Yoga: how to be less of a nut

I picked up the January issue of Vogue (found it at the office. I don't have the money or the time for high fashion magazines.) And this issue actually had some text in in - not just dramatic ads of wafer thin models with shocked looks on their faces in high winds on expensive grass.) The article was called "Balancing Act: As a new mom chasing perfection, Claire Dederer turned to yoga to quiet her neurotic tendencies. Here in an excerpt from her book "Poser: My Life in 23 Poses" she finds freedom in imperfection." I immediately related but given that my time spent reading these days adds up to about 2.4 minutes per month, I only glanced on the next page at one paragraph. It was this one below and I can't wait to get the entire book. Maybe I can finish it by the time my toddler hits highschool. 

"Mine was a generation of hollow-eyed women, chasing virtue. We, the mothers of North Seattle, were consumed with trying to do everything right. Breast-feeding was simply the first item in a long, abstruse to-do list: Cook organic baby food, buy expensive wooden toys, create an enriching home environment, sleep with your child in your bed, ensure that your house was toxin free, use cloth diapers, carry your child in a sling, dress your child in organic fibers, join a baby group so your child could develop peer attachments. And don't quit your job. But be sure to agonize over it. Also, don't forget to recycle. I looked around and saw eye bags everywhere. When I got together with my girlfriends, fun seemed not to come into the picture. Forget about going out drinking or dancing; we seldom met for coffee anymore - nothing for the baby to do."

I did a search on Claire Dederer and found that she wrote regularly for, among other publications, The New York Times, Real Simple and Gaiam's Stream of Consciousness blog.  She wrote a post about her book and I found yet another nugget of inspiration from her. Read: another moment of relief that explained my current state of mind.   So here's an excerpt from that blog entry which you can read in it's entirety on Gaiam's blog:

"I was, frankly, a nervous wreck. And then I started doing yoga. Yoga was, to be honest, part of my plan to be an even more perfect mother. I would be serene! And have that famous yoga glow! But the longer I did it, the more it made me feel that maybe I could, you know, relax a bit. Yoga was something I enjoyed, right down to my toes, and yet the notion of mastering it was absurd. I was never going to perfect my Monkey, or be able to transition from Scorpion into Chaturanga. I was faced, inexorably, with my imperfections. It took a while, but eventually yoga’s lesson — the idea that you are fine the way you are — began to take hold.

And, consequently, I started to be less of a nut at home. I began to loosen my standards. I stopped watching my husband with an eagle eye, trying to figure out how he was going to fail me next. Lo and behold, he slowly emerged from his depression. I’m not saying I was responsible for his depression, or for its fading away, but I believe it was a dynamic, and that I contributed to it."

Celebrating Valentine's Day with your little one: Where to go in NYC

I'm so excited to introduce my first guest blogger - Carla Sullivan, founder and Mommy Muncher at MiniMunchers.com.
I told her that she changed my life and it's true, because, here I was avoiding going to restaurants with my toddler.  Sure, I went out quite often back when I had one small, neatly organized diaper bag and one small, neatly organized child. Ah, I was delightful and breezed in anywhere without a care. Now that she's mobile and defiant, I dread meals in public places that don't have sufficient padding and earplugs and most of all, a sense of acceptance.  However, Carla made me realize that it wasn't the 'going out' that was the problem, it was the places I was trying to go.  MiniMunchers lists all the best places around NYC to eat - that the whole family can enjoy. No Chuck E. Cheese pizza here.  And the best part is, I'm prepared before I go. I can look up (among other things) stroller access, crayon availability, menu items and bathroom amenities.  I am so happy about this. Enjoy!
 
Carla Sullivan – Founder & Mommy Muncher

Some people think Valentine’s Day is just for couples, but we all know that having kids changes everything…If you can’t get a sitter for the BIG DAY or just want to celebrate with the kids the weekend before (hey we love our kids too!), here are some spots in NYC that will be a fun and enjoyable experience for both the adults and minis in your family.

