You Can't Please 'Em All

I like to make people happy. It's a thing with me.

At the office with my coworkers and clients, at home with my family, even at restaurants or stores with sales people. I try to always be nice, pleasant, polite, and get a chuckle out of the people I interact with. My philosophy is the world is full of jerks--I don't want to be one of them.

Apparently, though, I don't always come across as nice as I try to be. Yesterday at a company "share session," where employees can share their thoughts and ideas with our president, I was exposed by a couple of my coworkers for my true, jerky nature.

One of the many new folks at the session (our company has grown a lot in the past year) expressed how cold and unfriendly Cincinnatians can be. He said he's noticed this at our company, too. Then, he pointed across the room at yours truly and described a recent incident where I came over to talk to his cubicle mate and didn't even talk to him. How rude is that? I ask you.

As my face turned various shades of red, another coworker chimed in to wholeheartedly agree. "Susan didn't even talk to me my first year here!" he said. I should not be introduced or allowed around new employees, he added, for fear my jerkiness may, in fact, drive them away! I believe there may have been a reference to Cincinnati's German heritage (which I share) and the Nazis (which I do not share), but I can't recall an exact quote.

Wow.

I wanted to say, "I'm BUSY, people! I have a very demanding job, not to mention a kid to take care of. I can't possibly make BFFs with every one of 200-some employees in this joint. Gimme a break!"

Instead, I tried to play it off like "Haha, I'm sure they're just kidding... and even if they're not, no one will think I'm that horrible."

Inside, I WAS BURNING. A combustible combination of disbelief, embarrassment, and rage. Now, all these innocent new people at my company (not to mention the president!) have the distinct impression that I'm Queen Beeyotch of the Office.

This particularly bothered me because of my people-pleasing nature. I know it's partly a woman thing, wanting to be seen as nice and polite and all that. Still, how do I overcome my unrealistic need to please and come to terms with the "You can't please all the people all the time" reality?

Maybe I should just embrace my inner Queen Beeyotch and say, Hey, you're LUCKY if I talk to you, new guy. But that's just not me. I want to be everyone's friend, and the best wife/mom/daughter/etc. I just wish I had the time and energy.

Don't Say It... Don't

Way back a whole 16 months ago or so, my friend Marla and I remarked that as soon as we said something about our sons’ routines, they changed. So, we resolved, it was best be quiet about such matters.

Don’t tell someone your son started sleeping through the night or he would immediately stop. Don’t utter a word how your kid eats veggies like a champ, or he’d suddenly refuse anything remotely resembling a vegetable. Your kid hasn’t been sick in awhile? Keep it to yourself or the next week he’ll come down with the snottiest cold in the whole-wide world. You speak what you’re thinking aloud, and you tempt fate. It’s just not wise. Moms know all about this phenomenon—I’ve heard others say similar things.

So, why in the heck did I tell someone last week that my morning commute with O if often pretty peaceful? (Aside from the great poop incident of 2008, of course.) We usually ride in relative peace. I think in part it’s because we are both still waking up, so we just chill. I’m able to listen to my music—not the toddler-centric tunes that dominate the ride home—and O's happy as a clam. Sometimes we chat, but often we ride in a comfortable silence. Why did I say it? Why? I guess I felt untouchable because this has been our routine for oh, just about 15 months or so.

Bad move. Every day this week, the ride into daycare/work has been less than pleasant. Between screams of “coooooo-kie,” “go-go,” shoe tossing, and kicks to the back of my seat, I’m surprised I make the half-hour commute and arrive to daycare in one piece.

Stupid fate.

Maybe now I should start talking about how bad our commute to work is. Does it work in reverse?

Tasty Tuesday - January 29, 2008

Do you like to bake with your little ones? Do you ever make up fun, wacky, and tasty recipes? Whip out your favorites and enter them in the WearEver Air Bake Extreme Cookie Challenge. Time's running out on this one - the deadline is this Thursday. But if you've got a few creative ideas lying around, you just might have a chance at the $10,000 savings bond grand prize. Four runners up will each receive a $1,000 savings bond. Check out the cute photo of the previous winners!

