Archives for November 2012

I’m happy to report that my baby girl is back in school after yesterday’s sick day. But guess who felt left out?

Yep, Daniel is now home with a cough and stuffy nose.  He’s resting up for a big class field trip tomorrow.  And I’m (not so) secretly happy for the alone time with my boy.  See also: I’m a wimp.

I still miss the days when I had my little girl home with me all day long.  We would drop her big brother off at preschool in the morning and then spend the rest of our day running errands, going to a Gymboree class, meeting friends at the park, or playing at home with stuffed animals, art supplies, and dress-up clothes.

 

Now she’s at the big kid school ALL DAY LONG and as much as I love my alone time, NEED my alone time, I miss my buddy.  So sick days are like gold.  I get my girl all to myself again and she just wants to be with her Mama.  It’s been a great day in spite of the coughs and sniffles.  And she’s feeling much better after three cups of blueberry tea with honey, a Nick Jr. marathon, and lots of snuggles on the sofa.  Win-win!

I’ve written a lot about my love of technology.  Hey, I’m Pop Mommy.  I love to DVR all my favorite television shows, listen to my iPod when I exercise, and play with my iPhone when I’m waiting in line. I’m always on my laptop. I blog, Facebook, Tweet, Pin, YouTube, Instagram, you name it.

And I believe my kids need to be tech savvy too.  They love to play on the iPad.  They take a computer class at school.  Daniel can work the DVR like no one’s business.  Annabel takes better photos than I do.  It’s important because technology is something that will be with them their entire lives.  They won’t know anything different.

But we do.  We know a world without cell phones, DVDs, or computers.  I hate to sound stodgy and say “it was a simpler time,” but it really was.  It was about connecting with friends on your front yard or playground.  I literally made a soup can telephone. We played kickball and made a four square game with chalk on my driveway.  We had a see-saw competition in the park.  We sold lemonade to the neighbors.  It was so “Brady Brunch.”  But I loved it and I treasure those memories of being outside with my friends.  We rode bikes barefoot without helmets.  We played freeze tag and “kick the can.”  We’d roller skate on my carport for hours.  We’d sit on the curb and wait for the ice cream man.  We were always OUTSIDE.

I had the most amazing weekend with my family and it was because 90% of it was spent outside.  The kids had a half day on Friday and we met friends at the park after school.  The kids played for three hours straight in their dirty school uniforms.  They searched for treasures in the trees behind the picnic tables and played impromptu games of soccer and follow the leader.  They would only stop to take a bite of their lunch and then it was back to run and climb and hold hands and laugh.  It was amazing.

On Saturday morning we drove an hour to a farm that has a corn maze.  There were animals, giant slides, a cow train, and a hayride.  The kids even shot ears of corn out of a cannon.  I’ve never heard so much laughter.  We went with some friends we had not seen in awhile and it was a perfect place to reconnect.  There’s nothing like the fresh air and piles of hay and even a giant tub of corn kernels to create some memories.  Everyone was dirty and smelly and HAPPY.

Yesterday my husband spend the entire afternoon building a booth for our school’s annual Fall Festival.  (THANK YOU BABY YOU ARE MY HERO ALWAYS.)  I thought I would corral the kids away from him so he could work and they would not accidentally drill their hand to a piece of plywood.  But they wanted to be outside. So they stayed by our swing set and just played.  They created a clubhouse complete with a sand bucket pulley system.  They dug in the dirt.  They ran in circles.  I even caught a moment where they just were just siting on the bottom of the slide and talking.  It was a beautiful day and I’m not just talking about the weather.

When I think back, some of my favorite family memories are when we were all unplugged and outside.  So it turns out that my kids CAN have that simpler childhood. And I have a thousand digital photos to prove it.

 

 

When Hurricane Sandy caused destruction and chaos across the northeast last week, I was left with a feeling of sadness and helplessness.  I felt weird writing about my new favorite show, Nashville, or my Halloween candy overindulgence when families, when CHILDREN, were suffering.  They didn’t have power or heat or running water.  Many lost their homes.  Some lost loved ones.

I grew up in Gaithersburg, Maryland and spent every summer in Ocean City.   My parents rented a 2-bedroom walk-up apartment that was a few blocks from the beach.  Some of my favorite childhood memories stem from those weeks in the sun and sand.  It was emotional for me to watch Sandy destroy parts of my beloved beach town including one of our favorite iconic restaurants, Anthony’s.  The boardwalk where we would play games and buy souvenirs was hit hard.

I moved to New York City after I graduated from the University of Maryland in 1993.  I was working in the marketing department of a big radio station and I spent most of my time executing promotional events around the city and surrounding neighborhoods. I fell in love with New York because it made me feel important.  It made me feel like I was a part of something big and exciting.  It really is the city that never sleeps and that’s because the energy is overwhelming.  It’s intoxicating.  And when something tragic happens like 9/11 or Sandy, you know New Yorkers, you know PEOPLE, will band together.

I told my two children all about Sandy.  I didn’t want to scare them, but I need them to develop compassion for others.  We talk all the time about being “kind” and “helpful.”  So they were excited to donate money from their piggy banks to the Red Cross.  They understand that their money can buy a new comfy blanket or stuffed animal that was damaged in the storm.  I told them that we help others because they would help us.  And I believe that.

I love the United States of America.  Because when bad things happen, we stick together.  We feel bonded, not divided.  When bad things happen, no one asks if you are a Democrat or a Republican.  No one asks who you love or what you believe or where you grew up.  We just stick together.  We help.  And that’s why I’m proud to stand in the rain and exercise my right to vote.  That’s why I’m proud to be an American.  And no matter who you vote for today, let’s remember that.