Mom On The Run

DotComDud.com is having a readers challenge over the next few weeks. He’s challenging all of his readers to guest post over on a peer’s blog, and then to have a peer guest post on our own blog. I’d love to participate in this challenge, it sounds like a fun way to gain some readers and I think there may even be PRIZES! YAY! The deadline to participate is Dec. 10th – which means that I need to have someone guest post, and I have to guest post on someone else’s blog before Dec. 10th. Does anyone want to participate in this challenge with me? Maybe gain a few new readers for your blog? Can I come over and guest post on your blog? You can post on mine!

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Dear Santa,

There are many, many things that I want for Christmas:

• World peace
• End of world hunger
• All the rainforests to be saved
• No more poverty
• Lower taxes
• Equal rights for women
• A cure for all cancers
• An end to childhood obesity
• An end to global warming
• Clean drinking water for everyone
• An end to child abuse
• Better healthcare & lower wait times
• A secure, well paying, job for my dad

Etc…

But alas – I realize that this year, your bag is just not big enough and your elves are far too busy making toys and other goodies to bring me these things. Instead, here’s a list of a few smaller things that I would like for Christmas:

• The time and money for me to do a ½ marathon training clinic at the new Winston Churchill location of the Running Room (I’d really like to run the Mississauga Marathon May 10th, 2009) Why not give me the gift of fitness?
• The time and money for me to go to the salon and get my hair cut and coloured
• New underwear (Molly dog keeps eating mine)
• Black socks (so I can stop stealing my hubby’s. Though, I probably still would ’cause his are more comfy than mine)
• Timex Ironman HRM watch
• New Kids On The Block Greatest Hits CD
• Twilight Saga box set
• A gift certificate for dinner & a movie (so hubby and I can go on a date)
• Walmart Gift Card (to buy new curtain rods for my curtains)
• Digital Scrapbooking Software
• Ladies Black Softball Shorts
• First Baseman’s Glove

You really don’t have to buy me everything on my list – I would be happy with any one of those things (though if you brought me everything I would be one very, very happy mommy! We’ll be leaving you a big plate of cookies, a large glass of milk and lots of carrots for the reindeer. We’ll even turn the fireplace off so you won’t get burned. Look for the house with the well manicured lawn and Corvette in the driveway – we live in the shack next door. Thanks so much for taking the time to read my letter Santa! See ya on Christmas Eve!

Love ya lots,
Mama Janice

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Why is it that kids never ever want to get dressed in the morning? They never want to get their jackets and boots on and they certainly never want to be buckled in their car seats! It’s like their only mission in life at this moment is to make mommy as late for work as possible and to watch her blow her top! Is this their only form of entertainment?

Getting my beautiful daughters dressed to go anywhere can only be compared to herding cats. You see, my girls are about as cooperative as cats are. Actually, a cat may be more cooperative; as the promise of a little bit of tuna certainly makes them come when you call them. Yes, the more I think about it, herding cats would definitely be easier.

Lately Sierra has taken to wanting to dress herself. I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE her newfound desire to be independent – its awesome! But it’s also slow as molasses. One day I’ll have to time how long it takes her to get her clothes on. And then there’s Brooke. Ahhhh – I’ve written before about how fun it is to lovingly wrestle a toddler into getting dressed. Like Sierra, Brooke’s wrestling moves would certainly put any WWE wrestler to shame. I bet she could even beat the current World Heavyweight Champion, John Cena.

This morning I was late for work – AGAIN! And generally I would have to agree that I should get up earlier to get everyone dressed and out the door, only I don’t know how much earlier I should begin. This morning it took the three of us, Brooke, Sierra and myself 90 minutes to:

• Change 1 diaper
• Get 3 people dressed
• Make 1 coffee
• Pour 2 chocolate milks
• Let 1 dog out
• Put jackets, boots, hats and mitts on 3 people
• Let 1 dog in
• Get 3 people buckled into the car

Thankfully I had put out the garbage and recycling before going to bed last night otherwise I would have been EXTREMELY late for work!

I have no clue how other mommies do it. How do you get your kids ready for the day? I can’t seem to herd my kittens no matter how hard I try.

