Christmas 2011 Recap

I’m giving myself a pat on the back for a job well done in regards to our Christmas.

Our Christmas Celebration, as seen through the eyes of my Boy, was fabulous!

My two favorite moments of this Christmas:

1.  Alex’s note to Santa: We had a slight fiasco with our homemade cookies for Santa. We made Butterscotch-Oatmeal cookies and set them aside. Unfortunately, and I hate to admit this, we have a slight, and I mean very slight, but recurring and very annoying ant problem. And wouldn’t you know, those damn ants found their way to the batch of cookies sitting on the counter. (For the record, their appearance is intermittent and is localized to one counter and near the sink. We just can’t find their point of entry to spray them to oblivion.) Obviously, we can’t serve ant-ridden cookies to Santa, so we improvised with Oreos. Alex felt compelled to write an explanation to Santa.

The note reads:

Santa,
Ants got into your cookies. Please have an Oreo instead.
Love, Alex

2. Alex’s Delight with the Unexpected Santa gift of Angry Birds: Alex asked only for Playdoh Transformers from Santa. Imagine his delight when Santa over-delivered. Not only did he receive his requested gift, he must have been on the Very Good list, because he also received 5 Angry birds–red bird, blue bird, black bird, yellow bird, white bird-and 2 pigs, the King pig and a helmeted pig. They couldn’t all fit in his stocking but were scattered nearby. He was surprised and really excited about them all, declaring that this was his favorite gift. Way to go, Santa!

 Alex on Christmas morning, which started at 5:45am!

Of course, this Christmas was also very special because it was Victoria’s first. She wore the same red Christmas pajamas that Alex wore for his first Christmas. She was very happy to be part of the festivities, watching her brother unwrap his mountain of gifts. She did receive gifts, a disproportionate amount in comparison to her brother, but she is still at the age where the gift wrap and box are usually more entertaining than the toy itself.

Eric’s mom, aka Gamie, spoiled all of us with presents and with the gift of sleep. She is such a wonderful help with both the grandkids, that she frees up our time for other things (i.e. sleep, or in my case, long showers in the morning!). Alex adores her and dominates most of her time when she visits. She happily obliges to his demand for attention and plays and plays. She is, however, enabling our family’s Starbuck habit. She gave each of us Starbucks gift cards to include Alex. Eric & Alex used theirs today. Alex bought himself a hot chocolate.

This year, Eric and I had a $100 limit each to spend on each other. We always provide wishlists for each other to make shopping easier, although there is no hard and fast rule to buy from the list. I was fretting a bit since as of Friday, I had not really given presents for Eric much thought. Amazon.com with rush shipping and a kid-free hour at Barnes & Nobles quickly resolved that! I walked out with several books –a travel guide to India and to New Zealand (we are dreaming of travel) and The French Country Table cookbook by Laura Washburn . Eric enjoyed all his gifts but his favorite is a book entitled Zombies vs Plants (based off an online game Alex has played apparently) that Alex made for him.

As I write this, Eric is hard at work in the kitchen, making Pistou soup from his new cookbook. Alex is, as he says “multi-tasking” (I detest that word!), by watching Harry Potter and playing with his Magnetix. Victoria is napping.

Life is Good!

This Christmas Season My Mental Capacity Has Been Reduced to Nothing More Than Composing Facebook Posts to Combat Stress

Sadly, my mental capacity has been reduced to nothing more than composing Facebook status updates to combat Christmas stress. I usually self-impose a one-per-day limit. But lately with all the Christmas hype, angst & bliss – I have gone through an emotional roller coaster in the past few weeks trying to get everything done to create the Christmas magic, only to be derailed by the Boy’s 5 days of fever (missed school, doctor visits, phone calls, snuggling and vegging out).—I’ve been wanting to reach out and update my Facebook status every couple of hours. Before you roll your eyes, know that I have resisted. I know I’m not *that* interesting. Interesting, yes. But not every-couple-of-hours interesting. I realize everyone, at least my peer group, is going through the exact same thing (So quit your whining, Woman!). I have nothing profound or original to say, at least in regards to Christmas, that hasn’t been said or thought of a million times before. Perhaps I have a few relatable exasperations about the holiday, cutesy kid stories, or heart-warming Christmas spirit stories to share, but really most of my “would-be” posts are more along the lines of whining. Or, oh yes, posts about my adorable children. While I know they are, in fact, hands down, the most adorable kids in the world, I suppose, if I really had to acknowledge the truth out loud, I know my friends and acquaintances don’t really care all that much. On the other hand, my Mother does. And yes, we are Facebook friends. However, even now, all she really cares about are pictures of her grandkids. She doesn’t always understand my posts, but she reads them all the same because she hearts me. (Love you, Mom!)

Yes, I do completely succumb to the Christmas hype to include pictures with Santa especially for Baby Girl’s 1st Christmas:

The Boy was along too for a Santa visit because he was home from school. He technically was fever-free but it had not been the required 24 hours without fever-reducing medication. I definitely needed to get out of the house after 5 days in the House of Ill and 3 days of missed school. And can I get a gold star on my reward chart for doing my part and keeping the Boy home on the last day, considering he was pinging off the walls and clearly feeling better? I digress. We had a great outing to the Mall to see Santa, lunch, and a relatively inexpensive and whine-free excursion into the Legos store.

Like every mother, my Christmas to do list has been long and never-ending. I have felt varying levels of stress dependent on how much I have or have not accomplished. I was getting a little snappy yesterday. However, one kid-free hour of shopping tonight at the bookstore has restored order, karma, bliss into my life as I am now done with shopping. Yesterday, I was fretting because Hubby was definitely getting short-changed with the holiday gift exchange. I am a big fan of Christmas gifts, not so much for the sake of outdoing the Joneses or complete excess , but because I like to receive presents and I enjoy knowing Hubby was thinking of me. (We will discuss our spousal gift-giving some other time, but it involves lists and not as much imagination as I’d prefer.) I think it is satisfying, when not under a time crunch, searching for and finding the perfect gift, rewarded with a delighted smile. Ok, hmm….I’m not sure Hubby has ever given me a delighted smile, but I know when I have scored big with him. However, in my time management assessment, shopping for him kept falling lower and lower in terms of importance. Yet, I know he has been working hard at getting it right to delight me (Spoiled Wifey Moment: Um, yes, I have that expectation! But on the other hand, he only has to shop for me. I shop for everybody else to include his mother.) Needless to say, I didn’t want to send him the message that he is not important nor disappoint him. I pulled through, found a few things he wants from his Amazon wish list. I also bought a present for him, meant for us, but he’ll think it’s really for me (It’s not!).

I feel better now and have let go of all the other holiday stresses and the guilt for not getting it done. The only thing left on my to do list is to bake cookies. For those friends who aren’t receiving their Christmas cards until AFTER Christmas, I do apologize. You will forgive me, won’t you? That is, if you have even noticed.
Merry Christmas!

