Modern Mommy:

Another Great Deal Brought To You By The Modern Family

You know me.  Always sneaking around the Internet, skulking behind corners and peeking into the lesser known websites seeking the buried treasure that is "the undiscovered site"  In this case I was surfing for stylish diaper bags for a friend who just became a mommy.  Naturally I was pleased to stumble upon a fantastic site called ShopWiki.  I was so proud of myself, but now I find out that this site is not exactly a secret, but is rather popular in some of the blogging circles I often play in. 

So the search for the cool diaper bag begins.  I am thinking trendy, stylish, repulsively expensive.  So I thought Coach.  Feast your mommy eyes on these I found on ShopWiki.  This next one you must see, I have included this juicy little photo of the Baby Bjorn family on the go.  Internet meet the "Diaper Bag Dynamic"

I wanna be that family, don't you?  Enough to buy the bags and carrier?  There may also be a wardrobe and make-up change.  But otherwise this could so be me.  Here is your obligatory link for those of you who are so inclined.  I actually found all the baby clothes, accessories, toys, and products from just about every store on the Internet that parents or gift giving friends could want buy. You can find just about anything and everything that your little mommy mind can imagine on this site.  I am seriously always the last to know.  Anyone have good or bad experiences on ShopWiki?  So far the purchases I have made were just what they said they would be, and the experience was great.  Ideas and thoughts on other little known websites for children's toys, clothes etc?  Let me know!!

If it were up to me, I would be the one wearing the trendy clothes, carrying the expensive diaper bag, driving the stylish huge mini-van (the one with all the bells and whistles) living in the fancy gated neighborhood and sipping lattes while the pool man cleans with his shirt off.  But I am more sensible than that.  I drive a hybrid, I wear jeans and t-shirts, I do occasionally sip lattes, but not usually by the pool I do not have.  Mostly I am just mommy, playing with my kids, going to soccer and gymnastics, working my part time job and surfing for just the right diaper bag.

Off The Air

Modern Family experiencing a bit of an identity crisis.  We will be back on the air waves as soon as possible.  Thanks for all the emails and concern.  I am still reading all my favorite blogs, just taking a break from writing.

It's Official

I am now a mini-van driving Soccer Mom.  Modern Pre-schooler started soccer last week.  It's more like random ball kicking with the occasional spurts of running and falling.  But she has shin guards and that is as official as it gets for me!  She may in fact be more excited about the family eating dinner out after every Thurs. night practice, but hey this is just the beginning of things she will be doing because it is the whim of parents who think three and a half year olds look good in Nike.

All I know is that I am finally a proud member of that cheering mommy and daddy sideline crew.  Lawn chairs spread out, coolers open and juice boxes on hand for our brave little soccer players.  I yelled, I clapped, I took photos. (note to readers: I recently purchased the digital camera I have been dreaming about for around 6 years.  I have taken many pictures in the last 10 days.  I have not, however, loaded the new software on the computer.  Pictures will be published in agonizing numbers as soon as I get around to the boring installment)  I am so proud of my little girl and cannot help feeling that this may just be the beginning of the end.  As i drove my family home in the mini-van, I felt a swelling in my chest.  I am getting a little teary just typing it.  They grow up so fast.

PS  Have you all read the famous blog: Soccer Mom Vote?  It is a fantastic blog for mommies and daddies alike.  My dear friend and award winning (and creating) Sonia, writes for the The Vote.  Check out her latest post there, and her very own blog here.  And as always check out Sonia and all the other sweet blogs i am digging each and every day by clicking on the handy links provided in my sidebar.

I Suck At Blogging

It has been way too long since I graced my adoring fans with a list so hold on to your seats...

1. I have recv'd another outstanding and coveted award this week.  My new BFF Sonia over at the pursuit honored me with this whopper: 

   

2. I have been shamefully ignoring my blogging responsibilities as of late.  If it makes any little bit of difference we have been dreadfully busy and distracted. 
3. Modern Grandparents fly in tonight for another visit and we are rushing about madly to make the house suitable for guests.  Talk about shame, this place is in ruins lately.
4. Both Modern Toddler and Modern Pre-schooler are fighting ear infections and NOBODY is happy.
5. Everyone I know and read in the blogsphere seems to have gone into some sort of comment strike.  I believe that i am have had something to do with that seeing as how I have been slacking on my comments as of late... not to mention posting like once a week and boring my readers into an early grave with my choice of topics.  To my everyday favorites... I am still around, still reading your pages all the time, still thrilled to have you all as readers and friends.
6. I am looking for a break up plant.  I want to break up with a friend, I do not like her anymore and I want to break up by means of plant, suggestions?
7. If you have poo, fling it now.
8. I kind of suck at blogging and, on a whim, I have recently cut my hair shorter that I would have liked.  Now I regret it.  Damn.
9. I broke another jar of pasta sauce in Target.  Think they are going to reevaluate their previous eagerness to give me a credit card.
10. This list bites and is a desperate and lame attempt to catch up on blogging because I am hopelessly addicted to praise and recognition. 

