The other side of the coin...

If anyone is still reading my blog, you may have noticed I have been absent for quite a while now.  Part of this is due to my "summer vacation" which I will post a continues review of soon.  Mostly it is due to my new job that I started a month ago, right when I got back from vacation.

This new job is exciting, and it's a step towards advancement.  Already it's better pay and better hours, so there isn't really a downside.  This job takes me from my front desk experience in the front of the "house" and puts me into an entirely new category in the back of "house", housekeeping.  I am not actually a housekeeper, I am the "housekeeping coordinator" which is for all intensive purposes an admin position that fills the gap between the housekeepers (and laundry attendants and housemen) and the supervisor.  Needless to say, I have learned a lot in the month I have been here.

My first day of training was in the laundry area.  Everyday, the laundry attendants sort through the laundry the housekeepers send down, and wash the towels and rags and bathmats etc.  The sheets get sent out with our laundry service, so at least they don't have to worry about that.  I know what you're thinking, "So they do laundry all day, how hard is that?"  Let me be the first to say, folding laundry all day is exhausting.  You spend the whole day moving, and on your feet.  I don't even like doing laundry in my own house, let alone a hotel full of dirty towels!

My second day of training focused on the housemen and their duties.  The houseman split up the floors, and assist the housekeepers on those floors.  This includes emptying their trash and linen bags, supplying them with fresh glasses for the rooms, and anything else they might need.  Plus the housekeepers are responsible for keeping the hallways clean, so they vacuum them from end to end at least once a day.  Let the record show, I also hate vacuuming.

The last three days of my first week consisted of learning what a housekeeper does.  The first day I focused on the bedroom, the second day I focused on the bathroom, and the third day, I cleaned some rooms by myself.  It wasn't the 15 rooms our housekeepers are in charge of each day, but I was successful in cleaning the three rooms I was assigned.  I have worked in hotels for six years now, and I have always known that the housekeeping team is the backbone of the property.  Without them, the rest of us are useless.  They can make or break your stay in a hotel.  And while I knew this on an intellectual level, being a housekeeper was still a whole new experience.

The most poignant experience so far was a guest interaction I had on my first day shadowing a housekeeper.  There is a guest who is one of our regulars, and he has always been a bit... odd.  That's putting it nicely.  But he has always been very polite to me at the desk, knows my name, says hello etc.  This day he was moving rooms and we were assigned his original room.  We had seen him move his things to the next room, and were about to go in when the housekeeper realized she needed something from the main storage closet.  I waited by the room with the cart.  The guest started towards his original room and I said  "Hi Mr. X, were you all set in your new room?" to which he replied "It's Captain X, and I am going to check this room one more time to make sure I didn't leave anything behind."  Seriously.  No pleasant greeting, no recognition, nothing nice about his attitude during this exchange.  Everyone knows there is that cliche about people treating "the help" poorly, but even so, I was a little caught off guard, and a lot irritated, to find out it's so true!  It really says a lot about people when they talk down to people they believe to be below them.  Like I said, this man was already not one of my favorites, but this has made me see him in a whole new light.

So the next time you are on vacation, staying at a hotel, remember this: housekeepers make the bed you sleep in, clean the bathroom you shower in, pick up the towels you use, and restock your toilet paper (among many other things).  A good housekeeper can easily make your stay wonderful.  They work harder than probably anyone you know.  Most people tip the people that valet their car, and the person that takes their bags to their room, but you would be surprised how many people forget about the people behind the scenes!

Our Summer Vacation~ Pt. 1

On Friday, May 13th, our family began our "summer" vacation!

We started this trip off at 5 am, heading to the airport to catch our 6:30 am flight to... San Antonio!  I LOVE San Antonio.  I love the food, the weather (usually), the shopping, the atmosphere.  My sister has spent the past 4 years at Trinity University in San Antonio, and this leg of the trip was for her graduation.  I can't believe she has actually graduated college!  That means I am old, since my 5 year college reunion is this fall...

We have family in Texas that joined us for the ceremony and festivities, and some of my grandparents also made the trip, so we had a fun group to celebrate with.  We stayed at a beautiful Embassy Suites downtown, right off the Riverwalk area.  This hotel is pretty new, and it was very lovely.  The happy hour each night included beer, wine, plus sangria, rum punch, margaritas etc.  The breakfast was amazing, made to order omelets that were perfect, plus all the normal hot breakfast items, as well as pastries, oatmeal, cereal and fresh fruit.  The pool area was also fantastic, but since Jack threw up next to it after our first swimming foray, we stuck with dangling our feet in the water for the rest of the trip.  On the upside, I have learned I have excellent cat-like reflexes when it comes to vomit catching!  After all, I did not want everyone to have to get out of the pool due to a bio hazard!

The ceremony itself was very nice, the student speaker was pretty good, and the commencement speaker was great.  Very insightful, but still light and funny!  Naturally it dragged on after a while, but that's pretty typical.  We had our celebratory dinner at our favorite San Antonio restaurant,  La Margarita!  The food and drinks were amazing as usual, and while the service wasn't stellar, he got the job done, and wasn't rude or anything.

Sunday it was back to the airport for our second (mini) leg if the trip.  We got on our afternoon flight to Fort Lauderdale right on time and made it here about half an hour early.  We got our luggage and boarded our shuttle to the Hyatt Place Fort Lauderdale Airport- North. 

I selected this hotel because I used to work at one, right as it began its renovations to become a "Hyatt Place". I knew it had decent amenities, and the rate was pretty cheap, so we were able to get 2 rooms.  Upon arrival, it was obvious that this place has ahd some wear and tear, but the staff is friendly and it has everything we need.  Jack had a chance to swim for a bit, and then we headed over to the Outback for dinner right nearby so we could walk.  The food at dinner was great, and I got to try something I have heard about on Twitter and Facebook, but never seen in real life- A Red Stag Lemonade.  I definitely get the hype, it was darn good.  Unfortunately the same could not be said for our waiter, who was very busy, very forgetful, and very forgettable.  After dinner we walked a bit farther to get some frozen yogurt for dessert.  We finally made it back and into bed.  Of course Jack had a bad dream so he ended up sleeping with me in a double bed, so while the bed was comfy and nice, it was crowded.

This morning we slept in a bit and got some pretty random (though free) breakfast.  Now I am utilizing the free Wifi (which is a bit spotty) to check on things before we head off on our 3rd and final leg of our journey... our cruise!  We have a shuttle picking us up and taking us to Miami where we will board the Carnival Destiny for 5 relaxing nights in the Bahamas!  I haven't decided yet if I will pay the steep fee for internet on the ship, so everyone might just have to wait till we get back to hear more about our exciting summer adventure!

Let The Good Times Roll!!

