I have beads, do you?!

Happy Fat Tuesday!

I got to the office this morning and one of the girls is passing out Mardi Gras beads to everyone. NO---we did not have to earn them!!! :)

Lazy Mom??? I think NOT!

You are so lucky you can do this at work. I see alot of that these days.

Lazy Moms playing on the computer at work and then wondering

why they can't make enough money to support themselves.

This comment was left on one of my posts a few days ago. It wasnt until today that I even noticed it. I read all my comments but hadnt realized that there was a new one since the post was written last week. Anyways, that is irrelevant. I am sharing this comment and my reaction to it with all because, well, I dont know but I definitely have some things to say about it!

First of all, I have NEVER complained about or said that I cant support myself or my family. I dont reveal that sort of information here. SO where that came from, I dont know. My hubby and I make plenty of money and are both very successful in our careers. Maybe you are not as successful, Mr/Mrs Commenter and that is why you felt the need to comment like that. Yes, I have to be a working mom because we happen to live in an expensive area. Moving is not an option so dont offer that up as a solution or a comment. I (normally) like working; it just has its own set of unique challenges when you become a wife and a mom. Thats all I am saying on that part of the comment.

However, I have MUCH more to say about the "lazy mom" reference. There is not a mother in the world that should be called lazy. I wonder if the person who wrote the comment is a mother/parent/friend of a parent/has a parent/etc. Yes, I post most often to the blog when I am at my office; for two reasons----1) there is no work at the moment here (one of the reasons I have accepted a new job) and 2) because when I am at home, I am too damn busy with my family to post. Just for the commenter, I want to share with everyone my "Lazy Life" resume:

• Full time Mother, 2 years (not including pregnancy which I count but not sure if anyone else does)
• Full time Wife, 2 1/2 years
• Full time Event Planner (out of the house job), 5 years
• Charter Consultant for Taste of Home Entertaining (work at home job), 3 months
• Private Event Planner (am hired occasionally for weddings, etc), 5 years on and off
• Homeowner, in progress
• Friend
• Daughter
• Sibling

Ask anyone who knows me in "real life"----lazy is not a word used to describe me or my family. If I am so lazy, then how do I manage all these things? If the commenter "sees this all the time", then stop reading my blog. Its okay. I dont need you as a visitor if you dont want to be here. Harsh I guess but why be somewhere that you dont want to be?!

In conclusion to this, I think that "Lazy Mom" is an oxymoron. Those two words do not make any sense when put together. How can you be lazy when another human is depending on you? And just because I spend a little time at the office blogging, does not make me lazy, unsuccessful, or in financial ruins! So commenter, go read someone else's blog because obviously you dont have a clue about what I am all about!

Have a good day!

Long Time Coming!!!

I have been a little MIA in blog-land lately but I have good news to share now!!

I GOT A NEW JOB!

Those of you who know me know that I have been miserable---let me repeat that....MISERABLE....in my current position since it began this past summer. I am not a fan of job hopping but I feel like I gave this position enough time and energy and it never got any better. I am giving my notice today---I usually give 2 weeks but have angled my resignation letter to let me leave this place at the end of this week.

So, I am leaving here and starting a new job in a different section of the meetings/event industry. I am really excited. New challenges and new people. The new office is right down the street from my old office (the one I LOVED) so I feel like I am going to the old neighborhood. This job will involve more travel though it really wont be much; a couple trips a year to the site of that year's annual meeting (my main responsibility). Its a small office so I can go in there and really make a mark pretty quickly.

Being a working mom is hard enough but hating your job makes it so much worse! The past few months I have been grumpy all week long, totally void of any energy, and extremely moody. I will admit----all those resentments to my job took a toll on me and my family. Who wants to hang out with Mommy when she is all stressed out and annoyed after work?! I only get a few hours a night with my little princess and I am tired of it being miserable for us at home. The new position is making my commute longer and I will have to travel a few times a year but in the end, doesnt a happy job situation make for a happier Mommy that in turn makes the entire family much better? I work because there are bills to be paid but I also want to show my daughter that women can be successful in their careers as well as be great mothers and wives. I cant do that if I spend all morning complaining about work or come home each day irritated because of the office.

