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I’m Bossy But, Not the Boss Like Beyoncé

March 16, 2014 by momindcity 3 Comments

“Get off of me with those Nutella hands!”

“It’s snowing, you can’t wear a swimsuit!”

“If you don’t sit both of your butt cheeks on that chair, no dessert!”

I have heard myself saying all of the above this weekend. Meanwhile, every time I’m on Twitter, Instagram or any of my other favorite time-wasting apps I’m bombarded with messages like this one…

Look at the words, not her perfect face.

Besides my bossy self, I live with two bossy girls. There, I said it. But it’s true! They march around the house barking orders at each other, at Dave, and at me. And if anyone else is near, they’ll boss them around too. Lira got bossy with all of us, including her Nana, the other day and then actually growled at her. At her own Nana!

#3 is what she thinks should be her consequence

If she doesn’t “get it together” like the note says, we’re going to have ourselves a regular Anna Wintour around here—only this little devil will be wearing Gymboree instead of Prada.

According to the Ban Bossy website, “When a little boy asserts himself, he’s called a “leader.” Yet when a little girl does the same, she risks being branded bossy.”

Is that true? Am I the only one who also uses the word “bossy” to describe those of the opposite sex? I’m an equal opportunity bossy-caller. In fact, I call my husband that all the time.

Me: Why are you so bossy?
Him: Because I’m the boss.
Me: *eye roll*
The Girls: No you’re not the boss, Daddy!

Then, he asks them who the boss is, and they say ‘both of you.’

I wish I could get on board with Beyoncé (and Michelle Obama and Sheryl Sandberg) with this one. She usually steers me in the right direction…

She taught me …

…that not everyone would be ready for this jelly

… that if he liked it then he should have put a ring on it.

… and that if I ever need to kick anyone out I should put everything they own in the box to the left.

So I want to #BanBossy for Bey… but no.

What am I supposed to say when people are being bossy?

“Way to be a leader!”??

Maybe it’s because I’m fortunate to have some very outspoken girls. Or maybe I just don’t like being told what to do. But either way, I’m not doing it.

So to quote one of my favorite tweets on the issue…

“Technically, telling anyone to ban a word is bossy.”

We Love Costco, Yes We Do…

December 10, 2013 by momindcity 2 Comments

We love Costco, how about you?!

What do you do when your kid has a public meltdown?

Flower Girls are in the House Tonight!

December 6, 2013 by momindcity 1 Comment

Were you ever a flower girl? I never was, but always wanted to be. So when my friend, Katie, asked Lira and Zana to be flower girls in her Charlottesville wedding, it was ON.

No time to waste… we read flower girl books, watched YouTube videos (yes, really), and talked about the importance of their mission. “Don’t mess up. You have the most important job in the entire wedding…. Yeah, I know you’re not the bride, but throwing those flowers on the ground sets the stage for the entire wedding.” I can’t figure out why, but the night before the wedding, they both decided they didn’t want to be flower girls anymore.

After bribing them with toys that they could only pay with after getting an A+ on their flower girl final exam, they were ready to roll.

Here’s how they got an A+:

Asking the tough questions. From “Why do we have to throw the flowers on the ground?” to “What’s that thing on your leg? (a garter). Princess Tiana didn’t wear one of those when she got married,” these girls kept the bride on her toes. So Katie, what does one do with that garter belt? I never heard your answer.
“No really, what is that thing on your leg?”
Launching the party rocket. Just before ceremony time, there was an eerie, nervous silence. A bridesmaid thought a song might lighten the mood… but what song? Just then, Zana screamed at the top of her lungs “PARTY ROCKET’S IN THE HOUSE TONIGHT!” And from that moment, it really was. “Everybody just have a good time!” all the bridesmaids sang back. Also, I think LMFAO got their own lyrics wrong. Zana’s version is much better.
What’s everyone so nervous about?
Providing the getaway. During picture time, it’s hard to notice when someone disappears So it’s no surprise that, before we realized she was gone, Zana climbed into the driver seat of the golf cart, and pushed the gas pedal. Shrieks and screams ensued as Dave and I sprinted toward her. Luckily, she only drove a few feet…. And what did she have to say for herself? Not much -just giggles.
“I could have driven it better.”
Boogey-ing. “I Katie, take you Colin…” “AAAAACHHHHOOOOO!” You know those sneezes with the snot that hangs down to your waist? The thick, greenish-yellow snot producing sneezes? Zana picked the perfect moment for one of those. Terrified bridesmaids exchanged “do I have to deal with this?” looks, but little Z knew to come on over to my purse full of tissues, get her nose wiped, and get right back up there. (Somehow there wasn’t a picture of any of this in the professional photos. Go figure.)
And boogie-ing. My favorite part of many weddings (including my own) is when the flower girls dance. It’s usually just a dance or two… but not with my party animals. Lira took several twirls around the dance floor, while Zana found her place on stage. Flashbacks of my college days didn’t let me sleep much that night… but the pictures sure do rule.

