Sorry I haven't posted lately, I was sick :(. Feeling better now, thank God.
Well tomorrow is St. Patrick's Day and I am very excited. I've only made it to the parade in New York once in the last decade, and I'm going tomorrow. The forecast is 60 degrees and sunny YAY!!!!
My parents were both born and raised in Ireland, making me 1st generation American. For little girls whose parents are from Ireland, taking tap dance and ballet lessons aren't the norm, and frankly weren't on our radar either. Naturally, we all took Irish dancing, but we never gave it much thought, and thankfully, we really loved it.
I danced from the time I was 5 until I was 14. My mom tried to start me at 4, but I wasn't ready to stay in line and listen.... OMG, I'm still the same!
Anyway, this is a short one, but I'll follow up with a St. Pat's Day report.
Take apeak at this.... very cool
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IxQrWey4Qsw
nils lofgren on accordion, gets the crowd singing “fields of athenry”
just prior to bruce springsteen beginning “no surrender”
july 12, 2009 LIVE in dublin
If you have an extra minute, check out youtube Stavros Flatly Audition Britain's Got Talent. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Tu0PAbW75A
TOO FUNNY.
Have a great day,
Sheila
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Always, a Mom
I'm finally beginning to understand my mom. I mean really understand her. Well she's matured alot since I was a teenager, so it's easier for us to communicate now.
Often I tease her that she could find something to worry about, if nothing too troubling was already going on. That's a tall order for our family, nothing to worry about that is, there's 21 of us.
My mom was blessed (or cursed I suppose, ha ha) with 6 children. The girls were all born 1st; 5 of them. You read right... 5 baby girls in a row!!! Now, if you were paying attention when I said she had 6 children, then you got it... the baby was a boy. We (my siblings & I) claim that's why there's 6 of us, not 7. But, she swears it had nothing to do with finally "getting that boy".
Well, the first 5 of us were born in less than 7 years! That's alot of teenage girls to be raising in the '70s and '80s. Now put your calculator away.... I am 29 years old and so are all my sisters..... in fact my mom is 29 too.
Oh, now there are grandchildren too, which to her delight allows more opportunity for worry... you know what I mean.
RELAX! I'm just kidding...
Truth be told, I'm turning out to be alot more like her than I thought I would....but that's a blog of a different color... or for a different time.
OK, so where was I? Oh yes, I'm finally beginning to understand my mom.
You see, it's easier when they are babies. We don't believe it, but it is. I used to look at older women like they were nuts when they would see me with my little ones and say things like "enjoy them, these are the easy times, wait till they're older... then you'll really have your hands full." I figured they were glorifying the cute stuff and forgetting the vomit, sleepless nights, cutting teeth.... etc. Back then I thought life would be great, after diapers, formula, etc. So silly of me.
Nanas, as she's lovingly called by children, grandchildren and now loads of family friends, is still a mom. My older kids are now in their 20s, and of course I'm still a mom, and surprise... a worrier. Nothing over-the-top, and it turns out my mom's worry isn't over-the-top either, just the usual. It's sometimes the same as when they were little, yet somehow very different. I know that doesn't make any sense, and I kind of think that's the point.
When they are little we make sure their food isn't too hot, their shoes aren't too big (don't want them to trip), dress them warmly, see that they get their homework done, study for tests, make good choices, respect others, respect themselves, get proper rest, and so on. We take care of them when they are sick, hurt, sad, lonely......we worry whether or not they are happy.
It's no different when they are older, except now their problems can't be fixed with a popsicle.
Well, in spite of the good, the bad and the ugly, I'm so glad I'm a mom. There has never been a job that has given me 1% of the job satisfaction I have from being a mom. I'm sure my kids don't always feel that way, like when my halo is in the bottom of a closet (rusted and dinged), or when my "Mom of the Year" subscription doesn't reach the mailbox cause I've been deleted from their list.
The good news is, when needed, the red cape still comes out, & SUPER MOM gets to work.
Thankfully I've been trained by the best, Super Nanas.
And let's face it, I'm nothing without my sidekick, SUPER DAD.
Chris, Brian, Bill & Joe, thanks for making me Mom.
xoxoxoxoxoxo
Often I tease her that she could find something to worry about, if nothing too troubling was already going on. That's a tall order for our family, nothing to worry about that is, there's 21 of us.
My mom was blessed (or cursed I suppose, ha ha) with 6 children. The girls were all born 1st; 5 of them. You read right... 5 baby girls in a row!!! Now, if you were paying attention when I said she had 6 children, then you got it... the baby was a boy. We (my siblings & I) claim that's why there's 6 of us, not 7. But, she swears it had nothing to do with finally "getting that boy".
