Dear Seth,

You turn seven tomorrow. And every time I think about it I tear up. So much has changed over the years. And while you’re excited about growing older and all it entails, it is a bittersweet experience for your mama.

We used to snuggle up in a rocking chair to read a book. Now you only want to snuggle before your bedtime in an effort to stay up later. You used to lovingly call me ”Ma-eee”. Now you call me “Moooommm.” You usually say it in your most exaspirated voice. You used to love listening to “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star”. Now you love to listen to Jason Mraz and air guitar to Muse.

Remember how you used to wish you could marry me. Now you make big plans to marry one of your best buds named Chloe. You used to rely on my body to provide you nutrients. Now you rely on my body to cook you nutritious meals.

We used to take walks together. You’d happily sit in your stroller, watching the world go by. We’d stop here or there so I could show you a flower, blade of grass or an insect. You’d sit there in awe, your eager eyes soaking up the experience. We still take our walks together but now you race ahead of me on your bike. These days it is you who points out the tiny frog hoping across the rocks or you who tries to tickle me with a blade of grass.

Some things haven’t changed all that much. Only I can still can comfort you when you have a bad dream, bad day or get hurt. And when you sleep, you still look a bit like the baby we brought home. You still love giving your mama hugs, although those hugs are much stronger now.

As you get older, I find we have lots in common. (Like we both drive your poor daddy crazy.) And you’re alot of fun to hang out with. I’m proud of you. I admire your spunk. You make you daddy’s and my life richer as well as fill the house with laughter and liveliness. We love you so much.

Happy Birthday Seth. I don’t care how big or old you get, you will always be my little bunny.

Kristie and I just launched (as in a few days ago) an online magazine devoting to parenting within the St. Louis area! StLFamilyLife.com touches base on childcare, products, friendships, romantic relationships, sex, education, fun stuff for you to do and a myriad of other topics. You don’t have to be a St. Louis area resident to read or enter giveaways. We hope you’ll poke around the site then stick around to see what we’ve got in store for you! Here’s a few links, so give us a try!

And don’t forget to check out the St. Louis/marriage section of the Examiner.com.

From now on, my product reviews will be posted to StLFamilyLife.com. The old reviews will remain at MotherOfBun Reviews… 

Energetic little boys are tough to wear out. But I’ve been trying my best to tucker out the one I have. Hence, posting has been light lately.

Recently we did a “Seth’s Nirvana Day”. The day started with me cursing while trying to fit two bicycles into the back of my vehicle. That part wasn’t exactly fun but once situated we were on our way, as Seth played air guitar to a few while heading to McDonald’s. We took our lunch out to a park with a bike trail he’d yet to try.

BS (Before Seth), the hubs and I loved to go biking in various parks throughout the St. Louis area.  The bumpier the trail, the more fun we had. So when Seth started to get good at bike riding, the hubby introduced him to a few local trails. Seth loved the feeling of wind in his face and pedals beneath his feet.

But prior to a week ago, I hadn’t been on my bike in many, many years — as in before I was pregnant with Seth. I was a little worried but knew our little “date” would make for a happy boy.

So we tried out the new trail and explored some areas off the sandy path. Seth loved it. And I was suprised at how easy it was to get back on the bike and ride out the bumps. I’d forgotten how much fun it is to ride a bike.

I did remember how my big ole’ butt would get a bit sore from being perched atop that teeny, tiny bicycle seat. And, yup. Same issue this time. Only I don’t remember my butt STAYING sore for a whole week. But I’ve got a plan for next time. 

After a few hours of riding, we went to Dairy Queen for a Blizzard. We ate that outside as well. There was also more jamming. It was a great day for a wild little man on the cusps of seven.

We’ll be going out again soon to explore a few more trails. If you see us, say “hi”. We’ll be easy to spot. Seth is the blonde kid who’s ”squirrelling out” nonstop (and I mean non. stop.) on a blue bike. I’ll be the blonde with a big, cushy pillow strapped to my butt. 

Check out the feature on Raquita at the St. Louis Bloggers Guild site.

And if you were thinking about a PUR pitcher? Here’s a revew at MotherOfBun Reviews… Oh and a review of some pretty tastey peanut butter too as well as a Father’s Day gift idea.

