I recently enjoyed my 15 minutes 2 minutes of fame when I attended the movie theater screening of a new documentary titled "Losing to Win: A Documentary on the Maryland Slots Referendum". Yep, that's me opening the film.
As one of the bluest of the blue states, it is pretty certain that Marylanders will overwhelmingly vote for Barack Obama for President. Unfortunately, in my opinion, it also looks like the majority of my fellow Free Staters will vote to amend our state constitution to allow slots.
Initially the politicians told us we needed slots to save Maryland's horse racing industry.
It's not that I'm against the horse racing industry in Maryland. After all, I pride myself on my ability to read a racing program and bet an exacta. My grandfather was an avid fan of the track and took my cousin Laura and me for the first time when we were 10. Grampa paid our entrance fee and bought us a racing program. My dad funded our pizza and soda for the night. We each had $10 to bet and decided to place all our bets together--with $2 minimum bets that got us at least 10 races, even if we lost every time. I do remember that we walked away with a few bucks in our pockets. Which, considering our strategy, was pretty amazing. You see, there was a jockey named Amy racing that day and we bet on her horse to win every time. I guess Amy did okay that night!
My husband and I try to make it to Laurel or Pimlico at least once each summer and we always invite a group of friends to join us. I have a blast teaching my girlfriends the ropes--generally they've never been to the races before!
So even though I enjoy horse racing and do wish that it were more popular, I don't think we should amend our state constitution to allow slot machine gambling at the race tracks.
But, the money will fund education, right? Well, that's the next thing they told us.
Certainly I'm not against public education! I'd like more funding for our public schools. But I don't think slots are the way to do it. The facts and figures just don't add up. Yes, approximately 50% of the revenues from slots would fund education, at least initially. (The Maryland lottery was initially dedicated to education as well. Now, those revenues go into the general fund.) But, what will the ultimate social costs be? An editorial in The Washington Post states, "researchers estimate that the costs of alcoholism, gambling addiction and bankruptcies resulting from slots could total $228 million to $628 million annually. And, in unsettling economic times, do we want Marylanders diverting dollars from clothes, food and other entertainment -- or savings accounts -- to gambling?" It sounds to me like many public school teachers will end up with more students in their classrooms with difficult home lives for those few extra dollars.
If public education is the priority it should be in Maryland, do we really need to turn to slots to fund it? Is the Maryland horse racing industry really important enough to warrant an amendment to our state constitution?
I hope more Marylanders will join me in voting no on Question 2 this Tuesday.
Original post to DC Metro Moms. Aimee blogs about life at www.smilingmama.blogspot.com.
Comments
jodifur said...
Thanks for writing this. My husband and I were just talking about slots and I was saying I couldn't decided, I see both sides of the issue. But you really made me understand why voting no was important.
Diana said...
This is why I thank God I live on the other side of the bridge. I honestly would HATE having gambling places open up in my neighborhood. No matter where they place these casinos, its not going to better a neighborhood. Its going to bring crime, which will need to use more police, thus using tax dollars. I can think of a million of other examples (as you suggested in your post as well) that will increase other state funds to go to things other then education.
I hope for Maryland it doesn't get approved.
Original post by Smiling Mama. Thanks for reading!
Saturday, October 31, 2009
Friday, October 30, 2009
Favorite Things Friday: Mocktail
One challenge of being pregnant, for me, is the lack of drink options. Even when I'm not pregnant, I drink water or milk 95% of the time. But, for some reason, being pregnant and sticking mostly to those two drinks feels so, well, restrictive. This is especially true when I'm out for dinner or some other event where everyone else is enjoying a delicious glass of wine or a beer or cocktail.
So, last week when I hosted the monthly meeting of my uber-fabulous Book Club at my house, I was determined not to feel like I was missing out. Enter my favorite new mocktail! (I really should have come up with a catchy name for it, any ideas?)
Not only did I thoroughly enjoy drinking this mocktail out of fancy glassware, several of my friends who could have been drinking wine chose to drink this as well. I do believe it was a hit!
Here's the super-simple recipe -- ice, 3/4 sprite and 1/4 Pomegranate Blueberry juice. Enjoy!
Original post by Smiling Mama. Thanks for reading!
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Happy Birthday, Babe!
The big 3-5 will be a bit low-key this year. Partly because
Where would I be in life without Abel? Probably a conservative librarian who looks spooked walking home from work in the evening (that's a reference to It's a Wonderful Life!). Seriously. Abel is so much that I'm not: he's every one's friend. He's the life of the party, just downright F- U-N. When Abel and I started dating, all his fraternity brothers made a point to tell me what a great guy Abel is, that he's their best friend. I didn't disagree but kind of figured this was a thing--you know, they had each other's backs when it came to girls. But then the long-term girlfriends of his frat brothers started telling me what a great guy he is and that he's such a great friend. Well, THAT got my attention.
Fast-forward about a million years and certainly the addition of about a million responsibilities and Abel is still a great guy, the guy everyone wants to be friends with. And he's also an amazing husband and father. I swear, he can do anything. Fix the car? Sure. Renovate our basement? Of course! Re-wire and install new lighting? Okay! Build a stone wall? Not a problem! Make Lucas an awesome Halloween costume? Yes!
In the daddy department, Abel is first-class. How lucky am I to be able to take off for entire afternoons, days and weekends without leaving so much as a list or a reminder behind? How incredible is it that this man, whose father brags about the fact that he's never changed a diaper, cares for Lucas in every way from giving him his first bath to changing countless diapers, to jump-starting the potty training? Pretty. Darn. Awesome.
