Chaton's World

Friday Tip: Nuclear Cowboyz Coupon - Kids Tickets $15! | USFamilyGuide.com

2012-02-02T23:59:00.000-05:00

Everybody loves family fun. And it's evev better at a discount. Check out the Nuclear Cowboyz when they come to the Consol Energy Center later this month. Don't get too close though. You may explode! :-)

Nuclear Cowboyz Coupon - Kids Tickets $15! | USFamilyGuide.com

A Style Deal for My Stylish Friends!

2012-02-01T23:16:00.001-05:00

If you're like me, you like to keep up with the latest styles. I am actually old enough that some of the styles I loved in my youth are coming back. Really? Yes, really.

Well INSTYLE magazine is about the best way to keep up with what's current. And since Andre has threatened to throw me out along with all of my magazine subscriptions I am scaling back. Still, when a deal is this good, I have to take advantage and share with you. Besides this is just one magazine and not twelve. So, I'm compromising!

Saving $2.00 off of INSTYLE is huge! (Click on the link below to cash in.) So, consider this your very first Valentine.

SMOOCHES!

http://strk.enlnks.com/aff_c?offer_id=118&aff_id=6020&url_id=57&aff_sub5=16867385&affsrc=1

$2.00 off LeapFrog: Numberland DVD

2012-02-01T18:01:00.000-05:00

$2.00 off LeapFrog: Numberland DVD:

Twitter Tuesday!

2012-02-01T08:11:00.000-05:00

I know that it’s like I am playing peekaboo with Twitter Tuesday. Sometimes you look for it and it just isn’t there! The past couple of days I was distracted a bit. I was preparing a guest post for another blog http://dianereiter.com and neglected my own. (Super thrilled to be a guest blogger though!) Also, it was a rare warm winter day in Pittsburgh. So, last night the baby and went for a walk. And we had the best time!

A few weeks ago, when we returned to work after the holidays, Tuesday came and went without a posting. I was confused and missed posting an entry because I thought it was Monday. My confusion lasted all week. This time I remembered as soon as I woke up today and said, “tell me it’s not Wednesday!”

Nobody answered.

Perhaps I'm the only working mom who sometimes confuses her days, but I don't think so. I think that most moms are doing the best that they can in the midst of laundry, dishes, and trying to brush their teeth. They are doing all those things that I mentioned on Monday in my “Time Flies When You Have a Toddler” piece. I used to be judgmental when I saw them out and about looking a bit frazzled. Now, I don’t judge them.

Moms do everything that everyone else does plus more than a little more. The Toddler mom deserves her own place in heaven!

Moms do heroic deeds. They sacrifice. They clean up all sorts of smelly, slimy things. They deserve medals. They deserve medals and a day reserved in their honor. Wait, I guess moms did get a day, it’s in May. Still, we need more. Until we get it, check out the ladies listed below. They are more than heroic. They’re Tweeters! You don’t have to give them a medal, but send them a message on Twitter and tell them that @chatonsworld sent you!

1. @maryrambin

2. @nugglemama

3. @maternmommy

4. @juliaallison—self-promoter

5. @mskateryan—daring to dream

6. @dohavelawdegree

7. @manageablelife

8. @janicedarcy

9. @liberatedmommy

10. @twinpossible

11. @thechicmama

12. @sugarjones

13. @katiefhurley

14. @staceymoments

15. @punditmom

Time Flies When you Have a Toddler!

2012-01-30T14:51:00.001-05:00

Like most working people I have always thought that weekends go by too fast. Before, I had so many planned social engagements and telephone calls, but so little time.

I’m not sure what happened to all of those social engagements. I think that I have fallen off of a lot of invite lists because I have declined too many times. Apparently the rest of the world was still living and partying while I was pregnant, giving birth and learning to be a mom. My blog follower Anthony Stemke (http://gritsandgroceries.blogspot.com) says that I am a very good mom. That’s one of the things I enjoy about blogging. You make contacts with people who validate you. Seeing how I haven’t had another performance appraisal for my mom job, I am going with Andrew’s assessment!

Back to the time thing. Now, I no longer just lament how fast weekends fly. I am also increasingly amazed at how fast entire weeks and months just zoom by in a blink of an eye. I think it’s the breastfeeding, pumping, diaper changing, baby baths, cleaning sweet potatoes off of the floor after they have been flung by a toddler who has reached her limit. There are also my daily appearances at work, board meetings, and my need to bathe and feed myself. As my mom says, motherhood is more than a notion!

Anyway, in case the end of January has snuck up on you too, I thought I’d point out that there are less than 48 hours left in the first month of 2012. Where did the time go?!

