You are currently browsing the monthly archive for May, 2008.
This is how the garden looked a month ago in April. I doctored the photo quite extensively to make the brown appear a little more . . . green. April around here is such a colorfully dull month. At that point, my husband and I had yet to extend the deer fencing around the oval garden and bird feeder. Nothing had been done, really, except to clear away weeds and debris, and to start the seeds indoors.
A month later, this is how the garden now stands. I didn’t retouch the photo at all, so you can see what 30 days of sunshine and above-average temps will do. The deer fencing has been extended, which makes our total gardening area rather large. I used to *hate* the deer fencing, because it feels intrusive to the rest of the yard. However, I have come to regard the enclosed area as a separate room. I rather love it now!
See the stone garden bench on the left-hand side of the photo? Though I told my husband not to give me anything other than time to clear off my desk for Mother’s Day (which he did), he gave me the bench I’ve been coveting since girlhood. I have a thing for stone benches! He still needs to level it for me, but it’s a wonderful addition to the garden.
Here’s Bridget, the resident waterer, about to drench a raspberry cane with a bucket of water. Just a little drink, Bridget! Don’t ya just love that sassy look? I get it a lot. Actually, the sun was just in her eyes at that moment. Her shirt says Trouble Maker, by the way. While I don’t normally purchase clothes with such derogatory labels on them, I couldn’t refuse its accuracy.
And here are Hannah and Jacob, working in the dirt. Jacob’s sporting a lovely Transformers tattoo on either cheek (in case you’re wondering what that glob is on his face). Ian picked up a few pint-sized tools the other day, and they’ve been a BIG hit with Jacob. He loves the month between when the garden is open but the dirt is free of plants. He can get in there and dig to his heart’s content, and he’ll literally roll around in it. You should see the state of my bathtub by the end of each day! I’m convinced children don’t need a pile of toys; they just need a mound of dirt!
So the plants are enjoying their first day outside. Many people make the mistake of transferring their plants to the ground too soon, though. Between the cool temps, wind, and direct sun, you run the risk of killing what you have before it’s even produced anything. Peppers and tomatoes, especially, need to be babied.
I “harden off” my plants starting around May 15th (our last frost date), by introducing them to the elements for a few hours each day over a period of 7-10 days. I try to pick a starting date that is overcast and not too windy; I don’t want to scorch the plants, either by the sun or wind. At night, I bring the plants back inside. Each day, I let them stay out a little longer than the day before. Yes, the transferring from indoors to outdoors and back again can be tedious, but I sure as heck don’t want to ruin a month’s worth of hard work.
There’s not a gardener as itchy to get in the garden as I am. I’ve been pushing around dirt for the last month. Rather sad, really. Plus, my seedlings are growing so big, they really need a new home . . .
Bridget had another one of her butt issues yesterday. For twelve long hours she pranced about on her tip-toes, convinced she couldn’t poo. Bridget withholds, and her incidents of withholding are frustrating. Finally, at 1:17 AM (yes, AM), after listening to her say repeatedly, I give up (what almost 3-year-old says I give up anyway?), after having my nipples ravaged by incessant comfort-boobing, after being screamed at numerous times to stop talking, mommy!, after hours of my encouraging her in the dark that it’s okay to poo, she pooed!
Or, as Bridget said, Ahh, that’s much better! I poo-ed. (all of her action verbs have a pronounced -ed on the end: I swing-ed, I hiccup-ed, I run-ed, I laugh-ed, etc.)
None of the preceding story has anything to do with today’s post, other than the fact that she asked, while clenching her butt cheeks together, When are we going to Kannas? (Kansas)
As I was recounting the story to my husband, who sleeps in Bridget’s bed most nights because Bridget is sleeping with me most nights and quite the bed hog, I happened to mention that I wished my grandparents still had their horse tank.
Horse tank? What the heck does one do with a horse tank?
I look-ed at him with an expression that pretty much conveyed he was an idiot for even asking what the heck someone does with a horse tank.
You swim in it, of course. Duh!
I don’t know what it’s really called, but I imagine my grandparents inherited their horse tank from either of my great-grandparents’ farms. The horse tank was probably 8 feet in diameter and 3 feet deep. It sat on their back patio, and I spent hours swimming in it as a little girl. My grandmother would float on a raft in the horse tank while I pretended to be a shark or sting ray swimming underneath her (I was fascinated by sting rays at one point in my life).
In any event, they got rid of the horse tank some years ago. I’m not sure why. I guess it’s because the grandchildren who used it most, my oldest cousin, my sister, and me, are now all grown and married. There are no little kids left who find swimming in a horse tank to be a novel experience.
