<?xml version='1.0' encoding='UTF-8'?><rss xmlns:atom='http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom' xmlns:openSearch='http://a9.com/-/spec/opensearchrss/1.0/' version='2.0'><channel><atom:id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17347698</atom:id><lastBuildDate>Tue, 05 Feb 2008 23:08:40 +0000</lastBuildDate><title>*girlmonkey: Surviving Parenthood While Facing my 40s</title><description/><link>http://www.girlmonkey.com/</link><managingEditor>girlmonkey</managingEditor><generator>Blogger</generator><openSearch:totalResults>166</openSearch:totalResults><openSearch:startIndex>1</openSearch:startIndex><openSearch:itemsPerPage>25</openSearch:itemsPerPage><item><guid isPermaLink='false'>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17347698.post-7949026399666167983</guid><pubDate>Wed, 12 Sep 2007 16:17:00 +0000</pubDate><atom:updated>2007-09-12T10:00:43.601-07:00</atom:updated><title>On Becoming an Adult: Part Two</title><atom:summary type='text'>I was late. I'm always late, even when I arrive 20 minutes early. Don't ask how that's even possible.

 I arrived at the Back-to-School night just in time to miss out on the sugar and nitrates, having chosen instead to prep myself by gulping down a glass of wine with dinner (who's anxious??) and hit the Starbucks on the way (must be an alert nervous semi-drunk).
 
 The announcement went off: Time</atom:summary><link>http://www.girlmonkey.com/2007/09/on-becoming-adult-part-two.html</link><author>girlmonkey</author></item><item><guid isPermaLink='false'>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17347698.post-5330345613115962314</guid><pubDate>Wed, 12 Sep 2007 15:39:00 +0000</pubDate><atom:updated>2007-09-12T09:16:51.224-07:00</atom:updated><title>On Becoming an Adult: Part One</title><atom:summary type='text'>Two nights ago I went to my oldest son's freshman version of high school Back-to-School night. This would be my first Back-to-School night ever as the parent of a high schooler. Let it be known that I'm just now getting over the exhaustion-- both mental and physical-- of it all.

To recap, the evening's order of operations went like this:

* Child writes down school schedule.
* Parent arrives at </atom:summary><link>http://www.girlmonkey.com/2007/09/on-becoming-adult-part-one.html</link><author>girlmonkey</author></item><item><guid isPermaLink='false'>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17347698.post-6786848788615581895</guid><pubDate>Mon, 10 Sep 2007 19:12:00 +0000</pubDate><atom:updated>2007-09-10T12:12:04.876-07:00</atom:updated><title>Happy boy</title><atom:summary type='text'>     DSC_0227    Originally uploaded by girlmonkey Trev started high school a couple weeks ago. His demeanor is so upbeat.</atom:summary><link>http://www.girlmonkey.com/2007/09/happy-boy.html</link><author>girlmonkey</author></item><item><guid isPermaLink='false'>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17347698.post-4949720934416096905</guid><pubDate>Wed, 05 Sep 2007 23:36:00 +0000</pubDate><atom:updated>2007-09-05T16:45:45.882-07:00</atom:updated><title>I'm all a twitter</title><atom:summary type='text'>I can so totally tell I am the first person to ever use that witticism.

Check it.</atom:summary><link>http://www.girlmonkey.com/2007/09/im-all-twitter.html</link><author>girlmonkey</author></item><item><guid isPermaLink='false'>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17347698.post-5840039715843178479</guid><pubDate>Mon, 23 Jul 2007 21:51:00 +0000</pubDate><atom:updated>2007-07-23T14:52:36.998-07:00</atom:updated><title>Bush's pooper</title><atom:summary type='text'>I don't like the man.