So for those of you not aware, I was lucky enough to be a bridesmaid in my friend's wedding this past weekend! It was in a small town near New Orleans, the bride and groom are currently living in England, so most people had a bit of a commute to get to the event!
This was an early morning start! Luckily I was off the day before, so I actually got a few hours of sleep! My flight was at 7:05am and since I live near the airport and our airport is very travel friendly, I didn’t have to get up until 5:30! My dad dropped me off just after 6, I dropped my bag at curbside check in and breezed through security with just my dress and my purse! Once I located my gate, I located a Quiznos and ordered a "Hotzi" breakfast sandwich and an OJ. The sandwich wasn’t bad, but it was super greasy! I almost took a picture but I caught a guy giving me funny looks and chickened out!
Soon it was time to board! I had A33 as my boarding number. I headed towards the back of the plane hoping it wouldn’t be a full flight and I might score an extra seat for my dress, but unfortunately it was indeed full. I held the dress on my lap and read my book. I am not very social on flights, for fear I might be stuck talking to a crazy person, or someone with bad breath for the whole flight. I know, it probably seems rude, but I like my peace and quiet time on my flights.
We had a stop in Nashville, but no plane change, so I took that opportunity to move to the third row (easier exiting) and to find a safe place to put my dress in the above storage.
Ok, so some of you are going to roll your eyes when I admit this, but I seriously thought that Louisiana was on Eastern time… so an hour ahead of me. So naturally I set my watch ahead an hour, which led to a lot of confusion, but I just figured that I was just tired and didn’t think much of it. We landed in New Orleans right on time and I called my ride, who was the best man and his girlfriend. He said his girlfriend would come find me my baggage claim!
Of course, this is when my bag would take FOREVER to get unloaded… I seriously waited at least 15 minutes, which I am not used to. Finally it came and I found my ride and we piled into the car for the hour long ride to our rental house!
So this house was crazy. Evidently the owner ran a construction company, and when the weather was bad and his crew couldn’t work, they would come over to the house and just add on rooms. Seriously. Consequently there were bedrooms scattered all over the place, 3 kitchens, random living rooms etc. I was sharing a bedroom with a girl from California who was super sweet.
I was just grateful to have a bed, it was pretty crowded! The whole wedding party and some extra family was staying there, so it was a party atmosphere, but very fun. I had met most of these people in the past, so it was like a mini reunion!
Once we got settled we headed around the corner to the brides grandparents house. We chatted a bit, ate some lunch (red beans and rice) and then headed out to run errands!
The bride was basically doing all the wedding stuff herself. The decorations, the food, everything was planned and delegated, so it was super low cost, but still exactly what she wanted. Our first errand was to go to the grocery store to pay for the kegs for the wedding and pick up adult beverages for the game night we were having in lieu of a bachelor/bachelorette party that night.
Then we headed to Wal-Mart for some last minute decorations for the bridal shower the next day. Next was the Harley Davidson store to get something to use as a topper for the Groom’s cake. We also had to stop at the cake place to pay off the cake too.
Once we got back to the house we got to work making tissue paper flowers for the shower. I am not a creative person, luckily the girl from California knew exactly what she was doing. All this time more and more people are arriving. We finished the flowers just in time to start putting in the frozen pizzas!
The bride's little sister was the Maid of Honor (there was a maid, matron, and me). I have known her since she was a silly little girl, and now she is all grown up! She is only 19, but I had a great time hanging out with her and her friend despite the age difference.
The evening was a pretty big success, there was a lot of mingling and chatting (and drinking) as we learned how to play Bunco (I have NEVER played before). Everyone had a good time, and we all went to bed later than we should have!
Friday was an early morning. We had to leave for the Swamp Tour by 8 am or so, so I had taken a shower the night before. I figured with all of us only sharing 3 bathrooms, we needed to space out our showers as much as possible.
I woke up, rolled out of bed and threw on some clothes. I managed to get a cup of coffee before we all took off for the swamp!
I really enjoyed the swamp tour. I think I was worried it would be smelly, but it was a beautiful day, low 70's and sunny and not buggy or anything! The man running the swamp tour was really informative and funny. It was like a Jungle Cruise, but with fewer corny jokes (note, I said fewer, not none!) I had the chance to chat with some people I hadn't talked to much the night before, and we girls talked about our hair etc.
After the tour we went back to the house to get changed and then headed over to the grandparents house to get ready for the bridal shower.
The shower started right on time at 1 pm.
We played some classic shower games, and then the groom made a surprise visit in the middle to bring all of us ladies yellow roses.
He sat down and told everyone the story of how he met the bride, and then he left and we finished opening presents. We were on a tight schedule because we had to be back at the house for rehearsal. We cleaned up and rushed back. I decided to wear my actual shoes to the rehearsal, just to make sure I could walk etc in them. Everything went pretty quickly, but there were some last minute changes, which would be confusing later...
Then it was time to rush to the rehearsal dinner! It was a place called Big Al's, in which the Al is short for Alligator! For apps they had fried alligator and fried onion (whew) and then for entrees we had a choice of fried catfish, crawfish or shrimp, boiled crawfish, and chicken. I do not eat water dwelling creatures... I don't have any moral issues with it or anything, I just don't like seafood. So I had the chicken and french fries, as well as two peach daiquiris, which were delicious!
After dinner we all went to a place called the Jolly Inn for dancing, cajun style (and more drinks!) I got dragged onto the floor more than I anticipated, but it was fun.
We headed back the house and I actually managed to get to bed at a decent time, which was essential since the next day was... Wedding day!!!
We actually got to sleep in a bit later this morning! We had nail appointments for 9:40 am, which is before the place actually opened. On the way we stopped at Wal-Mart for a few last minute things. I decided to get silver flip flops for after the official wedding stuff was over. After all, I knew my 4 inch heels would only last for an hour or two!
Then we headed over to get our mani's/pedi's. I had gotten my nails done with a new gel thing called shellack (sp?) before I left, but I had messed up 2 of them, so I had them just fix those. We all did french pedicures, and my toes have held up surprisingly well!
The girl I was sharing the room with had brought these apples from the weekly market in California. They are dipped in chocolate and covered with heath bar pieces! They are delish! One was dark chocolate, one was milk, and we cut them into slices and ate them while we got our toes done.
Once I was done I went off insearch of a clip the bride needed for her veil, and picked up a few cheap silver bangle bracelets from Claires.
We all headed back to the big house to pick up our stuff and then we went to the grandparents house to get ready! There was a girl coming in to do hair and makeup, but we were obviously only going to get done one at a time, so the brides sister and I went to pick up some lunch from Sonic, double sided tape to hold down the table cloths, and some Daiquiris to pass the time
When we got back it was time for hair!! Even the brides brother got his hair styled!
After we all had our hair done, she did our makeup. We bridemaids were not thrilled, in fact we "lightened" it up a bit ourselves, it was way too dark. She only did our eyes, we did everything else thankfully!
After we were all beautiful (or more beautiful than usual) we had some pictures taken, then we headed over to the house for the ceremony!!
It was a bit of a rough start, since after the rehearsal the bride and groom decided to rearrange the chairs... with the music and everything, no one was sure exactly when to start processing down the aisle, so eventually we just went. We ended up out of order, but it all turned out ok.
The ceremony was short and sweet and beautiful. The flower girls ended up standing next to me the whole time and they were adorable.
After we went a little farther out into the trees for pictures. And naturally, I stepped in an ant hill. Thankfully they weren’t fire ants, but my feet started to feel weird and I looked down and sure enough, there were ants everywhere. We only had to do a few pictures and then I ran inside to change into my new flip flops. So my shoes only lasted about 40 minutes.
While the bride and groom finished up with pictures we mingled around a bit till it was time to be announced. All of a sudden, the groom's son, one of the groomsman, said "It really sucks we have to dance for this..." Umm what? Dance??
Now don't get me wrong, I am a pretty decent dancer. But I am NOT a waltzer. And I haven't been in any other weddings, so I didn't realize we would be dancing as a bridal party... and no one else did either. We quickly started to practice, and my escort and I decided on a box step (since that was all I could accomplish on such short notice). Then the wedding coordinator said he thought we would be dancing later, so we all breathed a sigh of relief. Then we were announced right after the bride and groom. My escort and I came out, and stood awkwardly in the corner till the bride whispered and asked us why we weren't dancing as well.We quickly got our act together and of course, he tried to make me waltz. I almost killed him. It probably wouldn't be so bad except he is like 6'5" and I am 5 feet tall, even. Finally he gave up and just started spinning me and "fun" dancing which was much better. From what I hear, none of the couples looked very good anyways
The dinner was great, buffet style with plenty of Cajun classics. The cake was one small cake on top and carrot cake cupcakes below.
We all danced and had a good time, and plenty to drink. It got pretty buggy so someone produced a can of Off for everyone to use which really came in handy. Later on in the evening someone also made a daiquiri run
I finally went to bed about 1 am, and got up at 4 to help drive people to the airport. Luckily there were plenty of other people going, so I took that quiet opportunity to take a cold shower (it was super hot and muggy) and take down my hair. Then I went back to bed for a couple more hours. I got up in time to say hi to everyone in the morning and scarf down some pancakes before heading off to the airport!
I got to my gate with about 10 minutes to spare. I was still tired, and I read the whole way back. Of course, due to weather, our flight was an hour and 25 minutes longer, so I was late getting in, and consequently late to work, but oh well.
All in all it was a fantastic weekend. It was so nice to see so many people I knew, but hadn't seen in a while, and I was super excited to share in my friend’s special day

9/11 and 5/1: My thoughts...

