• life,  photography

    Tis the season

    The first raking of the fall and it’s only the beginning. We’ll soon be covered.
    Gee I forgot about this when economizing with the gardener. Sigh. Oh well, it will be good exercise.

    Best,
    Kwana
  • life,  motherhood,  my view

    Multi-Multi Tasking

    What’s Jack up to? Jack is being Jack. A little bossy, a little cute, so very Jack. Keeping me on my toes.

    It’s early Monday, well, late Sunday night as I’m writing this and already I’m overwhelmed with the family schedule this week. Not just this week, this year really. As women we are the keepers of the schedules. Ours and everyone else’s. Annoyingly, I found myself taking unnecessarily drives this weekend to classes that didn’t happen because I didn’t have a teen’s schedule memorized in my head. Not that said teen should not have had their own schedule down. Sigh.

    To make things just that more nutty, I’m already thinking ahead to the new year. January and February. So much so that the beautiful months of October and November are getting lost in the shuffle as just pages I’m flipping on the calender.

    And in all of this I’m terribly afraid of dropping the ball. That my whole house of cards will come tumbling down from all my multi-tasking.

    Knock Knock. Is it just me knocking at this door? Think I need a cup of tea and a moment to think about this.

    Oh and thanks to Prof Melissa Harris-Lacewell on twitter for pointing me in the direction of this article from The Huffington Post on the ever growing unhappiness of women and and multi-tasking. A longtime sign of the times.

    Best,
    Kwana

  • fun,  life

    Weekend

    What’s Jack up to? Jack’s getting over a busy weekend. With a house full of company he was ripping and running his little heart out. So it’s chill day today for Jack… I hope. Please.

    Like I was saying It was a pretty busy weekend starting with me taking the DD and a friend to see Altar Boyz on Friday night. We got a great 20 for 20 discount ticket deal. So if you’re in NYC check it out here. This deal is still going on until the 20th of this month.

    Saturday was supposed be my Mayberry R.F.D. annual block party but it got rained out. Bummer. But that didn’t dampen our spirits. My long time bff and her dd along with Nana still came over a day early for a sleepover and late night shenanigans.

    Then Sunday came the sun was shining and the block party was on. There was food, balloons, karaoke, a bouncy castle, more food, fire, smores,Wii, more food. What a fun time!

    Whew. I’m tired. I hope you had a glorious weekend.
    Happy Monday. Time to get to work.

    Best,
    Kwana
  • life,  motherhood,  my view

    STOP

    I’m feeling as busy all get out right about now. One of those nutty, I need lists and my lists need lists kind of busy and a few extra hours in the day in order to get some sleep and still I will forget something kind of busy.
    You know how it is. Tis the season and all. School will be starting in just a few days so I’m feeling like Santa, though not quite as jolly making my list and checking it twice. All during my broken sleep.
    I thought I’d be totally ready and yes, I am so ready to have my house back and get back into a set writing routine, but I do know all the wildness that the school year brings not to mention my Dear Twins junior year. Part of me just wants to scream right now. STOP!

    Best,
    Kwana
  • fashion,  life,  my view

    New Jeans

    In the “man is the blog boring when she’s rambling category” I got a new pair of jeans at Old Navy in the $19.00 jean sale. WIN!

    The best part is I was in a rush and had no time or patience to try the jeans on so I was fully prepared to to the return trip and was being extra careful with the receipt. But when I did try the jean on at home… surprise, perfect fit. Now if only they were two sizes smaller. Oh well, can’t have every thing.

    Sidebar: Are you as and creeped out by the mannequins, excuse me Super Modelquins, in these commercials as I am? I can’t stand talking things who’s lips don’t move. Just sayin.

    But at least this video is funny. Sort of. I guess? It’s late. Eeee…

    Best,
    Kwana

    P.S. Hey I could have gotten these jeans. Thanks Angela James and twitter for this video.

  • life,  marriage,  my view

    The Impossible Wife

    Yes I’m on break and yes, I’m here too. Told you I would be in and out and this bit I just had to put in though you might shrug your shoulders and think, eh. I still think it’s blog worthy.. ish.

    I just woke up from a dream and felt the need to share it here. Don’t think I’ve shared my odd dreams here before. Hmm..

    Well, there I was in small little crafty circle, but in said circle there was only 3 of us. Strange, a down number from my usual 6. One woman was a nubie to the group. A friend and blogger though not much of a commenter here and I don’t think a crafter so you won’t recognizer her and the other woman who was playing the part of my good friend, lots of you do know her, changed and was not herself but Gwyneth Paltrow. Yep, actress and I can cook chicken and potatoes, Gwyneth in a cool asymmetrical top and no apron and not spill on myself Gwyneth, from this post.

    Isn’t that strange?

    Well, it gets stranger. We were quite dressed up. In a very tiny kitchen. Well a tiny nook of a large kitchen were everything has its place. And everything is French and perfect.
    Could that be the influence of reading Julie and Julia? Or could it be my long obsession with getting a Le Creuset pot? Shrug.