You can find all the entry details at www.wearever.com

And while you're at it, take a look at these handy tips for baking with kids, sent to us by WearEver:

TIPS FOR BAKING WITH KIDS

Choose a simple recipe, re-read the recipe several times with your child before beginning (and keep it handy of course!).

Put small children on a stable, sturdy stool.

Prepare by getting out all the necessary ingredients and equipment before you begin cooking.

Teach your children kitchen safety by using oven mitts or pot holders, keeping pot handles turned inward and keeping surfaces clean.

Place baking sheets on the middle rack so curious eyes can watch the cooking without opening the oven door.

No matter the result, praise your child for the effort and make a date to bake together again, and create memories that may last a lifetime.

Why Is Target a Blogger-Hater?

Target is one of my favorite stores. They make some cool ads and sell cool stuff for cheap. Heck, we even have Target ads on this very blog. We know many WMAG readers dig Target as much as we do, so we think of it as a service (which may happen to generate a few bucks for our little blog).

So I was quite surprised to learn today that Target has an official policy of ignoring bloggers. Fellow blogger Amy Jussel of Shaping Youth contacted Target about its recent ad campaign featuring a giant Target symbol with a woman's crotch at the bull's-eye. (Yeah, not all their ads are cool, I guess.) And the company sent her this lame, generic reply:

Thank you for contacting Target; unfortunately we are unable to respond to your inquiry because Target does not participate with non-traditional media outlets. This practice is in place to allow us to focus on publications that reach our core guest.

Apparently, Target didn't get the memo about how their core guest is freakin' all over the blogosphere, reading, writing, and commenting on blogs every day. Who is running their media department, anyway? Probably some old-school flak who still thinks press releases and desk-side briefings are cutting-edge PR tactics. Besides, if their "core guest" is not reading blogs, why does Target advertise with DoubleClick ConnectCommerce, an ad-serving network for bloggers and websites such as this one?

In summary, Target's coolness factor has slipped a few notches in my view. Maybe the NY Times article shedding light on this ridiculous policy will help change it, so Target will actually recognize the power and potential of blogs as media outlets.

Friday Finds - January 25, 2008

Sara's Finds

-- I don't often have time to watch TV, but when I find a show I love, I get hooked. These days, my favorite show is Gossip Girl. Based on a popular series of young adult novels, it's a real guilty pleasure. Gossip Girl follows the shenanigans of several super-rich kids on Manhattan's Upper East Side through the eyes of an anonymous blogger called... you guessed it. Gossip Girl originally aired on Wednesdays with a shortened season due to the writer's strike. Now it appears that the CW is going to start replaying episodes on Mondays. This Monday, the 28th, they're doing some sort of recap special. So tune in - if for nothing else than to appreciate the performance of Leighton Meester (pictured right) as Queen B-yotch Blair Waldorf. Girl is fierce!

Tela's Finds

--Check out your blog's "readability"--or the level of schooling someone needs to understand your blog. Simply plug in your blog's address and voila! Working Moms Against Guilt scores at the "High School" level. Is that good or bad? I'm not sure...

--Has anyone tried Orville Redenbacher's Tender White popcorn? If not, you should. Because, MANG, this stuff is GOOD. My co-worker MK turned me on to this awesomely awesome popcorn--now it's an office fave. Or at least a "this part of cube-land" fave. I don't know what makes it tastes so damn delicious. Maybe it's the white corn? Heh.

--After spotted in the work freezer, the new Lean Cuisine Flatbreads caused quite a stir among a few co-workers. They looked so good! Who brought it in? We never see them in the stores! Where could you purchase these exclusive frozen meals? My co-worker Steph has located them on the Lean Cuisine website--but they are still to be located in stores. I guess if we knew the person who brought it in, we could ask them, but alas, we don't know who it was. Has any Cinci-area mommies seen 'em in stores?

Susan's Finds

-- iParent, therefore iAm tired. But never too tired for new articles about how to be a better parent! If you’re thirsting for knowledge about motherhood, check out iParenting.com. You’ll find articles and tips covering every stage from preconception to teen years, plus recipes, news, and message boards. These are also the folks who publish print magazines such as Family Energy: Your Guide to Raising Healthy Kids, Pregnancy, Baby Years, and Women’s Health & Fitness.

