Why Milk?

Every summer I am amazed at just how much milk these people drink. I am not exaggerating when I tell you that I buy - at a minimum - six gallons of milk a week. It's unreal. They drink milk -- lots of milk -- with every meal. You can include me in that as well. I love, love, love milk. Nothing like it. And it doesn't hurt that milk helps you maintain a healthy weight, stave off hunger between meals, is great at hydrating, and of course makes your bones strong.

I watched my grandmother and four of my great-grandparents suffer the effects of osteoporosis. I know how easy it is to prevent that. And with the amount of milk these kids drink, I am fairly confident that we have a fighting chance at avoiding that particular malady! I know that I am blessed in this regard because I have many friends whose kids refuse to drink milk & have trouble working enough calcium & vitamin D into their diets.

The Milk Council has a new site called Why Milk? that offers facts, articles, recipes & suggestions for working milk into your diet. We tried this Strawberry-Banana Smoothie and loved it! And more importantly, SugarPlum's milk-hating buddy liked it as well. Her mother was thrilled! And while I haven't tried it yet, this recipe for Mom's Mocha Indulgence Smoothie looks like a little bit of heaven!

The Why Milk? site has an abundance of information including studies about the benefits of milk; tools such as a Beverage Analyzer to show the impact your beverage choices have on your health, Calorie Calculator, and workout recovery tips; contests and sweepstakes; and of course, you can look at all those celebrity "Got Milk?" shots (although, Dana Torres gives me a complex. No woman should be THAT buff at my age!).

But really, the recipes are my favorite part. They have suggestions for every meal as well as snacks. And, most importantly for me, they are easy, sensible recipes with ingredients (MILK?!) that I normally have and that don't take all day to prepare!

So, go visit the Why Milk? site. Your bones will thank you!

FREE STUFF!!! (any questions?)

Celebrate summer with the Mom Central Summer Giveaway Bonanza! Each week, Mom Central will post new giveaways just for Moms and their families on MomCentral.com. They'll have tons of great prizes throughout the summer for you and all members of your family. Some of the giveaways include:

• Hoover Cyclonic Bagless Upright Vacuum: This new vacuum from Hoover removes more dirt than other cyclonic bagless vacuums due to its patented wind tunnel technology and embedded dirt finder. With power controls on the handle, it reduces bending to get to those hard-to-reach places and easily moves from hard floor to carpet.

• Crayola Play Sand: Transform an ordinary sandbox with a splash of color or design colorful art projects with a 20 lb. bag of Crayola Play Sand. The sand doesn't stain hands and features an easy-to-carry handle to make transporting easy on Moms.

• Jeep Tandem Stroller: Built to accommodate your growing family, the Tandem Traveler Stroller features sun canopies, reclining seat backs, car-seat adaptors, and cup holders that will leave you feeling like the coolest mommy on the block.

• Razor Jr. Electric Wagon: Put a modern spin on the classic wagon with the Razor Jr. Electric Wagon. Traveling safely at 2-3 miles per hour, parents have assistance while cruising the block.

This is only a sample of the great stuff they are giving away all summer. Head over there now & sign up. You KNOW you love free stuff! (You can thank me later!)

Things that get me thru the day.....

Okay, things have been crazy, crazy crazy around here. The last few weeks of school are always insane & this year has not disappointed. I find myself wondering when we can all just sit down and eat together amidst all the activities that come along with having three kids.

One extraordinarily useful tool I recently discovered (thank you MomCentral!) is MakingLifeBetter.com. This site has it all - recipes (real recipes for REAL moms who don't have time or budget for anything too fancy, but still want to actually cook dinner for their families) with demo videos!, coupons, time and money saving advice, beauty and health tips....but it's not aggravating or condescending. I don't know exactly how to explain it, but it really makes me feel "empowered" (as goofy as that sounds) and not incapable. It sometimes makes all the difference when you're feeling overwhelmed. Check it out! You'll be glad you did!

The other site I found that I love is Mamapedia. What is hysterical about this is that "Mamapedia" is my nickname among some of my friends. I can't decide if that is a compliment or an insult, but I just tell myself that it's because I have a lot of random knowledge that I am always happy to share. NOT that I am a bossy know-it-all. Right? Don't answer that.

Anywho......if you have a question ANY question about parenting, pregnancy, child development, illness.....anything, really, you can find an answer on Mamapedia. And not the clinical, research-y answer that leaves you with as many questions as answers. Mamapedia gives you answers from other moms who have already tackled what you are wondering about and are sympathetic to your plight and ready offer advice, recommendations and sympathy. You get answers that make sense and don't leave you feeling more confused than you already were! As SugarPlum approaches the teen years, I am looking forward to input from those moms who have been "in the trenches." And, as the mom of two little boys there are always questions and frustrations. ALWAYS

Please check out Mamapedia. I am confident that you will really come to appreciate it!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

And on that note, I am off to take SugarPlum to a "Hooray, School's Out!" sleepover. And then to hang out with my boys. Hopefully, I will find time to share some of our antics this summer. These people are HILARIOUS!

Plant a Seed to Grow a Healthy Kid!

