30 x 5 Questions Continued and a Coupla Other Things

Yesterday I asked if you all had any questions for me re the 30 x 5.

Interestingly, only one blogger took that request seriously, or not so seriously, as you will see, and followed my commands like a true and good 30 x 5 minion devotee would. That very obedient blogger would be new blogger friend Shawna at My Girls.

So here's what she said when I asked for Q's:

Ha ha! You've opened Pandora's box!

Shawna, believe me, there isn't much I haven't already shared here at 2nd Cup. I'm pretty much open to talking about anything. You see, that makes me open and approachable to readers. And it makes me real. Really, really, REAL. Ridiculously real. So relax. Tell me, child, what is your first 30 x 5 question?

What do you wear while you work out?

That topic is out of bounds.

Oh, OK. I wear anything and everything. The thing is, my machine is next to double mirrors that serve as walk-in closet doors. They mirrors are big. They are unforgiving. So I have had to get over trying to look "cute" or "athletic" a long time ago. Therefore, I wear shorts or jogging pants and tank tops and t-shirts. One shirt that is a real treat is the one I dye my hair in. It says "Peace on Earth," but I ripped it from the neck down a few inches so that I can throw it off when I have finished the dye job and need to hop into the shower. That way, the neck opening is so big that the shirt comes right off without smearing much of the dye. It's quite attractive with all the staining and everything. It's like homemade cammo wear.

What's your favorite healthy snack?

Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, especially ones in pastel foil.

Wait, that is the former evil me speaking. The new and improved 30 x 5 me says:

I'm currently snarfing:

Kashi Pumpkin Spice Flax Bars. Because: 300 mg Omega-3s; 7 whole grains; 4 g. fiber, 6 g protein; 2 bars in each pack, 180 cals per two bars. My favorite way to eat them is crunched in lowfat vanilla yogurt. And I promise you, this is a huge treat that packs a bunch of good stuff into every bar.

I like them so much that I have to leave the box in my car at work or I will be tempted to eat the whole box that day. So I just take in a yogurt and two bars each morning and look forward to eating them in a slightly obsessive, scary way.

What's something clumsy you've done while working out? (e.g., falling off the treadmill, tripping over the cat, etc.)

Shawna, do you have a Jack Tripper fixation?

Probably the clumsiest thing about me on the machine is that since an elliptical moves your arms as well as lower body, I'm used to having those "handlebars" to hang onto. But occasionally, I like to change the TV channel or take a drink of water, which, since I'm not a circus performer, requires hands to do.

So I let go long enough to do whatever while still walking, and somehow, that throws me off, not to the point of falling off, but of doing some very strange moves sometimes to right myself.

The only other weird thing is that I get a little kink in my right groin area (did I just use "kink" and "groin" in the same sentence? Because someone Googling "kink*y" or "groin" is surely going to land on this post and be majorly disappointed.)

If so: Sorry, dude. I'm an overweight, middle aged blogger mom who has a kink in her groinage while on the elliptical machine. Move on.

Anyway, when the pain grows too strong, I have to stop and pull my foot up to my knee, swing my knee way out to the right sight and POP the kink. Then I can continue.

I sincerely hope that did not turn anyone on.

So there you have it, Shawna, all of your wildest wonderments answered right here.

Reader Challenge: Can YOU answer these same three questions?? Leave answers in my comments or post them on your blog tomorrow.

ALSO:


Just a reminder: Today is Red Envelope Day. Be sure to put your return address on your envelopes.







Don't forget this fun carnival tomorrow at Rachel's place!


Also, I'm attending A Woman Inspired On-Line Conference; are you? It's a stay-at-home conference that sounds really fun. For all of the details, click on the button. And if you get tickets before tomorrow, you get a discount. This will be my first time to attend one of these.

I'm Answering Reader Questions Today

Q. Is it too late for me to join in this effort?
A. No. 1:00 AM is too late for a midnight snack, but it is NOT too late to jump on the bandwagon here. Jump right on. Right now. There is no perfect time with perfect conditions, and this is not a Space Shuttle launch. You are merely launching your rear into gear. Just launch it.

