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    <title>Manic Mommies</title>
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    <updated>2008-05-08T19:37:42Z</updated>
    <subtitle>Erin and Kristin are working moms juggling kids, careers, husbands and households. Join us each week as we try not to lose our minds... or our senses of humor.</subtitle>
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<entry>
    <title>Moms Mean Business Ads</title>
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    <published>2008-05-08T19:25:19Z</published>
    <updated>2008-05-08T19:37:42Z</updated>
    
    <summary><![CDATA[&nbsp;...]]></summary>
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        <name>manicmommies</name>
        
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            <category term="Moms Mean Business Ads" />
    
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        <![CDATA[<p><nobr><a href="http://www.mommytrackd.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.manicmommies.com/images/ads/mom_trck_bttn_6.jpg" alt="" height="121" width="125" border="0" /></a>&nbsp;<a href="http://www.momtalk.com/" title="MomTalk.com"><img src="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/184/396025160_e6b39f8464_o.jpg" width="125" height="125" alt="MomTalk.com" border="0" /></a></nobr></p>]]>
        
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<entry>
    <title></title>
    <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://manicmommies.com/2008/05/post_5.html" />
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    <published>2008-05-08T19:02:38Z</published>
    <updated>2008-05-08T19:02:38Z</updated>
    
    <summary></summary>
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        <![CDATA[<p><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6qgWH89qWks&feature=user"><img src="/images/2008/hilary.png" alt="" width="248" border="0" /></a></p>]]>
        
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<entry>
    <title></title>
    <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://manicmommies.com/2008/05/post_4.html" />
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    <published>2008-05-08T18:57:40Z</published>
    <updated>2008-05-08T18:57:40Z</updated>
    
    <summary> Blogs Podcasts Shopping Music Reads...</summary>
    <author>
        <name>manicmommies</name>
        
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            <category term="Friend Links" />
    
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        <![CDATA[<ul>
<li><a href="http://manicmommies.com/2006/06/blogs.html" title="Blogs" target="_blank"><font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Blogs </font></a></li>
<li class="LILinks"><a href="http://manicmommies.com/2006/06/podcasts_1.html" title="Podcasts" target="_blank"><font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Podcasts </font></a></li>
<li class="LILinks"><a href="http://manicmommies.com/2006/06/shopping.html" title="Shopping" target="_blank"><font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Shopping </font></a></li>
<li class="LILinks"><a href="http://manicmommies.com/2006/06/music.html" title="Music" target="_blank"><font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Music </font></a></li>
<li class="LILinks"><a href="http://manicmommies.com/2006/06/reads.html" title="Reads" target="_blank"><font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Reads</font></a></li>
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<entry>
    <title></title>
    <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://manicmommies.com/2008/05/post_3.html" />
    <link rel="service.edit" type="application/atom+xml" href="http://manicmommies.com/blog-mt1/mt-atom.cgi/weblog/blog_id=1/entry_id=668" title="" />
    <id>tag:manicmommies.com,2008://1.668</id>
    
    <published>2008-05-08T18:56:56Z</published>
    <updated>2008-05-08T18:56:56Z</updated>
    
    <summary> Facebook Flickr Frappr Gather MySpace Technorati...</summary>
    <author>
        <name>manicmommies</name>
        
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            <category term="Connect Links" />
    
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<li><font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><a href="http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=2386809040">Facebook</a></font></li>
<li><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/manicmommies/"><font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Flickr</font></a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.frappr.com/manicmommies"><font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Frappr</font></a></li>
<li><font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><a href="http://themanicmommies.gather.com">Gather</a></font></li>
<li><font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><a href="http://www.myspace.com/manicmommies">MySpace</a></font></li>
<li><font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><a href="http://www.technorati.com/search/%22manic+mommies%22?authority=n&language=en">Technorati</a></font></li>
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<entry>
    <title></title>
    <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://manicmommies.com/2008/05/post_2.html" />
    <link rel="service.edit" type="application/atom+xml" href="http://manicmommies.com/blog-mt1/mt-atom.cgi/weblog/blog_id=1/entry_id=667" title="" />
    <id>tag:manicmommies.com,2008://1.667</id>
    
    <published>2008-05-08T18:56:07Z</published>
    <updated>2008-05-08T18:56:07Z</updated>
    
