One Mom's Faves from 2008

OK, so this isn't so much a typical mom blog entry, but it seems fitting that approaching the end of the year, I give a shout out to some of my "favorites" from 2008. Maye you'll share in my sentiments.

Favorite Song of the Year: "Falling in Love in a Coffee Shop" by Landon Pigg
I think that possibly...Maybe I'm falling for you...YesThere's a chance... that I've fallen quite hard over you.

Favorite Movie of the Year: "Mamma Mia!" Sheer silliness set to ABBA music. What's not to love? And hey, it does have Mamma in the title. If you haven't seen it, watch it with a girlfriend. Leave the hubbies/sig others at home. They won't get it.

Favorite Book of theYear: "Nineteen Minutes" by Jodi Picoult. OK, this book was published in 2007, but I didn't read it till this year. Absolutely riveting for every one of its 455 pages. Every mom's worst nightmare comes true - there's been a mass shooting at a small town high school. Told from the perspective of the students, the parents, police, lawyers, and judges, the story brilliantly explores the characters' inner thoughts, motives and turmoils. Most interesting for the moms out there are the stories told from one of the victim's mothers, also a judge assigned to the case, and the story as told from the killer's mother. I'm thrilled to know that Picoult has penned about 15 other novels for me to read.

Favorite Moment of the Year: Too many to count, but saying "I will" to my new husband and telling him we were expecting a baby have to top the list.

Favorite Mom Moment of the Year: Again, too many to count, but watching Lily run into the shoreline waves at Cape Cod, shriek when the cold water hit her toes and run back out on the sand has to be one of the best.

The Dangers of Napping

Twas the day after Christmas
And all through the house
Not a creature was stirring
Except Lily...of course

And I in my t-shirt
And P.Daddy in his Cubs cap
Had just settled down
for a brief winter's nap

When out on the lawn
There arose such a clatter
I sprang from my bed
To see what was the matter

And what to my wondering
eyes should appear
But a buck naked Lily
Skipping 'round with the reindeer.

Ok, so it was the dogs, not reindeer, but if you can write a better verse, please send it along and I'll substitute that in.

Yep, stark nekkid, skipping around in the grass quite merrily. My eyes quickly darted from one neighbor's yard to the other, but as far as I could tell, no one else had spotted the little miscreant. Thank goodness we live in Texas and it was another 70 degree December day.

And so now I'll bemoan my latest parental failure, napping whilst my child was not, but for goodness sake, the child hardly sleeps at alll at night. Is it too much to ask that she too close her eyes once in a blue moon during the day?

For Moms Everywhere

This is a must see. Thanks to Maria for forwarding.
http://vimeo.com/1509073?pg=embed&sec=1509073

Gay Bars and Alternative Drug References

Betcha I got your attention with this title. Not what you'd expect for a mom blog, huh? But to the points at hand.

I'm not sure I would have anticipated this so early in Lily's life, but she visited her first gay bar this weekend.

Now before you pick the phone to call Department of Children and Family Services, let me explain.

The bar, Austin's Rainbow Cattle Company, was the site of a private dance party to celebrate her friend Audrey's 5th birthday party. It was actually a fabulous idea and venue for a party, especially in contrast to the Chuck'E'Cheese birthday special. Give the kids a huge open space to run amok in and burn off energy, and presto, your child falls asleep by 8 p.m. I can't even REMEMBER the last time Lily went to sleep that early. Of course, it had its downside since I was asleep by 8:30 p.m. Sigh.

Back to the birthday party. Interestingly enough, I think the music selection for the 5-year olds wasn't all that different from what the club probably plays on an ordinary night - "YMCA" and "It's Raining Men" among the headline songs. Hmmmm...

Now on to the drugs....

Lily has been very helpful of late coming up with naming suggestions for the baby. Her suggestions invariably follow three rules. She picks a pair of names - one for a boy, and one for a girl. The names typically aren't real names, and the pair of names rhyme. Some of her past nominations include "Cammy"/"Clammy" and "Wally/Dolly." So yesterday, Lily, P. Daddy and I are sitting at a restaurant eating lunch, when Lily decides to nominate more names. This is what she said, and I swear I'm not making it up.

"Maui. What about Maui? Maui Wowie! Yeah!"

P. Daddy and I busted out laughing so hard, we had restaurant patrons asking us what was so funny.

As did Lily. "Why are you laughing?"

"We'll tell you in a few years, Lil..."

Christmas Countdown

"Christmas, Christmas time is near, Time for toys and time for cheer."

Name that Christmas tune. I'll give you a hint. It's not one of Bing Crosby's.

Lily could tell you. It's the trademark song by Alvin and the Chipmunks.

So while everyone else, including retailers and ABC Family television, has officially begun their countdowns to Christmas, I myself will be counting exactly how many times I will have to listen to that song between now and the big day. I guarantee it will be A LOT MORE than 25 times.

Not to sound like a Scrooge. I adore Christmas, as I do most holidays, and revel in the hoopla, the food, the decorations and the music as much or more than most people. It's been particularly fun the last couple years, as Lily's awareness of and interest in the holiday has deepened.

There's the wonderful magic when you see the gleam in her eye and hear the cackle in her voice when she sees Santa Claus, especially when only two years ago she was frightened of the big guy. Then there's the pondering in my mind when I see her strap the baby Jesus from the nativity set on top of the donkey. Do I tell her to put it back in the manger or just be glad she's interested in the Christmas story at all?

This year has a built in bonus for me as well. Being pregnant, I figure I can get away with drinking GALLONS of egg nog. Baby likes the nog!

But, as the song goes, 'Please Christmas, don't be late,' because I won't want to wait even one day more to stuff the Alvin CD back in its case until next season.