Christmas with my BFF

I spent Christmas Day with my best friend in the whole world. I know I sound like I'm five by saying that, but she truly is. We have known each other since we were in kindergarten. Our friendship has weathered many moves, (including a few out of state), marriage, kids, divorce & death. You name it and we've been through it together. She's been my rock during this really low point in my life, and didn't miss a beat when I told her I didn't have the kids for Christmas.

"You're coming to my house then" she said matter of factly.
"Are you sure it won't be weird?" I asked in typical Courtney fashion.
"You are MY family. No it will not be weird."

And with that, I ended up at her place - on time, the first guest to arrive I might add - for Christmas Day dinner. And she was right - it was not weird at all. We ate like kings, drank like fish, laughed out loud and watched in awe at the spectacle that is family coming together on Christmas. It truly was a great time and I did not feel uncomfortable in the slightest. I was grateful to be a part of a special day with a special friend. :)

What the hell Wednesday before Christmas

I gotta say people are absolutely nutty this time of year! Granted I had no business going to the mall 3 days before Christmas, but that aside, people are just plain wacky! From the irate drivers, to the pissy cashiers, to the people invading your personal space while waiting in line to checkout ... people have really lost the concept of how to be "normal" this time of year. It's as if all the etiquette we used the entire year goes totally out the window during the last two weeks of said year. Holy mother of pearl!!

Now back to my experience at the mall three days before Christmas. WTH is wrong with me?!? Why was I even near the mall three days before the big day!?! Well this year in keeping with my unconventionalness, I had not finished my Christmas shopping. Hence the last minute "kids are with their dad so let me go buy their gifts" dash to the mall. And I'm still not done. WTH!?!?

I popped in Victoria's Secret while in the mall. I got my daughter a super cute "Pink" outfit. Pink as in the color, and Pink as in the Victoria's Secret brand. Hopefully she doesn't read my blog (I know she doesn't), otherwise I'm screwed. While in VS, I was really shocked at how many men were in there! WTH?! Perhaps they were in the dog house and buying make up bras and panties in hopes of smoothing things over for the holidays? Perhaps. It was interesting though. Most men get really overwhelmed in Victoria's Secret. These men seemed to hold their own. Well done guys!

I bought fireworks in Target today. Fireworks! WTH!?! (Side bar - I do love the song Firework by Katy Perry, but I digress ...) They were on sale - $30 worth of fireworks for $10. I figure the kids and I can set them off for New Year's. I just love that you can easily buy fireworks here in CT. Milk, eggs, clothing & fireworks all in one place. Thank you Target! :)

I still have to go to the grocery store and figure out what to make for dinner on Christmas Eve. I'm spending Christmas Eve with the kids by myself this year. No pesky husband (ha!) and no family will be joining us this year. (Totally keeping the unconventional theme going as you can see!) I hope to figure out what to make so that we don't starve on Christmas Eve. We won't starve. I'll figure something out.

That's all for now folks! Have a Merry Christmas. I'll probably post again before the new year. Something tells me I'll need an escape between now and then . . .

Tis the season for .... hostility??

I know that this time of year people are on edge. The holidays and end of year madness will do that to anyone. In fact I'm experiencing my own bouts of hostility associated with equitable parenting time during the holidays with my ex. At least I have a good excuse for being a raving lunatic! ]

What's yours? Do share. After all, tis the season! ;)

My contribution to WTH Wednesday ...

Today was definitely a "WTH" kind of day for me, so I thought I'd partake in WTH Wednesday!

My youngest son turned 3 years old today. While I couldn't have asked for a better just before Christmas present, I cannot believe 3 years have flown by!! Makes me a little weepy. WTH?!

I had planned to take my little man to the toy store today to pick out a new toy truck for his birthday. Well, prior to that we had to take care of my car. It's old and needs a little TLC every now and again. So today we took the car for an oil change, two new tires and a wash. Something went awry at the car wash because it stopped working while we were going through it. Yup, just came to a standstill as my car was going through (I was in the car with the birthday boy when this happened mind you!) Maybe the equipment was being temperamental because of this subzero weather we're experiencing here. I get that. And it wasn't a huge deal because the workers quickly pressed some sort of panic button and got the car wash moving again. I was the only car there so no harm done. But honestly - WTH!?!?

The car was bought used and the driver's side mirror has been a little wobbly for a while. I ignored it because it wasn't a big deal. Today it became a big deal when said mirror came loose in the car wash!!!! WTH!!! I'm a regular at this particular car wash and every time I go there they politely remind me that my mirror is loose. Thanks guys. Two of the workers attempted to put it back on, but then shook their heads and said the screws were no good. Um, ok great. Needless to say I left the car wash with my driver's side mirror dangling off. Little man and I did not make it to the toy store as I was too embarrassed and somewhat afraid to drive the car with a broken mirror. :(

My ex brother-in-law called today. WTH!? Actually he called to wish his godson a happy birthday. We had a good conversation so it was all good. :)

That's all I got. Hope your Wednesday was less wacky than mine!

The holidays are upon us!

It's that time of year again! Can you believe it?? I know I can't. This year truly did fly by. It wasn't one of my finer years, so I'm ok with its warp speed. 

I am celebrating Thanksgiving (the start of the madness, er I mean, holiday season) a little differently this year. One may suggest I am not celebrating at all. I say who are you to tell me what to do?! Well really, I'd say, maybe you are right. You see this is my first (of many) holidays as a single parent. Some may find the positive in this - no spouse or inlaws to deal with. I must admit, that part does make me smile just a tad. On the other hand I do miss the spouse and inlaws (maybe not my ex spouse and former inlaws) but certainly the concept of having a spouse and inlaws (or family in general) around during the holidays. It's tough going it alone. Really tough. 

One thing you have to get used to after divorce is splitting the holidays with your kids. When you are married you split the holidays amongst each other's relatives. Your family one year, his family the next...or something like that! After divorce it is not as cut and dry. You are now taking what used to be major family holidays and forcing your kids to spend them with one parent or the other. It's very anti-holiday if you ask me, but it is what it is. This year on Thanksgiving the kids are with me. My immediate family is quite dysfunctional, so we won't be seeing them this year. (That's a post for another day.) I am forced to create new traditions for myself and my kids now, so this year I've decided to take them out to eat at a restaurant. A friend of mine owns a lovely banquet facility in Ansonia, CT and we'll be dining there for turkey day tomorrow. It will have all the makings of a typical turkey feast - salad to start, carving stations with turkey and other meats, side dishes, and of course dessert! We definitely will not miss out on the Thanksgiving Day experience, that's for sure. :) 

I am looking forward to it, mostly because it means no cooking or cleaning for me, but also because it's the start of something new. Not to say we'll do this every year, but it is another new beginning for us as a family - creating our own traditions and making new memories. Baby steps . . . 

