It's always hard for me to find time to post everyday, but it's about to get a whole lot harder. I picked my mom up from the airport this afternoon and from now until the end of the month, I will have house guests. I desperately need the help, since Andrés will be spending long days at work training, but I can't ever seem to break myself away from conversation to get on the Internet and type words.

My mom will stay for about a week and a half and then Sarah will be coming the week of Thanksgiving. I can't really fathom how I'll be able to keep up with my NaBloPoMo responsibilities, but I'm going to try. What I'm really saying is, don't expect the quality of posts to be improving around here any time soon.

Posted by Bethiclaus at 10:38 PM | Comments (0)

Awhile back, my pastor asked if it was okay if she included me on her blogroll. Apparently, she thinks I am funny and she likes it when I swear. (I know. She's awesome. But you can't have her. She's mine. Heh.) In any case, I warned her that she might not want me on her blogroll, since she might not want to be linked to my swearing or any of the various heresies I may or may not espouse here. She was certain, though, and so I'm there on her blog. It's always nice to be liked, so I don't mind it in the least.

Her blogroll is fairly small, though, and a lot of people from church read her blog. It became quite apparent to me today at church that a fair number of those click through her blogroll to see what's going on with the rest of us. (No, I don't really look at my stats, so I had never noticed this before.) I hadn't really considered that I had readers from church. Of course, I know that some of my friends and family read my blog, but I don't know, I guess it always weirds you out to realize there are people reading who know you but who you didn't realize were reading.

In any case, hi, church friends. Glad you stopped by. Please don't be offended by anything I say here.

Posted by Bethiclaus at 08:15 PM | Comments (1)

It's November, so that means it is NaBloPoMo. This means that I am agreeing to be here everyday this month. Last year, I did not participate, because I was WAY in my roly-polyness by November. But this year, it is on. I'm making quite a few efforts for November, not the least of which is to exercise everyday and actually do my homework like someone who wants to graduate in May. I know, I know. Lofty goals.

Halloween pictures, anyone?

Also, Andrés landed the new job and starts on Wednesday. He keeps reminding me that it's technically a step down, but hell, they're paying him more money for less responsibility, so you will not hear me complaining.

Posted by Bethiclaus at 08:52 PM | Comments (4)

So Swistle decided we should all start a Pay-It-Forward Bomb, wherein we would host a contest on our blogs and then the winners would host a contest and on and on infinitum. Well, I am on board.

So this contest is open, yo. Leave a comment to enter and I will pick a random winner of a prize as yet to be determined. And I give good prize (just saying). Contest closes on July 4 at (um) 12 noon Central Time. If you don't have a blog, you can still totally participate. Swistle will explain how.

Don't forget to also enter all the other contests listed on that entry. You have many chances to win! Many different prizes! And many opportunities to also give gifts to total strangers. Good luck.

Posted by Bethiclaus at 10:08 AM | Comments (38)

1. The Lady Elizabeth, 2. Poached Egg on Chorizo, 3. Another East Lake morning..., 4. National Geographic behind the scene, 5. Taye Diggs "Day Break" tv ad on Gray Line bus, 6. Irish Cream Panna Cotta & Chocolate Biscotti, 7. Glacier surface, 8. christmas cookies 041, 9. Frost-5, 10. You almost feel like you could fly without the plane..., 11. HELP!!!, 12. Untitled

I need to thank Marilyn for doing this, because it kept me busy today while my entire work productivity was tied up in an IT error. Awesome.

In case you want to participate, here's the deets.

1. Type your answer to each of the questions below into Flickr Search.
2. Using only the first page, pick an image.
3. Copy and paste each of the URLs for the images into fd’s mosaic maker).

The Questions

1. What is your first name? Elizabeth


2. What is your favorite food? chorizo


3. To which high school did you go? Eastlake


4. What is your favorite color? red


5. Who is your celebrity crush? Taye Diggs


6. Favorite drink? Bailey's


7. Dream vacation? Alaskan cruise


8. Favorite dessert? Christmas cookies


9. What you want to be when you grow up? scientist (I answered with what I wanted to be when I was a kid.)


10. What do you love most in life? Andres


11. One word to describe you. neurotic


12. Your flickr name bethiclaus

Additionally, Sweetney sent a flickr email to me at the worst possible second. Her challenge?

Your mission, should you choose to accept it: Post a photo of yourself taken right now. Wherever you are, whatever you're doing, grab a camera (photobooth obviously helps) and snap. No retouching, just the rawness of a moment in time. Then post your photo on flickr or your blog/site, and share the link in comments here. Ready? GO.

Unfortunately, for me, I had just finished working out and was just checking me email briefly before hopping in the shower. The resulting picture can speak for itself I think.

Have a good weekend, yo.

Posted by Bethiclaus at 06:32 PM | Comments (2)

I know I have other entries promised, but I wanted to get this one up this morning.

Remember this entry? I got a lot of really positive feedback about it and it felt good to talk about something that had been on my mind for months.

Well, Mojavi is the woman from that post. (Isn't it weird how you never know how to pronounce names from the Internet? Is it Mo-HA-vee? Mo-JA-vee? I don't know. And that is not the point.) I'm not really sure why I've never linked to her before, other than that I am very lazy and my blogroll is very out of date. She read the post last night.

From an interaction we had shortly after I wrote the post, I honestly thought she had read it a long time ago. But I guess not. In any case, she has a new post up from yesterday. She's not specifically talking about our interaction, but is talking about the spiritual vs. religious stuff and I thought it would be nice if you guys got to hear her perspective as well. I've already weighed in in the comments, but you should, too. Go check it out.

Posted by Bethiclaus at 08:12 AM

Like so many of my fellow bloggers, I read almost every blog on my blogroll through a feed reader. This makes me a very horrible commenter. Additionally, my work has blocked Blogger, so while I can read sites, I can't comment from work on Blogger. But today, I will go out of my way to comment as frequently as I possibly can (which, granted, may not be much - I have a ton of homework).

In any case, I thought I would also encourage y'all to comment here as well by asking a question. This was asked of the students in my Exodus class by the professor just last week. If you had two free hours, what would you do with them? I found this to be a particularly cruel exercise, since answering it was not immediately followed by an excuse from class, but there you go. If you had two hours that were already blocked out for something relatively unpleasant and that something were cancelled, what would you do with your free time?

I'd like to keep it light around here today, because tomorrow's post is brewing in my brain and I don't think light would be the best word to describe it.

Posted by Bethiclaus at 07:22 AM | Comments (26)

Well, it's oh dark thirty in the morning and I am getting ready to leave on an adventure, but I wanted to make sure you were all invited to a fantastic event. Come to a baby shower! You can even guess which baby picture belongs to me. And you'll surely all be able to recognize Alliclaus.

In honor of this lovely occasion, I've been asked to share the worst ASS-vice I received about parenting as well as the best advice. So here it is:

• Worst ASS-vice ever: "You're not going to be one of those "time-out" parents, are you? Because kids who aren't spanked don't ever learn how to behave."
• Best advice: Cagey told me to buy a hat when Alliclaus was still a very hairy newborn. And she was right. If you are lucky enough to have a baby born with a full head of hair, people will stop you constantly to talk about the hair. "Did you have heartburn?," which is the weirdest of old wives' tales. "Is your husband *whispered* not white?," in spite of your own head full of dark hair. Having a hat saves you tons of time.

Posted by Bethiclaus at 04:47 AM | Comments (5)

Jodi awarded me a Thinking Blogger Award for my recent post about religion. It's shocking to me that anyone would consider me a thinker, but I am not one to scoff at praise. Thank you, Jodi. It's very encouraging to hear that people are reconsidering their religious stereotypes after reading my writing.

I have been instructed to follow "the rules." Here they are:

1. If, and only if, you get tagged, write a post with links to 5 blogs that make you think,
2. Link to this post so that people can easily find the exact origin of the meme,
3. Optional: Proudly display the 'Thinking Blogger Award' with a link to the post that you wrote (here is an alternative gold version if silver doesn't fit your blog).

Without any more discussion, here is my list of awardees:

• Thomas from American Sweatpants: In addition to convincing me that sweatpants can be a life uniform, Thomas' posts about politics always get me thinking. And laughing.
• Bad Penguin: I've enjoyed Bad Penguin's writing for a long time now. Between fighting infertility and developing a new healthy lifestyle, hers has been a journal I've loved. Her husband's mother is dying. And I think she wrote about it beautifully.
• Sarah from Sarah's Super Sblog:Sure, she's my best friend and my future sister-in-law, but what really gets me about Sarah's blog is her commitment to a cause. Why, just last week Sarah totally needed to go to Michael's and instead she hauled her ass all the way out to Hobby Lobby. When she makes you dead, watch out! She's not kidding.