With the news of Osama Bin Laden’s death plastered all over Facebook and Twitter, not to mention the news outlets, it’s no surprise I have been giving the announcement some thought.  This “event” seems to have been pretty polarizing for a lot of people.  Some are obviously overjoyed at the news that the mastermind of the 9-11 tragedy has been “dealt with”.  Others think it is wrong to rejoice in anyone’s death, regardless of how evil he may have been.  Many are breathing a sigh of relief.  I know for many it has been an emotional time and brought back a lot of feelings associated with where they were on 9-11. 

I personally have avoided talking about my 9-11 experience these past 10 years.  I have obviously told my “tale” but not as frequently as I could have, and many times I just avoided the topic all together.  With the death of Osama, I figure it’s as good a time as any to get my story out there. 

I was a senior in high school in 2001.  I was living in northern Virginia, in what was basically a commuter suburb of DC.  We had barely started our school year; I think we were maybe a week into it.  I was sitting in AP government that morning, and we had a substitute teacher, so we were naturally watching a movie.  When it was over and the tape ejected (VHS nonetheless) and the screen switched to regular TV.  That’s when we saw the towers.  They were showing footage of the planes crashing, and everyone was shocked, but that was about it… until a few minutes later when the newscaster broke in with the announcement that the Pentagon had been hit.  Then it became chaotic. 

As a suburb of DC, there are plenty of military families, as well as other government employees and their families living in the area.  My dad was currently stationed there, in the Army… working in the Pentagon.  I know of at least 5 other kids in that class that had parents working in the Pentagon as well.  Our poor sub was overwhelmed as we all basically grabbed our stuff and left the classroom.  Most of us headed to the front office first for some reason.  At that time (wow I sound old) cell phones were not allowed inside school buildings, so I guess we were hoping to use the office phones.  The office ladies told us they were having trouble with the phones, so we all went out to our cars.  The cell networks, and most phone networks I suppose were all flooded and consequently, none of us was able to get through to anyone.  We went back in, but all classes were pretty much just tuned into the news, and no one was really doing anything.  Thankfully I had my best friend with me, because I was a wreck. 

For people who don’t know me well, I am NOT an emotional person.  I rarely, if ever, cry in public.  I did a pretty good job of holding it together, but even so, I was far more emotional than my friends were used to seeing.  We wandered around the building for a bit, and were informed people were gathering in the auditorium for what was basically counseling.  I took one look at all the people crying and immediately decided it was time to just go home, since I had no interest in hanging around there.

My best friend and I went to my house, where I again tried to contact anyone in my family who might have news.  My mom worked just outside of DC for a nonprofit, but with all the phones down I wasn’t able to get a hold of her either.  At some point it occurred to me that if she was able to get word to anyone, she would call my sisters school first, since she was younger.  We drove to my sisters’ school, only to be informed that the students there weren’t being told anything.   Any students who hadn’t been there before everything happened were not being allowed to come in, and anyone who left was pulled quietly from their classes.  I asked if there had been any messages and was told no, and I obviously wasn’t allowed to talk to my sister.

The day proceeded pretty much like that, driving around, trying to get answers, not really wanting to sit still in any one place too long.  I recall meeting up with some more friends, including my boyfriend at the time, but his nonchalant attitude made me so mad I just left him with his friends.  It was a crazy feeling really, not knowing if either of my parents was ok, and not sure what to do.  Finally I stopped by to see a friend of the families, and she said she had been in touch with my mom, who was on her way to pick up my dad, and they would meet us at home.  I was obviously relieved, and we went right home.

Not being an outwardly emotional person, it was a bit weird when my parents finally got home.  For one thing, all my friends had ended up at my house, and for another, my mom was acting pretty normal.  She said we were going to order pizza for dinner.  We all spent the rest of the evening watching the news.  School was canceled the next day, so it was a little while before things returned to “normal”. 

As far as my dad was concerned, he was in the building, in his office, in the wing that was hit.  The plane basically came in right underneath his feet.  He and his officemate managed to get out unharmed.  As it turned out, the wing they hit was the newly remodeled one that was reinforced with steel, which is why it didn’t collapse as quickly.  It was also the only section of the building that had been remodeled, so if the plane had hit any other “wedge” the destruction would have been much more extensive.  So I guess I should be glad that Al-Qaeda’s intel wasn’t a bit better.

My dad has had to tell his story countless times, and each time people marvel at how lucky he was etc.  The Smithsonian even asked him for his jet-fuel drenched mousepad that survived, but he decided to keep it.  Every time the topic comes up, I try and leave the room.  It makes me queasy to think about how close my life came to completely changing that day.

My family was extremely blessed.  I don’t know a single person (personally) who died in the attack that day.  There was a boy at our school whose mother died in the Pentagon, and lots of family friends had multiple funerals for coworkers to attend in the following weeks.  I have had plenty of military friends who have been to Iraq and Afghanistan, most for 2 or more tours, and I am thankful to say that they have all come back safe, and for the most part, sound. (I knock on wood as I say this as I have friends there now!)

So when people ask me what I think about Osama, yes, I am without a doubt thrilled that he is dead.  He deserves so much worse than the hell that is undoubtedly waiting for him.  Part of me wishes they would have buried him in NYC so people could walk by and spit on him thousands of times a day.  Obviously in our society that is not an option, but still.  Is it wrong to rejoice over someone’s death, I don’t know.  Part of me wishes I was a better person, that I could rise above, but the other part of me is damn happy that that particular nut job is gone.  This is very similar to my feelings on Saddam and his psychotic offspring.

That being said, I unfortunately don’t think it will make that much of a difference.  Some may call it pessimism, but if I learned anything from my incredibly expensive degree focusing on terrorism/counterterrorism, it’s that one man’s terrorist is another man’s freedom fighter, and there will always be people lining up to kill other people, and feel justified in doing so.  I sincerely hope a day comes when we can relax a bit and not be so guarded, but I doubt very much that it will be in my lifetime. 

So to the brave men and women serving in our Armed Forces, and those that have served, thank you.  I do sleep better at night knowing you are out there.  And to those who carried out this particular victory, good job.  The world owes you a huge debt.

MIA

Wow, I cannot believe how neglectful I have been of my blog this month.  First, I offer my apologies for being missing in action!  Next I will offer my excuses!

