Maria posted an article on Mom et al - Feb 9, 2012, 6:44 pm
I learned something about social networking recently. In one particular way, Facebook is a lot like Hogwarts. Help, will always be given to those who ask for it. It was still dark on Saturday morning when my two children burst into my bedroom. Within moments I was wide awake. Only the wails and rus...
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Maria posted an article on Mom et al - Jan 26, 2012, 7:30 pm
When I had risen, all that I heard was silence. Unease swept over me. They had to be awake by now. I paused at their empty bedrooms and crept downstairs. I found them lying together on the couch. Each head was propped at an end on pillows, their bodies stretched towards each other; toes touching. Dr...
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Maria posted an article on Mom et al - Dec 30, 2011, 9:29 pm
It is likely ill advised to complete my annual New Year’s Quiz and yearly recap while suffering a head cold and a brain crippling NyQuil hangover, but alas, it is time. The year 2011 is coming to a close; am I the only one who feels as though it was gone in a blink? OK, so here are the previous y...
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Maria posted an article on Mom et al - Dec 15, 2011, 6:19 pm
Brace yourselves, a new epidemic is upon us, and you could be next. Each night, all across the country moms and dads can be found holding a tiny red dude and muttering to themselves, “No, I did that already…that won’t work…why won’t it stay up…I can’t use tape, they’d know if I used ...
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Maria posted an article on Mom et al - Nov 15, 2011, 6:35 pm
When children spend at least 30 minutes in a car every day they find ways to entertain themselves. For my kids, what started out as an ordinary game of I Spy is now an obsessive hunt. What are they hunting? The title may give you a clue, but let me explain how this all came about. The first item o...
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Maria posted an article on Mom et al - Nov 8, 2011, 7:35 pm
Each weekday morning is the same. It starts with the antagonizing alarm, and continues through the bustle of getting everyone up, dressed, fed, gathered, and out the door. Somehow we manage it all in under an hour and it’s very much like clockwork at this point, but oh so hectic. Ask me an hour la...
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Maria posted an article on Mom et al - Oct 25, 2011, 3:59 pm
She sits next to me on the stool, her tiny fingers spread over the ivory keys, her thumbs gliding across the span of an octave in search of that elusive Middle C. “This one?” “No, that’s the A. Where is the C?” I catch myself because I know that I just sounded frustrated. I am only huma...
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Maria posted an article on Mom et al - Sep 29, 2011, 6:38 pm
On today’s episode of As the Bathwater Cools, Barbie finds herself in a rather awkward situation. Ariel:    Hi! Want to be friends? Barbie: Yes! Oh, I love your hair. Ariel:    Thank you! I love your hair too. Barbie: Thank you very much! Ariel:    Say, do you want to get married? ...
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Maria posted an article on Mom et al - Sep 11, 2011, 9:39 am
It was approximately 8:50 in the morning when my office phone rang on September 11, 2001. I could tell from a glance at the caller ID that is was my fiancé, now husband. I barely skipped a beat as I raised the receiver to my ear and continued a scan of my morning email. I acknowledged him with my u...
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Maria posted an article on Mom et al - Sep 7, 2011, 7:27 pm
I crept into her room so early it was still dark, but I could tell she was awake. I saw her little eye peek over to make sure it was me. Yet she immediately feigned sleep; my princess likes to be woken with a kiss. I gave her a smooch on her cheek and sang her a little birthday song in her ear. A s...
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Maria posted an article on Mom et al - Aug 23, 2011, 5:14 pm
I have been feeling the ticking of a clock. No, not that kind of clock; you bite your tongue. This shop is CLOSED. I’m talking about the passage of time, a season that has run its course, the end of one phase of life which can only lead to the beginning of the next, and for good or bad all the ant...
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Maria posted an article on Mom et al - Aug 8, 2011, 5:10 pm
I know…it’s been a while. I have a good excuse.  No, I’m not trapped under something heavy, but I am swamped. Yes, I have become overwhelmed by a force from which there is no escape: artwork. My five year old loves to draw, color, cut, and glue. She calls herself The Artist. In fact, she has...