… Oh yeah and here’s an article about a St. Louis couple who launched a fitness biz, how ADHD kids affect marriage and a cool website marrieds in the ‘lou can use. Oh and when you or your honey travels? Here’s how to keep that lovin’ feeling strong.

A great friend and I also have another project in the works. We’re not ready to debut just yet. But in a few days we will be. And when that happens, I’ll let ya’ll know!

Dear Norwegian Cruise Lines,

About a month ago, my husband and I took a “freestyle cruise” with Norwegian Cruise lines.

So what did we think of it? Well, I’m not privy to the “cruising experience” so I don’t really have anything to compare our trip to. But honestly? I just don’t get the appeal.

I don’t get the appeal of paying alot of money ahead of time for crap food.

Then again, I don’t get the appeal of paying extra money while there just to get “ok” food.

I don’t get the whole “tips are included in your upfront costs” only to have an extra 18% tacked on to every bill for “gratuities” - especially when service was slow and the “service” we received wasn’t really all that helpful. Another thing that didn’t appeal? Having the cruise director and captain  “encourage” people a few times each day over the loud speaker to tip more on top of the already charged 18%. 

I also don’t get the appeal of pulling into ports that seem alot like a roofless outhouses in July - hot, stinky and dirty.

And I don’t quite understand why the ship’s activities director would get on the loudspeaker each morning to let us know what lame activities were available. (Oh that craptacular three-year-old movie you’re showing on a projection screen at 11:45 a.m.? That’s TOTALLY work waking me up for!) I’M ON VACATION! I’m SLEEPING.

But I will tell you that if you are worried about gaining weight on a cruise? This is the ship you want to be on. I LOST weight on my Norwegian cruise. Oh yeah, another fun part about the trip? The entrance of a general eating area often smelled like sewage. In fact, you could smell the sewage scent as you walked up the staircases.

But the thing I understand the least is the Norwegian Cruise Lines shuttle bus driver who drove us four miles from the airport to the ship. We paid extra for the bus. We handled our luggage ourselves. He drove us four miles. We got off of the bus. He stood right by the door with his hand held out. We didn’t realize we had to tip him until it was too late. We had our hands full of stuff and are on the shuttle steps. If we stopped to get out wallets we’d hold up the entire line. We figured we’d walk past, get situated and tip him. But as we walked past him he said, “Thank you have a nice day” then muttered under his breath “cheapa$$ motherf#cker.” Um hello? The man, who is paid by you, literally did nothing but drive us 4.2 miles and mutter this profanity under his breath. Even though my husband didn’t hear him? I did!

(My husband might drive me crazy at times but the last thing that man is? Is  cheap, let alone a “cheapa$$ motherf*cker.”)

Needless to say once we got situated, we didn’t go back to tip him. 

We ended up leaving our camera in our room. I guess our extra tip for the housekeeping staff wasn’t good enough because no one bothered sending it back. And when I called the cruise line to ask about it, no one knew anything. (By the way, we used housekeeping to make the bed and change out towels, ONCE in our entire stay. And yes, we still tipped extra and as if we used used them every day.)

So THANK YOU NORWEGIAN CRUISE LINES for your service, your honesty, your food, your ports of call, your lingering odors, the seriously cheezy decor and everything else.

But lest you think all I could do is find fault with everything I will say this: Your nightclub was fun. (But the name - ”Dazzles”? Seriously? Oh and one of the bartenders was super fun and awesome. He made the BEST martinis and was fun to talk to. (We saw him a few nights. HE got some great  extra tips. Oh and although I told you all this on your feedback forms, I did mention how awesome this guy was. So at least you know who your stellar support peeps are.) Oh and I like the freestyle idea. When I’m on vacation, I’m anti-social. So I prefer to not get stuck at a table of strangers, forcing myself to make small-talk. So at least there’s that.

Oh and please stop sending me “offers” to cruise with you again. It so ain’t ever gonna happen!

Ta ta!

Lisa

P.S. I mentioned this on my Facebook. And what do you know? There were others that mentioned they had sucky experiences with you too! Why am I not surprised?

She's got Bette Davis eyes...

