The Rise and Fall of Technology

Last night, for some inexplicable reason, we had a black-out.  Not just a “blew a fuse, back on in 3 minutes” black-out, but a proper pitch black, city wide and potentially county-wide, black-out.  It happened about 6:30 p.m., so there was not even a drop of daylight left.  After about 3 minutes of shrill blood-curdling screams from 7 year old H – who is really afraid of the dark – our little family banded together and went on a search for candles and flashlights.  Thank goodness the kids weren’t in the basement alone, as they sometime are at that time of night!

Once we got all the candles lit and H settled down, and realized that this was a potential long-term situation, we all hunkered down in the living room.  Now, judge me if you will, but I can’t remember the last time all four of us were in a room together and it didn’t involve a meal, TV or videogames.  It was REALLY nice.  When conversation began to lag, I started telling them “B & H Stories.”  When the kids were really young, before bed, the three of us would snuggle on my bed and I would tell “B & H stories” and they always start the same way: “Once there was a little girl called H and she had a big brother named B, and they liked to go on adventures.” Then I would spin an impossible story about where they went and what they did.  We haven’t done B & H  stories for at least two years, and Steve had never heard one. So I spun the tale of how B & H wanted to go to the highest mountain in the world but couldn’t be bothered to climb it so they used a hot air balloon, got unbalanced at the very tip of the mountain and rolled down it, only to eat pizza and dance party with the sherpas.  We were all in stitches, and when it was over, B promptly asked for another. 

Just then, the lights came back on. It seemed glaringly bright and I asked B to turn them back off, but he was having none of it.  As quickly as that, the spell of our black-out night was broken and the the almost full hour of perfection was over.  The kids darted away to their normal “lighted” activities and I was alone. 


I sat there for a while, musing about how easy it was to get into a lovely “family only” moment when there were no other distractions, and about how truly few of those we've had as a family.  About how nice it was and how I wish there were more, and about how, despite all of the hardships, the families of the distant past must have been much closer and stronger as a unit than we are today, because there were so many fewer distractions. It makes me sad for our current, rushed, tech-filled, independence-driven families. We are really missing out on something fantastic.  Maybe I’ll implement a monthly “pioneer times” night, with nothing but candle light, board games, and B & H stories…

Christine 

Mother's Day

This past weekend, as you know, was our holiday…Mother’s Day. A time for extra hugs and kisses from our kids, a new crayon portrait for our offices, a new picture frame made from an old cd case. A time for us to get a little spoiling from the people we spoil the other 364 days of the year.

But for me, Mother’s Day is also a time for me to honor and thank all the amazing mothers around me. From my amazing Mom, to my Grandma, sisters, mother-in-law, aunts, godmothers, and friends, it’s a time for me to remember all the amazing Moms around me who help shape the Mother I am today.

I had an amazing Mother’s Day weekend. The weather was absolutely perfect and I had a weekend jammed packed with fun with my family. My cheeks still hurt from all the smiling!

I started my extended weekend (because yes Mother’s Day is more than a day for me, it’s a multi-day event), on Thursday with lunch with one of my closest friends who was in town visiting her Mom for mother’s day. This friend is so dear to me, she’s one of my favorite people and the godmother to L. We met up at our favorite restaurant and I got a chance to just vent for over an hour. Any Mom knows that lunch with good friends is a special gift. It's our free therapy, a time to be seen as someone other than Mommy.  My friend listened to me vent about work, stress, life. I left lunch truly happy that I have the friends I do in my life.

Friday, I worked and then attended parent teacher conferences at the kids’ daycare. I had three excellent reports which of course made me beam with pride. I also treated myself to a lunch hour shopping trip. Sure it was just a trip to Hobby Lobby for decorations for the kids' room...but to me shopping feels good no matter what the occasion! I also got my favorite flowers (tulips) delivered to me at work from Todd and the kids.

