Overprotective Mom

With Halloween right around the corner, I have been shopping for costumes all month. I have to say I have seen some costumes, especially for kids that are characters I don't think our youth today even knows who they are! I saw Rainbow Brite, whose kid knows who Rainbow Brite its today?  You might as well be selling Punky Brewster, costumes that are probably just for the parents nostalgia! 

This brings up a interesting topic at our house, since some characters my daughter knows but has never seen the movies they come from, for example Dumbo, and Bambi. My four year old daughter has learned who they are from books and TV, but now she is asking me when can she watch them. I bended with Pinocchio a few months ago, and was horrified at the content in the movie watching it from my child's eyes.  Have since been told I am sheltering my kids. Now at 4 years old I have to not only tell my daughter that smoking is bad, but I have to tell her what it is! Ughh this is the hard part of parenting. I told her she can see them when she is older, and that is working so far.  So is my daughter going to go Trick Or Treating? I would like to avoid it this year, since my youngest is too small to understand much. However, will I be able to get away with it this year, probably not we shall see.

The idea of having your children go knocking on strangers doors in this day and age just seams wrong to me.  Maybe its because I live in this crazy big city of Los Angeles, where Halloween can bring out the freak in the already freaks.  For kids its just fun to dress up and get candy. I loved filling my pillow case with candy as a child, but back then, we left safe staying in well light neighborhoods, with neighbors we used to know. These days most people don't even know there neighbors on there same street anymore. However, I love Halloween, and so I think next year, I am going to start having Halloween Parties and throwing them at home for family and with kid friendly activities, keeping the begging off the streets for my preschoolers...guess I am just a overprotective mom, and that's okay with me.

Glasses, Contacts, or Lasik?

On Friday I will be undergoing Lasik Eye Surgery!  It's exciting and terrifying all at the same time, but I am looking forward to, no longer having to wear my glasses.  I have been a contact wearer, 12+ years, and glasses since elementary school before that, due to nearsightedness. I barely wore them before college, mostly just a quick on and off to see the board or for driving of course! Glasses have always been a nuisance for me, falling off, or giving me headaches.  I have been interested in the surgery since college, but I heard that I should wait until after I am done having children.  So this fall is my luck chance.  They told me I had to get rid of my contacts and wear just my glasses for three weeks before my surgery, and I have not enjoyed it!  I feel so disoriented and for the first three days of wearing my glasses I had severe headaches and did not drive at all. Of course I had to give up my glasses the same day my back went out, so you can guess I have not been the happiest mommy around! My husband was nice enough to drive my daughter to school and pick her up for a few days. Since then I have gotten more used to my glasses and have even driven long distance in them without much trouble.  Somethings I just cant get used to though, is wearing them daily.  Just this morning I somehow, managed to close the fridge and the door actually hit my glasses!  The lenses are constantly dirty, and my kids keep grabbing them since they too are not used to me wearing them.  I also think its strange to have frames constantly in my line of sight.  Last week I realized my glasses were too lose, as they kept falling down my nose, and my husband reminded me of my constantly pushing them back up. So I went to Target, yes that's where I got my fabulously stylish Vogue glasses, and they adjusted them for free. I left feeling great and ready to face another two weeks of glasses before my surgery.  Unfortunately, the next morning I put them on, and they felt just a loose as ever. Just yesterday I was washing something in the sink looking down, and whoops, there went my glasses right in the soapy water!

Although I am able to rant on and on about my glasses I have enjoyed my contacts in the past, and miss them.  Sure a few times my kids have poked me just right in the eye and my contacts have popped right out, but for the most part I had no complaints.  The funniest thing you've probably ever seen is me trying to find the lost contact without being able to see it of course! Oh, anyway, now on to the surgery.  Its just a few days away, and I thought I would be more nervous about it by now, but I am not.  I have watched all the videos online the from UCLA Eye Center and talked to many friends and family who have had it.  One person described the actual surgery to feel as if a fish is sucking on your eye ball. Now doesn't that sound wonderful, at least is only lasts 5-10 seconds! I am excited to see the clock at night from the bed, and to see my kids better in the middle of the night when they call for me.  So here goes nothing and I hope to be glasses and contact free on Friday well, at least until I need bifocals.

