'Tis the Season

As we approach Christmas, stress often takes center stage. I can personally say that my Christmas shopping is not nearly complete -- I still have a ways to go. My poor husband has been working like crazy, and in my nauseated pregnant state I don't feel like doing much of anything.

Friday we had a party, a neighborhood affair, that started at my house. Of course I frantically had to clean up the house for guests. I did the best I could, but I wish I had the energy to go the extra mile. Oh well...

Saturday, John had to work all day. I took Ben to the playground and we both took a 3 hour nap. Oh the glorious nap!

Sunday was a business lunch at Disney. It was great. We got a babysitter and John and I kinda had a date. It was so NICE!! Even though we were joined by another couple for lunch, John and I ventured into the park (season passes are nice) and we walked around and rode one a ride. Doesn't sound like much, but it was great to spend some decent time with him. It's been so long since he and I have been able to spend "alone" time. I think we both missed it.

This week will prove to be yet another fun-filled week of John working late and me trying to keep everything at home together (and try to maintain its clean appearance). I have to find sometime this week to grocery shop, Christmas shop, drop off dry cleaning, wrap the gifts, and pack our things for the upcoming weekend. I can't wait till John gets home at a decent hour again!!

One Holiday Down...

Thanksgiving was last week and what a week it was. I must say I am thankful for many things in life. I am thankful to have a husband who supports every move I make, who makes me laugh and most importantly, who loves me (and shows it) no matter what I do.

I'm thankful for my son who is really the light of my life. He reminds me that every minute matters and that not so fun things (i.e. cooking, cleaning) can wait. Playing is way more fun! No matter what a day I had at work, nothing tops him yelling "MOMMY!" when I come pick him up at daycare.

I'm thankful for my family, both my parents and my in-laws. My parents are supportive, loving and always want the best for me (who wouldn't!). But the funny thing is they love me despite my wierd sense of humor (very unlike theirs) and my crude honesty. We do share a love for really bad, old TV shows: Brady Bunch, Golden Girls. I can watch them for hours. Of course my husband just shakes his head. My in-laws -- I must say my in-laws truly are a blessing. They spoil me as much as they spoil their children (and grandchildren) I don't think too many girls can say that about their in-laws!

I'm thankful for so many things I would bore you to tears. But I'm also thankful to be a mommy again. I'm 7 weeks pregnant and all I can do is pray for a healthy bundle to love more and more every day. I can't even imagine how wonderful it will be to have two children who really give meaning to life.

That's what Thanksgiving is all about.

Happy Hump Day!

Whoever thought of "Hump Day" was either really bored or well... had a really good sense of humor!

Things have been hectic with a father-in-law who has seemingly gone through the wringer the past few weeks (well, months really), school projects, football games and your basic toddler chasing. As the days get shorter and the hope of cooler weather comes about (a girl in Florida can hope for cooler weather -- that doesn't ACTUALLY mean it happens), we have taken advantage of more family time playing outside (football is the game of choice right now) and cuddling on the couch.

We cook dinner every night. Hard to do considering our busy schedules. It is generally way easier to just get something fast -- subs, pizza, etc. Planning out meals does help. But who has time to do that?? I try, but it doesn't always work. My favorite standby: Chicken Quesadillas. Lowfat, just enough for dinner and not too heavy, and FAST. A girl can do anything with that already cooked chicken!! Just microwave it or sautee it on the stove with some onions and you're in business!

On a totally separate note: Anyone have suggestions on kicking a really nasty coffee habit??!!

Is it Almost October Already?

Wow. A month has officially gone by without a post from me. I've been busy with work, school, home and all the other miscellaneous things that seem to pop up. School has been great so far. I'm learning so much and it's definitely manageable to juggle work, home and a toddler.

Ben has certainly kept us on our toes this month. He has battled a cold and we have really kicked into "high gear" on potty training. For so long, he really wasn't ready. Now -- I think he's ready and he's doing great so far. But, it is a switch for me when I'm so used to not having to stop at a restroom every two hours. He also managed to bonk his nose pretty good on the wood part of our bed resulting in swollen nose, a small cut and a visit to the doctor to make sure it wasn't broken.

We are currently prepping for a "big boy" room. He will have the room of champions -- decorated in none other than fire trucks (his favorite!). We're still trying to hammer out exactly what color to paint, but I'm sure we'll figure that out quickly.

