Wednesday, April 29, 2009

Interviews and Pig Flu

OK, on the agenda for tomorrow, I have a live interview with Lorri & Larry at 7:20 AM CT on FamilyNet. (National – Sirius Satellite Radio Channel 161 & FamilyNet Radio/TV)

Their program reaches:
· 8.6 million subscribers to Sirius
· 30 million households on FamilyNet Television
· 10,000 subscribers to SkyAngel.com

Oh yeah, that doesn't make me want to throw up or anything.... ahem. I feel a case of Pig Flu coming on.

Speaking of Pig Flu... My mother, the hypochondriac the woman who is concerned about my health, told me today that I should reconsider going to Florida this weekend because "you don't want to be exposed to the Swine Flu". (I'm supposed to be going to Disney World on Friday for a blogger event.) But that's the difference between her and I. I don't think about these things. I don't feel the need to pack a gallon of Purell. I figure I can catch something in my local grocery store just as easily as I could on a plane to Florida. And hello? It's Florida! I bet it's above 40 degrees there! Hmmm Happiest (warm) Place on Earth, or staying home and freezing? Happiest (warm) Place on Earth, or staying home and freezing? Choices, choices, choices. I think I'll take my chances with Pigitis. Would it be really mean of me to call her from Florida and oink into the phone? Kidding! Just kidding, Mom.

Now, that I said that, Murphy's Law is going to come into play and I will, indeed get sick which will really stink because I'm speaking at The Elk Grove Village Public Library on Sunday, May 3 at 2:00PM, and I'm speaking/signing books at a Mother's Day Celebration at The Ice House Mall in Barrington on May 7th from 5-7PM. Come out and see me if you get the chance!

Oooo and I'm working on a Mother's Day post. If you make/sell an awesome Mother's Day gift idea and are interested in doing a giveaway on my blog, email me right away at mom2my6pack@aol.com and let me know. I'm looking for a couple more unique ideas. Thanks!

Opening Day Hooray!

I was sitting here this evening, trying to come up with something to write. Should I talk about how I stayed up until 3:00 AM writing last night and as a result, overslept and got my kids to school 20 minutes late this morning? Or maybe I should write about how Clay had a field trip to the library for school today. I forgot about it. I took him to preschool. No one was there. Duh. I hightailed it across town to the library. The really impressive part of that story is the fact that I did the same thing this fall when I was supposed to drop him off at a farm for a field trip and I forgot and brought him to school that day too. Or perhaps I should write about how I put off going to the grocery store until we were low on all sorts of things and I had to go shopping at 9:30 at night. (By the way, you meet weird people who crash their carts into your ankles at 9:30 at night!)

But the thing that sticks out in my mind was Austin's baseball game. His first game was tonight. It was 39 degrees here. So we sat there at the football er, um baseball game in our winter coats with blankets wrapped around us. That is, most of us sat there in our winter coats. Some of us, ahem, Brooklyn and Austin were too stubborn for something as silly as a coat in 39 degree weather. Austin was too cool (Ha! Literally!) to wear his Under Armor or a sweatshirt under his baseball uniform. And Brooklyn, well, Brooklyn was just Brooklyn and threw an all-out screaming fit when we wouldn't let her take her coat off in the middle of the game. As she screamed her head off, parents on the bleachers turned around to see what horrific injury the screaming girl had suffered to make her so miserable. When they realized she was just protesting our cruel and unusual punishment of making her wear a coat in 39 degree weather, they looked questioningly at me. I kinda shrugged my shoulders and explained, "She's our last."

After 2 hours, the boys had only played 4 innings. Ugh. All I can say is - thank God for the slaughter rule. I think it's going to be a long season.

Sunday, April 26, 2009

Sunday Sound Out

From Chicago, where it goes from 80 degrees to 40 degrees in the span of an hour, it's Sunday Sound Out with Dawn Meehan! Tonight: answers to your questions and musical guests The Plain White T's! And now, the woman with the 88 year-old grandma, it's Dawn Meehan!

I have a question. When you're gone, who watches your six pack? Also, is it weird that people want to interview you and fly you places to talk to you about being a stay at home mom?
Joe watches them. And you know, I just don't get it when people gush all over the fact that he watches them the few times a year I'm out of town. I mean, don't get me wrong, I totally appreciate it and he does a great job with them, but they're HIS KIDS! And, of course, no one goes on and on about how wonderful stay at home parents are for watching the kids so their spouses can go and work day in and day out, year after year. What's up with that?
And nope, I don't think it's weird. I think it's wonderful. I think it's awesome when any stay-at-home mom gets a little recognition for being a stay-at-home mom!

Since you haven't ever had slaw on hot dogs, have you ever had slaw on bbq sandwiches?
Oh heck no! I didn't even know what "slaw" was at first. "Oh, you mean COLE slaw? For real? You put cole slaw on hot dogs???" LOL

OMG. must.have.those.shoes! Who cares if they aren't conducive to hiking, you probably had the best lookin' feet on the mountain! Where'd you find them? And not that it matters, but are they comfortable?
They're the most comfortable shoes I own! They're Sanita clogs. :)

What?! No pics of your hotel room???
I know! I totally forgot! But I did take pics of my hotel room in South Bend.


And check out the FULL LENGTH MIRROR in the bathroom...

Yep, I can't think of a better place to hang a full-length mirror than right across from the toilet because really, there's nothing more attractive than watching yourself poop.

I have to say I am totally jealous that you went to the Varsity. It was one of our favorite places to go when I was in college. Please tell me you washed down that delicious hot dog with a Frosted Orange, right?
Yep. I was told I HAD to. Creamsicle shakes! Mmmmm

Does it [Think it Over Baby] actually cry in the middle of the night?
Oh yeah!

hey in the video in post Atlanta day on, your hair seems much darker than normal! guess cause of winter but still,its a big color change.
Not really. I think this is my natural color. I can't totally remember though as I've been covering the gray highlighting it for several years now.

SSO Q: you said that your dog passed away at the last sound out,well i read your book and on the:we arent having chicken! part you said that brooklin tossed food to the dog,did you get a new one or something? And you also said it when you talked about clay having all those clothing changes on the day of Lexi's birthday,and it said he poured dog food down his shirt. I was just wondering
On the clothing change story, we still had Cody. On the We're Not Having Chicken story, I had originally written that one when I had 5 kids, but I rewrote it and included some scenes from a more recent dinner so all the kids would be in the story. I guess I forgot about Cody and didn't take that part out. Originally, it was Clay who tossed food to the dog.

I was wondering,have you ever played the online game Runescape?
Never heard of it. I'm pretty sure I couldn't find the time to play. Unless I gave up doing laundry perhaps......