So even though he drives me CRAZY very, very,
Original post by Smiling Mama. Thanks for reading!
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
The truth will come back to embarrass you in public
Understandably, Lucas has been very interested in the whole concept of this baby. Specifically, how in the world he is going to get out of my belly. (Thank goodness he hasn't been asking how he got IN.)
First, Lucas asked me if the baby came out of my mouth. Actually, he didn't really ask so much as state in a very incredulous tone that the baby didn't come out of my mouth, did it? That one was easy: no, the baby doesn't come out of my mouth!
Next, Lucas wanted to know just how he does come out. Again, I thought I had an easy answer: the doctor helps the baby come out. Unfortunately, that didn't quite cut it. If only I had a c-section with Lucas or was planning on one (hopefully not) with this baby, I could have agreed when he said, with wide eyes, "The doctor reaches into your belly to pull the baby out??"
Ummm...no.
So, I continued with my easy answers: "Mama has a special place the baby comes out of."
"What special place?"
Okay. So we've always used appropriate words with Lucas: penis, breasts and now...vagina.
"Mama has a special place called a vagina that the baby comes out of."
That seemed to satisfy Lucas. He does still ask and I respond that I have my special place called a vagina and the conversation is over. At least, our conversation is over. Lucas's conversation continues with just about everyone he meets. Here's how it goes:
"I was a baby in my mama's belly and I came out of her special place called a 'gina. Now she has another baby in her belly and he's going to come out her 'gina, too!!!!"
So far the kids at the park don't seem too fazed by this knowledge. The adults get a sort of embarrassed look and just smile and nod. And then I get a little bit of an embarrassed look and smile and nod as well.
Original post by Smiling Mama. Thanks for reading!
First, Lucas asked me if the baby came out of my mouth. Actually, he didn't really ask so much as state in a very incredulous tone that the baby didn't come out of my mouth, did it? That one was easy: no, the baby doesn't come out of my mouth!
Next, Lucas wanted to know just how he does come out. Again, I thought I had an easy answer: the doctor helps the baby come out. Unfortunately, that didn't quite cut it. If only I had a c-section with Lucas or was planning on one (hopefully not) with this baby, I could have agreed when he said, with wide eyes, "The doctor reaches into your belly to pull the baby out??"
Ummm...no.
So, I continued with my easy answers: "Mama has a special place the baby comes out of."
"What special place?"
Okay. So we've always used appropriate words with Lucas: penis, breasts and now...vagina.
"Mama has a special place called a vagina that the baby comes out of."
That seemed to satisfy Lucas. He does still ask and I respond that I have my special place called a vagina and the conversation is over. At least, our conversation is over. Lucas's conversation continues with just about everyone he meets. Here's how it goes:
"I was a baby in my mama's belly and I came out of her special place called a 'gina. Now she has another baby in her belly and he's going to come out her 'gina, too!!!!"
So far the kids at the park don't seem too fazed by this knowledge. The adults get a sort of embarrassed look and just smile and nod. And then I get a little bit of an embarrassed look and smile and nod as well.
Original post by Smiling Mama. Thanks for reading!
Monday, October 26, 2009
I knew you
On a handful of occasions throughout his short life, Lucas has talked to me about the time before he was born. Just the other night when I was putting him to bed, he told me that he was searching and searching for his mama and dada before he got into in my belly. Other times, he's told me that he was with Jesus until he found me.
There's an oft-quoted bible verse from the Book Jeremiah chapter 1, verse 5, "Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you."
Those conversations with Lucas have always been brief but they are very meaningful to me. Although I don't talk about it much, I do have a strong belief in God and do believe strongly in heaven.
Yet, I feel pretty sure that I've never "planted" those specific thoughts in Lucas's head. Perhaps someone else has; I haven't asked Abel about it. Both our mothers are very religious and his daycare provider was as well. Maybe one of them said something to him once about being with Jesus before he was born and it really stuck with him. Maybe.
Or, maybe this is one of those examples of brilliant truths coming from the mouths of babes. Maybe there is just a teeny, tiny piece of him that does remember his soul searching for his parents. That does know that his soul was with Jesus before his earthly life began. Perhaps this is just a vague memory that gets smaller and more distant with each passing year, until one day, as adults, we can hardly fathom that truth. Perhaps.
It is both comforting and awe-inspiring to think that, of all the millions of egg and sperm and combinations, God did know Lucas and his baby brother before they were formed in my womb. That Abel and I were formed to be their parents. That even though there are times we, as adults, feel so distant from God and from heaven, that the smallest babies know and remember.
Original post by Smiling Mama. Thanks for reading!
There's an oft-quoted bible verse from the Book Jeremiah chapter 1, verse 5, "Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you."
Those conversations with Lucas have always been brief but they are very meaningful to me. Although I don't talk about it much, I do have a strong belief in God and do believe strongly in heaven.
Yet, I feel pretty sure that I've never "planted" those specific thoughts in Lucas's head. Perhaps someone else has; I haven't asked Abel about it. Both our mothers are very religious and his daycare provider was as well. Maybe one of them said something to him once about being with Jesus before he was born and it really stuck with him. Maybe.
Or, maybe this is one of those examples of brilliant truths coming from the mouths of babes. Maybe there is just a teeny, tiny piece of him that does remember his soul searching for his parents. That does know that his soul was with Jesus before his earthly life began. Perhaps this is just a vague memory that gets smaller and more distant with each passing year, until one day, as adults, we can hardly fathom that truth. Perhaps.
