Go-Go Mommy

My 30 days: 8

I did it! I can't believe that in just a few days of "stolen moments" (when Poppy and Sweet Pea were napping or in bed for the night) I finished the hat.! Here is it ... along with a photo of how I left it for Poppy to discover in the morning. Poppy laughed and squealed with delight when she saw her new dog, Missy, wearing her new hat and scarf. Luckily, she loves it and I'm going to start a matching hat for Sweet Pea.


In JoJo's Circus (what can I say, I AM the mommy of an 1 and almost 4 year old!), she always sums up the story by a short monologue on what she learned today. So, in the spirit of one of Poppy's first female hero's, here is what I learned:

That it is possible to find time for yourself throughtout your day, and when you take the time to "feed" your soul, you can get a double return. Not only do you receive your own sense of peace but it is wonderful to delight in the happiness of others as a result.

My 30 days: 7

An outing at the park:

5, 6, Poppy picks up sticks.

My 30 days: 6

Reading with Sweet Pea.

My 30 days: 5

So here is the "prose and poetry" part of "My 30 days" project - or in this case "prose and prayer." I am currently reading a few books (and I say that with pride because now that Sweet Pea is finally sleeping through the night, I can squeeze in a few pages after checking email before I go to bed). One of these "nightstand readers" is a book called "What Every Child Needs, Meet Your Child's Nine Basic Needs for Love" by Elisa Morgan and Carol Kuykendall.

In the introduction of that book, the authors include a prayer that was sent to them by a mother of three which illustrates the conflict that often exists between a child's needs and a mom's/parent's needs. Here is the prayer which I copied and posted on my bathroom mirror today so I can read it as I begin each day for the remainder of my "30 day" project. I think it will be a great start to my day and a great way to celebrate, rather than run from, those everyday occurrences.

I hope you find it as funny, beautifully written, and brutally honest as I do.

Lord,
When they scribble on the walls, please help me to
see a rainbow!
And when I've said something a hundred times,
please give me the patience to say it a hundred times
more!
And on those particularly annoying days when I
tell them to act their age, please help me remember
that they are!
And while we're on the subject of age, Lord, when
I gein to lose my temper, please help me to remember to
act mine!
And through it all, Lord -- the fingerprints and
runny noses, messy rooms and unrolled toilet paper, de-
stroyed videotapes and broken knick-knacks -- please
help me to remember this:
Someday, these will be the days I will long to have
back again.
by Angela Thole, "A Mother's Prayer", 1996

My 30 days: 4

Go-Go Mommy's soulfood: taking 20 minutes for myself to knit a hat. I started this proiect in 2006 when I decided to teach myself how to knit during my 5 month pregnancy bedrest (with Sweet Pea) and haven't picked it up since. Wish me luck!

Open Question: What hobby/interest can you fit into your day that you haven't had time for in the past year?

My 30 days: 3

I was led to this article which ended up inspiring today's "everyday" moment:

Oh me, oh my,
how quickly time goes by.
My little loves soon to be
self-sufficient adults, just like me.
But before that comes to pass
it's time to review today at last.

My Poppy and Sweet Pea:

Greeted daddy at the door after a weeklong trip
with eyes shining bright, squeals of delight
and arms open wide, ready to hold on so tight.

Poppy helped clean up for daddy with grace.
Shared her "cozy" chair with 'lil sissy,"
excitedly showed dad her new dog "Missy,"
and planted many loving kisses on my face.

Sweet Pea woke from her nap in inconsolable pain,
its' origin unknown, I got peed on while dad phoned.
The urgent care diagnosis: simply congestion again.

A trip to Borders divided in two - before and after dinner.
Sweet Pea only wanted to go up and down stairs,
while Poppy's "energetic" voice caught customers unawares.
Both left mommy and daddy feeling like beginners.

Then the simple act of love shone bright
During our evening meal out, Sweet Pea turned about,
grabbed my hair, and face to face, held on so tight.

My 30 days: 2

Our morning sustenance.

My 30 days: 1

Lately I've been constantly reminded that "gratitude is an attitude" - how true! As part of "my soulful journey" this year, I've been inspired from a few different sources to put that little quote into practice and begin my own 30 day project right here on Go-Go Mommy. Cyber hugs and hearts go to Soulemama for giving me this place to begin: looking at the everyday with new eyes and capturing the moments I see.

As a SAHM with a 15 month old and almost 4 year old, the everyday can be a bit of the same: very loud at times, very trying at times, and very rewarding most of the time but always fleeting. It's time to feed my soul by opening myself to what is happening right in front of me and capturing those fleeting moments of everyday living. As Albert Schweitzer said:
"In the hopes of reaching the moon men fail to see the flowers that blossom at their feet."