I didn't need to know anything about his colon.</atom:summary><link>http://www.girlmonkey.com/2007/07/bushs-pooper.html</link><author>girlmonkey</author></item><item><guid isPermaLink='false'>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17347698.post-9155639871051557964</guid><pubDate>Tue, 10 Jul 2007 23:03:00 +0000</pubDate><atom:updated>2007-07-10T16:11:08.800-07:00</atom:updated><title>...a little bit lower now.</title><atom:summary type='text'>First:
"Asked at a June 10, 2004 news conference if he stood by his pledge to fire anyone found to have leaked Plame's name, Bush answered, 'Yes. And that's up to the U.S. attorney to find the facts.'"
MSNBC, July 19, 2005

Next:
"President Bush said yesterday that he will fire anyone in the administration found to have committed a crime in the leaking of a CIA operative's name, creating a higher</atom:summary><link>http://www.girlmonkey.com/2007/07/little-bit-lower-now.html</link><author>girlmonkey</author></item><item><guid isPermaLink='false'>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17347698.post-5103154365168296507</guid><pubDate>Mon, 09 Jul 2007 21:51:00 +0000</pubDate><atom:updated>2007-07-09T15:02:28.605-07:00</atom:updated><title>Photos</title><atom:summary type='text'>This past weekend I went and took my photo for my new Costco card. I look like a bugged-eyed old lady meth head. The photo is all grainy and my jaw is all angly and weird...  it's alien in its inhuman representation of me.

I look like an apple doll.

Seriously, I just know that someday I will be abducted or somehow disappear in some kind of strange accident, and the only photo of me available </atom:summary><link>http://www.girlmonkey.com/2007/07/photos.html</link><author>girlmonkey</author></item><item><guid isPermaLink='false'>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17347698.post-8510321222530186159</guid><pubDate>Mon, 30 Apr 2007 16:19:00 +0000</pubDate><atom:updated>2007-04-30T09:57:59.614-07:00</atom:updated><title>Age is a state of mind</title><atom:summary type='text'>My beautiful baby girl turned 4 over the weekend.  We ate princess cake and she got princess presents, and it was a pink, princess gathering. And she acted like a princess, in all ways...sigh.

In recent weeks I've been mentally preparing for the change. I would no longer be the mother of a 3 year old. As time marches forward, she inches upward. Her vocabulary, like my waistline, expanding ever </atom:summary><link>http://www.girlmonkey.com/2007/04/age-is-state-of-mind.html</link><author>girlmonkey</author></item><item><guid isPermaLink='false'>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17347698.post-1422902041252851205</guid><pubDate>Thu, 19 Apr 2007 21:30:00 +0000</pubDate><atom:updated>2007-04-19T14:30:59.750-07:00</atom:updated><title>HAHAHA!!</title><atom:summary type='text'>     HAHAHA!!    Originally uploaded by girlm0nkey. </atom:summary><link>http://www.girlmonkey.com/2007/04/hahaha.html</link><author>girlmonkey</author></item><item><guid isPermaLink='false'>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17347698.post-6186358028788158146</guid><pubDate>Wed, 18 Apr 2007 22:43:00 +0000</pubDate><atom:updated>2007-04-18T15:43:27.605-07:00</atom:updated><title>WRAAAWRR!! Monster Princess!</title><atom:summary type='text'>     WRAAAWRR!! Monster Princess!    Originally uploaded by girlm0nkey. </atom:summary><link>http://www.girlmonkey.com/2007/04/wraaawrr-monster-princess.html</link><author>girlmonkey</author></item><item><guid isPermaLink='false'>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17347698.post-1418373532313936064</guid><pubDate>Tue, 27 Mar 2007 22:49:00 +0000</pubDate><atom:updated>2007-03-27T15:49:48.103-07:00</atom:updated><title>Me and my monkeys</title><atom:summary type='text'>     Me and my monkeys    Originally uploaded by girlm0nkey. </atom:summary><link>http://www.girlmonkey.com/2007/03/me-and-my-monkeys.html</link><author>girlmonkey</author></item><item><guid isPermaLink='false'>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17347698.post-4749039570378140045</guid><pubDate>Fri, 09 Mar 2007 22:49:00 +0000</pubDate><atom:updated>2007-03-09T14:50:39.032-08:00</atom:updated><title>Entertain us...</title><atom:summary type='text'></atom:summary><link>http://www.girlmonkey.com/2007/03/entertain-us_09.html</link><author>girlmonkey</author></item><item><guid isPermaLink='false'>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17347698.post-5634450276648132165</guid><pubDate>Thu, 01 Mar 2007 05:08:00 +0000</pubDate><atom:updated>2007-02-28T21:08:15.096-08:00</atom:updated><title>RUN!</title><atom:summary type='text'>     RUN!    Originally uploaded by girlm0nkey. Sydney runs toward Magicalland.</atom:summary><link>http://www.girlmonkey.com/2007/02/run.html</link><author>girlmonkey</author></item><item><guid isPermaLink='false'>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17347698.post-1232236148553695180</guid><pubDate>Wed, 28 Feb 2007 01:13:00 +0000</pubDate><atom:updated>2007-02-27T17:13:00.987-08:00</atom:updated><title>Wow-- they dress up nice</title><atom:summary type='text'>     Wow-- they dress up nice    Originally uploaded by girlm0nkey. I was glancing at pics from Christmas and lingered over this one. Ahhhh, those BOYS! They are all getting older. Faster. I thought it was cute how they all lined up.</atom:summary><link>http://www.girlmonkey.com/2007/02/wow-they-dress-up-nice.html</link><author>girlmonkey</author></item><item><guid isPermaLink='false'>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17347698.post-2211444120841220571</guid><pubDate>Wed, 28 Feb 2007 01:08:00 +0000</pubDate><atom:updated>2007-02-27T17:08:15.961-08:00</atom:updated><title>Morning ghost</title><atom:summary type='text'>     Morning ghost    Originally uploaded by girlm0nkey. Sometimes in the morning, we hear the haunting wails of a frightening ghost-- "whooooo, WhOOOOOOO!" The small ghost enters the room, much to our amazed gasps of quaking fear, only to tear off her likeness and exposing the entire episode as a charade. Andwow, do we feel silly!Sometimes her likeness is in the form of a cushy baby blanket. In </atom:summary><link>http://www.girlmonkey.com/2007/02/morning-ghost.html</link><author>girlmonkey</author></item><item><guid isPermaLink='false'>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17347698.post-387915572121407852</guid><pubDate>Wed, 31 Jan 2007 06:39:00 +0000</pubDate><atom:updated>2007-01-30T22:52:04.575-08:00</atom:updated><title>Eye watching you</title><atom:summary type='text'>I think my mind's eye is a very dangerous, selective thing.

