Boogie Wipes not just for kids!

I'll make this quick and easy.  Boogie Wipes - Gentle Saline Wipes for Stuffy Noses- Great Grape Scent is a gift from God. 

I had used these when my little one was a bit younger, but the non-grape scent. At the time I thought they were good but no different than using a wipe. Now the Grape Scented ones have me hooked and has made me revisit my earlier thoughts on this product.  The Grape scent is light and sweet and just enough to make that blowing or wiping a little more pleasant. The size of the wipe, when unfolded, is perfect for those bigger blows.

The package indicates use of this product is best for those dried up tough boogies.  Ok...stop here. I cannot believe I am dedicating an entire blog entry to boogers. This is the life of a mom who happens to blog I suppose. I shall proceed. I have found these wipes to be just as effective when my little one has a wetter cold and not just for dried boogies. I love these wipes because of the 3 "S"'s...Size, Softness, and Scent and the fact that I don't seem to have to beg my child to blow or wipe any longer.

The marketing of this product seems to be slanted towards babies.  Their logo has adorable boy and girl baby faces popping out of the O's in Boogie.  I assure you this product can be used for Toddlers, older kids and even Adults.

Another plus for this product it was created by MOMS.  I love products and companies founded by moms.  Girl Power. I love supporting our entrepreneurial moms.

This past week this mommy has been attacked by the bug that seems to be going around.  My cold is both stuffy and runny at times.  I reached for the Boogie Wipes and not only am I enjoying that breeze of grape yumminess everytime I blow but also my nose is soft and not that usual mess of a nose that is produced from a cold as this wipe truly is moisturizing as I wipe.  A big plus.

Not all children products are for kids alone.  Now if only the people at Little Busy Bodies, Inc. would read this and heed my only complaint...please put more than 30 wipes in a package.  This momma is going through them way too fast!!

CAN WE MAGIC ERASE MY DAY?
Have you ever have one of those days where you feel like you are the worst Mother known to mankind? Recently I had one of those days where you just wish you could take a Magic Eraser to the entire day and forget it ever happened.

It started out as an innocent "Stay in Pajama Sunday".  It is a rare treat that we are home for an entire day.  No birthday parties, no doctor appointments, no playdates, no errands. Just an entire day at home with hubby and my 3.5 year old.  We woke and I declared the day as "fun at home day". 

The goal was to stay at home, relax, recharge and just enjoy being with each other and if I could get a few loads of laundry done, cook dinner and do some light cleaning...even better.  So is it an oxymoron to use the words relax and a 3.5 year old in the same sentence?! What does a 3 year old know from kicking back and chilling out? I can't even get her to watch an entire Disney movie from beginning to end in one sitting, and I expected her to be ok with staying at home all day with no real concrete agenda for the day?!  Now mind you I was not planning on sitting in front of the television all day.  I had some semblance of an plan.  We were going to do arts & craft projects, we were going to play games as a family, build with Tinker Toys, read books, and whatever else met our fancy. We were going to be in the moment.  This is not a bad plan.  Not a bad plan at all.  And on most days it would have gone well and been quite enjoyable. Yet fun was not had by all on this particular stay at home day.

Replacing my day of "fun with the family" was a lot of whining (not only my 3 year old was responsible for this, her daddy seemed to do his fair share), a lot of "I'm hungry", a lot of not listening, a lot of getting hurt after mommy kept saying stop your going to get hurt, in essence a lot of butting heads, a lot of tears, a lot of "but mommy" and I confess some of my non-finest moments. 

As a mommy, we start each day with a fresh start. We hope to be the best parent we can be.  We want to encourage, empower, engage our little one.  I don't believe in hitting. I don't believe in it as an effective way of child rearing. I don't think children learn lessons from hitting. I am not perfect. Confession... I may not hit however, I may have on occasion pulled by child rather strongly into time out.  My downfall on a really bad day is raising my voice...ok yelling. 

Although my own mother does not recall, I come from a hot blooded family from Brooklyn where raising voices were not uncommon but love was abound.  I never questioned the love that surrounded me, however, raised voices were very common place when getting my mom's side of the family together, which was often.  I adored my Brooklyn family.  They made up some of my best childhood memories.  They had foibles and I loved them warts and all.