So here is the first of My 30 Days. Some moments may be photographed, some reflected in poetry, verse, or prose. All will reflect the moment of "seeing" each day. Hope you enjoy this crazy ride!

"SETTING UP FOR THE GIG"

Finding Myself 101

After giving up the big salary, big bonuses, and big trips in exchange for big hugs, lots of love, and 24/7 caretaking as a new SAHM for the past year, I have already decided to make 2008 the year of "Go-Go Mommy"! (Kind of like "The Summer of George" - but in a good way.) After all, "if mama ain't happy, then ain't nobody happy."

Being a little offended and at the same time somewhat inspired by Oprah's show with Elizabeth Gilbert, author of "Eat, Pray, Love...", I decided to document my own journey of self-discovery this year and prove to eveyone that you CAN find "inner peace" without traveling across the world and leaving your entire family for a year - which, for must of us, is not only not an option but would be a heartbreak as well.

So far I've signed up for on-line meditation courses, I've picked up the beautifully photographed book "The Day-to-Day Life of Albert Hastings" which visually feeds my soul and reminds me to see the beauty in everyday living, and I'm attending local yoga/meditation retreats individually as well as taking my two girls (almost 4 years and 15 months) to a weekly family yoga class. The connections abound! In addition, I'm coming up with a whole list of options for moms/parents who feel that they need to have time for personal growth but don't know where to look or how to fit it into a busy day.

In other words, I'm discovering that once you open yourself to those around you and open yourself to your personal goals/desires which are buried deep in your heart, you somehow find a way to "make it work" (as in the immortal words of my beloved Tim Gunn).

Professionally, I am taking my new-found energy and channeling it into creating my own business venture. I will be a moving from SAHM to WAHM/Mompreneur in 2008 - I am so geeked!

Where will 2008 take me? Who knows?! But I look forward to the discovery and I promise to enjoy the ride!

Is this uber cool or what?!

I've always wanted to see my name in lights - this is even better!

Click here to try it.

Confessions of a (Dis)Organized Cleaner

I am the person who loves making lists. I am the person who gets so excited about school supplies - even though it's been a few years (ahem) since I have been in school - that I still saunter down store aisles in the fall, inhale the smell of paper, and check out the latest binders, pens, etc. and treat myself to something new. I am the person who gravitates to stationary stores and specialty paper displays, looking for that new journel or calendar that is calling my name. (And yes, I tried all the electronic gizmos but there is just something so homey about having books filled with my print and notes of my life - ironic since I'm now a blog addict!)

I guess that's why I found my special "cleaning" skills lie not in doing the actual cleaning around the house. Rather, I'm the person who is among the ranks of many brilliant moms who clean before the cleaning people come to the house! When I look around at what I have to do before tomorrow, it could, admittedly, get a bit overwhelming but I've decided that this is simply the way I work. Maybe because I now approach it armed with a "to do" list:

-clean overflow laundry and put away
-make sure there are clean towels & sheets to put out
-wash dishes, pots, and pans
-go through the last 2 weeks of mail & shred/recycle/file
-pick up the pile of clothes & luggage that mysteriously accumulates
next to my husband's side of the bed
-put shoes away that have been scattered throughout the house
-etc., etc: you know the drill

So, as I finally get the kiddies off to bed and prepare to wear myself out so I can get everyone out of the house before they arrive at 8:45am (and with a toddler and infant you know that's sometimes asking a lot), I calmly reassure myself that this is what I was meant to do - surface cleaning with my beloved list. So tell me, what's on your list and am I forgetting anything on mine?

It's National Popcorn Day!

I don't think there is a person son this planet who loves popcorn as much as my father in law. So in honor of today, January 19th - National Popcorn Day, I am dedicating this post to him. (Let me just add that it is with the most loving respect that I'm sharing this information with you.)

All I can say is that if you happen to have my father in law over to visit and he happens to ask if you would like a snack and then just happens to offer to make some popcorn since its no trouble and is very easy - let me just say that I would not be exaggerating if I told you to have your bowl ready and to score some as soon as the microwave beeps. If not, let's just say that you better be happy with a polite first helping and the rest will be history in just a few quick minutes.

Apparently, no one is sure of the exact origin of national popcorn day - which makes this topic very interesting on many levels for this historian/popcorn lover. While January 19th is cited as the official day, some information ties the celebration to the Superbowl, for obvious reasons. Another interesting wrinkle is that National Popcorn Month is October.

So in honor of today, open your cupboards, find that popcorn, and turn on that machine or microwave and treat yourself and your loved ones to some instant love! Here are some additional ways to celebrate the day:

- Get the little ones involved in making a "popcorn craft" like popcorn pictures;
- Share your favorite popcorn stories;
- Attend a Popcorn Day Event;
- Try a new popcorn recipe like one of these, or this;
- Send a loved one a National Popcorn Day ecard!

