April 2007
Diet Time
It's springtime and that means one thing. My pants are too damn tight and it's time to go on a diet....again. I can't believe that every year, I face the same dilemma. Five pounds heavier, can't find anything to wear and I've got to figure out which diet plan I'll be giving a whirl this year. This time around I'm trying out Weight Watchers online. Don't have time for meetings, not in the mood for some snarky woman to weigh me each week and not interested in having meals delivered to my house, only to gain the weight back the minute I stop forking over $150 per week to lose 1 pound. In the last two years, I've tried the Zone and L.A. Weight Loss and am now back on the WW train. So far, I've made it through two days and counting but haven't logged on yet to enter in the points I've used for the day. Oh, that's right - you're supposed to keep a running log of what you've eaten so that you can track if you're actually on track with the plan. Oops. Guess tomorrow's another day - will I lose 15 pounds before the summer? Doubtful - but hopefully, something inside my head will finally switch back on and I'll be a weight loss machine. Something tells me, that's not happening. Anyone have the number of a good plastic surgeon?
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Posted in: Blog, Role Mommy Confessions on 04/30/2007
The Boss
I'm contemplating finally taking a chance and starting my own company so I decide to test out my new plan on my 8 year old daughter.
"Hey, Becca. What would you think if I were home more because I started my own company?"
Becca looks at me with tears in her eyes. "But then I'd never get to go to your office and see your friends. I only get to once a year and now I would have anyplace to go."
"But Becca. I'd be President of my own company! Wouldn't that be cool?"
Rebecca looks me straight in the eye and replies, "but no one would be working for you."
Sometimes reality checks from an 8 year old can be harsh. Looks like I'll be heading to the office tomorrow...again.
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Posted in: Blog, Kiddy Commentary on 04/30/2007
Organize Your Life with the MomAgenda!
If you're like me, then you probably have missed one or two birthday parties, or a conference call, or a lunch meeting because you wrote down the date on some random scrap of paper which disappeared within minutes. Well, you're finally in luck. With the MomAgenda you can "get organized in style" with the help of chic looking datebook that'll enable you to plan everyone's schedule and never miss an appointment again (unless, of course, you want to). A fellow role mommy turned me on to the MomAgenda last year and showed me how she's able to keep her three kids' schedules plus her own in this ultimate organizer for moms. So if you're completely disorganized (um, that would be me) or you're looking for the perfect Mother's Day gift, just click here and order your MomAgenda today! Labels: datebook, family, gifts, mother's day, organizer, schedule, trendy
--------Posted in: Blog, Role Mommy Recommends on 04/30/2007
Fairy Princess Designs
It's been a while since gift item has truly impressed me...in fact, the last time I was bowled over, I think it was when I received two adorable tee pees for my kids from Tee Pee For Me. Well, after perusing several products these last few weeks, I finally hit paydirt with Fairy Princess Designs! If you are looking for the perfect gift for your little princess, then pay a visit to Fairy Princess Designs pronto! They have the most precious custom designed tooth fairy pillows (how cute is that), custom signs, growth charts and decor pillows for the bonafide princess in your family. I was the lucky recipient of a tooth fairy pillow, which my daughter now has placed on her bed and it is absolutely gorgeous! Fairy Princess designs will even put your child's name on the pillow in this amazing display of pillow artwork. If you were a big fan of those adorable keepsake baby blankets you received when your child was an infant, then you definitely will love Fairy Princess Designs and so will your daughter! So don't delay, pay a visit and make a little princess very happy! Click Here to visit Fairy Princess Designs today!
Labels: custom pillows, designs, gifts, girls, princess, tooth fairy
--------Posted in: Blog, Role Mommy Recommends on 04/22/2007
George Washington's Teeth
"Mommy, did George Washington have wooden teeth?"
"Yes, Dylan. He had wooden teeth."
"How did that happen? Was he born with them?"