Still, I would have loved to have seen my kids enjoying it and then sitting on their towels in the warm Kansas breeze, eating a bowl of grandma’s homemade ice cream.
Not my agenda, friends. Your agenda.
Articles for Root & Sprout are due THIS week on Thursday, the 15th. If are are thinking about submitting an article, please don’t hesitate. A dear bloggy friend of mine (who shall remain nameless) actually told me that no one would be interested in what she has to say. And to that I say, WHAT?!
As parents, we need each other. Who else besides another parent understands the trials and triumphs we experience on a daily basis? With one glance at my Google Reader, I could tell you exactly what each of you has to offer. I could tell you exactly what is your area of expertise, even if you don’t consider yourself an expert.
Let’s see here . . .
I have experts in hospitality, lactation, running a business, raising twins, infertility, being a single mom, being pregnant, raising autistic children, raising a child with Down Syndrome, homeschooling, making cool crafts, knowing how to entertain a preschooler, living sustainably, being fit and healthy, how to take beautiful pictures, being a stay-at-home dad, etc.
And that’s not the half of it! You have a wealth of information to share, whether or not you believe you do.
You think no one is interested? For one, I am interested; otherwise, I wouldn’t be reading your blog in the first place. And I’d wager the comments you receive on your posts come from people who are just as interested in what you have to say as I am.
We all have something about which to write! It doesn’t matter if you’re a professional writer or simply journal privately each day. You are an experienced parent with valuable advice to share! You could write an article on why it’s important to floss your teeth. LOL! That’s something everyone should know, after all. You could write about how to fly a kite or share fun, outdoor games to play with your kids (anyone remember Ghost in the Graveyard?). These articles don’t have to be heavy. Think about the types of articles you read in Wonder Time or Parents or Martha Stewart or Mother Earth News or Highlights or American Girl or National Geographic . . . (you get the point)
Wanna know a secret? I write about what’s going on in my own life, because no one knows my life better than I do. I might write about how to protect your family against Lyme’s Disease, because we happen to live on heavily wooded property and have a gazillion deer, each one, of which, who could be carrying an infected tick. I might write about how to extract a splinter, because my kids are always getting them. Or, I could write about which emergency phone numbers you should know (yes, I’ve had to call Poison Control before).
So what are you waiting for??
Writing an article doesn’t have to be difficult or take long, I promise. 
Read the Root & Sprout submission guidelines and help me make Root & Sprout a wonderful place for parents to visit!!
Thanks to all who have submitted articles already. Keep them coming!
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If you haven’t had a chance to grab the code for the linkable graphic below, please do!! It would please me immensely to see the Root & Sprout logo floating around the blogosphere. 
<a href="http://www.rootandsprout.com"><img alt="Root & Sprout"
src="http://i287.photobucket.com/albums/ll152/lisgarrett/002-1-1.jpg” />
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Don’t forget to subscribe to the Root & Sprout newsletter, your way to keep up-to-date with what is going on at Root & Sprout. For everyone who signs up between now and May 31st, you will be entered in a drawing to win a Root & Sprout Canvas Tote Bag. Send an email to newsletter@rootandsprout.com with the word “subscribe” in the subject field. Get someone else to sign up, and your name will be entered TWICE. Just tell your friend to say “[insert your name] referred me.”
**Take a peek at all the Root & Sprout products available to YOU!**
No, I haven’t done anything wrong, not unless you count eating an entire plateful of prepared-to-perfection tenderloin topped with sauteed onions accompanied by a side dish of steaming buttered sweet potato, chased down with marbled cheesecake a little too late in the evening as wrong. (my husband made dinner for Mother’s Day)
I have a confession to make: my husband and I still watch Desperate Housewives.
I know! I know! You’re all groaning and rolling your eyes. It’s slightly cheesy and over-the-top, but I have to admit I am hooked. My husband thinks I’m most like Neurotic Bree. Really? Have you seen my house lately? My sister, on the other hand, is a bit more honest. She says Lynette reminds her a lot of me. In season one. You know, when she is most frazzled and resorts to choking down a few Ritalin just to keep up with her mangy brood. Well then. Honestly? I feel more like Susan on most days, the one with good intentions but who is too often clutzy and misunderstood. She just can’t seem to get it right. I’m not saying our parenting styles are similar at all, but there is something about Susan with which I identify.
But getting back to Lynette. For those of you who don’t know, Lynette’s husband fathered a child (unbeknowst to him) with another woman before he and Lynette ever met. Years later, the other woman shows up with her daughter and, in true Desperate Housewives fashion, gets killed off the show.
