I like statistics.

Would somebody please wash my mouth? Have I lost my ever-lovin’ mind? “…like statistics”… *soaps own tongue*

I should clarify…

I like enjoy looking at my BLOG statistics. As far as “Statistics” go, I did everything in my non-mathematical power to NOT take Statistics in college - and I was a Psych minor. Never took it. Just call me Houdini Shedini .

Back to my point. I like looking at my blog stats for a number of reasons. Reasons for which you probably have little to no interest. Therefore I will not bore you with a post I should title “Reasons Kerry Likes to Look at Her Blog Stats”. *gag* Instead I will share with you certain “Search Keyphrases”… sure to tickle your funny bone - if not simply leave you scratching your head. If any of you are unfamiliar with this “search keyphrases” thing, it means: what people typed into search engines that brought them to my little home here on the Whole Wide World of the Interwoven Web.

Rest assured - this will not be brief. “Brief” is neither my style in the written medium, nor in the undergarment meduim… but I digress. 
Continue reading ‘I like statistics.’

Published
by
jenny
on September 4, 2008
in 365, Bloggy Bloggy, Fa' Real? and General
. 3 Comments

The first day of school - pictures and all!

Whew. I made it. For some reason, sending my daughter off to 1st grade - a FULL day of school was terribly hard. It hurt. I ached. I cried. I felt silly. My son was headed to third, the wee one was tearing it up at preschool. With those two - we hugged and waved, but my heart-strings stayed intact.

But my 6 year-old little girl… so “old”, but still so young. All day? Really??? As I left the classroom her teacher put her arm around my shoulder and asked if everything was alright. As tears filled my eyes like water fills a just-flushed toilet I squeaked, “She is, but I’m not.” I walked into the pod and saw a fellow mom (whose daughter was in Cole’s morning kindergarten class last year), and she was also teary-eyed. We talked for quite awhile. It was good - otherwise I might have made my way to my car and fallen into a weeping pile of… weepness.

It’s not that Cole is “easy” or perfect… but she’s my girl. And as messy and relentless as she is, she’s my precious little girl who will be gone most of 5 of 7 days of the week. Is that right? I know…I’ll get over it, but if anyone wants to get a coffee with me tomorrow morning… I’ll be at… email me :)

In other “First Day of School News” - Continue reading ‘The first day of school - pictures and all!’

Published
by
jenny
on September 3, 2008
in 365, General, Guilt, Joel, Lucy, Mutha' Hood, Olivia and Spawn
. 13 Comments

Tired of Making Lunches … Make Your Kids Do It!

School starts here tomorrow. I thought a school-related post would be appropriate. It is made possible by my dear friend Casey. Her name may sound familiar because I have mentioned her name before here and here and it is her fridge that will be featured this coming Friday!

Now. I know Casey, and she has earned a position of esteem in my life as a woman who can organize (and also dance… but that’s not the point here…)! But you may not know that about her, so I’m here to tell you… “Casey is an organizational Wizard!” That is why when she shared about her 4-drawer lunch packing system, I thot: “I want to bring this to My Public! I want the lives of My Public to be better each day, and this is something that must be shared.” And Casey, being the dependable (and organized!) friend that she is - got right on my request for pictures and information. 

So. If you have kids in school, who eat lunch, here a great idea… straight from my friend Casey!

I love these drawers!!! I’ve used this system for two years. I just make the sandwich and the kids do the rest by picking one item from each drawer …

Drawers:

  • Juice boxes or milk (in fridge)
  • Fruit roll-ups/snacks/cups &/or fresh fruit (in fridge)
  • Chips/Snacks (I even do baggies of gold fish or crackers so they are individual servings - only takes a half hour or so and saves $$)
  • Treats - cookies or granola bars (This can be a reward if they do all of their morning preparation without being reminded 100x)

They also learn that they don’t get to have more than one item in their lunch… you don’t get to have an entire lunch of fruit stuff. I’ve made Mondays and Fridays “Lunchable” days - it’s a reward for all of us… I don’t even have to make the sandwich :)

Preparation:

  • One trip to Costco,
  • open box
  • pour contents in drawer
  • :)
Give kids a month to get the system down. I tell my kids that if they don’t get their stuff put in their lunch in time, that I’ll make their lunch… and that they won’t get a dessert and maybe they won’t get the chips they like so they are motivated to get to making their lunches!  I still “check” their lunches occasionally to make sure that they aren’t double-dipping (especially at the beginning of the year when the drawers are at their “prime-pickin’”).

