Parents are people too

Mom on a mission

2011-09-13T11:59:00.000-07:00

I am a mom who loves to cook. My goal is to support my family by helping other families spend more meaningful time together. My plan is to cook your meals for you so that you can spend quality time together as a family, instead of serving fast food or packaged foods to your loved ones. Let's work together to get healthy meals on your table.

Wow - it's been a whole year!

2011-08-31T06:32:00.000-07:00

A whole year has gone by since my last post. I apologize. Time rn away as it can for so many of us. I hope to rekindle my love for blogging and hope to earn more followers who are interested in parenting, like I am. I have many new and exciting things to report. My son is nearing 4 years old. What a whirlwind of amazingness. I am feeling so proud to be his mommy. Women were created to carry babies, but not all are cut out to be moms. I have always felt the desire to be a mom. Having my little boy is a dream come true. I try my best each day to give him everything he needs and show him what childhood is. I remember everything I enjoyed as a kid and encourage him to experience those things tenfold!! What better way to show him my dedication than to allow him to grow and change into the individual he is. I wish every mom could feel this way.

What to do about baby #2

2010-08-02T17:37:00.000-07:00

I realize it has been a long time since my last post. There have been many changes. One is the fact that I have become "ready" to add a second child into our family. Sadly, my husband is not. What to do about baby number 2...comments?

The Siesta

2010-05-23T10:00:00.000-07:00

After junior year of college, I took a summer trip to Greece. During my travels, I discovered this wonderful practice they have in Europe called the siesta. I define a siesta as a block of time in the mid-day which is used to relax and recharge before returning to complete the day. During this 2-3 hour period, an adult may have a meal, nap, sex, read, shower and change clothes or anything else that feels good to them.

During this trip, I kept a routine of waking for bread with butter and honey served with coffee. Went out for sightseeing or swimming followed by a siesta and finally an afternoon coffee at an outside cafe. Dinner was eaten at 10-11pm and a walk under the stars or dancing completed the evening. People do this every day! Even if I had to work in the morning and evening, I think it would be so refreshing to have this mid day gap. But what a vacation it was. I would retire to Greece in a second. And I highly suggest that everyone visit. The food, wine, culture, history and people can not be any more wonderful and welcoming.

Ever notice how much happier people seem to be in other countries? Next time you travel, pay attention to the way things work and the feeling among the local population. Hopefully, one day we as Americans can adopt the siesta. I bet our productivity would rise if our schedules were adjusted to allow for a break during the time of day we are least effective. Makes sense to me!

How socks can help a bad day turn around

2010-05-20T19:25:00.000-07:00

It was a gloomy. blah sort of day - a rainy, cold one in May and I felt yucky about the weather and had little hope for a fun filled afternoon. Then, I reached into my sock drawer for a pair of socks and I pulled out two of the same sock - a pair and it was all better. Something so small can make everything ok again. For kids, this is huge! Example, terrible twos moment can be turned around by simply blowing up a balloon! Lesson learned, feel free to use this proven trick.

Doctor's orders - 20 mins TV time per day

2010-05-20T19:02:00.000-07:00

At my son's 2.5 year check up the pediatrician told me that he should watch no more than 20 mins of TV per day. His (and my) focus should be on play time with manipulative, imaginative, creative things for him to do. So, I told my mom what the doctor suggested and she laughed. My mom assured me that no matter how much TV he watched that he was getting all of the attention and learning opportunities that a child could need and it certainly shows in his reactions to the world. I agree but, it helped to hear it from the true expert, my mom!

I urge you to encourage your children to become the best they can be, in whatever way you feel works best. I would not allow TV time to rule our lives but, on a rainy day...sometimes I have to do what works for us. And, you should hear the things he learns from Nick Jr. TV saves lives and allows parents to do certain things without being followed every second. So I say to the doctor, thanks but can we stick to the medical stuff in your office and leave the rest to me at home?

Thanks!

Haircut vs. Diapers for a month +

2010-05-20T18:55:00.000-07:00

So, around here a haircut for kids costs $30 (after tip) and what that means to me is use the clippers you use on your husband to trim the baby's too. I did it for the first time and it went really well. I thought Jacob would be scared of it but he really didn't mind and I got the results I was after! Go mom - now, I can treat myself to a mani/pedi with the cash I saved or pay for over a month of diapers! Note: hair will grow back if you end up taking it all off by accident. Wish me luck on the next haircutting adventure.

Music and Connection

2010-05-20T18:29:00.000-07:00

Last week as I drove my son to preschool, instead of the usual Laurie Berkner Band CD I usually play, I decided to change it up a bit and see how he would react to a radio station. The song from Shrek came on (how horrible is it that I relate music to a cartoon movie) and we were both bopping our head and laughing about it the whole time. "And then I saw her face, now I'm a believer..." and I realized that beyond the lyrics, I really am in love. Looking into that rearview and seeing that face beaming at me - his first love - MOMMY!

And when we are at home, and it may not be such a great moment (like the other day when it was raining and all I wanted to do was go back to bed, and that little voice said "mommy dance?" how can I resist? I will not be able to hold him and dance around for too much longer, so every time he asks me to, I melt. I can be soooo tired and I get up to dance with my little prince. I encourage you to get up as well. It may not be a dance for you, it may be a game of catch, a bike ride, whatever your child asks of you, I hope you will consider it and take the opportunity to connect with them. Take advantage of the precious time you have to raise your child. As you know, the time goes by so fast. If we all take a moment everyday to give an extra hug to our kids, how much better the world could be!

Mother's Day

2010-05-09T18:09:00.000-07:00

Mother's day should be celebrated every week, or at least twice per year! I value my mom so much more now that I am a mom myself. I feel such pride knowing that my parents think that I am a great mom. I always felt that being a mother was what I was meant to do with my life. Life does not always seem to be what we have dreamed it would be. In some ways, my life is not what I have envisioned it would be at this point. In other aspects, it is everything I ever wanted and hoped for. If we remind ourselves of the good things we DO have we can feel LESS hurt by the things we ARE missing. Today, I can consider the greatness and release the rest. I opened a fortune cookie the other day. The quote inside was "Everything you are against weakens you. Everything you are for empowers you" and how true the words. I am weakend when I feel badly and stronger when I consider that my life is actually pretty close to ALL I could imagine as a child.

A New Chapter - Welcome to my World

2010-05-08T18:55:00.000-07:00

As I begin this journey, I welcome everyone to share the wild ride of parenthood with me. I will be honest (sometimes brutally) and hope to pull humor out of my adventures.

Together, we can be stronger and more capable than we can be alone. For people who are considering starting a family, to those expecting, parents, grandparents, caregivers and teachers, you will find a comfortable place to laugh and learn right here.

Join me and we will gain some useful knowledge like a team. As they say, it takes a village to raise a child.