jennifer patel

We're getting closet makeovers. Where in the world is Ennis del Mar?

T-ball season got off to a very rainy start. The city we are playing through decided to put their main playing fields near a body of water that floods very easily. Even on sunny days, they cancelled games because the fields were too muddy. When I asked the other veteran moms if this has happened in the past, they said it did and that make-up games went well into June (our last game was supposed to be June 2). You would think the city would have an alternate plan or other fields to utilize in their huge city, but I guess not. It's like every winter when it ices (minus this last one) and they do a big news story about the shortage of salt and sand. We are finally finished though. We had a very losing season (I think they only won one game...by one point), but every boy, including mine, were much better at the end than when they started. And that's the important part, right? Probably. I only got benched once by coach and that was because Alex hit the ball in his first gam...

Those suits have held up. #2T4Life Alex got stung by a jellyfish this year. As I sat under an umbrella reading with V, I looked up to comment on my constant amazement with how much Alex loves the beach. I then jinxed Alex by saying, "A jellyfish sting would really ruin his outlook, wouldn't it?" Not even an hour after I said it, I walked out to the water to tell him I was going up to the house and he turned to walk closer to me so he could hear and then started screaming and crying. I knew what happened immediately. They must have just been out because my aunt, her brother, and my cousin also got stung that evening. Alex swore off the water forever as we were walking back up to the house. It only looked like this that night...it was much much better the next day and gone by the time we left. The next day, that lasted 10 minutes before he was back in the water. Whew!

As much as I've started reading more news, somehow I completely missed the Target bathroom policy story. Maybe I've gotten better at reading things that actually interest me? Or avoiding things that force me to read or listen to the banal minutiae of people with a little too much time to kill? (I throw myself in this group.) I'm so cool. Anyway, this story is not about me. Actually, it is about me. Me...surviving. After learning of Target's new bathroom policy that "welcomes" people to their restrooms and fitting rooms in correspondence with their gender affiliation, I was shocked. Really shocked. Who is Target kidding?! Nothing about their restroom has ever been welcoming. I make a point to try and never use their facilities because I have yet to find one that is clean, or doesn't induce immediate nausea upon entering. Hate to tell you Target, but while your new policy sounded great in your mind, I can guarantee you that no transgender pers...

When I picked up A from school yesterday, he had two Band-Aids on his leg. Since children often want Band-Aids when they don't really need them and lately he has been coming home sporting many Band-Aids only to reveal no more than a scratch, I didn't think anything of it. After school, we had a play date and he tripped on cement and took the top layer of skin off of his elbow. There was actual blood and a need for Band-Aids. At bath time, while he was sitting on the toilet (such a special bonding time), he was dramatically pointing out all of his scrapes and scars. I ripped off his leg Band-Aids and, as predicted, could see nothing there. I don't know who I turned into, other than the most insensitive mother ever, but I was like, "Alex, everyone needs some scars. They tell a story and make us tough." I think I then went on to tell him that if he never had any scrapes or cuts and stayed soft, people would assume he was some kind of prince who spent his entire li...

Apparently, you can train your mind to have lucid dreams. I wish I were divergent so that I could just have lucid dreams instead of having to train for them. this isn't real... This post doesn't really deal with lucid dreaming so much as daydreaming...so much as revenge daydreaming. The road I drive to pick up Alex from school has a feeder road that yields to it and the main road I drive shares a lane with the people who would be merging. As you can imagine there is very little to no merging that happens at this point. I know this to be a truth and always make sure I have room to get over to the left when the yielding road speeds into my lane. I never honk, or yell, or speed around them. There's usually just a sarcastic comment made in my mind and a triumphant validation that I am better than that person. Until Friday. The holiest Friday of the entire year when my thoughts are supposed to be on passion for Jesus and fasting and abstinence... I was following a...

April 4 is rapidly approaching! so exciting, right? I have mentioned, casually, to Alex several times that I would support his decision to pursue Major League Baseball. He has reinforced to me many times that athletics might not be his bag, baby. This is our first year of tee-ball and playing organized sports. By fate of the jedi, we are on the Rangers. It will be easy to find things to wear to his games. Our team was the last team formed...even late. All of us late registered. That describes to you the parental level of withitness happening. After a couple of practices I can only explain it as watching 2 grown men (coach Bobby and coach Pop Pop) herding cats...crazy, ADD cats that could care less what you're saying. They're working so hard on trying to teach the team the basics: Watch the ball! Touch the base with your foot! Run through the base! Pay attention! Watch the ball! Watch the ball! Watch the ball! Pay attention! But guess who cares? No...

Already taking nothing seriously... Obviously as a parent, it is a good idea to spend time with your children. But what happens when you realize your child is becoming you and you have no ideas on how to reverse it from happening? Because after all, as a parent you also want your children to be better than you some day. In my case, way better... Ways Alex is becoming as annoying and unbalanced as me: 1.) Alex pointing and saying, "Uh oh" in his bathroom. "What?! I ask with growing inner concern. I follow his finger and he's pointing to this: "What about it?" my voice beginning to take on a more defensive and cautionary tone... "The clothes need to be washed," he says matter-of-factly. He has also said this to both grandmas when they have been over to babysit. 2.) Dad comes out of the bathroom and Alex asks, "Did you wash your hands?" Dad says yes. Alex replies, "I not think so..." 3.) Listening to Al...

Alex is a breakfast guy. He eats a huge breakfast every morning including cereal, an egg, a pancake or waffle, a glass of  SuperFood chocolate milk (Gag!), and, of recent, a small fruit smoothie. He doesn't really eat much the rest of the day, so I'm okay with all of this. As a mom who is always  sometimes looking for ways to live healthier, I wanted to make my own pancakes and freeze them instead of buying them boxed. I admit it's not a huge improvement and mostly a selfish endeavor to find a good pancake recipe. I turned to my Mormon wives who have rarely led me astray. They have a recipe for buttermilk pancakes  that turned out to be fantastic! Putting the batter together is kind of an involved process and dirtied a lot of dishes, but it made almost 20 large pancakes...and that was with me spilling batter all over the place. Since V was working late, it was just me...making pancakes at 9:30 PM and watching the Republican Debate (Project Runway was over). I...

V says that you can almost see Ranger's ears on his plant (left). Even though I love cold weather and really missed it this year, the early spring days are nothing to complain about. We are in plant/garden mode again, determined that no plant gets left behind (dies). The two plants in my windowsill are Ranger and Dad (Ranger on the left, Dad on the right). Each plant was given to us at their time of death and we have managed to keep them alive for many years now...ironically, Ranger ate my Dad's plant down to the stems one time. I'm not sure if V's peach tree got enough "chill hours" this year, but the blossoms are beautiful. The nursery we go to has on-site, certified Texas Nursery Professionals and garden coaches. They will make you believe that you can keep anything alive. I set a goal to diversify my portfolios planters this year instead of planting just one thing. I went with herbs because they love sun and grow like weeds. I also saw, all o...