View from the Passenger's Seat

Could it be Love?

noreply@blogger.com (AmyBow) — Sat, 11 Feb 2012 15:05:00 +0000

My Nokia Lumia 710 arrived yesterday. LP helped me put it together and get it plugged in for charging. She then followed me around the house asking when she could play Angry Birds.

Once I figured out that I could just use wi-fi to get it going (instead of activating it with a new T-Mobile account), the fun started. This also happened to coincide with the girls going to bed. Which certainly made it easier. While I sat at the computer, downloading Zune so that I could update the phone and add apps through our PC instead of trying to search on the phone itself, the Hoos grumbled from the couch.

As I clicked and dragged, pinning apps and people and email accounts to my start screen, he surfed the channels, watching several shows at once.

When I exclaimed, "Oh! This is cool!" or "The girls are going to love this," he rolled his eyes at me. Although he did say, "It is small, not as big as the iPhone." Apparently the iPhone is big to him.

And when I sat down next to him with my loaded up, fully charged "toy," he glanced at it, and returned to Gold Rush. But then, this morning, when LP climbed into bed with him, holding the new phone, he raised an eyebrow. And, when she started sharing strategy tips and showing him how to actually PLAY Angry Birds, I saw a glimmer.

And, a few minutes later, when he said to LP, "Okay, one more shot and then it is Daddy's turn..." I knew he was hooked.

And we have had the phone less than 24 hours.

More to come. Maybe even posted from the new phone - if I can get LP and the Hoos to share.

Life in the Fast Lane

noreply@blogger.com (AmyBow) — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 17:40:00 +0000

Today I came home from work (about an hour after I got there) to hang out with my baby schmoopy. It appears that AK has a cold, which is causing her nose to run, which forces her to wipe it, which leaves her looking like Rudolph. All be it a very, very cute Rudolph.

So, while I work from home (WFH) in the dining room, she is learning to navigate the world wide web. I left her in her comfy clothes, with some snacks, juice, and a box of tissues dressing up Disney princesses, and now she is watching full episodes of Little Einsteins on the computer. Still innocuous, but I honestly have no idea how she got from A to B or how many stops she made in between.

All of this makes me realize that by the time they are 10, both of the girls will have far-surpassed my knowledge of technology. I didn't even understand Napster - and that was around when I was in college! I was excited a few months ago when someone taught me how to turn YouTube music videos into mp3's that I could listen to on my Blackberry. And even then I only downloaded Taylor Swift songs for LP!

Which reminds me...they have ALREADY passed me in terms of their knowledge of current pop culture. And so far, since they have avoided "Bieber Fever," they appear to have okay taste. If you don't include AK's love of old Scooby Doo cartoons and LP's interest in "Good Luck, Charlie." Okay, maybe we have to work on taste...

Watch Out Angry Birds!

noreply@blogger.com (AmyBow) — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 15:10:00 +0000

The Hoos and I are far from early adopters when it comes to technology.

The first DVD player we had was a wedding gift in 2002 - approximately 10 years after they become popular. We still have it. And a bunch of old VHS tapes.

We lugged tube-TVs from apartment to apartment, house to house, just getting our first flat screen this past fall after our movers unceremoniously crushed our old 50 pound TV - making it not only unusable, but unrecognizable.

In the Fall of 2010 we finally upgraded to cell phones that did more than send and receive calls. I got a Blackberry - already an old technology - and the Hoos got a phone with texting (but no data) capabilities. We even got an unlimited texting plan. For us, this was huge.

Yes, even though Droids were coming on strong in 2010, I chose the Bberry. I was intimidated by the whole touch screen thing. I also remember thinking - what else would I possibly need a phone for beyond checking my email, texting and sending and receiving calls?

Of course, the world of smartphones has continued to evolve. Verizon now offers an iPhone, the Hoos' (stodgy, traditional) firm even supports the iPhone, my (3 and 5 year old!) children regularly ask if they can play "Angry Birds" on my 'Berry! For the record, they can't. They can play this super lame matching game, though.