This Is Only A Test

Have you ever casually joked about something only to have it visited upon you and your family within a matter of days?  Well I am always tempting fate, making fun of other people's misfortunes or humilating moments.  It is always in good fun and nearly almost always tastefully done.  But recently I have noticed a bit of a turn in my luck.  Take today for example.  Step out of the mini-van, gum on my shoe.  Nice.  Walking out of the Target bathroom, T paper stuck to my shoe.  Really good looking store manager points this out to me before any other beautiful or handsome people have the chance.  Nice.  Checking in at the Dr office, nice pretty little 20 something office assistant points out the food stuck to my shirt, thank you Modern Toddler.  Done yet?  Enough humiliation for one day... one month?  Nope.  Giddy-Up.  Stopping by pharmacy for scripts, picking up some Advil for my throbbing head and injured pride.  Another shockingly observant pharm. tech is either rude enough, or kind enough to point out my zipper is down.  You mortified for me?  Bring it on.  Back into the car, and I swear on my good name, more gum on my shoe.  I am so done with today.

The New Adventures Of The Old Joe

Many of you have been regaled by the tales of our misadventures with the Modern Family washing machine.  If you have yet to have the pleasure, please interrupt this program and read here and here - you might wanna see the pilot and first episode before you jump right in. 

Since we last left our handy repair man Joe our, old washing machine with it's new 2007 mustang convertible engine was efficiently and impressively spinning our clothes into the atmosphere, attracting much attention and awe from NASA and various other international space programs.  Not to mention the fact that our clothes were remarkably clean.  After replacing the transmission, we moved into some sort of machine remission and had not even one day with out clean and dry clothes.

I started a wash, gathered purse and keys and headed out for work.  When I left the house, things were happily agitating and spinning.  About an hour into my shift I recv'd a rather alarming tx message from Modern Hubby.  As it turns out one of two things were happening upstairs.  Either we were taking some unfriendly fire from a renegade nation competing for launch times, or the washing machine's transmission had blown again... in a big way.   The machine gun like firing noises were enough to scare the inhabitants of the Modern Family right out of their dirty laundry. 

Once more we make a not so nice call to the warranty company, and exchange a few four letter words before they agree one more time to dispatch our favorite repair man, good ol' Joe.  Next afternoon, I am welcoming Joe back into our home for like the 50th time.  He says as he wipes off his shoes, "People are going to start talking"  I am not sure which is worse.  Joe visiting this house on a social call or knowing that our neighbors are whispering about the bargain basement appliances with which we must have stocked our house.

Joe heads up to his familiar spot on the floor in our hallway and begins taking the thing apart.  Soon the dreadful noise that my husband had described as the worst thing the kids have ever been scared of begins.  That was actually all the repairs Joe needed to make and he popped his head over the railing asking to use our phone.  Better than asking to borrow our family's supply of Vaseline, I suppose.  After a few seconds i hear the washing machine commence firing again and then silence.  Joe is speaking again and walks down the stairs holding the phone out to me.  The warranty company rep wants to speak with me.  I quickly learn that Joe had actually put the washing machine on the phone with the rep and it seems that was all the convincing they needed.  The young man on the phone reassured me that they had decided not to replace the transmission again and would be contacting their purchasing department regarding a replacement... which we can refuse and accept hard cash to replace it ourselves.  Either way, it seems the washing machine chronicles have met with their conclusion.  Unless you all might be interested in the funny sound the dryer has been making?

Kid Friendly Travel

Planning our own Family vacation was not as easy as planning for the honeymooners and their UK adventure, but now that we have one trip under our belts, we are on to the next.  A few months back we all took a trip to California.  That is one Modern Mommy, one Modern Pre-schooler (in her own airplane seat) one Modern Toddler on our laps and Modern Daddy.  Between airports, rental cars and curvy California coastal roads the only thing I was really happy about at the time was that we had not made the mistake of leaving the vacation plans up to chance.  Cause too much is unpredictable with little ones anyway.  Here is what I learned.  Rent the car with car seats.  Too much drama to travel with and install your own car seats.  PS when you let your toddlers eat right before driving on the worlds most car sick inducing roads, it is a relief when they get sick on rented seats and not ones you have to transport back across two time zones.  Family vacations or just family travel of any kind is about as much work as the average PHD disertation.  I kind of wish we had done a few things differently.  My mommy blogger friends know that making better decisions about "kid friendly travel" is totally the key to a good trip.  That and batteries in the camera.  Big mistake.

When we took our infamous trip we did not stay in a toddler minded hotel.  We could not help this because the trip was for a family wedding and we stayed where the rest of the wedding party was staying.  I loved our beautiful room looking out on the ocean.  Loved the food, the beaches and the lighthouses.  The things I would tell any family about to travel with kids the same ages as Modern Toddler and Modern Pre-schooler is plan, plan, plan. 

Now we are working on our next trip, to the east coast, and in my searches I found another undiscovered and awesome little site called Kango.com.  We are using this sweet new site to arrange for a hotel that is all about family.  A hotel where the employees do not give you dirty looks when you ask about a kids menu or activities for the toddlers.  This site has some good ideas about attractions, hotels and all the other stuff you question when you leave home with little ones.

I am kind of hoping all you mommy bloggers can give us some ideas and opinions about what you think would help parents make the right choices when traveling with kids.  What did you do that worked?  How did you plan and what did not work out?  We are really hoping we can get some advice before we go.  Happy travels all!

Temporary Interuption Of Service

What a week.  Longest I have been off the air yet.  Busy long holiday weekend, Modern Toddler and Modern Pre-schooler both miserably sick with coughs, runny noses and ear infections.  On an up note Modern Family planning a little kid friendly vacation and found a perfectly little website for family vacation planning.  Hey it is not exactly London, but it sounds good to me.  More on that tomorrow.