Recently a friend of mine reached out to me because she is about to take her nine month old on an adventure to Austria. Sounds amazing! We took Pigpen to London when he was about ten months old, so I definitely have some experience with this. So, if you are traveling with the kiddos to a foreign land read on.....
We were going to England for the National Spine Somethingorother, and Pigpen and I got to tag along and spend the first week with Daddy in Oxford and Stratford Upon Avon before the convention started. Then we headed to London where my days were husband free, and it was up to me to sightsee with my little man alone. I was of course super excited for our adventure, but super duper ridiculously nervous as well. Pigpen had been on several airplanes before our trip across the pond, but no two plane rides are the same. My advice is, bring toys, bring dope (tylenol), snacks, woobies (blankets), and anything that lights up without making too much noise. Think of the things that your child likes at home, and pack those in your diaper bag. Don't forget an extra pair of clothes for him, and an extra shirt for you just in case some weird shit goes down....you never know, and you don't want to go through customs looking like a haggard slobby mom. Not cute. :) Once we were flying somewhere with Pigpen, and he was sleeping like a log when the lady came by for drinks, so I totally went for it.....I ordered a tomato juice. I went against everything I knew to be sensible in my head because I wanted a damn tomato juice; my husband was inspired by my sassiness and too ordered a tomato juice.
Without fail, I knocked mine over; it went all over the cashmere baby blanket covering my child, and all over my shirt. My husband jumped and tried to help me when he saw it spill causing his to spill as well. It was awesome! Pigpen slept through it, but we were covered, and the cashmere blanket...well, disaster. So, when traveling with kids, you should only order water always no matter what, end of story.
I digress, so when planning a trip across the pond you need to think about what you use and do everyday with your child, and then you need to think about how you can make that happen where ever you are headed. We chose to fly Virgin Atlantic because we could upgrade to business class without breaking the bank, and we were able to reserve the first row and rent a bassinet from the airline. It was about $120 more, but totally worth every penny. This was a box that snapped into the wall about eye level for the baby to lay in. Pigpen was huge, and not really a baby at 10 months, but hey, it worked. He slept in that cozy little box while we drank champagne and ate steak. It was worth every penny.
My husband always scoffed at me when I insisted on taking the stroller through the airport. We had a BOB, and I was absolutely 100% gay for this stroller. It was like a dream cart. You could hang stuff off of it, put tons of things in it....it was awesome, and it folded up in two seconds....so easy, and so worth having in the airport. I'm sorry, but having a kid strapped to the front of me while I'm trying to carry my diaper bag, a starbucks, and walk in cute shoes....not happenin, and not my idea of traveling fun. So, take the stroller, and gate check it. You have to wait for it when you get off the plane, but it has always been fine.
What to pack: We were going to England where they obviously speak English, but you never know what kind of things they are going to have once you get there. They call diapers nappys, and they eat fish and chips, curries, and prawns, so I wasn't going to take any chances on our comfortable experience. My son was comfortable in his pampers cruisers, so I packed enough for the whole trip. He loved his organic Gerber mish mosh, so I packed a shitload of those too. He had sensitive skin, so I packed a washcloth from home and some mild soap. My husband thought I was crazy, but I only had one big roller bag, a duffle for Pig, and my diaper bag, oh, and a purse, but that's it. We made arrangements with all of the hotels for a pack n play, and we didn't take his car-seat since we used trains and public transit the whole time. In fact, when we got there, the cabby took the entire stroller and put it in the cab with Pigpen in it and put the brake on (the cabs are huge in London). I was prepared to hold him on my lap like the most secure human restraint on earth, but he was happy in his stroller, and probably much more safe.
I made sure he had at least two blankets from home for his bed, and two stuffed animals. That way each place wasn't sooo different from home. We also downloaded lullabies on my ipod and brought this awesome little speaker dock that looks like a lego to put next to his bed. I also have this great little night light from Ikea called the Spoka. I take it with me when I go places because it travels well, and it's great to have a night light with kids.
We had such an awesome time! We even made arrangements with the hotel for a babysitter two different nights. The hotels were nice, and these were people that they contracted, thus making them liable, so you can trust it. I took a photo of the babysitter holding Pigpen each time before I left so I could show it to the police later if I had to, but the girls were sweet and did a great job. I loved our trip. Be brave if you travel! I learned how to navigate the Tube, London's subway system. One helpful hint about subways and strollers is, look for the handicap accessible stops if you are by yourself. That way you can be certain you will be able to wheel your chariot where it needs to go instead of getting somewhere with 4 flights of stairs and no elevator. I learned that the hard way. We also started to take the ferry instead of the subway....it was a few pounds more, but it was faster and waaayyy easier. Plus, what little boy doesn't love a boat?
That is all I can remember. I hope that helps, and let me know if anyone had any questions about traveling with those sweet little baby angels of yours who would never cry, or make noise, or do anything annoying to other passengers.
Oh, here is some good airplane etiquette. Be nice, be as calm as possible, and realize that it is loud on an airplane, so people probably aren't hearing anything from your area at least two rows away. I always say to my kids out loud, "don't kick or touch the seat in front of you, I'm sure that man will not appreciate it, do your best." That way he knows that I'm trying to keep them under control. Also, if things get out of control, just put on your blinders, don't panic, and think of what your child needs. Don't think about the people giving you the evil eye, just think about calming down, and getting your child whatever it is they want! :) Those evil eye folks will get theirs, and it won't be good, so don't worry about those assholes. And, if you don't have kids, please be nice to the people who do. They don't want to be on the plane any more than you do, so give them a break.
That's all for now......Tootles!
