You've Got a Friend

I am coming off a hella work week. Thanksgiving went by in a blur of stories about a turkey fryer fire and early Black Friday sales. No family gathering for me (hope everyone had fun in Florida)! Yesterday I pulled a 13-hour shift (so worth it though - check out my story tonight or find it on the web tomorrow) so I'm giving myself a little break. I'm snuggling with a furry member of the Jungle Larry entourage and chillaxing in my pj's.

You probably know by now that Tales is not normally a blog for commercial purposes. But I'm making an exception today to help out and promote a good friend's business. Abbie and I graduated high school together when ER topped the television charts. In the years since, Abbie has become a loving wife and mother to two adorable little nuggets (hopefully they'll be featured in the future on BBW!). Abbie is also the genius behind Thing-A-Ma-Sling, but why don't I let her tell you about it!

"In early 2004, shortly after the birth of my first child, I began making baby slings because I couldn’t find any comfortable, stylish slings for a reasonable price. Once I started wearing the slings with my daughter, and then later on with my son, I was constantly stopped in public by interested parents who were just as frustrated as I had been.

Unintentionally, THING-A-MA-SLING, LLC was suddenly born! The quality of the materials we use and the amount of attention we pay to every detail of your sling make our products unsurpassed. Your infant will be safely secured in the comfort of our slings and we are confident your baby will love the product as much as we do.

At THING-A-MA-SLING, we care about our community and our environment. We regularly give back to our community through donations to organizations that support our military and those that promote rights in birthing, breastfeeding and holistic parenting. One of our favorite organizations is Birth Without Boundaries, Int’l. As an advocate for women and children’s rights, it is so important to me that we make informed choices for ourselves and our children.

We are honored that you chose THING-A-MA-SLING! Your purchase makes it possible for us to help parents make informed choices when it comes to their pregnancy, birth and the care of their children."
 

There you have it! I'm really glad I have the chance to help out my pal. My friends are my family.

Have a wonderful Sunday ya'll!

BABY BRAGGIN' WEDNESDAY: Jack and Owen

Drum roll, please..... it's time for another edition of Baby Braggin' Wednesday! So glad you could join me because this week, we have some major cutie-pies - twins!

JACK AND OWEN

Jack and Owen are 2 1/2 year old twin boys who belong to one of my besties here in Fargo, Heather. They are adorable little nuggets, each with a personality all his own. And boy do they give their mum and dad a handful! Check out this full-moon-fever story Heather sent me. She writes:

"What I remember is the horror of that night. We were getting Jack and Owen ready for a bath. We lived in a condo on the northside of Fargo and I think the boys were about a year and a half. On bath nights Nick would run upstairs and start the water and I would get the tots ready for their bath. 

Most moms agree babies need a chance to "air out"...which means, take off all clothes, including diapers and let kids run around "free" for a minute or two. Looking back, bad idea. We took off the first baby's diaper and let him run free while Nick ran the tub...yet another bad idea.

As i'm wrangling the 2nd baby, baby #1 poops on the carpet!! I scream in horror, Nick runs back downstairs to check out what's going on...and as I'm cleaning up poop from baby #1, I hear a whizzing noise...baby #2 is peeing on the carpet, then squatting to poop. This had never, I repeat never, happened before....and although they've peed on the carpet several times since (including last night), no one has ever pooped on the carpet again...and my carpet probably never looked the same!"

Heather, her hubs and fam eventually moved out of that condo and I'm guessing the new tenants are none the wiser! I love it when Jack and Owen stop by the newsroom and I hope you enjoyed reading about these precious nuggets. How cute are their pictures?! Angels!

Don't forget - you too, can submit pics and stories for Baby Braggin' Wednesday! Just send your submissions to patriciacarlsonfreelance@gmail.com. I'm doing it on a first-come, first-serve basis so please be patient if you haven't seen your nuggets' posting yet. I'll get to everyone, I promise!!!

Next week, we're heading west to meet a California baby!

One final thought, I want to wish all my Tales readers out there a wonderful Thanksgiving. I appreciate your friendship so much. I hope one day I can say that to you in person, instead of over the World Wide Web Highway. To Nai Nai, Ricky and my family who is gathered in the Sunshine State, I love you all and wish I could be there. Much love to eveyone and please make time for a nap after eating all of the delicious turkey Ricky is cooking!

The Golden Rule

Not too long ago, someone came into my life and taught me a lot about responsibility. This person, whom I'll call Elphaba, was the most self-centered and self-absorbed person I've ever met. Elphaba made Tyra Banks look like Oprah.

