tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-227365752011-04-21T16:19:45.848-04:00A Washington D.C. Upper NW Jewish soccer mom relates tales from the trenches of sibling battles, preschool parking lot wars and thoughts on parenting.Lindanoreply@blogger.comBlogger821100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22736575.post-89302177849895009232009-03-30T20:07:00.002-04:002009-03-30T20:09:16.522-04:00

I am sure most of you have guessed by now, but I have taken a hiatus from the parenting blog to focus on my fiction writing.I am happy to report I am gaining some traction with my work and will let you know more when I know more.Ta ta for now!Linda

Lindanoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22736575.post-72372185959847139962008-06-18T21:44:00.003-04:002008-06-18T21:51:32.318-04:00

Since the last time I posted a month ago, Nate graduated preschool, my basement flooded causing serious mold, and we took the kids to Disney World for a whole week. And the only thing, I really want to share is that Jacob asked Matt, "When I'm a grown-up will the hair on my head grow out of my face, too?"He is SO fuuny, especially when he doesn't try. When he does try he uproarious also.Both

Lindanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22736575.post-71130824426217018362008-05-11T20:50:00.002-04:002008-05-11T20:53:22.315-04:00

In my rant below, I neglected to mention that my boys gave me lovely, handmade pieces of jewlery. I proudly wore both large pins on my blouse today. Now, objectively, I could look at each pin and recognize that they are no David Yurman pieces, but to me, they were the most beautiful treasures in the world.Too special to wear just any day. So I will pull them out just once a year on Mother's day

Lindanoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22736575.post-66577131612497171712008-05-11T20:08:00.006-04:002008-05-11T20:33:26.931-04:00

Aaaah, Mother's day again. A day to lie in bed, have breakfast delivered on a tray with a rose, and get pampered all day. Oh, wait, that's on TV, not my life. Got my usual 6:30 wake up, everyone snuggled in bed till after 7. Nice. Shuffled downstairs to make breakfast.Matt- totally jetlagged and in severe back pain. I let him sleep in.Got downstairs to see that the house was a disaster

Lindanoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22736575.post-40499135063401907762008-04-22T09:58:00.005-04:002008-04-22T16:27:47.933-04:00

My family's gone green this year. Some of you may think we're trying to be trendy and jump on the bandwagon. I say great, let's all be trendy and jump on this bandwagon together- much better than the skinny-jean bandwagon.Jacob's happy about going green, because green is his 'favoritist' color. Not to say we've gone Ed Begley-vegetable oil-powered car- green, but, we've made a few small changes

Lindanoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22736575.post-67549119533840944362008-04-08T22:31:00.003-04:002008-04-08T22:35:27.349-04:00

I am whispering this in case Jacob hears and gets the wrong idea. For the last 3 days, he has not gone in his diaper and uses the potty all by himself! The key with Jacob is that he has to be in control. As soon as I showed him how to pee standing up and left him alone in the bathroom and to go whenever he chose- he is being really good about going. As soon as I remind him or ask him if he

Lindanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22736575.post-38522593564020692022008-04-06T20:29:00.002-04:002008-04-06T20:50:21.871-04:00

I would desperately love to point the finger at someone else's parenting, but I'm afraid Matt and I get all the credit for the worst 15 minutes in parenting we've done in a while. Granted, everything is relative- our children were not physically abused, left alone or mauled by wild animals due to our negligence. So in perspective, it's really not totally horrible- just mildly embarassing.On

Lindanoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22736575.post-14769614157354596782008-03-26T13:57:00.002-04:002008-03-26T14:07:11.305-04:00

I hate the whole concept of overscheduled kids. Childhood should be playing outside, building forts out of every chair and sheet in your house and just hanging out. In fact, NPRrecently ran an article about free play for children. See it herehttp://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=19212514So, with all this, I managed to undo 5 years of hanging out in one semester. Currently, my

Lindanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22736575.post-39401522316812134572008-03-23T11:21:00.003-04:002008-03-23T11:31:48.655-04:00

The other night I went out for drinks with some other mom friends. I found myself telling a funny anecdote and had some deja vu. The story is pretty funny, so I've toldit often in the past few years. My friends around the table politely laughed- even though they may have heard the story before.So, this is my call to myself and others. Retire the story. Yep- tell it one last time, then make a

Lindanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22736575.post-35952913367428664292008-03-05T16:22:00.002-05:002008-03-05T16:28:19.417-05:00

Welcome to my little corner of Hell. Friday night I felt a bit nauseated. Saturday morning, nausea turned into full fledged vomit. It is now Wednesday, and I am only just beginning to hold down solid food.Thank goodness for family, specifically my mother in law, who showed up fearlessly (the threat of vomit contaigion was strong) and took care of the boys. Despite the hours she put in, I

Lindanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22736575.post-66236553806310402972008-02-12T11:00:00.000-05:002008-02-12T11:09:43.315-05:00

This past week I have had a few conversations that have come back to bite me in the ass. A new babysitter came to watch the boys Sunday evening. When we arrived home, she complimented us by telling me the boys stayed so nicely in their beds. She'd was not used to kids staying in their beds.Of course I shrugged it off by joking that we trained them by using shock therapy. Inwardly, I was smug.

Lindanoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22736575.post-61891883988791152862007-12-27T21:03:00.000-05:002007-12-27T21:23:29.975-05:00

Do you ever have those days when you feel you are swimming against the current and slipping further and further from your destination? I am having one of those weeks, possibly months. The problem is that Alpha parenting Bobo style comes with a lot of rules and rigamarole. I seem to be missing all the baselines.-4 servings of vegetables per day? not even close. Do green apple jacks count?1 hour

Lindanoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22736575.post-28323025630949473602007-11-26T19:45:00.001-05:002007-11-26T19:59:51.196-05:00

We got back from Barcelona last week and headed straight to Miami for Thanksgiving where we spent the last week. I will highlight more about our Barcelona trip, but now I need to write about an incident that happened today at the airport.Jacob and I sat down on the floor in an open space by the gate of our airplane this morning. There were no seats left and a nice big open space by the window

Lindanoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22736575.post-72993877975484356722007-11-14T17:31:00.000-05:002007-11-14T17:41:15.926-05:00

We took it easy today and stayed in pjs for brunch in the apartment. Everyone needed a day respite from our hectic touring schedule. Around noon, we headed to a playground a few blocks from our apartment. The boys played for an hour, while we chatted it up with another American family on holiday from an army base in Germany. Nate was delighted to have an english-speaking playmate.After the

Lindanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22736575.post-44999714898331956212007-11-13T16:13:00.000-05:002007-11-13T16:48:13.742-05:00

Matt started Tech Ed so he has been escaping with the laptop before I wake up and returning after we sleep, so blogging has been on hiatus. He got back early tonight so here goes.I can't remember where we left off, but on Sunday we took the Bus Turistic up to Parc Guell, a Gaudi fantasy. The boys wanted more hiking, but they loved the mosaic Salamander fountain. It was a lovely day, and the

Lindanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22736575.post-22711536809045152592007-11-09T16:24:00.000-05:002007-11-09T16:41:21.647-05:00

The jet lag is wearing off, and the fun is beginning. We took a tour bus up a hill to Montjuic today. Some believe the juic in the word stems from the ancient Catalan word for Jew. Makes sense, as there is an ancient Jewish cemetary up there.We stopped at the Fundicion Joan Miro. The boys played in the sculpture garden then Nate and Grandma toured the art with sketch pads and colored pencils

Lindanoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22736575.post-11800631069340668112007-11-07T17:30:00.000-05:002007-11-07T17:38:58.183-05:00

I am posting today from Barcelona! On Monday, Matt, Nate, Jacob, my parents and I hopped on a plane (ok, 3 planes) and flew to Barcelona where we wil stay for 10 days. The boys were marvelous on the plane. It was a night flight, and they played for an hour or so then fell asleep for the rest of the flight.Now that we are here, I am rethinking the whole trip. Jacob is not handling jet lag well

Lindanoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22736575.post-38906716851062897362007-11-01T14:50:00.000-04:002007-11-01T14:57:26.605-04:00

I can't stop looking in the mirror; embarrassing but true. A few weeks ago, I was getting a bikini wax before my Costa Rica Trip. I confessed to the aesthetician I had never waxed, shaped, plucked or in anyway touched my eyebrows. Silence filled the room for a few seconds, then she roughly pushed my head back on the table and got busy with her tweezers.Ten minutes and a few tears later, she

Lindanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22736575.post-76051519902965163432007-10-09T21:04:00.000-04:002007-10-09T21:07:30.211-04:00

This little anecdote should really go on my friend of a friend's blog, Mamma Knows Breast, but its going on mine. So Hah!Last night while reading bedtime stories, Jacob reached over and put his hand down the collar of my shirt to squeeze my breast. Before I could stop him, he removed his hand and announced, "Mmmm, I want some milk!" Then he made his little fist into a cup and pretended to

Lindanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22736575.post-59329965029655571102007-10-07T21:20:00.001-04:002007-10-07T21:30:19.049-04:00

If any of you were at Imagination Stage today for the 12:30 production of Jungle Book, the shrieking, crying kid was mine. Matt is out of town (surprise surprise) so I decided to treat the boys to a day at the theater seeing the Jungle Book. Nate is really into the jungle, so I figured it would be a great first play.Well, I was right about Nate. He was excited and so happy when the show began.

Lindanoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22736575.post-68037456365399363882007-09-10T21:29:00.000-04:002007-09-12T16:52:58.029-04:00

Other possible titles for this blog include:-I would do anything for love, and I will do that-The Girl Next Door-A little bit of Naughty in Nice BethesdaAs some of you may know, Matt (my hubbie) has a slipped disc. He is more or less bed-ridden unless he is on a red-eye to Redmond. Today his doctor recommended a special wedge pillow to alleviate some of the pressure in his lower back. One might

Lindanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22736575.post-26201123915795608542007-09-05T20:14:00.001-04:002007-09-05T20:28:37.429-04:00

First I'm gonna whine a bit. I'd like to have a really good excuse for not blogging in the last month, but I dont. Let's just say camp ended, my babysitter left town and Matt took an endless business trip. By the time night rolled around, I was too tired to blog. I spent the evening surfing my TIVO and working on my book. Yes, you read correctly, my book. For the last few months I have been

Lindanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22736575.post-81918240190946327702007-07-24T13:35:00.000-04:002007-07-25T14:07:29.088-04:00

It would be remiss of me not to mention the major event of the last week, since many of you know me to be a HUGE Harry Potter fan. Of course I finished it within 12 hours of its release, but I promise, no spoilers. The release of Deathly Hallows was a large event, in part because it caused many fans to reflect on the last ten years of their life since the first book came out. (or whenever they

Lindanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22736575.post-23870766148166425032007-07-17T22:52:00.000-04:002007-07-17T23:01:11.365-04:00

Gossip seems to be human nature. In sixth grade it's all about who likes each other. In eleventh grade, it's who slept with each other. Same goes for college. When you graduate to an office environment, bed-partners remains a top subject, but in the interest of professionalism, much discussion occurs about work-place politics. Cubicle placement, firings, hirings, promotions etc... all come

Lindanoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22736575.post-60538439419248501332007-07-10T21:53:00.000-04:002007-07-10T22:08:16.421-04:00

I am not sure whether it is developmental or a precursor of things to come, but Nate has become a bit of a sexist pig lately. For example, today he announced, "Boys are faster runners than girls." When discussing his upcoming birthday party, he is quite clear that he wants no "girl" things in the goody bags. "Nothing pink or princess!," he announced with disdain dripping from each syllable

Lindanoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22736575.post-35621613817030865752007-07-05T21:16:00.000-04:002007-07-05T21:47:51.082-04:00

Jacob had surgery today. He had ear tubes put in and his adenoids removed. Poor little guy. We debated how much to tell him prior to the surgery. Since he is only 2 1/2, we did not think he would understand much, so we just told him we were going to the doctor, and Dr. Jack would fix his ears.Several friends' children had this done, and they warned the hardest part was seeing them go under

Lindanoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22736575.post-61055485822104121142007-07-03T22:42:00.000-04:002007-07-03T22:52:01.224-04:00

Matt just teased me that the last time I posted we only had one kid! Well, it has only been a a few weeks, and nothing much is new.

Lindanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22736575.post-81782605129501696712007-05-26T19:43:00.000-04:002007-05-26T20:02:29.423-04:00

DC is an amazing city. No matter your interests, it has something for you. This past year my family has really taken advantage of our city's amenities, and I thought it would be useful to my local readers to highlight some of our favorites.INDOOR:1. The Building Musuem- A large, beautiful building with hands-on kids activities.2. The Natural History Museum- Hall of Mammals is great.

Lindanoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22736575.post-52821279135609455712007-05-22T21:13:00.000-04:002007-05-22T21:45:12.213-04:00

I can't remember who was called the "Me" generation, but it seems that my generation is trying to help our children become the "Give-back" generation. I think it is a positive and wonderful thing that my children are expected to give Tzedakah (roughly translated as charity or justice) each week at their school, have made sandwiches for the homeless and marched in various rallies and fundraisers

Lindanoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22736575.post-55806362928336125092007-04-19T21:00:00.000-04:002007-04-19T21:18:43.111-04:00

No, the boys have not asked me the magic question yet, but I can feel it coming any day. Nate and I have been playing a RPG (Role Play Game) on the computer about a zoo. We get to place animals in the zoo together and eventually baby animals are born. Nate has learned that there must be a boy animal and a girl animal and they "mate." So far, no questions for the definition of mate. What will

Lindanoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22736575.post-60374164175760209312007-04-07T14:10:00.000-04:002007-04-07T14:18:00.459-04:00