Okay, so technically, I only awarded three Thinking Blogger Awards, but I'm sure the rest of you think a lot. But with so many of you already receiving them, I don't have time to go through the entire blogroll to find which of you haven't. After all, I only have two weeks left in class. Crap! Make that one.

Posted by Bethiclaus at 03:24 PM | Comments (7)

You guys! Andi Pandi sent Alliclaus a birthday present! (I am very lazy and cannot look up her url right now, so please refer to my blogroll.)

I really am touched and kind of speechless about the whole thing. I know I've made a few baby blankets for blogger babies in my day, but it really is nice to know that someone who reads you really does think about your family in such a kind way.

Thank you so much, Andi.

And in other news, I have been hiding Alliclaus from you for no good reason whatsoever. (Unless you count laziness with a camera as a reason.) So here you go.

Clearly she gets her big head from me.

Or possibly from Andiclaus.

Nose

Turtle

Your turn!

Posted by Bethiclaus at 09:20 AM | Comments (7)

I do not believe a blogger of my caliber (read: crappy) really needs to explain or apologize for absences from the web. Y'all will be able to continue on your day to day journey without knowing if Alliclaus' diaper rash cleared up (it did) or if I'm doing well on Weight Watchers (I am) or how many hours I spent playing Mario Kart yesterday (approximately eleventy billion).

But when I don't say anything for awhile, I feel the restlessness creep in. So, I am stopping in briefly to say that I am not hiatusing (?) from blogging right now; I am simply trying to get my damn homework done. I have put a policy in place in my home that I am not allowed to write a blog entry or even read blogs (!!!) until I get at least one homework assignment done daily. This is very hard. And so far it has not been working all that well (see: Mario Kart).

Also, I have three baby blankets that I should have had done weeks ago (not to mention the lovely ladies who had babies recently whose blankets I simply gave up on - I'm sorry). I believe I will be back to regular blogging sometime in late 2008. Or when the tremors get so bad that I have to get a fix.

If I can get a seven-page paper done this afternoon during Alliclaus' nap, I am so totally going to blog about...hmm. Well, I'm sure I'll think of something. Do you want to hear about the implications and key concerns of Wesley's class meeting? No? Gah, you guys really know how to ruin a party.

Posted by Bethiclaus at 09:35 AM | Comments (6)

Age on my next birthday

Source

My favorite color

Source

My middle name

Source

The last meal I ate

Source

My bad habit

Source

My favorite fruit or vegetable

Source

My favorite animal

Source

The town I live in

Source

The name of my pet

Source

My SO's nickname

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My current crush's name

Source

My occupation

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My birth city

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My favorite song of the moment

Source

Meme stolen from weaker vessel

Posted by Bethiclaus at 06:00 AM | Comments (9)

I know! A meme!

Cagey and I were hanging out and knitting this weekend and she mentioned to me that she had recently finished a meme that she really thought I should do. And since I'm trying to get back into the swing of things around here, and since the meme was about books, and since blogging about books means not blogging about the crazy, I decided to give it a go.

In the list of books below:
- make the ones you've read blue
- make your personal favorites purple (Cagey added this category)
- make the one you wouldn't touch with a ten-foot pole red
- italicize the ones you want to read
- put a plus (+) in front of the ones on your book shelf
- and an asterisk (*) in front of the ones you’ve never heard of.

If you do the meme, please let me know, as I'd love to see your list!

1. +The Da Vinci Code (Dan Brown)
2. Pride and Prejudice (Jane Austen) -- on the Great Booklist of 2007
3. To Kill A Mockingbird (Harper Lee)
4. Gone With The Wind (Margaret Mitchell)
5. The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King (Tolkien)
6. The Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring (Tolkien)
7. The Lord of the Rings: Two Towers (Tolkien)
8. Anne of Green Gables (L. M. Montgomery)
9. *Outlander (Diana Gabaldon)
10. *A Fine Balance (Rohinton Mistry)
11. +Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (Rowling)
12. +Angels and Demons (Dan Brown)
13. +Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (Rowling)
14. *A Prayer for Owen Meany (John Irving)
15. Memoirs of a Geisha (Arthur Golden)
16. +Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone (Rowling)
17. *Fall on Your Knees (Ann-Marie MacDonald)
18. The Stand (Stephen King)
19. +Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban(Rowling)
20. Jane Eyre (Charlotte Bronte)
21. The Hobbit (Tolkien)
22. The Catcher in the Rye (J. D. Salinger) -- on the Great Booklist of 2007
23. Little Women (Louisa May Alcott)
24. The Lovely Bones (Alice Sebold) -- I was supposed to read this a few months back - eek.
25. +Life of Pi (Yann Martel) -- LOVE
26. The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy (Douglas Adams)
27. Wuthering Heights (Emily Bronte)
28. +The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe (C. S. Lewis)
29. East of Eden (John Steinbeck)
30. Tuesdays with Morrie (Mitch Albom)
31. *Dune (Frank Herbert)
32. The Notebook (Nicholas Sparks)
33. Atlas Shrugged (Ayn Rand)
34. +1984 (Orwell)
35. The Mists of Avalon (Marion Zimmer Bradley) -- on the Great Booklist of 2007
36. *The Pillars of the Earth (Ken Follett)
37. *The Power of One (Bryce Courtenay)
38. I Know This Much is True (Wally Lamb)
39. The Red Tent (Anita Diamant)
40. The Alchemist (Paulo Coelho)
41. *The Clan of the Cave Bear (Jean M. Auel)
42. The Kite Runner (Khaled Hosseini)
43. Confessions of a Shopaholic (Sophie Kinsella)
44. The Five People You Meet In Heaven (Mitch Albom)
45. +Bible -- I have quite a few copies and have read them many times -- don't be jealous
46. Anna Karenina (Tolstoy)
47. The Count of Monte Cristo (Alexandre Dumas)
48. Angela’s Ashes (Frank McCourt)
49. The Grapes of Wrath (John Steinbeck) -- How long can it take a turtle to cross a street? Five pages, apparently.
50. She’s Come Undone (Wally Lamb)
51. The Poisonwood Bible (Barbara Kingsolver)
52. A Tale of Two Cities (Dickens)
53. Ender’s Game (Orson Scott Card)
54. Great Expectations (Dickens) -- on the Great Booklist of 2007
55. The Great Gatsby (Fitzgerald) -- on the Great Booklist of 2007
56. *The Stone Angel (Margaret Laurence)
57. +Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (Rowling)
58. The Thorn Birds (Colleen McCullough)
59. The Handmaid’s Tale (Margaret Atwood)
60. The Time Traveller’s Wife (Audrey Niffenegger) -- on the Great Booklist of 2007
61. Crime and Punishment (Fyodor Dostoyevsky)
62. The Fountainhead (Ayn Rand)
63. War and Peace (Tolstoy)
64. Interview with the Vampire (Anne Rice)
65. *Fifth Business (Robertson Davis)
66. One Hundred Years Of Solitude (Gabriel Garcia Marquez) -- Book Club for April
67. The Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants (Ann Brashares)
68. +Catch-22 (Joseph Heller)
69. Les Miserables (Hugo)
70. +The Little Prince (Antoine de Saint-Exupery)
71. Bridget Jones’ Diary (Fielding)
72. *Love in the Time of Cholera (Marquez)
73. *Shogun (James Clavell)
74. The English Patient (Michael Ondaatje)
75. The Secret Garden (Frances Hodgson Burnett)
76. *The Summer Tree (Guy Gavriel Kay)
77. A Tree Grows in Brooklyn (Betty Smith) -- I don't know how I've gotten so far without reading it -- Must read next year
78. *The World According To Garp (John Irving)
79. *The Diviners (Margaret Laurence)
80. Charlotte’s Web (E.B. White)
81. *Not Wanted On the Voyage (Timothy Findley)
82. +Of Mice And Men (Steinbecck)
83. *Rebecca (Daphne DuMaurier)
84. *Wizard’s First Rule (Terry Goodkind)
85. Emma (Jane Austen)
86. Watership Down (Richard Adams)
87. +Brave New World (Aldous Huxley)
88. *The Stone Diaries (Carol Shields)
89. *Blindness (Jose Saramago)
90. *Kane and Abel (Jeffrey Archer)
91. *In The Skin Of A Lion (Ondaatje)
92. Lord of the Flies (Golding) -- on the Great Booklist of 2007
93. The Good Earth (Pearl S. Buck)
94. +The Secret Life of Bees (Sue Monk Kidd)
95. The Bourne Identity (Robert Ludlum)
96. The Outsiders (S. E. Hinton)
97. White Oleander (Janet Fitch)
98. *A Woman of Substance (Barbara Taylor Bradford)
99. The Celestine Prophecy (James Redfield)
100. Ulysses (James Joyce)

This list took forever because I had to do all the numbers and colors in HTML (not a problem I think if you use Blogger). I'm kind of mortified to tell the Internet which books I'd never heard of, since I'm sure I'll come off like a cultural illiterate. But there it is.