This month has been C-R-A-Z-Y!  My son turned 3 almost 2 weeks ago an dwe are still recovering from the eight day extravaganza that was his birthday week.  It started with a trip to Build-A-Bear on the 10th and ended with his Toy Story themed party on the 17th!  In the week between, he had Mickey cupcakes at daycare and a mini Cars party at home for just me and my parents.  Then it was my dad's birthday.  Unfortunately it would seem 49 is not as prestigious as 3, so not as much fanfare for him, though we did do a home dinner and an out dinner.  And of course tomorrow is Easter.  Then Thursday I leave for my friend's wedding weekend.  Then April will be over and whole new month of hecticness ensues!

I'm always down for a good party!

This is my first year participating in the Ultimate Blog Party.  As a matter of fact I am just beginning my 4th month of blogging, so forgive me (and my little baby blog) for not being more organized!  This party is just too good to miss!

I am Stephanie, otherwise known as "Jack's mommy".  My son Jack will be 3 this month, and I started this blog to share with others the  adventures we have together.  As a single mom, I find that my experiences are sometimes radically different, and yet at others absolutely identical to those two parent families I see around me, and it's interesting to compare.  I wouldn't trade my life with my son for anything though, even if it sometimes seems a bit harder.

So far this blog has been relatively random, but that's the way my mind (and my life) works, so I doubt that will change much over time.  The thing I like the most about blogging is that it gives me the chance to write (aka vent) about whatever is on my mind at the moment.  I am also enjoying getting to know this giant mommy blogging community, and finding my place in it!  I'm looking forward to partying with all of you!

Disney Magic in my Own Backyard!

I am one lucky mom!  I got to spend the past two days treating my son to some Disney magic, and I didn't even have to pay for a flight!!! 

Wednesday night was opening night for Toy Story 3 on Ice.  When I first heard about it I knew we would have to go.  I managed to get really good seats, though the tickets do not come cheap!  It wouldn't be so bad if Ticketmaster didn't tack on all those extra fees, but there really is no other choice.  So we had seats about 12 rows back, "center" ice.  The awesome thing about a Disney presentation is about half of the audience is kids, so you don't have to worry as much about not being able to see over the person in front of you!  (I am only five feet tall, so this is a serious concern...)

As soon as we walked into the building, I was like a little kid.  I ended up buying a program (which came with an "ear hat" for $15 before we made it 100 steps past the turnstiles.  We were running a bit late so we went to find our seats.  I was very pleased with the view, but we were on the interior of the row, so there was no way we were getting up again.  The show started a few minutes late, but when Mickey, Minnie, Donald and Goofy came out, it was like being in the heart of the magic!  Kids all around us were yelling and laughing, clearly excited to see their favorite people!  Jack had the biggest grin on his face, it was definitely a magical moment!

The show itself was very entertaining, it didn't follow the actual storyline of Toy Story 3, but I was glad because it was so much more interesting!  Even Barbie had a pretty decent act, with a workout routine and everything.  Everytime a new character came out all the kids went wild!!  Kids were yelling hello to Buzz and Woody and cheering them on.  One of Jack's favorite characters is Mr. Potato Head, and he was jumping out of his seat when he and the Mrs. made it on stage.

About halfway through there was an intermission, which was great because the vendors came back around, so we managed to get Jack the popcorn we had promised him ($7, and delicious), as well as the Buzz Lightyear slushie mug I was DYING to get him (also $15, these events are NOT cheap).  AS it turned out, no one really wanted the slushie part, but we had to eat it so it wouldn't melt all over us.  Jack was really excited about the souvenir mug.  One of the coolest things to me was the Little Green Alien slushie mug... when I was a kid I had one of those!  It was so neat to see how this film franchise has actually managed to span a generation...

The second half of the show was far less dark than the movie, which was nice since this was a light-hearted ice show.  I think everyone enjoyed it, and the show itself was right around two hours, which is longer than I expected, but appreciated given the money that was spent!  After the show we hit up the souvenir stands, but all Jack wanted was a Little Green Alien stuffed animal ($15, again!) so we got him that as an early birthday present (his birthday is in two weeks).  So while the show was cheaper than a trip to a Disney park, it wasn't what I would consider cheap, especially if you get carried away with souvenirs, which is pretty easy when you get caught up in the fun...

Another great event we had the opportunity to experience was a State Farm exhibit/show put on for free at a downtown shopping center.  They brought three life sized replicas of vehicles from Disney Pixar's Cars 2, Lightning McQueen, Mater, and a new character Finn McMissle-British super spy, and kids had the chance to get their picture taken with each one.  The lines were pretty long, but the pictures will be available online for free, and it meant I got to be in the picture with him, instead of trying to get him to pose and smile for me!  Jack was excited because he got to wear his Cars shirt for the event.  They had some cool "missions" youcould take part in as well, including an obstacle course, and if you completed all three missions you got some prizes, but they were a little old for Jack, and we were short on time so we didn't take advantage of those.

All in all it was a fantastic couple days.  Sometimes when you can't get away for your dream Disney vacation, at least you can take advantage of events like these for your quick Disney fix!

A little perspective...

Monday morning I woke up to find that MORE snow had fallen.  I knew it wouldn't last with temps getting into the mid 40's, but I was irritated none the less... after all it is March!  Then I thought about what the people in Japan are waking up to.

The people of Japan have had a horrifying weekend.  Friday afternoon, they are struck by a 9.0 earthquake.  Evidently there had been some "foreshocks" that reached a magnitude as high as 7.2.  This is the biggest earthquake Japan has ever experienced, and the 5th most devastating in the "modern era".  There have been since been dozens of aftershocks, many of which were in the 6 point range.  The earthquake's epicenter was more than 80 miles offshore, but effects were felt hundreds of mile away in Tokyo, where buildings swayed.

Follow that with a tsunami that wreaked havoc along the coast.  People living and working in coastal towns had a 30 minute warning before the tsunami hit.  I, for one, cannot even begin to imagine what would be going through my head if I was told I had 30 minutes to get as far away and as high up as possible... along with thousands of other people.  The images from the tsunami and it's aftermath are incredible to say the least.  Trees, cars, houses, boats, all just tossed around like children's toys.  People were just swept away with no hope of survival, parent's swept away from their children, and there is nothing anyone could do.  The feeling of helplessness must have been overwhelming.

As if that wasn't enough, the people of Japan are now contending with a severely damaged economy, coupled with the possibility of the spread of radiation from the Fukushima Daiichi plant.

Over 350,000 people are homeless, and probably will be for the foreseeable future.  3,676 people are confirmed dead, 1,990 injured and tens of thousands are still missing.

The TEPC, Japan's electric company has begun rolling blackouts and electricity rationing that will affect 45 million customers and are projected to last up to 6 weeks.

Rescue workers from 13 different countries are in country trying to help.  The US military has gone so far as to block 13 different websites from it's DOD.mil accounts in Japan to free up bandwidth for use in recovery efforts.  Cell phone usage is almost impossible. 

After reading about the tragedy of this situation and seeing photographs of the destruction, all I can say id if all I have to complain about is 3 inches of snow that melted within 12 hours, I am pretty darn lucky.

How could a Disney movie be SO BAD!!??

