Tag: "parent bloggers network"

I Love My Mom’s Hand Me Downs

In this week’s Parent Blogger’s Network Blog Blast we were asked to write about what our mother handed down to us. It is because of my Mom that I have much of what I have and am much of who I am. Ask anyone else in my family about me and my Mom and there’s a good chance they’ll tell you I’m just like her. Sometimes my Dad and my husband call me “little Pat” or “Pat Jr”. When I hear someone tell me I’m just like my mother I tell them there are worse people I could be like. My Mom did everything she could to make our lives good growing up, even when things were bad. She is her own toughest critic.

Some people question why I do so much for my Mother. It’s simple. She does a lot to help me and my family. It’s also the least I can do since she brought me into this world. It’s just one way of showing my appreciation.

My Mom was a teacher for many years. From her I got my value for education (although that one took a number of years to kick in). It’s only now that I’m 42 that I wish I’d appreciated education when I was younger. At 15, which is when I graduated high school, I just wanted to have fun and didn’t realize how many opportunities I was throwing away. It’s also from my Mom that I got my my love of reading. Now we enjoy some of the same authors and even share books a lot of the time.

My Mom gave me the understanding that there is value and simplicity in the truth. I’m not the kind of Mom that says “not my child”. Lying does everyone a disservice. Plus, it’s an awful lot of work.

My Mom handed down the belief that one hand washes another, one good turn deserves another.

My Mom handed down a love for carbs, which I believe she got from my Grandma. Unfortunately, with that also came obesity. Genetics and Murphy’s Law ensured my predisposition to getting all of the health issues my Mom has, which is one of the biggest reasons I had the surgery three weeks ago. Mom’s health problems started when she was 43, which is how old I’ll be this year. I’m trying to regain my health and prevent further health issues. For those that don’t know, my Mom had the exact same surgery as me a few days ago and her doctors are optimistic that many of her conditions will improve greatly.

There is a bag of clothing on my dining room table. My Mom handed it down to me this week because she knows that I’ll be needing some clothes as I lose weight. She’s always offered me her clothes before giving them to someone else or Good Will.

Lots of the furniture in my home has been handed down, some for sentimental reasons and some for economical reasons. I have my Grandma’s dining room set and her rocking chair. The furniture in my sons’ bedroom are some of my parent’s old pieces. My bed was my parents bed, I got in 2007 when they got a new one. (It’s amazing how expensive mattresses are, we’ve never been able to afford a new set of our own.) We’ve also been handed down a computer, barbeque grills and a lawn mower amongst other items.

My Mom definitely passed down a dislike of house cleaning. Ugh!

Mom and I share a dislike of reptiles. Double ugh!

We both love cats. How can you not love purring?

We both watch ABC soaps. She watched them when I was growing up and now I watch them.

For those curious, I’m not exactly like my Mom. I’ve never been known to burn water (or the kitchen). I can find my own shoes. I hate fish. I’m a picky eater. I can be a real pain in the ass. (Wait, that’s her too.)

I’m proud to be like my Mom. She’s an amazing woman. I’m lucky to have her as a Mom and my boys are lucky to have her as a Grandma. She’s my friend. When I look back upon my memories, all of the best ones include her.

I want to wish all of the Mom’s out there, especially my own, a very Happy Mother’s Day. Mom, if you read this, thanks for all you’ve done and do. I love you.

This year’s Mother’s Day Blog Blast is sponsored by JOHNSON’S Brand. They’re having a Celebrity Hand Me Down charity auction featuring items donated by celebrity moms Gwyneth Paltrow and Jessica Alba.

May 08, 2009 | 3 comments | View Post

Why bikinis are evil

I’ve never been a big fan of the bikini. Even back in the day when I had a terrific figure I preferred a well cut one piece to a bikini. I mean let’s face it, bikinis are sort of evil. They can be so unkind and yet look so cute, much like a mother in law. They speak volumes with just one look, just like a mother in law. Unless you have the perfect body (and what woman thinks she does) you can’t feel totally comfortable in a bikini, much like your in laws house.

Take a look at the bikini top. No other article of clothing leaves a woman fearing that the public might see her third (or in my case fourth and fifth) breasts. I’m sure the bikini top wasn’t designed to be worn at the shoulders in the back because the boobs and cleavage are dragging the front down.