Well, the first 5 of us were born in less than 7 years! That's alot of teenage girls to be raising in the '70s and '80s. Now put your calculator away.... I am 29 years old and so are all my sisters..... in fact my mom is 29 too.
Oh, now there are grandchildren too, which to her delight allows more opportunity for worry... you know what I mean.
RELAX! I'm just kidding...
Truth be told, I'm turning out to be alot more like her than I thought I would....but that's a blog of a different color... or for a different time.
OK, so where was I? Oh yes, I'm finally beginning to understand my mom.
You see, it's easier when they are babies. We don't believe it, but it is. I used to look at older women like they were nuts when they would see me with my little ones and say things like "enjoy them, these are the easy times, wait till they're older... then you'll really have your hands full." I figured they were glorifying the cute stuff and forgetting the vomit, sleepless nights, cutting teeth.... etc. Back then I thought life would be great, after diapers, formula, etc. So silly of me.
Nanas, as she's lovingly called by children, grandchildren and now loads of family friends, is still a mom. My older kids are now in their 20s, and of course I'm still a mom, and surprise... a worrier. Nothing over-the-top, and it turns out my mom's worry isn't over-the-top either, just the usual. It's sometimes the same as when they were little, yet somehow very different. I know that doesn't make any sense, and I kind of think that's the point.
When they are little we make sure their food isn't too hot, their shoes aren't too big (don't want them to trip), dress them warmly, see that they get their homework done, study for tests, make good choices, respect others, respect themselves, get proper rest, and so on. We take care of them when they are sick, hurt, sad, lonely......we worry whether or not they are happy.
It's no different when they are older, except now their problems can't be fixed with a popsicle.
Well, in spite of the good, the bad and the ugly, I'm so glad I'm a mom. There has never been a job that has given me 1% of the job satisfaction I have from being a mom. I'm sure my kids don't always feel that way, like when my halo is in the bottom of a closet (rusted and dinged), or when my "Mom of the Year" subscription doesn't reach the mailbox cause I've been deleted from their list.
The good news is, when needed, the red cape still comes out, & SUPER MOM gets to work.
Thankfully I've been trained by the best, Super Nanas.
And let's face it, I'm nothing without my sidekick, SUPER DAD.
Chris, Brian, Bill & Joe, thanks for making me Mom.
xoxoxoxoxoxo
Monday, March 8, 2010
Technology.... don't even get me started!
Sometimes I wonder how I would get by without my cell phone or laptop....
and sometimes I long for the days of my youth when my friends tried to call me and got a busy signal.
A decade ago when my kids first started instant messaging during homework I thought, "wow, my mother wouldn't let me talk on the phone during homework, except to check the assignment or something". Pretty quickly it went from one or two "im's" to having a dozen or so bubbles at the bottom of the screen representing different conversations. Well, you could hardly call them conversations, sometimes they were the typed versions of various grunts... things like yo, yeah, whatup, nuttin. Then came the secret code like gtg - which meant "got to go" or pos - which meant "parent over shoulder". Still seemed sorta harmless. Then we were lol and rofl and who could forget idk... soon to gain notoriety when used by a grannie in a cell phone commercial. Oh, did I neglect to mention that this language was also being used on cell phones too? Sorry, technology... I told you, "Don't even get me started".
Now I'm guessing most parents have had the talk... you know the one, where we mostly say things like "really?" and "are you kidding me?" especially after learning some of the more distateful abbreviations..... let's just leave it at that.
I'll tell you what concerns me the most is the SPEED at which things happen. Gone is the opportunity to think before doing.... or is it?
Maybe young people need to perfectly tanned, have pearly white teeth, wear the latest trends, apply their make-up with high quality products because their lives are a photo shoot!
Maybe we've got it all wrong. Young girls aren't worried about trying looking like a model, just looking better than the people next to you. Come on, kids (ages 12-30; I can say that because I am 100) have over 1,000 friends on their social network pages and at least that many photos as well.
Idon't know how we got so far off track. Now with SEXTING, I wonder, can't we all slow down a little?
I nearly gagged when Barbara Walters said a couple of weeks ago that schools should be teaching that if you forward a SEXT, in this case a nude picture of your ex who is a minor, you have to be carefule because you could end up on being charged as a Sex Offender and listed on the registry.
Sadly, she wasn't worried about the self esteem of a young lady who felt she needed to send her boyfriend a picture of her nude.