You all know that between soccer, football, basketball, volleyball and any-other-ball that sports plays a HUGE role in the lives of my kids & thus in my life. We have been fortunate, thus far anyway, to always have wonderful facilities & fields for our kids to play on. However I know that not all families or communities are so blessed. So I feel compelled to share this with you...

Mom Central teamed up with Kellogg's Frosted Flakes back in January to let our community know about its Earn Your Stripes (EYS) field renovation program that aimed to renovate neighborhood sports fields across the U.S. Since that time, thousands of fields were nominated some with as many as 700,000 supporters! Those fields have now been narrowed down to 100 finalists and your vote will help determine the winning fields.

The semifinalist fields were chosen based on the feasibility of the field makeover, the location and age of the field, how often it gets used, how many events take place, what teams use it, the number of other athletic fields in the community, the demand, condition, and the impact a field renovation would have on the community.

From May 1st through the 31st, you can vote for your favorite semifinalist field at www.frostedflakes.com. Do you have a field in your area that got nominated or do you like one with a particularly compelling story? Those who nominated these fields described the conditions as having inadequate grass, equipment, uneven playing surfaces and other problems. These renovations will help to build community and provide better places for kids to stay active and play.

If you have a second (and you know you do!) go vote and help some kids have a better chance to be active & healthy!

ICE CREAM!

First, just let me say...I KNOW, three months without posting and now I'm posting a review?! It's been so unbelievably insane here the past three months. Hospitals, work, sports, school, sick kids....blogging sort of fell off my radar. Basically, if it couldn't be expressed in less than 140 characters or so on Twitter or Facebook, it wasn't going to get posted. I feel like I am beginning to get a handle on things again, so hopefully, you will be hearing a lot more from me from now on. But first, this (which will be moved to the review site as soon as I get the ball rolling here again)....

When Mom Central asked if I'd be interested in participating in the Haagen-Dazs Five blog tour, the answer, of course was, "Well, DUH." I assumed I would get some coupons for a pint or two of scrumptious ice cream so that I could try and tell you all about it. And of course, being Haagen-Dazs, I knew it would be a rave review.

I was mostly right.

In the middle of a week where I was helping care for my grandfather here at Candyland General Hospital and on the very afternoon that I had to break it to my kids that our dogs had escaped the night before - with no collars - I was pulling into the driveway with a sobbing SugarPlum (just told about the dogs) when I noticed a rather large box on the front porch. Upon bringing the box in & opening it, I found FOUR PINTS OF ICE CREAM. Absolute, irrefutable proof that Jesus loves me. Ice cream! On my front porch! On one of the worst days of my life!!

SugarPlum and I cracked open a couple of those cartons with great haste. And let me tell you, these weren't just any old Haagen-Dazs pints. These are the new Haagen-Dazs FIVE ice creams. They are little pints of pure, unadulterated ice DREAM - just five all-natural ingredients of milk, cream, sugar, eggs, and one "hero" flavor ingredient such as vanilla bean, mint, coffee, ginger, or milk chocolate. No color, no HFCS, no nothing but pure ecstasy, baby! This means that the mint isn't garishly, unnaturally green, the passion fruit flavor isn't pink, or orange or whatever color some marketing guy thinks passion fruit should be.

I grabbed the mint. This ice cream is straight from heaven. I am harshly critical of mint ice cream, especially. I don't like "peppermint" or "wintergreen" flavored stuff. This mint was just creamy, minty wonderfulness.

SP picked the brown sugar flavor. She described it as "Cadbury Cream Egg mixed with soy sauce...but in a good way." I personally can't imagine any scenario where that combination might happen "in a good way," but the ice cream tasted pretty good to me.

They also sent ginger, which was unusual,but I really liked it. I do think, however, that it's something you have to be in the mood for. All three kids thought it was "yucky." So it must be more of a sophisticated taste. Like asparagus. Or martinis.

The kids really enjoyed the Passion Fruit. It was the boys' favorite. I found the flavor a little off-putting, but I just don't like that flavor of anything. I can see that some folks would really, really like it. It's very fresh tasting and creamy.

I was happy that I could give my family this ice cream with no guilt since the simplicity of it also gives it less fat! SERIOUSLY. I am looking forward to trying the other Haagen-Dazs Five flavors - with the free coupons I got along with the ice cream! Yes, really! It's available in Mint, Ginger, Vanilla Bean, Milk Chocolate, Passion Fruit, Coffee, and Brown Sugar. To learn more visit the Haagen-Dazs Five website.

Thanks Mom Central!

It's the most Stressful Wonderful Time of the Year

How does this happen every year? How is it that I plan, VOW, from Dec 26, I will get my Christmas presents bought little by little over the year? And then, every year, it is suddenly the week of Thanksgiving and I realize that, CRAP! I haven't been buying presents!! I've been making mental lists of all of the cool things that I plan to get my loved ones for Christmas. And I have been mentally paring that list down as I realize that all those trips to all those out-of-town soccer games have left our finances a leeetle tighter than they were last year. Note to SugarPlum: Surprise! Your Christmas present is that you get to play soccer. That is the most freaking expensive present that anyone in our family is getting - by far.


