Cars and kids

Hello, friends! Pardon my recent absence. When I haven’t been sick I’ve been working and when I haven’t been working I’ve been mothering (often single mothering while the hubs is traveling). It hasn’t left a lot of time for blogging.

I also bought a new car. To understand the significance of that purchase, you must refer back to my drama filled post from a couple of years ago in which I explained my emotional attachment to cars and that I bought a car only to make my husband return it an hour later. I later revealed that hormones may have been partly to blame since I was pregnant at the time. Well, this time I’ve kept the new car past the allowable return period, so like it or not, I’m stuck. But I’m ok with that. It was a well-timed, practical purchase, and no tears were shed in giving up the vehicle I’ve happily driven for over six years (ok, it was a little bittersweet if I’m being honest).

Ultimately, I just don’t think the timing was right a couple years ago, and I was pressured into a decision that I knew deep down was not wise. Of course, it will forever be a funny “remember when…” story  (at my expense), and I’ve made peace with it.

Had I not come to terms with it, I would have needed to think twice about the timing of this recent purchase…since I’m pregnant this time too! Yup, baby number two  is on board and due to arrive on May 1. The hubs and I are very excited. So while there’s lots to do before the new little one arrives in six months, at least worrying about how to fit a double stroller in my trunk has already been addressed! (And no, we did not buy a minivan!)

Almost famous?

While visiting my pharmacy's website (a pharmacy chain that happens to be owned by my employer), I did a double take at the small advertising banner in the middle of the screen—the same image you see accompanying this post. Instantly, I recognized that hand!

And before you start thinking it was some crazy hand twin discovery like the one that Joey had on Friends, it wasn't. No, it really WAS my hand! I remember holding up my colleague's cell phone when she needed a quick photo for an announcement she was writing about this new mobile app.

So now I'm kind of a hand model, right? But just like those artists who no longer want to perform the hit songs that made them famous (ahem, Boys II Men and Vanilla Ice) please remember that I'm more than this semi-famous left hand.

Besides a couple of local TV news appearances and my brief recording artist career for a children’s Christmas musical recording, this might be the closest I ever get to fame. And I’m ok with that. In fact, I usually prefer being a behind-the-scenes gal. I've been a ghost writer, photo shoot coordinator, video producer, media escort and more—all trying to make other people look good. (I'd like to call it humility, but it's probably more shyness and self consciousness.) And yet the satisfaction I've gotten from having my hand in these moments of "fame" for others is pretty great.

So while I won't be accepting an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, etc., anytime soon, I'd still like to thank the many friends and loved ones who encouraged me to become the behind-the-scenes gal I am today. For now, the hand is in retirement, but a comeback is always possible…

Warning: A post about boogers

I’m sick today. It’s just a cold, so I’m muddling through my normal routines, but it still sucks. And speaking of sucks…should I accidentally pass this little bug onto my toddler, at least I’m armed with the world’s best nasal aspirator to keep his sinuses as clear as can be…the Nosefrida Snotsucker. Essentially, it’s a tube where you put one end in your child’s nose and the other end in your mouth and—you guessed it—you suck the yuck out (don't worry, there is a filter to keep it out of the user's mouth). Sure it sounds gross, but it works 100 times better than those useless bulb things.

What really sold me on this was the funniest Amazon.com product review I’ve ever read. Or, maybe it was only funny to me because it came at a time where I was the completely delirious and sleep deprived mother of a newborn. I’ll let you be the judge, because I’m sharing it here. Enjoy!

Read the full product review

And if you’re not one to click on the link, here are a few of my favorite highlights:

“my wife has tiny nostrils. i can't fit any of my fingers in her nose...it's amazing she can breathe through her nose at all. consequently, our son is also lacking in the nostril-diameter department”

“we even tried a fancy battery powered nose vacuum that made a whirring sound but produced nary a single lump of green gold.”

“if i was a professional booger sucker...and it was my job to suck the snot out of noses 8 hours a day, i would insist on using this thing. but i would want a longer tube, and a holster.”