Sound Check Mama

I can do it all. Sometimes …

Category Archives: books

Warning: 2012 will bring honesty

In 2012, honesty is the word here – I’ll be writing about what’s really on my mind. I’m tired of tiptoeing around because of who might be reading. I’m a grown woman, I’m single, and I’m a writer. I’m going to write about grown-up issues, and the joys and challenges of being mama to the best girl in the world. Besides, it’s easier for me to write about it than talk about it.

2012 To Do List
1. Tell the truth on my blog. Otherwise, why bother?

2. Wear these shoes. Often.

3. Do 10 real pushups. Get off my knees and get it done.

4. Get to Dallas in September for Bamapocalypse II – Alabama vs. Michigan – and finally meet my Roll Bama Roll pals who’ve made the past year easier.

5. Run another 5K. Yes, run. A little walking is fine,
but I aim to run most of the 3.1 miles.

6. Return to a writing routine.
I have a book in me. Somewhere. I want to get it out.

7. Learn to embrace my sensuality sexuality that I’m a woman with wants and needs and desires. It’s natural and normal.

8. Read more books. I have stacks by my bed, on my dressers,
on the bookcase, on my desk that I want to finally read this year.

9. Go to church more often. I want Riley to grow up
with faith in God like I did.

10. Take control of my money. Learn what’s worth
spending it on and what’s not. Save accordingly.

11. Expect nothing from anyone except myself. And then expect good.

Good progress

Some good news about Riley and her auditory-verbal therapy … our therapist cut us back to every other week instead of every week! After seven years of weekly sessions (give or take holidays and illnesses), it’s nice that she’s made so much progress that we can go less often.

Her expressive vocabulary is better, her sentences are better and her conversation skills are better. I think a lot has to do with her social life, too. She plays softball and dances and has lots of friends who treat her like a “normal” kid. Her teachers and coaches expect the same out of her as they do other kids. She has accommodations at school, but she’s still expected to do everything.

Riley’s teacher makes her use correct sentence structure even when she knows what Riley is trying to say. I do the same at home. Her coaches often ask her for clarification, too. Everyone is working together to get the best out of Riley, and it’s paying off.

Third-grade math is a bit of a struggle, but she’s catching on. Slowly. This carrying the one and taking away the one and multiplication is tough. She’ll get three or four problems right, then miss one or two. One thing I’ve done to help her is have her tell me how to solve the problem. We go column by column and she tells me what to do and what numbers to write. Then we check our work with the calculator. That works pretty well.

She has two projects to do over fall break: a book report and a multiplication model. She hasn’t picked her book yet, but she’s finished her model using candy to illustrate 2×9=18. That’s my girl! Anything hands-on she loves and will get cracking on it right away. She did the same with her “All About Me” poster at the beginning of school. Finished it the day it was assigned.

She makes my life beautiful.

Diary of a Wimpy Kid

Riley has to finish these three before getting the next one.

I took Riley to see Diary of a Wimpy Kid a couple of weeks ago. It was a snap decision. We got home from my parents’ house on Friday evening at 4:30, saw the trailer about 5 and were showered and at the Rave by 6. She loved it! I enjoyed it, too, but the main character, Greg Heffley, was not my favorite. Rowley was.

Now, Riley has the books, but I haven’t read them, so I had no idea what the story was. Greg was not a nice friend, and having a pain-in-the-butt for an older brother was no excuse. Although, Rodrick was kind of cute. Rodrick is always getting Greg in trouble, and Mom never gives Greg the benefit of the doubt. Dad? He’s just clueless, while little brother Manny is adorable.

What I loved about Rowley (aside from his red hair) is that he’s just himself. He dresses how he likes, he plays, and he’s a good friend. Angie was a cool character, and I would’ve liked to have seen her in the movie more. She could be a great role model for girls.

Patty was hilarious. We’ve all known a super obnoxious kid like her, right? The girl who always has to be first, always in the spotlight and always makes sure everyone knows how great she is. Ugh!

Fregley (who is from Alabama) was disgustingly funny. But ewww! Gross! And Chirag … what a cute kid! The “cheese touch” cracked me up not only for its absurdity, but also for the way Chirag told the story. Classic middle school.

It’s worth the trip to the theater, and it led to a discussion on how to be a good friend. Like Rowley. Even if your friend is a little different. Like Rowley.

