2010 Convertible Life in Review

If you're reading this, please head over to My Convertible Life to keep up with my blog -- I relocated it earlier this year and no longer post at this site. You can subscribe to email or RSS feed from the right column at My Convertible Life.

Given that my last post for 2010 falls on a Friday, I'm giving myself creative license to expand this Friday's 5 to a Friday's 12. Inspired by Adventuroo's year-end list, I bring you my favorite posts from each month in 2010.

These aren't necessarily the posts that garnered the most comments or earned the most page views -- but they're the ones that (for me, at least) capture the year that was.

January: When Your Toddler Poops in the Bath
This first edition of Saturday Strategery contains advice I hope you'll never need. But if you've got a toddler and you ever give said toddler a bath, it's entirely possible that this disaster will happen to you, too.

February: And Baby Turns Two
It's sappy, but what do you expect from a mama whose baby girl turned two? With the second child, it's such a different ride -- and she's such a different personality. Plus you get a peek at how enormously pregnant I was with her.

March: Lessons Learned, But No Easy Answers
This post sums up my views on the political mess our school board made this year. But it also connects today's issues in Wake County to a powerful lesson I learned from my students a decade ago in Charlotte.

April: Singing, Dancing and Learning
Sometimes it's hard to see past my kids' craziness to realize what's really going on in their busy, busy brains. Thankfully, we stuck with Music Together classes long enough for me to get a glimpse. (Check out my attempts to be a Runner, for another favorite.)

May: Time Flies When You're Having Fun
Junius graduated from preschool. And somehow I didn't cry. (For more sappy Junius posts, see the J-Fest 2010 series in July.)

June: Like Mother, Like Daughter
Pippi got her first haircut. It was sassy and she loved it -- and it's not a Dorothy Hamill. (And in case you missed it, my close second-fave post for the month involves a drag queen.)

July: Dating Women Sucks
I wrote a lot in July, partly because of J's birthday -- lots of posts I liked. But I think this one -- where I described how hard it can be to make friends when you're the new mom in town -- was the one I most needed to write.

August: Remodeling: A Cautionary Tale
This post -- modeled after the "If You Give a Mouse a Cookie" books -- still makes me laugh. Of course, it's easier to smile now that most of the heavy construction is done. But more about that in 2011. In the meantime, read this post if you're considering any home renovation projects.

September: Pole Dancing for Dummies
Yes, I actually went to a pole dancing class. No, there are no pictures to prove it. (If you want something more romantic, check out my wedding photo instead.)

October: Honesty Is Hardly Ever Heard
This is probably the toughest post I wrote this year. Thankfully, it has a happy ending.

November: Back Away from the Candy
One of the reasons I like writing this blog is because it helps me remember the funny things my kids do that are so easy to forget. This quick story about Pippi makes me laugh every time.

December: 'Twas Friday Night in Lakemont
I don't often rhyme in blog posts, but I do like to wax poetic about my awesome neighbors. I mean, who else would think to turn leftover pumpkins into a Christmas tree?

Thanks to all of you for reading (and sometimes even commenting) -- I love that you're out there. If I've missed a favorite post of yours, let me know. And I'll be working to make the blog worth your time again in 2011.

Happy New Year!

The Story of the Convertible Girl

Want to know why I changed the blog to My Convertible Life?

Follow the link to find out...

Will You Keep Reading for Another Year?

When I started this blog almost a year ago, I had no idea what I would write about or if anyone (other than my husband and my neighbor) would read it. So I picked a url based on my kids' nicknames, typed in the first title that popped into my head and started posting.

Now, after 161 posts, 400+ comments, about 3,000 page views and 64 subscribers (woo-hoo!), I've decided it's time for a change -- the blog turned out to be about more than my funny kids and I think the title should reflect that. New year, new title, new url, new template -- but still the same me writing the same rambling range of stuff.

