Thoughts Of A Social Media Mom

Today's fabulous guest post is by The Crayon Wrangler, who has been our September Blogger of the Month. I hope you have had a chance to visit her blog to enjoy her flare for words and most recently her eye for the fun and beautiful. She has just opened her own photography studio and the photos are just wonderful. Please join me in thanking Alycia for sharing her site with us this past month! 


6am
Personal Action: Woken up by the baby

Social Media Reaction: Tweet about how early it is. "Follow" Folgers on Twitter. Search Facebook for a Fan Page of moms addicted to caffeine.

7am
Personal Action: Wake up other children and start breakfast

Social Media Reaction: Search back of cereal box for a web address. Start a discussion in a forum about how you fed your kids a cold pop tart so other moms will chime in and make you feel better about your choice.

8am
Personal Action: Flip on some educational programming for the kids

Social Media Reaction: You are now in a full fledged battle about nutritious breakfast ideas within the previous mentioned forum.

9am
Personal Action: Hurriedly throw some clothes to make it to the grocery store before first nap.

Social Media Reaction: Tweet about the mean breakfast food women, take a Twitpic of your pathetic yoga pants in the store, take another Twitpic of your temper tantrum 2yo and receive tons of sympathetic tweets from other moms who have "been there, done that"

11am
Personal Action: Put up groceries and feed children lunch making sure it would be nutritious enough for the mean mommy forum.

Social Media Reaction: Get caught up in reading 18 blogs with healthy meal recipes and somehow one about raising chickens and farming crafts.

12pm
Personal Action: Put children down for nap

Social Media Reaction: Write a long blog post about how some moms are judgmental and how we should bond as women over the fact that we want what is best for our children, rather than fight about breakfast food. Check comments every 3 minutes to see if someone blasts you. Tweet with your friends about your post.

2pm
Personal Action: Wake kids up, snack time and out to the park

Social Media Reaction: Wonder about snack nutrition (this woman really got under your skin) twitpics for the next hour of your kids blurring on the swings and blurring down the slide.

4pm
Personal Action: Realize hubby will be home in one hour.

Social Media Reaction: Tweet about how you will be gone because you got nothing done.

4:05pm-8pm
Personal Action: Whirlwind of cleaning, cooking, eating, bath times, brushing teeth and bedtime stories

Social Media Reaction: Brainstorm about 40 good blog posts. Tell husband all about mean breakfast nutrition lady (Gals...don't do this one...he really doesn't care!)

8pm-9pm
Personal Action: Spend time with hubby and tell him all about what was going on in the Twitter universe. Shockingly he actually remembers these people by their screen names.

Social Media Reaction: None - it's hubby time and he will take away your phone if you tweet one. more. dang. time. when. he. is. talking. to. you.

9:30pm
Personal Action: Sit down to write one of those killer blog posts from earlier

Social Media Reaction: Blank on posts. Go back to blog about raising chickens and read until you get sleepy. Tweet that you are going to bed. Wait up another 30 minutes to see if anyone is going to tell you goodnight.

Word"less" Wednesday::Upcoming Announcements

Chicago

Ok, I admit it. It is hard for me to keep my Wednesday's wordless!! I try and I try, but it is just too difficult! Heh. One of these days I will surprise you....and myself and keep it to just a photo.

Today is not the day! :)

A lot is coming up here at Mom Got Blog this week, so words are necessary.

Tomorrow we will have another guest post from the Crayon Wrangler! She has once again created a fabulous post, so please come back to read it and enjoy.

Friday is October 1st, which means we will welcome our new Blogger of the Month! I am so excited to introduce you!

This weekend marks the start of speedskating season. Yes! Skaters have traveled to Milwaukee, WI to compete in Short Track American Cup (AmCup) series races-look for the latest updates and a story or two about those skating fast and turning left.

So I caught you up through the weekend with lots of words. Maybe next week I will try to zip my lip.

Gilligan's Island The Chicago Series: "The Professor"

It's Monday and it is time for our Chicago trip series to begin! For the next few weeks, I will be writing about my recent visit to one of my favorite places. I wasn't sure how to share all the great fun we had in just one post, so I decided to break it up. It worked out nicely because mid-way through our getaway, my husband and I and the couple we were traveling with said something along the lines "Isn't this trip kind of like Gilligan's Island?" From there we started to match up characters from the show to those we crossed paths with. Before we knew it, we had the entire cast done! Names, if known, have been changed to protect the innocent, but the story and places are real, seen and experienced from my perspective.

