An Open Letter to the Gal who Bagged My Groceries....

An Open Letter to the Bag Girl at Shop Rite:


In Defense of Your Mom



Darling:

While I realize that bagging groceries is a difficult task, and I thank you for not crushing one item in my order last week, we need to talk about your attitude. You see, I did not mind when you asked if “Me and HER can switch out so I can bag and she can ring”. I truly didn’t. As much as I itched to correct your grammatical mistake – I refrained. I waited patiently as you switched positions, counted your coupons and entered your codes into the scanner. And while I didn’t mean to eavesdrop on what I ASSUME WAS MEANT TO BE A PRIVATE CONVERSATION BETWEEN THE TWO OF YOU, I couldn’t help but overhear your comments about your mother.

While you were bagging my vegetables, milk and frozen waffles, your counterpart asked you a question about your phone. Remember? She asked you why your phone was off. Ahhh – yes, it’s all coming back to you now, isn’t it? You told her that your mom turned your phone off. And when she asked you WHY your mom would do such a thing, do you remember your response? I do. Your exact words were:

“ I have no idea. I didn’t even do nothin’ wrong.”

And your girlfriend said: “Then why would she turn off your phone?”

And your eloquent, well-thought out response was poetic in its simplicity:

“’Cause she’s psycho!”

Ahhh – the old psycho mom excuse.

Well, sweet, sweet girl, I am writing to you to explain why, in fact, your mom is probably NOT psycho. She’s probably a pretty good mom. How, pray-tell would I know that- You ask. Well, you see 2 reasons.

1. I AM a mom.

2. I WAS a pain-in-the-ass teenager – and I know your game.

Let’s start with the fact that I was a pretty huge pain-in-the –ass between the ages if 14-18. And sweetheart – let’s be real…you know EXACTLY what you did. You might not know how your mom CAUGHT you, since, with your obvious brain power, your plan must have seemed absolutely FOOL-PROOF to you. But, apparently it wasn’t Mom-Proof. And there is no shame in that. You see – what you don’t yet realize is that we – and by “we”, I mean moms in general – are smarter, wittier, more clever, wiser and savvier than you could ever be right now. You might know more about the cast of The Jersey Shore and what’s happening on The Bachelor – but honey, I will bet you dollars to doughnuts that your mom knows everything there is to know about how that little pea-brain in your head is working. And it probably scares the crap out of her. Does she get her hair colored? Have you noticed new lines and creases around her eyes and along her forehead? That’s all because of you, lady. Those are worry lines and just THINKING about what YOU are THINKING about and plotting has scared the beautiful natural color RIGHT OUT OF HER HAIR. So you can just stop pretending that you have no idea why she turned your phone off. The gig is up.



Now – let’s talk for a moment about Moms – and what we know and all that good stuff. I’m pretty sure that your mom is in fact, NOT psychotic. Let me ask you a few questions to help you determine if, indeed, she might suffer from psychosis:

• Has she ever forgotten to feed you?

• Has she ever left you somewhere for days on end and not come back to get you?

• Has she ever disappeared for days and days and days?

• Has she ever forgotten your birthday?

• Has she ever beaten you to a bloody pulp?

• Has she ever tried to intentionally hurt or harm you in any way?

• Has she ever tried to sell you on Craig’s list?

If you can answer NO to all of these questions – then chances are, she’s NOT a psycho. She just has your number. She knows that you and your friends live, breathe and die by that phone. That phone is your life-line, your social currency, your social oxygen mask, if you will. It’s probably the ONLY thing that you really value and care about right now. That type of possession – is what we moms LOVE to take away. NOT because we are psycho – but because taking it away is the ONLY WAY TO GET THROUGH TO YOUR IDIOT TEENAGE BRAIN.

And it’s not all your fault. Biology does come into play here. While you are obviously no Shakespeare or Emily Dickinson, I will admit that your teenage brain is not fully developed. So some of your obvious stupidity can be attributed to your age. SOME of it….

