mama’s sewing circus

When the IT band screams, running on it causes pain as bad as labor. IT band pain, too, goes in waves. And, just like labor pain, there reaches a point with IT band pain where the waves plateau and even the ebbs are like flows. Today that was about mile 18.
I’ve done harder things in [...]

I’ve been singing Steve Martin’s King Tut since I was 3 and only realized last week that it was written in response to the popularity of King Tut’s 1970s world tour. Head smack!

My, it has been a long time, hasn’t it?
Truth be known, we’ve been the sickest ever this winter sampling each of Winter’s nasties. So, between flights of bedridden illness there was the obligatory frantic holiday shopping and crafting, booking of holiday trips, the attendance at holiday gatherings, avoidance of some due to flights of illness, [...]

We’ll be tracking Santa this year, as usual, using NORAD’s site. Read about the amusing origins of NORAD’s involvement.

H1N1 (and seasonal flu) shots have been in short supply in the Bay Area. Certain clinics have them, but ours did not until we had the first bout of symptoms in the house. For the past three weeks, the kids have been taking turns being fluey. Sylvie started it three Tuesdays ago waking at 5AM [...]

We had a wild weekend.
We kicked it off Thursday carving pumpkins. Doug and the kids made a totem pole. Our kitchen looked like there’d been a pumpkin massacre. (Which, yeah, I guess there was.)

Friday, the two schools meant two parades and two parties.

We let the kids eat candy for lunch and then capped the evening [...]

Drats! I’m sure you’ve heard that my lifeline to the city fell apart under minor winds last night. And I’m sure you know that those of us who work in the city (all of us) are stuck packed into the Swine Flu party on the Bart or sitting at home, alone, communicating over Instant Messenger.
Know [...]

In celebration of Sylvie’s birthday, we had the neighbors over for some mad science. The kids made glow in the dark slime and screaming balloons while the adults ate quince liver, deviled eyes and mummies.

Yes, those are real meat.

We had the requisite ear (grow your own) and eyes (olives) in a jar. As well as [...]

It is rainy season, here. I embraced the puddle time last week by using it as an excuse to teach a little science. (I’m thoroughly enjoying having a 5 year old!!)
First we tested potential vessels for their ability to float and then their weight capacity. I brought out a bowl, cup, lego raft, inverted plastic [...]

Perhaps Don Juan could have learned a thing or two from my 5 year old who this weekend told my cousin, 20 years his senior and his interest du jour, “I want you for Halloween. I want to eat you up. You are sweet like candy.”
I’m afraid that the 10,000 hours of hitting on women [...]