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Posted in: Blog, Kiddy Commentary on 04/21/2007
Gucci Diaper Bags, Wine and the Green Eyed Monster
I know I shouldn't be jealous, but by nature, I'm a pretty envious person. Since the time I was a chubby fourth grader, I've always been envious of the girls who managed to fit into a size 12 slim pair of Jordache Jeans or Sergio Valentes. I was never a 12 slim. In fact, I think I owned one pair of Sergio's - from the Junior section - and I never remember it fitting too well around my chunky frame.
So now, over two decades later, I am still the chubby fourth grader, staring at the skinny girls, wondering to myself, will I ever squeeze into a pair of Seven's or Lucky's or whatever hot pair of pants are all the rage these days? Sadly, I don't think I will. Why do you ask? Simple - I like food and wine way too much.
But let me bring you back to why I decided to write this post in the first place. You see, I was dining at one of my favorite restaurants the other day (California Pizza Kitchen) - okay, my tastes are pretty simple - when I looked across our table to find three new mothers who were perfectly coiffed, perfectly dressed, with babies in their car seat strollers, sipping wine and pretty much enjoying their new status as SAHM's. There was no way possibly these ladies worked - and if they did - man do I wish I looked like that when I had a newborn. As I attempted to eavesdrop on their conversation - and was unfortunately too far away, I decided to survey the landscape instead and what I saw blew my mind.
One of the women - the one with the perfectly blown out honey blonde hair and flawless make-up, had her precious bundle in the Rolls Royce of strollers...a buggaboo - but of course. And directly across the table from her, one of her friends had what I would like to call, the Gucci of diaper bags...actually, it was a Gucci diaper bag. Now last time I was in the market for a diaper bag, I didn't recall Gucci throwing their hat into the ring, but guess what - they've got a diaper bag now!!! I couldn't believe this woman was carting around soiled diapers, desitin, formula and cheerios inside that bag, but I guess, if you can afford it, flaunt it baby.
So there it is. Yes, I am an incredibly jealous person. I admit it. I wish I were a twig following the birth of my two kids. I wish I could fit into designer jeans and not feel like the circulation is being drained out of my thighs, I wish I could have carted my kids around in the coolest, most expensive stroller known to mankind. And dammit, I wish I had had the guts to plunk down my credit card and fork over $1000+ for a Gucci diaper bag. But you know what...there's something I know that these ladies will eventually find out once their kids hit those terrible two's...
The bugaboo will be collecting dust in the garage, the diaper bag will be covered in crumbs and smelly formula stains and those favorite skin tight jeans will either be too tight to wear since they've been inhaling one too many chicken nuggets - oh - who am I kidding? Dare to dream right? In reality, I'm sure by the time their kids hit the toddler years, the au pair will take care of everything so that these ladies can hit the gym and wine and dine alone!
Labels: bugaboo, families, gucci, jealousy, jeans, new moms, newborn, wine
--------Posted in: Blog, Undercover Mom on 04/21/2007
Pet Names by Joanne Rendell
Of all the blogs I?ll ever write about Benny, this will probably be the one he truly hates me for. I admit, he?ll probably hate me for documenting his poos in the bath, his first stuttering attempts at language, his observations about his father?s dangly bits. But, having his childhood pet names shared with the blogosphere will no doubt be the icing on the cake. How, after all, will he ever be taken seriously as a Senator or a writer or a doctor or a representative for the Vegetarian Society when it is discovered that one of his pet names was ?Chickenhead??
Of course, I?m trying to offset any bad feelings between us by teaching him early in life the beauty of irony, silliness, and the joy that can be found in laughing at oneself. However, I?m also secretly praying that by the time he?s old enough to care what I?ve broadcast about him in the blogosphere, the internet will have combusted and the blogs I have written will have long since skittered, irretraceably into the ether. Failing that, I am saving for his therapy bills.
With these different measures in place to try and maintain our future relationship, therefore, I?m going to go ahead and do it. I?m going to list the pet names we have for our dearest Benny. Because, quite frankly, I think pet names should be shared. They show creativity on the parents part, as well as the beauty and malleability of language. And they?re also pretty funny?especially when listed. So, here I go:
Benny Boo
Benny Bops
Benny Bopsy
Bopsical
Bopsters
Boppings
Whiney Pots
Potsy
Potsters
Monkey
Banana
Puppy Dog
Baby Dog
Chucky Egg
Chucky Eggness
Chicky
Chicky Egg
and of course?
