Monkey Business

Blogging Break

2009-07-28T18:44:00.003-04:00

I am taking a blogging break. Just in case you haven't noticed.

I am posting regularly over at Baby Bunching, but hope to be back here when the daily load lightens a bit.

So Bad

2009-06-22T20:41:00.003-04:00

I'm so bad. I have people actually coming up to me asking why I haven't updated my blog lately. Ok, here's the scoop. We moved. I have been painting and unpacking and painting some more. And even more painting. Did I mention the painting? And it's hard to do this when you're trying to entertain kids, work part-time and just be. So THIS blog has been neglected, I'm sorry to say.

So here's the quick update.

We just got back from the beach. I need a vacation from the vacation. It's never a vacation when you lug your kids around, right?

My kids have already done one summer camp. I love summer camp. It really is the best thing in the world. My favorite is when they come home dirty and sweaty. Then I know it was successful. Seriously.

Alex has started his first 'big boy' camp today. He's doing soccer camp with kids ages 5-12. As I walked him there this morning, I was sick to my stomach. Nervous that now he's mixing with big kids. Kids who tease and torment. What if they don't like the shirt he's wearing? He's not old enough to walk away. What if they make fun of him for eating his shirt? Yes, he actually chews on his shirt when he's nervous. What if he runs around and acts like he's three, which he does on occasion? I felt like the day I did starting high school. But he had a blast and held up like a trooper. Only thing was I had to go buy shin guards and cleats so he wouldn't be the only one without them. I'm such a sucker!

Have People Gone Mad?

2009-05-13T07:52:00.001-04:00

I'm over at DC Metro Moms today talking about our most recent trip to Meadowlark Botanical Gardens.

Still alive

2009-05-12T19:58:00.002-04:00

I am still alive. I swear. We have moved to our new house. And spent the whole first week experiencing sewage line issues. Can I just tell you how much fun that is?! Nothing says 'welcome to your new home' like poo in the shower.

And if moving isn't enough, I started a new part time job this week which I hope will launch me into national marketing fame. I will keep you posted on that as it unfolds. Hint: It's for the Swedish children's clothing company Polarn O. Pyret. Read up. Learn. And buy.

Ask Me About Home @ School

2009-04-24T06:53:00.004-04:00

How's Home at School going now 5 weeks later? I'm beat and if there was ever any question in my mind about ME homeschooling MY kids, I certainly got my answer. I suck at this. I'm tired. I'm out of energy and creativity. I really must find more camps for the summer.

Kindergarten Orientation

2009-04-23T10:51:00.002-04:00

We had kindergarten orientation this week. Did you hear me? My oldest kid starts kindergarten in the fall. Holy *&^)! As I sat in the room with all these other moms, many who looked like they too were novices of this public school game and many who were long time veterans, I just couldn't get over that I was sitting here. I remember the day he was born like it was yesterday. Sure the days, weeks, months, years have passed and much of it was a blur, but how did we get to this moment. Will I feel the same at graduation in 13 years? Thirteen years?

Anyway, the orientation went well. I was a bit confused when they showed pictures of the teachers helping the kids to zip their jackets. Apparently this is a skill 5-year-olds usually learn in kindergarten. What? My three-year old can zip her jacket!

Oh, and don't forget the part where Alex wrote with a Crayola marker on the chalkboard. Uh huh...way to make a stellar first impression on the teacher! I guess someone had left the marker on the chalk tray and he thought that meant it was OK to color on the chalkboard. Perfect!

Rocknoceros: PINK!

2009-04-22T20:47:00.002-04:00

We have been nothing but PINK! in our house for the past week. Rocknoceros, one of our kids favorite bands, launched its new CD this week. Since they are from Northern Virginia, we were able to attend their CD launch party at Vienna's Jammin Java. Rock on! You really must check out the title song.

Rocknoceros is comprised of Coach Cotton, Williebob, and Boogie Woogie Bennie. It took my son a while to warm up to these guys for whatever reason. He loves them, but every time he saw them in concert he would cry. I finally figured out why....he felt pressure to dance, apparently. Whatever, kid. My daughter loves them and was up front in her pink dress leading the crowd this past weekend. My son was finally up there rockin' out with the rest of the preschool crowd minus the tears.

So why PINK? At Rocknoceros’ live shows, the band always asks fans about their favorite colors, and invariably, the shouts for “Pink!” are overwhelming. So, due to popular demand (especially from their young female fans), the title track of the new CD reflects the rosy color of little pigs, bubble gum and selected flowers known as perennials.

Our favorites on the new CD include Pink (both my kids think this song is the greatest), Always Tell Your Grandma That You Love Her and Big Wheel. (Really, how fast does a big wheel go?)

Great job guys on the latest CD. Can't wait to catch you at the next concert!

School at Home: Week 4

2009-04-21T18:34:00.000-04:00

Last week was Food Week for Home at School. I was impressed by how much BOTH my kids learned. We checked out books on all the food groups: grains, vegetables, fruits, fats, meats and milk.

Fortunately, it coincided with Alex starting a cooking class at a the Vienna Community Center. It's called a Fairy Tale feast where they read a story and then make the food. Love the idea!!!

We talked about all the different types of foods and how every food fits into at least one of the categories. Then we took to the Wednesday food ads. Both kids spent at least an hour cutting up food pictures from the circulars, and we pasted them in their corresponding food category. They really thought this was a worthy project. We talked quite a bit about the food pyramid and what foods we should eats lots of and what foods we had to limit. My kids keep coming back to my husband's book "150 Healthiest Foods on Earth." They like to go through this book and see what foods they like and which ones have a star (the super foods!)

Alex and I took a special trip to Whole Foods to see how even the store is organized by food groups--fruits and veggies, meat, grains, etc. Bonus for us was Emeril Lagasse was filming his Planet Green series at the Fairfax Whole Foods. This launched us into a whole other discussion about TV food shows. Which then led to coming home and watching a few on the computer. Alex wanted to know why people had to watch TV to learn how to cook. Good week. Good topic.

This week . . . Safety Week!

An Itsy Bitsy Chance to Explore

2009-04-20T18:37:00.005-04:00

One of my first introductions into a more international children's world began during a playgroup in Qatar. The kids played for a while with random toys, and then the moms gathered around in a circle to sing familiar children's songs. I was familiar with most of the songs until I got to "The Itsy Bitsy Spider." Except I was in a room full of British moms who sang the song "Incy Wincy Spider." Most of the lyrics are the same, but a few of the words stray and suddenly my eyes had been opened to the possibility of things outside the American world.

Fast forward a year, and we had found ourselves in Sweden. Again, "The Itsy Bitsy Spider" made his appearance at a Swedish/English playground this time as "Imse Vimse Spindel." The tune varied a little and the words in were, of course, in Swedish. Quite frankly, this is my FAVORITE version of The Itsy Bitsy Spider. Never has a spider climbing up a water spout sounded so adorable and whimsical.

My children's exposure to another language was brief. My son attended four months of Swedish preschool and within 6 weeks he was speaking and understanding it. He was 2 1/2 years old. We were singing all the favorites in Swedish (Row Row your Boat, Ba Ba Black Sheep, Little Cabin in the Wood). I am reminded by a good friend, who is Austrian and a master of languages, how spongelike little young brains are for soaking up other languages. She mentioned something like until the age of 7 children have this natural ability to understand and separate languages. I have no idea how scientific that data is, but I did have a few other foreign language teachers back up that statement.

Which brings me to the point of this post. Two of my friends are extending their current preschool to a a bilingual one: Tiny Explorers. The best part is it's for kids 18 months to three years. This is doubly as awesome because it's near impossible to even find part-time preschool for kids under the age of two let alone a bilingual one. Do I think my son's four-month exposure to a foreign language helped develop his brain at age 2? Yep! I know that being exposed to a foreign language at any age, especially a young one, helps develop and exercise the brain in a completely different way. So yes, it does make your kid smarter.

Tiny Explorers is having an open house next week so if you live in the Northern Virginia (Reston) area and are looking for a school or are even curious about the bilingual factor (which I wholeheartedly applaud), please stop by next week and visit.

School at Home: Week 3

2009-04-13T14:16:00.008-04:00

Even though it was spring break this past week, I felt it necessary to do continue with 'home at school' but with an Easter theme. Our week began with an Easter egg hunt with my DC area mom's group. I hadn't planned on going with our busy weekend, but the weather moved the hunt to a better day, and we made a last-minute decision to attend. We are SO glad we did.

I made sure to get over to the library and check out several books on Easter--one about Easter in Sweden (of course), one about an Easter egg tree, a few about bunnies, a few religious ones and even one about Passover (since my grandfather is Jewish and I wanted to give them the basics of a Seder meal.)

Thank God for the Enchanted Learning site which gave me a few worksheets, coloring pages and counting/math activities with Easter-related things included. We finished out the week by coloring eggs, decorating our own Easter tree and baking our traditional Easter bread. So all in all....another good week.

This week, we're moving on to food, nutrition and the food groups.

Hanna-Me-Downs

2009-04-13T14:11:00.003-04:00

I can't pass up a good deal. And this one I love. For the next week (April 13-26), if you bring in your gently used Hanna Andersson clothes, they will donate them to the United Way and you can save 20% your purchase. As you know, I love Hanna Andersson clothes. They wear wonderfully, wash perfectly and WAY outlast my kids. The PJs really are worth the money. So I'm glad to see they will put my outgrown clothes to good use and give me a little discount. Love it!

School at Home: Week 2

2009-04-08T20:01:00.002-04:00

Yes, we're still alive around here. Sorry that things have been quiet. School at home + moving + spring break + regular daily chores has kept us busy. We had another successful week, but I was relieved to see Friday....if that tells you anything.

Last week's school topic was spring. We had several books from the library on spring (flowers, trees, etc.). As part of the weekly lesson, we took several nature walks including one of Meadowlark Gardens in Vienna (right down the street from our new house!) It is Cherry Blossom time here in DC and nothing can be prettier than pink and white blossoms.

Both Alex and Anna put together a spring book about the seeds and the frog life cycle. And on Tuesday last week--as I was digging up my garden--we found a frog. I took the opportunity to do a quick "frog lesson" before we walked the little guy down to the creek. We named him Eric.

We finished out the week with planting a few plants in our garden. Yes, yes, I know....but it's the week before spring break so it was hard to do 'real' school.

The Wheels on the Bus

2009-04-01T15:55:00.002-04:00

I'm over at DC Metro Moms today ranting about my hatred for the bus. Come on over and leave your two cents about how crazy I am!

School at Home: Week 1

2009-03-31T13:26:00.005-04:00

We completed our first week of what I'm calling "School at Home" with Alex. I can't bring myself to call it "homeschooling" so this feels better for me. I figured if I documented it all here then I have to actually follow through. Here was our week in summary:

It was Space Week. We started by checking out many, many books at the library on space and planets. We read all of them and talked about the planets and rockets. A few of the books I checked out were super easy ones that I thought he could read, and he did!

We worked on identifying "space words" like: space, rocket, planet, star, moon, etc. Alex asked to do an estimating project one day so I counted this as our math lesson for the day. We used star, moon and heart stickers and practiced estimating how many were in each bag. Anna played too.

Our big project was making a solar system. We spent most of the morning painting and putting it together. (See picture). Alex LOVED this. I was surprised in a matter of hours how quickly he'd learned the order of the planets and was ready to recite it to anyone.

We read about the first lunar landing and then watched some of a DVD from Netflix with footage. He couldn't believe that it was actually real and he was able to see it. Thursday we took a trip downtown to the Air and Space Museum and that was just a wonderful trip for us. I couldn't believe how much information he had retained during just three days.

The real kicker was I let him round out the week on Sunday by watching Star Wars--a movie he's been begging to watch once he turned five. I figured with his birthday on Saturday it was nice way to end the week and celebrate.

This week is Spring Week. So far so good! Lots of fun thigns planned.

Stress

2009-03-24T11:16:00.002-04:00

Our household is filled with stress these days. The only good thing helping with this is our house has been decluttered and all our CRAP is in POD somewhere in Loudon County. So the upside to everything is our house is clean! (Ok, minus the basement which is now filled with piles of paperwork for the house.)

Here's the update. The owners of the house accepted our offer so in about a month we should be moving into our new home in Vienna! I'm super excited.

