Craft time

In the past, I've been accused of being a bit like Martha Stewart. I guess I can see that, but I don't take it as an insult at all. I like to play with the kids and that often includes working on projects. Sometimes we cook together, sometimes we paint or make an art project- I like to do those sorts of things with the kids. I have really fond memories of making things with my mom, and I hope one day the kids have their own great memories about our crafty times together.

Our most recent project was a rainbow cake:

Doesn't it look yummy?

Little Miss Caitlyn had so much fun helping to mix the colors, and naturally, she ate quite a bit of the batter in the process. Her only disappointment came from the fact that I did not get out the electric mixer. Her Grammie let her start helping in the kitchen when she was right around a year old, and I was informed that Grammie ALWAYS lets her use the mixer. It makes me really nervous, so I just skip it when Caitlyn is helping, and we mix by hand, much to her dismay.

Lorelei also had a lot of fun, even if all she got to do was watch Caitlyn and I make the cake. I put some puffs on her tray, and she was perfectly content to sit, eat, and watch. Catilyn made sure to tell Lorelei repeatedly that she is just too little to cook.

Want to know a little secret about the cake? It is a Weight Watchers cake. I don't use weight watchers, but I was intrigued when I saw the recipe on a website. All you do for the cake is mix a 12 ounce diet soda with a boxed cake mix and bake as directed. For the frosting, you mix a small box of instant sugar free pudding with a tub of light cool whip. To make it a rainbow cake, we just divided the batter, added gel food coloring, and layered the different colors.  I was really surprised when the cake actually tasted pretty good. Maybe being so colorful makes it taste better?

Oh, and one more little secret about the cake . . . you will poop lots of colors after eating it. Trust me. Caitlyn studied and pointed out each one in the potty, which means you could also use this cake as a potty training incentive and a lesson on colors. Now THAT is multitasking!

Losing oneself, or just a change?

These pictures make me smile. They mark the most profound transition in my life- becoming a mama. Looking at the pictures, I can see how much I have changed. It might not be obvious to others, other than eyes that are a bit more tired now, but for me I can almost see these pictures as representing entirely different beings I have been.

Once you become a mom, it seems as though you lose little pieces of who you are. Actually, it is not so much that you lose those pieces, just that parts of you are overshadowed by the importance and magnitude of being wholly responsible for another human being. The moment when THAT hits you is unlike any other in your life. Pardon the language (I've been reading a lot of George Carlin), but it is a definite, "Holy shit, can I handle this?" moment.

I think the enormity of motherhood hit me when Caitlyn was just a few days old. I got a call from Josh's daycare because he was very ill and needed to be picked up. Jason was in a meeting without cell phone reception, and the daycare could not find Josh's mom. I wasn't supposed to drive, so I called my friend Kenzie to go with me to pick up Josh. On our way there, the car behind us got frighteningly close to our rear bumper. I assume the driver wasn't paying attention to the fact that we were stopping and had to slam on his brakes, accompanied by squealing tires and a near miss. 

I immediately began to unbuckle my seatbelt, and I guess I would have gotten out of the car had Kenzie not asked me what in the world I was doing. Honestly, I have no idea what I was doing. Maybe I was going to yell at the guy or point out that he came way too close to hitting a car with my brand new baby daughter in it. Who knows? I certainly wasn't thinking- I was just on autopilot and some idiot had just put my precious girl in potential jeopardy. The mothering instinct just took over!

While I think I have done a reasonably good job of not falling into the "all mommy, all the time" trap, there are still days that I glimpse myself in a tshirt with a jelly splotch, hair pulled into a clip, working on a craft project, and I think, "Wow, I'm a mom." There are things that I never knew I would think of as cool or enjoyable- a trip to the circus, a playdate with other moms and kids, driving a big SUV instead of a cute little car, and (don't laugh) the High School Musical movies.

I try to do the things that have always been fun. I'll go out for a night with the girls, albeit a tamer night than in years past. I still love to travel. I love a day at the spa. I still like to read and learn and shop and create. These days I just do it a little bit differently, and I can turn into a Mama Bear in a split second because I am constantly aware of what is going on with my little girls. 