Tomorrow: the Christmas Pageant & the Boy

An Unexpected Free Hour, What to Do? What to Do? (And Our Christmas Tree)

I really should make yet another list. A list of what to do should I ever have unexpected free time. Little Man has a playdate. Little Girl is napping. I’m literally running around with my head cut off trying to accomplish too much in too little time, waiting to hear either crying or footsteps that my children are up and/or home. This means, of course, I’m not getting anything done.

I have been neglecting writing and recording my life as I know it. Because one day, if and when I ever re-enter the paid workforce, I am going to wonder what I did with “all that time” when I was a stay-at-home mom.

So in no particular order (because order is

[Drats! The Boy is home. But he is completely uninterested in me. I got a kiss and a request to have a playdate with some school friends and he has since disappeared to the playroom.]

continuation….(because order is something I must practice every day to be successful as it does not come naturally nor has it been a habit.)

• IM’ed with Danielle, a daily occurrence.
• Loved on Baby Girl
• Light Housekeeping – never-ending laundry & dishes
• Worked on my resume
• Paid bills and fretted over the Christmas budget, or lack thereof.
• Emptied the car of the bags of goodies after running errands all afternoon.
• Hung up Little Girl’s Christmas stocking – pretty pink, of course!
• Gas.
• Starbucks.
• Pet Store.
• Target – for Secret Santa gifts & a few groceries.
• Contemplated going to the Commissary but since I didn’t motivate until after lunch, there wasn’t enough time.
• Picked up the Boy at school & dropped him off at his playdate.
• Dinner.

My free hour was gone in an instant. So I’m back to my original idea of having a to do list for the unexpected time.

In the meantime, I still have Christmas cards to address. I have decided that I’m not going to write a newsletter his year. Frankly I’m not in the Christmas spirit this year. If I didn’t have children and the responsibility of creating the magic for them, I very much would be a non-celebrant. I’m trying to let go of my idea of a perfect Christmas since my ideal and my reality are not merging. Case in point, the Christmas tree excursion. We are now “proudly” displaying a table top 2.5 foot tree that the Boy picked out. I tried to persuade him at the tree lot to go bigger. Hubby, annoyed at the time, didn’t encourage him as he just wanted to get out of there. Some things are just not worth the argument, but I was very disappointed. In fact, I still get miffed every time I look at that tree. However, the Boy and his Gamie decorated the tree with ornaments that he has made over the years. They both enjoyed decorating. So in the end does it really matter if the tree was 2 feet or 6? Nope. I know this, I’m trying to let it go.

[Spoiled Wifey Note: So I wrote this 2 days ago, and just now getting around to posting because I wanted to include photos. I have since found my Christmas cheer, thanks to a shopping spree today (payday!) and opening a batch of Christmas cards from family & friends.]

The Boy helping with the tree stand.

The Boy helping with the lights.

Yes, it is perched on a Thomas table to keep Little Girl at arm's length. She is now pulling herself up!!

MORNING MADNESS!

Night Owl by nature. Procrastinator by choice. Children with mismatched sleep schedules.

All these contribute to MORNING MADNESS!

My weekday mornings are always chaotic. I wake up usually to a series of alarms and snoozes. Usually, I am slightly awake when the Hubby leaves for work. Today I thought I heard him say to the Boy, “Don’t let your Mom sleep in too late.” Oy! I was coherent enough to feel indignant, as I glanced at the bedside clock: 7:15am. So 45 minutes later, I was jolted from my slumber by the realization it is now 8:00am and we have 30 minutes before I must usher the Boy out the door for school. Insert a string of expletives. Instant action!

The mad dash begins.

Fighting off the feeling of tiredness and fuzzy brain, I walk around the house to assess the hierarchy of needs—my own and the family. I greet the Boy. I flip on the coffee pot. I press on the computer. I open the blinds. I listen for Little Girl. I consider the weather as I yell “Calm the [Expletive] down!” to the dogs, who are anxiously scratching at the door. Little Girl is awake but calmly playing in her crib (Thankfully!) so she gets pushed down the list while I tend to the dogs. Time check. 8:10am. I feed the Boy. (Arguably, we need to train him to get his own breakfast. He gets his own juice. Yet, I need to curb his juice intake. This life, my life, is always about striking a balance. Always. Because although no one is judging my parenting skills except myself, I know allowing too much juice consumption is bad. How do I know? Because the omniscient Mommy Police have decreed it so. Anyway, I’m a good mommy citizen and don’t want to be criticized for allowing my son to drink too much juice, risk having rotten teeth, drinking empty calories, and having too much sugar in his diet.)

8:15am

I attempt to calmly direct the Boy to get dressed after finishing his breakfast. I say calmly because while I am moving around with a sense of urgency, I recognize that this is not a good way to begin the day and don’t want to pass it on to the Boy. He unfortunately has been snapped at one too many times when I am, once again and forever more, late and he is being pokey. He knows the routine. He also knows that when the alarm sounds, for the last time in the morning, we need to be walking out the door within minutes to catch the bus.

I am clock-watching.

I assemble his snack and backpack. I rush to the bedroom and make myself look presentable, which essentially means I put a bra on (not that anyone knows whether I have a bra on since I’m wearing a coat. But putting a bra on means “game on” for me. Those mamas are contained and ready to face the day.). I dress with the clothes in grabbing distance (i.e. floor). If the hair is really unruly, a baseball cap can be a good friend.

Heart pulsing hard, I’m feeling agitated. I know the alarm for the bus is about to signal.

I waltz into Baby Girl’s room, to be greeted with a big smile and pure joy. Kisses all around! I change her diaper, keep her pajamas on for now and throw on her coat. And with that, the alarm begins to sound, just in time once again.

Out the door, we three go. [For the record, the Boy has only missed the bus once in the past three months.]

The wait at the bus stop is short. I have a pleasant chat with the neighborhood parents. With a wave to the Boy as he climbs onto the bus, Baby Girl and I return to the house to start our day. It’s time for coffee, to de-compress from the whirlwind 30 minutes, and map out our day.

So that Madness is my morning, every morning, for five days. It occurred to me the other day that I can make a few changes to help myself. To others, it must seem so straightforward and obvious. Go to bed earlier. Plan ahead the evening before. Wake up earlier and give myself more time. Yes, yes, thank you for your kind suggestions. But I want to have to do it. I have to choose to make those changes. Do I want Morning Madness or Calm?

While going to bed earlier is a worthy and probably rewarding endeavor, I think I’ll start with planning ahead. I will have everything ready in the morning, so when the signal sounds, I go! Ready, Set, Go Mama Go!