I am going to make like Valerie Bertinelli and come out with it. I am getting a tiny bit fat. After Jacob, I just never lost the pregnancy pooch. It is to the point that I have had a few questions about whether I am expecting again. I seem to carry all my weight in my belly and c-sections didn't help.It says something about the view of fat in America or my self-esteem, that I think I would

Lindanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22736575.post-23743361537608658242007-03-27T20:14:00.000-04:002007-03-27T20:27:43.402-04:00

I apologize for this, since I don't usually use my blog as a forum to tell anecdotes about my children. Only grandparents usually enjoy these. But....since my mom is my most avid blog reader, I include these. So here goes:Silly things the boys did or said today to make me laugh:This morning I went to put on my diamond hoop earrings that I had left on my nightstand. They were not there. I

Lindanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22736575.post-51617210262288116072007-03-27T10:26:00.000-04:002007-03-27T20:30:03.473-04:00

I took the boys to their sports class the other day. It is a mixed gender class, and at this age, the boys and girls are totally equal in abilities. If anything, the girls seem to have more hand/eye coordination. After class, on line for the water fountain, I heard one of the fathers joke to his 5 year old son, "Are you crying like a little girl?"I stopped, annoyed that such blatant sexism still

Lindanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22736575.post-34691230443945746622007-02-19T20:00:00.000-05:002007-02-19T20:22:54.406-05:00

No, not the soap opera. Strangely, I never got into Soaps, despite being addicted to trashy romance novels and being home during the day. I refer to guiding light as the role I see parents should play in their childrens' lives.The period we live in is one of extreme political correctness, particularly in Washington, D.C. Somehow, liberal and Democrat have become synonymous with an open

Lindanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22736575.post-20389901093574102232007-02-18T20:27:00.000-05:002007-02-18T20:46:00.496-05:00

It is so fun living with a 2 and 4 year old. They keep me on my toes and make me laugh with the things they say. For example a list of funny conversations & comments today include:Nate: "Does Grandpa keep kosher?"Me: "No"Nate: "Well crackers are kosher."Me: "Yes"Nate: "And Grandpa keeps crackers."Jacob: "I'm not Jacob, I'm the Captain!"Nate: "When Jacob gets sick & dies, can I take

Lindanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22736575.post-29060016927195805222007-02-13T07:18:00.000-05:002007-02-12T17:10:52.052-05:00

I screwed up yesterday, but I truly blame the media. The weatherreporters were reporting news of a great storm coming in today. Filled with schadenfreude, they talked of ice, delay and general mayhem. So sure were they of this storm, I went to the supermarket and sent Matt to Child's PLAY (the best toy store in DC) to stock up on some new games if we were going to be stuck indoors for 2 days.

Lindanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22736575.post-13912835042902094362007-02-12T17:01:00.000-05:002007-01-30T17:37:54.193-05:00

I am sure everyone here has heard the news about Anna Nicole Smith's death. The whole thing is so strange- first her son dies just a few days after she gives birth, then she dies. I am curious about the cause of death. My guess is that the grief over her son's death combined with post-partum depression did her in. Though it is hard for me to imagine not fighting for your life when you have a

Lindanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22736575.post-61123529187897670932007-01-28T15:05:00.000-05:002007-01-28T15:12:32.354-05:00

ZAslug slug slugabed. It is cold and rainy, and we are on the couch and have not moved. Nate is curled up next to me, and we're snuggling and watching tv. He has a cold, so I am using it as an excuse to hang out on the couch for hours at a time. Lazy daze. So lazy, I am going to let him do a blog entry:zzzannmzzzqqxxxxrrrrr66555aaaaeeeqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqlinfdhnnnnhh hhhhhhhhh.Very good

Lindanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22736575.post-50982643713996778202007-01-22T10:50:00.000-05:002007-01-22T11:12:31.712-05:00

Boys & Girls, calm yourselves I am back from winter hiatus. Back along with all the great shows like Heroes, Ugly Betty and Battlestar Galactica. We nearly had a big problem since Blogger finally integrated with Google, requiring a sign in using Google passwords. I do have one, but it took a while to remember it. I am finding more and more that I am losing my mind- not going insane or anything

Lindanoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22736575.post-1166020021248995922006-12-13T09:14:00.000-05:002006-12-13T09:27:01.286-05:00

I have been feeling a bit sad, or rather, nostalgic lately. Recently we decided nearly 99% that we are finished having kids. We like having our family of four, and I have no desire to be pregnant or deal with a newborn anytime in the foreseeable future.Though I am comfortable with our decision, I keep getting pangs of sadness now that Jacob has turned two and is transitioning into new

Lindanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22736575.post-1165808012981313832006-12-10T22:06:00.000-05:002006-12-10T22:33:32.996-05:00