PS – here’s a hilarious video I found of cowboys herding cats:

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For as frustrating as parenthood is, there certainly are times when children make it all worth it with the funny things they say and do. Here are two of the gems Sierra came up with this week:

• Sierra came in the washroom while I was “on the potty”. She pulled down her pants and just stood there staring at me with her pants and undies around her ankles. I asked her what she was doing and she replied with a very matter of fact voice, “Can’t you see I’m waiting?”
• After Sierra went to the potty this morning I asked her, “Did you flush the toilet?”. She replied, “I have people for that, mommy”.

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I spend a lot of time online. In fact I rarely watch TV! Instead I spend over an hour each night surfing around the web – jumping from social media site to social media site:

Twitter
Facebook
MySpace
LinkedIn
Friendfeed
NING Communities ie: TwitterMoms
Skype
MSN
Vox
Flickr
YouTube
Entrecard
And of course blogs!

I’m sure there are even more sites that I’ve forgotten!

Recently I looked around my insanely messy house and wondered – are all of these social media sites truly a friend, or a foe?

FRIEND?
Am I getting more out of it, than I’m losing? What am I getting out of it? Is it merely a boost to my fragile ego to have all of these “friends” and “followers”? Why do I care about all of the “noise” people are making on the web? To be honest, I’m having a hard time figuring out any true personal benefits of social media. So, like the internet addict that I am, I did a quick, informal Twitter Survey to find out what people think are benefits:

” Twitter Survey – what are the benefits of social networking? And I don’t mean on a marketing level, but on a personal level. ”

mammaloves: @momontherun I have made good IRL friends w/ppl I initially met online. And networks like Twitter serve as one-stop info. source.
edhammerbeck: Social nw: I’m still trying to figure out the value. Ideas from people? Like running advice. I’m not a social guy IRL tho’.
tamsul: @momontherun U get to meet people with similar interests as u that u won’t normally get to meet due to locations.
san_dyego: @momontherun Well having 100 followers sure makes me feel loved!
chaoticchitchat: @momontherun personal entertainment lol

So there ya have it: Friends, camaraderie, information, ego, entertainment etc…

But can’t I get all of that elsewhere? Can’t I just PHONE my friends? Watch the news on TV? Spend time with family? Join clubs, read a book etc… ? You bet! ANd I do – occasionally…

FOE?
Now, on the other side of the fence, what am I LOSING as a result of my infatuation with social media? That my dear friends, is a lot easier for me to brainstorm. Here’s my list:

• Quality time with my children – in a rush for “me time” and “down time” my hubby and I take turns putting the kids to bed. I wonder, am I really in a rush for “me time” or am I in a rush for computer time?
• A clean organized house – it’s kind of hard to fold laundry and surf the ‘net at the same time. My house is an absolute disaster!
• Health – I bet if I wasn’t so darned addicted to the internet I’d have more time to workout, choose healthier snacks, prepare better meals for my family etc… I could be the fit fabulous mommy I want to be!
• Friends – true, (IRL) in real-life friends, the ones who’ll be there for me in a crisis. I’m ignoring them as a result of my addiction, and I fear the same reason why I don’t call them is the reason why they don’t call me.

CONCLUSION?
Now that I’ve brainstormed the pros and cons of social media, I have to decide which is more important to me, the pros or cons? Truthfully the cons are more important, so I think my new year’s resolution will be to find a better BALANCE between social media and IRL (real-life). If I’m not around as much as I usually am, you’ll know that I’ve doing a better job of spending time with the most important people in my life, my family:

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I was tagged by Mommy Knows (and if you head over to her blog and comment on her Power Ranger’s post you’ll be entered in her Power Rangers Give-a-way).

