith
Thursday, May 10, 2007
Three for Thursday
I know, I’ve been remiss in blogging over the past few days. I blame my overstuffed burrito of a schedule which, this week, has included: Kids’ soccer practices, baseball/T-ball practices and games, writing assignments, an unexpectedly unwieldy family heritage homework assignment for my second graders that requires that we exhume our ancestors in order to ask them what their favorite foods and traditions were and whether they ever sang “Yankee Doodle Dandy” while eating American cheese, an unexpected dinner with a family member from Philly, “24” (curses those evil-doers!), correcting students’ papers, the Red Sox, Mother’s Day, door-to-door solicitors that won’t take no for an answer, global warming and Sheryl “Spare a Square” Crow.
Plus I’m out of coffee. I’d venture down to my neighborhood Dunkin’ Donuts for my fix, but then I might run into that Sox fan who taunted my 5-year-old a few weeks ago because my son was wearing a Yankees hat. (Remember that guy who, a few commenters and e-mailers suggested that if I were a good parent I would’ve hunted down in the parking lot and threatened with a plastic coffee stirrer a la Jack Bauer?)
Aaannywaay . . . here are three for Thursday:
Item #1: Rotten Kids on the Playground
In honor of my foul mood today, I thought I’d mention this darkly sarcastic blog entry from Motherhood Uncensored: A mom kvetches about parents who don’t reprimand their offspring when they are ill-behaved or hurt other children while on the playground. Warning, this site has some, er, interesting artwork on its banner (i.e. – condoms) so make sure no supervisors (that includes the pediatric kind) are around when you read the entry.
Item #2: Motherhood Manifesto on a PBS Station Near You (If You’re Lucky)
I wrote about a new documentary “The Motherhood Manifesto” — which examines the status of American mothers and families when it comes to public policies, childcare and employment — for Mommy Track’d a few weeks ago, when the only way to watch it was to buy the DVD through the advocacy group Moms Rising. But now many PBS stations have signed on to air the documentary in honor of Mother’s Day. Click here to find out when and if the documentary is airing on your local PBS affiliate.
Item #3: Mother’s Day Stinks
Okay, maybe I’m still reeling from my lack of caffeine . . . no, wait a second. It’s not the lack of caffeine that’s prompting me to write those un-American words, “Mother’s Day Stinks” (I wanted to use stronger language, but I’m trying, mostly in vain, to be at least somewhat classy.) I’ve long hated Mother’s Day because of the enormous pressure it puts on the mothers, who are actively being moms to little heathen-like creatures, to treat the veteran moms like royalty. We already honor our mothers and grandmothers on their birthdays and their wedding anniversaries and work hard to pick out perfect gifts for Christmas/Hanukkah . . .
I have a column in The Book (*shameless self-promotion ahead*), “A Suburban Mom: Notes from the Asylum”) entitled, “Mother’s Day for Those Who Need It” where I gripe that the moms who need the day off the most — the ones with wee little children and who aren’t getting any sleep — are the same ones who are, right now, racing around town trying to find the right present for their mothers, mothers-in-law and grandmothers, PLUS making sure that there’s some sort of celebratory meal planned.
A friend of mine – who shall remain nameless because she fears getting excommunicated by her mother-in-law – said to me today: “Let’s call it what it is. It’s a day for People Who Used to Mother.”
That being said, of course I’ll be thrilled to see YOU Mom, at the book signing on Saturday (in Westborough, MA at Tatnuck Books). But don’t expect my house to be clean when we go back there after the event. I’ll try to have some eats available that won’t send you to the ER with food poisoning. But one thing’s for certain. There will be coffee, and, if you’re on your best behavior at the book store, perhaps a cocktail.
E-mail Meredith
Plus I’m out of coffee. I’d venture down to my neighborhood Dunkin’ Donuts for my fix, but then I might run into that Sox fan who taunted my 5-year-old a few weeks ago because my son was wearing a Yankees hat. (Remember that guy who, a few commenters and e-mailers suggested that if I were a good parent I would’ve hunted down in the parking lot and threatened with a plastic coffee stirrer a la Jack Bauer?)
Aaannywaay . . . here are three for Thursday:
Item #1: Rotten Kids on the Playground
In honor of my foul mood today, I thought I’d mention this darkly sarcastic blog entry from Motherhood Uncensored: A mom kvetches about parents who don’t reprimand their offspring when they are ill-behaved or hurt other children while on the playground. Warning, this site has some, er, interesting artwork on its banner (i.e. – condoms) so make sure no supervisors (that includes the pediatric kind) are around when you read the entry.
