Post Halloween Sugar Crash

Post Halloween sugar got you crashing? Sick of your kiddies being over-sugared and cranky?

Well if you are looking for places to send your leftover candy, look no farther than your local firehouse.

Our local fire station, Baileys Crossroads in Falls Church, takes all leftover candy donations. Fire stations always have people on duty and candy is a yummy treat for any one performing manual labor.

Last year I dropped two large bags of leftover candy so my 18 month old would not eat it all and they were so happy to get it.

I would also check with your local police stations as well since they always have folks on duty too.

TGIF-Halloween

Halloween Safety:

-Buy glow bracelets for your children to wear around their wrists and necks. These can also be wrapped around stroller wheels and put on dog leashes to help increase visibility.

-If you have reflectors or blinking safety lights (often used for exercising) place on your coat or hat to increase visibility.

-Stick to sidewalks and walkways whenever possible. Walk towards traffic so that people can see you coming, and so that you can see them coming towards you.

-Wear sturdy shoes that offer good traction, like sneakers. Avoid flimsy, slippery shoes that could cause a fall.

Perfect Fall Outing For Kids:

Check out the Meadowlark Botanical Gardens in Vienna, VA. These sprawling gardens offer much to do for people of all ages. There is an atrium, nature center, paths to hike, various shrubs and flowers to see, a Butterfly garden and an interactive tea garden for children where kids can sit in the bat cave, have a tea party of explore the dirt by digging in the small garden.

In the Fall the colors are exceptional and this is a stroller-friendly place that has a winding paved path all through it. Kids can run around and explore and get some fresh air while learning about nature, plants, seeds and shrubs.

There are also picnic tables on the premises so that you can picnic after your exploration.

Check it out at:

http://www.nvrpa.org/parks/meadowlark/index.php

Baby Einstein is NO Genius

Baby Einstein is not going to make your baby a genius....try to deal with the shock of TV failing as an educator.....for more information about  the topic and for tips on where to return your DVDs for a refund, check out this article:

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/24/education/24baby.html?_r=1

Next, they will tell us that pregnancy and parenthood ages you and takes years off of your life, oh wait, that is true, but not yet proven.........I am diligently working on that as we speak.

Hang in there mommies, you are doing great. Don't stress over the DVDs and at least return them for a refund-put the money towards this year's holiday gifts, because I hear Santa is on strike due to the recession and all....

No Good Deed Goes Unpunished

This weekend was all about letting my kids be kids. Daddy was not working, which was a treat, so we lined up lots of family time with activities designed to be fun for all. Unfortunately, fun was the goal and was often just out of reach.

Saturday's plan was to take the kids to the Air and Space Museum ( the good one out near Dulles). What a perfect rainy day activity, right? Lots of room indoors to let the kiddies run and play and lots to look at. 

We successfully made it outside the beltway without my husband going into shock (he thinks anything beyond Falls Church is basically the boonies) which was a great start and both kids happily ate lunch in the car so we could save time. 

Once we entered the parking lot at the museum things began to sour on us quickly. As we were getting Bruno out of the car, a huge airplane left Dulles airport and the noise completely scared him so he began to cry and whine. Once both kids were successfully loaded in the double stroller, it started to rain cats and dogs. Of course we were about a hundred miles away from the entrance, so I started to jog while pushing the kids in the stroller (uphill) while my husband attempted to shield the children from the rain with our one uncooperative umbrella. 

The umbrella kept flipping inside out and the rain guard was basically useless as it kept blowing off. As we all got drenched the kids both began to cry and scream, making the unpleasant outing to the museum that much worse. Fortunately, the dry museum and all the airplanes lifted everyone's spirits just enough to get us home in time for their naps.

The next day was Sunday and the annual Halloween parade in our neighborhood-an absolutely awesome event and one of the few times each year I actually let my children skip their naps. Since the parade is in the middle of prime napping hours, my husband and I always feed them early, skip their naps, let them eat too much sugar and let them enjoy being kids for the day, knowing that they will both crash and burn and go to sleep by 5:30 p.m-Yes, even the 2.5 years old.

Everything went according to plan-fed the kids an early lunch and amazingly, got them both into their costumes with no goading and no tears-YFM (Yeah For Mommy!). It was a perfect fall day with just the right amount of sunshine and breeze, so we all happily headed off to the parade. Both kids loved the parade and we all enjoyed cookies and lemonade at the finish. Our kids ran around on the beach with the other Barcroft kiddies and my husband and I actually got to catch up with some neighborhood friends.

As planned, full-on kiddie meltdowns (times two) went into effect promptly following our arrival back at home around 4p.m. The sugar high that had given added spunk to the kids- without- naps had sent them careening into crankyville. 

4 p.m is too late for a nap and too early for bed, so my husband and I had no choice but to endure. Our little ones that were so happy just an hour ago were now screaming messes. Our plans to be indulgent parents who do all these great festive things with ours kids had backfired, leaving us stressed out and the kiddies tired and overwhelmed. We knew they would crash early, but 4 p.m was about an hour ahead of schedule.

By 5:30 p.m both kids were fed, bathed and asleep, and both parents were drinking wine. Did everyone have a good time during this fun-filled family weekend? Yes and no. At certain points it was fun for all, but at other times it was stressful and hard and rainy and wet, but if there are two things this weekend's events reminded me of its that: 1) I have really good kids. I mean, my kids skipped their naps and only meltdowned after being overly tired and overly stimulated. That's pretty darn good, considering some kids are like that all the time. 2) Life in the parent hood is all about weekends like this. Doing things as a family and never knowing what will happen. That's an adventure and that's what being parents is all about. Children are unpredictable, but that is also what makes this job so worthwhile.

The next time your kids are making you crazy, just think of me pushing a double stroller up a huge hill in the rain, running towards the door at the Air and Space Museum as my two screaming, wet children cry their eyes out and you will smile knowing that being a parent is a job worthwhile and that when you have bad days, you are not the only one. All parents suffer sometimes.

Rainy Day Activities

Ok, I for one am getting really sick and tired of this weather. I mean could it get any colder, its only October? And, enough with the rain already. I know its good for the flowers and grass, but its giving all of us a good dose of cabin fever.

If you are looking for ways to entertain your little ones (or yourself) while we wait out the weather, visit this website, www.jigzone.com. You can do puzzles online in all different categories (nature, dogs, insects etc.) and according to varying levels of difficulty. The smallest puzzles have 6 pieces and can be done by a small child and the harder ones have over 150 pieces.

Just another resource to add to the rainy day activity kit for you mom machines out there.

Fever

Now that the flu season has descended upon all of us-it reared its nasty head in my house last week-I think it is important that we all know how to deal with fevers.

According to my Pediatrician's office, a fever of anything below 104 degrees is considered to be moderate, not high. Nonetheless, I consider anything over 101 degrees to be worrisome, especially when it makes my 10 month old scream and cry. As always, with fevers it is important to focus on hydration. Keep your infant or toddler well hydrated with milk, formula, watered down juice, warm jello or Gatorade. Ice pops also work well if your child is adverse to eating anything.

It is important to keep your child in appropriate clothing as well to help regulate her body temp. Make sure your home is not overly hot or cold, and that windows are not open and blowing cold air on your sick baby. Since virus and infections can sometimes cause skin rashes as well, try to dress your child in clean, dry clothing that is 100% cotton and not abrasive to the touch to maintain comfort.

Luke warm, or tepid baths are good to help relax the child and calm her down before naps or bedtime, but skip the bubbles which can cause skin irritation or dryness. Make sure that the bath is not too cold, because if it is, the child will get the chills, which can cause a fever to shoot up, not come down. If you are fearful of getting water in the ears and possibly causing ear infections or the chills, fill a basin with warm water and sit the baby on a towel in the bathroom in a diaper. Gently swab the baby with a wash cloth doused in the warm water. This way you can focus on the back of the neck, tummy and arms and legs, without having to pour water over the baby's head and risk getting it in her eyes or ears.

Lastly, do not wait for the first virus of the season to hit your house. Prepare NOW. Stock up on juice, Baby Tylenol, saline nose drops, tissues, a bulb syringe, a humidifier and anything else you think you will need to fight the fever or flu this season.