So, grab a chair and

"Sit right back and you'll hear a tale, a tale of a fateful trip...."

The Professor

from Google Search

The day of departure, I was traveling to Chicago with friends. The plan was to meet up with my husband, who was already there attending a conference. He would wrap up his meetings and then meet us at the hotel for lunch.

When we arrived, we hailed a taxi. As we made our way into town, I noticed our driver kept looking at his phone and was texting while darting through traffic. This of course was making me very nervous, so I started asking about the weather, buildings, etc. I realized the more questions I asked, the more he left the phone unattended. In our 20 minute commute we learned that he was from Somalia, he has lived in the US for 18 years, his two children made him very proud (his eyes and face softened as he spoke of them), and his parents still lived back in the homeland. He said he could tell that we were from the East Coast because we were so chatty and friendly.

We do look pretty friendly, don't we?

We thanked our new friend for getting us to the hotel and wished him good luck with his family. After checking in, we wasted no time! First and foremost was to find a place for lunch- we were starving! We settled on Harry Caray's. A great place to satisfy the appetite and baseball fix!

Our waiter was very nice and helpful when it came to the local beer selection. I ordered up an Eliot Ness and a Bison Burger, and we all decided to share a plate of Fried Ravioli. The food was out of this world good! A little gossip for the Yankees fans out there- a little bird told us that the night before, A-Rod and Cameron Diaz were cozy in the corner having dinner. I must confess, I am not a Yankees fan, but our friends are and that brought out an "Oh, reeaaaallllyyyy." which quickly left our minds as food and beverage arrived at the table!



Fried Ravioli



Bison Burger





Our waiter kept saying that he wanted to take our picture on the cow before we left-I was convinced that the staff in the back had a running bet who could get a customer on top of the cow. My girlfriend and I decided to sneak into the restroom and then we would all make a dart for it, but as we came out of the ladies room, there he was with a s-eating grin and a chair. The fellas were not helping by standing with cameras at the ready. Well, we were good sports and up we climbed onto the "Holy Cow!". Before we left, we said "Oh, no. You need to get in the picture with us." Payback is a bitch, isn't it? Although I guess the laugh was on us, because we were riding the bovine and I'm sure waiter was getting some greenbacks.

We set out to see other great sites: Millennium Park, The "Bean", Michigan Avenue and the Segway Tour place.

We talked about renting Segways as a fun way to tour the city. We found a place and booked a tour for the following day. It was around Happy Hour time by now and my husband mentioned a square that was blocked off and set up for an Oktoberfest. We were game, so we walked a few more city blocks. That night was 80's night and the band was in full swing. Tables were set up family style and folks were everywhere.

The guys grabbed the beer as my friend and I found a place at one of the tables. As we were discussing the different styles that were walking by, a new group of folks took the spot next to us. They too were enjoying a brew and some brats.

The gentleman standing next to us we deemed to be "The Professor". He totally looked the part, right down to the patched elbow jacket. Do guys still wear those? He was in town for the same conference my husband was attending. He was a little full of himself, touting how it costs too much money to operate his private company jet...yet was holding frequent flier cards fanned like a hand of "Go Fish". I would say that you should work harder on your inventions and less time trying to impress people you don't know with your claimed riches. Can you tell we were impressed? He kind of left a creepy vibe after that...sort of like "The Professor" of the tropical island. It was time to move on and leave him behind on the Oktoberfest "island".

We made our way to the House of Blues to grab a snack and listen to some good tunes. After walking all day and standing for most of the evening we were glad to make it in time to grab four stools and order some dinner. **As a side note, the B-52's are playing there on 10/7. So bummed I will miss that! I love them!!** 

It is here that we met the "Movie Star". Only for our story purposes, her name has been changed from Ginger to Omarosa or "Rude Girl". This my Twitter friends, is who I tweeted about after returning to the hotel.

Tune in next week as we hear Rude Girl throw around the difference of Blogger vs. Writer.



