Bad Mommy?

So Neen told us all to write a post about a bad mommy moment we had recently. And as much as I tried to think of one, I really couldn't come up with anything concrete.

So I decided to tell you why I think I haven't been a bad mommy recently.

Well, let me tell you I have the happiest baby I have ever seen. He laughs and smiles all the time. He's happy to see me, happy to play on the floor with a pile of newspapers. Happy to eat dry Pro-vitas when mommy doesn't feel like making him a proper snack. Happy to lie on the tiles by the washing machine (hmmm....I'm actually starting to see some bad mommy stuff here after all!) and drink his bottle. Happy to pat the dog through the bars of the gate. Happy to play with car keys and rub biscuit crumbs into my new rug.

My child sleeps through the night. Apparently, if there's some instability or upset in the child's life, it shows in their sleeping patterns. My child sleeps from 6:30 pm to 6:30 am. Solid. Never wakes up, never cries. People tell me I'm lucky that my child sleeps through the night. I say that's bullshit. I worked hard to get it that way. I have a strict bedtime routine. As I go through the routine he starts yawning and rubbing his eyes. He knows it's sleep time, and he sleeps.

He's reaching all his milestones timeously. He's sitting by himself, crawling, and is even starting to stand. He walks in a walking ring, and if held. He's never sick, and even though he's teething something chronic (he's grown 8 teeth in the last month or so) he never complains. He eats everything I give him, and really isn't fussy. He even eats vegetables - fresh tomato and green pepper are his favourite.

He knows how shit works. He's figured out how to open tupperwares, how all his toys work, how the tv remote works, and he knows the difference between a fake set of keys and my real keys. He only plays with the real thing. And the dummy cell phone I bought him is no good either. He wants the real thing.

So what am I trying to say here? That I'm proud of myself. I'm doing this mothering thing better than I thought I could. My child is developing well, has an awesome little personality on him, and has inherited his mothers' strong temperment.

Perhaps I'm not such the bad mommy after all..

pet peeves

i have pets... 6 gold fishies... and Billy the cat... i've also had 3 dogs in the last 10 years... and Billy has outlived them all... what i find very interesting is that Jay, to this day remembers each and every one of the dogs... just yesterday he said, I miss Goggles (our boxer who died)... and Buksie... and Rex... the last dog "went away" almost three years ago, when Jay was 6, and he still remembers them! so I guess being a pet person also makes a difference, if you love dogs, you will love dogs from the first time you see one until your dying day... and if you don't like dogs, well let's just say then you're a cat person :)

ok back to my story... if Jay ever found out what happened to Buksie he will probably never talk to me again...

the divorce of course made everything go pear shaped... don't hate me OK?... here's what happened...

we had the cutest little dog called Buksie... and poor Buksie was just one word~ T R O U B L E... he got out of the yard every chance he got... he barked, he howled... he chewed, he peed and he pooped... so when we moved after the divorce, Buksie came with... and the complex we moved into generously allowed us to keep him... until the streams of complains started rolling in...

during the day Buksie would howl like a dog possessed, missing us ... so sad i know... and of course this was a huge irritation for everybody who lived close by... so after loads of complaints I was told that Buksie had to find a new home... or else... so I looked for a new owner, I really did... nobody could take him, and we just couldn't keep him any more... so I had him put to sleep.

I know... I am a terrible person... to this day i feel guilty... to make this even worse... i had to do this in secret and tell the kids that Buksie ran away... how cruel...

so i would love to have another dog... but frankly i'm in no position to care for one... we're never home... and i just can't bear thinking of doing what i've done ever again...

To Pet or not to Pet . . .

I honestly don't think a pet gives children any sense of responsibility at all. Unless you insist they feed said pet, and then said pet would die because said child would not feed said pet. Then said child would cry and said parent could say "Well you obviously aren't responsible for a pet yet, are you?". Said parent would be a bit of an ass though, wouldn't they?

I got Ciara a cat when she was two. Her name is Lulu, and her lift doesn't even reach the first floor, poor thing. Lulu the cat is fed by me. Ciara loves 'her' cat a lot though. But that is where it ends.

We now have one cat and three dogs, all of them are Ciara's (if you ask her). But they are all fed, cleaned and housed by me (and my mom.)

Pets can be really good for kids. Ciara and Cleopatra (the black lab) have so much fun together. "Find Ciara" is one of our favorite games, where Ciara hides and Cleo searches for her everywhere. Lots of fun.