The movie made me want to read the books. And I will. As soon as I have time.

Hemingway’s “A Moveable Feast”

Before A Moveable Feast, I had never read an Ernest Hemingway book. I have a lot of catching up to do.

Interspersed throughout his stories about his time in Paris in the 1920s, Hemingway describes his writing process (“I always worked until I had something done” ) and how he coped when the words would not come (“All you have to do is write one true sentence. Write the truest sentence you know”).

He talks about his friendships with Gertrude Stein (she was “always right”), Ezra Pound (“the most generous writer I have ever known”) and F. Scott Fitzgerald.

Though he seemed somewhat of a chauvinist (“There is not much future in men being friends with great women …”), a surprising part was his writing of fatherly duties such as boiling nipples and mixing formula for his son Bumby’s bottles and taking Bumby with him while he wrote in cafes.

However, the fatherly duties didn’t include hiring a sitter. He and first wife Hadley often left Bumby alone at home in his crib, watched over by only the family cat. “F. Puss was the baby-sitter,” Hemingway explained.

If you’re interested in Hemingway, “A Moveable Feast” is a good first look. It offers insight into how he wrote and how his personal life influenced his works.

*Disclaimer: I received this book for free from Wonders and Marvels in return for a review.

Refocusing in the new year

Like the photo above, 2009 was a little out of focus for me. My job underwent several changes, my dad faced serious health issues, and things were just tough. 2010 promises to be interesting and exciting, and I have some focused goals. This is one of my first:

I’m refocusing my blog, basically combining my old blog with this one so I can write about, in one place, all the things I am passionate about: sports, cochlear implants, writing, my family, music and books.

I’m thinking of setting up a schedule where I post about sports/fitness on Mondays, CIs/hearing loss/family on Wednesdays, and writing/music/books/movies on Fridays. But I’ll be flexible. If something comes up and doesn’t quite fit my schedule, I’ll still post about it.

This current mish-mash of topics and sporadic posting is annoying. I’d like to get more readers and become more interactive and give as much as I get out of this blog.

So look for a more defined blog, and if I get off track, feel free to call me on it.

And Roll Tide Roll!

Vegetarian clarification

Football is for Girls pointed out an error in my last post when I said that my friend and I weren’t vegetarians like the Cullens.

“Actually, you are vegetarians exactly like the Cullens. Haha.”

And she is right! I couldn’t help but giggle when I read her comment. Something in common with Edward. Imagine that …

By the way, I read the first three books in the series in a week. I’m about three-quarters of the way through Breaking Dawn with plans to read Midnight Sun once I’m finished. Then I must give my eyes a break! Probably by watching the movie again. :-)

Edward lives up to the hype … so far

My friend Devilish Southern Belle brought over her copy, um, copies of Twilight this morning, and after grabbing a couple of bacon, egg and cheese biscuits (we’re not vegetarians like the Cullens) we settled in to watch Edward and the rest of the vampire gang.

Yeah. It lives up to the hype … Edward is more than I expected. However, I do wish the lighting wasn’t so dark. I would like to see his face and his eyes more clearly. And I totally dig the sparkly skin. If I saw a dude sparkling like that, I’d probably ask what kind of makeup he was wearing. The effect was nice.

Bella wasn’t nearly as annoying in the movie as she is in the book. Really. No one can be that clumsy; it’s such a predictable setup to draw blood.

The plot seemed to jump from one event to the next too fast; it wasn’t cohesive enough and didn’t give the characters time to grow, but that’s the movies for you. Only 2 hours or so to cram in the story.

I’m going to watch it again and pause on sparkly Edward. Bella was right about that: He is beautiful in that scene.

I finished New Moon and just started Eclipse last night. New Moon was a bit over the top but interesting. I did miss Edward. So far, Eclipse is keeping me reading … I hope it answers some “creation” questions. But don’t tell me … I HATE spoilers!

And I’m sure when New Moon hits theaters I’ll be there this time.

Twilight takes me back

I resisted all the hype and hoopla … until Sunday when I picked up Twilight. I finished today (Tuesday) sitting in the parking lot of Books-a-Million, and immediately after, I walked inside and bought New Moon. Yes, watching the movie is on my list of things to do. I think I need to watch it alone, though, to take in the glory that is Robert Pattinson. Thanks to the trailers that I watched just a few minutes ago, I’m sure he’ll live up to my expectations.
Although the writing isn’t the greatest, it’s the story that drew me in and kept me turning pages until 3:30 this morning, when I realized I had a knot in my stomach and that the wind was rattling the bedroom windows. I knew I better stop reading or I’d scare myself silly. I need to read the next book during the day or at least make sure Ryan is still awake.

