Mommy...wines

What we leave behind

noreply@blogger.com (Beth) — Thu, 13 May 2010 19:12:00 +0000

I will start out this post by saying that I am not a materialistic person, that is not my point here. I lost my grandmother about a year ago and am blessed that she left me some very nice things. What I mean by this is I now have some of her possessions that most remind me of her. While not really worth anything to the average person, their sentimental value to me is priceless. The teapot we would have tea parties with when I was little, her TV trays we would play "jewelry store" with around the same time frame, a little silver ash tray she would leave change in for the paper boy to pay for the paper for the next week. When I see all of these items, not only do they bring back some great memories of my childhood, but they are a part of her that I can have with me everyday.

I also inherited her cherry bed room set. This is a beautiful four-poster bed with 2 gorgeous dressers that my grandmother wanted her whole life. She scrimped and saved for these for many years and finally purchased them when she retired as a treat for herself. I am incredibly honored that I was the one in the family that have these. It is the bedroom set in my bedroom today. It reminds me of my Gram when I turn my light off at night and when I hear the alarm in the morning. Being that it is the most precious heirloom from my grandmother, one day when she is old enough, I will give it to my daughter. I have known this for years. My daughter was named after my grandmother (her middle name "Ruth") but she will also have something very personal of her great grandmother other than her name.

And that gets me thinking about what I will leave to my children. Again, not materialistic but items that are special to me and therefore I want them to have a special place in their hearts too. So I have thought this through, what goes to my daughter and what goes to my son. I have not discussed this with anyone, because let's face it, it's morbid. But I know my plan and what I want to have happen, when, god forbid, that time comes. What I did not realize is that my husband has had this plan in the back of his mind too. I just learned this fact recently.

The other night while changing my son's diaper, the subject of comic books came up. My husband is an avid comic book reader and collector and has been his whole life. He is constantly trying to add to his collection with rare books or replacing ones he lost years ago from too many moves in his youth. The conversation led to the fact that all of his comic books are for my son. He wants our son to have his entire collection. This was the first time that I have ever heard this from my husband, but it really touched me. You see if you know my husband, you will know how much his comics mean to him. Much like with me and my grandmother, my husband wants our son to have some of his things that he is really proud of. And I never knew it, should have guessed it, but it never crossed my mind. At that moment it was all I could do to not swoon.

It just melts my heart to know that while I know what is important to me to leave to my children, my husband has been thinking that too. As individuals it is important to us to leave the items that define our individuality to our children to truly remember who we are as people and not just as their parents. And I think that is one of the best things we can pass on to our children.

The happiest baby in my house

noreply@blogger.com (Beth) — Mon, 10 May 2010 19:04:00 +0000

I have spoken here several times about my fear of having two kids. And three months into this I have to say it is not as hard as I thought it would be. A friend of mine put it best for me not too long after my son was born. She said it is not twice as hard with two, it is about 50% harder. Your life has already had the massive change of becoming a parent. You already live around someone else's schedule and sleeping in is now 7:30. Ok, got that, check.

I am enjoying my second baby way more than I thought I would. Not that I did not think I would not enjoy it, but it is fun this time. Yes, waking up frequently, poopie diapers, that crazy, heavy infant "bucket" you have to cart them in around. I really think that it is fun. Now parents of multiple kids have learned this already, but you are so much more relaxed with your second child. I am not worried about every small thing that could potentially freak me out as you do with your first baby. I know he will be fine, I know he will grow, I know I am making the best decision for me and my family.

I think since I am so relaxed this time around with a baby, my son is incredibly relaxed. Every time I look at him which is a lot, he smiles at me. I mean every time. I go to get him from his crib in the morning - SMILE. I am feeding him - SMILE. I talk to him as we walk from room to room - SMILE. I take him with me to the store, you guessed it - SMILE. And the laughter that comes with the smiling, goodness. I need to record it and make a fortune off the happiness that it can spread, because you cant help but to laugh with him. Now my daughter was a a happy baby, but I did not think that one little dude could just smile and be happy with you all day long. Talk about unconditional love, I've got it in truckloads at my house.

I think this is what makes it so fun for me this time. Even as the toddler is running about the house, I've got three loads of laundry that need to be folded and no clue what we are doing for dinner, I still get a smile. I think it is his way of telling a hyper-active, perfectionist mom "It's OK Mom, it will all get done and we are all OK." (SMILE). My son is our last baby for us as we are stopping at two. I am so grateful that I have a happy baby and a beautiful smile to gaze into for hours on end - SMILE from Me.

Tis the Season

noreply@blogger.com (Beth) — Thu, 06 May 2010 16:52:00 +0000

So I am sure all Moms out there are wondering what their families will be doing for Mother's Day, looking forward to enjoying the one day a year you get to sleep in, feigning surprise at whatever gift you massively hinted at getting. And while I am looking forward to that too, the beginning of May kicks off what has always been my own personal high holidays.

While it is Mother's Day it is also my Father's birthday, some years it is not the same day, but this year it is. So I have to juggle Mother's day with Mom (who is a terrific grandmother, my sounding board for all things parenting and my go to baby sitter) and Dad's birthday (my business partner and I am a Daddy's girl) - and my parents are divorced, so I cannot combine them into one activity. So there goes the weekend without any Mother's day time for me as Mommy with my family. Oh wait and there is my Mother-in-Law too. Did I mention that we all live in the same city? Great for the kids and ourselves, not so great for juggling the holidays. So let me figure out how I am going to fit all of that into one 48-hour window, well there is always the weekend after and the one after that.

Then a couple of weeks later, it is my husband's birthday. He is our family's absolute rock and puts me and the kids before himself on a consistent basis. And not to make everyone jealous, but he is a great partner from cleaning the house to running errands to cooking to changing diapers. Yes ladies, he is the perfect husband. He deserves something great and fun for his birthday. And my parents (while divorced, they don't mind doing things together for other people, which is quite helpful) wants to do something because they love him. Plus his Mom wants us over for dinner. Ok another weekend in May with 2 days and 3 events, so we will roll into another weekend as well.