Now we have to rent our house....quickly. I guess that's not as stressful as selling, but still it means getting it rented to someone who will take care of our investment.

The most stressful thing has been preschool. I have decided to pull Alex out of school after the bead incident. I feel it's best for him since I have doubts about the current situation there. I'm keeping Anna in because I totally love her teachers. While in my mind I know keeping him out of school for the eight remaining weeks is really the best thing, and I do believe I'm making the best decision, it is inconvenient for me. It means I will have to find constructive things for he and I to do together and get a little "homeschooling" in while he's out of school. He's already more than ready for kindergarten (yesterday he read his first book!) but it means me readjusting my expectations for the days ahead. The move makes this even more difficult.

Bead up his nose?

2009-03-21T21:29:00.003-04:00

The phone rang and the caller ID showed the school calling. Crap. I panicked immediately. The last time I saw this number Alex broke his finger and we endured three weeks of a cast.

I picked up the phone. “Hi Linda. It’s[the director] from preschool.” I’m trying to make niceties and then I hear it. The crying in the background. “Alex has a beam up his nose.” A what? A what?” A beam. Is that like a beam up his nose and into his brain. OMG. I freak out like I never have before. “What do you mean he has a beam up his nose? How did that happen?”

She responds, “They were playing with beams and one went up, and we can’t get it out.” I stop. Wait a minute. Did she say bean? Bean. OK, bean up the nose is more realistic. Don’t panic. Hang up and drive. Call doctor on the way and explain situation and ask what’s the best course of action. Fifteen minutes? Yes, we can do that. Drive.

Fortunately, we had just finished looking at a house (which we actually put an offer on today) and hubby was with me, and my parents were in the car behind. We pulled up at school, and I darted. Outside my boy was sitting on the pavement with all the other kids for car line sobbing. I grabbed him and got the 5- second scoop and took off to the doctors. Admittedly, I panicked and probably overreacted. But this was the second incident in a month.

We raced to the doctor’s office and once my husband got him settled, he managed to get him to blow out the bead.

I’m considering pulling him from school . . .

Apparently, I'm Crazy

2009-03-09T21:47:00.004-04:00

So things have picked up in our household lately . . . the no blogging is the result. Trip to Dallas to see the grandparents. Who knew when I planned this a time change was involved. Down with Daylight Savings Time in March! Today I'm preparing for a job interview and a move. I did manage to get it together enough to go out and buy a suit while in Dallas for the potential interview (which is now this week). And if that's not stressful enough, we're packing up all our excess crap (OK, that's a lot) and moving it into storage since we're listing our house next week. Yikes!

Did I mention we're busy?

How Did I Do This Everyday?

2009-03-03T09:04:00.000-05:00

I will talk about my days in Sweden—as brief as it was—until your eyes gloss over and mine fill with tears. Yes, I really loved it that much! And while the summer and spring were amazing the winter we spent there was one of the worst--four months of snow-covered ground. I shoveled and scraped regularly. Everyone was outfitted in snow boots, snow suits, hats and mittens most of the day, everyday.

Yesterday morning we welcomed 6-8 inches of beautiful snow. I mean the most spectacular kind of snow only Mother Nature can create. Beautiful. I love snow. There is nothing more perfect than walking outside on snowy day when the snow is still falling—because only those who truly love the snow come out then—and listening to the quiet. For me this is the perfect kind of quiet. It’s even better than the kids-just-went-to-bed quiet.

I won’t get into the whole nonsense of my kids today who I TRIED to make appreciate my love of the snow. Alex just eats it, and Anna only whines about how cold it is. At least I have one cold weather enthusiast. Snow days for me (real snow days that is) are like Christmas. I brought out all our old Swedish gear—snow suits, boots, sleds, hats, mittens, snowball maker. Ok, well only a few of these are actually from Sweden, but living there made me appreciate having all the appropriate gear. Everything came out of the closets, bins and drawers, and I set to work dressing both kids. It’s like dad taking his son to a baseball game or mom showing her daughter the museum. This was my moment to show my kids how much I love this miracle.

Whine. Cry. Fuss. Moan. Groan.

No one wanted to be part of my game this morning, except me. But I worked to outfit both kids in everything they need. We shimmied on his snowsuit and then hers, pushed on the boots, pushed some more, stuck on hats, wriggled on mittens and made our way outside. Every time out someone had some kind of an issue—water, pee, hurting finger, cold hands, wet gloves. Something. We came back in, de-suited and re-suited.

As I’m getting Anna into her snowsuit—the same one Alex wore in Sweden—I couldn’t help wonder how I managed this regime everyday. Every time we left the house for school, the store, play, playdate everything went on and then we came home everything came off again. Then it was washed and dried because sure enough we’d need it again really soon. My foyer was always a giant pool of water and my car always smelled a bit like stale water.

The only thing I could think of was that we do what we have to in order to survive the situation. Four months of snow meant four months of snow gear. And even that left me still loving the snow. Today, however, not so much. I think I liked it better when no one had an opinion about the cold. At least I grabbed a few minutes for myself to enjoy it all. Good snow like this doesn't come this way often.

Really? More School Issues

2009-03-02T17:27:00.003-05:00

Are you tired of me talking about schools yet? I'm over at DC Metro Moms talking about it some more. Should I really be this concerned?

It’s Spring Fever Here

2009-02-28T20:15:00.003-05:00

Not that kind of spring fever. I wish! (They were predicting snow today.)The kind of spring fever our household (ok, just me and hubby) get when we’ve decided we’re ready for a new house. Every year somewhere between February and May we get a move itch. The only thing I can guess is that it has something to do with us never living in ANY place longer than two years. We have now, officially, been in this house two and a half years. Why the desire to move, you might ask?

Don’t get me wrong. I love our neighborhood. Townhouse living can be hard if you’ve just spent several years in a single family home, but we love the neighbors, the great pool and wonderful playgrounds. We can walk to the store and even to the kids’ elementary school. But the house is small and we’re lacking a yard. We’d like a dog and . . . maybe another child. That just doesn’t add up in our small house. The kitchen is by far the smallest kitchen you’ll ever see. Did I mention my husband's nightmarish commute. I digress.

So it’s the end of February and the beginning of the home sale season thus the beginning of our spring fever. What has kept us here for the past few years is the high home prices. The DC area wasn’t affected by the dropping housing prices until just recently. This is good news for us since it means we may be able to afford the home we want, in the area we want. But those who know us well, know we do this every spring. We hit the open houses, take a bunch tours, do some number crunching and end up staying put.

I have no idea what is in store for us this spring. As much as I hate the idea of selling (because it’s A LOT of work to sell a home with kids in it), I think our whole family is ready for a change. We’re a bit of a nomadic family. In nine years of marriage, we’ve had six addresses. My only way to prune junk is by moving. And we’ve apparently hit our limit on what we can store here. I literally have bikes and wagons in my dining room.

No Glass of Wine?

2009-02-25T19:48:00.003-05:00

I was sad to read the news in this morning's paper saying there is no safe amount of wine for women to drink. Do I believe it? (I ask as I sip my Merlot.) What's a mom to think? Are there more factors to consider?

I exercise regularly (about 5 times a week) and eat healthy (no preservatives, here). But I am probably at high risk for cancer because of my mom, my dad and my grandfather. I don't smoke or have any other vices other than this one guilty little pleasure in the evening. So what am I to think of this news? Next thing you know they'll be saying coffee is bad for me too. That is when my world will really end!

The Cast Came Off

2009-02-25T07:48:00.006-05:00

It was a long three weeks with the cast. I learned a lot about Alex during this time. His self disclipline is a amazing. We had only one incident of the cast getting a bit wet. He, for the most part, kept it out of the sand and mulch and followed the "rules" of the cast. He learned to ride his scooter with one hand + 2 fingers. He learned to cope and deal the best he could with nary a complaint about his temporary "disability."

And when he woke up yesterday morning, even before the cast came off, he was a completely different boy. He confessed that he hadn't been sleeping very well. Which in turn was probably accounting for the massive change in behavior the past three weeks. Funny how I hadn't put two and two together.

He was a brave little boy as they sawed off the cast. He explained to Anna it would be really noisy but it wouldn't hurt. How did he know? But he was fantastic. I do have to give major props to Commonwealth Orthopaedics for their attention to children's special needs. The X-ray lady was ready this time with a basket of lollipops.

The first thing we did when we got home was take a very long bath. So now he's free from the nasty smelling cast and we're off to celebrate with a party this afternoon. He wanted balloons with casts on them, but I drew the line at that one.

Them Against Me

2009-02-24T08:10:00.002-05:00

Check out my kids' latest doings over at Baby Bunching. They are slowly learning to form some kind of allied force against me--smart kids. I'm pretty sure that's why I have siblings and we go on to give our children siblings.

Baby Bunching Makes the News

2009-02-19T10:11:00.004-05:00

It has been a very good week for Baby Bunching. But last night I received an email from a friend telling me my Washington Parent article ran on the afternoon news (NBC affiliate)--with promos leading up to it. I'm still working to get the footage because this is HUGE for us. If anyone saw it or can send it to me, please do! I am so excited.

Baby Bunching: Juggling Two Under Two

2009-02-17T19:35:00.002-05:00

My second article was published in Washington Parent magazine this month. Yes, of course, it's about Baby Bunching. Check me out. Oh, and they just asked me to write another article for them. Woo hoo!

It's Too Much School

2009-02-12T14:22:00.002-05:00

On my mind this week has been the topic of school. My son starts kindergarten in the fall. We are fortunate that our neighborhood school is a pretty good one. It offers full-day kindergarten at a school with both a magnet and G/T program. Since we never looked at the schools when we purchased our house five years ago, we feel blessed that we do not have to scramble for a move or private school.

However, both my husband and I are having some reservations about a few things. The first started after reading Raising Cain—a parenting book about raising boys. I am a bit concerned about Alex getting lost in the shuffle of public school. He’s a smart boy who is very much “boy.” I know as his parent it may take a special teacher to reach him. And I am worried in a class of 20 something kids, a teacher doesn’t have the time to make the effort to reach out to kids, especially boys, who are acting their age.

I am even more concerned about the tiny amount recess they give to five-year olds during a full day of school. It’s even worse when I know what it takes to make my child perform well and that I’ve now lost control of providing him that environment.

The big news here in our area is the changing of school times. Lots of research has been done lately saying high school kids aren’t getting the sleep they need and that school starts too early. Yeah, our high school begins at 7: 20! That’s insane. And I am so in favor of this change. However, the change in high school start times somehow changes the start times and end times for the elementary schools. My closest guess is it’s something to do with the buses. So our school which was 8:30 to 3:10 will now go 9:20 to 4 p.m. Wow! Talk about a long day. At least with 3:10, my son still had a chance to come home, unwind a play a bit outside with friends. But a 4 p.m. end time doesn’t even give us much time for homework, let along playing. And from my standpoint, my kids are up before 7 a.m. anyway, send ‘em on to school, I say.

My dream would be to find a school where I could send my kids from 8:30 to 1:30 p.m. or 2 p.m. Somehow I’m having trouble finding schools to meet MY needs. Unfortunately, there's not much I can do at this point except wait and see. In the meantime, I am looking into a few other options. Who knew this could so stressful?

I Do NOT Heart Valentine’s Day

2009-02-11T09:51:00.004-05:00

Part of this is my own fault and perhaps I will learn my lesson for next year since every year we go through this. Preschoolers and “mandatory” class Valentines do NOT mix.

Every year we make our Valentines. I think it’s because I have good memories of doing this as a child with the pink and red paper and the little white lacy paper hearts that only come out in February.

As I browsed the Target aisles this year, I made a decision that THIS year we just buy our Valentines, sign them all and be done. It's not worth all the trouble for lacy paper. But because I must be some sort of masochist, I shook my head and thought: No, I’m not giving in to the commercialization of Valentine’s Day. We will make them again.

I bought a few extra stickers, some stamps and decided to use up my scrapbook paper I never use anymore. We started two weeks early to allow for margin of error or loss of interest.

Day 1: (Note--We have not done them every day.) The plan was to make all the class Valentine’s first THEN move on to everyone else. And that didn’t work because we made them for everyone except the people in their class.

Day 2: Focused a bit more on the class list. I made the suggestion that we come up with an idea and make them all the same. No one is creative enough (or has the energy to make) 14 different Valentines. Am I right? But no, Alex wanted to make one for each kid on his own.

