Let's pretend Halloween doesn't exist?

On the drive home from school today,Lillianna said,"Mrs.W said we have to pretend that Halloween doesn't exist tomorrow." Doesn't exist? Are we going straight from October 30th to November 1st? Does that mean I have the night off from work tomorrow if October 31st doesn't exist?

I asked her why and she said the teacher said it would be too distracting. Let's flash back to my days in 3rd grade.......

When I was 9 years old back in 1972,we looked forward to this spooky holiday the minute school started in September. (We never started school in August before Labor Day. It was unheard of!!) By the end of September,kids were already thinking about their costume and asking their parents to buy their favorite candies to give out.

There were planned parties in school.Every mom sent in creative baked treats and candy. Yes,they actually encouraged us to bring in some candy to school. Can you imagine such a thing? (Lillianna's school has banned candy all year since it's not a healthy snack.)

Sometimes,in my elementary school,we got to go into different classrooms to show them our costumes and then they'd come into ours. It was exciting and fun. We all had butterflies in our stomach anticipating the thrill of going trick-or-treating at night.

Were we distracted because of Halloween when I was in 3rd grade? Probably. We were distracted with being kids who were filled with excitement and joy. I will never understand how that is a bad thing.

Will one day of distraction ruin my child's learning ability? I can't see how it possibly could. Am I going to ask her to pretend Halloween doesn't exist tomorrow?
Hell no! She can still wear her pumpkin shirt,black pants and pumpkin earrings to school. She has worn that at least once a week this month to celebrate Halloween.

I talked to my friend,Sheri, about this today since our daughters are in the same school. She said some parents believe Halloween is all about satan. I said,"If you think sugar is the devil then maybe you have a point!" We both laughed. We think Halloween is a fun holiday and it's a shame that kids can't go to school in costume or have parties anymore.

Is Halloween banned in your child's school?

Just say no to underpants!

When I read this article,I rolled my eyes. I am so sick and tired of stupid school rules. Isn't it bad enough they've banned tag in elementary schools because it's too violent?

The article states that the 3 teens were not at all naked. They were in tan body suits which revealed nothing! How is that different from all the years of wearing a black body suit and dressing up as a mouse or bat or any other character that requires a body suit? Was it the offensive underpants??

Raise your hand if you have never ever seen someone dress up as baby new year? I've seen it a million times and I can assure you that the guy in the costume was not wearing a body suit of any kind!!....just a hat and a big old diaper. No one was ever booted out of school because it's freakin' Halloween,people!!!
Lighten the hell up,already!

All the fun I had as a child and teen has been sucked out of the atmosphere. Someone is always "Johnny on the spot" and ready to point an accusing finger at something that is now deemed wrong!

Anyone old enough to remember streakers in the 70's? If anyone did that now they'd probably be put on death row! I'm not an advocate of streaking but come on! Almost every kid is reading Captain Underpants in Lillianna's school. I don't love the book and she is more interested in The Magic Tree House but still,for some kids,it's their motivation to read.

As Susan Powter always said,"STOP THE INSANITY!"

The typo police

Well,I guess you can't really call it a typo since it's just the incorrect usage of a word,but I found another sign that irritated me.

A huge sign in front of a hairdressing salon states:

(name of salon)welcomes Jane Doe formally of Joe's Barber Shop.

Formally? Is it a black tie affair or is it just a formal welcome?

Did they mean formerly as in she used to work at Joe's Barber Shop?

Is being a sign checker a job? I could totally do that!

I used to be so hot!

It's true. I guess you could call me a real hottie. It's not that I'm sexier than most women,it's just that I'm always so freakin' HOT!
It's not menopause because I have been this way for as long as I can remember. When everyone is freezing,I'm in short sleeves and wondering if I can turn the heat down before I pass out!

I usually wear short sleeves even in blizzard weather because once I go indoors, I'M HOT! I am cold when I'm outside, it's just being inside that makes me sweat.