Couple of good menu items that are quick and easy during the week: club sandwiches and turkey kielbasa on the grill.

Back to School

Yesterday marked the first day of school for most kids. My son began a new classroom at his daycare and I began taking a class towards a masters in healthcare administration. Feels good to learn again.

In making dinner last night, I learned that I really do have some cooking skills. I was able to come up with a healthy dinner, cook it and serve it within 20 minutes - all while chasing a toddler and trying to entertain my sister-in-law and her friend.

Vanessa's Quick Chicken and Watercress Dinner

Ingredients:
1 pkg of chicken cutlets (usually 4 in a pkg)
1 cup flour
2 eggs
splash of milk
bag of watercress
2 Tbsp. dijon mustard
vinegar
oil
2 garlic cloves pressed (optional)
white wine (optional)
lemon juice
cucumber (optional)

Directions:

1. Defrost chicken.
2. While the chicken defrosts, in a small bowl mix dijon mustard, pressed garlic cloves, splash of oil and splash of vinegar. Wisk together.
3. Cut open bag of watercress and put in bowl.
4. Beat two eggs and a splash of milk in a pie pan.
5. Put flour in another pie pan. Season with salt/pepper or however you wish.
6. Heat a large pan on med. high heat with canola oil (it won't smoke like olive oil)
7. Dredge chicken in eggs, then flour.
8. Place all four pieces of chicken in pan and cook for about 2-3 minutes on each side.
9. Cut cucumber for salad and put in bowl with watercress.
10. Pour in about a 1/2 up of lemon juice in pan with the chicken.
11. Pour in wine too. Just eyeball it. Probably about 1/2 cup or so.
12. Let it cook off and it's ready.
13. Mix the dijon dressing you made in steps #1 and #2 into the watercress salad. Mix well.

Serves 3-4 people.

Enjoy!!

Important Lessons

Ok, so one of the biggest struggles of a working mom is how to balace work life and home life. You want to be the best you can be in your career, and then switch to being the best mom you can be. It's not easy, but I've learned two very important lessons:
1) You can't expect everything to go as planned
2) Roll with the punches

Once you got that all figured out, it all becomes a lesson in time management. Modern technology is great, but I find that writing down all appointments/activities/errands in one master calendar (I keep on my desk), I can plan my time accordingly. This means, planning every day, from when to grocery shop to hair appointments. BUT, if you refer to lesson #1, you must remember to be flexible.

For example, I had every intention of grocery shopping yesterday, but when I picked up Ben, he wasn't in the best mood. So -- I improvised and figured I would go today. You can't wait until you are out of everything to make your plans, or you can be in big trouble, but refer to lesson #2. As I was preparing to defrost dinner, I realized we didn't have what we had planned on eating. Of course! So, I refer again to lesson #1 and find something else. Pork chops in the oven (shake n' baked with some sort of seasoning). As those baked in the oven I made onion rings in the toaster oven and mashed potatoes in the microwave. Dinner was ready in 25 minutes -- I really can give Rachael Ray a run for her money-- and I have modern conveniences to thank.

What would we do without microwaves and such? Well, back in those days, women didn't work.
Today's blog is tributed to: Dr. Percy Spencer - inventor of the microwave
THANK YOU!

T.G.I.F.

Wow. Am I glad this week is over. I don't know why. It wasn't extremely hectic, nor was it strange. It just is what it is. This weekend we are heading down to visit our families. Now, most people would think that it's a great think that my folks and my in-laws live so close together. In my opinion, it's a blessing and a curse.

The blessing part is that they are indeed close together so we can see them all at once and not have to make two separate trips. The curse is trying to divide time equally (which just by the nature of things, never really is equal) among families. It's really stressful trying to make everyone happy. We try hard, but just short of moving in or at least moving next door - it's just not gonna happen.

When you have a toddler, and you are away from home, things all get changed. Change is good. But, not for a toddler. They thrive on routine and repetition. Since our toddler has sleep issues when we are away, we tend to shy away from too much traveling in general. Not because we don't want to see people or do things... just for the pure purpose of keeping everyone on track and avoiding weeks of working back to the way things were. Napping is especially hard because of all the excitement and activity. Last thing you want is a super cranky toddler, tired parents and frustrated grandparents. But, as he grows older, we know the importance of adapting to change every once in a while. Evolution is what has made us the most intelligent mammal in existence (or has it?).