Lasik Surgery Day: Bye Bye Glasses

My Review of Crayola Color Wonder Disney Glitter Coloring Sets - Disney Fairies Tinker Bell

Originally submitted at Toys R Us

Mess Free Color Wonder Glitter markers enhance the already magical experience in this coloring set. Color your favorite Disney Princesses anywhere, anytime! Set includes 2 Color Wonder Glitter Stampers, a 24-page Coloring Pad and 4 Color Wonder Mini-Markers.

From its earliest beginnings,...

Crayola Color Wonder Disney Glitter Coloring Sets - Disney Fairies Tinker Bell

Good idea, bad product in reality

By Glitter mess, and frustration from Los Angeles, CA on 10/18/2010

 

1out of 5

Pros: Character Likable

Cons: Glitter doesnt color well, Messy

Describe Yourself: Child Care Provider

Primary use: Personal

Was this a gift?: Yes

My mom purchased this for my daughter, a princess herself. My four year old was very exited to color Tink and her friends, but found the glitter impossible to color with the markers. I even tried and your can color it (shade it really) if you use the marker on the side and press really lightly. This is NOT a good product. Glitter gets everywhere even on the markers and pages DON'T color well at all. Please don't bother the other non-glitter pages a much better buy.

(legalese)

No Green Thumb

My Bougainvillea Now

My Bougainvillea is back from the dead! I thought for sure I had killed it. My husband and I went shopping for some plants to spruce up the balcony of our old apartment.  It had a pretty sad view facing the side of another building and a small sky and city view.  We never had had plants before, and I worried I would not be able to take care of them, but most of all I worried the kids would get into them.
 

The Old View

I picked a bougainvillea plant because I love how they bloom all year round in California.  Bougainvillea are everywhere and very bright, come in many colors, pretty to look at, and don’t need much water.  However, my adorable husband brought home a pot for it that had no holes in it for drainage. My knowledge of flowers comes from the gardening I did as a kid, which was at a house and in the ground.  I didn’t even think to check for holes in the bottom, I just repotted it. I made a huge mess, but I was proud of myself, and my plant did very well for a little while.  I left a sense of accomplishment, I could be a plant person.  It looked great, I wanted more, but my husband said lets see how this one goes.  Then someone gave us two ficus trees, which of course I have had no problems with!  The balcony soon became bearable and I started taking the kids out there again.  It changed the way the apartment looked when you were inside you could see green and pink, and we were happier.  Sadly, the leaves began to fall off my bougainvillea, even though the flowers continued to bloom.  I was concerned and looked up online how to care for bougainvillea’s and found I should only water them every other day or so if they are potted.  I changed my watering from everyday to every other day and yet the leaves still did not return.

Old View With Plants; Bougainvillea (with no leaves)

Then we moved to a new apartment, with a larger balcony and a wonderful city view, I noticed something. My bougainvillea plant smelled really bad, and it was so heavy it took two of us to barely lift it up!!! Then we realized the pot was not just full of dirt, but was full of water as well.  I had unknowingly rotted out my soil for my plant.  So when we moved it was my chance to prove to myself that I could keep a plant alive and healthy!  I picked out a pretty blue pot and made sure it had both drainage holes and a try to catch some water. I replanted it with new potting soil, watered it every other day. I also fed it with some Miracle Grow plant food, which The Home Depot garden center had assured me would help revive my plant in no time at all. Time it did take and lots of it. Soon I had a problem that was completely opposite from the previous problem I had with my plant. It began to have no flowers and tons of green healthy leaves. I was sad, but as time went by I hoped it would begin to bloom the beautiful magenta flowers.  This summer came and went and still no flowers, I began to lose all hope. I had failed at getting my favorite plant to bloom again.  Until last week, I saw a few buds on my plant. I was so excited!  My faith returned that perhaps I had a green thumb underneath it all.  Today my plant is getting back to where it was when I bought it and it is once again beautiful, healthy, and bringing color to our balcony. There is hope for green thumb mommy after all.

Baby Curl Blues

I cut my second daughters hair for the first time, and my husband couldn’t be sadder to see those baby locks go.  She is 15 months old now, and it was time she got a trim, the girl has so much beautiful curly dark hair! Its a cute cut and I took her and her older sister when it was time for school pictures. I convinced the hairdresser to trim my babies locks.  She stayed fairly still, but didn't want to wear the cape, so we did with out and just gave her a bath afterwords at home. The hairdresser was smart enough to give her a box of hair clips to her to play with (with Mommy supervision of course). Charlotte soon noticed the clips were little hats, which even I didn't notice until she started signing 'hat' while the nice lady is trying to trim her hair! I take them to Kids Kut's on Wilshire and my oldest daughter, Jasmine, loves it there. They have kids movies playing on a big TV for them to zone out to, while they cut the hair as they sit in these cute lifted cars. Unfortunately I didn't have my camera, so I only had my blackberry phone, and the camera is mediocre at best, so this was the only picture that turned out okay.

