Suburb-dwelling Sierra

Best Tooth Puller Ever

2011-11-15T12:36:00.001-05:00

Thank goodness the fear of pulling teeth is not genetic. He'll be just fine ripping the rest out of his mouth.

It's just like labor pain

2011-09-15T19:25:00.002-04:00

Ah, the emergency room. I have visited very few times in my life - thankfully - and our children (hear me knocking on wood LOUDLY) have escaped the repeated visits that often come with childhood accidents.

Hubby...well...he's an ER master. Sprained ankle. Pneumonia. Asthma attack. Kidney stone.

He's a do-it-yourself kind of ER guy, too. He often drives himself. Doesn't feel the need for anyone to be by his side while he's waiting. Always seems to feel like a million bucks right after he's checked in and the pain meds kick in - but who doesn't?

This morning at 4:30 a.m. while he was apologizing for waking me up, he announced he was in incredible pain and was driving to the ER. My thought was: pain + driving = bad idea. I offered repeatedly to call for an ambulance but he said no. Having two children sleeping soundly doesn't exactly lend itself to offering to drive him there - although the hospital is less than a mile away so even a drive and dump at the door would have had me missing for less than 5 mins (NO, I would NEVER leave my children alone! On purpose, that is...)

As he described his ailments I thought, kidney stones or appendicitis. And after walking him to the door to wish him luck on his drive to the ER, I quietly did a search online and, once again, earned my WebMD medical degree.

I lay awake waiting for the call that he arrived safely...or that he was being sent home...or admitted....any call at all. And sure enough that came a little after 5 a.m. There was an IV, pain meds and he was just going to wait for the Dr. I rolled over after we hung up and pretended I went back to sleep - didn't happen. The WebMD site had me second guessing my diagnosis so I tossed and turned.

By the time I was able to get to the hospital after dropping the kids off at school and touching base with the awesome support network we have there, they were whisking him away for a cat scan. Sure enough it was a kidney stone that would now float around in his bladder until it decided to come out. The ~~kinda hot~~ nice male nurse explained what was going on and offered his brilliant analogy so I could better understand the situation....

"When the stone is passing through your kidney, it is similar to labor pains."

I was going to offer up, "Well then hubby has 39 more hours of kidney stones to go, because I was in labor for 42 hours with my first child...."

But then I quickly decided it really wasn't about me, now was it...so I nodded and bit my tongue...for once. The nice thing about this ER visit is our hospital just unveiled like a 10 trillion dollar ER renovation (ok, not 10 trillion dollars) so we got to check it out. Very nice. Just missing Diet Coke in the vending machine - so I'll be taking that up with the staff next time we visit. Which I'm hoping won't be until at least 2014.

Everyone take your place...

2011-09-06T11:45:00.000-04:00

The first full day back to school is exciting....for the dog.

You see, he and I have had this amazing routine for years now - it started in 2007 when I started working from home - I wait for the kids to leave the house (I'll admit - I don't do mornings so hubby is the one rushing the kids around and out the door) and then I saunter downstairs and head over to his dog crate in my office, all covered with his dark sheet so he isn't disturbed by the sunlight, and let him out.

He runs to the back door ready to chase a squirrel and do his duty and then back inside for his breakfast and some conversation. It usually sounds like this:

"Hey Bubba (although his name is Coach). Good morning. You hungry?"

He never responds.

I'll grab a quick bite, turn on the radio, ~~sometimes~~ rarely shower and turn on the computer to check the day's events. He curls up right behind or next to my office chair and away we go. Routine. For hours. There are conference calls, trips to the fridge for Diet Coke refills, barking at the UPS or Postal trucks (him, not me) and lots and lots of email.

This past school year things changed a little - there was bus duty thrown into the mix at 2:10 p.m. That usually involved barking on his behalf as I left the house to walk down the end of our street. This year, there will be trips to the school as the bus ride home is off the list. I'm sure that will evoke the same barking that the bus exit did.

So you see, for years now at the start of the school year there is this return of "normal" for the dog. This celebration dance I'm doing right now is not for me...it's totally for him. I'm so happy his routine is back! He's not getting any younger, ya know.

Growing up in a flash

2011-08-31T15:38:00.000-04:00

Matching outfits this year! Bring on 1st and 3rd grade. We can handle it.

The summer that got away

2011-08-28T20:07:00.000-04:00

As my daughter would say, "Holy Cheese and Crackers! Is it really the end of August?" (kudos to Hannah Montana for that lovely phrase, I believe)

How can this summer wrapping up already? How can my little minions be heading into first and third grade? How can my shorts from last summer STILL not fit (ok, I know the answer to that one)?

I'm sitting in amazement that the 500 blog posts that have been floating through my head have never made it online. Part of the problem is that my blog is not connected to my "work" login so anytime I want to post I have to log out of my email, calendar and overall current being and log back in as my previous being...which is way too complicated for my lifestyle these days.

I will say that we survived our first summer together - the kids and I. Every previous year they have been in full time daycare and even last year when I found myself unemployed we had already pre-paid for summer session so I sent them along. This year, we spent at least 5 out of 7 days together (I wanted to keep them in the program at least 2 days so I can keep a slot when school starts up - Mama is trying to get a business going!) and we all came out of it alive.

Of course there were tears, shouting, crying, pouting, stomping, and screaming - but can you blame me? I mean a Mom has to release some tension every now and then.

But kidding aside, we didn't do half the things I imagined we'd do but we squeezed in some pool time with the neighbors, a trip to NH then to Six Flags New England then to PA, time with friends we don't see enough like Liz, Julie, Jocelyn and Christina - and sadly not as many trips to the beach as I would have liked.

Overall I'd say I scored a 7 on the scale of "Keeping the Kids Entertained" - Hey it was my first time as a summer Mom! But I will leave you with this:

Zero trips to the ER or doctor.
One son who mastered the scooter and riding a two wheeler.
One daughter who can swim in the deep end of a pool and rode in some waves at the beach.
One Mom who is on her way to self employment - full time.

Bravo summer of 2011.

Everything costs more these days - even paper towels

2011-06-02T19:30:00.000-04:00

While on a mission with the kids to find an umbrella stand on Tornado Wednesday - something that proved to be more difficult than I thought - our adventure took us to BJ's Wholesale Club in the late afternoon.

Amidst all the running around from Target to Walmart to Home Depot and then BJ's I managed to consume 32 oz of Diet Coke easily.

God-willing, we were able to find a nice 50 lb steel umbrella stand at BJ's, roll it up and into a shopping cart, check out without any "extras" in our possession and head straight for the rest room where I corralled the kids in and made a dash to a stall.

Upon exiting with a renewed sense of relief to wash my hands I noticed my daughter was standing with her hands dripping wet from the sink and mumbling, "I don't like those dryers". The jet engine dryers that blow the skin on your hands in various directions are not her favorite. I waved my hands under the automatic faucet at the right angle to finally get the thing going when I hear her exclaim, "I did not know they had paper towels here!" I glanced over at the steel holder on the wall at the precise moment she screeched, "WHOA! They charge 25c for paper towels here. Why would they charge 25c? I can't believe anyone would charge for paper towels!! Look Alex, 25c for paper towels."

For what seemed like eternity she "Whoa'd" and "Wow'd" about the 25c paper towel holder so much that my son was now fascinated at the steel contraption hanging on the wall that clearly did not dispense paper towels.

With a quick and feverish motion I waved my hands and shouted "Let's go. We don't want anyone stealing our umbrella stand from our cart out side. Let's move. Step away from the box. It's not paper towels - carry on."

That last observation should have been kept inside my head because as we were exiting the bathroom the conversation continued with "What do you mean it wasn't paper towels? What was in there? What costs 25c? Tell me. What was in there for 25c?"

"Can I buy you guys an icee while we're here?"

Colored, sugar infused ice will distract them every time.

So, parents - when is the right time to discuss the expandable, tube shaped paper towels on a string with my daughter? I'm frankly not prepared to do go there yet with an 8 year old!!

How do you like them...errr...strawberries?

2011-05-23T15:47:00.000-04:00

I failed as a home gardener - mainly because I hate weeding and also I didn't enjoy all the bugs that accompany vegetable plants. Last summer I was amazed by some perennial tomatoes that regrew after a fairly mild winter of '09 (that was kind of cool). However, in the summer of '10 I gave up on beans, lettuce, asparagus and herbs and was happy with the tomatoes and a few strawberries that sprouted up out of a strawberry pot we bought - that was about this size:

After the 6 feet of snow melted in our back yard, I noticed something happening in the "garden"...and I'm not sure what to do about it...

It seems my little strawberry pot spawned some friends and now I have a strawberry garden. Who says I can't grow my own food???? Anyone need jam? I suspect that will be my next "do-it-yourself" project. Lord help me.

Healthy fighting habits

2011-05-16T13:18:00.000-04:00

After 18 years together my husband and I rarely fight. We disagree about a lot of things but we don't fight.

We had enough drama and fighting early on in our relationship to fill us up so since we've been married (11 years in August) we've been pretty cool. Until the other day. When my hormones and motherly instincts got the best of me and I blew up. And perhaps some profanities flew out of my mouth. And I may have slammed a door on my way out of the house. And I'm sure there was a noise that resembled GRRRRAAAARRRRGGH that came out of my mouth.

But given it was T-Ball night I gathered myself together, came back in the house and pushed on with our night.

And then the questions came out of Abby's mouth at the game: "Why were you and Daddy fighting? Why were you so mad at him?"

And then it hit me. She's NEVER seen us fight - at least that I can recall. We argue but neither of us has ever left the house to cool off - or shown any real aggression towards each other. And frankly, I'm realizing that could be a bad thing.

We aren't perfect - to say the least. We don't always get along. We are sometimes warm, sometimes cold towards each other. But at the end of the day, we lead by example and I wonder what example we've set by not fighting at time or two? Marriage is work - say "Hell Ya" if you know what I'm talking about. And while I've raised my voice with the kids on ~~couple~~ several occasions, I rarely do it with my husband.

I'm contemplating if I should start throwing some objects across the kitchen? Or slam more doors? Perhaps call him Poo-poo face more? And while I make light of it, I do wonder if we sometimes hold back for the sake of our kids and if that is the best choice. What do you think? Ever toss a vase across a room like in the movies? I think I may go invest in some boxing gloves....you know....for the sake of the kids.

High aspirations

2011-05-10T22:00:00.000-04:00

My children only want the best. Kraft mac n' cheese. Nestle chocolate milk. Third place.

What?

Field Day is Friday for the kid's school, and since Abby snagged a 1st place ribbon in Kindergarten and a 2nd place ribbon in 1st grade she is desperate to win a 3rd place ribbon this year. You know...to make the set complete.

And, you'll be happy to learn that my son has already decided on his life's occupation. He proudly exclaimed today:

"Mommy. When I get bigger, I'm going to be a guy with gloves and a big trash bag and I'm going to walk around picking up all the trash on the ground."

So while most would think my kids are setting rather low standards, I argue the opposite. I think my daughter has learned that life is not all about winning or coming in first but completing the job...and her brother truly understands the environmental ignorance and its affect on his generation.

Our family would be proud of 3rd place trash collectors....what do your kids aspire to be? A first place surgeon? They clearly don't get it.

Thou shall not have religion

2011-05-06T10:10:00.001-04:00

If you and I sat at a bar 15 years ago and you asked me "So, when you have children do you think you'll raise them Catholic?" I would have laughed so hard the walls would have shook. No CCD for my kids. Religion shmaligion - in fact I believed the Bible was written by a bunch of stoned and drunk men telling stories around the hearth. That could still be true.

However, if you ask my daughter today why she is excited for tomorrow she will tell you two reasons:

1. It's the Kentucky Derby
2. It's her First Communion day

Our decision to put our children in Catholic school had little to do with being Catholic. But what has emerged out of this situation is a new appreciation for faith, trust, respect, love and a bit of routine. It feels good to learn about tradition and ritual and to see my children glow when they talk about a universal love that is bigger than just the four of us and our extended family. I'm learning more about faith then I ever imagined - in fact, it's really as if I'm going to Catholic school too and it's fascinating both historically and religiously.

And while I may not be the world's best Catholic, I appreciate and understand their love for their school, teachers and church. And tomorrow, when my little girl is all dressed in white and smiling proudly with her friends, I'll be confident again we made the right choice. Then we'll be rushing home so she can see the horses race. She is, after all, just an 8 year old girl with a love of animals.

Just wait, there's more...!

2011-04-26T10:42:00.000-04:00

Did you survive spring vacation at your house? Our children had an extra day off...after having 5 days off...which inevitably led to me hiding in my bedroom last night for an hour just to enjoy "me" time after a realllllly busy couple of weeks (literally...hubby entered and proclaimed "There you are!").

But things are back to "normal" today. I'm alone in the house with the dog, cat, two fish and my @ThisIsRobThomas stream on Twitter. I absolutely love month 10 of unemployment. Ok, that's not true but I do love my quiet house today.

Naturally this post is about my kids - after all those days together something was bound to come about. And while I'll spare you the bickering, hitting, kicking, crying and overall nastiness that occurred, I will share this bit of information which you may find helpful:

Now if you tilt your head (because when I view this in a Photo Editor it is horizontal but when I upload it to Blogspot it is vertical so just deal with it!) and look at that card you'll notice this is not a love note to Mom for all the wonderful things she did over vacation like take them to see the movie Rio, or into Boston to the Children's Museum where they each go to pick a toy marked up 5000%, or help them with their school projects...this is the 800# for "Grow your own Butterflies". You'll notice in the upper right the cost is $19.99 and "You18" means you have to be 18 to order (which is why it was left for me). This week they started to recite "Just wait, there's more..." and "They'll send us 2 for the price of 1".

On the bright side, he's practicing his numbers, right? I'm hoping the results will show there is some educational value after spending 75% of our school vacation in front of the tube...because they obviously forgot about the 25% when we got out and had fun!

Bed time stories

2011-04-15T10:34:00.000-04:00

My daughter isn't a reader.

It baffles me because I love to immerse myself in a great story. Although I honestly can't remember the last time I picked up a book, or ibook, for that matter.

In an effort to TRY to get my daughter reading more, we've been doing the "pick a book and we'll read it together at bedtime" thing - which we should be doing anyway but by the time homework is done, teeth are brushed, pajamas are on, goofing off has finished and she's tucked in bed, neither one of us wants to read.

So I asked her to pick a book. She selected Charlotte's Web (the actual book from my childhood that I gave her...how sweet) as her next novel...and then I came home from NYC and found this on the kitchen table from her school library:

I guess Charlotte is taking a back seat to Jesus.

Why are you on those social things again?

2011-03-28T11:02:00.000-04:00

Ahhh...the question is always the same: Why are you on Twitter? And while I did start out on Twitter purely for social pleasure, I've learned a lot about how to use it for social interaction and networking. Here is how it has helped me lately:

I asked some local businesses to raise their hand on Twitter so we could get to know each other. I was pleased to get a few responses and one person was Michele from Cookie Central. She and I made a date on a random Friday afternoon for some cookies and conversation at her home where she bakes and delivers her own gift baskets! She also bakes with a mission - a true mission to end childhood hunger. I was inspired - and in awe - of her baking talents and commitment. And we did some networking while we chatted. Simple and social and thanks to Twitter.