The Start of Our Three Hour Tour: Chicago Style

Last week I mentioned that a few posts would be dedicated to my trip to Chicago-one of my favorite cities-that I took with my husband and some dear friends. We had an absolute blast; even joking that for some reason, this trip felt a little like the TV show "Gilligan's Island" with the characters we met along the way.

Well, I think I am going to switch it up a bit and make this a series. It will be fun to reminisce and share with you why each encounter seemed to fit this show's characters perfectly! Check back each Monday for the next 5 weeks to see who we met and how they became the back story of our visit to the "Windy City"!

Ready to set sail?

Alrighty then! Let's go!

I Wish Time was in the Stars

This is my Horoscope for today as shared by Twittascope:


"Thursday, Sep 23rd, 2010 -- You are still on a creative run, but may wonder how long you'll be able to keep it up. You may get an extra boost from the Full Moon today, but other people's demands seem to suck up whatever additional energy you have. Ultimately, managing your time wisely is more important than anything else now; concentrating with great intensity on a task for a little while is more productive than casually meandering through your work without focus."

How did it know? I am tired. I am freaking exhausted.

I have all burners going on full blast and I think it is catching up with me. Not enough time in my day.

I have been up since 3am trying to set up a domain and such for Blog it Forward....getting our next Blogger of the Month set up and responding to a few comments on the guest post I did yesterday. After reading the comments on that post I think I may do a follow up  here.

Now it is 6am and I can't believe that 3 hours have gone *poof*!

Time to pack lunches then hop in the shower to get ready for work.

How do we women do this day in and day out and not collapse?

Wordless Wednesday:: Wild Horses Couldn't Keep Me Away

Chicago

*** Be sure to check out my post over on Scary Mommy today!! I am so excited! Did you know that I have been a huge fan of her blog since I started blogging? So wicked cool!***

Would love for you to leave some comments so I know you came for a visit!

The Pauper & The Princess is the article to look for! :)

Weekend Still on My Mind & Scary Mommy

I just spent the weekend in one of my all time favorite cities....Chicago!!

If I ever won the lottery, I would so buy a little place downtown. I love the vibe of this place....

I am still recovering from this trip, which my husband and I took with some friends. We toured, walked, ATE, shopped...lots of fun.

By the last evening, we could equate our trip to "Gilligan's Island" and could match each character with someone we met. It's true! I will catch you up with a few posts next week which will all be dedicated to the Windy City.

For now, I am trying to catch my breath with being away and getting back into the swing of work and school schedules.

I did want to tell you about something exciting though....

I will be guest posting on another blog tomorrow!! I cannot wait! The blog is one of my favorites and I am so honored that my post was accepted! Be sure to check out Scary Mommy tomorrow! That's right! I am on Scary Mommy! Woo-hoo!

Day 4: I'm Every Woman

Day 4: Back to Blogging- write a post about a woman who inspires you.

This is the hardest post to write!! How can I pick ONE woman? I have so many in my life that have given me inspiration whether they know it or not.

Oprah comes to mind...she inspired me to run a marathon...read more books...better myself.

My friend Kim...she inspired me every day as I watched her finish her Masters degree in psychology...while working....while raising 3 kids....she is just awesome.

My mother-in-law....she inspires me to be a better cook...she can have a conversation with anyone and make them feel like they have been friends forever- she inspires me to be that way....

My old boss....she is smart business woman and started and continues to run her own business...with a full staff....with 3 kids....in the event field. Not easy to do.

Elizabeth Gilbert, Julie Powell and Maya Angelou....all writers that have produced books that have changed my life and how I live it every day.

Bonnie Blair...for inspiring me to try speedskating and for allowing me to find and compete in my favorite sport.

I cannot choose just one woman. There are too many...but I know that with all of them,

I am every woman.



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**This week's posts will be done as part of "Get Back To Blogging" through SITS and a sponsored giveaway provided by, Standards of Excellence, Westar Kitchen and Bath, and Florida Builder Appliances. The item(s) up for grabs are "Thelma & Louise", a washer and dryer by Electrolux!

Back to Blogging:: Day 3- What's in a TItle?

I have been running on fumes for a few days now and it finally caught up to me last night! I sat down (once again, verrrry late) and opened up my laptop to schedule a few posts. I was on a site (BlogFrog to be exact) ready to make a comment on a discussion and you know what?

 I FELL ASLEEP! Right then and there! Totally zonked! I don't even know if I actually hit the reply button! I don't think I have ever done that before.

