Thursday, January 29

This One's for the Girls!

**
Obama Signs Equal-Pay Legislation

WASHINGTON — President Obama signed his first bill into law on Thursday, approving equal-pay legislation that he said would “send a clear message that making our economy work means making sure it works for everybody...,”

“It is fitting that with the very first bill I sign — the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act — we are upholding one of this nation’s first principles: that we are all created equal and each deserve a chance to pursue our own version of happiness,” the president said.

You can read it here...,
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/30/us/politics/30ledbetter-web.html?_r=1

This is a gift for our girls. The world is a better place for them because of those who came before us-those who fought for equal rights, equal pay and justice.

Thank you, Mr. President.

**

Sunday, January 25

Saturday, January 24

What Makes A Great Daddy

**
Presence. Being there. Being engaged and taking part.

Our girls' daddy is the soccer coach. He has taken the lead in teaching our oldest to read. He gets on the floor to put together puzzles and play board games. He teaches them to play the Wii games and educational video games. He taught our oldest to ride her big girl bike w/out training wheels.

Our girls' daddy speaks kindly to his girls. He talks to them and really listens. He has high expectations, but is keenly aware that they are just kids and should be given the space to be kids.

Our girls are soooo very blessed to have such a wonderfully caring and involved Daddy.

**

Friday, January 23

Conversing with Rachel

**

Mommy. I have the hiccups and I don't think I can go to school because I don't want anyone else to catch them.

**

Rachel? Will you always be my little girl?

Yes. Until I grow up and be unicorn.

**

I love dance momma.

Do you want to dance next session too?

Yes, I want to dance forever. Keep dancing forever. Until I grow up and be a unicorn.

**

Mommy?

Yes, Ray?

You know what I love about the world?

What?

Love.

**

Tuesday, January 20

On The Eve of History

**

How can I explain to my girls what this day means to our country? To the world?

Transformative. A big word for a 4 and 5 year old.

Hope. Trust. Dare to dream. Dare to believe.

When Alex and Rachel are grown can I dare to dream that race, sexual preferences, gender and what the first lady is wearing will no longer be issues - but vague memories of more trivial times?

**

Girls,

We're on the edge. On the cusp of what this country can be-what it was meant to be. A time when the words of our founding fathers (All men [and women] are created equal) have become a reality-something we've come to take for granted.

This is what I hope for you, and for your future.

I wish for you a time when the color of your skin, the person you love, or your genitals don't determine your place in society.

I wish for you a time when the love of money doesn't override our compassion and care for our fellow man or our planet.

I wish for you a husband like your dad and a life filled with the love and giggles you've given to us.

Today may be the beginning of a renewed commitment to the vision of our country. With all that I have, I hope that what we do today, as a country, delivers to you a future filled with hope, opportunity and love.

**

Saturday, January 17

**

Now that the whole world has moved over to Face Book, I'm comfortable again with my anonymity.

At one point I thought it was great that I could share all these stories with the world - but over the past year, I've noticed I've edited myself in a way that I never intended to. This is really about my girls and for my girls, with the added bonus of being able to easily update a few relatives that aren't geographically close to the girls to us.

And, now - we're back.

**

Nothin' But Giggles

**



**

Friday, January 16

Vomit Can Be Funny

**

"Hello, this is Casey."

"Hi Casey. This is Carrie from preschool. Rachel's sick."

"OK - I'm on my way."

Quick. Pack up the office and jump in the car. Once I'm on the road I call the school and chat with Rachel, letting her know that I'm on my way, and Miss Donna explains what happened:

She was sitting at the art table with all the other kids working on her art project, and she started clearing her throat. I asked her if she needed a drink, but she didn't answer. She did it again, and again, I offered her a drink.

And then ....,

"BBBLLEEHH, BLEH, BBLEEHH,"She threw up all over the art table.

Now imagine 12 little four year olds. "EEEWWWW!! EEEWWW! BARF! GROSS! BARF! EEWW! RACHEL BARFED--ALL OVER EVERYTHING! EEEWWW! GROSS!" and lurching in all directions away from the table as Rachel sits there smiling and feeling fine.