I'll explain the new place a little more in a post later this week, but for now I hope you'll join me (and Juni and Pip) over at My Convertible Life -- the blog formerly known as Junius & Pippi Take the Cake. Might take me a little time to work all the kinks out in the new template, so I'll double post at both sites for a bit. In the meantime, if you're willing to sign on for another year of this, please subscribe to the new site or change your reader settings or whatever makes your life easiest.

Thanks for sticking around!

Friday's Five: Year-End List of Posts

I'd hate to miss out on all the year-end lists of bests and worsts, so here are links to the five Juni&Pip posts (not including Friday's Fives, New Music Mondays and recipes) that earned the most clicks on my blog in 2009 (at least according to FeedBurner).

I don't know if they're the posts people liked best, or if they just happened to be the ones that more people read. And they're not necessarily my favorites, although I like all of them. Okay, let's be honest -- I wrote them, so of course I like them. Here they are, in order of most clicked:

1. Donate for Super Dylan: Great kid, great cause. We'll be walking again in May, so get ready to join us.
2. Knock Knock: I mean, really -- who can resist a few non-sequitur jokes from a four-year-old?
3. How Netflix Saved My Marriage: Believe it or not, the title is not much of an exaggeration.
4. You Want a Piece of Me?: The one where I complain about going to doctors and getting old.
5. The Pile: An archeological dig through the mess on top of our bedroom dresser.

But enough about me, let's talk about you. What posts on my blog do YOU like best? And while you're thinking about your favorites, go ahead and click on all five listed here to drive up my stats even more -- it will make me feel so popular. (As there's no "sarcasm" font on blogger, I'll add here that I'm not so delusional self-absorbed that I actually think you have a list my favorite posts -- but I really do feel loved knowing that people are actually reading some of my ramblings.)

Happy reading -- and a very happy New Year to you all!

I Knew Them When

I'm a big believer in being nice to people along the way because you just never know who they're going to turn out to be. Like the neighbor who used to tease me on the bus in 6th grade and pick on me at junior high? We ended up friends in college -- now he's an international celebrity and business mogul, posting Facebook pictures of himself posing with beautiful models and seated next to Will Smith on a recent flight. I get to live vicariously through him (from the safety of my laptop), while enjoying the image of that little 6th-grade kid turned glamorous grown-up.

Another great example is John Bemis -- we were classmates and friends in college, both studying to become teachers. Now, in addition to having a successful career in education, he's also a published author. Head on over to Triangle Mamas to read my post about his new book, The Nine-Pound Hammer. The book is great and makes a nice holiday gift, too.

Why I'm Not Good at Online Dating

The fact that I tried on four different outfits -- even though I was running late and my children were running wild -- suggested I was heading out on a blind date.

In truth, it was something much more frightening. An almost-blind dinner date with eight other women. And not just any women -- blogging women. I felt like an impostor, someone who got invited to a secret meeting by accident. Although I was with a friend and had met two of the other bloggers before, the rest were all new to me.

As I got ready, I fretted about looking too mom-ish, looking like I tried too hard, like I didn't try hard enough. What if they write about me afterward on their blogs? Or what if they don't write about me at all? What if they realize that I'm just over here blabbing random things about whatever is on my mind with no ads or marketing or serious focus? What if I get food stuck in my teeth and then smile all through the meal and no one tells me?

Or what if I just take a deep breath and realize that they're all lovely and interesting people who happen to be moms (like me) who enjoy writing (like me).

Breathe in... Breathe out... In... Out...

And so of course, it was all fine. I enjoyed meeting the other ladies, sharing stories, finding small world connections. I think it's something we'll do again -- and thankfully I won't stress out so much next time. Although I am worried that I've violated some sort of blogging code by being the only one from the dinner to write about it. Was there some sort of what-happens-at-blogger-dinner-stays-at-blogger-dinner pledge that no one told me about?

Ugh. Dating is hard.

I Would Like to Thank the Academy...

I started this blog on a whim and kept going simply because I enjoy it. But truth be told, I also really like knowing that other people are reading it and enjoying it, too.

So imagine my delight when I received this Honest Scrap Award, along with one of the nicest compliments ever, from a fellow blogger and high school classmate (who I probably haven't seen since the ol' GHS days). I don't actually know why it's called the Honest Scrap Award, but these days I'll take the kudos wherever I can get them.

Here's how it works:

1) Say thanks and give a link to the presenter of the award.
Thanks, Dobbygirl! You should all check out her Spry on the Wall blog to learn WAY more about the hottest fashion, coolest hotels and other textile-related gems than you'll ever learn here at Juni&Pip. Plus you might get a glimpse of her sweet red-headed baby as a bonus.

2) Share "10 Honest Things" about myself.
Brace yourselves.

3) Present this award to 7 others whose blogs I find brilliant in content and/or design, or those who have encouraged me. See list at the end of this post.

4) Tell those 7 people they've been awarded HONEST SCRAP and inform them of these guidelines in receiving. Check your latest post for a comment from me, fellow bloggy friends.

Now for the 10 Honest Things:

1. I have never been to a Nascar race. I don't really want to go to one, but feel that it's a gap in my Southern Girl pedigree (which includes eating barbecue and knowing how to dance the shag).
2. I read the funnies every day in the newspaper. I skip "Family Circus," "Wizard of Id," "Hagar the Horrible," "Beetle Bailey," "Curtis" and "B.C." because I just don't think they're funny. Life is too short to waste on bad comics.
   
3. In high school, I totaled my mother's Volvo by accidentally running a red light. It really was an accident and I really was on my way home from volunteering at the homeless shelter. I still think about it every time I drive through that intersection and remember that I'm lucky to be here.
4. My husband has no sense of smell (seriously), so I can fart quietly at home and he never knows it.
5. I find extreme pleasure in peeling the little clear clingy covers off of electronic gadget screens.
6. Before I go to the Harris Teeter at our fancy-schmancy neighborhood shopping center, I feel compelled to put on lipstick. I do not have the same urge when I go to Costco, Food Lion or Kroger.
7. I am not good at walking in high heels, so I don't own them. This makes me sad because I think they're sexy and my husband probably does, too (on me, not him, just to be clear).
8. I had mono when I was 30. And no, I did not get it from kissing. But lost a lot of weight and strangely enjoyed being super thin.
   
9. I love to eat hot dogs and drink Diet Coke at football games. I do not think about what is in either one -- it's better that way.
10. Although I should be old enough to know better, I still get insecure from time to time about whether or not my friends really like me.

TMI? Well, if you need something else to read now, check out these bloggers and newest recipients of the Honest Scrap Award (in no particular order):

• Canape at Don't Take the Repeats - My friend who inspired me to start this blog. I get to live across the street from her (thanks for not moving away!), but you can pretend you do too if you read her fantastic blog.
  
• Abby at My Sweet Babboo - Fellow Triangle Mama blogger and super crafty (in a cool, not-obnoxious way) smart mom. If you're stuck on a rainy day with your kids, you want tips from Abby's blog.
  
• Kristy at Le Petit Blog - I was her babysitter when I was 13. Now she's a grown-up graphic designer offering recipes, decorating tips and pop culture news on her stylish blog. I figure she needs to come redecorate at my house as payback for letting her stay up past bedtime when she was 8.
  
• Stella at So Beautiful and So Ordinary - My long-lost high school friend, delightfully rediscovered on FB, she writes honestly about teaching, parenting and living in San Franciso.
  
• Stephanie at Figments - One of the first bloggers I didn't know in real life who started reading and commenting on my blog (thank you!). Like me, she writes about parenting, work, life, and whatever catches her mind -- good stuff and a lovely design.
  
• Postmark Here - Reading this blog, by a friend from my British-grad-school days (and former L.A. Times reporter), is like getting digital postcards in your blog reader. You'll enjoy the peeks into her travels, whether overseas or just to the corner bar. And her masthead is perfect.
  
• Damon at Little Circostas' Media Grab - Another neighborhood blogger, this is the only blog in my reader written by a dad. He's funny, clever -- and his son is adorable. His wife also has a great blog, but you have to know the secret handshake to get in.
  

Ta-da!

Friday's Five: Musical Kids Books

You've missed me, haven't you? I know you have -- I can hear you calling for me. Or maybe that's my children begging for some attention. Hard to say.

For the past two weeks, while I haven't been blogging, I've been furiously writing my next (paying) project -- one that usually takes about two months, but is on the fast track this year. Between that deadline and some IT difficulties, the blog has been seriously neglected. For what it's worth, I've missed you, too.

My list of topics to post about is quite long, so it might take some time to get caught up and clear my head -- hoping to be back to regular posting next week. In the meantime, here are five good music-related books Junius and I have been enjoying this week:

1. Olivia Forms a Band by Ian Falconer
2. Dooby Dooby Moo by Doreen Cronin and Betsy Lewin
3. Pecorino's First Concert by Alan Madison and AnnaLaura Cantone
   
4. Tap-Dance Fever by Pat Brisson and Nancy Cote
   
5. Ella Elephant Scats Like That by Andy Blackman Hurwitz and Andrew Cunningham
   

My Other Writing Gig

Haven't had much time for blogging this week because I've been busy working on this (released today). It's not nearly as much fun to write, but the pay is better. If you're looking for information about gifted education in the U.S. (or, more specifically, in Guilford County), follow the link.

In the meantime, I've been storing away ideas about all the posts I'm hoping to write now that this project is finished -- funny quotes from my kids, books from my childhood, articles from my year abroad and a soapbox post about public schools.

Hope to get to some of them soon -- my head is getting crowded. Or maybe that's just the allergies that seem to have attacked me today.

Also, in case you were wondering, I have it on good authority that the recent change in barometric pressure is what's making my kids act extra crazy this week. Thank goodness it's not bad parenting.

It's Not American Idol, But You Still Get to Vote

It's a busy week at Juni and Pip's house -- lots to do before we leave on a week's vacation (see photo for a preview of what we'll be doing), so not much time for the ol' blog. I'm hoping to have more time to write at the beach, so look for some new posts next week.

In the meantime, head over to Triangle TRACKS (Tools, Resources and Activities for Carolina Kids) for their Blog Carnival. My post about the Code Brown in Pippi's crib is the second one down -- the top three posts that generate the most discussion (in the form of comments or questions) will be awarded their own promotional box (with a link to the RSS feed) on the Triangle TRACKS home page for two weeks.

There are eight blogs posted, so help me out by leaving a comment -- and then read the other posts and all the interesting info from Triangle TRACKS. Oddly enough, there's another post involving poop. Winners will be announced on Sept. 4.

If you got here from Triangle Tracks, welcome and thanks for reading! And I promise that not all my posts involve my children's fecal incidents -- look around for book and music recommendations, stories about food, and general musings about how life changes.

Did I Mention I'm a Famous Blogger?

Just in case you weren't watching NBC17's "This Week on MyNC" program at 6:30 a.m. on Saturday (or at 9 a.m. or 11:30 p.m. on Sunday), you can go here to see what you missed (click on the 8/15/09 program).

The show includes a television version of 30Threads, which featured... you guessed it, my very famous tree letter post! As a friend's daughter once said, "I am SO celebrity."

Turns out writing "open letters" is this week's blogging trend. The post mentioned after mine is another Triangle Mamas blogger -- go TM!

You can skip ahead to about 15:07 for the blog segment, but you should also watch the whole show to learn about the very cool Backpack Buddies program. And thanks to Ginny for publicly defending my love of trees.

My Most Famous Post

Congratulations to all (seven) of you for reading this blog! You'll be able to say you knew me way back when.

Turns out, I am a totally famous blogger now. Over the weekend, my post on Triangle Mamas got picked up by 30 Threads, a site that highlights Triangle blogs and media.