-- Krazy ‘bout Kashi. Anyone who knows me hears enough already(!) about Kashi. Still, I feel compelled to tell you about the new-and-improved website from the maker of tasty, healthy cereals, snacks, entrees, and pizzas. Kashi.com is so much more than just a product site. You can set and share goals with other like-minded Kashians, discuss healthy living, and get free stuff (lots!) and recipes.


-- Robeez now makes outside shoes. I have been a huge Robeez fan since Cassie was born. But as she grew into a toddler, I lamented the fact that they had no “big kid” shoes for walking outdoors. Happily, Robeez finally got wind of my concerns and conveniently is launching its new Tredz line in a couple of weeks. They look super-cute and comfy, but also have the outdoor soles. Enter for a chance to win a pair at the Robeez site by Feb. 4.

Cara's Finds

-- Work as a team to lose weight. If you think a little competition--and weekly weigh-ins--will motivate you to lose some weight check out livehealthyamerica.org. I read about it in Parent's magazine. Form a team and take the 100-day challenge to lose weight or be more active. Each week you track your weight-loss or minutes of activity and see how your team ranks against others in the country. It cost $15 per entrant, which gives you an online journal and messaging center to communicate to your teammates and share your progress, tips and recipes, and chances to win prizes and incentives. And by signing up you receive a T-shirt and a one-year subscription to a magazine of your choice, including Fitness, Men's Journal, Ladies Home Journal, and more.

Peanut What?

A few weeks ago I discovered O has a peanut allergy. I was stunned. No one in my family, no one I even know has a peanut allergy—any food allergies, really. I immediately thought about this television show I once saw that documented the airline industry—the gate agents, passengers, travel attendants, pilots, etc. The episode I remembered had this really irate passenger flipping out because of his peanut allergy—he was assured no peanuts would be served on his flight, but they were, and he might have gone into anaphylactic shock. He was very mad, very dramatic, and talked a lot about it. Then my mind went to this story. I read about it when I had visited the allergy forum on Cincymoms.com the previous day. Not exactly the best timing.

As I sat there in the Dr.’s office, stunned, thinking about television shows and poor little kids who died from their allergies—the doctor ticked off all the things that O couldn’t eat (like pre-made chili—it often has peanuts—what?). She went on to tell me that he wasn’t allergic to tree nuts, but we should still avoid them. O could eat peanut oil—but not peanut oil that has been cold-pressed or extruded. I would need to be extra vigilant in restaurants and start reading labels very carefully.

She explained about the EpiPen®. She said I’d have to carry it everywhere, give one to daycare, keep one at home, give one to his dad. If O would ever get hives after eating something, I need to immediately use the pen and then call 911. There was no waiting—you didn’t know what could be going on with his airway, so better safe than sorry. Later, the nurse would show me how to actually use the pen

The doctor rattled off some statistics about how only one kid out of five outgrows peanut allergies—so I should plan for the long term. (And that’s actually the most frequently asked question from others when I explain about O's allergy—"Will he outgrow it?")

On and on and on. And all I could do was sit there in disbelief thinking, “O has a peanut allergy? Really?”

Finally—after almost three hours—the doctor’s appointment ended. (Not a second too soon for O, he was literally.climbing.the.walls.) I had a million questions, but I couldn’t seem to find the words to ask them. So I gathered all the paperwork the doctor gave me (a lot) and wandered out of Children’s Hospital.

It’s been a few weeks now, and I’ve had an email exchange with an awesome mom who has a peanut-allergic son, I’ve joined the local allergy support group, and I’ve had follow up calls to the nurse to ask questions and discuss issues as they arise. I’m handling things much better than that first day, but there’s till a lot to learn. Just like everything else in this crazy parenting world—I take it day by day. But I stay away from the message boards and horror stories. They just scare me.

Cashmere Mafia: Love it or Hate it?

