Wendy

Pajama Party Success

2008-07-17T13:58:00.000-07:00

I just had a birthday party for my daughter who turned seven. It was the most last minute, barely planned party I've ever thrown and it was also the most fun!

The credit for the theme goes to a friend who suggested I call it a "pajama party". I invited seven of my daughter's friends to come over dressed in their favorite PJ's from 5:00pm to 8:00pm. It was a sleepover, without anyone sleeping over!

My daughter doesn't like pizza, so I decided to serve true breakfast. They seemed to love eating pancakes and sausage for dinner. (I admit to using the mini frozen pancakes since I had to feed so many kids). Instead of a birthday cake, I picked up cupcakes from Schnuck's which the store arranged beautifully in the shape of a "7".

For fun, I turned up the music to the new "Camp Rock" Disney CD and everyone danced. I had also purchased pillow cases and fabric paint ahead of time. The girls got to decorate their own pillow cases. Of course this was messy. I also didn't think about how many layers of paint they'd put on that would dry hard and not make for a very comfortable night's sleep. But I can say they had a good time doing it! The girls also liked the pinata, the final round of entertainment.

Besides sending them home to their parents full of sugar, with wet painted pillow cases, I consider the party a success. All these years I planned way ahead of time or searched for the perfect venue and a last minute pajama party was the answer.

More High School Musical

2008-06-24T12:02:00.000-07:00

Just when I think we've seen it all related to the Disney hit High School Musical, something else comes along! We just saw High School Musical at the Muny last night and it was very entertaining.

I happened to have three daughters in the target age range when the first movie came out. They couldn't watch it enough, like most every other 'tween and teen in the country.
Since then we've seen High School Musical the concert, High School Musical on stage at the Fox, High School Music on Ice and now High School Musical at the Muny! Yes, that's a lot of High School Musical. I've enjoyed each one for different reasons. I love that there are always kids in the audience singing along to the songs. I love the theme about being true to yourself and not just "going along with the crowd". But I have no idea what type of production could possibly come next. A High School Musical themed circus?

I have to say, I'm ready for something new. The next frenzy may have something to do with the Jonas Brothers and their new Disney movie "Camp Rock". Will it too appear on ice, concert stage and Muny stage? Only time will tell.

Lunch, Shopping and Mammograms!

2008-06-09T12:54:00.000-07:00

I am overdue for a mammogram and really don't have a good reason for putting it off. Yes, I've been busy with work and kids finishing up school for the year. I also don't feel an urgency since my first mammogram was fine and I have no family history of breast cancer. I guess the "walk in" option at my local hospital almost makes it too easy for me to procrastinate. When something seemingly more important comes up, I tell myself "I'll go next week". Well, the weeks are turning into months very quickly!

Recently I heard a great idea from another woman, when it comes to making sure these very important screenings don't get skipped. She, her mother and sister set aside a certain date once a year for lunch and shopping. The only catch is, the first thing they do on that day is get mammograms. It makes the day something to look forward to and productive at the same time. Of course you can use your imagination to come up with funny names for this interesting combination of activities!

As we approach the big "Susan G. Komen For The Cure" race on June 21st, breast cancer is a topic we've been talking about a great deal here at the station. It's a terrible disease and so many women and their families suffer. The rest of us can do our part to remind each other to do breast self exams on a regular basis. I for one, will also be inviting a few friends to "do lunch", along with some shopping and a mammogram!

Hooray For The Lazy Days

2008-05-27T11:36:00.000-07:00

I am so glad school's out for the summer! It's the one time of year when the pace slows down at our house. I still have to get up and go to work most days. However, getting myself ready is so much easier than getting myself plus three girls dressed and packed for the day ahead. No more racing to get my oldest child to the bus stop by 6:40am. No more checking the lunch menu and deciding who needs a lunch to take to school. No more field trip forms to sign, poster boards to buy last minute or homework to nag about. Even my laundry load seems to lighten in the summer since bathing suits become the main attire.