Spoiled Wifey Thanksgiving 2011

Our Menu:
Salted Roast Turkey with Herbs and Shallot-Dijon Gravy
Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Garlic and Pancetta
Green Beans with Chives
Cranberry Sauce
Leek and Wild Mushroom Stuffing
Mashed Potatoes
Rolls
Pumpkin, Pecan, & Cherry Pies from Heidelberg Bakery

In all of our married Thanksgivings, this year was the first that we had both of our parents here to celebrate and to feast. That in itself was special, especially considering that both moms had major health scares earlier this year. My Mother-in-Law decided on the menu and generously provided our dinner. Not only did she brave the grocery store for all the ingredients on Wednesday, she did most of the cooking, too. My parents played with the kids. I got to sleep, my favorite indulgence of late. I wish I slept for pure indulgence but that really wasn’t the case. I was unfortunately recovering from a particularly nasty cold/virus and feeling extremely rundown. Sleeping was a necessity. I think Hubby was in the Man Cave for most of the day but he did spend some time in the kitchen, too to help out his Mom.

To keep the Boy amused and to limit whining, one of the kid activities was a Dinosaur Skeleton Excavation Kit, which I think is designed to kill any dream of becoming a real paleontologist and to vex any mother who attempts to keep a clean house. The activity involves sawing away at a block and brush away debris until bones are revealed. Supposedly, there is an entire dinosaur skeleton that can be assembled. Gamie, Hubby and I all had our turn with the young wannabe paleontologist, made a huge mess in the process, and at the time of this posting have only discovered three bones, which are already misplaced. This activity did keep him out of the kitchen and out of our hair for awhile, so I begrudgingly must deem it a success, despite creating more work for myself with cleanup.

During their visit, Grandpa got to play Santa, bringing joy and gifts to our family by funding Grandma’s shopping habit. My mother is an emotional, recreational shopper and is addicted to the high of a good sale, regardless if she/we need it. (I have been trying to reverse my own aimless, shopping-for-entertainment trend for years.) Thankfully, along with my Dad’s intervention, my pleading over the years that I really don’t need any more stuff in my house and that I will only dispose of her gifts , not to mention we don’t have the same style in just about anything, I have finally gotten my message through to curb her shopping generosity towards me.

However, Grandma shopping for her grandkids is a different story. She wanted to direct her energy toward fulfilling my shopping list for the kids, which I find perfectly acceptable. Is it not their job to spoil the grandkids? And isn’t one of my job duties to counteract the spoilage? The kids were SPOILED all week with toys, and more importantly time and attention. Grandma and Grandpa attended the school book fair with the Boy before the holiday break and showed only enthusiasm as he brought a tower of books to the checkout line. Meanwhile, I’m in the background, breaking into a sweat from calculating how much that tower of books is going to set him back. Grandma outfitted Little Girl with socks, socks, and more socks and a new pair of shoes. She gave me only a mild titter when she saw the price tag - $29 for shoes (the most darling pair of Robeez!) but then couldn’t resist to also give me a lecture on how I have expensive tastes. I sighed internally and just smiled. I said nothing but thank you.

I enjoyed spending Thanksgiving with my parents and Mother-in-Law for their company but because they spoiled me, too. I always had a clean kitchen when I woke up in the morning. Someone took the dogs out in the morning. Someone rushed to the nursery at the slightest whimper. Someone read, read, and read some more to Little Boy. Someone let this Mommy sleep, sleep, and sleep some more. My Dad commented that I took a long time getting ready in the mornings—I did disappear for at least 45 glorious minutes – a long shower followed by applying lotion to my body, blow-drying AND styling my hair, and *gasp* applying makeup. I looked and felt terrific. I am rested and almost recovered from the cold, so much so I may just be ready to face Christmas, all its merriment, and my duties of creating magic.

My Mother is Waging a War Against Dog Hair and is Currently Holding Steady

I have admitted defeat when it comes to dog hair in my home. My mother has not.

My parents arrived a few days ago and my mother, upon realizing her precious granddaughter was crawling and doubling as a sweeper, immediately issued a search and destroy order on all things on the floor, mainly the @$#%@$% dog hair. Although there is no need to search. The hair is here, there, and everywhere!

It’s not that I don’t try to engage the combatant dog hair. I do sweep, just not daily. I have recently determined that daily sweeping is necessary, but I have made peace with the fact that I will not actually sweep as required. Furthermore, I have accepted that I have dogs who shed, who I alternately love and hate, and who are part of our family dynamic and therefore cannot be “accidentally locked out”, “lost” on a walk, or advertised as “great with children”.

We deal with dog hair. We don’t wear black. We shake out everything and/or use a hair remover roller before stepping out of the house. I am trying to get into a routine of combing the dogs outside on a semi-regular basis. I have bought stock in Swifter.

Now back to my Mother. As I type this, I spy her walking around my living room, completely engrossed in her mission, once again sweeping up hair for the third time today. I do appreciate her efforts. I really do. I just don’t make the time nor have the desire to constantly sweep what I consider a losing battle. I want clean but not at the expense of my time to do other things. So I engage in battle every other day, or when I can’t stand the sight of it, or I know I have company coming over.

When will I develop the zen of cleaning? It seems a lot of older women have this calm about them when it comes to cleaning. My grandmothers, my mother, and my mother-in-law tap into their inner resolve and this unbelievable energy reserve to clean, especially when they are at my house (And seriously my house is not a pigsty. I do clean, but I won’t ever pass a white glove inspection. I follow the philosophy of “Good Enough” and “Out of Sight, Out of Mind” ). Maybe it’s an unspoken but understood job duty of motherhood. Mothers, once they are on visiting status, help out their grown children by cleaning. Hmmm….I don’t know, but I’ll take it. My workload seems lighter and life on the Home-front seems so much easier when my mother or mother-in-law visits.

However, on the flipside, my mother’s quest for cleanliness is sometimes very dangerous. She now has had two skirmishes that could have been catastrophic for the family. The latest comes on Day 1 of her visit. The whole house slumbered while she stayed up to attack the kitchen. She cleaned the stovetop and then thinking she had won went to bed. Somehow the pilot light on the gas stove went out. I woke up in the middle of the night to tend to Baby Girl and was immediately assaulted with the smell of gas. Hubby re-lit the pilot light. Crisis averted. I hate to think what would have happened if we had an undetected gas leak all night.

My Mom deserves a medal and accolades for her determination and focused concentration against the enemy. Today the battle against dog hair has been won. But tomorrow, who will admit defeat and who will stand victorious? Hair or hair-free?

Sometimes My (In)Ability to Leave My Own House Amazes Even Me!

We just returned yesterday from a “weekend getaway” to New York for a family gathering. The family, aka The Filipino Nation, was gathering to mark the one-year anniversary of the passing of my grandmother. This was the first introduction of Baby Girl to the family, currently the newest member of the clan (although soon to be edged out by another great grandbaby due in March). Little Boy was extremely excited to play with his cousins. And Hubby was actually gracing us with his presence (It’s usually me & the kids at family gatherings since we are almost always travelling great distances and I have all the time in the world.).

I’m currently avoiding the unpacking.

