Why don’t they just serve dinner in restaurant bathrooms?
I thought…… as I stood there for the 3rd time in an hour, waiting for another kid to finish peeing…….and gave up on actually trying to sit and finish a meal.
Just put a table and a chair in here…. because there really is no point in leaving.
examiner.com
Wondering why there isn’t a kid in this picture? Just a lady, eating on the floor?
Because she got smart. She knows that kid will be right back.
Just get comfy lady. I get it.
Remember when I posted about this awesome teeth whitening kit I stumbled across at the drugstore? I was really excited to try it, because it had a little laser/light thing for my teeth, and it seemed pretty miraculous.
I was eager to use the kit, and show off my shiny new smile.
One day, I decided I was ready….. so out came the box and instruction reading commenced.
Match your color to a number
That was kind of easy….except after a few minutes all the shades seem to match, and yet not match.
floss and brush your teeth. No problem.
So far so good. All things I’ve done before and seem to be doing well at.
First rinse with the “whitening accelerator”…
The light, the light!! Yay!!
Next steps include swishing with this liquid accelerator for 10 seconds. Then brushing each tooth with a layer of clear gel, and letting your teeth dry before your lips or tongue touch them. You have to wait 20 seconds before stuffing the light into your mouth, where it stays on for 2 minutes and turns off by itself.
I did not factor in that I have many children, who seem to require my constant attention and time, as well as my ability to yell at them at the drop of a hat. It is impossible to yell properly with a shiny laser/light thing shoved in your mouth.
I did not factor in the monotony of following the same steps over and over and over, before you can expect a result. It’s booooring. You must run through this process at least 10 times before seeing results, 20 times is recommended. Ugh.
I hadn’t considered the drool factor. Think Cujo.
Is it rabies, or is he whitening his teeth??
hitfix.com
So….. although it looked really simple, and it was technically easy…. I didn’t like it.
All the steps! Brush teeth, swish with the stuff, spit it out, brush on the gel, hold your lips away from your teeth while breathing heavily through your mouth-trying to dry your teeth, suck on the light for 2 minutes. Rinse, brush, repeat. Seemed like there should have been a salt shaker and a lemon wedge somewhere in that process….
So the first time I made it through 3 cycles and got sick of it. A week later, another 2 or 3. This past weekend, the day before my daughters graduation party…. 5 times baby!!!
I didn’t see a difference.
I think I’ve given up. Probably, I will stick to the white strips. I still don’t use them properly, one box has lasted me years because I also don’t ever seem to have the time to use them… but at least it’s only one step when I finally get around to it. Kind of bummed out I didn’t like the laser light more, but catching mouthfuls of drool in a towel as I held it in place seemed to really put a damper on it for me.
If you’ve tried this and actually finished it… I’d love to know your thoughts!
amazing doesn’t cover it.
You take a date. Stuff it with an almond. Smother it in chocolate. Call it Chocodate.
That’s it. You’re a genius.
memegenerator.net
My last baby is 2 and a half.
A little past the half if truth be told.
Is she ready for preschool?
Am I ready??
The 2 year program is just to get your little ones ready to be apart from you, they do some crafts, sing songs, play, dance, whatever. They learn how to follow directions from their teacher, and how to socialize with classmates. This is a 90 minute program, 2 or 3 days a week-at a center that Sammy really loved. He still misses going there, and misses “Nathan”…the boy he stalked.
I took Sammy because he was so attached to me, I was afraid of what would happen if I didn’t do a slow transition into being away from me. There is a monitor outside of the room where you can stand if you want, and watch your child the whole time.
Sammy cried his first day, for a good 5 minutes until he actually threw up into a garbage can that a teacher was holding in front of him. I was trying to resist “saving” him, but just about to race in and scoop him up. Then, after vomiting….he stopped, looked around, and started playing. Never to cry there again.
Jenna is so much more social already, I guess I feel she probably doesn’t need the baby step approach. She already seems wise beyond her years. She even accompanies her big brother to the closet to get socks when he’s afraid of the dark.
And come on… EVERY other kid is transitioning this year. One into college. One into high school. One into kindergarten.
Can’t I just hold onto her for awhile? Is this going to hurt her??
