eatthefrostingfirst

Oldest is eight and has never- I mean it, I dont think EVER, come out of bed once we close the door and say goodnight. Sure he has gotten up to go to the bathroom but that's it. Youngest hasnt ever, (hardly ever) gone to bed WITHOUT coming out of his room. It goes something like this My eye is itchy I forgot to tell you I have a cut and need a bandaid Im sniffling a lot. And coughing a lot Im a little wheezy And did I tell you my eye is itchy? I need to poop. I forgot to tell you I needed to poop before bed but now I need to. Ill try to hurry but since im in the bathroom anyways can I get a drink of water? Im done pooping. What smells downstairs? It smells good. Is that your dinner? What are you having? Ok, goodnight. Oh and Mommy, I forgot to tell you something that happened at school today. Mommy. My eye itches "Go to bed" dear husband tells him. "Daddy, Im not talking to you!"  Did you hear me yell "Mommy" not "Daddy&quo

When will this holiday season end? Ive been baking for two weeks and have decided to throw my dreams of opening up a nut free bakery out the window. Grandparents sent the boys Hanukkah money so naturally they had to go to the toy store THAT MINUTE to pick out something. Youngest decides he wants a microphone (so he can perform more shows than he already does. So he can speak louder and more often) Oldest wanted a DS game until he saw youngest with the microphone and couldnt decide between the two. Dear Husband tries to pursuade oldest to get the DS game (because truly its what he wanted) but he was hemming and hawing that youngest probably wouldnt share the microphone with him (good call) Ends up with the microphone We go home and neither works. Youngest tantrums and starts to hyperventilate (ok, not really but he might as well have the way he carried on) Back to the toy store we went Did I mention it's the Saturday before Christmas? Did I mention that the first time we were

Youngest plays with his BFF during recess. We'll call her Susie. Yes, his BFF is a girl. A matter of fact,he has a few BFF's who are girls. I find nothing wrong with this. He is six. I do find a problem that society has a problem with this. Or maybe it's me thinking society has a problem with this. The boys in his class are playing football or running around doing some kind of sport during recess. Youngest and Susie make forts and castles and do some kind of imaginative play in the sandbox area. Occasionally youngest plays on the swing or climbs the monkey bars. He never involves himself in the football games. Oldest is shy. Very shy. It wasnt until this year that he reached out and made a few friends. Which Im thrilled about. Good kids. Oldest is not very athletic. Either is youngest. Im sure they inherited this from their mother (although I do often blame dear husband that he wasnt outside on Saturdays playing catch with them. I then remind myself that

As Ive written in the past years, Thanksgiving is my all time favorite holiday. Has a lot to do with my Mom's stuffing and little do with the turkey coma felt after dinner. I took over hosting duties a few years ago and am happy to do it. However, since I took over hosting duties something has gone awry each year. First year was lack of hot water for 3 days leading into Thanksgiving. Cutting it close it got restored late Wednesday afternoon thanks to a generous delivery man and an overbearing hostess who refused to take no for an answer. Last year I burnt the inside of my oven by leaving the cooking liner in when I was self cleaning. I know, not my most brilliant moment. Cannot wait to see this year. We are down in numbers however so my cooking, prepping and table issues are few and far between. I usually like to remind myself what Im thankful for (it being THANKSgiving and all) so here we go The usual, Health and family. My amazing husband and equally amazing two sons

Can we just wait until the end of November to start Christmas songs, decorations and Santa's at the mall? You know you're getting old when the "oldies" station is playing 80's music. Since when does Eddie Money constitute as an oldie? Solved the sock crisis. Seamless socks. Thank you Stride Rite! My older sons favorite subject is Math. He sees things in Black and White. He doesnt really like to watch much TV. Who is this kid? I forget what its like sometimes to be a grown up. I was reminded this weekend when I actually spent two nights out. TWO! Makeup, hair blown dry, my "good" jeans, heels.  Friends, parties and wine.  I remembered how to do it..be a grown up. I remembered how to have a conversation that didnt end in a tantrum and I remembered how to have a full conversation without using the word mommy or daddy. Look at me all grown up! Then of course Sunday morning came around. ...