Have you ever been so tired that you just fell asleep like that?

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Day 3 of "Back to Bloggin" is to upload a past post title that I liked and explain why I liked it.


Here is one that I liked Writing:

What? No Stunt Double?

I promised this morning that I would have another post tonight sharing my weekend, but something happened today that had me cracking up ...at myself! If you saw it, you would have certainly been laughing AT me and I would not have blamed you one bit.

As I mentioned, today was my first day of my new job. It's a nice little job that I am very excited about. I was so nervous about making a good impression, that I did not sleep a wink last night and let me tell you, the alarm sounded much, much earlier than I wanted.

After sorting out a few things and having a few gulps of much needed coffee,  I got settled at my new desk and then it happened. I felt like I was in a re-run of the "I Love Lucy Show" only, I was not Lucy.

                                   I was her stand in.

I can hear the director now...

"Ok.  Lucy, I want you to reach over the arm rest of your chair, down into that tote bag and try to grab the bottle of water that is just out of your reach. Good. CUT! Bring in the stunt double...."

Then it is me in the chair and in the next instant, the chair tips, wheels fly out to the side, my feet and the legs of the chair are above my head and I am crashing onto the ground. "CUT! Bring Lucy back in!"

 

Lucy = "Whaaaaaaaaa! Riiiiiiiiiicckkkyyy!!!"

Me = "Ouch! Bpffffftttttttttt....hhahahahahaha!"

That's is correct. I literally fell out of my chair!

I am so glad nobody saw it happen because I would never have lived that one down!

I'm sure that my neighbor in the next office has no clue that there is a comic genius in the works, mere feet away. I'll keep that gem for months from now when I can say "Did I ever tell you what happened on my first day?"

For now, I am finishing my tea and grabbing the heating pad for my sore back.

*In my best Troy McClure voice*: "I'm not a stunt double, but I once played one in an office...you may have seen me in "Musical Chairs For Dummies" or "Stop, Drop and Roll, an Office Worker's Nightmare".

Not to worry stunt doubles, I'm going to keep my day job.


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I had a hard time finding a title of a post that was catchy! I do have a few...but not many. I have to work on that!

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**This week's posts will be done as part of "Get Back To Blogging" through SITS and a sponsored giveaway provided by, Standards of Excellence, Westar Kitchen and Bath, and Florida Builder Appliances. The item(s) up for grabs are "Thelma & Louise", a washer and dryer by Electrolux!

Guest Post::Parenting You Should Never Lose Your Humor

I am so excited to have our first Guest Post! And who better to kick this off than our Blogger of the Month, The Crayon Wrangler! Have you had a chance to visit yet? Getting to our Blogger of the Month is easy! Click the link on the sidebar, or follow the link through the tab above and prepare for some fantastic writing.

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Parenting is one of the hardest things you will ever do. It requires an insane amount of forward thinking, being fast on your feet and even faster with your responses. It can easily bring the strongest adult to their knees either in exhaustion or prayer. One should never look at a parent and believe that they have an easy life. Likewise, never tell a parent that their job is an easy one. You will get eaten for dinner with a nice red wine. 

I get asked a lot how I am able to look at parenting with so much humor. Don't put me on a pedestal just yet; there are many days I am hiding under my bed armed with a box of chocolate and murmuring incoherently about my spawn when my husband is able to find me and pull me out. The majority of the time, I try to just laugh about it. I am able to do this because:

If I don't laugh about it, I will cryI look at it as a home movie and ask, "If I was watching this 20 years from now; would I laugh?"Laughing about life lessons teaches my kids to laugh and builds self esteem. 

Let's face it, many times in parenting when you walk into a kitchen with cereal spilled on the floor, trying to get a pea out of a child's nose or the infant just painted the crib with a certain body function; you just want to cry. I believe the response to cry is because you are living in the moment. What if you don't live in the moment? What would your outlook be on those scenarios? If you look at that moment with the forward thought of it being someone else's kid or you are watching a home movie about it 20 years from now; you would be laughing. Why wait 20 years to laugh about it?