Recently Jack has developed some alarmingly bad habits ever since watching Lilo and Stitch. I suppose I am to blame for letting him watch it, but it NEVER crossed my mind that a Disney animated movie could be *gasp* bad!
For those of you not familiar with the movie, it's about an apparently "evil" alien (Stitch) being banished from his planet or wherever and ends up on Earth. His "creator", an "evil" scientist and another alien are sent to find him and bring him back. Stitch is smart enough to know that his best protection is to stick close to a human (the aliens won't come near them) so he pretends to be a dog and is adopted by Lilo who is having a hard time adjusting to life without her parents (who were evidently killed in a car crash) and being raised by her sister. Lilo is a little "different" but she is a sweet little girl who loves Stitch, her new "puppy". So obviously there is eventually a confrontation between the aliens and the humans etc, but in the end, everyone ends up happy and fairly well adjustted.
So Jack has picked up 3 bad habits from this movie, which he as only seen twice (we rented it on Netflix).
1. He has started "shooting" people. It took me a few times before I placed the origin of his new "move". Basically he fumbles around trying to pull his "gun" (his finger) out of the "holster" (the waistband of his pants) and then raises it up to shoot me. In the movie this occurs when Lilo is taunting the alien scientist, knowing he won't hurt him in front of humans, and the scientist almost loses it and shoots Stitch with his ray gun. If you recognized the move, it might not be as bad, but for people who don't, all they see is my almost 3 year old trying to shoot me... most recently in church!
2. He has started telling people he is going to kill them. This comes from a fight scene when Lilo gets into a fight with another little (very mean) girl. Of course in the movie, Lilo is told that she can't just start fights with everyone (even though that girl deserved it!) but try getting that message accross to a 3 year old.
3. He has told people he hates them. There is a scene where Lilo and her big sister are fighting about Stitch having to go back to the pound and Lilo tells her sister she hates her. This movie is mainly about the relationship between the sisters and the adjustment they are going through, so this seems natural, but seriously, a 3 year old doesn't understand underlying themes etc.
Jack always quotes/re-enacts scenes from movies. He has a pretty good memory for it really, and usually it's cute. But this is NOT CUTE. And he doesn't understand why it makes me so mad. And I can't figure out how to get him to stop!!! Obviously we will not be watching Lilo and Stitch again for a while, until he is older and can understand more. And if I thought it would just stop on it's own, that would be fine. But it's been at least a month since he saw the movie! And if he were to do any of these things at school, I am willing to bet there would be trouble.
So now I am trying everything in my power to make my usually adorable 3 year old stop acting like a violent alien troublemaker.  And wondering what other "kid's" movies should be avoided!!

Spring is in the... hair!!

March is FINALLY here, and whether the weather supports my claims or not, spring is here!!!  March 1 was a pleasant sunny day.  Flip flops were worn, and I even painted my nails a springlike shade of pink.  I drove with the windows down.  Yes, it was that nice.

People are continually trying to rain on my parade, claiming snow is in the forecast, but I choose to disregard these neigh sayers and believe that our long winter has come to an end.  I am so optimistic in fact, I am returning my hair to it's traditional spring and summer fun blond.  I routinely go darker in the fall, for some reason it just seems like the "natural" thing to do, so when the weather starts to get nicer, I make an appointment for my "summer hair".  I was lucky enough to score one on Friday before work, so my new spring good mood can rub off on my coworkers and customers!

I have also begun the time and money intensive process of tanning.  Yes, I have heard it causes cancer.  No, I am not crazy.  I just want to be tan for the wedding I am going to be in at the end of April.  And because I don't have endless amounts of time on my hands, I have to start early.  Four minutes doesn't go very far in tanning the albino shade of white my legs become in winter.

My poor and extraordinarily furry pup, Zsa Zsa, will also be reaping the benefits of the new season.  Not only am I much more inclined to take her on long walks when the sun is out and the air is warm, she can finally get a haircut herself!  Throughout the fall and winter her hair gets super long and fuzzy, and since I don't want her to freeze to death in the snow that is taller than her, I let it stay that way.  It's gotten so bad the poor girl can barely see!  But every spring, I take her in and she gets pretty much shaved, which allows a newer, healthier coat to grow, and also means she loses half her body weight.  She goes from looking like a giant cotton ball to a rat in the time she spends at the groomers.

So while some people thing I may be unrealistic in my interpretation of the changing months, I am being optimistic, and hopeful, all good attributes, in my thinking that the worst is behind us.  It's time to move on and start stressing about bathing suit season people!  And in a few months, we will be begging for the snow and ice to replace the heat and humidity.  Such is life in the Midwest after all!

Gnomeo, Gnomeo...

Last Wednesday, some friends and I had a ladies night and went to dinner and a movie.  We ate at On the Border (super yummy) and then snuck across the street to the theater to see Gnomeo and Juliet.  It was pretty ironic that we were seeing a kids movie, since we specifically were having a child free night out, but we wanted something light hearted, and something that went well with a few margaritas in our system.

I thought it was hilarious.  I mean, some parts were obviously overdone, but it was pretty entertaining overall and since the critics had been pretty hard on it, I was pleasantly surprised!  It reminds me a lot of the Shrek movies, made for kids but with plenty of adult humor to keep the parents entertained.  There were tons of Shakespeare references, some more obvious than others, and it was clear that Elton John had a lot of influence.  The story was pretty cute though, and a lot less tragic then I was expecting... after all, we all know how the original story ends.  Some parts were even what I would consider deep and introspective, for a kids movie anyways.  The story behind the lone flamingo is touching, and *almost* brought a tear to my eye.

So despite what the critics say, if you are looking for some shallow humor and cheap laughs, check out Gnomeo and Juliet.  In some theaters it is even playing in 3D, but I can't imagine how it would enhance the film.

So chicken nuggets aren't diet?

We are almost through February and I am officially 4 weeks into my "workout" situation.  My workplace is holding a company wide competition with a monetary prize.  Basically the top 3 people at each of our top 3 properties will win money.  (Our property is currently in 10th place)  I signed up and paid my $10 fee so that every Sunday afternoon I walk over to the office and get weighed in.  The first weigh in was obviously depressing, but I lost weight the next 3 weigh ins!  At 3 weeks, I was averaging 3 pounds a week which was my target goal. 

This week, I went a bit crazy.  I stayed within my points range, but did indulge in chicken nuggets on 2 occasions, and some Chinese take out.  And there may have been an occasional cookie consumed as well.  Naturally, I didn't lose any weight this week, even though I could swear I feet skinnier.  This just goes to show that even if you starve yourself most of the time, you still can't eat whatever you want.  I didn't really gain any weight either, (well, I think I gained .2 of a pound) so no real damage done, and I learned a valuable lesson.  This does put me a week behind in  my goal, and with my friends wedding looming ever closer, I really have to get back on track this week.  Which might be difficult with a ladies night planned at a yummy Mexican restaurant, but I will just have to be strong!

For those of you who are wondering what "plan" I'm using, I am loosely following the new Weight Watchers points plus program, accompanied by a workout program on my Wii Active 2.  I work out 4 days a week, about 30 minutes a day, and let me tell you, that Wii trainer of mine is harsh!!  Seriously though, it's a good workout and routinely kicks my butt, while still leaving me with a sense of accomplishment for the day.  The other upside to this program is that it utilizes the bit of OCD I have, forcing me to workout on my scheduled days, or else guilt sets in.  For example, I skipped my first workout of the week in lieu of spending a few hours walkign around the zoo and chasing after my 2 year old.  Even though I know I probably burned as many calories as I would have with the Wii, there is a nagging feeling that let's me know that before my 9 week program is up, I'll be making up that workout.

The Things I Love...

In honor of Valentine’s Day, I have decided to talk about all the things I love.  This list does not include the obvious (friends, family, my dog etc.), it’s more about the more material, tangible things in life.

*Lindt peanut butter truffles!  Have you ever had one of these?  I mean I like most Lindt truffle flavors (except anything involving white chocolate- ick) but the peanut ones are A-Mazing!

*My new Droid Incredible phone!  I have rarely had a piece of technology that impacted my life more.  I never knew what I was missing before I had a “smart” phone.  I am amazed every day when I manage to complete tasks while waiting for an appointment instead of having to wait to get home to my laptop.  I won’t ever go back.