    <summary> MomTalk Radio New England Podcasters Podsafe Music Network Wizzard Media Group...</summary>
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        <name>manicmommies</name>
        
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            <category term="Network Links" />
    
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        <![CDATA[<ul>
<li><font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">MomTalk Radio</font></li>
<li><font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">New England Podcasters</font></li>
<li><font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Podsafe Music Network</font></li>
<li><font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Wizzard Media Group</font></li>
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<entry>
    <title></title>
    <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://manicmommies.com/2008/05/post_1.html" />
    <link rel="service.edit" type="application/atom+xml" href="http://manicmommies.com/blog-mt1/mt-atom.cgi/weblog/blog_id=1/entry_id=666" title="" />
    <id>tag:manicmommies.com,2008://1.666</id>
    
    <published>2008-05-08T18:54:43Z</published>
    <updated>2008-05-08T18:54:43Z</updated>
    
    <summary> Sundin Associates Manic Mommies logo and design Dovetail Internet Web site template development Big Tent Membership management...</summary>
    <author>
        <name>manicmommies</name>
        
    </author>
            <category term="Thank You Links" />
    
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        <![CDATA[<ul>
<li><font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><a href="http://www.sundininc.com">Sundin Associates</a><br />
</font><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Manic Mommies logo and design</font></li>
<li><font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><a href="http://www.dovetailinternet.com">Dovetail Internet</a><br />
</font><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Web site template development</font></li>
<li><font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><a href="http://www.bigtent.com">Big Tent</a><br />
</font><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Membership management</font></li>
</ul>
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    </content>
</entry>
<entry>
    <title></title>
    <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://manicmommies.com/2008/05/post.html" />
    <link rel="service.edit" type="application/atom+xml" href="http://manicmommies.com/blog-mt1/mt-atom.cgi/weblog/blog_id=1/entry_id=665" title="" />
    <id>tag:manicmommies.com,2008://1.665</id>
    
    <published>2008-05-08T18:51:58Z</published>
    <updated>2008-05-08T18:51:58Z</updated>
    
    <summary> Cute women&apos;s clothing Kids outfits and fun stuff (CafePress) Our Amazon shop...</summary>
    <author>
        <name>manicmommies</name>
        
    </author>
            <category term="Shopping Links" />
    
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        <![CDATA[<ul>
<li><font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Cute women's clothing</font></li>
<li><font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><a href="http://www.cafepress.com/manicmommies">Kids outfits and fun stuff</a> (CafePress)</font></li>
<li><font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><a href="http://astore.amazon.com/manicmommie09-20/">Our Amazon shop</a></font></li>
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<entry>
    <title>The Gratitude Campaign</title>
    <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://manicmommies.com/2008/05/the_gratitude_campaign.html" />
    <link rel="service.edit" type="application/atom+xml" href="http://manicmommies.com/blog-mt1/mt-atom.cgi/weblog/blog_id=1/entry_id=664" title="The Gratitude Campaign" />
    <id>tag:manicmommies.com,2008://1.664</id>
    
    <published>2008-05-08T15:34:53Z</published>
    <updated>2008-05-08T15:36:10Z</updated>
    
    <summary>I heard about this on NPR yesterday. I&apos;ve always wondered about the best way to acknowledge a soldier in the airport. Have you? Now you know....</summary>
    <author>
        <name>Erin</name>
        
    </author>
            <category term="Erin" />
    
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        <![CDATA[<p>I heard about this on NPR yesterday. I've always wondered about the best way to acknowledge a soldier in the airport. Have you?</p>

<p>Now you know.</p>

<p><object width="425" height="355"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/gr9Zb3sTfYg&hl=en"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/gr9Zb3sTfYg&hl=en" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="355"></embed></object></p>]]>
        
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<entry>
    <title>I Missed my Chance to be on Today!</title>
    <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://manicmommies.com/2008/05/i_missed_my_chance_to_be_on_to.html" />
    <link rel="service.edit" type="application/atom+xml" href="http://manicmommies.com/blog-mt1/mt-atom.cgi/weblog/blog_id=1/entry_id=663" title="I Missed my Chance to be on Today!" />
    <id>tag:manicmommies.com,2008://1.663</id>
    
    <published>2008-05-08T13:40:01Z</published>
    <updated>2008-05-08T13:43:32Z</updated>
    
