Exercise | BulgingButtons

November 19, 2013
by BulgingButtons 8 Comments

Ten Things You Didn’t Know About My Mother

In keeping with the ten things theme, here are a few interesting (to me anyway) bits of information about my mother.

1. Her first job was at Sears folding underwear. To this day she doesn’t shop at Sears. I think she holds a grudge.

2. Her parents, hardworking immigrants, gave her a car at age sixteen.

3. My mother took care of my father’s medical practice’s business side from home. She also filled in at the office when needed. She even had a cute white uniform for the job.

4. My mother used to be a sun worshipper. Did I mention that my dad was a dermatologist?

5. My mother used to be late for everything. I was always the last kid to be picked up from things. Now she’s habitually early. Weird.

6. My mother enjoys taking her 5 grandchildren out to lunch. I think it’s because she steals their french fries.

7. My mother’s favorite mug features a photo of my son and my niece when they were quite small. She drinks hot water from it. I’m not kidding.

8. My mother LOVES Zumba.

9. My mother has always had the most beautiful gardens, beginning when she was a young bride with a tiny yard.

10. My mother refused to give up on my father in the last years of his life, when he was terribly sick. She hired around the clock help, put a hospital bed in the family room, and wouldn’t hear a word about placing him in a nursing home. “He took care of me my whole life, now I’m taking care of him,” she would tell people. I never realized how strong she was until then.

November 16, 2013
by BulgingButtons 12 Comments

Daily Prompt: FAQ

For today’s interview, we will be talking to Lila, the adorable nearly four year old labrador retriever – shar pei mix. Lila has agreed to this exclusive interview so that her adoring fans (all six of you) can get to know her better.

BB: Lila, thanks for sitting down with me today.

Lila (tilting head): Did you say sit? Or down? Because I heard both. Which do you want me to do? I can do both, you know.

BB: Yes, Lila, I know. How about down?

Lila (laying down, tail thumping): See? I did it. I’m a good dog.

BB: You’re a very good dog, Lila. Let’s talk about your past a little bit. Do you remember when you were a little puppy?

Lila: Oh yes. I had lots of puppy brothers and sisters. They were all warm and wriggly and squirmy and squeaky. I loved that. And we all had a momma and she was big and warm and she had food for us. Ah, it was a good time in my life.

BB: So you were a happy little puppy?

Lila: Of course. All puppies are happy.

BB: But when I met you, things had changed.

Lila: I remember that day. You and the boy came to see me and you took me in the play yard and I showed you how pretty I am from every side.

BB: Yes, you did. You were very pretty that day.

Lila: Am I still pretty?

BB: You’re the prettiest girl in the world.

Lila (tail thumping furiously): I love you.

BB: I love you too, Lila. Do you remember what happened before you met us, while you were waiting for us to find you and bring you home?

Lila (sad, downcast eyes): Yes. I was taken away from my brothers and sisters and my momma. I don’t remember too much after that, but somehow I ended up in a giant room with lots of kennels full of frightened dogs barking all the time. It was ugly and noisy and terrifying. I was so scared there I didn’t know what to do. Someone came by and said I had to go on a special list called an E-list. I didn’t like the way they said it.

BB: You were right to be scared, Lila. An E-list is not a good place for a puppy to be. But someone came and got you off that E-list. Someone from an animal welfare group. They knew you would grow up to be a wonderful pet someday.

Lila (happier): Yes. I got to ride in a truck from that scary place to a smaller place that still had lots of dogs, but there were lots of people there to help out and play yards to run in and it wasn’t as noisy or scary. But I was still alone in my kennel most of the time. Until my first family came. They took me home and I was so happy, at first.

BB: Then what happened?

Lila: I don’t know exactly, but it didn’t work out. They took me back to the place with the play yards and they said good bye. They said I just wasn’t working out for them. I was sad to see them go. I like people.

BB: I know you do. You’re a good girl. Then you met us, remember?

Lila: Yes, I remember. I didn’t want to scare the boy because I could tell he was a little nervous around me, so I played it cool, remember? I didn’t jump or bark or nip or anything. (wags tail furiously)

BB: You played it cool all right, until you got in the car to go home with us and peed on the seat, then started barking.

Lila (eyes slightly downcast): I was a little excited. (single, hopeful tail wag)

BB: It’s okay, Lila. You’re a good girl. (insane tail wag)

Lila: You didn’t say that at first.

BB: You were crazy at first. You were eight months old and you were naughty, naughty, naughty. But you worked hard at puppy school every week, and you went for long walks with me and the boy, and we went to the dog park a lot to help you get some of your energy out. We got a lot of exercise in that first year together. Remember that?

Lila: Yes! I love walks. Can we go on a walk? I’m ready. Just put on my leash. LET’S GO! (wag, wag, wag, jump up, circle, wag some more).

BB: Ok, Lila, let’s go.

Today’s WordPress Daily Prompt: Interview someone — a friend, another blogger, your mother, the mailman — and write a post based on their responses.

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November 14, 2013
by BulgingButtons 7 Comments

To Follow Stats or To Ignore Them?

In education there is a huge trend toward examining data. Test scores are valued so highly that we have meetings to discuss them virtually every week. At times it’s overwhelming, and frankly, something of the spirit of the child gets a bit lost in these discussions.

I won’t get all soap box on you, but my point is, the data isn’t the whole picture. That being said, it does have value. I just think a balanced approach is probably best.

The balanced approach is usually best, in my opinion. All or nothing rarely works out well, in my experience, especially when it comes to diet and exercise (this is where I get into trouble, but this isn’t THAT kind of post). Moderation is key. You know, balance?

That’s why I more or less ignore the debate amongst bloggers about statistics. Some live and breathe them, others say ignore them completely. I’m in the middle camp (is there a camp in the middle?). I enjoy taking a peek at them, and I get a not so secret thrill when I see lots of activity on the blog. But do I obsessively examine them for trends? Do I throw in random asides to generate more traffic? Do I cross post all over the internet? No. I do not. I don’t have the time or the desire to do those things. If you do, I have no problem with you, it’s just not my thing.

Still, I was thrilled to see this number. Two hundred. It stands for two hundred follows. I feel like I’ve been waiting for a while to see it. I set a goal, visualized it, and it happened. How cool is that? So even though I know some of those follows are from people trying to pad their own numbers, I’m okay with it, because I know there are loyal readers, and many of you slog through each post and take the time to offer feedback. That’s what I find so rewarding about blogging, and for that, I thank you.