Getting ready for Pajama Night at Ryan's school. 10 pts if you can guess which book station I'm heading up.....
Playing Mom: Playing the role of a lifetime – without a script.
First Day of Spring
...and it was a beautiful day!
Quick.
Quick – whoever has a parenting book within reach. Do me a favor and find the section on tantrums. After 75 minutes of the child crying and writhing on the floor, does it suggest that the parent down a bottle of wine or throw back a shot of vodka? Please hurry. Thanks.
Sounds of Silence Walk to Benefit the Postpartum Resource Center of NY
We will be walking again this year on Saturday, May 19th at 9:30 a.m. – please click below to join Team Liberman or to donate.
If you can’t do either, please try and do this – if you know any mothers-to-be or new mothers who aren’t doing so well, try to be a listening ear. If they need help but don’t know where to look, I would be more than happy to talk with any of them.
They are not alone!
http://www.active.com/donate/postpartumny10/RyLex4
Separated
Penn Station NYC during Rush Hour
I had the pleasure of taking Ryan into the city this afternoon, which included a 1 hour train ride, some subways and a lot of walking. We had a quiet trip into the city but our return trips were at the height of rush hour. I felt extra concerned with Ryan holding my hand and not getting himself in a situation where he could be lost in the crowd. Especially a place as rushed and populated as Penn Station – New York City’s major intercity train station and commuter rail hub.
As we waited for our subway train to approach, we watched as another train stopped at the station. There was a rush of people filing out and a mob waiting to enter through the narrow doors. Although I trust that Ryan would never do this, I could visualize him running onto one of the trains and the door closing before I could jump on with him. The thought really shook me, because I felt unprepared for that scenario. We have talked about Stranger Danger in the past and I have drilled him on his address and what type of person to look for if he needs help, but never a situation where we could be separated. It has always been more about keeping him close than what to do if the worst happens.
Watching how quickly that subway train entered and exited the station, I felt there would be no better time to talk to Ryan about the possibility of being separated and how he could best handle it. I said that it would most likely never happen, but we need to know what to do in case it does. I explained that the subway will continue to move all the way East to Queens and that staying on the subway would make it nearly impossible to find him, so his best bet would be to get off at the very next stop. When the door opens, exit and STAY PUT on the platform. I will take the very next train and meet him there. He could cry, be scared, talk to people about how he lost his Mommy, but not to move from that platform and to say that his Mommy told him to do this.
I felt pretty confident that this was a good plan, but wanted to make sure just in case. I spotted two uniformed police officers who were patrolling the station and decided to put them on the spot. I said that my son and I were discussing what to do if we got separated – he on one subway train and myself left behind. I went through my plan and then asked what they would do. After all, in a moment of panic, I have always told Ryan that uniformed police officers can be of help. They looked at each other, thought out loud and decided that staying on the subway would be best for Ryan. Find someone on the subway to help you and they will get you back to your Mommy, they said. Then one realized that that wouldn’t be the smartest idea because they didn’t know where his Mommy would be or how to get him there if he continued to ride the subway all the way out to Queens. Nevermind the fact that this “helpful person” may turn out to be a child molester or serial killer, I thought to myself. So they quickly agreed that my plan would be a good one. Great, thank you so much officers, I said politely. And we were on our way.
Listen, maybe it was just those particular officers, but would you want to risk your child getting the “wrong information” in a situation like this? Am I being too hard on the police officers since I put them on the spot or is it part of their job to have that knowledge in their pocket? If Ryan were to have moved from the platform and found a police officer, I am sure they would have kept him somewhere safe so I could find him, whether it be at the next station stop or all the way East in Queens. This is why knowing his address is just as important and I keep trying to teach him his phone number but we haven’t nailed that down yet.
Anyway, you didn’t ask for it but here’s one person’s strong opinion – if your child is old enough to walk on their own through a crowded train station, amusement park, whatever… and are capable of breaking free in a moment of chaos, they are old enough to learn emergency safety plans for that particular situation. Better to be safe than sorry. Even if you have to drill it into their heads over and over. I felt much better giving Ryan a concrete plan than thinking about where he could have ended up if he stayed on the train indefinitely. (Now obviously, if he stayed on the train he never would have been able to approach a police officer because… well… he’d still be on the train.) Still, he was equipped with the knowledge of what to do and we both felt safer because of our shared knowledge.
What are your thoughts? Have you ever been separated in a department store, amusement park or other public place? What did you do? What would you do?
Brother and Sister
I can't think of anything that makes me happier. No guarantees in life, but at least there's right now. Love right now.
Leaping, Sleeping, Gymming, Pinning and Stripping…
Happy Leap Day!
