530th Friday Blog Roundup
Do you remember hoppity hop balls? My friend had one when we were little, and I always wanted to play with it. We didn’t have one, probably because they’re an excellent way to crack your skull open.
I went to volunteer at the twins’ school this week, and the gym teacher had taken out HOPPITY HOP BALLS. I almost started hyperventilating because I was so excited. I informed the twins and their classmates that I would be joining with a group and using the balls, too. There were six balls and five kids in a group, so I got to go twice; hopping across the gym, involved in a massive game of jumping tag. Not having known that I would get to do this, I wore my steel-toed boots, so it was admittedly a little difficult to get the height I wanted.
The gym teacher told me where to get one, so I am going to finally achieve my dream of having my own hoppity hop ball. And it’s going to be so much better than when I was a kid because I’m going to hop in front of the wii on Wuhu Island, so it’s like I’m hopping all over the island. I made the kids test out whether this is possible by crouching down in front of the wii and bobbing up and down, and they reported that it totally works.
See what good things can happen if you volunteer?
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New season of the Americans started this week. I watched it at 10 pm and then couldn’t calm down for bed. Who else is watching?
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Stop procrastinating. Go make your backups. Don’t have regrets.
Seriously. Stop what you’re doing for a moment. It will take you fifteen minutes, tops. But you will have peace of mind for days and days. It’s the gift to yourself that keeps on giving.
As always, add any new thoughts to the Friday Backup post and peruse new comments in order to find out about methods, plug-ins, and devices that help you quickly back up your data and accounts.
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And now the blogs…
But first, second helpings of the posts that appeared in the open comment thread last week. In order to read the description before clicking over, please return to the open thread:
- “Tears for Adoption” (It’s Just a Box of Rain)
- “In which I probably make a giant ass of myself…” (Who Shot Down My Stork?)
- “Wrestling with Control” (Family Building With a Twist)
Okay, now my choices this week.
Family Rocks has a thought-provoking post on forgiveness, something I struggle with a lot. There were so many parts that resonated with me (especially how forgiveness seems to get harder as you age), but the part that resonated the most: “My resistance to forgive is also because I feel like the other person is ‘getting away’ with something and hasn’t really done their penance.” It’s a wonderful post, full of questions, that will make you look at your own relationship with forgiveness.
It’s Just a Box of Rain has a post about adoption. (Yes, I know it’s also above as a second helping, but I only read this Thursday post this week.) Every adoption starts with a loss. She writes, “V didn’t ask to be adopted. She’s happy now, in the loving arms of the only family she has ever known. But, I know that someday she will understand this loss. And she will grieve it. And all people grieve it differently — some see relatively un-bothered, some are pretty traumatized. There’s no way to know in advance.” It’s a beautiful post about wanting you help your child through whatever complicated feelings may come up in their life.
Constant in the Darkness reflects on adoption as she nears her daughter’s second birthday. It’s interesting to read the way in which her thoughts have changed. And this understanding is so key: “I have more answers and this feels so much better than fumbling for answers. I think the answers were always there, it’s just that emotions clouded where to find them.” As she says, even the cloudiness was part of the process, but it’s nice to know the clouds have parted and that she has found the peace that was always there.
Lastly, ANDMom has a perfect post that will make you see a familiar poem in a new light. I’m not going to ruin this beautiful post for you by describing it too much. You should just go over and read it; and then reflect on your own road.
The roundup to the Roundup: I’m getting a hoppity hop ball. Are you watching the Americans? Your weekly backup nudge. And lots of great posts to read. So what did you find this week? Please use a permalink to the blog post (written between January 23rd and 30th) and not the blog’s main url. Not understanding why I’m asking you what you found this week? Read the original open thread post here.
15 comments
My earliest memory in life is sitting at the top of the basement stairs, peering through the bannister as my older sister and cousin cut apart my beloved hoppity hop ball. My mom was so mad that my sister had been so cruel that she took my sisters favourite teddy bear away for a month before she earned him back with kind acts. I can still remember watching them destroy my ball…and I still hold it over their heads sometimes LOL. So they are not just a source of cracked heads but also broken hearts! Lol…hahaha.
I loved those. We never had any but neighbor kids did. We got our kids little ones but the 2 yo can’t quite get on it yet and the 4 yo just does a little bouncing (on our faux grass not cement).
We call them skippy balls! In Dutch that totally sounds like it is english 😉
Known as “space hoppers” this side of the Atlantic. They’re a definitive symbol of the 1970s. I didn’t have one, but my cousins did and one of them let me have a go. Was recently at a 40th birthday party that had a 70s theme, and plenty of tipsy people tried out the space hopper.
I’m so enjoying the image of you hippity hopping around Wuhu.
Must. see. Americans.
I remember these and know I have bounced on one or two in my time but never owned one. We have bought one for Paxlet, in my excitement to find one, but he was too young at 2yrs old and so it is tucked away until a bit later.
I’ve not heard of Americans. But I am waiting for Outlander to start up again. Another 2 months. Ugh!
Those balls look awesome. I want one! I also want them for my special ed students if/when I go back to work. I’m always nervous when they bounce on the abs balls; I think they might break. Great posts this week – read them all. I enjoyed “One Month and Pregnancy and Parenting Pressures” by A Few Good Eggs. I think that pregnancy, birth and parenting are such trans-formative and emotional experiences that people are sometimes desperate to have their choices and/or experiences validated. But should not project one’s experiences or beliefs onto others, either.
oops, here’s the link
http://agoodeggplease.blogspot.ca/2015/01/one-month-pregnancy-and-parenting.html
My daughter has one of those and I hate the f’ing thing. Somehow, it manages to land wherever I need to stand up. On the other hand, she does enjoy using it as a seat when she’s watching TV, so I guess that makes her less of a couch potato. She and her dad also whack each other with it. Like I said, I hate that thing.
Awwww, thank you Mel! Right back at you:
https://www.stirrup-queens.com/2015/01/the-restaurant-approach-to-having-it-all/
No hippity balls for me, although they do seem fun! Not sure why but my guess is my mother was afraid of injury. (A few things I wasn’t allowed to do in fear of injury.)
Suggestions for the week:
Just a fun read over at tor.com, and actually, if you click in to the author’s name, as I did, prepare to lose a few hours in geekdom because she’s written some really great articles:
http://www.tor.com/blogs/2013/11/neville-longbottom-is-the-most-important-person-in-harry-potter
This is the biggie for me this week, the if-you-read-only-one-thing post. About courage. This post applies to everyone, in all areas of life.
http://nokiddinginnz.blogspot.com/2015/01/gifts-of-infertility-series-19-courage.html
Oh wow, I totally remember Hoppity Hop Balls. I don’t think I ever had one, but they were fun!
Those damn thing are all over the place down here, and yes, my youngest fell and smacked her noggin on a cement floor last week while bouncing on one. Ugh. Loved them as a kid, loathe them as a parent.
I’m on season 2 of the Americans. It’s one of the few shows that sticks with me for a long time after the episode is over.
a letter to the childless woman I saw at walmart
http://waitingforbabybird.com/2015/02/05/to-the-childless-woman-at-walmart/