Endless Pursuit for Mom of the Year

The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more things that you learn, the more places you'll go. ~ Dr. Seuss -------------------------------------- This piece should be familiar to anyone who has read a book to a child.  I don't know about you, but both of my children have had favorite books.  You know, the one you must read every night.  Daughter of the year #1's was Dr. Seuss's ABC book.  I think it was fate since I nearly had it memorized before I even had children as it was a popular book among my sister's children.  Dad of the year and I used to recite it in the car when daughter of the year #1 got restless on long car rides.  She loved it.   Daughter of the year #2's choice is Goodnight Moon.  Daughter of the year #1 received the book when she was a baby and never took much to it, except for chewing.  You'll see the lovely bite marks in the corner.  I do remember removing it from her constantly hoping to salva...

All of us have moments in our lives that test our courage. Taking children into a house with a white carpet is one of them. ~ Erma Bombeck ---------------------------------- This year, I've traveled more for work than ever before.  I'd simply be lying to you if I said I didn't enjoy the mommy break.  I have.  Although, I could do without the taxi rides, the bed that is not my own, and the many bad choices that would challenge even the best of dieters.  I think that's been hardest and my waistline is showing it.  Ugh.  I do like exploring new places, learning new things about the industry in which I work, and meeting new people.  While I miss my family, I've enjoyed many of the other things that come with it.  I'll admit, I have been worried about dad of the year.  Now, I'm fairly well versed in being the only parent at home.  By no means am I saying he is not capable as he very much is, but I don't think he gets t...

Remember kid, there's heroes and there's legends. Heroes get remembered but legends never die, follow your heart kid, and you'll never go wrong. ~ "The Babe" from The Sandlot ------------------------------------------- Daughter of the year #2 has turned two.  Enough said!  She is so smart, funny and absorbs absolutely everything around her.  I love how she makes us appreciate the humor in life and not to take things too seriously. Around Christmastime, we begin using the term "You're killin' me smalls."  We both love the movie The Sandlot.  It's so fitting for her so we kept saying it well afterwards.  We must use it a lot. She is also potty training.  Ugh.  I can't complain, as she's been fairly easy given the number of times her sister has traipsed her into the bathroom to give her the step by step process of going potty.  She really looks up to her big sister.  It just adds a whole other element to our life, which means askin...

Before I was married, I had a hundred theories about raising children and no children. Now, I have three children and no theories. ~ John Wilmot ------------------------------- Remember the days before kids, or as dad of the year and I refer to it, BK?  Not that I don't absolutely love my girls, but come on, what couple doesn't admit that things change when you have kids.  Valentine's day is a perfect example of this.  After kids, or AK, changes things.  In the days before kids, dad of the year and I would wake that morning with lots of hugs and kisses and professions of how much we loved each other.  We'd share breakfast, read the paper, and then shuffle off to work, but not without one last kiss.  We'd plan an extravagant night out.  It would involve a restaurant with cloth tablecloths and no crayons.  We'd have drinks and eat ourselves stuffed.  We always had dessert.  I'd dress nice and wear heels.  Neither of us woul...

True love comes quietly, without banners or flashing lights. If you hear bells, get your ears checked.  ~ Erich Segal ------------------------------------ HELLO-O-O-O-O!!!  Once again, I have failed you.  You can see in that little bar on the right hand side of this blog, I've had pretty much no activity for some time now.  It's wrong...just wrong I tell you!  But, what can I say, life got in the way.  So, since it is Valentine's Day, I thought I'd hop on the Internets and spread some love.  Roses.  Cliche, I know.  Many men would call this holiday worthless.  It's simply a reason to open their wallets and spend exorbitant amounts of money on something you could grow in your backyard.  Yet, I find my husband, year after year, not planting a thing in our yard except a lawn chair and a cold beer.  Last I checked, that did not a rose make.  I used to be really into Valentine's Day.  I guess in some ways, I'm a hope...

The car has become a secular sanctuary for the individual, his shrine to the self, his mobile Walden Pond.  ~ Edward McDonagh ----------------------------- I remember the days dad of the year and I refer to as BK (before kids) when we shared a bathroom, were responsible for getting only ourselves ready, watched a little television...shared our morning rush. Back then, we also only had one car. We'd drive to work together listening to hair bands and enjoying the morning. Yeah, things have changed. My Yukon has been on the fritz lately, choosing when to start and when not to. It's agonizing! Plus, an unreliable vehicle makes me nervous with two kids. It recently went on the fritz again. What started as some fun carpooling time ended in something completely different. I enjoy my morning time. I don't commute and I rather like it that way. So, my morning time is far less than it had been with a commute and no children. Still, I enjoy my few minutes in the car to myself....

You can learn many things from children. How much patience you have, for instance. ~ Franklin P. Jones ---------------------------------------------- What a way to start a post, right?  With a photo of my toilet.  Trust me, I went back and forth but there was no better image than what I'd been looking at for the better part of the day. Daughter of the year #2 has started potty training.  There's nothing really fun about potty training except that you get to quit buying diapers, which is a nice addition to your budget.  We have her sister to thank for most of this who countless times paraded her into the bathroom and told her step by step what you do as she went potty.  Honestly, it's pretty much been easy thus far.   So, while it still seems too early, we thought we'd give things a try this weekend with full-blown potty training.  Now, I'm not talking Pull-Ups (people, they are just glorified diapers).  I'm ...