Thanksgiving special

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving. Of course I spent too much time in the kitchen. Sure every year I think I am going to just whip the meal together and have all this fabulous play time with the boys...but unfortunately that doesn't really happen. In my perfect world it would. I am more of a content spectator of them on that day. And isn't that a day of reflection anyway?

At my age it has really become a day of traditions and most are special. I look forward to it all even the night before. The night before Thanksgiving is now about reading Thanksgiving books to the boys, then going over to my mom's to help her make the stuffed artichokes. I don't know if this was just a way for her to keep me from partying with my friends, but we started doing this when I was a teenager and haven't stopped since. Then on Thanksgiving morning I put the Macy's parade on the television with the excitement of a little girl... a little girl sipping coffee that is. I have figured out that cooking a turkey breast is sooooo much easier and quicker than cooking the whole turkey, so instead of rushing through the cooking process , I can now leisurely prepare everything from apps to the main meal, to desserts, all while the parade is playing. I occasionally get to peek at the boys helping their dad or just playing around the house. Once the guests arrive and the meal is out on the table, I usually give thanks and say a few words...very few since my crowd usually has no patience for my long speeches. But I love our after dinner tradition that we started three years ago. I have a white fabric tablecloth that I spread out across the dining room table and we all grab pens and write what we are thankful for. We sign our names and date it. The kids have started doing little doodles along with theirs. Everyone has to participate. It is very special. This year a first time guest was really interested in reading some from the years prior. He read mine from last year and it really moved him. So I read it over again. It was about my grandmother who had passed a few months prior to that Thanksgiving. It read to the effect that although I was sad, I was grateful to have had so many years with her, but I will always miss her. It brought back my memories of last Thanksgiving when I set a special plate for her and wrote that. I also reflected on many of the Thanksgiving I had with my grandmother. At that moment I sure was glad I had that tablecloth and those special traditions. I just hope my boys will find their "special" as they grow older.

So both Jake and Evan are chatting away as I work fiercely on my Christmas decorations this weekend. Then they laugh and I hear, "ask mom." They both want to know how Santa can fit through the chimneys with such a fat belly. My parents chime in with, "he just does." They saved me momentarily, but I'll have to work on a better answer for next time.

Wellness Wednesday

Thanksgiving Day is fast approaching and the stress of the holidays is already here. For us moms that means once the turkey day trimmings are all packed away, we will be spending even more time in the car, rushing around for parties, projects and presents, just to name a few items on our daily list. It's like we all take on a part-time job this time of the year, in addition to everything else.

Since we will most likely be spending more time sitting in our cars or on our cell phones, we may forget to give our bodies a chance to lengthen. Spending a few minutes each day stretching can help. It can also prevent knee and back pain.

Try doing simple movements like pointing and flexing your feet; wrist circles; bringing your head and neck to one side and raising your opposite arm; raising one arm while lifting and gently pulling it to the opposite side with the other hand stretching your back and side obliques, interlace your fingers in front of you while rounding your back for a back stretch; interlace your hands behind you for a chest and shoulder stretch; drop your chin, then look up and stretch your neck and jaw. Hold each stretch for ten seconds and take deep breaths through each one. Take a few seconds to exhale... and enjoy your Thanksgiving.

A Night to Remember

So this past Friday evening was a very memorable one for me. My husband and I took our two boys and my parents to Disney World. We took part in Mickey's Very Merry Christmas party for the second year in a row... and it was a blast. Witnessing the boys' faces and expressions of wonderment at everything from the parade to the fireworks to the shows and attractions was priceless. That place is so magical, especially this time of year. That's made ever so evident when you get there and it starts snowing on Main Street in 60 degree weather. Even the toughest guys, turn into fun-loving children there.

For me, all good things seem to happen in Disney. For starters, I got engaged to the same man, twice there. We got married and ran two marathons there. Heck, I may have even conceived one of my children there! And now I can add a new milestone to the list. I have recently written and published a novel. My first copy was delivered to my door the morning I left for the Mouse's house. When I found out, I immediately asked a friend, who I remembered was also headed up to Disney later that day( what are the chances of that?), to pick it up and bring it with her. She obliged and called me the minute she arrived. My family anxiously piled in the car after dinner and we met her in front of our hotel complex. A chill went through me at the thought of actually seeing the culmination of all my hard work over the last two years arrive in this moment. It was in a box and when I opened it at 6:30 pm on Friday November 20th, I know there was an expression of wonderment on my face.

