girl at large

I like to write about life when you have a job, some kids, a fixer upper and a fatal disease.

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  • The Adventure Begins

    We are picking up the Trailer this weekend. We travel from Milwaukee to Fond du Lac to pick up Dad’s truck on Friday night. Then, first thing Saturday we head out to LaCrosse to pick it up. Learn as much as we can from the sellers, hitch it up, cross our fingers and hit the road! All the way then to Bailey’s Harbor in Door County. The total miles is in the 800 range. The number one item on Paul’s list of things to bring is a Fire Extinguisher. I’m 7 1/2 months pregnant. It’s averaging 98 degrees outside. The trailer is 48 years old.

    We have three simple goals:
    -Return Dad’s truck in one piece
    -Get the trailer to the camp site
    -Stay married


    The Adventure Begins

  • Family Fibs

    I'm looking forward to continuing my mother's colorful use of fiction combined with fear in child-rearing. Examples include "The Magic Pet Fairy" that took household pets to better homes, usually while we were away at camp. How did Mom always know what we were up to? "A little birdie told me". We tried for years to find (and eliminate) that damn bird. And that dead deer along the side of the road? "That's what happens when Bambi talks back!"

    Paul and I are developing our own:

    -No Unicorn paraphenalia allowed–Unicorns were Nazi war horses.
    -Disney World doesn't really exist, it was sold to the military years ago.
    -Wisconsin Dells is for Native Americans only, we can't get in.
    -You are allergic to carbination.
    -The vet said pets smaller than 10 lbs only have a expected life span of 6 months.
    -When the ice cream truck music plays, that means they are OUT of ice cream.
    -The floor leaks toxic vapors that disintegrate toys left there for too long.

  • Living with a Rossetto

    There are some things you must overlook when living with a handy Rossetto man. Like this contraption.. There is another fan at the other end of the laundry chute. I have to admit, it does work–the house is cool and comfortable.
    Of course, we also have central air.


    Living with a Rossetto

  • Baby’s First Vehicle

    Photo 1 Photo 2 (1)

    The first is the vehicle Paulie wanted to buy this weekend, the second is the one he needed to! He's still going to speed, I know it. Vroom Vroom

  • Pride of Place

    I’m nervous about having Paul’s parents over for dinner. The house isn’t ready for company yet. The kitchen cabinets are only half done, there are paint swatches on every wall, we have ants, the garden is full of thistles, the basement is a disaster zone and everything needs another move-in deep clean. This is more house (1500 sq ft!) than I’ve ever cleaned or fixed up before. I’m not convinced bigger is better–too much work!

    The first time I attended a casual family BBQ at The Rossettos, Paul’s mom got down on her hands and knees (after changing into cleaning clothes) and hand scrubbed the gleaming white kitchen/dining room tile floor. The party was in the yard and garage, she had placed protective rugs over the floor, and protective bed sheets over the rugs. Not a “sole” had crossed that floor. And yet she cleaned it again.

    I cannot have them over.

    Paul reassurred me that our house was up to snuff, then paused as he watched an ant meander up the wall…”My dad washes his curbside garbage cans inside and out every week. Yeah, they can never come over here”.

  • “Birthing Center” –Yeah, Right.

    Things that freaked out me during the tour of the "birthing center" at the hospital:

    -You can't walk down the hall with baby in your arms, it must be in the hamburger-warmer-cart-crib at all times in the hallways.

    -"No one really ever uses" the water tub so it's not a problem to only have one.

    -Three different staff members proudly touted the brand new state of the art bar code baby security system so I don't have to worry that someone will "steal my baby". They actually said "steal your baby" three times.

    -The new security system will probably go off if you stand too close to the windows. Natural daylight is out!

    -They bragged about having 2 cesarean rooms. Cesareans are operations, the hospital has 10+ operating rooms. 

    -We got 10 minutes of step by step instructions on how to use the digital baby photo booth (again, baby can only be in the hamburger warmer cart). Zero minutes on pain management techiques offered.

    -You are transferred from your delivery room to a postpardum room an hour after delivery. An hour. That first precious hour is interrupted with a room change. I don't think even the Ramada would do that.

    -The only thing they directed towards Paul, the only eye contact even made with  him (my birth partner, my husband and the freakin' father!) was to address how and where to park upon arrival. 

  • Pink Overload

    I wandered down the kids toys aisles at Target the other day when baby shower registering (registering against my will–that's another story!) and was floored by the blatantly sexist coloring and design! One side pink, one side blue.

    I don't get it, I remember toys when we were kids being colored like the items they were imitating or in neutral brights—the grocery store play set was colored like a grocery store (if a somewhat garish one). The play kitchen was primary colors. Not all pink. And when did erector sets only have a boy on the package? And when did legos become boys only too? And why does a car for girls have to be pink for a girl to like it?
    And the vacuum is in the girls aisle only?

    How did we slide so far backwards? I'm not usually the type to make a stink about these things (we need bigger problems) but jeez!!!! I'm disgusted.

    Dare I even walk into Babies/Toys R Us or will my head explode?

  • Just Call Her Vinny.

    Baby face hands


    "Mom, it's spelled V-I-V-I-E-N-N-E. Vivienne."

    "Vivine?"

    "No, Vivienne. Think of the French spelling".

    "Vivenne?"

    "No, Vivienne. V-i-v-i, then e-n-n-e".

    "Oh, just email it to me".

     

  • Who Knew

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    One year ago tonight, Paul and I had our first date. The weather was overcast with a chance of rain that night as we both walked from opposite corners to the restaurant door:

    Paul: "God, I hope she doesn't think I'm a wuss because I brought an umbrella".

    Me: "God, he brought an umbrellla–what a wuss."

  • Dear FIAT,

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    I am so disappointed in the new Abarth ad featuring Charlie Sheen. It makes the Abarth look like a wealthy mega-consumers personal indoor golf cart. Charlie Sheen is an ill person suffering from drug and alchohol addiction who has mistreated his family, fans and coworkers. He is NOT a good representative of Fiat. I own a 500, and adore it. I was thrilled to see the Abarth at the LA auto show and was seriously considering purchasing one this spring. I am not sure any more. Please get the message right for both the 500 and Abarth—-its a car worth much more than the shallow celebrity endorsing, pandering, low bar advertising we've seen so far. Its a passionate, head-turning, Italian design icon thats a kick in the pants to drive! Tell that story!! Thank you, Kate Mikkelsen