In the past two days,I've been cold....cold to the bone.No matter what I do,I can't seem to get warm.This morning after my shower,I turned on the heat lamp and warmed up for 5 minutes so that I could stop shaking. Since it's so odd for me to ever be cold,I tend to worry when this happens.

Last year,right before I went into the hospital,Lillianna and I were swimming in a heated pool in Florida and I was shivering. I couldn't get warm no matter what I did. I swam and jumped and ran in place and my insides were like ice cubes. I would rather be hot than cold so that feeling is really horrible for me. I hate it.

I've been wearing my one and only pair of long sleeved jammies in the past few nights but I put them in the wash yesterday and tonight,I was freezing.FREEZING! I rarely wear warm jammies because in the middle of the night,I get so hot,I have to change into something with short sleeves. Tonight,I needed something warm.

I went through Rich's drawers and closet and found his Mr.Bubble cotton pants and a nice snuggly ribbed shirt. Ya,I could win Bag Lady of the year with this outfit but it's really warm and that's all I care about. So now I am heading into bed and I hope I keep warm. I really have to get myself a new pair of pajamas tomorrow!

Cutie-pie pet names

I'll be the first to admit that Rich and I have several dozen pet names that we call Lillianna. We go through phases of using one or two names for a while then we suddenly come up with a new one and the old ones are history. Every now and then we'll fall back on an old name and sigh when we remember when we used to use that name all the time.

Our first name for her was Moon Pie. Her face looked like a cute little round moon on my ultra sound and that name stuck for quite a while after she was born.
I won't bore you with the long list of names we have used over the past 9 years but they've all been loving and sweet:Pumpkin Wumpkin,Lilly-pop,Rosebud,Poozle,Boo-boo and many,many more. For the past year,I have taken to calling her Noodle. I'm not sure if that has a lot to do with my pasta addiction or not but one day,the name just popped out.

That being said,when I read this article,I wanted to puke.
I realize that Michael Jackson is a complete psychopath but who the hell calls his precious daughter "Blanket"??? How is blanket a nick name? It's a warm covering....something to snuggle in.

Yuck!! I didn't mean to but I just made myself sick!! Who knows why this pedophile calls his daughter Blanket? If anyone has the answer,please don't tell me!!!!

The reluctant entertainer

My post about Lillianna's birthday party is finally up at DotMoms. Go check it out!

What's so "new" about cheating?

I was watching a talk show last week and the topic was,"The new monogamy." If you go to that link and read some of the rules,you have to wonder,"How is this not cheating?"

The couples on the show tried to spin this many ways but no matter what they said,I still considered this to be cheating. Is consensual cheating better than sneaking around? Isn't cheating just cheating no matter what name you call it?

When I told Rich about this show,he asked,"Uhm,doesn't mono mean one?"

Here is the definition of monogamy:

mo nog a my (m-ng-m)
n.
The practice or condition of having a single sexual partner during a period of time.

The practice or condition of being married to only one person at a time.
The practice of marrying only once in a lifetime.
Zoology. The condition of having only one mate during a breeding season or during the breeding life of a pair.

I guess it doesn't matter what mono means if you feel like making it into something else.
I believe that if you don't believe in being faithful then you shouldn't be married.
It's pretty cut and dry for me. Even though there can be problems in a marriage,that isn't a reason to find another partner unless you are legally divorced.

The argument that having sex with other partners is not about love it's just about sex sounds stupid and shallow to me.

I think "the new monogamy" is just a clever way to give cheaters an excuse to cheat.
What do you think?

Sometimes.......

.......no matter how hard you wish,things just don't turn out the way you want them to.

Is this really romantic?

Yesterday,I was reading a magazine article about spicing up your love life. Rich and I agree that we have lost the romance over the years and we try to do little things to show how much we love and appreciate one another. These days,I fall in love with him time and time again when he cleans the kitchen for me. That is true romance to me.

I know we need to try to be "really" romantic so I read this article with interest.
It suggested that I write a list with items such as chocolate sauce,whipped cream,cherries and other delectable items and give it to my husband to go shopping. While he is in the supermarket,I am supposed to call him and tell him what sexy plan I have for these items.