Day 3: Anna is halfway done with hers. I gave her the list. She decorated them, wrote everyone’s name and signed her own. Alex has finished 2. Each one took about 15 minutes to complete. But they look good.

Day 4: Alex has completed 2 more (each one took 30 minutes) with lots of getting up and running around in between. Anna is almost done.

Day 5 & 6: Anna is done and moving on to other friends. Alex has completed 2 more (these took 30 minutes). There were tears, I yelled. It was super fun. He says to me: Mommy, it makes me mad when you yell at me about doing Valentines. So I agreed that he could just put one superhero sticker on each, write his name and call it good.

Day 7: Alex still has eight left before his party tomorrow. It’s going to be a very long night. He did finally agree that we should have designed one and made them all the same. Perhaps next year I will learn.

Camp is not all Kumbaya

2009-02-07T20:13:00.000-05:00

I know what you're thinking? Is this woman mad? Camp, now. And if you're anywhere north of the Mason Dixon line you're probably laughing even harder. Or maybe not since it's ONLY those of us north of the of it who are thinking about summer when there's still snow on the ground.

But yes, I registered my kids for camp this week. Not just any camp,

We don't actually live in the proper restrictive area to get into this camp so I have to register a week after everyone else who is. And most sessions were already full by the time I arrived to register. So thinking I was so super clever, I decided to drop in on my way to take my kids to school on Monday when the office opened at 8:30 a.m. instead of registering online. STUPID! I must not have been that stupid because when I arrived there were already eight people in front of me. One man had been there since 7 a.m.

So I waited and waited and waited. Meanwhile, I called my friend who was at home registering on her computer in her jammies (bygones) and begged her to help me out. So she did. Yep, as I waited on line, I gave her my username and password and my credit card and before my name was called, I was registered.

As I left, I thought to myself why did I just do this?

Because it's summer camp! Don't get me wrong. I love summer--the pool, the zoo, the playgrounds, hanging with the summer buds, the beach, visiting new places. I love the change in routine. But I love it in June and July. And about halfway into July when all our friends are vacationing and my kids have grown tired of each other, the pool, and me, I crave camp. Camp is this wonderful place to send my kids where they can run around and be with new faces. And someone else can let them get dirty and tell them to stop throwing rocks. Ahhhhhhhhh... . .

Ok, so maybe there is some Kumbaya to camp after all.

Shoes Found!

2009-02-05T10:28:00.000-05:00

I'm not sure if the "shoe stealer" mom read my blog post from Monday. Wouldn't that be nice to think I had that kind of power. Wa ha ha! (evil laugh) But nevertheless, the shoes did appear yesterday. I stopped by the gym just to see. The mom apparently felt about about mixing them up with her daughter's shoes and returned them on Monday.

Anna was ecstatic about her purple shoes. Thank you to whomever returned them. I no longer shall refer to you as the "shoe stealer."

His Broken Bone, My Broken Spirit

2009-02-04T11:30:00.002-05:00

My husband has always believed that broken bones are a reflection of one’s own parenting. I’ve always disagreed with this theory thinking it’s not so ‘black and white.’ Accidents happen all the time and sometimes when you’re not even with your child. Perhaps on some subconscious level kids might get hurt as a cry for attention, but I’m certain this is not always the case.

I find it hard to believe that in almost 5 years as mom to a rambunctious boy—with two previous ER visits—one of them hasn’t resulted in a broken bone. Today’s call from preschool surprised me. Fell at school? Running around with his friends? C’mon! The kid climbs trees and swings from monkey bars way too high. He’s a crazy daredevil and yet he’s hurt from running and falling with friends? What a pain!

So, as luck would have it, my babysitter was with Anna this morning when I got the call. I was able to call the doctor on the way to school and make an appointment for 10 minutes later. The doctor was pretty sure his finger was badly hurt. They made us an appointment with an orthopedic guy down the street to fix him up.

Never a tear was shed during this process. They took x-rays, and he thought it was the coolest thing ever. Mainly because he got to wear a smock like at school. When they put the x-rays up on the screen, Alex was stoked about seeing his skeleton. But when the doctor mentioned the cast and my face dropped, Alex quickly picked up on this not being a good thing. I tried to make is sound fun and cool (because really all the cool kids in school always had the casts), but he wasn’t buying it. The casting man let him pick out the color for the cast: blue—big surprise there. Then he went to work wrapping up his arm. Alex was way past done on all of this by now. Six hours after the incident, and he was ready to go home.

The surprising thing through all of this was his self control. I asked him if hurt. “Yes, it hurts, but only if I move it. So I’m not moving it!” And sure enough he hadn’t moved it at all except when someone asked him to try and move it.

So I’ve been trying to spin the whole incident into something fun. He got to pick where to go afterwards—Dairy Queen for the biggest ice cream ever. I suggested he was like a pirate since he had one good hand one hand kind of like a hook. He seemed to perk up with that thought. But the ultimate was the idea of having a “cast party” after the cast comes off in three weeks. He’s already planned the whole thing.

My real disappointment was for school. No follow up phone call from someone to check on him, and never an apology about the situation. Disappointing, I think.

As I went to bed last night and peeked in on him, with his arm lying across his chest, I felt terrible for the little guy. What a pain.

Shoe Stealer

2009-02-02T21:07:00.001-05:00

Dear Person Who Took My Daughter's Shoes,

On Friday when I picked up my daughter at the gym after my all-time favorite cardio class, I found someone had taken her shoes. We were in a hurry to get to ballet, and I was most thoroughly annoyed by this inconvenience. I was most annoyed because right before after I dropped her off, I made sure to put her shoes with her coat AND my coat. The cubbies were very full, and I want to ensure I could find them quickly during our sprint to ballet class. So, instead, I spent an extra 10 minutes looking for shoes with the staff.

Oh, by the way crazy shoe stealer person . . . it was 30 degrees that day and I didn't have extra shoes hanging around in the car.

I'm sure you know you took her good shoes. Yeah, that's right. She has tons of $10 Target shoes. But these were the GOOD shoes. The ones that I buy every fall before school to get her through the yucky weather--the waterproof ones that are perfect for every scenario. The ones that cost more than some of my OWN shoes.

So, now after two trips to find similar shoes for the rest of the bad weather season, I have come up empty.

Really? Who takes the shoes of a three year old? If you did it unknowingly, then I forgive you. Perhaps your own three-year old put them in your bag as a joke. If you actually took them, then I'm horrified. Who steals shoes from a gym? Please bring them back. She loves her purple shoes.

Long Live the Fairy Tales

2009-02-01T12:00:00.002-05:00

We took the kids today to see Hansel and Gretel at a local theater: Elden Street Players. Since our last visit to children's theater--where we saw Harold and the Purple Crayon--had been such a success, I have been looking for other nearby venues for the performing arts. My kids love this stuff.

Now I know fairy tales are a bit controversial these days. Stories like Rapunzel, Snow White, and Little Red Riding Hood have started becoming "B-list" stories. Or probably more like "C-list." Yes, they are dark. There is a lot of good and evil discussed in these stories. Many touch on death, jealousy and greed--all topics we probably wish our kids never had to know about until they are old enough to drive. But my kids are addicted to them. Last year we started reading them. Then we moved on to reading Greek myths and then reading Bible stories. You know what? They all talk about death, jealousy and greed as well. So what's the difference between today's children's stories and the ones that have been retold for generations. Today's fairy tales gloss over "good and bad." Things used to be very black and white in stories--witches, evil sorcerer, stepmothers. You can always find the good guy and the bad guy. Today's stories are a bit more ambiguous and there's a whole bunch of gray. Is that bad? I'm not sure what the answer is.

So I actually was a bit surprised with the production we saw today. Hansel and Gretel is a true-to-form Grimm's fairy tale and one that often raises eyebrows. But the production was great. They added in a few things to modernize it and liven it up a bit for the kiddies, but generally the meat was there. I was glad to still see the evil stepmother and the witch, who came off as the star of the production. And the audience cheered when she was finally pushed into the oven at the end.

If you live in outskirts of Northern Virginia and are looking for a great local production, this is one! Because it's children's theater it's completely kid friendly. (It's only a one-hour production.) One mom sat nursing her youngest in the front row with nary a glance from any other audience member.

The play runs for only a few more weekends and space is limited so order your tickets now.

Shhhh....It's a Secret

2009-01-31T11:35:00.003-05:00

My kids love sweets. Alex more so than Anna. I really blame it on the fact that when I was pregnant with him I indulged in a giant chocolate muffin from Starbucks....everyday. Hey, I was in Qatar. It was hot. I was pregnant and bored in the heat. What else can a girl do, but shove lattes and muffins into her mouth. I digress. So, kids love sweets.

As a treat yesterday, I picked up a small pint of ice cream. We don't keep very many sweets in our house mainly because I will eat them all. After dinner when I brought it out, the kids' eyes nearly popped out. I heard lots of ooing and aahhhing over plain ole' vanilla ice cream. So easy.

So as we're enjoying it, Alex says we should hide it and surprise Daddy. He ponders for a bit and wonders would be a good hiding place. "If we hide it in the freezer, he'll see it." Anna responds by suggesting the cabinet ABOVE the freezer because he never looks there. "No," Alex explains. "It will melt there."

Everyone thinks for a bit. Anna suggests perhaps the North Pole would be a great place. Alex agrees that this is the perfect place because surely Santa needs a snack by now. Anna begins to illustrate how it will go (as Anna always does). "We'll put the ice cream in the car. Driiiiiive it up there and give it to Santa. He'll say, 'Oh thank you thank you.' We'll tell him we're only storing it as a surprise for Daddy."

Both kids agree this is a great solution. But then I suggest it would be easier to just walk over to Safeway to get some more rather than drive back up to the North Pole to pick up ours. The room is quiet for a while. Alex shrugs his shoulders and says, "Then I guess the freezer is really the best place. We'll just not tell Daddy and when he opens it up he'll say, 'Wow! Ice cream!' Then it will be surprise."

Good thinking. And that's just what we did.

My Patriotic Girl

2009-01-26T20:04:00.006-05:00

I had to share this. They teach them this at school. I love it. No, I did NOT choreograph the balloon send off.

The Angst Continues

2009-01-22T20:05:00.008-05:00

We have an emotional household. Before children, it was me. Hey, I can fess up and admit that I am a HUGE drama queen about...everything. Enter children. Suddenly my drama means nothing to anyone anymore so now the kids drama trumps mine and rightly so.

Tonight as I'm speeding about to get kids in bed after a day of listening to Anna cough and choke (damn cold), I hear Alex weeping. I walk in and he's not just upset, but clearly processing something in his mind.

Mom: What's the matter, baby?
Alex: I'm so afraid that Froggy might end up under the pillow in the middle of the night. [sob] And if he does [sob] I'm so afraid that the blanket fairy will come and take him and leave me a big boy gift.
Mom: Do you want the blanket fairy to take Froggy and leave you a big boy gift?
Alex: [Weeping] Nooooooooooo. But I'm afraid that might happen. What if she thinks he's there for that reason.
Mom: Where did you get such an idea?
Alex: From that book Owen. [Damn kids books!]
Mom: OK, the blanket fairy doesn't come unless we write her a letter. So as long as we don't, Froggy stays with us.
Alex: He can stay forever?
Mom: Yes, forever. How old is Mommy?
Alex: Old. [Nice.]
Mom: Does Mommy still have a lovey?
Alex: Yes.
Mom: Ok, then we're OK. Froggy can stay with us until you're 25 if you want...or even as old as Mommy. If you ever decide you want the blanket fairy to come and leave you a present, let me know.
Alex: I only want Santa to leave presents.
Anna: [from the other room] What about the tooth fairy??
Alex: She only leaves money!

His sobbing finally stopped when we agreed that Froggy would follow him wherever. I did explain that the thumb sucking would need to end, but that Froggy could indeed stay.

Ski Trip Success

2009-01-21T19:48:00.004-05:00

We had a blast! Apparently not skiing in 20 years (man, that makes me feel old) doesn't mean anything. They say it's like riding a bike. I was swooshing down the slopes by the end of the first day.

I cannot say enough good things about Liberty Ski Resort. What a wonderful family-friendly place. Alex was part of a three-hour ski camp. He finished up begging for more and asked if we could do it again soon. I loved watching him come down the hill without the poles....and not falling. He was such a little man. We knew Anna wouldn't last long so we switched out their boots/skis for a bit so she had the experience of being on the skis. Of course, that caused a whole meltdown from Alex because it meant he had to share his skis--God forbid!

