Last night my 10 year old son lost a tooth while brushing before bed. We placed it in a plastic bag, stuffed it under his pillow (along with a note he wrote to the tooth fairy, asking her just what she does with all those teeth) and put him to sleep.
Then we watched a movie and promptly fell asleep as well.
This morning we woke to the sound of my son crying. At first we thought he was having a bad dream, and then it all made sense.
WE FORGOT TO BE THE TOOTH FAIRY!
As I mentioned in a previous blog, this has happened once before. At that time, it was January and we had the handy excuse of too many kids staying up too late to watch the Super Bowl.
Now what?
My husband can't believe that a 10 year old would still believe in the tooth fairy. I assured my son that we should just put the tooth under the pillow again tonight and he would get his money.
Then came the question:
"Are you the tooth fairy Mommy?"
I looked my son in the eye and asked him to repeat himself.
"Are you the tooth fairy Mommy?"
I looked at him again and said "Do you want the truth?"
Pause... "No Mommy."
"Okay", I said, "let's put your tooth under the pillow again tonight and we'll see what happens."
Let's face it, learning the truth about the tooth fairy only leads to learning about the Easter Bunny and Santa Clause.
Don't ask don't tell works for more than just the US Army.
Saturday, May 24, 2008
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
SALE!
What is it about we women, we absolutely LOVE a sale? They say that men are the hunters and gatherers, and that we are the nesters. Some of those hunting and gathering genes made their way into our female DNA because I don't know a single woman who doesn't love hunting for a bargain. And not only that, we have to BROADCAST it!
Yesterday I complimented a friend on her nifty green jacket. "Thanks!" she replied, "I got it for 50% off at the Talbots' outlet."
Men don't get why we do this. Yes, common sense dictates that we should allow people to appreciate our purchases and assume that we have both fine taste in clothing, accessories and home furnishings AND that we have the financial standing to back it up.
We are much more interested in letting each other know about our bargain hunting prowess. When I commented on this to my friend with the nifty jacket, she said "Yeah, you'll never hear someone accept a compliment with 'Thanks, I paid WAY too much for it!'" (unless of course you're one of the real housewives of Orange County)
It's not enough we got a bargain. We have to elaborate on just how much the item would have been had we purchased it full price, how many times it was discounted and how much MORE was taken off the purchase. And if we have an additional coupon in the process: JACKPOT!
Not only are we happy to share our bargain stories with each other, we will go out of our way to help our fellow female hunter/gatherers get the same deal! My good friend "M" emails me links to shoes in my freakishly large size that are on clearance (so thoughtful!) If we see something we know a friend wants on sale, we call them immediately or grab it quickly and purchase it for them (hey, you can always return it!) And this generosity is not limited to our good friends. TOTAL STRANGERS HELP EACH OTHER OUT IF IT MEANS GETTING A DISCOUNT!
Case in point: Yesterday I shopped for a bathing suit in the Lands End section of Sears. Although I knew that I needed a well-made bathing suit that would carry me through the summer (pool, beach, etc.) I was spurred into action by the fact that the Lands End suits were all 30% off. I got to chatting with another woman in the swimsuit section (yes, I will talk to ANYONE!) and as we approached the register, I let her make her purchase first. Well wouldn't you know, she had a coupon for $25 off her Lands End purchase. When I commented on how lucky she was to have such a coupon, the clerk (thinking we were fast friends and shopping buddies) said, "You can use it more than once if you like". Well, my new friend turned around, handed me the coupon and I got $25 of MY order too! TOTAL STRANGER! I thanked her, gave her the coupon back, asked her name and told her to have a great day. So THANK YOU MARY BETH FROM WEYMOUTH!
You've heard of the brotherhood of men?
It 'aint nothing compared to the sisterhood of bargain shoppers!
Yesterday I complimented a friend on her nifty green jacket. "Thanks!" she replied, "I got it for 50% off at the Talbots' outlet."
Men don't get why we do this. Yes, common sense dictates that we should allow people to appreciate our purchases and assume that we have both fine taste in clothing, accessories and home furnishings AND that we have the financial standing to back it up.