Q. Does jumping on the bandwagon count as movement?
A. If jumping on the bandwagon makes your heart flutter, it counts. And I know that I sometimes do have that heart-fluttering effect on people, like I did on Clinton Kelly and Dave Barry, so it's entirely possible.

Here is my chance to show that you I met Dave Barry. It's a day he'll never forget. He still has the tic he's displaying in this photo from when I charged him over the autograph table for the photo op.

Q. Do I have to do all 30 minutes at once?
A. Nope.

Q. Can you see me when I tell you I'm going to exercise but then I don't?
A. Yes, I'm afraid so. I have connections with a certain man at the North Pole. It's called "networking," you naive thing.

Q. What are you doing for your part of our movement pledge?
A. First of all, we should probably stop referring to our effort as a "movement," lest we are suspected of belonging to a militia OR being a research focus group for constipation. However, I am walking/jogging/ellipticizing. And I plan to get a hula hoop. I forget who inspired me to do that, so please, Miss Hula Hooper, come forth and identify yourself in the comments below.

Q. Could you scare me into exercising like Jillian does the people on "Biggest Loser?"
A. Here is my best attempt:










Q. Is your family supportive of your 30 x 5 commitment?
A. Yes. They say things like, "I'm hiding this bowl of ice cream with chocolate syrup so that you won't want it."

Q. Are you actually watching Mr. T. on an infomercial right now as you're typing this?
A. Excuse me, it's not an infomercial. It's a cooking demonstration presentation. Featuring Mr. T. And the FlavorWave.

Q. Is it true that when you went to Susanne's blog, "Living to Tell the Story" to encourage her in the 30 x 5 Challenge that the word verification for your comment was indeed "rears?"
A. In the words of Sarah Palin, "You betcha."

Q. Are you seeing any positive results from The 30 x 5 Challenge yet?
A. Stay tuned!

ANY MORE QUESTIONS?

ATTENTION 30 x 5ers: BEST 1 MIN. WORK OUT. EVER.

Breaking News You Can't Live Without: 30 x 5 is Now Over 60 Strong and What I Had in My Purse

Here we are in our first weekend of the 30 x 5 Challenge!

I don't know about you, but for me, weekends have always been challenging regarding remaining faithful to any eating/moving schedule. It's like suddenly I'm on a cruise and lose all rationality about what I'm eating and doing or not doing. It's "Vacation Mindset" syndrome, and it can really set me back in motivation. And it's only two days!

So today and tomorrow, I'm anticipating some sluggishness of spirit and some distraction from goals. I'm also anticipating the urge to take weekend afternoon naps and dream of chocolate and peanut butter, but I WILL be strong. I'll resist those urges. Do you know why I'll be strong?

Because of you, and that's not just a Kelly Clarkson ballad.

I so badly want to be able to look you in the cyber eye and tell you that I continued to move this weekend and did not lose my forward momentum. As Amrosia said so eloquently in 1978, "That's how much I feel, feel for you, Baby."

Keep sending me your reports as you feel like it because I am really enjoying reading them. Some of you are experiencing very inclement weather and uncooperative muscles, yet you are pushing through the obstacles. And to that I say: Did you ever know that you're my hero? You're everything I would like to be. I can fly higher than an eagle; You are the wind beneath my "wings," which is just my cute nickname for my upper arms.

To help keep us energized and focused, how about committing a random act of kindness this weekend by choosing four people from the list at the right and dropping them a note of encouragement? You could do two today and two tomorrow.

Let's build some community along with building muscles.

Wow. I just made that up, and it ranks right up there with Tony Robbins' stuff.

Tony has a new book out called The Power to Shape Your Destiny. After that great tag line I just made up, I think I'm going to write a book about the 30 x 5 Challenge: The Power to Re-Shape the Junk in Your Trunk.

