My Kid Hates Horton

She has never read the book. Her grandparents drove 2 hours to take her to the movie and my daughter looked at them and said, "I'm not going. I hate him. If you would like to take me to Cinderella, that would be fine." She was not being obstinate and she was not in a mood. She was just telling it like it is. She has said the same thing about Horton for the past few months.

I respect that.

It's not easy to live with but I respect it and I can even enjoy it. In fact here are a few things that my girl has taught me to enjoy:

1. Antibiotics taste better when you add food coloring to make them rainbow color.
2. Lunch is more exciting if you arrange your food on your plate to make a lunch face.
3. Picnics of plastic food are quite yummy.
4. A rainbow pirate party - anywhere, anytime.
5. Earmuffs and bathing suits make a very special fashion statement.
6. The best way to watch TV is on a pillow mountain.

Now, I'm sending her to preschool so I can enjoy a few of these things in peace :)

I really do work at home with 2 girls and a pup

While I was awake with my 7 month old I-don't-want-to-sleep-between-3:01-5:14-a.m.-and-you-can't-make-me child, I was thinking about this blog.

One of the things I want this blog to be about is working from home with children. I've worked from home with and without children and I've worked outside the home with and without children and I've got to say there is nothing like working at home with your children. Not better, not worse...don't start sending me the hate mail...it is just unique.

My soon to be 4 year old can attest to the uniquness. When she was 6 months old I was working part time from home and part time in an office. On one of my home days she was in the playpen and I handed her a diet coke and put her bottle on my desk. Then I stared at her and couldn't figure out what was wrong with that picture...it's a wonder anyone hires me to work at all with deduction skills like mine!

3 1/2 year later she plays "working". She picks up the phone and says to me "Just wait a minute, Mommy's working. You will have to wait". My first reaction was guilt. Obviously, I was ignoring her needs to get my work done. Then I thought about it. My girls always come first and are always well cared for. I wasn't ignoring her, I was teaching her that I have interests and responsibilities and sometimes she needs to be independent. I am teaching her that it is okay for a mom to have other things to do - whether that is a hobby, job or taking care of the house - it doesn't matter. I hope I am teaching her to have a balanced life.

I also know I am teaching her that housework is optional and I'm working to improve that. The best thing about freelance writing from home and taking care of the children is that my husband expects nothing in terms of housework and I'm living up to that expectation. I'm working on it because I take pride in a clean, orderly home but I just can't seem to make the time to do it. Is March 30 too late for a New Years Resolution? Because I think working on this should be mine...

My Top 10 Not-So-Great Mothering Moments

In No Particular Order....

1. I took my 2 day old infant to the peditrician because her diapers weren't wet. Only they were. The doctor actually made me hold a wet one and a dry one to tell the difference.

2. I took my out of sorts toddler pumpkin picking. 2 hours later we were in the emergency room with a fever of 105.

3. I told my daughter that it is ok to climb the slides in chutes and ladder because I so badly wanted the game to end.

4. I told my daughter it was a mitzvah (good deed) to watch extra TV so that mommy could get some things done.

5. I told my daughter that our new computer just doesn't got Noggin, PBS or any other kids sites. Sorry.

6. I threw out all of the Mote's paint because I just can't stand the mess.

7. I allowed the Mote to have a playdate with the class bully at my house because she lives close by and most of her school friends live a half hour away.

8. The day we went to visit the Mote's new preschool, I forgot to feed the baby before we left. Poor thing was pretty hungry by the time we got home.

9. I banned Max and Ruby from my home. I don't like those bunnies.

10. I let the Goose clean his sisters' faces. They enjoy the attention, he enjoys the licks and it's one less thing for me to do.

Stay tuned for some of my good mothering moments...I'm going to try and think of some and post them this week :)

Going Out Postpartum

Last weekend my husband and I went out at night. After dark. Without children. Like adults.

It has been at least two years since we did that. And, it was SO MUCH FUN.

We went out to dinner at a real grown up restaurant that did not have a kids menu but did have an excellent martini menu. We went with friends who we've never been out with before. We talked and laughed and I didn't cut anyone's food or cajole anyone to stay at the table. I did, however, spit my second martini all over everyone when I was laughing. Apparently, I don't get out much.

Then we went to a Purim party at the synagogue. Ok, that wasn't our best move. It was like the 8th grade dance all over again. In fact, I think it was the same DJ. It was definitely the same music. We were the youngest there by a good 20 years. Luckily, this version of the 8th grade dance included an open bar so all was not lost.

So, now I need you all to hold me accountable. I NEED to get out more. I'm thinking 4 times a year is not too greedy, right? Now to line up those free babysitters....and maybe next time I won't spit on my friends.

Who Knew....

I took the Mote to the doctor today for a regularly scheduled appointment. The girls and I arrived healthy and happy. We left an hour later and each girl had strep throat.

Seriously, I would have NEVER taken them to the doctor today if we hadn't had an appointment for something else. No one had a fever, no one was complaining or even acting sick. There noses have been running since November - nothing new there.

So, since the power of suggestion is so strong, my husband and I have had two and only two conversations tonight (but we have them over and over so there is constant communication).

The first is:
Does your throat hurt?
Kind of...maybe it's scratchy... (big swallow) oh, no I think it's ok.
Yeah, mine too.

The second is:
Do you think the girls will sleep tonight?
Who knows, maybe they'll be so tired that they will?
With that a child starts to whimper.....

We may be boring but we are effectively avoiding the 4 estimates we got this week to fix our basement. So, that is something.

A Jewel, A Present and A Small Tuxedo

Here is how the conversation went at my house this afternoon:

Me: Do you want to go for a walk and collect treasures?
Mote: Yes, mommy. I'd like to collect a jewel, a present and a small tuxedo.