So, when I got an email from Nokia earlier this week, asking if I would be willing to check out and review their new Nokia Lumia 710, I jumped at the chance. The Hoos and I are due for an upgrade in a couple of months and this will give us a chance to figure out if and how we would use an Internet-ready smartphone. Also, since the Lumia is Windows-based, maybe the learning curve will be less steep.

Plus, even though our old house had awesome Verizon Wireless reception, our new one doesn't, so a free three-month trial account with T-Mobile will give me a chance to check out a different carrier.

And, at the very least I can actually play Angry Birds and see what all the fuss is about.

Stay tuned.

Touchdown!

noreply@blogger.com (AmyBow) — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 15:57:00 +0000

In case you didn't know - the Giants beat the 49ers!

And, in case you were wondering, crickets from the boss.

I am looking for the right opportunity to inquire about my gift cards. But I won't be letting it go.

In other winning news, A's Mom?! You are getting some Frito-Lay Frito Scoops and a chip and dip bowl! Be on the look out!

And, in more winning news - because the Giants are GOING TO THE SUPERBOWL - Frito-Lay has extended another opportunity to me. Three other readers can get this cool chips and dip set AND their own Fritos Scoops.

So make your Super Bowl predictions and share a quick dip recipe in the comments and you too can be a winner (even you Pats fans).

Must Be in the Genes

noreply@blogger.com (AmyBow) — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 15:35:00 +0000

The other day we got a Valentine's Day note home from LP's kindergarten. Being hyper-efficient by nature (and really just wanting to get the cards purchased so I wouldn't forget), the following day I asked the girls if they wanted to go to Target to pick out them out.

"Mama? can we make cards instead of buying cards? We can pick out the stuff we need at Target - like glue and glitter and stickers."

Figuring that making cards would take up more time than just buying cards (considering we had about two and a half weeks until it was actually Valentine's Day), I accepted this challenge.

Although purchasing cards (at about $2 for a box of 24) is way cheaper then making cards, we were able to find some V-Day themed paper and foam hearts in the $1 bins at Target so it was not too painful.

When we arrived home - the girls immediately started making their cards. LP got to work cutting sheets of large paper into quarters (so 8 pieces of paper became 32 cards) and then making each square into a hand-cut heart.

AK spilled out a bucket of glittery foam heart stickers and began individually decorating the 14 large foam hearts she needed for her class, "Mommy, when I finished, you will write the name on the back. The one with all of the cupcakes is for Mrs. P."

So, in essence, an activity that I thought would give them something to do after school for at least 5 afternoons? Took three hours.

Tag! You're It!

noreply@blogger.com (AmyBow) — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 18:02:00 +0000

Despite my anxiety about traveling for work, my trip to Colorado went well, as I said in the last post.

In all honesty, I don't mind traveling. I have my Kindle, and my cell phone, and my laptop. I am plugged in, entertained and well fed.I don't sleep too well, but at least I have a big bed all to myself.

The worst part about traveling is the guilt. You would think I would feel most guilty about leaving the girls. But you would be wrong. Of course I miss the girls, but I spend lots of time with them, too. I am most guilty about leaving the Hoos.

While I don't know what it is like to be a single parent, I do know what it is like to spend a day or a night single-parenting. And it is HARD. And TIRING. And I feel really bad leaving the Hoos for a night or two on his own. For the record, he feels guilty when he leaves me too. It is just natural.

That being said, when I was away, the Hoos and the girls did just fine. I think the Hoos kind of liked leaving work a early on Tuesday to get LP off the bus. In fact the text he sent me was, "LP had a great day". When I asked later what was so great, he indicated basically his comment was based on her huge smile when she ran off the bus.

Other texts he sent me, included:

Can LP and AD take Doritos with lunch
Is cream cheese and jelly sandwich, doritos and slices of apple enough for AK? Same for LP but peanut butter and fluff
Going to Penny's [the local diner] with my parents tonight
We are at my parent's for bagels. Wish you were here

So, reading between the lines, he needed the most guidance on packing lunches (my job, which I hate, but it is a fact of parenthood) and he didn't have the girls alone for dinner either night I was away.