So keep at it, and always remember, when you're in Target and your purse feels entirely too heavy, it may be because you forgot that you put a grapefruit in it before work yesterday.






The winner of the book in which I'm a contributor, A Cup of Comfort Devotional for Mothers and Daughters, goes to new blogger
Kathy at KLS'S Korner. Congrats, Kathy! It's always fun to see a new blogger win something. I would autograph it, but my signature would be bigger than my actual contribution, so let's just leave it at that. Thanks again to Five Minutes for Moms for hosting this annual extravaganza.

30 x 5 Update and What Happened When I Kissed My Son

All I can say is, "Wow!" What a great start we had yesterday! I couldn't get around to visit everyone's site, but I sure would love to. And I was so excited when your reports started rolling in. You are all my new heroes.

I'm sharing this picture of a budding tree to make a trite point that millions of people have made before me, but what the heck: We are this tree. We look kinda sketchy just getting started and all, but we hold promise. You'll notice that the one bud in the crook of the limb is kind of more advanced than the others. That would be those of you who exercised AN HOUR on the first day. You have a halo. Or, that bud could represent those of you who simply worked up a sweat, excuse me, I mean "glow."

At any rate, you did not disappoint. Please try to visit a couple of people on the list at the right so that we can encourage each other and build community.

And now I move on to another topic because I just can't be all "leader-y" all the time. I need a break from me.

As I'm writing this, it's actually 10:28 pm Thursday, and I'm sitting with a blanket wrapped around me because I'm cold (this happens a lot at night, kind of like reptiles cooling when the sun goes down).

I'm really wishing I had a Snuggie right now because I'm rolling all over this blanket in my desk chair and tolerating make-do sleeves, which now that I've been enlightened that blankets with sleeves exist, I know I should not have to do without one. Did I tell you my college son and his dorm mate ordered Snuggies? Just because they think they're ridiculous.

Oh, my son. He is a piece of work. When he was here for his birthday, as he left, his dad said, "Hug your mother." So Jordan stopped, and I hugged him, and he tolerated me like I was a blanket with no sleeves. I mean he was just waiting for the moment to end, while I was hanging onto every moment and remembering how sweet he was when I would pick him up from his naps, etc.

Anyway, something possessed me to kiss the boy, which I haven't done since, like, 1992, and when I released my hug hold on him to back up slightly to kiss him, he juked me. Yes, you read that right.

For those of you like me: "Juke" = mislead, distract the opponent by making a planned diversion (in football); fake, perform a diversionary tactic, feint; move in a zigzag manner.

He zig zagged to escape and ended up with a big ol' kiss planted awkwardly and yet precisely on his right eye.

He said, "Oh, ugh! You kissed my eye!"

Immediately I remembered Lucy's rant, ""Auugh! Get hot water! Get some disinfectant! Get some iodine!"

But I checked the sarcasm and said, "If you hadn't been in such a hurry to ditch your mom, you would've had a kiss on the side of the face, like a normal person."

We are a warm and happy family.



But from now on, I'm going to treat Zoe with a little more respect when she kisses me. Even if it's on my eye.

Pop Goes the Starting Gun

*EDIT: We are now over 50 strong. Go us!

Fill in this blank: "Today is the first day of the rest of your ___."

" ... life?"

Nope.

Your two weeks.

Because that's all this is.

Sure, we know it takes a lifestyle change to effect big results in fitness or weight management goals, but we're sticking to two weeks for now. So unless you have the life cycle of a fruit fly, we're talking about a tiny piece out of your big, big life, and we're talking that way on purpose.

Because how do you eat an elephant? No, not sauteed in garlic butter with a sprinkle of lemon. You eat him one bite at a time. And that's how we're approaching change--in attainable, small increments.

Pin a rose upon our noses on this very momentous day, for we have "gotten a clue," like that great smart-lady feminine icon of the 20th Century, Jessica Fletcha.

We are doing this without pressure, without angst, without guilt and without Oprah, believe it or not.

