Oh My God..... Guess Who Works Here?

On Saturday morning, the Dubyas took the 'lil Dubyas to get their photos done. It was really just to get 'lil Dubyette's 3 month pics done, but I figured seeing that the Christmas photo was such a disaster -- maybe we could scoot the 'lil man in for a couple of shots with his sister. Is it really too much for a mother to ask.... one picture of her two kids together, smiling, looking in the same direction sans drool????

Anyway, while we were waiting to have the photos printed (and NO, I was unable to get a picture of the two of them worthy of purchase), we couldn't help but notice the family next to us. Mom was about 6ish months pregnant and son was about 4 and very ill-behaved. Mom and Dad kept jumping through hoops to get this kid to behave -- we'll take you to lunch -- we'll give you candy -- we'll let you pick out a toy.......

Good God people, try a little discipline. How 'bout "Stop hitting the lady or we are leaving and you'll be (insert appropriate punishment here) when we get home" and when child continues to slap the poor employee -- FOLLOW THROUGH with the threat!

In fairness to the kid, this couple was ridiculous.... I mean, it didn't take me that long to pick the pictures for our wedding album. And hello people, you are in the mall...... I know you want to take photos of your kid kissing your big ole pregnant belly (I mean I never did -- but different strokes, right?), but...... you aren't going to get Ann Geddes or Annie Leibovitz -- you are going to get a mall photographer doing her very best.

Anyway, imagine my shock and dismay when I ran into the Mom in our cafeteria this morning.... Gee, I hope she didn't see me roll my eyes on Saturday when she promised her bratty kid a trip the Rainforest Cafe to see the monkeys.

I finally pulled the trigger

Yep, I finally called a cleaning lady -- she'll be here at noon to "assess" us........ it's 11:31 and the Big Dubya and I have been taking turns cleaning/managing the tots since 7. This is probably the cleanest our house has been since pre-baby days.... not even sure we need her now.

I had my performance appraisal last week and although I won't know my raise/bonus numbers 'til Tuesday, I was told by my boss that I'll be "happy" with what I get -- so, I called a raspy voiced woman and she agreed to come over today. She said that her fee is based on a few factors..... house size and occupants among them. In our favor.... we have no pets.... working "against" us is that we have "two under two"

Aunt P teased me for being a bit nervous

Aunt P: You are interviewing her
Me: I know, but what if we are too far gone? What if we are too serious a case for her to take on? What if she tells her cleaning lady friends about us?
Aunt P: Wouldn't that be funny? At least you'd have something to blog about.
Me: Shut up!

It's 11:44 -- she'll be here in 16 minutes.... UGH

Babysitting

Last Friday, the Big Dubya and I celebrated 5 years of wedded bliss. We thought a quiet dinner out would be a nice way to mark the occasion -- but, we don't have a babysitter. We aren't from the area and our families are just shy of 3 hours away. I joked that we could celebrate by getting two toppings on the pizza instead of just one -- Dubya wasn't amused.

In fairness, Aunt P volunteered to come out and stay with the kids so we could go out for dinner or even away overnight (I'm just not ready for that yet). The problem with that very generous offer is..... if my sister drives the 3 hours to visit, I want to hang out with her -- not leave her at my house caring for my children.

Most of the time this is not an issue -- we take our kids almost everywhere and in general we enjoy spending time at home with them. However, once in a while even Moms and Dads need to go out on a date. I've considered asking one of the daycare teachers if they'd be interested in doing some babysitting for us from time-to-time, but I recently discovered that it's against the rules!!!

Our solution this time was to drive back to Boston and have my parents babysit while we went out for dinner and a show. Sadly, the Big Dubya got stuck in so much after-work traffic that we missed the show, but we did manage to go for a lovely dinner.

This is not the first time this issue has come up -- when we went to AZ with another family for Thanksgiving last year, they suggested we use the hotel babysitter so that we could do one adult-only dinner out. The 'lil man was only 5 months old and I just didn't like the idea of leaving him with strangers -- so, the Big Dubya and I stayed home with all the kids and let the other couple go take in a movie. Another time, we went to Disney... friends of ours wanted to call a highly recommended babysitting service (Fairy Godmothers or All About Kids) so that we could have one evening out -- again, I just wasn't sure I could leave him with strangers and we opted to stay home instead.

Am I alone?