It is both comforting and awe-inspiring to think that, of all the millions of egg and sperm and combinations, God did know Lucas and his baby brother before they were formed in my womb. That Abel and I were formed to be their parents. That even though there are times we, as adults, feel so distant from God and from heaven, that the smallest babies know and remember.
Original post by Smiling Mama. Thanks for reading!
Friday, October 23, 2009
Favorite Things Friday: An Occasional Feature
So apparently Favorite Things Friday is going to become an occasional feature. I missed it last week and have nuthin' for you this week as well. Hopefully the upcoming holidays will help inspire me.
In the meantime, if you have something you absolutely love and want to share with Smiling Mama readers, please let me know! It would be a blast to have some FTF guest posts.
Have a great weekend!
Original post by Smiling Mama. Thanks for reading!
In the meantime, if you have something you absolutely love and want to share with Smiling Mama readers, please let me know! It would be a blast to have some FTF guest posts.
Have a great weekend!
Original post by Smiling Mama. Thanks for reading!
Thursday, October 22, 2009
First Born
More and more I am realizing that Lucas truly is a first-born child. He's already developed so many characteristics of an oldest child. (Of course, as an oldest myself, I see the many positive characteristics associated with this place in birth order!)
You already know how good he is with speaking up and introductions. He's a natural leader on the playground and also loves playing with older kids. Two recent incidents have made me realize that he can also take things in stride pretty darn well.
First, Lucas was talking about show-and-tell at school. What's this? I didn't know there was show-and-tell. I vaguely remember seeing something in some paper about future show-and-tell and that the kids shouldn't bring in items that could easily get lost, etc. But, I was waiting for further notification. According to Lucas, show-and-tell was already taking place so I asked Abel to ask the teachers about it the next day at drop-off. Here's Abel's report:
Yes, they have show-and-tell every Friday. And, Lucas somehow has managed to find something to talk about each week.
That totally cracked me up because it is so Lucas. If every other kid had something to talk about, you'd better believe he'd find something, too. I'm imagining that one week he might have talked about his new Lightening McQueen winter hat. Another week it might have been a stray rock from his pocket. And yet another Friday he may have told the class about his lunchbox. Now that we know that show-and-tell takes place each Friday, I'll remind him to take something special in each week.
Speaking of his lunchbox, I am still adoring the Laptop Lunchbox and think it is even more perfect for nursery school than it was for daycare. He can open it and there aren't any packages that need to be opened for him. (Not to mention no waste!) I always pack his lunch the night before, but lately I've been including a freshly cut pear for his fruit. Since I hate browning fruit myself, I wait until the morning to cut up and add the pear. Yesterday I totally forgot to put it in! The container I use for fruit actually has a lid and it was already in the lunchbox with the lid on so I assumed it was full. It wasn't. That afternoon after school, Lucas very matter-of-factly informed me that his blue container was empty. I apologized and asked if he was sad when he realized he didn't have any fruit. His response:
Yes. I was a little sad. But, in the meantime, I ate my other food.
In the MEANTIME??? Am I sending an 8 year old to nursery school or a 3 year old? Seriously.
I try hard not to fall down on the job very often, but I think whenever I do, this kid will be just fine.
Original post by Smiling Mama. Thanks for reading!
You already know how good he is with speaking up and introductions. He's a natural leader on the playground and also loves playing with older kids. Two recent incidents have made me realize that he can also take things in stride pretty darn well.
First, Lucas was talking about show-and-tell at school. What's this? I didn't know there was show-and-tell. I vaguely remember seeing something in some paper about future show-and-tell and that the kids shouldn't bring in items that could easily get lost, etc. But, I was waiting for further notification. According to Lucas, show-and-tell was already taking place so I asked Abel to ask the teachers about it the next day at drop-off. Here's Abel's report:
Yes, they have show-and-tell every Friday. And, Lucas somehow has managed to find something to talk about each week.
That totally cracked me up because it is so Lucas. If every other kid had something to talk about, you'd better believe he'd find something, too. I'm imagining that one week he might have talked about his new Lightening McQueen winter hat. Another week it might have been a stray rock from his pocket. And yet another Friday he may have told the class about his lunchbox. Now that we know that show-and-tell takes place each Friday, I'll remind him to take something special in each week.
Speaking of his lunchbox, I am still adoring the Laptop Lunchbox and think it is even more perfect for nursery school than it was for daycare. He can open it and there aren't any packages that need to be opened for him. (Not to mention no waste!) I always pack his lunch the night before, but lately I've been including a freshly cut pear for his fruit. Since I hate browning fruit myself, I wait until the morning to cut up and add the pear. Yesterday I totally forgot to put it in! The container I use for fruit actually has a lid and it was already in the lunchbox with the lid on so I assumed it was full. It wasn't. That afternoon after school, Lucas very matter-of-factly informed me that his blue container was empty. I apologized and asked if he was sad when he realized he didn't have any fruit. His response:
Yes. I was a little sad. But, in the meantime, I ate my other food.
In the MEANTIME??? Am I sending an 8 year old to nursery school or a 3 year old? Seriously.
I try hard not to fall down on the job very often, but I think whenever I do, this kid will be just fine.
Original post by Smiling Mama. Thanks for reading!
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Feel the love
This is one of those things that I'm blogging because I never, ever, ever want to forget it.
