Sonny-Bunny: Mommy, if a baby grows in the Mommy’s belly, does the Mommy poop the baby out?

Me: No, honey. Women are built differently than men and their bodies have another place for the baby to come out.

SB: Another hole?

Me: Uh… yeah… a hole.

Little Diva: Mommy, do I have this hole?

Me: Uh… yes… remember, we talked about your “vagina”?

LD: My ‘jina? Is that where I tinkle?

Me: No, baby. That is your urethra. Everybody has a urethra.

SB: Me, too?

Me: Yes, boys and girls. Everyone has to tinkle.

LD: Where is it?

Me: His penis.

LD: His Peanut?

SB: My penis…

LD: So where does the baby come out?

Me: Well, you wouldn’t have a baby. You have to be a grown-up. But your vagina is the place on your bottom…

LD: The hole?

Me: Yeah… the hole…

SB: Mommy, can we talk about something else? This is kind of gross…

Me: Well, do you have any more questions?

SB: No!!!

Me: Baby, do you have any more questions?

LD: Will I have a baby one day?

Me: If you want… when you are a grown-up… after you graduate college and get married… (I had to throw in the college part…)

SB: Mommy! Can we PLEASE stop talking about this?!?!

Me: (big sigh of relief) Yes. Yes, we can.

A former teacher, she is making her dream come true at age 38! She reminds me that dreams can come true and that I am not too old to make mine happen. If you didn’t watch it last night, here’s a link to her winning moment.

And speaking of winning, the “A Family Village” Giveaway has a winner! Congratulations to Amber Eames.

And you can still be a winner. There are two days left to enter the UPrinting Giveaway.  This is such a great opportunity for any small business. Please check it out!

Even I won a giveaway — A $100 gift card to Lowes from the fabulous Unknown Mami! With the move, I cannot tell you what a tremendous blessing this is to my life. Thanks, UM!

This blog keeps bringing good things my way! I feel so blessed. I may not be the biggest or the baddest but I may be the blest-est! (Yes, I am very aware that is not a word but I had a flow going.)

We’ve been under the weather this past week and a bit housebound, so when the Pollyanna Theatre Company offered me tickets to see their show, I jumped at it. Sunday afternoon, we headed down to the Long Center to see their Spring show, “Pattern Nation: Waves”. Now I have seen (and frankly been in) a LOT of bad children’s theatre. But this show was fabulous! The writing was solid and the actors were terrific. You can read my full review here.

So that’s What’s Happening for us this Wednesday. How about your Wednesday?

I have seen children’s theatre, good and bad. I have been in children’s theatre good and bad. Good children’s theatre is inspiring, educational, and enjoyable for adults and children. Bad children’s theatre? Well… think stale plots, over-animated actors, and hit you over the head lessons. I have seen a LOT of bad children’s theatre.

When Pollyanna Theatre Company, a professional, Austin-based children’s theatre company invited my family to see their show, “Pattern Nation: Waves”, I was not sure which I would be seeing. But in the words of the Little Diva, “this show is hilarious.”

It was. The show was great. Not only did I enjoy it but the very skeptical, thinks he is too cool for school, eight year old Sonny-Bunny loved it. We laughed together and learned together. The writing was great and the troupe of four actors was fabulous. It was all around a terrific way to venture out on a Sunday afternoon.

The show explored the word waves in all its incarnations from waves hello to sound waves, light waves to brain waves. It was informative without feeling excessive or condescending. The actors’ performances were lively without being over-the-top. The production values were very high and the theatre, large and open. It was really a wonderful show!

We all enjoyed it so much that when they announced their summer show, “Rapunzel’s Bad Hair Day”, the kids already asked to go. So now you know where we will be this July, at the Long Center watching this fabulous company.

Please support this local gem. I know I will. How can I not? Their motto is “Creating a Hopeful Culture.” I just love that! You can visit their blog here and their FaceBook page here.

It’s not about Jamie Lynn Grumet. She seems a lovely young woman who in interviews has expressed her respect for individual family choice. It is not about attachment parenting or about breast-feeding toddlers. It’s not even about Dr. Sears and his theories.

It’s about these words…

“Are You Mom Enough?”

Short answer… no. Every mother worth her salt wants the best for her children, no matter to what theory she does or does not subscribes. And every mother worth her salt doubts from time to time that she is the best. And most of us doubt it more often than from time to time. We think it dozens if not hundreds of times a day.

“Am I Mom Enough?”

Your attempt to be provocative and sell actual paper-bound copies was neither subtle nor sensitive. On the week of Mother’s Day, you threw this question in bold in our faces. You didn’t say…

“Are you parent enough?”

No, of course not. Because in the year of 2012, the weight of a properly socialized/attached/adjusted child still falls almost entirely on mothers. Mothers, who are filled with self-doubt and who constantly ask themselves that very question.

I have not read the entire article. As I mentioned above, this isn’t really about the actual article. It is about the choice to propose such a question in the first place. And to choose to do so on a week meant to celebrate all moms just irks me.

“Are You Mom Enough?”