We are much more interested in letting each other know about our bargain hunting prowess. When I commented on this to my friend with the nifty jacket, she said "Yeah, you'll never hear someone accept a compliment with 'Thanks, I paid WAY too much for it!'" (unless of course you're one of the real housewives of Orange County)
It's not enough we got a bargain. We have to elaborate on just how much the item would have been had we purchased it full price, how many times it was discounted and how much MORE was taken off the purchase. And if we have an additional coupon in the process: JACKPOT!
Not only are we happy to share our bargain stories with each other, we will go out of our way to help our fellow female hunter/gatherers get the same deal! My good friend "M" emails me links to shoes in my freakishly large size that are on clearance (so thoughtful!) If we see something we know a friend wants on sale, we call them immediately or grab it quickly and purchase it for them (hey, you can always return it!) And this generosity is not limited to our good friends. TOTAL STRANGERS HELP EACH OTHER OUT IF IT MEANS GETTING A DISCOUNT!
Case in point: Yesterday I shopped for a bathing suit in the Lands End section of Sears. Although I knew that I needed a well-made bathing suit that would carry me through the summer (pool, beach, etc.) I was spurred into action by the fact that the Lands End suits were all 30% off. I got to chatting with another woman in the swimsuit section (yes, I will talk to ANYONE!) and as we approached the register, I let her make her purchase first. Well wouldn't you know, she had a coupon for $25 off her Lands End purchase. When I commented on how lucky she was to have such a coupon, the clerk (thinking we were fast friends and shopping buddies) said, "You can use it more than once if you like". Well, my new friend turned around, handed me the coupon and I got $25 of MY order too! TOTAL STRANGER! I thanked her, gave her the coupon back, asked her name and told her to have a great day. So THANK YOU MARY BETH FROM WEYMOUTH!
You've heard of the brotherhood of men?
It 'aint nothing compared to the sisterhood of bargain shoppers!
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
Lucky 13
It boggles my mind that 13 years ago today I said "I do" to the most amazing man I have been fortunate enough to meet. It seems like yesterday we were planning our wedding, choosing menu selections and picking out flowers.
And here we are, 13 years later, suburban homeowners, 2 kids, firmly entrenched in middle age.
Where did the time go?
My husband is my best friend and although we get caught up in the day to day minutiae of house/kids/bills/work, I sometimes have to stop and remind myself that the man who shares my bed each night is still the funniest, smartest, cleverest, most thoughtful person on the planet.
Some friends comment on how little husband-bashing I engage in. Another says that she thinks my husband and I are the happiest couple she knows. Is our marriage perfect? Far from it. Does it need work? Always. Do we quit when things get tough. Never.
When things start to bug me (as you all know they do) and I start to stress about car repairs and camp fees and calls from the principal, I need to just take a breath and realize that when my better half comes home, no matter what the issue, we will tackle it together.
Happy Anniversary Mr. Flossy! I LOVE YOU!
And here we are, 13 years later, suburban homeowners, 2 kids, firmly entrenched in middle age.
Where did the time go?
My husband is my best friend and although we get caught up in the day to day minutiae of house/kids/bills/work, I sometimes have to stop and remind myself that the man who shares my bed each night is still the funniest, smartest, cleverest, most thoughtful person on the planet.
Some friends comment on how little husband-bashing I engage in. Another says that she thinks my husband and I are the happiest couple she knows. Is our marriage perfect? Far from it. Does it need work? Always. Do we quit when things get tough. Never.
When things start to bug me (as you all know they do) and I start to stress about car repairs and camp fees and calls from the principal, I need to just take a breath and realize that when my better half comes home, no matter what the issue, we will tackle it together.
Happy Anniversary Mr. Flossy! I LOVE YOU!
Monday, May 19, 2008
Mother to one, mother to all...
Did you ever notice... (yikes, I sound like ANDY ROONEY!)
Let me start again:
I've discovered that in my mothering of two children, I have suddenly become a mother to the world.