Sure, I'll have different work to do. Keeping track of who is going to which camp. I'll have to make sure each girl gets an equal chance to see friends. I'll have to buy more food, since everyone will be home during the day. I'll have to keep in constant communication with the sitter as to who is allowed to go where and when. I'll have to pack for our weekly summer vacation at the lake. Soon enough, I'll be hearing someone say "I'm bored" and then it will be time to shop for school supplies once again. But for now, I'm glad the lazy days of summer are here!

Mother's Day

2008-05-07T09:58:00.000-07:00

What do I want for Mother's Day? I'll start with what I don't need right now. I don't need perfume, jewelry or spa treatments. I don't want a new cell phone with more bells and whistles, considering I haven't figured out the features on the one I've had for two years! I don't need an I-Pod, since I have little or no time to listen to music and actually prefer silence when I have a moment to myself. I don't need any more gadgets that take up the spaces that I no longer have time to keep organized.

Here's what I do want. I want to spend time with my family, without any fighting among my children. I want to have a complete conversation with my husband, without being interrupted by the kids or the phone. I want to sit down and read a magazine without guilt, as if I have nothing else to do. I want to watch a movie on the "Lifetime" network and one of those home makeover shows on "HGTV". I want time to go through old photos, to see how just how much my girls have grown. I want to eat food I didn't have to shop for or prepare. I want one day where I don't have to find something that's missing, or drive anyone to a practice or lesson. I don't want to have to worry about my makeup, hair or what I'm wearing for one day. I want peace, quiet and sleep! All these things you can't put in a box and tie with a bow, but they are the "luxuries" this busy mom can't seem to afford these days. Happy Mother's Day!

Cell Phone Bill Shock

2008-04-22T08:35:00.000-07:00

I have officially joined the ranks of parents with cell phone bill horror stories. My teenage daughter went for more than a year without going over the minutes allowed monthly on her first cell phone. Not only were my husband and I thrilled about that, she also didn't lose the phone itself. Then she discovered text messaging!

Needless to say, the number of messages my child sent and received in one billing period amounted to more than most monthly car payments. The majority of it happened during our spring break trip to visit relatives in California. The separation from her friends was obviously too much to handle, so she kept in constant touch through her fingertips. We had warned her about not talking on the phone too much, but did not specifically mention texting. I guess the rest of us were enjoying ourselves so much, we didn't notice her very busy hands.

The lesson has been learned. She is on a payment plan to reimburse us for the big bill. She will be doing a great deal of babysitting in the future. As for her phone, we could have opted to change our plan to "unlimited" text messaging, but we chose to eliminate texting completely for now. We survived without it until this point. I like her having the phone for safety reasons and for the convenience of being able to get in touch with her instantly. For now, we'll just have to do good "old-fashioned" talking on the phone, instead of texting.

I Have A Teenager

2008-04-11T14:03:00.001-07:00

I have reached another parenting milestone! My oldest daughter just turned thirteen. I am the mother of a teenager. I now understand what people have told me about how fast time flies by.

I can remember the day she was born. I remember the mixture of fear, excitment and love I felt that day. I worried about everything when I took her home. Was I holding her correctly? Was she eating enough? Was I going to be a good mother? Which diaper brand should I buy? How times have changed!

Thirteen years later I still worry. I worry about things like, am I teaching her to be a good and responsible person? I worry about her making the right choices when she's feeling peer pressure. I worry whether she'll ever put anything above cell phones, clothes and boys on her list of top priorities. I still worry, am I a good mother? Maybe I'll know the answer in another 13 years!

Sick of Sickness

2008-03-28T13:53:00.000-07:00

We are on yet another round of some sort of stomach bug at our house. Two kids down and I'm sure the third will be not feeling well soon. I can't help but wonder what has made this such an unhealthy winter? Am I not wiping away the germs as well? Has my harping on hand washing fallen on deaf ears?

It's surely been a record-setting amount spent on tissue and cold medicine this year for my family. The same goes for trips to the doctors office. It gives me a headache (more of those this year as well) just thinking about it! Nothing is worse for me that watching my kids suffer with an illness.

