The kids and I just got back from seeing the flick WALL-E.  A rather interesting movie I must say.  Initially, with the lack of dialogue, I thought the kids would start complaining but, to my surprise, the movie kept their attention and they continued to stare at the screen.  I didn’t hear a peep from the kids throughout the movie and it wasn’t until the very end I heard a, “wow, that was good!”  I made the comment, “there were some good messages in that movie.”  To my surprise, the kids actually understood what I meant and this is what they said….

Don’t trash the earth, keep it clean;

Protect the plants, we really need them; and

If you sit around all day and play computer games, you’ll get super fat and you’ll lose some of your bones.   

I was shocked but happy at the same time.  Good job Disney and Pixar!

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I had my daughter and two of her girlfriends in my husband’s car when I heard one of the girls say, “Mrs. Banko, I don’t feel too good.”  At that point I turned my head to see the little girl with her hand over her mouth ready to get sick any moment.  I immediately moved over to the right lane and started to pull off to the side of the highway.  I told her to open the door as soon as I stopped to let it out.  The car came to a halt, I turned my head around and the next thing I saw were projectiles hitting the back of the seat.  AHHHHHHH, we didn’t make it!

As she lifted her head, round two came up.  The girl next to her had thrown over a blanket which resulted in her getting her arm covered in vomit.  Little miss sickie had it ALL over her, including her hair, the blanket, the car and the girl next to her.  For a second, we all sat there with a look of  disbelief on our faces but, then I immediately went into mom mode.  “Don’t move, let me get off the highway,” I told the girls.  As I came off the exit, I could see a supermarket in the distance.  The girls were frozen in the back seat.  It seemed like minutes rather than seconds for us to arrive in the parking lot.  I jumped out of the car and came around to the door where “the incident” took place.  I paused for a moment thinking to myself, no one enjoys cleaning up throw up, on your own kids you have to tolerate it but, on someone else’s kid, well let me tell you, you have to dig pretty darn deep to get the courage up to get your hands dirty!

I opened the door and took one look.  It was at that exact moment the 4 of us were ready to heave, our cheeks were puffed out trying to hold it in.  I got little miss sickie out of the car and tried to clean her face with the 4 napkins my husband had in his car.  I needed more ammunition to tackle this job.  I made the three girls sit down on the pavement as I grabbed my wallet and ran into the supermarket to get some supplies.  I hurried down the aisles, grabbed what I needed and headed to the check-out where the line was 8 deep.  This was going to take forever. I politely explained to my fellow shoppers what had happened and I asked if I could move to the front of the line.  Reluctantly, and with a few snarls, they agreed and I was back out in the parking lot. 

Little miss sickie was still a complete mess and had the green coloring in her face that looked as if any minute round three would begin.  I used baby wipes, hand sanitizer, disinfectant, paper towels, you name it, to get this poor girl cleaned up, as well as, remove the evidence from the car. It took every ounce of courage I  had to clean the chunks out of her hair and between her fingers.  Good thing I had a change of clothes for her, right down to the underwear.  I took her dirty clothes and stuffed them into a plastic bag that I would present to her mom upon our arrival.  It took a while, but 45  minutes later we were back on the road and on our way home.  We decided to keep the windows down instead of using of the A/C, for obvious reasons! 

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First of all, to set the record straight, I’m not one of those chicks that’s totally into purses.  I don’t match them to my outfits nor do I have a closet full of them.  For me, something inexpensive and simple but, able to hold my crap, is all that I need.  Carry it until it rips is my motto.

Since my diaper bag went away about 4 years ago, I’ve noticed that my purse just seems to keep getting bigger.  And it wasn’t until one of the moms on my son’s baseball team started calling my purse the “Mary Poppins Bag.”  When sitting in the bleachers at the games, whenever anyone needed or asked for something, a.k.a., a bandaid, tissues, change, etc., I was always the first to be asked to check my “Mary Poppins Bag.”  The sad thing was, most of the time, I had what they were looking for.

So the other day I read the following…

In the past five years, researchers say, the burden on a woman’s shoulder has increased 38 per cent to an average of 5.2lb. Within a decade, it is predicted to reach 6.6lb.

I thought to myself, let me weigh my purse.  Upstairs I went and put it on the scale and when I saw the number I almost wet my pants…12.7 pounds!  What the hell do I have in there?  I just knew I had to write a blog on this.

Back downstairs I went and whipped out my camera.  Here is a photo of my purse in comparison to a shoe box.  I really don’t think it’s that big…

Next, I decided to go through what was in there so I dumped it out on my kitchen table…

I’ve been carrying around my wallet, credit card wallet, coupon pouch, sunglasses and case, camera, mirror, IPOD, (3) bags of fruit snacks, tissues, a softball, my calendar, business cards, checkbook, pocket knife, deoderant, band-aids, spray sunblock, creme sunblock, a sunblock stick, (5) pieces of paper with lists, 1/2 a bag of uneaten sunflower seeds, my Hot Hang-Ups handbag holder, (1) nerf dart, (3) Wet Ones moist wipes, a Nintendo DS game case, my phone, gum, chapstick, 4 pens/1 pencil, (2) hairbands, a retainer case and (4) Crystal Light On the Go packs!

Holy shit I thought to myself.  I guess it was time to clean it out.  After removing what I didn’t need, my purse seemed extremely light.  Back upstairs to the scale.  5.4 pounds, right around the average.  I was lugging an extra 7.3 pounds around and the majority of that stuff belonged to my kids!

Note to self…clean out your purse once a week!

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Why on earth do divorced parents, or those who are going through the process, use their children as pawns?  This weekend I experienced two different episodes of parents putting their kids in the middle in an attempt for one parent to benefit over the other and it made me sick.  In the end, both kids suffered and neither parent actually gained a thing.  I realize that it’s a difficult situation when there are kids involved and no, I’m not living through a divorce so, I’m not in a position to preach but, for god’s sake, do these parents even realize what they are doing to these kids? 

In previous discussions that I had with both sets of parents, they all said that they want to do what’s best for their kids but, it seems like when parental disagreements come into play, what’s best for the kids goes right out the window.  I can just imagine how devastating it must be for the kids to deal with the divorce to begin with, but being put in the middle time after time, what is the long term effect?  Here are two great kids that are quiet, rarely smile and overall, seem sad and distant and my heart just breaks for them.  I wish their parents could look through their eyes and understand what they are going through. 

After watching the situations unfold, the best I could do was to keep my mouth shut (which is very difficult for me) and to encourage my daughter to try and be a good friend and source of support.  Without getting into a lot of details with my daughter (since she is only 9), I explained that divorce is a tough thing and some kids have a difficult time dealing with it.  There may be certain days the kids stay with their mom and other days they spend with their dad.  And at times, they may see their parents arguing and get kind of down.  So, by being a good friend she could help take her friends focus off what was happening between her parents and do her best to help make her friends smile and have fun.  At the end of our conversation, my daughter looked at me and said, “Wow mom, that has to be so hard for them, I’m going over there to try and make both of them laugh so when you see them smile, you know I’m being a good friend.” 

About five minutes later I looked over at them and saw the three of them smiling, my daughter glanced over at me and gave me a thumbs up.  I was so proud of her!

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One difference between Alyssa and I is that I make cooking for my kids a central part of my weekly plan.  In Alyssa’s house, her meals are a chore. 

I love to cook.  Growing up, our kitchen was always a central place where we gathered, cooked together and told stories.  Maybe it’s my family’s Italian background, who knows, but the kitchen is still my favorite room in my house. 

So each weekend I sit and think of fun and different meals to make for my kids.  It’s a challenge, that’s for sure.  I have a daughter who won’t eat vegetables, a son who hates things that have sauce or are all mixed up, but luckily I also have a son who will eat just about anything. 

Despite the challenges, I try to introduce even my picky eaters to different foods.  I figure the best way for them to get over their pickiness is to never give them what they like to eat.  I’m not sure this strategy is working, but I sure have more fun making a new meal every night than cooking plain buttered pasta each evening. 

So, for this week, here is my meal plan.  It may be a little less exciting than usual since it’s the first week with everyone out of school and I’m not sure how much time I’ll have to cook.

What’s are you feeding your family this week?

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I picked up a copy of The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch.  In case you missed his video, Pausch is the computer science professor at Carnegie Mellon University who was invited to give “The Last Lecture”, a tradition at the school where professors have a chance to give their life advice to the students as if it were their last lecture.  Only in this case it really was Professor Pausch’s last lecture as he had been diagnosed with terminal cancer and only had a few months to live.  Father to 3 young children and a loving husband, Pausch’s moving and inspiring lecture was captured on video and became one of the most popular viral videos of last year. 

Now he has taken the messages of his lecture and written an equally powerful book. (Okay, I know the book came out a few months ago, but moms are busy and I’m just now discovering it.)
To say that the book is an inspiritational reminder to live your life would be an understatement.  As a mother the book changed me within in the first few chapters.  The most signifiant message for me was the importance of fulfilling childhood dreams.  As a mother, this translated into taking the time to learn and understand the dreams of my children and finding ways for those dreams to be a reality.  It is these dreams that shape our life long desires.  Understanding what your children want is a huge part of helping them find those things in life that will make their hearts sing. 

As I was reading this book I tried to think about my own childhood dreams.  It took a few days to remember all the things I had dreamt of becoming.  I dreamt of working in entertainment.  I did that.  I dreamt of living in a foreign country.  I did that.  I dreamt of skydiving.  I did that, too, much to my mother’s chagrin.  But I also dreamt of becoming a mother.  I’ve obviously done that.   The fulfillment of these dreams is what has shaped my sense of fulfillment with my life. 

Over the past few days I started focusing on my children’s dreams.  What do they get excited about?  What do they passion for.  It may sound ridiculous that a stay at home mom who spends almost all of her time with her kids may not know these things already, but it’s one thing to know what your kids like and enjoy and another to really focus on their passions.  It is easy to write off our children’s dreams as just another piece of childhood.  But it’s not.  It’s part of what defines who they will be their whole life. 

So if you haven’t already, watch The Last Lecture and buy the book.  Then, go sit down with your kids and find out the 5 to 10 things they most want to do in their life and talk with them about ways to make them happen.  You will be guiding them toward a life of content and fulfillment. 

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I read an article today entitled “The Delight of Coaching Your Own Child.”  While the article focused on the positives such as being able to create a fun environment while giving children the opportunity to discover the joy of the game, it briefly mentions the difficult side such as being tougher on your own kids, perceptions of favoritism, and the keeping the experience for the parent coach and the child a positive one. 

I can say from experience that coaching your own kid is NOT a walk in the park.  Yes, maybe when the kids are very young, it’s not as tough but, as they get older, wow, those attitudes really come into play…the parent and the child.  I’ve coached my daughter in soccer and softball and man let me tell you, the two of us out on the field, we are like oil and water.  Try to correct her or give her some guidance and I get “the glare and snarl” from her, you would have thought she was ready to stab daggers through my eyes.  Give her a compliment and she ignores me, sit her on the bench or put her in a position she doesn’t like, here comes the rolling of the eyes and the “what, I’m not good enough?” 

It surely is not an easy task to coach your own child and to define it as delightful, think again.  I have given it a good try but I don’t think I’ll put myself in that position again.  I’d much rather be sitting in the stands watching the game as a fan although she’s now telling me that I have a big mouth and doesn’t like to hear me yelling while she’s playing.  I guess the days of her standing in the field throwing grass and sending a cute little smile and wave at me are long gone! 

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Four kids, two adults, popcorn, snacks, and drinks equates to over $100 for my family to go to see a movie at today’s prices.  Quite ridiculous if I say so myself.  How the heck much does it cost to pop some popcorn or run a soda machine and do these actors really need to get paid the amount of money they do to drive up the cost of a ticket?  Gone are the days where you pile the whole family in the car with a cooler full of goodies and pay by the car load for a drive-in. 