Also this month, I was part of a great event hosted by Interise's StreetWise MBA program in Lowell. Once a session, they invite "experts" to their speed networking night and I was one of the fortunate attendees. Every 10 minutes I had a fresh, new face in front of me reciting their elevator pitch and asking me what I do at Carlton PR and Marketing. This interaction was really just a conversation between two people to learn more about each others businesses.

It was a joy. Mainly because I'm a social person and learning about other people fascinates me. But what I really loved is that these 15 companies are all trying to figure out how to better their business. They aren't looking for VC money, or angel investors. In fact most of them have been in business for years as brick and mortars. They were just looking for new ideas. New approaches. New ways of looking at their existing business. And someone to listen and offer some simple advice.

For 120 minutes (and a couple of drinks after with them) I realized that the real importance of Social Media is the Social part. I was able to provide insight to them about Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and Foursquare. Many had heard of these social tools but knew little about how to apply them to their businesses.

I'm also learning that you are either social, or you aren't. And if you are not, that's not a big deal - but you should find someone that can help your business be social. If you'd rather sit in the back office and make sure the bills are paid and the orders are filled, that's fine. But in today's increasingly changing economy, creativity and socializing are quickly becoming the norm. If you see people sitting in your establishment typing away on their smartphones, you need to be aware they could be typing away about your product or service. I really enjoyed introducing two Pub owners to their Foursquare Mayor (virtually of course) and showed them the 3 positive tips they had on there as well.

Being involved with mainly technology companies, and innovation events, I have been taking for granted that the local restaurant, gift shop, insurance agent, home painting company, and printing store may need a little more social education to keep their dreams alive. Growing locally is increasingly critical these days. Let the social tools help with the introductions, but then really apply the "social" in "social media" and get out to meet your neighbors!! I guess that's the reason I'm on those social things....

The flood of '10 - I never shared this story??

2011-03-26T12:36:00.015-04:00

OMG! I can't believe I crafted this wonderful, heartwarming post and never shared it? Wow. Let's go back a few months to when the employment opportunities looks grim...my credit card debt was increasing...and the sound of water dripping still made my eyes twitch!

November 26, 2010:

I thought I wrote a blog post about the great flood of '08 in our basement, but I can't seem to locate it. Boy, that was a crazy time. Lots of memories were drenched in basement water from a hole in the foundation that created a mini waterfall. We have three sections in our basement - two for storage and one is the kid's play room. It was all soaked that year. Ugh.

We learned our lesson after that...we put everything in plastic bins. We no longer have anything sitting on the ground...we ripped up and redid our entire basement flooring because it is used by the kids every day.

We were NOT going to be victimized again.

That was until Wednesday around 11:30 when my daughter shouted up from the basement "Mom. I have a problem. The carpet is all wet!"

No Mother-bleeping-way!!! This was not happening again.

Oh yes sister, it was. Only instead of a running stream down the wall that covers the floor, this time it was a spewing sump pump pipe that had essentially burst so I had a fountain on my hands - like the pretty ones you see lit up in Las Vegas - only it wasn't Vegas, there were no lights and it WAS NOT PRETTY!

I cried. There were Christmas gifts "stored" in the same area as my new fountain. Christmas gifts that were now soaking, soggy messes of cardboard and plastic.

I called hubby in a panic because, while I pride myself in handing most household emergencies, I had NO IDEA how to get a sump pump to stop pumping into the air. After praying I didn't die from electric shock, I stood in the ankle deep water, grabbed the plug and gave a pull. The water from the ground may have stopped spewing, but the water from my tears had not...then it took about an instant to realize it was over. Nothing I could do but start to mop up. And cry some more.

And then almost instantly I thought of families whose homes have burned down before the holidays, have been evicted and have lost their homes to foreclosure...and while my carpet was soggy and some gifts were now headed in the trash, I still had heat and a roof over my head.

The moral of the story - don't pile your Christmas gifts anywhere near water pipes. And be thankful for what you DO have, not what you wish you HAD. We'll be okay. A little worn out, but just fine.

Does floss get stuck forever?

2011-03-24T10:03:00.008-04:00

ARGGGGGGGGGGGGH!

That's the sound I ultimately make 20 minutes after I tell my lovely 8 year old that it's time to floss her teeth and she still won't let me near her mouth.

That girl could talk rubber off a tire - she has every excuse in the WORLD as to why she doesn't (and can't) floss. Lately it's: "It'll get stuck."

But at the end of the day (or night) it's ultimately terror. She is terrified of anyone trying to come towards her mouth. And I've tried to let her to floss herself but her attempts are insufficient - she just bounces the floss on the top of her teeth and exclaims, "I did it." No you didn't sister - I was watching.

She laughed the other day and I caught a glimpse into her mouth and the tarter and plaque we JUST got off her teeth at the dentist in December was back - she just doesn't take good care of her mouth.

So, here's my question to you parents: Will she outgrow this or is it time for some help? I asked her if she'd like to talk to someone about her fear because as I shake my head and think "What more can I do?", I am starting to think there isn't much more I really can do.

Oh, and yes, I still do pin her down to floss. Horrific. Bad parenting. Traumatic. But the only alternative is cavities and the *thought* of her having to deal with that is worth losing the Parent of the Year Award, for sure!!!

Did we skip March in 2011?

2011-03-23T10:03:00.001-04:00

Excuse me while I panic - where did March go? Seriously. Because I can't believe my last post was February 25th - and as my GF Julie pointed out - my blogs a-been neglected.

Life has been moving at the speed of...well...life. As the kids take over my calendar and as I try to drum up new business for my new business (see here: Carlton PR and Marketing), I suddenly realize my spare moments to share and document our silly lives have dwindled to spare seconds.

I'm still a bit frustrated at my lack of "routine" - which is something I miss so dearly from my life last year at this time - but I'm also excited about the "what can be" that is ahead of me.

Keep your fingers and toes crossed that we're able to push along with some prospects and reach the tipping point with the company, and that Abby will someday allow me to floss her teeth (blog post coming) and that Alex will stop growing up because man do I miss my little boy who is quickly turning into a big kid!

Happy Spring - I hear the birds chirping (or perhaps complaining about the COLD weather at the end of March) outside my window and look forward to the change of season that always awakens our spirit.

When your book report isn't your book report

2011-02-25T15:38:00.000-05:00

We've been working feverishly on our "Famous Person Book Report" for a couple of weeks. Little lady brought home a paper in her folder earlier this month outlining how she was to do a book report on a famous person, write a paragraph as if she was that person, dress up as that person and be ready to present on Monday, February 28. We went to the library and she chose a book on Elizabeth Blackwell - the first female doctor. How fun is that? Dress up like a Dr. and talk about how you changed the way women were perceived in the medical community. Girl Power!

Abby had a friend sleepover on Tuesday so I asked her if she was ready to dress up on Monday as her famous person and she looked at me rather oddly. So, I asked her who she picked for her famous person report and she looked at me rather oddly. When I asked her if she had a book report due Monday she looked at me like she wanted to call her mom and get the hell out of my house.

There is no book report due Monday...the paper was not from Abby's teacher but apparently from another 2nd grade teacher at another school. I guess this is what you get when your kid goes to private school, but takes the public bus to a public school afterschool program? We still have no idea how that piece of paper got in her backpack...but I'm more concerned Abby didn't know she wasn't supposed to do it. We'll work on her "pay attention in class so we don't do extra work" skills...

Now, on to the President report that I KNOW is due Wednesday. Isn't it?

Happy Birthday Rob Thomas!

2011-02-14T09:54:00.000-05:00

If you know me, you know my heart holds a special place for the singer/songwriter and super hot cutie Rob Thomas. Today is his birthday. If you don't know who I'm talking about, you can discover him here or here...or here...No, I am not an official stalker.

And while roses and chocolates and love notes are being passed around on Valentine's Day, I thought I'd stop for a moment and wish Rob a Happy Birthday. Because during this "Hallmark" kind of day, I often find that music can put a smile on your face and a beat in your step and keep you moving forward during the times when you want to just turn off the lights, curl in a ball and shut out the madness.

Go ahead and hug your partner, kiss your kids and spread the love on this day - but take a minute to blast your favorite song up to 10 and do a silly dance to celebrate what makes YOU happy on this day of hearts. Plus, it's a lot less fattening than that box of chocolates....

Winter is for the birds...or the kids.

2011-02-08T20:19:00.000-05:00

Why on earth do we stay here and deal with all of this in the winter?

Because they get to do this:

And at the end of the day, if they smile, then so do we....this winter is one we'll never forget!

Give a boy his privacy

2011-01-26T16:05:00.001-05:00

It occurred to me last evening that I hadn't seen my son in a while.

His coat was still hung up so I assumed he didn't leave the house (I should be a detective, I know).

I called his name and he answered with his typical, "WHAT?" from the bathroom.

I asked the all too familiar, "What are you doing?" He was in the bathroom so I knew what he was doing.

I pushed the door open slightly when he didn't respond to find him comfortably seated on the throne, pants at his ankles, with his DS in hand playing his new I Spy game.

I asked him to please put the game down and finish up his business and get out.

He closed his DS, jumped off the seat, pointed to his accomplishment and exclaimed, "I AM done with my business. I was just looking for some peace and quiet so I could hear what the lady on the game is telling me to do!"

Right. Because I'm the loud one in the family that never lets YOU have peace and quiet....

What I learned attending a grown up dinner party

2011-01-23T15:37:00.001-05:00

1. Deviled eggs is not the appetizer of choice for grown ups. They prefer things with goat cheese, scallops and pesto served on crostinis. And served in a dozen, not in Costco quantities.

2. Candlesticks look pretty when you light them - with fire.

3. Wine glasses are not always 12 ounces. And when you try to pour the wine once with the cork still in it, you really shouldn't try to pour it twice with the cork still in it. You look foolish (or drunk).

4. Plates do come in something other than paper or plastic. And served warm make for a toasty surprise.

5. Silverware is silver - and includes more than a fork and knife.

6. Soup served before a meal is awesome - especially served in cute teacups and not made from a can.

7. You don't have to cram everyone in your kitchen. Suggesting you "move to the living room and sit by the fire" works - and if you bring your crostinis and wine bottles in there, people will follow.

8. No matter how fancy the party, if you put two Moms together at a table the topic of childbirth always surfaces.

9. When chocolate souffle arrives at the table for dessert, and you know it's chocolate souffle, don't try to be witty and ask what it's called like someone might randomly rename it. You look foolish (or drunk).

10. Adults use their dining room tables to dine, not collect mail, old newspapers and junk.

Christina - the Puerto Rican me

2011-01-18T19:57:00.000-05:00

Most of my husband's family calls me by the name Christina. I often get emails from new contacts who will refer to me as Christina. I have a great friend whose name IS Christina...wonder how often she's called Christine?

The point of my story is not so much the mistaken identity as it is about how I feel like a little bit of the Latin blood from my in-laws is seeping into my body after almost two decades of knowing my husband.

I keep Goya products in my home like they have been there since I grew up - which is so not true. Items like Goya Sazon packets, Goya Sofrito (only the frozen version, never the jar), Goya beans of all colors, Goya rice Spanish olives, and Goya tomato sauce.

I've discovered that adding any of those items to an ordinary dinner makes for a wonderful Puerto Rican feast. Take tonight, for example. In the crock pot I threw in 2 boneless chicken breast, a small can of Goya tomato sauce, a can of diced tomatoes, a heaping spoonful of Sofrito, a sazon packet, chopped up potato and carrots. Simmer all day and serve with rice. Um, delicious!

It's little things like that that make me feel like it's possible to go from Christine to Christina. It coincides with the fact that after all these years of trying I have finally mastered arroz con gandules...rice with pigeon peas for anyone named Christine.

Comer en casa!

So what are you doing next Sunday?

2011-01-17T13:49:00.000-05:00

Ugh. I'm glad I didn't drink heavily yesterday or I would have woken up with both a hangover and a bout of football depression.

Mind you, I'm not your numero uno Boston sports fan, but I do enjoy riding the wave when our teams are winning. And I road the Patriots wave all the way to a stomach ache yesterday watching them crumble on their home turf, to of all team, the JETS!

Usually a loss is a disappointment - but after days of Neanderthal comments from the head coach of the Jets I really wanted to stick it to 'em...beat them just to shut them up.

Alas, we lost. My son, who has yet to grasp the concept of hometown loyalty or the fact that you really should have a "favorite" team, was perfectly fine with the loss because his "other favorite team" is the Jets. But was this really necessary:

Well, at least that frees up next Sunday to do other things. Want to meet me to NOT watch the game next Sunday??

Well, Helloooo Twenty-eleven!!

2011-01-10T14:52:00.002-05:00

It's here. The New Year is here. I can leave behind all the blah and phooey of twenty-ten and start anew.

Because that's what new years are for, right? New. That's why they call them New Years. They'd call them Same Ole Same Ole Year if they weren't New...glad we cleared that up.

So, what is happening in the New Year...well, not much. I'm settling into my new "job" at Carlton PR & Marketing as...well....uhm....as....good question. I don't really have a title. You can call me "Business Partner", or "Unpaid Employee Number Two" or "Intern"...I respond to all of them.

But with some seriousness, I've joined a smart, connected, ambitious, level-headed and creative woman (former Ithaca College graduate, as well) at her consulting firm, which is appropriately named after her, and we are offering services to small to medium sized businesses that need social media, PR or other marketing resources.

We have some very cool ideas bopping around and will be engaged in Boston Region Entrepreneurship Week Part Deux in the Fall, and right now I'm coordinating the Sentiment Analysis Symposium in NYC on April 12 (sounds fancy, right? SYMPOSIUM....http://sentimentsymposium.com) and we are working on a few "contracts" out in the field.

I'm really excited because, while the mortgage isn't getting paid yet and I still have sleepless nights, I know that with the right focus and ambition this is what works best for me. Communicating, networking and assisting people is what I love - blame it on my job start 26 years ago serving OJ and eggs as a waitress and making sure I had happy customers or blame it on a gene in my DNA - if I can help you or someone you know, give me a shout.

Welcome 2011 - it's nice to see you!

Merry Christmas

2010-12-22T10:24:00.000-05:00

I shall return in 2011. I have made a promise to myself to relax, recharge and reorganize between Christmas and New Years. In the meantime, if we don't speak, have a wonderful, safe, delicious, fun, outstanding Christmas. Much love from the house the Sierra's built.

Happy Birthday to my sunshine and laughter

2010-12-09T13:43:00.000-05:00

Happy Birthday Abby and Alex!

You make me laugh every day, give me a reason to smile when I'm down and have made my life complete. Hugs and kisses to last you a lifetime,

Mommy

You can't take my holiday spirit

2010-11-24T16:09:00.000-05:00

It's been a rough day. Actually, sort of a rough week. Actually, it has been rough for a while.

But not because any of us are sick or hurt or injured. And not because our family has suffered unimaginable loss. And certainly not because we don't feel loved.