    <summary>OK, not really. It&apos;s not like they ever asked me to talk about the whole &quot;Mommy Blogger&quot; phenomenon. Probably because Manic Mommies is not profitable like Dooce (You Go, Girl!) or created by a former software engineer who now makes...</summary>
    <author>
        <name>Erin</name>
        
    </author>
            <category term="Erin" />
    
    <content type="html" xml:lang="en" xml:base="http://manicmommies.com/">
        <![CDATA[<p>OK, not really. It's not like they ever asked me to talk  about the  whole "Mommy Blogger" phenomenon. Probably because Manic Mommies is not profitable like <a href="http://dooce.com">Dooce </a>(You Go, Girl!)  or created by a former software engineer who now makes more money as a blogger than she ever did working for the man. In fact, Kristin and I still work very hard every day at our real jobs. And every day I sit at my desk, trying to balance my love for Manic Mommies and our community of crazy busy moms with my need to bring home the bacon. It's not unlike any artist, writer, or musician you might meet who has a love for their craft, but is unable to make a living doing it. And it's not unlike the moms who are home raising kids every day...the hardest work of all...with no compensation.</p>

<p>Anyway, I say kudos to the moms out there who are doing what they love, and making a living!  If you missed the Today Show segment (many of the interviews were conducted at Blog Her Business—I think I saw myself on stage for about one second) it's below. Heather Armstrong did a great job.  And Kathie Lee, I have to laugh. I guess little Cody was the one who pulled the plug on her career all those years years ago.</p>

<p><br />
<iframe height="339" width="425" src="http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22425001/vp/24502785#24502785" frameborder="0" scrolling="no"></iframe></p>]]>
        
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<entry>
    <title>Stuff We Hate</title>
    <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://manicmommies.com/2008/05/stuff_we_hate.html" />
    <link rel="service.edit" type="application/atom+xml" href="http://manicmommies.com/blog-mt1/mt-atom.cgi/weblog/blog_id=1/entry_id=662" title="Stuff We Hate" />
    <id>tag:manicmommies.com,2008://1.662</id>
    
    <published>2008-05-06T14:28:16Z</published>
    <updated>2008-05-06T14:45:10Z</updated>
    
    <summary>All this month, we&apos;re celebrating Manic Mommies. We&apos;re talking to moms from around the country about what they do all day, we&apos;re learning about their passions, their families and even, the stuff that makes them crazy! In staying true to...</summary>
    <author>
        <name>Erin</name>
        
    </author>
            <category term="Erin" />
    
    <content type="html" xml:lang="en" xml:base="http://manicmommies.com/">
        <![CDATA[<p>All this month, we're celebrating Manic Mommies. We're talking to moms from around the country about what they do all day, we're learning about their passions, their families and even, the stuff that makes them crazy!</p>

<p>In staying true to the Manic Mommies mission of keeping it real, we're going to produce the "Stuff We Hate" show you've asked for. And we need your help.</p>

<p>Call it in: 508-644-8434 (the shorter the message the more likely it will make it to air)</p>

<p>Leave a comment here on our blog (you may need to register if you haven't commented here before).</p>

<p>Or record a video and upload it to YouTube (just be sure to tag it Manic Mommies so we can find it)! </p>

<p>We'll pull the best of the worst together for next week's show. Just in time for Mother's Day.</p>

<p>So tell us, what's the stuff you hate about motherhood? Keep it funny and light and make us laugh.</p>

<p>Because if you hate it, or something makes you absolutely crazy, chances are good some other Manic Mommy hates it, too! The best entry will win copies of Jane Porter's Odd Mom Out and <a href="http://janeporter.com/janeblog/?p=247">her newest release Mrs. Perfect</a>, just in time for summer reading season. Three entries picked at random  will win autographed copies of <a href="http://www.wickedlocalparents.com/picketfencepost/">Meredith O'Brien's</a> hilarious A Suburban Mom: Notes from the Asylum.</p>]]>
        
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<entry>
    <title>Cover Artwork: Mother&apos;s Day? Mother&apos;s Month!</title>
    <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://manicmommies.com/2008/05/cover_artwork_mothers_day_moth.html" />
    <link rel="service.edit" type="application/atom+xml" href="http://manicmommies.com/blog-mt1/mt-atom.cgi/weblog/blog_id=1/entry_id=661" title="Cover Artwork: Mother's Day? Mother's Month!" />
    <id>tag:manicmommies.com,2008://1.661</id>
    