Saturday, my family and I headed to Tulip Time in Pella, Iowa. It’s our annual mother’s day weekend tradition as it is my favorite town festival. We always pick up my Mother-in-law and head to the parade and festivities in the small town (and of course take hundreds of pictures). This year was extra special to me because my best friend (and fellow JD Mom Jean) met us there. Jean and I have been best friends since law school. Jean is my "scarecrow", you know Dorothy's favorite, the one she missed the most when she left Oz!  I grew up with two brothers and so I always longed for a sister. Little did I know God gave me one, I just didn’t find her for 23 years! Jean is a member of my family no matter what our DNA says. Getting to spend a few hours with my dearest friend, her Mom, and her daughters made my day.

Pella is a few hours from our house, so I got another treat on Saturday...a car trip with my husband. I love talking to my husband, but our schedules are crazy so we don’t really ever get time to just sit and talk. That’s why I LOVE car trips with him, especially late night car trips when we aren’t interrupted by the “Mom I have to go to the bathroom”, “Mom she looked at me funny", "Mom, he's sitting too close to me" moments. Getting some time alone with my husband reminds me how much I love being a wife. After the kids come, Moms often don't get a lot of moments to remember we are wives and women in love. So a few hours in that world felt wonderful!

Sunday I was woken up by my kids who greeted me with a card and a “one in a million Mom” button. We then headed to my hometown to spend time with my Mom. We picnicked in the park with my Mom and step-dad, brother and his family, and Grandma. We played baseball, ate great food, laughed, and then went fishing at a nearby pond. Later on in the day we FaceTime talked with my other brother and his wife who live in Texas. During that moment where my family was all crowded around my oldest brother’s IPad talking all together I realized how lucky I am to have this family.

I’m lucky to be a Mom, a wife, a daughter, a sister, an aunt, a granddaughter, and a best friend. Because of the roles in my life, I got to spend a weekend with all my soulmates, ranging from my 11 month old son L to my 87 year old grandmother. All these people that love me enough to want to celebrate with me during this very special weekend.

But after a few days of pure Mommy fun, my favorite memory from this Mother’s Day came at nearly the end of my celebration. As we were leaving my Mom’s house to head back home my Mom came out to do her usual, buckle the kids in, hugs and kisses and good-bye routine. J reached out for a hug, embraced my Mom and said:

“Happy Mother’s Day Nana. Thank you. You’re such a good Mom to my Mom”.

Both my Mom and I teared up hearing J’s little voice. I don’t think J will realize it for many years to come but the fact my Mom was a good Mom helped to make me the Mom I am to J.  She was right-on to say Thank You to the woman who made me, well ME!  All the credit I get of being a good or fun Mom stems from the fact that I was taught how to do it by an amazing Mother. I think that's what Mother's Day is all about...truly recognizing that you are who you are because of the amazing woman that not only brought you into the world, but holds your hand and navigates you through the journey.

I hope everyone had amazing weekends filled with love, fun, and time to reflect on how truly blessed we are to live the lives we live!

Mandi

Merry Christmas!

Remember that scene in It’s a Wonderful Life when Jimmy Stewart runs down the street screaming his Merry Christmas’s??

“Merry Christmas Town Hall”, “Merry Christmas Movie House”.

I love that scene. Thank God you can’t hear me while reading this blog otherwise you would have to endure my Jimmy Stewart impression.

Okay, so I’m no Jimmy Stewart and if I ran down the street screaming Merry Christmas, I would either keel over from exhaustion (which reminds me that I need to add weight loss as a New Years’ resolution) or get pulled over by the Davenport Police Department. So, allow me to “Jimmy Stewart” myself in blog form today.

“Merry Christmas J, H, and L”. I cannot say enough how much my children play a role in my life. Wait a second, they don’t play a role…they ARE my life. I truly believe that my life started when they were born. There is not a day that goes by that I don’t thank God that I have them with me. They are truly the greatest people to walk this earth and I am so honored to be their mother. I love cuddling with L, laughing with H, and accepting fashion advice from J.