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
The Call
So, today was an ordinary day at Oak Lodge.....I still can't believe that I get to live in a house that has it's own name. Anyway....I have joined this fabulous Gym in town that is huge, awesome, and well fabulous. It has an entire wing for kids with tons of fun stuff to do. They even do a craft with them at certain times during the day, AND, you can leave them in the Kid's Zone for 2.25 hours. Awesome! Also....wait for it....wait for it....there is a full service spa that has everything from massages and facials, to nails and waxing for you to partake in while your kids are being thoughtfully entertained by people who are most definitely not petaphiles. They have a cafe that has two meals featured under glass display cases everyday, they have pools, they have pilates, they have yoga, they have some horrible class called "dance party" that I was so happy I did not partake in today. They have my happiness.
I digress. So this is my new haunt....I go there for piece of mind, and to meet friends. I actually met 3 really cool girls, and get this...one of them has my name. I'm finally starting to settle into a routine in my new town and my new house. It feels good. We still can't afford daycare yet, but maybe some day. I like to joke that I am the Governess of Oak Lodge because all of these men have been out lately to hook things up, and I'm dressed in sweats with crazy hair. I'm sure they think I'm eccentric to say the least....
So, back to the call. I was haunting my haunt when it came, and I'm sure it meant that my giant Louis bag was ringing annoyingly in the Kid's Zone. It was rainy and crappy here today, so I didn't even check my phone until I got home since it was tucked safely away in my hot coral Burberry Rain Coat. I was giving the kids their lunch, organic hotdogs (if that's not an oxymoron) and prunes, when I checked my messages. I called the custom closet place earlier that day to order more rods, so I figured the Boston number was the lady calling me back for my credit card information and address, but I was sooooo pleasantly surprised and totally flabbergasted when I listened to the message.
The message said, "Hi Mrs. P this AnnMarie from Hermes in Boston, and I was just calling to tell you that your Orange Birkin is finally here, and we will hold it here with your name on it until we here from you."
What??? Are you kidding me right now??? Those were my exact words. So, here I am...little old unfamous, un trust-funded, un oil-heiressed me, and now I have had not just one, but two encounters with the elusive Birkin. I never in a million years thought I would get a call back from AnnMarie. She seemed a bit Snooty McSnoot when I met her in the Boutique a year ago. Granted I did stroll in with my husband, who is cute, and quite fashionable, and well....my two kids. One of which was crying because she either pooped in her pants, wanted to sleep, was bored, or wanted to nurse. Still, I looked cute. I was sporting my super cool Mackage rain coat with bubble sleeves, a fabulous Missoni scarf and some Hunter wellies when we went in. I remember she didn't have any normal Birkins in the store that day....they rarely do, but she had an exotic skin one that she let me fondle. I gave her my name and information, as well as the color and size that I wanted. And Bam! One year later.....I got the call.
I totally called her back to talk details with her. She told me the price and I responded with a sarcastic but jovial joke about that being totally normal and mainstream. She actually laughed and joked with me. I told her that we just moved and bought a house, so it was most likely a no-go, but I would talk it over with my husband and get back to her. Then, I asked her if she could send me a picture of it, and she said that she would. I can't even stand it! I had a few delirious thoughts of charging it. I could just hear my husband in the back of my head saying, "your credit doesn't matter now since we have a badass house that we won't be moving out of any time soon". That means, to a shopaholic that you should go out and get every store card imaginable and charge everything ridiculous. Thank God I am a recovering shopaholic!!
I will just revel in the photo and in the hopes that one day I will write a best seller and buy one with all of my millions. :)
I digress. So this is my new haunt....I go there for piece of mind, and to meet friends. I actually met 3 really cool girls, and get this...one of them has my name. I'm finally starting to settle into a routine in my new town and my new house. It feels good. We still can't afford daycare yet, but maybe some day. I like to joke that I am the Governess of Oak Lodge because all of these men have been out lately to hook things up, and I'm dressed in sweats with crazy hair. I'm sure they think I'm eccentric to say the least....
So, back to the call. I was haunting my haunt when it came, and I'm sure it meant that my giant Louis bag was ringing annoyingly in the Kid's Zone. It was rainy and crappy here today, so I didn't even check my phone until I got home since it was tucked safely away in my hot coral Burberry Rain Coat. I was giving the kids their lunch, organic hotdogs (if that's not an oxymoron) and prunes, when I checked my messages. I called the custom closet place earlier that day to order more rods, so I figured the Boston number was the lady calling me back for my credit card information and address, but I was sooooo pleasantly surprised and totally flabbergasted when I listened to the message.
The message said, "Hi Mrs. P this AnnMarie from Hermes in Boston, and I was just calling to tell you that your Orange Birkin is finally here, and we will hold it here with your name on it until we here from you."
What??? Are you kidding me right now??? Those were my exact words. So, here I am...little old unfamous, un trust-funded, un oil-heiressed me, and now I have had not just one, but two encounters with the elusive Birkin. I never in a million years thought I would get a call back from AnnMarie. She seemed a bit Snooty McSnoot when I met her in the Boutique a year ago. Granted I did stroll in with my husband, who is cute, and quite fashionable, and well....my two kids. One of which was crying because she either pooped in her pants, wanted to sleep, was bored, or wanted to nurse. Still, I looked cute. I was sporting my super cool Mackage rain coat with bubble sleeves, a fabulous Missoni scarf and some Hunter wellies when we went in. I remember she didn't have any normal Birkins in the store that day....they rarely do, but she had an exotic skin one that she let me fondle. I gave her my name and information, as well as the color and size that I wanted. And Bam! One year later.....I got the call.