I am a mother of two young boys I am not a Penn State Alumni I did marry one however. As a Mother, I am saddened and disgusted for the crimes that were committed to these young boys (now men) The pain and torture they have been living with for all this time is unimaginable to me. I think of my six and eight year old sons and tears fill my eyes. Their innocence was taken away by an awful man. Last night I was awoken and saw Dear Husband watching ESPN. "What's going on?" I asked groggily. "They just fired Paterno" Earier that day I had voiced my opinon to my very devoted Penn State husband as well as to his equally devoted PSU friends. Joe Paterno did not commit a crime. He didnt follow up enough. He is a coach, a mentor, a father figure to so many at Penn State. He had an obligation as that role model to follow up. He didnt. It's terrible that he didnt. Think all you want of the man but he was not the molester.  So now all day long I am reading articl

Yesterdays 8AM tantrum was over socks. This isnt a new topic but on a Saturday AM when I wasnt feeling well, it was the last thing I wanted to hear. I dont like these socks I dont like these socks either; they tickle. I wish I could wear crocs all the time Today's tantrum is over not wanting to go to the aquarium Really? What kind tantrums over going someplace fun? What? You dont have a kid who cries and screams when their parents tell them they can go into Boston, have lunch in Fanueil Hall and then spend the afternoon at the aquarium? Yes, this is my weekend, My life My kid He's cute as can be. Funny too. Often very sweet But omg the kid tantrums over everything! Did I mention he is six? As each year passes by I keep thinking next year will get better? Terrible Two's? Ha, they had nothing on the Tantruming Threes. Four years old; certainly life will get better. No, frustrating fours Ferocious Fives See me I tantrum over everything sixes Cant wai

Seriously considering moving to Florida Or Atlanta Or anywhere South of New England. A place that doesnt have Snow. Or much of a Winter. Really not a fan. October 28th and the Northeast gets hit w a snow storm. Enough that it blows out power for days and postpones Halloween in our town. Yes, you read it right. Halloween is now on Nov 3rd this year. In our town anyways. Kids actually handled it fairly well. Of course I avoided the tantrum by immediately bribing youngest with extra candy and dinner at Bertucci's instead. Who could argue with bribery? Day 12 post op and feeling kind of crappy. Was better week one. Maybe because all I did then was lie in bed. I now venture out. Nothing major other than driving boys to school, speech therapy, etc but clearly thats enough to put me into major cramping mode and sheer and utter exhaustion. UTTER EXHAUSTION! Am fed up with hearing about Kim Kardashian's 72 day marriage although I admit that I watched 4 hours of Keeping up w

So another one of my female body parts has bit the dust. This one was semi elective but still... said goodbye to my uterus (and cervix!) the other day. Was done having kids. Was causing me endometriosis Didnt need it any longer Avoiding any chance of uterine or cervical cancer Sure..take it out. I wasnt very nervous about the surgery itself but was worried about the aftermath. Admittedly, a few days of bed rest sounded heavenly to me. I got a bunch of magazines ready, a book and had already looked ahead at all the bad TV I could watch. What could be so bad? Anaesthesia and I have never been besties so was really not looking forward to the dry heaving I knew I was in store for on day one. Still, I met with Dr Anaesthesia prior to surgery and he assured me he would give me all the good stuff. I tried to have confidence. However, after three attempts of nurses trying to get my IV in (I warned them I had crappy veins. I used to have great veins. I blame it on five rounds

I was once told "Small kids. Small problems. Bigger kids. Bigger problems" Words to live by Except when my kid was small I had big problems but that's besides the point. Oldest just had a playdate with a boy who says he is his bff. It warmed my heart to no end. Someone thinks my son is his bff. Now this may be no big deal to many of you. Kids have friends. Kids have lots of bff's and will continue to have many different bff's as they grow older. Except my son has had so many obstacles in life I really wasnt sure he would connnect with true friends. But he did And he has And here is, having a playdate with someone. They are giggling and laughing and playing games together. Oldest initiated play This is huge for my son. He is not only shy but has had issues in his life that has put him in the socially immature category for a while. But I think he has caught up some. And this gives me so much pleasure I cant begin to express. Some worry about t

Youngest likes to whine whenever he is told "NO" which then turns into a tantrum and crocodile tears He is six Shouldnt we be over this? His fresh behavior is making me want to drink wine straight from the bottle I know Ive turned into my mother when I use the word fresh when it pertains to behavior and not produce It hasnt been a fun few days. Makes me scream a lot Makes me realize I need therapy or to start taking up yoga To boot, Im having surgery in a few weeks. To take care of endometriosis but they decided to do a whole kit n'kaboodle while theyre in there so a total hysterectomy is also on the books. Good times. When I asked what recovery was like the nurse tells me after a few weeks I should be up and walking but will be fatigued. "You'll feel like you want to take a nap in the middle of the day" Huh- should be no different than how I feel on a daily basis Yup, that's how this Mom of two rolls yelling and in need of daily