Parents of young children know that going anywhere with children in tow usually requires planning and strategy. It really sucks if you are not a good planner or strategist. I’m not saying whether I’m good or bad, as my skills just depends on my mood, energy level, and time required. While I was excited about this trip, I was not excited about packing for it. Inevitably, because we were driving, I packed the entire house!

My packing list:
• Clothes for me & the children for 2 days (Hubby is on his own for packing.)
• Toiletries (And I STILL forgot to pack the Boy’s toothbrush. Yes, I know I can buy a new one, but it’s the time & money involved. It’s always the little expenses that will get you!)
• Diaper bag & Restocking Supplies
• Baby Food & all related items: spoons, bibs, sippy cups
• Items to Keep Baby Warm, Happy & Entertained: toys, teether, blankets
• Pack N Play
• Stroller
• Snacks & Juice for the car
• Toys, Books, Entertainment (iPad) for the Boy
• Reading Material for me on the off chance I actually get ANY time to myself to read. (Woo Hoo! I did get about 15 minutes to myself to read a few pages of the latest Oprah magazine.)

I also had to set up my GPS, make sure I had all contact information, and get my dogs situated. The dogs are almost just as much work as the kids. I used a pet-sitting service and couldn’t be more pleased. But still had to gather some items for the petsitter.

Add the laundry pile before the packing, and packing literally took me an entire day. Gone are the days of spontaneity. I don’t get too bent out of shape if I don’t have everything I need. I am a Mom; therefore, I can make do. “Mommy-Make-Do” is a great skill to have!

In the end, all the packing and preparation was in fact worth it, as our trip was “fun”. We survived with minimal fighting or tears (Me, that is!) My son was so happy. My daughter was not too fussy and was fascinated with the many new faces of family as she was passed around. My parents were thrilled to see their grandkids and to show them off to the rest of the family.

It will take me at least half a day to unpack from the latest adventure!
But I'm happy to be back home. Memories have been made. Cleaning needs to be done. I'm right on track for the mommy track. Ha!

SHE POOPS!!! Alternate Title: I Praise the Power of Prunes.

I never realized how much of my life would include dealing with shit! Literally.

We are at the baby stage in which one of my primary job duties is poop analysis: consistency and frequency. (And of course, there is poop clean-up, but that’s not really a stage, it’s a never-ending duty.) Little girl has been eating solids for the past two weeks. We started with rice cereal and applesauce and then moved to vegetables. Her favorite food thus far has been carrots.

Since she is the second child, I am much more relaxed about keeping track of things, one of which is the frequency of her bowel movements. Right from the get go, her regularity has been spaced out by days. So I was not surprised nor alarmed when she had not done her business in a few days. But then, extreme crankiness descended upon the house. Clearly, my little one felt very uncomfortable. Hmmm….after mentally reviewing the “what’s-wrong-with-baby” checklist, I noted that perhaps my preciousness might be constipated. She was not necessarily inconsolable, but definitely letting me know that she was not happy. The usual comforts from Mom were not cutting it.

So we had a series of bad nights of a lot of crying and restless sleeping….and that was just me. Ha! No seriously, she was up a lot. Midnight bath and tummy massage did temporarily relieve the pressure build-up and did allow for some sleep for both of us. I called the pediatrician’s office for advice on at home remedies as well as to make an appointment if those did not correct the problem. The nurse recommended apple juice and prunes. And if that did not solve it, then a glycerin suppository. I really hoped it did not come down to that.

Happily she sucked down apple juice for the first time. And prunes? Why they are delicious. Thank you, Mommy. Now I praise the power of prunes. I did not have to wait for long for the prunes to work its magic. Later in the afternoon, albeit it was an effort for her as conveyed with some very angry crying, she passed what can only be described as a golf ball of poop. Her bowel movement was the size of a golf ball and just about as hard. No wonder little girl was mad.

This is how I know I unabashedly embrace parenthood. I considered taking a picture and sending it the Hubby. I didn’t! I just thought about it. Instead I did give a full report to the Hubby which I’m sure made his day in between emails, meetings, and briefings.

But there is a cautionary note to this as well. Beware of prune power! Because apparently, I overloaded little girl with a little too much prunes. Her body obviously tried to self-correct its system. I had to deal with not one, but two blowouts soon thereafter the golf ball incident.

I haven’t decided which is worse – constipation crankiness or blowout battles that make me want to don on protective gear, throw everything out in a hurry, and dunk her in the bathtub.

For the time being, I do now have a happy girl. I am monitoring her poop schedule a little more closely as well as her diet. It’s the first bout of many, I’m sure.

He barely looked back at us as he climbed onto the school bus today.

Waiting in the rain at the bus stop.

The whole family is here. In a blink, she'll be ready for this day all too soon for this mama!

Only looking back because we are calling to him.

He barely looked back at us as he climbed onto the school bus today.

I’m happy that he is excited for kindergarten.

I’m sad that my baby boy is growing up and every day he needs his mama less and less.

I remind myself, especially on this milestone morning, that my reward as a mom is to raise an INDEPENDENT child, and it's the culmination of these little milestones that gets him ready to walk out the door and face the world, one day completely on his own. I want him to know that he is loved unconditionally. I want him to face the beauty and the ugliness of the world with his eyes open and with the ability to navigate through it all to the other side of a life well lived.

This mama just needs to breathe and let go a little. The world is not out to get him. Letting him get on the bus was a huge act of faith for me that everything will be alright, that this community will take care of him, that he is prepared to follow the gingerbread men to his classroom, that he will be kind and friendly to others, that he will make friends easily, that he will not get picked on.

I am also accepting that I will not know every little detail of what will happen to him in a day. I will not get a daily report from his teachers. What was said? What was he reaction? Was he an instigator? What made him nervous? Or embarrassed? Or joyful? What did he think was funny?

So as his sister naps and I have a few minutes of solitude, I wonder what he will tell me today when he comes home from school. What will he take away from today? Is today glorious and let’s do it all again? Was today overwhelming? Was it just another day? I am looking forward to seeing my Little Man soon. Deep breath. He will find his way home without mommy intervention.

On the other hand, I am not so serious as to not enjoy my new found freedom (at least while the Baby naps). I have already had a Starbucks run, uploaded photos, talked to friends, scheduled a long overdue Mommy coffee for this Friday, cleaned my kitchen, made my dinner & shopping lists for the week, fed my child, and hung out on Facebook. And the list continues into the afternoon but I am just taking a few minutes to reflect, to pause, to enjoy this milestone morning of mine.

I Need To SELF-MEDICATE with a Binge of Chocolate Chip Cookies & Beer! Alternate Title: When Life with Young Kids is Exhausting & Unsatisfying

My Brain is fried. Only works in fragments, short bursts, and with To Do lists.