Now we are into June, yet there is no rest for the weary. You see while Dad's birthday falls on Mother's day, yes you guessed it, Mom's birthday falls on Father's Day. So I need to do something for Father's Day with Dad (Daddy's girl you know). And then, of course, Mom wants to spend her birthday with her family, she deserves it. Oh but I need a really great Father's Day for the Husband, because he is a great dad. Hopefully the birthday extravaganza (that I still have to plan) was not so much that I have nothing left for Father's Day. Ok weekend number 3 in six weeks time that I have 3 activities in 2 days. But I think I am still making up for the holidays and birthdays in May, right?

Now I am not complaining, I am truly blessed to have so much love and support in my life that I want to do something special for the people in my family. But I just wish I did not have to do all of it multiple times in a six week time period.

But here is where I get foolish, I know that this happens every year, but here I sit 3 days before Mother's Day and freak out over all of it. I have planned nothing, not shopped for any gifts or meals ( in my defense I have a toddler and a 3 month old) nor do I know when I will find time to spend an hour at the card store for everyone (see in my family you get multiple cards that are funny, we prefer it that way). Forget giving cute gifts with the kids pictures on it because I totally spaced and ran out of time. But alas, once I am through it, I am done and don't have to worry about it until May 6th of next year.

What do you do for your parent birthdays and holidays....I am wide open to suggestions:)

The terrible "two-and-a-halfs"

noreply@blogger.com (Beth) — Tue, 04 May 2010 14:45:00 +0000

We have all heard about the terrible twos right, you don't even have to be a parent to know that one. But Lexie, as she likes to do, impressed me with her behavior so much, that I thought maybe we would miss that milestone of independence. And then she turned 2 and a half (insert sinister dum, dum, dum music here).

I know she wants to try and learn and explore, but as her parents we can provide some guidance so she does not get hurt/fall/eat cat food. She has decided that she no longer needs to listen to her parents. Some examples? Let's see where do I start? After much, much convincing, we finally persuaded her that if she wants to talk while others are talking to say "excuse me" and not scream "STOP TALKING" at the top of her lungs. Now we just need her to know that saying "excuse me" does not automatically mean she gets undivided attention right at that moment. She has also taken to pushing the stools from our bar/counter in the kitchen all over the house so she can reach anything high up. She waits until we are not looking and then it happens. One day she was up on the stool in the medicine cabinet because she really, really needed some Tylenol. My favorite is one day when I heard from the other room "Mommy, I made a really huge mess" and yes she had by spilling a bucket of water all over the floor.

My favorite thing is that the "2-and-a-halfs" have turned us into those parents that I used to glare at in public before I had kids. Yes, we have taken her kicking and screaming out of a restaurant. That kid you just stepped over as you leave Target? Yeah, that was her. The kid pushing the cart all over the aisle at the grocery store. Yup, Lexie again. I do try to give those exasperated looks to others that I used to get. But I would like to state for the record that while annoying yes, if she were not doing these items, there would be a meltdown of epic proportions. So I give in, because I am a parent now and I get it.

Needless to say, I am quite excited to get through this phase and get my well behaved little girl back. But wait, what is that you said? Did I really hear you correctly? The threes are worse..wha? Good grief:)

The dreaded POTTY TRAINING

noreply@blogger.com (Beth) — Mon, 03 May 2010 01:22:00 +0000

Potty training...these words have eluded me for a while now. And it is my fault because I have been really lazy about it. I knew that I would have to cross this bridge at some point and time and I kept putting it off. But the sheer fact that I have doubled the amount of diapers I change, the time was now.

I had tried to do this before, but she and I were not ready, so I gave it up. But I finally decided to face my fear head on. I think one of the reasons why I was so hesitant to do this was the sheer amount of knowledge, advice, books, pamphlets and web sites devoted to this topic. There was too much for me to figure out the best method. I asked everyone, checked out everything, bought a bunch of books. I was a little crazed in trying to find that one piece of wisdom, the a-ha moment in how to do it. For me, that did not exist. I thought this would be really, really hard and I needed someone to hold my hand through it. Then I realized that even though I don't know what I am doing in this, I do know that you just have to boil all the potty training knowledge down to useful bits of information that you are willing to employ yourself. Just do what works best for you and your child. The huge potty training industry would hate that I drilled this down to one simple, cliched phrase.

Here's what I did. I picked the weekend that we were going to do this well in advance so I could prepare myself for the end date. I stocked up on little toys and trinkets from stores as my bribes for her and every Dora or Elmo printed potty seat there is out there. One helpful piece of advice I read is that a good way to kick off potty training was on the morning you start to have you and your toddler throw diapers away and say goodbye. It worked and we were head first into potty training. Another reason for my fear, I was afraid of the sheer amount of messes I would have all over the house. (for those of you who ever come over, please know I kept this to a few rooms where I could easily clean up). She ran around in a shirt and panties all day, and while we had accidents by the end of the first day, she was able to run with me to the bathroom to go. I am happy to report on day one we achieved the holy grail of potty training...she pooped in the potty.

So all in all, and it is only day three as I write this, it has gone better than I expected. My toy bribes definately worked. If she would not go, I would show her the toy she would get and that was all the motivation she needed. Her sticker chart is full of stickers of achievement. The grandparents called and came by this weekend to tell her how proud they were of her throughout. The washer and dryer have been humming non-stop this weekend to keep up with a supply of clean princess panties. And today, day 3 we had no accidents. She even came and got me when it was time to go.

The funny thing in all of this was that I think potty training made us a little closer. We are having great conversations, albeit in the bathroom, but that is just fine with me. While I want to keep my eye on her to make sure she makes it to the potty, she wants me near in case she needs to go. Through all of this, I did not realize we were both afraid of it. It was her hand I needed to hold to get me through this and of course, she has done a terrific job.

I am sure there will be many more messes to come and we have not ventured out in public yet, but I am happy that we both faced our fear. And I am so happy to have eliminated 50% of the diapers in our house.

A room of my own?

noreply@blogger.com (Beth) — Thu, 29 Apr 2010 15:23:00 +0000

Don't hate me for this statement, but both of my kids were great sleepers as babies. We hit the 8 week mark and bam, sleeping through the night. Yes, I know that I am very lucky.