Being a mom is different, it's a change, but I love it.

Chicken Sticks

I have to admit, when it comes to the foods I let the kids eat, I can be pretty picky. Not only am I concerned about their health, but I have two stepsons who are extremely P.I.C.K.Y eaters, and it can make mealtime difficult. (Not that it is their fault- they have a mom who is somewhat culinarily challenged and has a penchant for fast food, but it is awfully hard to feed kids who only want pasta or something from a take out bag.)

Since Caitlyn was just learning to eat, Jason and I have always tried to get her to try new things. She is a pretty adventurous eater and, among other things, likes hummus, most vegetables, seafood, sushi (just California role), spicy food, and all sorts of cheeses.  She really loves to go to Trader Joe's, where her favorite products are the black truffle flatbread, cheese curds, edamame, and any type of risotto.  The looks that we get when she asks for risotto are priceless.

Lorelei is shaping up to be quite the little eater, too. She wants nothing to do with anyone feeding her, but she will try anything as long as she can be the one to shovel it in her mouth! Some of her more unusual favorites are pickles, lemons, and celery.

I really love to cook, and I *mostly* make nutritious, homemade food for our family. Even when we were in the baby food stage, I steamed, mashed, blended and froze almost all of the baby food the girls ate. It was easy, and I could ensure that they were getting a pure meal made with excellent produce or ingredients.

However, as any mom knows, there are days when you just want something quick and easy for your kids to munch on. Nutritional value takes a slight backseat to simply being more convenient on those days that everyone is busy, the kids are cranky, Mama is tired and Daddy has a late class. In our house, this means one of a couple of different standbys, mostly things like baked chicken nuggets, a quick burger or tacos, or take out for those of us with teeth.  

For Lorelei, this means one of the most disgusting sounding and smelling things I've knowingly allowed my kids to eat- chicken sticks. These foul little things are packaged in a jar, cushioned by  gelatinous goo that reminds me of cat food. The ingredient list is not terrible, but these things are one very small step up from vienna sausage. And they stink. Big time stink. So, I rinse them off under running water before I give them to her. How does Lorelei feel about them? She loves them, just the same as Caitlyn and Josh both did. In fact, I'm sure that in his first year, Chris loved them also. 

I, on the other hand, hate them other than the fact that they are convenient. Just imagine nursing a baby who has devoured a couple of these lovely chicken sticks. It doesn't matter how thoroughly I wash Lorelei's hands and face, the stench of these things lingers until after a true bath.  So, I end up with what I like to call chicken boob- lovely female breast adorned with just a hint of smelly chicken stick slobber. Just writing that made me gag a bit. 

Luckily, once Lorelei has drifted off to sleep after eating, I can quickly rinse off and rid myself of the chicken curse.  And luckily, she only has the foul (or fowl?) things about once a week when our schedule is really tight.

I wonder if this will be one of the things I look back on with fondness? Somehow, I think not.

Caitlyn's First Love

I think that Caitlyn is destined to be a flirt. Everywhere we go, she charms the people she meets. She loves to give hugs, especially to little boys.  She likes to pretend to go to dances, and she sings little love songs all day long. Her favorite boy changes all the time. Mostly it is Daddy, but sometimes it is one of her brothers, PawPaw, a friend named Josh, or even the cat.

However, there is one boy who is always in her thoughts- her Andy. Caitlyn loves Andy. She talks about him all the time, she grins and giggles when his name comes up, and she loves to see him. Sometimes, when she hears a knock at our front door, she cries out, "Andy?" in her tiny, hopeful little voice. When Andy is around, Caitlyn wants to be near him. She will also go about her own business, playing and prancing, but inevitably she will run back to Andy for a hug or to show him something she has found. Of course, this is only after she has gone through the shy routine. When she first sees him, Caitlyn will hide her eyes or fall to the ground in a sort of little girl swoon. Ahh, the thrill of a girl's first love.

After Lorelei was born, we told Caitlyn that Andy was coming over to meet her new baby sister. Caitlyn marched over to one-month old Lorelei, peered down at her, and said in the most indignant voice I've ever heard pass her lips, "It's not YOUR Andy, baby Lorelei. It's MY Andy."

