questions...

Do you remember back to the days of aol and e-mail as the primary source of electronic communication? You would get these chain e-mails with a gazillion questions about you? Well,
 http://www.tellingdad.com/  has decided to post one question at a time, and answer. So I thought it would be fun to do the same.

So question 1) WERE YOU NAMED AFTER ANYONE?
So I already addressed this shortly in my inaugural post. But, I could give more. My father's mother was Elizabeth and they called her Betty. I really think I would have loved being called Betty, but my grandfather remarried after he death and my parents (my mom really) did not want to offend the woman I knew as Grandma. In the years since, I have learned that my Dad really didn't care for his step mom and would have lept at the opportunity to piss her off. So if he had it his way, I would be Betty. As it came about I was called Beth. My grandpa always called me Bet. I assumed it was his old man Chicago accent that changed the ending, but maybe he was calling me Bet as in short for Betty. I will never know. Growing up with about a thousand "Beths" (thanks in no small part to a new version of Little Women being released shortly before my brith) I was yearning for some individuality. When I went to college I changed my nick name to Eliza. It was really easy. At orientation, I asked for a new name tag that said Eliza, and it all fell into place. The problem with this really came after college when I reintegrated into a community that knew me as Beth and Eliza... I really wish I had just switched back to Beth after college. It would be a lot easier. OR changed to Eliza in High School when we moved here. oh well... 

My middle name is Harriett. I was named after my Father's cousin and my God mother.  Overall my name is very Brittish and Regal sounding. Elizabeth Harriet. My maiden name kinda screws that up though. Mrazek. 

So was I name after anyone? Yes- very much so.  

BS- I call BS

I saw an article on FB about how the latest Sports Illustrated model was being called "border line chunky." I call BS. A healthy curvy woman is soooo much more attractive to men than super skinny with rock hard implant hanging off the bones.

Gaaaawd- You get shit for being "A tractor sized hippo" and " borderline chunky" but in real life I always took shit for being skinny. There really is no winning. Women can't win. It is bs.

The 19th amendment is given one sentence in my students social studies book. ONE SENTENCE. Women get the right to vote 40 years after slaves were given the same right. With the risk of sounding racist I have to ask REALLY?! People who were considered cattle and simply property were granted the right to make political decisions before women... As horrible as slavery was I just can't get over it. Men (you know, who made the laws) had so little faith in the intelligence and strength of women that they chose to give the right to vote to former property first. Now, I don't think black people are any less deserving, and I am incredibly impressed at the swiftness they received their vote.

Let's go back to what set this off. One sentence in my social studies book. ONE- there is not enough emphasis I can put on this word to show my rage. I started off my lesson by asking the kids if they knew the idom "On my soap box" or "Getting off my soap box" Some did. I explained the history of "soap box" I then explained that I was going to get ON my soap box. I told them some of the more mild things that happened to women who tried to vote and get the vote. There are many things I left out because their poor little 5th grad psyches don't need to know about the torture and rape.  But they did need to know about being put in jail, being divorced, being shunned in public places, they needed to be shocked. They needed to be inspired to become registered, informed voters.

I kindly stepped off my soap box to shocked faces and hopefully some inspired girls. One can only hope.

The funny thing is, I am not really a feminist. I like to be taken care of. I like my car door opened. I like wearing my bra, I like letting my husband be the head of the household.

But I am. I have a career that is important. I am raising boys to be independent and self sufficient. I get bent out of shape about women's rights. I am a registered republican- but my own party pisses me off when it comes to women. SOOOOOO much. So maybe I am.

Identity crisis? Nah

Thoughts

I don't have a whole lot of one thing, but a lot of little things.

Saw a man at the Wal-mart pharmacy who looked like my dad. Really, his hair looked like my dad's hair. About the same height and same build. It made me incredibly sad.

I got to hang out with an old friend on a road trip. It was so very nice to catch up.

I am surrounded by balloons. Elmo head balloons. Everywhere. Disembodied Elmos. Parenthood.

Nails- I need to do my nails.

I am really loving How I Met Your Mother on Netflix.

There is no good chocolate in the house.