If you are behind on your goals/resolutions/plans like I am. You better hurry up! Then again, let’s make a pact and resolve not to beat ourselves up about coming in late on a few of our goals. We may have been delayed because of something wonderful like watching our child walk for the first time, playing blocks or reading stories. Time flies so you have to be sure to catch those special moments.

Here’s to February!

Fashion Missteps and the Working Mom...

2012-01-27T18:09:00.000-05:00

I have a lot of clothes. Most were purchased back when I was a “hot” chick—before Andre and before the baby. Truth be told, if I hadn’t been such a hot chick I may not have snagged Andre. Who knows about that? Knowing him, he didn’t even notice my clothes. While I would be much further along with the baby’s college fund if I had fewer clothes in my closet, I would have had much less fun.

At the end of the day, fashion is an exercise in creativity and my clothes are my paint brush.

Sometimes though, because of my sheer volume of clothes, shoes and accessories, I get overwhelmed or make a fashion mistake.

Once I bought a pair of black boots nearly identical to a pair already in my closet. Granted, the second pair gripped my calves better than the first pair. Still, had I remembered that I had purchased the first pair I would have saved my money.

OK, that’s probably not true. I would have probably bought something else. Before Andre came along, I had free time and it seemed like money was burning a hole in my pocket. Since the baby has been born it seems like money is flying out of my bank account with rapid speed. Ironic, isn’t it?!

Another fashion mistake I sometimes make is putting together a less than stellar outfit at an inopportune time. In the interest of full disclosure, I am generally well put together. However, sometimes I don’t look quite as good as I’d like. When that happens it bothers me.

On Wednesday I met a colleague who is very fashion forward for dinner at a trendy new restaurant in town. We had a great time—great food, great conversation, drinks bought for us by some very nice gentlemen. However, I was disappointed in myself that I hadn’t worn an outfit befitting that occasion. I experimented with an outfit in the AM, a three piece pantsuit. I thought it would play well at meetings, but for it didn’t play that well for a night out.

Today, I am wearing a fabulous outfit. It is trendy and work appropriate. It is properly accessorized. All day have been thrilled to pieces about it! But to what end? Wouldn’t you know I had no highly visible meetings today, no interactions with my chic colleagues, and no after work engagements.

Such is the life of the working mom. You do all of the right things, but not always at the right times. Maybe if I picked out my outfit the night before I'd hit more home runs at the right time? I'd love to do that, but somehow I always wind up falling asleep on my couch!

In some ways I’d say that I wasted this outfit. Hopefully, I remember how cute it is and wear it at the right time again. Until then, I am getting ready to leave work to spend time with my baby. Since she is my child, I think that she’ll appreciate the value of a great outfit!

Unless I have something I can’t wait to share, I’ll connect with you next week.

Have a great weekend!

Friday Tip: “Free” Date Night in Pittsburgh (A Treat for Parents)

2012-01-27T16:38:00.000-05:00

I know that at the beginning of the new year, and in this economy, a lot of us are committed to saving money. Does that mean that we have to sacrifice our good times? NO!

Blue restaurant in Allison Park is offering up free sushi as part of their Friday happy hour every week. You get unlimited access to the sushi bar from 5:30-7:00 PM on Fridays when you buy a drink. They generally offer a variety of sushi each week. Happy hour runs from 5-7 and also includes other affordable appetizers and drink specials--$5 martinis and wines.

For my swinging single followers, a date from 5-7 probably seems really early. However, for parents, especially those of us with toddlers who turn into pumpkins (or screaming little gremlins, at 8:30PM a date from 5:00PM-7:00PM is just right!

I have actually never been to Blue and they’re not paying me for this shout out. I’m just trying to help y’all have affordable fun. Also, I LOVE sushi and would eat it in LARGE quantities everyday if I could afford to. So, I’ll probably be checking this out sometime soon. To that end, you should probably go soon. They may stop this free promotion after I eat them out of house and home while sipping tonic water…
You can also invite your friends and look like a big spender while spending very little. If you visit restaurant.com you can get a $25 certificates to use at Blue. Sometimes you can score these coupons for only $2.

Blue
1701 Duncan Avenue
Allison Park, Pennsylvania 15101
(412) 369-9050

If you go, let me know!

Cheers!!!

Baby Adventures: Tales of My Amazing Toddler!

2012-01-26T11:32:00.001-05:00

My toddler is nearly 16 months old. Each day she amazes me with her insight, independence and initiative. I now understand what people mean when they say that the baby phase goes so quickly. It seems like they transform from babies into little people overnight!