Did I mention that Andy is an adult? No? Well, he is a friend of ours that attends law school with Jason. He is just an all-around nice guy, obviously successful, and one of the guys that half of the girls at the school have their eye on. So, at least Caitlyn has good taste. I always feel bad for him because he constantly has to endure stories from us and our other friends about Caitlyn- how she talks about him, how she reserves his seat (by her, of course) when we all go out to eat, etc. Andy takes it all in stride. He watches out for Caitlyn, pays attention to her (even when she is showing him the sixteenth leaf from the ground), and always walks her out to our car when it is time to leave.

Yesterday, we went to help out at a benefit run that Andy was heading up. When we told Caitlyn that Andy was going to be there, she was thrilled. In fact, she asked me, "Mama, can I wear my twirling dress so maybe Andy will dance with me?"  Like I said, she loves Andy.

I know that her first real love will come along in a few years, and we will have to let her go just a little bit. I know he will probably be some teenage punk because, let's face it, most teenage boys are punks. And I'm sure that Jason and I will hate letting her go anywhere with him. And at some point, I'm sure he will cause her grief and tears because, let's face it, most teenage punks do things like that.  And we will look back on the days when Andy was her crush wistfully, longingly because these are the days when her love is sweet and innocent, and we don't really have to let her go, not even a tiny bit.

Determined little thing

Our little red head is vigorous. She began crawling right at 6 months old, and she has been going strong ever since. Now she is moving on to pulling up, standing and crawling on top of things.

When she sees something she wants, she will not stop until she gets it. This goes for her sister's toys, her kitty, random objects laying on the floor, her pacifier . . . oh, and mama.  This morning I was sitting with Caitlyn while she ate breakfast. Jason had Lorelei in our bedroom while he was getting ready for school.  Well, little Miss Lorelei was not happy. She was fussing and talking, and after all of the usual rituals failed to soothe her, Jason put her down on the floor to see what she would do. 

Imagine how my heart swelled with love when she began crawling straight to me.  She would go forward a couple of steps, stop, reach out to me with one little pudgy hand, and cry, "Mamamamama!" I watched her for a moment, and then I rushed to scoop her up for some Mama snuggles. Poor little girl just buried her face in my neck and grasped my arm with her tiny fingers. Moments like that just make my day!

Tinkerbell invaded our house

Caitlyn is one of the most creative kids I've ever met. Some days she is pretending to own a restaurant, some days she plays school, some days she is going on an airplane ride with her imaginary friends- you name it, and I bet she has acted it out!  Her play is also very elaborate. If she is on an airplane, she will have tickets (just pieces of paper), a magazine, a seat, headphones and she wants to eat a snack out of a package, just like on the plane.  

I love watching her play, especially for these two reasons:  1. She takes me back to my own childhood- I remember how much fun it is to act out the world around you.  2. It is just thrilling to watch her little personality at work. In her play, she imitates a lot of what she sees, but she throws in little twists to make everything her own.

After our Disney trip last week, she has taken to playing Tinkerbell. It began with a little plastic ice cube that we got at one of the restaurants at Disneyland. It glows all sorts of colors, one of which is green. Caitlyn carried this glowing, green plastic cube around for days, insisting that it was Tinkerbell, all the while singing, "You can fly, you can fly, you can flllllyyyyyy!"

Just as with any game she plays, it became more and more elaborate. First, bubbles in the bathtub became pixie dust. Then, she dug a fairy costume out of the dress up box, so she could be one of Tinkerbell's friends. Finally, she requested that I do her hair just like Tinkerbell. Anyone who knows 2 year olds knows that there is some sort of magic at work when you can get one to sit still long enough to fashion a bun! Of course, after I finished the bun, Caitlyn informed me that it wasn't quite right- I did not make bangs, and Tinkerbell, if you didn't know, has bangs.  Sigh.

However, even without bangs, my little fairy was thrilled with her hair. So thrilled, in fact, that she has requested Tinkerbell hair the last three mornings. After her hair is done, she grabs her magic wand and flies through the house singing in her sweet little girl voice. 