We are all healthy. We have come through another year with minor setbacks and a few tears. We know we are loved, and it shows by the actions of our friends, neighbors and family.

So while I am feeling down and out at times - panicking about the future - uncertain when life will feel "normal" again - I am going to be thankful and grateful this holiday season. I'm going to remember this year as a lesson in life and move on in the coming months.

You can take away some of the conveniences, luxuries and indulgences in my life, but without a doubt you can't take away my holiday spirit. My kids find it magical and so do I - I hope I've given them that gift of wonder and joy this time of year.

Happy Thanksgiving! Surround yourself with love and laughter. I am.

Words and whinnies

2010-11-21T13:54:00.000-05:00

In one corner, weighing in at 49lbs, at 42 inches tall is the little man armed with pencil, notebook and anything with a word on it, including the remote control.

In the other corner, weighing in at 65lbs, at 50 inches tall is the little lady armed with....ahhh....well....not really armed with anything, just on all fours prancing around the living room.

Little man spent the night copying words from everywhere and anywhere - he wants to learn how to spell and wants to read and asks 1,000 questions an hour. He can retain knowledge like no ones business.

Little lady spent the night pretending she was a horse on a farm, complete with neighing, whinnies, rearing and other imaginary horses. She can conduct a mean session of make believe.

As we approach their birthdays in a few weeks, I find myself pausing and wondering what they'll be when the grow up...right now, I have a sponge and a horse. Stay tuned to see how it all plays out.

Allow me this bitch session

2010-11-19T15:16:00.000-05:00

9 days.

That's how long it took me to get someone from the Massachusetts Dept of Unemployment Assistance on the phone. No joke. 9 days.

See, their service works like this. You call a number. You pick a language. You enter your social security number. You get a message "Due to an unusually high volume of calls all our reps are busy so please call back later or on another business day."

Disconnect.

If you are lucky, you get to the step after the social security number and get to enter in the year you were born. Then you are told they are transferring your call. THEN you get the "We are experiencing a high volume of calls please try your call again later."

Disconnect.

So I'm good at following directoins and I call back later. I call an hour later. A day later. Various times for the next 9 days later. Nothing.

Then, I get through to an automated system that tells me I am in a queue but will have to wait - 41 minutes. So, I do. Actually, 43 minutes.

My complaint? I went through this similar process back in Sept after I received a check for vacation pay that was due to me in August after I was laid off but wasn't paid to me until September - and the women on the phone in Sept said "No problem. You didn't work this week so you can still collect. It wasn't for wages earned this week." Awesome! She was so nice and helpful. I only waited 5 days and 28 mins on hold (oh, I remember!)

Then suddenly 2 weeks ago I call in to the system to claim my unemployment and the money stops coming in. Money I use for gas to find a job. Money I use for food for the house. Money to pay bills, car payments, Diet Coke. I've even stopped buying bottles of wine. Now that's cutting back!!

The woman this time tells me the reason I'm not seeing money is because my previous employer paid me vacation pay. I explained how DUA knew that from my call in Sept. and I explain it again. Then she tells me, sorry, they need an adjuster to call me. But she doesn't know when this will happen because the adjusters are helping to answer the phones. Really? Really? Then they are doing an awful job because it took me 9 days to get a live person.

She said it could be a week, maybe two. Then she admitted she has no idea when they'll call.

Fan-fxcking-tastic. So in the meantime does anyone at DUA want to share their paychecks for all the overtime they must be making since it's so busy and help me pay for food for Thanskgiving, Christmas gifts, mortgage, gas and electric.

While I bitch, I am rather fortunate that our savings isn't down to zero (yet!) but I can not imagine families that rely on that check to LIVE day to day who are getting the same horrible customer service that I am - 9 days. NINE DAYS to talk to someone.

Who do I call about this? Oh, never mind.

A sore throat in sheep's clothing

2010-11-14T22:03:00.000-05:00

Interesting...it looked like a stomach bug...acted like a stomach bug...but it ended up being strep throat.

Apparently stage 1 of Ab's strep is nausea. One throat culture later and a dose of amoxicillin and things are looking brighter.

Hope Santa is feeling ok because we did squeeze in a visit yesterday before our diagnosis. Sorry big guy.

A happy Hannah moment

2010-11-13T13:01:00.000-05:00

Little lady wasn't feeling well last night - stomach bug is flying through her school - and although she never actually fell victim, we were up for a couple of hours back and forth to the bathroom just waiting...and waiting...and waiting. I was not teaching an 8 yo how to make herself vomit - as much as I thought it would probably help. I finally put her blanket and pillow in the bathroom so she felt certain she'd make it to the toilet and I retreated to bed.

The joys of parenting.

She bounced up this morning with a skip in her step and seemed fine. We had plans to go see Santa to check that off the holiday list - too many things happening on the weekends starting tomorrow - so I sent her to the shower.

After she was all dressed I peered into her bedroom to find her lip syncing to a Hannah Montana song (don't ask me which one, I block them from my mind whenever possible) and she had her hands waving over her head, the invisible microphone in her hand, some fancy footwork going on and a huge smile on her face.

I stepped away so she wouldn't see me and I cried a little. Not sad tears, but happy ones. I remember those innocent moments in my room with just me and my record player and my favorite 45. I wanted to be a singer...I just couldn't sing. She was having a blast just being a kid. I loved that for her...just being a kid.

She's curled up in my bed right now with a fever and a woozy stomach, again. I'm sure she overdid it, and being up at 4 a.m. didn't help. We'll work through these germs and on to the next. We put Santa on hold for now. But for 10 minutes this morning she was a rock star without a stomach ache. Totally awesome.

And I dare to call myself a blogger?

2010-11-12T10:26:00.000-05:00

I am lame..at least when it comes to blogging these days.

I swear there are a million great posts floating around in my head, but by the time I sit down to the computer I get distracted by emails, Twitter and Facebook and before you know it - my post has left the building.

And with the holiday season quickly approaching I fear I may never blog again...ever...ever again...never.

I don't really believe that either, but time is moving at the speed of Rudolph and if I don't stop and smell the snowflakes, it's going to be January and I won't know where 2010 went.

How are you holding up as the holidays approach? Ready to throw your turkey out the window or have you found the strength the relax, smile and ignore the fact that Santa has arrived at every major US Mall before Thanksgiving? I'm not so thrilled about that recent development. Let me digest my stuffing before I have to panic about filling stockings and cyber-Monday deals, for pete's sake!

Gobble, gobble!

Epilepsy, Halloween and other random turn of events

2010-11-01T15:59:00.000-04:00

Ready...set...go:

1. Our dog apparently has epilepsy. We've begun to medicate him twice a day and his seizures have significantly reduced but haven't completely gone away.

2. BREW (Boston Region Entrepreneurship Week) is OVER. One week of events turned into a whole month and WHOLE lot of my unemployed time...was it worth it? If you consider I've started some paid consulting gigs, then YES!

3. Did I mention, I've started some paid consulting gigs. Just don't tell Massachusetts because I haven't billed for any and I still need my weekly check to pay for the dog's medication.

4. Halloween was awesomely awesome. Kids are at the perfect age and we had a blast in the cold running from house to house and to new neighborhoods outside our cul-de-sac. I, however, didn't eat dinner and thought it would be a fantastic idea to do shots with the neighbors...for which I am paying for it dearly today. Headache is gone...nausea is not.

5. My kids are turning 6 and 8 in a month and I'm freaking out. I still think of them in months so that would be 72 months and 96 months...that feels better.

6. The kids are getting baptized again and we have a date and willful Catholics to stand in as Godparents. Check that off the list of "things I never, ever, thought I'd do once, let alone twice"...that list also includes some other things I can't share because my parents read my blog. Ha ha!

7. I am once again running out the door, because we have reached that time in our lives when the taxi service kicks into gear and carting my children around town, back and forth to friends, and all around the gateway of NH (where we live) is in full swing.

Carry on! Just wanted to say Hello and throw you some updates. Cheers! Scratch that...I don't think I can cheer anything right now unless I do it with water!

Eye spy a grown up girl

2010-10-16T14:11:00.000-04:00

After trying on 12 different pairs, she kept coming back to these so there you have it - her first pair of glasses! Taking bets on how long they last before she sits on them :)

Halloween ushers in my season of sleeplessness and panic

2010-10-15T17:50:00.000-04:00

The insanity is coming, the insanity is coming. As *soon* as that last treat is handed out for Halloween and I turn off our front light, I go into panic mode.

Two birthdays (eight and six years old this year - can't be true!) and Christmas will be here before I know it and my children will wake up on Christmas morning without gifts because Santa Claus totally forgot to ~~go shopping~~ come.

The chances of that are NILL, but I still get a rush of anxiety on November 1st.

How will I get it all done? When will we buy the tree...decorate the tree...decorate the house...find the stockings...plan the meal...squeeze in two birthday parties...oh, and two baptism "do-overs" this year (more on that later)...see...panic...sweating...breathing heavy.....

Excuse me while I calm down by raiding the Halloween candy. In a moment of brilliance I bought full size candy bars this year. Unemployment hasn't set in with me, apparently...nor has the fact that those jeans from last season are now as tight as stretchy pants. Add "back to the gym" somewhere in there...fantastic.

As for the baptisms, my children will be spending their birthday celebration at our church - getting baptized - again. I guess Catholic God doesn't recognize all sacraments of baptism, especially those held at Congregational churches, so we are going to do it again...for formalities sake. My daughter is thrilled. I've already given two churches "gifts" for their services of baptism, now I get to do it again...so I'm not so thrilled. But if 15 20 25 years from now my daughter wants to get married in the church she loves, she will be able to without any issues. Unless she marries a divorced man then she won't be able to...but that will not be MY fault. I'm all about getting myself off the hook...

Online education

2010-10-06T12:27:00.002-04:00

As some of you fantastic people may know, I sort of got a new job...it is in the works but my name is going up on their web site so hopefully a paycheck will follow soon after :). They are raising funds so if any of you have about $500K to throw our way, give me a shout!

The company is called ScreenRetriever (www.screenretriever.com) and the basis of their technology is to help parents teach their kids responsible online behavior. I was really excited by the technology - as a product person at heart - but even more excited by their commitment to HELP and not just preach.

Sure, companies run off of revenue but this small group (you have more fingers than we have employees) is focused on spreading the word that kids need guidance online just as they do offline.

Think about it this way - as your kids gain independence you let them do things like play out in the yard by themselves, right? But all parents know that those first few days, weeks, months, years you still find yourself peeking out the window to make sure they are safe. The Internet is a billion times more crowded than your backyard so how could you just let them "go out to play" there without instilling some rules and guidelines - and we're not talking blocking sites you think are bad, or limiting them to 1 hour a day on the computer - I'm talking real guidelines - the kind you give them about interacting with others face to face in the playground or at school. Take for example:

Don't say things wouldn't want to be said to you - cyberbullying

Don't talk to strangers - online predators, cyberstalking

Let me know if someone touches you the wrong way - sexting

Pay attention in class and don't talk when the teacher is talking - online time management

Treat people with respect - online reputation

It is easy to transfer offline knowledge to online knowledge - its harder to play catch up when things get out of hand. Technology IS NOT GOING AWAY. Get educated. And stay tuned, I hope to share more of what I'm learning with you.

Tale of two students

2010-10-05T13:55:00.000-04:00

Exhibit A:
I don't want to get up.
I don't want to go to school.
I don't like homework.
Don't make me wear my uniform

Exhibit B:
Can I have more homework?
I got all check pluses today
Can I buy my teachers pumpkins for Halloween?
I learned that in school today.

Most likely the difference between second grade and kindergarten - but two incredibly different attitudes towards school. But two of the same is boring, so I'm just enjoying the diversity...or so I keep telling myself.

Are your kids completely different learners? Does one bound out of bed ready to go, and one hide under the covers an extra 5...10...15 minutes? I sure hope so.

Getting through difficult times

2010-09-27T15:36:00.000-04:00

What do you lean on when things get rough, or when it appears all hope is lost? Or more directly WHO do you lean on in difficult times?

Do you have faith in Jesus? In a higher God? Or the Universe? Do you believe life is just a natural journey and it ends for all us regardless of whether you are 9 days old, 68 or 84 years old? Or that Heaven has a calling and something more powerful rules our fate?

I've received several calls regarding death in the past 7 days and it always gets me thinking about my small family, my inexperience with loss and my own faith.

I don't have an answer on what helps me get through difficult times as far as faith is concerned. I wish I could pray to God with conviction for strength, but my inability to do doesn't lessen the fact that family, friends and a deep love of life helps me to move forward.

I'm sadden to hear of such unexpected loss this week, but thinking of the deeper pain others are experiencing compared to my sadness.

May you find peace in your faith...wherever that may come from.

Welcome Fall of '10

2010-09-23T20:28:00.000-04:00

I still get freaked out on occasion that I'm living in a new century where the numbers start all over again. '01, '02, '03...'10

People are going to ask, "So, what did you do in the Fall of '10?" *shivers* I guess because my grandmother was born in '26 and the next '26 is not all that far off...sort of...and then we'll be like "Which '26 do you mean?" when we ask a question.

Ok, no we won't because anyone alive in 2026 will be 100 and it will be real obvious which '26 we are talking about when we ask them a question.

But to answer my own question, the Fall of '10 is going to be my season of change. Not just little, minor changes like try to be more creative on Halloween. Or, plant next years perennials before the frost.

I'm talking big changes. Changes that I hope will put me on a new course, in a new direction, and get me excited to wake up to the darkness every day to get going. (Am I overdoing it?)

What do you have planned for the Fall of '10? I hope it's something that crackles your leaves and gets you excited. If I've learned anything from the Summer of '10, it's that time slips away too fast to be stuck in the same routine...you gotta mix it up a bit every once and while to stay alive.

Happy First Day of Autumn!

(Photo taken by my friend's husband. His photos can be found at http://miketully.smugmug.com)

Me, a dog and a really nice house

2010-09-17T16:14:00.000-04:00

If you haven't heard, seen my posts on Facebook or followed a tweet or two on Twitter...I'm sort of back with the work force.

But not really. I've agreed to help a really small start up get up and started for no pay. Why? Because I'm insane. But also because I really think their product has merit, and a need and can change how parents interact with their children when it pertains to the scary world that is the internet.

I'll be sharing statistics with you all soon...but right now, I'd love if you'd check out http://www.screenretriever.com and let me know what you think...I'm talking to you Mommy Bloggers and Daddy Bloggers. You "get" technology and I'll be hitting you all up for ideas and suggestions, don't you worry.

But for now, I haven't had my first official start date with them yet so I'm not going to say much more - and I'm trying to learn better time management so I don't give all my free time away for free, literally.

If there are any Mamas or Dads who want to offer their expansive network a discount on Screen Retriever, let me know. That can be arranged :)

Oh, and the dog? His name is Tucker. He's awesome. And the really nice house...that's the headquarters for now. I have staircase and finished basement-envy.

Please tell me...

2010-09-02T22:01:00.001-04:00

Your oldest child constantly yells at your youngest child.

Your youngest child constantly teases your oldest child.

Your 8 year old can stomp up stairs so loud that part of the ceiling chips off with every given tantrum.

