When I got pregnant many, many, many, many years ago, I read all the books about twins, babies, what to expect when you’re pregnant and raising kids. Not one of those books said that I would need a contractor’s license to be a parent. But, now that the school year is in full swing, I’m starting to realize it would have come in handy for the school projects. 

Because I am not equipped with the innate ability to be creative or crafty or do scrapbooks or decorative stuff, I have come to rely on my artist husband for help with projects.

Pregnancy does weird things to you, and I had a minor brush with creativity when I was in my last trimester. I don’t know what came over me, but I decided I had to make all of the thank you notes for my baby shower. I bought paper and rubber stamps and ribbons and I thought I was so clever with the design. I stamped two sets of baby handprints on the front, punched holes and tied the ribbons into little bows on the cards. They definitely looked handmade. But, I was so giddy over them. I guess the nesting instinct really hit me hard and the hormones took over. I also had a lot of time on my hands, since I was on bed rest. But, as soon as I gave birth, that creativity flew out of me and has not yet returned. …CONTINUE READING »

We had a wonderful surprise on the day I hit 37 weeks pregnant – our BABY! Here is how it all happened:

I had a relatively uneventful morning at work last Wednesday, just going about my business, wrapping up a few things that needed to be wrapped up. I had really felt the need to close some loops all during the previous week and was still working to do that. Maybe it was mother’s intuition – I just thought I might go early and I had better be prepared. I assumed of course as is typical of life that if I did get prepared early, I would go until 41 weeks but if I wasn’t ready I would go early. Wrong.

That day I felt like eating Boston Market – it had been quite a while since I had had my beloved chicken, green beans and mac and cheese meal. So I headed over there by myself and decided to eat outside to enjoy the beautiful day. Upon standing up after my lunch, something very strange happened. Did I just lose all bladder control or could it be that my water had broken!? The latter was unlikely because that only happens to about 15% of pregnant women prior to labor and only about 15% of women go into labor prior to 37 weeks. So for my water to break on the day I hit 37 weeks would be very unlikely. …CONTINUE READING »

On Sunday, I’m packing up the family for a trip to Niagara Falls. Well, it’s actually a work trip, but I’m fortunate to be able to mix business with pleasure most of the time. We’ll be flying into Buffalo and staying on the Canadian side of the falls.

Our six-year-old daughter has become quite the traveler. We visit Walt Disney World annually, and she’s been to Arizona a couple of times. She took her first flight at 22 months, and each trip has brought new challenges.

At age two, her little legs were just the right length to kick the back of the seat in front of her. Trying to tell a toddler to stop kicking is like telling a fish to stop swimming –– not easy! A year later, she was out of diapers and that meant trips to the bathroom. By four, she had traveling down pat and could pack her own backpack full of DVDs and coloring books.

Here are some steps I take to make our trips easier:
• Fruit chews. Take-offs and landings are hard on little ears, so I typically take a couple of packages of fruit snacks for her to chew on. Be sure to consider layovers and bring enough for each flight.

• Take the shoes off. Socks don’t have quite the impact shoes do on the back of a seat.

• Portable DVD players. Consider your flight times. If our flights are short, I’ll bring a DVD of her favorite 30-minute show and tell her that we’ll arrive at our destination in “two-and-a-half iCarlys”. It gives little ones a sense of time. Don’t forget headphones –– we actually bought a pair of child-sized ones that control noise and fit her head better. …CONTINUE READING »

Sophie and Doran have each been participating in their own after school activity, for about a year. Already, Sophie is going to be my Olympic gold medalist in gymnastics. And, Doran is well on his way to being the next Chuck Norris. As if karate and gymnastics didn’t keep them busy enough, last week, they started playing t-ball. Of course, I use the word “playing” lightly. So far it’s been a lot of running the bases, throwing the ball and hitting off of the tee. But, I think this will be a good thing for them, learning how to support each other on a team.