Chickenhead
The last one is my current favorite. It also appears to be one that has struck a chord with Benny. The other night, when we were having dinner in a restaurant, Benny ? for a reason only known to a three year old ? was stroking Brad?s head. As he grinned and teased his Dad?s head, he said in a rather loud squeal, ?You feel like a chicken, chickenhead.?
Benny?s pet names, it seems, may well come back to haunt all of us.
Of course, I?m trying to offset any bad feelings between us by teaching him early in life the beauty of irony, silliness, and the joy that can be found in laughing at oneself. However, I?m also secretly praying that by the time he?s old enough to care what I?ve broadcast about him in the blogosphere, the internet will have combusted and the blogs I have written will have long since skittered, irretraceably into the ether. Failing that, I am saving for his therapy bills.
With these different measures in place to try and maintain our future relationship, therefore, I?m going to go ahead and do it. I?m going to list the pet names we have for our dearest Benny. Because, quite frankly, I think pet names should be shared. They show creativity on the parents part, as well as the beauty and malleability of language. And they?re also pretty funny?especially when listed. So, here I go:
Benny Boo
Benny Bops
Benny Bopsy
Bopsical
Bopsters
Boppings
Whiney Pots
Potsy
Potsters
Monkey
Banana
Puppy Dog
Baby Dog
Chucky Egg
Chucky Eggness
Chicky
Chicky Egg
and of course?
Chickenhead
The last one is my current favorite. It also appears to be one that has struck a chord with Benny. The other night, when we were having dinner in a restaurant, Benny ? for a reason only known to a three year old ? was stroking Brad?s head. As he grinned and teased his Dad?s head, he said in a rather loud squeal, ?You feel like a chicken, chickenhead.?
Benny?s pet names, it seems, may well come back to haunt all of us.
To hear more from Joanne, check out her latest blog by Clicking Here. To return to Role Mommy, Click Here.
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Posted in: Blog, Laptop Naptime Mama on 04/17/2007
Destination Disney...what to do...what to avoid!!!
If you've just read my Role Mommy Confession about my recent trip to Disney World, I also wanted to offer some Role Mommy tips to surviving Disney so that you don't have to suffer on any lines or get stuck eating fast food every single day of your visit. So without further ado, here are some Role Mommy Disney Do's...
Disney Do's...
1. Do make time to see the shows at Disney. These are Broadway quality productions with special effects, amazing singers, costumes, you name it. My personal favorite this time around was the new musical: "Finding Nemo" at the Animal Kingdom park. Close second was the "High School Musical" pep rally at MGM where my daughter got the chance to dance with the performers (along with about 100 kids too). There's also a great show at the castle by Magic Kingdom, plus parades galore in every park. Both MGM and Epcot have great evening shows and Magic Kingdom has a terrific fireworks display and parade late at night too.
2. Do get fast passes for everything imaginable. Now the only problem is you can't get two fast passes for two rides at the same exact time. So, if you're travelling with a group, decide which of you really want to go on one ride and who is willing to go on the other one. If you opt to go on standby, if the line looks short, beware! Usually, when you get inside, the lines whip around and around and around and it'll take you at least 45 minutes to get on the ride.
3. For kids 10 and under, Do go on Splash Mountain, It's A Small World, the Peter Pan Ride (my son's personal favorite), Pirates of the Caribbean, the Kali rapids ride in Animal Kingdom, Aladdin's magic carpet ride and any other ride in Magic Kingdom that is far away from the flying Dumbo...most of the rides further back in the park (aka. Aladdin are an exact replica of Dumbo, so walk a little and you'll save time on the line).
4. Do go on the Jungle Cruise in Magic Kingdom (I believe it's Frontier Land). We had a fabulous guide named Lindsay who let our daughter drive the boat...look her up when you get there - she'll be glad you did!
5. Do go on the Animal Kingdom safari - the animals are amazing and the ride is a lot of fun. If you're pregant, you can't go because it's a bit bumpy but other than that, it's a blast.