I'm happy to report to you that I have indeed graced the elliptical machine already, thereby allowing myself to face you.

I also took some before pics of myself wearing shorts and a tank top in my bathroom so that I could share my progress with you visually, but then:



I got ANOTHER clue, which was this internal siren: "Are you crazy?? In those pics, you look like one of those trees that someone built a house around. In this case, they built a bathroom around you. DO NOT SHOW THOSE PICS."

I had better listen to my inner Jessica.

So there you have my first 30 x 5 report: 30 mins. on my elliptical this morning, with my little dog, Zoe, watching me. This is my view from the machine.

Just so you know, Zoe thinks I am absolutely wonderful on my elliptical. It's like I'm a rock star. If she could talk, she would be saying, "How are you so wonderful on that big thing? You are amazingly, incredibly wonderful. I cannot take my eyes off of your wonderfulness." But in the interest of full disclosure, she also does this when I go to the bathroom. That is, when I am on the throne, she worships at my feet, much to my chagrin.

So what is your 30 x 5 plan/report today?

More on the 30 x 5 and Commentary on Biggest Loser

Guys [Translated: Y'all]-- There are about 40 + of us doing this, and I anticipate we'll add a couple more! Imagine yourself sitting in a full classroom right now. Everyone sitting at a desk would represent a person doing the 30 x 5! Woo to the hoo!

So, yeah, this starts tomorrow. Not Monday. Not April 1st. Nope, right smack dab in the middle of the week, this week. Because you know what? If we keep waiting until the right time, whenever that is, we might put it off until the economy bounces back or until we're all living weightless in space, which we know is not realistic. I mean, we're talking trillions.

Anyway.

Remember: All it is is 30 mins. of any kind of movement for at least 5 days per week for two weeks. Then we're going to link up and talk about it. Because that's what we bloggers do. We talk about it. I think we'll learn from each other and learn more about ourselves. But I don't want to plant seeds.

Here is a list of participants. You should go say, "Hi! I'm doing this, too!" *EDIT: I'm now adding people to the sidebar list.


Biggest Loser Notes











OK, so, Tara, in the green there, I thought was a bit cocky in the beginning. My respect has grown leaps and bounds. The woman is a powerhouse. A brick house. A wrecking ball. And last week and this week, she took some hard hits from teammates and kept on ticking ... like the bomb she is. Go, Tara. You may have a potty mouth at times, but you deserved that $10,000 that you were robbed of.


Which brings me to this one. Helen. Initially, because of her age, she was a sentimental favorite of mine. Favorite no longer. A teensy bit mean-spirited and over-confident. Annoying. Helen, just because you say something with a smile doesn't make it OK. And you were mean to Tara. Now she is going to eat you alive. And she will probably giggle like you when she does it.



Running a close 2nd for Most Annoying Contestant is Filipe, who makes strange noises and swings from over-ebullient to King of Meltdowns at times.






This is Kristin. She is the first woman to lose 100 lbs on the air on BL. She's a hoot to listen to and seems to be genuinely nice. She's my other fave.






This is Ron, the dad of Mike, an 18 year-old who has lost over 100lbs. However, the usually affable Ron did indeed jokingly call Mike an idiot tonight for choosing the wrong trainer for the rest of the season. Harsh, Dad! And what I still do not understand about the show is why Ron was chosen to participate because although he certainly is a compelling contestant, his weak knees and shoulders hinder every. single. challenge. This is not the show for him, in my opinion.

These are my yogurt lids that I'm mailing in to the Biggest Loser Pound for Pound Challenge. When I started saving them, I didn't even register the link with BL. I was just eating a ton of yogurt and felt guilty every time I'd lick the lid and pitch it. The guilt got to me, and I saved them up and sent them in. So I guess Yoplait donates $.10 per lid to hunger relief or something. I'm not sure. I just succumbed to guilt, that's all.