While the age of the players is supposed to be 4-6 years old, it skews younger with more 3- and 4-year-olds. So, Sophie and Doran are the oldest kids on the team. As a whole, the team is not the most coordinated bunch yet, but it’s a lot of fun to watch. And, I’m very proud of my daughter because she’s the only girl on the team. Bet you can’t tell which one she is in the picture. Thanks to Brian, she has the cutest pink helmet and Doran has a blue one. But, the helmets are so big, they make the kids look like bobbleheads.  Brian bought all of the appropriate gear: helmets, gloves and a bat. I had nothing to do with this purchase because I wouldn’t even know where to begin. …CONTINUE READING »

I got a text message from Jesus last Wednesday which said, “C U tomorrow @ 5:30.” Now most people might be a little shocked to receive a text from Jesus and pretty nervous about that big meeting with him coming the next day, but I was excited. Why, you ask? Because the Jesus I refer to is Jesus Quijano, my fantastic hairdresser!

I have been going to Jesus for about three years, ever since the lady who did my hair before suddenly left town without telling me and I didn’t know until I called the salon with 2 inch brown roots and major split ends hoping for an appointment that week.  What a terrible shock to hear she had moved away and failed to even inform me, her faithful client of two years!  Sadness ensued.  I thought we got along so well.  I thought we were friends.  I needed to get rid of those roots ASAP.

So, I found Jesus through my mother-in-law and sister-in-law who went to the same salon.  Jesus always does a fantastic job and I am so thrilled I found him!  I tend to be pretty loyal to hairdressers until they leave town abruptly, possibly due to some sketchy run-in with the law (ahem, LEANNE, are you reading this?).  So, even though each time I go it is a marathon 2.5 hour session for simple highlights, cut and blow dry (the man is…let’s say, meticulous), I will continue to see him because he is a nice guy, does a good job on my hair and I like telling people I get phone calls and text messages from “Jesus”.    Ok, mostly it’s those first two things. …CONTINUE READING »

I’ve got a first-grader this year, and that means two things –– more homework and more arguing! By the time I get off work, pick her up, drive home, take the dog out, get the mail and start supper, I’m beat. Bella usually is as well. There’s a small window between the time we get home and dinner where we both just want to chill. Homework has to happen after dinner.

There are a myriad of reasons why she doesn’t want to do her worksheets, ranging from her favorite show on television to other kids playing outside. Hey, at six, she’s a busy girl, right? Too busy for homework, apparently, as we most often get “Awww, Mom! Can’t I do it AFTER I play outside?” You mean during the five minutes before a shower and bed? I don’t think so! …CONTINUE READING »

One of my niece’s boys, 8-year-old Jakob, has a self-esteem issue. He has too much of it.

Now, we’re a fairly modest crowd, my family. Many of us were painfully shy growing up and were self-conscious to a fault. So we’re not sure from where this upbeat, rose-colored-glasses-wearing creature has spawned.

Let me explain. There have been many instances in which this child insists he’s right about something beyond all indications otherwise. But we just put that down to his having a Y chromosome. But lately, things seem to be going to a whole other level. …CONTINUE READING »

How did people ever figure out parenting before there were classes offered by the hospital?  Over the last month or so we took Breastfeeding for Couples, Infant CPR, Childbirth Essentials and a hospital tour.  In our educational fervor yesterday, we almost signed up for a class called Baby Essentials – all about how to care for your newborn – when common sense got the better of us and we decided enough was enough!

See, I have a gazillion siblings and eleventy billion nieces and nephews (actual numbers may vary) and I have changed diapers, given baths, read to, swaddled, cooed at and generally cared for many babies in my time.  My husband is slightly less seasoned than I (read: never changed a diaper) but he is quite competent and I have faith he will figure it out, with perhaps a little coaching from me.  Isn’t that how people did it before all the classes?  They just figured it out?  What did people do before the classes?? …CONTINUE READING »