This morning I woke up to Lucas spreading out his arms and saying, "Mama, I love the baby THIIIIIIIISS much."
And so I said to him, "And the baby loves you THIIIIIIIIIIISSSS much" while spreading my arms as far as possible. And reaching even further, I said, "And I love you THIIIIIIIIIIISSSSS much."
And he said, "And I love you THIIIIIIIIISSSSSSSSS" much.
It was a beautiful way to begin the day.
Original post by Smiling Mama. Thanks for reading!
This morning I woke up to Lucas spreading out his arms and saying, "Mama, I love the baby THIIIIIIIISS much."
And so I said to him, "And the baby loves you THIIIIIIIIIIISSSS much" while spreading my arms as far as possible. And reaching even further, I said, "And I love you THIIIIIIIIIIISSSSS much."
And he said, "And I love you THIIIIIIIIISSSSSSSSS" much.
It was a beautiful way to begin the day.
Original post by Smiling Mama. Thanks for reading!
Monday, October 19, 2009
So You Think You Can Dance on Tour
I've been a little MIA lately and of course there's nothing more boring than blogging about not blogging, right? We've been busy. This new schedule--four half days of work for me and 5 days of preschool for Lucas--has dramatically cut into my free time! Our afternoons and evenings are just so busy!
Last week Abel and I went on a double date with some friends in town to see So You Think You Can Dance on tour. You know I love that show! It was a lot of fun but the evening didn't quite live up to expectations. Traffic was so bad (the show was in Baltimore) that we had to skip our planned dinner at a nice Italian restaurant (to try) to grab a very quick dinner at a wings place near the area. (Despite an initial warning to the waitress that we were in a hurry and everyone ordering their meal right away with their drinks, it was the slowest service ever! Plus there was an automatic 15% tip so we couldn't even do anything about it!)
And the show?
Well. It was good. But, it wasn't great. Abel and I had, literally, the top row of seats in the arena. Which actually was fine. I loved seeing all my favorite dancers from last season and enjoyed seeing some dances I loved. I was disappointed in the cheesy dialogue between dances--these kids are amazing dancers, but not so great at pre-written dialogue. And, from what I can tell, there was only one new dance! I really expected some great new dances, either from the group or pairs. It was so fun to hang out--adults-only--with our friends and Lucas loved getting to go over to their house to play and then go to bed with his good friends (yay! shared! babysitter!). He even went right back to sleep when we got home.
Overall, I'm glad we went. And, I'm grateful that Abel bought the tickets way back in August when I couldn't make a decision. Even better, thanks to Leticia over at Tech Savvy Mama, we'll be heading back to the same arena in a few weeks for Disney on Ice! As a young (and not-so-young, yes I was a nerd!) girl, I always wanted to go to the Ice Capades so I couldn't be more excited about taking Lucas to see Disney on Ice. Now we know how much time we'll need to get there, where to park and where not to eat before the show!
Original post by Smiling Mama. Thanks for reading!
Last week Abel and I went on a double date with some friends in town to see So You Think You Can Dance on tour. You know I love that show! It was a lot of fun but the evening didn't quite live up to expectations. Traffic was so bad (the show was in Baltimore) that we had to skip our planned dinner at a nice Italian restaurant (to try) to grab a very quick dinner at a wings place near the area. (Despite an initial warning to the waitress that we were in a hurry and everyone ordering their meal right away with their drinks, it was the slowest service ever! Plus there was an automatic 15% tip so we couldn't even do anything about it!)
And the show?
Well. It was good. But, it wasn't great. Abel and I had, literally, the top row of seats in the arena. Which actually was fine. I loved seeing all my favorite dancers from last season and enjoyed seeing some dances I loved. I was disappointed in the cheesy dialogue between dances--these kids are amazing dancers, but not so great at pre-written dialogue. And, from what I can tell, there was only one new dance! I really expected some great new dances, either from the group or pairs. It was so fun to hang out--adults-only--with our friends and Lucas loved getting to go over to their house to play and then go to bed with his good friends (yay! shared! babysitter!). He even went right back to sleep when we got home.
Overall, I'm glad we went. And, I'm grateful that Abel bought the tickets way back in August when I couldn't make a decision. Even better, thanks to Leticia over at Tech Savvy Mama, we'll be heading back to the same arena in a few weeks for Disney on Ice! As a young (and not-so-young, yes I was a nerd!) girl, I always wanted to go to the Ice Capades so I couldn't be more excited about taking Lucas to see Disney on Ice. Now we know how much time we'll need to get there, where to park and where not to eat before the show!
Original post by Smiling Mama. Thanks for reading!
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Wierd things
So there are all these bizarre things that happen to you when you're pregnant. I'd like to give you a few examples.
1) Excess saliva. I vividly remember when I was pregnant with Lucas being horrified that I was suddenly spitting at people as I talked. Basically every single one of my co-workers at the time should have said to me, "Say it don't spray it, girl." It was horrifying. (Did I already say that? Forgetfulness is also a problem.) Then, one day I read that you start to produce excess saliva during pregnancy. Ah ha! That's why I am spitting at people. This time around, I don't think I'm spraying as much. But, I am, literally, choking on my own spit. On a regular basis. It's embarrassing.