Max Brenner –  If chocolate is what you want to eat, then get ready for a treat! Max Brenner in Union Square has everything from Chocolate Pizza to chocolate fondue and of course hot chocolate. Yes, there can be a wait (particularly at peak dining hours) but your little ones will be entertained by the huge vats of chocolate in the waiting area/chocolate store and one seated – it will be hard to keep them contained with all the chocolate delicacies waiting to be sampled!
 
Blue Smoke Jazz Brunch – For your music lover, Blue Smoke in Murray Hill’s Sunday Kids Jazz brunch is a real find! Live Jazz music, presented by the Jazz Standard Youth Orchestra, will get your minis feet tapping (dancing is encouraged) while they are waiting for their BBQ! It can get loud (so I wouldn’t bring a sleeping baby, but a screaming baby is just fine) but the food is great and the entertainment can’t be beat!

Sweetie Pie -  A favorite of Gwyneth Paltrow, this West Village spot is an adorable upscale family (and hipster) restaurant. Not only is the menu varied (for both children and adults) but if you get there early – or reserve in advance – your Minis can sit in the coveted gilded bird cage located in the front of the restaurant. The hot pink banquettes are a great second choice for your Valentine’s Day visit.

Moomah - Moomah is truly a unique spot to bring your tot in TriBeCa for the holiday. Not only is the extensive menu local, seasonal AND organic (with dairy-free and gluten-free choices) but kids are encouraged to play while they eat with incredibly beautiful and engrossing art projects specially themed for Valentine’s Day! What’s more, if you visit on Friday or Saturday the back room, usually reserved for private classes, is transformed into the “Funky Forest” for children to explore and use their imaginations. Oh – they just got their liquor license so relax and ENJOY!

HAPPY MUNCHING!
Visit www.MiniMunchers.com for the complete children’s menus of these and over 225 other great restaurants in NYC! MiniMunchers also offers weekly discounts on children’s products and classes in our “Goodie Bag” as well as advice from experts on making your eating experiences with kids enjoyable – from celebrities to restaurateurs to Moms-in- the-know!

Fashionable coffee

Coffee, on a normal day, is generally a source of great happiness for me. The deep, rich aroma of a fresh brewed french roast can, far too often, be the only motivation for getting out of bed in the morning. However, today's dose gave forth a happy discovery that put me in orbit while enjoying the mystical confluence of Nantucket Blend, Seattle and "Pedal to the metal." Can you see it!? My nailpolish matches the picture on my most favorite mug sent by my sister who works at Starbucks. See? Coffee + family + fashion = unbridled delirium.

Hide and Seek

 

Great song by Imogen Heap. 

One big beautiful cocktail ring

I've always been a sucker for jewelry.  My tastes developed pretty much from Madonna, circa 1985. Since I wore glasses and a uniform in gradeschool and highschool, that made for some pretty hilarious 'statements' on my part. How my mother didn't laugh me right out the door is beyond me. I'm sure she shook her head and chalked it up to 'expressing myself.'   Now that I've been living in New York for 14 years, I managed to absorb a few tips such as 'less is more' and 'quality over quantity' (however if we're talking those rubber neon bracelets then it will always be quantity.)  Also, the quiet streamlined sophistication of the incredibly rich in this city can be quite perplexing: is it her hair? Wait, no, it must be the handbag. Or the shoes?? I am exhausted trying to figure it out. But one thing I do know is that it's really about quality.  If you can afford it, it's one of the best accessories.  I still have a ridiculous amount of jewelry but I'd say maybe 5 or 6 pieces are really made well with quality materials. I recently attended a Twitter party put on by MomsTrends.com and the topic was accessories so the sponsors were offering 4 prizes. I considered myself duly qualified to discuss accessories what with my many years of experimentation, so it was the perfect kind of evening for me: baby was asleep,  I got to chat with people, drink wine without worrying about anyone noticing my teeth turn purple and I could wear a bathrobe.  Obviously I was plenty happy with that, being a working Mom, so my expectations didn't go any further. However, a strange thing happened. It seems that the random universe conspired to pull my name out of all the attendees and bestow upon me a most coveted, handmade cocktail ring!  This is the Bitsy cocktail ring by Laura James Jewelry. Unfortunately since I slacked on posting this, I fear the ring is no longer for sale on her site (hanging head) but the new collections are amazing - with beautiful bright spring corals and turquoises, pearly ivories and pretty pale yellows.  The best part about this ring is that the band is adjustable. It's made of a firm but flexible brass so it fits perfectly and doesn't slide around my finger like some other cocktail rings I have.  So check out Laura's site - this is the quality, the sophistication and the unique sparkle that will be your best accessory.

