Miguelina

Honestly, it doesn't even bother me anymore

I think of it as preparation for the teen years.

The season of my discontent

I have been waiting for Fall since, I don't know, early August or so? I couldn't wait to stop lathering on the sunblock, to start our new preschool routine, to wear layers again. I distinctly remember hating the Spring because it couldn't get warm fast enough, and the Winter I hate because it is dark and cold and icy. That will never change, I'm afraid.

It is now September 22, and Fall! Has! Begun! My preschooler loves his school, and we have yet to actually be late to school, but the morning rush is kicking my ass so badly as I rush about trying to get him and the baby fed while putting his shoes on and looking at the clock and OMG I won't be able to shower that he has taken to standing in front of me and screaming at me, "don't freak out Mama! Don't freak out!"

I'm trying, but it's hard not to.

Also, I had forgotten how much longer it takes to get out the door when everybody has to wear layers. And socks. My God! The socks! They kill me.

We have a week an half of preschool under our belts. We got out the door today in record time. Too bad I had to turn around because we've all caught a terrible cold, and my preschooler sounds like he has consumption. I couldn't send him to school like that. I don't want to be That Mom. You know, the one who sends her kid to school sick, so the preschooler catches the germs and gets the rest of the family sick. Like my family. I'm sick as a dog. Why are these children's cold viruses so much more virulent than the ones I used to catch when I worked at an office? And why must I catch every single one the kids catch? WHY?

So we all stayed home today. No preschool for Sebastian. No playdate for Benjamin and I. Just a quiet day at home, occasionally interrupted by a wayward hacking cough (the boys) or constant blowing of the nose (me.)

I'm cold.

I have learned my lesson. I need to start enjoying the moment.

This one's about Oprah

...But not about that stupid boycott (c'mon angry people - does Sarah Palin really need Oprah?)

I don't really watch Oprah, to be honest with you. There's only so much media a person can consume before it takes over your life and I've dropped Oprah so that I can spend my free time writing about wrinkle creams and Prada shoes. But I do respect that she uses her sizeable pulpit to push issues she cares about, and this one is important, so I will use my wee little soapbox to help her out. (Like Oprah needs my help!)

I'm pretty sure my friend Milena sent this link out to every person she knows, and she did it twice, so I finally caved in and went over and read about Oprah's episode on Internet Child Predators and I was shaken to my core. Go ahead and read it. Sadly, it won't tell you anything you didn't know, but it illustrates just how quickly information moves on the internet - and when that "information" takes the shape of a lunatic taking pictures/videos of themselves raping and abusing a child it is, of course, sickening and criminal.

These people must be stopped, and there are many brave people who dedicate their lives to do this - but they need our help. Software exists that can track the distribution of child pornography and helps the police and FBI catch these people right where they're committing these heinous crimes - and no, I don't mean in a virtual chat room. These people need to be caught in the real world. Help pass Senate Bill 1783.

Now, I don't fear the internet (obviously); most kids that are molested suffer at the hands of people they know and should trust. But the truth is that just like the rest of us find support online (oh, how many times has the internet saved me from believing that I'm the only mother who gets overwhelmed by grocery shopping with toddlers!) these sick people find others who will make them feel that their actions are normal - and they are not. They're criminal. Let's not pretend that this isn't a problem. It is. And we can do something about it.

I can give you ten minutes

I read somewhere that if there's something you want/need to do but can't find the time, you should set a timer for 10 minutes and take care of that thing... and well, here I am!

Summer has ended - but preschool phase-in didn't start until this week, so I've had no childcare and two boys to entertain and exhaust for the past two weeks, and we have out of town guests, and I've started a new job, and I've stayed up late watching the Olympics, and then the DNC and then the RNC, and...and...well, you guys know how it is, life gets busy and then you realize that you've gotten out of the habit of writing just for fun (that's what happens here, in case you've forgotten. Not that I blame you.)

So, let's catch up!

Work. Aisledash is no more, but I've been taken in by the awesome team at Stylelist, so you can follow me there if you like (fair warning: I'm tasked with finding you shoes and dresses) so between that and BeautyHacks I'm spending a lot of money hours "researching" - poor me. I also work as a marketing consultant and we're pitching for an interesting project that I can't tell you anything about, so I'll leave it at "please keep your fingers crossed for me." I'm itching to start giving creative presentations again - I'm envisioning myself kicking ass a la Don Draper, just without any of the sexism or cigarette smoke. I'm not ruling out having some whiskey before presenting, though. 

My three-year old is going to a Co-Op preschool, and I knew that this would mean that I would be involved with the school and that we would meet the other families and other things of that ilk, but I didn't realize that his already full social schedule would go on overdrive. I've been going on twice a week playdates so that the incoming class can meet (it sounds lovely, but three year olds don't really "meet" each other - it's more like they fight over dump trucks at the sandbox) and the parents can socialize. The other thing is that we have to put in time at the school and the month before school starts means that the parents are at the school scrubbing floor and painting walls - I KID YOU NOT. It was fun and satisfying, but we've never painted our own home (we rented forever, and we like the colors in our current house, so we've never painted) so it was a little odd and terribly heartwarming to see my banker-husband painting wee-little chairs.

The rest of the things are self-explanatory: My brother and his wife are visiting and they are awesome. The Olympics and the DNC? Awesome. The RNC? If you follow me on Twitter, you already know how I feel.

RIIIING! RIIIIING!

Ooops, saved by the bell...gotta go!

Have you seen this?

Truly, there are no words: