I Have Broken the Space-Time Continuum

Because that’s what happens when I try to coordinate and organize: I end up in three places at once.

It really makes me uncomfortable when you do that.

On Family Circle’s Momster blog, I’m talking about the benefits of treating your kids with inequity. That’s inequity, not iniquity. I’m not completely evil. (For the record: honoring a request to take one kid to KISS while denying a request to take a different kid to Justin Bieber is not evil; it’s self-preservation).

On Family Fusion Community I write about losing your ~~sh..~~ temper with cute little short people. You just may pick up a tip on how to not break down a door.

Back to the space-time continuum.

Pfft. I break that continuum all the time. See? I'm breaking it right now. — Pfft. I break that continuum all the time. See? I’m breaking it right now.

The only other English word I could come up with that contains double U’s was vacuum. Turns out there are several more, but I had to google them and one is kind of gross so that’s where I stopped reading. I’m leaving the comments open so you can say your favorite word in English that has two U’s right in a row. Or else list one way KISS is better than Justin Bieber.

The Beginning

I’ve never told the beginning of my story before, about how I came to be an accidental stepmom. There honestly aren’t even very many people in real life who know it.

When Trish Eklund connected with me about becoming a contributor to her new site, Family Fusion Community, she suggested for my first post that I tell how it all started. I’m sure she didn’t realize at the time what a big freaking deal that was going to be for me.

I believe that there’s too much secrecy and stigma associated with mental illness, and I believe it gets real dicey when you’re trying to talk about how someone else’s mental illness effects you and people around them. You want to be discrete and not tell someone else’s story. But how can you tell your own story without mentioning that part at all?

Here’s my post, How it All Began on Family Fusion Community.

One Beautiful Sunday

Hey. It’s One & Done Sunday.

I woke up yesterday at 6:15am to give #2 money to go to Atlantic City.

Don’t judge me. Her high school choir was performing in the Miss America parade.

Beauty pageants pretty much represent everything I’m against: overemphasis on outer beauty, popularity, conformity, and vapidness. I’ve always had a closed mind to them. Then I was forced by my children to watch enough of one episode of Toddlers and Tiaras to be totally okay with my mind slammed shut against beauty pageants.

Until this week, that is, when CC sent me a link to an article on one of the contestants in this year’s Miss America pageant. I started digging around and found more that made me open my mind just a little.

Sergeant Theresa Vail from Kansas, whose platform is Empowering Women, Overcoming Stereotypes, and Breaking Barriers. She’s an expert M-16 marksman, a bowhunter, and field dresses her own game. When she walks in the swimsuit portion of the competition, you’re gonna see her tattoos. She’s my favorite, so she gets two links: the People magazine article and her own blog post explaining why she chose not to cover up her tattoos.

Nicole Kelly from Iowa was born without her left forearm. Her platform is The Power of One and she wants to go on the road as a theater stage manager. Nicole, I know people! We can set you up. Here’s a link to the Today article.

Jennifer Smestad from my former home of Arizona was diagnosed with Tourette’s Syndrome at age 10. She keeps it in check today with acupuncture. Her platform is Tourette’s Syndrome Awareness and Advocacy. Here’s a link to the Daily Mail article.

All the contestants do their own hair and makeup for the final televised competition tonight. This is because, during her reign, Miss America has to do it all herself anyway. And every time she walks out the door, she has to look like Miss Freaking America. Can you imagine? No running out for half & half in last night’s mascara and the yoga pants you slept in, no swinging by the dry cleaners when you just ran five miles at the gym and are drenched with sweat.

I may still not be completely enamored of beauty pageants, but Miss America has my attention tonight. 9pm on ABC.