Dining Out is Over

We just declared our 29 minute lunch at Paxton’s our last meal in a restaurant until Avery turns three. We must have been disillusioned for even trying in the first palce – our craving for fried bar food after three straights days of turkey, ham, casseroles and veggies made us temporarily forget the typical trials of eating out with an 18 month old.

So as Avery continued to eat waffle fries off the floor, dance to Madonna next to the bar and scream as if she was receiving four vaccination shots every time we attempted to put her in a high chair, we finally asked for the check and two to go boxes leaving behind a goldfish mess, an untouched fruit cup, cold drinks and our wishful thinking.

Mommy Anatomy 101

Let the records show. At exactly 8:08 pm on Wednesday, November 19, 2008, I was pre-maturely forced (and notably unprepared) to answer my first human anatomy (borderline sex-education) question from Alex. Neither of us was being recorded at the time, but below is a very close to accurate transcript of the conversation. Believe me, it will be burned in my mind forever.

Alex: “Mommy, how do babies get out of mommies’ tummies?”

Sherri: (very long pause) “Well, there is a path. Kind of like the walkway from the front of our house to the driveway.”

Alex: “Like at the park? Like the paths at the park?”

Sherri: “Yes. Even better. Exactly.”

Alex: “But Mommy, how do babies get out once they go down the path? Do they come out the foot?

Sherri: “Hmmm … Andy?”

Andy: “Who wants to watch Mickey Mouse?”

Luckily, distraction seemed to resolve this issue for everyone. I will miss the day that TV, bubbles and ice cream do not work in our favor.

High School Musical Moves

Alex doesn’t even know the latest sequel is about to be released, yet his love affair with the Wildcats (and especially their music) continues to grow. I am pretty sure seeing HSM 3 on the big screen is not the next father-son outing that Andy has planned. But in any case, it looks like we have a Troy Bolton in training (and in snowman PJs).

I am a Mom and I am a FaceBook Junkie

It’s been exactly 55 days and there is no denying it – I am hooked! What I thought was going to be a fun and simple way to keep in touch with long-distance friends or maybe even act as an update version of “classmates.com” has instead become a daily (sometime hourly) obsession to see what is going on in the world (a.k.a. my world and everyone I choose to be in it) as I am inundated with status updates and wall postings, along with groups to joins, photos to tag, pages to become fans of, quizzes to take and drinks to pass out. And yes, I get all of this on Facebook while sitting in my cushy office chair (multi-tasking on a weekly conference call) or while sitting on the couch (watching my children mindlessly watch the Disney Channel).

For those that don’t know Facebook, the tool is absolutely amazing from a technology perspective and it is truly worthy of being called the number one social networking site. It is smart and intuitive, each day finding new ways to suggest “friends” based on everything and anything that I have typed onto my page. At the same time – once you are consumed – you are almost unknowingly giving and taking, lifting up your skirt and showing all the pieces of your life (good or bad). For example, it became way too obvious that I was an Obama supported and Madonna fan given the groups I joined, and it automatically linked me to my husband, who still re-fuses to put up a legit profile picture (no, I am not married to the Greatest American Hero).

But what has become the most telling about me, and not specifically stated on my profile, is that the number one activity consuming my life is parenting. Nothing like reviewing your status updates over a month to drive that point home and having Facebook serve as daily reminder of what we signed up for three and a half years ago. Below is a quick glance at recent posts and since I haven’t been blogging much it also serves as a run down on what’s been keeping us busy (and on our toes). And yes, you have to quickly get over the fact you are talking about yourself in third person.

- Sherri is late to Avery’s tumbling class.
- Sherri is wishing that Avery wouldn't wake up at 4:00 am ready to play.
- Sherri is getting an impromptu (and atypical) biblical lesson from her three year old.
- Sherri is still feeling guilty over sending Alex to school on Silly Hat Day without a hat!
- Sherri is glad not to have two little mouths to feed this morning.
- Sherri is glad that Alex said he dose not like the taste of wine, but concerned that he adamantly said he would be drinking it by the age of four.
- Sherri is officially destined to get up with kids at 5:00 am ...
- Sherri is reluctantly buying one more Doodlebop’s video and a case of Benadryl. You do what you have to do!
- Sherri is shopping for ski pants … and again, not for her.
- Sherri is mastering the ability to yell at her children in a whisper.
- Sherri is wondering why Avery woke up with a two inch screw in her hand and where exactly it came out of the crib.

So I do question if people really need to know this about me or if I need to know that someone’s trip to Florida got them tan and drunk or that their new homemade babyfood recipe turned out fantastic. But I play along thinking it matters, because secretly I do enjoy everyone’s little insights and acting as a voyeur into lives outside my living room. Again, I am a parent of two little kids and don’t get out much.

However, the one comment I posted the other day that I find most interesting is that “Sherri is realizing her lifespan on Facebook is ten years.” This stemmed from a conversation with a friend who has teenage boys. And as she pointed out, once kids are that old the thought of your mom on Facebook is just plain creepy. I see the point and the opportunities for confusion – who has the right to post the prom picture? So I’ll just enjoy my time for now and wait for the third wave of social networking or high school reunion tools to surface for my generation.

Historical Events

They said it couldn’t be done. The odds too high. The probability too low. But on a brisk autumn day in November, two suburban parents were actually able to be spontaneous. They found a sitter at the last minute, and were then able to attend an event that had not been on their calendar for three weeks. Some questioned them for even trying. But there’s been no precedent for this. And we are not sure if it will ever happen again, so this one is going in the history books.

Oh, and it is also probably worth noting that the mad scramble was about seeing Senator Barack Obama – who ended up speaking in front of a crowd of 30,000 people who waited over two hours in a mile and half line – just 48 hours before he became the first African-America President-Elect. Some will say that was also a pretty significant moment in time. Glad I could be a part of them both.

Halloween and Month End

I think it is safe to say that chocolate is by far their favorite part of this holiday and the entire month. We are only hoping they can recover soon from their sugar overload, so that Alex can actually fall asleep again by 9:00 pm and Avery can preserve those incoming incisors (also causing little sleep). As for the Dremmel, it proved to be an innovative pumpkin carving tool that produced a compelling Grandpa Simpson. But at the same time, it splattered our kitchen with minuscule pieces of orange, pumpkin guts. I am sure I will be picking them off of the cabinets for the next seven weeks.

Click here to see more pictures from Halloween 2008.
Click here to see miscellaneous pictures from the month of October 2008.