Let's look at the home movie of the cereal spilled all over the floor. You see the entire contents of the Cheerio box coating the floor. You are amazed at the fact that such a small box can actually cover 40 square feet with enough grain and wheat O's to make valleys and peaks. It the middle of all this is a child with an expression mixed with pride because they just fed themselves and fear over what your response will be. Instead of immediately grabbing the vacuum, you have other options. Grab some deep belly laughs and a camera. Praise your child for trying to feed themselves. You have just taught your child that while mistakes happen, the intention of what they were doing was correct. They have seen their mistake and learned that its OK to laugh at it and move on.

You have increased their self esteem and empowered them to continue to try to learn the correct ways of doing things, but if they make a mess of things you will be there to help willingly and not criticize. Later in life this will be crucial, because you want your children to come to you with the really big mistakes to ask advice and receive help. The lesson they learn from you blowing your top over spilled cereal is one of fear of messing up and fear of your correction.

Don't get me wrong and send me hate mail; there are times that a serious situation warrants a serious response. Not everything in life can laughed off, but with our children...don't sweat the small stuff and understand that every situation can be a learning lesson for them. This parenting thing is hard; no doubt about it. If you want to see some lessons that parents have learned check out some of these lessons from myself and other parents. http://coloringoutsidetheline.blogspot.com/search/label/lessons%20learned  If you visited that link, I am assured you are laughing. Let's keep that laughter in our parenting, know that you are not alone in the daily trials with your kids and never wait 20 years to laugh.

Get Back To Blogging: Day 2 Post

Today is Day 2 of the Get Back to Blogging and the task is to re-upload a post that I wish more people had read. Then explain why it was important to me.

This is the post I chose to share again:

Pasta Love
Original Post Date: 11/10/09


Friend 1 to Friend 2: “You sleep with ziti?”

Friend 2 to Friend 1: “What?!”

Friend Group: All in hysterical laughter.


I guess you had to be there; and I am so glad that I was!

Our family paid a visit to our old “hood” this past weekend. It’s been at least two years since our last visit and nine years since we left the sleepy little town nestled in Northeast Pennsylvania.

I once wrote that when you reconnect with an old, good friend after an absence, an ease and sense of comfort sets into your soul and it seems as though time has not passed at all. This weekend we reconnected with not just one friend, but twelve! Four could not make it due to other plans, and they were missed.

This group of couples actually feels more like family than friends. When my husband and I started our family it was hard not being close to our immediate families. We were pretty much on our own as my family was at least 3-hours away and my husband’s was a solid 5-hour trip. They say that kids bring you together and this rang true as I became involved with playgroups. Because most of us were in the same boat, we relied on each other for everything. We brought our kids together to play while we drank coffee and discussed preschools, shared recipes and story time at the local library. We even shared babysitters, which was like sharing gold.

As the kids got older, we began to have more dinner parties, game nights and wine tastings just to have an excuse to hang out more. Being a transient area, folks moved in and out on a frequent basis. We lucked out, because for a good 5 years we were all rooted in this town and I really believe this is what helped in creating great friendships. I have never laughed more than I have with this group. We had fun each and every time we got together.

I can still remember the morning I had to tell my best friend that my husband and I were relocating. I was devastated. We were doing our “5k” running course that morning (we ran and talked a lot!) and we added a little extra to the loop and went through town. It was an early fall morning-we always ran before our husbands had to leave for work- the sun coming up and the air cool. We just made our way down Main Street and were in front of the firehouse when I stopped, hunched over and started sobbing. I’m sure my friend was in the middle of a story and was wondering why I wasn’t commenting when she looked around and saw me behind her. I remember her coming up to me and placing her hand on my back asking if everything was alright. I blurted out “NO! I don’t know how to tell you this, so I’m just going to tell you; we’re moving.” She stood up and started running down the street mad as all hell. I was mad too. My comfort bubble had just burst and it was a scary thing.

Luckily, our friendship is strong and true and has lived through not only my move but hers as well. Her family recently moved back to our old stomping ground and hence a visit and party to reconnect with our group of friends. As they all began to arrive with hugs and smiles and more hugs, we all settled into our story sharing and how are you’s with ease. The laughs were constant as the birds and bees, religion, and politics were all stirred into the pot; nothing is off limits with this crowd. Since most of us have not seen each other in about 7 years, pictures of the kids were passed around and we all realized that our children are growing up too fast! What happened to the little 4 and 5 year olds we last saw? All of them are becoming young ladies and gentlemen. As for the parents? I think we all look damn good!