Did I mention I love to watch her play? 

Sigh.

It used to be that I loved to watch the baby shows on television- A Baby Story, Special Delivery, you know the ones. Who doesn't love to see new life? 

When I was pregnant with Caitlyn, I was on bedrest for 11 weeks, so I watched (and got sick of!) lots of different shows, but the baby shows never got old. It never occurred to me to pay attention to the typical pattern that the majority of the births followed. Then, I had Caitlyn via a totally needless c-section, and I began to see the new reality of obstetrics. 

Here's the general plot for at least 50% of those shows:  Mom is 39 weeks pregnant and tired of pregnancy. Doctor makes comments about a "big" baby or is just willing to induce for whatever reason. Pitocin is given. Membranes are artificially ruptured. Mom gets an epidural and can't feel a thing. Mom labors for a bit, fails to progress and the doc calls for a section. Mom sees baby over the sheet in the OR for 15 seconds before baby is whisked away, and Mom must lay there, strapped down, while she is stitched up.

Not necessary. Abuse of power. Ridiculous. Alarming. Those are the words that come to mind for me. 

When I examined the circumstances of Caitlyn's delivery, I began to get angry. I had a picture perfect labor- arrived at the hospital in a great labor pattern, got an epidural at 6 cm, and was dilated to 10 cm 2 hours later. I saw the doctor one time as he arrived to break my water. After I was fully dilated, Jason and I were left to push for about an hour with only sporadic checks by a nurse. I could not feel a thing and had no idea if I was doing what I was supposed to be doing. Finally, the doctor came in to check on me, watched me push for one contraction, and said I was too small to deliver and needed a c section.  Busy maternity floor, holiday weekend, near the end of the regular shift- it was almost laughable.  The experience was awful, but for the beautiful, wonderfully perfect little girl who was there at the end.

When I became pregnant with Lorelei, I faced an uphill battle in my quest for my ideal birth. The c section rate in our country is sky high- much higher than is necessary or even safe. 30% of births take place in an operating room. The VBAC rate in our country is tiny- only 2 mothers out of 10 will have a VBAC. In some areas, it is literally impossible to have anything other than a repeat c section in subsequent pregnancies.

At every prenatal appointment, I was lectured at and questioned about my decision to VBAC. I knew that the success of avoiding the OR on delivery date had almost everything to do with which of the 4 doctors in the practice was on call when I went into labor- two were VERY against it, one was VERY supportive, and one was neutral.

In the end, nature worked beautifully. Water broke, got to the hospital at 5 cm, had a really powerful, intense 25 minutes, and then I was ready to push at 10 cm. I had no time for any sort of drug, and that feeling was amazing (and nearly overwhelming during transition!). I pushed for 3 hours with a very patient, dedicated doctor and nurse (average time for a first delivery is 2 hours), and in the end I was rewarded with the perfect birth- a gorgeous baby, a huge sense of accomplishment, awe in what my body had done, and a husband who thought I was the world's most amazing woman.  What an experience!

Now, I don't watch the baby shows. I can't stand the fear and coercion that accompanies so many births. I hate the mistrust of such a natural process, although I praise the interventions that are used appropriately. Most of all, I hate how many women are left out of decisions that affect their bodies.

California Dreamin', The Finale

Ok, so a three part post to document one vacation might be a bit excessive, but there is a lot to tell!

One of the neatest things we did at Sea World that I failed to put in the last entry was to take a backstage tour. Originally, we intended to take a tour that had a dolphin interaction, shark touch tank and a sting ray feeding, however that tour was sold out. So, we let the two year old select our tour. She picked the "Save a Species" tour because it advertised petting a shark and feeding a sea turtle.

A few years back, I participated in a backstage tour at Sea World San Antonio, and it was AWESOME! We got to see so many different animals and feed or touch quite a few. This tour . . . was not that.

We did get to pet baby leopard and nurse sharks, and Caitlyn loved that. I think she would have crawled into the tank if we hadn't kept a close eye on her. The girl loves everything about sharks. She knows what their skeletons are made up of (cartilage). She has a favorite shark (hammerhead). She can identify all of the types of fins (pectoral, caudal, dorsal). She is just fascinated by sharks.