So yesterday was filled with some yelling moments.  We all have days like this? I have a 3 year old who is a pretty darn good kid. I know all mommy's think that of their child but she really has always given me little to stress about.  The "terrible two's" were a breeze. The 3's are currently whipping me a bit. The non listening and the apparent desire of said child to do what mommy said not to do just to get a reaction to mommy puts me in a tizzy at times. 

As my daughter is in school at this very moment, I have a few minutes to reflect on what I can learn from my failed day of family fun.  One of the important lessons I am trying to put into practice is "No lessons can be learned in the heat of the moment".   This is true.  When emotions are at a high for mommy and child it is the least effective time to teach anything.  I think one of the best tools of a mother is the art of distraction. It's like a ticking bomb. Decode, decipher, deflect...just get their minds off whatever it is that they are driven to do at that moment.  In other words, I am reminded to Give Peace a Chance.  Let the lessons we need to teach happen in the moments where our children and us as parents are peacefully engaged, and not when there is a battle of control. 

So moms and dads out there. If you are even reading this, tell me, do you have days you wish you could just erase?! How do you turn your worst parenting mistakes into lessons learned?! I'm not alone I know we all have days like I just had.  Thankfully, as this roller coaster known as Parenthood goes, we have ups and downs. I for one am thrilled most of my days are ups. And even on the downs, I continue to be thankful and am enjoying the ride.

The Art of the Playdate

Tell me have you ever done the PLAYDATE DANCE?! Ever notice the politically correct balance you seem to dance with while at a playdate with your your preschool child?!  If we had a penny for each time we have either had to say share or hear another mommy say it we all would be able to take a cruise around the world indefinately.

What is it about the 2-3 year olds that make them instantly go for the same toy as soon as they get a sniff that the other is about to go for it.  I have seen the once sweet and gentle child tackle down their 'bestest friend' over a doll carriage or a phone or a...gasp...magic wand!

I prepare my daughter just before each playdate..."Now if you both want to play with the same toy....you find something else and can go back to that toy after your friend is done with it".  She recites it back to me "yes mommy and I will say please can I use it and not grab".  She knows the rules but the adrenaline gets the best of them. 

Luckily for me, I do have one of the more mellow kids and she typically will not resort to physical maneuvers to get what she wants...she will instead try to break the friend down (and the mom) with the whinning.

This is not a unique situation. In fact the following which I received from a mommy friend who got it from a mommy friend....says it best.

TODDLER'S RULES OF POSSESSION

1) If I like it, it's MINE

2) If it's in my hand, it's MINE
3) If I can take it from you, it's MINE
4) If I had it a little while ago, it's MINE

5) If it's MINE, it must never appear to be yours in any way

6) If i'm doing or building something, ALL the pieces are mine

7) If it looks just like mine, it's MINE

8) If I saw it first, it's MINE

9) If you are playing with something and you put it down, it automatically becomes MINE

10) If it's broken, it's YOURS

No matter where you are in the world, we all deal with doing the Playdate Dance. It's a right of passage when leaving the parrallel play to the more interactive play.  We all have moments of feeling embarrased when our child doesn't share. And we all have felt frustration at playing with a child who never shares.  Its all part of the PLAYDATE DANCE....Take a deep breath, take your extra strength "patience pill", put on your dancing shoes and feel free to join in! At least their only arguing over toys and not...another deep gasp...boyfriends! or girlfriends!

Wow It's A New Year...

WELCOME 2010. I AM READY....
I THINK!
I am the worst blogger. Go ahead, its ok. Let me have it.  I have a new found regard for you mommy bloggers who keep up with your blogging. Life has kept me beyond busy as the rest of you. I begin my fog like state early September and wake up early January...each year. This year I had more than the ordinary keeping me busy as well. 2009 was about reinventing myself professionally and as a mommy. I lost my job, jump started my actual career, became a mommy of a preschooler and all that has to offer and I remained a wife to a husband with a disability   Oh and of course 16 days before 2010 arrived I became 40.

