Winter Break ...part 2

Other than reading tremendous amounts of literature and bidding on E-bay auctions my Winter Break consisted of lots of catching up. Catching up with friends from high school (2 of my favorites) and friends from Nick's high school (a mini CF reunion took place one interesting sunday night) and catching up with family family family.

I also started catching up on my Winter To-Do List. Cleaning the fridge out, framing the remaining diplomas I earned and hanging them up. I started laminating reindeer and making a book of retired reindeer.

I finished M-C Tiny's registries and started truly designing her room. I'll post extra blog on the creativity going into that. It's fun. Currently, I'm debating on a red, green or purple lava lamp for her room.

We have decided to expand our garden this year. Last year we had cherry tomatoes, green and red peppers. With M-C Tiny on her way we've decided to plant more veggies that we can freeze and use for baby food. Yes, we are planning on making some of our own. I'm starting to plan out the garden and do research which is not as fun as planning trips but still satisfies both my need to research and my need to plan.

Speaking of trips, for New Year's Corky and I trekked down to Washington, DC. We spent our first afternoon in Baltimore. Eating at my favorite Hampden eatery, Holy Frijoles. I miss our old neighborhood sometimes but my, the changes! We used to do our laundry at the laundromat where scenes for the John Water's film, Pecker, were filmed. The ladies would sit, constantly smoking and keeping an eye on the joint and happenings in the neighborhood. The laundromat has been replaced with some kind of swanky salon called Padma. HUH? The quirkiness is being replaced by hipness in that neighborhood. I think a lot of Baltimore is but what do I know. The grilled veggie taco salad remains the best I've ever eaten.

We then headed to the American Visionary Arts Museum. The latest exhibition "Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness" proved to be mind boggling. I love the AVAM because they always mix quotes in with their art. So very Kate friendly of them. The museum always brings me to tears at some point, this was no exception. With quotes like:

"You can't be brave if you've only had wonderful things happen to you." (Mary Tyler Moore)

"All paths are the same, leading nowhere. Therefore, pick a path with heart!” (Carlos Castaneda)

and one of my ALL TIME FAVORITES: "To be nobody-but-yourself -- in a world which is doing its best, night and day, to make you everybody else -- means to fight the hardest battle which any human being can fight; and never stop fighting." (e. e. cummings)

We left the AVAM and drove on to DC where we stayed at the Capital Hilton, 2 blocks from the White House. We took the Metro to see the Christmas lights at the Zoo that night. We also ordered room service which neither of us had ever done. I have to say, it was the most delicious cheeseburger ever.


The next day we toured the Hirschorn museum which houses contemporary art. The trip became perfect when I walked around a corner to find a Picasso statue. One quite relevant to my current station in life Woman with Baby Carriage.

We ate lunch that day at the Old Post Office Pavilion. We took a ride up to the clock tower and peered down at the lovely nation's capital.

We walked back to our hotel via the White House where we saw the National Christmas (holiday?) tree with all of the state trees surrounding it. We knocked on the Obama's door but were sad to hear they had stolen away to Hawaii for the Winter Break. It was nice to see the White House when a President I actually have respect for is residing in it. (see how touristy happy i am!?)

That was New Year's Eve. We ate a tasty dinner out complete with delicious lobster bisque. After this we walked back around the White House and back to our hotel where we donned PJs and sipped non-alcoholic wine spritzers and watched J-Lo gyrate in a sparkly leotard to ring in 2010.



Someone once told me that however you ring in the year is a premonition of how it will be. If 2010 has me giggling at the TV with Corky while relaxing... then this year is gonna rock! And, HP, if you could help me to look 1/8 that good after M-C Tiny is born I'd be totally happy with that. :)

Winter Break ...part 1

"Man plans, God laughs." This Yiddish proverb was brought to me by my new favorite blogger, Teacher Tom. (check out the entry where he quotes it, i feel like i'm bound to live it in some similar way)

So many plans are being devised these days. Among them were my plans for Christmas break which I assumed would include a lot of time in my office, creating. This didn't truly happen. I spent about two hours researching and outlining for a writing piece I have been working on for... 10 years, give or take. I did, however, accomplish many things.