Just finished watching your interview on Harvest-tv.com. (Thanks to reading your Twitter .. or should that be Tweet??)You were FanTasTic!! Very natural & at ease & Funny! Youv'e gotten to be a real pro at this 'Famous Author stuff' ... and you looked Great ~ can't forget to mention that!!!
Thank you! My mom told me I played with my hair the whole time and needed a haircut. Mothers!

Hey, famous person,Did you know that your book is mentioned as (one of three) best new parenting books in the May Parent and Child Magazine?!?
Noooo, cool! :D

Wow, what a great interview--you're a natural! It was very funny and entertaining to watch. Do they tell you what questions they're going to ask you ahead of time? I would have a hard time thinking of answers off the top of my head like that!
Nope, I have no idea what they're going to ask ahead of time. I've been stumped a couple times on radio interviews when they threw an odd question at me. I think I covered pretty well though.

When kids have sex, they are assuming a baby won't happen. So this sort of project will not have the desired effect, in my opinion.8th grade, though? I'm shocked!
That's exactly what I said. I agree. But I'm not shocked about 8th grade at all.

My husband wants to know if he got a "pretend wife" as well. He said if he had a pretend wife and baby in 8th grade, he would of been single for the rest of his life!!
ROFL!!! Nope, no pretend wife.

Grandma! You're calling your grandbaby "it". What are you thinking?? He has a name!! :)
Well, considering Austin named the baby Satan Junior, I thought "It" was preferable.

And now, The Plain White T's with their video shot in Chicago!

Saturday, April 25, 2009

The Harvest Show

Here's a link to the interview I did with The Harvest Show in South Bend yesterday. Just click on Friday, April 24th, Because I Said So. Enjoy!

THE HARVEST SHOW!


***There are 2 posts for today. Scroll down to see the other one.***

Wednesday, April 22, 2009

Think it Over, Baby!



Last Wednesday, Austin (my 8th grader) brought home a "Think It Over Baby" for his Life Skills class. These life-like dolls are about the size of a real infant. They weigh 6 1/2 pounds and have floppy heads that need to be supported just like a real baby. The high-tech dolls are programmed to cry and fuss at all hours of the day and night. The only way to stop the crying is for the student to hold their wristband with a special key in it (that's applied by the teacher and can't be removed without obvious tampering), up to the doll's back until it beeps. When it beeps, the student needs to figure out if the baby needs to be fed, have his diaper changed, be burped, or be rocked. The student then places the bottle, with a sensor in it, against the baby's mouth, or they change the diaper, also with a sensor, etc. until the baby coos and falls back asleep.



These dolls are also equipped with indicators that record the student's activity with the doll. Did they feed him? Change him? Support his neck? Or did they get frustrated with the crying and throw the doll outside for the night? The data recorded on the doll lets the teacher know if the student properly cared for the "baby" and determines their grade on this assignment.

Austin had a hard time at first, trying to figure out how exactly the doll worked. He didn't get the key on his wristband to connect with the doll's back at first and the doll's cries escalated into full-blown screams. Despite the fact that Austin's gone through 5 siblings' screaming and crying fits over the years, listening to this doll scream really stressed him out. The next morning, he said that he didn't sleep all night because he was worried about missing the doll's cries. LOL! Welcome to parenthood! Now multiply those feeling 100 times for a real baby.



This program is designed to make kids stop and think it over before engaging in sexual activity. I think most all students would agree that getting up all night with the baby was not fun and they're not ready to be parents. Still, I don't think this program (at least not by itself) will actually deter kids when it comes right down to it. This little assignment reminded me, however, of why I'm done having babies.

Home From Atlanta!

I'm home from Atlanta! On my way to the airport this morning, I stopped to fill my rental car up with gas. I pulled up like I always do, got out of the car, grabbed the pump, and realized the tank wasn't on that side. What the heck? I thought all tanks were on the driver's side! I felt like Clark Griswold!

(This is a long clip - just check out the part at 3 minutes and 10 seconds into it.)
*** Someone just brought to my attention that after the 3 minute, 10 second mark, there's an R-rated portion. I try to keep my blog family friendly and just wanted to give you a head's up.***


And driving in Atlanta is an experience! Every highway is at least 15 lanes across and I swear the roads all go in circles! It's crazy! Even with the GPS, I got turned around a time or two and had to backtrack.

Anyway, I loved Atlanta, but it's nice to be home. Well, it WAS nice until my grandson started screaming. Yep, you read that right. Austin, for part of his Life Skills class, brought home a "Think It Over Baby" today. I'll tell you all about that tomorrow. But now, I'm exhausted and need sleep. I have 15 radio interviews tomorrow starting at the ungodly hour of 6:00AM!

Tuesday, April 21, 2009

Atlanta Day 2

I made it through all my interviews today and I've gotta say, they were really fun! Although I was nervous (I don't think I'll ever get over that!) I believe I faked everyone out with a calm demeanor. And I know I made people laugh. I'm just hoping they were laughing because something I said was funny and not because something I said was so stupid it was laughable.

Anyway, I've had a terrific time here in Georgia! I still can't get over how warm and friendly people are! It's really nice. :) I fly back home in the morning and I'm looking forward to seeing my kiddies. I miss them!

Here are a few pics from my trip...


my cute little rental car (still don't know what it is)


pretty covered bridge at Stone Mountain Park


It was so windy on top of Stone Mountain - you can see the ripples in the puddles


view from mountain


downtown Atlanta in the distance


carving in Stone Mountain


Slaw dogs from The Varsity


COLE SLAW on a HOT DOG!


Mmmm, I'm going to have grease oozing from my pores for the next week


me and Amy at The Varsity (Thank you again Amy! You're totally awesome!!!)

The fountain in the shape of the Olympic rings downtown Atlanta
me in the green room (which was actually green LOL) at FamilyNet Studios
I've had this song in my head since I landed here in Georgia...


So, naturally I had to go check out Chick*fil*A. I'm in love with their waffles fries! De-lish!

Monday, April 20, 2009

Atlanta Day 1

I'm in Atlanta promoting my book, Because I Said So right now. Today I did a taped interview with John Young from The John Young Show on WNIV-AM. I really enjoyed talking to him. He's a cool, fun guy who knows what he's talking about. I hope I'll be able to give you a head's up when this airs.

Here's a little video about my first day in Atlanta...


Tomorrow I have a live interview on the show, Everyday with Marcus and Lisa (FamilyNet Television) from 11:00AM - 12:00PM

After that, I'll be doing an interview with a reporter from The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

Then I have a taped radio interview with Doug Doran from WMVV-FM.