Theeeerrre heeerrre!

My daughter hovers around the KOm PU terr and wants to always watch mooobies but this one ain't built for toddlers. The red light on the underside of the mouse is blinding! Those pretty keyboard buttons? Not washable. And the screen? One could make a positive identification from the tiny fingerprints formed by enthusiastic pointing and drool. We are trying the VTech Mobigo from Santa which was built for overzealous interaction so we shall see how that goes. But I also just heard about Dell's Touchscreen Inspiron.  Maybe Santa will bring me one.

Making a holiday memory

My mother managed to hold on to a little tiny 5 loop paper garland that I made with my grandmother - wow- probably 35 years ago? (shudder) It's amazing the thing lasted (did they even have paper back then? not just chalkboards? Didn't we have to walk 3 miles in the snow uphill with a nickel to buy one piece of special green paper? - I may be taking some artistic license with that story because it sounds interestingly a lot like the stories MY parents told and it's a little more probable that their's are accurate.)

Anyhow, the thing survived and I thought the idea was a great one for my daughter and I.  She's 2 so it's a project that isn't immediately dangerous (like stringing lights or popcorn - needles and electricity = No good.) So she creates the designs and I cut the strips.  We ended up with a beautiful, unique keepsake decoration for Nana's tree (us apartment dwellers use plants or flowers in place of actual Evergreens) that hopefully will last until my little girl can repeat the project with her children.

Craftastic Halloween Spread

We had a last-minute Halloween party sneak up on us.  No, not like in a fun, Hitchcockian way (I wonder if anyone has ever made that word up and used it in a sentence like I just did) but in a hurry-up-and-look-properly-festive kind of way.  Baby Z's cousin lives in Queens so they wanted to come out to our neighborhood for trick-or-treating. Not sure what that says about Queens but, we loved the idea of the cousins joining forces for some candy hunting.  So we added another kid to the list and his parents and their in-laws in town, and they told their friends, and so on and so on... and all of a sudden, without any prep time, I'm running around like a deranged bat out of hell (in a bathrobe no less) vacuuming and baking with 30 minutes before guests are due to arrive.  I managed to scare up (I know, I just rolled my eyes too) some decorations and dug out a strand of little lights. But flaked on what Halloween treats to serve.  I do have an old standby: the pumpkin chocolate chip cookie, which, by the way, is ah-maaazing.  But seeing as how the main objective of the day was to acquire absurd amounts of candy and sugar, I needed a non-sugar, festive appetizer that contained some protein to balance out the carb overload.  I found it. Cheese!  And pumpkin shaped.  And really easy to make.   Isn't she cute?! 

Here's the recipe from Allrecipes.com:

Shape the Cheddar and cream cheese mixture into the shape of a small pumpkin and add a broccoli stem to serve as the stem. Serve with fresh apple wedges for an autumn appetzier.

Yield: 16 servings

Ingredients

• 2  (8-ounce) blocks extra-sharp Cheddar cheese, shredded
• 1  (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
• 1  (8-ounce) container chive-and-onion cream cheese
• 2  teaspoons  paprika
• 1/2  teaspoon  ground red pepper
• 1  broccoli stalk
• Red and green apple wedges

Preparation

Combine Cheddar cheese and next 4 ingredients in a bowl until blended. Cover and chill 4 hours or until mixture is firm enough to be shaped.

Shape mixture into a ball to resemble a pumpkin. Smooth entire outer surface with a frosting spatula or table knife. Make vertical grooves in ball, if desired, using fingertips.