Yesterday, I was making corn muffins before work. I opened the refrigerator to get an egg and turned my back to place the egg on the counter.

While my back was turned, my little girl managed to get into the refrigerator.

When I turned around she was inside of the refrigerator. I could only see her back. I didn’t want to startle her by calling her name too loudly because I had no idea what she was doing in there. So, calmly I said her name in a normal tone. I expected her to turn around with her face covered in jam or something. But she surprised me.

She turned around and in her hand was her “Yo Toddler” yogurt. Then, she implored me to give her some of it. The imploring was with her eyes and somewhat unintelligible noises, but her intent was clear. She wanted to have some yogurt for breakfast. Of course her mother obliged.

As I said, I was impressed. However, I am still wondering how she distinguished between the “Yo Toddler” yogurt and our Chobani yogurt that was right beside it…

Clearly they don’t stay babies for long!

Twitter Tuesday!

2012-01-24T23:46:00.002-05:00

Tonight President Obama delivered the State of the Union. Regardless of your political affiliation you have to be proud that we live in a country where the president can address both houses and express his vision of America. And, if you are proud to live in America you should be proud that we all have an opportunity to listen to him safely. It may be a stretch, but listening to the State of the Union made me proud that the Constitution protects my first amendment right to Tweet. I am not sure if that’s what the founding fathers had in mind, but I’m not one to let a privilege go to waste.

Below is a list of women who are exercising their free speech rights on Twitter as well. Where else but America could Jennifer Marshall proudly call herself @nuckingfutsmama? I love her wit and her humor. I wish that I had thought of that name! I have found other women who are committed to helping us become more organized, live happier and healthier lives, and achieve balance. Another mom admits that her children actually rule the roost. Ain’t that the truth!
Finally, I would like to recognize @SJM_CookiesMom who helped me finally cross the 800 Twitter follower mark. She is a wonderful an example of moms helping moms!

1. @nuckingfutsmama

2. @MoreTime_ForYou

3. @BalLifeForWomen

4. @mommymiar

5. @toryjohnson

6. @girltalkwshelby

7. @betterselfcare

8. @SJM_CookiesMom

9. @abogadalatina

10. @mamatrack

11. @mommadeitlookez

12. @thebloggess

13. @motherlovepr

14. @kimberlyamuro

15. @porchswingmama

Until next week, keep Tweeting!!!

Time Management and the “Toddler” mom (Part I)

2012-01-21T22:46:00.001-05:00

There are three kinds of people. Those who are always early. Those who are always on time. And those who are always late. Then there is me. I float between all three.
I recognize that there are times when being late is just too expensive—when meeting airplanes, at the pediatrician, interviews, when I am the keynote speaker. Those are times when I tend to be early. Sometimes I am so early that it is laughable. I know that’s not a good use of my time, but I am terrified that my bad habits will derail my productivity. So, I overcompensate.

In the interest of full disclosure I am late a lot for most other things. Too much. If I’m not careful it has the potential to be my Shakespearean fatal flaw. I get that. So I try really hard to be on time. I really make a concerted effort. Sometimes though life intervenes. I won’t write too much about “life” though. You all know it. You’re deep in it up to your eyeballs. For moms “Life” shows up as traffic, dirty diapers, crying babies, stockings with runs in them. For guys it may be a pile of dirty underwear that you meant to wash and now you’re forced to wear basketball shorts or go commando, the dilemma of a failed alarm, a meeting in 30 minutes and a five o’clock shadow, or you just want to do one more thing before you leave work and that thing absorbed you for an hour and you were supposed to be at a dinner reservation 10 minutes ago.

I used to think that I was special, but now I know that I am just living like everyone else and have to figure out how to manage all of my demands and make it on time. It remains a struggle though. It was a struggle before I had my baby. Now that I have become a mom, and a working mom, the struggle is more intense. Let's be real. Having children is an enormous blessing that keeps on giving, but being a parent is a time sucker and an exercise in creative scheduling!

Friday Tips: Free Movie for Kids: “Happy Feet”!

2012-01-20T20:07:00.000-05:00

Enjoy a family night out at IKEA Pittsburgh. Kids eat free on Tuesdays so enjoy a family dinner in our restaurant, then kids can watch this favorite movie in Smaland while parent's shop!

If you need to shop and don't have sitter this may be the ticket!

Where: IKEA in Robinson

When: 5:00 PM - 6:45 PM

Who: children must be 37"-54" and potty trained

How: Limited Seating available for movie, Parents can sign children up for movie starting at 4:00pm the evening of the movie. Smaland will be closed for other play during the movie

Cost: Free

Enjoy!