Tears flow every day from all your children, for no apparent reason, and from no real water source.

"I'm hungry" is whined in your ear every 45 minutes.

"Get away from me" is shouted even more frequently than "I'm hungry."

No one answers when you ask them repeatedly to feed the dog, let the dog in, let the dog out or leave the dog alone.

Amusement is only had when screaming and chasing the cat around the house.

Your basement/playroom/living room/kitchen/multiple bedrooms/garage and yard area contain nothing but piles of plastic toys and little, clear wrappers from juice box straws.

Because if you can tell me all of these things, then I'll know I'm not alone in this insane parenting world, and I would greatly appreciate that right now.

Didn't he just roll over?

2010-09-01T14:39:00.000-04:00

How is it that my baby boy, who unexpectedly announced himself to the world early, and on his sister's second birthday, can be starting school already?

Didn't he just smile his first smile; roll over by himself; take his first step; say his first word; dance his first dance; make his first goofy face and hug me like I've never been hugged before?

There were no tears - just lots of smiles this morning as my baby boy incredibly becomes my little man! Congratulations Alex. Mommy and Daddy (and Abby) love you very, very much!

48 inches is a wonderful thing

2010-08-24T14:22:00.000-04:00

Day One: Notice anything?

Day One: See it yet?

Day Two: How about now?

Day Two: I'll give you a hint...

Everyone is over 48 inches so there are no pictures of Mom and Dad crammed on the rides!

Bittersweet.

Can it be any louder?

2010-08-14T12:01:00.000-04:00

We listen to music with our kids. In the car. On the radio in the kitchen. At night on their radios in their bedrooms. But nothing "musically" seemed to stick with them.

Alex gets excited over Lady Ga Ga's Alejandro because we told him it was his name in Spanish.

Abby used to like a Fergie song when she was younger but never really latched on to any one artist.

Today, however, we may have turned a page.

When told to clean her room, my daughter lovingly started pouting, slamming doors and probably used the word "hate" when referring to cleaning her room....gotta love that...so I walked down stairs to leave her to herself. I explained she could clean her room quickly and get back outside to play, or spend the day up there, it really didn't matter to me. I had no plans except to clean out the refrigerator - big goings-on in our house on a Saturday.

About 10 minutes later it happened. Kiss108 (the station I grew up on) was BLARING from her room. All crackly and staticky because it was too loud. Appropriately it was Kelly Clarkson's My Life Would Suck Without You - exactly the word I want my 7 yo daughter singing at the top of her lungs.

I let it go. I remember being that age and performing karaoke in my room to the Bee Gees, Pat Benator, Aerosmith and Kiss. It was a release. It was a distraction. I loved my loud music.

And wouldn't you know it - about 6 songs later she came downstairs with a smile and pretty clean room! Thanks Kiss108. Looks like we'll be resurrecting our love for each other again in the next generation.

TV sitter

2010-08-10T14:31:00.000-04:00

I've been struggling all summer with the amount of time I let my kids sit in front of the TV.

Trying to find a job requires me to spend some time in front of the computer searching the job sites - uninterrupted - and not when I'm exhausted at 9:00 at night after the little ones are tucked in bed.

So, I will admit that during this incredibly HOT, SUNNY summer (with no rain days to fall back on), I have placed my children in front of 824 for an hour - or two - or maybe three - on a day or two or three.

(824 happens to be the HD channel of Disney - they feel cool calling it 824)

Making this confession makes me feel a little better - I've been hiding this secret for a few weeks and now that I've come clean, I bet a few of you can relate? Right?!

The Kids Are Alright

2010-07-30T12:07:00.000-04:00

Month one of unemployment.

Week one of kids home full time.

Last time I counted there were 10 fingers, 10 toes on each of the two children, two parents still speaking, a mother-in-law and sister-in-law making themselves at home and we were all accounted for in the same house.

I must be doing something right.

Inspiration at a Pig Roast

2010-07-25T19:13:00.000-04:00

Being forced to take the journey into networking on my own behalf, and not for a company, has proved to be very enlightening.

Over the past three years, when I'd meet a new group of people, attend an event, talk on the phone or go to the market and engage in a conversation, I would always think "Is there any way this person may want or need text analytics software?"

Crazy, right? It was my job. I was the evangelist, the motivator and the messenger for the company. I was wired that way.

Now, when I go out, I have to figure out how to engage with people and not wonder about their software needs, but wonder about them. What drives them? Who are they? Do we have common interests? Will I make any sort of impression?

Don't get me wrong, if I met my friends for a happy hour drink I would put the job behind - way behind - in the spirit of socializing. But more often than not, the job would come up in conversation. This weekend was probably the first weekend I attended a social event and DIDN'T talk shop or think about networking. In fact, I listened. And I was so impressed.

My husband's cousin's son (got it?) graduated from college recently so Saturday they had some friends and family over for a traditional Puerto Rican pig roast. Pig lovers, don't worry, I won't go into details other than to say YUMMY! And while there I had two things to overcome: I don't speak Spanish and I'm not 20 something years old.

A lot to handle at one time. Amazingly, neither of those things mattered because what I learned from those 20 something year olds is that they are paying it forward. They are motivated. They are inspired. They wear their causes on their hats, their shirts and their rubber wristbands. They are laughing hard, playing hard, and willing to talk about dreams and goals. I listened to their parents talk about raising children, finding jobs, serving in the military, and overcoming addiction.

I don't think I realized how impressed I was going to be by the conversations I was about to have at that celebration. I sat on a folded chair, in a modest backyard, among 99% Latino men and women playing dominoes and listening to Spanish music among Brazilian neighbors and Caucasian neighbors only a handshake away and I didn't want to leave. No judging. No ego-trips about their job titles or how much revenue their companies made last quarter. Just family, friends and talk about how to make it better for the next generation and wondering if they can make a change.

Such a cultural departure from where I've been. And so damn refreshing.

Where the hell you been?

2010-07-23T20:50:00.000-04:00

I'm not a very good liar. I was going to post something like:

Sorry I haven't been around. We've been vacationing in the South of France without the kids. Lie.

Or maybe:

Sorry I haven't been around. I landed a million dollar job that I love and was training all week to take over the world. Lie.

So, truth be told. I found an awesome gig - nonpaying of course - and in the 24 hours I have been involved, it has sucked every single minute of my time that's not spent cleaning, cooking or meeting people trying to find a paying job.

So hopefully you'll excuse me while I fit this into my very unorganized schedule and once I get into the flow of children home 24/7 and my willingness to volunteer on behalf of Boston's entrepreneurs, I'll get back to my regular blogging. Maybe. Lie.

Parenting 24/7

2010-07-15T15:27:00.001-04:00

Ready for some honesty 101? Here goes.

I'm approaching very uncertain times for me - because of the job situation we decided it wouldn't be a good idea to send the kids to summer camp starting July 26 through the start of school. It was just too expensive and the place we use wouldn't allow us to cut our days to 2 a week. It was 5 days or it was nothing.

So...deep breath...that means the kids and I will be spending 7 days a week together. 24 hours. Non-stop. No school. No camp. You're probably like "So what? They're your kids." I love them. I have since they day they entered the world. No. Before then. When they kicked and squirmed inside of me. But save for the first 14 months of my daughter's life, I haven't spent all day with them for more than a week.

That seems so odd to type. I went right back to work about 10 weeks after Alex was born and hubby did Mr. Mom duty with him. I'm nervous. I've always admired Mom's who are home with their kids all day because I really don't know if I have it in me to be that type of parent.

So, Moms and Dads, lay on the advice and suggestions on how to keep your kids occupied during the summer months - I'm ALL EARS. I'm thinking keeping the wine stocked for wine o'clock when Daddy gets home may be the first thing I need to do?

How you been? Good summer so far?

2010-07-10T22:26:00.000-04:00

Hey there visitors. How's it going?

Me? I'm hanging in there.

I'd love to share some pictures with you from our recent vacation but I can't. You see, on Thursday, about 5 hours after my last and final meeting for my "old" job, my laptop from my "old" job that I was using and borrowing for a few weeks while I cleaned it and moved some files and did some final projects decided that since I no longer had a job, it no longer needed to work.

It quit. Kaput. No juice. No power. No battery. No reboot. Black screen of death.

So, all those pictures I had recently uploaded to post on facebook are sitting on that dead laptop. Along with my iTunes folder, resume, crackberry software, passwords, cookies, etc.

I'm holding off on buying a new laptop until work things are figured out and will be relying on our little netbook which gives me a browser and a trial version of Microsoft Office to post and stay in touch. Excuse me if there a bunch of typos -this puppy has a keyboard the size of a slice of bread. We're still figuring out how to work together.

Hope your 4th was fun. See you soon.

The Definition of Christine

2010-06-30T11:26:00.001-04:00

Christine is Latin for "Follower of Christ"........or a horror novel by Stephen King written in 1983. Depends on your Google results.

Ahhh.......that doesn't help.

OK, start easy: Christine is a mom. Christine is a wife. Christine is a daughter, a sister, a friend, a cousin, a niece, a granddaughter.

That's all well and good, but doesn't define me beyond my relationship to others. At times I stop and really try to define who I am to myself and get a little discouraged. In a grotesque way I often wonder what my obituary would say. "She was a nice person. Didn't do anything extraordinary, wasn't the member of any organizations and didn't have a passion for anything outside of a cold glass of pinot grigio with a few ice cubes."

But seriously, now that I'm going to be forced to talk about myself at job interviews, I'm starting to worry. I don't want to let unemployment define me. And I don't want to start a pattern of writing and blogging about how I can no longer "label" myself as a VP, or as a working mom, or even a stay at home mom, because I am in that in-between place right now. But I have to figure out how I want to present myself to others in order to try and secure that next gig.

On the flip side, I have incredible pride in the fact that I'm raising two children who don't use many labels so why am I obsessed with my own? They've never used black or white to describe someones skin - they use light or dark. We've discussed when and how to use fat and skinny and we remind them that people come in all shapes and sizes. They don't see wealth or poverty in what someone "has" but understand that we do our best to help those who need some assistance, whether it's food or clothes.

So when it comes to trying to describe or define my own purpose, it gets pretty complicated. Do you ever think about your definition? And is mine now officially "neurotic"? Could be...probably don't want to start off with that in a job interview, huh?

Natures calm

2010-06-29T09:22:00.000-04:00

When things are beyond your control and it seems like you'll never get back to that place that was so familiar and comfortable, nature has a sweet way of reminding you to stop...breathe...and instills a welcome calm into the madness.

Sunset June 28, 2010

Tipped upside down

2010-06-25T12:12:00.001-04:00

I always proclaim, "It's harder to find a new job when you have a job, then when you don't!"

I guess I'm about to find out if that is true.

Sneaking around on job interviews and to meetings is so stressful when you are unhappy at your place of work. The lies. The fake sick days. Ugh. However, when you love your place of work, it is just as stressful to find out that you no longer have that happy place. The shock. The sadness. The despair. Ugh.

My draft post for last week was supposed to be a tribute to my husband and my Dad for Father's Day. Instead, that got dumped in a bucket when I found out that the world as I have known it for 3 years was about to change.

I explained to my children what happened so they wouldn't be freaked out when I started picking food out of the garbage and shouting (more than normal) "This toast is too damn expensive to throw away without eating the crust!" My daughter started brainstorming ideas. They are as follows:

Work at school
Work at a restaurant "You'd be really good at that" (been there, done that)
Work at the Mall (her favorite pick)

and after her shower last night:

Work at....uhm...well...I can't think of any more

Yeah kid, neither can I.

Onward. Upward. Outward. Chin up. Can't cry until they foreclose on the house. There are no tears in unemployment.

Keep the wine away. The pity party could get ugly.

You go get 'em little man

2010-06-17T13:06:00.000-04:00

Congratulations to my snug bug who officially graduated from preschool. Holla!

He started the daycare/preschool process much sooner than his sister did so he's a pro at ABC's and 123's now. His thirst for knowledge blows me away. We love you, little man. Bring on kindergarten!

When life hands you lemons, squirt them in your eyes

2010-06-16T21:34:00.000-04:00

What have I been up to the past couple of weeks?

Let's see. There's been a sudden, unexpected death. Followed by a somewhat expected death. Followed by an expected death. Not up for smelling lilies again any time soon. How did they become the dedicated flower of funeral arrangements? And must they be so strong?

Then I rearranged my schedule 100 times to accommodate canceled school days for my daughter because death #2 was a teacher (which still didn't allow me time to attend any of her services). That gave me just enough time to rearrange the schedule again the next week for 3 consecutive 1/2 days of school, a girl scout ceremony, preschool graduation (a very happy event, Thank God! Post to come soon.), a work event and another wake.

Somehow I managed to find time before my evening work event to travel into the Boston office only to be told "Hey, love the work you've done but the people who pay the bills want to make cuts and lucky you, you're first in line to go. We'll let you know by the end of the week." *mouth drops open*

Which brings us to said "end of week" and I am taking more time off so my children aren't celebrating their last of day of school only to be dumped right back into a pseudo-summer session the very next day until camp starts June 28. Should be lovely to coordinate vacation days with them and a pink slip. Drink much? I think I will, thanks.

So hand over the lemons. A direct shot in the eyes would be much more pleasant right about now than what I've been up to.

A Hairy situation

2010-06-11T11:50:00.002-04:00

I recently started taking pictures off of my laptop (if you heard it churning and chugging you'd understand why) and storing them on some flash drives. This should free up space and hopefully keep me from losing all the precious family moments, captured by digital technology, so for generations to come they can all huddle around their portable viewing devices and reminisce about Great-Grammy Sierra's family. (Can you tell I have mortality on the brain?)

Man, do I miss film! Photo albums rock.

Anyway, as I was copying, moving and cleaning out these fabulous memories it occurred to me that I need to share the evolution of my daughter's hair with you. Because it's just too amazing to keep on a flash drive.

And so the journey begins. Age 2 (Heat Miser has a run for his money)

"She looks like Annie." And the identity crisis began..Mommy, what is my real name? Age 3

Finally long enough to be in her face, but thanks to one of her preschool teachers we didn't need to worry about that at all. Age 4

Here come the headbands. Every color. Every day. Very humid day in this picture. Funny, can't tell with her hair. Looks the SAME every day. Age 6

At last! Long enough for real braids. From Afro to shoulder length in 7 years. How quickly does your kids hair grow? I can count on my fingers the number of time she's had a haircut. Age 7

I hope she grows up to love it as much as everyone else does. Because as a woman with curly - no frizzy hair - there is nothing I love more than to have it blown straight. Oy vey. I'm in trouble.

Fish Out of Water

2010-06-07T21:52:00.000-04:00

Driving across town my son asked me, "Mommy, do fish live out of water?"

Me: "No honey. They live in water. Have you ever seen a fish walking on a sidewalk?"

Him: "Ha ha. No. I haven't...but I think I'll write a book about that."

Me: "That would be awesome. A story about a fish that lives out of the water and can run around the yard with a dog, or live with a family?"

Him: "No. A book of things that don't exist. Like trees in stores."

Ahhhhhhh...alrighty then.