In between those two episodes are many episodes in which the family struggles with the news and how to deal with these two “outsiders.” Lynette’s husband understandably welcomes his tween daughter Kayla into his life, but Lynette, understandably, has a difficult time accepting the awkward situation.
Like I said, however, Kayla’s mother gets herself killed off the show; therefore, Kayla moves in with Lynette and her family fulltime. Suddenly, Lynette has a new daughter. And they don’t really like each other.
I don’t like Kayla. She is an eleven-year-old witch. But I can forgive her somewhat, because her mother is dead, she’s now living with a father who hasn’t been a part of most of her life, and she has a step-mother and four other siblings in her space, as well.
But Kayla does cruel things, like convince the twins to set fire to a new restaurant and jump from the roof of their house. Lynette complains to her husband, but, like the dolt that he usually is, places the blame on Lynette and continues to believe everything is fine and dandy. Meanwhile, the viewer is left with shots of Kayla smirking mischievously or lurking about, overhearing juicy tidbits to which no kid should be privy.
Kayla is a player. She knows how to manipulate everyone around her to get exactly what she wants.
Long story short, the therapist the family begins seeing suggests perhaps Lynette doesn’t love Kayla and that they should start spending quality time together. To Kayla, quality time means shopping with Lynette and guilting her into buying expensive clothes for her.
And then there’s this scene, which I just can’t seem to get out of my head:
Kayla demands a corndog. Lynette says no. Kayla demands a corndog. Lynette says, no it’s too close to dinnertime, but I’ll get you a healthy snack you can eat in the car. Kayla demands a corndog, and if you don’t get me one, you’ll be sorry (or something like that). Lynette (shocked) asks Kayla if she’s threatening her. Kayla retorts, I got the twins to set a fire and jump off the roof, I wonder what I could get Penny to do? *Penny is Lynette’s four-year-old daughter.*
Lynette slaps Kayla across the face. Everyone in the department store watches, horrified over what just happened. Lynette apologizes but tells Kayla she should never have said such a horrible thing.
But you know what the really horrible thing was? In the split-second before Lynette slapped Kayla, I thought to myself, Oh I would slap her silly!
I can understand Lynette’s rage, Kayla threatening her young sister in such a malicious and intentional way. I imagine an eleven-year-old girl trying to convince Bridget to do something dangerous, and my mama bear claws comes out. My first instinct is to protect my child and eliminate the threat.
And holy heck, does this scare me!
Identifying and empathizing and justifying Lynette slapping Kayla totally goes against how I parent. It goes against my intentions for establishing Root & Sprout. I’m all about gentle parenting. So why, then, was my own gut reaction to slap that child across the face?
Anyway, in one of the closing scenes, you hear Kayla on the phone with the therapist saying that Lynette slapped her, it wasn’t the first time (yes, it was), and that she is really scared. You can imagine what will happen to Lynette in the next episode.
One of the great things about Mother’s Day is the homemade goodies the kids bring home from school and/or spend hours secretly crafting here at home. Today, Hannah and Jacob bestowed two such gifts on me.
From Hannah was an approximately 16×33-inch card (that opens). She drew pictures of the family on each page. The text reads, “I hope you have an excellent Mother’s Day! I think you are the best mom in the world. And I respect that even when you yell at us, you still love us. Happy Mother’s Day!”
If that didn’t make you chuckle, how about this?
From Jacob, a fill-in-the-blank card he made at school. *The bolded text was pre-printed.* Dear Mom, I love you because “ov evre thing.” Thank you for “mi skootr.”
Just in case you are unfamiliar with kindergarten-speak, allow me to translate. “Dear Mom, I love you because of everything. Thank you for my scooter.”
Well, those two have certainly made me feel like a #1 mama! Now if Bridget will just sleep through the night, I do believe that will be the icing on the cake!
Happy Mother’s Day to all you mamas!!
I’m taking the weekend off from blogging, but I’ll be back on Monday.
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**EDITED**
A few people asked when I would make a Root & Sprout graphic that they could add to their site. First of all, I’m flattered that you would even want to do that! Secondly, I can’t believe I actually figured out how to make one! So, please feel free to swipe the code below . . .
PS - I’ve had a few people contact me to tell me they can’t get the code to work. The quotation marks are a little screwy down below, so try retyping those. *For some reason, it publishes differently than how it looks in edit mode. Does anyone know why?* Or, instead of the copy/paste function, try typing it directly into your widget. Also, sometimes blogs don’t save exactly what you’ve put in, so go back to where you input HTML and make sure that it looks like the code below. Sometimes they throw in an extra quote or leave out a word, and it throws the entire thing off.
Yeah. Blogs are great like that . . . 
PS - If you have Blogger, you can save the image and then use the “add image” to create the code (or so I heard!).