Finally, I'll have a live interview on Atlanta Live - WATC-TV which runs from 7:00-9:00PM.

Sunday, April 19, 2009

Sunday Sound Out

From Chicago, where we rename our buildings and sports venues every other month, it's Sunday Sound Out with Dawn Meehan! Tonight: answers to your questions and musical guests The Jonas Brothers (Lexi's recommendation) And now, it's home run legend, Dawn Meehan!

To all my Greek friends, Christós Anésti!

[in regards to my musical guests 2 weeks ago] THAT! is what REO Speedwagon looks like!!!!!Are you serious?I'm 27. I've gone my entire life with out seeing a video of them but loving their songs, and now I have to say that I'm not sure I can ever enjoy another REO Speedwagon song after seeing this. Was he serious with those shoes? Are they boots or high tops or what? And his belt and his hair what is that hair? Nope. I'm not sure I can ever take a love song seriously from someone who looks like that!
Hello? It was the 80s! We all looked like idiots back then. Case in point...


Just wondering if you used duck tape to mend your pants. I know that is one of your preferred sewing materials.
Ha Ha Ha, that's very funny, but everyone knows that staples work better in a case like this.

Your kids were so well behaved and cute at your signing.
Thank you. It's amazing how they can act in public and around other people. They save the worst for me at home.

Congrats! What a wonderful day. But I have to ask (so off topic) who are the guy and girl blondes in your slideshow with the amazing eyes? I think they are the last or second to last photo. I've never seen such amazing blues!
LOL! That's a friend from high school, Sue and her husband Brian.

you look awesome on the pictures, absolutely radiant:)
Eh, it's just the sweat on my face that makes me "glow".

Here's a SSO question! Do you have a title for your next book?? What about a tentative release date?? Can't wait to read it!
I don't have a title yet, but I can tell you the book is about pregnancy and the tentative release date is next spring.

I just ordered your book last night and absolutely can't wait to read it. I was just wondering if you had any idea how many copies have been sold so far, or is it too early to know something like that?
No clue, but I can tell you that my mom has bought 80. LOL!

Do you think the Duggars would read your blog (or mine, for that matter) and wonder what the big deal is? Do you think they laugh at Jon and Kate plus 8? Do you think they ever watched 8 id Enough or The Bardy bunch? Just silly random ponderings this fine morning!!!!
I don't think the Duggars have time to read any blogs!

Hi, question here for SSO... (all the way from the Netherlands). I just finished and LOVED your book- well done... But... Did I read correctly and do you have a dog as well, besides 6 kids? I read about dogfood and such and was just wondering...
We did have dog, Cody, who was part German Shepherd and part Husky. She died when Clay was a baby.

(Cody with Austin when he was a baby)
please tell me that the whole fridge is new and I'm not just totally unobservant? Please?
Uh yeah, it's new. You know, since OCTOBER.

No wonder your kids all gave me dirty looks when they saw my Sox Jacket at your signing lol. Gotta ask where that playground is? Looks like my kids would love it.
Nah, Joe, Austin and Savannah are Sox fans. We're a house divided. And the playland was in Rockford at the park district.

BTW, Savannah is a lovely young lady... she's so pretty. Oh, question, not that I have a young teen who does this or anything, but does she look in the mirror frequently saying things like "I'm fat and ugly" one minute and then the next "I look thin today" and then "I'm ugly and fat" and so on. Just asking.
LOL! Actually, no. Thankfully Savannah has a pretty good self-image. Although, I know from talking to my friends that your daughter (the one who doesn't do this) is not alone. I think it's pretty common which is kinda sad. Unfortunately media and peers tend to have a destructive influence on self esteem. We as parents need to do everything we can to help bolster confidence and a healthy, positive self image by modeling one ourselves and by talking about unrealistic expectations and by making sure our kids know they're loved for the person they are, and they're appreciated for their many talents and attributes.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
And in other news....

Dunkin’ Donuts (my favoritist coffee) is having a special "Iced Coffee Day" event for Tuesday, April 21! Stop by your local DD to get a small iced coffee for only 50 cents! (Coconut is the BEST!) Plus, 5 cents from each cup sold will go to Homes for Our Troops, a national, non-profit organization that builds specially adapted homes for severely injured veterans.
Dunkin’ Donuts is also launching a nationwide call to recruit one million new volunteers to support Homes for Our Troops’ efforts. The first 200 people to sign up as volunteers will receive free Dunkin’ coffee for one month.
You can check it out HERE!

Oooo and I need to tell you about this chance to win 10K and be the permanent host of the Johnson's YouTube Baby Channel! Johnson's has launched an online search contest for real-life parents to serve as the host of the JOHNSON'S® YouTube Baby Channel. Here's your chance to show off your little cutie(s) aged 6 months to 3 years. To enter, parents must submit an under-three minute online video showcasing tips and ideas surrounding bath time. The bath time theme coincides with the 50th Anniversary of the iconic Johnson's NO MORE TEARS® trademark formula and the introduction of Johnson's new Bubble Bath & Wash product. What do you have to lose, right? You guys are the real experts on bathtime and what parent doesn't like taking videos of their precious little ones? This contest ends Sunday, April 26th, so hurry and get those cameras rolling!

I leave tomorrow for Georgia where I'll be doing some television and radio interviews. I come home Wednesday. I have 19 radio interviews on Thursday, then I leave Thursday evening for Indiana where I'll be doing another television interview before returning home Friday. You can follow me on Twitter (mom2my6pack) and I'll be taking video of the whole trip for my videoblog on the Guideposts website as well. Oh yeah, and you can pray for Joe who will be watching the kids this week while I'm gone!

And finally, want a way to win a copy of Because I Said So? I've got a couple ways for you to get your hands on a copy!

You can visit Guideposts for a chance to win a copy of my book (and other awesome prizes like a V-Tech V.Smile, leather diaper bag filled with Johnson's baby products, or a robe, slippers and nightgown set from Lands' End.)

And you can visit The Book Club Cookbook for a chance to win one of 75 Because I Said So books.

Hurry though! Contests end April 30!

And, of course, you can order copies for all your friends and relatives HERE. They make great Mother's Day presents. (Hee hee, just a shameless little plug there.)

And for your musical enjoyment, here are the Jonas Brothers with Love Bug...

FREE Eye Exams

You might remember me talking about a program called InfantSEE a while back. You can check that post HERE.

I just wanted to let you know that Chicago and surrounding area optometrists are offering NO-COST eye & vision assessments for infants this week.