Time Management and the “Toddler” mom (Part II)

2012-01-19T21:59:00.002-05:00

The other morning was interesting. I had an 8:00 AM meeting. The meeting was previously scheduled for the afternoon, but I re-scheduled it to accommodate the person with whom that I was meeting. Therein lies one of my problems. Sometimes being accommodating is what gets me into half of the battles I get into with time. I adjust, sometimes “to be nice” and jam myself up and put strain on me and my schedule.

Maybe “being nice” is my Shakespearean tragic flaw too???
How many flaws can one person have and still be spectacular? If anybody knows that answer, please let me know. Wait! Maybe by asking this question I am seeking approval. Maybe “my need for approval” is yet another Shakespearean flaw???

Anyway, the meeting was ten minutes away going against traffic. So I was in good shape. I got up, did my morning routine and was ready to go. I was oh so pleased with myself then I realized that I was too hasty. I had forgotten to pump.

Then the mental debate started. Did I have enough time to pump? It went something like this, “I am still breastfeeding. How could I forget that I had to pump. I go to work every day. Whenever the baby isn’t up in time I pump to ensure that she has enough milk for the day and I am not uncomfortable. Did I really forget?! It’s 7:30. Maybe I do really have time to pump. I can do an efficient pump. That only takes ten minutes. If I do that, she’ll have a nice warm bottle for them she wakes up and I won’t be uncomfortable. S--t! I think it’s really cold out. I bet there’s frost on my windows. I’ll probably have to scrape them and let my car warm up. That will take some time. I still have to drive there. It is only ten minutes away and against traffic, but this is Pittsburgh. The land of inexplicable traffic jams. I really can’t be late. This is my first time meeting with this person and it’s really important.”

I realized that I didn’t have time to pump after all. So I left for the meeting, unclear about how the pumping situation would play out during the day and really glad that there was enough pumped milk in the refrigerator to last for the day.
And wouldn’t you know it. There was frost on my windows. And there was a little traffic. I drove to my meeting a little nervous. I walked into the lobby and told the guard who I was there to see. He called her and merely said, “She’s here.” I got nervous again. Was I late??? Then I looked at my phone. As I did the clock struck “8:00”. I was relieved. I was on time.

Yeah, I know that I cut it way close—too close. And I will try to get better at it tomorrow. Also, by Morehouse standards I was late. Those men live by the proposition that “To be early is to be on time and to be on time is to be late.”
I am still striving and trying to be the best mom and woman that I can be. And on the way, I hope to be on time, I mean early, more often!

Twitter Tuesday!

2012-01-17T23:55:00.000-05:00

Anybody who visited the Carnegie Science Center yesterday probably saw me. I was the mom chasing the toddler who was thrilled to pieces to have a taste of freedom. She found her sea legs so to speak and she was delighted.

I was a little scared though. There were big people and little people everywhere. I actually kind of punched a guy in the gut who was walking way too fast and didn’t see my eager little toddler exploring at the Science Center. It’s amazing how bold motherhood makes you. I had to do it, but I was glad that I wasn’t wearing my Chaton’s World t-shirt as I had planned. Forget what you have heard. Bad publicity is just bad publicity.

Anyway, the crisis was averted and the baby continued on her journey and I avoided fisticuffs. She enjoyed the open space, the other children, and the lights. However, what she seemed to like most of all was the ramp. She loved it! She ran down the ramp as fast as she could. However, gravity is a new concept to her and her legs are short. Eventually she fell down. Then, she did the same thing all over again. It really was a sight to behold. I loved experiencing it with her. However, I was enormously grateful that my mother was there to share the experience!

In the midst of my MLK Day excursion I found some interesting women who Tweet who I would like to higlight. I found traveling moms, shopping moms and moms who value style. I found moms who run and moms who blog and a mom who writes to maintain her sanity. (I totally understand that!) I found vegan moms, running moms and moms who work everyday to help us all look beautiful!

Most importantly, I found our first lady. Yes readers, FLOTUS Tweets! How cool is that?! Since today is her birthday I thought I would share her Twitter ID with all of you. Shoot her a birthday message when you get a chance!

Oh well, it is time for bed. I am just glad that Twitter Tuesday is actually coming out on a Tuesday. I have 5 minutes to spare!!!

Happy Tuesday!!!

