DC Metro Moms

Are You and Your Husband Friends?

On Saturday morning I had the pleasure of interviewing the smart and, yes, sexy Hill Harper, of CSI:NY fame and other major roles, for a Mamalaw project.  He was in town for the Pratt Library's Booklover Breakfast to discuss his latest book, The Conversation: How Black Men and Women can Build Loving, Trusting Relationships. He made a lot of great points and cited lots of extensive research about the state of black marriage today and the impact of single-parent households on children, but what stuck with me most was his observation that many husbands and wives don't even like each other anymore. And, he pointed out that the running theme amongst those couples who were happy was simple: they were friends.

I Have Small Kids. Don't Call Me!

Outrageous.

That's the only word that comes to mind when our home phone rings on after 8pm on any given night. It's usually a friend or family member on the other end of the line who doesn't have kids and doesn't get just how outrageous it is for them to be disturbing our household.  Does that sounds mean? I'm sorry, but it's the truth!

Vacation Withdrawal

Last night we returned home from a 4-day weekend trip to Miami.  A close friend of ours got married on Saturday and my younger daughter and I were both in the wedding. Coming home in the cold weather to our cluttered house, with the prospect of getting back to the daily routine was a rude awakening to us all.

Since Friday we've been waking up on our own, eating fun breakfasts that Mommy didn't have to make (yay!), slipping on flip flops and hitting the town in a shiny rental car.  Visits to all three Grandmas and dips in the pool just sweetened the deal. There's just something about being on vacation and living out of a single suitcase that gives life a relaxing and simplified vibe.

My 5-Year-Old Needs a Secretary

Ok, so you warned me. Before Chatterbox started kindergarten, I was put on notice by all of you primary school aficionados that the paperwork and homework involved was no joke. I laughed. I scoffed. I did not take heed. Well. The joke's on me!

Let me introduce you to the Daily Folder. It's brightly colored and is adorned with a lovable little frog sporting the motto: "Fully Responsible Organized and Growing." But do not be fooled. This Daily Folder and me? We have a love-hate relationship. Each day Hubby or I have to initial the Behavior Chart and return it back to the teacher. Then, there's usually about 3 - 5 notices or forms that need reading and filling out.

And don't get me started on the items that require a payment.

Summer Camp 2.0

Apparently summer camp isn't what it used to be. My daughter went to day camp last week (for the first time!) and had a blast. Every day was chock-full of activities and the awesome field trips. Of course, it cost us an arm and a leg, but hey - she thoroughly enjoyed herself and so it was worth it for us.

The registration package before camp was my first clue that summer camp, and kids in general, have come a long way since I went to camp back in my day.

On Kindergarten, Public School, and Getting Cold Feet

My oldest turns 5 tomorrow. And that means in exactly 24 days, she will start Kindergarten. Kindergarten. I can hardly stand it. What makes matters even more nerve-wracking is the fact she's starting Kindergarten and a new school.  She's been going to "school" since she was 3 years old, first to a Montessori school and then to Christian school. But, starting August 31st, she'll be entering the big leagues...Public School [cue scary music].

Be Nice at BlogHer

Unless you've been under a rock (or you know, your Internet has been out), then you probably know that BlogHer is this week. 

This will be my first time going and I am 2 parts excited and 1 part nervous! It's like I'm being transported back to the first day of school all over again. There will be soooo many women there, and not just ordinary women, but fabulous, smart, opinionated, famous, and rockstar women!  

I keep hearing that everyone is friendly and that I won't even skip a beat, but still, I'm a little scared.  It's not that I'm a shy person (quite the contrary), I consider myself pretty outgoing and friendly, it's just...you know, girls roll in packs (aka cliques) and I won't have one. I'm hoping this ends up being a good thing though. It will force me to meet everyone and make friends. 

So if you see a gal with "newbie" written on her forehead and a look of bewilderment in her eyes, make sure to smile and say "hi" m'kay? I promise I'll share my snack with you during recess.

An original DC Metro Moms post. Justice Fergie blogs over at MamaLaw and Blogalicious 2009, where she is asking the hard questions about BlogHer, like what to wear and where to party.

The Thing About Product Reviews

We're all friends here, right? 'Cuz I need to take a minute or twenty to gripe about the double-edged sword that is blog giveaways. All of us get contacted on an almost daily basis, I'm sure, by well-intentioned PR companies that want to put their clients' products in our social-media-influencer hands.  And, don't get me wrong, I do enjoy receiving advance notice of the latest gadget or happening event (did I just say "happening"? oh gawd), but what I don't enjoy is the poor, poor etiquette exhibited by some of these PR consultants.

Now let me be clear and say that not all PR companies that contact me lack e-manners; as is the case IRL, many are just as polite and professional as can be.  It's the handful that rub me the wrong way that are spoiling it for the rest of the bunch. 

Become a BetterU

I suck at exercising. And I love food. Not just chocolate or cookies - in fact, I could totally live without those - it's savory foods like cheese, bread, Doritos and pastas that I crave. Oh and ice cream. I can't survive without ice cream.  It's for this reason that it pains me, but also excites me, to announce that I've been chosen by the American Heart Association to be one of it's national spokesbloggers (yes, I made that word up) for its Go Red for Women: BetterU campaign that starts today.  Ironically, today is also the day that I am regretting the fact that I left my arm sling at home. Why do I need an arm sling you ask? Because I have a mild case of gout. Yes, go ahead - you can say "ewwwww!!!" I won't be offended.

As gross as it sounds, gout isn't some nasty infection that will make my arm fall off. It's a type of arthritis - an inflammation in my elbow that is caused by elevated levels of uric acid in my bloodstream.  Here's the kicker: gout can be caused by a person's diet. There are some foods like, seafood, meats and alcohol that trigger the condition. If fact, when I went to the clinic on Thursday night because I just couldn't take the pain anymore, the doctor said: "Have you been eating lots of steak and drinking red wine?" to which I replied, "No, but that sounds fabulous!" Clearly I have my work cut out for me.

Saying "No"

Ever since I was a little girl, I've been a people pleaser. Whether it was my parents, my teachers, or my (gag) boyfriends, I've always tried to make everyone happy - even if it was to my detriment.  It didn't help that I am also a classic overachiever and a Type A personality, which lent itself well to law school and the bar exam, and even motherhood, where I proudly sport the title of Alpha Mom. It's only been in recent months that I've realized that this "quality" of mine to do it all and do it well might actually be more of a curse than a blessing.