    <published>2008-05-06T02:46:45Z</published>
    <updated>2008-05-06T02:47:14Z</updated>
    
    <summary></summary>
    <author>
        <name>Kristin</name>
        <uri>www.manicmommies.com</uri>
    </author>
            <category term="Episode Art" />
    
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        <![CDATA[<p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/manicmommies/2469119375/" title="MM 117: Mother's Day? Mother's Month! by Manic Mommies, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2295/2469119375_61eaa788ea_t.jpg" width="100" height="100" alt="MM 117: Mother's Day? Mother's Month!" /></a></p>]]>
        
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<entry>
    <title>Should Your Tax Money Support PBS?</title>
    <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://manicmommies.com/2008/05/should_your_tax_money_support.html" />
    <link rel="service.edit" type="application/atom+xml" href="http://manicmommies.com/blog-mt1/mt-atom.cgi/weblog/blog_id=1/entry_id=660" title="Should Your Tax Money Support PBS?" />
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    <published>2008-05-05T16:47:23Z</published>
    <updated>2008-05-05T16:48:15Z</updated>
    
    <summary>I just got this from a contact at PBS... What do you think? &quot;In the next few months, Congress will decide whether to continue supporting Big Bird—or give him the ax. Public broadcasting gets around $400 million annually from the...</summary>
    <author>
        <name>Kristin</name>
        <uri>www.manicmommies.com</uri>
    </author>
            <category term="Kristin" />
    
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        <![CDATA[<p>I just got this from a contact at PBS... What do you think?</p>

<p>"In the next few months, Congress will decide whether to continue supporting Big Bird—or give him the ax. Public broadcasting gets around $400 million annually from the U.S. government, which covers about 15% of local station budgets. (Most shows are funded primarily by producers, viewer donations, private foundations and corporations.) Now the Bush Administration has proposed cutting funding by half. </p>

<p>Those who agree with this decrease say that, with the availability of high-quality cable-TV shows, public TV is unnecessary. Its average nightly audience is 2.1 million—around half of the viewership of pro wrestling. Responds Eric Boehlert, senior fellow at Media Matters, a nonprofit media watchdog group: “PBS is a success story for the government, ranking up there with the national parks. Any cuts would hurt the millions of people who can’t or won’t pay for cable.” </p>

<p>Should tax dollars support PBS? <a href="http://www.parade.com/articles/editions/2008/edition_05-04-2008/Intelligence_Report">Vote at Parade.com. </a></p>

<p> </p>]]>
        
    </content>
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<entry>
    <title>Show delayed due to technical difficulties</title>
    <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://manicmommies.com/2008/05/show_delayed_due_to_technical.html" />
    <link rel="service.edit" type="application/atom+xml" href="http://manicmommies.com/blog-mt1/mt-atom.cgi/weblog/blog_id=1/entry_id=659" title="Show delayed due to technical difficulties" />
    <id>tag:manicmommies.com,2008://1.659</id>
    
    <published>2008-05-05T02:01:56Z</published>
    <updated>2008-05-05T02:02:32Z</updated>
    
    <summary>This week&apos;s show will be delayed by one day, due to technical difficulties. Stay tuned!...</summary>
    <author>
        <name>Kristin</name>
        <uri>www.manicmommies.com</uri>
    </author>
            <category term="Kristin" />
    
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        <![CDATA[<p>This week's show will be delayed by one day, due to technical difficulties. Stay tuned!</p>]]>
        
    </content>
</entry>
<entry>
    <title>Mother&apos;s Day? Mother&apos;s Month!</title>
    <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://manicmommies.com/2008/05/mothers_day_mothers_month.html" />
    <link rel="service.edit" type="application/atom+xml" href="http://manicmommies.com/blog-mt1/mt-atom.cgi/weblog/blog_id=1/entry_id=657" title="Mother's Day? Mother's Month!" />
    <id>tag:manicmommies.com,2008://1.657</id>
    
    <published>2008-05-05T01:12:51Z</published>
    <updated>2008-05-08T15:35:50Z</updated>
    
    <summary>Why should there be just a single day to celebrate mothers? All this month we&apos;ll be talking to Manic Mommies listeners about their lives, their families, and their personal passions: careers, hobbies, and more. We start with Reay, mother of...</summary>
    <author>
        <name>Erin</name>
        
