<![CDATA[RSS Feed Title]]> www.motherloadtv.com Wed, 20 Jul 2011 20:50:16 +0000 Zend_Feed http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss <![CDATA[Straaawberry Shortcake. (sing it!)]]> www.motherloadtv.com/blog/89 To this day I can’t say that name without hearing the song in my head. And it was THIRTY YEARS AGO!!! Crazy, huh?

We all have those moments in our lives that force us to look back at how quickly the time has passed. I’m having one of those moments now that is directly related to the sweet smell of strawberries. I had it all! The dolls, books, bed sheets…I can even remember the original 1980 TV special, “The World of Strawberry Shortcake”.

And now that I’ve moved from a little girl to the mom of two little girls…I love this doll even more! We try to instill the right messages and role models for our kids and weed out the images and impressions that may not be the best for little kids. Like…say… scantily clad dolls with suggestive clothing. I’m sure my girls will learn about suggestive clothing at some point, but not when they’re 5 and 9.

Strawberry Shortcake is known by different names all over the world; Charlotte aux Fraises in France, Moranguinho in Brazil, Emily Erdbeer in Germany, Rosita Fresita in Mexico…and played with by little girls (and boys) that are all getting the same message. “Little girls…BIG possibilities!

I LOVE IT!!

E

]]> Wed, 20 Jul 2011 20:50:16 +0000 <![CDATA[FREE STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKE GIVEAWAY!!! ]]> www.motherloadtv.com/episode/16 Hey Parents,


MotherLoadTV.com wants to help you with your early Holiday Season shopping (Yup. It's coming!) by giving away nostalgic NOSTALGIC dolls along with a few fresh off the Strawberry patch!

]]> Wed, 20 Jul 2011 20:50:16 +0000 <![CDATA[Trick or Treat]]> www.motherloadtv.com/blog/88 Halloween is by far my favourite day. No cooking turkey and hoping it turns out, no driving back and forth to family events, no expensive presents that you don't need… Just dress up, have some snacks, a drink or two and lots of candy! I have decorated the outside of the house, the inside of the house, bought loads of candy to hand out, (mostly jelly candies because I don't like them and if they were chocolate... well you know what would happen). I got all the costumes for the kids my husband and me, we've been to three parties and a parade, and so far I've made 20 Halloween goodie bags and homemade treats. FUN!!!

But, are times changing?   

My daughter’s teacher asked for the children to bring their favourite vegetables for the class Halloween party. WTFrito's???  I understand the method to her madness but unless a carrot is your costume (I saw one and it was awesome!) I believe it has no right being at a Halloween party for people under eight.

I brush my teeth 364 days a year for this one event!

Happy Halloween Everyone be safe and enjoy!!!

Boo

]]> Wed, 20 Jul 2011 20:50:16 +0000 <![CDATA[Life Lessons By Isabelle]]> www.motherloadtv.com/blog/87 Today I was cleaning (even though it’s futile!) and I heard Piper say to Isabelle, "Isabelle come here quick I'm having a baby!!!" Isabelle replied, "Piper you can’t be having a baby. You have to kiss a boy first!"

It's true. I've kissed my husband twice.

]]> Wed, 20 Jul 2011 20:50:16 +0000 <![CDATA[Motherload Bedtime Story ]]> www.motherloadtv.com/episode/15 Now that the kids are back to school...let the virus battles begin!!

]]> Wed, 20 Jul 2011 20:50:16 +0000 <![CDATA[How Is This Possible?]]> www.motherloadtv.com/blog/86 Hey, how can a three-year-old who has two very active play dates, camp for two and a half hours, then wrestles with her father for a good half hour, and does NOT have a nap all day, STILL not fall asleep at bedtime? Is there some sort of customer service centre I can call to inquire about the missing sleep chip? How much does a sleep chip go for on eBay? And where do I put it when I get it?

]]> Wed, 20 Jul 2011 20:50:16 +0000 <![CDATA[Old School]]> www.motherloadtv.com/blog/85 My husband LOVES basketball. He’s been outraged recently by this Lebron Wade and Chris James trade thing, or whatever. Personally I don’t get it. I’ve tried. Goodness knows I’ve tried. But I can’t understand why someone would watch a game for two hours that almost always comes down to a shot in the last minute to win the game. Why not just tune in for the last minute?

Here’s what I DO know about basketball. Ian played it in high school and apparently was pretty good. So now he gets together with his best friend and fellow basketball fanatic Jack (that’s another blog altogether) every Tuesday night to relive his youth, break a good sweat, and (fingers crossed) not fall to the ground clutching his chest.