I actually do have a couple of gifts already. There's the huge Lego set for the boys that I found on clearance at WalMart in July. The miracle there is that a) I remember, four months later, that I bought it; and b) that I remember, four months later, where I put it! Yay me! I also managed to nab a couple of gifts at a recent holiday bazaar that we went to, but that was totally happenstance.

As for that mental list, I had every intention of making those purchases well before, well, NOW, because I hate, hate, hate shopping at Christmas. People are so ugly and mean when they are Christmas shopping. And that makes me sad....and pissy. So, I've decided that I am going to make most of my purchases online. This wears me out because I am always determined to find the best of what I am looking for: best telescope, best video mp3 player, best (gift that I am getting for SugarDaddy). So, I go to several different sites to read reviews and then to compare prices. Then, inevitably, my short attention span gets the best of me & I forget where I found the best buy and have to start over. It's almost as exhausting as getting out and actually physically shopping. Only without the rude people.

THEN I found Shop.com. And this place rocks. I know that there are lots of comparison shopping sites. But those always end up frustrating me. Shop.com is designed for women. Don't ask me how, it just makes more sense to me. I like it. I can find what I want and, regardless of which store I am buying from, it all goes into one cart and gets paid for at once. No forgetting where I found the good buys!

Mom Central describes it thusly:

Shop.com is a comparison shopping site specifically designed for women that allows you to shop from over 2,000 merchants all in one place. Purchases can be conveniently made using one universal "shopping cart" to buy everything at one time or by clicking over to participating merchants' sites.

SHOP.COM gives busy moms an opportunity to ease the stress of holiday shopping with tools to help us figure out what to buy, find recommendations, and pinpoint which stores have the best price. With a combined total of over 20 million products, we can stop running from store to store to find the best deal or the perfect gift for the impossible-to-shop-for relative.

Additionally, SHOP.COM provides expert advice, shopping tips, and articles, while giving easy ways to save money via price comparison tools, coupons, and rebates.

See? Cool. And stress reducing. I am SO using this site this year. It'll save me a ton of money on Xanax alone!!


Happy Shopping!

Green Works!!!

I've been meaning to post about this for weeks & keep getting caught up in other "issues" and forgetting.


Obviously, I am not an "earthy, crunchy" tree-hugging type of person. But I have also told y'all plenty of times about how I prefer to use the most natural foods possible in feeding my family. The same goes for cleaning my house. BUT I also want to use products that are going to be the most effective and help me get housework done as quickly as possible, with the least effort, and with the longest lasting effect. For example, I use baking soda to scrub my sink. Not just because it is natural and doesn't hurt my skin, but also because it works at least as well as any scouring powder I have ever used. Plus, if it somehow ends up in someone's cup or bowl, it won't require a trip to the ER.


Now, I have been trying various "green" products over the past few years, honing in on what works best. I tried several "green" dishwasher detergents and still haven't found one that gets my dishes as clean as I'd like. I've also tried various multi-purpose sprays and glass cleaners. Most of those haven't worked well at all and/or the smell has made me crazy. (Lilac and lavender both gag me and give me a nasty headache!)


MomCentral invited me to take a look at the new site, 30 Days to Natural, from Green Works cleaners (by the makers of Clorox). It's a really cool site with lots of tips on how to make cleaning your house a little more natural. You can have little tips emailed or texted to you each day. They even have a list you can print of easy ways to make you kitchen more natural.

I was lucky enough to get a bottle GreenWorks All Purpose Cleaner. I was pleasantly surprised at how effective it was. Even on my nasty stainless steel stove that is a giant PITA to clean, usually. I used it on the countertops & sink in the kitchen and then took it to clean the bathroom sink & the outside of the toilet. AND? My hands weren't burning when I finished, nor did I have a headache! We have a winner.

I'm looking forward to trying the GreenWorks glass cleaner and toilet bowl cleaner next. I am really enjoying this new "Natural" me!

THIS IS NOT A DRILL

ATTENTION ALL CANDYLAND HUSBANDS:

Four days until your wife's birthday. You still have time to get her a great gift! She has even made it SUPER EASY for you by putting her Wishpot wishlist in the sidebar over there ----->

Click on that or go to the site. Buy one of the many wonderful things she has expressed an interest in having. The sparkly, ones for the ears will get you lots of good karma. (If that's what the kids are calling it nowadays) (Not OUR kids....::shudder::)

Act now before it's too late!!!!!

(attention all IRL friends of Candyland. Help SugarDaddy out here & remind him. No excuses!)

(All the rest of you: Go check out Wishpot.com. It's a really, really cool way to get your wishlist going or keep track of those things you find on the interwebs and then wonder, Now where did I see that?)

Feeling Yummy?

I asked, practically begged , Mother Talk to review this book. I am hoping to soon start "studying" under a friend of mine who is a doula and to take some classes to start me in that direction as well as to be come a lactation consultant. This doesn't come as news to anyone who has read here for very long at all. I've talked of it often. In addition, I am really interested in becoming certified to teach family life education classes - parenting, child development, etc.

I thought that Anna Johnson's The Yummy Mummy Manifesto would make an excellent addition to my library for new moms. It's quirky, it's fun. This is no What to Expect... book by any means. Unless, of course, it's maybe What to Expect when Carrie Bradshaw is Expecting. Written by the Fug Girls.