Dates: Monday, April 20 - Friday, April 24
By appointment

Prepare your child for a lifetime of healthy vision by participating in InfantSEE® Week right here in Chicago and in the surrounding areas. The following local optometrists are offering NO-COST, comprehensive InfantSEE® assessments for babies six to 12 months old. Call the optometrist closest to you and make an appointment for the week of April 20 or visit www.InfantSEE.org for more information.

And here's a list of participating optometrists...

ADDISON
Dr. Steven Butzon
207 S. Addison Rd.
630-279-8866

Dr. Lenard Schwartz
1250 W. Lake St.
630-543-0607

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS
Dr. Laura Palermo
18 S. Evergreen
847-253-8500

BARRINGTON
Dr. David Tabak
232 E. Main St.
847-382-2020

BLUE ISLAND
Dr. Ansel Johnson - Se habla español
13046 S. Western Ave.
708-385-0013

CHICAGO
Illinois Eye Institute - Pediatric Clinic
3241 S. Michigan Ave.
(312) 949-7280

Dr. Brian Caden
3241 S. Michigan Ave.
Chicago, IL 60616
312-225-6200

Dr. Dennis DeLee
209 S LaSalle St., Ste. 120
312-332-4461

Dr. David Dewaard
1056 W. Wilson Ave.
773-271-5774

Dr. Ansel Johnson - Se habla español
840 East 87th Street
Chicago, IL 60619
Dr. Stephanie Johnson - Se habla español
5401 S. Wentworth, #4
773-924-5292

Dr. William Mackay
738 W. 107th St.
773-568-7439

Dr. Constance MacQueen
7117 W. Archer Ave.
773-586-8444

Dr. Janice Scharre
3241 S. Michigan Ave.
312-949-7245

Dr. Darrell Schlange
3241 S. Michigan Ave.
312-225-6200

Dr. Rebecca Schmitt
111 N. Wabash Ave., Ste. 1610
312-263-6350

Dr. Lenard Schwartz
3201 S. Wallace St.
312- 225-5135

Dr. Magdalena Stec - Se habla español
321 N. Michigan Ave.
312-263-0222

Dr. Andrea Stein
4735 N. Damen
773-961-8700

DEERFIELD
Dr. Darin Strako
360 S. Waukegan Rd., Ste. A
847-412-0311

DECATUR
Dr. Gary Gray
2490 North Water St., Ste. 16
217-875-4646

DOWNERS GROVE
Dr. Louis Jison, MD - Se habla español
Dr. Linda Weil
3800 Highland Ave., #100
630-960-0456

EVANSTON
Dr. Millicent Knight
2914 Central St.
847-864-4768

FRANKFORT
Dr. Leon Kosek
Dr. Judy Walsh
600 Bankview Dr.
815-469-8541

GRAYSLAKE
Dr. Charlotte Nielsen
1120 Washington St.
847-223-2000

GLENVIEW
Dr. Stephen Beckerman
Dr. Angie Ghanayem
Dr Jennifer Harthan
1920 Waukegan Rd.
847-510-2111

HICKORY HILLS
Dr. John Gardner
9400 S. Roberts Rd.
708-598-1322

LA GRANGE
Dr. Cecilia Heiges
715 W. Hillgrove Ave.
708-482-3200

LA SALLE
Dr. Wendy Sanders - Se habla español
641 First St.
815-223-0331

LIBERTYVILLE
Dr. Jody Ricketts
Dr. Kelly Daugherty
730 N. Milwaukee Ave.
847-362-9900

Dr. Marvin Heimlich
307 S. Milwaukee Ave.
847-362-3444

McHENRY
Dr. Robert Peterson
Dr. Daniel Jannotta
4306 W. Crystal Lake Rd.
815-385-7930

MORRIS
Dr. Tim Ortiz
Dr. Angelo Marino
880 Bedford Rd.
815-942-5500

MOUNT PROSPECT
Dr. Eirit Yonatan
Dr. Nimish Patel
1717 W. Golf Road
847-437-1414

NORTH AURORA
Dr. Lena Park
9 S. Lincolnway
630-844-2500

NILES
Dr. John Geevarghese
Dr. Pam Lowe
7225 N. Caldwell
847-647-0707

OAK LAWN
Dr. Katherine Narbone
6209 W. 95th St.
708-423-2500

Dr. Robert Steinmetz
4619 W. 103rd St.
708-229-2200

ORLAND PARK
Dr. Mary Lou French
14315 S. 108th Ave.
708-403-0123

PALATINE
Dr. Morris Lehrfeld
Dr. Laura Rosanova
251 E. Northwest Hwy.
847-358-4950

PALOS HEIGHTS
Dr. Robert Marini
7110 W. 127th St.
708-361-2727

PLANO
Dr. Carla Adams
6800 W. Route 34
630-552-1593

STREAMWOOD
Dr. Ingryd Lorenzana
1018 S. Barrington Rd.
630-837-3939

TINLEY PARK
Dr. Dennis Gaeta
17730 Oak Park Ave.
708-692-7778

WESTMONT
Dr. David Maze
136 N. Case Ave.
630-969-2807

WESTCHESTER
Dr. Louis Jison, MD - Se habla español
10215 W. Roosevelt Rd.
708-345-7005

WOODSTOCK
Dr. Jessica Heinke
233 Washington St.
815-338-0674

How to Have Fun While You're Stuck at Your Brother's Baseball Game

Well, it's officially baseball season here. For the next month, we'll alternate games where we huddle together on the bleachers, a blanket wrapped around us, cups of coffee clutched in frozen hands with games where we lube everyone up with sunscreen and listen to the kids complain that they're thirsty and dying of heat. That's the weather in Chicago.

So today, the whole family (minus Jackson who was at a friend's house) went to Austin's practice. Lexi, Clay & Veruca Salt (formerly known as Brooklyn) played in the dirt the whole time. What's that? Why is Brooklyn now called Veruca, you ask? Well, this morning, Austin was eating a package of chocolate chip muffins. Brooklyn decided she wanted them. She demanded them from Austin. Austin, being a good big brother, told her they were the last chocolate chip muffins and offered to get her some blueberry ones. That wasn't good enough for Brooklyn. She screamed, "I want those chocolate chip muffins!!!"

Austin said he'd share his muffins with her. "Here you go Brooklyn, you can have one," he offered her. That wasn't good enough for Brooklyn either. "NOOOO! I want those! I want them NOW!"

I think we started calling her Veruca about the time she threw herself down on the floor in a kicking, screaming, muffin-induced tirade.

Anyway, as I was saying, Clay, Lex, and Veruca played in the dirt.


Yep, this is one of their favorite pastimes while at the ball field - making piles of sand, rocks, and dirt. This nasty sand that's on baseball fields everywhere, sticks to skin and clothing and stains it orange. It stays forever. In the summer, it sticks to sweat and sunscreen and leaves a filthy layer of yuckness on your skin.

