Rachel came up with a very fun idea that we’re going to try.
Around here, we regularly report on what we did over a given weekend and then add or subtract cool points (the world-renowned total that assesses our current coolness – at your left) accordingly. Well, Rachel had the brill idea of opening this activity to everyone here and making it a contest!
(i heard some kids in the UK say “brill”, which I thought was brilliant, so here I am busting it out trying to be cool [-2 cool points])
Here’s how we’ll try it:
1) Spend this weekend doing the coolest things you can think of. Like going to see a hip movie. Or playing some trendy sport or game. Or sing and dance to Lionel Richie’s “All Night Long” in a desperate effort to entertain the baby for 2.1152 seconds. [-2 cool points]
2) Email your list of activities to us. Our email address is in the right sidebar for y’all reading RSS. I will need all entries in by Monday night.
3) On Tuesday, I will post people’s activities, but I’ll keep them anonymous. Then in the comments, you all decide which person had the coolest weekend.
4) On Wednesday, we will announce the winner of the first-ever Cool Duel!!
Clear as mud? No worries — this will work and it’ll be fun as long as you all participate, which I just know you will. So get out there this weekend, be the cool selves you are, and report back on Monday!!
And thanks, Rachel!
note: yes, ‘duel’ refers to a contest between two people, but “Cool Duel” sounds so much better than “Cool Contest Open to Everyone Who Reads This Blog Only Because They Got Lost on the Information Superhighway and Is Too Embarrassed to Ask for Directions.”
(photo: Jonathan_W)
My one year trial of doing the stay-at-home mum thing has come to an end. I wasn’t a baby person before, but now Cool Baby has me totally smitten. As frustrating and challenging as it can be, I think I might love this gig.
How do I know? Because the following list has been forming in my head for the past few days.
Top 5 Ways to Ensure the Security of My Job as a SAHM
- Try not to tick off my husband. Thankfully, he is very supportive of my job. The least I could do is be nice to him as he spends all day in a closet-sized office to pay our bills.
- Cut a room off of our house. We have a 3bd/2ba and one of those 3 bedrooms is a complete waste of space. A dungeon for storage of anything we don’t know what to do with. If we moved into a 2/2, we could slash our house payment significantly and be forced to get rid of junk. Plus, there’s that thing everyone says about 2/2’s…you can’t sell them. Another plus! We couldn’t upgrade back up to a 3/2 even if we wanted to!
- Eat CB’s leftovers plus beans & rice every day for lunch. This could keep me pretty healthy too.
- Get a tiny eyebrow ring and dye a prominent fuchsia streak into my hair. Definitely the most fun idea. “Sorry, Cool Dad, nobody wants to hire me for office work for some reason.” I can already hear CD suggesting I work at Hot Topic. Would I gain or lose cool points for that career move?
- One word: Homeschool! It may be the peace corps of parenting, but it would get me at least another 20 years of job security.
The result: one supportive, minimalist, skinny, punk homeschooling mum. I like it.
This post is a part of Works for Me Wednesday.
(photo: yarnivore)
We haven’t done this for a month or so, but there hasn’t been much change in our coolness until the last two weekends, so let’s review those.
FRIDAY
After a week of staying up too late, I crashed around 8:30 PM. CM was on the computer. I woke up around 10, but didn’t accomplish anything. Crashed for good around midnight.
Basically went to bed AT 8:00?? On a Friday night?! Not very cool, dad. [-10 cool points]
SATURDAY
After spending most of the day at home, we drove around town to run some errands. Toward sunset, we took the boy to a park to wear him out for bed.
Productivity, nice weather, nice family activities. Nothing wrong with all that. [+3 cool points]
SUNDAY
Despite my insistence to go to the contemporary one, we went to the traditional worship service at church, featuring keyboards and acoustic guitar. Cleaning and yardwork at home the rest of the day. Watched the Celtics hold off a furious comeback from the Lakers to win Game 2 of the NBA Finals — huzzah!