In case you haven't clicked over to Triangle Mamas in awhile, you should go now and read my open letter to a tree (the post linked as #5 on 30 Threads), as well as posts from other area moms. And I should clarify that I am a) not opposed to trees in general, b) not suggesting they cut down the fully-grown trees that provide a tiny bit of shade at the amphitheater and c) not going to take a preschooler to a show two hours early just to stake out a good spot.

While you read, I'll be sitting at home waiting for all the mommy-blog marketers to start contacting me. Just hope it's someone other than tree removal and landscaping services.

Loose ends

A few updates on some older posts, for those of you who are keeping track...

1. We didn't get picked to be on TLC's Home Made Simple. Although the producer supposedly thought we were "hilarious," apparently we just weren't TV material. Thankfully, my husband hasn't noticed that I have yet to learn how to make duck for dinner. Go here to read about one of the local families that will be on the show.
   
   
2. The babysitting co-op rocks. I've had two friends over to sit for my kids, and I've gone to two other houses to sit for their kids. Loving care and proper supervision were involved, and everyone had a more fiscally-responsible night out. That said, we still love our "original" babysitters -- both the one who is getting married and the one who moved away for grad school (you know who you are).
   
   
3. The pile is gone, thanks to a complete clearing out of all loose items upstairs in preparation for the new carpet that was installed last month. Of course, the living and dining rooms (where we relocated everything) are a total disaster area -- but the upstairs looks lovely. Will see how long that can last.
   
   
4. The Super Dylan Team raised more than $10,000 to support research for a cure for Cystic Fibrosis. We surpassed our fundraising goal, but it's not too late to give, if you're interested.
   
   
5. I got 10 comments posted on my shameless solicitation for feedback -- the most comments of any post so far (thank you!!). Also, my unintentionally-possibly-racist-but-not-and-still-think-it's-funny joke does not appear to have offended anyone enough to make them leave a nasty note.

I think that wraps up most of it for now. Thanks for reading -- I'm really have fun doing the writing, but it's even better when I know you're out there enjoying it.

Come to my window

I promise I'm not stalking Mrs. Chicken, but she has another interesting post on her blog this week about the fascination of being a voyeur. I'll let you read her post because it's better than reading my paraphrase of her post, but I saw myself in her story about the "allure of... glimpses of someone else’s ordinary evening." Nothing creepy, but I still find it fascinating to see in the windows, whether literal or virtual. Probably part of why I like the movie Rear Window so much -- I get the fun of inventing a story around that tiny glimpse.

Okay, go ahead. Read it -- I'll wait. Seriously -- you don't really need another link, do you?

So here's my "window" -- the photo of me when I was reading her post yesterday. No make-up, bed-head, still sweaty from the morning's walk pushing 75 pounds of children and stroller around our hilly neighborhood. I'm in what my husband calls "Command Central" -- it's the corner of my kitchen counter where my laptop sits most of the time. While my children are napping, I catch up on email, read blogs, check Facebook and prep for dinner. It's not glamorous, but it's me -- and most days, I'm happy with that.

But if you happened to walk by my house later on last night (and one of my friends was doing just that), this second picture is what you saw... not through our window, but outside at the curb. It's Junius and his Daddy watching for lightning bugs.

This sweet scene started when my husband heard Junius walking around upstairs after he should have been asleep. When he found Juni awake, he suggested a trip to the potty might help. Junius looked out the bathroom window into the almost-darkness and said, "Da -- look at that! What's that little light that keeps blinking? Look -- there it is again!"

And so the boy with the early bedtime got his first trip outside on a summer night to catch fireflies with his wonderful father. His eyes wide with excitement, his voice hushed in the dark, Juni went out and hopped around the yard with us as we tried to show him what a lightning bug looks like up close.

Before we went back inside to bed, he turned and said in his most earnest little voice, "Thank you, Da. Thank you for taking me outside to see the fireflies."

If you like, show me your window now... what would I see as you read this post?