1. @urbanmommies Canada

2. @TheShoppingMama

3. @AgeistBeauty

4. @MichelleObama

5. @ChelseaHouska –I’m a mommy

6. @Meganterry01

7. @veganrunningmom

8. @BklynRunner Long and winding road, NYC

10. @AlexisAKAMOM Washington

11. @momsatwork Orlando, FL

12. @247moms Gig Harbor, WA

13. @typeamom Asheville, NC

14. @lawyermom

15. @maggiecary

Friday Tips: Free Family Fun for MLK Day (Monday, January 16th)

2012-01-13T08:40:00.000-05:00

I have a dream that the moms who follow me in Pittsburgh have as much free fun as possible with their children. To that end, there are some free events in my neck of the woods to celebrate the birth of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. that I would like to share with you.

• The Pittsburgh Children's Museum: If you are a mom in Pittsburgh I am sure that you have discovered the Pittsburgh Children’s Museum, one of our greatest local kid-friendly resources. It has three floors of hands-on exhibits that are super fun for big kids and for babies! Even though the babies can’t participate in the exhibits mine loved the lights, the sounds, and all of the colors. She was also particularly interested in all of the “little people” running around having fun. It is located on Pittsburgh’s North Side in an elegant, old Victorian Post Office. This weekend and on Monday, the National Holiday celebrating Dr. King, they are hosting the events listed below.

Sat. Jan. 14: Hill Dance Academy Theatre performs live at 1:00 and 2:00 pm.

Sun. Jan. 15: The August Wilson Center Dance Ensemble makes its Children's Museum of Pittsburgh debut at 2 pm.

Mon. Jan. 16: Actor Greg Kenny portrays Dr. King in the one man show, I Have a Dream: A Conversation With a Friend , at 12:30 pm.

-The drum ensemble of Afrika Yetu thrills audiences at 1:15 and 2:15 pm.

- The Saturday Light Brigade Radio Show presents their annual tribute "King for a Day", a five hour marathon of participatory readings of the speeches of Dr. King from 11:00am-4:00pm.

• Carnegie Science Center: Martin Luther King Jr. Day (Monday, January 16, 2012) (10am until 5pm). is free day at Carnegie Science Center on North Shore compliments of Duquesne Light! Families will be able to access all of the exhibits and activities at the Science Center. Also, there will be free parking plus a free Omnimax film. How cool is that?!

• Pittsburgh Glass Center: Free Family Fun on Martin Luther King Jr. Day (Monday, January 16, 2012) (10am until 4pm). There will be glass blowing demonstrations and hands-on activities throughout the day. Kids can also bead or make their own fused tile for a fee (but this activity is not required).

Enjoy!

Babies, Blogging and Happiness

2012-01-11T18:00:00.000-05:00

KJ Dell’Antonia from who writes “Motherlode” for the New York Times a blog that discusses adventures in parenting wrote a piece that says that blogging makes new moms happier. Apparently, Brandon T. McDaniel, a Ph.D. candidate at Penn State University has studied nearly 160 mothers and reached this conclusion. You can read KJ’s piece at http://parenting.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/01/11/does-blogging-make-new-moms-happier/.

Here are my thoughts. In an ode to Decartes, I think therefore I write. I write therefore I blog!

Blogging found me on a plane returning from Cabo San Lucas several years ago. I had gone to Cabo to prove a point to a now ex-boyfriend who doubted that I would go on vacation without him. My trip was just one of the many things that he proved to be wrong about. But I digress…

On my trip home I began talking to a man sitting next to me. For you salacious types, this man did not become a great romance or even a romantic interest. However, he did change my life.

During our conversation I mentioned that my love of writing had been relatively unfulfilled. He said, in no uncertain terms, you need to start a blog. I would be hard-pressed to remember his name, but I will be eternally grateful to him. Our conversation is what gave birth to the online version of Chaton’s World.

Having this blog has provided me with a forum to satisfy my love of writing and has been therapeutic. If you have followed me for a while you know that I have shared my many tales of heartbreak, sickness, and triumph. Sprinkled in have also been tales of my political involvement, tales of love, and the miracle of my pregnancy and my beautiful baby.

Having my baby transformed me into a real life mommy blogger! That was a natural transition for me and being a mother has given more energy and focus to my blog. Also, it has helped me deal with the challenges of motherhood. Having the blog has also given me a greater forum to share my joys. And I am always thrilled to get a comment so that I know that others are “listening”, inspired, and interested in what I have to say.

Has blogging made me a happier mom? Definitely. Being a mother has made me more interesting because my followers have quadrupled since I started writing about being a mom. So that has made me really happy! :-)Seriously though, having a blog has helped me to be happier by giving me an outlet to do what I love. And since I am completely in control of Chaton’s World it feeds my inner control freak in a way that parenting and my work demands do not.

Since I began blogging before becoming a parent I don’t know what parenting would have been like without it. And I am glad that I don’t have to wonder.

My name is Chatón and I am a HAPPY mommy blogger!!!

