February 07, 2011

next time, i'll make an appointment

February 07, 2011/ molly balint

Tomorrow morning at "oh-dark-thirty", I will be embarking on a little journey that will take me 2,457 miles from home. I'll be heading to the other coast, hoping to see the other ocean, sleeping in a bed all by myself, not answering the late night baby-cry. And chances are, I'll miss all of it.

But, I will be gathering with friends I have never met, and look forward to seeing face to face.

So for this mama, a trip like this required a little freshening up of the old wardrobe, thanks to a very fun shopping trip/Christmas gift with my mother.

And it also required a hair cut. A long overdue hair cut.

And being the oh-so-last-minute kind of person that I tend to be sometimes, I failed to schedule a haircut with my regular girl. It left me at the mercy of a walk-in joint yesterday afternoon.

As she was washing my hair:

Her: So will you be going to a Super Bowl party tonight?

Me: No....we had friends over last night.... I have a baby who goes to bed pretty early, we'll just stay home and have our own little party, etc. etc.

Her: Me, too. I'm staying home. I'm still recovering from partying last night. That was about the craziest partying I've done in a long time. So crazy that I came home with a heart tattooed on my butt and I don't even remember it.

Me: (speechless. trying to remain polite. wondering what makes her think this would be a good idea to share with me. wondering if i should feel flattered that she thinks i'm young-enough-looking to share these kinds of stories with.)

Her: (leans over me to wash my hair and I notice the unmistakeable reeking of alcohol on her breath, and dripping from her pores)

Later.....

Her: (more generic questions about my life)

Me: (tell her at one point that I have four children.)

Her: Will you be partying tonight for the super bowl?

Me: (I thought we covered this already.) No, we'll be staying home.

Her : Is your man going to be cooking?

Me: (speechless, again.)

Her: Who do you want to win the Super Bowl?

Me: We're Steelers fans. My husband grew up in Pittsburgh. But we used to live in Wisconsin for a few years. They love the Packers.

Her: Oh. Is that where Green Bay people are from? I don't follow football.

Me: (speechless, again.) Yes. Green Bay is in Wisconsin.

Later....her final question to me before starting up the hair dryer

Her: So, you gonna be drinking tonight?

Me: *sigh* No. We'll be staying home. (though after this experience, I might have to.)

Miraculously, I managed to get out of there with an average haircut. Let's hope it looks okay from the back too.

So today will be list-making, and laundry, and packing, and also soaking in these girls just a bit longer before I sneak off in the dark, tomorrow morning.

October 20, 2010

staycation

October 20, 2010/ molly balint

Just popping in to say hello.

This week, we are on a little "staycation". Dan took the week off from work and we've been puttering around as a family, making little low-budget, half-day trips and outings here and there.

On Monday, Dan took the two older girls on a huge hike. While he was gone, I noticed that he'd left the trail map up on the computer and it was marked "moderate to difficult". When they didn't arrive home until just before dinner, I was beginning to wonder. Turns out, they got just a wee bit lost while on the trails, but had such a good time. And the girls were amazing troopers.

They collected trail maps at the end of their hike and have been coloring and marking and plotting their hike and the ones they plan to take in the future.

Today, we took the girls on their inaugural trip to the bowling alley. We would have been done in half the time if it weren't for the amount of time it takes for a very small person's ball to inch its way done a bowling lane. Elizabeth even managed to have her ball stop halfway down the alley.

Tomorrow we'll ride a train. Friday, when the weather improves, they'll canoe. And Birdy and I will man the canoe pick-up and drop-off taxi.

And Friday night there are rumors of a bonfire and campout in the back field.

Not a bad way to spend a 'cation.

June 30, 2010

their summer list

June 30, 2010/ molly balint

play putt-putt golf

climb to the waterfall at Rocks

make wooden animals with the jigsaw

have lunch with daddy at work

pick blueberries at andy's

make an art project with emily

have a picnic at a park

go to a concert

go to the Walters or the BMA

make a trip to Good's

pajama swims every night

go to the zoo

hike in the big woods

visit oregon ridge

climb a steep mountain

collect leaves and make a field guide to enter in the fair

paint wooden dolls

visit the McDougals

sleep out in the yard

paint rocks

eat a fluffernutter

go out for ice cream

make friendship bracelets

make a BOOK

March 21, 2010

rock star chickens

March 21, 2010/ molly balint

Today was a busy day on Thomas Run. It started with the gathering of all barn cats for a "field trip" to a local clinic for spaying and neutering. It is a grant project put on by the county and I am so thankful for it. There were some good people working behind the scenes.

The only tough part is that the cats come home fairly quickly. One was still asleep, the others still too out of it to come out of their travel kennels. I have a regular hospital ward out on my mud room.

While the cats were "tripping" Dan and I took the girls to the Susquehanna Poultry Show which was put on at our local fairgrounds. The girls were pretty jazzed up about it, especially because we threw a chicken crate in the back of the car, "just in case".

There was even a spiral notebook being passed around between them--a list of potential names for whatever manner of poultry might "accidentally" come home with us.

But we came home empty-handed (this very pregnant mother says, 'phew!'). The only few chickens for sale were very fancy and pretty impractical for our situation.

But we did see some rock-star chickens...

Seriously, they spent the whole time flipping the feathers out of their faces, if there even IS a face in there.

And some chickens that looked more like soft bunny rabbits...

And some beautiful geese with deep throaty honks...

And then of course, we eventually made our way home and not everyone was happy about it...

And while Dan ran in the garden store for grass seed, I entertained three grumpy, hungry girls with an in-car photo shoot....

And then, appropriately, we came home and ate egg sandwiches...

November 10, 2009

more local love

November 10, 2009/ molly balint

The smARTS Week, that I wrote about yesterday culminates in an Arts Festival held at the school over the weekend. It is a juried art show and sale that displays the work of some amazing local artists.

I always love to go because their work is so inspiring and there are so many amazingly talented artists and ideas, from every genre of craft and every walk of life.

I told myself this year, that I was going to do some Christmas shopping while I was there. I came home with nothing. Well, nothing for Christmas....but a few small things for me. I'm horrible, I know.

The bracelet and bobby pin were from Allison Fomich--who had the coolest stand. I pretty much loved everything she was making. (I could have done a lot of Christmas shopping there, had I not been so selfish.) But you know, the bracelet--those are SO my colors. And I wear a bobby pin in my hair every.single.day. I think I deserve to have a cute one, don't you?

Thankfully, Allison is online and I'm pretty sure I'll be hitting up her etsy shop or sending her an email once I get serious about Christmas gifts.

The ring is from a funky little stand that I also fell in love with. It was hard to pick just one, and who can resist a fun little ring that's cute enough to eat.

As I walked around the art show, I picked up cards here and there of a few of my favorite crafters and I thought I'd share their etsy shops here, for you to explore and enjoy.Though I have to say, seeing their work in person, and meeting the artists face to face is so much better than any online website or shop.

Alison Fomich (the bracelet and bobby pin) : Tigerlilly Shop : Alison's blog

Poppi (the ring) : Poppi Shop

Dana Marie Hosler : her shop : her website

Shelly Daly : A Stone's Throw : her shop

Backlog Pottery : website (also home of Trashy Women)

Heidi Hammel, Reclaimed Creations : website

many of the crafters at the show belong to Baltimore Craft : website : on twitter