Ian, if you’re reading this sweetie, I’ve decided to follow your lead and spend one night a week reliving MY glory days. Starting next week, every Tuesday night you can find Shelley and me parked in a Fiero in the parking lot of McD’s having a smoke.

Love you.
E

]]> Wed, 20 Jul 2011 20:50:16 +0000 <![CDATA[A Mid Summers Night Dream]]> www.motherloadtv.com/blog/84 I am LOVING this summer! My girls are at a great stage where everyone is potty trained, no pull ups at night, they are getting along like gangbusters, the weather has been PERFECT, Isabelle has gotten over her fear of the water and turned into a fish, Piper is saying the funniest things (like on a rare rainy day she told me she needs her rain mittens), Ian is coming home early almost everyday to hang with the girls. 

And in just a few weeks Isabelle starts back at school and Piper begins half days at pre-school. And I will be…on…my…own. (at least for a few hours a day)

A good thing? Not sure.
Any and all advice and stories welcome.

E

]]> Wed, 20 Jul 2011 20:50:16 +0000 <![CDATA[Summer]]> www.motherloadtv.com/blog/83 Ah summer. No school. No making lunches. No homework. No schedules.

No schedule!!!!

But I still have stuff to get done. So now I have to bring my girls with me. The problem is, they aren't quite old enough to leave in a waiting room alone. Yesterday they came with me to get my upper legs and g-string waxed. So the girls stood for 45 min while Shelley waxed my legs and around my…you get the idea. Piper kissed me and asked if I was okay constantly while Shelley worked and Isabelle kept saying "I still see some hair!" Shelley replied with a “Yep. I see it too.” I was starting to feel like the subject of some weird science experiment. We made it through the ordeal, all 4 of us crammed into a 5 x 7 room. And not only were my kids patient and amazingly well behaved, but as we were about to go Isabelle asked, “Hey before we go, should we have her check out your underpits?”  Thank you Shelley for loving my girls and waxing my bits.

]]> Wed, 20 Jul 2011 20:50:16 +0000 <![CDATA[Not Sleeping Beauty]]> www.motherloadtv.com/episode/14 Nothing like a good night sleep. But when you're the parents of active kids, ANY sleep is welcome!!

]]> Wed, 20 Jul 2011 20:50:16 +0000 <![CDATA[ Cleaning is like a relationship]]> www.motherloadtv.com/blog/82 You have your eye on a house or a car, and test drive it or go to an open house. You talk to your friends about it, show them pictures, ask them what they think... In your mind you have this image of future perfection.  This would be the dating stage.

Then you take the leap and make the purchase. When you first move into a house or buy a new car and it’s fresh smelling and sparkly, you’re so keen on keeping it clean and perfect forever. It’s something in your life that puts a fresh smile on your face every time you close the door behind you and you can’t wait to show it off to your friends. It will be like this forever! This is the honeymoon stage.

Then you’ve been in the house or car for about six years. There’s a little bit of pudge around what use to be a washboard foundation and the shingles on the roof are starting to thin. You and your partner are both tired and only clean up once a week at best.

Next thing you know you’ve got a couple of kid’s seats in the back of the car and the dining room has been converted into a playroom. The master bedroom has become for sleeping only and you’re generally too pooped from all the poop to clean up the…other stuff.

This is where you need to resort to drastic measures and turn to a new relationship that will get you back to where you were years ago. Someone who will love and appreciate the home, salvage your sanity and breathe passion back into your life.

Cheating? No. Cleaning lady.

Now all you need to do is…clean up before she arrives!

E

]]> Wed, 20 Jul 2011 20:50:16 +0000 <![CDATA[What Does He Know?]]> www.motherloadtv.com/blog/81 Every now and then my husband will come home from work and listen to me complain about how crazy the kids were and how lonely I feel and how I can't stand the mess, and his response is generally "I know babe, I know babe".

This is not the correct response.

The correct response would be "Come here, into my arms"...he holds me close and then says... "Go upstairs and relax. I'll take the girls to the park and you can do something on your own. Then I'll make dinner and CLEAN UP without letting anything soak over night in the sink, walk the dog, fold the laundry and put it away."

To say "I know" means he has experienced the last 5 years of dealing with the pee, poop, snot, tears, glue, soggy cereal, screaming, poop, biting, brushing, cleaning, not sleeping, knots, rain, snow, shopping, bathing, breakfast, lunches, dinners, laundry, poop, gymnastics, jazz, tap, ballet, acting, gym, birthday parties, drop in centers, play dates, barf, politics, blood, doctor appointments and more poop.

