Owner: Up in the Night URL:http://belknapkids.blogspot.com Join Date: Sun, 09 Sep 2007 00:26:23 -0500 Rating:0 Site Description: I am a single, work-at-home mom trying to raise healthy, happy kids. I freelance to pay the mortgage and fill the fridge. If you know where I can blog for food, let me know--I would love to earn a living writing about vomit and poo. It is what I know best Site statistics:Click here
In Which I Cut the Cable 2008-04-09 10:33:00 About three weeks ago I cut the cable. To our television, that is. I wish I could say it was for noble reasons: to end to the promotion of unhealthy social norms, the hijacking of valuable freelance time, and my three-year old’s uncanny ability to recognize the trademarks and ad slogans for all preschool toys. But simply put, it was an unnecessary indulgence. Okay, okay. More simply put, I could no longer afford it.I expected long and excruciating tantrums after which I would have to explain how important it is to entertain oneself rather than sit mindlessly in front of a television set. I’m proud to say I haven’t thrown one of those tantrums yet this week. So I’m getting better.My kids, on the other hand, are taking it well. Thankfully, my decision to cut the cable came simultaneo Read more:Cable
Joining Weight Watchers 2008-04-11 10:27:00 I think I realized just how frumpy I’d become when my daughter informed me that the neighbor girl had said I was a “little fat.” My lovely daughter defended my honor and told me that she had said, in no uncertain terms, that her mommy is NOT fat. Bless her heart. I was flattered that the neighbor girl just said a little.But I’m doing my best to defrump myself. My hair’s been coifed and colored for two weeks now. And while I’ve taken that first big step towards overcoming my Salonaphobia I have yet to tackle that aversion to healthy food. The one that’s made me a “little fat.” And a lot frumpy.So last night, after one Last Supper at Wendy’s, I joined WeightWatchers
.Shortly after 7:30pm on Thursday night I was weighed in. I was assigned a healthy weight range. I was told Read more:Joining
When Friends Try to Set You Up 2008-04-14 23:36:00 Warning: If my friend or the man she currently wants to set me up with ever start reading this blog, I will promptly delete this post and any related to it. There. You’ve been warned.I had been divorced about a month when my friend called. “Okay,” she said. “I have this great guy I’m dying to set you up with.”“What?” I asked, because I hadn’t expected this conversation so soon.“But we have to wait until his wife dies.”“WHAT?”“It’s a long story, but they were filing for divorce before she got into thisaccident and now she’s in critical condition.”???“Shauna?”“I’m here…”“He’s great though,” she said."How do YOU know single guys?” I asked because she's married, and I hadfinally wrapped my brain around the fact that my new friend sees my pe Read more:Friends
For the record… 2008-04-16 07:47:00 The truth is I have no shame. I share far too much about myself and my life on this blog. Often that means I feel the need to reblog and clarify something that may have been misstated in a previous post. I don’t know why I do that. Probably because my perspective needs a little reframing and blogging about it helps me to process my thoughts better. You know, cheaper than therapy.My last post freaked me out a bit. Maybe because I posted about dating out loud. Your comments, one phone call and my own musings had me emotionally hyperventilating in a corner. So, for the record, I haven’t started dating yet. I have no plans to date anytime soon. I’m still trying to reorient myself following the divorce and a very long winter—so long in fact, those two things have become inseparable in m
"Before" Pictures 2008-04-18 08:11:00 In an amazing act of faith, my Weight Watchers buddy and I donned our swimming suits and took “before” pictures of one another in my playroom.Let me preface this by saying that even when I was thin (size 11 is thin to me) you wouldn’t find me dead in a swimming suit. (Unless, of course, I had drowned in a swimming pool and the handsome lifeguard had to rip off my tank top and cover-up shorts in a valiant attempt to save my life.)But yes, we decided (and without the help of mind-altering medication) to document just how big we are (and by “we” I mean “me” because really, my friend’s a reed in the wind). And isn’t it amazing how your mind often protects you from the truth, convincing you that you’re not as wide as you really are. Because when you see the picture you reali Read more:Pictures
Artistic Musings, by Zack 2008-04-21 10:38:00 Zack is becoming quite the artist. To demonstrate, I thought I'd share some of his recent masterpieces:Not only do you get to see Zack's very phallic self-portrait, but you also get a glimpse at the nasty color of my kitchen counters.And here's a picture of me and my son holding hands. Notice how ginormous I am in comparison to him--something I am currently trying to remedy.And here's my favorite. Zack and I riding a unicorn. Read more:Artistic
, Musings
I was honked at today, and I’m still not over it. 2008-04-23 10:16:00 Here’s what happened: This morning I went to drop my kids off at school, determined to remain calm regardless of the chaos that is “get ready for school.” Kaleb and Leah began fighting over who would open the door. Kaleb opened it, Leah closed it and tried reopening it only to be cut off by her brother. And since I couldn’t reach the door myself, this happened one more time before the car behind us honked. I told my children they needed to get out. Now. Disoriented by the honking, both my dear, dear children seemed to forget how to open the van altogether, so I opened my door, walked over to their side and opened it for them. By this time a string of cars had backed up behind us and the Honker was giving me the exaggerated shoulder shrug. I sent my kids off, finally, an
5 going on 30... 2008-04-24 09:59:00 We’ve spent considerable time teaching our children their phone number and address in case they ever get lost and have to tell the nice policeman where they belong. And just last week my daughter demonstrated acute recall ability when she began handing out said phone number to little boys in her kindergarten class. How do I know this? One of said boys called two afternoons ago while my daughter was with her grandmother. Our conversation went something like this: Me: Hello? Little Rico Suave: Hi. Is Leah there? This is Little Rico. Me: She’s with her grandmother. LRS: Could she play at my house later? Me: No. LRS: I’ll call back later. Me: 10 years from now would be good. LRS: What? When I confronted my daughter she informed me that Little Rico wasn’t a boyfriend.