Goodnight Ginny

2010-06-04T10:04:00.002-04:00

I wish I could share with you some of our wedding video. It was taken by a friend - who is not a professional - but who did a better job than any professional could have ever done.

He simply went around and asked people to say something into the camera and since he isn't one to take No for an answer, everyone pretty much obliged. And it is hysterical. And we love it. And it's hard to believe it was almost 10 years ago.

On that video is a wonderful woman who liked to laugh. A lot. And loud. And with the raspy sound of a smoker and the howl of a drinker - but that was the best part. And she is a highlight on our video - flirting with the "videographer", dancing and kissing into the lens. She only had sons, so growing up she used to treat me like a daughter every time she'd see me. We'd sneak off to talk about boys. Or for a cigarette. And when I was older we'd clink our glasses over some funny joke or comment. She carted around her wine coolers or always had something "on the rocks" in her hand. She never failed to tell me she thought I was beautiful. And I knew she meant it.

Today I learned of the death of her dear soul whose time with us suddenly and unexpectedly came to the end of a long, hard journey, but whose love of life and family will stay with us beyond her time on earth.

I'll have those images of her forever thanks to that video and the memories I hold close to my heart.

Goodnight Ginny. You were a hoot and always showed me so much love.

*Mwah*

Running update

2010-06-03T14:43:00.001-04:00

Remember that Couch to 5K program I started WAY back when?

Well, the couch won. Ok, not the couch, but I decided I am not a runner. Don't like it AT ALL. In fact, can't stand it. I don't like the bouncy, bouncy of running. I don't like the breathing part. And my knees hate the whole stinking idea.

No worries. I haven't stopped exercising, I've just decided that running a 5K is not in my near future. Maybe I'll explore it again down the road, but for now I'm happy mixing up my cardio with different levels and speeds on the elliptical.

As a friend recently explained, "I'm certainly not a gazelle when I run."

Me neither, sister. Some would argue I more closely resemble an elephant running...for sure!

Happy (?) Memorial Day

2010-06-01T13:20:00.000-04:00

It seemed odd this weekend wishing people a Happy Memorial Day.

Is it supposed to be Happy? Isn't this holiday all about losing loved ones at war? I understand we want to celebrate the sacrifices made by the brave men and women in the services, but as we lounged around the fire pit, swam in the pool and ate American BBQ fare, it felt weird hugging people and shouting "Happy Memorial Day!"

I'm certainly not poking fun at the holiday or asking that we change it, I just don't think that I think about it in the right way. Don't get me wrong, we are proud to be Americans. We wave our country's flag in front of our house almost every day (barring the cold months when it freezes up) but we aren't big on parades or visiting relative's graves or talking about family members who served.

Maybe because I never actually met those family members to hear their stories, or maybe because we are a family with few men (and fewer who were able to fight for our freedom), I just don't find myself "celebrating" Memorial Day so much for the Memorial part as for the Day part.

I guess whatever your tradition on that holiday might be, one thing is certain, and that is we can all appreciate the Day we get to spend with friends and family who are with us now to welcome in the summer season and for that I am absolutely Happy!

Mary, Mary quite contrary, how does your garden grow?

2010-05-27T15:50:00.000-04:00

With dandelions and clover leafs and weeds all in a row.

Hey neighbor! Not you across the street, you next door. Congratulations on your garden of weeds. Looks great. The woman who owned the house before you would be mortified to find out that you pulled up her entire perennial garden which took years and years to cultivate, full of love from her deceased Aunt, only to be replaced with this:

I'm sure the 3 foot high Hairy Fleabane is much more attractive to the cul-de-sac than say the Phlox or blooming Cone Flowers that used to stand there.

I know they won't read this because they don't know who I am, what my name is, or the fact that I even exist...but to the other neighbors that might see it...help. Grab a weed on your way by next time, will you? Maybe if we pull them up one at a time they'll eventually be gone and I can sneak in some real flowers in the middle of the night for next year...sigh.

=====================================
Very funny side note. I did a quick Google search for "Weed Names" so I could speak intelligently about the dandelion infestation and was laughing at all the marijuana results that came up. Never knew the hash had so many names. In case you're curious: Street Names for Marijuna - aka Weed Names from Google

Winner, Winner, Chicken Dinner

2010-05-24T08:57:00.002-04:00

I tweet. A lot. At least for me it's a lot. For some it may not be much and for others it's insane.

I have followers that are from my Mom network. I have followers from my Business network. And then I just have followers. Not sure who some of them are, but I don't care. If they get any value from what I tweet, well then I'm glad to oblige.

I also follow a bunch of people. Smart people. Funny people. Celebrities. Sports fans. Beach lovers and foodies. There is usually a common interest and a reason to engage.

I often get asked by folks who aren't sure if they should join Twitter how it can work for them - that applies to both individuals who are looking to be social and businesses looking for prospects. I can't explain what it can do for you personally, or professionally, but I did want to share my latest Twitter story to give you something to think about, if you are on the fence.

So, here is my personal case study on the joy of Twitter:

I was reading through my stream of tweets recently, catching up on news, information, jokes, and updates when I saw a retweet (fancy term for copy and paste) from someone mentioning an iPad contest. I checked out the link in her tweet, read the rules, and learned all you had to do was retweet the same message/link and follow the President of a company on Twitter and Voila! you'd be entered.

Not hard at all. I didn't have to provide field after field of data on some form about myself or my company. I didn't have to "like" a fan page on Facebook. I just had to follow a guy who seemed pretty intelligent and could actually provide some insight and tips for my job and then let others know I followed him in case they wanted to join in.

The result? Check it out for yourself:

Congratulations iPad Winner!

In conjunction with our sponsorship and presentation at Silverpop’s recent Annual Client Summit in Atlanta, The Annuitas Group connected with almost 1,000 B2B marketing professionals both attending and not attending the conference. We did so by encouraging marketers to follow Carlos Hidalgo, President and co-founder of The Annuitas Group, on Twitter, and to enter to win an iPad. Congratulations to @christinelexa, the winner.

On the business side (NO they did not pay me for this post - although in all honesty if I hadn't won I wouldn't have shared this story) this an example of how Twitter can increase prospects and is also about why community is important and how one satisfied person in your network can generate some brand awareness by simply bragging, "Hey!! I won an iPad from Annuitas Group!!" And you never know how many people that one person touches when it comes to social media (for example, I have over 1,000 people following me and you never know how many those 1,000 have).

On the personal side, I took my iPad to bed last night - so that one little tweet was totally worth the 2 seconds it took to cut and paste 140 characters! Now, to think of a clever name for it because iPad is lame on so many levels...

I'm a PC. Well, maybe.

2010-05-21T14:50:00.001-04:00

My whole life I've only known Microsoft and Dell (or IBM) as a source of electronic amusement. Web browser. Email. Solitaire. I was good.

Today, I discovered the iPad. The ingenious little tablet from, dare I say, Apple!!

I can't describe what is happening on my desktop right now - it's beyond words.

I'm learning all about the world of "Apps", and my God I may never return from my iPad journey.

I'll share with you how I got this wondrous little iPad in another post soon (hate me, because it was free). Assuming you can tear me away from the Eye Chart App. I kid you not - I can test the kids eye sight from this glowing, beautiful baby.

So for now, that's all I have to type on this cruddy, IBM laptop with it's archaic keyboard.

Hey Sierra, welcome to 2010...

Friends and family and Bloggers...oh my!

2010-05-17T15:34:00.001-04:00

I can honestly say this weekend was perhaps my most favorite weekend so far in 2010. No offense if we've had fun together this year, but I really enjoyed my weekend. It was the perfect mix of relaxing and chaotic, with a dose of silly thrown in for good measure.

Friday I met two of my former colleagues for a girl's lunch and we caught up on all the fun gossip and stories. Can't beat gossip! Plus, I hadn't had a lunch date in a long time so it felt great to get out of the house.

That evening I tortured my daughter by insisting we go to a Pizza place for dinner because we had to be quick so we could run errands, including buying birthday gifts for 100 kids (ok, only 2) and my kids wanted to buy something with left over gift cards from Christmas (out of sight out of mind makes for fun 5 months later). But she can't fathom not going to a sit down restaurant. Who spoiled that child?

Saturday was gorgeous out! Little breezy but little man got his uniform for T-Ball.

Go BRAVES! Smart organizers for T-Ball don't put anyone on a Red Sox or Yankees team in an effort to keep the peace. My guy still cried when he found out he couldn't be a Yankee...I know, that's all sort of messed up since we live in Boston.

Saturday night I met some bloggers in real life! That's right, in the flesh! Including my dear friend of over 10 years, FairlyOddMother, who apparently knows nothing about me - no, I do not live in Mendon and did not work for State Street.

Then this awesome lady always cracks me up over In the Trenches of Mommyhood. As does Chicky Chicky Baby who not only can make you laugh but can roll her "r" pretty good for a white chick.

I was thrilled to meet some new fabulous ladies including Bossy herself, Shes Just Another Manic Mommy (and we share a name) and Angela who blogs as MommyBytes and insists she's seen me before, to which I promptly responded, "They promised they burned that tape."

After sleeping off my 1:30 a.m. arrival home on Sunday morning, I did nothing the rest of the day. Yeah. You read that correctly. N-O-T-H-I-N-G.

Ok, I ran to BJ's for milk and gas. Then promptly sat my behind down outside and did nothing...ok, I weeded the garden and mulched a little.

But that's all. Nothing else. Ok, ok! I may have trimmed all the long grass along the house and fence. But that's it!

The kids played so well all day - and then in the afternoon had a water balloon fight with their Dad which they were still laughing and talking about a bed time. Took an hour to get them filled, and 30 seconds to throw them all, but they loved it!

So you see, it appears the spring of 2010 is turning out to be pretttty good around here. I hope you had a nice weekend as well. Here's to continuing the trend: *Clink*

Can I ask you a question?

2010-05-14T17:33:00.000-04:00

Hey Mothers! Can I just say, I mother from the gut. Go with the flow. Do what feels right.

If you ask me the right age for anything, I won’t know.

What’s the right age to let kids play outside alone? Or go into a public restroom alone? Or take a shower alone? Or use a stove?

I haven’t a clue. And the main reason is that each child is different. Each situation is different. And each Mom is different.

So if you ask me, I’m gonna say, "You’re guess is as good as mine."

But don’t expect me to bend my rules to meet yours. Cuz we all know what’s good for the goose isn’t always good for the hen.

Ok, I made that saying up.

I wasn't raised in white America

2010-05-12T09:50:00.000-04:00

Baby oil. The smell of coconuts. Reflective mats. Boom boxes. Bain de Soleil without an ounce of SPF in it. Florescent Body Glove bikinis. Ray Ban Wayfarers. Sun. Sun. Sun.

For me, those are the memories of summer as a teen. In 1984, tan was the way to be. I mean, come on, who didn't want to be Christie Brinkley?

As genes would have it, my freckled white skin would never tan. It would just burn and peel - several times - over the course of a summer. I'd only get fried on one side because I'd fall asleep on my back and forget to flip. But that was okay - I would lay on my stomach next time and was on my way to being "tan". Wait? Was I?

No, not really. I was just red, then dry, then red again. But maybe it's because of those fun, teenage memories on the beaches of the North Shore that I adore a little sunkissed glow on my skin. The time when my freckles start to pop a little, and my feet get flip flop tan lines.

I KNOW - I KNOW. Bad sun. Bad. I don't want to like it. I mean, I could be a really good white girl if I abstained completely. Like Nicole Kidman or Anne Hathaway white. But I grew up with a Mom whose skin tanned as soon as the calendar flipped to May - she didn't even need to be in the sun! I just longed for that deep, dark glow.

So as I get older, I try to be smarter. But I am quite excited to see a little "watchband line" on my wrist this mid-May as evidence I've been in the sun. And as I've learned recently, Vitamin D deficiency is a real thing (3 friends in one month were diagnosed!), and we couldn't have that, now could we?

Lather the kids in SPF 50, but leave me to my own devices. I swear, you won't ever see me wearing a bikini again and I put the reflective mats away...for good. The Bain de Soleil...well....

Glad you joined me

2010-05-11T09:56:00.000-04:00

Hi! How are you?

Yes, you.

Over there...I see you.

You may just be lurking in the background, but that's totally fine. I'm glad you stopped by. Don't feel like you have to comment...I'm just happy you come by to see me every now and then.

I don't say thanks enough to the readers of my blog. So, thanks. You make writing fun.

I'll see you again soon. As soon as I can clear out this writers block. How can *I* have nothing to say?

Bye for now.

Thank you Mom

2010-05-07T09:30:00.001-04:00

We've been busy. Busy in a "how-did-it-get-to-be-9-at-night?" kind of way. Busy in a "when-is-the-last-time-the-kids-took-a-shower?" kind of way. You get it.

So while I had a minute I wanted to take this opportunity to say Happy Mothers Day to all the wonderful, talented, warm, loving, caring, generous, fabulous, stupendous Moms I know out there!

May you have a relaxing, stress free, kids-get-along-all-day kind of day....I'm sorry, I can't type that without laughing...but you know what I mean...

And to my Mom, a very special thank you. Now that my kids are school age (and trying to insert their independence like a bull in a china shop) I sit and reflect on my childhood a lot more and I think, "What did my Mom do when I was this age?" And more often than not the answer is: she let us be kids.

She would quietly stand in the background as my brother and I fumbled through childhood. She didn't always butt in, tell us the answer to every question or try to control our every decision. She would watch - I always knew she was watching - but would only emerge when she knew we needed a hug, a band-aid or a kiss. Sure, there were fights, stomping, and door slamming - but what I remember most from my childhood are the laughs, giggles and smiles.

So thank you mom for mothering. Thank you for letting us get dirty without freaking out; for keeping treats on hand for when we needed a pick-me-up; for providing for us even when it was hard to provide for yourself; for saying "no" when we wanted to hear "yes" and especially for teaching us the value of respect, love and compassion.

Happy Mothers Day. I love you.

Your Daughter

Chuckle of the weekend

2010-05-03T10:41:00.000-04:00

Sister: I don't like this cherry drink.

Brother: I'll drink it.

Sister: Let me wipe off my germs.

Brother: You don't need to. We're Spanish!!

We think the word he was going for was "siblings". But one never knows...the Latino card gets used at the oddest times in our house.

Facebook is sucking the identity out of you! Quick, change all your settings!

2010-04-29T10:55:00.001-04:00

If you believe the hype, and the posts on Facebook, and the media, Facebook has taken over the world and nothing you post is private. For example, this circulated recently:

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg doesn't believe in privacy

My response: Why should he believe in privacy?

He's running a business. A business you (we) opted to partake in that's totally built on us voluntarily sharing information. When did we all start believing that ANYTHING is for free? There is always a price. And for all of us (like hundreds of millions of us!) to be able to post pictures, share links, create events and invitations, share thoughts and take up server space do you really think that comes at no cost?

How many of us heard over the years "don't sent personal information through email, especially at work." You know why? You don't own it. If you use the channel to send it, you lose rights to it.