Ahh, a family outing to the movie theatre sounds like so much fun, that is, if I can find a movie for my grade schoolers that doesn’t contain some type of sex scene or foul language.  But hey, it’s only costing me a half of a week’s worth of groceries for the 2 1/2 hour escapade!

Cutting corners, now that’s what I’m all about.  I usually keep tickets to our local theatre on hand at the house, I’ll buy them through the Entertainment Book or through my husband’s employer where the tickets are somewhat discounted.   In the end you may save $15 but there’s nothing wrong with that!  Candy, that I get at Walmart.  They sell the same movie pack box that the theatre does but for a fraction of the cost.  Sometimes you can even get them for a dollar a box when they are on sale.  So 4 boxes at Walmart, that’s $5 vs. at the movie where it would be $20.   Popcorn, what they charge for a large bucket is a disgrace.  I bring ziplock bags in my purse and when I get the bucket, I ration it out among the 6 of us into the bags.  Be sure to take advantage of the size where you can get the refills.  As for drinks, being a mom, I carry a big purse!  Big enough to bring bottles of water or juices.  It may be a bit heavy going in but it will save you a ton!

So there are my money saving tips for bringing the family to a movie. Oh, I almost forgot, be sure to empty your wallet of all the quarters, this way on the way out, you won’t need to stop at the arcade!

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Alyssa and I are in the process of changing the site.  Hence why you haven’t seen much happening for the past week.  We will be streamlining our content as well as giving the site a new look. 

In addition, we are looking for guest bloggers.  Being a guest blogger will be a great way to promote your blog.  Whether you’re an experienced mom blogger, a new mom blogger or just a mom thinking you want to “dabble” in the blogosphere this is a great way to spread the word.  Here’s what we’re looking for:

1.  We want stories / posts that are original, truthful, non-defamatory, funny and real. 

2.  We want well written stories that either entertain or inform other moms.

3.  We want the post to be original and not to appear on any other blog.

4.  Will will give you a link from your post back to your blog (if you have one) plus we will add you to our “guest blogger” blogroll for one month after you post.  Frequent guest bloggers will remain on that blogroll until they are no longer regularly guests.

5.  If you have a blog, you agree to add a link to Mommy Warriors on your blog.

6.  If you become a regular guest blogger, we will send you some MommyWarrior “swag” (that’s a fancy word for merchandise.)

If you’re interested, please email me at Nicole at MommyWarriors dot com.  You can submit a sample post and if we like it we’ll put it up. 

I’ll keep you all posted and send out an email when the new site is complete. 

Thanks so much for your continued support!

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Does anyone have a mother that used the word “raga-muffin”?  Mine sure did, she used it to describe us kids when we, well basically, looked like shit.  Either the hair was a mess, the clothes didn’t match, the face was filthy,  the clothes were torn, etc, etc, etc.   So, big deal, we looked a bit disheveled,  and that was just unacceptable to my mom. 

We always knew that when she said we looked like raga-muffins it meant her pulling out her brush to fix our hair, sending us back to our room to change our clothes or putting enough spit on her finger to clean our face.  It wasn’t that we had to look perfect, more or less, we needed to look presentable.  Whenever we complained about she would always tell us, “you just wait till you have kids, you’ll know why I do the things I do.” 

Well, I guess my mom rubbed off on me.  Now that I’m a mom, I do the same thing.  I do want my kids to look good, after all, they’re a reflection of me.  When I buy my kids clothes, even thought the Garanimal Tags are a thing of the past, I do buy a top and a bottom that match, so they always have an outfit that goes together, if need be.    Any clothes that have a hole, go right into the trash.  My spray bottle sits on my kitchen counter so before the kids walk out the door, I can fix the bed head.  And lastly, I can’t begin to tell you how many places I have the little wet wipes to ensure that my kids have a clean face and hands.

You’re probably wondering what made me write about this particular subject today.  Well, it all came about at my daughter’s softball practice when one of the girls showed up looking like a raga-muffin.  Her long hair was an absolute disaster, her socks didn’t match (one was ankle length while the other was long) and her shorts had a huge whole in them.  What mother would let their kid walk out of the house looking like that?  I sure wouldn’t and I can thank my mom for that! 