    Here it gets weirder. We’re not even knitting in this odd tiny, organized, pretty, French nook but we’re sewing and by hand. Why? I don’t know. They are small white projects that fit neatly in our hands. I do know that.

    Then Gwyneth’s husband walks in and it’s not cutie Chris Martin. I know Weird again!

    But some out of the 1960’s lawyer looking dude. Here I blame the Mad Men influence.

    Did I tell you we are all dressed in early 60’s style but still could fit for now housewife comfort attire? I did, right.

    So… the not Chris Martin hubby ask Gwyneth what style of sewing machine she has because his business associate wants to buy one for his wife and Gwyneth knows all the best things to get as she is PERFECT. Gwyneth rattles off a French named machine that I’m not sure exists but in my dream is top line and very expensive.

    And as I’m sewing by hand I’m thinking 2 things.

    1. That machine is a boatload of money.
    2. It’s a piece of crap.
    3.Why the hell are we sewing by hand if she has it?
    4. My Kenmore machine is just as good!
    5. Why is Gwyneth supposedly so perfect?

    Ok so a lot more than 2 things. But I don’t say anything. I watch as not Chris Martin takes the info back to his associate after he kisses perfect Gwnyeth. Then I suddenly start to despise my Kenmore for not being French and sleek and perfect.

    After that it’s time for lunch and me and the other blogger/mom leave the tiny nook and follow Dream Gwyneth over to the hugest fridge ever (did I tell you it talks? dream weird). Well in the fridge everything has it’s place (I see a theme here). And then Dream Gwyneth teaches us to make the perfect grilled cheese sandwiches with some sort of hunky bread, leafy lettuce and hard, briny, smelly cheese that you had to whack off with a big knife.

    Blasphemy! Now you tell me how that is better than a diner grilled cheese with bacon which we all know is God’s perfect food?

    So themes? Thoughts? Care to analyze? Have at it.

    My thoughts. Poor Gwyneth is a just a place holder for what I’m being a bit resentful of at the moment also maybe aspiring to. Order, french cooking, cute rocker/business type hubbies that think I do just everything perfectly and also the ability to fit in tiny little nooks. Yeah, that space was pretty small. Or maybe it was all just a dream and full of crap.

    Best,
    Kwana

    P.S. In defence of Gwyneth. I was hanging out on Goop.com her space on the web after writing this and we really do think alike in some things. She just finished the CLEAN which I’m reading and she have the cutest picture of Prince up there. Swoony. Besides that she likes Jay Z. So there.

  • inspiration,  life,  motherhood,  my view,  stress

    Yes

    What’s Jack up to? Right now Jack’s chilling on the couch. You know, in his usual spot. Nothing new there. I’m happy for that.

    Things are a crazy right now over in Kwana land and I’m feeling the need for a break at the end of this very intense and non-rest filled summer. You know me, I try to keep it real, well as real as I can on a public blog, but in reality there is quite a thick filter on this here blog. Come on, I wouldn’t want to scare polite company away with the constant stream in my head.

    But as I was saying. I’m feeling the need for a break this week. I’ll have a few pics and videos up. Feel free to comment if you like I’ll be checking in on the Crackberry, And please enjoy these last days of summer. Share them with those you love.

    Right now while every fiber of my being is saying NO, I’m going to do the opposite and say YES. Or at least try really hard. I know there is still so much more that’s required of me. I hope today that you too have a spirit of YES in whatever you do.

    Best,

    Kwana

  • Grateful,  home improvements,  inspiration,  life,  my view

    Grateful


    What’s Jack up to? Jack is being his usual self. He was out back doing fine hanging with the family until a couple of guys walked down the block that he didn’t know then he was off like a shot sending the DH after him with promises of the moon if he’d just come back. How do you solve a problem like Jack? Well… how?
    I stole the title of this post from Deidre over at Jumping Tandem after seeing her eerily similar post. This morning the DD came running down. “Mom did you see the tree in the backyard. I was so scared it was going to crash through my window!”

    What?! How did I sleep through that one?

    I jumped up and yep, there was a huge tree limb that fell just missing the house. It was from about 50 feet up so I’m sure it would have caused significant damage. It was also about 16 feet long.

    I’m feeling very grateful today and thanking God for keeping us safe while I was snoring the night away. Oh, scratch that last part. There’s no way I was snoring (Ignore any rogue comments from the DH). LOL.

    Best,
    Kwana
  • housekeeping,  life,  my view

    Hose Down

    Today I’m wishing I could just hose down my house. It needs a serious cleaning something like this:
    I just don’t have the energy and really I’d like to be spending my time just writing and not with a mop and bucket. Sigh.

    When will they make a wash and wear house? Come on, 2010 is right around the corner people! I bet they have something like it in Japan or maybe even Epcot. Hmm…

    Best,
    Kwana