My Patience is worn thin. The child has broken my Spirit and my Cool several times today and it’s not yet dinnertime. The most common phrase in this household today: “Leave your Sister Alone.” (Small blessing: He loves her so much. Unfortunately so much that he is always in her face kissing her and kissing her AND kissing her. Kissing her while I’m nursing. Um, yeah it’s annoying. Kissing her while I’m changing her diaper. Um, yeah it’s annoying. ) Also, he has selective hearing and a strong will of his own. Apparently in his mind, all instructions and directives are optional until said a 4th time. I think maybe on the 4th time, our voice not only carries the sound of irritation and exasperation but the vein starts bulging out.

I’m not saying the Baby is manipulative…..yet. But if she is awake, she is fussing to be held. Hubby thinks I have spoiled her and that I hold her too much. However, listening to her cry when my patience is already thin with the Boy really isn’t an option. So into the baby carrier she goes. I’d rather ruin my back than listen to a crying baby. (I’m currently typing one-handed as she is in my other arm.)

I hate to think that battle lines are drawn. It’s us versus our children. Aren’t we suppose to be on the same team? But Hubby & I are frazzled. You can hear it in our voices. We are about two temper tantrums away from turning on each other. We are tired of taking turns, giving each other a break. This life is exhausting no matter how you look at it. I suppose that’s the nature of this stage. And I tell myself this whining, this crying, this sleep deprivation is just a stage. We are about to turn the corner. But are we really?

Right now it’s relatively calm. The Baby is happily sitting with me. The Boy is happily playing downstairs in his overstocked toy room. The Hubby is putzing around the house. I am regrouping with my writing rant (Writing = Therapy) before I start dinner. I am also trying to not look around the house which is in its usual state of disaster.

No one ever wants to admit that sometimes being locked up in a small white room by yourself would be blissful. Imagine the silence. Imagine the clean white walls. Just Imagine. But I know I’d last about 15 minutes, ok, more like 30 minutes before I start missing my children, before I start wondering what they are doing, before I want to see them and kiss them. At least that’s what happens to me when I do get a break, like this morning when I was getting my nails done. 30 minutes later I was texting Hubby for an update.

My children are the best thing that has ever happened to me. I am just tested daily about my worthiness as a parent. Yes, I wish I didn’t find some days so difficult. Yes, I can admit that some days, or a string of days, are much harder than others. Yes, I have accepted the fact that I will always love my children, I just won’t always like what they do. I have accepted that my children won’t always like what I do either (Hopefully, if I am fortunate, they will love me even through the difficult days.). And that’s ok to admit.

At the end of a difficult day, I self-medicated with 30 minutes of mindless exercising on the treadmill until the sweat and endorphins kicked in. As much as I want the cookies and beer, I’d like to keep up with my Kiddos and figured I can’t be weighed down. I’d like to have this parenting gig for a long time, at the very least until I see my grandchildren (also known as Payback).

Adventures with Cristin & Val: Playing Tourist

Oh I had good intentions to write about our weekly adventures. I was too tired to write because Life is full. Anyway, it has been weeks and weeks and here now it’s the middle of the summer. I had the kiddo enrolled in 6 weeks of back-to-back day camps: church camp, dinosaur camp, pirate camp. We have a lot of artwork to show for it, too which will soon be gracing our walls.

And now the real fun starts, every day, all day, for the next 8 weeks I have my little ones. Yes, I have counted. There is one family vacation getaway and one family visit in there, which should break it up a bit. But I will need all my creative powers and a good’s night rest to keep us all entertained and engaged for the summer (within budget!), while also pursuing my own interests (reading/writing, fitness certification, adult conversation, and a lot of refreshing summer cocktails).

Thank goodness my good friend Cristin has re-entered my life. We are both at the same life stage right now (Read: Stay-at-home Mamas) and meet up once a week with our kids for companionship and to play tourist. It helps that she lives a mere 5 miles from me. While I like meeting new people and making friends, I’d rather connect/reconnect with people who have been in and out of my life and spend my time strengthening those friendships that we have a history. Cristin and I met when we were 18 years old, lived in the same dorm (Go PE Pyros!), and were in AFROTC together. I love that we have a shared history. Since I move around so often and my life and my relationships are disrupted so frequently, I definitely hold on to my friends.

I find at this stage in my life, I value my time so much more. How I chose to spend my time and energy, especially my ME time that is so limited, is so precious. I like to maximize my joy and happiness (Who doesn’t?!). Hubby has been calling me a Hedonist lately. Which I very well may be, but I find I “splurge” a lot for my me time. And frankly, I find nothing wrong with that. Now if I’d only try those things, even if I have to do it by myself, that I think will bring me joy! (Read: SALSA lessons!)

And of course, I am off on a tangent. So back to Cristin and my weekly adventures. We knocked off a few things off my Play-Tourist-in-DC list. We attended the annual National BBQ festival in downtown DC. As usual we underestimated travel times, crowds, and babies’ temperaments. We took the bus to the event and my poor baby girl showed everyone what healthy lungs she has. I’m sure that was really a lot of fun for my fellow passengers. Thankfully, most people appeared to be unfazed as I had most people near us making funny faces at her. As soon as we exited the bus, we found a bench and I nursed her. Give me a bench and a nursing cover and let’s go!

The BBQ Fest was fun if you like long lines. Actually, I would have had fun if I could have had unlimited beer and didn’t have to two children to tend to, then standing in line wouldn’t be so intolerable. My 5-year old didn’t give a damn about BBQ and most certainly would not stand in line without whining. So Cristin, her husband and I took turns hanging out in the LOUDEST tent at the event – the LEGOS tent – with kiddo while the rest of us stood in line for beer & bbq.
We did score some free Oscar Mayer hot dogs and a picture.

My friends look happy. Thank god they are easygoing. Kiddo’s face is more accurate about how we all felt about the day. (Where is my Hubby? He stayed at home, enjoying his precious Me time.)

I have been talking up the boat ride on the C&O Canal to the kiddo for the past two weeks in Georgetown. This summer might turn into a big scouting party of all the DC sites. So we actually got ourselves there but didn’t actually take the boat ride. Parking is nightmarishly expensive in that area. ($10 first hour, $18 unlimited in a parking garage). We both found street parking (A quarter gets you 7.5 minutes or $4 for the maximum 2 hours), but our timing was off to enjoy the boat ride. Our parking meter would have expired while we were on the hour boat ride. So instead we walked around and “explored.” As you can imagine, the kiddo was very disappointed to not ride the boat and didn’t give a damn about parking meters. But as we are starting to explain the value of money and choices to him, I explained that if we got a parking ticket (which I’m sure would be exorbitant) then we wouldn’t have any money to buy Legos.

We did walk along the canal where we met a very precocious boy named Christopher who was fishing. He offered my kiddo bread to feed to the ducks and fish. Kiddo was fascinated by this for awhile. We also walked to the National Harbor for a great view and a drink. So….next time, we know better…we will pay the outrageous fee for parking but not have a time limit while we enjoy the Canal and Georgetown.