I have missed this group, my "friend family", very much. When I’m with them, I feel my guard is completely down and I soak in all the joy that is in the room. To quote another friend “You know, this group has always been great; I can never leave an evening without my cheeks hurting from laughing so much!”

Laughter is medicine to the soul and I’ll take that dose anytime.

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Why did I choose this post? I love the friends that helped to shape us into the folks we are today. We have a bond that has tested time and when I look back on that short time in our lives, I sometimes miss it and those that made our days so special.

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**This week's posts will be done as part of "Get Back To Blogging" through SITS and a sponsored giveaway provided by, Standards of Excellence, Westar Kitchen and Bath, and Florida Builder Appliances. The item(s) up for grabs are "Thelma & Louise", a washer and dryer by Electrolux!

Get Back To Blogging Day 1: Your Very First Post

Let me introduce you to the very first post I entered for Mom Got Blog. Can you believe it has been a year and a few months!?


Leap of Faith
Originally posted on 6/4/09

I recently had a Q & A with my brother about starting your own business. He has never been one to shy away from his entrepreneurial calling and has had a few very successful business ventures. As we spoke, he was explaining his new idea to me and at which stage of the process he was getting it off the ground. It’s one of those “why didn’t I think of that?!” ideas and once again he has been blessed with impeccable timing. When he is up and running I will follow up with a link to his new adventure located in Virginia Beach, Va. My brother’s insight and advice was perfect timing for me personally and he made my decision so much less scary! Thanks, bro. Love ya.

So here I am, jumping in with both feet and making a go of my new life adventure: writing.

When I was 21, I moved out of the house to live on my own. I quickly learned money was a necessity to live and eat, so I went into the corporate world of insurance and stayed there for 8 years. Around that 8 year mark, my husband and I found out that we were about to start a family. I went on maternity leave and we decided it was time for me to change careers and be a full time mom. 13 years and 2 kids later, it was the best decision my husband and I ever made.

The past few years, I have eased myself back to the workplace and I have to be honest, I've enjoyed being back in the mix of things and contributing to the success of the company, but I struggle with the thought that I still want more. So, adding an outlet to write and share my thoughts seemed to be the next phase to move into.

So, I start my adventure in this new field and invite you to come along with me in my leap of faith; I do not know everything, but I am willing to learn and even impart my wisdom and experience on some matters.

And to my dear brother, if this is as successful as we dreamed, beer is on me!

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**This week's posts will be done as part of "Get Back To Blogging" through SITS and a sponsored giveaway provided by, Standards of Excellence, Westar Kitchen and Bath, and Florida Builder Appliances. The item(s) up for grabs are "Thelma & Louise", a washer and dryer by Electrolux!
 
If you have been reading the past few weeks, then you know about the Gremlins that have taken up residence in my appliances- one being my washer- Which I now have to stand and hold the knob on for it to work at all!

A Game of 8 Question Tag

Andie from Multiple Mama created a game of tag and since I have never done one of these before,  I thought this might be fun. I'm a little late to the game, but I guess better late than never!

1. Why did you start blogging?
I wanted a place to get all these stories out...and I have loved every single minute of it!

2. If you could travel any where in the world with no restriction of costs, where would it be and why?
All over Europe. I would see everything possible in Italy, then in France and figure out the rest.

3. Did you have a teacher in school that had a great influence on your life? If so, what?
Yes, Mrs. Faddegon. She was my English teacher and it is in her class that I wrote & illustrated my first book-she stoked the writing fire. She loved to play tennis and had the best print handwriting...she was super cool.

4. If you could spend the day with a famous person, who would it be, and what would you do?
Hmm, tough one. Either Anthony Bourdain or the Cake Boss...maybe Duff of Charm City Cakes. Definitely a foodie....we would eat well and have awesome stories to share!

5. Toilet paper — over or under?
As long as I am spared a square and not left with the cardboard roll, then I'm good.

6. Name one thing in your life that you would do over if possible.
Hmmm....not sure I would.


7. Tell about your pets — if any.
We enjoy everyone else's pets.

8. Do you live in a small town or a large town. (You don’t have to name the town.)
Small town in a big county.


Now it's your turn! Take the same eight questions and answer them. Have fun!

