Kristen, of The Mom Trap fame, tagged me with a cool ‘Real Moms’ meme* that she made up, because she’s crafty like that. Real Moms Have Flab? Check. Real Moms Wake Up Cranky With Disheveled Eyebrows?
Check.
It’s a look that I can – and do – carry through the whole day. Especially this past Saturday, when Julia woke up at 5.30 in the morning puking, with a raging fever and one eye crusted shut. At Julia’s pre-op appointment with the surgeon last Wednesday I told her I’d eat my hat if Julia made it to tomorrow, the day of her tonsillectomy, without getting yet another throat infection.
I didn’t have to eat my hat. I spent Saturday afternoon at Urgent Care with her, where it was confirmed that not only did she have another throat infection, but pinkeye too – in both eyes.
So yeah, I walked around on Saturday looking like I’d been up since 5.30 dealing with puke and eye snot and loads of laundry, leaving me little time to care about the fact that the sweatshirt I’d thrown on had yogurt crusted all over the front of it and my eyebrows looked like baby rat’s nests.
Real Moms also know how to deal with the loaded questions. Lately Julia has been very interested in words and how to spell them, and she likes to spell words aloud and ask me what they mean. She also likes to recite a bunch of random letters and ask me what they spell. Most of the time she strings together a bunch of consonants and I tell her that those letters don’t make a word, but sometimes she spells a word, like look or foot or the.
She and I were doing this the other day. She’d spelled book and bat and cat and started to spell out another word.
“Mummy, what does b-o-n-g spell?”
I think my face turned about a thousand shades of red. “What?”
“B-o-n-g. What does that spell?”
“Uh…” I stammered.
“You’re all red, Mummy. Do you have a fever?”
“No, sweetie, I don’t have a fever,” I said, laughing.
“What does it spell?”
“Uh, it spells bong.”
“What’s bong?”
Think, think, think! “It’s another way to say how the doorbell sounds,” I said, probably a little too excitedly. “You know how we say ‘ding dong!’ when Oliver rings the doorbell? Well, you can also say it like ‘bing, bong!’”
She nodded, satisfied, and I patted myself on the back and told myself how much I fucking RULE for getting myself out of that one.
Anyway, back to the weekend. It was a really busy one and I never got a chance to post about the Just Post roundtable discussion that took place on Saturday and the piece written by Amber that I wanted to bring to the table. It’s a great post, an important post, one that I think everyone should read. If you haven’t already checked out the Just Post discussions, you should. Good readin’, my friends. Good readin’.
Julia’s surgery is scheduled for 10 tomorrow morning and although I’m nervous about it I’m praying that she’ll still be able to have it done, given that she has a throat infection. Tomorrow is also the day our house will be inspected, and if all goes well and the buyers are satisfied with the report, the deal should be wrapped up Wednesday. It’s a big day tomorrow, on more than one account, so if you have any positive thoughts to spare, especially for Julia, I’d appreciate them.
*I’m tagging Slouching Mom, Ali, Nancy, Radioactive Girl and Joy.
49 Comments, Comment or Ping
No silly comments about your eyebrows here, only good thoughts for Julia with a few left over for a successful home inspection.
March 12th, 2007
You do RULE on that bong save. Hats off to you.
The home inspection and especially Julia will be in my thoughts and prayers until I hear how everything turns out. I’m sending all positive vibes your way Mama Tulip.
(and the brow thing – that’s what mine do when I don’t make time to have them “done” – which is more often than not).
March 12th, 2007
Good luck tomorrow!
March 12th, 2007
I will send lots of positive energy your way – I hope Julia can have the surgery. Poor kiddo. :(
Good save there. Hee. When my brother and I were little, our Siamese cats (Ping and Pong – why, yes, my brother and I named them) had kittens, which my brother named Bing, Bong, Bang, and Bung. So, what would you think, buying a Siamese kitten who had one of those names?! LOL!
March 12th, 2007
Good luck on all things. I will be thinking about your daughter, so please update us!
That bong thing killed me! That happened to us with my son, but not the word bong. Ours was rhyming though and he started with truck. When he got to fuck, my husband and I looked at each other and didn’t know what to do. He kept going, so we didn’t end up having to do anything and thank goodness he moved on to another word and didn’t rhyme that one again!