They played with piles of dirt for a while, then they loaded up their shoes, yes, that's right - their shoes, with the sand and ran around the bleachers looking like crop dusters as they left a trail of fine sand billowing out behind them. I think it's time I pack up the baseball bag and throw it in the van. For those of you who don't know what I'm talking about, I pack a big beach bag full of stuff. I put small toys, Barbies, Matchbox cars, a Video Now player with a couple movies, some fruit snacks, a box of Goldfish crackers, some bottles of water and/or juice boxes, crayons & coloring books, a bottle of sunscreen, and some soft squishy balls in the bag. I keep it in my van and pull it out when we're at games so there are plenty of things to occupy the little kids. No, it doesn't usually work for the whole game, but it sure helps fight the boredom. For those of you who spend their springs and summers at the ball field, give the boredom-busting beach bag a try!

Now, I'm off to wash the layers of sand off my skin...

Friday, April 17, 2009

At the Playland

I took my kids and met my friend and her kids at an indoor playland this afternoon. I knew the older kids wouldn't be interested in climbing through a maze of tunnels, but that was no problem because there was an ice rink right next to the playland. I mean, from the playland, you could look through the window to the ice rink right there. Great plan, right? Wrong. I failed to check and see when open ice times were. In case you were wondering, it wasn't open ice time while we were there. So I had a sulking teenager who just came along on an hour-long car ride for nothing. And to top it off, none of her friends were around so she couldn't text anyone as she wallowed in her pit of torturous boredom. The horror!

You know the rules they have in places like this? Rules like: no shoes, no gum....? Yeah, well those rules are in place for a reason. I didn't realize Lexi had gum in her mouth when she ran off to play. I found out, however, when she came back to me after five minutes of playing, with these words, "Mom do you have a knife?"

"A knife? Nooo. Why would I have a knife? And more importantly, why do you need a knife???"

"To cut the gum out of my hair."


Beautiful.


A little proof that my kids are monkeys


The monkey bars: not just for swinging on, oh no. You can hoist yourself up there and just hang out, or maybe take a nap if you'd like.


The teenager stopped sulking for a few minutes to help Brooklyn join the other monkeys.


Yes, yes, he's wearing a Sox shirt. He's playing on the Sox this year. When he found out what team he was on, he asked, "Can't I play on the Cubs instead?" LOL! Good boy!


Should I be concerned that Brooklyn spent an awful lot of time spinning around this pole?




Yeah, well.... moving along....here's Brooklyn with her boyfriend Jason.


He's looking pretty proud here, don't you think? "Yeah, she's my girl. What can I say? I'm a chick magnet."
Brooklyn, on the other hand, is looking like, "Mom, can I go now?"


"Really Mom, take the picture already and let me go!"
She probably wanted to go because she had to check on her purse...


I'm fairly certain Brooklyn's going to grow up to be a bag lady. She is forever carrying around bags and purses filled assorted, um stuff. Today, she needed to bring the top of a plastic pineapple, some socks, a bracelet, a pirate's treasure chest, a tiny baby blanket, a plastic boogie board, and a yellow ant from "Ants in the Pants" fame with her to the playland. Hey, you just never know when you might need these things!

Tuesday, April 14, 2009

Doubled Eggs

This morning I was going over some questions in preparation for a radio interview I did today. As I was reading the questions, I saw Clay moving around in the kitchen.

"Whatcha doing, Clay?"

"I'm making eggs."

Flashbacks of his last egg-making episode flashed through my mind. (If you don't know what I'm talking about, you can read about it HERE.)

"What do you mean you're making eggs?" I asked in a panic.

"I'm making those kinda eggs you made yesterday," he answered simply.

"Deviled eggs?" I asked.

"Yes, doubled eggs!" Clay answered happily.

I walked into the kitchen to see that Clay had sliced a hardboiled egg in half with a butter knife, had scooped out the yolk, and had added about 1/2 a cup of mayonnaise to it. I wasn't even mad that he'd gotten into all this stuff without asking me because I was so impressed that he remembered how to make deviled eggs. Ok, so he didn't really get the proportions right, but he didn't do bad for, you know, a FIVE year old!

I helped him add a couple more egg yolks and some mustard to his mayonnaise mixture. As I did this, he climbed on a chair to reach the cupboard with my spices and pulled out a jar of cayenne pepper. Thankfully I saw the label and stopped him before he sprinkled the eggs with red pepper. I can only imagine his face after biting into that! But again, I was impressed he remembered that I'd sprinkled them with paprika and that he'd found something that looked very much like paprika.

This was much better than the last creation ('speriment) he came up with in the kitchen. I'm going with the theory that he's going to make an awesome husband some day and his wife will love me for teaching him how to cook. What? It could happen!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Oh and the other day I twittered that I had a new granddaughter named Jane. I know a few of you who follow my twitter stream were wondering what on earth I was talking about. Savannah had to do a project on genetics. She and a partner had to flip a coin to determine if they'd have a boy or girl and what color eyes, hair, etc. the child would have. Here's a picture of my new granddaughter.... Yeah, I know she looks like she's already 10 years old. Just go with it.



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

And finally, if you didn't win a digitally signed excerpt of my book last week, never fear. Here are a couple more ways to win your very own copy of Because I Said So!

Visit Guideposts for a chance to win a copy of my book (and other awesome prizes like a V-Tech V.Smile, leather diaper bag filled with Johnson's baby products, or a robe, slippers and nightgown set from Lands' End.)

And 75 of my books are being given away on The Book Club Cookbook HERE.

Check them out and good luck! :)

Book Winner

Here's the winner of Jen Singer's new book, Stop Second Guessing Yourself.

A Mom in Jacksonville, FL said...
Sounds like a great book! :)

Congratulations! Email me at mom2my6pack@aol.com with your shipping address!

Sunday, April 12, 2009

Happy Easter!