Change

So you may be thinking to yourself - what the hell is this picture of a random (although freshly manicured) hand doing here?! Well I'll tell ya. It's my freshly manicured random hand. See I've been a nail biter since I was a kid. Up until about three weeks ago, I had never had a manicure on my own nails. Sure I had tips (fake nails) put on, and would go to the nail salon regularly to maintain them. But as far as letting my own nails grow and actually having them manicured ... nope, never done it. Until three weeks ago. . .

Three weeks ago I sat in a court hearing to finalize my divorce. I closed one chapter of my life and moved full steam ahead into another. I'm still chugging along trying to find my way through this new chapter. It has not been easy, and it won't be, but I'm managing (mostly through therapy and this blog.) The day of my hearing, I left the courthouse, came home and headed to the nail salon.

Now you may still be wondering what the picture of my hand has to do with any of this? Well for me, my manicured hand represents a huge change in my life. After years and years of biting my nails, often times to the point of drawing blood, I was finally able to drum up enough will-power to stop. I got my first real manicure in my almost (ahem) 33 years of life, three weeks ago! (Ok, there's a lot of number "3's" in that statement. Perhaps I should play lotto?!) This is a pretty amazing feat! It shows me that if I truly set my mind to something, I can accomplish it. That may sound cliche and cheesy, but I don't care. That picture above means more to me than you'll ever know. It represents change. My change. And I'm damn proud of that!

National Kidney Walk

This past Sunday I had the pleasure of walking in the annual National Kidney Foundation walk from South Street Seaport up and over the Brooklyn bridge. It was a beautiful day and the turnout was incredible. My friend's son was born with kidney disease. He is living with one good kidney that is functioning at about 60%. Thankfully he has not needed a transplant and is doing remarkably well. But the reality is at some point in his life he my need a kidney. The reality is there are a ton of people waiting for donors.

Here are some fast facts from the NKF website:

FAST FACTS

• Chronic kidney disease affects 26 million Americans and millions more are at risk
  
• Kidney disease is common, harmful and treatable
  
• Risk factors include high blood pressure, diabetes and family history
  
• Early detection can slow the progression of kidney disease
  
• Once kidneys fail, patients need dialysis or a transplant to survive
  
• Over 104,000 people are waiting for an organ transplant

I was truly inspired and moved by the people out there walking in someone's honor. Many have lost loved ones to this disease. Many more will lose loved ones. Either way, the fight goes on and so do the tireless efforts of all involved to raise money and awareness. 

I had a great time and will probably do it again next year. The fact that my legs are a bit sore today is a small price to pay for such a great cause! :) 

Learn more about NKF and kidney disease here: http://donate.kidney.org/site/PageServer?pagename=WALK_homepage

Randomness

It's Sunday and I feel like being random. No rhyme or reason, just feel like it! So here goes ...

The kids are off school tomorrow for Columbus Day. They were also off on Friday for a conveniently scheduled "staff development day". Yeah. Sure. So between development of the staff and Columbus discovering what he thought was America, I get 2 extra days of chaos in the house. Good times.

Saturday I decided to take the kids to a local harvest festival. It seemed like a good idea at the time, but in hindsight it was a pretty lousy idea. I mean, I am all for fun stuff to do with the kids, but stuff like this always makes me mental. Despite my cheery disposition and calm demeanor, when I attend functions with my children and things don't go according to plan, I get bitchy. I mean it. Downright psycho at times. I am not proud of this and I try really hard to call in reinforcements when I can. This time the reinforcement came in the form of my sister. Now granted she had her two year old with her, so she wasn't much help. But having an extra adult was at least comforting amidst the insanity. The festival was nice, don't get me wrong, but holy crowded! And holy runaway baby in the form of my soon to be three year old Michael!! Yes folks, he's a runner. And when given the opportunity he does just that. Runs. And fast! Needless to say we did take him on a hayride, and he was entertained by a hay maze. He also got to feed some farm animals which was cute. But as far as this event being fun for me as a parent....that would be a resounding heck no!!

Today is 10.10.10. Wicked cool. I'm a bit of a numbers geek so I find this strangely fascinating. I mean, it only happens once every hundred years so chances are most of us won't be here to see it again. That in itself is pretty cool.

In other news, I'm sitting here writing this post using my new laptop. I really needed a new one and am very glad to have finally bit the bullet and purchased it! As I sit here in bed with the laptop in my lap, I am thinking about a story on Good Morning America regarding something called toasted leg syndrome. View full story on toasted leg syndrome here!  Apparently excessive laptop use without proper ventilation can cause your laptop to actually burn your lap. Who knew?!?

Must be strangely exciting to watch the stoic squirm . . .

This is a lyric from Alanis Morissette's song, "Uninvited." Alanis is one of my favorite artists. I've loved her since I was about fifteen. Back then her album Jagged Little Pill had just come out and the single "You Oughta Know" was a big hit. I remember that song becoming my anthem at the time. If you are not familiar, it's a lovely ballad about a scorned woman. At the time I was a scorned teenager who fell prey to a boy who told me what I wanted to hear to get me out on a few dates. By date number three he stood me up and I never saw him again. Back then I felt like it was the worst thing in the world. I was full of anger, hurt and desperation. The song made me feel empowered and basically convinced me that boys sucked. I should have learned my lesson then! ;)

Fast forward to today. The song has a similar meaning for me now as I grapple with a painful divorce as an adult. It still empowers me and I still think boys suck! A lot of her songs have that affect on me.

I am the stoic. I always have been. I get that from my mom and its not something I'm proud of. My mom was a cop in the small town I grew up in. She didn't show emotion. Her mother (my grandmother) was also a stoic. Emotion was viewed as a sign of weakness and neither my grandmother nor mother are weak people. I've always held in my emotions, never showing my hand, always maintaining my poker face. Well the stoic squirmed in therapy yesterday. I broke down and burst into tears right there in my therapist's office. She's been waiting for this since I started seeing her a few months ago. She kept telling me it wasn't healthy to keep everything pent up. She was worried about me letting loose at the wrong time or in an unhealthy way. Like balling my eyes out over a yogurt commercial, or having a total meltdown in the frozen food section of my local Stop and Shop.

Now I certainly wasn't hysterical or uncontrollable, but I did cry. I cried hard and it felt good. :)

Welcome To My Life...

I've always liked this song by Simple Plan. It has a new meaning for me lately with all the chaos and turmoil going on in my world. Music has played a big part in the healing process for me. There is something very therapeutic about songs that speak to your situation and offer words of hope & betterment. Then there are those songs that talk about how much things suck or how much another person (insert name of said person here) sucks. And that's ok too. Being able to use music as an outlet has been huge for me.

