Pillow Fight!

A few weeks ago I bought a new pillow for my bed.

Now one thing I should let you know ahead of time is that I don't take pillow shopping lightly. In fact, if you accompany me on this adventure, you'll probably find yourself sitting in one of those chairs next to the dressing room. It's a process. A long process.

I take serious anything that aids in a good nights sleep. From the thread count in my sheets, to the cotton in my pajamas. It's all important.

So after 30 minutes in the bedding isle at Kohls last month; I thought I had found it...The Perfect Pillow.

The first night is always a little tricky. No matter how comfortable it felt, there is a breaking in process.

Just after my pillow turned a week old, I was sure this was the one. I had a perfect night of sleep. I was well rested.

I headed to the bathroom to begin my morning routine. And that is when it hit me...right in the face. As I looked closer at the mirror, I realized my dear beloved pillow had left its mark.

Not just any mark, mind you. There was an impression of a seam which began at my hair line and stemmed down to my left ear. Dear Lord! Despite my love for Avon, I knew there was no makeup in the world that would cover this monstrosity!

A hood? A big hat? A comb over? Nothing would work. And now I had to bring the kids to school. I prayed the seam would disappear by then. Every few minutes I ran to the bathroom to check things out. It was going away, but not quickly. Apparently, my pillow wanted to let everyone know just how good of a job it was doing.

I thought for sure I was part of pillow conspiracy of some kind. I was forced to walk around all day with this thing on my face just so people would start a conversation with me. Suddenly there would be a surge in sales at the local Kohls. People around town would start waking up with pillow seam impressions across their foreheads. But all of them would be well rested.

And then it occurred to me: "I really need to get out more often." A blog about pillow seams? Really Mary. There must be something more interesting to write about.

The Last AVATAR

I finally did it! I saw AVATAR.

Well actually I saw the beginning and I saw the end. As for the middle, I can't say I remember a thing. That's probably because that nap I so needed overrode the need to watch green and blue men fight for their planet.

My husband has been raving about this movie for months. "As soon as it comes on DVD, I'm buying it." He would say.

Of course as we walked into Walmart this weekend for a casual shopping experience, guess what was there to greet us? (Aside from the Walmart greeter).

That's right. A kiosk filled to the brim with AVATAR DVD's.

"Sure Honey, put it in the cart." How could I possibly say know. Not to mention he was being helped by my sons who just mastered "puppy dog eyes." It was three against one.

Like a typical Mother I thought of all the other things that could be bought with the $24.99 that was spent on a movie instead. But how can I complain? Surely if I had brought everyone to the theaters to see this Gem, I would have easily been out 100 bucks. So technically, I saved around $75. Or at least that is what my husband would lead me to believe.

It Start's With One Person

It starts with you.

On April 22nd we will be celebrating Earth Day. I always get excited about Earth Day, because even if it's only for a day, it's one day that people try to act responsibly.

When I was small, although Earth Day may have existed, there was no fuss. Global warming was still a phenomenon, and we didn't own a recycling container until I was in high school (but it was just decorative).

So when did things change?

For me it was a teacher. A teacher who had so much passion about the environment that it was literally catchy. I would leave her class with so much excitement. I couldn't wait to pass that excitement onto my students.

As luck would have it, I quickly became a Mom. Rather than passing the excitement onto students, I was able to pass it onto my children.

I quickly began to realize the hurdles of "Being Green." I also realized that my excitement wasn't shared by all...a huge misconception.

When I was pregnant I began my search for biodegradable diapers (something you probably won't find at your local market). If you think the price for a regular pack of diapers is expensive, wait till you get a load of what they want for these puppies. Needless to say, due to budget constraints, I wasn't able to add this coveted item to my baby inventory.

And that's just one example. The list goes on to contain everything from bottles to clothes to organic food. To be green you have to spend the green. There's no way around it.

While I do find it unfair, I believe in the cause. Sure it's more expensive now, but as more people catch on, companies will be able to lower their prices.

Start to make your home a green home, and you won't look back. But be patient, it takes some time. My home is still a work in progress and I began over a year ago.

If you need some help getting started, refer to this site: http://www.earthday.org/

Best of Luck!

"What's a Lamp?"

It's official. I've once again failed Mothering 101.

I couldn't have predicted this one, even if I tried. Somewhere in my heart, I knew there would be things we forgot to teach our children. I know my parents did. But somehow the cracks get filled. Whether it is by a teacher, a relative, a friend or (dare I say) T.V.

So when I was putting Scooter in bed the other night, imagine my surprise when I was asked: "Mommy, what's a lamp?"

Surely this must have been covered in one of those sweet baby books we received for his first birthday. He is 5 years old now. How is it that he doesn't know what a lamp is?