I think I’ll worry about it after she turns 3. For now, she can socialize with me. We can play school at home, and I will keep her all to myself for just a little bit longer.
theawareshow.com
Sometimes, moms find a desire to do things for themselves. This can mean putting aside time for leisure activities, or exercise, maybe lunches or dinners out with friends….. Sometimes this can mean going back to school, or getting a job after being home with the kids for possibly many years.
Sometimes, having mom not always available is a bit shocking to the family.
Sometimes, moms get blamed for being “selfish”, because she finds an outlet that she enjoys, like riding a bike for example…… and it makes her feel good about herself, healthy, strong, and energized.
I see this happening right now.
I see a mom I’ve known for going on 20 years, finally starting to care about herself a little bit. She was so introverted when I met her, never left the house other than to take the kids to school or other events around the kids. She was painfully shy, and lacked all self confidence. She was always at home, so if I called, she was available to talk. I got used to this, her being there, and always available.
But then….
Some things happened in her life, out of her control. Things that have shaken her up, and made her take a good long look at herself. She realized she could no longer depend on anyone else to care for her, while she cared for the kids. She realized she would need to become more self reliant, more interactive with the world, more able to care for the kids financially as well as emotionally and physically. To be a better mom, a stronger mom.
Fast forward say 5 years…..
She has changed. For the better. Grown in confidence, believing for the first time that she is worthy. Of happiness, of enjoying herself, of pursuing her interests. She is working, going to school, and participates in a cycling group where she is seen as a leader. For the first time she is willing to be noticed! She’s growing in so many ways.
As I say that, I can admit that I have complained and nagged her about how she’s “never” available for me anymore…I don’t even call the house, I call her cell. She’s busy!! I realize that I looked at her as my faithful friend, always there on standby if I needed to talk. How unfair of me to expect her to stay in her box, so I can take her out when I feel like it, and put her back when I’m done.
I know her kids, now a teen and preteen. I know how much she loves her kids, and how much time she has dedicated to them. So imagine how they feel seeing mom changing, doing new things, and not being home as much….ready and waiting them.
They feel abandoned.
I believe it’s scary for them, seeing her go through these changes. Maybe they wonder if it’s because she’s not happy just being their mom? Maybe she doesn’t love them enough? Maybe she loves herself more than them?
It is so hard for people to deal with change. And I wish her kids could understand her love for them has inspired many of the changes she is now going through. She wants to be MORE…for herself AND them. And change is hard for everyone. She is very stressed now, juggling a full schedule, and has cried over how much studying she has to do, wanting more time to do anything else! Her goal is to find a balance again……and she will, but it might take a while.
One day they will be older, and realize her efforts were not selfish. I hope they look at her dedication to school for what it was, a dedication to her family and an effort to be the best provider for them. I hope they remember the painstaking hours she spends-still-making the ridiculously amazing birthday cakes for them, always originally themed and requiring hours of hand numbing decorating, because she refuses to get store bought. I hope they realize her bike riding is right now her therapy, a healthy way to relieve stress, clear her mind, and strengthen her body.
I know as they grow, they will understand. But right now they don’t, and it’s painful for everyone as mom grows up.
But keep watching…….
This story begins early last month, as I was hanging out with my preschooler at his end of year party.
I chanced upon another mom and we chatted. Somehow going from how adorable our kids were, to our jobs, and then things like foot exfoliation. Probably a few topic in between.
She asked if I ever tried “Baby Foot” She heard about it on an infomercial at home, and was immediately sucked in.
She described these squishy booties you put on your feet, and keep on for an hour. Wash off, and go on with your day. Days later, massive peeling.
She showed me pictures.
It looked like she had peeled off her feet in the bathtub, which essentially she did.
But gushed about the smooth, soft results.
Hmmmmmmm. I do love to try new things. This sounded very interesting. Probably better than the pumice stone in my shower that I try to use each morning as I hop around on one foot at a time.
So I headed to Amazon at home, and got 2 of them. One for me, and one for a test subject to try it on first.
My 14 year old was surprisingly obliging to putting on the booties, and sitting for an hour with them on. We documented his progress with photos, I was suitably impressed.
start with the booties
one week later, eeeeewwww
So I decided last week to give it a go. I wanted to do it sooner, but found it hard to find a whole hour that I could set aside to sit down with these gel things on my feet. You CAN walk with them, but it feels really weird, and definitely can’t run…..
I didn’t time things very well as it turns out.