If the flu or a fever do hit your home, change sheets, mop floors, vacuum carpets, dust, sanitize baby toys, pacifiers, and anything else that your baby was around, such as her favorite blanket or stuffed friend. Wipe down all door knobs in the home, the phone, TV remote, car keys, diaper bag and your purse to prevent the spread of infection. 

Above all else-WASH YOUR HANDS!!!!!

Fall Recipes

These are two of our family fall favorites. One, the tortilla pie, is a great one-dish meal that is super easy and the other one, Greek meatloaf, is a hearty main dish. Both are awesome comfort  foods and perfect for the fall.

Tortilla Pie:

1 (15-oz) can of black beans, drained and rinsed

1 (10-oz) package of frozen corn kernels, thawed out

1 cup mild or medium tomato salsa 1 (8-oz) can of tomato sauce

6-8 oz of pepper jack cheese, coarsely grated (2 cups)

1/2 cup of fresh cilantro

2 scallions, thinly sliced

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

4 (10-inch) flour tortillas (burrito-size)

1 tablespoon of olive oil.

Step One:

Put oven rack in lower third of the oven and preheat to 450 degrees.

Step Two:

Stir together beans, corn, salsa, tomato sauce, cheese, cilantro, scallions and cumin in a large bowl. ( Add meat here if you so desire)

Step Three:

Heat a 12-inch skillet over high heat until smoking. Brush both sides of each flour tortilla with oil and fry, turning over once, until puffed and golden in spots. This takes about 1-2 minutes per side.

Step Four:

Place I tortilla in the bottom of a well-oiled 15 by 10-inch shallow baking pan, then spread with 1 1/3 cups of the filling. Repeat the layering twice, then place the remaining tortilla on top and press to adhere to other layers.

Step Five:

Bake the tortilla pie for 12- 18 minutes, or until the filling is heated through. Transfer the pie to a platter, then cut the pie into wedges and serve with Sour cream or salsa on the side.

For variations:

Use different cheeses-I blended cheddar and pepper jack and that was great.

Use tomatillo salsa for a different flavor.

Add chicken, chorizo or other meat if you so desire. I precooked the chicken and mixed it in with the other ingredients and it was great. My friend also tried it with chicken chorizo (which is precooked) so she added it as another layer.

Greek Meatloaf:

1.25 pounds of  lean ground beef

1/2 cup of feta cheese

3 cloves of fresh garlic-finely diced in a food processor

1 yellow onion-finely diced in a food processor

1/4 cup of Italian seasoned breadcrumbs

2 tablespoons of fresh or dried dill

1 large egg

Salt and pepper to taste

Step One:

Diced garlic cloves and onion in the food processor and add ground beef to the processor at end to chop into fine bites and to help mix with garlic and onion.

Step Two:

Remove meat and garlic and onion mixture from the food processor and place in a large bowl. Add the remaining ingredients and mix meatloaf with your hands until all ingredients are well combined.

Step Three:

Spray a glass or metal loaf pan with Pam or cooking spray and form the meatloaf into a loaf or spread evenly throughout the loaf pan.

Step Four:

Bake meatloaf at 350 degrees for about 25-30 minutes or until completely cooked through.

Serve with mashed potatoes, veggies, salad, boiled or roasted potatoes or garlic bread.

YUMMY!

The Incredible Edible Egg

These are really quick and easy omelets and the best part is that they are fun to make so kids love them. Also, you can make a lot of different kinds of omelets all at the same time when using this method, which is perfect for a brunch buffet or bridal shower luncheon when you need to cook 10 different omelets all at the same time! 

Give it a try, you won't be disappointed, you will be amazed.

What you will need: ( These ingredients and supplies make one omelet)

2 eggs, or egg substitute

1 quart sized Ziploc freezer bag

Assorted omelet ingredients-veggies, cheese, herbs, meats etc.

Instructions:

1. Write your name with a permanent marker on the outside of a Ziploc freezer bag.

2. Fill the freezer bag with two cracked eggs, close the bag and shake it to combine the eggs.

3. Add as many ingredients as you choose, and close the bag and shake it again to mix everything together.

4. Open the bag and get all of the excess air out and reseal it.

5. Place all Ziploc bags into a pot of boiling (rolling bubbles) water for exactly 13 minutes. One large pot can cook 6-8 omelets at a time. If you are cooking more than 8 omelets, use an additional pot.

6. Remove bags after 13 minutes and open the Ziploc bag. Your perfect omelet will roll right out onto the plate for you to enjoy!

Fight the Flu This Season

5 For Fighting: Tips For Preventing The Flu This Season:

With our children back in school many parents are concerned about germs and how to fight the flu this season. Along with good hygiene practices these five not-so-common tips can help you protect your loved ones this flu season.

1. Remove shoes as soon as you enter your home to reduce the amount of dirt and germs that you track throughout the house. Leave a basket by the front door or in the front hall closet to encourage shoe removal.

2. Change children’s clothes when you return home from a park, public area or play date. Although this will increase your laundry slightly each week, it prevents foreign germs from entering your home and settling in. Also, if you were at a park and you come home and change your child’s clothing before his nap, he will sleep in a clean bed, germ-free.

3. Wash stuffed animals, snuggies and blankets. If your child has a favorite cuddle blanket or stuffed animal that he sleeps with, do not forget to wash these items as much as possible. Germs lurk in the fur and corners of blankets, which kids often put in their mouths and near their eyes. 

4. Clip nails. Make sure you are diligent about clipping your child’s nails on a regular basis. Longer nails provide a place for dirt to hide, which can be a nice home for germs. Short nails are more sanitary so it is best to cut them short and straight across. If you cannot clip nails easily, try using a brush to get under them when your child is in the bathtub or when he washes his hands before meals.

5. Wash feet. If your child is still enjoying the lingering warmth of summer by wearing sandals, crocs or other open-toed shoes, get in the habit of washing his feet as well as his hands when you return home and come back inside. I sit my son on the side of the kitchen sink and wash both his feet and his hands thoroughly before he has lunch. Feet are extremely porous and a warm place for germs to attack. This will keep him clean before his nap and prevent the spread of germs within your home.

Recommendations Wednesdays

I know that I usually pass along my recommendations on Wednesdays, but believe it or not, I am actually a day ahead of myself-is that possible you ask, well, yes, today it is true.

All of this information is somewhat random, but it is all really good stuff to know, especially in these tough financial times:

1. Supermarket Sweep-If you are looking to save money at the market, look really high or really low on the shelves, NOT at eye level. Apparently that is the most coveted place on a supermarket shelf and the one that costs more to rent. Because the space is so valuable and the one that people look at first and most frequently, grocers stock it with the more expensive items. In short, if you are looking to pinch a few pennies on a specific item, look at the top shelves or the bottom shelves because that is where they hide the less expensive brands and the sale items. Last week I tested this tip out, as I do with all of my tips and recommendations, and I was blown away by the price difference in something as basic as Macaroni and Cheese.

2. Ditch That Bleach-In addition to being toxic and harmful, bleach is also a lot more expensive than a basic bottle of 3% peroxide, which costs about $1.00 per bottle at your local drugstore. Think of all the things that you use bleach for and replace it with peroxide. Want to keep your toilets clean or your counter tops germ free? Use peroxide instead of bleach-it's not toxic and it kills germs just as well as its toxic counterpart.

Still not a believer? Are you old school and still thinking that "nothing cleans and sanitizes like bleach"? Well if you are........ lets put it into perspective for you. Did you know that you can gargle with peroxide every night, instead of mouthwash, and that your teeth will be sparkling white and all your canker sores will be gone? Would you ever gargle with bleach?

Need more convincing? Ever had a really bad cold and stuffed up sinuses? Hello, can you say this past winter? Mix equal parts water and peroxide and spray it into your nostrils, one at a time. After a few snot bubbles and a nose blow, your nose will be less clogged and all the bacteria in your nasal passages will be dead. Who among us snorts bleach? C'mon, you know you want to test the magical powers of peroxide, and I encourage you to do so.

Your house and body will be germ free, not polluted with toxic bleach and there will be no nasty lingering bleach smell to cover up, plus you will save a bunch of money!!!!!

TGIF

For this Friday's tips and good information, I wanted to pass along the title of a GREAT book.

The book is called Healing the New Childhood Epidemics- Autism, ADHD, Asthma, and Allergies By Kenneth Bock, M.D.

My son has asthma, manifested in the form of a constant unproductive hacking cough, and my sister-in-law turned me on to this book and I am so happy that she did.