At any rate, I am totally into this show, pulling for all of the people, laughing at crazy Bob and scary Jillian, and wishing I could get away for a month or so and work on my bod. But that's not gonna happen. So tomorrow, it's the 30 x 5 for me!

Join Me in the 30 x 5 Challenge

In my head, big goals (lengthy, detailed, lofty goals) are pre-defeating.

But short-term, uncomplicated, obtainable goals? There's a chance for me!

So, since I can't go to the Biggest Loser ranch or take off my weight on Dancing with the Stars, and since I can't afford Jenny Craig and drugs aren't a good option because I might set the bar too high for myself at work regarding artificial productivity, I'm taking on a little challenge. If you want to try it, please do, and when it's over, we'll link up here and talk about what our two-week challenge was like for us.

Beginning on the 26th, I'm pledging to move for 30 minutes at least 5 days a week for two weeks. Thus my cleverly named project: "30 x 5." Did I mention its only for 2 weeks? Did I mention a bathroom scale in this effort? I didn't??? That's right; I didn't!

Now, you can do this however you want; if you love the scales (are you from another planet?) or feel that you must keep track of your calories, that's your call. But don't hold the rest of us to that. Insert group whine: "That's too haaaaard."

As for me and my house :), we will not be writing down foods or checking pulse rates or focusing on muscle groups. Just movin'.

I might move my dog down the street, for instance, so that she can check her "pee-mail." I might turn up my 70s playlist you see at the bottom of the blog and do something strange for 30 minutes that I like to call "la danse du femme fou," or "the dance of the insane woman."

It'll be fun to hear each other's observations at the end of two weeks. But even if no one joins me, I'm in, because I need a little picker-upper. Especially if I'm gonna walk that dog.

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Champion White Fajita Chili with a Lid!

How can I keep this short??

It was the best of chili; it was the worst of chili.

Happily, mine was included among the best! Haha.

Yes, I did indeed win the 2009 Commonway Chili Cook-off in Memory of Chris Dennis (pictured far right) and to raise funds for ALS (Lou Gehrig's Disease).

Chris, a member of our church, was in his early twenties when diagnosed with ALS. I met him when he helped me on the middle school ministry team. After a brave fight and with a heart ready to begin eternity with Jesus, Chris passed away last fall. He would have had another birthday about a week ago.

In his memory, Commonway held this event, and Chris's parents and brother, among others, judged the chili entries, of which there were about 17.

Several of you sent me chili recipes, which I appreciated SO MUCH, and I considered them all. I made five batches in the week preceding the event, and I finally settled on one that I believe is my own original concoction -er- recipe, although none of the ingredients is exactly unique to a dish like this (Mexican).

Oh, the excitement was thick Saturday night in the building as the organizers announced, "Judging will begin in two minutes; please step away from your chili NOW!"

It was just like Food Network!

In the pics, the guy who looks like a drunk Hawaiian Elvis is not really drunk; he's just a Hawaiian Elvis. Actually, he is a former high school classmate who gave his life to Jesus many years ago. He's an Ironman competitor and marathoner. He pushed Chris's wheelchair in the Indy Mini, and you will see this picture on Jim's monitor. And Jim, next time you enter a chili contest, don't talk smack, esp. if you're going to open a couple cans of HORMEL!

I want to tell you about my display because it's hard to read, and then you can see the pics and the recipe.

On the left panel, it says, "Oh the audacity of chili to be THIS good!" and the recipe is posted below that. In the middle, you will see my man Obama (NOT) and his famous "Yes We Can" quote, with the President apparently holding a white plastic spoon ready to dig into some chili. I added "Win this Chili Cook-off" under his "Yes we can!"

On the right, I have three tag lines: "Vote for Change [white chili vs. red chili]; "No pork in this recipe!" [as in economic stimulus package]; and "Natural Stimilus" [due to beans]. At the bottom is my pic and the caption, "I'm Linda Crow, and I approve of this shameless plea for votes." At the front of my table, I had small baggies full of peppermint Life Savers [for breath], Tums EX [for gas] and small bottles of water [to tame the tingle].