So far 2010 has not been good to my pets and I pray that changes next week.  Early in 2010 we lost our 17 year old cat, Misha. She died peacefully in my arms at the clinic just as I was just about to put her down. Wow. And recently I received news my 11 1/2 yr old Golden Retriever Cobey (who had surgery last week to remove a growth from his foot) had a cancerous tumor.  We go next week for an ultrasound of his spleen as there was a nodule there and we are checking for any changes.  Something weighing on my mind daily.  I recieved this information all the while my husband lay in an Epilepsy Study Center in a hospital, trying to get a better idea and  better treatment for his seizures (related to his car accident in 1995 thanks to a drunk driver).  Its been a rough start of the New Year but I am still optimistic as heck about 2010. I am going to claim the year as MY YEAR.

Of course that does not mean I stop taking care of the Daughter and Husband. It does mean though I start focusing on my health.  It's a must.  I can't ignore myself anymore. I want to be there for my daughter for a long and beautiful life.  I went on an anti depressant about 8 months ago due to stress/depression over the responsibilities I had to my family.  The weight of the responsibility was heavy on my shoulders and I needed some help in coping better. Ironically....this led to a more weighty situation....

I had  been on an antidepressant for 8 months 13 years ago. It worked well and I did fine with a short term therapy of this medication.  This time around I noticed something different.  A rather rapid weight gain. 40lbs in a little over a year! That has not happened except when I was pregnant with my RoRo.  Also, had a physical exam and my thyroid is underactive. The combination of the two may have put my body in a tailspin.  Its time. I am doing further testing on the thyroid so we will see if meds are necessary. I joined Weight Watchers. Its time. It has to be now.  Who else is on board!?!? It's ok if you have made this resolution before. Maybe this time your even more ready. Come join me. Let the fun begin!!! Keep you posted more often. I promise. Scratch that... I hope. I wouldn't want to break a promise! In the meantime keep your fingers crossed we have some more time with our love of a dog, Cobey. Thanks for the support!

What Makes A Good Mommy

Do you find that you often ask yourself "Am I a good Mother?" or "Was that something a good mom would do?".  Self analysis can be exhausting.  Besides, what the heck is a good mom?!  I have seen all types of moms "The Perfectionist", "The Multi-tasker", "The Do-Gooder", "The Attached Parent".  What kind of mom are you? Can I opt out on defining myself? I would prefer to think I have no labels. Because I don't fit any mold and if you try to put me in one I may fight back!

I am not a single mom although sometimes feels like one.  I am a working mom but work for myself and can relate to the SAHM, the WAHM and the WAOM (work at office mom).  I have one child not many as others do, however, I have a husband with a disability.  We we all have something.  I always feel I can relate across the board to many different "Types" of moms...except the "Perfectionist" mom...please keep her away from me!

To the moms who spend a lot of time in their heads, social media is a double edge sword.  For us "Mommy Bloggers" (can I be a part of the club!?) it connects us to other moms.  I love connecting with mommies, foodies, avid readers, creative types, writers and even television addicts.  I love talking about deep political concerns, the environment, the future of the world but also love to dish on what's going on between Jon and Kate. From the complex to the simple. Isn't that what life is all about?

Do you realize although it connects us, social media also has a downside.  It's called ENVY.  Now mind you, I am not a jealous person, and I love my life and have rarely felt I wanted to be in anyone's shoes but mine.  However, with the introduction of social media I sometimes find myself on especially difficult days, envying friends who post gorgeous photos of their beautiful LARGE families in front of their beautiful LARGE homes on their way to their beautiful LARGE vacations. While I have a very small family, in our small 3-bedroom home and our rare vacation. The only thing LARGE is my growing waisteline!

So let's keep it real "WHAT DOES MAKE A GOOD MOMMY?".  Do you pay attention to your child's emotional needs? Do you take care of your child's physical needs? Do you let your child know he/she is loved? Do you care about their cognitive skills being on par? Do you take time to listen to them? Do you make them laugh? Do you say "I love you?", Do you teach them about the world around them?  There are so many opportunities to beat ourselves up...you let your child have a pacifier for too long or a bottle for too long, or you let your kid sleep in your bed, you don't like to let your child cry herself to sleep.  Society and those who like to judge will turn their nose up at many of us..or maybe we do it to ourselves? Why do we care what others think and do we? or are we just our worst critic?

I guess it's the old expression is your glass half full or half empty? Although I may not have the large family, the large house or the large vacation, I have the most amazing beautiful daughter who fills my soul, a satisfying  career and my husband who even on bad days is my best friend. So envy that self!