Giveaway at Triangle Mamas

Although I'm not really cool enough to have interesting giveaways on my blog, it turns out that I'm writing for another blog that is totally cool enough.

Head on over to Triangle Mamas, where you can register to win Animal Planet's Emergency Vets, a new game for the Nintendo DS that lets children play as a veterinarian in 15 vet mini-games. They can care for 30 different animal species cleaning teeth, grooming them, and even examining x-rays to diagnose problems. And best of all, you don't actually have to let 30 animals in your house in order for them to practice their vet skills.

And while you're there, you can read a few posts by me and some great local bloggers about non-giveaway topics.

Entries will be accepted until 11:00 p.m. on July 16, 2009.

Hello? Anyone out there?

My neighbor got me reading a blog called Chicken & Cheese (among others) because she knew I had WAY too much free time on my hands and needed more good things to read. So in yesterday's post, Mrs. Chicken asked people to leave comments on her post with jokes, rants, whatever, just to see how many comments she could get.

Until I started writing this blog, I never understood how much bloggers liked comments. Turns out, it's really cool to have people comment (in writing) about what I wrote and makes the whole process much more interesting. (Many thanks to those of you who faithfully comment -- am trying to do the same for you.)

So here's the deal. I'm going to share with you the MOST hilarious joke I read in the comments (thanks to Karen Sugarpants) on Chicken & Cheese. Then you write back with a comment of your own -- can be a joke, funny story, soapbox issue, pet peeve, whatever. Then I will know you're out there and will feel loved and appreciated.

Here's the joke:

A woman gets on a bus with her baby. The bus driver says: “That’s the ugliest baby that I’ve ever seen. Ugh!”

The woman goes to the rear of the bus and sits down, fuming. She says to a man next to her: “The driver just insulted me!”

The man says: “You go right up there and tell him off – go ahead, I’ll hold your monkey for you.”

Hah! You're welcome. Now it's your turn!

Ultimate Blog Party 2009

I started blogging because it seemed like the thing to do. And because I was inspired by my cool neighbor across the street, who is a great writer and friend.

But I'm discovering this whole entire world (apparently called the "blogosphere"?) that I didn't know existed. I mean, I knew people were writing blogs -- but I think I assumed it was mostly political junkies and sports fanatics and moms posting goofy pictures of their kids. Had no idea it was full of witty, clever, talented women writing about life and politics and motherhood and families and food and fashion and husbands and whatever else we might think of.

And now, here I am, joining in on the "Ultimate Blog Party" through 5 Minutes for Mom. I'm supposed to introduce myself, so here goes...

I'm a working-from-home-mom of two -- my son (called Junius here) is 3 1/2 and my daughter (called Pippi) just turned 1. Living in North Carolina with my husband -- we're just about the only two people who grew up Catholic in N.C. in the 70's who are still Catholic and living back in N.C., so it's lucky we found each other (although we're both pretty frustrated with the captial "C" Church these days). I'm a Tar Heel born (almost), bred and graduated twice, so these days we're watching a lot of basketball.

A "retired" high school English teacher, I've worked in public education advocacy and now do research consulting work for education organizations. Which is probably why blogging seemed like a good idea -- a chance to write something from my heart and head instead of from test and tracking data.

For the Blog Party, they're giving away lots of cool prizes... I'm hoping for the ergo baby carrier (#7 -- I found it to be the best way to wear a baby), a $50 gift certificate to Target (#19 -- who can't spend $50 at Target?!) or a $25 certificate to Shutterfly (#99 -- because I don't have any kind of baby book or photo album for my 1-year-old. oops.).

If anyone has actually wandered over from the UBP, welcome and thanks for reading! Hope that I can keep you entertained for a bit.

More Time Online

Today felt like a good day to start a blog. Seems like everyone is doing it. And between email and work and Facebook and the family website, I'm sure I don't spend nearly enough time on the computer.

So here goes. Not sure what I'll write or who will want to read it or even if that matters. Just thought maybe I'd make a space to settle my brain.