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Maria posted an article on Mom et al - Jul 20, 2011, 6:05 pm
There have been many challenging experiences we’ve muddled through as parents these past five years, but nothing has been more excruciating than the process of potty training our son. Many months have passed since our daycare insisted on the use of underwear as the tool that is going to get us t...
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Maria posted an article on Mom et al - Jul 7, 2011, 5:14 pm
A family of four, they sit together huddled in a booth, picking over the remaining slices of pizza. The mother stares out the window, watching the passing cars. The father turns and strikes up a conversation with his youngest son about his day. Not more than ten years of age, the boy chatters on ...
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Maria posted an article on Mom et al - Jul 1, 2011, 3:59 pm
The days and weeks have been blending together so much that wow, is it really July already? Yesterday morning my son ran up to give me a hug and his head plowed right into my stomach. As I doubled over with discomfort, the blow was twofold. When did he get that tall? I spend hours a day looking at h...
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Maria posted an article on Mom et al - Jun 16, 2011, 8:57 pm
It was three days before we were leaving on vacation. We would be driving from our home in Massachusetts to Washington D.C. for a few nights, and then traveling onward to Virginia Beach. Yes it was that morning when our beloved mini van, The Tailgater, stopped revving on the on-ramp for 95 as I was ...
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Maria posted an article on Mom et al - Jun 1, 2011, 7:52 am
I had a vision of getting a post in this week because I just love adding to my to-do list. Though I have taken to writing some notes in moments of down time of the things I do not want to forget, I just keep getting distracted: So you’ll have to forgive me on this one one; my brain is on hai...
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Maria posted an article on Mom et al - May 17, 2011, 6:55 pm
Here is another gem that came home recently: I was reading through this and honestly, some strong yet conflicted emotions arose. How is it that my Child Robot is seemingly defined by making mommy happy via cleaning up? So much that “clean-up” was her answer three times?  I am horrified and als...
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Maria posted an article on Mom et al - May 9, 2011, 6:55 pm
Wife dislikes old crappy phone. Wife not happy. Wife nags husband about old crappy phone. Husband not happy. Mother’s Day approaches. Husband buys wife new iPhone 4. Wife happy! Wife stops nagging husband. Husband broke, but husband happy! Children whine. No one is happy! Wife teaches c...
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Maria posted an article on Mom et al - May 2, 2011, 5:08 pm
Osama bin Laden is dead. Our country has been waiting nearly 10 years for this malevolent being to be found. I stayed awake much later than intended last night, and when the news was confirmed by our President, who reminded us of the righteous anger and justification we Americans all have the entit...
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Maria posted an article on Mom et al - Apr 15, 2011, 5:09 pm
Oh, there are a slew of them. You know they didn’t both forget to flush the toilet again, yet the only one who willingly uses it without my constant supervision vehemently denies blame. They very well could have torn apart the bookshelf and strewn its contents all over the floor in a collective ef...
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Maria posted an article on Mom et al - Apr 8, 2011, 4:46 pm
It starts every morning when he gets up. We tell him it’s time to go potty and he responds, “I DON’T WANT TO GO POTTY! I went potty the night after yesterday. Why do I have to go potty EVERY DAY???” We calmly explain to him that he is a big boy now and he needs to go potty just like we do�...
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Maria posted an article on Mom et al - Apr 1, 2011, 6:56 pm
I recently had one of those really bad parenting moments. The kind that you wont forget or stop feeling guilty about for years to come. This is the story of my latest and greatest parent FAIL. You see, when it comes to traditions that are important to my children I have this pattern of failing miser...
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Maria posted an article on Mom et al - Mar 24, 2011, 5:17 pm
She wakes early and readies herself for the day. She dresses and brushes her teeth, and no longer feels the need to vocalize her pride in that ability. “I brushed my teeth all by myself!” is so yesterday. But oh! Oh how irate she becomes when I tell her that I still need assist. It is after all...
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Maria posted an article on Mom et al - Mar 16, 2011, 7:34 pm
Each morning my children pick one item to put in their backpacks for school, which they usually play with in the car while we travel. This morning Sofia chose a book and Dominic chose his toy microphone (which to my great fortune actually amplifies voices). Dominic: ♫ OLM MACDONALD HAD A FARM O...