I think someone told me: "The only thing constant in life is change." I know this to be true and it keeps me on my toes. And with a toddler, that's EXACTLY where I need to be.

Just Another Manic Monday

So, I had the weirdest thing happen to me last night. All was relatively normal. We went to dinner with friends - one of my favorites, Thai food. Ben shared my food - the norm. We went home and he ran FOUR laps around our block (which is .3 miles for one lap) - which of course, means we ran after him on all four laps. Did I mention it was 95 degrees outside??

We went to bed. At 3am, we awoke to our child kind of crying, but not sure. I went in there to calm him and thought he was going back to sleep. I later heard him in there playing... happy as a clam. I finally doze back asleep and my husband wakes me to tell me about a firetruck parked outside our house -- lights flashing. After we found out who they were helping, we went back to bed... Ben, he was STILL awake playing. 4:15am... still playing. 5:00am STILL awake playing. Finally, my husband went downstairs, got him milk. He went back to sleep by 5:30am. Finally, we woke him at 8:00am. Of course, I slept in too... it was a weird night. Ben didn't take a nap, still came home from school to play outside (97 degrees) and barely ate anything for dinner.

I swear if someone could bottle up the energy of a toddler, it would sell like hotcakes.

When it Rains, It Pours

Wow. What a week it has been. My father-in-law has colon cancer. My grandmother was in the hospital. My sister-in-law needs to move (I gotta help). Work has been crazy. In addition to the many roles I play, my husband is also stretched in a 1,000 different ways too, which means I need to support him.

Everyone has their own issues - some more serious than others - but I'm thinking this week is a topper. It's crazy. Even co-workers, friends and neighbors have weird crazy things going on. I can tell you, I was completely overwhelmed.

Let me get out my bucket as I bail myself out.
It's gonna take a while. Are you with me? Thanks.

As time goes by, things are returning back to the normal hectic format, but at least it's managable. I now have a new path to make for myself and my husband and our family work through the rough waters.

I'm a big believer that things happen for a reason. Words from my great-grandmother who lived to 96... I think she knows what she is talking about. Right now I am just trying to figure out what exactly that "reason" is.

My rock has been my husband's extreme optimism, and of course, the smile of my son's face. Nothing tops that.

Nutritional Meals Can Be Fast

Thank goodness for grocery stores that have already-cooked, cut, or otherwise partially prepared foods. I was quite proud of tonight's dinner menu.

• Rotisserie chicken
• Green beans
• Caprese salad (tomato, basil, cheese, evoo)
  

Chicken was already cooked, I just had to cut it off the bone. The green beans are fresh and come in a steam-ready bag. Just poke some holes in the bag and pop it in the microwave for 4 minutes. While that was cooking, I cut a couple plum tomatoes and sliced some mozzarella, sprinkled some olive oil and added some basil leaves. All set and on the table in about 10 minutes. It was yummy and colorful to boot. My husband and son both loved it.

Score:
Mom 1
Family 0

Toddler-Friendly Menu

Preparing dinner for our little one is always a challenge. By the time you make what he says he wants, he doesn't want it anymore and he wants something else. I've learned a couple things:
1) Despite what he says he wants, give him what you think he REALLY wants
2) Don't keep giving in, he will change his mind 1,001 times
3) Be prepared to offer and make both options you give

I've also learned good ways to make sure he gets a variety of food.

1) Frozen vegetables - I know I am not a fan of too many veggies, but that doesn't mean my son can't have them. Frozen veggies are great, you take what you want out of the bag, heat it in some water for about 1 minute, drain, and it's all ready to serve. The green bean, pea, corn combo is definitely a hit.

2) "Non-traditional" fruits - My son LOVES kiwi. It's easy to cut and it kind of tastes like bananas and it's packed with more vitamin C than oranges (well, I think that's what I read). He also loves pineapple - easily purchased already cut in cans or those little single serving cups. He tried plums, but didn't like them, but I'll try them again. Mango is another fruit he loves. When it's in season, it's always a treat.

Totally unrelated - when does the "I want to turn off the light" phase end?

Negotiation vs. Bribery

Discipline measures for a child vary from family to family and from parent to parent. We really try to do the same, but there is a slight discrepancy between what is actually negotiation to get our child to do what he needs to do... then there's bribery. The line is very slim.

I use stickers as a reward. Going on the potty. When I catch him doing a good deed. That type of thing. My husband uses stickers as bribery. "I you do XYZ, I'll give you stickers..."