Cut florets from broccoli stalk, and reserve for another use. Cut stalk to resemble a pumpkin stem, and press into top of cheese ball. Serve cheese ball with apple wedges.

Note: To make ahead, wrap cheese ball in plastic wrap without stalk, and store in refrigerator up to 2 days. Attach stalk before serving.

I'm just a girl

Baby Zee went to a birthday party yesterday. I just loved this beautiful face-painting that the artist from Artscetera did.  My baby looks so exotic with that bindi.  By the time she's old enough to understand / care who Gwen Stefani is, she probably won't understand OR care who Gwen Stefani WAS.  Still super cute.

Does anyone need a baby shower because I'd like to make these

I was wandering around the interweb and stumbled upon "everyday chick" - from Perth, Australia :)  I had to share this lovely picture from her blog - aren't these adorable?! 

Confessions of a Slightly Neurotic New Mother: The Wonder Years

I sat down to try to unload some of the angst and pain and unsettling (read: probably hormonal. thanks a lot, stereotypes) response I experienced when spending 3 days alone with my 2 year old. I wanted to think I'd enjoy my 'girls day' and imagined us skipping and playing and smiling and hugging, but in reality, a 2 year old has endless energy, endless interest (eeeeverything is "kewl!") and endless desire for everything now, with a cookie, and no PJs. So my semi obsessive compulsive need to keep things clean and in order, is obviously clashing with disastrous results. I'm trying to ease up, not sweat the small stuff, but if I let it all go, I just end up cleaning up and cooking etc at midnight while everybody else sleeps. The anxiety builds and by day's end I'm a wreck. And it's not easy to parent while one is busy being a miserable wreck. Nobody likes a wreck. Anyhow, so I was wandering around some blogs and like a beacon in the night, I found this recent post. As if I'd written it myself. So, my answer is: "What she said." Thank you!!

Confessions of a Slightly Neurotic New Mother: The Wonder Years: "It's hard this parenting lark. And I'm not sure I am any good at it. My husband just came home from work. I was feeding our daughter and as..."

Lullabyes

Back when Zoe was in utero, we used to talk to each other. Sometimes at night while falling asleep, sometimes on the train home from work. It was comforting. I also started singing to her. I made up songs and I changed the lyrics of others. I wanted to sing something soothing and beautiful - a simple melody with words that reflected the family waiting for her, the world we'd explore, little sparrows and fluffy bunnies and sparkling raindrops .... not 'and when the bow breaks, the cradle will fall...!  WTF?!  Jeez.  Did the people who write lullabies stop after 1940? And why were lullabies so violent? And why does that one continue to survive decade after decade??  Anyhow, so I remember a song from CYO Camp Christopher "Kumbaya."  I had to look up the melody on You Tube (and no, You Tube is never scary) but realized there aren't many lyrics to remember.  It's basically "Kumbaya My Lord, Kumbaya."  So I added a few lines that I change up and rotate depending on the night and it becomes my way to end the day with Zoe. Our little prayer together. 

Kumbaya My Lord, Kumbaya...

Help her rest, My Lord, Kumbaya.  Help her rest, My Lord, Kumbaya. 

Basically you can add anything with 3 syllables:  Bless this child; Keep her safe; Help her heal.

My other favorite, and, ahem, it's an original ;) Is a great way to run through the names of our family so Zoe thinks of each one regularly and becomes familiar with their names even if they live far away.  

It goes like this:

"Mama loves you and Daddy loves you; It's time to go to sleep.

Nana loves you and Bapa loves you; It's time to go to sleep.

Auntie Jana loves you and Uncle Jason loves you; It's time to go to sleep."

Etc.

If I had any idea how to indicate the melody or even the major notes, I'd do it. But I hated my piano classes when I was 13.  I could kick myself now.

Nina Garcia, Maternity leave, and the dillweed planet.