But if you are the woman who feels she has it all and is the PERFECT MOMMY...and you never have any of self doubting feelings PLEASE tell me how do you keep from pulling your hair out when your 3 year old child has a meltdown because we have no more bananas in the house? Please share...I am listening and I am willing to learn!

THE Path Undetermined...Or MANY Paths?

ONE PATH OR MANY?

REACHING OUT AND FINDING HOPEFUL POSSIBILITIES
Life has been rather strange as of late. Of course we all know by now I lost my job. But simply put I am finding a sense of freedom. Certainly NOT financial freedom as I have quite little in the bank, cobra has not kicked in and no unemployment payments thanks to the inadequacy left behind. So I get the fear and anxiety nearly daily...or moments of it.

But there at least seems to be SOOOO many possibilities that have been hitting me left and right. None that has lead to me to get paid yet but things I enjoy doing none the less. I fear I may be following too many paths and I may need to give one up at some point. But that challenge would be welcomed because it would mean I am providing for my family once again.

First and foremost is my counseling practice. I have my Masters in Social Work and work with Seniors. I visit them in their homes and I love what I do. Bringing some peace to someone who is on the last miles of their life journey is extremely rewarding. I learn much from many of my clients as I hope they learn from me. This will work out for me as my primary job and source of income (I am a Medicare provider which most of my seniors are on) and in the meantime I am enjoying the creative process of "marketing" and "selling" myself. I gained much knowledge on my past job for this I am thankful. This time I get to do it MY way as I am the BOSS.

I am also feeling that I am getting to have some more creativity in my life along with being able to interact with so many different people (last job kept me isolated). I am hoping to always hold onto this as I feel it nurtures me through and through. If I can find a way to make money doing it great. I seem to be on a path for it to be mostly fun and some pocket change to boot. I am doing some freelance writing which allows me to do what I have loved and partly neglected...to write and even take photos to go along with my reading. Perhaps I can spend some time writing 'THAT BOOK".

While I am doing this and keeping busy I get to be a mom. I am home with my daughter while she is about to begin preschool part time. I get to drop her off and pick her up. I get to make play dates and work around my other projects. I get to make friends even! I know I have mentioned this before but my husband has a 'mild' seizure disorder due to a head injury (courtesy of Mr. Drunk Driver in 95), because of this we do not let him stay home alone with my daughter AND he is not able to drive until we get them under control again (three years working on this). So, I don't get to leave and go to a book club, volunteer, or attend a weight watchers meeting or a dinner/movie with a girlfriend unless I make other arrangements. Now I get about 12 hours to work AND play. How fun is that?! My daughter will only benefit from mommy taking care of herself.

So along with being a mom and wife....I declare its time to take care of me too! Here I come Weight Watchers and dare I say....gym!? Gasp. I have a free one in my development. Until I get super busy with my work, I need to take advantage of this new found time!

So you see the expression rings true...when one door closes another opens....or is it when one path begins several others branch off!?

MISERY LOVES COMPANY...EVERYONE SHOULD LOSE THEIR JOBS IN TWO'S

As my EX-COWORKER says, "It should be a law that you lose your job in two's", which is exactly what happened to us. On August 20th (the date I will always remember because it was my Grandpa's 90th Birthday that day), EV and I were marched into our boss' office and given the grim news of the fate of our positions....elimination. Reactions differ amongst people in these type of situations. Me...CRY, Ev...Whoa...slow down, what???? Yes, shock and awe as I stated in previous posts.

The good thing about this GROUP TERMINATION is that you have the opportunity to console one another, root each other on, and assist each other through the red tape of unemployment, cobra, and all that fun stuff.

Today I had the opportunity to 'work' a brief gig and was happy to share this job with my friend, EV. It was great working as a team. She knows my strengths and weakness' and vice verse. It was even better getting to spend some down time brainstorming on how to reinvent ourselves, what we think each other should do with our lives and how to go about getting this accomplished. Does Misery love company? Sure but Joy and Fun loves company even more.

After a really decent lunch we took ourselves to the outside lounge while listening to Coffee House on Sirius (my personal favorite), we laughed and laughed. Nothing like two girls with no place to be during work hours forgetting about how to pay the bills that are going to come in. See when the Miserable spend time together the end result can be joyous. Isn't that the beauty of time spent with girlfriends. Do guys have this much fun being miserable?