Bock is a world renowned doctor specializing in the treatment of children with these 4-A disorders. This book is well-written and very easy to read. It is not like your average encyclopedic text book that just confuses you more than before you began reading. It documents real cases of these disorders in patients that Dr. Bock treated and healed, so you know his methods work.

The book is clear and flows so easily you almost feel like you are reading a novel.

If your children have any of these disorders, it is worth reading this book just for the extra knowledge and insight that it provides.

Check this insightful book out and tell your friends about it as well. Other moms will thank you.

TGIF

Well, it's almost upon us-Mother's Day is this Sunday so if you have not already made plans to honor your mother then read the following suggestions for ways to let your mother know how much you appreciate everything she does for you. For all those husbands out there looking for a nice way to honor your wife, the mother of your children, then read on because there are some tips for you too.

There are many ways to say thank-you for all the wonderful things you do without spending a lot of money. Here are a few:

1. Let Mommy sleep in. If you have small children, get up early with them so that Mom can catch some extra zzzzz's. This doesn't cost you anything, but it is the best gift ever for an overtired Mommy, which let's be honest, all Moms are.

2. Make Mommy breakfast. In my house, I just enjoy getting up and finding that someone else other than me has made the coffee for the day. Its one less thing that I have to do and so nice to wake up to. Food would be an absolute delight and icing on the cake.

3. Buy your wife flowers or something small like a pedicure or a manicure. All of these items can be purchased for about $20 and they will all really brighten up Mommy's day. Plus, if Mommy gets to go and get the pedicure, she gets a little time to herself, which is another wonderful gift for any Mommy. Alone time is something everyone needs and deserves.

4. Buy Mommy some bath beads or perhaps a salt scrub (Trader Joe's sells a really nice Lavender one for $7) and draw Mommy a bath. Put the kids to bed early, fill the tub, light some candles and poor Mommy a glass of wine. Welcome to relaxation-ville.

5. Other nice gifts are things that come directly from your kids so if they can make Mommy a special picture or pasta necklace, great. If they are too young for that, take a picture of them and have it put onto a coffee mug or a t-shirt. Again, these items all cost less than $20.

6. Send a heartfelt card with a list of all the things you love and thank your mother for.

Above all else, love and hug your Mother or wife on Mother's day and let her know how much she means to you. Remember that Mommy is the reason you are here and there is no other love like that of your Mother. It is true what they say-no one will ever love you like your Mommy does.

Happy Mother's Day to all.

The New Machine

Well, I have finally completely lost my mind. I registered to run the Marine Corps Marathon on October 25th, 2009.

For years I have been talking about "taking the plunge" and "challenging" myself to see if I could run a marathon, but something always came up.....well, it was usually because I was pregnant, but that is beside the point.

So.....I went online the other day and decided to pay my $88 to register, knowing that just by registering I would follow through with it and make myself start training for it. So now I guess you could say I am a new kind of machine-I will be a running machine for the next 6 months so that I can fully prepare myself to run 26.2 miles so that I can buy a sticker that says 26.2 and put it on the back of my car.

My trainer, who has run at least 3 marathons, assures me that I will do great and that I am fit enough to go the distance-literally, and that 6 months is way more training time than needed. She wrote me a running program that is only 18 weeks long, but VERY challenging and she said that it would more than prepare me. I believe her and trust what she tells me, but I still have my concerns......the main one being how does the whole bathroom thing work during the race?.....and what about after for that matter? I have heard some REALLY scary stories about friends who spent the first post-marathon hour in the port-o-potty having a marathon of a different sort that involves doing what my friends and I call multi-tasking (pooping out one end and puking out the other). Sorry for the visual, but this is a serious issue if I will be running for 4-5 straight hours.

Also, how does the whole eating thing work? How do you stop running and eat? Or more importantly how do you eat anything while running without getting a cramp or puking your brains out?

What about the whole mental anguish aspect of running a marathon? I have talked to several people that say it is mentally draining and that you can't mind fuck yourself or else you will psyche yourself out. I know that I overthink everything and mind fucking myself is definitely part of my daily routine (Oh, my kid watched too much TV today, I am a bad mother, the kids were misbehaving and driving me bonkers all day, I am a bad mommie etc.) but I figure that 6 months of preparation will be enough to get my brain in shape....right?

These little kinks will hopefully be ironed out in the next 6 months of my training as I prepare myself for my greatest challenge yet. I keep telling myself that if I could endure 20 hours of back labor with no epidural and an emergency C-section to bring my first child into the world, then I can run for 1/4 of that amount of time.

I will keep you posted on my progress. For right now, my goals are simple for my first marathon. They are as follows: 1) Don't poop myself 2) Finish the whole distance 3) Be mentally sound the whole time to help push myself across the finish line 4) Buy a cool sticker for my car........oh yeah, and DON"T GET PREGNANT until the marathon is complete.

TGIF

The other day my husband's assistant had a choking incident and it reminded me of this helpful hint that I thought I would pass along to all of you, since you never know when you or one of your kids might choke.

My husband's assistant was sitting at her desk on Monday, checking some emails and munching on a cracker when a piece of it got lodged in her throat. She cleared her throat multiple times but could not get the cracker to budge. At this point she was frantic as she felt the cracker scratching at her throat and constricting her airway, so she got up from her desk and wandered down the hall to seek help, which she was lucky enough to find.

I am a firm believer in ALL parents being First Aid and CPR certified before the arrival of their first child. I just think it is a good skill to have and one that will definitely make you more confident as a first time parent. I am trained in both and I have had to use those skills on my son before when he was choking and turning blue. That being said, I realize that we live in a world defined by our time constraints and taking a class may not be in the cards for you. If that is the case, do not despair, just keep this trick in mind.

If you, or your child are choking DO NOT hit the choking victim on the back. This is the first reaction that most people have and the WORST thing to do because you can actually force the choking hazard further down into the victim's throat, causing more airway constriction.

The best thing to do is put the victim's arms up in the air and take a deep breath. This will open the airway and the lungs easily and force the choking hazard to go all the way down the pipe instead of letting it hang out in the middle.

So, the next time your child is choking on a cracker or a piece of hot dog, just simply lift both of their arms towards the sky to help things along and if that fails, administer the Heimlich maneuver or call 911.

Recommendation Wednesdays

Yesterday, I got a frantic call from a good friend who was at the hospital with her husband who had appendicitis. She needed someone to pick up her daughter from school and watch her until her mother was able to come down from Annapolis. Fortunately for my friend, her daughter was not only in my son's pre-school class, but she had spent a lot of time around me, so she knew me and was not alarmed at all when I picked her up instead of Mommy. Also lucky for my friend was the fact that I had an extra car seat at my house that I could put into my car to actually put her kid in.

Emergencies happen, I get that, that is why they are called emergencies. Inevitably these nasty cluster situations rear their ugly heads when you are sick, tired, having your period, out of diapers and milk, and forced to leave your messy house without a charged cell phone to get into your car that has an empty gas tank. That being said, I know you can't predict when these emergencies will arise, but you can plan in some ways that will help you deal with the situation when and if they do arise and trust me, if you have children, emergencies will arise.

Check out these tips below for how to always be prepared for emergencies:

1. Phone Numbers-Make sure that you have all the important phone numbers that you need programmed into your cell phone. This includes, your kids' school, friends and family who you can contact in the event of an emergency, poison control, the local hospital, your doctor as well as your kids' doctor's office. Also save a contact in your phone under the title ICE (In case of Emergency). That way if you are ever in an accident and someone finds you or your phone, they will know who to call on your behalf.

2. House Preparation-Write out information sheets about your children's needs/schedules etc. so that if someone does have to jump in and help you out they will be aware of things like feeding times, bedtimes, and allergies. Also, put a card with your home address and phone number and the numbers for poison control , the local hospital, and emergency contact information BY EACH PHONE in your home. That way if there is an accident or an emergency situation while you are not home, the caregiver can take the necessary steps to intervene.

3. Car-Have a bag or bin in your car that is stocked with the necessary supplies, should you experience an emergency while outside of your home. For example, what if you are at the park and one of your kids falls and hits his head? What is your emergency plan? Do you have everything that you need in the car should you have to drive right to the hospital?

