Go-Go Mommy

Photo Friday! 03.14.08 (Catching a breath!)

Yeah! My laryngitis is gone, Poppy's "morning sleepover" birthday party is over (it was a success but mainly I'm just happy that it's over), and I actually had time to go to the Cantor Museum today with the girls. Thank goodness the gift shop is way in the back because museum gift shops are definitely one of my weaknesses - they always have the coolest stuff!

The weather is shaping up here so I thought we'd check out the Rodin garden and get some info on taking our Parents Group there for one of our monthly outings. Here are some shots I thought you might enjoy.

Hope you take this weekend to catch your own breath! If you do, let me know how you did it - I'm always up for new ideas!

Also, here's the latest "Poppy" story which took place at 6:00AM today:

Poppy: Mommy we need a dog.

Me: If we had a dog you would have to take it outside right now to go potty
and it's freezing outside.

Poppy: No I wouldn't. It could just use our potty.

Me: How in the world would a dog be able to use the potty?

Poppy: I would just hold it over the potty and it could go to the bathroom.

Me: First, dogs aren't made to sit down and go to the bathroom. And second,
the bathroom is only for people.

Poppy: Okay, then I could just put a diaper on it!

--How is it that kids think of everything?

Make mine full size, please.

Can we talk about how difficult it is to get into a public restroom with a toddler, an infant, and a double size stroller along with all the bags, etc. that go along with a shopping trip with kids?

When you're traveling in this manner, it's like having an "extra wide load" sign hanging off you. That said, do I have to point out that these circumstances call for the chance to use the large, handicap stall? Now I know that given the option, any adult in his/her right mind prefers to use the extra-large bathroom over any of the tiny, little stalls where the door bangs your legs when you close it and it makes you feel like you have claustrophobia (even if you've never felt a bit clautrophobic at any other time in your life). I, myself, have opted for the larger stall whenever it is free and I am sans kids. However, once there, can the visit be brief when there is a line of moms waiting for that exact stall or can the person in there just tell us if there is a genuine emergency?

Here's the scoop: I'm on vacation visiting relatives out of state and our trip to the mall resulted in a detour to the "Family Restroom." Luckily I spied it on my way in to the woman's restroom and had to make a b-line to it when I discovered that I was the second mom in line for the "large stall" when 8 other small stalls remained happily unoccupied.

While I appreciate the fact that someone was kind enough to consider that there are special family needs and then go so far as to design and provide a space where one can enjoy a large space for breastfeeding with a separate space for diaper changing and even a separate connected bathroom with sink - there was still one critical design flaw:

(I couldn't resist taking a photo since I was technically a tourist.) Ugh! What happened to the mommy and daddy pictured on the sign? Nice try but I think you missed the mark!