Posted by Bethiclaus at 06:48 AM | Comments (3)

It's National Delurking Week, people.

I know you're out there...leave a comment.

For those of you who need a prompt, here's one:

Dream job (No fair if it's totally a normal job. We're talking dreams here, people.)

Otherwise, just say hi.

Posted by Bethiclaus at 10:40 AM | Comments (31)

Fuck you, Movable Type!

Posted by Bethiclaus at 10:29 AM

I've been wanting to write to you guys all week, but my grandmother's cable modem needed to be replaced and there is so much to do with family when you only see them once a year.

I have many stories to tell and tons of pictures to post, so be on the lookout for those Tuesday or Wednesday.

Also, the likelihood of me actually reading the 560 new posts that have been written since the last time I checked my Bloglines is approximately zero. So if you have any important news, kindly leave it in the comments.

Posted by Bethiclaus at 07:08 AM | Comments (5)

I'm not pregnant. Thanks for that heart attack, though.

(Seriously, ladies. Are you freakin' kidding me? Like that would be my news.)

Posted by Bethiclaus at 06:31 PM | Comments (2)

Ice Cream Mama tagged me to do this meme, so uh, here it is.

Six weird things about me:

• I have Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. It is mostly under control nowadays with no medication. While it has never been debilitating for me, it has made my life more difficult from time to time. The compulsion that stands out the most is that I count the letters in words, looking for multiples of three. If a word's letters aren't a multiple of three, I will attempt to find prefixes or suffixes that make it a multiple of three. I can do it while carrying on a normal conversation. What I can't do is focus on a lecture while doing it. Taking notes has been difficult throughout my academic career. Also, Bloglines feeds the OCD part of my blogging, in that I have a great deal of trouble clearing it without actually reading everything that's in there.
• I am an only child who married a sixth child. We don't get each other's families at all.
• While I am quite crafty, I cannot create anything from scratch. Other than choreography.
• I don't care for chocolate. I snack like a man. All fatty and savory for me, please.
• I am a crazy feminist. It's true. I don't write about it here too much, but my academic writing is full of the stuff. People frequently assume that I'm not (I guess because I'm married and have a baby) and tell me things that make my head explode. I try to take it in stride.
• I still have my best friend from high school. And she's all I have from high school. I didn't keep in touch with anyone else. Why would I? High school sucked. But Sarah and I have been through a lot together. I was there when her mom was sick and when she died. She was there when I met Andiclaus. We were there for each other during that unfortunate Spice Girls phase. She's woven into my life in a way that I'm not sure I could lose touch with her now.

Well, that's it. I don't tag people for memes, but it was fun to do this one. I gots to go to work now, though. Bye!

Posted by Bethiclaus at 06:07 AM | Comments (4)

Summer dies in a burst of flame, leaving autumn a burnt trail, a blaze of yellows and oranges and reds, scorched dark around the edges. I’ve always loved autumn for this, for its crackle and crunch, the faint whiff of smoke in the air. For the way that it teases your senses, tickles your memory, with its crisp melancholy, the earthy smell of decay, the faintest smell of distant snow in the air. I’ve always loved autumn.

Autumn’s passed, now, mostly. The colour is gone, the leaves no longer crunch beneath my feet. But the snow hasn’t come. Not yet. The streets are wet, the air is chill and damp, the trees are a dark tangle against the gray, gray sky.

Not autumn. Not winter. Somewhere, sometime, in between.

I’ve heard it said that life with a baby is a sort of perpetual springtime. A continual confrontation with newness, a ever-bursting forth of life and colour. Green leaves sparkling with dew; purple buds unfolding over fresh damp earth. And it has, for me, been this: my baby’s eyes always sparkle springtime, glimmer their reflection of the ever-new.

But my eyes, my eyes do not sparkle springtime. I press my fists into sockets and try to squeeze away the tiredness, block out the gray. I am tired, worn by the effort of… of what? Of doing what millions upon millions upon millions of others do every day, have done for centuries, millennia. Of being woman/wife/mother/household-manager/professional. Of being and doing, and doing and being, against the backdrop of a wet gray sky.

I’m tired, worn, burdened by the gray of this in-between time, this not-autumn, not-winter, so-far-from-spring season. This colourless unseason.

And then I look into my daughter’s eyes and I see bright wet buds unfurling. I see vitality, optimism, vigour, hope. I see a new season. I see springtime. In the deep, deep blue of her eyes, I see green.

And I am, in that moment, refreshed. Restored.

New.

You can read the rest of the Blog Exchange participants' takes on green (or red) by clicking the Blog Exchange button in the sidebar.

Posted by Bethiclaus at 05:13 AM | Comments (15)

Well, here we are. It's the end of NaBloPoMo. I can't believe I did it.

Here's some things I learned.

• Setting a goal for myself means my family will get sick. (Okay, maybe that only happens during cold and flu season, but I'm pretty sure it has to do with goals.)


• Writing everyday is enjoyable. (For approximately three days. Just kidding)


• There are lots of blogs out there I've never read. But I'd like to.


• Y'all have good taste in books. And movies.


• The days you plan what you're going to write about are infinitely better than the days you just roll up to the computer with nothing. (For me.)

Alliclaus has been sick since yesterday, so I am just now sitting down to the computer. I'm sure the daily posting will dwindle for now, but I have to say, forcing myself to sit down and post has been good for me.

Posted by Bethiclaus at 11:05 PM | Comments (2)

A hella long time ago, Chatty Cricket asked me what family traditions we were going to pass on to Alliclaus.

Neither my family nor Andiclaus' have a lot of traditions. In Andiclus' family, the birthday boy or girl got to pick the family dinner, but that's about it.

But my extended family, otherwise known as my not-really family, had a tradition that we have adopted as our own.

Meet the family ornament. It's the first one on and the last one off the tree every year. And every family member who can possibly be there has a hand in it. Or on it, as the case may be.

This picture was actually staged. Sarah and Joshiclaus actually helped put it on, but we couldn't take a picture without someone pushing the button.

Our family ornament is made from jewelry that belonged to Sarah's mom (Joy). The year I married was also the year she died. Since it was her family that introduced the tradition to me, I loved the idea of having her ornament be our family ornament.

This also belonged to Joy. We call her the 70s angel. While she is crazy tacky, I love the thought of my kids thinking I'm embarrassing because of this angel.

We bought this (Hallmark) ornament for Alliclaus last year. It was the first in a series they were doing. We'll buy one for her every year, until the series is done. I like the idea of her having some ornaments to take with her when she leaves home.

So there you have it. Our Christmas tradition.

Posted by Bethiclaus at 11:45 PM | Comments (5)

I think that about says it all.

Good night.

Posted by Bethiclaus at 07:10 PM | Comments (2)

I updated my blogroll today, because the Internet is just chock full of wonderful self-publishing, but seriously? I think it might be getting out of hand. How am I meant to read all of this? And besides that, comment? So my commenting has already started to slump (not even a month) and I'm having to do a skim of some blogs I like very much rather than reading everything.

And with Thanksgiving this week? I think that come Monday, I'm simply going to click read all and pretend I know what happened to you this weekend. Forgive me. And if something big happens, email me.

Also, hey! Some of you (like you) don't publish RSS feeds. My blogroll is powered by Bloglines. I guess I may have to put a little something at the bottom for those of you who just must be different!

Also, my 2007 reading list is starting to scare me. One of the books I picked (Horowitz's The Professors) is apparently a gateway drug to Ann Coulter. I knew I was reading conservative stuff, but whoa! I'm afraid...

Posted by Bethiclaus at 09:00 PM | Comments (4)

I've been a very bad blog friend. See that list over there?----->

I read all those blogs. And I NEVER comment. I am a horrible lurker who never lets her friends know how much she enjoys their writing, how she is thinking about them and their various situations, or even just that she is there.