Enter discussions. Problem solved.

Taking away of prized possessions seems to be the best tactic of them all. Take away when not listening/doing, earn them back when objectives are completed and asked for nicely.

At least that's what works this week.

Am I in a Circus?

As a working mom in a two-income family, there's a constant juggling act (I unfortunately, do NOT know how to really juggle). From the moment I get up to the moment I lay my weary head down, there is something to be done (and then some!).

Typical day for me (weekday):
6:20 am - Built-in alarm yelling "Mommy, where are you?"
6:30 am - Get milk and his clothes
6:35 am - Change into clothes for the day
6:40 am - Wrestle with him to keep his clothes on/divert attention
6:55 am - Gather my clothes for the day/get dressed
7:15 am - Find my gym clothes and items to take to work for the day
7:25 am - Give hugs and kisses/gather my things/make breakfast (PB sandwich and milk)
7:30 am - First attempt to leave house
7:32 am - Run back in to grab whatever I forgot
7:33 am - Second attempt to leave
8:05 am - If traffic is nice to me, arrive at work
noon - workout and eat lunch
4:30 pm - Leave work/brave traffic home
5:05 pm - Pick up from daycare
5:10 pm - Convince my son that the store/gas station/post office is the best place ever
5:12 pm - Stop at home for random missed toy
5:15 pm - Run errand
6:00 pm - Start cooking dinner (microwaves are heaven sent!!)
6:30 pm - Try to eat dinner
7:00 pm - Play outside or some type of entertainment that is not TV
8:00 pm - Navigate bath/book/bed routine (husband gets son ready while I do random chore)
9:00 pm - Back downstairs for some "alone" time
9:30 pm - Back upstairs to sleep
9:35 pm - Asleep

Of course, schedule changes from day to day, but the routine of the motions stays pretty constant. Sometimes this gets all thrown out the window when juggling a cranky, sick, sad, excited or otherwise described two-year-old random mood variation.

The funny part is that even though I loathed the thought of routine and "structure" prior to having a child, it doesn't bother me one bit. I love doing everything. I love juggling all the random things that come my way.

Some days are harder than others, but at the end of the day,
it's worth every second.

Life is Hard Being a Toddler

Being back from vacation means a lot of adjustments. I think my little boy had a rough time with our departure - maybe from leaving and returning? maybe because we left while he was sleeping? maybe from the length of our absence? Who knows.

Toddler minds are so hard. Just when you think you've learned it all - it changes. All part of growing up, on his part and on mine. One minute he's excited about water day, the next he wants to rip off his clothes so fast you would think he was on fire!

Parenting is fun and challenging all rolled into one little package. It's probably the most education I have received in such a short period of time. And with the next kid... a whole new set of instructions!

Oh wait... gotta re-write them again. They changed.

Home is Where the Heart Is

Four days in Costa Rica was wonderful. We saw the most beautiful scenery imaginable and our brought adventurous spirits. We explored various mountain terrains, ate fresh (not touched with wacky preeservatives) food and caught a glimpse of life outside our busy schedules. Not to mention, we could eat dinner without entertaining anyone else but ourselves.

But, we missed our baby boy. I felt like I wanted to know what he was doing every second of the day and the $1.99 per minute on my cell phone was the only thing prohibiting me from calling a gajillion times a day. In any event, after four days, we both felt refreshed and we could face the "real" world once again.

Ah, to be home. The comfort of your own bed. An A/C that works properly. And warm hugs can't be beat - the super good squeezy kind.

Now only if I can get him back to his non-spoiled self - we'll be in business.

Kids are Amazing

Until you have a kid, you really don't know the happiness they bring. I used to equate having a child to having a dog - definitely NOTHING like that! So as I meander through life, having a child has brought new and exciting things to life that I would have never thought of before.

Have you ever smelled cauliflower? According to my son, it is indeed a flower and you must smell it and not eat it.

Do you remember learning to swim? It's not very easy, but to a child, it's one of the most freeing experiences. "I can do it all by myself, mommy" and "That was easy, mommy" fly from my son's mouth.

What are all those things in the sky? I never paid attention, but now I do. Apparently there's a Virgin Atlantic flight every day at the same time that happens to pass over our house. "Look mommy, a plane is flying in the sky."

For some reason, it seems that since my son was born a lot of people in my life have changed -- for the better. His personality seems to bring out the best in others, including myself.