Pretty soon you won't wait with nervous anticipation for your child's first steps or first words..... they'll be in school when they take them. How else will there be enough time to teach the 3 R's as well as what society expects them to teach?
So maybe in the future when a mother's maternity leave is over, the baby will start school.
Why not?
Some people think they should learn to tie their shoes at school, really, I swear.
Let's see....they should learn the alphabet at school...... learn to write their name..... learn their address..... stop, drop & roll......and then one day, teach them how to buy groceries...... balance a checkbook.....apply for a credit card..... fill out a job application....... have sex, or not........ use birth control, or not...... love..... abstinence....... self esteem...... fair fighting, etc.
Well, I suppose the next thing will be a course in how to book travel reservations.
Anyway, back to technology.
I find myself saying the same thing over and over....."Just because we can does not mean we should".
Is there someone you can talk to about making better choices .... with the technology they have?
Just a thought.
Sheila
and sometimes I long for the days of my youth when my friends tried to call me and got a busy signal.
A decade ago when my kids first started instant messaging during homework I thought, "wow, my mother wouldn't let me talk on the phone during homework, except to check the assignment or something". Pretty quickly it went from one or two "im's" to having a dozen or so bubbles at the bottom of the screen representing different conversations. Well, you could hardly call them conversations, sometimes they were the typed versions of various grunts... things like yo, yeah, whatup, nuttin. Then came the secret code like gtg - which meant "got to go" or pos - which meant "parent over shoulder". Still seemed sorta harmless. Then we were lol and rofl and who could forget idk... soon to gain notoriety when used by a grannie in a cell phone commercial. Oh, did I neglect to mention that this language was also being used on cell phones too? Sorry, technology... I told you, "Don't even get me started".
Now I'm guessing most parents have had the talk... you know the one, where we mostly say things like "really?" and "are you kidding me?" especially after learning some of the more distateful abbreviations..... let's just leave it at that.
I'll tell you what concerns me the most is the SPEED at which things happen. Gone is the opportunity to think before doing.... or is it?
Maybe young people need to perfectly tanned, have pearly white teeth, wear the latest trends, apply their make-up with high quality products because their lives are a photo shoot!
Maybe we've got it all wrong. Young girls aren't worried about trying looking like a model, just looking better than the people next to you. Come on, kids (ages 12-30; I can say that because I am 100) have over 1,000 friends on their social network pages and at least that many photos as well.
Idon't know how we got so far off track. Now with SEXTING, I wonder, can't we all slow down a little?
I nearly gagged when Barbara Walters said a couple of weeks ago that schools should be teaching that if you forward a SEXT, in this case a nude picture of your ex who is a minor, you have to be carefule because you could end up on being charged as a Sex Offender and listed on the registry.
Sadly, she wasn't worried about the self esteem of a young lady who felt she needed to send her boyfriend a picture of her nude.
Pretty soon you won't wait with nervous anticipation for your child's first steps or first words..... they'll be in school when they take them. How else will there be enough time to teach the 3 R's as well as what society expects them to teach?
So maybe in the future when a mother's maternity leave is over, the baby will start school.
Why not?
Some people think they should learn to tie their shoes at school, really, I swear.
Let's see....they should learn the alphabet at school...... learn to write their name..... learn their address..... stop, drop & roll......and then one day, teach them how to buy groceries...... balance a checkbook.....apply for a credit card..... fill out a job application....... have sex, or not........ use birth control, or not...... love..... abstinence....... self esteem...... fair fighting, etc.
Well, I suppose the next thing will be a course in how to book travel reservations.
Anyway, back to technology.
I find myself saying the same thing over and over....."Just because we can does not mean we should".
Is there someone you can talk to about making better choices .... with the technology they have?
Just a thought.
Sheila
Saturday, March 6, 2010
I miss you and your penny loafers and bowties.
We met in 1989 and we were an unlikely pair. I was this sassy 25-year-old cigarette smoking New Yorker, and he was a straight laced, penny loafers & bowtie wearing non-smoker, Colorado native, who I honestly don't think ever cursed in his life.
We were both somewhat recent transplants to thecommunity. At the time, I had a new baby and a preschooler.
You see Jeff, also known as Dr. Jeff, became our pediatrician that hot summer day in 1989.
Who could’ve guessed the great friendship in store for us?
As odd a pair as we were, we clicked.
R-E-S-P-E-C-T, to me one of the most important words ever, respect, that was what bonded us.