I got an e-mail today from an old friend who updated me on her life and the lives of everyone we knew in drama school. Everyone who had kids; everyone who is happily married; everyone who has wonderful jobs doing wonderful things in wonderful places.

My brain reads these items and processes them as a friend should. It glories in the </atom:summary><link>http://www.girlmonkey.com/2007/01/eye-watching-you.html</link><author>girlmonkey</author></item><item><guid isPermaLink='false'>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17347698.post-2164819146571923478</guid><pubDate>Wed, 31 Jan 2007 06:36:00 +0000</pubDate><atom:updated>2007-01-30T22:38:32.653-08:00</atom:updated><title>Ten pounds</title><atom:summary type='text'>I'm sure of it.

Not just the holidays-- I blame my laziness in every way. All that exercise last year taught me only that I can eat whatever I want in whatever quantities I choose. Only, if I stop exercising, I get fat.

mmmm....fat.</atom:summary><link>http://www.girlmonkey.com/2007/01/ten-pounds.html</link><author>girlmonkey</author></item><item><guid isPermaLink='false'>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17347698.post-4533571844928663567</guid><pubDate>Mon, 22 Jan 2007 05:42:00 +0000</pubDate><atom:updated>2007-01-21T22:03:55.175-08:00</atom:updated><title>Bedtime</title><atom:summary type='text'>Tonight I'm sleeping with six super hot, single chicks, right here, right under the same roof where my young, impressionable 11 and 13 year old boys are sleeping. Only I can guarantee that in my bed, there won't be much sleep, if you know what I'm saying.

No?

Let me explain.