HAPPY EASTER EVERYONE!
As it happens with every holiday, someone got sick last night. Jackson went to bed with a fever and a sore throat. So, this morning, Joe took Austin to the sunrise service because the kids are responsible for doing that service at my church. When they returned, the kids searched for Easter eggs and then inhaled a year's worth of sugar in the span of 10 minutes. After that, Joe watched Austin and Jackson while I took the other kids to church. (Jackson seems to be totally fine today, btw.)
I teach 2nd and 3rd graders for Sunday school. Today, of course, the lesson was about how the stone was rolled away and Jesus was gone. I gave each child a triangle of crescent roll dough and a jelly bean. I told them the jelly bean represented Jesus and the dough represented the tomb. The kids had fun wrapping the jelly bean in the dough and sealing the sides all around it. I baked the rolls and when they were done, I served them to the kids and told them, "Open the rolls (tomb) and you'll see that the jelly bean (Jesus) is gone!"
OK, the jelly bean was supposed to melt. It was supposed to, but it didn't.
"Hey, Mrs. Meehan, Jesus is still in my roll."
"Jesus didn't melt!"
"Hey, I have 4 jelly beans in mine!" Oh great, not only did it not melt, but apparently it multiplied in one kid's roll.
"Can we eat Jesus?"
"I don't like jelly beans. Can I just eat the tomb?"
Note to self: try out any cooking experiments at home before doing them in Sunday school.
If you didn't win a digitally signed excerpt of my book last week, never fear. Here are a couple more ways to win your very own copy of Because I Said So!


Visit Guideposts for a chance to win a copy of my book (and other awesome prizes like a V-Tech V.Smile, leather diaper bag filled with Johnson's baby products, or a robe, slippers and nightgown set from Lands' End.)

And 75 of my books are being given away on The Book Club Cookbook HERE.

Check them out and good luck! :)


Saturday, April 11, 2009

Meet Theresa

Today's guest post comes from another friend of mine from high school. Who knew there would be so many published authors in my graduating class! Her name is Theresa Rose and we were both in the drama club back in the day. But she got the good part in Bleacher Bums that I wanted and I was stuck as an extra. No, I'm not bitter or anything.
Here's her blog post -"Inside the Twisted (and Normal) Mind of a 7-year Old".

This morning I discovered the latest literary tome my cherubic daughter borrowed from her classroom. It's called Oh, Yuck! The Encyclopedia of Everything Nasty. And believe me, it is.



When I asked her why she likes reading about such icky stuff, my daughter rolled her eyes at me, as if to say, "Geez, Mom! Are you really that lame?"

When I pressed her for an explanation, she said, "Boys in my class are telling me these lies about gross stuff, so I decided to look it up myself."

(It was at this point when I became impressed with my little girl's outstanding critical thinking skills.)

"Like what?", I ask.

"Pee. And something you shouldn't write."

(She knew I was gonna blog about it.)

"Come on, just tell me", I say in my most hip-mommy voice.

She pointed to her groin area and said with a sheepish look on her face, "A boy's...".

I responded in a not-so-subtle growl, "They have penises in that book?"

She replied, "Yep. They look like a hot dog with crumply sides. Not like regular hot dogs."

(It was at this point when I called upon the Awesome Power of the Almighty to subdue the massive giggle fit that was dying to escape from my lips.)

After looking for the picture of the aforementioned human hot dog, it turned out that the book didn't have penises in it at all (at least that I know of.) However, the drawing of the girl eating a squooshy, crinkly hot dog was actually on the page describing Animal Testicles. Yes, Animal Testicles.

Em's also studying leeches, because she "wants to learn how they get into people's skin." She continued matter-of-factly, "There's also funny stuff in there about pee that's really, really funny."

After I picked my jaw off the floor, I perused the well-worn book for a quick sampling of other gross topics to which my daughter has been exposed. (Based on the condition of the book, it was apparent that many other second-graders have discovered this little gem as well.) Here are some interesting entries that immediately jumped out at me: Eye Gunk, Farts, Puke, Poop, Snot and a delightful little sidebar called "the Amazing, Exploding Zit". To be fair, Emma can learn about that last topic right in the comfort of her mother's bathroom.

Just when I was about to send a scathing email off to the Dean of Emma's school expressing my outrage at their literary offerings, I noticed that Acupuncture was listed in this book of All Things Nasty. I was relieved to see that it actually had a very intelligent, insightful, and open-minded way of describing this ancient healing method that I have personally received. It said, "You know what's the weirdest thing about it? It tingles, but it doesn't hurt and it really works. American doctors didn't believe it at first. But now it's becoming a commonly turned-to medical practice, and many American doctors are learning how to pin the pin in the hurting body part...Cool things, those needles!"

WOW. How righteous is that? I continued to read what I thought would be disgusting entries and found that all of them were written in the same thoughtful, knowledgeable manner. Oh, Yuck! was actually really good at teaching the facts about things that all kids are dying to know. Who'da thunk it?

Ultimately, if reading (and sniggering) about pee, poop, and body lint keeps my daughter learning about the miracle known as the human body, then I'm all for it. I just want her to read it in her room where I can't see the creepy pictures.

By the way, did you know that doctors used to drink a patient's pee to test to see if he or she was diabetic? Ewwwwww!!!!

************************************

Theresa Rose is an award-winning author, motivational speaker, and workshop facilitator whose mission is to educate, entertain, and inspire people to create juicy, abundant lives and become aware of their unlimited power. Her book, Opening the Kimono: A Woman's Intimate Journey Through Life's Biggest Challenges is a recipient of the 2008 Royal Palm Literary Award from the Florida Writers Association. Theresa is president of Serious Mojo Publications, a national contributor to Skirt.com, and regular columnist for Creative Loafing. For more information on Theresa's work or to read her popular blog "I Got Me Some Serious Mojo", please visit http://theresarose.net.

Thursday, April 9, 2009

Meet Jen Singer!

YAY! I have an internet connection today! I tried to write a blog post last night and kept getting kicked offline. I'm so not computery; I really hate when that happens. How are you supposed to know if it's your internet service, your router, your browser, or your computer? I have no clue! Instead of trying to figure it out, I just got all depressed I couldn't connect to the cyber world and sulked off to bed. I guess that's one way to get me to bed before 2:00AM. And despite the fact that I got in bed at 8:30 last night and fell asleep before 11:00, I still had a hard time dragging my butt out of bed at 8:00 this morning. I will just never be a morning person. My parents really gave me the wrong name.

Anyway, I've recovered from the 15 radio interviews I did on Tuesday. I managed to get up at 5:30 AM and by 10:00AM I was almost completely awake. I locked myself in the bathroom to do the interviews in peace and quiet and I didn't throw up even once, so they went well in my book! Now I've got a few writing assignments I absolutely need to get done this week so I've got guest posts lined up for today and tomorrow. Please bear with me. I'll be back in full force next week!

Today I have a guest post from Jen Singer, from MommaSaid, Good Housekeeping's Good Grief Blog, and author of STOP SECOND-GUESSING YOURSELF, The Toddler Years (A Field-Tested Guide to Confident Parenting)

Jen, tell me, what’s the hardest part about transitioning from babyhood to toddlerhood?

