A Vomit Rock Star

Minutes after giving birth to my first-born child, I discovered my greatest strength as a mother: imperviousness to bodily fluids.

Bella had just been placed on my chest by the labor and delivery nurse, and I was gazing into her tiny black eyes when I felt a warmth spreading over me. At first, I attributed the sensation to an emotional high, but a few seconds later, when the liquid began to cool, I realized that my miniscule daughter had actually showered me with a large quantity of infant pee.

That was the first of many instances I would marvel at the impossibly generous quantities of fluids originating from my children's bodies.

Since that day, I've been covered in spit up, spittle, phlegm, vomit, booger blow-outs, spewed out medicine, half-chewed cookies deemed yucky, and diarrhea in every hue of the rainbow. Every time, no matter how repulsive, I've been ...

... this was the beginning of my latest post at NJ Moms Blog. Head on over to read the rest of the post.

Ready, Set, Relax... After You Do Your Homework

Seven years ago, my town attracted national attention by designating one night every year to do... nothing. They gave the initiative a catchy name, "Ready, Set, Relax." The concept was simple, pick one night a year to cancel homework, sports practices, games, afterschool activities, and just use that night to connect as a family. One night of reprieve from our frenzied overscheduled lives.

While I appreciate the good intentions of Ready, Set, Relax, one night a year seems like a weak effort. Is committing one night out of 365 to spend quality time with family really the best we can do?

This is the beginning of my latest NJ Moms Blog post. Head on over to read the rest!

Walking on the Clouds

This weekend, the Liberty Science Center had a special event for blogger from the New Jersey Moms Blog, NYC Moms Blog, and Philly Moms Blog. We unanimously declared it the best blogger family event we'd ever attended. Even my husband agreed. He didn't get that semi-comatose look he usually gets when we enter children's museums. He was as into it as the kids. Hawaii is probably the only place we would have been happier to be at on this frigid day.

The last time we went to the Liberty Science Center, about a year and a half ago, it had just reopened after a huge renovation. We had been underwhelmed by the offerings for little kids and had just written off as a big kid activity. This time we were blown away by the experience, and we didn't even have time to explore the permanent exhibits! We mingled with the other bloggers and were treated to four different shows: Fun with Liquid Nitrogen, a Live Animal Show, and a 3-D planetarium show starring Big Bird and Elmo.

Between shows, we got to mingle and meet each other's families. I realized that over the last year, I've gotten to know a bunch of great ladies from the tri-state area. A year ago, I attended a Kung Fu Panda event and knew no one. This time I was so excited to meet everyone's husbands and kids. I saw Liz from This Full House, Melissa from Fits and Giggles, Feener from Mommy Vents, Amy from Selfish Mom, Kate from Kate Spot, Jen from the Kamienski Chronicles.and

The liquid nitrogen show was amazing. We actually saw it twice! Balloons were shrunk and shoved into small containers, rubber was hardened, and we learned a lot about gases, solids, and liquids. We were all amazed by the cold cloud big finale: it was like walking on the moon.



The 3-D Planetarium place was shown in this cool inflatable black bubble contraption. Entering was the hardest part - almost like re-entering the womb. But once inside, we were treated to an intimate exploration of the skies as seen in the US and China. Juliette loved having Elmo and Big Bird walking around all around us. We all lay down on the floor and looked up at the stars, completely mesmerized.




I would say this post definitely qualifies as a Wordful Wednesday post!

Running Off the Excess

I bend down and guide my feet into my gray running sneakers. As I tighten the laces, I have to clear room for my shoe among the detritus that covers the floor: cookie crumbs, K'NEX pieces, and Littlest Pet Shop animals. I fight the urge to purge and bolt out the door instead.

The day's unseasonal warmth shocks my system. I throw down my sweatshirt on the porch without giving it a second thought, without questioning how crazy it is to run in short sleeves in New Jersey in December, and I bound down the steps onto the wet driveway.

This is the beginning of my latest NJ Moms Blog post. Click here to read the rest...