So that's it! Thanks so much. If you make this chili, please let me know if you like it. By the way, I think the fresh lime juice makes ALL the difference! PS: I have no clue why my bangs did the curtains-parting thing, unless it was somehow a lame attempt showcase the chili. But who has time for vanity when one's chili is about to win a contest? Was Aunt Bea vain? I should think not!

So I submitted the recipe to Taste of Home, as follows. (Check out how I've got the recipe lingo "down," like I do this all the time.)

Champion White Fajita Chili

In preparation for a chili cook-off, I created this original recipe which not only has beautiful color and just enough kick, but also distinct fajita and lime flavors. The experiments paid off, as this recipe took first place!

SERVINGS: 12

METHOD: Stove Top or Crock Pot

TIME: Prep: 15 min. Cook: 30 min.

Ingredients:

• 2 16 oz. packages of frozen fajita chicken breast strips thawed and cut into bite-sized pieces
• 2 cans Great Northern Beans
• 1 12-oz. package frozen Southwestern corn (corn chopped red and green peppers and onions)
• 2 10-oz cans diced tomatoes and green chilies
• 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon cumin
• 4-oz pasteurized processed cheese product cut into 1” cubes
• 1 c. chicken broth
• Juice of 1 or 2 limes

Directions:

Simmer all in a stock pot for 30 mins., or put into a crock pot and let simmer on low until thoroughly heated, about two hours.

Yield: Serves 12

Notes: I served with cornbread baked with pimientos, and served sour cream, cilantro and other Mexican toppings.

Newspaper Column 3.21.09

This newspaper column is a re-write of a piece I did for Internet Cafe. The newspaper audience is broader and less homogeneous, so I edited it appropriately. And at the time of the Internet Cafe piece, my child had not yet accumulated 6,000 text messages in one month!

It's "Chili Day!" and Other Stuff

So today is the big Chili Cook-off that I've been preparing for all week, or what seems like from the mid 1990s until today.

I've made five different white chilis to find the perfect one, but the recipe I've finally chosen is actually an original concoction! Oh, I'm sure there's one out there similar to mine, but, you're LYING, so STOP SAYING THERE'S ANOTHER ONE OUT THERE LIKE IT.

I'm just a little proud that I made up a recipe, that's all.

I can't reveal the recipe yet (I will tomorrow) because someone might read it and steal it before the judging, and then there go my plans to build an international chili company and finally be able to afford a haircut from Nick Arrojo. Here you see Nick touching someone's hair which should be me.

If I had my own chili brand, I would definitely call it:

Because: chili for Jesus AND Indiana!

Someone asked me, "Hey, it's Spring. Isn't it a little weird to be having a chili cook-off in Spring?" I think it is, but we Hoosiers only recently jumped on the whole "Daylight Savings Time" debacle bandwagon, and since we just had to adjust our clocks AGAIN, some of us are confused and think it's Fall we're heading into. That's the only explanation I can come up with, and I'm pretty much right 100%.

So wish me luck! I'll take lots of photos. And sign lots of autographs. And get my own brand of chili. And get my own Food Network Show. And get a GREAT haircut.

Who knew chili would be my answer to everything??

PS: On the off-chance I don't win, I'll be in bed until the next time to set our clocks back an hour.

Ultimate Blog Party 2009!

First -- Happy Spring, Everybody!


Don't let this whimsical, carefree greeting fool you; I'm not always so amiable. It's just that I live in Indiana, and we've been waiting to trade in black boots for kicky polka dot or hot pink shoes for so long that I had to give a little shout out to Spring.

So you’re clicking around the Ultimate Blog Party, eh? Congratulations on letting everything else in life slide while you "build community."

You have landed at 2nd Cup of Coffee, a place where I hope you’ll develop a new habit of stopping daily for the extra few moments it would take to sip a 2nd Cup. I try to write as if we’re sitting across the table from each other IRL. Except you can’t see my crazy eyes.