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When I opened up my email this evening, I had about 7 emails in a row titled “Jon Bon Jovi Alert.”  I got excited thinking maybe they added another show to end their tour at Giants Stadium, meaning I would have to fly back and meet up with the girls for this one.  Well, unfortunately, that wasn’t the case.  But, to prove just how much these Jersey moms love Jon, I had to share some of the dialog between my crazy friends…

Liz… SORRY FOR THE LAST MINUTE ALERT!!!!  My boyfriend Jon will be on 60 minutes tonight.  God bless his mother for accepting that golden seed……..

Amy… I saw it and do believe he mentions you briefly.

Liz… Yes.  I know you’re referring to the part when he said women have “climbed over his wife” to get to him.   I’d climb Mt. frigging Vesuvius to get to his “mountain”…..yeah baby.

Joanie… I thought I heard him say “I love Liz”.

Liz… No no no.,,,.  You heard incorrectly.  He clearly said, “I’m going to do Liz.”

Micheline… I heard he DID Liz.

Alyssa… WHAT, Liz is having his baby?!?

Yeah, we’re a bunch of New Jersey moms over 40 who were introduced to Jon Bon Jovi in the early 80’s dancing to “She’s a Little Runaway” with our big hair held up with banana clips that all live the same fantasy about that sexy little lead singer with a great ass!

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I don’t know what it is, but I’ve bee SSSSOOOO exhausted all day.  I don’t know if was staying up until 1:30 on Thursday night, or not getting much sleep since Tuesday because Sean has been OOT and I never sleep when he’s gone, or if it was the sleep over I did with the kids last night in my room during which they kicked me from every side and woke me up multiple times.  Or maybe I just didn’t drink enough coffee today.  Regardless, here’s my weekly menu.  I only have stuff thru Wednesday because we’re heading to Oregon for Memorial Day weekend on Thursday.  I’ll try and either get you some recipes for these. 

What are you feeding your family?  Come on, you know you’re making something that sounds really good. 

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It’s 2:45 am in the morning and my house is silent, even though there are 22 people sleeping in it!

It was a crazy day today preparing for our family to arrive to help celebrate Ryan and Dylan’s First Holy Communion tomorrow.  Stocking bathrooms with toilet paper, washing sheets and making beds.  A final trip to Sam’s Club to get some odds and ends amounted to $664 but, included a new portable margarita machine.  We stocked the RV with beer and cocktails, chips and cookies and headed off to the airport to up a dozen relatives.  Upon arrival of the first plane, my niece made the call to say they were out of baggage claim and asked what car we had.  My response, “don’t worry, you can’t miss us!”  We drove up to find her sitting on the curb, she looked up see me hanging out of the front window of the RV.  She put her head down and just shook it, I think that she was mortified that we picked her up in an RV.  As I opened the side door, she quickly jumped inside in hopes that no one saw her!

When the second plane arrived, there were 10 of them.  They didn’t much appreciate me jumping out onto the curb with the video camera but, were VERY happy to find cold beverages waiting in the fridge.  It was a fun ride home, 14 people in an RV laughing and carrying on.  Upon arriving at the house, everyone stood in the kitchen waiting for their room assignments.  Once they all knew where they were going, they quickly dispersed, pulled out their PJ’s and jumped into bed, after all, with the time change, it was 4:30 am for them!

So, as I sit here, writing, there are bodies laying all over my house and poor Harley, the dog, can’t decide who she’s going to sleep with.  Every bed is taken, couches are covered in sheets, and any open floor space has been covered with an air mattress and the snoring has just started.  Most people think I’m nuts but, as I walk around the house and see everyone I really couldn’t be happier!

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Weekday mornings are all the same.  If you were a fly on the wall in my house, here’s what you hear me hollering:

“Guys, we have 15 minutes!  Brandon, you still have to pack up, make your lunch, brush your teeth, and put on your shoes.  Stop playing with Legos and get a move on!”

“We have 12 minutes!  Get going, put down that DS.  Turn off the TV!”

“8 minutes to go.  Come on.  Move faster. We’re going to miss the bus.”