**

Is it wrong that I think this is hysterical!

**

Thursday, January 15

Fun Puns

**
1. The roundest knight at King Arthur's round table was Sir Circumference. He acquired his size from too much pi.

2. I thought I saw an eye doctor on an Alaskan island, but it turned out to be an optical Aleutian.

3. She was only a whiskey maker, but he loved her still.

4. A rubber band pistol was confiscated from algebra class because it was a weapon of math disruption.

5. The butcher backed into the meat grinder and got a little behind in his work.

6. No matter how much you push the envelope, it'll still be stationery.

7. A dog gave birth to puppies near the road and was cited for littering.

8. A grenade thrown into a kitchen in France would result in Linoleum Blown apart.

9. Two silk worms had a race. They ended up in a tie.

10. Time flies like an arrow. Fruit flies like a banana.

11. A hole has been found in the nudist camp wall. The police are looking into it.

12. Atheism is a nonprophet organization.

13. Two hats were hanging on a hat rack in the hallway. One hat said to the other, 'You stay here; I'll go on a head.'

14. I wondered why the baseball kept getting bigger. Then it hit me.

15. A sign on the lawn at a drug rehab center said: 'Keep off the Grass.'

16. A small boy swallowed some coins and was taken to a hospital. When his grandmother telephoned to ask how he was, a nurse said, 'No change yet.'

17. A chicken crossing the road is poultry in motion.

18. It's not that the man did not know how to juggle, he just didn't have the balls to do it.

19. The short fortune teller who escaped from prison was a small medium at large.

20. The man who survived mustard gas and pepper spray is now a seasoned veteran.

21. A backward poet writes inverse.

22. In democracy it's your vote that counts. In feudalism it's your count that votes.

23. When cannibals ate a missionary, they got a taste of religion.

24. Don't join dangerous cults: Practice safe sects!

**

Too tired of drama

**

So tired. Not engaging with the girls. It's a good thing we have daddy in our house. He so easily picks up the slack and keeps things moving when I hit the wall. Love that!

Not sure how single moms do it. I certainly know that I don't EVER want to find out!

**

Another random thought. How do you tell people in your life that although you may love them, you're not going to be involved in their self-created, widely promoted drama and/or temper tantrums?

Sorry. Life is too busy to fill it with needless negativity. AND - I won't model this stuff for my girls. As a child I had no choice. But as an adult and the mother of two, I not only have a choice, but I have a responsibility to keep there lives as free of B.S. as I possibly can. I hope the drama kings and queens will understand. But if not, well I guess they'll stay mired in the drama and negativity.

**

Speaking of drama. Seriously people - what kinds of choices are you making????

Look around, and listen too. If the majority of people in your life are telling you that you're making crazy, dangerous decisions that are taking you WAY off track. Maybe, just maybe, you should stop and listen. Because while you may THINK this is ABSOLUTELY the right thing for you - I'm betting against it, and it's highly likely that your life is heading for a train wreck!!

**

hmmph!

**

Wednesday, January 14

Lost in Digital Mayhem

**

Email
Cell phones
Blogger
Instant Messaging
Twitter
Facebook

HEAD EXPLODING

**

Friday, January 9

Birthday-Simple. Sweet.

**
A mom's birthday couldn't have started out better.

Peeking into my little one's room, I find she's still asleep and it's getting late.

"Sweetie? Honey, it's time to get up. Are you sleepin' with your monkey, Honey? It's time to get up," I whisper, as I stroke her face and hair.

She stirs a bit and opens her eyes just a little. Two little slits showing just a bit of blue. The fog clears and she gives me the biggest, sleepiest grin I've ever seen.

"Mommy," she breathes and reaches out to hug my neck.

The best start to any birthday in all of my 44 years.

**
My friends at work were great too. Treating me to special little surprises, a wonderfully off-key round of "Happy Birthday," and a tasty, tasty lunch.

And special cards, calls and notes from family and friends (old and new), a surprise visit from Gama Amy, and presents too. Dinner with my favorite three people in the world...
Alex, Ray and DH of course.