Any other ideas to share? And by the way, if you decide to pay homage to the "dancing popcorn (and hotdog)" we all know and love from our "drive-in" days, I'd love to hear about it!

Happy poppin'!

Project: Life Change - Get Ready!

Well everyone, I just thought I'd take a minute to let you know why my posts have become more sporadic than usual.

Not too much is out of the ordinary: KB, Sweet Pea, and I still have the cough from a case of "mild bronchitis" that first appeared in our household about 3 weeks ago. I'm cautiously optimistic that Poppy will continue to be the only healthy person in our house - after all, if she hasn't caught it by now she shouldn't catch it at all, right?! (I know, I probably just jinxed it.) KB is super busy at work (again nothing new there) - someone has to earn "the big bucks" so we can live in the beautiful but beyond costly Bay Area. And Poppy is still taking her music and ballet lessons.

What has changed? My personal goals for 2008 include moving from SAHM to WAHM/Mompreneur. Yes, I will actually be bringing one of my many business ideas into reality and I am so geeked! (Do people still say that?) Of course, at this early stage, I can't reveal any details but I must confess that this is definitely something that wouldn't be happening without the support (and hard work) of my wonderful mother-in-law who has lovingly "volunteered" to lend her incredible skills to this project.

As soon as I have more definite news I promise to share. Just wanted to let you know that most of my free time is now being spent on reading, researching, and preparing to begin my new business venture.

Hope to post more on this soon!

The Big Question!

Well, the day has finally arrived. Wait, why am I saying "finally" when I should say that it has already arrived. No, no one is getting engaged or married. I'm talking about the big question from Poppy - the "birds and bees" and "I don't know what in the heck to tell her" question because I thought I had at least another year or two to go before this topic came up. After all, she's not even 4 years old yet!

So this was my Sunday morning:

Mommy, Poppy, and Sweet Pea head to Target for the Sunday morning run. Just as I pull into the parking spot, this is what I hear from my little love in the back seat:

Poppy: Mommy, how did I get in your tummy?

Me: [after a cough or two to clear my quickly constricting throat] What was that honey?
[Translation: I heard you the first time, I'm just hoping you change the question.]

Poppy: If I grew in your tummy, how did I get in there to grow?

Me: Well, uh, let's see, um...[beads of perspiration starting to gather] Well sweetheart, [don't blow it, don't blow it!] after mommy and daddy got married, we loved each other so much that we wanted to share our love with a baby and, uh, we asked God for a baby and he helped us [OMG, I'm blowing it!] by putting you in my tummy to grow.

Poppy: Silence. [She's either not buying it OR it's sinking in to the gray matter.]

Me: You know, Aunt M is a nurse, she'll know just how all the technical stuff works. Maybe we should ask her [as I'm dialing furiously on the cell phone].

After a quick debrief from me:

Aunt M: You're right. After mommies and daddies get married and when they are ready to have a baby. God gives them a special way to put the baby in the tummy so it will grow.

Poppy: Oh. Okay.

God, I love her!!

Thanks for the help Aunt M!

Photo Friday! 01.11.08

The majestic beauty of California.

Thank you, Ano Nuevo State Reserve for a breathtaking elephant seal tour!

"Oh, the places you'll go"

I recently received an email asking for travel tips from someone who is going on "flight travel of 23+ hours with an infant and two year old." After I gave my blessings and told them they should be nominated for Parent of the Year, I began to think of my airline trips with Poppy and Sweet Pea.

So far I've traveled alone with them twice. The first time was when Poppy was 3 years and Sweet Pea was 6 months. Our second trip was about 5 months later (3.5 years and almost 1 year). I was feeling "experienced" enough to take the "red-eye" from California out to the midwest for the second trip. So, while I haven't spent "23+" hours of flight travel time (and by the way, I'm DYING to know where my friend is traveling "to" and "from"), I have traveled at all times of the day/night and have survived to tell about it.

Here are some of my "helpful hints". This list is by no means exhaustive, for instance, I forgot to mention in my return email that my trips were made easier because I purchased a "flight safety harness" that is FAA approved from a company called CARES. It slips over the airline seat, attaches to the seatbelt, and acts like the harness systems that are on childrens' carseats. This little safety harness is great! It fit right into our carry-on bag so I did not have to break my back trying to carry Poppy's carseat onto the plane (after all, I was already weighed down with Sweet Pea's infant carrier) and instead I just checked in the carseat. (Did I already say how much I heart this device?!)

Anyway, here is what I wrote in response. I hope you find these tips helpful and if I missed something that worked well for you, I'd love to hear about it. You can never have enough new things to do/take on a flight when it comes to infant/toddler travel!