"Out of the Mouths of Babes"

My seven year-old, Jake, tells a story about two boys fighting in school. One boys kicks the other in a sensitive spot on the body. Jake explains, "...and then the one boy kicked the other boy in the peanuts."

When my now four year-old, Evan, was three, Jake had a play date over the house whose mom brought along his little sister. My boys have a motorized truck for kids that someone gave us. Evan was driving it around for a while and the little girl finally mustered up the courage to sit in the passenger seat with him. He said to her, "Okay no talking, I'm driving." I wonder where he got that one from.

Wellness Wednesday

Well gals and guys I am calling this segment our little coffee break in the middle of the week. Every week I will try to give a tidbit of info or commentary on health, fitness and overall wellness. If you have not read "about me" on this site, I am a certified personal trainer and have been involved in the fitness industry for 20 years. I was also a reporter/journalist and I had the privilege of doing health and fitness related interviews and stories. I feel it is important that we all stick together in this challenge because wellness and preventative care is essential to our quality of lives and well being... and so many moms are missing the boat on this one. I know it's not because they don't know the right things to do... heck I am in the biz and I still don't get the right amount of sleep ( a component of wellness). It's mostly because moms, whether working or stay-at-home, do so much taking care of everyone and everything around them that there is literally no time left at the end of the day. What are we to do?

First let's all take a deep breath. Take another and count to five, let it our for five. Keep going until you work your way up to ten. And stare into space while you do this or just focus on an object or spot. it's hard to think of nothing... go ahead ladies, I dare you. I dare you to feel refreshed!

Okay now that is done, do it again tonight before bed. Do it each night, work your way up to a minute of breathing, eventually five minutes. AHHHH your meditating, slowing the heart rate and relaxing... so good for your life.

Secretary of the US Department of Health and Human Services, Kathleen Sebelius stated, "We must make important investments in prevention and wellness. It's time to make preventing illness and disease the foundation of our healthcare system."

If you didn't know, here are the five basic components of wellness: physical, emotional, social, intellectual and spiritual ( a sixth has recently been added by the National Wellness Institute- occupational). Let's all strive to work on one of them this week. Feel free to comment.

"More Fork Chops Please"

My kids call pork chops, "fork chops." It's so cute to me that I don't bother to correct them. I love pork chop night because it's one of the few nights they both eat everything on the plate. You see I have one who eats everything and another who eats hardly anything. But on "fork chop" night they are both in agreement and will clean their plates-guaranteed.

We sit down at home together for a home cooked meal about five nights a week, a huge feat for this day and age, but "fork chop" night is always the easiest. To anyone with a picky preschooler, I know you can appreciate this because most of the time meal times are not that easy.

Another thing that's not that easy is when your preschooler embarrasses you. - no matter how cute they are. Like today - Evan and I left Target and that's when he tells me that he has to do pee pee. So he just starts doing it by the car in the grass, kind of discreetly behind my door. But just when he was done, he turned around, waved and shouted hello to the couple walking by us in the parking lot. Then he continued on with, "don't look at my weenis or my tushy, it's my private property." Well maybe I should be proud of that.

"Mommy, I love you."

Okay so Friday my son Jake and I were riding home in the car after I picked him up from school. We were listening to music when all of a sudden I hear his voice say, "mommy, I love you." It's not like I don't hear this often from the boys, (I find little boys are so loving towards their mommies - a great perk to the job) but something about this just struck a chord. I reached one hand back ( one hand on the wheel, looking straight ahead of course) and said, "Aww Jake, I love you too ... so much. He immediately grabbed my hand, we held hands affectionately for a couple of seconds and I asked him what prompted that. He replied, "I just really love you." It was unprovoked, no hidden agenda and it just melted my heart as a tear filled my eye. I had all to do to hold it in.

So it got me thinking ... at what point do these mischievous, but adorably loving boys whose lives and well being I am responsible for every minute of every day and night turn into young men? It's hard for me to think about since my seven year-old is still my baby, along with my four year-old. It's a hard concept to think about, especially at moments like this...

My boys, my mission

Hello all! This blog site is my love letter to my boys. I am very committed to them and to preserving some of their day-today nuances and happenings. They are the heartbeat of my life and I am so grateful to be living this life with them.

This site is a lighthearted look at life with boys in general. Any mom of boys will surely relate to the postings here and are encouraged to comment. It is for moms by moms as I will welcome posts from other moms on specialized topics. They will all be part of what I will refer to as the MOB - the Moms of Boys club.

I hope to share helpful information and experiences, make memories, and build positive relationships with this site.