Thursday, March 20, 2008

the good, the bad and the ugly

The good? I'm famous! Well, not really, but I'm in print. No, it's not my debut novel but I did get my letter to the editor published in April's Vogue. If you look for the letter, those of you who know me only through this blog will learn that the inherently cool sounding Amelia Plum is just a pseudonym for my more run of the mill Hitchcock actress meets Nascar driver real life name.

The bad? Spring break started today and I almost lost my mind before noon. How do you homeschoolers ever manage?! I took the kids to the zoo even though it was cold and windy but it seems like nothing is ever enough - Owen whines incessantly when the littlest thing doesn't go his way and Oona is the two year old steamroller, nothing is going to stop that girl. I think the parenting problem I face is that I let my kids walk all over me, but I will reach a critical boiling point (after a thousand no's, don't, stop it, get out of the kitchen) where I just start yelling about how ungrateful they are and it's horrible. It makes my soul feel like bile, I get so unsettled by it. I apologize to the kids but that's not good enough, it's not like you can take a giant blackboard eraser to the event.

The ugly? I never understood this one. My parents had the album of this movie and I was always so perplexed, 'who would want to be known as the ugly?' My feeling at the end of the day, like I'm the world's worst mother, I guess I'm the ugly now. After making dinner and giving the kids a bath (the photo is the little heathens ransacking my shoes before getting pj's on, Owen's totally working the camera) I ran over to the gym and lost myself in an episode of Law & Order: Criminal Intent while moving like a hamster on a wheel, except in my case it's a middle aged Mom on an elliptical. I find the formulaic Law & Order franchise and repetitive exercise perfect for depersonalizing from the bad feelings, for an hour at least.

Another ugly? Conservative talk show hosts who skewer Obama for his response to his pastor's racist comments. I've been on the fence with Obama or Clinton although, to be honest, I'm a democrat but even McCain would be a relief after Bush. I've read a lot on Obama, running the gamut from Vanity Fair to Foreign Affairs. After reading Obama's response to the whole Reverend Wright controversy I'm like, he's got my vote. Obama is intelligent and very thoughtful. He didn't want his campaign to be based on race but when forced he spoke of the racial problems in America with an eloquence and honesty that's lacking in most politicians. He didn't shy away from the whole matter and because he didn't disavow himself from Reverend Wright, even though he disagrees with what was said and his choice is not the easy one, I'm feeling major love for Obama right now.

Happy Easter everyone!

3 comments:

kristi said...

how funny you mention homeschooling moms (and dads): i just posted about that just this morning. no WAY i could ever do it. but i do admire my friends who do!

i, too, have major mom explosive episodes at my house. and i, too, apologize--i like to think if my mom had just apologized for all the ugly things she said to me i would have come into adulthood virtually unscathed. maybe so, maybe not. but i DO think that our apologies mean more than we think, and i also think kids are way more resilient than we think. the point is that overall, they see that we love them. and i can tell from the posts you write that you obviously love your kids!

ok i LOVE obama. i have loved him for a while. lately i have been so stressed out watching the news; i feel like when i'm watching my favorite sports team at the end of the game when it's not clear whether they will win or not--i usually have to leave the room and ask my husband for updates. same here. i'm so nervous but really want him to win.

congrats on being published! have a great weekend.

sew nancy said...

Hope you had a nice weekend
You got published in Vogue. I think I'll be making a stop at the newstand next time I walk by one. I'm very curious.
Great post.

Elise A. Miller said...

holy shit! VOGUE! That's fantastic! Mucho mazels and tovs. I cannot wait to buy a copy and frame it. also, great pic of the pirate! what bravado. so hip. and if it makes you feel better, I have been so explosive in the past month that I cower in shame. It's comforting to the extreme to read that I'm not alone! go you. miss you...