Have you seen this show? I have, and I can’t decide if I like it or not. Here’s the premise if you’re not familiar with it. It’s about four working women who have been friends since they met in business school. Now they’re all living in New York City. Each of them have very high-powered, executive-type positions. Mia (Lucy Liu) has just become president of some publishing company. Juliet (Miranda Otto) is the COO of a major hotel chain. Zoe (Frances O’Connor) works as an investment banker. And Caitlin (Bonnie Somerville) is a top marketing executive for a cosmetics company.

Both Juliet and Zoe are married. Juliet has a 14-year old daughter with her husband, Davis. She chooses to ignore the fact that Davis has affairs while he’s away on business trips because, as she tells her Cashmere Mafia pack, “Look at what a man gives up to be with one of us. We make more money, we rise higher… blah, blah, blah…” She rather put up with it than become a single mother. However, when Juliet finds out Davis is sleeping with a woman she knows in NYC, it’s time to get even. And she decides to get revenge by having an affair herself. By the third episode, she decides not to go through with it.

Zoe has two younger, school-age children with her work-at-home architect husband, Eric. In the show’s premiere she needs to replace a nanny that was lured away by the neighbors. And in the second show they give her a “mommy war” type storyline. Zoe feels “the guilt” when a giddy SAHM in a velour tracksuit gets to go on the children’s fieldtrip, and she doesn’t. Oh, and the SAHM hits on Eric, Zoe’s husband. I guess since the SAHM’s hubby works all the time she’s lonely ya know. Anyway, Zoe gets back at the SAHM by renting a huge sightseeing tour bus so all the parents can go along. Must be nice to have that kind of money.

So when I first saw the show I was slightly annoyed. But, I’m not sure of the reason why? Maybe it’s because how likely all these women are so successful? That must have been some business school! Or maybe because I think the writers and producers are obviously feeding into the working women/mommy war controversy? Something that I rather not watch for myself, because we live it every day. As Sara mentioned to me before she doesn’t like to read or watch stories that parallel her life. Not that I’m some big-time executive living NYC, but I’m familiar with some of the issues they face. Like when I felt guilty when I couldn't go on my son's field trip.

Or maybe I’m slightly envious of these characters? They’re all beautiful, dressed to the chic, and somehow find time to meet for lunch and a cocktail often.

Anyway, we’ll see if the show grows on me. Unfortunately, there’s not much else on to watch. A new episode of Cashmere Mafia is on tonight. Tune in and lets discuss.

Tasty Tuesday - January 22, 2008

I don't have much of an appetite today as I watch the economy go down the toilet. (Thanks a lot stupid irresponsible mortgage lenders, people who rack up massive debts they can't afford, wars that suck up all our extra cash, and others who are helping drag everybody else down with them!) The last thing on my mind right now is a recipe.

I wish I could be as blissfully unconcerned as my three-year-old. She rarely turns down a yummy treat. In fact, some friends of ours at a New Years Eve party were commenting on how varied her palate is. She likes everything from hummus and pesto to mussels and sushi. One couple at the party told us about a young nephew who will only eat Target spaghetti Os and KFC mashed potatoes. Recently, I heard about another tyke who would only eat food cut into triangle shapes.

Now, I gotta blame that last one in particular on the parents. Somewhere along the line, somebody started cutting that child's food into triangles and the enabling began. By contrast, it is a rare day at my house when I fix something for my daughter that is different from what the rest of us are having. If she doesn't like what's on her plate, she doesn't have to eat it, but I don't jump up to make her a hotdog. Dinner is dinner. If you're still hungry afterward, you can have a snack before bed.

I know I'm lucky that we don't have any major allergies in the family. And I know some kids are just the way they are. If your child really is in danger of starving without those Target spaghetti Os, then you've got to make sure s/he doesn't collapse on your watch. But I do like to celebrate little ones who aren't afraid of edamame and who'll tuck into a mild curry without fear.

So tell me, WMAGs, what unexpected foods does your little one like to eat? What's his or her favorite "exotic" dish?