So, here's to new opportunities and a happier SuperMom!

UPDATE-----Its amazing! Now that I have announced at this office that I am leaving, everyone is stopping by my desk to tell me how sad they are to see me go, what a good job I have done here, etc, etc etc. Well, if you are so damn sad to see me leave, why didnt you give me anything to do while I was here?! Whatever. (((See, the "short timer attitude" has already kicked in!)))

Baby Boom!

I don't know if anyone else experiences this trend, but it seems as if as soon as 1 friend/family member announces a pregnancy, everyone gets preggers! 4 of friends/family members have had babies since November; the most recent arrival was 2 days ago! In the next few months, various friends of ours are expecting, bringing the grand total of new babies to 8! Is there something in the water or what? Of course, I love new babies and all the arrivals have afforded me many excuses to stop in to visit my favorite store of yesterdays---Babies R Us! And I dont have to go straight to the "big baby" stuff for young toddlers but I get to play with all the itsy-bitsy newborn baby stuff! I have also been able to send out all the used clothes in Grace's closet. For those who havent seen it, Grace has a walk-in closet and yes, it is almost full. Hey---every 2 year old girl should have one and its Mommy's job to fill it with the cutest clothes that can be found. I have to admit that its great to bring a big box of clothes to FedEx to send off to friends for their use. Not only are the clothes seeing a longer life (and I love seeing my friends' babies in Grace's clothes), but it is clearing out space for me to fill. Isn't it time to earn my GymBucks at Gymboree?!?!?! :)

Gift of Life

Those of you who know me know that it is a rare for me to actually be speechless. One of my good friend over at What I Am Thinking About had the best post I have ever read today. I feel the need to share it so here is the link to her post: Since We Are On The Topic of Babies.

Get your tissues ready!

$20,000 a Month!

I am not going to preach on this post----I promise. Well, I promise to try anyways.

I wear many "hats". Most of the time, I wear my wife/mom hat but during the day (and some nights), I wear my "Meeting and Event Planner" hat. My hats are pictured below.

Since I became a Mom, I have been surprised that there are some people out there that think its SO easy to be a parent, that anyone can do it, and that balancing work and family is a breeze (its not!). The hours are long (24 hours a day, 7 days a week) and there are no holidays/days off. The hours between 6:30 am and 7:30 pm as well as 5:30 pm and 8:00 pm are craziness as you are getting yourself and the baby ready for day care/work in the morning and then rushing home to make dinner. give the baby a bath, and get her to sleep before she has a meltdown from exhaustion.


As an event/meeting planner, I have to fight to make people see that my job is not all that glamrous, that planning a corporate meeting or a wedding is hard work and that event/meeting planners are valuable employees in the business world. Well, this morning I was researching some webmeeting options for a client and ran across some new meeting industry websites. Boy, was I surprised when I saw this: Be An Event Planner and Earn $20,000 a Month!.

Seriously, this is what they listed as qualifications:

• Write down a list of tasks
• Delegate them to others
• Read at a 9th grade level
• Get along with people

I DONT THINK SO!!!!! And if someone out there is planning one event each month and is making $20,000 each month, PLEASE tell me your secrets! I am sure the celebrity event planners are doing it but that is not normal!!!!

Just had to share my aggrevation. It is crap like this that makes it hard for event planners to be taken seriously! Ridiculous! It is such a fun industry to work in but it is hard work. Event planners are not at events to have a good time and mingle; you are there to work. It is a rare event that the event planner actually gets to enjoy the event. Okay, I am done with this post because the more I write, the more irritated I am getting! So ridiculous! ;)

No Words

I was scanning through some blogs today (I am bored at work) and ran across something that has me sitting in my cubicle all teary-eyed. Now, I feel the need to share it with everyone I know! Here it is: Madison Jade Brooks.

A few posts ago I wrote about how fantastic my daycare provider is and how lucky Grace is to have her in her life. Afghani takes great care of my baby girl but right now, after reading Madison's story, all I want to do is leave my cubicle and give Grace as many kisses and hugs as she will allow! No mother should have to go through what Madison's mother is enduring!