My toddler has developed an intense love of anything pink, pony-ish, ultra feminine, or princess related.  Occasionally </atom:summary><link>http://www.girlmonkey.com/2007/01/bedtime.html</link><author>girlmonkey</author></item><item><guid isPermaLink='false'>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17347698.post-4521973707819760093</guid><pubDate>Mon, 22 Jan 2007 05:41:00 +0000</pubDate><atom:updated>2007-01-21T21:42:44.821-08:00</atom:updated><title>Good book</title><atom:summary type='text'>I read the book The alchemist over the weekend. Incredibly inspiring. Highly reccommend it.</atom:summary><link>http://www.girlmonkey.com/2007/01/good-book.html</link><author>girlmonkey</author></item><item><guid isPermaLink='false'>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17347698.post-2483199031781119574</guid><pubDate>Tue, 09 Jan 2007 06:38:00 +0000</pubDate><atom:updated>2007-01-08T22:41:21.899-08:00</atom:updated><title>Observation...</title><atom:summary type='text'>I realized that my boys are growing older. Moreover, my sweet, wonderful boys are and always have been  human beings and they grow older and onward. They have friends and influences that are not me. Logically I've always known this, but it seems that viscerally, I am just now coming to get my arms around it.

My boys, my wonderful, sweet, innocent boys...they are really not so innocent. It is the</atom:summary><link>http://www.girlmonkey.com/2007/01/observation.html</link><author>girlmonkey</author></item><item><guid isPermaLink='false'>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17347698.post-116087663811131936</guid><pubDate>Sun, 15 Oct 2006 01:24:00 +0000</pubDate><atom:updated>2006-10-16T11:00:34.886-07:00</atom:updated><title>My dogs are barkin'</title><atom:summary type='text'>I came home from work Thursday simply exhausted. Busy doesn't even begin to describe it. E-mail, meetings, systems breakdowns, customer complaints, more meetings, pop-ins, phone calls, more customer complaints and a mad dash to get my single mother ass over to the school to pick up one kid, across town to get another and home to make sure the last made it back, safe and sound. Then off to the </atom:summary><link>http://www.girlmonkey.com/2006/10/my-dogs-are-barkin.html</link><author>girlmonkey</author></item><item><guid isPermaLink='false'>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17347698.post-115878159645018277</guid><pubDate>Wed, 20 Sep 2006 19:30:00 +0000</pubDate><atom:updated>2006-09-20T12:46:36.846-07:00</atom:updated><title>Goodbye, Dolores.</title><atom:summary type='text'>The house on North Dolores has been sold. 

Nine more on my list.</atom:summary><link>http://www.girlmonkey.com/2006/09/goodbye-dolores.html</link><author>girlmonkey</author></item><item><guid isPermaLink='false'>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17347698.post-115799325845713476</guid><pubDate>Mon, 11 Sep 2006 16:47:00 +0000</pubDate><atom:updated>2006-09-11T13:36:58.433-07:00</atom:updated><title>Our new place</title><atom:summary type='text'>It appears that the escrow on our house closes this Friday. Over the weekend we found a home to rent-- brand new, still in the same school district. We are all really excited!

CHECK IT OUT!
</atom:summary><link>http://www.girlmonkey.com/2006/09/our-new-place.html</link><author>girlmonkey</author></item><item><guid isPermaLink='false'>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17347698.post-115697054124500447</guid><pubDate>Wed, 30 Aug 2006 19:44:00 +0000</pubDate><atom:updated>2006-08-30T13:42:39.713-07:00</atom:updated><title>okay here's the issue:</title><atom:summary type='text'>I am 36 years old. I have 3 children that I raise that actually came right out of my body. Three of them, at different times in my adult life. I have 2 dogs that I feed and bathe and take care of in the most general sense, oh and a cat-- all 5 of whom live with me. I am, for all intents and purposes, a grown woman. GROWN. As in big. As in responsible. As in I no longer ask my mom if I can have a </atom:summary><link>http://www.girlmonkey.com/2006/08/okay-heres-issue.html</link><author>girlmonkey</author></item><item><guid isPermaLink='false'>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17347698.post-115629007562081948</guid><pubDate>Tue, 22 Aug 2006 23:39:00 +0000</pubDate><atom:updated>2006-08-22T16:41:15.620-07:00</atom:updated><title>The Winnuh!</title><atom:summary type='text'>Syd went camping with her daddy last weekend. She's a champ!</atom:summary><link>http://www.girlmonkey.com/2006/08/winnuh.html</link><author>girlmonkey</author></item></channel></rss>