<a href=”http://www.rootandsprout.com”><img alt=”Root & Sprout” src=”http://i287.photobucket.com/albums/ll152/lisgarrett/002-1-1.jpg” />
Well, yes . . . there are some changes happening on this site. Thanks for noticing! But before I get into the changes, let me interject a little aside (if only because I need some sympathy this morning).
Remember how my husband had food poisoning this past Saturday night? Well, we believe it may have been a rather virulent stomach virus instead. Why? Because I feel like carp, too. I’ve felt like carp-warmed-over for the past few days, but I’ve continued to plow through the week. We parents know there’s no other alternative. You go, go, GO until the kids are in bed, and then you collapse in a fevered/chilled state on the couch and moan and groan that you think you’re gonna die. I don’t handle stomach bugs very well. Reminds me too much of being pregnant.
However, I can thank my lucky stars I am not as sick as what my poor honey has been. He’s managed to plow through the week, as well, with nary a complaint. But my already pale-skinned, freckle-faced husband is an unhealthy shade of cream. Truly . . . it’s a color I’m not even sure I know how to describe.
Anywho. Feel free to comment and tell me how sorry you are that we are in such a sickly state. Our house has not been cleaned in days (although I have managed to disinfect the bathroom and kitchen plenty of times). I have not practiced yoga in what feels like ages. Even Bridget asked this morning, Can we do yoga today? I’ve been feeding my kids eggs and toast and cereal for dinner for WAY too many nights. Sigh.
They’re fine, by the way. The kids. Full of their usual energy and malarky.
I swear, this is some form of parental punishment. Both of us too carpy-feeling to really parent. That would account for why Bridget is having a toosie-roll pop at 8:30 in the morning (she did have a bowl of Raisin Bran).
Oh, and I have to miss my Mother’s Day Tea Party at Bridget’s preschool today. Good thing she is not old enough to know that we are missing it. 
So if you would like to join my pity party, just let me know . . .
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Okay. Now on to business.
I’ve decided that I’m going to end my “writing” blog. That doesn’t mean I won’t be writing anymore, though. Quite the contrary! I originally thought it would be best to separate this blog and the other, but I think I may have been wrong. My husband would pay a pretty sum to hear me admit I’m wrong. Well, I was wrong!
Hence the reason for the new banner. The designer did such a beautiful job that I couldn’t let it go to waste. And considering I have a perfectly wonderful domain assigned to that other blog (www.LisGarrett.com), I’m going to transfer that over here as well. I’ll let you know when that happens. So . . . you’ll have to change your feed at that point (sorry!)
ALSO. I’m not going to have a blogroll. Please don’t take it personally. It just looks so . . . cluttered there on the sidebar. Perhaps I’ll make a separate page for it instead. But do bloggers really click on blogroll links?? I don’t usually.
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A little Root & Sprout news: If you happened to click over to the site yesterday, you may have noticed that it looked a little different. Well . . . I’ve been trying to come up with a satisfactory solution to letting readers know when new information is posted. Unlike a blog, Root & Sprout doesn’t have a feed. I ended up installing a blog function on the homepage, but the feed for that, even though it worked (for most), was just a bunch of gobbeldy gook. *thanks to those who tested it for me!* Additionally, I didn’t really like the way it looked on the home page.
Therefore, I will be offering a newsletter subscription to anyone who wishes to be notified of general announcements and when new articles hit the site. You can find the information on the home page at Root & Sprout, or you can simply send an email to newsletter@rootandsprout.com with the word “subscribe” in the subject line. Of course, your information will be kept confidential.
Don’t forget I need articles!! I’ve received two articles from two faithful readers, but I need plenty more. I’ve had a few people ask what type of articles I’m in need of, and the answer would be EVERYTHING!!
Remember, if you can write a blog post, you are certainly qualified to write an article for Root & Sprout. Likewise, you don’t have to spend any more time on a Root & Sprout article than you would a blog post, so please don’t feel like you need to make a major time commitment to help make Root & Sprout a success. If you have an extra 30 minutes or can even spend 5 minutes a day drafting an article - GREAT!!
If that’s me sounding desperate, it’s only because I am on my hands and knees begging for help. I Ain’t Too Proud to Beg!
It’s the first Thursday of the month, and you know what that means?! It’s time, once again, to help out Fagan and NAME THAT BOW!
Now I know what feelings this bow conjures for me, but what does it say to you?
Put on your thinking caps and send your suggestions to Fagan at VerySweetBows@yahoo.com . Fagan will then choose a name of her liking and send the winner a bow of her (or his) own. In the event that two people come up with the same name (it has happened before), the winner will be determined by who submitted the winning name first. Perhaps you should leave your suggestions here before sending them to Fagan so that no one submits the same name (just a thought).