I totally called her back to talk details with her. She told me the price and I responded with a sarcastic but jovial joke about that being totally normal and mainstream. She actually laughed and joked with me. I told her that we just moved and bought a house, so it was most likely a no-go, but I would talk it over with my husband and get back to her. Then, I asked her if she could send me a picture of it, and she said that she would. I can't even stand it! I had a few delirious thoughts of charging it. I could just hear my husband in the back of my head saying, "your credit doesn't matter now since we have a badass house that we won't be moving out of any time soon". That means, to a shopaholic that you should go out and get every store card imaginable and charge everything ridiculous. Thank God I am a recovering shopaholic!!
I will just revel in the photo and in the hopes that one day I will write a best seller and buy one with all of my millions. :)
Thursday, February 3, 2011
Fashionista's Journey to PA
So here it is folks. I would like to apologize for being so absent in the bloggosphere, and mostly I would like to apologize to all of those folks who feel like I left like a fugitive with no goodbyes. Once you read this you will understand our plite. My loving husband is the worker in our family, and he was working at a medical implant start up company. No, we can not get you a good deal. :) We moved from Austin - the city that we loved - to try our hand at self employment before we started our family. So I moved from all of my friends to a strange little town in the northeast to live in a small log cabin on a lake in the middle of nowhere! I had just had a baby, put my career on hold, and moved from my family. It was so hard, but Pigpen, who was four months at the time was a trooper, and so was mommy. We made it work, and I made some really fabulous friends who helped me figure out how to be a stay at home mom. I love you guys for that!
So we knew that the start up world would be full of uncertainty. I approached it like Vegas. I am a super big risk taker, and my husband is not, so we really balance each other out that way. I supported him on this, and was ready to accept the outcome. It was going to be really good, or we were going to lose our shirts. I was ready for it, and I wore my big girl pants the whole time. Everything went really well for the first two years and his company was in the process of being sold while I had Birdie, and from that point on it was always touch and go. We were constantly in save mode so we could walk away if we needed to with some money in the bank. I think it's known as "f-you money" in the man world. He even told me at one point when the company was almost totally out of cash (the cash crisis occurred several more times) that I might need to go back to work. This conversation happened about a week and half after I had Birdie when I was still riding the emotional rollercoaster of motherhood. It was not a fun conversation to have. It was like being stuck in the trash compactor on Star Wars when all of the walls were closing in, and you were just sitting there knee deep in water full of floating trash with a hairy monster who can't talk and a smelly space captian.....awful! I couldn't imagine putting her in daycare for someone else to be responsible for since I had been with Pigpen the entire time. It just didn't seem fair to her, but I was willing to do what we had to do. I am able to get through these things with my Scarlett O'Hara mentality. "I will think about that tomorrow." I think that might be my best trait.
So, we were always in this perpetual limbo of uncertainty. I can't tell you how many times he would say, we might know something next month. They are supposed to tell us if they are going to buy the company next month. It never happened. They never made up their minds.....they would extend it and extend it, and I had no idea if I was staying or moving somewhere else. I decided to just live my life like nothing was happening. We both decided to just stop trying to predict the future and live life like we were staying. I made plans with my friends and never mentioned that I could be leaving soon. I thought that was the best way to go since we really didn't know. The possibilites were: build the company up locally, stay put for about two more years and then move to the town of the company that acquired them, move to Salt Lake City, move back to Austin, move to San Diego, or move to PA. I looked at real estate in each city every day. It was nuts! All the while not knowing what we were doing or where we were going. It changed on a daily basis, so we just started to approach it with a sense of humor.
Then, we were in PA over Thanksgiving and there were several companies bidding on the start up. My husband got a call from one of the big ones, and was asked to formally interview for his dream job sometime before the end of the year. I think he hung up the phone and crapped his pants a little. He really didn't, but maybe he wanted to. So, it was the Friday before Thanksgiving, and we were leaving that evening to head to PA to be with his family. He talked to the President of the company right before we left and decided to take some suits along just in case they could put an agenda together. Thank goodness he did! They called him Sunday night and told him to come in to interview Monday and Tuesday. He brought exactly two suits....lucky. This company had been looking for someone to fill this job for the past 6 months....it was a big job...
So he left early in the morning for his "meeting", and I had to sit there and tell everyone it was just a meeting with one of the companies that wanted to buy his company.....the whole time I was dying inside because I knew that his family would do cartwheels if they knew that we might be an hour and half away. My family, not so much, but it's nice to make at least one family happy. San Diego wouldn't make anyone happy.
The job interviews took all day long each day, and he was so worn out when he got home, and I was under a strict gag order to not mention one word about this to anyone. He was sensitive that if it didn't work out, the added pressure of seeing his family get excited and then disappointed would be too much to handle, so I just had to sit there and not tell a soul about any of this!!!!! It was torture!!! Maybe I told one person, but I will never confirm that ever!
Time passed, we made it through the holiday and prepared to go to Texas for Christmas. The buying of the company was coming to a head before the end of the year (they really were totally out of cash by this time), and his presence at the office was more important than ever. This meant we weren't going to get to Texas, and my mother's heart was going to be broken! We broke the news to her, and told her it wasn't for sure, but that we were probably going to have to stay in the frozen North until the deal closed. She was very sad, but understood. It sucked to say the least.
The days just mopped by like a Salvadore Dali painting. The present and the future just sagged like the clock hanging on the tree branch it.....was.....so.....painfully........slow. No one would make up their mind about buying the company. I just wanted to call them all and say, "look you stupid suits, shit or get off the pot, so I can get on with my life!" But then!!! My husband got offered THE job! Not one of the million backup jobs in far away places, but his dream job at the big company in PA! It's a huge job for a huge company with huge responsibility, but he is the type of person that thrives in that environment, and he loves to be busy, so well....he's going to be really busy!