Although I am an open book about most things, one I dont usually touch upon with many is the difficulties of oldest son's eating issues. I dont discuss much because usually it eats away my insides. It's a thorn in all of our sides. Truth be told is I never thought I would be at this chapter. That my son would be 8 and he would still have a feeding tube. That my son would still be dependent on a tube to get most of his nutrition. For so long I would just ignore the issue. He was fighting to breathe and stay alive He was working on talking better and improving his speech so feeding came secondary. He had a tube, after all, which was helping him grow so "everyone" said not to stress too much. He was 3 and not talking so that came first. But in my heart, I knew I missed a big window. Its like anything, if you miss opportunity knocking at your door, it isnt bound to return. So my oldest is 8 with a feeding tube. And I blame myself for a lot. I blame myself

It's a sunny Sunday morning Not unlike the weather 10 years ago The sky is blue Not unlike it was 10 years ago Im watching the TV. Glued Just as I was 10 years ago Yet this time, we are remembering. We are hearing stories about children who are now 10 yrs old who have grown up; not knowing one of their parents. We are hearing spouses and parents talk about their lost partner or child; and how every day they carry them in their hearts We are a different country now. We take off our shoes to get thru Airport Security We look twice, or three times, at someone next to us on a plane, wondering if we are safe. We are less trusting We are more united My boys are 6 and 8 and do not know about what this date signifies. I decided they are a bit too young for me to have this discussion so I am keeping them from the news a bit. I want them to feel safe when they walk outside When they visit their grandparents in New York City When they get on a plane I want to keep th

Sept 8th and Im in "long and long" Somethings not right Self diagnosed my foot pain which got confirmed by podiatrist. Who needs physicians when there's WEB MD Still complaining of my 5 lbs that I want to lose. Summer diet consisting of French Fries somehow didnt help Had to get a 2012 calendar for my planner. I live my years September- September since the kids entered school. PTO meetings, class pictures, curriculum night, all needed to look back and look ahead. Im thinking Im onto something. Calendars for Moms of school aged kids. Boys in school for 3 days now. Life is really quiet and joyous..until 245. And its as if they never left

Time to get the boob smushed The healthy boob Which hopefully remains that way I'm not as anxious as I was the first time. However it's still not very fun and still anxiety provoking. Putting the one boob in the machine.. and then waiting in the cloth robe with all the other anxious women. Waiting for your name to be called so that the radiologist can deliever the news to you. Im now part of the waiting crew. I used to just go home and wait for the letter in the mail. Until 2009 when I got THE CALL to come back in for repeat "views". Which of course meant Breast Cancer. So now I wait. For an hour or however long it takes for them to call my name to tell me the results. So even though my chances of a reoccurence are slim even though Im on tamoxifen for another 3 1/2 years to prevent it from reoccurring it still sucks!

My oldest son is Eight Although there are many days when I look at him and remember the road he has traveled down, it is always on August 7th, that I remember the early days. The day he was born. The day his twin brother died. The day I thought he was going to die also because he was so sick. The day I first held him in my arms (30 days after he was actually born) The day he came home (turned blue, we called 911 and went back into the hospital) The day he finally came home ...for good (180 days later) 19 months of age getting his trach out and hearing him cry for the first time ever August 7th is an emotional day. A day that I thank god for my oldest son The day I marvel in his gorgeous eyes, kind disposition and intelligence.The day that I look at him and realize how many of his fathers qualities he has and how loving and sweet he is. The day that I celebrate him Happy Eighth Birthday!