Item #2: Motherhood Manifesto on a PBS Station Near You (If You’re Lucky)
I wrote about a new documentary “The Motherhood Manifesto” — which examines the status of American mothers and families when it comes to public policies, childcare and employment — for Mommy Track’d a few weeks ago, when the only way to watch it was to buy the DVD through the advocacy group Moms Rising. But now many PBS stations have signed on to air the documentary in honor of Mother’s Day. Click here to find out when and if the documentary is airing on your local PBS affiliate.
Item #3: Mother’s Day Stinks
Okay, maybe I’m still reeling from my lack of caffeine . . . no, wait a second. It’s not the lack of caffeine that’s prompting me to write those un-American words, “Mother’s Day Stinks” (I wanted to use stronger language, but I’m trying, mostly in vain, to be at least somewhat classy.) I’ve long hated Mother’s Day because of the enormous pressure it puts on the mothers, who are actively being moms to little heathen-like creatures, to treat the veteran moms like royalty. We already honor our mothers and grandmothers on their birthdays and their wedding anniversaries and work hard to pick out perfect gifts for Christmas/Hanukkah . . .
I have a column in The Book (*shameless self-promotion ahead*), “A Suburban Mom: Notes from the Asylum”) entitled, “Mother’s Day for Those Who Need It” where I gripe that the moms who need the day off the most — the ones with wee little children and who aren’t getting any sleep — are the same ones who are, right now, racing around town trying to find the right present for their mothers, mothers-in-law and grandmothers, PLUS making sure that there’s some sort of celebratory meal planned.
A friend of mine – who shall remain nameless because she fears getting excommunicated by her mother-in-law – said to me today: “Let’s call it what it is. It’s a day for People Who Used to Mother.”
That being said, of course I’ll be thrilled to see YOU Mom, at the book signing on Saturday (in Westborough, MA at Tatnuck Books). But don’t expect my house to be clean when we go back there after the event. I’ll try to have some eats available that won’t send you to the ER with food poisoning. But one thing’s for certain. There will be coffee, and, if you’re on your best behavior at the book store, perhaps a cocktail.
E-mail Meredith
Monday, April 23, 2007
Adult Red Sox Fan Taunts Kindergartener in a Yankees Cap
Scene: Dunkin’ Donuts, Saturday morning, several hours after the Boston Red Sox came from behind to beat the New York Yankees in dramatic style during the first of three games.
Characters: Mom (okay, me) in a Red Sox hoodie, 8-year-old daughter and 5-year-old son who insisted on wearing a Yankees cap (I’m hoping he grows out of it), and a guy in a Red Sox T-shirt.
Action: While the mom, daughter and son were sitting at a table next to a window minding their own business, a guy in a Sox shirt balanced his tray of coffees up on a window ledge outside so he could rap on the window and catch the attention of the kindergartener in the Yankees cap. When the boy, and everyone else at the table looked at him, the man slowly pointed to the words “Red Sox” on his shirt and then said, “Good game last night, eh?” (The kindergartener had gone to bed long before the game ended.) Then the man laughed, nodded at the mom — who was wearing the Sox hoodie and therefore was deemed a kindred spirit — and walked away.
What the mom wanted to do but didn’t: Chase the guy down the sidewalk and tell him that even though she wishes her son weren’t interested in the Yankees, he, sadly, is. Nonetheless, he’s a kid. He’s 5. And if you want to taunt someone, go find someone your own size, buddy, leave the kid alone.
E-mail Meredith
Characters: Mom (okay, me) in a Red Sox hoodie, 8-year-old daughter and 5-year-old son who insisted on wearing a Yankees cap (I’m hoping he grows out of it), and a guy in a Red Sox T-shirt.
Action: While the mom, daughter and son were sitting at a table next to a window minding their own business, a guy in a Sox shirt balanced his tray of coffees up on a window ledge outside so he could rap on the window and catch the attention of the kindergartener in the Yankees cap. When the boy, and everyone else at the table looked at him, the man slowly pointed to the words “Red Sox” on his shirt and then said, “Good game last night, eh?” (The kindergartener had gone to bed long before the game ended.) Then the man laughed, nodded at the mom — who was wearing the Sox hoodie and therefore was deemed a kindred spirit — and walked away.
What the mom wanted to do but didn’t: Chase the guy down the sidewalk and tell him that even though she wishes her son weren’t interested in the Yankees, he, sadly, is. Nonetheless, he’s a kid. He’s 5. And if you want to taunt someone, go find someone your own size, buddy, leave the kid alone.
E-mail Meredith
Saturday, April 14, 2007
SportsCenter, Big Papi and Jorge Posada
ESPN has a short ad featuring Boston Red Sox slugger David “Big Papi” Ortiz, New York Yankees catcher Jorge Posada and the Red Sox mascot Wally.
It’s the first video named, “Betrayal.” It’s worth a look.
E-mail Meredith
It’s the first video named, “Betrayal.” It’s worth a look.