I love Project Runway and had only merely listened half-heartedly to Nina Garcia's critiques - until now.  She's a high - powered exec at a great magazine AND she's also a judge on Project Runway, AND she has a 3 year old son - AND now she's pregnant with her second child AND (last one, I promise) she's 45! She's probably not up to a-level J-Lo celebrity status in order to command a team of helpers so my guess is she and her husband are doing this on their own (with a nanny and daycare.) But we all know that the behind-the-scenes, in the dark of 4am, way before help arrives, is the most trying and taxing part of the equation: How to get oneself dressed, feed family and arrive at work looking alive, rested and enthusiastic - now THAT's the challenge. Doing this at any age isn't easy but, I have to admit, personally, I get the feeling it might have been a bit easier in my younger years so for Nina to do this at 45 is a huge undertaking. And don't forget the emotional impact. Leaving 2 babies at home or in daycare can be excruciating!  Women are pulled apart daily by the emotional and financial impact of childrearing and yet we contribute just as much (read: if not more) to business and humanity than the male contingent.  States and local governments also don't recognize our sacrifices. (Read this about how you can still get fired for going on maternity leave!) We are made to feel guilty and treated as if we spend our maternity leaves lounging and eating bon-bons.  But when will the rest of humanity realize that the human race will perish without children??  Women aren't taking maternity leaves to take up a hobby or get tattooed, WE ARE RAISING THE CHILDREN THAT ARE THE FUTURE OF THE PLANET, you dillweeds.   I fortunately, had a fairly understanding work environment that allowed me to work from home my last week of pregnancy and also take 30 minutes twice a day to pump since I was breastfeeding. I did take 3 months off but, like every other mother -only in the US! - it was unpaid.  I do applaud Aflac for offering an additional type of insurance for what society has declared a 'disability' - that's how pregnancy and maternity leave are categorized by medical and insurance companies: a disability. I'm pretty sure anyone who has had the privilege of being pregnant and giving birth to a beautiful life, and sustaining that little life fully and completely with your own breastmilk, would disagree that this is a 'disability.'  Don't forget that ever single one of you lawmakers had a mother too and without her, you wouldn't be here.

Bracelet inspiration

Am sporting my new awesome bracelet from my sister-in-law today. Sometimes matchy-matchy works and I'm totally into it right now.  I've had this dress for a couple years and always wore it with a brown leather belt, chunky wooden earrings, etc etc - things along that line.  Then I got this bracelet and it just... tied it all together. Sigh. I like it when the planets align and outfits fall into place.  Of course, it's hard to remember these moments when my normal morning dress-myself routine consists of digging through my wardrobe in the dark (can't wake the HB and the baby) with a toothbrush hanging out of my mouth, while wearing a towel and a wristwatch (constantly reminding me I'm late.)  So, a nice little take away from today's lesson is:  start with the jewelry and then build the outfit around it.  If that doesn't work, go back to bed. Start over.

The end of the innocence

I just celebrated (is that even the right word?) my 40th birthday. I'm not one to go around saying I'm 39 for the next 10 years. I've accepted the number. I'm fine with it overall. But I wondered when and if the introspection that usually accompanies such a milestone would hit me.  It's starting to seep in now, in and around my daily routine that usually, conveniently blocks out all serious thought.  It started with a song on the radio. A radio - not on iPod or Pandora radio or iTunes shuffle, but a good old fashioned battery powered radio. "Remember when the days were long, and rolled beneath the deep blue sky; Didn't have a care in the world with mommy and daddy standin' by..." I started thinking about those long summer days with nothing to do. The summer seemed endless with fireflies at night, baseball games, working at the state fair, cookouts, riding bikes, fireworks, the sweet smell of strawberries from my Mom's garden.. .  I started thinking about 20 vs 40, who I was then and who I am now.  When is the end of the innocence? College (I have no idea. I was having too much fun!) Does it happen with that first real job? The one where you wake up one morning, a year into your tenure and realize "I'm on a hamster wheel? Is this it?'  or is it when you get married or have a child? I don't know when I lost my innocent, possibly naive, free spirit. Probably when I had to start filing my own paperwork (bills, taxes, medical etc) Kinda difficult to be punk rock and spontaneous but still file by April 15. I used dye my hair pink with Manic Panic. I actually had a 'real' job that appreciated and somewhat expected that 'flair' (the record business was so much fun back when it really had a 'business.')

