New England Mamas

Trick-or-Treating Without Sidewalks

I had a lot of reasons for enjoying Halloween as a kid.  Of course I loved the candy overload and dressing up, but one of my favorite things was getting to walk outside at night.  After all, we normally didn't get to go around after dark. 

When we moved to MA, I was initially surprised by the lack of sidewalks, but I didn't think much about it until it was time to take my older son (OS) trick-or-treating.  I take that back.  I actually heard a great deal about it from my husband, who spoke passionately about the extra lawn that he got to mow in the absence of a sidewalk.  Anyhow, I found it scary, but not in a spooky Halloween way to walk down dark streets with a little kid.  Halloween or not, it's still hard to see people when it's dark. 

The next year, one of my friends suggested going to the mall for trick-or-treating.  Initially I shuddered at the thought.  Wasn't part of the fun going outside?  This didn't sound like fun to me.  And it wasn't...for me.  It was, however, a lot of fun for my son.  He loved it.  He got to run around getting candy and was able to see all the other kids in their costumes.  He also enjoyed the frenzied excitement in the climate-controlled air.  Since Halloween is about my kids and not about me, which of course does not mean that I won't eat a lot piece or two of candy, I was really grateful that the mall had this program.  Since my boys have never had the experience of spending hours walking outside at night trick-or-treating, they don't know what they're missing!

Happy Halloween!

Labels: Halloween

Nothing Is Better than Something

So. Hi there. How's it goin'? Me? Oh, I'm fine. We all are. Nothing going on around these parts. And, actually, that's pretty cool.

Sweetie had a fever this weekend, which I assumed would result in major health-related drama. But, no. She's good. She's got a sniffle and a cough, but she's a trooper and is handling it well, as is her usual Sweetie way.

Sweetie's also been pretty well behaved recently. Yesterday was a bit trying - not a very good Listening Day for her. But overall, s'all right. She's been on a plateau of politeness and good attitude for, oh, at least a month or so now. No major complaints here. So much nicer than constant fights, raised voices, and high-stress-level-parenting.

Then, personally, well - things there are good too. Sure, after several unsuccessful attempts to get my in-home wine tastings business going, I've finally decided to call that quits at the end of next month. I thought it would be a fun and interesting way to earn some extra income. Instead, it was a fun and interesting way to lose money. But, you know - oh well. It was exciting while it lasted and I did learn a lot. It's just, when it comes right down to it, I'd much rather spend that time with my family than keep on with the parties. No more parties = less stress and more financial security. I'm glad I figured out that equation as quickly as I did.

Yeah, so - there you go. Life is good. For Hubby and I, who are oh-so-familiar with the Go! Go! Go!, high-stakes/high drama world of parenting and life in general, this current state of being is certainly a refreshing change of course.

Now, please excuse me as I go bask in the glow of nothingness while I have it. After all, I'm afraid the holiday season (ugh!) is about to get in our way.

Red Sox Nation - You're welcome

It took 86 years for the Red Sox to win a World Series. Until 2004, I come along, get pregnant and *Wham*...

World Series Champions.

Three years later, 2007. All of Red Sox Nation barely dared to dream that another title could be ours again so soon. I get pregnant again and *Wham*...

Another World Series Championship.

And did I mention the winners of Super Bowl XXXVIII and XXXIX, in 2004 and 2005, were the New England Patriots? And that the very same Patriots are currently undefeated?

Coincidence???

Probably. But I'm considering putting my uterus up for sale on Ebay once I deliver T.B. Wams, just in case. I'm not going through another pregnancy again and it really would be a shame for our beloved sports teams to go decades without another title.

Celtics and Bruins fans should start considering paying me for the privilege to rub my belly. Rubs start at 25 bucks a pop. Cash only.

(Cross posted at Chicky Chicky Baby)

Labels: Patriots, pregnancy, Red Sox

Good thing we didn't have to wait 86 years again...

Have you heard that the Red Sox won the World Series?

Oh yeah, baby.

Thanks to the Sox (well, really Fox) I haven't gotten much sleep in the past couple of weeks. I mean, really... can't the West coast just suck it up and watch a game at 4 PM? The 8:30 PM game time for us is ridiculous.

But besides that, all I can say is WOW. What a post-season!

Seriously, that's all I can say right now because I am so exhausted from staying up too late to watch the Red Sox win the WORLD SERIES!

WHOOOT, WHOOOT!

- Jane

Got your brooms ready, Red Sox fans?

I'm posting very late tonight because I wanted to talk about the World Series. Yes, the World Series. Like we have anything else on our collective minds these days.