“Merry Christmas Todd”. I don’t say it enough, but I wouldn’t be anywhere without my husband. He is my rock, my best friend, and my soul mate. He has taught me to love in a way that is so profound, so deep, that it has changed everything I thought about love. Sure I wish he would pick up around the house and I probably won’t stop nagging him…but I don’t regret a minute that I chose him to be my partner and the father of my children.

“Merry Christmas Mom” I am one of those lucky few that can honestly say (and not just with a Hallmark card) that my Mom is my best friend. She has always been the one constant in my life. I know no matter where I go, she’ll be there to help me. She knows me better than anyone and can read my mind so clearly, that I often pretend to think of something else if I want to hide something from her. She is also the reason I am able to be the Mom I am today.

“Merry Christmas to my Firm” I am so honored to be a partner at my law firm. I love working at my firm. The staff is amazing, my partners are supportive, and the work is exactly the type of law I am passionate about. If I have to be away from my kids, which my school debt and credit cards dictate that I do, then I want to be here. I am so blessed to own a piece of such an amazing company.

“Merry Christmas to my Facebook Friends” You will often hear me mention Facebook in my blog posts. I LOVE Facebook. Not only has it allowed me to show off thousands of pictures of my children and digital scrapbook pages, but I have reconnected with friends that I would have never had the opportunity to otherwise.

“Merry Christmas Package”. My best friend is Jean, my fellow JD Mom. I met her in law school and since then she has become such a part of my life, we have nicknamed each other “Package”. In fact, she isn’t my best friend…she is my sister. I don’t get to tell her enough how much she means to me, but she is the kind of friend that understands you even when you don't understand yourself (if that makes any sense).

“Merry Christmas JD Moms”. I have to give a special shout out to Karen and Jean, my fellow JD Moms. When Karen first asked me to co-create this blog with her, I had no idea what this would become.  I mean come on…I’m just a Mom, the most interesting and thought-provoking topics in my life are “Where are Max and Ruby’s parents?”or “Why do Dora’s parents let her wander across the world alone?”. All joking aside, I am so grateful to write along with these two amazing women.

“Merry Christmas to You”. Since we started this blog in September, I have gotten many emails and Facebook notes from various readers of this blog. I greatly appreciate your comments and praise on the blog. I love the emails from the readers who say “I know exactly what you are going through” or “That SO happened to me”…because that is the purpose of our blog. We are all in this together. I know I speak for Karen and Jean when I say a special thank you to all of you for supporting our blog.

Okay, so I know this would have been so much more dramatic if I would have channeled Jimmy and ran down my street yelling my greetings…but you get the point. On behalf of myself, J, H, L, and of course my fellow JD Moms I wish you a Merry Christmas!! Please leave me some comments or send me messages with what you and your family did over the holidays…I love to swap crazy family stories (although trust me I'll always win)!!

Mandi

My Thank You's

Happy Thanksgiving! Thanksgiving is a time to look and reflect on all we are thankful for…and boy do I have a lot to be thankful for!!

Of course I am thankful for every day with my happy, healthy, beautiful children and wonderful husband. Of course I am thankful to have a job that allows me to be the Mom I want to be.

So this is not going to be a post about the large things that I am thankful for every minute of my life. Instead, I thought as this is my 32nd Thanksgiving, I would take time to reflect on 32 of the small things in my life…the things I always forget to be thankful for.

So here we go…

1. Thank you to Target for managing to design shoes that look just enough like the designer shoes at Von Maur to fool my 4 year old and allow me to avoid spending $100 on shoes she will out-grow in a month.

2. Thank you to the wonderful caregivers at my kids’ daycare who always remember to hug my kids and tell them “I love you” when they leave at the end of the day.

3. Thank you to Wal-Mart for restructuring your store so I don’t have to take my kids over by the toys when I just need soap or toothpaste.