2) Gotta' go. Okay, everyone knows about pregnant women and the increased need to pee. (See above: there is increased overall fluid production.) But, the MOST BIZARRE thing is that there are times when I go from not having to pee at all to barely-able-to-make-it-50-feet-to-the-bathroom over the course of, oh, about 20 seconds. Then (yes, it gets worse) I sit down and NOTHING COMES OUT. Finally, I get a trickle, but certainly not enough to warrant such an extreme emergency. I do believe that baby decides to sit down on my bladder, making me think it is full and then he somehow blocks the exit when I'm on the pot. Bizarre.
3) Klutz Factor. I'm already a big klutz. It is a proven fact. Way back when we were engaged, Abel would joke to me that I wouldn't be allowed to carry our children up or down stairs because I so often tripped up or down them for no reason at all. Somehow my klutziness factor increases dramatically when I'm pregnant. I've taken to seriously holding on to hand rails on stairs. Not just skimming my hand along, but HOLDING ON as I walk up or down stair cases. I'm like an old lady.
I know there's more. What bizarre things happened to you during pregnancy?
Original post by Smiling Mama. Thanks for reading!
1) Excess saliva. I vividly remember when I was pregnant with Lucas being horrified that I was suddenly spitting at people as I talked. Basically every single one of my co-workers at the time should have said to me, "Say it don't spray it, girl." It was horrifying. (Did I already say that? Forgetfulness is also a problem.) Then, one day I read that you start to produce excess saliva during pregnancy. Ah ha! That's why I am spitting at people. This time around, I don't think I'm spraying as much. But, I am, literally, choking on my own spit. On a regular basis. It's embarrassing.
2) Gotta' go. Okay, everyone knows about pregnant women and the increased need to pee. (See above: there is increased overall fluid production.) But, the MOST BIZARRE thing is that there are times when I go from not having to pee at all to barely-able-to-make-it-50-feet-to-the-bathroom over the course of, oh, about 20 seconds. Then (yes, it gets worse) I sit down and NOTHING COMES OUT. Finally, I get a trickle, but certainly not enough to warrant such an extreme emergency. I do believe that baby decides to sit down on my bladder, making me think it is full and then he somehow blocks the exit when I'm on the pot. Bizarre.
3) Klutz Factor. I'm already a big klutz. It is a proven fact. Way back when we were engaged, Abel would joke to me that I wouldn't be allowed to carry our children up or down stairs because I so often tripped up or down them for no reason at all. Somehow my klutziness factor increases dramatically when I'm pregnant. I've taken to seriously holding on to hand rails on stairs. Not just skimming my hand along, but HOLDING ON as I walk up or down stair cases. I'm like an old lady.
I know there's more. What bizarre things happened to you during pregnancy?
Original post by Smiling Mama. Thanks for reading!
26 Weeks
I'm 26 weeks along today and my little baby boy has gone from a walnut to a heirloom tomato to a mango to an English hothouse cucumber. Thank goodness for Baby Center and their bizarre size to food similes (or are those metaphors?) or I'd have no idea how to translate inches into an actual understanding big this little bambino is.
So overall things have been uneventful. Which is great. They also have been flying by. I know I've said this before, but pregnancy is just so different this time around. I think that 4 years ago about this time I was having literal panic attacks over what features we needed on our pack 'n play. I mean, did we need it to vibrate and offer soothing ocean sounds? And don't even get me started on the stroller or car seat. I had lists. And books. And more lists, people. And I was freaking out over every aspect of all the STUFF we needed. I was reading ahead in What to Expect and knew exactly what week I was at every minute.
This time, I have no idea how far along I am until I get my weekly e-mail. I haven't read a thing. I'm not even sure if I'm in the 3rd trimester yet--when exactly does that start? Also, I'm just assuming that everything we need for this little guy is safely tucked away in the attic. At some point I'll get it all down (er, Abel will get it all down) and I'll wash it and let's just pray that 3 years worth of boy clothes aren't all moth eaten or otherwise ruined. I know I'll need to buy more bottles (Lucas was pre-knowledge of BPA) and there are a few other things on my would-be-nice-to-have-this-time-around list. I'm researching cloth diapers and need to get that all figured out. We still need to do both the boys' rooms, too.
Okay. Now I'm freaking myself out a bit. I guess there is a lot to do.
I might need to begin a list.
Original post by Smiling Mama. Thanks for reading!
So overall things have been uneventful. Which is great. They also have been flying by. I know I've said this before, but pregnancy is just so different this time around. I think that 4 years ago about this time I was having literal panic attacks over what features we needed on our pack 'n play. I mean, did we need it to vibrate and offer soothing ocean sounds? And don't even get me started on the stroller or car seat. I had lists. And books. And more lists, people. And I was freaking out over every aspect of all the STUFF we needed. I was reading ahead in What to Expect and knew exactly what week I was at every minute.
This time, I have no idea how far along I am until I get my weekly e-mail. I haven't read a thing. I'm not even sure if I'm in the 3rd trimester yet--when exactly does that start? Also, I'm just assuming that everything we need for this little guy is safely tucked away in the attic. At some point I'll get it all down (er, Abel will get it all down) and I'll wash it and let's just pray that 3 years worth of boy clothes aren't all moth eaten or otherwise ruined. I know I'll need to buy more bottles (Lucas was pre-knowledge of BPA) and there are a few other things on my would-be-nice-to-have-this-time-around list. I'm researching cloth diapers and need to get that all figured out. We still need to do both the boys' rooms, too.
Okay. Now I'm freaking myself out a bit. I guess there is a lot to do.
I might need to begin a list.
Original post by Smiling Mama. Thanks for reading!
Monday, October 12, 2009
Do You Love Me?