Week 3 of Summer Fun: Tourist in Our Own Backyard / Summer To Do List in DC

Last week, the kids & I visited Mount Vernon with my friend Cristin & her son. Our visit was more like a scouting trip, as we didn’t see much due to time constraints. After we arrived later in the afternoon than we had anticipated (as usual my timing execution was a tad bit off!), we had to unload the car (stroller, water, diaper bag, etc), apply sunscreen, find a bathroom for diaper changes, and then feed the children. So an hour later, we were FINALLY ready to see the estate. Unfortunately, I had to meet Hubby at home by 4:30, so we really only had an hour or so to walk the grounds.

An adult ticket is $15. An annual pass is $25. So with the idea that we will return one day with a better understanding how to time our trip (as in start earlier in the day!), both Cristin & I bought annual passes. The view of the Potomac River is stunning! I can’t wait to go back to take the tour of the house. We only had time to walk the grounds. The kiddo led us around, referring to his Treasure Map. The factoid taken away by the kiddo is that George Washington was our first president. He also liked the donkey & horse in the stables.

I have started a list of sights to see/things to do this summer in between our summer travel:
• C&O Canal in Georgetown
• DC Duck Tour
• Tour Mobile
• Mount Vernon
• National Capital BBQ battle
• Open a savings account with kiddo (ceremonially emptying of the piggy bank)

As an aside, in the fall baby & I intend to visit (sans kiddo):
• Tea @ National Cathedral
• Spy Museum
• U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum
• National Portrait Gallery

So much to do, just need to get organized!

It's summertime, and the livin's easy!!

Week 1 of Summer Sanity Test (aka Summer Break has begun!)

Day 1, Tuesday

It’s 2:00 in the afternoon. Already we have been to the Splash Park in the morning, had lunch, and the boy is happily watching Tom & Jerry cartoons. After 2 recorded episodes (love the DVR!), I put in Tom & Jerry “Shiver Me Whiskers” and have promised myself that once it’s finished we will do something productive (i.e. no TV!).

Something Productive:

(Yes, I am fully aware that the boy has his shirt on inside out and backwards. Pick your battles, people.)

Continuing the pirate theme, we opened up one of his birthday gifts – a pirate chest painting kit. I tried to give a lesson on primary colors and mixing paint which was totally lost on him. He did take great delight mixing all the colors to make a very dark brown-black color. While he painted and fiddled with the lock & key, I put on some Reggae music, which was a flop. Then I tried the Tropicales music channel which he tolerated a bit better. Our little parrot girl loved the music as well as being held by Captain Mommy. Right now she is hanging out on the poop deck (i.e. floor mat). The boy has disappeared down below to play. I turned off the music and here I sit with the blissful sounds of a baby cooing waving a rattle, a boy playing make-believe and the click-clack of my nails hitting the keyboard.

And no sooner as I get into groove and organize my thoughts, the parrot is squawking. Too much poop? Is it time for another diaper & outfit change? Seriously, the velocity at which poop comes out of the girl is like rocket propulsion, as evidenced by the aftermath. But here I digress. I’ll be back….

4:30pm. What to make for dinner? The grill is open now, so that widens the menu choice. Hmmm…the fridge is a bit bare, requiring a grocery trip tomorrow with both kids. Lovely.

INVENTORY CONTROL:
One of my many non-stop job duties is managing inventory. My current project is throwing overboard all that is weighing us down. We haven’t played a CD in years. The CD player got packed up two moves ago and never got unpacked. Now it’s all

And we now take a break to play “Hide and Go Seek”

DAY 2, Wednesday

So I never completed writing about Day 1. Once again, writing complete thoughts on the minutiae of my life is not meant to be and frankly is not that interesting. But I do want to highlight and remember the constant shifts in my attention during this blissful time at home.

All mothers have been drilled into their heads that their children should not watch too much TV, unless you want them to be obese, lack social skills, and be more aggressive. (I’m sure I read that somewhere in a government-funded study!). I just want my child to stop reciting commercials back to me. The kid is a big advocate for OxyClean because “It CAN clean through the toughest stains.” I’ve heard this more than my fair share. Which makes me wonder, really how many times has he seen that commercial? This is my indicator that my boy does indeed watch too much television.

But the TV is the fallback for me. I want 20 minutes extra of sleeping time in the morning – TV babysitter. I need to make a phone call – TV babysitter. Can I just get 15 minutes of uninterrupted time so I can start dinner?! -- TV babysitter. And then the next thing I know, it’s hours and hours of TV. SO one of my goals is to redirect the boy for imaginative play without necessarily involving me. For the record, I am NOT good at re-enacting any of the Star Wars movies. My attention span for playing Star Wars Legos unfortunately is about as long as a Billy Mayes’ Oxyclean commercial!

Less TV is an admirable goal but one that requires organization and planning to execute. Today we had scheduled a play date with one of his preschool classmates. No one of sane mind would be outside today though with temperatures in the mid-90s and a blanket of humidity. We opted for bowling indoors with A/C (and a beer for the Moms). The kids had a blast. My own kiddo declared “Mom, bowling is my new favorite sport!” Almost 3 hours of fun! I know it’s been a good productive day when the Boy falls asleep in the car on the way home! But then right back to that TV babysitter.

What’s on the agenda for tomorrow? Day 3 Park with neighborhood friends in the morning and then an afternoon of errands of which I need to mentally prepare myself – the mall for a hopefully quick in-and-out of one store, library, and grocery store.

Next week camp starts. Whew! I will only be responsible for half a day. Thank goodness!

May the Force Be With You on Your Birthday and Always

My boy is Spoiled.

Not necessarily a Spoiled Brat….yet. But he is definitely embracing the celebration of self. This morning on the way to school he was singing repeatedly “I am 5 today. I am 5 today.” And then he asked in the same breath, “Why do I have to go to school today if it’s my birthday?” Oy. This indulgence is my creation.

I think birthdays are a big deal. (My own birthday celebration has morphed into a celebratory birth month!) We all know that the world can be a cruel and lonely place that doesn’t always shower the individual with love and acceptance. That hard lesson comes later. But for the here and now at the tender age of 5, all my boy needs to know and understand is that he is LOVED and is very special. I can’t help myself but to shower him with birthday surprises that I know will make him happy. I want a happy boy. I don’t want an indulgent child, or demanding child, or a truly spoiled child. Obviously, there is a line that may be crossed and I am keeping an eye on that line and gauging that indeed we don’t even get close! I don’t want to hand him the world on a silver platter either. But certainly at this age he can expect love, a birthday party, the toy that he really, really, really wants and lots of hugs and kisses.