Tomorrow my youngest son turns six. How did that happen? They say the days are long and the years are short and I must say... THEY are right. Wasnt it just yesterday that I laid in labor and delivery with my mother (while dear husband was home trying to find a nurse to care for oldest son who just got discharged from Children's Hospital with pneumonia hours before?) Wasnt it just hours ago that they told me "No, Mrs Stern. Your water did not break but yes you are having contractions"" (Really? The water leaking out of me is not amniotic fluid you imbeciles?) Wasnt it just a few minutes ago that you entered the world? All 6lbs, 7oz of you with tiny blue eyes and a nose that took up most of your face? You had rolls upon rolls compared to your big brother at birth and you were healthy and a love from the start. Oh my youngest child... you bring me joy and laughter every single day. you also make me want to rip my hair out but that's okay...(sometimes) Y

My husband and I watched " Life as we know it" the other night. A kinda cute romantic comedy with Josh Duhamel and Kathryn Heigel. I laughed out loud at all the baby scenes. I'm allowed to laugh because it no longer makes me cry. Those sleepless nights The packing of the pack n play, activity mats, bottles, formula and teething toys just to go overnight to my in laws. The making up of songs just to get my kid to eat a bite of peas. It was my most favorite age; (its true. 6 mos-2 yrs.) I love the time of innocence ( not talking back ), exploring ( not destroying ), hugs and snuggles ( not "you're embarrassing when you kiss me at school!" ) But, I wouldn't go back if you paid me. Ok, maybe if it was a lot of money. But it would have to be a lot. I miss them being young but I love them being older. My overnight trips no longer consist of 100 different items. I sleep through the night (well I really dont but that has absolutely nothin

There are days of course that I do think...holy crap I cannot believe all I've gone through. However, most days I dont think anything of it. Until its an anniversary of something Or a song comes on the radio Or I meet someone who says something which reminds me of a time back when... Or when its summer. Summer sparks it all I relive almost every aspect of the "crap" My 6 1/2 weeks of hospital stay at Brigham and Women's Hospital. Trying to hold out hope that my twin sons would survive. Oldest'sBirthday Zachary's Death My diagnoses of Breast Cancer. My mastectomy My fake boob Oldest's start of 180 days in the NICU Youngest's Birth You would think I would really start to become bitter over this time of year. But I dont. And although I admit I dwell on many things. The above are not any of them. Im over the fake boob thing (I thank god for my health every summer as I re-approach my yearly one sided mammogram) I'm over th

How creamcheese and jelly really taste great together To enjoy jazz and a good gerswhin tune To ride a bike To drive a car (automatic and standard) To make horseradish from scratch To be compassionate and thoughtful to all that you meet That things always happen for a reason Believe in fate Be honest It is a bit over a year since I lost my Dad. I miss him dearly but each day I try to live by his example. I know he is always with me, watching over me. Happy Father's Day Dad. I love you always

Wilsey entered out lives last Saturday I've been reliving the infancy days (without the diapers) Sleepless nights crying when needing to pee baby gates back up in my house however this one can walk and like my other two children;...pretty darned cute

Day before Disney Cruise oldest gets a nasty cold The kind where green snot comes pouring out of your nose when you sneeze We find this out on the plane to Orlando To the woman seated in the same aisle as oldest...sorry! Dear Husband runs around Orlando Hyatt Hotel looking for cold medicine at 10pm. Comes back with Claritin. Closest find. Day one on cruise the snot isnt as often so I'm thankful. Great time. Great weather For the most part, very behaved children Then I come home... 5 loads of laundry (day one) Last minute decision to get puppy two months earlier than expected (Wilsey, the most adorable goldendoodle ever) Puppy proofing the home before Saturday Youngest spikes a fever an hour before we are to go out to a surprise 40th for a dear friend Shove motrin down him and ask amazing babysitter 100 times if she is comfortable taking care of him (after youngest assurres me he wants me to leave) Fever gone Monday. So I send to school. Think Im out of the woods. But Im not Tuesday

Spent the weekend in NYC with BFF and old camp friends reunited for dinner. It was a fun, carefree 48 hours. 5 minutes after reuniting with my boys (who I missed!) reality set in. I was back in my sweats and baseball hat heading grocery shopping, breaking up arguments between oldest and youngest and was yelling "stop whining" on the 4 hour car ride home. Nothing like my peaceful train ride solo into the city. Speaking of train rides, I put myself in the "quiet car" unbeknown st to me but totally fine. It was nice to hear nothing but the turning of pages from a book. Until the woman next to me huffed and puffed when the non English speaking woman behind us got on her cell phone. Apparently she didnt know the "quiet car" also pertained to cell phones. She glared and sighed, wrestled her newspaper pages and finally got up to yell "no cell phones allowed"! Pleasant to sit next to; really! Woman in front of me decided it may be a nice quiet time to pa