The only down point was that all four of us were in the same room and Anna really, really snores. Plus, 8:30 is too early to go to bed.

Great trip for us all and I can't wait to go back.

Ski Weekend, Sort Of

2009-01-19T08:55:00.001-05:00

To escape the crazies from the Innaugaration the next few days, our family decided to take a trip. We're giving skiing a try. Yep, all four of us are going to try skiing. And who has done this before? I am the only one of the four of us who knows how to ski. And when did I ski last? When I was 14. I was spending too much pining over a boy at that time so I'm not sure I even retained much of what I learned at ski school.

But part of our New Year's resolutions (at least mine for hubsand's anyway) was to be more fun and be spontaneous. Look at us!

Will let you know how we fare.

Kids with Cameras:

2009-01-16T20:21:00.001-05:00

When our latest Netflix movie arrived, I told my husband the movie was for me. He asked, "Is it about Afghanistan or India?" Apparently I've been type casted. Yes it's true. I love foreign movies. So much of Bollywood that I'm starting to know some of the actors and the song. How sad is that?

Latest movie rec: "Born into Brothels"

If you haven't seen this, I recommend it to everyone. It's a documentary about a photographer who goes to Calcutta to photograph the red light district. Instead she finds another world in the children who live there. She befriends them and begins teaching them photography. And through their eyes, you discover their world. They take beautiful and very moving photographs which she later sells back in the U.S. at Sothebys to raise money....for them to go attend school. Great movie!

Sock Fuzz is Gross

2009-01-15T19:37:00.003-05:00

I’ve really been lacking in good blogging material lately. You’d think with preschoolers I’d always have something witty to say, but lately even their super cute and adorable antics seem mundane to me. I’m always jealous of people who have funny or strange encounters and recently I was hoping that could be me. I realized it’s because I haven’t been venturing out much lately.

My world consists of home, preschool car line, Target, the gym, soccer practice and ballet. That’s it. Stick with me here….I swear I’m getting to the funny part. So part of my first week of the new year was to start scheduling appointments for all the things I’d put off doing late last year and one of them was a trip to the podiatrist.

I have been having a foot issue since right after Alex was born. And that’s been 4 ½ years. I’ll leave it at that because you don’t want to be bored with my foot problems.

So, made appointment with foot doctor. Showed up today and realized my manicure was waning. Yep, feet looked pretty gross. But I figured this guy looks at nasty feet all day. At least mine were clean. Or so I thought. The nurse tells me to take off my shoes and shocks. As I do, I pick off a piece of sock fuzz from my black socks. Blah, blah, blah….she asks me a bunch of questions. I answer and then sit back to read my book and drink my coffee. Hey, this is like vacation for me. Feet up and a great book and Starbucks. Woo hoo!

The doctor walks in and introduces himself by his first name. Already liking that. I hate doctors who act all high and mighty. So he asks me a bunch of questions and as I reach down to point to my toe, I look and see the bottom of my foot is all covered in black fuzz. A lot. Eeeeewwwww. I gasp. “Oh my God, I’m so sorry. How gross is that? It’s like going to the dentist and not brushing your teeth or having bad breath.” He laughs and reminds me that he does look at feet all day and not to worry. Then he holds out his hand so I could give him the fuzz to throw away--the very sock fuzz I just scraped off my feet. Gross.

I say to him: I'm sorry. I can't just give you this sock fuzz that was on my foot. That's kind of gross.

He says: I'm about to touch your feet anyway. You look pretty clean so pass it on over since the trash can is right here.

So I pass it over anyway thinking I have no where to throw it out. I go on to explain that this is totally blogworthy and he needs to be careful because this will probably show up on my blog later. His next response, “What’s a blog?” For real? I explain it and we laugh. But he keeps coming back to the blogging.

The friendly banter continues. Next thing I know he's my new best friend....asking me about the book I'm reading and more about the blog. So he looks it up right there and then tells me he's a Baby Buncher since he's the dad of 19-month old twins. Ooooo....maybe I have new fan!

And now I have super cool inserts that massage my feet quite nicely.

Four-Year Old Angst

2009-01-14T20:52:00.003-05:00

My son told me the other day he sleeps with his eyes open. When I asked him why he told me this, "Because I'm worried about robbers coming into the house." What???

Apparently he's concerned that robbers might come in. To steal money. And bring a gun. So because of this he's going to "sleep with his eyes open."

When I digged a little deeper on this, he explained further that he's afraid that we won't look a door, someone will come in and he's going to stop him before he comes upstairs.

I now make sure the door is extra locked everynight. But where would he get this from?

Her Cute Pooch

2009-01-12T14:03:00.002-05:00

I'm over at DC Metro Moms today talking about my daughter's belly....and how cute it still is.

Ahhhhh....Beauty Spa

2009-01-11T17:02:00.004-05:00

We've become big fans of the Fancy Nancy books. Even my son loves to read them. So in the latest book we own, Fancy Nancy stay in a hotel and plays beauty spa. My daughter LOVED this idea. So last night we got out all the tools and played beauty spa.

Here are our Beauty Spa rules:

1. Beauty spa always starts with a bubble bath. And bubble bath we did. No toys. Just bubbles and our individual beverages. Because rule #2 is you always have some kind of beverage in your hand.

2. Beverage required, preferrable with ice.

3. No boys allowed. OK, we finally allowed Alex to come in for the face mask part.

4. Part of beauty spa means smelling. So each product--face mask, soap lotion, bubbles have to be smelt as well. And you have to close your eyes and say "Ahhhhhhhhh."

5. Coming out of the bath means you need a bathrobe. No rushing to get dressed.

6. Lastly, you have to keep saying "Ahhhhhhh....beauty spa." And then giggle.

So together we took a bubble bath, put on a face mask, lotioned up, buffed toenails and painted them super red.

It was a fun girly activity for a dreary day.

I Just Don't Get the Wii

2009-01-10T11:40:00.001-05:00

So the Wii FIT thing is popular this year. I feel like I’m back in high school because EVERYBODY is getting one—except me. But I feel like the only person who doesn’t want one.

Here’s my philosophy on working out. I love it. I’m not skinny or super fit, but I love working out. I love to be around other people and be motivated by what I see. I want to have variety in my workout routine—pilates, yoga, cardio classes, running, biking, etc. Part of working out, for me, is getting out of the house.

But I just am not getting the whole Wii thing. Please fill me in. Educate me. To me, it just seems like another at-home workout--similar to a workout DVD. Granted I know you can track your progress and compare scores with other people in your house, but it's still very limiting. And after reading more about it online, it really looks like much of what you do, you could do on your own without the Wii or at a gym.

So, what's the scoop. Why do you use it?

New Year's Resolutions

2009-01-09T11:48:00.001-05:00

I guess I need to do the token New Year's post. I typically do not make resolutions because I don't keep them. It's just easier that way. I tend to not follow through on lots of things, as a general rule.

But this year I want to focus on a few things:

1) I want to become more organized. Our teeny house is growing tinier everyday it feels. So we've taken measures before the new year to sort and purge. I want to continue on with this.

2) I want to continue with my current workout schedule. I'm managing the gym 4-5 times a week. I want to continue with this because it is making me feel great and less stressed.

3) I want to spend more one-on-one time with my kids and more quality time with my husband.

4) I need to get my resume ready. It's time to head back to work.

It's That Time Again: Preschool Admissions

2009-01-08T07:32:00.002-05:00

On Monday I started getting my things in order for the new year: doctor's appointment, dentist appointment, signing Anna up for ballet and getting all my preschool application deadlines on the calendar. It's hard to think of the new school year when we just got started on this one.

This blog was super busy this time last year with my preschool application journey series. So where am I this year? Well, Alex starts kindergarten so that's one less factor to consider. This year I'm not going to have to coordinate his schedule with hers since he'll be in school all day, everyday. Crazy!

With Anna, I'm looking for a program that is five days a week, preferably in the afternoon since she's not really napping much anymore anyway. I have two schools in mind to switch her to and will use our current school as back up--IF I can get a certain teacher.

The good thing is I know both the schools and have visited them already so that should cut down on my time. I just need to get the deadlines in order and the applications filled out.

More to come.....

Focus Kids Focus

2008-12-23T19:03:00.002-05:00

I love Christmas. I love the season. But my kids are so wired that I'm seriously about to lose my mind. Really. Every year I swear I'm going to decorate the tree the day before Christmas the way my German ancestors did. But do I? No. So now we've had 23 days of Christmas and I'm exhausted. And worn out. But I'm not ready for it to be over because then it's just January and February. It's still cold and dark and there are no lights and nothing to look forward to.

My kids were like crazy mad people today at Barnes and Noble. (OK, my fault for making this an activity.) They are crazy about going to grandmas. Crazy about presents. Crazy about candy. Just crazy.

I think I need a Silent Night and I need to let my 'heart be light.' Focus mom, focus.

Christmas Letters....It's Like We've Just Caught Up

2008-12-16T13:13:00.003-05:00

I love getting Christmas letters with my Christmas cards. My favorite one is usually from my friend Nicola who lives in Kuala Lumpar. I can actually hear her voice, Scotish accent and all, while I read it. Even if it's someone I talk to regularly, I love to hear what they deemed worthy of noting from the year. But mostly I love them because I feel like I just had a conversation with the person.

However, this year, I didn't follow my heart. After trying to write a pretty boring letter and staring at it for almost a week I went to print and had no decent paper. After making a stop for the paper, I came home to print 20 of them when my printer cartridge ran out. Super fun. So in an effort to be green about this, I sent the letters to people I know don't read this blog very often or who I don't talk to regularly (mom, that's why you didn't get one).

But after the cards went out, I felt bad that I didn't include the letter because I love reading other people's. So here it is in case you missed it this year:

Even though we’ve been home for two years already, in Linda’s mind “we’ve just returned from overseas.” Seems strange to us to be in one place with no signs of moving.

This year passed generally uneventfully for us, which was a pleasant change. We stayed in the same house, the children stayed in the same school, we stayed in the same jobs, our cars didn’t change, no new additions to the family—man or beast. And the year flew by quicker than we’d like to admit.

Alex will be five in March and it hardly seems possible that he’ll be in kindergarten next year. He’s is working on basic addition and subtraction, can count upwards to 100 and backwards from 20, and knows his letters cold. If you want him to sing ABCs backwards or skipping letters, he can do it. He’s starting to read a bit and usually spends his days playing with his sister. He has started a soccer/basketball class this winter, and it’s hysterical to watch preschoolers pass and dribble, not to mention do jumping jacks.

Anna is learning to write and loves it. She will start ballet next year—at her request. Everything is princess with her all the time, and she’s very much into twirling and prancing about when she’s not taking on her brother. She is quite a force to be reckoned with—as in force of nature—and we’re really glad she’s so cute. She and Alex are really best buddies. Both are about the strongest kids you’ve ever seen and totally live for the monkey bars.

Andrew has been on the road this year. Hard to believe in 12 months he’s been to: China, Russia, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Mexico, Canada, Greece, Italy, Austria, Belgium, India, Afghanistan, Honduras and El Salvador. He’s hoping his job doesn’t change too much with the new political map of the Senate.

Linda is still “at home” with the kids but working on many projects on the side. Her book Baby Bunching went to 20 publishing houses in the beginning of the year. And while the response from the editors was positive, there was no sale. She and her coauthor launched a website to help sell the idea: www.babybunching.com. The traffic for this site has been amazing. She sold her first two articles to Washington Parent Magazine and is writing for three blogs to keep up her writing.

All in all it was a peaceful year. We’re so thankful for the blessing we’ve been given. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you and your family.

Linda, Andrew, Alex and Anna

The Sun Will Come Out Tomorrow

2008-12-12T13:37:00.007-05:00

So yesterday was a bit rough for the Kerr trio--not nearly as bad as falling down the stairs,though. But since my day had started at 4 a.m. with coughing (it could have been vomitting so I should be thankful for small blessings) and no one took a nap, by about 3 p.m. I was spent!

We attempted the mall. I'm not sure, in retrospect, if I was drinking at the time I made that decision, but we did it anyway. It was next to Alex's soccer class, and I had promised the kids we'd go buy a gift for a child in need. No good deed goes unpunished, eh? Actually it wasn't all that bad....just chaotic. The pouring rain didn't help either.