Brainless in Idaho 2008-05-13 20:44:00 I'm not sure what this whole blog-aversion thing is about for me, but I've had a tough time keeping it regular (blogging, people. WW has been an immense help in the "other" department, thank you very much!). So just a quick update on my life: I'm applying for a job as a contract writer. It won't change life for me much, except I'll have X number of guaranteed hours/wk (and a regular Read more:Idaho
Spring is here! 2008-05-19 09:36:00 You know how I can tell it’s spring? Whatever has been rotting in my van all winter long begins to thaw out and smell. Very bad. And the longer the winter the worst the smell. So I’m sure you can imagine my van is very “ripe” this season. Unfortunately there’s been more hibernating in my van than a foul odor. The floor is littered with backpacks, winter coats, Happy Meal toys, fr Read more:Spring
The Law of Attraction and Tampon Dispsensers 2008-05-29 10:08:00 Note: the following post is intended for an all female audience. Any man who reads this post is cautioned to do so at his own risk. ‘Nuf said.I don’t mean to make a public announcement or anything, but it’s that time of month. And I did the last thing any woman should ever do within the first couple days of her period. I went shopping. And unlike other, more prepared women, I wasn't carryi Read more:Attraction
How Dieting Has Aged Me 2008-06-03 11:37:00 I haven’t quite decided which is worse. Looking fat or looking old. Unfortunately for me, the two seem to be mutually exclusive. Let me explain.After seven weeks in Weight Watchers I have lost a total of 20.2 pounds. Fabulous, right? The only problem is that my face, which was once pudgy and prime, is slowly deflating. At first this wasn’t a problem until I realized that the fat had actu Read more:Dieting
When Crazy Happens 2008-06-07 02:26:00 Yesterday was my birthday. I know, I know. Happy Birthday to me. But this post isn’t about how old I’m getting (hallelujah!). It’s about the most bizarre and disturbing experience I’ve had…ever, I think. I was picking my kids up from my MIL’s house when they informed me I wasn’t allowed inside yet. They were still preparing my “surprise” party. So I stood outside and held Read more:Crazy
www.upinthenight.com 2008-06-08 17:04:00 Guess what? My blog is all grown up and has a domain name of its very own! You can now get here by typing in www.upinthenight.com. How easy is that? So change your links (or leave them--you'll still be able to get here). Enjoy the rest of your weekend, and thanks for reading!Shauna
Summer Vacation 2008-06-13 09:44:00 I know I’m out of season, but for the last few days “It’s Beginning to Look A Lot like Christmas” has been stuck in my brain. And while it has felt more like winter around here than summer, the truth is the line—“And mom and dad can hardly wait for school to start again”—has become my mantra, my positive affirmation, the theme song for the next two and a half months of my life.Scho Read more:Summer
, Vacation
Worst-Case Scenario Mama 2008-07-08 12:11:00 This week my doctor took me off Google. That’s right. I am no longer allowed to search the internet for ailments and their freakish causes. And I’ll tell you why. First, let me preface this column by acknowledging that I have issues. The truth is, if you’ve read more than two posts, you are acutely aware of this fact and have probably laughed unabashedly at my expense, grateful that the
The Dominant Dumpster-Diving Gene 2008-07-24 20:35:00 I can’t throw an empty can of tomato paste away without my children knowing about it. I can mix my colors and whites, clean the bathroom naked, and drive to swimming lessons in reverse and my kids won’t say a thing. But if I toss a Spiderman-themed candy wrapper in the garbage, I’m going to hear about it. Just last week Leah removed a flower arrangement from the trash. Just plucked it fr Read more:Dominant
, Dumpster
, Diving
When Bad Parenting Happens 2008-07-18 18:24:00 I’m no Super Nanny or Dr. Spock, and not even on a good day am I Brangelina minus the entourage and airbrushing. That knowledge drove me to Professor D’s parenting class about 6 months ago. And not to point fingers or anything, but he was the one who told me I could send my oldest child to his room and lock him in if he chose not to stay there himself. Which is why, 6 months later, I found Read more:Parenting
The Law of Distraction 2008-08-05 12:26:00 I am rich.I am thin.I am fabulous.Those are affirmations intended to make me, well, rich, thin and fabulous. I say them every day. The Law of Attraction tells me my life is a reflection of my thoughts so lately I’ve been thinking very generously. From what I hear the Universe will honor my positive thoughts and return all good things to me. Like this: my children are freakishly well-behaved.Bu
