The Great Husby

Not to be confused with the Fitzgerald classic, but he is great, and he is my husby. I love him more everyday because he seems to have a knack for making me laugh (at myself, especially) and for helping me maintain my sanity. He has been a great Daddy from the git-go...with both of our babies. Even when The Fred won't stop whining or SweetBoy is having a screaming fit, his toughie image melts away (even if he hates to admit it), and I see the compassionate and caring side of him that I adore. We do get on each other's nerves at times, but we never stay mad for long...and who doesn't love making up?

Sequels to "The Great Husby" will soon follow (as the mood to write sweet things strikes me). Until then, just keep in mind that I am married to the perfect man (and perfect is, of course, relative). Even the husbys deserve some recognition time every now and then!

Ode to the SPANX

I love you, great Queen of the undergarments!
O Beacon of Hope, to the legions of loose-skinned mommies.
Where for art thou, my postpartum C-section tire?
Dost thou flee at the mere mention of this super spandex blend?
Oh yes, you truly are a "Higher Power" my great Spanx.
You will always hold a special place in my panty drawer.

And I Thought I Wasn't An Avid Reader...Sorry, Fiona

I took the liberty of stealing this one from I'm a Mom!..? via MommaPeas via...you get the picture...

Check this out! We actually do read a lot at our house...thank you Momma for your wonderful influence and exposing me to almost all of these books as a child. 10 out of 15...that's like almost 67%...wow!

From the list below:

-Bold the ones you’ve read
-Italicize the ones you want to read
-leave the ones you aren't interested in as they are


Goodnight Moon - by Margaret Wise Brown
The Going To Bed Book - Sandra Boynton
Hey Wake Up - Sandra Boynton
Snuggle Puppy - Sandra Boynton
Where is Baby's Belly Button? - Karen Katz
Go Dog Go - Dr. Seuss
Mr. Brown Can Moo, Can you? - Dr. Seuss
Love You Forever - Robert Munsch
Good Night God - Holly Bea
Guess How Much I Love You - Sam McBratney
The Very Hungry Caterpillar - Eric Carle
Pat The Bunny - Dorothy Kundhardt
Sweet Dreams Mimi - Julie Aigner-Clark
Counting Kisses - Karen Katz
That's Not My Lion - Fiona Watt

Okay, I said the word "poop"

Mingle² - Melbourne Singles

Adventures in Potty-Training: Take 2

Well, The Fred was off to a good start yesterday as we set out for our daily adventures in a new pair of "red-headed mermaid" big girl panties. After a final count of only dropping two #2 bombs on me and zero #1's, I felt as if our potty-training woes might be coming to an end. Oh, was I wrong!

At the start of day two of our saga, The Fred was in a full-fledged "all things potty" boycott. No panties, no potty, no tee-tee, no poo-poo...and especially, NO POTTY DANCE! Have I ever told you that my child can become extremely irritated (breaking into convulsions, screaming, and writhing on the floor) when I sing? It seems that today, even the potty dance is no exception.

After waking from her peaceful slumber, The Fred was compliant in letting me take off her Pull-Up and putting on her big girl panties (today we begin the day by donning princess panties- the assignment goes to the princess with the "brown hair, yellow dress, and hairy boyfriend"). The Fred asks for some milk as I turn on her favorite cartoon (the one that expands her ranting vocabulary to include snippets of espanol...sometimes, I swear she is cursing me in Spanish).

After receiving her milk, I hear "sssssss" behind me...this is accident number one of the day. This noise will follow me throughout the rest of the morning...soaking the "blue princess with the glass slippers," the "dark-haired princess with the seven sidekicks," and the "Arabian princess with the great abs" all before noon.

It is nap time now and the Pull-Up once again reigns supreme. Adventures in Potty-Training: Take 2 will resume later this afternoon...guess I need to do some laundry before I run out of princesses.

Parenting Wisdom: The New Form of "Keeping Up with the Joneses"

WARNING: Venting will follow...this post may not be suitable for all parents

Okay, what is the deal with the significant others in our lives feeling as if we should be raising our kids just like everybody else? Why can't we be original and strike out on our own path of child-rearing greatness? I just have a hard time following the mentality of "keeping up with the Joneses" when it comes to parenting. Have I lost you yet?

If I hear anyone (that I love and care for) say any of the following again (or at least in the near future), I swear that I am going to SCREAM!!!

Examples:

"So-and-so" make their kids go to bed at ______ o' clock.

"So-and-so" doesn't let her kids eat ______.

"So-and-so" doesn't let his kids watch ______.

When "so-and-so" did ______ their child quit doing ______.

"So-and-so" said you would be able to do ______ if you did ______.

I heard "so-and-so" say that you shouldn't _______.

"So-and-so's" doctor said that ______.

Are you following me now? What is so wrong with how I am raising my children? If I wanted or needed advice from "so-and-so," I would ask them. I value the opinions of others and am open to what works for other people. That is why I talk about child-rearing issues with other people I trust, that are in my position, and that value my opinion as well. So far, none of the "so-and-sos" have fallen into this category. M'kay?

To Work Or Not To Work...That is the Question

I seem to ask myself on a daily basis if I can handle life as a SAHM (that's "stay-at-home-mom" as I only recently learned when I needed to use it to describe my own title in this corporate world of Mommydom). The adjustment to life in my new role has been difficult and full of questions, i.e. "Am I doing the right thing for ______ (insert: "me," "my husby," "my children")? So far, the only question I have been able to answer is the last one..."Am I doing the right thing for my children?" I answer with a resounding "yes!" They both seem to thrive with all of the one-on-one (I mean one-on-two) "momma time." The Fred loves being able to spend the day describing all of her bathroom conquests to the undivided attention that only a mother can provide, and SweetBoy has never know anything different, so he languishes in the constant smooches and endless supply of Cheerios that I am able to provide.

When it comes to my first two questions (insert: "me" or "my husby"), my answer seems to change on a daily basis. Well, I guess that it is supposed to vary with the trials and strangulations (I mean...tribulations) of the day. I have learned that in the life of a Mommy, it is generally wiser to put your own needs at the end of your line of questioning, so I will rearrange, "Am I doing the right thing for ______ (insert: "my husby" then "me")? So, is being a SAHM good for the man in my life? Probably not. The stress of living on one income seems to wear at him (and me). I would love to be able to tell him when he brings in a stack of bills from the mailbox, "I'll take care of these honey!" Although, I think he might faint if that scenario ever occurred. Adjusting to life without a paycheck (no matter how small it may be) is difficult...probably for most of us. Luckily, I married a wonderful man that supports my decision...whichever decision it might be.

Lastly, I come to the question of, "Am I doing the right thing for______ (insert: "me")? Well, to be perfectly honest, I can't answer that question right now. Although, I'm not sure if my answer is even important. As long as I know that I am doing the best possible thing for my children, I guess that the answer bears no value. Why can't I learn to measure my worth in my children's laughs, smiles, and most importantly, the drool instead of the location of a decimal point and the number of zeros on a piece of paper? I am growing to love my corporate title as SAHM, and I only hope that everyone else sees the pride that I have in the great job (although sometimes clueless and questioning) I am doing in deciding to raise my children.