"And you're gonna hear me rrrooooaaar!" — “And you’re gonna hear me rrrooooaaar!”

Fast forward to college... smh — Fast forward to college… #smh

Bonus Points:

To Lira for being the most patient and loving big sister I’ve ever seen.

Dave, for putting on a pirate hat.

Full disclosure: the real reason I’m writing this post is because the wedding photographer, Jack Looney, took some of my favorite pictures of the girls that I’ve ever seen. I mean really…

Tell me about your flower girl experiences in the comments below!

Good-bye Vacay, Hello Real World… Womp Womp

September 3, 2013 by momindcity 10 Comments

For all 3 of you who’ve been stalking momindcity.com anxiously waiting for my next post… stop biting your nails, the wait is over. The summer of 2013 has definitely been one to remember. We took our first overseas family vacation! Kosovo, Albania, Germany, and Austria in 4 weeks. Plus, we spent a week at the beach in Delaware before that. How does a working mom get this much time off? My job gives a 5 week sabbatical every 5 years. Crazy, right?!

Here’s a quick recap of why I’ve been off the grid for the past couple of months:

Bethany Beach Highlights included ice cream multiple times a day and the introduction of the “bra-kini,” which you may call a bikini at your house.

sisters at beach — Wearing their bra-kinis.

Kosovo, the youngest country in Europe This is where I spent every summer of my childhood; it’s home to my extended family, and now the place where Lira and Zana want to move (I felt the same way when I was a kid). The castle in Prizren had a breathtaking view of the city.

Yay Prizeren Castle! — People were taking pictures of me attempting to take this picture.

We also spent time in the mountains, and on the family farm:

Kid-friendly castle halfway up a mountain — Castle halfway up a mountain near Decan

Albania Add the Adriatic Sea to your list of beaches to visit. I won’t forget our wonderful time in Vlora, but I do hope to forget whatever stomach but took us all down; ~~Montazuma’s~~ Enver Hoxha’s Revenge is no joke.

The best of our 50+ attempts at a family photo — Don’t worry, I’m wearing my bra-kini.

Munich and Salzburg Our trip to Germany and Austria was quick– just 3 days. We explored castles, gardens (flower and beer), enjoyed hearty German food and exhausted ourselves properly for the 9 hour flight home.

Back to the Grind We got back to DC 2 weeks ago. The girls started school last week– 1st grade (gasp!) and pre-school, and Dave immediately went back to work. I decided to do a 10 day in a row Bikram Yoga challenge to cleanse the vacation damage out of my system and shock my body back into reality. Now it’s time to shock my mind. Heading back to work this morning… womp womp

Capitol Hill Moms are Not Dance Moms

June 27, 2013 by momindcity 4 Comments

We’re taking the summer off from dance. It’s the first time in four years that we won’t have a dance class every Saturday. We have a lot of plans this summer, and dance just doesn’t fit into the equation. I’m not sure what that means for her So You Think You Can Dance future, but we’re risking it.

Lira’s first dance recital was a couple of weeks ago. She’s been waiting for it since she started taking classes at Joy of Motion when she was 2 years old. The recital was everything she hoped and dreamed of—the lights, the costumes, the hair. It was just like an episode of Dance Moms except the kids aren’t wearing half shirts and bootie shorts, Miss Crystal is no Abby Miller, and Capitol Hill moms are definitely not dance moms. In fact, they’re pretty much the opposite. For example…

They don’t know a thing about hair. I may have had to watch a YouTube video (or 3) to learn how to do a proper ballerina bun, but I did it! Not everyone got the bun badge of honor, though. One mom who shall not be named actually took her kid to a barber shop to avoid dealing with the hair nets and donuts (not the Dunkin’ kind).

They don’t dress their kids like Jean Benet-Ramsey. There wasn’t a set of red lips, a trace of body glitter, nor a single half shirt in sight. And based on the snack choices, it didn’t look like anyone had put their kid on the proper dance diet either. (Don’t you people know how many calories are in those granola bars? Sheesh)

They Don’t Show the Proper Dedication. The recital was about 45 minutes from the Hill… and boy were there complaints… and forgotten ballet slippers… and tights… and hair bows. A few kids didn’t even show up to the “mandatory” dress rehearsal and at least 2 showed up in sundresses and sandals.

Abby Miller would be appalled… and so would a lot of people I know from high school who actually are proper dance moms (I’m from Texas, you know). And they’d really be appalled to know the #1 dilemma faced by Capitol Hill moms of girls: dance vs. soccer. They’re at the same time on Saturdays. What’s a Barber Shop Mom to do???