After the shark touch tank, we continued walking to the next area. On the way there, our group stopped beneath a group of pine trees to discuss . . . pine trees. Really? We paid $20 a person to stand underneath a stand of pine trees in a public area of the park and discuss how many needles were on this type of tree? Again, really??? Pine trees are great, but let's get to the marine life! The rest of the tour was neat, and we did get to feed endangered sea turtles, although I use the term "feed" loosely. In reality, we got to toss lettuce into a tank where the turtles fought to eat it.

For the rest of our vacation, we relaxed at the condo and on the beach. One of our favorite adventures was searching for shells on the beach, and we found several to add to Caitlyn's shell jar- a gift Daddy made her for her second birthday. Avi's daughter, Leeta, came to see us, and we really enjoyed spending time with her. She helped Caitlyn build a tent in Grandma and Grandpa's room, and she could really get Lorelei to giggle.

One evening, we walked to an amazing seafood restaurant. Everything on the menu (probably 30 different types of seafood) was mesquite grilled, and I had the most delicious scallops and shrimp with drawn butter. I could have eaten for hours!

On our last day, we went to Oceanside and ate on the pier. Caitlyn and Jason liked watching the fishermen, and Caitlyn got to see some fish up close and personal. We also saw a giant brown pelican just sitting on the pier- it was huge!

Finally, after a stop in Westwood Village to eat at The Gypsy Cafe, one of my very favorite places to eat, we took a short stroll on the UCLA campus to satisfy Jason's love of the Bruins. Caitlyn pranced around yelling the Eight Clap, much to the delight of all of the students walking by.

Our flight home was a red eye that left LAX at 11pm, and we got home at 10am the next morning. It was long, exhausting, exhilarating trip, and we have hundreds of special memories. We miss the family we left out in California, and we can't wait to see them again.

Now, I've got a mountain of laundry to do, Mickey ears to put away and questions about Shamu to answer- the perfect end to the perfect trip!

Passionate

There are a few things in my life that I am passionate about, and most of them relate to my children. I've never been one of those people who LIVE their job- I work to live, not live to work. In fact, I have never owned a single item that touts my career. I've never really been into sports or teams or colleges- I own a single OU shirt that my husband bought me. Most of my achievements are an afterthought to me- I didn't send out announcements when I finished my M.A., and I never even considered going to the ceremony, nor do I have even a picture to commemorate the event. Things like that just don't get me going.

My kids do, though. I love them more than my own life, and I would do or give them anything if it would help them. Breastfeeding falls into this category, and it also happens to be one of those things I am passionate about. 

I'm not one of those crazy lactivist types who would disown a friend for feeding *gasp* formula. I'm glad we have such a great substitute for breastmilk, and I'm glad that it works for some families. While I loathe some of the things formula companies do, I'm grateful that they keep babies alive with the product they produce.

But, I am very proud that I've never used it to feed my little nurslings. Breastfeeding is one of those things I am passionate about. Yep, I own a t shirt touting it. Yep, I have something special to commemorate that relationship. Yep, I even have pictures of me feeding each of the girls. Even bigger, I keep abreast (ha ha) of related stories and legislation, and I would be first in line to participate in a nurse in to help raise awareness of this special mothering task. 

Breastfeeding isn't easy, not that anything about being a mother is. Many women struggle with it, although there are very few who can't do it. It hurts in the beginning, it ties you constantly to your child and it isn't always convenient.  I never left Caitlyn for longer than 3 or 4 hours until she was over a year old. Lorelei still hasn't been left for longer than 2 hours, and she still doesn't sleep through the night the way most formula-fed babies would by this age. When Caitlyn was 1 week old, I went to the Emergency Room with raging mastitis. For weeks, my toes would curl in pain when she latched on. But, we nursed through it.

There is just something magical about nursing a baby- something primal and sacred. I feel a kinship with all other mammals because I am feeding my baby the way nature intended. I relish the quiet moments during a feeding, feeling the soft brush of tiny fingers on my side or chest as my babies caress me in time with their meal. I love seeing them grow and thrive on something that came purely from me, especially when they are young and the only nourishment they've ever known came from my body. Those warm, milky smiles are priceless, not to mention the many medical and health benefits nursing provides. 