After managing Anna during Alex's soccer class and arriving home to await the Chinese delivery man, I sprinted up to our door to unlock it so the kids could make a run in the rain for the house.

I stopped. In the rain. And stood there for a bit. All I heard was silence. (Ok, there was the sound of the rain and muffled screams from inside the car.) But it was quiet. For a moment I thought about just hanging out in the rain a little long. Perhaps grab a glass of wine while they play in the car. Hmmmmmm....child protective services might frown on that.

It was a struggle to the bedtime, but the upside to kids not taking a nap is that they go to bed at 7:30 and are snoring within 3 minutes.

Today you ask? We had 2 time outs for both kids before 8 a.m. Thank God, Daddy comes home today.

Starbucks Can Heal

2008-12-11T10:13:00.002-05:00

Rough night last night. My son didn't go to bed until 10 p.m. due to a rest time when he actually napped. My daughter, who is sick, woke up at 4 a.m. and never really went back because of her cough. Hubby is out of town and it's raining.

My friend suggested I stop by Starbucks to get a Peppermint Mocha. And yes, it is possible that coffee, chocolate and mint can mend the spirit.

Can a Room Makeover, Makeover My Son?

2008-12-09T20:42:00.003-05:00

The answer to this question seems to be 'yes.' This past weekend after Alex's dresser finally broke after a few years of Gorilla Glue....we got it free from a friend so I can't complain....we decided to upgrade him to a real wood dresser. I won't go through the very long story about how the new dresser came to be, although I will interject that I got a new piece of dining room furniture out the of gig as well. Anyway, we reorganized his room in the process. Moved the bed. Took off the closet doors. Added a new/used giant dresser. Added some new bins for toys. Got rid of the old ones. Purged and organized. But in the process of upgrading to the big boy room he seemed to grow up a little as well.

I first noticed it Monday morning when a spontaneous visitor gave him the opportunity to not only give the full tour of his "new room," but share his toys and give one away as a parting gift.

Then I found him upstairs (three days now) making his own bed without anyone asking him to. I also have noticed him retreating to his room to clean it up and organize, only to take it all out again and play. Every morning he comes down dressed for the day and tonight he was actually picking out his clothes.

Is it any wonder that this new room layout wouldn't lead me think that my soon has also be reorganized?

Kids Finally Get It

2008-12-07T18:41:00.004-05:00

Sorry that I've been MIA for a few days. This whole Advent activity thing has taken more time than I thought. So far this past week we've made paper snowflakes, made a paper chain (in red and green), learned some Christmas carols, drank hot chocolate, decorated the house, attended a live Nativity, made cookies for friends and celebrated St. Nicholas Day. Every afternoon has been dedicated to this type of activity. And boy am I exhausted! I don't know how preschool teachers do it!!!

But the strange and wonderful thing is how much the kids seem to be getting out of it all. They really seem to be into this year....compared to last year or even the past years where they were just in the way while I was trying to get things done. And I've even managed to add a few "chores" into the Advent calendar. I told Alex we needed to organize his room and he wanted to know what day of Advent that was. Clever little man.

But it's definitely fair to say my kids are fully into this year. They are acting out Santa. They have a stuffed Santa and they bring all the stuffed animals up to it and each animal takes turns asking for what they want. Then they move onto the tree. Pretending to be surprised by what's under there. And if that's not enough, they've taken to playing out Mary and Joseph with Anna in her Pippi costume. So I'm pretty sure that my kids are ready for Christmas.

To Tree or Not To Tree

2008-12-03T06:43:00.001-05:00

This question has come up in some form or fashion every year--for as long as I can remember. What is the Christmas tree and its significance? The reason I bring this up before Thanksgiving is because my recent issue of Wondertime magazine made me rethink this all over again.

Bringing an evergreen indoors during the winter (solstice) dates back before Christianity. It goes back to the early Egyptians and then Romans and somewhere along the way the Christians swooped it up and stamped their name on this tradition.

So as I read through this Wondertime article where one husband tried to convince his Jewish wife that a Christmas tree, without Nativity scenes, would be OK for their family. Apparently Wondertime magazine has gotten some flack for this article. Although I haven't seen and/or heard what it is.

Let me be totally honest here. Christmas trees rock. Winter is dark and gray and boring. Christmas trees are the total opposite of that. And let me tell you unless you've really lived in a totally dark and dreary place in the middle of winter (ahem, Sweden) you don't know what it really means to have some kind of winter celebration and bring some kind of life into the house.

Even in the sunny desert of Qatar, I used to watch the abaya-clad women buying up the Christmas decorations and picking out small trees the minute they were displayed in the stores. Think some Muslims in the Middle East aren't all over this? Yes, they were! If you asked them why, they would answer, "Because it's beautiful to have in your home. Why wouldn't you?"

And why wouldn't you?

Shameless Self Promotion

2008-12-02T08:07:00.002-05:00

I've been busy lately and that's despite the holidays. Check out my post over here at Tea Blogs and my post over at DC Metro Moms.

The other fun news is that Baby Bunching was featured on BabyCenter a few weeks back thanks to my friend Kim (fellow Longhorn and DC Metro Mom). I couldn't believe it when I logged on the other day and found the story linked to the homepage. And it has been one of the most popular posts Momformation stories. Yay!

Advent Calendar To Dos

2008-12-01T12:36:00.001-05:00

My family is very familiar with the Advent calendar -- especially the ones with chocolate in them. Each day a new door with a different piece of chocolate. This year we're trying something new. I want the kids to know this season is about doing things. So for each day they open a door we'll have a Christmas activity to do together:

Make a gingerbread house
Make Christmas cookies for a friend
Sing some traditional Christmas carols
Read a Christmas classic
Do something nice for someone we don’t know
Look at Christmas lights
Bring food to someone who needs it.
Decorate the house with decorations
Decorate the Christmas tree
Go see The Nutcracker
Attend a Christmas event
Make popcorn garland.
Read the Christmas story.
Make hot chocolate.
Celebrate St. Nicholas Day (Dec. 6)
Celebrate St. Lucia Day (Dec. 13)
Make paper snowflakes and decorate the windows
Go ice skating
Watch a Christmas movie
Unwrap/open a present
Make a paper chain
Hang lights up in the house
Family game night
Buy a toy for a child who doesn’t have one.

Family Promotion: My Little Brother Rocks

2008-11-30T20:42:00.003-05:00

I don't talk about my family much on this blog. My first family, I mean...you know my mom, dad and brother. I do have a first family. There just never seems to be a reason to go into much. But today my brother finally launched his website. He's a big famous designer in NYC. That's right...he's a big shot.

I remember the year he had his holiday card in the MOMA shop and he barely had graduated from college.

So here's his new website. He's so artsy that the screen that comes up is a splash screen so you have to click one more time to get the actual goods. It's art. Go with it.

And not that you're really needing his services, I'm just trying to brag a little...oh, one of his clients is the Justin Timberlake clothing design people--William Rast. I don't know if he's actually met Justin though. You'll find his designs on the banner of Baby Bunching. In summary, I'm just telling you I think my little brother rocks.

We're Thankful For . . .

2008-11-26T18:18:00.008-05:00

I'm not having Thanksgiving at my house this year. As much as I tried to cajole people into coming here so we wouldn't have to go there, I did not win. So I only had to make sweet potatoes, pumpkin bread and the most fabulous Mac and Cheese ever.

And this afternoon, in an attempt to pass time, we decided to make paper chains in Thanksgivingy colors. On each link we had to write something we were thankful for. Here is our combined list in the time that was allotted (read: the time my kids would sit for this activity):

My family
My mommy
Gigi + Pop pop
Macaroni and Cheese
Froggy
The Hunchback of Notre Dame
Alex
Anna
Daddy
Mom, Dad and David
My husband
Grandma and Papa
Grandma Heasty
Trees
Workbooks
Pink bear
Food on our table
Good health

How Cold is Your House

2008-11-24T13:39:00.003-05:00

This is an ongoing debate in my house...one that has picked up since we had kids. Every winter, the hubby and I, agressively discuss how cold/hot the house should be. He would prefer no heat at all. I have to hear the story every time about how he had no heat and A/C growing up in Texas. It's like listening to "back in my day....." So we DO have heat and A/C and I don't like it hot, but I don't like to freeze.

We thought we might remedy this situation by getting new windows. Nope, that's not going to happen. So our house remains freezing, especially the kids room which are drafty and don't get sun at all during the winter days.

How cold is your house in the winter?

Moms Take Charge

2008-11-18T20:10:00.004-05:00

In case you missed all the hoopla earlier this week in mommy blogging land, I'll catch you up. Motrin ran a commercial on the web and various other venues about pain and babywearing. You can catch up on the details over at Baby Bunching.

What I love about mommy bloggers is their power to take charge. Within a 48-hour period, a few influential mom bloggers twittered away at their digust for this ad and they had a Fortune 100 company (Johnson & Johnson) at their feet. And sure enough, their site was down and so was the ad.

I am proud to be writing with these powerful women. Look they were even mentioned in Advertising Age. I'm curious about your take on the ad as well.

Santa, Won't you Bring Me...

2008-11-18T20:03:00.001-05:00

I love imagination. I especially love it when I'm trying to find out what my kids want for Christmas. So last night I loved overhearing the kids playing "Christmas" and finding out what they hoped for from Santa.

Alex: Rescue Heroes

Anna: A girl Incredible Hulk and A Princess.

Kid in the Box

2008-11-17T15:33:00.004-05:00

This picture is confusing...especially for a kid. While cleaning up my house today and talking on the phone, my kids were happily playing Thomas the Train. I turned around to check on them because they were quiet. Alex was inside the rubbermaid tub. The top was on. Anna was sitting on top. I immediately pulled her off. Opened it and pulled him out. Rule #275 is you may NOT get inside tubs and put the lid on. Alex explained that he got the idea from the picture that was on the box.

All Things Phyllo

2008-11-14T18:56:00.002-05:00

I have recovered and worked off the 2 pounds of butter I'm sure I digested yesterday at our mom's group cooking club. The theme: phyllo and pastry. Yep, everything brought was wrapped in or sat in yummy crispy phyllo sheets + much much butter. Luckily, my workout this morning easily burned off about 800 of those calories. Whew.....who can resist an entire buffet of puffed pastry and all the yummies inside of it.

Therapy?

2008-11-13T11:34:00.002-05:00

So those of you who are regular readers probably know about my daughter's "spunky" attitude. Never a dull moment in this house. She's creative in her own way. But there is always drama. It's a good thing she's super cute!

We've had a good week. Even with my husband away, things have been good. The kids have been sleeping well and everyone's had the right attitude. I'm prefacing my story with this so you can see I have done my best here to foster a loving home for my kids. :-)

Monday--We're coming home from school. The kids are yammering in the back and start to argue. I ignore it since we're very close to home. Next thing I know, Anna hits Alex with a book. I turn around and his lip is bleeding. We pull over. I snap at Anna and get out and go give Alex a cuddle. As I'm doing this Anna starts to scream and cry. I ignore her some more. After he's going better, I get back into the car to drive home. She bawls the whole way saying her lip hurts. She's in pain. I'm was pretty sure she was faking it, but told her I'd take a look when we got home. Sure enough when we arrived home, she forget about her "pain" and ran into the house without another mention of it. Note to self: Doesn't like when Alex gets sympathy.

This morning--I'm downstairs putting a load of laundry in. I hear screaming upstairs. Apparently, according to sources, Anna pushed Alex into the wall. Again, gave Alex cuddles to make him feel better. Anna threw herself on the floor then got up and stormed into her room. Moments later I hear screaming. She had burned her hand on her light. Yeah, that's right. After she settled down, and I got the story, she told me she was angry and went into her room to shake the little light on her nightstand and it fell. She reached down to pick it up and burned her hand on the light bulb.

What am I to make of this? I foresee therapy in our future...her? me? I'm not sure. But this kind of worries me. Any thoughts?

They Love the News

2008-11-11T08:38:00.000-05:00

We were listening to NPR this morning. I try desperately to get in a little news as we're driving to school. Usually my kids start barking orders the minute we get into the car: "We want kids!" (Translation: We want kids MUSIC.) I'm just not up for Steve Songs, Wiggles or Laurie Berkner at 8:30 many mornings. I just want to continue my news feast in the car. Usually I lose. But this morning I begged since I didn't get a chance to read the baby.

