Posts Tagged Under Cathy Burke
Food Network — Here’s Your New Lunchtime Star
The most important meal of the day?
After being married for almost ten years, I just started cooking dinner on a regular basis. Luckily for me, my husband has always been the chef in our house. He can take anything out of the fridge and create a delicious meal.
Really, Is A Little Time Alone Too Much to Ask?!?!?!?!
It is nine Saturday morning and I long for a morning off.
“I’ll take them if you get them ready,” my husband offers.
Isn’t the whole point a break for me?
Why is it that any time, scheduled or last minute, that appears to be an opportunity for me to be alone — shrinks before my eyes? I am packing snacks, dressing children, loading backpacks, finding shoes, etc.
By adminGotta Get Those Mama Muscles in Shape!
I was in the best shape of my life after having two kids. I walked almost every day. When they were trapped in their respective backpack and baby jogger — I owned the trail. My loyal dog led the way and I kept up. I could go for miles, the two of them happily bouncing along with me.
Soon they wanted to walk on their own and the pace slowed considerably. Gone were the workouts. Now we were exploring. Examining every bug, rock, etc. We took our time and covered less ground but who cared?
We had all the time in the world.
By adminWhat a Mama REALLY Needs. . .
I pride myself on my ability to anticipate my children’s every need. I am painfully aware that each instant is fraught with possibilities. Every step is a potential disaster. Each trip to the playground can lead to the emergency room — or on an extended play date.
Therefore, I carry supplies for any and every emergency. I could survive for a week out of my car regardless of the circumstances. I have a change of clothes for each child (and myself) including layers and accessories. I have snacks (healthy, of course), drinks, multi packs of Band-Aids, and baby wipes (more useful now than when I had a baby).
Of course, this sounds super organized and it always starts out that way but, unfortunately, your car is only as clean as your last car trip. Between washes things do tend to get out of hand. I have been known to go through all of my changes of clothes, leaving several sets of dirty outfits and some odd combinations that mostly consist of too-small pants, non-matching socks and single sneakers.
By adminMake Me An Offer
MAKE ME AN OFFER
I am sitting in my parked car while participating in a neighborhood wide garage sale. It is a beautiful spring day and I have enjoyed reading a great book in between my few sales. My kids have been surprisingly self-sufficient: making periodic pilgrimages to the other sales and basically leaving me alone.
Their most recent score is a giant rubber hand that looks like it was chewed off and buried for six months. “Only two dollars!” Paul announces. He confides his plan of placing it on Eric’s chest while he sleeps.
It has not been the busiest garage sale but I can’t say I mind since it was a last-minute arrangement. Yesterday, a neighbor approached me at a weak moment after I had just consumed a rather large espresso drink and as optimistic as I would be all day exclaimed, “Yes! Of course! Count me in!”
By adminThe End of the Affair
Last week was spring break at Paul’s elementary school, but not at Eric’s preschool. We considered taking Eric out and going on a trip, but the plans never went past random speculation.
Meaning, I did not make them so they did not get made.
One reason is I am too cheap. I am not about to miss a week of school, which I have already paid for. Any family trips that do not involve going to visit with my family for free cost too much money. Plus, I do not consider any extended trips with my family to be a “vacation.” It’s a conundrum.
By adminHot Girls
“Mommy!” I hear Eric’s low growl from across the house. “Where is Daddy’s magazine?”
We subscribe to many publications. From “”O and “More” to “Vanity Fair” and “Zoo Books.” We can barely get through them all before the next batch appears in the mail. Eric’s favorite is his dad’s “National Geographic.” I get such satisfaction freeing it from the plastic wrapper to expose the latest exotic cover. Eric devours it page by page and my husband often has to fish it out of Eric’s bedroom in order to read it himself.
But this was not the magazine he meant.
He was referring to Daddy’s “Playboy” with “The Girls Next Door” on its cover.
By adminWho’s Parenting Who?
Eric is getting impossible to discipline. He beats me to the punch and takes away all of my fun.
After he gets an instant time-out for saying “stupid,” “shut up,” and/or “idiot” he gets sent to his room. His grand exit involves repeating the offensive word(s) with gusto and running to his room, locking it (it locks from the outside — don’t ask) and slamming the door behind him.
He is punishing himself. I didn’t even have time to put on my “mean mommy” face that usually accompanies my lecture.
“Okay, that’s a double time-out!” I yell at his closed door. That will show him.
By adminImpaired Judgment
Why is this?
By adminAuditory Processing Disorder
My son, Eric, was diagnosed with Auditory Processing Disorder or ADP; I find this name ironic because I would have described his problem as Attention Paying Disdain!
Even though his hearing is perfect, he misses the content, so if you tell him something in three sentences he hears it, but he might only “get” a few words from each sentence.
Or he may understand just one whole sentence. It is unlikely he will get all the information you are giving him. When I say, “Go to your room, put your toys away and then we can go to the park.” He may head straight to his room, grab a bucket and shovel, and head to the front door, ready for the swings. It is not his hearing or his ability to pay attention; it the way he comprehends what he hears.
By admin
