A Mom's Life

When I was a kid my brother liked to call me Superstar after Molly Shannon's character Mary Katherine Gallagher on SNL. In case you weren't a 90's teen like I was, here's a clip of the skit-turned-movie from 1999: http://tinyurl.com/pxyqds8. So, what exactly was it about me that reminded my bro of this particularly memorable (and by the way, the web tells me one of the top 10 all time best of SNL) character? Was it her Catholic upbringing? Her inability to land a date? Her mood swings or general clumsiness? Perhaps it was her incessant talking and social awkwardness? Or was it her desire to be one of the cool kids? Ah yes, and her self-proclaimed title, Superstar!? Before you start thinking my brother was a total jerk, let's keep in mind, I was his little sister and what little sister isn't the thorn in an older sibling's side? It's likely that I had a little of each of my MKG's characteristics, yet my guess is that the one that stuck out to him m...

We managed to keep ourselves away from the stores on black Friday. Mostly because I tied Andy to a chair with duct tape and turned off our wireless. Despite the success in giving thanks for non-retail items on Thanksgiving Day itself, the allure of the sales, and the need for a place to park our butts in the living room, led us to go shopping that weekend. Anyone who braves stores during this time of year knows that you must be armed and prepared. You must have a plan of attack. You should have already had several cups of coffee, bring bottled water, wear comfortable shoes, and figure out where to park so you can run in and not be cold because you left your bulky coat in the car. You should bring your shopping list and stick to your budget. Buy yourself something, just because. Oh, and bring your patience because the crazies are out. Shopping for the holidays, especially at the big box stores, means wall-to-wall people. People who are tired, stressed, hungry, rushed, etc. It's ...