Dear Kid,

When you have a good idea, go with it.

If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.

And if it’s raining when you’d planned s’mores, bring out the candles for a repeat performance of indoor s’mores.

Last night we had a horde of teenagers for dinner. Pasta salad, corn and black bean salsa, burgers, and (wait for it) s’mores.

(Sorry if I’m making you hungry. Go eat breakfast.)

But the rain and the wind made the idea of sitting outside around a firepit less than appealing, so we set out candles and everyone had a wonderful time.

Hope you’re staying relatively dry.

Love, Mom

Dear Kid,

Did I tell you about Pet Wants? Great company. They make all natural, healthy pet food and were kind enough to share a sample with me (and the puppy). This is exactly what happened.

Puppy: Mom! Mom! You’re home! You’re home!
Me: Hi, Baby
Puppy: Mom! Mom! Mom! Look at my toy! Look at my—you smell different
Me: I small different?
Puppy: You. Must. Be. Sniffed. And your bag Must. Be. Sniffed.
Me: Sniff away
Puppy: (sniff) smells like mom…(sniff) smells like mom….(sniff) smells like mom….(sniff) smells like DELICIOUS!!!

Puppy: I would like some Delicious
Me: You would
Puppy: YesYesYes….I am spinning around because I can’t stand how excited I am
Me: Well, you have to wait a few minutes
Puppy: I have to WHAT??? I can’t wait!
Me: You have to wait a few minutes
Puppy: I don’t want to wait. I’m sitting nicely. See? I’m a good boy. No, I can’t sit still. I’m too excited for DELICIOUS!
Me: Sorry baby. I’m the mommy and you have to wait.
Puppy: This is not working out well for me

Puppy: Waiting…still waiting….trying to behave….waiting…MY NOSE IS GOING CRAZY!!!

Me: Now it’s your turn
Puppy: YAY! My turn! My turn! My Turn! My turn for what?
Me: A Surprise
Puppy: I love surprises! Love surprises!
Me: And it’s good for you
Puppy: Love Surpris—wait a minute. You think baths are “good for you”
Me: Baths are good for you
Puppy: Don’t like baths. Don’t like “good for you”
Me: I think you’ll like this
Puppy: What do you have? It smells sooooooo good
Me: It’s new food. It’s good for you
Puppy: I like food. I love food
Me: Would you like to try a piece?
Puppy: YesPleaseYesPleaseYesPlease……mmmmm…that is Good Food

Puppy: I was right. This is DELICIOUS
Me: I’m glad you like it
Puppy: De-licious. More please
Me: That’s all for now
Puppy: But….
Me: There’s a “But”?
Puppy: But it’s not what I sniffed before
Me: Caught that, did you?
Puppy: I am VERY good at sniffing
Me: You certainly are
Puppy: So…
Me: So?
Puppy: So where is the other sniff?
Me: Have you been a good boy?
Puppy: Very good! Very good! Very good! That. Smells. Amazing.
Me: I think your tail is going to come off, you’re wagging so hard
Puppy: I think my nose is going to explode!!!!
Me: Here’s a teeny piece
Puppy: I love teeny almost as much as I love lots
Me: What do you think?
Puppy: More.
Me: Wait, what do you think?
Puppy: More. More. More. More!
Pi: He looks like he’s addicted
Me: Yep. And the cool part is it’s good for him
Pi: He’s a very lucky boy
Puppy: More!!!
Pi: What are you giving him?
Me: Beef jerky. The nice ladies at Pet Wants a sample of the food and the beef jerky
Puppy: Love the nice ladies! Love the nice ladies! More!
Pi: How can that be good for him?
Me: Don’t you make healthy stuff that tastes good?
Pi: Well, yeah, but that’s because of the ingredients. Oh, I get it
Puppy: More! More! More! I’m in love with the nice ladies!!!

Love, Mom

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Dear Kid,

Yesterday, 2,100 of my closest friends and I got together at the Duke Energy Center for the annual YWCA Women of Achievement Awards.

First there was lunch. (I took the picture because I knew you’d be interested in the food part.)

After the awards part, Gina Davis (the actor [yes, she refers to herself as an actor]) spoke. She was fantastic. In addition to being an actor, a graduate of the world-class Boston University, and a world-class archer, Gina runs a foundation that does research about women in the media.

