NYC Moms

Our Own Private Barenaked Ladies Concert

I love living in NYC.  I love my neighborhood, I love my friends, and I love that unexpected and exciting things happen all the time, with no warning.

Last night, I got an email asking if my daughter and I could go to the Fox 5 Good Day New York studios to be in the audience while the Barenaked Ladies sang songs from their new kids album, Snacktime.  Being a huge BNL fan, my initial reaction was "Do I have to bring a kid?"  But of course I did have to bring a kid.  Actually, the email didn't specify my daughter, but I didn't want to bring my son. He's a lot less predictable, a lot more likely to run up onstage during a live TV broadcast.  So I told him it was only for four-year-olds.

So, Fiona and I hopped on the subway super early (no time for breakfast!) and arrived at their upper east side studios, and the person sent to meet us in the lobby had no idea what to do with us.  She showed us to the green room while she went to "find where they put the other kids."  We walked into the green room, and there's the band!  Eating bagels and hanging out!

An Embarrassing Lesson in Asserting Myself

I've never been the most assertive person.  I mean, I have my moments.  I dig my heels in once in a while.  But it's usually when I've been thinking about something for a long time, rehearsing in my head what I'm going to say.  When caught off guard, however, I have a hard time pushing for what I need.  This was painfully obvious today, and I ended up making a fool out of myself in front of an audience and cameras because of it.

I had the wonderful opportunity to be in a fashion show at Macy's Herald Square, with my kids.  The show was being presented by RoleMommy.com and was in celebration of moms who are pursuing their passions while raising families.  This was definitely something that I wanted to be involved in, and I was excited.  I mean, who wouldn't want to strut her stuff in front of an audience!  Who wouldn't want people oohing and ahhing over her adorable children?

The fitting on Friday went fairly well.  I did feel like all of the clothes that were pulled for me by the stylist seemed a little old, but I had spent the afternoon reminding my kids that we all had to wear what the fashion show people told us, so I was trying to set a good example.  We finally found an outfit for me that the stylists loved, and while I didn't think it looked all that great on me, I'm not a professional stylist.  In fact, I can barely dress myself.  I go to Old Navy and Target a few times a year and buy what fits.  So I believed them that the outfit looked good.

Without My Family, I'm A Mess

My husband and kids have been out of town visiting his parents most of the week. Without them here, I'm a complete and total mess.

I don't mean emotionally. Emotionally I'm fine.  I like having a break from them.  I mean I myself personally physically am a mess.  They've been gone for four days and I've showered once. I don't work, and my only plans while they were gone were to reorganize the entire house. I don't need to be clean for that.

Not only have I let my hygiene slip, but I've been eating terribly and staying up until three in the morning (but I can't seem to sleep much past seven, so I'm pretty damn tired).

"Mama, when will I be dead?"

This is not a conversation that I expected to have with my three-year-old.  We were in the car, stopped at a red light, and she just said out of nowhere "Mama, when will I be dead?"  I'm glad she couldn't see my face because I'm sure it was a mixture of confusion and shock and panic.  I didn't know what to say!  We've never had any relatives or friends close to us die, so we have had zero experience with this.

I didn't want to scare her, so I stalled for time by asking her why she wanted to know.  Instead of answering, she said "Mama, when are you and Daddy going to be dead?"  "Sweetie, not for a very, very long time."  "How long?"  "Years and years and years."  "When will Jakie be dead?"  "Not for years and years and years.  This isn't something you should worry about right now."

She let it go, and I forgot all about it.  Until a few days later, at bedtime.  "Mama, I'm scared to be dead."

An Egg-straordinary Act of Carelessness

My daughter Fiona went to a friend's house last week for a playdate, and came home cradling a cottage cheese container like it was a baby.  She was so excited to show me what was inside: in a nest of paper towels, an Easter egg.  She had painted it yellow, with sparkles.  She was so proud!

She couldn't wait to show it to her brother Jake.  She's three, he's six, and she just worships him.  I saw her slowly walk from the dining room to the living room, hands out in front, holding her egg. Her face was glowing.  I could tell she wanted to squeal and jump up and down with excitement, but she was protecting her egg.

I didn't see it happen.

Gays Are A Bigger Threat Than Terrorists

Yup, that's what Oklahoma State House Representative Sally Kern said to fellow Republicans in a speech that showed up on YouTube.

Thank God for YouTube.  I mean, really, as recently as five or ten years ago, a politician could go around saying outrageous, bigoted, crazy, hateful things to small groups of people, and not much would happen.  But now, all it takes is someone with a cell phone and suddenly the whole world starts to understand just what's going on out there in city councils and state governments.  It becomes a little clearer why tens of millions of people would rather vote for a moron for president - twice - than risk electing someone who just might show compassion for people who, gasp, don't live the same kind of lifestyle that they do. 

"What is wrong with me, as an American, exercising my free speech rights?" said Kern, in a local news interview on News9.com.  "I have never spoken in hate against them -- never would, never will," Kern said, "Nor will I ever apologize for anything I said."

My First Post

So I’ve been agonizing over my first post for a couple of weeks now. I’ve written several entries, but haven’t posted them yet. They’re good posts, if I do say so myself, but none of them are “first post” material, because you only get one chance to make a first impression.

Do I want my first post to be about the frustration I feel living in only half of my house while the other half is under renovation? Well, that seems like a good way to label myself as the spoiled mom who doesn’t appreciate the space she has when others are living in cramped quarters.  The tiny violins are tuning up right now.

Do I want my first post to be about my daughter’s current poopy strike? Not really. I’m not sure why, but I don’t.