This brings me to the part about telling people. I wasn't allowed to tell anyone about the job offer because it was an offer from Company A. Company A had been trying to buy my husband's company, Company C, and then Company A's competitor called Company B was also trying to buy Company C. Company B wanted to buy C, but also wanted my husband to go there and work, but my husband really wanted to work at Company A. It was all very touchy, and very sensative, so I wasn't allowed to tell a soul for fear that something would leak to Company B, and then they wouldn't go through with the buy out of Company C because of his acceptance with Company A. Do you smell what I'm steppin in? We had been waiting for this day for over a year, so I wasn't about to be the one to ruin everything with a blab of the mouth. Wouldn't that be awesome....the one who doesn't have a job ruined the one who does have a job's chances for success. I just couldn't risk it, so I had to keep quite.
With this news, we were able to buy tickets for Texas and spend a great holiday there. We were at my parents' house in the Hill Country for the first part of the holiday, then we went to my family's ranch to hang out with the deer, and then we rang in the New Year in Port Aransas at my brother's beach house. It was soooo awesome! My brother has an enormous boat that I think qualifies as a Yacht. I'm not talking the Yacht that Goldie Hawn fell off of in Overboard, but a mini version of that with 3 bedrooms, 2 full baths, and a beautiful living room. It's unreal! We got to be "those people" one night. You know those people that pull up to the restaurant in their big boat and hop off of the back with kids in tow to eat at the restaurant while the captain stays on the boat and waits for you to finish dinner and drive you home since you drank too much wine; yeah, those people. It was ridiculous, and so much fun! I'll blog about that later.
I was feeling much more at ease since I finally knew what the future held. Nobody got rich when the company sold, but they preserved most of their shareholder's value and the product will make it to the hospital instead of a business book. That was a pretty good outcome. I could actually breathe easy and not have to wonder where I would be in a month. There really were so many ways it could have gone....the worst being all the deals and job offers fall through, the company liquidates, and we're out on the street. That was such a real possibility at times that I just chose the Scarlet O'Hara approach to all of it. I couldn't even think about it.
But now!! We are in PA, my husband started his new job which he loves, and we are about to buy the most beautifully fabulous house I have ever seen. I can't even believe that I get to live in a 100 year old house in PA that sits on three and half acres of beauty. I have waited soooo long for this. I have lived for three years in a log cabin with no bathtub causing me to cringe every time Pigpen got in a sandbox or in a mud puddle. Now he can get as dirty as boys can, and I can choose from 4 tubs to soak him in. I can even hose him down in the yard like a naked little jaybird if necessary, and no one will think I'm white trash because no one will see me. I feel so grateful that everything has worked out so wonderfully, but believe me, it took a lot to get to this point. This is the prime example of patients paying off. For those of you who now me, you know that I am Mrs. Instant Gratification, and not Mrs. Patience. I usually make a gaggy face at those Mrs. Patience people, but I have done my best, and I am quite proud of how I handled things. Now we can breathe easy and be poor because we have a fabulous house, instead of because we are saving for the worst case scenario. I like house poor better than that for sure!
So this is my explanation and my apology to all of the fabulously wonderful people I met in Massachusetts. I love and miss all of you! You were and are wonderful friends, and you will always be welcome in our home. I will make you delicious food, and we will have so much fun if you come to visit. I miss going to the gym. I miss our dreamy play-dates. I miss our girl's weekends. I miss our Natick Mall adventures. I miss our Wellesly shopping excursions. I miss my fabulous neighbors, and I even miss Dunks. You people made a Texas girl feel really happy in the frozen north!!!
So we knew that the start up world would be full of uncertainty. I approached it like Vegas. I am a super big risk taker, and my husband is not, so we really balance each other out that way. I supported him on this, and was ready to accept the outcome. It was going to be really good, or we were going to lose our shirts. I was ready for it, and I wore my big girl pants the whole time. Everything went really well for the first two years and his company was in the process of being sold while I had Birdie, and from that point on it was always touch and go. We were constantly in save mode so we could walk away if we needed to with some money in the bank. I think it's known as "f-you money" in the man world. He even told me at one point when the company was almost totally out of cash (the cash crisis occurred several more times) that I might need to go back to work. This conversation happened about a week and half after I had Birdie when I was still riding the emotional rollercoaster of motherhood. It was not a fun conversation to have. It was like being stuck in the trash compactor on Star Wars when all of the walls were closing in, and you were just sitting there knee deep in water full of floating trash with a hairy monster who can't talk and a smelly space captian.....awful! I couldn't imagine putting her in daycare for someone else to be responsible for since I had been with Pigpen the entire time. It just didn't seem fair to her, but I was willing to do what we had to do. I am able to get through these things with my Scarlett O'Hara mentality. "I will think about that tomorrow." I think that might be my best trait.
So, we were always in this perpetual limbo of uncertainty. I can't tell you how many times he would say, we might know something next month. They are supposed to tell us if they are going to buy the company next month. It never happened. They never made up their minds.....they would extend it and extend it, and I had no idea if I was staying or moving somewhere else. I decided to just live my life like nothing was happening. We both decided to just stop trying to predict the future and live life like we were staying. I made plans with my friends and never mentioned that I could be leaving soon. I thought that was the best way to go since we really didn't know. The possibilites were: build the company up locally, stay put for about two more years and then move to the town of the company that acquired them, move to Salt Lake City, move back to Austin, move to San Diego, or move to PA. I looked at real estate in each city every day. It was nuts! All the while not knowing what we were doing or where we were going. It changed on a daily basis, so we just started to approach it with a sense of humor.
