Cara's First Post

I am currently in the middle of a most blissful and amazing two weeks known as Spring Break.

No dragging kids out of warm beds to be at daycare by 7:30.

No lesson planning, paper grading or reasoning with apathetic seniors.

No shuffling between housework, cooking and childcare duties in the few precious evening hours that we're home as a family.

Instead, I have two weeks time. Time to play, time to relax, time to go places and do the things that I've been meaning to do. We've spent hours with Bendaroos, legos, play-doh, crayons and stickers. We've visited a museum, a theme park, a playground and the beach. I've sorted out closets and toy bins and junk drawers. I've read, run, and napped. And now, I've blogged.

I started a blog last year, when I was a stay-at-home mom and thought I'd have the hours and energy to keep it up. I never considered myself a 'writer', but the adventures of raising two small boys seemed to write themselves. Blogging was therapeutic, as it allowed me to contemplate and share my everyday successes, failures, joys and frustrations. Unfortunately as the year progressed, my small part-time tutoring job became a more-than-full-time job and I was unable to keep up with writing.

Amy putting the moves on my man. Circa 1992

Sometime along the way, I reconnected, ala Facebook, with Amy. I met Amy in middle school-- back when I had some atrocious bangs and a horendous pair of denim shorts. Back when I thought it was safe to ride my 10-speed through a deserted path in the woods that connected our neighborhoods. Back when Amy would fill countless composition books with original stories and back when we'd exchange intricately folded sheets of notebook paper filled with funny gossip and anecdotes.

So here we are, almost twenty years later. My atrocious bangs have been grown out and highlighted. My mini-van has replaced my 10-speed. Daily Facebook exchanges have taken the place of our "For Your Eyes Only" notes. And I am pleased to report that I have not worn denim shorts (or a black floppy hat) since the summer of 1994.

We now have husbands and kids and houses and jobs.

We also have some stories to share and hope you're along for the ride.

Newest Endeavor

So, most recently, Cara told me I was hysterical--a comic genius, as it were--and we needed to start a blog. Okay, it was a little more like "We should start a blog." She was responding to the insanely self-indulgent Note I wrote on Facebook about my Inside the Actor's Studio fantasy (maybe I'll re-post it here at a later date). I loved Cara's old blog. I read it all the time and I think she captured her life perfectly, giving old friend a little glimpse into being a teacher, tutor, and mom to two active boys.

I loved the idea of starting a blog. I immediately started having Julie/Julia Project and Cake Wrecks fantasies. I mean, who doesn't want to start a blog that becomes an Internet sensation first and then a force unto itself, spreading into movies, books, and fame. In the Peanut Butter & Jelly movie, I want Mayim Bialik to play me.

I mean, everyone who knows me knows that I'm a cross between Kathy Griffin and Janeane Garofalo (who really aren't that different, if you think about it), so contributing to a blog should be crazy-easy for me. Right? Right?

Yeah. No.

So far I've had to tear myself away from the first paragraph to do these things:

1. Pour myself a cup of coffee before I fell over. I was up until about 3.30 am last night studying for an anatomy and physiology midterm. I did take a few breaks for my own sanity: At midnight I got on Facebook to play Vampire Wars and rant in my status. At 1am, I watched Ugly Betty on NBC West Coast.

2. Slice up an apple for Lizzie, even though she just ate a waffle, grapes, and apple slices for breakfast an hour prior.

3. Chase a very naked Lizzie around the house because the slicing of the apples was obviously just a ruse so I'd leave the room and she could get--and I quote-NAK-KID!!

4. Scoured the house for more quarters to do laundry.

5. Sing and dance along with Lizzie and Team Umizoomi on Nickelodeon. What? I'm a mom. I have no shame.

So, how am I going to keep up with the blog and my oh-so full life? Same way I always do: Neglect something stupid and unnecessary (like dishes) and blog, blog, blog.