In 2004, 9 months after oldest son was born, I celebrated my first Mother's Day. I remember being in my house, surrounded by my parents and inlaws, holding my 9 month old child, and crying. Tears of Joy of course. I had tried for so long to have a child. It had been a long year medically and emotionally yet the end result was there, in my arms. I knew that from there on out, Mother's Day would be my new favorite holiday (tying very closely with Thanksgiving!) So as Mother's Day approaches (I will be sailing on the seas during this time) I reflect on what it means to be a Mom. I think about all the patience that goes into this 24/7 Mom role All of the nurturing, educating, teaching, sharing, playing... So today's post is dedicated to my Mom. My Mom who says the teen years were the hardest years with me. My Mom who I never thought I would voluntarily be calling 4 times a day. My Mom who told me that when I was an adult, no one would ask what my SAT scores were in High Sch

I cant believe I'm seriously contemplating getting a dog. A goldendoodle to be exact. Im already in love and haven't met it yet. My youngest son is honestly one of the funniest people I know I'm more anal retentive than I even care to admit It frightens me sometimes And exhausts me Ive slacked on Weight Watchers and am complaining I'm up 2 lbs. What can I expect when chocolate isnt part of a food group? I'm afraid to say it out loud but I actually think Spring may have sprung I have a pretty great husband Great family And the worlds best friends

Being a grown up and meeting new friends is a lot easier than when in High School. But then again, it often feels like High School. Friendships have already been formed in your town so as a newcomer to the scene, its often difficult to squeeze your way in. If you're child's part of a group or sport, you can bond with the fellow moms. If you're involved in the school PTO, you meet others that way. Or you may just meet a friend during drop off at school. When your kids are young, you usually meet friends, ...through your children. Sometimes its great. Sometimes its not. But there's nothing like an old friend. A friend who's known you through braces and breakups Through the awkward teen years and through your single days. The friend who knew you before you had kids. Last weekend I spent a night with old friends. We laughed, we hung out as couples but we remained tight through the years because we were childhood friends. There's a comfort There's a familiarity

I like to say I come from a mixed marriage Were both the same race Were both the same religion yet that's about all Im more extroverted, communicative and liberal He, a bit quieter, communicates when necessary, conservative. Im expressive He is not Im a Bostonian through and through Although he would not move back to New York if you paid him, he remains a die hard Yankee Fan. So as baseball season approaches us (two weeks to go. Always a good sign because it means Spring is nearing. After this Winter we had I am counting down the days till the first pitch is thrown).. I once again try to reason with him that we should not make our boys Yankee fans. Truth be told, our kids arent extremely athletic. They are still young and although they love to watch Penn State Football with Dear Husband, it's really only so they can get a glimpse of the Nittany Lion. Sure they watch a few innings of baseball but only so oldest can remind us of the score every 3 minutes. I admit I'm not a di

Its time for my famous 25 things you dont know about me. I think I may have done 50 in the past but seriously...50 things? Id even be bored. So, here we go 1) Im addicted to Bejewelled Blitz on Facebook 2) Im addicted to scrabble on Facebook 3)Im addicted to Facebook 4)I've lost 7 lbs but am convinced I will never, ever not have to work at my weight. 7 more to go and its a SLOW process 5)I love my girlfriends. 6)I hate exercising. I wish I was one of those people that got addicted to it but I just cant 7)I love to write and wish I could have a column 8)I get motion sick yet am going on a Disney cruise with my kids 9)I hate roller coasters yet have two young children who LOVE them 10) I married a guy who's the opposite of me in many ways, yet; we work 11) I am not one of those people who wish they could go back to high school 12)I miss my Dad every day 13)Ive gotten pretty used to my new boob 14)I would wear flip flops 365 days/year if I could 15) I find vacuuming therapeutic 16

In elementary school I ate peanut butter and fluff sandwiches almost daily. There was no such thing as a peanut allergy. If there was, no one had one. For that matter I'm pretty sure there wasn't one autistic child that I knew of and certainly having twins in class was a rarity. But that's besides the point. I've become keenly aware of food allergies since both my children suffer from life threatening ones. I've never had a food allergy in my life. Either has dear husband. Yet here we are, parents of two with such severe allergies I shudder to think of what could happen to them. I first found out about youngest peanut allergy when I encouraged him to eat PB and J on Matzah during Passover when he was close to 3. After his nap his lip was swollen. Being the naive mother I was at the time thought nothing of the fact that it was the peanuts. Until his eye swelled shut. Then I got it. We had him tested and sure enough he was allergic. Not only allergic...deathly allergi