After about 5 days, my feet seemed really dry. The next night, I took a hot bath to speed up the peeling process, and suddenly it looked like my feet had been grated. I panicked a little, realizing anywhere I walked barefoot would leave a trail…yuck.
This massive shedding started the night before I was due to attend a summer wedding reception dinner. I stayed up until 2:30am basically peeling my feet off. Gross, right? But think back to grade school…..remember when you would spread Elmer’s glue all over your hand, let it dry, and then peel it off? Remember how weird/cool it was to do that? It was a LOT like that……
Oh…you never did that?
Anway, the next day… the day of the reception….. I still had peeling. I felt too nervous to wear strappy dress shoes that would expose my feet during their metamorphosis. Thoughts of walking across a dance floor, leaving little pieces of me behind were making me think twice about going.
I ended not going, and kept socks on to stop the spread of my DNA.
So, yes, Baby Foot really works. It’s amazing how soft and smooth my feet are. I’ll probably do it again, just not before I need to bare my feet too soon 🙂
health.wyo.gov
A patient was referred to hospice. He’s not in the process of dying right now, but end stage dementia……
Anyway, I’ve never seen visitors with him. This isn’t abnormal. There are very few residents who have frequent, regular visitors.
Suddenly, when the family decides to initiate hospice…. a FLURRY of visitors, over the past 2 days.
I happened across one such visitor today, standing in his room, watching him as he slept. She looked uncomfortable, lost, sad. He woke up, and she left soon after. Still quiet, looking ready to cry.
I wonder who she was? Family or friend, maybe his child or grand-child even.
I wonder if they will come back again, if he doesn’t pass away as soon as they seem to think he will?
I think it must be hard for people who don’t see dementia every day, to feel comfortable interacting with someone who is suffering from it. This may be why most residents have few visitors, people may think why bother coming, if they don’t know me anyway?
Most of these residents still have quality of life, even if they can’t remember where they are or what year it is. They participate in activities, get their hair done, sing songs, and even give advice. They make friends. They laugh, they cry, they still live. They enjoy human contact. Few are so advanced in their dementia that they are no longer able to interact in a meaningful way….and even these residents deserve someone to hold their hand, or read to them.
There but for the grace of God…….
We don’t know what our future holds. Don’t be afraid of going to these places…..nursing homes, dementia units, whatever you call them. Ignoring them doesn’t make them go away. The greatest gift you can give is your time, isn’t it? Give a little now, you might need someone else’s later….
Here, take my heart.
dididago.org
I am sitting with my husband, watching him fall asleep-still in his chair-at the dinner table.
He works so hard every day, and comes home late every night. His time is not his own, a slave to his pager.
He chose to practice medicine, and he is dedicated. Careful. Methodical. Brilliant.
So as I watch his eyes flutter over the cup of tea he probably can’t even taste right now, I tell him I love him.
Because I do.
It wouldn’t matter what he chose to do for a living, what matters is the way he commits himself to everything he does.
His job. Me. Our kids. Our life together.
I am grateful that we found each other. So thankful to have this time with him.
My favorite times lately are the evenings when he gets home while the kids are still awake. They hear the garage door open, and run around looking for a place to hide.
Daddy comes in the door, asking me where the kids are.
I tell him I left them at Costco, or maybe at the park…
“Oh no! I need to find them!”
They can hear us, and start to laugh as he pretends to look all over for them. They will either get too excited, and run to jump all over him, or he will rip off the blanket they are hiding under…. eventually they all end up laughing and tickling each other.
He thanks me for letting them stay up to see him.
And I find myself loving him even more.
To the point.
Compliments of Sodahead.com
We went to Disney again. My 4th time.
I think I can say, with a high degree of certainty, I am NOT a Disney person.
(hands covering my head, in defensive position) Don’t hurt me!!!
I’ll elaborate a bit.
I’m not a Magic Kingdom person. Neither is my husband. I think the kids would have been just as happy at Kiddie Park, which costs like $20 for a day of rides and overpriced sponge bob popsicles.
I do like Epcot, and Downtown Disney after dark. Kids liked those places too.
Enough to go back????
Uh. No.
Probably because we don’t get into the characters. We really just don’t. We caught the parade a couple times while at the Magic Kingdom, and that really satisfied any need the kids had to see a bunch of characters singing and dancing.