Do you have a favorite song/singer that you turn to during those times of need?

Mommy Dearest ...

Last night I became the person I fear most. No, not my own mother. I'm talking about Mommy Dearest. Ok, so maybe I wasn't that bad, but I came darn close.

As a mom (I say mom, because dad's don't count for the purpose of this story) we all have those moments that send us over the proverbial edge. I had a fairly uneventful day yesterday, so perhaps this was my payback? It sure felt like it. The kids came in after having dinner with their father, and my older two each had some homework left to finish. No big deal. I helped my daughter with her math while she in turn helped her younger brother with a language arts project. We wrapped things up fairly quickly. After that is when all holy heck broke loose.

I currently have my home office in my bedroom. I don't like this setup, but for now it is what it is. I also only have one computer in my house (also in said bedroom) and everyone uses it. (Well everyone meaning me and the kids.) My preteen daughter likes to use the dressing area in my bedroom to groom herself. I have all my hair care products and tools in a cabinet next to what is possibly the biggest mirror in existence with dressing room lighting above it. I get that it's a good place to groom, however, it is in my bedroom. So as a result, when she decides to groom, it's an invasion of my space. Last night she busted out my flat iron and started straightening her hair. My 8 year old son also decided at the same time that he needed to go online and look up titles for school library books to put on reserve. My 2 year old was busy running around the room, being his usual 2 year old self. At least he's predictable.

I was also trying to do a little grooming of my own....testing out my new curling iron. I realized weeks ago that I didn't own a curling iron so I bought a new one!  My room was already like Grand Central Station with all the activity. Couple that with each child deciding at the exact same time that they needed my attention. That's right - three separate moans for "mooooooooom" all while I had a scalding hot piece of equipment in my hands. As you can imagine, the outcome was not good.

I finally screamed out a four letter expletive that I can't repeat on a family friendly blog. But let's just say it starts with "F" and rhymes with truck! The room fell silent as I assessed the damage to my forehead and realized all three kids were staring at my in disbelief. Not so much because of the swearing (I'm not gonna lie, they've heard me say that and possibly worse before), but because they knew I had reached my breaking point.

I managed to pull myself together and calmly asked each child to give me a minute to handle each of their requests separately. And I did, because that's how we moms roll. I'm not proud of my "Mommy Dearest" moment. But I'm only human and it happens. So suck on that! ;-)

This ain't your grandmother's back to school night!

It amazes me how much things have changed over the years. Now I'm no spring chicken, but I certainly don't consider myself old. Well, not usually. Last night I felt like an old fart at my daughter's back to school night. She's in middle school (7th grade), and the technology they are using nowadays simply amazed me. Granted, I'm pretty tech savvy, but when I think back to my classroom days, I recall the teachers writing on chalkboards, and the students using giant textbooks and things like dictionaries and encyclopedias to look up information.

Last night the teachers used smart-boards. I'm not sure if you know what these are, but they basically connect to a computer and project material onto a giant screen. The screen is actually a touch screen that the teachers use to navigate around during their lesson. I was amazed as my daughter's math teacher showed us how she works her way through the online version of the student's pre-Algebra textbook. She even showed us an online help feature in which the click of a button (or in her case a finger tap), enabled a virtual assistant to speak as well as write on the screen to help solve a problem. How cool!

One of the library assistants made the comment that this generation does not even know what an encyclopedia is. How crazy is that?! It is the reality though. All three of my children will not know a world pre-Google, pre-Facebook or pre-Twitter. Its pretty amazing when you think about it. But it just made me feel like a dinosaur so I try not to think about it ....

From the mouths of preteens ...

This past Friday was my daughter's birthday. She hit the ripe ole age of 12. That's right folks, we're almost at the teenage years. Zoinks! This birthday was particularly tough for me, not so much because of the impending hormonal changes, but because I'm knee deep in a divorce. When my son's birthday came and went back in July, I wrote about how difficult it was for me to deal with the fact that it was the first time he was spending a birthday away from me. He was with his father that weekend and by default spent his 8th birthday with him and his dirty mistress girlfriend. It was a hard pill for me to swallow as I had to spend my son's birthday without my son. It was strange and awkward, but I made do. The following weekend I did my own party for him, which turned out just fine.

This time around it's the same scenario. My daughter spent her actual birthday with her dad. We are celebrating with a party for her with her friends this weekend. I know it will be fun, and she'll enjoy it, but it doesn't change the fact that once again mom gets to celebrate with her children post actual day of birth. Sigh.

Divorce notwithstanding, I am also technically unemployed at the moment and don't have much income to speak of. It's no secret this economy stinks, so finding a new source of solid income has been tough. That being said, money is especially tight for me (and the rest of the world, but really it's all about me right now.) As a parent we do our best to shield our children from things like financial strain. But things have hit me particularly hard, and I can't hide the fact that I can't afford to buy my daughter a birthday present (at least not one that she would want.) I am, however, organizing and paying for her party this weekend. But that doesn't count. She had the nerve to ask me, "are you getting me a present or just doing the party?" I mumbled that for now I can only do the party. She sort of shrugged and walked away. Another sigh.

Despite trying to shelter our kids from the worst of times, there are occasions where you almost want them to see what you sacrifice to keep them happy. I know a lot of people talk about how privileged this generation is. Maybe so. As a parent I know I am always trying to do more for my kids than I had done for me (and I had it pretty good.) It's never enough though. And hence the "spoiled brat" monster is created.

I think the hardest part of all of this is that my ex and his dirty mistress girlfriend and her family (don't ask, just please don't) were able to give my daughter birthday presents while I was not. *Groan.* Alas, at least she'll have her party ... even if I go broke in the process.

Rodent infestation....

Ok, so maybe I'm being a little dramatic. But anytime something that is not human enters my home in large numbers (large meaning greater than 1), I consider it an infestation!!!

Last night I was walking down my basement stairs (off the kitchen) to grab a roll of paper towels. Harmless right? I thought so. As I got a few steps up from the bottom I noticed a grey ball of what I thought was lint sitting on the step. I leaned in closer and saw another one a step below it. I assumed both were dust balls (don't judge me for not cleaning please.) So as I bent down to pick up said dust balls, I realized they were NOT dust balls. They were in fact baby mice. MICE!!!!!!!!!!! ICKKKKK!!!

Now before I could panic, I realized they were uber tiny, and not moving. They sat there calmly, quietly, motionless. I quickly had my kids help me corrale the little critters (this involved a shoe box, magazine and salad tongs. Nothing but the best pest elimination equipment in this house!) We let them loose outside on the other side of a small retaining wall that surrounds my driveway. Hopefully they don't find their way back in. All total we caught 3 and let them loose. Ironically they were cute and seemed harmless, except for the threat of rabies and other disease. Oh yeah and the fact they could've entered my main dwelling (kitchen, etc.) and started to get comfortable. Having them in the basement was more than enough for me.

