Omigosh, Omigosh....People Magazine WANTS us!!

Breathe...Breathe...

I don't even know where to start--this story alone could be another blog in and of itself!

People Magazine (yes...only my most favorite magazine of ALLLLL time) is doing a story on early detection of autism in infants and we have been chosen to be featured! It just so happens that our wonderful little B is the perfect age for the first part of the testing. He is 6 months old--and that is when they start this study with participating infants. We also did (and continue to do) this with C since she was 6 months old. I'll try to elaborate fully--if I can gather my frantic thoughts. OMG!!! They want us!!

I got off the phone with the photo editor of PEOPLE MAGAZINE about an hour or so ago. Before that I was on the phone with Elise, the head of media relations at Kennedy Krieger Institute, here in Baltimore. www.kennedykrieger.org We have dealt with public relations stuff at KKI for a while now because our oldest, A, is a poster child for the institute. We were lucky enough to have her participate in a research study at the age of 2 on early intervention for toddlers with an autism spectrum disorder--for her it opened doors that we were afraid would be closed her whole life!! Because of that study and the hard work of all the wondeful staff at Kennedy Krieger we have a wondeful, healthy, happy, and normal 6 year old daughter. If KKI asked us to paint ourselves in polka dots and wave at people along I-95, we'd probably do it! So--this seems like a small way to give back to the place that gave us so much. (and no body paint involved...yippeeee!!)

I had the hardest time trying to reach Hubby to tell him he must be home for the photo shoot! I finally reached him via email and his return email response was a simple one-liner. "Holy Shit" Yes, Hubby-dear--that was pretty much my reaction too!!!

Did I mention that People Magazine is like my most favorite magazine ever??? EVER?? This is a magazine that I read cover to cover. I have a rule--that I can't read ahead--I start at the cover and literally go forward from there--until I reach, sadly, the last page. Earlier this year (late last year maybe?) I came to a very difficult decision...(those who know me agree this was hard!) I decided with the impending birth of little B that I would GIVE UP my subscription. (gasp!) I know, I know...but it IS a pricey mag and we had some big expenses coming up!! I gave it up, only reading occasionally when I could part with a few extra dollars in the checkout line at the grocery store! *Lately--with the Jon & Kate "saga" I've been tempted to re-up...and just last week Hubby came home with the latest copy of the magazine, just because he knew it would cement him in history as the best husband ever. (love you, babe!) Oh man...I can't even think straight.

So--that is my story for now, stay tuned!!! OMG...so excited!!

I think I must just be mental

Why IS it that I feel good--really, really good--when I get up and get cleaning? I feel great right now! Dishes put away, sink empty, third load of laundry is in the washer, the first load folded and put away, the beds all made, the upstairs all vacuumed and put together.... Is it the sense of accomplishment? (yay me) Is it the feeling of checking all the tasks off my invisible list? (good thought) Is it sitting in a clean house? (must be part of it)

Another why... WHY, then, doesn't this inspire me to do this more often? I spend no fewer than 4 out of 7 days in an utter and complete chaos because I don't wake up and get this stuff done. Sure..sometimes that isn't of my doing, sometimes I do actually have to take care of the children, but seriously...why can't I just get with the program? It is 10:38 on a summer Friday morning, I'm sitting in the breakfast nook (I love typing that...breakfast nook--ain't it cute?) sipping lemonade and typing away. This is grand!! On a non-get-up-and-clean-day I'd be running around (as my mother would say) like a chicken with its head cut off. Now--I feel I actually CAN sit and work (play) on my computer.

On a very happy note, only an hour 'til I get to go to the gym!!!! Yay for Anna the babysitter :)

So I think I traumatized my 3 year old...

I read an article in the current Parents Magazine about the "Cleanup Fairy." It was written by a genius-woman as far as I can tell!! As soon as I put down the magazine I told A & C that they must clean up their toys before naptime or else the Cleanup Fairy would come and take away anything left on the floor. They both scoffed at me...so off to nap they both went. HA!! I will win this battle. Once they were in their respective rooms (C in her room, A in the basement playroom) I went to work, trash bag in hand. Now I must admit there wasn't THAT much on the floor. Mostly pieces of a silly puzzle that was a prize in a fast food meal...so, nothing important. A few other little things, but seriously--nothing 'big.' A few hours later when A came up from the basement it was as if nothing happened. Didn't phase her for a moment. When C came down the steps after her nap--she walked into the family room and her jaw dropped--rather it hit the floor. The sheer fright on her face was enough to make me smile....(evil!) but I kept a straight face and asked what was wrong. "The Kweenup Faiwy wuz heah...she took aw my toys!" It was pretty great, I must say. The rest of the afternoon passed by smoothly--with toys gotten off of a shelf, but returned as well. Yay--score one for the Mommy!! Then came bedtime... Tonight was Family Movie Night--so bedtime was a tad bit late. OK...really late, 9:30. To my kids this is like 4am to us grownups. There were maybe 2 little toys on the floor and I gently reminded Cassie to clean them up before going up the steps to bed. She FREAKED OUT!! "No, no Kweenup Faiwy...no, don't take owah stuff..." She began picking up shoes and pillows and anything not nailed down--just afraid that the Cleanup Fairy would take it. She was beyond exhausted, so I helped her calm down and just told her what a good job she did. She really did--and if she 'gets' it and this whole Cleanup Fairy thing works...even with ONE of my kids, that is great. I just hope I don't have to pull one of our old lines out if it doesn't. It was the old "if you don't listen to Mommy and Daddy, you'll have to go live with a new family now" threat. She may really go and pack a suitcase! Oh well....another day in Paradise :)

Bummer...No Friday dinner :(

We realized last night that we have baseball tickets for tomorrow evening and we couldn't score a cheap (read: Free) sitter. Hubby will take C to the game and they'll have a Daddy/Daughter date. No yummy dinner and wine.. I'll probably have a Hot Pocket and a Coke. Sad, I know. I know that C will be thrilled to go with Hubby all by herself. She is such a spitfire, but can be so easy to take places. We'll see... I'll just be home with 2 kids. Seems like a real vacation to me~

I didn't want to wash those jeans yet!