When they were both newborns (and my youngest still fits into this category), they slept in a bassinet about 2 feet from my bed. It was the perfect distance for a new mother to wake up in the middle of the night and without even taking my head off the pillow, see them sleeping soundly and hear their sweet breathing pattern. As all moms know, having your babies sleep in the same room with you is extremely convenient for middle of the night feedings. But when those stop, the little ones are fine to be in their own room in their own crib. And yes, my pediatrician had to tell me that with my first child. I really thought that the baby needed to be in the room with us, not the other way around. I did not realize the need for your baby to share a room with you was for ME and not THEM.

With my daughter, I was very worried about having a routine established before my maternity leave was up at 12 weeks. So as soon as she slept through the night, we moved her into her room - down the hall. If there was going to be an adjustment, I wanted it to happen and be done with before I went back to work. So she slept through the night at 8 weeks and at 9 weeks she was in her room with her crib. No problem at all.

But this time with my son it is so much harder. He is just 3 months/twelve weeks and has been sleeping through the night for a few weeks now. But, I can't bring myself to put him in his own crib. I am trying to savor each and every baby moment with my son, because he is my last baby - we are stopping with 2 kids. So while I am happy he sleeps through the night, I am not ready for the milestone of moving out of our room. Can't he be my little snuggly newborn for a bit longer. I am not ready for his first step of independence, albeit a very small one. I mean I have done this before, my daughter was moved into the very same room, but it is so much harder this time.

Every night I tell myself that THIS night is the one he will move in there. I get the crib all set up. Night light plugged in. Humidifier gently on. But that moment hits and he is all asleep in my arms and I put him in the bassinet next to me. I just don't have the willpower to do it. So hopefully, tonight will be the night that I do it...hopefully.

Diaper-palooza

noreply@blogger.com (Beth) — Mon, 26 Apr 2010 17:47:00 +0000

OK, so here I was a few months back with my 2.5 year and pregnant. I had always planned on having my children close together. My living room is already filled with plastic toys and sleeping until 7:30am was sleeping in, we are parents so I get it. My life had already changed with having one kid and I knew to expect some sleepless, rough patches adding a newborn into the mix.

Then one day an extended family relation said "Oh poor thing, you will have 2 kids in diapers." Well, yes, yes I will. But I figured why get one out of diapers just to get another one back into them. I mean I am already used to the routine, what is the big deal. (And you can start laughing at me now).

OH MY GOD THE DIAPERS. I feel a little better getting that off my chest. I mean goodness, how often can 1 or 2 little people poop or pee. And the answer to that one is a lot.

There is really no rhyme or reason to the whole diaper thing except that we go through a ton. With having had a girl first and now a newborn baby boy, let me tell you that girls are easier to change. You don't have to worry about a "shower" with a girl. It never occurred to me (clearly I see a pattern here) that changing a boy would be difficult, I mean I change diapers every day what is the big deal.

Flash forward to the first few days at home with my son and I either get the diaper on him wrong (it is all about positioning), get sprayed or he literally poops 5 times in as many minutes while on the changing table. I can go in to change my son and it turns into a 20 minute, 6 diaper, whole pack of wipes that we will both need a bath after affair. And typically, it is after that moment that my daughter needs to be changed. And you know it smells, really bad..and is big. Enough said there.

I know I am not very green in my rant over the sheer numbers of diapers we can go through weekly, sometimes daily. I hope all my recycling and "Al Gore" lightbulbs help to even that out. However, some days I think I could make myself a little fort out of all the diapers and hide there so no one can find me.

Needless to say the 2 year is getting potty trained...ASAP!

Stroller Derby

noreply@blogger.com (Beth) — Tue, 13 Apr 2010 13:13:00 +0000

So what is it with Strollers (sorry to start off sounding like Jerry Seinfeld). But seriously, just 3 short years ago, I had no need for these contraptions in my life and now they consume me. I am addicted to strollers. I have 2 children and I have purchased 5 - yes FIVE strollers in a short amount of time.

How does one with 2 children acquire 5 strollers you ask? Well, by making quick purchase decisions on every single stroller I see. You see I did not plan this, really I didn't, I just can't stop. So I have the stroller/car seat combo that it seems everyone registers for and gets at their baby shower for their first child. Then once my daughter could sit up, I learned of the joy of an umbrella stroller to easily take wherever we went. Also, with my first daughter we were in a Nanny share and of course we need to have a double stroller for our nanny, which she used everyday. So I was OK for a while. Then I got pregnant with my son and the need for a new stroller just started creeping up again. I mean I just had to have an infant/toddler combination stroller that can hold my son in the infant seat and a place for my daughter to sit and stand. And finally, I needed (ok wanted actually) the simple frame stroller to lock the infant seat in place - you know, just because.

How can I have an addiction to these in such a short amount of time, you ask? I think I have the worst case of stroller envy. Yes, moms it is bad enough we judge our parenting skills but there is a term for being jealous of the equipment too. I guess I keep thinking that the NEXT stroller I buy will be the ONE. And what is the ONE? You know a perfectly-light-weight-easy-to-maneuver-I-don't-look-like-an-unoragnized-mom stroller. But they have not invented that one yet - it does not exist. Because if it did, I would buy it.

PS - I am happy to share my reviews of my strollers and brands, just ask.

It's been a while, did you miss me?

noreply@blogger.com (Beth) — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 19:21:00 +0000

Hello my readers, yes it has been quite a while. Gee, almost as Long as it would take one to get through a very rough pregnancy. I am happy to say that I am now a proud Mom of 2 and can cross being preggers of my list.

So here is what happened....

While on vacation last July, I started to feel a little sick...sick for three consecutive days. While I finally realized could mean only one thing. I am pregnant. Now don't get me wrong, we were trying and am completely happy that the fertility gods looked down on us and blessed us again. But goodness it was a rough one. Being in your late 30s, having a toddler, being a good wife and a full time job. Well, lets just say I was a bit overwhelmed with everything that needed my attention. And the tiredness, goodness the tiredness. The first trimester malaise lasted so much longer with baby number 2 and the third trimester hit me earlier than before. Wrap in 2 bouts of pre term labor and bed rest and well there you go.

However, it was all worth it. Arriving 3 weeks early Max joined us, weighing in at 8 lbs. A nurse at the hospital joked that if I carried him to term I could have been on the news with how big he could have been. Probably not the best thing to tell someone in the grips of labor and delivery hormones, but oh well.