This has been, as of tonight, an amazing series for us Red Sox fans. More than we ever imagined, especially with the Rockies recent win loss record of 22-1, we're just creaming those Rockie Mountain boys. I thought that they might win a game or two, but it looks as if they might not win anything at all. We're out pitching them, our defense is better, and overall we're just a better, stronger team.

I've never been a fan of the national league. I like the designated hitter, I love that pitchers don't have to hit. I don't quite get why the two leagues can't seem to come to a compromise on those two playing points, but evidentally they can't. And, if they can't even decide how to play the game uniformly throughout both leagues, they certainly can't make every playing field uniform as well. Baseball is the only game where every playing field is different, not only in size but in shape as well.

Watching the Sox play in Coors Field (I HATE THAT NAME!) tonight was amazing. DiceK? Could he have been better? I don't think so. His pitching was fabulous. He actually got a base hit. Did you see him running the bases in his jacket? Then he walked to 1st carrying his bat with him. How cute is he? It's like watching a big giant little league player that's incredibly talented.

One thing we noticed watching the game tonight was the number of shattered bats. Do you think that has something to do with the dry air in Colorado? I've never seen so many split bats in one game.

How about our Rookies? Jacoby Ellesbury? What a fabulous player. Dustin Pedroia? How cute is he, and what a huge boon to our team. He was a real find. DiceK? Who would have thunk, after watching him last spring, that he would end up as such a powerful pitcher in October?

Tomorrow, Jon Lester is pitching. He's come back from cancer last year. What an amazing story he is for our Red Sox. I'm counting on him to sweep the series. I just cannot wait for the parade. I went in 2004 and end up sobbing I was so excited and relieved. My whole life I've been a Sox fan. I'm a third generation fan, my kids are 4th generation fans. My father lived his entire life never having seen his team win the series. It took 52 years for me to see that win in 2004. My kids, they have always seen the Red Sox on top. They've never experienced years and years of being in the basement. They're going to see another World Series before they're even 16.

It doesn't seem quite fair.

I do have a hint for all you watching tomorrow. Turn the sound way down so you don't have to hear Joe Buck and Tim McMoron chattering on about nothing nonstop. The game is so much more enjoyable without them.

See you tomorrow night!

Labels: baseball, boston, Sox, world series

You know you're in a

You know you're in a rough spot when a middle aged librarian hands you money to shut your kids up. I was *that* mom last week when my children, Sybil and L.Blair, threw award winning tantrums at, of all places, the town library. In my defense, we are newbies in this suburb and I truly did not know that video check-out requires cold cash. And so as we were checking out and the librarian said "that will be two dollars", I'm sure the blank look on my face didn't help what was about to come next. After being lectured on the library's policies (why do librarians like to do this?), I reached around for my purse only to find that I left it in the car. Afterall, one usually does not need money at the library, no? On most days this would be no big deal. My kids would understand. They would reluctantly, but peacefully, put the Backyardigans and Pokeman dvds back onto the counter and we would come back and get them during our next visit. But today I made the mistake even veteran moms fall prey to: I took the kids out in the (gasp!) afternoon at (double gasp!) nap time. I know, crazy. When I explained that I forgot my wallet and that we would come back and get the movies later on, well, all hell broke loose. There was crying, whining, screaming, hitting, fists pounding, heads spinning, blood spewing (ok, not really, but there could have been). I tried to pretend they weren't my kids. I tried to walk away and ask whoever was in charge to please remove these demon children immediately. But it was too late of course. Everyone had already seen me. My only choice was to rip the movies from their tight little clutches and get out of there as quickly as possible. Unfortunately, that wasn't happening either. I would have had to saw off their hands in order to get the dvd's back onto the counter. They were not leaving that library without the movies. Oh, those ever helpful librarians did try to "override" the system so that we could pay the two freakin' dollars the next time we came back. But due to new accounting practices enforced by the town that was not possible. Rules will be rules. Especially in small town government. Finally. FINALLY, a librarian reached into her own purse, handed me the two bucks and pretty much told me to leave and take my hysterical kids with me. I thanked her profusely and left embarassed and humiliated that a 50-something librarian adorned in a polyester jumpsuit had to bail me out. So much for making a good impression in our new little town.

One K-razy Ride!

The World Series. Three incredible words.

But combine these words with "The Red Sox" and you've got yourselves one wild and K-razy ride! And oh yeah... curses, broken curses, rivalries and a bit o' history.

So as a child of a Boston-born-and-bred girl (my Mom, Mary Rita Burke Klaczynski, who married a dashingly handsome sailor from Detroit-by-way-of-Chicago. You still with me?), and never became a Detroit fan as my two brothers and I did. Until 1967, when the three kids of Mary Rita, and even my Dad, God rest his Tiger soul, switched over to Boston.