You have until May 14th to make your suggestions, but don’t delay! Visit Fagan at Very Sweet Bows to see her entire product line. And to learn more about how Fagan started her business, read her feature ad at Root & Sprout.
Remember our run-in with lice?
Well, what can I say? There are just some incidents that lend themselves to further exploitation.
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May 15th: submission deadline for articles to appear in the June 1st installment of Root & Sprout
*Call for Special Content* Father’s Day is almost here (June 15th)! How will you celebrate Dad? Please submit special Father’s Day stories, crafts, and recipes. Have your child write a letter to Dad, and we will post it here (on Root & Sprout) so the world will know what a special guy he is!
Now, I realize that it’s Mother’s Day that’s almost here . . . but publications, whether print or web-based, need material in advance, hence the reason why I am requesting Father’s Day goodies.
Put on your thinking caps and get writing!!
Well now that I have that song stuck in your head . . .
Every morning when my alarm sounds at 5:40, there is usually a little snippet of some silly story that happened to make the headlines. These are always stories that leave the listener wonder wha?, or in my case thinking, You’ve got to be kidding me!
Let me preface this story with the fact of when I was in 8th grade, my Target class studied an entire week-long unit on magic. *Target was a special class to which us smart kids belonged. In reality, I think it was 15 kids who happened to get lucky on a multiple choice test. I didn’t feel any smarter than the kids who were not in Target.* We referred to the unit not as magic, but as prestidigitation. (yes, I had to look that up in the dictionary just to make certain I spelled it correctly)
Prestidigitation is the sleight of hand, just in case you didn’t know.
Anywho, a substitute teacher has apparently found himself in hot water (as in, not able to teach anymore) for showing the students how to make a match stick disappear. Angry parents claim he was practicing wizadry.
You’ll have to forgive me for turning off the alarm before I could get anymore details (I didn’t want to wake Bridget who was sleeping so peacefully in my bed), and I can’t seem to find the story on the Internet. I want to say the incident happened in Florida or Texas. Perhpas a reader from Florida or Texas could elaborate.
C’mon. Seriously?
This will blow your mind, but did you know that when my husband was in HS (in the early - mid 1980’s, I know! he’s OLD!) students actually brought weapons to school for some of their extracurricular classes? Can you imagine THAT happening in a school today??
My 7th-grade English teacher (hello Mr. Johnson!) had THE WORST temper and would frequently slam desks on the ground or hurl chalkboard erasers at students. He also had a horrible habit of calling me “Malassa” instead of “Melissa,” although I think that was more a product of his heavy southern accent than intentional rudeness.
What about my sociology professor who publicly berated his students? Heaven forbid if no one raised his hand to answer a question during class, and you might as well have signed your own death warrant if you so much as forgot your homework.
Then there was one of my elementary school teachers who refused to let my classmate go to the bathroom and then who, for pity’s sake, wet her pants in class. How embarrassing do you suppose that was for an eight-year-old girl? I have to imagine that happening to Hannah, and HEADS WOULD ROLL if I ever found out a teacher denied her the dignity of urinating into a toilet in privacy.
Do you suppose that any of the teachers got fired for any of those questionable behaviors?
And now a teacher has lost a job because angry parents claim making a match stick disappear is akin to practicing wizadry? *Like I said, I don’t have all the details. There may be more to the story that I don’t know. My response is based only on what I heard in the five seconds it took for me to get out of bed and turn off the radio.*
Anyway. I’m shaking my head . . .
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There’s something new over at Root & Sprout. Go see if you can find out what it is! (hint: I designed it myself with a little help from Hannah) While you’re over there, don’t forget to take a look at two new pages I added recently, Cool Stuff and People You Should Meet.
Remember to send in your articles!!! If you would like your article featured in the June 1st installment, please have it (or them!) to me by May 15th. If it’s a little late, I’ll still include it (’cause I’m nice). I just need time to edit and format, and I don’t want to be bombarded at the last moment. I realize there will be a lull in articles between now and June 1st, but it won’t usually be like that. Remember, my original plan was not to release the site so early. Root & Sprout will publish articles on a bi-weekly basis. I would *love* to get to a point where I am so overrun with articles that I am forced to publish them on a weekly basis. Won’t you help me get that way?? Won’t you please tell your readers about Root & Sprout and how it has the potential to be a wonderful web-based resource for parents??
At some point down the road (hopefully within the next year), I’m hoping to offer a few PAID writing positions. Yes! You may have the chance to become an official writer for the Root & Sprout website. Someone asked why I need to address all the legal and business stuff anyway if I’m just posting articles, and it’s because I’m anticipating that Root & Sprout will GROW into an online magazine (that’s running a business, friends).
