Binkytowne

Finnyspeak

The cars crashed and had an accident (pronounced ak'ska'dint).

I'm so warm and cozy (pronounced worm).

Can I have some coughiss (he means cough medicine).

Play oh my drivin' it (he wants to hear Life is a highway from Cars)

I want some more cow milk (he refers to all milk as cow milk. As if we'd give him sheeps milk orsomething?)

I fell and landed on my butt (pronounced bw'aat)

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Binkytown now with more EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

Today is my son's fourth birthday and it seemed like a good time to make a change.

Please update your feedreaders and your bookmarks- Binkytown's moved 'cross town.

See you there

www.binkytowne.com

Happy Birthday Baby

Today is your birthday.

(Our birthday, really).

Do you like our new diggs? I hope so. I thought it only appropos that because you were the reason I started binkytown that we launch our new-improved version today, the day you came into the world because baby, without you I'm just another person walking around looking for an anchor or a home and a story.

I have an anchor. You are never far. Even when you think I don't see you, I do.

I have a home. It's a mess, but we live there, really live.

I have a story. It's bigger than any page can hold or lense can capture.

It's you. You are amazing.

More than chocolate ice cream, babe.

Worth every penny (and a lot of them)

I was kind of shocked when they totaled me up, smiled sweetly and said "That will be one hundred and sixty five dollars". It shouldn't surprise me, but for some reason it always does that sitting in a chair for two hours can cost that much. Doesn't even matter. She could tell me that she was doubling her prices and I would swallow hard, mentally calculate how many sets of outgrown baby clothes I would have to sell on eBay to make up the difference and book my next appointment. I love getting my hair done.

At my last visit my stylist trimmed a couple of inches off, layered it up real pretty, gave me some awesome Farrah-Fawcet-come-Madonna-in-her-wacky-purple-bodysuit curls that made me feel like I had one teensy bit of style for a change, a hand massage, warm tea, groovy music and the chance to sit for thirty minutes and do nothing except read trashy magazines.

It's true I stretch out my visits to the salon farther and farther apart these days. Not just because of the price tag but because it's hard to find two hours (two and a half with travel time) in a row that I can be gone without sacrificing time at home, but it's something I absolutely will not give up. Because this is a trendy salon in a trendy part of town I even dress the part when I go in. Well, not exactly, I'm not capable of trendy, but I don't wear yoga pants and a baby food stained fleece. When I leave, wearing sort of cute clothes with my hair smelling lovely I always remember that there is lip gloss in my bag and I come home feeling like a new woman. I just can't put a price on that.

This post was written for Parent Bloggers Network as part of a sweepstakes sponsored by BOCA. Parent Bloggers Network has partnered with Boca to talk about how you keep your own sense of self intact while fulfilling your job as a parent and balanced living (or how to strive for it). Visit Parent Bloggers Network for all the details.  

Worth every penny (and a lot of them)

I was kind of shocked when they totaled me up, smiled sweetly and said "That will be one hundred and sixty five dollars". It shouldn't surprise me, but for some reason it always does that sitting in a chair for two hours can cost that much. Doesn't even matter. She could tell me that she was doubling her prices and I would swallow hard, mentally calculate how many sets of outgrown baby clothes I would have to sell on eBay to make up the difference and book my next appointment. I love getting my hair done.

At my last visit my stylist trimmed a couple of inches off, layered it up real pretty, gave me some awesome Farrah-Fawcet-come-Madonna-in-her-wacky-purple-bodysuit curls that made me feel like I had one teensy bit of style for a change, a hand massage, warm tea, groovy music and the chance to sit for thirty minutes and do nothing except read trashy magazines.

It's true I stretch out my visits to the salon farther and farther apart these days. Not just because of the price tag but because it's hard to find two hours (two and a half with travel time) in a row that I can be gone without sacrificing time at home, but it's something I absolutely will not give up. Because this is a trendy salon in a trendy part of town I even dress the part when I go in. Well, not exactly, I'm not capable of trendy, but I don't wear yoga pants and a baby food stained fleece. When I leave, wearing sort of cute clothes with my hair smelling lovely I always remember that there is lip gloss in my bag and I come home feeling like a new woman. I just can't put a price on that.

This post was written for Parent Bloggers Network as part of a sweepstakes sponsored by BOCA. Parent Bloggers Network has partnered with Boca to talk about how you keep your own sense of self intact while fulfilling your job as a parent and balanced living (or how to strive for it). Visit Parent Bloggers Network for all the details.  

It's in the DNA

Have you seen the greeting cards that play catchy tunes when you open them? I think there was one out around Christmas time that I thought was lame, but since then have found some that are pretty cool. Including the one I picked up for my husband for his birthday. It was adorned with robots and played (what else?) Mr. Roboto. (Domo)

I don't know what it is about Styx but I'm pretty sure every male that walks the planet digs Styx in a pretty major way. How did I come to this hypothesis? I opened up the card to sign it and my four year old way stopped watching SpongeBob (gasp!) and walked slowly and cautiously up to where I stood with the most mesmerized look on his face I have ever witnessed.