Elphaba's tornado of self-love affected everyone around her. Elphaba had no regard for how her actions impacted others. And when someone would have the audacity to point this out to Elphaba, she blatantly ignored their feelings or took any accountability for her actions. She lacked empathy. To put it bluntly, the girl didn't give a shit about anyone but herself.

It's like the Golden Rule: do unto others as you would have them do unto you. Clearly, Elphaba missed the boat on that one.

Perhaps you're thinking the same of me now. 'Why would she write something so horrible about another person? What good will come of speaking badly about this person?'

My goal in sharing this with you is not to focus on how a person's values can be so twisted.  Rather, I'd like to figure out how to prevent someone from becoming this way. In short, how do you teach kids responsibility and personable accountability? 

I'm guessing munchkins are not born possessing these two virtues; they are taught and learned. Some parents lead by example. Other mums and dads use discipline and teaching moments.  Some kids learn these qualities by participating in sports. And other kids (more like teens) catch the drift when they get their first job.

But how can some children slip through the cracks and become irresponsible and self-absorbed adults like Elphaba and Speidi? And what sorts of things do I need to learn about parenting to ensure my future nuggets aren't like them?

So... to you... my dear readers, I'm asking this: please send me examples of what you do to teach your nuggets responsibility and accountability. Share your tips and tricks in the comment section - perhaps we can all learn a little something from each other. I look forward to reading all about it!

And, once again, thanks so much for stopping by Tales of an (Almost) Mommy! I'm so happy you're here!

BABY BRAGGIN' WEDNESDAY: Casey, Brady and Madelyn

Welcome to the first edition of Baby Braggin' Wednesday! So glad you could join me!


In case you're new to Tales, BBW is a weekly feature where I post pictures and cute little stories about all the little nuggets in my life and/or who belong to Tales readers like you. To be a part of BBW, all you have to do is email me some pics of your munchkin(s) and tell me a little about them. I'll craft up a blog entry from there that you can share with all your family and friends! It's my way of showing off all the cute little nuggets out there - and giving shout outs to all the fabulous peeps in my life! I love you all so much!

So... without further ado... here's our first BBW entry:

CASEY, BRADY AND MADELYN

I am the proud auntie to these remarkable (and athletic!) three kids. I don't get to see them very often, maybe once a year, and I miss them terribly. I've had to watch them grow up through pictures so that's why I thought they should be BBW's debut post. Casey, Brady and Madelyn are incredibly smart and cute - I can't wait to see them at Christmas!!!

Casey is the oldest. I am his Godmother. My favorite memory of Casey is teaching him to swim in Nai Nai and Ricky's pool in the Sunshine State. We spent hours in the pool working on floating and kicking and dunking and jumping (of course, he had a great start at swimming lessons with his mum and dad). But he's also a darn good soccer player!

Brady is one of the sweetest kids you'll ever meet. And one of the pickiest eaters! If this still holds true, last I knew, his favorite meal was chicken nuggets with sauce (ketchup). He loves fruit too. Brady has a wonderful imagination and will talk my ear off on the phone. It's so nice to hear his voice. Brady is sure to be a heartbreaker when he grows up - he's so cute!

Oh, Miss Madelyn - the youngest, and a girl, to boot!! Maddy is the perfect combination of her mum and dad's good looks - why this cutie isn't a child model is beyond me. That may have something to do with the fact that nobody tells Maddy what to do - she is in charge! And has the voice to prove it! But she is a ham in front of the camera and knows how to give a great hug. I don't know Maddy as well as Brady and Casey so I'm hoping she and I will have a chance to bond over the holidays.

So there you have it - Casey, Brady, and Madelyn are the first kids to be featured on Tales of an (Almost) Mommy's Baby Braggin' Wednesday column. I hope you enjoyed reading all about my fantastic nephews and niece! SuperFutureDad and I are the proudest uncle and auntie a kid could have!

If you have some pics and stories you'd like to submit for BBW, please email me at patriciacarlsonfreelance@gmail.com. I can't wait to share them with all the Tales readers!

BABY BRAGGIN' WEDNESDAY!

For those of you who are familiar with Tales, you know that SuperFutureDad and I are still in The Land of No Nuggets.  And it seems the older I get, the lonelier a place it is.

But whatever my situation is, it does not affect my crazy excitement whenever I find out one of my family members, friends, blog followers, or casual readers is preggers. I'm overjoyed (and yes, envious) each time one of them calls, texts, or writes with the news that they're entering Mommyhood.

It is for this reason that I'm announcing a new weekly column called Baby Braggin' Wednesday!

BBW, for short, is so you can show off your nugget with pictures, stories and fun, little facts. Each week, I'll select a little peanut to feature and write up a blog entry about him/her/them. I just need you to supply the pics and info!