4. Go Bag-Do you have one packed? Do you even know what a Go Bag is? Somewhere in your home you should have one duffle bag packed with supplies for the entire family should there be a situation that presents itself and forces you to leave your home immediately. This bag should include things like cash, first aid supplies, bottled water, food supplies, a flashlight etc.

5. Keep your tank above the half way mark-This is a great trick that my husband taught me when I was pregnant with our first child. He told me to never leave my gas tank less than half full. The reason being that if I ever got lost in a sketchy part of town, or if I had an emergency, I wouldn't have to stop and fill up. It's a basic rule of thumb to live by, but a very practical one. It has saved me many a time.

I hope that you find these tips useful and that you take the necessary steps to implement an emergency preparedness plan.

Recommendation Wednesdays

With my son's 2nd birthday approaching and tons of other kiddies celebrating their spring birthdays, I have recently had the chance to do a lot of research on kids' birthday parties, events, crafts, goodie bags etc.

I wanted to pass along a great website to help you plan you kid's next party. Check out www.kidsparties.com. You can select your state and then they break down all sorts of useful information according to categories. For example, you can select Virginia and click on the Entertainers/Venues Button and they list, with a detailed paragraph description, all the different places to have birthday parties, as well as all the people (magicians, petting zoos etc.) that come to your home to entertain.

This website is really a one-stop shop for all your birthday party needs and it's super easy to use.

Check it out and tell your friends about it. Just go and look at it and you might get some ideas about indoor places to take your kiddies in the winter or on rainy days.

Tummy Trouble

OMG, its my 50th post-what a milestone. I feel so accomplished! I won't bore you with more of my son's antics and poop incidents, but I will let you in on a little secret for how to deal with stomach issues in children. Ultimately this post will involve poop talk as well, but my son's poop is not the focus.

Now first, you must recognize that there are lots of different kinds of stomach issues.

First, there is the basic tummy ache which can be a result of constipation or bloating. Believe it or not, kids can still poop everyday and still be considered constipated. To ease this type of tummy trouble try the following things:

1) Massage their belly to expel some of the gas and to move things around.

2) A hot water bottle wrapped in a blanket and placed on their belly helps relax those tight muscles. This will provide some comfort.

3) Give them a bath. This also helps relax their tight bellies and if there is a poop backup, the warm water will help move things along.

4) Also in the realm of moving things along are these two tricks. Take your child's temperature rectally. This can help them poop and is perfectly safe to do every once in a while. You can also fill a plastic water bottle with warm water and squirt it into your child's bottom.

Then there is the dreaded stomach flu or viral infection of some kind that causes explosive poop and/or vomiting. For this type of tummy trouble, try the following remedies:

1) The BRATT diet is the only way to go when you have a house of disease. The BRATT diet stands for Bananas, Rice, Applesauce, Tea and Toast. Eating these food when you can't stop pooping will help stop you up and these foods are all very bland and easy to hold down so that you won't keep throwing up.

2) To prevent dehydration in children who are experiencing this type of tummy trouble, give them watered down apple juice, Gatorade, or you can give them the syrup from a can of pears of peaches. The sugar helps coat the stomach so the liquid will not just sit in your child's tummy the way water does and it will not churn up their tummy the way milk does. You can also warm up a packet of jello and let your child drink that. It's very easy on the tummy. Popsicles also work well.

3) Be sure to avoid DAIRY, especially milk. Dairy is very hard to digest and even more disgusting when your child vomits it up-trust me I know from experience.

Next time your little one is experiencing tummy issues find out why and try one of the solutions listed here.

Torpedo in the Tub and Other Toilet Antics

What is it with my son and bodily waste? Is it because he is a boy? The kid is absolutely fascinated by any type of dirty waste expelled from his little body.

His most recent bodily escapades involved a torpedo in the bath tub, urinating on his baby sister and stuffing things with his hands down Mommy and Daddy's toilet just because the opportunity presented itself.

After this trifecta of filth I finally realized that my not-yet two year-old son is probably ready to start potty training.

I will share the antics leading up to this conclusion with all of you though since it is quite humorous and good for a laugh.

The first was the bombing of the bath tub while we were in Florida on vacation. This one was pretty mainstream in terms of bath room issues so that's why I didn't think it was any indication that Bruno might want to poop in the potty. He had a big dinner and didn't take a post meal poop , which he doesn't always do, so I put him in the tub and continued along with his routine. Well mid-bath I get a whiff and realize that Bruno has pooped in the tub. Pretty obvious why-he had to go and the warm water in the tub just eased things along. Not pretty, but it could have been a lot worse and fortunately it wasn't my tub.

Now the second incident was a little more of a red flag in terms of wanting to potty train and now that I look back on it, this is the incident that should have made me stop and say-"let's break out the potty."

While we were in Florida our infant turned that corner (you know, the one where they start sleeping and eating more regularly because they have hit 12 weeks of age) and she and my son started going to sleep at the same time-6:30 pm. I was smart enough to pick up on her routine change so I began synchronizing their schedules. This meant feeding both kids dinner at 5 pm and then letting them play until almost 6 and then giving them a bath together so that they could both get jammies and bed thereafter. Bruno had been following Daddy around a lot on vacation and wanted to spend all his time with Daddy-even when Daddy was in the toilet. Obviously my husband stands up to pee and Bruno became quite the little voyeur. So I guess it shouldn't have surprised me when he stood up in the tub the other night before pissing all over his sister. He had the most accomplished look on his face as he screamed "Mommy, I did it" at the top of his lungs. Poor little serious Brooke just sat there ( I mean come one, she is only 14 weeks) with this perplexed look on her face while her big brother urinated all over her.

Clearly Bruno was picking up a few bathroom tricks from Daddy (not that my husband pisses on our baby, but you know what I mean) and was smart enough to realize that males stand to pee, which was a real testament to his smarts, but it didn't pan out well for his sister when executed.

Finally, to wrap up the bath room trifecta Bruno decided that when we got home he was going to take Mommy's toothbrush and an entire tube of toothpaste and empty them into the toilet. Now toothpaste does not dissolve well in toilet water, so he had to stick his hands in there to break up the gelatinous clumps of blue goo, which apparently didn't slow him down or deter him from his toilet festivities because the next step was to watch the toothbrush swim down the swirling drain as he repeatedly flushed the toilet for good measure-flushed it so many times that he left a reminder of his toilet tendencies because it keep running for hours-so awesome!

Not only did I have to reach into my toilet and pull out my toothbrush and toothpaste, but I had to sit and listen to it run for half the day until my husband was able to come home and fix that stupid pump part.

You are all probably sitting there thinking what a complete idiot I am, which maybe I am, but in my defense, these events all transpired over a few weeks time so it took me a while to add them all up and see what the sum of their parts was indicating. Math was never my strong suit.

Finally, it hit me-it's potty time.

We have now broken out the training toilets and we have two centrally located far away from the baby. Hopefully this will pique my son's interest and make him want to use the potty for his bodily functions instead of my floor or his crib or his sister.

Vacation Rules to Live By

My husband and I were in desperate need of a vacation-we were beyond the winter blues. He was overworked and stressed and I was sleep deprived and stuck inside with two small kiddies after the winter birth of our second child.

After talking and talking about it, we decided two things. First, that there seemed to be no good time to take a vacation-we had work and we didn't want to take our son out of school etc. etc., blah, blah, blah, the list goes on and on. Second, that we couldn't afford to NOT take a vacation-we were both on the brink of a meltdown and some R&R was not only well deserved, but pretty much necessary to break our winter blues and get us out of our work, caffeniate, care for babies routine.

Work was the big sticking point for my husband, but for me, it was the thought of driving from Virginia to Florida in the car with two kids under two and the family bulldog. For the three weeks prior to our vacation, I was secretly wishing that "something" would come up at work that would force us to stay home in the safety of our rut, but there was no earth shattering real estate catstrophe that warranted us canceling our vacation. The only thing that came close to detering us was the fact that I got so sick (flu and sinus infection, plus two ear infections-ALL at the same time) the week before we left that I thought that I wouldn't even be able to make it down to Florida for the vacation.