Things to take: (in no particular order)
1. Somehow food seems to come to mind first:
Take an insulated lunchbox with ice pack(s) and good
home-cooked food that you know your little one will
eat & favorite snacks (You never know where you are
going to get hung-up while traveling so best to be
prepared - plus airplane food is usually non-existant
or really bad unless you're on Air France);

2. For infant: if bottle fed, I would take premeasured
dry powder formula, buy a few bottles of water at the
airport, and viola - instant bottles;

3. Your portable DVD player & videos with an "extra
or multiple headphone jack", I got mine at Radio Shack
- it lets 3 headphones plug into one port so everyone
can listen;

4. LOTS of "busy work": Depending on your child's
interests, I would being coloring books, crayons,
sticker books, flash cards, books to read, travel-size
magna doodle, etc.

5. Bring at least one "new toy" for your older one -
you can even wrap it so they will remember the
experience. My MIL also bought an "airport lift the
flap" book that reviews everything that happens at the
airport - we looked at this book every night for a
couple of nights before our trip so our older one knew
what to expect;

6. For infant: bring as many pacifiers as you can and
make sure he/she has a bottle during take off and
landing (it really hurts the ears and the sucking
motion helps them) & as above, bring favorite toys,
stuffed animals, favorite blanket (or something that
smells like home), AND new toys/teethers, etc. as well
- when they get fussy, DISTRACTION is the key!

Happy travels everyone!

A Mom's Confession.

Okay, I admit it. For the past week I have been stuck in some sort of weird, masochistic, sleep-deprivation mode - and it's all my own doing!

I'm not sure where along the line my little evening routine of:
-dinner
-bathe Sweet Pea
-put Sweet Pea down between 6:30-7:30pm
-bathe Poppy
-read Poppy her 1 or 2 nightly stories plus 1 poem, prayers &
then "goodnight Poppy" by 8:30pm to 9:30pm
-do laundry (I've given up cleaning up dinner until the next am since
Sweet Pea is a light sleeper)
-spend next 2 hours, checking email, blogging, ordering groceries on line,
OR sending photos/video on line to relatives while watching
senseless (usually reality) tv
-make it to bed by 11:30pm.

Now, I find myself falling asleep with Poppy at about 9pm. Waking up 45 minutes to an hour later. Feeling "refreshed" enough to not only do 2 loads of laundry but then check email (which is beginning to multiply about as quickly as rabbits, and don't ask me how that happens as a SAHM, I thought I gave that up when I left the "adult work world"), see what's happening on about 3 of my other favorite blogs, send responses to those blogs, get through my 2 email accounts, AND THEN try to get some "recreational" reading done.

All the while I'm doing this, I'm looking at the computer tick-away the minutes, which quickly become hours, and before I know it, "bedtime" is 2:30 - 3:30am. I know the girls will be up at 6am (5am for Sweet Pea who I bring to our bed and coax back to sleep for another hour). What is going on here?! Am I stuck in some kind of "Twilight Zone" timewarp? And why am I writing this post at 2:40am anyway?

I must admit that I do have some excuses:
-it's actually QUIET in my house at this time of night
-the "rainy season" has started in California and I love to hear the rain on our roof & skylights
-Sweet Pea has been sick and waking up around 11pm then 4am (yes, I'm still breastfeeding
and, no, don't ask - I can't figure it out myself when this will all end but I hope it's soon)
-I'm actually trying to find time to follow one of my New Year's resolutions regarding
prayer/meditation and this appears to be the best time (I know - I'm stretching it with this one).

So all you parents out there who are sleep deprived or who have somehow put yourself on some type of yes-I-want-to-get-some-sleep-but-now-I-don't-know-how schedule. How did you get there and how did you/are you getting out? Please tell me there's hope for me!

HELP from a tired/rested/tired SAHM!

Photo Friday! 01.04.08

Starting off the New Year right - with a good helping of Smoked Salmon Chowder.
Cheers everyone and best wishes for a spectacular 2008!

Daddy, I want chili today!

Poppy: Daddy, I want chili today!

Daddy: That sounds great. I haven't made chili in a while and today is the perfect day for it!

One shopping trip and about 9 hours later:

Daddy: Who wants to have the first taste of the chili?

Poppy & Mommy: I do! I do!

Daddy: Okay Poppy, you've been such a good girl today you can have it.

(Daddy hands out spoons and puts some chili into a bowl. He lowers the bowl for Poppy to dig in with her spoon first.)

Poppy: What?! That's NOT chili!

Daddy: Yes it is.

Poppy: NO it's not - it's soup!

Mommy: Honey, that's daddy's famous chili. (Taking a taste.) It's very yummy!

Poppy: Well I don't want it.

Daddy: But this is what you asked for this morning.

Poppy: No, it's not.

Mommy: Wait a minute everyone. Poppy, what does chili look like?

Poppy: It wiggles and jiggles!

Back to the drawing board - anyone have any jello mix handy? hee hee