Despite the challenges of raising a toddler, at the end of the day, life is good - and it can't get any better than that.

Fighting with a Toddler

So, not only was the Sopranos series finale a total let down, but I had to fight with my toddler about everything this morning. Despite doing what all the "experts" advise to reduce toddler tantrums and give my child a sense of independence by giving him various choices to make in the mornings, I ended up fighting tooth and nail with my angelic(?) toddler.

He greeted me this morning with a smile. Ahhh... enough to warm the heart of any mother. Then, he picked out his clothes. We walk into my bedroom as I try to get him ready and myself ready (all while my husband also frantically tried to get dressed himself). Thinking it was a good idea, I offer "Do you want to turn on the light?" "NO, I don't want to turn on the light, mommy!" OK, I thought to myself. Whatever, I'll turn it on. You would've thought that I started World War IV! So, I reluctantly turn off the light to keep the peace.

I moved on to changing diaper, getting him dressed and the like. More fighting...Diaper vs. Pull-up. Then as I put on the shirt that he picked out -- another battle. He's ripping off the shirt as I put it on. Frustrated and angry (I am sooooooo sick of fighting), I placed him in timeout. How do you get them to sit still?? Yet another fight.

Today is swim lessons, I just hope it's not going to be yet another battle. I pre-warned him that we would be swimming. We shall see the results!

Off to the battlefield. Who's with me??

Thank God for Weekends!

The weekend can't come soon enough. With a child ill the past two days, all those things you mean to do get put on hold and you roll with the punches. To top it off, the husband is working on a project that requires a lot of his attention, so he's been working a lot - we know what that means? No breaks for me!


Despite having to take the last two days off work, I still managed to do some work from home as to not deplete my vacation time sitting at home, but actually having a vacation. We actually do have a vacation planned, but it took lots of poking and prodding on my part. We're heading to Costa Rica for 4 days. Lucky for me, my mother-in-law can come stay while we are away and we can actually enjoy a quiet breakfast, lunch and dinner as well as sleeping in and well... just some time alone is quite valuable these days.


As a working mom I have come up with some rather innovative dinners (that does not necessisarily mean healthy, but I try) that I can prepare in about 20 minutes (move over Rachael Ray!). One dish that got rave reviews from my husband (and myself) was something I kind of just threw together and I wanted to share.


Buffalo Chicken Wraps
7 - Boneless Buffalo Chicken Strips
salad in a bag
matchstick carrotts (already cut!)
celery (already cut!)
Spinach wraps
Ranch dressing (or Blue Cheese)


Cook strips as directed (approx. 17 min). When ready, cut chicken into strips and assemble the wrap. This made four wraps - we had it for dinner and then we each had lunch the next day.

Welcome to the Blog for Working Moms!

Welcome. Welcome. Welcome.

As the inaugeral posting to my blog, I wanted to share why I wanted to create a blog and what I hope to offer my audience.

In essence, I found that being a mom is not the easiest job in the world, but it certainly has it's bonuses! But, being a working mom in particular is challenging. Not only do you struggle every day wondering if you've made the right choices for your child, but you struggle with a "new you."

I was once very career minded and found myself at a crossroads once my son was born. How do you manage to fulfill yourself career-wise while also the needs of your family? Ahhh -- the guilt!! How do you make sure your child is taken care of without breaking the bank? How do you juggle home time with work time? It's often hard to not take work home...but you definitely hate to interfere with your already short time to spend - so ya gotta make it quality. Oh yeah - how do you do that too? I ended up switching from a career where everything was due yesterday and I had zero flexibility to a job where I have more flexibility and the home and work balance is often equal. Hard to find?? Absolutely! I took a pay cut to find it. It was the best move I made.

Let's face it - us girls do it all!!
When you become a mother, you also take on the role as event planner, scheduler, logistics coordinator, healthcare surrogate, and financial advisor. This is in addition to your already established roles of chef, cleaning lady, etc. Now, don't get me wrong, my husband is very helpful around the house and with my son, but somehow I still end up with quite a workload.

This blog will tell you my tales as a working mother. Things that help me deal with the day-to-day ups and downs and ways to keep my sanity - whether it's quick dinner receipes, ways to convince a toddler to cooperate (I'm still learning!), or just ways that I juggle home and a career.

I'm bound to help someone out there or perhaps someone out there can help me!