To me, what all of this really means? Is that I shouldn't feel guilty about going away. The Hoos is on top of things and doesn't even really need me.

A Winning Team

noreply@blogger.com (AmyBow) — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 16:01:00 +0000

I am back home with my family! Yay! I had a good time in Colorado - which despite its reputation is way flatter than expected - and it was good for me professionally. So good, that I may have to travel again in the future.

I finally - FINALLY - developed some sort of rapport with my new boss. Up until this point we were awkward and just didn't really get each other. I am a direct New Yorker, he is a hippy from the San Francisco Bay Area. We just didn't have much in common. I know we respect each other, we just really didn't communicate well (or at all).

The good news is, we found a topic we could both rally around. The bad news - it was football. From my perspective this isn't bad news because I was born with good taste in football - GO BIG BLUE. Unfortunately, her is a 49ers fan. And, the 49ers and Giants are playing in the NFC Championship game this weekend.

So, depending on how the NY Giants play this weekend, we may be back to being not such good friends. Although I will be on the receiving end of $125 worth of restaurant.com gift cards (don't ask how we came up with that wager).

Any ideas from the peanut gallery on how to survive this? It is too late to rescind the bet and it is not an option to not back the Giants.

A friendly sponsor, Frito-Lay, offered up the idea of sending him some of their Scoops so he can console himself with snacks after the Giants trounce the 49ers. They will even throw in a set of "touchdown bowls". Fortunately (for a lot of reasons), my boss doesn't read this blog - but you do! Give me some good advice by the time the Giants' game kicks off on Sunday and Frito-Lay will send one lucky reader a bag of Scoops and the bowls to serve up healthy dips.

If you win, I won't even make you send them to my boss. He can like Frito-Lay on their Facebook fan page to win his own set. Then again, maybe a 49ers fan doesn't deserve consolation after all. Or, maybe I should send him the prize pack they are sending me for including this chance to win on the blog...

In a fortuitous coincidence, all of this is a true story: Frito-Lay contacted me about offering up the prize pack (and getting my own in exchange) at pretty much the same time I was having dinner with my new boss at Old Santa Fe in Louisville, CO. Thank you, Frito-Lay.

Packing It In

noreply@blogger.com (AmyBow) — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 18:10:00 +0000

Tomorrow I am headed out on a business trip. While I have come a long way since my first business trip with kids, I still don't really relish them the way I used to before I had children. I don't know what has changed, my sense of adventure? My mentality? My ability to handle guilt? Other options:

Sleep. Despite the fact that my children have been waking me up in the middle of the night lately, I don't really sleep any better in a hotel.
Inconvenience. Two of the days I will be gone are LP's short days - which means the Hoos has to leave work early.
Routine. Like in most families, the Hoos and I have our assigned jobs. Among other things, I make the girls' lunch and pack their backpacks. A daily activity that the Hoos has to add to HIS daily routine (temporarily).
Snugs and Kisses. My co-workers are okay. But the people I really want to snuggle with won't be traveling with me.
The Snots. I will not miss the snots. But it seems like every time I go away or am planning on going away, someone gets sick. Dealing with the snots should really be a parentally shared experience in my opinion.

Oh well. I am off to Colorado in the morning no matter what. I am sure the family will not only survive but have a great time without me. I know I won't have a great time without them, but maybe, just maybe, I will find a way to relish two nights with a king-sized bed all to myself.

Snuggle Bunny

noreply@blogger.com (AmyBow) — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 16:53:00 +0000

Yesterday I had to leave the house early for a drive to beautiful Providence, RI.

Before leaving, I went into AK's room. "Baby, mommy has to leave early for work, do you want to get up with me or wait until daddy comes?"

Without saying a word, I watched her literally rub the sleep out of her eyes and off of her body. She then sat up on her knees with her eyes closed and her arms outstretched, "Mama."

Sigh.

That is why it is worth it.

The Dramatic Arts

noreply@blogger.com (AmyBow) — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 16:01:00 +0000

I thought I knew all about drama because I was once a little girl - and a teenage girl. But alas, I have discovered that you don't really know drama until you actually have a little girl.