So I am back, will be writing and expressing to everyone as I go through my maternity leave and return to work in a few months. And if you have any advice as to how to manage a toddler and a newborn, please tell me.

Lexie - 2 years old

noreply@blogger.com (Beth) — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 17:59:00 +0000

I can't believe it. I have a 2 year old. I ask myself when it happened, because it seems far, far too quick. I still remember all the planning before you were born and making sure we had all the right baby gear and trying to figure out what to do. And now....POOF...a big girl right before our eyes.

So this last month you really have started to take all of your learning and development to the next step. You can identify numbers and some letters and colors. You LOVE to sing, LOVE it. You can sing the alphabet song quite well and over and over again.

However, your most fun toys now are puzzles. You can't get enough of them. We keep buying new puzzles to keep you engaged and you figure them out in about 2 minutes flat. So I think we need to move onto more advanced puzzles to keep you entertained.

And the jumping....did I mention the jumping yet? You jump any and everywhere! I mean everywhere. On the bed, on the couch, on the floor, on your stuffed animals, tried to jump on the cats...but suffice it to say this is your favorite personal mode of movement/transportation.

For your second birthday, we had an Elmo themed birthday party that you loved. We kept the party small to family and close friends and had a great time with it. Gamma made you a Tinkerbell costume that you have barely taken off since. You got your first bike from Papa along with 2 others toys you can ride. Mommy and Daddy got you a stroller and baby bed for dolls and you now take the stroller with you everywhere. You had a great time playing with your friends and family at your party.

However, what i will always remember from your party is the sweet, sweet look on your face as we all sang "Happy Birthday to you". From your expression, you almost could not believe it was all for you. I am so happy you were so appreciative of your special day.

Lexie, thank you for the last 2 years and changing mine and daddy's lives in ways we could have never expected. It has only been 2 years, but it has felt like we were always meant to be a family and we missed you before we even met you.

I love you, mommy.

A Spoonful of Sugar??

noreply@blogger.com (Beth) — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 19:59:00 +0000

First I must apologize for the long delays between posts, lets just say life has gotten in the way and I promise to not let it happen again:)

So I am beginning to think that Mary Poppins was wrong. Yes, I said it. I dare to challenge the institution that is Disney and how they defined proper child care should be given. But here's my point of view.

We all know the song, it is probably running through your head right now. The spoonful of sugar is supposed to make the medicine taste better and go down easier for our little ones. And lets be honest, didn't we all make our Mom's try this just once growing up.

However, today's pharmaceutical companies have take this a little too literally. Medicine for infants and children are so sweet and so full of flavor and sugar that I can smell the sweetness in the medicine dropper. And to be completley transparent I have only given my 2 year old three medicines in her lifetime - Tylenol, Motrin & Zyrtec (all the infant/children's varieties of course). But I really wonder how this over sweet medicine will have an effect on our kids growing up?

Will our children ever know the difference between candy and medicine? What if they want a sugar fix growing up and head for the medicine chest - or wait is that part of the reason why kids down a bottle of Robitussin at parties. No, it is for the high, but I am sure the nice taste doesn't detract from the desire to do it. But i think we need a clearer distinction between Gobstoppers and Tylenol - currently there is none.

I am not saying we should go to the extreme and have horrible tasting medicine - that will make it all the harder to get kids to take it. However, lets save the syrupy, yummy, gooey sweetenss for where it belongs - in candy

Lexie::23 months

noreply@blogger.com (Beth) — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 01:23:00 +0000

Well Lexie, here we are the last month we can say you are 23 months old and people won't look at me funny. Your are our precious little girl more and more every day - and by that I mean you are leaving all baby aside and becoming a little girl.

Just last week you gave up the last piece of babyhood - your crib. We went on vacation, put you in your pac-n-play and you hopped right out. Luckily there was a "big girl bed" there for you to sleep in and you happily took to it. Once we got home, we converted your crib to a big girl bed and you have not looked back since. It just amazes me to see you happily embrace the next phase of your life. You are so adventurous and not afraid of anything.

I mentioned vacation above and we are just back from a trip to the beach with Papa and his dog Sadie. You had an absolute blast. You loved building sand castles with Daddy, swimming in the surf and tide pools with all of us, flying a kite with Papa and walking Sadie. Since we were on vacation, we completely blew your nap and sleeping schedule, but you were a trooper and had fun with us everyday. Also, I was not aware that you could consume sooooo many chicken nuggets in a one week period, but you sure did. It took all of 5 minutes for you to warm up to the beach and after that, you took to it like a fish...to water.

Another big milestone, you have learned how to jump. You will jump on the floor or jump off of everything - again you have no fear.

Finally, in the last week your conversation skills have really progressed and I know I say this every month. But what i thank has been happening was your vocabulary was expanding, now we have complete conversations. And it is not just you responding to us, you will come up and start talking to us about whatever is on your mind. We were in the car the other day and you told me and Daddy "I need a day off." Now this was funny for several reasons...first, we are just back from vacation, so I don't really understand why. Second, what do you need a day off from, playing, watching Calliou, Elmo, please let us know what is taxing to we can help to alleviate your stress.

Well Lex, as always thanks for the ride. You bring me so much joy being your mommy and I can't believe you are almost 2...now onto the party planning.

Love,
Mommy

Little Miss Mimic

noreply@blogger.com (Beth) — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 00:53:00 +0000

We all have them, right? Those moments when you freak yourself out because you sound exactly like your parents. It happens so naturally, next thing you know your mother is coming right out of your mouth. Well, now I am on the flip side of that seeing my daughter mimic me...both good and bad. It has really opened my eyes to see how we learn our little ticks and tricks from our influences. Some of my favorite recent moments in seeing me through Lexie...

When she turns on the light, she asks "Too bright?"

She "needs" everything; she does not want. For example, "Mommy I NEED juice.

Anyone will hand her something and she will say "Thank You". I am quite proud that she has figured out "please" and "thank you" before she is 2. Of course, she says "Tank Tou" in her cute little voice.

If anyone coughs, she will come over, pat their back and say "OK?" and sometimes we all pretend to cough to get a little pat on the back.