But pets have a downside too. They die. Before we do. When we lost Priscilla (the female* goldfish) and then later Elvis (the male* goldfish) there were many tears and there is nothing I, as a parent, could do but just let her cry. The heartbreak (for both of us) is agonising.

A little side bar story. I had a cat named Jessie from when I was about 10. When she was 11, and I was 21 Jessie was old and she died. This was heartbreaking, but understandable (I was 21 afterall). Jessie was soon replaced by Poe the mini-cat. I loved Poe very much, and she went missing after only about 6 months, and we later discovered she had been hit by a car. I was devastated. I vowed never to get another pet - EVER.

I only got my next pet when I was 27 years old (the aformentioned Lulu), and I refused to love this cat until about 2 years ago. The death of Poe had affected me that badly.

Since Ciara is a mini-me, I worry that she will be as deeply affected by the death of a pet** as I was, and still am.




* The sex of the goldfish was just decided as we wanted to name them Priscilla and Elvis. I have no idea how one determines the sex of a goldfish.

** Goldfish don't count as 'real' pets. Because they are goldfish.

Yeehah!!! It’s An Angel Double Feature On TBMB!

Part 1

What 3 things do you do, as a mother that goes against all the books?

Well, since I’m a stickler for the rules (as most of you know) like adhering to movie and PS2 game age restrictions… proper bedtimes, and obeying legal issues like not being allowed in the front seat till you’re 12, always wearing a seatbelt and sticking to the speed limit… there’s not much I do that’s not by the book.
Here are the few I could think of…

1. If he says he’s not hungry, he doesn’t have to eat.
I do not fight with Damien when he says he’s not hungry. I learnt early in his life that he is not a big eater. He’s not fussy- but he goes through phases where he doesn’t eat at all. It used to be a battle. I would serve him some food and we’d sit and he wouldn’t eat. And we’d fight about it because he HAS to eat… doesn’t he? Then I had a revelation and I stopped forcing the issue. One nightmare over with! It’s taken my family a while to get used to it though… he’s the only person I know who can go to a restaurant and not eat simply because he’s not hungry. So instead I make sure there are snacky things like sausages and two-minute noodles and lots of bread and leftovers for in case he decides he wants to eat, or like when he was little I offered him a “Nutrament” or “Ensure” milkshake instead.

2. I shut the door so I don’t have to see the mess.
His bedroom usually looks like a bomb’s hit it. When he was little, I tidied up for him- trying to get him to do it too and help out and get into some kind of habit… but to no avail. So I gave up. Every now and then I did a hectic spring clean when he was away on camp or something, but for the most part I left it. I still do. But he has to take responsibility- if he doesn’t make sure his dirty clothes are in the wash when it gets done then he doesn’t have clean clothes either.

3. He can wear what he wants…
Except for being strict on school uniform requirements- Damien can wear whatever he likes. This often means he goes around looking like a real scruff- and I will ask him occasionally if he doesn’t perhaps want to brush his hair, or wear a different shirt… and I will tell him if it’s a smart sort of occasion and a T-Shirt won’t do, but that’s it. He’s allowed to wear whatever outfit he chooses.

Part 2

What is your opinion on pets - and your children's role in the new family members’ life? AND when do you say NO and HOW do you say NO to hairy and scaly pets without destroying your son’s dreams of becoming a Nature conservationist.

I am one of the few people who do NOT believe that a child NEEDS a pet. I’m sure you’ve all heard people use the totally nonsensical argument that “he really needs to grow up with a dog of his own you know”. I think people who think like that have watched “Old Yeller” or “Lassie” too many times.
The truth is that no matter how old your kidlets are- you are the one who will end up looking after said animal.
Yes you can make it his or her responsibility- but we all know what’s going to happen. Either you’ll be cleaning up hurriedly in the morning so your other half doesn’t step in anything… or you’ll clean up after and feed the animal for the sake of peace because you’ve argued with your offspring for 4 solid days about your agreement that he or she would look after it.
So. How do you not wreck his or her dreams of becoming a game ranger or some such? Let them volunteer their time at a shelter like Wetnose or the SPCA. Organisations like this are always looking for people to help out in some way or another. And the few hours your kidlet then spends with the animals means he doesn’t get bored with the responsibility, they’re making a small difference, and you don’t have to argue with them all the time about whether Rover’s been fed and Felix’s litter-box scooped out.

Three things that make me a Bad Mommy

Here are my three things :

1. I let Ciara sleep with me every single night. We have been living in our new house for just over two years, and she hasn't once slept in her own bed. I don't feel bad about it at all.