*Wii Active 2 from EA Sports!  This is really more of a love/hate relationship to be honest.  I love that I know I am getting a thorough workout without having to leave the comfort of my own home.  I love that I have been successful in staying on a workout schedule longer than I ever would have if I had to go to a gym.  There are times that I hate my “trainer” though, but at least I know she’s kicking my butt into shape… even if I do occasionally curse at “her”.

*Givenchy Photo Perfexion Foundation!  I got a free sample of this when I bought my Givenchy perfume (which I also love) and I swear, it is the most phenomenal makeup I have ever used.  It really does exactly what it claims to do, it makes you photo perfect, like you were airbrushed in real life.  I just ordered a full size bottle, and while it is a tad pricey, I know it’s worth it.  I don’t wear makeup on a daily basis, but I will wear this!  I also ordered mascara from them, so hopefully I will love that too!

*Reef flip flops!  I live in flip flops in the spring, summer, and fall (pretty much anytime the temperature gets above 50) so having sturdy, dependable, attractive flip flops is always a positive in my book.  These are a bit pricier than the rubber ones from Old Navy (which I also own several pairs of), but they last.

*Zappos.com!  The first time we ordered from Zappos, we didn’t pay attention to the shipping.  So when we ordered at 5 pm and the shoes showed up at 2 pm the next day, we were stunned.  We joked that the people running the site must live in our neighborhood.  We figured there was no way they could always be this quick.  But they are.  Next day shipping is FREE!!!  As a matter of fact, if you want it to be slower, it will cost you.  It’s awesome knowing in a pinch you can get things in under 48 hours (during the week).

*Target!  Target is my happy place.  My son and I can wander for hours just looking.  I almost always find exactly what I need there.  Plus I seem to live in the Mecca of Targets, I can personally name 6 different locations within 30 minutes of my house. 

*Twitter!  I don’t do a great job of keeping up during the day, but every night before I go to bed I go back through the day and it’s neat to see what everyone was up to for the day.   Every once in a while I learn new facts too!

*Facebook!  This is going to sound bad, but I love that Facebook helps me keep up on the lives of people I otherwise probably wouldn’t still be friends with.  We all have those FB friends that you knew in middle or high school, but the friendship wasn’t ever important enough to either of you to carry it on.  Now with Facebook you can reconnect!  I have even heard of people “re-meeting” and falling in love!  Where would we be without social media???

*Vacations!  There is nothing that puts a smile on my face as quickly as going on vacation.  Or planning a vacation.  Or packing for vacation.  And if it's a Disney vacation, double it!

Why Punxsutawney Phil is My Hero!

How's everyone enjoying the weather these days?  If you live anywhere near me, (or in the North, Northeast, East or almost any state in the US) I bet you are beyond thrilled that the infamous groundhog is predicting an early spring!  I for did a little dance of joy when I heard the news! 

Living in the Midwest, I am used to the weather changing once or twice a day, but the drastic changes are starting to seriously irritate me.  And any weatherman that predicts more snow is officially on my "bad" list (which is a dangerous place to be, just ask Jack).  I am longing for the days of 50 degree temps and sun shine.  The snow is covering everything in sight, which just makes life more difficult. In parking lots half the spots are blocked with mountains of snow.  Every time I go to walk my dog it's a chore to find a place for her to pee, since she is about 10 inches tall and the snow drifts are triple that.  Not to mention my car is FILTHY since all the sand and salt is constantly coating it.

The "blizzard" this past week only made things worse.  On the upside I got an extra day off, since the weather was so bad my boss told me not to bother trying to make it.  So I had a 3 day "weekend" which at first sounded awesome.  Awesomeness quickly became boredom after about the first 3 hours.  I managed to finish my closet reorganization by lunchtime and started to wonder how I was going to stay busy.  My parents were both home Tuesday as well, so we spent the day being bored together.  After a while we decided to play some Mexican Train Dominoes to pass the time.  We played for about 4 hours, stopping for dinner in the middle.  Regardless I was ready for bed at about 9 pm.  Wednesday we managed to get outside for a walk up and down the street, but it was too cold for Jack to play outside for more than 10 minutes.  Luckily we managed to get a nap in and then I started my Wii Active fitness program (which is a whole different ordeal) before our friends came over for dinner.  It was clear we were all suffering from cabin fever.   It really makes me wonder how people back in the day managed!  Thursday we were so fed up with all the cold we had Hawaiian night at our house.  I make some fruity cocktails, Kona salad and Hawaiian chicken.  I cranked the heat, turned on the reggae music, and made everyone wear leis and watch Lilo and Stitch.  It was a pleasant distraction, but now we are back to reality. 

The only thing keeping me sane is planning my upcoming vacations that involve beaches and tropical drinks and too much sun.  At least with Phil's prediction, there is some (sun)light at the end of the tunnel!

Winners and Losers, and Those That Don’t Compete

What makes people so competitive?  Some people argue that it’s genetic.  Others believe it’s a more psychological cause, like a thirst for admiration or attention or a need to prove themselves.  I think that both are true in some cases.  Some people are raised to be competitors, some people just come by it naturally.  But is it really such a bad thing?

Everything in life can be made into a competition, and most things have been.  You can find reality TV shows with topics that range from finding a spouse to becoming more beautiful to redesigning your house.  Even if you try to avoid it, competition is a part of your life whether it’s for a job, a promotion, or even in the academic arena for valedictorian status.   I guess it’s not as much about finding out what makes people competitive as what makes competition so appealing to such a large percentage of the population.

For example, in my own experience I have found that I am more motivated to lose weight by eating healthy and exercising when it’s some form of competition.  Whether it be a competition within my own house, or in my workplace as it is this time,  I am just more motivated to work harder than if I was competing against just myself.  What does that say about me as a person?  It doesn’t even have to be a matter of winning for me.  I am relatively certain I will not win our workplace competition, and yet, I am more excited about my weigh in each week knowing that my friends and coworkers are also weighing in.  I don’t even need to lose more than the other people who share their relative success or failure, I am genuinely happy for those that also do well, but something about the word “competition” makes the idea that much more appealing.

I know plenty of people out there who fit the stereotypes of people who compete to make themselves feel better.  I know girls that have to be better at things than anyone else or else they feel their self-worth slipping.  I know people who feel like the always have something to prove.  I also know people who are on the other end of the spectrum who never feel the need to compete at all.  People who actively avoid competition, not because it scares them but because it doesn’t mean anything to them.  You have to wonder if these people’s lives are a little less stressful than the rest of us. 

Even so, I do think that some amount of competition is a good thing.  Especially if you can approach it in a healthy way.  If you are a person who can’t be anything other than the winner, I think life will be more difficult for you.  But if you are a person who can embrace a competition for the good aspects it provides, motivation to do better, a sense of satisfaction at a job well done, then a bit of competition will probably only make you stronger.

Boobs, Booze and Bitterness

As I have mentioned before, I work at a hotel.  It’s not only a hotel, but it a hotel and gaming establishment, which greatly influences the clientele we see.  Don’t get me wrong, probably 50% of the people we see are normal average travelers.  Some are here on business, some are here on vacation, but that 50% is just your average person, polite, happy to be here, and sober.  Then there are the rest.

For the remaining 50% of our guests, we get quite a variety of individuals.  It’s a weird combination that often leaves me bewildered. 

We get the partiers, those here for bachelor/bachelorette parties, birthday parties, wedding receptions etc.  These are the people who are often in their 20’s and early 30’s who lose all common sense and decency while they are here.  They drink too much, party too loud, and on occasion get arrested.  The girls get all dolled up in outfits that I am betting they would normally not be caught dead in, and the guys just act like complete asses, getting into verbal, and occasionally physical disputes with complete strangers as well as their own best friends.  Normally I would attribute this to an overindulgence in alcohol, but I haven’t noticed this problem at area bars, juts in establishments like ours, where they feel safe because their bed is only a few hundred yards away.