Abbey dog is 10 1/2 years old. In human years? She’s in her mid to late 60’s. She’s 15 pounds heavier than she was 9 years ago. (Ok. I lied, she’s 17 pounds heavier.) She has lots of gray hairs growing around her face. And she’s got a few of these strange (but benign!) growths on her leg. Her coat isn’t as shiny as it used to be. She’s not as sleek and muscular either.

But she still walks around thinking she’s one hot bitch — just like she did when she was a young pup.

I think that’s cool. As I get older, I realize that one’s “hotness” factor is more so about attitude than a great wardrobe, fabulous hair or perfect body. Attitude can go a long way in projecting intelligence, power, health and vitality.

The next time you feel self-conscious, channel your inner Abbeydog. (Except for the parts where you’d fart so loud you wake yourself up or scoot your butt across the floor. Oh and if you find yourself with a few long, grey whiskers? You probably want to get out the tweezers.) But still… Get out there and do your “I’m hot” prance.  I promise I’ll be too impressed by your attitude to yell at you if you wind up darting across the street to chase that squirrel.

Hey, there’s a chance to win free Pepsi and Mountain Dew throwback stuff. Just click HERE. And I started a new gig a few weeks ago where I talk about marriage in St. Louis. For some of the latest posts click HERE, HERE, and HERE.

The door bell rings. I look toward the front door and see a pair of brown eyes staring back at me. It’s the little neighbor girl who’s Seth’s age. I smile and motion for her to come in. She stops by sometimes 4-5 times a day. She’s familiar with my gesture and so she opens the door and walks into the kitchen.

“Um. Can Seth play?,”  she stoically asks.

“Sure Sweets. Come on in. Hey Bunny! Natalie’s here,” I yell.

She’s used to seeing us on a Saturday morning lounging in pajamas. She used to eating breakfast, lunches, dinners with us. She’s seen our house immaculate and downright scarey. She’s seen us in good  moods and in bad, sick and well. She can quickly assimilate the tone of the household. She’s been coming around almost every day for almost three years now.

She and Seth are like peanut butter and jelly. One is rarely without the other. And if Seth has friends over, she’s often in on the activity too. Most of the time she’s happy to play Star Wars (if she can pretend she’s Hannah Montana with a light saber.)  Like Seth, she has lots of energy. They amuse each other. Well, until one gets tired and cranky and stomps off in a huff. But 20 minutes later, she’ll be right back on our front porch peering into our doors and asking if Seth can play.

I used to joke that she spends so much time at our house that we should be able to list her as a deduction on our taxes. But I’m very grateful to her and his other friends like Jack, Chloe (he swears he will marry Chloe someday), Nick P, RJ, his best bud Josh and the rest of the crew. Many of these kids have spent countless hours playing with Seth in his clubhouse, in his room or riding bikes in the front. Many of them, like Natalie, are about as familiar with our house as they are with their own.

Throughout the years, we’ve gotten to know a lot of his friends pretty well. We consider them part of our family. We talk with them, learn from them, laugh with them, feed them and fall in love with them. And while they are in our lives, our family is that much happier, that much noisier, and that much richer.

Ten Years Ago Today

-I was 10 pounds lighter.

-There were snow flurries that morning and plenty of wind.

-I cursed the cold because the weather had been beautiful the weekend before.

-I wore a white dress, high heels, and awkwardly held a few calla lilies as my dad walked me down the aisle.

-Marc looked happy and very handsome in his tux. He also looked a bit nervous.

-His momma cried because even when your son is 32, a part of you will always view him as your little boy.

-We met up at the alter. The minister’s breath smelled like something you’d find dead in between your walls.

-The ceremony was my favorite kind – finished in about 20 minutes.

-We went outside to take photos. The sun started to peek out as we assembled in our to-be-photographed groups.  This photo? Is our favorite one. It was taken by my dad.

Ten years. It has been a period of tremendous personal growth for both of us. As in any union, there have been good times and bad. But we’re still standing.

I feel hopeful for our future. And blessed.

I’ve been blogging for more than four years now. During that time, I’ve learned alot about motherhood, friendship, marriage and children. I’ve cheered other bloggers on in their battles. Others have cheered me on in mine.  It has been a meaningful, monumental journey. And I’ve met some incredible, inspiring people along the way.

The last year has been a time rife with questions. Should I quit blogging or stay? If I stay, in what capacity? Should I change directions? Should I pour my energies into an entirely different creative process?