Even better? Two little girls.

AK has an awesomely irritating fake cry. She brings it on easily and often when she doesn't get her way. I ignore it, but it can definitely be grating. And the best part is when her big sister feeds into it, offering up a soothing "It's okay, AK! Big sister is here," as she opens her arms for a big hug.

Luckily for me and the Hoos, AK whips out the heavy drama when we are in public. Sitting down in the middle of a store and fake crying because she wants to go left and we want to go right. The good news is, if you start walking away, calling "C'mon, Drama, let's go,"she gets up and follows. But she doesn't stop the fake crying. And I think many people in our local Target much actually think I gave my child the name "Drama." I didn't, but maybe I should have.

LP, if you can believe it, is even more showy. I think it is because her displays of drama are less often, so she just bottles it all up until a random explosion of ugly tantrum-ness.

Like yesterday. When she wanted to go swimming, but she didn't want to put her bathing suit on because she was comfy. She didn't want me to change her, she didn't want to change, she didn't want to wait and change in the locker room, and yet, she still wanted to go swimming and "it" was my fault.

I am not really sure what "it" is or was. But I did find the whole thing silly.

And then irritating. Because even if we weren't going swimming, we still needed to go and pick up AK from day care. So, after putting her coat and shoes on only to have them removed, I carried her to the car, sans coat and shoes, man-handled her into her booster, and drove off.

She loved this, as I am sure you can imagine.

"I wa-wa-wa-want Daddyyyyyyyy."

"We can call Daddy when you calm down, he can't understand you when you are worked up."

"YES HE CAN! You are making my throat hurt!"

"No, LP, you are making your throat hurt by yelling, calm down."

"YOU ARE MAKING MY THROAT HURT BECAUSE YOU ARE MAKING ME YELL! LET ME TALK TO DADDY OR I AM GOING TO BREAK OUT OF THE CAR!"

The Drama continued as I tried to get her coat and shoes on so we could go into the day care center. Red faced and wet-cheeked, we finally made it in and she ran ahead of me calling, "AK! I need a huggy and kissy."

The shocking thing - this is what they can do with only a few years of practice. What happens when they have a decade of stage experience?! Heaven help me. And readers, please assure me I am not alone!

Oh Time! Where Have Ye Gone?

noreply@blogger.com (AmyBow) — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 16:11:00 +0000

How is it possible that it is already the end of 2011? I am truly dumbfounded.

The year has certainly been eventful, featuring, among other things:

The girls' first plane experience - to Disneyworld of all places
Packing! And moving!
A much needed vacation.
Kindergarten for LP! And a new day care for AK!
Playdates with new friends!
Everyone sleeping in until 8:45 on the weekends! People said it would happen eventually, and it really could not have come at a better time.

There are still lots of challenges to keep life interesting:

A merger. And the resulting ongoing integration and work irritation.
The ongoing struggle to understand and manage the crazy, ductless heating system at our new home.
Lots and lots of days off and half days thanks to the fabulous, but bizarre public school calendars.
Making new friends. Sticking my toe in the water a little more all of the time, but haven't taken the big plunge and gone on a double date in the new 'hood yet.

Thing I am looking forward to in 2012:

My 10 year wedding anniversary
Having the girls' birthday party in our backyard
Enjoying our water access in the summer
Weekend excursions (VT? DC? FL? We'll see!)
Summer vacation
LP experiencing camp for the first time

Is life perfect? No. Will it ever be? Probably not. But is life good? Heck yeah. Cheers to you all!

So This is Christmas

noreply@blogger.com (AmyBow) — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 17:30:00 +0000

The holiday spirit is everywhere and, as in years past, this is not lost on LP and AK.

What is different is that this year we are all more involved in the Jewish community - thanks to AK attending the Jewish Community Center for day care and LP going to Sunday school. I am a bit surprised at how much of an impact this has on their holiday season experience.

AK says stuff like, "Mommy why are they already decorated for Christmas? It isn't Christmas yet!"

And LP chimes in, "Mom, Christmas is only get one day, right? We get eight!"