I don't know where you people shop but the two supermarkets I shop in have about a 5% chance of getting cell phone reception in there. I laughed when I thought of what Rich's end of the conversation might sound like as he yelled into his cell phone.

"Hi,Honey........what?....What?....What about the chocolate sauce?.......You're planning on pouring it on some guy?......what guy?....... not a guy?..........whose thigh?......Chocolate sauce on someone's thigh?.....When did this happen?.....Was it an accident?.....What?.....Forget about the chocolate sauce?.....Ok,I'll cross it off the list.

.......What?......what about pickles?.....I don't have pickles on the list.......I don't understand why you're yelling "pickles"......I can hear you,Honey,"pickles,pickles,pickles,pickles,"....Fine I'll get you pickles.

.....pickles and whipped cream?.....Now that's just gross!....I have seen you eat some odd foods before but this takes the cake........You're not saying pickles?......You're saying nickels?......Do you need me to cash in some nickels at Coin Star?......I have enough money.....Now you're chanting "nickels,nickels,nickels"....why are you doing that?

.....Why are you yelling at me?.....Stop screaming!.....You're not saying nickels?

......nipples?....Why are you saying that?......Listen,Honey,clearly you are confused and hysterical. I'm going to grab a bucket of Kentucky Fried Chicken.All this talk of food has made me hungry.
Can I pick you up anything?.....Hello?.....Honey?.....Where did ya go?

One more activity

Lillianna has been asking to play basketball for the past 2 years. In our town,they start basketball in 3rd grade unless you belong to the YMCA and play on their team. We don't belong to the Y so we had to wait.

When Lillianna got the newsletter about sign ups she was so excited. I was worried that it would conflict with my work on Tuesday nights, her dance class on Wednesdays or her Brownie troop meeting on Thursdays. We were kind of limited and we just hoped for the best.

Tonight,at sign ups they said she could do either Wednesday or Friday. It's only once a week. Hooray! We don't have plans on Fridays so we signed her up. Basketball begins in December and we are all thrilled. Lillianna loves basketball and she will finally learn the skills she needs to be on a team. She practically gets the ball in the basket every time she shoots. I hope she likes being a part of a team.

Soup can labels, anyone?

Lillianna's school collects BoxTops. My aunt collects them for her along with Campbell's soup can labels which Lillianna's school does not collect.
My aunt is very kind and loving and was diagnosed with Alzheimer's last year. I didn't want to tell her that we can't use the soup can labels because she might stop collecting the BoxTops. Sometimes she gets confused and she might stop saving everything.

So,if your child's school collects Campbell's soup can labels,please let me know and I will send you all of ours. There are quite a lot of them and I hate to see them go to waste.
Thanks.

Falling back on a bad habit

This post is over at The Lighter Side.

Coining a new phrase

Rich and I were watching the news this morning which is always a big mistake. Every time there is a story about child abuse or a parent doing something stupid with their child,Rich calls me into the living room,"Honey....honey....quick come here. This will make you crazy." He's right. These stories drive me insane.

I told him that I'm not overly paranoid but I do take precautions with Lillianna. I don't leave her alone in the car or at home.(I recently read a story in Reader's Digest where both parents had to run in the house "for a minute" and left their 2 small children alone in the suv parked in the driveway. Hmmmm....what could possibly happen? Oh...I know....the suv was CARJACKED!!The parents are lucky that the kids are alive and ok!)

I don't let Lillianna cook by herself. I still supervise her Easy Bake Oven just in case that light bulb gets out of hand. It is electricity afterall and I had a hair dryer catch on fire in college.I didn't heed the warning:"Don't leave it plugged in when not in use!" Thank goodness I was in the room at the time.

My point is,I try not to be a crazed, over protective mother but I am a mom with common sense and I don't believe in taking unnecessary chances with my daughter's life.

Rich made me laugh when he said,"You're not paranoid.
You're parent-noid!"
I like that phrase! I think I'll start using it.

Are you parent-noid?