For instance, I finished 4 books.
#1) The Sweet Far Thing by Libba Bray. The final installment of the Gemma Doyle trilogy. I'd give it a 6 on a 1-10 scale. Intended for the teenage crowd, it had your usual girl feeling out of place, finding friends, special talents, secret places, discovering power and of course, ultimately, herself. A bit of romance rounded things out and made it a little interesting. Meh. Entertaining.

#2) Laurie Notaro's latest idiot girl revelations: The Idiot Girl and the Flaming Tantrum of Death: Reflections on Revenge, Germophobia, and Laser Hair Removal. My girl is nothing short of HILARIOUS again in this one. Thank you, Laurie Notaro, for helping me realize that there are other women in this world who are as weird as I am. And thank you to my sister for lending me this book.

#3) Sippy Cups Are Not for Chardonnay by Stephanie Wilder-Taylor. As I said on facebook, finally a "mommy book" I could relate to. For example, she doesn't refer to herself as a Mommy. It was a take on becoming a mother spoke to my life, putting down your wine glass and picking up the sippy cup and turning back to the wine when it's appropriate. Not losing who you are even though your life changes completely. I read these message boards where people refer to themselves as "wife to *insert name* mommy to *baby name*" Freak me out some more, why don't you!?!! This book helped me feel 1,000 times less lonely about becoming a mother.

#4) Baby Proof by Emily Griffin. A story about a woman who doesn't want children who finds a hubby who doesn't want children. Obviously something I can relate to right now (dripping sarcasm). This great chick lit. I finished it in 2 days (or night time readings). Your brain doesn't need to think one bit. The story line is only a little bit predictable. It was a hand-me-down from my emily and will be handed down again. It was the perfect read for break.

#5) I'm currently reading snips of The Heart of the Buddha's Teaching by Thich Nhat Hanh. I have read the first portion and love it. Buddhist philosophies and teachings are familiar to me but I purchased this book due to Hanh's great explanation of the 4 Noble Truths & Eightfold Path. He relates the Buddha's teaching to current life. It's beautiful, really but a lot to digest. Thus my taking it a little at a time.

#6) While waiting for 2 new books to arrive from Amazon I decided to open an old book of essays I was reading, The Bust Guide to the New Girl Order. Published in 1999, this compiles articles and essays from BUST magazine -- which originated back in the days of zines, long before blogs when kids like me ran tiny publications from their houses and dorm rooms (thanks again, dad for sponsoring the postage on the original dandelion dreams). I love reading this book because it reminds me of the 90s, when I read my first Sassy article on the horrors of sororities and claiming your body and your identity as your own. love it.

I'll continue describing Winter Break and all of my inane accomplishments another day. Here's a cute picture of me 21 weeks pregnant.

nooooo!!!! i have mom hair!!!!

Is that totally my hair-do or what? Holy. Crap. I need help...like yesterday...

10-10-10!

HELLO 2010!!!

i just know i'm gonna love you!

ebay !! *shakes fist*

it's a good thing I work or I might just spend our life savings on ebay. I forgot how I had to stop ebay-ing about 10 years ago because of my found obsession for WINNING. "I've been outbid?" I would think to myself, "oh no you don't!" At which point I would end up paying exorbitant amounts of money on things like... giant tacky candy dishes shaped like seashells. So I stopped that after I bid crazy amounts on this sundress that was paper thin and about 7 sizes too small.

Recently, with this whole baby thing I thought to myself... i bet i could find *insert muy expensive baby item here* on ebay for waaay cheaper... so I checked it out and I was right.

I spent all day Sunday and Monday obsessively checking my ebay auctions. I even outbid someone in the last 30 seconds *papow!* and won my auction on Sunday. Then, the same thing happened to me Monday. Insanity rushed through me. How dare that person STEAL MY AUCTION (yes, as i had done to some poor soul the day before). I went crazy and bid on the next closest thing, which wasn't even what I really wanted. It was black and green instead of cranberry and khaki and in a world of white cat hair that really makes a difference.