Huh. I was thinking the usual pinecones, branches, dead leaves and dirty rocks that she calls treasures.

The ironic part is that she did find a jewel, or more accurately, a turquoise plastic bead. She did find a present- well she found a package of brightly colored hairbands but I didn't let her pick them up.

The small tuxedo though - we didn't find that. It is, however, the very beginning of Spring and we have many more walks ahead of us. Wish us luck.

Happy Birthday Goose!

My Pup turned 5 today.

Or as the Mote said, "5 years ago he hatched from his cocoon." She has butterflies in her classroom. I'm ok with her record of things.

So, 5 years ago today our boy hatched from his cocoon. He came into our life 6 months after that - in September 2003.

On September 17, 2003 (I remember the date because it was our 3rd wedding anniversary) one of my co-workers, Besty, asked me if my husband and I were still looking for a dog. She knew that we had been turned down by the animal shelter. Yep, you read that right...apparently DEATH is a better fate for a pet than living in our home. The official reason we were turned down was because we both worked full time then. But, I digress.

On September 17, 2003 Betsy asked if we would be intrested in a 6 month old free, house trained, neutured Bichon Frise. I grew up with Bichons and the only thing that I love more than a Bichon is a FREE Bichon. (And now that I'm a parent we know that medical stuff and potty training are not my thing, so that was lucky too!)

I immediately called my husband who gently reminded me that I was pregnant. That made me cry. To be fair, I was in the first trimester and everything made me cry. My co-workers didn't know that I was pregnant yet. I had a meeting with my boss the next day and planned to tell her then.

Well, things didn't work out as planned. At lunch time I went and met the Goose. To be honest, I met this little scrawny dog with a mohawk who was cowering in the corner. I just knew he was meant to be with us.

When I got back to the office, Betsy had covered my desk with "It's a Boy!" balloons. My boss came by to discuss a report and asked if there was anything I wanted to tell her. I blurted out, "We're gettting a dog tomorrow!!!! Oh, the balloons? Yeah, I'm pregnant".

It's good to know that my priorities are consistent. I love my goose.


Happy Birthday!

I Am Weird

I could care less about celebrities. In fact, I readily admit that I don't know 90% of the people in People magazine. I listen to music and watch TV and have NO IDEA who I'm listening to or who I am watching. It usually doesn't matter to me which celebrities are getting married, divorced or having babies. I can't keep track of my friends never mind celebrities.

But, today, I saw that Punky Brewster had a baby and I cared. Nostalgia, maybe? Strange, most definitely.

What can I tell you? I liked the way she dressed.

Cold Pizza

Strangely enough this is not a post about my college days but about my 3 year old daughter.

She is on her first "big girl" playdate today. You know the kind where I haven't known the mother since I was 3 or I'm not there with her. A girl at school wanted her to come play. The mother seems nice and we have many mutual friends so I sent her. She is going home from school with her friend and I'm going to get her in a little while.

I'm so nervous I could throw up. Instead I ate cold pizza. Go figure.

Leave Her Alone

Much has been reported in the media and in blogland about Mrs. Spitzer. Some argue that she sould not have stood by her husband, Eliot Spitzer, this week as the story about his alleged relations with prostitutes broke and as he resigned his office as New York Governor. Others argue that she did the right thing by standing next to him during these difficult public speeches and that all of their personal issues should be addressed at home.

I say leave her alone.

It is not for any of us to judge how she should act. It is not for any of us to say what we would do in her situation, for none of us know all of the details. The information that we have indicates that she was the wronged party and one of the victims in this horrible story. We should not judge the actions of the victims.

She is suffering enough. Criticize soon to be former Governor Spitzer because there is plenty of reason to, no matter what your political leanings (and a former post makes clear that I am a Democrat). But leave his family alone. Completely.

Ok...

Whenever I get stuck on a project I'm working on, I mindlessly go through my bookmarked blogs to see what's new. Today there was precious little that was new! My many thanks to Jodifur and Embee for giving me some material to read. All the others were old posts. All of my parenting blogs and all of my knitting blogs had material I'd read several times over the weekend. Hmmm...have I mentioned I have no life?
So, that got me to thinking about this blog. I realize I don't update often but many times nothing so "blog worthy" happens in my day. Today, we spent the morning at the library and had friends over in the afternoon. It was kind of a blah day. The highlight was trying to convince the Mote that the trees really are older than her father. She doesn't believe me.
We have a crazy busy few weeks coming up, so that should give me some blog material. In the meantime, my apologies. Hey, at least there's a new post now and you don't ahve to read the old one AGAIN :)

Hope and Change

No, I'm not a Democratic candidate for president. But, I did notice the beginning of Spring today...

Sisterly Blessing, Take One

We met with our Rabbi on Sunday to discuss the Who's baby naming. Yes, I know that she is already 6 months. We're working on it, folks. Seriously, she is going to be named in May when my grandmother is able to make the trip up for CT. Oh, and by "named" I mean given a Hebrew name after two of her great-grandfathers. She already has an English name other than "Who", honest.

So, back to the point here. We met with the Rabbi and as part the ceremony our older daughter, the Mote, is going to make up a blessing to give her sister. Here's what the Mote has so far.

* I promise not to teach you any more bad words like pee and poop, hey, I just said pee and poop, ha ha ha

* You're going to be my sister forever and ever, and doesn't Mommy just deserve us? (I have no idea what is meant by that last part)

* I love you the best and I'm so glad you're my sister.

That last part may give us something to work with but I have a feeling we are going to need to go through many drafts before the actual ceremony.