All day on the couch

Sometime at the end of last week,I got sick. My nose was congested and I felt really run down. I guess working for Kara for 1 1/2 weeks,still working last weekend at one of my jobs, celebrating Lillianna's birthday at my mom's on Tuesday,participating in Walk Your Child To School Day on Wednesday at 7am and throwing Lillianna's sleep over party on Friday,just got the best of me.

All the children got picked up by 11:30am yesterday and I got to work at 1:00pm as scheduled. I was exhausted and more congested than the day before. Talking non-stop on the phone for 6 hours wore me down. The people I was speaking to had a hard time hearing me when my voice cracked and no amount of hot tea relieved my throat.

By the end of my shift,I knew there was no way I could go in for 8 hours today. My throat couldn't take it and I knew I had to rest. Unfortunately,I always feel guilty when I have to call in sick to a job. I feel like I've let everyone down especially if we are short staffed,which we are.

My doctor always tells me to be careful with my health since my diabetes diagnosis last year. I do try to take care of myself so I decided not to push it and just relax today.

I slept until 8:40am which was better than if I had gone to work and had to wake up at 4:30am. I spent the whole day in my jammies and lying on the couch. I alternated between watching a marathon of The A-Team on TV Land and napping. I also had to endure the painful teasing of my husband who mocked me for watching The A-Team.

I finally got off the couch at 4:30pm and started making my cure for everything...home made chicken soup! Tomorrow is Columbus Day and Lillianna is home from school so it will be another resting day for both of us. I really need it!

In just 20 minutes.....

......14 little 8 and 9 year olds will be coming to Lillianna's sleep over party.
Did I mention we live in a 2 bedroom apartment?

Some have called me brave. Others have called me insane. I'll let you know which is the best description tomorrow morning if I survive it all.

We have 6 Papa Ginos pizzas,fried ravioli and cinnamon sticks arriving at 6:45pm.
Lillianna picked out Brother Bear 2 and Chicken Little for tonight's entertainment.
Each child will decorate 2 Funfetti cupcakes:one to eat here and one to take home.
It's kind of a cake and a craft all in one. Every time I plan a craft we run out of time. Everyone loves a craft you can eat,right? So this is the perfect thing to do.

I bought a ton of microwave popcorn to go along with the movies and a pound of butter since many of them love their popcorn dripping in fat. I'm not their nutritionist or their mom so I let them have what they want. Hey,it's a party!

Tomorrow morning,I have cinnamon buns planned for breakfast with plain,vanilla,chocolate or strawberry milk. I made out little lists with everyone's name on it so that Lillianna and one of her friends can play waitress and tell me what kind of milk everyone wants. They get to serve it too! Somehow,they think that is lots of fun.

I'm down to 13 minutes! They'll be here any minute.
Wish me luck.

(This is Lillianna's 4 birthday sleep over and if I must confess,I love these parties. If there is anything more sweet or innocent than little giggling girls,I don't know what it is!)

Happy Birhday??

I'm known for being a spelling fanatic. I know it's not a big deal in the scheme of life but spelling mistakes annoy me.

This morning,Rich and I decorated the apartment for Lillianna's party tonight. After Rich went to work,I looked around to see how beautiful it all looked and that's when I noticed it. The HAPPY BIRTHDAY banner was missing a "T". What the heck was
HAPPY BIRHDAY???

It's too late to buy a new one but I wasn't too pleased with that banner. I wonder if anyone will notice or care about it but me.

Walk Your Child To School Day

Yesterday,was Walk Your Child To School Day. In the good weather,I usually try to walk Lillianna to school. It's only a 15 minute walk each way and it gives me and Lillianna time to chat. We both enjoy it. We leave the house at 7:45am and get there 5 minutes before the bell rings. It works out perfectly.

So,you can see why Rich was perplexed when I told him on Tuesday night that he had to drop me and Lillianna off at the fire station at 7am Wednesday morning.
"Why am I driving you a mile in the opposite direction from school so that you can walk to school at 7am?" he asked. It even sounded dumb to me when I responded,"It's Walk Your Child To School Day." I don't know why it was such a production but Lillianna wanted to do it and I figured,"Who needs sleep? I'll just get up at 5am instead of 6:30am and walk to school with her."

