they sat while we played..
Monthly Archives: September 2011
We are not Traditional Moms
So she learned how tie her own sketchers shoes. One more step to her not needing me for the little thing. Don’t get me wrong I am happy but it is bitter sweet. She is my baby. I look back I missed a lot even though I was here for most of it.
When my son was born I went back to work. I breast fed him and pumped 3 times a day because of the guilt of being a working mother and not being there for him. (of course also the health reason) But it was because I want to be providing for him what others could not. When he started solid food I made his own babyfood.. mainly because of the need to be there for him.
I was in Boston on a business trip, when he walked for the 1st time to my husband in Florida. I spend a month before his 3nd birthday in Korea. I missed a lot with my son. It was hard to know that my husband was doing a lot for our son. But that is the way the cookie crumbed. I always thought I would like to stay home. The truth is I need to work and earn and contribute (I also have to). This is a concept that is difficult for others understand. But it is my reality and no judgment to others who have chosen a different path.
It is truly a tripled edge sword. I have spoke to others career women moms. It is a struggle because they love what they do ..but they are angry because of missing out and also having to be the provider. You start to feel like a trapped rat.
I changed my life to be home, then unsettled I started my own superhero cape business. Because of my need to build I grew my business. I was not suppose to really grow till my daughter was 5 .. best laid plans. I took off when she was 3. Even though I am working in my house- I work all the time. I have missed it.. and I was there. The day came, I had to put her in daycare to work at home.
I feel superexhausted a lot. My husband lost his job 1 ½ year ago so he works with me on Babypop. I do loving him around because he gets to see and help in my everyday. But again I am same position I have been struggling and juggling . We have a difference mothering experience than that of our mothers. It is hard for us to related to traditional roles, we longing for a simpler life but want our own world. There is that sword again… Sometimes it sucks.
But today I saw her tie her own shoes.
Hula Hoop Word Wednesday
I love this photo my daughter can do something I have never been able to do.. Hula Hoop. you go girl.
What can your kids do that you never could?
Rainbow Art Quilts
It has been a while since I sewn for myself or a friend. Sometimes I forget how much I love to create and play with fabric. Lately, I have loved photography so much I forget my true love fabric. I have spend many years sewing creating for others, prior to that I headed up a mens clothing design team. There was a time way back when I loved to design and sew for fun. I forgot how much I love to play with fabric and the colors. So last week I started a project. I was so excited and wish I did not have to work so I could just play all day.
I used scraps that I had to get the colors. I rinsed all the batiks and check for bleeding ironing them dry on white fabric to see it there was no bleed.
I cut all the parts 20-30 different scrap fabric all lined up , I fussed to get it just right.
I started with a stack of color and layed them out. 12 x 2 1/2″
Then I cut in to strips 3″ strips of color
I layed them out- on top of white fabric to play with design
Then made 2 quilts for twins a shower gift:
The 1st quilts quilting is a random meandering quilt stitch, which is great for long lasting durability
The second quilt quilting is a spiral with pebbles on the outside- Spiral goes fast .. the pebbles take a bit longer to quilt.
Sometimes it is fun just to create.
I know white is not the most practical but the mommy was modern and you really should not put a quilt on a little one. The backs were solid blue. I have a theory every child should have something hand made. On each of my quilts i stitch Love and Joy into the quilting. .
Brussel Sprouts Your kids will love
Growing up I never ate them, I think it was we never has brussel sprouts available to us. The older I get the more I love the little alien shaped veg as my kids call them brains. My kids ask me to cook make my brussel sprout if they see my buy them. They fight over who get a second portion and the end of the dish. If you think you don’t like brussel sprouts these will change your mind.
- 1-2lb Brussel sprouts
- Olive oil or vegetable oil
- Salt
- Pepper
- Cumin
- Parchment paper
- Shallow pan with sides or baking sheet
1- Preheat oven 450 (you can use lower temp but cook longer)
2- Wash the Brussel sprouts
3- Trim the bottoms off
4- Slice in half
5- Toss light with oil place in dish
6- Sprinkle with salt & pepper and lightly with cumin
7- Place in oven for 15 minutes till you see leaves get translucent and you see a roasted dark brown/golden color in the brussel sprouts
My kids ate 1/2 before I even got to take a picture.
Printable version of Brussel Sprouts your kids will love
Tell me how you like the brussel sprouts so much better than boiled or steamed.
Blond Or Brunette : Bounce it off Millions
So as you know I have been struggling with my Grey hair. Lately I feel like I need a change, so I decide to put my hair color up to a vote. I am going to ask millions what color hair should I go with Brunette or Blond? I am going to Bounce the idea off millions on Bounce’s Facebook page.
Here are a few options I came up with using a virtual hair color makeover site.
With Blakey Lively hair so do I look gossip girl worthy?
Amanda Bynes Platinum Blond
Juile Roberts be cause who does not want to be Pretty Women
Normal mouse brown
Katy Perry Brown
So what is your question to bounce of Millions?
I am doing this post as part of one2one network for the bounce promotion.
Rembering 911 Where we you?
Where were you ? That is the questions we will always ask on this day 911. For me I was arriving in at work for a quick stop then heading to the Miami Beach convention center for a textile show. I walked in and Pinito said “a plane crashed in the building the twin tower”. Confused, when the second plane flew in I call my father in northern NJ just outside of NYC. I was talking to him on the phone when he said “Sherry it is falling. The twin towers are falling.” As I write this the chills of the day returning making the hair stand up on my arms.