Ultimately, I survived-YEAH and was able to make the much dreaded car trip to Florida to the much needed vacation that I deserved and longed for in my spare time. I think getting sick right before my vacation actually changed my outlook on vacations in general, not to mention the fact that it postively affected my mood. Being SO sick-to the point where I laid in bed for the first 72 hours unable to move-literally, made me realize that I was in a rut and that my fear about traveling to my vacation destination was only a side effect of said winter rut. I knew that I wanted to be in Florida and I knew that I needed to be in Florida, but yet it was still so hard to just do it-it was easier to be complacent and push the vacation off-getting there was the hard part.

Regardless of the roadblocks that almost deterred our vaction, we made it here safe and sound and I was so happy that the trip down here had gone so much more smoothly than anticipated that I kept that attitude of gratitude from the begininng of my vacation and really embraced my vaction this time. Usually it takes me at least 4 or 5 days to unwind and by then it is almost time to go home-where is the time for enjoyment? Well this attitude of gratitude made me embrace the vacation enjoyment from the get-go and we have only been here for 6 days and already I feel like we have been here for weeks.

Here are my personal recommendations, a personal vacation mantra, if you will, for ways to really enjoy your vaction from the start by adopting an attitude of gratitude:

1. Let your kids throw caution to the wind and disregard their schedules as long as it is for something good like staying up past their bedtime to get ice cream or not getting dressed until the afternoon so that they can play outside in their PJ's. I let my son play outside every morning in his PJ's because he just can't wait to get his day started; he doesn't want to be slowed down by something as useless as changing his clothes. Who could blame him? He is just going to get his clean clothes instantly dirty, why not wear the dirty PJ'S and get them more dirty? Makes sense and is ultimately pretty practical if you think about it. I love how two year-olds think, it is so pure.

2. Exercise outside. Jog outside and enjoy the smell of different air or exercise outside of the box and try a new class like hot yoga, or skip exercise altogether. Just break up the routine of what you do at home. My body was used to running the hills in our neighborhood at home, so I took my jog to the beach. Not only did my body ache in places that I forgot that I had, but I got some sun and fresh air in the process-YEAH FOR MOMMY (YFM!)

3. Visit the attractions that the locals recommend, not the tourist attractions that are local to the area. Where do locals eat? Go there and order the chef's special or the daily special-you will be guaranteed a great meal. Be happy that you didn't have to shop for the food, prepare it or clean it up. I ate a Grouper Reuben (I know, it sounds pretty scary) the other day at Captain Al's seaside dinning and it was so delicious.

4. Disengage from your electronic devices. I know this a hard one for many people, but it is so worth it. I didn't check my email for the first few days of vacation and I felt totally liberated. If it is really that urgent people will call you, twice if necessary, but not being constantly attached to your phone or email really gives you time to think. You are not on work auto-pilot which is a good thing.

5. Do one thing that scares you, even if it is small and stupid. This will remind you of your capabilities and will give you a sense of adventure and freshness-you may surprise yourself or learn something new. For me on this vacation, this meant taking a boat ride. I hate boats and fear them because they make me puke all the time. Well, I tried it and for the first time ever I got on a boat, rode around for an hour, didn't puke and had fun-shit, maybe I outgrew my motion sickness after 31 years. The point is, I found enjoyment in something that used to always cause me pain.

6. Be thankful. Being here has made me realize how much Mommies have to do at home when they have little ones. When we are here, my mother-in-law gets up every morning and makes the coffee (not the way I do it, she doesn't measure anything, she just throws in some water and some coffee grinds. Some days it's stronger than others or weak and thin, but it's one less thing I have to do in the morning and it is ready when I am struggling to wake up. Again, YFM!). She also feeds the dog twice a day. Having extra adult hands on deck makes my life easier and more enjoyable because I am not frantically rushing to do everything for everyone else. I can actually go and take a shit without having two kids in the bathroom with me-AMAZING!

7. Stop multi-tasking. I realize now that part of the reason I failed to relax on past vacations is because I was still functioning in "at-home-mom-machine-work mode" which entails constant multi-tasking. On this vacation I have been really good about doing one thing at a time and ONLY one thing at a time. Playing at the beach with my kids, making the salad for dinner etc. These may sound like stupid mundane tasks, but at home I do these two tasks while breast feeding, folding laundry, exercising and doing our taxes. By taking time to consciously not multi-task I have found a lot more enjoyment in each individual task. Just because you can multi-task (come on, what woman can't and doesn't???) does not mean that you should.

8. Mix things up a little. If you never stop for lunch at home because you are too busy stuffing a granola bar into your mouth in the carpool lane, then take a day to eat lunch somewhere scenic and beautiful. Sit down and taste your food-eat because you enjoy food, not because you need it to survive through your next meeting. My husband and I went to a local part of town the other day and had a nice long lunch. I even went crazy and had a drink at lunch. We sat outside and watched the boats come in by the pier, at least I think they were boats, I was pretty buzzed off of my one drink (it was big and involved rum), but again, the point is I was enjoying myself and really relaxing. I felt like I was doing something I shouldn't, like I would be called into the Principal's office for leaving class without my hall pass. My husband and I had some nice alone time and we broke the mold of our daily grind.

9. If you are near a hot tub, heated pool or an ocean, go for a dip. There is definitely something healing and purifying and cleansing about water. I will not wax about the various religious, health or spiritual properties of swimming in the ocean, but I can attest to the fact that sitting in a hot tub after a long day in the Florida sun not only soothes your muscles, but it somehow releases the tension in your mind.

10. Put your toes in the sand. At Bruno's preschool they do a lot with the little kids and objects that have different textures and feels to them so that the kiddies can develop their senses. Walking barefoot in the sand is a big person exercise in sensory motor comprehension-again, there is something so simple and pleasurable about the feel of sand between your toes and beneath your feet that you forget your troubles.

These items are the ways I kept an attitude of gratitude the whole vacation and got more than I bargained for this time around. Who says you can't teach an old mommy new tricks?

Enjoy and pass it along. Or better yet, develop your own vacation mantra so that you too can enjoy your vacation from day one.

Don't Try This At Home

I should have known that it was Friday the 13th. I had a one day meeting assignment in Rockville so I lined up the babysitter for the day and got my house in order the day before, which usually entails laying out the kids' clothes, making sure that the fridge is stocked and that there are notes etc. out that give everyone their marching orders. Oh yes, and let's not forget that my going to work at this meeting involves me PUMPING since my daughter is only 10 weeks old and my boobs are still on the creamery schedule.

I got up at 5am and got ready for work which began bright and early at 7:30am-I was not too peeved about getting up so early because I was told this was a short assignment and that I would be done and on my way home by 2pm. I packed my portable pump and all its parts even though I was convinced I would be able to make it until I got home.

I should have known things were not going smoothly when it took everyone over an hour to organize before the meeting even began-not to mention the fact that the lady leading the meeting was in from the left coast where she had been fighting some nasty virus so she was all jacked up on cold meds and jet-lagged, which made her noticeably absent-minded, forgetful and a constant source of snot and germs.

As we got underway things began rolling and we accomplished a lot prior to lunch. With only one more chunk of material to review before calling it quits, I was hopeful that I would still be heading home by 2pm. As we got to the budget piece we hit a major snag-no one could agree on anything and the discussion flood gates were opened. I felt my neck tense up as my breasts began to harden. All I could think was "thank goodness I wore a dark suit with a dark shirt."

I quietly observed and tried to take my mind off of the searing pain in my boobs. Boobs that had become so engorged my nipples were at 90 degree angles. What could I do, turn to the chairwoman and ask her if I could please be excused to go to my car and pump?

Now at this point you are probably feeling a little bit of sympathy for me and my poor boobs-remembering a time when you used to breastfeed and you were in my situation-or maybe you are asking yourself, why is Daphne an idiot-why didn't she go out to her car and pump during lunch? Well, I thought about that, but because we were doing SO well time-wise before lunch, everyone agreed to take a 30 minute lunch in the cafeteria right across from our meeting room. To make matters worse, the building that we were meeting in was a government facility and "unimportant people like me without badges of their own had to have an escort through the insanely HUGE building just to get from the security front desk to the conference room," so I would have had to ask security to take me to my car and wait for me while I pumped.

Needless to say, going out to my car and pumping was not exactly an option and to be honest at lunchtime I didn't need to pump yet, and I didn't know the afternoon was going to head south so quickly.

The minutes dragged on and before long we had spent over two hours beating the crap out of some budget issues. The back and forth arguing was making my head spin and throb, which was a good thing because it took the focus away from my boob pain and the fact that my breasts had started to leak milk-yes, breast milk all over my nice cashmere sweater.

