Mothering on the Edge

Thursday, June 29, 2006

Funniest thing I've seen in a while...

For some reason, this makes me smile. The video, the idea, the whole site.
http://www.wherethehellismatt.com/index.html

Dance, man, dance!

Posted by Sarah Jean :: 1:20 PM :: 4 Comments:

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Thursday, June 22, 2006

Thirteen Things about Ovarian Cancer


Thirteen Things about Ovarian Cancer
  1. My husband's grandmother died of ovarian cancer.
  2. Ovarian cancer will kill more than 16,000 women this year alone.
  3. Ovarian cancer occurs in 1 in 57 women.
  4. The symptoms of ovarian cancer are easy to miss:
  5. Bloating, a feeling of fullness, gas
  6. Frequent or urgent urination
  7. Nausea, indigestion, constipation, diarrhea
  8. Menstrual disorders, pain during intercourse
  9. Fatigue, backaches.
  10. There is currently NO early detection screening for ovarian cancer.
  11. Early detection means before it has spread to other organs, and a survival rate of over 90%.
  12. Most ovarian cancer is diagnosed after it has spread, when the survival rate is 24%.
  13. I do not intend to die of ovarian cancer.

Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!


The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things. Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!



Posted by Sarah Jean :: 12:07 PM :: 7 Comments:

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Climb for Life!

So, I'm doing the Climb for Life in Salt Lake City this September to benefit ovarian cancer research and support. I set up a separate blog for all that stuff at: sarahclimbs.blogspot.com. I'm going to be asking for sponsorship and donations, as well as auctioning off some really cool stuff on Ebay for "the cause" over the next couple months.

Please, spread the word--Ovarian Cancer is the fourth leading cause of cancer death among women in the United States, following lung cancer, breast cancer and colon cancer. There is no self-exam, no doctor office test, NOTHING to find it early. Over 75% of the time, by the time OvCa is diagnosed, it's begun to spread. This event is funding research that is looking for an early detection blood test. When OvCa is caught early, the survival rate jumps from 24% to 90%. We're smart women. We do our monthly breast exams, we don't smoke, we're eating right to avoid heart disease. We can beat this too.

Visit the site, consider making a donation, and spread the word. You're welcome to use the graphic up there, or there's more on SarahClimbs.

Posted by Sarah Jean :: 8:57 AM :: 0 Comments:

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Monday, June 19, 2006

Edge of What?

People often ask me, "Mothering on the Edge? Edge of what?"

Pick one, Mothering on the Edge:
  • of Reason
  • of Sanity
  • of the Law
  • of Department of Health guidelines (hahahaha!)
  • of my Limits
  • of the Universe (H claims to have found rocks from several planets at Father's Day picnic last night, including a new, previously undiscovered planet.)
  • of Relativity
  • of my Patience (not today, so much)
We'll just meditate on that for a second. Here are some edgy quotes to help:

“I want to stand as close to the edge as I can without going over. Out on the edge you see all the kinds of things you can't see from the center.” Kurt Vonnegut, Jr

“When you have come to the edge of all the light you have, And step into the darkness of the unknown, Believe that one of the two will happen to you, Either you'll find something solid to stand on,Or you'll be taught how to fly! ”

 Richard Bach

“We live at the edge of the miraculous.” Henry Miller

“If you are not living on the edge, you are taking up too much room.” Jayne Howard

And that's the way it is.

Posted by Sarah Jean :: 6:55 AM :: 1 Comments:

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Thursday, June 15, 2006

Chemo-pony

A soft My Little Pony for those unfortunate little girls going through cancer treatments, or who were left in their room alone with scissors for too long. Tragic, isn't it?
Be careful not to mistake Chemo Shine for her friends, Boot Camp Pony and Skinhead Pony.

Posted by Sarah Jean :: 7:28 AM :: 2 Comments:

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Monday, June 12, 2006

I'm too sexy for this song...

So, the father's day shopping trip went better than expected. While Sassy and I were in the mens department (looking for SOCKS!) we saw these underwear models. Look at the one in the middle. He looks worried, doesn't he...like, uh oh...I don't know why. He's in the XL package. I laughed for a long time about it and had to share the humor with you.







But really, don't underwear models always have funny looks on their faces? Check out this one:

Concerned about the future? Global warming? Or maybe he's praying? Maybe he's saying, "Don't take my picture! I'm not in character yet!"

I know, I'm not being fair to the poor underwear models. It's not easy, I'm sure. But consider this guy. He looks like he's having the time of his life! I thought he was going to come on to me...in his underwear!














And finally, a little risky business pic:
'Cause if you can look this good in a pullup, there's no stopping you.

(P.S. I did get some good Father's Day gifts, but I'm not saying what here!!!)

Posted by Sarah Jean :: 7:42 AM :: 5 Comments:

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Thursday, June 08, 2006

Thirteen Things about ME!