I never did find the mama mouse. It's like bees, you have to find (and destroy) the queen in order to eradicate the problem. I really do not want to call an exterminator. Quite frankly I cannot afford an exterminator! I am accepting applications for temporary cat help. Interested parties, please inquire within.

Back to school....

Well it's that time. Again. Another summer over and the kids are already back in school. In fact, they went back Monday morning. Nevermind that it's still August and 90+ degrees. Nope, school is back in session!

Normally I'd be doing the happy dance, but for some reason this year I'm a little upset about the sudden end to summer vacation. Perhaps it's because I had high hopes for making this a great summer for my kids. I had plans I intended to make and specific activities I wanted to do. All of that sort of went out the window as the summer raged on. Now don't get me wrong, we did do some fun stuff. I took the kids to the pool a few times (not as much as I would've liked, but we did go.) We went bowling, they went to Lake Compounce, an amusement/water park here in the lovely state of CT. Heck my daughter even got to see her favorite boy band Big Time Rush at an exclusive NYC concert event. That's pretty rad, no?! We also hosted two fabulous French exchange students. Let's not forget that!!

I'm not sure how or when my summer plans got derailed, but somehow they did. Despite the fun we had, it just didn't seem like enough. Maybe I pushed too hard to make this summer "fun" because of my divorce. I decided to overcompensate by trying to make sure the kids were having fun 24/7. Could be. I will say we seem to be caught in some space time continuum lately because time seems to be passing by at a much quicker pace. The summer literally breezed by. Let's blame my inability to make plans on that and call it a day. ;)

What. A. Week.

Wow. All I can say is I am VERY glad it is Friday and that I have the pleasure of not working weekends. I am truly exhausted. This week tested my limits more than ever, and I was not a happy camper.

I literally wanted to clone myself several times this week. Are we still against human cloning? I know we did it with that sheep and all, but honestly, can a mama get a duplicate version of herself please?! That way I can enjoy an afternoon at the Bronx Zoo with my best friend and her son and my own children without having to take 10 phone calls, and check emails while trying to observe the prairie dogs and lions bask in the sun. I wouldn't have to do 90mph on the freeway to meet my ex husband at a rest stop to drop the kids off so that I can get to the bus station in time to pick-up my exchange students. I wouldn't have to call a friend to ask her to pick-up an au pair in transition because I had somewhere else to be at the same time she was scheduled to depart her host family's home.

So yea, can someone get on that whole cloning thing please? Another week like this one and I might very well end up in a mental institution. ;-0

A little random ...

Today's post will be a little random, but it's my blog and that's ok. So here goes ...

I now have two exchange students from France staying with me for three weeks. You may recall I wrote about a Spanish student some time ago ... well he left me for another family. LOL - can you stand that?! Just up and left me! No I'm kidding. Timing did not work in our favor during his visit, so he was placed with another family. They had a Spanish speaking student and could help translate (his English was extremely poor.) So alas, I opted for session 3 of this exchange program and now have 2 teen French boys. They. are. awesome. I am having a blast with them! My first experience with them was the double-sided cheek kiss greeting. My daughter and her friend, who was with us for their arrival, totally didn't understand what was going on when the boys greeted them. A prime example of cultural differences gone awry. It was ok though - after a look of shock and disbelief as to why boys they just met were kissing them like so - my daughter & her friend quickly got over it.

I found out the night we picked up my students that I need a bigger car. It's no longer a "nice to have", it's become a "must have". Too bad you "must have" money to purchase said new vehicle. Sigh....

I took my boys (yes, for the next 3 weeks they are mine!) to my friend's house on the lake today. They got to go tubing, swimming & boating. Despite this insane heat, we really had a great time. I think being near bodies of water in extreme heat is a must! ;)

My son's birthday was this past Friday. He was with his dad this weekend. This is the first time ever that my son was not with me for his birthday. It is also the first time ever that he will be celebrating his birthday with mommy and daddy separately. His dad did a small party with cake, presents & pizza. I'm doing the larger "friend" party with more pizza, more cake and laser tag! It will be fun, but it doesn't change the fact that my son spent his actual birthday with his dad and the dirty mistress. Someone other than his mom, who actually gave birth to him, celebrated this extremely personal & special day with him. Exchanging presents with him, and eating pizza and cake with him. This has been a tough pill for me to swallow. I'm not sure I'll ever get used to this ...

It's raining again. Thundering in fact. Here's hoping I don't lose power! *Ending blog post now just in case.*

:)

A party by the lake ....

I spent the day at Pinewood Lake here in Trumbull, CT today as part of an au pair event. My current job as a local coordinator has me conducting monthly meetings with a fabulous group of au pairs. This month one of my very own host families opened up their home to our group and beyond for a party by the lake. I had never even heard of a water trampoline until this party. Ha! We had a great turnout. I brought my kids with me, and a whole bunch of au pairs and even a host family or two attended. It was loads of fun to say the least.

I'd say the highlight of the day was my seven year old son clogging the family's downstairs toilet and causing a minor flood in the bathroom. Yepper. Fun times. Thankfully it was contained and the host dad (after blurting out a few expletives) managed to plunge it back to normalcy. Sigh. Why me?! 

I am truly beat. The sun is a powerful beast and spending all day in it has taken its toll on me. 

Here are some pictures for your viewing pleasure. :) 

Rough week

As if the scorching hot temperatures weren't bad enough this week, I found myself with a scorching hot temper.

I am pretty good at holding it together on the outside while going completely batty on the inside. That's just how I am. Well this week the battiness was unleashed. And the worst part was that it was unleashed in front of and at the expense of my kids.

My daughter is a preteen bundle of hormonal wackiness. I love her to pieces, but she can be a real witch when she wants to be. This week she decided to take some nail polish to her dad's house. I wasn't thrilled with that because daddy can buy nail polish for her to use at his house. Mommy bought this nail polish, and mommy kind of wanted her to leave the nail polish at home. But it wasn't so much the bringing of said polish to daddy's...it was the fact that she was bringing said nail polish to have the dirty mistress paint her nails. Now I'm not much of a nail painter. In fact, I prefer to go to the salon for things like that. Call me spoiled, but I do!  My daughter knows this, and has taken it upon herself to ask the DM to paint her nails on occasion. At first she'd come home showing me how she had her toes or fingernails painted. It was cute the first couple of times, but then it quickly got old. I grew tired of hearing about how the DM was painting MY child's nails. I also grew extremely jealous of how the DM was potentially bonding with my daughter during this time. I can't stomach that right now. I'm just not ready for that.