Then there was this:

Mr Roboto from Amy Jones on Vimeo.

It's in the DNA

Have you seen the greeting cards that play catchy tunes when you open them? I think there was one out around Christmas time that I thought was lame, but since then have found some that are pretty cool. Including the one I picked up for my husband for his birthday. It was adorned with robots and played (what else?) Mr. Roboto. (Domo)

I don't know what it is about Styx but I'm pretty sure every male that walks the planet digs Styx in a pretty major way. How did I come to this hypothesis? I opened up the card to sign it and my four year old way stopped watching SpongeBob (gasp!) and walked slowly and cautiously up to where I stood with the most mesmerized look on his face I have ever witnessed.

Then there was this:

Mr Roboto from Amy Jones on Vimeo.

O happy day

This morning I saw some comments floating around on line, including one by someone related to me(seriously Andy?) but I refuse to let them tarnish for one minute the incredible awesomeness of this day.

I don't consider myself very political. I do follow politics and I enjoy it. It's so important to everyone and I want everyone to engage, which is why I don't usually argue about who is right and who is wrong. I want you to feel just as strongly as I do, even if we don't agree. It's not my place to try and change your mind.

Except for right now. 

This truly is a defining moment for our country. A new kind of politics. A new type of leader. I can't understand people who won't/can't/will not get on board and who are still smack talking our new president and administration.

Your children will be able to say they witnessed history today. Not just because of the color of Obama's skin but because of the content of his character. Isn't that amazing? Don't you want to celebrate that?

I do. I will. I want everyone to come along.

If you don't want to, that's your right. I won't say anything more to sway you.

But I am beyond thrilled. Excited. Hopeful.

So if you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all.

O happy day

This morning I saw some comments floating around on line, including one by someone related to me(seriously Andy?) but I refuse to let them tarnish for one minute the incredible awesomeness of this day.

I don't consider myself very political. I do follow politics and I enjoy it. It's so important to everyone and I want everyone to engage, which is why I don't usually argue about who is right and who is wrong. I want you to feel just as strongly as I do, even if we don't agree. It's not my place to try and change your mind.

Except for right now.

This truly is a defining moment for our country. A new kind of politics. A new type of leader. I can't understand people who won't/can't/will not get on board and who are still smack talking our new president and administration.

Your children will be able to say they witnessed history today. Not just because of the color of Obama's skin but because of the content of his character. Isn't that amazing? Don't you want to celebrate that?

I do. I will. I want everyone to come along.

If you don't want to, that's your right. I won't say anything more to sway you.

But I am beyond thrilled. Excited. Hopeful.

So if you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all.

The four bucks I should have spent

There are Mondays when I show up for work feeling like I've been on a bender. Actually it's just a hangover from going ten rounds with my four year old. For some reason he almost never sleeps on Sunday nights and I'm completely worn out by the time I drop the kids at school. Some Mondays I make a diaper run on my lunch hour and walk aimlessly down the store isles completely zoned out, enjoying the orderly shelves and the no one talking to me or needing anything from me except my hard earned cash, which I will gladly trade for a Hershey's with almonds and a jumbo pack of garbage bags.

Scouring the clearance racks in the kids clothing section I found coats, several of them, marked down to a ridiculous $4.00. I looked them over, did a mental inventory of everyone I knew who might need the sizes that were left, made a call to a friend who said no, thanks, already got one for next year and went on my way, feeling tired and sorry for myself.

Today it was -12 degrees outside when I woke up and I can't stop thinking about those coats. As soon as I came home Monday night and saw the news about the bitter cold snap we are in I thought to myself- why didn't I buy those coats and drop them at a shelter? I drive by a meal program every day on my way home. I could have done something. For a measly $20 I could have picked up five winter coats. I wanted to go back but now it really is that cold, it's too cold to take my baby and drive across town to see if the coats are still there.

This post was written for Parent Bloggers Network as part of a sweepstakes sponsored by The Quaker Oats Company. This week, The Parent Bloggers Network has teamed up with The Quaker Oats Company to spread the word about the Start with Substance campaign to donate up to one million bowls of oatmeal to those in need. From January 12 through February 28, for every UPC from a Quaker Oatmeal hot cereal product families enter at www.startwithsubstance.com, Quaker will donate one bowl of oatmeal to Share Our Strength, a childhood hunger organization. (You’ll need to be a Facebook member to participate).

In my sleep deprived haze I can't promise that I will always be full of good ideas but I have good intentions, better than I had a week ago. It's a place to start. There are worse things than being tired.