tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-346442502008-05-15T21:05:26.678-04:00Mom2Amarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00533902850974337396noreply@blogger.comBlogger558125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34644250.post-12702934028411689902008-05-15T19:38:00.001-04:002008-05-15T19:40:17.373-04:00

I'm over here today. Hope you'll come see what's brought on new aggravation to my so called life.

Mom2Amarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00533902850974337396noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34644250.post-33640008403380593252008-05-15T06:12:00.001-04:002008-05-15T06:12:00.904-04:00

Every so often, Amara reminds me that she wants to be a Girl Scout. She remembers when I was troop leader for kindergartners and first graders. So it's only natural that she expect to be a Girl Scout in the fall. Girl Scouts teach young girls how to be productive citizens. How to be caring women. But most importantly for Mom2Amara, being a Girl Scout means selling Girl Scout cookies.

Mom2Amarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00533902850974337396noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34644250.post-88909144481698869232008-05-14T07:03:00.000-04:002008-05-14T07:03:00.688-04:00

We've started a new tradition in our house involving just us girls. Mom2Amara. Amara. And Dog2Amara. Now that it's warmer out, Amara wants to ride her bike. And Dog2Amara and I could stand to lose a bit of our winter weight. So just us girls hit the road for an evening walk after dinner. It's a nice time for me to catch up on Amara's day. I'm hoping this is a tradition we can keep up as

Mom2Amarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00533902850974337396noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34644250.post-30051981378285992662008-05-13T09:10:00.001-04:002008-05-13T09:10:00.610-04:00

I've never claimed to be a huge nature lover. But I do enjoy walks in the park. Amara's curiosity peaks every visit to our local nature center. She looks at the different plants and chases the animals. And I like the emotions all the vibrant colors evoke. And the fresh air along the trails. Yet what I enjoy most is the solitude. I like feeling like Amara and I are the only two people left in

Mom2Amarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00533902850974337396noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34644250.post-3391649749074135642008-05-12T21:04:00.003-04:002008-05-12T21:09:19.397-04:00

I celebrated Mother's Day sans Amara. Stupid bronchitis took me out of the loop all weekend long. And Dad2Amara needed to take Amara to see Grandma2Amara. (Sorry Lola2Amara. Wish we could have spent time with you.) But Dad2Amara and Amara made sure to make the most of the morning with me. I was brought breakfast, complete with fresh bacon from my favorite market and a beautiful necklace.

Mom2Amarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00533902850974337396noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34644250.post-68226262595397751502008-05-11T09:13:00.000-04:002008-05-11T09:24:33.885-04:00

To all the moms who have driven like a madwoman so her child wouldn't be the last one picked up from school. To the moms who have ordered pizza instead of making a healthy dinner. To the moms who wish for spa days instead of field days. To the moms who know they couldn't imagine life any other way. Mom2Amara would like to wish you all a Happy Mothers' Day!

Mom2Amarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00533902850974337396noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34644250.post-29334532265885667242008-05-10T08:27:00.003-04:002008-05-10T08:39:48.889-04:00

I'm blessed to have a solid career. So when diaster strikes - a la bronchitis and sinun infection - I'm covered with decent health insurance. The doc prescribed me an antibiotic, something for my horrendous cough, and an Albuterol inhaler. Dad2Amara swung by the pharmacy. Three prescriptions and two bottles of ginger ale later, the pharmacist asked for $3.00. $3.00? After leaving the store,

Mom2Amarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00533902850974337396noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34644250.post-68636125545419781242008-05-09T18:10:00.000-04:002008-05-09T18:23:17.311-04:00

Ever have a week where you were just waiting for the dinosaur's foot to come down and splat...it squashes you? I've been mad crazy at work. So I assumed the sniffling I had was allergies. But sniffling became coughing. Then came the body aches. And headaches. And chest tightness. But I couldn't take too much time off work. So I didn't get to the doctor's until today. And there the dinosaur

Mom2Amarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00533902850974337396noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34644250.post-52282397755468286582008-05-06T22:53:00.002-04:002008-05-06T22:56:48.387-04:00

Hey you! You Celtics fan! You know who you are. Dad2Amara hasn't forgotten that he still owes you pierogies from the last bet he made. But I think he's learned his lesson -- no more betting against you on sports! He promises to send pieorgies soon!