As she gets bigger, we have lots of talks about "big girl" things. So now there are certain things that she will only ask for like a big girl fork, sleep in a big girl bed and carry her big girl bag.

Since the day she was born we have said the Lord's Prayer before she goes to bed, a special traditional my grandmother started with me. Now she can say it on her own, and does every night before bed.

In the spring we have lots of family members that have birthdays, so we have had lots of celebrations recently. So any occasion whether it be mother's day, father's day or just a celebration dinner... she will sing "Happy Birthday to you."

My favorite out of all the mimicking is after we spent an afternoon with some friends whose son was running around a little out of control. My friends spent a lot of time saying "No Peter, no Peter." Lexie repeated that for the rest of the afternoon to everyone's enjoyment.

So yes, we have reached the age where I need to watch what I say, but it sure is fun to see what she picks up on and repeats.

Goodbye Michael Jackson...

noreply@blogger.com (Beth) — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 01:31:00 +0000

I write this tonight in complete and utter shock, I thought I would be much older when reminiscing about Michael Jackson, but here goes...

I was at the perfect age when Michael Jackson got crowned the King of Pop and waited with baited breath for his next piece of music to excite us all. I grew up as Michael did in his career following every new release

I was 10 when Off the Wall came out. My friend Mandy and I would play that album over and over again (OK sometimes we would rotate with Styx Mr. Roboto) and make up our own dance moves, sing into the hairbrush, the TOTAL young girl cliche. I was young enough and my voice high enough that I could match his "whoo" at the beginning of "Don't Stop Til You Get Enough"

I remember seeing the Billie Jean video before I knew about the album. MTV was new at the time (and it was the time when they played videos non-stop). Wow! Walking to that forever-recognizable beat along the sidewalk that would randomly light up, you had me at Hello. Spending AGES trying to figure out what he was saying when he said "The kid is not my son." The album came out and again, I played it it non-stop. Even before "P.Y.T" was a single it was my favorite song.

I had this poster on my wall through out all of junior high school.

The videos were amazing. I remember I was the only one of my friends who owned the VHS video tape of the "Making of Thriller" with the "Thriller" video. We watched it non stop, non stop.

Thriller was the first CD I ever bought...when CDs first came out. I, of course, already owned the album.

I remember watching him on the Motown 25 show where he showcased the glove and the moon walk. I had "glove liners" that I wore skiing that were metallic and after that I walked around with it on my hand.

When he first became big, he was still touring with the Jackson 5. They did not come to Atlanta, the closest place was Jacksonville, FL. My dad got us tickets and we drove there to see him.

In high school, when it was un-cool to say you were a fan...this is long after Bad came out, I had tickets to see him and called all my friends to see him - he was an incredible entertainer, incredible.

So Michael thank you. Thank you for entertaining me. Thank you for getting me to unabashedly sing in the middle of my bedroom into my hairbrush trying to moon walk. You were my first entertainer that I was absolutely enamored with and you deserved it. Thank you for sharing your talent with the world. Thank you for giving a geeky pre-teen girl a reason to hang out with the cool kids and share in some great music.

You will be missed.

Jon & Kate: Separate - part deux

noreply@blogger.com (Beth) — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 02:09:00 +0000

Ok, I know I won't be the first to use this phrase or the last for that matter. But the announcement we have all been waiting for happened tonight. So a couple of items, I did not seek out to watch this show tonight nor did I even know that it was a big announcement was about to happen tonight. I just happened to be in front of the TV when it all happened. Here is my next installment from this series.

I will start with a positive.......yeah don't have one. I am shocked at what i just watched. So I would like to address the rest of this to Jon and Kate, themselves.

Don't complain about the fact that paparrazi follows you when you decide to announce your separation on national cable TV. If you really wanted privacy, stop filming while you figured out "what is best for the kids." The paps are following you because you are feeding the fire and what few items you don't announce on your show (if there is anything you don't announce on TV anymore) they want to be the first to break. And please, please do not be so crass to compare yourself to soldiers fighting in Iraq. Yes they are fighting for our and others freedom. However, they are not complaining about it on national TV and forcing an audience to pick sides. The realize it is their duty and do it in silence, something you both could take a lesson from.

Also, do not say through this "the show must go on" because it does not. You have the choice to stop it. You should have stopped it before letting this play out on TV. I know you feel the desire to do this to provide for your children, but you have already made more money from this than the average family. Please stop financially benefitting from your demise, it is heart breaking.

You both seem to easily say that you do it for the kids, but do you know what that means? Have you thought about what your kids will think when they are young adults and watch all of this? Will they have deep anger and regret for your choices? Would they rather live in a smaller house and have a happy stable family or the large one that you and Jon will now take turns living in because it is the "kids" house. I hope your kids grow from this and learn lessons about choices they make in their lives. I hope they realize what support the 8 of them will always be for each other.

Again, I am sorry to have witnessed this. It is like the car accident on the side of the road, that you don't want to watch, but you look at anyway. I am officially done with this. I am happy to report that my time with JK+8 was only about 9 months, but I cannot condone this anymore. I am sorry that our society now deems the destruction of a family as "reality" TV. Since Jon and Kate don't have the strength to stop our ability to watch this, I wish that others would step in and do the right thing, but that is not the world we live in.

And you are right, I am not innocent in watching it and now blogging about it twice. But tonight pointed a finger at me too. If I want them to stop, then I need to. It is all cyclical and I take my responsibility.

I hope the "8" come through this strong and supportive for one another.

The 2 men in my life on Father's day

noreply@blogger.com (Beth) — Sun, 21 Jun 2009 18:10:00 +0000

So let me be frank, I am a daddy's girl through and through. My parents divorced when I was very young, so my time with Mom and Dad was very limited when they were together and then the bulk of my life I was either with Mom or with Dad. I definitely thought that Dad was everything because living with him we took great trips, went shopping and oh he worked at the number 1 radio station at the time and we saw EVERY concert and I always got to meet the band. Poor Mom, then she would be left to discipline me and make sure I did my home work. No wonder I am a daddy's girl.