Your mom shut your phone off to teach you some sort of lesson. So, instead of “staring at it and wishing that it will just turn back on by itself” why don’t you reflect on what you think you might have done to cause mom to turn it off in the first place.

(Oh – and phones don’t just “magically turn themselves back on”. Sorry – hate TO BURST YOUR BUBBLE. )

And here is the last reason why I just KNOW that your mom is not psycho – she is willing to listen to you bitch and moan about this phone being turned off to help you learn a life lesson. If she was really a psycho – she would just leave that phone on and let you yak yourself into a Snookie-like state. But, she obviously has more faith in you. She thinks that you might be able to rise above your obvious aspirations to get onto a reality show about teenage grocery baggers with bad grammar. So, hey – try something new while the phone is silenced. Try to crack open a book….one without pictures…just try it – ok?

And They Call it Puppy Love...

Come on...I bet you can hear Donny Osmond singing in your brain right now. Singing about that exhilarating, amazing experience of being a teenager and being completely infatuated with someone - commonly known as "puppy love".

And they called it puppy love
Oh, I guess they'll never know
How a young heart really feels
And why I love her so


Who can't relate to that? We've all experienced that dizzing feeling of being - or thinking that we are - completely in LOVE with someone. I remember feeling it in 8th grade after I saw "Top Gun". Tom Cruise was the man of my dreams. He was all I could think about. I dreamed about him, I daydreamed about him, I practiced writing my name as "Mary Cruise", "Mrs. Cruise", "Mrs. Tom Cruise" and on and on. I was obsessed. And my friends, I am now admitting that I am experiencing this feeling once again. Which is disturbing as I am 364 days away from turning 40 - and me thinks that I'm a wee-bit too old for "puppy love". But MY brand of puppy love is a bit different - it is ACTUAL PUPPY love. 

Yes my friends, I have fallen in love with my new puppy - Jake. Just look at him! How can anyone NOT fall in love with this little man? Jake entered our lives about 6 weeks ago, and oh my goodness - bringing him home was the best thing we've ever done. He is just the most loving, affectionate, adorable pup I have ever seen. This adorableness has really worked in his favor, because let's just say that the past 6 weeks have brought a few of Jake's "issues" into focus. 


As much as we love him - he does have a few habits that we are working to break. Issue number one is truly serious and heartbreaking. This issue would be a total deal-breaker if Jake wasn't so cute. I am sorry to announce that my Jake has an addiction. Jake is addicted to chewing shoes. And not just any old shoes from Payless - oh no. Jake is addicted to chewing EXPENSIVE shoes. The MORE expensive the shoe, the more delicious it seems to be! Jake prefers a nice, medium-rare UGG slipper to say a well-done Isotoner slipper. A nice Ugg loafer appears to be quite lovely as an appetizer and nothing says dessert to my boy like a nice UGG boot. For a special treat, Jake seems to enjoy a nice basic black leather pump. Especially those pumps that contain Nike Air technology to make standing on 4-inch heels comfortable all day. That technology doesn't come cheap, my friends. 

Doesn't that look DELICIOUS??????????? To be honest - this is killing me. You all know how much I LOVE me my shoes. I take meticulous care of them - they live in labeled, organized clear plastic bins in my closet. When I travel, they are lovingly put into shoe bags and while I realize that this is a bit OCD - I can't help myself. I love shoes. I love shopping for shoes, I love how wearing killer shoes makes me feel, I even love just LOOKING at awesome shoes. This is why this little addiction of Jake's has got to be broken. I am currently looking for a 12-step puppy program. 