The day was mostly restful and productive. However, traditional service?? I appreciate and love the songs of old, and the music was beautiful. It’s just not cool. [-3 cool points]
Oh, and I said “huzzah!” [-2 cool points]
WEEKEND CHANGE: -12 COOL POINTS (stomach punch)
FRIDAY
I attended a college/young adult worship service and then socialized with the young folk afterward. Much better than going to bed at 5:30 or whenever I did last week.
As long as you’re not their chaperone or buying them beer, hanging with the coveted 18-26 demographic always makes you cooler. [+3 cool points]
SATURDAY
We had a family day and then attended a friend’s wedding, followed by their formal, multi-cultural reception where no kids were allowed. Cool Grandmother was available to babysit. We were able to carry on whole conversations with friends and dance without bouncing a baby in our arms.
It was wonderful to relive the days of getting all dressed up for formal social gatherings. [+10 cool points]
Wait, we never really did that before. [-5 cool points]
SUNDAY
I finished a project for a client and also studied up for my writing. CM took a nap while CG kept CB entertained. CG also prepared a delicious barbecue lunch for us. At night, we attended an ultra-hip 20-somethings worship service.
Good productivity, actual sleeping, actual barbecue, worshiping with the coveted demographic? What a cool day. [+10 cool points]
WEEKEND CHANGE: +18 COOL POINTS (redemption!)
Unfortunately, no free babysitting available for this weekend. I feel some negative cool points coming on…
Another review of our weekend to assess our coolness. I think I’m tired of the Metathes… (i don’t even feel like typing it out) joke. This will be renamed shortly.
FRIDAY
A Cool Uncle came over to play Mario Kart on the Wii. CM & I watched Juno.
A hip new game, a hip flick. Hip hop hooray for +5 cool points.
SATURDAY
In the morning, we went to garage sales and bought things like a vegetable steamer, a closet organizer, and a baby gate. Then went to the mall and scored $20 in gift cards for free.
Closet organizers and baby gates are not cool, but getting stuff for free is so very. [+2 cool points]
SUNDAY
Church. Watched Celtics game. Hung around house. I went to my stylist for a haircut at her salon.
We should have done something cool, like play beach volleyball or walk with sunglasses on or use body spray, but didn’t do it. Oh, and my stylist is CM and her salon is our kitchen. [-10 cool points]
WEEKEND NET CHANGE: -3 cool points
And we didn’t do one of these last week because there was little to note. Visited grandparents. Much fun was had. The End.
I’m back! Since I last wrote, I have planned or attended about 5 parties. Okay, most of them were actually baby showers, which totally does not count as a party. But there was 1 party…brunch can be a party, right?
Here are some recent high points and low points to assess my current status:
1. The Scene: one of those fancy schmancy little grocery stores that has more flowers and overpriced produce than actual useful groceries. Classical music plays in the background.
Me: wearing Cool Baby in my brand new Ergo Baby Carrier that I got for my birthday, pretending I was going to buy something that cost more than a dollar.
Cool Baby: just chilling out.
I felt SO cool.
[+2 cool points]
2. The Scene: poolside with group of friends who have no babies or children.
Me: chatting, eating quiche, and swimming ALL afternoon.
Cool Baby: being strolled around by Cool Dad somewhere across town.
Glorious.
[+5 cool points already given]
3. The Scene: a lunch meeting for my part time job.
Me: talking to adults, using my brain, wearing a super cute dress and heels (guess I got a little excited).
Cool Baby: sleeping while Cool Dad drives him around town.
Me later: “wait, why did Ann Taylor put this tag inside the front neckline…(a few seconds pass)…Oh.”
Oops.
[-3 cool points]
4. The scene: Cool Baby’s bathtime in our (luckily) tiny bathroom.
Me: washing my hands a few feet away.
Cool Baby: stands up inside the inflatable baby tub and propels himself head-first out of the big tub. Praise God he was okay!
Cool Dad: “was it really necessary to wash your hands during bathtime?”
[-10 cool points]