Mobility and your toddler’s increasingly strong urge to ditch Mommy and go check out that butterfly/puddle/cupcake/dog/etc. It’s a never ending effort to balance your child’s curiosity and learning with safety and the attempt to get places on time – and without a temper tantrum. In short, the toddler years are a lot like Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride: harrowing, yet often amusing, and always full of surprises.

Mobility! Yes, that's highly over-rated. I remember urging and coaxing my first son to walk. I couldn't wait for him to take those first independent steps. Things changed by the time my sixth baby came along, however. Every time she attempted to stand up, I pushed her back down.

What’s the biggest mistake that parents of toddlers make?

Attempting to get through Target at naptime is one of them. Not expecting the unexpected is another. After I found myself at a Halloween party attempting to change one toddler’s diaper, even though he was in a dragon costume without snaps, while monitoring another toddler who was reaching for a plate full of cupcakes half a room away, I learned to lower my expectations. Toddlerhood was still a crazy, exhausting time for me, but at least I knew it should be.

What do moms say is the most difficult part of parenting toddlers?

Potty training is the most labor intensive milestone of toddlerhood, by far. You have to be involved and entertaining and helpful without pushing your toddler into total disinterest in potty training. It’s part science, part art and all up to your toddler, no matter how hard you work. Knowing how to walk the fine line between using rewards and encouragement and letting your toddler take the lead is the key to successful potty training. That, and a whole lot of patience.

Oh yes! Potty training! I've certainly become more relaxed about that over the years. I figure Brooklyn will be potty trained by the time she leaves for college...

How can you run a playdate or playgroup without all the mama drama?

If you’re hosting a playdate or a playgroup, understand that, like it or not, your mothering skills are on display for all the other moms, and vice versa. But you can nip the urge to compete in a mothering competition with a few simple tips, including:
1. Hide your toddler’s favorite toy. That way you’ll avoid a tug-of-war (and its ensuing meltdown and your apology.)
2. Don’t rush in to referee. Toddlers have amazingly short-term memories. If you wait just a little longer than you’d like to, one toddler just might find another shiny new toy and forget what she was in a tizzy about in the first place.
3. Keep it short. An hour or two is long enough before everyone starts to get cranky (moms included.)

Good, sound advice, Jen! I was just going to suggest serving margaritas.

How can you run errands with a squirmy, active toddler in tow?

Remember that timing is everything. Think about it from your toddler’s perspective: it’s hard enough not having any say in what you do or where you go, but getting dragged to the furniture store at 9:00 p.m. on Friday night? Also, front-load the most important stops in case you have to cut your outing short due to crankiness.

What do moms need to know about keeping their toddlers safe?

Our generation of mothers has taken safety preparation to all new levels, though not all of it is necessary or even useful – like the toilet latch my toddlers broke into like Houdini. I’m a fan of safety gates, particularly at the top of stairs, and of moving your breakables and anything smaller than your elbow (a.k.a. choking hazards) out of reach throughout toddlerhood.

How do you keep your toddler entertained?

The first step is to realize that you are not your toddler’s entertainment director. If you feel guilty for folding laundry because you’re not entertaining your toddler, something’s wrong. (I know. I’ve been there.) The sooner you teach your child to entertain herself, the better it is for her – and you – down the road. One of my favorite ways to get a toddler to entertain herself is to lay out the Tupperware on the kitchen floor and put her in the middle of it. Sure, it requires some cleaning later on, but it’s worth it if you’re able to get something done – or even to sit down for a while.

How do you handle the Terrible Two’s?

Here’s a secret: Sometimes Terrible Two’s starts before age two. Sometimes, it hits at four and sometimes not at all. In general, toddlers are an unpredictable lot. They can go from sweet to sour (and super-cranky) in no time flat. The key is to predict and diffuse. If, for instance, you know your toddler is going to have a canary because his cousin just touched his favorite Elmo doll, swoop in and distract him with something better, like a new and, therefore, more attractive toy, a snack, or when all else fails—dare I say—a video.

Here's my question - when do they grow out of the Terrible Twos because I know a certain 14-year-old.....

What are some of the “Milestones You Don’t Want to Share with Grandma”?

These are the things nobody told you about – and you probably don’t want to tell anyone about. Some of the most typical include: Opens, Closes, Locks, and Unlocks Doors, Stuffing Things up Noses and into Ears and Toilet Games, where the commode doubles as a boat landing or toy flusher. Take heart: These are common, and you can handle them, once you learn how. I cover these and five others and what to do about them in the book. One tip: Keep a key to the house and your cell phone in your pocket or a key hidden outside in case your toddler decides to try the lock when you step outside for a minute.

If you could give mothers of toddlers one bit of advice, what would it be?

Don’t assume they can’t reach the middle of the kitchen table.

I have a copy of Jen's new book, STOP SECOND-GUESSING YOURSELF, The Toddler Years (A Field-Tested Guide to Confident Parenting) to give away to one lucky reader! Just leave me a comment here and I'll choose a winner on Monday! Good luck!

Monday, April 6, 2009

Monday Sound Out

From Chicago, where we sing I'm Dreaming of a White Easter, it's Sunday Sound Out with Dawn Meehan! Tonight: answers to your questions and musical guest Bing Crosby! And now, the woman who has been changing diapers for 14 and a half years straight, it's Dawn Meehan!

The book signing on Saturday went really well! I wasn't sitting there by myself twiddling my thumbs like I feared. In fact, the store sold out of my book! (They had 60 of them.) I felt really bad that some people left empty-handed after driving all the way to Winnetka.

I was running late (as usual) getting ready for the signing. You know how the pockets of new pants are often sewn shut and you have to clip the threads before you wear them for the first time? Well, I put the pants on and realized the pockets were shut so I clipped the front right pocket, then the front left pocket. I looked around and saw one more pocket on my butt, so I reached back and started clipping those threads. As I was cutting, I remember thinking, "Huh, that's interesting. The inside of this pocket looks like my underwear....my underwear???" Yeah, that back "pocket" wasn't a pocket at all. I just cut a hole in my pants. I had a huge hole in the butt of my pants, I was running late, I'd only had half a cup of coffee, I was nervous, I was starved, and I didn't know how to get to the bookstore so I really wanted to allow an extra half hour of "get lost" time to my drive. STRESS!

Anyway, I was able to throw a couple stitches in my pants before leaving and I made it to the store in time (and without getting lost, I might add! Clearly God was looking out for me!) I didn't throw up which is good, but I think I lost 5 pounds in sweat through the palms of my hands. Real classy, I know. I went through 3 paper towels, wiping my hands off! I just get so darn nervous speaking in front of people! I had so much fun though! It was really great putting faces to names and meeting several blog readers! Thank you for the flowers and granola bars, Julie! Thank you for the wine, the chocolate, and the card Michelle! Thank you for a nice letter, Laura! Thank you for reading my tweet about being starved and bringing me granola bars, Jane! And thank you to everyone for coming out to see me!!!!!!!!!

