Categories
Life in general The Style Section

The Happy Scowl

This weekend I spent a few hours in the pool with the kids while my husband, apparently, observed from the dining room.

After awhile he came outside to tell me he noticed I scowled a lot, even when laughing.  “Maybe it’s why you have a hard time getting to know people,” he offered, in all his wise wisdom.

“Or maybe it’s just really, really sunny out here and I’m squinting,” I lovingly replied.

But it got me thinking.  Do I scowl?  It’s not so much the putting people off I care about.  It’s the frown lines I’m sure to get between my eyes.

I’d hate to end up with a chasm like Kate Gosselin’s.  I’ve never watched their show, but as a reader of People magazine, I’ve been forced, in recent months, to become an expert on her appearance. 

My expert opinion: the woman scowls, even when it’s NOT sunny.

  *
        Dun-                              Dun-                            DUNNN!

To combat the impending chasm, I spent some time in front of the mirror perfecting a perma-grin where I smooth my forehead.  It’s kind of like when you used to wiggle your ears as a kid, only don’t wiggle.  Just hold.

The problem is, it makes me look kind of surprised and more than a little crazy.

I’ll probably repel people more than ever, but at least I’ll have a nice forehead.

*I have no idea where I got these photos.  I googled, and got out of there as fast as I could.

Categories
Blogging Business Madeline

Friends of Maddie

Have you ever thought to yourself, “What could I do to be a better person”?

Maybe try a little harder to help those less fortunate?

Most of us have.  Some of us haven’t.

But regardless, there’s a great way you can honor the memory of the lovely and incredibly missed Madeline Alice Spohr, and help the families of babies in the NICU. 



Whose heart doesn’t skip a beat when thinking about sweet little babies struggling for life?  Or, at the very least, whose heart doesn’t palpitate when thinking about wining a free Netbook from Intel?

Click on the link above, or go here and leave a comment.  Oh, and don’t forget to make a donation.  It’s not required, but dude.  Karma is a bitch. 

And so am I, if you win and I find out you couldn’t spare a dime.

Categories
Life in general

Who Are You, Anyway?

I’ve noticed a lot of bloggers posting “about me” posts in preparation for BlogHer.

As much as we feel like we know each other by reading and commenting on blogs, tweeting and chatting, do we really know the basics?  Do the basics even matter?

Either way, here’s a little bit of background on me.  Skip it, if you couldn’t care less.  It’s Ok, really, I’ll just go cry in the corner.

My name is Andrea.  It’s pronounced ON-DRAY-UH, or ON-DREE-UH.  I know you’ll probably call me AAAN-DREE-UH when we meet.  I’ll correct you a couple of times, and offer up my nickname of Dre – DRAY.  But after a few glasses of wine, I’ll probably answer to “hey you” so, whatever.

When I’m nervous, I either don’t say a word or I talk a lot.  There’s no in-between.  Don’t say I didn’t warn you.

I’m a pack rat and a recovering perfectionist.  Certain areas of my home have to be in order before I go to bed, or I can’t sleep.  Other areas are so messy, you can’t find anything. 

I drink white or pink wine.  Go on, laugh.  Reds get me drunk fast and give me the worst hangovers, so you’ll thank me later for abstaining.  Trust me.

Unless I’ve got a migraine or had some Cuervo, I don’t vomit.  I get the nausea, the watery mouth, but my body refuses to bring things up.  It likes to send rancid meat and whatever else all the way through, like a slip n slide.  FUN FACTS! 

There has been a lot of drama in our lives.  A LOT!  OF DRAMA!  But thankfully, it mostly involves other people, which, unfortunately for you, means I don’t write about it here. 

I’m 31.  I’m married to Jeremy, who just turned 36.  We’ve been together for 11 years, married for 7.  We’re that sappy couple who really likes each other’s company, but we try to keep the PDA to a minimum.  Sometimes we forget.  We have two daughters – Alison Lela, who is 5, and Blythe Josephine, who is 2. 