1. WERE YOU NAMED AFTER ANYONE? I think I was named after the wife of a guy on my dad’s baseball team, but I’m not quite sure.
2. WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU CRIED? Yesterday, I cried tears of an inexplicable emotion while watching my 3 yr old absolutely wail tears of sadness near the end of BOLT when she thought Penny had forgotten all about BOLT.
3. DO YOU LIKE YOUR HANDWRITING? Not at all
4. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE LUNCH MEAT? Montreal Smoked Meat
5. DO YOU HAVE KIDS? Yes, 2 daughters
6. IF YOU WERE ANOTHER PERSON WOULD YOU BE FRIENDS WITH YOU? Probably not – I’m a little self absorbed.
7. DO YOU USE SARCASM A LOT? Do dogs drool?
8. DO YOU STILL HAVE YOUR TONSILS. Yes
9. WOULD YOU BUNGEE JUMP? Hell no!
10. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CEREAL? Honey Nut Cheerios
11. DO YOU UNTIE YOUR SHOES WHEN YOU TAKE THEM OFF? Never
12. DO YOU THINK YOU ARE STRONG? I am, but Smell isn’t everything.
13. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE ICE CREAM? Chocolate fudge brownie
14. WHAT IS THE FIRST THING YOU NOTICE ABOUT PEOPLE? Their teeth
15. RED OR PINK? Red.
16. WHAT IS THE LEAST FAVORITE THING ABOUT YOURSELF? Right now it’s my hair – It needs a cut and dyr job VERY badly, but right now we can’t afford it.
17. WHO DO YOU MISS THE MOST? My Grandma Luke
18. DO YOU WANT EVERYONE TO SEND THIS BACK TO YOU? Am I sending this? I must have missed the instructions. Now I’m all stressed out.
19. WHAT COLOR SHOES ARE YOU WEARING? I have bare feet at the moment, but I usually wear my tall black boots.
20. WHAT WAS THE LAST THING YOU ATE? Loblaws Blue Menu Ginger Glazed Chicken
21. WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW? Nothing! The baby is napping and the big one is grocery shopping with daddy!
22. IF YOU WHERE A CRAYON, WHAT COLOR WOULD YOU BE? Blue
23. FAVORITE SMELLS? Lilac – it reminds me of Spring. When I was I could smell the Lilac bush outside my window on a beautiful Spring night.
24. WHO WAS THE LAST PERSON YOU TALKED TO ON THE PHONE? My mom.
25. DO YOU LIKE THE PERSON WHO SENT THIS TO YOU TAGGED YOU AND GUILTED YOU INTO DOING THIS? Yes – though I barely know her – I’ll have to read her blog more to get to know her better.
26. FAVORITE SPORTS TO WATCH? Lacrosse.
27. HAIR COLOR? Blonde
28. EYE COLOR? Green
29. DO YOU WEAR CONTACTS? I do when I play softball
30. FAVORITE FOOD? Cereal
31. SCARY MOVIES OR HAPPY ENDINGS? I much prefer a happy ending.
32. LAST MOVIE YOU WATCHED? BOLT – It was very cute.
33. WHAT COLOR SHIRT ARE YOU WEARING? Green with black, pink, brown, blue, and white stripes (leave me alone, it’s Sunday and I’m relaxing by myself!)
34. SUMMER OR WINTER? Summer
35. HUGS OR KISSES? Hugs
36. FAVORITE DESSERT? Apple Pie or Apple Crisp (Ditto – I love my mom’s apple crisp)
37. MOST LIKELY TO RESPOND? Whoever feels like it
38. LEAST LIKELY TO RESPOND. Whoever doesn’t feel like it
39. WHAT BOOK ARE YOU READING NOW? I just finished Twilight and am now searching for New Moon
40. WHAT IS ON YOUR MOUSE PAD? I use the touch pad on my laptop
41. WHAT DID YOU WATCH ON TV LAST NIGHT? The third period of the Maple Leaf Game.
42. FAVORITE SOUND. When Sierra says: “I love you mom!”
43. ROLLING STONES OR BEATLES? Beatles!
44. WHAT IS THE FARTHEST YOU HAVE BEEN FROM HOME? It’s a toss up between The Netherland’s, Vancouver and Puerto Vallarta, Mx.
45. DO YOU HAVE A SPECIAL TALENT? Is nagging a special talent?
46. WHERE WERE YOU BORN? Scarborough, Ontario
47. WHOSE ANSWERS ARE YOU LOOKING FORWARD TO GETTING BACK? All the people that I tag:
Carole@ Hipposteoes
Nicole@ Much More Than A Mom
Chelle @ Creative Thoughts by Chelle
Jafer @ Idiot On A Stick
Leanne @ Tired Mama
My Mom @ I’d Rather Be Crafting

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