I have felt a bit binded by this blog at times. There are so many things I can’t talk about because over the years people that I, my family or husband knows, find out about the blog. I think about the people who might be reading -  parents of some of Seth’s classmates, husband’s coworkers, my parents’ coworkers, relatives, old classmates and friends of friends. I have to really think about how my words can be construed. And if a prospective employer is to google my name? This blog comes up. What impression are they getting?

I need a new focus. But I’m unsure as to what to focus on. So pretty please give me some ideas. What’s missing on the blogosphere that you want to read about? More or less humor? What subjects do you want tackled? Should this become a products review blog? A blog about how to the knit dog hair that you vaccum up into sweaters for the whole family? A blog devoted to the deconstruction of the Twilight books? A serious blog about orphans in Africa. A blog about all of the crazy stuff you can find on Craigslist. (Because I didn’t start looking that site until recently and I’ve learned you find a job, a couch and a hooker all on one site!)  A blog about current events and my spin on the sitch? A blog that talks about events only within St. Louis or the Midwest? Or should it span the whole of the United States or the entire world?

Please, oh please, oh pretty please. I need your input. And you don’t have to worry about my feelings getting hurt. Because dude, if I ask you “Does my butt look fat in these pants?” I want an honest answer. Because I’d rather change pants than have someone lie to me and walk around in pants that make my butt look strange. Ok?

So lemme know. Oh and I’ve got a new review on MotherOfBun Reviews about a cool software to build social skills thanks to PBN.

So I just realized that I can no longer post giveaways on this blog since a certain ad network says I can’t. So I’ve taken the previous post down. And instead I’ll just give you a link to the giveaway via my review blog. Here ya go!

Anyone who entered on this site is still eligible. So no worries there.

This past year was a year of intense personal growth for me. If I told you that I didn’t spend alot of last year questioning my sanity, my self worth, my everything, I’d be lying. I no longer feel like the same woman I used to be. I’ve learned alot this past year.

The girl friends I’ve made over the years all have one thing in common - a gentle strength and refreshing resiliancy. I couldn’t have gotten through this past year without their inspiration. They’ve taught me to trust my instincts. In turn, I learned I’m smarter than what I give myself credit for. And I’m stronger too. Much stronger emotionally than I every thought.

I’ve learned that sometimes you have to let go. Sometimes, you have hold on. Sometimes, you have to ask for help. Sometimes you have to give it. Sometimes you have to let go of beliefs you’ve held onto for years. Sometimes you have to create new ones. Sometimes you want to give someone a solid kick in the butt. But sometimes its YOU who needs it. But always. You always need to be true to yourself.

There’s anxiety in change. But there’s also opportunity and hope. And if you keep your mind, heart and eyes open? Who knows what will happen.

This week we have two giveaways! One for you and one for your child!

Giveaway # 1
Eric Ruhalter saw that when it comes to parenthood, and describing certain experiences, words within the English language can only get us so far. That’s why he wrote, “The KidDictionary: A Book of Words Parents Need But Don’t Have.”

The book is a funny read. (Here’s a Youtube video of it.) And you’ll probably be able to relate to quite a few of his stories and words. This week he’s giving away a copy of his book to one MotherOfBun reader.

Giveaway #2
LeapFrog has launched 1 Million Reading Hours in conjunction with the NEA’s National Reading Month. Pledge to set aside at least 10 minutes a day to read with your children. The national goal is 1 million reading hours committed! We can do that, right? Right! This is where you can win a LeapFrog Tag reader and five books for yourself as well as an expanded memory LeapFrog School Tag reader plus 10 books to give to your local library.

For either giveaway, please leave a comment. If you want to participate in the LeapFrog giveaway, also let us know how much time you’re pledging in the LeapFrog 1 Million Reading Hours Campaign. Both drawings will close at the end of the month. Anyone 18 and older can enter. Must be a United States citizen. And always, feel free to go to MotherOfBun Reviews to leave a comment and increase your odds. Good luck!

The giveaways I had scheduled for this week? Sorry but it ain’t gonna happen. I’ve got a child who’s been sick for three days. There’s even been a visit to a clinic and then onto an ER this morning to boot! And its looking like he won’t be up for school tomorrow either. Blah.

Tune in next week.