Usually I forgo making New Year’s Reservations. I mean resolutions. I figure why set myself up for failure? Instead I make New Year’s Wishes. Since my wishes haven’t come true  for 2012, I am so surprised that George Clooney did not show up on my doorstep to whisk me away, I have decided to make a combination list of wishes, hopes and resolutions.

1. I resolve to begin running again. I wish for motivation and hope for time in order to “just do it”
2. I resolve to be a better friend, to be there more for those who need it. I wish that they do not need it too often (because, really who wishes misery on their friends?), but hope they know they can ask me for help.
3. I resolve to give up Diet Coke. Cold turkey. Beginning Jan 1st. I hope I have the willpower to abstain. I wish my family patience in dealing with me being grumpy in the morning.
4. I resolve to spend more time hugging my girls and less time screaming at them. I wish for more patience and hope they learn behave like those perfectly behaved children my friends brag about.
5. I resolve to read more at night and spend less time watching Reality TV. I hope for the Real Housewives not to be so addictive and wish to find new authors who will enchant me.
6. I resolve to less time venting and more time rejoicing. I wish for less roadblocks for Boo and hope Tia continues to remind me how lucky I am.
7. I resolve to keep a cleaner house. I hope my family learns to clean up after themselves (especially crazy puppy whose dog hair is driving me nuts!) and wish for a cleaning lady.
8. I resolve to find balance in my life, between work/family/Boo’s therapies. I wish for George Clooney to show up at my door and hope he says, Don’t worry darling I’ve taken care of everything. See the maid, the live in therapist and I have a gazillion dollars so you no longer have to work. (sorry hubby!)

What are your resolutions, hopes and wishes?

Today is my favorite day of the year. Well, tonight actually. Tonight is the night that Tia and I have our annual girls night out. Just the two of us, no children and no husbands. Not that we do not love both. But this night we go out to dinner, share a bottle of wine and just catch up.

I hope everyone has a fabulous weekend!

Having survived the 2012 holiday season, I have determined new rules for Christmas 2013:

• The person who gives the gift must put the gift together. This includes, but is not limited to: horse stables, Barbie houses and the Euro-grow-with me chair. (By the way, the chair is the BEST GIFT EVER. Just a pain in the knees to put together.)
• If you are going to buy said gift that requires a  degree in rocket science to put together and you are not available for assembly you must provide the wine.
• Nephews who come for Sunday brunch should say thank you. Not ask why there isn’t enough corned beef hash. (Because honestly, YUCK I didn’t think anyone would be eating it anyway).
• Nephews should not ask, while in the midst of cooking the brunch and then cleaning up for me to teach them how to drive a standard. And then be surprised when I say not today.
• If you are going to participate in our Yankee Swap, at least have the gift look like you spent $20. Do not give a candle that I know you spent $5 on.
• If you are going to give a gift to the girls that takes batteries and makes annoying noises do not be surprised when my husband calls your house, cell phone, office and plays the toy on it’s loudest setting for your pleasure. Especially when it is a piano that plays Linus & Lucy. Non-stop once Boo figured out how to hit the button.
• And do not be further suprised when he calls you at 2am. (yes, yes he did)
• And lastly, if you are going to give Allie a make-up kit with 72 shades of eye shadow do not be surprised at the revenge gift I am planning for next year!

What are your rules?

We did it! We survived an influx of company, three different Christmas celebrations, Christmas Eve Mass and Christmas Day.

We survived playing Santa and putting toys together. (My husband and I have a new rule…who ever buys the gift puts the gift together!).

A good time was had by all, even if we are all exhausted.

Poor Allie. She & Boo have been sharing a room while the company is here for the week. Boo usually wakes up early and then (generally) will talk herself back to sleep. Except now she is in Allie’s room and sees Allie when she awakens. So poor Allie has been awoken every morning at 6am. And, thank goodness for older sisters, reads to Boo in her room until she hears the adults get up.

Except this morning. Because today Boo woke up at 3am. And thought it was playtime! By the time I realized that I wasn’t dreaming and I was hearing Boo shout, ALLIE BOOK with joy, I ran to Allie’s room. Boo had managed to climb onto Allie’s bed, stand on-top of her and drop the Princess Book onto Allie’s head. (see what physical therapy can accomplish?)

Poor Allie! Who is such a good sport. As I took Boo from the room, Allie said that it was okay, she would read to her. Until I told her it was 3AM go back to sleep!!!!

I have become the Clark Griswald of our family.

I hope you and yours have a Christmas full of peace, love and understanding.

And for all of us moms with children home on Winter vacation, I wish you to receive patience and wine.

Trust me, the wine will help with the patience!!!

Merry Christmas 🙂

The thing with Boo is that she doesn’t cry, she retreats into herself. Which to me is more heartbreaking. Santa left the train and all was well.

I suck at this.