PMS, an Unwelcome Intruder

Every month, I am visited by a stealth intruder. He sneaks into my subconscious to shroud me in a scratchy cloak of irritability. Once he's visited, I wear my PMS like a scratchy sweater, unable to shake the discomfort that hangs over me, coloring my days gray and dull.I don't notice his arrival, caught up in the whirlwind of my days, but my children do. They know instantly when I've come under his spell again.

I'm sure they don't call me PMS mom or even have a name for my transformed self, but they know. They know that their playful mother who makes up songs about farts and warts had disappeared and been replaced by this tense and trigger-happy stranger. They know there will be no spontaneous water fights at bathtime and no extra books at bedtime. They become more subdued and attentive to my every word and when I call to them in that dead voice, I never have to call twice. They come running, but not too fast, just fast enough to show their obeisance.

This is the beginning of my latest NJ Moms Blog post. Click here to read the rest.

Taking Back Sunday

Every year I think our family schedule is hectic, insane and chock-full and swear that it couldn't get any worse. Every fall I prove myself wrong. As the kids get older, there's always a new class to add or a new sport to try because everyone else is doing it. So we add: a class here, a playgroup there, and the mad dash from activity to activity begins. Last weekend, things reached a breaking point.

At 11:15 in the morning, I ran out of the house with my high heeled sandals unstrapped and my hair still wet from a quick shower. I buckled Jack and Juliette in their hot car seats, wrinkling their fancy outfits. It didn't feel like mid-September. It was hot, August hot, one of those bonus summer days in September, a last hurrah day. All we wanted to do was jump in the pool, but instead, we were piling into our sweltering mini-van. We were all sweating, yelling at each other, completely miserable. The fresh tracks of tears were still visible on both Bella's and Juliette's faces. We were already fifteen minutes late for the opening ceremony of Hebrew School.

This is the opening of my newest post at New Jersey Mom's Blog. Click through to read more...

Got Questions for Sarah Palin?

Katie Couric is preparing to spend two days interviewing Sarah Palin.   She just posted an invite on the New York City Moms Blog, sister site to the New Jersey Moms blog, asking for the questions that women bloggers have for Sarah. How often do we get the chance to influence a major interview on the eve of an election?.

So if you have any questions for Sarah Palin - both positive and negative - email them to couriconline@cbsnews.com.

Diving Into Politics ... on the Web and Beyond

I grew up in France where political discussions are as frequent as discussing the weather, and disagreeing is part of the fun. The more heated the discussion, the better. Even though I've lived here since I was ten, I've never gotten used to the taboo on talking politics. That said, I'm not a very political person, beyond voting in all the big elections, but I sometimes still put my foot in my mouth by asking people who they voted for and I'm always surprised when an awkward silence results.

I recently wrote a post on the New Jersey Moms Blog about being currently undecided. It was published last night. I really felt like I put myself out there, airing out my views for all to see, but I wanted to join in the amazing discourse I've been witnessing. I've received a lot of fiery comments that really demonstrated the beauty of the blog world. Without blogs, how else could I have a political discussion with a lesbian mother in NYC and a republican in Los Angeles? And all from my kitchen stool in NJ?

Then a few of my friends who had read my post started talking to me about it, and we actually had a live political discussion. My two worlds crossed over, and I was thrilled. It seemed especially fitting on today of all days, that people would come together and discuss the future of our country.

Ignoring the To Do List

This morning, when Bella's camp counselor called at 6:45AM to tell me that camp was cancelled, I sat in bed thinking about how much I was going to accomplish today. I had a feeling it was going to be a great day. I was going to spring out of bed and finish those two pieces I've been working on to submit to a local paper. My creativity would be so honed, that I was also going to write a new NJ Moms Blog post before the kids woke up. At that point, the kids would wake up, but would be well behaved enough for me to figure out how to import my contacts and calendar into my new Blackberry. Before I walked out the door to go to a meeting at 10, I was going to eradicate all the items on my to do list.