So, read her story and use the Brooks family tragedy to learn something. Learn that each day is precious, that every child deserves quality child care if their parent(s) must work outside the home, that daycare regulations need to be better enforced by the states and providers such as Madison's need to be prosecuted, and that children are a blessing but should not have to be their parents' angels.

Now, get off the computer and go hug and kiss your babies!!

Weddings

Last week, I decided to go through my wedding pictures and order some re-prints. I threw together an album after the wedding but with everything going on back then (pregnant, sick mother in law, crazy parents of mine), my heart wasnt really in it. I was just glad to be married to my Bill. Anyways, long story short, I lost the cds full of wedding pictures! All 800 pictures were gone! Almost in tears, I called my photographer (who I am friends with now) and she had them all saved for me! The new cds arrived in the mail this weekend. After spending 2 hours loading all the pics on my computer, I actually sat and looked through each one of them. I must say----given all the drama surrounding our wedding, Bill and I looked great! :) In honor my rediscovery of my wedding pictures, I am posting a few here for all to enjoy!

My sister is getting married in May, friends are getting married in December, and there is at least one couple we are expecting to get engaged soon. And then I have the wedding I was hired to plan. Ever since my wedding, I have been bitter (yes I am admitting it to all!) about weddings. My planning experience wasnt all that fun, my dress selection was based on necessity, not desire, and all I wanted was the day to be over so we could move on with our life together. I didnt get to have my mom there to pick out invitations or bridesmaids to come with me to look at dresses or even have the chance to be picky about what I chose. I had 6 weeks to get it done and whatever we could afford on our own or pull together is what I got. The morning of my wedding was hectic and I can tell you that the girls (bridesmaids and bride) were starving by the time we walked down the aisle. When arriving at the church, we had not eaten all day, the bride was not speaking to her mother, and it was pouring rain. Bill and I made it through the wedding and can even laugh about some of the drama now.

Now that my sister is getting married, my mother and I have to face a wedding together. She says all the time that she is making up for her crapiness at my wedding by spoiling Grace, etc. I REALLY dont think so but if that makes her feel less guilty, so be it! Bring on the toys and clothes and all the other stuff she wants to buy for her granddaughter! This is my goodbye to my wedding bitterness. It is definitely still in me but I am tired of feeling it so much. I know that some of my feelings on this subject wont go away but that's okay. What I learned in that whole dramatic process was better than anything a dream wedding could give me. My mother still judges me, my best friends will stand beside me no matter what, and my husband will love me forever in good times and in tough times.

I can still say that it wasnt my dream wedding but does that really matter? A wedding lasts for 6 hours but a marriage is a lifetime. What I ended up with was an okay wedding but the marriage I got in return is better than I ever imagined. I love you babe (are you even reading this?!)

Love the 80s!

Kristen over at Motherhood Uncensored tagged all her readers with this and well, I couldn't resist! Since I was a child in the 80s, there wasnt much I could pull from although as an adult, I LOVE everything 80s (well, maybe not the fashion!). However, in the late 80s, I was one of the million kids OBSESSED with a boy band from Boston. My room was covered in posters, I slept on the sheets, wore earrings that said "NKOTB", and cried for hours when Santa refused to bring me the NKOTB leather jacket! So in honor of my 80s childhood obsession, here is my boy band!

My favorite member----Jonathan! He is the one on the back with the FABULOUS black jacket and bright reddish-pinkish-orangish tshirt and silly grin and the apparent reason they broke up in the end. He was on Oprah a few months ago saying that he used to have panic attacks on stage and he could no longer perform so he quit! Oh well.

The Fine Art of Supermom Juggling

I am exhausted. I am frustrated. I am stretched so thin that I am not even sure where to start organizing myself. My to-do list is ridiculously long and my energy is draining!

Every weekend until my birthday in the beginning of April is scheduled already. Between work, birthdays, weddings, showers, and all that other stuff, we have something planned for the next 6 weekends! How did that happen!? I knew that we were booked for awhile but this morning, I just wanted to find some time in the schedule to schedule something else (how ironic!) and realized that no weekends are available and things will just have to get done in the evenings during the week. (Really, I was just trying to find a weekend to spend cleaning my house.)

