I saw something at R*Belle’s blog that she is participating in that I thought was a great idea. It’s called the 2,996 project and in their words…

The idea is simple, but powerful: have a special tribute for each victim of 9/11, with each tribute being created by a different blogger.

I remember when I heard the news coverage about 9/11 five years ago this fall. It was a beautiful morning. I was about 3 months pregnant with Caitlin, and I heard the coverage on the radio as I drove into my office. It took me several minutes to digest what I heard on the radio…I thought it was some sort of sick prank initially. I called the hubby on my cell phone from the car and he turned on CNN. My employer let us leave early that day. We were all too distraught to work.

They still need bloggers to volunteer, so please sign up for this worthwhile project if you are interested. I will be writing a 9/11 tribute about Lt. Peter L. Freund, 45, from Westtown, N.Y., who was killed at the World Trade Center.

Caitlin and I have had some interesting conversations lately about God, or as she calls him, Mr. God. I’ve been telling her stories about my maternal grandmother and trying to explain that she has died and gone to Heaven. But Mr. God and his omnipotent presence works his way into all sorts conversations. Case in point…

Caitlin: Mr. God made Bunny Bread? (As she is waiting for me to butter her toast.)

Me: I don’t know….maybe he did.

Caitlin: Yes he did. (Pause.)
Mr. God eats food?

Me: I’m not sure if Mr. God eats food. What do you think?

Caitlin: Yes. Yes, he does.

Me: What does he eat?

Caitlin: Mr. God eats vegetables! (Pause.)
And he drinks milk!
(In which I sigh a parental “WHEW” because at least Mr. God has a healthy diet.)

Caitlin also has a bit of an ongoing fascination with the concept of death. The hubby was watching some caveman extravaganza on The Learning Channel yesterday in which pre-Tivo man was killing an elephant for his weekly grub. Caitlin sat glued to the TV, watching the entire scene. “Is that man killing the elephant?” she asked the hubby, and he proceeded to explain to her that many years ago we didn’t go to the grocery store for food.

This is deep stuff people. This is not your typical preschool curiousity and run of the mill “the apple is red?” or “the doggie says woof?” Real life and all the blemishes it carries is slowly unveiling its thorny self to Caitlin and that scares me just a little. The challenge, for us as parents, is talking to her about the scary parts of this big ole world without her automatically pulling the covers over her head. So far, so good.

There are some very creative blogging women out there.

Here are three very different posts I’ve read this week that I hereby decree the best of the breast posts!

A Tale of Twins by Mama C-Ta

The Breast Wars: Part II– I Suffer Injury And Humiliation by Anne Glamore

The Breast Years of my Life by Girl’s Gone Child

On a totally unrelated note, Giving Mommy has written a very powerful series of posts on her struggle with drug addiction. You might want to start with the first post.

Also, I’ve updated my Blogroll and added a few more blogs that I subscribe to via Bloglines as well as some newbie bloggers, such as Gingersnaps from Nashvegas. I hope to eventually redo things a bit and make my Blogroll a separate link so that it’s not so obnoxious. Also, I generally try to stick with reciprocal blogrolling so if you’ve linked to me and I still don’t have you listed, send me an e-mail at blondemomblog {at} yahoo(.)com and I’ll add you!

Water Break

Originally uploaded by blondemom.

and I know what’s happening. (Just a little flashback to REM’s Superman from Life’s Rich Pageant/1986.) Actually I’m not sure I know what’s happening, but seeing as I subscribe to the “parenting as you go” philosophy, I’m winging it!

We are no longer virgin soccer parents! Tuesday night was Caitlin’s first soccer practice and she loved it. To make things even cooler for her, the practice was held on the lawn of her future elementary school. And, as a side note, doesn’t she look stunning in purple? She was a little hesitant when we first arrived and met her coach. She clung to my legs and I had that parental feeling of dread. However, once she got out on the field with the rest of the team she was obviously very into following the coach’s directions and really trying her hardest. And also, have you ever noticed that there is “that one kid?” You know…the one kid who is having a much harder time than your own? One little girl burst into tears on the field and I secretly breathed a sigh of relief that it wasn’t Caitlin. Bonafide games start in September. It should be interesting to see which parents bring homemade snacks and which parents bring storebought goodies and which ones bring storebought goodies disguised as homemade.

This week’s BlogJolt spotlights Passion Meets Purpose. Kammie is a life and career coach who helps people find and pursue what they are most passionate about. Kammie’s job sounds tres cool and her blog is oozing with positive energy, so much so that you may need to wear sunglasses while reading it. And she has cute hair to boot.