Issue number two is kind of gross. Ok - it's really, really gross. See, my little man, while very, very smart seems to be having a problem understanding that we don't do our business on the carpets. Somehow he's gotten the idea that it's ok to go outside, do number one and then come back inside and take a dump on the carpet. And no matter what we do - he is still having accidents! Now everyone tells me that this is normal - but it's still tres disgusting. All I can say is that we are truly getting every penny out of that carpet steam cleaner we bought last year! We are doing everything the Dog Whisperer and other dog experts suggest. We are taking him outside after every accident - Bella is actually outside with him right now. (Yep - he took a whiz while I was typing this.) PC has announced that Jake is not allowed on ANY carpeted surface until he has been trained. So - he is currently out at Home Dept buying 4 baby/pet gates. So, by the time you read this, my house will look like an asylum or a rat's maze with gates and barriers erected at every turn. Right now, PC has erected what I am lovingly referring to as "ghetto gates". He has a 6 foot folding table stretched out across the doorway to the dining room, a broken but usable baby gate at the living room doorway and all sorts of booby-traps on the stairway leading to the second floor. So the gates will actually be a welcomed improvement to the ghetto containment system we've currently got going.


And lastly, the other unfortunate issue we are dealing with is nipping and biting. It seems that pup-pups thinks that nipping and biting our hands and feet is a super-fun way to pass some time. And while I realize that this is how he would play with his canine siblings, his human siblings don't find this fun or endearing. ESPECIALLY when he jumps up and bites their noses! (Horrifying - I know) SO - this is the FIRST behavior that must stop IMMEDIATELY. We are using the crate when he gets out-of-control to help him calm down. But it's SO SAD when he cries. But I am standing firm and not letting him out when he cries. The Dog Whisperer says to let him out when he's calm and quiet - and that's what we are doing. 

The Dinner Dance

Hi Peeps! How is 2012 treating you? We've had a good start to the year. Well, most of us have. Jake, the puppy, is having a hard time figuring out the facts of life here in Busy Momma land. You see, it's almost like he is trying to tell us something. And that something is: "Well, now WHY would I poop and pee-pee outside where it is cold when I can just poop and pee-pee in here, on the carpets where it is warm? You silly humans you!" Hmmm - problematic doggie thought proceess - huh? It wouldn't be such a problem if he wasn't so gosh-darn cute. But he is so cute and cuddly and soft and wonderful - it's hard for me to yell at him and get terribly angry at him. (Especially since I stopped procrastinating and I picked up Darling Dixie's ashes yesterday. :( I cried. ) And isn't it true that all puppy accidents are really PEOPLE's issues - as in our fault? As in - we weren't watching carefully enough? And by WE - I mean PC and the kids - 'cause as we all know - mommy here is beyond reproach. I mean look at that little yummy pup kissing Bella! He's delicious!!! How could you get mad at that? (If you want the answer to that question - check out PC's blog at http://www.whatwerewethinkinggettingapuppy/?.com Just kidding!)

But I digress - the topic of this blog isn't Jake: The Wonder Dog. That will be a post when he is COMPLETELY housetrained! No - today's blog is about a topic that we ALL have in common - the daily dinner dance. Am I the ONLY mommy who is just sick and tired of making the SAME things for dinner week after week? I can't be! I cannot put another pot roast into the slow cooker again without wanting to slit my wrists. And I think my family agrees. We have fallen into a dinner rut over here and we need to break out of it and explore other recipes! But here is our issue - I have a very picky eater at my table. Jack is an eating champ. He has tried sushi, he loves salad, he eats calamari, shrimp, chicken, EGGPLANT - pretty much whatever you put on his plate. Bella on the other hand is a bit pickier. And that makes menu planning really hard. I cook what I know Bella will eat. And that consists of stir-fry, plain chicken, rice, plain pasta, pizza, pork chops,burgers, pot roast, and anything that covered in barbecue sauce.

Now in her defense - she has gotten a bit more adventurous. Tonight she ate eggplant and beef ragu over sauteed polenta. (The recipe is in this month's Weight Watcher's magazine)Now I know that sounds exotic - but it's basically meat sauce with eggplant over polenta - that she didn't really like. But she really is trying. And I am so proud of her for that. But she definitlty knows what she likes and doesn't like. When she was little, I used to make all of those yummy "sneaky chef" recipes for her. The ones that involved steaming and purreing veggies and "hiding" them in food. The recipes are SO good - but now that I work full time - I really don't have the time to do that. AND I really don't think that "hiding" veggies is a good tactic for tweenagers. They have to make good choices for themselves.