I am changing this. I am leaving comments, people. But I think I sound stupid in them. This is why I don't really comment most of the time. It's a rare post that leaves me feeling that I have something to contribute to the conversation.

But oh well. I am commenting like a mad woman. I started today. Really, I think most of my comments were ridiculous, but I know how much I enjoy my commenters. I thought it was about time I returned the favor. Plus, I'm trying to get better about responding to comments. We'll see how long that lasts (usually about one week).

Incidentally, you NaBloPoMo bloggers, have you guys been getting a lot more traffic this month? I guess the randomizer doohickie is doing its job, because I'm meeting all kinds of new people and I love it. Thank you for stopping by, Internets. Leave a comment so I know how to find you later. I so want to read about your children/recipes/books/drunken debauchery/educational exploits/insert your blog topic here.

MWAH. I love ya.

Posted by Bethiclaus at 06:05 PM | Comments (10)

DrinkJack asked, "What is the craziest thing you did between age 18 and 21?"

Um, I went to an evangelical undergraduate institution.

No, that was my answer.

Just kidding.

BTW, did you click the link to my college? Yeah, I went to school at the beach. It ruled. Going to graduate school in Kansas City has been, needless to say, underwhelming.

Where was I?

Oh, yes. Craziest thing I did.

Hmmm...did you read the story of how I met Andiclaus?

It seems very sad that this is as crazy as it gets, but I'm afraid it is.

I drove to San Francisco and back in the course of thirty hours so that my boyfriend could see a game at Candlestick Park.

I rushed a sorority (it really isn't as crazy as it sounds).

I ate in the Caf on the weekends (don't laugh - that food was seriously questionable).

I played cards into the wee hours of the morning with hardly a fleeting thought of my grades.

But I didn't go to Mardi Gras (or even San Diego's Mardi Gras event), I didn't spend weekends in Tijuana getting arrested, I didn't star in a Girls Gone Wild video. I didn't do anything crazy.

I was boring. I still am.

Maybe when Alliclaus goes off to college, I'll really let loose.

Posted by Bethiclaus at 06:59 PM | Comments (3)

Sarah asked: What direction does the 101 run?

North/south, Sarah. North/south.

When Sarah and I were very young, we went to Universal Studios in Hollywood in the Banana Boat (my hot '78 Nova - it was yellow). Universal Studios is directly off the 101 freeway.

Like most other freeways with an odd number, the 101 runs north and south. But not in Hollywood. Through Hollywood, the freeway appears to run east/west.

The problem? You really need to know which onramp to take and that is very hard to do if you don't have a clue whether you want to go north or south.

Our friendship truly almost ended that night when I was practically screaming at Sarah, "North or South?"

"East."

We quickly found ourselves lost in the warehouse district which as you can imagine was oh so safe at eleven at night.

We made it out with some help from her family, but we still can't even hear the number 101 without saying "Which direction?"

Posted by Bethiclaus at 07:10 PM | Comments (2)

Well, I am participating in NaBloPoMo. To find out more about it, you can click on that button over there.-------->

I found it through Chookooloonks, but that is only because my blogroll is alphabetical (thank you, Bloglines) and I hadn't made it to Fussy yet. So I will be here everyday of November. Yes. Here is where I will be.

I'm already nervous, so I decided to create a safety net for myself. You all are going to help me come up with my book list for 2007. I'm going back to school (it appears), so I will have some academic reading to do, but in spite of that, I am reading 52 books in 2007. I have started my list (and by started it, I mean put books on the list that I meant to read this year), but I am counting on you to help me finish it. I'm only including books I haven't previously read and if you want to loan me your copy, all the better. My list is below. It is rather, shall we say, blank. Please leave book recommendations in the comments section. I figure an updated list will make a good blog entry in a week or so when I run out of blog material.

Fiction/Narrative (This would include memoir, but not biography.)
1. Running with Scissors: A Memoir by Augusten Burroughs
2. The Blind Assassin: A Novel by Margaret Atwood [Cagey]
3. Shopgirl by Steve Martin [Cagey] (She says it's quick - I'll need that if I'm really going to finish this entire list in 52 short weeks.)
4. Straight Man: A Novel by Richard Russo [Jessie]
5. Maybe a Miracle: A Novel by Brian Strause [Chatty Cricket]
6. The Mists of Avalon by Marion Zimmer Bradley [Bethany] (This is not my normal book type, but I think that Andiclaus actually recommended this to me before.)
7. Suzanne's Diary for Nicholas by James Patterson [JP]
8. Size 12 Is Not Fat: A Heather Wells Mystery by Meg Cabot [JP] (JP recommended Meg Cabot and really, with a title like that, how could I not like it?)
9. True Believer by Nicholas Sparks [JP]
10. Pope Joan: A Novel by Donna Cross [Jessie]
11. Little Earthquakes: A Novel by Jennifer Weiner [Jenny]
12. Kissing the Witch: Old Tales in New Skins by Emma Donoghue

Political - Left
13. The Conscience of a Liberal: Reclaiming the Compassionate Agenda by Paul David Wellstone [bridget]
14. The Greatest Story Ever Sold: The Decline and Fall of Truth from 9/11 to Katrina by Frank Rich

Political - Right
15. The Professors: The 101 Most Dangerous Academics in America by David Horowitz
16. All the Trouble in the World: The Lighter Side of Overpopulation, Famine, Ecological Disaster, Ethnic Hatred, Plague, and Poverty by P.J. O'Rourke [Sharon]

Children's (I'm putting this in mostly as a time cushion - in case I fall behind in my reading schedule. Think late elementary school or junior high.)
17. The Penderwicks: A Summer Tale of Four Sisters, Two Rabbits, and a Very Interesting Boy by Jeanne Birdsall [The Sam]
18. The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman [bridget]
19. From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E.L. Konigsburg
20. Holes by Louis Sachar

Science Fiction/Fantasy (I don't normally read this genre, but Andiclaus enjoys it, so I am trying for him.)
21. The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger [The Sam] (I know some people might not put this book in this particular category, but I think time travel is science fiction, so this is where it goes.)
22. The Illustrated Man by Ray Bradbury [Cagey] (Cagey recommended reading something by Ray Bradbury, and we happen to own this book. It was on Andiclaus' reading list for this year. The first of the short stories scared me so bad that I had nightmares, so I haven't finished it. I'll try again next year.)

Parenting
23. The Price of Privilege: How Parental Pressure and Material Advantage Are Creating a Generation of Disconnected and Unhappy Kids by Madeline Levine
24. John Rosemond's Six-Point Plan: for Raising Happy, Healthy Children by John Rosemond [Sharon]
25. Magic Trees of the Mind: How to Nurture Your Child's Intelligence, Creativity, and Healthy Emotions from Birth Through Adolescence by Marian Diamond and Janet Hopson [Sharon]
26. Operating Instructions: A Journal of My Son's First Year by Anne Lamott [dcfullest] (I was thinking of picking something of her more religion-geared books, but I'm not really into spirituality, so I decided to go with this instead.)
27. The Happiest Toddler on the Block: The New Way to Stop the Daily Battle of Wills and Raise a Secure and Well-Behaved One- to Four-Year-Old by Harvey Karp
28. The Anatomy of Peace: Resolving the Heart of Conflict by The Arbinger Institute

Biography
29. Pimps, Hos, Playa Hatas, and All the Rest of My Hollywood Friends: My Life by John Leguizamo
30. Left To Tell: Discovering God Amidst the Rwandan Holocaust by Immaculee Ilibagiza

History
31. America's Women by ? (I am currently too lazy to run downstairs and find the book - also it is dark down there and I am a fraidy-cat.)
32. Lies My Teacher Told Me: Everything Your American History Textbook Got Wrong by James W. Loewen [Sharon] (Sharon's been raving about this book for years, and now that I read its Amazon entry, I'm excited to get started on it. It looks like it may be critical of celebratory history.)

Social Science
33. The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference by Malcolm Gladwell [Jessie] (Mrs. Ca also recommended Blink, so I read both the Amazon entries and this one was the winner.)
34. A Short History of Nearly Everything by Bill Bryson [dcfullest] (This is really not where this book belongs, but I had trouble placing it on the list.)