As I listened to the news, this is what I hear from the backseat:

"Chickens, no way!"
"Roosters. Wow, the news is about roosters."
"Barak Obama. I know him. He's going to live in the White House."
"Children? Cool."
"Afghanistan. Daddy went there."
"Turkey. We eat that at Thanksgiving."
"Gym (they meant Jim). Mommy we go to the gym."

Funny that I never really heard the news.

Kids are Smart

2008-11-10T20:33:00.002-05:00

As we're driving by the shopping center near our house yesterday, both my kids noticed the Christmas decorations hanging from the light posts and the mini Christmas trees. Both of them remarked....seperate of each other....that it is not Christmas yet and the decorations are silly.

I agree.

Election Conversations

2008-11-04T13:54:00.003-05:00

Since my kids are only 4 and 3, there isn't a lot of politics that my kids would really understand. They know Daddy works at the Capitol building and that's about it.

Last night in the bathtub, Alex asked why he didn't have school today. I explained it was because today was a holiday for the schools. He wanted to know first if that meant he got presents or candy for the holiday. No, no, no, only a new president. So we talked about what the president does and where he lives and how it's very important for us to pick a new one. We've recently read this book Otto for President so he gets the general idea.

He then went on to ask if he could be president. It's every mom's dream, I'm sure to have their child ask that question. "Sure," I told him. "I'd love for you to be president." I asked him what he'd do as president.

"If I were president I would fly around like a superhero. Then I would save all people from sharks." He had a very detailed plan involving a helicopter for how he'd go about doing this. "Then I would save people from wars." Andrew tells him he has a great platform, and we're sure he'd get elected on the shark idea alone. No one wants to be eaten by sharks.

He thinks for a bit and then decides being president wouldn't be so great after all. Why, I asked him. "Mommy, if I were president, I would miss you so much--saving people from sharks. I want to live forever in this white house." You just gotta love kids.

Decision Final

2008-11-04T12:48:00.003-05:00

I'm over at DC Metro Moms today about my decision on who to vote for and why. If you feel the need to spout off about it, please do it over there.

Undecided Me, Finally Decided

2008-11-03T20:41:00.004-05:00

It's official, folks. I finally decided TODAY who I will vote for. No thanks to the CNN schmo this morning who said if people were still undecided they should to have their head readjusted or something stupid like that. Yeah...why am I undecided? Because I really dislike both candidates. A lot. And after deliberating for months and months, my decision was clarified, of all things, by this Time Magazine article, "How Obama and McCain Would Lead".

I know many of you are curious about who the lucky candidate will be. I know many of you have been working on me for months. I will let you know tomorrow morning when I make my final decision.

TSA Sucks!

2008-11-02T20:04:00.004-05:00

I hate TSA. I especially hope someone at TSA is reading this. I consider myself a fairly experienced traveler, compared to the average American. I'm not one of those travel-every-week business travelers, but I've done my fair share of it.

So Saturday morning when I arrived in plenty of time for my flight to Atlanta, with everything properly packed for my TSA security screening, I was confident. All my liquids were properly packed in the see-thru plastic bag and sent on through the x-ray machine, followed by my coat, shoes, belt, purse and suitcase.

As I pass through the metal detector, the TSA x-ray lady holds up a bottle of my shampoo container and asks whose it is. And so goes the conversation:

Stupid TSA lady: You can't take this on!
Me: Why not? It's 1 oz of shampoo.
Stupid TSA lady: It may be, but it's in a 4 oz container. The rule is 3 ounces. (She has clearly missed the whole big picture of WHY they have this rule. It's not the damn container it's the liquid amount.)
Me: It's only 1 oz of shampoo. Can you see the measurement on the side? 1 oz.
Stupid TSA lady: But it has to be in a 3 oz container.
Me: Why?
Stupid TSA lady: Because it does.
Me: But it's only 1 oz of shampoo. I've gone back and forth with it at least 3 times now.
Stupid TSA lady: And these two bottles are also 4 oz. containers.
Me: But they ALSO only have 1 oz. of conditioner and hair gel. I purposely took them out of the 16 oz bottles and but them in these smaller containers....1 oz each.
Stupid TSA lady: They have to be 3 oz. I suggest you go back and check your bags.
Me: Why? So I can pay $15 for my bag that you all will probably lose anyway over 1 oz of shampoo. No thank you. Oh, and why can't I bring this one? It's smaller than this 4 oz bottle.
Stupid TSA lady: Because it's not marked.
Me: Marked for what?
Stupid TSA lady: It has to say 3 oz on the container. (I guess I had that one coming.) I would check your bag.
Me: No, I'm checking my bag. This is stupid.
Stupid TSA lady: So what are you going to do?
Me: (thinking all kinds of mean thoughts) I'm going to Atlanta without my shampoo. I hope you enjoy it. It's expensive stuff.

I really hate government workers who don't see the forest for the trees.

Gone to Atlanta

2008-11-01T20:02:00.000-04:00

This weekend I am in Atlanta visiting my best friend Cara and her now three kids....all under the age of 5. It's vacation for me since none of those kids are mine.

Happy Halloween!

2008-10-31T10:00:00.001-04:00

This post is for the mainly for me. You can read it if you like. But Halloween has really been developing for us as a family. Let me start out by saying that pre-kids I hated Halloween. I thought it was a silly holiday only meant for kids…which it really is. Except the year my husband and I went as a double shot of scotch. We were both wearing kilts and carried big syringes I made from paper towel rolls. I love that one….. ha!

Anyway, I digress. So Halloween was never one of my big holidays. Enter Alex. For his first Halloween, he was dressed up as a pumpkin in an outfit WAY too hot for Qatar in October. I don’t even think we did trick or treating. It wasn’t popular in our small no kid compound. So I had a baby Halloween party at my house. Alex was seven months….I had just found out I was pregnant.

The next Halloween we were in Sweden. In fact, we had just received our crate of belongings and luckily my mom had sent us some Halloween costumes because I could barely get out for groceries let alone to get Halloween costumes done. I did manage a pumpkin carving while Andrew was at work and we trick or treated at the only house on the street that was decorated for it. Ironically it was a Swede who loved Halloween. Who knew?

Our first Halloween back in the States was a bit rocky. We had just moved in and started getting settled. Alex asked to be a giraffe and I couldn’t find a costume. So began my trend at making costumes without the sewing. We went to about four houses and called it a night.

Last year when my kids were 3 ½ and 2, it finally started getting fun. They loved the idea of pumpkin carving and couldn’t wait for the fun to begin. Once again they requested costumes, or at least Anna did, that were hard to find. After working for a few weeks on making a caterpillar costume, I fell in love with the idea of trying to create without sewing. They loved walking the neighborhood in the dark and hanging out at home eating candy was just about as fun as going door-to-door.

And here we are at this…..Halloween may be becoming one my most favorite holidays.

The Details of Halloween Candy

2008-10-30T19:21:00.005-04:00

Halloween candy. It should be so simple. You buy. You give it out. You sneak a few here and there. But Halloween candy seems to be complicated these days and even have its own politics.

When do you buy your candy? The day before or two weeks before?

What do you buy? The good stuff everyone likes or Smarties (gag)?

Where do you store it? In plain view or do you hide it from the kids and the spouse?

How much do you buy? Enough for leftovers?

Do you hand each kid one or let them become greedy by digging in for two fistfuls?

See, it’s not so easy. As I sit here sneaking in the “good candy” (aka Hershey’s Miniatures and Reese Peanut Butter Cups) that my family hasn’t discovered I bought yet, I’ll give you a little tour of my candy politics.

Before I had kids, I bought candy WAY before Halloween. It used to call to me from the Halloween aisle. Buy me. I’m a good price. I may not be here next week. Then I had kids and discovered the candy was gone by Halloween and I was five pounds fatter. And, true to American consumerism practices, Halloween candy is still at Target on Halloween only 50% off because the Christmas stuff is going up next!

So when you’re buying candy, do you buy the good stuff that you can eat afterwards if there’s leftovers that says “I’m a nice neighbor who gives yummy treats.” Or do you buy the really cheap bags of gross candy that any kid would still enjoy in mid-November. Well, I opt for a mix. Mostly junky candy and a few bags of the good stuff for the people I like. How’s that for selective candy distribution.

I make sure to buy just about what I think will be given out. Last year we ran out, so this year I bought about the same. Because Murphy’s Law says that if I bought more, no one would come. This way if kids keep coming, I’ll just shut off the light and risk having my house egged. (Do people do that anymore?)

The candy is usually stored on the top shelf somewhere. But I hear stories about how my husband managed to climb up to the top of a similar shelf one morning and help himself. This year, since I bought the candy late, I risked putting it on our super cool Halloween tin and no one—but me—has touched it.

Oh, and as for handing out or letting kids dig in…I give kid each one piece. Really, must I help support the expanding level of greed of kids these days. Some will tell me they’re allergic to peanuts and ask to pick out something….this I allow. But otherwise, I’m quite turned off by those who come in double fisting it for sweets. [She says as she takes the last bite of candy.]

Giveaway over at Baby Bunching

2008-10-30T12:20:00.002-04:00

I'm giving away a CD set over at Baby Bunching this week. All you have to is leave a comment about your child's favorite song. The contest runs until next week.

Monkeys in Character

2008-10-29T13:15:00.006-04:00

So the costumes have been a hit! Anna's more than Alex's...yet again this year. But I'm sad to hear that people don't know who Pippi Longstocking is. Really? And the reason behind Alex's pirate costume is that Pippi fights off the pirates or at least that's what she tells people. Hence the Pippi/Pirate combo. (We didn't have the braid done yet for this picture.)

Halloween is still two days away, but we've had a good amount of fun in the past week to drag out this holiday. Thursday we went to the Halloween trail. Once again, it was an endearing evening with the kids. I love Halloween when it's simple and just spooky enough to be fun. This weekend our neighborhood had its Halloween playground party. And today the preschool Halloween parties began. The only thing that makes me a little sad is the lack of creativity in Halloween costumes. I know we're busy parents trying to do a million other things, but I found it disappointing that there were only 3 kids....as far as I could see....who didn't have costumes bought right off the rack. I'm not saying moms should be sewing or stitching costumes, but even enhancing them beyond what you get right off the hanger would be nice to see now and then. (I'm sure I'll get flack for that comment.)

My apologies for going off on my soapbox here....but the other reason for this post is to share how Anna really gets into her character. When she's dressed as Pippi, she prefers to be addressed as "Pippi." She will tell you all about her horse and monkey and how she has two friends named Tommy and Annika. She also thinks it's OK to actually BE Pippi. (Meaning: put her feet on the table, climb on things she shouldn't, and try to lift things which are way too heavy.) She also prefers to only address other people in costume by their alias. So on Sunday when I was dressed as a cat, she called me "cat." Today at school, she made sure to address her classmates by "Ariel, Spiderman, Princess, Rabbit, Dog and Batman." She would say, "No, that's not Griffin, that's Batman!" She will never be the one who's not appropriately in character.

A Big Thanks to Shine

2008-10-28T07:16:00.003-04:00

Wow, this was one of the nicest compliments I've gotten this week! Shine is Yahoo's new webgroup just for women. I guess going up and meeting Charlene Prince Birkeland was worth it.

Traveling With Dad

2008-10-26T09:04:00.002-04:00

I'm over at the Tea Collection Blog this week talking about how we try and "travel" with dad while he's away.

My Reentry Into the Grown Up World: Shoes

2008-10-26T08:18:00.000-04:00

So as you know I'm slowly trying to get up my energy to apply for a job. I don't have any childcare yet and don't really know what I want to do, but at least now I have come to terms with the idea that the time has come. There's a lot that has to be done like fixing my resume and perhaps doing a bit of networking. But the one thing I have to work on is my shoe wearing ability. Yes, you heard correctly.

On Friday night I attended a dinner event with the DC Metro Moms, and while talking to someone (yes, she was a friend) I had to actually sit down and take off my boots! They were killing me after only an hour. I'm sure my other blogger friends were wondering why I was grazing the buffet line in only socks!