So - what is a Bust Momma to do? I am REALLY hoping that you guys can help me. I am in desperate need of some recipes that are healthy and picky-eater friendly. I really like to cook at least 5 night a week and I try to make healthy meals. So - Here is my "dinner dance card" - the meals that rotate in and out of our weekly rotation - and while they are all super yummy - we are kind of sick of them!. If you want any of the recipes - just comment on the blog or on FB and I'll be happy to share. All of these meals take 30 minutes or less to prepare - unless they are slow cooker recipes. Ready?

• Pot Roast and veggies (slow cooker)
• Home-made Chicken Soup (Ina Garten's recipe - so easy - it cooks itself)
• Turkey Cutlet Marsala
• Chicken Parm (This takes a bit longer than 30 minutes)
• Chicken and Veggie Stir-Fry with rice or noodles
• Burgers
• Tacos
• Cranberry Chicken
• Pulled Pork (slow cooker - Kathi Spaeth's recipe - YUMMO!)
• Pork Tenderloin on the grill (Kathy Caslin's recipe - so good!)
• Rachel Ray's 30-Minute Shepard's Pie (Really great!)
• Steak/London Broil on the grill (Hermione's dry-rub for London Broil is to die for)
• Marie Collander's Chicken Pot Pies - SHAMEFUL!
• Gigi's stew (Sookie's Mommy's recipe - oh yum!)
• Roasted Chicken (A Sunday night staple)

And that's all folks. Sometimes we do breakfast (pancakes and bacon) for dinner and we do pizza WAAAAAY to often. I try to stay away from fast food for dinner. In fact we never do it for dinner unless we have an emergency. (However - I don't consider pizza fast food. :) ) Can anyone help me widen my repetoire? I am trying quesadillas next week. I think they will go over well. And that is the extent of my culinary prowess. So - can anyone out there help a Busy Momma out? Let me know what's in YOUR weeknight rotation. Maybe we can all help one another.....

New Year - New You?

Happy 2012 Peeps! I hope everyone had a "Rocking New Year's Eve"! This is the FIRST year that I can say that the ENTIRE Busy Momma Crew made it to midnight! We all were awake to see the ball drop - quite an accomplishment for this crew.  And as we are about to close the curtains on the second official day of the New Year, I am actually thinking about setting some resolutions.

Now for those of you who know me well - resolutions aren't my thing. First of all - I really see New Year's Resolutions as a dangerous diving board into the deep, dark pool of failure and shame. Of course we'd all LOVE to lose 10, 30, 60 pounds and fit back into our wedding gowns. And I'm sure many of us would really like to stop watching "Keeping Up with the Kardashians" in favor of other, more highbrow and worthwhile programming - like "The Bachelor." But as my darling sis-in-law says "those Kardashians just suck you in!" And I agree - they do, they really do.. I think it's the eye makeup and fake eyelashes that mesmerize me...but I digress. We'd all love to stop reading People magazine in favor of The Economist or even Newsweek...in theory. But here's the thing -  how many of us will actually do what it takes to lose the weight and break up with Kim, Khloe, Kourtney and the rest of the crew?  Not many of us - not many of us at all. And that doesn't make us bad people - it makes us human.

I have a theory about why SO many people fail when it comes to New Year's resolutions. Most resolutions focus on denying ourselves - doing without. Losing weight, reigning in our spending, watching less reality tv, getting up at the butt-crack of dawn to work out...all of these resolutions, while fantastic goals, all center around deprivation and sacrifice. And one can only deprive one's self for so long. And in the current economic climate -we all have ENOUGH to worry about! We NEED our Kardashians and our People magazine fixes and the occasional tube, I mean spoon, of Tollhouse cookie dough.