So . . . start sending in those articles and polishing off your resumes!! There may be a job for you.
Having three kids means my time is divided amongst them; someone usually feels I am not paying her or him enough attention. Every so often, then, I like to take each one of my kids out of the house and do something special, just the two of us. This past weekend, it was Hannah’s turn. We had to purchase a gift for her friend’s birthday party, so we stopped for an ice cream treat at one of the mall’s restaurants.
Sitting in the booth directly behind me was a couple and their young child, probably three or four years old. The little girl was complaining that she couldn’t eat anymore.
I’m not hungry, and you can’t make me eat if I’m not hungry.
She’s got a point, I thought to myself. I’ve learned not to battle my kids over food and certainly never to force food on them. They’ll eat when they’re hungry.
Sit down, and eat. NOW! said her mother through clenched teeth. The tension was palpable.
But I’m not hungry! You can’t make me eat! The girl was growing more and more agitated, and it was clear she was about to blow. I glanced at Hannah who was trying not to notice what was going on.
I don’t give a crap about what you want, hissed her father. You sit your ass down now and eat your goddamned food! With that, Hannah looked up, eyes open wide with shock.
My blood was boiling.
It was enough that the man was using those filthy words in earshot of my daughter, but he was spewing them at his own, very young child. While I don’t know about the specifics of what was happening at their booth before Hannah and I arrived, I’m sure I could imagine. After all, we’ve gone out many times with our own children who’ve ultimately exhibited appalling behavior. I get parental frustrations.
I don’t claim to be a saint, or even a perfect parent. I have lost my patience with my own children more times that I can count. However, there is no justification for speaking to a child, much less your own, in such a way. After all, would you speak to another adult like that? (maybe he would)
I was very close to turning around and asking the man to not use that language in front of my daughter, but thankfully they got up and huffed away. I realize, too, that there is a fine line between wanting to interject my own opinions and potentially making matters worse.
Wow! They were really mean, said Hannah.
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Incidents like that are precisely why I began a site like Root & Sprout. Unfortunately, it’s not the only time I’ve been witness to those public displays of non-affection. To reiterate Root & Sprout’s philosophy:
“Here at Root & Sprout, we believe the connection between parent and child is what’s most important, and it’s a relationship that grows through mutual love and respect. With gentle, hands-on parenting, we can give our children the necessary roots to help them sprout.”
We don’t help our children grow by yelling, ruling with an iron fist, or being too permisive. I grew up with with a mom and dad on opposite ends of the spectrum. While I didn’t often question their love for me, they sure showed it in a funny way. My dad had no qualms about parenting through fear. He spanked, threatened (and followed-thru on those threats), and generally ruled like the trained soldier he was. My mother, on the other hand, didn’t have much control over her children. Fortunately for her, I pretty much kept to myself and didn’t bother anyone. My mother is a recovering alcoholic, and I learned to fend for myself from a very early age. While I have absolutely no relationship with my father, my mother and I have managed to work out our differences. I love her very much. Depsite how much I love her and have forgiven her, however, I can’t forget the times she pulled my hair, slapped my face, hit me with a brush, or called me despicable names.
May God strike me down if I ever leave me own children with such memories.
I hope you can understand, then, the reasons why I want Root & Sprout to succeed. Not only does having such a site satisfy my creative needs, it’s helping me, in a way, to heal.
As the school year begins to wind down to a close, it seems we move at a more frenzied pace. Can anyone attest to this phenomenon, or is it just me? This week alone, we have:
two school concerts, two dentists appointments, two birthday parties, a preschool Mother’s Day Tea Party, Girl Scouts, and rebuilding of the school playground
All of this on top of our normal, day-to-day activities that are similar to any other child-oriented family’s. In other words, LOTS of homework, LOTS of messes to clean up, and LOTS of sibling bickering to squelch.
I know there are some of you who look at my schedule and think it sounds pretty relaxing compared to your own, but we are typically a low-maintenance family. We’re homebodies and enjoy putzing about the yard, gardens, and adjacent creek. We don’t like a lot of extracurricular activities, and we certainly don’t like being on the go, go, GO!
So why, then, am I still lounging around in my bathrobe sipping coffee when there is important business to attend to?
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My writing blog is feeling rather neglected. I’ve been lacking in any pearls of wisdom regarding print publishing, and me thinks I may have been too hasty in setting up a separate blog to chronicle my adventure. Go figure. I’m sure you’ve heard that one before. Anywho, I may have to address the fate of the other blog at some point in the near future.
