New England Mamas

Santa - A great big guy or a great big lie?

My oldest daughter, at four years old, is what you could call... Practical.  Even her imaginary friends, despite the rich fantasy life she has with them, are emphatically “Not real, Mommy.  Sheesh.” [eye roll]

In this season of elves and flying reindeer and the fat man in a red suit that magically comes down the chimney, I have to admit that I’m a little worried about her lack of wonderment. 

Last minute Christmas gifts inspired by nature. Because us New Englanders, we loves us some nature. Ayuh.

Only ten more days until Christmas?? Eek!

(Yes, eek. I don’t know what your reaction is when you find out you’re quickly running out of shopping days before the family invades your house for the holidays, but mine is eek.)

Need some last minute gift ideas? My Etsy addiction and I are here to help.  Most of these items are inspired by nature, because if there's anything we have around here in abundance, it's nature.  Hurry, most of these shops stop shipping in a few days.

And as always, these gifts are made right here in New England.

What's happening this weekend - Family friendly holiday events throughout New England

Looking for something holiday related to do with the family this weekend? We've got you covered.  Here's a sampling of what's going on around New England Friday, December 11 through Sunday, December 13:

Making new memories at Bright Nights

Growing up, Christmas always meant a visit to Whipple’s Chapel.  Every year.  Whipple’s Chapel was a vast Christmas display of over 6,000 lights in our current hometown.  It featured Macy’s window style displays of Christmas scenes.  Occasionally, a new display was added, but it always remained almost the same.  Run entirely by volunteers, it was a holiday tradition.  I looked forward to visiting with my family and meeting Santa Claus.  For 35 years, people traveled from all over the country to visit.  Father Christmas, Mr. Whipple himself, was there every night, shaking hands and counting visitors, always with a smile on his face.

Razzle Dazzle Light Parade

Who doesn’t like a parade?  Have you ever been to a parade at night?  We have!  This Sunday will be the eighth year that our family will attend the “Razzle Dazzle Light Parade” in Putnam, CT.

In Our Car: Radio We Can Agree On

I purchased my Sirius Satellite Radio unit because of Howard Stern back in 2005. His two stations, Howard 100 and Howard 101, have been bringing me untold hours of joy ever since. Before he slipped the surly bonds of terrestrial radio, I listened to his show in syndication on WCCC, the local indie station with the claim to fame of having employed Stern as a morning DJ thirty years ago. While Stern’s detractors are legion here and anywhere, his Connecticut fan base rivals that of any other stronghold he fought to win over the past three decades.

There is an obvious discrepancy between parenthood and my subscription to the Howard Stern channels. Though I held out as long as I could—until my 2 year old daughter switched up Bob the Builder with the name of the Stern Show producer and started singing “Bababooey, yes you can!” at the supermarket—I was forced to curtail my listening habits while she was in the car. It was at that point I discovered a benefit I hadn’t anticipated when I signed on with Sirius more than six months before my daughter was born. That happy surprise was Kids Place Live. The KPL programming fell on the exact opposite end of the listener spectrum from the Howard Stern Show and would become our third most listened-to station.

KPL is built on the same format as most radio shows, with DJs of varying degrees of annoyingness and bits that are in turn humorous and not-so-much. Though I am never more of a “mom” than when I am tuned to Absolutely Mindy, and only slightly less of one when listening to the clever, adult-placating humor of Kenny Curtis’s Animal Farm, I have to say that I do get some personal enjoyment out of the genre of music that has come a long way since the Raffi and Rosenshontz of my youth.

Even if you don’t have Sirius/XM—in fact, I’d say this will be even more valuable if you don’t—I’d like to share with you a list of what I consider to be the best Parent-Friendly children’s songs out there today. These are the kind of songs that can bridge the gap between Howard Stern (or whoever you love that little ears can’t or won’t listen to) and your young impressionables. Load these songs onto your iPod or support the artists by buying the whole CD, and you will amass a collection that will keep the mini-van rocking all the way to school.

10. Electric Car, They Might Be Giants with Robin Goldwasser—an environmentally conscious boon for the whole family.

9. The Hampster Dance Song, Hampton the Hampster—This is one of my daughter’s favorites; if only the car allowed us more space in which to gyrate appropriately.

8. Four Boys Named Jordan, Jessica Harper—a melodious voice and a stunning commentary on what it means to be a Jordan in America today.

7. No Nothing, Randy Kaplan—An incredibly catchy song that I love; I would’ve put it much closer to #1 except that some people classify the catchiness as being of the “I can’t get that [bleeping] song out of my head” variety.

6. I’ve Got a Butt, Uncle Jim—before this song, I wouldn’t have known what a sacroiliac was; now I am proud to say that I am as clued in as my four year old.

5. I Like to Move It, Sacha Baron Cohen from Madagascar—A match made in heaven.

4. Toast, Heywood Banks –“Take a piece of bread, put it in the slot/Push down the lever and the wires get hot/I get toast.”

3. 18 Wheels on a Big Rig, Trout Fishing in America—a spin on the traditional counting song that includes Roman numerals and ∏.

2. Three Little Fishies, Kay Kyser – this retro hit was #1 on the charts in 1939. I assure you that mine is the only list in existence on which it is #2 today.

1. The Window, Trout Fishing in America—There are only two bands I am determined to see in concert this coming year: Rammstein (in Germany) and Trout Fishing in America. Listen to The Window—or any of their songs, really—and you will see why I believe that a TFIA concert is an experience for the whole family.

I'm (Diaper) Free and Lovin Every Minute of It!

I AM DONE CHANGING DIAPERS! (Notice the Seinfeld reference in the title?  Well, right now I'm doing the Elaine dance.)

