The truck was packed. Blearily my eyes tried to focus as my father woke us up and told us to get in the truck, it was almost time to "hit the road." We were Sebago bound. Sebago Lake, Maine. Every year my family would pack up the car and go to Sebago. We would head out on the five hour journey around 3 a.m. "We've got to get there early so we can pick the best campsite!", my Dad would declare. Each year I was allowed to invite one friend to spend ten days camping with us. This particular year I chose my friend Julie. I couldn't wait! It was freedom! Showers that operated by coin! Canadians in speedos! S'mores by the campfire and endless hours of roaming by the lake. Pre-teen heaven, well, minus the Canadian flag speedos.Propped up on pillows, ensconced in our sleeping bags and surrounded … [Read more...]
The Dash Two Factor
What is it about a kid free weekend that makes you wonder and discuss the idea of having another child? That topic came up more than once for H and I this sans T.D. weekend. For me, it surrounded me and clouded my thoughts, making me jump from one opinion to the next never able to land on a definite decision. When it comes to the idea of having another child many thoughts crowd my brain. They plague me and doubt looms large. Can we afford another child? How are we going to have room for another one? Can I stand the body upheaval again and the sickness I might have all the while caring for T.D. and not lose my ever-lovin' mind? I'm not so sure. I am an only child. I see nothing wrong with only children despite H's jokes of, "only children are weird..." I would love to give T.D. a sibling … [Read more...]
Beside Myself
T.D. has gone on a whirlwind adventure to her Nana's house for a... wait for it... drum roll please... a solid week! I hardly know what to do with myself. I know the time will fly by as I've already got the following planned.Hours of reviews to conduct and write up (that includes pureeing many a vegetable and fruit and freezing it)Hours working here. I must reach Bongo the Clown. Though really? Asking for Bongo never stops being funny.One baseball game (the last at RFK..sniff, sniff if I were actually a Nats fan. Go SOX!)Some light yard work (I know the excitement doesn't end)Getting myself to a bridal shop where I will cringe as I'm measured publicly for yet another bridesmaid dress. (Don't get me wrong I love the honor I just don't love the markup or the dyed shoes.)Possibly relaxing and … [Read more...]
Us Against Them
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...]
Toys made in China..grumble…
Yesterday, I went on a quick run ($100 dollars later) to Toys R Us with my mother. We picked up a few "essentials" for T.D. and friends. One plastic table, four chairs, an entire dinner set, and a bike later we strode into the house only to be asked by my father,"Were those toys made in China?" Sigh...How sick am I of thinking of this stuff? Very. I am relieved that we live in a newish house that has no lead paint. I "trust" that my local water company isn't lying to me about what is really in our water. I try my damnedest to keep our house free of toxic cleaners, preservatives, and all manner of bad things. Is it too much to ask that I not have to be so vigilant about toys? Toys are supposed to be fun, not arbiters of death or illness. Sometimes, I wonder if I'm the only one who thinks in … [Read more...]
A Family that Plays Together, Stays Together
Quality Family Time. "What's that?", I sometimes wonder to myself, when between H and I we juggle a business, my writing, and his full-time 9-5 job. Time can get pretty scarce. We have to count on the little moments. The ones that are short but sweet. Some of my favorite times are meal times. Breakfast or dinner we sit down and talk about our day. T.D. being 18 mos. things can get pretty comical. Flying food, cascading food, and hilarious tantrums can be the norm. Add the dog in and it's a regular party or a pilot for a sitcom. We do a lot of dancing in our house as well, especially in the kitchen. The radio is always on or the iPod is piping music through the house and we all stop to dance in between unloading the dishwasher or cleaning up the kitchen. It's a blast, funny, and makes us … [Read more...]
What We’re Not Going To Talk About
Are we going to talk about the delayed flight home yesterday? Nope.The jerk who made snide comments to my MiL on the flight home and then proceeded to yell at the flights staff, captain, and random airport workers as we deboarded the plane? No.How about the fact that we sat on the tarmac for an hour after sitting at the gate both in departure and deboarding? Sorry, no.We'll also not be discussing overzealous diaper changing grandparents who succeed in going through a whole box of diapers and wipes in four days. Poor T.D. but we're not talking about that either.Nor will we discuss the sheer exhaustion I now feel from only one day of traveling with a toddler even though I had help.I will only say that I adored having a TV back in my room and the Sleuth channel on Direct TV rocks! There is … [Read more...]
Lucky Me
Thank God that you can't kick people off a plane mid-flight. If you could I'm sure the woman in seat 15F would have thrown up the side door and ousted T.D. and I somewhere over Jersey. Seeing as opening that door would have killed everyone else on board or at least sent them into a drooling mess with them crapping their own pants her only alternative was to suck it up. Along with everyone else including me. Oh yes. I have THAT kid. The one who hates flying and screams during much of the flight. I should have known it was not going to be a barrel of fun when she woke up at 5:30 a.m. the day of the flight. Two hours before her normal time. She barreled around the gate making friends and flirting. She was just sooo charming. Who could resist such an imp? I was hoping that she would just … [Read more...]
Moronic Parenting Moments
"Time to make the vittles", I thought yesterday evening. Ok, so I don't actually use the word vittles. Reminds me of entrails or something equally grotesque. Rocky Mountain oysters perhaps? As I got started on dinner, T.D. started to do the witching hour dance of "FEED ME WOMAN or Suffer my wrath!" Seeing as I don't like suffering at the hands of a two foot tall being with minimal teeth and less than stellar coordination I gave her a bit of a snack. Ok a treat. Really? I was just simply not thinking. Maybe I grabbed the treat for myself and ended up giving it to her. Maybe not. All I know is that a few minutes later I hear grunting and squeals of delight coming from a corner of the kitchen. The dog is licking something off the floor. That something being brown. Huh. I look at T.D. and she … [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...]