Wednesday, April 29, 2009

The Genius Award of The Week (or maybe even the year) Goes To.....

the idiot in Washington that thought it would be a good idea to fly a Boeing 747 through downtown Manhattan for a photo op. Seriously? I heard a rumor that it cost taxpayers almost half a million...not to mention the hysteria that spilled out into the streets in the financial district. I mean, seriously?...seriously.

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Monday, April 27, 2009

Should I Stay or Should I Go?

The decision to stay home or go back to work is a universal struggle with most moms. There's no right or wrong decision, just what's best for each family unit. But even then, do we really know what's best? and can we really have it all?...perfect just the way we want it? I would venture to guess, that most of the time, the answer is no. For some reason today was particularly difficult for me to leave my little babies and go off to my big girl land. A place free of whining and runny noses, but also free of sticky kisses and childhood innocence.

So right now, I'm sitting in one of my hospitals waiting for a meeting to start and all I want to do is go home and play with my kids. I left so early this morning that I didn't even get to see sweet little Anna's face before I left...and I'm sure as soon as she woke up, she was yelling for me to come get her. Not that daddy isn't the best (or maybe even better) substitute, but when your child calls for you, you want to be there.

On the other hand, i'm sure several times this week I'll be grateful for my time away and for the opportunity I'm given each day to venture outside of Elmo and Tea parties. Thank God for my flexible schedule!! It seems today is just one of those days...

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Friday, April 24, 2009

Flowers, Cake, Caterer, Invitations....

ppshhh, wedding? please!...how about someone's 1st birthday party? ;-) I have had so much fun planning Josie's sweet lollipop party and along the way, i've had the priviledge of getting to know some incredibly talented women. It is amazing the things you can find on-line---what did we ever do without computers? A life without internet...oh, the horror!!

I can basically go on-line and google away until I find exactly what I'm looking for. Having trouble finding it?...no worries, someone out there is bound to make it for you...just spend some time on www.etsy.com. Anyway, I just can't wait until the party is over and I can blog about some of these great little businesses...just don't want to give anything away beforehand!! ;-)

The party is next Saturday and I'm already starting to feel the tugs of nostalgia. It's like the harder we try to hold on to time, the faster it seems to slip away. Yea, yea, I know she's just a baby, but I also know with a blink of the eye, 18 years will be here and gone. So, I'm trying to enjoy every last moment with them while they're young. Another reason why I'm feeling overly sentimental about this particular first birthday is because it hit me the other day that I actually survived it! Part of last year was such a blur to me that I would have never guessed I'd feel how I feel today. I could break out into a little Destiny's Child right now...but I won't!! haha

ps. i've had a few requests to blog more frequently, so I may...depends on what my days bring!!! If you are on my automatic update list and would prefer to just stop by at your own leisure, just let me know and I'll spare you the emails! :-)

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Saturday, April 18, 2009

I Thought The Day Would Never Come...

...spring is here! Hoorah, hoorah! Finally, we can thaw ourselves out and break open the sandals and capris! Yesterday was one of those days that reminds me of all my countless summers on Lake Huron. The air was cool and dry, but the sun was beaming and warm...the perfect weather combination. I just love those chilly nights on the lake where your skin tingles from the combination of warm sunburned skin and cool night air. If you know Michigan, you'll know exactly what I'm talking about.

Anyway, it was a perfect day to get out and run errands! Soon, I found myself shuffling though all the bazillions of card choices at Hallmark....and just like all my trips to Hallmark, I stayed for an inordinate amount of time and left after spending way too much on what's really just some paper and ink. Card shopping for me is a combination of misery and fun all wrapped up in the same package. The misery is that as soon as I think I have all the cards I need, I think of someone else's celebration...a birthday, an anniversary, a new baby and on and on and on. The fun part is that typically I find myself in the aisle laughing out loud and having to read every single card choice until I find the perfect one for the intended.

By the time I left, I was a tad overwhelmed....how is it possible that everytime I turn around there's someone or some event coming up that I need to buy a card or gift for?...it seriously is like a never ending circle that just repeats itself every year....and for a quick minute, I wondered how many millions (maybe even billions) of dollars are spent each year on just greeting cards alone? Seems a bit wasteful!! On the other hand, how extremely fortunate are we that we have so many wonderful people in our lives to celebrate? And then I realized that I wouldn't want to spend my money or time any other way.

Three of those people that we love so much are living with us for a few days...Nick & Nicole bit the bullet this week and officially became suburbanites!!! They handed over the keys to their cutie house in the city and are moving into their new beautiful home next week....and the best part is that it's just around the corner from us! Welcome neighbors!