OK, so I know that having a 3 year old is a mess-waiting-to-happen. I really do GET this. And C...my beautiful, sweet, girl is a MESS. I swear she oozes goo even while in the bathtub. But tonight--she pee'd on me. Not on purpose of course...but she, well...er--had to go urgently. Instead of going in the toilet it shot out clearly at me and my just-out-of-the-wash jeans. You know the ones....the ones you wear a few times to get them feeling 'right.' I was not ready to wash them!!! Of course I freaked out (bad mommy moment). Poor C, she just wailed and said she was very "sowwy." I felt awful, I know she didn't pee on my jeans out of maliciousness...but still--they were just out of the wash. As she ascended the stairs for bedtime a few moments after the incident she says to me, "Mommy, there is no pee pee left tonight." Well isn't that cute. Of course there's no pee pee left. It's all on my freakin' jeans.

Paradise, I tell ya. ;)

Thinking about Friday's dinner--already...

This is the point in the week where I start to think about what Hubby and I will eat on Date Night. This is pretty much an every weekend thing--unless we're out on a 'real' date or have some other event going on. This really started to save money on going out to eat so much. Before C and B were born, back when we were just naive parents of one, we probably went out once or twice a month. Of course babysitting was easy to come by too. Anyway--back to the point. The kids go to bed at that cherished 7:00 pm and we have a nice meal. Always includes appetizers...usually a salad and an entree. And wine. Here is where we could run up a bill--but generally we have found some pretty good, inexpensive ones!! Mostly they are under $15 and some even under $10. They are really good!!! I'll try to post them on here to share. Anyway--the other thing I consider with our meal is Weight Watchers. I've been doing really well on WW this spring & summer and I don't want a Date Night to throw that off! I've lost 16 lbs to date since the end of March, and 25 since January when dear little B was born. Yay Me! I'm thinking we should do some bread and olive oil, some salad, and maybe some grilled chicken. Oh--and one of my FAVORITE desserts isn't really a dessert at all...red wine and dark chocolates. Ummmm.....such a great flavor combo!!! Oh man...now I'm hungry.

Can't get started today

Our house normally runs with the efficicency of Hubby. He's great--truly he is! He is perhaps the most efficient person on earth. I sort of hate him for this, but for the most part it does keep our lives in relative order. Hey, everyone's gotta be good at something, right? 7:00 am is wake up time, dressing and bedmaking, pottying and all of that--and then we all descend the stairs to breakfast, babyfeeding, getting ready for school or work, or errands, or whatever. By 8:30 we're all ready for the day. Oy...I'm tired just typing all of that!!

We are now in that period of summer when A's summer camp is over--vacation is still a few weeks away--and we have no real place to be. I love this. LOVE THIS. I keep saying we're going to go the library, but that would require feeding B his bottle and jar of mush and getting C out of her VeggieTales shirt. She's only worn it for 3 days straight...by no means a record. A of course is ready to walk out the door, but she's got a lot of Hubby's efficiency running through her. I would need to get dressed. Blah...it feels better to just sit here at home. I love home.

Bills. I hate bills. Just wanted to throw that in.

Day One--Introduction!!

If paradise is defined as a blissful place, then I must say I have arrived. Let me explain...

I'm not on a white sand beach sipping a tropical tantalizing treat. I'm not watching the waves roll in. I'm not wearing a terry cloth robe ( or towel!) while a whitecoated masseuse performs his magic. While all of that would be nice--my paradise is my life.

OK...more explaining!! I sit on a stained plaid sofa that has lost it's cushiony softness. My feet walk over carpet that crunches under my feet--the remains of yesterday's (or last week's...) cheerios or granola bars. I sit listening to VeggieTales movies that would make most people stick pencils in their ears. I can recite the THEME SONG to VeggieTales. I get excited about poop. When a ponytail stays in all day, despite running, sweating, or pulling at it--I am thrilled! Yes...thrilled! When a jar of babyfood is all gone and the remains of it are dripping down the baby's chin--I'm elated. Buying school supplies creates in me a feeling of purpose and urgency. Grocery shopping by myself sometimes feels like a real vacation. Finding a sale on toilet paper simply makes my day. Wearing a spit up stainded shirt does not bother me. I am Mommy, hear me roar.

Now that you know that much--you must know the rest. I live for 7:00 pm. It's more powerful than chocolate--and believe me, that is saying something!!! It's that magical hour when the kids go to sleep and Hubby and I get to spend the evening together. With each child we've had this time is more and more crucial to our existence. Whether it's sitting on our opposite sofas reading, watching a game on tv, or reading, or talking, or eating our famous "after the kids go to bed" meals....it is pure bliss to me. Sometimes I feel like I'm not one person--that I am the mommy person from 7:00 am to 7:00 pm and from 7:00 pm to 7:00 am I'm the wifey person. And that is ok...I like it that way :) As I said before--I have arrived. Paradise is great, baby.