Apologies for Missing Twitter Tuesday Yet Again...

2012-01-11T17:58:00.000-05:00

Last week I got my days confused and missed Twitter Tuesday. It was the first week back at work after the holidays and I slipped.

This week in the midst of writing a piece and identifying some Tweeters to profile I fell asleep on my sofa yet again. Never fear though. Since I didn't finish last night and have had a busy day I decided to press ahead with another piece that I will post shortly. What can I say, 2012 and I are simply getting acquainted...

Next week though, I plan to return to Twitter Tuesday. With the millions of Tweeters out there I am certain that I will be able to continue that series for eternity.

Be patient with me, my followers are not through with me yet! (At least I hope not...)

Are any of you still adjusting to 2012???

Nap Time and the Toddler...

2012-01-07T15:16:00.000-05:00

Being home on vacation last week taught me some lessons. I realized that even though I am the mom and I am theoretically in charge the baby has me hostage. There are large blocks of time when I am afraid to move becausse it might disrupt her nap time, and she is what they call a "good sleeper".

Sometime though naptime is a bit of a game, like today. I had errands to run so I pushed back naptime to fit my schedule.

Was I high???

I should plan my day around the baby's schedule not the other way around. But today the sun was shining in Pittssburgh and I had some clothes at the tailor so off we went on our errands. I thought we would be back in a jiffy and her schedule wouldn't be disrupted by much. However, this is Chaton's World and not a fairy tale. So, things have a twist.

While we were on our wayhome from the tailor I got a call from work. It was important. So the baby and I had to go to my job. I guess it was an unofficial take your daughter to work day!

Needless to say, she was a hit. I think that she was so surprised to be there and so impressed by the big open space in the lobby that she forgot all about nap time. That was convenient since there was no place for her to take a nap. When we got home it was a different story.

I wanted to put her down for a nap and she wanted to talk about all of the excitement at work. At least it seemed like that was what she wanted to talk about. At 15 months, her words are still a little hard to understand.

Finally I was able to put her down for a nap. Now, I am trying to be as quiet as possible so that I don't disrupt the falling asleep time. Anybody with a baby knows that the time when they are falling asleep is the most important time. If you disrupt it they never fall asleep!

So here I am not vacuuming. Not washing dishes. And not walking up the stairs because they creak and when she hears me on the stairs she stands at attention! I am hoping that these key stokes aren't too loud...

I am so behind. I should be wrapping a present for a birthday party, straightening up the house, or taking a shower. I've been writing this post for about 15 minutes. I haven't heard her in a while. I think it's OK to chance it. Wish me luck!

Let me know if you have any sure fire napping tips!

Productivity...

2012-01-04T18:46:00.007-05:00

Like most people I greeted the new year full of vigor and ambition. Just four days into the year and I am starting to wonder whether everyone else got something when the clock clicked at midnight that I didn’t get.

I have been in meetings with people confessing how they have made such progress towards their resolutions. Also, the commercials suggest that everyone goes to bed on December 31^st and wakes up the next day with increased discipline and commitment. On January 1^st you should be able to lose weight, find more time to exercise, and become an overall better person.

Well, I went to bed on December 31^st and woke up on January 1^st with my same issues. Happy, but with my same issues. Content, but with my same issues. Well rested, but with my same issues.

Perhaps I don’t have the right type of mattress???

Here were some of my goals. I was supposed to go to bed earlier. Wake up earlier. Become more organized. And have a sparkling home with no laundry waiting to be folded. Very basic goals. I wasn’t striving for world peace.

Here’s where I am so far. I have woken up earlier. So that is a victory. However, I have already failed to make it to bed earlier. My increased organizational plans have yet to yield fruit. (True confession: I haven’t even put one piece of paper in a folder.) My home doesn’t sparkle. And that laundry, well it is still there. We may have a laundry waiting to be folded record. However, I am too embarrassed to contact Guinness to find out for sure!

Maybe I could do more housework if I stopped blogging??? Andre made that sacrilegious suggestion once. While it wasn’t quite an “off with his head” situation, it is not a suggestion that he has made twice… J

Anyway, I confessed my guilt to a friend about my lack of productivity and the things left undone on my “To Do List”. She said that anyone who completes everything on their “To Do” list probably doesn’t have enough things on there. LOVE her! She is wide beyond her years!

On the bright side, it’s only January 4^th. There is still lots of time for me to make my plans a reality!

Let me know if you have anything that can help me achieve my goals!

Returning to Work After the Holidays!!!