By his age I had already changed a few bulbs in our house. Remember back then how often they would burn out? Now you can go something like 10 years before you buy a bulb. I even remember how our hall closet would be ready with at least 4 packs of bulbs. Parents back then would often talk of power surges......we never had one.

So there I sat with Scooter wondering exactly where I had gone wrong. And then it dawned on me. Seven years ago my husband and I bought new construction. We decided on all recessed lighting. It seemed like a good idea at the time. But I never really noticed that we didn't own a lamp. Apparently someone would.

Just goes to show you that you should never take anything for granted. Looks like Scooter and I will be hitting the Yard Sale Circuit soon. He is sure to learn all there is about lamps there.

Please join us soon for some more forgotten life lessons: "What is a Walkman?" "What is a tape cassette?" "And how did you turn on your T.V. if you didn't have a remote?"

A "Sense" of Urgency

Imagine a world where the sounds you heard around you were so loud, it left you practically debilitated. Imagine your fear of the dark consisted of more than the boogey man. Your parents consistently change light bulbs so as to avoid the inevitable burnout. Imagine a world where your senses are so heightened, you question every move, ride, trip, play date and vacation.

At one time, I imagined this world...now I live it. I live it with my son Scooter.

Scooter was a healthy 10 lbs. at birth. But almost immediately when we brought him home from the hospital, I realized there was something different.

He cried. He cried a lot. And when you would try to hold him, all he would do was fuss.

We blamed it on his eczema for a while, but after several prescriptions, I felt there was something more. Once he learned to speak (which was very early) the word "no" is all we heard.

Finally, one morning, Scooter began to ask me questions about a conversation I had with my husband the night before. Here was the odd thing: Scooter was in bed when we had the conversation; and we were down stairs at the time.

I began paying closer attention to Scooter's hearing. Sure thing, Scooter could hear. Scooter could hear real well. So well in fact that loud sounds began to bother him.

As Scooter grew, so did the problem. We always needed a plan B. Especially since we had 2 children. Luckily my older son was very thoughtful, and constantly looked out for his brother rather than complaining about what he was missing.

Doctors were very dismissive about his problem. After much frustration, I began my own research. Turns out Scooter suffers from Sensory Processing Disorder. While putting a name to the problem seems it may have solved things; the story doesn't end there.

See Sensory Processing Disorder is often associated with children who suffer from Autism or Aspergers Syndrome. And although it can stand alone, it is not recognized that way as of yet. In a nutshell...insurance won't cover it.

This post is not meant to be depressing; but rather informative. I am far from the only parent out there living this experience. My hope is to create conversation and to convince insurance carriers of the importance to reevaluate their decision and begin to cover this disorder.

There are middle men of course. Politics. And of without a doubt, money.

Everyday is an adventure with Scooter. An adventure I wouldn't change for the world. And while I can't protect him from all his fears; the hugs and kisses I am showered with daily let me know I helped shield a few.

If you would like to become an advocate, and help get SPD recognized, please visit this link and fill in the form. Every name counts.

Hugs To All. Sincerely, Mommy Maestro and Scooter

My Dear NyQuil; How I Love Thee!

As a mother, no matter how many children you have, we always feel like we are taking care of someone else. If a child is sick, we are cleaning up the vomit. If our dog is sick, we are running it to the vet. If Hubby is sick, we are making soup. And so on, and so on.

Yesterday, I was sick. I was waiting for that magic Mommy to jump out from behind a doorway....she never did. I waited for her to say go lay on the couch while I finish the laundry, landscaping and carpooling....she never did. I waited for her to make dinner and drive the kids to Karate....still, no one showed up.

It finally occurred to me around 6pm last night, that I was going to need to pull this one off myself.

But when I pulled in the driveway after Karate classes, there sat the best site I had seen all day....Hubby's car. Yes, that meant he was home. My shift had ended. Right before I was about to drop over.

I didn't really need anyone to take care of me. I just needed someone to take care of all the stuff I normally was responsible for so that I could have time to regroup.

Around 2 hours later I sat on the couch sipping hot tea. Other nights, this would have been relaxing. But since my nose snot decided to run the 5K, I was anything but relaxed. Thank God for NyQuil.

I managed to have a decent night of sleep. I'm finally ready to take on the day. If it weren't for this NyQuil hangover I'm experiencing I probably would be much chipper.

Looks like a did get a hand after all.

The Night The Lights Went Out In Georgia

Well Folks, we lost a great one over the weekend. Dixie Carter, age 70, and former star of Designing Women passed on Saturday.

I was a huge fan of the show, and of course my favorite character was Julia Sugarbaker, played by Dixie.

If you were too young to have had a chance to see Dixie in action, I left a clip from my favorite episode. It is without a doubt one of her best performances.