That is why my goals for 2012 are a bit different. I am going to focus on "improvement" and "life enhancement" rather than deprivation and sacrifice. (At least that is what I am going to tell myself!)So, without any further ado - here are Busy Momma's Resolutions for 2012:

1. Busy Momma is going to focus on taking care of her busy self. You see, while I know that I don't look a day over 25 - Busy Momma is hurtling down the road to 40-town. I know - you can't believe it, right? Damn, I look good...but again, I digress.  40 is right around the corner. 40 is actually 374 days away from today. In 374 days, I will be 40! And while I am usually not the type to fret about aging, 40 is kind of a big deal. So, I am really going to try to practice a bit of "Momma care" as I care for everyone around me. Things are amiss in Busy Momma's life when the DOGGIE visits the salon more than me! So, this year will be the year that I fit in exercise on a more regular and consistent  basis, I go and have that full body scan by the dermatologist that I have been putting off, I make healthier eating choices and I cut back on the sauce. And by sauce - I mean Diet Coke. I really need to wean myself off of diet soda and drink more water and green tea. And if these changes result in a 60-pound weight loss - then great. If they result in me feeling great and more energetic - then that's even better. (Although fitting back into my wedding dress and honeymoon bikini would be really swell - who am I kidding?)
2. Busy Momma is going to spend this coming year PURGING! You see, we have a terrible, dirty little secret, and I am revealing it here for the world to see. If you've been to my home recently, you will have noticed that we have redecorated our main living areas - living room/office, family room and the powder room is "in process". Things are organized and lovely. But here is the terrible truth- we live in a chaos sandwich. Yup - that's right. It's a sandwich made of a  lovely main floor nestled beautifully between two layers of mess! Now, don't get me wrong - I'm not living an episode of "Hoarders" over here - another show I really could do without. We just have accumulated a lot of "stuff" - Barbies, Hot Wheels, books, craft supplies, stuffed animals - and all of it has been lovingly "tossed" into bedrooms or into the black hole that is the basement. And it's time to declutter, and focus on redoing those rooms. The kids are at an age where they really need to transition from their little kid decor and get a bit more sophisticated. (Which makes me laugh out loud right now thinking of little Jack in a smoking jacket, with a pipe between his teeth, reading the latest Junie B. Jones book!) But I can't possibly redecorate anything without doing a thorough purge first. So, I am going to create a month-by-month schedule and tackle one room per month. And I am starting with MY room. You know how Oprah and Nate Berkus always say that your bedroom should be your "haven" and your "retreat"? Well, right now, my bedroom currently houses one dog crate, one VERY OLD mattress and boxspring, my bedroom furniture that is way too matchy matchy for my tastes these days, a comforter set that has been thrown up on one too many times, an overflowing bookshelf, way too much scrapbooking stuff, and a variety of things under the bed. These things include, but are not limited to old magazines, long lost remotes, several headless, naked Barbie dolls, random Monster Trucks, some Legos and God only knows what else. The time has come. So, January is my room, February is Jack's, March will be Bella's room, and in April we will begin tacking the basement. I think the basement might take longer than a month. I will keep you all updated on that project. 
3. Busy Momma is taking her blog to the next level! In the 2 years that I have been blogging, I have rediscovered my love of writing. And while I don't profess to be all that great at it - many of you have been kind enough to tell me how much you've enjoyed reading certain posts and that makes me feel TERRIFIC! I LOVE reading your comments on the blog or on Facebook. So, this is the year that Busy Momma is going to expand. I have a lot of plans, including starting a Facebook page for Busy Momma, opening up advertising space on the blog, attending a "Bloggy Bootcamp" in May to help me connect with other bloggers and so much more. So be on the lookout for improvements to the blogs and good things to come. Some of you have expressed interest in buying ad space on the blog - hang tight. I'm in the process of learning how to do that. And if you know anyone - a Mom-trepreneur  who is looking to expand her business - introduce them to the blog and who knows? Maybe we can help one another grow! 

So that's it my Peeps - my resolutions for 2012. I'd love it if you would share YOUR resolutions with ME! I will keep you all up-to-date with my declutter project. It is sure to involve some hilarity if PC and I have to purchase any kind of furniture that needs to be assembled. Lots of love and good wishes to you guys as we enter 2012! 