I can't wait for warm weather to wipe out whatever germs that seem to be thriving near members of my family. Here's to a healthier spring and summer!

Babysitter Book

2008-03-07T12:04:00.000-08:00

I knew my life had changed the day I turned down the chance to go to Las Vegas with my husband. It's too much work to leave! A "getaway" weekend is not what it used to be, ever since I had my three beautiful children. Getting away for three days usually means even more days of preparation. First I have to find a babysitter. Not only is there packing involved, there's grocery shopping and laundry to do. Then I have to sit down and write out list after list. There are lists with the emergency numbers and doctor names. I write down who likes what to eat. I also have to write down the weekend soccer games, birthday parties and gymnastic classes. I attempt to cover all the bases to make it easier for the wonderful people looking after my girls.

That brings me to my newest discovery. It's a new book written by two local moms that simplifies the process of leaving information for the babysitter. "By the Book: How To Take Care MY Kids" is a binder-style book, divided into sections that range from emergency information to the daily routine. It has pages to write down information you might not think of leaving, like where the water shut-off valve is in case a toilet overflows. It even has a section for parents who want to know how to find a nanny and a contract for you and the nanny to sign during the hiring process. Parents fill out the pages and all the information is there in one, easy-to-find place. You can just hand it to the babysitter, whether it's the teenager you've hired for a few hours or the grandparents who are watching the kids all weekend.

While the book can't help with packing, laundry or other preparation needed for "getting away" it certainly makes it easier to have the information the babysitter needs, at your fingertips.

Comic Relief for Parents

2008-02-12T13:56:00.000-08:00

My job means I get the opportunity to see many of the shows that pass through St. Louis. I'd like to take a moment to rave about the most recent one called "Parenting 101: A Musical Guide To Raising Parents". The show is at the Westport Playhouse and it is one of the funniest productions I've ever seen, probably because it's not far off the beaten path of being a parent!

I went with a friend and we laughed the entire two hours. The show features four actors and together they make almost 90 costume changes. Each "scene" has a familiar song, with the words changed to fit the particular topic. It starts out with "birth". You know, the moment in the delivery room when the mom-to-be is in agony and dad's got the camera rolling!
It goes on to put all the parenting "milestones" that follow, in a hilarious light. The show tackles subjects like the battle to find a reliable babysitter, mom's status as a referee between fighting kids, how everything is better at grandma's house and why being "supermom" is so much better when you're wearing the "S" on your chest! One of the last songs is about sending a child off to college, a sad day, which in this case, ends up with mom and dad dancing and celebrating. "Parenting 101" even makes puberty funny!

Each song was better than the next. It was so much fun to laugh at things that normally stress parents out! I think my husband would have liked the show as much as I did but this is also the perfect "girls night out". You are right there at Westport Plaza so you have many options for dinner before or after the show. I'm no critic, but I give this show two thumbs up!

Goodbye Guinea Pig

2008-02-05T13:40:00.000-08:00

It's been a sad couple of days at my house. Our guinea pig, Harry, died last Saturday. We had him for almost eight years, a year beyond the average life span of guinea pig. We'll miss the little fur ball who loved to eat carrots and be scratched on the head.

Harry was my oldest daughter's pet. I think she got him has a reward for a good report card. She'd been begging for a dog, but my husband and decided our on-the-go lifestyle wouldn't be good for a dog. The kids always tell us they'll do all the work that comes with owning a dog, but I've always known better!

A guinea pig turned out to be a good option for us. Harry didn't mind being held, or pushed around in a doll carriage. He didn't make any noise, he didn't need to be walked and he didn't eat a lot. We could leave on vacation and have a neighbor check on him every few days. Not to say he was completely easy to care for. His cage did get stinky and needed to be changed at least once a week, but that was a good lesson in responsibility for my girls. He did need fresh water and more food every few days.

We'll miss our family pet Harry. His cage is empty for now, but chances are a new guinea pig will move in some day.