Of course, things didn't quite work out that way.

I ended up writing about this crazy day on NJ Moms blog. At least I can get that task off the list.

Go check out my post to see how Jack and Juliette did a Halloween parade through our supermarket in July.

Spontaneous Fishing

Yesterday, after a long day cooped up in the house during bouts of heavy rain, we snuck out spontaneously and took the kids fishing. You can read all about our expedition at NJ Moms Blog in my latest post.

Here are a few pictures:

We saw deer:


Jack caught a fish:



And Juliette dressed for the occasion with the perfect shoes:

Writing Motherhood Giveaway & Book Club

Today is book club day at NJ Moms Blog and its sister sites. We're talking about Lisa Garrigues' book Writing Motherhood, which has just come out in paperback. Lisa Garrigues has had a big impact on my life: through her book and the class she teaches in town, she inspired me to pick up the pen and start writing last September. I had always wanted to write, but I kept waiting for divine inspiration to strike. The topics I thought about never seemed interesting or important enough. Lisa showed me that my life is full of rich material and empowered me to begin writing about it. With the help of the writing invitations throughout her book, I am now on my fourth mother's notebook and my pen is still flowing every day. In addition to writing starts, Writing Motherhood is also a moving memoir of Lisa's journey through motherhood.

GIVEAWAY! I'm going to be giving away a signed copy of Lisa's book to celebrate this day. To enter, please write a comment to this post letting me know whether you are a writer or would like to be a writer someday. Do you have a story you've always wanted to tell? You can comment about that too. I'll pick the winner at random next week.

Definitely check out the posts at NJ Mom's Blog. All the participants have written about their worst mothering moment or the rules in their house. I chose my worst mothering moment: Missing the bus.

Here's a little excerpt:
"Last fall, on a beautiful September day full of lingering summer heat, Bella stepped onto the bus for her first day of kindergarten. She had been a shy and often tentative child for the first five years of her life, but she didn't hesitate as she skipped onto the bus. She had been looking forward to kindergarten all summer and she was thrilled to be riding the bus to school. She was ready.

When Bella returned that first day, she walked off the bus slowly but proudly. I could tell that she wanted to run into my arms, but was self-conscious about acting as cool as all the second and third graders around her. Her beaming grin, however, was not tempered by any inhibitions. She'd had a great day and was thrilled to find me at the agreed upon spot to tell me all about it. She'd stepped out into a new world, confident that the security of home would be awaiting her triumphant return.

Click here to read more....

Kung Fu Panda Giveaway

I went to a Kung Fun Panda promotional event on Sunday organized by the Silicon Valley Moms Blog. It was my first family blog event - or as my kids put it - finally our turn for a goody bag!

I'd like to share the spoils of this goody bag with you - my first giveaway. Please post a comment below by Monday, June 9 with your email address and the best kid movie you've recently seen. I'll randomly select a winner to receive an HP Kung Fu Panda activity CD and a gift card for 70 snapfish digital camera prints (50 if you're already a customer).

The event, held at Kidville on the Upper West Side, was really fun. How could it not be fun with a bouncing castle, a trampoline, crafts, video games, face painting, candy, and good pass-arounds? But it was curiously missing promotion of the actual movie. I was expecting to see a clip or receive passes to the movie, but the closest we got to the movie was playing video games and taking pictures with a cardboard panda. Don't get me wrong, we had fun doing that, and we're still just as fired up to see Kung Fu Panda, but it did seem like a little bit of a waste. Isn't the point of getting a bunch of bloggers in one place to show them the actual product, or part of the actual product, so they can talk it up?

Regardless, I had a great time. I got to meet some online friends like Feener of Mommy Vents, and Phat Mommy, as well as catch up with some online friends I've recently met like Andi of Mama Knows Breast and Jessica of the NYC Moms Blog. I even got to have a few minutes of chat time longer than just saying hi as my kids ran around the various rooms. Pretty great for a sunday afternoon.