As a stay-at-home mom now for four and half years and a PR professional, working from home, two years prior to that, I have officially been able to kick the real shoes out of my closet for a grand total of six years now. I own 2 pairs of boots (both which hurt my feet), one pair of pumps (that I've worn for 1 job interview), 1 pair of heeled slingbacks (which I love), 1 pair of strappy heeled sandals that I bought for my brother's wedding and everything else I own is considered "mom."

I love my Dansko clogs, my Timberland tennis shoes, a pair of Sketcher mules and half dozen or so other flat and comfy shoes that I could sprint after a toddler in--even a pair of flip flops I made my husband pick up for me in Dubai. But grown up shoes, fall to the far recesses of my closet. They don't see the light of day very often, and aparently my feet are grateful for that.

Going back to work will mean many things, and one of those will include learning to wear grown up shoes again. My feet are so going to hate this.

Preschool Woes

2008-10-23T20:09:00.004-04:00

My son came home yesterday and told me he was tired of preschool. Of course in the same breath, he said he was tired of going everyday to school (which he doesn't). He informed me he's been at that school for 100 days already and it was time for him to be in kindergarten. I explained that even if he felt he was ready for kindergarten, you had to be five to attend. (And in his case 5 1/2 since he has a March birthday.) And that kindergarten was, indeed, every day.

So he made me a deal. "If I go to preschool all next week, THEN will you let me go to kindergarten?" I'm not sure what's going on here, and I'm hoping to go into the class next week and take a look at what they are doing. But after much protesting from Alex--which is a first for him--I decided to let him take his first "mental health day" home from school. He didn't want to go and I figured I would give him a break. Well, actually I wanted to make him go, but my husband reassured me that he wasn't expected to enter the rat race at age four and missing a day of school wouldn't hurt.

We All Need a Little Purple

2008-10-23T12:19:00.002-04:00

I'm over at Being Savvy: Washington DC today with a mini review on Adventure Theatre's Harold and the Purple Crayon. Make the time to check out this production.

Getting it Together

2008-10-21T20:41:00.002-04:00

I have a good reason for being MIA for almost a week. No, I'm not pregnant! You know which ones of you ask that.

I've been 'away' trying to pull it all together. My fall down the stairs last week began the downward spiral until....today. Minus the BlogHer conference, of course, which just gave me more action items.

My husband returned Wednesday on time and alive. But as one might imagine, returning from Afghanistan brings along some major jet lag. When he's up at 3 a.m. so am I. But I think we're finally back on a regular schedule. Him back also means a little readjustment for everyone back to yet another schedule. Funny how I find my groove while he's gone and it takes just as long to readjust.

There was lots of laundry to be done and cleaning, as well as errands I couldn't do when he was away. So I think we're finally back into a groove. Just in time for him to leave again. Super.

The big thing I'm tackling these days is our food situation. Our grocery bill is out of control. This from a woman who doesn't even keep track. But almost-daily trips to Trader Joe's isn't going to help us save up for a house. So I'm starting the menu plan. Thanks to a neighbor and my workout buddy, I think I'm all set until my enthusiasm wanes from this fad. I am actually writing down a menu for the week. Shopping for those items and FINALLY after so long organizing my recipes. After four days . . . OK, I know it's not that long, I finally feel the pressure is off. If I can just keep it up and make investment on the weekend to set it all up I think that will help with the dinnertime chaos.

So now I'm trying to catch up on blog posts and some writing (ones that actually pay) and move on.

The other news is that I think I'm just about ready to admit that I want to go back to work. I began looking at job postings this week and even with the economy the way it is I feel I need to start putting myself out there. After several different situations with my kids where they asked me to play, but that really meant 'just sit here while we play,' I decided it might be time. So we'll see how that goes.

Race Against the Preschool Clock

2008-10-15T07:30:00.001-04:00

I'm over at DC Metro Moms today talking about trying to get everything done in the three hours my kids are at school.

What I Learned from BlogHer DC

2008-10-14T19:11:00.012-04:00

I'm totally ripping this off of Jodifur. But with some link love, hopefully she won't mind.

I spent all day yesterday at the BlogHer DC conference. I signed up for this conference for several reasons. 1) It was in town. 2) It was a networking opportunity 3) I was trying to promote Baby Bunching 4) I might learn something new. All accomplished so it was a success. Added bonus: 8-hour break from my kids.

But this one-day conference taught me a few things I didn't expect.

1. As someone who used to be tech savvy, it was reinforced that I am indeed technically challenged. In my 20s I never would have thought I would say that. New goal: get caught up!

2. I still don't get Twitter. But I'm trying. Come follow me as "babybuncher."

3. I really want an Iphone.

4. I want to blog for a living. It's a perfect mesh of my skills--journalist, PR/marketing, ranting about random things. Will someone pay me to do this, please?

5. DC Metro Moms are a fun bunch.

6. I have lost all ability to small talk. Several times I said things to people I know, and many I don't know, and I wish I could have stuck my foot in my mouth. I really must work on this. I am apologizing to Devra, Amiee, Diana, and Stacy for random stupid things I said.

7. I think I may be ready to go back to work, but only after I get back up on technology and learn to stop saying stupid things.

8. There are many amazing women out there blogging....about things other than their kids. Who knew??

The Good, The Bad, The Ugly

2008-10-11T20:24:00.004-04:00

I wasn't sure how to write up this day so I decided to divide it into three sections: The Good. The Bad. The Ugly.

The Good. Today is Saturday, traditionally one of the more difficult days when hubby is out of town. I had planned ahead and bought tickets to Harold and the Purple Crayon at Glen Echo's Adventure Theatre. It was fantastic. My kids absolutely loved it--as did I. The good part: the best my kids were today was during the 55-minute play. I guess I should be proud and excited that I had at least that break.

The Bad. I knew I was in trouble when before 8 a.m. Anna and I were already arguing--about cereal, yogurt, clothes, the weather. We were set to go to the play. I packed a picnic (see, I'm not a mean mommy, even if she says I am.) So we headed out for the day. I had to listen to fighting the whole way there. I put them in time out right before the play. And I had to chase Anna down as she sprinted out of the theater and headed down the hill.

The highlight was when Anna spotted an overweight man walking into the theater and calls out "Mommy, it's a fat man!" Twice. We had fights the whole way to the car and the whole way home. I was exhausted by the time we arrived home.

The Ugly. Just as I put everyone down for a nap, I fell down the stairs. It was bad. I cried. After peeling myself off the floor and thinking this was going to hurt tomorrow, I thought, "Dammit, how will I attempt the gym tomorrow?" Seriously, I was looking forward to my Sunday morning workout. ARGH! Then I looked in the mirror. It was bad. I was cut up and bruised--blue, purple, green. Bad! Too much Grey's Anatomy has me thinking about internal bleeding and whether I'll survive or not. See, there really is only room for one drama queen in this house and it's me! So after an ice pack, some Arnica cream, Advil and wishing for a drink, the kids were up. I showed them what happened--hoping for some sympathy which I did get from my son. He felt so bad and offered me a big hug. Anna? Do you know Anna's response? She looked at me and started crying, screaming in fact. When I asked what was wrong? She told me her arm was asleep and it hurt so bad. [Pause]

Do you know what she was doing? She was trying to outdo me. I'm not kidding because between tears and pants she opened an eye to make sure I was watching. And then sobbed some more and fell on the ground.

And now I'm off to bed with an extra dose of Advil.

Hubby Away, We Play

2008-10-10T19:13:00.001-04:00

Once again, we're faced with Andrew being out of town. Only difference this time, he's in an unsafe place. So while the inconvenience of him being gone is still there, is safety is really my top priority. To help me not think about the situation, we have filled our schedule to the brim with activities. I can't believe he's already been gone for four days.

First off, I have to thank my friends who have come to the rescue and invited me just about everywhere this week. And, truth be told, I have taken most of them up on their generous offers of playdates, dinner and happy hour (with kids). Thank God for preschool which at least gives me some kind of break during the day to get things done. I don't know how I did it before without school. Oh yeah, I went crazy and hired babysitters. Funny how that works.

I am excited because Saturday we'll be going to see Harold and the Purple Crayon at the Adventure Theatre. My kids don't really know what a play is. They think we're going to the movies. Ha! I hope it's good. Then Monday I'm attending the local BlogHer conference here in town. Can I just say I am super excited about this? My parents agreed to come up and take my kids for a whole freakin' day while I network and smooze and pretend to be a real person again. [Squeal]

So while he's away in some remote part of the world with iffy running water, we're making the best of it here by playing with friends, watching extra movies and spending some fun time together.

Despite all of that....I can't wait for him to be home.

I Got Kisses Today

2008-10-09T10:40:00.002-04:00

My daughter is a very touchy, lovey little girl--always wanting to be held and cuddled. It was nice after having my son who really never wanted to be held. I savor the moments where he wants to sit with me. This morning as he got out of the car for school, he unbuckled his seat belt and came up to give me, not just one, but a string of kisses. I feel so blessed followed by "I'll miss you at school today, mommy." My heart melted.

Halloween Shouldn't Be So Scary This Year

2008-10-08T18:59:00.000-04:00

If you remember this time last year, I was busy planning for making Halloween costumes. I was down to the wire sewing and gluing for the preschool Halloween party. But this year, I think I managed to luck out...majorly!

So the big question is what are the kids going to be?

Pippi Longstocking and a pirate. Ahhhhhh....could it get any easier than this. Yes, I found a dress for Anna at, of all places Gymboree, for $10. I have a great sock for one leg from one of Andrew's amenity kits from an overseas flight. I have to find one more stripy sock. I bought some orange hairspray for $3 for the braids she will have. Done!

For Alex we found a pirate sword/hat kid at Target for $5 and a pirate shirt on sale at Gymboree. Some 24-month pants he had from 2 years ago that still fit around the waist. Done!

Graco Monthly Nod

2008-10-07T13:13:00.002-04:00

So I got a Graco Monthly Nod from Graco for a post I had over at DC Metro Moms about The Secret World of Bedtime. Apologies in advance to my neighbor for mentioning her in there.....but not by name so hopefully she'll still help me out when I'm out of eggs or sugar.

Everything Goes with a Mad Housewife

2008-10-06T09:05:00.009-04:00

What do you get when you mix a bunch of mom bloggers with a wine party from Mad Housewife Cellars?

Chatty fun and lots of sharing.

Before I continue on, let me explain how I know all these moms. I write for DC Metro Moms every few weeks--usually when I get my two-week reminder that I haven't posted in a while. [Doah!] I started blogging with this group almost exactly a year ago. It's a great mix of moms--some who work, some who don't. And their professional backgrounds range from lawyers, scientists, doctors, teachers, writers, social workers, etc.

So when we all get together, the thing everyone likes to do is talk. Nicole hosted this wonderful event on Saturday with three cases of wine from Mad Housewife Cellars. How was the wine? Not too bad. Even more fun with a bunch of crazy mom bloggers (Sue, Jean, KC, Susan, Claire Jess, Leticia, Diana, and MamaBird) who talked about KC's bean and cheese dish she ate before the event, Diana's cat who accidentally nursed from her pre-baby lactating breast and her fear of clowns (like mine), Leticia's chance to be principal for an hour at school, and Whymommy's new work out commitment.

That's the thing about bloggers. We all have already shared too much with people we don't know. Imagine what happens when you bring a little wine into the picture. You have a bunch of Mad Crazy Housewives!!

Self Esteem Issues at 3?

2008-10-03T10:55:00.000-04:00

Last night, I had a meeting in the evening. My husband's job was to get the kids to bed. We've had a few issues with this lately as Anna has decided to pee right before bed....all over the floor. The last time it resulted in a time out from dad. This wouldn't have been my response, but that's not the point. So after I returned from my meeting and asked hubby about the evening, this is what I found out.

Anna once again peed on the floor. But didn't tell anyone until Alex stepped in it and flipped out. Anna was found upstairs changing her clothes. Smart. Hubby fussed at her again and she cried. He could hear her crying in her room later on and overheard her say, "I can't do anything."

Can I just say, this totally broke my heart and made me weep. My little girl thinks she can't do anything. Where would she get that? Why would she say that? And how do I let her know that of course, she can do lots of things? Poor thing.

Culture Shock

2008-10-02T18:22:00.002-04:00

I'm blogging over at Tea Collection today remembering the changing fall light in Sweden.