Don't Sweat The Small Stuff

2008-01-18T13:39:00.000-08:00

You may have seen my comment "don't sweat the small stuff" on the special we aired last night on KSDK called "Mommy Tracks". Some of us moms at the station were asked to share good advice we've been given along the way. My contribution had to do with the fact that I long for the days when my house was very neat, clean and organized.

Of course, that was before I had three children! Now I want to cry when I see the toys I just straightened out scattered about on the floor again, or the amount of dust on my fireplace mantle. I cringe when I see the plastic bin that contains my precious photographs. It sits next to the organized and dated photo boxes I have containing pictures from my life BEFORE kids. But every time I have those "guilt" feelings about how much I "haven't" done, I try to remember the advice of my older, wiser friend. She said my kids won't remember the clutter, the dust or the disorganized photographs. They'll remember the times I danced with them to their favorite songs, played games or baked cookies with them and made the kitchen even more of a disaster. In other words, don't sweat the small stuff. Save your energy for the big and important stuff!

Surviving Without I-64

2008-01-11T14:12:00.000-08:00

It's been a very busy week, but I wanted to give a belated update on my first week commuting without I-64. I survived!

It wasn't as bad as I had feared, which seems to be a common reaction. I don't know what alternate route everyone else is taking, but I-44 has been very pleasant. I do notice more congestion getting on I-44, at highway 141. But once I get through that, it's been relatively smooth sailing. I have a schedule that's a little different every day, so that probably helps.

I do automatically add about ten minutes to my commute off the top, just getting to I-44. But the fact that I'm not sitting in bumper-to-bumper traffic everday is a nice surprise. We'll see if anything changes next week but so far, so good!

Highway 40 Commuter Fear

2007-12-31T10:12:00.000-08:00

I live right off of Highway 40 in west St. Louis County and I work right off of Highway 40 in downtown St. Louis. Needless to say, I've been dreading January 2nd, 2008! It's the day my normally 35-minute commute, turns into "who knows what" kind of a commute!

Yes, I have a plan for an alternate route. The problem is, it could be the same plan as every other driver in town. Yes, I did check into taking the bus and Metrolink. However, fitting mass transit schedules into my schedule of dropping 3 kids off at two different schools in the morning and constantly changing work hours, is overwhelming. Working from home is not an option, since I don't happen to have a t-v studio. I even thought about asking my bosses at KSDK if "Chopper 5" could swing by my house and pick me up in between traffic reports. At this point, building a helicopter pad in my yard seems more manageable than two years without Highway 40!

The whole thing worries me so much, I'm staying home January 2nd, 2008! I took the day off, mostly because my kids are off of school. But I am hoping to avoid whatever problems come the first day of the Highway 40 shutdown. So the day I'm now dreading is January 3rd, 2008. Here's hoping we are all pleasantly surprised at how well we cope and how fast two years goes by!

Merry Christmas Shopping

2007-12-07T12:02:00.000-08:00

I just went Christmas shopping and it was NOT the stressful experience I was anticipating. It was my lucky day, in many respects. First of all, I found a parking space relatively close to my mall destination. Usually this time of year, I drive around and around, only to end up in the outer edges of the most distant lot.

I had three things I wanted to knock off my list in the hour and a half I had to spend. Much to my surprise, I left the mall with all of them! Just when it looked they didn't have the jacket I wanted for my daughter in her size, an employee pulled up a rack and started replenishing the supply, including the size I needed. Not only that, it was cheaper than I had seen at another store. Every place I ventured into, the salespeople were helpful and happy. I only say that, knowing how stressful it is to work in retail this time of year. It must be tough remaining cheerful.

Of course this was only the first of several attempts to whittle down my list. I know many people who do most of their shopping from the comfort of their computer. I'm just one of those shoppers who has to see and touch something, before I buy it. I have to admit, I do enjoy the initial hustle and bustle of the holiday season in the stores. What I don't enjoy, is when it gets down to the wire and I can't find what I need. Hopefully my future Christmas shopping trips will work out as well as this one today. Merry Christmas (shopping) everyone!