On the day in question I asked my daughter about her plans for the nail polish and the hormonal wackiness ensued. She made a snippy comment under her breath instead of answering my question. I lost it. Did I mention that the cable guy was supposed to come this same day and he was about two hours late?!?!?! A moot point to some extent, but it definitely did not help matters at all.

I took the four bottles of nail polishes from the counter and threw them across the room all the while yelling obscenities at my kids. They looked at me funny, but calmly picked up the bottles of polish (which did not break) and continued doing what they were doing, somewhat ignoring my outburst. When their father arrived to pick them up for dinner, I abruptly told them their dad was here and that it was time to leave. They scurried out the door, clearly happy to be rid of "mommy dearest" for a few hours. I called my husband to ask that he please refrain from having his DM paint my daughter's nails. I explained how the whole scenario made me feel. Or at least I tried to explain. I'm not sure he understood. Men don't understand feelings as it is, but ex-husbands in particular cannot possibly understand their scorned ex-wife's feelings about the mistress attempting to bond with her children. I'm not sure I understand these feelings. Its all new to me, and I've never felt like this before in my life! All I know is I was pissed and I made that known to all involved. The worst part was that my feelings did not seem to matter. My daughter came home with painted nails, much to my dismay. I took it VERY personally and I let her know that. It was kind of a slap in the face that even after my tirade she still thought it was ok to have the DM paint her nails. I get that she's 11, and all she really cares about is herself. That's just how 11 year old girls are. But during this time of awkwardness, anger & distress, it would be nice if she thought of someone other than herself for just a moment.

Maybe I'm asking too much. Perhaps. Maybe my flying off the handle the way I did was inappropriate. Perhaps. I did learn something about myself during this. I need to learn to express myself in a healthy way & find ways to process my anger. I have to realize that my kids are just as hurt, angry and distressed during this time as I am, if not more! I can't take my anger out on them no matter what. They are not at fault. They are just children. Even my '11 going on 21 year old' daughter is still just a little girl that simply wanted her nails painted.

Heat rant

It's no secret that most of the northeast (the entire country perhaps?!) has been hot as the surface of the sun itself these last couple of weeks. Ok, maybe not that hot, but damn close in my opinion. I am not a Summer person. It's one of my least favorite seasons - always has been. I love the Spring. Perhaps because I'm born in April? Could be. I love the cool temperatures, the blooming flowers, the bright sunny days. This heat makes me cranky. I'm not pleasant when I'm cranky. I mean, who is?!

I have taken the kids to the town pool only once so far. Lately the pool has looked as if some sort of infestation is taking place with the amount of people there. It's honestly kind of creepy. Did I mention I don't do well in large crowds either? The last time I took the kids to the pool I spent most of my time either chasing or holding my 2 year old. Needless to say it was not relaxing for me at all. Hence my resistance to going back. Maybe when the weather cools down. That defeats the purpose of going doesn't it? ;)

In all honesty, it's just been so gross out I have been unable to motivate myself to do much outside of my air conditioned bedroom. This is especially difficult when it comes to cooking. Tonight dinner consisted of cold cereal, ice cream and hot dogs cooked on the stove-top. Anything to avoid turning on the oven! Did I mention I don't have a grill anymore? The douchelord ex-husband got rid of it before we moved. He bought himself and the dirty mistress a new one for his new apartment. I got nothing. Go figure!

Well that's it for me folks. It's just too hot to type anymore ....

I'm having a 4th child!

Ok....not exactly....but close enough! This week a fourteen year-old boy from Spain will join my crazy family for three weeks as part of the EF Homestay program. As an aupair coordinator, I heard about the program through some colleagues of mine and thought it would be a great experience for my family. I also thought it would help me prepare for my eventual role as a host mom to an au pair. While not feasible for me right now, I do plan to utilize au pairs as my primary form of childcare. With three kids and a wacky schedule it's really the best choice for me. But I digress ....

Hosting an exchange student for three weeks will be quite interesting. I've never done this before. He is a teenager, so it will basically be like having four kids in the house. Oi!
Even though he will be quite busy with activities planned and a rigorous course curriculum (learning English), I am still be responsible for meals, room & board and some occasional entertainment. I can only hope that I am able to provide a caring, loving environment for this young man. Scratch that - I know I can do all of those things. What I worry about is airing my dirty laundry or acting in such a way that this poor kid runs screaming for the hills!

Happy Independence Day!

I've always loved the fourth of July. The BBQs, the parades, the fireworks, and most importantly honoring the brave men and women who fought their bums off to make this nation free.

A very good friend of mine made a comment today that struck a chord with me. She said that this year the holiday was symbolic for me, because this year I am able to celebrate my own independence. I had not thought of that, but she's right. Although not final or official by any means, this fourth of July is indeed a symbol of my newfound independence. I haven't been truly independent in a very long time. And despite the pain and hardship caused by my current situation, there is some good that will come from it. I will emerge from this stronger than ever before. I will be able to proclaim my independence.

Happy 4th everyone! Be safe. :)

Random thoughts ....

My daughter's report card came today. She finished the year with A's and B's - yay! All those late nights helping her with her homework and giving her the wrong answers actually paid off.

I somehow have broken out like a preteen going through puberty. My face is starting to look like a pizza. Are we serious?! I do not need this right now...

I bought the cutest pair of flowery peep toe pumps from DSW. They arrived on Monday and are just adorable. Now I just need some place nice to wear them. Stop and Shop here I come!

The kids have been home barely a week and I'm already at my wits end. I'm almost wishing summer away and I don't like that one bit.

So the 4th of July is this weekend. Wow - where did June go?!?!?!? Holy hell time is flying.

Drop by my friend Small Town Mommy for more randomness. :)

There's one in every town ...

I'm sure you all have that one (maybe more than one) person in town that everyone refers to as "oh him" or "oh her" You know, that wacky neighbor that never ceases to amaze anyone. Yepper. Well we have one. He lives at the very end of my street, technically on a totally different road, but his house faces my street head on. You can't miss this house when coming and going. The man of said house insists on walking his dog scantily clad. No, the dog is not scantily clad - the guy is! He is an older, bald gentleman with a small "weiner" dog. He has a sign along his driveway that says "weiner crossing". I kid you not.

My neighbor from up the block said she's driven by and seen him walking the dog in his robe, robe half open mind you, exposing things she did not need to see. I understand its hot. We're all hot and bothered. But honestly, must we also be subjected to half naked (not even mildly attractive) people?! It's just not fair.