I Used To Be A Morning Person

2008-10-02T10:42:00.002-04:00

Before I had children, I used to be the early bird. I would wake up before the sun came up, jump out of bed, take a shower, sit and enjoy my coffee and paper (briefly) and fly out the door work. I was almost always the first one there, somewhere between 7:15 and 7:30 a.m. I loved the quiet time before the craziness to work in peace. No phone calls. No interruptions. No can-you-help-me-with-this project, and I need it now.

Why has that changed? I still go to bed at the same time. Sometimes even earlier. But when my kids come in at 7 a.m. and beg for breakfast and juice, it's all I can to roll my lazy ass over and say "just give me five more minutes, please." Sometimes they will retreat in their rooms to play, although it usually ends in fighting, but most of the time I have to get up. Right now!

How can it be that 8 years ago, even 5 years ago, I would have thought nothing about arriving at work at 7 a.m. But now, I can't even pour the cereal until the clock says 7.

And we run a tight ship about the 7 part too. I can hear the kids whispering in the hallway. "Does it say 7 in your room? It says 7 in my room. So it must be 7. MOM!!! IT'S 7 IN EVERYONE'S ROOM!"

Everywhere, but in my head.

Mommy Bloggers. I'm Published!

2008-10-01T08:13:00.004-04:00

Check out my article in the latest issue of Washington Parent magazine.

On the Run at Target

2008-09-26T19:07:00.001-04:00

She ran away from me today. I turned around and she was gone. No Anna as far as I could see. I called. No answer. I was terrified. I crouched down to look under the clothes racks. No little feet hiding in the clothes. I stopped and tried not to be panic. I knew where she had gone.

A few minutes before, we had misplaced the 99-cent lip gloss we'd planned to buy. "Mommy, where did you put it? I gave it to you so we wouldn't leave it behind." Yes, yes. I'm a bad mommy. "Let me finish up here, and we'll go back and get another one."

She screams at me: "No, mommy. Now." As I turn around to hurry up and finish the task at hand, I turn back around to negotiate some more, and she was gone. A Target saleslady was standing there, watching this whole exchange, and she saw me panic. "Do you remember what my little girl looks like? Can you help me find her? I think I know where she went, but I need you to stay here in case she comes back."

I'm running through Target screaming "Anna!" I see her in the distance (across the store) standing at the lip gloss picking out the one she wanted with two other moms standing nearby, keeping and eye on her. I scooped her up and we left--without the lip gloss of course.

Winner...

2008-09-25T14:15:00.002-04:00

The winner of the Writing Motherhood giveaway is Tiffany Severtson. Thanks to all who wrote this week.

All I Want for Christmas

2008-09-24T10:48:00.001-04:00

Yes, yes. I know it's too early to be talking about Christmas. Though I will take this time to point out that my Target has Christmas stuff out....yes indeedy. They may think it's hidden behind the Halloween crap, but it's still out. Even if you hide, it's still there. Anyway, I digress....

All I want for Christmas is this super awesome Plasma car. My neighbor has one for her three-year-old son. And I know I'm too old for it, but I can still want it, right? Yesterday afternoon, the neighbor kids were playing in front of my house with all the toy cars, bikes and scooters. But this was by far, the most bad-ass one I've ever seen. Why? Because it's big enough for a grown up to ride and go flying down the street.

My neighbor joked that I would buy one and while my kids were in preschool....there would be Miss Linda....flying down our street enjoying the fall weather. Yep, she's right.

The thing about this car is you don't even need a hill to make it go. Just by turning the steering wheel, you can go on a perfectly flat surface. I only wish we had room for this in our house. Maybe some nice family member will buy this for us. Otherwise, I'm going to buy it for my friend and her three boys and go play at her house.

The First Time I Understood Sacrifice

2008-09-23T08:08:00.006-04:00

This is part of the "Writing Motherhood" writing challenge and giveaway. The topic is "a first." It can be anything: the first time you dropped your child off at school, the first time you realized you were a mother, the first time you freaked out. Just start writing. It doesnt matter what you write. It's just about writing. See what happens. Post a link to your own writing in the comments section and you can win a copy of "Writing Motherhood."

As a mom, "sacrifice" is a word we hear often. We sacrifice our bodies for nine months. We sacrifice our sleep for God-only-knows how long. We sacrifice our careers. We sacrifice our own time to clean up the dishes, make lunches, read bedtime stories and bathe our kids. We sacrifice our comfort as a squirming toddler sits on our lap crying for a 8-hour airplane ride. By the time our children are two minutes old, we've all experienced some kind of motherly sacrifice.

My kids are now four and three. The sacrificing is so much different for me now. I sacrifice my last piece of chocolate to split with them. I will sacrifice my computer time in the evening to read them a book. But generally they are more self sufficient so the sacrificing on my part has diminished a bit in some way. It's a little sad sometimes.

Now, our life has become a bit simpler--at least for now until something else stirs it up. I have three things facing me right now. New sacrifices. Should we A) add another baby to our household B) Send me back to work C) Buy a new house. Now I'm at a point where one of these roads will lead me to a different level of sacrifice--the first time of choosing to make a sacrifice. They may not all seem connected, but they are.

Another baby leads us back down the road to the ultimate motherly sacrifice--no sleep, breastfeeding, never sitting down to eat, starting it all over again. It also means I will probably delay going back to work for a while, which I both want to do and don't want to do. Delaying this means sacrificing my career in the long term. Having another baby means not working and not being able to afford a bigger house. Then we're sacrificing space and comfort.

If I choose B (going back to work), I'm sacrificing having another baby. It does not bode well for an employee to take a job and get pregnant right away. So it doesn't make sense to jump back into the workforce only to take off some maternity leave and struggle to do it all. If I chose to not have another child, going back to work means sacrificing my time with my kids. Even with them in school now and their ability to play on their own, I love being at home with them.

A new house means many things for us. Mainly it means I either go back to work (sacrificing my time here at home) or make some major sacrifices here at home in order to afford the house we want.

If we leave everything status quo? I'm left in our small house enjoying my two kids. It's not a bad place to be, is it? But I feel sometimes taking risks is a good thing and with risk comes sacrifice. But in the end, it's me making the sacrifice. Now I have the opportunity to decide which way I want to go. What do I want to sacrifice?

Where I Am These Days

2008-09-22T19:27:00.003-04:00

I've been so bad these days with keeping up on my blog. So I thought I'd let you know where I've been lately. Mainly, I'm spending quite a lot of time over at Baby Bunching--not just writing--but trying to promote. Want to help? Link to our new blog please!

I'm also still writing over at DC Metro Moms when I can find the time. Occassionaly I help my friend Tech Savvy Mama out over at Being Savvy DC. And just recently I have started blogging for Tea Collection as an outlet for all my travel journaling I did during our travels. This way you all can stop hearing about "In Sweden . . . " or "In Qatar . . . "

You Can't Ever Be Fully Prepared

2008-09-22T13:06:00.004-04:00

I arrived at the gym 8 minutes before my kickboxing class. I was stoked that I managed to be so efficient this morning, got hubby to take daughter to school and son and I were ready for the good ole' YMCA. Stopped in to make a pit stop before class only to find out Dear Aunt Flow decided to visit two weeks too early. My purse contents contained: water bottle, head phones for the gym, wallet, cell phone, sunscreen, wrappers of cough drops, a few crayons, wipes, bug spray. Contents of purse did not include tampon. OK, no problem. I dropped in at EVERY bathroom at the Y only to find out they do not stock feminine products. I ran into one friend and one former preschool teacher. I had no shame in begging for help. No help.

I was going to have to ask the front desk. There was no negotiating around this issue right now. Alex was dropped off at the gym's childcare already. I was mentally prepared for my class. No way was I going to miss it, and no way would I be able to go through it without something. So, I swallowed my pride and asked the front desk.

Fortunately, I hadn't been the only stupid person because she said she'd been asked the same question on Friday. Ha! That made me feel better. She went and asked another coworker. She couldn't find any. But she had one in her purse. Nope, she'd brought the wrong purse. She went to dig through some more places and then another coworkers asked if she could help. I now have three women looking. Sure enough, they found one and I was saved.

Good thing, because it was a great workout! I imagine to have everything in my bag to prepare me for anything, except this. Stupid period.

The Weekend of Festivals

2008-09-21T18:55:00.006-04:00

Lately, my monkeys have been accommodating for various festivals around town. A year ago when Anna was two and Alex was 3 1/2 we couldn't manage this since she didn't listen very well, but this fall (my favorite time of the year here) we've been relishing in all the fun fests.

Two weeks ago we attended a local Oktoberfest (my kids can be spotted in a few of the pix) at our very favorite Austrian restaurant: Euro Bistro. This was the first year they tried it, and I think it was awesome for a little parking lot in Herndon. Great music, great food and great beer. The kids danced and sang and we drank beer.

After that festival was such a success, we tried a wine fest this weekend. Beer.....wine.....we like to introduce our children to finer things in life early. So we drove out to Tarara Winery on Saturday morning for their Great Grape Festival. The kids enjoyed a "hay ride" out to pick apples and ride paddle boats, moonbounces, live music, playground and picnic. Mom and Dad enjoyed a wine tasting and the little local crafts. Because isn't everything better with wine?

And just because we're that crazy, after a day at the winery, today we made our second family trip to the opening weekend of Cox Farms. Us and about 30,000 other Northern Virginia suburban families were there with our coupons in hand for a free visit. I'm not sure if this topped our visit from last year. The great thing was that this year, both kids had no fear of the slides. The hay ride was even more fun this year because the kids were ready to see the witches, alien, and "barn of doom."

After a few workouts and running after the kids, I am thoroughly exhausted. Our next festival?? Probably the Great Country Farms fall festival.

Learning to Play

2008-09-19T09:08:00.000-04:00

Here is the difference with my kids. Alex, while a bit on the agressive side with some boys, will play with anyone. He's not picky. Boy. Girl. Three. Four. Five. Six. He can turn any kid into this new best friend. I challenge you to bring on the kid he can't befriend. Anna, however, has a different style. We can't figure it out. She's not interested in making friends outside of the two she's had for a few years. She wants to be in the spotlight, but dammit if she will step on everyone to get there.

This week I decided to stop in at school and visit her teacher. Yep, when I pulled up I see Anna trying to climb over the fence of the playground and the teacher removing her not once, but twice and sternly saying something that I can only imagine was "please, stay off the fence."

Sure enough her teacher reported that Anna is learning to play with others. Hmmmmm...funny, since I heard this same report last year. Although she did follow it up with telling me Anna was pretty clever. Apparently she wanted the swing. The kid wouldn't get off so Anna parked a stroller in front of the swing so the kid couldn't actually....swing. She admited it was one of the more clever ways she'd seen to get someone off the swing, but did recommend that she use "words" instead of conniving ways to get people to do what she wanted. (No, she didn't say this exactly, but I got the point.)

Preschool politics are so fun!

Writing Motherhood Challenge

2008-09-18T12:14:00.005-04:00

I recently read a great book called Writing Motherhood by Lisa Garrigues. It's a wonderful book for moms, like me, who love to write, have the inspiration but can't find it within ourselves to really WRITE or who just can't find the time. The book provides a way to almost reteach us the art of writing in how we observe our children and the daily routine. When I read this, I want to be the writer I always dreamed of being.

One of the exercises she talks about is begining with writing starts. You take a topic and you just write what comes into your head for a set amount of time. No rules. No restrictions. Just writing.

So I'm opening this up to my readers. Here’s the cool part. Think about this over the next few days and write something on the topic below. Post it to your blog, come back here on Sept. 23 and post the link. Lisa, the author, will be strolling through all the websites that are part of this virtual “writing group” and reading everyone’s posts and commenting. As a bonus, I will giving away a copy of Writing Motherhood.

Here is the topic. Remember to come back on Tuesday and post your link. (I will post a reminder on Monday) My post will be up on Tuesday as well. Have fun!

First Words and Other Firsts: Open any baby diary and you will find whole pages devoted to firsts: first smile, first words, first friends, first birthday. Why are firsts so significant? Because they represent a beginning. Because they push us beyond what is familiar and comfortable. Because they jolt us out of the numbness or everyday life and bring us back to our primitive selves when we saw a world through a child's eyes. Keeping in mind that first experiences do not end with babyhood, write about a first: the first day of kindergarten, the first day of college, the first grandchild. Or simply begin with the writing start "the first time" and write down the first thing that comes to mind.