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Wednesday, April 15, 2009

From One Mommy to The Next...

Oh, the dreaded trip to Babies R Us...going to Babies R Us feels a bit like going to the bank, withdrawing a bunch of money, coming home and flushing it down the toilet!! Each trip involves dropping a couple hundred dollars on diapers and formula, only to repeat the process over again a few short weeks later. I dread it...ok, alright...so, at least we're left with dry bottoms and full bellies!! ;-)

This morning the Babies R Us was particularly busy...especially for a Wed morning. The place was buzzing with tons of glowing mommy-to-bes and a few unfortunate souls who actually had to bring along their little pride and joys. Once again, I was thankful that I was alone and could buzz in and out with only my intended purchases...no begging for toys, candy or emergency wipe buying. Have you ever done that? Been in Babies R Us with your child/children and realize suddenly that you desperately need a baby item that of course, you forgot to pack. So, what better place to be? You hunt down your item and open it, right there on the spot. I've done it on countless occasions with wipes being the number one culprit. They just always disappear on me and then suddenly I have a massive poopy or snot city on my hands.

Anyway, this morning I didn't have to worry about any of that. I was looking poised, put together and simply had my purse in one hand and coffee in the other. But soon, my contentment turned to sympathy for another mommy when her poor children both had mega meltdowns in the middle of the BRU at the exact same time.

I was standing behind her waiting to purchase and couldn't stop staring at her two beautiful children. The little girl couldn't have been more than 3 and she was just darling. Cute blond little pigtails and she was dressed, oh so charming. This mommy has great taste, i thought as I eyed her little one's garb for the day...maybe Oilily, Room Seven...something fabulous for sure! This little girl was standing there behaving so perfectly, a brand new book in each hand. In the cart, was what must have been her baby brother...not quite a year, but old enough to sit in the front seat of the cart and enjoy the view. He was content as well, grasping and knawing on a rubber teether toy....so cute!

This picture of family perfection turned rotten all at once. The mother calmly told the little girl that she had to pick one of the books and simply could not have both. After a quick interchange where the little one declared ownership of both, the mother grabbed one of the books from her hands and placed it at the back of the check out counter to be returned to it's place in the store. Well this just unleashed the fury. Suddenly the little girl fell to the floor in horror and began screaming words that were unrecognizable between the tears and gasps for air. It didn't stop there...she then began rolling around on the floor thrashing and kicking her feet violently. How did this little angelic face become so unbearable so quickly? The poor, poor mother...at the same time, the mother then had to pry the toy from the little boy's hands so it could be rung up by the clerk. This threw him into a fit of rage crying that holding your breath kind of cry (moms, you know what I mean...when it's silent for a few seconds and then the ear piercing shrills follow). Even after the mother returned the toy to him, he was still beside himself with irritation for having the toy so rudely snagged from his possession.

In the meantime, the little girl continued her mega tantrum....without skipping a beat, the mother calmly paid for her items, scooped her little fireball off the floor and exited gracefully. As I was getting into my car, I saw the fight continue as the poor mother attempted to strap the child into the car with very little luck. That poor mother...she definitely needs a Xanax and a glass of wine later when those kiddos are finally in bed! ;-) ha

We've all been there. I remember the first time Anna did something similar in a public place...i was mortified and stood there in disbelief not really knowing how to handle her. Here's to hoping we survive the toddler years!

On another note, I simply cannot wait for my Matilda Jane package to arrive. It is taking what feels like FOREVER. I feel like a little kid at Christmas awaiting it's arrival. I will be sure to post pics of the girls sporting their new MJ when it finally arrives!

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Monday, April 13, 2009

Happy Easter Bunny!

that's Anna's way of saying Happy Easter!! Here's a link to spring/Easter pics...and a sneak peek below...
http://www.kodakgallery.com/ShareLanding.action?c=562xvbf.72isnqw7&x=0&y=-p37twt&localeid=en_US























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Thursday, April 9, 2009

The New Face of Peas & Carrots and a Tribute to Mommyhood!