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Maria posted an article on Mom et al - Mar 14, 2011, 7:11 pm
I wanted to get back to writing and tell you about some of the stuff my rug rats have been up to lately, but I can’t just yet. I would not feel right if I did not acknowledge the pain, suffering, and total devastation crippling the people of Japan, and provide some of my obsessive web surfing rese...
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Maria posted an article on Mom et al - Mar 4, 2011, 5:05 pm
How do dreams become realized? How does a hobby become something more? I know what a challenge it can be to devote yourself to a pursuit of leisure. It is not an easy feat when you are a mother; so often the only slab of your iceberg that shows. But when you have a gift and a loving and support...
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Maria posted an article on Mom et al - Feb 21, 2011, 10:59 pm
We waited until Valentine’s Day to tell the kids we were going to see the Feld Entertainment production of Disney on Ice presents Toy Story 3. Have you seen that commercial where the parents tell the kids they are about to get on a plane to head to Disney World, and a predictably substantial frea...
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Maria posted an article on Mom et al - Feb 10, 2011, 9:07 pm
In random order, here are the top 20 sentences I seem to have on repeat lately: Sit down properly and eat. No fart noises at the dinner table. Chew with your mouth closed. Do not run in the house. Don’t jump off the couch. Get off my coffee table. Leave my couch pillows alone. Don’t push...
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Maria posted an article on Mom et al - Feb 2, 2011, 6:04 pm
In my own home we have at least three different Buzz Lightyear dolls, a Woody doll, a Toy Story game, a Toy Story puzzle, Toy Story pajamas, and all three Toy Story movies on DVD. On any given afternoon my son can be heard calling out, “To infinity….AND BEYOND!” So yes, around these parts we a...
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Maria posted an article on Mom et al - Feb 1, 2011, 8:50 pm
When I was a little girl my grandfather used to tell me, “The men? They go out and do the work. The women? They stay home and have the babies.” He was from a different time after all; a time where in all fairness, it was often true that women did not enter the workforce. Regardless of the fact t...
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Maria posted an article on Mom et al - Jan 25, 2011, 5:17 pm
Hey, guess what New England? We have grass! Yes, it is under several feet of white stuff and we haven’t actually laid eyes on it since mid December; but oh yes it is there, I know it. I haven’t decided if it has just been so long since we’ve had a really bad winter that we Southern New Englan...
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Maria posted an article on Mom et al - Jan 17, 2011, 10:31 am
It always happens in the strangest of places. When I least expect it my daughter and I will have a conversation of great importance; a teaching moment about what I believe, about what I feel is my parental and human duty to instill in my young. On Friday night it happened while waiting in line at th...
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Maria posted an article on Mom et al - Jan 7, 2011, 4:43 pm
Like so many other home improvement projects, it started with something as simple and mundane as a broken faucet. Seriously? That sucker broke right off in my hand and fell into the disposal. Needless to say, it had to be replaced. We started window shopping, and before long we stopped looking at...
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Maria posted an article on Mom et al - Dec 30, 2010, 6:26 pm
It’s that time of year again! This is my third year completing the New Year’s quiz (links for 2008 and 2009). Linda at All & Sundry already has hers up, and this year she changed around the questions a little bit. The ones that annoyed her annoyed me as well, so I followed suit: 1. What did you...
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Maria posted an article on Mom et al - Dec 28, 2010, 4:58 pm
I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday! In our world of high tech gadgetry, the act of giving and receiving this time of year can become void of sentiment. I personally can’t wait to try out a few of our new Wii games, but sadly this time next year I doubt very much that I will recall who game ...
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Maria posted an article on Mom et al - Dec 16, 2010, 5:05 pm
This is Banana. He’s a proud member of Local Elf Union 1033.  That’s the east coast chapter. He watches you. And doesn't blink. Ever. He has serviced our family for several years now and has always been a diligent elf. This year, however, we have noticed a significant drop in productivity. We...
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Maria posted an article on Mom et al - Dec 13, 2010, 5:13 pm
Or maybe not… We are in full holiday swing, and this year it has been a great deal of fun watching the kids prepare for Santa’s arrival.  They are both getting into it with gusto! Bring on the twinkle lights! Decorate the tree! Bake cookies! Talk ad nauseum about the carrot we are going to lea...