E-mail Meredith
Thursday, April 12, 2007
Three for Thursday
Item #1: Red Sox Management: Please Cancel the Game NOW
Way back in December, I spent hours at my kitchen table with two laptops computers, a landline phone and a cell phone trying to call in and log onto the Boston Red Sox web site to buy tickets for the 2007 season. Two of the tickets I was able to purchase – for The Spouse’s and my birthdays – were for today’s game against the Seattle Mariners.
Only not only are sleet and snow in the forecast, right now there’s a driving rain. My in-laws are supposed to babysit, but won’t drive to our house if it snows/sleets. The worst case scenario would be that we have to scramble to find an alternative babysitting arrangement, haul our butts out to Fenway Park, only to find that we have to sit there in the freezing rain for hours and THEN they cancel the game.
I’ve had bad experiences with rain delays, like the four-hour delay my family experienced when we lingered at a game a few years ago in the middle of a lightning storm waiting to find out if they’d play.
I’m hoping they won’t screw us over today and that they’ll just cancel the game. Though I was born and raised in New England, I’m not a hearty New Englander. So sue me.
Item #2: “Grey’s Anatomy”
Okay. I’m sick of the repeats already. Tonight’s a show comprised of favorite clips from the past three seasons. And the new “Desperate Housewives” on Sunday was so dull that I didn’t even blog about it this week. (*snore*)
Item #3: “Medium”
One TV show that’s not in re-runs and that offers a great portrait of an average American mom (although one with psychic abilities), is NBC’s “Medium.” I wrote a piece on Mommy Track’d about why, in terms of its portrayal of balancing motherhood and work, it’s a nice treat.
E-mail Meredith
Way back in December, I spent hours at my kitchen table with two laptops computers, a landline phone and a cell phone trying to call in and log onto the Boston Red Sox web site to buy tickets for the 2007 season. Two of the tickets I was able to purchase – for The Spouse’s and my birthdays – were for today’s game against the Seattle Mariners.
Only not only are sleet and snow in the forecast, right now there’s a driving rain. My in-laws are supposed to babysit, but won’t drive to our house if it snows/sleets. The worst case scenario would be that we have to scramble to find an alternative babysitting arrangement, haul our butts out to Fenway Park, only to find that we have to sit there in the freezing rain for hours and THEN they cancel the game.
I’ve had bad experiences with rain delays, like the four-hour delay my family experienced when we lingered at a game a few years ago in the middle of a lightning storm waiting to find out if they’d play.
I’m hoping they won’t screw us over today and that they’ll just cancel the game. Though I was born and raised in New England, I’m not a hearty New Englander. So sue me.
Item #2: “Grey’s Anatomy”
Okay. I’m sick of the repeats already. Tonight’s a show comprised of favorite clips from the past three seasons. And the new “Desperate Housewives” on Sunday was so dull that I didn’t even blog about it this week. (*snore*)
Item #3: “Medium”
One TV show that’s not in re-runs and that offers a great portrait of an average American mom (although one with psychic abilities), is NBC’s “Medium.” I wrote a piece on Mommy Track’d about why, in terms of its portrayal of balancing motherhood and work, it’s a nice treat.
E-mail Meredith
Monday, April 2, 2007
NOW, It’s Spring, Where Hope Is Eternal . . . At Least Among Members of Red Sox Nation
This afternoon.
It begins.
The next epic chase for the American League championship. And, of course, for another World Series trophy, though, let’s be brutally honest, nothing could or would ever top the unbelievable trip known as 2004.
In honor of Opening Day, my 8-year-old Red Sox/Yankee fan ( I know! ) went to school today looking like a mixed metaphor: Wearing his old red Red Sox jersey with Johnny Damon’s name on the back, along with his navy Yankee hat. (I had my fingers crossed when he boarded the bus that he wouldn’t be tormented at school.)
I’m still workin’ on him. Subtly. Trying to show him how much more historic, epic and compelling the Sox are as compared to the Yankees, whose fan club he joined when his favorite player (Damon) defected to the Evil Empire to the south.
But somehow I think it’s a losing battle.
E-mail Meredith
It begins.
The next epic chase for the American League championship. And, of course, for another World Series trophy, though, let’s be brutally honest, nothing could or would ever top the unbelievable trip known as 2004.
In honor of Opening Day, my 8-year-old Red Sox/Yankee fan ( I know! ) went to school today looking like a mixed metaphor: Wearing his old red Red Sox jersey with Johnny Damon’s name on the back, along with his navy Yankee hat. (I had my fingers crossed when he boarded the bus that he wouldn’t be tormented at school.)
I’m still workin’ on him. Subtly. Trying to show him how much more historic, epic and compelling the Sox are as compared to the Yankees, whose fan club he joined when his favorite player (Damon) defected to the Evil Empire to the south.
But somehow I think it’s a losing battle.
E-mail Meredith
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