So, I wanted to transform my blog to personalize it a little and make it feel more like “home” to me. After a quick Google search, I found Jen from Trendy Mommy Blogs, who creates the cutest custom blog templates at a very reasonable price! If you feel like jazzing yours up, take a quick looky loo at her website: http://www.thetrendymommy.blogspot.com/

Somehow, in this crazy whirlwind of a week I managed to watch my tivoed Oprah from Monday and was soooooooo pleasantly surprised! Did anyone catch this Oprah show? If you are a mommy and are like me and tivo all of them….go find this one in your archives and watch it! The entire show was on motherhood as she attempts to shed some light on how difficult being a mother in this day and age can be. It’s like we’re supposed to be superwoman and supermommy all wrapped up in a perfectly put together, glamorous and witty package…complete with cute little charming children, looking always to die for and an immaculate home with fabulous decor. Well, only another mother will understand the frazzled look of an overworked, under appreciated mommy…and that being a parent is not all cuddles, snuggles and cute sleepy babies. Oprah must have gotten a ton of requests from honest mommies who want to tell it like it is because Monday’s show was all about the trials and tribulations of motherhood…and that simply, it’s not always pretty.

While I was watching this show, I started thinking about my own blog and how ironically I’ve only really been focusing my updates on the adorable things that my little girls do. And don’t get me wrong, our days are filled with heartfelt moments and lots of giggles, but they are equally filled with the difficult realities that define parenthood. Especially parenthood with two kids under 3 in the house!! So along with the facelift that my blog is getting, I’m also going to switch the content gears a little. I’ll definitely still write about all of the endearing moments…but I’m going to also include the moments that humble us…the ones that make us real.

I thought I’d kick this off with a list of mommy confessions…25 things that no, do not make me the perfect mother, but things that make me a real mother…the mommy that I just am. So here we go…

25 Mommy Confessions:

1. I let my kids eat off the floor…it doesn’t bother me, I don’t worry about it.
2. When my babies were newborns, there were times that I didn’t like them very much.
3. I have definitely wondered “what did we do?” by becoming parents.
4. I daydream about what life was like before kids…single, fun and carefree.
5. I let Anna listen to whatever comes on the radio or whatever I feel like playing off my ipod. I’m not really worried about the content. So, um, yeah, she knows Lady Gaga & Beyonce pretty well.
6. If we’re out of Anna’s diapers, I have no qualms about using Josies on her…even though they don’t fit and are way too small
7. The first day I dropped Anna off at daycare (she was 3 months old), I was actually happy about it. I barely worried or looked back until the day was over! Just a note about this---I had literally held her for 3 months straight up until this point---barely even taking the time each day to take a shower.
8. I was going to take away the pacifier from Josie at a year, but it’s become my clutch to soothing her…she may have to take it away from me at some point!!... which I can assure you will not be at a year.
9. I secretly don’t mind that Anna is not potty trained…I dread the day when I have to deal with her and public potties.
10. My kids have chicken nuggets for dinner probably 3 days a week…hey, they’re getting their protein!
11. I extremely dislike being pregnant…the only good thing that comes from it are my beautiful children. But, somehow, I manage to get all the pregnancy woes…and I’ll spare you the details!!
12. I do not keep Anna’s artwork from school…I hate clutter so I keep a piece now in then, but most of it goes straight into the trash.
13. I guess I’m old fashioned, but I have no problem saying “no” to my kids…I don’t really believe in redirection and feel that my kids need clear boundaries.
14. The other day Anna threw her fork on the kitchen floor…Bailey (the dog) came up and licked it, and yes, I gave it back to her.
15. I still spend a lot of money on myself…even though I could be putting away even more money for their college tuition.
16. I hate changing poopy diapers and love to pass them off to my poor hubby every chance I get.
17. When I talk to my girlfriends I enjoy not talking about my kids…I want to hear and chat about all the other things going on in the world and in their lives.
18. I believe that our most important role in life is being a mother, HOWEVER, we are still so much more…we are friends, sisters, daughters, wives, career women and most importantly individuals with interests outside of our families. Embrace those things!!..wait, was that really a confession???
19. I bribe Anna with candy and toys…it works like a charm.
20. We turned Anna’s car seat around at a year, even though she still wasn’t 20 pounds…I just couldn’t take the fussing anymore.
21. After a long holiday or vacation, I look forward to sending my kids back to daycare.

22. I am not particularly fond of the newborn stage…they are needy and high maintenance and exhausting.
23. If I had the money, I’d have a night nurse during the newborn phase, a full time house keeper, personal in home chef, physical trainer and assistant for paying all my bills, running errands, etc!! ha..if you haven’t read it yet, you MUST read “I’ll Never Nanny in This Town Again”. It’s fabulous!
24. On long car rides, I prefer being the driver. That way I don’t have to deal with all the nagging demands coming from the back seat!!
25. BUT, I didn’t know I could love someone with such intensity until I had my children.

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