Wordless Wednesday::A Break From All the Healthy Eating

A nice bowl of Cocoa Krispies is just what I needed.

First Day of School

Lunches are packed.
Backpacks are at the door.
Pencils are sharp.
What are you waiting for?

Time to see your friends, old and new
Tales of summer happenings are waiting
Sharing routines, schedules and books,
It is now time for creating!

Testing your math, grammar and science
will seem trying at first
but with a little time
in all subjects you will become well versed.

The clock always rings at dawn
Being up early is always a fuss
It's the First Day of School
Now hurry up or you'll miss your bus!

Drivers Ed FAIL

I am a patient person....but that patience can be tested at times as I go from point A to point B. So to ward off the the "What are you doing?!" and the "Where did you get your license, a Cracker Jack Box?" comments to fellow drivers I may take up teaching Driver's Ed refresher courses.

If I were a Drivers Ed instructor, the following points would be on my clipboard:

DON'T ride the tail of car in front of you traveling in the center lane when it is apparent they cannot move left or right to get out of your way. Flashing your high beams is not recommended.

DO: Merge into traffic when seeing the sign stating that RIGHT LANE MERGES 1/2 mile AHEAD. This means that you should move now. Not in the last meter of the cones. No one will want to let you in. No one like a line-butt-er.

DON'T: Travel 10 miles per hour under the posted speed limit, unless you are a cute 90 year old lady/man.

DO: Use your turn signal when you want to turn. No one is a mind reader.

DON'T: Stop while yielding onto the highway. It's just plain dangerous.

DO: Give a wave of Thanks when someone lets you into the flow of traffic after you have been sitting and waiting. It's just a nice thing to do.

DO: Be sure to have all makeup applied BEFORE you leave the house, unless you are a passenger, then car application is perfectly ok.

DON'T block an intersection while trying to make the yellow light. If your car length will not fit, wait for the next light cycle. It's only a few seconds...you can handle it!

Anything you would like to add to my clipboard???

Guess Who's NOT Coming to Dinner!

Want to know how to drive an Italian woman crazy?

Take away her oven.

Last weekend we had my brother and his family over for dinner. We were not expecting company for dinner, but as it is a no-brainer-like breathing-a place is always welcome (for ANY meal) at our table.

So, as I said- not expected, but that was ok...it was Sunday, meal prep would be easy, because EVERY Sunday is pasta in some shape or form in our house.  I had already taken the last of the frozen homemade sauce out of the freezer and instead of making macaroni, I decided to make a lasagna. I set the timer to preheat the oven and went about assembling while chatting with my daughter as she prepared the salad. I timed it perfectly...I had exactly one hour to cook and let it cool before company arrived. I whipped open the door and as I went to put the dish in the oven I said out loud

"Why is the oven cold?"

I looked at the control panel and it still read "PRE". Hmmm.

I asked my son to go get Dad. My husband came in and checked, pushed buttons, turned on burners, banged and double checked and said "Nope. It's "cooked", Bwaahaahaaahaa." Under normal circumstances, I would have found that punch line hysterical, but right now I am stressing. I can't freeze the dish because it won't fit in my freezer and I can't make a new pot of sauce because I don't have enough time. My neighbor saved me. I called her and asked:

Me: "Are you using your oven for dinner tonight?"

Friend: " No. We are having tacos."

Me: "I know this is going to sound crazy, but can I cook lasagna in your oven? Mine just bit the dust and I have company coming for dinner in an hour!"

Friend: "What should I set my oven to?"

I *so* owe her a bottle of wine!

My husband grabbed the dish and drove it down.

While the next 60 minutes ticked by, I went down to the laundry area and started a new load. Oh, and did I tell you that my washing machine is now on the fritz too? Uh, yeah.

Want to know how else to drive an Italian woman crazy?

Take away her washing machine.

For two weeks now, I have had to turn the dial a certain way and then hold it on while the cycle begins. If I don't, it won't agitate. Gremlins. I just had them here for a visit for my dryer, when the Laundry Fairy Returned as Gremlin!

And the third?? Because you know everything happens in three's...

Take away her dishwasher.

The night before we would learn about our oven, I turned on my dishwasher and it made the most horrible noise. I opened the door and checked to make sure nothing was blocking anything. Not that I could see. Turned it back on and "GGGGGGRRRRRUUUUMMMMPPP". The sound actually woke my husband and he came down from bed like the Grinch- "Noise! Noise! Noise!?" I pointed to the dishwasher and he opened the door and could not find anything either.