2. I let Ciara drink from a bottle until she was 6 years old. She enjoys lying down and drinking out of a bottle, so I let her. Her teeth are fine and I don't feel bad about it at all.

3. I sometimes (usually) give in to her pleas for material things. I buy her lots of stuff. She still seems to appreciate it. I feel a little bad about this one.

free fings... sweets

The question for the week: What 3 things do you do, as a mother, that goes against all the books?

1. I gave Kay a drag of my cigarette when he asked once, i still don't know if i should have or shouldn't have...


2. I let my kids drive my car (while sitting on my lap) i do the peddles and they do the steering.


3. When the boys have friends over for a sleepover I let them stay up all night... so i send back very tired and very cranky kids to their moms... i know... bad!

Three things I should feel guilty about, but don't

This is short and sweet from me this week...

1. I have never, ever considered using cloth nappies.

2. Jackson and I have crazy play just before bedtime, I know we should be quiet and all, but it's just SO MUCH MORE FUN to be loud and raucous.

3. I let Jackson have sips of wine, beer, champagne...whatever I'm drinking at the time. I always think that I am vaguely Italian while I am doing it because in Italy they give their children watered down wine with supper from a very early age.

Oh man, this is just the tip of the iceberg. I am a bad Mommy.

Three Frowns For Bad Mommy

Keeping this list to three things I do that could be frowned upon was tough. Pretty much everything I do could probably be frowned upon. Fakkit, I'm doing more than 3.

1. I dont use bum cream every time I change his nappy. Actually, hardly ever. Only when he has a red bum.
2. I leave him unattended while I go outside and smoke. I leave him on the lounge floor, surrounded by toys and open plug points and cables.
3. I let my child suck the dog's pigs ear chew toy. Twice.
4. Sometimes I am too lazy to sterilise bottles, so just rinse out before using.
5. I let my child suck the floor tiles and drink bath water.
6. I sit my child in his Bumbo on the kitchen counter and leave him unattended while running his bath. He has fallen out once.
7. I left my child unattended on my bed. He fell off.
8. I left my child unattended on the changing table. He fell off.
9. I let my child eat dog biscuits.
10. I let my child gum my keys, even though they're probably the most germ-infested objects in the world.
11. If The Kid's dummy falls on the floor, I pop it in my mouth, give it a suck and hand it back to him. Apparently this should not be done.

How does that score on the badness scale?

3 things that could be frowned upon

My homework:

I smack

Don't hate me: I smack sometimes. Very occasionally. But yes, I smack. All the books say you shouldn’t. My heart tells me I shouldn’t. But I smack sometimes when things are getting out of hand. Like when Jonah bites Hannah because he feels like it, or when James taunts Hannah or Jonah because he can, or when James refuses, point blank, to tidy his room after I’ve asked him 50 times to do so, and then when he does, it’s with such an attitude that he throws things.

I let my kids eat a biscuit when they wake up

It all started as something I did when I was pregnant. I was avoiding coffee, so the only thing that would wake me up was a sugary biscuit. The children caught onto it and now it’s a tradition: they wake up, come into our bedroom and have a biscuit before they go and play.

I allow my children way too much leeway in the Sleeping-On-Their-Own department

James slept in our room, in a cot, until he was almost 2. Hannah slept in our bed until she was almost 3. Jonah has recently been moved to his own bed in James’s room but he has yet to spend an entire night there. I’ve also allowed them to manipulate me into lying next to them until they fall asleep: we did that with James and Hannah until they were 3. I just heard from my dad that he doesn’t do that when he babysits: he gives Jonah his bottle and then walks out of the room. Funny how he gets it right but I can’t…

To PET or NOT to PET

I watched as Max's tiny little body floated to the top ............of the fish bowl.......
Bon Voyage dear little friend.

I have on several occasions had to experience saying goodbye to my children's pets.

It is said that getting your children pets teaches them responsibility as well as how to deal with death.

I remember accidentally driving over my 10 year old dog. Oh my word it all plays back in slow mode to me. Everyone was standing outside it was horrific, (there was no blood just a quick bump and a silent death) and in a few seconds it was over my child came running down the drive way shouting "mommy why did you kill a family member" TALK about GUILT. This Bad mommy sobbed for days.

With the death of Max, my son all of a sudden took interest and BAM poor max was being paraded through the house on a fish net. It would have been fine if he was taken around for final farewells but no it was as if MAX had now become the science project before being flushed.