NOT Music To My Ears

2007-11-15T11:54:00.000-08:00

My kids have been jumping around dancing to a song we keep hearing on the radio. What I understood to be "Soldier Boy" is actually "Soulja Boy" and I am horrified to discover what the lyrics really mean. I found out thanks to Courtney, Jen and Guy who were talking about it on Y98's morning radio show. They weren't able to get into the details on air because the meaning is so vulgar, but I did the research on the internet.

Let me say I do monitor what my children watch on television and download onto their I-Pods. This song is NOT on their I-Pods and it NEVER will be, but it seems like it's everywhere else. I always listen for profanity, which automatically disqualifies music from being played in our home or car. The problem is, many of these songs I can't understand the words or don't really understand the meaning. I wish I had time to sit down and research all the lyrics, but that's not realistic.

Sure, we had some inappropriate songs playing when we were young, but nothing like what's playing out there today! I remember being an adult before I really listened to the lyrics of that old song "Afternoon Delight" and realized what it was about. For now, I'll change the station when "Soulja Boy" comes on and hope when my kids do hear it, they'll continue to think it's just about a soldier boy and Superman.

I almost don't want to know how many songs out there are just as bad, or worse, than "Soulja Boy". I wish my 12-year-old would be happy listening to my 6-year-old's "Hannah Montana" CD, over and over again. That's never going to happen, so I can only hope we parents keep each other informed!

Hannah Montana

2007-10-24T06:34:00.000-07:00

My ears are still ringing, but I can say I survived the much anticipated Hannah Montana concert! I attended with my three daughters in tow last night. It was the four of us and thousands upon thousands of screaming girls. I will admit, despite the uncomfortable decibel level, I enjoyed it very much. The dad sitting behind me with three girls probably would not agree. He had a little one in his lap with her ears covered, crying that it was too loud. Of course when he mentioned to the others they might have to leave, they started crying!

As a mom, I've always liked Miley Cyrus. Her show on Disney is entertaining for my girls and it always has a good message. She sang most, if not all, of her popular songs. My six-year-old knew every single word. I have to admit singing along to the next to last one, her big hit "Best of Both Worlds". It was so neat to see how much fun all three of my girls had. They especially liked the warm up group, the three brothers of "The Jonas Brothers". I had to remind them that I brought home autographed pictures of the boys when they were at the Galleria over a year ago. At the time, they weren't "popular" my girls tell me. Boy do they wish now they'd hung on to those photos!

Both Miley and her alter ego, Hannah, were represented in the concert with many costume changes. She chatted with the crowd and seemed truly thrilled with the screaming response. Especially fun for me was seeing everyone go crazy for Miley's dad, Billy Ray, who was in the middle of the crowd with the people in charge of lights and sound. His heart was definitely not "aching" or "breaking" last night! He appeared to be the proud papa of a 14-year-old phenomenon.

Let's just hope Miley and Hannah continue to be a good role models. We've seen too many times now how fame and fortune takes a toll on young girls. So was it worth the hefty ticket prices, the $5.25 I paid for a bottle of water, the traffic jams to and from the concert and the overall hype? This mom would say yes, it was all worth it! Although I look forward to my girls enjoying Hannah on t-v in the comfort of our own house, with the sound on a normal level!

Spinach in Brownies?

2007-10-16T14:07:00.000-07:00

Leave it to a millionaire's wife to come up with what I think is a million dollar idea! I haven't blogged in a while because I've been so busy but I did catch ten minutes of the Oprah Winfrey show featuring Jerry Seinfeld's wife, Jessica. She was sharing her solution to the problem of getting kids to eat veggies.

The subject caught my attention because I too struggle with trying to force my girls to eat vegetables. The revolutionary solution? Hide those veggies! I already do it to some extent, by doing things like tearing up spinach leaves and putting them into salad full of iceberg and other lettuce. Jessica Seinfeld goes a step beyond that, by putting a vegetable into the food processor and then putting that vegetable "puree" into a recipe for kid-friendly food. I think she mixes cauliflower puree into macaroni and cheese, as well as squash into chicken nuggets.