Usually I try not be a judgemental parent. I will admit it, I fail about 50% of the time. By judgemental, I, of course, mean judging other parents, not my own children! It is catty and a waste of time, but it is every new (by new I mean within 5 years) parent's favorite activity."Did you see how they dressed their son! No hat, and it is 65 degrees out!""I can't believe they hired that nanny,

Lindanoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22736575.post-1163192949597858852006-11-10T15:59:00.000-05:002006-11-10T16:09:09.616-05:00

I have been giggling to myself now for 2 days about something silly I did. First, I need to give some background...For the past 3 years, I have been in a playgroup with the same group of women. We have met weekly for lunch and playtime with our children. The kids are friends, and the moms are friends, so a good time is had by all.This week, playgroup happened to fall on one of the woman's

Lindanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22736575.post-1162521087900685522006-11-02T21:19:00.000-05:002006-11-02T21:31:27.913-05:00

I think one of my favorite parts of being a mom is that I get to go trick-or-treating again. I always loved it as a kid, and it is almost better as an adult, cause I dont have to dress up unless I want to and I still get all the candy. Oh the joys of having naive toddlers who sleep while Mommy rifles through their loot bags, disposes of the crap candy and eats the good stuff. They have no

Lindanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22736575.post-1161129128940503412006-10-17T19:37:00.000-04:002006-10-17T19:52:45.783-04:00

I keep hearing the term, helicopter parent and more and more, I am getting the uncomfortable feeling that I have inadvertantly joined the ranks of hovering, swooping parents. I never meant to be this way, and I am not even sure I am . I definitly used to be. When Nate was a baby, I was so hypervigilant and anal retentive about parenting him; I never relaxed and enjoyed it.I am hopeful that I have

Lindanoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22736575.post-1158602998680731272006-09-18T13:58:00.000-04:002006-09-18T14:09:58.700-04:00

Nate is a worry wart. If all is sunny in the world, he will find something to stress over. He is currently worried about getting old, specifically gray hair. A few months ago, as I mentioned, my Grandma died. Nate was reassured that people die when they are ,"very, very, very old."A few days ago, he saw someone with gray hair and asked about it. I told him that peoples' hair turns gray as

Lindanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22736575.post-1158279159801718182006-09-14T20:02:00.000-04:002006-09-14T20:13:56.536-04:00

Nate has been in school a full week now and he seems to like it. Several of the children in his class were also in his class last year. One of the girls was a big admirer of Nate's last year and we had one or two drop-off playdates with her, despite Nate inexplicably professing his dislike for her.He had told me clearly that he was not interested in playdates with her, but I overrode him since I

Lindanoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22736575.post-1157930859732973392006-09-10T19:15:00.000-04:002006-09-10T19:27:39.773-04:00

I love my neighborhood. The other day, the boys & I walked (not drove) to Ct. Ave to get them a haircut, return our library books, buy some sneakers & grab some lunch. How lovely to walk and do all our errands on 2 blocks. Though DC is a large and diverse community, walking through our neighborhood feels like Smalltown USA. We ran into 3 friends out walking their errands too, and to our

Lindanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22736575.post-1157655898896107212006-09-07T14:52:00.000-04:002006-09-07T15:04:58.910-04:00

My boys have really wide feet. I can't go to the local Payless and spend $12 on character shoes for them. Oh no, nothing but Stride Rite or Geox for my little darlings' toesies. At $50/per I like a little fashion for my money.Nate is outgrowing the need for light-up fire trucks and dinosaurs. Jacob is growing into that phase. So, when my boys need shoes, like most Upper NW moms, I head for

Lindanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22736575.post-1155783680665349302006-08-16T22:42:00.000-04:002006-10-21T14:08:20.750-04:00

I wanted to write about babysitters and nannies. Matt came up with a hysterical title. Now we both forgot it. Damn. But, I can still write about the topic.A few weeks ago, I turned onto a street in my neighborhood and saw a toddler strapped in her stroller sitting by herself on the sidewalk. I realized it was my friends daughter. I pulled over and waited for her nanny to show up. And waited. And

Lindanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22736575.post-1155600152513104612006-08-14T19:25:00.000-04:002006-08-14T20:02:32.526-04:00

Seriously, I am alive, I just took a break from updating for a while. Sorry to all my avid readers, and apparently, there actually are some. Anyway, just to catch you up since I last wrote;1. Jacob is still screeching before and during dinner. At least it makes me lose my appetite, so maybe I will lose the last few pregnancy pounds.2. Nate had his 4th birthday party- which I will write about3

Lindanoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22736575.post-1152921048474757082006-07-14T19:41:00.000-04:002006-07-14T19:50:48.486-04:00