March 12th, 2007
Yes. What Mrs. Chicky said. Ever so much good luck to Julia for a pain-free recovery, AND for a clean bill o’ health for the house.
March 12th, 2007
Lots of luck and speedy recovery vibes from me. I’ve been through two tonsillectomies and though the recovery was rough, I would do it all over again in a heartbeat.
Ummmm, your eyebrows looked just fine to me. And I’m really anal about eyebrows. :?)
March 12th, 2007
Good luck with Julia tomorrow. Hopefully it will be an uneventful, non-blog-worthy event. (In any case, please do update us.)
March 12th, 2007
Um. What everyone said. I’m freaking out about coughs over here — I think I’d be flat on the ground with the prospect of surgery.
Sending TONS of vibes (good ones, of course) your way.
March 12th, 2007
That was a great recovery. I probably would have laughed out loud.
The eyebrows? I know that deal all too well!
Sending good thoughts your way. Big week!!
March 12th, 2007
I thought her surgery was next week…..
Julia, I just know you are going in for that little surgery tomorrow and your throat might hurt a bit after. But please know that your Mum and Dad will be pacing and worrying and fretting and if you want ANYTHING….just whimper and they will both run, colliding into one another to get it…(I’d hold out for a really expensive toy or obscure flavour of ice cream if I were you….). Big hugs to you for being such a brave little girl.
Another thing Julia. Bong. You are brilliant. Way to make your Mom sweat…..
….and Tulip….the house inspection will be great. They will find a few little things, but that is to be expected.
breath…..
March 12th, 2007
big bundles of white light coming your way. one thing at a time tomorrow – it will all turn out perfectly ok.
it will.
and thank you for your kind words about Just Post.
oh, and ps. i think you look hot in that picture. real is hot.
March 12th, 2007
Let us know how things go with Julia as soon as you are able.
(And I wish I looked so cute when woken by puke at 5 in the morning!)
March 12th, 2007
tons and tons of good, positive, healing energy coming your way, mama. big hugs to julia.
p.s. – how did you get my husband to send you a picture of my eyebrows?
March 12th, 2007
For you and yours I ALWAYS have well wishes to spare. Good luck with the surgery tomorrow Julia! And to Momma, she’ll do great. From someone who watched her little brother go through the same thing. It’s MUCH harder on the adults. She’ll be bouncing off the walls again in no time. ;)
XO
March 12th, 2007
Poor kiddo! Hope all goes well tomorrow and that she recovers quickly with the help of tons of jello. Good save on the bong question.
March 12th, 2007
what about that annoying black eye gunk?
March 12th, 2007
Sending only warm thoughts your way…
laced with glorious yummy ice cream !!!!
and the house inspection… well, that will be a breeze…
Big sighs of relief are just around the ole bongtree!!!
March 12th, 2007
as much as I can give you. as much as I’ve got.
love to you and your family. Deb
March 12th, 2007
Good luck, tomorrow, MT! I’ll be thinking of you guys and sending good vibes your way! LOVE the pic, btw!!!
March 12th, 2007
I’ll be thinking of you tomorrow. I can’t guarantee at that time because who knows what time it is anyway.
Disheveled is better than uni. ;)
March 12th, 2007
Good Thoughts to you and Julia.
You and your eyebrows ROCK, sistah.
March 12th, 2007
Oh, good luck tomorrow!!! Guess she’s in desperate need with yet another infection, eh? Hope it can happen.
Good save on the bong – don’t know that I would have been able to come up with something!
March 12th, 2007
You rocked with that answer!!!!
Good luck with Julia tomorrow— I’ll be sending good thoughts your way.
March 12th, 2007
I completely love that picture. I just want to pat you on the head and tell you to go back to sleep while I take the kids for the day. ;-)
All the best wishes for Julia (and you, of course) for tomorrow. I will be thinking of you both.
And yes, I duly accept your tag challenge. Now, which of my many mom-vices should I highlight?
March 12th, 2007
Bong, eh? Have a lot of experience with those, do ya?
Hugs to Julia. She’ll rock it. You’ll see. Just tell the nurse to keep out of arm’s reach.
Good luck with the house inspection. Fingers and toes crossed for ya that all goes well.
March 12th, 2007
My daughter likes to run a lot of consonants together and ask me what they spell as well. She hasn’t actually spelled anything yet.
Good luck tomorrow with everything!