So the smart thing to do is try to take some control back. READ YOUR AGREEMENTS with these social network sites. If that's too boring, at least explore the Accounts area of your "page" and set it at the level you feel comfortable with - and don't panic - Facebook really isn't going to do much more than try to serve up a bunch of targeted ads to you. I'd actually love more targeted ads. I don't need a Russian bride, thanks - but I could use a cute pair of summer shoes! Who's having a sale?

More importantly, if your kids are on Facebook, check out their settings too. Until they're 21 (ok, 18), I say you login and see what they have going on in there and set it to Friends Only. Oh, and you may want to check out their 647 closest friends, too. I can barely manage 150. Is that 47 year old man from Detroit really a friend? Ick.

The point is, if you put information up on a web site then businesses and their creators have a right to try and make a buck. I mean, what is the world, really, without a few more computer geek gazillionaires walking the planet?

Spring, glorious spring

2010-04-27T14:44:00.000-04:00

By far my favorite time of the year! Welcome spring. I feel like I've been waiting your arrival forever.

Hanging around near the White House on April vacation

Trees in full bloom for the first family

View from our front porch

The Marriage argument

2010-04-23T15:44:00.001-04:00

A friend, and devout Catholic, posted this on her Facebook profile yesterday:

"So, Larry King is getting his 8th divorce, and Elizabeth Taylor is possibly getting married for a 9th time. Jesse James and Tiger Woods are, well... you know... Even Newt Gingrich is on his 3rd marriage. Yet the idea of same-sex marriage is what is going to destroy the institution of marriage? REALLY?!?"

Bravo. It got me thinking (although I already knew how I felt about this and I'm right there with her) and I'm baffled that something as simple as a legal commitment based on love and support could ever be denied another human being. Stay out of my bedroom and I'll stay out of yours...doesn't matter who you love, it's just the fact that you do that should matter.

13 years ago

2010-04-22T09:44:00.000-04:00

We'd meet up after work almost every night. Ok, every other night. Ok, whenever.

We'd see each other in the office 5 days a week and laugh. And work. And laugh.

We'd run off to Eatzi's, Baja Fresh or Tara Thai for lunch. YUM.

We'd move each other from one apartment to another, or from one condo to a first home.

We had baby showers, wedding showers and birthday parties.

We formed a friendship in 36 short months that has lasted over ten years.

Thanks to my Mid-Atlantic friends for a wonderful reunion and making me feel 28 again :)

Disconnect to reconnect?

2010-04-16T09:47:00.000-04:00

I've been following the Phoebe Prince story with a heavy heart for a while. That poor, scared 14 year old girl in South Hadley felt she could never escape the torment of her peers so she took her own life. So incredibly tragic.

Now I'm reading that the accusers are receiving death threats. I'm also reading comments by people saying "Good. Give them a taste of their own medicine. Now they know how she felt." What?? What?? What??

We are talking about CHILDREN. Children who may or may not have know the consequences of their actions. Children who may have been bullied themselves into participating in this horrible ordeal. Children who need the support of family and the community to help right this wrong. I don't believe this is a time for "an eye for an eye". I don't think bullies should be able to walk away, but counseling, discussion and support seems like a better idea to me. Just sayin'.

Then another argument started to bubble up that really caught my attention. What are the parents on all sides of the issue doing? They are screaming for resignations. They are showing aggression and teaching their children that it is okay to shout and point fingers and BULLY the administration. Are they coming up with solutions or just trying to be sure they can place blame?

Then, the kicker...Are parents so disconnected from their kids that they don't actually see, hear or know what is going on and maybe they need to be held more accountable? And can that lack of connection be blamed, to a large extent, on technology?

When I was young, the only distraction my parents had when we were out in the car was the radio. No phone calls. No twitter. No email. No internet-on-the-go. When we went out to dinner no one whipped out their cell phone to check-in to foursquare to tout their location and win fake badges. No laptops came on vacation, or to the park, or to the beach. It didn't mean every time the 4 of us were together we had a kumbaya session, but the distractions were a minimum in comparison to today's society.

Were we more connected as a family because of fewer interruptions? I'm not sure, but boy that connection argument got me thinking. When do I disconnect? And should I do it more often to be sure I am connected to the most important job I have and that is to raise respectable, kind, compassionate kids who value human life above most other things?

I also heard a quote recently that smart phones have led to a new technology addiction. He compared it to a slot machine for a gambling addict - will the news/tweets/email/call on my phone be good or bad? The only way to find out is hit the button to find out. Let 'em roll...

Thinking....thinking hard about it all....

See you all next week!

Driving Miss Crazy

2010-04-15T09:44:00.000-04:00

I am the perfect driver.

Not according to my husband and my children who have recently started to critique my skills, but according to the Registry of Motor Vehicles.

No speeding tickets. No warnings, in fact. I was hit once from behind in Richmond, VA but barely a dent. Since November 1985 I have been a conscientious and safe driver.

If it says No Turn On Red, I obey. If I come to a Stop sign, I stop. I don't run red lights and ALWAYS use my turn signal. No joke; humongous pet peeve of mine - it's strategically placed on the steering column - how hard is it to flip up and down??

I will admit, I do not drive the speed limit and will often text at red lights. Fault me for that, but catch me if you can.

Now, let's all knock on some wood. Thanks.

I don't boast about my 25 yr driving record because I think I'm the epitome of the perfect driver, I simply bring it up because it scares the crap out of me who is on the road these days.

Take the nut case this morning who got completely flustered when he heard sirens, sort of ran a red light, changed his mind, backed up a little bit but not enough to get out of the middle of the intersection, and then left his car in reverse waiting for the green light. We all saw his little white lights and KNEW as soon as the light turned green he'd be jetting backwards. We were right.

Luckily, I was two cars away and as soon as he felt his car going in the wrong direction he fixed it, but seriously dude. What were you thinking?

So I propose that not only the elderly, but ever driver get retested ever 10 years. Yup. Even me. Heck, we can make it an online thing or simulated test and the real deal every 20 years.

If you get your license at age 17, you go back at 27, 37, 47, 57, etc. Imagine how many drunks and drug addicts we could get off the road with this method - and trust me they are out there - I read the Police Logs.

Charlie shows up for his test after a nice, late night at the local tavern reeking of the $1 draft special. Suspended, dude - thanks for playing. Or the heroin addict that comes in with the shakes and sees hallucinations while parallel parking. Buh-bye. Get off my roads.

I know, I know. You're thinking, "It costs money. It'll back up the system. People will skip the tests. It'll do blah, blah, blah". Step up people. Be responsible and quit complaining every time the rules-as-you-know-them change. Don't throw the "I have a right" bologna this way - I have a right to be safe on the roads without wondering if you know what the hell you're doing behind the wheel. Prove you're a good driver, if you think you are one. (Feels like a Bobby Flay style driving challenge)

Remember, as with pregnancy, it only takes ONE positive test to get a license. After that, you are on your own.

That is my random sampling of one - but just wanted to share. And I'll be on hiatus for a few days as we reconnect with some friends we haven't seen in years.

Surrounded by miracles

2010-04-13T10:36:00.000-04:00

Recently, I posted this about a woman I knew who was in a horrible horseback riding accident. We had reconnected via email and were planning to get together.

What I never blogged about, however, was my other girlfriend who was in a terrible car accident right before Christmas. She was pulling out of a parking lot and was hit straight on by a police cruiser going at a high rate of speed.

The pictures from the accident on the front page of our local paper were horrific. She, thankfully, drove a car they say saved her life that afternoon, but to see it all mangled with the roof cut off and a picture of her being air lifted to a Boston hospital really shook me. In fact, my husband was stuck in the traffic caused by the accident but unaware it was Angela.

I've never asked her for details, but I do know she said she had stopped to let him go by and for some reason she remembers him coming straight at her on the drivers side. He was checked out and released. My girlfriend wasn't so lucky. [No, he never called or stopped by to check in on her, in case you were wondering.]

She is really one of the most giving people I know and the accident happened 3 days before Christmas, her absolute favorite holiday. The irony was sickening and I knew she'd be laying in a hospital on her most cherished family day.

Now the good part of these stories.

Kerri, who was thrown from the horse, met a girlfriend and I for some appetizers and drinks (she has to pass on the alcohol now) and she looked FANTASTIC!

The only way you'd ever know she is recovering from a traumatic brain injury is because her speech is slightly slurred, but she has most of her memory back, is walking on her own, can drive again and is DETERMINED to wear high heels to a friend's wedding in June.

To say she is a miracle is an understatement. She explained to us that she technically died after being thrown from the horse and a passerby in a car saw the commotion and stopped - that passerby just happened to be an ER nurse from Brigham and Women's Hospital (where Kerri was later air lifted to, ironically!) and she performed CPR on the spot which saved Kerri's life.

Yes, they do stay in touch. Yes, you should learn CPR. Yes, I believe nurses and teachers are out most under appreciated professionals on the planet.

She also explained she was kicked straight to the front of her head by the horse so she no longer has a sense of smell or taste. She has to remind herself to eat every 3 hours because without smell and taste she doesn't know when she's hungry. Crazy weight loss method, I know! Those senses will never come back. She actually laughs about it.

She's still in Physical Therapy to regain simple motions like raising her right hand up above her head (and the balance thing, hence her determination to learn how to walk in heels) and she told hysterical stories about how that area of the brain also controls aggression so she was saying some nasty things as she was recovering. Hard to imagine given her demeanor. A miracle.

As for Angela, the impact of the car crash had broken her pelvis in a couple of places and had broken her neck. She endured a few surgeries to put in pins and rods in her pelvic area. She was unable to sleep on her side because of a neck brace she had to wear to bed to keep her neck straight, and because of the pain. She was moved to a rehab facility around the new year and then home 6 weeks later because insurance refused to let her stay longer - I won't get on my healthcare soapbox, I promise, but seriously??

I visited her at her home in February and she was in a wheel chair. She was thankful to be out of the neck brace and miraculously she wasn't paralyzed. She remembers everything about her accident. She looked weak when I visited, but she was so determined to get better.

Well, get better she did. Last Tuesday Angela walked into my house, on her own, no cane or walker, and all put back together with a smile and a hug. She's slowly returning back to work as a real estate agent (highly recommended as she found us our current house) and she's getting back behind the wheel. She's a bit nervous about the driving part and has been practicing in her neighborhood - I can't imagine the scars from an accident like that - but is confident she'll be cruising in her new car in no time.

It's a miracle she's alive, let alone getting back to life as she knew it before the accident. It will be a while before she has full motion in her neck, but she's not letting that stop her. She insists her 5 year old grandson is the reason she survived - she wants nothing more than to see him do great things and she wasn't ready to miss out on any of it.

Now, whenever I'm feeling sorry for myself I have two miracles I can think of to remind me that I have it pretty damn good. I should stop complaining; stop whining; stop acting like I have it so hard and move forward. I have inspiration to draw from - two very strong women. How lucky am I?

Whose job is this anyway?

2010-04-09T10:31:00.002-04:00

On a recent ride home, the kids started discussing work and jobs and how things were divided between men and women. It was all based on pure observation of how our household runs and I found it quite enlightening.

For example, men don't plant. Women do. Why? Because Daddy never plants anything but Mommy does. Huh?

Girls can do anything that boys do except play hockey and football. Boys can do anything girls can do except have babies. Interesting. Almost true.

In our house, chores are divided between two working parents. Mom is in charge of cooking, shopping (food and clothes), landscaping/gardening, majority of the cleaning/tidying around the house and decorating/redecorating (what? that's a chore!).

Dad is in charge of dishes, laundry (kids and adults), some cleaning (particularly the kitty litter - yuck), mowing the grass/raking and as Alex calls it "Mr. Fix-it stuff".

We all share in cleaning the table after dinner, feeding the dog and cat, letting the dog out, chasing the cat after she gets out, and *some* cleaning up after ourselves; coats on the hangers, clothes in the hamper, toys put away, shoes on the mats.

This topic came up again recently after I slammed my finger in the steel door leading to the garage - uhm, yeah it hurt a lot - and Abby offered to help cook dinner while I tried to keep the obscenities from leaving my mouth. Alex quickly realized he wanted to contribute, too, so he asked to do the dishes. He knew this was one of the "Daddy tasks" and he was ready to prepare for his role in life...good man.

How do you divide the jobs in your house? Should you? Or did it just come about naturally, like ours did?

Morning runner

2010-04-07T09:40:00.000-04:00

You'd never know it by my blog or my schedule, but I did manage to complete the first week of C25K training and I discovered something very important about myself - I can't run at night.

Squeezing in a piddly 3 days at the gym last week was almost impossible. Power outages. Holidays. Weather. You name it, it all seemed to get in my way. But I did manage to do it and the day of the power outage I realized I should never, ever run at the end of my day.

By the time I hit the gym at 8:00 p.m. on April Fools (what a joke!) I was tired, full, and not at all in the mind set to try and walk/jog/walk/jog/walk/jog. About 10 minutes in I was ready to shout obsenities and jump off the treadmill.

Then I realized something else, I don't follow directions very well.

Where does it say "increase your incline" in the C25K book? No where. So why did I do it that night? Don't know.

I think because I've been doing the elliptical for so long at a higher Level, and when I did incorporate "speed walking" to my routine I always increased the incline to feel a better burn, I figured it was all the same with this program...but this jogging thing is a whole new adventure and pushing the button to a 3 incline was stupid.

So on day 3 of week 1 I kept the incline at the lowest possible option. I felt in control. I jogged more than I walked. I jogged longer than the suggested 20 minutes. I jogged at a pace of 5.0! It was also in the morning and apparently my tired, over 40 year old legs like that much better than trying to jog so close to my old lady bed time.

Tomorrow - day 1 of week 2!

Thank you for 75 degrees, Easter Bunny!

2010-04-05T12:02:00.002-04:00

Not sure where you were for Easter but we hope you had a wonderful day. We were home in the morning opening the bunny loot then off to the coast of Maine in the afternoon...at the beach...in the water...in early April...SCORE!

Baskets were filled!

Jelly Bean hunt inside (Easter Bunny is always worried about critters and bad weather to do hunts outside - and apparently my son isn't quite awake yet. Nice face. Or bad photographer.)

Check every crevice

Strolling the Atlantic leaving footprints in the sand

She really wishes she had her bathing suit

Sandy toes to end a great day

Off the beaten path

2010-04-02T16:03:00.000-04:00

Today I was reminded how incredibly boring my daily commutes are.

A couple of days a week, in the morning, I drive less than a mile to the gym, hit the donut shop drive thru for my super sized Diet Coke, then home.

I sit at my computer all day and then drive 2 miles to the after school building to pick up the kids. Then we drive the 2 miles home.

Depending on my day, I may take a right instead of a left to head home and swing by Super Stop & Shop to grab a few items - but only if I think the kids will withstand the 10 mins without meltdowns in the chip aisle.

At lunch I sometimes hit Target, again another couple of miles back and forth.

And then there are my bi-monthly visits to my PR firm which is no more than 5 miles down the road.

Boring and basic, wouldn't you say?

Well, today you would have thought I took the kids on a safari adventure. I forgot I promised them a treat on the way home from after school so I took a quick left down the first side street I saw so I could turn around and my son screams out, "Oh man! Cooool!! I didn't know you could that!"