I can’t remember when I hung up with my father.. I can’t remember going back to my office, just sitting watching on my computer to see what we could find out. My boss called don’t come to the show they are evacuating Miami convention center there was a bomb threat.
Around 10:30 I get a call from my sons daycare they are sending every kid home.. they had no power. (was it related) nothing made sense.
Racing I pick up my 6 month son in Ft Lauderdale and headed to Boca Raton where my husband worked I wanted to be together. We sat in his office conference room watching on the big screens.. crying. My father called “my cousins lost their best friend he worked for that company about the 81 floor”. Crushed I could not escapes the images.
There was no airplane noise we live near and airport.
I sat and watched the Tv crying nursing my baby boy for days. I was obsessed with the daycare in the bottom of “The Tower”.. did the babies kids get out? The news caster spoke of the day care but never told me if they got out did the parents get out? Finally my mom told me a couple days later that ABC did a report with the hero’s and they got all the kids out. I held my boy tighter.
I remember we took a flight to Newark on 9/22 11 days after that day. I was determined not to be scared. Newark airport was in kaos .. luggage abandoned everywhere because they we scanning everything. There was a US marshal on every flight. My husband carried a roll of quarters in a sock “just in case” or his backup plan a can of soda. My husband , son and I got on the flight together. We would all go down together. We would not let them make us fearful.
I turned off the news about a week after 911 and did not turn it back on for 6 years I still don’t watch it. My heart broke for those families . Senseless death.. follow by more hatred. I think all Americas where changed that day. We looked at freedom differently, we hold our families closer.
As I sit 10 years later in Philadelphia the birth place of this great country, I am proud to be an America and in those days months weekend years I AM STILL PROUD TO BE AN AMERICAN
Peace and Payers to all!
Moneyball staring Brad Pitt Movie Review
This week I went to see a screening of MoneyBall starting Brad Pitt. I wanted this to be the movie where I understood the hype behind Brad Pitt. Why everyone goes gaga over him. It was not. I don’t think Pitt is a bad actor, I think he is a great actor but he is not my type. That being said.
The Money ball was a good movie 3 ½ stars. It was based loosely on baseball’s Okland A’s and there 2002-2003 season. The story was an MLB team and how on a little budget then rose to success. Brad Pitt was very good in the role playing fast talking quick witted Billy Bean the A’ player turned general manger. Pits performance was what you would expect from a well written baseball movie. It was not a role that stretched Brad Pitt as an actor there was parts we he got use his sarcastic humor which he was very entertaining .
I thought Jonah Miller was excellent as Peter Brant the brain child behind the players picked for the A’s . I found Jonah to be a fun character not fitting in to the world but making it work. He was the perfect fit for the role. Miller and Pitt had excellent guy chemistry.
I thought Moneyball was a good movie. I would spend the $11 for a ticket plus the cost of a sitter on a date night. Because it does appeal with the baseball aspect and the relationship between characters. I will tell you I have seen this story before not the exact story but similar, played by a different actor with a name that sounds like Nevin OddStir.
It is an underdog story and who does not love an good underdog story?
Disclosure: I did receive the tickets for this screening for free, the opinions in this post are my own.
The day before school Wordless Wed
This picture was her idea (my little photo stylist) after she sharpened all her 24 pencils then did her brothers.. she is so happy to start the 1st grade and get back to school. Taken the day before school
I still need to learn how to use the depth of field on my Nikon 3100
New School New Grade
Back to school time is a happy day. This year I really am going to miss them when they head back. The kids are finally easy I know it would last for long because I am 2-3 years away from teenage drama. My son age 10 still has this innocent and honesty that I love. He still love to hugs me and wants to be with me. I think he knows he is getting older and wants to stay young.
He is independent but protected. He does a ton of stuff by himself but I have kept him shelter from stuff (news MTV, horror movies). Originally it was not by design but I did not want him be exposed to too much soon. He still only watches cartoons, no ICarly or Wizards of Waverly or even ABC Wipeout on Tv. He did not care for the Diary of a Wimpy kids movies because the children we mean to some of the others kids. It was fine when he read the books, but when we saw it being acted out he did not like it. He also tells me when things are inappropriate for himself or his sister. Sometimes I think he is a better parent than me, self protecting himself.
So this morning, as he went to a new school (5thgrade) and road the bus for the 1st time (he was a walker prior. He is going from a school class of 90 students to over 400kids. I worry will he fit in and will get picked on because of his kind outgoing nature. I wish he had a tougher skin. All summer I have been prepping him. If someone says something mean, how to deal with it. I don’t want him to be the guy who always runs to the teacher if the situation does not warrant it. I know “No bullying” and “No place for hate zones.” I do feel that some kids try to test the waters to see who is a target for bullying and who is not. So the easier my son lets it roll of his back the less target he will be. It is a life skill that needs to be learned. Because people are not always nice.
My the conversation when like this:
Me: “If they say something not nice about you or to you you just say “Whatever” and walk away
Him: “I can do that”
me: “why? it is ok.”
Him: “Mommy you told me that that is rude and never to do it”
Me:” it is ok buddy if a kids at school says something mean it is a great way to get out of it”
Him: “but that is mean to say whatever you said.. ”
Me: “No, you can’t do it to adults but it is fine to do to a mean kid”
Him: “I think it is inappropriate and I am not doing it”
Me: thinking really I taught him too well, he is a good boy
So my wish is for him to have a smooth transition.. as my heart is exposed the mama bear wants to protect.