The planning started last month in April. How did he want to celebrate his big day? His response: A party with ALL his classmates invited. Oh my! This, too, is an age of inclusion (which it should be if space and cost allow it, in my opinion). But where, oh where, does one have a inexpensive party for potentially 15+ very energetic kids? Most definitely NOT at my house! I checked out a few options around town, but none worked within my budget or my time preferences. (Like anything else in a highly populated area, advanced reservations are highly recommended. Six weeks prior to his party date, all the prime time slots were reserved.) Thankfully, I was able to convince him that a party at the playground would be incredibly fun.

He didn’t buy into the playground idea last year when we were in Alabama. In retrospect, I’m glad we had his party at an air-conditioned gymnastics center, because in mid-May, the weather is already hotter than Hades in the South. We would have melted in the 90+ degree weather. Fortunately a quick phone call 2 weeks prior, I was able to make a reservation for a prime time slot at the gymnastics center for the 20+ kids that were invited. Sometimes pokey, less populated Southern living has its perks!

Arlington has a gazillion well-maintained parks and playgrounds. Thanks to my new nanny friend, she knows all the great spots for preschoolers and introduced me to a newly renovated playground with bathrooms! I’m a just-in-time (Read: Procrastinator) kind of gal and we handed out invitations less than a week prior. The party was held on our regular day off from school and I was pleasantly surprised how well attended it was by both mommy and kiddos. The weather even held out for us, although there was a forecast of showers. It did rain but not until well after the party was over.

The boy loved playing with all his friends on the playground. Good old fashioned fun – climbing, jumping, running, chasing, pretending, and using the imagination -- with very few referee interventions from the mommy watch group. When it was time for cake, he also loved being the center of attention with the birthday song and blowing out the candles. The mound of presents from his generous friends (Remind me to discuss “No Gifts” for next year!) were saved for opening at home, which I think is the norm for this age group. Thank goodness because it took us nearly an hour!

Happy Birthday Memories are almost complete. The boy is finishing up his Thank You cards, which are twofold on my part. One, I won’t let him play/open any of his gifts until he writes his thank you’s. We all know that if we don’t write a thank you note right away, it will never get done, right? (wink) Two, writing a thank you, besides its obvious lesson, is a time-filler and an exercise for the boy to practice his letters. Writing his name 16 times and then the names of all his friends was a concentration challenge. Since he really wanted to open his toys, he completed the thank you project in two sittings. I was impressed.

To finish the birthday week celebration, we still had his school celebration which involved eating lunch with the Boy at school, handing out special birthday treats, sharing photos/information with his classmates and reading a story. I tenaciously hold onto themes with the idea that it makes life easier. Star Wars once again….this time Star War Cupcakes. Williams-Sonoma sells kits. Of course, just-in-time gal that I am, sometimes I have to resort to foregoing sleep to make deadlines. I was baking cupcakes at midnight. My efforts, however, paid off as the cupcakes turned out well. Most importantly, I had a happy boy. Will he remember the details? Probably not. May he always remember that he is LOVED. That’s all I want.

Day 122 of Domestic Drudgery Bliss

Ding Dong, the Witch is Dead!

The big news for today is that Osama Bin Laden is DEAD! We got ya, Sucka! It might have taken us 10 years, but we are a persistent bunch. I listened to President Obama address the nation last night.

The Daily To Do List

Gymnastics
Groceries
Flowers for Teacher Appreciation Week
Post Office
Make Mother’s Day Cards
Aerobics

The Completed To Do List & Then Some….

Gymnastics
Groceries
Flowers for Teacher Appreciation Week
Post Office
Make Mother’s Day Cards
Aerobics

I am always trying to overcome my own inertia. Once at home, I don’t leave. Today we had a late start. We made it to gymnastics class, late of course. We came home to regroup for lunch and never left, which is a normal occurrence. Instead, I..

Cleaned and de-cluttered.
Wrote thank you notes.
Washed dishes.
Vacuumed.
Laundry.
Held/Nursed the baby.
Attempted to make Mother’s Day cards with the Boy. Failed.
Made beans & sausage for dinner.

Here’s a picture of my “desk” today.

Here are pictures of my “co-workers”.

It may look like the Boy is just clutching 4 markers. HOWEVER, he informed me that he is actually General Grievous (Star Wars Clone Wars) with 4 light sabers.


Just one of my good days….(I won’t dwell on the mompreneur article I read in the
Washington Post today that made me pause and consider my choice, which I usually do on my bad “work” days, when I meet up with my college friends, every time there is change and upheaval in my life because of Hubby’s career, and hormones.)

“Mom, Did You Know….”

The timer is on. 10 minutes. Write. GO!

The baby is sleeping. The boy has a play date next door.

Before I launch into my scatterbrained thoughts today, I have a question for Ms. Manners. What is my reciprocal responsibility to a nanny-led play date? Am I expected to return the favor? Host? If I don’t, do I “owe” the nanny some consideration? Or my neighbors who pay her? Since keeping watch of the kids is her paid employment, by accepting another under her watch, as directed by her employer, is she accepting more responsibility? Or is that part of her current job description of keeping the children in her care happy and engaged? Presumably, she has freed her hands a bit by having a playmate over as hopefully all she has to do is referee every once in a while. (I’d like to think my child is well-behaved and plays well with others. I have been told this, but I also take this with a grain of salt. How often do people speak the truth about your child?! Especially people you just met? )

I always want to remember these days of staying home with my children. I’m already starting to get nostalgic and to romanticize these days because the Boy starts kindergarten next year. Is it possible? My world changes again. I want to hold him in my arms always. To protect him always. To answer his gazillion questions always. To watch yet again another episode of “Phineas & Ferb” with him. To play Star Wars Legos and have my hand cut off once again by Darth Vader. To remind him again and again to flush the toilet and wash his hands….WITH SOAP!

Yesterday, we did our one errand for the day – a trip to the pet store. While in the car, these thoughts are my son’s stream of consciousness:

(1) “Mom, do you know what the Bermuda Triangle is? It’s a circle that sucks ships into the ocean.”

(2) “Mom, did you know a squid can swallow a shark?”

(3) “Mom, did you know that an octopus has a hole in it to squirt out ink?”

(4) “Mom, do people’s hearts still work once they are broken?”

(5) “Mom, I do not want to work. I want to stay home with the babies.” How are you going to earn a living? Who is going to pay the bills? How are you going to eat? “My wife! She can be a farmer.” (I guess he finds my job of blissful domesticity alluring. Although now I’m trying to impart of him that I do have a “job” even though I don’t leave the house every day like daddy.)

(6) “Mom, I never want to get a tattoo because I don’t want to hurt.” Who told you it hurt? “You did! You said that they made little holes in your skin to put the ink in.”

(7) “Mom, I want more Jedi Legos.”

That’s all I jotted down while at the stoplights. They make for interesting and entertaining conversations for sure!

My To-Do List Mocks Me. And Other Challenges.

