Monday, July 23, 2007

Jumping into the Frogpond


One of the reasons I created a blog is to have an outlet for talking about things I am involved in. Since I do not have a job, I spend my time with the kids or at the gym. But one of the fulfilling things I do is 'volunteer' with BzzAgent. In a nutshell, I receive products (at no charge), samples and coupons from BzzAgent and in turn, provide feedback, distribute samples and coupons and return feedback from the people I give them to.

Well, last night BzzAgent launched a new program called Frogpond. It is still in it's infancy (or should I say tadpolcy, hehe) so there are only a limited number of activities on it, but I am certain it will take no time to grow. The Frogpond offers reviews of websites and services, as opposed to the products available through BzzAgent's traditional campaigns. I have added a link (the cute little frog) in the upper right of the blog in case anyone is interested in checking out the site!


In days and weeks to come, I will provide reviews when I have a chance to fully explore the listed activities. In the meantime, I will probably start posting reviews of the products I am currently testing. Looking for any feedback that anyone cares to share!

Saturday, July 14, 2007

A Case of Empty Nest Syndrome


It's official, I have the empty nest blues. I'm torn between sad and excited. In order to make it a little more clear, I need to roll the calendar back a few months...

After having been on vacation, we noticed a nest in the corner of our covered porch. We were pretty sure there were eggs in it, but it was too high for us to be certain. My husband and I decided it would be a good learning experience for our 4 and 2 year olds if we just left it be. For a month we watched the mother and father barn swallows roosting in the eaves - one on the nest, the other nearby.

We continued to observe and finally, we witnessed three little beaks peeking out of the nest. A day or so later, we were able to see four. It took a little while, but we finally realized there were five. I would like to say that my girls were the most excited of the family, but I really think it was me. I was in absolute awe as the mama flew out to fetch insects and the babies battled for position to get it. It was even more amazing that she would intentionally work her way to ensure the little one at the back got his fair share. My kids thought it was neat and would watch for a short while. I found myself monitoring their progress daily. Quite often, when I would only find four, I would fear that one was pushed out and taken away by the local cat. I recall great feelings of relief when I would count five beaks again.

For the past week or so, they have been jockeying for position. It was pretty apparent that that small nest was getting way too small for all five of them. Their feathers didn't look mature enough to sustain flight until a few days ago. I was amazed, excited and of course, sad when I went to check on them this morning and only found one. My heart sunk. It was fun to be able to watch the mom still fly up and feed the runt; all the while, he was cleaning his own feathers to prepare for his first flight.

So just a few minutes ago, I went to see how he was doing - only to find him gone. They are all still buzzing the nest as though they are trying to return. But maneuvering into such a small area is too difficult and none have been able to return. Guess I better go restock the bird feeder in the back yard!

Tuesday, July 10, 2007

Are you smarter than a 4½ year old?


If Jeff Foxworthy showed up on my doorstep to inform me that my home is scheduled to be the set for a game show and my kid would be the star, I would laugh. Then I would feel sorry for any other adult that had to challenge this little girl.

I'm not quite sure when or how it happened, but she has figured out how to push every one of my buttons. She is a wonderful child and surprises us with some of the thoughtful things she does or says, how she helps her little sister and how polite she can be. But geez, when she wants to rile me up, she knows how... and she does it all day long. Then when she gets a timeout, she does this fake cry.

Yes, today is one of those days.
I guess it is wishful thinking that the attitude doesn't appear until they are teenage girls. I would love to hear that they outgrow it! Or maybe someone's 2¢ on how to deal with it!


Monday, July 9, 2007

OMG - I can't believe I'm blogging!


I've been a Stay-At-Home-Mom for 4 1/2 years now. I came to the realization early on that I probably was going to lose my mind but I accepted it as part of the job. It is worth it to raise my kids on my own instead of having a childcare service do it for me. My day currently consists of get up, feed the kids, go to the gym, come home and feed the kids, put them down for their nap, play with them when they wake up, get dinner ready, eat, referee the kids, get them ready for bed... lather, rinse, repeat.

My husband has been encouraging me for years to start a website for other people like me. People who like to find bargains, get stuff free, you know... thrifty people. But as I sat on my tail, so many other websites popped up. Nobody to blame but myself for not doing that sooner.

So here I am, trying to reassure myself that there is some portion of intelligence still left in my brain. Maybe if I jot down some notes here or there, I'll realize I still have the ability to write and possibly inspire myself to do something worthwhile - outside of being a mom, that is. Maybe freelance for a newspaper. Maybe find other SAHM's to network with. Who knows... maybe I just want an outlet for babbling.

T
his is just my example of rambling at it's best - or worse - however you want to look at it. It's my first one so what can anyone expect? It can only get better with practice. hehe

If you made it this far, thanks!

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