At approximately 6:00 am. I was trying to get Lucas to lay down in our bed and fall back asleep but he was having none of it. We had the following conversation.
Lucas: Mama, do you love me when I hit?
Smiling Mama: Yes. I always love you.
Lucas: Do you love me when I'm muddy?
Smiling Mama: Yes.
Lucas: Do you love me when I jump?
Smiling Mama: Yes.
Lucas: Do you love me when I'm messy?
Smiling Mama: Yes.
Lucas: Do you love me when I laugh?
Smiling Mama: Yes.
Lucas: Do you love me when I yell?
Smiling Mama: Yes. Lucas: I always love you. I get sad when you hit or yell but I still love you.
Lucas: You always love me?
Smiling Mama: Yes. Always and forever.
Lucas: I love you forever, too.
Original post by Smiling Mama. Thanks for reading!
Lucas: Mama, do you love me when I hit?
Smiling Mama: Yes. I always love you.
Lucas: Do you love me when I'm muddy?
Smiling Mama: Yes.
Lucas: Do you love me when I jump?
Smiling Mama: Yes.
Lucas: Do you love me when I'm messy?
Smiling Mama: Yes.
Lucas: Do you love me when I laugh?
Smiling Mama: Yes.
Lucas: Do you love me when I yell?
Smiling Mama: Yes. Lucas: I always love you. I get sad when you hit or yell but I still love you.
Lucas: You always love me?
Smiling Mama: Yes. Always and forever.
Lucas: I love you forever, too.
Original post by Smiling Mama. Thanks for reading!
Friday, October 9, 2009
Favorite Things Friday: Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer
I wear make-up everyday but not a lot of it. My morning routine is eyeliner, eyeshadow and blush. On rare occasion I'll add some tinted lip gloss. It takes just a few minutes. Over the years, I've bought foundation--liquid or powder--on many occasions. I usually try it a few times then stop wearing it. I hate the feeling of having anything on my face and I could always feel even very light foundations.
Over the past month or so, however, my skin has really changed. I've noticed a lot of red blotchiness around my nose and on my chin. My usual "normal" or even "oily" areas have gotten very, very dry. I knew I needed something to even out my skin tone.
I headed over to Sephora on my recent bra-shopping excursion to look for a very light-weight tinted moisturizer. The very helpful saleswoman steered me toward Laura Mercier tinted moisturizer (shade Nude for me) and I instantly loved it. The shade was perfect--it blended in flawlessly and it was truly so lightweight that I couldn't feel it.
That was a week ago and I've worn it every single day. (That's definitely a record for me!) It makes me feel so much more put together and only takes moments to apply.
Disclosure: As with all my Favorite Things Friday, this is just a product I love and want to tell you about. It was bought with my own hard-earned dollars, none of which are earned through blogging as I don't have ads.
Over the past month or so, however, my skin has really changed. I've noticed a lot of red blotchiness around my nose and on my chin. My usual "normal" or even "oily" areas have gotten very, very dry. I knew I needed something to even out my skin tone.
I headed over to Sephora on my recent bra-shopping excursion to look for a very light-weight tinted moisturizer. The very helpful saleswoman steered me toward Laura Mercier tinted moisturizer (shade Nude for me) and I instantly loved it. The shade was perfect--it blended in flawlessly and it was truly so lightweight that I couldn't feel it.
That was a week ago and I've worn it every single day. (That's definitely a record for me!) It makes me feel so much more put together and only takes moments to apply.
Disclosure: As with all my Favorite Things Friday, this is just a product I love and want to tell you about. It was bought with my own hard-earned dollars, none of which are earned through blogging as I don't have ads.
Original post by Smiling Mama. Thanks for reading!
Thursday, October 8, 2009
Caution: Mommy Blogging Ahead
Okay, so I am quite certain that you are all on the edge of your seats: Did she or did she not abandon the night training and put a diaper on her 3yo? Did he or did he not wake up dry?
Heavy questions, folks.
Here are your answers: I abandoned the night training. I was on the verge of doing it anyway, but the several supportive comments and complete lack of oh-my-God-your-almost-four-year-old-still-wears-a-diaper comments helped make that decision easier.
So, here's the result: I wasn't up for an hour in the middle of the night. Yay! BUT he still woke up COMPLETELY soaked. Crazy! I'd much rather clean up a wet little boy at 6am or 7am than 3am, however, so I still agree we made the right decision. Maybe we need to make sure he drinks all his fluids for the day before 3pm or something. Who knows.
Also, along the lines of diapers and whatnot, I'm strongly considering using cloth diapers for baby #2. I don't think I'll be militant about it--e.g. Mom, I won't ask to wash poopy diapers in your washing machine. But if I am home full-time why not give it a shot? I'm currently starting to research the whole thing so any advice or comments or even links to other websites and blogs that discuss the topic are more than welcome.
In other exciting baby news, I am now feeling the baby move all! the! time! It is so fun. Abel even got to feel some kicks the other night. We have another sonogram on Friday morning (last time they just couldn't get the angle on the heart that they needed) and we're going to take Lucas with us. I'm not sure that he'll get much out of the experience, but it will be fun to say that he was there AND, immediately following the appointment, Abel's meeting my dad so that Lucas can spend two nights with my parents. Woo hoo!
And, also? I'm pretty confident that anyone who sees me would now officially jump to the conclusion that I am pregnant and not question if I have just consumed a large box of chocolates (which, to be fair, may also be true). That's a nice spot to get to in pregnancy--big enough that you look pregnant, not so big that you can't fit between clothing racks in stores (which will be a future stage, if I recall).