6. Do go on Soarin' in Epcot - but we didn't since the lines were too long...we were told it's beyond amazing so if and when we do go back, I'll give that one a shot.
7. Do make reservations far in advance if you want to attend a character breakfast. Our personal favorite is the Donald breakfast in Animal Kingdom although our friend Shari, who is quite a Disney connoiusseur swears by the Chef Mickey spread.
8. Make sure you make a reservation in advance for the Hoop de Doo review...I'm sure I spelled it wrong, but it's a lot of fun. Another fun dinner locale - the Prime Time cafe in MGM - a throwback to the 50's with waiters and waitresses who make sure you mind your manners while you're eating in their kitchen! Another decent restaurant with a great view of the parade...Tony's Town Square in Magic Kingdom - located right when you walk into the park.
9. Make sure you wear comfortable walking shoes and make sure the kids hit the bathroom before you get on a line for a ride (especially Pirates of the Caribbean - there's nowhere to relieve yourself unless you let your kid tinkle in a fountain...no worries - I was tempted but didn't do it).
10. Make sure you don't overschedule your day. You can attempt to do 3 parks in one day but you and your family will be basket cases around dinner time. You're better off doing one park for the day and perhaps dinner in another park.
Disney Don'ts...
1. Don't select the Disney dining plan unless you've read the brochure for the dining plan cover to cover. I pretty much used up all our dinners in the first two days because I didn't follow directions. Also - I didn't really want to have dessert with every meal so I could have done without the extra five pounds I'm now packing from that dining decision.
2. Avoid the standby line for any ride that looks empty but then has a location where the line keeps whipping around and around and around and you never really know when the actual ride will start. The Kali rapids and Pirates of the Caribbean both fit the bill on that one. Kali rapids has a fast pass, Pirates, I believe does not but it is worth it to ride - it's amazing.
3. Don't do fast food every day. If you're going to have McDonald's french fries during your stay...and it is tempting because there are fries in many locations, limit yourself to 2 servings for the entire duration of your visit. Your hips will thank you when you return.
4. If you're travelling with little kids, don't take them on the Snow White ride...it may look cute, but it's pretty scary.
5. Don't walk around the park without a cell phone or walkie talkie. If you lose your group because they've wandered off to a character signing and you're too busy getting a fast pass, if you don't have a working cell phone, you're out of luck.
6. Don't try to get an autograph from the Disney Princesses in toon town...if it's Spring Break...you'll be there all day. Instead, make a reservation at Epcot at the Storybook Princess castle in Norway...the princesses will come to you and you'll be eating at the same time. If that's not easy, I don't know what is.
7. If you're on the lookout to get an autograph from Mickey don't do it at Magic Kingdom - the best place to find him is at MGM - down by the Little Einsteins and JoJo's circus, Mickey has his own room where you can get his autograph and not have to wait for hours for it.
8. Don't buy your kids a present every time they see a store. That's where I went wrong. Every time I bought my son something he kept wanting more. He then started making deals with his grandparents and his aunt...got to the point where he came home with a suitcase full of stuff...that he'll never play with and I'll have to store somewhere in the basement.
9. Don't expect your kids to love everything. If you like scary rides, they might not. So if you're hankering to go on the Tower of Terror, split up and get your fast pass while your little ones head off with their grandparents to get some autographs.
10. Don't go to Disney World on Spring Break!!!! It is the most crowded time of the year. Even though the weather is beautiful, the crowds are insane and will add to the stress of the trip. Pick an off season and your Disney adventure will truly be the stuff that dreams are made of.
So that's the 411 on my Disney adventure...hope these do's and don'ts help if you're planning to pay a visit sometime soon. To return to Role Mommy, Click Here.