Im thinking of giving up being a Jew for the next 46 days just so I can participate in lent. Although I wouldnt even know where to begin on what to give up. When will my youngest outgrow being stubborn, willful and fresh? Just like his mother...(I used to be fresh. Willful and stubborn...havent outgrown yet) Am I worlds worst mother that I dont buy all organic for my kids? I did forbid soda from youngest for a while... The pain in my back got me nervous when I felt a lump. Went to dr who ordered an xray which only confirmed what I knew. Degenerative back disease with the beginning of osteoporosis. Also needed a new scrip for reading glasses today And just scheduled my mammogram Getting old is a blast

When oldest was a baby, I used to sing the theme song to Mary Tyler Moore to him. I would rock him and look into his eyes and belt out the last line. Tone deaf and all. I believed it with all my heart Youre gonna make it after all (cue the hat being thrown in the air by Mary) Oldest is now 7 1/2. He has a small scar showing his battle wounds from infancy. Life for him has always been an uphill struggle. From little things like asthma and food allergies (After your kid is on a ventilator for two yrs. Life threatening food allergies become "little". Its all in the way you interpret things!) to bigger struggles like speaking and eating. I left my son's IEP meeting this morning (education plan through the school) and left smiling. My son is doing well. He is following along in first grade and although he has some goals to work on, he has really come such a long way. And I realized that what kept me up at night when he was one seems so minute now. Was I really worried he would

It's been a crappy week. Or a really bad Seinfeld episode. Take your pick Had a bad cold which I was pretty confident was going to turn into a sinus infection. 24 hours later I had a sinus infection. I know this because I felt like I wanted to rip my teeth out. I couldn't move but dragged myself and my kids into the doctor, ready to beg for drugs. She suggested doing a nasal swab for the flu. Sure, why not Didnt realize the swab was going to feel like the insides of your nose were being ripped out 24 hours later; confirmed Influenza A (the bad kind of flu. Although not really sure there is a good kind of flu) And then I didnt leave my bed. Was supposed to go to NYC with dear husband and children. One night at the inlaws, one night at the NY Palace hotel--a night away with no kids, a good dinner, a getaway. Not meant to be. Dear Husband went because I didnt want him here while I'm breathing swine flu around the house. In the meantime, my cat of 15 years is sick. She has beco

Parenthood reiterated the fact I have little patience I stress and worry...a lot Before I was a parent I swore my kids wouldnt watch a lot of TV, that went out the window by the time they were one. Being a stay at home mom is a really tough job There's nothing better than experiencing Disney through the eyes of your children The tooth fairy really is a frightening concept I wish I could keep them in a bubble sometimes No matter how hard I try, my children will never be great eaters Or athletes They will; however, be thougtful and funny. Short tempered like their mother, observant like their father. Being a parent is the hardest job I'll ever had And the most rewarding

My $90 North Face Snow Boots were a smart investment Icicles really do form all around your house Am pretty sure I wont see the exact color of my car again until May That goes for my lawn too LL Bean was the only store around to still stock boys snow pants I really dont like soup I get why bears hibernate I understand why Florida exisists Next year we should start school earlier in order to avoid going to school until June 30th My UGG slippers were worth every penny I hate the color white Paxatawny Phil didnt see its shadow. Somehow I dont believe we will be having an early Spring

and nothing about it is delightful Sure, the first snowfall is beautiful. Westwood especially looks gorgeous driving down the tree lined streets. But that was then. The first snowfall. Were now on snowfall number 102 and it's getting a bit tiresome. I think a small child could get lost and its like a bad game of pac man trying to drive and avoid pot holes, snow banks and people walking in the streets because they cant get around the snow covered sidewalks. THEY have already pushed forward the last day of school and I fear my kids will be wearing red white and blue in the classroom to celebrate the Fourth of July. It doesnt show signs of stopping... And yet, we are preparing for yet another storm. What's another 10-15 inches on top of the 3 feet we already have? I already forget what my grass looks like. My kids no longer argue with me to put on their mittens and boots. I have succommed to the fact that dear husband must go to work on snow days and the joy of being a SAHM is tha