Nominate Your Woman of the Year

I just heard about a pretty cool contest sponsored by Chevy Malibu in which you can recognize a phenomenal woman in your city as "Woman of the Year." The winner in each of 10 markets gets a $5,000 Macy's gift card, plus Chevy will donate to her favorite charity. Each market also gives nine runners-up a $100 Macy's gift card.

The markets where this contest is happening are:

• Chicago
• Cleveland
• Minneapolis
• Milwaukee
• Indianapolis
• Columbus
• Cincinnati
• Grand Rapids
• Madison
• Midwest (including IL, IN, MI, OH, WI, MN, IA, ND, KY, and SD)

If you live in one of these areas, all you have to do is write a 250-word essay about a woman who inspires you or makes the world a better place. Submit your nomination by March 10. Then, come back to the site and vote for your favorites between March 17 and March 31. Your top picks will win!

FYI, professional writers are not eligible to nominate someone. I was bummed about that.

Friday Finds

Cara's Finds

--Extend the life of your hair color. If you're like me and always wait to the last minute to get your hair colored or highlighted, then you'll love this product: John Frieda Luminous Hair Glaze. It's my new favorite! Just put it on your hair in the shower, leave it on for 3 minutes, rinse, and it adds a hint of color and a lot of shine. It costs about $9.99 and the bottle is big enough for multiple glaze treatments. You can find it at just about any grocery or drug store.

Tela's Finds

--I can't decide if this is cool, or just a big waste of plastic and metal. Decide for yourself: The Squirt Baby Spoon from Boon.

--Now MomSpit on the other hand, I like. I hate, hate, HATED when my mom spit on her finger to wash off my face, but I find myself doing it to O all the time. My only improvement: Maybe they should make one that clips to a keychain, b/c the reason we moms use spit is b/c it's so convenient. Hands and saliva are always gonna be there. When we are out, I carry my keys almost always, while I might stow a purse away.

Susan's Finds
--Cranium's new line of games, books, puzzles, and toys just for preschoolers: Bloom. Maybe I'm a little more excited than most about this because my good friend Shanon was instrumental in creating Bloom. But it actually does sound pretty cool. Bloom uses the "everyday world as inspiration and Create, Discover, Perform, and Connect activities as a framework" to help little ones learn and play. I'm going to try to get some for WMAG to review soon.

--Who misses new TV? I do, I do! Though I fully support the writers' strike, I can't help but crave some new boob-tube action. Here are some upcoming fresh shows I'm looking forward to: Monk, Fridays at 9 p.m., USA (followed by Psych at 10 p.m.); Reno 911!, Wednesdays at 10:30 p.m., Comedy Central; Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles, Mondays at 9 p.m. on Fox; and the big one, Lost (starting Jan. 31!), Thursdays at 9 p.m., ABC.

How Do You Like Our New 'Do?

This blog has been wearing the same old tired Blogger template since we launched in 2006. We thought it was high time we start dressing for success--hence, this new design. You like?

Our friend and former coworker Jen Gailey designed the look. And our friend and current coworker Mark Tholking did the web development to make it happen. Thanks, guys. You rock!

Tasty Tuesday - January 15, 2008

Ack! I'm late posting a Tasty Tuesday entry! You know why? Of course you do. Because I'm doing that working mom thang and clean forgot about it until now. Forgive me? Good. I wanted to share an easy little recipe I whipped up the other night while searching for something to do with some thawed chicken breasts. I had some stale bread in the pantry, a can of pre-made spaghetti sauce, and not much else. So I made chicken parmesan. Husband loved it and so did little one. Here's how you can make it, too.

Chicken Parmesan

Ingredients:

• Chicken breasts - pound them flat between two pieces of Saran wrap
• Bread crumbs - If you don't have any in a can, make them out of stale bread. Put bread in the oven at 200 degrees until it turns into toast. For added flavor, sprinkle on garlic salt and Italian seasoning. Remove from the oven, cool, then crumble into a bowl
• Two eggs, whisked with a splash of water
  
• Grated parmesan cheese
• Canned spaghetti sauce
• Pasta - whatever kind you got

Directions

• Dip the chicken breasts into the whisked egg, and then dredge in the bread crumbs
• Fry the breasts in hot oil until the bread crumbs are golden
• Transfer breasts to a large casserole dish
• Pour pasta sauce over the breasts and top with grated parmesan cheese
• Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes to a half-hour until the whole thing looks bubbly and the breasts are cooked through
• Serve over cooked pasta

Extracurricular Activities

A couple of months ago, I took baby steps into volunteering. I'm serving on the "young professionals" steering committee for my local Planned Parenthood, an organization I've always supported in words and a few dollars.