LP has started eating latkes and both girls request our CD of Chanukah pop songs. And sing along.

They both keep tally of which of their friends are "Christmas people" and "Chanukah people" and the "really lucky friends that celebrate both!"

They couldn't wait to decorate our home for Chanukah and have a party, In fact, I think LP has been making place-settings for a not-planned Chanukah party for several weeks now.

So, dear readers - Merry Christmas! Feliz Navidad! Happy Chanukah! Blessed Kwanzaa! Happy Holidays!

But...I'm the Mom

noreply@blogger.com (AmyBow) — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 16:54:00 +0000

Yesterday my mom totally called me out. I was telling her that AK had a random day off this week for teacher training and I was going to take the day off or work from home to cover it because, "I'm the mom."

"Where do you get that from?" she asked.

"What do you mean? I'm the mom."

As she knows, it was not that the Hoos wouldn't do it. I just hadn't asked...

"You didn't learn that from us. Why do you feel the need to do everything?"

At first, I started getting defensive, "Well, he is the primary income earner...I have more flexibility in my job."

And then I realized, she is right.

The Hoos says the same thing. He can help. He wants to help. But I just do stuff without even asking.

Sometimes it is because I "know" that I can just do something faster without giving instructions. Other times it is because I want it done when I want it done and I don't really want to have to wait.

And sometimes I think it is just because, well, I'm the mom...

It is the job, right? How do you guys overcome this?

Oldies but Goodies

noreply@blogger.com (AmyBow) — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 16:33:00 +0000

Don't you love when you are cleaning out old files and you come across old photos and videos? These aren't great, or even that interesting, but I like them anyway.

LP is in red with the ponytail.

Love Me to Death

noreply@blogger.com (AmyBow) — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 16:54:00 +0000

I know AK loves me because she tells me she does. A lot. Maybe like 10 times a day. And because she gives me a lot of kisses. And, no I don't really ever get tired of either of these things. I totally accept them both as sincere, even if they aren't (as in "I-love-you-mommy-smooch-now-can-I-have-candy?").

But honestly, the kid causes me physical pain almost as often as she tells me she loves me. I think she has come close to giving me a concussion at least twice in the last week.

One night, as I was laying in bed with her, she suddenly jumped up, head-butting me, because she wanted to switch pillows. It hurt me so much, I yelled out, "OH MY GOSH!"And she cried. But not because it hurt, because I screamed. It amazes me that I see stars and she feels absolutely no pain from the same impact.

For the record, the Hoos was in the next room with LP and did not come running. Later he said he hadn't even heard anything.

Last night I took the girls to the JCC for open swim after school. They have both gotten more independent in the water and wear bubbles, but I still go in with them as an in-water lifeguard. They were having a grand old time (I was freezing!) floating around, jumping in and splashing like crazy while I observed from a safe, central, in-water, spot. All of a sudden, AK jumped in and body slammed my head.

I was standing about a foot from her and a couple of feet below her. I think I got whiplash. I was concerned that AK had broken her solar plexus on my head. It didn't help that she burst into tears. I looked at LP and told her we were leaving. Not loudly, not yelling, but firmly. She understood and quickly came out of the pool. I wanted to get AK into the locker room so that I could check her out and quiet her down (and avoid the dumbfounded stares of the parents watching their kids have swimming lessons).

I whisked them both into the locker room, sat AK down and asked calmly if she was okay or if she was just scared. She looked directly at me and said, "Momma? Are you mad at me?"

So we are all okay... Until the next time AK decides to smother me with her love or guilt me to death.

Losing It!

noreply@blogger.com (AmyBow) — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 14:34:00 +0000

Okay, folks, I am officially losing control. Not over my bodily functions (that was only when I was pregnant, thank you very much) but over my children's lives.

I am the mom, dang it! I am supposed to be all-knowing and powerful! (Mom, stop laughing..really, it isn't that funny that you wished this experience on me. Thanks.)

It all started when LP had a playdate with a boy from her class. I survived and it was nice and she still talks about how David is one of her "best friends." Which is making me think that I now have to reciprocate. I mean, I do, right? She needs to have more than just one playdate per school year? The challenge is that 1. I work and 2. I don't know how to "run" a playdate! Was that in the mom handbook? Did I miss it when they gave out "What to Expect - the School Years"?!