March 12th, 2007
Lots of luck to Julia (and you!) tommorow. Hope surgery goes just fine.
March 12th, 2007
Thinking about you guys and sending good thoughts for a smooth day all around tomorrow.
March 12th, 2007
Big day tomorrow — sending all good thoughts and wishes!
March 12th, 2007
Oh, i hope all goes well. Or went well?? I will say prayers. Maybe after she won’t get sick as much, huh? I know it will go just fine, but it must be stressful! I would rather it was me than my kid. Poor baby.
And thanks again for the shout out.
I think your brows are fine…You should see my back. ;)
:)
March 13th, 2007
I’m thinking positive for you and big hugs to Julia.
I love your slice of real.
March 13th, 2007
My daughter is doing the consonant thing too. She gets all pissy if I tell her it spells nothing. I have to sound out her nonsense word.
Good luck tomorrow. With the surgery and the inspection!
March 13th, 2007
oh i’ll be thinking about you and julia – i just went through it last week with edie – she was sick with a cold and it took two anaesthiologists to decide whether or not to go ahead with the operation – then they read us the riot act about possible complications due to her cold. In the end, they said they would never do the operation if there was a serious risk, so they basically gave us the okay to go ahead and have it done.
people kept saying not to worry because it is a routine, minor operation, but they are still our babies and we have the right to worry! i’ll be sending good vibes your way….
March 13th, 2007
Just the other day I made a joke about some less than well-spoken athlete (I know, imagine that!) being from Bongolia. My son asked where that was. I wish I had reacted as quickly as you did. I told him that I meant to say Mongolia, because he looked Mongolian…which he didn’t.
March 13th, 2007
OMG! You reminded me I need to get an appointment to have my brows waxed. I am in serious forest territory.
Best of luck with the surgery. My son had his T&A this past July. It went much smoother than my paranoid overexcited brain thought it would!
March 13th, 2007
I think angry eyebrows are a sign that all is going to go your way… no one, even karma, messes with angry eyebrows.
March 13th, 2007
Sending all good thoughts your way for the surgery. And for the record, if I sent you a picture of what I look like in the morning, you’d need some kind of laser surgery to repair your melted retinas.
March 13th, 2007
Great ‘bong’ answer! Bong is a fun word anyway, right?
Good luck with the surgery tomorrow. I’ll keep y’all in my thoughts.
March 13th, 2007
Thinking of you today. Be well, Julia.
March 13th, 2007
Julia is spelling bong already huh? I guess this is karma’s way of letting you know what you’re getting yourself into with this one. I can’t believe what terrible luck you have had with illness this year, you must be ready for spring and better health.
Best of luck with the house inspection, though I am confident that it will go well!
March 13th, 2007
i’m new, and i’m late in sending the wishes for Julia for today…but i’m hoping all went well and you’re all doing good. surgery’s scary. will be back for news. :)
and nice ‘bong’ save…will keep that in mind once the ten-month old gets verbal and starts nosing into my photos from college…
March 13th, 2007
big strong bestest wishes that the surgery went well.
(and, BONG, lol)
March 13th, 2007
You are a fucking genius with the bong one. I fucking love it.
Ya’all are most definately in my thoughts & prayers.
Little Julia will be just fine :]
Let me know how it goes!
March 13th, 2007
Sending lots of luck your way for the surgery and the house inspection!
March 13th, 2007
Wow, that’s a lot to deal with, mama. Best wishes to you and Julia – I bet it will be fine, and she’ll be thrilled at all the ice cream and pudding she gets to eat afterward! It must be terribly nerve-wracking, though, so my thoughts and hugs are with you. (I know my mom fainted after my first eye operation – she had not been anticipating huge shiners! And I imagine you’re a little hyped up to begin with, when your kid is in the hopsital.)
March 14th, 2007
Just checking in..I hope all went well with Julia.
March 14th, 2007
I think you look Real Mom Hot. And I am cursed with no eyebrows to speak of, so I only dream of that unruly bush you sport here (heh).
Tagged! Ow! This is my second tag for the same meme. I guess I can’t duck it (not that I don’t love a meme, but this one, considering my whole topic of conversation right now at my place is gonna be tough. I think I’ll just post a picture of my stretch marks).
March 14th, 2007
LMAO about the bong thing……you rule!
And that pic, awwwww, you are so freaking cute all snuggly in your bed! :)
March 17th, 2007
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