: Yawn : still sick....

One of those sleepless nights....Lola threw up all over the place in her bed, so at 10pm at night, we got her up for a quick bath and a bottle of water to get her back down. We had her sleep in our room in the Pack n Play to make sure she was ok during the night. Then at 2:30am....another attack of diareah....:sigh: got her up and changed her and put her back down to sleep.

Up this morning, took KK to school....and ugh, diareah all over the car seat...so that's in the washer now...guess we won't be trick or treating tonight :( Can't have her pooping in her costume or all over the stroller....there is always next year :)

Sick Kids

Well, I had it a little over a week ago, my son got it next and handled it like a champ, now it's my baby's turn.

I woke up to the most horrific smell, diarrhea and throw up. Had to take my little girl right to the bathroom and give her a bath. She was a mess :( Luckily she downed her first bottle this morning, and has gone back to sleep in her vibrating chair.

No mommy wants to see her baby(no matter how old) sick. My heart goes out to her and her little upset stomach. Hopefully she'll be feeling better soon!

Store Employees

Ya know, nothing bugs me more(other than clueless drivers) is when store employees cut you off as you wander around the store shopping.

Girls and Drums

I was at "Toddler Time" at the local public library this morning, with my toddler son and infant daughter. When it came time for music and instrument time, I saw a little girl reach up and ask for the drum. The teacher promptly handed her the drum and the little girl was happy to march around banging on her drum. That warmed my heart and brought a tear to my eye.

Why? Because when I was a little girl in Kindergarten, we had to pick instruments in a similar way, and I spoke right up and asked to play the drum. My teacher said..."Girls don't play drums." WHAT KIND OF THING IS THAT TO SAY TO A 5 YEAR OLD!!!! Yes, she said it. I was crushed. It's one of those vivid memories that sticks with us forever and even effected my life. And you know what....I played the drums. I played on the University of Miami Drumline for three years, and it was one of the best times in my life.

I hope that in the microcosm of our local public library that this somehow hopefully represents how the world has changed (or changing). It's ok for a girl to play the drums.

Teenagers....

Anyone...who is mother or father...who has raised a child through the teenager years just shivered at the title of this blog. As parents, we KNOW how we were at this age, and then to see our children grow and start this stage of life...it's enough to call up your own parents and offer the most heartfelt apology you'll ever give.

What makes it so hard? They talk back. They have a voice now. At the terrible twos(which is somewhat relevant to teenagerdom)all the child has is crying, kicking and screaming. Although it's somewhat annoying, it's tolerable and often laughable. But the teenager has moved beyond this, to learn how to piss you off with words. Today's common phrase..."I'm just sayin'" is enough to drive you to the bottle when whined by a teenager.

The teenager doesn't know when to stop. They push, and push and push, trying to find out where their boundaries are, just like when they were two. I try to reason and have a conversation with my teen about her social tortures and classroom dramas, but that phrase...."I'm just sayin'" throws me off the deep end.....(you know it's true kk)

I love my tween, soon to be teen.....and someday....when she's in her 30's...and her baby is saying the phrase of the day to her...she's going to call me, and say..."I'm sorry mommy", I'll have the biggest grin on my face, and simply say..."thank you". And after I hang up, my husband and I will toast and have a secret giggle.

Fridays

Everyone is working for the weekend. It's a chance to spend quality time with the family for those that are working the week though. It's more time to watch the kids play and have fun, something that isn't obtainable on the weekdays due to dinner, baths and bedtime. Kids love the special time they get to spend with their parents and usually any sort of routine that is followed on weekdays is out the window on the weekends.

For me, as a stay at home mother, it's a different story. I don't have the typical work week. My job seems be be a 24/7, 7 days a week infinity loop. I am not complaining in any way, I'm lucky to have this schedule. I'm blessed to be able to stay at home and watch my baby and toddler grow up. I like being able to be available to pick up my teenager from school when she has after school activities.

The weekends for me are more of an instructional learning time for my husband and daughter. They don't see what the babies do every day, and this is their chance to hang out with them. I find myself in the background, telling them what each baby wants or needs by the way they communicate. My husband also gets a glimpse into what goes on in my day while he is at work. First thing in the morning I'm a busy bee, running around, drinking my coffee, cleaning up any messes left from the day before, doing the dishes, doing laundry....every little spot out of place drives me nuts! When the kids are done with breakfast is usually when I sit down and we have play time together.

Thanks to my wonderful husband (see, I appreciate you baby) I do get time for myself to do things.....hold on, I think the boy just woke up.......naptime is over, but let me finish......

As I was saying, I do get some me time which provides me with a little refreshing break. But I find that I don't want to spend too much time without my family. I enjoy being with my kids and with my husband. I feel like I'll miss something if I'm not there.

Because Fridays are so important in my husband and daughter's week, I make sure to welcome them home and to the weekend. Eventhough my week never seems to end, I can share in their relief that the week is finally over!

TGIF!!

New Blog

I started a new "job" today blogging for a new site called AllFloridaBlog.com. I'll be writing daily on it about things that happen in Tampa. Take some time and read it, leave a comment (please), and hey, click on an ad from time to time (that's where our revenue comes from)

http://allfloridablog.com/category/tampa/

I actually spent today browsing myspace, craigslist and other online spots for writing jobs. I want to beef up my resume and get to writing as much as I can. Maybe I'll get that book written one of these days!

Sexism in Toys

Believe it or not, we condition our children into sexism. That is, the separation of what is right for girls, and what is right for boys. The toy market is the first step in a child's life when they are exposed to boys and girls being different. My example is the Power Wheels motorized car toys for children. If you check out their website, you'll see that every single motorized car is being driven by a boy, except for the bright pink ones. Of course girls can only drive girlie cars....Power Wheels says so. These commercials are SO influential on our children. Kids study these commercials, decide which toy they want really bad, and run to mom and dad to beg for it. That's what the toy industry wants, right? Boys are being taught already that they are built for a rough and tumble testosterone filled life, while the girls are meant to sit pretty in their pink cars and go shopping.

http://www.fisher-price.com/us/powerwheels/

The new Monster Traction commercial is the most blatant commercial directed at boys. The entire thing is all boys are the bomb, and tough. No mention of a girl having fun with this toy. The commercial even ends with four boys crossing their arms and looking very gangsta like.

The toy industry needs to stop being so sexist about their toys. Girls CAN play with trucks, and boys CAN play house.