I did manage to get published in two print publications, both locally and nationally. The local publication just hit the stands (I haven’t even seen it yet). I will provide a link when it’s been posted online. The national publication has yet to be printed. Unfortunately, no one but I will know I wrote the 35-word piece. It’s a product ad! (Between you and me, it was fun and challenging, and I wouldn’t mind writing more ads.)
Root & Sprout has been consuming all of the time that I would otherwise devote to print work (I’m contributing at least 10 articles to the next installment). But you know what? I am OKAY with that, because I have every confidence that Root & Sprout will grow into something spectacular. Who knows? Perhaps there will even be a print version of Root & Sprout one of these days!
FYI - Any articles that you submit for Root and Sprout between now and May 15th will go up on the site ASAP. All articles submitted after May 15th will be published in the next installment, which will go live on or around June 1st. Articles are generally published on a bi-weekly basis.
Here are the Special Announcements from the Root & Sprout home page:
- May 15th: submission deadline for articles to appear in the June 1st installment
- *Call for Special Content* Father’s Day is almost here! How will you celebrate Dad? Please submit special Father’s Day stories, crafts, and recipes. Have your child write a letter to Dad, and we will post it here (on Root & Sprout) so the world will know what a special guy he is!
- June 1st: submission deadline for articles to appear in the June 15th installment
- June 15th: submission deadline for articles to appear in the June 29th installment (we’re going on vacation June 30th)
- *Call for Special Content* How does your family celebrate the 4th of July? Do you participate in annual traditions? Do you have a favorite kids’ craft or recipe to share? Do you have tips for throwing a party on a budget?
Also, did you know that Root & Sprout has a forum? Check it out!
My husband and I managed to watch 3:10 to Yuma last night, which I thought was a rather delightful movie. Perhaps delightful isn’t the most appropriate term, considering it’s filled with vagrant displays of gun violence. But it was delightful in the sense that it starred Christian Bale, an actor I’ve adored since first seeing him in Empire of the Sun. Ian is not so sure he liked it, although I suspect he’ll forever have bad associations with the movie . . .
You’ll notice that I said we managed to watch the movie. This is because we had to stop and start the dvd several times, thanks, in part, to what we call Bridget’s “butt issues.” You see, every so often she gets in the habit of withholding her poo, convinced that it’s something she just can’t do. I’ve learned to feed her LOTS of high-fiber foods and apply gobs of ointment to her tush when she becomes constipated, but watching her in such an uncomfortable state is painful. She cries, doesn’t want to be touched, yells at people. I once asked my husband, Is this indicative of how she’ll act as a woman in labor? I tried to assure her that it’ll be okay, and she replied angrily for me to shut up. (Have you ever been told to shut up by your toddler??)
Bridget and I were up throughout the night, just like I knew we would be. At 8:00 this morning, she finally pooed. And you know what she said to me after going? She swiped her hand across her forehead and said, Whew! That was a close one! I honestly didn’t know whether to laugh or cry!
If you find yourself in a similar parenting dilemma, read my tips on how to help a constipated toddler.
Who knew poo could cause so much excitement?!
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The other reason which caused us to abuse the pause/play button on the remote was due to my husband having food poisoning. I’ve never trusted our local P&C (horrible grocery chain, in my opinion). For those living in the Ithaca area, DO NOT purchase coleslaw from the East Hill P&C deli. My husband became violently ill last night and is currently curled in the fetal position in our bed this morning. It’s the only food item he ate that I didn’t. I actually thought about serving it with dinner last night but held off, only because cole slaw didn’t sound “good” to me (I’m the cook, after all!). Hannah *loves* coleslaw, so I would have felt wretched had she eaten it and become ill. I felt guilty enough when I once served her an expired yogurt, which caused her to spend the night hugging the toilet.
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Did you know that Root & Sprout is now LIVE??!! Visit the site at www.RootandSprout.com . Take a look at the call for special content and be sure to submit your articles. The submission guidelines are located there on the site.
I contacted a local attorney about trademarking Root & Sprout and will hopefully have a meeting at the end of the month. This is major, as I am stepping WAY outside my comfort zone.
I’ve gotta protect what’s mine, however. Like someone commented, Root & Sprout is my baby. If anything causes my claws to come out, it’s someone threatening one of my children. I’m sure you can understand.
Have a great day!
Given the circumstances of the past few days, I thought it best to release my site NOW. Without further ado (and please be kind) here is Root & Sprout:
You can NOW visit Root & Sprout!! www.RootandSprout.com
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It’s unanimous!!! Root & Sprout will launch early! (Notice the “&” in Root & Sprout? After much debate, my husband finally convinced me it’s a more trendy spelling.) Look for Root & Sprout to go live sometime on Saturday or Sunday.