Then, we were in PA over Thanksgiving and there were several companies bidding on the start up. My husband got a call from one of the big ones, and was asked to formally interview for his dream job sometime before the end of the year. I think he hung up the phone and crapped his pants a little. He really didn't, but maybe he wanted to. So, it was the Friday before Thanksgiving, and we were leaving that evening to head to PA to be with his family. He talked to the President of the company right before we left and decided to take some suits along just in case they could put an agenda together. Thank goodness he did! They called him Sunday night and told him to come in to interview Monday and Tuesday. He brought exactly two suits....lucky. This company had been looking for someone to fill this job for the past 6 months....it was a big job...
So he left early in the morning for his "meeting", and I had to sit there and tell everyone it was just a meeting with one of the companies that wanted to buy his company.....the whole time I was dying inside because I knew that his family would do cartwheels if they knew that we might be an hour and half away. My family, not so much, but it's nice to make at least one family happy. San Diego wouldn't make anyone happy.
The job interviews took all day long each day, and he was so worn out when he got home, and I was under a strict gag order to not mention one word about this to anyone. He was sensitive that if it didn't work out, the added pressure of seeing his family get excited and then disappointed would be too much to handle, so I just had to sit there and not tell a soul about any of this!!!!! It was torture!!! Maybe I told one person, but I will never confirm that ever!
Time passed, we made it through the holiday and prepared to go to Texas for Christmas. The buying of the company was coming to a head before the end of the year (they really were totally out of cash by this time), and his presence at the office was more important than ever. This meant we weren't going to get to Texas, and my mother's heart was going to be broken! We broke the news to her, and told her it wasn't for sure, but that we were probably going to have to stay in the frozen North until the deal closed. She was very sad, but understood. It sucked to say the least.
The days just mopped by like a Salvadore Dali painting. The present and the future just sagged like the clock hanging on the tree branch it.....was.....so.....painfully........slow. No one would make up their mind about buying the company. I just wanted to call them all and say, "look you stupid suits, shit or get off the pot, so I can get on with my life!" But then!!! My husband got offered THE job! Not one of the million backup jobs in far away places, but his dream job at the big company in PA! It's a huge job for a huge company with huge responsibility, but he is the type of person that thrives in that environment, and he loves to be busy, so well....he's going to be really busy!
This brings me to the part about telling people. I wasn't allowed to tell anyone about the job offer because it was an offer from Company A. Company A had been trying to buy my husband's company, Company C, and then Company A's competitor called Company B was also trying to buy Company C. Company B wanted to buy C, but also wanted my husband to go there and work, but my husband really wanted to work at Company A. It was all very touchy, and very sensative, so I wasn't allowed to tell a soul for fear that something would leak to Company B, and then they wouldn't go through with the buy out of Company C because of his acceptance with Company A. Do you smell what I'm steppin in? We had been waiting for this day for over a year, so I wasn't about to be the one to ruin everything with a blab of the mouth. Wouldn't that be awesome....the one who doesn't have a job ruined the one who does have a job's chances for success. I just couldn't risk it, so I had to keep quite.
With this news, we were able to buy tickets for Texas and spend a great holiday there. We were at my parents' house in the Hill Country for the first part of the holiday, then we went to my family's ranch to hang out with the deer, and then we rang in the New Year in Port Aransas at my brother's beach house. It was soooo awesome! My brother has an enormous boat that I think qualifies as a Yacht. I'm not talking the Yacht that Goldie Hawn fell off of in Overboard, but a mini version of that with 3 bedrooms, 2 full baths, and a beautiful living room. It's unreal! We got to be "those people" one night. You know those people that pull up to the restaurant in their big boat and hop off of the back with kids in tow to eat at the restaurant while the captain stays on the boat and waits for you to finish dinner and drive you home since you drank too much wine; yeah, those people. It was ridiculous, and so much fun! I'll blog about that later.
I was feeling much more at ease since I finally knew what the future held. Nobody got rich when the company sold, but they preserved most of their shareholder's value and the product will make it to the hospital instead of a business book. That was a pretty good outcome. I could actually breathe easy and not have to wonder where I would be in a month. There really were so many ways it could have gone....the worst being all the deals and job offers fall through, the company liquidates, and we're out on the street. That was such a real possibility at times that I just chose the Scarlet O'Hara approach to all of it. I couldn't even think about it.
But now!! We are in PA, my husband started his new job which he loves, and we are about to buy the most beautifully fabulous house I have ever seen. I can't even believe that I get to live in a 100 year old house in PA that sits on three and half acres of beauty. I have waited soooo long for this. I have lived for three years in a log cabin with no bathtub causing me to cringe every time Pigpen got in a sandbox or in a mud puddle. Now he can get as dirty as boys can, and I can choose from 4 tubs to soak him in. I can even hose him down in the yard like a naked little jaybird if necessary, and no one will think I'm white trash because no one will see me. I feel so grateful that everything has worked out so wonderfully, but believe me, it took a lot to get to this point. This is the prime example of patients paying off. For those of you who now me, you know that I am Mrs. Instant Gratification, and not Mrs. Patience. I usually make a gaggy face at those Mrs. Patience people, but I have done my best, and I am quite proud of how I handled things. Now we can breathe easy and be poor because we have a fabulous house, instead of because we are saving for the worst case scenario. I like house poor better than that for sure!
So this is my explanation and my apology to all of the fabulously wonderful people I met in Massachusetts. I love and miss all of you! You were and are wonderful friends, and you will always be welcome in our home. I will make you delicious food, and we will have so much fun if you come to visit. I miss going to the gym. I miss our dreamy play-dates. I miss our girl's weekends. I miss our Natick Mall adventures. I miss our Wellesly shopping excursions. I miss my fabulous neighbors, and I even miss Dunks. You people made a Texas girl feel really happy in the frozen north!!!