I have committed myself to this "day job" as well as the small wedding job for July and also for Taste of Home Entertaining all while still being a wife and a mother. Can I handle all of this? Not sure but SuperMom must figure it out---there are people depending on her! So, first things first, I am scheduling (once again) a room to clean each night after Grace is asleep; that way the house gets clean in portions. There may never be a time that the house is completely clean but at least I can show people one clean room at a time! Then I am scheduling "office hours" at home to work on the weddings and Taste of Home. Maybe I will use some weeknight hours as well as a few hours on Sundays to do this. I will alternate cleaning and working in the evenings during the week.

Sounds like a plan right? Well, what I am worried about is that now my life is completely scheduled and I will miss time with my family. Remember those pesky resolutions I made? Well I need time with my husband alone, time with Grace alone and time as a family. So no working or cleaning until 8 pm each night. At least that will give me time between 6 and 8 to spend some time with my fantastic hubby and beautiful daughter.

If someone out there knows how to squeeze 25 hours out of a day, please tell me how!!!!

Shhh---Baby is sleeping!

I am lucky. Grace slept through the night at 5 weeks old---well, she slept for a straight 6 hours that night---enough to count as "through the night". Since then, I can recall 1, maybe 2, nights that she has woken us up in the middle of the night. That chicken pox vaccine really upset her and she got a raging fever and spent at least an hour or two screaming in the middle of the night. Otherwise, I have the perfect child when it comes to sleep.

A typical evening at our house: Come home from day care at 5:30, play with Mommy and Daddy, eat dinner at 6:30, bath time at 7:00 pm, and in bed by 7:30 pm. When you ask Grace if she is ready for bed, she says "Yea" and walks to the crib, pulls her blankie out, gives hugs and kisses, and then she lays down to sleep. Next time we hear from her is in the morning. About 7 am everyday, you can hear her in the crib talking to her baby doll, singing songs, and laughing. Like I said earlier, I have the perfect baby.

A friend of mine asked, "How do you get these little ones to sleep!?". I have no idea! As we approach each stage of development with Grace, I read everything I can and spend hours on the 'net (love BabyCenter.com Tips and Parents.com Tips) trying to find the tips and tools of the trade. There are countless books in the "Baby" section of Barnes and Nobles but after flipping through them and reading the basic philosophies of each book, I just didnt find one that I totally agreed with. She is my baby and there was no way I was going to sit back and listen to Grace cry night after night. After the first week of being home with Grace, we realized that sharing our bed with the baby was not for us.

Looking back, I think the key to our success is consistency. Bedtime rarely wavers, the night routine is the same, and Grace's nap schedule made it clear from the beginning what night and day meant (day=play, night=sleep). Naptime at day care during the week is 12:45-2:45. Even is she doesnt sleep, Grace has to have "quiet time" during those times. We have adopted the same theory at home. Each night, we go through the same routine so that Grace knows it is time to calm down and sleep. She has her blankie and her baby doll. We try to keep those things in her crib and not let her take them all over the house with her (cuts down on those frantic searches each night!) though blankie finds a way to get downstairs sometimes. Those things are her comforts. Babies need to know how to self-soothe themselves when they wake up but we as parents should help them find some methods to do this---blankie does it for Gracie. She cries some nights when we turn off the light and leave the room but unless she is still screaming 20 minutes later, we let her cry it out. Most nights, she cries for 10 minutes and is fast asleep shortly after.

So, to my friends out there with babies who dont sleep, I am not an expert by any means but these things worked for me. Be consistent. Let the baby know you love them, will be there in the morning, and that you are in charge (easier said than done, I know!). Hope these pieces of advice help someone!

Need I Say More!?

Your Job Dissatisfaction Level is 87%

Your job is a disaster - it's surprising you've lasted this long.You need to quit if you can, even if you don't have another job lined up.As far as stressful work situations go, yours is off the scale brutal.Almost any job would be better than what you've got!

Should You Quit Your Job?