Just a wonderfully simple day that made me feel great. It was just what a birthday should be- one of those days when you realize how blessed you are to have such great people in your life.

**

Saturday, January 3

One Tooth Less

**

It's milestone time, and it's a big one.

Alex lost her first tooth and could not be more thrilled!! She's been talking about it, playing with it, and staring at it for three days. She even tried to take a picture of the little loose tooth.

She was playing with/biting on a string, trying to create a tea pot when the tooth just fell right out. She was so excited I thought her head might actually explode.


Well, until Daddy mentioned the blood. Then she started to cry.

(Oh, Daddy...,)

She recovered quickly and showed off her new trophy to her sister.

By the end of the day, Rachel was a bit 'over it,' as you can see from the photos...,

I think Lil' Ray was ready to pull her own tooth out so she could get a little attention and a visit from tooth fairy too.

Speaking of the tooth fairy - gotta run. I've got a job to do.

**

A few minutes later…

OK. Soooo NOT sly.

BUSTED!!

It started off OK.

I sneak in, grab the special little tooth pillow, bring it out, and switch the cutest little baby tooth you've ever seen for 2 gold dollar coins. Feeling sly, I slip quietly back into the girls’ room. I quietly reach up to lift her pillow and slip the special surprise in to place. I accidentally touch her hand and up she pops! Wide awake and very curious.

My heart leaps and I catch my breath. Maybe she won’t see me – as I stand there stupidly frozen at her bedside.

God if she finds out about the tooth fairy you know her faith in Santa and the Easter Bunny will be on a weak tether. Seconds away from smashing the magic of her childhood, I drop the pillow and kick it under the bed. It's sticking out just a bit - but it should be OK.

"Mom, what are you doing? Checking to see if she's been here?"

And she lifts up her pillow. Nothing. She looks at me. Puzzled. She lifts the pillow again. Nothing.

"Hmm. Maybe it fell down - let's turn the light on and look for it," she says.

Ok - maybe I should have taken this route - but it seemed to me that it would cheating.

"No hun - we don't want to wake up Rachel."

"Mommy?" Ray's sweet little voice.

SH*T.

These two usually sleep like they've been drugged. What the hell??

"But Mommy? Why did she take it and not leave the treat?"

"I'm sure she took it and will be coming back with the treat. I'm sure she didn't forget and it's not lost. Maybe we just scared her away with all the noise. Don't worry. I'll bet it will be here in the morning."

"OK. Well come and remind me in the morning. OK?"

"OK."

"Mommy? Mommy? Can I have my dwink?"

"Sure Ray."

God - I'm never going to get to bed! The job of tooth fairy is not easy.

Off I go again. Waiting for the little ones to go back to sleep. Wish me luck.

**

12:40 a.m. and Alex is still awake. Lying still, hoping to catch a glimpse of the tooth fairy.

I’m going to bed. She’ll find the little tooth pillow in the morning.

**

5:45 a.m. and her head is now actually exploding. Mine is just too bleary eyed to think straight.

“Mommy!!! Mommy!!! She was here! She came last night and we didn’t even KNOW!!”

“whaaa?” Numb from lack of sleep.

“The tooth fairy, Mommy. The TOOTH FAIRY!! She came! She came! It was right there the whole time. It was on the floor. By my bed. She came! You have to come out. Come out to the living room. It makes noise. Come out and let’s see what it is!! Come on!! Shhhh, don’t wake up Daddy and Ray.”

Her excitement is contagious. I’m up and scrambling after her, with wonder and anticipation—what could possibly be in that little box tucked so neatly inside the pillow?

The gold coins put her over the edge! She’s so happy if she grinned any harder I think the rest of her teeth would have fallen out.

**

This was a GREAT day to be a mom.

**

Thursday, January 1

She's a Party Animal

**
After "partying hard" with all of her little friends, Rachel didn't quite make it into bed. This is how I found her when I checked in on her at about 11:00 p.m.


Look closely. She's standing up and sound asleep!

**