So first off, Dad thanks for everything. Thanks for vicariously living your childhood through me. All of the sailing trips, road trips, camps, concerts, gifts, Richie Rich comic books (total inside joke), time in the Caribbean, Manhattan and Florida, thanks. Thank you for being my professional mentor. I am only successful and have my work ethic because of you, and saw first hand how you devote yourself to a career and never knew any different. I hold a father/daughter relationship in high regard. And I know no matter how old we both get, I can always count on you if I need it.

So it is tough when a Daddy's girl gets married. You want to make sure your spouse-to-be is OK with hanging out with your Dad as much as you do. I am so lucky that is the case. The husband has even picked up the ability to make us the worst pun jokes EVER from my Dad, so I will always live with someone ready to crack a lame joke at the drop of hat. So the 2 men in my life get along great (as I type this they are actually our running errands together on Father's Day).

But husband, you blew me away with your ability to be a father. And let's face it, the bar was pretty high. However, I am the luckiest wife and mother ever. I have no complaints, you are an equal partner in parenting. We take turns with the bad diapers; I never need to remind you about her schedule and you don't have to be asked to give her a bath. You tend to get up with her at night more than I do lately and I am eternally grateful for that one. When you two have time on your own, you make up the most fun games or build the coolest furniture forts ever. You have a great relationship with Lexie and she has inherited your adventurous side, so I cannot wait to see what you all discover together. I can't wait to see how she becomes a Daddy's girl (I am already training her on the right kind of pout to get her way), because I know that she and I will share our extreme love for the devotion our Father's both have for us.

Dad, Craig....Happy, happy Father's Day.

Shredheads: I'm moving on up

noreply@blogger.com (Beth) — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 01:03:00 +0000

So I have made through level 2, and I gotta tell you...I HATE PLANKS!! I mean in level 1 I hated jumping jacks, but no bring those back , matter of fact make me do 20 minutes of just jumping jacks. But, to step away form the negative, I am really proud of myself, I have never stuck to a fitness plan this long. Not to be harsh on myself but I did 10 days of level 2 in 13 days instead of 10. I had an injury and then you know, life got in the way. But I did not let that deter me or cause me to stop the entire plan.

So I have to say the arm workout in level 2 is pretty intense and she is definately working your core. Also, I have never been that graceful, so the first few tries at pendulum lunges I almost fell over multiple times. Surprisingly the military press with leg extensions I have balance. It is weird because level 2 seems to go quicker than level 1 did, maybe I am actually becoming more fit. And with this level, I am happy to admit, I do a little bit of Natalie and a little bit of Anita

And what is with Jillian? I have never watched "The Biggest Loser" so I don't know her from TV. But the somewhat nice Jillian from Level 1 turned into the "you should be gargling your heart" and "you should feel like you are going to die" crazy lady in level 2. I mean really lady, where did that come from? However, it did keep me going.

I have not lost as many pounds as I have with just dieting in the past, and I am getting OK with that (I am combining with Weight Watchers for maximum bathing suit body effectiveness). I am however noticing major differences in my body. My arms and stomach are getting some (much needed) definition and my hips and thighs are slimming. So while the weight loss is slow in pounds, I am firming all around and that is a great feeling. I really wish I took my measurements, I think there I would see the biggest results.

The best thing, people are starting to notice and say that I have lost weight...yes, it is not all for nothing! (I mean we are all vain and when someone says you have lost weight it makes you smile)

I am 2 weeks away from the beach and one more 10-day level to go. I cannot wait for Level 3.

Bring it Level 3 - I WANT TO BE SHREDDED!!!!

Life in slow motion

noreply@blogger.com (Beth) — Sat, 13 Jun 2009 01:38:00 +0000

So let me set the scene...Lexie's first swimming lesson, ever! I had been looking forward to this all day, I mean all day. Based my whole schedule on it and left work in enough time that traffic could not even stop it. We got dressed in matching bathing suits, mine solid brown, hers brown with polka dots - age appropriate for both of us. We got to the pool 20 minutes early, I mean really the pool is just around the corner. We had enough time to swim ourselves in the pool beforehand. I was ready - I had my Cannon camera and my Flip Video to properly document this first monumental occasion. Then this happened...

I am about to get in the pool, husband and Lexie are already in it.

But wait, did that other mom look familiar to me? No, no, no it has just been a long day. But she really looks awfully familiar. OK whatev, time to get in the pool!

But wait now the familiar woman is walking towards me. She is saying "Hi"...that voice, I know that voice.

OMG that is Karen, I have not seen her since before we were both married and now obviously have toddler children.

I return the OMG, is that you.

We go in for the hug.

She hits my hand holding my cute Cannon Sureshot, Pink (natch) camera.

Is that my camera sliding out of my hand and to the floor? Oh no, now it is sliding towards the side of the pool. Did it just really fall into the water? Am I really at the pool now? Why has time slowed down?

Husband, get the camera...oh wait you have Lexie IN THE WATER, I'll get it.

Wait I am hugging this long, lost acquantance, still caught in the grip.

That is my cute pink camera at the BOTTOM OF THE POOL.

Husband quickly hands me Lexie. He dives in and rescues the camera.

SHIT, OMG, SHIT!!!

Quick, Karen realizes she was the catalyst to this, act like it is totally cool.

Karen: "OMG, I am so sorry, I can't believe I did that."

Me: "Oh, it is no big deal, I find it a challenge to get the camera to work." INTERNAL MONOLOGUE: "Or spend the $1000 to replace the camera."

And this is just Friday, fun times.

UPDATE: so after asking many friends in online (gotta love social media ) i did 2 things to my camera. One, I opened all compartments and put it under the hair dryer for a little bit. Then under the advice of a great friend, I let is sit over night in a bag of uncooked rice to absorb the moisture. It completely worked and the camera is working 100%. Amazing, and from now on i will always use the strap on it.

Lexie::22 months

noreply@blogger.com (Beth) — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 23:18:00 +0000

Well here we are 2 months until 2 years old. I am starting to see what I hope to be the beginnings of our great relationship. This month I have officially started letting you help in the kitchen, a tradition of all the great cooks in our family. You can mash the bananas for banana bread, snap green beans for dinner and help crack eggs for breakfast. Hopefully you will have a passion for cooking just like me and I am happy to have you help as much or as little as you want too. Speaking of our relationship, we have officially moved to having nightly family dinners in the big room. We make a point of all three of us to talk about our days and you are joining in the conversation telling us about yours. One of my favorite memories from this month would be the night we went out to eat. We sat together and talked, ate dinner and had quite an enjoyable time.