Thirteen Things about Edge
  1. I'm an oldest child. That's why I'm so bossy.
  2. I also always think I'm right. If I didn't think I was right, I wouldn't have an opinion.
  3. I grew up in a family of mostly girls. I like girls. Boys are cool, too.
  4. I tend to think in terms of a female-based society. Toilet seats go down, feelings are valid, etc. Farts are not funny.
  5. I saw a friend from high school a few months ago (a rare thing--high school was not my favorite part of life). She said that I was the same fiery, rabblerousing person I was then, just instead of the environment and freedom of the press, my issues were now homebirthing rights and charter schools.
  6. She's right. But I'm better looking now and much more confident.
  7. This same friend taught me to fistfight when a bully was threatening me at school.
  8. I have never been in a fist fight, but I have considered it a couple of times.
  9. I crochet baby booties, but never put them on my babies.
  10. I teach my kids to be independant. As I write this, my 3-year-old is trying to change his own diaper.
  11. My kids collectively own ZERO lace-up shoes. They don't know how to tie shoestrings and I'm not gonna teach them. It's my little way of stickin' it to the kindergarten-curriculum man.
  12. I'm going shopping for Father's Day gifts today.
  13. I have no ideas, so the plan is to wander around Sears in a stupor. Go team!

Links to other Thursday Thirteens!
1. (leave your link in comments, I’ll add you here!)



Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!


The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things. Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!




Posted by Sarah Jean :: 7:26 AM :: 1 Comments:

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Tuesday, June 06, 2006

All the Crusty Noses...



Where do they all come from?
So, the kids all have colds or allergies or something. We're nearly out of tissues and I'm tired. Tired enough to doze off at stoplights.

We went to the grocery store today. My FAVORITE grocery store. It's called Macey's, and it's a very friendly place. We drive 20 minutes to shop there. That's how much I like it. If you ever have to wait more than 10 minutes in line, it's because all the registers are going (I've seen guys in ties running registers, that's how serious they are) and you can expect a bagboy to start running down the aisles at any moment, offering juice pops to everyone in the summer, glazed donuts in the winter, and a sincere apology for the wait. They really know how to keep customers happy.
We arrived, had to stop at the potty first. Banged my knee into the cart and narrowly avoided swearing in front of the children. I have a bruise the size of Nevada there now.

After use of the facilities and a brief discussion of the ethics of "peeking", we go to get orange (not red or, heaven forbid, purple) medicine (and a package of tampons and chapstick) and purchase them right away so we can administer the meds ASAP. We decline the customary smarties and help to the car, and instead sit on a bench outside the bathroom where I drug my children. I feel like the old lady in the shoe, except since this is a new (more humane and anti-spanking) millennium, I drug them all soundly and send them to bed.

Argument ensues about who gets to sit in the car of the "car-cart" (another fabulous feature at Macey's) as it is a 2 seater and there are 3 interested occupants. A timeshare arrangement is worked out, and we begin our shopping in earnest.

Receiving a free cookie at the bakery, getting bread, produce, flour (even oat bran! yay!) and raisins, doubling back for honey (shelved with the peanut butter, rather than the syrup, like I had guessed), we're doing fine. Kids are helpful, people are pleasant...Life is good. A regular shopping trip like this takes an hour to 90 minutes. I don't mind. I like grocery shopping.

(back) In the pharmacy, a small setback. Little E is getting underfoot, literally. I lean down to grab a bottle of lysine supplements (only $2.49 for 100! What a deal!) and when I lean back, I crush his little toe. He screams (in pain)~I scream (in shock and lost balance)~the girls scream (in sympathy, I think). We all scream. I say..."How about some ice cream?"

So off to frozen foods, where disaster strikes. We choose some lovely ice cream (mint chip and double strawberry) and all pain is swallowed up in the promise of frozen dairy treats. This peaceful moment brought to you by the good people at Dryers. Add tots of the tater variety and fries, curly seasoned. And frozen juice.

I grab 2 cans of frozen cranberry (100% juice cocktail) and as I come out of the freezer...yup, he's right there again. I start to crush his toe, then realize what it is, and try not to hurt him, lose my balance, grab for the cart, but push it away, and my trick knee goes out. I should explain that "trick knee" makes it sounds better than it is. Its only trick is collapsing like a cheap lawn chair when I try to spin on it. So I land on my derriere, with my crying son under one leg. My girls go spinning away in the cart, frantically trying to steer their way out of the spin with useless plastic steering wheels. Little E scrambles into my arms, crying and I'm near tears myself, sprawled on the floor. The plastic frozen cans of juice concentrate are on the floor. One has shattered, giving the whole scene a gory look.

A man in a red apron jogs up and offers help. And smarties. I believe the store policy is to offer smarties liberally to anyone who can't buy cigarettes. They don't sell cigarettes. Another thing I like about them. The kids were, of course, soothed by smarties, and I nursed my ego and rear end while someone got the rest of the juice I needed. "Was there something on the floor?" He asked (so conscientious, wanting to keep the store neat and safe!). "No. I tripped over my son." Sigh. Drug me soundly and send me to bed, too.

So I have another bruise. I considered posting a picture of it, but it's on my derriere and this isn't really *that* kind of blog.

We made it through the rest of the shopping trip, had a nice conversation with some construction workers in the soda aisle about the possibility of a world-wide Mountain Dew Code Red shortage. Got our smarties and a trip to the car. Stayed under budget, even. I'm going to bed now. No more shopping for 2 weeks.

Posted by Sarah Jean :: 5:16 PM :: 4 Comments:

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