Original post by Smiling Mama. Thanks for reading!
Heavy questions, folks.
Here are your answers: I abandoned the night training. I was on the verge of doing it anyway, but the several supportive comments and complete lack of oh-my-God-your-almost-four-year-old-still-wears-a-diaper comments helped make that decision easier.
So, here's the result: I wasn't up for an hour in the middle of the night. Yay! BUT he still woke up COMPLETELY soaked. Crazy! I'd much rather clean up a wet little boy at 6am or 7am than 3am, however, so I still agree we made the right decision. Maybe we need to make sure he drinks all his fluids for the day before 3pm or something. Who knows.
Also, along the lines of diapers and whatnot, I'm strongly considering using cloth diapers for baby #2. I don't think I'll be militant about it--e.g. Mom, I won't ask to wash poopy diapers in your washing machine. But if I am home full-time why not give it a shot? I'm currently starting to research the whole thing so any advice or comments or even links to other websites and blogs that discuss the topic are more than welcome.
In other exciting baby news, I am now feeling the baby move all! the! time! It is so fun. Abel even got to feel some kicks the other night. We have another sonogram on Friday morning (last time they just couldn't get the angle on the heart that they needed) and we're going to take Lucas with us. I'm not sure that he'll get much out of the experience, but it will be fun to say that he was there AND, immediately following the appointment, Abel's meeting my dad so that Lucas can spend two nights with my parents. Woo hoo!
And, also? I'm pretty confident that anyone who sees me would now officially jump to the conclusion that I am pregnant and not question if I have just consumed a large box of chocolates (which, to be fair, may also be true). That's a nice spot to get to in pregnancy--big enough that you look pregnant, not so big that you can't fit between clothing racks in stores (which will be a future stage, if I recall).
Original post by Smiling Mama. Thanks for reading!
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
Bra Poll: Wrap Up
Thanks so much to the 21 readers who voted in my bra poll. How fun! I was so interested to see the results. I mean, we all wear bras but how often do we talk about this stuff? Rarely. So, here are the results. Looks like the majority of us own 4-10 bras, buy new bras once a year to every few years and spend about $25 to $50 per bra.
Personally, I had a great fitting at Nordstrom and came home with three new bras. They averaged $52 per bra so I'm just slightly above the group average with how much I spent. The saleswoman gave me great advice about the bras I bought. I will NOT, however, be following her lead in naming this little boy I'm carrying. Let's just say that two of her boys are named Simplicity and King Solomon.
Personally, I had a great fitting at Nordstrom and came home with three new bras. They averaged $52 per bra so I'm just slightly above the group average with how much I spent. The saleswoman gave me great advice about the bras I bought. I will NOT, however, be following her lead in naming this little boy I'm carrying. Let's just say that two of her boys are named Simplicity and King Solomon.
Original post by Smiling Mama. Thanks for reading!
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
Old Houses Fall Down
There are hundreds of reasons why I love our house. Unfortunately I can not think of a single one of them at this exact moment. That's because it feels like this old house is falling down around us. Here are the things that have gone wrong in the past 48 hours:- Kitchen light went out
- Bathroom light went out
- Dryer belt broke
- Rotten wood was discovered when scraping and painting the outdoor trim around our front door
- Downstairs bathroom sprung not one, but two, leaks
Okay, I fully admit that the first three are very minor problems that any homeowner or apartment dweller will encounter. However, the bathroom is what has put me over the edge.
Seriously.
Our house was built in 1948 and apparently 50 years is the approximate life of the pipes used in our basement. Our first year or so in the house we dealt with approximately four pin hole sized leaks in the basement ceiling. Now there are more.
The good news, if I am forced to find some good news, is that whenwe Abel finished our basement he did not touch the half bath down there. The idea was always that--someday--we would add a small shower to turn the basement half bath into a full bath. Now that Abel has spent the entire day pulling out sheets of damp drywall and beams of damp wood, maybe that project will happen faster than previously planned.
I mean, really, we ought to get a discount if the demo work is already done. Right?
Seriously.
Our house was built in 1948 and apparently 50 years is the approximate life of the pipes used in our basement. Our first year or so in the house we dealt with approximately four pin hole sized leaks in the basement ceiling. Now there are more.
The good news, if I am forced to find some good news, is that when
I mean, really, we ought to get a discount if the demo work is already done. Right?
Original post by Smiling Mama. Thanks for reading!
Night Training
Okay, folks, I have a confession to make: Lucas still wears a diaper at night. Well, he did as of two nights ago and I think he'll be back in one tonight. Yes, he's almost four years old and has been completely potty trained for months and months now. In fact, he had an accident (literally on the floor immediately in front of the potty) last week and I was so shocked because he hadn't had an accident in . . . as long as I can remember. But, this entire time he's still worn a diaper at night. I mostly chalk this up to my personal laziness and love of a solid night's sleep. I didn't want to bother with him either waking me up to go to the bathroom or having to wake him up to go.
But, then I realized that he was waking up soaked through his diaper almost every night AND I was already waking up 2-3 times a night to pee anyway. So, why just take him to the potty whenever I woke up. There would be no additional waking for me and no cleaning up of a wet boy, jammies and bed in the morning. Easy peasy, right?
Wrong.