Baby's Got a Mullet

The 'lil Dubyas got himself a mullet.

He's 20 mos and has not has his first haircut yet -- primarily because he's still pretty thin in the front and on top -- but the back.......man, he's got some length back there.

Up until now, it hasn't been all that noticeable because it curled up into these cute little blond curls..... it was only in the bath when it was wet that he resembled a miniature version of Hulk Hogan.


Aunt P suggested we let him get his first haircut in May when we go to Disney -- the Harmony Barber Shop in the Magic Kingdom specializes in "first haircuts" and makes a big fuss -- complete with Mickey Ears and a fancy Certificate. This seemed like a great idea -- except May is still 3 months away and the kid's getting a little rough looking.

My baby's growing up

Just wondering...

How long before this dumb-ass is in rehab?

Happy Birthday Kara!

Go on over there and give her some birthday love!

Shhhhh, did you hear that?

That was the sound of pounds and inches falling off me...... NOT!

So, I posted a while back that I wanted to get down to my pre-baby #1 weight. Before anybody gets pissed off at me – I’m not a big person. I’m one of those people that other people assume doesn’t have a weight problem. But, because I’m a fairly small person – I really don’t have anywhere to carry extra weight. I may still fit into a single-digit-size, but, clothes don’t hang right and I feel lumpy and lethargic. So, I needed to lose 12lbs in order to feel healthy and better about myself. I managed to shed the first 6½ fairly easily…. I wasn’t starving myself, but I was watching what I was eating. But then I hit a plateau that I just couldn’t seem to get past.

Diet wasn’t enough, I needed to kick it up a notch -- so I decided to embark upon a “couch-to-5K” program – which basically takes a non-runner (like myself) and helps them gradually get up to running 5K.

I began week #2 yesterday and nobody is more shocked than me …… I like it!

I’m in absolute shock because I’ve always HATED running…… absent someone chasing me with a weapon, I wouldn’t even consider running….. but WOW – I like it.

Here are a few reasons why I like it so much –

1. Although I’ve only lost another ½ pound, my pants are starting to fit me better.
2. Following this program only requires 30 minutes 3 times a week….. I can do that!
3. Aunt P bought me an iPod and when I have it on, listening to this guy tell me what to do….. I can’t hear anything. I can’t hear the kids, I can’t hear the phone, for 30 minutes it’s just ME. I’m nobody’s wife, I’m nobody’s mother – I’m just ME doing something that benefits nobody but ME.

I also have a new snack...... Chex makes 100 Calorie packs now -- the Chocolate Caramel is delicious, there's a decent portion and only 2 Weight Watchers Points.

Chatting up a storm

The 'lil man's been speaking for a while -- mostly one word here or there. Mahmeeeyyy, Daahheeee, UUUccce (juice). But over the weekend he went from one word here and there to full phrases.

He dropped one of his Duplos and then out of nowhere, he said "Where'd it go?" and then when he found it under the table he yelled out "I got it!"

Huh?

He went from shouting out one word describing what he wanted to being almost conversational.
He picked up his toy cell phone and said "Lelllloh, Oh Hi Ninny" (we think this translates to "Hello, Oh Hi Granny")

Upon hearing her wake up, he ran to his sister and said "Baayybeee's cryin"

And from his crib last night he yelled "Mahmeeyyy Melllkkkk Tlease" (Mammy, Milk Please)

It's so exciting to see him learn to speak and use language to convey his thoughts -- but it's a little bitter-sweet -- he's my baby.... and he's growing up.

Dear Anonymous

When I started this blog 18ish months ago, it was really just a creative outlet for me while I was on maternity leave. Hubby? Well, he's a serious blogger -- both on his own site and as a contributor to Dadcentric. Me? Well, I'm really just tinkering -- and with the exception of my sister (Aunt P) and a couple of close friends (the Cape Buffalos, Miss America) -- my friends and family don't even know it exists.

As time has gone on, I've picked up a handful of readers (Insurance Mom, Mamacita Tina).... probably through Hubby or Kara... and I stop by and read their sites too -- they seem like good people -- moms figuring it out as they go -- just like me. I don't have a lot of readers, but they seem to be a nice group of people -- and since I joined the Supercoolest Book Club Eva, I've picked up several more.