I'll be honest. I cannot see myself as a "Yummy Mummy." But I can use what Anna Johnson has to say as a starting place to finding my way out of the frump that I sometimes find myself in. Oh, come on, you've been there, too. We wear our uniforms - jeans and a t-shirt, and our hair "styles," my current fave is the "two days unwashed with a bandana tying it up" style. You know, just like Katie Holmes and J Lo. Heh. Is this how I WANT to look? No, but most days, it's as good as it gets. Johnson encourages moms to forgo the "uniform" and indulge yourself with sexy accessories, soft textures, etc. She also points out that if you MUST wear a t-shirt that crew necks are flattering to very few women. I haven't put this to the test yet, but I have found myself wearing more v-necks and button down shirts, so there is that.

Her chapters directed toward pregnant women are unlike any I've ever seen. Her chapter "Confessions if the Horny Pear" is well, just what you think it is. I can't say that this is a phenomenon I ever experienced. Once I was past the puking stage, I felt big as a house and not sexual at all. But I have had friends who were very, um, amorous, during pregnancy and thought that it was weird. Evidently, it's not. And the author encourages moms to indulge that desire! And I'm all for it. (But if you aren't feeling this way, do not, whatever you do, let your husband read this chapter. You'll never hear the end of it.)

She has a section on the pregnant bride - "The Bride Wore Stretch Lace." And a fantastic chapter on baby names. (Her son's name is Marcello. How awesome is THAT?!) As well as the obligatory chapters on what to eat, what to take to the hospital, actual childbirth and breastfeeding. Though, all of these chapters have a certain edge and candor to them that set the book apart from all others.

As I mentioned, she talks a great deal about mommy fashion. And I find some of her advice a little far fetched for those of us not living in Manhattan, LA or other trendy, major metropolitan areas. Yes, of course, wearing a cute, short skirt with a low cut blouse and push-up bra can do wonders for your self esteem. But in most of the little military towns where I have lived most of my married life, I would feel like I was headed to a costume party. (Okay, I will admit that in the past year, I have become a huge fan of the push-up bra. Mostly because when you have as little up front as I do, a little padding & pushing up does wonders for your self confidence). What I HAVE chosen to do is use this as a starting place to evaluate myself before I leave the house. Am I just "getting by?" Or am I looking the best that I can, appropriate to the situation? Because the stained t-shirt and sweats are doing nothing for me. Short of evoking pity.

But all in all? This book is brilliant. She discusses candidly and logically(!) key mommy sore-points such as house keeping, fighting with your spouse, dealing with the day-to-day drudgery that is parenting, finances...you name it. Just reading the table of contents will make you giggle:Morning Sick in Manolos: Finding your feet & holding your ground; Breastfeeding: Going with the flow; Crafts: For Women Who Hate Them; How Old is a Young Mother? The knees are going but the rebellion carries on. Okay, I won't give them all to you. Go get this book for yourself. Even if (like me) your youngest is five. Because what you read might change your life. Or at least make you smile.

Here's a chance to make a fool of yourself

I was really excited when I go the email about this contest. I have been wanting to see Mamma Mia! since we lived in England and I still haven't managed it. Air Force towns are not known for their thriving theater districts. So, when I learned that they were making a movie of the musical, I got very happy. THEN....Mothertalk sent me the email about this contest sponsored by Ponds where I could win a trip to the PREMIERE of the movie in LONDON and how cool would that be?! All you have to do is make a video of yourself and two of your friends singing either Mamma Mia or Dancing Queen. OR you can go to the LIVE auditions in NYC on April 28.

HELLO?! What girl our age doesn't know every. single. word. to Dancing Queen? I sent the link to CRB and told her that she and I need to get together with our friend AR and make the video already and then promptly pack for our trip to LONDON BABY! After all, we spent how long performing together in show choir during high school?! Yes, that was....(really long time) ago. But I know that we've still got it, girls!

Then, CRB (a little put out with me, I might add) pointed out that this contest says that it is for you and "two forty-plus-and-fabulous girlfriends" and just HOW OLD DID I THINK SHE IS ANYWAY since clearly, if I am not over forty, then neither is she?!?!

Whoops.

(Though, my dear CRB, you ARE fabulous.) (Sucking up? Maybe a little. She IS the mother of my sweet Buttercup, so I have to be nice or I won't get to smell the baby's head anymore & that would be tragic.)

SO.....if YOU are over forty (and trust me you really, truly don't look a DAY over 29), then why don't you make the video and win the trip to London to the premiere of Mamma Mia! Just be sure to take lots and lots of pictures and bring me back plenty of PG Tips and Aero bars, and if you can manage it some scones & clotted cream. Oh, and if you see Colin Firth, please tell him that I still love him.

It's not easy being green

Yes, yes, ANOTHER review**. I truly have been reading A LOT lately and I feel lucky to have been afforded the opportunity to see some books I might otherwise overlook. (Thanks Mother Talk!) To wit....