Jeff had an extraordinary way of showing respect to the moms, dads, guardians, and also his patients (no matter how young or old they might be). He listened and didn’t dismiss the logic or reasoning behind your point of view, like the times he reminded me it would be best if the kids drank skim milk, and I just kept whining that it’s never on sale (really 1% would be on sale all the time, and they drank a lot of milk!$). Well, we’ve been on skim now for years because it turns out that whole milk is 3% milkfat and skim of course is 0%, but milk fat is one of the really bad fats and kids don’t need it after reaching 2.
OK, so Jeff….1, Sheila….0.
I’ll get you next time you…, you…., you evil genius. Damn you!!
Well not exactly, we had many other lively exchanges, but always with respect.
Jeff was so much more than just our doctor. We had kids the same age who were in Boy Scouts, sports and school plays together, but they were also (and still are) friends. This meant we were school parents together too, and we would team up, with others as well, to get a budget passed and even a school built (yes, we dared to dream). Over the years we spent time together on blankets at soccer, in the audience at plays, around the campfire at Boy Scouts and more as we celebrated the lives of our children.
I was on vacation and sadly missed it when he renewed his vows with Nancy. Luckily, I was there for the double celebration, Nancy’s 50th birthday and their 25th anniversary and thrilled to be counted amongst the special people in their lives (also thrilled with the desserts. Nancy is soooo talented, but I digress).
We laughed together and shared our lives’ for 20 years, well almost 20 (five months shy).
I miss my buddy Jeff. Last Tuesday was the first anniversary of his passing and I still can't believe that he is not here, with us.
During that “almost” 20 years he saved my children’s lives, on more than one occasion. My two younger children had been hospitalized 13 times between them, for big stuff, and I am in no way making light of other children’s hospitalizations. There were times when Jeff had “hit the books” to figure out what was wrong when the specialists couldn’t. What a blessing he was in our lives. Jeff was always in our corner, always our “champion”. Every (especially new) mom should have that kind of support from their pediatrician. How lucky I was (and of course, my family) that job relocations landed us in the same community.
I've also been blessed with love and friendship of Jeff's wife Nancy. We are soul sisters…. but that’s for another blog, or 10… but for now, just know that her love and grace are a gift to all who know her. In Jeff's final days she opened her home to those he loved so they could keep him company, share stories, prayers and comfort food. Everyone had a chance to be at his bedside, WHAT AN HONOR.
I miss Jeff desperately, especially when I need advice, not because he was our doctor, but because he was my friend... my buddy, my partner in crime. In the final hours before he left us, I was able to sit on his bed, lean down, hug him and whisper in his ear. My heart was breaking, this amazing man, this hero, this savior to my children, had to go. How lucky I was to be able to tell him what he meant to me. I’m sure he already knew. How many times he had saved their lives and here I had to accept saying goodbye to him. What a world.
So, don’t judge a book by its cover. Maybe more importantly, don't judge.
For today I say thanks Jeff for being such a special force in my life. So often I have strength to accomplish much because of your faith in me.
Brian and I are forever in your debt, and Nancy and the kids can depend on us for anything.
I love you and miss you,
Sheila
xoxoxox
We were both somewhat recent transplants to thecommunity. At the time, I had a new baby and a preschooler.
You see Jeff, also known as Dr. Jeff, became our pediatrician that hot summer day in 1989.
Who could’ve guessed the great friendship in store for us?
As odd a pair as we were, we clicked.
R-E-S-P-E-C-T, to me one of the most important words ever, respect, that was what bonded us.
Jeff had an extraordinary way of showing respect to the moms, dads, guardians, and also his patients (no matter how young or old they might be). He listened and didn’t dismiss the logic or reasoning behind your point of view, like the times he reminded me it would be best if the kids drank skim milk, and I just kept whining that it’s never on sale (really 1% would be on sale all the time, and they drank a lot of milk!$). Well, we’ve been on skim now for years because it turns out that whole milk is 3% milkfat and skim of course is 0%, but milk fat is one of the really bad fats and kids don’t need it after reaching 2.
OK, so Jeff….1, Sheila….0.
I’ll get you next time you…, you…., you evil genius. Damn you!!
Well not exactly, we had many other lively exchanges, but always with respect.
Jeff was so much more than just our doctor. We had kids the same age who were in Boy Scouts, sports and school plays together, but they were also (and still are) friends. This meant we were school parents together too, and we would team up, with others as well, to get a budget passed and even a school built (yes, we dared to dream). Over the years we spent time together on blankets at soccer, in the audience at plays, around the campfire at Boy Scouts and more as we celebrated the lives of our children.
