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the not so glamorous side of the city
I really skeeved some of you out with that picture of my girls on the pay phones. Honestly, I never thought about how many germs might be on those receivers.
Look, I never said I was the smartest mum out there.
Although, I did make Dylan stop sucking on the Starbucks’ counter the other day after the barista was nice enough to point it out to me. So I get a bit of street cred for that, right?
Those germ infested pay phones don’t bother me much, but I’ve had major angst over fresh mouse droppings in my apartment.
After the last mouse sighting, I thought we had sealed every hole and crevice in the joint. Apparently not. So I’ve been ranting and hollering at my super to DO SOMETHING which is all so pointless because he doesn’t actually view mice in my apartment as a real, pressing problem that needs to be addressed.
In his words, “I’ve never seen someone so mouse sensitive. It my house in Maine, mice are all over the place.”
Hey dude, I don’t live in Maine.
But now I feel downright silly for being such a vermin wimp because Jennifer H has to worry about this.
Yes, mountain lions. So I’m going to shut up about the damn mice.
Mouse and mountain lions aside… it’s movie making season in New York City. This week, Uma Thurman and her crew were using my local playground as a backdrop for a scene in Thurman’s new movie, “Motherhood.”
They hired a bunch of clean, well groomed kids, who don’t use gross public pay phones or suck on counters, to play on the playground equipment while they shot their scene. This guy in the green…
had the job of keeping all the kids in line. He would shout out to all the child actors, “Ok, quiet down guys. We’re rolling.” You see they wanted the kids to play. Just not TOO loudly.
And then once in a while, a very committed stage mom would scream out to her uncooperative child, “GET BACK ON THE SLIDE RIGHT NOW AND PLAY! I SAID NOW!” And the poor, tired offspring would trudge back to the slide. Show business is a biatch, kid.
Here is a shot (not taken by me) of Uma in character.
Ouch. Not so glamorous, right? Listen Uma, if I was some BIG, FANCY Hollywood leading lady like yourself, I would refuse all parts that made me look even the least bit unattractive.
Like I just wouldn’t do the Charlize Theron in “Monster” thing.
Critical acclaim and an Oscar? Yeah, so not worth it.
mama bird notes
If you just haven’t had enough, check out my piece, Playground Wars, on NYC Moms Blog.
And last chance to enter our “Sex and the City” giveaway!
Just leave a comment on the mama bird diaries telling me if you are more like a Carrie, a Miranda, a Samantha or a Charlotte and you are entered to win the soundtrack and a $25 Fandango movie ticket gift certificate.
Good luck mamas!
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Hey, germs are awesome. Kids need a daily infusion of a variety of germs to bolster their immunity systems. If I were to visit NY I would surely have my kids lick at least one pay phone. But then I'm one of those moms that giggles at the ones that use shopping cart covers and those burqua-like nursing tent things. I mean, COME ON!!!
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fantabulouts mouser = my cat's one redeeming quality —ick! But yeah, mountain lions –YIKES!
Totally Miranda. Though perhaps I wish I was more Carrie minus the smoking habit.
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I've decided that our HOA is like your super, at least since the day they took they sign down about the mountain lions…denial. Do they think they just disappeared?
I hope your mice scurry off to some other home. (thanks for the linky love!)
You've got me laughing at the stage mother yelling at her kid to play. And I wonder why Uma has a chain around her neck?
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My daughters doctor says we're all too germaphopic these days….the mice I'm thinking…not so much…ick
I was wondering about the chain too…
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Only in NY … does a super have a vacation home in Maine!
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This is the week for "Senior Pranks" at my son's high school. He told me today that someone dumped "a bunch" of mice on the floor in the hallway, and some idiot was kicking them down the hallway and throwing them at people. Isn't that sick?!
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I'm so glad others said something about the pay phones because I was totally thinking EW but I didn't want to be like Hey – EW. We all do things that other mommies don't like and guess what – so far are kids are still alive so whatever.
Anyway, I wish I looked like that photo of Uma on my BEST day!
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I saw the movie! Yaaaay! It was fantabulous! So I'm Carrie, Samantha, and Charlotte. In that order. I'll break it down for you if you ask…Lol
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I've never been overly germ sensitive either. I figure it makes us all tougher and we don't seem to get sick much so maybe it's working??!!
Anywho…hilarious about the crazy playground/stage mom! lol.
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I've lived in Mtn. Lion territory in a canyon outside of boulder for about 5 years, and trust me the MICE were waaaaay worse.