I think this misunderstanding started when I got pregnant and I overheard my excited husband tell people "WE" were pregnant. We? The last time I checked it was my body that was a human petri dish and he was just toasting his buddies and bragging about how potent his swimmers are. So I took him aside and explained that "We aren't pregnant. I'm pregnant. Just like I don't go around telling people we're going bald. Get it? Now get me some food, and buckle in for a few years of mood swings!" My already pasty white husband turned a lighter shade of pale.

So here we are now greeting each other at the end of the day, stepping carefully as we listen to each other retell our days adventures at the office or here at home, both thinking we have the harder of the two jobs.

But that's for another blog!

E

]]> Wed, 20 Jul 2011 20:50:16 +0000 <![CDATA[Reality Bites]]> www.motherloadtv.com/episode/13 In this episode Erin develops a new appreciation for the little things in life. Like a bandage.

]]> Wed, 20 Jul 2011 20:50:16 +0000 <![CDATA[Get Out And Drop In]]> www.motherloadtv.com/blog/80 I go to the drop-in-centre at least twice a week. Because my girls are older now I don't really think about it's importance anymore, it's just a fun place to go. But when I was a new mom with an 8 month old I found it incredibly easy to stay home and battle a heavy dose of cabin fever, complete with endless laundry and void of any adult conversation. Then through word of mouth I discovered a drop-in-centre and found a lifeline. Even when it was painfully cold or uncomfortably hot getting to there I knew that the room with other moms to talk to and babies to play with and coffee to drink...would benefit both my daughter and me. Whether it was celebrating my kid's progress or opening up about post postpartum depression when you stop breast feeding....I could talk about it with moms at the drop-in centre. They'd been through it (or were going through it) too. It saved me, and I am grateful.  

Now we go because my second daughter adores it and it's setting her up for school. And I've become the seasoned shoulder to lean on. :)

So if you're going stir crazy in the house and need to get out with your little one, grab the stroller and hit a drop-in-centre.

Remember there's an army of moms out there who are going through the EXACT same thing as you!
And I'm proud to be part of the club. :)

E

]]> Wed, 20 Jul 2011 20:50:16 +0000 <![CDATA[Shifting Focus and Priorities]]> www.motherloadtv.com/blog/79 Shifting Focus and Priorities

Being a mother is all about shifting priorities and focus. There are days when you just can't do it all, so you find a way to redirect away from stuff that couldn't get done to those things that can. For example, I didn't give my hair enough thought today and when I got out from my bath (Not a high falutin bubble bath, our shower leaks and instead of getting someone in to look at it and tell us it's time for a new bathroom, we take baths. A shifted priority. Get it?) my hair was pretty greasy. So I threw it up in a pony tail and applied a full face of make up so people would see the face and not the oil slick. My girl's nails were long with dirt under them, but they wail when I try to clean the dirt out with a file.  So I paint the nails in dark hue to cover the dirt and throw them in the bath that night to clean them out. Shifted focus. My house is a mess and I'm hosting a play date and don't want to hear a 6 year old tell me my home is messy so I take them to the ice-cream truck after school and we play at the park until it's time for them to be picked up. Shift. My husband wants to fool around and I'm soo tired I'm in a  sleep coma, so I tell him I really want to watch the basketball game in bed and then roll over. Easy focus shift. I've gotten so good at this I'm tempted to put it as a special skill on my resume.
Are you a shifter?
E

]]> Wed, 20 Jul 2011 20:50:16 +0000 <![CDATA[The Calm Approach]]> www.motherloadtv.com/blog/78 My six year old had a huge sliver in her foot. I tried to convince her that I could easily pick it out with some tweezer's which sent her into a wailing/bawling/twirling fit. I tried every "calm" approach possible for three days because that tiny piece of wood was not going anywhere. Then I caved and I put Toy's R Us on the table. I know, I know. But sometimes you need to bring out the big guns...or Barbies. And to make matters worse? I didn't get the sliver out. CRAP!

]]> Wed, 20 Jul 2011 20:50:16 +0000 <![CDATA[The Other Side of Field Trips]]> www.motherloadtv.com/blog/77
I remember as a kid how much I LOVED going on trips with my class or Brownies or dance groups. And there was always that ever-present guardian who we never paid much attention to. But…now I’ve become said guardian.
 