I have been meaning to post several times in the last two weeks, but just never have found the chunk of time to write a complete thought and then upload. I have a few unfinished posts that may never be developed fully. Such is a life of a mom with a newborn. Again I reiterate that I do not have deep, developed thoughts at this point in my life. My schedule is not my own. I live in 5-10 minute intervals. Or usually with the thought “How much time before the baby wakes up?” Like now, I can hear her stirring. I have set my timer for 10 minutes and will write what comes to mind and then post whatever that may be.

Operating under a time crunch, let me list my life in a nutshell ( Must lover bullet formats!):

• Much thanks to my parents who visited for 10 days to help me when Hubby returned to work. They were a huge help especially with the Boy, chauffeuring him to preschool and keeping him entertained. At that point in time, baby girl and I had a wicked sleep schedule still where we were awake into the wee hours and still got up frequently. I’m proud to say that in the past 2 nights she has been sleeping up to a 5 hour intervals (knock on wood!).

• Also much thanks to my father for doing yard work. Really it is so nice to stop looking like THE RENTAL house of the neighborhood.

• Both Mom & mother-in-law and Hubby are encouraging me to hire a cleaning service. For some reason, I feel like this is truly indulgent for a stay-at-home mom since isn’t cleaning one of my primary duties? But since I apparently suck at maintaining a clean, clutter-free house and because I’d much rather spend my precious time actually interacting with my children (and not being pissed off from cleaning), I will investigate how much a weekly service will cost. I hear from my friends who came out of the woodwork on Facebook to confess that they already use a cleaning service and that it is well worth every penny. Who knew?!

• I am working on birth announcements and thank you cards. One day I might actually send them out. It’s all about working in batches. I had originally wanted to include a quick update to my friends and family especially those who are not online. But I may never send them if I have to find the time to write a coherent letter of good tidings.

• I went grocery shopping today with both kids. Let’s just say that activity is the major accomplishment of the day. Little girl cried the entire drive home. I assumed she was hungry. She was, but she was more angry with the blowout that occurred at some point. So the groceries sat in the car while I changed her and nursed her. Thirty or so minutes later, I finally got to the groceries. I need to remember that I will probably only get one errand done a day if/when I have both kids are with me. (Note: I may never get my nails done again! I need to find an hour for this sometime this week!)

IT’S FRIDAY! SNIPPETS FROM MY WEEK

COCKTAILS

I should be having a cocktail tonight to celebrate my husband’s promotion, especially since the grandparents are here. However, I forgot. Going about my business and just flat out forgot! We were going about our usual routine of Pizza & Movie Night, and the whole idea of cocktails completely left my brain. Oh well. We wouldn’t know where to go and probably would feel like fish out of water anyway.

Movie Tonight: Tinkerbell & the Great Fairy Rescue

GRANDPARENTS & FOX NEWS (Must be a generational thing!)

My parents are here to help me out with the boy and baby. Since their arrival, the TV has been on 24-7 between the boy and the grandparents. The boy watches Phineas & Ferb every day over and over again. And when his attention is finally redirected, then the grandparents have Fox News on continuously. Megyn Kelly, Geraldo Rivera covering Libya (really?! He’s considered a serious TV journalist now?), and the O’Reilly Factor have been my companions all week. However, I do put my foot down with Glenn Beck.

HEART ATTACKS

The last person I thought would have a heart attack had one this week. She maintains her weight, eats right, exercises, and has from my viewpoint what I considered a healthy lifestyle with minimal stress. If she can suffer a heart attack, then it makes me want to throw in the towel with doing my body right. Because truly will my efforts make a difference?! She is a nurse and works at a hospital. Thankfully, as soon as she realized that something was wrong, she was taken to the ER and hooked up to the EKG machine within 10 minutes from when the symptoms started. One of her arteries was 90% blocked and she had stents inserted. Supposedly, she goes back to work on Monday. Just craziness!

WIFEY SPLURGE FOR THE WEEK: Fake nails

HUMBLED & Other Snippets From My Life of Late

Yesterday I felt humbled after reading a blog post of an acquaintance. This woman lost her baby boy who was born prematurely and died on Friday. As I am dealing with the round-the-clock feedings of my healthy newborn and in my sleep deprivation, I can lose sight of the miracle before me and forget that this child (and all the required childrearing!) is exactly what I wanted. I feel terrible now for my constant complaining about the discomfort of my pregnancy; because in the end, I delivered a healthy baby girl who I love so very deeply. As a fellow mother, I grieve for this woman, with the understanding of her desire to have a healthy child to love and to hold for a lifetime and now of her loss. There are no words, just sadness.

So rarely these days are my thoughts linear, complex or deep. While I wouldn’t describe myself as a scatterbrain, I definitely do display a mind that jumps around. Really, my life is lived in snippets. So in the last two days, here are a few snippets from my “exciting” life as a stay-at-home mom/domestic household manager/domestic goddess:

· Spice Rack Clean-Up – Of all the pressing projects that Hubby could do while on family leave (taxes, life insurance updates, yard work to name a few), he decides that he must clean up our spice collection. I woke up today to find him happily going through our assortment of spices. For how long are spices good, potent and fragrant for cooking? No matter as I didn’t waste any brain power on his pet project.

· My son’s Oxy-Clean statement – I now have definitive proof that my child watched too much TV during my pregnancy. After being instructed to eat his snow cone in the dining room rather than the living room for easy cleanup of inevitable spills, he informs us that if he were to stain the rug, “we just need to get Oxy-Clean because it works on tough stains.” I’m pretty sure that’s a direct quote from the commercial. What makes this so funny to me is that he believes it so sincerely that it makes the delivery of the statement so precious.

· Dinner Duty Made Easy – We have been very fortunate to have friends who have made our lives easier by preparing and delivering dinner for us during the newborn stage. Much thanks and love to all my friends who have taken time out of their busy and hectic lives to make my busy and hectic life a little more manageable! Besides meeting our precious baby girl, we have been able to catch up with a few friends.

· Perfect Baby Girl with Mixed Up Days & Nights Garners Mega-Attention in Baby Sling – I braved the Commissary today with both kids in tow. The shopping trip took forever! However, my son was extremely helpful and patient. Little girl just slept, oblivious to all. I think the trip took a long time because I couldn’t walk more than 10 feet without someone stopping to admire my Precious bundle. Of course, I’m thrilled but also a bit leery.

· Clean house = constant motion – I think the only way to have a clean, clutter-free house is to be in constant motion. Frankly, I just don’t have the energy. Today I cleaned the master bedroom. Our son had an accident in our bed last night. The bed had been stripped but not remade (Hubby & child relocated to another bed in the house.). So I emptied the laundry hamper and hauled the dirty clothes and the soiled sheets downstairs to start laundry. I cleaned up the mattress with baking soda and remade the bed. I emptied the trash. I de-cluttered, taking all the children’s books that have migrated into our room back to the child’s room. I hung up clothes. And then it was time for a feeding. *sigh* and then there was the kitchen, bathroom, living room….

While I’d love to share more snippets, Precious Bundle is demanding that I hold her 24-7. Life is Good.