We experienced secondary infertility.  It sucked.  There were a lot of uncomfortable procedures involved, for both of us, and there were more than a few insensitive doctors who could use a lesson or two in bedside manner.  In the end, after giving birth to Blythe and hemorrhaging severely, we were told that if I got pregnant again it would probably kill me.  So, again with the uncomfortable procedures, this time to seal up our baby-making abilities, forever.

I have a Bachelors Degree from CSU Sacramento, “Sac State”.  I majored in Child Development, minored in Business Administration.  It took me 7 years, but hey! slow and steady wins the race.  I graduated magna cum laude.  I mention it here only because I have no other use for the information. 

Since I now raise our kids and manage the office of our plumbing business, I’m using all that edu-ma-cation every day.  Now, if only I could remember what I learned…. hmmmm. 

I’m also an ICEA certified Childbirth Educator, but other than helping laboring goats, pigs, dogs and cows, I don’t get to use my skills very often.  

We live in the second meth capital of California.  I’ve lived here for 15 of the last 18 years.  I joke about it, but I love it here.  Not everyone does.  I didn’t, always.  But it’s our home, it’s beautiful in its own way, and we wouldn’t trade it for anything.

That’s me, in a nut shell.  Probably pistachio.

Any questions?

Categories
Blogging Business

BlogHer Bound

Two weeks from now, I’ll be in Chicago.

            BlogHer '09 In Real Life  

That’s 2049 miles away from my kids and my husband.  Yes, exactly.

I’ve waited until today to “announce” that I’m going because, honestly?  I thought I’d be hyperventilating and hiding in the closet right about now.  I didn’t think I’d end up going.

Don’t get me wrong – I want to go.

I want to learn new things and network and take in the sights and blah, blah, blah.  But mostly, I want to hang out with the people I hang out with through my computer on a daily basis.

Meghan and Heather & Mike and Christina and Kendra and Greis and Stacey and Kirsten and Kari and Maura and Megan and Marinka and Jessica  and Insta-Mom and Fran can’t forget the Room 704 girls, VDog and Dawn and Leslie and… and… and… a gazillion other people I’d love to meet but I don’t know whether or not they’re going.

But.  That’s far, far away from my babies.  If something were to happen to one of them, it would take me an entire day to get back home. 

Why not bring them and make use of BlogHer’s daycare?  Because, uhhh, I’m planning on having a glass or twelve two of wine with Meghan and Heather & Mike and Christina and Kendra and Greis and Stacey and Kirsten and Kari and Maura and Megan and Marinka and Jessica  and Insta-Mom and Fran and VDog and Dawn and Leslie

And, this may surprise you, but I’m a completely different person without my kids around.  The Mom in me refuses to remove the stick from her ass unless the children are not around, and will not be around. 

So, I’m going.  Alone.  I’ll probably have to double up on my anti-anxiety meds while I’m gone, or maybe not with all that wine drinking, but I’m going and I’ll have fun and learn a lot and hopefully come home with a huge stack of cards from new friends I can stalk follow.

You know, just in case my old Blog Buddies decide they don’t like me without the stick.

Categories
Madeline

Through the Looking-Glass

Sweet Madeline, where did you go?  You were just here.  

Smiling, laughing, sharing your light with the world.


Did you lose your way, Maddie-Moo? 

You stepped through the looking-glass, dear Madeline.  Can you hear us?  Can you see us?


We’re waiting here for you, love.

Will you reach through the looking-glass, baby girl, just for a moment?

        

A simple touch, Madeline.  It’s not so much to ask. 

Do you know how many people are peering through the looking-glass, Maddie? 

Your eyes sparkle as brightly as ever, your smile still lights up the room.



How can you be so here, and yet so gone?

Do you feel our love through the looking-glass, Madeline?  Do you know that we’ll love you forever?

I hope so.

——

It’s been three months since Maddie left this world.  Her mom and dad share their memories, photos, videos and their grief with the world, so that the rest of us can catch a glimpse of Madeline through the looking-glass.  I hope they know how much she is loved – how much they are loved.

*All photos are courtesy of Heather Spohr’s flickr stream, used by permission*