The Hoos (shockingly) isn't much help. When I asked him if I should see about bringing David home after Sunday school (he and LP are in the same class), he looked at me like I was nuts. "NO! You have his mom bring him over!" But, why? She knows me. Why should we pick our kids up at 12 separately when I can just pick them both up? Am I doing something wrong?

And in case worrying about LP's playdates wasn't enough - yesterday I got an email from the mom of one of AK's friends requesting a playdate for MY THREE YEAR OLD! She actually offered to take AK home from day care for a few hours (since she picks up earlier than I do, I guess).

WHAT?!

Am I a wimp that I would never consider 1. letting someone I have never met take my child home and 2. bringing home a child that I don't really know?

In case you are wondering, I wrote back and told the mom that since AK has never been to a playdate without me, I would like to try to find a time when I could bring her over. Does this make me a control freak? I don't think I am a constantly hovering helicopter mom, but am I?!

Partners in Crime

noreply@blogger.com (AmyBow) — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 14:55:00 +0000

Check out one of my most favorite pictures of me and the Hoos. Aren't we cute? And young? Look at our hair! So full, so not gray! I would have put up a more recent photo of just the two of us, but I am realizing that I don't really have any. So this will have to suffice.

This weekend we spent three whole days and nights without children. We love our children. A LOT. But it was really nice to be able to run errands and do projects without having to worry about what we weren't doing - namely entertaining the kids. My parents, on the other hand, had their hands full. But I would like to think they loved every minute of THEIR weekend WITH our lovely daughters.

Needless to say it was a very busy and productive weekend. And full of just the sort of ridiculous stuff we did before kids:

Meeting for dinner at 7:30pm.
Selecting a restaurant based on the type of food I was craving (Indian) and its proximity to another errand (see #3)
Checking out the Swiss Army Warehouse sale - at 8pm, after the crowds had abated. Still crowded but who cared! We had no fear of losing our children in the rush.
Going to Home Depot right before closing, buying what we needed and NOT leaving with a whole bunch of "Mickey's" (Disney paint chips).
Installing a new faucet in our kitchen - together! While smiling and laughing and focused.
Measuring and contemplating purchasing items at IKEA together instead of chasing children through the store.
Fitting several large and heavy boxes from IKEA into the car (impossible with car seats and kids).
Spending two hours putting said furniture together from IKEA - only realizing we had done it totally wrong!
Frantically disassembling furniture so we could rush back to IKEA before it closed and exchange it for one that hadn't been f*&d up by our stupidity. (And shrugging about it instead of fighting and playing the blame game).
Eating dinner at a pizza-only joint at 9pm.
Assembling furniture for a second time - and staying up until 1:30am to do it. (Mostly so we wouldn't have to do it the next day with our little lovies back under foot).
Meeting my friend's beautiful newborn daughter. And getting to hold her for 45 uninterrupted minutes.

All of this crazy affirmed:

That I did, indeed, marry my best friend.
How nice it is to hold SOMEONE ELSE'S newborn. And it is totally possible to do this without wanting your own.

Just Pretend I'm Not Here

noreply@blogger.com (AmyBow) — Fri, 04 Nov 2011 13:33:00 +0000

Exchange in the car last night:

"AK, tomorrow when mommy and me pick you up, guess what you are going to do?"

"Go swimming?"

"No."

"Go on the playground?"

"No. You are going to run right to me and give me a hug. Don't run to mommy."

"But I love her so much, LP. When I love you so much, I will run to you."

Me, interjecting, "AK, you love LP very much. She is your sister."

"Okay, LP, tomorrow I will run to you."

"Promise?"

"Okay."

"When you promise it means that you really want to do something. Actually, I don't really know what it means, but that is what I think it means. So remember - you promised to run to me tomorrow, not mommy."

What Isn't New?!

noreply@blogger.com (AmyBow) — Tue, 18 Oct 2011 12:24:00 +0000

It seems like very day brings a new experience.