Here's how it works:

Send me an email @ patriciacarlsonfreelance@gmail.com with your nuggets' name, age, birth date and where you live

Attach up to 3 pictures of your baby (toddlers and big kids accepted, too - I love 'em all!)

Include some baby braggin' info - this can be anything from birth stats or their first word to a funny thing they do or the moment you knew they were wicked smart

Once you've been picked, I'll notify you by email and get cracking putting together your kids' Baby Braggin' Wednesday profile! 

I'll admit my motives are a bit selfish in doing this but I really just want the chance to show off all the peanuts who belong to my friends and family. I am so proud of all of you and happy that you get to be mommies and daddies!

Besides, who doesn't get a smile on their face when looking at the chubby cheeks of a brand new baby?  I know I do!

The Rebel In Me

A few weeks ago, I did something I shouldn't have. Since that day, I've been spiraling downward into the bizarre baby-making world.

One morning, I started searching the World Wide Web Highway for other people like me: Baby-Jonesing gals who think it's (maybe?) time to start a family. What I found scared the crap out of me.

Cyberspace is FILLED with any-something women trying to have kids. And it seems none of them, like me, are having any luck.

Discovering that hundreds, if not thousands, of women are in the same baby-limbo as I am should bring me comfort. 'Now I have people to talk with who won't think I'm: A) off my rocker, B) annoying as a wax job starting to grow back, C) a whiny attention whore,' I remember thinking excitedly that fateful morning.

But frankly, finding all my new 'friends' on the Internet(s) sucks; it’s more depressing than I'd like to admit. There are just so darn many of them. It makes me feel hopeless.

Worse than that, not only are all of these women NOT pregnant, they're freaks!

They speak in alien tongue. Think I'm joking? See if you can decipher this sentence:

“i hope i get my BFP tomorrow but it is still early. i am 9 DPO today so tomorrow will be 10 DPO but i should get my AF by saturday or sunday so i am hoping it doesnt come!!! i hope all you ladies have GL with the BFP's this month.”

WTF???

Where’s the good old-fashioned, full-word girl talk? The Babymoon talk? The FutureNugget Name talk? To me… everything in that sentence is so… clinical. I can’t relate. Even though there is joy in it (she’s talking about hoping to get a positive pregnancy test reading before her period is due because she ovulated several days ago. Yeah, I’ll admit it, I’ve figured out the lingo.) the acronyms sound like a bad episode of Military Medical Mysteries. There’s a reason that show never got picked up.

My intention is not to anger, insult, or aggravate any of the women who frequent these sites or parlez in this foreign language. In fact, I think it’s quite brave that they are so open about their journey into Mommyhood. And, I find it comforting to know that women who’ve only ‘met’ virtually turn to each other for support.

My beef is that I don’t want to become one of them. Perhaps this is the rebel in me, but I don’t want to be consumed by trying to create a nugget. I don’t want to have to count my DPO (days past ovulation). Or take my BBT (basal body temperature). Or measure for EWCM (egg white cervical mucus indicating your most fertile time).

Honestly, I don’t want to work at it. I just want it to happen. I just want to enjoy this time in my life where me and SuperFutureDad dream about our nugget. Where we wish for what could be.

Perhaps this is faulty logic and I’ll never get that little baby I’ve been hoping for.

But if that happens, I can always turn to the nearest TTC group, right? And I can tell all the ladies there about the next time I POAS.

One Amazing Mother

Greetings ya'll!!!

How are the Baby Jones and/or The Mommyhood treating ya??

I'm still hanging in there. This trying-to-become a parent thing is A LOT harder than I expected. Look for an upcoming post on this topic. I'm sure there's some of you out there who may agree with me!

Meantime, I want to share something with you. As you might know, my alter ego is a full-time television news reporter. I absolutely love my job! And just over a year ago, I decided to try to expand my reporting portfolio by breaking into freelance writing for magazines. Much to my delight (and a lot of hard work), I've had tremendous success!

At this point, I would like to personally thank the local publications who have hired me:

Lake and Home Magazine

On The Minds of Moms Magazine

The Village Family Magazine

As a special treat for all my dear readers on this blog, the wonderful folks at On The Minds of Moms Magazine (OTMOM for short), are encouraging me to post my latest cover story for them on Tales. Get ready to be inspired by this amazing mother!

And, if you're interested in learning more about her... click here!

Finally, I have special Facebook and Twitter accounts set up to share and promote my freelance career. Please pass the word!

Friend me on FB @ Patricia Carlson and follow me on Twitter @ pattycfreelance. I look forward to networking with you!