I am going to set this system up ASAP! Last year I had 1 in school, and I just let Cole get school lunches most days. It was easier… not healthier or cheaper, but easier. Anyway. This year I have 2 kids that will need lunches AND the lunch price has gone up… and income has gone down… I don’t need Einstein to help me do the math. So… the best way for me to get my kids a lunch each day (I know, I am such a good mom) - without me turning into a stressed-out monster is to have a plan. What I love about this plan is it requires the kids to play an active part in feeding themselves… and taking responsibility. My kids love independence and this gives them that - with boundaries. A big “WOOT!” to Casey for being a proactive problem solver and making my life easier :) *wipes tear* I miss you Casey…

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Published
by
jenny
on September 2, 2008
in 365, Bloggy Bloggy, Eats, General and Take My Advice
. 9 Comments

My ride in the back of a police car.

This post was originally about my lovely 40 minute run along the beach yesterday morning. My iPhone provided the music I needed to rock that run… it also provided a way to take pictures. I was all “pumped up” as my mind swirled with captivating captions. Oh the life I lead… I never thought “caption creation” could be so fulfilling.

However… as any committed blogger knows - any partially created post (no matter how dynamic) can and WILL be bumped for *ahem* breaking news. And as author and administrator of this blog I decided to put that post on hold in order to share another story. Here follows the story of how Martha (that’s my friend) and Kerry (that’s me) ended up in a police car last night… She in the front and I… in the back.

We had no idea such an adventure lay (lie???) before us. We even took pictures before we left - in innocent anticipation of all the funness we would be having… she with her tiara and I with my sceptor…

“Yes, yes”… you say? “But what behavior lead to such a “spot” for Martha  and Kerry?!”

I have an idea! Let’s play “Multiple Choice”, shall we?

  1. We got in a chick-fight at a bar?
  2. We stole a road bike? Or two?
  3. She threw Twinkies at people while I yelled “Neener, neener, neener!!!” and poked at their bellies?
  4. We embezzled millions from a major financial institution??? 
  5. We got stranded on the side of the road on a remote Indian reservation due to a flat tire on the road bike I lovingly named “Lollipop“?

Continue reading ‘My ride in the back of a police car.’

Published
by
jenny
on September 1, 2008
in General
. 15 Comments

No time for a real post today.

With the run on the beach this morning and then the walk on the beach this later-morning and then the 2 hour volleyball game this afternoon and then the 10 mile bike ride this evening and THEN the ride in the back of the police car… and a shower to wash off what might have been living in the back of said police car… and then a cup of hot cocoa and dinner and a beer…

Now it’s time to get on a game of charades. Yo.

Until tomorrow…

Peace and goodwill, and a later explanation of why I found myself in the back of a cop car…

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Published
by
jenny
on August 31, 2008
in 365 and Bloggy Bloggy
. 6 Comments

I went for a bike ride today.

And folks, am I glad you weren’t there to see it. No, I didn’t take a fall. I’m sorry. I know a really good fall is always a fun thing to write read about. Plus, if I had a good “fall off my bike” story, I could have distracted you from the fact that I have the biking skills of a sporty snail. You know how that one pop star is named “Sporty Spice“… from now on you can just call me “Sporty Snail”… just not to my face.

I went on a 12 mile-ish ride with my friend Julie. You know, Crazy Julie… 2 arms, 2 legs… Yes! THAT Julie! She’s so cute. We went on a beautiful route along the Washington Coast. Rolling hills, a view of the Pacific, and a FANTASTIC view of Julie’s butt (which, by the way, looks very small - especially when she is a mile ahead…)

Julie is FAST. Her level of bike skillz earns her a “skill” with a “Z”. Let’s just say… for every HALF a rotation of my wheels she gets three rotations worth of distance. From here on out, I will address her as “Supastar”.

I mean, how much faster can one person go than another when going downhill? Really. I mean, gravity is gravity and… how the heck does that woman go so fast??? How???  **on knees, arms shaking - reaching to the heavens**

Oh well. I guess there can be ONE thing in life I am not the best at. 

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Published
by
jenny
on August 30, 2008
in 365, Fa' Real?, General and Swim/Bike/Run
. 4 Comments

Fridge Friday - 08.29.08

As some of you know, we went camping last weekend. It was oodles of fun… for adults and kids alike! You may be wondering, “Why is Crazy Kerry talking about camping when this is a post about refrigerators? Refrigerators are not for camping?”

Ahhh, my friends. If this is what you were thinking, then I am here to prove you wrong. Not on the “Crazy Kerry” part, but on the “refrigerators are not for camping” part… watch…

The traditional way to keep foods cold while camping:

The BETTER way to keep cold foods cold:

The fridge above and below belongs to Tom and Kathy and family. Thank you for indulging my blogchosis as I circled your camp in order to catch a picture for my Fridge Friday post!