Here are a few pictures from the day...
Click to play this Smilebox slideshow: Book Signing
Create your own slideshow - Powered by Smilebox
Make a Smilebox slideshow


I just read your Guideposts article and I loved it! So then I had to go to Amazon and order your book! And now I'm checking out your blog! As a children's writer and grandparent, I can so relate to your wonderful stories. May you continue to write forever!
Thank you! The article in Guideposts was good because Rick Hamlin is a great editor. Have I mentioned how much I love editors? :) And if you aren't familiar with Guideposts Magazine, check it out HERE! If you ever need a pick-me-up (and who doesn't?!), this is the magazine for you. Sooo inspiring! And if you scroll down that home page a little bit, you'll find the latest video blog from me.

Is your book gonna be available on audio?
possibly, but not right now

Your book rocks! I read it from cover to cover already...now for those who live WAY from from Chicago but in the US... will you accept mailed in books to be autographed?
I'm going to be adding some signed bookplates to my website soon. Keep an eye out for them.

Oh I totally forgot to ask how your ankle is doing. That should have been one of the questions ;)
It still hurts (wearing heels yesterday didn't help), but it's getting better. Thank you!

So did you move the book that had the picture facing forward so it had the spine out so your book could be picture out?
Of course! In fact, my good friend, Michelle Brownlow moved my books to the endcap at the store by her! She even took a picture of it and sent it to me! LOL!

So what is the trick to get the nailpolish OFF the couch???
Very large throw pillows

Is that an Ektorp?If so, Ikea has an AWESOME semi-annual sale that I discovered in January. I stocked up on Ektorp slipcovers - some of the colors were full-price, but I got one for $9 and one for $11. I figure I will stockpile them for things like ... this.
It is an Ektorp sofa from Ikea! Good to know about the sale. I don't know what I was thinking getting tan slip covers! Next time, they're going to be navy! And next time, I won't put them in the dryer and shrink them!

So...how calm were you once you saw that lovely addition to your sofa? Curious because I know I'd probably have flipped out ;o)
Oh, I do my fair share of flipping out, don't get me wrong, but I really try to ask myself, "Will this matter in 5 years?" before I react. So many times something seems like a big deal, but when you stop and think about it for a minute, you'll realize that in the long run, it really doesn't matter.

18 interivews!!?? WOW, that's awesome!!! Any chance you could schedule several of them together and have somebody come babysit for you?
I'm actually doing a bunch of them tomorrow and thankfully Joe is watching the kids for me. Most of them are taped, but here's a list of the live ones. If you're in the area, tune in and listen!

Columbus, OH WBEX-AM 6:10am central
Hartford, CT WQQQ-FM 7:10am central
Buffalo, NY/Bradford, PA WESB-AM 9:00am central
Colorado Springs, CO KCMN-AM 9:50am central
Phoenix, AZ KIKO-AM 10:30am central
Sacramento, CA KAHI-FM 3:00pm central

And finally, here are the winners of the autographed first chapter of my book!

Dawn Schubert & Mona Hernandez

Congratulations!!!

And a fitting song for a city that didn't get the memo about global warming...

Sunday Sound Out - Grrrrrrr!

I had almost finished my Sunday Sound Out when my computer started acting all wonky and I had to reboot. When I came back to my blog post, it was gone. Nothing had autosaved along the way. I considered throwing my laptop out the window, but decided to just get a good night's sleep and come back to it in the morning. So, I'm sorry, but Sunday Sound Out this week is going to a Monday Sound Out. Check back for it tomorrow.

Friday, April 3, 2009

My Interview

I did an interview with Lisa Belkin from The Motherlode Blog, NYTimes.com this morning. Whenever I do an interview via phone, I set the kids up with a movie and snacks and beg them to please, please, please be good and quiet for the next 20 minutes. If that doesn't work, I bribe them with marshmallows, or large amounts of cash.

Well, 5 minutes into my interview today, Lisa asked me, "Do you exaggerate on your blog or do your kids really get into so much stuff every day?" I thought to myself - if I say I exaggerate, there goes my credibility. If I say that they do indeed get into tons of stuff, that makes me a bad mom. As I pondered this, I heard a thud and crying, followed by Brooklyn yelling, "Clayton fell off the refrigerator and hurt himself!" Well, I guess that answers that question. Yeah, they get into insane amounts of stuff.

After I hung up with Lisa, about 15 minutes later, I discovered that Brooklyn had painted her nails. Despite the fact I had JUST painted them before taking the phone call, she decided she needed another coat just for good measure. And while she was at it, she applied a lovely coat of red to my couch as well.









The best part is - I have 18 more interviews scheduled for this coming week. I'd better stock up on marshmallows.

Thursday, April 2, 2009

Official Book Launch Day!

I meant to update my blog yesterday, but I was exhausted and fell asleep before I was able to do it.

First thing after dropping the kids off at school, I went to the bookstore with my friend because she INSISTED on running out and buying the book with me so she could brag to everyone. It was pretty cool seeing my book on the shelf of the store! The employees there congratulated me and everything.


My book on an actual book shelf at an actual book store! Woo Hoo!




My friend, Ginny with Clay and her goddaughter, Brooklyn.

I got home, threw some Happy Meals at the kids and took Clay to school early so I could have a little conference with his teachers. On my way out of the school, I twisted my left ankle and dropped like a rock, landing on my right knee. I honestly didn't think I'd be able to stand up. My ankle hurt so badly, but I was on a tight schedule, so I limped on out to my car and hightailed it to an appointment about 45 minutes away.

I came home and had just enough time to pee before grabbing Jackson and rushing him to his doctor's appointment.

I texted Savannah on the way and begged her to mix up the meatloaf and throw it in the oven. (She did an awesome job, by the way!)

I got home as Savannah was putting dinner on the table. Thankfully Joe took Austin to baseball practice. When he got back, I, ran (or more like hobbled) to Target for diapers and soap and toothpaste and stuff. I suppose I could've put off the Target run for a little while longer, but I had already been using dishcloths as diapers and giving the kids gum instead of making them brush their teeth for like a week so off I went.

I woke up this morning with a stuffy nose because I always get sick before speaking in public. It's tradition. So, come on out and see me sneeze all over the place while I limp around like an idiot, because I don't have time to go to the doctor for my foot, at the book signing on Saturday!

Such is the glamorous life of an author. Well, at least when the author is a mom first. :)

Wednesday, April 1, 2009

The Book Arrives!

Check out my second video blog for Guideposts here!