Bringing The Funny: They Can

It's You Must Get To Know Thursdays: where I'll be showcasing  fantastically funny humor bloggers that I've been secretly, and guiltily, keeping to myself.

As I promised during blogoversary week, I'm going to be mature this New Blogging Year, and share them with you. Because it's the right thing to do. The world needs me to do this. Also? It weighed heavily upon my soul.
 
We have adhoc mom as the Feature Funny today. And they are Thu-Ree ladies. Funny x 3. THREE LADIES doling out the fun, batting off each other, each one trying to act like they don't care if they're the funniest one or not, which makes them ALL the funniest.

Bring the Funny? She Can Thursdays is thrilled and full of bloggy crushness to talk about adhoc mom. They are today's You Must Get To Know.

In their own words:
Adhoc mom is Paula, a Brooklyn based literary agent who happily traded in a few pairs of unreasonable heels for sensible clogs.
Adhoc Mom #2 is Tonya, who used to bore fellow party guests with talk of biotechnology and contemporary art, now she lulls strangers into a trance with talks of toilet training and any facts she can retain about Yo Gabba Gabba.
Finishing off the trio is Carrie--when her son is awake, the tools of her trade are raisins, Nick Jr. on Demand, play dates, and non-judgmental mom friends.

This is Carrie: 

Please, please, you don't have to thank me. I know. I find THE BEST. Enjoy! Happy Thursday!


While the Cat is Away, the Mice Will Rat You Out

Carrie

My husband had to go to Hong Kong for business this week, which is completely amazing for him and completely de-mazing for me.

Don’t get me wrong, I feel completely sorry for him that he has to sit alone, undisturbed, for 16 hours while people only talk to him to say “sir, can I get you a drink?” My heart breaks a little, too, when I think of the church-like quiet of a business-grade hotel room with nothing but an internet connection and television to distract him from his grief. I also wipe away a tear when I think how he doesn’t get a home cooked meal and has to choke down the meager culinary offerings of a rich, thriving and world-class city...  [read more...]
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 Comments Closed Here because I want you to go THERE and leave them some love

Always A Thrill

Pre-Mourning.

Do you have it?

I've been diagnosed with it. Maybe you're afflicted, too.

My post today, syndicated on BlogHer , tells the full story."But They're Home With You Now" -- stop by, please and read-- if you're able to,  leave me a comment. I would appreciate it so very much.


I am always thrilled to be syndicated on BlogHer. What BlogHer does for the small blogger, can't be measured in dollars. It's priceless encouragement, validation, dreams of writing made real.

If you are here, through BlogHer, for the first time, how exciting for me and Thank You! Please, poke around, look at my favorite posts on The Empress' Best page.  I hope you like them. 

Thank you, BlogHer, for choosing my post, and thank you, Reader:  for visiting today, and for clicking over here, and supporting this woman, who just wants to write.

Don't Let A Lack Of Talent Hold You Back

While on twitter with the other night, the subject came up of opportunities, and the ones we let slip by.

Doors that were held open for us, but we were too scared to go through. We felt we just weren't enough.

We give ourselves all sorts of reasons for not rushing in through that door open just a crack. The door that needs just a push from us to open. Maybe we don't think the invitation to enter was extended to us, maybe we think we don't belong on that other side. Maybe we feel the people on the other side of that door deserve to be there, but we don't.

Maybe there's no way that itty-bitty us should be among the company of the mighty and able that go through that door. The ones with the talent.

We talk ourselves out of it. We don't even try to rush in before it slams shut. Our legs may take a step or two forward, propelled by the dreams we have for ourselves -- but then we let our thoughts take over--and our feet stop sharp.

In between the two conversations I was having with the others online at the time, it occurred to me -- how can we tell our children to pursue their dreams -- while we don't, our own?

We tell our children Go for it! You can do it! Believe in Yourself!, but what is our self-talk?

What happens when our children ask us, Mama? What did you wanna be? And did you get to be it?

What do we say then? What are our children watching in us now? Do they see us working hard to get up to that five mile run, because we've always wanted to be a runner, but aren't one -- yet. Do they see us entering our short stories in  the writing competition we just read about -- because we have always wanted to reach others with our words?  Are they witness to us registering for the local Digital Photography 101 class -- because learning how to use a camera is something we have always wanted to do?

Do you see this lady in the picture above in the shimmyshimmy turquoise selling herself short? No. She BELIEVES she is going to take home the prize. She went in through that door marked Contestants.

Because she is living her life like it matters.  She knows in this journey, you get one shot -- so she's chasing it with all she's got. And her children are in the audience, grinning wildly, shouting, "Go, mama, go!"

Sign The Get Well Card Here - Baby E Post

It's Monday, and that usually joyously means a Baby E Post.

Baby E is under the weather. Doctors are hoping this first round of antibiotics will work for a lump on the bone of his beautiful jawline.

Me, too.

We'll have a follow up midweek.

I told Baby E I'd do his post for him. He has some notes, but I told him to just save them for next week. He's not feeling the greatest on the antibiotics.