Took youngest to a birthday party this past weekend and he reminded me of his rules. "Mommy. If youre going to stay at the party stay in the waiting room. Do not come into the party. You embarass me when you wave at me" Even when I assurred my 5 year old son that I wouldnt wave unless he did first he made me promise. Until he saw that the birthday party room (laser tag) was very dark and then said I could come in. Until two minutes later when he was having so much fun and demanded I leave. Then the parents wanted to get into the Laser Tag and I came in ready to tag him MOMMY!! The other parents are doing it, I cried back at him. Oh okay but dont talk to me. I cannot believe that at 5 my waving is mortifying my child but so be it. I have oldest who never wants me to leave a party and always wants me to volunteer on a field trip. Youngest- I cannot be in the same room as him and his Kindergarten posse. Then it became field trip day. He made it quite clear I could not volunteer

Remind me why I live in New England again? We are on our 4th snowstorm in 2 wks. Second snow day Which happens to fall during a 4 day work week. Do the math 3 days of school isnt exactly what I call a great week. We're all going stir crazy By we all I mean me If I hear any more arguing about who has to clean up the game or who gets to go first I may just drink myself silly I wonder how many WW points it is for an entire bottle of wine? Got over my Antigua blues and booked ourselves a Disney Cruise for May. Cant snow in May It's not a vacation without the kids but I can sign them up for "Disney Camp" and I get to set myself down on a lounge chair. It's a win/win, no? Let's hope the Bahamas doesnt get hit by a hurricane. It would be just my luck. How many days until summer?

I decided to join weight watchers And take up running All in the same week For those that know me may realize I've never run a day in my life I've also done weight watchers twice before. Sure, it works. If you dont eat a bag of frozen chocolate chips that are kept in the freezer (to be used for your sons pancakes and waffles. Not meant to ingest by the handfuls during your down time) I wonder how many points a handful of chocolate chips actually is? Im thinking if I didnt eat handful(s) of chocolate chips I may not actually need Weight Watchers. My goal is to do the Komen 5K in September. 9 months. This should surely be doable As should losing 12 lbs Do you think my son would mind if he never ate chocolate chip pancakes again?

I knew this trip was doomed from the start weather.com recent worrisome reviews of the resort blizzard conditions expected I did all I could in advanced to rearrange the trip but we were tied in. Who's bright idea was it to try to travel during the Winter in New England? Never again. Did I mention Blizzard conditions? Fore casted for the day we were to leave. Being the anal planner that I am, I rearranged our flight so that we got to Newark the night before (where we were to connect through), put ourselves up at the lovely Courtyard Marriot at Newark International Airport, hoping in advanced that our chances of getting out of Newark were better than getting out of Boston on the day of the "blizzard". Father in law couldnt get in from Denver on Tuesday. (Tuesday, by the way, was sunny and beautiful without a snowflake in sight.) They rescheduled him for Wednesday. Brilliant. Why fly on a sunny clear day when I can reschedule you to the day of a blizzard and then cancel you

Same time last year we were planning to go to Puerto Rico. I checked weather.com weeks in advanced to see what to expect. Rain. Rain was what I was to expect. My mother told me January was the dry season in PR. As did the travel agent. As did people who traveled all the time to PR. Dear Husband assured me it wouldn't rain the entire time we were there. THEY WERE ALL WRONG. Every single one of them (except weather.com) 4 days. Rain. I read two books. Lost money in the casino And cursed a lot. Celebrating our 10th anniversary we decided to vacation to Antigua. I read it's the driest of the Caribbean islands. I read it rarely rains. My only fears were to be a snow storm in Boston; stranding us here. Weather.com reports rain in Antigua. For the past two weeks. Rain. On the driest of the Caribbean islands. Rain. Once again sending me into a tailspin and causing Dear Husband rage as I complain about it every day. We leave in 7 days. Rain is bound to stop at some point. I complain t

2011 will bring a new me Sure I vow to lose the same 10 lbs but I also vow to have a new glass. Although a glass of wine will surely be in my future I mean a glass that will be half full Not half empty This will be a big challenge for me because I may appear all strong and positive I'm really often quite weak and negative. Instead of moaning about my crap I will now embrace my crap. Find the positive. So you see, at 645 this morning when my youngest came in my room asking why the nightlight is now white and not red like he left it when he went to bed(changing color night light. Worst investment), and when I explained to him (one eye half open) that I changed it to white, as he slammed the door I didn't think to myself "self, another tantrum begins our day" nope I said, "self. (in my best wicked bahstan accent) School vacation is OVA !!