As you are becoming a big girl, we have officially moved into our Disney Fairies phase. I am glad that the Tinkerbell movie is tolerable, because we have already watched it about 10 times. As far as playing goes, you are learning more and more..you can sing songs and dance to them until you make yourself dizzy, all on purpose. You learned how to jump, which is a pretty big deal for this age. Everyday you are learning more and more letters to add to your ability of counting to 10. And lately you have preferred taking a shower instead of a bath, you know like big girls do. You are also starting to dress yourself, you have pants down, but shirts are taking a little more practice which is not that big of a deal.

But don't let me kid you, there are trying moments too. You have had your first timeouts...short that they are but they seem to be effective (because we don't stand on tables or play in the cat water.) You are becoming a great whiner, usually coupled with "I want X" which means I DON'T want X. It is fun chasing you around the house to get you to either sit on the potty or change your diaper.

All in all you are doing great and the discovery you are taking me and daddy on is a fun adventure.

Love, Mommy

Shreadheads: Level 1 and 10 consecutive days..hehe

noreply@blogger.com (Beth) — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 01:58:00 +0000

So I started the Jillian Michaels 30-day shred with inspiration from my fellow Shredheads online. Wow, what a difference 10-days into a work out makes. The first 3 workouts were absolutely pathetic. I was huffing a puffing before I even completed the first circuit. And pushups, are you shitting me, really you want me to kick this off with push ups? Well there was a first for everything. I remember when Jillian tells you "those on your 5th or 7th day should really be able to tell a difference in your endurance", and WISHING for that to happen.

Well it has.

About day 6 I made it through 100% with no breaks what so ever and just kept building and pushing from there. Considering I had not worked out since before I was pregnant (my daughter is 2) I was pretty proud of that fact. Also, I have never worked out 10 consecutive days in my life; never experienced the joy/pain/rush in pushing yourself to get results. I know this sounds horrible, but I have always, until recent years, had a decent figure and not had to work hard at it. And since this is the first time I have ever had the gumption to stick with something, I am realizing the extra energy and stress release a quick daily work out can give me. Again, I know this is all basic to folks who may work out all the time. But for me in my mid-30s, this is a first for me.

So fellow shredheads thanks for your support and encouragement. It is all of your voices that have helped to inspire me and keep me on track. I am not afraid of Level 2, shoot I am not even afraid of Natalie anymore (oh yeah I can do butt kicks just like she can). I still hate, hate, hate jumping jacks, I don't think that will change.

Onto Level 2...

Wine of the Moment::Tarantas Rose

noreply@blogger.com (Beth) — Sun, 31 May 2009 19:10:00 +0000

So the nights here in Atlanta are just cool enough to sit outside and enjoy the sunset...soon enough it will be 90 degrees with 12,000 percent humidity, so I need to enjoy outside while I can. Of course, I can't enjoy outside empty handed and i want something as crisp and refreshing as outside...so let me introduce Rose to you.

Of course, at first I was hesitant to Rose. The faux wine snob that I am have a very strict no pink wine rule. However with the introduction of Rose to my palette has changed that (now that rule is a strict adherence to no sweet wine). However a very nice Rose is just dry enough to satisfy me.

That is where the Tarantas comes in. While it does have some fruity under tones that match the nice pleasing raspberry color of the wine, it is well balanced and dry. You never have that sweet taste, but it is there in the mix to quench your thirst. Don't let the dry scare you though...it is light enough to enjoy in the middle of the day with a salad, pasta or grilled fish. Also, for my taste I enjoy it ice, ice cold, it adds to the crispness of the wine.

So next time you need a wine on a summer night, grab a rose. I don't think you will be disappointed.

The Reality of a Disaster

noreply@blogger.com (Beth) — Wed, 27 May 2009 00:49:00 +0000

First I must confess, I watch reality TV, a moderate amount of it, but my recent addiction is Jon & Kate Plus 8. I will even admit that I am not new to the JK+8 bandwagon. Oh no, I discovered it on Comcast On Demand while home from work a while back. So whenever the husband is not in the room I will find an episode and turn it on. So I was a fan before the recent explosion. The mom in me watched in pure amazement of raising 8 children.

On the flip side, I am a marketer, I get to peek behind the curtain as to how our modern day entertainment is crafted. I know that there is nothing “real” about reality shows and that they all employ writers and producers to come up with the entertaining scenarios portrayed for our viewing pleasure. The marketer in me was impressed with how they leveraged their family dynamic for a Gymboree sponsorship, free trips and even great photo shoots.

Then it all blew up.

I read with somewhat disbelief (considering the source) all of the tabloid reports of the couple and I am not here to take a side nor condone anyone’s behavior. However, after watching the previous 4 seasons in a marathon over the weekend, it became a focus group in how fame can change people. Jon and Kate made the decision to do the show to “chronicle their children’s lives” – I take that to mean provide for our large family. I mean can you really blame them, a production studio will pay them upwards of $25,000 - $50,000 per episode (this is their rumored salary) to follow them to the grocery store, through the travails of potty training, and taking the kids to their first day of school.

Over the 4 seasons you can see them change, you can see Kate’s domineering taking over in every armchair interview they do. You see them only talk about the kids, never to one another and about their relationship or common interests. You see Kate take on the role of “mom” expert and offer advice. You see Jon get himself in shape and get hair plugs. You see them both take to fame – Kate more so than Jon. There was an episode on this weekend that had Jon taking Kate shopping talking as to how she had no sense of style. Flash forward 4 years and you see her in oversize sunglasses, with a spray tan and fake nail tips talking about how she only eats salads.

My point here is to say that the decision these parents made “for their kids” seems to be the decision that ultimately spilt the family apart – not really in the kids best interest. They could never have predicted the fall out from how the beast of entertainment would grab hold of all of them. This season premiere was very sad and at times hard to watch. I was hoping all of the tabloid reports were a big ruse for ratings and this season would kick off with a big “surprise”. But no, what they gave us access to over the last 4 seasons is a chronicle of how loosing yourselves as a couple when you have kids multiplied by the current flash in the pan will ultimately tear you apart.