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Maria posted an article on Mom et al - Dec 6, 2010, 11:05 am
Thank you to everyone who participated in the Llama Lama Giveaway! Since we had so many entries and I personally know quite a few of you who entered, I thought it would be a good idea to vlog the results. So here is my unedited and fuzzy attempt at vlogging from my Kodak Play Sport with the contest...
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Maria posted an article on Mom et al - Dec 1, 2010, 5:11 pm
One of my family’s favorite children’s books is Llama Llama Red Pajama. The colors and illustrations are brilliant, the facial expressions are classic, and its soothing and rhythmic prose captures the attention of even the most easily distracted minds. Tackling the theme of separation anxie...
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Maria posted an article on Mom et al - Nov 29, 2010, 5:23 pm
It was a great holiday weekend spent with family and friends.  We laughed, ate, watched football, played games, and enjoyed each other like every American family should. Though the planning and preparations were stressful at times, the outcome was worth it. What I did not realize until Thanksgivin...
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Maria posted an article on Mom et al - Nov 23, 2010, 3:14 pm
If you do not live in the Northeast your experience may be different, but I am certain that everyone in New England will agree:  from a marketing standpoint, the holiday season comes earlier and earlier every year. This year it began immediately following Halloween, with Christmas displays on the s...
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Maria posted an article on Mom et al - Nov 15, 2010, 5:14 pm
It has been a long week. It has been full of sickness and despair. It is one of those situations where real life is too painful and private to post; where I am affected by stories that are not mine to tell, and cannot and would not want to share them here. As such this situation has left me staring ...
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Maria posted an article on Mom et al - Nov 8, 2010, 5:01 pm
Five minutes before my alarm was supposed to go off this morning, Sofia bounded into my bedroom and shouted: “MOM! Mama! Guess what? GUESS WHAT? You are NOT going to believe this. There’s snow. SNOW!!! Real snow. Oh, my gosh. You have to come and see it. It’s everywhere. EVERYWHERE!!! It’s ...
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Maria posted an article on Mom et al - Nov 3, 2010, 4:46 pm
Last Friday at Sofia’s Daycare Halloween party she was given a bag of popcorn.  It was one of those carnival type popcorn bags, all pretty and official with its red and white stripes. While the bag suggested otherwise, it contained generic and run of the mill microwave popcorn. Four days later s...
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Maria posted an article on Mom et al - Oct 30, 2010, 9:19 am
Three years ago today the most amazing little dude came into my life. I had planned on writing a full post about the wonder and joy Dominic has brought to our lives, but the busy Halloween season got in the way. If you read these posts years from now, Little One, you will come to the realization th...
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Maria posted an article on Mom et al - Oct 28, 2010, 6:39 pm
I have been listening to Elliott Smith a lot lately, and I’m having one of those chicken and the egg moments.  I can’t tell if I’m listening to Elliott Smith so much because I am feeling down, or if I am feeling down because I am listening to Elliott Smith too much.  Tricky, tricky…. It...
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Maria posted an article on Mom et al - Oct 23, 2010, 9:04 am
Sofia:  We are going to go to swim class yesterday. Me:   No Sweetie, we are going to go to swim class tomorrow.  Today is Friday, and tomorrow is Saturday. Yesterday was Thursday. Sofia:  No, yesterday was Wednesday, because you said that before. Me:  I told you that on Thursday, which is ...
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Maria posted an article on Mom et al - Oct 18, 2010, 5:17 pm
Do you ever feel as though you are stifled and need so fervently to move forward, but at the same time you are petrified beyond reason to take a solitary step?  That is how I have been acting lately with so many aspects of my life. I can’t catch my breath from standing still. I want so desperat...
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Maria posted an article on Mom et al - Oct 14, 2010, 8:47 pm
When someone does a trick, I am one of those persons who will try to call them out on how it’s done. There’s a trap door underneath!  They were hiding behind the curtain!  Wait a second, wait a second, it’s joined in the middle and there’s a spring around it, it pops it open when it’s ...
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