“Honey, how many times to have to tell you!  Put down the Legos!  You have less than 5 minutes.  Have you packed up? Is your lunch made? Let me see your teeth.  Go brush again.  And get your shoes on!  UGH!”

“One minute everyone.  One minute!”

“If we don’t leave Brandon’s gonna miss his bus.  Let’s go, let’s go.”

“Alright.  Go get loaded.  Ugh, look at the time.  I think we’re going to miss the bus.”

“Come on hurry up.  Here, give me the Lego. Give it to me!  You can have it once you’re in your seat. We’ve gotta move!”

Buckle Buckle Buckle Buckle. Slam. Screeeeeeeeeech.

But here’s what you’d hear me saying to myself when it’s time for me to leave to go pick up the kids…

“I have 15 minutes.  Plenty of time to make a sandwich.”

“12 minutes to go.  I could even make a salad.”

“8 minutes to go.  Maybe I’ll answer some emails while I eat.”

“5 minutes. Oooo.  I have some comments on my blog.  I better respond.”

“2 minutes.  Let’s check the headlines.”

“1 minute to go.  I need a diet coke to go with my sandwich.”

“Uh oh, I’m already 3 minutes late.  Well, just a few more bites.”

“I should really go.  Oh, what’s this email.  Oh someone want me to do a book review…”

“I better go now or I’ll miss pick-up.  I can finished cleaning the kitchen later.”

Buckle.  Slam.  Screeeeeeeeeech

You don’t suppose they get it from me, do you?

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Our main goal at MommyWarriors is to entertain through videos, blogs, Mommy Confessions, and more but, on the flip side, we also strive to inform.  Through our daily internet search for videos and news articles over the last few months, it has come to our attention that there are so many stories regarding childhood illnesses, accidents and tragedies that are being told, a majority of which are expressed through videos that families put together.  Sadly, when we find these videos, they move us to tears and leave us wondering what we can do to help spread the word.   We post them to get the word out there.  If you or someone you know has a video and story to share, please send us an email Alyssa@mommywarriors.com or Nicole@mommywarriors.com and help us spread the word.

The Addi & Cassi Hempel video is about identical 4-year old twin girls diagnosed with Niemann-Pick Disease Type C (NPC).  Like a pediatric version of Alzheimer’s disease, NPC causes patients to slowly lose their motor skills and then their minds.  Rarely do children with NPC live past their teenage years.  Addi and Cassi’s parents, Chris and Hugh Hempel, refuse to give up hope for their family.  They research and network looking for therapies and treatments while trying their best to maintain a sense of normality and cherishing all the wonderful times they have together as a family.

Please, take a few minutes and visit www.addiandcassi.com, a wonderful site about the girls designed by their dad Hugh.  Help the girls reach their goal of a Million Wishes for a Cure, make a contribution to the Addi and Cassi Fund, volunteer to make CureCaps or just help spread their story.  These beautiful and courageous little girls will truly touch your heart.

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I just read Hillary Clinton’s quote, “A woman is like a tea bag.  You never know how strong she is until she’s in hot water.”  I had to laugh.  It’s actually not Hillary’s.  She borrowed it from Eleanor Roosevelt, but it made me wonder about good sayings that apply to mothers and kids.  Here are a few that we liked:

Moms are like…

     …thumbprints.  No two are like, but they are part of what defines who we are.

     …freeways.  If you cross one you’re liable to get tagged.

     …cell phones.  They have to be recharged from time to time.

     …toilets.  A good one can handle a lot of crap.

     …stars.  You can’t always see them, but they’re always there.  And when you look up at them in the darkest of nights, they can light your way.

Kids are like…

     …candy canes.  They’re only really good around the holidays.

     …kites.  You spend a lifetime trying to get them off the ground, but they often just come crashing down.

     …pancakes.  The first one never turns out quite right.

     …clay.  You can only mold them into something great if you’re willing to get your hands dirty.

     …farts.  You can really only tolerate your own.

If you’ve got a good one to add, fire away. 