Mom2Amarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00533902850974337396noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34644250.post-23424382723047072162008-05-06T22:38:00.003-04:002008-05-06T22:53:29.786-04:00

I'll give you three choices. You decide. Amara's school was holding its Mother's Day "tea" Monday afternoon. Afternoon. You know, the ideal time for a working mom. I promised Amara I would go. But then I realized I was working by myself that day. Then we had breaking news. That's television speak for not-a-chance-in-hell-can-you-leave. I was so torn. Luckily I had Dad2Amara. He told me "how could

Mom2Amarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00533902850974337396noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34644250.post-58397681085097558172008-05-03T21:54:00.002-04:002008-05-03T21:59:23.172-04:00

Are you kidding me? I know gas is more expensive in other parts of the country. But I reached a milestone that I thought I never would. It took me $50 to fill up the mom-mobile today. Driving is a necessity for me. Public transportation is not readily available to me due to where I live and what times I work. And the bus can't drop me off at the nearby Target. So I take the mom-mobile

Mom2Amarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00533902850974337396noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34644250.post-17830514381630957982008-05-02T21:26:00.000-04:002008-05-03T09:27:20.746-04:00

Babysitter2Amara is an angel. I don't know what we did before her. She picks Amara up from school. She limits TV time. She even bathes her when I'm running late from work. So imagine my surprise when I arrived home to find two bikes in my drive, neither of which were Amara's. I checked the backyard. No kids there. I peeked into the kitchen. No one their either. Amara and those

Mom2Amarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00533902850974337396noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34644250.post-52098314307246398192008-04-30T22:37:00.003-04:002008-04-30T22:48:26.865-04:00

I spent the last 20 minutes of my life searching for a store that was 1) still opened and 2) had party supplies in stock. Honestly, is that too much to ask for? In true Mom fashion, I found myself first at Target then at CVS with only a few moments left before closing. A co-worker had asked me a few days ago to pick up the goods for another colleague's birthday. And again, as the ever

Mom2Amarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00533902850974337396noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34644250.post-1432751813165254902008-04-29T21:14:00.000-04:002008-04-29T21:19:15.110-04:00

Dad2Amara, has it already been eight years? One Amara. Two apartments. One house. Two washers. Several trips to Chicago. And the Shore. Many restaurants. And more car leases than I wish to admit to. But we've made it through. And we're stronger than ever. I love you, Dad2Amara. Happy anniversary.

Mom2Amarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00533902850974337396noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34644250.post-47859820091380041162008-04-28T22:21:00.003-04:002008-04-28T22:30:21.304-04:00

No amount of coffee can keep me awake these days. I'm tired. And cranky. And there's not much I can do about it. A mom just needs her sleep. Apparently so does a preschooler. I arrived home a bit late Monday. Dad2Amara had started dinner. We were moments away from eating. And all I wanted to do was hug Amara. "Amara?" No response. "Amara?" Still no response. My little princess was in bed

Mom2Amarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00533902850974337396noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34644250.post-6946774218359288512008-04-26T15:09:00.004-04:002008-04-26T15:30:57.067-04:00

Amara's school held a ceremonial groundbreaking to celebrate their new building. The morning was chilly, following bouts of on-and-off rain for hours. Needless to say, I wasn't looking forward to trudging through muddy fields. But the rain held off. And dozens of kids joined Teacher2Amara at the construction site. First the kids were invited to put on a hard hat, take a shovel, and sweep up

Mom2Amarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00533902850974337396noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34644250.post-24640921737902651802008-04-23T21:45:00.006-04:002008-04-23T21:59:03.426-04:00

Anyone who's interacted with me in the last 48 hours knows that I'm annoyed by this story. Honestly, could you imagine me going into my wholesale club and being turned away for buying too much rice? I heart jasmine white rice. How much do I love it? Well, when I went to San Diego and ate at the Mr. Tiki Mai Tai Lounge, I had sushi. And I of course wanted rice. Two doctors who were also at