I am just realizing that these are a bunch of FB posts...

bah- bah I say

kiss my butt goodbye

You know that scene in the Wizard of Oz where Dorothy is sucked into a tornado and she is all "I am laying on my bed because the window busted- oh woe-sigh pass out" And there is that unpleasant music and a slight roar of deep stringed instruments. Yeah- Bullshit.

Scene: Darkened skies, blowing wind, and 27 ten and eleven year old students working diligently on a science study guide. My phone buzzes ominously in my pocket. I pull it out and as I read " A tornado warning has been issued for your area." Simultaneously an announcement " Teachers and Students please assume your weather saftey positions." We file out for the second time that day. As I sit the students in the hallway, our DARE officer says "My phone and raido just blew up with calls, this one is serious" -awesome....

We have the kids in duck in cover mode, the wind picks up, it gets dark. The principal comes over the walkies and tells the teachers to GET DOWN NOW!
 UM_ HOLY COW. I am suddenly very glad I took my license out of my wallet and put in my bra- for real. not kidding. put my ID in my bra. Paranoid much? I also thought to bring my leather jacket. I figured if there was glass or something, it would protect me. As I sat there in the duck and kiss your ass good bye mode, I prayed. I prayed. I prayed. I shook, I shook, I shook. I was sure I was going to throw up. The Music teacher was next to me, and she had to pee. I told her if I throw up, she HAS to pee herself so everyone will look at both of us, and not just me.

We sat there and at the very end even the principals sat down in a safe area. Even the police officer sat down. I prayed for my home, mother and kids. I prayed for me and my students, I prayed for my husband and his library.

Things calmed down outside. And after a few more minutes we were told we could get up and go back to our rooms.

End Scene.

It was a glass a wine kind of night.

Goodwill

So we all went to the Goodwill today. I LOVE people watching at the Goodwill.
First and Most importantly- I saw a 10 pointer. That is right folks- a 10 point mullet. It was beautiful.  And by beautiful, I mean HORRIBLE. Quaffed on top. Long, grey and stringy down the guy's back. It was only topped by the fact that he was was rocking a Hover Round. You know the one that Tom Cruize pitches on TV. He was playing with his grandkids. They were running around and around the Hover Round. He would rev it up and stop short of running them over while they went squealing around the racks. That part was sweet. The mullet was ah-mazing.
Little Man made it his personal mission to say Hi to everyone he encountered and turned on the charm. At the same time, he managed to be a whiney pain for me. He is good like that.
There was a lady in a hat that was reminiscent of Crocodile Dundee. I couldn't decide if she wore it TO the store or found it and was wearing in the store. Both are scary options.

There were so many tiny babies. They were so sweet and cute. NO- this is not drumming up desire for another. I am happy with my 2 boys.

I found the most fantastic prom dresses from somewhere in the 80's. It makes me wish I had somewhere to wear them... I would have bought them IN. A. HEARTBEAT.

I left empty handed, while the Hubby spent some of his birthday money and got some work clothes.

Fun was had by all.

video games are yucky

So The Hubby got a new video game- This brings our number of games to a grand total of 5. One of those came with the system, one is my Zumba game the other 3 are the Hubby's.

They all suck.

They all are shoot 'em up blah blah blah complete a task blah blah blah slash a horse with a sword because it is fun blah blah blah pickpocket blah blah blah.

Look baby- Slash

Ohhh look what I can do- BANG

Whatevs


Make sure it is gone and out of the house by the time our boys have any ideas of playing video games...

Scream

Just give in...
For the love of all that is holy and good. Give in.

Baby Boy has figured out how to roll over. From back to belly. He HATES being on his belly. Yet- he continues to roll over from back to belly.

This puts a kink in our let him cry it out plan.

He will lay there.

Squeal and laugh

roll over

SCREAMMMM
SCREAMMMMSCREAMMMM
SCREAMMMMSCREAMMMMSCREAMMMM
SCREAMMMMSCREAMMMMSCREAMMMMSCREAMMMM
SCREAMMMMSCREAMMMMSCREAMMMMSCREAMMMMSCREAMMMM

!

Put him back

Repeat.

Finally, Finally after doing this about 5 times. He crashed... on his belly.

Silly boys.