In a way it's such a shame that that beautiful freedom of youth is wasted on us when we're really too young to appreciate it, but how could anything be that beautiful to anyone if it wasn't the first time you experienced it?  With 40 I have a family, a job and (potentially, finally) a career. Like Bethenny Frankel said "Why did all the important stuff have to happen to me all at the same time?"  I got married, had a beautiful girl and now a job I really like. And I'm 40.  So did I use that pre-40 time wisely? Would I do it all over again? Hell yeah to the second question.  Not so sure on the first.   But I sure do miss those crickets and fireflies on warm, endless, summer nights with family and friends with not a care in the world and with no freakin' idea what was ahead of me.

The DTap shot - kicking my a**

I know most parents dread giving their sweet little happy newborn a shot full of a disease administered with a scary needle but we know how important it is.  In the last week, the subject of Whooping Cough and Tetanus has now come up 3 separate times.  Last week a friend told me their pediatrician recommended both parents get a Tetanus shot to protect their newborn and 3 year old.  Then I just happened to be at my primary care physician's office for a checkup and the first thing she said when I told her about Zoe was 'You need the DTap!'  So here I am, bent over in pain, moaning like a baby and feeling sorry for myself because I'm at work and I feel like sh*t.  Then I read a report about an outbreak of Whooping Cough (pertussis) in California. I guess I'm somehow right on time. Sure is interesting to experience what my daughter must have felt after her shots. This sucks.  Wah!!

The Spaghetti Incident

Axl Rose had no idea how prophetic that phrase would be in my life. I was a big Guns N' Roses fan when "Appetite for Destruction" came out - 1987 (what an amazing year!) A few years later, GNR released 'The Spaghetti Incident' which, although a pretty good album, really only sported 'Patience' and "I used to love her..." But now, my-post-rock-single-freedom self finds another way that phrase fits my mama costume. We all know how difficult it can be to find the best, most nutritious foods for our children. There's never enough time to shop and cook everything ourselves, so, yeah Baby Z gets pizza every now and then. But I made spaghetti sauce - homemade, delicious, chunky, mushroom garlic spaghetti sauce. It's my comfort food. And if I make enough of it, I can freeze it and it becomes my go-to when all else fails. However, could I find a less messy go-to? It's Sunday. We haven't done the trip to Fairway yet. All I've got is some squash and lettuce and I doubt Baby Zee wants a nice plate of mixed greens.  So I defrosted the sauce and put on the pot to boil the noodles.  I stripped Baby Z down to her diaper and strapped on a yellow bib (ha ha ha , I know, nice try) We're trying to convince her to use utensils but the fork merely becomes tangled in the handfuls of noodles and then ends up on the floor. Baby Z ate maybe 1/3 of the bowl, the rest ended up in her lap and all over the floor. She started flinging noodles and I immediately got down to her level, looked her in the eye and said 'That is a no-no' in a calm, even voice. Bad idea. She slapped one spaghetti sauced hand right across my face. And laughed. This is when the rest of the lyrics of "I used to love her..." started playing in my head. I left the room, to recover, and wash my face. I returned to see the child, sitting cherubic and happily covered in tomato sauce, quietly and diligently filling her diaper. So now I had a dangerous perimeter to traverse with an armed and loaded perpetrator at the center. A warm washcloth took care of the immediate threat from the flailing hands but the greater threat loomed as the clock ticked. Sweat beaded on my brow. Will the new diapers hold? Will I make it to the nursery without any collateral damage to the highchair seat? Will I slip on a noodle and send us both sliding into a horrific mess of 'before and after' food?! My mind raced. I grabbed her by the armpits as I stepped gingerly between noodle landmines. I held my breath - for more than the obvious reasons. The span between the dining room and the nursery extended out ahead of me, the path telescoping into what looked like the hallway in the scene in Poltergiest ("Stay away from my baby!")I blacked out. I don't know how long it took but I skidded into the nursery, baby dangling by her armpits, and placed her on the changing table. I always like to listen to music with her so I hit the on button on the radio and there's Axl, this time singing "Take me down to Paradise City." Ha, he has no idea. 