Bored on Day #2

Meeting day #2. For the most part, it has been really quiet for me. Of course, whenever one person needs assistance, everyone else decides they also want help---at the same time.

I am staying at the meeting hotel this week (not by choice by the way) so I am trying to make the best of my time here. Its a "local" meeting (only about 30 minutes from home) but since I am leaving some equipment in the meeting rooms overnight, the hotel staff has insisted that I stay on property for the entire meeting. Its a double-edged sword really---on one hand, it is nice to be on a mini-"vacation" after the meeting ends to recharge but on the flip side, I already miss kissing Gracie good night and being able to fall asleep next to my husband. Its only 2 nights---I have a friend who lives at her meeting hotel for a month every year so I cant really complain, can I?

SO what have I been doing during the meeting? When I am not assisting the attendees/client with printing or technology issues, I have printed address labels for my sister's bridal shower, planned the bachelorette party, and read a bunch of entertaining blogs. Oh yea....and I was on Babies R Us checking out all the baby gifts for all the babies that will be born in the next few months. (There must be something in the water around here because I have 4 soon-to-be-born babies to shop for!)

I am working on a few posts this week (I have the time so why not?!) so check back often---maybe we can get a lively discussion going!

Happy Valentine's Day

Being a meeting planner, you don't always get to choose the dates of your client's meetings. So I am spending my Valentine's Day at a hotel managing a meeting. I was up at 4 am and am expecting to get home @ 8 pm tonight---long day and there are 2 more after this one! But the hotel is taking good care of me----hot breakfast brought to me at 6 am followed by a Starbucks Caramel Mach at 7 am. Meeting Planner perks are fantastic!!

When I kissed Bill and Gracie goodbye this morning, I realized that I wont see my little girl awake until Thursday afternoon when this meeting ends. I think that is the hardest part of working fulltime; the lost time with my family. But I know that in the big picture, this is the right thing for us. Dont really want to get into that today---too depressing for Valentine's Day! :)



Sunday was Valentine's Day for Bill and I. Well, does quickly exchanging gifts during commercials on Grey's Anatomy count? Hope so! :) So tonight we will exchange cards, a kiss, and then we will probably be asleep on the couch in front of the tv by 11! Wow----Valentine's Day sure is exciting in the Barnhart house! No really---I always hated Valentine's Day growing up but now that I have my own family, I love it. Yes its only a day but its a day that you can spend reminding yourself and your family how special love is and that without it, nothing else matters.

So with that thought..........back to work for me! Happy Valentine's Day everyone!

Picture Post of our Snow Day

3 Misfortunes of the Snow

We woke up this morning to a blanket of white snow covering everything. There was at least 10 inches on the ground when we woke up and it was still snowing. It was so beautiful and peaceful. But the peaceful ended for me when Bill and I realized that there was no power at the house! Everything in the house runs on electricity so nothing worked! So we cooked breakfast on the grill and made plans to go to my parents if we were going to be in the dark come nightfall. When we looked out the back door, we found the second misfortune of the snow----the umbrella on our patio table tipped over under the weight of the snow and shattered the glass table top. Bye bye table! After Bill finished shoveling the driveway, we heard a LOUD crash; the sound came from the 30 foot tree limb breaking away from its tree and landing in the pool! So, no power, no patio table, and a tree in the pool-----what an exciting morning!

Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!

The first snowstorm of 2006 has begun! Some weather forecasts are calling for 6 inches, others claim there will be 12 inches and still others this morning said there would only be 3 inches. Well, I think we are almost at that 3 inch mark (if not beyond it) but long story short, we are expecting any where between 3 and 12 inches! I am so excited! I can finally get Grace's snowsuit out the closet and take the tags off. She has the most adorable Strawberry Shortcake snow boots as well---you can be sure I will post pictures tomorrow of her first adventure in the snow.

So on the flip side of my excitement, Bill has to work tonight until 10. If we lived off a main road, it wouldnt be too big of a deal but we live off a really windy, hilly, woody road that never gets plowed or treated. SO he had to leave the Mustang at the house and take my car to work with him this afternoon. Snow didnt start sticking until right before he left for work (doesnt it always happen like that!?) so by the time he heads home, it could be pretty bad out there.