Auld Lang Syne

Well Peeps - it's been a rough year. (That might be the understatement of the year!) As PC and I sit back and reflect upon this past year, we are quite tempted to utter several expletives and witty yet filthy phrases as we bid 2011 farewell. PC has so many witty yet filthy phrases in mind, that I will seriously have to watch his booze consumption on Saturday night to be sure that he does not utter them in mixed company! Busy Momma and crew will NOT miss 2011. It started off with unbelievable, mind -numbing tradgedy and grief. And as we get ready to mark the first anniversary of Aiden's passing, I find myself looking for something to hold on to. Something to keep me from sinking back into that pit of darkness and sadness and despair that I became so familiar with last winter. An anchor, a tree root to hold onto as the quicksand of despair threatens to suck us back into its crushing hold.

And I found it. I actually found it last year, as all of this madness was unfolding. I didn't so much 'find" it, as it was given to me by my brother. Last Christmas, as we were waiting for a diagnosis, I remember standing in my living room talking to my brother. PC and the rest of the grown-ups were acting as if everything was normal on Christmas for the sake of the kids. We didn't want to ruin their Christmas as we were beginning to realize that there was going to be enough saddness in the coming days to last a lifetime. So any "real" conversation had to occur out of the way of little ears and prying eyes. I remember just looking at my brother and saying something like "I just don't understand why this is happening to us. I don't know what lesson I am supposed to learn." And he looked at me and said "Maybe all you are supposed to learn is how much your family and friends love you. Maybe this is supposed to bring everyone closer together."

Now, I don't often admit this in public - but he was right. (There, I said it - record it!) I think he had a flash of divine brilliance that morning. Little did we know how our friends and family would rally around us in the coming days, weeks and months and provide the kind of love and support we didn't even realize was possible. People did things, made gestures both on a grand scale and a small scale that often brought us to tears and left us feeling loved and cherished and incredibly blessed.

And that is my anchor. That is what I am holding onto this week. I still maintain that I would have rather learned this lesson another way - but we don't get to control how we learn our lessons. All we can control is what we take from the challenges God puts before us. I think Aiden's death would have truly been a meaningless tradgedy if we didn't learn something from it. And we learned alot from it.

We learned that we are all - all four of us - stronger than we ever thought we were. We learned that our family is strong and whole and complete. We learned that we don't have to suffer everything alone, that our friends and family need to help out in times of crisis - and that we need to let them. We learned that we have amazing friends. AMAZING friends. Friends who think nothing of dropping off dinner, soup, muffins, cookies, flowers, shoulders to cry on. Friends who think nothing of dropping whatever is happening in their lives and hop on a plane to just lay in bed with you and hold you as you cry. Friends who take down your Christmas tree and remind you to get out of bed and take a shower. Friends who come to your house and act like it is their own - friends who clean and organize for you and make you dinners and put them in your freezer. Friends who remember to call you every month on the anniversary to check on you. We learned that while time doesn't really heal all wounds, it certainly does soften their raw, jaggedy edges and dull the pain. We learned that we can survive. 

So as we bid this year a FOND farewell - we have so many people we need to thank. Far too many to name, but they know who they are. We want to thank everyone who helped us this year. Whether you sent a card, stopped in, made a meal, said a prayer - we thank you. Thank you to the friends who let us cry, who let us get it out. Thank you to the friends who knew when we needed "normal" and shared their "normal" daily struggles and treated us like the people we were before January 2nd. Thank you to the ladies who would go out to lunch with me when I didn't know if I was coming or going. All they knew was that I HAD to get out of bed and get dressed, and they suffered through several depressing meals with me to be sure that I got up and showered for the day. Thank you to the wonderful teachers and guidance counselors who helped our children proccess their grief and helped us help Jack and Bella. Thank you to our beautiful neighbors who named a star in the sky for our beautiful boy. Jack still takes his telescope out onto the deck and searches for Aiden in heaven. What a wonderful gift - a million thanks. Thank you to the people who said "I just don't know what to say" - there was nothing to say - but you reached out, and that was enough. Everyone who came into our lives that terrible week was a Godsend. From the doctors and nurses at the hospital, to the funeral director to the florist - they were all  amazing. They knew just what to say and do to make an unbearable time tolerable.