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After we installed a TV in the kitchen I wondered whether or not it was a good idea. I loved the idea that when I was working in the kitchen I could get a bit of entertainment but, on the other hand, wondered whether the kids go overboard with it. Their first reaction was that it was great, they could watch the Disney Channel or Nickelodeon while they ate! But, of course, we had to limit it, and it served as more of an incentive for me to use with the kids. It has been very useful here is why:

When my husband and I get up in the morning, it’s great to be able to sit at the counter and watch the news while we wake up and eat breakfast. Initially, downside occurred once the kids got up, they would beg us to put on one of “their” stations. The answer was always, “no, sit and watch the news with us and learn what’s going on in the world!” Usually they would complain and walk away. What’s interesting about this whole thing is that over the last year, the kids have begun to enjoy the news. Yes, it was a slow build for them but now, they even ask us to put it on. It’s been a wonderful transition. When the four of them get up in the morning for school, we sit and watch the news for a few a little while. Their favorite station is LA’s KTLA, and they know all the newscasters by name. They love to be able to see the weather forecast so they know what to wear to school, and in comparison, they can see what kind of weather the rest of the country is having. They are very in to current events and find out new and exciting things about the LA area that sends us out as a family to investigate. Best of all, our family news session sparks so many good family discussions about what’s happening in our world around us and has opened their naive little eyes. I can’t even begin to tell you all the things we talk about that stem from what they’ve seen on the news but, I can tell you, that I love the conversations and the fact that their minds are expanding.

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We had a very surreal experience tonight.  We had Slash, from Guns ‘n Roses / Velvet Revolver, and his wife and kids over for dinner.  You see their kids go to preschool with our twins, and at the annual fundraiser where we offered up our Oregon house for auction to help raise money, the winning bid came from Slash and Perla.  So in advance of them staying at our house, we thought we’d have them over and get to know them a little.

First off, I can tell you that they are totally cool nice people.  We thoroughly enjoyed hanging with them.  But I can tell you it was strange watching the juxtaposition of parenting and the rock star lifestyle.  Imagine talking about stuffed animals, schools and educational toys one minute and then touring, drugs and stalkers the next.  They talked about how hard it is to keep their kids grounded when they’re running around back stage when Dad’s on the road.  I mean, come on!  Kids can really cramp that “tour” lifestyle, if you know what I mean. 

But it made me realize how hard it is, whether parents are movie stars, politicians, or rock stars, to raise kids in the spotlight.  These types of parents have to work EXTRA hard to keep it real for their children.  They have to go further than the rest of us to teach them the value of hard work and friendship.  So many of them get attention just because of who their mom or dad is.  That attention is an artificial reality.  It doesn’t reflect anything within the power of the child, so as he/she grows up and is expected to make their own mark, they often just wait for life to come to them, because it did so easily as a child.

There are a lot of celebrity parents who we could label as being imperfect parents, and I’m not defending them at all.  But there are a lot of celebrity parents who do a fabulous job of raising their kids in the spot light.  They work tirelessly to keep the kids grounded and down to earth.  They spend as much time as they can with them and thoroughly research schools and parenting styles.  Those who are able to raise their kids to be healthy happy well adjusted individuals are truly worthy of praise.  Sure they may have nannies and lots of aid, but ultimately, the mom and dad are still setting the standard.

But back to our evening… we made the mistake of telling the twins that Slash was a rock star.  McKenna started running around the house yelling, “The Rock Star is here!  The Rock Star is here!”   Aidan then grabbed his toy electric guitar, walked into the living with it and began playing music for Slash with a look of pride I can’t explain.  He must have thought it was his big break to audition for the band.  I didn’t have the heart to tell him that their band usually doesn’t even hit the stage until way past his bedtime. 

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I’m a little tired today.  Brandon’s school had their annual fair.  Rides, games, prizes, food, boutique, auction… you get it.  I was the co-chair of food, which really meant I was in charge of making sure everyone had enough ice.  So now that it’s over, I’m wiped.  But, I need to head to the market to get food for the week.  God forbid I have to do it on Mother’s Day, right?  So I’m doing a quick menu plan.  Here you go…