Grace is asleep and I am planning on spending the rest of the evening relaxing. I need to do a little work on wedding planning for a small wedding that I have been hired to plan but other than that, I will make some hot chocolate, curl up on the couch with all the lights off and watch the snow fall. Maybe the Olympics will be on in the background. Not sure yet but a night of snow watching sounds great to me!

Laser Pointers

Anyone who has a laser pointer and a cat knows what great toys those pointers are!! Well, last night, Bill discovered that Grace is just as mesmorized with the laser pointer as animals are! We spent half an hour watching Gracie chase the little red dot across the kitchen floor, up the wall, on the fridge, etc. She was even trying to pick it off the floor! Hysterical!! I videotaped the game....you cant see the laser pointer in the tape but that makes it even funnier to watch! As soon as I figured out how to add videos to the blog, I will add it here for all to enjoy!

It is snowing here all weekend so I will have a ton of pictures (finally got the digital camera back from the repair shop) and funny stories!

Like Mommie's Love

Grace has the best day care provider in the world. If you know me, no doubt you have heard me sing Afghani's praises for the past 19 months. She has been a part of the Infant Toddler program in the county for 14 years and yesterday she sprang a surprise on us...she has quit Infant Toddler!!! I was shocked. However, she and her daughter have started their own daycare; state license is in place, etc. We are thrilled, especially since her rate decreased as well; hey, every $100 counts! All my friends who I have recommended to Infant Toddler---they are fantastic and I will continue to sing their praises. However, Grace is leaving that system and joining Afghani's new day care, Like Mommie's Love.

Being a working mom is tough; you miss moments with your child as she grows up. There are "firsts" that happen at day care and there are times when your child cries and you aren't there to comfort her. However, there are also friendships that are formed and socialization skills that are learned. Grace loves Afghani and though I get teary when she cries at pickup time because she wants to stay there, I am comforted that she is so well taken care of and that she is happy there. I dont think I could handle being at work if it wasn't that way. Honestly, Afghani is a big part of the reason we have managed to stay positive about day care. She is part of our family. The name, Like Mommie's Love, is so appropriate for Afghani's day care....she treats all the kids like her own. Whenever I show up at her house, the kids are laughing and playing and smiling. You can see it in the kids' eyes; they adore Afghani as much as she does them.

So there is my praise for Afghani. I wish that everyone was as lucky as Grace to have such a fantastic provider during the day. I wish that every child was as happy at day care/school as Grace is every morning when we drop her off. I wish that every Mom had the opportunity to share her child with someone as special as Afghani.

European Wine Trip

I am posting so that I can brag for my hubby: He is going to France and Spain with work for 2 weeks in June! We heard about the trip yesterday but thought it might be over the same dates as my sister's wedding in late May. Turns out the trip starts a week or so after the wedding so he is clear to go! Too bad spouses aren't invited!!!! I am not too jealous (really, I'm not!); after all, it is a work trip and he will be exhausted by the time he gets back to the States as they really do work them like crazy while on these trips. Someone better call France and Spain to forewarn them that my hubby is coming!!!

Bathtime Baby

Grace has mixed feelings about the bathtub. She scream and cries when you put her in the tub. About 3 minutes later, she is laughing and splashing and playing with all her toys in there.

Last night was no different. Bill and I let her play in the tub for 10 minutes or so after she was all clean. I put bubbles in her bath in an attempt to minimize the intital crying. When it was time to get out, she cried again because she really wanted to stay and play with all the duckies and froggies in the tub. Bill took her to her room and got her all ready for bed. She had on her adorable Winne the Pooh footie pjs when she came back in the bathroom to find me. Well, apparently she wanted back in the tub because, fully dressed, she walked right over to the tub (that had not been emptyed yet) and put her fully dressed foot back in the water!!! I took her out of the tub, yet again, and there she stood in the bathroom, fully dressed in her footies pjs with one fleece footies soaking wet!!!

Oh how kids will make you laugh!

I couldn't resist!

I saw this on The Mommy Blog and HAD to share it with you!!!