Sometimes when I am checking out a blog I go to the first few posts in the archives (unfortunately mine are really lame…but I digress). I like what Kammie writes in her very first post:

Regardless of where you are, there will never be a better time to start living passionately and on purpose, than right now. There won’t be more time when the ‘kids are out of diapers’, or after the next ‘big promotion’. It won’t be easier when you don’t have ‘so much going on’, or when he/she starts ‘pulling their fair share’ in the relationship. Now is the time to take action!

How true is that? I am as guilty as anyone as sitting back and just letting life happen. Of course when you have young children sometimes it’s difficult, nay…nearly impossible, to carve out a life of your own beyond sippy cups and soccer practice. (Read on …)

I recently ditched my cell phone plan provider and I am now on the hubby’s business plan. The beauty of being on the same carrier is that we can now radio each other throughout the day and the time we spend doing walkie talkie time doesn’t count against packaged minutes.

We still close our regular phone conversations with our usual “love you,” but typically we use trucker lingo like “10-4” to sign off when we radio each other. I have yet to use “10-4 good buddy,” though. That just seems a little bit too Rosco P. Coltrane. I’ve also noticed now that we’re radioing each other throughout the day I’m less likely to talk as long. Come to think of it, perhaps that’s why he was anxious to add me to his plan. Hmmmm…

Shopping is never fun for me when I actually have money burning a hole in my wallet. Instead of staggering through the doorway, overburdened with bags like Paris Hilton straight off a shopping binge on Rodeo Drive, I come home empty handed. Of course, unlike Paris, I frequent stores that feature plastic shopping carts and public water fountains conveniently located in the hall just outside the restrooms.

I’ve made two trips to TJ Maxx, one trip to Target, and one trip to Steinmart in the past week, armed with birthday money. I have bought a few things and returned a few things and basically have purchased one pseudo outfit…a fitted black tank top with lots of bling around the v-neck that is very cute, but doesn’t seem appropriate to wear to the office, even to my casual workplace. I also purchased a simple black knee-length skirt that I call “transition” wear. (AKA I can get away with wearing it this fall with a cotton long-sleeve sweater because it’s never cold in Nashville until after Thanksgiving.)

Everything I have tried on was either:

a. black (not good, considering we reside at La Hacienda de Dog Hair)

b. too tight (apparently I am in long-term denial when it comes to the size of my butt because I am still convinced I can wear the same size that I did 10 years ago despite the fact that I have not step foot in the Y or taken any type of exercise class since 2004). I do need to start riding my new bike regularly.

c. cute, but not yet on sale, therefore I refuse to buy it because it is against my retail religion to pay full price for anything

I almost bought a beautiful flowy, vintagey (totally making that word up) fabric sundress that tied behind the neck but it was about 100 degrees in the TJ Maxx dressing room last week. I nearly dislocated my shoulder trying to zip it up and was sweating like a mofo. I bought the dress and took it home to try it on because I was SURE the heat was what was making it impossible to zip the dress up past the middle of my back. I returned the dress yesterday, tags intact. Never could get it zipped up. Hmmmpfh.

I still love the idea of shopping and I am a firm believer in retail therapy. Maybe next time I need to purposely leave my cash at home. Apparently it’s bad shopping karma to actually be able to pay for your purchases, rather than charge them.

I absolutely adore this photo of Caitlin taken by the hubby’s cousin from a few weeks ago. It reminds me of all that is right and good about being a kid in the summer with not a care in the world.

In exciting news we actually went out AGAIN last night after having a dinner date Thursday. We were invited to another couple’s home to enjoy ribs and watch the Titans/Saints preseason game. They also have two little girls (their youngest is only 4 months old) and Caitlin just adores their 5-year-old. It was interesting to watch Caitlin interact with a “big girl.” At one point they had every My Little Pony and Care Bear known to man strewn on the floor, were watching the Barbie Mermaidia DVD, and having a picnic of chicken nuggets and tater tots. These girls know how to par-tee. This morning I actually thought it was Monday for a few minutes as I was wrestling with Amelia over a sopping wet diaper. I only had two Dos Equis last night, though, so I can’t blame it on a wild night of overindulging, although having plans two nights in one week is enough to make me want to head down to the nearest tattoo parlor. We got home about 9 last night and I put Amelia straight to bed and then I promptly fell asleep in Caitlin’s bed while reading “The House That Jack Built.” And I remember when Saturday night didn’t even BEGIN until 9.