I was so proud of myself taking both girls after school and with out any melt downs (by any of us) got both girls hair trimmed and home in time for afternoon nap.  Much to my surprise, when I got home, my husband was sad to see I cut Charlotte's hair, but thought Jasmine looked super cute. I was so shocked since I made sure I was there the whole time, and told her what to do, so a disaster didn't occur. I know the bangs are shorter then I would have done...but they probably did that knowing I wouldn't be back for a while. I started to get offended, and then I remembered how I felt when my husband came home one day all proud that he had taken Jasmine for a haircut with out me.  That day I was the one who felt sad, that she had bangs when I had been growing them out, and there were way too many and too short! I guess the parent that doesn't go maybe just feels left out some how, or for me especially, out of control. Hair grows back, we know this, but isn't it funny how much hair can change your look, and how you and other people feel about it? Hair is so much a part of our identity, is it frizzy, straight, curly, thin, thick, gray?  It makes us feel out of control and we want to control our hair and tell it to be what we want it to be.  Que sera, que sera. I still think my girls are cute no matter what!

Supermommy

One day at the grocery store I was just trying to get in and out of the store without a child melt down, and to do so, I move fairly quickly through the store.  Time is the enemy in the store, then begging begins and whining and then soon Jasmine has to go potty, etc. The rest of the trip was a blur and I don't even know the details, but I do remember that as I am checking out of the grocery store my checker has no one to help bag my groceries.  So, I begin packing them myself, and when I am almost done a young guy arrived and offered to help me. I said, as I am bagging the last bag or so, that its alright. He then said to me, "Ok, I see the big "S" on your chest", as he laughed and backed away!  I took a step back and looked at the young guy, and then at my full grocery cart, and my kids ready to go home, and was a little offended but, I needed to get home.  Later it occurred to me that I am not a Supermommy, though I had been trying hard to be one.

What is a 'Supermommy'? Well to me, its the kind of mom who can balance everything.  When my first daughter was born, I had the hardest most sleep deprived 4 months of my life. Jasmine cried so much, I even began to call her the "difficult" baby.  After that things started getting easier and by her first birthday I thought I could do it all and be Supermommy. Although I didn't go back to work, being ready for all that could happen with my new little girl was my job.  I was prepared for everything with my diaper bag full of back-up plans and Just-In-Case's, all created based on my previous experiences with Jasmine.  When my second girl was born everything was thrown into a whirlwind again. My second daughter was a much happier baby though, and became my "easy" baby, after a few months of sleepless nights.  While I was pregnant with both children, I was very forgetful, and for some reason with my second child the forgetfulness has at times, stuck with me. I still try to be prepared and have my Supermommy diaper bag. It is a backpack diaper bag that my wonderfully thoughtful husband bought me for my birthday when he noticed me spending months trying to find the 'perfect' one.  I am still thrown by what I forget some days! I have been on overnight trips and discovered I packed no baby wipes, or so low on diaper cream I had to buy more right away.  No big deal, we travel in the US so drugstores are everywhere, but it makes me feel bad when I forget things.

If being a stay at home mommy is my job, I am not always at my best. My boss, would have pulled me into their office for a meeting many times, if I had one!  Oh wait, my husband has pulled me aside a few times and told me to relax! I somehow managed to injure my back this weekend, and now I feel I can not do my job the way I would like to.  I want to be everywhere, doing everything, but my back pain hinders me.  After a few days of having my husband take Jasmine to preschool, I have liked the extra time I have not driving back and forth. I have even thought it would be nice if I could have more days where I am not the only one trying to meet every need of the kids, when I am feeling better. I could have more time for me, and get more accomplished for the family, and not just the kids. I have realized in the last few weeks I give everything to my kids and family and do not leave much for me.  How can I be a Supermommy and give myself the care I need to not go hurting my back from constantly carrying my one year old around? Maybe someday I will get back to a Superme, until then maybe its okay for just my kids to think I am a super mom.

Dogs or Cats?