Most of all we want to thank our families. What they did for us and continue to do for us is amazing and way above and beyond the call of duty. To Sookie and Bill, Fifi and Hermione - the family we chose- no words can ever express our gratitude. Not just for what you guys did that awful week, but for what you continue to do for us as we continue on our journey of healing.

So, as we look forward to a much HAPPIER and HEALTHIER 2012 - Busy Momma and crew wishes everyone a safe and happy New Year. We hope that everyone reading this post experiences the love and the blessings of friendship that they have expressed to us this past year.

Do You Hear What I Hear?

I think Christmas is trying to tell me something. Now, I know that sounds completely crazy, or like I've had more than my share of the holiday wassail....but it is. I think it's trying to say "It's OK, ot's ok". Let me explain....

Most of you know that I'm really not into Christmas this year. Not at all. If I had my way, I'd go to sleep today and wake up on January 3rd. It's been a year since my Aiden died, and the nightmare of it all started on December 23rd, 2010. So, this Christmas marks a really painful and traumatic anniversary. One that I never thought I'd be marking. So, Christmas is just not about happiness and peace on earth and silent nights for us this year. It's about remembering. And sometimes, remembering is hard.

So, I've been trying to balance Christmas still coming and celebrating with and for the kids and my feelings. And I think I have done a good job. The house is decorated, the cards went out, the gifts are wrapped and we even did a few different things this year to try to make new, happy memories. We went to Hershey Park to see the lights, and it started to SNOW while we were there - which made it all the more magical. I'm really, really trying. But some things have fallen by the wayside. The elf on the shelf arrived with his usual fanfare - but he keeps forgetting to fly back to the North Pole and change position every morning - that silly elf. And I didn't bake my favorite Martha Stewart cut-out sugar cookies. I just didn't have it in me. I didn't bake Carmella's pecan puffs or any chocolate chip cookies. I did get my rear in gear and I did bake a pan of Brownies and the kids made chocolate dipped pretzels for our neighbors. So that will have to do for Santa tonight. He will probably appreciate a nice brownie. By the time he gets to us, I'm sure he will be on cookie overload.

And, I've been feeling guilty about being such a Grinch. I really have, but things keep happening and my holiday plans have gotten all messed up this year and I think the universe is sending me a message. I think the universe is saying "It's ok. You don't have to be into it this year. It's ok" First of all, I came down with a wicked, wicked stomach virus the other day, and all of the baking I did plan on doing just fell by the wayside. And I am still recovering. I literally could do almost nothing but lay down for 2 days. Then, my dad got sick and I think he's going to be down for the count for the entire holiday. So there goes the family getting together at the butt crack of dawn to exchange gifts. And then my brother's house sprang some sort of ridonculous leak - and now they can't come down for our celebration until next weekend. So everything that we normally do - all of the traditions that we've had for years and years and years will be tweaked a bit. And in any other year - this "tweak" would have just devastated me so much. I like change - but don't mess with my Christmas. But this year, somehow all of the sickness and plumbing emergencies seem appropos. Like a gift from the universe. With all of these changes and all of this upheaval, this Christmas can't be like Christmases past. I don't have to try to make it that. I just have to be. Go with the flow and see what happens. And that's really what I need this year.

No worries, Santa will still come. He has his bag full of surprises and everyone will be happy and sugared up by 9am tomorrow morning. The roast beast will be in the oven at 3 and dinner will be on the table by 5 - I hope. And when it's all said and done, when everyone is in bed tomorrow night, PC and I can breathe a sigh of relief. because it will be over. We will have made it through what would have been "Baby's First Christmas" without baby.  