The show featured Oprah tasting a chocolate brownie that had spinach as the secret ingredient! The cookbook is called "Deceptively Delicious" and it apparently has a bunch of recipes featuring food with added vegetables. I plan on buying a copy of the book!

On the show Jessica talked about how she prepares all her purees for the week on Sunday night while she and Jerry chat together in the kitchen. I can't help but wonder if he's as funny in the kitchen as a husband, as he is as a comedian on TV? Anyway, it all sounds way to normal for a celebrity couple, but it's nice to think they have some of the same parenting issues as the rest of us. Jessica Seinfeld's solution sounds like a good one. I just wish I thought of it (and put it into a cookbook) first. I'll let you know how the brownies taste!

Goodbye Tooth Fairy

2007-09-12T10:05:00.000-07:00

My youngest daughter came home from school the other day with what she considered very exciting news. For the first time, one of her teeth is loose! For the first time as a mom, that news made me sad.

I know it's a very natural progression. My "baby" is growing up and every "first" with her, is my "last". I felt the same twinge of sadness after taking her out of her crib for the last time, giving away the last of her baby clothes and sending her off as the last of my three children to go to kindergarten.

When my oldest lost her first tooth, I remember eagerly anticipating the tooth fairy's first visit. What time would she arrive? How much would she leave? How excited would my daughter be the next morning? Since then, the tooth fairy has made many visits to our house, compliments of my two oldest girls. Some for teeth that naturally fell out and a couple of times for teeth that got knocked out. (She left extra money for those teeth.) After all these years, she only "missed" a visit one time. As she explained in the apologetic note she left the next night, she wasn't able to visit because of the terrible rain storm. (Yes it had rained that night, thank goodness.)

We've moved on in our house. These days I'm paying for braces to straighten permanent teeth in two sets of mouths. Only one more mouth of baby teeth to go! As I write this, my "baby" is taking her last school picture with a full set of teeth. The very "wiggly" tooth will be coming out any day now. The tooth fairy's next visit to our house is just nights away. I am very excited for my little girl, but I am very sad for me. Maybe it's because I know I'll soon be paying for braces in a third mouth, but mostly it's because my youngest daughter is growing up. I'll miss you tooth fairy!

The Birthday Gift Guessing Game

2007-09-04T12:01:00.000-07:00

Few things excite my daughters more than getting a birthday party invitation. I wish I could say it was just as exciting for me! Don't get me wrong, I enjoy celebrating birthdays as much as the next mom. However, the big events are a growing source of frustration for me because of the time spent agonizing over where to shop, what to buy and how much to spend on the birthday boy or girl!

I miss the good old days when my oldest was in preschool and invited to her first round of birthday celebrations. With just one child in the mix, it was manageable. I remember giving "Barney" books and anything else related to the big purple dinosaur, since he was all the rage at that time. I 'd surveyed a few friends what they spent on presents and felt fairly confident I was doing a good job of buying a nice gift without blowing the budget.

Pretty soon daughter number two was getting invitations. Barney was no longer an official "craze" and to make matters more difficult, she started getting invitations to several parties for kindergarten boys.

As the mother of three girls, I'm really lost when it comes to shopping for boys! Fast forward to my current source of birthday party gift stress, middle school! My oldest daughter's friends are turning thirteen and the "right" gift has never been more important. Yes gift cards are great, but I can't keep up with which store is the most "in" at the moment, Clarie's, Abercrombie, Hollister? Don't even get me started about the fact that my daughter seems to think I'm an ATM machine AND a personal shopper, all wrapped up in one (not so super) mom. The biggest question of all seems to be, how much to give? Does the gift amount go up with age? My daughter sure seems to think so! Should I make her pay for all or some of the present out of her babysitting money? At the same time, I'm trying to keep up with gift ideas for my six-year-old daughter's friends. Something High School Musical maybe or how about Hannah Montana? I say stop the madness and bring Barney back!