What exactly are we teaching our kids and when do we say NO MORE PETS.

I mean it is MOMMY who gets attached to the pets, and even though we tell our kids its your responsibility - its mommy that feeds the pet, potty trains the pet and picks ups all the POOP.

"Come and feed the cats... NOW" I have found this a common phrase used in our household. "BUT MOOOooom its your cats..." you see all of a sudden its mine.
Then my son came home "mom SO and SO has a snake i want a snake or a tarantula and if i cannot get one i will DIE.......... " well i tell you this is it I want to know from the other MOMMIES:

What is your opinion on pets - and your children's role in the new family members life. AND when do you say NO and HOW do you say NO to hairy and scaly pets without destroying your sons dreams of becoming a Nature conservationist.

look foward to hearing from you all.

Yiddy

rebel yell & other bad mom doings

The question for the week: What 3 things do you do, as a mother, that goes against all the books?

1. I can be a yeller and have been known to even swear a tad. It's often ineffectual (except in generating fear) and it makes me look like a lunatic, but sometimes it's all I can do to avoid breaking things.

2. Leave my kids home alone for up to an hour after school. They are 9 & 8 and I'm pretty sure it's legal but most moms around here would lose their minds about this. [For the record, I do call to check in and make sure they've locked the door, and usually there is a trustworthy neighbor available]

3. Allow ice cream, cake, pizza, or chocolate chips with breakfast. Usually there is a waffle or oatmeal involved with one of those items, but sometimes we just call it good if any food has been consumed in the morning.

And now I'm going to go do #4 which is take a long hot bath wearing ear plugs...

These I Can't Do...

It's late, sorry... but since I have been wracking my brain about what to put on this here list of 7-mommy-related-simply-can't-do-things, I am going to post it no matter what!
Naturally as Damien gets older, it gets easier and easier to do things I couldn’t do before… So I’m going to go back in time, and jump around a little, to things I couldn’t do before but can do now and vice-versa. And a lot of these are on the other mommy’s lists too... I knew I shouldn't have read them before I did mine!!

...I’ll start with sleeping in, especially with Damien! He would get up to all kinds of mischief if he was awake alone, including painting my pet rat, Loopy- and his cage- green when he was 4 years old. And of course attempting to make himself breakfast- resulting in a milk-and-rice-crispy-coated kitchen and a floor sticky with sugar! And no matter how many times, or how I tried, I never could get him to come and wake me when he woke up!

…shop just for me... even now with the knucklehead taller than me and 17 years old. Like a lot of mommies out there- my Angel to Damien purchase ratio is on average about 1-3.

…watch age-restricted movies! For a long time, and now still to a degree, I couldn’t rent a DVD if it had an age restriction older than Damien was. Another single mom neighbour friend and I used to make it a treat night for us to share a supper with the two of us and our two boys, rent a movie for them and one for us to watch when they had either gone to bed or were safely ensconced behind a bucket of LEGO and a closed door with snacky things and a small supply of cool drink. Of course the remote was close at hand to pause if one of them came out of the room…

…go on spontaneous outings or parties, or change my plans at the last minute… especially if I had organised a baby-sitter for Damien. If I had organised an overnight stay for him somewhere it was even harder to change my plans! And of course with a little Damien I would inevitably not have enough “stuff” to just stay late whenever I felt like it.

…not check up on him. I just cannot assume he’s fine, no matter what he’s doing or where he is. At least I don’t call him when he’s at school- but I STILL double check to make sure he’s had his meds and done his homework. I ask him every morning if he’s packed his bags for the day and if he has everything he needs for school. I know I know… I’m a nag! But I’m not going to make excuses for either of us- this is how it must be, okay!??

…stop researching Damien’s AD/HD. He goes through good phases and rough ones, and we deal with each one as it happens… but I never stop reading up on it. I have several books on the subject and I receive about 5 parenting e-news letters dealing with AD/HD and I attend seminars and talks when I can.

…not wonder if I could have or can do more…

7 things I can no longer do now that I'm a mommy

I know I'm a bit late, but here's my homework for last week! I'll post this week's homework tomorrow night.

Ummm, this ended up being more difficult than I thought it would be.

1. Go to the loo without having an audience! Just when the oldest one stopped being fascinated by me on the loo, I went and had another child!