Rich's best bet is just not to question me when it comes to things I do for Lillianna. The school made a huge deal out of walking to school but we do that as often as we can without prompting from the school. I know a lot of parents work and maybe just put their kid on the bus so to them,it was a novelty. I'm for anything that brings parents closer to their children....even if it's just for a few minutes.

Lillianna and I arrived at 7am and she joined her friends,Carly and Hannah so that they could walk together. Hannah's dad,John, and I were the last in line for group #1 which left the fire station at 7:15am. Group #2 would be leaving at 7:30am.
Since we were at the end,John and I got to carry signs to warn drivers that there were children walking. Remember in the good old days when kids just walked to and from school without the aide of signs? It seems like a million years ago.

When we got to school,there was a booth outside where you could take oranges,apples and bottled water. Just as I was peeling Lillianna's stubborn orange,my cell phone rang from Kara's office. With juice dripping down my arm,I answered the phone. It wasn't even 8am yet! Who needed a mortgage at that hour?

At 8am,Rich called and asked if I wanted him to pick me up. I was sticky and congested and had already walked a mile so I gratefully agreed to have him pick me up.

By the time I got home from work,picked Lillianna up at dancing school and made dinner,I was exhausted. I fell asleep at 8:30pm.

Did you have Walk Your Child To School Day in your child's school?

Happy 9th Birthday Lillianna Rose!

Today,my baby is 9 years old......nine......It's hard to believe that so many years have passed since the day she was born.

This morning I woke up at 5am and jumped in the shower. After I was dressed and just about to do my hair,I heard Lillianna's little voice speaking from the darkness of her room,"In case you were wondering.....I'm UP!"

She brought her birthday basket and presents into our bedroom and we attempted to wake Rich up for the big opening event of the century. She got lots of fun stuff.
I think her favorite presents were the 4 pair of dangle earrings I bought her and her pink winter coat with Cheetah fur on it. She is a big fan of The Cheetah Girls.

I'm hoping she'll write about this sometime this week. I love when she writes.

So,to my precious little daughter who I love more than anything in this entire world.....HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!

The night before Lillianna's birthday

I got home from work at 6:15pm. Mom made us a delicious chicken dinner so me,Rich and Lil sat down as a family and ate a meal together. This doesn't happen very often.

At 7:15pm,I started baking Funfetti cupcakes and wrapping birthday presents.
I finished at 10:00pm and then it was time to frost 36 cupcakes for school tomorrow.(27 classmates plus the principal,Lillianna's college student book buddy, teachers and probably the school nurse.)

It is now 11pm and I am going to sleep. I have to be up at 5am.
Birthdays are exhausting!

Why this day is important

October 2nd......What an interesting date.

When I went for my first ob/gyn check up in February 1997,Nannette,my midwife,told me that my baby would be due on October 2nd. I nearly fell out of the stirrups and onto the floor. How could this be? How could two important events happen on the exact same date?

She asked me why I looked so stunned and I said,"I met my husband on October 2nd in 1993. I can't believe our baby is due on the same day. What are the odds?"
(Ok,clearly the odds were 1 in 365 but still....it was still amazing.)

October 2, 1993 is the date that Rich and I have inscribed in our wedding bands.We were married on November 5th of the following year but the way that we looked at it was the wedding was the date of our really big party but October 2nd was the truly important day....the day we met and our lives changed forever.

October 2,1997 also changed our lives forever. It was exactly on my 40 week due date that I went into labor. On October 3rd at 4:59am,Lillianna made her appearance into our lives and our world has never been the same.

Happy 13th anniversary to my dear husband who has put up with a lot of my bitchiness lately. There is no one else in this entire universe that I would want to be married to in spite of my recent threat to take the child and leave the country and go back to Israel.

Happy almost birthday to our precious daughter,Lillianna Rose. This is your very last day of being 8! Wait 'til you see what Daddy and I bought you.......Just one more day!