I struggle with the whole "Green" thing. I want to recycle, I really do. But I am very lazy. As such, I will gladly separate out recyclables - if you will come to my house and pick them up for me. Well, maybe not YOU personally, but someone. Otherwise, in spite of my good intentions, those bottles and newspapers are going into the trash. I suffer tremendous guilt over this obvious character flaw. If the powers that be here in Candyland would begin a curbside recycling program, I would be the first to stand up and champion it. I would even be willing to PAY MORE for it. *gasp*

So, you see when I saw the opportunity to read Healthy Child Healthy World: Creating a Cleaner, Greener, Safer Home by Christopher Gavigan, I saw it as an opportunity to assuage my guilt. I was pleasantly surprised to discover a book that explains how and why the little changes we can make in the way we go about our day-to-day lives can truly affect the health and lives of our children right now. It gives realistic suggestions as to how we can make those changes - what household cleaners we use, the foods we buy, the building materials we use - and does it without getting too preachy.

And best of all, Gavigan states more than once that just making one or two changes in our lives can make a difference. This book isn't expecting us to all trade in our minivans for a Prius, start composting, grow our own foods AND spin flax into linen to make our children's clothes. This book is about people in the real world. REAL moms and dads. Those of us who would like to make the world safe and cleaner for our kids but don't know how. Or at least feel overwhelmed by the enormity of it all. He explains how buying locally grown foods is healthier (duh) but also, in the long run, is going make the air a little cleaner, because then we won't need to transport produce all over the world. (Which, incidentally, would reduce the demand for fuel and bring down gas prices, but that's another lecture for another day.)

He also discusses one of my favorite (or least favorite!) topics - high fructose corn syrup. If you have ever spent any amount of time with me IRL, you have heard me rail against this evil stuff. And HERE IN THIS BOOK, I have in writing the same stuff I have been telling all of you people. HA! These same friends also look at me like I'm crazy when I insist on buying organic foods and read labels obsessively at the supermarket. It's really just that I love my children much more than they love theirs. *snort* (Please know that that last sentence was dripping with sarcasm. Also, please don't beat me up.)

The book also has contributions from celebrities about how the things they do to be "green." I was awfully skeptical about these. Some are very cool and helpful. Some made me giggle, because COME ON. I will never be Gwyneth Paltrow and make my kids' baby food from organic brown rice and organic carrots that I grew myself. And no, I don't have a Prius and don't plan on it. I have three kids and all their accompanying crap to haul hither and yon. I need my minivan.

But, I did find quite a bit to think about. I do think that I can recommend this book to you. If you are interested, the Healthy Child, Healthy World website is also chock full of suggestions and all kinds of information about living a greener life. In the mean time, I will be writing notes of apology to all of my friends who read my blog. LOVE YA!!

**If you are bugged by the reviews here, I am considering moving all of my reviews to another site where I have already started concurrently posting the last couple of reviews. This way, I can mention the book or product, or whatever, and if you want to her about it, you can pop over. Any thoughts??

Naptime is the New Happy Hour

I wish that I could take credit for that snappy title up there, but it is actually the title of the new hilarious book by Stephanie Wilder-Taylor. You know who she is. She wrote that fantastic book, Sippy Cups are not for Chardonnay and got filleted on The Today Show over it. Some people have that pole shoved so far up their butts they can't even attempt to have a sense of humor. If you are one of THOSE people, then you are probably wondering how in the hell you got here you probably won't enjoy this book either.

For the rest of us, who enjoy living our lives with tongue firmly placed in cheek, this book is just what we need! Stephanie is a real mom and makes no apologies for it. She cops to bribing her kid with chocolate milkshakes to eat cauliflower and to letting her watch TV for more than 30 minutes of TV a day. (gasp!) In fact, she even gives us little hints as to how to "decode" the Smug Mommies at the playground by using "New Mommy Math." For example, if a Smug mommy tells you that her little darling only watches "one hour of mind-enriching, educational television a day, just go ahead and add two hours. If she tell you 'No TV ever!' add six. It's
that simple!... Similarly, if Smug Mama tells you that her child is allowed only two small cookies after dinner, feel safe adding five more. If she tells you no cookies, only fruit, go with eight."

Wilder-Taylor is wonderful at getting us past our mommy-guilt and making us see that we are all just doing the best we can. And that anyone who tries to make you think otherwise is full of it. She even gives some suggestions for alleviating that stress that can make your head explode, including:

• Make time for Twinkies. A lot more time.



• Three words: Amateur Strip Night



• Get some dental work done just for the Percocet, become addicted, & then if insurance covers it, kick you addiction at Crossroads in Antigua for at least ninety days

I found myself laughing out loud all the way through this book. SD is really tired of me reading it to him. Honestly, I had to restrain myself from sharing excerpts from each chapter with YOU. But then you might not get it for yourself and I really couldn't spoil that pleasure for you. See what a loving soul I am?

Not that there's anything wrong with that.....

If there is anything that I would call an absolute MUST in parenting - something no mommy or daddy should be without -it's a sense of humor. With humor, you can enjoy your kids and the ridiculous things that they do and say. Without humor, you are nothing but another Joan Crawford just waiting to blow up all over your children. (No! More! wire! hangers!) As such, I believe that any parenting manual worth its salt should contain a healthy dose of humor. Or, maybe because I'm just ADD enough that I need some humor to keep me focused.