My kids and I saw him in his driveway as we turned onto our street today. He had on shorts and no shirt. NO SHIRT! My son blurted out, "Mom should we call the police and report him for public nudity?!" HA! Good call son. After a good chuckle I decided against involving the authorities. I mean, he isn't exactly naked (though not far from it!) And he's really not bothering anyone. If nothing else he's giving us all a good laugh, and good blog material. :)

Its the little things ...

I mentioned in my last post that the kids have only been on summer break for a short time and I'm already at a point of wanting to tear my hair out. I also mentioned how my daughter was having a double-header sleepover with a friend of hers. The friend is a nice girl, so I must say it was not that bad. But having an extra person in the house was a little disruptive. I mean, come on I already have three kids to deal with! But visiting child was totally fine. She was even helpful at times (more than I can say for my own kids!)

Today I was stressing out. I was running late for a friend's party (I promised to get there early and help setup.) I also had planned to get a pedicure prior to the party. Since I still had my daughter and her friend with me it turned into spa day for mom and the preteens. Sigh. Not what I intended. Turned out my daughter's pedi was not to her liking so it had to be redone. Extra child's mother was supposed to pick her up at a certain time and since we were running late, the original pick-up time was pushed back by a lot. To make matters worse, extra child's mom was even late for the new pick-up time! I still had to drop my daughter off at her father's house before making my way to the party. Did I mention I was already running late? Double sigh.

Needless to say we finished up at the salon, got back to my house and extra child's mom finally came to pick her up. And she came bearing gifts. She gave me money to cover the cost of her child's pedicure, chocolate truffles for the kids, and a bouquet of flowers for me! I absolutely adore fresh flowers. They smell so great and make me smile just looking at them. It was a totally unexpected, yet extremely pleasant surprise! She thanked me for being so sweet by allowing her daughter to stay with us for two days. I smiled and said it was no big deal at all. Sometimes its little tokens of appreciation like this that make it all worth it  .... :)

Day one down....sixty-five more to go!

Today was the last day of school. The kids had a half day and have been home torturing spending time with me since about 2pm. My daughter has a "double-header" sleepover happening; her friend is here tonight AND tomorrow night! I have to somehow get some work done tomorrow (which will simply consist of a quick check of email and my social media sites.) I then must register the kids with their new pediatrician, schedule their physicals for the new school year, stop at the post office, and depending on my mood and the weather possibly take them to the pool.

It's only Thursday yet it feels like Friday. My days are already a blur which is a dangerous sign. I am literally exhausted. Did I mention this was only day ONE of summer break?!

Oi.

Angry much?

Another thing I am learning to deal with during this divorce journey is my anger. I am not an angry person at all. Never have been. In fact, I am one of the most calm, cool and collected individuals you will ever meet. Ask my friends. Ask my family. Ask my therapist. They will all agree.

But the truth is I'm not so calm on the inside. What's going on in my life is eating me up inside and I find myself overcome with anger at random times. I hide it well, but I need to find a healthy way to express this anger. Preferably something that will not land me in federal prison.

Some mutual friends of mine and the ex's went to his house for dinner last night. My kids were with him for dinner as well. The thought of these "friends" of "ours" fraternizing with the enemy made me want to spit nails. The mutual friend's wife, who I used to be fairly close with, sent me a few apologetic text messages. She felt awkward and caught in the middle. Certainly understandable. I made the mistake of asking her what she thought of the DM (code for dirty mistress.) She said "she's nothing to write home about, but I will say she takes good care of your kids; makes sure they eat and that whatever they need is taken care of."

Really?? Really?? REALLY????????????????? Did I need to hear this??? Did I need to know that the dirty mistress is taking care of MY kids?!?!?!?!? No. No I did not. I sent my soon to be ex a text saying I was angry and for him to call me. He did and we spoke about it. I said that I really do not care what goes on in their house (total lie, I care too much in fact), but that my main concern is that HE is the one spending QT with HIS kids and taking care of them, not HER! NOT HER! NOT HER!!!

Now this mutual friend may have meant well in making her comment. She was probably just trying to make me feel better by reassuring me that my kids are fine when they are with their dad. Fair enough. But I will file this under "things I did not need to know". All this comment managed to do was incite anger in me. So much anger that flames ... flames...on the side of my face ... heaving.... heaving breaths ...*

*Name the movie that this quote is from and you get a prize. Not sure what exactly, but I'll send you something for being a fan of what I consider one of the best movies ever.

It's Father's Day not Dirty Mistress Day ....

Yes I actually uttered these words to my ex today. Let's be clear, he's not even my ex yet. We're only separated and still going through the motions. This was my weekend with the kids (we have an "every other weekend" schedule in place.) Today being Father's Day, I, of course allowed the children to spend time with their dad. I encouraged it in fact. Now, the ex started off the day on a sour note. He sent me a text message at 8:30AM saying he would be later than our scheduled time of 10:30AM. Instead, he wouldn't be here to pick up the children until 1:30PM! Big difference. Huge in fact! I was not a happy camper, but again, today being HIS day, I let it go and told the kids they had more time before daddy would arrive to pick them up. They were ok with it. Not thrilled, but they could deal. As 1:30 quickly approached, the kids were ready and raring to go. The ex pulled up out front and off they went. I had a few precious hours to myself before their rambunctious return. I decided to watch the World Cup (Brazil versus South Africa), while having a bite to eat. All seemed right with my world, even if only for a few brief hours.

One of the things I am struggling with big time in the midst of this divorce is the loss of control. When the kids go to visit their dad, it's out of my hands what goes on there. As long as they are not in imminent danger, there is little to nothing I can do about what goes on when they leave my sanctuary and head to his place. As I get used to my newfound situation (i.e. divorce), I am following various divorce support peeps in the social media space to help me cope @sincemydivorce and @divorcetohappy to name a few. I was reading about the loss of control and learning to deal with it. I haven't accepted this yet, but it is helping me to know that it's something I have to work on and that I'm not alone in doing so.

The kids came home to tell me that the ex took a nap while they went to the pool with his dirty mistress girlfriend. I quickly sent him a text message stating, "it's Father's Day, not Dirty Mistress Day!" In poor taste...yes perhaps. My son said that it was daddy's day to relax. I assumed the ex would've spent every moment with his children on his special day, but what do I know?! Again, it's not my day. It's his. And they were at his house, not mine. Let it go Court, it's out of your control ....

Sigh.

It's Friday .....

One of my favorite movies and also my most favorite day of the week! You can't beat that.

Have a great weekend friends. Enjoy your Friday! :)

Dance Baby Dance - CT Moms Hosts a Baby Dance Party!