I just went with Isabelle to her first sleepover at the Ontario Science Centre with all the Sparks and Brownies. 300 girls all dressed in the same pj's up until midnight dancing the Macarena (yes…it’s still alive!) and then retreating to sleeping bags on the public marble floor (consider the germs!) only to be woken at 6:00 a.m.
I was offered coffee at midnight to help keep me awake. Seriously? My six year old was my coffee. My very own can of Red Bull in a sleeping bag who won't give me a kiss good-night in public because she's too cool. I paid over $150 and for a glow in the dark t-shirt and a kink in my neck. Oh…and the joy of my daughter.

She ran the entire time with a smile on her face. Thrilled be hanging with her peeps WAY after her normal bedtime. She snuggled into her sleeping bag and nodded off with a grin, and bounced out at 6:00 a.m. ready for action!
 
Money well spent to discover that field trips are pretty fun...from both sides of the equation.

]]> Wed, 20 Jul 2011 20:50:16 +0000 <![CDATA[Fart Breath]]> www.motherloadtv.com/blog/76 A couple of days ago I was rushing to get my oldest daughter out the door and to school on time. I live around the corner from the school. (You know where I'm going here) I can get up at 6:30 a.m., have everybody's snacks packed, lunches made, clothes laid out the night before and still, I am barely getting her to school on time. What is it? What's wrong with my game plan?

Well for one thing my two-year-old Piper, like clock work, makes a diaper deposit between 8:30 and 8:45 a.m. so almost every morning her poop throws a stench wrench in my schedule.

Anyhoo, this particular day Isabelle was wearing her long coat and because of the buttons on it we ended up being face to face for a minute. She said, shoving her chin into her neck to get as far away from me as possible, that when my perfume ...blended with my breath...it smelled like a fart. Or maybe it was the Piper diaper.

]]> Wed, 20 Jul 2011 20:50:16 +0000 <![CDATA[I need a vacation]]> www.motherloadtv.com/blog/75 We went on our first vacation last week. I had wanted this trip for a couple of years and finally got my wish. Hawaii? Bahamas? Nope. I’ve always wanted to go to Disney World!

My husband, two girls and I went away for five days and came back alive, still married and completely shocked that it went so well. I mean we went to DW with a three and six year old and there was only minimally whining about the 90-degree heat. And it was mostly from my husband. Those little legs (kids, not husband’s) walked the equivalent of a marathon in brutal heat, cooled only by multiple ice creams and a $10 spray bottle with a fan on the end to create a cool mist.

We bit the bullet for this and dropped a bundle to stay in a nice hotel. The price tag was tough to swallow…but worth every penny! They LOVED it and I LOVED it…because they LOVED it so much. They also lived in the pool. It wasn't Mickey that they wanted it was the chlorine. And us. It was the best 5 days I think I've ever had. Makes me want another child to share this joy with.

Now I'm just messing with ya.
E

]]> Wed, 20 Jul 2011 20:50:16 +0000 <![CDATA[Getting My Old Body Back]]> www.motherloadtv.com/blog/74
Can't...walk...Can't... sit...legs... are...so...SORE!!!

Damn... you... bodypump.

Oh look, cake!

]]> Wed, 20 Jul 2011 20:50:16 +0000 <![CDATA[A Dogs Life]]> www.motherloadtv.com/blog/73 Last week I had the unpleasant task of saying good-bye to our family dog. Norman had been with us for almost 12 years. My husband and I got him as a wee little five-weekold puppy early on in our relationship and he became a major part of our lives and eventually our family. He traveled with us, lived in multiple homes with us, welcomed our two daughters into the home, protected us, loved us and occasionally annoyed the hell out of us. Just like any good relationship does.

So as my husband and I lay with him on the floor of the vets examination room telling him how much we love him, (Norman, not the vet) ((although the vet is pretty cute)) my thoughts were racing between how much I love this dog…how much I will miss this dog…and how will I explain to my five-year-old daughter what happened to this dog.

She had grown to LOVE Norman. Called him her brother. (Clearly from my husband’s side) And although we had been laying the ground work for a while that Norman was getting old and having some health (cancer) issues and would die one day, this was still going to hit her hard.

Once the deed was done and I was able to fight back the tears for a few minutes, I sat her down and delicately explained that Norman had died. She exploded into tears. Heart breaking! How will she ever get over this? How will she grasp the concept of life and death at such a young age? Such a huge issue for such an innocent little girl.

And then, through her wailing and tears she sobbed, “Can we get a Chihuahua on Saturday?”

I think she’ll be just fine.

Me on the other hand…

R.I.P. Norman

]]> Wed, 20 Jul 2011 20:50:16 +0000 <![CDATA[My Million-Dollar Invention]]> www.motherloadtv.com/blog/72 Okay, I love my kids. I REALLY love them. I craft with them, I dress up with them, I play dollhouse, camping, we read, write, draw, bike ride, bake, swim, dance, garden, tea party ... you get the idea.