My darling Jacob is funny, cute and very smart. I love watching him explore his world and kissing his cheekers. However, around 5:00 pm every night for the past few months I would happily toss him down the basement steps and lock the door, and I dont even believe in spanking.Poor, Poor Jacob begins to shriek and sob while I try to cook dinner and it continues until bath time. Nothing consoles

Lindanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22736575.post-1152731265892825632006-07-12T14:53:00.000-04:002006-07-12T15:07:45.910-04:00

I think we all remember our tween years with anxiety. For some of us it is with a shudder if we were not in the In crowd, and for those of us who were in the In crowd, one may shudder remembering how precarious a position we held. Pre-teens are vicious.My sons are 4 & 1 respectively, so I clearly have some time to worry about social pressures, but even at their young ages, I can already see

Lindanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22736575.post-1151105619860857652006-06-23T19:26:00.000-04:002006-06-23T19:33:39.873-04:00

Just a quick note before the sun sets and the Sabbath begins...I realized today that I DID go back to work. I somehow took on the monthly preschool newsletter, both the writing and the conversion from paper to an electronic format. My friends (put that in quotes) volunteered me for the Craft fair committee (or crap fair as one friend put it). I am still working part-time as marketing

Lindanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22736575.post-1150762106884514002006-06-19T19:35:00.000-04:002006-06-19T20:08:26.906-04:00

Well, maybe, no I don't think so. I do work part-time from home, but Linda Hirshmans article in the Post made me reconside my SAHM position. I like the way she thinks, but without reading her full book, I can't critique it one way or the other. I do find certain humor in being one of the many Mommy Bloggers out there whom she mentions. I am not quite sure how I ended up here as a SAHM taking

Lindanoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22736575.post-1150158300862075852006-06-12T20:12:00.000-04:002006-06-12T20:25:00.876-04:00

My 3, nearly 4, year-old is should be a sixties love child. He is very in touch with his feelings and able to verbalize it to the point of being melodramatic. (Insert slow, sad, deep voice) "Mommy. I'm feeling very sad today cause I miss Grandpa." I try to listen to him, acknowledge his feelings but not let him wallow. So, today I decided as a treat to take him to see Cars the new Pixar movie.

Lindanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22736575.post-1149895915981673542006-06-09T19:31:00.000-04:002006-06-09T19:31:55.993-04:00

There is now only 1 goldfish left. Keep your fingers crossed that he survives.

Lindanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22736575.post-1149731412102146842006-06-07T21:49:00.000-04:002006-06-07T21:50:12.116-04:00

So I have a theory that parenting is all about fluid, bodily fluids in particular. It all begins with a little semen, then moves onto a lot of pee and tears during pregnancy, which translates into a lot of water and blood in the delivery. Once your angel is here, you are drowning in tears (yours & the baby's), liquidy poop and spit-up. Oh, and don't forget milk, all over your shirt if you are

Lindanoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22736575.post-1149378852095856642006-06-03T19:40:00.000-04:002006-06-03T19:55:11.163-04:00

We did it! We have been talking for months about it, and we finally did it. We got a pet. Well, make that 5 pets, now down to 3. What kind of pet you may ask. Why goldfish of course!My husband took Nate to a carnival supposedly to introduce him to rides and games. I think Matt really just wanted some fried dough and cotton candy. So they went and they ate junk food and they played games,

Lindanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22736575.post-1148861130642947102006-05-28T19:59:00.000-04:002006-05-28T20:05:30.643-04:00

Funny things the boys said today that keep me smiling:Nate: (imitating a pirate) "AAAARRGH Ladies!"Nate: "What's the news Bubbie? I'm listening."Nate: "Let's not call Jacob Toasters anymore, let's call him Chocolate Jacob!"Jacob: "Chocket, chocket!"Linda: "New rule! All bathroom doors, must remain shut since Jacob is now sticking his body in the toilet."Nate: (2 hours later) "New rule! No

Lindanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22736575.post-1148859858278038142006-05-28T19:28:00.000-04:002006-05-28T19:55:24.843-04:00

It occured to me that I sounded sanctimonious about responsibility and how great I am for not getting drunk or putting on my iPod too loudly. Let me share some dirty little (and not so little secrets):1) I have no Will- if something were to happen to me & my husband, it's a toss-up as to who gets the boys and what money they will have.2) I have no life insurance and neither does my husband (

Lindanoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22736575.post-1148342821638751962006-05-22T19:40:00.000-04:002006-05-22T20:07:01.650-04:00

Two nights ago I laid down in bed with my iPod on, earplugs in. My boys were barely sleeping, but I needed to rest my eyes after Lasik. I didn't turn my music up very loud. It was not a nod to any fear of noise-induced deafness, but a sense of responsibility to my children that kept the volume low.I realized that in the three plus years since becoming a mom, I don't ever just let go anymore.

Lindanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22736575.post-1147746049646545492006-05-15T22:20:00.000-04:002006-05-15T22:20:49.656-04:00

I am getting Lasik tomorrow, so it may be a few days before I am up to staring at the screen and typing. Check in later!

Lindanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22736575.post-1147736846228762452006-05-15T19:28:00.000-04:002006-05-15T19:47:26.243-04:00

I was at the pediatrician this afternoon getting my baby checked for strep or an ear infection. Just a bronchial infection that 10 days of antibiotics should clear up. I always find the waiting room at the pediatrician interesting for people watching, because parents tend to be on their hyper-vigilant behavior. Today for example, a mom left the bill-paying counter to snap at her two sons who

Lindanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22736575.post-1147635625445327812006-05-14T15:25:00.000-04:002006-05-14T15:40:25.456-04:00

My son brought home a portfolio last week from school holding several pieces of his artwork. Apparently he is not as prolific at school as he is at home, as there were only 3 pieces of art from the entire year. At home he goes through 3 pieces of paper in a minute.I never know which art and projects to keep. Should I keep the ones that look the best or the ones with holiday meaning , like

Lindanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22736575.post-1147476314005480942006-05-12T18:59:00.000-04:002006-05-12T19:25:14.020-04:00

Anyone new to blogging may not know that a meme is a silly thing bloggers do that is reminiscent of a questionaire / survey we did we were tweens. (not that we were called tweens way back when). Anyway, here goes a MEME with a DC slant. The idea is that you fill it out too.Number of Kids: 2Gender of kids: boysAges: 3 1/2 & 1 1/2SAHM/WFT/WPT: WPT (does blogging count?)Fave clothing store for

Lindanoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22736575.post-1147195696582270372006-05-09T13:17:00.000-04:002006-05-09T13:28:16.650-04:00

I used to be a teacher. I hated it, but I loved teaching reading. I adore children's books in general and am thrilled to have an excuse to hangout in the children's section of the library now that I have kids. I have also been conducting a pseudo experiment with my three-year old. Before he was born, I wondered if I could teach him to read at an early age. I set rules for myself though. I

Lindanoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22736575.post-1147118166176795992006-05-08T15:55:00.000-04:002006-05-09T13:15:09.220-04:00

I am almost too exhausted to write this, but I will give it the old college try. About 2 hours ago, my family arrived back in our house after 6 weeks on the road. Yep, you read that correctly. Our itinerary looked something like this:March 3-5 NYC (airplane, taxi)March 24-27 Miami (Plane)April 1-3 BF New Jersey (Road Trip- flat tire in Delaware!)April 14 - 25 Miami

Lindanoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22736575.post-1146700012651381002006-05-03T19:24:00.000-04:002006-05-10T15:59:04.956-04:00

One of those dreaded moments came a few days ago. My beloved Grandma died. She had been sick for a short time, and in true Bobbie fashion, she went out in her own way, refusing to linger in a sick bed.Her death meant that we had to face the decision of telling our 3 year old son that his Great-grandmother had died. He was only 22 months when his other great-grandmother died, so we never

Lindanoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22736575.post-1145324595817194562006-04-17T21:28:00.000-04:002006-04-17T21:44:39.716-04:00

My mom and I were chatting tonight and we got into the conversation about what my children call different adults. I realized that I nearly always introduce my children to other adult's by their first names. All of my friends children call me Linda. I can't imagine being called Mrs. Heller. Nate calls all his friend's Moms by their first names.I read somewhere that your childhood rules are usually

Lindanoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22736575.post-1145322534371762952006-04-17T20:43:00.000-04:002006-04-17T21:08:54.383-04:00

My husband and I have recently changed our philosophy on an important parenting issue. The question is, when hiring a babysitter for the night, do you tell your children you are leaving? Especially, if, like many parents, you put your children to bed before the babysitter even arrives. If all goes according to plan, your child will sleep; the babysitter will surf your TIVO, and your child will

Lindanoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22736575.post-1143508248393229012006-03-27T20:09:00.000-05:002006-03-27T20:10:48.403-05:00

I actually wrote a really long and decent post last night, but did not have time to finish it so I saved it as a draft. Somehow, it is missing. I am so bummed I cant think about rewriting it yet, so I will go eat some chocolate instead.

Lindanoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22736575.post-1142126824214305812006-03-11T19:56:00.000-05:002006-03-11T20:27:04.226-05:00

So we had a first tonight. We have made it 3 1/2 years without introducing our children to the iconographic American institution that is the Golden Arches, more specifically, the drive-through, and it had been at least 3 more before that since Matt & I had entered a McDonalds. Now, don't get me wrong, I am not an organic, homemade babyfood type of gal. Just this morning, Nate & I split a bag

Lindanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22736575.post-1142038518325514032006-03-10T19:46:00.001-05:002006-03-10T19:55:18.326-05:00

The weather was so beautiful tonight, we all went for a walk after Shabbat dinner. We strolled over to the dog park on Ft. Reno hill. Nate & Matt were at the top of the hill when Jacob began to point and call, "Net, Net, Net!"I just about fell over. Jacob has a pretty extensive vocabulary and regularly calls Mama & Dada, but had yet to acknowledge his brother by name. We figured it was

Lindanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22736575.post-1141852126552421252006-03-08T15:43:00.000-05:002006-03-08T16:08:46.596-05:00

We took the kids to New York this weekend, or as Nate calls it, Metropolis. I was curious to see the Manhattan moms and kids in their natural habitat. My perception has been that NY parents are slightly more neurotic and high-strung on parenting. Perhaps I would be too, if I had to pay $30K for preschool. Some Observations:1. Other than the more expensive clothes, the Manhattan moms and Upper

Lindanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22736575.post-1141698520200752122006-03-06T20:48:00.000-05:002006-03-06T21:28:40.213-05:00

Help, my 3 year old has been body snatched and replaced by whirling dervishes on crack. If anyone remembers the movie Gremlins, that is what he reminds me of by the afternoon. He moves with Category 5 Hurricane destructive force towards everything in the house. I am sitting right now typing amongst a 2 foot high pile of tissues pulled from the box, multiple socks stolen from his baby brother's

Lindanoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22736575.post-1141354870173535012006-03-02T21:36:00.000-05:002006-03-02T22:01:10.186-05:00

A new study came out today that states that kids cartoons are more violent than ever. The study seems to feel that today's cartoons with laser and sword fighting are much more damaging than the humorous violence of Wily Coyote and Tom & Jerry. Luckily my kids are too young to watch the Cartoon Network, which purportedly is the most violent. We are big fans of Sprout and I can always trust

Lindanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22736575.post-1141239163789045872006-03-01T13:09:00.000-05:002006-03-01T13:52:43.813-05:00

I know I am about to blashpheme, but I have been feeling it more and more lately, so I'll just say it. Dr. Sears is old-fashioned and sexist but cleverly disguises himself and his Attachment Parenting theory as a touchy-feely, liberal mother's bestfriend.When I was pregnant with my first child, I dutifully read "Dr. Sears Baby Book," like all the other UpperNW moms. I ran out & got a doula, and

Lindanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22736575.post-1141003488860826552006-02-26T20:24:00.000-05:002006-02-26T21:20:59.780-05:00

So I need to apologize for my last post. I came across as demeaning the music classes and everything we SAHMs do. In reality, I love our music class; I think the babies adore it and that is what counts. Additionally, I know I am the luckiest bitch in the world. I get to stay home in my pajamas if I so choose and play toys all day with 2 of my more favorite people in the world.I have no deadlines

Lindanoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22736575.post-1140619798288047472006-02-22T09:15:00.000-05:002006-02-22T09:49:58.300-05:00

Like many NW moms, I drag my babies to music classes (www.musikids.com) where we overstimulate them with shakers, scarves and bubbles. At first I took my older son, because it was a great place to meet other moms. (See previous post about mommy dating) I took the classes very seriously and clapped along and sang out of tune enthusiastically, because it was expected, and I took perverse

Lindanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22736575.post-1140567447039047372006-02-21T19:17:00.000-05:002006-02-21T19:17:27.043-05:00

Me & the Boys

Lindanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22736575.post-1140534051797253652006-02-21T09:22:00.000-05:002006-02-21T10:00:51.810-05:00

Yesterday I introduced my fellow DC Urban Mom crew in sweeping generalizations but neglected to detail myself. For the most part- I fit the description of Upper NW Mom pushing my 2 boys, 27 months apart, in their Peg-Perego to local story times at Politics and Prose. But, I don't always fit the mold. For one, I am one of the younger moms in DC. I did not have a wildly successful career before

Lindanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22736575.post-1140464550744349092006-02-20T17:34:00.000-05:002006-02-22T09:52:55.833-05:00

So I had a date with my husband last night- the first in a while. Over Aloo Gobi and naan, I waxed poetic (ok, I whined) about my dissatisfaction with my career life. We rehashed my illustrious and ephemeral career path thus far.Teaching first grade- bad choiceProject manager- I never figured out MS project and my ADD caused projects to spin in multiple directions at oncePR guru and marketing

Lindanoreply@blogger.com1