Yesterday, AK went on her first fierld trip. Not only was it her first field trip ever, it was her first trip with her new day care. And, wowza!, was it different from the old day care! A couple of weeks ago I got a permission slip. It didn't ask for money, or for chaperones, it just asked for my signature so AK could attend the trip.

When the Hoos dropped AK off yesterday morning he confirmed that all of the 3s would be taking a big yellow school bus to the farm. And when I picked her up yesterday she had a package with a pumpkin, an apple and a scarecrow on a stick. She was also full of smiles and stories about the goats, geese, ducks and hayride, "There were bushes with long branches and so we had to keep our hands in so they didn't have to fix up cuts on anyone's hands!"

It was wonderful. Between that and the weekly swimming lessons and music class "with Miss Rhea!" I think AK is in a great place.

As for LP, she is having lots of excitement too. Last night I got a phone call from her friend David's mom asking to set up a playdate. So, this afternoon I will bring her over to his house for a couple of hours. Fortunately, it is one of LP's bus days (as opposed to an after care day). I will likely stick around but if it works out, maybe I won't have to in the future (is that how these things work)? It is really an odd feeling to be setting up a playdate with one of LP's friends as opposed to with my friends whose kids happen to be LP's friends. Regardless, I give David's mom a lot of credit for just looking me up in the directory and calling. Especially after AK picked up the phone the first time and promptly hung up!

And finally, in terms of new experiences, I have started recognizing people around town and making connections. We don't live in a small town, so it is really nice to see repeat faces. Like on Sunday, when we went to a birthday party for one of LP's friends from her old day care, and two of her friends from Hebrew school were also in attendance (talk about a small world). Or when I went to Target and ran into a family from synagogue. Or when people I recognize but can't place wave at me in the grocery store or the school parking lot.

New is normal, and I guess I kind of like it.

Getting Dirty

noreply@blogger.com (AmyBow) — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 17:12:00 +0000

So, did anyone go outside and get dirty in response to my previous post? If you did - I have good news!

The folks at Clorox 2 have offered up 5 gift certificates, each for a free bottle of Clorox 2! So offer up a comment on what you have been doing to get out and go-go! Five winners will be randomly selected!

Get Out and Play!

noreply@blogger.com (AmyBow) — Mon, 10 Oct 2011 13:04:00 +0000

The weather was glorious this weekend! Saturday was a bit of a lost day, because it was Yom Kippur, but it was a lot easier to fast and be appreciative of all of the wonderful things in life with bright skies and 75 degree weather.

Sunday was even more spectacular, and I was not going to waste it. While LP was in Sunday school, AK and I drew with chalk on the driveway and played in the yard. After picking LP up, we visited an orchard, picked out pumpkins at Stew Leonard's and went for a walk down to the lake. The girls made sand castles and waded in the water. Of course this meant wet and sandy feet and bottoms - but who cared?! That is what Indian summer days are for, right?

In a stroke of good timing, I was recently contacted by the folks at Clorox to help spread the word in their Play2Day pledge campaign. Basically, you pledge to spend at least 10 hours outside every week with your kids, and they donate money to Action for Healthy Kids, a non-profit organization devoted to helping children learn about staying active and eating well, for this campaign. They will donate $1 for every new pledge participant, on top of their existing $50,000 donation.

So I made the pledge and made good on it this weekend - how about you?

PS: Clorox2 is sending my some samples to see if I can't get rid of those sandy bottom stains (and to thank for for writing about the new campaign).

Update from the Field

noreply@blogger.com (AmyBow) — Tue, 04 Oct 2011 17:49:00 +0000

In the middle of the night last night, the Hoos sat bolt upright in bed.

"Did you hear that?"

"Maybe."

"There it is again. I'm getting up," he says, grabbing a flashlight (I guess it could be a weapon?)

"Okay."

Running into the hallway, "Who's there?!"

Stops. "Oh. AK. Hi."

So, AK got up to pee and scared the crap out of the Hoos. On the bright side - SHE WOKE UP DRY AND GOT HER FIRST MARSHMALLOW.