It's an ideal commitment for me, because it's only a few hours a month (if that) and helps me support a cause I believe in without sacrificing too much time with my family. Plus, I get to meet cool people and have fun.

But the group meets on Monday nights after work (ugh), once a month, which means I probably spend all of one hour with Cassie on those days. I really miss her after working all day, especially after a weekend, and it's so dang hard to get home after she's gone to bed.

This brings me to a broader question about participating in "extracurricular activities" (anything that's not work or family-related). I know it's healthy for me to have a social life, and I occasionally hang out with my girlfriends--which cuts into my family time. I want to feel like I'm contributing to the greater community good in some way, hence my Planned Parenthood affiliation.

But a part of me feels ... well, a little guilty about doing these things. Only a little, though. Mostly, I feel like they help me be a better mom, wife, etc. Still, why the guilt? Do men feel bad for playing video games by themselves instead of Candyland with their kids? Or whatever it is men do for their extracurriculars?

My other question is, what are your extracurriculars? Do you feel at all guilty about them? And if not, good for you!

Friday Finds - January 11, 2008

Cara's Finds

--Label it. Now that my preschooler is starting to recognize some words, it would be a good idea to start labeling items around the house to help his vocabulary grow. Wire&Twine have a kit already to go. The L is for Label kit comes with 300+word labels with low-tack adhesive for easy removal. 50 of the labels are water-resistant for the bathroom and kitchen. The kit also it comes with a cute T-shirt to label your child, too.

--Bizarre baby names. Looking for a name that will really stand out? Check out this list of the 20 most bizarre celebrity baby names.

Susan's Finds

-- A series of blog posts that is inexplicably, extremely hilarious. My friend Jason sent me a link to this series of posts on a blog called The Sneeze. It’s about this guy’s dad who drew (in icing) the same weird face picture on his birthday cakes, year after year. When the guy started investigating the mystery of this face, much hilarity ensued. He owes his dad BIG for providing such great blog fodder. I know it sounds weird and maybe not too funny, but trust me, IT IS.

-- Freshen up your regular playlist. I sometimes worry that my musical taste will stay stuck in the late 90s/early 00s forever. I want to discover new artists and bands, and liven up my iTunes collection, but I don’t know where to begin. Chicky Chicky Baby was on my wavelength, apparently, so she issued a plea to her readers for music suggestions. So far, the 40-plus reader suggestions sound really good and I plan to try some.

-- Traveling with the fam? Check out Parentography, a vibrant online community for parents who want honest advice, tools, tips and ideas for family excursions. I could have used this on our infamous Pacific Northwest adventure, and even our recent road trip to Kansas. It's still a pretty new community, so it needs more stuff added to it. But what a cool idea! I think I'll try to beef up the Nati portion of the site.

Pssst ... I Have Another, Super-Secret Blog

I need to tell you a secret. For a couple of weeks now, I've been cheating on Working Moms Against Guilt.

OK, not really cheating. Just writing a second, super-secret blog that no one (except my mom and a couple others) knows about. Until now.

My husband and I started a new blog called Mr. and Mrs. Get Fit to chronicle our journey from fat to fit. Right now, we're still pretty darned fat. But we're on our way! We've already lost a total of 13.5 pounds in the first week of our new lifestyle.

Why did I keep it a secret, you ask? I guess I just wanted us to have a least a little success before revealing our fat. I'm talking about pictures. And how much we weigh. Yikes! It's scary, but it feels like the right thing to do.

Jay and I are totally committed to being fit people, partners, and parents. Now it's just a matter of shedding nearly 200 pounds of excess fat that's keeping us from being as healthy as possible. We figure it will take a long time to get there, and the rest of our lives or so to stay there.

