Speed Bump

I want to say thanks for all the comments on my working mom post the other day, both on this blog and on my facebook wall - that was really fun and rewarding for me. I write here most days just to catalog events and try to organize my own thoughts and ideas. But its great when I get feedback and know that what I'm thinking about and struggling with matters to others. I think I came away with two main points from that post and the ensuing comments: 1) The grass is always greener. When things get tough, I start daydreaming of other options and often idealize a situation that is not my own. No work-life scenario is perfect. Parenting is hard, no matter how you divide your time. 2) I am not in this alone. This is usually the first thing I forget at the end of a long and frustrating day. Working moms everywhere struggle with the same exact things I do - every day! It is reassuring and makes me feel better. I'm reminded of this previous post about how it is time for the system ...

Things are really busy at work, lots of deadlines, long days, late nights. These stretches come and go, but I never seem to get past them without going through the ritual of doubting everything about how I'm living my life, raising my children. The time they spend in daycare is so much more than I prefer, our trips to the park on a sunny fall afternoon are way too infrequent, the meals I put together last minute during the week always seem to fall short. I wonder if I'm really making it work, or if I'm just cruising through most days hoping the wheels don't fall off. You don't get a second chance at this parenting thing. If you are short changing your kids during their crucial developmental and formative years, you don't get a do-over. How do you know what is right for them? For you? Working parents have it really tough. I know I only have this one perspective, but sometimes I think it is the worst scenario of any of the parenting options (part-time work, s...

Please watch this video . And think. Then move.

  Our baby turned 18 months old this week. I still can't believe it. I still think of her as a baby - with her super soft baby skin and hair, her chubby legs and round belly. And yet those legs move fast, she has a mouth full of teeth, and she uses more and more words every day. She wants to do everything by herself. Like feed herself yogurt, with an extra large spoon... She is really not a baby anymore. But I want to continue to think of her as one, so I will. Now and forever. These urban monkeys were craving a good old-fashioned park this week. I picked them up early from school on Tuesday and we went to one of our old favorites in Brookside. It was like seeing a long lost friend for Charlie. "I love this park, Mom! It's my favorite!" It had been too long. There aren't any parks within walking/running distance from us. Ok, there is one. I have pretty low standards for KCMO parks for the most part, but even I draw the line at this one. It is next t...

Do you remember when I raved about my new Fitbit at the beginning of the summer? (Check out the post here ). Are you wondering if my love has faded? Wondering if this toy is gathering dust on a shelf, neglected and ignored like most fitness gadgets? Well, wonder and worry no more. My fitbit is still enjoying a special place in my daily routine and attire. If I leave the house without it, I feel at a complete loss for the day. I wear it every day, strive to hit my 10,000 steps every day (most days I get there), and I love it. Some family members recently received Fitbit gifts...the message of moving more, walking as much as possible every day is so important to me. I want everyone I love to get with the program. I'm working on putting together a Fitbit-inspired program with a group at work, too. More steps = better, happier, healthier lives! We recently added another Fitbit gadget to our home collection. The wi-fi smart scale from Fitbit, called Aria. Our ratty ...

This was the spread waiting for us when we arrived at our last design meeting. They were ready for us. We talked about exterior aspects of the new house, like windows. Every window in the house will be new (the home owner's association stipulates they must match!). I had no idea there were so many choices when it comes to windows. We looked at choices for roof color, type of wood, and wood stain for the front of the house...still just narrowing down our options at this point. We're really getting down to the nitty gritty on the design. All the structural plans are set (with small tweaks to the stairwell and some built-in components in the pantry still coming), and at this point we really have a clear vision of what the house is going to look like. And we love it. Love.It. It was a big week and things are moving fast. The plans were reviewed by the home owner's association this week and we're hoping their approval comes soon. The architects are preparin...

I picked the kids up early from school today so they could catch an unusual sight. The circus is in town and the elephants arrive by train! We heard the elephants once or twice before we saw them. There were 6 of them all together. They quickly formed a single file line, with trunks holding tails, and off they went.They moved fast and before we knew it, they were down the street out of sight. Charlie was telling this man in pink that he was going to hug that big elephant. Having a train station in your backyard has its perks!

Welcome to Little Localvores - a weekly series on our family's first experience with a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture). Every Tuesday all summer long we will receive a supply of fresh produce and local foods through the Good Natured Family Farms CSA. I'll chronicle my attempts to get my toddlers (3 years and 15 months) to eat fresh and local, healthy foods. Localvore: someone who prefers to eat locally grown/produced food. We've had some great peppers in our CSA share for the last several weeks. Here is how I've been using them: One: Grilled . I love the flavor of slightly charred peppers from the grill. I chopped these and put them with a tuna salad over some greens last week for lunch. The rest went into a simple cheese & pepper, whole wheat quesadilla I made for the kids one night for dinner. Two: sauteed with mushrooms for a vegetarian soft taco. This is a variation of a recipe for pablano and mushroom tacos that we make...

Holy Cow! Our architects have a house featured on the cover of the new issue of Dwell magazine. I can't believe we get to sit across the table from these guys every week and see the plans they are designing for our house. Our house! Crazy.

We're hitting up First Friday tonight, should be a beautiful fall-like evening. So excited to walk out our backdoor to experience all things artistic and quirky. Some light viewing for the weekend: I'm loving KC right now and here are a few reasons why. College campuses are back in full swing this week. I know my college dorm was nothing like this ! Teach your children well!  Off to some Friday morning leadership training. Happy weekend everyone!

We took a stroll around our new neighborhood this weekend...so many exciting and different things to see!  Just around the corner from our building, we needed a water break. It was hot, even for the morning. I just love this part of the city. We are in this low area just shy of all the tall buildings and commercial city life. The Crossroads. People live here, walk their dogs, go running, walk home late at night, raid the dumpsters. We're surrounded by 5-6 story brick buildings inscribed with names of warehouses long past, the occasional coffee shop, tattoo parlor, and artist's den. On Labor Day morning, the streets were quiet, the shops all closed, and we had the neighborhood to ourselves. Perfect for exploring on Charlie's strider bike for the first time. Stopping for another water break. Smelling.... Pouring.... Spitting. I was afraid to crash this place with two toddlers. But as the only place open that...