There are three ways of looking at it. Cup half-empty: I’m either one-half of 90 or five years shy of 50. Cup half-full: I’m celebrating the third anniversary of my 15th birthday (credit to my friend for that one).
Category Archives: Chief Mom Officer Musings
In the Spirit of Thanksgiving…
Another Thanksgiving holiday has come and gone. This year, we enjoyed the weekend’s festivities in the presence of some new additions, including our baby cousins Scarlet and Nathaniel, and puppies Truffle and Thora (Thora lives in Ithaca with my aunt, uncle and Temba the Tibetan spaniel, who was none too happy about Truffle’s and Thora’s blossoming friendship). And although we missed not having cousins Seth, Liz, David, Elias and Felix around the table with us, the Jetsons-like wizardry that is Skype allowed us to see and talk to them in real time from Iraq and California so that their absence wasn’t as acutely felt.
The weekend passed by in a haze of food, laughter and dogs running around our house. We made our annual trek to the movies to see The Hunger Games: Catching Fire. Frozen is on tap for this afternoon.
Of course, we couldn’t start eating our feast without someone suggesting we all share what we were thankful for this year. After the inevitable groans and eye-rolling, we got down to business. My list is a long one, with Chief Mom Officer sitting at the very top. No surprise there. It’s been an incredible year – one that I will cherish for the rest of my life (or until I can’t remember it anymore).
Everyone else shared their thanks – some funny, some serious, but all heartfelt. And then Sophie, being Sophie, announced in her compassionate 8-year old voice: “I’m thankful for home, family and friends and all the other things that are important to have in your life, because many people don’t have all those things.”
Couldn’t have said it better myself, my sweet one. Happy Thanksgiving to all.
On Sophie’s Cuddles, Discovering the Joy of Reading and Growing Up
Sophie has always been our resident cuddle monkey. I’ve written about her propensity for hugs on many occasions over the years, and until Saturday night, it hadn’t occurred to me that my little monster has not been as cuddly as she used to be.
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A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to Chief Mom Officerdom
I started www.pinkmenot.com six years ago, when Chloe was just shy of seven years old and Sophie had just celebrated her second birthday. That’s an eternity in kid years, but more like a blip on the radar screen for us adults.
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Guest Columnist: Chloe the Film Critic
Watching movies with Chloe is fast becoming one of my favorite pastimes, especially now that I’m no longer limited to viewing saccharine-sweet children’s films with her. We have embarked on an epic quest: making our way through the American Film Institute’s “100 Years 100 Movies” list. We also have a lot of Oscar contenders to see in the theater before the end of the year. And we have plenty of schlock to watch on Netflix. Our viewing tastes run the gamut.
Chloe, unsurprisingly to those who know her, has very strong opinions about the movies she watches. And as a gift to all of you, she kindly agreed to critique some of the movies she’s seen over the past few weeks. Here you go, straight from the horse’s mouth:
Balance Restored
Truffle the monster puppy has been with us for almost five weeks now. And I’m finally starting to feel like equilibrium is returning to our household. He’s a bit calmer, a bit smarter and a much better listener than he was even two weeks ago.
Trick or Treat or Bust
Our first Halloween celebrated on All Hallows’ Eve since 2010. Thank you, snow storms and hurricanes for making a mess of the last two years. But this year, we were determined not to be defeated, despite skies threatening a downpour.
School Projects Turn Me Into a Monster
I have a confession to make. I hate school projects. I have no patience for them. They suck all the air out of me.
Fortunately, Chloe no longer requires much assistance with them. Sophie, on the other hand, will continue to bring home these assignments for the next few years. Her current project is not particularly complicated, which makes me feel even worse because, despite its relative ease, I still couldn’t manage to rein in my bad passive/aggressive parenting instincts.
Andes Mints, Lucite and My Grandmother
I ate an Andes mint today for the first time in about 20 years. As the candy melted in my mouth while I was driving to the store, I took a sensory-filled trip back in time to my grandparents’ condominium in Lauderhill, Florida. For more than 30 years, this modest two-bedroom apartment was my grandparents’ castle, the place where their children came to visit and their grandchildren came to play.
An Important Lesson for our Kids: How Not to Negotiate
Had an interesting conversation with Chloe the other day about the shenanigans in Congress – the government shutdown and the looming debt ceiling disaster. The best part about the discussion was observing her avid interest in learning about what was happening and understanding why it was happening. My husband and I explained the situation to her as best we could (and no, despite efforts to remain neutral, we failed miserably).
Continue reading An Important Lesson for our Kids: How Not to Negotiate