    </author>
            <category term="Podcast" />
    
    <content type="html" xml:lang="en" xml:base="http://manicmommies.com/">
        <![CDATA[<p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/manicmommies/2469119375/" title="MM 117: Mother's Day? Mother's Month! by Manic Mommies, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2295/2469119375_61eaa788ea_m.jpg" width="240" height="240" align="right" alt="MM 117: Mother's Day? Mother's Month!" /></a>Why should there be just a single day to celebrate mothers? All this month we'll be talking to Manic Mommies listeners about their lives, their families, and their personal passions: careers, hobbies, and more. We start with Reay, mother of two and professional puppeteer living with her family outside Atlanta. </p>

<p><b>Links Mentioned:</b></p>

<p><a href="http://speedracerthemovie.warnerbros.com/">Speed Racer</a> in Theatres May 9<br />
Reay is <a href="http://projects.accessatlanta.com/gallery/view/arts/0403cinderella/">currently performing in Cinderella Della Circus</a> in Atlanta <br />
<a href="http://www.puppet.org">Center for Puppetry Arts</a> <br />
<a href="http://www.puppeteers.org">Puppeteers of America </a></p>

<p><br />
<b>Ways to subscribe:</b><br />
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<entry>
    <title>Meeting my family</title>
    <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://manicmommies.com/2008/05/meeting_my_family.html" />
    <link rel="service.edit" type="application/atom+xml" href="http://manicmommies.com/blog-mt1/mt-atom.cgi/weblog/blog_id=1/entry_id=656" title="Meeting my family" />
    <id>tag:manicmommies.com,2008://1.656</id>
    
    <published>2008-05-04T18:32:50Z</published>
    <updated>2008-05-04T19:13:03Z</updated>
    
    <summary>With three sets of grandparents, over 10 aunts and uncles, and 8 cousins I&apos;ve never had what I would consider a small extended family. It certainly wasn&apos;t the biggest family around, but not the smallest either. One thing is for...</summary>
    <author>
        <name>Kristin</name>
        <uri>www.manicmommies.com</uri>
    </author>
            <category term="Kristin" />
    
    <content type="html" xml:lang="en" xml:base="http://manicmommies.com/">
        <![CDATA[<p>With three sets of grandparents, over 10 aunts and uncles, and 8 cousins I've never had what I would consider a small extended family. It certainly wasn't the biggest family around, but not the smallest either.</p>

<p>One thing is for sure - it should be a bigger family. But due to one stupid reasons, or another, my grandparents (my mom's parents) had chosen to disconnect from their families. What that meant was that mom and her four siblings never really knew their aunts and uncles (I believe between them my grandparents had 9 or 10 siblings) or their cousins.</p>

<p>Looking back, I wasn't aware of a lack of extended family, but I now know it is something that has always saddened my mom and her brothers and sisters.</p>

<p>When I began working with a bank in Central Indiana, right near where my grandmother's family had settled, my mom told me if I ever went to visit she was going to tag along. Which is why last week, my mom and I packed up our bags and flew to Indiana for a week.</p>

<p>I was going to work. Mom was going to meet her family.</p>

<p>While I worked, Mom re-connected with her cousins, explored the local cemeteries and met her last living aunt (who she didn't even know was alive before Wednesday!). After work she and I drove by the original family home in Marion, Indiana. </p>

<p>On Friday, I joined in the fun, and discovered that I had been missing something special - my family. In a very large group of strangers (one of mom's cousins has 9 kids!!), I found faces I recognized. People who spoke with the same cadence as my recently deceased grandmother. Cousins of my mother who looked strikingly like my grandmother, or my other aunts. And most amazingly, a group of people who seemed to miss my family, even though most of us had never met.</p>

<p>We left Indiana early on Saturday morning, with more than just great memories - we left, with a much, much bigger family. </p>

<p>And a desire to return to a place that I can now call "home."</p>

<p>This is my mom and her cousins.<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/manicmommies/2464462417/" title="My mom and her cousins by Manic Mommies, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3114/2464462417_a124ff220f.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="My mom and her cousins" /></a></p>

<p>Just a small part of my new extended family.<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/manicmommies/2464464035/" title="Our family reunion by Manic Mommies, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3012/2464464035_74917cb568.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="Our family reunion" /></a></p>]]>
        
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</entry>

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