Monday mornings are my ME time. I get five hours to write, drink coffee, research stories, and work out. It’s bliss. I actually look forward to Mondays. But all bets were off and my plans came grinding to an ugly hault at 7:30 this morning when one of the twins had a rashy face and fever. Om. Switch gears. No time, no research. No work out. It’s The Mom Juggle. And it goes like this…Brush kick right out of bed, brush kick left to get the kids dressed, jump through hoops to get out the door, get them to school on time and remember to pack snacks and lunches, and repeat. Add some graceful negotiations, some flashy side steps to get work and laundry done, and finish with a big leap of faith that everyone is healthy and happy.

When the juggle fails, it’s a mess that no one wants to witness. We brush ourselves off, practice (maybe the two step can fit in somehow?) and improvise.

Today’s story is my improvise. No feature interview, no researched story on a subject of interest, an honest blog about my day so I can get back to hugging the boy who stayed home.

Is it true? Spring Equinox is tomorrow, March 20. That means, according to all the sources that be (I checked), the tilt of the Earth’s axis is inclined neither away from nor towards the Sun, the Sun being vertically above a point on the Equator.

The theory behind the egg-balancing-act goes something like this “because the earth is vertical, an egg should be able to balance straight up on the skinny end, rather than the middle”.

Can you check, and get back to me on this? At least for me, it was a great way to get the kids to bed tonight. “When you wake up in the morning, we can be scientists and test a theory!!”

Report back in the morning. Better yet, have your kids report back. I’d love to hear from them.

It’s the thing to do. Make a resolution. Get really excited about it. And then, in about three weeks, completely drop it. What makes someone want to make a New Year’s Resolution anyway? Stacey, a working mom, says she’ll be making the same resolutions as last year. And when asked if she’ll stick to it she says, “Nope, because apparently I’m lazy and reluctant to change.”

That’s why I think resolutions fail. Not because Stacey is lazy and reluctant to change, but because we really are creatures of habit. To CHANGE is difficult. And time consuming. And generally takes years of therapy.

So why do we continue to torture ourselves with this ritual? Let us embrace who we are, what we do, why we do it. Let us find the good in why we are the way we are. The things that really matter to us shouldn’t have to change. The things we want to change, well, work on them slowly and give yourself a gold star when you work toward them.

You may not be able to keep your resolution, again, this year, but if you are realistic about yourself and about where you want to go, you can make it happen over time.

In this spirit, we’ve collected a list of resolutions submitted by Exurb editors and contributors. Check them out below. Some are professional, some personal. Some seem highly doable and others, well, maybe we’ll see them on the list next year again.

1. strike a balance with work/family/exercise

2. grow Exurb into a publication YOU check daily

3. look for ways to support and celebrate acts of creativity and individuality small or large, out here and beyond.

4. start each day with an “I’m grateful for” list instead of a to-do list.

5. use my oven timer each time I cook so I stop burning so many dishes.

Some exurbanites have been dropping the New Year’s resolution for the 101 things in 1001 days. Basically, that’s three years to accomplish some goals you have for yourself. Maybe that’s the key. Low and slow, rather than trying to cram them all in a year. But Lucida sums it up well, for me at least, as a rebel at heart “[I] Never do!! If I make it, I break it!!” Sometimes setting the goal and making it official makes it seem too much like “big brother” to me, even if the big brother is me.

We’ve put ours out there. Care to join us? What are you hoping to accomplish in 2010…and beyond?

If you need more inspiration check out these rules to live by at The School of Life

Americans send approximately 4 billion texts a day. That’s an average of 17 per day for each person who owns a cell phone. I admit to driving that average WAY up. I think my average is around 175 a day. But wait, before you laugh at me, let me tell you how practical this is. I don’t use my minutes (even if they are free in-network). I am a writer, so I prefer texting to talking. I can be concise with my conversations, I don’t have to worry about a call failing, and I now have it in writing in case I need to go back for  a reminder (or to say “see I DID tell you I needed you to stop at the store to get milk on your way home”).

Texting has revolutionized business, dating, and parent/child relations. But I know not everyone likes it. And it’s not always appropriate.

Probably NOT appropriate, Paris

Definitely NOT appropriate, George

First and foremost, driving and texting don’t mix. That’s non-negotiable. But other inappropriate texting habits? Probably not good to text your boss for a raise. Or to ask your parents for forgiveness for crashing the family car. Texting your best friend while she is on her first date, or texting your response to your Facebook friends moments after your now-fiancee pops the question may not be your shining moments.

However, I have found that texting my husband discreetly from across the room about Christmas gifts for the children was ingenious.  Sending a text to a friend letting her know I was running late, rather than taking the time to call and make me later? Brilliant. Sending grandparents text messages of cute things the kids say…priceless.

I’d love to hear your texting stories here.

U <3 2 chat 2!

On my way home the other day, this sign was posted at the off ramp at Lynn Road. I snapped a picture, thinking it would be a good story for the “burbs”. The next day, the sign was gone. Hmmmm….interesting. Was the sign gone because the city doesn’t allow signs? Was it gone because of it’s message? Was it someone from the city that took it down, or a “do gooder” who doesn’t support medical marijuana? I’m not sure of the answer. But, I’m thinking there probably is room for argument on this topic. 

Would you support (maybe not financially, but morally) a medical marijuana pharmacy in our area? Would the tax benefit outweigh any issues you might have with such a business if it was located in your neighborhood? 

This isn’t a new issue, it’s been debated in the papers, on the news, and on message boards since the state legalized the use of marijuana for medical purposes in 2003. But I can honestly say, this is the first time I’ve seen a sign in Thousand Oaks for it.