Leaky Pipes

Not sure if anyone is house-hunting at the moment, but may I give a small piece of advice??? ITS EXPENSIVE TO OWN AN OLD HOUSE!!!!

I got home last night from work and heard a "ping ping" type of sound. Anyone who has been to the house in the past few months has been able to admire the large holes in my ceiling of the dining area next to the kitchen. Well, another pipe was leaking in the ceiling right there. Let's hear it for 30 year old cooper pipes---BOOOO!

First the plumber said "easy fix!" and I was thrilled. Well, as I sit in my living room typing this post, the plumber is upstairs in the master bathroom cutting a hole in my wall there because when he fixed the initial leak, he found the pipes leading to BOTH toilets upstairs was ready to crumble. Seriously, I held a piece of the pipe and can crush the copper without any force; Grace can bend it with her little fingers.

Oh, the joys of home ownership! Oh wait---I dont own this place yet!!! :)

The Toddler Transition

A few posts ago I mentioned that the pediatrician wants me to get Grace a potty so that she can start exploring it. To me, that was the first big sign that I no longer have a baby but a child! While looking over some "How-To" articles on the potty training subject, I came across an article about transitioning from a crib to a bed. Well, surprise---its time! The specifications on Grace's crib says that you should discontinue use as a crib when the child reaches 34-35 inches in height. Grace is 35 1/2 inches tall (and getting taller everyday!).

SO potty training has taken a back seat for the time being and we are embracing the toddler bed!

Now for the plan of action.

• My biggest fear is that Grace will get out of bed in the middle of the night and get hurt since we wont be in the room with her every time she gets out of bed. SO, action #1: toddler-proof her bedroom. Somehow I am going to have to find locks for the dresser drawers (she loves to open and close them) because I dont want them to become ladders in her quest to climb and I am going to have to find every small item in that room and remove them.
• The other big fear is that she will fall out of bed and hurt herself. Action: Have Bill bring up extra mattress to put next to her bed so she can fall on that instead of the floor.
• All the "experts" out there say to let the toddler pick out new "big girl" sheets to make them feel empowered. Maybe we will take a family trip to Target for some Dora sheets this week.

My action plan needs more!!! But I am just not sure how all of this is going to go. Will she flip out when she realizes that the crib has changed? Will she fall out of bed? Will she like being in a "big girl" bed? Will she even understand what is happening!!! Luckily, the crib is a covertible crib so nothing will really change for her when we convert it except the one of the railings will get dramatically shorter. I hope that makes a difference since this is excatly why I bought the convertible model!

Wish us luck!

Ouch----MY HEAD!

I am at work but really should be in bed! The Super Bowl party was a blast at the house last night. However, this morning I woke up with the biggest headache in the world! The culprit: Smirnoff Ice (in various flavors!). I was challenged by my dear husband to finish all the Ices that a friend of ours had brought downstairs. SO I took the challenge and managed to finish 4 drinks in 90 minutes! (Keep in mind that I had already had 4 drinks throughout the evening!). Needless to say, the alcohol was bad enough at the end but wow---those drinks are all sugar and my stomach was not pleased! Didnt make any trips to the porcelian god but I feel like crap today! The goal is just to make it through the day at work and early to bed tonight. Wish me luck! :) BTW---I was NOT having an "Intelligent Nightlife" as recommended by the graphic!

This is for my hubby! He will know why! :)

You Should Drive a Bentley Azure

You're all flash, and you love to show off to anyone who will watch. And you're such a high roller, this is just one car of many for you...

What 2007 Car Should You Drive?

A Starbucks Kind of Day!

You Are an Espresso

At your best, you are: straight shooting, ambitious, and energetic At your worst, you are: anxious and high strung You drink coffee when: anytime you're not sleeping Your caffeine addiction level: high

What Kind of Coffee Are You?

Super Bowl XV

I am not a huge fan of either team (born and raised a Redskins fan!).

