So much better than trying to make a Weight Watchers meeting

I've been rolling around the New Year's resolutions in my head almost as long as I've been composing my Christmas card letter (also still in my head...must.get.those.cards.out.last.month). I have some concepts -- self-care, inner calm, financial freedom, something reflective that involves catching that new supermodel reality show on Bravo -- but I haven't outlined anything for myself specifically. Yet.

I imagine that I am not alone in wanting to find ways to be a better parent (nor to want more shoes, but let's keep on the higher road for just this one post, shall we?). I can read all the parenting books on Amazon and  subscribe to Mothering and  get all consciousness-raising-y with other mamas about boosting esteem and discovering each day who my boy is rather than imposing who I think he may be upon his tiny soul, and still have a complete and total yelly mommy moment over the trucks and tools that make it impossible to walk from the living room to the bathroom without seriously injuring a baby toe.  Even in the toe-stubbing time-out threatening seeming necessity of it all, I am not so fond of yelly mommy and would certainly like to banish her to the naughty chair after most appearances. 

The thing is, yelly mommy is also often accompanied by lazy mommy. Lazy mommy doesn't really want to spend twenty minutes alternately spraying Shout and scrubbing out chicken nugget grease from the $40 sized-2T polo shirt. Lazy mommy also doesn't care if the PullUp stays on past nap or if some mornings, the TV is on for longer than the APA recommends for preschoolers for the whole week. Lazy mommy also would like very much for someone else to outline resolutions on how to make she and yelly mommy disappear for good (somehow this analogy quickly devolved into psychotic mommy territory).

Thankfully, my grrrl Kelly outlined a list of great parenting resolutions that she thinks will make her a better mom to her amazing kid. I loved it so much (and was so exhausted from writing out the Christmas cards I never sent) that I think I will just follow what she says she's going to attempt.

The best part is, Kelly's a bad ass personal trainer who is loaded up with tattoos, wears leotards for kicks and rues self-imposed challenges that keep her from hoarding cupcakes. She also makes lots of strange references to moist towelettes and uses the f-bomb more than I do, so pretty much she is my parenting ideal. Even if you personally aren't down with trans fats and towelettes, read her column. It is good. Really good. And it will make you think about what kind of mama you want to be this year, especially in really being honest about the mama you already are.

I guess for me, that may just mean lazy mommy and yelly mommy aren't going anywhere. Except to call out for dinner and complain about playing Play-Doh.

Still haven't clicked over? For shame. Catch Kelly here. Seriously dude, maybe your resolution should be to read more.

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Get out the rubber bracelets and crimp irons

I've been spending a lot more time lately listening to music and even (God help me) spending a lot more time on YouTube (do you think I will ever get over the feeling of being fourteen while laughing dorkily to stupid commercials and Chocolate Rain)?  The result, which has really surprised me, is that the more I've listened to, the more I've craved the music I listened to a long time ago.

I've gone back to old favorites that run from Angry Chick Rock to AlternaComplaint Faves to SynthoHighSchool and AcoustiAngst.  I am breaking out CDs and paging through searches of videos and applying new insights to nostalgic songs I danced on platforms to and played in the car as I raced home to make curfew, that I vaguely recall from proms and played in the background while I planned protests in grad school. The surprising part isn't that I am coming back to this music, but that I love it just as much now as I did then, and not just out of pegged-jeans and combat boot sentiment.

From Ani to Violator, here a few fave songs blaring from my laptop, Walkman and maybe even my iPod:

Tori Tori Tori Amos, college kookyloo crush- everything from Silent All These Years (which first made me fall in love with this lovable, gifted wingnut) to Cornflake Girl (which completely cemented my loyalty).

Depeche Mode, high school anthem makers- Good Lord, you can't have a musical reunion without inviting these boys. After all, they were there when you lost your virginity, why wouldn't they be there now? Remember how your total David Gahan obsession almost matched your boy-crush on that kid from trig class when you first heard Stripped? And I dare you to listen to Somebody without feeling wistful and longing for that box of mix tapes in the attic.

Ani DiFranco, grad school guidance counselor and mother goddess of it all- Oh, the one-two punch of 32 Flavors and Untouchable Face will have you hunting happily for your Keep Your Laws Off My Body bumper sticker, clove cigarettes and Monique Wittig texts. OK, maybe that's just me, but it's all good.

What "classic" CDs are you rockin' these days? What have I left out that I must hear this week?









 

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Linkety Dinkety Doo: Catching up on your lives and loves and whatnot goodness

I have not been a good blog reader lately. My Google Reader is packed full of unread posts and my attempt to switch over to the much more reliable Bloglines is as sadly incomplete as Lil E's baby book. I feel a little like I've been on an extended vacation and every time I peek into the lunch room or sit in on a staff meeting in the conference room, I am more of a stranger after my time off than a person who has just ducked out into the real world for a bit (What?, you ask? Blogs aren't the real world?! Holy oh hell. The answer is no, they aren't the real world but yes, they are much, much better. Or at least funnier. And raunchier. And often better rested).

While most blogs I read regularly I've had to just jump back into and (sorry, y'all) just hit "mark all posts as read" and move forward, others I must must must dive back into fully, reading back from the fall, even late summer months. Slowly, I am reacquainting myself with all the details and big deals that have made up your real lives blogs during my hiatus.

While it would be adorable to go back and email all those bloggers with perky messages about how I lurrrrved their ideas for drumstick-inspired Thanksgiving table centerpieces, I will pass on that. Instead, here are a few of the (more) recent posts that I've finally gotten to and loved (not that the bikini rant and Labor Day redux wasn't great, but I must stick to my guns that I've read all that and made my way to January). Join me for a soy butter sandwich, baked kettle chips and baby carrots while we get past my reading-slack and back to the business at blog:

To chant every single day of this New Year.

To look at and steal inspiration from.

To remember whilst not shopping.

To note just in case giving into shopping anyway.

To keep it real. And real funny.

There will absofreakinglutely be more to come. In the meantime, school your sister-friend. What post have I missed that I need to do more than simply mark as read? 

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