If you'd like to leave him well wishes, please do...and he will love to read them later.  He loves to read your comments.

It'll be a doozy of a post next week.

Here's to positive energy and thoughts that next week at this time, we'll know what's going on.

Thank you all, I know you'll send your love and healing thoughts our way. 
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**Just found out now that I post  I submitted to a blog I've long admired: Tiki Tiki Blog, has been accepted by them. It's up today, and I couldn't be prouder.

If you can, I'd love for you to click over, and get to know one of Parenting Magazines choices for "Moms Must Read" Blogs. Here's the link to my post there, and THANK YOU!!

Sunday Best - Peer Pressure 101

 

Peer Pressure 101:

We hear a lot about children and peer pressure.

An awful lot.

But -- if we listen to ourselves as we speak to our children on resisting the urge to give in to what their friends are doing and what their friends have -- what we'll hear is that resisting peer pressure applies to us, as parents, as well. Just listen.

Resisting Peer Pressure 101

1. "But all the other kids are wearing this!"

Do you, as a parent, fall into this category? Really think about that before you answer. Do you spend money your family can't afford, to have the current hot mama status symbol uniform? Trends pass...do we have to buy what the mom down the street is wearing? Either to belong, or to impress? Why not save our money, instead: spend the dimes and pennies that add up with wise accumulation on something for our family, right?

2.  "But if you let me do this, then all the kids will like me!" 

Really? Everyone will like you? As in, if you sign up for every single expensive baby and you class out there because all the other mommies go, will you have any more friends than you do now?  I made this mistake, with my first: instead of staying home? I had us billed with frantic activity. Now, I wish I would've taken a sweet walk to the park, chatting all the way with my baby. But what did I do? I threw him in the car seat every day of the week, thinking I had to...because all the moms I knew were in every class there was. Had to be the right thing to do, right? I wish I knew then, that I didn't have to do all the mommy and me classes just because all the other moms were going.

3.  "If you let me get this new haircut, then I'll fit in with the other kids."

Fitting in. What is wrong with being different? Unique? Special? Variety is what makes the world so beautiful. Be who you are. If you like your hair long, and others say you need to cut it short because no one wears their hair long past a certain age-- then keep it long. You are who you beautifully were made to be, mom in her 40's with long hair, or not. I actually tried to do the haircut thing...even though I didn't want to. I know now, I can have long hair at my age, if I want to. I so can.

4.  "I wish I had a nicer car, like the other kids." 

A nicer car, a nicer house, a nicer vacation, it never will stop.  Never. We need to want what we have, not have what we want. Do you envy the beautiful car parked in the driveway across the street from your house?  Do you say this out loud to your children? Do you let them hear you mention how nice it would be to live in the Jones' house-- with the All-Season porch, instead of your porchless house? They hear you.

5.  "If I can just get into the A group at school, then I'll be happy." 

The Queen Bees, wanting them to like you, trying so hard to become like what you think they would want you to be.  It's friendship built on the sand of a false you. If someone is going to like you, they will. If they're not going to, you have to make yourself accept that. Begin with rock, the foundation of who you really are. Those who want to be with you, will be with you. In the meantime, you don't have to pretend to be someone else and live an untrue version of yourself, just to fit into a prized group.  Be patient, you'll find your own people, ones that know you and LIKE you, from the beginning.

6.  "I wish I weren't so fat/flat/disgusting."

Sigh. Women and body image, women and esteem tied to body image. If only I were skinny, all my problems would disappear. If only I had great legs then I could wear shorts, and I'd have a more fun summer. If only, if only...meantime, life is passing by.  Live your life, the way you are. Be healthy, get exercise, eat the right things, and feel free to enjoy everything that the day has for you. You have a fine, capable body that works and is able, feel grateful for the blessing of movement. Think about this one.

Your children are watching you, and listening to you. They will see you model acceptance and approval for yourself, and if we're lucky --- they'll form this trait into a value of their own.

They see how you compare, or don't compare yourself to others

They listen if you express disappointment in who you are, what you look like, your home, the state of your old car.

They see if you enviously eye someone and what they have.

They take their cues from you. They hear you say, "I wish we could take nice vacations, like the Smith's do."

Teach your children to withstand peer pressure now, teach them the lesson to not look to others for acceptance. They don't have to be part of the popular group, or look perfect, or have what others have. They just need to like themselves, and be true to who they are. Hear what you're saying with your actions, are you trying to impress? Do they see you dissatisfied and envious?

The next time the opportunity to talk to your children about peer pressure arrives, think about living the message that you are delivering out loud. We all know what they say about actions: they speak louder than words. 

How can we ask our children to resist peer pressure -- how can we say to them, "be happy with who you are" -- how can we ask them to do something, that we ourselves can't do?    

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I love running these old posts. This post was originally prepared for the amazing Naomi of Organic Motherhood With CoolWhip. I was crowned a "Cool Whip Queen," with this post. Thank you, Naomi.