Prayers for a Fellow Blogger 2008-08-28 10:19:00 Some of you may have heard, but a fellow blogger and her husband were in a plane crash and are currently being treated for severe burns. If it's one thing I've learned about blogging it's that it fosters a spectacular community of support. I share this so you too can pray for them. Today Stephanie's family and friends are holding a benefit auction intended to raise money for their recovery cost Read more:Blogger
The Sales Demo that Sucked 2008-08-21 12:12:00 When it comes to door-to-door salespeople, I’m a sucker. I’ve had my windows cleaned by a very ambitious Southern man, bought a magazine subscription from a drunk teenager, and just this week endured a 90-minute vacuum cleaner demonstration. How did I fall for that, you ask? Sit back, relax, and I’ll share. In retrospect I realize that this was not your average salesman. This was a stra Read more:Sales
Celibate in the City 2008-08-15 12:13:00 When I first started dating, MTV really played music videos and Aqua Net was the most sophisticated hair product on the market. A lot has changed since then. To find out if a guy was interested you either passed him a note or sent a girlfriend to ask if he was dating anyone. These days it takes about as much effort to find out if a guy is single as it does to file your taxes. I’ve decided th
Pictures, Pictures 2008-08-13 19:32:00 My children have a few readers sweet on them, and they've asked me to post pictures. And I'll be honest--I have about 15 rolls of film that need developing and a digital camera that doesn't get a lot of attention. But here are the most recent pics of my lovlies:This is just so everyone appreciates how hard it is to get three children looking in the same direction while smiling.More appreciation pl Read more:Pictures
Diving off the Wagon 2008-09-19 20:19:00 Since joining Weight Watchers this April I have lost a total of 45.2 pounds. And while that alone is fabulous, I confess that this past week I fell off the wagon. And by “fell” I mean I was trampled by the wagon and dragged for two blocks with a Fundido in my hand. Here’s how it went down.It’s was a girls night out and we had decided to see a movie. We were hungry but the movie was at Read more:Diving
, Wagon
Children and the Law 2008-09-15 09:41:00 My children have recently become experts in the law. And because I’m fairly certain it’s not part of District 91’s curriculum, I’m not sure where they learned it. The Cartoon Network? My children, who now seem well versed in various statutes that apply to children in the state of Idaho, have become the leading authorities on authority.First they told me I couldn’t leave them alone in t Read more:Children
When You're 6 2008-09-12 11:57:00 You go to school for 6 hours instead of 2 hours and 40 minutes.You lose your first tooth.You cross the monkey bars all by yourself and are undaunted by the resulting palm-blisters.You play the kissing game at recess.You practice ballet in real leather ballet slippers.You don’t like pants with “buckles.”You get upset and you get over it.You share with your brothers.You’re proud of your choi
An Altar to My Blessings 2008-09-10 21:54:00 While neglecting the serious blogger within, I've been getting all metaphysical and stuff. I recently ordered a number of books from Amazon and hunkered down to get enlightened. And dogoneit, if that isn't exactly what happened.My new favorite book is called The Gift of Change by Marianne Williamson. In it she talks about replacing the fear in our lives (and in our world) with love. Not romant Read more:Altar
, Blessings
In My Dreams 2008-09-05 11:28:00 I have a small girl-crush on Sydney Bristow. If you don't know who Sydney is, and shame on you, she is the double agent played by Jennifer Garner on the hit TV series Alias.Recently my friend has gotten me hooked on the show by feeding me, one pirated DVD at a time, action-packed episodes. I didn't watch the show when it originally aired, and shame on me, over 6 years ago. And I thought I was l Read more:Dreams
Bathroom Science 911 2008-08-30 13:30:00 I have discovered another unalterable rule of the universe, and it can be filed alongside the Law of Gravity and E=MC2. I call it Bathroom Science
911.This is how it works. Every time I enter the bathroom for a moment of privacy, my children experience "emergencies." I, like many a parent, have defined emergency to my children as follows: any incident involving blood, loss of consciousness, and
A Day Off 2008-10-02 14:58:00 The kids didn't have school today so we went and got haircuts. On a well-measured whim (is there such a thing?) we cut Leah's hair to her shoulders. What I thought would be so traumatic was no big deal. Here she is in her big-girl haircut.You can "almost" see her missing front tooth. *sigh*Then we went to the dollar store and Zack picked this:I laughed out loud to see how much he loved the fun
Recommend Site To A Friend