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
The Mom Shower
If you are a mom you know that a shower is not just a shower, it's a small luxury that is rarely enjoyed and prolonged, but when it is.......it's like a unexplainable cleanse of so many things-someone else's snot, spit up, an unusual smell on your shoulder, pureed carrots from your hair, your overall spirit. Today I experienced one of those. Today......I am a better person.
Usually my "mom shower" is something reminiscent of Summer Camp, meaning, you have about 3 minutes to do your best. IE-shaving your legs is not on the menu unless you want to take the entire strip of skin off of your tibia. The underarms, well, you will regret it when you lift your arms overhead at a playdate the next day, or at the gym....if you're an over achiever mom who frequents such places. I do frequent the gym...at first it was the only place that I could get away from my "nice baby", and it was the only place that the "nice baby" could get some human contact with other "nice babies" and not to mention other caregivers. I have finally made some friends, so I do also get to go to playdates and fun little outings these days. Thank you Jesus! I digress....
Thus, not looking like Julia Roberts on the red carpet that time she had full on man hair under her arms is important. Okay, back to the "mom shower". The "mom shower" happens at two different times of the day: way too late, or during nap time. The "way to late" shower usually happens around 10pm when I would rather be curled up on the sofa watching something mindless or drifting off to sleep in my cozy bed. This shower is truly a necessity because you realize that it's not your husband who smells like BO, it's you! And, if you want your new Alexander Wang Cardigan Wrap (the one you bought at Barneys for way too much that really shouldn't go in the washer) to smell like your husband, you better take it off, and take care of that. So, that's the late shower.
The "nap time shower" is the most ridiculous of the two. This is the one that starts on impulse. You realize that you may have a few moments to yourself, and you really long to read the new addition of Lucky that just arrived in the mailbox, but once again, you can't remember the last time you showered, and you think that must be the reason that your hair is so....well, uncooperative. So, you rip off your clothes, leave the bathroom door open, blast the baby monitor, and hope you can get through the conditioning cycle before you hear the scream of the baby, or the blood curdling, "mooooommmyyy" of the two and half year old. My favorite is when you can hear the baby crying, and you haven't even rinsed the shampoo out of your hair or even started the body wash faze. This is when you have to make the clutch decision, do I finish, or do I rush out of the shower only to find that she is bored and not dying of something unusual? Decisions decision.....the day is filled with them when you stay at home with your kids.
I remember, in my former life, I would wake up, go for a run, come back, eat breakfast, shower, get dressed in a suit, heels, fabulous bag, and head out the door with perfume on. Everyday. Back then I took showers for granted, I hate myself for that.
However, every once in a while you will have that great day when both kids nap at the same time, and you have 2 whole hours to yourself. And in two hours.....anythings possible!! Keep in mind, you can't leave your house, but you might be able to shower, do some on-line shopping, win something fab on Ebay, watch some Tivo'd nonsense and enjoy an afternoon Espresso. I call this, "the perfect storm", and I will never take those days for granted.......Ever!
So here's to all you mom's out there who have showered faster than the pit crew changing a tire at a Nascar race. I get it, I impathize with it, and I can laugh about it. :)
Usually my "mom shower" is something reminiscent of Summer Camp, meaning, you have about 3 minutes to do your best. IE-shaving your legs is not on the menu unless you want to take the entire strip of skin off of your tibia. The underarms, well, you will regret it when you lift your arms overhead at a playdate the next day, or at the gym....if you're an over achiever mom who frequents such places. I do frequent the gym...at first it was the only place that I could get away from my "nice baby", and it was the only place that the "nice baby" could get some human contact with other "nice babies" and not to mention other caregivers. I have finally made some friends, so I do also get to go to playdates and fun little outings these days. Thank you Jesus! I digress....
Thus, not looking like Julia Roberts on the red carpet that time she had full on man hair under her arms is important. Okay, back to the "mom shower". The "mom shower" happens at two different times of the day: way too late, or during nap time. The "way to late" shower usually happens around 10pm when I would rather be curled up on the sofa watching something mindless or drifting off to sleep in my cozy bed. This shower is truly a necessity because you realize that it's not your husband who smells like BO, it's you! And, if you want your new Alexander Wang Cardigan Wrap (the one you bought at Barneys for way too much that really shouldn't go in the washer) to smell like your husband, you better take it off, and take care of that. So, that's the late shower.
The "nap time shower" is the most ridiculous of the two. This is the one that starts on impulse. You realize that you may have a few moments to yourself, and you really long to read the new addition of Lucky that just arrived in the mailbox, but once again, you can't remember the last time you showered, and you think that must be the reason that your hair is so....well, uncooperative. So, you rip off your clothes, leave the bathroom door open, blast the baby monitor, and hope you can get through the conditioning cycle before you hear the scream of the baby, or the blood curdling, "mooooommmyyy" of the two and half year old. My favorite is when you can hear the baby crying, and you haven't even rinsed the shampoo out of your hair or even started the body wash faze. This is when you have to make the clutch decision, do I finish, or do I rush out of the shower only to find that she is bored and not dying of something unusual? Decisions decision.....the day is filled with them when you stay at home with your kids.
I remember, in my former life, I would wake up, go for a run, come back, eat breakfast, shower, get dressed in a suit, heels, fabulous bag, and head out the door with perfume on. Everyday. Back then I took showers for granted, I hate myself for that.
However, every once in a while you will have that great day when both kids nap at the same time, and you have 2 whole hours to yourself. And in two hours.....anythings possible!! Keep in mind, you can't leave your house, but you might be able to shower, do some on-line shopping, win something fab on Ebay, watch some Tivo'd nonsense and enjoy an afternoon Espresso. I call this, "the perfect storm", and I will never take those days for granted.......Ever!