Night 1: Lucas went to sleep at 8:30pm, he went to the bathroom several times before bed (we have him try at least 2 times during the whole bedtime routine). Put him on the potty at 10pm when we went to bed. I woke up at 1am and tried to get him to go. He didn't. He wandered into our room completely drenched at 3am. Spent 30-40 minutes cleaning him up, changing him into new jammies. Put him on the potty. Brought him to our bed (to avoid cleaning up his bed at the moment). Spent the next few hours unable to sleep because he was flipping around.
Night 2: Lucas went to sleep at 8pm. He went to the bathroom several times before bed. Put him on the potty at 10:30pm when I went to bed. I woke up at 3am and went to get him to put him on the potty. He was slumbering peacefully but completely soaked. Spent 30 minutes cleaning him up, changing him into new jammies. Put him on the potty. Brought him into our bed (to avoid cleaning up his bed at the moment). We all slept. Woke up at 7am to a wet spot on our bed where he peed.
OMG. Seriously. How in the world does this kid have So. Much. Pee? He does not drink a lot in the evening. In fact, last night he had a small glass of water with dinner and a small glass of milk after dinner. How does that equal so much pee?
I am so frustrated. I know it's only been two nights. But there is a huge difference between me taking one minute to stumble to the bathroom and back when I personally wake up to pee and losing about an hour of sleep (or more) to clean up a wet kid. Should we keep with it? Have any brilliant ideas? Clearly he isn't waking up to a sensation of needing to go or even always waking up when he is SOAKING WET.
At the very least, I am going to put this on hold for a few nights. I'm so exhausted from not sleeping well anyway (waking to pee, unable to get comfortable, etc) and our dryer belt broke the other night. I don't have enough spare sheets and blankets for his bed to keep this up until I can do some laundry!
Advice welcome!
Original post by Smiling Mama. Thanks for reading!
But, then I realized that he was waking up soaked through his diaper almost every night AND I was already waking up 2-3 times a night to pee anyway. So, why just take him to the potty whenever I woke up. There would be no additional waking for me and no cleaning up of a wet boy, jammies and bed in the morning. Easy peasy, right?
Wrong.
Night 1: Lucas went to sleep at 8:30pm, he went to the bathroom several times before bed (we have him try at least 2 times during the whole bedtime routine). Put him on the potty at 10pm when we went to bed. I woke up at 1am and tried to get him to go. He didn't. He wandered into our room completely drenched at 3am. Spent 30-40 minutes cleaning him up, changing him into new jammies. Put him on the potty. Brought him to our bed (to avoid cleaning up his bed at the moment). Spent the next few hours unable to sleep because he was flipping around.
Night 2: Lucas went to sleep at 8pm. He went to the bathroom several times before bed. Put him on the potty at 10:30pm when I went to bed. I woke up at 3am and went to get him to put him on the potty. He was slumbering peacefully but completely soaked. Spent 30 minutes cleaning him up, changing him into new jammies. Put him on the potty. Brought him into our bed (to avoid cleaning up his bed at the moment). We all slept. Woke up at 7am to a wet spot on our bed where he peed.
OMG. Seriously. How in the world does this kid have So. Much. Pee? He does not drink a lot in the evening. In fact, last night he had a small glass of water with dinner and a small glass of milk after dinner. How does that equal so much pee?
I am so frustrated. I know it's only been two nights. But there is a huge difference between me taking one minute to stumble to the bathroom and back when I personally wake up to pee and losing about an hour of sleep (or more) to clean up a wet kid. Should we keep with it? Have any brilliant ideas? Clearly he isn't waking up to a sensation of needing to go or even always waking up when he is SOAKING WET.
At the very least, I am going to put this on hold for a few nights. I'm so exhausted from not sleeping well anyway (waking to pee, unable to get comfortable, etc) and our dryer belt broke the other night. I don't have enough spare sheets and blankets for his bed to keep this up until I can do some laundry!
Advice welcome!
Original post by Smiling Mama. Thanks for reading!
Friday, October 2, 2009
Busy, Busy Friday
Oh my, where did this day go? So sorry to my faithful Favorite Things Friday readers, I usually like to post those first thing in the morning. Now its almost 6pm on Friday and surely not a soul will read this post until Monday.
I had the pleasure of meeting Sue of Laundry for Six (FKA Party of Six) for coffee this morning. How positively lovely. On the way over I felt like some sort of women of leisure--off to meet a friend for morning coffee with no child in tow. Well, actually I had a smoothie but you get the idea.
I spent the rest of the day slaving away in the kitchen: a double batch of chili, cornbread and brownies for two families with new babies in town and cookies for Lucas's preschool's bake sale. I had the oven going all day and washed a sink full of dishes three separate times. Whew! Luckily there was just a bit of everything leftover for us to enjoy this weekend.
All this is to say, I do believe I'll skip FTF this week. Have a great weekend!
Original post by Smiling Mama. Thanks for reading!
I had the pleasure of meeting Sue of Laundry for Six (FKA Party of Six) for coffee this morning. How positively lovely. On the way over I felt like some sort of women of leisure--off to meet a friend for morning coffee with no child in tow. Well, actually I had a smoothie but you get the idea.
I spent the rest of the day slaving away in the kitchen: a double batch of chili, cornbread and brownies for two families with new babies in town and cookies for Lucas's preschool's bake sale. I had the oven going all day and washed a sink full of dishes three separate times. Whew! Luckily there was just a bit of everything leftover for us to enjoy this weekend.
All this is to say, I do believe I'll skip FTF this week. Have a great weekend!
Original post by Smiling Mama. Thanks for reading!
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