I asked him, "Do what?"

He said, "Go down this street. It's like we live some place new. Awesome!"

After executing my 3 point turn I realized, I gotta spice up our commutes more. Maybe next week I'll bang a U-turn and see what they do...

I'm not laughing

2010-04-01T07:55:00.001-04:00

Joke's on me.

I woke up a little early today for two specific reasons:

1. To check email because the big boss in the UK was going to have a meeting this morning but as of last night I hadn't heard what time. And with my luck, he'd pick 7:00 a.m. ET and I'd miss it and hear about it for days.

2. Today was my planned day two of C25K training. I'm actually excited to do this running thing.

What happened? Oh, at 6:48 a.m. ET big boss decided he needed to go to London and canceled the meeting, and after getting myself all pumped up to get to the gym for day two, I cross the bridge to the other side of town and there is no power.

No working traffic lights. No gas stations open. No gym open. Funny, the donut/coffee shop was still serving food and super sized lattes without power. Nothing stops that guy from waking people up on the way to work.

So, I turned back around and here I sit. It's going to be a fun April 1, I can just tell!!! If only I had the nerve (and a stop watch) to try running out on the pavement. Shivers.

Something happened on the way to size 18

2010-03-31T12:15:00.000-04:00

I quit on me.

I decided that after carrying and delivering two children over 3 years that I had a right to be larger than I was in my 20's - MUCH larger. I deserved ice cream for dessert every night, cheese and crackers as a snack in front of the TV, and an appetizer with every meal at a restaurant! Bring on the loaded potato skins.

And then I had my 20 year high school reunion. And I met Rob Thomas back stage at a concert. And suddenly the woman I saw in the pictures from those two events horrified me.

Who was she? Where did those jowls come from? And that back fat? And those thighs??? No wonder Rob didn't want to ravage me upon sight...yeah, that must be the reason why. Nothing to do with his solid marriage to a former model. Sorry, I digress, again.

It wasn't easy getting back on track and putting my health first, but hubby and I started to watch everything we put in our mouths and did a weigh in each week. The good ole' weight watchers style. I wrote down my food intake (I don't think he did) and I joined a gym. A gym without the grunting body builders but the one with the fancy old ladies that use the treadmill with their coiffed hair and full on makeup. My kind of girls.

And before I knew it the weight started to come off. Salads for lunch every day weren't so bad if you added fun things like almonds, a little feta, grilled chicken, corn, peas, bean sprouts, olives or roasted red peppers. Who said it had to be lettuce, cukes and tomatoes each time?

I used spinach instead of lettuce. Zucchini instead of cucumbers. And decided that my beloved Ranch dressing was okay as long as the other items in the salad weren't fried, cheesy or loaded with mayo (i.e. chicken salad and tuna salad were a downfall for me!)

Within a year I lost 25 lbs. Over 2 years some weight has come back on and my body shape changes and morphs as I get older, but last time I checked few grandmothers have the body shape they had at 25. And if they did, they paid for it.

I do regret giving all those size 12 clothes away when I quit on me. I could use them right now!! Down 3 sizes feels pretty darn nice. My goal going forward is maintenance - and not getting on that scale too often. It's not the number, but the feeling from within. I need health to live longer, not a 130 lb goal weight. I'll always have rolls at my tummy - I've never had or needed 6 pack abs. I'll be soft, not firm. But I'm cool with that.

Tomorrow is Day Two of the C25K challenge I've taken on to fight the gym boredom. One can only bond with an elliptical so much before time starts to stand still. I tried the rowing machine and it didn't work so great with my back. So, it's time to spice it up. I can jog. I know I can!!

I run, therefore I am.

2010-03-29T18:13:00.001-04:00

I can say that now, right? I mean I'm starting to run and so that counts.

This lovely lady got me thinking. Then this one got me thinking some more. And now it's all I think about. I've actually had vivid dreams of running where I am breathing properly, keeping a good pace and then I take flight and can't get back down to earth so I wake myself up. Flying like a bird is scary, man.

But I'm not going to be scared off and I'm really gonna give it a go. What better gift to myself for my birthday than to try and get a little more fit this year and go ~~break~~ out on a limb and try to turn myself from an "elipticaler" to a 5K "runner"?

Day One: I used the Couch to 5K plan as guidance and already screwed it up. Instead of 60 seconds of jogging and 90 seconds of walking, I did it the other way.

I'll try to track my progress during the week. I'm supposed to go 3 times a week with a little break in between. My next possible day at the gym is Thursday morning - I got my roots colored today and I'll be damned if I sweat with my pretty, straight, silky locks. I need to enjoy a couple days without the frizz.

Thuffering Thucatash

2010-03-29T11:49:00.002-04:00

As a parent you try not to traumatize your children whenever possible. But at the same time you need to keep their best interest in mind. So if telling them that there are mean, bad people in the world who will snatch them away from their home keeps them from approaching a stranger in a car, well then you do it.

And if their unexplained fear of losing a tooth that's hanging by a thread creates an unhealthy mouth, weeks of fighting, and tons of tears then you just need to straddle them, tell them you love them, and rip it out of their mouth. Right? Right?!

The 30 seconds of fear in her eyes as hubby and I tag teamed her like wrestling pros was replaced with lots of bouncing smiles, funny faces pushing her tongue through the space and several exclamations during the day of, "It so much better now that my tooth is out." The tooth fairy cash helped, too.

In all honesty, when it was all over, I think I was more traumatized at having to do it than she was at having it done...and her little brother was gasping in horror so we know we won't have the same problems with him when it comes to those wiggly, wobbly teeth! Carry on...no judging necessary.

Lunch, party of one

2010-03-26T14:37:00.000-04:00

I'm a part-time Mom, full-time employee. It's sad really. The hours I spend in front of a computer clearly outnumber the hours I spend with my kids. I'm a forty-plus-hours a week worker and some of that is by design, simply because I have access to work all the time since I do it from home. It doesn't really turn off.

At night, once the kids are tucked away in bed, I can return to the glow of the computer monitor and check emails, respond to inquiries and update anything that needs updating. I can wake up and log on before I've even put in my contact lenses or changed out of my PJs. And when I travel to the office for visits, I'm gone before the kids are dressed and I rush back to pick them up, only to spend a few hours with them until their bed time.

In reality, we wouldn't be spending 10 hours a day together anyway, I mean they are in school and that takes up 6 hours of their day - but unlike the other kids that walk off the bus at 2:00 into the arms of their Mom or Dad, mine are kept at the daycare program so I can get a couple of more hours into my work schedule.

And yet, even though I have all this "alone" time while I work - no co-workers knocking at my office door or clients clamoring on the phone - I still have to get out by myself. Away from the home office. Away from the hum of my laptop. I don't feel like I spend enough time with my kids, yet I also feel like I don't spend enough time with Me. It's a weird struggle because while I'm not being a Mom during the day, I'm also not being an individual. I'm being an employee and that's not my time - it's the company's time.

So, every few weeks I take myself out to lunch. Just me. I don't tell anyone at work. I don't invite anyone to join me. I usually go to a local restaurant and sit at the bar, watch ESPN on their TV, and eat alone. With my thoughts. And my guilt. And french fries with a side of ranch dressing to dip.

I can't do it all and I hope my kids know that the hours we spend apart aren't a reflection of my love, just of a choice. A choice I hope I don't regret and that I hope they understand.

People from the past

2010-03-24T12:00:00.012-04:00

I've been finding myself stopping during the day recently, staring out the window of my office, and thinking, "Gee, I wonder how so-and-so is doing".

I pretty sure I can blame it on Facebook - it seems over the past year I've spent more and more time reading statuses from high school friends I haven't seen in ~~15,~~ 20 25 years, or co-workers from a decade ago. I have been able to catch up with people who have moved cross country or have stayed right where I saw them last. And the pictures of their growing families are great. It has been pretty fun visiting the past.

But then there are those people in my life that I didn't necessarily spend a lot of time with - but knew for one reason or another - who seem to pop into my brain every now and again. And one of those people has resurfaced and I'm so excited, because more often than I realized, I wondered how she was doing.

Kerri wasn't a friend, if you were to look up the definition of a friend, but for a couple of years we did spend every 6 to 8 weeks together for an hour or two, laughing and talking about life. Come on ladies, who else could it be? My hairdresser!

She became my hair stylist after the guy I was going to couldn't seem to get me back home in under 3 hours. She was new to the salon and after having to rebook a couple of times with her boss, I decided I'd just stick with her because I really enjoyed her company and she was genuinely a good kid. Seems weird, but I always wished the best for her. The relationship she had with her family was refreshing and she had a really smart head on her shoulders.

Then, I believe it was the spring of 2006 (remember, I'm the chick who is lucky she remembers the year her children were born, so dates and I don't always match up), I got a message about an upcoming appointment with Kerri. There had been an accident. She wasn't going to be able to do my hair so they needed to reschedule. A million things from "fender bender" to "fall down the stairs" ran through my mind. I wondered what had happened.

As I soon learned, this vibrant, funny, giggly, 20-something year old had been the victim of a truly fluke accident. She had decided it would be neat to learn to horseback ride and during one of her sessions - with a helmet on - she got tossed by the horse and subsequently kicked in the head. She was flown to a hospital in Boston where she stayed for weeks and weeks with her brain swollen, unable to speak, walk or move much. She wasn't paralyzed but those first few updates on her condition were heartwrenching.

She eventually returned to her parents home and last I had heard was walking with a cane, had lost some motor control and was suffering from speech impediments.

I stopped going to the salon where she had worked, because quite simply, without her laugh and presence it wasn't a relaxing place to be and I figured she wouldn't be returning.

Flash forward to Monday and a good friend of mine, who also knew her, dropped me an email to say that she had run into Kerri while out to eat on Saturday and she was asking about me. I smiled. And got a tear in my eye. The update sounded great. She was walking on her own. Looked healthy. Had left the salon and was moving on to new things. And according to Kerri, it was a very big step that she recognized my friend and approached her. To quote her, "I will mark this in my book." So how blessed did I feel that she remembered me; some random client from years ago?

I got her email address and dropped her a note. She wrote back almost instantly, attaching two pictures of her and her new pug puppy. She sounds fantastic and we're planning on meeting for lunch soon.

I can't wait just to give her a hug. It was a great reminder that even if you don't spend years, months, or every day with someone, you can still leave an impression - and hopefully it's a good one - so when someone from the past comes to pay a visit, you can pick up right where you left off.

Seven sleepless nights

2010-03-19T12:06:00.001-04:00

Starting last Thursday, our family was hit by a mother's most feared terrorist; the stomach flu. The "I have no control over either end" type of flu.

The little lady fell victim the first 2 1/2 days which meant all hands were on deck listening for footsteps in the middle of the night heading to the bathroom, or moans from the bedroom. Someone had to be ready to hold her hair back, or comfort her that she would be okay. Never a tear, God Bless her.

As soon as real food was back in her stomach, the little man fell hard Sunday night. His bout only lasted 24 hours, but again, ears peaked at any little sound, including the cat just wandering the house at 2 a.m. You never knew who it was going to be...or what was going to happen.

By Tuesday night, Mr. Man wasn't feeling so hot. Both the kids were on the mend - sleeping, eating, playing in sunshine. So, that evening I "slept" on the couch to avoid the germs and listened to the floors creak upstairs with his every rush to the porcelain god. All told, I think I squeezed in about 4 hours of sleep that night.

Then Wednesday evening if was my turn. This time, I sent him downstairs and I commanded the bedroom and master bath as my quarantined area. I never really slept, being woken every hour by the reminder of the long, drawn out battle.

By Thursday, I put the window in our bedroom up just a touch so I could at least listen to the nice weather outside...but didn't dare open the shades as the sunshine hurt my head too much. Aches, pains, throbbing sinuses on top of the stomach flu made for a joyous spring afternoon.

Then the call from the kid's after school - little man lost a fight with diarrhea. Hubby had stayed home one extra day to relax and be sure he was okay, so he was sent to pick the little guy up. Appears to have been short lived as he was back to normal by last night.

I emerged for about 15 mins last night to catch the kids in their shorts, complete with stark white legs, rushing out side like it was the first day of summer vacation (I would have shared a picture with you because it was pretty funny - but this sick thing got in the way). It sounded like a nice day outside, and I'm thankful the rain had passed and they could get out to avoid any further contamination.

So that brings us to today. Friday. Eight days after the first battle. I am sitting upright. Eating toast, rice krispies and sipping water. The kids went to school, hubby to work. I'm catching up on emails but trying not to stay vertical for too long - this HAS to be the end of it all. Plus, I hear Saturday may hit 70 and dog-gone-it I will enjoy ONE of these spring days before the temps come crashing down again.

My friends and family, put your guard up if you see it hitting your homestead - this little bugger took 4 people down in 7 days - it's not fooling around. Tonight, I hope and pray we all get a full night's sleep!

Made my day

2010-03-16T09:59:00.000-04:00

I'd like a weekend do-over, please

2010-03-15T10:04:00.001-04:00

After RAVING about our wonderful weekend last week, I will just say this weekend SUCKED. Big ole sucky, sucked.

1. Endless rain and wind for days. Plus, unreliable sump pumps kept hubby up every 2 hours with the panic of another flooded basement.

2. Puke, puke and more puke. What started on Thursday night as a stomach bug for Abby and lasted through Saturday, also turned into a stomach bug for Alex by Sunday evening. I don't think I've slept through the night since last Wednesday. Next?!

3. Can I take my head off my shoulders? Because if I can't breathe and can't shake this sinus headache, I would prefer to not have it attached to my body. Do you hear that? Thump, thump...thump, thump...thump, thump. Just my sinuses POUNDING in my ears. And how do I run out of Sudafed in my house, when I need it most?

4. Another tree down. The final row of hemlocks that shielded us from a straight-on view into our neighbor's kitchen is offiicially toppled over. Hi neighbors! Hello! Can you see me now? Yes, that's how I look in the morning. Scary, right?

5. Daylight Savings Time. As if all of this wasn't enough for one weekend, I had to lose an hour of sleep that I wasn't getting anyway.

Boston you're my home

2010-03-11T12:02:00.001-05:00

We decided to venture out to Boston last Saturday, mainly because the forecast was for sunny skies and warm temperatures, but also because we've been slipping lately with our Friday Family Fun Nights. Seems the weekdays get away from us and suddenly it's 8:30 on a Friday and we're rounding up the kids for bed. Plus, this winter we were overloaded on the weekends with ski, skate and swim. It was our first Saturday in a while without anything on the books for a change.

So we spent all afternoon disconnected from the computers, TV and DVD players and enjoyed a stroll around our fair, little city.

We started our day at the Boston Fire Museum down by the Children's Museum on Congress St. I had one goal - stay outside. I didn't want to find myself inside on a sunny, warm spring day (only exclusion was grabbing something to eat at the Sinatra Brunch at Lucky's - kids complained the Frank impersonator was singing too loud).

The Boston Fire Museum is small, but free, however they do take donations. And they have the pump trucks from the 1800's which the kids thought were very cool. Along with displays of old helmets, badges and memorabilia.