There are times however when I just need a smidgen of privacy. Even just a trip to the john without the bathroom door swinging open and being hurried along because somebody is going to pee her pants. I’d like to take a bath without some tiny person swinging that same door open and insisting I play with their bath toys. Or read a couple of pages from a book…or go on Facebook…or start and finish a cup of tea (before it gets cold). Watch a WHOLE movie without pressing pause 26 times. Ok, an entire movie is crazy talk. How about one segment of Oprah. Just one segment!

Well folks I've come up with the solution every mother on this planet has been waiting for. A product that let's you have "your time" and no one can get near you. You can still hear and see those precious offspring but maintain your own personal space. Your little slice of heaven that you can call your own.

Ladies, I give you... The Mommy Crate!

Only $69.99

Wine not included.

Erin...zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

]]> Wed, 20 Jul 2011 20:50:16 +0000 <![CDATA[Ignorance is Bliss. And so is a good nap.]]> www.motherloadtv.com/blog/71 You know, ten years ago I was convinced I had special powers.

I had this gift around kids. I could easily attract the attention of children. Just with a glance.
Newborn babies would look at me and smile. Children would come up to me and strike up a conversation without any fear or shyness. I honestly thought I was "chosen to have children". I loved kids. I taught kids dance when I was growing up. They adored me for that one-hour class and hung off my every word. The parents and children showered me with compliments and gifts, telling me I was soooooo special. I knew I would be the best mother and that motherhood would be a breeze for me because of my incredible connection with every child I met.

In my twenties I swore I would never end up like those so called "mothers" on the streetcar who looked liked they hadn't showered and were giving their sweet precocious children an over-thetop scolding for not sitting in their seats.

So it's no surprise that with all it's infinite knowing, the almighty Universe said "I'm gonna hammer some reality into this cocky know-it-all."

I quickly realized I had no natural instincts with a child. None. Let alone a newborn.

Those kids I thought I had a connection with were probably shocked by my over-sized features. I was like a circus freak they couldn't stop looking at. Oh and that cruel un-showered mother disciplining her kids? I make her look like a Saint cuddling a dozen six-week-old puppies in one arm while blessing orphans with the other.

Lastly, I sleep with my daughter in her bed while my husband sleeps with the other one in our
bed. Every night. And you know why? WE ALL SLEEP!


I am living proof that if you judge you will be schooled. So learn from my pain and keep your negative thoughts to yourself and your mouth shut.

Especially if you’re sitting across from me on the streetcar while I scold my kids for not staying in their seats.

Erinzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

]]> Wed, 20 Jul 2011 20:50:16 +0000 <![CDATA[Sometimes It’s A Crappy Job]]> www.motherloadtv.com/blog/70 My two-year-old was in the tub and about ten minutes into her bath as I was setting up the towel for the drying process I hear "Mama Poop Out! Poop Out!" I turn around and there is my angelic little girl being circled by a dozen of her own poop balls like a hungry pack of lions on a frightened baby gazelle. She had this look of horror on her face. The expression of the weak one in the herd that had wandered away from the pack. The poop didn't look all that happy either.

I quickly snatched her from the fecal clutches and called my husband. He rushed in, assessed the situation, considered his options, and took the clean toddler to diaper and get ready for bed. I was left with the poop soup.

I had no idea how I was going to get the crap out. Oh did I mention there was three dozen bath toys amongst the dump. MOSTLY squirt toys.

I thought about using a spoon to scoop the poop, but anytime I'd eat a yogurt after the clean up I would inevitably think "is this…the spoon?"

So...I used my hand and scooped nine mini dumps out of the tub and into the toilet. It actually wasn't that bad. I mean, she's my kid, right? This is family poop. It's like when you have to pick up after your dog on your daily walk. When it comes out of your dog it's second nature to clean it up, but when you're forced to pick up an anonymous doggy dump you're gagging all the way through it.

Mind over matter

If that had been my nephew's crap I would've passed out. And that would be totally acceptable because he's not mine...and he's thirteen.

Erin zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

]]> Wed, 20 Jul 2011 20:50:16 +0000 <![CDATA[Play Date With Perfection]]> www.motherloadtv.com/episode/10 Play dates are usually lots of fun… for the kids at least. It's also often a chance for moms to often compare notes. But in this episodes the notes are coming… which might not be such a good thing.

To see more episodes click on the "Episodes" tab above.

]]> Wed, 20 Jul 2011 20:50:16 +0000