If you're interested in keeping up with our progress and sharing your support (no criticism or fat jokes, please), I invite you to add Mr. and Mrs. Get Fit to your regular blog reading. I promise I won't blab about it here (too much). Now you'll have to excuse me--I have to hit the gym.

Ooh, Ooh That Smell

When you become a mommy, it’s understood that a lot more poop is going to come into your life. Brown poop, runny poop, hard poop, green poop—you get it all. But I got something a little extra on the way to work the other morning.

I was actually heading to work early on a Monday (cue audible gasp), and as I was packing all our bags and my son into the car, I smelled something a little off. I thought maybe it was O’s super cute jacket I bought from a local secondhand store. I washed it though, so I wasn’t sure why it would be smelly. (Conspiracy theories started brewing: That's why they sold this super cute coat for so cheap! It stinks! No matter what you do! I can't believe I wasted my money!) The odor wasn’t overwhelming, so I calmed down and went along my way.

As we were on the freeway headed to work (still early!) I remembered I had forgotten to give O some pain reliever. He has been getting his molars (I think—all signs point toward yes, but I can’t really tell. He won’t open his mouth far enough for me to count), and had bit someone at daycare on Thursday. I wanted to make sure to try to ease his pain and prevent any bites, if possible, so I decided to stop at Meijer and pick up some children’s ibuprofen. As I was carrying O to the store, I smelled “that smell” again. Figuring it surely must be O’s coat (those sneaky secondhanders!), I thought I’d get some fabric refresher (Meijer’s brand—Jump! Why is it named Jump?), and spray his coat once we got back to the car.

As I was checking out, I FINALLY noticed where the smell was coming from. Not O’s coat—but his SHOE. He had stepped in a steaming pile of dog poo on his way to the car this morning. GIR-OSS. I've actually never stepped in dog poop before. I've have stepped on shitberries (TM Sue)--those weird stinky berries that fall from ginkgo trees--but never actual poop. Shitberries don't stick to your shoes. Dog poop does.

I wasn’t sure what to do. I contemplated asking the window washer lady if I could borrow some of her paper towels, but figured I had something in the car to clean the shoe. I rolled O out to the car in the cart, took off his shoe, put him in the car, and proceeded to spend the next 20 minutes trying to get all the poo off the shoe. Luckily there were some puddles in Meijer’s parking lot, so I used them to my advantage. I also used a diaper or two from his diaper bag, some wipes, and a discarded piece of plastic (to really dig the poop out of the shoe grooves).

I think any normal person might have just went back home and changed their son’s shoes. Not me. I was determined. I was going to conquer the poop. And I was going to be at work early! On a Monday!

I cleaned the shoe as much as I could using my parking lot tools and headed to daycare. When we were got there, I noticed poop on the OTHER shoe. Day-um! It gets everywhere! I ripped that shoe off, carried O to daycare in his stocking feet, and used the daycare bathroom to give both shoes a good final scrubbing.

I was driving to work from daycare when I noticed some poop on my jeans. Good times. Luckily I still had some wipes in the car, so I was able to use a few to clean my jeans.

Needless to say, I didn’t get to work early that morning. But I was only 10 minutes late.

Tasty Tuesday - January 8, 2008

Yesterday I wrote about how sick I've been feeling. By the time my husband came home last night, I'd all but taken to my bed. My biggest problem? No energy. He asked what I wanted for dinner, and I told him I probably wouldn't eat since I really had no appetite. Looking through the fridge, he pulled out bacon, spinach, eggs and mushrooms and announced he was going to make a hot spinach salad.

It didn't sound all that appetizing, but I sat at the table while he and Little One ate, thinking we at least could make a family dinner out of it. Grudgingly I took a bowl of salad. Then I ate another. Before I knew it, I'd had three helpings, and darned if I wasn't starting to feel better! Now I know this salad has bacon grease in it, thus it can't really be called healthy. But the iron in the spinach, the protein from the eggs, the heartiness of the mushroom and the warm comfort of the bacon really revived me. And the best part about it was that it took Hubby all of 20 minutes or so to make the meal. We had some good bread with it, some milk to drink, and it really was satisfying.