I am sorry we had to witness this. I wonder if everyone now views these episodes and watches them wondering “is this the moment that broke them.” But truly I am sorry for the kids, I am sorry that they can know first hand what happened to break their family apart, some things need to be kept private, but the machine has swallowed Jon & Kate up have spit them out separately. Is the fancy house and fleeting fame really worth all of that?

I am not sure if I will watch the show anymore, there is enough misery in the world that I really don’t need to DVR someone’s pending divorce (purely my opinion, no one knows the status of their relationship but them). However, if they are really doing this for their kids, which has clearly left their minds a long time ago, they would bow out of this season and keep their personal fight behind closed doors – for real.

OK, that's it!!

noreply@blogger.com (Beth) — Mon, 25 May 2009 14:29:00 +0000

So we all have those moments right? You know the moment, you catch a glimpse of your back side in the mirror, your "fat" jeans feel a little snugger today than last week. But the worst horror of all, someone asks you when you are due, when you are not even preggers.

OK, so the latter did not happen to me, but it is really time for me to do something with myself before that happens. So after much hemming and hawing, I have finally motivated myself to loose weight and get fit. Since all my online mama friends have found support with one another or our vast web of the world, I don't feel so alone in my battle of the bulge. So I am following the Shredheads. I am a couple of months behind, but that is Ok, I can learn from what they have experienced. What I really like too, is that I can get fit with relatively little financial committment, which is nice.

I weighed myself, took all my measurements and all that fun stuff, but I am not ready to share all that yet. I will say that I did my first workout yesterday so I am that weird woman walking around with the stiff thighs and sore shoulders...hopefully there will only be about a week of that.

So join my on my mission to slim. Oh yeah, my goal is to not be embarrased of myself in a bathing suit at the end of June for our annual family beach trip.

So here goes to a slimmer me:)

Sesame Street as a Grown Up

noreply@blogger.com (Beth) — Thu, 21 May 2009 01:27:00 +0000

Ok, so we are all of the age that we remember watching Sesame Street as a kid right? I mean we learned about death when Mr. Hooper died; knew all the lyrics to "Sing, sing a song"; and as we got older the show bumped right up into Electric Company to take us on our next adventure in learning. But now that I am a parent, I look at Sesame Street through grown-up, parent eyes and not the eyes of wonder of my childhood. So with that, here are a few recent things I have learned now that Sesame Street is back in my viewing rotation:

One caveat, while this list may seem simple, I have not ever watched this program with my grown up intellect until recently.

1. The monsters and puppets - Cookie is blue, Oscar is green, Big Bird is Yellow, Elmo is red, Grover is purple...yes, the monsters cover all the primary colors so we can learn them together. They also each have a specific trait we can learn whether grouchy, shy, curious or hungry we get to learn to express our feelings too. As a kid I just thought they each had a funny voice

2. The diverse make up on the block - seriously if a "muppet" family moved in on my street I would be a little concerned. I mean what do you take them as a house warming? When do they ever rest? Clearly the humans on Sesame Street are well versed in human/puppet relations and don't find felt people in their 'hood strange at all.

3. What about the Puppeteers - I really, really want to see a taping of Sesame Street to see how close the puppeteers are in the shot. What type of slick camera work must you know to work with both people and puppets. Does the puppeteer wear a mic? There is so much Behind the scenes that I am dying to know

4. Snuffleupagus is no longer Big Bird's imaginary friend. Yes folks, you heard it here Snuffy is no longer "invisible." Now the kid in me thinks this is a travesty, because everyone knows he is INVISIBLE. But the grown up in me thinks FINALLY, all these years and you did not see the furry, elephant sized person next to the eight foot yellow bird?

5. Maria is really Sonia. Ok, this one is the most disturbing. Now I know they are actors but Maria's name is not Maria? Gordon is really Roscoe Orman.....really. I would like to start a petition that if you have spent the better part of 30 years educating children, can you please just change your name to your "character". It would be easy on all of us.

6. Letters first and then numbers. This formula is tried and true for many, many years. First they set the plot point on the street; then we learn the letter of the day; then we learn the number. I mean come on, South to drop off people.

7. I don't care if Ernie and Bert are gay.

8. Elmo's World is the last 20 minutes of every episode and regardless of Lexie's mood I know I can have 20 minutes of peace while he is on TV.

Thanks Sesame Street for a whole 'nother experience!

Potty Training, really???

noreply@blogger.com (Beth) — Tue, 19 May 2009 00:05:00 +0000

So as a working mom, there are some days that I really cannot fit one more thing to do into my day. We all know the drill...too many things not enough hours yada, yada, yada. So let's introduce potty training into this mix. That is "stop-whatever-you-are-doing-and-put-Lexie-on-the-toilet-every-30-minutes" training, and I gotta admit, I have been pretty lazy about it.

There are a few things we have done OK - 1) Lexie will completely talk to anyone, anywhere about poo poo going in the potty. 2) She will ask you if you just poo poo'd in the potty if you are coming out of the bathroom. 3) She is completely enamored with Dora Pull-Ups. 4) Yes, she will unravel more than she could ever possibly need from the TP roll. 5) She is even into washing her hands afterwards. So you see we have all the steps except for the actual using the potty part. Now she will tell me right after she has used her diaper that she tinkled, but I really am not enforcing the tell before.

I think maybe I thought my brilliant child would get this concept in 2 weeks. There I would be bragging to everyone else that she figured it all out in no time, genius child that she is. Mensa would let her join purely on her ability to quickly grasp the idea of potty training alone. Uh, no. Yes, I really need to work on this with her more than I expected. And I keep delaying it because she is not even 2 yet, so I keep thinking I've got more time. Why cant we just have fun and play in our limited time together, do we really need to spend the better part of our time sitting in the bathroom?. Why do I need to add one more item on my never ending to-do list? I mean don't kids just one day hand you their diapers and say "I am all done with these, may I have Abby Cadabby panties please?"

So now I am going to completely obsess over research on the whole potty training idea and see just how quickly we can get this whole thing worked out. I mean at least I plan on researching potty training, just after i have cleaned out my closet and written that new pitch deck for work. Good thing my wifi is strong in the potty, as I will be spending lots of time in there keeping Lexie company.