In Which My Friend is Learning to Live with The Fear

I need to introduce my friend to you my friend Katherine. A couple of months ago, she told me she was going to start writing and I was like - Thank GOD. What took you so long? Then last week, I read this post about how she is learning to live with The Fear and I felt like I needed to share it with you guys. As you know The Fear is something I really, really struggle with. 

I should warn you, your eyeballs might leak a little.

[Editor's Note: If you've been a reader of this blog for a while you've already met her because she is part of The Preschool and The Church which houses The Parking Lot where The Meltdown took place that started Rants from Mommyland.] 

---------------------------------------------

Meeting Captain Marvel at Marvel Universe Live!

Last week the lovely people at Marvel Universe Live invited me and my family to go see the show at the Patriot Center, which is right in our hometown. This was extremely exciting for us because my daughters had been somewhat surly for the past two months whenever the word "Marvel" was mentioned. They were not happy that their brother had the opportunity to go see the show in Tampa in June while they stayed home.

Then the nice Marvel people told us that we would get to meet with one of the cast members before the show. They they set us up with an interview and five free tickets. To say we were excited was an understatement. Since my husband couldn't make it, we used our fifth ticket to bring one of the kids' friends. So it was me, three girls and the boy off to see the show and meet a superhero in real life. 

Domestic Enemies of the Working Wife of the Stay-at-Home Dad

Today's addition to the Domestic Enemies archives is from Shannon Brescher Shea. Shannon is mommy to an adventurous one-year-old boy who loves dirt, clapping, and hugs. She writes about her experiences at We'll Eat You Up, We Love You So (http://welleatyouupweloveyouso.com).

-----------------------------------------------------------

I'm proud to be married to a stay-at-home dad. But it definitely comes with its pitfalls. While I'm so glad that I get to go to my job every day while my husband enjoys taking care of the baby and cooking, we've faced our share of Domestic Enemies.

Back to School Night

This was originally published 2 years ago, but I'm sharing it again because I figure it never hurts to get schooled by someone dropping truth bombs. 

All three of my kids have gone to the same preschool. It's attached to our church and I love it so much it’s not even funny. Other preschools don’t even exist for me. It’s like my preschool is Michael Fassbender and your preschool is Michael J Fox. Your preschool is cute and all, and really great but... I like mine a lot.

A couple of weeks ago, I went to Back to School night there. It was my sixth time going to this event at this school, and it doesn’t vary too much. I was not a super excited kitten to be sitting in the exact same meeting I’d sat in on five other occasions. You have to go every year, though because all parents volunteer in the classroom and its part of our training.

The Date Night Video

Remember a long time ago when Kate and I went to Chicago and did that thing with Second City? Well I forced coerced kindly asked those actors to be my friends on Facebook. So my very dear friend comedy genius Sue Salvi (that I met one time for fifteen minutes) posted this on her wall today and when I saw it, I almost passed out because it was so funny.

Just watch.

The Brutally Honest Kindergarten Form

I have a real problem on my hands. My daughter Mini just started Kindergarten and I have a ton of paperwork to fill out for the school. One of the things I need to do is fill out a form for her new teacher (who I hear is fabulous). The form has a couple of basic questions (child's name, date of birth, siblings, etc). Then there's the hard part. I'm supposed to answer the following question: "What can you tell us about your child?"

WHAT THE HELL AM I SUPPOSED TO SAY??

Up & Away! (With Those Dang Pills)

NOTE: This post is sponsored by Up and Away, an educational program to remind families of the importance of safe medicine storage, in partnership with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Consumer Healthcare Products Association Educational Foundation. 

Every once in a while I get to write a sponsored post about something I'd be happy to write about anyway. In this case, it's the importance of keeping medicine up and away from where our kids can find it. This is especially true with caregivers (ahem - Grandma & Grandpa - I am looking at you), houseguests, and visitors. 

Let me tell you about the time I thought my 3 year old ate a month's worth of birth control pills! It was super fun and not stressful at all! 

Rare Bird by Anna Whiston-Donaldson

Three years ago today, a 12 year old boy was killed in a freak flood one town over from mine. I didn't know the family, but had several friends who did. His mom, Anna, was a blogger and when I heard the news I clicked over to her blog. I saw her beautiful kids smiling at me in back to school pictures. It seemed impossible that this beautiful boy was gone.

I kind of lost of my shit. It was too sad and too real and far too close to home. I've written about how much Jack's death affected me since it happened. It's not just me - friends, family and strangers from across the country have been moved by the loss of this special boy.

Horrifying Conversations with Mini: Not ANYTHING

I was taking a late summer swim with Mini recently, when she said something horrifying. I was trying to encourage her to work on her backstroke and I was telling her all the fun things you could do while floating on your back and kicking your legs. 

But she was having none of it. She kept telling me that when you race backstroke at a swim meet, you could hit your head on the wall (which is of course very true). So she was never going to do that.

A Prayer for the First Day of School

Dear God,

I have three kids and today they all went to school, the smallest one for the very first time. You already know that, though, because you're omniscient. Now that the big yellow bus has consumed my children, I'm sitting here alone in a  quiet house, trying to distract myself with work and Facebook. It's sort of working, except for the fact that my stupid eyes keep leaking.

God, I really wish I was one of the moms skipping back from the bus stop humming "The Most Wonderful Time of the Year." I thought when this time finally came, I would be. But I don't feel like celebrating. There was no skipping home. I spent the whole time trying not to ugly cry in front of my neighbors, so I just kept making a weird face and sniffling.