Another phenomenon I have become acquainted with in my time here is the ability some women have to use their undergarments as a purse.  I will admit that I have seen instances on TV of women who might have kept some cash in their bosom area, but the people I am speaking of are carrying around an entire purse worth of contents stuffed into their bras.  Seriously, I once saw a woman remove her wallet, a pack of cigarettes, a lighter, and her cell phone from her shirt.  Then these women try to hand over their ID and credit cards and I REALLY don’t want to touch them.

Then we get the people who are just bitter.  They spend a large amount of their free time here (not to mention their money) here and therefore feel like they own the place, and everyone who works here.  They are entitled and self-righteous and petty, and yet, it’s our job to treat them like guests each and every time.  It does kind of wear on a person to be confronted with such negativity all the time, but luckily we do have some extremely pleasant guest to counterbalance the negative Nancy’s that we encounter.

All of this adds up to an interesting mix of daily interactions.  Sometimes it’s good, sometimes it’s not, but at the end of the day I remind myself to rise above the bullshit and put on a happy face, because while they are paying for the privilege to be here, I get paid, so I’m the one who ends up ahead! 

New year, new attitude!

This past week I celebrated my 27^th *gasp* birthday.  I, like many people, used to dread birthdays.  I mean who wants to get older? Except wait- if we weren’t getting older we’d be dead (or worse getting younger and NO ONE wants to go back to those awkward teenage years).  So rather than being depressed about getting yet another year closer to the big 3-0 I decided to embrace this birthday as the first day of the rest of my life! I took the opportunity to do a bit of shopping, get a new haircut, and celebrate with my family at a great restaurant we usually wouldn’t indulge in.

                One of the things missing in my life currently is peace and quiet.  I attribute that mostly to my almost 3 year old.  And when he’s having a calm moment, there’s always Zsa Zsa, my Bichon.  She’s gotten much better with age (she’s going on 5) but she is still pretty high maintenance.  Since it has been quite a looooooong time since I had a chance to sleep through the night without waiting for Jack or Zsa Zsa to wake me up, I decided that for my birthday I wanted a night AWAY.  I didn’t have to go far, I just wanted to be able to get into bed and go to sleep without a dog laying on my legs and a son who might awake at any moment with a bad dream.  I hopped online and made myself a reservation at a nearby Embassy Suites (they have an indoor pool, a bar, and free breakfast, what more could a girl ask for) and decided I would check in right after my birthday dinner.  I didn’t end up swimming, but the room was wonderful and having a king sized bed all to myself while watching a movie that I wouldn’t have to pause for any interruptions was heavenly.

                During my quiet time, I realized that aging is all about how you approach it.  Kids think getting older is exciting.  My son is anxiously awaiting turning 5, because he has already been told that’s when he will be old enough to go to a football game.  Kids get to have really cool birthday parties (I’m already brainstorming about Jack’s 3^rd birthday which will be Toy Story themed and isn’t until April) and everybody celebrates the new year they are embarking on.  Kid’s ages are marked with accomplishments and goals, potty training at 2, pre-school at 3 etc.  For my 27^th year, I want to set some goals.  Maybe I won’t get all of them met, but that will just leave something for 28!  This year I want to work on getting in shape, and keeping up with my running more consistently.  I also want to work on my language skills, I used to be almost fluent in French, and it would be a shame to lose it completely.  Another goal is to start actually saving money, after all I only have 15 years to save for Jack’s college education!  Not to mention I’m going to need a new car in the next year, maybe year and a half.  Saving money would be easier if I was making more money, so workplace advancement is another goal of mine.  I’m sure I will think of more things I would like to accomplish as the year goes on.

  As adults we should try and get a little more excited about getting a year older.  It means we have a whole year of additional experience under our belts!  A whole year in which we tried new things, read new books, made new friends, or saw new places.  If you keep life interesting, every year can be celebrated as a new opportunity to have a better year than the one before.

Mommy Wars

*Overheard at a local shopping mall, in a kid's play area:*

Mommy 1: “Maggie is doing so well at preschool!  She is really starting to get a hang of reading, and she is such a little artist!  She brings home a new painting every week!  I'm running out of room on the fridge."

Mommy 2:  "I know just what you mean!  Sarah is counting to 30 now and just seems to be learning new words every day!  Her French tutor says she will be able to pass as a native speaker when she gets older!"

Mommy 1: "Where did you say Sarah is going to school these days?"

Mommy 2: "We have her enrolled in My Kid is Special University.  They have a really wonderful program."

Mommy 1: "Oh... Yeah we looked at their program as a backup but felt it wasn't really challenging enough, you know what I mean? Mommy Smiths son Tommy goes there and he isn't very good at playing with others.  That's why we put Maggie in My Kid Is Better than Yours Day School.  Their waitlist was long, but we put her name on the week after she was born."

*The conversation goes awkwardly silent and a few minutes later the Mommies are graced with the presence of their daughters, both of whom look to be about 3 1/2.  One has snot running down her face, the other has extraordinarily messy hair and chocolate all over her shirt.*

This encounter really got me thinking.  Obviously I altered the names of the schools, but the rest of the exchange is practically verbatim.  At first I was shocked and a little embarrassed to be overhearing this conversation.  Then after I had gotten myself and my son as far away from the "one-upping" as possible and we were on the way home, I started thinking about everything that had been said (and implied) and realized I hear conversations like these all the times.  Thankfully, very few are had with me, since most of my friends don't have kids yet!

Mommies, (and parents in general) are so busy making sure everyone knows how perfect their children are, they constantly create these environments where everything is a competition.  I mean, a little bit of healthy competition is good for kids, but only when they are old enough, and when it is based on their own abilities, rather than their parents.  It's great to be proud of your kid, but when your pride is based on your kid being better than someone else's it becomes dangerous.  What happens when you come across that kid who is actually smarter than yours, or better at something?  Does that mean you lose?  And if you lose, whose fault is it really, yours or your child's?  I mean, the 3 year old who hasn't proved to be a child prodigy (yet) can hardly be held accountable for their parents’ unreasonable expectations.

It doesn’t help that there are those myths floating around about those super human children.  You know, the ones who are potty trained by 1 ½ and teach themselves to read at 3.  These are the same kids who by 5 are fluent in 3 languages and later on in life graduate high school at age 15.  While I’m sure these kids exist, they aren’t the norm, and you probably shouldn’t expect your child to be that “one in a million”.

Kids all develop at different rates, just like they grow at different speeds.  Some kids start talking early and never stop.  Some don't start talking till much later, but when they do they start with full sentences.  Nothing is wrong in either case.  Until a doctor is worried, it really isn’t something to stress about.  Another biggie is potty training.  My son will be 3 in April and it has been a LOOOOONG battle to get him into "big boy underpants" as they are referred to in my house.  He still isn't 100% there, but even my own mother was pressuring me to get on it.  The problem is, when kids don't want to do something, they don't.  It's that simple.  You can put them in a pull up and bribe them with treats, but until it clicks for them you are just banging your head on a brick wall trying to make them cooperate (and you will be cleaning up a lot of messes).

Of course one of the biggest battles being fought in the Mommy Wars is not what makes your kid better, but what makes you better as a mommy.  The fight rages on over the stay at home mom's versus the moms who work outside the home.  People get so vocally negative about the choice others make in their own homes, as if there is only one right way to do things.  I'm not sure that there will ever be a consensus on what is right, but hopefully as time marches on and more and more households with Mom as the sole bread winner emerge, or a stay at home Dad’s get more common, there will at least be a movement to let everyone make their decision without fear of reprisal.