Religion/Philosophy
35. Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal by Christopher Moor [DrinkJack] (Okay, I know this probably doesn't belong in this category, but y'all aren't really coming through on the religion/philosophy books, plus just because it's irreverant doesn't make it NOT about religion.)
36. Tempting Faith: An Inside Story of Political Seduction by David Kuo
37. The Sinner's Guide to the Evangelical Right by Robert Lanham
38. The Power of Myth by Joseph Campbell

Self-Improvement
39. The Introvert Advantage: How to Thrive in an Extrovert World by Marti Olsen Laney [Sharon] (I think Andiclaus will probably read this, too.)
40. Reading Like a Writer: A Guide for People Who Love Books and for Those Who Want to Write Them by Francine Prose (Don't you like that her last name is Prose?)

Classic Novels (There are actually a number of classics that I never got around to reading. Think of some for me.)
41. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen [andi] (On a side note, OMG, andi is going to have her little baby girl in a WEEK! Yikes!)
42. Great Expectations by Charles Dickens [Chatty Cricket]
43. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald [JP]
44. Lord of the Flies by William Golding [JP] (Sarah and Andiclaus are thinking, "Praise Jesus she will actually read this book and catch up with the rest of humanity." They like to tell me, "Sucks to your asthmar.")
45. Frankenstein by Mary Shelley [Jessie]
46. The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger

NEW Books (I won't be picking these until the year actually starts. Every couple of months, I'm going to ask my friend, Anthony to recommend a new book.)
47.
48.
49.
50.
51.
52.

Alright. Your mission is clear. Pick my reading list, yo. I'll keep updating the list and maybe put a link to it over in the sidebar so that you can see how it's coming. For me, the hardest part will probably be waiting until January to get started!

I've bolded books that have been included in the list based on commenter recommendations.

Posted by Bethiclaus at 10:01 PM | Comments (17)

Open letter inspired by a friend’s conversation with a stranger:

me: Hi
freako 90 yr old man: hi, you with child?
me: yes 8 months along.
freako 90 yr old man: are you nervous?
me: no I have 2 other kids and 2 foster kids.
freako 90 yr old man: Your not nervous about a complete human being springing forth from your loins and suckling the life giving juice right out of you?
me: (with a shocked look) no, I love babies.
freako 90 yr old man: You are gonna suckle it right?
me: if you mean breast feed then yes.
freako 90 yr old man: good that's a good momma (as he patted me on my head)

**********

Dear ignorant 90 year old man:

Since you don’t talk like you are from around this area or have been in the city for very long, please bear with me as I try to explain a few drastic points that may help you not get pummeled by hormonal pregnant women in the future.

Goats, cows and other livestock suckle…babies do not. It’s called breast feeding. Not only is it not necessarily your business as to whether or not I am breastfeeding, but the next time you ask if I’m suckling, I will knock you up side the head with my teet.

Secondly, am I nervous about having a child? Does passing a kidney stone the size of a baseball through your penis make you nervous? Enough said.

Next, let’s talk about personal space. Never, ever pat a full grown woman on the head even if you know her. I am not 4 or in need of your approval. The next time you invade my personal space, I will invade your space in the nether regions with my size 8 boot.

Finally, as far as “a complete human being springing forth from my loins and suckling the life giving juice right out of me”, this conversation alone would have more of a chance of doing that then my unborn child.

Respectfully,

Becky Brahma

Becky is a stay at home mom to a percocious 3 year old daughter and due in 6 weeks with a little boy. Sanity is scarce around here!

I'm posting over at Becky's place today! Check out my post. Click here to check out the other open letters this month, and to get more info on the blog exchange.

Posted by Bethiclaus at 07:05 AM | Comments (7)

Chatty Cricket asks: Also, what is the best/worst piece of parenting advice you got while expecting Alli or after she arrived?

I know this sounds crazy, but I didn't actually get all that much parenting advice while I was pregnant. It seems like everyone does, but I really didn't. I've racked my brain this morning trying to remember any advice I got so that I could then chronicle it.

My sister-in-law told me that once I had children, I would need to put my career goals aside so that I could stay home with them. I don't think this is really good or bad advice per se, but I would certainly consider it unrealistic advice. Hell, at this point I have no career goals. What I can't put aside is the ability to pay the rent. Thanks for that advice, though.

EVERYONE tells you to sleep while you can. I'm not sure about anyone else, but I couldn't sleep well at all while I was pregnant. I had morning sickness around the clock and was still throwing up a week before Alliclaus was born. I was extremely uncomfortable once I couldn't sleep on my stomach. I really needed someone to suggest sleep when I first graduated from college. Then I could have actually gotten some.

Cagey gave me excellent advice right when Alliclaus was born, but I did not listen to her. She told me to get my child a hat. And just as she predicted, every time we took Alliclaus anywhere, we got in long conversations with people about her hair. I hate to call out my people, but it was always white people commenting on her hair. In San Diego, that would virtually never happen, because most Hispanic babies have full heads of hair at birth. But here? It seemed rather remarkable.

My mother-in-law has given me lots of advice. She's very concerned about overstepping the boundaries, which I appreciate. She doesn't tell me what to do and she seems not to judge the decisions we make. However, she was raised in Mexico and has a lot of folk remedies that she recommends for all things. While I am really open to holistic treatments, I don't always want to go there with her. She really wanted me to give the baby tea when she was seven weeks old (which I guess is really common in Mexico). I have a very hard time telling her no, so it is hard to treat her advice the way I treat other people's. (Which is to say, smile and nod then promptly forget or talk shit on the Internet.)

Really, though, I didn't get a lot of bad advice. I would occassionally get irritated with armchair parents (I now am more than willing to call my childless friends out on this when they do it), but I'm over it at this point. I think that it's possible that our families all back off with their advice because I tend to come off quite stubborn and I 've shown all of them that I am not above fighting back.

Crap! The baby just woke up! I swear she fell asleep five minutes ago! I gotta go!

Posted by Bethiclaus at 02:02 PM | Comments (1)

Jennifer wants to know how Andiclaus and I got together. I knew this day was coming.

Short version:
We met in college.

Slightly longer version:
My boyfriend rushed Andiclaus' fraternity.

Extra long version:
Andiclaus and I cannot agree on when we actually met. I think I met him in his brother's dorm room. He thinks we met in chapel. ( I KNOW! Chapel? Whu?)

Either way, we became friends pretty quickly. My boyfriend was a chemistry major and was rushing a fraternity (Andiclaus' fraternity - I know), so he didn't have a whole lot of time to hang out. I started hanging out in the school's Rec Room with the fraternity brothers, playing cards from (no joke) 7am-2am, day in and day out, for approximately ten months.

During that time, Andiclaus and I realized that we were very attracted to one another. In the way that really only 18 and 19 year olds can realize that. There was much parking and sneaking around.

Did I mention that my boyfriend was rushing his fraternity?

Anyway, eventually my boyfriend and I broke up. It was very painful for both of us. Also for Andiclaus. As you can imagine, no one is that impressed with "brothers who steal pledges' girlfriends."

I believe Andiclaus and I thoroughly paid our debt to Greek society, though, when year after year we were the butt of the jokes (which I believe is a very nice word for them) of Andiclaus' fraternity's annual get out of jail free card for pledges.

I really didn't imagine that I would grow up to marry Andiclaus. When we started dating, that was certainly not what I had in mind. I really thought I was going to marry the guy before. (Hello, Beth? You honestly thought you would marry your high school sweetheart? Um, yes. I married my college sweetheart, is it really that big of a jump?)

I couldn't be happier with the way things turned out. The guy before is married to the love of his life. I found Andiclaus. We have a wonderful family now that I can be proud of.

But I have to admit that I cringe a bit when people ask me how we met.

*****

I'll still take more questions if you have them, but don't feel obligated. I think I'm becoming un-blog-blocked.

Posted by Bethiclaus at 09:35 AM | Comments (7)

I've lately become bored with this site. And frankly, judging from the comments count, you have as well.

I'm not leaving, though. There've been times where I thought I might, but I give up. I love you too much, Internet.

But I am having difficulty coming up with blogging material. In spite of the fact that Cagey let me leaf through her copy, I still am feeling rather, well, blocked.

So, in the interest of being the last blogger ever to allow her readers to dictate content, I am allowing you all a one-time-only (unless I need further help) opportunity to ask me anything you want. You can do it in the comments or you can email me at bethiclaus[at]gmail[dot]com. I will do my best to answer honestly.

Caveat: Sarah may not ask questions to which she knows the answer simply to embarrass me. Unless I think the story is funny, in which case, I'll probably answer.