Love the hollywood beauties, going dumpy for fun! too funny…
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I'm not very germaphobic either and I shouldn't even say this but we have a kid that never gets sick. I have been wondering if it was because we didn't have a dishwasher for the first three years of her life. (Leila and I were in a parks bathroom the other day and when I turned around she was drinking from an empty Sprite can that someone had left on the sink. I did scream "NO!")
I would prefer not to win the Sex In The City Soundtrack so I won't tell you which character I am most unlike.
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That mountain lion isn't pooping in her silverware drawers, though…
(My, there's an interesting picture, no?)
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I think Uma looks adorable. All sexy and nerdy and tousled. In April, there was a baby rat walking behind the giant Le Creuset pot on my stove. I DIED. I would have preferred a buffalo. My husband, however, loves this kind of stuff. It brings out the manly trapper in him but he's an artist so he looks at these situations with a sort of sciency-artful eye. He kind of turned it into a shadow box project. He carefully cut the side off of a shoe box, SEWED ham and cheese on the rat trap (knowing these NYC creatures snatch and run), and artfully placed the trap inside the shoe box. Within an hour…snap! He would have earned an A for presentation at my daughter's 7th grade science fair.
Hang in there, Kelcey. I empathize profoundly. The mouse probably just likes you and wants to get you alone.
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I feel for you. I hate having those disgusting things roaming the house. We had two this spring but I caught their little butts in traps and I hope their little mice friends took heed of the warning.
I'm not sure what SATC girl I am most like but I would love to have the shoe collection Carrie has. And be able to wear them everyday like her too. I'm checking out the movie today, so excited!
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A few mouse droppings and a smattering of germs…these are the things that are going to make your girls super-strong as they make their way in the world. Keep up the good work!
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No mice, no mountain lions…I have it so easy;)
Have you seen the SaTC movie? Loved it!
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In the last 2 weeks, I have killed 3 mice in and around my house. I will take no prisoners. I am Mouse Rambo!!
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I took the test… and I am 100% a Carrie!
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Mamabird Diaries is a very informative blog: I did not know Sex and The City had a movie. I also did not know Uma Thurman was going to be in a new movie, "Motherhood" sounds interesting. I also find it fascinating when Hollywood gets the most gorgeous actors and then pays tons of money to make them look unattractive for a big movie: Ugly makeup for Charlize Theron and Fat Suits for Cameron Diaz. What, they couldn't find any talented unattractive or fat actors, I was not aware there was a shortage. I agree with RubiaLaLa and "un-glam" Uma in "Motherhood" is a pretty good looking gal as is.
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My 5-year-old likes to gently rest his chin, cheek, LIPS on the subway pole he insists on holding on to whenever we're on the E. Yeeeeahhh. I'm some Charlotte (the optimist) with a little Miranda (in particular the willing to move to an outer borough part) tossed in.
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I'll bet I know what's up with the chain. "Motherhood" = "Slavery". Leave it to Hollywood.
I don't know any of those SATC girls. Except the blonde one on the movie poster. Heck, I'm still trying to get up my nerve to watch Desperate Housewives!
Can I still qualify for the Fandango, though?
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Kelcey!!! Guess what we do with those nasty little mice??!! I catch them in live trap's and then feed them to my boy's snake's. How 'bout that for revenge!!!(Actually, my husband does the transferring of the vermin's!!)I freek just seeing them!!
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That's awful about the mice–they freak me out, too. Uma would have looked cute if they put her in a better outfit, but I guess that's the point.
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I have had mice AND a rat and I am here to tell you they are NOT cool! You do NOT want to know how they got rid of the rat we had. As a result I am now a CRAZY woman searching my home for small cracks and holes constantly! Good luck to you! I know what you are going thru!
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You just can't worry about germs too much or you will end up having a heart attack. When I told my 2-yar-old daughter to keep her hands away from her mouth because she had been messing around with her shoes which were muddy on the bottom, she looked at me, then looked at her hand then licked it. Just like that. Gross!
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I think EVERYONE tests out as a Carrie, why is that?
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We DO live in Maine and we DO have mice that find their way into our house. I have resigned myself to it. As for germs, kids are going to find them. All we, as moms, can do is to teach them to wash their hands and hope for the best.
Jen
http://www.listplanit.com
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I freak out when Emma touches anything in a public bathroom. Gross!
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What does she have around her neck?! Don't worry about the germs on the phones – who even uses payphones anymore? They're probably the cleanest thing around!
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