Even at 37, I could relate to the love story … I remembered feeling that way about a boy back in high school. Giddy and nervous when I was around him. Disappointed if he wasn’t at school. Even though we never got together, the tension was there and I remember it well. But as far as I know, he wasn’t a vampire. ;-)

The story is every high school girl’s fantasy: the boy who loves you more than life itself.

Open up a book

I’m 177 pages from finishing the 8-book series The Kent Family Chronicles by John Jakes. I’ve loved every book, but not every minute. Some of it really pissed me off, but living in America wasn’t/isn’t always a bed of roses. Bad things happen to good people and prejudice and ignorance will always be with us.

The series is better than any American history class I ever had in school because it makes actual events come to life by weaving in fictional characters you care about. It takes you from the bloodshed in Boston in the American Revolution to the settling of the West to the growth of the railroads to the greed of the business community and government (sound familiar?). John Jakes makes every bit fascinating.

Next up is Twilight. Several friends told me I must read it, so I’m going to see what all the fuss is about. I hope it’s not too creepy because I have been known to dream about books I’m reading and dreaming about vampires probably wouldn’t be very restful.

By the way, if you’re wondering, the pity party has ended. The wallowing is over. The past has passed and the future is bright. Now go read a book!

Fun with PhotoBooth

Today’s plan …

Today will be weird. Because of the primary elections, I work from 11 a.m.-4 p.m. then from 9 p.m.-midnight. Normally I work 10 a.m.-6 p.m. on Tuesdays and head to the gym after work. Today I will jump rope or throw in a cardio DVD on my break. Unfortunately, Riley doesn’t like the jog stroller anymore, so I can’t run.

Menu: (* means not yet eaten)
1. 1/2 protein shake–8:00
2. Egg sandwich/Propel water–10:30
(reduced-fat 100-calorie popcorn, 1/2 Diet Pepsi–11:30–cause I was still hungry)
3. Protein bar/Diet Coke–1:50
4. Salad/water/two dark chocolate Hershey’s kisses–4:30
5. Chicken sandwich, Baked Doritos/Diet Mt. Dew–6:30
6. Protein bar/water–9:30
Also took multivitamin, calcium & CLA.

Got up at 7:38–I’m getting closer to my wakeup goal–and got several things done in the house. I cleaned out two old jewelry boxes and transferred jewelry to the armoire I got for Mother’s Day. (Yes, it’s taken me that long to get it done.) I cleaned out some more space in the closet. I found some Gap shorts that I will use to measure my progress. They’re 14s and we all know Gap sizes run small. ;-)

I took down two pairs of blinds for cleaning outside later. I probably won’t put the ones from the kitchen back up. The windows face the backyard and I don’t really care if our dog or the neighbor’s cows see in. No one else can, unless they use binoculars and if they’re that desperate, more power to ‘em.

I threw in a load of laundry and made some eggs and toast, stripped our bed and put fresh sheets on.

Worked for 5 hours, then took Riley outside to play. Filled her pool, washed the blinds, folded the laundry. Back inside, I gave Riley chicken noodle soup, while I ate a chicken sandwich. The turkey didn’t get thawed today. We also painted some pictures, and read “Going on a Bear Hunt.”

Now it’s time for the second round of work. All in all a good day!