This morning I looked online and found this recipe. Try it when you want something refreshing yet comforting. To make it more of a meal, toss in some grilled chicken. Yum!

Spinach Salad with Hot Bacon Dressing

Calling All Working Moms

I had another post all ready for today, but I need help, ladies. O transitioned to a new daycare room last week when we got back from vacation. (Transition probably isn't the right word--it was more like dumped into a new room with not much notice, at least that's how I felt about it all--but that's a whole other story for another day.)

The two days we went to daycare last week, things went swimmingly. No tears when I dropped him off; things were A-OK with O-bo. Just another day at daycare. Although they did say he had periods of fussiness during the day, (I attributed it to getting over a cold/ear infection) overall he coped just fine.

This week?

It's not going so well. He's balling the minute we get into the room, clinging to me as I make him his breakfast and try to leave. I feel bad. Horrible, in fact. (Not guilty--because I know I'm doing what's best for our family, he needs to go to daycare, he'll be fine and he'll have fun.) But just plain sad. I was thinking there has to be something I could do to lessen the pain. A friend of mine who went to daycare as a child said her mom always wore dark lipstick, and when she dropped her off at school or daycare she would kiss her hand, leave a kiss/lip imprint, and say something such as "I'll be back soon, if you get lonely just give me a kiss through your hand." Or something like that. It was a much sweeter sentiment.

Thing is, I think O is too young to appreciate something like that--and probably wouldn't want my lipstick all over him. Heck, most days I don't have it together enough to apply lipstick.

But that's beside the point. O doesn't really have any "transitional" object. Never was much on blankets, never took a binkie. He absolutely LOVES "Melmo," so I was thinking of getting him a little Elmo doll, but I'm not sure how keen the teachers would be about bringing a toy from home (The other kids might want it? It might cause disruptions?)

So this is where I need some WMAG help. Any ideas to help ease the transition for my boy? Things I could to do so he feels safe, happy, and OK? It's breaking my heart, yo.

Permission to Get Sick

Hey, working moms, what sort of luxuries do you allow yourself every now and then? Manicures? Shopping trips sans kids? Dinner out with hubby? I enjoy all of those things, but lately my big luxury is being sick.

I have been under the weather for the past month or so, but with the holidays, work and a few personal projects that got put on the front burner, I simply ignored the sore throat, fatigue, runny nose and all-over feeling of crappiness that crept in with all of that Christmas candy. I ran on adrenaline, and it got me through until Saturday morning. I took my daughter to the bookstore and lunch and then, on the way home, I started to feel like a wind-up toy with one of those keys in my back. As I pulled into our driveway and walked into the house, I felt that key turning slower and slower as my energy just gave out. I put on my pajamas, collapsed on the couch and slept for two hours, letting my husband handle Little One for the rest of the day.

That night, I went to bed at 7 and read a new book until 10:30, when I went to sleep again. I spent most of Sunday loafing around and feeling terrible. And do you know what? I really enjoyed it! It's been a long time since I've had the time to lie in bed and allow myself to feel bad. So often I just power through because so much needs to be done and it's easier to pretend nothing is wrong and rely on that 6-7 hours of sleep each night to refuel and repair my body.

I'm still feeling rather nasty - can't smell or taste anything, low energy - but it's much better than it was. Now that I'm back in the rush of things, I'm back to getting by. But after my decadent weekend of illness, I feel better able to face the new year. Let's hope it's a happy - and healthy - one!

Friday Finds - January 4, 2008

Cara's Finds
--Get wit da homies. Motivated to take on a new home project? Or just really bored? Then take a free home-improvement course. The Home Depot offers Do-It-Herself clinics and free Kids Workshops.

--A free meal. Pinching pennies? If you must have a meal out, at least find a place where kids eat free. Check out MyKidsEatFree.com. Search for restaurants by city and state. It looks like Gold Star Chili is the big "kids eat free" place around these parts. More restaurants need to be added to the list! Email the peeps at MyKidsEatFree.com to let them know of others in your area.