Labels: attractions, disney, food, kids, rides, shows, spring break, vacation
--------Posted in: Blog, Undercover Mom on 04/10/2007
Us and Them, Them and Us by Joanne Rendell
I just finished reading a truly annoying article in an old copy of New York Magazine which I found kicking around the apartment. Entitled ?A Glass of Wine and A Pacifier, Please,? the piece talks about the rising number of parents who are taking their babies and kids with them to restaurants and cafes in New York. The subtitle to the piece is, ?When every restaurant and coffee bar doubles as a playroom, is there such a things as adult space anymore?? and you can pretty much gather from that question which side of the fence the article?s author sits. Even though she?s a mom herself, Amy Sohn (the writer) clearly thinks there is something amiss with this growing trend and appears to feel sorry for the ?freelancers? who ?earn a living entirely in cafes, conducting business on laptops and cell phones.? Sohn ends the article with a small, supposedly illuminating, account of her date night with her husband - sans enfant. At the end of the evening, she describes feeling closer to her husband than she has ?since the baby was born.? As I see it, the message of Sohn?s piece is ?The only good times out on the town is without your kids and so, please, parents of New York, although babysitters are expensive, do not take your children out to the places which rightfully belong to adults.?
Okay, maybe I?m a little harsh on the article. I don?t necessarily think that kids should be squawking about in every restaurant and café in town. At the same time, however, I don?t think every coffee shop in town should be plagued with those ?freelancers? barking away on their cell phones (I wonder if Amy Sohn is one such ?freelancer??!). I also agree that some café and restaurant owners might not like strollers and sippy cups muddying their premises. But I do think there are other owners who might like the dollars which parents with hungry kids spend ? if only the parents would be brave enough to come in to their establishment and withstand the glares from other clientele who sit at their laptops all afternoon, nursing their one, lone cup of coffee.
I suppose what I don?t like most about the article is the way it shores up the age old distinction between the adult world and world of kids. In some ways, of course, making this distinction is important. After all, we don?t want to be sending our kids into factories or making them cannon fodder for the next war. Also, adults have to do stuff sometimes which kids can?t yet understand.
However, it seems to me, that in are eagerness to separate adults from kids, we create a world where these people (and yes, kids are people too!) have trouble existing side by side. When kids spend their days mostly with other kids and adults with other adults, it is no wonder kids squawk about in an unruly fashion when thrust amongst a group of adults. And its no wonder adults can?t abide the laughs and shrieks of gaily abandoned kids when they are used to only well-behaved and pre-occupied adults.
The other day, this adult/kid distinction really hit home when we took Benny to our friends book launch party. Our friend was over moon to see Benny there and even wrote an inscription to him in the book she gave us. However, some of her hipster, writing world friends weren?t so forthcoming. When Benny approached a small groups of these pouty, turtlenecked folks, he showed them a balloon he?d found and asked, ?You like my balloon?? From the stricken, uncomprehending looks on the faces, you would have thought Benny was an alien speaking nothing but alien-ese. From a distance I watched as not one of the group could break their façade coolness to respond to him. Finally, balloon in hand, Benny skulked off.
In the end, it just makes me wonder about this world we live in where kids and adults are becoming so alien they must be corralled in different worlds, different ?adult only? and ?kids only? spaces.
Sorry, that was a kind of long rant, wasn?t it?
Okay, maybe I?m a little harsh on the article. I don?t necessarily think that kids should be squawking about in every restaurant and café in town. At the same time, however, I don?t think every coffee shop in town should be plagued with those ?freelancers? barking away on their cell phones (I wonder if Amy Sohn is one such ?freelancer??!). I also agree that some café and restaurant owners might not like strollers and sippy cups muddying their premises. But I do think there are other owners who might like the dollars which parents with hungry kids spend ? if only the parents would be brave enough to come in to their establishment and withstand the glares from other clientele who sit at their laptops all afternoon, nursing their one, lone cup of coffee.
I suppose what I don?t like most about the article is the way it shores up the age old distinction between the adult world and world of kids. In some ways, of course, making this distinction is important. After all, we don?t want to be sending our kids into factories or making them cannon fodder for the next war. Also, adults have to do stuff sometimes which kids can?t yet understand.
However, it seems to me, that in are eagerness to separate adults from kids, we create a world where these people (and yes, kids are people too!) have trouble existing side by side. When kids spend their days mostly with other kids and adults with other adults, it is no wonder kids squawk about in an unruly fashion when thrust amongst a group of adults. And its no wonder adults can?t abide the laughs and shrieks of gaily abandoned kids when they are used to only well-behaved and pre-occupied adults.