In the past week I've gotten a few anonymous comments that I'd like to respond to

First, in response to the "Cocktail Playdate" post, I received the following comment

"I may have missed it, but I don’t recall hearing anyone address the idea that these mothers are demonstrating to their children that alcohol has a place in everything.
Child safety and mother’s dependence aside, these mothers are promoting alcohol use by example. Can’t they wait until the kids are in bed to “unwind?”

Thanks for the comment -- you make a couple of good points. First, let me say that I don't believe the segment or I meant to imply that alcohol has a place in everything. I certainly don't believe that -- I think these women were just taking advantage of an opportunity to socialize with other adults while their children played (they were at somebody's home, not a public place). Since having my children, my priorities have changed -- and sadly, my friendships have suffered -- I miss "the girls". Perhaps these moms were trying to remedy this loneliness with some multi-tasking.

As for waiting for children to go to bed to "unwind" with a cocktail -- I'm sure many people do. I know that we often wait 'til our kids are in bed before my husband and I enjoy an after-dinner coffee. It's not because we don't want our kids to know we indulge in caffeine -- it's because we'd like to enjoy a cup beginning to end without having to microwave it three times. I don't think it's as much about NEEDing a drink, as it is about wanting to enjoy a beverage and adult conversation with friends -- something that could not be accomplished at home alone after the kids are in bed (drinking alone? this could be the start of an issue).

Every family does things differently -- in our house, we want our kids to know that some things are just for adults -- this ranges from make-up and high heels to using the stove. I feel that the occasional glass of wine falls into this category.

The next anonymous comment was in response to "I Can't Drive 55"

"For speeding pregnant with a baby in the car you deserve to cop a fine. How dumb can you be? If you crashed that would be three lives lost... selfish."

I appreciate the comment -- the delivery is a bit rude but the sentiment is more than fair.

This incident happened back in October -- I didn't blog about it then because I was so terribly embarrassed for being reckless.

I'll tell you what I told the judge -- the truth (probably because I'm such a lousy liar) -- I was 8 months pregnant, driving from our home in CT to my parents house in MA with my 16 month old son in the backseat.

The 'lil man was screaming and had a foul diaper -- I needed to use the rest room myself. I knew there was a rest stop coming up and my desire to comfort and care for my child took over -- I made the crappy decision to speed up. I was wrong, I made a bad decision and I couldn't feel worse than I already do -- a dirty diaper was certainly the lesser of two evils when I consider what could have happened.

Fortunately for me, the judge was willing to give me a second chance -- he believed me when I told him that I had learned my lesson.


Thanks again for reading and for the comments -- maybe you'll start identifying yourself so I can return the favor.

Best Regards,

Mrs Big Dubya

Playdates & Cocktails

I do not watch the Today Show.... generally when it's on I'm already at work -- but even when I'm home I don't watch..... probably because I think that for the most part they are biased left-wing nut jobs... but, when I was out having my car repaired this morning, it was on in the waiting room and I caught this segment.

First of all.... I've never seen women dressed this well at any play date I've been to (for that matter, I've never seen kids playing outdoors manage to stay that clean) and while I'm at it, I've never seen a mother serve drink boxes to all the kids on a tray.... but I digress

The segment was a follow up to one that aired a few weeks ago. These mothers have weekly play dates and while the kids are playing, they chat and enjoy a glass of wine or a cocktail nearby. Apparently, the Today Show was inundated with emails, letters, etc. outraged at the prospect of these Mom's enjoying alcohol in the presence of their children.

Both sides of the "issue" (is this really an "issue"?) were represented -- and of course the standard points were made "you wouldn't have a problem with a child seeing his dad have a beer while watching football" -- "shouldn't we be modeling responsible moderation for our children"

Okay -- not that anybody asked for it.... but here's my 2 cents. There is no need to get plastered in front of your children -- you are responsible for their safety and well-being so you need to be on your toes and god-forbid they need some sort of transportation or medical attention. However, you did not totally surrender you life when you became a mother.... if you enjoy the occasional glass of wine -- have it. It's good for kids to see mommy take care of herself -- Happy Mommy = Happy Kids

I can't drive 55!

So, back in October......

I was 8 mos pregnant driving from CT back to Boston with the 'lil man (then16 mos) in the backseat. And yes, I got pulled over...... going way too fast.