A Dog named Dog

Hey there Peeps!!! There is GREAT excitement in Busy Momma town this morning. In addition to the Christmas Tree going up last night and preparing to decorate it this afternoon...there is even GREATER excitement on the horizon. Busy Momma and Co. are headed to Delaware in about an hour to "look at and meet" a small litter of puppies and "perhaps" bring one of these little adorable babies home. And by "look at and meet", of course, I mean "select, pay for and bring home".  And by "perhaps" I mean - "we'd better".

Many of you know that we lost our BELOVED Dixie on July 31st of this past year. And many of you also know that as far as years go, 2011 was pretty much the worst possible year that Busy Momma and Co, have ever suffered through in terms of loss. Loosing Dixie was just the cherry on the top of our sucky sundae. So, the way I see it, we are due for some sunshine and laughter. And what better way to make that happen than by bringing home a puppy. At Christmas...hmmm.

Now I know what you are thinking: "Busy Momma - Christmas is the busiest and craziest time of the year. Why would you add an additional layer of crazy to the mix right now?" And to that I say: "You're right, you're right, I know you're right". (My favorite line from When Harry Met Sally) In all actuality - Christmas is the perfect time for a number of reasons. First and foremost - it is my quietest time of the year. I am home far more than I am away. And for puppy training, that is a must. PC is going to be on a project that will also have him home more than not, and Poppy needs to add a bit of excercise to his daily regime. A nice, mid-day walk with a puppy will get his blood pumping and he can now add "dogwalker" to his impressive post-retirement resume of "Manny for hire". (He is unaware of his impending new career as dogwalker. We are breaking it to him on the way to Delaware.)

And to be really honest - I'm really not looking forward to this Christmas AT ALL. I'm looking for ways to "get through it" as opposed to ways to "enjoy" it. There will be very little enjoyment in it for PC and I this year. Our nightmare with Aiden started on December 23rd of last year...so all of the lights and the Christmas carols and whatnot are just dredging it all back up. Even unpacking the Christmas decorations that Fifi so lovingly packed up for us last year makes me sad. But we CANNOT allow ourselves to wallow in that. We have 2 children who ARE here, and Christmas MUST go on.

So - we are actively trying to create new, different happy experiences to get us through. And I really think a little bundle of cuteness will help us. I like to think think that Dixie will be with us today - helping us select just the right puppy for our family. I know she will. She was ALWAYS there for us. Whether it was sleeping by Will's crib and growling at our beloved babysitter Lindsay - aka - Hinny -  whenever she checked on him or laying by my side and refusing to ever leave me as I recovered after Aiden's birth - she was always there protecting us from whatever she could "control".

So, our biggest dilemma today - in addition to really trying to just bring ONE dog home, will be what to name this ONE doggie - for Busy Momma and crew CANNOT agree on a name. At one point we had a list 25+ names long. One of us, who shall be nameless - Bella - is desperately trying to throw Twilight names into the mix. Which might have worked had she not started her quest by throwing the name "Twilight" into the mix first. PC objects to any name that MIGHT be associated with destructive behaviors - so Puddles, Pooh, Chewie and so on have all been ruled out. Jack is like a little old man - shooting down any name that rhymes with a "bad" word. So my dream of a puppy named "Puck" will remain a dream. I am gunning for Jake or Sprinkles. PC associates Sprinkles with pee-pee - so he is not a fan. He wants Snickers or Vader. I think not. So - right now - it looks like we will have a dog named Dog.  We are open to suggestions today. I really hope I don't come home with 2 dogs. Not because of the extra work - but because then we would need mathching names! Here is a list of names that have been vetoed:

Mistletoe
Snocap
Dasher
Dancer
Prancer
Vixen
Comet
Cupid
Donner
Blitzen
Shadow
Pooh
Dumpling
Darth Vader
Chewbacca
Rolf
Ruffles
Rufus
Ruff
Woof
Midnight
Ebony
Twilight
Edward, Cullen, Jacob,Carlisle and Jasper
Harry, Ron, Draco, Hagrid,Hedgewig, Scabbers and Fang
Atticus
Scout...(you can guess who came up with those last 2)
Puck

So, as you can see - we HAVE done our naming due dilligence. Thoughts?????