The day that was supposed to end at 2pm wrapped up at 5pm-thank goodness I bill hourly- and I packed up my stuff and walked as quickly and gently as possible out of the building, with my escort of course, to my car. At this point I could barely lift my arm and stick it out the window to hand the garage attendant my parking sticker. All I could think of when I got to my car was getting on the pump to stop the pain.

Enter problem two of the day. My car was parked in the middle of a government lot at 5pm on a Friday-people that I work for and with were passing my car on the way to their cars so that they could head home for the weekend-without proper cover I didn't want to whip my boobs out like it was Mardis Gras for all of them to see. I decided to just get home to my baby ASAP.

Enter phase three of breast hell. It's Friday the 13th at 5pm and everyone is trying to head home so the traffic SUCKS. At this point I am basically crying my boobs are so full of milk. I begin massaging my breasts to try to relieve some of the pressure, but that does nothing for me, but intrigues many people in nearby cars. I have spent half an hour going 2 miles-I cannot take it anymore.

I hook up the pump to the battery pack and stick it under my now drenched shirt and I begin to pump one handed while driving. Probably highly illegal and yes very dangerous, but I did what I had to do. I am pretty sure if a cop saw me and pulled me over I would have gotten a ticket or arrested, but at that point I didn't care about such things-saving my boobs was my only concern.

Ten minutes on each side and my boobs are back to normal and I am able to field my husband's calls from home: "What are these bumps on Bruno's butt, Where is the baby's extra milk, What's for dinner?"

While I don't recommend EVER putting your boobs in this type of situation, I do hope you at least chuckle knowing that it happened to my boobs and not yours.

Recommendation Wednesdays

The talk among many of my mom friends has recently been about kids and meals. Currently the hot topic is, how do you entertain your toddler or kids while you are trying to prep the adult meal for the evening?

This is a great question. It is really easy to "cook" dinner for the kids since it only takes about 5-10 minutes to make most of their food and pretty much everything can go into the microwave for a quick zapping.

How do you entertain little ones while you are trying to slice and dice up some adult food without tripping over them and making yourself crazy-well here are my suggestions:

1. If your kids have a designated nap time or are at school or daycare at a certain time each day, carve out a half hour or so to do as much dinner prep work as possible. Marinate meat or chop veggies and store them in Ziploc bags until dinner. You can even wash Romaine lettuce leaves and loosely wrap them in paper towels and store them in the lower veggie drawer of your refrigerator for 3-4 hours without them wilting or getting nasty.

2. Obviously option 1 is the way to go, but life is not always that neat, so if your kids are home and underfoot while you are prepping dinner try designating that half an hour that you need to prep as a special time for your kids. For example, tell them it is story time and let them sit on the couch at look at books of their choosing. Another suggestion is to tell them it is art time or craft time and let them color (make a welcome home card for Daddy or create a book of pictures and put 20 sheets in one book and let them fill up one page each night) or use play dough at the table while you work on dinner. If this is a nightly ritual that they get to look forward to, kids will learn to view that half hour of art or story time as a special time all their own.

3. Get a large basket or bin and fill it with special toys. Only allow your children to take that bin out for half an hour each night while you are making dinner. Again, this will give the kids something to look forward to and it will make that half hour seem really special for them instead of a time when "mommy is busy."

4. Get the kids involved. If they are old enough to help, put them to work. You will be teaching them valuable skills that are useful in the future as well as building their confidence about their capabilities. If they are too young to peel or chop for you, you can still get them involved by playing store or restaurant-bring in a play cash register or shopping cart for them to use as props and cultivate their imaginations.

Hope that these help ladies. Good luck and pass these along to friends and family.

Recommendation Wednesdays

I have been feeling the stress of two kids recently, which in turn has been making my toddler ramp up his temper tantrums, so after over-thinking things for days, I finally took some steps to de-stress my life and now I am going to share them with you.



1) I downloaded the Metallica Lullabys CD onto my son's ipod. It is Metallica songs, sans the words, and just nothing but soothing music-he listens to it every night as he is going to sleep and boy does he love it. It has started to grow on me as well, but in a good way-it definitely is great background music to sooth your senses.


2) I have been recording the Yoga For Life series off of the Veria Channel. It is an hour long intense yoga session with yoga master Kurt Johnsen. I do it during the day at home when the baby naps and it makes me feel calm and strong. The best part is that you don't have to drag the kids to the gym and put them in the germ filled daycare and you can do the workout at any hour of the day.


When you feel a little too stressed, try out ones of these de-stress tactics of mine and just breathe.

Groundhog Day

Happy Groundhog day to all-well, it is official- Phil, the famous groundhog, saw his shadow today so that means that we should plan for 6 more weeks of winter-UGH!

If you are feeling the winter blues, think about cleaning out your closets and purging your home of unnecessary stuff. A clean fresh house is just what you need to feel less stagnant during these cold winter months.

Another great way to perk up your home and environment is to think about repainting one or two of the rooms in your home. Not only is this a very cheap way to spruce things up, but the colors on your walls can affect your mood-who knew? So, don't wait until Spring to do some cleaning and sprucing-start now-here's how.

If you are thinking of refreshing your home and outlook with some fresh paint, check out what these colors can affect.

Red-This increases energy and creates excitement

Orange-This can be comforting and cheerful

Yellow-This has been known to increase positive thoughts

Green-This color is calming and can promote rest

Blue-This color can cool a room and even lower your blood pressure

Purple-This color can stimulate a person's creativity an imagination

Great food for thought! Happy Painting.

TGIF

One of my moms groups recently sent out an email asking for suggestions for indoor winter activities that don't require a ton of planning and that can be done with one child at a time so that kids are getting valuable one-on-one time with mommy or daddy-I have listed my favorites below.

Check them out and break up those winter blues. Maybe you will learn something new.

Stay warm and hang in there mommies, Spring is almost here and just remember that February is the shortest month.

1) My parents used to take my siblings and I out for a special birthday dinner each year-it gave the birthday kid something to look forward to and it and it gave him or her some one-on-one time with the parents which is also really important. Plus, it taught us to behave in nicer restaurants.

2) Give each one of your kids a jar for their dresser. Give them coins on a daily basis for doing nice deeds, behaving well, cleaning their room etc. Once the jar is full of coins the kid gets to count out their money and decide how to spend it-maybe a trip to the toy store for a certain item or an ice cream cone will do it. Maybe the child wants to see a movie or go to a store to paint his/her own pottery. This technique encourages good behavior and gives the kids something to work towards, but it also teaches them the value of money. If you are opposed to using money to fill the jars, use some other counter like marbles and assign a value to each colored counter-red is twenty points, blue is ten etc. Once the child hits a specific point value they get a reward, like a special dessert or extra television time etc.

3) Other fun one-on-one activities to do with kids in the DC area are: ice skating in DC or at the Ballston rink, painting pottery at Made by You in Arlington, cooking classes at Williams Sonoma or Sur La Table (Check locations for times and trial classes), a trip to Kid Town in Rockville, a trip to Sport Bounce, the play space at the Springfield Mall (this one costs money, but is much better than the one at Tysons), a kid play or puppet show at Adventure Theater at Glen Echo Park, a trip to the airport or union station, or an activity at one of the downtown museums-check the Hirshorn Gallery's listing-they have activities like puppet shows and crafts for kids as young as 18 months old.

4) Designate Fridays or another night as movie night and let one kid pick out the menu for dinner and the movie to be viewed. Take that child with you to the supermarket and the video store. Depending on their age and capabilities/interests, you might even let the child help prepare the meal with you for some valuable cooking lessons and special mommy time.

5) Check out one of my favorite websites of all times-www.gocitykids.com-and sign up for their newsletter to come into your email account each week. It gives you tons of ideas for activities and it breaks it down by type and age group.

Good luck and have fun-Enjoy your children-they grow up so fast.

National Mentor Month and Mommy Meltdowns

So while watching some crappy mindless television last night I learned that it is national mentor month-who knew there was such thing, but the timing was very appropriate since I had planned on today's blog being about finding a motivator, or mentor; someone you can look up to that reminds you of your own capabilities and makes you appreciate your own accomplishments and gives you the strength you need to make it through another day. Someone you can think of when the going gets tough so that you can get through your tough time.