Posted by Bethiclaus at 02:38 PM | Comments (7)

Georgia looked again at the precise stack of white paper, the one that had been sitting on a corner of her desk for more than three weeks. Every time her eyes met the accusing pile, her stomach tightened a tiny bit more. Like in the Grinch, when you see his heart shrinking to two sizes too small.

Just read it. Just the first few chapters.

She’d have to, of course. There was no getting around it, no allowing it to burrow under all the other manuscripts in her office. No opening, somehow, the hermetically sealed window and letting each page float gracefully down to the street.

I can’t. I can’t stand it.

Val poked her head in the door. “Ready to go? I’ll walk you to the subway.”

“I can’t. I have to read this.”

“Tonight?”

“Yeah. Ruth wants a report on everything with a February pub date by tomorrow. This is the last one.”

‘Cause it’s gonna suck. Or worse, it might actually be good. Then I’ll really fucking lose it.

“Shit. Well, see you tomorrow then.”

After she waved goodbye to Val, Georgia removed the big blue rubber band from the manuscript and centered the pile on her desk. She left an empty space to the left where she would place the pages she’d read, face down. She rooted around for a good pen. She found a pad of sticky notes that were neither too big nor too small. She checked her email again, skimming quickly past Ruth’s reminder. She went to the ladies’ room and the water cooler.

For god’s sake. You are a grown-up and a professional. Forget about who wrote it and just read it.

Deep inside her bag, her phone buzzed. Nick.

“Hi…. No, still at work… awhile, I have a manuscript to read… no, I can’t. I really have to finish this tonight.”

Wish I could tell him. I hate this.

“OK, talk to you later. Uh huh.”

She switched off the ringer on the phone and tucked it away.

If we feature this—if I have to actually write something about this cretin for publication—I will officially freak out.

She squared her shoulders and flipped over the cover letter, the title page, the page that said “Acknowledgments TK.”

Yeah, acknowledge this, asshole.

Did I actually just think that? This moron has driven me to complete cliché.

Page 1 stared her in the face. After she read the first sentence, she smiled. A tiny twist of the lip, at first. Then she laughed, loud and long.

“Debra brushed the sand from her blouse, took a last, wistful look at the now putrefying horse, and stepped into the hot-air balloon.”

Mayberry Mom, a former magazine editor and burier of manuscripts, now writes and edits for the web from her home office in the Midwestern boonies. This is her first-ever attempt at fiction, so be gentle.

* * * * *

This month's blog exchange was fiction. The writing prompts can be found at McSweeney's. I'm over at Mayberry Mom's place today, so go check it out. Just remember: fiction is not my strong suit.

You can view the entire blog exchange blogroll here. I know what I'll be reading today.

Posted by Bethiclaus at 07:00 AM | Comments (9)

Saturday night, Andiclaus, Alliclaus and I went out to dinner at Jerusalem Cafe with DrinkJack. (Oh my God! I'm meeting people from the Internet! I swear to you - a year ago, if I had known the current me, I'd be like, "GIRL! You're going to be kidnapped and killed!")

Yes. Where was I?

DrinkJack was very nice and we learned a lot of things about him. For instance, did you know that he is very considerate and brought a toy for Alliclaus? He's just that kind of guy.

I also let him in on a few of my secrets. Particularly one about a very peculiar hidden talent I haven't discussed on the blog.

We had fun. And we're doing it again soon.

I can't wait.

Posted by Bethiclaus at 09:19 AM | Comments (5)

a famous blogroll.

I made it. I have since been bumped.

I am not going to say whose blogroll I made, but it was very cool while it lasted. I'm not there anymore. Am I mad about it? Hell no. I almost never post and have you seen the recent drivel?

My husband told me he read some posts about blogroll etiquette and how people get all bent out of shape when they get bumped and then they remove that blogger from their blogroll and then get all huffy and blog about it. I think that is hilarious. I mean, come on! It's a blogroll. Sure, I may have done the happy dance in the privacy of my own office when I realized I had made it, but really? Isn't being on someone popular's blogroll just a bonus?

Either way, while I was up there, I made many new friends who I am very happy to know. If you've commented here recently for the first time, I'm trying to visit your blog to get to know you. But do you see my blogroll? It's hard to keep up.

Oh, I met Cagey yesterday! (I just tried to spell met incorrectly twice - once with two es and once with two ts.) She is beautiful and wonderful and I like her verily. We met at a little knitters' circle (I don't knit - don't tell on me) in the Rivermarket and it was really great. I talked myself out of going home approximately eleventy billion times before making it there, but I made it. I smiled the entire drive home because I'm really glad that I went.

This Saturday's the meet-up with DrinkJack. I'm excited already! (By the way, his name is not Jack and I have no idea how I will avoid calling him that at dinner.)

Posted by Bethiclaus at 08:30 AM | Comments (9)

Zoot was asking some terrific questions over at her blog. They were questions she really wanted to discuss in the Mommyblogging seminar at BlogHer. Since Andiclaus and I have been discussing just these things lately, I thought this might be a great opportunity to hash them out with you.

1. Do your kids know about your blog? If they're too young to know, do you plan to keep it open to them as they get older?

Obviously, Alliclaus is too little to know about it yet. If I'm still writing when she's old enough to understand (which I hope that I am), I will of course let her know about it.

2a. If so - do you worry they may get embarrassed later? What would you do if they asked you to stop writing about them? What would you do if they wanted you to take it down all together?

I have to admit, I am a bit worried that Alliclaus won't so much like to see that I've written about her hard moments as well as her good. While I don't know that I really consider myself a mommyblogger (not because I have a problem with that label - more because I see this as a personal blog - right now, she's mostly what I spend my time doing), I have trouble figuring out how I'd write about my life without including her. I suppose as she gets older and more independent, there will be a lot more things going on in my life, but right now, what would I write about? The things I do in her two hour nap time? It's mostly just napping on my side, too.

3. Do you think our kids will appreciate the archive of their childhood? Do you wish your parents had done the same?

I hope that she will appreciate what I'm doing. If not the actual stories, I hope that she will appreciate the intention. I'm not really writing this for her. At least, not for her to read and know about herself. I am writing this for her in that writing this website really helps me hash out my thoughts on parenting and I hope that I am a better mom for doing so.

4. Do you go back and re-read your past parenting milestones? Do you realize you forgot a lot?

Maybe it's a little too early for this for me, but I don't really. Not yet. Although now that she's asked, I think I might go back and look at the early, early days.

5. What about your children's friends/teachers/moms-of-friends? What if they found your blog? Do you tell your child not to tell anyone about it or are they free to talk about it? Do you worry their teachers or other parents will think it's weird?

I don't think that I would want Alliclaus' teachers to know that I blog about her. I'm not particularly concerned that they would think I'm weird, but I don't know that I want to discuss my reasons with someone who doesn't have a valid reason that they need to know why.

Go check out Zoot's site. I'm sure there are other moms responding to her questions all over the Internet.

Posted by Bethiclaus at 09:10 AM

I'm guest-blogging over at Chelle's today as part of the July Blog Exchange, so go check it out. And once you've read my post, check out the rest of her blog! I know I will! Also, come back here if you want to comment on my post. Our theme for the posts is freedom. Here's what Chelle had to say:

This is my very first blog exchange! All the cool kids were doing it, so I thought, hey I am cool, right?!?! The first month that I jump on the bandwagon we are suppose to talk about freedom. The first thing that came to mind, was the freedom to use the bathroom that I once had before becoming a Mom to a toddler.

It will be two years next month that freedom had a whole new meaning to me. Before giving birth to my amazing daughter, I had the freedom to be anything, do anything and see everything. If I decided to go out and have a few drinks with friends on a Friday night, I had the freedom to do so. Then the next morning, I had the freedom to sleep in.

Sadly it is not just the freedom to be a lush that are missing. I no longer have the freedom to go into the washroom, without being interrupted in some way. Usually I have to read a story and/or talk about the "potty". Nor do I have the freedom to refer to the bodily functions as I wish, instead we use the "correct" terms for everything. "Mommy needs to use the potty. Mommy is peeing. Yes Moose do poop too!" Although I would love to be able to say that taking a shower or a bath provides me more freedom, with an almost two-year around, that is just not the case.

If I attempt taking a bath before our sweet angel is in bed, she brings me ALL her bath toys, so I can play of course! While in the shower, she takes the opportunity to reorganize cupboards, try my make up or crash and fall, needing immediate attention. With all the warm weather and me needing to shave my legs on a regular basis, it takes great skill to perform said task quickly and in between shrieks of pain or joy (I am not really sure which is worse!)

