Endless Pursuit for Mom of the Year

There is no way to be a perfect mother, and a million ways to be a good one. ~ Jill Churchill ------------------------------------- Happy Mother's Day to all you moms out there.  I know, I'm late.  However, I am typing this in leopard print and my sandals with heels, so does that at least make me fashionably late?  Ugh, bad joke.   Last year, I wrote about lessons learned from my mom.  I love my mom with all of my being, however I know that I'm not much like her.  I look like her and I do have some of her mannerisms, but I definitely took after dad mostly.  So, there was a bit of tongue-in-cheek humor with that post.  This year, I'm going to go a bit of a different direction, so hang with me here.  The recent cover of Time magazine showing the mom with what appears to be a grown child on a stool so he can breast feed has blown up all over the blogosphere, particularly the ...

When I shop, the world gets better,  and the world is better, but then it's not,  and I need to do it again. (Confessions of a Shopaholic-the movie) ~ Sophie Kinsella --------------------------------------------- I love to shop.   I mean, I  love to shop.  I'm not sure I remember a time when I didn't love shopping.  No matter what place, what time, or what item, I wish I could shop every day.  It's probably better that I don't have that type of freedom or my bank account would be non-existent.   However, it's pretty tough to be the mom of two girls who don't so much like to shop.  I know, daughters of the year aren't that old yet, so you're probably thinking, give it time.  I would hope in time they would come out of it or I see lots of shopping by myself in my future.   This weekend, dad of the year decided to take me to one of my most favorite places to shop - Coach!  No, I do not have a closet fu...

He didn't tell me how to live; he lived, and let me watch him do it.  ~ Clarence Budington Kelland ------------------- Daughter of the year #1 is an incredibly picky eater.  It drives me nuts!  I know this is really some sort of sick revenge from my mother as I, too, was a horribly picky eater.  I also accept full responsibility for her picky eating by not always forcing her to eat what we eat.  Most nights, I end up feeling like a short order cook.  I make our dinner and then determine if daughters of the year will eat that and sometimes, mostly when I'm really tired and not up for a fight, I will make something else for the girls.  Hey, I said I accept full responsibility, so don't bust my chops, OK? You would think with the way I dread dinnertime, I'd be much thinner than I am.  However, night after night I give in more than I should and make more than one meal.  Frankly, it's exhausting.  I also see how I am no...

Lent, which seems so long, is short at other men's tables.   ~ Italian Proverb ----------------------------------- I was raised Catholic.  Therefore, that meant church not only on Sundays but also holy days.  Easter was always the toughest and involved marathon church goings.  And that brings me to  Lent.  I hadn't really given up anything in a while.  Aside from that year I gave up swearing.  We can all guess how far I got in that sacrifice.  This year, I felt inspired through a co-worker to actually give something up, truly sacrifice, and stick to it.  After all, she not only gives up something new but also everything she has given up in the past.  Wow!  Seriously, I couldn't give up one little thing?  Eee-gads, what was I teaching my children?!?! So, I pondered.  I contemplated.  I decided.  I stuck to it.  I gave up something I felt would be a challenge for me - food!  Specifically, Panda E...

Today, watching television often means fighting,  violence and foul language -  and that's just deciding who gets to   hold the remote control. ~ Donna Gephart ------------------------------------------ I'm a reality TV junkie.  There!  I said it!  Now, you may commence with judging me.   As many of you may have heard, dad of the year is out of town.  You may also know I've been rather outspoken about what his absence means to me - ruling the remote.  In order to get you to fully understand, this means one week of no shows about alligator hunting, mining for gold, grown men converting mini-vans into rafts, or Larry the Cable guy.  Ok, that sentence may get me into a bit of trouble.  Sorry, honey!  Perhaps you're into gold, fish or other shows involving accents so thick subtitles are needed.  I happen to be into housewives, ballerinas, and wedding dresses - and yes, sometimes those shows need subtitles too.   To ea...

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...