Well, I found a book that is just CHOCK FULL of humor and wonderful advice on raising these little monkeys who occupy two of my bedrooms and most of my heart. The Gay Uncle's Guide to Parenting...candid counsel from the depths of the daycare trenches by Brett Berk is a parenting book like no other. The title alone makes me giggle. And since my children have gay uncles of their own (Hi Uncle Matt! Hi Nana Andy!) (not blood related, but even better - we got to CHOOSE them!), I HAD to read this. "Uncle" Brett reminds me so much of my dear friend Andy that I read this with Andy's voice in my head. Andy is ALWAYS giving me parenting advice.

What Bret has over Andy is credentials: BRETT BERK, M.S., Ed., worked as a classroom teacher and a preschool director, and now acts as a research consultant to some of the world’s biggest producers of kids’ media, toys, and consumer products. He and his partner of eighteen years divide their time between New York City and a house in upstate New York.

Is he a parent? No. But this actually can be a good thing. Brett is able to give advice as an outside observer, without the emotion that can cloud a parent. His advice and recommendations are common-sense, logical and dead-on right. Plus, the stories that he uses to illustrate his points are HILARIOUS.

“When your toddler’s bowel movements seem more important than world peace, mealtimes require strategic negotiations, and you haven’t had a night out in
eight months, it’s time to admit something needs to change."

I love this book. My friends are sick of it because I keep calling to read them portions of it. It could be the smug attitude I have when reading the excerpts that may or may not have a bit of an "I told you so-ness" to it that is making them weary. I can't be sure. You'd have to ask them. Except don't.

*cough* *cough* *hackhackhack* *cough* (but no whooping)

Well, the flu finally took the hint and fled Candyland (for the time being - no sense tempting fate). Bug and I were both knocked flat for the better part of last week. Fever, aches, major f_a_t_i_g_u_e, and general whiny-ness prevailed. I don't know how Bug put up with me.

At one point, as Bug and I discussed how our muscles and bones hurt, he told me, "I think my muscles are going to hohrt like this foh-ev-oh!" It was, quite possibly the saddest, sweetest thing you could have ever heard. Blessedly, he was feeling much better and back to wreaking havoc with his brother by Sunday afternoon.

So, yes, the flu fled. But not before calling his good friend Bronchitis to come and take up residence in my lungs. I sound lovely. And, if I hadn't felt so totally shitty last week, I would probably be whining about how bad I feel. But, given some perspective, I guess I feel okay. Except for the extreme tiredness. Maybe from lack of oxygen? Think?

I finally caved and went to the flight surgeon today and he sent me home with the big bag-o-drugs: Zithromax, Xoponex, Flo-Vent, and some codeine syrup (which I will probably just get rid of because that stuff is naaaaazzzzzztttty). Hopefully I will be feeling better very soon. I hope so, because SD and I are ditching the kids for a week (thanks Gram!) for a somewhat official trip (that I am not supposed to talk about here) and I don't want to be spewing phlegm all over the state of TEXAS!

IN OTHER (somewhat related) NEWS:

I can't remember (and am too lazy to look) if I have blogged about my (very strong) feelings about vaccinating our children. I won't get on my soapbox tonight about it (though I reserve the right to do so and may very soon if blog material doesnt seem to come), but Charlie just sent me some info about an organization called PKIDs:

PKIDs is a national nonprofit whose mission is to educate the public about infectious diseases and help families whose children are affected by such diseases. We're trying to raise awareness of pertussis, also known as "whooping cough," through an online resource. The site is:

www.pkids.org/pertussis

Pertussis is a potentially deadly bacterial infection that can strike at any age, but is particularly dangerous for babies. Adults are the number one transmitter of pertussis to babies. One of the best ways to protect babies from pertussis is to make sure that anyone in close contact with them is vaccinated.

At PKIDs’ web site, you can hear an audio clip of what whooping cough sounds like and get advice on how to talk to your doctor about protecting your child or children you may care for from pertussis. This is all part of a campaign to raise awareness of pertussis called "Silence the Sounds of Pertussis."

So there you go. I am just counting my lucky stars that there is no whooping around here. At least not the nasty, potentially deadly kind. With my boys, you can always count on whooping of some sort during each day. Now, where did I put that humidifier?

The Liar's Diary

I know. I haven't been posting much lately. I have been too busy reading. Books! MotherTalk has been affording me the opportunity to read some fantastic books lately. As well as a reason to sit down and read them. The only problem is, I end up losing sleep because the books they send me inevitably being so good that I get caught in that "just one more chapter" trap. I guess SugarPlum comes by that honestly.

So, last weekend, I finished The Liar's Diary by Patry Francis. Oh, man. I had heard about this book and I had wanted to read it. I was so excited when it came. I will say that I am not really a big mystery reader. Not really my genre. That said, this book has so many unexpected twists and turns that had me guessing until the end. I loved it!

Francis starts by introducing Jeanne. A mother of a teenage boy, doctor's wife, school secretary. She seems to be comfortable in her life. Things aren't perfect by any means, but she appears to be happy.