So here's to all you mom's out there who have showered faster than the pit crew changing a tire at a Nascar race. I get it, I impathize with it, and I can laugh about it. :)
Monday, August 23, 2010
LL Bean??
So, ever since I've moved to New England I have felt somewhat compelled to own something from LL Bean. I can't believe I just admitted that, but don't write me off just yet. I have tried to like their wares every time we get one of their catalogs in the mail, and since we get one every five days it seems.....I have tried a lot! I even went with my husband to a new LL Bean store that just opened in Dedham. I went with him fully convinced I would leave the store with a pair of LL Bean Classic Duck boots, but I just couldn't pull the trigger when it came down to it. I guess I just felt so......dare I say.......ordinary.
Plus I might have to shoot myself in the face if I were out in my LL Bean Classic duck boots and happened to walk by a fellow fashionista sporting some Jimmy Choo Hunter Wellies. She would probably look at my ordinary boots and look at me like a fun project. That is when I would scream inside and shoot myself in the face, because.......if you have Jimmy Choo rainboots, you wear the Jimmy Choo rainboots, and oh yes, I have the Jimmy Choo Hunter wellies in Black.
However, I was somewhat enchanted with the commercial for the new store opening that was airing in the area. It showed several devoted customers lining up the day before the big opening with tents, sleeping bags, camp chairs, little stoves, etc.....all made by LL Bean. These people were adventurous, happy, and all hoping to get the coveted $1000 gift card that goes to one of the random first 25 customers. It looked like a fab time! I mean, you are camping in the parking lot at a nice new shopping center right next door to PF Changs. Civilization is right there, and it has lettuce wraps, and Dan Dan noodles. Anyway, I was enchanted and intrigued, but somewhat disappointed with the selection of ill-fitting pants and mock turtlenecks once we finally went to the store.
But then, this summer, something somewhat extraordinary happened. No, I didn't turn gay and fall in love with Classic LL Bean clothing, We got a different type of LL Bean catalog. It was the "LL Bean Signature" catalog, and the clothes were actually cute. I even dogeared some pages. That's major!!
There is a slight hint of fall in the air right now in New England. I'm still trying to hold on to summer without wishing it away, but all of my cute boots are calling out to me in the night.....it's just so hard. And well, I think I found a pair of new boots to add to my collection. LL Bean Signature line has come out with their "stylish" version of the Classic Bean Boot. It's so cute! It's almost twice the price of the ugly one, but that's okay, because it's actually really cool, and it's sitting in my online shopping cart as I type. I think I need them! I actually think I might need several things from the website.
In fact, I was genuinely sad when I discovered that the Vintage Rose Madras Camp Shirt is sold out in my size. I might need the corduroy shorts, and I can't believe that I love the navy turtleneck with ducks on it. Who am I? I thought I liked the Cuffed cropped pant, but then upon further inspection I discovered that the model looked like she had a faint camel toe and a fat ass, so that means disaster for normal people, so don't even think about it. I like the Heeled Penny Loafer, and dare I say.......the signature belt! Ahhhh! I would be a walking advertisement for them if I got that! I don't know if I was abducted by aliens last night or what, but it's true, I kind of want it!
Thus, it's official, I am borderline obsessed with the Bean Boot, and the Downeaster Sport Wool Plaid Bag. It's the cutest! And it will be so sassy on weekend trips to mountain lodges because we do so much of that with our two kids, well, maybe we will start. :) Should I click the check out button......
Plus I might have to shoot myself in the face if I were out in my LL Bean Classic duck boots and happened to walk by a fellow fashionista sporting some Jimmy Choo Hunter Wellies. She would probably look at my ordinary boots and look at me like a fun project. That is when I would scream inside and shoot myself in the face, because.......if you have Jimmy Choo rainboots, you wear the Jimmy Choo rainboots, and oh yes, I have the Jimmy Choo Hunter wellies in Black.
However, I was somewhat enchanted with the commercial for the new store opening that was airing in the area. It showed several devoted customers lining up the day before the big opening with tents, sleeping bags, camp chairs, little stoves, etc.....all made by LL Bean. These people were adventurous, happy, and all hoping to get the coveted $1000 gift card that goes to one of the random first 25 customers. It looked like a fab time! I mean, you are camping in the parking lot at a nice new shopping center right next door to PF Changs. Civilization is right there, and it has lettuce wraps, and Dan Dan noodles. Anyway, I was enchanted and intrigued, but somewhat disappointed with the selection of ill-fitting pants and mock turtlenecks once we finally went to the store.
But then, this summer, something somewhat extraordinary happened. No, I didn't turn gay and fall in love with Classic LL Bean clothing, We got a different type of LL Bean catalog. It was the "LL Bean Signature" catalog, and the clothes were actually cute. I even dogeared some pages. That's major!!
There is a slight hint of fall in the air right now in New England. I'm still trying to hold on to summer without wishing it away, but all of my cute boots are calling out to me in the night.....it's just so hard. And well, I think I found a pair of new boots to add to my collection. LL Bean Signature line has come out with their "stylish" version of the Classic Bean Boot. It's so cute! It's almost twice the price of the ugly one, but that's okay, because it's actually really cool, and it's sitting in my online shopping cart as I type. I think I need them! I actually think I might need several things from the website.