It may not surprise you to learn that women are not equally represented in movies. For every 5 major male roles, there is one female role (and she’s generally a cute sidekick).

What’s really interesting is that when you see crowd scenes (everyone in the village runs out to see what’s going on), only 17% of the crowd is female. Real world: women are 51%. Movieland: women are 17%. Real world: women are 51%. Congress: women are 17%. And she had tons of examples showing there is something about 17% that is a limiting wall.

I wish I had a transcript of her talk. But the basic point is that there are tons of examples of women being underrepresented and hyper-sexualized in films and she’s working to try to influence change. Because the more we see these types of images, the more we get used to them and consider it normal that women should be underrepresented in business and government.

Did I mention she’s a smart lady who went to BU?

Love, Mom

Dear Kid,

It’s National Blood Pressure Month.

Unfortunately, it’s also soccer season and hockey playoffs which means your father will not be participating in National Blood Pressure Month in the normal keep-your-blood-pressure down tradition.

It’s also National Barbecue Month and National Hamburger Month and National Salad Month.

I’m not sure these things are as well coordinated as they might be.

In other news, Starbucks has a new mini Frappuccino (only 4 billion calories of caffeinated brain freeze) and McDonald’s is serving kale at select locations.

Yep, you heard me. Mickey D is serving kale.

(I’ll give you a moment for that to settle in.)

The golden arches is testing kale in breakfast bowl. In Southern California. Because everyone goes to McD thinking “Hmmm….Egg McMuffin or Quinoa and Kale?”

Except for the alliteration (which I like a lot) the idea of Quinoa and Kale at McDonald’s does nothing for me. I take that back—it makes me slightly queasy, but other than that, nothing.

In case you’re in a betting sort of mood, you can be safe in betting that Girlfriendology and I will not be hopping a plane to Southern California to test the new food offering.

Enjoy lots of new taste and try lots of new things on your trip. (You are not required to try fast food kale if you don’t want to.)

Love, Mom

Dear Kid,

If you drop an egg, you wouldn’t throw the other 11 on the floor, would you?

Don’t let one slip up ruin your entire day.

And you wouldn’t let it prevent you from making an omelet.

Of course not.

You’d clean up the floor, add eggs to the grocery list, and make a great breakfast.

All too often however, I hear people say things like “I forgot to do “x”–the whole day is ruined.” Or “I ate a donut at breakfast, there’s no point in eating healthy the rest of the day.” Or “I didn’t make that phone call yesterday, so there’s no point in ….”

Wrong answer.

There are things in life that can’t be fixed, but not many. Making sure you have the right point of view is critical to moving on.

It’s pretty hard to put an egg back together or to use it to cook with after it’s landed with a splat on the floor (especially if the puppy gets there quickly). So if the goal is to hold that one, perfect egg, you’re in trouble.

But if the goal is to make breakfast, it’s pretty easy to come up with a zillion alternatives.

Find a way to reframe the problem so you really get what you want. I wise child of mine recently said, “You have to deal with the hand you’re dealt.” (Remind me to talk about gambling.)

Deal with the hand you’re dealt, make sure you know what you really want and don’t get caught up in the minutia, and thank you for cleaning up the mess on the floor.

Love, Mom

Thanks to SparkPeople for the inspiration!

Dear Kid,

There is a very interesting phenomenon going on in our house. Not to worry—I’m on the case and I’m sure I’ll solve it eventually.

But in the meantime we have A Situation.

Coffee evaporation is not like normal evaporation.

Let me explain.

I’ve noticed that very often I will make a cup of coffee (have I told you how much I adore my little Keurig? I know it’s not great for the environment and I feel badly about that. But not enough to give up my adorable little Keurig that I adore. Did I mention the adoring part?).

Where was I?

Right. Very often I will make a cup of coffee, carry the steaming mug over to the kitchen table, read a section of the newspaper, pick up the mug—and discover that IT’S EMPTY!

This is a particularly interesting phenomenon because I am generally the only one in the house who drinks coffee.

Puppy: I would drink coffee if you let me
Me: Coffee is very bad for puppies and you can’t reach that high.
Puppy: Look who’s making short jokes…

I am considering starting a research study to see if this evaporation anomaly happens in other places or just in our house.

Right after I go make myself another cup of coffee.

Love, Mom