The other day, this adult/kid distinction really hit home when we took Benny to our friends book launch party. Our friend was over moon to see Benny there and even wrote an inscription to him in the book she gave us. However, some of her hipster, writing world friends weren?t so forthcoming. When Benny approached a small groups of these pouty, turtlenecked folks, he showed them a balloon he?d found and asked, ?You like my balloon?? From the stricken, uncomprehending looks on the faces, you would have thought Benny was an alien speaking nothing but alien-ese. From a distance I watched as not one of the group could break their façade coolness to respond to him. Finally, balloon in hand, Benny skulked off.
In the end, it just makes me wonder about this world we live in where kids and adults are becoming so alien they must be corralled in different worlds, different ?adult only? and ?kids only? spaces.
Sorry, that was a kind of long rant, wasn?t it?
To hear more from Joanne, check out her latest blog by Clicking Here. To return to Role Mommy, Click Here.
Labels: babies, dinner, eating, families, kids, kids in restaurants, pacifiers, playdates, wine
--------Posted in: Blog, Laptop Naptime Mama on 04/10/2007
Sometimes Dreams Can Be Nightmares...
Finally home again after a trip to Boynton Beach and Disney World. After filling up on matzoh, matzoh brei, matzoh balls and matzoh kugel, we packed up the car and set off to the land where dreams come true. Little did I know that we were actually headed to the most congested place on the entire planet...you guessed it - Disney World.
We arrived at our destination a few hours later...after playing numerous car games, taking one rest stop and breaking the Passover rules with some McDonald's, we finally made it to the Animal Kingdom Lodge where we were supposed to have a room that looked out over dozens of wild animals. Except, when we got to our room, it looked like we had been placed in the one section of the resort where the animals had no desire to visit. After dropping our bags, we slipped on our sneakers and raced to Animal Kingdom where we decided to try out a few rides before dinner. (Incidentally, we did get our room changed the next day and had a much better view the rest of the trip.)
It was a balmy day at the park and the crowds were insane. I never anticipated how many thousands of people descend upon Disney during Spring Break, but now I know and hope to never visit that time of year again. Now don't get me wrong, Disney tries hard to make your life easier - with their fast passes, amazing shows, character signings, fast food joints, ice cream stands, strollers and scooters, you'll never starve at Disney and if you're lazy, you'll never have to walk either.
What I began to notice as the days progessed was that as we tried to make our way past the hundreds of strollers, double strollers and kids throwing tantrums, we also encountered several morbidly obese individuals who were buzzing around on motor scooters because they couldn't navigate through the park without them. It was actually pretty depressing and when I noticed the line for the McDonald's french fry stand was just as long as the line for Splash Mountain, I could tell that many of these people weren't about to lose weight any time soon. After scarfing down one too many fast food meals and seeing what could happen to someone if they inhaled fast food every day of the week, I have officially decided to head back to WW (Weight Watchers) and lose some serious weight before my next vacation.
But I digress. Did the kids have a magical time? Absolutely. Magic Kingdom was incredibly busy, but on the third day we were there we visited the park in the late afternoon and found the lines were much shorter. We managed to get all the autographs we were searching for...including a last minute Minny and Mickey greeting at our hotel right before we checked out. The shows were fabulous - especially the High School Musical pep rally at MGM Studios and the new Finding Nemo musical in Animal Kingdom.
All in all, it was a great trip - except for the fact that Delta had changed our return flight without us knowing so we missed our departure and spent the entire day in the Orlando airport. Note to self: next time open that email from Delta before dismissing it as spam.
For more of my personal observations about Disney and some tips on the best places to visit to make sure you have pleasant dreams in Orlando rather than nightmares, then head to The Undercover Mom for the inside scoop on Destination Disney!
Labels: crowds, disney world, families, fast food, overweight, passover, spring break
--------Posted in: Blog, Role Mommy Confessions on 04/09/2007
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