In fact, I was genuinely sad when I discovered that the Vintage Rose Madras Camp Shirt is sold out in my size. I might need the corduroy shorts, and I can't believe that I love the navy turtleneck with ducks on it. Who am I? I thought I liked the Cuffed cropped pant, but then upon further inspection I discovered that the model looked like she had a faint camel toe and a fat ass, so that means disaster for normal people, so don't even think about it. I like the Heeled Penny Loafer, and dare I say.......the signature belt! Ahhhh! I would be a walking advertisement for them if I got that! I don't know if I was abducted by aliens last night or what, but it's true, I kind of want it!
Thus, it's official, I am borderline obsessed with the Bean Boot, and the Downeaster Sport Wool Plaid Bag. It's the cutest! And it will be so sassy on weekend trips to mountain lodges because we do so much of that with our two kids, well, maybe we will start. :) Should I click the check out button......
Sunday, July 25, 2010
Local Produce
So, I just ate a delicious orange, and I noticed when I pulled the sticker off of it, that it came all the way from South Africa!! WTF? Why is my grocery store in Milford, MA buying bags of oranges from South Africa? Does that seem weird to anyone else, or is it just me? I just can't help but wonder what that bag of oranges had to go through to get here. Was it nothing short of planes, trains, and automobiles for that bag of South African oranges?
I also can't help but feel guilty that I'm not supporting the local community, or better yet, just plain old America. I would much rather be supporting an American Orange grower....I'm sure there are plenty that need my support. Why does my Massachusetts grocery store out source their oranges to South Africa. (I know, I know, I should have gone to a damn farmer's market, but I didn't!) I can't help but think it costs a fortune to bring those oranges to the states. Wouldn't it cost the same to get them more locally? Can local farmers not supply the demand for such a big grocery chain? Am I dabbling in, dare I say the words,.....Global Economics right now? Those words remind me of college, and of scary college classes taught by terribly uninteresting professors that create nothing less than a snooze fest instead of economic awareness. Maybe that's why I don't know the answers to these seemingly simple questions.
Why can't the grocery stores stock their shelves with local fair? I'm sure the local farmers don't have the overhead of a factory over seas, or maybe the oranges came from a local South African Farmer who really drives a tractor.....I don't really know, but I still can't help but think it's weird that I still have 4 oranges left in my house that traveled here from South Africa. Oh if those oranges could talk......would they have a British accent?
I also can't help but feel guilty that I'm not supporting the local community, or better yet, just plain old America. I would much rather be supporting an American Orange grower....I'm sure there are plenty that need my support. Why does my Massachusetts grocery store out source their oranges to South Africa. (I know, I know, I should have gone to a damn farmer's market, but I didn't!) I can't help but think it costs a fortune to bring those oranges to the states. Wouldn't it cost the same to get them more locally? Can local farmers not supply the demand for such a big grocery chain? Am I dabbling in, dare I say the words,.....Global Economics right now? Those words remind me of college, and of scary college classes taught by terribly uninteresting professors that create nothing less than a snooze fest instead of economic awareness. Maybe that's why I don't know the answers to these seemingly simple questions.
Why can't the grocery stores stock their shelves with local fair? I'm sure the local farmers don't have the overhead of a factory over seas, or maybe the oranges came from a local South African Farmer who really drives a tractor.....I don't really know, but I still can't help but think it's weird that I still have 4 oranges left in my house that traveled here from South Africa. Oh if those oranges could talk......would they have a British accent?
Thursday, July 15, 2010
Boys have a Johnson, Girls have a vagina...
So, this morning, when I was changing The Bird's diaper, Pigpen asked me where her "johnson" was. I told him that she didn't have a johnson because she was a girl, and girl's have a vagina. I then asked him if mommy had a johnson, and he said yes. I reminded him that mommy was a girl, and girls have a vagina, so mommy doesn't have a johnson. So, he shrugged his shoulders and went on his way. I then changed his diaper, and he was babbling something about mommy's "gina" and baby sister's "gina". I hadn't a clue, so I decided to inform them at school of his newfound information.
I told the girls that Pigpen learned that boys have a johnson, and girls have a vagina this morning, so I wasn't sure what great things he was going to say today. They looked at me half confused and laughing and just nodded. I left wandering if he was the only two year old that was aware of this....hmmmmm.
I had forgotten about the whole thing by the time I picked him up, and they didn't have any genitalia themed reports for me, so we drove home and talked about all the trucks and cars he played with at school. That evening when we were walking to the driving range, I told my husband about our conversation, and he thought that vagina was too "grown up" of a word to teach a boy who just turned two. I always thought you were supposed to call it by it's name and not make a big deal about it. Thus, we decided to call it "teetee" from here on out.
So daddy was taking him up to bed, and he told daddy that he didn't want to go to bed, he wanted to go to the store to touch "ginas". Daddy told him that those stores were illegal in Massachusetts, so Pigpen went to bed, and daddy told mommy that's why you don't call it a vagina yet. I'm still laughing!
I told the girls that Pigpen learned that boys have a johnson, and girls have a vagina this morning, so I wasn't sure what great things he was going to say today. They looked at me half confused and laughing and just nodded. I left wandering if he was the only two year old that was aware of this....hmmmmm.
I had forgotten about the whole thing by the time I picked him up, and they didn't have any genitalia themed reports for me, so we drove home and talked about all the trucks and cars he played with at school. That evening when we were walking to the driving range, I told my husband about our conversation, and he thought that vagina was too "grown up" of a word to teach a boy who just turned two. I always thought you were supposed to call it by it's name and not make a big deal about it. Thus, we decided to call it "teetee" from here on out.
So daddy was taking him up to bed, and he told daddy that he didn't want to go to bed, he wanted to go to the store to touch "ginas". Daddy told him that those stores were illegal in Massachusetts, so Pigpen went to bed, and daddy told mommy that's why you don't call it a vagina yet. I'm still laughing!
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