As luck or fate would have it, I lost that auction and won another one with a cranberry item that ended 17 minutes later. I paid for my item and signed off ebay... hopefully for another 10 years.

here's a picture of nearly what my obsessive buy looks like:

pink is my favorite color

Actually, in recent years my favorite color has gotten a little darker, changing from pink to red. Although I still feel some joy in my heart when I see a certain beautiful, perfect shade of pink.

I've heard it said that if you wear a blue garter at your wedding you're guaranteed to have a boy. I wore pink at mine. The seamstress took a little bit of the scraps from Audrey's dress and sewed it into a garter I had purchased. We didn't do the garter toss or anything I just really wanted to have a girl and thought, if it the tale turned out to be true for boys, then maybe it would work for girls.

It did. We're having a girl. :)

Of course I would have been thrilled either way. I can just imagine a little boy running around this joint being all boyish. However, there was a certain exuberance I felt when the ultrasound tech told us that the baby growing inside of me is a girl. Of course she is. It did take awhile for it to be real though. It is still sinking in. I want to shout it from the rooftops:

Watch out world, there's gonna be another Miller girl up in this piece!!
(well, a miller-corcoran girl)

(circa 1987)

Now, let's make bets on how long I can stave off Disney Princess paraphernalia and super frilly pink crap...

these are my confessions...

Currently, snow falls outside of my house. The timeline I told the kids at school goes like this: The snow will fall. The snow will melt. The flowers will start to bloom. Then, I will have a baby. Because saying I'm due in May is like speaking another language to them. So, I guess we're getting closer.


I figured since I let the cat out of the bag to some of my students I should probably proclaim it in the blogosphere. I am pregnant.


When I say that I brace myself, always. I don't know why. I don't like to share personal things. Having to go around my center and confess to my coworkers was the most awkward thing I've had to do in ages. It's exciting but so weird. Like announcing to the world that you have copulated. And what, do I expect a medal or something? A pat on the back? It's just weird for me. Plus, there is always the *advice backlash* yikes.

No strangers have touched me yet, but its early. and its a scary thought. being a chubby girl for so many years I already have body image issues so add on random people touching me in my fat place? oyyyy. good thing I no longer carry a purse. (yes, i know its a beautiful miracle and not fat but you didn't just hang up your size 4 jeans and put on elastic pants, did you? ;))

One of my favorite things, dealing with society, so far are the people who don't know whether or not i'm pregnant and how they try to steal looks at my belly. I related to Nick that this was a lot like when my boobs grew significantly in high school, boys trying to take glances without getting caught like... are those real or stuffed?... same kind of situation... is she fat or pregnant?...but mostly its grown women now. LOL. I just want to wear a shirt that says *HUMAN LIFE DEVELOPMENT IN PROGRESS* haha. **I'm not fat, I'm pregnant!!** hahaha. or **hey, you, eyes up here, when you're talkin' to me.**

I keep telling myself, with every bit of advice and knowing sigh or look I receive that this is my pregnancy. It is M-C Tiny, Corky and I and our way of being. Just like fingerprints, no two pregnancies are alike. Smile, nod, move on. As Baz Luhmann wrote in his "Everybody's Free to Wear Sunscreen" lyrics:

Be careful whose advice you buy, but, be patient with those who supply it. Advice is a form of nostalgia, dispensing it is a way of fishing the past from the disposal, wiping it off, painting over the ugly parts and recycling it for more than it’s worth.

and it's why I have buddhist books in which I can refer to patience, kindness, and understanding sitting on my desk. they pair well with my buddha belly. which you are free to stare at. (this was at 17 weeks, i'm currently almost 19 so i'm a smidge rounder)

**PLEASE REMEMBER I AM PREGNANT NOT IGNORANT, GO EASY ON ME**