Then there is the "mother" of all confrontations.  This one seems to be more regional, but is a hot button issue wherever you give birth.  To breast feed or not to breast feed.  I gave birth to Jack in a smallish town in Central California.  At our hospital, there wasn't an option to "opt out" of nursing.  The nurses make sure to teach you and reteach you several times a day all the ways to get your baby to nurse properly.  Before they let you leave the hospital they will make sure you plan on nursing, and give you plenty of resources should you get home and have difficulties (or second thoughts).   I'm not sure what would happen if you flat out refused, but I can imagine it wouldn't go over well.  They will guilt you into believing the only way to ensure your baby doesn't spend their childhood fighting off every illness imaginable is to nurse.  Not saying there is anything wrong with nursing, by all means, if you are able and wanting to nurse, do!  It's great for bonding, and there are some additional health benefits (not to mention nursing mother burn tons of calories just by feeding their offspring!).  However if it's not for you, or for whatever reason it just doesn’t work, don't let anyone make you feel like you are a bad mom for turning to formula instead. 

It really amazes me when I think about how often mothers take the opportunity to criticize rather than sympathize with their peers and the woes of parenting.  I feel like this type of judgmental behavior spills over onto the way we raise our kids, and they in turn become judgmental little people, without even an understanding that there is more than one way to do things, more than one way to live, more than one "right" choice.  With that in mind, I am making it my goal this year to make sure that as my son gets older I continue to raise him to be understanding and accepting rather than critical and narrow minded.  I want to make sure I support him whether he is the smartest kid in the class or not, and even if he decides he doesn't want to wear his "big boy underpants" I hope he knows I'm proud of him anyway.

January- The beginning of a whole New Year!

Out of curiosity, I was wondering what January’s “theme” of the month was.  You know, like February is Black History Month, etc.  So naturally, I googled it.  As it turns out, January has many causes (actually most month’s do) some of which are obvious (Get Organized Month) while others are not (it is also California Dried Plum Digestive Health Month).  A lot of the themes for January were pretty good though and really got me thinking…

January is Celebration of Life Month.  Since January is the beginning of the New Year, it’s a good time to start celebrating life and the things that make it worth living!  It’s a new beginning, a way to start fresh and make sure that you are living the life the way you want to, rather than just going through the motions.  We all have things in life we don’t want to do, work, pay bills, etc. but life shouldn’t be about those things.  It should be about the things you enjoy, spending time with loved ones, traveling, reading a good book, whatever makes you happy! I have decided to celebrate life by taking some extra time out to spend with Jack doing things we like to do together.  They don’t have to be big things, but even everyday things that we both enjoy, like shopping at Target and getting a frappucinno to share, or riding on the carousel at the mall can be a good way to celebrate!

January is also Change Your Stars Month.  This one sounds pretty cool, it’s all about realizing you can choose your own destiny and that nothing about your future is set in stone.  Sometimes it’s good to remember that if there is something you really don’t like about your life, it’s up to you to change it!

There is also the more obvious Get Organized theme, which I think is a good plan for a lot of people.  I always feel better when everything is easily found right where it belongs.  It’s also a good month to get organized, just because it’s a common resolution for the New Year and so lot’s of places sell organizational supplies (tubs, filing boxes, cabinets) at a discount to take advantage!  I am relatively organized now, the hope is that I can stay that way!

Mentoring Month is yet another theme.  I find this one interesting because it’s about giving someone else a new start as opposed to yourself.  Plenty of people need mentoring, new moms, young moms, mom’s to be are good places to start.  Younger or new coworkers, people in your church or community who might need a little extra help, there are plenty of people who could use mentors.  It doesn’t mean you have to hold their hands on a daily basis, and some people aren’t looking for help, but sometimes that one piece of good advice can go a long way.

One more theme that is along the lines of obvious is Shape Up Month.  One of the most universal New Year’s resolutions is weight loss.  I would imagine that gym memberships increase by at least 300% in January.  American’s are notoriously overweight, but lucky for us, there are plenty of different fitness opportunities out there for us!  Beyond different weight loss programs like Slim 4 Life, Jenny Craig, or Weight Watchers, social consciousness about healthy eating has been raised to all new levels.  Fast food restaurants everywhere are starting to offer healthier options, and even gaming systems (Wii) are coming up with fun ways to exercise and burn calories.  Not to mention with some of the new health reform laws that are being implemented, many workplaces are trying to help their employees beat the bulge.  Our company has a Weight Watchers program on property and has made the cafeteria a much healthier place by offering only things that are considered within a healthy range, like whole wheat pasta instead of regular, and no gravy to go with the mashed potatoes.  There will always be people who continue to live unhealthy lifestyles, but for those of us that want to get in shape, there is plenty of support!

So there you are, lots of reasons to love January!  Hopefully it will be a productive month all around!

2011- The Year Of The Mommy Blogger

Well, at least it is for me!  Happy New Year everyone!  This year I have chosen to kick off the New Year a little differently.  Rather than the typical resolution making (which inevitably leads to guilty feelings of failure by the end of January) I have resolved to do things that give me a sense of accomplishment.  One of those things is starting a blog of my very own (don’t misunderstand, I am still resolving to lose some weight this year, but that just makes me like every other American woman between the ages of 18 and 60). 

There are a million blogs out there written by all kinds of people, and thousands of those are written by moms.  Just google “mommy blogs” and there are over 600,000 results, including a mommy blog directory!  Which begs the question, why would I want to add to this ever growing population?  Well, I happen to have a bit of free time on my hands, access to a computer, and plenty of things to write about!  I have lots of random views, experiences, and advice to share (I promise to only give advice that has worked for me personally!) and rather than confusing  my coworkers, friends and family with a stream of endless emails expressing these thoughts, why not post it where only willing participants are subjected to my craziness?

Why should you read my blog instead of the other 600,000?  Maybe you shouldn’t.  Or even better, maybe you should read them all!  But if you are a normal human and don’t have time for that, I will tell you a little bit about myself to help you decide if my blog is right for you.  I am a twenty-something single mom, raising my son with the help of my parents.  We live in the Midwest, but I am an Army brat, so I have lived a dozen different places in the past twenty years.  I enjoy traveling and meeting new people and having new experiences.  I am in love with everything Disney, and consequently am a bit of an encyclopedia on Disney parks and vacations, and have taken quite a few Disney vacations myself.  I work in the wonderful field of hospitality, which as most people who work in this field know, isn’t always so wonderful or hospitable.  To be more specific, I work at a hotel front desk, which means I meet lots of new people every day, some of which are great!  This job has taught me a lot about the travel industry, and it changes every day, so at least it has that going for it.  Plus it’s a job with a paycheck and health insurance, and let’s face it, in this economy, that in and of itself is a huge bonus!

So, what’s with the title?  My son Jack is the most important person in my life.  As it turns out, he’s pretty important to a lot of people.  My mom has lots of pictures of him at work, and everyone she works with is always commenting on them.  On the rare occasion I stop by her office, rather than introducing me as her daughter, she introduces me as Jack’s mom, which I find entertaining (I am choosing not to be offended that she doesn’t directly claim me as her offspring) ergo the title.  While I know my identity is not solely wrapped up in being a mother, it is a pretty big part of who I am, and after all, I am very proud of being Jack’s mommy!

There you have it, my very first blog post!  Hopefully you enjoyed it and will come back for more!  If not, hopefully you will at least refrain from leaving rude comments!  Here’s hoping 2011 is a good one!