I thought the officer might show some mercy -- I was visibly (and hugely) pregnant and I had a crying baby in the backseat. In all honesty, I had sped up so that I could get from I-84 to the MassPike and stop at the first rest stop for a snack and a diaper change.

Unfortunately for me, all he felt was the need to write me one big-fat-ticket. When I say big & fat, I mean to the tune of something north of $300. When I got home, I filled out the form to request a hearing in hopes of getting the fine reduced -- I was going too fast -- but this penalty is a bit excessive.

Well, I got my court date -- it was set for January 4th. When the big day arrived, I had come down with that awful virus and could hardly tear myself away from the porcelain pony.... never mind go plead my case, so.... I blew it off. I assumed that they'd simply issue me a bill and I'd get stuck paying the damn ticket.

Instead, I got a letter with a new date and a threat to issue a warrant for my arrest if I didn't show. Well, on the new date..... I was going to be in AC with Dubya and the kids as well as Aunt P, Mr Tall Guy and Granny. What to do, what to do....... there was no phone number, so I sent a letter asking for an alternate date via priority mail to the clerk.... and prayed for the best.

Well, my new date is Thursday..... and I'm suddenly very nervous and unsure as to what to say. I've heard that you can offer to make a donation to a charity in lieu of paying the fee. Although a donation would be stiff, it would be for a good cause and it would avoid any points on my licence.

Anyone want to offer suggestions?

So, I go back to work next week..... I'm so sad about it, I get a bit weepy when I even think about it -- but it's a necessary evil and there will never be a "good" time to go back -- so..... back I'm going.

Granny's gonna come and stay with the 'lil lady for a few weeks -- just to ease me back into things before I have to hand her over to daycare. Don't get me wrong, I've been very pleased with the care the 'lil man's received at daycare -- but..... even after a year -- I still get sad leaving him there in the morning and I'll be heartbroken leaving them both there. If only the Big Dubya would keep his promise to win the powerball -- I could stay home with them and go out of my mind full-time.

My diet..... well, it's kind of at a stand-still. I haven't gained any back.... but I haven't lost any more either. I still need to lose 6lbs -- in the grand scheme of things I recognize that this is not a huge number -- but it's important to me. I had hoped to get rid of the extra weight before I went back to work -- that's not going to happen so it's time to get serious.

Aunt P got married last August and put on a few newlywed pounds -- she and I have been doing Weight Watchers together, but we both acknowledge that we need to kick it up a notch. So, beginning today -- we are starting a program. Participation in this program (for me) was partially inspired by Cape Buffalo and Arwen, the spicy elf -- they trained for and completed a half marathon last month..... honestly, that's a bit too ambitious for me. It's partially a cop-out, but not entirely.... I work full-time, I have a husband, a house and two kids under two. I probably could find the time to make that kind of commitment, but honestly.... at this point -- I don't really want to. I want to spend as much time as I can with my babies -- but I need to carve out a little time to take care of myself --

Anyway, Aunt P found a program -- told me about it and it seems to fit the bill. It's called the couch to 5K program and it's designed for people like me who aren't runners, are out of shape and need to train gradually -- so.... here goes nothin'. I even got Aunt P to treat me to an iPod (yes, she & I were the only two people left on the planet that didn't own an ipod), so that I can use the podcasts -- I have the greatest sister EVER!

I've also joined the super coolest book club evah! -- I used to read all the time. When I took the train to work in the city, I had plenty of time to read and I devoured books. Well, now that I drive to work and have my children -- I haven't been making time to read and it's a crime. So, when this opportunity presented itself, I jumped at the chance.

Now that I'm wrapping up, I realize that this post is about nothing..... oops, sorry -- I'll try harder tomorrow.

For Medicinal Purposes, Of Course

Thanks for the suggestion Arwen..... I tried the teas, the fenugreek capsules and the hot water with the 'lil man...... so, I picked up some of these this morning. I think I'm gonna like this one!

Seperated at birth?

I haven't posted one of these in a while....... and I'm guessing that the picture on the right will give away our 'lil man's first movie-obsession. Yes, morning, noon and night he begs for Buzz...... for those uninitiated -- if it were up to the 'lil Dubya we'd be watching Toy Story and Toy Story 2 twenty-four hours a day.

Anyway, I could help but think that Stinky Pete (the prospector) looked an awful lot like the Dukes of Hazard's Uncle Jesse.