For those of you concerned, we do have an alarm system and it was on. And we do know we have two small children who might roam at night, but perhaps we were not thinking straight.

Definition of Precocious

noreply@blogger.com (AmyBow) — Mon, 03 Oct 2011 15:06:00 +0000

AK has been potty trained for months now. Actually, it looks like it is almost a year!

Unfortunately she still sleeps in PullUps. It was this age and time of year when LP gave up PullUps, so I remain hopeful.

Actually, I am more than hopeful - I am on to bribery. A few weeks ago, I offered AK the reward of a marshmallow with breakfast every morning she stays dry. She was totally stoked.

But it didn't help.

Until Friday.

AK crawled into bed with me and the Hoos and grabbed my hand, "Mommy, feel my PullUp! It's dry! Can I have my marshmallow?"

At first I was very pleased for her, "Good job, baby!" Then I got suspicious, "Hey, AK? Did you change your PullUp?"

Very sincerely she responded, "Yesssssss. The other one was wet - it had pee in it!"

All the Bright Side

noreply@blogger.com (AmyBow) — Thu, 22 Sep 2011 16:21:00 +0000

It is coming up on 2 months since we moved into our new home in Fairfield. Is it all sunshine and light? No. (Yes, occasional dead mouse in the crawl space - I am looking at you).

But there are many, many things to be excited about.

Home: We are making fantastic progress on making the house ours. There is and will always be more to do and more ways to spend money (e.g., paint the family room, remove some trees, re-sod the lawn, get new blinds...), but we have plenty of time to prioritize and make small improvements. For now I am happy with the weeding I do while waiting for the bus and gazing lovingly at the tapestry we finally picked out and hung to cover the electric box in the middle of the living room wall.

Day care: The Hoos and I both remarked this morning that we think AK is happier at her new day care. There was nothing wrong with the old day care, but she just seems chattier and more relaxed at the new place. And I know she loves her weekly swimming class.

School: LP seems to be thriving at kindergarten. Always eager to board the school bus, she sits with her "bus buddies" (although she can't recall their names, or just doesn't want to tell me) and passes on the bus gossip. Shockingly, the big kids that sit in the back of the bus? Are still as raucous as when we were kids. She likes her teacher, enjoys aftercare, and continues to make new friends on a daily basis.

Etc.: We joined our local synagogue and LP is going into her 3rd week of Hebrew School. I am getting used to my commute and new routine and haven't had any complaints about my adjusted hours. The Hoos spent a couple of nights away earlier this week and while we missed him, he learned a lot and made some good contacts.

So really, who can complain?

There's Nothing Wrong with a Little Traffic

noreply@blogger.com (AmyBow) — Wed, 14 Sep 2011 18:02:00 +0000

This week is the first week of our new routine - no holidays, no randomly early closing times, just "normal."

Well, at least it would have been normal if LP's eyes weren't bright red when I picked her up on Monday, necessitating a trip to the pediatrician, anti-biotic eye drops and a need to keep her out of school for 24 hours. But I digress.

This means is that I am heading to work on my own, without having to drop the ladies off at day care in the morning and with little to no involvement in the morning routine.

Of course, I still wake them up and urge them to come downstairs and eat while the Hoos gets ready; I also heat up LP's lunch and put it in its hot Thermos container and make sure everything is packed up in their backpacks. But, again, I digress.

For the last year I have had the pleasure of driving to work without the involvement of any highways, parkways or main roads. Now I have to go one measly exit on the Merritt Parkway and it takes me 35 minutes. And, because the distance between my exit and my work exit is 5.5 miles, it has the wonderful name of "no man's land." So, if I choose to go on it - there is no getting off or changing my mind.

Like last week, when I got on the Parkway and then realized I had left my laptop at home, but I still had to go the entire 5.5 miles and then 5.5 miles BACK to get it. But I digress AGAIN.

So, I have been experimenting with back roads. And by experimenting, I mean GETTING LOST. And wasting LOTS AND LOTS of time.

So, my lesson for the week - sometimes the tried, true, traditional, traffic-filled path...is the best one. Digressions aside;)