Yesterday the moms group I am a part of (CT-Moms), hosted a baby dance party in Stamford, CT. It was a blast. The kids and parents were able to dance around in a fun, relaxed, safe atmosphere. My company sponsored the event, and myself and a coworker were busy "shaking our groove thangs" along with the kids and parents. It was so much fun and great exposure for our company.

Here are some pics of the festivities. Enjoy! :)

Dance Baby Dance - CT Moms Hosts a Baby Dance Party!

I'm a member of CT-Moms, the largest and most active online networking organization for moms in Fairfield County, CT. We will be hosting a “Dance Baby Dance” Party this coming Saturday, June 12th in Stamford, CT.

The event is a fundraiser for DOMUS, dedicated to helping children and their families experience academic and life success through educational, residential and community programs.

Generous sponsors of this event include Cultural Care Au Pair (my company - woot!), D’Valda & Sirico Dance and Music Centre, and High Ridge Printing and Copy Center.

Here's the scoop:
2010 CT-Moms Baby Dance Party
THIS Saturday, June 12th, 2010
Hula Hanks in Stamford, 216 Main Street (behind Black Bear Saloon)
Doors Open at 2pm, party continues until 4:30!
Advance tickets available now:
$10/child, $5 each accompanying adult. Children under 1 are free!
Space permitting, tickets may be available at the door at a premium of $5/ticket

Hope you can make it! :)

You Oughta Know ...

When I was about 15 I had my heart broken. (Who didn't?!) At 15 when a boy hurts you, you feel as if your entire world is collapsing around you. I felt that pain and at the time I thought nothing could hurt worse. (What did I know; did I mention I was 15?!?!)

Music has always been my refuge when times get tough. I find great solace in songs that empower me during my darkest hour. At the time Alanis Morrissette had just burst onto the scene with her Jagged Little Pill album. The first release from that album was a lovely little ditty called "You Oughta Know". The lyrics said a lot about my feelings at the time. This song became my anthem back then. And I must say, it's become my anthem again now. Although this time my heartbreak is based on more than some teenage punk standing me up. But somehow the feelings are eerily similar ...

The song is not a sappy little ditty. It's a "suck it douchelord" kind of ditty. Yup, my anthem. My Alanis. :)

Poker face

I don't normally find myself in a foul mood. Generally I am one of the most pleasant people I know. But lately I've been on edge. 


I have quite a few reasons to be on the brink these days. For starters, back in April I became a casualty of this lovely recession and lost my job. It's the first time in my career that I've ever been laid off. It's a weird feeling. It's like someone breaking up with you. Typically I'm the one doing the breaking up. I leave the job because I start to fantasize about throwing things at my coworkers. That's when I know my time has come. I update the ole resume and begin my search. It usually pays off in a number of weeks (worst case scenario in a few months), and before long I'm happy as a clam at a new gig. It's been my "M-O" for the past 10 years of my career. But this time my employer broke up with me. I was dumbfounded. And in this economy my usual plan isn't working. I've been forced to come up with a plan B, and sadly I don't know what plan B is yet. 


Speaking of break-ups, I'm also in the midst of a divorce. Yep. To add insult to injury not only did my employer break up with me, but my husband actually broke up with me too!!!!! Now granted we've had a turbulent relationship that has spanned 13 years. There have been lots of issues over the years. Some "normal" ups and downs, but more downs than ups unfortunately. We've been married for 9 years and have 3 beautiful, awesome, amazing, albeit at times maddening, children. So it couldn't have all been bad, right? But after 13 years together, 9 years of marriage, 3 kids, and a new house (just recently purchased btw) the husband has decided he's done with me. To add salt to the wound, he left me for another woman. Again I am just dumbfounded. (There's that word again - wth!) 


I truly feel as if I've lost complete control of my life. I am trying like hell to hold it together for my children, but it's not easy. Even though I am supermom, I am still only human. If you cut me do I not bleed?! Damn straight I do. So while all of this is going on I can't let my kids see my hand. I have to stay strong for their sake. I have to maintain my poker face .... 

Empty Nest

My daughter is off on a week-long trip with her class. She's been on this trip before. In fact, she went on the exact same trip last year. Since we bought a house and moved, she changed school districts and has the fortunate experience of going on a similar trip twice. This is much to my dismay as I had to fork over $200 both times, but I digress ....

My dirt bag husband and I are going through a separation and divorce. He's been taking the kids every other weekend, leaving me in this really big house all alone. Alone? As a mom of three I am pretty much NEVER alone. I have found myself feeling really lonely when my kids are not here. I miss them. Despite the constant chaos and total lack of "me" time, I genuinely miss my kids when they are not around. I guess I am preparing myself for empty nest syndrome when they get older and fly the coop.

;(

Touch-a-Truck in Westport March 27th

This year's event promises a fleet of crowd-pleasing trucks and vehicles, including the Westport Police Department's inflatable Dive Boat, Trumbull's SWAT vehicle, an ambulance, cement mixer, bulldozer, school bus and limousine. This year's event will also feature an exciting, new attraction, "Roaming Railroads: Train Rides for Kids," as well as the return of the "TheAmazingFunBus," a self-contained, mobile party with the latest video games, including the X-box, Wii and Guitar Hero, plus karaoke with hits from Miley Cyrus, the Jonas Brothers and other favorites.

The hot dog truck from Herb's Place in Norwalk will be on hand, serving hot dogs, egg sandwiches and more. Local gym class-provider, "My Gym," will be present at the event with a "bounce house" as well as an interactive, tumbling space for all children interested and the Connecticut Humane Society will be in attendance along with some of their furry friends! Face painting and hot chocolate, coffee and baked treats also will be available. Last year, the event attracted 400 families who climbed on, rode in and pushed buttons on a wide variety of trucks.

Back by popular demand, the event will start with a "quiet hour" from 9:30-10:30 a.m., for those truck lovers with more sensitive auditory nerves.

The 2010 Touch-A-Truck event will take place on Saturday, March 27, from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at Coleytown Elementary School, 65 Easton Road in Westport. Admission is $20 per family (six or less members).

Proceeds will benefit the Westport Weston Cooperative Nursery School, a NAEYC-accredited preschool, to help fund its continued educational programs for young children. For more information, visitwww.westportwestoncoop.org.

CT-Moms Tag Sale to Benefit the Center for Women and Families

Toys, clothes, electronics, baby gear, house wares, and more! Come shop for a good cause.