Baby became fully potty-trained in a matter of days. I swear it, you guys.

Get this though: I have had been changing diapers for over 6-1/2 years.

That's oh...approximately 2,400 days.  (Yep, I'm a dork and I added it up.)  In a row.

And, in 2004, when Middle was born, both Eldest and Middle were in diapers that summer.  Then, a year later, in the summer of '05 when Baby was born, both Middle and Baby were in diapers.

Of course, I'm not so naive to think that we will actually see any savings now that we are a diaper-free Trenches.  Oh no.

It's called PRESCHOOL PAYMENTS.  And FOOD.  *sigh*

So what's your number?  How many days/years--in a row--have you changed diapers? Anyone ever have, dare I ask, 3 in diapers at once?  (Bless your soul.)

Cross-posted at In the Trenches of Mommyhood

Titles. Tags. And labels. STAY AWAY!

I was at the playground yesterday with the boys. There were 4 other mothers standing around next to me watching their kids play.

None of us had ever met, but we all had kids that were about the same ages - 5 and under.

Out of the 5 of us there, 4 of us had 3 children.  So there were 14 kids playing together.  It was very cute.

But then one of the little boys started crying because his older sister “by mistake” threw sand at him.

This mother (obviously embarrassed) ran over to diffuse the sibling situation.

As she was doing her “thing,” one of the other mothers asked the group of mothers, “So which one is your cry baby?”

Cry baby!? Gee… great term for your child.

All of us were a little stunned by the bluntness.  After all, we just met.

But then… she goes on.

“My oldest is my cry-baby. All he does is whine. My middle daughter is an emotional roller coaster. Drama. Drama. Drama. She’s up, she’s down. And my youngest is my shining star. He’s the easiest child.”

So let me digest.

Older one = cry baby.

Middle one = drama.

Youngest = star.

Can’t see this not messing them up at all. And let me interject that her youngest is exactly Benjamin’s age. He just turned one last week. Let’s face it, anything could happen.

I just sat there listening to 2 of the other mothers “labeling” their kids too. Shy. Outgoing. Reserved. Little clown. Attention-getter. My athlete. My bookworm. Needy. My messy one.

AND LET ME REPEAT… the kids are all 5 and under!  Not one of them is in kindergarten yet! 

And the list went on.

I just kept remembering a family friend once telling my parents in front of Jane and me as kids… “Well, I can tell who the little shy one is out of these two.”

It was me. I must have been about 7 or 8 years old. And I have never forgotten that comment. I never had thought of myself as shy, my parents certainly never called me out on it. I just remember thinking, even at the young age, I will NEVER do that to my kids. I always respected my parents for never “labeling” or “tagging” or putting “titles” to any of us 4 kids.

So William, Alex and Ben… yes, you all have different personalities. It’s a beautiful thing to see. And yes, one of you is a little more comfortable in group situations. And yes, one of you likes to be holding my hand. And yes, one of you attracts a lot of attention from strangers with your funny little antics.

But you will never know which one it is. At least not from me. All of you are the funniest… cutest… most outgoing… and most LOVED little men in my life!

Who Is That Mom?

I have a slightly embarrassing confession to make.  No, nothing really big and juicy but one that makes me laugh ever time I think of it.  With this beautiful weather, I've thought about it quite a few times this past week. 

The summer my older son (OS) was about 20 months, we spent a lot of time at the park.  It was the first summer that he was walking and could really enjoy the equipment.  He particularly liked the little toddler slide at one park.  He would go on it over and over again.  Except for this one day when a bunch of older kids kept climbing back up the slide.  These teenagers 4 year olds didn't even seem aware that OS was trying to go down the slide.  I was really annoyed.  Where were the parents?  All I could see was a bunch of parents standing around talking. 

I was completely irked.  I even emailed my moms group list-serve to ask about the etiquette for this situation.  (This makes me laugh a slightly embarrassed laugh.) I mean surely this rude behavior was an anomaly.  Maybe not.  I witnessed it a bunch of times later on that summer.  Each time I a huffed about it. 

Fast foward to yesterday.  I was at the park with both of my boys who are 4.5 and 21 months.  I was talking to a friend while standing next to the slide that my boys had been using.  I turned around to see a woman standing on the other side looking perplexed as her granddaughter proved unable to go down the slide because my sons were climbing up the slide.  Great.   Nothing like being a hypocrite.  I mumbled an apology, as did the boys, and took them off to climb on a different structure. 

They'll Fight the Law, but the Law Won. . .

I imagine that there are some seven-year-old kids out there in Massachusetts who are taking the news hard. 

"WHAT?  I have to be in a BOOSTER seat?  But, but, but. . .those are for BABIES!!!  I'm too old/big/cool for a booster seat!"

Tough luck, kiddos. 

Last week, Governor Patrick signed a law requiring kids be in a booster seat until the age of eight, or until they reach 4 foot 9 inches in height.  I have no idea what the previous law required since I intend to keep my children in booster seats until the prom.

There are critics of this law.  There are those who feel that it is another case of the government telling us how to parent, how to live.  That instead of teaching parents why they should keep their kids in boosters and then letting them enforce it themselves, we now have "big brother" taking over again.

I understand that complaint.  I'd like to think that most parents would learn about the dangers, would do the right thing. 

But, then I think about an intelligent, caring, but misguided family friend whose tiny elementary-school-age child rides without a booster seat.  Why?  Because they drive a massive SUV and think that  their vehicle's bulk alone will protect them. 

For those kids, and others like them, I am glad to hear that this is now a requirement.

Just don't try to legislate how clean the interior of a car needs to be, OK?