If you riddled this blog with "bullets," topics you would likely find are:

• That Cute Dog up there named Zoe.
• Stories about my kids, like my 16 year-old who racked up 6,000 texts last month.
• Video Blogs called "I See What You're Saying"
  
• My work at a youth ministry, where we doled out 405 sundaes this week
• My current addiction to crosswords, where phrases like "doled out" often appear
  
• Observations made by my husband, "Jorge"
• Obsessions with the latest food faves
  
• Recaps of certain TV shows, including Biggest Loser, Idol, The Office and LOST, the best TV show of all time
• Writing a newspaper column: the trials, the triumphs, the lack of pay
• Amish Heaters, elderly parents and musicals
• Commercials for the Department of ED (Er*ectile Dysfunkshun)
• 70-s music (See playlist below) (I am about 6 or 7 years old in dog years)
• Becoming a "conscientious objector" to the concept of cooking
  

In a nutshell: Married almost 24 years, 3 kids (22, 20, 16), Writer, Blogger, Envelope Stuffer, Friend to all. Also, I'm a contributor to this book which just came out, and I'd like to give one away at the end of this party. I think the book would make a nice little addendum to someone's Mother's Day plans, whatever they are. So if you'd like to be entered, let me know in a comment.

Thanks for stopping by 2nd Cup. Please come back. And thanks to Five Minutes for Mom for sponsoring annual springtime fun. And that reminds me ... it's time to put on my hot pink ballerina flats and snap some pics of spring!

PS: I think we're supposed to list prizes we'd like. Dear Santa:
58 - Kitchen Aid Artisan Stand Mixer
Provided by: Moms Who Think
(winner's choice of color, $349.99 retail value )

Who couldn’t use a Target gift card?
19 — $50 gift certificate to Target Stores
Provided by: Shoot-Me-Now
http://www.shoot-me-now.com/

21 — $50 gift certificate to Target Stores
Provided by: Agoosa - Funny Name, Sound Advice
http://agoosa.com/

22 — $50 gift certificate to Target Stores
Provided by: Beginner Baby Blog
http://beginnerbaby.com/blog/?p=100

It's Official: My Baby is Smart

Oh, yes, I know your baby is smart. Every day I read how cute and smart your little babies are, and I totally believe you and rejoice with you, even though I think some of you use the E*Trade baby video techniques to "sharpen up" your kids, shall we say, a bit for your blogs. So yeah, your baby is smart, but I'd like to submit to you that your baby is so smart because he/she has had the Baby Einstein advantage.

What did my baby have?

Well, an older brother and sister, mainly. And sometimes their lessons were, shall we say, offbeat. Perhaps that is why in this pic, when everyone is looking one way at the National Honor Society induction, my baby is looking off the beaten path.



And sometimes, she gets a little distracted.



But that doesn't mean she's not smart. Every day she gets letters from colleges who want us to throw our money at them her to grace their campus with her presence and aptitudes. Even the US Army and Marines want her, but then, I still get recruiting mail from them, too. Perhaps there is some great deal for a high school girl graduate and her middle aged mom to join together. I'll let you know in a couple of years.

Can you imagine?

So anyway, her daddy was traveling and had to miss the induction. But here I am pinning her and hugging her, two of my favorite past times. That is, sometimes, if I let her mercilessly stick me with a pin, she will relent and let me give her a one-second hug. It's a pretty good trade-off, I think.






Oh my Baby. You are so sweet and cute. I could not love you one bit more. You will always have a very special place in my heart. Some time, like in the year 2040, you may actually like to read those words. Until then, I know you hate it.

Oh well.

I'll probably have to pay for these pics and that mush at the end, but it's easier to ask forgiveness than permission.

Just wait until she sees that I wrote about her texting in my newspaper column this week: 6,000 messages.

No. Lie.

She can't help it. Smart girls have lots of words they need to use.

Love you, Kristin!