The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia

Warning: Do Not Decorate the Rose Bush!

Well, let's just say I've had better ideas when it comes to decorating.

Last week before Easter the kids begged me to decorate the outside with some hanging eggs. I had made the eggs the year before by just hot gluing some ribbon on the tip of some plastic eggs and tying a bow (that is the extent of my creative endeavors).

So we headed outside, and before long I realized that the only bushes the children could reach to decorate were the rose bushes.

It wasn't like I condoned them doing this, but they both promised they wouldn't go near the "prickly things." And like most boys, decorating consisted of a good toss into a tree. No careful positioning needed. And for good measure (or just to add a little frustration to Mommy's day) they both decided to toss eggs into the larger trees. God bless the bird that finds that nugget in his nest when he returns.

And so yesterday I decided it was time to take down the Easter decorations. I began outside with the eggs...."What was I thinking?"

I could have just as easily decorated barbed wire for the children.

It's one thing to play ring toss with some eggs and hope they land inside a rose bush. It's another to try and collect those things without causing bodily injury.

And after what seemed like the longest fifteen minutes of my life. The undecorating (Is that such a thing?) was complete.

Indeed I appeared to have been mawed by a bear. But with eggs in hand I knew the worst part was over. Anything left would have to rely on the wind to blow them out. There was no way I was reaching into those bushes again.

Like I said, I've had better ideas when it comes to decorating. I've learned that being Super Mommy could have easily equated to a trip to Chuckee Cheese. Well, better luck next year.

Spring Cleaning Checklist

Did you ever have one of those days where you couldn't wait to get started? You had so much to accomplish, but that wasn't going to stop you.

You had your list ready, along with post it notes and that napkin you grabbed at Dunkin Donuts when you couldn't find any paper.

I was full of energy in the morning. I completed a good workout at the gym. I made a stop at the bank then headed over to Target to purchase eggs for this mornings breakfast (since I accidentally hard boiled everything we owned for Easter egg dying).

I headed home, ate lunch, vacuumed and completed 2 loads of laundry. I then decided to head to Kohls to buy the boys some of their summer wardrobe. We are expecting at least 3 days with temperatures over 80 degrees. Both boys grew like weeds over the winter.

When I finally made it home I realized only about half my list was completed. Sadly, I was beginning to get tired. And still, I had porches to scrub, a gazebo to cover, cushions to wash, windows and shudders to clean, etc., etc., etc.

Well, there's only so many hours in a day. At least that's what I told myself so that my accomplishments seemed a little worthy. I guess whatever I couldn't finish will just roll into today. Or tomorrow. Or next week.

It's My Turn To Nap

Parenthood can be exhausting. I remember looking at my parents when I was young and wondering: "What's wrong with you guys?" "Why are you sitting down?" "We just got started."

And now I'm walking in those same shoes. Shoes I wish offered more support for those unpredictable aches and pains that sneak up on me when least expected.

Saturday began early. I ate breakfast then headed to the gym for a swim. I completed 20 laps. I felt proud until I got a look at the woman in the lane beside me. Twice my age, she swam like an extra in the Titantic. "How is she doing that?" I thought.

I tried remembering the advice the life guard gave me the week before: "Do not compare yourself to that woman. Compare yourself to the person who decided to stay on the couch and eat chips."

So on I persevered. I threw the bag of chips out when I got home.

Hubby and I decided to take the kids to the movies. After selling our first born we were able to purchase tickets. Just kidding, but honestly, why must they charge $10 a person just to watch a movie in 3D? I enjoy 3D about as much as I enjoy reality TV. I'm more impressed with good writing, followed by good actors. Both have been in short supply lately.

Anyway, we ended up watching How To Train Your Dragon. Aside from the 3D glasses I as forced to wear, I really enjoyed the movie.

Three hot dogs, 2 pop corns, 4 sodas and a box of peanut M&M's later; the family was ready to move on.

We headed home to finish a little of yard work. The hot sun made this job a little less than desirable. So we decided to take the kids to the playground.

Turns out there was more shade in our backyard.

We returned home to cook dinner for the kids. Afterwards we all sat down to watch a movie. It must have been then that it hit me...pure exhaustion. I looked over to say something to my husband, but he had already fallen asleep.

That's OK I thought. I'll just watch the movie with the kids.

Let's just say, that was the last thought I had. Because before I knew it, I was fast asleep. And apparently that was the wrong move.

When I woke up I was informed by Hubby that it was "his turn to take a nap."

"I couldn't help it." I told him. My eyes were so heavy. I just couldn't stay up any longer.

If you're wondering, the children were just fine. Apparently they have no problem waking up Mommy and asking her for a snack.