I worked on the site the majority of the day yesterday, but there are still a lot of “little things” that are not quite perfect. I have one article left to edit and post, although I don’t have near the number of articles I had hoped (and that includes what I had intended to write myself). HOWEVER - you can STILL submit your articles!! I will not move the first batch until mid-month (they will be archived on a bi-weekly basis). You can write and submit as much as you want - that’s the great thing about Root & Sprout!
About the trademark . . . .
The good thing about having a spouse who works for a major university is having TONS of resources right at your fingertips. We will be looking into an affordable alternative to hiring a trademark attorney (which, at this point, is WAY out of my range). There is a service through the law and business schools for small-business owners and entrepreneurs in which they can meet with law students to receive legal consulation. The law students each have a practicing mentor, so everything is handled professionally. If that doesn’t work out, my go-to daddy blogger, Lance, has provided me with a wonderful resource, as well.
Of course, there are other details that I don’t want to share just yet. For some of you, however, it could be a very nice deal if it works out and your chance to be an official part of the Root & Sprout team.
So! I will let you know HERE when Root & Sprout is officially open.
**This post will remain here through the weekend**
I appreciate your comments and advice relating to yesterday’s post. I am in the process of learning about trademarking Root and Sproutto protect the name and ideas associated with the new site. I could submit a trademark application myself, but I feel I need legal consultation. At this point, I’m just trying to find someone to assist me. My neighbor has graciously agreed to *try* and help steer me down the right path, and my husband will be speaking to someone on my behalf today, as well.
My husband and I spoke at length recently about Root and Sprout. Like I said before, what yesterday’s incident did for me was clarify just how serious I am about making Root and Sprout a success. I am not treating this venture as just another blog. No, I envision Root and Sprout becoming a popular web-based resource for parents (we all have to start out somewhere, right?). What’s great about Root and Sprout, however, is that it’s YOUwho gets to provide the content. I’ve always thought that I have the best bloggy friends and readers in the blogosphere, so I am thrilled to be able to share this adventure with you and have you be part of the experience.
It’s difficult to say exactly what will become of Root and Sprout, but I am certain it will be fantastic. I will share more of my official business plan and goals with you at a later date, but lets just say what I have in store is exciting! Right now, I am trying to tie up a few loose ends, mainly those that have to deal with boring administrative stuff (albeit necessary boring administrative stuff).
There is a lot involved to starting a business. Yes! I am starting a business. Although it may not appear to you that’s what I’m doing, that’s what I’m doing. But like I said, we’ll talk about the details later . . .
Right now, I need YOUR vote!!
I have one yay and one nay for releasing the site live before June 1st. Obviously, Root and Sprout will forever be a work-in-progress. However, there are still a few aspects of the site I am working on to whip it into a more presentable site. Part of me wants to wait until June 1st, but another part of me wants to release it NOW so there is no question as to who is the rightful owner - ME.
So please, cast your vote!
edited:
You can NOW visit Root & Sprout! www.RootandSprout.com
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You all know how I am in the process of creating a new website for parents called Root and Sprout, right? I mean, I’ve only talked about it like half a dozen times here. And quite a lot of you are involved.
I registered my domain (www.RootandSprout.com) and web space/building tools through www.StartLogic.com. The launch date is June 1, 2008.
Got the details?
So why, then, when I opened up my gmail account this morning, was there a Google Alert from www.GoDaddy.com that says:
“Coming Soon! ****Root and Sprout**** Family~Community~Planet”
And get this. The URL in the browser says www.RootandSproutCo.com.
What.The.Heck?
Do I need to get on the ball and trademark Root and Sprout?
How do I even get started on a trademark?
I am prepared to take any and all legal action to protect MY idea!!
The last thing I want, after all my HARD WORK, is for someone else out there to be stealing my idea, thinking that he or she is going to start the SAME type of website with the SAME name!!!
Should I make the website go live NOW, even though it is not complete??
I am freaking out just a little (more like a lot), and I could really use some advice!!
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Thanks to everyone who has commented thus far, both on and offline. I have since edited the “under construction” page when you click on www.RootandSprout.com to be a little less generic. It gives the philosophy, as well as the launch date.
I’ve sent my neighbor an email (he’s a web developer himself and knows a lot about small business practices) asking if he has a recommendation for a trademark attorney. My husband also has access to people-of-influence, and he plans on making a few calls on my behalf to find out what we need to do to protect my site and ideas.
What this has done, however, is made me realize just how serious about this website I am. It’s not some hobby that I am playing around at. I have BIG ideas for Root and Sprout. It may start off small, but give it a year to grow.