The bottoms are no better. I’m pretty sure that noone over the age of twelve has cheeks small enough to stay covered by the bikini bottom. And the waistband of the bikini bottom just doesn’t work well for those of us that have let our waist waste away so much that our stomachs hang over the top of the bottom piece. Bikinis are totally cruel to thighs. May thunder strike me as it has my thighs before I ever wear a bikini out in public.

And in between the top and bottom we have the stomach. My inny belly button is struggling so hard to escape the surrounding fat that it’s almost become an outie. I have more streaky stretch marks than one of those ugly modern art paintings that look like it was created by an unsupervised toddler with a palette and a brush.

When I want to go swimming now I put on my one piece suit, walk three houses and swim in my Mom’s pool. After all, she’s loving and compassionate and won’t stare and laugh at me. And she’s also familiar with the evil mother in law syndrome.

Boca has created a Balanced Living group. This group was created with the goal of helping to encourage and teach people how to eat better and live better. A balanced life would certainly be a healthier life. Members and visitors of the group can find and share ideas and tips on healthier living.
Suddenly I feel the need to start going to the gym. After all, I’ve been paying for the membership for ten years and have only gone three times. I’ll call and ask my Mom if she wants to go with me since she’s a member too. Right after I have some dessert.

“This post was written for Parent Bloggers Network as part of a sweepstakes sponsored by BOCA.”

Jun 21, 2008 | 1 comment | View Post

What are you reaching for at 4am?

My mornings are not your typical morning. Usually I get up at 4am but right now my boys have half days in school and my parents have been away. That means I’ve been getting up at 2:45 am to go to work so that I can get a full day in before leaving to get the boys off of the bus. On workdays, I tiptoe around the house in the dark trying to get everything ready before I leave.

In the boys bedroom I pick out clothes by the light of a television, because I’ve probably forgotten to take them out the night before. I don’t turn the lights on because I don’t want to wake the boys up. If they’re up, their father will be up and noone wants that at 3 am.

I then make my way into the bathroom where I shower, brush my teeth and whatnot. After I’m finished in the bathroom, it’s time to get dressed. I get dressed in my bedroom in the dark. I get dressed in the dark because I don’t want to wake hubby up. Trust me when I tell you, that’s not what you want to happen at 3 am. He’s not a morning person at all.

After dressing I head to the kitchen, which is the last room I visit before leaving. I do turn on the lights in here. But it can be a little difficult to be quiet in a kitchen. Anyone that’s ever tried to sneak a snack knows what I’m saying. Cabinets are loud, floors squeak, refrigerators close heavily, freezer doors drop. I make lunches for hubby, the boys and myself. I get the coffeepot ready for hubby so all he has to do is press start. (If I started the coffee it’d not only be cold by the time he got up but the built in grinder would also wake everyone up.)

I have no time to eat before I go to work. Besides, I have this funny quirk that I must arrive at work with clean teeth and fresh breath. So I choose to bring my breakfast with me. The very last thing I do on my way out the front door is reach into the freezer and grab myself something I can bring to work and eat for breakfast. We have a break room at work that has a refrigerator, coffee maker, microwave and a wide slot toaster, so I either need to bring something cold or something that can be microwaved. By the time I clock in by 6 am I’m already starving. And let’s face it, being at work I can’t spend a lot of time preparing or eating, so whatever I bring needs to be quick.

Lately I’ve been grabbing a Kraft Bagel-Ful on my way out the door. Kraft Bagel-Fuls are the perfect food for me to bring to work. Why? Because bagels are one of my favorite breakfast foods ever. Philly cream cheese is the best, without a doubt. Bagel-Fuls are bagels with the cream cheese already inside of them. I love that they’re so easy to make, just put it into the toaster and you’re set. They come out warm, with the cream cheese all melty inside. They’re terrific on a cold day because they warm you up. They’re quick and easy to make. They come in 5 varieties, so you don’t get bored eating the same flavor all of the time. They’re the perfect food to bring to work for breakfast!

This post was written for Parent Bloggers Network as part of a contest sponsored by KRAFT BAGEL-FULS.

If there’s a contest god, I’ll be chosen as one of the winners for this contest. The prize includes a wide slot toaster, which we don’t have at home, a Tassimo hot beverage system, commuter cups, coupons for Bagel-Fuls and more. I could make myself a quiet breakfast at home if I won this prize. It’s like a prize package made just for me. I’m keeping my fingers crossed!