Run! Run 'em hard! C'mon kids! Let's run over here. Climb the rocks! Look at the pretty gazebo! Oooh! Climb the steps kids, climb them. Up, down. Up, down. That's it!From six a.m. until 9 p.m. four adults spent an entire day running three little girls ragged. Four adults against three kids under the age of three. And can I just say, those girls kicked our asses. We did it all for a night on the town. Free babysitting by my parents had us giddy with excitement and almost a bit drunk on the freedom of it all. Who would be the victors? The sweet little girls or the hungry for drinks and adult conversation parents?In the morning it was endless rounds of strolling Elmo and tea parties. We ran them around the yard and chased butterflies. We kept them hydrated of course, but we didn't stop when … [Read more...]
Bilingual Baby
An email from my mother last week-Dear Vicky,I have just found a very nice miniature picnic table in an Adirondack style in the L.L Bean catalogue. I have spoken with your father and we would like to purchase one for our house for T.D. to use when she visits and one for your house as well. Take a look at it and let me know what you think. It comes in some lovely colors.Love,MomHmmmm.... a tiny picnic table for our tiny townhouse. Eeehh.... I emailed H to discuss the matter. "Be firm but tell them no in a nice way.", he instructed. Well yeah! Aren't I always nice? Especially to my mother? Really. I just kept thinking of the fact that it was one more giant toy/thing in our house but now outside and how it would rarely get used at this point except as a climbing device. Email from me to my … [Read more...]
Giveaway Monday’s
New reviews up on Mummy's Product Reviews! I'm giving stuff away so check it out!!!Oh yeah and if you haven't heard of her already, check out Jen Lancaster's new website. this post is still making me laugh. … [Read more...]
I think of Leonardo DiCaprio Everyday
Yes. It's true. I think of Mr. '11th Hour' daily. It's not like I'm some crazy stalker person. I'm not. Sure he's nice enough looking, but really it's not like that. It's simply this.Back in 2005 I saw DiCaprio on Oprah (probably one of the last time's I actually sat and watched that show) and he was talking about living green. He explained that it's not a life over hauling thing. It doesn't have to be expensive or complicated. There are a million and one ways to go about your daily life living greener that actually do make an impact. The way we live has to change and it can be changed. I was riveted. I am all for bettering the planet but it does seem rather confusing sometimes doesn't it? Organic or not? Local vs. convenience of the grocery store. Hybrid car price vs. lower priced more … [Read more...]
The Nine- An Update
Augh. So I was feeling pretty good. I had lost 4.5 lbs in just two weeks. I was working out and eating healthy. Lots o grilled veggies and Spirutein shakes. Then I had Girls Night and had too much wine. Wine with brownies. And Cheese Nips. Which I NEVER eat. Oh and some M&M's. Light and dark chocolate. Right, then there was that sugar cookie thrown in too. Next day hung over slightly with my knees bothering me again I skipped the gym. Did my weigh in this morning and somehow between yesterday and today I gained three pounds.To say I'm angry would be a mild way of putting it. Angry. Annoyed. Frustrated and discouraged. I was feeling so good. I don't like to be myself up about that after all I do have one free day. ONE. That is what happens? Yeesh. So it's back to all … [Read more...]
Here’s the Thing
It was a not so hot morning here in our household. Day two of 'the Nine' challenge is going fine. Swimmingly well. Easy peasey I thought as I went to the gym. I did my time on the elliptical and did some lower body toning and was ready to hit the door when I realized, "oh yeah... I need to pick up the business mail."I pull the P.O. box key out of my purse as I collected T.D. from the daycare. I set the key down on a kiddie table to pick her up and we leave. I trot on over to the mailbox place next door only to find I'm sans key. Yup. I left it in the daycare at the gym. I collect my mail anyway and head back over. Maybe a three minute interlude. I trudge back to the playroom, T.D. in arms. I tell the caretakers about the key. I look at the little table now populated with tiny tots … [Read more...]
The Nine- A true life challenge
Nine pounds. Nine. (Is anyone else hearing Mr. Rooney's voice besides me?)Possibly ten. In a matter of weeks I've managed to put on that amount of weight.Aching kneesReal half and half not the fat free kindA dose or fifteen of heavy creamWhipped creamEndless batches of brownies, scones, and cookies to review. I had no choice but to eat them. It's a hazard I now realize with this job.Fried cheese, fries, chips, chicken, fried WHATEVER all delightfully crammed into my piehole. Wild abandon was definitely there.Ice creamA metric ton of cheeseStiff jointsLoss of flexibilityAll add up to those 9-10 pounds. DO NOT email me saying I shouldn't berate myself. It is my own fault after all. Some people can gain that weight and be fine. My small frame does not allow that to be so. Especially after … [Read more...]
Old Biddies Need Not Apply
Dining out with kids. It's a tough situation. There are two sides to it and I'm always torn. In my pre-kid days I was less than tolerant to screaming children in restaurants. Running around? That was a definite no-no. Control that child. Then, I had a kid. I realized that they are less than controllable 100% of the time. However, it doesn't mean that I believe that kids should be able to do or say what they want when in a public place like a restaurant. That being said, when you have five kids ages six and under (also known as not the best idea) plus four women who lunch at one table. There will be noise. You put four ladies who lunch together and there will be a downright ruckus. You add wine and you might as well shut the whole place down.So lady with the helmet head much like ol' Mummy … [Read more...]
Backlash?
This recent entry in Newsweek's 'My Turn' section made me pause. Could it be that there is a backlash forming against 'extreme parenting'? Read the article before delving further into this post or it won't make much sense. Done reading? Ok, good. First, I would like to say that I could not agree more with what Ms. Friedman has to say regarding people backing off women's biological clocks. It is no one's business but the couple or the woman's. Stop asking that question people! Stop touching pregnant and not-pregnant belly's! I'm still amazed at how it's even done to us folks who have already reproduced. Maybe we want to hang out in the 'only child' club for a bit longer than others. And that's just fine. My uterus doesn't work well under pressure. No one's does. Second, Friedman talks … [Read more...]
Creepy Man Freaks Local Mom While Shopping
News at 11.Well, not really. Here it is though. While trying to avoid/not get sucked into the 13th Ring of Hell that is my local Safeway, I decided to make a trip to a different grocery yesterday. It's where I do all my "big" shopping since Safeway seems to think its quite alright to take half the GNP from my wallet each time I visit. Seriously I sometimes think I'm funding some small nation with the amount of money I spend there.While perusing the goods, and incredibly rotten strawberries I might add, this older gentleman approached my cart. "Helloooo", he muttered a bit lasciviously. Ick. I breezed past not making eye contact and barely said a small 'hi' back. He turned around as I whizzed by and said, "I said HELLO!" Ok. Thanks. Creepy. I say Creepy because it wasn't just a friendly … [Read more...]