I was on vacation and sadly missed it when he renewed his vows with Nancy. Luckily, I was there for the double celebration, Nancy’s 50th birthday and their 25th anniversary and thrilled to be counted amongst the special people in their lives (also thrilled with the desserts. Nancy is soooo talented, but I digress).
We laughed together and shared our lives’ for 20 years, well almost 20 (five months shy).
I miss my buddy Jeff. Last Tuesday was the first anniversary of his passing and I still can't believe that he is not here, with us.
During that “almost” 20 years he saved my children’s lives, on more than one occasion. My two younger children had been hospitalized 13 times between them, for big stuff, and I am in no way making light of other children’s hospitalizations. There were times when Jeff had “hit the books” to figure out what was wrong when the specialists couldn’t. What a blessing he was in our lives. Jeff was always in our corner, always our “champion”. Every (especially new) mom should have that kind of support from their pediatrician. How lucky I was (and of course, my family) that job relocations landed us in the same community.
I've also been blessed with love and friendship of Jeff's wife Nancy. We are soul sisters…. but that’s for another blog, or 10… but for now, just know that her love and grace are a gift to all who know her. In Jeff's final days she opened her home to those he loved so they could keep him company, share stories, prayers and comfort food. Everyone had a chance to be at his bedside, WHAT AN HONOR.
I miss Jeff desperately, especially when I need advice, not because he was our doctor, but because he was my friend... my buddy, my partner in crime. In the final hours before he left us, I was able to sit on his bed, lean down, hug him and whisper in his ear. My heart was breaking, this amazing man, this hero, this savior to my children, had to go. How lucky I was to be able to tell him what he meant to me. I’m sure he already knew. How many times he had saved their lives and here I had to accept saying goodbye to him. What a world.
So, don’t judge a book by its cover. Maybe more importantly, don't judge.
For today I say thanks Jeff for being such a special force in my life. So often I have strength to accomplish much because of your faith in me.
Brian and I are forever in your debt, and Nancy and the kids can depend on us for anything.
I love you and miss you,
Sheila
xoxoxox
Thursday, March 4, 2010
Uh oh, serious contemplation...
Oh this journey has some twists and turns. Some days it's harder to keep the faith.
Where do we find our strength? confidence, self esteem?
How do we, can we, know if we are making a good decision, the right decision? for ourselves, in the workplace, for others, for our children....?
Do we learn self confidence in the formative years like the experts say? Nature vs. nurture.... the debate continues.
I think we get chances to reinvent ourselves, if we look for them, and if we take them. Do you tune in to compliments from others?... are you getting the message? do you drink it in, swirl that taste around in your mouth?
One of the best ways to build up someone's confidence is to take the time to let them know about a job well done. All it takes is paying a little attention and looking for the positive. If a child hasn't gotten the praise or recognition they need, it's not over.
Do you know a tween, teen or young adult who isn't making the best of choices? Could it be they aren't valuing themselves enough? Do you have a few minutes to be a positive influence, to really make a difference, to shine a light on someone who really needs it? Find the momemt to be someone's light, especially if they are living in the shadows.
Now take a minute to think about thouse who have helped you find your inner strength.
For me,it's as easy as looking at the company I keep (or keep in touch with). I've got a long list of folks who've helped me to believe in myself.
Today I thank Joann D. for her very kind words. Joann you have influenced my life more than you'll ever know. Thanks for seeing the best in me so I could too.
xoxoxoxo
Sheila
Where do we find our strength? confidence, self esteem?
How do we, can we, know if we are making a good decision, the right decision? for ourselves, in the workplace, for others, for our children....?
Do we learn self confidence in the formative years like the experts say? Nature vs. nurture.... the debate continues.
I think we get chances to reinvent ourselves, if we look for them, and if we take them. Do you tune in to compliments from others?... are you getting the message? do you drink it in, swirl that taste around in your mouth?
One of the best ways to build up someone's confidence is to take the time to let them know about a job well done. All it takes is paying a little attention and looking for the positive. If a child hasn't gotten the praise or recognition they need, it's not over.
Do you know a tween, teen or young adult who isn't making the best of choices? Could it be they aren't valuing themselves enough? Do you have a few minutes to be a positive influence, to really make a difference, to shine a light on someone who really needs it? Find the momemt to be someone's light, especially if they are living in the shadows.
Now take a minute to think about thouse who have helped you find your inner strength.
For me,it's as easy as looking at the company I keep (or keep in touch with). I've got a long list of folks who've helped me to believe in myself.
Today I thank Joann D. for her very kind words. Joann you have influenced my life more than you'll ever know. Thanks for seeing the best in me so I could too.
xoxoxoxo
Sheila
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