Appears.

Appearances are not always accurate as we quickly find out. I really don't want to give away to much of the plot, but I will share this from MotherTalk:

At the center of the story is Jeanne Cross, living the average suburban life
until Ali Mather arrives in town and strikes up a friendship, not only with
Jeanne, but with her husband and son as well. And this friendship, in the end,
will take a deadly turn though the reader will need to decide which person–and
diary–holds the truth.

As I read the story, I found myself gasping more than once. The surprises and revelations throughout the book kept me sucked in. The characters are so multi-faceted and complex. Their interactions and connections are so unexpected at times, eliciting an occasional "Aha!"

By the end of the book, I found myself both sad and gratified for the characters I loved. I can't tell you much without spoiling the whole thing for you. You will just have to trust me that this is a story that will draw you in and not let go. It really makes you take a good look at your own life and consider what little lies we tell ourselves just to get through the day. AM I really happy? ARE my children healthy? What secrets am I hiding, even from myself? Because, sometimes, those secrets can lead to our own destruction. (Or not....this is why I don't write books...)


Oh, and PS. I've been reading Patry's blog and I have totally fallen in love with her. You will, too, I have a feeling....

Making me feel like a FANTASTIC mom

I recently had the privilege to read The Sky Isn't Visible From Here by Felicia Sullivan. This is no typical, lighthearted chic-lit. No Bridget Jones. This is real - far more reality than I have ever imagined. Books like this make me need to call my mom and thank her for being so...normal. For taking god care of me and making sure I always had everything I needed. And if you are one of my IRL friends reading this you are saying, "DAY-UM!"

Felicia grew up with a mother who was addicted to cocaine, alcohol and eventually, crack. She and Felicia lived with a series of me who encouraged her mother's addiction and abused both of them. Her mother began calling her "Lisa" at a young age because her lover couldn't pronounce "Felicia." Thereby, essentially taking away the girl's identity at a very young age.

In spite of all these obvious obstacles, Felicia managed to graduate from high school and go to an Ivy League college. There, she was determined to become a different person. She wanted to become the opposite of her mother - a smart, elegant, successful WASP who came from a good family. And she managed to pull it off for a while. Unfortunately, the demons came back to haunt her and Felicia fell into a drug and alcohol addiction of her own.

By the end of the book, Felicia, with the love and support of her step-father among other things, is overcoming those demons once again. She doesn't wrap it all up in a pretty package. She still has such conflicted feelings about her mother. She ends the book with a chapter titled "Before Cocaine" where she describes a trip to Coney Island as a young girl with her mom . It recalls a happy time where the day is all about just the two of them. Where Felicia feels her mother's love and protection. Even there though, she is afraid to tell her mom how much she loves her, for fear of ruining the moment. It concludes with Mom telling Felicia "You're mine" and Felicia chanting "I'm yours. I'm yours."

Bittersweet? Yes. But real? Absolutely.

I can highly recommend The Sky Isn't Visible From Here. With one caveat. You won't be able to put it down. Sullivan's heartbreaking story pulls you in and makes you long to hold that little girl AND to take the woman and shake her and ask what the hell is wrong with her. It's a world that makes me angry and sad and indignant. It makes me thankful for what I have and who I've had the chance to become. And it amazes me that anyone could convey such a life with the clarity and eloquence that Felicia has. I would like to thank her for sharing her story of pain and strength.

You can also read Felicia's blog where she continues to share herself and her life with us. You won't be sorry.

It's not you, it's me...

Charlie sent me this and I thought it was cute. While I have neither the talent nor the TIME to make such a video, I know that some of you would be fantastic at this sort of thing. Though for $15 grand, I might be able to MAKE time...

Swiffer and Warner Music are hosting a contest called the “Swiffer Break-up Music Video Contest.” The Grand Prize for the contest is $15,000.

Here’s how it works:

Participants can submit a short video to YouTube that demonstrates how they “broke up” with their old cleaning products and now use Swiffer for all their cleaning needs. If you enter, you receive 10 downloads of “break-up” songs to use in the video (that’s one of the requirements). The top 10 videos will be posted to YouTube for the general public to cast a vote for their favorite and the video with the most votes wins $15,000.

You can find a complete list of rules, prizes and approved “break-up” songs at the Swiffer brand channel at http://youtube.com/SwifferBreakup

Get busy!!

Do you feel lucky? Well, do ya, punk?

(To paraphrase Dirty Harry Callahan)

My good friend Charlie sent me these "opportunities" a few weeks ago and I promptly forgot to post them. Anyway...here you go. DO you feel lucky? (And also, is the Prilosec tie in freakin' HILARIOUS?)

*****

The Prilosec OTC Winning Play Giveaway. Participants can win a trip with a friend or family member to Super Bowl XLII in Glendale, Arizona (February 3, 2008). You can get all the details and enter here:

http://www.winningplaygiveaway.com/

Prilosec OTC is giving away a total of four trips to Super Bowl XLII. Each Grand Prize winner will receive two (2) tickets to Super Bowl XLII on February 3, 2008, one hotel room for four (4) night's accommodations at a hotel of the sponsor’s choice and $1,000 in spending money. Additionally, more than one hundred instant winners will receive other prizes, including an autographed Brett Favre Mini Football Helmet and $25 VISA® Gift Cards.