Yes, your DNA changes when you have children. Your eyesight becomes sharper (you can see behind you, through walls and under tables and know immediately what your children are doing...)
Like the member of a S.W.A.T. team, your senses become more accute and aware. When your child moves from your side in a store or on a beach, you are immediately aware of this and perform a military-style sweep of the area until your child is located.
When a child coughs in the middle of the night, you are instantly awake and rushing to his side. When they are about to vomit, you get there in DOUBLE TIME.
But these reactions are not limited to my own children.
If I am out shopping, I will suddenly cringe when I hear a particularly nasty cough coming out of the mouth of someone else's child. Having heard too many coughs come out of my asthmatic son's mouth, I can't help but empathize.
At a Pampered Chef show this past weekend, not only did I hear that same cough, but I heard that familiar hmmmmmmmm of the nebulizer we've used for so many years. Since we've mostly retired our nebulizer, it was somewhat nostalgic (and somewhat disturbing) to hear that again.
When a child cries in honest pain or suffering, my heart breaks. When I see a child being mean to another child (not mine) I still want to admonish them to be kind to each other.
The only exception to this rule is when I am out in public and hear a child having a screaming meltdown. At that point, I just smile sympathetically at the mother and wander away, happy that this is someone else's nightmare for a change.
The other day, while my children were at school, I went to a sub shop to pick up a sandwich for lunch. There were several young men in line ahead of me, laborers by the look of them, probably in their early twenties. One was munching on a bag of potato chips, waiting to place his order. He dropped a chip on the floor, picked it up, looked around for a trash can (there was none) looked around again and at this point I blurted out "DON'T EAT THAT!" He smiled sheepishly and said "I was just thinking about that, since I couldn't find a garbage can". Then his friends started in on him:
"I'll give you a dollar to eat that! C'mon, a dollar man! Do it! Do it! Do it!
And of course, the guy popped the chip into his mouth and ate it. He smiled at me and said "Hey, a dollar's a dollar."
Mother to the World.
Let me start again:
I've discovered that in my mothering of two children, I have suddenly become a mother to the world.
Yes, your DNA changes when you have children. Your eyesight becomes sharper (you can see behind you, through walls and under tables and know immediately what your children are doing...)
Like the member of a S.W.A.T. team, your senses become more accute and aware. When your child moves from your side in a store or on a beach, you are immediately aware of this and perform a military-style sweep of the area until your child is located.
When a child coughs in the middle of the night, you are instantly awake and rushing to his side. When they are about to vomit, you get there in DOUBLE TIME.
But these reactions are not limited to my own children.
If I am out shopping, I will suddenly cringe when I hear a particularly nasty cough coming out of the mouth of someone else's child. Having heard too many coughs come out of my asthmatic son's mouth, I can't help but empathize.
At a Pampered Chef show this past weekend, not only did I hear that same cough, but I heard that familiar hmmmmmmmm of the nebulizer we've used for so many years. Since we've mostly retired our nebulizer, it was somewhat nostalgic (and somewhat disturbing) to hear that again.
When a child cries in honest pain or suffering, my heart breaks. When I see a child being mean to another child (not mine) I still want to admonish them to be kind to each other.
The only exception to this rule is when I am out in public and hear a child having a screaming meltdown. At that point, I just smile sympathetically at the mother and wander away, happy that this is someone else's nightmare for a change.
The other day, while my children were at school, I went to a sub shop to pick up a sandwich for lunch. There were several young men in line ahead of me, laborers by the look of them, probably in their early twenties. One was munching on a bag of potato chips, waiting to place his order. He dropped a chip on the floor, picked it up, looked around for a trash can (there was none) looked around again and at this point I blurted out "DON'T EAT THAT!" He smiled sheepishly and said "I was just thinking about that, since I couldn't find a garbage can". Then his friends started in on him:
"I'll give you a dollar to eat that! C'mon, a dollar man! Do it! Do it! Do it!
And of course, the guy popped the chip into his mouth and ate it. He smiled at me and said "Hey, a dollar's a dollar."
Mother to the World.
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