I had a really bad day last week. The baby's Zantac hadn't kicked in yet and she was still a screaming gas ball of fury. It was a Thursday and I had planned to drop my son at preschool and then head to the gym with the baby in tow so that she could nap in her infant carrier while mommy pounded away on the treadmill that goes nowhere in an attempt to send my last few baby weight pounds packing.

The morning started off okay. Brooke was happy and well behaved and Bruno was being good and listening and following directions well- as well as a 20 month old can. Brooke even ate and was changed and fell asleep in the car on the way to preschool-YEAH. I probably jinxed things because I started thinking how great this day was going to be.

When I pulled up at school, which is always a bit of a logistical nightmare, (getting both kids out of the car and safely through the parking lot to the door can seem as daunting and challenging as running through the Sahara Desert in high heels and it usually forces me to break a sweat in the dead cold of winter) the sleeping baby woke up and began screaming. Horrible timing, as usual with babies.

Well.....what choice did I have? I had to walk Bruno into his classroom so I got out the snap and go stroller as quickly as possible and snapped her infant carrier in. Then I wheeled the stroller around to the other side of the car where I shoved Bruno's school bag into the bottom of the stroller before releasing him from his car seat and placing him on my hip. Loaded down like a pack mule, I scurried through the parking lot carrying my thirty pound toddler on my hip and steering the stroller with one hand (why was I stressing about going to the gym?). My legs began to burn from the strain and I could feel sweat dripping down between my breasts. Half way through the parking lot a huge gust of wind came and blew Brooke's blanket off from her carrier canopy and the sun and wind stung her face, making her scream even louder than before-so basically at this point she is completely Richter and screaming like I cut her arm off.

Once inside we had to wait in line to get into his classroom (you can't drop your kid off until the teacher unlocks the door). My arms feel heavy and are burning from my trip through the parking lot, and at this point in time I get that itchy feeling at the base of my neck that happens when I am stressed and my neck hair prickles up and stands on end because Brooke is so upset and screaming so loudly. Even though Brooke has only been screaming for five minutes or less it feels like an eternity because those five minutes are intense and I hate hearing babies-any babies-cry. So I put Bruno down and begin to take his hat and coat off so that when they do open the classroom doors he can just walk right in. Bruno thinks we are playing "the chase game," so he takes off down the hallway, forcing me to leave his yelping sister in stroller like some wounded animal on the side of the highway. I run Bruno down and get him situated back in line and ignore the judgemental eyes of the other parents in the hallway as they pass by Brooke's stroller making comments like: "oh, poor baby, what's wrong?" or my personal favorite "maybe she is cold, tired, maybe the light's in her eyes etc. (substitute whatever phrase or word you want, but it all boils down to other parents who don't know me or my baby telling me how to do my job, which is not acceptable in my mommy world.) Finally the doors open and for once I am happy that my kid wants to cut the line to get into the classroom first and for once, I let him.

As I make my way to the door to journey back through the parking lot to the car, I can feel myself teetering on the edge of sanity-the screaming won't stop and it is cold. I suddenly feel over tired and like I am being slowly pecked to death by a duck or other small animal-it is not painful, but just annoying and stressful enough to grind me down.

I get to the car and turn it on to get the heat going. By now I am starting to tear up myself-misery loves company, right? I sit in the backseat and try to nurse Brooke. She is so riled up from all the crying it is near impossible to get her to calm down and get on the boob. I try, then I try again, then I keep trying-crying to myself the whole time. I finally break down and call my husband for help. I assure him that I am okay and that the baby is okay but that I am just having a tough time of things right now. He is wonderful, as always, and gives me the exact pep talk that I need. "Honey you are doing a great job, I know it is hard to breast feed and the baby is just growing so much these days that it seems like all she does is eat, but just put her back on the boob and you'll both feel better soon. I am able to calm Brooke down, calm myself down and get her on the boob.

After a 30 minute nursing session in the backseat of my car, I am able to get her back in her car seat. She falls asleep almost instantly so I drive directly to the gym and deposit her in the day care. I find the nearest treadmill and jump on. I spend the next hour running out my stress while listening to Megadeath blaring in my headphones.

When I recount this story the next day to my close friend who has three of her own and is already pregnant with her fourth, she assures me that she definitely has had many of those baby blue days before and that she remembers how hard it is for the first 12 weeks with a new baby ( I believe her exact words are that newborns suck because they eat and cry constantly). She then lets me in on a little secret. She tells me that when she would have rough mornings or nights or whatever with one of her newborns she would think of her sister who had three kids in five years while going to medical school. "If my sister could have three little ones and become a doctor at the same time then I would get through the first 12 weeks of having a newborn with my wits still intact. If she can do it so can I."

This is a valuable lesson ladies. There will come a time when you are a mommy and you feel yourself melting down. Don't be too alarmed- this is perfectly normal and almost expected, sort of like a rite of passage. Well, to weather these storms you need two weapons in your arsenal.

1) You need to have a life line (husband, sister, mother, aunt, friend etc.) on speed dial that you can call when you need someone to talk you down.

2) You need to have a mentor or motivator. Someone that you admire for whatever reason that inspires you to work hard and do great things. Form a clear picture of this person in your mind and when you feel the mommy meltdown coming on, think of the amazing things that this person has done and accomplished and assure yourself that you too are capable of great things, because you are.

I realize that motherhood is messy and that it never goes as planned, but there are some days when this is a hard pill to swallow because it makes me feel like a failure or like I am a bad mommy, but that is when I think of some of my other mommy friends and their situations and my own motherhood experiences don't seem as bad and I gather the strength I need to forge ahead through another day in the mommy hood.

So....in honor of national mentor month, stop and take a moment for yourselves mommies. Think of someone that motivates you and remember that while you look up to others for motivation, others look up to you for motivation. So, find your own mentor and know that you are someone else's mentor, even if they don't tell you.

Don't Kick A Gift Husband-er, Horse in the Mouth

I love that my husband senses the recent spike in my stress level caused by sleep deprivation (our daughter is only 8 weeks old and I only took 3 weeks maternity leave-YEAH, WHAT THE $@*^ WAS I THINKING?) and fatigue (our son is 21 months old) and flat out irritability ( I just had my second baby and feel fat, not to mention the fact that my dog has the worst gas ever and an even worse penchant for puking on my floor-bitch).

He is careful to be upbeat and pay extra attention to me while doing things around the house without having to be asked. Now anytime a husband picks up the slack around the house (or at least in my house) it is for one of two reasons-he wants something from you (can I go away with the guys for a week and leave you home to work and care for the kids and puking dog???) or he fears you (will my wife actually crack and send the dog to live on a farm???) and what you might do. Either way, I was taught to always be grateful when people help you out, especially if they do it of their own free will.

Let me now share with you the two wonderful things that my husband has recently done to "help" me out around the house. I always make the coffee in the morning. Maybe it is because I am more obsessed with drinking the coffee than my husband or maybe because the kitchen and food in general is my domain, or maybe it is because my husband makes terrible coffee because he doesn't use a measuring cup or spoon of any kind, he just dumps in some water and some grounds-ONLY A MAN WOULD DO THAT, or maybe it is because when I rarely sleep in he can only deal with the kids not the coffee, dishes, feeding of the dog etc. Regardless, my husband decided to make the coffee one day because he got up earlier than me and the kids-his heart was in the right place, but things didn't go as planned.

You see I had gotten on a time saving kick in an effort to make my mornings less hectic and stressful, so even though we don't have a timer on the coffee pot, I had started loading the water and grinds into the pot the night before so that all I had to do was push the button in the morning. I even thought to myself that I should remind Aras of my plans both verbally, which I did, and in writing-I put a large note in front of the pot that read: LOADED-JUST TURN ON in an effort to keep him updated and to prevent possible disaster.

Following his heart of good intentions and trying to be a sweet, good husband, Aras forgot to read and completely missed the note stuck to the coffee pot. As a result the coffee pot basically exploded all over the counter since it had been LOADED TWICE. Not only did this make a huge mess (Aras cleaned it up before I got to it) but Aras bastardized my good pot of coffee with his crappy pot of coffee. From now on I think it is best for me to ask for Aras' help when and if I need it so that at the very least I can specify what I want done.