This next fridge belongs to Chuck and Jen. This is not the first time their fridge has “made the cut” here on Kerryonthespot! You know, cuz of all the popular that this site is and I have a loooong list of folks and fridges waiting for their 15 minutes of fame. Yeah, this site here is practically bigger than Oprah.

Speaking of “waiting list” - be sure to come back next Friday when the fridge of my lovely friend Casey…

will show off her fridge - straight from the heat of Arizona. They are a well-hydrated group…

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Published
by
jenny
on August 29, 2008
in 365, Bloggy Bloggy, Eats and General
. 1 Comment

And THAT, my friends, is how it’s done…

Did you have opportunity to read yesterday’s post? I was a pathetic, overwhelmed, wallering mess. Very real-feeling, but pathetic and wallering… undoubtedly.

Wal-ler-ing:

v. when a chubby baby is oozing pints of green snot and her chubby hands rub, rub, rub that snot all over her cheeks and eyes and ears and hair. She wails because it’s miserable, but she keeps smearing the snot all over her chubby-helpless-baby being because she doesn’t even know what a tissue is! Poor baby! Somebody get her a mother!

I digress… when I write “wallering” - it is the adult equivalent of that. A helpless, emotional mess.

But you know what? In the moments between me emotionally and verbally vomitting the contents of my pre-menstrual aching brain all over the stinkin’ world wide world of the internet… Aunto Flo came knockin’. I clicked “publish” headed to bed, and… ummm… “answered the door”, if you will.

(Men? Did you stop reading?)

I knew it! I. Knew. It. I knew she coming, but there’s a window of 3-5 days. She’s not a good planner, that Aunt Flo.

And still… my under active thyroid is a problem.

Yes, the “too much to do and not enough time” thing is also still a problem.

Yes, the whole thing about my brain not stopping… EVERRR… that is also still a problem…

The guilt… the guilt… and the more guilt about ruining my children forever - is. still. a. problem.

Also, why does health insurance cost so much?

However. How. Ever. When Aunt Flo comes for her monthly visit - the week before her arrival she sends a magnifying glass that magnifies stuff. Imagine that! A magnifying glass that magnifies stuff! I am such a creative writer.

That magnifying glass increases in it’s magnificity (-ficiocity… -ficiousness… -ficitude…) as the day of Auntie’s arrival draws closer, until… KaPow! I finally see that the magnifying glass had been aiming a magnified beam of hot sun directly on my soul and conscience and the one nerve I have left. 

Thank you dear friends (and family!) for your encouragement - not just in this post, but also in the multitudes before. Though I have not visited back in awhile, and can’t seem to keep up on replying to your comments… you keep encouraging me. And I am endeared to you… I WILL be catching up with each one of you. I have my hopes pinned on when school starts next week. Or sooner… or the week after. But I’ll be back… giving comment smooches, linky love, and handing out a diverse array of awards… or something. 

:)

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Published
by
jenny
on August 28, 2008
in 365, Bloggy Bloggy, Guilt, Kerry Jen-Jen, Mental Pause and Mutha' Hood
. 3 Comments

Thick with thought.

Do you know what I mean? The constant spinning of one’s mind. Thought after thought after thought builds on thought after thought after thought… Free association, if you will.

The list of to-do’s… The consequences of not accomplishing the to-do’s… What NEEDS to be done? What on that list is do or die? If I don’t “do” who or what will die? Really? OMG. How will it all get done?

Then there’s the guilt. If I had managed my time better… If I had done “this” instead of “that”. I wish I had paid closer attention. I should have told he kids “NO”. I should have told the kids “NO” and made sure they listened. I should have let them help me. I can’t believe Livi will be in first grade.

Should I homeschool her? I homeschooled Cole for first grade. It was so hard. But it was so wonderful. I’m not ready for her to be at school all day. I feel so sad. I feel relieved that school starts next week. I don’t really know how I feel. I feel like crying. I don’t want her gone all day.

Continue reading ‘Thick with thought.’

Published
by
jenny
on August 27, 2008
in 365, General, Guilt, Homeschooling, Kerry Jen-Jen and Mutha' Hood
. 15 Comments

Note to self: Shaving and Camping

When camping, consider a new “path” for that leg hair. Braiding, perhaps? For oft-times the showers at camp are glorified caves with plumbing. A simple equation of words will demonstrate:

 

“Cave” = “Cold”

“Cold” = “Goose Bumps”

Alas…

“Shaving” + “Goose Bumps” = “Bloody stump of a leg”

Just say “NO!” to camp shaving.

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Keep up-to-date on the insane, the insightful, and the whatever…

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Published
by
jenny
on August 26, 2008
in 365, Beauty - ha!, General, Not So Much, Note to Self and Take My Advice
. 9 Comments