Toddlers Do Not Make Good Flowergirls
Posted by G.I. Jane
I understand that having a flower girl in one’s wedding is a tradition that dates back to early Greek and Roman times (really, I’m not making this up) and is meant to scatter some type of flower or grain to represent fertility or eternal love or something…
However, it seems to me, as a mother of a two year old that tradition would be better served by a young girl that will ACTUALLY walk down the aisle or ACTUALLY scatter said flowers. Not throw tantrums or refuse to move. And should that young girl not exist, then perhaps forgoing the flower girl tradition should be the next option. I’m sure the bride will still be fertile or happy in her marriage without stepping on a few wilted petals– trust me, I know.
Now, I [...]
Statistics Class
Posted by Martha
In going through some consumer research for my job in marketing, I recently read a new statistic that said moms check Facebook 4.7 every day—that is considerably more than any other demographic. I was amazed at the frequency, I mean, who has less time than a mom? How does she fit in the several minutes it takes to click, scroll, like, comment, like, swipe, and ignore? Certainly I didn’t have that kind of time.
Until I started to pay attention. That number was right on. Shockingly, this working mom of two makes time to check Facebook while coffee brews, during a commercial, at her desk in the office, as a passenger in a car, and before bed. That adds up to 5 times in a day, and that may be an underestimate. Facebook has [...]
I’m a Mom and I Know It
Posted by G.I. Jane
Every once in a while I find myself caught in a true parental moment and realize I’m part of the club. Sometimes it’s an unavoidable situation, such as being thrown up on in the middle of the night by a sick child, or maybe it’s a completely impetuous act. But either way, I’m forced to face the music and acknowledge that my priorities, habits and instincts now revolve around a mini-me.
My most recent moment involves an online video and Cookie Monster. There was once a time when I turned to blogs or YouTube strictly for celebrity gossip or a replay of the MTV Music Awards. Now, what catches my attention are the Sesame Street parodies on hit songs, such as Elmo’s “I’m Elmo and I Know It” or more recently, Cookie Monster’s “Share It Maybe”.
I think I can safely attribute my fascination with these videos to my recent [...]
The Fun Mom
Posted by Clair
My daughter pulls me aside over the weekend to have a s.e.r.i.o.u.s talk with me. I was mildly concerned (to say the least) at what bomb she may drop on me. She sat me down, cleared her throat, and began to tell me that I desperately needed to work on my “Fun-ness.” Yes, my little darling just told me I was not fun! I was stunned. I think I am majorly fun. Not just breakfast for dinner and barefoot in the yard fun, but seriously, good-time-havin’ fun – and often. Apparently I am wrong. I am no fun. I am that unfun mom that no kid wants to be around. I am the mom the other moms look at with pity and judgment, I am the mom that…wait…I digress. Back to the moment of revelation…So after telling me I was not fun and registering the look of panic, pain, and [...]
Reminders
Posted by Erin
As a single mom, I find myself bearing the majority of the child-rearing heavy-lifting. Occasionally (frequently), I find myself needing a little reminder that there are bigger and more important things in life than the minutiae of motherhood. In fact, I need this reminding so often that I’ve started a note on my iPhone. I thought I would share it, in the hopes that someone else (who is likely scrubbing milk out of the shag rug or cutting the crusts of the sandwiches once again) might benefit.
Children are our future: Yes, this is a song title. But it’s a song title for a reason. Society depends on the propagation of the species, and someone will need to cut the crusts of the toast when I’m old enough to be toothless. I take care of my kids now in the hopes that they will return the favor one day.
The center of [...]
Top 10
Posted by Erin
In honor of my little sister, who is about to have her first child, I thought I would put together a Top 10 List: Things I Wish I Had Known.
10. Buy a good washer/dryer. The amount of laundry that one infant dirties violates every law of physics and matter…it multiplies exponentially.
9. Don’t tiptoe or whisper around the baby, even when she’s sleeping. Infants can sleep (ha!) through anything, and if you start off with a silent house, you will end up watching reality t.v. with headphones on because your toddler can only sleep when it’s “library quiet.”
8. Be specific when people ask how they can help. Take advantage of the offer to do a load of laundry, or prepare a meal.
7. Shower, every day. Just do it. You’ll feel better.
6. Plan for the unexpected, and roll with it. Even if your birth plan includes using hypnosis and a birthing ball [...]
The Crockpot Crackup
Posted by Clair
It was going to be my day. MY DAY. I had plans. Serious plans. Those plans included bundling up the kids and the hubby and sending them off for a day on the slopes. I was going to put thoughts of crutches and avalanches out of my mind (mostly, really) and just prepare for a day of peace and quiet. I even cleaned the floors and bathrooms yesterday so I wouldn’t have to listen to that little nagging voice telling me to get out the mop. And, to top it all off, I was going to be that mom, the one who prepares a meal from scratch that’s ready for dinner as soon as the exhausted troops arrived home. And this wasn’t going to be one of those meals that I throw together [...]
Me Time
Posted by Erin
I’m a single mom. Most of the time, being a single mom is tough…probably even tougher than being part of a couple of parents. It’s been a really long time since I’ve had another grownup body in the house, so I can barely remember what it was like to run to the store without advance planning. But what I do remember about being a parent when I was part of a couple is that, even when we took time to do our own independent things, when I got home, the family was always there. For example, every Mother’s Day, I was given a gift certificate for a massage. Now, a massage is one of my very favorite things to do, and I don’t often treat myself, but there’s nothing worse than actually feeling your muscles tighten back up as soon as you walk in the front door and hear the [...]
Ladies’ Night
Posted by Erin
Six Saturdays from now is blocked off on my calendar. Well, all of my calendars: the work one, the personal one, and the one I share with my children’s father. There are few details on that calendar entry; all it says is “Ladies’ Night.” It started off as “Girls’ Night,” but then I got a reality check and realized that no one in my motley group of friends could legitimately be called a “girl” anymore, so Ladies’ Night it is. The idea for this night out on the town started approximately six months ago, during one of those rare phone conversations with a friend I haven’t seen in ages. At the end of the call, one of us said something like “we have to get together for dinner and a movie sometime.” That’s where it started, but it’s taken six months to get six weeks away from the actual date. [...]
Ghost on a Stick
Posted by Martha
School rules sometimes squish the kids’ fun (but they’re important just the same.) Our school is nut-free and candy-free at Halloween. But that doesn’t stop the super moms from sending in fun stuff for friends.
Here’s a creative, non-candy idea for Halloween that’s easy for busy moms. Especially good alternative for sending treats to school.
Pencil Ghosts: Place a cotton ball on the end of a pencil, cover it with a white tissue and cinch the middle with a bit of pipe cleaner or yarn. It’s fun to spin, and makes sending a pencil a bit more special. All supplies are readily available at the one dollar store, and the kids [...]