Yes, the freedom of bathroom time is dearly missed, however being a Mom to a toddler trumps it all.

You should also check out the rest of the people participating this month in the blog exchange:
A Crack in Life
A Mommy Story
Another Mommy Moment
Binkytown
Cape Buffalo
Chaos Theory
Chelle
Chicken N Cheese
Clueless in Carolina
Divine Calm
Her Bad Mother
Izzy Mom
Knitting Spells
Mommy's Dirty Secret
Mother Goose Mouse
Motherhood Uncensored
Soul Gardening
Taste the World
Zach's Day

If you're interested in blogging with the rest of us moms next month, feel free to email Kristen at kmei26 at yahoo dot com.

Posted by Bethiclaus at 07:11 AM | Comments (7)

I desperately want to be one of those bloggers who can be all, "Fuck you, bitch, and get the fuck off my fucking blog." I'm not. I would even like to be someone who can say, "Ignore the trolls. Paying attention to them only makes it worse." I know that that is the truth. I know that whoever left that comment doesn't care that it might actually hurt me.

I've heard the argument before. If you put yourself out on the Internet, you have to expect a certain amount of scrutiny. I welcome advice, appreciate different opinions and though I would never even disagree with someone on their blog, recognize that that is part of the package of running a personal website.

The truth is that I cried for hours after reading that comment. Mostly because I'm afraid that it's true. In a desperate attempt to do what was "best" for Alliclaus, I'm scared that I let her go too long before introducing formula. In spite of the doctor's words of reassurance, I fear that there may be permanent damage done. The truth is that it hurt my feelings that someone said that to me. I know that if you're going to put your personal life out there, you have to develop a thick skin. I can take a lot. But that comment was meant to hurt. If you're the person who left it, you should know that you accomplished your goal. I have to wonder, however, what kind of person wants to hurt me so badly that they would make the type of statement you made without ever meeting me. It's hard to imagine that I'm worth all that effort. And don't you feel guilty after you say something like that? I can't imagine ever suggesting that someone should have their children taken away. I'm a human being, not just some Internet person who is capable of brushing off the things people say to hurt me.

Because the comment did get to me, I wanted to make sure that I clarified some things from the previous post. I'm giving Alliclaus formula, according to the pediatrician's direction. I am also continuing to breastfeed. The doctor has some concerns that she may have a metabolic issue, but I am hopeful that it was simply underfeeding since the formula regimen seems to have helped fatten her up a bit.

Mostly I want to make it clear that in spite of my rather relaxed retelling of events, I am very concerned about Alliclaus' weight. I want my baby to be as healthy as possible. I'm doing the very best I can.

Posted by Bethiclaus at 01:02 PM | Comments (15)

This comment came into my blog this morning. You'll notice that the commenter didn't have the courage to leave an actual email address so that we can engage in intelligent conversation.

IP Address: 24.115.93.52
Name: Your
Email Address: A@horribleparent.com
URL:
Comments:

jesus christ, too self centered to take your childs health into consideration, your child looks severly under weight, i hope they call child services on you!

I have had hate comments before today, but this is too far. Mothers carry around guilt for everything they do wrong. Had I given up on breastfeeding sooner, I'm sure someone would have told me what a bad mother I am for doing so.

I have enjoyed exposing parts of myself in this medium. It has improved my writing and built me friendships of incalculable importance to me. But for now I'm taking a break.

If I decide to come back, things will have to be a little different.

Posted by Bethiclaus at 08:21 AM | Comments (4)

I am politely requesting that y'all stop it with the getting pregnant (unless you are trying super-hard, in which case, my fingers are crossed for you). See, here's the thing. I attribute my pregnancy to reading blogs. You play with the mommybloggers, you roll the dice. While I am very happy to be a mom now, I'm not ready to have another baby right now. So keep your hormones to yourself!

Plus, I just gave away all my yarn! Oh well. I guess this will be a good way to rebuild my scrap collection!

Seriously, though, I'm really excited for all of you. I can't wait to read your adventures!

Posted by Bethiclaus at 01:18 PM | Comments (8)

I've always known that I have lurkers, but my friend Sarah has informed me that two of her coworkers read my site but don't comment because they don't know me.

So, Jenny and Jeanette, HELLOOOO! Welcome to my blog. Say hi because I want to be your friend.

And if you are a lurker whose name I don't know, please also say hi!

Posted by Bethiclaus at 06:17 PM | Comments (14)

So I have nothing to say...as you may have noticed. I think that Fefe has created some kind of void in the area that used to house my brain. I would like to use the excuse that I have a lot of homework (which I totally do), but since I played Civ III all day today, I don't feel I would be telling the truth if I said that.

But this is my 100th post, so I feel I should do something special. What to do...

Hmm...oh! Go check out Andiclaus' blog. He's been participating in Art Everyday and he's so creative. I hope Fefe is like him in that way. I can't create my way out of a paper bag.

Also, Sarah is coming in two weeks! That's fun! And she's interviewing to teach at a community college! I'm totally jealous. There's at least another two years before I'll be in the position to be teaching in my field.

Random other things:
My car sucks.
The class offering for next semester suck.
The fact that I can't figure out if I want to move sucks.
Sleeping on my left side sucks.
Not reading my Internet friends' blogs sucks.

I'll catch up soon. I will blog tomorrow. But please don't be upset if it is just pictures of Salem. I'm completely blog-blocked.

Posted by Bethiclaus at 08:49 PM | Comments (2)

Add yourself to my fun map thingie!

Posted by Bethiclaus at 04:10 PM

Found this over at The Cure For Boredom. You go to Google and enter "Beth needs" (but with your name and not mine) and put the top ten results on your blog. Clearly, I have run out of good ideas. Or I vomited them out my nose with the applesauce this morning.

Beth needs your vote at Foxsports.com. Ohmigosh. Am I totally running for something fantastic? Wait. It's Fox. Is this contest fair and balanced?

Beth needs a first-floor bedroom because her stroke has caused ongoing vision and balance problems and, until recently, daily seizures. Funny. I thought it was Fefe doing that to me.

This is Halloween night AND there is a Steeler game, so Beth needs people willing to work. And would you mind handing out candy at my apartment? I'm not so sure I'm going to feel up to it.

Beth needs to realize that she has a problem. Um. Thanks. I'm aware that I have a problem. This fetus is trying to deprive me of nutrition.

Beth needs to stop it already with the lies. Okay, you caught me. I'm not really pregnant. I'm just a very bad drunk.

Beth needs a job. That lets her stay at home. And pays her giant sacks of money. To cry into the toilet.

Beth needs information that flows from many sources. But she will probably just count on her blog friends.

If you haven't been hugged for a while then the chances are that you have been falling down on your side of the partnership - Beth needs approval and lots of it. Yeah. So leave me lots of hug comments telling me how beautiful I am with vomit on my shirt.

Beth needs a copy of Solomon installed on her Shrands computer. Does Solomon let me speed up time so that I can get out of the Hell that is my never-ending first trimester?

In addition, since the government doesn't withhold taxes from unemployment checks, Beth needs to set aside money for taxes. Beth set aside money? Yeah. That's going to happen.

Any ideas for interesting blog entries? Clearly, I've run out.

Posted by Bethiclaus at 06:07 PM | Comments (7)

My life has become so boring that it is not worth the bandwidth to write about it.

I go to work. I come home. I take many naps.

But soon...things are going to change. This Saturday, I leave for Chicago to see the beautiful and talented Sarah, who will be taking me to see Wicked with her. (Pictures will follow shortly.)

And Monday, when I get home, I will begin classes for the Fall semester. While this will make my life decidedly less boring, my guess is that Philosophy of Religion will only provide interesting blog fodder for those of you interested in such fun ologies as epistemology, ecclesiology and eschatology.

You can't contain your excitement, can you?

Well, hopefully some other fun stuff will happen and I will be able to keep you, my tens of readers, happy.

Be on the lookout for fun birthday-related stuff starting September 17, Andiclaus' Birthday Weekend O' Fun!

Posted by Bethiclaus at 05:36 PM | Comments (1)

Well, I'm not sure if I'm back for good yet or not, but I think it is really depressing to see only one post on my site. Rather than figuring out how to fix that particular problem, I figured I would check in with the bloggers and see how everything is going.

I've been reading, and many of you have been having great adventures. I haven't really been commenting much lately, but I am enjoying the welcome rest from the constant work that has been required of me lately.