Mom2Amarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00533902850974337396noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34644250.post-58556294863453635192008-04-21T21:11:00.002-04:002008-04-21T21:49:44.393-04:00

At the end of every school day, Teachers2Amara encourage students to fill out their journals. Last year, Amara's journal was filled with random pictures she had drawn. This year, we have a notebook of sketches. But along side her creations were words describing her work. Until last week. Amara is now attempting to form simple sentences. And rather than asking for assistance from

Mom2Amarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00533902850974337396noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34644250.post-10877646260961250192008-04-20T21:33:00.005-04:002008-04-20T21:41:32.537-04:00

Dad2Amara cleaned off the grill. And tonight, we enjoyed his culinary expertise -- burgers and dogs. I don't know what it is. But something about grilling just screams "summer's here!" Helping us enjoy his feast were Lola and Lolo2Amara. While we waited for dinner to be served, Amara snapped this picture of them: Notice the cleared tabletops. It's a horrible symptom of house selling.

Mom2Amarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00533902850974337396noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34644250.post-87704216040610394672008-04-19T09:32:00.002-04:002008-04-19T09:40:39.100-04:00

I'm about ready to leave for the airport. My stint here in San Diego is complete. I've sat on my panel, telling PR folks and doctors how to deal with media. Friends took me to Seaport Village. It was great to see them. It's been years. (Why, oh why, didn't I take a camera with me?) Family took me to Old Town, the first settlement in California. You know, the type of place Dad2Amara would love.

Mom2Amarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00533902850974337396noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34644250.post-3243023189429148802008-04-18T14:16:00.007-04:002008-04-18T14:37:27.631-04:00

I actually got sunburn on my shoulders. And it's the middle of April. I love it. It's always difficult for me to visit sun and surf when it's still kinda crummy back in Ohio. I hate when the trip is over and I must return to sub-zero temps. But a glutton for punishment, I asked my aunt and uncle to pick me up from the resort to sightsee. And they did not disappoint. I saw beautiful La Jolla

Mom2Amarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00533902850974337396noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34644250.post-68761885463359536252008-04-16T20:37:00.003-04:002008-04-16T20:47:41.011-04:00

I'm finally in San Diego! And while I am thrilled to be away from home (Sorry, Amara. I miss you. But I'm kinda enjoying the child-free time.), I'm dying here! Why, you ask? Because of this and this and this They call this place Paradise Point. And trust me, it's beautiful. The grounds are gorgeous. Hotel rooms are a bit older. Could use some updates and upgrades. And the food is

Mom2Amarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00533902850974337396noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34644250.post-80003816074452276702008-04-15T15:10:00.000-04:002008-04-15T15:14:56.438-04:00

I wish my Crackberry had a camera. So you'll just have to imagine... I'm at O'Hare, waiting for my connecting flight to board. I'm wearing black pants with a pink top, just for a little flair. My travel companion is also in black pants. But she has on a black sweater with a cute animal print cami on for a little touch of fancy. The nun walking down the concourse? Long dress. Black habit. And

Mom2Amarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00533902850974337396noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34644250.post-82012373802442528262008-04-15T08:40:00.006-04:002008-04-17T02:44:15.816-04:00

I was sitting at work, trying to finish up some odds and ends, when it happened. It's the call every parent dreads. Dad2Amara was on the line. I could hear Amara in the background...wailing. Her right ear was throbbing. Amara's never had an ear infection before. And I've never heard her cry in pain the way she was. So I raced to the urgent care in my mom-mobile. The 20 minute drive to my

Mom2Amarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00533902850974337396noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34644250.post-77034411544385724382008-04-11T22:21:00.003-04:002008-04-11T23:00:22.971-04:00

A few weeks ago, the Manic Mommies did their take on Oprah's Favorite Things. But that's not what caught my attention. It was the start of a conversation filled with stuff they hate. Then Taawd talked about one of his pet peeves. Yeah, I could fill a book with the things I loathe. Start with tonight...tornadoes. I hate severe weather. But I absolutely despise tornadoes. I think it has to do

Mom2Amarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00533902850974337396noreply@blogger.com