I have been to a Steelers game in Pittsburgh and wow---that stadium is fantastic and the fans made that game a blast (it didnt hurt that our seats were in the club level either!). But I love Seattle (the city, not necessarily the team). So---here is my prediction for Super Sunday:
Pittsburgh Steelers: 28, Seattle Seahawks: 21

I am hosting the Super Bowl party at the house again this year. Tonight, the chicken wing dip will be made (a triple batch to be sure there is enough to go around!), the chili will start cooking in the crock pot (I promise to control the husband when he starts adding the spice to his recipe!), and tomorrow is the beer run to fill up Cousin Beer Fridge (the name my husband has lovingly given to the old Pepsi display case he rescued from the dumpsters at work).

Changes

Someone close to me recently said "It's totally amazing how such a small thing can change your whole life". I couldn't agree more.

You see, my life no longer revolves around me. Stopping by the nail salon to have a manicure after work is no longer an option unless I call to arrange for someone else to pick up the baby from daycare and give her dinner and her bath. Friday nights are spent on the couch folding laundry while the husband and I get parenting tips from SuperNanny (yes, I am admitting that!). And the 11 pm news---never see it 'cause we are usually asleep LONG before the news starts. Right now, my co-workers are in Hawaii at a meeting and I dont mind that I am stuck in VA; I would rather be here where I can see my family every night after a long day at work.

On the flip side of that topic, another friend of mine refers to herself as the "Anti-Mom". I will quote her (hope you don't mind, B!): I’m the anti-mom....I refuse to dress Squeaker in anything I wouldn’t wear (within reason). Which means: no cartoon characters, no silly over-the-top baby things. I hate having every room of my home be “babyfied”. I hated carrying a diaper bag... Don’t get me wrong - I LOVE BEING A MOM. But I totally disagree that being a mom means I should like Vera Bradley bags, wear sweatpants in public, dress my child in stupid clothes. I’m totally devoted to my sweet pea....."

I think I am in the middle of this one. While I dont want to carry a diaper bag with baby animals all over it or ever put a bumper sticker on my car proclaiming that my kid is not dumb, I also want everyone I meet to know that I am a mom and that my daughter is fantastic and adorable and funny and growing up too fast. Its almost like if someone doesnt know that I am a working mom with 2 jobs (one fulltime and one parttime at home) and a great husband and the prefect toddler, than they arent really seeing me. Isnt that ridiculous!?

There is more to me than just being a mom---I am a successful event planner, I have a great marriage, and there are times that I am actually pretty funny too (only after a few martinis but it still counts, right?).

So I am learning that it is okay to go out by myself without proclaiming to everyone that I meet along the way how fantastic it is being a mom. I am learning that while being a mom is the most important job I have, there is more of me for people to see. Some people will see Mom and to them, I will show all the pictures in my purse and tell them the funniest new adventure with Grace. To others, I am an event planner. in charge of making their wedding day perfect. With them, I will debate the pros and cons of buttercream frosting vs. fondant and whether or not an aisle runner is needed during the ceremony.

So yes, it is amazing how such a small thing changes your life. Yet somehow, I feel more like me than ever before.

And the Groundhog Says.....

Punxsutawny Phil saw his shadow this morning so we have 6 more weeks of winter ahead of us.

Kind of crazy that we hinge our seasons around a groundhog! But I am secretly happy that he did see that shadow today. DC has always had crazy weather patterns but we always get at least one good snow each winter. Hasnt happened yet this year! I really would like it to give us one really BIG snow so I can dress Gracie up in her pink snowsuit and take her out to play. Last year she wasnt old enough to play in the snow so this year will be so much fun; teaching her how to make snowballs and pulling her around in the sled.

So, come on Mr. Punxsutawny Phil----make some snow already!

Grace's Site

A few months ago, I started a web site for Grace. Since my extended family (grandparents, aunts/uncles, etc) are all over the country, it was the easiest way to keep everyone updated on Grace. Well, with all the events of the past months, I forgot about it. Well, I remembered today and the site is back up and is updated with new pics! So I am going to add the link to that site on my blog so that you can "visit" Grace whenever you would like to. This time around I really am going to try to update it at least once a week. Hey--I have started blogging regularly so the other site should be no problem at all! Here is the link (and it is in the sidebar as well!): www.totsites.com/tot/gracemarie.