I love random, nonsensical reasons to celebrate anything. Something that only happens once every four years is a good excuse for a worldwide party, no? I’m hoping to run into Leap Day William and trade my tears for candy. I could really use a Twix. Bonus points to 30 Rock for starting a trend if people show up at work in yellow and blue. Let me know, K?
LEAP!
Speaking of my love for chocolate, I joined a new gym a couple of weeks ago and it’s life-changing. First of all, I had to write up a financial proposal for Cory to prove that joining a gym - even though we have thousands of dollars in gym equipment in our house – would make sense. (To make it work, I decided to cancel one of Lexi’s expensive weekly classes since she already has three, put some money from my business into it and cut out my Zulily spending. Easy.) I’ve had my eye on this place ever since they opened and a salesperson called-slash-stalked me weekly but it didn’t make sense considering we had a home gym. Fast-forward a year and I’m searching, begging, grasping for some “me-time”, a good go-to place on weekends when there aren’t any Birthday parties and a new source of motivation to get fit. Enter Gym Heaven.
I’ve seen many failed attempts at indoor play spaces that cater to Moms who need some alone time where there is a cafe, some gym equipment and a hair salon. This is different. This isn’t mainly a playspace with some adult stuff thrown in. This is first and foremost a gym. But what makes it more than a gym is that it’s built for the family. The imposing building welcomes me with open arms, takes my children and gives me the gift of time. Unlike my previous gym when I lived in Queens, the child care center is more than a room with a TV. It has a dozen computers pre-loaded with age-appropriate games for children. Climbing equipment. A basketball court. The ability to go outside in the warmer months. A toddler room with parachute and bubble time. A friendly and courteous staff that doesn’t page you at your child’s first whimper but does everything they can to distract and entertain said child so that you can complete your yoga class in peace.
You never have to wait for a machine. There are classes to fit your every interest. A cafe that serves mostly natural and healthful foods as part of an expansive menu. Two indoor pools. Two outdoor pools. Basketball courts. A rock climbing center. A spa and salon. Sauna. Steam. A family changing room. Roomy lockers. Things to do. Things to buy. Things that make your kids actually WANT you to go to the gym. And it’s open 24 hours a day! Cory and I recently spent a Friday night working out, then got the kids for dinner at the cafe and then went swimming together. You can spend forever in this place. It is exactly what this Mommy-who-doesn’t-have-a-nanny-or-babysitter needs to breathe a mental sigh of relief. Lifetime Fitness, if you’re reading this, I would like to star in your next commercial. Your facility is a win-win for my family and so far worth every penny.
LEAP!
My daughter has taken to stripping. The other night after Cory put her to bed, she stripped off her zip-up one-piece Dora pajamas, peed on her mattress and called Cory in to show him her diaper in one hand and her pajamas in the other. It was hard for him to be mad at that cute little naked girl who looked so proud but after changing the sheets and putting her back to bed, she gave an encore performance for me! After changing the sheets again, I put her in two-piece pajamas. For some reason, she’s not a fan of taking those off. I silently prayed she wouldn’t do a threepeat because I was down to one clean sheet.
LEAP!
I joined Pinterest, the online pinboard where people share theme-based images with others such a recipes, products, craft ideas and anything else visually appealing that would make up an All-Star Web Scrapbook of sorts. Someone suggested I get in on the frenzy because it would be good for business. So far, it has proven to be yet another way for me to waste valuable time. It’s amazing how many times I turn on the computer with the intent to do one thing, and I end up lost in the internet abyss, eons away from where I wanted to be. Ever go onto the computer to look up supplies for your business but your homepage is CNN.com where you see the latest headlines and after reading a few articles, the recommended stories at the bottom take you to Site B and you somehow end up on People.com reading about the latest divorce when your phone dings and it’s Facebook – forcing you to look at a status update and when you finish you see a friend posting about their cat finishing the NY Marathon and you end up “liking” ridiculous stuff that you don’t even care about?
Damn you, social media!
LEAP!
Ryan gets what I call “crazy eyes” when he’s overtired. Either he’s still not recovered from our Florida trip or he’s been eating way too much sugar. He gets a good amount of sleep but by 4pm each day, he’s throwing himself on the floor, spewing crazy nonsense and generally looking like a possessed demon. Aside from the crazy eyes, I can tell he’s done when he goes World War 3 over the dumbest thing. The other day we had a playdate where Ryan was able to participate in his friend’s soccer class. To get to this class, you have to take an elevator to the building’s Lower Level. Ryan wanted to press the elevator button on the way down but didn’t get to it first. When it came time to go return to the parking lot, he was upset when someone else got to the button before him again. He refused to say goodbye to his friend and then burst into tears in the car. His chief complaint? The button was square and he had never and will never see a button like that again. NEVER! When I say the crying turned to sobbing and then wailing, it was like someone had died. I didn’t know how to stop it. Even Lexi was trying to hold his hand and kept repeating, “Okay…okay…” He wouldn’t let go of the ridiculous elevator button scene. He begged me to turn the car around and go back so he could touch it. He was choking on his loud, uncontrollable sobs. I said to him I have never seen him so tired and upset over something like this. It’s a FREAKING SQUARE ELEVATOR BUTTON for G-d’s sake! Who cares?!?!? Apparently, Ryan cared. Waaaaayyyyy too much. Suddenly I suggested something he hadn’t done in two years – take a freaking nap! He balked at the idea – “napping is boring – I can’t see when I nap!” and “napping is for babies” – but ten minutes later I turn around and the impossible happened…
On that note, I think I’ll get some shut-eye as well. Enjoy your Leap Day, all!