It just doesn’t seem amazingly magical to me.
I don’t think I’m the only person who feels this way. I watched the faces of everyone around us, and pointed out to my husband that EVERYONE looks like they are in hell right now. I don’t recall a particularly thrilled looking mom or dad during our visit.
One mom, in particular, was having a bad day when we were there.
My husband had taken the 5 year old on a ride that the youngest was too small for. Jenna and I were on our own til the guys got back. So we were checking out one of the many outside vendors, and picked out a wonderfully overpriced bubble gun for Jenna to play with. As I’m standing there, waiting for the salesperson to finish with the guy ahead of us, I hear a voice….
“Now SEE, we would have been next in line, but since YOU GUYS made me go look at that over there, now we have to wait for THESE PEOPLE (gestures to me) to get done before us!!!” I look over, to see a lady my age-ish, lecturing her kids who are doing their best to pretend they are not with her. I am kind of amused. I look at her, and tell her “You are welcome to go ahead of us, it’s not a big deal.”
This was not supposed to happen. I was not supposed to speak to her. I realize this as she responds to me.
“This is not about YOU! I am trying to teach my CHILDREN something here.”
I can’t help it. I start to smirk. Thank God I’m wearing sunglasses to hide behind.
Her voice changes as she talks to me, becoming high pitched and that fake sugary sweet that means whatever she is saying, she definitely DOES NOT MEAN. “But thank you for offering, and you have a MAGICAL DAY!”
I didn’t respond again. I turned around and paid for my bubbles, hoping those kids were having a better day than their mom.
This is what Disney does to parents.
Some relationships are just really special….. image courtesy of shutterstock.com
It’s really hard for me to stay in a long term, committed relationship…..with a hairstylist.
You know how it is, the same-old-thing gets boring after a while. The first few visits are something special, but after that, it’s like beep-beep-boop, done… and here is the same exact boring hair you came in with. The spark gets lost. And sometimes when I find my voice enough to specifically ask for something I really want (noticeable highlights please), I instead get what SHE thinks I meant when I said that (subtle highlights….again)
Listen. I know it’s fake. You know it’s fake. No one believes these stripes I want in my hair are natural. So just let them look a little bolder please, it’s really ok.
So I was recently searching again, for someone who would listen to me. Someone who would make me look, or at least feel beautiful for a while… and hoping for someone…….special. At a new place, because I can’t ever just pick a different stylist at the same salon. That would feel too much like cheating. I’m running out of salons.
I walked in, looking around, noticing those certain stylists who LOOK like they do the most amazing, cutting edge things to peoples hair. Always dressed in black, funky hair, effortlessly cool. Those people never end up being my stylist. I don’t know if that’s good or bad, it’s just an observation.
I tend to call at the last minute, days before I have a hair meltdown, begging for the soonest appointment with the first person available.
My new stylist comes to get me, I notice her hair first (of course)… cute, blonde, nice highlights….
This is the part I hate or love….. talking to this person. I will come back-at least for a while-if I love my hair despite the lack of connection. I’ll endure the uninterested questions “so, do you have plans this weekend?” in the bored voice that tells me you really don’t care to know what my plans are. It’s clear sometimes that you have to say something because silence is awkward, even though we have absolutely nothing in common.
But sometimes, sometimes it’s like running through a field of flowers, arms outstretched as your perfect match comes running toward you and you both beam with your perfect, corny smiles. The ONE. The one who not only does a fantastic job on your highlights, but who really seems to “get” you. Your soul sister/stylist. How well did we connect? Well, she told me she was pregnant, and her parents don’t even know yet. (I’m totally special). We talked about deep things like spirituality, what makes our lives meaningful, and how thick my hair is. (Pretty thick).
I walked out of there with a smile on my face, feeling like a million bucks, desperately trying to commit her name to memory and hoping she doesn’t decide to quit doing hair to stay home with the baby when the time comes.
I feel pretty….. so pretty……
Oh…. how I love the beginning of the relationship. The honeymoon phase, when there is potential for everything to be amazing, especially my hair. Inevitably followed by the tedium of routine, and the restlessness of wanting something…..more exciting, different….. BETTER. Then, the break up. An abrupt ending, never an explanation. And always followed by the search, never-ending, for another ONE.
For now, here’s hoping the grass stays greener, and the highlights stay spectacular.
momsranting 