Short answer… yes. Because every mother who loves her children and does her utmost best to provide her children with the best life she can provide, IS Mom enough. Attached or unattached, sleep-training or co-sleeping, breast or formula-feeding, working or stay-at-home, she is Mom enough. And most days, all she dreams of hearing is… Yes, yes you are.

So dying artifact of the printed world, if you will not say it, I will. To the Moms out there… supermodels and supermommies and every mother in-between….

“You are Mom Enough.”

Sincerely,

Traci
(A Star in MY Own Universe and hopefully, in the Hearts of MY Children)

The reason for my day…

Pollyanna Theatre Company presents

Clinic Locations:
Phoenix       Houston     San Francisco       New Jersey

Denver        Dallas        Los Angeles         Seattle

St Louis       Miami        Las Vegas

Save $10 on registration! Enter the Coupon Code USFAMILY on the cart page after completing your registration or mention when calling 1-800-641-HOOP  (4667)
Click Here: http://www.harlemglobetrotters.com/basketball-skills-clinics/summer-2012

So go have some fun this summer!

First, a follow-up to my post about female superheroes. To begin. I would like to thank my better-read friends. They pointed out that while Hollywood may be far behind, comics have provided a few solid female superheroes. So thanks for the edification! Secondly, I never see movies on the opening weekend but because of a deep abiding love for my son, I saw “The Avengers” this weekend. And while not really a super-hero, the character Black Widow did not suck! Totally human, she stands shoulder to shoulder with her more-enhanced male counterparts and she holds her own. In fact, she kicks a lot of ass!

Now I have not one, not two, but three giveaways! If you haven’t yet entered, please check them out here:

•  A Family Village — $250 Cash Giveaway (Ends 05/12)
• UPrinting — 50 Brochures (Ends 05/18)
• Dr. Smith’s What to Expect — 6 Months Supply and Book Collection (Ends 05/14)

And a cool discount for my readers: Do you like basketball? How about the Harlem Globetrotters. Well, then check this out…

For the first time, the Harlem Globetrotters are conducting summer skills clinics to bring boys and girls ages 6-14 behind the curtain to see the Globetrotters’ electrifying skills and tricks, while also having fun staying active.

Clinic Locations:
Phoenix       Houston     San Francisco       New Jersey

Denver        Dallas        Los Angeles         Seattle

St Louis       Miami        Las Vegas

Save $10 on registration! Enter the Coupon Code USFAMILY on the cart page after completing your registration or mention when calling 1-800-641-HOOP  (4667)
Click Here: http://www.harlemglobetrotters.com/basketball-skills-clinics/summer-2012

What’s not happening: Wordpress keeps messing with my Comment Moderation. Thank you for being patient. I’m working on it! 

And on a personal note, here is the caterpillar my son made for school. I think it’s pretty happening…

What’s Happening with your Wednesday?

Whether it is a double pink line or a blue cross, they both mean one thing — you’re expecting. And as brilliantly exciting as that is, it can be daunting. Daunting? Heck, terrifying!

So what do you do?

I know that I called my best friend right away. Between screams of excitement (from her) and terror (from me), these words rang out. “Go to the bookstore now. Buy What to Expect When You’re Expecting.” And I did; she is my best friend, after all. And of course, it was good advice.

If you are not familiar with these books, they are something of a Bible for the first time mom. If you have a question, this book has the answer. It is broken down into weeks addressing questions ranging from morning sickness to constipation and everything between. In other words, it goes there.

And I needed that. I had a tough pregnancy — a very tough pregnancy. Morning sickness? Hah! Try all day sickness. I felt like I was on a boat for the first five months of this “blissful” time. Then the lower back pain came. Followed by early labor requiring hospitalization and bed rest. Needless to say, I did not expect any of that.

And while my OB was always my first source for info, it was so awesome to have a resource at my fingertips. Because even if you have an “Expected” pregnancy, there is still so much that is unexpected. Before having children, it is impossible to believe the changes that can and do happen to your body. For example, my breasts grew six sizes. SIX sizes! Unfortunately, this was not a remaining side effect. In fact, they shrunk a size with each pregnancy — talk about unexpected!!!

And if you called me and asked me what to do, I would say the same thing. Go get this book. And Dr. Smith’s wants to help. They are having a dynamite giveaway for any expecting mom.

Dr. Smith’s is giving one lucky reader a 6 month supply of Dr. Smith’s Diaper Rash Ointment, a $25 Visa gift card and a set of 3 books from the What to Expect Series: What to Expect When You’re Expecting, What to Expect The First Year, and What to Expect the Second Year.

Two runners up will win a 6 month supply of Dr. Smith’s.

So that’s three winners! Wondering what to expect from this giveaway? Here’s the bottom line… (You knew to “expect” a pun or two!)

To Enter, you must “Like” Dr. Smith’s on Facebook, www.Facebook.com/DoctorSmiths and leave a comment on this post. That’s it.

Sorry, it is for US residents only. Entries will be accepted through Midnight CT on May 14^th, 2012.  Winners will be selected at random.

I am a proud member of the Dr. Smith’s Premium Parent program but as always, all thoughts, opinions, musings are mine, all mine.

I love the sun on my son in this pic!

Now moo-ve over to Unknown Mami and her fabulous meme, Sundays in My City…