It is satisfying, peaceful and precious to comfort your little one in a way no one else can, and I treasure it. Does it sound odd to say that I will miss these days when they are gone? No more midnight nursing. No more babe suckling in a park. No more instant comfort when life causes hurts. I'm willing to be that it doesn't sound odd at all to any other nursing mother.

California Dreamin', Part Two

After seeing the sights at Disneyland for 3 days, our whole crew headed down to San Diego for the rest of our vacation. Lee and I both teared up a bit when we started to leave the magic of Disney, but we should have known that we still had lots of fun in store!

When we arrived at our beach condo, we were thrilled! First of all, we got to enjoy fabulous margaritas just steps from our room. We met Jesse and Avi in the bar at the on-site Mexican eatery, and we had a great dinner with good conversation, family and drinks. Then, we went to check out our room. Jesse and Avi were right next door, and our patios were connected so Caitlyn could run back and forth as she pleased.

Our home away from home was literally a one minute trek to the beach, so we took a family stroll on the beach on our first night there. It was gorgeous, and the sound of the ocean was so soothing. The condo was nestled in the middle of an area filled with neat little shops and restaurants, and it was fun to continue the trend of walking anywhere we needed to go.

During our stay, we spent a couple of fun-filled days at Sea World. Ever since I was a child, I have been fascinated by marine life, and my childhood job aspirations ranged from dolphin trainer to oceanographer. Alas, neither of those came to pass, but I still love visiting Sea World. Within 5 minutes of arriving, we were at the dolphin touch pool. One young male dolphin apparently thought it was entertaining to splash visitors, and Lorelei and I got soaked quickly after scoping out the dolphins!

Minutes later, I was lucky enough to experience a true interaction with a female dolphin. She bobbed up to my hand, splashed a bit of water from her mouth, and allowed me to rub down her smooth melon. She and I played for a couple of minutes, and that was the highlight of my day!

We saw a few shows, and Jason and I got to ride a combination flume/roller coaster that was incredible. We really relished being able to spend some time together on this trip.

Sadly, Lee had to leave after our first day at Sea World, and Caitlyn asked about her for the rest of the trip. But, both of the girls fell in love with their Grandpa. They loved Avi, too, but they just giggled and snuggled their Grandpa Jesse until we thought we may just have to leave them there! It was a lot of fun to watch.

Again, this has gotten long, so I will finish our trip in another post!

California Dreamin', Part One

What a week! Jason, the girls and I have spent a whirlwind week in Southern Cali, and it has been amazing. In fact, my eyes sting a bit as I think about going home tomorrow- this has been one of the most fabulous family vacations we have taken.

We started out the week at one of the most magical places on Earth, Disneyland. Everything about the park encapsulates the wonder of childhood imagination, and our girls literally basked in the glory of Mickey and all of his friends. What made our trip even more special is that Jason's sister, Lee (Caitlyn's namesake), was able to join us at the park. It was great to share the magic with her!

Our Disney trip started off at the Paradise Pier Hotel, which is owned by Disneyland. Staying on the property was fabulous, and it meant that we never had to leave the magic of the park behind us. Walking to the park, through Downtown Disney, was incredible, and I swear you could almost hear "Zip A Dee Do Dah" as the birds flew by in the morning . . . perhaps they are trained to whistle the melody??

Caitlyn got to go to a special Princess lunch at Ariel's Grotto since she has done so well using the big girl potty. We hit the Princess jackpot and got to see Ariel, Cinderella, Mulan, Snow White and Sleeping Beauty right at our table. Both of the girls were in awe, and we got some great pictures. As an aside, the food (which I expected to be mediocre and overpriced) was astonishingly delicious!

Other highlights of our trip included:
* Couple time in the hot tub at the hotel while Aunt Lee stayed with the girls- a rare treat for us on a beautiful night

* Meeting up with Jen and Julian and getting to spend an entire day at the park with the two of them. Caitlyn and Julian were precious together!