This morning I sent Allie to school uninformed. I did not discuss the horror in CT with her this weekend. Oh, the news was on periodically. But the news is so out of her interest zone that she didn’t pay attention.

There was mention of the horror at Church. But again, she barely listens to the priest on a good day. If it was discussed during CCD, Allie didn’t mention it.

I did not deliberately shield her from the horror, but I did not expose her to it either. And this is why I admit my cowardness. Because I know at school today there will be talk and discussion.

I am very good at rationalizing. Allie won’t internalize what happened in CT. She will never think that it can happen to her. By living with Bridget and being exposed to hospitalizations, Allie already knows that bad things happen to little kids. She never has made the jump that it can happen to her. I also believe that Allie is still so innocent. How can a girl who believes in fairies ever comprehend the horror of small children being executed?

This weekend, Allie asked me if a Fairy could be special needs? For once, I was at a loss for words. Allie went on to say that she hoped to go to Never Land with Tinkerbell and see the Winter Woods. But she wondered if Boo would be able to go with her.

Since I literally had no answer, she came up with one on her own: They would sprinkle Boo with a “little” pixie dust, then Allie would hold her hand. Since Allie would do that for Boo,  of course (!) the other fairies would do the same if one of them had special needs.

Because, in Allie’s mind, you take care of one another.

And this, my friends, is why I let cowardice prevail. Because innocence should be preserved as long as possible. I do know that Allie will hear about the horror in school today. I plan on leaving work early to make sure I am home when she gets there. And I hope that she continues to believe that just because horrible things happen to other people, she is still safe.

Lately life has been tough. The holidays, birthdays, just general Boo-ness. But my child is home. She is safe and sound.

My thoughts and prayers are with the parents and family members who are all suffering today.


Have you heard of Story People? They seem to have great sayings for every moment in life. Even tragic ones. Tia found this one today:

http://www.storypeople.com

Just as those without “special” children cannot possibly know what we go through, we can only imagine what the parents, friends and families are feeling at this moment. And be eternally in awe of their strength.

We can also hug our children and be grateful. Grateful that at this moment we have more joy in our lives than we can ever appreciate.

Recently I was asked: Why isn’t Boo potty-trained yet? She is 3 & 1/2

I wanted to reply: Because I like supporting Pampers. They seem like a nice company. (this was during the weekend that I became an idiot).

But the truth is, I just don’t think she is ready. She cannot tell me if she is hungry, tired, bored or why she is throwing the baby doll out of the baby carriage. She cannot help with getting her pants on or off and she could in no way get herself onto the toliet.

Then I second guess myself and think that in some ways I think she might be ready. 

The other night she took my hand, said potty and walked into the bathroom. I put her on the toilet and she sat for a minute. She told me she was all done and got off. Nothing moved, so to speak. But I was so proud of her for sitting there for a minute.

Over the weekend we got together with some friends and one of the moms said to me, “Oh Boo isn’t trained either? Now I don’t feel so bad about K”. Okay, first I was thinking wow you are holding up your ‘normal’ almost 3 year old to Boo’s 4 year old standards–yeah Boo! But at that exact moment her daughter came up to the mom with diaper bag in hand and proclaimed “I NEED CHANGING!”. So, my second thought was, wow your daughter can tell you she needs changing but you don’t think she is ready for the potty?

My third thought, you jerk-Kerri-here you are judging another mother when you are so irked that others judge you/Boo. (Yes, I frequently yell at myself and call myself names).

It also made me question, again, how to train Boo. With Allie I had a deadline. Her daycare only went to an age and she HAD TO BE TRAINED by 2.9 years for the new preschool. I started early, totally improvised and remember to this day me thinking to myself that there is no way to teach some one how to use the toliet. I mean think about it. How do you describe what they are supposed to feel in order to get them to the toliet in time. With Allie I literally put the big girl panties on and she peed the floor. I remember saying to her, see what happened? If you think it is going to happen again run to the bathroom! And if you do that, I will give you 3 M&M’s (yes, 3!).

It was a long process, to say the least. And we went through a lot of M&M’s.

But how to train Boo? I am completely unprepared. I have no idea where to start. She has such trouble communicating, she cannot self-dress, she cannot manuever easily into a chair (even if I got a portable one). And do not even get me started on her constipation/diarrhea issues.

I do not want to set her up for failure. I also do not want to be lazy. As much as I enjoy supporting Pampers and Baby wipes, they do make life easier. Her GI doctor told me that due to her low muscle tone, potty training really wasn’t recommended yet. Developmental medicine told me that realistically she wasn’t capable of knowing when to go.

That has been my excuse, really. That I do not think Boo is ready.

But then she took my hand and went into the bathroom.

Boo has proven doctors wrong before. Maybe she is ready, I at least have to let her try.

Just not tonight because I have to make cookies….