The second incident also involved my beloved husband and my beloved kitchen. I noticed that the dishes were really spotty and dirty and I was beginning to worry that our dishwasher was on its last legs. I was pulling cereal bowls out of the cabinet in the morning that still had two day old mac and cheese residue on them-yuck. So I pre-rinsed more and scrubbed dishes a little harder for a week or so with no better results. I added jet dry and changed our dish detergent, cursing myself for straying from my brand and buying the cheap stuff just because it was on sale.

The other day I walked into the kitchen as Aras was unloading the dishwasher and lo and behold I solved the dirty dishes mystery and it was not the dishwasher that was defective, but my husband. Aras had been putting the individually wrapped Cascade tablets into the dishwasher every night, but he was not removing the tablets from their plastic wrapper-HELLO?

When I asked him about it, he looked at me with surprise-Oh, you have to take the plastic off those things? They don't just dissolve on their own in the dishwasher?

I turned on my heels without responding and started to leave the kitchen, but first I checked the coffee pot to make sure that it was intact, opened the cabinet, took out a dirty mug and poured myself some coffee.

Manic Mondays

All in all, today was a good Monday. It was hectic, as usual, but I expect that my life will be that way until my children are grown and out of the house and I have stopped breeding. There were no horrible incidents today involving poop or vomiting dogs and the baby's reflux is SO much better thanks to a drug called Zantac. With all my free time I have actually been able to do some research about my kiddies and one of my favorite things of all time-FOOD.

I am very lucky in that my toddler's favorite foods are fruits and veggies of all kinds, but my sister and many other friends of mine fight a daily battle when trying to get their children to deviate from the four foods groups of toddlers-pretzels, McDonald's Chicken nuggets, buttered noodles, and fruit snacks. Another complaint I hear from moms with multiple children is that they make a different dinner each night for each kid and then a completely different one for the adults. I am not in this situation-and vow to never get there, but I realize that is easier said than done- yet since my daughter is still just breast feeding, but I can only imagine how much this SUCKS. In my house, the toddler gets his meal and the dog gets the leftovers and the adults get an adult meal. PERIOD-end of story. I love to cook, but at the end of the day I only have so much left in me and being a short order cook is not on my list of capabilities.

Whether your food crisis is caused by a picky eater or having too many different eaters to feed, I have just the solution for you. Check out Chef Lisa Barnes' website www.petitappetit.com. She also has a cookbook that goes by the same name.

This mother and Chef has created recipes that are kid tested (meaning, kids will actually eat these items), healthy, and organic. Plus, her recipes are SUPER EASY (easy enough for your 6+ years old to help you make the food items-like the homemade granola bars) and most recipes don't require a lot of ingredients. Her recipes also include informative information about the nutritional value of her dishes as well as helpful hints for shopping, picking produce and assuring that your child is eating the proper foods and amounts for his age.

Her tricks for incorporating protein into many of her recipes-like yogurt in pancakes- or sneaking veggies into cream cheese-will win over even the toughest of toddlers. Lastly, many of her dishes can be made and served to the whole family (Greek frittata or fish tacos) so you will save time and your mind (less stress for mommies at the end of the day is always ideal) at dinnertime since you won't be forced to make 5 different dinners for 5 different people.

Take the stress out of the end of your day by draining a glass of wine while surfing her website for some recipe ideas. You will be pleasantly surprised how great her recipes are and how many of them you can make with the food you already have in your pantry, thus saving you a trip to the grocery store.

TGIF

Oh my sweet blog, how I have missed you. I have longed to sit in front of my computer and vent (aka write) about my recent mommy meltdowns, but there has been no time these days. The baby has reflux so we are anxiously waiting for her zantac meds to kick in so that the screaming will stop and my toddler has a cold that has been hanging on for about three weeks now. It's not enough to give him a fever or keep him home from school, but it is enough to make him a fussy eater and subject to toxic nuclear meltdowns because he is cranky. To top off this wonderful situation the dog has been feeling neglected again so she has been making herself vomit in order to get attention-FABULOUS!

In a most recent episode of "my crazy life with two under two," I had a fun filled night yesterday that involved the baby screaming from her reflux -she had to be put down momentarily so that I could assist Bruno in the tub with his nightly bath, during which he took a big SHIT in the tub-AWESOME. While tending to my screaming and pooping kiddies, the dog felt under appreciated and vomited bile all over my dining room rug for the finale.

So on that note, I want to share my TGIF with you. When you experience nights like I did yesterday-and believe me, you will, because we all do- be happy that you know of places like Trader Joe's. This unique grocery store, as their mantra claims, does offer some great food options that you cannot find at a conventional grocery store like the Safeway or Giant. Trader Joe's has a lot of pre-packaged dinners and food items in the back cooler that are a lot more interesting than roasted chicken and their frozen items are excellent as well. Another great thing about Trader Joe's is that their organic products, like meats and even name brand items, like Kashi cereals, are cheaper than they are at supermarkets and Whole Foods.

Items To Try:

1. Trader Joe's Frozen Mac n' Cheese-This is a great late night dinner for your husband or something filling to feed the kiddies when you don't feel like cooking separate meals for each kid.

2. Apple Crushers-this is applesauce that is squeezed out of a packet. It requires no spoon and is mess free. Plus my kid loves the carrot flavored one and it is great for school lunches, not to mention much cheaper than the version they sell at Whole Foods.

3. Nuts by the Handful-These individual packets contain a 200-calorie snack of almonds or some kind of nut and dried fruit. I keep packets of these in the car, in my office and in my purse.

4. Lentils-These are the kind that are ready to heat and serve and can be found in the produce section. An awesome source of fiber and protein, my toddler even eats these. Definitely worth a try.

5. Grapefruit Sea Salt Scrub-This is a nice at home indulgence for over-worked mommies who don't have time to go to the spa (ha, ha, ha, isn't that ALL mommies everywhere?). The oil in this scrub leaves your dry winter skin soft for days on end. It is worth the $5.

Gasey is classy

After my daughter's ten day stint in the NICU (which sucked by the way) I learned two extremely valuable lessons that I would like to share with you:

1. There is such a thing as too much information, especially when your child is in the NICU. I thought that information was power, and it can be in a lot of cases, but when your baby is in the NICU and the doctors are working to figure out what the problem is, it is best to just take things day by day. Because I am a planner and totally type-A, I wanted to know what the long term plan was and that often forced people, like doctors and nurses to surmise about things pertaining to my daughter, which often had the negative effect of completely freaking me out. The medical staff felt obligated to tell me something since I was so pushy and demanding about knowing the big picture and that often meant they read into situations and offered their opinions about things that were the worst case scenario, instead of medically proven facts. So in short, if you ever have a child in the NICU, take it one day at a time. Wake up every day with the sole intention of learning what happened in your infant's life that day; don't worry about the next day or the next week, you will make yourself crazy and they will come soon enough.

2. While my daughter was in the NICU, a baby nurse told me that if you alternate between patting your child's back and rubbing it, it is easier to expel gas in the form of a burp or a fart. This makes the infant happier and it reduces gas build-up and spit-up.

I have tried this method of burping on my daughter and it DOES work so give it a try.

Poop there it is

There is nothing worse than walking into your child's nursery and discovering that he or she has taken off their diaper and proceeded to paint the nursery and their body with their own poop-GROSS.

Unfortunately, most parents learn this lesson the hard way. For example, my husband put our 15 month-old son in his crib one time in the summer with nothing on but a diaper and a t-shirt. (What woman would ever do that? I can't think of one, but that is another blog entirely) Now in my husband's defense, I get it, it was hot and he didn't want Bruno to sweat, but Bruno had no onesie on to keep him from accessing his diaper. As a result Bruno filled said diaper with massive amounts of poop then proceeded to take the diaper off, paint his face with his own crap (much like a child from the Lord of the Flies movie) and throw the remainder of the poop along the nursery walls. My husband's solution was the same that many men have-duck tape the diaper on. (Again, what woman would do that?)

Well, let me recommend something more civil and less expensive. Take one pair of PJ's that have feet and zip up the front and cut the feet off completely. When your child naps or goes to sleep at night, put the footless PJ's on backwards with the zipper up the back and your child will never fling poop in the crib again, because they can't reach the zipper or take their diaper off on their own.

Also, if your child is playing with his or her own poop and taking their diaper off, it is also a sign that he or she is ready to start potty training.

Best of luck and may your walls be poop-free with this helpful tip.