To play, go to http://www.winningplaygiveaway.com/. Once a day, you can enter for the chance to win, beginning on December 15, 2007 at 12:00 a.m. ET through January 15, 2008 at 11:59 p.m. ET. After playing, you can download the official “Prilosec OTC Winning Play Giveaway” widget to remind you to play daily.

* * *


EatBetterAmerica.com is giving away free samples of Fiber One cereal. To receive your sample, all you have to do is sign up for the Eat Better America newsletter, here:

www.eatbetteramerica.com/fiber

The Eat Better America newsletter is sent out once per month. It provides recipes and tips for people to start living healthier lives.

Fiber One provides 57% of the average adults daily fiber requirement, has 0 grams of sugar and 60 calories per serving.


Although I guess the question for this last one is "Do you feel regular?"

Dirty Harry is gonna kick my ass. I just know it.

Ending Hunger. With Chocolate! And Fun!

Here's something fun!

You know Ferrero. Yes, you do. Ferrero Rocher, those uber-yummy, decadent chocolate-hazelnut gems wrapped in gold foil. And now they are going to have a new one that has dark chocolate! (more on that later) Oh, I get all tingly thinking about them.....

Hmmm?

Oh, yes, yes. Hunger. Ended. And fun! How could things get better?

As part of its partnership with Share Our Strength (SOS), one of the nation’s leading organizations working to end childhood hunger in America, Ferrero has created a Web site called Share Something Sweet (sharesomethingsweet.com). With this site, you can send virtual snow globes to friends and family that can be customized by uploading photographs as well as personal messages. As part of its work on SOS, Ferrero will be donating $20,000 to the charity. You can join us in supporting this cause by sending a personalized e-card snow globe and spreading the word.

AND? Do you live in or near New York City? Lucky YOU! Get this.....

Ferrero is also supporting SOS through sponsorship of SWEET, “New York’s Biggest Dessert Party," a culinary festival at which visitors can sample creations from New York’s most renowned pastry chefs, confectioners and chocolatiers. All proceeds from the event benefit SOS. SWEET takes place on November 16, at 9 p.m. at The Waterfront, in New York. Delicious photos from the SWEET event will be posted on http://www.sharesomethingsweet.com/ later this month. (If you go, I want to hear ALL about it. I'll be vacuuming the house that day. Charlie. JOY.)

So? End Hunger in America! Or help to, anyway. At least put a smile on the face of someone you love! I sent a snowglobe to Gray Gray and Gram already. You may be getting one in your inbox soon. Lucky, lucky you!

BOB Books...finally

Oh, I have been horribly, horribly remiss. Several weeks ago, I was scheduled to review the BOB Books. First, I had the wrong date written down. Then my grandfather died. After that, I was simply overwhelmed with....life I suppose. Ironically at the same time, I seemed to be suffering from the blahs. Is it possible to die of ennui? Finally, Marjorie shot me an email earlier this week asking, ever so nicely, (because Marjorie is one of the most diplomatic, lovely people I have ever met on the internets) if I had any plans to ever review the books because this was the last week of the campaign. So I am suitably shamed. And if I had checked my email earlier this week, I would have been shamed much, much sooner. Thus, here is my review.

I am no stranger to BOB books. As a former kindergarten teacher and staunch proponent of phonics, I like to stay familiar with the various phonics programs. SugarPlum seemed to have taught herself to read, so I never ventured to purchase anything like that. But last year, as Bear started learning to read, I got a set of BOB books to help him along (you know, since Mrs Kindergarten seemed to think that he was brain damaged or something). Then when I had the opportunity to have another set for him, I jumped at it!

Simply stated, BOB Books are lovely. They aren't flashy, colorful or exciting. Not that there's anything wrong with that. But these books have spare, simple stories with fun, minimalist drawings. Enough to help a young reader along in his/her reading but not so much as to distract. They have easy to relate to characters with easy names - Mat, Sam, Dot, and Cat. The books help early readers to stay focused on sounding out words and figuring out the "trick" of reading. Using a step-by-step process, they build skill and before you know it, your kid has read a whole book! How cool is that when you are FIVE?! They are great for building confidence in young readers - giving them a taste of reading success and assurance that soon, they will be able to read those exciting, interesting books that they bring home from the library. Bear beams when he reads one of these to me or SD. And he is always quick to grab one to read to Gray or Gram when they visit Candyland. In fact, he likes them SO MUCH that he asked to take them for Show & Tell. I'm going to talk to Mrs Firstgrade about that before we send them. Don't need to piss off another teacher!

As such, BOB books are not something that will hold a child's attention when he is being read to. Case in point, Bug was SOOO excited when I pulled the books out. That lasted about two minutes. He declared them "bowing." (That's "boring" to those of us without a speech impediment. Though not nearly as adorable.) These are not the books that he will pick for you to read at bedtime. They aren't, in my opinion, something to pick to get your three year old interested in reading. But that's okay. Save them for a couple of years when he can start to read to himself. At least that is what I am telling myself about Bug. If he makes parole by then.