2. Do crafts. I went to the most wonderful fabric painting classes on Saturdays pre Bradley... which entailed loads of wine and chatting. In fact the more wine that flowed, the more creative the painting! But that stopped when Bradley got mobile, and I haven't been able to go to a craft workshop since then.

3. Complete a conversation with friends. I'm really hoping that I'll remember how to complete a sentence by the time the kids let me talk again.

4. Shop for myself. This wasn't a problem until Connor was born, and for some reason, I really struggle going shopping now. It's just such a schlepp and I never have enough time

5. Work from home. I used to be able to work from home for a few days to catch up, but that's no longer possible... Connor will just not let me work at home at all.

6. Garden. I tend to lose interest in gardening when I'm pregnant, and in fact I haven't done much of it since Connor has been around at all. and it's a pity, because I love my garden.

7. Have completely uninterupted sleep... I reckon I'll be able to have that luxury in about 2 years time again. How sad! Means I'll have to live with my rings :)

7 Wonders of the Motherhood bubble...

So many crazy things come to mind, but, time being what it is with a four year old, here is my brief list:
I can no longer....
1. Swear like a sailor, I love swearing... it's like punctuation of the spoken word, unfortunately my daughters first recognisable phrase was "naughty damnit" which put my favourite phrases into hibernation faster than a good zip.
2. Finish a sentence, sorry...where was I?
3. Wander around naked with my husband... "mommy, why does your boob have an earring?" tends to lead directly to "nana, mommy's boobs have earrings"
4. Swing dance like a confident orangutang, barbie dolls, bicycles, doll houses and rollerskates create the most fascinating bruise patterns, its the mommy version of relating cloud forms to common shapes... One day I will complete my study of parenting bruises and win a nobel prize, that is, if I can complete a sentence.
5. Wear a bikini, one word "C- Section"
6. Go to festivals, no signal - no hope.
7. Blog, slacker slacker slacker....
I could extend it, but it seems I need to save a princess from a dragon...

Seven things i cannot do since i became a mommy

It is in my opinion that although we feel we are super moms sometimes there are a few things i can no longer do or perhapes CHOOSE no longer to do.

1. Sleep with my door locked. Now although this is done when mom and dad have some fun, it is unlocked at all other times. I want to get to them quickly and need to know they can get to me if need be.
2. Go shopping for clothes: and evan though sometimes i need to go shopping for myself i am overwhelmed with guilt and cannot leave the shops without buying everyone a little something.

3. SLEEP LATE: huh?? whats that

4. R E L A X: i think its time i get a dictionary and look these strange words up.

5. Sew. For the life of me i think i was demotivated by the fact that every single item of clothing had a hole in it somewhere, so i conveniently forgot how to sew.

6.Get sick: this is the problem i sit with now - i try the "get better after they are in bed" routine it seems to work okay. But no time for SICK mommies

7. Watch a late night movie - oh please i just sit for 5 minutes and my body cannot believe it is sitting and R E L A X I N G and i fall asleep instantly. I am worse than the kids at staying up.

my Introduction

So i am joining the Bad mommies blog and have been asked to post some things for an intro.

I have been a little sick so i have avoided pc's so i apologise for my late introduction.

Okay 3 things that perhapes you do not know about me:
1. I am in youth ministry in my church i work with High school kids
2. I secretly love being fat
3. Apparently champaign makes me feel single again

okay


3 things about my kids
1. Secretly they are good kids
2. Both of them swear like sailors when they think i am not listening
3. Although not blood related they look more like each other than they do me.


my saying for being a mom: “It's not easy being a mother. If it were easy, fathers would do it.” - The Golden Girls


okay famous mommy role model Bwhahahahahahhaha okay whatever - um i suppose Julia Roberts

If you could have one wish granted for your kid(s), what would it be?

That they were born knowing everything oh wait they already do. UM then my second choice would be - for PERFECT hearing at all times for the rest of their lives

seven things i cannot do since i became a mama...

1. Not be a kidlet person. I was the worst type of kidlet person. I could never understand why or how ANYONE would want to have a snot-nosed brat. Never mind two. Or god and heavens above, three, four or any number of them. Nowadays, you can't pass me in the street without me wanting to peer into your bundled package of cuteness.

2. Cook and eat a three-course meal. Nobody gets the chance to do the great big cookup and sitdown nowadays. wah. In my world, a sandwich and an orange make a good meal. Mind you, that's still pretty healthy.