2012-01-04T00:26:00.001-05:00

Along with my holiday bliss I enjoyed a seemingly endless supply of dishes, laundry, and diapers. I thought that I would spend my holiday time relaxing and playing with the baby. I did some of that, but I was also REALLY busy!

I quickly learned that when you're at home everyday there is no relief. Instead, there is always something to do.

I'm not whining, too much. I just thought that being home would be like hitting the lottery. I thought that my presence alone would create order and peace in my house.

Was I high???

Apparently my presence at home just disrupted the apple cart. The baby was confused. She liked having me home, but having me here made her unruly and disruptive at bedtime. All of the work we did in the previous six months was unraveled. And we were left with a whining, crying mess, previously known as our sweetheart.

She also had vaccinations last week. I thought that having the vaccinations while I was off was compassionate. It may have been, but it also was a buzz kill! The 15 month shots are no joke. Afterwards, the baby didn't like me, the nurse or the doctor. She was uncomfortable, disagreeable and hostile--for days.

All we could do was wait, hope, and pray.

While we did all of those things, my sister sneezed, the baby got sick, and I got the sniffles.

Could I have planned a worse time off???

Maybe that is exactly the point. Life happens when you are making other plans. So even though I had plans to "maximize" my time off I had to give in to the rhythm of life.

Life is messy. It is disruptive. And it can be LOUD. During my holiday I experienced each moment instead of over thinking how I needed to capitalize on it. I had no choice but to be.

Upon reflection, I think that being a working mom is than being a stay-at-home mom. I know that it is sacrilege to admit this, but it was true for me.

We'll see how my thoughts evolve over the next year though. The truth depends on the light. Until then, my hat is off to my stay-at-home mom sisters. And I am retreating into the email hell that I call my work life. I am sure that in a month or so I will long to be at home every day. However, now I am grateful that I have a place to go and a wonderful woman to watch my daughter while I am there.

Does that make me a bad mom?!

(The photos are the baby and Andre at the doctor and me and the baby at home afterwards. We went through it last week. This week I am at the "party" called work. Whoo Hoo!!!)

Returning to Work After the Holidays!

2012-01-03T10:44:00.001-05:00

I returned to work after a nice holiday break. I enjoyed my time off and learned a lot. I also gained great respect for stay- at-home moms!

Stay tuned for my comments about my holiday break.

Until then, take care and happy new year!!!

It's Christmas in Pittsburgh!

2011-12-31T02:36:00.000-05:00

I greeted Christmas wistfully. Andre and I wanted to create our own traditions. So, this year we didn't stay over at my parents' home Christmas eve. We didn't wear our matching red pajamas and I didn't wake up surrounded by my family.

The baby remains on her own schedule. While she has been captivated by the shiny paper, the lights and bells, she has been blithely unaware of the holiday season. She appears to be as amused as she was on her birthday. She thinks it's fun, but doesn't seem to know what all of the fuss is about.

Of course the adults understand that the fuss is about the Baby Jesus and our own little baby. And like the wise men before us, we showered the baby with lots of gifts.

It might sound like an idyllic Christmas, but this is Chaton's World and not a fairy tale. So, this tale has a twist.

We had a different sort of Christmas. Last year, I woke up Christmas morning the way that I have my whole life--in my parents' home wearing red pajamas like my mother and sister. Last year was different though. Andre and the baby joined me and they had their own pajamas. It was sweet.

This year, Andre wanted to start our own tradition. So, we slept at home on Christmas Eve. However, unless our tradition is waking up late, delaying opening gifts and doing housework we didn't establish our own tradition. Instead, Christmas seemed like any other Sunday and not a particularly nice one.

I was disappointed. I had expectations. I know that I am highly evolved, but I began to think that "This Christmas sucks."

It is a thin line between disappointment and ungrateful and I almost crossed it.

I'd like to say that thought lasted only momentarily. However, it lasted a couple of hours. Even while that thought was resonating with me I felt guilty. The notion of Christmas sucking offended my Christian sensibilities.

I was right. That feeling was an affront to my blessings. I began to realize that just because our Christmas did not conform with my cinematic dreams did not mean that it was not blessed. It just took me some time to realize it.

Here is what I realized...

My entire family celebrated Christmas together safe and sound. Andre and I are employed, a huge blessing in this economy. We have a home full of love. Our energy bills are paid. The appliances work. And we like each other, we REALLY like each other! We have everything we need and most of what we want, including money to buy presents. Also, we spent Christmas Eve attending my parents' annual party.

God is good and so is our life.

Once I reflected on what we have instead of on what I wanted I felt better. I felt blessed. And I felt happy. At 9:00PM after dinner and presents I think that I finally got it. Any Christmas that I spend with my family is a good one. I hope that I never forget that again!