* Spending 5 minutes with Mickey Mouse with absolutely no other family in the room. Apparently our girls are so cute that they inspire people to go out of their way to do special things for them. Don't tell Caitlyn!

* Enjoying the rides and seeing them through the eyes of a child. "It's a Small World" reduced Caitlyn to wide eyed silence- no small feat for our little Yak Yak Face. "Pirates of the Caribbean" captured her total attention and had her singing the rest of the trip. Lorelei laughed and giggled her way through "Dumbo, the Flying Elephant", and all of the adults enjoyed the big rides.

*Most of all, we loved just getting to be together as a family, making memories, taking pictures, and strolling through the streets.

The Mom Body

Being a mom is not supposed to be a sexy thing. Could a designer actually sell something called "Mom Jeans?" Apparently, once women become moms, they are supposed to turn in their low rise jeans for a camel toe and a one piece bathing suit, complete with industrial strength spandex.

Those who know me best know that I am not a follower, so I'm bucking this trend, too! I REFUSE to start dressing like some frumpy dump just because I happen to have two little girls in tow. I may not be rocking the latest trends (mostly because I hate the current 80s look), but I'm also not going to become some Martha Stewart look alike in khakis and a cardigan. To avoid offending anyone, let me clarify. I think khakis and a cardigan can be cute, professional and the perfect look for some- it is just not my look unless I am actually at work.

Granted, I have never been the height of fashion, so maybe I do look like the stereotypical mom??? I like to wear low rise jeans and comfortable shirts, cute flats, cute jackets and bold colors. I LOVE my bikini, and I'm not planning to trade that in for a few years yet.

I like to keep in good shape, and I was blessed with some fabulous genes. Thanks, Mom. Thanks, Booboo. My grandmother came away from pregnancy with nary a stretch mark. My mom has maybe one, and I have none. Yep, that's right. Two pregnancies. Two BIG bellies. Zero stretch marks. Like I said- fabulous genes. And like I said- love the bikini.

However, even if I had stretch marks, I would not let that change my mind. I grew two great little girls inside this little body, and I'm not afraid to show the world. Do I still look like I did at 18? Probably not, considering back then I was coaching gymnastics 4 nights a week and working out almost every day. I wear the same size I did back then, and that works for me.

And if the day comes that I find myself a bit bigger, I guess I will just move up a size (or two or three!?!?- and be excited to shop outside of teeny bopper shops!) and continue to seek out cute clothes that keep me covered, keep me running after the girls and keep me away from the soccer mom persona.

Ladies, buck the trend with me. Show off those mom bods, and let's teach our girls that women can be moms and still look great!

The magic of a snow day

"Mama! Mama! It is snowing a lot! Get up!" 

Those are the words that greeted my tired ears, as the little rocket we call Caitlyn blasted through our bedroom door and rocketed herself up into bed, between Jason and I. 

The brilliant, white light shining through our window revealed a winter wonderland just on the other side of the chilly pane, and Jason and I we were the lucky recipients of a snow day. We puttered from the bedroom, ate a leisurely breakfast and confirmed that yes, all schools were closed for the day. As soon as the girls were done eating, we began the arduous task of dressing them for the trek outside.

Snowsuits? Check. Heavy socks? Check. Boots? Mittens? Hats? Jackets? Check. Check. Check. And check.

After the girls were dressed, Jason and I took turns layering on our own clothes, and then we all trooped down the stairs to play in the beautiful snow outside. Lorelei stared at the white stuff, touched it once, and then was perfectly content to sit, snug and cozy, in her stroller underneath a fuzzy blanket. 

Caitlyn, on the other hand, was a blur. She ran (or tried to), rolled, threw snow, made snow angels and slid on the hill. We tried, without success, to make a small snowman, chased Daddy, tried to bring the cat outside (big, fat FAIL!), and turned cartwheels in the snow.

It was childlike bliss at its best.

After spending little more time outside than it took us to get ready to go outside, we headed back to the house. Jason got the girls undressed, and I made hot chocolate for all of us. We ate a picnic lunch while watching a movie, and then the girls took a nap. 

It was a great, lazy, family day . . . and I loved every minute. We should have snow days more often.