3. Have cupboards that stay ordered. Heh. Anyone who has an inquisitive three-year old knows what I'm talking about.

4. Read and finish a book. I miss reading for days on end like I used to do! I get all my lit-love online nowadays.

5. Be sick and stay in bed. You know that saying 'no rest for the wicked'? yeah. no rest for sick mommies, hey.

6. Sleep in. Even if Cam isn't with me for a weekend and is with her dad, my brain wakes me up, every time, by 6am. Sob.

7. Work late. Wahaha. I have no idea why i feel bad about this.

5.

no can do's for sweets ;)

Write a post in which you relate seven things that you are

incapable of doing

now that you're a parent.

• Number one: IGNORE THE KIDS WHEN THEY SAY THEY'RE HUNGRY...i hate cooking... i really do... so when I've dragged myself into the kitchen after working the whole day, cooking is just not at the top of my list for fun relaxing things... i cook, i serve, we eat, seconds anybody? ...then I do the dishes... after the kitchen is clean and after I've eaten all the leftovers... i flop down on the sofa with a goofy grin... 5 seconds later Jay says... Mom I'm hungry...
• Number two: SLEEPING LATE... let me explain...I am capable of sleeping late but my kids are INCAPABLE of letting me... one morning i woke up with a kid both sides of my head ( I kept my eyes closed) and the one was whispering to the other... do you think she will be mad if we wake her up? LOL
• Number three: BUYING CLOTHES FOR MYSELF... the ratio is probably 1:5... so for every one piece of clothing I get, they each get five...
• Number four: USING MY HOME PC... i have no access to my own PC anymore... there is no time slot available!
• Number five: SHOPPING FOR HOURS... except if we're shopping for toys... there is no time limit then... but having two irritable naughty boys around when you're shopping for lingerie... well it doesn't work...
• Number six: BE ALONE IN THE BATHROOM... my ass would be on that toilet seat for 10.5 seconds... and there will be a knock on the door... enter unwelcome company :)
• Number seven: EATING A TREAT BOUGHT ONLY FOR ME... i hate sharing my sweets and treats, but when puppy-dog eyes look at you...what to do?

I Just Can't

I am incapable of doing the following, since having The Kid...

1.... eating glazed donuts. Have you seen a snotty kids' face? The resemblance of said snotty child's face to a glazed donut is disgustingly alike.

2. ...pretending not to notice how, when other mommies walking their babies in prams past me, stare into my pram and have a look at my kid. I know, he's gorgeous. Dont be jealous. It's not your fault you got a butt ugly baby and mine is so perfect. I however, resist looking in their pram, just in case their kid truly is hideous, I wont be able to keep the look of shock off my face. But I do however glare at them.

3....leaving the house wearing a pristine, well-put together outfit. My clothes invariably are covered in milk stains, biscuit crumbs, fruit splotches and my accessories are usually in The Kids' mouth to keep him quiet and entertained.

4....staying awake past 9pm. I know my kid sleeps from 6pm to 6 am, but late nights are no longer an option for me. I used to be a serious night owl - studying often until 4 am, often pulling all-nighters in the library working on assignments. No longer. I am far too tired at the end of the day to make it past 9pm. Some nights I dont even see 8pm.

5....getting horribly, snot-flyingly drunk. No matter how much I drink, or how fast, I cannot get drunk. It's rather annoying. Even more annoying is the fact that the whole time I'm thinking how The Kid is going to wake me up at 6am, and looking after him with a hangover wont be fun.

6...skipping a meal. This was common practice pre-Kid. If I was going out that night, which was nearly ever night, I wouldn't eat. Now I eat as if the world depends on it.

7....fitting into my pre-pregnancy clothes...I blame The Kid, the washing machine. Everything except the fact that I eat like the world depends on it!

narrowing my list to 7 things

Write a post in which you relate seven things that you are incapable of doing now that you're a parent.

1. Going anywhere other than the front yard at the last minute - and even that requires deciding where to put the patio umbrella, finding a picnic blanket, gathering snacks & water bottles, and slathering on sunscreen
2. Staying in bed past 8:00 a.m. without numerous requests for attention, breakfast, computer time, pigtails, lost toys, new toothbrush, et cetera
3. Using the backseat of my car for anything other than hauling children or cultivating a granola bar farm from the crumbs
4. Keeping a consistently clean & orderly house (I very much enjoy blaming that on parenthood)
5. Being sick in peace (see #2)
6. Having sex in any place the kids use for play [Needless to say, they may not play anywhere in our bedroom, or the garage. Or downstairs bathroom. Carry on]
7. Pursuing a lucrative modeling career