Airplanes and children: they are passengers too!

We are flying to Seattle next month and had already decided to bring the car seat. On past flights we simply juggled Baby Z for  5 hours and arrived exhausted, so knowing that she'll sit still when buckled into her carseat, we thought we'd save us some struggle.  Also, gain some peace of mind. Honestly, it's hard to imagine that we (and millions of other parents) actually opted to NOT buy a seat for the baby because the NTSB and FAA says that children under 2 can sit on a parent's lap (and because fares are ridiculous?!).  I've never been comfortable with that plan. (The NTSB has just announced ending this rule.)  I mean, if real turbulence hits or (God forbid) another sort of disaster, would I really be able to hold onto her? There I'd be, all strapped in and safe and she'd be flung somewhere oh I can't even begin to finish that thought.   But then some Mommies on my local messageboard suggested the CARES harness.  At $75 it's steep but I may give it a try! (By the way, can we discuss the broadcaster's hair?)   UPDATE: We did try the Cares Restraint and totally love it. Not only did Baby Z have her own space and actually slept and sat still, but let me tell you, as a working mother, I get about .5 seconds of real down time once every  4 months.  So to have my child safely in her seat, strapped in like the rest of the passengers, I actually relaxed. No, seriously, for like 10 minutes! I actually sat there, perplexed at the non-existent list of worry items (1-turbulence, 2-she wants to get down 3-she wants to get up 4 -she's under the seat 5-what's in her mouth?! 6-ew don't lick the seat! 7-no that man doesn't want your paci, etc etc) Of course I was duly unprepared for this momentary reprieve - no magazines, no books, nothing.  So, guess what? I just sat there.  And I loved it.  

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Monday wisdom and a pair of shoes

Besides a cup of coffee, what else does one need? On my subway commute into the city I always grab a copy of the free paper (MetroNY) and check the horoscopes. I've never really paid much attention to horoscopes in general because I can pretty much drive myself crazy without any outside help - thank you - but I liked this one just for the pure positive spin on it:  "An authority on the subject might bring it to your attention that something you have is of greater value than you realize. This person appreciates its worth and wants you to as well."  As is true with most horoscopes it's just general enough to really make you think it's actually talking to you, but we all know if it's negative, then it doesn't apply to us. They're talking about someone else.  But I'll take this one for the simple message that we all have something valuable about ourselves that we don't recognize or play up nearly enough. So whether or not there's another person who may know this attribute, YOU should. So take a moment, ponder your greatness, and go forth and conquer Monday!

I know I'll read that next Monday when I'm growling and annoyed at people as a whole, so, in reality, I have a back-up plan: shoes.  I noticed these Aldo beauties on Mascara or Motoroil and have now gone back to her site and to Aldo's site no less than 52 times to 'visit' them.  I decided to give myself an early birthday present and will dutifully post photos of these once they arrive. 

Listening to: New Order "Procession" (How I miss those days.)

Cereal can save us all.

I love cereal. I have a pantry shelf that I stock many different kinds of cereal. And I don't buy cereal so much for the taste, but as for the purpose. See, I have breakfast cereals (hearty, light, not too sweet) and then I have dessert cereals (sweet, but not Fruit Loops sweet.  Pink milk was hilarious in high school, now it just makes my teeth hurt.) I find that a bowl of Cinnamon Harvest is just sweet enough to distract me from a pint of Haagen Daaz. Because it's all about the distraction and ultimately shaking it off. If I can make it past the freezer and into bed before I'm kidnapped, I win!  Unsurprisingly Baby Zee has taken quite a fancy for a fresh bowl of apple cinnamon Oatios and cold milk.  She is my offspring after all. So we shared a bowl.  The MMR shot doesn't appear to be having any effect at all. Even the injection site is virtually invisible. The doctor said that she can have a multitude of reactions up to 2 weeks after the shot.  Am I jinxing it? Am I on thin ice? She's not even cranky. Feverish praying on my part might actually be helping. Or maybe it's just the cereal? Thank you Oatios!