Mom in DCity

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Welcome to Vomitville, Population 10 and Growing

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Today was supposed to be a relaxing, post-surgery recovery day; I was going to wear something with a really small arm hole (because I can now that I  don’t have a cast), take copious amounts of Vicodin, and lay on the couch. Instead, I watched Bubble Guppies while cleaning up vomit, and forcing spoonfuls of Gatorade into Lira’s mouth.

Now I’m wondering if Zana’s cat-induced pukes from this weekend were really some kind of stomach bug.

*Ring Ring*

“Hey Besa, we’re going to have to close the daycare. The kids are throwing up everywhere and most of the parents have been sick too. We’re asking that you pick up Zana as soon as possible.”

Mystery solved. The cats are off the hook for now. It looks like there’s a stomach bug spreading like wildfire. The daycare will be closed tomorrow so they can disinfect the place, and I’m supposed to let them know if  Zana blows chunks again.

Lira is feeling better, although every time she feels a burp coming on she starts crying because she thinks she’s getting sick again. Then she burps, says excuse me (at least I taught her one thing), and then starts giggling.  She also won’t go anywhere without a giant bowl, in case she feels sick again.

I never had a stomach virus as a kid–and  my mom confirms this. She says people aren’t given more than they can handle and God must have known she couldn’t handle throw-up. By this rationale, my girls get stomach bugs because all the partying in college left me very well equipped to handle these situations. I sprung right into action holding Lira’s hair back so she didn’t get vomit in her lovely locks. Thank you to my friends who prepared me for these precious moments; you know who you are.

Now if only someone had prepared me for daycare closings…

Top 10 Mommy Bloggers… Maybe Next Year

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Sad news, MomInDCity readers… I did not make the Top 10 Mommy Blogger list this year. (I’ll give you all a moment to wipe your tears.)

Since I just started blogging a couple of weeks ago, I’m handling the rejection pretty well, but I thought I’d at least get an honorable mention! I’d like to think that the folks at Babble.com who came up with the list won’t make the same mistake next year.

Online tax service H&R Block commissioned an infographic on mom bloggers, showcasing that Top 10 list along with some fascinating stats about bloggers who happen to be moms. First of all, there are almost 4 million of us in North America. That’s  a crazy-lot, don’t you think?! Also, Salt Lake City has the highest percentage of mom bloggers; DC is tied with San Francisco for 5th place.

Before I make campaign posters to help ensure my spot on next year’s list, let’s go over some important reasons why I should be included:

1. I’m a mom.
2. I blog.
3. You can call me whatever you want. (A lot of moms who blog don’t want to be called “mommy bloggers” because they blog about a lot more than being a mommy.  I will accept the “mommy blogger” title with pride– trust me, I’ve been called a lot worse.)
4. I’ll maintain the integrity of the crown as an “online icon for style, wit and honesty” (I also believe in world peace).
5. I’m pretty sure that’s my cartoon likeness at the top of the infographic.  If I’m included on next year’s list, I won’t sue for using my image without written consent.

Here’s a look at the infographic and the impressive Top 10 list. I suppose these women’s blogs may be slightly more influential than mine. See for yourself and tell me who’s on your list of favorite bloggers.

Click image to enlargeEarth Day 2012Source: H&R Block

Summer Lovin’… Had Me a Blast

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For many families on the Hill, August is the ideal time to procreate. How do I know? Because we are going to five (yes, five) birthday parties this weekend. Birthday parties are a cornerstone of every good American family’s weekend routine, but there are usually one or two– not five.

Our overloaded schedule got me thinking about a few things:

  1. Wow, my girls are popular. It’s a good thing they take after me and not their father– that guy’s such a nerd.
  2. Thank God for Amazon Prime– gotta order those birthday gifts today!
  3. Which parents do I like best? I’ll take the girls to those kids’ parties and Dave can go  to the others (you’ve got to divide and conquer on weekends like this)
  4. Why was everyone’s kid born in May? Which led me to… they all got pregnant in August! Which led me to a long list of inappropriate names for this blog post before settling on the one you see above (Summer of ’69? Dog Days of Summer?)

August is traditionally the most popular birth month, according to Life’sLittleMysteries. Maybe I should start stocking up on gifts now; August is right around the corner, you know.

Both of my kids were born in the winter, which was poor planning for several reasons: I could never find a winter coat to properly cover my pregnant belly, sometimes there’s a blizzard happening while you’re in labor, and planning parties in the winter in DC is hard.

Lira and me (9 mos pregnant)

Of the 5 parties this weekend, three of them are outdoors. One is at Yards Park, a really cool splash park near Nationals Stadium!  And two of the others are backyard cookouts. We’ve also been to birthday parties at Lincoln Park, the National Arboretum and East Potomac Park. You want to know the best thing about those parties?  Their parents didn’t have to pay to have them there! [Read more…]

More Than a Mom

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When you’re a mom, you sometimes forget what it’s like to get male attention (husbands excluded—mine gives me more than I can handle). So when a strapping young fella reminds you that you are, in fact, still a woman and not just a mom—it’s kind of exciting.

I rode the metro to a downtown coffee shop to get some work done before a doctor’s appointment. This was the scene:

Me: (typing feverishly on my laptop)
Tie Guy: Hey, how’d you break that wrist? Bar fight?
Me: No, I broke it beating my children. (I wasn’t actually trying to shut him down but I realized afterward that I may as well have said ‘I have children and am not interested.’)
Tie Guy: (looks dejected)

It must have dawned on him that I said “kids” but not “husband” so he comes back to my table a few minutes later.

Tie Guy: So how was your Mother’s Day?
Me: It was good… nice family brunch.
Tie Guy: Where’d you go?
Me: Andrew’s Air Force Base. My husband works there.

Aaaaaannnnddd, that was the end of it.

Tie Guy: I hope your arm feels better. Have a good day.

Wasn’t that an exciting story?!

If this happens to you all the time, good for you; I don’t want to hear about it.  But if you’re a mom who occasionally has an extra cheerio in her bra and a few pacis in her purse, can I get an amen?! [Read more…]