Crimefighters
Ryan puts on a Spiderman mask, then places a Spiderman glove on Lexi’s left hand.
Ryan: I’m going to fight crime with Lexi.
Lexi: Yeah!
Ryan: We’re a team. She’s gonna fight baby crime and I’m gonna fight big crime.
Postcards from Florida
Got back a couple of days ago from Miami. Cory has a conference down there every year at this time and I’ve been going with him and the kid(s) since 2008. The weather was amazing and I got to do lots of outdoor activities with the kids – zoo, beach, pool, museums… you name it. My in-laws also came down during the week, which was great. Since this has been our yearly getaway without having any other real vacation over the past few years, my expectations are always higher than they should be. Like for some reason I think the kids will sleep late, sit on a lounge chair while I tan, behave beautifully at restaurants when it’s way past their bedtime and sit quietly in the car awaiting our destination. Obviously these expectations were not met. Anyhow, it was great to feel the sun on our skin, to run around and get sweaty and feel the sand under our feet. At the end of the day we were truly exhausted and glad to hit the cool, freshly laundered sheets. It was great to wear summer clothing, frequent frozen yogurt shops up and down US1, apply tropical-smelling sunblock and drive our rented SUV with the windows down.
Since it’s hard for me to be eternally joyful and positive, I just had a few complaints, which I saved on the Notepad section of my iPhone as postcards from Florida. No biggie. Just in case you missed my whining, these are the 4 postcards I wanted to share with you, my lovely readers:
1. To the lovely, hospitable host company – do you think the conference could be moved from Valentine’s Week to Presidents’ Week aka February break? I mean, I pull my kid out of school when he’s usually there all day long for a week of fun in the sun with Mommy and then you expect me to entertain him for ANOTHER whole week on top of that? I know I signed up for this parenting thing, but school is what some of us look to when our entertainment value expires. Looking towards the future, if you could coordinate your conference to coincide with this school break, I’d be eternally grateful.
2. To Mother Nature, the equator and global warming – the 82 degree sunny weather was amazing but how come Floridians (and some other lucky people across the globe) get it and I don’t? I know it can’t be helped, but I feel like these people are generally happier, healthier and more fit because they are forced to show more skin all year long. I actually shouldn’t piss you off – it has been the mildest winter I can remember up North so thanks for that. But is there some kind of metric for warmer weather climate people being happier? For our February break, I get to choose between two open play places, bowling or going to someone’s house and they get to choose between the beach, the pool, waterskiing, parasailing, being insanely happy, being amazingly happy, being deliriously happy. Ugh.
3. To the super choppy, turbulent air on the descent back to NY – if you could have waited just 10 seconds, Ryan would have made it to the bathroom in time. Because you decided to shake our plane so thoroughly as he was halfway down the aisle with Cory, the ‘male half’ of my family had to sit alone in the back of the plane for the final 30 minutes of our flight while towards the middle, my daughter threw everything on the floor in protest of being harnessed for so long, cried repeatedly to get UP UP UP, begged me to change the movie, change it back, give her food and whatever else had me praying back a panic attack (I am not a good flier). I was later told Ryan was forced to pee in his pants because the “fasten seatbelt light” was on. Poor, wet kid. He wanted to be held when we got off the plane and none of us wanted to touch the soggy dude.
4. To today’s children (or just my own) – when I was little, we used to DRIVE to Florida from Philly and all I got for entertainment were those signs that told me how many miles until South of the Border. Yeah, I’m sure I asked “how much longer” amid whines of ”I’m bored” but I survived the long trip with music, activity books, I Spy, The License Plate Game and – gasp! – talking to my parents. So when your freaking iPod Touch runs out of batteries and you shriek as though someone is holding you by your feet off a cliff, just know that it’s a 20 minute ride to the flipping ZOO and YOU’LL LIVE!!
Those few things aside, I am grateful that I had the chance to enjoy the weather that you lucky Floridian %^&*(*$%& get to enjoy daily and it’s good to be back, if only because four of us in one hotel room is not sustainable for more than 8 days. Plus, only 6 more days until Ryan goes back to school. Not that I’m counting.
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