Strollerderby Playdate: Memorial Day Weekend Redux

Jessica Ashley (Sassafrass) — Tue, 29 May 2007 11:02:00 GMT

After a long week in Virginia celebrating a very Southern wedding, I was delighted to get home to y'allses and see the holiday weekend stretch out before me, uncluttered by commitments or schedules or deadlines. It felt like heaven. I unplugged the laptop (*gasp*) and uncorked a bottle of wine (*ahhh*) and we settled in for a few days of hanging out in the sun on the back porch, lazy walks through the neighborhood, napping, and an impromptu BBQ at a neighbor's house with loads of screaming, soaking wet, deliriously happy kids and very relaxed adults hovering by the grill and keg. It was exactly as a holiday weekend should be.

Now that it is all coming to a close, I feel better about plugging back in and, like a nosy neighbor, peeking in to see how my favorite bloggers spent their down time this Memorial Day weekend. Here's the goss from around the blogo-block:

Check out Thingamababy for the report on the Kinetic Grand Championship that took place over the weekend. The crazy pics are hilarious and I was so amped to see racers from Corvallis, Oregon mentioned. I ate many a felafel sandwich on the sidelines of many a kinetic race during my stint in Corvallis years ago. Good times.

Head on over to MUBAR where Jen's had an a-ha moment about why (other) parents ban pinwheels plucked from grocery store holiday displays.

While you're grabbing up BBQ supplies at the store, Becki from Cooking with Whine reminds you to get the fixins for watermelon sorbet that will delight your senses and stir up your total irritation at how lame schools can be for kids (and parents) who just want to get their end-of-year potluck on.

Grab a lawn chair and lemonade at Susiej's, where she's reflecting on her personal connections and political conflicts as soldiers are sent off to war. Sus has a way of giving pause during what could be detached Memorial Day madness.

While you're taking a moment, hang out on the porch with Kristen from Motherhood Uncensored for a bit. She's offering up links and good thoughts for the folks serving our country while we're busy serving up potato salad and fruit kabobs.

[photo credit: Maura McEvoy via Barefoot Contessa]

Mother's Day: Give Her the Hippy Shake

Jessica Ashley (Sassafrass) — Tue, 01 May 2007 21:27:00 GMT

Like many mamas, when I see one of those sweet little lockets, I admit I go all sentimental. I even smile at the clever tees and thought of getting a geeky gift that would make my work life easier. For all that romance of a token that says "this represents the amazing mother you are every. single. day," I also have this feeling of (more) impending clutter when I think about adding another trinket to the top of my dresser. Don't get me wrong, I will be very happy to hang up a preschool art project, and along with that I'd like to make a plea for what I really need. Time away. From the schedule, from the laptop, from soy butter, from parent meetings and playdates. From all things mommy.

What I need is a guaranteed time every single week where I can shake my hips with unabashed abandon to above-kiddie-decibel music. And I'd like to be adorned in sparkles and little bells while I do it. This Mother's Day, I'd like to stop pretending I love what my (erm...almost three years) post-partum belly did and really start loving what it can do. This year, I'll be leaving Susiej's post on belly dancing lessons being the best Mother's Day gift ever up on my monitor for the hubs to happen upon this week. Susiej outlines all the right reasons for getting the (ahem) hippest gift around. Hopefully, I'll have the hubs at "increases her sex drive." I mean, "is an art form."

Strollerderby : susiej

Strollerderby Playdate: Memorial Day Weekend Redux

Mother's Day: Give Her the Hippy Shake