The office has been crazier than ever lately and between getting ready for classes to start and dealing with some minor health issues, I haven't really been up to the task. (See tomorrow's post for the reason I don't go to the doctor.)

On top of that, for the first time since we moved to Kansas City, I am honestly considering moving home. I've been homesick here before, but this time I feel profoundly lonely. (Possible another reason I am back to my blog.) I know that moving home won't be the same, since Sarah and Anthony won't be there, but sometimes I just want to hang out with someone not covered in fur on a Sunday afternoon.

In other Sunday afternoon related news, I will be going to Chicago to see Wicked in exactly two weeks. I can't wait! I SOOOO need to see Sarah. I start classes the day I get back and this is a nice way to start.

Hey! It turns out I did have some things to say here. Maybe I am back!

Posted by Bethiclaus at 05:04 PM | Comments (8)

I'm taking a short vacation from the blog. I will be back soon, though, so don't give up on me. I may even post tomorrow. And I'll still be reading your sites and commenting.

Bye.

Posted by Bethiclaus at 07:10 PM | Comments (4)

So, here's the new design. I can't believe she already finished it. I thought she was booked until October, but I think she's trying to get all these done before NikkiZ arrives.

So tell me what you think. I am in love with it! Andiclaus is continuing to work on blog designs (even other skins for me), so once he figures out the whole "skinning" thing, you'll be able to access some of his designs for my blog here, too.

But in the interim, you have this fabulous Zoot design to see. Don't I look pretty? I wish I was that damn skinny.

Thank you, Miss Zoot. You are so pretty!

Posted by Bethiclaus at 03:38 PM | Comments (6)

So, since I have so many new readers coming by (thanks, Amalah), I decided to post my 100 Things. They're in the extended entry because, hello, 100 Things take up a lot of space.

1. MTV and I were born the same year (1981).
2. I am an only child.
3. But I share well.
4. All the men in my family (as far back as I can track), have served in the armed services.
5. I am, therefore, a tremendous disappointment, being both a liberal and a pacifist.
6. Rather than marrying someone in the military, I married an actor.
7. This may have been the most life-changing (and best) decision of my life.
8. I have no memories of my father until I was in junior high that don’t include a ship and a pier.
9. My aunt was thirteen years older than me.
10. When I was three, she and her friends would let me hang out in her bedroom while they listened to music.
11. I blame her for my love of all things ‘80s.
12. When I was in grade school, I wanted to be a scientist.
13. As an adult, I’m not sure I even know what a “scientist” does.
14. After finding out that I completely suck at all competitive sports, I started dancing.
15. It turns out that I am quite a good dancer.
16. A number of leg injuries permanently grounded my dance career.
17. I still dream about dancing professionally.
18. My dream career includes The Pussycat Dolls.
19. I also enjoy singing and playing the piano.
20. My husband thinks I am a rock star.
21. I am. In my car. And my shower.
22. My parents separated my freshman year of high school.
23. I had friends who cried when I told them.
24. I don’t remember my reaction. I don’t think it was very dramatic.
25. After my parents split, my mom and I moved in with my grandma.
26. My grandma is one of the two most influential women in my life.
27. I met my best friend my junior year of high school.
28. She hated me and I didn’t know it.
29. Obviously, I am a very forgiving person.
30. She now dates my husband’s twin brother.
31. We were in a show choir together.
32. No, I’m not embarrassed.
33. She and I and three other girls dressed up and sang Spice Girls songs at shows.
34. Okay, I’m a little embarrassed by that one.
35. My best friend’s mom is the one who gave me the name Bethiclaus.
36. I made them all blankets and sneaked in to deliver them early Christmas morning.
37. She is the second most influential woman in my life.
38. She died my senior year of college.
39. I miss her very much.
40. Get a pap smear.
41. I went to college with my high school sweetheart.
42. That went great for me.
43. In opposite world.
44. I am a reformed cheater.
45. I therefore hate when people say, “Once a cheater, always a cheater.”
46. I cheated with the man who would become my husband.
47. He trusts me.
48. It works out well for me.
49. The college I went to was a private, evangelical school.
50. There were a lot of blonde people there.
51. I was scared.
52. I’m okay now.
53. When I started college, I was a Music Education major.
54. I had five different majors before I finished school.
55. I graduated with a degree in Philosophy and Theology.
56. Andiclaus proposed three days after graduation.
57. Just two days after all his family left town.
58. We had a hard time setting a date for the wedding.
59. After the largest fight we ever had (regarding said wedding date), we drove from San Diego to Los Angeles to visit his family.
60. Andiclaus fell asleep behind the wheel.
61. In the fast lane.
62. On the freeway.
63. In Los Angeles.
64. It was 4:00 pm.
65. On a weekday.
66. We survived.
67. My car did not.
68. I appear to have Post-Traumatic Stress from this incident.
69. I don’t drive on the freeway anymore.
70. And I am a horrible passenger.
71. It’s not you – it’s me.
72. Andiclaus has five brothers and sisters.
73. One of them is his identical twin, Joshiclaus.
74. He was Andiclaus’ best man.
75. They’re identical twins.
76. Which explains why my best friend (and maid of honor) kissed my husband at the reception.
77. She will never live this down with me.
78. We got married in my grandmother’s church.
79. My favorite thing at my wedding was my mosaic wedding cake.
80. My least favorite thing was the ‘70s (not ‘80s) music my deejay kept playing.
81. That was Andiclaus’ fraternity brothers’ fault.
82. I got bronchitis the day after the wedding.
83. This is how I deal with stress.
84. Clearly, when it comes to survival of the fittest, I’m doomed.
85. After living in San Diego my entire life, we moved to Kansas City.
86. I am going to seminary now.
87. I don’t want to be a pastor or anything.
88. So don’t be scared.
89. It snows here.
90. And it gets very hot and humid.
91. Neither of those things happens in San Diego.
92. I am choosing to enjoy living in Kansas City.
93. We’ll be here at least another three years.
94. We have no children.
95. Unless you count our little kitty, Salem.
96. We did not name him after Sabrina, the Teenage Witch.
97. He came with that name.
98. I wouldn’t want anybody changing my name.
99. My maiden name was very obscure.
100. My married name is also pretty obscure, but I share it with a famous skank, so most people know how to pronounce it.

Posted by Bethiclaus at 11:51 PM | Comments (10)

Well, the short little nap I took seemed to help a bit. I am still unbearably exhausted, but Andiclaus and I both have the day off tomorrow and I intend to spend the first half of it in bed. Asleep. Cathcing up on the hours of missed sleep due to moving stress.

Anyway, did you see that Amalah gave me another shout-out on her website? Holy crap! People come visit me when she does that. And I'm never really prepared. What should I wear?

I never really thought she would say anything on her site about the blanket. I figured she might cry (handmade things make soon-to-be moms do that often), maybe send me a thank you note, even visit my site and leave me a nice comment. I did not expect not one, but two, shout-outs.

Here's the thing. Amalah's was the first site I read that really made me want to share my life with the Internet people. How is it possible that she now knows my name and that I changed websites?

This is so weird. But, um, welcome. Please leave a note. My blogroll is really not long enough and I would love to add you to it.

Posted by Bethiclaus at 07:45 PM | Comments (14)

Welcome to my new home! We're still technically under construction here, but I figured one new home deserved another. We're officially moved into our new apartment, so why not make all the stressful moves at once.

Andrés is going to continue to work on the site as time goes by (at least until he gets bored and I have to ask Zoot).

I intend to post an entry about our new apartment, but I can't really figure out how to post photos on this here fancy new system.

Well, say hi. I know you're out there. It was only recently that I found out that I have lurkers. And that I know some of you in real life. So don't be shy. Say hello.

Posted by Bethiclaus at 12:33 PM | Comments (4)

Okay, so we're still under construction here at Bethiclaus.com, but it's so pretty (Thank you, honey!) that I just wanted to post another little something over here. So, hi!

I'm considering asking Zoot for a design, but I'm not sure yet. Maybe I'll wait until I have her blanket ready. It will be like a bribe.

Posted by Bethiclaus at 12:08 AM

Go away! We are under construction here at Bethiclaus.com and are not ready for guests. Go read my old site. That's where I'll be blogging for the next few weeks.

Posted by Bethiclaus at 09:43 PM

Hello. Is anybody there? Echo.

Okay. I'll check in later.

Posted by Bethiclaus at 12:50 PM | Comments (4)