The next morning I checked carefully and pulled out a piece of thin plastic....the top of a tortilla package that you rip off the top. How the heck did it get in there? Gremlins.

Can't they find another house to party in?

Between the washing machine, dishwasher and now my oven, they have definitely overstayed their welcome. For the record...Gremlins are NOT welcome at my dinner table!

Luckily, my brother and his family are cute and not mischievous in any way and we were able to sit down to a nice homemade meal, something I hope we can do again soon.

How does an Italian woman get her revenge on Gremlins?

She starts with lots of garlic, a novena and a repair man. If that doesn't work, she braves the waters of the appliance store, salesman and all and buys a new one!

Damn Gremlins.

MGB- Blogger of the Month is Here!

All the months that have gone into the planning- I can't believe that the day has finally arrived!

Today is the day that the new feature MGB-Blogger of the Month begins!

So many great blogs exist on the web and it can be daunting to find one that you like to read.  This is why I created Blogger of the Month- to help you find some of the jewels that are out there that maybe you would not have found otherwise. On the 1st of each month, I will introduce you to a blogger that I enjoy and I think you will enjoy too. There will be a main post highlighting our blogger, an article or two throughout the month and a place on my sidebar which will give you a quick link to their site so that you may visit at your leisure. Please feel free to also visit the  Blogger of the Month tab on the top of this site where you will find a link to the current Blogger of the Month and all past recipients.

So, with no further ado, it is my honor to introduce you to:

The Crayon Wrangler 

http://coloringoutsidetheline.blogspot.com/

Alycia, who has been blogging since October of 2005, is a writer that I only very recently met through the "31 Days to Build a Better Blog Challenge." I was immediately drawn into her blog as she shared her stories laced with truth and humor. She commands your attention and before you know it you have finished her post nodding in agreement, laughing or both and wanting to read more. She is a gifted writer and a fabulous storyteller both in word and image-she also takes amazing photographs! You will find a woman who cooks, has written a book and even vlogs (video blogs!) A woman of many talents who is down to earth and as real and laid back as they get. I wish we were neighbors, because coffee talk or cocktail hour would always be a hoot!

I asked the Crayon Wrangler a few questions and here is what she had to say:

MGB: Why did you start a blog?

CW: I started a blog because if I couldn't remember to close the lid on the washer for it to start its cycle, there was no way I would remember moments of childhood, first tooth or funny things that might have happened with my girls. I saw it as a way to have a diary that saved hand cramping writing, came with spell check and easy to insert pictures/videos. As I have added two more kids; it is even more imperative that I write before I forget their names along with everything else.

MGB: What is your favorite & least favorite thing about blogging?

CW: My favorite thing about blogging is the creative outlet and the sense of community among the bloggers. My least favorite things about blogging is the constant second guessing about what my readers might want to read that day instead of just writing what I feel like writing. It's a constant struggle to write only for myself.

MGB: What is one of your personal favorite posts? Why is it your favorite?

CW: OK this was a hard question to answer. I have so many that I enjoy re-reading, but I saw this one and had to pass it along to you.


Twas The Night Before Thanksgiving

I love this one because I love writing poems or doing song parodies on my blog. For me, its a fun way to tell you what is going on in my life in a fresh and exciting way. Although I am a "serious writer" there is nothing (well, almost nothing) on my blog that is serious. I love being silly and have found that even years later, I can still surprise a reader with a goofy stunt.

MGB: What would you like readers to know about you?

CW: I think they probably know most of it. I have tried very hard to be authentic on my blog. I am just like all of you. I have good days and bad. I laugh and I cry. I love my kids and I want to strangle them. I forget the clothes in the dryer and I burn dinner. I try very hard to look at every hiccup in life as an adventure and I actively seek out the laughter in it. When I was younger I was way too serious and let everything bother me. I haven't grown up (because I refuse to) but since I have gotten older I have made it my motto that "if you can't laugh at it, you can't live with it" So I strive to live a life colored in bright laughter.

And laughter is definitely threaded throughout Alycia's wonderful blog.

Please join me and welcome Alycia, The Crayon Wrangler as our very first MGB Blogger of the Month!