I know that I sound like friggin' Dorothy from "The Wizard of Oz", but I do feel like I clicked my heels together and found the truth.

Don't worry though, I have not become sanctimonious. Tomorrow I will likely have a relapse. But please bare with me. Life is an exercise in living. And I remain committed to learning the necessary lessons. I just can't promise you that I will get the lessons the first time. I'll continue to share my journey with you though.

And at the risk of being politically incorrect, "Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night!"

Twitter Tuesday…

2011-12-27T23:54:00.000-05:00

It’s the holidays! Since I am off work this week I have been enjoying my holidays with my family . I debated forgoing Twitter Tuesday, but thought better of it. Instead, I decided to share a list of top Tweeters from another source. I cheated a little, but please don't judge me!

Here is the list of Top 50 Best Twitter Moms published by "The Babble" in 2010.

These moms deserve recognition. They are funny, witty, and likable. A few of them have been profiled on Chaton’s World before. I generally don't re-post. However, this holiday week I’ll make an exception.

Visit Babble’s post to read the entire list to see the list of fantastic Tweeters. And play close attention to @GretchenRubin, Gretchen Rubin, author of the Happiness Project. She looks for the silver lining in every day events and inspires me. My plan is to transform my home into a “Happiness Project” in 2011.

Who’s with me?!

http://www.babble.com/mom/work-family/top-50-twitter-moms-pioneerwoman-amalah/

[The photo is from last Christmas, the baby's first. I cannot believe how much she's grown since then!]

Holiday Traditions: Cookies

2011-12-25T16:51:00.000-05:00

I’m not Martha Stewart, but I do try to make the holidays special for those I love. I bake cookies, lots of them. I usually bake about twenty dozen cookies and mail them to family and friends all over the country. At least that is what I did before the baby.

Last year I never managed to bake cookies. This year I baked some cookies and intended to mail them to family and friends. However, those intentions were not realized.

Time got away from me. I never made it to the post office in time to share my cookies with anyone outside of Pittsburgh. Oh well, that left more cookies for us here!

I shared the cookies with my colleagues and those who attended my parents' Christmas Eve party. They seemed to really like them. I think that my cookie baking project can still be considered a success.

What do you think???

Wordless Wednesday...

2011-12-22T00:11:00.000-05:00

Here are some photos of our girl during the holiday season. Enjoy!

Twitter Tuesday!

2011-12-21T23:37:00.000-05:00

Yes. This post is late, again. I fell asleep last night on my sofa with my laptop and good intentions, again. I didn’t wake up until 3AM and was so foggy I figured I ought not post anything at that hour.
Admittedly, the title of this post is at best misleading and at worst an outright lie. I could rename it “Twitter Wednesday”, but I think you’d agree that lacks the same panache. Besides, I think it may still be Tuesday somewhere. Even if it isn't, I think that I can declare it Tuesday in Chaton's World and I have! :-)

Like you, I am in the home stretch of preparing for the holidays. Since we celebrate Christmas, I am trying with all deliberate speed to get to December 25th with my shopping done, packages wrapped and cookies baked. I’m having some challenges, but I'll write more about that later.

In the meantime, below is a list of moms who are Tweeting away. I started Tweeting to promote my blog. However, I am drawn to Twitter because it connects me to people who inspire me and make me laugh. The women listed below do both.

They juggle multiple children, step-children and home businesses. One was born overseas, but is "western by choice". Some are professional writers and some manage to keep their houses clean and look great too. They are not Stepford wives. They are real women who are taking motherhood by the mammary glands! Along with Julie Chen they are my idols! I'd give anything for a clean house and a talk show. (Hey Julie you should have amateur day on "The Talk" and invite me to participate. Santa, please help a sister out!)

It might also be kind of cool to be "a lady in France" like one of the Tweeters I found instead of being a "lawyer in Pittsburgh". One mom has a Louis Vuitton bag as her profile shot. Either she's on the payroll, she's a huge fan, or owns a lot of them. I have no idea, which category she's a part of, but I am intrigued. If you are too, follow all of the ladies listed below!

1. @JulieChen

2. @samanthaettus

3. @shopaholicmom (photo is a Louis Vuitton bag)

4. @MothersHideaway

5. @HHMStephanie

6. @Aladyinfrance

7. @CoolWhipMom

8. @Mofthesea

9. @makingitworkmom

10. @jscogdell

11. @NOLAGRLinOC

12. @MamasViewfinder

13. @TatterScoops

14. @lrwhitney

15. @halfwayblonde

(Don't you love the shot of the baby in this post?! What hope! What wonder! What joy!)