We then walked towards the water to inspect the new buildings that seem to be popping up everywhere along the Seaport area. That landscape sure has changed since 1994.We showed the kids where Mommy and Daddy met at work...and where we met Uncle Fugi, Uncle Ben, Mr & Mrs. Black, Auntie Jocelyn, Uncle Dave, Fairly Odd Mother and Father, Lily & Paige's Mommy...ahhh the list went on and on.

After the stroll down memory lane, we made our way along Rowe's Wharf where my son was excited to see the guy from 'The Suite Life of Zack and Cody" at the Boston Harbor Hotel. We are assuming he was referring to the Bell Captain - but we're not totally sure. There were some people tooling around on Segways which looked like great fun. Too bad those never really hit mainstream.

There was a police boat cruising the harbor as we made our way along the water. That's all my son needed to see to make his afternoon complete. We continued our stroll over to the Aquarium where the line was one that could rival the lines during summer vacation - so we took in some time with the seals out front while they were fed and did some tricks.

One promise I made last year (and the year before) to my daughter was that we'd take a horse drawn carriage ride around Boston one day. So when she saw them parked out front of the Aquarium, her face lit up. I, of course, insisted there were more over by Fanueil Hall so we continued our stroll across the street to the Rose Kennedy Greenway. I'm still amazed that was the smelly, old, crumbling Expressway. They have done an amazing job of creating walkways, parks and seating all along the surface road. It was so pretty.

Across the way was the entrance to Fanueil Hall, where we took in a street performer on a pole, juggling knives. In my traditional fashion, I saw tragedy so I kept trying to get the kids to back away a bit. He was pretty entertaining.

Naturally, the horse and carriages I imagined on the other side of Fanueil Hall were not there, but we did find some tucked away by Sissy K's and the Hong Kong (which sadly is still boarded up from a fire. RIP old happy hour memories). Note: the carriages by the Aquarium are 100 times nicer, but a promise is a promise and she wanted in on one of those buggies, so off we went.

Our horse went nice and slow, so we got to enjoy the sights of all the closed office buildings and restaurants in Post Office Square. But seriously, it was cool to just trot around the side roads and get off our feet. The rest of our afternoon was spent wandering around Fanueil Hall, enjoying some ice cream and cookies for dessert, and picking up a few gifts from our trip.

At the end of our day, we made our way back over to Congress St. via the Intercontinental Hotel for a potty break. Abby was fascninated at how soft the paper towels were in the ladies room. I told her to work hard and aim high in life and she could have those same towels in her own bathroom. She had no clue what I was talking about, but did exclaim she wanted to move to Boston with her husband some day so she has a dream - those are important. Alex saw another guy from "The Suite Life of Zack and Cody" at this hotel, too.

The best part of the whole day was that we spent almost all of it outside, strolling and observing the city before the rush of tourists sets in. No real plan. Just the family spending time together in Boston, for no particular reason.

The sigh heard round the world

2010-03-08T13:13:00.001-05:00

Oh yea, people...that huge sigh you heard on Saturday was the collective "Yes!" coming from the suburb-dwellers of New England.

If you weren't here to enjoy it, you missed a great spring weekend! We know better than to get too excited, but it felt fantastic to walk around outside without boots, hats, mittens, scarves and heavy jackets. The kids played. The adults ~~drank~~ relaxed. The burgers and dogs hit the grill.

The neighborhood seemed to wake up from it's sleepy, winter slumber as every one emerged from hibernation. And except for the man who cut me off today, and then proceeded to block me in while he rolled down his window to scream a myriad of insults and profanities at me, the world seems happier, alive and ~~pale~~ ready to welcome the rebirth season.

So, as I write this blog with a sense of calm and relief that we could be rounding the corner, I am reminded of the snow storm of April 1, 1997 that dumped 3 feet of snow the day before we were to leave on a trip to Texas...I hope the next sigh you hear from New England isn't the "Come on!" one as we're shoveling one last time.

Get out! Enjoy it while it lasts!!!!

Big business meets inspiration

2010-03-03T10:36:00.000-05:00

I have about 3 or 4 TV shows that I watch religiously; they all happen to fall on Sunday nights. They are left over from my solo Sunday nights when my husband used to work the overnight shift. They are the shows that would keep me company after I put the kids to bed and needed a little time to myself to regroup for the hectic Monday morning schedule.

So after the Super Bowl when I sat intently watching a new Sunday program Undercover Boss, I thought, "I can't get sucked into another show on Sunday nights." Too bad, sister, I can't stop watching it.

Luckily, it's available online so during a lunch break here or there I get caught up on the episodes, but if you haven't watched it yet, it's worth viewing. In a sentence, it's C-level execs of HUGE consumer-facing companies that go undercover to see how the employees out in the field feel about the corporate office, and to see if there are ways to improve business. The sad part is if it's successful, it's going to be hard for season 2 to fool anyone when a stranger shows up saying they have a camera crew with them as a documentary to view entry level employees trying to find work.

Having been a white collar worker most of my life, I'm always fascinated by the employees and jobs that keep our great country moving forward. I will always appreciate my early working years as a waitress which began when I was 14 1/2 and ended at 23. That job seriously taught me how to communicate with any type of person from any background; how to react to unpleasant situations (say, perhaps, you spill a whole glass of tomato juice on a customer) and how difficult it is for service companies to survive.

The workers profiled out in the field during this show are inspiring. Could you spend hours during your work day straightening cheese onto burgers as they come off a huge conveyor belt? Or how about urinating in a can because you are a female trash collector and potty breaks throw your schedule off track and could get you in trouble? Could you be in charge of cleaning the port-o-potty at an amusement park, all the while joking and smiling and being thankful you have a job? Or stuff hamburger buns into a bag (it was apparently much harder than it looked)?

Sometimes I forget how comfy my desk chair is - and how I'm able to start work and end it according to my schedule - or how I can stop and chit chat with a colleague without worrying about clocking in and out, down to the minute. I know I'm fortunate, but what I do for work doesn't feed America, keep it clean, save the planet or make much difference to the world outside of my house.

So, thank you to all the workers out there who do the tasks that go completely unseen by many - yet keep the system working so the American Dream lives on. The jobs I've never had to consider applying for, yet are the jobs that help people keep their homes, feed their families and move industry forward.

And a little thanks to CBS for reminding me that this country is made up of all types of workers - with all types of stories of their own.

The Generation Gap

2010-02-27T15:19:00.000-05:00

It appears the generation gap is shrinking these days. I have more in common with my parents and children than ever before. In what ways?

My Mom is officially on Facebook. She has accumulated 3 friends so far. That is as of 3:00 on Saturday, February 27. Go Pat!

My dad will go out to his SUV (the same model we now own - see the gap shrinking?) after a storm rolls through and they lose phone and cable. Why? Because he's cooler than us and has a phone number just for his SUV through OnStar.

My grandmother is a little frustrated by her TV in her den. It's not an LCD TV like the one in her living room. She's also been contemplating getting on the internet because "You can't do a God damn thing without an email address." (Her words, not mine.)

My son wants the Lady GaGa CD for his CD player in his room. If he's going to take to Pop music, I hope he can find the rhythm needed to do it proud, just like his mother has. Bwahahaha!!

My daughter asked me to put the news on her radio last night when she went to bed. I found the NH NPR station - and 2 mins after I turned it on, they cut to a infomercial about inflamed prostate treatments. While I appreciate her efforts to learn about the world, I'm keeping the prostate gap RIGHT where it is. Back to Disney CDs!

Oh, and one last little, semi-related story. While my son was eating breakfast this morning, this is what we overheard coming from the table:

"Mmmmm...Yeeaahhh. That feels awesome. It's so warm when I stick my finger in it."

He was talking about the yoke of his fried egg...I leave you with that.

Dodge Ad: Shed a tear for the guys

2010-02-23T12:20:00.003-05:00

This commercial irked me the first time I saw it during the Super Bowl. I was hoping it was a one time showing. But now that an abridged version greets me at various times of the day on TV I'm even more offended by Dodge. It's a shame men have it so hard these days. I mean all that pressure to co-exist with the women they're in love with must be tough. Buy a Charger. It'll make you feel better. Idiots.

So I was more than pleased when I discovered Woman's Last Stand as a rebuttal. I mean, seriously, at the end of the day the list of the sacrifices that are made by both men and women could go on and on...but I'm glad someone took note of the idiocricy of the original ad and poked fun at it.

*note: little profanity at the end but we can all use an f-bomb in our life every now and then

Get me outta this sweater!

2010-02-17T11:27:00.000-05:00

I'm grateful for winter clothes that are big and bulky and can hide the added cushion during the cold winter months. Between Thanksgiving and Valentine's Day it seems we are given ample opportunity to eat poorly and pack on some extra blubber to keep us warm. It's the New England way of life.

But around this time I start to get a little tired of pulling on pilly sweaters and heavy pants. My feet are sick of being crammed in boots and fuzzy slippers. I've officially hit my "sick of winter wardrobe" time and long for flip flops, crop pants and short sleeves.

With that being said, I better start to long more for the gym and a fresh glow from sunshine, otherwise the yearly sighting of the Sierra Whale emerging from hibernation will be more than many can handle. Fifteen weeks til bathing suit season? *Screeeech*

Study Group

2010-02-12T10:47:00.000-05:00

This morning before leaving for school and work, we were studying for our first grade religion test. I say "our" test because I'm learning right along with my 7 year old, as is her younger brother who loves to sit and listen intently.

This week's test is on the seven sacraments. You know them, right. Yeah, well I thought I did too, but man was I wrong. I don't remember one called the Holy Orders? But now I do and I'm hopeful my daugther knows them well enough to pass her test.

And while studying we were discussing how we show our love through words, singing and actions.She explained that there is a thing that you pull down in church when it's time to kneel and so that's an action. Close enough.

Then we talked about the special symbols in church which help us share God's love and they can include candles for light, bread for the Eucharist, grapes and wine...

Leave it to Mr. Never-Miss-An-Opportunity to blurt something out before I was even able to get the "..ine" out of my mouth:

"Hey Mommy! Wine? You drink wine! You drink wine!"

"Yes, buddy, you're right. And that apparently makes your Mommy a very good Catholic."

I love study group....

Suburban Updates

2010-02-10T09:34:00.001-05:00

Looking for some juicy, drama-filled neighborhood updates like you find on Desperate Housewive's Wisteria Lane? Well, you're out of luck. Nothing like that here. But I have been a little busy so I thought I'd just share the fun tid-bits from our month so far.

Have I mentioned I'm currently dwelling with the Student of the Month? No. I didn't share that news? I must have. Well it's true!! And I'm ecstatic because she reeeeallllyyy needed that boost from school and it has been a complete turn around since early January.

The SOTM (student of the month) has been bringing home these puppies, too:

Yes, that's a 100 and not the only one she's brought home recently. Buh-bye 12's, 13's and 40's (for now anyway)

Also, we've all started wearing rubber soles and have stopped wearing fleece. It's a tad dry around these parts:

It's Electric!!

Little guy is thriving in skating lessons. Okay, not thriving - more like surviving - but he seems to like it:

What? What are you laughing at? Oh, I know. His big helmet, right? Yeah, looks kind of funny. (p.s. he's moved onto using crates for balance. This shot is purely blackmail for his first date)

Other than that, the kids have started up skiing again, but it was too damn cold to try and use the camera last Sunday to share with you, so maybe we'll get some money shots this weekend for a future post.

Everyone is looking forward to February vacation - hubby took the week off too. I"ll be working most of the week so no vacation for me. Luckily I have Monday off so we'll do something fun in the snow - or on the cement depending on how the latest snow storm tracks.

Happy February!!! And give your loved ones an extra squeeze on Sunday for Valentine's Day.

Go out and play on the hard, solid dirt

2010-02-05T13:49:00.000-05:00

You done with this winter yet? I sure am.

Especially as I hear from friends in the Mid-Atlantic region who are bracing for another blizzard to make this officially the snowiest winter on record for them. I mean, what's up with that? How did they get all the snow this year? Care to share just a little?

All we got was a few dumps of the white stuff in December and then icy tundra-like cold for the next 6 weeks that only froze up what was left of the white stuff after a freak 50 degree day and then created rock solid, frozen dirt.

Can't send the kids out to play because who wants to play outside in 12 degree weather on an ice covered film of snow covered in frozen dog poops - oops, sorry, too much information?

I will complete this rant with an upbeat thought: Punksutawny Phil is only right 38% of the time, so the odds are good we won't have 6 more weeks of winter - unless you live in Washington D.C.

Note to self: You are lame

2010-02-01T11:28:00.001-05:00

So, guess who gets to go to Daisy's tonight? I know - I'm LAME. Say it with me L-A-M-E! Remember this? Well, the troop leader's husband called me out on it and now I'm going to admit it to the blogosphere - we're not following through. Damn blog. Oh, Hi Chris! *wave*

But when the little lady came bouncing home with a 100 on a test that she studied really hard on, and an 80 on a surprise quiz - welllll - we still held the possibility of missing Daisy's over her head all weekend to keep her in line - but we caved.

Plus, it's Catholic School week so in celebration they have the night off from homework, which makes a huge difference because she won't be completely overloaded from her day.

It just seems that coming off of the weekend with a full day at school, an hour at after school, the hour at Daisy's and her usual homework tasks makes for an unusually combative daughter by dinner. And tears by bed time.

Do you have one day of the week that seems to push your kid over the edge? And are you a big wuss like me and can't follow through.....? Support me here people...please...

Follow through is the hardest thing to do

2010-01-29T11:51:00.000-05:00

I'm not good at follow through. That being said, I'm pretty organized as far as appointments, work tasks and social activities. But when it comes to following through on the "I mean it this time" stuff, I stink.

How many times have you said to your children, "If you don't finish all your dinner, you won't get desert!", only to hand over something sweet less than 30 minutes later?

Or how about, "If you don't get upstairs right now and put your PJ's on, you'll go to bed 1/2 hour earlier tomorrow night!", only to completely forget that claim the next night until the kids are having a meltdown because it's 10 minutes past their normal bed time. Me? Constantly.

And now I"m faced with a child who is not enjoying school, AT ALL, and leveraging no extra curricular activities against improving grades is becoming the norm.

I'm struggling because on one hand it's *only* first grade. But, these are the things she needs to know for the rest of her life. Like a silent "e" makes the vowel long in a word. And "ch" can say ka or cha. Basics to me, but torture for her.

So, yesterday when she came home with a 12 (yes, that's a twelve. they do grade with numbers in her first grade) on an EASY test I had to hold firm. I had to follow through. Earlier in the month she came home with a 13 and I attributed it to a long week after christmas break, and oral surgery throwing her for a loop. But I told her that if she brought home a grade like that again, we'd have to see about taking her out of her Daisy troop until her grades improve. It's a weekday event that makes Monday nights horrible in our house.

Now that that day has come, I feel bad and frustrated but need to stand by my word. I'll be calling her troop leader to let her know that she'll be missing the next meeting. Hopefully that gives her enough pause to put a little more effort into her work and realize that school comes first. Or it will just give her another reason to tell me "You're mean!", in which case we continue on...