Since tomorrow is World Egg Day (yes, there is such a holiday), I’ve posted an eggs-traordinary recipe for Vegetable Fried Rice over at Dana Reviews. If you’re looking for a delicious and kid-friendly meal, this one is for you.
It’s true. I live in a zoo. I really do. And now I’m done rhyming for you.
You see, having kids is wonderful, but every now and again I wonder, “How did I get to this point in my life?” My days are filled with non-stop cleaning of the messes Dawson makes. From picking up toys (4.6 million times a day) to making sure he hasn’t accidently peed on the floor in the bathroom (who said raising boys was easy, right?) I honestly believe I live with a little monkey. It’s no wonder he likes bananas so much.
The other day I woke up to find my son climbing the drawers in the kitchen to get on the counter top and scavenge the cupboards for the treats I’ve hidden on the top shelves. I shreiked when I saw him and he didn’t even flinch. He just laughed and I swear he made a monkey sound, too.
Now don’t get me wrong, my little Dawson is amazing and I wouldn’t trade him in for anything else in this world, but sometimes I want to hide under the covers and let his father handle all the chaos. But, at the end of the day when I see him crash (literally) for the night, I think to myself, “Zoo life really isn’t so bad.” It could be worse, right? At least this little monkey is potty-trained.
This post was written as part of a blog blast sponsored by the Parent Bloggers Network and Generation Next to announce their brand-new product - iKnow Animals, Letters & Sounds. If you’d like to participate, click here for details! Blog Blast ends tonight at midnight!
Before I was pregnant, Doug and I enjoyed going out to dinner at least once a week. As I look back on it now, that’s a lot of money spent on dining out. But we were young and childless and one of our favorite ways to spend some of that disposable income was on steak & shrimp and the occasional dinner drink.
After Dawson was born, our disposable income went into the garbage can along with the poopy diapers. Sure, we ordered take-out, but maybe once every other month if we were lucky. We didn’t venture out to a restaurant with the baby in tow until he was at least 18 months old. Doug had this crazy fear of being shunned for bringing our cute, sleeping beauty into an eating establishment.
Little did he know the days when Dawson was asleep in his car seat are much easier than a constantly moving toddler that demands to be entertained at every moment. Ask an 18-month old to wait patiently for his food to arrive like the rest of us? Have you lost your ever loving mind? Apparently we had.
I was unprepared for the dining with kids experience. Even though I had a diaper bag packed with the necessities like bibs, baby spoons and a sippy cup, I failed to bring reinforcements such as Cheerios and small toys to aid in baby distraction.
No sooner than the young, smiling waitress took our order did Dawson decide to throw a fit. He began to scream and throw his silverware. He squirmed and tried desperately to wriggle out of the high chair, arching his back while this coyote-like howl came out of his mouth. I didn’t know what else to do but pick him up and leave the table. I couldn’t handle all the people staring at us. It was awful.
Doug had a look of horror on his face. Actually, it was more a look mixed with anger and humiliation. He asked the waitress to make our order to go, and we waited in the car until it was ready (and how ironic that Dawson stopped crying once he was strapped in his car seat!). I don’t think we ventured out to dinner again until Dawson was darn near three years old.
Thankfully, my son is almost four years old and now knows that he must behave while at the meal table. If there’s any doubt in my mind that he’ll misbehave, we change our plans, but I always bring crayons and a small notepad with me to the restaurant, just in case he surprises me with an outburst.
This morning we went out to lunch at The Wooden Chair (one of the best cafes in town) and my little boy was well-behaved. He was polite to the waitress, he ate almost all of his pancakes and he carried on a conversation with me about preschool. So much better than throwing forks and french fries.
Speaking of fries, Burger King’s apple fries are awesome (I tried them as part of my new commitment to being fit). So are their new kids’ meal toys by Crayola. Dawson got the pocket sized “Happy Ever After” coloring book with his kids’ meal and it’s been tucked in my purse ever since.
There are nine toys in all (one with every BK Kids’ Meal), perfect for boys or girls, so there’s no need to scream, “a chicken nugget meal with a boy toy” into the speaker at the drive-thru (I can’t tell you how many times I’ve blushed after realizing those words came out of my mouth!)
Waiting Patiently for Pancakes.
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This post was written for Parent Bloggers Network as part of a sweepstakes sponsored by Burger King Corp. You can participate in this blog blast, too! Visit this PBN post for details.
I have a confession to make. I have something to share with you, dear readers, but it’s kind of embarrassing to discuss. But here goes: I have this problem with my bladder. Either it doesn’t hold the same amount of liquid it used to, or maybe it has gotten smaller after childbirth. Whatever the reason, sometimes I have a problem with light bladder leakage.
It’s not as though I can’t hold my bladder, it’s just something that happens occasionally. Like when I’m busy all day long and forget that I have to pee. Or if I drink too much water and both of our bathrooms are occupied. Occasionally it happens if I can’t stop laughing or if I’ve sneezed or coughed too hard.
This condition is so common among women, it’s still considered a taboo subject even with close friends and family. Recent research found that 80% of women who suffer from light bladder leakage are hesitant to talk to their peers about this sensitive topic for fear of embarrassment. I’m one of those women. And I always blamed my “problem” on childbirth, an after affect of pregnancy.
The fabulous ladies of Mom Central have asked me to help women become aware of this very common and uncomfortable condition, and I learned that Kimberly-Clark’s Poise brand has joined hands with the Women’s Health Foundation (WHF) to increase awareness of pelvic health and wellness.
Recently, the Foundation held the “Below the Belt” benefit to raise awareness of the issues effecting women today and celebrate champions of the cause. At the event, Poise presented the first-ever Passion Award to Linda Michael of Portage, Indiana because her story of personal triumph over pelvic pain and bladder control issues - and her willingness to tell it - has inspired women and doctors alike to share their stories. Click here for Linda’s Story (you’ll need Window’s Media Player or equivalent to play the video.)
Linda personally struggled with and overcame her own pelvic pain and bladder control issues after giving birth to her son and now works toward breaking down the stigma surrounding these and similar problems affecting many women.
We’re hosting a blog tour in conjunction with Kimberly-Clark, to help jump start a conversation on Women’s Pelvic Heath. (To learn more about bladder control, click here.) What kinds of pelvic health concerns do you have? Have you ever suffered from light bladder leakage? How did you “control” the situation? Do you have any advice you’d like to share about your experience with this condition? Comments are open!
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Did you check-out Dana Reviews yet today? Head over there to read about the Box Tops for Education Program, and the really cool contest they launched with Kimberly-Clark!