4. Thank you to the Baby Einstein company for “Baby Beethoven” which keeps L entertained in his bouncy seat just long enough so I can take a shower.

5. Thank you to my Mom who always remembers to call me and ask me how I am…instead of simply inquiring about the kids.

6. Thank you Twizzlers for being the only treat my 3 year old son will go potty for.

7. Thank you makers of the DVR who allow me to watch my favorite TV shows at midnight when I finally have time to sit down and watch a show.

8. Thank you Strawberry Shortcake for making a comeback while my daughter is young so I can relive my childhood everyday.

9. Thank you to my best friends for loving my children and proving that you don’t have to be related by blood to be family.

10. Thank you to L for sucking his thumb instead of being dependent on a pacifier so I never have to have another moment of “Oh crap we forgot the binky and he’s tired!” in a crowded restaurant.

11. Thank you to Facebook for allowing me to reconnect with old friends and see pictures of my permed hair and plaid shirts posted for the world to see.

12. Thank you Crock Pot for making my dinners taste like I’ve slaved all day, even though it only took me 2 minutes to throw everything inside and turn it on high..

13. Thank you Glee for doing Rocky Horror Picture Show so I can teach my kids how to do the Time Warp!

14. Thank you Dodge company for putting automatic doors on my mini-van so I can open the doors while juggling groceries.

15. Thank you Gymboree for coming out with Gymbucks so that every now and then my bills at your store can be less than $200.00.

16. Thank you makers of spray in shampoo so I don’t feel gross if I don’t get to wash my hair every day.

17. Thank you General Mills for putting WHOLE GRAIN and VITAMIN D in large print on your boxes of cereal so I feel a little better as I pour a bowl of sugary Lucky Charms for my kids.

18. Thank you for multi-colored post it notes ( No reason really…I just love them).

19. Thank you Barenaked Ladies for coming out with “Snacktime!” So I don’t have to listen to Barney and Dora and can actually enjoy my kids’ music.

20. Thank you Nickelodeon for coming out with Team Umizoomi (a kids show about math) so I can work on my math skills while my kids enjoy their favorite tv show.

21. Thank you to Garmin for my GPS so I never have to juggle Mapquest directions while I look for a courthouse in some small county in Iowa.

22. Thank you for court reporters who can keep up with fast talking attorneys like me and after I am done make me feel better by saying “Oh, you don’t talk THAT fast”.

23. Thank you creators of “Just Dance” for the Wii, for coming up with a fun game where I can get in some exercise while I “Walk like an Egyptian”.

24. Thank you for briefs I have saved on my computer, so when a partner emails me at 10:00 p.m. saying they need a brief done by the next day I can simply copy and paste.

25. Thank you makers of the Bounce Dryer Bar so I never have to pull out another dryer sheet that got stuck in my pant leg as I sit in court.

26. Thank you online bill pay for allowing me to pay my bills without having to find the stamps I never have anyway.

27. Thank you for dark colored suits, which hide spit up stains beautifully.

28. Thank you Blackberry for allowing me to answer emails while I sit at a dance class.

29. Thank you Spaghetti Sauce for being the only “vegetables” my daughter will actually eat.

30. Thank you for the Tasks option on Microsoft Outlook which gives me my reminders that I have the appeal brief I totally forgot about due in a week.

31. Thank you Caffeine Free Diet Pepsi for making your pop taste just like the caffeinated one so I don’t feel so guilty about my 6 plus cans a day.

32. Thank you to the JD Moms blog…for giving me an avenue to vent and allowing me that chance to formally thank Post-it Notes!

Of course you know that this list is not exhaustive. A working Mom has so much to be thankful for in her life. But always remember to be thankful for the little things too…and if you’d like to share your “Thank You’s” feel free to leave me a comment!

On behalf of all the JD Moms Happy Thanksgiving everyone! We are so thankful for your support. Now go stuff yourself with turkey and stuffing and enjoy the extra days off with your kids!!

Mandi