‘Night,
Tiff

100 Things

Updated Nov. 15, 2007

1. I’m a writer in a copy editor’s job.
2. I have a widow’s peak.
3. I never thought I’d get married.
4. I did.
5. We celebrated 10 years June 17. (12 years in 2007)
6. I have a wonderful 3-year-old daughter. (She’s now 6!)
7. I married a smart jock.
8. I have had several nicknames–Amazon, Manute, Long Tall Sally …
9. I’m 5’9.
10. I have scarred knees–sports, car wreck.
11. I like my freckles.
12. I majored in Journalism. Univ. of North Alabama
13. I was voted Best School Spirit as senior in high school.
14. I introduced myself to my husband.
15. I like it hot.
16. The weather, that is.
17. Fave meal: pinto beans, cornbread, fried taters, sweet tea.
18. I’m proud to be from the South.
19. I’m not proud of a lot of its past.
20. I thought I’d be a semi-famous writer living in NYC.
21. Well, at least I visited. Saw “Cats” and “Phantom of the Opera” on Broadway, and Hulk Hogan at Hard Rock.
22. My hometown has less than 2000 people.
23. Richard Marx was my first concert.
24. Lynyrd Skynyrd and Allman Brothers was most recent. Update: Daughtry and Velcro Pygmies were my last.
25. I wish I’d sneaked out to go to a Bon Jovi concert when I was 15.
26. I finally got to see them 15 years later. It’s My Life
27. I’ve won a couple journalism awards.
28. I love ’80s music.
29. And oldies.
30. And Harry Connick Jr.
31. And some of today’s artists … Gavin DeGraw, Daughtry, The Killers.
32. I wish I’d kept writing. (I’m writing again … and getting paid to do it.)
33. I’m a Body for Lifer. BFL
34. I wish I could sing.
35. Or play guitar.
36. I love to dance.
37. And sing in my car.
38. Fave movies: “Grease,” “Dirty Dancing,” “The Outsiders.”
39. Disney movies: “Mulan,” “Pocahontas.”
40. I wanted to be a rock star…See # 34.
41. I have 2 crooked toes.
42. I win at Pictionary and Trival Pursuit.
43. I suck at Scrabble.
44. I love Bon Jovi.
45. And Elvis.
46. Fave books: “Traveling Mercies” (Anne Lamott), “I Don’t Know How She Does It” (Allison Pearson), “If You Want to Write (Brenda Ueland)
47. First book I read for pleasure: “Chad and the Elephant Engine” (gift from 2nd-grade teacher)
48. Longest book: “Gone with the Wind,” 1024 pages, Christmas break in sophomore year of high school.
49. Most recent books: “Same Sweet Girls,” “gods in Alabama.” Faster Than Kudzu “2nd Chance” by James Patterson, “Writer Mama” by Christina Katz, “The Department of the Lost and Found” by Allison Winn Scotch.
50. First car: 1987 Honda Accord stick shift
51. First car I ever drove: orange 1964 Ford Falcon
52. Car wrecks: 2; Me Driving: 1; My fault: 0
53. I like to take pictures.
54. I was MVP of my high school volleyball team.
55. And valedictorian of the Class of 1990.
56. I regret not taking that scholarship to UA.
57. But I enjoyed playing softball in junior college.
58. Because it was 2 years’ of free education.
59. Brett Favre is my favorite athlete.
60. I’ve read the whole Bible.
61. I’ve never broken a bone–knock on wood.
62. I loved Dale Murphy of the Atlanta Braves when I was growing up.
63. I wish we lived at the beach.
64. My daughter is deaf.
65. But she can hear with her cochlear implants. She got her second in April 2007.
66. We go to auditory-verbal therapy once a week.
67. We do at-home therapy every day.
68. Hearing her say “Mommy” and “Papa” and “love you” for the first time was overwhelming.
69. New words are coming every day.
70. She’s fearless.
71. I love flip-flops.
72. I hate sticker grass…ouch!
73. I tried out for cheerleader in high school.
74. Didn’t make it.
75. Thank God!
76. My first beer was in college: Natural Light
77. My most recent was three weeks ago … Corona. (Still most recent.)
78. I had a hangover after just two.
79. My daughter loves Dora.
80. I like “Backyardigans.”
81. Hubby likes “Recess.”
82. Worst movie: “Rocky V.”
83. I’m contemplating a tattoo.
84. So is my mom.
85. My hubby and my brother have two.
86. My dad got his while in the Army.
87. My mom is the kindest person I know.
88. And one of my best friends.
89. Juco English Comp teacher gave me confidence in my writing.
90. I’ve misplaced it, though. (Now, I’ve found it again.)
91. Farthest North I’ve ever been: NYC
92. Farthest South: Captiva Island, Florida
93. Farthest East: NYC
94. Farthest West: Hutchinson, Kansas
95. I have shot a gun. Once. Scary.
96. I’m big on family gatherings.
97. I love Jack’s hamburgers & fries, chocolate ice cream, Hershey bars, Milky Ways.
98. I’m just a small-town girl.
99. I like who I am now, but …
100. It’s never too late to be what I might have been.