New England Mamas

Safe outdoor skating rinks for the skittish mom

The Omen (II)  ruined me for ice skating on a pretty lake in the winter (no, I'm not linking to the scene; if you are too young to know it, consider yourself lucky).

Yes, that's my little guy standing on a frozen pond a couple of years ago, but it was after five days of sub-freezing weather  and seeing  250-pound ice fishermen walking on it before I could agree to let him out there.

It would figure I’d marry a guy who loves to ice skate and wants the kids to follow in his footsteps. And, while we could go to an indoor rink, I agree that there is something so quintessentially New England about skating out-of-doors. 

So instead of flashing the dreaded movie scene in my head every ten seconds, I've scouted out a few safe outdoor rinks that my kids and I can enjoy without me stopping every ten seconds to say, “did I just hear a crack?” We haven't tried them all, yet, but we will.  Feel free to add your favorites that are beyond my little corner of the world. 

How can we stomp out mean girls?

The other day, my five year old came home from preschool. As we talked about his day, he described three of his fellow classmates as "the mean girls".

"What?!", I asked him in surprise. Did I hear that right? Did he just call three girls, ages 4 and 5, the "mean girls"? 

"What do they do? And why do you call them that?"

Turns out, they are sort of a clique. They like to stick together and not really play with anyone else. 

Mind, you, this is the second clique I've heard of in his class of 20. The other is a small group of boys. 

Cliques. Mean girls. Boys who stick together like glue.

In preschool. A great preschool with caring teachers who are actively trying to do something to stop what they see happening before their eyes.

Starting the new year by homeschooling

The holiday break is almost over. Based on my Twitter feed, this is a source of great joy for many parents, but for some, this fact brings nothing but stress.

Maybe your child's teacher or school is making life miserable for your family. Maybe you are thinking your kindergartner isn't really ready for the daily schedule. Or maybe your child is a square peg trying to fit into a round hole, with little success.

Or, maybe you are like I was and are just intrigued by homeschooling but have no idea how to make the first step.

Here's your first step.

To stay up or not to stay up

My kids have never rung in the New Year at its appointed time.

Heck, last year was one of the first in recent memories where I made it to midnight before conking out.

This year we'll attend a friend's party where the new year will be rung in at 7pm with more fanfare then most First Night celebrations. Then, after apologizing profusely for the mess left in her home, we'll leave, drive home and promptly tuck our rugrats into bed.

I don't think I'll make it much longer after them.

So what do you do?

Do you put on your game face and stay up until midnight? Do you get a sitter and go out? Do you let the kids stay up with the promise not to light the house on fire, and sneak off to bed?

I used to say the kids had to go to bed because they'd never make it to twelve. But now that they have way more energy than I, it won't be long before they are tucking me into bed first before heading out.

Just not this year.

All I want for Christmas. . .

See that beauty to the left? Yeah, it's kind of messing with me.

It's there all the time, just sitting there looking cute in my kitchen, but---open it up---and it's the world.

The whole world.

The problem is, the world is taking over my life.

Have yourself a Very Secular Christmas

I love Christmas. The lights, the music, the shopping, the planning, the treats, the excitement. (I don't love the wrapping though. I have my limits.)

But our Christmas is a secular one as we do not follow any religion. Anyone who tries to tell me that we aren't celebrating it right because of this had better watch their eggnog.

Eliot and Barry save The Enchanted Village from the Island of Misfit Toys

In the past week, I've spent $70 mailing gifts to far-away relatives, about $50 on stamps, and I'm-not-talking-about-it on gifts. . .let's just say that my entertainment budget is pretty much shot for the rest of the month.

But, free? I can do free! And earlier this week, my family and I took a trip up to Jordan's Furniture in Avon, MA to check out their Enchanted Village for a big dose of vintage Christmas cheer.

Did I mention that it's free?

One reason for the season is at La Salette in Attleboro

OK, first a quick disclaimer: I am not religious, so the title of this post is not my sly attempt to cram religion down anyone's throat. But, I do think there is something to be said for reflecting on the story of Christmas, so it was in this spirit that we went to visit La Salette Shrine in Attleboro, MA.

I'd heard of La Salette for years but it was usually along the lines of, "Oh my goodness, you wouldn't believe the traffic jam to get into the parking lot" which doesn't exactly get me rushing anywhere. But, this past Tuesday, just after sundown, the kids and I went to see what so many people go to see year after year.

Checking off my list with our Advent Calendar

I used to approach December with a mixture of dread and excitement---there are so many things I want to do with the kids, but it always seemed that I'd try to cram all that "Christmas cheer" into the few days leading up to the 25th.

Happy Thanksgiving from the New England Mamas

May your holiday be the perfect blend of tradition mixed with lots of laughter and good food.

And maybe some football. Plus a nap. Definitely a nap.