OK. So I marry this die-hahd Boston Saux fan from Rhode Island and we embahk on a journey of summah joys (I am not going to even say "heartache" because the Sox are my entertainment, conversation, and love... 'cuz ya gotta love 'em even when they're down). Yeah, cry into your bloody red sock. We're season ticket holdahs.

Now, I missed the 2004 Series games in Boston because my darling daughter Jane was in the midst of wedding prep... and her bridal shower and bachelorette pahty were on the same days as my beloved Sox's games. Yes, my daughter DOES come first.

So fast-forward to Wednesday evening, October 24, 2007. My first World Series game, never mind at my own Fenway Pahk. And as we entah Yawkee Way, who is there to greet the fans but Tom Warner. John Henry. Larry Lucchino.

And they were graciously shaking hands, patting backs, slapping 5 to all who entered the hallowed turnstyles. "Thanks for coming!" they were saying.

Thanks for coming? I've been dreaming of this for decades!

OK, I know these guys are multi-millionaires from the likes of people like me, but they still were gracious. And, I mean, it IS their house.

My husband was in Sox Heaven.

Then once inside (after stopping at the souvenir shops and furthering the millionaire status of our Sox-heads), my husband spotted Johnny Pesky.

How did I know this?

"Hey, Honey. HONEY! THERE'S JOHNNY PESKY. HEY, JOHNNY! CAN I GET A PHOTO?"

What a player. What a legend. What a gentleman Johnny is.

So here, New England Mamas, are a few momentoes of one of the most memorable evenings of my life. My husband's life. And we're up two games!

GO SOX! Even you transplanted New England Mamas can give a shout out at this electric time for New Englandahs everywhere!

(as an aside, I do have a photo of my husband with Tom Warner too. But that photo is on my digital camera. The camera that flew from my hands and crashed to the cement and is no longer working do to my husband's exuberance. The photos shown are from his cell phone camera!)

John and Barry (they're on a first-name basis now... at least in Barry's head!):

Larry Lucchino and his best bud Barry:

Mr. Johnny Pesky (respect for my husband's childhood hero) and Barry:

How To Really Scare Me At Halloween

Given that a nine-year-old can work a stripper pole like a pro, a school for 11-13 year old kids feels the need to provide birth control to its students and pre-pubescent girls are posting suggestive photos of themselves on the social networking sites, I shouldn't really be surprised by the sexualization of Halloween costumes for young girls.

But, I am surprised.

For years, I have lived in the land of "toddler sizes" at Halloween and have not faced anything more daunting than "Snow White" vs. "Pooh Bear". But, my six-year-old daughter is now big enough for a "girl" size, which apparently means she is maturing much faster than I ever conceived.

First, I'm not talking about mini skirts or even "belly dancer" costumes that really show a belly button. Nor am I talking about those character costumes from Wonder Woman to High School Musical or American Idol. I'm talking about costumes that seems too provocative for young girls; this bothers me especially when there is no need for them to be provocative (and, I'm not even going near the costumes marketed to teens. Check out this excellent article by Creative-Type Dad for more on that subject).

(All the costumes below are or were available at large national chains. I apologize for the dreadful reproduction of one of them).

Let's start with the devil costume. Let's see: red dress, horns, tail and spear, right? Well, somehow that isn't enough:

Or, how about a witch? You know, black dress, pointy hat, broom, and wart on nose?

Fairy? A wand, gossamer wings and pixie dust?

Oh dear lord, how about a bunny? Fluffy tail, big floppy ears, socks on hands for paws. . .

Ok, that is cute, but how many bunnies wear a bow tie? Oh wait, I know which bunnies wear a bow tie:

A Correlation Between Preschoolers and Cooking

While I haven't collected any specific data yet on it to run through SPSS or another similar statistics software package, there seems to be an inverse correlation between the amount of time I spend cooking food and the amount of that food that my older son who is 4 will eat. Tonight I made pasta with a tasty low-fat homemade creamy walnut sauce. This took under 10 minutes. My son ate a couple of bites. Yet, a couple of nights ago when it took a half hour to make a Shepard's pie with ground turkey and sweet potatoes, he refused to try it. I am pretty sure that if I served him food from the gas station he would snarf it down. There also seems to be a correlation between the amount of time I spend cooking a meal and the amount of food that he eats the next morning at breakfast. I don't think it requires any great scientific study to know that if you don't eat dinner you'll be extra hungry at breakfast.