CT-Moms, the largest and most active on-line networking organization for Moms in Fairfield County, will be hosting a multi-family tag sale on Saturday, April 24, 2010 from 10am-3pm at Our Lady Star of the Sea Church; 1200 Shippan Avenue in Stamford. The venue was generously donated by the Church, and the sale is a fundraiser for the Center for Women and Families.
This is CT-Moms' second annual tag sale, and last year's helped raise over $1200 for the Domestic Violence Crisis Center!
With a membership of over 250 local moms, CT-Moms expects more than 30 families to come together to sell wares at this event. Each "seller mom" will be in charge of staffing her own table. There will be no charge for buyers to enter. No early-birds, please.
CT-Moms is the premier online networking organization for Mothers in Fairfield County. Membership to CT-Moms is completely free and we are proud to be an amazing resource, both to our membership as well as to our community. Learn more about CT-Moms at www.ctmomsoline.com.
The Center for Women and Families of Eastern Fairfield County, Inc. (CWF) is dedicated to strengthening women and families and to eliminating violence and abuse through education, intervention, advocacy, and community collaboration. Learn more about CWF at http://www.cwfefc.org.


Event Details & RSVP
----------------------
What: CT-Moms 2nd Annual Tag Sale
Who: CT-Moms
When: Sat Apr 24, 2010, 10 am - 3 pm EST
Where: Our Lady Star of the Sea
1200 Shippan Avenue Stamford, CT

RSVP: http://www.bigtent.com/home/calendar/event/31190950

CT-Moms Diaper Drive 2010!

Posting this on behalf of CT-Moms - a local group that I am a part of.

CT-Moms Diaper Drive 2010!

Calling ALL Local Moms’ Groups, ALL parenting organizations, and local businesses:

Did you know that even though low-income moms can buy junk food and soda using

food stamps, they CAN NOT buy diapers since they are not considered “consumable”

products? Diapers and baby wipes are off-limits to federal food stamps and Women

Infant Children (WIC) programs, leaving low-income moms struggling to afford the

nearly $100 per month cost to diaper a child. While using cloth diapers may seem

like an alternative to the monthly cost of disposable diapers, most licensed day care

centers do not accept cloth diapers due to health concerns. Furthermore, most people

living in poverty do not have access to their own laundry facilities, and most coin operated

laundromats do not allow customers to wash cloth diapers for sanitary

reasons. Struggling to afford basic diapers for a child can lead to health and safety

concerns as well. In poor and low-income families, a baby can spend a day or longer

in a soiled diaper, leading to potential health risks like rashes and infections, and

persistently upset babies which could lead to an increased possibility of child abuse.

We will be accepting all brands of diapers, pullups, wipes, unopened diaper

creams and powders; anything to keep little tushies happy, dry and

protected! We will also collect any coupons, gift cards and check or cash

donations (mailing address below). The monetary donations will be combined

with the coupons and the best value diapers will be purchased and added to the lot.

For your convenience we have drop off locations across Southern Fairfield County. See

below for the location closest to you and email that coordinator for their address and

drop off instructions.

-Stamford can drop off at Trish's house, email her at tfg604@yahoo.com

-Westport can drop off at Medha's House, email her at medha311@gmail.com

-Fairfield can drop off at Lynsey's house, email her at lynsey_lotty@yahoo.com

-Norwalk can drop off at Sabrina's house, email her at sabrinita77@yahoo.com

-Danbury can drop off at Paola's house, email her at psanta5@aol.com

We are also willing to handle diaper pick-ups in Fairfield County. If you or your group

would be interested in joining this cause but need us to pick up your donation, please

contact Medha Thomas at medha311@gmail.com.

We will also accept check or cash donations, gift cards and coupons for this cause.

You can mail any amount – large or small to the address below. If you donate more

than $20 and would like a receipt for tax purposes, please include a Self-Addressed

Stamped Envelope with your donation:

Medha Thomas / CT-Moms

P.O. Box 106

Greens Farms, CT 06883

Over the next month and a half, let's fill these charities with enough diapers to last all year! All diapers donated

and purchased will be divided up and donated to FIVE LOCAL worthy local charities:

-The Domestic Violence Crisis Center (Stamford & Norwalk) http://www.dvccct.org/

dedicated to the task of helping women and children find ways to live in peace, without the

threat of violence, intimidation or abuse

- The Center for Women & Families (Bridgeport) http://www.cwfefc.org/

dedicated to strengthening women and families and to eliminating violence and abuse through

education, intervention, advocacy, and community collaboration.

-Malta House (Norwalk, CT) http://www.maltahouse.org

providing safe housing, parenting guidance, education, job training, mentoring and child care

for single homeless mothers and their babies

-Mi-Casa/My Home (Bridgeport) http://www.gbapp.org/micasa.htm

providing case management services, housing, meals, clothing, life skills, and access to

primary care, day care, and education to pregnant or parenting teens

-The Department of Children and Families (DCF) www.ct.gov/dcf/

protecting the well-being of children and families county-wide. Diapers especially needed for

newborns that have to be retrieved directly from area hospitals for foster placement

Please help us help keep the little tushies in our area dry, healthy and happy! Any

donation will help, big or small. Regardless of who you are, where you live, what

school your children attend or what Moms’ Group you are active in; let’s band

together and help our community.

Au Pair Answer Mom

Cultural Care Au Pair's YouTube channel offers a myriad of helpful videos with answers to commonly asked questions about their au pair program.

This one in particular provides insight into what an au pair is and what they do.

Check it out. Then give me a yodel to learn more! :)


What is an au pair?

Parmesan cheese and raw eggs ....

No I'm not trying a new recipe. This is what I found all over my kitchen floor the other day thanks to my two year old! My little man is way more active than my older two were. I don't remember them opening my refrigerator. I don't remember them pulling chairs over to the counter and climbing in the sink. I don't remember them going into every single cabinet they possibly could. Either my memory is shot to hell, or they were just different ... (I'm going to go with they were just different!)

Now before you go calling CPS on me, I have childproofed my home. I have the plastic door knobs on almost every door in the house. I learned the hard way that Michael could open the front door!! I have latches on certain cabinets, including the one under the sink that houses all my cleaning supplies. I keep anything and everything that I possibly can out of his reach. I work from home and my little guy stays home with me. One of the things I love most about working from home is being here for my kids. But as Michael becomes more and more active, I am starting to think long and hard about my childcare options (more to come on that.) In the meantime, I am learning a hard lesson in childproofing! I took certain things for granted (like the fact that he ignored the refrigerator, the pantry and other easily accessible cabinets.)

So lesson learned. It took my coming down the stairs to find raw eggs and Parmesan cheese all over my kitchen floor to learn it, but thank God it wasn't anything worse than that.

What products do you use to childproof your home? Any recommendations? What do you like best about x brand versus y? Do tell.

A warm welcome & intro . . .

Greetings and salutations!
Welcome to my blog! I hope to share fun stories and valuable information with you if you'll do the same with me. As the title indicates, I am a mom. Most of this blog will deal with mommy issues, but we'll talk turkey about general topics as well.
More to come ....
Me :-)