Call me crazy, but I think I, yes me, not a dog person, got a little used to have a good dog around. I had Andre put her picture on the properties new website last night and sure enough someone called to claim the dog this morning. Funny how the owner just called this morning...didn't they know the dog was gone all night? We put posters with pictures all over the property, I felt bad for the little dog.  I will have one sad little preschooler when she gets home from school and finds no dog.  The dog was actually very good, and quite. She barked a few times overnight, but not too bad, considering she is in a new place.  When we all got up, she didn't make much noise, but Jasmine let her out of the bathroom and played with her. Then I gave it breakfast, more beef stroganoff, and I made Andre take her for a walk, and Jasmine went along too of course.  As Andre went to take her for the walk I reminded him to take a bag with him just in case, and the look on his face was priceless.  It dawned on him that the dog might do its business and he would have to pick it up! I realized I kind of missed the dog while it was on its walk. When they returned I told Andre if no one claims it today, we are going to have to do something, and no we are not keeping it, no matter how cute and well behaved it is.  Then Andre looked at me and said, "You have to pick up its poop!" I soon remembered who I was talking to and knew Andre was on my side. Charlotte was adorable, copying the constantly sniffing dog, with her own sniff, sniffs, it was too cute! 

I've been told, thanks to my friends on Facebook, its a French Bulldog. Turns out the dog lived in the building and belonged to a resident who had a 8 year old daughter, which explains why she is good with kids, she is used to being around them.  Also, its name was not Sniffer, her name is JJ, and the owner didn't have the dog listed on her lease! Oh no! Free pet rent for a few months, and now she is in trouble with the Property Manager, my husband! Maybe that's why they didn't call until today, who knows. Jasmine, however was sure hoping to keep this cute little dog. So even though I woke up and came downstairs to the smell of dog, looking at its picture now, I am smiling and thinking how cute she is! Has the world gone topsy? No, I think I still am just the same city girl, who thinks dogs are happier in homes, and not our apartment.  I have often wondered how people in cities are able to keep their dogs happy.  Do dogs like going up and down elevators at all hours of the day to do its business hoping it finds a good patch of grass? I have seen my neighbors that own dogs in ways I have never seen my non-dog owner neighbors.  In pajamas, hair messy, bag in hand, to take their dog out for their morning or late night walk no matter the weather. Is it so different to clean up a dogs poop much different then changing my babies diapers? I guess people just get used to the unpleasant things since probably love their dogs the way I love my kids.  Well owning a dog right now, is definitely not for me, maybe someday a cat...once Charlotte is out of a crib.

Lost Doggie...

A lost dog is staying in my apartment. I am not a dog person, and had to check the internet to try to determine the dogs breed. I am told it is a French Bulldog. My husband brought the lost dog home, just after bath-time, and at my youngest daughters bedtime. Up roar as you can image from my usual bedtime routine. Jasmine, my oldest daughter, who loves dogs couldn't have been more excited to 'pretend' it was her dog and to name it. She called it Sniffer, since it was smelling the whole apartment for new smells.  Then we all noticed she was looking for food, and eating all the food my kids had dropped that day, and she changed the name to Beggar.  My husband fed it some of our beef stroganoff dinner, and here I am, dog sitting.  I was hoping the dog would be home by now, I am not a dog person, I am or used to be, a cat person, before I had kids.  I don't mind other peoples dogs, but don't want one of my own, and this is now reaffirmed with my current house guest.

My husband and Jasmine took her for a walk, then I let her stay inside since she is very calm and good around the kids. After an hour I noticed a smell, and figured out she had done her business on the balcony, well at least it wasn't inside! After that, I thought perhaps I shouldn't trust my carpet with this dog, and put her out on the balcony and closed the door.  However, she barked after a few minutes looking inside to come in.  I checked online and it said bulldogs are good with kids and not outdoor dogs, I said I am not a dog person!  So I let her in and she just licked her paws nonstop.  Once she stopped and looked at me, the way my parents dog does when she wants to get up on the couch and relax, hoping for some petting.  So I thought, she needs a doggie bed, so I took a blanket and folded it up for her and she went right on it and went to sleep several minutes later.  I am beginning to think this dog is very well behaved and is kind of cute too.  She was disturbed after a while because there was barking on the TV! I never would have thought a TV dog would upset a real dog. Then she tried to settle back down on the blanket, but other dogs outside were barking. I started thinking this maybe a long night, and where is this dog going to sleep? If I put her in the bathroom, with a blanket and water, will she bark at night? How will she sleep in a new place, so far she hardly seems to care she is not in her home! I hope my husband is taking her for a walk when she needs one tomorrow morning, because Mama is not doing it!